Device and method for measuring thickness of secondary battery cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017074634-A1
Application number	US-201515308893-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2015
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	Mar 16, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided are a device and method for measuring the thickness of a secondary battery cell. The device according to the present invention comprises: a mounting stand on which a secondary battery cell is positioned; a pressurizing plate which is installed so as to be variable in distance from the mounting stand; a pressurizing means which pushes or pulls the pressurizing plate toward or from the pressurizing plate; a measurement means for measuring the pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate by the pressurizing means and the thickness of the secondary battery cell; and a controller which is configured to control charging, discharging or temperature of the secondary battery cell according to measurement conditions, receive a pressurization force measurement value and a thickness measurement value from the measurement means to thereby determine the magnitude of the pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate and the thickness of the secondary battery cell, and vary, or maintain the pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate to be constant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for measuring a thickness of a secondary battery cell, comprising:
a mounting stand on which a secondary battery cell for thickness measurement is positioned; a pressurizing plate opposing the mounting stand with the secondary battery cell being interposed therebetween, the pressurizing plate installed such that a distance to the mounting stand is variable; a pressurizing means configured to press the secondary battery cell positioned on the mounting stand in a thickness direction by pushing or pulling the pressurizing plate toward or from the mounting stand; a measurement means configured to measure a pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate and the thickness of the secondary battery cell at time intervals; and a controller configured to: control charging, discharging or temperature of the secondary battery cell according to a measurement condition as inputted by an operator; be inputted with a pressurization force measurement value and a thickness measurement value from the measurement means at time intervals to determine a magnitude of the pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate and the thickness of the secondary battery cell and store the determined data in a memory along with time information; and, while the thickness of the secondary battery cell is being measured, vary, or maintain a pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate by the pressurizing means to be constant.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressurizing means comprises:
an elastic member installed on one of both surfaces of the pressurizing plate, opposing a surface in contact with the secondary battery cell, so as to elastically bias the pressurizing plate; a driving block coupled with the elastic member to push or pull the elastic member in the thickness direction of the secondary battery cell; and a driving unit configured to raise or lower the driving block in the thickness direction of the secondary battery cell.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the measurement means is configured to measure a distance between the driving block and the pressurizing plate and output the distance measurement value as a pressurization force measurement value, at time intervals, and the controller is configured to: be inputted with the distance measurement value from the measurement means and determine a length of the elastic member; determine a magnitude of the pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate based on the determined length of the elastic member; and store the determined magnitude of the pressurization force in a memory along with time information.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to display pressurization force change data or thickness change data of the secondary battery cell stored in the memory, through a display.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the thickness of the secondary battery cell using the length of the elastic member, a moving distance of the driving block, and an initial distance between the mounting stand and the pressurizing plate, and store the determined thickness in a memory along with time information.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to display thickness change data or pressurization force change data of the secondary battery cell stored in the memory, through a display.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement means comprises a piezoelectric sensor disposed between a surface of the mounting stand and a surface of the pressurizing plate opposing the surface of the mounting stand and configured to output a thickness measurement value of the secondary battery cell.

8 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the measurement means comprises a distance measuring sensor configured to emit an optical signal, an ultrasound or an infrared ray from the driving block or the pressurizing plate to measure time taken for reciprocating between the driving block and the pressurizing plate and output a distance measurement value indicative of the distance between the driving block and the pressurizing plate.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a charger/discharger configured to charge or discharge the secondary battery cell, wherein the controller is inputted with a charging and discharging condition from the operator and store the inputted condition in the memory, and control the charger/discharger according to the charging and discharging condition such that the secondary battery cell is charged and discharged.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a heater installed on at least one of the pressurizing plate and the mounting stand, wherein the controller is inputted with a heating temperature set value from the operator and store the inputted data in the memory, and control a temperature of the heater according to the heating temperature set value.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling means for cooling at least one of the pressurizing plate and the mounting stand, wherein the controller is inputted with a cooling temperature set value from the operator and store the inputted data in the memory, and control the cooling means according to the cooling temperature set value.

12 . A method for measuring a thickness of a secondary battery cell using: a mounting stand on which a secondary battery cell for thickness measurement is positioned; a pressurizing plate installed such that a distance to the mounting stand is variable, with the secondary battery cell being interposed therebetween, the pressurizing plate being elastically biased by an elastic member; a driving block configured to press the secondary battery cell positioned on the mounting stand in a thickness direction by pushing or pulling, with the elastic member, the pressurizing plate toward or from the mounting stand; and a measurement means configured to measure a pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate and the thickness of the secondary battery cell, wherein the method comprises:
(a) charging or discharging the secondary battery cell or adjusting a temperature of the secondary battery cell according to a measurement condition inputted by an operator; (b) at time intervals, being inputted with a pressurization force measurement value and a thickness measurement value from the measurement means, determining a magnitude of the pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate and the thickness of the secondary battery cell, and storing the magnitude of the pressurization force and the thickness in a memory along with time information; and (c) while the thickness of the secondary battery cell is being measured, varying, or maintaining a pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate by the pressurizing means to be constant.

13 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:
being inputted with a distance measurement value as a pressurization force measurement value from the measurement means at time intervals; determining a length of the elastic member based on the distance measurement value; determining a magnitude of the pressurization force applied to the pressurizing plate based on the determined length of the elastic member; storing the determined pressurization force in the memory along with time information; and displaying, through a display, the stored pressurization force change data.

14 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:
determining the thickness of the secondary battery cell using the length of the elastic member, a moving distance of the driving block, and an init

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Yoon Du-Seong
• Kim Su-Hyun
• Kim Ji-Hyun
• Lee Jae-Hyun

Classifications

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/60

  including safety or protection arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• G01L5/0028

  Force sensors associated with force applying means (G01L5/0052, G01L5/0057, G01L5/0061 take precedence) · CPC title