WO2011086928A1

WO2011086928A1 - Apparatus and method for supplying electrolytic solution

Info

Publication number: WO2011086928A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/000140
Authority: WO
Inventors: 山浦誠司; 平井健一
Original assignee: 長野オートメーション株式会社
Priority date: 2010-01-15
Filing date: 2011-01-13
Publication date: 2011-07-21
Also published as: JP5685202B2; JPWO2011086928A1

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus (1) for supplying an electrolytic solution into a battery container, comprising a measurement unit (10) in which a piston (12) moves in a space (S) in a cylinder (11), a dispenser (20) which injects an electrolytic solution into the battery container (200) from an upper part of the battery container (200) through the measurement unit (10), and a control unit (30). The dispenser (20) comprises a discharge nozzle (21), a needle valve (23) which enables the opening and closing of the discharge nozzle (21), and an actuator (24) which can drive the needle valve (23) up and down. The control unit (30) comprises a first function (30a) which allows the movement of the piston (12) in the cylinder (11) to supply the electrolytic solution (19) to the dispenser (20), and a second function (30b) which allows the opening and closing of the needle valve (23) by means of the actuator (24).

Description

Apparatus and method for supplying electrolyte

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for supplying an electrolytic solution into a battery container.

In the step of supplying the electrolytic solution into the battery container, the battery container is placed in a vacuum atmosphere (reduced pressure atmosphere) for the purpose of shortening the time for the electrolytic solution to penetrate.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-59973, a step of evacuating the battery case to a degree of vacuum in the range of −70 kpa to −95 kpa below the boiling point of the organic electrolyte, and a predetermined amount of the organic electrolyte are injected The temporary storage chamber in the injected hopper is evacuated to a degree of vacuum that produces a pressure difference of 0.1 kpa to 5 kpa higher than the pressure in the battery case, and the injection hopper is opened for temporary storage. A method for injecting a lithium secondary battery, comprising: injecting an organic electrolyte in a liquid chamber into a battery case via an injection port and an injection nozzle connected to the injection port by a pressure difference is disclosed. .

In order to shorten the time (injection time) for injecting the electrolyte into the battery container (battery case), the inside of the battery case is made negative pressure, divided into predetermined amounts (injection), or negative pressure Dispensing in an atmosphere is performed. In any case, it is important to ensure the accuracy of liquid injection (accuracy of the liquid amount).

One embodiment of the present invention is a device (a supply device, a liquid injection device) that supplies an electrolytic solution into a battery container (battery case) disposed in a reduced pressure atmosphere (a reduced pressure chamber). The apparatus includes a measuring unit that measures an electrolyte by moving a piston in a space in a cylinder, a dispenser that injects an electrolyte supplied from the measuring unit into the battery container from above, and a control unit that controls the apparatus. Have The dispenser includes a discharge nozzle disposed in the battery container or near the upper end of the battery container, a needle valve that is disposed inside the discharge nozzle, opens and closes the discharge nozzle, and an actuator that drives the needle valve up and down.

The control unit controls the movement of the piston of the metering unit, moves the piston in the direction to expand the space in the cylinder (direction to expand), measures the electrolyte, and moves the piston in the direction to narrow the space (direction to reduce). A first function (first function unit) for supplying the electrolyte solution to the dispenser, and a second function (second function unit) for opening and closing the needle valve by the actuator. The first function for controlling the function includes a signal output function (signal output function unit) that outputs a signal for closing the needle valve in conjunction with moving and stopping the piston in the direction of narrowing the space in the cylinder.

The battery container that supplies (injects and dispenses) the electrolyte is placed in a reduced pressure atmosphere (in a reduced pressure chamber). On the other hand, the electrolytic solution is supplied from outside the reduced pressure atmosphere (outside the reduced pressure chamber), typically from the atmospheric pressure atmosphere. Furthermore, in an apparatus for supplying an electrolytic solution, in order to suppress scattering of the electrolytic solution, instead of injecting the electrolytic solution by pressurizing it with a pump or the like, the liquid column pressure (static pressure, hydraulic pressure) is put into the battery container. inject. Therefore, the pressure difference due to the reduced pressure and the static pressure of the electrolytic solution are applied to the inlet (tip of the discharge nozzle) to the battery container, and the electrolytic solution is strongly sucked into the decompression chamber side. For this reason, the device (supply device, liquid injection device) of one aspect of the present invention is provided with a needle valve that opens and closes the discharge nozzle of the dispenser while measuring the electrolyte supplied to the dispenser by the first function by the measuring unit. The accuracy of the amount of liquid injected into the battery container is further improved by closing the needle valve in conjunction with the movement of the piston of the measuring unit to stop by the signal output function.

In particular, when the electrolyte contains a flammable organic solvent and the actuator that drives the needle valve up and down is included in the explosion-proof region (region where explosion protection must be considered), the actuator that drives the needle valve It is difficult to make it controllable electrically and with almost no time delay. Accordingly, the signal output function for outputting a signal for closing the needle valve in conjunction with moving and stopping the piston in the direction in which the first function is narrowed is performed before the piston is moved and stopped in the direction in which the first function is narrowed. It is desirable to output a signal for closing the needle valve. As a result, even if there is a certain delay from when the control unit outputs a signal for closing the needle valve until the needle valve is actually closed, the needle valve can be closed almost simultaneously with the stop of the piston of the metering unit. . For this reason, it is easy to ensure the accuracy of the injection volume.

¡A typical actuator that drives a piston is a servo motor. A typical actuator disposed in the explosion-proof area is driven by a working fluid supplied via a solenoid valve, for example, air. In this case, the first function includes a function of outputting a signal for driving the servo motor, and the signal output function of the second function includes a function of outputting a signal for driving the solenoid valve. The signal output function closes the needle valve in conjunction with the movement of the piston by outputting a signal for controlling (driving) the solenoid valve as a signal for closing the needle valve before moving the piston in the narrowing direction and stopping it. it can.

The stop of the piston can be detected by providing means (detector) for detecting the position of the piston. The signal output function can output a signal for closing the needle valve when the detector detects that the position of the piston moving in the narrowing direction becomes the first position before the stop position. Furthermore, the first function may move the piston in the direction of expanding and narrowing the space in the cylinder based on the position of the piston detected by the detector.

If the servo motor that drives the piston is a stepping motor, the position of the piston can be detected by counting the number of pulses. That is, the first function determines the position of the piston based on the number of pulses supplied to the servo motor and moves the piston in the direction of expanding and narrowing, and the signal output function of the second function is in the direction of narrowing while moving. When the number of pulses supplied to the servo motor reaches a predetermined value, a signal for closing the needle valve can be output.

Furthermore, when this apparatus further has an inlet valve that opens and closes the upstream side of the measuring unit, it is desirable that the control unit has a third function (third functional unit) that opens and closes the inlet valve. In this case, the first function includes a function of driving the piston in a direction in which the piston is expanded after the third function outputs a signal for opening the inlet valve, and the third function is that the first function activates the piston. The first function includes a function of closing the inlet valve after moving in a widening direction and stopping, and the first function is a function of driving the piston in a narrowing direction after the second function outputs a signal for opening the needle valve. It is desirable to include.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method including supplying an electrolytic solution by a supplying device into a battery container disposed in a reduced pressure atmosphere. The supply device includes a metering unit and a dispenser. The dispenser is disposed in the battery container or in the vicinity of the upper end of the battery container, and a needle valve that is disposed inside the discharge nozzle and opens and closes the discharge nozzle. And an actuator for driving the needle valve up and down.
Supplying the electrolytic solution includes the following steps.
1. The movement of the piston is controlled by moving the piston of the metering unit in the direction of expanding the space in the cylinder to measure the electrolyte, and moving the piston in the direction of narrowing the space to supply the electrolyte to the dispenser.
2. Output a signal to close the needle valve to the actuator in conjunction with the piston moving in the direction of narrowing and stopping.

According to this method, in the process of manufacturing the battery, it is possible to suppress the injection amount from fluctuating due to suction or liquid leakage with respect to the battery container (battery pack) disposed in the reduced pressure atmosphere. Therefore, the amount of injected liquid can be controlled with higher accuracy.

It is desirable to output a signal to close the needle valve before moving the piston in the narrowing direction to stop it. Thereby, the operation | movement delay of a needle valve when a dispenser is arrange | positioned in an explosion-proof area | region can be suppressed.

The signal to close the needle valve can be output when the detector that detects the position of the piston detects that the position of the piston that is moving in the narrowing direction is the first position before the stop position.

In addition, when the piston is driven by a stepping motor type servo motor and the actuator that drives the needle valve is driven by the working fluid supplied through the solenoid valve, the position of the piston is determined by the number of pulses supplied to the servo motor. Judgment can be driven in the direction of expanding and narrowing the piston, and when the number of pulses supplied to the servomotor during the movement in the direction of narrowing reaches a predetermined value, a signal for closing the needle valve can be output. .

If the supply device further comprises an inlet valve that opens and closes the upstream side of the metering unit, controlling the movement of the piston includes the following steps.
1a. After outputting a signal to open the inlet valve, drive in the direction to expand the piston.
1b. After stopping by moving the piston in the direction of expanding, output the signal to close the inlet valve and open the needle valve, and then drive the piston in the direction of narrowing.

The figure which shows schematic structure of an electrolyte solution supply apparatus (liquid injection apparatus). The timing chart which shows operation | movement of a liquid injection apparatus. The flowchart explaining operation | movement of an electrolyte solution supply apparatus.

An apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus (electrolyte supply apparatus, injection apparatus) that supplies (injects) an electrolytic solution 19 into a battery container 200 arranged in a reduced pressure atmosphere 102 inside a reduced pressure chamber 100. . The inside of the decompression chamber 100 is decompressed by the vacuum pump 110 so as to be a predetermined pressure (negative pressure).

The supply device 1 includes a weighing unit 10 disposed on an upper wall (top plate) 101 of the decompression chamber 100, a reservoir (reservoir tank) 2 disposed upstream of the weighing unit 10, and a downstream of the weighing unit 10. The dispenser 20 arranged and a control unit 30 for injecting the electrolytic solution 19 by controlling the operation of the metering unit 10 and the dispenser 20 are provided. The typical control unit 30 includes hardware resources including a CPU and a memory, controls the supply device 1 by executing a program (program product), and supplies the electrolytic solution 19 to the battery container 200 in the process of manufacturing the battery. To supply.

In FIG. 1, the thick line indicates the flow path (pipe) of the electrolytic solution 19, the thick broken line indicates the flow path (pipe) for control air, and the thin line with diagonal lines indicates the wiring for transmitting the control electrical signal. Some electrolyte solutions 19 contain a flammable organic solvent, and the area around the decompression chamber 100, that is, the area where the dispenser 20 is installed is generally included in an explosion-proof area H (area surrounded by a one-dot chain line). . In this example, the area where the weighing unit 10 of the supply device 1 is installed is also included in the explosion-proof area H, and the servo motor 13 that drives the piston 12 of the weighing unit 10 has an explosion-proof type.

The reservoir 2 upstream of the measuring unit 10 is connected to the header 3 of the electrolyte supply means, and temporarily secures the amount of liquid that the measuring unit 10 can dispense several times. Since the reservoir 2 is provided, the weighing unit 10 can operate at high speed. The reservoir 2 also serves as a gas-liquid separation mechanism and can discharge the gas accumulated in the upper portion of the reservoir 2 through the vent valve 4. The vent valve 4 is an air-operated valve (air-driven valve) in consideration of explosion-proof, and the control valve (solenoid valve) 34 provided outside the explosion-proof area H and the control air (working fluid) are supplied by the control unit 30. Controlled through. Note that the control air is supplied via a control air header 39 connected to a compressor.

The weighing unit 10 has a cylinder 11 and a piston 12. The cylinder 11 extends vertically, and the piston 12 moves along the vertical direction in the cylinder 11. As shown by a thin broken line, the area in which the piston 12 in and out of the cylinder 11 enters and exits is the measuring space S, and the electrolyte measured in the measuring space S by controlling the amount (stroke) of the piston 12 to enter and exit. The amount of 19 can be freely controlled (adjusted).

The weighing unit 10 further includes a servo motor 13 that drives the piston 12 up and down. By controlling the rotation amount, rotation speed, and rotation direction of the servo motor 13 by the control unit 30, the piston 12 can be moved up and down while changing the stroke of the piston 12 or changing the moving speed of the piston 12. That is, the servo motor 13 can move the piston 12 in the direction of expanding the space S in the cylinder 11 to measure the electrolytic solution 19, and move the piston S in the direction of narrowing the space S to supply the electrolytic solution 19 to the dispenser 20.

As the weighing unit 10, a plunger pump capable of variably controlling the stroke can be used. When the stepping motor type servo motor 13 is used, high-capacity variable variable control can be performed by pulse control. A DC servo motor provided with an encoder 18 can be employed instead of the stepping motor. Below, the type provided with the encoder 18 is demonstrated. The encoder 18 is means (detector) for detecting the position of the piston 12 and is electrically connected to the control unit 30 to output (transmit) the detected position of the piston 12 to the control unit 30.

The supply device 1 further includes an inlet valve 5 that opens and closes the upstream side of the measuring unit 10 (turns on and off the inflow of the electrolyte 19 into the measuring space S). The inlet valve 5 and the inlet port P1 provided at the lower end S1 of the measuring space S are connected by a pipe line (second pipe line) 42. By disposing the inlet valve 5 in the vicinity of the inlet port P1, the second pipe line 42 is made as short as possible, and a decrease in measuring accuracy in the measuring space S is suppressed. The inlet valve 5 and the reservoir 2 are connected by a pipe line 43. In consideration of the fact that the inlet valve 5 is also in the explosion-proof region H, an air-operated valve is used and is controlled by the electromagnetic valve 33 and the control unit 30 provided outside the explosion-proof region H through control air.

A dispenser 20 that injects the electrolyte 19 supplied from the weighing unit 10 into the battery container 200 from above includes a discharge nozzle 21 disposed in the battery container 200 or in the vicinity of the upper end of the battery container 200, and the discharge nozzle 21 at the lower end. A single tube (cylindrical or syringe, hereinafter referred to as a syringe) 22 mounted on the needle, a needle valve (cut valve) 23 that is arranged inside the discharge nozzle 21 and opens and closes the tip of the discharge nozzle 21, and the inside of the syringe 22 The valve control rod 25 is provided so as to penetrate the valve vertically, and the air-driven actuator 24 that drives the needle valve 23 up and down via the valve control rod 25 to control the opening and closing of the needle valve 23 is included. The needle valve 23 is normally off (normally closed), and the dispenser 20 includes means (for example, a coil spring) 26 that biases the needle valve 23 toward the tip of the discharge nozzle 21 via the valve control rod 25.

The syringe 22 penetrates the upper wall 101 of the decompression chamber 100 and extends vertically, and the tip reaches the battery container 200 disposed in the interior 102 of the decompression chamber 100. Accordingly, the periphery of the tip (lower end, discharge nozzle 21) of the syringe 22 is a reduced pressure atmosphere. The tip (lower end, discharge nozzle 21) of the syringe 22 extends to a lower side than the lower end S1 of the measuring space S of the measuring unit 10 disposed on the upper wall 101.

In this dispenser 20, the valve control rod 25 penetrates the inside of the syringe 22, and a portion along the valve control rod 25 of the syringe 22 is a space through which the electrolytic solution 19 flows. Therefore, by selecting a valve control rod 25 having an appropriate outer diameter with respect to the inner diameter of the syringe 22, the area of the conduit from the measuring unit 10 to the discharge nozzle 21 at the tip of the syringe 22 can be adjusted. For this reason, by selecting a syringe 22 with an appropriate inner diameter and a valve control rod 25 with an appropriate outer diameter, discharge is performed in accordance with the injection conditions such as the viscosity of the electrolyte 19, the internal pressure (negative pressure) of the decompression chamber 100, and the flow rate. The pressure loss up to the nozzle 21 can be controlled. Therefore, using this configuration, it is possible to set conditions under which the electrolytic solution 19 can be smoothly injected into the battery container 200.

The valve control rod 25 is for moving a needle valve (cut valve) 23 that opens and closes the inside of the discharge nozzle 21 up and down by an actuator 24. A needle valve 23 is connected to the tip (lower end) of the valve control rod 25, and the other end (upper end) is connected to the actuator 24. The needle valve 23 is normally off (normally closed) by a coil spring 26. The actuator 24 is actuated (driven) by a working fluid supplied via an electromagnetic valve (solenoid valve) 32, for example, air. The needle valve 23 is turned on (opened) by sending control air to the actuator 24 via an electromagnetic valve (solenoid valve) 32, and turned off (closed) by discharging the control air. By closing the top of the discharge nozzle 21 with the needle valve 23 provided inside the syringe 22, even when the discharge nozzle 21 faces a reduced pressure atmosphere, the leakage of the electrolyte 19 from the discharge nozzle 21 is suppressed. Can improve the drainage.

The dispenser 20 is connected to an outlet port P2 provided at the upper end S2 of the measuring space S of the measuring unit 10 by a pipe line (first pipe line) 41. The first pipe 41 has a first portion 41a extending in the vertical direction to a position corresponding to at least the vicinity of the lower end S1 of the measuring space S, and from the lower end of the first portion 41a toward the upper end of the dispenser 20. And a second portion 41b extending in the horizontal direction. That is, the first conduit 41 is formed in an L shape as a whole, and one end of the horizontally extending portion (the end of the second portion 41b) is connected to the side of the syringe 22 so that it is vertical. The other end (the end of the first portion 41a) of the portion extending in the (vertical) direction is connected to the outlet port P2 of the upper end portion S2 of the measuring space S.

The back pressure valve 50 is disposed in the middle of the first pipeline 41 and at a position corresponding to the vicinity of the lower end of the measurement space S of the first pipeline 41. In this example, the back pressure valve 50 is disposed on the side of the first portion 41 a extending vertically from the corner portion of the first portion 41 a and the second portion 41 b of the first pipe 41. The back pressure valve 50 includes a ball 51 and a coil spring 52 that urges the ball 51 upward and keeps the back pressure valve 50 closed. The coil spring 52 is set so as to apply a pressure to the ball 51 through the back pressure valve 50 so that the electrolyte 19 does not flow unless the piston 12 of the measuring unit 10 is stroked (in this case, moved downward). Yes. For example, the electrolytic solution 19 does not flow even if a differential pressure between the maximum negative pressure (degree of vacuum) in the decompression chamber 102 and the atmospheric pressure is applied as a back pressure. The back pressure valve 50 is reversed in an abnormal situation in which the negative pressure in the decompression chamber 102 breaks to atmospheric pressure, or the internal pressure of the syringe 22 becomes higher than the internal pressure of the measuring space S due to pressurization. Also acts as a stop valve.

A typical control unit 30 for controlling the servo motor 13 and the solenoid valves 32 to 34 is a programmable control device including a microcomputer as described above. The control unit 30 may be a wired logic type or a sequencer.

The control unit 30 functions to control the servo motor 13 of the measuring unit 10 (first function, first functional unit, servo motor control unit) 30a and the function to control the vent valve 4 via the electromagnetic valve 34 ( (4th function, 4th functional unit, vent valve control unit) 30d and the function (3rd function, 3rd functional unit, inlet valve control unit) 30c which controls the inlet valve 5 via the electromagnetic valve 33 And a function (second function, second function unit, needle valve control unit) 30b for controlling the actuator 24 of the dispenser 20 via the electromagnetic valve 32.

The first function 30 a includes a function (servo motor control signal output unit) 30 y that outputs a signal for driving the servo motor 13. The piston 12 of the measuring unit 10 expands the space S in the cylinder 11 and the space S. Move in the direction of narrowing. The first function 30a detects the piston position by the encoder 18, and moves the piston 12 upward by the servo motor 13 while confirming the position of the piston 12 to widen the space S. Weigh. Thereafter, the first function 30 a supplies the measured electrolyte 19 to the dispenser 20 by moving the piston 12 downward by the servo motor 13 while narrowing the space S while confirming the position of the piston 12. The first function 30 a stops the servo motor 13 and stops the movement of the piston 12 when the piston 12 reaches a position at which the measured electrolytic solution 19 is completely supplied to the dispenser 20.

In addition, by using a stepping motor as the servo motor 13, the piston position can be accurately controlled by the number of pulses supplied to the servo motor 13 without using the encoder 18. In this case, the first function 30a accurately controls the position of the piston 12 by the number of pulses supplied to the servo motor 13, and moves the piston 12 upward and downward to widen or narrow the space S (enlarge or reduce). The electrolyte 19 can be metered and supplied.

The second function 30b includes a function (signal output function, signal output function unit, needle valve actuator control signal output unit) 30x that outputs a signal for driving the solenoid valve 32, and drives the actuator 24 with control air. The needle valve 23 is opened and closed. The signal output function 32x outputs a signal for closing the needle valve 23 before the first function 30a moves and stops the piston 12 in the direction of narrowing the space S (the direction of reduction). In the case of the supply device 1 including the encoder 18, the signal output function 30x is configured to reduce the space S, that is, the position of the piston 12 moving downward is a predetermined first position before the stop position. When this occurs, a signal for closing the needle valve 23 is output. If the servo motor 13 is a stepping motor, the signal output function 30x is a signal for closing the needle valve 23 when the number of pulses supplied to the servo motor 13 to move the piston 12 downward reaches a predetermined value. Is output.

The control unit 30 controls the supply device 1 by these functions 30a to 30d, and accurately controls the injection amount of the electrolytic solution 19.

FIG. 2 shows a part of the operation when the supply device 1 injects (dispenses) the electrolyte 19 into the battery container 200 in a plurality of times. First, the vent valve 4 is opened and closed by the fourth function 30d at time t0 when dispensing into the battery container 200 is started, and the reservoir 2 is vented. Since the vent valve 4 is an air operated valve (air drive valve), the vent valve 4 is opened after a slight time difference after the fourth function 30d outputs a drive signal to the solenoid valve 34 at time t0.

At time t1, the inlet valve 5 is opened by the third function 30c, and the reservoir 2 and the measuring space S of the measuring unit 10 are communicated with each other while the needle valve (cut valve) 23 is closed. Since the inlet valve 5 is an air operated valve (air driven valve), the inlet valve 5 opens at time t2 after the third function 30c outputs a drive signal to the solenoid valve 33 at time t1.

The first function 30a widens the space S by outputting a signal for driving the piston 12 upward to the servo motor 13 at time t3 after the third function 30c outputs a signal for opening the inlet valve 5. The piston 12 is moved (stroked) in the direction (enlargement direction). By stopping the stroke of the piston 12 at time t4, a predetermined amount of the electrolytic solution 19 is caused to flow into the measuring space S. In this supply device 1, the moving speed of the piston 12 is variable by voltage-controlling or pulse-controlling the servomotor 13. For this reason, in FIG. 2, angle (theta) 1 which shows the drawing-in speed of the electrolyte solution 19 can be changed arbitrarily. Therefore, in an environment where the drawing speed θ1 can be increased depending on the characteristics of the electrolytic solution 19 and the drawing conditions, the drawing speed θ1 can be increased to shorten the liquid injection time.

The third function 30c outputs a signal for closing the inlet valve 5 to the solenoid valve 33 after the first function 30a stops the piston 12 at time t4 or at the same time. The inlet valve 5 is closed at time t5 after a delay due to air operation.

The second function 30b takes into account a delay time for the operation of the inlet valve 5 after the third function 30c outputs a signal for closing the inlet valve 5, and at the time t6 after the inlet valve 5 is closed, the dispenser 20 A signal for opening the needle valve (cut valve) 23 is output to the solenoid valve 32. At time t7 after a delay due to air operation, the actuator 24 operates and the needle valve 23 opens.

The first function 30a takes a delay time for the needle valve 23 to operate after the second function 30b outputs a signal for opening the needle valve 23, and servos at time t8 after the needle valve 23 is opened. A signal for driving the piston 12 downward is output to the motor 13.

Since the inlet valve 5 is closed at time t5, the metering space S is cut off from the system upstream of the inlet valve 5 thereafter, and the static pressure of the upstream system including the reservoir 2 is not applied to the metering space S. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the static pressure of the system upstream from the inlet valve 5 from being applied to the dispenser 20 when the needle valve 23 is opened at time t7. Further, the cross-sectional area of the measuring space S constituted by the cylinder 11 and the piston 12 is one digit or more, usually two to three digits or more larger than the pipe cross-sectional area. Therefore, by temporarily accumulating the electrolyte 19 to be dispensed in the measuring space S having a large cross-sectional area, the static pressure of the electrolyte 19 to be dispensed (pressure due to the liquid column) is applied to the needle valve 23 to the minimum. Can be suppressed. Further, in the supply device 1, the pressure applied to the needle valve 23 is further suppressed by the back pressure valve 50. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the electrolytic solution 19 from being scattered from the discharge nozzle 21 when the needle valve 23 is opened.

Thus, the needle valve 23 is desirably opened after the inlet valve 5 is closed. In this example, a signal for opening the needle valve 23 is output after the inlet valve 5 is closed, but a signal for opening the needle valve 23 is taken into consideration from the output of the signal in consideration of a delay in the operation of the inlet valve 5 and the needle valve 23. It may be outputted before the inlet valve 5 is closed, and the time required for valve switching may be shortened.

Furthermore, a back pressure valve 50 is provided in the first pipe 41 connecting the upper end S2 of the measuring space S of the measuring unit 10 and the dispenser 20. For this reason, even if the needle valve 23 of the discharge nozzle 21 of the dispenser 20 is simply opened, the electrolytic solution 19 is not discharged at this point. At time t8, the piston 12 moves downward, the measuring space S is narrowed, and a predetermined back pressure is applied to the back pressure valve 50, so that an amount of the electrolyte 19 corresponding to the movement of the piston 12 is accurately supplied from the tip of the discharge nozzle 21. Discharged. In particular, in the supply device 1, the first pipe line 41 provided with the back pressure valve 50 is connected to the outlet port P <b> 2 of the upper end portion S <b> 2 of the measuring space S, and the static pressure (liquid level) applied to the back pressure valve 50. Since the pressure by the column is substantially constant, it does not fluctuate even if the position of the piston 12 (vertical position) changes. Therefore, the back pressure valve 50 can be set to open and close in response to the movement of the piston 12 instantly.

After moving the piston 12 downward at time t8, the signal output function 30x of the second function 30b is the first position Po1 slightly before the position Pos where the first function 30a stops the piston 12 at time t9. When it is determined that the piston 12 has reached the position, a signal for closing the needle valve 23 is output to the solenoid valve 32. By this signal, the actuator 24 is driven at time t10 when the operation delay time Tdel due to air operation has elapsed from time t9, and the needle valve 23 is closed. Further, since the piston 12 reaches the stop position Pos at substantially the same time t10, the first function 30a stops the movement of the servo motor 13 and stops the piston 12. The liquid injection amount can be controlled with extremely high accuracy by closing the needle valve 23 at the same time as the supply of the electrolyte 19 corresponding to the amount measured in the measuring unit 10 to the dispenser 20 by the piston 12 is completed.

In order to improve the accuracy of liquid injection, it is desirable to stop the stroke of the piston 12 and to close the needle valve 23 almost simultaneously. Therefore, the difference ds between the position Pos to be stopped and the first position Po1 at which the signal output function 30x outputs a closing signal is determined according to the environment in which the supply device 1 is installed. It is desirable to adjust the relationship between the timing at which the control unit 30 outputs a signal for closing the needle valve 23 and the first position Po1 of the piston 12 in accordance with the installation environment. It is also possible to measure the time Tdel from when the control unit 30 outputs a signal for closing the needle valve 23 until the needle valve 23 is actually closed, and set it in the memory of the control unit 30. The signal output function 30x determines the timing at which a signal for automatically closing the needle valve 23 is output from the relationship between the speed at which the first function 30a moves the piston 12 downward and the stop position Pos. And a signal for closing the needle valve 23 can be output.

In this supply device 1, the moving speed of the piston 12 can be changed by the servo motor 13 in the same manner as the pulling (upward stroke). Therefore, in FIG. 2, the angle θ2 indicating the discharge speed of the electrolytic solution 19 can be arbitrarily changed independently of the pull-in speed θ1. Therefore, the discharge speed θ2 can be made slower than the draw speed θ1, and the discharge speed θ2 can be made faster than the draw speed θ1, depending on the characteristics of the electrolytic solution 19, the drawing conditions, and the like. Even when the discharge speed θ2 changes, by setting the delay time Tdel in the control unit 30 in advance so that the first position Po1 of the piston 12 can be automatically obtained, the signal output function 30x has an appropriate timing. Thus, a signal for closing the needle valve 23 can be output.

The signal output function 30x may set the timing of outputting the needle valve closing signal with respect to the predicted time by predicting the stop time of the piston 12. Since the amount of stroke of the piston 12 is determined when the electrolyte 19 is measured, the timing at which the piston 12 stops is determined based on the position of the piston 12, and a signal for closing the needle valve is output at an appropriate timing. This method is one of high reliability and easy control logic configuration. The signal output function 30x may determine the timing for issuing a needle valve closing signal from the position of the piston 12 (first position Po1). In this supply device 1, the position of the piston 12 can be obtained by an encoder 18 which is a detector. If a stepping motor is employed as the servo motor 13, the position of the piston 12 can be obtained by counting drive pulses. It is also possible to use both the output of the encoder 18 and the drive pulse count.

In this supply device 1, since the needle valve 23 can be closed substantially simultaneously with the stop of the piston 12, the accuracy of the liquid injection amount can be improved, the liquid can be quickly drained, and the next operation can be performed. For this reason, it is possible to further shorten the injection time while maintaining the accuracy of the injection amount. Therefore, the impregnation time of the electrolytic solution 19 in the battery container 200 can be secured, and the total liquid injection time (tact time) for the battery container 200 can be shortened.

In an environment where the electrolyte solution 19 does not contain a combustible component, a solenoid type can be used directly as the needle valve actuator 24. In that case, a signal for closing the needle valve 23 can be output almost simultaneously with the piston 12 reaching the stop position Pos. If the solenoid type actuator itself has an operation delay time, considering the time, an appropriate first position Po1 is set, and a signal for closing the needle valve 23 in advance is set based on the position of the piston 12. Can be output.

In the process of injecting the electrolytic solution 19 into the battery container 200 in the process of manufacturing the battery, the entire amount of the electrolytic solution 19 is not injected at once, but waiting for the electrolytic solution 19 to be impregnated. The operation of injecting (dispensing) the electrolytic solution 19 may be repeated. The amount of electrolyte to be dispensed (dispensing amount) may be constant or the dispensing amount may be changed. In the supply device 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the amount of liquid to be injected can be accurately measured by changing the stroke amount of the piston 12 of the measuring unit 10 by Δq. Furthermore, the timing for outputting the signal for closing the needle valve 23 can be set to the first position Po1 that is separated from the stop position Pos by ds in accordance with the discharge speed θ2. If the discharge speed θ2 is the same, it is not necessary to change the first position Po1 once set.

In this supply device 1, a back pressure valve 50 is provided in a pipe line 41 that communicates the dispenser 20 and the measuring unit 10, and liquid is injected by opening and closing the back pressure valve 50 instantaneously due to pressure fluctuation on the measuring unit 10 side. The amount controllability is improved. Furthermore, in this supply device 1, the piston 12 stops the stroke and closes the needle valve 23 almost simultaneously. With this control, even when the injection destination of the dispenser 20 is a reduced pressure (vacuum) atmosphere, the electrolyte 19 downstream from the back pressure valve 50 is sucked by the reduced pressure atmosphere and drops (leaks out) from the discharge nozzle 21 in advance. Can be prevented. Further, since the back pressure valve 50 operates and the static pressure upstream of the back pressure valve 50 can be shut off as the piston 12 stops, the differential pressure applied to the needle valve 23 is reduced, and even if the injection destination is a reduced pressure atmosphere, the needle The electrolyte solution 19 can be easily shut off by the valve 23, and the liquid can be cut off. For this reason, the injection accuracy can be improved, and the time for waiting for the dripping to stop is basically unnecessary, so that the injection time can be shortened.

Furthermore, in this supply device 1, an outlet port P <b> 2 connected to the first pipe 41 provided with the back pressure valve 50 is provided at the upper end S <b> 2 of the measuring space S. For this reason, gas does not easily accumulate in the measurement space S, and bubbles are not easily generated in the measurement space S. When bubbles are generated, the gas is compressible, which affects the measurement accuracy of the measurement space S, and further causes the electrolyte 19 to scatter from the discharge nozzle 21 of the dispenser 20 when the gas expands due to reduced pressure. Also in this respect, the supply device 1 can ensure the metering accuracy, that is, the liquid injection accuracy, and can prevent the situation in which the electrolytic solution 19 is scattered in the decompression chamber 102.

When a plurality of battery containers 200 are set in the decompression chamber 102, the battery container 200 to be injected next is moved under the dispenser 20 to perform dispensing one after another. In this supply device 1, the liquid runs out well, almost no waiting time is required for the dripping to stop, and there is almost no scattering from the discharge nozzle 21. Therefore, the next dispensing can be started with almost no waiting time. For example, when dispensing to the previous battery container 200 is completed at time t10, a signal for opening the inlet valve 5 is output at time t11 after the movement time of the battery container 200, and thereafter, the dispensing is performed in the same manner as in the above cycle. You can repeat the note.

Furthermore, since there is basically no liquid leakage from the tip of the discharge nozzle 21, time t14 when the metering unit 10 measures, that is, time t14 when the piston 12 moves upward and the metering ends, or time when the inlet valve 5 closes. It is possible to use the battery container 200 for the moving time until t15 and further until time t17 when the needle valve 23 of the dispenser 20 opens. Therefore, it is possible to further shorten the time for injecting. In addition, since the pull-in speed θ1 can be changed, the moving time of the piston 12 can be set in synchronization with the moving time of the battery container 200. Therefore, this supply apparatus 1 can respond very flexibly to dispensing of various patterns, and also has high liquid pouring accuracy and can shorten the time required for dispensing.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation in which the supply device 1 injects the electrolytic solution 19 into the battery container 200 in the process of manufacturing the battery. The operations described below can be provided by being recorded on a suitable recording medium as a program (program product) executed by the control unit 30 of the supply apparatus 1. It is also possible to provide a program via a computer network such as the Internet.

First, when dispensing is started in step 301, the fourth function 30 d of the control unit 30 once opens and closes the vent valve 4 in step 302. Thereby, the gas accumulated in the upper part of the reservoir 2 can be discharged.

In step 303, the third function 30c of the control unit 30 outputs an inlet valve opening signal to open the inlet valve 5. In step 304, the first function 30a drives the servo motor 13 to move the piston 12 upward. Stroke to. In step 305, when the metering by the piston 12 is completed, the first function 30a of the control unit 30 stops the servo motor 13, and in step 306, the third function 30c outputs a signal for closing the inlet valve, and the inlet valve 5 Close. Before and after that, in Step 307, the second function 30b of the control unit 30 outputs a needle valve opening signal to open the needle valve 23.

In step 308, the first function 30a drives the servo motor 13 to stroke the piston 12 downward. In step 309, when the signal output function 30x of the second function 30b obtains from the encoder 18 that the piston 12 has reached the predetermined position (first position) Po1 before stopping, the piston 12 stops in step 310. The needle valve closing signal is output before starting. In step 311, if the first function 30a determines that the electrolyte solution 19 measured by the piston 12 has been supplied, the servo motor 13 is stopped and the piston 12 is stopped. The needle valve 23 is closed almost simultaneously with the stop of the servo motor 13 (stop of the piston 12) by the needle valve close signal output in step 310.

If the dispensing is continued in step 312, the battery container 200 is moved in step 313, the process returns to step 303, and dispensing is continued for the next battery container 200.

According to this supply device 1 and its control method, the timing for outputting a signal for closing the needle valve 23 is determined using the position of the piston 12 as an index. For this reason, it is easy to match the timing at which the supply of the electrolyte 19 to the battery container 200 is completed (the timing at which the piston 12 is at the lowest position) and the timing at which the needle valve 23 is closed. Is unlikely to occur.

The weighing unit 10 is a type in which the cylinder 11 extends vertically and the piston 12 moves up and down. However, the cylinder 11 is disposed along the left-right direction (horizontal direction), and the piston 12 is moved left-right (horizontal). It may be a type that moves along (direction). It is necessary to arrange the piping so that the electrolytic solution 19 can smoothly flow into and out of the measuring space S. However, since the vertical dimension can be reduced, it is suitable for a more compact supply device.

The weighing unit 10 is driven by a servo motor, but the drive method is not limited to a servo motor. The piston can be driven by a solenoid-type actuator if there is no requirement to flexibly change the injection amount. Furthermore, considering that the inlet valve, vent valve and needle valve are in an explosion-proof region, air-operated actuators are employed. However, if they are not in the explosion-proof region, electromagnetic valves or solenoid type actuators are employed. It is also possible to use various types of actuators. In the above device (system), the ball-type back pressure valve is suitable because it has a simple structure and can be easily incorporated into piping, and the operation is stable. However, the back pressure valve is a different type such as a diaphragm type. There may be.

Claims

An apparatus for supplying an electrolytic solution into a battery container disposed in a reduced-pressure atmosphere,
A weighing unit that measures the electrolyte as the piston moves through the space in the cylinder;
A dispenser for pouring the electrolyte supplied from the weighing unit into the battery container from above;
A control unit for controlling the device,
The dispenser is
A discharge nozzle disposed in the battery container or near the upper end of the battery container;
A needle valve disposed inside the discharge nozzle and opening and closing the discharge nozzle;
An actuator for driving the needle valve up and down,
The control unit is
Control the movement of the piston of the metering unit, move the piston in the direction to expand the space in the cylinder, measure the electrolyte, and move the piston in the direction to narrow the space to supply the electrolyte to the dispenser A first function to
A second function for opening and closing the needle valve by the actuator, and the second function operates the needle valve in conjunction with the first function moving and stopping the piston in the narrowing direction. A device including a signal output function for outputting a close signal.
In claim 1,
The signal output function is an apparatus for outputting a signal for closing the needle valve before the first function moves and stops the piston in the narrowing direction.
In claim 2,
The weighing unit includes a servo motor that drives the piston,
The actuator that drives the needle valve is driven by a working fluid supplied via a solenoid valve,
The first function includes a function of outputting a signal for driving the servo motor,
The signal output function outputs a signal for driving the solenoid valve.
In claim 2 or 3,
A detector for detecting the position of the piston;
The signal output function is a device that outputs the closing signal when the detector detects that the position of the piston moving in the narrowing direction is a first position before a stop position.
In claim 3,
The servo motor is a stepping motor,
The first function is to determine the position of the piston based on the number of pulses supplied to the servo motor and move the piston in the expanding direction and the narrowing direction,
The signal output function outputs the close signal when the number of pulses supplied to the servomotor reaches a predetermined value while the piston moves in the narrowing direction.
In claim 1,
An inlet valve that opens and closes the upstream side of the weighing unit;
The control unit includes a third function for opening and closing the inlet valve,
The first function includes a function of driving the piston in the expanding direction after the third function outputs a signal for opening the inlet valve,
The third function includes a function of closing the inlet valve after the first function is stopped by moving the piston in the expanding direction,
The first function includes a function of driving the piston in the narrowing direction after the second function outputs a signal for opening the needle valve.
A method comprising supplying an electrolyte solution by a supply device into a battery container disposed in a reduced-pressure atmosphere,
The supply device includes:
A measuring unit that measures the electrolyte by moving the piston in the space in the cylinder;
A dispenser that injects the electrolyte supplied from the weighing unit into the battery container from above,
The dispenser is
A discharge nozzle disposed in the battery container or near the upper end of the battery container;
A needle valve disposed inside the discharge nozzle and opening and closing the discharge nozzle;
An actuator for driving the needle valve up and down,
Supplying the electrolyte solution
A control unit moves the piston of the metering unit in a direction to widen the space in the cylinder and measures the electrolyte, and then moves the piston in a direction to narrow the space and supplies the electrolyte to the dispenser; ,
Outputting a signal to close the needle valve to the actuator in conjunction with the piston moving and stopping in the narrowing direction.
In claim 7,
Outputting the signal to close the needle valve includes outputting a signal to close the needle valve before moving the piston in the narrowing direction to stop.
In claim 8,
The apparatus further comprises a detector for detecting the position of the piston;
Outputting a signal to close the needle valve means that when the detector detects that the position of the piston moving in the narrowing direction is the first position before the stop position, the close signal Outputting the method.
In claim 8,
The metering unit includes a stepping motor type servo motor that drives the piston, and the actuator that drives the needle valve is driven by a working fluid supplied via a solenoid valve,
Controlling the movement of the piston includes determining the position of the piston based on the number of pulses supplied to the servo motor and driving the piston in the expanding direction and the narrowing direction,
Outputting a signal for closing the needle valve outputs a signal for driving the solenoid valve when the number of pulses supplied to the servomotor reaches a predetermined value while the piston moves in the narrowing direction. A method comprising:
In any of claims 7 to 10,
The apparatus further includes an inlet valve that opens and closes the upstream side of the weighing unit,
Controlling the movement of the piston
Driving the piston in the expanding direction after outputting a signal to open the inlet valve;
Moving the piston in the expanding direction and then stopping, then closing the inlet valve, outputting a signal to open the needle valve, and then driving the piston in the narrowing direction.