Tray and manufacturing device of secondary battery

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a tray that can be used in a secondary battery manufacturing process and that can reduce variations in the thickness dimension of a battery cell. [Solution] A tray which is used in a secondary battery manufacturing process and accommodates a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction, the tray being provided with: a guide shaft part extending in the arrangement direction; a plurality of partitions guided by the guide shaft portion and movable in the arrangement direction; and a pressing mechanism provided so as to be guided by the guide shaft part and movable in the arrangement direction, the plurality of separators and the battery cells accommodated among the plurality of separators can be switched between a constrained state in which a constrained load is applied in the arrangement direction and a non-constrained state in which no constrained load is applied in the arrangement direction; and a collar disposed coaxially with the guide shaft portion between the adjacent partitions and defining the minimum spacing distance between the adjacent partitions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tray used in a manufacturing process of a secondary battery and a manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery. Background Art

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery by using a restraint jig to restrain a plurality of secondary batteries is known.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-188282 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The restraint jig disclosed in Patent Document 1 presses a plurality of battery cells with only a prescribed load, and thus thickness dimensions of the battery cells are liable to deviate.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a tray used in a manufacturing process of a secondary battery, which can reduce deviation in thickness dimensions of battery cells.

[0009] Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] A tray according to an aspect of the present invention is a tray used in a manufacturing process of a secondary battery and accommodating a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction, and includes:

[0011] a guide shaft portion extending in the arrangement direction;

[0012] a plurality of partition plates guided by the guide shaft portion and movable in the arrangement direction;

[0013] a pressing mechanism configured to be guided by the guide shaft portion and movable in the arrangement direction, and capable of switching the plurality of partition plates and the battery cells accommodated between the plurality of partition plates between a restraint state in which a restraint load is applied in the arrangement direction and a non-restraint state in which no restraint load is applied in the arrangement direction;

[0014] a collar coaxially disposed between adjacent partition plates with respect to the guide shaft portion and defining a minimum distance between adjacent partition plates.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the tray of the present invention, deviation in thickness dimensions of battery cells can be reduced. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] ​Figure 1 is a diagram showing a structural example of a manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which battery cells are accommodated in a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 is a perspective view for explaining the structure of a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a partition provided in the tray of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 is a side view showing an unconstrained state of a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 is a diagram showing Figure 5 an enlarged perspective view of the portion shown in VI.

[0022] Figure 7 is a side view showing a constrained state of a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a diagram showing Figure 7 an enlarged perspective view of the portion shown in VIII. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The tray used in the manufacturing process of the secondary battery and the manufacturing apparatus for the secondary battery according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 1 shown, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for the secondary battery includes a pre-charging device 101, a charge-discharge inspection device 102, a room-temperature aging device 103, and a high-temperature aging device 104. The manufacturing apparatus 100 for the secondary battery is a device for performing at least a pre-charging process, an aging process, and a charge-discharge inspection process on the assembled battery cells.

[0025] The type of the secondary battery manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 100 is not particularly limited. For example, the manufacturing apparatus 100 is a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a lithium-ion battery. The shape of the battery cells processed by the manufacturing apparatus 100 is not particularly limited, and a pouch-shaped or square battery cell can be exemplified.

[0026] The battery cells carried into the manufacturing apparatus 100 are supplied to each process in a state of being placed on a tray. The manufacturing apparatus 100 uses two types of trays, a normal tray and a constrained tray, as trays for placing the battery cells. ​​​​​

[0027] Generally, a normal tray is a tray that typically only has the function of accommodating a plurality of battery cells. The normal tray is mainly used for conveying between various devices in the manufacturing apparatus 100 and for conveying between the manufacturing apparatus 100 and the outside. The structure of the normal tray is not particularly limited, but at least on the normal tray, there is no mechanism for pressing the battery cells like that of the restraining tray described later. The normal tray has a simpler structure compared to the restraining tray described later, and thus can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. For example, the normal tray may have a recess that opens upward and centrally accommodates a plurality of battery cells. The normal tray supports the lower part of the battery cells and can be configured not to apply other restraining external forces to the battery cells.

[0028] A restraining tray is a tray having a mechanism capable of pressing the battery cells and applying a restraining load. The restraining tray is used to supply the battery cells to the initial charging process or the charge-discharge inspection process. By performing the initial charging process or the charge-discharge inspection process while pressing and restraining the battery cells, the performance of the manufactured secondary battery can be improved.

[0029] Here, a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a tray 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tray 1 according to this embodiment corresponds to the restraining tray. As Figure 2 shown, the tray 1 includes: a housing 10, a plurality of partition plates 20, and a pressing mechanism 60. Figure 2 In the tray 1 shown, the plurality of partition plates 20 are arranged in two columns along the arrangement direction AR. In the following description, for convenience, sometimes the Figure 2 F-direction side shown is referred to as the front, and the B-direction side is referred to as the rear for description. For example, sometimes the movement in the F direction is expressed as "forward", and the movement in the B direction is expressed as "backward". In addition, although the battery cell 200 is shown on the right side of the paper surface of Figure 2 , the battery cell 200 is only illustrated to show the situation where the battery cell is accommodated in the tray 1 and is not an element constituting the tray 1. As Figure 2 shown, the battery cell 200 is accommodated in the tray 1 with the lead electrodes 201, 202 protruding laterally, and is charged or discharged via the lead electrodes 201, 202 in the initial charging device or the charge-discharge inspection device.

[0030] Figure 3 is a view showing the state after the partition plates 20 are removed from the tray 1. As Figure 3As shown, a guide shaft portion 30 extending from one end to the other end of the housing 10 in the arrangement direction AR is provided on the tray 1. In the tray 1 of the present embodiment, a total of eight guide shaft portions 30 are provided in such a manner that four guide shaft portions 30 pass through one partition plate 20. Further, the guide shaft portion 30 passes through the collar 40 and the coil spring 50. The collar 40 and the coil spring 50 will be described in detail later.

[0031] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the partition plate 20. As Figure 4 shown, the partition plate 20 is composed of a plate-like base material 21, and recesses or holes for the guide shaft portion 30 to pass through are provided on the base material 21. In Figure 4 the shown partition plate 20, one concave portion 22a and three holes 22b, 22c, 22d are provided, and by passing the Figure 3 shown guide shaft portion 30 through each recess or hole, the Figure 2 shown tray 1 is formed. The plurality of partition plates 20 included in the tray 1 are configured to be guided by the guide shaft portion 30 and capable of moving along the arrangement direction AR.

[0032] Further, as Figure 4 shown, two L-shaped protrusions 23 protruding from the base material 21 are provided on the partition plate 20, and the battery unit 200 can be accommodated between the partition plates in such a manner that it is supported by the horizontal portion of the protrusion 23. The position deviation of the battery unit 200 in the lateral direction is restricted by the vertical portion of the protrusion 23. By providing the protrusion 23 on the partition plate 20, the battery unit 200 can be stably supported between the partition plates 20. The number and shape of the protrusions 23 are not particularly limited as long as they can restrict the position deviation of the battery unit 200.

[0033] The partition plate 20 may be formed of a solid plate material or may have a hollow portion. By providing the hollow portion, weight reduction and reduction of raw material costs can be achieved. For example, the hollow portion can be provided by forming the partition plate 20 by overlapping two injection-molded plates.

[0034] Figure 5 is a side view of the tray 1 observed from the direction of the arrow V in Figure 2 . As Figure 5 shown, the battery unit 200 is accommodated between adjacent partition plates 20. Further, Figure 6 is Figure 5 an enlarged perspective view of the portion shown as VI in Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, a collar 40 and a coil spring 50 are coaxially arranged between adjacent partition plates 20a, 20b with the guide shaft portion 30. As will be described later, the collar 40 is a component that defines the minimum distance, which is the minimum interval distance, between adjacent partition plates 20a, 20b.

[0035] Furthermore, the tray 1 is provided with a connecting bracket 70 that connects adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b. As Figure 6 shown, the connecting bracket 70 has a base portion 71 extending in the arrangement direction AR, a pair of wall portions 72 provided on the front side of the base portion 71, and a restricting wall 73 provided on the rear side of the base portion 71. A first space S1 is provided between the pair of wall portions 72, and the first space S1 opens in a direction ( Figure 6 vertically downward or upward in the figure) intersecting the arrangement direction AR. One of the partition plates 20a is inserted into the first space S1. The pair of wall portions 72 are in contact with two surfaces of one of the partition plates 20a, thereby fixing the connecting bracket 70 and one of the partition plates 20a. In addition, the connecting bracket 70 has a restricting wall 73 erected from the base portion 71 on the rear side. Between the pair of wall portions 72 and the restricting wall 73, a second space S2 is provided that opens in a direction ( Figure 6 vertically downward or upward in the figure) intersecting the arrangement direction AR and in the same direction as the first space S1. The second space S2 allows the other partition plate 20b to move in the arrangement direction AR while the other partition plate 20b enters the second space S2.

[0036] Since the pair of wall portions 72 of the connecting bracket 70 are fixed to one of the partition plates 20a and the other partition plate 20b enters the second space S2, when one of the partition plates 20a and the other partition plate 20b are separated by a specified distance, the other partition plate 20b comes into contact with the restricting wall 73. Moreover, the movement of the other partition plate 20b is restricted by the restricting wall 73 so that it does not separate further from one of the partition plates 20a. Therefore, in a state where the other partition plate 20b is in contact with the restricting wall 73, the spacing distance between the adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b is maximized. Thus, the connecting bracket 70 is a component that defines the maximum spacing distance between adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b.

[0037] In the tray 1 of the present embodiment, the connecting brackets 70 are alternately provided such that the first space S1 and the second space S2 are configured to open vertically downward and vertically upward. With this structure, the connecting brackets 70 do not interfere with other connecting brackets 70, and at the same time, all adjacent partition plates 20 are connected by the connecting brackets 70.

[0038] Hereinafter, with reference to Figures 5 - 8 , the switching between the constrained state and the unconstrained state, and the functions of the respective components during the state switching will be described. First, the case of switching from the unconstrained state to the constrained state will be described. As Figure 5 shown, the tray 1 is provided with a pressing mechanism 60, and the pressing mechanism 60 includes a pressing plate 61 and a feed screw 62. Figure 5This is the state where the pressing plate 61 has retreated the most, and no restraint load is applied to the battery cells 200 arranged between the plurality of partition plates 20 in the arrangement direction AR. That is, Figure 5 the partition plates 20 and the battery cells 200 shown are in an unconstrained state.

[0039] By rotating the feed screw 62, the pressing plate 61 can advance or retreat along the arrangement direction AR. By rotating the feed screw 62 from the Figure 5 unconstrained state shown and advancing the pressing plate 61 along the arrangement direction AR, the battery cells 200 accommodated between the plurality of partition plates 20 and the partition plates 20 can be pressed toward the arrangement direction AR. Figure 7 This is the state where the pressing plate 61 has advanced the most, and a restraint load is applied to the plurality of partition plates 20 and the battery cells 200 in the arrangement direction AR. That is, Figure 7 the partition plates 20 and the battery cells 200 shown are in a constrained state.

[0040] Figure 8 This is Figure 7 an enlarged perspective view of the portion shown in VIII of Figure 6 and Figure 8 . Comparing Figure 6 with the unconstrained state shown, the distance between adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b becomes shorter in the Figure 8 constrained state shown. Here, as Figure 8 shown, the collar 40 is coaxially arranged between the partition plates 20a and 20b, and both adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b are in contact with the collar 40. The collar 40 is formed of a material having sufficient rigidity and restricts the adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b from being closer than the Figure 8 state shown. That is, by arranging the collar 40 between adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b, the minimum distance between the partition plates 20a and 20b is defined, and this minimum distance is consistent with the dimension of the collar 40 in the arrangement direction AR.

[0041] In the manufacturing process of the secondary battery, sometimes the initial charging process or the charge-discharge inspection process, etc. are performed by pressing the battery cells to be in the Figure 7 constrained state shown. In this case, if only a prescribed load is simply applied for pressing, sometimes the thickness dimension of the battery cells will deviate. For example, different from the present embodiment, if a prescribed load is simply applied for pressing to a plurality of battery cells in the constrained state, the prescribed load will act equally on each battery cell, so the thickness of each battery cell will be reduced substantially equally. If the thickness dimension of the battery cells has deviated due to manufacturing errors, etc. before being placed in the constrained state, the uneven thicknesses of the plurality of battery cells cannot be made uniform even when placed in the constrained state.

[0042] On the contrary, in the tray 1 of the present embodiment, since the collar 40 with a specified minimum spacing distance is arranged between the adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b, if in a constrained state, the distance between the partition plates can be made to match the length dimension of the collar 40, and the deviation of the thickness dimension of the finally obtained battery cell 200 can be reduced.

[0043] Next, the switching from the constrained state to the unconstrained state will be described. By rotating the feed screw 62 and retracting the pressing plate 61, it is possible to switch from Figure 7 the constrained state shown to Figure 5 the unconstrained state shown. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 7 , the restricting wall 73 of the rearmost connecting bracket 70B in the connecting bracket 70 is erected at a position behind the pressing plate 61 and straddles the two partition plates 20 and the pressing plate 61. When the pressing plate 61 is retracted from the Figure 7 state, first, the pressing plate 61 comes into contact with the restricting wall 73 of the connecting bracket 70B. If the pressing plate 61 is further retracted from this state, the two rear partition plates 20 are retracted via the connecting bracket 70B. Thereafter, the partition plate 20 comes into contact with the restricting wall 73 of the connecting bracket 70 and sequentially pulls the adjacent partition plates 20, and the partition plates 20 are retracted, so that it is possible to switch to the Figure 5 unconstrained state.

[0044] In the case of switching from the constrained state to the unconstrained state, in a conventional constrained tray where the distance between the partition plates is not controlled, when the pressing plate is retracted to the rearmost position, the interval between some partition plates becomes too large, and there is a case where the distance between the partition plates deviates. If there is a deviation in the distance between the partition plates, the position of the battery cell accommodated in the constrained tray will be unstable, and there is a risk of failure when transferring the battery cell to another tray or removing a defective cell using a robotic arm or the like.

[0045] The tray 1 according to the present embodiment includes the connecting bracket 70 that connects the adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b, and when the spacing distance between the adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b reaches the maximum, as shown in Figure 6 , the movement of the other partition plate 20b is restricted by the restricting wall 73. With such a structure, it is possible to prevent the adjacent partition plates from separating from each other excessively and to keep the distance between the partition plates constant, thereby stabilizing the position of the battery cell.

[0046] In addition, as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 8 , the tray 1 of the present embodiment includes a helical spring 50 coaxial with the guide shaft portion 30 between the adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b. The helical spring 50 is an example of an elastic member. The helical spring 50 is at least in Figure 8In the constrained state shown, it is in a compressed state, and its restoring force acts in the direction of separating the adjacent partition plates 20a and 20b. With such a structure, the adjacent partition plates 20 can smoothly transition from the constrained state to the unconstrained state while maintaining an appropriate interval. Moreover, if the helical spring 50 is in a compressed state even in the Figure 6 unconstrained state as described above, the restoring force always acts in the direction of separating the adjacent partition plates 20 to support keeping the distance between the partition plates 20 constant, and thus it is preferable.

[0047] As described above, the tray of the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0048] In Figure 2 the tray 1 shown, the battery cells are arranged in two columns, but the columns of the battery cells can be one column or three or more columns. However, by arranging them in two columns as in the present embodiment, the probes of the battery cells and the charging and discharging device can be connected to the left and right side surfaces, so that charging and discharging can be effectively carried out without a complicated structure.

[0049] In Figure 2 the tray 1 shown, collar 40 and helical spring 50 are arranged on all four guide shaft portions 30 passing through one partition plate 20, but it is not necessary to arrange the collar and the helical spring on all the guide shaft portions. For example, the collar and the helical spring can also be arranged only on two diagonal guide shaft portions. The guide shaft portion with the collar and the guide shaft portion with the helical spring can also be different. However, if the collar and the helical spring are arranged on all the guide shaft portions 30, the partition plate can move stably, and thus it is preferable.

[0050] Figure 6 The connection bracket 70 shown has a fixing portion on the front side in the arrangement direction AR and a restricting portion on the rear side, but the connection bracket can also have a fixing portion on the rear side in the arrangement direction AR and a restricting portion on the front side. In addition, the base portion, the fixing portion, and the restricting portion are not limited to the structures of the above embodiments. For example, the base portion can be rod-shaped instead of plate-shaped. Instead of arranging the base portion above or below the partition plate, the base portion can pass through the hole provided in the partition plate. When the base portion passes through the hole, the connection bracket 70 can also be formed in the shape of a rivet by making the restricting portion thicker than the hole. In order to fix the fixing portion to one of the partition plates, joining members such as screws can also be used.

[0051] Returning to Figure 1 , a manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As described above, Figure 1 the manufacturing apparatus 100 for the secondary battery shown includes: a primary charging device 101, a charge and discharge inspection device 102, a room temperature aging device 103, and a high temperature aging device 104.

[0052] The initial charging device 101 is a device for performing the initial charging process of a secondary battery. Typically, the initial charging device 101 has a plurality of arranged probes. For each of the plurality of battery cells 200 accommodated in the tray 1 as shown in Figure 2 , a pair of probes are connected to the lead electrodes 201 and 202, and the initial charging can be performed on each battery cell together. The initial charging device can be a device that only performs charging, or a device that performs charging and discharging. In the initial charging process, charging and discharging can be performed multiple times.

[0053] The room temperature aging device 103 and the high temperature aging device 104 are devices for performing the aging process. Aging refers to the process of placing the battery cells at a specified temperature for a specified time before or after the initial charging process or the charge and discharge inspection process, etc. The room temperature aging device 103 and the high temperature aging device 104 are typically constant temperature baths or constant temperature chambers.

[0054] The charge and discharge inspection device 102 is a device for charging and discharging the battery cells, appropriately forming them, and inspecting their characteristics. Typically, it is a device that can charge or discharge multiple battery cells together in the same way as the initial charging device 101.

[0055] The manufacturing device 100 is equipped with a conveying device 110, and can convey the battery cells between the respective devices through the conveying device 110. There are a loading port 120 and an unloading port 130 provided on the conveying device 110. The battery cells supplied before the initial charging process are carried into the manufacturing device 100 from the loading port 120, and the battery cells that have completed the initial charging process, aging process, and charge and discharge inspection process performed by the manufacturing device 100 are carried out from the unloading port 130. The conveyance of the battery cells and the manufacturing processes using each device are all implemented in a state where a plurality of battery cells are placed on one tray.

[0056] As described above, the manufacturing device 100 of the secondary battery is equipped with a plurality of devices, and processes that last for several hours to several tens of hours are simultaneously and parallelly implemented in each device. Therefore, in the entire manufacturing device 100, a plurality of trays for placing the battery cells are required.

[0057] In the initial charging process or the charge and discharge inspection process, the battery cells are sometimes constrained for implementation. In this case, in the conventional manufacturing device, it is considered to place the battery cells on the constraint tray in all processes. In this case, in order to make the entire manufacturing device operate smoothly, a plurality of constraint trays are required. However, in the manufacturing process of the secondary battery, there are processes such as the aging process that do not require the use of the constraint tray. Therefore, as Figure 1 shown, the manufacturing device according to the present embodiment is equipped with a transfer device 105 that transfers the battery cells between the normal tray and the constraint tray or from the constraint tray to the normal tray.

[0058] The specific structure of the transfer device 105 is not particularly limited as long as it has a mechanism capable of transferring battery cells to different trays. As a structural example, the transfer device 105 includes a robotic arm and, based on the identification information, position, etc. of the tray and battery cells sent from the connected control device, uses the robotic arm to transfer the battery cells. The transfer device 105 may also include an image sensor for identifying the position of the battery cells.

[0059] In the manufacturing device 100 of the present embodiment, for example, the transfer to another tray is performed at the following timing. That is, the battery cells are first carried into the manufacturing device 100 in a state of being placed on a normal tray. The first process to which the carried-in battery cells are supplied is the initial charging process. The initial charging process is performed in a constrained state using a constrained tray. Therefore, the normal tray carried into the manufacturing device 100 is first conveyed by the conveying device 110 to the transfer device 105, and the battery cells placed on the normal tray are transferred to the constrained tray by the transfer device 105. Then, the constrained tray carrying the battery cells is conveyed to the initial charging device 101.

[0060] The battery cells that have completed the initial charging process are then supplied to the aging process. The temperature and time of aging can be appropriately selected and performed by at least one of the room temperature aging device 103 and the high temperature aging device 104. The aging process does not need to be performed in a constrained state. Therefore, the constrained tray carrying the battery cells that have completed the initial charging process is sent to the transfer device 105, and the battery cells are transferred to a normal tray. Then, the normal tray carrying the battery cells is conveyed to the room temperature aging device 103 or the high temperature aging device 104.

[0061] The battery cells that have completed the aging process are then supplied to the charge and discharge inspection process. The charge and discharge inspection process is performed in a constrained state using a constrained tray. Therefore, the normal tray carrying the battery cells that have completed the aging process is conveyed by the conveying device 110 to the transfer device 105, and the battery cells are transferred to the constrained tray by the transfer device 105. Then, the constrained tray carrying the battery cells is conveyed to the charge and discharge inspection device 102.

[0062] According to the manufacturing device 100 of the present embodiment, for example, by performing the aging process on a normal tray instead of a constrained tray, it is possible to leave the constrained tray empty during the implementation of the aging process, so that the constrained tray can be used to carry other battery cells supplied to the initial charging process or the charge and discharge inspection process. With such a structure, it is possible to reduce the number of constrained trays required for the entire manufacturing device 100, which is advantageous from the perspective of cost.

[0063] As described above, the manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery of the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0064] In manufacturing processes such as the initial charging process, gas may sometimes be generated inside the battery cell. Therefore, an exhaust process may also be performed at a specified time to remove the gas generated inside the battery cell. The manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery of the present invention may also include an exhaust device for performing the exhaust process. The exhaust process may be performed while the battery cell is placed on the restraint tray and in a restrained state.

[0065] In Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the transfer device 105 is provided independently of other devices such as the initial charging device 101. However, as long as the manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery has a structure capable of transferring the battery cell from the normal tray to the restraint tray or from the restraint tray to the normal tray, the transfer device may not be independent. That is, the transfer device may be assembled in other devices such as the initial charging device as a mechanism for transferring the battery cell.

[0066] In addition to the transfer between trays, the transfer device may also perform a process of removing the battery cells determined to be defective in inspection processes such as the charge and discharge inspection process. In this process, the transfer device may be configured to place a virtual cell on the tray in place of the removed battery cell.

[0067] The embodiments described above may also be expressed as follows. That is, the tray according to one aspect of the present invention is

[0068] (1) A tray used in the manufacturing process of a secondary battery and accommodating a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction, comprising:

[0069] A guide shaft portion extending in the arrangement direction;

[0070] A plurality of partition plates guided by the guide shaft portion and movable along the arrangement direction;

[0071] A pressing mechanism, which is provided to be guided by the guide shaft portion and movable along the arrangement direction, and capable of switching the plurality of partition plates and the battery cells accommodated between the plurality of partition plates to a constrained state in which a constraint load is applied in the arrangement direction and a non-constrained state in which no constraint load is applied in the arrangement direction;

[0072] A collar coaxially disposed between adjacent partition plates and defining a minimum distance between adjacent partition plates.

[0073] Since the tray has collars with a specified minimum spacing distance, the distance between the separators in the constrained state can be made constant. Thus, the deviation in the thickness dimension of the battery cells manufactured using the tray can be reduced.

[0074] Furthermore, the embodiments described above can also be expressed as follows. That is, the tray according to one aspect of the present invention is

[0075] (2) A tray used in the manufacturing process of a secondary battery and accommodating a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction, comprising:

[0076] A guide shaft portion extending in the arrangement direction;

[0077] A plurality of separators guided by the guide shaft portion and movable along the arrangement direction;

[0078] A pressing mechanism which is arranged to be guided by the guide shaft portion and movable along the arrangement direction, and can switch the plurality of separators and the battery cells accommodated between the plurality of separators between a constrained state in which a constraint load is applied in the arrangement direction and an unconstrained state in which no constraint load is applied in the arrangement direction;

[0079] A connecting bracket that defines the maximum spacing distance between adjacent separators.

[0080] Since the above tray has a connecting bracket that defines the maximum spacing distance between the separators, the distance between the separators in the unconstrained state can be made constant. Thus, the position of the battery cells in the unconstrained state is stabilized.

[0081] (3) In the above (2), it may further include a collar coaxially arranged between adjacent separators with the guide shaft portion and defining the minimum spacing distance between adjacent separators.

[0082] By providing the collar, the distance between the separators in the constrained state can be controlled, and the deviation in the thickness dimension of the battery cells can be reduced.

[0083] (4) In the above (2) or (3), the connecting bracket may have:

[0084] A base portion extending in the arrangement direction;

[0085] A fixing portion provided on one side of the base portion and fixed to one of the adjacent separators;

[0086] A restricting portion provided on the other side of the base portion, which contacts the other separator when the distance between the one separator and the other separator reaches the maximum spacing distance.

[0087] The connecting bracket has a fixing portion and a restricting portion, whereby the maximum distance between the partition plates can be ensured more reliably.

[0088] (5) In the above (4), the fixing portion may have a pair of wall portions that contact both surfaces of the one partition plate,

[0089] The restricting portion may have a restricting wall that contacts the surface of the other partition plate on the side opposite to the one partition plate.

[0090] By providing a pair of wall portions, the connecting bracket can be easily and reliably fixed to the partition plate. By providing the restricting wall, the maximum distance can be ensured more reliably.

[0091] (6) In the above (5), a first space that opens in a direction crossing the arrangement direction may be provided between the pair of walls, and the one partition plate is inserted into the first space,

[0092] A second space that opens in a direction crossing the arrangement direction may be provided between the fixing portion and the restricting portion, allowing the other partition plate to move in the arrangement direction, and the other partition plate enters the second space.

[0093] By providing an opening in the connecting bracket, the connecting bracket can be embedded in the partition plate for easy installation.

[0094] (7) In any one of the above (1) to (6), an elastic member may further be provided, which is coaxially arranged between the adjacent partition plates so that its restoring force acts in a direction to separate the adjacent partition plates.

[0095] By providing an elastic member between the partition plates, the transition from the constrained state to the unconstrained state can be smoothly performed.

[0096] (8) In the above (7), the elastic member may also be in a compressed state in the unconstrained state.

[0097] The restoring force of the elastic member always acts in a direction to separate the partition plates, whereby it is easy to keep the distance between the partition plates in the unconstrained state constant.

[0098] (9) In any one of the above (1) to (8), protrusions for supporting the battery unit may be provided on the partition plate.

[0099] By providing protrusions on the partition plate, the battery unit can be stably supported.

[0100] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment can also be expressed as follows. That is, the manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery according to one aspect of the present invention is

[0101] (10) A manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery, which uses a restraint tray and a normal tray on which no restraint load is applied in the arrangement direction, the restraint tray being capable of switching between a restraint state in which a restraint load is applied in the arrangement direction and a non-restraint state in which no restraint load is applied in the arrangement direction in a state where a plurality of battery cells are arranged in the arrangement direction, and having:

[0102] A first device that places the battery cell on the restraint tray and performs at least one of an initial charging process, a charge-discharge process, and a charge-discharge characteristic inspection process in the restraint state;

[0103] An aging device that performs an aging process in a state where the battery cell is placed on the normal tray;

[0104] A transfer device that transfers the battery cell from the restraint tray to the normal tray or from the normal tray to the restraint tray.

[0105] In the initial charging process, the charge-discharge process, or the charge-discharge inspection process, excellent batteries can be obtained by using the restraint tray. Since the restraint tray has a restraint mechanism and the like, it is more expensive than the normal tray. On the other hand, even if the normal tray is used in the aging process, it will not have a great impact on the performance of the secondary battery. In particular, since the process time of the aging process is longer than that of other processes, by transferring the battery cells so as to use the normal tray instead of the restraint tray in the aging process, the number of restraint trays required for the entire manufacturing apparatus can be reduced, which is advantageous from the perspective of cost.

[0106] Explanation of reference numerals

[0107] 1 Tray

[0108] 10 Housing

[0109] 20, 20a, 20b Partition

[0110] 21 Substrate

[0111] 22a Depression

[0112] 22b, 22c, 22d Hole

[0113] 23 Protrusion

[0114] 30 Guide shaft part

[0115] 40 Collar

[0116] 50 Helical spring

[0117] 60 Pressing mechanism

[0118] 61 Pressing plate

[0119] 62 Feed screw

[0120] 70, 70B Connecting bracket

[0121] 71 Base

[0122] 72 A pair of wall parts

[0123] 73 Restricting wall

[0124] 100 Manufacturing device for secondary battery

[0125] 101 Primary charging device

[0126] 102 Charge and discharge inspection device

[0127] 103 Room temperature aging device

[0128] 104 High temperature aging device

[0129] 105 Transfer device

[0130] 110 Conveying device

[0131] 120 Loading port

[0132] 130 Unloading port

[0133] 200 Battery cell

[0134] 201, 202 Lead electrode

[0135] S1 First space

[0136] S2 Second space

Claims

1. A tray that is used in the manufacturing process of secondary batteries and accommodates a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction, comprising: A guide shaft portion extending in the arrangement direction; A plurality of partition plates guided by the guide shaft portion and movable along the arrangement direction; A pressing mechanism that is arranged to be guided by the guide shaft portion and movable along the arrangement direction, and can switch the plurality of partition plates and the battery cells accommodated between the plurality of partition plates between a constrained state in which a constraint load is applied in the arrangement direction and an unconstrained state in which no constraint load is applied in the arrangement direction; A collar coaxially disposed with the guide shaft portion between adjacent partition plates and defining a minimum distance between adjacent partition plates.

2. A tray that is used in the manufacturing process of secondary batteries and accommodates a plurality of battery cells arranged in an arrangement direction, comprising: A guide shaft portion extending in the arrangement direction; A plurality of partition plates guided by the guide shaft portion and movable along the arrangement direction; A pressing mechanism that is arranged to be guided by the guide shaft portion and movable along the arrangement direction, and can switch the plurality of partition plates and the battery cells accommodated between the plurality of partition plates between a constrained state in which a constraint load is applied in the arrangement direction and an unconstrained state in which no constraint load is applied in the arrangement direction; A connecting bracket that defines a maximum distance between adjacent partition plates.

3. The tray according to claim 2, further comprising a collar coaxially disposed with the guide shaft portion between adjacent partition plates and defining a minimum distance between adjacent partition plates.

4. The tray according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the connecting bracket has: A base portion extending in the arrangement direction; A fixing portion provided on one side of the base portion and fixed to one of the adjacent partition plates; A restricting portion provided on the other side of the base portion, which contacts the other partition plate when the distance between the one partition plate and the other partition plate reaches the maximum distance.

5. The tray according to claim 4, wherein The fixing portion has a pair of wall portions that contact both sides of the one partition plate, The restricting portion has a restricting wall that contacts the surface of the other partition plate opposite to the one partition plate.

6. The tray according to claim 5, wherein A first space that opens in a direction crossing the arrangement direction is provided between a pair of walls, and the one partition plate is inserted into the first space, A second space that opens in a direction crossing the arrangement direction is provided between the fixing portion and the restricting portion, allowing the other partition plate to move in the arrangement direction, and the other partition plate enters the second space.

7. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an elastic member coaxially disposed with the guide shaft portion between adjacent partition plates, and whose restoring force acts in a direction to separate adjacent partition plates.

8. The tray according to claim 7, wherein the elastic member is also in a compressed state in the unconstrained state.

9. The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a protrusion for supporting the battery cell is provided on the partition plate.

10. A manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery, which uses a restraint tray and a normal tray on which no restraint load is applied in the alignment direction, the restraint tray being capable of switching between a restraint state in which a restraint load is applied in the alignment direction and a non-restraint state in which no restraint load is applied in the alignment direction in a state where a plurality of battery cells are aligned in the alignment direction, and having: a first device that places the battery cells on the restraint tray and performs at least one of an initial charging process, a charge-discharge process, and a charge-discharge characteristic inspection process in the restraint state; an aging device that performs an aging process in a state where the battery cells are placed on the normal tray; a transfer device that transfers the battery cells from the restraint tray to the normal tray or from the normal tray to the restraint tray.

Images