Flow battery positive and negative electrode plate frame sealing structure integrated process and device

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of liquid flow battery positive and negative electrode plate frame sealing structure integrated forming process, by the mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber injection molding, obtain the injection molding plate frame with sealing groove, then using encapsulation process TPE is solidified along the sealing groove of injection molding plate frame Forming, obtain the injection molding plate frame with sealing ring, its preparation device includes, upper die fixed part, for installing plate frame upper die and encapsulation mold upper die;Lower die fixed part, for installing plate frame lower die and encapsulation mold lower die;Release die driving part, for making plate frame upper die and plate frame lower die, encapsulation mold upper die and encapsulation mold lower die synchronous die or release die;Rotary drive part, the position of encapsulation mold lower die and plate frame lower die is interchanged;Clamping support part, for the injection molding plate frame that enters and releases encapsulation mold upper die is clamped.The injection molding plate frame prepared by the application has good mechanical properties and creep resistance, and the assembly time and manpower are saved, the production efficiency is greatly improved, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery structure technology, specifically providing a process and apparatus for integral molding of the positive and negative electrode plate frame sealing structure of a flow battery. Background Technology

[0002] Flow batteries are a type of electrochemical energy storage technology that typically utilizes the changes in the valence states of active materials in the liquid phases of the positive and negative electrodes during charging and discharging to store and release energy. The basic unit constituting a battery stack is a single cell. A typical battery stack consists of a dozen to several dozen cells connected in series. Each single cell comprises multiple components connected in series, including bipolar plates, electrodes, a frame, and a membrane. To prevent electrolyte leakage, all contacting edges of these components must be completely sealed. However, since a single battery stack consists of hundreds of materials, ensuring a tight seal between all components is extremely challenging, and this is one of the key problems that need to be solved for the engineering and commercialization of flow batteries.

[0003] Specifically, this involves assembling sealing rings on the positive and negative electrode plate frames. However, existing sealing rings require manual installation. Due to the toughness and resilience of the sealing rings, manual installation can easily result in the sealing rings not fully fitting into the sealing groove, leading to improper installation. This not only affects the sealing effect but also increases production costs and processes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated molding process and apparatus for the positive and negative electrode plate frame sealing structure of a flow battery, in order to solve the technical problem in the prior art where the assembly of the sealing rings of the positive and negative electrode plate frames is done manually or by mechanical automation, and the sealing rings have a certain degree of arbitrariness. The deformation during the assembly process cannot be well controlled, resulting in the sealing rings not fitting completely with the sealing grooves, thus causing the sealing rings to be in place.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention specifically provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A process for integrally molding a sealing structure for the positive and negative electrode plates of a flow battery includes the following steps:

[0007] A molded plate frame with a sealing groove is obtained by injection molding a mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber and then cooling and shaping it.

[0008] Then, the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is injected along the sealing groove of the injection molded plate frame and cured and cooled to obtain an injection molded plate frame with a sealing ring.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass percentage of glass fiber in the mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber is 15% to 25%.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the process conditions for injection molding of the mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber include: the injection temperature of the mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber is 180-250°C, the injection pressure is 40-100MPa, and the injection speed is 60-90mm / s.

[0011] First, heat the mold to 30~50℃, then inject the mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber into the mold.

[0012] The injection temperature of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is 130~230℃, the injection pressure is 40~100MPa, and the injection speed is 60~90mm / s.

[0013] This invention provides an integrated molding device for the positive and negative electrode plate and frame sealing structure of a flow battery, used to realize the integrated molding process of the positive and negative electrode plate and frame sealing structure of the flow battery.

[0014] include,

[0015] Upper mold fixing part, used to install the upper mold of plate frame and the upper mold of rubber coating mold;

[0016] The lower mold fixing part is used to install the lower mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the rubber coating mold;

[0017] A mold-opening and closing drive unit is located at the bottom of the rotary drive unit and is used to drive the rotary drive unit and the lower mold fixing unit to move up and down as a whole, so that the upper mold and lower mold of the plate frame, the upper mold of the overmolding mold and the lower mold of the overmolding mold can be closed or demolded synchronously.

[0018] A rotary drive unit is disposed above the mold release drive unit and connected to the bottom of the lower mold fixing unit. The rotary drive unit is used to drive the lower mold fixing unit to perform periodic circumferential reciprocating rotation, so that the positions of the lower mold of the overmolding mold and the lower mold of the plate frame are interchanged, and the injection plate frame demolded from the lower mold of the plate frame is transported to the lower part of the upper mold of the overmolding mold. A clamping support unit is disposed on the side of the lower mold fixing unit near the lower mold of the overmolding mold, and is used to clamp the injection plate frame entering and exiting the upper mold of the overmolding mold.

[0019] The clamping support part, driven by the mold release driving part, sends the injection molded plate frame that has been ejected from the lower mold into the upper mold of the overmolding mold.

[0020] It also includes an environmental cavity, and the upper mold fixing part and the lower mold fixing part are disposed in the environmental cavity;

[0021] The environmental cavity includes a cold state cavity for providing a temperature environment of less than or equal to room temperature and a hot state cavity for providing a temperature environment of 30°C to 50°C.

[0022] In the initial state where the rotary drive unit does not drive the lower mold fixing unit to rotate: the upper mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the plate frame are located in the cold state cavity, and the upper mold of the overmolding mold and the lower mold of the overmolding mold are located in the hot state cavity;

[0023] The rotary drive unit drives the lower mold fixing part to periodically reciprocate in the circumferential direction, so that the position of the lower mold of the plate frame in the cold environment cavity and the position of the lower mold of the overmolding mold in the hot environment cavity are periodically interchanged.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a partition component is provided within the environmental cavity, the partition component being used to divide the environmental cavity into a cold state cavity and a hot state cavity.

[0025] When the rotary drive unit drives the lower mold fixing unit to rotate, the partition assembly allows the lower mold of the plate frame to enter the hot state cavity from the cold state cavity, and the lower mold of the overmolding mold to enter the cold state cavity from the hot state cavity.

[0026] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the environmental cavity includes an upper plate cavity and a lower plate cavity, wherein the open bottom of the upper plate cavity is fitted onto the open top of the lower plate cavity;

[0027] The upper part of the partition assembly is connected to the inner top of the upper plate cavity, and the lower part of the partition assembly is in contact with the inner bottom of the lower plate cavity;

[0028] The space between the upper and lower plate cavities on one side of the separating component forms the cold state cavity, and the space between the upper and lower plate cavities on the other side of the separating component forms the hot state cavity.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the separating component includes an upper plate frame and a lower plate frame mounted on the upper plate frame via a spring assembly. The top of the upper plate frame is connected to the inner top of the upper plate cavity. The lower plate frame can slide up and down along the longitudinal direction of the upper plate frame when the upper mold and lower mold of the plate frame, the upper mold and lower mold of the overmolding mold are closed or demolded via the spring assembly.

[0030] The lower plate frame is provided with two opening and closing doors, which are symmetrically arranged on the lower plate frame with the rotation axis of the lower mold fixing part as the axis of symmetry.

[0031] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the initial state, the angle between the longitudinal plane where the lower mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the overmolding mold are located and the longitudinal plane where the separating component is located is an acute angle, and the separating component is located in the vertical plane where the rotation center of the lower mold fixing part is located.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the two opening and closing doors respectively contact and open with the corresponding lower mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the overmolding mold when the rotating drive unit drives the lower mold fixing part to rotate.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0034] The injection-molded plate frame of this invention uses a mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber as raw material, which effectively improves the mechanical properties and creep resistance of the product. Furthermore, the overmolding process allows the sealing ring to be directly fixed within the sealing groove, saving assembly time and manpower, greatly improving production efficiency and reducing costs. Simultaneously, an adhesive layer is formed on the contact surface between the sealing ring and the injection-molded plate frame, allowing for a completely dense fit between the sealing ring and the sealing groove, resulting in excellent sealing performance. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the integral molding process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall structure in which the upper mold fixing part and the lower mold fixing part are installed in the environmental cavity;

[0039] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the middle separator component.

[0040] The labels in the diagram represent the following:

[0041] 1-Upper mold fixing part; 2-Lower mold fixing part; 3-Rotation drive part; 4-Mold release drive part; 5-Outlet; 6-Environmental cavity; 7-Separation component; 8-Cold state cavity; 9-Hot state cavity; 10-Plate frame lower mold; 11-Glue coating mold lower mold; 12-Plate frame upper mold; 13-Glue coating mold upper mold;

[0042] 61-Upper plate cavity; 62-Lower plate cavity;

[0043] 71-Upper plate frame; 72-Lower plate frame; 73-Rotating shaft; 74-Opening and closing door; 75-Spring assembly; 76-Guide groove; 77-Guide slider; 78-Spring. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides an integrated molding process for the positive and negative electrode plate frame sealing structure of a flow battery, including the following steps:

[0046] First, a mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber is injection molded and then cooled and shaped to obtain an injection molded plate frame with a sealing groove.

[0047] Then, the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is injected along the sealing groove of the injection molded plate frame and cured and cooled to obtain an injection molded plate frame with a sealing ring.

[0048] In this invention, the "overmolding process" involves molding a rigid plastic raw material in a plastic mold, removing it from the mold, fixing the pre-molded rigid plastic part onto the overmolding mold, and then injecting TPE soft plastic onto the rigid part at a suitable temperature. After cooling, the finished product is obtained. More complex processes involve multiple molding steps to achieve the desired shape and finish of the plastic product; this is also called the overmolding process.

[0049] In this invention, "TPE material" is a general term for thermoplastic elastomer. It is a polymer material that combines the properties of plastics and rubber, exhibiting the high elasticity of rubber at room temperature and being able to be plasticized and molded at high temperatures (without vulcanization).

[0050] The TPE material commonly used for overmolding generally refers to TPE-S, or polystyrene thermoplastic elastomer, which is a thermoplastic engineering plastic obtained by composite modification of SEBS or SBS elastomers as a matrix. TPE-S elastomers are also commonly referred to as TPE or TPR in the elastomer industry.

[0051] To overcome the problems of poor sealing effect, complex assembly of sealing structure and high manufacturing difficulty in existing flow batteries, this invention provides a manufacturing method that can realize the integral molding of sealing ring and glue injection body. The method of this invention can achieve better sealing, and the assembly is simple and the manufacturing difficulty is low.

[0052] Specifically, the process includes the following steps: First, a mixture of polypropylene (PP) and glass fiber is injection molded to obtain an injection molded frame with a sealing groove. Then, TPE is cured along the sealing groove of the injection molded frame using an overmolding process to obtain an injection molded frame with a sealing ring.

[0053] Polypropylene and glass fiber are used as raw materials for injection molding to obtain an injection molded plate frame with a sealing groove. The injection molded plate frame in this invention has excellent mechanical properties and good creep resistance.

[0054] At the same time, the ratio of polypropylene and glass fiber can be adjusted according to specific needs, so that the injection molded frame can meet different application scenarios.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment, the mass percentage of glass fiber in the mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber is 15% to 25%. The mass percentage of glass fiber may be, but is not limited to, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, or 25%.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the process conditions for injection molding of the mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber include: an injection temperature of 180~250°C, an injection pressure of 40~100MPa, and an injection speed of 60~90mm / s.

[0057] Injection temperatures can be, but are not limited to, 180℃, 185℃, 190℃, 195℃, 200℃, 205℃, 210℃, 215℃, 220℃, 225℃, 230℃, 235℃, 240℃, 245℃, or 250℃.

[0058] The injection pressure can be, but is not limited to, 40 MPa, 50 MPa, 60 MPa, 70 MPa, 80 MPa, 90 MPa or 100 MPa.

[0059] The injection speed may be, but is not limited to, 60 mm / s, 65 mm / s, 70 mm / s, 75 mm / s, 80 mm / s, 85 mm / s or 90 mm / s.

[0060] In a preferred embodiment, the mold is first heated to 30~50°C, and then the mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber is added to the barrel. After melting, it is injected into the mold according to the process conditions of injection temperature of 180~250°C, injection pressure of 40~100MPa and injection speed of 60~90mm / s. After cooling and shaping, an injection molded plate frame with a sealing groove is obtained.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the injection molded plate frame with a sealing groove is fixed in the overmolding mold, and the molten TPE is injected into the sealing groove of the injection molded plate frame under the process conditions of injection temperature of 130~230℃, injection pressure of 40~100MPa, and injection speed of 60~90mm / s.

[0062] Injection temperatures can be, but are not limited to, 130℃, 135℃, 140℃, 145℃, 150℃, 155℃, 160℃, 165℃, 170℃, 175℃, 180℃, 185℃, 190℃, 195℃, 200℃, 205℃, 210℃, 215℃, 220℃, 225℃, or 230℃.

[0063] The injection pressure can be, but is not limited to, 40 MPa, 50 MPa, 60 MPa, 70 MPa, 80 MPa, 90 MPa or 100 MPa.

[0064] The injection speed may be, but is not limited to, 60 mm / s, 65 mm / s, 70 mm / s, 75 mm / s, 80 mm / s, 85 mm / s or 90 mm / s.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment, polypropylene, glass fiber, and TPR are all dried before use to remove excess moisture and volatile substances, and then the injection-molded frame is prepared.

[0066] The drying process is preferably carried out at a temperature of 70~110℃ and a drying time of 1~3h. The drying temperature can be, but is not limited to, 70℃, 75℃, 80℃, 85℃, 90℃, 95℃, 100℃, 105℃ or 110℃; the drying time can be, but is not limited to, 1h, 1.5h, 2h, 2.5h or 3h.

[0067] In a preferred embodiment, the drying process is carried out in a hot air dryer, and the drying method is continuous drying.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present invention may specifically include the following steps, and the process flow can be referred to [reference needed]. Figure 1 :

[0069] Step 1: Dry the polypropylene, glass fiber and TPE raw materials separately in a hot air dryer at a temperature of 70~110℃ for 1~3 hours. The drying method is continuous drying to remove excess moisture and volatile substances.

[0070] Step 2: Heat the mold to 30-50℃.

[0071] Step 3: The dried polypropylene and glass fiber mixture is added to the barrel of the injection molding machine through the hopper. After the polypropylene and glass fiber mixture melts, it is injected into the mold at a certain injection speed. The injection temperature is 180~250℃, the injection pressure is 40~100MPa, and the injection speed is 60~90mm / s. Then, pressure holding and curing are carried out.

[0072] Step 4: Cooling and shaping: Cool and shape the molten plastic in the injection mold to obtain the finished injection molded plate frame with sealing groove.

[0073] Step 5: Mold Transfer: Transfer the formed injection molded frame from the injection mold to the overmolding mold and fix it in place.

[0074] Step 6: Add the dried TPE raw material into the barrel through the hopper of the second injection molding machine. After the TPE material melts, inject it into the sealing groove of the injection molding plate frame at a certain injection speed. The injection temperature of the TPE raw material is 130~230℃, the injection pressure is 40~100MPa, and the injection speed is 60~90mm / s. Then, perform pressure holding and curing.

[0075] Step 7: Cooling and Shaping: Cool and shape the soft rubber material and rigid plate frame in the overmolding mold. After cooling and shaping, the TPE sealing ring is connected to the sealing groove of the injection molded plate frame as one piece.

[0076] Step 8: After removing the product from the mold, remove any excess scraps and polish the surface smooth.

[0077] As another embodiment of the plate and frame sealing structure preparation process in this invention: the injection molded plate and frame of the embodiment of this invention has an outer dimension of 650×580mm and a thickness of 5mm; the sealing groove has a flow channel width of 3.8mm and a groove depth of 1.6mm.

[0078] Step 1: Material selection: Polypropylene and glass fiber (glass fiber accounts for 20% of the mass) raw materials, and TPE material is used for the sealing ring.

[0079] Step 2: Dry the polypropylene, glass fiber and TPE raw materials separately in a hot air dryer at a temperature of 90°C for 2 hours. The drying method is continuous drying to remove excess moisture and volatile substances.

[0080] Step 3: Heat the mold to 50℃.

[0081] Step 4: The dried polypropylene and glass fiber mixture is added to the barrel of the injection molding machine through the hopper. After the polypropylene and glass fiber mixture melts, it is injected into the mold at a certain injection speed. The injection temperature is 210℃, the injection pressure is 60MPa, and the injection speed is 70mm / s.

[0082] Step 5: Cooling and shaping: Cool and shape the molten plastic in the injection mold to obtain the finished injection molded plate frame with sealing groove.

[0083] Step 6: Mold Transfer: After removing the formed injection molded frame from the injection mold, transfer it to the overmolding mold and fix it in place.

[0084] Step 7: Add the dried TPE raw material into the barrel through the hopper of the second injection molding machine. After the TPE material melts, inject it into the sealing groove of the injection molding plate frame at a certain injection speed. The injection temperature of the TPE raw material is 170℃, the injection pressure is 60MPa, and the injection speed is 70mm / s.

[0085] Step 8: Cooling and Shaping: Cool and shape the soft rubber material and rigid plate frame in the overmolding mold. After cooling, the sealing ring is fixed on the sealing groove.

[0086] Step 9: Remove the product from the mold, remove excess scraps, and polish the surface smooth.

[0087] The composite material injection molded plate frame with sealing ring prepared according to the above method has good sealing effect, and significantly improved creep resistance and mechanical properties. The tensile strength of the product is >60MPa, the flexural strength is >85MPa, and the heat distortion temperature is >130℃.

[0088] In the aforementioned integrated molding process, the flow battery plate frame needs to be fully pressurized and cooled before being transferred to an overmolding mold for further overmolding. Furthermore, the transfer of the plate frame is entirely manual, which is clearly inefficient for producing batches of integrated plate frame sealing structures. In contrast, the process described above involves injection molding the sealing ring into the sealing grooves within the already formed plate frame. Therefore, the overall structure of the overmolding mold is not significantly different from that of the flow battery plate frame molding mold. Thus, to efficiently complete the integrated injection molding of the positive and negative electrode plate frames of the flow battery...

[0089] This invention takes into account that the sealing groove of the positive and negative electrode plate frame of the flow battery is part of the structure of the positive and negative electrode plate frame of the flow battery. The main difference between the injection mold and the overmolding mold of the plate frame lies in the sealing groove. Therefore, the difference in the demolding stroke between the injection mold and the overmolding mold is small. The demolding process of the two molds can be integrated. Therefore, in this invention, the upper mold of the plate frame and the upper mold of the overmolding mold are set on the same platform, namely the upper mold fixing part 1, and the lower mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the overmolding mold are set on the same platform, namely the lower mold fixing part 2.

[0090] Based on the setup of the upper and lower molds of the board frame and the upper and lower molds of the paper coating mold, the next step is to transfer the board frame with sealing grooves produced after the upper and lower molds of the board frame are closed to the upper and lower molds of the paper coating mold. If a robot is used to directly grasp and position the board frame during the operation, it is obviously no different from the manual operation process, and the advantage of similar mold opening and closing strokes of the two molds cannot be applied.

[0091] Based on the above implementation idea, a single mold-opening drive unit 4 simultaneously lifts and lowers both the lower mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the overmolding mold, while the upper mold of the plate frame and the upper mold of the overmolding mold remain fixed, thus achieving synchronous mold closing and demolding of the plate frame mold and the overmolding mold. In the method of transferring the plate frame to the overmolding mold after injection molding, this invention achieves this through a change in the position between the molds. Specifically, there are two implementation methods for achieving this change in mold position:

[0092] The first method is linear conveying. In this method, the lower mold fixing part 2 is a long plate-shaped structure. The lower mold of the plate frame is moved to the bottom of the upper mold of the rubber coating by linear drive.

[0093] The second method is rotary conveying. In this method, the lower mold fixing part 2 is a disc-shaped structure. By driving the center of the lower mold fixing part 2 to rotate, the lower mold of the plate frame moves to the lower part of the upper mold of the overmolding mold. In this method, since the plate frame mold has undergone circumferential rotation, the direction of the overmolding mold needs to be adjusted accordingly.

[0094] In this invention, the second method will be described in detail:

[0095] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this invention provides an integrated molding apparatus for the positive and negative electrode plate and frame sealing structure of a flow battery, used to realize the integrated molding process of the positive and negative electrode plate and frame sealing structure of the flow battery, including...

[0096] Upper mold fixing part 1 is used to install the upper mold 12 of the plate frame and the upper mold 13 of the rubber coating mold;

[0097] The lower mold fixing part 2 is used to install the lower mold 10 of the plate frame and the lower mold 11 of the rubber coating mold;

[0098] The mold release drive unit 4 is located at the bottom of the rotary drive unit 3 and is used to drive the rotary drive unit 3 and the lower mold fixing unit 2 to move up and down as a whole, so that the upper mold and lower mold of the plate frame, the upper mold and lower mold of the overmolding mold can be closed or released synchronously.

[0099] The rotary drive unit 3 is located above the mold release drive unit 4 and connected to the bottom of the lower mold fixing unit 2. The rotary drive unit 3 is used to drive the lower mold fixing unit 2 to perform periodic circumferential reciprocating rotation, so that the positions of the lower mold of the overmolding mold and the lower mold of the plate frame are interchanged, and the injection plate frame that is demolded on the lower mold of the plate frame is transported to the lower part of the upper mold of the overmolding mold.

[0100] The clamping support is located on the side of the lower mold fixing part 2 near the lower mold of the overmolding mold, and is used to clamp the injection molded plate frame that enters and exits the upper mold of the overmolding mold.

[0101] The clamping support part, driven by the mold release drive part 4, sends the injection molded plate frame that has been ejected from the lower mold to the upper mold of the overmolding mold through the mold closing action of the lower mold fixing part 2.

[0102] In its specific operation, this invention:

[0103] Driven by the mold release drive unit 4, the upper mold fixing part 1 and the lower mold fixing part 2 are brought closer together, the upper mold and the lower mold of the plate frame are closed, the lower mold of the overmolding mold and the upper mold of the overmolding mold are closed, and then the flow battery plate frame is injection molded in the upper mold and the lower mold of the plate frame, followed by pressure holding and cooling.

[0104] The mold release drive unit 4 drives the upper mold fixing part 1 and the lower mold fixing part 2 to separate, the upper mold and the lower mold of the plate frame are demolded, the lower mold of the overmolding mold and the upper mold of the overmolding mold are demolded, and then the rotation drive unit 3 drives the lower mold fixing part 2 to rotate, so that the positions of the lower mold of the overmolding mold and the lower mold of the plate frame are interchanged.

[0105] Subsequently, the mold release drive unit 4 drives the upper mold fixing unit 1 and the lower mold fixing unit 2 to move closer together. At this time, the lower mold of the flow battery plate frame molding die ejects the plate frame (either through the mold's own ejection structure or during the ejection process when the lower mold of the plate frame is being demolded, maintaining the ejection state during the rotation to below the upper mold of the overmolding mold, without detaching from the lower mold of the plate frame). The clamping support unit 2 clamps the plate frame, and then the rotation drive unit 3 rotates the lower mold fixing unit 2 in the opposite direction, so that the lower mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the overmolding mold return to their initial positions (that is, the positions corresponding to the upper mold of the plate frame), and enters the next injection molding of the plate frame. In this way, the one-time molding of the flow battery plate frame with sealing ring is completed.

[0106] In this invention, the upper mold 10 and lower mold 12 of the plate frame are the forming molds for the target flow battery plate frame, while the upper mold 13 and lower mold 11 of the overmolding mold are also the overmolding molds for the sealing groove of the target flow battery plate frame. Therefore, the upper mold fixing part 1 and lower mold fixing part 2 of this invention can be used to install various target flow battery plate frame forming molds and overmolding molds, without specific limitations.

[0107] Furthermore, the present invention also includes an environmental cavity 6, in which an upper mold fixing part 1 and a lower mold fixing part 2 are disposed.

[0108] The environmental cavity 6 includes a cold state cavity 8 for providing a temperature environment of less than or equal to room temperature and a hot state cavity 9 for providing a temperature environment of 30°C to 50°C.

[0109] In the initial state where the rotary drive unit 3 does not drive the lower mold fixing unit 2 to rotate: the upper mold and the lower mold of the plate frame are located in the cold state cavity 8, and the upper mold and the lower mold of the overmolding mold are located in the hot state cavity 9.

[0110] The lower mold fixing part 2 is driven by the rotary drive part 3 to periodically reciprocate in the circumferential direction, so that the position of the lower mold of the plate frame in the cold environment cavity 8 and the position of the lower mold of the rubber coating mold in the hot environment cavity 9 are periodically interchanged.

[0111] As is well known, molds need to be preheated during injection molding, and flow battery plate frames need to be held under pressure and cooled before the sealing ring is injection molded in the sealing groove. If the flow battery plate frame after holding and cooling is put into the overmolding mold and then the overmolding mold is preheated, or if the flow battery plate frame is sent into the overmolding mold after preheating the mold, the temperature of the flow battery plate frame will change instantaneously, which is not conducive to the integral molding process of the plate frame and the sealing ring.

[0112] This also makes it difficult to seamlessly transition between the injection molding and sealing ring molding processes during batch production. Consequently, the stability of the integrally molded connection between the flow battery plate and the sealing ring cannot be guaranteed.

[0113] In this invention, to initialize the temperature control of the cold state cavity 8 and the hot state cavity 9, the cold state cavity 8 needs to be at a cooling temperature, which is the working temperature of the upper and lower molds of the plate frame. Since preheating of the mold (30-50°C) is typically required during the injection molding cooling process of the flow battery plate frame, and cooling is done to below room temperature, the preheating temperature can be quickly reached from room temperature (around 25°C). Simultaneously, the target temperature can also be quickly reached during the cooling molding process of the flow battery plate frame. In other words, the temperature inside the cold state cavity 8 is controlled to be less than or equal to 25°C.

[0114] The main function of the hot state cavity 9 is to preheat the flow battery plate frame during the injection molding of the sealing ring. The liquid needs to be preheated synchronously with the overmolding mold. Thus, when the flow battery plate frame is driven by the rotary drive unit 3, it is completely cooled and formed before entering the hot state cavity 9, and it begins to be preheated when it enters the hot state cavity 9.

[0115] When the flow battery frame enters the overmolding mold, it has already been preheated. Therefore, the temperature inside the hot state cavity 9 is controlled at the preheating temperature of the mold, that is, the temperature inside the hot state cavity 9 is controlled at 30℃~50℃. Furthermore, during the cooling and molding process after the sealing ring is overmolded in the overmolding mold, the temperature can be controlled at around 30℃.

[0116] That is, the overmolding mold is demolded at a state close to room temperature. Then, while the lower mold fixing part 2 continues to rotate (that is, the flow battery plate frame that has been cooled and formed again is transported to the overmolding mold), the flow battery plate frame with sealing ring that has been overmolded, shaped and demolded will enter the cold state cavity 8.

[0117] Furthermore, the environmental cavity 6 in this invention is provided with a partition component 7, which is used to divide the environmental cavity 6 into a cold state cavity 8 and a hot state cavity 9. The purpose of the partition component 7 is to construct a cold state cavity 8 and a hot state cavity 9 with independent temperature control.

[0118] When the rotary drive unit 3 drives the lower mold fixing unit 2 to rotate, the partition assembly 7 allows the lower mold of the plate frame to enter the hot state cavity 9 from the cold state cavity 8, and the lower mold of the overmolding mold to enter the cold state cavity 8 from the hot state cavity 9.

[0119] The main purpose of the partition component 7 provided by the present invention is to prevent temperature exchange between the cold state cavity 8 and the hot state cavity 9, and to allow the lower mold fixing part 2 to rotate under the drive of the rotary drive part. At the same time, it is also necessary to meet the vertical stroke difference during the mold closing and demolding processes of the molding mold and the overmolding mold (that is, to ensure independent temperature control between the cold state cavity 8 and the hot state cavity 9 during the demolding process).

[0120] The environmental cavity 6 includes an upper plate cavity 61 and a lower plate cavity 62, with the open bottom of the upper plate cavity 61 fitted onto the open top of the lower plate cavity 62;

[0121] The upper part of the partition component 7 is connected to the inner top of the upper plate cavity 61, and the lower part of the partition component 7 is in contact with the inner bottom of the lower plate cavity 62.

[0122] The space between the upper plate cavity 61 and the lower plate cavity 62, where one side surface of the separating component 7 is located, forms a cold state cavity 8, and the space between the upper plate cavity 61 and the lower plate cavity 62, where the other side surface of the separating component 7 is located, forms a hot state cavity 9.

[0123] The separating component 7 includes an upper plate frame 71 and a lower plate frame 72 mounted on the upper plate frame 71 via a spring assembly 75. The top of the upper plate frame 71 is connected to the inner top of the upper plate cavity 61. The lower plate frame 72 can slide up and down along the longitudinal direction of the upper plate frame 71 when the upper mold and lower mold of the plate frame, the upper mold of the overmolding mold and the lower mold of the overmolding mold are closed or demolded via the spring assembly 75.

[0124] During the process of closing the overmolding mold and the molding mold, the lower platen 72 moves upward under the drive of the lower mold fixing part 2, stretching the spring in the spring assembly 75 upward. During the demolding process of the overmolding mold and the molding mold, the lower platen 72 compresses the spring in the spring assembly 75 under its own gravity, so that the bottom of the lower platen 72 always fits against the lower mold fixing part 2.

[0125] Of course, in order to more clearly explain the operation of the above-mentioned spring assembly 75, a specific implementation is provided: the spring assembly 75 includes a guide groove 76 disposed on the surface of the upper plate frame 71 and the lower plate frame 72, a guide block 77 is installed in the guide groove 76, the guide block 77 is connected to the lower plate frame 72, the bottom (or top) of the guide block 77 is connected to the guide groove 76 by a spring 78, and the guide block 77 can move along the length direction of the guide groove 76.

[0126] In the initial state, the angle between the longitudinal plane where the lower mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the rubber coating mold are located and the longitudinal plane where the separating component 7 is located is an acute angle, and the separating component 7 is located in the vertical plane where the rotation center of the lower mold fixing part 2 is located.

[0127] When the rotary drive unit 3 drives the lower mold fixing unit 2 to rotate, the two opening doors 74 respectively contact and open with the corresponding lower mold of the plate frame and the lower mold of the overmolding mold. Since the upper mold fixing unit 1 and the lower mold fixing unit 2 need to perform demolding and mold closing actions, in order to maintain the cold state cavity 8 and the hot state cavity 9 in an independently temperature-controlled environment during this process.

[0128] Therefore, the partition component 7 needs to be able to cooperate with the demolding and mold closing actions of the two molds. Thus, the upper plate frame 71 and the lower plate frame 72 need to move relative to each other. At this time, it is also necessary to ensure that when the rotary drive unit 2 drives the lower mold fixing part to rotate, the lower mold of the plate frame can enter the hot state cavity and the overmolding mold can enter the cold state cavity 8. Therefore, an opening and closing door 74 needs to be provided on the lower plate frame 72.

[0129] Specifically, the opening and closing door 74 can be implemented in various ways. For example, the opening and closing door 74 can be a valve structure made of flexible rubber material with heat insulation properties, or it can be a plate structure with the top or side of the plate connected to the lower plate frame 72 via a rotating shaft (of course, the process of the plate returning to the same surface as the lower plate frame 72 needs to be considered). Of course, the lower plate frame 72 is provided with a slot for installing the opening and closing door 74.

[0130] Furthermore, the outer wall of the cold-state cavity 8 in this invention is provided with a discharge port 5. That is, when the finished product after demolding from the overmolding mold rotates to the position of the discharge port 5 in the lower mold fixing part 2, the liquid flow battery plate frame of the injection-molded sealing ring in the sealing groove is taken out from the discharge port 5. The discharge port 5 can be selectively sealed or open.

[0131] The rotary drive unit in this invention is specifically a servo motor.

[0132] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The scope of protection of this application is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to this application within its substance and scope of protection, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be considered to fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A device for integrally molding a sealing structure for positive and negative electrode plates and frames of a flow battery, used to realize an integral molding process for the sealing structure of positive and negative electrode plates and frames of a flow battery, the integral molding process comprising injection molding a mixture of polypropylene and glass fiber, followed by cooling and shaping to obtain an injection-molded plate and frame with sealing grooves; then injection molding a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) along the sealing grooves of the injection-molded plate and frame, followed by curing and cooling to obtain an injection-molded plate and frame with sealing rings, characterized in that... The utility model relates to a kind of injection molding machine, including, Upper die fixed part (1) for installing plate frame upper die (12) and rubber coating mold upper die (13); Lower die fixed part (2) for installing plate frame lower die (10) and rubber coating mold lower die (11); Ejection drive part (4) is arranged at the bottom of rotary drive part (3), for driving the rotary drive part (3) and lower die fixed part (2) as a whole, the plate frame upper die (12) and plate frame lower die (10), rubber coating mold upper die (13) and rubber coating mold lower die (11) are synchronized to carry out clamping or ejection; Rotary drive part (3) is arranged in the upper portion of the ejection drive part (4), and is connected to the bottom of the lower die fixed part (2), and the rotary drive part (3) is used to drive the lower die fixed part (2) to carry out periodic circumferential reciprocating rotation, so that the position of the rubber coating mold lower die (11) and the plate frame lower die (10) is exchanged, and the injection molded plate frame ejected from the plate frame lower die (10) is conveyed to the lower side of the rubber coating mold upper die (13); Clamping support part is arranged on the side of the lower die fixed part (2) close to the rubber coating mold lower die (11), for clamping the injection molded plate frame entering and exiting the rubber coating mold upper die (13); Wherein, the clamping support part is driven by the clamping action of the lower die fixed part (2) driven by the ejection drive part (4), and the injection molded plate frame ejected from the plate frame lower die (10) is sent into the rubber coating mold upper die (13); Further comprising environmental cavity (6), the upper die fixed part (1) and the lower die fixed part (2) are arranged in the environmental cavity (6); The environmental cavity (6) includes cold state cavity (8) for providing temperature environment less than or equal to room temperature and hot state cavity (9) for providing 30-50 DEG C temperature environment; Wherein, in the initial state that the rotary drive part (3) does not drive the lower die fixed part (2) to rotate: the plate frame upper die (12) and the plate frame lower die (10) are located in the cold state cavity (8), and the rubber coating mold upper die (13) and rubber coating mold lower die (11) are located in the hot state cavity (9); In the rotary drive part (3) drives the lower die fixed part (2) to carry out periodic circumferential reciprocating rotation, so that the position of the plate frame lower die (10) in the cold state cavity (8) and the rubber coating mold lower die (11) in the hot state cavity (9) is periodically exchanged; The environmental cavity (6) includes upper disc cavity (61) and lower disc cavity (62), and the open bottom of the upper disc cavity (61) is sleeved in the open top of the lower disc cavity (62); The upper portion of the separation assembly (7) is connected to the inner top of the upper disc cavity (61), and the lower portion of the separation assembly (7) is in contact with the inner bottom of the lower disc cavity (62); The utility model discloses a kind of injection molding machine, including, The space of the upper disc cavity (61) and the lower disc cavity (62) where one side surface of the separation component (7) is located forms the cold state cavity (8), and the space of the upper disc cavity (61) and the lower disc cavity (62) where the other side surface of the separation component (7) is located forms the hot state cavity (9); The separation component (7) comprises an upper plate frame (71) and a lower plate frame (72) mounted on the upper plate frame (71) through a spring component (75), the top of the upper plate frame (71) is connected to the inner top of the upper disc cavity (61), and the lower plate frame (72) can slide up and down along the longitudinal direction of the upper plate frame (71) when the mold is closed or opened for the plate frame upper mold (12) and the plate frame lower mold (10), the encapsulation mold upper mold (13) and the encapsulation mold lower mold (11); The lower plate frame (72) is provided with two opening and closing doors (74), and the two opening and closing doors (74) are symmetrically arranged on the lower plate frame (72) with the rotation axis of the lower mold fixing part (2) as the axis of symmetry.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The environment cavity (6) is provided with a separation component (7), and the separation component (7) is used for dividing the environment cavity (6) into the cold state cavity (8) and the hot state cavity (9); When the rotation driving part (3) drives the lower mold fixing part (2) to rotate, the separation component (7) allows the plate frame lower mold (10) to enter the hot state cavity (9) from the cold state cavity (8), and the encapsulation mold lower mold (11) to enter the cold state cavity (8) from the hot state cavity (9).

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein In the initial state, the included angle between the longitudinal plane where the plate frame lower mold (10) and the encapsulation mold lower mold (11) are located and the longitudinal plane where the separation component (7) is located is an acute angle, and the separation component (7) is located in the vertical plane where the rotation center of the lower mold fixing part (2) is located.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein When the rotation driving part (3) drives the lower mold fixing part (2) to rotate, the two opening and closing doors (74) are in contact with the corresponding plate frame lower mold (10) and encapsulation mold lower mold (11) to open.

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