Granted Patent B2

US 10,003,066 · App. 14/353,606 · Granted Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. A connecting pole ( 1 ) for a rechargeable battery ( 12 ) having the following features:

a) the connecting pole ( 1 ) comprises a connecting section ( 2 ) in which a pole terminal can be attached to the connecting pole ( 1 ),

b) the connecting pole ( 1 ) comprises an attachment section ( 3 ) in which the connecting pole ( 1 ) can be attached in a housing section ( 5 ) of the rechargeable battery ( 12 ), the housing section comprising a material,

c) the attachment section ( 3 ) comprises a labyrinth section ( 4 ),

d) the outer wall ( 6 ) of the connecting pole ( 1 ) exhibits one or more peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) in the labyrinth section ( 4 ),

characterized in that

e) at least two adjacently arranged peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) are flanged in pairs in the mutually facing direction, wherein the flanged region forms an undercut ( 11 ) on each peripheral projection ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) in relation to the outer wall ( 6 ) of the connecting pole ( 1 ),

wherein flanging only produces one single undercut ( 11 ) per peripheral projection ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ), resulting in an asymmetrical profile of the peripheral projection ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ), whereby material can collect in the undercut when the connecting pole is embedded in the housing.

2. The connecting pole according to claim 1 , characterized in that the undercuts ( 11 ) produced by flanging of a pair of peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) are arranged opposite each other.

3. The connecting pole according to claim 1 , characterized in that the peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) provided with the undercuts ( 11 ) by flanging are otherwise free of undercuts.

4. The connecting pole according to claim 1 , characterized in that at least one non-flanged peripheral projection ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) is respectively arranged above and/or below a pair of flanged peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ).

5. The connecting pole according to claim 1 , characterized in that in each case two pairs of flanged peripheral projection ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) are adjacently arranged.

6. A rechargeable battery housing ( 5 , 13 ) or a section ( 5 ) thereof comprising at least one connecting pole ( 1 ) in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one connecting pole ( 1 ) with attachment section ( 3 ) is embedded in a rechargeable battery housing section ( 5 ) by injection molding.

7. A method for manufacturing the connecting pole ( 1 ) of claim 1 , the method comprising: integrally forming on a blank a labyrinth section ( 4 ) one or more peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) in the attachment section ( 3 ) on the outer wall ( 6 ) of the connecting pole ( 1 ) by means of at least one extrusion press step.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising flanging in the mutually facing direction at least two adjacently arranged peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) in pairs in a subsequent flanging step.

9. The connecting pole according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting pole ( 1 ) comprises an inner wall ( 9 ) having a smooth surface.

10. A method for manufacturing the connecting pole ( 1 ) of claim 1 , the method comprising forming a connecting pole ( 1 ) having a labyrinth section ( 4 ) with one or more peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) on the outer wall ( 6 ) of the connecting pole ( 1 ) in a molding process.

11. A machine which performs the method of claim 7 .

12. A method of manufacturing a connecting pole ( 1 ) for a rechargeable battery ( 12 ), the method comprising:

integrally forming on a blank labyrinth section ( 4 ) one or more peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) in the attachment section ( 3 ) on an outer wall ( 6 ) of a connecting pole ( 1 ) by means of at least one extrusion press step or to form a connecting pole ( 1 ) having a labyrinth section ( 4 ) with one or more peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) on the outer wall ( 6 ) of the connecting pole ( 1 ) in a molding process; and

flanging in the mutually facing direction at least two adjacently arranged peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) in pairs in a subsequent flanging step;

the method producing a connecting pole having:

a connecting section ( 2 ) in which a pole terminal can be attached to the connecting pole ( 1 ); an attachment section ( 3 ) in which the connecting pole ( 1 ) can be attached in a housing section ( 5 ) of the rechargeable battery ( 12 ), the housing section comprising a material; the attachment section ( 3 ) comprises the labyrinth section ( 4 ); the outer wall ( 6 ) of the connecting pole ( 1 ) exhibits one or more of the peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) in the labyrinth section ( 4 ); characterized in that at least two adjacently arranged peripheral projections ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) are flanged in pairs in the mutually facing direction, wherein the flanged region forms an undercut ( 11 ) on each peripheral projection ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ) in relation to the outer wall ( 6 ) of the connecting pole ( 1 ),

wherein flanging only produces one single undercut ( 11 ) per peripheral projection ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ), resulting in an asymmetrical profile of the peripheral projection ( 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ), whereby material can collect in the undercut when the connecting pole is embedded in the housing.

13. A machine for manufacturing a connecting pole using the method of claim 12 .

Assignments (6)