System having stacking aid and plurality of cells

Abstract

The invention relates to a system comprising a stacking aid (2) and a plurality of cells (3) arranged within the stacking aid (2), the stacking aid (2) having a support element (7) and two side walls (8, 9) orthogonal thereto, which receive the support element (7) therebetween, the support element (7) receiving the plurality of cells (3), according to the invention, the cells (3) are arranged one above the other in a row (10) in the vertical direction, a positioning aid (18) is arranged between two rows of cells (3) arranged one above the other in the vertical direction (16), said positioning aid (18) being designed in two parts, including a first part (19) and a second part (20), which are detachably connected to one another. According to the invention, a connecting piece (21) is provided which, in the final assembled state, engages in a form-fitting manner in a first recess (22) provided by the first part (19) and in a second recess (23) provided by the second part (20).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system comprising a stacking aid and a plurality of batteries, in particular AGM batteries, which are arranged in the stacking aid. The stacking aid has a support element and two side walls which are arranged orthogonally thereto, the support element being located between the two side walls, the support element accommodating a plurality of batteries which are stacked one above the other in rows. A positioning aid is arranged between two rows of batteries which are arranged one above the other in the vertical direction, the positioning aid having a plate with a protrusion which serves as a stop.

[0002] Systems of the type described above, in particular for AGM batteries, are known in the prior art, so that no printed evidence needs to be provided here. For example, DE 102 022 118 386 A discloses a general system which is specifically used for AGM batteries.

[0003] AGM batteries are rechargeable batteries which have electrode plates which are arranged in a housing. The housing has a rectangular cross section and has, on one side, first side walls which are parallel to one another and, on the other side, second side walls which are parallel to one another. The electrode plates accommodated in the housing are arranged in a row parallel to the first side walls of the housing. The second side walls of the housing extend transversely with respect to the electrode plates.

[0004] In each group of batteries, a nonwoven fiber which serves as a separator is arranged between two adjacent electrode plates. In addition, the housing accommodates an electrolyte which surrounds the electrode plates. In the case of AGM batteries, the electrolyte is present in a bound state and is provided by the nonwoven fibers which are located between the electrode plates. The nonwoven fibers thus not only serve as separators, but also as a means of binding the electrolyte.

[0005] The electrolyte which is present in a bound state in AGM batteries has the advantage that, even if the AGM battery is placed horizontally, i.e. on one of the side walls of the housing, there is no risk of the electrolyte leaking out of the housing.

[0006] In order to ensure a long service life of the AGM battery, a good contact between the individual electrode plates and the non-woven fibers filled with electrolyte must be maintained. To achieve this, the electrode plate group consisting of the electrode plates and the non-woven fibers arranged therebetween is packed in a compressed state in the housing of the AGM battery. However, in practical use, internal pressure builds up in the housing, which can lead to the housing bulging outwards, which means that the compressed arrangement of the electrode plates and the non-woven fibers cannot be maintained even if the electrode plate group was previously compressed. This has a negative effect, namely that the contact between the electrode plates and the non-woven fibers is weakened, which significantly shortens the service life of the AGM battery. In addition, the pressure in the AGM battery housing can increase, especially during the charging cycle, which repeatedly leads to a gradual weakening of the contact between the electrode plates and the non-woven fibers, which shortens the service life of the battery. Thus, the load state of the non-woven fibers under compression is the main reason for the bulging of the housing.

[0007] To solve this problem, it has been proposed to place the AGM battery horizontally on a shelf, so that the AGM battery is aligned with respect to the shelf in such a way that the electrode plates extend parallel to the shelf. In this case, the AGM battery, when in normal use, is sandwiched between two shelves, thereby reducing the undesired bulging of the housing, as described, for example, in DE 20 2019 105 870 U1.

[0008] Similar systems are also known from US 6,641,951 B and EP 0 922 308 B1. These systems also use a stacking aid to accommodate the AGM battery. The stacking aid surrounds the accommodated AGM battery and is provided with support elements in the form of intermediate shelves or insert shelves, which are connected in force-transmitting manner to the side walls arranged laterally. In this way, the AGM battery, when in intended use, is at least in one aspect sandwiched between the base element and the intermediate shelves and / or insert shelves and in another aspect sandwiched between the intermediate shelves and / or insert shelves and the cover element. Thereby, the base element, the cover element and the at least one intermediate shelf and / or insert shelf can counteract the undesired bulging of the AGM battery housing. When forces are exerted on the base element, the intermediate shelf and / or insert shelf and / or the cover element due to the bulging of the AGM battery housing being counteracted, the forces are dissipated by the side walls of the stacking aid, which are in force-transmitting operative connection with the at least one intermediate shelf and / or insert shelf.

[0009] All these previously known systems and stacking aids have the disadvantage that due to the use of the respective materials, they are very robust in design, especially with regard to ensuring that forces can be effectively dissipated by the side walls. This design leads to a high material usage, so that the manufacturing costs of the stacking aids are relatively high. In addition, the material-intensive design of the stacking aids also increases the difficulty of manufacturing and on-site assembly.

[0010] To solve this problem, DE102022118386A1 proposes a general system. In this system, the side walls in which the battery support elements are accommodated are configured so that they do not assume a support function, but only serve as lateral protection for the batteries accommodated by the support elements. Therefore, only the support elements on the side of the stacking aid serve to securely fix the batteries provided by the system, while the side walls thereon only serve to prevent the batteries from falling laterally without assuming any support function.

[0011] Therefore, the stacking aid structure known from DE102022118386A1 before is simpler, less costly and easy to assemble and disassemble at the installation site.

[0012] To ensure precise positioning of the batteries carried by the stacking aid, DE102022118386A1 proposes the use of a positioning aid. This positioning aid is arranged between two rows of batteries arranged one above the other in the vertical direction. Preferably, the positioning aid is designed in the form of a plate and has a protrusion which serves as a stop, which, when used as intended, enables precise positioning of the batteries interacting with the positioning aid. In this case, unlike the prior art described above, the positioning aid is not connected to the side walls of the stacking aid in a force-transmitting manner, so that in the intended use case no forces are transmitted through the positioning aid to the side walls of the stacking aid.

[0013] Although the design proposed in the DE102022118386A1 patent has been proven in everyday practical use, there is still room for improvement, especially in terms of further simplifying user operations. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to improve the system design proposed in the DE102022118386A1 patent in order to simplify user operations, especially when initially loading the batteries into the stacking aid.

[0014] To solve this problem, the present invention proposes a general system, characterized in that the positioning aid is designed in two parts, comprising a first part and a second part, which are detachably connected together, wherein a connecting element is provided, which in the final assembled state engages in a form-fitting manner in a first recess provided by the first part and a second recess provided by the second part, respectively.

[0015] The application also proposes a stacking aid, in particular for holding AGM batteries, having a support element and two side walls orthogonal thereto, which receive the support element therebetween, wherein the support element is configured to accommodate a plurality of batteries arranged one above the other in rows, wherein a positioning aid is provided between two rows of batteries arranged one above the other in the vertical direction, which has a plate with a protrusion that serves as a stop, wherein the positioning aid is designed in two parts, comprising a first part and a second part, which are detachably connected together, wherein a connecting piece is provided, which engages in a form-fitting manner into a first recess provided by the first part and a second recess provided by the second part in the final assembled state.

[0016] The system according to the application and the stacking aid according to the application are specifically intended for holding AGM batteries, wherein the AGM batteries have a housing with a first side wall and electrode plates arranged within the housing, which are arranged in a row extending parallel to the first side wall of the housing. In the final assembled state of the system according to the application or the stacking aid according to the application, the support element of the stacking aid accommodates a plurality of AGM batteries arranged one above the other in a row, wherein the support element and the first side wall of the housing of the AGM batteries are aligned parallel to each other.

[0017] In the system according to the application or the stacking aid according to the application, a positioning aid is provided which consists of two parts. In this case, one side of the positioning aid has a first part and the other side has a second part. In the final assembled state, the two parts of the positioning aid are connected to each other, i.e. detachably connected. Thus, the positioning aid can be disassembled, after which the positioning aid will be divided into two parts.

[0018] A connecting piece is provided for connecting the two parts of the positioning aid. Thus, the positioning aid comprises a total of three parts: the first part, the second part and the connecting piece, by means of which the two parts can be detachably connected together.

[0019] The two parts of the positioning aid each have a recess, the first part having a first recess and the second part having a second recess. The connecting piece engages in a form-fitting manner into the recesses of the two parts in the final assembled state. This ensures that the two parts of the positioning aid can be permanently and securely connected after the intended final assembly.

[0020] The division of the positioning aid into two parts has the advantage that it facilitates transport to the site of installation. In particular, the division of the positioning aid into two parts makes it possible to transport the positioning aid in an unassembled state, the parts being of moderate size and being transportable using standard European pallets commonly available on the market. This greatly simplifies the picking and on-site assembly process.

[0021] The two parts of the positioning aid are connected by means of a connecting piece which engages in a form-fitting manner into corresponding recesses in the parts, and which can be assembled without tools. Furthermore, the on-site assembly is extremely simple and does not require specialist personnel.

[0022] In the final assembled state, the individual batteries supported by the stacking aid are arranged in rows one above the other, and the positioning aid arranged between the rows of batteries is subjected to a corresponding force depending on the weight of the batteries. This design ensures the stability of the system and prevents the connecting piece from coming loose from the recesses in the parts.

[0023] In summary, the system according to the application provides a design which simplifies the handling for the user, in particular with regard to assembly or disassembly. Furthermore, the transport is also more convenient, so that the system provides an overall solution which is less costly and more economical. This is also confirmed by the fact that the assembly can be carried out without tools, since it is basically a matter of connecting the two parts of the positioning aid according to the design and engaging the connecting piece in a form-fitting manner into the corresponding recesses in the parts of the positioning aid, in other words, a press fit and form-fitting connection are achieved in the final assembled state, as it were, by means of a simple assembly. Figure One

[0024] The positioning aid according to the application is simple to assemble, since it is only necessary to place the two parts of the positioning aid on the already assembled rows of batteries. After the two parts have been aligned correctly, the connecting piece is inserted and the positioning aid is connected. The positioning aid is then completely assembled and precisely and firmly positioned between the two side walls of the stacking aid, so that the batteries are placed on the positioning aid in the intended manner.

[0025] According to a further feature of the application, the side walls receive the positioning aid therebetween, which is designed without a connection to the side walls.

[0026] According to this solution according to the application, there is no connection between the side walls and the positioning aid. Therefore, in the final assembled state, no force is transmitted from the positioning aid to the side walls and vice versa. The dissipation of forces takes place exclusively via the support element provided by the stacking aid, on which the rows of batteries, including the positioning aids arranged between the rows of batteries, are placed.

[0027] In the final assembled state, the positioning aid is freely arranged between two rows of batteries which are arranged one above the other in the vertical direction. The positioning aid and the batteries carried thereby are supported under the force of gravity on the row of batteries arranged vertically below the positioning aid. Therefore, the entire weight of the batteries carried by the stacking aid, including the positioning aids arranged between the rows of batteries, is borne by the support element of the stacking aid.

[0028] ​The purpose of the positioning aid is to reliably position the battery within the stacking aid. Another advantage of the positioning aid is that assembly is simplified, as it enables the user to more easily insert the battery in the correct position in the stacking aid.

[0029] According to a further feature of the application, the positioning aid extends between the two side walls in the longitudinal direction, the two parts of the positioning aid being arranged in front of one another in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] In the final assembled state, the positioning aid extends between the two side walls, i.e. one end of the positioning aid rests against one side wall and the other end rests against the other side wall. In this case, the two parts of the positioning aid are arranged in front of one another in the longitudinal direction. This design greatly simplifies assembly or disassembly.

[0031] In the assembled state, the two parts of the positioning aid are placed on a row of batteries already accommodated by the stacking aid and are arranged in front of one another in the longitudinal direction. To ensure that the two parts are aligned in position, the side walls are preferably provided with protrusions which act as stops for the two parts of the positioning aid. These protrusions on the side of the side walls are preferably located behind the rear edge of the respective side wall in the feed direction. The two parts of the positioning aid can be brought up against these protrusions up to the stop, so that the user easily finds the intended alignment position of the two parts. Once the two parts of the positioning aid are placed on the row of batteries below, the connecting piece which connects the two parts can be inserted into the respective recess provided in the parts. This operation does not require a tool and thus enables simple insertion of the positioning aid into the correct position. Once the two parts, including the connecting piece, are installed, i.e. the positioning aid is inserted into the correct position in the stacking aid, the next row of batteries can be placed on the positioning aid, with the positioning aid serving to align this row of batteries in the intended manner.

[0032] According to a further feature of the application, the two parts of the positioning aid are identical. This design in particular simplifies assembly, as the user does not have to distinguish between two differently designed parts. Since the two parts are identical, storage and picking are also simplified. According to the application, the positioning aid is manufactured from only two identically designed parts and one connecting piece.

[0033] According to a further feature of the application, the first recess and the second recess are each provided with a chamfer. This chamfer acts in the longitudinal direction of the positioning aid, so that the two parts can be connected mechanically. This connection is not only a form fit, but also an interference fit due to the chamfer in the longitudinal direction of the positioning aid. This ensures that the two parts cannot be separated accidentally, at least not in the longitudinal direction of the positioning aid. Since the batteries are placed on the positioning aid in the final assembled state, the positioning aid is subjected to the weight of the batteries, so that the two parts of the positioning aid are also prevented from being separated in the vertical direction due to the weight of the batteries placed on the positioning aid. This ensures a permanently secure connection between the two parts of the positioning aid.

[0034] According to a further feature of the application, the connecting piece adopts a dovetail geometry. In this way, the chamfer geometry can be formed in the simplest manner. In this case, the connecting piece has axial symmetry due to the dovetail design, thus simplifying assembly, since the connecting piece can be inserted into the recess of the respective part as intended, even if it is mirror-inverted.

[0035] According to a further feature of the application, the positioning aid is designed on the side facing the row of batteries arranged below it in the final assembled state to be slip-resistant.

[0036] This particular design has the advantage that it provides slip resistance between the row of batteries already inserted in the stacking aid and the positioning aid placed on it. This ensures that the positioning aid cannot be displaced accidentally after the batteries have been installed. The slip-resistant coating of the bottom of the positioning aid ensures that the positioning aid cannot be moved accidentally relative to the stacking aid when the batteries are being loaded. This also ensures that the batteries held by the positioning aid are aligned precisely and reliably.

[0037] According to a further feature of the application, the bottom surface of the positioning aid is designed to have a slip-resistant coating. By providing a corresponding coating on the bottom surface of the positioning aid, preferred slip-resistant properties of the positioning aid can be achieved. The coating can be integrated in the positioning aid or applied as an additional coating to the bottom surface of the positioning aid. The key is that the slip-resistant coating is able to form a frictional connection between the positioning aid and the row of batteries arranged below it in the vertical direction.

[0038] According to a further feature of the application, the coating is designed in the form of a strip and is applied to the bottom surface of the positioning aid. For example, such a strip-shaped coating can be provided by a strip-shaped element, for example a sandpaper strip element, which is applied to the bottom surface of the positioning aid, for example by means of an adhesive. Each part of the positioning aid is equipped with a corresponding coating, for example a sandpaper strip.

[0039] According to a further feature of the application, the coating extends along the rear edge of the positioning aid in the width direction.

[0040] This particular design, combined with the slip-resistant properties described above, produces a highly compensatory synergistic effect, so that the individual batteries arranged one above the other in the vertical direction are essentially aligned vertically.

[0041] The battery housings are made of plastic and are usually produced using the injection molding process. In order to facilitate demolding, the housings are designed in a conical shape. If batteries having such housings are stacked on top of one another in the vertical direction, the resulting stack of housings is not vertical but curved due to the design shape of the housings. Even the positioning aids provided according to the invention do not change this non- vertical stacking of the individual batteries, since they are not connected to the side walls of the stacking aid in a force-transmitting manner. Rather, the positioning aids bend along with the curvature of the stack of batteries, so that the batteries held by the stacking aid are offset from the precise vertical in the vertical direction. This increases the risk of the batteries toppling over, and the batteries stacked on top of one another also do not look aesthetically pleasing, since they are in a "tilted" state relative to the vertically aligned side walls of the stacking aid.

[0042] The present invention solves this problem by applying a strip-shaped coating to the rear edge of the positioning aid, since the additional coating at the bottom of the positioning aid compensates for the gradual deviation caused by the conical shape of the battery housing. Even without a force-transmitting connection between the positioning aid and the side walls, it is ensured that the individual batteries are stacked vertically on top of one another. This is because the positioning aid together with the coating applied to the rear edge thereof is able to compensate for the stacking offset in the vertical direction caused by the conical design of the battery housing, so that a vertical stacking of the individual batteries in alignment relative to the support element of the stacking aid is achieved.

[0043] The coating design proposed for the positioning aid is patentable in itself, so the present invention also proposes a system comprising a stacking aid and a plurality of batteries arranged within the stacking aid, wherein the stacking aid has a support element and two side walls aligned orthogonally thereto, which accommodate the support element therebetween; the support element accommodates a plurality of batteries arranged in rows one above the other; a positioning aid is arranged between two rows of batteries arranged one above the other in the vertical direction; the positioning aid has a plate with a protrusion which serves as a stop; wherein the positioning aid is formed with a strip-shaped design of a non-slip coating which extends in the feed direction along the rear edge of the positioning aid.

[0044] According to a further feature of the present invention, the positioning aids for spacing the adjacent batteries comprise spacers. These spacers have two functions. On the one hand, they serve as guide elements, so that the insertion of the batteries into the stacking aid is facilitated. On the other hand, the spacers ensure that the batteries arranged adjacent to one another in a row are kept at a distance from one another, so that air can flow between the adjacent batteries, thus serving a cooling function.

[0045] According to a further feature of the application, the spacer provided herein is a strip. This spacer design facilitates assembly, since the strip provides a guide rail on the side of the battery along which the battery can be guided during assembly or disassembly. The two spacers are at a distance from each other corresponding to the width of the battery. This provides double guidance for the battery held by the positioning aid during assembly.

[0046] According to a further feature of the application, the strip is applied to the upper side of the positioning aid opposite the lower side of the positioning aid by means of, for example, adhesive, welding, screwing and / or the like. According to a preferred embodiment, one section of the positioning aid is able to accommodate four batteries arranged one behind the other in series. Accordingly, three strips are attached to the upper side of this section of the positioning aid. Depending on the design of the individual batteries accommodated, more or fewer strips can also be provided. The key point is that these components are mounted on the upper side of the positioning aid, while the aforementioned anti-slip elements are formed on the lower side of the positioning aid. This ensures that the positioning aid cannot be displaced relative to the row of batteries below it in the final assembled state, and that the batteries held by the positioning aid are correctly aligned with the positioning aid.

[0047] The positioning aid not only has individual strips for aligning the batteries, but also has the aforementioned protrusion at the rear edge, which acts as a stop. The batteries accommodated by the positioning aid can thus be guided up to the stop, so that longitudinal guidance, i.e. guidance in the feed direction of the stacking aid, is achieved by the individual strips of the positioning aid.

[0048] According to a further feature of the application, the positioning aid comprises a plate and an edge arranged on the plate, which extends along the rear edge in the feed direction and two front edges.

[0049] The edge thus has the aforementioned protrusion, which acts as a stop, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the rear edge. In addition, a plurality of side edges are provided, preferably one side edge per section of the positioning aid. In this way, all batteries accommodated by one section of the positioning aid are guided and secured in position. Accordingly, when two sections connected to each other form the positioning aid, all batteries accommodated by the positioning aid in the final assembled state are reliably held in position. The batteries held by the respective section are fixed in position on the one hand by their respective side edge and on the other hand by the strip adjacent to this side edge. Accordingly, all batteries held by the respective section are thus supported on both sides.

[0050] The application also proposes a positioning aid having the features described above. The positioning aid has the advantages already described above.

[0051] Other features and advantages of the present application will be apparent from the following description, made with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0052] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a portion of a positioning aid according to the present application;

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a connecting piece;

[0054] Figure 3 is a schematic partial perspective view of a portion of a positioning aid according to the present application, containing a dismounted connecting piece;

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a portion according to Figure 3 , wherein the connecting piece has been mounted;

[0056] Figure 5 is a schematic partial perspective view of a positioning aid according to the present application type, which is composed of two portions;

[0057] Figure 6 is another schematic partial perspective view of a portion of a positioning aid according to Figure 5 ;

[0058] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view from below of a portion of a positioning aid according to the present application;

[0059] Figure 8 is a schematic partial perspective view of a portion of a positioning aid according to Figure 7 ;

[0060] Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of a positioning aid equipped with two batteries as an example;

[0061] Figure 10 is another schematic perspective view of a structure according to Figure 9 ;

[0062] Figure 11 is yet another schematic perspective view of a structure according to Figure 9 , having another positioning aid according to the present application as an example;

[0063] Figure 12 is a schematic perspective view of a stacking aid of a system according to the present application;

[0064] Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of a U-shaped base body;

[0065] Figure 14is a schematic perspective view of a system according to the application, wherein the stacking aid is loaded with part of the batteries; and

[0066] Figure 15 is a schematic perspective view of a system according to the application, wherein the stacking aid is loaded with batteries.

[0067] Figure 12 A schematic perspective view of the stacking aid 2 of the system 1 is shown. The stacking aid 2 serves, when used as intended, to hold a plurality of batteries 3, as can be seen for example in Figure 14 and Figure 15 Both figures show the system 1. Figures 12 to 15 A general stacking aid 2 or a general system 1 is shown, as already known from DE 102 022 118 386 A1.

[0068] The stacking aid 2 shown according to Figure 12 has two U-shaped base bodies 6, which are arranged one above the other in the vertical direction 16. One of them is shown separately in a schematic perspective view. Figure 13

[0069] As can be seen from Figure 13 , the U-shaped base body 6 has a support element 7, which is arranged between the two side walls 8 and 9. One end of the support element 7 is arranged on the side wall 8 and the other end is arranged on the side wall 9. When the support element 7 is finally assembled with the side walls 8 and 9, the U-shaped base body 6 is formed.

[0070] In the embodiment shown, the support element 7 has two tubes 11 with a rectangular cross section. The two tubes 11 are arranged at a distance from each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 12 of the tubes, so that a gap is formed between them.

[0071] In order to simplify assembly, the two ends of the tubes 11 of the support element 7 are each fixed to the respective side wall 8 and 9 with screws. Alternatively, a material-locked connection by welding can also be used, in particular in the case of a manufacturer's pre-assembly. At the installation site, it is only necessary to arrange two base bodies 6 corresponding to the design shown in Figure 12 one above the other in the vertical direction 16, in order to form the stacking aid 2 shown in Figure 12 .

[0072] In addition to the use of two base bodies 6 as shown in Figure 12 in combination as a stacking aid 2, it is also possible to use a single base body 6 as a stacking aid 2, as shown in Figure 13 . Depending on the size and number of the batteries 3 carried by the stacking aid 2, the side walls 8 and 9 of the stacking aid 2 can be designed with a corresponding length in the vertical direction.

[0073] ​To further stabilize sidewalls 8 and 9 and prevent them from... Figure 12 and Figure 13 The diagram shown represents an unwanted torsion to the left or right relative to the support element 7, for example, a reinforcing element 13 is also provided. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcing element 13 is designed as a simple sheet that connects the two sidewalls 8 and 9 to each other.

[0074] Especially from Figure 12 and Figure 13 As can be seen from the combined view, the upper support element 7 along direction 16 is provided with connecting terminals 15 on a plane opposite to the corresponding side walls 8 and 9. These connecting terminals 15 serve in particular as replaceable devices for the pads 14 of the support feet. In the assembled state of the stacking auxiliary parts 2, only the lower support element 7 along the vertical direction 16 is equipped with the corresponding pads 14, especially as Figure 12 As shown, the connection terminal 15 of the upper support element 7 along the vertical direction 16 is still unused.

[0075] The front sides of side walls 8 and 9 are also provided with corresponding connection terminals 15. In the final assembled state, the front sides of side walls 8 and 9 facing the ground at the mounting location are provided with corresponding gaskets 14, such as... Figure 12 As shown.

[0076] like Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown in the combined view, the stacking aid 2, when used as intended, can accommodate multiple batteries 3 arranged vertically in rows 10 along the vertical direction 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the batteries are arranged horizontally. Each AGM battery 3 has a housing 4 with a first sidewall 5. Within the housing 4 of each AGM battery 3, an electrode plate is also disposed, with the first sidewall 5 aligned parallel to and parallel to the electrode plate. Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, in the intended stacking configuration, the AGM batteries are stacked horizontally, with the first sidewalls 5 of each housing 4 and the support elements 7 supporting the AGM batteries 3 all horizontally aligned. This alignment ensures that, on the one hand, the preloading of the AGM separator does not cause the housing to bulge in the vertical direction 16, and on the other hand, even if the AGM batteries are charged as intended, the housing will not bulge in the vertical direction 16.

[0077] System 1 is designed to effectively suppress unwanted casing bulging. Specifically, the AGM batteries 3, held by the stacking aid 2, are arranged vertically 16, and each AGM battery 3 is compressed by its own weight under gravity, thus reliably suppressing unwanted casing bulging. The stacking aid has no other support elements 7 that fix the AGM batteries 3 and connect them to the sidewalls 8 and 9 in a force-transmitting manner. Therefore, all AGM batteries are fully supported by gravity on the lowest support element 7 along the vertical direction 16, which is particularly effective in preventing bulging.Figure 14 and Figure 15 As can be seen in the combined view. Side walls 8 and 9 do not provide any support in this regard; their function is only to prevent the AGM battery 3, held by the stacking aid 2, from accidentally falling to the side due to reasons such as vibration, or to prevent accidental external mechanical forces.

[0078] The positioning aid 18 is used to precisely and securely stack the AGM batteries 3 one on top of the other within the stacking aid 2 in the vertical direction 16. Figures 1 to 11 The combined view shows an example of such a positioning aid 18. The positioning aid 18 is positioned between two adjacent rows 10 of AGM batteries 3 in the vertical direction 16. Therefore, as... Figure 14 As shown, a first row 10 of AGM batteries 3 is arranged, which is placed on a support element 7. In the final state, a positioning aid 18 according to the invention is placed on the first row 10 of AGM batteries 3, and then a second row 10 of AGM batteries 3 is placed along the vertical direction 16. The AGM batteries 3 in this second row 10 are precisely and reliably held in place by the positioning aid 18 located below it in the vertical direction 16. Subsequently, another positioning aid 18 and another row 10 of AGM batteries are alternately stacked in the vertical direction 16 until... Figure 15 As shown, the stacking auxiliary component 2 is completely filled with AGM batteries 3. Also as... Figure 15 As shown, the stacking auxiliary component 2 loads AGM batteries along the loading direction 35.

[0079] According to the present invention, the positioning aid 18 is designed as two parts, including a first part 19 and a second part 20. In the final assembled state, these two parts 19 and 20 are detachably connected to each other, for which a connector 21 is provided.

[0080] The two parts 19 and 20 of the positioning aid 18 are preferably identical to each other. Figure 1 An example of section 19 or 20 is shown in a schematic top view. Especially as from... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As can be seen, the positioning aid 18 consists of two such parts.

[0081] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown in the combined view, portion 19 or 20 of the positioning aid 18 has a plate 25. This plate 25 has an upper side 31 and a lower side 30. In its intended use, the upper side 31 of portions 19 and 20 of the positioning aid 18 receives an AGM battery 3 supported by the positioning aid. For example, Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 This situation is illustrated.

[0082] The portion 19 or 20 of the positioning aid 18 also has an edge 26 connected to the plate 25. The plate 25 and the edge 26 are preferably formed in one piece. The plate 25 and the edge 26 arranged thereon are preferably made of plastic.

[0083] The edge 26 has a web 24 which extends along the rear edge 36 of the plate 25 in the feed direction 35 and is designed as a kind of protruding structure which serves as a stop for the AGM battery 3 held by the positioning aid 18. The edge 26 also has a web 27 which is formed on the front side of the plate 25. They serve to guide and / or separate the AGM batteries 3 assigned to them in the final assembled state.

[0084] Each portion 19 and 20 is also provided with recesses, namely a first recess 22 and a second recess 23. When the two portions 19 and 20 are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction 28, the recesses 22 and 23 which face each other serve to reliably mechanically engage with the connecting piece 21, as shown in the combined view of Figures 1 to 6 In the final assembly, the two portions 19 and 20 which make up the positioning aid 18 are connected to each other in a form-fitting manner by means of the respective connecting piece 21. This connection can be formed and released without tools, thus simplifying the handling for the user.

[0085] In order to enable the connecting piece 21 to be inserted into the respective recess 22 and 23 of the portions 19 and 20 in a form-fitting manner, the recesses 22 and 23 are designed in such a way that they have a chamfer 29 in the longitudinal direction 28, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 Since the connecting piece 21 is inserted into the recesses 22 and 23 in a form-fitting manner in the final assembled state, the chamfer 29 provided by the recesses 22 and 23 ensures that forces can only be transmitted in the longitudinal direction 28 by means of the functional mechanical connection between the respective portion 19 and 20 and the connecting piece 21.

[0086] The upper side 31 of each portion 19 or 20 is provided with strip-like spacers 32. The distance between two adjacent spacers 32 is equal to the width of the housing of a battery which the positioning aid 18 is to carry in normal use. This distance between two spacers 32 must therefore be selected in accordance with the size of the storage battery which the stacking aid 2 is to carry. For example, this distance is 175.5 mm.

[0087] As shown in Figure 1 , the portion 19 or 20 of the positioning aid 18 is designed to hold four storage batteries or batteries 3. Therefore, a total of three spacers 32 are provided, of which the outer spacers 32 each interact with a respective web 27 in such a way that, in the final assembled state, each storage battery is located between an outer spacer 32 and a respective front web 27.

[0088] As shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, on the bottom surface 30 of each section 19 or 20, a strip-like element 34 with a coating 33 is provided in the area close to the rear edge 36 in the loading direction 35. The strip-like element 34 extends in the longitudinal direction 28 and thus also in the direction of the rear edge 36.

[0089] For example, the strip-like element 34 with the coating 33 can be sandpaper which is attached to the bottom surface 30 of the section 19 or 20.

[0090] The strip-like element 34 provided on the bottom surface of each section 19 or 20 has two main advantages: On the one hand, it provides a non-slip property; on the other hand, it compensates for tolerances in the vertical direction.

[0091] When the AGM battery 3 is loaded into the positioning aid 18, the positioning aid 18 is placed in the stacking aid 2 on the row 10 of AGM batteries 3 which has already been formed. If the positioning aid 18 is subsequently loaded with another row of AGM batteries 3, the positioning aid 18 or the sections 19 and 20 thereof can be displaced relative to this row of AGM batteries 3. If this happens, it will result in a staggered arrangement of the rows 10 of batteries. To prevent this, the bottom 30 of each positioning aid 18 is designed with a non-slip coating 33, which in this case is provided by the strip-like element 34. In use, the coating 33 enables the positioning aid 18 to be placed on the underlying row 10 of AGM batteries in a non-slip manner, thus minimising the risk of relative movement between the positioning aid 18 and the underlying row 10 of AGM batteries 3 when the positioning aid 18 is loaded with AGM batteries 3. It is thus ensured that all the AGM batteries 3 which are stacked one above another in the vertical direction 16 are aligned vertically as a whole.

[0092] Due to the manufacturing process, the housing of each battery 3 which the stacking aid 2 holds in its intended use is conical. The strip-like element 34 of each positioning aid 18 serves to compensate for the geometrical offset which is caused by the conical housing design, thus ensuring that the batteries or battery groups 3 which are stacked one above another in the vertical direction 16 are aligned vertically with the support element 7, despite the conical shape of the housing. Without the strip-like element 34 provided by the positioning aid 18, the battery groups 3 would be stacked in a way which is inclined in one direction. The strip-like element 34 effectively prevents this in the manner described above.

[0093] By way of example, two batteries 3 are shown, Figure 11 It is shown that the positioning aid 18 follows the row 10 of batteries 3 in the vertical direction 16. This enables the following row 10 of AGM batteries 3 to be aligned accurately and reliably in the vertical direction 16.

[0094] In summary, the design of the application has the following advantages, among others. Firstly, it provides a high degree of compensation for battery housings designed as cones. Secondly, when another layer of batteries is placed on the positioning aid 18, the underlying battery layer is fixed in place, thus preventing relative slippage between the battery layers. In particular, the anti-slip feature formed at the bottom of the positioning aid 18 prevents the positioning aid 18, which has not yet been fully loaded with batteries, from moving relative to the underlying battery layer during loading. Furthermore, the anti-slip feature ensures that the batteries 3 do not tilt backwards, i.e. beyond the rear edge 36 in the direction of loading 35.

[0095] The two-part design of the positioning aid 18 enables the standardization of the tray size, thus simplifying the picking and transport of the system 1 according to the application in the disassembled state. The individual parts of the positioning aid 18 can be easily assembled without tools, using an interference fit and a form-fit connection in the longitudinal direction of the positioning aid 18.

[0096] The spacers 32 arranged on the upper side 31 of each positioning aid 18 simplify the insertion of the batteries 3 into the stacking aid 2, since they can act as guide bars. Furthermore, the spacers 32 also prevent lateral slippage of the batteries 3 and maintain a fixed distance between the individual batteries 3, which is advantageous for the air flow for cooling the batteries 3.

[0097] Reference signs

[0098] 1 system 19 first part

[0099] 2 stacking aid 20 second part

[0100] 3 AGM battery 21 connecting piece

[0101] 4 housing 22 first recess

[0102] 5 first side wall 23 second recess

[0103] 6 base body 24 protrusion (web)

[0104] 7 support element 25 plate

[0105] 8 side wall 26 edge

[0106] 9 side wall 27 front-side web

[0107] 10 row 28 longitudinal

[0108] 11 tube 29 chamfer

[0109] 12 longitudinal direction of the tube 30 bottom face

[0110] 13 reinforcing element 31 upper face

[0111] 14 spacer 32 spacer

[0112] 15 connecting terminal 33 coating

[0113] 16 vertical direction 34 strip element

[0114] 17 protrusion 35 feed direction

[0115] 18 positioning aid 36 edge

Claims

1. A system comprising a stacking aid (2) and a plurality of batteries (3) arranged within said stacking aid (2), wherein said stacking aid (2) has a support element (7) and two side walls (8, 9) orthogonal thereto, said side walls housing said support element (7) therebetween, said support element (7) receiving a plurality of batteries (3), said batteries (3) being arranged in rows (10) one above the other, wherein a positioning aid (18) is provided between two rows (10) of said batteries (3) arranged one above the other in a vertical direction (16), said positioning aid (18) having a plate (25) with a protrusion (24) serving as a stop, characterized in that, The positioning aid (18) is designed in two parts, comprising a first part (19) and a second part (20), which are detachably connected to one another, wherein a connecting piece (21) is provided, which in the final assembled state engages in a form-fitting manner into a first recess (22) provided on the first part (19) and into a second recess (23) provided on the second part (20).

2. A stacking aid for accommodating batteries (3) having a U-shaped base body (6) comprising a support element (7) and two side walls (8, 9) orthogonal thereto, wherein the support element (7) is designed to receive a plurality of batteries (3) arranged in stacks (10) one above the other, and a positioning aid (18) designed as an intermediate layer between two stacks (10) of batteries (3) arranged one above the other in a vertical direction (16) and having a plate (25) with a protrusion (24) serving as a stop, characterized in that The positioning aid (18) is designed in two parts, comprising a first part (19) and a second part (20), which are detachably connected to one another, wherein a connecting piece (21) is provided, which in the final assembled state engages in a form-fitting manner into a first recess (22) provided on the first part (19) and into a second recess (23) provided on the second part (20).

3. System according to claim 1 or stack aid according to claim 2, characterized in that The side walls (8, 9) accommodate the positioning aid (18) therebetween, wherein the positioning aid (18) and the side walls (8, 9) are designed without a connection.

4. System according to claim 1 or 3 or stack aid according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The two parts (19, 20) of the positioning aid (18) are identical to one another.

5. The system of any one of claims 1 or 3-4 or the stacking aid of any one of claims 2-4, wherein, The first recess (22) and the second recess (23) are each provided with a chamfer (29).

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 or 3 to 5 or the stacking aid according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that The connecting piece (21) has a dovetail-like geometry.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 or 3 to 6, or the stacking aid according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that The underside (30) of the positioning aid (18) facing the bottom surface (30) of a row (10) of batteries (3) located below the positioning aid (18) in the vertical direction (16) in the final assembled state is designed to be slip-resistant.

8. The system or stacking aid of claim 7, wherein, The underside (30) of the positioning aid (18) is designed with a slip-resistant coating (33).

9. The system or stacking aid of claim 8, wherein, The coating (33) is designed in strips and is applied to the underside (30) of the positioning aid (18).

10. The system or stacking aid of claim 9, wherein, The coating (30) extends along the rear edge (36) of the positioning aid (18) in the feed direction (35).

11. The system according to any one of claims 1 or 3 to 10 or the stacking aid according to any one of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that The positioning aid (18) has spacers (32) for separating adjacent batteries (3).

12. The system or stacking aid of claim 11, wherein, The spacers (32) are strip-like bodies.

13. The system or stacking aid of claim 12, wherein, The strip-like bodies are arranged on the upper side (31) of the positioning aid (18) opposite the underside (30) of the positioning aid (18).

14. System according to any of the preceding claims 1 or 3 to 13, or stack aid according to any of the preceding claims 2 to 13, characterized in that The positioning aid (18) has a plate (25) and edges (26) arranged on the plate (25), wherein the edges extend along the rear edge (36) and the two front edges in the feed direction (35).

15. A positioning aid for a system according to any one of claims 1 or 3 to 14 or for a stacking aid according to any one of claims 2 to 14, having a plate (25) equipped with a protrusion (24) as a stop, the positioning aid being designed in two parts, comprising a first part (19) and a second part (20), which are detachably connected to one another, wherein a connecting piece (21) is provided, which in the final assembled state engages in a form-fitting manner into a first recess (22) provided on the first part (19) and into a second recess (23) provided on the second part (20).

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