Device and Method for Forming Waved Corner Sealed Joints in Layered Sheet Material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021283671-A1
Application number	US-201716332408-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2017
Priority date	Dec 6, 2016
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A forming device is configured to form metal laminated sheet material into a tray-shaped case half while allowing the material to form pleats in the corners of the recess during the forming process while preventing formation of pleats along the flange. The device forms the flange so that excess material in the corners of the case halves is arranged in an undulating shape. As a result, the flange has a waved or ruffled configuration at each corner. Two such case halves are sealed together along the flange to form a reliably sealed package. A method of forming pouch cell is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for manufacturing a shaped workpiece, the device comprising a die block and a punch that, when pressed together, cooperate to provide the workpiece having a desired shape,
the die block comprising a die working surface, a die support surface that faces away from the die working surface, and a die peripheral edge that joins the die working surface to the die support surface, the die working surface comprising surface features that include
a central recess having a polygonal shape that defines at least three die apexes, each die apex having a corner radius, and
a die flange that extends between the central recess and the die peripheral edge, the die flange having at least one alternating die ridge and die channel that extends between the central recess and the die peripheral edge, the at least one alternating die ridge and die channel disposed along the corner radius of each apex and defining a curvilinear profile when viewed in cross section;
the punch comprising a punch working surface that faces the die working surface, a punch support surface that faces away from the punch working surface, and a punch peripheral edge that joins the punch working surface to the punch support surface, the punch working surface comprising surface features that are a negative of the surface features of the die working surface,
wherein
the die block and the punch are movable between a first position in which the die block and the punch are spaced apart a first distance, and a second position in which the die block and the punch are spaced apart a second distance that is less than the first distance,
the die block and the punch are configured so that when in the second position with the workpiece disposed between the die working surface and the punch working surface, the die block and the punch cooperate to provide the workpiece having a desired shape.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein when the die block and punch are in the second position, the spacing between the surface features of the die block and the surface features of punch is greater in regions including the die apexes than in regions spaced apart from the die apexes.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the surface features of the punch working surface include
a central protrusion having the polygonal shape having at least three punch apexes, each punch apex having a corner radius, and a punch flange that extends between the central protrusion and the punch peripheral edge, the punch flange having at least one alternating punch ridge and punch channel that extends between the central protrusion and the punch peripheral edge, the at least one alternating punch ridge and punch channel disposed along the corner radius of each apex and defining a curvilinear profile when viewed in cross section.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein
the central recess of the die block includes a die end surface, and die sidewalls that surround the die end surface, each die sidewall connected to an adjacent die sidewall via one of the die apexes, the central protrusion of the punch includes a punch end surface and punch sidewalls that surround the punch end surface, each punch sidewall connected to an adjacent punch sidewall via one of the punch apexes, and when the die block and punch are in the second position,
the central protrusion of the punch is disposed within the central recess of the die block such that the punch end surface faces the die end surface and is spaced apart from the die end surface the second distance,
the punch sidewalls face the die sidewalls and are spaced apart from the die sidewalls the second distance, and
the corner radius of each punch apex is disposed in a corresponding one of the corner radius of each die apex, and is spaced apart from the corresponding one of the corner radius of each die apex a third distance, where the second distance is less than the third distance.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein
the die flange surrounds the central recess, the die flange has a linear profile in portions of the die flange disposed between adjacent apexes, the punch flange surrounds the central recess, and the punch flange has a linear profile in portions of the die flange disposed between adjacent apexes.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the central recess has four sides, and each pair of adjacent sides is joined by one of the die apexes.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the central recess includes an end surface that is generally parallel to the flange, and sides that are perpendicular to the flange and join the end surface to the flange.

8 . A method of manufacturing a sealed package from two blanks of sheet material, the method comprising
providing a die block comprising a die working surface, a die support surface that faces away from the die working surface, and a die peripheral edge that joins the die working surface to the die support surface, the die working surface comprising surface features that include
a central recess having a polygonal shape that defines at least three die apexes, each die apex having a corner radius, and
a die flange that extends between the central recess and the die peripheral edge, the die flange having at least one alternating die ridge and die channel that extends between the central recess and the die peripheral edge, the at least one alternating die ridge and die channel disposed along the corner radius of each apex and defining a curvilinear profile when viewed in cross section;
providing a punch that is a negative of the die block; inserting a first material sheet between the die block and the punch; pressing the punch into the die block in a forming process such that the first material sheet is formed into a first case half having a first central recess surrounded by a first flange, and first waves defined by the alternating die ridges and die channels formed in the first flange at locations corresponding to apexes of the first central recess; removing the first case half from the die block and punch; inserting a second material sheet between the die block and the punch; pressing the punch into the die block in a forming process such that the second material sheet is formed into a second case half having a second central recess surrounded by a second flange, and second waves defined by the alternating die ridges and die channels formed in the second flange at locations corresponding to apexes of the second central recess; removing the second case half from the die block and punch; assembling the first case half and second case half together such that punch facing surfaces of the first flange and the second flange contact each other and the first waves are nested within the second waves; joining the first case half flange to the second case half flange by forming a seal line between the first flange and the second flange about a circumference of the first and second central recesses.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein forming a seal line includes applying heat to at least one of the first and second flanges.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein
the step of pressing the punch comprises moving the punch relative to the die block from a first position in which the flange of the punch is spaced apart from the flange of the die block a first distance to a second position in which the flange of the punch is spaced apart from the flange of the die block a second distance, the first distance is sufficiently large to allow the material sheet to be inserted between the die block and the punch, the second distance is less than the first distance.

11 . The method of claim 8 wherein when a flange of the punch is spaced

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Kotik Mark
• Levin Eugene
• Sarazin David

Classifications

• H01M50/119

  Metals · CPC title

• H01M50/136

  Flexibility or foldability · CPC title

• H01M50/105

  Pouches or flexible bags · CPC title

• H01M50/126

  comprising three or more layers · CPC title

• H01M50/133

  Thickness · CPC title