Automobiles and other combustion engine powered vehicles typically include an electric starting motor for starting the combustion engine for operation. In this regard, the starting motor is coupled to a starting circuit which generally receives electrical energy from an on-board electric storage battery. The starting circuit selectively couples electrical energy from the battery to the starting motor that operates to cycle the engine to initiate sustained operation. In common vehicle applications, the battery also provides electrical energy to a variety of eclectic power consuming devices such as engine control electronics, lighting systems, and vehicle accessories.

Traditional batteries for these applications, often referred to as starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, are multi-cell, lead-acid batteries. That is, the batteries are constructed from lead plates pasted with active material and arranged into stacks. The stacks are inserted into partitioned cell compartments of a battery container, electrically connected, and flooded with dilute acid electrolyte. SLI batteries of this construction are more than adequate for providing the relatively high power demand required of engine starting as well as the relatively low power demand to maintain electrical accessories during both vehicle operation and periods of non-operation. However, because of the seemingly disparate functions the SLI battery is required to perform, short duration high- power output and long duration low-power output, the battery design can not be optimized for performing either of these tasks. An additional drawback of these batteries is relatively low specific energy (kilo-watt hours/grams (kWh/g)) as compared to other battery constructions owing to the weight of the lead plates and the liquid electrolyte.

Thin metal film (TMF) battery technology provides a compact high power battery cell. Cells of this type are well known and their construction and manufacture have been

described in, for example, United States Patent Nos. 3,494,800; 5,045,086; ; 5,198,313 and 5,368,961 the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

A thin metal film battery cell includes thin metal film plates sealed within a sealed cell container which is valve regulated. The cells include absorptive glass-mat (AGM) separator technology in an electrolyte starved system. The thin metal film plates are made from very thin lead foil approximately 0.005 inches thick, pasted with an active material forming a pasted plate approximately 0.012 inches thick. The plates are spiral wound with separator material, and terminations are casted or soldered on to the ends of the spiral roll. The roll is encapsulated in a container which is filled with electrolyte and then sealed except for the vent. The performance characteristics of metal film cells include a high power/weight ratio and rapid recharge capability.

It is an object of this invention to provide a compact starting battery and starter motor assembly for starting an internal combustion engine. Such an assembly can be easily mounted in the engine compartment and eliminates heavy battery cables, reduces assembly costs, and improves engine starting reliability. This assembly is applicable for most automotive, lawn and garden, and recreational engine starting applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, an assembly is provided whereby a compact starting battery and an engine starter motor are assembled together in a compact space. The compact battery may be mounted to the starter motor by any suitable mechanical means.

The starter motor/battery assembly may then be mounted to any suitable part of the engine compartment. The assembly also includes a negative bus wire connected to, for example, the starter mounting bolt and a positive bus wire from the battery to the starter solenoid.

The assembly is particularly useful in connection with thin metal film batteries due to their compact size. Assembling such a battery with a starter motor affords a great economy of space in the engine compartment. The present invention eliminates heavy battery cables, reduces assembly costs, and improves engine starting reliability.

The invention also provides a means to mount the compact battery to a standard starter motor, however, it is also within the scope of the invention to mount the compact battery to a specially designed starter motor, which has a specialized bracket for mounting the battery. Preferably, a battery holding tray is strapped to the starter motor housing. Terminals on the battery snap fit over terminal posts in the holding tray. The battery is supported by clips on the inside surface of the battery holding tray. One clip secures to the edge of a bottom battery cover at a terminal end and the other secures to a flange at a non-terminal end of the battery. Preferably, padding material is fixed to the inside surface of the holding tray. The assembly also includes a shield attached to the tray having insulated walls surrounding the battery.

The padding material on the holding tray reduces the engine vibrations which are realized by the battery. Also, the insulated shield protects the battery from exposure to excessive heat and debris normally occurring within an engine compartment.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the detailed description which follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery coupled with a starter motor in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery and starter motor assembly of Fig 1; and Fig. 3 is a top planar view of a battery holding tray of the battery and starter motor assembly of Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, the invention is shown in connection with a thin metal film lead acid battery of the type that is illustrated and described in co-pending application serial no. 09/008,719, filed January 19,1998 and assigned to the assignee of this application. The disclosure of the co-pending application is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

The engine starting assembly of the present invention is generally indicated by numeral 10 in Figs. 1 and 2. A compact battery 12, preferably of the thin metal foil type, is shown coupled to a starter motor 14. The thin metal film battery 12 is a compact battery in that it is smaller and has a higher power-to-weight ratio than conventional acid plate batteries. The coupling of the battery 12 to the starter motor 14 may be accomplished by any mechanical means but is shown as a strap 16 in the drawings. A starter solenoid 18 can also be mounted on the starter motor 14 using a suitable means such as a properly affixed bracket 20. The battery 12, the starter motor 14, and the starter solenoid 18 can be mounted in turn to an engine 23 through bores 25 in the starter motor bracket 22 using bolts 24. The starter solenoid 18 is operatively connected to the engine ignition switch at connection 26 (connectors not shown). A positive bus wire 28 electrically connects the battery 12 to the starter solenoid 18 and a negative bus wire 30 electrically connects the battery to a mounting bolt 24.

The battery holding tray 32 is secured to the starter motor by straps 16 fastened to an upper surface 34 of the holding tray 32 by any suitable means, such as an adhesive.

The battery 12 and holding tray 32 are connected as illustrated and described in the copending provisional application serial no. 60/071,787 filed January 19,1998, and copending application serial no. 09/232,543 filed January 18,1999, both of which are assigned to the assignee of this application. The disclosures of these co-pending applications are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

As shown in Fig. 3, an inside surface 36 of the holding tray 32 has positive 38 and negative 40 terminal posts to be disposed within positive 42 and negative 44 battery

terminals, respectively, of the battery 12. The battery terminals 42 and 44 snap onto the terminal posts 38 and 40 of the holding tray 32 when assembled. Also on the inside surface 36 of the holding tray 32 are first 46 and second 48 clips for supporting the battery 12. The clips 46 and 48 are L-shaped and flex outward to allow the battery 12 to fit within the holding tray 32 and then spring back so that the short leg of the"L"fits over a portion of the battery 12. The first clip 46 engages an end edge of a bottom battery cover 50 and the second clip 48 engages an end flange 52 of the battery 12, so that the battery 12 is inverted when assembled to the tray 32.

Laterally mounted on the inside surface 36 are two strips of padding material 54.

The padding material 54 is preferably a cellular urethane material such as Poron, a registered trademark of Rogers Corporation, which may be obtained commercially from Rogers Corporation at Woodstock, Connecticut. The padding material 54 comes in contact with the battery 12 when it is mounted in the holding tray 32 and dampens engine and related vibrations to the battery 12.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2, the assembly also includes a shield 56 having four insulated side walls 58 and an insulated bottom wall 60. The shield 56 encloses the battery 12 and is mounted to the holding tray 32 by bolts 62 disposed through bores 63 in the tray 32 and bores 64 in side wall flanges 66. When the shield 56 is secured to the tray 32, the battery 12 is supported by the shield bottom 60. The shield 56 protects the battery from road debris and the walls 58 and 60 insulates the battery 12 from excessive heat from the within the engine compartment.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in considerable detail for the purpose of disclosing practical, operative structures whereby the invention may be practice advantageously. The designs described are intended to be illustrative only. The novel characteristics of the invention may be incorporated in other structural forms without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.