storage battery

Abstract

To easily separate a closing plug and to easily reduce burrs formed on a closing plug.SOLUTION: A terminal cover 7 is provided with a closing plug 9 for closing an exhaust port of a lid through a projecting portion 8 projecting from the cover 7. The cross-sectional area S1 of a connection portion X between the projecting portion 8 and the terminal cover 7 and the cross-sectional area S2 of the connecting portion Y between the projecting portion 8 and the closing plug 9 satisfies value S1>value S2, and a condition that the value S2 is within a range in which the closing plug 9 can be separated by predetermined external force is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage battery. [Background technology]

[0002] In EN (European Norm) lead-acid batteries, the top surfaces of the positive and negative terminals are designed to be lower than the top surface of the lid (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Some storage batteries of this type have a lid with a collective exhaust structure, and by connecting an exhaust hose to one of two exhaust ports provided on the left and right sides of the lid and blocking the other exhaust port with a blocking plug, the storage battery can be placed inside a vehicle or in the trunk. In addition, in this type of storage battery, a resin terminal cover is attached to cover the positive terminal by utilizing the positional relationship of the top surfaces, and a blocking plug is also known to be integrally provided with the terminal cover (for example, the PS-I battery manufactured by Bosch). The blocking plug can be separated from the terminal cover by applying a shearing force, such as twisting, while the worker holds it with their fingers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-195508 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional configuration, when the blocking plug is separated from the terminal cover without using a tool such as a cutting tool, a relatively large burr may be formed on the blocking plug. Also, from the viewpoint of improving workability, it is desirable to make it easier to separate the blocking plug. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it easier to separate a blocking plug and to make it easier to reduce burrs that may form on the blocking plug. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a storage battery is provided which includes a battery case, a lid which is attached to the battery case and has a collective exhaust structure, and a positive terminal and a negative terminal which are exposed to the outside of the lid, the storage battery further includes a terminal cover which is attached to the lid and covers the positive terminal, the terminal cover is provided with a blocking plug for closing an exhaust port of the lid via a protrusion which protrudes from the cover, and a cross-sectional area S1 of a connection part between the protrusion and the terminal cover and a cross-sectional area S2 of a connection part between the protrusion and the blocking plug satisfy the condition that value S1 > value S2, and value S2 is in a range in which the blocking plug can be separated by a predetermined external force. The cross-sectional area S2 is 0.5 mm 2 Over 1.0mm 2 The blocking plug has a shaft portion that can be inserted into an exhaust port provided in the lid, and a flange portion that expands to a larger diameter at a base end of the shaft portion, and a thickness D1 of the terminal cover is set to be larger than a thickness D2 of the flange portion. It is characterized by:

[0006] In the above configuration, the protrusions may protrude toward a front surface of the storage battery and toward one of the left and right sides of the storage battery. In the above configuration, Multiple The protrusion may have a shape that tapers toward the blocking plug in a plan view of the terminal cover.

[0007] In the above configuration, Multiple The protrusion, in a side view perpendicular to a plan view of the terminal cover, The thickness of the connection portion of the terminal cover is the same as the thickness of the terminal cover, The closure plug may be tapered.

[0008] In the above configuration, the terminal cover has a plurality of cover attachment protrusions that fit into a plurality of hole portions spaced apart in the lid, and the plurality of cover attachment protrusions may have an X-shaped cross section that intersects obliquely with a straight line passing through the centers of the plurality of hole portions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily separate the blocking plug and to easily reduce burrs formed on the blocking plug. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a lead-acid battery according to a first embodiment of the storage battery of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the terminal cover is attached to the lead-acid battery. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a top view of the protruding portion of the blocking plug together with the surrounding configuration. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view of the protrusion together with the surrounding configuration. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating burrs remaining on the blocking plug. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating protrusions of a terminal cover according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a lead-acid battery according to a first embodiment of the storage battery of the present invention. The lead-acid battery 1 is equipped with a rectangular parallelepiped battery case 2 and a lid 4 that has exposed positive and negative terminals 3A and 3B and is attached to the battery case 2, and complies with the EN standard. Compared to lead-acid batteries conforming to the JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards), EN lead-acid batteries are designed to be lower in height, making them easier to use in vehicles with reduced vehicle height. The top surfaces 4A and 4B of the positive and negative terminals 3A and 3B of the lead-acid battery 1 are lower than the other top surface 4C of the lid 4, and this positional relationship is used to attach a plastic terminal cover 7 that covers the positive terminal 3A.

[0012] The battery case 2 is an acid-resistant or alkali-resistant container for storing and holding the electrode plate group and electrolyte. This battery case 2 is equipped with multiple cells, and the top of each cell is closed with a single lid 4. The lid 4 has a collective exhaust structure that connects the exhaust paths of each cell, and has one exhaust port 4G on each side of the lid 4. Note that the directions in this description are based on the lead-acid battery 1 in its installed state. In each drawing such as FIG. 1, the symbol UP indicates the upward direction of the lead-acid battery 1, the symbol FR indicates the front direction, and the symbol LH indicates the rightward direction. Note that the directions during installation may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, with the exception of the terminal cover 7, the configuration and shape of each part, including the collective exhaust structure of the lid 4, may be appropriately adapted from the configuration and shape of known lead-acid batteries.

[0013] 1, a plurality of holes 5 are provided at intervals in the front and rear directions in the region between the terminals 3A and 3B in the top surface 4C of the lid 4. In this embodiment, there are two holes 5, but the number is not limited to two. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the terminal cover 7 attached to the lead-acid battery 1. Fig. 3 is a three-view diagram of the terminal cover 7, where symbol A is a plan view, symbol B is a view seen from the left side, and symbol C is a view seen from the front side. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the terminal cover 7 includes a rectangular, flat cover body 7A and a plurality of protrusions 7L protruding downward from the cover body 7A. A blocking plug 9 is attached to the cover body 7A via a protrusion 8 (Figure 3) protruding from the cover body 7A. The terminal cover 7 is an integrally molded product formed by injection molding, in which the cover body 7A, protrusions 7L, protrusions 8, and blocking plug 9 are integrally molded using a predetermined resin material.

[0014] The multiple protrusions 7L fit into the respective holes 5 to attach the terminal cover 7 to the lid 4. Each protrusion 7L is formed in an x-shaped cross section (which can also be called a cross-shaped cross section) with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the hole 5, and determines the front-to-back and left-to-right positions of the terminal cover 7 relative to the lid 4. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of at least the base end (corresponding to the end on the cover main body 7A side) of each protrusion 7L is formed to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of the hole 5, and is formed in a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip. This tapered shape makes it easier to insert the tip of each protrusion 7L into each hole 5. In addition, by fitting the base end of each protrusion 7L into each hole 5, the terminal cover 7 can be positioned on the lid 4. These protrusions 7L correspond to the "cover mounting protrusions" of the present invention.

[0015] The cover body 7A has a shape that covers the positive terminal 3A from above, as shown in Fig. 2. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the cover body 7A has a rectangular shape in which two diagonally opposite corners of the four corners are recessed inward. Of the two inwardly recessed regions, a region (inside the region indicated by the symbol S in FIG. 3 ) located on the front side of the lead-acid battery 1 and on the left and right outer sides (right side in this example) is provided with a plurality of protrusions 8 that protrude toward the front and toward the left and right outer sides (right direction in this example). Blocking plugs 9 are connected to the tips of these protrusions 8.

[0016] The blocking plug 9 is used as a blocking component for blocking the exhaust port 4G provided in the lid 4. The blocking plug 9 can be separated from the cover body 7A by applying a shearing force, such as twisting, while the worker holds it with his or her fingers. The blocking plug 9 has a tapered shank 9A that can be inserted into the exhaust port 4G provided in the lid 4, and a flange 9B at the base end of the shank 9A that expands to a larger diameter than the shank 9A. The lead-acid battery 1 can be placed inside a vehicle or trunk by connecting an exhaust hose on the vehicle side to one of the left and right exhaust ports 4G and blocking the other exhaust port 4G with a blocking plug 9. On the other hand, when the lead-acid battery 1 is placed inside the hood, the exhaust port 4G can be left open, and the blocking plug 9 is not used. In other words, the blocking plug 9 is a component that is used as appropriate depending on the installation environment of the lead-acid battery 1. The shape of the blocking plug 9 may be changed as appropriate.

[0017] Next, the protrusion 8 will be described. Fig. 4 is a top view of the protrusion 8 of the blocking plug 9 together with the surrounding configuration, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the protrusion 8. In this embodiment, the shapes of the protrusions 8 are the same. As shown in Fig. 4, the protrusion 8 is formed in a tapered shape that narrows toward the blocking plug 9 in a plan view of the terminal cover 7, and more specifically, is formed in a triangular shape that narrows toward the blocking plug 9. In Fig. 4, the symbol θ1 indicates the inclination angle of the side surface of the protrusion 8 in a plan view of the terminal cover 7. For ease of explanation, the connection portion between the protrusion 8 and the terminal cover 7 will be referred to as the "cover connection portion X," and the connection portion between the protrusion 8 and the blocking plug 9 will be referred to as the "plug connection portion Y." The respective portions X and Y are shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0018] In FIG. 5, the symbol AR1 indicates the region of the protrusion 8. 5, the protrusion 8 is formed in a tapered shape that narrows toward the blocking plug 9, even in a side view perpendicular to the plan view of the terminal cover 7. More specifically, the protrusion 8 is formed in a triangular shape that narrows toward the blocking plug 9, even in a side view of the terminal cover 7. In Fig. 5, the symbol θ2 indicates the inclination angle of the lower surface of the protrusion 8 in a side view of the terminal cover 7. The example in Fig. 5 shows a case where the lower surface of the protrusion 8 is inclined at an angle θ2 with respect to the horizontal plane, and the upper surface of the protrusion 8 is formed on a horizontal plane. However, this configuration is not limited to this, and both the lower surface and the upper surface of the protrusion 8 may be inclined surfaces with an inclination angle of θ2, or only the upper surface may be inclined surfaces with an inclination angle of θ2.

[0019] 5, symbol D1 indicates the thickness of the cover body 7A, and symbol D2 indicates the thickness of the flange 9B of the blocking plug 9. The flange 9B is formed thinner than the cover body 7A, and the inclination angle θ2 is formed at an angle that connects the lower end of the end with thickness D2 of the flange 9B and the lower end of the end with thickness D1 of the cover body 7A with a linear inclined surface in a side view. This allows the cover body 7A and the flange 9B, which have different thicknesses, to be smoothly connected. In other words, the cover body 7A and the flange 9B can be connected without any steps while each being formed to an appropriate thickness. The thicknesses D1 and D2 of the cover body 7A and the flange 9B may be the same value, or each thickness D1 and D2 may be set to an appropriate value. The cross section of the protrusion 8 may be circular or polygonal.

[0020] As described above, the protrusion 8 is formed in a tapered shape in both the plan view and the side view of the terminal cover 7, so that the cross-sectional area S2 of the plug connection portion Y (FIGS. 3 and 4) can be effectively made smaller than the cross-sectional area S1 of the cover connection portion X (FIGS. 3 and 4). The ratio of the cross-sectional areas S1:S2 can be easily changed by adjusting the inclination angles θ1 and θ2.

[0021] By making the cross-sectional area S1 of the cover connection portion X smaller than the cross-sectional area S2 of the plug connection portion Y, when an external force is applied that attempts to separate (by tearing, cutting, breaking, etc.) the blocking plug 9 from the terminal cover 7 without using a tool such as a cutting tool, it becomes easier to separate the plug connection portion Y without separating the cover connection portion X, as shown by symbol A in Figure 6.

[0022] By separating the plug from the plug connection portion Y, it is possible to reduce the size of burrs (indicated by the reference symbol 8X in FIG. 6) that may occur on the blocking plug 9, or to make it more difficult for burrs to occur. Note that burrs are unwanted protrusions that occur at the separation point.

[0023] Symbol B in Figure 6 shows a comparative example in which the protrusion 8 is shaped to protrude with the same cross section. In the comparative example, when an external force is applied to separate the blocking plug 9, the protrusion 8 separates at a location away from the terminal cover 7, and a relatively large burr (indicated by symbol 8X in Figure 6) may be formed on the blocking plug 9.

[0024] Furthermore, the cross-sectional area S2 of the plug connection portion Y in this embodiment is formed within a range in which the portion Y can be separated when a predetermined external force F is applied. The predetermined external force F is, for example, a range of operating force suitable for a person to separate the blocking plug 9 without using tools.

[0025] When considering the values ​​that satisfy the above conditions, the cross-sectional area S2 is 0.5 mm 2 Over 1.0mm 2 Preferably less than 0.6 mm, more preferably 2 Over 0.9mm 2 Furthermore, the cross-sectional area S2 is 0.65 mm 2 Over 0.8mm 2 By doing as follows, even more favorable results were obtained in terms of ease of separation and reduction of burrs. Furthermore, the tensile breaking stress of the plug connection portion Y, which is the connection portion between the protrusion 8 and the blocking plug 9, is preferably 9.5 kgf (= 93.2 N) or less. When a plurality of protrusions 8 are provided as in this embodiment, the total tensile breaking stress of these plug connection portions Y should be 9.5 kgf (= 93.2 N) or less. The terminal cover 7 is preferably made of polypropylene resin (ethylene-propylene copolymer resin or blended polymer resin). The cover body 7A has a size of, for example, 6.0 cm to 7.0 cm in the longitudinal direction of the lead-acid battery 1 (the direction in which the positive terminal 3A and the negative terminal 3B are aligned) and 5.5 cm to 6.5 cm in the lateral direction of the lead-acid battery 1. The thickness D1 is, for example, 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm. The thickness D2 of the flange 9B of the blocking plug 9 may be set to any appropriate value as long as sufficient strength is obtained.

[0026] The cross-sectional area S2 of the plug connection part Y is 0.5 mm 2 If the value is less than this, the blocking plug 9 will separate with an extremely light force, which may adversely affect the workability when packaging the lead-acid battery 1. On the other hand, the cross-sectional area S2 of the plug connection part Y is 1.0 mm 2If the value exceeds this, it becomes difficult to separate the blocking plug 9 without using a tool, and there is a risk that large burrs may be produced when the blocking plug 9 is separated.

[0027] As described above, in this embodiment, the blocking plug 9 is provided on the terminal cover 7 via the protrusion 8. The cross-sectional area S1 of the cover connection portion X, which is the connection portion between the protrusion 8 and the terminal cover 7, and the cross-sectional area S2 of the plug connection portion Y, which is the connection portion between the protrusion 8 and the blocking plug 9, satisfy the condition that value S1 > value S2, and value S2 is within a range in which the blocking plug 9 can be separated by a predetermined external force F. This makes it easier to separate the blocking plug 9 and reduces burrs that can form on the blocking plug 9.

[0028] Furthermore, the protrusion 8 is formed in a shape that tapers toward the blocking plug 9 in a plan view of the terminal cover 7. This makes it easier to separate the blocking plug 9 at the plug connection portion Y (the portion of the cross-sectional area S2) where the protrusion 8 and the blocking plug 9 are connected, and makes it easier to reduce burrs that may form on the blocking plug 9. Furthermore, the protrusion 8 is formed in a shape that tapers toward the blocking plug 9 in a side view perpendicular to the plan view of the terminal cover 7. This makes it easier to set a large difference between the cross-sectional areas S1 and S2, makes it easier to separate the blocking plug 9 at the cross-sectional area S2, and makes it easier to reduce burrs that can form on the blocking plug 9.

[0029] Furthermore, by setting the difference between the cross-sectional areas S1 and S2 large, it becomes easier to thin the portion of the cross-sectional area S2. This thinning not only facilitates separation of the blocking plug 9 and reduces burrs, but also makes it easier to connect the protrusion 8 only to the flange 9B of the blocking plug 9. Because the protrusion 8 does not need to be connected to the shank 9A of the blocking plug 9, it is possible to prevent burrs from forming on the shank 9A and to easily insert the shank 9A into the exhaust port 4G.

[0030] Second Embodiment The lead-acid battery 1 according to the second embodiment is similar to the lead-acid battery 1 according to the first embodiment, except for the projection 7L. The projection 7L will be described below. For ease of explanation, the protrusion 7L of the lead-acid battery 1 according to the second embodiment will be referred to as the "improved protrusion 7L'," and the protrusion 7L of the lead-acid battery 1 according to the first embodiment will be referred to as the "pre-improved protrusion 7L." Note that the improved protrusion 7L', like the pre-improved protrusion 7L, also corresponds to the "cover attachment protrusion" of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 is a diagram explaining the improved protrusions 7L'. Figure 7 shows the state in which two improved protrusions 7L' are inserted into the respective hole portions 5, and the state in which two pre-improvement protrusions 7L are inserted into the respective hole portions 5. Symbol P1 in Figure 7 indicates the inner peripheral pitch of the two hole portions 5 formed in the lid 4, and symbol P2 indicates the outer peripheral pitch of these hole portions 5. The inner peripheral pitch can also be referred to as the distance between the two holes 5 on the inner peripheral side or the shortest distance between them. The outer peripheral pitch can also be referred to as the distance between the two holes 5 on the outer peripheral side or the longest distance between them. The symbol LC in FIG. 7 indicates a line passing through the centers of the two holes 5 formed in the lid 4.

[0032] However, when manufacturing the protrusions 7L, 7L', errors such as molding errors occur during molding, so it is particularly desirable to design the protrusions 7L, 7L' to reduce the resistance to attachment and detachment of the protrusions 7L, 7L' to the holes 5 arranged at an inner peripheral pitch P1 and an outer peripheral pitch P2 as shown in Figure 7. In the first embodiment, the pre-improvement projection 7L is formed in a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip, so that the resistance to attachment and detachment of the pre-improvement projection 7L to the hole 5 can be reduced.

[0033] In contrast, in the improved protrusions 7L' of the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, each improved protrusion 7L' has an X cross-sectional shape (which can also be called a cross cross-sectional shape) that intersects diagonally with the straight line LC that passes through the center of each hole portion 5, thereby reducing the resistance to attachment and detachment of the improved protrusions 7L' to the hole portion 5 without having to form them into a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip. For example, each improved projection 7L' is formed with an outer diameter from the tip to the base end that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the hole 5, that is, formed with an outer diameter that fits into the hole 5 from the tip to the base end.

[0034] Even when the outer diameter is formed to fit into the hole portion 5 from the tip to the base end, as shown in Figure 7, the shortest spacing distance P1' between the spaced apart improvement protrusions 7L' can be made wider than the inner peripheral pitch P1 of the hole portion 5, and the longest spacing distance P2' between the spaced apart improvement protrusions 7L' can be made narrower than the outer peripheral pitch P2. This ensures a margin of safety α (see FIG. 7) on both the inner and outer circumferential sides of the improved projections 7L' inserted into each of the multiple holes 5 arranged at an inner circumferential pitch P1 and an outer circumferential pitch P2. Therefore, this margin of safety α makes it possible to reduce the resistance to insertion and removal of the improved projections 7L' from the holes 5.

[0035] 7 indicate the angles at which the improved projection 7L' intersects with the straight line LC. In this embodiment, the angles θ3 and θ4 are 45°, but the values ​​of the angles θ3 and θ4 may be changed as appropriate as long as they are in the range of angles greater than 0° and less than 90°. Furthermore, the angles θ3 and θ4 do not have to be the same. The fitting force between the terminal cover 7 and the lid 4 can be adjusted by adjusting the diameter or depth of the hole 5. The improved protrusion 7L' may also have a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip.

[0036] As explained above, in the second embodiment, a design method is adopted in which the multiple improved projections 7L' that function as cover attachment projections have an X cross-sectional shape that intersects obliquely with the line LC that passes through the centers of the multiple hole portions 5. This makes it possible to suppress the resistance to attachment / detachment of the improved projections 7L' to the hole portions 5 that is caused by shape errors, without adopting a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. For example, the present invention has been described as being applied to the lead-acid battery 1 and terminal cover 7 shown in Fig. 1, but is not limited thereto, and the present invention may be applied to any known lead-acid battery and terminal cover. The present invention may also be applied to storage batteries other than lead-acid batteries and terminal covers used with such storage batteries. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Lead-acid battery (storage battery) 2 battery case 3A positive terminal 3B Negative terminal 4 Lid 4G exhaust port 5 Hole 7 Terminal cover 7A Cover body 7L protrusion (protrusion before improvement) 7L' improved protrusion 8 Protrusion 9 Blocking plug 9A shaft part 9B Collar

Claims

1. A storage battery comprising a battery case, a lid attached to the battery case and having a collective exhaust structure, and a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal exposed to the outside of the lid, a terminal cover attached to the lid to cover the positive electrode terminal; The terminal cover is provided with a blocking plug for blocking the exhaust port of the lid via a protrusion protruding from the cover, a cross-sectional area S1 of a connection portion between the protrusion and the terminal cover and a cross-sectional area S2 of a connection portion between the protrusion and the blocking plug satisfy the condition that value S1 > value S2, and value S2 is within a range in which the blocking plug can be separated by a predetermined external force; the cross-sectional area S2 is 0.5 mm 2 or more and 1.0 mm 2 or less; the blocking plug has a shaft portion that can be inserted into the exhaust port provided in the lid, and a flange portion that expands to a larger diameter than the shaft portion at a base end of the shaft portion, The thickness D1 of the terminal cover is set to be larger than the thickness D2 of the flange portion. A storage battery characterized by:

2. A storage battery as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the protrusions protrude toward the front of the storage battery and toward the outside on either the left or right side.

3. A storage battery as described in Claim 2, characterized in that the multiple protrusions have a shape that tapers toward the blocking plug when viewed in a plane of the terminal cover.

4. A storage battery as described in Claim 2, characterized in that the thickness of the connection portion of the terminal cover is the same as the thickness of the terminal cover when viewed from the side perpendicular to the plan view of the terminal cover, and the shape tapers toward the blocking plug.

5. The terminal cover has a plurality of cover mounting projections that fit into a plurality of holes provided at intervals on the lid, 5. The storage battery according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cover mounting projections have an X-shaped cross section that intersects obliquely with a line that passes through the centers of the plurality of holes.

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