Battery cleaning device and cleaning method

Abstract

A cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a cleaning device for cleaning battery cells, and includes: a cleaning disk configured to allow a plurality of battery cells to be mounted at predetermined intervals and configured to be rotatable about a central rotation center; and cleaning nozzles for cleaning the battery cells, the cleaning nozzles including an inner cleaning nozzle disposed in a direction facing the rotation center of the cleaning disk relative to the cleaning disk, and an outer cleaning nozzle disposed in a direction opposite to the inner cleaning nozzle relative to the cleaning disk.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery cleaning device and method.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0182205, filed on December 22, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings of that application. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries, which have high applicability across a wide range of products and electrical properties such as high energy density, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that are powered by electrical sources. These secondary batteries have the primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels, as well as the advantage of producing no by-products associated with energy use, and are therefore attracting attention as a new energy source that is environmentally friendly and improves energy efficiency.

[0004] Currently widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, and nickel zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such a unit secondary battery cell, i.e., a unit battery cell, is approximately 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack may be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in series. Furthermore, depending on the charge / discharge capacity required for the battery pack, a battery pack may be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack can be variously set depending on the required output voltage and / or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] However, previous methods for cleaning the surface of cylindrical battery cells have had problems such as repeatedly cleaning certain areas or varying nozzle positions depending on the equipment due to manual adjustments by workers, resulting in different cleaning quality for each secondary battery. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, one aspect of the present invention aims to ensure uniform cleaning of the surface of a cylindrical battery cell.

[0007] In another aspect, one aspect of the present invention aims to standardize the position of each cleaning nozzle based on the arrangement configuration of the cleaning nozzles as the battery cells rotate, and to make this a fixed parameter to eliminate variation in the position of the cleaning nozzles from facility to facility.

[0008] In still another aspect, an object of the present invention is to prevent variations in the position of cleaning nozzles from occurring among different pieces of equipment due to manual adjustments by workers.

[0009] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention given below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a cleaning device for cleaning battery cells, the cleaning device including: a cleaning disk configured to allow a plurality of battery cells to be mounted at predetermined intervals and configured to be rotatable around a central rotation center; and cleaning nozzles for cleaning the battery cells, the cleaning nozzles including an inner cleaning nozzle arranged in a direction facing the rotation center of the cleaning disk relative to the cleaning disk, and an outer cleaning nozzle arranged in a direction opposite to the inner cleaning nozzle relative to the cleaning disk.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the cleaning disk may include a plurality of placement docks for mounting a plurality of battery cells.

[0012] In another aspect of the invention, the positioning docks may be configured to be angled apart from one another.

[0013] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the positioning dock may be configured to be rotatable about the center of rotation of the cleaning disk.

[0014] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the positioning dock may be configured to be rotatable about a center of rotation in the center of the positioning dock.

[0015] Preferably, when M is a natural number equal to or greater than 2, the placement dock can be configured to be able to rotate by (360 / M) degrees.

[0016] In one aspect of the present invention, the inner cleaning nozzle, the battery cell, and the outer cleaning nozzle may be arranged in a straight line.

[0017] Preferably, the inner cleaning nozzle and the outer cleaning nozzle may be configured to spray cleaning liquid toward the battery cell.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, the inner cleaning nozzle and the outer cleaning nozzle may be configured to have N cleaning modes having predetermined heights and predetermined angles.

[0019] In yet other embodiments of the present invention, M and N may be relatively prime.

[0020] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the cleaning mode can be set by parameterizing the placement height and angle of the cleaning nozzle.

[0021] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning device may include K sets of N cleaning modes.

[0022] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the positioning dock may rotate by (360 / M) degrees while the cleaning disk rotates by (360 / (N*K)) degrees. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to one aspect of the present invention, the surface of a cylindrical battery cell can be cleaned uniformly.

[0024] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, the position of each cleaning nozzle is standardized based on the arrangement of the cleaning nozzles as the battery cells rotate, and this is made into a fixed parameter, thereby eliminating variations in the position of the cleaning nozzles between different pieces of equipment.

[0025] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent variations in the position of the cleaning nozzle from occurring between pieces of equipment due to manual adjustment by an operator.

[0026] However, the effects obtained through the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other technical effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0027] The drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further understand the technical concepts of the present invention as well as the content of the invention, and therefore the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters depicted in the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the cleaning device of FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a cleaning mode of the cleaning device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a cleaning mode of the cleaning device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a cleaning mode of the cleaning device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a cleaning mode of the cleaning device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a cleaning mode of the cleaning device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating an operation process of the cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in the specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms himself in order to best describe the invention.

[0030] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a cleaning device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the cleaning device 1 of FIG.

[0032] 1 and 2, the cleaning device 1 includes a cleaning disk 10 and a cleaning nozzle 20. The cleaning device 1 may be a cleaning device 1 that cleans a battery cell 100. For example, the cleaning device 1 may be a cleaning device 1 that cleans the exterior of a cylindrical battery cell 100.

[0033] More specifically, the cleaning disk 10 may be configured to mount a plurality of the battery cells 100 at predetermined intervals. For example, the cleaning disk 10 may include at least one placement dock 11 for mounting a plurality of battery cells 100. Preferably, the cleaning disk 10 may include a plurality of the placement docks 11. For example, a plurality of the placement docks 11 may be provided along the circumference of the cleaning disk 10. In this case, the placement docks 11 may be configured to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined angle. For example, referring to FIG. 2, the placement docks 11 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other by an angle θ. The cleaning disk 10 may have a roughly circular disk shape. Therefore, approximately (360 / θ) placement docks 11 may be provided on the cleaning disk 10. Referring to FIG. 1 as an example of the present invention, θ may be set to approximately 8°. As a result, 45 placement docks 11 may be provided. However, this merely corresponds to one embodiment of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the number and spacing angle of the placement docks 11 of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, the cleaning disk 10 may be configured to rotate around a central rotation center. For example, referring to FIG. 2, the cleaning disk 10 may rotate counterclockwise around the central rotation center. Accordingly, the placement dock 11 provided on the cleaning disk 10 may be configured to rotate around the rotation center of the cleaning disk 10. For example, the cleaning disk 10 may rotate by an angle θ and then pause for a while. For example, referring to FIG. 2, after a battery cell 100 mounted on the placement dock 11 of the cleaning disk 10 is cleaned by a cleaning nozzle 20 set to cleaning mode A while the cleaning disk 10 is stationary, the cleaning disk 10 may rotate clockwise by an angle θ and then pause again. Since the battery cell 100 is also stationary while the cleaning disk 10 is stationary, the battery cell 100 may be cleaned by a cleaning nozzle 20 set to cleaning mode B. The battery cells 100 may then be washed by the washing nozzles 20 set to washing modes C, D, and E in sequence. The washing process will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG.

[0035] According to the structure of the embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning device 1 can clean battery cells 100 from various angles and directions using cleaning nozzles 20 with various cleaning modes. For example, in the past, operators manually adjusted and set the length, angle, and position of the pipe carrying the cleaning solution S, resulting in variations in the position of the cleaning nozzle 20 depending on the equipment, which in turn caused variations in cleaning power. However, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the battery cells 100 are cleaned using a preset cleaning mode, eliminating the need for operators to manually adjust the cleaning nozzle 20. This prevents variations in the position of the cleaning nozzle 20. This allows all battery cells 100 installed in the cleaning device 1 to be uniformly cleaned. These multiple cleaning modes will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

[0036] In another aspect of the present invention, the placement dock 11 may be configured to be rotatable about a rotation center in the center of the placement dock 11. This allows the battery cell 100 mounted on the placement dock 11 to rotate about its central axis.

[0037] 2, the positioning dock 11 may rotate counterclockwise, which allows the battery cells 100 mounted on the positioning dock 11 to rotate counterclockwise. However, the positioning dock 11 may also rotate clockwise, and the rotation direction of the positioning dock 11 is not particularly limited.

[0038] Returning to FIG. 2 , the placement dock 11 may rotate by an amount corresponding to φ while moving from one point to the next. More specifically, while the cleaning disk 10 rotates by an amount corresponding to θ, the placement dock 11 may rotate by an amount corresponding to φ. In other words, while the battery cell 100 mounted on the placement dock 11 rotates by an amount corresponding to θ around the center of rotation of the cleaning disk, the battery cell 100 mounted on the placement dock 11 may rotate by an amount corresponding to φ. In other words, the battery cell 100 may move along the circumference of the cleaning disk 10 and simultaneously rotate on its own axis.

[0039] The cleaning nozzle 20 is capable of cleaning the battery cell 100. The cleaning nozzle 20 is capable of spraying a cleaning solution S capable of cleaning the exterior of the battery cell 100. The cleaning nozzle 20 may include an inner cleaning nozzle 21 and an outer cleaning nozzle 22. Specifically, the cleaning nozzle 20 may include the inner cleaning nozzle 21 arranged in a direction facing the rotation center of the cleaning disk 10 relative to the cleaning disk 10, and the outer cleaning nozzle 22 arranged in a direction opposite to the inner cleaning nozzle 21 relative to the cleaning disk 10. The inner cleaning nozzle 21 and the outer cleaning nozzle 22 may form a pair. That is, the inner cleaning nozzle 21 and the outer cleaning nozzle 22 may constitute a pair of cleaning nozzles 20.

[0040] Meanwhile, in each cleaning mode, the inner cleaning nozzle 21 and the outer cleaning nozzle 22 may be configured to spray the cleaning solution S toward the battery cell 100. Preferably, the inner cleaning nozzle 21, the battery cell 100, and the outer cleaning nozzle 22 may be arranged in a straight line. That is, the inner cleaning nozzle 21 and the outer cleaning nozzle 22 can clean both sides of the battery cell 100 simultaneously.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, the inner cleaning nozzle 21 and the outer cleaning nozzle 22 may have N cleaning modes having predetermined heights and predetermined angles. For example, the N cleaning modes may be configured such that the height and / or angle of the cleaning nozzle 20 differ from each other. The cleaning modes may be set by parameterizing the placement height and angle of the cleaning nozzle 20. The N cleaning modes enable all areas forming the exterior of the battery cell 100 to be cleaned.

[0042] In another embodiment of the present invention, the heights and / or angles of the pair of inner cleaning nozzle 21 and outer cleaning nozzle 22 do not necessarily have to be the same. The heights and / or angles of the pair of inner cleaning nozzle 21 and outer cleaning nozzle 22 may be configured to be different from each other.

[0043] According to the above-described features, the battery cells 100 are cleaned in a preset cleaning mode, eliminating the need for an operator to manually adjust the cleaning nozzle 20. That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning nozzle 20 is set to fixed parameters, thereby preventing variations in performance between different pieces of equipment. As a result, all battery cells 100 installed in the cleaning device 1 can be cleaned uniformly. Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, variations in the position of the cleaning nozzle 20 between different pieces of equipment due to manual adjustment by an operator can be prevented. Furthermore, according to the configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention, N cleaning modes can be diversified, allowing cleaning to be performed according to the angle and height of the battery cells 100. As a result, the entire area of ​​the battery cells 100 can be cleaned uniformly.

[0044] 3 to 7 are diagrams for explaining an example of the cleaning mode of the cleaning device 1 of FIG.

[0045] 3 to 7 show specific positions and angles of the cleaning nozzles 20 in a cleaning device 1 having five cleaning modes according to one embodiment of the present invention. The specific configuration of each cleaning nozzle 20 in this embodiment having five cleaning modes will be described below.

[0046] First, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the cleaning nozzle 20 set to the cleaning mode A according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] 3, the cleaning mode A may be a top vertical spray mode. That is, in the cleaning mode of FIG. 3, the cleaning nozzle 20 may be set to spray the cleaning solution S vertically toward the top surface of the battery cell 100. The sprayed cleaning solution S may cover the entire top surface of the battery cell 100. Thus, according to the cleaning mode A, the entire top surface of the battery cell 100 may be cleaned.

[0048] Next, FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the cleaning nozzle 20 set to the cleaning mode B according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] 4, the cleaning mode B may be an upper side horizontal spray mode. That is, in the cleaning mode of FIG. 4, the cleaning nozzle 20 may be set to spray the cleaning solution S horizontally toward the upper side of the battery cell 100. The sprayed cleaning solution S may cover the entire upper side of the battery cell 100. Preferably, the cleaning solution S may cover even the top surface of the battery cell 100. Thus, according to the cleaning mode B, the entire upper side of the battery cell 100 may be cleaned.

[0050] Next, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the cleaning nozzle 20 set to the cleaning mode C according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 5 , the cleaning mode C may be an upper diagonal spray mode. That is, in the cleaning mode of FIG. 5 , the cleaning nozzle 20 may be set to spray the cleaning solution S in a diagonal direction toward the upper side surface of the battery cell 100. More specifically, the cleaning nozzle 20 may spray the cleaning solution S in a diagonal direction from the upper part of the battery cell 100 toward the lower part of the battery cell 100 and the center of the battery cell 100. For example, the angle formed between the axial direction of the battery cell 100 and the spray direction of the nozzle may be greater than or equal to about 20° and less than about 90°. However, this angle is merely an example, and the diagonal angle of the nozzle of the present invention is not limited thereto. The sprayed cleaning solution S may cover the upper surface and the upper side surface of the battery cell 100 simultaneously. As a result, according to cleaning mode C, the upper surface and the upper side surface of the battery cell 100 can all be cleaned.

[0052] Next, FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the cleaning nozzle 20 set to cleaning mode D according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 6 , the cleaning mode D may be a center diagonal spray mode. That is, in the cleaning mode of FIG. 6 , the cleaning nozzle 20 may be set to spray the cleaning solution S diagonally toward the side of the center of the battery cell 100. More specifically, the cleaning nozzle 20 may spray the cleaning solution S diagonally from the center of the battery cell 100 toward the lower part of the battery cell 100 and the center of the battery cell 100. For example, the angle formed between the axial direction of the battery cell 100 and the spray direction of the nozzle may be greater than or equal to about 20° and less than about 90°. However, this angle is merely an example, and the diagonal angle of the nozzle of the present invention is not limited thereto. The cleaning solution S may cover the side of the center of the battery cell 100. As a result, according to the cleaning mode D, all of the side of the center of the battery cell 100 can be cleaned.

[0054] In another aspect of the present invention, the nozzle angle for cleaning mode D and the nozzle angle for cleaning mode C may be configured to be different from each other. By setting various nozzle angles for each cleaning mode, the area where the sprayed cleaning solution S contacts the battery cell 100 and / or the spray strength of the sprayed cleaning solution S can be set differently. This further improves the cleaning effect.

[0055] Next, FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the cleaning nozzle 20 set to the cleaning mode E according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 7 , the cleaning mode E may be a diagonal lower side spray mode. That is, in the cleaning mode of FIG. 7 , the cleaning nozzle 20 may be set to spray the cleaning solution S diagonally toward the lower side of the battery cell 100. More specifically, the cleaning nozzle 20 may spray the cleaning solution S diagonally from the lower part of the battery cell 100 toward the lower part of the battery cell 100 and the center of the battery cell 100. For example, the angle formed between the axial direction of the battery cell 100 and the spray direction of the nozzle may be greater than or equal to about 20° and less than about 90°. However, this angle is merely an example, and the diagonal angle of the nozzle of the present invention is not limited thereto. The cleaning solution S may cover the lower side of the battery cell 100. As a result, the cleaning mode E allows the lower side of the battery cell 100 to be completely cleaned.

[0057] In another aspect of the present invention, the nozzle angle of the cleaning mode E may be configured to be different from the nozzle angle of the cleaning mode C and / or the nozzle angle of the cleaning mode D. By setting various nozzle angles for each cleaning mode, the area where the sprayed cleaning solution S contacts the battery cell 100 and / or the spray strength of the sprayed cleaning solution S can be set differently, thereby further improving the cleaning effect.

[0058] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation process of the cleaning device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 8 , in one embodiment of the present invention, the number of cleaning modes may be set to, for example, five (N=5). Specifically, the five cleaning modes may correspond to A, B, C, D, and E, which may correspond to the cleaning modes shown in FIGS. 3 to 7 , respectively. The cleaning nozzles 20 set to the N cleaning modes may be repeatedly arranged along the circumference of the cleaning disk 10. For example, referring to FIG. 8 , the cleaning modes may be set in the following order along the circumference of the cleaning nozzle 20: A, B, C, D, E, A, B, C, D, E, A, B, C, ... The cleaning nozzles 20 may face the battery cell 100. That is, the inner cleaning nozzle 21 may face radially outward toward the battery cell 100, and the outer cleaning nozzle 22 may face radially inward toward the battery cell 100.

[0060] Returning to FIG. 8 , the positioning docks 11 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other by an angle of θ along the circumference of the cleaning disk 10. Taking the embodiment of FIG. 8 as an example, the positioning docks 11 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other by approximately 8° along the circumference of the cleaning disk 10, thereby allowing a total of 45 positioning docks 11 to be arranged along the circumference of the cleaning disk 10. In other words, the number of battery cells 100 that can be attached to the positioning docks 11 is also 45. Furthermore, the number of pairs of cleaning nozzles 20 corresponding to the battery cells 100 is also 45. In other words, the cleaning disk 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include approximately (360 / θ) positioning docks 11. Furthermore, the number of pairs of cleaning nozzles 20 may be approximately (360 / θ).

[0061] Returning to FIG. 8 , the placement dock 11 may rotate by an amount corresponding to φ while moving from one point to the next. More specifically, while the cleaning disk 10 rotates by an amount corresponding to θ, the placement dock 11 may rotate by an amount corresponding to φ. In other words, while the battery cell 100 mounted on the placement dock 11 rotates by an amount corresponding to θ around the center of rotation of the cleaning disk, the battery cell 100 mounted on the placement dock 11 may rotate by an amount corresponding to φ. In other words, the battery cell 100 may move along the circumference of the cleaning disk 10 and simultaneously rotate on its own axis.

[0062] Meanwhile, when the placement dock 11 rotates M times corresponding to φ, the placement dock 11 can return to the initially set angle again. Here, M can be a natural number equal to or greater than 2. In other words, when the battery cell 100 rotates M times corresponding to φ, the battery cell 100 can return to the original position again. That is, φ*M=360°. In other words, the rotation angle φ of the placement dock 11 is (360 / M)°.

[0063] For example, referring to the embodiment of FIG. 8 (M=4), if the battery cell 100 rotates four times by an amount corresponding to φ=90°, it will rotate 360°, and the battery cell 100 may return to the angle before it started rotating. More specifically, in FIG. 8, the battery cell 100 may rotate by φ=90° each time. For example, for ease of explanation, the battery cell 100 may be divided into four sections each of φ=90°, which may be defined as the sections indicated by ☆ (star), □ (square), O (circle), and △ (triangle), as shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, for the battery cell 100 located at the bottom, the ☆ section faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21. If the battery cell 100 moves clockwise by an amount corresponding to θ and rotates counterclockwise by an amount corresponding to φ=90°, the △ section faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21. Next, when the battery cell 100 moves clockwise by an amount corresponding to θ and rotates counterclockwise by an amount corresponding to φ=90°, the circle section faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21. Next, when the battery cell 100 moves clockwise by an amount corresponding to θ and rotates counterclockwise by an amount corresponding to φ=90°, the square section faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21. When the battery cell 100 again moves clockwise by an amount corresponding to θ and rotates counterclockwise by an amount corresponding to φ=90°, the star section again faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21. Eventually, the battery cell 100 is reset to the same angle as before the battery cell 100 started to rotate. That is, after rotating M times by an amount corresponding to φ, the battery cell 100 is again set to the same angle as the initial angle of the battery cell 100.

[0064] On the other hand, for the battery cell 100, the ☆ section can be cleaned in mode A and then in mode E. Similarly, when the battery cell 100 moves clockwise by an amount corresponding to θ and rotates counterclockwise by an amount corresponding to φ=90°, the ☆ section of the battery cell 100 can be cleaned in mode D. Thereafter, the battery cell 100 can be cleaned in mode C. Thereafter, the battery cell 100 can be cleaned in mode B. Thereafter, the battery cell 100 can be cleaned in mode A. That is, the ☆ section can be cleaned by repeating the following sequence: mode A → mode E → mode D → mode C → mode B → mode A → mode E → mode D → mode C... Ultimately, the ☆ section, which corresponds to a portion of the appearance of the battery cell 100, can be cleaned in modes A, B, C, D, and E, which are the overall cleaning modes. Similarly, the square section, circle section, and triangle section can also be cleaned in modes A, B, C, D, and E, which are the overall cleaning modes.

[0065] In another aspect of the present invention, when the N cleaning modes are defined as one set, the cleaning mode can be repeated K times. That is, the cleaning device 1 can include K sets of N cleaning modes. For example, assuming that all N cleaning modes are repeated K times, a total of N*K pairs of cleaning nozzles 20 surrounding the cleaning disk 10 can be provided. In other words, the separation angle θ of the positioning dock 11 is (360 / (N*K))°. Consequently, while the cleaning disk 10 rotates by an amount corresponding to θ, the positioning dock 11 rotates by an amount corresponding to φ. Therefore, while the cleaning disk 10 rotates by (360 / (N*K))°, the positioning dock 11 can rotate by (360 / M)°. Meanwhile, K can be adjusted to an appropriate value depending on the operating speed of the equipment.

[0066] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, all regions of the battery cell 100 may be configured to be cleaned in all cleaning modes, respectively. For example, M and N may be relatively prime.

[0067] M is (360 / φ), or in other words, may refer to the number of positions that occur when the battery cell 100 rotates. For example, referring to FIG. 8 , when φ=90°, M=4, which may refer to the number of states in which the battery cell 100 can face the cleaning nozzle 20. For example, the battery cell 100 may face the cleaning nozzle 20 at four different angles. Specifically, the battery cell 100 faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21 at a ☆ section. Alternatively, the battery cell 100 faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21 at a square section. Alternatively, the battery cell 100 faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21 at a circle section. Alternatively, the battery cell 100 faces the inner cleaning nozzle 21 at a triangle section. That is, in the embodiment of FIG. 8 , the battery cell 100 may be disposed in four different positions.

[0068] Meanwhile, N is the number of cleaning modes having a predetermined height and a predetermined angle. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 8, there are five cleaning modes, A, B, C, D, and E, so N=5.

[0069] In this way, since M=4 and N=5 and M and N are relatively prime, all regions of the battery cell 100 can be uniformly cleaned in all cleaning modes. For example, as described above, the ☆ section of the battery cell 100 is first cleaned in cleaning mode A, and then cleaned in cleaning modes E, D, C, and B. Therefore, the ☆ section is cleaned in all cleaning modes. Similarly, the square, circle, and triangle sections can also be cleaned in all cleaning modes.

[0070] If M and N are not relatively prime, the same region of the battery cell 100 may be continuously cleaned only in the same cleaning mode. For example, consider the case where M=4 and N=2. When M=4, the battery cell 100 rotates by 90°. For example, the battery cell 100 may be divided into four quarters, with the respective faces defined as M1, M2, M3, and M4. On the other hand, when N=2, the cleaning modes may include, for example, N1 and N2 modes. In this case, the M1 and M3 faces may be cleaned only in the N1 cleaning mode, and the M2 and M4 faces may be cleaned only in the N2 cleaning mode. That is, the M1 and M3 faces cannot be cleaned in the N2 cleaning mode, and the M2 and M4 faces cannot be cleaned in the N1 cleaning mode. This causes a problem in that only certain positions are repeatedly cleaned, while certain positions cannot be cleaned. Therefore, as an embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that all regions of the battery cell 100 are configured to be cleaned in all cleaning modes, respectively.

[0071] Such a configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention can ensure uniform cleaning power for cylindrical battery cells 100. That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the entire 360° surface of the battery cell 100 can be uniformly cleaned from top to bottom in accordance with the arrangement. Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the position of each cleaning nozzle 20 is standardized based on the arrangement of the cleaning nozzles 20 as the battery cell 100 rotates, and this is made into a fixed parameter, thereby eliminating positional variations of the cleaning nozzles 20 between different facilities and ensuring uniform cleaning power.

[0072] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited to these, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains within the technical spirit of the present invention and the scope of equivalents of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 Cleaning equipment 10 Cleaning discs 11 Placement Dock 20 Cleaning nozzle 21 Inner cleaning nozzle 22 Outer cleaning nozzle 100 battery cells S cleaning solution

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning battery cells, comprising: a cleaning disk configured to allow a plurality of the battery cells to be mounted at predetermined intervals and to be rotatable about a central rotation center; a cleaning nozzle for cleaning the battery cell, the cleaning nozzle including an inner cleaning nozzle provided in a direction facing a rotation center of the cleaning disk relative to the cleaning disk, and an outer cleaning nozzle provided in a direction opposite to the inner cleaning nozzle relative to the cleaning disk; 12. A cleaning device comprising:

2. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning disk includes a plurality of placement docks for mounting a plurality of battery cells.

3. The cleaning device of claim 2 , wherein the positioning docks are spaced apart from one another at a predetermined angle.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 2 , wherein the positioning dock is configured to be rotatable about a rotation center of the cleaning disk.

5. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the placement dock is configured to be rotatable about a center of rotation in the center of the placement dock.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 5 , wherein when M is a natural number equal to or greater than 2, the placement dock is configured to be able to rotate by (360 / M)°.

7. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the inner cleaning nozzle, the battery cell, and the outer cleaning nozzle are aligned in a straight line.

8. The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the inner cleaning nozzle and the outer cleaning nozzle are configured to spray cleaning liquid toward the battery cells.

9. The cleaning device of claim 6 , wherein the inner cleaning nozzle and the outer cleaning nozzle have N cleaning modes each having a predetermined height and a predetermined angle.

10. 10. The cleaning apparatus of claim 9, wherein M and N are relatively prime.

11. The cleaning device of claim 9 , wherein the cleaning mode is set by parameterizing the height and angle of the cleaning nozzle.

12. The cleaning apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the cleaning apparatus includes K sets of N cleaning modes.

13. 13. The cleaning device of claim 12, wherein the cleaning disk rotates by (360 / (N*K)) degrees while the positioning dock rotates by (360 / M) degrees.

Images