US5691074A — Diffusion controlled air vent for a metal-air bat…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 101 words

A ventilation system for a metal-air battery, comprising: a housing for enclosing at least one metal-air cell; said housing having at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening; and a fan positioned to force said air into said air inlet opening and out of said air outlet opening when said fan is turned on; said openings each being sized with a length in the direction through the thickness of said housing being greater than a width in the direction perpendicular to said thickness of said housing; said openings being unobstructed when said fan is turned off.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 101 words

A ventilation system for a metal-air battery, comprising: a housing for enclosing at least one metal-air cell; said housing having at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening; and a fan positioned to force said air into said air inlet opening and out of said air outlet opening when said fan is turned on; said openings each being sized with a length in the direction through the thickness of said housing being greater than a width in the direction perpendicular to said thickness of said housing; said openings being unobstructed when said fan is turned off.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein each said opening has a length to width ratio of between about 2 to 1 and 200 to 1.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein each said opening has a length to width ratio wherein said length is greater than double said width.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 32 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein each said opening has said length of about 0.3 to 1.5 inches and said width of about 0.03 to 0.3 inches.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 25 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein said fan has a capacity of about 100 to 3000 cubic inches per minute.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein said metal-air battery has a drain current density with said fan turned off of less than 1 ma per square inch of air cathode surface.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 37 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 6, wherein said metal-air battery has an output current density of about 50 to 200 ma per square inch of air cathode surface when said fan is on.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 40 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein said battery's ratio of the output current density when said fan is on to the drain current density when said fan is off is at least 100 to 1.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 37 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein said openings are sized in the aggregate to permit a flow rate therethrough with said fan on of about 20 to 80 cubic inches per minute.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 39 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein said openings are sized in the aggregate to permit a flow rate therethrough with said fan off of about 0.01 to 0.2 cubic inches per minute or less.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 25 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein said housing defines a single air inlet opening and a single air outlet opening.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 172 words

A ventilation system for a metal-air battery, comprising: a housing for enclosing a plurality of metal-air cells with an output current density of at least 50 ma per square inch of air cathode surface; and a fan within said housing; said housing having at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening; said openings each being sized with a length in the direction through the thickness of said housing being greater than the width in the direction perpendicular to said thickness of said housing; said openings being unobstructed when said fan is turned off and sized to restrict air flow into said at least one air inlet opening and out of said at least one air outlet opening when said fan is turned off such that said battery has a drain current density of less than 1 ma per square inch of air cathode surface; said fan forcing said air into said air inlet opening and out of said air outlet opening when said fan is turned on.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 172 words

A ventilation system for a metal-air battery, comprising: a housing for enclosing a plurality of metal-air cells with an output current density of at least 50 ma per square inch of air cathode surface; and a fan within said housing; said housing having at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening; said openings each being sized with a length in the direction through the thickness of said housing being greater than the width in the direction perpendicular to said thickness of said housing; said openings being unobstructed when said fan is turned off and sized to restrict air flow into said at least one air inlet opening and out of said at least one air outlet opening when said fan is turned off such that said battery has a drain current density of less than 1 ma per square inch of air cathode surface; said fan forcing said air into said air inlet opening and out of said air outlet opening when said fan is turned on.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 12, wherein each said opening has a length to width ratio of between about 2 to 1 and 200 to 1.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 29 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 12, wherein each said opening has a length to width ratio wherein said length is greater than double said width.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 37 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 12, wherein said openings are sized in the aggregate to permit a flow rate therethrough with said fan off of about 0.01 to 0.2 cubic inches or less.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 35 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 15, wherein said openings are sized in the aggregate to permit a flow rate therethrough with said fan on of about 20 to 80 cubic inches.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 83 words

A housing for a metal-air battery, comprising: said housing having at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening; said openings each being sized with a length in the direction through the thickness of said housing being greater that double the width in the direction perpendicular to said thickness of said housing; and a fan positioned to provide convective air flow into said at least one air inlet opening and out of said at least one air outlet opening.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 83 words

A housing for a metal-air battery, comprising: said housing having at least one air inlet opening and at least one air outlet opening; said openings each being sized with a length in the direction through the thickness of said housing being greater that double the width in the direction perpendicular to said thickness of said housing; and a fan positioned to provide convective air flow into said at least one air inlet opening and out of said at least one air outlet opening.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 35 words

The housing for a metal-air battery of claim 17, wherein the output current density of said battery with said fan turned on is about 10 to 500 ma per square inch of air cathode surface.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 35 words

The housing for a metal-air battery of claim 17, wherein the drain current density of said battery with said fan turned off is about 0.01 to 1 ma per square inch of air cathode surface.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 36 words

The ventilation system for a metal-air battery of claim 12, wherein said plurality of cells cooperate to define a battery that can deliver a current of at least 7.2 amperes when said fan is turned on.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 139 words

A ventilation system for a metal-air battery, comprising: a housing for enclosing the metal-air battery and defining openings through said housing; a fan cooperating with said openings; said fan defining a first mode of operation in which said fan operates to move air into said housing through at least a first opening of said openings and out of said housing through at least a second opening of said openings to supply air to the metal-air battery; said fan defining a second mode of operation in which said fan is inoperative and thereby ceases to move air through said openings; and said openings being unobstructed during both said first mode of operation and said second mode of operation and sized so that the leakage current of the metal-air battery during said second mode of operation is less than 1 ma.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 139 words

A ventilation system for a metal-air battery, comprising: a housing for enclosing the metal-air battery and defining openings through said housing; a fan cooperating with said openings; said fan defining a first mode of operation in which said fan operates to move air into said housing through at least a first opening of said openings and out of said housing through at least a second opening of said openings to supply air to the metal-air battery; said fan defining a second mode of operation in which said fan is inoperative and thereby ceases to move air through said openings; and said openings being unobstructed during both said first mode of operation and said second mode of operation and sized so that the leakage current of the metal-air battery during said second mode of operation is less than 1 ma.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 31 words

The ventilation system of claim 21, wherein said openings are sized so that the metal-air battery can deliver a current of at least 7.2 amperes during said first mode of operation.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 41 words

The ventilation system of claim 21, wherein each opening of said openings has a width that is perpendicular to the flow-path therethrough, and a length that is parallel to the flow-path therethrough, and wherein said length is greater than said width.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 15 words

The ventilation system of claim 23, wherein said length is at least twice said width.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 122 words

A metal-air battery, comprising: a housing defining at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening therethrough and containing a fan operative when on to circulate air within said housing, and a plurality of metal-air cells operative to provide a battery output current when said fan is on; said battery providing a discharge mode during which said fan moves air through said openings to supply air to said metal-air cells, and an idle mode during which said fan is off and said openings are unobstructed; and said openings being sized to reduce discharge of said cells when said fan is off to a leakage current that is smaller than said battery output current by at least a factor of 50.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 122 words

A metal-air battery, comprising: a housing defining at least one inlet opening and at least one outlet opening therethrough and containing a fan operative when on to circulate air within said housing, and a plurality of metal-air cells operative to provide a battery output current when said fan is on; said battery providing a discharge mode during which said fan moves air through said openings to supply air to said metal-air cells, and an idle mode during which said fan is off and said openings are unobstructed; and said openings being sized to reduce discharge of said cells when said fan is off to a leakage current that is smaller than said battery output current by at least a factor of 50.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 112 words

A method for controlling air flow to a metal-air battery, comprising the steps of: confining a metal-air cell within a housing, the housing defining an opening and a cross-sectional area of the opening that is perpendicular to the direction of flow through the opening; operating a fan to move air through the opening into the housing; precluding operation of the fan so that the fan does not move air through the opening into the housing; and maintaining the opening in an unobstructed state during the step of operating and the step of precluding such that the cross-sectional area during the operating step is identical to the cross-sectional area during the precluding step.

Claim 32

Independent Claim 112 words

A method for controlling air flow to a metal-air battery, comprising the steps of: confining a metal-air cell within a housing, the housing defining an opening and a cross-sectional area of the opening that is perpendicular to the direction of flow through the opening; operating a fan to move air through the opening into the housing; precluding operation of the fan so that the fan does not move air through the opening into the housing; and maintaining the opening in an unobstructed state during the step of operating and the step of precluding such that the cross-sectional area during the operating step is identical to the cross-sectional area during the precluding step.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 26, wherein the ratio of current that the metal-air battery can deliver during the operating step to the leakage current of the metal-air battery during the precluding step is greater than 50.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-11-24	2001-05-26	2001-11-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-11-24	2005-05-26	2005-11-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-11-24	2009-05-26	2009-11-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Diffusion controlled air vent for a metal-air battery

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