BI-POLAR RECHARGEABLE ELECTROCHEMICAL BATTERY
A bi-polar battery has a positive electrode unit, a negative electrode unit, at least one bi-polar electrode unit stacked therebetween, an electrolyte layer separating each adjacent electrode unit, and a gasket positioned about each electrolyte layer for creating a seal about the electrolyte layer in conjunction with the electrode units adjacent thereto. The bi-polar battery also includes a wrapper for maintaining the seals created by the gaskets.
1 . A bi-polar battery comprising:
a positive mono-polar electrode unit;
a negative mono-polar electrode unit;
at least one bi-polar electrode unit stacked between said positive electrode unit and said negative electrode unit;
an electrolyte layer provided between each pair of adjacent electrode units; and
a gasket positioned about each of said electrolyte layers, wherein:
each of said electrolyte layers is sealed by its respective gasket and its respective pair of adjacent electrode units, and
said gasket is configured to align each of said adjacent electrode units.
2 . (canceled)
3 . The bi-polar battery of claim 1 wherein the gasket contacts each respective pair of adjacent electrode units.
4 . The bi-polar battery of claim 3 wherein the contact surface areas between the gasket and each respective pair of adjacent electrode units are reciprocally chamfered.
5 . The bi-polar battery of claim 3 , further comprising grooves formed along the surface areas of the gasket and each respective pair of adjacent electrode units at their respective point of contact with one another, thereby increasing the size of the contact area.
6 . The bi-polar battery of claim 5 wherein the increased size of the contact area creates a path of greater resistance for any fluid attempting to break the seal created between the gasket and each respective pair of adjacent electrode units.
7 . The bi-polar battery of claim 5 wherein the grooves align to create a continuous contact surface area between the gasket and each respective pair of adjacent electrode units.
8 . The bi-polar battery of claim 5 wherein the grooves formed along the surface areas of the gasket and each respective pair of adjacent electrode units at their point of contact with one another aid in the self-alignment of the gasket with respect to the electrode units stacked thereupon.
9 . The bi-polar battery of claim 5 wherein the grooves form a path about the gasket and each respective pair of adjacent electrode units that is at least one of smooth and continuous, jagged and continuous, or non-continuous.
10 . The bi-polar battery of claim 5 wherein the cross-sectional area of the grooves is at least one of sinusoidal, V-shaped, or rectangular.