Lead-acid battery moss guard
A moss guard for a lead-acid battery cell includes a body and a plurality of fingers extending from a side of the body. The plurality of fingers are configured to substantially cover the top surfaces of negative electrodes between the negative electrodes and a positive strap. An end of at least one of the plurality of fingers distal to the body includes a lock, and the lock is configured to resiliently deflect between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The lock is configured to fix the moss guard with respect to positive lugs while in the engaged position.
1. A moss guard for a lead-acid battery cell, the lead-acid battery cell having a plurality of positive electrodes, each comprising an upwardly extending positive lug, a positive strap connecting the positive lugs, a plurality of negative electrodes, the negative electrodes including top surfaces spaced from the positive strap, one positive electrode being between each adjacent pair of negative electrodes, the moss guard comprising:
a body; and
a plurality of fingers extending from a side of the body, the plurality of fingers configured to substantially cover the top surfaces of the negative electrodes between the negative electrodes and the positive strap, wherein an end of at least one of the plurality of fingers distal to the body comprises a lock, the lock being configured to resiliently deflect between an engaged position and a disengaged position and being configured to fix the moss guard with respect to the positive lugs in the engaged position,
wherein the lock is configured to engage one of the positive lugs or the positive strap in the engaged position.
2. The moss guard of claim 1 , wherein the lock comprises a flexible hook.
3. The moss guard of claim 2 , wherein the hook is in the disengaged position when the hook is between adjacent lugs and in the engaged position when the hook extends beyond adjacent lugs to fix the moss guard with respect to the positive lugs.
4. The moss guard of claim 1 , wherein an end at each of at least two of the plurality of fingers distal to the body comprises a lock.
5. The moss guard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fingers comprises two outermost fingers and at least one intermediate finger between the two outermost fingers, and the at least one intermediate finger comprises the lock.
6. The moss guard of claim 5 , wherein the at least one intermediate finger is between two adjacent positive lugs.
7. The moss guard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fingers are substantially parallel.
8. The moss guard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fingers are substantially equally spaced apart from one another.
9. The moss guard of claim 1 , wherein the moss guard further comprises a stop configured to abut the positive strap or at least one positive lug and further fix the moss guard with respect to the positive lugs.
10. The moss guard of claim 9 , wherein the stop comprises at least one tab extending up from the body or at least one of the plurality of fingers, the stop being configured to contact the strap.
11. The moss guard of claim 10 , wherein the body comprises the stop.
12. The moss guard of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a plurality of openings.
13. A lead-acid battery cell comprising:
an electrode assembly comprising:
a plurality of positive electrodes, each comprising an upwardly extending positive lug;
a positive strap connecting the positive lugs;
a plurality of negative electrodes including top surfaces spaced from the positive strap, one positive electrode being between each adjacent pair of negative electrodes; and
a separator between each adjacent positive electrode and negative electrode;
an electrolyte; and
a moss guard comprising:
a body; and
a plurality of fingers extending from a side of the body, the plurality of fingers configured to substantially cover the top surfaces of the negative electrodes between the negative electrodes and the positive strap, wherein an end of at least one of the plurality of fingers distal to the body comprises a lock, the lock being configured to resiliently deflect between an engaged position and a disengaged position and being configured to fix the moss guard with respect to the positive lugs in the engaged position,
wherein the lock is configured to engage one of the positive lugs or the positive strap in the engaged position.
14. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , wherein the lock comprises a hook.
15. The lead-acid battery of claim 14 , wherein the lock is in the disengaged position when the hook is between adjacent lugs and in the engaged position when the hook extends beyond adjacent lugs to fix the moss guard with respect to the positive lugs.
16. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , wherein an end at each of at least two of the plurality of fingers distal to the body comprises a lock.
17. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of fingers comprises two outermost fingers and at least one intermediate finger between the two outermost fingers, and the at least one intermediate finger comprises the lock.
18. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , wherein the moss guard further comprises a stop configured to abut the positive strap or at least one positive lug and further fix the moss guard with respect to the positive lugs.
19. The lead-acid battery of claim 18 , wherein the stop comprises at least one tab extending up from the body or at least one of the plurality of fingers, the stop being configured to contact the strap.
20. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , wherein the body comprises a plurality of openings.