SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING BATTERY PLATES AND ARRANGEMENT THEREOF IN THE PROVIDED BATTERY HOUSING

Abstract

A system for processing battery plates and arrangement thereof in the battery housing, including transportation apparatuses and individual processing stations, such as insertion stations, tin bath, and a lead casting station. The battery plates which are to be processed are arranged as plate stacks in a plurality of clamping cassettes which are equipped with the plate stacks arranged in a vertically oriented transportation apparatus which rotates in a circle. The plate stacks and the individual processing stations rotate in a vertically oriented circular movement and can be supplied to the clamping cassette which is positioned in the processing station.

Claims

1. A system for processing battery plates and arrangement of them in battery housings, comprising: a rotary transporting device, and a plurality of individual processing stations arranged about the rotary transporting device, the individual processing stations comprising: an insertion station, a flux station, a lead casting station, and a boxing station where the battery plates are installed in battery cases, wherein the battery plates to be processed are arranged for processing in plate stacks in a number of clamping cassettes provided for this purpose, wherein the clamping cassettes provided with the plate stacks are arranged on the rotary transporting device outboard of the vertical axis to turn in a circular manner, wherein the plurality of individual processing stations can be arranged above, below, or radially outside the transporting device to enable circular movement and, from there, can be respectively brought into the position of the clamping cassette positioned at the individual processing stations, wherein the flux station, further comprises a drying device, tin bath and a tin bath measuring system which serves for measuring the tin level, and a tin wire feed, wherein the lead casting station further comprises a lead bath having a pump for equalizing the level of the molten lead is arranged between an immersion compartment and a melting vessel, and at least one lead overflow which regulates the level of the molten lead formed in the separating wall between the immersion compartment and the melting vessel.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tin bath measuring system, comprises an eddy current measuring system.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each processing station has a separate transporting device of its own, serving for moving back and forth in relation to the rotary transporting device.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cleaning device having a brush and a spray head system movably positionable relative to the boxing station.

Description

SUMMARY

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a system for processing battery plates and arrangement of them in the battery housings provided for this purpose.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the flux station with tin bath, tin wire feed and tin level measuring system.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the lead bath (2.3.1) with the two (2.3.1.5) compartments of the melting vessel and level equalizing devices.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a separating wall (2.3.1.4) with overflow bead.

[0028] FIG. 5a shows a schematic side view of the cleaning device (5) for the boxing frames (2.4.3) with their spreaders (2.4.4).

[0029] FIG. 5b shows a schematic side view of the cleaning device (5) in the form of a detail.

[0030] FIG. 5c shows a schematic plan view of the boxing station 2.4 with the cleaning system 5 for the boxing frames (2.4.3) and spreaders (2.4.4).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] According to FIGS. 1 to 5c, a system for processing battery plates and for arranging these battery plates in battery housings provided for this purpose consists of transporting devices and individual processing stations, such as an insertion stations, the tin bath, the lead casting station. The battery plates to be processed are in this case arranged for the processing as defined plate stacks in a number of clamping cassettes provided for this purpose. According to the invention, these clamping cassettes provided with plate stacks are arranged in a transporting device 1 performing a vertical turning movement. The individual processing stations 2.1-2.n are arranged in relation to this transporting device 1 peripherally, but outside the circle of movement of the transporting device 1. From there, the processing stations 2.1-2.n are arranged such that they can be respectively brought up to the position of the clamping cassette 3 positioned by the transporting device 1 by means of separate transporting devices 4.1-4.9. Thus, the first processing station, the insertion box 2.1, comprises at least a sixfold gripper system for assigning the plate stacks from a storage buffer into the clamping cassette 3, an aligning device for aligning and for bending the plate lugs and a clamping device for clamping the plate stacks for the insertion into the clamping cassette 3 provided by the transporting device 1.

[0032] By vertical turning of the transporting device 1, the clamping cassette 3 provided with plate stacks arrives at the position of the second processing station, the flux station 2.2. By means of a horizontal slide as a separate transporting device 4.1 of the flux station 2.2, the latter is taken with the arranged tin bath 2.2.1 and the integrated measuring system 2.2.1.1, which operates as an eddy current measuring process, for the continuous measurement of the tin bath level, and the tin bath feed 2.2.1.2 to the clamping cassette 3. For optimally regulating the tin bath level, the measuring system 2.2.1.1 and the tin bath feeds 2.2.1.2 are coupled to one another in terms of information technology. Both the tin bath 2.2.1 and the additionally arranged drying device can in this case be brought up vertically to the transporting device 1 by means of the separate transporting device 4. In addition, the tin bath 2.2.1 can be brought up in a vertical direction to the clamping cassette 3. Before entering, the latter is turned as it travels downward, and can enter thus the tin bath 2.2.1 brought up from below. After the drying, the clamping cassette is transported by the transporting device to the processing station 3 as a result of the vertical turning movement.

[0033] In the casting station 2.3, the casting on of the lead bridges is performed. For this purpose, the casting station 2.3 has a lead bath 2.3.1 with a melting vessel 2.3.1.2. The melting vessel 2.3.1.2 is in turn divided by a separating wall 2.3.1.4 into two part-compartments. In the one vessel half, the feeding in of lead bars for the molten lead is performed. In the other vessel half, the settling of the molten lead is performed. The lead is constantly pumped from the one vessel half into the settling compartment of the melting vessel 2.3.1.2 by means of a pump 2.3.1.3. At least one overflow bead 2.3.1.5, which additionally regulates the level of the molten lead in the settling compartment of the melting vessel by a permanent overflow, since the surfaces of the levels of lead in the two compartments of the melting vessel 2.3.1.2 are at different heights, is arranged in the separating wall 2.3.1.4 between the settling compartment and the compartment for feeding lead to the melting vessel 2.3.1.1.

[0034] From the settling compartment of the melting vessel 2.3.1.2, the molten lead, of very good quality, passes by means of a further pump into a casting mold 2.3.1.1, where the casting on of the lead bridges is performed. For this purpose, the casting station 2.3 has an additional vertical transporting device 4.5 for bringing the casting mold 2.3.1.1 up to the clamping cassette 3. An additional horizontal displacing device as transporting device 4.4 provides the possibility of exchanging the entire casting mold 2.3.1.1 for maintenance and/or repair work, so that the processing sequence of the transporting device does not have to be interrupted.

[0035] After the casting on of the bridges of lead, the clamping cassette 3 is transported by means of the transporting device 1, by vertical turning thereof, to the position of the boxing station 2.4 for the boxing of the completely fitted-out battery plate stacks into the provided battery cases.

[0036] For this purpose, the boxing station 2.4 has at least a threefold gripper system 2.4.1 and a cleaning device 5 which serves for the cleaning of the boxing frames 5.1. This cleaning device serves for cleaning the spreaders 2.4.4, of the boxing frames 2.4.3, which become contaminated by the constant use. The cleaning station 5 has a brush 5.1 and/or spray system 5.2, which enters the provided boxing frames by means of a multi-axis system before the loading with the battery plate stacks and performs and reliably carries out there the cleaning and removal of dirt particles and deposits in 3D directions.

[0037] The advantages of the present invention are summarized in a technical solution for the processing and arrangement of battery plates in provided battery housings that is distinguished by a low space requirement, has a high degree of monitoring functions and quality assurance measures for the processing sequences in the individual processing stations, operates efficiently and, as a result of the assignment of additional transporting devices to the individual processing stations, reduces the time expenditure for repair and maintenance tasks enormously. In particular, the measures for improving the quality assurance contribute to permanently and reliably inspecting and controlling all of the processing steps for the production and loading of the battery plate stacks, so that the system delivers a high degree of high-quality and completely loaded battery cases.

List of Designations

[0038] 1 Transporting device for clamping cassettes

[0039] 2.1-2.n Processing stations

[0040] 2.1 Insertion box

[0041] 2.1.1 Sixfold gripper system

[0042] 2.2 Flux station

[0043] 2.2.1 Tin bath

[0044] 2.2.1.1 Measuring system for tin level

[0045] 2.2.1.2 Tin wire feed

[0046] 2.3 Casting station

[0047] 2.3.1 Lead bath

[0048] 2.3.1.1 Casting mold

[0049] 2.3.1.2 Melting vessel

[0050] 2.3.1.3 Pump

[0051] 2.3.1.4 Separating wall

[0052] 2.3.1.5 Overflow bead

[0053] 2.4 Boxing station

[0054] 2.4.1 Threefold gripper

[0055] 2.4.3 Boxing frame

[0056] 2.4.4 Spreaders

[0057] 3 Clamping cassettes

[0058] 4 Separate transporting devices of the processing stations

[0059] 5 Cleaning device

[0060] 5.1 Brush system

[0061] 5.2 Spray system