KR101029019B1 - Jig for Charging and Discharging of Secondary Battery, Device for Charging and Discharging Including the Same, and Method for Testing Performance of Secondary Battery Using the Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a jig for charging and discharging a plate-shaped secondary battery having electrode terminals formed on both sides, the battery comprising a first member and a second member in which the upper electrode terminal portion is located in the battery cell is mounted. And, the members provide a charging and charging jig consisting of a coupling structure that can be varied in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

The secondary battery charging and discharging jig according to the present invention can perform charge / discharge for battery cell activation or test the performance of the battery cell regardless of the size of the battery cell or the position of the electrode terminal. Damage to the battery cell can be minimized.

Description

Jig for Charging and Discharging of Secondary Battery, Device for Charging and Discharging Including the Same, and Method for Testing Performance of Secondary Battery Using the Device}

1 is a schematic plan view of a jig for rechargeable battery charging and discharging according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a perspective view of a jig for charging and discharging the secondary battery of FIG. 1;

3 is a perspective view showing a coupling portion of the first member and the second member of FIG. 1;

4 is an enlarged perspective view of the terminal connection part of FIG. 2.

The present invention relates to a jig for charge / discharge of a plate-shaped secondary battery in which electrode terminals are formed at both sides. More specifically, the first member and the lower electrode terminal portion at which the upper electrode terminal portion is positioned in the state where the battery cell is mounted are provided. It consists of a second member positioned, the member relates to a jig for charge and discharge, characterized in that made of a coupling structure that can be varied in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

As technology development and demand for mobile devices increase, the demand for secondary batteries as a source of energy is rapidly increasing.

The secondary battery may be used in the form of a single battery cell, or in the form of a battery module in which a plurality of unit cells are electrically connected, depending on the type of external device in which the secondary battery is used. For example, a small device such as a mobile phone can operate for a predetermined time with the output and capacity of one battery cell, while a notebook computer, a portable DVD, a personal computer, an electric vehicle, and a hybrid electric Medium or large devices such as automobiles require the use of a battery module including a plurality of battery cells due to problems of output and capacity.

The battery module is manufactured by connecting a protection circuit or the like to a core pack in which a plurality of unit cells are arranged in series and / or in parallel. In the case of using a square or pouch type battery as a unit cell, the wide surfaces thereof may be stacked to face each other, and then the electrode terminals may be easily connected by connecting members such as bus bars. Therefore, in the case of manufacturing a three-dimensional battery module having a hexahedral structure, a square or pouch type battery is advantageous as a unit cell.

Conventionally, a nickel cadmium battery or a hydrogen ion battery is used as a secondary battery, but recently, a lithium ion battery and a lithium polymer battery having high energy density have been used. Such secondary batteries are increasing in demand due to the advantages described above.

Meanwhile, the secondary battery is manufactured through a process of assembling a cell and a process of activating a battery. In the battery activation step, the secondary battery is mounted on a predetermined jig and charged under conditions necessary for activation.

However, as the field of application of secondary batteries is diversified, battery cells of various sizes and structures are manufactured, and thus, there is a disadvantage in that charge and discharge jigs must be separately prepared to activate such battery cells.

In addition, in the field of medium and large battery modules for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which are being studied in recent years, plate-type battery cells such as pouch-type batteries have attracted much attention as unit cells, but the size of plate-shaped batteries by manufacturers or secondary battery models, The position of the electrode terminal is different, and particularly, in the case of the battery cell having the electrode terminal formed on both sides, the size and shape of the charging and discharging jig should be changed according to the size difference, so the time required for the activation of the battery cell increases There is a problem in that the manufacturing cost greatly increases by manufacturing a separate charging and discharging jig.

In this regard, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 225,054, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-223162, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1998-079263, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-252831, etc. A charging and discharging device is disclosed. However, the charge-discharge jig disclosed in these applications and the like has a disadvantage that the structure is complicated or the work efficiency is low.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art and the technical problems that have been requested from the past.

That is, the object of the present invention can be used to charge and discharge the battery cell regardless of the size of the battery cell and the position of the electrode terminal, and made of a structure that can minimize the damage of the battery cell by the heat generated during the charge and discharge process The jig for charging and discharging secondary batteries is provided.

Accordingly, the charging and discharging jig of the secondary battery according to the present invention is a charging and discharging jig of a plate-shaped secondary battery in which electrode terminals are formed at both sides, and the first member and the lower part of which the upper electrode terminal part is positioned in the state where the battery cell is mounted. The electrode terminal portion is composed of a second member is located, characterized in that the member is made of a coupling structure that can be varied in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell.

In general, in the case of a battery cell in which the electrode terminals are formed at both sides, the size and shape of the charging and discharging jig should vary according to the size or length of the battery cell, and therefore, separate jig should be prepared for each type of battery cell. However, the jig for charging and discharging according to the present invention has a variable coupling structure between the first member and the second member on which the electrode terminals of the battery cell are positioned, so that the members are required to match the size and shape of the battery cell. Since it can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction, various types of battery cells can be applied to a single jig for charging and discharging. As a result, charging and discharging may be performed regardless of the size and shape of the battery cell in the manufacturing process of the battery cell, thereby greatly reducing the manufacturing cost.

The plate-shaped secondary battery may have an electrode terminal symmetrical or asymmetrical to both sides of the main body, and an upper electrode terminal portion of the battery cell positioned in the first member may be a positive electrode or a negative electrode, and the battery cell may be positioned in a second member. The lower electrode terminal portion may be a cathode or an anode corresponding to the upper electrode terminal.

The site where the first member and the second member are coupled is not particularly limited as long as the structure can be variably coupled. Preferably, at the variable coupling site, the end of the first member and the end of the second member are It may be formed in a stepped structure so that it can variably overlap each other.

In this case, the charging and discharging jig of the present invention can perform charging and discharging of various kinds of battery cells as much as the size of the variable overlapping portion. In one preferred embodiment, the size of the variable overlapping portion may be the first member or the like. 40 to 90% based on the length of the second member.

Since the first member and the second member are moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction according to the size of the battery cell, and the stepped portions of the members are adjacent to each other, the first member and the second member are adjacent to each other. It is desirable to secure the joining of the members. Therefore, a member ('position fixing member') capable of fixing the position in a state where the distance of the first member or the second member is variable may be additionally mounted on the stepped portion.

The position fixing member is not particularly limited as long as it is made of a structure capable of solidifying the coupling of the respective members, for example, the first member and the second member in the step portion is formed with slits communicating with each other in the longitudinal direction And, the position fixing member may be made of a male screw fastener that is inserted into the slit and coupled.

Therefore, the ends of the first member and the second member are superimposed to fit the desired position so that the battery cells are mounted in position, and the male screw fastener is inserted into and fastened to the slits formed in the respective members to be coupled to each other. Can be solidified.

On the other hand, when the battery cell is charged and discharged to activate the battery in the manufacturing process of the secondary battery, a lot of heat is generated, in particular, the heat generated from the battery cell portion in contact with the jig tends to be thermally accumulated in the corresponding region rather than easily radiated to the outside. There is this. Thermal accumulation causes deterioration of the battery and in some cases can cause serious problems in terms of safety.

In view of this point, preferably, a plurality of vertical through-holes are drilled in portions where the battery cells are mounted in the first member and the second member, so that the heat dissipation of the battery cells can be further facilitated. The structure and arrangement of the vertical through-holes may vary. For example, a plurality of through-holes vertically penetrating the first member and the second member in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell form two rows, and the predetermined top, bottom, left, and right sides thereof are predetermined. It may be formed to be arranged at intervals. Therefore, the heat generated from the charge / discharge jig, specifically, the bottom surface of the battery cell in contact with the first member or the second member, is dissipated to the outside through the vertical through holes formed in the respective members.

In the jig for charge and discharge of the present invention, the terminal connecting portion for connecting the electrode terminal of the battery cell to the first member or the second member has a 'c' shape in a vertical section so as to accommodate the electrode terminal of the battery cell, A main body including a conductive part in close contact with the bottom surface and fixed on the member; And a pressing part mounted on one side of the main body to press the upper end surface of the accommodated electrode terminal.

That is, the terminal connection portion is composed of a main body and a pressing portion of a specific shape, the main body is formed in the 'c' shape on the vertical cross-section when viewed with respect to the side (side wall) of the jig, the side of the electrode terminal of the battery cell It is easy to insert the upper end of the lower conductive portion in the direction, the lower surface of the battery cell electrode terminal in the inserted state is in close contact with the conductive portion stably.

In some cases, in order to provide a more stable connection state to the battery cell electrode terminal, the lower conductive portion in close contact with the bottom surface of the electrode terminal and installed on the main body and the upper surface of the electrode terminal in contact with the pressing portion It can be configured to include an upper conductive portion installed on. For example, the lower conductive portion may be a thin plate-shaped conductor attached to the lower surface of the main body, and the upper conductive portion may be a conductor mounted on the lower surface of the pressing portion. The upper conductive portion and the lower conductive portion are respectively connected to the charger / discharger to provide a stable connection state of the battery cell electrode terminals inserted into the corresponding terminal connection portions.

In the above structure, the pressing part mounted on one side of the main body presses the upper conductive part downward so that the upper and lower surfaces of the battery cell electrode terminals are in close contact with the lower surface of the upper conductive portion and the upper surface of the lower conductive portion. .

In one preferred example, the main body of the terminal connecting portion can be coupled on the member so that its position can be varied in the width direction, and for this purpose, the main body of the terminal connecting portion and the corresponding member in the width direction mutually A slit communicating with the slit is formed, and a member ('position fixing member') capable of fixing a position in a state where the terminal connection part is variable can be fastened to the slit to form a coupling.

In such a structure, the terminal connection portion can move in the width direction of the battery cell, and thus can charge and discharge the battery cell regardless of the position of the electrode terminal in the plate-shaped secondary battery. Charging and discharging are also possible with respect to battery cells having electrode structures on both sides of the main body having symmetrical or asymmetrical structures.

The position fixing member which fixes the position of a terminal connection part in the state which moved the said terminal connection part to the desired position in the width direction of a battery cell is a member which can fix a position between a terminal connection part, a 1st member, or a 2nd member; It may be the same, as described above, male thread fasteners that are inserted into the slit and coupled can be used.

The battery cell applied to the jig for charge / discharge of the present invention is a plate-shaped battery having a large width to thickness, and particularly, a battery cell in which an electrode assembly is incorporated in a pouch type case of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer is preferable.

The present invention also provides a device capable of performing charging and discharging of a secondary battery ('secondary battery charging / discharging device'), comprising a charging / discharging jig and a charging / discharging device electrically connected to the jig. do.

The charging and discharging device for a secondary battery according to the present invention may be used in a process of manufacturing various secondary batteries due to the structural features of the charging and discharging jig. The charging and discharging device, which is another component constituting the secondary battery charging and discharging device, is well known in the art, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted herein.

The present invention also provides a method for charging / discharging for battery activation or testing the performance of the secondary battery in the process of manufacturing a secondary battery, which is a unit battery for a medium-large battery module, using a secondary battery charge / discharge device. To provide.

In general, unit cells used in the manufacture of high-output large-capacity battery modules have a structure in which electrode terminals face both sides of the battery cell in consideration of high integration in a limited space and ease of wiring when the battery module is manufactured. Battery cells are used a lot. In addition, since the space and size in which the battery module is mounted in the device (for example, a hybrid electric vehicle, etc.), the required capacity and output, etc. are different, the size of the unit battery tends to be different for each manufacturer or model.

Therefore, due to various advantages as described above, the secondary battery charging and discharging device according to the present invention can be particularly preferably used in the manufacturing process of the unit battery (battery cell) for medium and large battery modules, the medium and large battery modules are two or The battery module electrically connecting more secondary batteries is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a battery module used for a power source of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a notebook computer, an e-bike, and the like.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited by the scope of the present invention.

1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a jig for rechargeable battery charging and discharging.

Referring to FIG. 1, a jig 100 for charging and discharging a secondary battery includes a first member 20 and a second member 30 having a battery cell (not shown) and having a variable coupling structure. It consists of a terminal connection part 40 which connects an electrode terminal and each member 20,30.

In the first member 20 and the second member 30. A slit 22 and a male threaded fastener 24 are formed to fix the members 20. 30 to each other in a variable state according to the size of the mounted battery cell. In addition, a plurality of vertical through holes 26 for dissipating heat generated during charging and discharging of the battery cell are formed.

The charging and discharging jig 10 is connected to the charging and discharging machine 70, which will be described with reference to FIG. 4, which shows a detailed structure of the terminal connecting portion 40 as follows.

The electrode terminal of the secondary battery is in close contact with the upper conductive portion 43 and the lower conductive portion 41 of the terminal connection portion 40 and is charged by the operation of the charger 70 electrically connected to the conductive portions 41 and 43. Discharge is performed. The electrical connection between the conductive parts 41 and 43 and the charger / discharger 70 may be connected to only one of the upper conductive part 43 and the lower conductive part 41, but may provide a more stable connection state. The parts 41 and 43 are connected to the charger in duplicate.

2 is a perspective view of the jig for charging and discharging the secondary battery of FIG. 1 schematically, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing only the first member and the second member to show a variable coupling structure of the first member and the second member. It is schematically illustrated.

Referring to these drawings, the end portions 27 and 37 of the first member 20 and the second member 30 have a stepped structure and overlap each other so that the first member 20 and the second member 30 can vary in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell. . In the drawing, since the size A of the portion where the first member 20 and the second member 30 overlap each other is formed at about 45% based on the length L of the first member, the size A is variable by the above range. It is possible.

Therefore, in order to mount a battery cell (not shown) in the jig 100 for charge and discharge, the first member 20 and the second member 30 correspond to the size of the battery cell in the longitudinal direction L of the battery cell. And the respective vertical through holes 26 and 28 coincide with each other, and then tighten the male fastener 24 inserted into the slit 22 in a clockwise direction so that the first member 20 and the second member 30 are tightened. ).

The terminal connection part 40 is formed in the other end part of the 1st member 20 and the 2nd member 30, ie, the part where the electrode terminal of a battery cell is located. In order that the terminal connecting portion 40 can also be varied in the width direction of the battery cell, slits 46 are formed on the main body and the corresponding members 20 and 30 so as to communicate with each other in the width direction, and the terminal connecting portion is variable. The male screw fastener 48 capable of fixing the position in the closed state is inserted into the slit 46 and coupled thereto.

In the connection of the battery cell electrode terminal to the terminal connecting portion 40, first, the electrode terminal of the battery cell is first opened on the lower conductive portion 41 of the terminal connecting portion 40 on the side of the 'c' side, which is one side of the main body. After inserting the battery cell body on the first member 20 and the second member 30 in the direction of the arrow of 49, the upper conductive portion 43 is pressed while the pressing portion 42 is moved downward. This is achieved by bringing the electrode terminal into close contact between the upper conductive portion 43 and the lower conductive portion 41.

4 is an enlarged perspective view schematically illustrating the terminal connection part of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, the terminal connecting portion 40 includes a main body having a lower conductive portion 41 attached to the lower surface of the electrode terminal in contact with the lower surface of the electrode terminal in a state where the electrode terminals of the battery cell (not shown) are accommodated. 44 and a pressing portion 42 for pressing the upper conductive portion 43 to bring the electrode terminal on the lower conductive material 41 into close contact.

In addition, at one lower end of the terminal connection part 40, the slit 46 is formed in the width direction of the battery cell (FIG. 1: W) on the first member 20 to which the main body 44 of the terminal connection part 40 is coupled. It is.

Accordingly, the male screw fastener inserted in the slit 46 is moved precisely and finely in the width direction of the battery cell so as to correspond to the position where the electrode terminal is formed in the battery cell. The terminal connection part 40 is fixed to the desired position on the 1st member 20 by tightening 48).

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to make various applications and modifications within the scope of the present invention based on the above contents.

As described above, according to the present invention, in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell, the jig for secondary battery charging and discharging is provided with a first member in which the upper electrode terminal portion is positioned and a second member in which the lower electrode terminal portion is positioned while the battery cell is mounted. By forming a coupling structure that can be varied, the battery cell can be charged or discharged for activation of the battery cell or the battery cell can be tested regardless of the size of the battery cell or the position of the electrode terminal. Damage of the battery cells can be minimized, so that a good quality battery cell can be manufactured at a low manufacturing cost.

Claims (15)

As a jig for charge and discharge of a plate-shaped secondary battery in which electrode terminals are formed at both sides, A first member in which the upper electrode terminal portion is positioned and a second member in which the lower electrode terminal portion is positioned in a state where the battery cell is mounted, the members having a coupling structure that can be varied in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell; And A 'c' shape in a vertical cross-section to accommodate the electrode terminals of the battery cell, and includes a conductive part in close contact with the bottom surface of the electrode terminal, the body fixed to the first member or the second member, and A terminal connection part including a pressing part mounted on one side of the main body to press the upper end surface of the electrode terminal; Charge-only jig, characterized in that consisting of. The jig according to claim 1, wherein in the coupling structure, the end of the first member and the end of the second member are formed in a stepped structure so as to be variably overlapped with each other. The jig for charge and discharge of claim 2, wherein the stepped structure overlaps in a range of 40 to 90% based on the length of the first member or the second member. The charging and discharging device according to claim 2, wherein the stepped structure is further provided with a member ('position fixing member') capable of fixing the position in a state in which the distance of the first member or the second member is variable. Jig. The method of claim 4, wherein in the stepped structure, the first member and the second member are formed with slits communicating with each other in the longitudinal direction, and the position fixing member is a male screw fastener inserted into and coupled to the slit. Charge-only jig. The jig for charge and discharge according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of vertical through holes are formed in the first member and the second member in a portion where the battery cell is mounted. delete The charging and discharging device of claim 1, further comprising: a lower conductive portion in close contact with the bottom surface of the electrode terminal and disposed on the main body, and an upper conductive portion in contact with the upper surface of the electrode terminal and disposed on the pressing portion. Dedicated jig. The jig for charge and discharge of claim 1, wherein the main body of the terminal connecting portion is coupled on the first member or the second member so that its position can be varied in the width direction. 10. The member according to claim 9, wherein slits communicating with each other in the width direction are formed on the main body of the terminal connecting portion and a member corresponding thereto, and the member capable of fixing a position in a state where the terminal connecting portion is variable ('position fixing member'). Jig for charging and charging is characterized in that the insert is coupled to the slit. The jig for charge and discharge according to claim 10, wherein the position fixing member is a male screw fastener inserted into and coupled to the slit. The jig for charge and discharge according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped battery cell is a battery cell in which an electrode assembly is built in a pouch-type case of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer. An apparatus capable of performing charging and discharging of a secondary battery, comprising a charging / discharging jig according to claim 1 and a charging / discharging device electrically connected to the jig. The method according to claim 13, wherein the charging and discharging for battery activation is performed or the performance of the secondary battery is tested in the process of manufacturing the secondary battery as a unit cell for a medium-large battery module using the apparatus according to claim 13. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the medium-large battery module is a battery module used as a power source for an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle.

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