Inspection Method for Sensor Unit and Battery Manufacturing Equipment

Abstract

A sensor unit in one example embodiment of the present invention is a sensor unit that is loaded into battery production equipment and is provided with a bottomed cylindrical case which is processed similarly to a battery outer can via the battery production equipment, and a sensor which is attached to the case and detects force acting on the case from the battery production equipment. The sensor unit is provided with, for example, a first component to which the sensor is attached and which is accommodated inside the case, and a second component which is disposed so as to engage the outside of the first component. The first component is configured to be removable from an opening in the case by being separated from the second component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sensor unit to be input into battery manufacturing equipment and a method for inspecting battery manufacturing equipment using the sensor unit.

Background Art

[0002] A battery such as a lithium-ion battery has a structure in which an electrode body and an electrolyte are housed in a bottomed cylindrical outer can, and the opening of the outer can is sealed with a sealing body. A battery having such a structure is generally manufactured through many manufacturing processes. In the manufacturing process of the battery, after the electrode body is housed in the outer can, for example, grooving, lead welding, caulking, etc. are performed. Therefore, the outer can in which the electrode body is housed is transported to a plurality of devices constituting the manufacturing equipment, and predetermined processing is performed in each device.

[0003] By the way, since the state of the battery manufacturing equipment affects the yield, quality, productivity, etc. of the battery, it is necessary to regularly perform inspections to maintain a good state. However, since the battery manufacturing equipment is composed of many processing devices, conveying devices, etc., it is not easy to identify abnormal locations, and the inspection work load is large.

[0004] As a technique related to the inspection of manufacturing equipment, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for inspecting equipment using an article transporter. The apparatus of Patent Document 1 mounts a detector for detecting an operating state determined corresponding to an inspection item such as an article transport line, a wireless transmitter for transmitting an information signal detected by the detector, and a power source on the article transporter, and inspects the state of the equipment based on the information acquired by the detector.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] According to the apparatus of Patent Document 1, although a reduction in inspection load is expected to some extent, there is still room for improvement in accurately identifying abnormal locations that may affect product yield, quality, etc. The object of the present disclosure is to provide a method capable of accurately and quickly identifying abnormal locations in battery manufacturing equipment.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The sensor unit according to the present disclosure is a sensor unit to be input into battery manufacturing equipment, and includes a bottomed cylindrical case that is processed in the same manner as the outer can of the battery in the battery manufacturing equipment, and a sensor attached to the case for detecting a force acting on the case from the battery manufacturing equipment.

[0008] The inspection method for battery manufacturing equipment according to the present disclosure is characterized by inputting the above sensor unit into the battery manufacturing equipment, acquiring information detected by the sensor of the sensor unit, and analyzing the state of the battery manufacturing equipment.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the sensor unit according to the present disclosure, the force applied from the battery manufacturing equipment to the outer can can be visualized, and abnormal locations of the equipment can be accurately and quickly identified. Therefore, for example, the work load of equipment inspection is reduced, leading to improvements in battery yield, quality, productivity, etc.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for carrying out the invention

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an example of an embodiment of a sensor unit and an inspection method for a battery manufacturing facility according to the present disclosure will be described in detail. It is assumed from the beginning that a plurality of embodiments and modifications described below are selectively combined.

[0012] Hereinafter, as an example of an embodiment of the sensor unit according to the present disclosure, a sensor unit 10 including a case 11 having the same shape as a bottomed cylindrical outer can used for a cylindrical battery will be exemplified. However, the shape of the sensor unit can be appropriately changed according to the battery manufacturing facility. For example, the shape of the case of the sensor unit to be introduced into the manufacturing facility of a prismatic battery can be a bottomed prism same as the outer can of the prismatic battery. That is, the shape of the case of the sensor unit only needs to be a bottomed cylindrical shape.

[0013] In the case 11 of the present embodiment, the same one as the outer can of the battery manufactured by the battery manufacturing facility is used, but the case 11 can also be a dedicated product of a sensor unit different from the outer can of the battery. The case of the sensor unit only needs to be substantially the same as the outer can of the battery, and may be somewhat different in shape or the like as long as the object of the present disclosure is not impaired.

[0014] Figures 1 to 3 are a perspective view, a plan view, and an exploded perspective view of the sensor unit 10, respectively. In Figure 1, the case 11 is shown by a two-dot chain line. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the sensor unit 10 includes a bottomed cylindrical case 11 and a sensor attached to the case 11. Although details will be described later, the sensor unit 10 is inserted into a battery manufacturing facility in order to obtain information detected by the sensor (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "detected information") and inspect the state of the battery manufacturing facility.

[0015] The case 11 is a metal case having a cylindrical side surface portion 11a and a bottom surface portion 11b that is a perfect circle in plan view. The case 11 has a bottomed cylindrical shape in which one axial end portion of the side surface portion 11a is closed by the bottom surface portion 11b and an opening 11c is formed at the other axial end portion of the side surface portion 11a. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the direction along the axial direction perpendicular to the bottom surface portion 11b is referred to as the "vertical direction", the opening 11c side is referred to as "up", and the bottom surface portion 11b side is referred to as "down".

[0016] The sensor unit 10 is conveyed to a processing device or the like that constitutes the battery manufacturing facility in the same manner as a workpiece of a battery, and the case 11 is processed in the battery manufacturing facility in the same manner as an outer can of a battery. In the present embodiment, a grooved portion 11d (see Figure 6 described later) is formed in the case 11 in the same manner as the outer can of the battery. As described above, the same outer can of the battery as that of the battery is used for the case 11. By using the same outer can of the battery for the case 11, it becomes easy to apply the same processing as the outer can to the case 11. In addition, the force received by the sensor unit 10 from the battery manufacturing facility can be detected more accurately, and it becomes easier to identify an abnormal portion of the facility.

[0017] The sensor unit 10 includes an acceleration sensor 32, a gyro sensor 33, and an environment sensor 34 as sensors attached to the case 11. The acceleration sensor 32 and the gyro sensor 33 detect the force acting on the case 11 from the battery manufacturing equipment. The environment sensor 34 detects at least one of the temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure inside the battery manufacturing equipment. In the sensor unit 10, these sensors are housed inside the case 11. In this case, it is easy to process the case 11 in the same way as the outer can of the battery, and it is possible to prevent the sensors from falling off, being damaged, etc.

[0018] By putting the sensor unit 10 into the battery manufacturing equipment, the mounted sensors detect various information of the manufacturing equipment. In the inspection method of this embodiment, the state of the battery manufacturing equipment is analyzed from the detection information of the sensors, and the abnormal location of the equipment is specified. When there is an abnormal location in the manufacturing equipment, for example, a different force than when there is no abnormality acts on the case 11 at the abnormal location. According to the sensor unit 10, the force applied from the battery manufacturing equipment to the outer can of the battery can be visualized. Then, by comparing the detection information of the sensors with the detection information when there is no abnormality in the manufacturing equipment, the abnormal location of the equipment can be accurately specified.

[0019] The acceleration sensor 32 is a device for measuring the acceleration, which is the amount of change in speed per unit time of the sensor unit 10 (case 11). The acceleration sensor 32 generates a detection signal according to the magnitude of the acceleration in, for example, a predetermined one-axis direction or three-axis direction. When an impact is applied to the case 11 during transportation or the like, the acceleration sensor 32 detects this impact as acceleration. When there is an abnormal location in the battery manufacturing equipment, a different impact than in the normal case without abnormality is applied to the case 11. Since an abnormality in acceleration different from the normal case can be determined from the detection information of the acceleration sensor 32, the abnormal location of the equipment can be accurately specified.

[0020] The gyro sensor 33 is a device for measuring the speed at which the sensor unit 10 rotates around a reference axis, and is generally also called an angular velocity sensor. The gyro sensor 33 measures, for example, the angular velocity which is the rotation angle per unit time, and generates a detection signal according to the angular velocity. In a battery manufacturing facility, for example, when processing the case 11, the case 11 is rotated, and at this time, the angular velocity of the sensor unit 10 is measured by the gyro sensor 33. When the gyro sensor 33 detects an angular velocity different from that in the normal case where there is no abnormality in the facility, the location where the angular velocity is detected can be specified as an abnormal location.

[0021] The environmental sensor 34 includes, for example, at least one of a thermometer, a hygrometer, and a barometer. In a battery manufacturing facility, for example, it is assumed that heat is generated due to a failure or the like. Since the environment inside the battery manufacturing facility such as temperature is considered to affect the quality of the battery, it is preferable to mount the environmental sensor 34 on the sensor unit 10 so that an environmental abnormality inside the facility can be specified. The thermometer, the hygrometer, and the barometer may be integrated or may be provided separately.

[0022] Note that the sensors attached to the case 11 are not limited to the acceleration sensor 32, the gyro sensor 33, and the environmental sensor 34, and any sensor that can detect an abnormality in the battery manufacturing facility may be used. Other examples of sensors include a vacuum pressure sensor and an image sensor.

[0023] The sensor unit 10 includes a first component 20 to which the sensor is attached, and a second component 50 arranged to engage with the outside of the first component 20. The first component 20 is housed inside the case 11 together with the second component 50. Two second components 50 are provided on both sides of the first component 20 so as to sandwich the first component 20. Hereinafter, the assembly in which the second component 50 is assembled to the first component 20 and the first component 20 and the second component 50 are integrated is referred to as a "core component". Although details will be described later, the first component 20 is configured to be separable from the second component 50 and removable from the opening 11c of the case 11.

[0024] The sensor unit 10 further includes an annular elastic member 60 that is externally fitted to the second component 50 and abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the case 11. The elastic member 60 is, for example, a rubber ring-shaped member, and in a state of being externally fitted to the second component 50, at least a part thereof is located radially outside the second component 50. The elastic member 60 functions to bind the first component 20 and the second component 50 and maintain the integrated state of the first component 20 and the second component 50 (core components). Further, the elastic member 60 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the case 11 and suppresses positional deviation, rotation, etc. of the core components during processing and conveyance of the sensor unit 10.

[0025] Hereinafter, with appropriate reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the first component 20, the second component 50, and the elastic member 60 constituting the sensor unit 10 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the support 21, the first substrate 30, and the second substrate 40 constituting the first component 20.

[0026] [First Component 20] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first component 20 includes a support 21, a first substrate 30 provided with sensors, and a second substrate 40 provided with connection terminals 41. In the present embodiment, the first substrate 30 and the second substrate 40 are fixed to the support 21. An acceleration sensor 32, a gyro sensor 33, and an environment sensor 34 are mounted on the first substrate 30 as sensors. Further, a wireless communication module and a microcomputer module 31 that functions as a microcomputer are mounted on the first substrate 30. The first component 20 further includes a first cover 36 that covers the first substrate 30 and a second cover 46 that covers the second substrate 40.

[0027] The support 21 is a member that can be accommodated inside the case 11 and is sized to support the first substrate 30 and the second substrate 40. The support 21 is formed in a columnar shape that is long in the vertical direction. The first substrate 30 and the second substrate 40 are respectively fixed to the support 21 using, for example, screws 37. Also, two second components 50, a first cover 36, and a second cover 46 are attached to the support 21. The first component 20, with the two covers attached, presents an overall cylindrical shape and has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the groove portion 11d of the case 11. In this case, after the formation of the groove portion 11d, it becomes possible to take out and recover the first component 20 from the case 11.

[0028] The support 21 is, for example, a resin member having a base portion 22, a side surface portion 23, and a bottom surface portion 24. The bottom surface portion 24 is formed in a substantially circular shape when viewed from the bottom. The base portion 22 stands upright on the bottom surface portion 24 and is formed in a plate shape along the radial direction of the bottom surface portion 24. There are two substantially flat surfaces that are long in the vertical direction on the base portion 22. Hereinafter, these two surfaces will be referred to as the "first surface" and the "second surface" respectively. In the first component 20, the first substrate 30 is screwed to the first surface, and the second substrate 40 is screwed to the second surface. The first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other, and the first substrate 30 and the second substrate 40 are arranged parallel to each other with the base portion 22 in between.

[0029] The side surface portion 23 stands upright on a part of the peripheral edge of the bottom surface portion 24 and has a shape that is long in the vertical direction and gently curved. The side surface portion 23 is curved along the inner peripheral surface of the case 11 and is formed at both ends of the base portion 22 so as to be aligned in the radial direction of the case 11. The side surface portion 23 is a portion where the second component 50 having the same curvature as the side surface portion 23 is attached. Also, the first cover 36 and the second cover 46 are attached to the support 21 by engaging with the side surface portion 23. The two covers are made of, for example, a transparent resin and are curved in the same manner as the side surface portion 23.

[0030] On the outer surface of the side surface portion 23, a guide groove 25 into which the convex portion 52 of the second component 50 is inserted is formed. The guide groove 25 is formed along the vertical direction, extending from the lower end to the vicinity of the upper end of the side surface portion 23. Note that the upper end of the guide groove 25 is closed, while the lower end is open. For this reason, when the convex portion 52 of the second component 50 is inserted into the guide groove 25 and the first component 20 and the second component 50 are engaged, as shown in FIG. 6 described later, it is possible to slide the first component 20 upward to separate it from the second component 50.

[0031] On the inner surface of the side surface portion 23, guide grooves 26 into which the convex portions 36a and 46a of the first cover 36 and the second cover 46 are respectively inserted are formed. The guide grooves 26 are formed at a total of four locations corresponding to both ends of the first surface and the second surface of the base portion 22 along the vertical direction from the upper end of the side surface portion 23. The first component 20 is formed by arranging the side surface portion 23, the first cover 36, the side surface portion 23, and the second cover 46 in this order in the circumferential direction, and as a whole, it has a cylindrical shape as described above. The outer surfaces of the two side surface portions 23 and the outer surfaces of the two covers are substantially the same in curvature and are flush.

[0032] In the base portion 22, a through hole 27 (see FIG. 4) that penetrates the base portion 22 in the thickness direction and opens to the first surface and the second surface is formed. For example, wiring for electrically connecting the first substrate 30 and the second substrate 40 is passed through the through hole 27. By electrically connecting the first substrate 30 and the second substrate 40 through the through hole 27, for example, detection information of a sensor mounted on the first substrate 30 can be taken out to the outside via a cable connected to the connection terminal 41 of the second component 50. Also, a predetermined signal can be transmitted from the outside to the microcomputer module 31 or the like via the cable.

[0033] The base 22 further has a through hole 28 formed therethrough in the vertical direction. The through hole 28 is a hole into which a bolt 100 (see FIG. 6 described later) used when removing the first component 20 from the case 11 is inserted, and a screw groove for stopping the bolt 100 is formed in the upper part of the through hole 28. The through hole 28 is formed at a position that does not intersect the through hole 27, and is preferably formed at the radial center of the first component 20. In other words, the through hole 27 is formed avoiding the radial center of the first component 20. When the through hole 28 functions only as an insertion hole for the bolt 100, the through hole 28 may open on the top surface of the base 22 and may be formed only in the upper part of the base 22.

[0034] The through hole 28 is formed straight along the vertical direction, extending from the top surface of the base 22 to the bottom part 24. A hole similar to the through hole 28 is formed in the central part of the wound electrode body constituting the cylindrical battery. In the cylindrical battery, a welding jig is inserted into this hole to weld the negative electrode lead to the inner surface of the bottom of the outer can. By forming the through hole 28 that penetrates the first component 20 in the vertical direction, in the sensor unit 10 as well, welding similar to the welding of the negative electrode lead and the outer can can be performed using a metal piece (not shown) imitating the negative electrode lead. The through hole 28 has a diameter into which the welding jig can be inserted.

[0035] Also, a lead fixing part 29a is formed on the top surface of the base 22. The lead fixing part 29a is a part into which a metal piece (not shown) imitating the positive electrode lead drawn from the electrode body of the battery is inserted. The lead fixing part 29a is formed, for example, in an elongated slit shape at one end of the top surface of the base 22. A screw hole 29c (see FIG. 4) communicating with the lead fixing part 29a may be formed in the side surface part 23. In this case, by inserting a screw through the screw hole 29c, the metal piece inserted into the lead fixing part 29a can be fixed. Thereby, in the sensor unit 10 as well, welding similar to the welding of the positive electrode lead and the sealing body can be performed.

[0036] As described above, the first substrate 30 is mounted with a microcomputer module 31, an acceleration sensor 32, a gyro sensor 33, and an environmental sensor 34. The first substrate 30 is further mounted with a memory 35. A non-volatile memory such as a flash memory is used for the memory 35. The detection signal generated by the sensor is transmitted to, for example, the microcomputer module 31, and is processed by the microcomputer module 31 and stored in the memory 35. Further, the detection information of the sensor stored in the memory 35 is taken out externally via the microcomputer module 31.

[0037] The microcomputer module 31 includes, for example, a processor that executes predetermined arithmetic processing, a memory that stores a control program and the like, and an input / output port. The processor is composed of, for example, a CPU, and reads and executes the control program installed in the memory. The memory generally includes non-volatile memories such as ROM, HDD, and SSD, and volatile memories such as RAM. The microcomputer module 31 is set to a state in which measurement by the sensor is possible, for example, when a start signal is received from an external device.

[0038] The microcomputer module 31 incorporates a wireless communication module. In this case, the detection information of the sensor stored in the memory 35 can be transmitted to a predetermined external device by the wireless communication function of the microcomputer module 31. Since the case 11 is a metal case, when the microcomputer module 31 incorporates a wireless communication module, it is preferable to arrange the microcomputer module 31 at the upper end of the first substrate 30 close to the opening 11c in consideration of communication performance. Note that the communication method of the wireless communication module is not particularly limited, and the wireless communication module may be provided separately from the microcomputer.

[0039] In this embodiment, an opening 36b is formed on the upper surface of the first cover 36 that covers the first substrate 30. Also, a part of the microcomputer module 31 extends upward from the upper end of the first substrate 30 and is arranged in a state of being inserted into the opening 36b. In this case, the microcomputer module 31 can be arranged closer to the opening 11c of the case 11. On the other hand, since the microcomputer module 31 does not protrude outside the first cover 36 from the opening 36b, it is protected by the first cover 36.

[0040] As described above, the second substrate 40 is provided with connection terminals 41. The connection terminals 41 are portions into which a predetermined cable is inserted and are arranged at the upper end portion of the second substrate 40. The second substrate 40 is covered by the second cover 46, but the upper end of the second cover 46 is open, and the connection terminals 41 are exposed when the first component 20 is viewed from above. Therefore, a cable can be connected to the connection terminals 41 with the second cover 46 present. Note that the connection terminals 41 may be provided on the first substrate 30, but since it is preferable that both the wireless communication module and the connection terminals 41 be arranged at the upper end portion of the substrate, they are provided on separate substrates.

[0041] The cable inserted into the connection terminals 41 is connected to, for example, a computer for analyzing the detection information of the sensor. Although details will be described later, in the analysis computer, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the battery manufacturing facility is determined based on the detection information of the sensor, and when there is an abnormality, the abnormal location is specified. The type of the cable connected to the connection terminals 41 is not particularly limited, and as an example, a USB cable can be mentioned. The configuration of the connection terminals 41 can be appropriately changed according to the cable used.

[0042] The second substrate 40 may be provided with a light source for displaying the charging state of the battery 45, which will be described later, the communication state with the analysis computer, and the like. For the light source, for example, an LED capable of outputting a plurality of colors is used. Note that at least a part of the sensor and the memory 35 mounted on the first substrate 30 may be mounted on the second substrate 40, or the above light source may be mounted on the first substrate 30. In the present embodiment, the first substrate 30 is larger and longer in the vertical direction than the second substrate 40. Accordingly, the first cover 36 covering the first substrate 30 is longer than the second cover 46 covering the second substrate 40.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first component 20 as viewed from the bottom surface portion 24 side. As shown in FIG. 5, the first component 20 includes a battery 45 for supplying power to the microcomputer module 31, the sensor, the memory 35, and the like. The battery 45 has a flat plate-like appearance and is provided on the second surface of the base portion 22. On the second surface of the base portion 22, the second substrate 40 is attached to the upper portion and the battery 45 is attached to the lower portion, respectively. The battery 45 may be joined to the second surface using an adhesive tape or the like, or may be screwed to the second surface. The battery 45 includes, for example, a secondary battery and can be charged by the power supplied through the cable.

[0044] A lead fixing portion 29b is formed on the bottom surface portion 24 of the first component 20. The lead fixing portion 29b is an elongated slit-shaped hole into which a metal piece imitating a lead is inserted, similar to the lead fixing portion 29a. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the lead fixing portion 29b is formed between the guide groove 25 and the through hole 28. The metal piece fixed to the lead fixing portion 29b is, for example, an imitation of a negative electrode lead and is welded to the inner surface of the bottom surface portion 11b of the case 11 using a welding jig inserted into the through hole 28. Note that a hole through which a screw for fixing the metal piece inserted into the lead fixing portion 29b passes may be formed in the side surface portion 23.

[0045] [Second Component 50] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the second component 50 has a curved wall portion 51 that is curved along the inner peripheral surface of the case 11 and a convex portion 52 that protrudes from the inner surface of the curved wall portion 51. The curved wall portion 51 has a constant width and has a shape that is long in the vertical direction. The curved wall portion 51 has substantially the same curvature as the inner peripheral surface of the case 11 and the side surface portion 23 of the first component 20. The vertical length of the second component 50 is slightly shorter than the vertical length of the first component 20, and the upper end of the first component 20 is located above the upper end of the second component 50. The convex portion 52 is formed over the entire vertical length of the curved wall portion 51 at the center in the width direction of the curved wall portion 51.

[0046] The second component 50 is attached to the first component 20 such that the curved wall portion 51 is along the outer surface of the side surface portion 23 and covers the outer surface of the side surface portion 23. At this time, the convex portion 52 of the second component 50 is inserted into the guide groove 25 of the side surface portion 23, whereby the first component 20 and the second component 50 are in an engaged state. The two second components 50 have the same shape and dimensions as each other and sandwich the first component 20 from both sides in the radial direction. In the core component composed of the first component 20 and the second component 50, the diameter is increased by the thickness of the first component 20 at the portion where the second component 50 is attached.

[0047] A groove 53 into which the elastic member 60 fits is formed in the second component 50. The groove 53 is formed along the width direction of the curved wall portion 51 on the outer surface of the curved wall portion 51. Although the elastic member 60 is externally fitted to the second component 50, by providing the groove 53 into which the elastic member 60 fits, the vertical displacement of the elastic member 60 is suppressed. The groove 53 is formed one by one at the upper and lower portions of the curved wall portion 51, and two elastic members 60 are externally fitted to the second component 50. The second component 50 has a structure in which, for example, the curved wall portion 51 is divided into three parts by the groove 53 formed over the entire width of the curved wall portion 51, and these three parts are connected by the convex portion 52.

[0048] [Elastic member 60] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the elastic member 60 is attached to the groove 53 of the second component 50 as described above and binds the core components. An example of the elastic member 60 is a ring-shaped rubber member such as an O-ring. The inner diameter of the elastic member 60 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the first component 20 and is preferably mounted in a state of pressing the core components. In the present embodiment, with the convex portion 52 of the second component 50 inserted into the guide groove 25 of the first component 20, the inner surface of the curved wall portion 51 abuts against the outer surface of the side surface portion 23. For this reason, the elastic member 60 mounted in the groove 53 of the second component 50 presses the outer surface of the first component 20 via the second component 50.

[0049] The elastic member 60 projects outward beyond the outer surface of the curved wall portion 51 located at the outermost position in the radial direction of the core components in a state of being attached to the groove 53 and binding the core components. That is, the outer diameter of the elastic member 60 is larger than the maximum diameter of the core components in a state of being attached to the groove 53. The elastic member 60 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the case 11 and suppresses the vertical displacement, rotation, etc. of the core components.

[0050] Further, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the elastic member 60 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the case 11 in a state of being attached to the groove 53. When the inner diameter of the case 11 is α mm, for example, an O-ring having an outer diameter of α + 0.2 mm is used for the elastic member 60. In this case, the elastic member 60 presses the inner peripheral surface of the case 11, and a strong frictional force is generated between the case 11 and the elastic member 60, so that the vertical displacement, rotation, etc. of the core components are more reliably suppressed. Further, although the core components with the elastic member 60 mounted are press-fitted into the case 11, since the elastic member 60 is fitted in the groove 53, displacement and dropout of the elastic member 60 are prevented.

[0051] FIGS. 6 and 7 are views showing a state of taking out the first component 20 from the case 11 in which the grooved portion 11d is formed using the bolt 100. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the case 11 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0052] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a groove insertion portion 11d is formed in the case 11, and the first component 20 can be separated from the second component 50 and taken out from the opening 11c of the case 11 even after the formation of the groove insertion portion 11d. In a cylindrical battery, generally, a groove insertion portion for supporting a sealing body is formed in the upper portion of the outer can.

[0053] The groove insertion portion 11d is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction in the vicinity of the opening 11c of the side surface portion 11a. The sensor unit 10 is rotated at high speed by a grooving device, and a processing jig is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the side surface portion 11a. In this way, a groove insertion portion 11d is formed in which the outer peripheral surface of the side surface portion 11a is recessed and the inner peripheral surface bulges.

[0054] Inside the case 11 in which the groove insertion portion 11d is formed, the first component 20 is arranged so as not to overlap the groove insertion portion 11d in the axial direction (vertical direction) of the case 11, and the second component 50 is arranged so as to overlap the groove insertion portion 11d in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the diameter D1 of the first component 20 is smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the case 11 at the portion where the groove insertion portion 11d is formed, and the first component 20 is centered at the radial center of the case 11 by two second components 50 attached to the outside. Therefore, the first component 20 can be pulled upward without interfering with the groove insertion portion 11d.

[0055] When taking out the first component 20 from the case 11, a bolt 100 is inserted into and fixed to the through hole 28 of the base portion 22, and the bolt 100 is pulled upward. At this time, after the entire core component including the second component 50 moves upward, the second component 50 is caught by the groove insertion portion 11d and stops. When the bolt 100 is further pulled upward in this state, the convex portion 52 of the second component 50 inserted into the guide groove 25 of the first component 20 comes out from the lower end of the opened guide groove 25, so that only the first component 20 slides upward and is pulled out from the opening 11c.

[0056] According to the sensor unit 10 having the above configuration, since the elastic member 60 that binds the core components abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the case 11 and frictional force is generated, rotation and vertical displacement of the core components that may occur during conveyance or rotation in the battery manufacturing equipment are sufficiently suppressed. Further, according to the sensor unit 10, even after the grooving process in which the inner diameter of the case 11 becomes smaller, the first component 20 to which the sensor is attached can be taken out from the case 11 and easily recovered. The second component 50 and the elastic member 60 can be taken out by directing the opening 11c of the case 11 vertically downward after taking out the first component 20.

[0057] Hereinafter, a method for inspecting a battery manufacturing facility using the sensor unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, the sensor unit 10 is rotated at high speed, for example, by a rotating roller 110 that abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the case 11 in a grooving device that constitutes a battery manufacturing facility. At this time, if there is aging deterioration, poor assembly, etc. of the rotating roller 110, insufficient rotation or misalignment of the rotation axis may occur. When such an abnormality occurs, it may affect the quality of the battery. However, conventionally, discovery of such an abnormality has largely depended on the sensitivity and skill of the operator, and the inspection has taken a long time. According to the inspection method of the present embodiment, by using the sensor unit 10, the force applied from the battery manufacturing facility such as the rotating roller 110 to the outer can can be visualized, and the abnormal location of the facility can be accurately and quickly specified.

[0059] In the inspection method of the present embodiment, the sensor unit 10 is put into the battery manufacturing facility, information detected by the sensor of the sensor unit 10 is acquired, and the state of the battery manufacturing facility is analyzed. As described above, a grooving portion 11d is formed in the case 11 of the sensor unit 10 in the same manner as in the case of the battery. After the formation of the grooving portion 11d, the first component 20 to which the sensor is attached is taken out from the case 11 and recovered. In this case, since the force applied to the outer can during the grooving process can also be visualized, inspection of the grooving device using the sensor unit 10 is possible.

[0060] In the inspection method of this embodiment, in a normal state where there is no abnormality in the equipment, the sensor unit 10 is put into the equipment, and a reference value based on the detection information of the sensor acquired in advance is compared with a value based on the detection information of the sensor acquired during the inspection to determine the presence or absence of an abnormality. Then, when there is an abnormality in the equipment, the abnormal location of the equipment is specified. The detection information stored in the memory 35 of the sensor unit 10 may be taken out to an external device via a cable connected to the connection terminal 41, or may be transmitted to the external device by the wireless communication function of the microcomputer module 31.

[0061] For the abnormality determination, for example, a predetermined threshold value determined based on the reference value is used, and when the acquired value exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that there is an abnormality. The data analysis including the abnormality determination and the specification of the abnormal location is performed by a predetermined computer. The predetermined computer may be any one that can acquire the detection information from the sensor unit 10 and has the data analysis function.

[0062] The sensor unit 10 fixes metal pieces imitating leads to the lead fixing parts 29a and 29b, and after turning on the power to make the measurement by the sensor possible, it is put into the battery manufacturing equipment. The sensor unit 10 is automatically powered on, for example, when connected to an analysis computer via the connection terminal 41 and a cable. The sensor unit 10 may be supplied to a grooving device or the like while being held by a predetermined transfer jig.

[0063] The sensor unit 10 is put into the equipment, for example, at the timing of maintenance of the battery manufacturing equipment, but may also be put into the equipment during the production of the battery. It is preferable that the sensor unit 10 is regularly put into the equipment, such as once a day. Also, the sensor unit 10 is supplied to the grooving process, the lead welding process, the caulking process, etc., and is processed in the same way as the outer can of the battery in each process, but it is preferably not supplied to the electrolyte injection process for the protection of the sensor and the like.

[0064] The sensor unit 10 may be subjected to strong impacts not only during processing such as grooving and welding, but also during conveyance. For example, when the sensor unit 10 is sent out by two rotating bodies, if there is a deviation in the positional relationship between the rotating bodies, a strong impact may be applied to the sensor unit 10 during conveyance. Also, if the guide of the conveyance path is deformed so as to protrude inside the conveyance path, the sensor unit 10 may collide with the end of the guide and a strong impact may be applied. When the sensor unit 10 is subjected to such an impact and decelerates rapidly, the numerical value of the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 32 increases, so it is possible to identify the abnormal part of the equipment.

[0065] According to the equipment inspection using the sensor unit 10, as described above, it is possible to accurately and quickly identify the abnormal part of the equipment. According to this method, for example, it is possible to easily visualize wear and damage of equipment parts, poor assembly of parts, oil leakage and misalignment of rotating parts, and the environment such as temperature, humidity, and air pressure inside the equipment. Also, when a plurality of production lines are provided in the manufacturing equipment, it is also possible to perform a process evaluation of the manufacturing apparatus between the lines using the sensor unit 10.

[0066] Note that the above embodiment can be appropriately modified in design without impairing the object of the present disclosure. For example, in the above embodiment, a form in which the acceleration sensor 32 and the gyro sensor 33 are mounted on the first substrate 30 is illustrated, but only one of the acceleration sensor 32 and the gyro sensor 33 may be mounted on the first substrate 30. Also, as the elastic member, a ring-shaped member (elastic member 60) such as an O-ring is illustrated, but the elastic member may be a cylindrical body that can be externally fitted to the second component.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0067] 10 Sensor unit, 11 Case, 11a Side surface part, 11b Bottom surface part, 11c Opening part, 11d Groove part, 20 First component, 21 Support body, 22 Base part, 23 Side surface part, 24 Bottom surface part, 25, 26 Guide groove, 27, 28 Through hole, 29a, 29b Lead fixing part, 29c Screw hole, 30 First substrate, 31 Microcomputer module, 32 Acceleration sensor, 33 Gyro sensor, 34 Environment sensor, 35 Memory, 36 First cover, 36a, 46a, 52 Protrusion, 36b Opening part, 37 Screw, 40 Second substrate, 41 Connection terminal, 45 Battery, 46 Second cover, 50 Second component, 51 Curved wall part, 53 Groove, 60 Elastic member, 100 Bolt, 110 Rotating roller

Claims

1. A sensor unit to be input into battery manufacturing equipment, a bottomed cylindrical case that is processed in the same manner as the outer can of a battery in the battery manufacturing equipment, a sensor attached to the case for detecting a force acting on the case from the battery manufacturing equipment, The sensor unit is provided with.

2. The case is the same as the outer can, The sensor is housed inside the case. The sensor unit according to claim 1.

3. The case has a bottomed cylindrical shape. The sensor unit according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A first component to which the sensor is attached and housed inside the case, a second component arranged to engage with the outside of the first component, Comprising, The first component is configured to be separated from the second component and removable from the opening of the case. The sensor unit according to claim 3.

5. A grooved portion is formed in the case in the battery manufacturing equipment in the same manner as the outer can, The first component is arranged so as not to overlap the grooved portion in the axial direction of the case, The second component is arranged so as to overlap the grooved portion in the axial direction of the case. The sensor unit according to claim 4.

6. An annular elastic member that is externally fitted to the second component and abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the case is provided. The sensor unit according to claim 4 or 5.

7. A groove into which the elastic member fits is formed in the second component. The sensor unit according to claim 6.

8. The first component has a first substrate provided with the sensor, and a second substrate provided with one of a wireless communication module and a connection terminal, The other of the wireless communication module and the connection terminal is provided on the first substrate. The sensor unit according to any one of claims 4 to 7.

9. A memory and a battery are provided in the first component. The sensor unit according to any one of claims 4 to 8.

10. The sensor includes at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. The sensor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The sensor further includes an environmental sensor for detecting at least one of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure inside the battery manufacturing equipment. The sensor unit according to claim 10.

12. The sensor unit according to claims 1 to 11 is input into the battery manufacturing equipment, An inspection method for a battery manufacturing facility that acquires information detected by the sensor of the sensor unit and analyzes the state of the battery manufacturing facility.

13. In the case, a grooved portion is formed in the battery manufacturing facility in the same manner as the exterior can, The inspection method for a battery manufacturing facility according to claim 12, wherein after the formation of the grooved portion, the sensor is taken out and recovered from the case.

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