STARWHEEL-ENABLED ASSEMBLING OF LONG-LIFE BATTERIES

Abstract

A system and method for assembling long-life cylindrical batteries. Assembly comprises use of jelly rolls of battery materials comprised of fold over tabs at end plate periphery, said tabs useful to maintaining relatively short electron paths and to maintaining electrical connections, to benefit of long useful life of battery. In a preferred embodiment, at least one starwheel enables movement and positioning of cylindrical battery cases during assembly. In a preferred embodiment, such correct positioning of battery cases enables them to receive placement of jelly roll of battery materials and to receive battery caps. Assembly comprises use of jelly rolls of battery materials comprising end plates configured of extensions of electrode in face-to-face shingle-style overlaps. Said tight overlaps, held in place by tabs, enable secure electrical connections to be maintained over long life of battery, and comprise mitigation against overheating of battery during rapid charge or discharge, thus reducing likelihood of fire.

Claims

1. A method for assembling cylindrical batteries comprising step of: moving at least a first battery case into a position wherein a jelly roll of battery materials can be inserted by assembly process into said battery case.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising step of placing by assembly process of a cap on said first battery case after it receives said jelly roll of battery materials.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising step of assembly process moving said first battery case, after it receives said jelly roll of battery materials and said cap, into a collection area.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising step of enabling said instant invention battery assembly of at least adapted industrial methodology and machinery of bottle filling and liquid-filled bottle capping industry, such adapting herein specifically applied in regards to at least one of: computer control, sensors of progress of assembly, electrical power supply, gears and mechanical drives, in-line filling, in-line capping, battery cases rolling along curved track with guard rails, element feeding reservoirs, supporting structures, metal scaffolding, coordinated positioning and timing, filling and capping coordinated to progressive movement of battery cases, cap attachment mechanism, bins, feeding chutes, coordinated alignment of moving battery cases to mechanism inserting jelly roll parts, high-throughput assembly lines.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising use of at least one starwheel.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one said battery case during assembly comprises movement as at least one of list: stop and go motion, radial motion, curvilinear motion, rolling motion, in-line motion of battery case during time of inserting of jelly roll into case, in-line motion of battery case during time when cap is being attached to battery case.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising step of comprising at least one of said jelly rolls of battery material of plurality of fold-over peripheral tabs at end plate of said jelly roll of battery materials.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising step of arranging within instant invention a high-throughput set of assembly steps for cylindrical batteries, said assembly enabled by simultaneous and coordinated interactions of three lines of parts supply, said three lines comprising jelly rolls of battery materials supply, battery caps supply, and battery cases supply, each supply line feed rendered into correct mutual relationship to enable high-throughput whereby said supplied battery cases are efficiently filled with one each jelly roll of battery materials, and receive one each cap, as coordinated progressive movement of battery cases continues to comprise fully assembled batteries at collecting point.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising step of configuring in at least one of said jelly rolls of battery materials the presence of at least one electrode extension group of five tightly overlapped extensions together having mutual face-to-face shingle type contacts, and wherein a central electrode extension of end plate has four surrounding extensions each in at least partial electrical contact overlap to said central extension, and wherein said configuration of overlapped end plate electrode extensions was created during wrapping of said jelly roll and is maintained in battery end plate after said assembly of battery.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0026] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating details of a preferred embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating details of a preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] In FIG. 1, a schematic illustrates a preferred embodiment of instant invention wherein elements of, and coordination of, assembly line for assembling long-life batteries are schematically represented. First representation, at top left of drawing, comprises a stack of four representative jelly rolls of battery materials 109. Said four rolls represent the reservoir of this element feeding the assembly process, i.e. a line of jelly rolls rendered into alignment, such as one at a time, to be inserted into battery cases by the insertion mechanism, here represented by plunger 107. It is understood that the supporting structures, such as frame of metal scaffolding and bins and feeding chutes, and the like, are present and configured to purpose as is well-known in the art. It is understood that gears and motorized drives are also present, along with control mechanisms and optionally with computer control, as is well-known in the bottling industry and herein modified to purpose of battery assembly.

[0030] Each jelly roll comprises at least one end plate. Each end plate comprises extensions of electrode, here viewed in end on perspective schematic, in format representing compact face-to-face shingle style overlap of said extensions. End plate also comprises plurality of folded over tabs at periphery (see FIG. 2 for details of end plate).

[0031] The stack of jelly rolls is aligned to permit lowest roll of stack to be acted upon by plunger 107, which plunger represents one of several well-known inserting mechanisms useful (not shown) within instant invention assembly lines, wherein a first element (jelly roll) is propelled at proper time and inserted into a second element (battery case). Insertion is timed in relation to stop and go motion of starwheel 101.

[0032] Said starwheel 101 comprises machined plastic wheel on axis, enabled by system control to perform timed counterclockwise rotary stop and go motion. Starwheel 101 comprises notches 103 and 102, suitable to hold battery cases 105 and 104, respectively. The starwheel's rotary motion in a stop and go movement is understood to move case after case into position for filling and capping.

[0033] In this illustration, starwheel 101 is in a stop position wherein the battery case 105 is positioned to receive insertion of jelly roll from stack 109, and the battery case 104 having jelly roll inside, is positioned to receive attachment of battery cap 106. Said stop position of starwheel 101 was reached after the previous go motion of wheel rotated counterclockwise one notch-worth of rotary motion. Said one notch-worth of rotary motion positioned the notch 103 occupant battery case 105 to be in position to receive a jelly roll. Said same one notch-worth of starwheel counterclockwise rotation also positioned the notch 102 occupant battery case 104 to be in position to receive a cap.

[0034] Thus, it is understood that the stop and go one-notch at a time rotary motion of preferred embodiment starwheel 101, said motion positions battery case after battery case into correct position to enable said insertion of jelly roll and then said capping to occur to each battery case in turn. Plunger 107 represents the mechanism of inserting. Plunger 108 represents the mechanism of capping.

[0035] Battery cap 106 represents the reservoir of battery caps and the mechanism of positioning cap to enable capping mechanism to attach it to case. The position illustrated for battery cap 106, i.e. over case 104 located in notch 102, this coordinated positioning represents the timing of cap reservoir and feed mechanism to position a cap in coordination to starwheel 101 rotary motion. Thus, it is understood that a cap, rendered into position for capping case 104, such action is timed to occur as the starwheel rotary motion counterclockwise renders battery case 104 into stopped position suitable to receive said cap 106.

[0036] Battery cap attachment represented is understood to be accomplished and secured in place by one of a variety of well-known in the art means of attaching. For example, said attachment can comprise use of adhesive, or a mechanism of ‘snap-on’ type wherein cap secures to snap-receiving mechanism at the battery case, or a twist-on mechanism wherein plunger grips and swivels the cap onto a receiving groove of the battery case, or spot welding mechanism (not shown). It is understood that the cap attaching step can be a separate notch position step from the cap placing.

[0037] The control mechanism for timing, and the power supply which enable the mechanisms herein illustrated, these are accomplished by means well-known in the art (not shown). For example, the power supply is typically electric grid supply, and the movements are enabled by computer control of gears and the use of sensors to verify steps.

[0038] As starwheel rotates a further notch-worth from the position illustrated in FIG. 1, it is understood that case 105 next stops at capping position, and receives a cap. It is understood that case 104 moves in radial movement within notch 102 until said case 104 reaches the exit point for movement of case off starwheel 101 and on to next part of assembly sequence. Said next part of sequence can be as a second interacting starwheel which removes case 104 from its notch in starwheel 101 and takes it into notch of said second starwheel. Such second starwheel can transfer, via its radial moving of case 104, said case to higher elevation wherein case 104 is guided to roll along track with guard rails to collection point of finished batteries.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, movements of battery cases within system thus comprise at least one of list: stop and go, radial, rolling along track, moving from one starwheel's notch position to a second interacting starwheel's notch position, movement aligning case with jelly roll filling position, movement aligning case with capping position. Radial movement is defined as motion at a right angle to an axis of rotation. Essentially, radial motion is the movement around a shaft rather than along its length.

[0040] It is understood that instant invention assembly lines can be comprised in a variety of configurations, each within scope of instant invention. In a preferred embodiment, such configurations and arrangements typically comprise mechanisms which can be thought of as three lines of parts supply and configuring. Jelly rolls of battery materials comprised of end plates as disclosed herein, battery caps, and battery cases, these are each supplied and rendered into correct position for assembly simultaneously. Actions follow, by which filling, and capping occur in coordination to progressive movement of battery cases. Finished batteries are delivered to collecting point.

[0041] Although the illustration in FIG. 1 is of filling and capping performed when starwheel is stopped, in a preferred embodiment the filling and/or capping is accomplished as line of battery cases continues to move. Such moving line filling and/or capping is rendered by in-line filling mechanism and/or in-line capping mechanism, as are well-known in the art of bottling, and modified for battery assembly use herein. For example, a line/reservoir of stacked rolls, and a line/reservoir of stacked caps, each feed and coordinate with in-line mechanisms of motion coordination, to accomplish assembly of batteries. Such in-line mechanisms complete the filling and attaching actions while moving parts of said filling and attaching mechanism also move in coordination to the moving receiving line of battery cases (not shown). Such moving line placement typically enables greater throughput of finished batteries as compared to stop and go motion assembly.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, moving insertion of jelly rolls of battery materials into battery cases, is accomplished comprising a moving line of battery cases aligned to an in-line filler mechanism dispensing jelly rolls. In a preferred embodiment, affixing of caps onto battery cases, is accomplished comprising a moving line of battery cases aligned to in-line capping mechanism.

[0043] In FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment is illustrated in schematic form, said schematic illustrating an end plate of jelly roll of battery materials of instant invention's long-life battery. Said end plate 201 comprises a compact assembly of overlapped extensions of an electrode of said battery. At 203 is illustrated a representation of five compactly assembled overlapped extensions typical of overlapped extensions of instant invention. The schematic illustrates 4 such groups of 5 extensions as examples across the expanse of the end plate. These represent what are typically dozens, and up to a hundred or more extensions in tight overlap across the full expanse of the typical end plate. Visible in this perspective view, as ends of extensions in tight overlap, such 4 groups of 5 tightly overlapped extensions have a face-to-face shingle type of overlap. Please see details in non-provisional application Ser. No. 17/102,226 filed 23 Nov. 2020 by instant inventor, entitled ‘Configuring and maintaining shingled overlaps of electrode extensions at end plate of jelly roll of battery materials.’

[0044] It is understood that the full expanse of the typical end plate of instant invention's long-life battery is comprised of overlapping extensions of electrode. The schematic conveys this by illustrating groups. For the actual end plate, a surface appearance would be comprised of ends of extensions visible as overlapping and compacted across the expanse. The typical overlap format is illustrated by schematic of a group at 204.

[0045] To convey the said full expanse nature of these overlaps across the full end plate in typical end plate, four groups of five tightly compacted extensions 203 are schematically illustrated. These ends of extensions are meant in illustration, to reflect the result of winding of the jelly roll. Such winding of parallel extensions renders them in compact overlap. It is understood that said extensions are viewed in FIG. 2 in perspective view in which the top edges of said extensions are seen, as opposed to faces which are not seen but understood to be overlapped face-to-face with other extensions within the full end plate.

[0046] The tight compactness of overlapped extensions is represented by the closeness of the top edges of the 5 extensions in each of the 4 groups. Such compactness, tightness, and closeness of application of said extensions across the end plate, i.e. the face-to-face shingle-style overlapping, is important to be maintained in place during the working life of the battery. Such maintaining enables long life of the battery. To accomplish such maintaining, tabs 202 assist in such maintaining of compactness of end plate, as is further described below. The tabs typically are aligned around the entire end plate periphery but are schematically represented here by 4 tabs. Each tab is folded over the periphery of the end plate and snuggly onto it, to preserve the overlap of the extensions.

[0047] The extensions on end view are seen to have each a typical slightly curved configuration, as illustrated, for example, at 204. Such slightly curved nature enables the tight overlaps of extensions, which tightness serves to enable the electrical connections between and among the extensions. Such electrical connections enable multiple electron paths, which enables heat mitigation for the battery. By preserving said plurality of electrical connections, the battery is enabled to maintain short average electron path length. Thus, the battery is enabled to longer useful life. The tabs preserve this arrangement of extensions, by securing the end plate from unraveling.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, fold-over tabs 202 are illustrated here as four tabs. Such illustration is understood to be representative of a dozen tabs or more per typical end plate. Such illustration is understood to be representative of folded down tabs around the full periphery of the typical end plate. Said tabs are typically comprised of durable material, such as metal. Such tabs secure the end plate and its function, as discussed herein.

[0049] Although the invention has been described in considerable detail in language specific to structural features, and or method acts, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary preferred forms of implementing the claimed invention. Stated otherwise, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Therefore, while exemplary illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described, numerous variations and alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Such variations and alternate embodiments are contemplated and can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0050] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reassembly by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.