Charging / discharging device and charging / discharging method

Abstract

To provide a charging / discharging device and a charging / discharging method that prevent deformation of a charging / discharging terminal when the charging / discharging terminal is brought into contact with the electrode terminal to break a film formed on the electrode terminal.SOLUTION: A charging / discharging device 10 includes a charging / discharging terminal 12 that contacts an electrode terminal 42 of a secondary battery 40, a housing 14 that accommodates the charging / discharging terminal 12 and is configured to be movable toward the electrode terminal 42, a biasing member 18 that biases the charging / discharging terminal 12 toward the electrode terminal 42 as the housing 14 moves toward the electrode terminal 42, and a rotation mechanism 20 that rotates the charging / discharging terminal 12 as the housing 14 moves toward the electrode terminal 42. The charging / discharging method includes an arrangement step of placing the secondary battery 40 in the charging / discharging device 10, a contact step of bringing the charging / discharging terminal 12 into contact with the electrode terminal 42 of the secondary battery 40 while rotating it, and a charging / discharging step of charging / discharging the secondary battery 40 using the charging / discharging device 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging / discharging device and a charging / discharging method. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Charging and discharging devices that arrange multiple secondary batteries so that they overlap in the width direction and insert power supply terminals (charging and discharging terminals) into the positive and negative terminals (electrode terminals) of the secondary batteries to charge and discharge have been known for some time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-140844 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An insulating oxide film is formed on the surface of the electrode terminal. Therefore, when a charge / discharge terminal is brought into contact with the surface of the electrode terminal to allow current to flow, it is necessary to break the film to reduce contact resistance. High contact resistance increases the time required for charge / discharge, which requires larger equipment (increasing costs) to shorten the time and increases heat generation due to the increased current. However, breaking the film requires pressing the charge / discharge terminal against the surface of the electrode terminal with a strong load, which may result in deformation of the charge / discharge terminal.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a charging / discharging device and a charging / discharging method that do not risk deforming the charging / discharging terminal when the charging / discharging terminal is brought into contact with the electrode terminal to break the coating formed on the electrode terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a charging / discharging device of a first aspect of the present invention comprises a charging / discharging terminal to be brought into contact with an electrode terminal of a secondary battery, a housing that accommodates the charging / discharging terminal and is configured to be movable so as to approach the electrode terminal, a biasing member that biases the charging / discharging terminal toward the electrode terminal as the housing moves toward the electrode terminal, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the charging / discharging terminal as the housing moves toward the electrode terminal.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention, a charging / discharging terminal that contacts an electrode terminal of a secondary battery is accommodated in a housing, and the housing is configured to be movable toward the electrode terminal. As the housing moves toward the electrode terminal, the charging / discharging terminal is biased toward the electrode terminal by a biasing member, and the rotation mechanism rotates the charging / discharging terminal. In other words, as the housing moves toward the electrode terminal, the charging / discharging terminal presses against and breaks the coating of the electrode terminal with a predetermined load while rotating. Therefore, when the charging / discharging terminal contacts the electrode terminal and breaks the coating formed on the electrode terminal, there is no risk of the charging / discharging terminal being deformed.

[0008] In addition, a second aspect of the charging / discharging device according to the present invention is the charging / discharging device of the first aspect, wherein the rotation mechanism has an engaged portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the charging / discharging terminal, and an engaging portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing that engages with the engaged portion as the housing moves toward the electrode terminal, thereby rotating the charging / discharging terminal.

[0009] According to the second aspect of the invention, the rotation mechanism has an engaged portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the charge / discharge terminal and an engaging portion formed on the inner circumferential surface of the housing, and the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion to rotate the charge / discharge terminal as the housing moves toward the electrode terminal, thereby achieving a simple rotation mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, a third aspect of the charging / discharging device according to the present invention is the charging / discharging device of the first aspect, wherein the rotation mechanism has a guide portion that is provided in the housing and rotates the charging / discharging terminal while positioning it with respect to the electrode terminal.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the invention, the rotation mechanism has a guide portion provided on the housing, and the guide portion rotates the charge / discharge terminal while positioning it with respect to the electrode terminal, thereby simplifying the configuration of the charge / discharge terminal without changing it.

[0012] In addition, a fourth aspect of the charging / discharging method according to the present invention includes an arrangement step of arranging a secondary battery in a charging / discharging device of any one of the first to third aspects, a contact step of rotating the charging / discharging terminals to contact the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, and a charging / discharging step of charging / discharging the secondary battery using the charging / discharging device.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the invention, a secondary battery is placed relative to a charging / discharging device, and the charging / discharging terminals of the charging / discharging device are rotated to contact the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, and the secondary battery is charged / discharged by the charging / discharging device. Therefore, when the charging / discharging terminals are brought into contact with the electrode terminals to break the coating formed on the electrode terminals, there is no risk of deforming the charging / discharging terminals, and charging / discharging is performed appropriately. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] As described above, according to the present invention, when the charge / discharge terminal is brought into contact with the electrode terminal to break the coating formed on the electrode terminal, there is no risk of the charge / discharge terminal being deformed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic front views showing a state before and after the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the first embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, respectively. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are schematic bottom views showing the shape of the contact surface of the charge / discharge terminal of the charge / discharge device according to the first embodiment, respectively. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are schematic front views showing a state before and after the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the second embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, respectively. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are schematic front views showing a state before and after the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the third embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, respectively. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are schematic front views showing a state before and after the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the fourth embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are schematic front views showing a state before and after the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the fifth embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery. [Figure 7] 7(A) is a schematic front view showing a process in which the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the sixth embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, and FIG. [Figure 8] 8(A) is a schematic front view showing a process in which the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the sixth embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, and FIG. [Figure 9] 9(A) is a schematic front view showing a process in which the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the sixth embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, and FIG. [Figure 10]10(A) is a schematic front view showing a process in which the charge / discharge terminals of the charge / discharge device according to the sixth embodiment come into contact with the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, and FIG. [Figure 11] 13A and 13B are schematic plan views showing a case where a compression coil spring is provided in a positioning guide of a charge / discharge device according to a sixth embodiment, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For ease of explanation, the arrow UP shown in each drawing indicates the upward direction of the secondary battery, the arrow FR indicates the forward direction of the secondary battery, and the arrow RH indicates the rightward direction of the secondary battery. Therefore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the directions of up / down, front / rear, and left / right are mentioned, they refer to the up / down direction of the secondary battery, the front / rear direction of the front / rear direction of the secondary battery, and the left / right direction of the left / right direction of the secondary battery. Furthermore, the term "length" used below refers to the length along the axial direction (vertical direction) of the charge / discharge terminal 12.

[0017] First Embodiment First, a description will be given of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, a charge / discharge device 10 according to the first embodiment includes a charge / discharge terminal 12 having a substantially cylindrical terminal body 12A of a predetermined length, and a housing 14 having a cylindrical hole 14A for rotatably accommodating the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 and configured to be movable so as to approach a surface (coating) 42A of an electrode terminal 42 of a secondary battery 40.

[0018] The outer peripheral surface of a generally cylindrical resin sleeve 16 is integrally joined to the inner peripheral surface of hole 14A of housing 14 so as to be non-rotatable relative thereto. Therefore, this sleeve 16 can be considered to be part of housing 14, and for example, inner peripheral surface 16B of sleeve 16 is synonymous with the inner peripheral surface of housing 14. The lower end of sleeve 16 protrudes downward beyond lower end surface 14B of housing 14, and a flange portion 16A that protrudes slightly radially outward is integrally formed at the lower end.

[0019] The housing 14 and the sleeve 16 are shorter than the charge / discharge terminal 12 (terminal body 12A) and accommodate only a portion of the charge / discharge terminal 12 (terminal body 12A). For example, the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 accommodate approximately one-third of the length of the charge / discharge terminal 12 (terminal body 12A). The housing 14 and the sleeve 16 are configured to be movable up and down relative to the charge / discharge terminal 12 (terminal body 12A).

[0020] A substantially cylindrical cap portion 13 having a predetermined length and a larger diameter than the terminal body 12A is inserted and integrally provided on the lower end of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12. The lower end surface of the cap portion 13, which is circular when viewed from the bottom, serves as a contact surface 13A that comes into contact with the surface (coating) 42A of the electrode terminal 42 of the secondary battery 40, and a pin-holder-shaped groove 13B as shown in Fig. 2(A) or a radial groove as shown in Fig. 2(B) is formed on the contact surface 13A.

[0021] In addition, a compression coil spring 18 is inserted into the terminal body 12A between the upper end surface 13C of the cap portion 13 and the flange portion 16A of the sleeve 16 as a biasing member that biases the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 toward the electrode terminal 42 as the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42.

[0022] A cap portion 15 of a predetermined length and with a larger diameter than the terminal body 12A is also inserted and integrally provided on the upper end of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12, and under normal circumstances, a lower end surface 15A of the cap portion 15 abuts against an upper end surface 16C of the sleeve 16. This prevents the charge / discharge terminal 12 from falling out of the housing 14 (sleeve 16).

[0023] In addition, a rotation mechanism 20 is provided between the outer peripheral surface 12B of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 and the inner peripheral surface 16B of the sleeve 16 for rotating the charge / discharge terminal 12 to a predetermined angle as the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42. This rotation mechanism 20 is composed of a spiral groove 22 serving as an engaged portion formed on the outer peripheral surface 12B of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12, and a spiral groove 26 serving as an engaging portion formed on the inner peripheral surface 16B of the sleeve 16.

[0024] Therefore, as the housing 14 and sleeve 16 move (downward) toward the electrode terminal 42, the groove 26 of the sleeve 16 meshes (engages) with the groove 22 of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12, causing the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 to rotate by a predetermined angle. In other words, the contact surface 13A of the cap portion 13, which contacts the surface (coating) 42A of the electrode terminal 42, rotates by a predetermined angle.

[0025] As the housing 14 and sleeve 16 move (downward) toward the electrode terminal 42, the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 is biased toward the electrode terminal 42 by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 18. In other words, as the housing 14 moves (downward) toward the electrode terminal 42, the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 rotates and presses the coating on the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42 with a predetermined load. This causes the coating on the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42 to break.

[0026] Next, the operation (charging / discharging method) of the charging / discharging device 10 according to the first embodiment configured as above will be described.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1(A), a secondary battery 40 is placed relative to the charge / discharge device 10 (placement step). That is, the secondary battery 40 is placed below the charge / discharge device 10. Then, as shown in Fig. 1(B), the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 of the charge / discharge device 10 is brought into contact with the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42 of the secondary battery 40 while rotating it (contact step).

[0028] Specifically, the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 are moved downward. Then, because the spiral groove 26 of the sleeve 16 meshes (engages) with the spiral groove 22 of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12, the charge / discharge terminal 12 rotates by a predetermined angle as the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 move closer to the electrode terminal 42.

[0029] In addition, a compression coil spring 18 is provided between the upper end surface 13C of the cap portion 13 and the flange portion 16A of the sleeve 16, so that as the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42, the charge / discharge terminal 12 is pressed downward via the cap portion 13.

[0030] That is, the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 presses the coating on the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42 with a predetermined load while rotating. This breaks the coating on the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42, reducing the contact resistance of the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 with the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42. This eliminates the risk of deformation of the charge / discharge terminal 12, ensuring its quality. Furthermore, because the rotation mechanism 20 is composed of the spiral grooves 22 and 26, the rotation mechanism 20 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0031] Once the contact resistance between the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 and the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42 has been reduced, the charge / discharge device 10 charges and discharges the secondary battery 40 (charge / discharge process). This allows the charge / discharge to be performed appropriately. That is, the time required for charge / discharge can be shortened without increasing the size of the equipment (increasing costs) or increasing the current (increasing heat generation).

[0032] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, in this second embodiment, the rotation mechanism 20 differs from the first embodiment only in that it is composed of a spiral groove 23 as an engaged portion formed at a predetermined length on the outer peripheral surface 12B of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12, and an approximately cylindrical pin 27 as an engaging portion provided on the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 so that its tip portion, which protrudes radially inward in an approximately hemispherical shape from the inner peripheral surface 16B of the sleeve 16, is inserted into the groove 23.

[0034] With the rotation mechanism 20 configured as described above, as the housing 14 and sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42, the pin 27 moves (engages) within the recessed groove 23, thereby rotating the charge / discharge terminal 12 by a predetermined angle. Therefore, the rotation mechanism 20 can be realized with a simple configuration. Note that the pin 27 may be configured to prevent the sleeve 16 from rotating relative to the housing 14.

[0035] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, in this third embodiment, the rotation mechanism 20 differs from the first embodiment only in that it is composed of a spiral groove 23 as an engaged portion formed at a predetermined length on the outer peripheral surface 12B of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12, and an approximately hemispherical protrusion 28 as an engaging portion that protrudes integrally with the inner peripheral surface 16B of the sleeve 16 and is inserted into the groove 23.

[0037] According to the rotation mechanism 20 configured as described above, as the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42, the protrusion 28 moves (engages) within the recessed groove 23, thereby rotating the charge / discharge terminal 12 by a predetermined angle. Therefore, the rotation mechanism 20 can be realized with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since the protrusion 28 is integrally provided to protrude from the inner circumferential surface 16B of the sleeve 16, the number of parts is reduced compared to the second embodiment.

[0038] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, the fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the rotation mechanism 20 is composed of a spiral protrusion 24 as an engaged portion protruding at a predetermined length from the outer peripheral surface 12B of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12, and a recessed groove 29 as an engaging portion formed on the inner peripheral surface 16B of the sleeve 16 and into which the protrusion 24 is inserted.

[0040] According to the rotation mechanism 20 configured as described above, as the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42, the protrusions 24 move relatively (engage) within the recessed grooves 29, thereby rotating the charge / discharge terminal 12 by a predetermined angle. Therefore, the rotation mechanism 20 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0041] Fifth Embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0042] As shown in Figure 6, the fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the rotation mechanism 20 is composed of a spiral groove 25 as an engaged portion formed at a predetermined length on the outer peripheral surface 12B of the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12, and a spherical body 30 as an engaging portion that is rotatably provided on the inner peripheral surface 16B of the sleeve 16 and inserted into the groove 25.

[0043] According to the rotation mechanism 20 configured as described above, as the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42, the sphere 30 moves (engages) within the recessed groove 25, thereby rotating the charge / discharge terminal 12 by a predetermined angle. Therefore, the rotation mechanism 20 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0044] Sixth Embodiment Finally, a sixth embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate parts that are the same as those in the first to fifth embodiments, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0045] 7 to 10, the sixth embodiment differs from the first to fifth embodiments in that the housing 14 (sleeve 16) accommodates the terminal body 12A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 so that the terminal body 12A cannot rotate relative to the housing 14, and the rotation mechanism 20 has a positioning guide 34 as a guide portion provided on the housing 14. That is, in the rotation mechanism 20 of the sixth embodiment, the positioning guide 34 rotates the charge / discharge terminal 12 together with the housing 14 while positioning the charge / discharge terminal 12 with respect to the electrode terminal 42.

[0046] Specifically, cylindrical guide pins 32 extending in the vertical direction are inserted and fixed to the housing 14 on both the left and right sides of the charge / discharge terminal 12, and a pair of left and right positioning guides 34 are attached to the lower end of each guide pin 32. Each positioning guide 34 is formed in a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the bottom, and in a generally trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front, with a shorter length on the inner side, which is the side of the charge / discharge terminal 12, and a longer length on the outer side. In other words, the opposing surfaces of each positioning guide 34 are formed with inclined surfaces 34B that are inclined so that the distance between them increases as they go downward.

[0047] In addition, a compression coil spring 36 is inserted into the guide pin 32 between the upper end surface 34A of the positioning guide 34 and the lower end surface 14B of the housing 14, and serves as a biasing member that biases the positioning guide 34 downward as the housing 14 and sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42.

[0048] A cap portion 33 of a predetermined length and having a larger diameter than the guide pin 32 is inserted and integrally provided on the upper end of the guide pin 32, and under normal circumstances, a lower end surface 33A of the cap portion 33 abuts against an upper end surface 14C of the housing 14. This prevents the guide pin 32 from falling out of the housing 14.

[0049] 11(A), one end of a compression coil spring 38 is attached to the front end of the outer surface of one positioning guide 34, and one end of a compression coil spring 38 is attached to the rear end of the outer surface of the other positioning guide 34. The other end of each compression coil spring 38 is held by a holding portion (not shown).

[0050] 11(B), a tension coil spring 39 may be attached to each positioning guide 34 instead of a compression coil spring 38. That is, one end of the tension coil spring 39 may be attached to the rear end of the outer surface of one positioning guide 34, and one end of the tension coil spring 39 may be attached to the front end of the outer surface of the other positioning guide 34. The other end of each tension coil spring 39 is also held by a holding portion (not shown).

[0051] With this configuration, the pair of left and right positioning guides 34 are normally held in a state inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the rectangular electrode terminals 42, which have their longitudinal direction aligned with the front-to-rear direction of the secondary battery 40 in a plan view. When the electrode terminals 42 of the secondary battery 40 are guided relatively inwardly of the pair of left and right positioning guides 34, the positioning guides 34 are rotated against the biasing force of the compression coil springs 38 (or tension coil springs 39), and the contact surfaces 13A of the charge / discharge terminals 12 are rotated together with the housing 14.

[0052] Next, the operation (charging / discharging method) of the charging / discharging device 10 according to the sixth embodiment configured as described above will be described. Note that the operation common to the first to fifth embodiments will be omitted as appropriate.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 7, a secondary battery 40 is placed relative to the charge / discharge device 10 (placement step). That is, the secondary battery 40 is placed below the charge / discharge device 10. Then, as shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 of the charge / discharge device 10 is brought into contact with the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42 of the secondary battery 40 while rotating it (contact step).

[0054] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8(A), the charging / discharging device 10 is moved toward the electrode terminal 42 of the secondary battery 40. Then, the inclined surface 34B of one (the right in the figure) of the positioning guide 34 is guided relatively while sliding against the edge of the electrode terminal 42 of the secondary battery 40, and the charging / discharging device 10 moves toward that side (the right in the figure). Next, as shown in Fig. 9(A), the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 are moved downward.

[0055] Then, because a compression coil spring 36 is provided between the upper end surface 34A of the positioning guide 34 and the lower end surface 14B of the housing 14, the holding force of the positioning guide 34 against the electrode terminal 42 increases, and as the housing 14 and sleeve 16 move closer to the electrode terminal 42, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the charge / discharge terminal 12 rotates by a predetermined angle together with the positioning guide 34 (housing 14) (in the plan view shown in Figures 9(B) and 10(B), the charge / discharge terminal 12 rotates until the extension direction of the positioning guide 34 and the extension direction of the electrode terminal 42 coincide).

[0056] In addition, a compression coil spring 18 is provided between the upper end surface 13C of the cap portion 13 and the flange portion 16A of the sleeve 16, so that as the housing 14 and the sleeve 16 move toward the electrode terminal 42, the charge / discharge terminal 12 is pressed downward via the cap portion 13.

[0057] That is, contact surface 13A of charge / discharge terminal 12 presses against the coating on surface 42A of electrode terminal 42 with a predetermined load while rotating. This breaks the coating on surface 42A of electrode terminal 42, reducing the contact resistance between contact surface 13A of charge / discharge terminal 12 and surface 42A of electrode terminal 42. Therefore, there is no risk of deformation of charge / discharge terminal 12, and the quality of charge / discharge terminal 12 can be ensured.

[0058] Once the contact resistance between the contact surface 13A of the charge / discharge terminal 12 and the surface 42A of the electrode terminal 42 has been reduced, the charge / discharge device 10 charges and discharges the secondary battery 40 (charge / discharge process). This allows the charge / discharge to be performed appropriately. That is, the time required for charge / discharge can be shortened without increasing the size of the equipment (increasing costs) or increasing the current (increasing heat generation).

[0059] Furthermore, the rotation mechanism 20 has a positioning guide 34 provided on the housing 14, and the positioning guide 34 rotates the charge / discharge terminal 12 while positioning it relative to the electrode terminal 42. Therefore, compared to the first to fifth embodiments, the configuration of the charge / discharge terminal 12 (the shape of the terminal body 12A) does not change, and the configuration can be simplified.

[0060] The charging / discharging device 10 and the charging / discharging method according to this embodiment have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the charging / discharging device 10 and the charging / discharging method according to this embodiment are not limited to those shown in the drawings, and the design can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. For example, the shape of the contact surface 13A of the charging / discharging terminal 12 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the configuration (shape) of the engaged portion and the engaging portion is not limited to the configuration (shape) shown in the drawings. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10 Charge / discharge device 12 Charge / discharge terminal 14 Housing 18 Compression coil spring (biasing member) 20 Rotation mechanism 22 Groove (engaged part) 23 Concave groove (engaged part) 24 Projection part (engaged part) 25 Concave groove (engaged part) 26 Groove (engagement part) 27 Pin (engagement part) 28 Convex portion (engagement portion) 29 Groove (engagement part) 30 Sphere (engagement part) 34 Positioning guide (guide part) 40 Secondary battery 42 Electrode terminal

Claims

1. a charge / discharge terminal that is brought into contact with an electrode terminal of the secondary battery; a housing configured to accommodate the charge / discharge terminals and to be movable toward the electrode terminals; a biasing member that biases the charge / discharge terminal toward the electrode terminal as the housing moves toward the electrode terminal; a rotation mechanism that rotates the charge / discharge terminal as the housing moves toward the electrode terminal; A charging and discharging device comprising:

2. The rotation mechanism includes: an engaged portion formed on an outer peripheral surface of the charge / discharge terminal; an engaging portion formed on an inner circumferential surface of the housing, the engaging portion engaging with the engaged portion as the housing moves toward the electrode terminal, thereby rotating the charge / discharge terminal; The charging / discharging device according to claim 1 ,

3. The rotation mechanism includes: The charging / discharging device according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide portion provided on the housing for rotating the charging / discharging terminal while positioning the charging / discharging terminal with respect to the electrode terminal.

4. a placement step of placing a secondary battery in the charge / discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a contacting step of contacting the charge / discharge terminal with the electrode terminal of the secondary battery while rotating the charge / discharge terminal; a charging / discharging step of charging / discharging the secondary battery using the charging / discharging device; A charging and discharging method comprising:

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