Battery plate

Abstract

A battery grid includes a grid network having a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements. Each grid wire element has opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes, each node includes a juncture of one of one of the opposed ends of the plurality of grid wire elements, to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. In various embodiments, at least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends. In various embodiments, the battery grid also includes a lead alloy coating on substantially all of the grid wire elements, wherein the lead alloy coating is exposed to an inert gas during the coating of the grid wire elements.

1 . A battery plate comprising:
 a grid network, the grid network comprising a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes, each node comprising the juncture of one of the opposed ends of a plurality of the grid wire elements, to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network, wherein at least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section inter mediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends; and   a lead alloy coating on substantially all of the grid wire elements, wherein the lead alloy coating includes inert gas formed pores.   
     
     
         2 . A battery plate of  claim 1 , wherein the first transverse cross-section is generally non-rectangular-shaped and the second transverse cross-section is generally rectangular-shaped. 
     
     
         3 . The battery plate of  claim 2 , wherein the first transverse cross-section has a shape that is selected from the group consisting of generally octagon-shaped, generally hexagon-shaped, generally diamond-shaped, and generally triangular-shaped. 
     
     
         4 . The battery plate of  claim 1 , wherein the inert gas is nitrogen or argon. 
     
     
         5 . The battery plate of  claim 1 , wherein the lead alloy coating is porous. 
     
     
         6 . The battery plate of  claim 1 , wherein the lead alloy coating comprises a lead-tin alloy. 
     
     
         7 . The battery plate of  claim 6 , wherein the lead-tin alloy comprises about 90 weight percent to about 99 weight percent lead and about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent tin. 
     
     
         8 . The battery plate of  claim 6 , wherein the lead-tin alloy further includes antimony. 
     
     
         9 . The battery plate of  claim 8 , wherein the lead-tin alloy comprises about 80 weight percent to about 98 weight percent lead, about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent tin, and about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent antimony. 
     
     
         10 . The battery plate of  claim 1 , wherein the battery plate is manufactured in a strip of multiple battery plates and then separated into individual battery plates. 
     
     
         11 . The battery plate of  claim 10 , wherein the strip of multiple battery plates is continuously cast. 
     
     
         12 . The battery plate of  claim 1 , wherein the battery plate is coined during manufacture. 
     
     
         13 . The battery plate of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one grid element has a substantially continuous transverse cross-section between its opposed ends before the battery plate is coined. 
     
     
         14 . The battery plate of  claim 1  wherein the grid network is comprised of a lead-calcium alloy. 
     
     
         15 . The battery plate of  claim 14  wherein the lead-calcium alloy comprises between about 0.06 weight percent to about 0.07 weight percent calcium. 
     
     
         16 . The battery plate of  claim 15  wherein the lead-calcium alloy further comprises about 1.2 weight percent to about 1.5 weight percent tin. 
     
     
         17 . The battery plate of  claim 16  wherein the lead-calcium alloy comprises tin in a ratio to calcium of greater than 12:1. 
     
     
         18 . The battery plate of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of at least one of the grid wire elements is formed via a stamping process at a position intermediate the opposed ends of the grid wire element before applying the lead alloy coating to the battery grid. 
     
     
         19 . The battery plate of  claim 1 , wherein the battery plate further comprises a frame element bordering the battery grid. 
     
     
         20 . The battery plate of  claim 6 , further comprising an active material provided on at least some of the lead alloy coating and comprising a paste.