Filling device for filling, with a ballast material, a battery tray of a traction battery for a mobile working machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a filling device (1) which is designed to at least partially fill a battery tray (2) of a traction battery (3), in particular a lithium-ion traction battery, for a mobile working machine, in particular an industrial truck, with a ballast material (3a) which comprises shredded metal parts (3). The filling device (1) comprises a metal shredder (10) which is designed to shred scrap metal (11) to form said metal parts (3).

Description

[0001] 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0002] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0003] 1

[0004] Description

[0005] Filling device for filling a battery trough of a traction battery for a mobile work machine with ballast material

[0006] The invention relates to a filling device designed to at least partially fill a battery trough of a traction battery, in particular a lithium-ion traction battery, for a mobile working machine, in particular a forklift truck, with a ballast material comprising crushed metal parts.

[0007] A mobile work machine powered by a battery-electric drive, in particular a battery-electric industrial truck, for example a battery-electric counterbalance forklift, has a traction battery to provide the electrical drive energy. The traction battery has a battery tray in which one or more battery modules are installed. In known battery-electric industrial trucks, the traction battery is usually designed to be replaceable, so that a discharged traction battery can be easily replaced with a charged one during operation of the industrial truck.

[0008] Electrically powered industrial trucks, such as counterbalance forklifts, have a lifting mast with a load-handling device, such as a fork, on the front axle. The stability of such trucks with a load is crucially determined by the vehicle's overall center of gravity, which in turn depends on the position of the counterweight, as well as the position and weight of the traction battery.

[0009] Conventional traction batteries are relatively heavy lead-acid batteries that contribute significantly to the counter-torque against a load in the forklift. To prevent unstable conditions and the risk of the forklift tipping over, as well as during braking, the vehicle's weight and center of gravity are crucial. 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0010] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0011] 2

[0012] Newer technologies now allow for the production and industrial use of batteries and accumulators that offer improved performance. These batteries can be described as high-performance batteries, characterized by a higher energy density relative to weight and / or volume compared to lead-acid batteries, and by the use of a different energy storage technology than a lead-acid reaction. Many high-performance batteries also feature the ability to deliver high power during discharge and / or charge at high power. The typical energy densities relative to weight and / or volume of a high-performance battery are higher than, and outside the range of, the corresponding parameters for lead-acid batteries, at least for one of these two values.

[0013] Lithium-ion batteries, which have achieved a level of reliability suitable for mass production, are increasingly being used on a larger scale than such high-performance batteries. They are characterized by high energy density, have only a low memory effect, and allow for high-power discharge and charging of the battery.

[0014] The use of such high-performance batteries is particularly advantageous in mobile machinery, for example industrial trucks, as traction batteries, because due to the high energy density in relation to the volume, a larger amount of electrical energy can be stored in the given installation space for the traction battery, thus increasing the range of a vehicle or the operating time of the industrial truck.

[0015] Battery-electric industrial trucks that use lithium-ion traction batteries as high-performance batteries, with lithium-ion battery modules installed in the battery tray, have the disadvantage that the lower weight of the lithium-ion traction battery compared to a lead-acid traction battery (with lead-acid battery modules installed in the battery tray) alters the center of gravity of the entire industrial truck, thus affecting its stability and load-bearing capacity. 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0016] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0017] 3

[0018] Therefore, there is a need to align the weight of a lithium-ion traction battery with the weight of a lead-acid traction battery with the same external dimensions of the battery tray, so that a lead-acid traction battery can be replaced by a lithium-ion traction battery in the industrial truck without affecting the load-bearing capacity and stability of the industrial truck.

[0019] It is known from DE 102014 106644 B4 to attach a plate-shaped additional weight to the outside of the battery tray of a lithium-ion traction battery of a forklift truck using fasteners, in order to equalize the weight of the lithium-ion traction battery with that of a lead-acid traction battery with the same size battery tray. However, such a plate-shaped additional weight and the required fasteners result in a high degree of construction complexity.

[0020] To increase the weight of a lithium-ion traction battery for a mobile work machine, it is also possible to partially fill the battery tray of the traction battery with ballast material as additional weight using a filling device. In the first process step of manufacturing the battery tray, the filling device produces a mixture of metal parts and a composite material as ballast material. In a second process step following the first, the filling device then fills the resulting mixture of metal parts and composite material into the battery tray, where it hardens into a solid composite material.

[0021] However, a disadvantage of this approach is that the production of the mixture from the metal parts and the composite material during the manufacturing of the battery tray constitutes an additional process step, preceding the second process step of filling the battery tray, and thus requiring additional processing time. Furthermore, with known filling devices, producing the mixture of metal parts and the composite material requires feeding the filling device with metal parts of a defined size, for example, metal granules with a defined granule size range, as input material. This is necessary to ensure sufficient and reliable wetting of the metal parts with the composite material in the first process step, thereby guaranteeing the reliable curing of the mixture filled into the battery tray into the solid composite material. 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0022] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0023] 4

[0024] However, the use of metal parts of a defined size, for example metal granules with a defined granule size range, as input material in a known filling device results in high costs for the input material formed from metal granules with a defined granule size range, so that with a known filling device high manufacturing costs result for a battery trough filled with ballast material.

[0025] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a filling device of the type mentioned at the outset, with which reduced manufacturing costs of a battery trough filled with ballast material can be achieved.

[0026] This problem is solved according to the invention by the fact that the filling device comprises a metal crushing plant which is designed to crush metal scrap into metal parts.

[0027] The filling device according to the invention makes it possible to reduce delivered metal scrap, for example steel or iron scrap, of undefined size, i.e., even large-volume metal scrap, to metal parts of a desired size using the metal shredding unit of the filling device. These metal parts are then filled into the battery trough as ballast material to achieve the required additional weight. This allows the filling device according to the invention, which includes the metal shredding unit, to use cost-effective metal scrap of undefined size, i.e., any size, as input material, resulting in reduced manufacturing costs for the battery trough filled with ballast material.A further advantage of the filling device according to the invention, which comprises the metal shredding unit, is that the metal parts filled into the battery trough are produced from scrap metal at the metal shredding unit immediately before being filled into the battery trough. "Immediately before" is defined as a period of no more than one (1) hour, preferably no more than 30 minutes. Thus, the metal parts produced by the metal shredding unit have fresh and clean cut edges or fracture edges, which, when using a ballast material that contains not only the metal parts but also composite material 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003,

[0028] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0029] 5 comprises a material that hardens into a solid composite within the battery trough. This composite material adheres well, ensuring reliable wetting of the shredded metal parts and thus guaranteeing the solidification of the ballast material within the battery trough. This further reduces costs, as the scrap metal or the resulting metal parts do not require extensive cleaning before filling the battery trough and can be contaminated with impurities such as oil, coolant, paint, and / or oxidation.

[0030] Metal scrap within the meaning of the invention shall also include slag from the steel industry, in particular slag from iron or steel production, so-called blast furnace slag or steelworks slag, which is crushed into metal parts in the form of granules using the metal crushing plant.

[0031] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the metal shredding plant comprises at least one metal shredder. For the purposes of this disclosure, a metal shredder is defined as a shredder capable of effectively shredding metal pieces into metal parts of uniform shape and size. With at least one metal shredder, metal scrap of undefined and arbitrary size can be easily shredded into metal parts of a desired size, which are then fed into the battery trough to generate the additional weight.

[0032] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the metal shredding plant is designed to provide metal parts of varying sizes. In a battery trough partially filled with ballast material, the trough's volume is divided into a filling volume for the ballast material and a receiving volume in which corresponding battery modules are installed. The filling volume for the ballast material is to be filled with ballast material in such a way as to achieve the desired additional weight. From the desired mass of the additional weight formed by the ballast material and the filling volume in the battery trough for the ballast material, a required density (i.e., weight per unit volume) is derived to generate the desired mass of additional weight for the battery trough with the ballast material within the available filling volume.The battery tray thus provides the filling volume and, via the desired mass of the additional weight, the density, and therefore 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003.

[0033] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0034] 6. The size of the metal parts to be provided by the metal shredding plant as ballast material, which are filled into the battery trough as ballast, is specified. If the metal shredding plant provides metal parts with different sizes and thus different densities, a desired density of the ballast can be easily set using the filling device according to the invention.

[0035] To provide metal parts of different sizes, the metal shredding plant can be designed as a single-stage metal shredder, which, through suitable internal components such as different screens and / or different shredding tools, can shred the metal scrap into metal parts of different sizes.

[0036] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the metal shredding plant comprises at least two metal shredders connected in series, wherein the first metal shredder provides metal parts in a first size range from the scrap metal, and the second metal shredder, downstream of the first, provides metal parts in a second size range from the metal parts of the first metal shredder, the second size range being smaller than the first. This makes it possible to produce metal parts of different sizes from scrap metal using simple metal shredders.

[0037] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the metal shredding plant comprises a third metal shredder downstream of the second metal shredder, which provides metal parts in a third size range from the metal parts of the second metal shredder, wherein the third size range is smaller than the second size range. Thus, with an increasing number of metal shredders, the number of metal parts with different sizes can be easily increased, with each metal shredder producing metal parts in a specific size range.

[0038] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, each metal shredder is provided with a sieve that accommodates the part size range of the metal parts of the 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0039] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0040] 7

[0041] Metal shredder defined. This allows the size of the metal parts produced by the metal shredder to be easily specified and set.

[0042] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first metal shredder is configured to discharge metal parts in the first size range at a first discharge opening for filling the battery trough and to supply metal parts in the first size range to the second metal shredder at a second discharge opening. The metal parts in the first size range produced by the first metal shredder from the scrap metal can thus be easily filled directly into the battery trough and fed to the second metal shredder, which is downstream of the first and further reduces the metal parts produced by the first metal shredder into smaller metal parts in the second size range.

[0043] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the second metal shredder is configured to discharge metal parts in the second size range at a first discharge opening for filling the battery trough and to supply metal parts in the second size range to the third metal shredder at a second discharge opening. The metal parts in the second size range produced by the second metal shredder can thus be easily filled directly into the battery trough and fed to the third metal shredder, which is downstream of the second metal shredder and further reduces the metal parts produced by the second metal shredder into smaller metal parts in the third size range.

[0044] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the third metal shredder is configured to discharge metal parts in the third size range at a discharge opening for filling the battery trough. The metal parts in the third size range produced by the third metal shredder can thus be easily filled directly into the battery trough.

[0045] Provided that a discharge gate, for example a flap or a rotary valve, is present at the first discharge opening of the first and second metal shredders as well as at the discharge opening of the third metal shredder, the battery trough can be easily filled with the metal parts of a desired part size range or a mixture of the different sized metal parts in order to achieve, for a given filling volume of the battery trough, a mass sufficient to achieve the mass of the 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0046] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0047] 8

[0048] To provide the required density of the ballast filling formed by the metal parts, taking into account the additional weight. For this purpose, the discharge gates are preferably controlled by an electronic control unit that manages the filling process of the battery trough and regulates the density (weight per unit volume) of the metal parts filled into the battery trough.

[0049] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the filling device comprises a spraying device which is arranged in a vertical direction below the discharge opening and is designed to spray the metal parts falling from the discharge opening with a composite material, in particular a resin.

[0050] The battery tray is filled with a mixture of metal parts and a composite material. The metal parts, sprayed with the composite material, harden into a solid composite material within the tray after being placed inside. Once hardened, the composite material exists as a solid body within the battery tray. This hardening process offers further advantages, as the hardened composite material results in high rigidity, high impact resistance, and high stability for the battery tray.

[0051] The metal parts produced by the respective metal shredders are sprayed with the composite material during the filling process in the filling device according to the invention, i.e., during filling the battery trough. By spraying the freshly shredded metal parts with the composite material during the filling process, a uniform coating of the metal parts at the fresh and clean cut or fracture edges produced during shredding can be achieved simply and without additional process time. This allows the mixture of metal parts and composite material filled into the battery trough to harden into a solid composite material with a small amount of the required composite material.

[0052] The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a battery tray for a traction battery, in particular a lithium-ion traction battery, for a mobile work machine, in particular a forklift truck, wherein the battery tray is at least partially filled with metal parts as ballast material using a filling device described above. The method comprises the steps: 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0053] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0054] 9

[0055] • Place the battery tray at the filling device;

[0056] • Providing scrap metal to the metal shredding plant of the filling device;

[0057] • Shredding the scrap metal into metal parts using the metal shredding plant;

[0058] • Filling the battery tray with the crushed metal parts.

[0059] The inventive method allows the use of cheap scrap metal of undefined and therefore arbitrary size, which may also contain impurities, as input material by using the filling device comprising the metal crushing plant.

[0060] According to an advantageous embodiment, the procedure comprises the following further steps:

[0061] • Spraying the metal parts produced by the metal crushing plant with a composite material, in particular a resin, during the filling of the battery trough;

[0062] • Curing of the metal parts and the composite material to form a composite material.

[0063] After curing, the composite material exists as a solid and therefore dimensionally stable body within the battery tray. Curing into a composite material offers further advantages, as the cured composite material results in high rigidity, high impact resistance, and high stability of the battery tray. By spraying the crushed metal parts placed in the battery tray with a small amount of the composite material, a solid and dimensionally stable composite material can be achieved after the ballast material in the battery tray has cured.

[0064] The invention further relates to a lithium-ion traction battery for a mobile working machine, in particular a forklift truck, using a battery trough produced according to the above-mentioned method, wherein at least one lithium-ion battery module is installed in the battery trough provided with the ballast material.

[0065] The invention offers a number of advantages. 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003 13.02.2025 - Geirhos

[0066] 10

[0067] The filling device according to the invention makes it possible to use scrap metal of any undefined size as input material for the ballast material of the battery tray. This scrap metal may contain impurities such as water, oil, paint, or oxidation. The independence from the input material of the scrap metal leads to cost reduction and independence from suppliers.

[0068] The metal crushing system of the filling device creates clean surfaces on the cut edges or fractured edges of the crushed metal parts, to which the composite material can adhere very well.

[0069] This leads to a cost reduction for the input material formed from metal scrap, since metal scrap contaminated with oil and / or cooling water can be used as input material in the filling device according to the invention, because the fracture edges or cut edges produced by the metal crushing plant on the metal parts create clean surfaces for the composite material.

[0070] By connecting several metal shredders in series or by using a suitable single-stage metal shredder, various sizes of metal parts can be provided for filling the battery tray. This allows the available space in the battery tray to be optimally filled with the appropriate metal parts in terms of weight and cost.

[0071] Further advantages and details of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in the schematic figures. Here,

[0072] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a filling device according to the invention for partially filling a battery tray of a traction battery with metal parts and

[0073] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a method carried out with the filling device according to the invention. 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0074] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0075] 11

[0076] Figure 1 shows a filling device 1 with which a battery tray 2 of a traction battery, for example a lithium-ion traction battery, for a mobile work machine, in particular a forklift truck, is at least partially filled with ballast material 3a to increase its weight. With the filling device 1, the battery tray 2 is at least partially filled with crushed metal parts 3 as ballast material 3a.

[0077] The battery trough 2 has an outer shell 6 with an outer wall 5. In Figure 1, the battery trough 2 is shown in a longitudinal section. The outer wall 5 comprises a left outer wall 5a, a right outer wall 5b, a front wall located at the front in the plane of the drawing (not shown in detail in Figure 1), and a rear wall located at the rear in the plane of the drawing (not shown in detail in Figure 1).

[0078] In the illustrated embodiment, the battery trough 2 is provided with an intermediate floor 9, which is connected to the outer walls 5a, 5b, the front wall and the rear wall. The intermediate floor 9 divides the outer shell 6 and thus the interior of the battery trough 2 into a filling chamber 7, which has a defined filling volume and is filled with the ballast material 3a, and into a receiving chamber 8, in which, after the filling chamber 7 has been filled with the ballast material 3a, battery modules, in particular lithium-ion battery modules, can be installed.

[0079] The battery tray 2 is preferably formed from sheets, in particular steel sheets.

[0080] The filling device 1 comprises a metal crushing plant 10, which is designed to use metal scrap 11, for example steel scrap or iron scrap or slag, as input material and to crush the metal scrap 11 into the metal parts 3.

[0081] The metal crushing plant 10 is designed in the illustrated embodiment to provide metal parts 3 with different part sizes.

[0082] For this purpose, the metal shredding plant 10 comprises at least two metal shredders 10a, 10b connected in series. The first metal shredder 10a shreds the scrap metal 11 into metal parts 3 within a first range of part sizes. The second metal shredder 10b is connected downstream of the first metal shredder 10a and is designated 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0083] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0084] 12 further shreds the metal parts produced by the first metal shredder 10a into metal parts 3 in a second part size range, the second part size range being smaller than the first part size range.

[0085] In the illustrated embodiment, the metal shredding plant 10 further comprises a third metal shredder 10c. The third metal shredder 10c is downstream of the second metal shredder 10b and further shreds the metal parts produced by the second metal shredder 10b into metal parts 3 in a third part size range, wherein the third part size range is smaller than the second part size range.

[0086] Each of the three metal shredders 10, 10b, 10c is equipped with suitable shredding tools 15a, 15b, 15c.

[0087] Each of the three metal shredders 10, 10b, 10c is equipped with a sieve 16a, 16b, 16c, which defines the part size range and thus the size of the metal parts shredded by the assigned metal shredder 10a, 10b, 10c.

[0088] The first metal shredder 10a has a first discharge opening 20, at which the metal parts produced by the first metal shredder 10a – as illustrated by line 22 in Figure 1 – are discharged to fill the battery trough 2. The first metal shredder 10a has a second discharge opening 21, at which the metal parts produced by the first metal shredder 10a – as illustrated by line 23 in Figure 1 – can be provided to and fed to the second metal shredder 10b.

[0089] The first discharge opening 20 of the first metal shredder 10a can be assigned a discharge sluice 35.

[0090] The second metal shredder 10b has a first discharge opening 25, at which the metal parts produced by the second metal shredder 10b are discharged to fill the battery trough 2, as illustrated by line 26 in Figure 1. The second metal shredder 10b has a second discharge opening 27, at which the metal parts produced by the second metal shredder 10b are discharged to fill the battery trough 2, as illustrated by line 28 in Figure 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003 13.02.2025 - Geirhos

[0091] 13

[0092] 1 illustrates - the third metal shredder 10c can be provided and fed.

[0093] The first discharge opening 25 of the second metal shredder 10b can be assigned a discharge chute 36.

[0094] The third metal shredder 10c has a discharge opening 29, at which the metal parts produced by the third metal shredder 10c - as illustrated by line 30 in Figure 1 - are discharged to fill the battery trough 2.

[0095] The discharge opening 29 of the third metal shredder 10c can be assigned a discharge chute 37.

[0096] The discharge gates 35, 36, 37 are preferably controlled by an electronic control unit 60 of the filling device 1, which controls the filling process of the battery trough 2 with the metal parts 3.

[0097] The discharge openings 20, 25, 29 of the metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c are connected to an outlet opening 40 of the filling device 1.

[0098] To fill the battery trough 2 with the metal parts 3 shredded by the metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c, the battery trough 2 is positioned in a vertical direction V below the outlet opening 40 of the filling device 1, so that in one filling process the metal parts 3 fall in free fall from a defined height into the filling chamber 7 of the battery trough 2.

[0099] In the illustrated embodiment, the filling device 1 further comprises a spray device 50, which is arranged in a vertical direction V below the outlet opening 40.

[0100] The spraying device 50 is designed to spray the metal parts 3 falling into the battery tray 2 with a composite material 51 during the filling process of the battery tray 2. Thus, the spraying device 50 sprays the metal parts 3 falling from the filling device 1 with the composite material 51 before they hit the battery tray 2. The spraying device 50 is preferably designed such that the metal parts 3 falling into the battery tray 2 are sprayed with the composite material 51.

[0101] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0102] 14

[0103] Battery tray 2 falling metal parts 3 are evenly wetted with the composite material 51.

[0104] A resin, particularly a synthetic resin, is preferably used as the composite material. The resin is preferably in a liquid state so that it can be easily sprayed onto the metal parts 3 falling from the filling device 1 into the battery tray 2 using a suitable spray device 50. Suitable resins include common types such as epoxy resin or polyester resin, which can be in the form of a one-component or multi-component resin.

[0105] The spraying device 50 can comprise at least two spray devices 50a, 50b, which are arranged in the circumferential direction of a stream of metal parts falling from the outlet opening 40, in particular in a uniformly distributed manner. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, two spray devices 50a, 50b are provided, which are arranged opposite each other.

[0106] The spray device 50 can include a valve device 55 configured to control or regulate the amount of composite material 51 sprayed onto the metal parts 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve device 55 comprises two valves 55a and 55b, wherein valve 55a is arranged in a supply line 56a that carries the composite material to the first spray device 50a, and valve 55b is arranged in a supply line 56b that carries the composite material to the second spray device 50b. The valve device 50 is preferably controlled by the electronic control unit 60 of the filling device 1, which controls the filling process of the battery tray 2 with metal parts 3.

[0107] To produce the battery trough 2 which is partially filled with the metal parts 3, the metal parts 3 are sprayed with the composite material 51 by means of the spray device 50 during the filling process in which the metal parts 3 are filled into the battery trough 2.

[0108] The metal parts 3 are filled into the outer shell 6 of the battery trough 2 during the filling process from the outlet opening 40 of the filling device 1 in free fall and are sprayed by the spray device 50, which is arranged in a vertical direction V below the outlet opening 40, during free fall from the 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0109] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0110] 15

[0111] Outlet opening 40 into the battery trough 2 and thus sprayed with the composite material 51 before impact in the battery trough 2.

[0112] In the vertical direction V below the spray device 50, there are metal parts 3 sprayed with the composite material 51 and thus wetted with the composite material 51, which fall into the battery trough 2 and fill the battery trough 2.

[0113] The metal parts 3, sprayed with the composite material 51, harden in the battery tray 2 to form a composite material. After hardening, the composite material exists as a solid body in the battery tray 2. The hardened composite material represents additional weight and results in high stiffness, high impact resistance, and high mechanical stability of the battery tray 2, whereby the outer wall 6 of the battery tray 2 can be made of thin-walled steel sheets.

[0114] After the composite material has hardened, the battery tray 2 can be used for the production of a lithium-ion traction battery for a mobile working machine, in particular a forklift truck, wherein at least one lithium-ion battery module is installed in the receiving space 8 of the battery tray 2.

[0115] The mass of the ballast filling formed by the ballast material 3a filled into the battery tray 2 is preferably selected such that the weight of the battery tray 2 according to the invention, which is provided with the ballast filling and in which lithium-ion battery modules are installed, is adapted and aligned with the weight of a lithium-ion traction battery having the same external dimensions of the battery tray 2, so that in a forklift truck a replacement of a lead-acid traction battery by a lithium-ion traction battery which is provided with the battery tray 2 having the same external dimensions is made possible without impairing the load-bearing capacity and stability of the forklift truck.

[0116] The filling process of the battery tray 2 with the metal parts 3a is preferably controlled or regulated by the electronic control unit 60. 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003

[0117] February 13, 2025 - Geirhos

[0118] 16

[0119] In the case of a battery trough 2 to be filled, the filling volume of the filling chamber 7 in the battery trough 2 and the desired mass of the additional weight formed by the ballast material 3a filled into the filling volume of the battery trough 2 determine a required density, i.e., weight per unit volume, of the ballast filling and thus the desired size of the metal parts 3 after the shredding process of the metal shredding plant 10, with which the filling volume of the battery trough 2 must be filled to produce the desired additional weight.

[0120] The control unit 60 then controls the metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c and the corresponding discharge gates 35, 36, 37 in such a way that the filling volume of the battery trough 2 is filled with metal parts 3 of suitable size in order to achieve the required density of the ballast filling and thus the desired mass of the additional weight formed by the metal parts 3.

[0121] The filling device 1 according to the invention makes it possible to use cost-effective metal scrap 11 of undefined, i.e., any size and any purity, i.e., metal scrap 11, which may contain cooling water, oil, paint, oxidation as impurities, as input material for the metal shredding plant 10, which is filled into the first metal shredder 10a.

[0122] Each of the metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c is equipped with a sieve 16a, 16b, 16c, which defines the size of the metal parts produced by the respective metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c.

[0123] Metal parts of the corresponding size, defined by the sieve 16a or 16b or 16b, can be discharged directly into the battery trough 2 via the discharge openings 20 or 25 or 29.

[0124] When using several metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c connected in series, targeted part diameters of the metal parts 3 can be set using downstream shredding stages formed by the metal shredders 10b, 10c via finer sieves.

[0125] The number of metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c of the metal shredding plant 10 is not limited to the number of metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c shown in Figure 1. The number of stages or shredder types is determined by the 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003 13.02.2025 - Geirhos

[0126] 17

[0127] Available scrap metal 11 (size, weights) is defined as the input material and input quantity of the process.

[0128] Figure 2 shows a block diagram for the manufacture of a battery tray 2 of a traction battery of a mobile working machine, in which the battery tray 2 is partially filled with the metal parts 3 using the filling device 1 according to the invention.

[0129] In a first step S1, the battery tray 2 is positioned at the filling device 1. For this purpose, the battery tray 2 is positioned vertically V below the outlet opening 40 of the filling device 1.

[0130] In a second step S2, metal scrap 11 is provided at the metal shredding plant 10. For this purpose, metal scrap 11 is fed into the first metal shredder 10a.

[0131] In a third step S3, the metal scrap 11 is shredded into metal parts 3 by appropriate operation of the metal shredders 10a, 10b, 10c, which are then filled into the battery trough 2 in a fourth step S4.

[0132] In the fourth step S4, the metal parts 3 can be sprayed with the composite material 51 during the filling process of the battery tray 2. In the fourth step S4, the metal parts 3 are filled by free fall from the outlet opening 40 of the filling device 1 into the outer shell 6 of the battery tray 2 and sprayed with the composite material 51 by the spray device 50 during free fall.

[0133] In a subsequent fifth step 5, the metal parts 3 sprayed with the composite material 51 are cured in the battery tray 2 to form a solid composite material.

[0134] In a subsequent sixth step S6, one or more lithium-ion battery modules can be installed in the battery tray 2 to create a lithium-ion traction battery for a mobile work machine, in particular a forklift truck. 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003 13.02.2025 - Geirhos

[0135] 18

[0136] Between the fourth step S4 and the fifth step S5, the metal parts 3, which are filled into the battery trough 2 and sprayed with the composite material 51, can optionally be compacted. For compaction, the battery trough 2 filled with the metal parts 3 can be vibrated. For the vibration process, the metal parts 3 filled into the battery trough 2 can be shaken using a vibrator. Preferably, the battery trough 2 filled with the metal parts 3 is vibrated using a vibrating plate on which the battery trough 2 stands.

Claims

24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003 02 / 13 / 2025 - Geirhos 19 Patent claims 1. Filling device (1) configured to fill a battery trough (2) of a traction battery (3), in particular a lithium-ion traction battery, for a mobile working machine, in particular a forklift truck, at least partially with a ballast material (3a) comprising crushed metal parts (3), characterized in that the filling device (1) comprises a metal crushing plant (10) configured to crush metal scrap (11) into the metal parts (3).

2. Filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal crushing plant (10) comprises at least one metal shredder (10a; 10b; 10c).

3. Filling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the metal crushing plant (10) is designed to provide metal parts (3) of different part sizes.

4. Filling device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the metal shredding plant (10) comprises at least two metal shredders (10a, 10b) connected in series, wherein the first metal shredder (10a) provides metal parts in a first part size range from the scrap metal (11), and the second metal shredder (10b) connected downstream of the first metal shredder (10a) provides metal parts in a second part size range from the metal parts of the first metal shredder (10a), wherein the second part size range is smaller than the first part size range.

5. Filling device according to claim 4, characterized in that the metal shredding plant (10) has a third metal shredder (10c) downstream of the second metal shredder (10b), which provides metal parts in a third part size range from the metal parts of the second metal shredder (10b), wherein the third part size range is smaller than the second part size range. 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003 February 13, 2025 - Geirhos 20 6. Filling device according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that each metal shredder (10a; 10b; 10c) is provided with a sieve (16a; 16b; 16c) that defines the part size range of the metal parts (3) of the metal shredder (10a; 10b; 10c).

7. Filling device according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the first metal shredder (10a) is configured to discharge metal parts for filling the battery trough (2) at a first discharge opening (20) and to provide metal parts to the second metal shredder (10b) at a second discharge opening (21).

8. Filling device according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the second metal shredder (10b) is configured to discharge metal parts for filling the battery trough (2) at a first discharge opening (25) and to provide metal parts to the third metal shredder (10c) at a second discharge opening (27).

9. Filling device according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the third metal shredder (10c) is configured to discharge metal parts for filling the battery trough (2) at a discharge opening (29).

10. Filling device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the filling device comprises a spraying device (50) which is arranged in a vertical direction (V) below the discharge opening (20; 25; 29) and is designed to spray the metal parts falling from the discharge opening (20; 25; 29) with a composite material (51), in particular resin.

11. Method for manufacturing a battery tray (2) of a traction battery, in particular a lithium-ion traction battery, for a mobile working machine, in particular a forklift truck, wherein the battery tray (2) is at least partially filled with metal parts (3) as ballast material (3a) using a filling device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by the steps: Providing the battery tray (2) at the filling device (1); 24324 / P24025-DEa / KBS= EM-KBS003 February 13, 2025 - Geirhos 21 • Providing scrap metal (11) at the metal crushing plant (10) of the filling device (1); • Crushing the metal scrap (11) with the metal crushing plant (10) into metal parts (3); • Filling the battery tray (2) with the crushed metal parts (3).

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized by the further steps: • Spraying the metal parts (3) produced by the metal crushing plant (10) during the filling of the battery trough (2) with a composite material (51), in particular a resin; • Curing of the metal parts (3) and the composite material (51) to form a composite material.

13. Lithium-ion traction battery for a mobile working machine, in particular a forklift truck, using a battery trough (2) manufactured according to claim 11 or 12, wherein at least one lithium-ion battery module (10) is installed in the battery trough (2) provided with the ballast material (3a).

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