A collapsible storage unit including: a plurality of triangular sidewalls at least partially defining a cavity for storing a liquid electrolyte therein; wherein the plurality of triangular sidewalls are configured to collapse in a longitudinal direction about a hinge disposed between adjacent sides of each of the plurality of triangular sidewalls.

A collapsible storage unit including: a plurality of triangular sidewalls at least partially defining a cavity for storing a liquid electrolyte therein; wherein the plurality of triangular sidewalls are configured to collapse in a longitudinal direction about a hinge disposed between adjacent sides of each of the plurality of triangular sidewalls.

Disclosed in at least one embodiment herein is a battery separator comprising a substrate that may be polymeric and porous. The substrate may have ribs, protrusions, or ribs and protrusions on one or both faces or surfaces thereof. On at least one surface or face of the substrate, a material layer may be formed. The material layer may contain a material with an oil absorption value equal to or greater than 15 g oil/100 g of material. The battery separator disclosed herein is useful in a lead acid battery, particularly in a flooded lead acid battery or a valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery. The battery separator described herein has many benefits including helping mitigate or prevent issues such as acid stratification and others that may deteriorate battery performance or battery life.

A lithium ion cell includes a ribbon-shaped electrode-separator assembly having an anode, a separator, and a cathode. The electrode-separator assembly has two terminal end faces or two terminal sides. The anode comprises a ribbon-shaped anode current collector having a first longitudinal edge, the cathode comprises a ribbon-shaped cathode current collector having a first longitudinal edge, and the electrode-separator assembly is enclosed in a housing. The first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector protrudes from one of the terminal end faces or terminal sides of the stack and the first longitudinal edge of the cathode current collector protrudes from the other. A contact sheet metal member is in direct contact with a respective longitudinal edge. A part of the housing serves as the contact sheet metal member and/or the contact sheet metal member forms a part of the housing enclosing the electrode-separator assembly.

A lithium ion cell includes a ribbon-shaped electrode-separator assembly having an anode, a separator, and a cathode. The electrode-separator assembly has two terminal end faces or two terminal sides. The anode comprises a ribbon-shaped anode current collector having a first longitudinal edge, the cathode comprises a ribbon-shaped cathode current collector having a first longitudinal edge, and the electrode-separator assembly is enclosed in a housing. The first longitudinal edge of the anode current collector protrudes from one of the terminal end faces or terminal sides of the stack and the first longitudinal edge of the cathode current collector protrudes from the other. A contact sheet metal member is in direct contact with a respective longitudinal edge. A part of the housing serves as the contact sheet metal member and/or the contact sheet metal member forms a part of the housing enclosing the electrode-separator assembly.

A battery cell includes an electrode assembly and a first conductive unit. The electrode assembly includes a plurality of first electrode plates, a plurality of second electrode plates, and a separator. The plurality of first electrode plates and the plurality of second electrode plates are alternately stacked. The separator includes a first separator and a plurality of second separators. Along a thickness direction of the electrode assembly, the plurality of first electrode plates are located on one side of the first separator. One of the second separators is disposed between each pair of adjacent first electrode plate and second electrode plate. The first separator includes a body portion and a protection portion protruding from an edge of the body portion. The protection portion overlays the first conductive unit.

An electrode assembly includes a plurality of electrodes arranged in a stack along a stacking axis, where each of the electrodes in the stack is separated along the stacking axis from a successive one of the electrodes in the stack by a respective separator portion positioned therebetween. At least one outer surface of the stack may include a pattern defining a first region and a second region, where a second portion of the stack corresponding to the second region has a different property or height from a first portion of the stack corresponding to the first region. The property may include any one of shading or color of the at least one outer surface of the stack, air permeability of the separator portions in the first and second regions, and adhesive force between the electrodes and separator portions in the first and second regions.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

In an embodiment, a battery includes a container, a lid member, an electrode group, a current collecting tab, an electrode terminal, a lead and a spacer. The lid member is attached to a peripheral wall of the container with an opening of an inner cavity being closed. The current collecting tab protrudes in the electrode group toward a side where the lid member is located, and the lead electrically connects the current collecting tab and the electrode terminal. The spacer is integrally formed of an electrically insulating material. The spacer includes a top plate portion sandwiched between the lead and the lid member, and a peripheral plate portion extending from the top plate portion toward a side where the electrode group is located and covering the lead and the current collecting tab in the inner cavity from an outer peripheral side.