Forming of Battery Components

• US 20180065174A1
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TBS Engineering Limited (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TBS Engineering Limited (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ormerod, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/06 Permanent moulds for shaped castings moulds for ingots B22D7/06
• 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 35/02 into beds
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 35/04 into moulds, e.g. base plates, runners
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 39/02 having means for controlling the amount of molten metal by volume
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0404 Machines for assembling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/12 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to the forming of battery components and in particular, but not exclusively, to such apparatus for use in manufacturing cast on straps during the manufacture of batteries. More specifically the invention relates to a mould for forming battery components, a cast on strap machine for moulding battery components and a lead delivery apparatus for a cast on strap machine.

Claims

1. A mould for forming battery components comprising:

a first mould body comprising a first plurality of mould cavities;

a second mould body comprising a second plurality of mould cavities; and

wherein said first mould body and said second mould bodies are configured to be moveable between;

a moulding position in which the first plurality and second plurality of mould cavities are aligned; and

a fill position in which the first plurality and second plurality of mould cavities are displaced from the aligned position and are proximal to a molten metal feed.

2. A mould as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the aligned position the first and second mould bodies form a single moulding apparatus.

3. A mould as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould is an elongate mould defining a series of mould cavities spaced along a longitudinal direction of the mould and wherein the first mould body and the second mould body each comprise a longitudinal half of the elongate mould.

4. A mould as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first plurality of mould cavities and the second plurality of mould cavities jointly define a plurality of pairs of mould cavities spaced along the longitudinal direction of the mould.

12. A cast on strap machine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mould positioner is arranged to slide said first mould body and said second mould body linearly outwardly away from a nominal longitudinal centre line of the mould apparatus when moving from the moulding position to the fill position.

13. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the mould position includes a crank mechanism connected to the first and second mould bodies.

14. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein the molten metal delivery apparatus is configured such that when the first and second mould bodies are in the fill position the mould bodies are heated by radiant heat transfer from the delivery apparatus.

5. A cast on strap machine for moulding battery components, the machine comprising:

a molten metal delivery apparatus;

a battery plate positioning device; and

a mould comprising a first mould body comprising a first plurality of mould cavities and a second mould body comprising a second plurality of mould cavities; and

wherein the machine further comprises

a mould positioner configured to move the first mould body and said second mould bodies between;

a moulding position in which the first plurality and second plurality of mould cavities are aligned relative to the battery plate positioning device; and

a fill position in which the first plurality and second plurality of mould cavities are displaced from the aligned position and are proximal to an outlet of the metal delivery apparatus.

6. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the molten metal delivery apparatus comprises first and second molten metal delivery apparatuses associated respectively with the first and second mould bodies.

7. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second molten metal delivery apparatuses are fed from a common lead supply.

8. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second molten metal delivery apparatuses each comprise a plurality of outlets with one outlet associated with each of the mould cavities.

9. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of outlets is associated with a local molten metal reservoir.

10. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the outlet comprises a through cavity formed in a slidably mounted block and arranged to receive lead into the upper end of the through cavity when the block is in a first position and to release lead from the lower end of the through cavity when the block is in a second position.

11. A cast on strap machine as claims in claim 5, wherein the outlet is arranged to dispense lead directly into a mould cavity when the mould bodies are in the fill position.

15. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a mould loading apparatus.

16. A cast on strap machine comprising

a molten metal delivery apparatus;

a battery plate positioning device;

a mould comprising a plurality of mould cavities; and

a mould loading apparatus arranged to move the mould between an in use configuration and a configuration in which the mould is external to the cast on strap machine to allow access to the mould.

17. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein the mould loading apparatus comprises an elevator arranged to raise/lower the mould between at least a first height corresponding to the plane of the in use position of the mould and a second height where the mould is positioned below the plane of a base member of the machine to allow removal.

18. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 17, wherein the mould loading apparatus further comprises a lateral positioning member arranged to move the mould between an internal position, in alignment with the in use configuration, and an external position in which the mould is positioned to a side of the cast on strap machine.

19. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 18, wherein the lateral positioning member comprises a fixed support frame and a moveable frame slidable mounted thereto.

20. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 16, wherein the mould loading apparatus comprises a cradle for supporting the mould.

21. A cast on strap machine as claimed in claim 20, wherein the machine further comprises an ejection device for removing the mould from the cradle when the mould is in the in use configuration.

22. A lead delivery apparatus for a cast on strap machine arranged to deliver a predetermined volume of molten lead to a mould, comprising:

a housing defining a lead reservoir having a lead outlet defined in its base and in communication with the reservoir;

a runway beneath the base, spaced from the base and substantially parallel thereto;

a block slideably mounted between the base and the runway, the block having a through cavity defining the predetermined volume for receiving lead from the outlet of the reservoir in a first position and for releasing the lead in a second position; and

a mechanism for reciprocating the block between the first and second positions; and

characterised in that the apparatus further comprises

a clamp arranged to selectively secure an upper portion of the housing such that the housing and/or block may be removable.

23. A lead delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the clamp comprises a pivotable clamping member, pivotally connected to the apparatus at, or proximal to, a first end and a fastener for securing the clamping member in a closed configuration.

24. A lead delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the fastener comprises a quick release mechanism which engages at, or proximal to, an opposing free end of the clamping member.

25. A lead delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the clamp and reservoir housing are provided with interconnecting features which fix the housing relative to the clamp when the clamp is in a closed configuration.

26. A lead delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the interconnecting features comprise a projection on one of the housing or clamp and a corresponding aperture defined by the other of the clamp or housing, the clamp being configured such that the projection is retained in the aperture when the clamp is in the closed configuration.

27. A lead delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the aperture is defined by a notch or recess in the clamp.

28. A lead delivery apparatus as claimed in any claim 22, wherein the clamp further comprises a reservoir cover, which closes an upper portion of the reservoir when the clamp is in a closed configuration.

29. A method of moulding battery components comprising the steps of:

providing a mould comprising at least two mould parts, each mould part comprising a plurality of mould cavities;

separating the mould parts and providing a supply of molten metal to each of the plurality of mould cavities with the mould parts at spaced apart locations; and

moving the filled mould parts to an aligned position to form the battery components.

30. A method of moulding battery components as claimed in claim 29, further comprising the step of:

providing a plurality of aligned battery plates (may be in groups); and

after the step of moving the filed mould parts into an aligned position, positioning the plurality of battery plates relative to the mould such that a portion of the plurality of battery plates lie within the mould cavities; and

allowing the molten metal to solidify so as to form a connection between the plurality of battery plates.

31. A method of moulding battery components as claimed in claim 30, wherein the method further comprises moving the plurality of battery plates away from the mould to eject the moulded battery components from the mould.

32. A method of moulding battery components as claimed in claim 31, wherein, after ejection of the moulded battery components, the step of separating the mould parts is repeated to start a further moulding cycle.

33. A mould for forming battery components substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

34. A cast on strap machine substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

35. A lead delivery apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.