Stamped battery grid with embossed border and kinked grid wires

Abstract

Grid for battery having a plurality of spaced apart vertically extending and horizontally extending grid wire elements with each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces and with selected ones of the grid wire elements being joined at one of their ends to the frame elements. Oppositely facing sides of the grid wire elements define first and second planes that are parallel to each other. Selected frame elements have an undulating cross section across the width thereof with an apex of the undulation on one side of the grid being tangential to or terminating at a third plane that is separate from and parallel to the first and second planes.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A grid for a battery, comprising:
 a grid network bordered by at least one frame element, one of the frame elements having a current collector lug;   the grid network comprising a plurality of spaced apart vertically extending and horizontally extending grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends, each opposed end being joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces, selected ones of the grid wire elements being joined at one of their ends to the frame elements, oppositely facing sides of the grid wire elements defining first and second planes that are parallel to each other;   selected ones of the frame elements having an undulating cross section across the width thereof, the undulations on the frame elements having an apex on at least one side of the grid that is tangential to or terminating at a third plane that is separate from and parallel to the first and second planes.   
     
     
         2 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 1 , wherein selected ones of the frame elements have an undulating cross section across the widths thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the undulations are selected from a group of shapes containing an S-shape, a W-shape, a V-shape and a U-shape. 
     
     
         4 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the undulations have an apex on both sides of the grid wire elements that is tangential to or terminating at the third plane and a fourth plane that are separate from and parallel to the first and second planes. 
     
     
         5 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 4 , wherein the undulations are selected from, but not limited to, a group of shapes containing an S-shape, a W-shape, a V-shape and a U-shape. 
     
     
         6 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame elements each have a lateral width dimension greater than a width dimension of each of the grid wire elements. 
     
     
         7 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the spacing between the third and fourth planes is up to two times the spacing between the first and second planes. 
     
     
         8 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the spacing between the third and fourth planes is up to four times the spacing between the first and second planes. 
     
     
         9 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 1 , wherein selected ones of the horizontally extending grid wire elements have a kink formed therein causing the material of the grid wire element to extend beyond at least one of the respective first and second planes but not extending beyond the respective third and fourth planes. 
     
     
         10 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 9 , wherein each kink extends in the same direction beyond at least one of the respective first and second planes but not extending beyond the respective third and fourth planes. 
     
     
         11 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 9 , wherein the spacing between the third and fourth planes is up to two times the spacing between the first and second planes. 
     
     
         12 . The grid for a battery according to  claim 9 , wherein the spacing between the third and fourth planes is up to four times the spacing between the first and second planes.