JPH11271409A - Battery tray and method for testing battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve productivity by allowing smooth operation such as charging and measuring in a process for testing a battery, related to a battery tray for transporting multiple batteries in a battery manufacture process. SOLUTION: A partition wall 3 forming a battery housing part 2 for housing multiple batteries 10 at a constant pitch in a battery tray 1, a shifting rib 4 positioning the battery 10 in each battery housing part 2, and an insert hole 5 in which, related to each battery housing part 2, a terminal for test (charge, measurement) of the battery 10 is inserted, are provided. In a battery testing process, forms of the partition wall 3 and the shifting rib 4 of the battery tray 1 are imaged by an imaging means such as a CCD camera for recognizing pattern, thus kind of battery is identified, and then a test condition according the battery is set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery tray used in a battery manufacturing process and a method for testing a battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a manufacturing process of a lithium battery used for a battery of various electronic devices, there is a testing process for checking the performance (quality) of the battery after a battery assembling process.

That is, in the battery test process, the assembled battery is charged in the assembly process, and then the voltage, impedance, temperature, etc. are measured. If the battery is defective, it is removed. Is to make a completed product after discharging.

In the battery testing process, a number of batteries are placed on a conveyor and conveyed, and are continuously supplied to charging, measuring, and discharging processes. In order to transport the batteries, a battery tray capable of storing and transporting a large number of batteries at a time is used in consideration of mass productivity, but a conventionally used battery tray is merely capable of storing a large number of batteries. However, the structure was not particularly designed for convenience in the battery test process.

[0005] Also, batteries are available in a plurality of types (cylindrical type, square type,
And test types such as current, voltage, charging time, etc., differ depending on the type.

In this case, in the conventional test process, each time the person visually checks the type of battery each time, the test conditions are set accordingly.

[0007]

As described above, the battery tray used conventionally has only a structure capable of accommodating a large number of batteries, and is particularly designed for convenience in the battery testing process. Since the battery was not structured as described above, operations such as charging and measurement could not be performed smoothly in the battery test process, and there was a problem in terms of productivity.

Further, in the conventional test process, since the type of battery is visually checked each time by a person and the test conditions are set, the work efficiency is poor and the productivity is further reduced.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a battery tray for transporting a large number of batteries in a battery manufacturing process. A partition wall forming a storage section, a rib provided to protrude from the partition wall in each battery storage section, a shifting rib for positioning a battery in a predetermined storage position, and a bottom section provided in each battery storage section, for battery testing. An object of the present invention is to provide a battery tray having an insertion hole into which a terminal is inserted.

Further, the battery test method according to the present invention is characterized in that a partition wall forming a battery storage section for storing a large number of batteries at a constant pitch, and a battery protruding from the partition wall in each battery storage section are provided. In a battery manufacturing process in which a large number of batteries are transported using a battery tray having a shifting rib positioned at a storage position of the tray, the shapes of the partition walls and the shifting rib of the tray are imaged by an imaging unit. By recognizing the pattern, the type of the battery is identified, and various test conditions corresponding to the battery are set.

In the battery tray according to the present invention as described above, a large number of batteries are stored in an orderly manner at a fixed pitch, and a battery test terminal is inserted into the bottom of each battery storage portion. Since the holes are provided, operations such as charging and measurement are smoothly performed in a battery test process, and productivity is improved.

Further, in the battery testing method according to the present invention, the type of battery is identified by pattern-recognizing the shape of the partition wall or the moving rib of the tray by the imaging means, and the test conditions are set according to the battery. By doing so, the work efficiency in the battery test process is greatly improved, and the productivity is further improved.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. First, FIG.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of the battery tray according to the present invention. Here, a battery tray accommodating a large number of cylindrical batteries is illustrated.

FIG. 1 shows the battery tray 1 as a whole. The battery tray 1 is formed in a rectangular casing having an open upper surface side, and a large number of batteries 10 are stored therein in an upright state. Has become.

As shown in FIG. 2, the battery tray 1 is provided with a battery storage section 2 for storing a large number of batteries 10 at a constant pitch. The battery compartment 2 is formed at a constant pitch a in the X direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 2) and in the Y direction (vertical direction), and the batteries 10 are accommodated in the battery compartment 2 one by one. It has become.

As shown in FIG. 3, a partition wall 3 is provided on the battery tray 1, and a square battery housing 2 is formed so as to be surrounded on all sides by the partition wall 3.
The height of the partition wall 3 is formed to be about half the depth of the battery tray 1 as is apparent from FIG.

In each of the battery storage sections 2, a shift rib 4 for accurately positioning the battery 10 at a predetermined storage position is formed so as to protrude from the partition wall 3 toward the center.

In the present embodiment, the shifting ribs 4 are four-sided partition walls 3.
The battery 10 inserted into the battery storage unit 2 is securely moved to the predetermined storage position without being rattled at a predetermined storage position in a state where the battery 10 is moved toward the center by the eight shift ribs 4. It is stored in.

There are a plurality of types of batteries 10 having different sizes. For example, there are two types of batteries having a diameter of 17 mm and 18 mm in the cylindrical battery shown in this example. The difference can be easily dealt with by changing the protrusion dimension b of the shift rib 4.

Further, the shifting rib 4 is formed in a shape in which the upper portion is cut into an inclined shape, so that the battery 10 can be inserted smoothly.

Further, in each of the battery housings 2, an insertion hole 5 is provided at the center of the bottom thereof, and a terminal for battery testing (for charging and measurement) is inserted through the insertion hole 5 as described later. It has become so.

5 to 7 show other examples of the shape of the battery tray. The battery tray shown in this example stores a large number of square batteries. Here, the portions corresponding to the battery trays for cylindrical batteries described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

The difference between the battery tray 1 of this embodiment and the tray for cylindrical batteries described above is as follows. In the battery tray 1 of this embodiment, the shape of the battery storage section 2 is a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of a square battery. In addition to being formed, the battery storage section 2 is configured to store the battery 10 in a state of being inclined by 45 °. In the battery tray 1 according to the present embodiment, a total of six ribs 4 are provided, two from the long side of the partition wall 3 and one from the short side.

The battery tray 1 for a rectangular battery of this embodiment has the same outer dimensions as the above-described tray for a cylindrical battery, and the pitch a of the battery housing 2 is also the same. Thereby, the equipment in the battery test process can be shared between the cylindrical battery and the prismatic battery.

Next, the material of the battery tray will be described.
The battery tray 1 is an injection-molded product made of plastic. Generally, PP (polypropylene) is used as the material, but as a fire prevention measure when the battery generates abnormal heat, use of flame-retardant PP, which is less flammable than PP, can be considered.

However, in the case of the flame-retardant PP, the hydrogen bromide-based flame-retardant material contained in the flame-retardant PP may generate a powdery substance at a temperature of 60 ° C. or more, which may adversely affect the battery. In particular, PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) is used.

Since this PPS does not contain a hydrogen bromide-based flame retardant, no powdery substance is generated even in an environment of 60 ° C. or more, so that there is no adverse effect on the battery. In addition, since the PPS has been confirmed by a flame-retardant flame test to be equivalent to 5 V, which is the most inflammable in the UL94 standard indicating the degree of flame retardancy, fire prevention measures can be further strengthened (flame retardancy test method). UL94 standard is HB, V2, V1, V0 in order of flammability, and 5V which is the least flammable
There are five stages. Incidentally, PP is at the HB level and flame-retardant PP is at the V0 level).

Next, the battery test process in the battery manufacturing process using the battery tray as described above is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. Here, battery 1
The case of a cylindrical battery is illustrated as 0.

The battery 10 assembled in the battery assembling step is first supplied to a tray loader step by a conveyor. In this tray loader process, the battery 10
Are chucked by the chuck unit 20 in plurals (four in this example) as shown in FIG. Here, the pitch of the batteries 10 to be chucked corresponds to the pitch a of the battery storage section 2 of the battery tray 1.

The chucked battery 10
Is inserted from above by the robot into the battery storage section 2 of the battery tray 1 positioned at a predetermined position in advance. When this operation is repeated several times and the batteries 10 are stored in all the battery storage sections 2 of the battery tray 1, the tray loader process ends, and then the battery tray 1 is placed on a conveyor and transported to the next charging process. You.

In the charging step, as shown in FIG.
The battery tray 1 is positioned above the battery tray 1. In this state, the charging negative terminal 22 contacts the center of the negative electrode of the battery 10 from above the battery tray 1, and the charging positive terminal 22 from below the battery tray 1. The terminal 23 passes through the insertion hole 5 and the battery 10
Contact with the center of the positive electrode. Here, the terminals 22, 23
Are configured to be elastically pressed against the battery 10 by the forces of the springs 24 and 25, respectively, so as to make reliable contact.

In the state where the charging terminals 22 and 23 are in contact with the battery 10 as described above, current is supplied from the terminals 22 and 23 to the battery 10 to perform charging.
The battery trays 1 and 2 are separated from the battery 10, and the battery tray 1 is transported to a predetermined storage by a conveyor. After a predetermined time has passed in the storage, the battery tray 1 is placed on the conveyor again and transported to the next measurement step.

In the measuring step, the battery tray 1 is placed on the fixed base 21 as shown in FIG.
In this state, the negative electrode side terminal 22 for measurement comes into contact with the center of the negative electrode of the battery 10 from above the battery tray 1 and the positive electrode side terminal 23 for measurement is inserted from below the battery tray 1 into the insertion hole 5. Then, the battery 10 contacts the center of the positive electrode of the battery 10, and the voltage, impedance, and the like are measured in this state. In the measurement step, the battery 10
It also monitors the temperature of the equipment.

If a defective battery, that is, a battery whose measured value deviates from a certain standard, is found in this measuring step, the battery is removed from the battery tray. Thereafter, the battery tray 1 containing the remaining normal batteries is transported by the conveyor to the next discharging step.

In the discharge step, the battery tray 1 is left on the shelf of the discharge device for a predetermined period of time, so that the electricity charged in the battery 10 is naturally discharged into the air.

After all the battery testing steps (charging, measurement, discharging) in the battery manufacturing process are completed, the battery is shipped as a finished battery.

The battery tray 1 used in the battery test process as described above contains a large number of batteries 10 arranged in a regular arrangement at a constant pitch. Since the insertion holes 5 into which the terminals 22 and 23 for charging and measurement are inserted are provided, operations such as charging and measurement are smoothly performed in a battery test process, and productivity is improved.

Further, the battery tray 1 can accommodate a plurality of types of batteries simply by changing the protrusion dimension b of the shifting rib 4, so that it is possible to easily cope with the diversification of batteries.

In the battery tray 1, as described above, a plurality of types of batteries can be stored in a state of being arranged at a constant pitch, so that each of the battery testing processes (tray loader process, charging process, measuring process, There is no need to provide equipment for each type of battery in the discharge step), and production with the minimum equipment in each step is possible.

In the battery test process as described above, test conditions vary depending on the type of the battery 10.
For example, the illustrated cylindrical battery has diameters of 17 mm and 18 m.
m, there are two types, a 17mm diameter battery and an 18
Table 1 shows the conditions for charging a mm-diameter battery.

[0041]

[Table 1]

As is apparent from Table 1, the charging voltage and the charging time are the same between the 17 mm diameter battery and the 18 mm diameter battery, but the conditions for the charging current are significantly different.

In the conventional battery test process, a person visually checks the type of the battery each time and sets a charging condition in accordance with the visual check, so that work efficiency is poor and productivity is low.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the shapes of the partition wall 3 and the rib 4 of the battery tray 1 are imaged in advance by a CCD camera 30 which is an image pickup means, and the pattern is recognized by a computer, thereby recharging the battery. And automatically set a charging condition corresponding to the battery.

That is, in the memory of the computer, the shape pattern of the partition wall 3 and the shift rib 4 of the battery tray 1 are stored for each type of battery, and based on this, the computer uses the CCD camera 30 to capture the partition wall 3 The type of the battery is identified by recognizing the pattern of the shape of the shifting rib 4. Then, the computer sets the battery charging conditions as shown in Table 1 according to the identified battery type, and controls the system to execute the conditions.

By doing so, the working efficiency in the battery test process is greatly improved as compared with the prior art, and the productivity can be further improved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, but can adopt various other embodiments.

[0048]

As described above, in the battery tray according to the present invention, a large number of batteries are housed in a state where they are arranged in a regular pitch at a constant pitch, and a battery test terminal is provided at the bottom of each battery housing. Since the insertion hole for insertion is provided, operations such as charging and measurement are smoothly performed in the battery testing process, and productivity is improved.

In the battery testing method according to the present invention, the shape of the partition wall or the rib of the tray is imaged by the imaging means and the pattern is recognized to identify the type of the battery and set the test conditions according to the battery. By doing so, the work efficiency in the battery test process is greatly improved as compared with the conventional case, and the productivity is further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery tray according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the battery storage unit.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial plan view showing another example of the battery tray according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the battery storage unit.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a tray loader process in a battery test process.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of a charging step and a measuring step.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a battery test method according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ‥‥ battery tray, 2 ‥‥ battery compartment, 3 ‥‥ partition,
4 ‥‥ shifting rib, 5 ‥‥ insertion hole, 22, 23 ‥‥ terminal,
30cm CCD camera (imaging means)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A battery tray for transporting a large number of batteries in a battery manufacturing process, comprising: a partition wall forming a battery storage portion for storing a large number of batteries at a constant pitch; A shifting rib provided to project from the partition wall to position the battery at a predetermined storage position; and an insertion hole provided at the bottom of each battery storage portion and into which a battery test terminal is inserted. Battery tray. 2. A partition wall for forming a battery storage section for storing a large number of batteries at a constant pitch, and a partition provided at each battery storage section so as to protrude from the partition wall to position the battery at a predetermined storage position. In a battery manufacturing process in which a large number of batteries are transported using a battery tray having ribs, the shape of the partition walls and the approach ribs of the tray is imaged by an imaging unit to recognize the pattern. Identify battery type,
A battery test method in which various test conditions are set according to the battery.