Method and installation for producing an electrode plate, an electrode plate and a rechargeable electrochemical battery

Abstract

An electrode plate of a rechargeable electrochemical battery. The electrode plate comprises a substantially flat lead grid having a plurality of grid bars and a plurality of window-like cutouts formed between the grid bars. The electrode plate further comprises an active material introduced into the cutouts and/or onto the grid bars of the lead grid. The active material has an artificially produced pattern of slot-shaped depressions on its surface. The depressions extend to a depth from the outer surface of the active material. Also disclosed is a rechargeable electrochemical battery comprising the at least one electrode.

Claims

1. An electrode plate of a rechargeable electrochemical battery, the electrode plate comprising: a substantially flat lead grid having a plurality of grid bars and a plurality of window-like cutouts formed between the plurality of grid bars; and an active material introduced into the plurality of window-like cutouts, or onto the plurality of grid bars of the substantially flat lead grid, or both, to form an external surface of the electrode plate, the active material having an only artificially produced pattern of slot-shaped depressions on its external surface, the slot-shaped depressions extending to a depth from the external surface of the electrode plate in a direction toward the plurality of grid bars, the pattern of the slot-shaped depressions forming an irregular, network-like structure on the external surface, wherein at least a first slot-shaped depression of the slot-shaped depressions extends at least 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm in depth and at least a second slot-shaped depression of the slot-shaped depressions extends to a depth all the way through the active material to the substantially flat lead grid and wherein the pattern of the slot-shaped depressions forming the irregular, network-like structure is visible on the external surface of the electrode plate.

2. The electrode plate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grid bars and the plurality of window-like cutouts form a pattern.

3. The electrode plate of claim 1, wherein the slot-shaped depressions are configured to overlap with a grid bar of the plurality of grid bars with respect to the direction.

4. The electrode plate of claim 1, wherein the irregular, network like structure on a portion of the external surface is different from an impacting surface of a mechanical impactor having contacted the portion of the external surface.

5. The electrode plate of claim 1, wherein the slot-shaped depressions were performed by mechanically impinging the substantially flat lead grid provided with the active material to cause the slot-shaped depressions to extend to the depth from the external surface of the electrode plate in the direction toward the plurality of grid bars.

6. The electrode plate of claim 1, wherein the first slot-shaped depression comprises a plurality of first slot-shaped depressions and the second slot-shaped depression comprises a plurality of second slot-shaped depression.

7. A rechargeable electrochemical battery comprising at least one electrode plate in accordance with claim 1.

8. A rechargeable electrochemical battery comprising: a case; a first terminal coupled to the case; a second terminal coupled to the case; and a battery cell enclosed by the case, the battery cell including a plate pack comprising a first electrode plate with a first polarity, the first electrode plate coupled to the first terminal; a second electrode plate with a second polarity different from the first polarity, the second electrode plate coupled to the second terminal; a separator material separating the first electrode plate from the second electrode plate; and wherein the first electrode plate comprises: a substantially flat lead grid having a plurality of grid bars and a plurality of window-like cutouts formed between the plurality of grid bars; and an active material introduced into the plurality of window-like cutouts, or onto the plurality of grid bars of the substantially flat lead grid, or both, to form an external surface of the first electrode plate, the active material having an only artificially produced pattern of slot-shaped depressions on its external surface, the slot-shaped depressions extending to a depth from the external surface of the electrode plate in a direction toward the plurality of grid bars, the pattern of the slot-shaped depressions forming an irregular, network-like structure on the external surface, wherein at least a first slot-shaped depression of the slot-shaped depressions extends at least 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm in depth and at least a second slot-shaped depression of the slot-shaped depressions extends to a depth all the way through the active material to the substantially flat lead grid and wherein the pattern of the slot-shaped depressions forming the irregular, network-like structure is visible on the external surface of the electrode plate.

9. The rechargeable electrochemical battery of claim 8, wherein the first polarity of the first electrode plate is a positive polarity, the first electrode plate is a positive electrode plate, and the first terminal is a positive terminal.

10. The rechargeable electrochemical battery of claim 8, wherein the separator material comprises a wrapping that at least partially wraps the first electrode plate and separates the first electrode plate from adjacent electrode plates including the second electrode plate.

11. The rechargeable electrochemical battery of claim 10, wherein the separator material includes a fiber-like material.

12. The rechargeable electrochemical battery of claim 10, wherein the separator material includes absorbent glass mat (AGM) material.

13. The rechargeable electrochemical battery of claim 8, wherein the irregular, network-like structure on a portion of the external surface is different from an impacting surface of a mechanical impactor having contacted the portion of the external surface.

14. The rechargeable electrochemical battery of claim 8, wherein the slot-shaped depressions were performed by mechanically impinging the substantially flat lead grid provided with the active material to cause the slot-shaped depressions to extend to the depth from the external surface of the first electrode plate in the direction toward the plurality of grid bars.

15. The rechargeable electrochemical battery of claim 8, wherein the first slot-shaped depression comprises a plurality of first slot-shaped depressions and the second slot-shaped depression comprises a plurality of second slot-shaped depression.

Description

(1) Shown are:

(2) FIG. 1: a semi-exploded view of a rechargeable electrochemical battery as well as its components;

(3) FIG. 2: a lead grid;

(4) FIG. 3: a lead grid provided with an active material;

(5) FIG. 4: the wrapping of a lead grid provided with an active material within a separator;

(6) FIG. 5: an installation for producing an electrode plate;

(7) FIGS. 6-9: embodiments of an impacting tool having a rounded profile; and

(8) FIG. 10: a stamping press.

(9) The figures provide like elements with like reference numerals.

(10) An example of the fundamental structure of a rechargeable battery 100 according to the invention will first be described with reference to FIG. 1. The rechargeable battery 100 can in particular be implemented as a lead-acid battery having liquid electrolyte, e.g. in the form of sulfuric acid. The rechargeable battery 100 comprises a case 110 in which one or more plate packs 107 are arranged. The rechargeable battery 100 has a specified number of plate packs 107 corresponding to its number of cells. The plate packs 107 are each arranged in individual holding chambers of case 110 separated from each other by partition walls. The plate packs 107 are connected together into a series connection within the case 110 by internal connecting elements (not depicted in FIG. 1). The positive plates of a plate pack on one end and the negative plates of the other plate pack on the other end are in each case electrically connected to respective external terminals 108, 109 provided in a cover piece 111 of the rechargeable battery case 110. The electrical energy of the battery 100 for electrical loads is supplied through terminals 108, 109.

(11) The plate packs 107 exhibit respectively alternating positive and negative electrode plates. The negative electrode plates are shown as negative plate set 115, the positive electrode plates as positive plate set 114. FIG. 1 still depicts some individual electrode plates in exemplification; i.e. negative electrode plate 105 having a negative flat lead grid 102 and positive electrode plate 104 having a positive flat lead grid 101. The positive electrode plate 104 and the negative electrode plate 105 depicted in FIG. 1 have already been provided with a pasting of active material, covering the individual grid bars and cutouts. The positive and/or negative lead grid comprise(s) a plurality of grid bars and a plurality of window-like cutouts formed between the grid bars. The positive and/or negative lead grid 101, 102 can be produced for example by a stamping process or by another method such as casting and/or rolling.

(12) The positive electrode plate 104 is additionally separated from the negative electrode plate 105 by a separator material 106. The separator material 106 can in particular be designed in the form of a wrapping which holds the positive electrode plate 104 and separates it from adjacent electrode plates.

(13) The positive electrode plates 104 comprise respective connection tabs 103, by means of which the electrode plates in the positive plate set 114 are connected together in a parallel connection. The negative electrode plates 105 comprise respective connection tabs 103, by means of which the electrode plates in the negative plate set 115 are connected together in a parallel connection. The connection can be made by a connector 112 which is soldered or welded onto the connection tabs 103 as is visible in FIG. 1.

(14) The rechargeable battery 100 according to FIG. 1 can in particular comprise one or more inventive electrode plates, e.g. in the form of positive electrode plates 104.

(15) FIG. 2 shows an example of a positive lead grid 101 in plan view. It can be seen that the lead grid 101 comprises a plurality of grid bars 121, between which are found a plurality of window-like cutouts 113. To make it easier to handle and to provide mechanical stabilization as well as improve its electrical properties 1 the outer edge of the lead grid 101 can exhibit one, multiple or all of the following cited frame sections: upper frame section 120, left side frame section 119, lower frame section 117, right side frame section 118.

(16) FIG. 3 shows the lead grid 101 from FIG. 2 after having been at least partly covered with active material, usually applied in paste form. This process is also known as pasting. FIG. 4 shows the lead grid 103 of FIG. 3 provided with the active material being inserted into a wrapper-shaped separator 106.

(17) FIG. 5 depicts an installation for producing an electrode plate, particularly a positive electrode plate 104 as described above, in schematic representation. The installation comprises various stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, specifically a lead grid-producing station 1, a pasting station 2, a separating station 3, a storage station 4, a depression-forming station 5 and a smoothing station 6. The individual stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are, as FIG. 5 shows, successively arranged such that the raw material 14 fed into lead grid-producing station 1 will be processed step by step into the resulting electrode plate.

(18) The lead grid-producing station 1 processes the pig lead supplied to it into a double-strand grid strip 10. This can be realized in lead grid-producing station 1 by means of a casting process, a rolling process and/or a stamping process. The double-strand grid strip 10 has an upper and a lower strand of lead grid 101 which are still contiguous. The upper and lower strand are additionally connected together by the connection tabs 103 of the lead grid 101. The double-strand grid strip 10 is still to be separated into the individual lead grids 101 later on.

(19) First, however, the active material can be introduced in pasting station 2, producing the double-stranded pasted grid strip 11 as depicted in FIG. 5.

(20) According to FIG. 5, the separating station 3 follows the pasting station 2. However, this is just one possible embodiment of the depicted installation. The separating station can for example also be alternatively arranged after smoothing station 6. For now, however, the embodiment as depicted in FIG. 5 is assumed.

(21) Individual lead grids 104 provided with active material are separated from the double-strand pasted grid strip in separating station 3, and are also identified in FIG. 5 by reference numeral 12.

(22) The electrode plate 12, or respectively its active material in particular, can be pre-dried, as well as cured as applicable, before said electrode plate 12 is fed to depression-forming station 5. To this end, the electrode plate 12 can be stored temporarily, e.g. in storage station 4. Alternatively, further processing in depression-forming station 5 can also follow immediately.

(23) The slot-shaped depressions are produced in the active material in depression-forming station 5 by the electrode plate 12 being subjected to mechanical impact.

(24) The electrode plate 12 is then subsequently machined in the smoothing station 6 so as to again effect an external smoothing of the active material, e.g. by passing the electrode plate 12 through a pair of rollers. Ultimately exiting the smoothing station 6 is an electrode plate 13 having the pattern 15 of slot-shaped depressions as seen in FIG. 5.

(25) The electrode plate can alternatively be wrapped in the separator 106 either before or after the processing occurring in depression-forming station 5. To this end, the installation additionally comprises an appropriately situated wrapping station (not shown in FIG. 5), e.g. in the form of the above-cited wrapping machine.

(26) If the separating station 3 is not arranged until after the smoothing station 6, the grid strip 11 is guided past the impacting tool of the depression-forming station 5, for example in a continuous motion. The impacting tool can then be designed as will be clarified below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.

(27) The depression-forming station 5 can be enclosed in a housing 7 in order to trap emissions, e.g. lead dust, from the surroundings. The smoothing station 6 can also be arranged inside the housing 7.

(28) FIGS. 6 to 9 show embodiments of the impacting tool of depression-forming station 5 with which the lead grid provided with the active material is mechanically impacted in order to produce the pattern of slot-shaped depressions in the active material.

(29) FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the impacting tool 8 in a side view. The impacting tool 8 comprises an upper set 84 of rollers 80 as well as a lower set 85 of rollers 80.

(30) The rollers 80 of the upper and lower set 84, 85 are arranged close together vertically or even overlap. The rollers 80 of a respective set 84, 85 have a greater distance from one another horizontally than they do vertically. The upper set 84 of rollers 80 is disposed opposite from the lower set 85 of rollers 80 at an offset. A grid strip 11, likewise depicted in side view in FIG. 6, led through the rollers 80 will thereby be curved into the wave-shaped form seen in FIG. 6. The rollers which are present after the grid strip 11 exits out of the impacting tool 8 can smooth the wave form out again into a substantially flat grid strip from which flat electrode plates can be produced. The impacting tool according to FIG. 6 is particularly well suited to a continuous feed of the lead grid or grid strip 11 respectively.

(31) FIGS. 7 to 9 depict embodiments of sections of the impacting tool 8 as viewed from above; i.e. onto the upper set 84 of rollers. According to FIG. 7, each roller 80 has a cylindrical impacting body 82 mounted on a rotational axis 81. In one embodiment according to FIG. 8, the rollers 80 have spherical impacting bodies 83 arranged on a rotatable spindle 81. Instead of having a spherical form, the impacting bodies 83 can also have a different form such as an elliptical or angular form.

(32) According to FIG. 9, a plurality of the spherical impacting bodies depicted in FIG. 8 are arranged adjacently, whereby the individual adjacent rows of the spherical impacting bodies are disposed at an offset from one another. FIG. 9 for example shows the upper section 84 of the impacting tool of FIG. 6. The lower section 85 can be of comparable design.

(33) FIG. 10 shows one embodiment of an impacting tool as a stamping press 9. This embodiment is particularly suited to discontinuous electrode plate 12 movement, e.g. for already separated electrode plates 12. The electrode plate 12 to be processed is fed in as per arrow 92 and deposited on a lower die 90 of the stamping press 9. Although the lower die 90 can be stationary, as shown in FIG. 10, it can also be configured as a movable lower die. An upper press 91 is moved downward onto the electrode plate 12 as per the depicted arrow. The electrode plate 12 is then pressed between the upper press 91 and the lower die 90. The surface area provided on the upper press 91 and the lower die 90 for pressing the electrode plate thereby exhibits a structure which results in the pattern of slot-shaped depressions being produced in the active material of the electrode plate 12. The upper press 91 thereafter raises again and the electrode plate 12 is advanced in the direction of arrow 93.