KR101222337B1 - Apparatus for electrolyte injection - Google Patents

Abstract

The electrolyte injection device of the present invention is a pressure chamber having at least one battery cell disposed so that a peripheral upper portion including an electrolyte injection hole is exposed and having a wall that spatially blocks the battery cell from the outside, and a portion of the pressure chamber wall outside the pressure chamber. It is installed to be connected to the electrolyte injection hole of the battery cell through the passage, the electrolyte injection portion having a liquid injection nozzle which can be directly connected to the electrolyte injection hole, the liquid injection hopper coupled to the liquid injection nozzle, the nozzle opening and closing valve for opening and closing the liquid injection nozzle, Is installed on one side of the electrolyte injection unit outside the pressure chamber, at least one first port that can be connected to at least one of the external electrolyte supply line, vacuum line, pressure line, synchronized with the first port inside the pressure chamber At least one second port providing a vacuum or pressing force.

Therefore, by applying a high-pressure chamber pressurization method, the electrolyte injection speed is dramatically improved, while maintaining the balance between the pressure applied to the airtight chamber in which the battery cells are placed for electrolyte injection and the pressure used for electrolyte injection by the injection hopper side, Plastic deformation and the resulting problems can be prevented.

Description

Apparatus for electrolyte injection

1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing conventional electrolyte injection apparatuses, respectively.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an electrolyte injection device according to the present invention.

3 and 4 are block diagrams illustrating an embodiment having a synchronized pressurization line connected to the hopper side and the pressurization chamber side in the present invention.

The present invention relates to an electrolyte injection device for battery manufacture, and more particularly, to an electrolyte injection device that can shorten the injection time by injecting the electrolyte solution by the pressure method in the electrolyte injection step of the battery.

In general, the electrolyte injection process of a battery (for example, a lithium ion secondary battery) supplies the electrolyte solution to a cylindrical container such as a liquid injection hopper connected to a nozzle for supplying an electrolyte solution to the case by vacuuming the inside of the case in which the electrode assembly is built. Then, the nozzle and the liquid inlet of the case are connected to each other so that the electrolyte is injected into the case by the vacuum inside the case and, in some cases, by the pressure of the liquid hopper side.

In order to increase the electrolyte injection speed of the battery, a stage fixed type high pressure chamber pressurization method may be used, or a carrier type injection method may be used to increase the yield.

A high pressure chamber pressurized electrolyte injection device is shown in FIG. 1A, and a carrier type electrolyte injection device is shown in FIG. 1B.

In the electrolyte injection device of the high pressure chamber pressurization method shown in FIG. 1A, the battery case 1 into which the electrode group 4 having the stacked structure is inserted is first inserted into the cell jig 10. Subsequently, the electrolyte 3 is filled in the injection cylinder 20 and the injection piston 12 is lowered to the upper portion of the liquid level. Next, the outer side of the case 1 into which the electrode group 4 of a laminated structure is inserted is sealed by the airtight chamber 14, and the inside of the airtight chamber 14 is decompressed. Subsequently, when the inside of the case 1 and the electrode group 4 is in a vacuum state, the packing 18 of the nozzle 9 is brought into close contact with the small diameter filling hole 2. Subsequently, the injection piston 12 is lowered to inject the electrolyte solution 3, and at the same time, the inside of the airtight chamber 14 is also pressurized to prevent deformation of the case 1 due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the battery case 1. Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-55808)

However, when using the high pressure chamber pressurization method of the stage fixed type in this way, because it is pressurized to a high pressure for the injection of the electrolyte, even if the electrode assembly and the case into which the electrolyte is injected is easily deformed by the pressure. Although pressure was also applied to the airtight chamber to prevent deformation of the case due to pressure difference between the inside and outside of the case, it was not easy to balance the pressure inside and outside the case. As the size of the battery becomes smaller and smaller, the thickness of the case is gradually reduced and the mechanical strength is weakened. Therefore, even if there is a slight difference in the pressure inside the case during the electrolyte injection step, the shape of the case of the battery cell is changed. There is a problem that it is difficult to restore the shape after the deformation point. In particular, in the case of a thin rectangular can, a thickness increase such as swelling due to deformation may cause a problem in that it cannot be combined with an external hard case in a later process and cannot be correctly mounted in a battery accommodating part of a mounted electronic device.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 1B, the carrier type electrolyte injection device first inserts the battery can 3 into the work set carrier 2. Subsequently, the positioning pin 7 of the pouring carrier 1 and the reference hole of the assembly pin block 8 of the work set carrier 2 are aligned with each other. At this time, when the packing 10 at the tip end of the storage port 12 presses the battery can 2, the tensile force of the pressing spring 11 holding the set stage 9 is added to the packing 10. The airtightness of the packing 10 and the battery can 3 is maintained. In addition, the clamp 6 is locked by the work set carrier 2. When the coupling is completed, the electrolyte is discharged to the inside of the storage port 12 by the metered discharge pump. Here, the carrier to be conveyed is mounted on a chain conveyor, and a plurality of impregnating heads are provided on the upper part to depressurize, pressurize, and open the atmosphere for pouring the electrolyte solution (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-022799).

However, this conventional carrier type pouring method does not use high pressure pressurization for electrolyte injection. However, when the vacuum is applied to the inside of the case for the injection of the electrolyte, the atmospheric pressure is applied to the outside of the case, and the deformation due to the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the case is not considered. Therefore, as the thickness of the battery cell case becomes thinner, the deformation due to the pressure difference may become a more serious problem even in the carrier type pouring method.

The present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned conventional problems, by applying a high-pressure chamber pressurization method to significantly improve the electrolyte injection speed, the electrolyte injection by the pressure and the injection hopper side applied to the airtight chamber in which the battery cell is placed for the electrolyte injection An object of the present invention is to provide an electrolyte injection device capable of maintaining a balance of pressures used in the present invention.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrolyte injection device capable of quickly synchronizing the pressure applied to an airtight chamber in which a battery cell is placed for electrolyte injection and the pressure used for electrolyte injection by the injection hopper side in real time. It is done.

Electrolytic solution injection device of the present invention for achieving the above object,

At least one battery cell is placed so that the peripheral upper part including the electrolyte inlet is exposed and has a wall for spatially blocking the battery cell from the outside, the electrolyte inlet of the battery cell through a portion of the pressure chamber wall outside the pressure chamber It is installed to be connected to, and the liquid injection nozzle which can be directly connected to the electrolyte injection hole, the liquid injection hopper coupled to the liquid injection nozzle, the electrolyte injection portion having a nozzle opening and closing valve for opening and closing the liquid injection nozzle, the electrolyte injection from the outside of the pressure chamber One or more first ports which are installed on one side of the unit, to which at least one of an external electrolyte supply line, a vacuum line, and a pressurizing line can be connected, and at least one of providing a vacuum or pressing force synchronized with the first port to the inside of the pressurizing chamber. The above second port is included.

In the present invention, the pressurized chamber may include a chamber body on which the battery is placed and an upper part of the chamber body to cover the upper part of the chamber body and the upper part of the chamber to maintain the airtightness.

In the present invention, the first port serving as a passage through which the electrolyte hopper, the vacuum, and the pneumatic pressure can be applied to the injection hopper makes the battery cell vacuum while the nozzle opening / closing valve of the injection nozzle is opened, and the injection solution is performed when the injection nozzle is closed. The electrolyte is introduced into the hopper, and the inside of the hopper is at atmospheric pressure, and when the nozzle opening / closing valve is opened again, the electrolyte is naturally poured into the battery cell by the pressure difference. In addition, following a natural pouring step, a predetermined pneumatic pressure is provided to the pouring hopper such that residual electrolyte in the remaining hopper is forced to be injected into the battery cell. At this time, when the vacuum is applied to the hopper through the first port through the second port, the vacuum is also applied in the pressurizing chamber, and when the pressing force is applied to the hopper through the first port, the pressing force is also configured to act.

The first port may consist of two first pneumatic ports connected through a pressurization and vacuum line and a control valve, and an electrolyte port serving as a passage for the electrolyte, and the second port may have the same shape as the first pneumatic port among the first ports. It may consist of a second pneumatic port having a connection configuration.

Looking at the pressure line or the pressure applying device by the connection of the first and second ports in the present invention, the pressure applying device is in turn, as long as branched to one side of the pressure booster, pressure booster connected to one side of the air supply line, air supply line. Chamber part volume booster connected to the line connected to the input side and output side connected to the valve installed in front of the second port of the chamber, Hopper part connected to the input side connected to the other line and the output side connected to the valve installed in front of the first port of the hopper Volume booster, the input side is connected to the branch branched in one line, the output side is connected to the chamber volume booster, the chamber servo valve to send and receive signals to the controller that controls the calculus control, the branch branch from another line The input side is connected, the output side is connected to the hopper volume booster, and sends and receives signals to the controller that controls the calculus. It may be made by having a hopper servo valve. At this time, an auxiliary tank may be installed on one side of the pressure booster before the line is branched, and a pressure sensor for signaling a controller may be installed between the chamber volume booster or the hopper volume booster and a valve connected thereto.

In the present invention, the pressing force provided to the injection hopper and the pressurizing chamber through the first port and the second port may be 10 to 30 bar.

The electrolyte injection device according to the present invention applies a high pressure pressurization method of 10 bar or more, while significantly reducing the electrolyte injection time, while simultaneously pressurizing both inside and outside of the battery cell using a chamber, and applying pressure and injection pressure to the chamber to the first port and the second port. Since the port is pressurized at the synchronized pressure by connecting the port to the same pressurization source, deformation of the battery cell (battery can) due to pressurization can be prevented.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings such that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a high-speed electrolyte injection device according to the present invention.

As shown, the electrolyte injection device 100 according to the present invention includes a chamber main body 110 to which the battery cells 101 are fixed, a chamber upper plate 120 fixed to an upper portion of the chamber main body 110, and a chamber main body ( The fixing member 130 fixing the 110 and the chamber top plate 120, the injection nozzle 140 for pouring the electrolyte into the battery cell 101, and the injection hopper 150 for supplying the electrolyte to the injection nozzle 140. And a nozzle opening / closing valve 160 for opening and closing the injection nozzle 140, a injection hopper cap 170 opened when the electrolyte is supplied to the injection hopper 150, and a injection nozzle 140 and the injection hopper 150. A first port 180 for vacuuming, pressurizing or exhausting, and a second port 190 for vacuuming, pressurizing or exhausting the pressurizing chamber 110.

Here, the chamber body 110 and the chamber top plate 120 may be defined as one carrier, which may be conveyed together for each process. Of course, the injection nozzle 140, the injection hopper 150 and the nozzle opening and closing valve 160, etc., coupled to the chamber top plate 120 may also be conveyed together with the pressurizing chamber body 110 and the chamber top plate 120 (carrier). The first port 180 and the second port 190 are coupled to and separated from any one selected from the vacuum line, the pressurization line, and the exhaust line required in each process.

The configuration of the high speed electrolyte injection device 100 according to the present invention will be described in more detail.

The chamber body 110 fixes at least one battery cell 101, and the liquid injection hole 102 provided at an upper portion of the battery cell 101 and a peripheral structure thereof are formed to open. Of course, the battery cell jig 114 may be further coupled to the inside of the pressurization chamber 110 to fix the various types of battery cells 101. In addition, even through the battery cell jig 114, the liquid injection hole 102 and the surrounding structure of the battery cell 101 are exposed. In addition, the pressurizing chamber 110 has a flange 111 extending a predetermined length outwardly at an approximately upper end, and the flange 111 is formed with a plurality of through holes 113 to which the fixing member 130 to be coupled is formed. It is.

The chamber upper plate 120 is fixed to the upper portion of the pressurizing chamber 110 by the fixing member 130 so that the pressurizing chamber 110 is not separated from the lower part during the pouring process of the battery cell 101. In addition, the groove 122 of a predetermined depth is formed on the upper surface of the pressurizing chamber 110 to allow the fixing member 130 to be coupled thereto.

The fixing member 130 is coupled to the recess 122 formed in the chamber upper plate 120 to move in a horizontal direction, and is coupled to the slide 131 and at the same time of the pressurizing chamber 110. It consists of a fixing pin 132 is coupled to the through-hole 113. The fixing member 130 may be easily coupled or separated as the chamber upper plate 120 by the operation of moving the slide 131 in a predetermined direction. The pressurization chamber 110, the chamber top plate 120, and the slide 131 will be described in more detail below. In addition, the mechanism for moving this slide 131 in the horizontal direction is not shown in the figure.

The injection liquid nozzle 140 is coupled through the chamfer upper plate 120. Of course, the injection nozzle 140 is connected to the injection hole 102 of the battery cell 101 coupled to the pressurization chamber 110. In addition, the O-ring 141 may be further coupled to the lower end of the injection nozzle 140 to mitigate direct friction and impact with the battery cell 101. Furthermore, in order to improve the sealing force between the chamfer top plate 120 and the injection nozzle 140 and to stably couple the injection hopper 150 to be described below, the injection nozzle 140 and the chamfer top plate 120 are sealed. The member 121 may be further interposed.

The injection hopper 150 extends a predetermined length to an upper portion, and a lower end thereof is connected to the injection nozzle 140. Of course, as described above, the pouring hopper 150 has a lower end coupled to the sealing member 121 with a bolt 151. In addition, the injection hopper 150 is empty, so that a predetermined amount of the electrolyte can be accommodated.

The nozzle opening / closing valve 160 is positioned to have a predetermined length inside the pouring hopper 150. The diameter of the nozzle opening / closing valve 160 is much smaller than the inner diameter of the injection hopper 150, which serves to open or close the injection nozzle 140. In the drawings, a mechanism for operating the nozzle opening / closing valve 160 in the up and down directions is not shown.

The injection hopper cap 170 is coupled to an approximately upper end of the injection hopper 150. Of course, the nozzle opening and closing valve 160 is installed to penetrate through the liquid injection hopper cap 170. The injection hopper cap 170 serves to open or close the injection hopper 150. Of course, when the electrolyte is injected into the injection hopper 150, the injection hopper cap 170 is opened. In the drawings, the mechanism for opening and closing the injection hopper cap 170 is not shown.

The first port 180 is coupled to the side of the pouring hopper 150. Of course, the first port 180 is connected to the vacuum line, the pressurization line and the exhaust line. Therefore, through the first port 180, the inside of the injection hopper 150 may be a vacuum, pressurized or exhausted. In addition, the first port 180 is open only when a vacuum line, a pressurized line, or an exhaust line is connected, and is closed when these lines are separated. Therefore, when the vacuum line is coupled to the first port 180 and then separated, the inside of the battery cell 101, the pouring nozzle 140, and the pouring hopper 150 maintains a vacuum state, and the pressurization line is coupled. If it is separated after being separated, the pressurized state is maintained as it is.

The second port 190 is coupled to the chamber top plate 120. Of course, the through-hole 123 is formed in communication with the second port 190, the through-hole 123 is connected to the interior of the pressure chamber 110. In addition, a vacuum line, a pressurization line, and an exhaust line are connected to the second port 190 like the first port 180. Therefore, the inside of the pressurization chamber 110 may be in a vacuum state, pressurized or exhausted through the second port 190. Similarly, the second port 190 is open only when the vacuum line, the pressurization line, or the exhaust line is connected, and is closed when these lines are separated. Therefore, when the vacuum line is coupled to the second port 190 and separated, the inside of the pressurization chamber 110 maintains the vacuum state as it is. When the exhaust line is combined and then separated, the exhaust state is maintained.

In addition, the pressurization lines connected to the first port and the second port have a configuration synchronized with each other as in the embodiment of FIG. 3 or FIG. 4. The synchronized pressurized lines precisely control the difference between the two pressures by synchronizing the pressure on the chamber side and the hopper side using a servo valve.

If plastic deformation of the cell occurs mainly when the pressure inside the cell is greater than the pressure outside the cell, for example the pressure in the pressurized chamber, to prevent this phenomenon, a change signal of the chamber pressure based on the pressure of the chamber is converted into a hopper pressure. Use it as an input signal. Through this, the pressure of the hopper can be prevented from being instantaneously higher than the pressure of the chamber, and precise control of the pressure between the chamber and the hopper is possible.

As in pressurization, the pressure in the chamber must be kept higher than the pressure in the hopper during exhaust. When the basic synchronization is made by the servo valve, the pressure of the hopper may change as the pressure of the chamber is lowered even during the exhaust operation, so that the pressure of the chamber may be lowered before the hopper, causing deformation of the cell. In order to solve this problem, precise control is performed during exhaust operation.

Referring to the configuration of the pressurized line synchronized through the embodiment of FIG. 3, first, the pressurized line compresses the air of the pneumatic line 210 used as a basic factory utility and boosts it to high pressure. 220). The compressed air in the booster is usually stored in the auxiliary tank 230 provided at the booster output. The pressurization line exits the output of the auxiliary tank 230 and is separated into two lines 310 and 320, and each separated line is connected to the input of the chamber volume booster 250 and the hopper volume booster 270.

The output end of the chamber volume booster 250 is connected to a second port installed in the chamber upper plate 120 of the electrolyte injection device 100 via the chamber control valve 255 provided in the chamber pressurization line 313. The output end of the hopper volume booster 270 is connected to the first port of the wall of the hopper 150 via a hopper control valve 275 provided in the hopper pressurization line 323.

Meanwhile, the branch 311 branched again from the separated line 310 is connected to the input side of the chamber servo valve 240, and the output side of the chamber servo valve 240 is connected to the chamber volume booster 250. Connected via 312. The branch 321 branched again from the separated line 320 is connected to the input side of the hopper servo valve 260, and the output side of the hopper servo valve 260 is connected to the hopper volume booster 270. Is connected via).

The output signal line of the chamber servo valve 240 transmits a signal to the hopper servo valve 260 and the controller 280 which controls the calculus, and the input signal line receives a signal from the controller. The output signal line of the hopper servo valve 260 transmits its own signal to the controller 280 and receives a signal from the output signal line of the chamber servo valve 240. In addition, sensors 285 and 286 are also installed at the output ends of the chamber volume booster 250 and the hopper volume booster 270 to transmit pressure signals to the controller 280, respectively.

Looking at the operation of the synchronized pressure line, the controller 280 operates the chamber servo valve 240 connected to the pressure chamber by the pressure signal input by the user. The output value of the chamber servo valve 240 operates a chamber volume booster 250 for increasing the pressurization speed, and at the same time, a hopper servo valve which uses the command value of the chamber servo valve 240 as an input signal. 260) synchronizes the pressure of the chamber and the hopper.

When the pressure in the pressure chamber side and the hopper pressure are controlled separately without synchronization, it is difficult to predict the change in pressure magnitude due to the high speed of the change in the pressure waveform of the chamber as a reference and the rate of change not having a constant value. In addition, it was expected that the operation of calculating the pressure of the hopper part dependently according to the setting of the working pressure was expected, but in this embodiment, the pressure on the hopper side is designed based on the pressure on the chamber side. At this time, the gain value of the hopper servo valve 260 is set to be smaller than the gain value of the chamber servo valve 3 to control the pressure difference in the exhaust process as well as the pressurization process.

The analog output values of the servo valves 240 and 260 fed back to the controller 280 are displayed on the screen window (not shown) of the monitor device for the user's convenience and the chamber servo valve 240 To control. In addition, the servo valves 240 and 260 control the flow rates of the air flowing into the chamber and the hopper by controlling the respective volume boosters 250 and 260.

According to the present invention, by applying a high pressure chamber pressurization method, the electrolyte injection speed is dramatically improved, while maintaining the balance between the pressure applied to the airtight chamber in which the battery cell is placed for the electrolyte injection and the pressure used for the electrolyte injection by the injection hopper side. By doing so, plastic deformation of the battery case and the problems thereof can be prevented.

In addition, according to the present invention, the pressure applied to the airtight chamber in which the battery cells are placed for the electrolyte injection and the pressure used for the electrolyte injection by the injection hopper side can be quickly synchronized in real time.

Claims (7)

A pressurized chamber having at least one battery cell disposed so as to expose a peripheral upper portion including an electrolyte injection hole and having a wall for spatially blocking the battery cell from outside; A pouring nozzle which is installed to be connected to an electrolyte injection hole of the battery cell through a portion of the pressure chamber wall outside the pressure chamber, and directly connected to the electrolyte injection hole; A pour hopper coupled to the pour nozzle; An electrolyte injection portion having a nozzle opening / closing valve for opening and closing the liquid injection nozzle; At least one first port installed at one side of the electrolyte injection part outside the pressurization chamber and to which at least one of a vacuum line, a pressurization line, and an exhaust line is connected; At least one second port inside the pressurizing chamber to provide a vacuum or pressing force synchronized with the first port, And the second port shares the vacuum line, the pressurization line, and the exhaust line connected to the first port with each other. The method of claim 1, The pressurizing chamber may include: a chamber body in which the battery cell is placed and an upper portion thereof is opened; Electrolyte injection device, characterized in that consisting of a chamber top plate to cover the upper portion to maintain the airtight. delete The method of claim 1, Pressing line connected to the first port and the second port, An air supply line, a pressure booster connected to one side of the air supply line, An input side is connected to a line branched to one side of the pressure booster, and an output side is connected to a valve installed at the front end of the second port; An input side connected to the one line and the other line, and an output side of the hopper volume booster connected to a valve installed at the front end of the first port, An input side is connected to a branch branched from the one line, and an output side is connected to the chamber volume booster, and a chamber servo valve is configured to exchange signals with a controller for controlling calculus, Electrolyte injection device, characterized in that the input side is connected to the branch branched from the other line, the output side is connected to the hopper volume booster, and a hopper servo valve for sending and receiving signals to the controller for control of calculus control, etc. . 5. The method of claim 4, An electrolyte injection device, characterized in that the auxiliary tank is installed on one side of the pressure booster before the line is branched. 6. The method of claim 5, And a pressure sensor that signals the controller between the chamber volume booster or the hopper volume booster and the valve connected thereto. The method of claim 1, Electrolyte injection device, characterized in that the pressing force provided to the injection hopper and the pressure chamber through the first port and the second port is 10 ~ 30bar.

Images