JP2005078969A - Manufacturing method of lead-acid storage battery - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of a lead-acid storage battery integrally welding/jointing an electrode ear part of an electrode plate group with a strap and pole (an electrode pole) or a connection part by a COS method, prevented from whitening or carbonization of a separator due to radiation heat of a casting mold at welding/jointing. <P>SOLUTION: In the manufacturing method of the lead-acid storage battery, a cast-on-strap is carried out with a heat-resistant member 81 arranged between the casting mold 7 and the electrode plate group 6, or the cast-on-strap is carried out in a state that the separator is incompletely inserted between the electrode plates, and the separator 5 is completely inserted between the electrode plates after the cast-on-strap is finished. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a lead storage battery.

  The electrode plate group of the lead storage battery is composed of a separator, positive / negative electrode plates, positive / negative electrode plate ears, positive / negative electrode straps, and poles (pole columns) or connecting portions. As a method of integrally welding and joining the pole plate ear part of each polarity and the strap and the pole or the connecting part, molten lead is injected into the mold engraved with the shape of the strap and the pole or the strap and the connecting part, and the mold The so-called cast-on-strap method (abbreviated as “Cast on Strap”) is formed by casting and immersing the plurality of electrode plate ears in an inverted manner. COS) is widely adopted due to its excellent productivity.

An example of a welding / joining technique based on the COS method is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-351599 lead-acid battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method.
FIG. 1 is a partial front view of an essential part of an example in which an electrode plate ear, a strap, a pole, or a connecting part are integrally welded and joined by the COS method. 12 is a negative electrode plate, 21 is a positive electrode plate. Ears, 22 are negative electrode plate ears, 5 are separators, 6 are electrode plates, 7 is a COS mold, 71 is an engraved part in which a strap and a pole are integrated, and 72 is a strap and connection part. Each of the engraved portions in an integrated shape is shown, and the engraved portions are filled with molten lead 9.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the positive electrode plate ear portion 21 and the negative electrode plate ear portion 22 of the inverted electrode plate group 6 are immersed and solidified in the engraved portions 71 and 72 filled with molten lead 9, respectively. The strap and the pole or the connecting portion are integrally formed.

  2 is a front view of a main part showing an example of an electrode plate group produced by the COS method, FIG. 3 is a top view of the main part, 11 is a positive electrode plate, 12 is a negative electrode plate, 21 is a positive electrode plate ear part, 22 is a negative electrode plate ear, 31 is a positive electrode strap, 32 is a negative electrode strap, 41 is a positive pole, 42 is a negative electrode connection part, 5 is a separator, and 6 is an electrode plate group.

  When the molten lead 9 injected into the COS mold 7 is rapidly cooled, a good welded / joined state cannot be obtained. Therefore, the mold 7 is maintained at a temperature slightly lower than the melting point of lead, approximately 327 ° C. . Therefore, when the electrode plate ear portions 21 and 22 of the inverted electrode plate group 6 are immersed in the engraved portions 71 and 72 of the mold 7, the electrode plate group 6 receives the radiant heat of the mold 7. In that case, a resin such as microporous polyethylene is used for the separator 5 which is one of the constituent members of the electrode plate group 6, and the melting point is 80 ° C. or less and is kept at a temperature close to 300 ° C. When approaching the casting mold 7, the separator 5 in the portion (A) indicated by the thick diagonal line in FIG. 2 or 3 may be whitened and further carbonized. The whitened or carbonized part of the separator 5 is fragile and easily tears, and the part tears during use, losing the function of the separator, causing a short circuit and a short life.

Patent application title: Lead-acid battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method

  In a lead storage battery manufacturing method in which electrode plate ears, straps and poles or connection portions constituting a lead plate group of a lead storage battery are integrally welded / joined by the COS method described above, a separator by radiant heat of a mold at the time of welding / joining It is providing the manufacturing method of the lead storage battery which prevented whitening or carbonization of this.

  As a means for solving the problem, according to claim 1, in the method of manufacturing a lead storage battery in which the electrode plate ear, the strap, and the pole or the connecting portion are integrally welded and joined by a cast-on strap, A cast-on-strap is performed by arranging a heat-preventing member between the electrode plates.

  When the electrode plate ear, the strap, and the connecting part with the pole are integrally welded and joined by the COS method described above, the temperature of the mold is high, and molten lead is injected into the engraved part. The upper surface portion of the electrode plate group is susceptible to radiant heat, and the separator having a low heat resistance inserted between the electrode plates may be whitened or carbonized, whereas the radiant heat of the mold and the mold is reduced. The inventor of the present application has found that the separator can be prevented from being whitened or carbonized by disposing a heat prevention member between the electrode plate group which is easily received and preventing the radiant heat of the mold from affecting the separator. The material of the heat-preventing member needs to be difficult to transmit the radiant heat of the mold to the separator, and a member having heat insulation and heat resistance such as ceramic, carbon or ethylene tetrafluoride resin having a high heat resistance temperature is preferable.

  When welding / joining is completed, the electrode plate group may be inserted into the battery case after removing the heat prevention member, or the electrode plate group may be inserted into the battery case while being attached.

  According to claim 2, in the method of manufacturing a lead-acid battery in which the electrode plate ear, the strap, and the pole or the connecting portion are integrally welded and joined by a cast-on strap, the separator is incompletely inserted between the electrodes. The cast-on strap is performed, and after the cast-on strap is completed, the separator is completely inserted between the electrode plates.

  Conventionally, since the upper end portion of the separator inserted between the electrode plates is held at a position slightly beyond the upper end portion of the electrode plates, when the COS method is used for welding and joining, the radiant heat of the COS mold is reduced. Whereas the separator is not completely inserted between the electrode plates, preferably when the welding / joining is performed with the upper end of the separator held at a position of 70% or less of the electrode plate height, Since it is in a distance from the mold, it is not easily affected by radiant heat, and is free from whitening or carbonization, and can be welded and bonded well.

  The electrode plate height here means X shown in FIG.

  When the electrode plate ear, strap and pole or connecting part are welded and joined together by the COS method, the mold temperature is high and molten lead is injected into the engraved part. The upper surface of the electrode plate group is susceptible to radiant heat, and the separator having a low heat-resistant temperature existing in that part may be whitened or carbonized. Welding / joining by the COS method with a heat prevention member in between or with the separator incompletely inserted between the electrode plates, preferably with the upper end of the separator held at a position 70% or less of the electrode plate height Can prevent whitening or carbonization of the separator due to radiant heat, and an early short circuit caused by the separator can be prevented, and a lead-acid battery with stable life performance can be obtained, and its industrial effect is extremely great.

The present invention will be described in detail based on examples.
(Example 1)
FIG. 4 is a main part perspective view (a) and a main part front view (b) showing the U-shaped heat prevention member 81 of the first embodiment. The U-shaped heat prevention member 81 is integrally formed of ceramic. The dimension B shown in FIG. 4B is slightly smaller than the thickness of the electrode plate group 6, and the U-shaped heat-preventing member 81 is applied to the upper surface of the electrode plate group 6 while pressing in the thickness direction. If attached, the U-shaped heat prevention member 81 can be fixed by the repulsive force of the electrode plate group 6.

  FIG. 5 is a top view of the main part showing a state in which the U-shaped heat prevention member 81 is mounted at three positions on the upper surface of the electrode plate group 6 that is susceptible to radiant heat. The other constituent members are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which the electrode plate group 6 to which the U-shaped heat-preventing member 81 is attached is inverted and the positive and negative electrode plate ear portions 21 and 22 are immersed in the engraved portions 71 and 72 of the COS mold 7, respectively. In the main part front view, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 and FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a top view of the main part of the electrode plate group 6 showing a state in which the positive and negative electrode plate ears, the strap, and the pole or connecting portion are integrally welded and joined by the COS method. Denotes a negative electrode strap, 41 denotes a positive pole, and 42 denotes a negative electrode connecting portion. The other components are given the same numbers as in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, by attaching a U-shaped heat prevention member 81 to the upper surface of the electrode plate group 6, the U-shaped heat prevention member 81 is used as a mold when welding and joining by the COS method. Therefore, it can be understood that the separator 5 can be prevented from being whitened or carbonized.

In this case, after welding / joining, the U-shaped heat-preventing member 81 may be removed and the electrode plate group 6 may be inserted into the battery case. The material of the U-shaped heat-preventing member is stable to dilute sulfuric acid as an electrolyte. If so, it may be inserted into the battery case while attached.
(Example 2)
FIG. 8 is a top view (a) of a main part and a front view (b) of a main part showing a comb-shaped heat prevention member 82 according to the second embodiment. The comb portions of the comb-shaped heat prevention member 82 shown in FIG. 8A have the same pitch as the interval between the positive and negative electrode plates of the electrode plate group. Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, protrusions 821 are provided on both sides of one end of the comb-shaped heat prevention member 82, and the interval C between both protrusions 821 is slightly smaller than the thickness dimension of the electrode plate group. . Further, the material of the comb heat prevention member 82 is made of ceramic as in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 9 is a top view of a principal part showing a state in which the comb-shaped heat prevention member 82 is mounted on the upper surface of the electrode plate group 6 from the negative electrode ear side, and the interval between the comb parts is adjusted to the pitch of the electrode plate interval. When attached to the upper surface of the group 6, the comb portion covers the upper surface of the separator. Further, as described above, since the distance C between the protrusions 821 is designed to be slightly smaller than the thickness of the electrode plate group 6, if the comb-shaped heat prevention member 82 is attached to the electrode plate group 6, The comb heat prevention member 82 is fixed by a repulsive force. Therefore, even if the electrode plate group 6 is inverted during welding / joining by the COS method, the comb heat prevention member 82 is not detached from the electrode plate group 6, and the upper end portion of the separator 5 is covered with the comb heat prevention member 82. It can be understood that whitening or carbonization of the separator 5 can be prevented.

Also in this case, after welding and joining, the comb-shaped heat prevention member 82 may be removed from the electrode plate group 6 and then inserted into the battery case, or may be inserted into the battery case while being attached.
(Example 3)
FIG. 10 is a top view (a) and a front view (b) of the main part of the split comb heat-preventing member of Example 3, in which 83 is a split-type comb heat-preventing member I mounted from the positive electrode plate ear side; Reference numeral 84 denotes a split-type comb-shaped heat-preventing member II mounted from the negative electrode plate ear portion, and both are made of ceramic as in the first and second embodiments. Reference numeral 831 denotes protrusions provided on both sides of one end of the split comb heat prevention member 83, and 841 denotes protrusions provided on both sides of one end of the split comb heat prevention member 84. As shown in FIG. 10B, since the distance D of the protrusions 831 or the distance E of 841 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the electrode plate group 6 as in the second embodiment, the same effect can be obtained. In addition, when the heat prevention members 83 and 84 are mounted, the separators are not exposed because the tip portions are designed to overlap each other.

  FIG. 11 is a top view of an essential part showing a state in which the split comb heat prevention members 83 and 84 are attached to the electrode plate group 6, and the other constituent members are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG.

  As can be seen from FIG. 11, the comb-shaped heat prevention member 83 is aligned with the interval pitch between the positive electrode tabs, and the comb heat-prevention member 84 is aligned with the interval pitch between the negative electrode tabs. Is possible. Further, as described above, the design is such that the tip portions of the two-part comb-type heat prevention members 83 and 84 slightly overlap each other, so that the upper surface of the electrode plate group 6 can be covered almost entirely, and the second embodiment Thus, it can be understood that the heat prevention effect is superior.

The split comb-shaped heat prevention members 83 and 84 may be removed after the COS is completed, or may be inserted into the battery case as they are.
Example 4
FIG. 12: is a principal part front view which shows Example 4 based on Claim 2, and attaches | subjects the same number as FIG. 1 to a structural member.

  As shown in FIG. 12, since the COS method is used for welding and joining with the upper end of the separator 5 held at a position of about 70% of the electrode plate height, the separator 5 is separated from the mold by a distance. Therefore, it is difficult to receive the radiant heat of the mold, and it can be understood that the separator is free from whitening or carbonization. In this example, the position is set at about 70%, but the position is not necessarily limited to this, and a suitable insertion state (incomplete insertion state) may be set in consideration of productivity and thermal influence. The separator is to prevent a short circuit between the positive and negative electrodes. In the present invention, the state in which the separator is inserted between the positive and negative electrodes so that the positive and negative electrodes are not directly opposed to each other is called a complete insertion state. A state where the insertion is insufficient and at least a part of the positive and negative electrode plates are directly facing each other is referred to as an incomplete insertion state.

  Next, in order to specifically show the effect of the present invention, it is defined in JIS D 5301 by combining a positive / negative electrode plate made of an expanded lattice produced by a conventional method and a separator mainly composed of microporous polyethylene. An electrode plate group for a lead storage battery for 55D23 type automobile was manufactured.

The above-mentioned electrode plate group 6 was mounted on the electrode plate group 6 with the split-type comb-shaped heat-preventing members 83 and 84 shown in Example 3, and welding and joining were performed by the COS method. On the other hand, the conventional products were welded and joined without using a comb-shaped heat-preventing member, and the occurrence rates of whitening or carbonization in the separator portions were compared. The results are shown in Table 1.

  As shown in Table 1, in the conventional product, about 0.3% of whitening or carbonization occurred in the separator after welding / joining, but welding / joining was performed by the method based on Example 3. In this case, the effect of the present invention was confirmed by the effect of the comb-shaped heat preventing member, which hardly affected the radiant heat of the mold on the separator, and whitening or carbonization did not occur.

  Next, a 55D23 type lead-acid battery electrode group similar to the above test was prepared, and the position of the upper end of the separator inserted between the electrode plates was 103% of the electrode plate height (conventional method). ), 85%, 70%, 65%, 50% and 35% positions were formed. These electrode plate groups were welded and joined by the COS method, and the state of whitening or carbonization of the separator after completion was examined. The results are shown in Table 2.

  As shown in Table 2, when the upper end of the separator is held at a position of 85% of the electrode plate height, the distance between the mold and the separator is relatively short, and the rate of whitening or carbonization is lower than that of the conventional product. Although it was low, the effect was not sufficient. In the present invention in which the position is 70%, the influence of the radiant heat of the mold on the separator is reduced, and whitening or carbonization does not occur. Furthermore, it goes without saying that it is safer if the position of the separator is lowered, but in the state of 35%, it was difficult to hold the separator between the electrode plates. Therefore, 50% is the limit.

The principal part front view which shows an example of the conventional COS method. The principal part front view which shows an example of an electrode group. The principal part top view which shows an example of an electrode group. The principal part perspective view (a) and principal part front view (b) which show Example 1. FIG. The principal part top view which shows the state which mounted | wore the electrode group with the heat-prevention member of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of a part of a part of the missing part showing a state in which COS is performed according to Example 1; FIG. 3 is a top view of a main part showing an electrode plate group manufactured according to Example 1; The principal part top view (a) and principal part front view (b) which show Example 2. FIG. The principal part top view which shows the state which mounted | wore the electrode group with the heat prevention member of Example 2. FIG. The principal part top view (a) and principal part front view (b) which show Example 3 The principal part top view which shows the state which mounted | wore the electrode plate group with the heat prevention member of Example 3. FIG. The principal part front view which shows Example 4. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Positive electrode plate 12 Negative electrode plate 21 Positive electrode plate ear | edge part 22 Negative electrode plate ear | edge part 31 Positive electrode strap 32 Negative electrode strap 41 Positive electrode pole 42 Negative electrode connection part 5 Separator 6 Electrode plate group 7 COS mold 81 U-shaped heat prevention member 82 Comb-shaped heat prevention member 83 Split-type comb-shaped heat-preventing member I
84 Split-type comb-shaped thermal protection member II
9 Molten lead

Claims (2)

In the lead-acid battery manufacturing method in which the electrode plate ears and the straps and poles or connecting parts are welded and joined together by a cast-on strap,
A method for producing a lead-acid battery, wherein a cast-on-strap is performed by disposing a heat-preventing member between a mold and an electrode plate group. In the lead-acid battery manufacturing method in which the electrode plate ears and the straps and poles or connecting parts are welded and joined together by a cast-on strap,
A method for producing a lead-acid battery, wherein the separator is cast on a strap in an incompletely inserted state between electrode plates, and the separator is completely inserted between the electrode plates after the cast-on strap is completed.

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