CH713290A2 - Multi-part transport and storage packaging for pre-assembled electrochemical cells. - Google Patents

Abstract

The multipart transport and storage package (200) for pre-assembled electrochemical cells (100) comprises a tray (201) and a cover (202) for the tray (201). The tray (201) has recesses (206), the cover (202) has recesses (207) and the tray (201) and the cover (202) are formed such that when the cover (202) is placed on the tray (201) the recesses (207) of the cover (202) and the recesses (206) of the tray (201) form receptacles for the cells (100) to be stored and transported. The cover (202) is formed of an elastic material and the recesses (207) in the cover (202) are dimensioned such that the cells (100) can be inserted into the same only accompanied by an elastic widening of the recesses (207).

Description

Description: [0001] The invention described below relates to a multipart transport and storage package for pre-assembled electrochemical cells, in particular for pre-assembled button cells.

Under pre-assembled cells are to be understood in the context of the present application, lines are fixed to the outside side of spaced electrical conductors through which the cells can be integrated into an electrical circuit.

While typical cylindrical type cells such as e.g. Button cells are very compact and therefore can be well stored and transported are pre-assembled cells very sensitive. The fixed on its outside electrical conductors are usually from the outside and can be easily bent or break off. Pre-assembled cells should therefore be handled with particular care during transport and storage.

The invention described below had the object to provide a package for pre-assembled electrochemical cells, which can ensure safe storage and safe transport of the cells.

This object is achieved by the transport and storage packaging with the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the transport and storage packaging are described in the dependent claims 2 to 5. The wording of all claims is hereby incorporated by reference into the content of this specification.

The inventive transport and storage packaging is designed in several parts, namely it includes at least • a tray (also referred to as tray) and • a cover for the tray.

In accordance with the statements made at the outset, the packaging is used for the storage and transport of pre-assembled electrochemical cells, preferably of pre-assembled electrochemical cells of cylindrical design, in particular of pre-assembled button cells.

Both the tray and the cover have recesses. Particularly preferably, the tray and the cover each have the same number of recesses.

The tray and the cover are adapted to form when placing the cover on the tray, the recesses of the cover and the recesses of the tray together recordings for the cells to be stored and transported.

The tray and the cover preferably each have two opposite, preferably designed as rectangles flat sides and a peripheral edge. Particularly preferably, the recesses in the tray and the recesses in the cover are each arranged on one of the flat sides. If the cover is properly placed on the tray, so that the flat sides with the recesses come to rest on each other, so the recesses in pairs to one of the recordings together. The number of shots therefore usually corresponds to the number of recesses in the tray and the number of recesses in the cover.

According to the invention, the cover is formed of an elastic material. At the same time, the recesses in the cover are dimensioned such that the cells can be inserted into the same only accompanied by an elastic widening of the recesses. As a result of the elastic widening and the thus necessarily connected struts of the elastic material after elastic recovery, the cover exerts pressure on cells inserted into the recesses which securely fix the cells in the exceptions when the dimensions of the recesses are appropriately selected.

The cells, to whose inclusion the package is formed, are preferably characterized by at least one of the following features: • The cells are cylindrical. • The cells have a housing that includes a housing shell and two flat, terminal faces. • The housing shell and one of the end faces have opposite polarities.

Typical representatives of these cells are, as already mentioned, button cells. A coin cell is known to be a cylindrical type electrochemical cell whose overall height is smaller than its overall diameter.

Button cells usually have a housing of two cup-shaped Gehäusehalbteilen. The Gehäusehalbteile each have a bottom and a circumferential side wall. One of the housing half parts is preferably inserted into the other, such that the side walls of the housing half parts overlap to form a double-walled, annular section. The outer side wall then forms said housing shell, the bottoms of the housing halves form said end faces. Most of the inserted housing half is negatively poled, the other positive.

The cells to whose inclusion the package is formed, are characterized as pre-assembled cells further preferably by at least one of the following features, preferably by a combination of all the following features: • On the housing shell, a first electrical conductor is fixed, of an outer side of the housing protrudes. Particularly preferably, this first electrical conductor, based on the cylindrical geometry of the cell, axially aligned. In some embodiments, the first electrical conductor may be aligned with respect to the cylindrical geometry of the cell but also parallel to the flat, terminal faces. • A second electrical conductor, which protrudes from an outside of the housing, is fixed to the front side polarized opposite the housing jacket. The second electrical conductor is, based on the cylindrical geometry of the cell, preferably aligned parallel to the flat, terminal end faces. Particularly preferably, the first and the second electrical conductor are skewed to one another, in particular when the first electrical conductor, with respect to the cylindrical geometry of the cell, is axially aligned and the second electrical conductor, based on the cylindrical geometry of the cell, aligned parallel to the flat, terminal faces. However, in some embodiments, particularly where both the first and second electrical conductors are aligned parallel to the flat, terminal faces, relative to the cylindrical geometry of the cell, the first and second electrical conductors may also be aligned parallel to each other be.

Preferably, in the first and the second electrical conductor to rigid metal sheets, metal wires or metal pins, possibly also with insulating sheathed single or multi-wire conductor. In general, the first and the second conductor are straight, so have no bending.

For some preferred geometric features of the tray (two opposite, preferably formed as rectangles flat sides and a peripheral edge) has already been presented. Particularly preferably, the tray is designed to be rectangular overall.

Particularly preferably, the tray has a frame which is provided for receiving the cover and which encloses a flat surface on which the recesses are arranged. The plane surface is preferably the flat surface with the recesses formed as a rectangle.

Particularly preferably, the tray is characterized by at least one of the following features: It is made of a plastic, for example, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or polystyrene, in particular by deep drawing or injection molding. • It is made of a non-elastic material. • It is made of an antistatic material or it is coated with an antistatic material. • It is stackable.

Particularly preferably, the recesses in the tray comprise recesses for receiving the electrical conductors of the pre-assembled cells.

Also to some preferred geometric features of the cover (two opposite, preferably designed as rectangles flat sides and a peripheral edge) has already been presented. Particularly preferably, the cover is rectangular overall.

The size of the cover is preferably matched to the aforementioned frame of the tray, so that the cover can fit into the receptacle provided for this purpose.

Particularly preferably, the cover is characterized by at least one of the following features: • It consists of foam (open or closed pore), in particular expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polyethylene (EPE), expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded Polyurethane (PU) foam. • The recesses in the cover are continuous.

Preferably, the cover comprises a separate, piercing the cover channel for performing a test contact. Particularly preferably, the recess in the cover comprises this channel. This channel is intended to allow electrical testing of pre-assembled cells stored in the receptacles without having to remove the cells from the packaging.

The inventive packaging preferably has 40 to 100 receptacles for cells. Particularly preferably, the images are equipped with cells.

Particular advantages provides the inventive transport and storage packaging when removing cells from the package. For this purpose, the packaging can namely be rotated and stored with the cover down. It is then easy to lift the tray. This results in a free access to the inserted in the recesses of the cover pre-assembled cells, which partially, for example, half of its size (diameter or height) stand out of the cover and thus for removal or for further operations, such. Check, are accessible.

The described features and other features of the inventive package will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings. In the embodiments, individual features of the invention may be implemented by themselves or in combination with each other. The described embodiments are merely illustrative and for a better understanding of the invention and are in no way limiting.

Fig. 1 shows a pre-assembled button cell 100. This includes the housing shell 101 and the flat end face 102. The end face 102 is negatively polarized, the housing shell 101 positive. A first electrical conductor 103 is fixed to the housing shell 101 by welding. This first electrical conductor 103 is axially aligned relative to the cylindrical geometry of the button cell 100. At the end face 102, a second electrical conductor 104 is fixed by welding. The second electrical conductor 104 is aligned parallel to the flat end face 102. The first electrical conductor 103 and the second electrical conductor 104 are arranged at a right angle to each other.

Fig. 2 shows in perspective a preferred embodiment of an inventive transport and storage package 200 and two extracts magnifications thereof (rotated representation). This includes the tray 201, the cover 202 and the intermediate layer 203. The latter is needed in the event that another tray is to be stacked on the tray 201.

In the tray 201 is a rectangular shaped molded part made of thermoformed plastic. The tray comprises the frame 204, which is provided to receive the cover 202 and which encloses a flat surface 205 on which the recesses 206 are arranged. In total, five times ten recesses, ie 50 recesses, are arranged on the plane surface 205 in five rows of ten recesses each. In the illustrations, in all the recesses, apart from one, pre-assembled button lines like button cell 100 shown in FIG. 1 are inserted.

The recesses 206 in the tray each include two elongated recesses 206a and 206b for receiving the electrical conductors 103 and 104 of the pre-assembled cells. The recess 206a serves to receive the electrical conductor 103. The recess 206b serves to receive the electrical conductor 104. The recesses close - according to the relative orientation of the conductors 103 and 104 to each other, a right angle. Pre-assembled button cells, such as the button cell 100 shown in FIG. 1, can be inserted into the recesses 206 in a manner secured against rotation. This is all the more true, as they are additionally fixed in the non-rotating position by the cover 202.

In the cover 202 is a rectangular shaped molding made of foam. The size of the cover 202 is matched to the frame 204 of the tray 201 so that the cover can fit into the receptacle defined by the frame 204.

The cover 202 is made of elastic foam. It comprises five times ten continuous recesses 207, so 50 recesses, in five rows of ten recesses. If the cover 202 is inserted into the receptacle defined by the frame 204, then the recesses 206 in the tray and the recesses 207 in the cover add in pairs to receptacles for the pre-assembled button cells. The recesses 207 in the cover 202 are dimensioned such that the button cells can only be inserted accompanied by an elastic expansion of the recesses 207 in the same. As a result of the elastic widening and the thus necessarily connected struts of the elastic material after elastic recovery, the cover 202 exerts a pressure on cells inserted into the recesses, which fixes the cells securely in the recesses 207.

The thickness of the cover 202 corresponds to about half the diameter of the button cells. As a rule, the recesses 206 provide space for between 40% and 60% of the volume of the button cells. Accordingly, between 60% and 40% of the volume of the button cells in the recesses 207 are typically located when the cover 202 is inserted in the receptacle defined by the frame 204.

The cover 202 not only serves to secure against rotation of cells but also as protection for the electrical conductor.

The recesses 207 in the cover 202 each include a separate, the cover pieros-send channel 207a for performing a test contact. This channel makes it possible to carry out an electrical test of pre-assembled cells stored in the receptacles without having to remove the cells from the packaging. For this purpose, the channels 207a respectively open at the crossing points 208 of the elongated recesses 206a and 206b. Namely, a test contact pushed through the channels 207a may come in contact with the electric conductors 103 and 104 at the same time.

Claims (5)

In the intermediate layer 103 is a rectangular shaped molding of cardboard or cardboard. If necessary, this can be printed or labeled. Fig. 3 shows a stack 300 of seven transport and storage packages, as shown in Fig. 2. The stack can basically consist of any number of transport and storage packages. Fig. 4 shows the packaging 200 shown in Fig. 2 in a removal position. For this purpose, the package 200 is rotated and preferably deposited with the cover 202 down on the intermediate layer 103. After subsequent lifting of the tray 201 results in a free access to the pre-assembled cells. These can easily be removed individually. The cover 202 thus serves as a "donor" for the pre-assembled cells. claims A multi-part transport and storage package (200) for pre-assembled electrochemical cells (100) comprising • a tray (201) and • a cover (202) for the tray (201), wherein • the tray (201) has recesses (206) and • the cover (202) recesses (207) and • the tray (201) and the cover (202) are formed so that when placing the cover (202) on the tray (201) the recesses (207) the cover (202) and the recesses (206) of the tray (201) form receptacles for the cells (100) to be stored and transported, wherein • the cover (202) is formed of an elastic material and • the recesses (207) in the cover (202) are dimensioned such that the cells (100) can be inserted into the same accompanied only by an elastic widening of the recesses (207). 2. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that it is designed to receive cells (100) with at least one of the following features: • The cells (100) are cylindrical. The cells have a housing which comprises a housing jacket (101) and two flat, terminal end faces (102). • The housing shell (101) and one of the end faces (102) have opposite polarities. • On the housing shell (101), a first electrical conductor (103) is fixed, which projects from an outside of the housing. • A second electrical conductor (104), which protrudes from an outside of the housing, is fixed to the front side (102), which is polarized in the opposite direction to the housing shell (101). The first and second electrical conductors (103, 104) are rigid metal sheets or metal wires. The first electrical conductor (103) is axially aligned with respect to the cylindrical geometry of the cell (100). The second electrical conductor (104) is radially aligned with respect to the cylindrical geometry of the cell (100). • The first and second electrical conductors (103, 104) are skewed with respect to each other. 3. Packaging according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the tray (201) has at least one of the following features: • It is made of a plastic, in particular by deep drawing or injection molding. • It is made of a non-elastic material. • It is made of an antistatic material or it is coated with an antistatic material. The recesses (206) in the tray (201) include recesses (206a, 206b) for receiving the electrical conductors (103, 104). • It is rectangular. It has a frame (204), which is provided to receive the cover (202) and which encloses a flat surface (205) on which the recesses (206) are arranged. • It is stackable. 4. Packaging according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cover (202) has at least one of the following features: • It consists of foam, in particular expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polyethylene (EPE), expanded polystyrene (EPS) or expanded polyurethane (PU) foam. • The recesses (207) in the cover (202) are formed throughout. The recesses (207) in the cover (202) include a separate channel (207a) piercing the cover (202) for passing a test contact. • It is rectangular. 5. Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the following feature: • It has 40 to 100 receptacles for cells (100). • The recordings are equipped with cells (100).