MOLD FOR A BATTERY CAST ON STRAP

• US 20110146934A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water Gremlin Company (Okabe Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: MarcTech Innovative Design, Inc.
• Inventors: NEAL, Robert W., Garin, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,061,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 164/76.1
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 19/04 for joining parts
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 25/04 Casting metal electric battery plates or the like manufacture thereof by multi-step processes H01M4/82
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 27/04 Influencing the temperature of the metal, e.g. by heating or cooling the mould

Abstract

A dual temperature mold assembly for maintaining a mold cavity used in a cast on strap process at two different temperatures facilitates the removal of the solidified strap after the molten metal is solidified. The mold assembly includes a mold cavity having walls attached to different mold assembly segments that are heated or cooled by thermal energy input and coolant processes which can maintain the mold cavities at different temperatures, so that molten metal around the battery plate lugs in a mold cavity segment is solidified while the sides of the mold cavity are exposed to at least one adjacent heated segment to provide thermal energy thereinto, resulting in a reduction of the amount of molten metal necessary for a cast on strap, and reducing the amount of thermal energy input into the process for manufacturing the straps.

Claims

1. A mold assembly, including a top surface, for casting cast on straps onto storage battery plates, having lugs along one edge thereof, the mold assembly comprising:

at least one mold cavity for receiving molten metal defined by a first operating temperature controlled segment at a first higher temperature and including a first mold cavity side wall, a second temperature controlled segment substantially defining a bottom mold cavity surface and opposed end walls of each mold cavity, and a third temperature controlled segment at a second operating higher temperature and including a second mold cavity side wall extending essentially vertically from the bottom surface of the bottom wall to a mold assembly top surface, and

the temperature of the second temperature controlled segment being maintained at a lower temperature by a coolant jacket in contact with the material comprising the second temperature controlled segment and for providing cooling to the underside of the second segment bottom thereby to cool the bottom mold cavity surface and the opposed end walls, to solidify molten metal flowing in the mold cavity and between and around the lugs of the battery plates inserted into the mold cavity,

a thermal energy input means for providing thermal energy to the first and third temperature controlled segments, including the first and second mold cavity side walls, to input at least a predetermined minimum amount of thermal energy into the mold cavity by the exposure of the molten metal in the mold cavity at least to the first side wall of the first segment having a predetermined temperature higher than that of the lower temperature of the second segment.

2. The mold assembly according to claim 1 wherein the second wall of the third temperature controlled segment further provides a predetermined minimum amount of thermal energy input into the mold cavity as a result of the predetermined temperature of the third segment, higher than the temperature of the second segment, thereby permitting the mold cavity to have increased thermal energy transfer capacity into the molten metal in said mold cavity during a welding phase.

3. The mold assembly according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined operating temperatures of the first segment and the third segment are both greater than the predetermined operating temperature of the second segment.

4. The mold assembly according to claim 2 wherein the predetermined operating temperatures of the first segment and the third segment are both greater than the predetermined operating temperature of the second segment.

5. The mold assembly according to claim 4 wherein the predetermined operating temperature of the first segment is in a range of from 300°

C. to 500°

C., the predetermined operating temperature of the third segment is in a range of from 200°

C. to 400°

C., and the predetermined operating temperature of said second segment is in a range of from 110°

C. to 150°

C.

6. The mold assembly according to claim 4 wherein the predetermined operating temperature of the first segment is about 420°

C., the predetermined operating temperature of the third segment is about 250°

C., and the predetermined operating temperature of said second segment is about 120°

C.

7. The mold assembly according to claim 4 wherein the predetermined operating temperature of said second segment is about 120°

C. when the molten metal solidifies and interconnects the lugs, and whereby cooling the molten metal by contact with said bottom surface and end walls of said second segment while providing at least a first side wall with a minimum amount of thermal energy input permits the more efficient removal of the lugs and straps solidified therearound and further permits the mold cavity to have more efficient heat transfer capacity into the mold cavity during the welding phase.

8. The mold assembly according to claim 1 wherein the end walls and the bottom of each mold cavity further comprise at least one end wall slice that is an integral part of the first temperature controlled segment.

9. The mold assembly according to claim 1 wherein an insulating material is interposed between the first and second temperature controlled segments of the mold assembly.

10. The mold assembly according to claim 9 wherein a second insulating material is interposed between the second and third temperature controlled segments of the mold assembly.

11. The mold assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first side wall includes a weir for pouring the molten metal into the mold cavity, and the mold cavity bottom surface closest to the weir has a first ledge that is part of the first segment, and the two end wall portions closest to the weir further each include a slice so that additional thermal energy input can be provided into the mold cavity by the contact with the end wall slices and ledge at the higher temperature of the first segment.

12. The mold assembly according to claim 11 wherein the mold cavity bottom surface furthest from the weir has a second ledge that is part of the third segment, and the two end wall portions furthest from the weir further each include a slice so that additional thermal energy input can be provided into the mold cavity by the contact with the slices and ledge at the higher temperature of the third segment.

13. A mold assembly having an upper surface and including a mold cavity for casting elements onto storage battery plates comprising:

a manifold segment having an upwardly facing surface;

a flow channel having an inlet and an outlet spaced apart along the length of said flow channel, the flow channel being defined by a perimeter wall contiguous to essentially all portions of said flow channel for guiding the flow of molten metal along essentially the entire length of said flow channel between said inlet and outlet, the perimeter wall extending upwardly to a first height sufficient to contain within the flow channel a molten metal under normal operating conditions of the mold assembly, and

at least one flow chute having a bottom surface and being in fluid communication with the flow channel at a first end defined by an opening of the flow channel perimeter wall, each flow chute being in fluid communication at a second end with a mold cavity, the flow chute second end including a constriction defining a second height less than said first height, whereby the manifold segment is adapted to overflow molten metal above the constriction when the level of molten metal in said flow channel and in said flow chutes is raised above said second height and below said first height under normal operating conditions of said mold assembly,

each manifold segment further defining a portion of the associated mold cavity at a first mold cavity side wall extending essentially vertically from an upwardly facing surface at said first height to a mold cavity bottom surface, the first mold cavity side wall having a vertical height dimension between the upwardly facing surface and the mold cavity bottom surface that is greater than said second height, the wall including the constriction at said second height; and

further including temperature controls to maintain the temperature of the manifold segment at a predetermined temperature,

a mold segment, adjacent said manifold segment, including a mold segment cavity portion that is contiguous with said manifold mold cavity portion, the mold segment cavity portion being further defined by first and second opposed end walls extending from the mold cavity bottom surface to an upper mold segment surface, the mold segment further having temperature controls to maintain the temperature of the mold segment at a predetermined temperature lower than that of the manifold segment temperature; and

a third central segment adjacent-the mold cavity segment and on an opposite side from said manifold segment, defining a second side wall extending from a central upper surface to said mold cavity bottom surface.

14. The mold assembly according to claim 13 wherein an insulating material is interposed between the manifold and mold segments of the mold assembly.

15. The mold assembly according to claim 13 wherein said third central segment further defines a portion of the mold cavity contiguous with said mold cavity segment, the third central segment having a second mold cavity side wall extending from a mold cavity bottom surface to a third central segment upwardly facing surface, the third central segment further having temperature controls to maintain the temperature of the third central segment at a predetermined temperature different from that of the mold cavity segment temperature.

16. The mold assembly according to claim 15 wherein an insulating material is interposed between the second mold cavity segment and the third central segment of the mold assembly.

17. The mold assembly according to claim 13 wherein the mold cavity first wall closest to the constriction further includes a first ledge integral with said manifold segment, and having the same temperature as the manifold segment, and extending essentially horizontally from the mold cavity first wall, the ledge being contiguous with the mold cavity bottom surface.

18. The mold assembly according to claim 17 wherein the portion of the mold cavity associated with said manifold closest to the constriction includes end wall slices extending essentially vertically along the first mold cavity side wall, one slice each being contiguous with the first and second end walls defined by the mold cavity segment.

19. A mold assembly for manufacturing cast on straps for a battery, the battery having adjacent plates defining cells in the battery, each plate having a protruding lug and the adjacent lugs for each strap being positioned and oriented to fit within a mold cavity, the mold assembly comprising:

a) at least one mold cavity open at an upper surface of the mold assembly manifold segment and being defined by a bottom surface, first and second end walls and a second side wall, all extending from the bottom surface to the upper surface, and first a side surface extending but part way between the bottom surface and the upper surface of the mold, the two end walls connecting between the two side walls,

b) the first and second end walls being in contact with a mold assembly segment that includes a cooling mechanism capable of cooling the bottom and end walls to a first temperature, and at least the second side wall being in contact with the manifold segment that includes a heating mechanism that maintains the temperature of the at least the first side wall at a temperature higher than the temperature of the end walls.

20. A method of forming a cast-on-strap on the lugs of a battery plate assembly comprising:

providing a mold assembly having a molten metal flow channel extending to a first height and flow chutes connected to mold cavities, separated therefrom by a weir having a second height lower that the first height, and further comprising first, second and third segments defining a plurality of mold cavities, each of the segments including at least one wall of each mold cavity, the first segment being maintained at a predetermined manifold temperature, a second temperature-controlled segment being maintained at a mold cavity temperature during a molten metal pouring step, and a third central segment maintained at a predetermined third temperature, the mold assembly further providing a pump for controlling the level of molten metal in the flow channel and flow chutes,

activating the pump to raise the level of a molten metal in the mold assembly above the second height but below the first height, such that the molten metal overflows the top surface of the weirs at the end of each flow chute so as result in molten metal being poured into the mold cavity;

lowering the plates of a battery assembly toward the mold assembly, the plates having lugs that are arranged together in groups, each group of lugs comprising a hexagonal volume that is smaller than the volume of the mold cavity, the lug groups being shaped and oriented for insertion into the mold cavities,

terminating the lowering of the plates when at least one end of the lugs are immersed in the molten metal in the mold cavity,

welding the lugs of adjacent plates in each group of lugs by solidifying the molten metal therearound to provide an electrical and mechanical connection;

introducing thermal energy into the mold cavity from each of the first, and third segments to input thermal energy into the molten metal during the welding step so that the molten metal flows into spaces defined between adjacent lugs, thereby providing an electrical connection between the lugs within each lug group;

cooling the molten metal in said mold cavity through contact with the mold cavity bottom surface and the end walls of the second temperature-controlled segment wherein the temperature of the molten metal is reduced to about the mold cavity temperature, thereby causing the molten metal to solidify around the lugs in each lug group so as to form a mechanical connection between the lugs within each lug group; and

withdrawing the plates and lugs from the mold cavities.