KR102002848B1 - apparatus for testing metal inserted battery protection circuit module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for testing a metal inserted protection circuit module (MI-PCM) which can quickly and stably test electrical performance of a plurality of MI-PCMs manufactured while a metal plate is inserted into the middle of a thickness surface of a circuit board. The apparatus for testing an MI-PCM tests electrical performance of an MI-PCM array consisting of a plurality of MI-PCMs which are a battery protection device having a metal plate inserted into the middle of a thickness surface of a circuit board, and comprises: a sample support to support the MI-PCM array on a fixed position; an upper probe unit to fix and support upper probes coming in contact with one or more test points formed on an upper surface of the MI-PCM array in a test process; a lower probe unit to fix and support lower probes coming in contact with one or more test points arranged on a lower surface of the MI-PCM array in the test process; a lifting plunger to lift the upper probe unit with respect to the sample support; an elastic support pin to elastically support the sample support on the lower probe unit; two start buttons separated from each other to make difficult an simultaneous operation thereof by a single hand, and installed on a base; and a control means to control to lower the plunger to perform a test when the two start buttons are simultaneously pressed.

Description

[0001] MIPCM inspection apparatus [0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an MI-PCM inspecting apparatus, and more particularly, to an MI-PCM inspecting apparatus capable of rapidly and stably testing an electrical performance of a plurality of battery protecting apparatuses, ≪ / RTI >

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various portable terminals such as smart phones and smart pads have been widely used. As a power source for such portable terminals, a rechargeable secondary battery (hereinafter simply referred to as a battery) is generally used. Lithium-ion batteries are the most widely used batteries in portable terminals, but they are not only easily overcharged or overcurrents, but they also deteriorate in performance when the temperature rises due to persistent heat generation and there is a risk of explosion. Therefore, a conventional portable terminal battery pack such as a lithium-ion battery has a built-in protection circuit module (hereinafter, simply referred to as PCM) that detects and blocks overcharge, over-discharge, and over-current.

1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional battery protection device. 1, the circuit configuration of a conventional battery protection device includes a protection IC U0 incorporating two FETs (not shown) that operate as switching elements, a plurality of resistors R1 to R3 and a capacitor C1 To C6) and the like.

In Fig. 1, the "B +" terminal and the "B-" terminal are terminals connected to the battery cell, and correspond to the input side when referring to the PCM. The "P +" terminal and the "P-" terminal correspond to the output side of the PCM, through which the charging and discharging are performed via the PCM. Finally, the "CF" terminal is an ID terminal that indicates the type of battery and is connected to the "P-" terminal by a resistor (R3). The charging current is determined by the connected resistance value. The "DUMMY" terminal is a terminal to which a metallic spacer, which will be described later, is welded, and is electrically insulated from other parts. In other words, the terminal "DUMMY" is independent of the electrical characteristics and is only necessary for mechanical fixing, so it may not be necessary in some cases.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a conventional battery protection device, and FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a function of a metal spacer in a conventional battery protection device. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conventional battery protection device has a width and a length of approximately the length of the battery cell 40 so as to be mounted on the upper surface of the battery cell 40, Sided PCB 10 having a printed circuit board.

In the above-described configuration, a circuit element such as the aforementioned protection IC, a plurality of resistors, capacitors, and the like is mounted on the lower surface of the PCB 10, and a plurality of pads, for example, "P + , "CF" terminal and "P-" terminal are exposed. Reference numeral 12 denotes an exposure hole formed through the PCB 10 to expose the thermistor so that the thermistor can be welded and spot welded to the battery cell 40.

Reference numeral 50 denotes an insulating material, for example, a synthetic resin material, interposed between the battery cell 40 and the PCB 10 to electrically isolate the battery cell 40 from the circuit element and stably fix the PCM And reference numeral 20 denotes a metal spacer 20 which is attached to both ends of the lower surface of the PCB 10 to bond the PCB 10 to the upper surface of the battery cell 40, for example, .

However, according to the conventional battery protection device as described above, not only the metal spacer 20 but also the metal spacer 20 need to be prepared separately from the PCB 10, and the metal spacer 20 is mounted on the PCB 10 by a SMT (Surface Mounting Technology) ), It takes a lot of time and increases the airflow, that is, the productivity is lowered. Furthermore, there is a problem that the metal spacer 20 is difficult to align in a process of welding by an SMT process, which results in a high defect ratio and a rapid charging of the PCM due to failure to discharge the heat generated by the PCM.

In view of the above-described problems of the prior art, the applicant of the present invention has found that by inserting a metal plate for a spacer into a PCB, the heat generated in the PCM can be rapidly released to lower the resistance, thereby rapidly charging the battery, reducing the defect rate, Patent No. 10-1411584 (hereinafter referred to as " Prior Art 1 ") is a patent application for a method of manufacturing a battery protection device capable of improving productivity, and FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a battery protection device disclosed in Prior Art 1 Sectional view.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 200 denotes a metal plate for a spacer, and reference numerals 100 and 300 denote an upper PCB and a lower PCB attached to the upper and lower sides of the spacer metal plate 200, respectively. The upper PCB 100 is made of a synthetic resin sheet having a metal thin film 120 formed on an upper surface thereof and the lower PCB 300 is made of a synthetic resin sheet having a metal thin film 320 formed on a lower surface thereof.

The length of the metal plate 200 for spacers is equal to or slightly smaller than the vertical length of the upper PCB 100 and the lower PCB 300 and the lateral length is longer than the length of the upper PCB 100 and the lower PCB 300 So that the metal plate 200 for spacers protrudes from both sides of the PCB at the time of bonding.

In order to electrically connect the patterns of the upper PCB 100 and the lower PCB 300 through the respective through holes, the metal plates 200 for spacers are electrically connected to each other, And an insulating hole having a diameter larger than that of the through hole is formed by drilling, laser or press working (punching).

In the figure, reference numeral 500 denotes a conductor electrically connecting the PCB top plate 100 and the PCB lower plate 300, and 400 denotes an insulator filled in the insulating hole around the conductor 400. Reference numeral 222 denotes a vertical extension for the spacer, and reference numeral 224 denotes a horizontal extension portion that is spot welded to the upper surface of the battery cell.

Hereinafter, the battery protection device in which the metal plate for the spacer is inserted in the middle of the thickness of the circuit board is referred to as 'MI-PCM' (Metal Inserted Protection Circuit Module).

Prior Art 1: 10-1411584 (Patent Title: METHOD OF MANUFACTURING BATTERY PROTECTION DEVICE AND BATTERY PROTECTION DEVICE) Prior Art 2: 10-1601727 (Patent Title: PCB Test Apparatus) Prior Art 3: 10-1522312 Registered patent publication (name of invention: PCB product inspection apparatus and method of inspecting PCB product using the same)

It is an object of the present invention to provide an MI-PCM inspecting apparatus capable of quickly and stably testing the electrical performance of a plurality of MI-PCMs manufactured with a metal plate inserted in the middle of the thickness of a circuit board.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention comprises an MI-PCM array in which a plurality of metal insertion protection circuit modules (MI-PCM), which is a battery protection device in which a metal plate is inserted, An MI-PCM inspection device for testing the electrical performance of the MI-PCM array, comprising: a sample support for supporting the MI-PCM array in place; An upper probing unit fixedly supporting an upper probe which contacts each of at least one checkpoint formed on an upper surface of the MI-PCM array during an inspection process; A lower probe supporting the lower probe fixedly contacting each of at least one check point provided on the lower surface of the MI-PCM array during the inspection process; A lifting plunger for lifting the upper probing portion relative to the sample support; An elastic support pin for elastically supporting the sample support on the lower probe; And control means for controlling the lowering of the lifting plunger so that the test is performed when two start buttons and two start buttons provided on the base are pressed at the same time with difficulty in simultaneous operation with one hand .

In the above-described configuration, the upper probe and the lower probe are formed of pogo pins, which are barrel-type contact spring terminals.

The sample support includes a rectangular frame for supporting the rim of the MI-PCM array made of a rectangular substrate within the allowable horizontal clearance, and a bottom plate formed inside the frame for closely supporting the lower surface of the MI-PCM array, And a bottom probe through which the distal end of the lower probe contacting the lower check point of the MI-PCM array penetrates is formed in the bottom plate, and a lower probe through hole is formed in the bottom plate. .

According to the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to quickly and stably test the electrical performance of a plurality of MI-PCMs manufactured with a metal plate inserted in the middle of the thickness of a circuit board.

1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a conventional battery protection device.
2 is a front view of a conventional battery protection device.
3 is a view showing the mechanism for explaining the function of the metal spacer in the conventional battery protection device.
4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery protection device disclosed in the prior art 1. Fig.
Fig. 5 is an electrical block diagram of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention. Fig.
6A and 6B are top and bottom views of an MI-PCM array, respectively, of the present invention.
7 is a photograph before inspection of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention.
8 is a partially magnified photograph of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention before inspection.
9 is a partially magnified photograph of a portion of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention in which the MI-PCM is removed and before the inspection.
Fig. 10 is a photograph of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention during inspection; Fig.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5 is an electrical block diagram of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the electrical configuration of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention mainly includes a control unit 610 for collectively controlling the overall operation of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus, an apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as' A start button 630 for instructing the inspection apparatus to start the inspection, a keyboard 620 for inputting or setting various items related to the MI-PCM inspection, And a monitor 640 for displaying the result so that the user can know the result.

In the above-described configuration, the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention can simultaneously check the electrical performances of a plurality of, for example, up to 60 of the MI-PCMs. In this case, the MI- And the inspection apparatus of the present invention can simultaneously inspect up to six MI-PCM arrays.

The key board 620 includes various input or setting items required for MI-PCM inspection, for example, reference values for various test items, MI-PCM model number and model name, MI-PCM array number of MI- And a maker, and may include a conventional keyboard (or a numeric keypad) or a mouse.

The monitor 640 displays the results of the MI-PCM inspection, that is, the result of the MI-PCM, and the numerical values of various inspection items for each MI-PCM, and can be implemented by a conventional LCD monitor or the like.

The start button 630 is used to notify the control unit 610 of the start of the test, for example, a push button type switch. In order to prevent the possibility of injury and damage to the equipment caused by the operation of the start button 630 when the start button is pressed by the other hand while inserting one hand into the jig in the case of implementing one start button 630, It is preferable to implement it in such a manner that it is not operated until the user presses the button 630 at the same time. Therefore, it is preferable that the two start buttons 630 are spaced apart from each other by about 20 cm.

The jig driving unit 650 may include a lifting mechanism, for example, a hydraulic pump for driving the lifting plunger (piston) as described later.

Finally, the control unit 610 may be composed of one or more dedicated or general purpose control PCs. For example, if one PC is responsible for one MI-PCM array, a total of six control PCs will be needed. When the two start buttons 630 are simultaneously pressed, the controller 610 controls the driving of the jig driver 650 and stores the input contents of the key board 620 PCM based on the MI-PCM, and performs a function of outputting the MI-PCM through the monitor 640 upon request of the user while storing the results of other tests. MI-PCM inspection items include overcharge inspection, over discharge inspection, over current inspection and consumption current inspection.

6A and 6B are top and bottom photographs of an MI-PCM array to be inspected of the present invention, respectively. 6, the MI-PCM array 800 to be inspected by the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of, for example, ten MI-PCMs 810 as a single substrate, On the substrate. Reference numeral 820 denotes a connection terminal connected to a main contact of each MI-PCM 810. The connection terminal 820 may be implemented as a flexible circuit board (FPCB). On the upper and lower surfaces of each of the MI-PCM 810 and the connection terminal 820, one or more checkpoints, for example, one B + checkpoint, two B checkpoints, and two P checkpoints on the upper surface, And one TP1 check point may be provided, respectively.

Meanwhile, the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention can be extended so that six such MI-PCM arrays 800, that is, a maximum of 60 MI-PCMs 810 can be simultaneously inspected.

FIG. 7 is a photograph of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention before inspection, FIG. 8 is a photograph of a partially enlarged view of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention before inspection, The MI-PCM is removed and a partial enlargement photograph is taken before this inspection. 10 is an overall photograph of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus of the present invention during inspection.

7 to 10, the mechanical configuration of the MI-PCM inspection apparatus 700 of the present invention is roughly divided into a base 710 constituting a lower portion of the apparatus, an MI-PCM array (hereinafter referred to as " A sample supporter 730 for supporting the sample 800 in a fixed position and an upper probe 744 contacting each of a plurality of check points formed on the upper surface of the MI- (740). A lower probe unit 750 which fixedly supports a lower probe 754 which is in contact with one or more checkpoints provided on the lower surface of the MI-PCM array 800, an upper probe unit 740 which supports the sample probe 730 An elevation guide 760 for guiding the upward and downward movement of the upper probe 740 smoothly, an elastic support pin 770 for elastically supporting the sample support 730, 630).

In the above-described configuration, a total of two start buttons 630 are provided on the base 710, and they are spaced apart from each other at a position where simultaneous operation is impossible with one hand as described above.

The lower probe unit 750 is installed on the base 710 and fixedly supports one lower probe 754 for each MI-PCM 810 of the MI-PCM array 800, for example. do. The lower probe unit 750 includes a lower probe support plate 751 made of, for example, a rectangular plate, a pogo pin 751 having a cylinder type contact spring terminal having a barrel (cylinder) fixed to the lower probe support plate 751, A lower probe 754 composed of a single pogo pin provided with a plunger (piston) only on the upper side and a lower probe 754 extending downward from the lower probe support plate 751 while being electrically connected to the lower probe 754, Cable 752, as shown in FIG.

Next, the sample support 730 may be made up of a rectangular frame 731 that supports the edge of the sample 800 made of at least a rectangular substrate within an allowable horizontal clearance. In order to stably support the inside of the frame 731 It is preferable that a bottom plate 732 for supporting the lower surface of the sample 800 in close contact is formed. A specimen gripping groove 734 is formed in the sample supporter 730 so as to extend from the middle of the front surface of the frame 731 to a part of the bottom plate 732. The specimen gripping groove 734 The sample 800 which has been inspected can be gripped with the thumb and index finger.

A plurality of lower probe through holes are formed in the bottom plate 732 to expose a plunger of a lower probe 754 to be described later. The lower probe 754 is exposed to the lower surface of the sample 800 placed on the bottom plate, And comes into contact with the check point. On the other hand, the sample supporter 730 is elastically supported on the lower probe unit 750 by a plurality of elastic supporters 770, for example, elastic supporters 770 provided at each corner of the frame 731, do.

The upper probes 740 are provided so as to be able to move up and down above the sample supporter 730 so that the upper probes 740 for each of the MI-PCMs 810, ). The upper probe unit 740 includes an upper probe support plate 741 made of, for example, a rectangular plate, a pogo pin, a cylinder type contact spring terminal having its barrel (cylinder) fixed to the upper probe support plate 741, An upper probe 744 composed of a single pogo pin provided only on the lower side of the plunger (piston), and an upper probe cable 742 extended to the upper portion of the upper probe support plate 741 while being electrically connected to the upper probe 744. [ . ≪ / RTI >

The upper probe 740 is fixed to the lower end of the lifting plunger 722 of the hydraulic pump 720 so that the upper probe 740 also ascends and descends as the lifting plunger 722 ascends and descends. An elevation guide 760 for guiding the smooth and stable elevation of the upper probe 740 is provided in the upper portion of the upper probe supporting plate 741. The elevating guide 760 is disposed at each corner of the upper probe supporting plate 741 And a bearing member 764 that is fixed to the lower probe support plate 751 and supports the guide rod 762 so as to be able to move up and down.

In order to inspect the MI-PCM sample 800 through the above-described MI-PCM inspection apparatus 700 of the present invention, the inspector uses the both hands in a state in which the sample 800 is placed on the sample supporter 730 at a predetermined position Two start buttons 630 must be pressed at the same time. Then, the control unit 610 confirms this and then issues a test start command to the jig driving unit 650. Accordingly, the hydraulic pump 720 operates to lower the lifting plunger 722. As a result, The upper probe unit 740 is lowered toward the sample 800 on the sample support table 730 in accordance with the guide of the elevation guide 760.

In this process, the upper probe unit 740 is moved backward by a predetermined distance in order to ensure contact between the upper probe 744 and the lower probe 754 and the check points formed on the sample 800, And stops falling. Even though the upper and lower probes 744 and 744 are not horizontal or the sample 800 is not flat to the desired degree, the elasticity of the plunger of the upper probe 744 and the lower probe 754 And all of the upper probe 744 and the lower probe 754 are reliably contacted to the corresponding check point.

When the various tests are completed in this state, the result is transmitted to the control unit 610. The control unit 610 monitors the results of the determination on the MI-PCM 810 of the sample 800 640). Next, the control unit 610 controls the jig driving unit 650 to raise the lifting plunger 722 to a position before the inspection. Accordingly, the upper probe unit 740 suspended therefrom also ascends to wait for the next inspection do.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims.

610: control unit, 620: keyboard,
630: Start button, 640: Monitor,
650: jig drive unit, 700: inspection apparatus equipment,
710: base, 712, 714: start button,
720: hydraulic pump, 722: lifting plunger,
730: sample support, 731: frame,
732: bottom plate, 734: sample holding groove,
740: upper probe portion, 741: upper probe support plate,
742: upper probe cable, 744: upper probe,
750: lower probe portion, 751: lower probe support plate,
752: lower probe cable, 754: lower probe,
760: lift guide, 762: guide rod,
764: bearing, 770: elastic support pin,
800: sample (MI-PCM array), 810: MI-PCM body,
820: Connection terminal

Claims (3)

An MI-PCM inspecting apparatus for testing an electrical performance of an MI-PCM array including a plurality of metal inserted protection circuit modules (MI-PCM), which is a battery protecting device in which a metal plate is inserted in the middle of a thickness of a circuit board,
A sample support supporting the MI-PCM array in place;
An upper probing unit fixedly supporting an upper probe which contacts each of at least one checkpoint formed on an upper surface of the MI-PCM array during an inspection process;
A lower probe supporting a lower probe fixedly contacting each of at least one checkpoint provided on a lower surface of the MI-PCM array during an inspection process;
A lifting plunger for lifting the upper probing portion relative to the sample support;
An elastic support pin for elastically supporting the sample support on the lower probe;
Two start buttons that are installed on the base with difficult spacing for simultaneous operation in one hand and
And control means for controlling the lowering of the lifting plunger so that the test is performed when two start buttons are simultaneously pressed,
The sample support comprises a rectangular frame supporting a rim of the MI-PCM array made of a rectangular substrate within an allowable horizontal clearance, and a bottom plate formed inside the frame for closely supporting the lower surface of the MI-PCM array, And a bottom probe through which the distal end of the lower probe contacting the lower check point of the MI-PCM array penetrates is formed in the bottom plate, and a lower probe through hole is formed in the bottom plate. Wherein the MI-PCM testing device comprises: The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the upper probe and the lower probe are made of a pogo pin which is a barrel-type contact spring terminal. delete

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