Battery Plate Lug Alignment Clamp With Adjustable Frame Feet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery plate lug alignment mechanisms suffer from inaccuracies due to play in the system, leading to potential damage and process halts, and result in oversized mould cavities and lead wastage.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a frame carrying a lug alignment mechanism, featuring feet with fixed and moveable surfaces, which allows for precise alignment of lugs by adjusting the position of the actuator, reducing wear and increasing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed feet with fixed spacing are used to locate the alignment mechanism, then the structure is simple, but wear occurs between the feet and jig box contact surfaces leading to inaccurate alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making one foot movable rather than fixed. The movable foot can adjust its position to accommodate wear and maintain proper alignment accuracy over time, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If the frame feet are positioned close together, then alignment accuracy is improved, but the feet may jam during placement and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The movable foot allows the frame to be placed with greater spacing between feet, preventing jamming during operation. Once positioned, the movable foot can be adjusted to achieve accurate alignment, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame is first positioned with feet spaced apart to avoid jamming, then the movable foot is adjusted to the precise position needed for accurate alignment. This preliminary positioning followed by adjustment resolves the contradiction between operational ease and alignment accuracy.
3Reliability
If oversized mould cavities are used to accommodate potential misalignment, then alignment accuracy is maintained, but lead wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable foot provides a feedback mechanism that actively maintains alignment accuracy, eliminating the need for oversized mould cavities as a compensatory measure. This resolves the contradiction between alignment reliability and material efficiency by providing real-time adjustment capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method for aligning the lugs on a stack of battery plates in a jig box. The apparatus comprises a frame carrying a lug alignment mechanism for positioning over the jig box. The frame comprises a set of feet that engage the jig box to locate the lug alignment mechanism. The frame feet on one side comprise fixed surfaces configured to engage contact surfaces on a first side of the jig box. The frame feet on the opposite side comprise for engaging contact surfaces on the corresponding second side. The actuators are operable such that when the frame is positioned over the jig box, moveable surfaces are moveable between a first position and a second position in which they are engaged with the contact surfaces on the second side and the fixed surfaces are engaged with the contact surfaces on the first side.