KR20150066992A - Apparatus of inspecting leakage of cap-assembly and inspecting method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for inspecting leakage of a cap-assembly, which can check leakage of a second battery cap-assembly as the cap assembly is pressurized by an upper jig and a lower jig, the apparatus comprising: vent holes; vent units whose cap plates with membrane holes cover the vent holes and the membrane holes; vent directed holes which are arranged on the lower surface of the apparatus facing the cap assembly of the upper jig and are adjacent to the vent holes, so that pressurized air supplied from an air supply module can be passed to and from the vent holes; and external air blocking barriers which are formed as barriers surrounding the vent directed holes and the membrane holes, so that the external air can be blocked when the upper jig and the lower jig are pressurized. According to the present invention, during manufacture of a second battery, tests can be performed to check leakage of cap plates or cap plate assemblies to enhance manufacturing efficiency, removing the necessity for inspection of all welding portions through a microscope or the naked eye and thus significantly reducing total accumulated time for leakage testing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting capsules,

The present invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting capsules leak and a method thereof and more particularly to a capillary leak inspecting apparatus and method for inspecting leakages of cap plates or cap plate assemblies during a manufacturing process of a secondary battery to improve manufacturing efficiency, The present invention relates to a Capsular leak test apparatus and method thereof that significantly reduces the total accumulated time of a leak test.

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a secondary battery refers to a battery that can be charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery that can not be charged. In the field of electronic devices such as smart phones, notebook computers, camcorders, electric vehicles, electric bicycles, and uninterruptible power supplies Widely used.

Among them, the lithium secondary battery has a higher energy density per unit weight than a nickel-cadmium battery or a nickel-hydrogen battery, and is rapidly growing.

Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides as cathode active materials and carbon materials as anode active materials.

Such a lithium secondary battery is classified into a liquid electrolyte battery and a polymer electrolyte battery depending on the kind of electrolyte, and a battery using a liquid electrolyte is called a lithium ion battery and a battery using a polymer electrolyte is called a lithium polymer battery.

The lithium-ion battery can be classified into a can-type battery having a cylindrical shape and a square shape, and a pouch-type battery having flexibility according to the shape of the case in which the battery part is accommodated.

Particularly, since a plurality of electric automobiles and hybrid electric automobile batteries are connected in series and in parallel, a prismatic battery having a good space efficiency is required.

On the other hand, in addition to small electronic devices such as smart phones, notebook computers, and camcorders, the emission regulations of carbon dioxide gas are strengthening due to the heightened environmental protection movement. Therefore, in the automobile industry, gasoline, diesel oil, natural gas (EV) or a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) for use in a power supply system requiring high output and a large amount of energy as well as an automobile using fossil fuels such as a fossil fuel A sharp rise in prices is driving the development of EVs and HEVs.

As shown in FIG. 6, in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-15835, a lower chamber is opened and a lower chamber 11 is divided into upper chamber 10 and lower chamber 11 by a horizontal partition wall 12 A plurality of sensors 13 for detecting gas and a plurality of check valves 14 for selective air flow between the chambers are provided in the partition wall 12 of the vacuum chamber 15, In this case, the lower chamber 11 is a chamber in which a test object, for example, a tray on which a plurality of batteries are mounted is accommodated. The upper chamber 10 has an independent chamber capable of generating a pressure difference with the lower chamber Here, the check valve 14 functions to improve the sensitivity of leakage of leakage by making a pressure difference between the upper chamber 10 and the lower chamber 11, and also to improve the sensitivity of the check valve 14 In this case, it is possible to make the flow of air only in one direction, Discloses a leakage inspection apparatus for a secondary battery, which means a valve that allows air to flow only from the sub-chamber (11) to the upper chamber (10), but which can be closed by a control unit. The cap plate or cap plate assembly should be repaired or discarded in the event that leakage is found after completing the post-process while overlooking it There was a problem.

Therefore, the first technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the manufacturing efficiency by performing leakage inspection of the cap plate or the cap plate assembly during the manufacturing process of the secondary battery, and to perform the inspection Which can significantly reduce the total accumulated time of leakage inspection by eliminating the leakage of the leakage current.

A second technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the manufacturing efficiency by performing leakage inspection of the cap plate or the cap plate assembly during the manufacturing process of the secondary battery, And to provide a Capsular leak inspection method capable of drastically reducing the total accumulated time of leakage inspection.

In order to solve the above-mentioned first technical problem, the present invention provides a leakage inspection apparatus which can check the leakage of secondary battery cap seals by pressing the cap seals by the upper jig and the lower sheet, wherein the cap seals are provided with a vent hole, A vent unit and a membrane unit which are attached to the cap plate to cover the vent hole and the membrane hole, respectively, and a lower surface of the upper jig facing the cap seay, A vent hole adjacent to the vent hole and a membrane hole adjacent to the membrane hole so as to communicate with the vent hole and is provided in the form of a partition wall around the vent hole and the membrane hole so that the upper jig and the lower sheet, And a blocking barrier part is provided on the capping layer.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cap seay further includes a first electrode terminal portion to which the first and second electrode holes are pierced, a first current collector assembly portion, a second electrode terminal portion, and a second current collector assembly portion .

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface of the lower sheet facing the cap sees may include a seating groove on which the first collector assembly and the second collector assembly are seated.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the outside air blocking part may extend around a region facing the first electrode hole.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the lower surface of the upper jig facing the cap seals is provided with an electrode lead-through hole communicating with a flow path of compressed air supplied from the air supply module adjacent to the second electrode hole, And a second air barrier rib may be further provided on the upper jig and the lower surface to block the flow of air to the outside air during the compression.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the lower surface of the upper jig that faces the cap seats and is partitioned into the second air barrier rib may include a shape of a receiving groove for receiving the electrode terminal portion.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the receiving groove may include an electrode guide portion for guiding the electrode terminal portion to linearly flow, and a spring portion fixed to the receiving groove to assist the flow of the electrode guide.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the air supply module includes a pressurizing pump for generating compressed air, a compressed air passage for transferring compressed air, an open / close solenoid valve for shutting off or flowing the compressed air to be transferred, And may include a pressure gauge that measures and displays or sounds.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a leak checking method for checking leakage of a secondary battery cap seals by pressing a cap seam between an upper jig and a lower jig, The upper jig is provided with a vent hole and a membrane hole in the upper part of the cap seam and has an outer air barrier rib which is compressed when compressed with the lower jig to block the flow of ambient air, A step S2 of compressing a part of the vent hole, a step S3 of supplying pressurized air through the vent hole and the membrane hole to maintain the internal pressure, and a step S4 of detecting the change of the internal pressure and determining whether the internal pressure is positive or negative. Provides a leak test method.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the outside air blocking part may extend around a region facing the first electrode hole.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, on the lower surface facing the cap seals of the upper jig, there are formed an electrode orientation hole communicating with a flow path of compressed air supplied from the air supply module adjacent to the second electrode hole, And a second air barrier rib that is provided in the form of a barrier and blocks the flow of air to the outside when the upper jig and the lower ground are compressed when they are compressed.

According to the capillary leak inspection apparatus and method of the present invention, the capillary plate or the cap plate assembly is subjected to leakage inspection during the manufacturing process of the secondary battery to improve the manufacturing efficiency, The total accumulated time of the leakage inspection can be remarkably reduced.

1 is a schematic view showing a cross section of an apparatus for testing Capsulary leak according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a view showing an embodiment of a cap sieve according to the present invention,
4 is a view showing another embodiment of the cap sushi of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a Capsulary leak inspection method according to the present invention,
6 is a conceptual view of a conventional leak inspection apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The scope of which is to be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

The cap seal leak inspection apparatus according to the present invention is a leak inspection apparatus which can check the presence or absence of leakage of the secondary battery cap seals by pressing the cap seals by the upper jig and the lower jig, wherein the cap seals comprise a vent hole, A vent unit and a membrane unit which are attached to the cap plate of the upper jig so as to cover the vent hole and the membrane hole, respectively. The lower surface of the upper jig facing the cap seals communicates with the flow path of the compressed air supplied from the air supply module A vent hole adjacent to the vent hole and a membrane hole adjacent to the membrane hole, the outer air barrier wall portion being provided in the form of a partition wall around the vent hole and the membrane hole to block the flow of the upper jig and the lower portion from the outside air during compression Which will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a Capsulary leak test apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a view showing another embodiment of the cap sieve of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the cap seal leak inspection apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes an upper jig 110 and a lower jig 120 Is a leakage inspection device that can pressurize the cap seals 130 to check the leakage of the secondary battery cap seals.

The cap seals 130 are formed by a cap plate 136 having a vent hole 132 and a membrane hole 134 formed in a flat plate shape so as to cover the vent hole 132 and the membrane hole 134, The unit 132 'and the membrane unit 134' are covered and the vent unit 132 'and the membrane unit 134' are covered with the vent hole 132 and the membrane hole 134, respectively, Lt; / RTI >

The vent unit 132 'and the membrane unit 134' are provided with notches N and N 'having a predetermined thickness and depth to prevent explosion when the internal pressure of the secondary battery increases beyond a reference value due to abnormal operation So that a short circuit is generated to operate the fuse to cut off the current or cracks to reduce the internal pressure.

The cap seal 130 includes a first electrode terminal portion 170 and a first current collector assembly 150 and a second electrode terminal portion 180 to which first and second electrode holes 138 and 139 are pierced and attached, The connection terminal portions of the first and second current collecting portions 150 and 160 may be inserted into the first and second electrode holes 138 and 139 so that the connection terminal portions 172, 181 and 182 are fixed to the first and second electrode terminals 172 and 182 and the first and second bolt electrode terminals 171 and 181 through welding or rivets, As shown in Fig.

The first and second current collector assemblies 150 and 160 may be provided in various shapes by widening the surface area so that current or holes flow smoothly and efficiently in the electrochemical reaction. A positive electrode mixture containing a negative electrode active material is applied on both surfaces of a negative electrode current collector made of copper foil or the like or a positive electrode mixture containing a positive electrode active material is applied on both surfaces of a positive electrode current collector made of a thin and long sheet- It is possible.

The upper jig 110 has a vent hole 134 adjacent to the vent hole 132 so as to communicate with the compressed air passage 144 supplied from the air supply module 140, And a membrane guiding hole 138 'adjacent to the membrane hole 134. The membrane guiding hole 114 and the membrane hole 138' are provided in the form of a partition wall around the membrane guiding hole 114 and the upper jig 110 and the lower jig 120) for blocking the flow of air to the outside air when compressed.

The air supply module 140 serves to supply compressed air. The air supply module 140 includes a pressurizing pump 142 for generating compressed air, a compressed air flow path 144 for transferring the compressed air, An open / close solenoid valve 146 for blocking or circulating the air, and a pressure gauge 148 for measuring and displaying the pressure change.

The compressed air passage 144 is a passage leading to the vent hole 114, the membrane hole 138 ', and the electrode hole 139' described later.

The outer barrier ribs 118 are formed in the form of barrier ribs around the vent hole 114 and the membrane hole 138 'so that the upper and lower jigs 110 and 120 The cap seals 130 may be made of a rubber material or a Teflon material so that the cap seals 130 can be prevented from flowing into the first electrode terminal portion 130. [ The second electrode terminal 180 and the second current collector assembly 160 are loaded in the lower jig 120 without being coupled to the first and second current collector assemblies 170, 150, 150, After the jigs 110 and 120 are compressed and compressed air is supplied to reach the reference pressure, the opening / closing solenoid valve 146 is closed to maintain the internal pressure. When there is no leakage, 148). On the contrary, if there is a defect with a leak Reducing the pressure it is possible to verify this by the pressure gauge (148).

Meanwhile, when the cap seals 130 are coupled to the first electrode terminal portion 170, the first current collector assembly 150, the second electrode terminal portion 180, and the second current collector assembly 160, The first and second electrode holes 138 and 138 are connected to the first electrode terminal part 170, the first current collector assembly 150, the second electrode terminal part 180, and the second current collector assembly 160, 139 surrounding the first electrode hole 138 and an outer air blocking portion 118 extending to a region around the region facing the first electrode hole 138, The second air barrier ribs 119 are formed in the shape of a barrier around the electrode bow hole 139 'to be described later so that the upper jig and the lower air guide barriers 119' And the cap seals 130 coupled with the first electrode terminal part 170, the first current collector assembly 150, the second electrode terminal part 180, and the second current collector assembly 160, Is loaded on the lower jig 120, When the upper and lower jigs 110 and 120 are compressed and compressed air is supplied to reach the reference pressure, the open / close solenoid valve 146 is shut off to maintain the internal pressure. When there is no leakage, The pressure is reduced through the pressure gauge 148 and the first electrode terminal portion 170, the first current collector assembly 150, the second electrode terminal portion 150, It is possible to perform leakage inspection before or after the electrode terminal portion 180 and the second current collector assembly 160 are coupled, or both.

The upper surface of the lower jig 120 facing the cap seals 130 includes a seating groove 150 ', 160' in which the first current collecting assembly 150 and the second current collecting assembly 160 are seated. So that the cap plate 136 can be supported.

An electrode lead hole 139 'is formed on the lower surface of the upper jig 110 facing the cap seals 130 and communicated with a flow path of compressed air supplied from the air supply module adjacent to the second electrode hole 139 The first and second electrode terminal portions 170 and 180 protrude from the upper surface of the upper jig 110. The lower surface of the lower surface of the upper jig 110, 119 may include the shapes of the receiving grooves 170 ', 180' for receiving the electrode terminal portions 170, 180.

The bolt electrode terminals 171 and 181 of the first and second electrode terminal portions 170 and 180 are formed in a bolt shape so that the first and second electrode terminal portions 170 and 180 ' And the guide grooves 172 'for engaging the guide grooves 170 and 180 so that the guide grooves 172' are fixed to the receiving grooves 170 'and 180' A spring portion 172 "

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a leakage inspection method for inspecting leakage of a secondary battery cap seals by pressing an upper jig and a lower surface of the cap seals, the method comprising the steps of: The upper portion of the cap seats is provided in the form of a partition wall around the vent hole and the membrane hole to lower the upper jig having the outer air barrier ribs which are compressed when compressed with the lower jig to block the flow of the ambient air, Step S2, step S3 of supplying the pressurized air through the vent hole and the membrane hole to maintain the internal pressure, and step S4 of detecting the change of the internal pressure and determining whether the internal pressure is positive or not.

The leak inspection method of the present invention shares the technical idea with the leak inspection apparatus of the present invention within the scope where the invention is compatible with each other, and the detailed description and the description of the operation will be omitted or briefly described .

The cap seals 130 coupled with the vent units 132 'and the membrane units 134' are loaded on the lower jig 120 by means of welding or the like and the upper and lower jigs 110 and 120 are compressed When the compressed air is supplied to reach the reference pressure, the open / close solenoid valve 146 is closed to maintain the internal pressure. If there is no leak, that is, when the product is good, no pressure change can be confirmed through the screen or sound of the pressure gauge 148 In contrast, when there is a leak, the pressure is reduced, so that it can be judged through the screen or sound of the pressure gauge 148.

The first electrode terminal part 170, the first current collector assembly 150, the second electrode terminal part 180, and the second electrode terminal part 170 are connected to the vent unit 132 'and the membrane unit 134' The cap seals 130 coupled with the second current collecting unit 160 can also determine good products or defects in the order of loading, compression, compressed air supply, pressure change confirmation, etc. In this case, The outside air blocking portion 118 can extend around the area facing the first electrode hole 138 and the lower portion facing the cap seats of the upper jig. An electrode lead-in hole 139 'adjacent to the second electrode hole 139 and communicating with a flow path of compressed air supplied from the air supply module 140, and an electrode lead- And may further include a second outside air blocking partition wall portion 119 which is compressed when compressed to block the flow of air to the outside air It is as previously present.

Claims (11)

The leak inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper jig and the lower jig pressurize the cap seals to check leakage of the secondary battery cap seals,
The cap seals include a vent unit and a membrane unit. The cap unit includes a vent hole and a membrane hole. The cap unit includes a vent unit and a membrane unit. The cap unit includes a vent hole and a membrane hole.
A vent hole adjacent to the vent hole and a membrane hole adjacent to the membrane hole are provided on the lower surface of the upper jig facing the cap sheath so as to communicate with the flow path of the compressed air supplied from the air supply module, And an outer air blocking partition wall which is provided in the form of a partition wall around the upper jig and the lower ground to block the flow of air to the outside air when compressed.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the cap seals further include a first electrode terminal portion to which the first and second electrode holes are attached and attached, a first current collector assembly portion, a second electrode terminal portion, and a second current collector assembly portion. .
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the upper surface facing the cap seals of the lower sheet comprises a seating groove on which the first collector assembly and the second collector assembly are seated.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the outside air shielding compartment extends to a region around the first electrode hole.
3. The method of claim 2,
An electrode lead hole communicating with a flow path of compressed air supplied from an air supply module adjacent to the second electrode hole on the lower surface facing the cap sees of the upper jig and a barrier rib surrounding the electrode lead hole, Further comprising a second outside air blocking partition wall for blocking the flow of air to the outside air when the air bag is compressed.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein a part of a surface of the lower surface facing the cap seals of the upper jig is divided into a receiving groove for receiving the electrode terminal portion.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the receiving groove includes an electrode guide portion for guiding the electrode terminal portion to linearly flow through the electrode terminal portion, and a spring portion fixed to the receiving groove to assist the flow of the electrode guide.
The method according to claim 1,
The air supply module includes a pressurizing pump for generating compressed air, a compressed air passage for transferring the compressed air, an open / close solenoid valve for shutting off or flowing the compressed air to be delivered, and a pressure gauge The capillary leak test method comprising the steps of:

A leak checking method for checking whether leakage of a secondary battery cap seals can be confirmed by pressing an upper jig and a lower jig thereof,
(S1) placing the cap seats on a lower surface thereof;
The upper portion of the cap sheath is provided in the form of a partition wall around the vent hole and the membrane hole to lower the upper jig having the outer air barrier rib which is compressed when compressed with the lower jig to block the flow of the ambient air, Step S2;
A step S3 of supplying pressurized air through the vent hole and the membrane hole to maintain the internal pressure; And
Detecting a change in the internal pressure and determining whether the cap is biased.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the outside air shielding compartment extends to a region around the first electrode hole.
10. The method of claim 9,
An electrode lead hole communicating with a flow path of compressed air supplied from an air supply module adjacent to the second electrode hole on the lower surface facing the cap sees of the upper jig and a barrier rib surrounding the electrode lead hole, Further comprising a second outside air blocking partition wall for blocking the flow of air to the outside air when the air bag is compressed.

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