System comprising of a holder and stored energy sources which can be placed in the holder

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a system comprising a holder and stored energy sources which can be placed in the holder, in particular rechargeable batteries, each having a casing which has side walls and in which are placed electrode plates oriented parallel to the side walls and nonwoven materials containing a bound electrolyte, the electrode plates being placed between adjacent nonwoven materials. The holder consists of at least two supports placed one above the other to hold stored energy sources in such a manner that the side walls of the casing which are oriented parallel to the electrode plates are oriented substantially horizontally. At least one pressure element is situated between the supports and rests on the side walls of the casing of the stored energy sources and transmits at least the weight force of the stored energy sources situated at the top of the holder to stored energy sources situated underneath the stored energy sources situated at the top.

Claims

1. A system comprising: a holder; and stored energy sources to be placed in the holder, each of the stored energy sources having a casing which has side walls, electrode plates positioned in the casing and oriented parallel to the side walls, and nonwoven materials containing a bound electrolyte, the electrode plates being placed between adjacent nonwoven materials, wherein the holder comprises at least two separable supports placed one above the other to hold the stored energy sources in such a manner that the side walls of each casing which are oriented parallel to the electrode plates are oriented substantially horizontally and wherein at least one pressure element is situated between the at least two supports and rests on the side walls of the casings of the stored energy sources and transmits at least a weight force of the stored energy sources situated at the top of the holder to the stored energy sources situated underneath the stored energy sources situated at the top of the holder, wherein the at least two supports are U-shaped in longitudinal section and each of the at least two supports has a plate-shaped structure and two legs arranged orthogonally to the plate-shaped structure, the legs of each of the at least two supports being connected via a stiffening element, wherein the at least one pressure element is in the form of a double T-support or a box profile which is arranged between the legs of the at least two supports in the longitudinal direction and has at least one contact surface in direct engagement with the side walls of the casings of the stored energy sources situated underneath the stored energy sources at the top of the holder.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least two supports are divided into individual receiving compartments for the stored energy sources, wherein separating elements are arranged between the receiving compartments.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least two supports arranged on top of each other can be connected to each other in such a manner that a relative movement of adjacently arranged supports of the at least two supports is impossible.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least two supports arranged on top of each other comprise interlocking connecting elements that positively engage into each other.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein above the uppermost support of the holder, a cover is disposed which has a pressure element which rests on the side walls of the stored energy sources in the uppermost support and transmits a weight force of the cover at least to the stored energy sources in the uppermost support.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least two supports can be closed with a front cover in an area of free ends of the legs.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the holder has a base which is arranged beneath the holder and comprises an abutment having a contact surface for the stored energy sources situated in one of the at least two supports situated on the base, the contact surface being provided for bearing against the side walls of the stored energy sources.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

(2) Further features of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the attached drawings and from the further subclaims. In the drawings it is shown by:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a system in an exploded perspective view;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a system in a perspective view;

(5) FIG. 3 shows the system of FIG. 2 in a front view without front covers;

(6) FIG. 4 shows a support of the system according to FIGS. 1 to 3 in a first perspective view;

(7) FIG. 5 shows the support according to FIG. 4 in a second perspective view;

(8) FIG. 6 shows the support according to FIGS. 4 and 5 in a first view;

(9) FIG. 7 shows the support according to FIGS. 4 and 5 in a plan view;

(10) FIG. 8 shows the support according to FIGS. 4 and 5 in a second view;

(11) FIG. 9 shows the support according to FIGS. 4 and 5 in a lateral view;

(12) FIG. 10 shows the support according to FIGS. 4 and 5 in a sectional view along section line X-X in FIG. 6;

(13) FIG. 11 shows an upper support of a holder in a first perspective view;

(14) FIG. 12 shows the support according to FIG. 11 in a second perspective view;

(15) FIG. 13 shows the support according to FIGS. 11 and 12 in a first view;

(16) FIG. 14 shows the support according to FIGS. 11 and 12 in a plan view;

(17) FIG. 15 shows the support according to FIGS. 11 and 12 in a second view;

(18) FIG. 16 shows the support according to FIGS. 11 and 12 in a lateral view;

(19) FIG. 17 shows the support according to FIGS. 11 and 12 in a sectional view along section line XVII-XVII in FIG. 13;

(20) FIG. 18 shows a front cover for a system according to FIGS. 1 to 3 in a perspective view, and

(21) FIG. 19 shows a base for a system according to FIGS. 1 to 3 in a perspective view.

(22) Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(23) Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(24) FIG. 1 shows a system 1 in a perspective exploded view. The system 1 consists of a base 2 and two supports 3 placed one above the other, an upper support 4 arranged above said two supports 3, and a cover 5 arranged on said upper support 4.

(25) In the supports 3, 4, four stored energy sources 6 are arranged horizontally in each case. Each stored energy source 6 consists of a casing 7 with two horizontally aligned side walls 8. Furthermore, connections 9 in the area of the stored energy sources 6 can be seen in FIG. 1.

(26) The exact construction of the individual components of the system 1, namely the base 2, the carriers 3 or 4 and the cover 5 is described below in connection with the further drawing Figures.

(27) FIG. 1 additionally shows front covers 10 which are detachably attached to the supports 3 or 4 in the area of the connections 9 of the stored energy sources 6.

(28) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a system 1 consisting of the base 2, a support 3 and the upper support 4 as well as the cover 5. This is a system 1 which has the minimum number of supports 3 or of the upper beam 4. Such a system 1 can have up to eleven supports 3, and a different number of compartments can be provided for the stored energy sources 6 not further shown.

(29) The support 3 is shown in detail in FIGS. 4 to 10. Each support 3 is U-shaped in longitudinal section and has a plate-shaped structure or web 11 and two legs 12 arranged orthogonally to the plate-shaped structure or web. In addition, a stiffening element 13 (FIG. 5) is provided, which is designed as a profile and connects the two free ends of the legs 12 to one another, the stiffening element 13 being arranged in the upper corner region of the legs 12.

(30) FIG. 4 shows the bottom view of the support 3, and it can be seen that the web 11 as well as the legs 12 are folded twice at the lower edge region 14 and are thus L-shaped, so that an inwardly projecting edge region 14 is formed. The projection of the edge region 14 is designed in such a way that the surface running parallel to the surface normal of the web 11 or the legs 12 conforms to a corresponding holder at the opposite end of the support 3, so that the edge region 14 can be inserted in a further support 3 in such a manner that the supports 3 arranged one above the other are connected to one another in such a way that a relative movement of the supports 3 arranged adjacent to one another is not possible.

(31) In addition, between the edge regions 14 of the legs 12, two pressure elements 15 extend over the entire length of the support 3 between the facing surfaces of the edge regions 14 of the legs 12. The pressure elements 15 are formed as box profiles and are welded to the edge regions 14 in the region of the legs 12. The pressure elements 15 terminate flush with the free edges of the edge regions 14, the surface of the pressure elements 15 terminating flush with the edge regions of the legs 12 forming a support surface 16 intended to support the legs 12 on the side walls 8 of the stored energy sources 6.

(32) Furthermore, it can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5 that the support 3 is divided into individual holding areas for the energy storage 6 by the use of plate-shaped separating elements 17. Three separating elements 17 are shown, so that a total of four holding areas are formed for the stored energy sources 6. The separating elements 17 can be connected to the inner surface of the web 11 or guided in guides arranged there. In addition, the separating elements 17 can be connected to the stiffening element 13 and the pressure elements 15.

(33) FIGS. 6 to 10 show further constructive designs of the support 3. FIG. 6, for example, shows in the region of the front faces of the legs 12 a respective rectangular opening 18 which serves to receive connecting elements in the form of locking elements 19 on the front cover 10. Both in the web 11 and in the legs 12 a plurality of bores 20 for ventilation of the support are provided on the surface region facing away from the edge region 14.

(34) It can be seen that the web 11 and also the legs 12 are manufactured from a sheet element, the free ends of the legs 12 being angled by 90° and oriented towards each other. In addition, corner connectors can be provided to reinforce the respective free end of the legs 12, wherein the corner connectors can, for example, be designed as profile elements in the form of box profiles.

(35) FIGS. 11 to 17 show the upper support 4 in various views. The construction of the upper support 4 is substantially identical with the construction of the supports 3 to be arranged beneath the upper support 4. Therefore, corresponding components are identified by corresponding reference numbers.

(36) In addition to the support 3, the upper support 4 has a second stiffening element 21 which is also formed as box profile and extends parallel to the stiffening element 13, the stiffening element 21 also extending between the two legs 12 with a distance to the stiffening element 13 which corresponds to the distance of the second stiffening element 21 to the web 11. The stiffening element 21 additional serves as a pressure element. In the finally mounted state, stored energy sources 6 accommodated by the upper support 4 press from below against the stiffening element 21 serving as pressure element. This prevents undesired bulging of the stored energy sources 6. In this case only an upper support 4 and not a lower support 3 has such a stiffening element 21, and in the final assembled state there is no further support resting on an upper support 4.

(37) Furthermore, a comparison of the FIGS. 14 and 7 shows that the upper support 4 has four openings 22 in the area of the edge region 14 of the legs 12 and of the web 11 which serve to accommodate the locking elements 23 of the cover 5. The locking elements 23 can be seen, for example, in FIG. 1.

(38) In FIG. 18 the front cover 10 is shown in a perspective view. In longitudinal section, the front cover 10 is essentially U-shaped and has a web 24 and two adjoining legs 25 which are angled twice, the locking elements 19 being arranged centrally at the free ends of the legs 25. The front cover 10 has an elasticity that makes it possible to insert the locking elements 19 into the openings 18, the two legs 25 being moved towards each other for this purpose before the locking elements 19 engage in the opening 18. By taking advantage of the elasticity of the front cover 10, the locking elements 19 are then moved to engage behind the openings 18. Of course, alternative locking options are also conceivable, for example the locking elements 19 can be designed as resilient latching lugs.

(39) Finally, FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of the base 2. The base 2 consists of two short profile elements 26 and two long profile elements 27, which respectively extend orthogonally to each other and form a frame 28. The two long profile elements 27 are connected by stiffening elements 29 extending with an equal distance to each other and to the short profile elements 26, the stiffening elements 29 having recesses 30 in their upper edge region to accommodate an abutment 31 with a contact surface 32. The abutment 31 is designed as a box profile and terminates substantially flush with the upper surface area of the profile elements 26, 27.

(40) A projection in the range of a maximum of three millimeters can be provided in order to be able to press the contact surface 32 with high precision against the side walls 8 of stored energy sources 6 which are arranged in the support 3, which support 3 is placed on the base 2.

(41) The support 3 and the upper support 4 form a holder 33 for stored energy sources 6 to be arranged in the holder 33. Optionally, this holder 33 is supplemented by the base 2 and by the upper cover 5 and also by the front covers 1.

(42) The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are inter-changeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.