KR102418781B1 - Cell Arranging Apparatus and Method for Arranging Cell with The Same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a cell arranging device and a cell arranging method using the same, which can increase the efficiency of a battery cell manufacturing process and effectively reduce the defective rate. The cell arrangement device according to the present invention for achieving the above object is provided with a square plate having a front end, a rear end, a left end, and a right end, the battery cell is formed so that the end of the electrode lead is formed toward the front a tray provided with a mounting portion having a receiving space to be disposed; and a pressing unit configured to move backward so as to press the front end of the battery cell accommodated in the mounting unit, on which the electrode lead is formed, wherein the pressure band is configured to press a portion of the front end of the battery cell in which the electrode lead is not formed. includes

Description

Cell arranging apparatus and cell arranging method using same {Cell Arranging Apparatus and Method for Arranging Cell with The Same}

The present invention relates to a cell arranging apparatus and a cell arranging method using the same, and more particularly, to a cell arranging apparatus capable of increasing the efficiency of a manufacturing process of a battery cell and effectively reducing a defective rate and a cell arranging method using the same.

In recent years, as the demand for portable electronic products such as notebook computers, video cameras, and portable telephones is rapidly increasing, and development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, satellites, etc. is in full swing, a high-performance secondary battery capable of repeatedly charging and discharging research is being actively conducted.

Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among them, lithium secondary batteries have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, so charging and discharging are free, The self-discharge rate is very low and the energy density is high, attracting attention.

In addition, depending on the shape of the battery case, the lithium secondary battery may be classified into a can-type secondary battery in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a metal can and a pouch-type secondary battery in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet. In addition, the can-type secondary battery may be further classified into a cylindrical battery and a prismatic battery according to the shape of the metal can.

Here, the pouch of the pouch-type secondary battery is largely divided into a lower sheet and an upper sheet covering the same, and an electrode assembly formed by stacking and winding positive and negative electrodes and separators is accommodated in the pouch. Then, after accommodating the electrode assembly, the edges of the upper sheet and the lower sheet are sealed by thermal fusion or the like. In addition, an electrode tab drawn out from each electrode may be coupled to an electrode lead, and an insulating film may be added to the electrode lead at a portion in contact with the sealing part.

However, the pouch-type secondary battery, unlike the can-type battery, uses a soft pouch as a container, so the mechanical strength is weak, there is a possibility of moisture penetration, internal short circuit, an overcharge state exceeding the allowed current and voltage, exposure to high temperature, falling There is a problem in that the safety of causing the battery to explode due to the high temperature and high pressure inside the battery, which may be caused by an abnormal operating state of the battery, such as an impact caused by the battery, is poor.

In addition, since various combustible materials are embedded in such a pouch-type secondary battery, there is a risk of heat generation and explosion due to overcharging, overcurrent, and other physical external shocks, and thus, there is a disadvantage in safety. Accordingly, the secondary battery needs to be provided with a protection circuit module (PCM) capable of effectively controlling an abnormal state such as overcharging.

On the other hand, in the welding process for electrical connection between the secondary battery and the protection circuit module of the prior art, each of the electrode lead and the connection member of the protection circuit module formed in the secondary battery is precisely positioned at a set position in order to increase welding reliability and perform welding quickly. needed to be located.

However, since the secondary battery has an electrode lead that can be easily deformed or damaged by an external impact, during the process of pressing the secondary battery to arrange the secondary battery in a set position, it is possible to damage the exterior material or the electrode lead of the secondary battery. there was a problem

In particular, when the electrode lead is deformed by external pressure, it is difficult to perform welding with the connection member of the protection circuit module smoothly, or there is a problem in that connection failure occurs. Moreover, in order to precisely position the secondary battery at the set position, it takes a relatively large amount of time for position adjustment, which is a major cause of increasing the manufacturing cost.

Accordingly, the present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cell arrangement apparatus capable of increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing process of battery cells and effectively reducing the defective rate and a cell arrangement method using the same .

Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be understood by the following description, and will become more clearly understood by the examples of the present invention. It will also be readily apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the appended claims.

A cell arrangement device according to the present invention for achieving the above object,

a tray provided with a mounting portion having a square plate having a front end, a rear end, a left end, and a right end, and having an accommodating space in which the battery cell is disposed so that the end on which the electrode lead is formed faces forward; and

A pressing unit configured to move backward so as to press the front end of the battery cell accommodated in the mounting unit, in which the electrode lead is formed, and the pressure band is configured to press a portion of the front end of the battery cell in which the electrode lead is not formed. include

In addition, the pressing unit of the pressing unit, the body portion in the form of a bar extending long in one direction; And at least one column extending upwardly from the main body may be formed.

Furthermore, the pillar portion may be configured to press the portion where the electrode lead of the battery cell is not formed.

In addition, the pressure band may be formed with two pillars extending from the upper portion of the main body.

In addition, the two pillars may be positioned to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

Furthermore, the tray may include: a contact plate configured to move in a left direction or a right direction to press the left or right side of the mounted battery cell; and an elastic member having one end connected to one side of the adherend and the other end connected to the tray to apply a pressing force to the adherend.

In addition, the cell arrangement device may further include a pressing pin for stopping the movement in the pressing direction of the contact band in the compressed state of the elastic member.

In addition, a through hole configured to be inserted through the pressure pin may be formed in the tray.

Moreover, the moving direction of the pressure band of the pressing unit may be perpendicular to the moving direction of the contact band of the tray.

The cell arrangement device may further include a fixing cover covering an upper portion of the battery cell so that the battery cell disposed at the reference position of the mounting unit is fixed in position.

Further, a fixing protrusion protruding downward to press the upper portion of the battery cell may be formed on a lower surface of the fixing cover.

In addition, the tray may be formed with a guide protrusion protruding upward to guide the position of the cover of the fixed cover.

Furthermore, an insertion hole into which the guide protrusion is inserted may be formed in the fixing cover.

And, the cell arrangement method according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the mounting step of mounting the battery cells so that the electrode lead is formed in the tray-formed mounting portion to face forward; and

and a pressing step of pressing a portion of the front end of the battery cell in which the electrode lead is not formed while the pressing arm provided in the pressing unit moves backward so that the battery cells accommodated in the mounting unit are arranged in the reference position.

Furthermore, the cell arrangement method may further include a fixing step of positioning a fixing cover above the battery cells to fix the battery cells located at the reference positions of the mounting part.

In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention for achieving the above object may be manufactured by a cell arrangement method.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in the cell arrangement device of the present invention, by using a pressurizing unit having a pressurizing band to press a portion of a battery cell where an electrode lead is not formed, generated while arranging the battery cell It is possible to prevent possible damage to the electrode lead, effectively reducing the defect rate of the product.

In addition, according to this aspect of the present invention, since the pressurizing unit includes a hydraulic cylinder, the pressurizing band can more delicately press the terrace portion of the battery cell, thereby minimizing damage to the pouch exterior material or the electrode lead due to pressurization.

Moreover, according to one aspect of the present invention, the tray includes a contact bar and an elastic member to arrange the battery cells in the left and right direction reference positions, so that the battery cells are located in the accommodating space of the mounting part in the left and right directions quickly and accurately. can be arranged

And, according to one aspect of the present invention, the cell arrangement device, by having a pressing pin inserted into the base plate, simply by mounting the tray on the base plate to easily stop the movement in the pressing direction of the adherend, It is possible to make the elastic member connected to the compressed state. Accordingly, it is possible to perform the arrangement of the battery cells without a complicated configuration and process, and the arrangement operation can be simplified and performed quickly, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the battery cells.

Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, by forming an inclined portion on the adhesion table, only the vertical movement of the pressure pin can control the movement of the adhesion table in the left and right directions. For this reason, the cell arrangement apparatus of the present invention can easily perform the arrangement of the battery cells in the left and right directions without a complicated control process, so that the operation is easy and the process is quick.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, the fixing cover can effectively fix the battery cells arranged at the reference position of the mounting part by the fastening structure of the guide protrusion and the insertion hole. Furthermore, the fixing cover can be easily mounted at a position set on the upper part of the tray through the guide protrusion and the insertion hole, so that the process speed can be increased.

The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and serve to further understand the technical spirit of the present invention together with the detailed description of the present invention to be described later, so that the present invention is a matter described in those drawings should not be construed as being limited to
1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a cell arrangement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which battery cells are mounted in a cell arrangement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view schematically illustrating an enlarged portion of a region A' of FIG. 1 .
Fig. 5 is a partial plan view schematically showing a portion of region B' in Fig. 1 .
6 is a partial plan view schematically illustrating the operation of the cell arrangement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a partial plan view schematically illustrating some configurations of a cell arrangement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a partial front view (a) and (b) schematically showing the operation of some components of the cell arrangement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a partial front view (a) and (b) schematically showing the operation of some components of the cell arrangement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a cell arrangement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a cell arrangement apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a side view schematically showing a fixing cover of a cell arrangement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a cell arrangement method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms or words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, and the inventor should properly understand the concept of the term in order to best describe his invention. Based on the principle that it can be defined, it should be interpreted as meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention.

Accordingly, the configuration shown in the embodiments and drawings described in the present specification is only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not represent all of the technical spirit of the present invention, so at the time of the present application, various It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a cell arrangement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which a battery cell is mounted in a cell arrangement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. And, FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3 , the cell arrangement apparatus 200 of the present invention includes a tray 210 and a pressure unit 220 .

Here, the tray 210 may include a square plate having a front end 210a, a rear end 210b, a left end 210c, and a right end 210d based on a view in the F direction. . In addition, the tray 210 may be provided with a mounting portion 211 in which an accommodating space in which the battery cells 100 are disposed. In this case, the battery cell 100 mounted on the mounting part 211 may be positioned so that the end at which the electrode lead 110 is formed faces forward.

Furthermore, the accommodation space of the mounting part 211 may be a space formed by having an outer surface inside in a downward direction. That is, the accommodation space of the mounting portion 211 may be a portion in which a step structure having a different height in the vertical direction is formed compared to the rest of the portion.

In addition, the accommodating space may be sized to accommodate at least a portion of the outer shape of the battery cell 100 . For example, the left-right width Z of the accommodation space of the mounting part 211 may be equal to or greater than the left-right width of the battery cell 100 . Also, the length U in the front-rear direction of the receiving space of the mounting part 211 may be smaller than the length U in the front-rear direction of the battery cell 100 .

In this case, in the accommodating space of the mounting part 211 , there may be a gap between the rear end of the battery cell 100 and the rear wall of the accommodating space in a state in which the battery cell 100 is mounted. Similarly, in the mounting part 211 , in a state in which the battery cell 100 is mounted, there may be a gap between the left and right side ends of the battery cell 100 and the left and right walls of the accommodation space.

Moreover, the mounting unit 211 may set the width Z between the left and right sidewalls inside the accommodation space, and the length U between the upper end of the accommodation space and the rear wall so as to set the reference position. . In addition, the mounting part 211 may serve to support the battery cell 100 by the left or right wall and the rear wall of the receiving space so that the battery cell 100 can be located at the reference position. have.

Also, here, the battery cell 100 may be a pouch-type battery cell 100 . In particular, here, the pouch-type battery cell 100 may include an electrode assembly (not shown), an electrolyte (not shown), and a pouch case 115 . In addition, the electrode assembly may be sealed inside the pouch case 115 together with the electrolyte, and electrode leads 111 and 112 may be formed on one side. Moreover, the battery cell 100 may be a secondary battery capable of repeatedly charging and discharging. In particular, the battery cell 100 may be a lithium ion battery.

In addition, the electrode assembly (not shown) may be configured in a form in which one or more positive electrode plates and one or more negative electrode plates are disposed with a separator interposed therebetween. More specifically, the electrode assembly may be divided into a winding type in which one positive electrode plate and one negative electrode plate are wound together with a separator, and a stack type in which a plurality of positive electrode plates and a plurality of negative electrode plates are alternately stacked with a separator interposed therebetween. have.

Furthermore, the pouch exterior material 115 may be configured to include an external insulating layer, a metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer. The pouch case 115 is a metal thin film, for example, an aluminum thin film, in order to protect internal components such as the electrode assembly and the electrolyte, and to supplement the electrochemical properties of the electrode assembly and the electrolyte and to improve heat dissipation. can be configured.

Furthermore, this aluminum thin film is disposed between the insulating layer formed of an insulating material in order to secure electrical insulation with other components outside the battery cell 100 or components inside the battery cell 100 such as the electrode assembly and electrolyte. may be interposed.

In addition, the pouch exterior material 115 may be composed of two pouches, and at least one of them may have a concave inner space formed therein. In addition, the pouch case 115 may include an electrode assembly and an accommodating part 116 in which the electrolyte is accommodated.

Furthermore, in the pouch case 115 , the two pouches are fused to each other so that the inner space of the receiving unit 116 in which the electrode assembly is accommodated is sealed, and a sealing unit may be formed around the receiving unit 116 . For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , a sealed terrace portion S located on the outer periphery of the front of the pouch case 115 may be formed.

Furthermore, the pouch-type battery cell 100 may include an electrode lead 110 . The electrode lead 110 may include an anode lead 111 and a cathode lead 112 . Here, each of the positive lead 111 and the negative lead 112 is configured in a plate shape when viewed in the F direction shown in FIG. 3 , and a relatively wider surface than the two remaining surfaces is located at the upper and lower portions, respectively.

Here, terms indicating directions such as front, back, left, right, up, and down may vary depending on the position of the observer or the placed shape of the object. However, in the present specification, for convenience of explanation, directions such as front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom are separately indicated with reference to the time when viewed in the F direction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the positive lead 111 may be configured to protrude and extend to one side of one side of the terrace portion S of the battery cell 100 . In addition, the negative lead 112 may be spaced apart from the positive lead 111 to protrude and extend to the other side of one side of the terrace portion S.

The configuration of the pouch-type battery cell 100 described above is obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, and thus a more detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, various battery cells known at the time of filing of the present invention may be employed.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the pressurizing unit 220 may be configured to press the front end of the battery cell 100 accommodated in the mounting unit 211 , in which the electrode lead 110 is formed. Specifically, the pressing unit 220 may be located in front of the tray 210 . In addition, the pressure unit 220 may be provided with a pressure bar 222 configured to move backward.

That is, the pressing unit 220 is located in front of the tray 210 , and the battery cell accommodated in the mounting part 211 while the pressing unit 222 provided in the pressing unit 220 moves backwards. The electrode lead 110 of (100) may be configured to press the formed front end.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the cell arrangement apparatus 200 may include a tray 210 in which a mounting unit 211 capable of accommodating five battery cells 100 is formed. In addition, the pressure unit 220 may be provided with five pressure bars 222 configured to move backward.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view schematically illustrating an enlarged portion of a region A' of FIG. 1 . Fig. 5 is a partial plan view schematically showing a portion of region B' in Fig. 1 . And, Figure 6 is a partial plan view schematically showing the operation of the cell arrangement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 to 6 , the pressure band 222 may be configured to press the portion P of the front end of the battery cell 100 where the electrode lead 110 is not formed. At this time, the pressure band 222 may be provided with an electrically insulating material. For example, the pressure band 222 may be provided with an electrically insulating plastic material.

Specifically, the pressing arm 222 of the pressing unit 220 may include a body portion 222a and at least one columnar portion 222b. Moreover, the body portion 222a may be in the form of a bar elongated in one direction. In addition, the pillar portion 222b may have a shape extending upward from the main body portion 222a.

Furthermore, the side portion R of the pillar portion 222b may be configured to press a portion of the battery cell 100 where the electrode lead 110 is not formed (the front end of the terrace portion).

In addition, the pressure bar 222 may be formed with two pillars 222b extending from the upper portion of the body portion 222a. In addition, the two pillar portions 222b may be positioned to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. That is, the two pillars 222b of the pressure band 222 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance so that they can be formed at positions that do not face the portion where the electrode leads 110 of the battery cell 100 are formed. It can be formed in a location.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the pressure unit 220 may include five pressure bars 222 . In addition, each of the five pressure bars 222 may include a body portion 222a and two pillar portions 222b. Furthermore, the side portion R of the pillar portion 222b of each of the five pressure bars 222 may be configured to press the portion P of the battery cell 100 where the electrode lead 110 is not formed. .

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, by configuring the pressure band 222 provided in the pressure unit 220 to press the portion P of the battery cell 100 where the electrode lead 110 is not formed. , it is possible to prevent damage to the electrode leads 110 that may occur while arranging the battery cells 100 .

In particular, as a subsequent process, a protection circuit module (PCM) provided with a protection circuit or a protection element is electrically connected to the electrode lead 110 by welding to prevent an overcurrent of the battery cell 100 from flowing or operating at a high temperature. For the process, aligning by pressing the front end of the battery cell 100 on which the electrode lead 110 is formed is more precise than aligning the rear end of the battery cell 100 by pressing the electrode lead 110 . There is an advantage in that it is easy to position in the , and the probability that the arrangement position becomes inappropriate is reduced.

Referring back to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the pressurizing unit 220 may include a transfer unit 228 for transferring the pressurizing bar 222 in the front-rear direction. In addition, the transfer unit 228 may be provided with a hydraulic cylinder 227 to transfer the pressure bar 222 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the hydraulic cylinder 227 may include a piston (not shown).

Moreover, the transfer unit 228 may further include a transfer plate 226 on which the pressure band 222 is mounted. In addition, the hydraulic cylinder 227 may generate a transfer force to transfer the transfer plate 226 in the front-rear direction. Further, a portion of the piston of the hydraulic cylinder 227 may be connected to the transfer plate 226 .

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, since the pressing unit 220 includes the hydraulic cylinder 227 , the pressing unit 222 more delicately applies the front end (terrace portion) of the battery cell 100 . It is possible to pressurize, it is possible to minimize the damage to the pouch packaging material 115 due to the pressurization.

Meanwhile, in FIGS. 5 and 6 , a portion in which the elastic member 214 is embedded is shown in partial cross-sectional view so that the position of the elastic member 214 can be confirmed from the outside for convenience of the following description.

Referring back to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the tray 210 may include a contact bar 212 and an elastic member 214 . Specifically, the contact table 212 may be configured to move in the left or right direction to press the left or right side of the battery cell 100 mounted on the mounting unit 211 .

In addition, the contact bar 212 may be inserted into the mounting space (E) formed by inserting the upper surface of the tray 210 to the rear to be positioned. Furthermore, the contact bar 212 may be configured to move in the left and right directions along the inner wall E1 of the mounting space E.

In addition, one end of the elastic member 214 may be connected to one side of the adherend 212 and the other end may be connected to the tray 210 to apply a pressing force to the adherend 212 . Furthermore, the elastic member 214 may be inserted and positioned inside the block 217 mounted and fixed to the tray 210 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , a mounting space E in which the contact bar 212 is inserted may be formed on one side of the receiving space of the mounting part 211 formed in each of the trays 210 . . In addition, two elastic members 214 built in the block 217 may be provided in the mounting space (E). Furthermore, the adhesion band 212 may press one side of the battery cell 100 through the elastic force of the elastic member 214 .

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the tray 210 is provided with the adhesion member 212 and the elastic member 214 , so that the battery cell 100 is placed in the receiving space of the mounting part 211 . may be arranged to match the reference position in the left and right directions. Furthermore, since the elastic force of the elastic member 214 does not excessively press the side of the battery cell 100 , there is an advantage in that the battery cells 100 can be quickly arranged without damage to the battery cells 100 . .

7 is a partial plan view schematically illustrating some configurations of a cell arrangement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 together with FIG. 1 , the cell arrangement apparatus 200 may further include a base plate 230 and a pressing pin 240 .

Specifically, the cell arrangement apparatus 200 may include a pressing pin 240 located under the tray 210 . In addition, the pressing pin 240 may be positioned in a form inserted inside the base plate 230 . Moreover, the pressing pin 240 may be in an upright form. In addition, the pressing pin 240 may have a plate shape in which a side surface in a left and right direction is wider than a side surface in the front and rear direction.

Further, the side of the pressing pin 240 in the left and right direction may be positioned to face the side in the left and right direction of the contact table 212 . In addition, the pressure pin 240 of the contact bar 212 to stop the movement in the pressing direction for pressing the battery cell 100 of the contact bar 212 in the compressed state of the elastic member 214. The left and right sides can be blocked.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the cell arrangement device 200 may include five pressing pins 240 . In addition, the five pressing pins 240 may be positioned to be inserted into the base plate 230 . In addition, upper portions of the five pressing pins 240 may be formed to protrude from the upper surface of the base plate 230 .

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1 , a through hole H1 configured to be inserted through the press pin 240 may be formed in the tray 210 . In addition, the through hole H1 may be formed at a position adjacent to the adhesion member 212 . For example, the through hole H1 may be formed on the left or right side of the adhesion bar 212 when viewed from the F direction. Accordingly, the upper portion of the pressing pin 240 may be configured to penetrate the through hole H1 to support the left side or the right side of the adhesion bar 212 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , five through holes H1 may be formed in the tray 210 . Each of the five pressing pins 240 may be positioned through each of the five through holes H1. In addition, the five pressure pins 240 may be configured to support the right side of the five contact bars 212 when viewed from the F direction.

Accordingly, only when the tray 210 is mounted on the base plate 230 , the upper ends of the pressing pins 240 inserted into the base plate 230 are formed through the through hole H1 of the tray 210 . ), it is possible to stop the movement in the pressing direction of the adhesion member 212 in the compressed state of the elastic member 214 .

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the cell arrangement device 200, by having the pressing pin 240 inserted into the base plate 230, the tray 210 is mounted on the base plate (230) It is possible to easily stop the movement of the adhesion bar 212 in the pressing direction and to put the elastic member 214 connected to the adhesion bar 212 into a compressed state. Accordingly, it is possible to perform the arrangement of the battery cells 100 without a complicated configuration and process, and the arrangement work can be simplified and performed quickly, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the battery cells 100 .

In addition, the moving direction of the pressure bar 222 of the pressure unit 220 may be perpendicular to the moving direction of the contact bar 212 of the tray 210 . Specifically, when the moving direction of the press arm 222 of the press unit 220 is the front-rear direction, the moving direction of the contact bar 212 may be a left-right direction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , the pressing arm 222 of the pressing unit 220 may be moved backward to move the battery cell 100 to a reference position in the vertical direction, and The stand 212 may be moved in the left direction to move the battery cell 100 to a reference position in the left and right direction.

Accordingly, the cell arrangement apparatus 200 of the present invention may simultaneously or sequentially move the battery cells 100 to the reference positions in the vertical direction and the left and right directions. In addition, the close contact bar 212 is a side portion of the battery cell 100 in the left and right direction is pressed so that the moved position of the battery cell 100 can be fixed by the pressurization of the pressure bar 222 . state can be maintained.

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, in the cell arrangement device 200 , the moving direction of the press arm 222 of the press unit 220 is the moving direction of the contact bar 212 of the tray 210 and By configuring it to be vertical, the battery cells 100 can be easily and precisely arranged at the reference position. For this reason, it is possible to effectively reduce the defect rate of the subsequent process of the battery cell 100 and further increase the degree of completion.

8 is a partial front view (a) and (b) schematically showing the operation of some components of the cell arrangement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 8 schematically shows a front view of the adhesion base 212 , the elastic member 214 , the block 217 , and the pressing pin 240 based on the view from the F direction of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 8 together with FIG. 1 , the pressure pin 240 may move in a downward direction while blocking the left or right side of the contact bar 212 . At this time, while the stopping force of the pressing pin 240 is released, the contact bar 212 may be moved in the left direction or the right direction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the pressing pin 402 blocks the right side of the contact table 212 , thereby stopping the right direction movement of the contact table 212 . In addition, the pressing pin 240 may maintain a compressed state of the elastic member 214 . In addition, the pressing pin 240 may allow movement in the right direction of the contact bar 212 by moving in the lower direction. Accordingly, the adhesion bar 212 may be moved in the right direction through the elastic force of the elastic member 214 .

And, when the pressure pin 240 moves upward from a position that does not face the left and right sides of the adherend 212, that is, a position at the bottom of the tray 210, May meet the inclined portion (L). In addition, the upper portion of the pressing pin 240 presses the inclined portion L of the adherend 212 to move the adherend 212 in the left direction M, and the adherend 212 may be moved to the left. ) and connected to the elastic member 214 can be compressed.

Here, the vertical movement of the pressure pin 240 may be controlled by a mechanical chain or a transmission unit having a gear.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, only the vertical movement of the pressing pin 240 can control the left-right movement of the contact table 212 . For this reason, the cell arrangement apparatus 200 of the present invention can easily arrange the battery cells 100 in the left and right directions without a complicated control process.

9 is a partial front view (a) and (b) schematically showing the operation of some components of the cell arrangement device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 9 schematically shows a front view of the adhesion base 212 , the elastic member 214 , the block 217 , and the pressing pin 240B from the reference when viewed from the F direction of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 9 , the pressing pin 240B of FIG. 9 is configured such that the battery cell 100 is mounted on or separated from the mounting unit 211 , and the contact table 212 can control the left and right directions. can

Specifically, the pressing pin 240B of FIG. 9 may be configured to press the battery cell 100 in a downward direction and may include a protrusion 242B protruding in an upward direction. In addition, the pressing pin 240B may be provided with a pressing portion 244B configured to block the left and right side portions of the adhesion member 212 . Furthermore, the pressing pin 240B may be provided with a connecting portion 246B configured to connect the protruding portion 242B and the pressing portion 244B. In addition, a spring 248B may be provided at a lower portion of the connection part 246B so that the pressing pin 240B is moved in an up-down direction elastically.

Also, when the battery cell 100 presses the protrusion part 242B downward, the connection part 246B may compress the spring 248B while moving in the downward direction. Conversely, when the battery cell 100 is removed, the connection part 246B moves upward due to the elasticity of the spring 248B, and the pressure pin 240B moves to the left and right side of the contact table 212 . It can be moved to a position facing the

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the pressing pin 240B of FIG. 9 is compared with the pressing pin 20 of FIG. 8 , the protrusion 242B, the pressing portion 244B, the connecting portion 246B, and the spring. (248B) By further comprising a configuration, the contact table 212 is installed according to whether the mounting unit 211 of the battery cell 100 is mounted without a separate unit for controlling the left and right movement of the contact table 212 . can control the movement appropriately. Accordingly, the cell arrangement apparatus 200 may reduce the number of parts and simplify the process, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

10 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a cell arrangement device according to another embodiment of the present invention. and FIG. 11 is a perspective view schematically showing a cell arrangement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

10 and 11 , the cell arrangement apparatus 200 may further include a fixing cover 250 .

Specifically, the fixing cover 250 may have a plate shape to cover at least a portion of an upper portion of the battery cell 100 so that the battery cell 100 disposed at the reference position of the mounting part 211 is fixed in position. have. In addition, a guide protrusion 216 protruding upward to guide the position of the cover of the fixed cover 250 may be formed on the tray 210 . In addition, an insertion hole H2 into which the guide protrusion 216 is inserted may be formed in the fixing cover 250 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , two guide protrusions 216 may be formed to protrude upward on the upper surface of the tray 210 . In addition, an insertion hole H2 may be formed on a lower surface of the fixing cover 250 at a position corresponding to the guide protrusion 216 .

Accordingly, in the fixing cover 250 , the guide protrusion 216 is inserted into the insertion hole H2 , and may be positioned at a set position on the upper portion of the tray 210 . Furthermore, by the fastening structure of the guide protrusion 216 and the insertion hole H2, the movement of the fixing cover 250 may be restricted. For this reason, the fixed cover 250 does not flow while pressing the upper part of the battery cell 100 from the upper part of the tray 210 .

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the fixing cover 250 is the battery cells 100 arranged at the reference position of the mounting portion 211 by the fastening structure of the guide protrusion 216 and the insertion hole H2. ) can be effectively positioned. Furthermore, the fixing cover 250 can be easily mounted at a position set on the upper portion of the tray 210 through the guide protrusion 216 and the insertion hole H2, thereby increasing the process speed.

In addition, an opening 254 may be formed in the fixing cover 250 to perform printing on the surface of the battery cell 100 . That is, when a printing operation is performed on the surface of the battery cell 100 during a subsequent process, the fixing cover 250 can effectively fix the battery cell 100 to the mounting part 211 of the tray 210 without flow. In addition, it is possible to prevent contamination from being generated in unnecessary parts of the battery cell 100 during a printing operation.

12 is a side view schematically showing a fixing cover of a cell arrangement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12 together with FIG. 11 , a fixing protrusion 252 protruding downward to press the upper portion of the battery cell 100 may be formed on a lower surface of the fixing cover 250 .

For example, as shown in FIG. 12 , three fixing protrusions 252 may be formed on the lower surface of the fixing cover 250 . The three fixing protrusions 252 may be formed to protrude roundly. In addition, the three fixing protrusions 252 may be formed at positions corresponding to the bottom, middle, and top of the top surface of the battery cell 100 .

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the fixing protrusion 252 formed on the fixing cover 250 can fix the position of the battery cell 100 with high reliability. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent accidents such as separation of the battery cell 100 mounted on the tray 210 , and furthermore, it can help to stably fix the battery cell 100 to the reference position. .

In addition, one end of the fixing cover 250 may be formed in a structure (I) in which the thickness becomes thinner toward the end. That is, in the connection (welding) process for electrical connection between the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100 and the protection circuit module (PCM), which is a subsequent process of the arrangement process of the battery cell 100 , the fixing cover 250 ) may be formed to be relatively thin at one end of the fixing cover 250 to minimize the interference with the operation. For example, the end of the fixing cover 250 in the direction in which the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100 is located may be formed thinner than the remaining portion.

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, due to the thin structure of the fixing cover 250, in the subsequent process of the battery cell 100, process efficiency can be increased, so that a more complete product can be manufactured. , it can effectively reduce the defect rate.

13 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a cell arrangement method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13 together with FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention may provide a method 300 for arranging cells using the cell arranging apparatus 200 .

Here, the cell arrangement method 300 may include a battery cell mounting step 310 of the tray 210 and a battery cell pressing step 320 of the pressurizing unit.

Specifically, in the mounting step 310 , the battery cell 100 may be mounted on the mounting unit 211 in which the tray 210 is formed. In this case, the mounted battery cell 100 may be positioned so that the end at which the electrode lead 110 is formed faces forward.

In addition, in the pressing step 320 , the pressing arm 222 provided in the pressing unit 220 may be moved backward so that the battery cells 100 accommodated in the mounting unit 211 are arranged at a reference position. In this case, the pressure band 222 may press a portion of the front end of the battery cell 100 where the electrode lead 110 is not formed.

Moreover, the cell arrangement method 300 may further include a fixing step 330 of positioning a fixing cover 250 to cover an upper portion of the battery cell 100 . In this case, the fixing cover 250 may be pressed and fixed in a downward direction to fix the battery cell 100 positioned at the reference position of the mounting part 211 .

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, in the cell arrangement method 300 of the present invention, the battery cell 100 mounting step 310 using the cell arrangement device 200, the battery cell 100 is By performing the pressing step 320 and the fixing step 330 of the battery cell 100 , the battery cell 100 can be effectively arranged at a reference position. Accordingly, the battery cells 100 can be arranged and prepared so that a high-quality manufacturing can be performed in a subsequent process, thereby improving product quality and effectively reducing a defective rate.

The battery pack (not shown) according to the present invention may be manufactured by the cell arrangement method 300 . Here, the battery pack may include a protection circuit module (PCM) electrically connected to the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100 .

Meanwhile, in this specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used, but these terms are for convenience of explanation only, and may vary depending on the location of the object or the position of the observer. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may

As described above, although the present invention has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the technical idea of the present invention and the following by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of equivalents of the claims to be described.

100: battery cell 110: electrode lead
200: cell array device
210: tray 211: mounting part
212: adhesion band 214: elastic member
220: pressurization unit 222: pressurization band
222a: body portion 222b: pillar portion
240: pressure pin H1: through hole
250: fixing cover 252: fixing projection
216: guide projection H2: insertion hole

Claims (13)

In the cell arrangement device,
a tray provided with a mounting portion having a square plate having a front end, a rear end, a left end, and a right end, and having an accommodating space in which the battery cell is disposed so that the electrode lead is formed with an end facing the front; and
A pressing unit configured to move backward so as to press the front end of the battery cell accommodated in the mounting unit, in which the electrode lead is formed, and the pressure band is configured to press a portion of the front end of the battery cell in which the electrode lead is not formed. including,
The tray is
a contact plate configured to move in a left direction or a right direction to press the left or right side of the mounted battery cell; and
and an elastic member having one end connected to one side of the adherend and the other end connected to the tray so as to apply a pressing force to the adherend;
The cell arrangement device further comprises a pressing pin for stopping the movement in the pressing direction of the contact band in the compressed state of the elastic member,
A cell arrangement device, characterized in that the tray has a through hole configured to be inserted therethrough. According to claim 1,
The pressurizing unit of the pressurizing unit,
a body part in the form of a bar extending long in one direction; and
The cell arrangement device, characterized in that at least one column extending upwardly from the main body is formed. 3. The method of claim 2,
The cell arrangement device, characterized in that the pillar portion is configured to press the portion where the electrode lead is not formed of the battery cell. 3. The method of claim 2,
The pressure band is formed with two pillars extending from the upper portion of the main body,
The cell arrangement device, characterized in that the two pillars are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. delete delete According to claim 1,
A cell arrangement device, characterized in that the movement direction of the pressing unit of the pressing unit is perpendicular to the movement direction of the contact rod of the tray. According to claim 1,
The cell arranging device may further include a fixing cover covering an upper portion of the battery cell so that the battery cell disposed at the reference position of the mounting portion is fixed in position. 9. The method of claim 8,
A cell arrangement device, characterized in that the fixing protrusion protruding downward to press the upper portion of the battery cell is formed on a lower surface of the fixing cover. 9. The method of claim 8,
A guide protrusion protruding upward to guide the position of the cover of the fixed cover is formed on the tray,
Cell arrangement device, characterized in that the fixing cover is formed with an insertion hole into which the guide projection is inserted. A method of arranging cells using the cell arrangement device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and 7 to 10, comprising:
A mounting step of mounting the battery cell so that the electrode lead is formed in the tray-formed mounting portion to face forward; and
A pressing step of pressing a portion of the front end of the battery cell in which the electrode lead is not formed while the pressing arm provided in the pressing unit moves backward so that the battery cells accommodated in the mounting unit are arranged in the reference position.
A cell arrangement method comprising a. 12. The method of claim 11,
The cell arranging method further comprises a fixing step of positioning a fixing cover above the battery cells to fix the battery cells positioned at the reference position of the mounting part. A battery pack manufactured by the cell arrangement method according to claim 11 .

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