Torque-sensitive automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig

Abstract

The disclosed automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing fixture includes a reaction plate and a drive plate facing each other, and a plurality of pressurizing plates arranged linearly movable between the reaction plate and the drive plate, wherein the pressure applied by the drive plate as it moves toward the reaction plate pressurizes pouch batteries inserted between each of the pressurizing plates, and the drive plate can be retracted in fixed increments by a torque-sensitive adjustment device that automatically dampens the increased torque in response to the increased torque corresponding to the increased pressure due to the expansion of the pressurized pouch batteries.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pressing jig used in the activation process of pouch batteries, and relates to a pressing jig capable of automatically adjusting the pressing force in response to an increase in the internal pressure of a pouch battery during the activation process without electrical control of a load cell and a servo motor.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0089761 filed on July 8, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the documents of the said Korean patent application are included as part of the present specification.

Background Art

[0003] As technological development and demand for mobile devices increase, the demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly increasing, and accordingly, much research on secondary batteries that can meet various requirements is being conducted.

[0004] In terms of the shape of secondary batteries, demand is high for prismatic secondary batteries and pouch-type secondary batteries that can be applied to products such as mobile phones with a small thickness. In terms of materials, demand is high for lithium secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion polymer batteries, which have advantages such as high energy density, discharge voltage, and output stability.

[0005] Among various types of secondary batteries, pouch-type secondary batteries have a higher energy density per unit weight and volume, enable the battery to be made thinner and lighter, and the pouch as an exterior material has many advantages such as low material cost, so its development has been actively promoted up to recent years.

[0006] To briefly summarize the manufacturing process of this type of pouch-type rechargeable battery, first, a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are manufactured, and then an electrode assembly is created by laminating them with a separator membrane in between. Electrode leads electrically connected to the positive and negative electrode plates protrude from the outside of the pouch case. After the electrode assembly is placed inside the pouch case, electrolyte is injected into the pouch case to impregnate the electrode assembly. After the electrolyte is injected, the edges of the pouch case are sealed by heat fusion.

[0007] The sealed pouch-type secondary battery undergoes a pressurized activation process (pre-formation process) to activate the pouch by pressurizing it so that the electrolyte filled inside the pouch spreads evenly, an aging process to stabilize the secondary battery, and a charge / discharge process (formation) to activate the secondary battery.

[0008] In the pressurized activation process, pouch-type secondary batteries can be activated under pressure so that the electrolyte is uniformly distributed inside the pouch case and the electrode assembly is sufficiently impregnated with the electrolyte. The device used here is a pressurized activation device, and this type of pressurized activation process is also called a jig formation. With the pressurized activation device, the pouch-type secondary battery is charged, discharged, and its voltage measured via the electrode leads while under pressure from a pressurized jig.

[0009] The pressurized activation device comprises multiple pressurizing plates for pressurizing pouch-type secondary batteries, with the pouch-type secondary batteries inserted between the pressurizing plates. A powered drive plate pushes the adjacent outermost pressurizing plate, causing the multiple pressurizing plates to move linearly along a guide, eventually contacting a reaction plate on the opposite side of the drive plate. The drive plate moves until a predetermined pressure is reached, thereby pressurizing the pouch-type secondary batteries between the pressurizing plates. Then, lead grippers coupled to both ends of the pressurizing plates make close contact with the electrode leads protruding from the outside of the pouch case, and charging, discharging, and voltage measurement are performed. Such a pressurized activation device has the advantage of being able to perform the pressurized activation process on multiple pouch-type secondary batteries at once. See Korean Published Patent No. 10-2023-0068702 (published May 18, 2023).

[0010] However, in the operation of a pressurized activation device, a servo motor is used to move the drive plate, and a load cell is required to measure the pressure in order to readjust to the appropriate pressure in response to the pressure increase due to the swelling phenomenon during the activation process. A controller is also required to control the operation of the servo motor in response to the pressure measured by the load cell. Since such an electrical control configuration for the servo motor and load cell must be provided in each pressurized activation device, a large initial investment cost is required. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] This disclosure relates to a pressurizing jig for a pressurizing activation device for pouch batteries, and aims to provide a pressurizing jig that can automatically adjust the applied pressure in response to the increase in internal pressure of the pouch battery during the activation process, without the need for electrical control of a load cell and a servo motor.

[0012] However, the technical problems that this disclosure seeks to solve are not limited to those described above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person of the ordinary skill from the description of the invention below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] This disclosure relates to an automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig, which in one example includes a reaction plate and a drive plate facing each other, and a plurality of pressurizing plates arranged linearly movable between the reaction plate and the drive plate, wherein the pressure applied by the drive plate as it moves toward the reaction plate pressurizes pouch batteries inserted between each of the pressurizing plates, and the drive plate can be retracted in fixed increments by a torque-sensitive adjustment device that automatically dampens the increased torque in response to the increase in torque corresponding to the increased pressure due to the expansion of the pressurized pouch batteries.

[0014] The torque-sensitive adjustment device described above may be provided on the drive plate.

[0015] In one embodiment, the torque-sensitive adjustment device may include a torque transducer that converts the pressure acting on the drive plate into torque, and a ratchet mechanism that resists the torque acting on the torque transducer and prevents the drive plate from retracting.

[0016] For example, the torque transducer may include a preload adjuster comprising a cam supported by a rotating shaft and having a plurality of slip grooves formed along its circumferential surface, a roller that meshes with the slip grooves of the cam, and a spring that elastically pressurizes the roller.

[0017] The ratchet mechanism may include a ratchet wheel having a plurality of claws along its circumferential surface while sharing the rotation axis of the cam, and a pawl having teeth that engage with the claws of the ratchet wheel, wherein the pawl is fixed and separated from the movement of the drive plate.

[0018] For torques below the preload applied to the roller by the spring, the rotation of the cam is prevented, thereby maintaining the state in which the claw of the ratchet wheel engages with the teeth of the pawl.

[0019] When a torque exceeding the preload applied to the roller is applied, the cam rotates, disengaging the ratchet wheel's claw from the teeth of the pawl. The drive plate retracts, and the retraction of the drive plate reduces the torque acting on the cam to less than or equal to the preload applied to the roller, thereby preventing the cam from rotating again.

[0020] The unit in which the drive plate retracts may correspond to the spacing between multiple slip grooves formed along the circumferential surface of the cam.

[0021] The above preload adjuster may include an adjustment knob for adjusting the preload of the spring that elastically pressurizes the roller.

[0022] Furthermore, the preload of the spring that elastically pressurizes the roller can be set to a value corresponding to the upper limit of the allowable pressure on the pouch battery inserted between each of the pressurizing plates.

[0023] On the other hand, the automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig of the present disclosure may further include a pressurizing station comprising a servo motor for pressurizing and moving the drive plate, and a load cell for measuring the pressure applied to the drive plate by the servo motor.

[0024] It is preferable that the pressurizing station described above is an independent station that can be freely connected to and disconnected from the drive plate described above.

[0025] Furthermore, the above-mentioned pressurizing station can be shared by multiple automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing fixtures. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] According to the automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig of the present disclosure having the above-described configuration, by providing a torque-sensitive adjusting device that automatically attenuates the increased torque in response to the torque increase corresponding to the pressure increased by the swelling phenomenon of the pressurized pouch battery, it is no longer necessary to install the configurations of the servo motor, load cell, and controller for performing the pressurizing operation of the drive plate and relieving overpressure during pressurization for each individual pressure activation device. Therefore, the burden of initial investment costs required to install a large number of pressure activation devices can be reduced.

[0027] In addition, the torque-sensitive adjusting device provided in the present disclosure can be implemented as a mechanical mechanism that does not require electrical and electronic control, whereby the initial investment cost for a large number of pressure activation devices can be further reduced.

[0028] However, the technical effects obtained by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art from the following description of the invention.

[0029] The following drawings attached to the present specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and serve to further understand the technical idea of the present disclosure together with the detailed description of the invention to be described later, so the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a pressure activation device according to the prior art. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a pressurizing jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing a state when a torque equal to or less than a preload is acting on the pressurizing jig of Fig. 2. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a state at the moment when a torque exceeding a preload acts on the pressurizing jig of Fig. 2. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a stopped state after the drive plate is retracted. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of setting the drive plate to a pressurized state using a pressurizing station. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of setting the drive plate to a pressurized state using a pressurizing station.

[0031] In some of the accompanying drawings, corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. Those skilled in the art will understand that these drawings are intended to show elements simply and clearly, and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, to aid in understanding the various embodiments, the dimensions of some elements shown in the drawings may be exaggerated compared to other elements. Also, elements of known technology that are useful or essential in commercially viable embodiments may often be omitted so as not to detract from the spirit of the various embodiments of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] This disclosure is subject to various modifications and may have a variety of embodiments; therefore, specific embodiments are described in detail below.

[0033] However, this is not intended to limit the disclosure to any particular embodiment, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the disclosure.

[0034] In this disclosure, terms such as “includes” and “have” are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof as described in the specification, and do not presuppose the presence or possibility of adding one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0035] Furthermore, in this disclosure, when a part such as a layer, film, region, or plate is described as being "on top" of another part, this includes not only when it is "directly above" the other part, but also when there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part such as a layer, film, region, or plate is described as being "below" another part, this includes not only when it is "directly below" the other part, but also when there is another part in between. Also, in this application, being "on top" may include being located not only above but also below.

[0036] This disclosure relates to an automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig, which in one example includes a reaction plate and a drive plate facing each other, and a plurality of pressurizing plates arranged linearly movable between the reaction plate and the drive plate, wherein the pressure applied by the drive plate as it moves toward the reaction plate pressurizes pouch batteries inserted between each of the pressurizing plates, and the drive plate can be retracted in fixed increments by a torque-sensitive adjustment device that automatically dampens the increased torque in response to the increase in torque corresponding to the increased pressure due to the expansion of the pressurized pouch batteries.

[0037] According to the automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig of this disclosure, which has the above configuration, a torque-sensitive adjustment device is provided that automatically dampens the increased torque in response to the torque increase corresponding to the increased pressure due to the swelling phenomenon of the pressurized pouch battery. This eliminates the need to install a servo motor, load cell, and controller for pressurizing the drive plate and mitigating excess pressure during pressurization for each individual pressurizing activation device. Therefore, the burden of initial investment costs required to install a large number of pressurizing activation devices can be reduced.

[0038] Furthermore, the torque-sensitive adjustment device provided in this disclosure can be implemented with a mechanical mechanism that does not require electrical or electronic control, thereby further reducing the initial investment costs for numerous pressure activation devices.

[0039] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig 100 according to this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. For reference, the forward / backward and up / down / left / right directions used in the following description to specify relative positions are for the purpose of aiding the understanding of the invention, and unless otherwise defined, the directions shown in the drawings shall be used as the reference.

[0040] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of a conventional pressurized activation device 10. The illustrated pressurized activation device 10 broadly includes a pressurizing jig 100 and a lead jig 200. The pressurizing jig 100 is a mechanism equipped with multiple pressurizing plates 130 that apply pressure to both sides of the pouch battery 400 in the thickness direction T, and the lead jig 200 is a mechanism that is in close contact with and electrically connected to electrode leads 410 that protrude from one or both sides in the longitudinal direction L of the pouch battery 400, which are arranged between the pressurizing plates 130. Charging and discharging of the pouch battery 400 and voltage measurement are performed via the lead jig 200.

[0041] The pressurizing jig 100 must be able to apply pressure of several bars to the pouch battery 400 that has been introduced into the activation process. For this purpose, the pressurizing jig 100 is equipped with a power source 150, such as a servo motor. To enable pressure to be applied to both sides of the pressurizing plate 130, the pressurizing jig 100 is equipped with a reaction plate 120 and a drive plate 110. The reaction plate 120 is fixedly mounted on the pressurizing jig 100, and the drive plate 110, located on the outside of the multiple pressurizing plates 130 and on the opposite side of the reaction plate 120, can be moved forward and backward by the power source 150, for example, a servo motor. The reaction plate 120 may be equipped with a load cell 160 for measuring the applied pressure.

[0042] Multiple pressure plates 130, connected to a plate guide 140, are spaced apart between the reaction plate 120 and the drive plate 110. The multiple pressure plates 130 can move freely linearly along the plate guide 140. Therefore, one pouch battery 400 is inserted between each of the multiple pressure plates 130, and as the drive plate 110 moves toward the reaction plate 120, the outermost pressure plate 130 comes into contact with the drive plate 110 and is pushed. This movement of the pressure plates 130 occurs sequentially and in a chain reaction in response to the movement of the drive plate 110, and ultimately, the pouch batteries 400 inserted between each of the multiple pressure plates 130 are pressed on both sides in the thickness direction T by the drive plate 110 and the reaction plate 120.

[0043] Herein, in this specification, the direction in which the pouch battery 400 is pressurized is referred to as the thickness direction T, with respect to the pouch battery 400. The direction in which the electrode leads 410 protrude from the pouch battery 400 is referred to as the longitudinal direction L. The thickness direction T and the longitudinal direction L are shown as coordinate axes in Figure 1. The electrode leads 410 of the pouch battery 400 may protrude from one side or both sides of the longitudinal direction L, depending on the specifications of the secondary battery, but in the figure, it is shown exemplarily as a bidirectional secondary battery in which the electrode leads 410 protrude from both sides of the longitudinal direction L.

[0044] The pressurizing jig 100 is a mechanism for applying pressure to the pouch battery 400, and the lead jig 200 is a mechanism that is in close contact with and electrically connected to the electrode leads 410 protruding from one or both sides in the longitudinal direction L of the pouch battery 400. In the illustrated embodiment, the lead jig 200 includes gripper units 210 coupled to both sides of the pressurizing plate 130. The gripper units 210 are units equipped with terminals for charging and discharging the pouch battery 400, and are electrically connected to the pouch battery 400 by pressing the electrode leads 410 in close contact from both sides as the pressurizing plate 130 moves.

[0045] Figure 2 shows the configuration of a pressurizing jig 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The pressurizing jig 100 in Figure 2 may be called an automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig 100, and is shown focusing on the part corresponding to the pressurizing jig 100 in the pressurizing activation device 10 of Figure 1, particularly the drive plate 110. Therefore, unless otherwise stated in the following description, the pressurizing jig 100 of Figure 2 can be understood as being applicable to the pressurizing activation device 10 of Figure 1.

[0046] Referring to Figure 2, the pressurizing jig 100 of the present disclosure includes a reaction plate 120 and a drive plate 110 facing each other, and a plurality of pressurizing plates 130 arranged to be linearly movable between the reaction plate 120 and the drive plate 110. As described above, the pressure applied by the drive plate 110 as it moves toward the reaction plate 120 pressurizes the pouch batteries 400 inserted between each of the pressurizing plates 130.

[0047] Here, the pressurizing jig 100 of this disclosure is configured such that, when the pressure acting on the pressurized pouch battery 400 increases further than the initially set value due to the expansion of the pressurized pouch battery 400, i.e., the swelling phenomenon that occurs as the initial charge-discharge cycle progresses, the drive plate 110 that creates the pressurized state is retracted by a certain unit (distance) by a torque-sensitive adjustment device 300 that automatically dampens the increased torque in response to the increase in torque corresponding to the increased pressure. In other words, in the pressurizing jig 100 of Figure 2, the drive plate 110 automatically retracts by a certain unit in response to the excess pressure, and the retraction of the drive plate 110 reduces the pressure applied to the pouch battery 400 sandwiched between the pressurizing plates 130.

[0048] In the pressurizing jig 100 of this disclosure, the reaction plate 120 may be fixed in an initial pressurizing position, and the automatic retraction movement in response to excess pressure may be performed by the drive plate 110. In such operation, the torque-sensitive adjuster 300 may be provided on the drive plate 110 for design simplification. Alternatively, although not shown, the torque-sensitive adjuster 300 may be provided on the reaction plate 120, and the drive plate 110 may be configured to be fixed in an initial pressurizing position. However, as in the illustrated embodiment, it may be advantageous from a design standpoint to configure the reaction plate 120 to always be fixed and only the drive plate 110 to be movable.

[0049] In one embodiment, the torque-sensitive adjustment device 300 may be composed of a mechanical mechanism. Specifically, the torque-sensitive adjustment device 300 may include a torque transducer 310 that converts the pressure acting on the drive plate 110 into torque, and a ratchet mechanism 350 that resists the torque acting on the torque transducer 310 and prevents the drive plate 110 from retracting.

[0050] The torque transducer 310 may include a cam 312 supported by a rotating shaft 314 and having a plurality of slip grooves 316 formed along its circumferential surface. It may also include a preload adjuster 320 comprising a roller 322 that meshes with the slip grooves 316 of the cam 312 and a spring 324 that elastically pressurizes the roller 322. The roller 322 elastically pressurizes the slip grooves 316 of the cam 312 by the elastic force of the spring 324, and the force with which the roller 322 pressurizes the slip grooves 316 corresponds to the preload stored in the compressed spring 324.

[0051] The ratchet mechanism 350 may include a ratchet wheel 352 having multiple claws 354 along its circumferential surface while sharing the rotation axis 314 of the cam 312, and a pawl 356 having teeth 358 that engage with the claws 354 of the ratchet wheel 352. The pawl 356 is separated and fixed in place relative to the movement of the drive plate 110.

[0052] With such a torque-sensitive adjustment device 300, if there were no preload adjuster 320, the pressure acting on the drive plate 120 would be directed to the left in the diagram, causing the cam 312 and ratchet wheel 352 to receive a torque that would cause them to rotate counterclockwise, but the teeth 358 of the claws 354 and pawls 356 of the ratchet wheel 352 would not be able to prevent the drive plate 110 from moving to the left. In other words, the combination of the cam 312 and the ratchet mechanism 350 converts the pressure acting on the drive plate 110 into torque on the cam 312 and ratchet wheel 352, which share the same rotating shaft 314.

[0053] The torque-sensitive adjustment device 300 includes a preload adjuster 320 that prevents the rotation of the cam 312 for forces less than or equal to the preload stored in the spring 324. As a result, for torques less than or equal to the preload applied to the roller 322 by the spring 324, the cam 312 and the ratchet wheel 352, which share the same rotating shaft 314, cannot rotate, and the claw 354 of the ratchet wheel 352 remains engaged with the teeth 358 of the pawl 356. In other words, the drive plate 110 remains stationary. Figure 3 shows the state when a torque less than or equal to the preload is acting on the pressurizing jig 100.

[0054] On the other hand, when a torque exceeding the preload applied to the roller 322 that pushes the slip groove 316 acts on it, the cam 312 rotates counterclockwise against the force of the roller 322. Referring to Figure 4, as the cam 312 rotates, the ratchet wheel 352 also rotates counterclockwise, but the counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel 352 is not hindered by the pawl 356. Therefore, as the ratchet wheel 352 rotates counterclockwise, the drive plate 110 retracts.

[0055] The retraction of the drive plate 110 relieves the pressure pressing on the pouch battery 400, and the torque acting on the cam 312 also decreases as the pressure is relieved. The decrease in torque causes the roller 322 of the preload adjuster 320 to press against the slip groove 316 of the cam 312 again, stopping further rotation. Figure 5 shows the stopped state after the drive plate 110 has retracted, and once the pressure has been relieved to a certain level or more by the retraction of the drive plate 110, the drive plate 110 will stop again.

[0056] The unit in which the drive plate 110 retracts can be designed to correspond to the spacing between multiple slip grooves 316 formed along the circumferential surface of the cam 312. That is, the pressure drop when each slip groove 316 of the cam 312 crosses the roller 322 can be designed to restore the initial pressure level to the pouch battery 400 by a certain amount, exceeding the initial pressure level set for that initial pressure.

[0057] On the other hand, the preload adjuster 320 may include an adjustment knob 326 for adjusting the preload of the spring 324 that elastically pressurizes the roller 322. The adjustment knob 326 may be provided at a protruding end of the preload adjuster 320, and the preload acting on the spring 324 can be increased or decreased by the forward and backward movement of the adjustment knob 326. Thus, the force of the roller 322 pushing the slip groove 316 of the cam 312 can be adjusted by operating the adjustment knob 326. In other words, when the preload of the spring 324 is reduced with the adjustment knob 326, the reaction plate 120 will begin to retract at a lower pressure, and conversely, when the preload of the spring 324 is increased with the adjustment knob 326, the reaction plate 120 will only retract at a higher pressure.

[0058] Thus, by configuring the preload adjuster 320 to be variable, the pressurizing jig 100 of this disclosure can be applied to the activation process of pouch batteries 400 of various specifications. For example, the preload of the spring 324 that elastically pressurizes the roller 322 can be adjusted to a value corresponding to the upper limit of the allowable (set) pressurizing force for each pouch battery 400 inserted between the pressurizing plates 130. By adjusting the preload of the spring 324 in this way, even if the pressurizing force on the pouch battery 400 exceeds the allowable range due to the swelling phenomenon during the activation process, the torque-sensitive adjuster 300 automatically retracts the drive plate 110 by a certain distance, thereby ensuring that the pressurizing force on the pouch battery 400 is always maintained below the upper limit of the allowable range.

[0059] (Second Embodiment) The automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig 100 of this disclosure may further include a pressurizing station 500 comprising a servo motor 150 for pressurizing and moving the drive plate 110, and a load cell 160 for measuring the pressure applied to the drive plate 110 by the servo motor 150. Figures 6 and 7 show an example of setting the drive plate 110 to a pressurized state using the pressurizing station 500.

[0060] The pressurizing station 500 may be provided in the pressurizing activation device 10, which includes the pressurizing jig 100 as described with reference to Figures 2 to 5, in order to omit components such as the servo motor 150, load cell 160, and controller 170. For this purpose, the pressurizing station 500 may be configured as an independent station that can be freely connected to and disconnected from the drive plate 110. Furthermore, an independently configured pressurizing station 500 can be shared among multiple automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jigs 100, thereby reducing the investment costs required to install a large number of pressurizing activation devices 10.

[0061] Figure 6 shows the initial process of moving the drive plate 110 using the pressurizing station 500 and setting pressure on multiple pouch batteries 400 placed between the pressurizing plates 130.

[0062] In this state, the pressurizing jig 100 described in the first embodiment may have the preload of the spring 324 that elastically pressurizes the roller 322 substantially released. The unidirectional rotation permitted by the ratchet mechanism 350 corresponds to the direction in which the pressurizing station 500 applies pressure to the drive plate 110 and moves it. That is, with reference to Figure 6, the ratchet mechanism 350 does not cause any obstruction to the drive plate 110 moving to the right. Therefore, the drive plate 110 can move smoothly to the right.

[0063] The drive plate 110 is moved to the right by the pressurization station 500, and the reaction plate 120 is fixed, so the multiple pressurization plates 130 pressurize the pouch batteries 400 inserted between them. The pressure that increases due to the movement of the drive plate 110 (pressure acting on the pouch batteries) is measured by a load cell 160 provided in the pressurization station 500, and a controller 170 provided in the pressurization station 500 receives the measurement from the load cell 160 as input and controls the operation of the servo motor 150.

[0064] Figure 7 shows the state in which the pressurized position of the drive plate 110 is set and fixed by the pressurization station 500. When it is confirmed that the value measured via the load cell 160 is the appropriate pressurized pressure for the pouch battery 400, the operation of the servo motor 150 is stopped. In this state, the pressurization jig 100 described in the first embodiment is set so that the preload of the spring 324 that elastically pressurizes the roller 322 corresponds to the upper limit of the allowable pressurized pressure for the pouch battery 400.

[0065] The pressure applied by the pressurizing station 500 to the pouch battery 400 can be set to less than the preload set in the torque-sensitive adjuster 300, i.e., the upper limit of the allowable pressure on the pouch battery 400. Therefore, the drive plate 110 remains stopped even when the pressurizing station 500 is detached by the ratchet mechanism 350. Even if the pressurizing station 500 is detached from the drive plate 110 after applying slightly more pressure than intended, the torque-sensitive adjuster 300 automatically retracts the drive plate 110 to the appropriate level. Therefore, the torque-sensitive adjuster 300 can also serve as a kind of safety device to protect the pressurizing jig 100 and the pouch battery 500 from excessive pressure.

[0066] The pressurized position of the drive plate 110, as set in this manner, is mechanically fixed by the ratchet mechanism 350. The position of the reaction plate 110 does not change during the activation process, but the drive plate 110 retracts in fixed increments by the torque-sensitive adjustment device 300, thereby maintaining the pressurized force on the pouch battery 400 at an appropriate level.

[0067] The present disclosure has been described in more detail above with reference to the drawings and embodiments. However, the configurations described in the drawings or embodiments described herein represent only one embodiment of the present disclosure and do not represent the entire technical concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, at the time of filing, there may be various equivalents and modifications that can substitute for them. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10: Pressurized activation device 100: Pressurizing jig 110: Drive plate 120: Reaction plate 130: Pressure plate 140: Plate Guide 150: Power source (servo motor) 160: Load cell 170: Controller 200: Lead jig 210: Gripper Unit 300: Torque-sensitive adjustment device 310: Torque Converter 312: Cam 314: Rotation axis 316: Slip groove 320: Preload adjuster 322: Laura 324: Spring 326: Adjustment knob 350: Ratchet mechanism 352: Ratchet Wheel 354: Crow 356: Nails 358: Teeth 400: Pouch batteries 410: Electrode Lead 500: Pressurization Station T: thickness direction L: Long direction

Claims

1. It includes a reaction plate and a drive plate facing each other, and a plurality of pressure plates arranged linearly movable between the reaction plate and the drive plate, The pressure applied by the drive plate as it moves toward the reaction plate pressurizes the pouch batteries inserted between the pressurizing plates. The drive plate is an automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig, which retracts in a fixed increment by a torque-sensitive adjustment device that automatically dampens the increased torque in response to the increased torque corresponding to the increased pressure due to the expansion of the pressurized pouch battery.

2. The torque-sensitive adjustment device is The automatic pressure adjustment and pressurizing jig according to claim 1, provided on the drive plate.

3. The torque-sensitive adjustment device is A torque converter that converts the pressure acting on the drive plate into torque, The automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig according to claim 2, further comprising a ratchet mechanism that resists the torque acting on the torque transducer and prevents the drive plate from retracting.

4. The torque converter is A cam supported by a rotating shaft, with multiple slip grooves formed along its circumferential surface, The automatic pressure adjustment and pressing jig according to claim 3, comprising a preload adjuster having a roller that engages with a slip groove of the cam and a spring that elastically pressurizes the roller.

5. The ratchet mechanism is, A ratchet wheel sharing the rotation axis of the aforementioned cam and equipped with multiple claws along its circumferential surface, The automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig according to claim 4, further comprising: a claw that is fixedly installed and separated from the movement of the drive plate, and having teeth that engage with the claw of the ratchet wheel.

6. For torques less than or equal to the preload applied to the roller by the spring, the rotation of the cam is prevented. This maintains the state in which the claw of the ratchet wheel engages with the teeth of the claw, as described in claim 5, an automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig.

7. When a torque exceeding the preload applied to the roller is applied, the cam rotates, This disengages the ratchet wheel's claw from the teeth of the pawl, causing the drive plate to retract. The automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig according to claim 6, wherein the rotation of the cam is again prevented when the drive plate retracts, thereby reducing the torque acting on the cam to less than or equal to the preload applied to the roller.

8. The constant unit in which the drive plate retracts is, The automatic pressure adjustment and pressing jig according to claim 7, corresponding to the spacing between multiple slip grooves formed along the circumferential surface of the cam.

9. The aforementioned preload adjuster is The automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig according to any one of claims 4 to 8, further comprising an adjustment knob for adjusting the preload of a spring that elastically pressurizes the roller.

10. The preload of the spring that elastically pressurizes the roller is The automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig according to claim 9, which is set to a value corresponding to the upper limit of the allowable pressurizing force for pouch batteries inserted between each of the pressurizing plates.

11. The automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig according to claim 1, further comprising a pressurizing station comprising a servo motor for pressurizing and moving the drive plate, and a load cell for measuring the pressure applied to the drive plate by the servo motor.

12. The automatic pressure adjustment pressurizing jig according to claim 11, wherein the pressurizing station is an independent station that can be freely connected to and disconnected from the drive plate.

13. The automatic pressure regulating pressurizing jig according to claim 12, wherein the pressurizing station is shared by a plurality of automatic pressure regulating pressurizing jigs.

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