Charge / discharge device for secondary batteries

Abstract

To make it possible to easily, quickly and safely attach / detach and assemble power supply boards of a power supply unit constituting a charge / discharge device for secondary batteries, and significantly improve the practicality and safety of maintenance, etc.SOLUTION: A charge / discharge device for secondary batteries comprises a power supply unit 1 disposed above a battery container 50 that accommodates a plurality of batteries 60 to be inspected, and can charge / discharge the batteries 60 by using the power supply unit 1. The power supply unit 1 includes: a plurality of power supply boards 20 which come into contact with the respective batteries 60 in the battery container 50 from above to execute predetermined charging / discharging; a power supply case 10 which can accommodate the plurality of power supply boards 20 in a hanging state at predetermined positions corresponding to the respective batteries 60 in the battery container 50; and guide means 30 which attachably / detachably guides the plurality of power supply boards 20 in the hanging state in the power supply case 10. By using the guide means 30, each of the power supply boards 20 is held in the hanging state in the power supply case 10 so as to be attachable / detachable without falling off.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a secondary battery charging / discharging device that charges and discharges secondary batteries used in IT devices such as smartphones, electric vehicles, etc. for activation and quality inspection. [Background technology]

[0002] Today, demand for secondary batteries used in IT devices such as smartphones and electric vehicles is rapidly increasing. In the final process of a mass production factory for this type of secondary battery, a charge / discharge device is widely used to charge and discharge the produced secondary batteries for activation and quality inspection. By using such charging and discharging devices, it has become possible to mechanize the activation and quality inspection of secondary batteries, which had previously been done manually, and this has contributed to the realization of mass production of secondary batteries.

[0003] Here, the above-mentioned charging / discharging device is generally designed to charge and discharge the secondary battery to be tested in a predetermined manner via a power supply unit having multiple power supply boards corresponding to multiple secondary batteries. The power supply unit of the charging / discharging device is housed in a power supply case that serves as a housing, with multiple power supply boards that contact a large number of secondary batteries from above to charge and discharge them, and charging / discharging inspections are performed by contacting the contact pins on the bottom side of the power supply boards from above the secondary batteries.

[0004] The multiple power boards housed in the power case are stored in the internal space of the power board when the charging / discharging device is manufactured and installed, but when maintenance is required depending on the subsequent usage conditions and period of use, they are removed from the power case so that the necessary inspections and repairs can be carried out. As a technology relating to a power supply unit of such a secondary battery charge / discharge device, for example, a "multi-channel charge / discharge power supply with contact function" disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6470804 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Such conventional charge / discharge devices for secondary batteries have room for improvement, particularly in terms of ease of attachment, detachment, and assembly during maintenance of the power supply board of the power supply unit.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a secondary battery charging / discharging device that allows the power supply board of a power supply unit that constitutes a secondary battery charging / discharging device to be attached, detached, and assembled easily, quickly, and safely, thereby significantly improving the workability and safety of maintenance, etc., and is particularly suitable for power supply units known as so-called cable-less / fixture-integrated types, etc., in which the contact pins of the power supply board can be brought into direct contact with the secondary battery to be tested. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a charging / discharging device for secondary batteries, which comprises a power supply unit arranged above a battery container that houses multiple secondary batteries to be inspected, and which is capable of performing predetermined charging and discharging on the secondary batteries using the power supply unit, and which comprises a plurality of power supply boards that contact each secondary battery in the battery container from above and perform the predetermined charging and discharging, a power supply case that can accommodate the multiple power supply boards in a suspended state at predetermined positions corresponding to each secondary battery in the battery container, and guide means that guides the multiple power supply boards in a suspended state within the power supply case so that they can be attached and detached, and so that they cannot fall off, while suspended within the power supply case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the secondary battery charging / discharging device of the present invention, the power supply board of the power supply unit that constitutes the secondary battery charging / discharging device can be attached, detached, and assembled easily, quickly, and safely, thereby significantly improving the workability and safety of maintenance, etc. This makes it possible to provide a charging / discharging device for secondary batteries that is particularly suitable for power supply units known as cableless / fixture integrated types, etc., in which the contact pins of the power supply board can be directly contacted with the secondary battery to be tested. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a disassembled state of a power supply case, a power supply board, and a battery container of a secondary battery charging / discharging device that is the premise of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are schematic views showing the overall configuration of a power supply case and a power supply board of the secondary battery charge / discharge device shown in FIG. 1, where (a) is a schematic perspective view in an assembled state and (b) is a see-through view thereof. [Figure 3] 2A and 2B are schematic perspective views showing the overall configuration of the power supply case, power supply board, and battery container of the secondary battery charging / discharging device shown in FIG. 1, where (a) is a schematic perspective view of the state before the power supply board comes into contact with the battery, and (b) is a schematic perspective view of the state after the power supply board comes into contact with the battery. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are a schematic plan view and a front view showing the overall configuration of a cylindrical battery that is a secondary battery to be inspected in the present invention. [Figure 5] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a process for assembling a power supply case and a power supply board of the secondary battery charge / discharge device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a power supply board falls off from a power supply case of the secondary battery charge / discharge device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a power supply case and a power supply board of a secondary battery charge / discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a power supply board of the secondary battery charge / discharge device according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. [Figure 9] 8 is a schematic front view showing a power supply case and a power supply board of the secondary battery charge / discharge device according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 10] 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams showing a power supply board of a secondary battery charge / discharge device according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a schematic front view and (b) is a side view of the same. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of a secondary battery charge / discharge device according to the present invention will be described for better understanding of the present invention. The charging / discharging device for secondary batteries according to the present invention is a charging / discharging device for secondary batteries that performs predetermined charging / discharging processes on produced secondary batteries, such as in the final process of a mass-production factory for secondary batteries, for the purpose of activating and inspecting the quality of secondary batteries used in IT devices such as smartphones and electric vehicles.

[0012] Specifically, the charging / discharging device for secondary batteries according to one embodiment of the present invention is used, for example, in activating and inspecting the quality of secondary batteries (test batteries: hereinafter simply referred to as "batteries") such as produced lithium ion batteries, and is a device for charging and discharging multiple secondary batteries at once (simultaneously) in multiple test channels. First, with reference to Figs. 1-6, a secondary battery charge / discharge device, which is the premise of the present invention, will be described, including the problems to be solved.

[0013] Generally, in battery production factories, there is a process of charging and discharging current to activate initial batteries (charge and discharge inspection), and the device used in this process is a charge and discharge device (charge and discharge inspection device). Here, charge / discharge testing is one of the most important processes in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, as it involves repeating charging and discharging at a set current, voltage, and temperature, determining the quality of the battery. It is an advanced technology that simultaneously requires highly accurate charge / discharge testing functionality, excellent safety, and energy conservation. By conducting such highly accurate charge / discharge tests, it becomes possible to accumulate and analyze data on the performance and safety of each cell by precisely charging and discharging the cells that make up the lithium-ion batteries installed in the equipment during the charge / discharge test process. Then, by classifying the completed cells based on this analytical data, it becomes possible to provide safer, higher-performance lithium-ion batteries to the market.

[0014] Here, a charging / discharging device for carrying out such a charging / discharging test generally uses a system in which the output terminal of a power supply circuit and a battery are electrically connected by a cable. However, such cable-connected charging / discharging devices have drawbacks such as heat generation from the cable, noise caused by the cable routing, and power loss due to increased resistance caused by longer cables. Therefore, in order to reduce the power consumption generated by such cables, methods have been proposed that do not use cables or that shorten the cables as much as possible. For example, there is a method in which current output pins are provided on the power supply circuit board (power supply board) and these pins are directly connected to the battery. This type of charging / discharging device is called the "cableless method" or "fixture-integrated type."

[0015] The secondary battery charging / discharging device according to one embodiment of the present invention employs a structure and device known as a "cableless / fixture integrated" type, which allows direct contact between the electrode pins of the power supply unit that charges and discharges the battery to be tested. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the disassembled power supply case, power supply board, and battery container that constitute the "cableless / fixture integrated type" (hereinafter simply referred to as "integrated type") secondary battery charging / discharging device that is the premise of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the power supply case and power supply board shown in FIG. 1, where (a) is a schematic perspective view in an assembled state and (b) is a see-through view thereof. Figure 3 also shows the overall configuration of the power supply case, power supply board, and battery container, where (a) is a schematic perspective view of the state before the power supply board comes into contact with the battery, and (b) is a schematic perspective view of the state after contact.

[0016] The secondary battery charging / discharging device shown in these figures is used for activation and quality inspection of produced batteries (secondary batteries) 60 such as lithium ion batteries, and is capable of charging and discharging multiple batteries 60 at once. Specifically, the charging / discharging device for secondary batteries of this embodiment includes a power supply unit 1 that is arranged above a battery container 50 that contains multiple batteries 60 to be inspected, and the power supply unit 1 is capable of performing predetermined charging and discharging on the multiple batteries 60.

[0017] [Power supply unit] The power supply unit 1 comprises a plurality of power supply boards 20 that contact each battery 60 in the battery container 50 from above and perform the specified charging and discharging, and a power supply case 10 that can accommodate the plurality of power supply boards 20 in a suspended state at a specified position corresponding to each battery 60 in the battery container 50, thereby forming an "integrated" charging and discharging device that can bring the electrode pins 21 of the power supply boards 20 into direct contact with the electrodes (positive electrode 61 / negative electrode 62) of the battery 60. This embodiment is characterized by the provision of guide means 30 for guiding the plurality of power supply boards 20 in a detachable manner while suspended within the power supply case 10. This guide means will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 7-10.

[0018] [Power supply case] The power supply case 10 is a housing for accommodating and holding a plurality of power supply boards 20, and as shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, it has a shape that is open on the front and bottom sides. This allows the multiple power supply boards 20 to be inserted from the front side of the power supply case 10, and multiple parallel power supply boards 20 can be accommodated, with the bottom surface of each power supply board 20 exposed from the bottom side of the power supply case 10. In addition, each power supply board 20 inserted and housed in the power supply case 10 has a connector 22 at the leading end in the insertion direction that fits and connects to a connector (not shown) located at the inner end of the power supply case 10, and a screw hole 23 at the rear end in the insertion direction that is screwed and fixed to the tap 11 and screw 12 on the front side of the power supply case 10.

[0019] This allows the plurality of power supply boards 20 to be housed in a suspended state at predetermined positions within the power supply case 10, and also allows them to be detachably removed. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1-3, eight power supply boards 20 are inserted into the power supply case 10 at predetermined positions with predetermined intervals between them, and are accommodated and held in a suspended state.

[0020] In addition, the power supply case 10 is also open on the bottom side, and the bottom side of each of the multiple power supply boards 20 housed and fixed in the power supply case 10 is exposed from the power supply case 10, and the multiple electrode pins 21 provided on the bottom side of the power supply board 20 are exposed and protrude from the bottom side of the power supply case 10. As a result, the multiple electrode pins 21 of each power supply board 20 come into direct contact and are electrically connected to the multiple batteries 60 housed in the battery container 50 located below the power supply unit 1 at their respective predetermined positions without the need for cables or the like.

[0021] The power supply case 10 has a space capable of accommodating a predetermined number of power supply boards 20, the power supply boards 20 can be inserted and removed from the front side, and the electrode pins 21 of the power supply boards 20 can be exposed and protruded from the bottom side, so long as the other configurations and structures are not particularly limited. Therefore, the power supply case 10, including the connector (not shown) at the rear end of the case described above, is provided with the necessary configuration and structure of the power supply unit 1 in the same way as a normal secondary battery charging / discharging device.

[0022] [Power Board] The power supply board 20 is a power supply circuit board that contacts each battery 60 in the battery container 50 from above and performs predetermined charging and discharging. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1-3, the power supply board 20 is made of a board formed in a plate shape, and each power supply board 20 is inserted into the above-mentioned power supply case 10 from the front side in the depth direction, and is accommodated and aligned in a parallel state.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1-2, each power supply board 20 is provided with a connector 22 at the tip side in the case insertion direction (the rear end side of the case), and when each power supply board 20 is inserted and accommodated in the power supply case 10, the connector 22 is fitted and connected to a connector (not shown) located at the rear end side of the power supply case 10, and a predetermined charging and discharging process is performed under the control of a control means (charge and discharge controller) not shown. Although not specifically shown in Figures 1-3, it goes without saying that the board surface (front / back) of each power supply board 20 is equipped with the necessary electronic components and battery circuits to perform the specified charging and discharging processes on the battery 60.

[0024] In addition, each power supply board 20 has a protruding screw hole 23 at the rear end in the insertion direction that faces and abuts against the upper edge of the opening on the front side of the power supply case 10, and this screw hole 23 is designed to be screwed and fixed to the tap 11 on the front side of the power supply case 10 via a screw 12. This allows a predetermined number of power supply boards 20 to be housed in a suspended state at predetermined positions within the power supply case 10, and also makes it possible to detachably remove the power supply boards. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, eight power supply boards 20 are detachably housed and fixed in predetermined positions in the power supply case 10.

[0025] The power supply board 20 also has a plurality of electrode pins 21 on the bottom side that can come into contact with the batteries in the battery container 50 . The electrode pins 21 are configured as, for example, a pair of positive and negative contact pins or multiple (multiple pairs) of positive and negative contact pins to be connected to the positive and negative electrodes 61 and 62 (see FIG. 4) of the batteries 60 housed in the battery container 50 described below. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1-3, each power supply board 20 has seven (seven pairs) of electrode pins 21 protruding along the case insertion direction at predetermined positions and predetermined intervals, corresponding to the number of batteries 60 housed in the battery container 50.

[0026] When each power supply board 20 is housed and fixed in the power supply case 10, these multiple electrode pins 21 are exposed and protrude downward from the opening on the bottom side of the power supply case 10, and the multiple electrode pins 21 of each power supply board 20 can come into direct contact and electrically connect at predetermined positions with the multiple batteries 60 housed in the battery container 50 arranged below the power supply unit 1. In addition, if both electrodes (positive electrode / negative electrode) of the battery 60 are not provided on the upper surface of the battery, for example, if one of the electrodes of the electrode 60 is provided on the lower surface of the battery, one of the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 can be brought into contact with and connected to the electrode of the battery 60 via, for example, a cable harness, etc., so that it can come into contact with the electrode (positive electrode or negative electrode) on the lower surface of the battery 60. Therefore, the number, configuration, and mode of the electrode pins 21 can be appropriately adjusted according to the arrangement and configuration of the electrodes of the battery 60 to be connected.

[0027] [Battery container / battery] The battery container 50 is a container that houses a plurality of batteries 60 to be inspected in a secondary battery charge / discharge device, and is also called a tray, pallet, or the like. Specifically, the battery container 50 is configured as a container having a storage space that is open on the upper side, and a predetermined number of batteries 60 can be arranged in a plurality of rows and columns in a planar manner. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the batteries 60 are cylindrical secondary batteries (cylindrical batteries) and can be arranged at predetermined intervals in a total of 56 batteries in 8 rows (depth direction in the drawing) x 7 rows (left and right direction in the drawing).

[0028] The battery 60 contained in the battery container 50 is a secondary battery (lithium ion battery) to be inspected by the secondary battery charging / discharging device, and is configured to perform predetermined charging and discharging by coming into contact with the electrode 21 of the power supply board 20 of the power supply unit 1. Specifically, the secondary battery charging / discharging device is provided with a lifting means / lifting mechanism (not shown), which is a so-called mechanical unit, into which a battery container 50 containing a battery 60 is inserted and placed, and the lifting action of the lifting means causes the battery container 50 placed thereon to move and rise upward, coming into contact with the electrodes 21 of the power supply board 20 at a predetermined position, thereby carrying out the charging / discharging process. After the charging / discharging process is completed, the battery container moves downward and descends due to the lifting action of the lifting means, and contact with the electrodes 21 of the power supply board 20 is released, making it possible to pull out the battery container 50 from the mounting position of the lifting means, and the battery 60 for which charging / discharging has been completed can be removed from the battery container 50.

[0029] FIG. 3(a) shows a state in which a battery container 50 containing a battery 60 is mounted and placed at a predetermined position on an elevating means (not shown) below the power supply case 10, and the battery container 50 moves up and down and is raised and lowered by the movement of the elevating means. 3(b) shows the state in which the battery container 50 rises upward and is combined with the power supply unit 1. In this state, the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 come into direct contact with the electrodes (positive electrode 61 / negative electrode 62) of the battery 60, enabling current transmission from the power supply board 20 to the battery.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows an example of a battery 60 housed in the battery container 50 described above. The battery 60 shown in the figure is an example of a cylindrical battery (cylindrical battery), with the protruding portion at the center of the top surface of the battery being a positive electrode 61 and almost the entire other surface (top surface) being a negative electrode 62. For such a battery 60, the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 of the battery unit 1 located above come into contact with and electrically connect to the positive electrode 61 and negative electrode 62 of the battery 60, respectively, and a predetermined charging and discharging process is performed on the battery 60. As described above, the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 can be configured, for example, as a pair of positive and negative contact pins, multiple positive and negative contact pins (multiple pairs), or multiple positive and negative contact pins with different numbers, and can be set and configured to correspond to the electrodes on the battery 60 side to be inspected.

[0031] Here, the batteries to be inspected by the power supply unit 1 (secondary battery charging / discharging device) according to this embodiment include a variety of types (shapes and structures) including the cylindrical battery 60 shown in FIG. 4, and generally include cylindrical, prismatic and laminated batteries as described below. In this embodiment, a cylindrical battery 60 is illustrated and described, but the shape and structure of the battery are not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that batteries of other shapes (square / laminated) can also be applied as the test subject of the secondary battery charging / discharging device of the present invention.

[0032] [Cylindrical] The cylindrical type is a cylindrical battery, such as the 18650 / 21700 battery, and as shown in Figure 1, is most suitable for an "integrated" power supply unit 1, and the contact between the power supply board 20 (electrode pin 21) and the battery 60 is generally a probe pin. [Square] The square type is a rectangular parallelepiped battery, and can be accommodated by the "integrated" power supply unit 1, but since the battery shape varies depending on the battery's application and intended use, it may be necessary to accommodate the power supply unit 1. Contact between the power supply board 20 and the battery 60 is generally made by a probe pin, and depending on the battery, a pressure restraining mechanism, jig, etc. may be required to ensure contact with the probe pin. [Laminate type] The laminated type is a pouch-shaped battery, and unlike cylindrical batteries, it cannot be directly connected to the "integrated" power supply unit 1, and requires a harness, but this can be addressed through improvement and development. Dedicated clips are generally used to connect the power supply board 20 and the battery 60, and compared to square and cylindrical types, there are factors that increase costs, such as an increase in the amount of wiring.

[0033] [Assembly and removal procedures] In the "integrated" secondary battery charging / discharging device having the above-mentioned configuration, the work process when the power supply board 20 is attached to, detached from, or attached to the power supply case 10 of the power supply unit 1 shown in FIG. 1, which is the premise of the present invention, and the problems that arise when doing so will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. First, the power supply boards 20 are attached to the power supply case 10 . As shown in FIG. 5, the installation method is as follows: the power supply board 20 is inserted from the front side of the power supply case 10, the connector 22 at the leading end of the power supply board 20 in the insertion direction is fitted and connected to the connector at the rear end of the power supply case 10, and in this state the power supply board 20 is screwed to the top of the front side of the power supply case 10.

[0034] Specifically, each power supply board 20 has a protruding screw hole 23 at the rear end in the insertion direction that faces and abuts against the upper edge of the opening on the front side of the power supply case 10, and this screw hole 23 is screwed and fixed to the tap 11 on the front side of the power supply case 10 via a screw 12. This mounting operation is carried out in order for a predetermined number of power supply boards 20 (eight in this embodiment).

[0035] However, the work of attaching and screwing such power supply board 20 to power supply case 10 requires the worker to hold power supply board 20 in his / her hand and keep it suspended in mid-air at all times. However, holding such power supply board 20 is an extremely difficult operation and task considering the weight and structure of power supply board 20, which not only places a heavy burden on the worker but also, in the worst case scenario, could cause power supply board 20 to fall off. As mentioned above, in an "integrated" secondary battery charging / discharging device, the lower part of the power supply case 10 constituting the power supply unit 1 must have the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 exposed so that it can be directly connected to the battery 60 below without a cable. For this reason, the power supply board 20 of the power supply unit 1 has a structure in which there is no support or bracket at the bottom (see FIG. 5).

[0036] In this state, if an attempt is made to remove or attach the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, for example for maintenance, it will be difficult to hold the power supply board 20 as described above, and there will be a risk of it falling off or dropping. Specifically, maintenance of the power supply board 20 involves removing the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, carrying out any necessary inspections or part replacements, and then, once that is complete, returning the power supply board 20 to its original position in the power supply case 10, where it is housed and secured. To remove the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, as shown in FIG. 5, it is necessary to remove / tighten the screws 12 at the top front of the top panel of the power supply case 10 that secure the power supply board 20. At this time, the bottom of the power supply board 20 is free and is not supported by anything.

[0037] Therefore, if an operator were to remove the screws 12 without supporting the power supply board 20, the power supply board 20 would fall down as a result, as shown in FIG. If the power supply board 20 is dropped, the power supply board 20 itself may be damaged, the worker may be injured, and if there is a battery container 50 underneath, the battery 60 may be damaged or broken, which may lead to a fire. To prevent such a situation, the worker must support the power supply board 20 with one hand, work with multiple workers, or use some other means or method to prevent the power supply board 20 from falling while simultaneously installing, removing, and fastening the screws 12.

[0038] This problem occurs not only when the power supply board 20 is removed, but also when the power supply board 20 is attached to the power supply case 10 after maintenance or the like has been completed. In particular, power supply boards in recent years have become very heavy due to the large number of components integrated into them, making maintenance work extremely difficult and dangerous, and posing a major challenge. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to prevent the power supply board 20 from falling when attaching or detaching the power supply board 20 to or from the power supply case 10 even if the operator does not support the lower part of the power supply board 20 with one hand, the following structure and configuration of guide means 30 is provided.

[0039] [Guiding means] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the power supply case 10 and power supply board 20 equipped with the guide means 30 according to this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the power supply board 20 equipped with the guide means 30 shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic front view of the power supply case 10 and the power supply board 20, which are also provided with the guide means 30. As shown in FIG. FIG. 10 also shows a power supply board 20 equipped with guide means 30, where (a) is a schematic front view and (b) is a side view.

[0040] As shown in these figures, the guide means 30 is a means / mechanism for guiding the plurality of power supply boards 20 in a detachable manner while hanging them inside the power supply case 10 . By providing this guide means 30, each of the plurality of power supply boards 20 is held in a suspended state within the power supply case 10 so as to be detachable and unable to fall off. Therefore, when attaching or detaching the power supply board 20 during maintenance of the power supply unit 1, there is no risk of the power supply board 20 falling off or dropping, and the worker can use both hands freely, which makes it possible to significantly improve the workability and safety of attachment, detachment, and assembly.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7, the guide means 30 is configured by an engaging structure that is provided on the upper edge side of each of the plurality of power supply boards 20 and inside the power supply case 10 corresponding to each of the plurality of power supply boards 20 and that can be engaged with each other. Specifically, the engagement structure constituting the guide means 30 is composed of a protrusion 31 and a rail portion 32 that can be engaged with each other, as shown in FIGS. 8-10.

[0042] The protrusions 31 are members that extend along the longitudinal direction of the upper edge of each of the plurality of power supply boards 20 and protrude from both sides of the power supply board 20 . This protrusion 31 can be formed, for example, by a pair of L-shaped longitudinal members fixed to both sides of the upper edge of the power board 20 along the longitudinal direction of the board, which together with the front part of the power board 20 form a T-shape when viewed from the front (see Figure 9). The rail portion 32 is a rail member provided on the inner ceiling surface of the power supply case 10, with which the protrusion portion 31 can be engaged. This rail portion 32 can be configured, for example, by a pair of L-shaped rail members that are fixed to the inside of the top surface of the power supply case 10 along the longitudinal direction of the case and that, together with the top surface of the power supply case 10, form a downward C-shape when viewed from the front (see Figure 9).

[0043] Here, the protrusion 31 preferably has a predetermined length at the upper edge of the power supply board 20 that is shorter than the entire length of the power supply board 20 in the longitudinal direction, with both ends terminating inside the power supply board 20 in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, it is preferable that the rail portion 32 has a predetermined length on the inside of the top surface of the power supply case 10 that is slightly shorter than the entire longitudinal length of the power supply case 10, with both ends terminating inside the longitudinal direction of the power supply case 10. Furthermore, it is preferable that the end of the protruding portion 31 on the tip side in the insertion direction is rounded or tapered. In this way, by inserting the power supply board 20 from the front of the power supply case 10, the tip of the protrusion 31 in the insertion direction can be easily mounted and engaged with the end of the rail portion 32, and then the power supply board 20 can be inserted and housed in the power supply case 10 simply by sliding the power supply board 20 toward the back of the power supply case 10.

[0044] Furthermore, the engagement structure constituting the above-mentioned guide means 30 can be provided with positioning means for holding each of the plurality of power supply boards 20 in a suspended state at a predetermined position within the power supply case 10. The positioning means can be configured, for example, by a protrusion provided on each of the plurality of power supply boards 20 that abuts against the rail portion 32 at a predetermined position inside the power supply case 10. Specifically, a protrusion such as a bolt can be provided on the rear end side of the power supply board 20 in the insertion direction, which abuts against the end of the rail portion 32 when the power supply board 20 is in the storage position, thereby restricting the insertion and sliding movement of the power supply board 20. This allows the power supply board 20 to be positioned at a predetermined position in the insertion direction (horizontal direction) inside the power supply case 10.

[0045] Furthermore, a protrusion such as a bolt can be provided on the leading end of the power supply board 20 in the insertion direction, which contacts and clamps the rail 32 from above and below together with the protrusion 31. This allows the power supply board 20 to be positioned at a predetermined position in the height direction (vertical direction) within the power supply case 10. By providing such a positioning means, the insertion operation of the power supply board 20 into the power supply case 10 can be performed more easily and smoothly, and by simply sliding the power supply board 20 toward the back of the power supply case 10, the power supply board 20 can be stopped and positioned at a predetermined position within the power supply case 10, making the insertion / removal and attachment / detachment of the power supply board 20 easier and more efficient.

[0046] As described above, the guide means 30 provided in the power supply unit 1 of this embodiment is configured like a kind of "hanging monorail," as shown in Figures 7-10, by providing a rail mechanism (engagement structure) that engages the lower part of the top plate of the power supply case 10 and the upper part of the power supply board 20, allowing the power supply board 20 to be suspended and slid back and forth. As a specific example of this rail mechanism, in this embodiment, it is configured by a (downward) C-shaped rail (see Figure 9) at the bottom of the top plate of the power supply case 10 and a T-shaped rail (see Figures 8 and 10) at the top of the power supply board 20. 8 to 10, the engaging structure (projection 31 and rail 32) is exaggerated for clarity.

[0047] By providing such protrusions 31 and rails 32, the power supply board 20 can be attached to and detached from the power supply case 10 simply by sliding it, and there is no risk of the power supply board 20 falling off. After the power supply boards 20 are slid into the power supply case 10, as in the previous secondary battery charging / discharging devices described above (see Figure 5), screws 12 are threaded into the screw holes 23 of each power supply board 20 and into the taps 11 on the front side of the power supply case 10, and the power supply boards 20 are fixed to the power supply case 10. Furthermore, when removing the power supply board 20 from the power supply case 10, the power supply board 20 can be easily removed from the power supply case 10 simply by loosening the screws 12 that secure the power supply board 20 and then sliding the power supply board 20 to the front side of the power supply case 10.

[0048] The guide means 30 of this embodiment is not limited to the above-described engaging structure and rail shape, and may be of other shapes as long as it has a structure and mechanism that can hold and slide the power supply board 20 in the power supply case 10. For example, in the above-described guide means 30, both the protrusion 31 on the power supply board 20 side and the rail portion 32 on the power supply case 10 side are configured as continuous straight lines without any breaks, but other than this, for example, the protrusion 31 can also be configured as a discontinuous protrusion or convex portion with a break. In this way, it is possible to save on material for the protrusion 31, reduce costs, and prevent an increase in the weight of the power supply board 20.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned guide means 30, protrusions 31 protruding from both sides of the power supply board 20 are provided as an engagement structure for engaging with the rail portion 32 on the power supply case 10 side, but it is also possible to provide an engagement structure by, for example, providing a groove portion on the upper edge of the power supply board 20 with which the rail portion 32 can engage. In other words, the guide means of the present invention is provided on the upper edge side of the power supply board 20 and on the inside of the power supply case 10 corresponding to the power supply board 20, and as long as it is an engaging structure that can engage with each other, any shape or form, such as an arbitrary uneven structure, can be configured as the guide means.

[0050] As described above, according to the charging / discharging device for secondary batteries of one embodiment of the present invention, the multiple power supply boards 20 housed in the power supply case 10 of the power supply unit 1 are held in a suspended state within the power supply case 10 via the guide means 30 in a detachable and incapable of falling off. This eliminates the risk of accidentally dropping or dropping the power supply board 20 when attaching or detaching the power supply board 20 during maintenance of the power supply unit 1, and also allows the worker to use both hands, significantly improving the ease of attachment, detachment, and assembly.

[0051] In conventional power supply units 1, the power supply board 20 was simply fixed and held in place in the power supply case 10 by screws, so the worker performing the installation / removal work had to support the power supply board 20 with their free hand, or have multiple people hold the power supply board 20, or take some other measure to ensure that the power supply board 20 does not fall out of the power supply case 10, while at the same time loosening (or tightening) the screws that secure the power supply board 20. For this reason, it is necessary to always pay close attention to prevent the power supply board 20 from falling off or dropping, and the act of attaching and detaching the power supply board 20 itself is a difficult and time-consuming task, which significantly impairs the overall workability and efficiency of the maintenance of the power supply unit 1 and also poses the risk of injury to the worker.

[0052] In contrast to this, in the secondary battery charging / discharging device of the present invention, the guide means 30 allows each of the multiple power supply boards 20 to be held and stored in a hanging state in which they can be attached to and attached to the power supply case 10 in a detachable and undetachable manner, and even if the operator lets go of the power supply boards 20, they can be held in the power supply case 10 without falling off or dropping, allowing the operator to use both hands freely. Therefore, according to the present invention, the attachment, detachment, and assembly of multiple power supply boards 20 can be performed easily, quickly, and safely, thereby significantly improving the workability and safety of maintenance of the secondary battery charging / discharging device / power supply unit 1.

[0053] The secondary battery charging / discharging device according to the present embodiment described above is provided with a physical electric circuit (not shown) and a computer that executes predetermined processes, means, and functions according to instructions in a program (software) in place of the physical electric circuit, as control means (charge / discharge controller) for executing and controlling predetermined charge / discharge processes by the power supply unit 1. The program sends commands to each component of the computer, causing the power supply unit 1 to perform the predetermined charge / discharge processes, functions, etc. according to the present invention. Therefore, each process, means, and function of the power supply unit 1 of the present invention can be realized by specific means in which a program and a computer work together.

[0054] Here, all or part of the program may be provided on a computer-readable recording medium, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, semiconductor memory, or any other suitable medium, and the program may be read from the recording medium, installed on a computer, and executed. Alternatively, the program may be directly loaded onto a computer via a communication line and executed without using a recording medium. Furthermore, the computer that controls the power supply unit 1 of the present invention can be configured as a single information processing device (e.g., a single personal computer, etc.), or can be configured as multiple information processing devices (e.g., a group of multiple server computers, etc.).

[0055] Specifically, the information processing device constituting the power control means (charge / discharge controller) of the present invention is composed of hardware including, for example, a CPU, RAM, ROM, HDD, input device, display device, and communication interface. These components are connected by a system bus, and data is exchanged via the system bus. The CPU (Central Processing Unit), also known as the central processing unit, is the central processing part of the computer, controlling each device and calculating and processing data. RAM (Random Access Memory) is a type of memory device that allows data to be erased and rewritten. ROM (Read Only Memory) is a type of memory device that uses semiconductors, etc., and data is written only once during manufacturing and can only be read when used. HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is an auxiliary storage device that uses the properties of magnetic materials to record and read information. The input device is used by the user to give operating instructions to the computer or to input characters, etc., and specifically consists of a keyboard, mouse, etc. The display device is composed of, for example, an LCD display, etc. Each device in this system may be equipped with a touch panel function that combines an input device and display device. It may also be equipped with a communication function (communication IF) that enables communication with other terminals, information processing devices, etc. The communication IF (Interface) is a device for communicating with other devices in accordance with a predetermined communication standard, and includes, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card).

[0056] Although the present invention has been described above by showing preferred embodiments thereof, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration of the secondary battery charging / discharging device has been described as an example of a "cableless system / fixture integrated type" in which the electrode pins 21 of the power supply board 20 of the power supply unit 1 come into direct contact with the electrodes (positive electrode 61 / negative electrode 62) of the test object 60, but the present invention is not particularly limited to the connection structure between the power supply unit and the battery, as long as the power supply board is placed and housed in a suspended state within the power supply unit. Therefore, the present invention can be suitably applied to (normal) charging / discharging devices that electrically connect the output terminal of the power supply circuit to the battery via a cable, provided that the power supply board is held in a suspended state so that it can be attached and detached and cannot fall off.

[0057] Furthermore, with regard to the guide means 30 described in the above embodiment, the configuration of the rail portion 32 provided on the power supply case 10 side can also be provided on, for example, a rack or stand for temporarily storing the power supply board 20. As described above, when performing maintenance on the power supply unit 1, the power supply board 20 is removed from the power supply case 10 and the necessary inspections, repairs, etc. are carried out. Also, in the manufacturing process of the power supply board 20, necessary work is carried out with the power supply board 20 removed from the power supply case 10. In such a case, the power supply board 20 may be attached to, for example, a rack or stand for temporary storage until it is finally housed in the power supply case 10, and it is desirable that such a rack or stand be able to hold and temporarily store the power supply board 20 in a suspended state, similar to the power supply case 10 described above.

[0058] Therefore, as a rack or stand for such temporary storage, a rack or stand can be used that has an engaging structure similar to that of the rail portion 32 that can guide the power supply board 20, which is equipped with the protrusion 31 of the guide means 30 and positioning means of the present invention, in a suspended state so that it can be attached and detached and held in place so that it cannot fall off, similar to the power supply case 10 described above. By using a rack or stand having a configuration similar to this guide means 30 and engagement structure, temporary storage of the power supply board 20 can be performed easily, safely, and quickly, and maintenance work on the power supply unit 1 can be performed more efficiently. [Industrial Applicability]

[0059] The present invention can be suitably used as a secondary battery charging / discharging device that charges and discharges secondary batteries for activation and quality inspection, for example, used in IT devices such as smartphones and electric vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Power supply unit (charge / discharge device for secondary batteries) 10 Power Supply Case 11 Tap 20 Power Board 21 Electrode pin 22 Connectors 23 screw holes 30 Guide means 31 Protrusion 32 Rail section 50 battery container 60 Battery (Cylindrical Battery) 61 Positive electrode 62 Negative electrode

Claims

1. A charging / discharging device for secondary batteries, comprising: a power supply unit disposed above a battery container accommodating a plurality of secondary batteries to be inspected; and the power supply unit being capable of performing predetermined charging / discharging of the secondary batteries, The power supply unit includes: a plurality of power supply boards that contact each secondary battery in the battery container from above and perform predetermined charging and discharging; a power supply case capable of accommodating the plurality of power supply boards in a suspended state at predetermined positions corresponding to the respective secondary batteries within the battery container; a guide means for detachably guiding the plurality of power supply boards in a suspended state within the power supply case, The guide means holds each of the plurality of power supply boards in a suspended state within the power supply case so that they can be attached and detached and cannot fall off. A charging / discharging device for a secondary battery.

2. The guide means The upper edge side of each of the plurality of power supply boards and the inside of the power supply case are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of power supply boards, and the engaging structures are engageable with each other.

2. The charging / discharging device for a secondary battery according to claim 1.

3. The engagement structure is protrusions extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper edge of each of the plurality of power supply boards and protruding from both sides of the power supply board; a rail portion provided on the inner ceiling surface of the power supply case, with which the protrusion can be engaged; 3. The secondary battery charge / discharge device according to claim 2.

4. The engagement structure is Each of the plurality of power supply boards is provided with a positioning means for holding the boards in a suspended state at a predetermined position within the power supply case.

4. The secondary battery charge / discharge device according to claim 3.

5. The positioning means is Each of the plurality of power supply boards has a protrusion that contacts the rail at a predetermined position within the power supply case.

5. The secondary battery charge / discharge device according to claim 4.

Images