Charge / discharge testing device

Abstract

To provide a charge / discharge testing device that allows for reduced wiring and offers excellent maintainability. [Solution] The charge / discharge testing device 100 includes a tray 10 for storing multiple secondary batteries B, multiple charge / discharge power supplies P for performing charge / discharge control for each secondary battery B, a first conductor 40 connecting the negative or positive electrode side of each charge / discharge power supply P, and a second conductor 60 connected to the first conductor 40 by a connecting part 50. Of the negative or positive electrode side of the multiple charge / discharge power supplies P, the side connected to the first conductor 40 is at the same potential, and the side that is not connected is connected via charge / discharge contacts CP etc. provided corresponding to the negative or positive electrode terminals of the multiple secondary batteries B, and the second conductor 60 is connected by directly contacting the negative or positive electrode terminals of the multiple secondary batteries B, or by connecting to the negative or positive electrode terminals of the multiple secondary batteries B via charge / discharge contacts CP etc.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a charge-discharge inspection device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a charge-discharge inspection device capable of charging and discharging a plurality of inspection targets (secondary batteries) together is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, first and second charge-discharge probes and first and second voltage measurement probes connected to the positive and negative electrodes of a plurality of secondary batteries carried in a state where each row is arranged in a tray at the same interval, and charge-discharge means provided for each secondary battery and connected to the first and second charge-discharge probes are provided. A charge-discharge inspection device having a charge-discharge power supply is described. Further, in the charge-discharge inspection device described in Patent Document 1, the first charge-discharge probe and / or the second charge-discharge probe connected to the charge-discharge means are integrated to form a charge-discharge unit, and a plurality of charge-discharge units corresponding to the secondary batteries in each row are formed on one substrate.

[0003] Note that in Patent Document 1, with such a configuration, a cable that conventionally connected a power supply unit and a contact unit becomes unnecessary, or can be extremely shortened, so that good test results can be obtained, and the wiring of the cable becomes more complicated as the number of charge-discharge channels (a group of codes connected to each secondary battery) increases. The drawback is eliminated, and furthermore, it is described that the device configuration can be made compact.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, with the recent increase in the battery capacity of secondary batteries, the current values ​​in charge / discharge testing equipment also need to be increased. This necessitates increasing the size of the wiring diameter for both the positive and negative electrodes (in short, thicker wiring), and given that wiring selection is currently done with ample margin relative to the rated current value, a significant cost increase is unavoidable. Furthermore, as the battery capacity of secondary batteries increases, the number of wires and the length of the wires increase in proportion to the number of batteries being processed, which increases the wiring resistance and losses. In addition, the layout of equipment placement may be restricted due to the need to manage the thicker, longer, and more numerous wires.

[0006] In light of these circumstances, while the charge / discharge testing device described in Patent Document 1 can eliminate the need for the cable connecting the power supply unit and the contact unit, a cable is still required between the charge / discharge means and the first and second charge / discharge probes and the first and second voltage measurement probes for each charge / discharge means. As mentioned above, if thicker wiring is required as the battery capacity of the secondary battery increases, cost increases will be unavoidable, and layout constraints may arise.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a charge / discharge inspection device that can solve these problems by reducing the amount of wiring compared to conventional devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The charge / discharge testing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a tray for storing a plurality of secondary batteries to be tested, a plurality of charge / discharge power supplies provided corresponding to each of the plurality of secondary batteries for performing charge / discharge control of the secondary batteries, a first conductor connecting the negative or positive electrode sides of the plurality of charge / discharge power supplies, and a second conductor connected to the first conductor by a connecting portion. The negative or positive electrode sides of the plurality of charge / discharge power supplies connected to the first conductor are at the same potential, the negative or positive electrode sides of the plurality of charge / discharge power supplies not connected to the first conductor are connected via charge / discharge contacts provided corresponding to each of the negative or positive electrode terminals of the plurality of secondary batteries, and the second conductor is connected by directly contacting the negative or positive electrode terminals of the plurality of secondary batteries, or by via charge / discharge contacts provided corresponding to each of the negative or positive electrode terminals of the plurality of secondary batteries.

[0009] As a result, the negative or positive terminals of multiple charge / discharge power supplies are connected by the first conductor, so that the output current from each charge / discharge power supply flows from the first conductor through the connection to the second conductor, and power is then supplied to the secondary battery either directly from the second conductor or from the second conductor through the charge / discharge contact, thereby performing a charge / discharge test.

[0010] Furthermore, it is desirable to use wiring, plugs, sockets, busbars, or contacts at the connection points.

[0011] Furthermore, it is desirable that multiple charge / discharge power supplies have a constant current function that detects the current value output from either the positive or negative electrode side and performs feedback control based on the detected current value, with the other electrode side being at the same potential.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention can be more effective when the object being inspected is a secondary battery with the negative and positive terminals facing each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The charge / discharge testing apparatus according to the present invention provides a charge / discharge testing apparatus that reduces wiring requirements and offers excellent maintainability. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a charge / discharge testing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram of a charge / discharge testing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic block diagram of a charge / discharge testing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of a charge / discharge testing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of a charge / discharge testing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a conventional charge / discharge testing device. [Figure 7] This is a schematic block diagram of a conventional charge / discharge testing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below, but the descriptions of each constituent element described below are examples (representative examples) of embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following unless its gist is changed.

[0016] [Charge / Discharge Testing Device] (First embodiment) First, with reference to Figures 1 to 3, the configuration of the charge / discharge testing device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in comparison with a conventional configuration (Figures 6 and 7). In Figure 1, some components such as wiring are omitted or made transparent to facilitate understanding of the configuration of the charge / discharge testing device 100. The same applies to Figures 4, 5, and 7. Regarding other embodiments, components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0017] The charge / discharge inspection device 100 includes a tray 10 for housing a plurality of secondary batteries B to be inspected, and a plurality of charge / discharge power supplies P provided corresponding to each of the plurality of secondary batteries B for performing charge / discharge control on the secondary batteries B (see FIG. 1). Further, the charge / discharge inspection device 100 includes a lift plate 11 on which the tray 10 and the secondary batteries B are placed and which is lifted and lowered by a lift (not shown).

[0018] In the example shown in FIG. 1, since there are nine secondary batteries B, the charge / discharge inspection device 100 includes nine charge / discharge power supplies P11 to P33 corresponding to each of the nine secondary batteries B. Specifically, the charge / discharge power supply P11 performs charge / discharge control on the secondary battery B11, the charge / discharge power supply P12 performs charge / discharge control on the secondary battery B12, and the charge / discharge power supply P13 performs charge / discharge control on the secondary battery B13. The same applies to the relationship between the other charge / discharge power supplies P and the secondary batteries B.

[0019] Further, the secondary battery B of the present embodiment has terminals on opposite faces. Specifically, each secondary battery B is arranged in a 3×3 matrix on the tray 10 such that the positive electrode terminal BP is located on the upper surface and the negative electrode terminal BN is located on the lower surface.

[0020] Further, the charge / discharge power supplies P of the present embodiment are grouped into groups of charge / discharge power supplies P11 to P13, charge / discharge power supplies P21 to P23, and charge / discharge power supplies P31 to P33, and are arranged on a substrate 20 for exchanging control signals for each group. Although not shown in FIG. 1, each charge / discharge power supply P is supplied with power from a connected power supply (AC-DC power supply) (see FIG. 2). There is no particular limitation on the power supply means.

[0021] Furthermore, the charge / discharge power supply P has a constant current function that detects the current value output from either the positive or negative electrode side using a detector (not shown), and performs feedback control using a CPU or the like based on the detected current value. By controlling the current in each secondary battery B to a constant level using this function, charging and discharging are performed, and a charge / discharge test is conducted. In this embodiment, the current value output from the positive electrode side of the charge / discharge power supplies P11-13 is detected, and feedback control is performed based on the detected current value, so the negative electrode side of the charge / discharge power supplies P11-13 is at the same potential. The charge / discharge power supplies P21-P23 and P31-P33 have a similar configuration. Furthermore, this feedback control can be implemented using the techniques described in the references listed below. (Reference) Patent No. 7291592

[0022] Here, a shunt resistor or current sensor can be used as the detector. If each channel is isolated (for example, between charge / discharge power supply P11, charge / discharge power supply P12, and charge / discharge power supply P13), both the positive and negative terminals will be in an undefined state, so the detector can be mounted on either the positive or negative side of the output, and the wiring on either side can be made common. On the other hand, if each channel is not isolated, the negative side is at the same potential, so the detector can be placed on the positive side, and the wiring on the negative side can be made common.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the positive electrode side of each charge / discharge power supply P is connected by wiring W1 to a plurality of positive electrode charge / discharge contacts CP provided on the positive electrode probe unit 30. Although Figure 1 only illustrates a configuration in which the positive electrode sides of charge / discharge power supplies P31 to P33 are connected by wiring W1 to each positive electrode charge / discharge contact CP of the positive electrode probe unit 30, the same configuration applies to charge / discharge power supplies P11 to P13 and P21 to P23.

[0024] Furthermore, the charge / discharge testing device 100 includes a first conductor 40 that connects the negative electrodes of each charge / discharge power supply P. In this embodiment, the charge / discharge power supplies P11 to P13 are connected by the first conductor 41, the charge / discharge power supplies P21 to P23 are connected by the first conductor 42, and the charge / discharge power supplies P31 to P33 are connected by the first conductor 43.

[0025] Furthermore, the first conductor 40 is connected to the second conductor 60 by a connecting portion 50. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 50 is a wire, and the first conductor 41 is connected to the second conductor 61 by the wire W21, the first conductor 42 is connected to the second conductor 62 by the wire W22, and the first conductor 43 is connected to the second conductor 63 by the wire W23. Here, the connecting portion 50 can be any type of conductor, and those with a high allowable current value and good electrical conductivity are particularly desirable, but can be appropriately selected according to the specifications and application of the charge / discharge testing device.

[0026] In this embodiment, the second conductor 60 is positioned on the lifting plate 11, and the second conductor 60 is provided with a number of negative electrode charge / discharge contacts CN equal to the number of corresponding secondary batteries B. Therefore, the negative electrode side of each charge / discharge power supply P is connected to the corresponding negative electrode terminal BN of the secondary battery B via the first conductor 40, the connecting portion 50, the second conductor 60, and the negative electrode charge / discharge contacts CN. Of course, it is also possible to configure the second conductor 60 so that it directly contacts the negative electrode terminal or positive electrode terminal of each secondary battery B without providing the negative electrode charge / discharge contacts CN on the second conductor 60.

[0027] Here, Figure 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a part of the charge / discharge testing device 100 (charge / discharge power supplies P11~P13). As shown in Figure 2, the positive terminals of charge / discharge power supplies P11~P13 are connected to the positive terminals BP of secondary batteries B11~B13, respectively, while the negative terminals BN of secondary batteries B11~B13 are connected by being bundled together by a second conductor 41, a second conductor 61, etc. The same configuration applies to charge / discharge power supplies P21~P23 and P31~P33.

[0028] In this way, the charge / discharge testing device 100 can reduce the number of wires on the negative side of the charge / discharge power supply P, thereby achieving reduced wiring. In contrast, in the conventional charge / discharge testing device 400, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the negative terminals of the charge / discharge power supplies P11 to P13 are connected by wiring W211 to W213 to the negative terminal charge / discharge contacts CN (CN1 to CN3) provided on the negative terminal probe unit 41. Although not shown in Figure 6, the wiring on the negative terminals of the charge / discharge power supplies P21 to P23 and P31 to P33 has a similar configuration. Therefore, in the examples shown in Figures 1 and 6, the charge / discharge testing device 100 is able to reduce the number of negative electrode wires to one-third compared to the conventional configuration (charge / discharge testing device 400).

[0029] Therefore, in conventional configurations, the negative terminal wiring of the charge / discharge power supply P requires the same number of wires as the number of charge / discharge contacts (the number of terminals or electrodes of the secondary battery) for both the negative and positive terminals. As the battery capacity of the secondary battery increases, thicker wires are required, which may lead to increased costs or layout constraints. However, the present invention, with its configuration, can resolve these problems.

[0030] Furthermore, regarding the connection between the AC / DC power supply and the charge / discharge power supply P, under the condition that the potential of the negative terminal of the input to each charge / discharge power supply P from the AC / DC power supply is equal to the potential of the negative terminal of the output to each charge / discharge power supply P, the input terminals from the AC / DC power supply to each charge / discharge power supply P can be made common, as shown in Figure 3.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first conductor 40 is configured to connect the negative electrode side of each charge / discharge power supply P, but it may also be configured to connect the positive electrode side of each charge / discharge power supply P. The secondary battery B may have a positive electrode terminal BP and a negative electrode terminal BN on the same surface (for example, the top surface).

[0032] Furthermore, by achieving reduced wiring in the charge / discharge testing apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the effects mentioned above, maintainability such as inspection, replacement, and cleaning can be dramatically improved. Specifically, charge / discharge testing apparatuses require periodic maintenance due to wear and deterioration of the charge / discharge contacts. In the case of conventional configurations, when replacing the charge / discharge contacts, it is necessary to pull out the probe unit (for example, probe units 30 and 31 shown in Figure 6), but since wiring (for example, W211 to W213 shown in Figure 6) extends from each charge / discharge power supply P to each charge / discharge contact (for example, the negative electrode charge / discharge contact CN shown in Figure 6), it becomes necessary to remove all the wiring, and as a result, the work of pulling out the probe unit becomes very complicated. In contrast, the charge / discharge testing apparatus according to the present invention achieves reduced wiring, so when replacing the charge / discharge contacts, for example, when pulling out the second conductor 61 (see Figure 1), only the wiring W21 needs to be removed, making the wiring removal work extremely easy.

[0033] (Second embodiment) Next, with reference to Figure 4, a charge / discharge testing apparatus 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. This description will focus particularly on the differences from the charge / discharge testing apparatus 100 (see Figure 1).

[0034] In the charge / discharge testing device 200, the second conductor 64 serves as both the second conductor 60 and the lifting plate 11. That is, the second conductor 64 is on which the tray 10 and secondary batteries B are placed, and is also raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown). In addition, multiple negative electrode charge / discharge contacts CN are directly provided on the portion of the second conductor 64 corresponding to each secondary battery B.

[0035] In the example shown in Figure 4, the connecting portion 50 (connecting portions 51-53) is a plug. Therefore, in the charge / discharge testing device 200, when the second conductor 64 is raised by a lifting mechanism (not shown), the first conductors 41-43 and the second conductor 64 are connected by the connecting portions 51-53, which are plugs.

[0036] In this way, by using a plug or socket that can handle high currents in the connecting section 50, it becomes possible to remove it with a single touch. Therefore, the attachment and detachment of the connecting section 50 can be made easier, further improving convenience and maintainability.

[0037] (Third embodiment) Finally, with reference to Figure 5, a charge / discharge testing apparatus 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. This will also be explained focusing on the differences from the charge / discharge testing apparatus 100 (see Figure 1).

[0038] The charge / discharge testing device 300 arranges the secondary batteries B such that the positive terminal BP and negative terminal BN are located on the left and right sides. In the example shown in Figure 5, five secondary batteries B are arranged in a row on the tray 10. The charge / discharge testing device 300 also has multiple charge / discharge power supplies P (charge / discharge power supplies P41~P45) that perform charge / discharge control for each secondary battery B, and these charge / discharge power supplies P41~P45 are connected by a first conductor 44.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the positive terminal BP of each secondary battery B contacts a plurality of positive electrode charge / discharge contacts CP provided on the positive electrode probe unit 30. On the other hand, the negative terminal BN of each secondary battery B contacts a plurality of negative electrode charge / discharge contacts CN provided on the negative electrode probe unit 31.

[0040] Furthermore, each positive electrode charge / discharge contact CP is connected to the positive side of the charge / discharge power supplies P41 to P45 by wiring W1. On the other hand, each negative electrode charge / discharge contact CN is connected to the second conductor 65 by wiring W2, and further connected to the negative side of the charge / discharge power supplies P41 to P45 by connecting portion 54 and first conductor 44.

[0041] In this embodiment, a busbar is used for the connecting section 50. If the connecting section 50 were made of wiring, each wire would have an insulating coating, so laying multiple wires would take up space and inevitably create a cumbersome wiring process. Therefore, by using a metal conductor such as a busbar or a metal structure for the mounting frame for the connecting section 50, such cumbersomeness can be eliminated and a simple configuration can be achieved. As a result, it is possible to ensure a degree of freedom in the layout of the charge / discharge testing device 300 and the charge / discharge testing device 300 as a whole, allowing for an optimal design for the installation location.

[0042] Furthermore, the charge / discharge testing device 300 can bring the positive electrode charge / discharge contact CP and the negative electrode charge / discharge contact CN into contact with the positive electrode terminal BP and the negative electrode terminal BN of the secondary battery B by, for example, moving the positive electrode probe unit 30 and the negative electrode probe unit 31 (bringing them closer to the secondary battery B) (see the arrows shown in Figure 5). In this case, since each negative electrode charge / discharge contact CN is connected to the negative electrode side of each charge / discharge power supply P by wiring W2 extending from the second conductor 65, the length of the wiring can be shortened compared to the wiring in the conventional configuration (for example, wiring W211~W213 shown in Figure 6), resulting in reduced wiring.

[0043] As described above, this embodiment is merely an example, and each configuration can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, although the number of secondary batteries B exemplified in this description was around 9 or 5, the greater the number of secondary batteries, that is, the greater the number of wires connected to the positive / negative electrode charge / discharge contacts, the more the effects of the present invention can be fully realized. Furthermore, the charge / discharge testing device according to the present invention can appropriately configure the optimal number of charge / discharge power supplies according to the number and arrangement of secondary batteries to be tested, and the current value. [Industrial applicability]

[0044] This invention provides a charge / discharge testing device that reduces wiring compared to conventional configurations, and also offers excellent maintainability, making it industrially useful for use in various locations and applications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 10 trays 11 Lifting plate 20 circuit boards 30 Positive electrode probe unit 31. Negative electrode probe unit 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 First conductor 50,51,52,53 Connection part 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 Second conductor 100, 200, 300 Charge / Discharge Testing Device 400 Conventional charge / discharge testing equipment P,P11,P12,P13,P21,P22,P23,P31,P32,P33 Charge / discharge power supply CP charge / discharge contact for positive electrode CN,CN1,CN2,CN3 Charge / discharge contact for negative electrode B,B11,B12,B13 Secondary battery BP secondary battery positive terminal BN Negative terminal of a secondary battery W, W1, W2, W21, W211, W212, W213, W22, W23 wiring

Claims

1. A tray for storing multiple rechargeable batteries to be tested, Multiple charge / discharge power supplies are provided corresponding to each of the multiple secondary batteries and perform charge / discharge control for the secondary batteries, A first conductor connecting the negative or positive terminals of multiple charge / discharge power supplies, The device comprises a second conductor connected to the first conductor by a connecting portion, Of the negative or positive electrodes of the multiple charge / discharge power supplies, the side connected to the first conductor is at the same potential. The negative or positive terminals of the multiple charge / discharge power supplies that are not connected to the first conductor are connected via charge / discharge contacts provided corresponding to the negative or positive terminals of the multiple secondary batteries. A charge / discharge testing device in which the second conductor is connected by direct contact with the negative or positive terminals of a plurality of secondary batteries, or by connection via charge / discharge contacts provided corresponding to each of the negative or positive terminals of the plurality of secondary batteries.

2. The charge / discharge testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is a wire, plug, socket, busbar, or contact.

3. The charge / discharge inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the multiple charge / discharge power supplies has a constant current function that detects the current value output from one of the electrodes, either the positive or negative electrode, and performs feedback control based on the detected current value, and the other electrode is at the same potential.

4. The charge / discharge testing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the secondary battery has a negative terminal and a positive terminal facing each other.

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