Patent Description:
The present invention relates to a tray for loading a battery cap, which stores and transfers a battery cap coupled to an upper end of a can of a cylindrical battery, and more particularly, to a tray for loading a battery cap, in which more battery caps are capable of being loaded, and the battery caps are capable of being stacked in more stages.

Unlike primary batteries, rechargeable secondary batteries are being developed not only for digital devices but also for vehicles such as electric vehicles.

Secondary batteries are variously classified according to materials and external shapes of a positive electrode and a negative electrode. Among them, since such a lithium secondary battery using a lithium compound material has large capacity and a low self-discharge rate, the lithium secondary battery is being widely used instead of a nickelcadmium secondary battery according to the related art.

Also, the lithium secondary battery may be manufactured in various shapes. Representatively, the lithium secondary battery may be manufactured in a cylinder type, a prismatic type, or a pouch type.

Among them, in the case of the cylindrical type, when a cylindrical electrode assembly having a circular tube shape with an opened upper side and a closed bottom side is mounted, a disk-shaped battery cap is coupled to an upper end of a can.

In general, the battery cap has a structure in which a safety vent that is broken to discharge a gas at a predetermined pressure so as to prevent explosion when a gas pressure inside a can increases, a PTC element that interrupts current at a high temperature, a current interrupt device (CID) that interrupts current when an internal pressure increases, and a top cap connected to a positive electrode tab of an electrode assembly to serve as a positive electrode terminal and disposed at the uppermost end are mounted.

As described above, since the battery cap is coupled to an upper end of the can in a state in which several components are mounted, the battery cap is manufactured in a process that is separated from processes for manufacturing the can and is transported as a combination device of the can and the battery cap in a state of being seated on the tray.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, which illustrate the tray for transport and storage according to the related art, the tray <NUM> according to the related art has a rectangular plate shape and has a structure in which a plurality of grooves <NUM> are defined along horizontal and vertical rows so that a battery cap <NUM> is laid horizontally and seated on a top surface of the tray <NUM>.

However, the structure of the tray <NUM> according to the related art has been difficult to supply a sufficient quantity of battery caps <NUM> at once as a production rate in a production line increases. That is, when a predetermined quantity of battery caps <NUM> has to be provided in the production line, the number of battery caps <NUM> mounted on each tray decreases, and thus, more trays <NUM> are required. As a result, a large space and much time are required for transporting and storing the trays <NUM>.

Further prior art is described in <CIT>.

Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide a tray for loading battery caps, which is capable of mounting more battery caps per unit volume when compared to the structure according to the related art.

A tray for loading battery caps, on which the battery caps are mountable, according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises: first trays, each having a top surface, in which first grooves are defined, and a bottom surface, in which second grooves are defined; and second trays, each having a top surface, in which third grooves are defined, and a bottom surface, in which fourth grooves are defined and disposed above or below the first tray, wherein, when the first tray is disposed above the second tray, each of the second grooves and each of the third grooves communicate with each other to provide a communication space, and when the first tray is disposed below the second tray, each of the first grooves and each of the fourth grooves communicate with each other to provide a communication space, wherein the battery caps are mountable in a vertically erect state in the first tray and the second tray.

Here, as described above, the battery cap may mean a disk-shaped battery cap coupled to an upper end of a can of the cylindrical secondary battery. Alternatively, the battery cap may be replaced with a button-type secondary battery or different disk-shaped components of the secondary battery, such as a top cap placed at the uppermost end of the battery cap. Also, it is not necessarily limited to the circular shape, and the battery cap may be a plate-shaped component that is mounted vertically with an area greater than a thickness thereof.

The first grooves and the second grooves are alternately arranged so that the second grooves are disposed between the first grooves adjacent to each other in the first tray, and the third grooves and the fourth grooves may be alternately arranged so that the fourth grooves are disposed between the third grooves adjacent to each other in the second tray.

When the first tray and the second tray are stacked, and the battery caps are mounted in the space between the second groove and the third groove or the space between the first groove and the fourth groove, upper ends of the battery caps are restrictable in the second grooves or the fourth grooves, and lower ends of the battery caps are restricteable in the first grooves or the third grooves to prevent the first tray and the second tray from being separated.

The first tray may have a rectangular plate shape in which the first grooves and the second grooves are alternately arranged along a vertical line, wherein the first trays having the same shape may be continuously arranged along a horizontal line, and the second tray may have a rectangular plate shape in which the third grooves and the fourth grooves are arranged along the vertical line, wherein the second trays having the same shape may be continuously arranged along the horizontal line.

The first tray may have a zigzag-shaped cross-section vertically along the vertical line in a region in which the first grooves and the second grooves are alternately arranged, and the second tray may have a zigzag-shaped cross-section vertically along the vertical line in a region in which the third grooves and the fourth grooves are alternately arranged.

The first tray and the second tray may have the same area, and the first trays and the second trays may be alternately and continuously stacked.

When the battery caps are seated in the erect state, each of the first grooves and the second grooves may have a width in which the battery caps are maintainable in the erect state.

In the first tray, the number of first grooves arranged in the vertical line and the number of first grooves arranged in the horizontal line may be the same, and in the second tray, the number of third grooves arranged in the vertical line and the number of third grooves arranged in the horizontal line may be the same.

When the first tray is placed above the second tray so that the battery caps are placeable in the vertically erect state in the space defined between the second groove and the third groove; and the first tray is placed below the second tray so that the battery caps are placeable in the vertically erect state in the space defined between the first groove and the fourth groove, the uppermost ends of the battery caps may not contact the first tray or the second tray.

Also, each of the first tray and the second tray may be made of a material having hardness less than that of the battery cap.

Furthermore, the first tray may have one of a protrusion or a groove at a portion having a shape protruding upward by the second groove between the first grooves adjacent to each other, and the other of the protrusion or the groove at a portion having a shape protruding downward by the first groove between the second grooves adjacent to each other, and the second tray may have one of a protrusion or a groove, which is engaged with the protrusion or the groove disposed at a lower portion of the first tray, at a portion having a shape protruding upward by the fourth groove between the third grooves, and the other of the protrusion or the groove at a portion having a shape protruding downward by the third groove between the fourth grooves adjacent to each other.

Also, according to another embodiment, a magnet may be attached to a portion at which the first tray and the second tray contact each other to guide the first tray and the second tray to be disposed in position by magnetism when the first tray and the second tray are stacked.

In the present invention having the above technical characteristics, since the battery cap is mounted vertically in the first tray and the second tray, more battery caps per unit area may be loaded.

Since the first grooves and the second grooves are alternately arranged so that the second groove is disposed between the first grooves adjacent to each other in the first tray, and the third grooves and the fourth grooves are alternately arranged so that the fourth groove is disposed between the third grooves adjacent to each other, the battery cap stacked below may be disposed between the battery caps stacked above to reduce the stacked height. That is, in the present invention, one of the first trays and one of the second trays may be stacked in two layers, and the height of the battery caps mounted on the stacked trays may be lower than twice the diameter of the battery cap. Therefore, the number of stacked trays may be further increased.

Also, when the first tray and the second tray are stacked, and the battery cap is mounted in the space between the second groove and the third groove or the space between the first groove and the fourth groove, the upper end of the battery cap may be restricted in the second groove or the fourth groove, and the lower end of the battery cap may be restricted in the first groove or the third groove to prevent the first tray and the second tray from being separated. That is, it is possible to more robustly prevent the trays from falling down by an impact applied from a lateral direction.

Since each of the first groove and the third groove of the first tray and the second tray has a width in which the battery cap is maintained in the erect state when the battery caps are seated in the erect state, the dispensing equipment may more easily dispense one or multiple battery caps when compared to the state in which the dispensing equipment is laid in the production process.

Since each of the first tray and the second tray is made of the material having hardness less than that of the battery case, when the trays and the battery cap collide with each other, it may be prevented that the battery caps are scratched or damaged.

Furthermore, the seated positions of the first tray and the second tray may be guided by the protrusion and the groove or by the magnet and thus be prevented from being shaken after being seated.

The present invention relates to a tray for loading a battery cap, on which a disk-shaped battery cap <NUM> is mounted, i.e., a tray for loading a battery cap <NUM>, in which the battery cap <NUM> is mounted in a vertically erect state so that more battery caps <NUM> per unit volume are capable of being mounted when compared to the structure of the battery cap according to the related art, and thus, the battery caps <NUM> are more easily stored, transported, and dispensed. Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<FIG> illustrate a configuration of a first tray and a second tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention. <FIG> is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the first tray is stacked on the second tray in a state in which a battery cap is mounted on the first tray and the second tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention, <FIG> is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in <FIG>, <FIG> is an enlarged view of a portion C in <FIG>, and <FIG> is a see-through view illustrating a portion B in <FIG>.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the tray according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a first tray <NUM> and a second tray <NUM>. The first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> are alternately and continuously stacked.

The first tray <NUM> has a structure in which a first groove <NUM> is defined in a top surface thereof, and a second groove <NUM> is defined in a bottom surface thereof, and the second tray <NUM> has a structure in which a third groove <NUM> is defined in a top surface thereof, and a fourth groove <NUM> is defined in a bottom surface thereof.

Also, the second tray <NUM> may be stacked above and below the first tray <NUM>. When the first tray <NUM> is disposed above the second tray <NUM>, the second groove <NUM> and the third groove <NUM> communicate with each other to provide a communication space, and when the first tray <NUM> is disposed below the second tray <NUM>, the first groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM> communicate with each other to provide a communication space.

Furthermore, the battery cap <NUM> is mounted in a vertically erect state in the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM>. That is, the battery cap <NUM> is mounted in the vertically erect state within the first groove <NUM> and the third groove <NUM>, i.e., in the communication space between the second groove <NUM> and the third groove <NUM> and the communication space between the first groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM>.

As described above, the battery cap <NUM> means a disk-shaped battery cap coupled to an upper end of a can of a cylindrical secondary battery. Alternatively, the battery cap <NUM> may be replaced with a button-type secondary battery or different disk-shaped components of the secondary battery, such as a top cap placed at the uppermost end of the battery cap <NUM>.

As illustrated in the state in which the battery cap <NUM> is seated in <FIG>, the first tray having the same shape are continuously arranged along a horizontal line, ad as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first tray <NUM> has a rectangular plate shape in which the first grooves <NUM> and the second grooves <NUM> are alternately arranged along a vertical line.

Likewise, the second tray <NUM> has a rectangular plate shape in which the third grooves <NUM> and the fourth grooves <NUM> are arranged along the vertical line, and the second trays <NUM> having the same shape are continuously arranged along the horizontal line. However, as described above, the second tray <NUM> is different from the first tray <NUM> in the positions of the grooves <NUM> and <NUM> so that the third groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM> of the second tray <NUM> respectively communicate with the second groove <NUM> and the first groove <NUM>.

Also, since the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> have the rectangular plate shapes having the same area, respectively, the first trays <NUM> and the second trays <NUM> may be alternately and continuously stacked. Also, in the first tray <NUM>, the number of first grooves <NUM> provided in the vertical line and the number of first grooves <NUM> provided in the horizontal line may be the same, and in the second tray <NUM>, the number of third grooves <NUM> provided in the vertical line and the number of third grooves <NUM> provided in the horizontal line may be the same (however, the arrangement and number of grooves may be different according to a shape and size of the tray).

That is, the first grooves <NUM> and the second grooves <NUM> may be alternately arranged so that the second groove <NUM> is disposed between the first grooves <NUM> adjacent to each other in the first tray <NUM>, and the third grooves <NUM> and the fourth grooves <NUM> may be alternately arranged so that the fourth groove <NUM> is disposed between the third grooves <NUM> adjacent to each other in the second tray <NUM>. Also, the second groove <NUM> and the third groove <NUM> may communicate with each other, and the first groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM> may communicate with each other according to the stacked positions of the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM>.

Furthermore, as illustrated more clearly in <FIG>, when the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> are stacked, and the battery cap <NUM> is mounted in the space between the second groove <NUM> and the third groove <NUM> or the space between the first groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM>, an upper end of the battery cap <NUM> may be restricted in the second groove <NUM> or the fourth groove <NUM>, and a lower end of the battery cap <NUM> may be restricted in the first groove <NUM> or the third groove <NUM> to prevent the first tray and the second tray from being separated.

That is, the first tray <NUM> has a zigzag-shaped cross-section vertically along the vertical line in the region in which the first grooves <NUM> and the second grooves <NUM> are alternately arranged, and the second tray <NUM> has a zigzag-shaped cross-section vertically along the vertical line in the region in which the third grooves <NUM> and the fourth grooves <NUM> are alternately arranged. Here, the battery cap <NUM> may be mounted in the space between the grooves, and thus, the space may have a size greater than that of the battery cap <NUM>. Also, each of the first groove <NUM> and the third groove <NUM> has a width in which the battery cap <NUM> is maintained in the erect state when the battery cap <NUM> is seated in the erect state.

Thus, when the first tray <NUM> is placed above the second tray <NUM> so that the battery cap <NUM> is placed in the vertically erect state in the space defined between the second groove <NUM> and the third groove <NUM>; and the first tray <NUM> is placed below the second tray <NUM> so that the battery cap <NUM> is placed in the vertically erect state in the space defined between the first groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM>, the uppermost end of the battery cap <NUM> does not contact the first tray <NUM> or the second tray <NUM>.

It is preferable that each of the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> are made of a material having hardness less than that of the battery cap <NUM>.

That is, since even a small impact occurs between the first and second trays <NUM> and <NUM> and the battery cap <NUM> while the battery cap <NUM> is mounted or dispensed and transported, it is preferable that the each of the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> is made of a relatively soft material when compared to the battery cap <NUM> so as to suppress or minimize an occurrence of scratch or deformation of the battery cap <NUM>.

In the tray having the configuration as described above according to the present invention, since the battery cap <NUM> is mounted in the vertically erect state in the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM>, more battery caps <NUM> per unit area may be loaded when compared to the tray mounted to be laid horizontally according to the related art.

Since The first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> are alternately arranged so that the second groove <NUM> is disposed between the adjacent first grooves <NUM> in the first tray <NUM>, and the third groove <NUM> and the fourth groove <NUM> are alternately disposed so that the fourth groove <NUM> is disposed between the adjacent third grooves <NUM> in the second tray <NUM>, the battery caps <NUM> stacked below may be placed between the battery caps <NUM> stacked above to reduce a stacked height. That is, as illustrated in <FIG>, when the first tray <NUM> is stacked above the second tray <NUM>, the total height may be less than twice a diameter of the battery cap <NUM>. Therefore, the number of stacked trays may further increase.

Since each of the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> is made of the material having the hardness less than that of the battery cap <NUM>, the occurrence of the stretch or damage of the battery cap <NUM> may be prevented when the trays <NUM> and <NUM> collide with the battery cap <NUM>.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, a structure, which is capable of fixing a first tray <NUM> and a second tray <NUM> to prevent the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> from being shaken in a state in which a battery cap <NUM> is mounted between the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM>, is provided.

Referring to <FIG> that illustrates a cross-sectional view of the first tray and the second tray according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in this embodiment, the first tray <NUM> has a groove <NUM> in a portion having a shape protruding upward by a second groove <NUM> between first grooves <NUM> adjacent to each other. Also, a protrusion <NUM> is disposed to protrude downward at a portion having a shape protruding downward by the first groove <NUM> between the second grooves <NUM> adjacent to each other.

Similarly, the second tray <NUM> has a groove <NUM>, which is engaged with the protrusion <NUM> disposed at a lower portion of the first tray <NUM>, in a portion having a shape protruding upward by a fourth groove <NUM> between third grooves <NUM>, and a protrusion <NUM> is disposed at a portion having a shape protruding downward by the third groove <NUM> between the fourth grooves <NUM> adjacent to each other.

Thus, when the second tray <NUM> or the first tray <NUM> are sequentially stacked above the first tray <NUM> or the second tray <NUM>, which is disposed below, the protrusions <NUM> and <NUM> may be fitted into the grooves <NUM> and <NUM> and thus be prevented from being separated from the grooves <NUM> and <NUM> by a weight of each of the tray and the battery cap <NUM>, which are disposed above the first and second trays <NUM> and <NUM>, thereby stably stacking the trays in more stages.

Furthermore, in a third embodiment of the present invention, a structure that is capable of preventing a first tray <NUM> and a second tray <NUM> from being shaken and capable of guiding the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> to be disposed in position when seated.

As illustrated in <FIG> that illustrates a cross-sectional view of a first tray <NUM> and a second tray <NUM> according to the third embodiment, in this embodiment, a magnet <NUM> may be attached to one of portions contacting each other when the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> are seated in position, and a metal may be placed on the other portion to be in contact with the magnet <NUM> so as to be magnetized to generate attraction force or may be coated with a predetermined thickness.

Alternatively, magnets <NUM> may be respectively disposed at each of portions at which the first tray <NUM> and the second tray contact each other to generate the attraction force at the positions contacting each other so that the portions having opposite polarities face each other, thereby guiding the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> to be disposed in position.

Therefore, when the first tray <NUM> and the second tray <NUM> are stacked, the positions of the first and second trays <NUM> and <NUM>, which are to be seated, may be guided by magnetism. As a result, after the first and second trays <NUM> and <NUM> are seated, the first and second trays <NUM> and <NUM> may be prevented from being shaken.

Claim 1:
A tray for loading battery caps (<NUM>), on which the battery caps (<NUM>) are mountable, the tray comprising:
first trays (<NUM>), each having a top surface, in which first grooves (<NUM>) are defined, and a bottom surface, in which second grooves (<NUM>) are defined; and
second trays (<NUM>), each having a top surface, in which third grooves (<NUM>) are defined, and a bottom surface, in which fourth grooves (<NUM>) are defined and disposed above or below the first tray (<NUM>), wherein, when the first tray (<NUM>) is disposed above the second tray (<NUM>), each of the second grooves (<NUM>) and each of the third grooves (<NUM>) communicate with each other to provide a communication space, and when the first tray (<NUM>) is disposed below the second tray (<NUM>), each of the first grooves (<NUM>) and each of the fourth grooves (<NUM>) communicate with each other to provide a communication space,
characterized in that the battery caps (<NUM>) are mountable in a vertically erect state in the first tray (<NUM>) and the second tray (<NUM>),
wherein the first grooves (<NUM>) and the second grooves (<NUM>) are alternately arranged so that the second grooves (<NUM>) are disposed between the first grooves (<NUM>) adjacent to each other in the first tray (<NUM>), and
the third grooves (<NUM>) and the fourth grooves (<NUM>) are alternately arranged so that the fourth grooves (<NUM>) are disposed between the third grooves (<NUM>) adjacent to each other in the second tray (<NUM>), and
wherein, when the first tray (<NUM>) and the second tray (<NUM>) are stacked, and the battery caps (<NUM>) are mounted in the space between the second groove (<NUM>) and the third groove (<NUM>) or the space between the first groove (<NUM>) and the fourth groove (<NUM>), upper ends of the battery caps (<NUM>)are restrictable in the second grooves (<NUM>) or the fourth grooves (<NUM>), and lower ends of the battery caps (<NUM>) are restrictable in the first grooves (<NUM>) or the third grooves (<NUM>) to prevent the first tray (<NUM>) and the second tray (<NUM>) from being separated.