Charging and discharging inspection device and charging and discharging inspection method for thin secondary battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9847559-B2
Application number	US-201414888136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	May 1, 2013
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A plurality of batteries is stacked, together with spacers, in a compressed state. Charging and discharging units are arranged facing lead terminals protruding from the batteries and are independently operable for the respective batteries. The charging and discharging units each independently include substantially V-like shaped power-side and measurement-side contact elements elastically supported by compression coil springs and having floating freedom. When the batteries are moved all together toward the charging and discharging units, front end surfaces of the lead terminals are pressed against and electrically connected to flat surfaces of the power-side and measurement-side contact elements. By this, it is possible to smoothly perform charging and discharging inspection on the batteries even when the lead terminals protruding from the battery package are subjected in advance to surface treatment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A charging and discharging inspection device for a thin secondary battery, the thin secondary battery comprising a battery package and thin plate-shaped positive and negative electrode lead terminals protruding from one side of the battery package,
the charging and discharging inspection device comprising:
a support member that supports a plurality of the thin secondary batteries in a stacked state; and
contact probes arranged facing and being contactable with the respective lead terminals of the plurality of the thin secondary batteries supported by the support member,
wherein the support member and the contact probes are adapted to approach or separate from each other such that the contact probes can be simultaneously brought into contact with or separated from the respective lead terminals of the plurality of the thin secondary batteries;
wherein the lead terminals respectively have front end surfaces located at front ends thereof in a protruding direction of the lead terminals and formed with a width corresponding to a plate thickness of the lead terminals;
wherein the contact probes respectively have: substantially V-like shaped receiving grooves defined by opposing tapered surfaces and increasing in width toward the corresponding lead terminals so as to receive therein the corresponding lead terminals; and flat surfaces formed between innermost parts of the opposing tapered surfaces with a width larger than that of the front end surfaces of the lead terminals so as to be contactable with the front end surfaces of the corresponding lead terminals; and
wherein, when the contact probes are simultaneously brought into contact with the respective lead terminals of the plurality of the thin secondary batteries by approaching operation of the support member and the contact probes, the contact probes are electrically connected to the respective lead terminals by surface-to-surface contact between the flat surfaces of the contact probes and the front end surfaces of the lead terminals.

2. The charging and discharging inspection device for the thin secondary battery according to claim 1 ,
wherein base metal materials of the lead terminals are exposed at least at the front end surfaces of the lead terminals without being subjected to surface treatment.

3. The charging and discharging inspection device for the thin secondary battery according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contact probes are elastically supported so as to be movable back and forth in a direction closer to or away from the respective lead terminals.

4. The charging and discharging inspection device for the thin secondary battery according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sliders arranged facing the respective lead terminals of the thin secondary battery supported by the support member so as to be movable back and forth in a direction closer to or away from the respective lead terminals;
elastic members by which the sliders are biased toward the respective lead terminals; and
shaft members arranged in parallel with a direction perpendicular to a plane direction of the lead terminals so as to pivotally and rotatably support the contact probes.

5. The charging and discharging inspection device for the thin secondary battery according to claim 4 ,
wherein the contact probes are supported so as to be pivotable and rotatable relative to the sliders about the shaft members, which are arranged in parallel with the direction perpendicular to the plane direction of the lead terminals, and movable back and forth relative to the sliders in the direction closer to or away from the respective lead terminals.

6. The charging and discharging inspection device for the thin secondary battery according to claim 5 ,
wherein the contact probes include power-side and measurement-side contact elements arranged side by side in a width direction of the lead terminals and supported so as to be independently pivotable and rotatable about the shaft members, which are arranged in parallel with the direction perpendicular to the plane direction of the lead terminals, and independently movable back and forth relative to the sliders in the direction closer to or away from the respective lead terminals.

7. The charging and discharging inspection device for the thin secondary battery according to claim 6 , further comprising:
elastic members by which the power-side and measurement-side contact elements are biased toward the respective lead terminals while being supported movable back and forth relative the sliders.

8. A charging and discharging inspection method for a thin secondary battery, the thin secondary battery comprising a battery package and thin plate-shaped positive and negative electrode lead terminals protruding from one side of the battery package, the charging and discharging inspection method comprising:
providing a support member and contact probes such that the support member and the contact probes can approach or separate from each other, with the contact probes arranged facing and being contactable with the respective lead terminals of a plurality of the thin secondary batteries supported in a stacked state by the support member,
wherein the lead terminals respectively have front end surfaces located at front ends thereof in a protruding direction of the lead terminals and formed with a width corresponding to a plate thickness of the lead terminals,
wherein base metal materials of the lead terminals being exposed at least at the front end surfaces of the lead terminals without being subjected to surface treatment, and
wherein the contact probes respectively have: substantially V-like shaped receiving grooves defined by opposing tapered surfaces and increasing in width toward the corresponding lead terminals so as to receive therein the corresponding lead terminals; and flat surfaces formed between innermost parts of the opposing tapered surfaces with a width larger than that of the front end surfaces of the lead terminals so as to be contactable with the front end surfaces of the corresponding lead terminals;
simultaneously bringing the contact probes into contact with the respective lead terminals of the plurality of the thin secondary batteries by approaching operation of the support member and the contact probes; and
upon simultaneous contact of the contact probes with the respective lead terminals, electrically connecting the contact probes to the lead terminals by surface-to-surface contact between the front end surfaces of the lead terminals and the flat surfaces of the contact probes.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Niwa Yoshikazu

Classifications

• 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

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/507

  comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title

• H01M50/178

  for pouch or flexible bag cells · CPC title