JPS5961785A - Method and device for inspecting and sorting battery of pro-duction lot - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the testing and classification of batteries, and in particular to testing the expected lifespan of each battery and sorting out unusable batteries.

When selling many battery-powered electrical products, etc., ・Batteries for electrical products. It is a common practice to package and retail the products separately. The reasons for this practice include the proximity of appliance and battery manufacturers, the storage, shipping, and sales difficulties of appliances and batteries, and the potential for damage to appliances due to defective batteries.

Originally, the charge stored in all batteries is lost over time even if the battery is not used. Therefore, electrical products that use batteries can last for a long time even if they are not in use, so it is appropriate to display the lifespan on the batteries, and there are various other reasons why 1L batteries are sold separately.

・As an exception to the custom of selling batteries and related products separately,
Sales of photo finorems used for electric cameras. For example, Camp Ridge in Mayate-Usezotu (with the trademark name "Polaroid SX-70 Land Film")
The film backs used in instant cameras, sold by Volarot (Oambriage), have an ultra-thin battery that is positioned to mate with the camera and provide tight support when the film back is inserted into the camera. Once the exposure and automatic winding of a certain number of supplied film units has been completed, the batteries that power the camera can be used without fail.

The ultra-thin battery used in this type of film back is conceptually the same as the material that makes up the photographic film units found in film banks, and uses materials selected to maintain a stored charge. -rru. Additionally, the structure of this cell has been developed to provide a very low attenuation rate of the open circuit voltage. This latter point is addressed by the disclosure of US Pat. No. 4,028,479.

However, despite the replenishment conditions and structure of this type of battery, the lifespan characteristics of the R9T gold battery are difficult to discern based on the production period of the battery, and the lifespan of the film unit that is paired with the battery. There are times when there is only a short Kotobukikan.

In order to minimize the film wastage that occurs as a result of abnormally short battery Mi6, one of the most common current-based methods for manufacturing and testing these batteries is the batch specimen testing method 1 - the production lot specimen weighing method. Each battery in this batch is tested for expected life in this manner before being assembled and packaged in the film unit of the film back. Specifically, a sample of the battery made in each production lot or batch is tested for integrity of the voltage of the stored charge, and the voltage of the sample is recorded. The sample is then stored for a certain period of time, and the voltage is tested again, and the voltage at the time of the retest is compared with the voltage at the time of the first test, and a total of eight equations are calculated for the voltage decay rate to determine the lifespan. If the lifetime of a specimen in any batch is shorter than the allowable value, all batches corresponding to that specimen'1
``In other words, production lots can be discarded and batches or production lots that have an acceptable lifespan can be reliably used.

As long as the present method is statistically rational, it is clear that the lifetime of each battery in a Dr constant bunch or production lot can vary considerably. As a result, it can be determined whether many of the batteries that are rejected as a result of sample testing of production lots exhibit acceptable lifespans. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the method using electric current in terms of reducing battery disposal.

In the battery sorting power and device according to the present invention,
Each battery in a production lot is sampled after assembly to obtain the initial electrical energy value, and each battery tested is machined to record both the initial electrical energy value and the time at which the value was obtained. A visually readable display is displayed. Each battery would lack this information. This reduces the problem of information being lost to other locations, which is a major problem in large scale production. This step is immediately followed by a first classification of the battery, which specifies the minimum number of electrical energy stored during manufacturing.
Batteries with a value of 1'f or less are rejected as defective products. If this first classification step has been performed, all batteries that remain after this first classification operation, and if this first classification step has not been performed, all batteries will have no energy decay rate. It will be kept for as long as necessary to do so.

The storage time will vary depending on the structural characteristics of the battery, the intended use of the battery, the accuracy of expected future decay, and the sensitivity of the equipment available to detect the value of electrical energy stored in each battery. . After storage, each battery in the production unit is retested for a second value of electrical energy.

The second test value is compared with the first test value and first test time previously displayed for each battery along with the second test time, and an energy decay rate is calculated for each battery. Thereafter, the batteries are sorted and batteries with a decay rate exceeding a predetermined maximum decay rate are rejected as defective products.

The remaining batteries are considered to be at the end of their lifespan or within the allowable range as evaluated from the allowable attenuation rate calculated in the second test and are put to use.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a unique battery classification method and apparatus that can determine the life expectancy of each battery in a production lot with a high degree of accuracy, and eliminate manufacturing defects that result in substandard batteries. To provide a method and apparatus for detecting and removing substandard batteries, and for batteries designed to be packaged and sold with related products with a predicted lifespan; The object of the present invention is to provide a classification method and device.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

While it will be apparent from the detailed description that the testing method and apparatus of the present invention can be broadly applied to all types of test tubes, embodiments thereof are particularly described in U.S. Pat.
Inspection and classification of production lots of ultra-thin batteries as typified by the disclosure in the specification of No. 79 will be explained. An example of this cell is most clearly illustrated in FIG. 2 and designated generally at 10. In terms of adaptation to the apparatus and method of the present invention.
When viewed from the outside, the most notable characteristics of battery 10, in addition to its flat rectangular paper-like shape, are its terminals 12 and 1.
4 appears following the openings 16 and 18 in the outer paper or cardboard layer 20. The outer surface 22 of the cardboard layer 20 is uniformly mated to the perimeter or rectangular shaped battery and layer 20, and includes printed identification indicia 24, power terminals 12.14 and the rectangular ends of the battery, which will be described in detail below. It is easy to enter the relevant and carefully recorded positions.

Batteries 10 are produced in large quantities in patches or lots of several hundred or more individual cells.

Applying the cardboard layer 20 to the internal battery structure and applying N20 to the insulating layer (not shown) on the opposite side of the battery layer 20.
The manufacturing or assembly of each battery is completed by heat sealing the edges. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, each battery 1o is transported by a suitable dispenser or conveyor (not shown) to an inspection station 26 for the completed pre-assembly 1. In this Stersion 26, for example, the value of the electrical energy stored in each battery is obtained by detecting the open end voltage of each battery. Isn't this method great?

As shown in Figure 6, this voltage is
4 is detected by a meter with a set of contacts 7'o+ or brushes 30.32 interlocked. Meter 28 may be any of several existing voltmeters capable of generating a signal corresponding to the Zorog 30,320 rM discharge voltage. The first station has a recorder or printer 34 along with a meter 28.

The printer 34 is controlled in response to the meter 28 and applies a printed indicia directly to the outer surface 22 of the cell cardboard layer 2o. In FIG. 1, printer 34 is placed as far away from battery 10 as possible and is a non-contact type printer, such as a jet printer. In this inkjet printer, the ink only comes into contact with the battery surface, so it essentially has no effect on the battery. Non-contact printing reduces the possibility of battery damage caused by printing and can be easily used on a wide variety of battery types, such as cylinder types. Non-contact printers, such as L/-day printers, can also be used. The inkjet printers described above are relatively maintenance-free and produce high-quality displays.

As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the display is preferably a binary code or other type of code. A device that is machine readable and displays the exact voltage detected by the meter 28 is used. Other forms of designation are often used, or coded designation is preferred over alpha-numeric designation for reliability.

The latter can also be used. Meter 28 and printer 34 thus function as a testing and marking device for producing a first value of battery energy and displaying this measurement on each battery in mechanically readable form. Additionally, as discussed below, these devices determine and record measurement times as well as other manufacturing information. Therefore, although it is not necessary, the meter 28 measures the voltage of a given battery 10 and displays it in machine-readable form 24.
It is desirable to put it in As experts agree, this type of coded display can contain information corresponding to the month, date, and hour and minute of each day.

After the battery 10 follows the first weighing station 26, it advances to the first sorting station 36. This sorting station is controlled by a first inspection station 26 and selects as defective batteries whose first voltage detected by the station 26 is below a predetermined tolerance limit. Each battery allowed through 36 stations is one! Ma preservation station 3
Go to 8.

In fact, the storage station 38 may be of various types capable of storing the battery 10 for a period of time, such as a magazine-type container for a storage warehouse or an in-line type storage bottle. The shelf life is determined by factors such as the expected voltage decay rate of the battery as well as the sensitivity of the instrumentation used in the device that detects each battery's open circuit voltage.

In other words, the time required to clearly determine the voltage waveform from the detected voltage at the first inspection station 26;
It is necessary to store the battery in a storage station 38. However, since the purpose of measuring the corrugated plate is to increase the period in which the battery energy falls below a predetermined value, that is, a fairly long period of time, it is desirable to have an excessive depletion period of several weeks.

After being stored, the battery decays to a second inspection station 40.
sent to be inspected. As shown in the brief description of the drawings, at station 40 the open circuit voltage of each cell 10 is again detected and recorded at the first test station and is represented by an indicia 24 affixed to each cell 10. The voltage applied to each cell is then read and the two voltage readings are compared to calculate the voltage decay rate for each cell. Then, station 40 obtains the second voltage of each battery after a certain period of time and reads the first voltage (or the initial test time if recorded) and compares the first and second voltages and tests. It is equipped with an inspection and reading device that calculates the voltage decay rate of the batteries inside.

As mentioned above, display 24 preferably contains information about the time of the first voltage reading at station 26. This information on each battery 10 is useful in providing a means to directly measure the voltage decay rate of each battery at the second test station 4o. In this case, station 4o
Inspection of both the battery 1o and the battery 1o 1) The first and second calibration times are compared to determine the period of IJ.

Alternatively, instead of recording the time of the first voltage test, it may be stored for a certain period of time. That is, each battery 1
If the time interval passing through the first test station 26 and the second test station 40' is constant, the voltage decay rate can be as low as 1 even if the test time at the first station 26 is recorded.

After the batteries follow the second station 40, they are sent to a second sorting station 42. This sorting station is controlled by a test station 4o and serves to discard batteries whose calculated voltage decay rate exceeds a predetermined or permissible decay rate. In this manner, the batteries sent from the sorting station 42 to the packaging station (not shown) will have a tested decay rate corresponding to the battery life to be accommodated.

As described above, the present invention provides a highly effective battery classification method and apparatus that can achieve the objects stated in the introduction. Trough variations within the axis of the invention are possible with respect to the embodiments disclosed herein.

It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative only and not limiting, with the spirit and scope of the invention being determined by the appended claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the device of the invention; FIG. 2 is a top view of the classification method and device of the invention; and a top view of a battery intended for this battery; and FIG. 6 is a battery in combination with the device of the invention. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of an inspection station; FIG. Explanation of symbols 10...Ultra-thin battery, 12.14...Terminal, 16°18...Opening, 20...Cardboard layer, 22
... Outer surface of the cardboard layer, 24 ... Indication, 28 ...
Meter, 30.32...Contact probe (brush), 3
4...Recorder (printer), 26.40...Inspection station, 36.42...Classification station, 3
8...Preservation Station, Agent: 4 people, Akira Asamura, East North End Road, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (no street address)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) A method of inspecting and sorting batteries in a production lot before being assembled and packaged for sale with related products, comprising: (a) inspecting each of said batteries; determining the value of the 10th tonne energy; (b) providing on each battery a mechanically readable indication in the form #:j of E for said first value; (0) above (a); (d) re-examining each of the batteries after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from (a) to determine a second electrical energy value; (e) displaying the display. (f) calculating the electrical energy decay rate of each battery as a function of the difference per unit time between the first and second values according to the elapsed predetermined time; production comprising sorting said batteries on the basis of the decay rate and separating the batteries with an energy decay rate that exceeds a permissible value from the cells in the four-lot having an energy decay rate that is equal to or less than the permissible value. How to inspect and classify lots of batteries. (2. In claim 1, before the above (C), a machine-readable indication indicating the time of the inspection in the above (a) is formed, and in the above (C), the above (a) ) and the above (d
) A method of inspecting and classifying production lots of batteries. (3) A method for inspecting and classifying batteries of the production lot according to claim 2, wherein the storage period of the batteries is variable. (4) In claim 1, further (a)
After completion of (b), the batteries are classified according to the first electrical energy value, and the batteries with the first electrical energy value above and below the first value are classified within this allowable range. A method for inspecting and classifying batteries in said production lot, comprising the step of: dividing R# from batteries having a first electrical energy value. (5) In claim 1, the storage period of the battery is a predetermined constant period, and the calculation of the attenuation rate is a function only of the difference between the first and second values. A method for inspecting and classifying batteries of said production lot. 61. A method of inspecting and sorting batteries of said production lot made in zero batteries (as defined in claim 1, wherein said mechanically readable indicia is non-contact). (Force) In Claim 1, a method for inspecting and sorting batteries of said production lot in such a way that little force is applied to said batteries during the formation of said mechanically readable indicia. (8) % , claim 7, wherein the formation of said mechanically readable indicia comprises a method for inspecting and classifying batteries in said production lot by spraying ink onto said batteries with an inkjet printer. (9) Production lots of thin rectangular batteries of the type with terminals provided through the outer layer used as a spot for printed markings?By way of inspection and classification: (a) inspecting each battery of the production lot to determine a first electrical energy value; (C) A step of storing the battery after the completion of steps (a) and (b); (d) Re-inspecting the battery after a predetermined period of time has passed and determining the 20th Hiroki energy value. (θ) mechanically reads the display and determines the SiJ
of each battery as a function of the unit time difference between the first and second values? (f) classifying the batteries according to the calculated attenuation rate and determining the allowable value y; A method for inspecting and classifying electrocardiograms of a production lot, comprising the step of separating batteries with an energy decay rate exceeding l' from other batteries of the same production lot with an energy decay rate equal to or less than this tolerance value. . α0) In claim 9, the step (C)
forming a machine-readable indicia representing the time of inspection in step (a);
A method for inspecting and classifying said production lot, comprising calculating the elapsed time between a) and (cl). Using a device that inspects and classifies battery production lots before they are assembled with related products and packaged, each battery in the production lot is inspected to determine the first electric energy value, and then placed on each grinding pond. a machine-readable display device that compares the first value with the machine-readable display device; Read the possible display and calculate the electrical energy reduction rate of each battery as a function of the difference per unit time between the first and second values as compared to the elapsed time of each battery. An inspection and classification device is used to classify the batteries according to the above calculated decay rate, and batteries with an energy decay rate exceeding the tolerance value Z are classified as batteries from the same production lot with an energy decay rate equal to or less than this tolerance value. A method of detecting and classifying batteries of said production lot with MY separation from other batteries. Claim 11, wherein said testing and marking device comprises a device for placing on each battery a machine-readable indicia representing a time having said first value; An inspection and sampling device or a device that calculates the elapsed time of each cell by calculating the time with said first value?
A method for inspecting and classifying batteries in the production lot. 03) A method for inspecting and classifying batteries of a previous production lot, which is a non-contact type printer in which the mark device and the battery ρ are provided separately, according to claim 11. 04) In claim 11, there is provided a battery of the MiJ production lot, which includes a pre-device for classifying the batteries according to the first value in response to the device for determining the first value. 7. Methods of inspection and classification. a9. A method for inspecting and classifying batteries of the production lot according to claim 11, wherein the inspection and marking devices are arranged in parallel at one station. (16) Claims and a method for inspecting and classifying the batteries of the production lot in which the reading devices are arranged in parallel at one station.