JP2760337B2 - Lead-acid battery intercell connection method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for connecting cells of a lead storage battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method for connecting between cells of a lead storage battery, there is a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-26146, for example. In the conventional method as disclosed in the publication, first, a connection through-hole formed in a non-conductive partition is formed by connecting a cell-to-cell connecting portion of a pair of cells adjacent to each other with a non-conductive partition separating the inside of a battery case therebetween. Are arranged to face each other. Then, a part of the pair of intercellular connection parts is extruded from both sides of the pair of intercellular connection parts into the connection through-holes by a clamp device having a pair of electrodes so that the pair of electrodes contact each other. Next, the clamping force (extrusion force) of the clamping device
While maintaining a constant value, the pair of electrodes are energized to melt the contact portions of the pair of intercell connection portions. Then, after filling the connection through-holes with the molten lead alloy, the power supply to the pair of electrodes is stopped to solidify the molten lead alloy, thereby connecting the cells of the lead storage battery.

[0003]

In the conventional method, the clamping force is kept constant even after the power supply to the electrodes is stopped. When the molten lead alloy solidifies, volume shrinkage always occurs. When the volume shrinks, solidification cracks easily occur in the solidified molten lead alloy, and the solidification cracks cause liquid leakage and adversely affect the electrical connection between the cells.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for connecting cells of a lead-acid battery while minimizing solidification cracking when the molten lead alloy is solidified.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a cell-to-cell connection portion of a pair of cells adjacent to each other with a non-conductive partition interposed therebetween is opposed to both sides of a connection through hole formed in the non-conductive partition. ,
With a pair of electrodes, a part of the pair of intercellular connection parts is pushed out into the connection through hole by a pair of electrodes from both sides of the pair of intercellular connection parts by a clamp device having a pair of electrodes to connect the pair of intercellular connection parts. A pair of inter-cell connection parts are clamped so as to make partial contact within the through-hole, and a current is applied to the pair of electrodes while the clamping force is kept constant to melt the contact parts of the pair of inter-cell connection parts. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of connecting between cells of a lead storage battery by filling a through hole for connection with a molten lead alloy and then stopping current supply to a pair of electrodes to solidify the molten lead alloy.

In the present invention, a clamping device having a structure for generating the clamping force by air pressure supplied from a driving air supply control device is used. A first air supply path as a driving air supply control device for reducing the pressure of air from one air source by a regulator and supplying air to the clamp device via a first opening / closing valve; and a second opening / closing valve And a second air supply path which is disposed in parallel with the first air supply path and supplies air from one air source via the first opening / closing valve to the clamp device without reducing the pressure. Use something. Solenoid valves can be used as the first and second opening / closing valves. Until the power supply to the pair of electrodes is stopped, the first opening / closing valve is opened while the second opening / closing valve is closed, and air is continuously supplied from the first air supply path to the clamp device so that a certain amount of clamping is performed. Hold power. Then, after the energization of the pair of electrodes is stopped and before the molten lead alloy solidifies, the second valve is opened and air is supplied from the second air supply path to the clamp device to increase the clamping force.

It has also been considered to increase the clamping force when energizing a pair of electrodes. However, the clamping force (extrusion pressure) during welding is determined by the follow-through (followability) of the electrodes caused by the melting of the lead alloy during welding. , There is a proper clamping force. Therefore, it is impossible to unnecessarily increase the clamp when energizing the electrodes. On the other hand, after the power supply is stopped, there is no influence of the welding conditions. Therefore, in the present invention, before the molten lead alloy is solidified after the energization of the pair of electrodes is stopped, the clamping force of the clamping device is increased to further push a part of the intercell connection portion into the connection through hole. This compensates for the volume shrinkage that occurs during solidification.
As a result, the rate of occurrence of solidification cracking is significantly reduced.

In particular, according to the present invention, a fixed clamping force during energization can be increased in a short time only by opening the second opening / closing valve. Thus, the clamping force can be reliably increased at an appropriate time before the molten lead alloy is solidified. Therefore, according to the present invention, the rate of occurrence of solidification cracking can be significantly reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, since the driving air supply control device only needs to have one air source, not only the equipment of the driving air supply control device is simplified,
Operation and management when implementing the present invention are simplified.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the method of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an example of an apparatus for performing the method of the present invention. In this drawing, in the clamp device 1 having a pair of electrodes 2a and 2b, only the conductive electrode holders 3a and 3b holding the pair of electrodes 2a and 2b and the diaphragm cylinder 4 used as a driving means thereof are used. Is shown. The secondary output of the welding power source 5 is connected to the pair of electrode holders 3a and 3b. Although the details of the power transmission mechanism 6 between the diaphragm cylinder 4 and the electrode holders 3a and 3b are omitted, the power transmission mechanism 6 moves the electrode rods 3a and 3b by the movement of the piston rod 4a of the diaphragm cylinder 4.
The tips to which the electrodes 2a and 2b are attached approach and move away from each other. The diaphragm cylinder 4 is of a known configuration, and the piston rod 4a moves in one direction with the movement of the diaphragm 4b by air pressure.
Accordingly, the piston rod 4a has a structure to return to the original position.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 7 denotes a driving air supply control device for supplying driving air to the diaphragm cylinder 4. This device is a service that constitutes one air source via an air supply line. The tank 8, the regulator 9, the check valve 10, and the solenoid valves 11 and 12 constituting the first and second on-off valves are connected as shown in the drawing. The service tank 8 supplies air at a constant pressure (5.5 kg / cm ^{2 in} this embodiment), and the regulator 9 adjusts the air pressure from the service tank 8 to a predetermined pressure (4.0 kg in this embodiment). / Cm ² )
Reduce pressure to The solenoid valve 11 has a valve body disposed in an air supply pipe and is provided for controlling the supply of air to the diaphragm cylinder 4. In the present embodiment, the solenoid valve 11 having a function of releasing air from the cylinder chamber of the diaphragm cylinder 4 when the supply of air to the diaphragm cylinder 4 is stopped is used. The air is released from the cylinder chamber of the diaphragm cylinder 4 by the solenoid valve 1.
It can also be performed by using another valve means interlocked with the driving of the first. The solenoid valve 12 is connected to the service tank 8
This valve is opened when the air pressure is supplied to the diaphragm cylinder 4, and the check valve 10 is a solenoid valve 1
2 is provided to prevent the air from flowing backward when opened. In this example, the supply path in which the regulator 9 and the check valve 10 are arranged constitutes a first air supply path, and the solenoid valve 12 is arranged and arranged in parallel to the first air supply path. The supplied supply path constitutes a second air supply path.

The structure of the connection between the cells is as shown in the enlarged sectional view of FIG. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 13 denotes a hard insulating pad, and a pair of electrodes 2a and 2b extend so as to penetrate the insulating pad 13. Reference numeral 14 denotes a non-conductive partition for partitioning a battery case (not shown), reference numeral 14a denotes a through hole for connection, and reference numerals 15 and 16 denote intercell connection parts of a pair of cells arranged with the partition 14 interposed therebetween.

Next, the case where the method of the present invention is carried out using the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described. First, the cell-to-cell connection portions 15 and 16 of a pair of cells adjacent to each other with the partition wall 14 interposed therebetween,
The connection portion is disposed so as to face both sides of the connection through hole 14a formed in the partition wall 14, and the connection portion is disposed between the electrodes 2a and 2b of the clamp device 1 as shown in FIG. Next, with the solenoid valve 12 closed, the solenoid valve 11 is opened, and the air pressure is increased to 4.0 kg /
The air in the service tank 8 dropped to cm ² is supplied to the cylinder chamber of the diaphragm cylinder 4. The diaphragm cylinder 4 is driven by the supplied air pressure,
The piston rod 4a moves according to the air pressure, and the electrode holders 3a and 3b move in a direction approaching each other. With the movement of the electrode holders 3a and 3b, the electrodes 2a and 2b are connected by the force corresponding to the air pressure to the intercell connection parts 15 and 16.
Are extruded into the connection through holes 14a so as to contact each other. FIG. 3 shows the state at this time.

[0015] As shown in FIG.
And a part of the electrodes 16 are in contact with each other, a predetermined welding current is supplied from the power source 5 to the electrodes 2a and 2b via the electrode holders 3a and 3b to perform resistance welding. At this time, since the solenoid valve 11 is still open, the electrodes 2a and 2b press the inter-cell connecting portions 15 and 16 with a constant force even when the welding current is applied. Therefore, the distance between the electrodes 2a and 2b is shorter than in the state of FIG. The energization of the welding current melts the lead alloy in the vicinity of the contact portion between the inter-cell connection parts 15 and 16 to fill the through hole 14a with the molten lead alloy, and then stops the energization of the welding current. The solenoid valve 12 is opened at the same time as or slightly after the stop of the energization, and the high air pressure in the service tank 8 is supplied to the diaphragm cylinder 4. When the air pressure in the cylinder chamber is increased from 4.0 kg / cm ² to 5.5 kg / cm ² , the clamping force of the clamp device 1 increases accordingly, and the electrodes 2 a and 2 b
As the pushing force increases, the electrodes 2a and 2b further push a part of the intercell connection parts 15 and 16 into the connection through holes 14a. As a result, volume contraction that occurs when the molten lead alloy is solidified can be compensated.

After a lapse of a predetermined time from the stop of energization to the solidification of the molten lead alloy, the solenoid valves 11 and 1
Close 2. When the solenoid valve 11 is closed, air is released from the cylinder chamber of the diaphragm cylinder 4, the clamp by the clamp device 1 is released, and the welding operation ends.

When welding was performed by the method of the present embodiment, it was confirmed that solidification cracking of 0.6% in terms of the molten volume ratio could be prevented by 90% or more.

The method of the present invention is not limited to the case of using the clamp device of the illustrated embodiment, and any method can be used as long as the clamp pressure can be changed by air pressure.
Any configuration of clamping device may be used.

The amount of change in the clamp pressure may be determined in consideration of the material and thickness of the connection portion between cells to be welded, the size of the connection through hole, the welding current, etc., and is not limited to the embodiment. Absent.

[0020]

According to the present invention, the clamping force of the clamping device is increased and the part of the cell-to-cell connection is further connected before the molten lead alloy is solidified after the energization of the pair of electrodes is stopped. Since it is pushed into the through hole for use, there is an advantage that the volume shrinkage generated during the solidification can be compensated and solidification cracking can be prevented.

In particular, according to the present invention, the constant clamping force applied during energization can be increased in a short time only by opening the second opening / closing valve. Thus, the clamping force can be reliably increased at an appropriate time before the molten lead alloy is solidified. Therefore, according to the present invention, the rate of occurrence of solidification cracking can be significantly reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, since the driving air supply control device only needs to have one air source, not only the equipment of the driving air supply control device is simplified, but also
Operation and management when implementing the present invention are simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of an apparatus for performing a method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a state of a connecting portion before extrusion.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a state of a connecting portion after extrusion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Clamp device 2a, 2b Electrode 3a, 3b Electrode holder 4 Diaphragm cylinder 5 Power supply 6 Power transmission mechanism 7 Driving air supply control device 8 Service tank 9 Regulator 10 Check valve 11, 12 Solenoid valve 14 Non-conductive partition 14a Connection Through hole 15, 16 Connection between cells

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H01M 2/22-2/28

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An inter-cell connection part of a pair of cells adjacent to each other with a non-conductive partition interposed therebetween is disposed on both sides of a connection through hole formed in the non-conductive partition, and has a pair of electrodes. A part of the pair of intercellular connection portions is pushed out into the connection through hole by the pair of electrodes from both sides of the pair of intercellular connection portions by a clamp device, and the pair of intercellular connection portions is penetrated by the connection through hole. The pair of intercellular connection parts are clamped so as to partially contact in the hole, and a current is applied to the pair of electrodes while the clamping force is kept constant to melt the contact part of the pair of intercellular connection parts. And a method of connecting the cells of the lead storage battery by filling the connection through-holes with a molten lead alloy and then stopping energization of the pair of electrodes to solidify the molten lead alloy. As driving air supply A device having a structure for generating the clamping force by an air pressure supplied from a control device is used. As the driving air supply control device, the air from one air source is depressurized by a regulator and passed through a first opening / closing valve. To supply air to the clamping device
Air supply path, and the first opening and closing valve including the second opening / closing valve.
And a second air supply path that is arranged in parallel with the air supply path and supplies air from the one air source to the clamp device through the first opening / closing valve without reducing the pressure. Until the energization of the pair of electrodes is stopped, the first open / close valve is opened with the second open / close valve closed to supply air from the first air supply path to the clamp device. The second valve is opened and the second air supply path is opened after the energization of the pair of electrodes is stopped and before the molten lead alloy is solidified. A method for connecting cells of a lead-acid battery, wherein air is supplied to the clamping device to increase the clamping force.