Apparatus for moulding battery components
AssigneeTbs Engineering Limited
InventorsSimon Anthony Britton, David Voden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for moulding battery components including a molten metal feed trough, a mould block adjacent to the feed trough, a weir between the feed trough and each cavity and a supply for feeding molten metal to the feed trough. The mould block has at least one mould cavity and a cooling arrangement which cools the mould block, and the mould block is provided with a heating arrangement adjacent to the or each mould cavity. In use, the heating arrangement maintains at least part of the, or each, mould cavity at an elevated temperature relative to the average operational temperature of the mould block.
Claims11
An apparatus for moulding battery components, said apparatus comprising:
- a first molten metal feed trough;
- a first mould block adjacent to the first feed trough, the first mould block having a mould cavity and a cooling arrangement which in use cools the first mould block;
- a first weir between the first feed trough and the mould cavity;
- and
- a supply for feeding molten metal to the first feed trough;
- wherein the first mould block is provided with a heating arrangement adjacent to the mould cavity, which in use maintains at least part of the mould cavity at an elevated temperature relative to an average operational temperature of the first mould block,
- wherein the mould cavity comprises a first leg extending longitudinally relative to the apparatus, and a second leg extending substantially perpendicular to the first leg towards the first feed trough, the second leg of the mould cavity having a smaller cross-sectional area than the first leg of the mould cavity, and
- wherein the heating arrangement is provided adjacent to the second leg of the mould cavity between the first feed trough and the first mould block to maintain the second leg at an elevated temperature relative to the average operational temperature of the first mould block.
A method of moulding battery components, said method comprising:
- providing an apparatus for moulding battery components, said apparatus including:
- a molten metal feed trough;
- a mould block adjacent to the feed trough, the mould block having a mould cavity and a cooling arrangement;
- a weir between the feed trough and the mould cavity;
- and a molten metal supply arrangement;
- cooling the mould block;
- heating at least a part of the mould cavity to a temperature above an average temperature of the mould block with a heating arrangement;
- supplying molten metal into the feed trough so that the molten metal flows over the weir into the mould cavity;
- stopping the supply of molten metal when a level of molten metal in the mould cavity has reached a required level;
- and
- allowing the molten metal to solidify in the mould cavity,
- wherein the mould cavity comprises a first leg extending longitudinally relative to the apparatus, and a second leg extending substantially perpendicular to the first leg towards the feed trough, the second leg of the mould cavity having a smaller cross-sectional area than the first leg of the mould cavity;
- and,
- wherein the heating arrangement is provided adjacent to the second leg of the mould cavity between the feed trough and the mould block to maintain the second leg at an elevated temperature relative to the average operational temperature of the mould block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.