System, device and method for detecting a shape defect in the electrode tab of a secondary battery

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method, an apparatus, and a system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery. The method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: photographing a side surface of the secondary battery to obtain a side surface image of the electrode tab processed into a specified shape; measuring a bending radius and a cutting pitch of the processed electrode tab from the side surface image; checking whether the bending radius and the cutting pitch satisfy a specified reference radius and reference pitch; and when the bending radius and the cutting pitch do not satisfy the reference radius and reference pitch, determining that the shape defect of the electrode tab has occurred.

Description

[BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION] 1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method, apparatus and system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode plug of a secondary battery. 2. Description of the state of the art

[0002] A secondary battery is a battery that can be repeatedly charged and discharged. With the rapid progress of the information and communications and display industries, the secondary battery has been widely used as a power source for various portable electronic telecommunications devices such as camcorders, mobile phones, tablet PCs, laptops, etc. Recently, a battery pack containing the secondary battery has also been developed as a power source for an environmentally friendly automobile, such as an electric vehicle.

[0003] Meanwhile, various errors may occur during the manufacturing process of the secondary battery. For example, a pouch-type secondary battery requires processing (such as bending and cutting) of an electrode tab during the assembly of a pouch cell (or pouch case), and the dimensional management of the shape of the processed electrode tab is essential. However, the pouch secondary battery has the problem that material deformation is easy to occur due to the characteristics of the electrode tab. At the same time, there is the problem that it is difficult to set a reference point (or position) for managing the shape dimensions of the electrode tab. Currently, for example, the user sets an area of ​​interest to set the reference point. Therefore, the current method has the problem of human error.

[0004] Therefore, in recent years, a method has been sought that sets a clear reference point, minimizes the error in measuring the shape of the electrode tab and improves performance (e.g.). [SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION]

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method, an apparatus and a system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery that can improve the accuracy and / or reliability of the shape defect detection of the electrode tab.

[0006] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a method, an apparatus and a system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery that can improve the speed of the shape defect detection of the electrode tab.

[0007] The method, apparatus, and system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery of the present disclosure can be applied in a wide range of green technology fields, such as an electric vehicle and a battery charging station, as well as solar power and wind power generation using batteries. Furthermore, the method, apparatus, and system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery of the present disclosure can be applied to an environmentally friendly electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and the like to prevent climate change by suppressing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

[0008] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery, comprising: photographing a side surface of the secondary battery to obtain a side surface image of the electrode tab processed into a specified shape; measuring a bending radius and a cutting pitch of the processed electrode tab from the side surface image; checking whether the bending radius and the cutting pitch satisfy a specified reference radius and reference pitch; and when the bending radius and the cutting pitch do not satisfy the reference radius and the reference pitch, determining that the shape defect of the electrode tab has occurred.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the measuring step may include: setting a first region of interest comprising a partial region of one end (hereinafter, cutting part) of the machined electrode tab; generating an upper parallel line corresponding to an upper end of the cutting part and a lower parallel line corresponding to a lower end in the first region of interest; detecting a first end point of the upper parallel line and a second end point of the lower parallel line; setting a second region of interest comprising a bent part of the machined electrode tab, and setting a third region of interest having a specific size within the second region of interest; detecting upper limit points and lower limit points of the bent part while moving the third region of interest by a specific unit;Determining a starting point and a peak point of the bent part based on the detected upper limit points and lower limit points; and calculating the bending radius and the cutting distance based on the determined starting point and peak point of the bent part.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the step of generating the upper parallel line and the lower parallel line may include: generating a first straight line based on the upper boundary points of the cutting part of the electrode tab using a linear regression technique and determining the generated first straight line as the upper parallel line; and generating a second straight line based on the lower boundary points of the cutting part of the electrode tab using the linear regression technique and determining the generated second straight line as the lower parallel line.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the starting point of the bent part may include determining an upper boundary point at which a vertical distance from the upper parallel line begins to be a certain amount or less among the detected upper boundary points of the bent part as an upper starting point; and determining a lower boundary point at which a vertical distance from the lower parallel line begins to be a certain amount or less among the detected lower boundary points of the bent part as a lower starting point.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the step of calculating the cutting distance may include calculating an upper tab distance between the first end point and a point where a straight line extending vertically from the upper starting point and the upper parallel line meet, calculating a lower tab distance between the second end point and a point where a straight line extending vertically from the lower starting point and the lower parallel line meet, and determining an average of the upper tab distance and the lower tab distance as the cutting distance.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the peak point may include determining an upper boundary point having the greatest vertical distance from the lower parallel line among the detected upper boundary points of the bent part as the peak point.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the step of calculating the bending radius may comprise calculating a vertical distance between the tip point and the lower parallel line and determining the calculated vertical distance as the bending radius.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the method may further comprise calculating a bending distance of the electrode tab based on the second end point and the tip point of the electrode tab.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the method may further comprise: recognizing a pattern of a shape of the electrode tab from the side surface image; and if the pattern is not recognized, generating an alarm to notify that pattern recognition is not possible, wherein, if the pattern is recognized, the measuring step is performed.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the method may further include generating an alarm in a specific manner when it is determined that the shape error has occurred.

[0018] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery, comprising: a photo module configured to photograph a side surface of the secondary battery to obtain a side surface image of the electrode tab processed into a specified shape; and a processor configured to measure a bending radius and a cutting distance of the processed electrode tab from the side surface image, check whether the bending radius and the cutting distance satisfy a specified reference radius and reference distance, and, when the bending radius and the cutting distance do not satisfy the reference radius and reference distance, determine that the shape defect of the electrode tab has occurred.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the processor may define a first region of interest comprising a partial region of an end (hereinafter, cutting part) of the machined electrode tab, generate an upper parallel line corresponding to an upper end of the cutting part and a lower parallel line corresponding to a lower end in the first region of interest, detect a first end point of the upper parallel line and a second end point of the lower parallel line, define a second region of interest comprising a bending part of the machined electrode tab, and set a third region of interest with a specific size within the second region of interest, detect upper limit points and lower limit points of the bending part while moving the third region of interest by a specific unit,Determine a start point and a peak point of the bending part based on the detected upper limit points and lower limit points, and calculate the bending radius and cutting distance based on the determined start point and peak point of the bending part.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the processor may generate a first straight line based on the upper boundary points of the cutting part of the electrode tab using a linear regression technique and determine the generated first straight line as the upper parallel line, and generate a second straight line based on the lower boundary points of the cutting part of the electrode tab using the linear regression technique and determine the generated second straight line as the lower parallel line.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the processor may determine an upper boundary point at which a vertical distance from the upper parallel line begins to be a certain size or less among the detected upper boundary points of the bent part as the upper start point, and may determine a lower boundary point at which a vertical distance from the lower parallel line begins to be a certain size or less among the detected lower boundary points of the bent part as the lower start point.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the processor may calculate an upper tab distance between the first end point and a point where a straight line running vertically from the upper starting point and the upper parallel meet, calculate a lower tab distance between the second end point and a point where a straight line running vertically from the lower starting point and the lower parallel meet, and determine an average of the upper tab distance and the lower tab distance as the cutting distance.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the processor may determine an upper boundary point having the greatest vertical distance from the lower parallel line among the detected upper boundary points of the bent part as the peak point.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the processor may calculate a vertical distance between the peak point and the lower parallel line and determine the calculated vertical distance as a bend radius.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the processor may further calculate a bending distance of the electrode tab based on the second end point and the tip point of the electrode tab.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the device may further include an alarm module configured to generate an alarm in a specific manner when it is determined that the shape error has occurred.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery, comprising: a processing device configured to process the electrode tab of the secondary battery into a predetermined shape; and an electrode tab inspection device configured to photograph a side surface of the secondary battery through a photo module to acquire a side surface image of the electrode tab processed into a predetermined shape, measure a bending radius and a cutting pitch of the processed electrode tab from the side surface image, and compare the bending radius and the cutting pitch with a predetermined reference radius and reference distance, respectively, to examine whether there is a shape defect of the electrode tab.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the present disclosure can improve the accuracy and / or reliability of electrode tab shape defect detection. For example, the present disclosure can clearly establish a reference point for measuring the shape of the electrode tab and prevent human errors. Accordingly, the present disclosure can improve the accuracy and / or reliability of electrode tab shape defect detection.

[0029] Furthermore, the present disclosure can improve the speed and / or efficiency of detecting shape defects on the electrode tab. For example, the present disclosure can measure the bending radius and cutting distance of the machined electrode tab through a process. Accordingly, the present disclosure can improve the speed and / or efficiency of detecting shape defects on the electrode tab. [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS]

[0030] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a view schematically showing a system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a view for describing a method of processing an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 3 is a flowchart for describing methods for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 4 is a view for describing a method of generating an upper parallel line and a lower parallel line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 5A, Fig. 5B and Fig. 5C are views for describing a method of setting a start point and a peak point of a bent part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 6 is a view for describing a method for calculating a bending radius, a cutting distance, and a bending distance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION]

[0031] The present disclosure will be described in detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments are merely illustrative, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described by way of example.

[0032] Although terms such as first, second, and the like are used to describe various elements, components, and / or portions, these elements, components, and / or portions are, of course, not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element, component, and / or portion from another element, component, and / or portion. Therefore, it is understood that the first element, component, or portion referred to below may also be the second element, component, or portion within the meaning of the present disclosure.

[0033] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure thereto. The singular forms used herein include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is further understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "made of" used herein do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more components, steps, operations, and / or elements other than the recited components, steps, operations, and / or elements.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure relates. Terms as defined in common dictionaries are not to be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined as such herein.

[0035] Fig. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 2 is a view for describing a method of processing an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] With reference to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a system 1000 for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab (e.g., a cathode tab and / or an anode tab) of a secondary battery 30 (hereinafter, "a system") according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a processing device 100, an electrode tab inspection device 200, and a transfer device 300.

[0037] The transfer device 300 can transfer the secondary battery 30. For example, the transfer device 300 can control the transfer of the secondary battery 30 manufactured according to a process method for manufacturing the secondary battery 30. According to one embodiment, the transfer device 300 can transfer the secondary battery 30 to the processing device 100 for processing (e.g., bending and cutting) an electrode tab of the secondary battery 30. Furthermore, the transfer device 300 can transfer the secondary battery 30 to the electrode tab inspection device 200 to inspect whether the secondary battery 30 is defective (e.g., to inspect whether there is a shape defect in the electrode tab). The transfer device 300 can include a linear motion system (LMS).The transfer device 300 may include a rail 310 forming a movement path and a carrier 320 on which the secondary battery 30 is placed on an upper surface and moves along the rail 310.

[0038] The processing device 100 can process the electrode tab 32 of the secondary battery 30. For example, the processing device 100 can process (e.g., bend and cut) the electrode tab 32 of the secondary battery 30 transferred by the transfer device 300. Specifically, the processing device 100 can press a portion (e.g., an inner portion) 32a of the electrode tab 32 through a bending module 110 to bend it into a specific shape, as indicated by a reference numeral 201 in FIG. Fig. 2 of the drawing. Thereafter, the processing device 100 may diagonally cut a corner 32b-1 of an outer part 32b by a cutting module 120 (hereinafter "a primary cut"), as indicated by a reference number 203 in Fig. 2 of the drawing. In addition, the processing device 100 may cut a portion 32b-2 of one end of the diagonally cut outer part 32b (hereinafter "a secondary cut"), as indicated by a reference numeral 205 in Fig. 2 of the drawing. In other words, the electrode tab 32 can be processed to have a bent part 32a-1 with a specific bending radius and a cutting part 32b-3 with a specific cutting pitch. The secondary battery 30, for which the processing of the electrode tab 32 is completed, can be transferred to the electrode tab testing device 200 by the transfer device 300.

[0039] The electrode tab inspection device 200 can check whether the secondary battery 30 is defective. For example, the electrode tab inspection device 200 can check whether there is a shape defect in the electrode tab 32 processed by the processing device 100. Specifically, after the electrode tab 32 is processed (bent and cut) by the processing device 100, the electrode tab inspection device 200 can photograph a side surface of the secondary battery 30 through a photo module 210 (e.g., a camera) to acquire a side surface image of the processed electrode tab 32, measure a bending radius and a cutting distance through the side surface image, and compare the measured bending radius and cutting distance with a predetermined reference radius and reference distance, respectively, to check whether there is a shape defect in the electrode tab 32.For example, if the measured bending radius and cutting pitch do not correspond to the specified reference radius and reference pitch, the electrode tab inspection device 200 can determine that there is a shape defect in the electrode tab. Detailed procedures of a method for measuring the bending radius and cutting pitch are described below with reference to FIG. Fig. 3 to 6.

[0040] If it is determined that a shape defect (e.g., an error in the bending radius and / or the cutting distance) of the electrode tab 32 exists, the electrode tab tester 200 can trigger an alarm in a certain way (e.g., audible, visual, tactile, etc.).

[0041] Meanwhile, the electrode tab inspection device 200 may further calculate a bending distance 63 (e.g., a distance between a center point of the bending part 32a-1 and an end point of the electrode tab) of the secondary battery 30. The bending distance 63 may be a value obtained by adding a bending radius of the bending part 32a-1 to a cutting distance of the cutting part 32b-3. The electrode tab inspection device 200 may check the alignment performance of the processing device 100 for processing (e.g., bending and cutting) the electrode tab using the bending distance 63. Specifically, the electrode strip inspection device 200 may calculate an alignment distance 64 (e.g.,a difference between a total distance 65 of the machined electrode strip and the bending distance 63) using the bending distance 63, and if the alignment distances 64 calculated for a plurality of secondary batteries are not constant, it can be determined that there is a problem with the alignment of the secondary batteries 30.

[0042] Fig. 3 is a flowchart for describing the performance of methods for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 4 is a view for describing a method of generating an upper parallel line and a lower parallel line according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 5A, Fig. 5B and Fig. 5C are views for describing a method of setting a start point and a peak point of a bent part according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 6 is a view for describing a method of calculating a bending radius, a cutting distance, and a bending distance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] With reference to the Fig. 3 to 6, the method for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a step (S301) of acquiring a side surface image of the electrode tab that has been machined (e.g., bent and cut) into a specific shape. For example, the electrode tab inspection device may photograph a side surface of the secondary battery through a photo module (e.g., the camera) to obtain an image of the side surface of the electrode tab that has been machined into the desired shape.

[0044] The method may include a step (S303) of measuring a bending radius and a cutting distance of the electrode tab based on the image of the side surface. Specifically, the electrode tab inspection device may generate an upper parallel line and a lower parallel line of a cutting portion of the electrode tab from the image of the side surface and detect an end point of the electrode tab. As shown in Fig. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the electrode tab inspection device may define a first region of interest 401 including the cutting portion 32b-3 of the electrode tab (e.g., a portion of one end of the processed electrode tab), and generate an upper parallel line 411 corresponding to an upper end of the cutting portion 32b-3 and a lower parallel line 412 corresponding to a lower end of the cutting portion 32b-3 in the defined first region of interest 401. According to one embodiment, the electrode tab inspection device may generate a straight line based on the upper boundary points of the cutting portion 32b-3 of the electrode tab using a linear regression technique and determine the generated straight line as the upper parallel line 411.In addition, the electrode tab testing device may generate a straight line based on lower limit points of the cutting part 32b-3 of the electrode tab using the linear regression technique and determine the generated straight line as the lower parallel 412.

[0045] Meanwhile, the electrode tab inspection device can detect a first end point of the upper parallel line 411 and a second end point of the lower parallel line 412. For example, the electrode tab inspection device can detect an end 413 (e.g., a vertical boundary line) of the cutting part 32b-3, detect a point where the end 413 and the upper parallel line 411 meet as the first end point 43a, and detect (or detect) a point where the end 413 and the lower parallel line 412 meet as the second end point 43b.

[0046] Next, the electrode tab tester can detect an upper and a lower limit point of the bending part of the electrode tab (e.g., a region 32a-1 bent into a certain shape (e.g., a semicircle). As shown in the Fig. 5A to 5C, for example, the electrode tab inspection apparatus may set a second region of interest 402 including the bent portion 32a-1 of the electrode tab, set a third region of interest 403 with a certain size (e.g., a size having a similar height and a smaller width than the second region of interest 402) within the second region of interest 402, and recognize (or detect) upper limit points 44 and lower limit points 45 of the bent portion 32a-1 while moving the third region of interest 403 by a certain unit (e.g., from a right end to a left end of the second region of interest 402).

[0047] Next, the electrode tab tester can calculate a bending radius 61 and a cutting distance 62. As shown in Fig. 6, the electrode tab inspection device may first determine a starting point 46 and a peak point 47 of the bent part 32a-1 based on the detected upper limit points 44 and lower limit points 45. Specifically, the electrode tab inspection device may determine an upper limit point at which a vertical distance from the upper parallel line 411 starts to be a certain size (e.g., 1.5 pixels) or less (or less than the certain size) among the detected upper limit points 44 of the bent part 32a-1 as an upper starting point 46a, and may determine a lower limit point at which a vertical distance from the lower parallel line 412 starts to be a certain size or less among the detected lower limit points 45 of the bent part 32a-1 as a lower starting point 46b.Meanwhile, the electrode tab inspection device may determine an upper limit point that is farthest from the lower parallel line 412 (e.g., has the largest vertical distance) among the detected upper limit points 44 of the bent part 32a-1 as the peak point 47.

[0048] As in Fig. Next, as shown in Figure 6, the electrode tab tester may calculate the bending radius 61 and the cutting distance 62 based on the determined peak point 47 and the starting point 46 of the bent part 32a-1. For example, the electrode tab tester may calculate a vertical distance between the peak point 47 and the lower parallel line 412 and determine the calculated vertical distance as the bending radius 61.Meanwhile, the electrode tab tester may calculate an upper tab distance 62a between the first end point 43a and a point where a straight (perpendicular) line extending vertically from the upper starting point 46a and the upper parallel line 411 meet, calculate a lower tab distance 62b between the second end point 43b and a point where a straight (perpendicular) line extending vertically from the lower starting point 46b and the lower parallel line 412 meet, and determine an average of the upper tab distance 62a and the lower tab distance 62b as the cutting distance 62.

[0049] The method may include a step (S305) of checking whether the measured bending radius and cutting distance correspond to the specified reference radius and reference distance. For example, the electrode tab tester may compare the measured bending radius and cutting distance with the reference radius and reference distance, respectively, and check whether the measured bending radius and cutting distance satisfy the reference radius and reference distance. According to one embodiment, the reference radius and reference distance may have a range value rather than a specific value.

[0050] If the measured bending radius and the cutting pitch correspond to the reference radius and the reference pitch, as a result of the check in step S305, the process may proceed to a step (S307) in which it is determined whether the shape of the electrode tab is normal. On the other hand, as a result of the check in step S305, if the measured bending radius and the cutting pitch do not correspond to the reference radius and the reference pitch (e.g., at least one of the bending radius and the cutting pitch does not satisfy the reference radius and the reference pitch), the process may proceed to a step (S309) to determine that the shape defect of the electrode tab has occurred.

[0051] The method may include a step (S311) of generating an alarm. For example, the electrode tab inspection device may generate an alarm to report the occurrence of a shape defect of the electrode tab in a specific manner (e.g., through a visual alarm (e.g., illumination of a light-emitting diode (LED), display of an icon, display of a pop-up window, etc.), an audible alarm (e.g., output of a sound effect), and / or a tactile alarm (e.g., generation of a vibration)).

[0052] In the meantime, the procedure, even if it is in Fig. 3 is not shown, include a step of transmitting an alarm to report an occurrence of the shape defect of the electrode tab to a specific external device (e.g. an operator's smartphone) via a communication module (not shown).

[0053] In addition, the method may calculate the bending distance 63 of the electrode tab based on the second end point and the tip point of the electrode tab. As shown in Fig. 6, the electrode tab inspection apparatus may, for example, determine a distance between the second end point 43b and a point where a straight (perpendicular) line extending vertically from the tip point 47 and the lower parallel line 412 meet as the bending distance 63. In this way, the present disclosure may enable verification of the alignment performance of the processing apparatus. For example, the present disclosure may measure a total distance of the processed electrode tab and subtract the bending distance 63 from the measured total distance to calculate an alignment distance. Thereafter, the present disclosure may compare the calculated alignment distances for a plurality of secondary batteries, and when the alignment distances are not constant (e.g.,If a difference greater than a certain value occurs, it can be determined that there is a problem with the alignment of the secondary batteries.

[0054] Furthermore, the method may recognize a pattern of the shape of the electrode tab from the image of the side surface and, if the pattern is not recognized, generate an alarm to notify that pattern recognition is not possible, and, if the pattern is recognized, perform a step (S303) of measuring the bending radius and the cutting distance. If the first region of interest 401 cannot be determined from the image of the side surface, the method may also generate an alarm to notify this. Furthermore, the method may generate an alarm if the upper starting point 46a, the lower starting point 46b, and / or the peak point 47 cannot be detected to notify this.

[0055] The present disclosure described above can clearly set a reference point (or position) for measuring the bending radius and the cutting distance to determine whether a shape defect of the electrode tab exists. For example, the present disclosure can accurately set a reference point (or position) even if a user roughly sets a region of interest for setting the reference point, thereby avoiding human errors. Accordingly, the present disclosure can improve (or increase) the accuracy and / or reliability of detecting a shape defect of the electrode tab. Furthermore, the present disclosure can reduce downtime due to human error (e.g., a period during which the system 1000 is stopped due to a large number of defective products generated due to human error).Furthermore, the present disclosure can improve the yield of the secondary battery (e.g., improve the yield by preventing a good product from being classified as a defective product due to human error).

[0056] Furthermore, the present disclosure can measure the bending radius and cutting distance along with reference point information. Accordingly, the present disclosure can improve the speed and / or efficiency of detecting a shape defect of the electrode tab.

[0057] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] According to Fig. 7, an apparatus for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery (hereinafter referred to as electrode tab inspection apparatus) 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the electrode tab inspection apparatus 200 of Fig. 1. The device for inspecting the electrode tabs 700 can be mounted on one side of the processing device 100 or the transfer device 300 of Fig. 1. Alternatively, the electrode tab testing device 700 can be integrated into the processing device 100 or the transfer device 300 of Fig. 1 be integrated.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the electrode strip testing device 700 may include a photo module 710, an alarm module 720, a communication module 730, a display 740, a memory 750, and a processor 760.

[0060] The photo module 710 (e.g., the camera) can photograph an object (e.g., the secondary battery). For example, the photo module 710 can photograph a side surface of the secondary battery to be inspected for a shape defect of the electrode tab, thereby capturing an image of the side surface of the electrode tab that has been shaped (e.g., bent and cut) into the desired shape.

[0061] If the specified condition is met, the alarm module 720 may trigger an alarm in the specified manner. For example, if the processor 760 detects a shape defect in the electrode tab, the alarm module 720 may trigger an alarm. The alarm module 720 may trigger at least one visual alarm (e.g., illuminating a light-emitting diode (LED), displaying an icon, displaying a pop-up window, etc.), an audible alarm (e.g., emitting a sound effect), and a tactile alarm (e.g., generating a vibration). For this purpose, the alarm module 720 may include at least one light-emitting diode, a display, a speaker, and a vibration motor.

[0062] The communication module 730 can communicate with an external device via wired or wireless communication (e.g., with the processing device 100 and the transmission device 300 of Fig. 1 and / or a portable terminal (e.g., a smartphone) of the manager). For example, the communication module 730 may receive a request to check a shape defect of an electrode tab from the processing device 100, which is configured to shape the electrode tab into a specific shape.

[0063] Furthermore, the communication module 730 can notify the transfer device 300 of the completion of the inspection when the electrode tab shape defect is resolved. The transfer device 300, notified of the completion of the inspection, can transport the secondary battery for which the inspection has been completed to a location where the next process is performed. As another example, the communication module 730 can send an alarm to a designated external device (e.g., the manager's smartphone) to report the occurrence of the electrode tab shape defect.

[0064] Various screens (e.g., side-face images of the electrode strips and / or measurement results, etc.) may be displayed on the display 740. In some embodiments, the display 740 may include a touchpad for detecting user inputs.

[0065] The memory 750 may store a program for controlling the operation of the electrode tab tester 700 and / or information necessary to control the operation of the electrode tab tester 700. The memory 750 may include an artificial intelligence model (e.g., a linear regression model) that generates an upper parallel line based on the upper boundary points of the cutting portion of the electrode tab and a lower parallel line based on the lower boundary points.

[0066] The processor 760 can control the overall operation of the electrode tab tester 700. For example, the processor 760 can receive commands or instructions from the memory 750 and control each component according to the received commands or instructions to perform various functions. The processor 760 can consist of a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller (MCU), a microprocessor unit (MPU), etc.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the processor 760 may control the configurations of the electrode tab inspection device 700 to check whether there is a shape defect of the electrode tab of the secondary battery 30 and generate an alarm to notify an occurrence of the shape defect of the electrode tab described above with reference to the Fig. 3 to 6 and is therefore not described in detail.

[0068] Meanwhile, the electrode tab inspection device 700 may not include some of the configurations described above, or it may also include other configurations. For example, the electrode tab inspection device 700 may not include the alarm module 720 and / or the display 740. As another example, the electrode tab inspection device 700 may further include an input module for receiving input (e.g., an operation command) from the user. As another example, some of the configurations of the electrode tab inspection device 700 may be implemented as separate external devices. For example, the photo module 710 and / or the display 760 of the electrode tab inspection device 700 may be implemented as separate external devices.

[0069] The above-described content is merely an example of the application of the principle of the present disclosure, and other configurations may be further incorporated without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, at least some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be combined.

Claims

[1] A method for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery, the method comprising: photographing a side surface of the secondary battery to obtain an image of the side surface of the electrode tab formed into a specific shape; measuring the bending radius and cutting distance of the machined electrode tab based on the image of the side surface; checking whether the bending radius and the cutting distance correspond to a specific reference radius and reference distance; and if the bending radius and cutting distance do not correspond to the reference radius and reference distance, the determination that the shape defect of the electrode tab has occurred. [2] The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring step comprises: setting a first region of interest comprising a portion of one end (hereinafter referred to as a cutting portion) of the machined electrode tab; generating an upper parallel line corresponding to an upper end of the cutting part and a lower parallel line corresponding to a lower end in the first region of interest; detecting a first endpoint of the upper parallel line and a second endpoint of the lower parallel line; setting a second region of interest comprising a bent portion of the machined electrode tab and setting a third region of interest having a specific size within the second region of interest; detecting the upper and lower limit points of the bent part while shifting the third area of ​​interest by a certain unit; determining a start point and a peak point of the bent part based on the detected upper limit points and lower limit points; and the calculation of the bending radius and the cutting distance based on the determined start point and the peak point of the bent part. [3] The method of claim 2, wherein the step of generating the upper parallel line and the lower parallel line comprises: generating a first straight line based on the upper boundary points of the cutting part of the electrode tab using a linear regression technique and determining the generated first straight line as the upper parallel line; and generating a second straight line based on the lower boundary points of the cutting part of the electrode tab using the linear regression technique, and determining the generated second straight line as the lower parallel line. [4] The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the step of determining the starting point of the bent part comprises determining an upper limit point at which a vertical distance from the upper parallel line starts to be a certain size or less among the detected upper limit points of the bent part as an upper start point; and determining a lower limit point at which a vertical distance from the lower parallel line starts to be a certain size or less among the detected lower limit points of the bent part as a lower start point. [5] The method of claim 4, wherein the step of calculating the cutting distance comprises calculating a top tab distance between the first end point and a point where a straight line extending vertically from the top start point and the top parallel line meet, and further comprises; calculating a bottom tab distance between the second endpoint and a point where a straight line extending vertically from the bottom start point and the bottom parallel line meet; and determining an average value from the upper and lower distance of the tab as the cutting distance. [6] The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the step of determining the peak point comprises determining an upper boundary point having the greatest vertical distance from the lower parallel line among the detected upper boundary points of the bent part as the peak point. [7] The method of claim 6, wherein the step of calculating the bend radius comprises calculating a vertical distance between the peak point and the lower parallel line; and determining the calculated vertical distance as the bend radius. [8] The method according to claim 2 or 3 further comprises calculating a bending distance of the electrode tab based on the second end point and the tip point of the electrode tab. [9] The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: recognizing a pattern of a shape of the electrode tab from the image of the side surface; and if the pattern is not recognized, generating an alarm to indicate that pattern recognition is not possible, where, if the pattern is recognized, the measuring step is performed. [10] A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising, when it is determined that the form error has occurred, generating an alarm in a specific manner. [11] A device for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery, the device comprising: a photo module configured to photograph a side surface of the secondary battery to obtain an image of the side surface of the electrode tab formed into a predetermined shape; and a processor configured to measure a bending radius and a cutting distance of the machined electrode tab from the side surface image, check whether the bending radius and the cutting distance meet a certain reference radius and reference distance, and if the bending radius and the cutting distance do not meet the reference radius and reference distance, determine that the shape defect of the electrode tab has occurred. [12] The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor sets a first region of interest to include a portion of an end (hereinafter referred to as a cutting portion) of the machined electrode tab, creates an upper parallel line corresponding to an upper end of the cutting part and a lower parallel line corresponding to a lower end in the first region of interest, detects a first endpoint of the upper parallel line and a second endpoint of the lower parallel line, defines a second region of interest comprising a bent part of the machined electrode tab, and defines a third region of interest having a specific size within the second region of interest, detects upper limit points and lower limit points of the bent part, while the third region of interest is shifted by a certain unit, a start point and a peak point of the bending part are determined based on the detected upper limit points and lower limit points, and calculates the bending radius and cutting distance based on the determined start point and peak point of the bent part. [13] The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor generates a first straight line based on the upper boundary points of the cutting part of the electrode tab using a linear regression technique and determines the generated first straight line as the upper parallel line, and generates a second straight line based on the lower boundary points of the cutting part of the electrode tab using the linear regression technique and determines the generated second straight line as the lower parallel line. [14] The apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the processor determines an upper limit point at which a vertical distance from the upper parallel line starts to be a certain size or less among the detected upper limit points of the bending part as the upper start point, and determines a lower limit point at which a vertical distance from the lower parallel line starts to be a certain size or less among the detected lower limit points of the bending part as the lower start point. [15] The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor calculates a top tab distance between the first end point and a point at which a straight line extending vertically from the top start point and the top parallel line meet, calculates a bottom tab distance between the second endpoint and a point where a straight line extending vertically from the bottom start point and the bottom parallel line meet, and determines an average value of the upper and lower strip spacing as the cutting distance. [16] Apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the processor determines an upper boundary point which has the greatest vertical distance from the lower parallel line among the detected upper boundary points of the bent part as the peak point. [17] The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor calculates a vertical distance between the peak point and the lower parallel line and determines the calculated vertical distance as the bend radius. [18] The apparatus of claim 12 or 13, wherein the processor further calculates a bending distance of the electrode tab based on the second end point and the tip point of the electrode tab. [19] The device according to any one of claims 11 to 13 further comprises an alarm module configured to generate an alarm in a specific manner when it is determined that the shape error has occurred. [20] A system for detecting a shape defect of an electrode tab of a secondary battery, the system comprising: a processing device configured to form the electrode strip of the secondary battery into a specific shape; and an electrode strip inspection device configured to photograph a side surface of the secondary battery through a photo module to acquire a side surface image of the electrode strip processed into a predetermined shape, measure a bending radius and a cutting distance of the processed electrode strip from the side surface image, and compare the bending radius and the cutting distance with a predetermined reference radius and reference distance, respectively, to examine whether there is a shape defect of the electrode strip.

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