(EP499035-B1)      A storage battery (10), especially a lead storage battery for motor vehicles, with an essentially prismatic housing (11), which comprises a battery case (12) forming all cell containers (14) and a one-piece cover (13) covering the cell containers (14), which block cover (13) is fixed to the battery case (12) and seals off the cells containers (14) from one another and the housing (11) from the outside, which one-piece cover (13) also preferably has recessed areas (23, 24) from which terminals (15, 16) extending with their free end up to the level of the top (18) of the one-piece cover (13) project, which one-piece cover (13) also has two cup-like depressions (46, 49) on each of its two longitudinal sides (25, 26) which are arranged at an interval from one another and symmetrically to the mid-point of the longitudinal extent of the storage battery (10), and which one-piece cover (13) is also connected to two C-shaped carrying straps (28, 29) arranged transversely to the longitudinal extent of the storage battery (10) the free end sections (36, 37) of which straps are each provided with a pivot (38, 39) respectively pointing transversely to the longitudinal extent of the storage battery (10) and recessing into the cup-like depressions (46, 49) of the one-piece cover (13) and which carrying straps (38, 39) are capable of folding into an essentially vertical and into a horizontal position, said straps in their horizontal position not projecting above the top (18) of the one-piece cover (13), characterised in that the two carrying straps (28, 29) in their horizontal position lie in an open channel (27) in the top (18) of the one-piece cover (13) conforming to their C-shaped configuration and at the same time are turned with their grip areas (30, 31) facing one another, and that in addition the cup-like depressions (46, 49) are spaced in the longitudinal sides (25, 26) of the one-piece cover (13) in such a way that each carrying strap (28, 29) situated in a vertical position can be gripped by only one hand, and that as means of locking the carrying straps (28, 29) to the one-piece cover (13) at each cup-like depression (46, 49) an upward pointing lug-like projection (51) is provided, located on a horizontal setup (52) of the one-piece cover (13) and at a distance from each longitudinal side (25, 26) the free end of which projection terminates below the cup-like depression (46, 49) and that the free arms of each carrying strap (28, 29) have a flange-like securing area (50), each of which areas is formed on the free end section (36, 37) of the associated carrying strap (28, 29) coaxially with the pivot (38, 39) and is partially situated between the lug-like projection (51) of the one-piece cover and the respective longitudinal side (25, 26) of the one-piece cover (13).