Battery visual inspection equipment

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery visual inspection equipment configured to prevent a battery from being damaged or broken during the visual inspection process of the battery and to perform the inspection process smoothly. The battery visual inspection equipment according to one aspect of the present invention may include a first inspection unit configured to be able to inspect the side of the battery in an upright state, a second inspection unit configured to be able to inspect the upper and lower parts of the battery in an upright state, and a first moving unit configured to move the battery along a horizontal direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to inspection equipment for inspecting the appearance of a battery. More specifically, the present invention relates to battery appearance inspection equipment configured to prevent a battery from being damaged or broken during the process of performing an appearance inspection of the battery, so that the inspection process can be smoothly performed.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0103823 filed on August 19, 2022, and all the contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the application are incorporated into this application.

Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries, which are highly applicable to a wide range of products and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density, are widely applied not only to portable devices but also to electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by an electric drive source.

[0004] Such secondary batteries not only have the temporary advantage of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels but also have the advantage of producing no by-products associated with energy use, and thus are attracting attention as a new energy source for environmental friendliness and energy efficiency improvement.

[0005] Currently widely used types of rechargeable batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such individual batteries is approximately 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, multiple batteries are connected in series to form a battery pack. Depending on the required charge and discharge capacity of the battery pack, multiple battery cells may also be connected in parallel to form a battery pack. Therefore, the number of batteries included in the battery pack and the electrical connection configuration can be set in various ways depending on the required output voltage and / or charge and discharge capacity.

[0006] On the other hand, cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch-type batteries are known as types of secondary batteries. In the case of a cylindrical battery, an insulating separator is sandwiched between the positive and negative electrodes, and this is wound up to form a jelly roll-shaped electrode assembly, which is then inserted into the housing along with the electrolyte to constitute the battery.

[0007] Existing small cylindrical batteries with 1865 and 2170 form factors were inspected with the outer surface of the cylindrical battery facing the floor. In particular, when inspecting the sides, the entire side was inspected while rotating or rolling the battery.

[0008] Small cylindrical batteries with form factors such as 1865 and 2170 do not pose a problem for the visual inspection methods described above. However, for cylindrical secondary batteries with new high-capacity form factors applied for use in electric vehicles, inspection using existing methods can be difficult and inaccurate because the cylindrical secondary battery is unstable on the floor and moves during the inspection process. Furthermore, there was a problem with the cylindrical secondary battery being damaged or broken due to its increased weight and size.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for a new type of visual inspection equipment for cylindrical secondary batteries. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] This invention was created in view of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a battery visual inspection system configured to prevent damage or breakage to batteries during the visual inspection process, and to enable the inspection process to proceed smoothly.

[0011] However, the technical problems that this invention aims to solve are not limited in any way to those described above, and other problems not mentioned should be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] A battery visual inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first inspection unit configured to inspect the side of an upright battery, a second inspection unit configured to inspect the top and bottom of an upright battery, and a first moving unit configured to move the battery along a horizontal direction.

[0013] The battery visual inspection equipment may include a second moving part configured to move the battery along a vertical direction.

[0014] The first inspection unit may be configured to inspect the side of the battery by dividing it into four regions that are sequentially arranged along the circumference.

[0015] The first inspection unit may include a first illumination unit that irradiates light in a direction facing the side of the battery, a plurality of first reflectors configured to reflect the light irradiated from the first illumination unit and cause it to incident on each of the four regions, and a first imaging unit configured to capture an image including images of the four regions when the light reflected again by the plurality of first reflectors is incident on it.

[0016] The first inspection unit may include a second illumination unit that emits light in a direction toward at least one of the top or bottom of the battery.

[0017] The first inspection unit may include a path adjustment unit configured to adjust the paths of at least a portion of the light irradiated from the first illumination unit and incident on the plurality of first reflectors, and at least a portion of the light reflected by the side of the battery and reflected again by the plurality of first reflectors.

[0018] Battery visual inspection equipment may include a rotating part configured to flip the top and bottom of the battery.

[0019] The rotating part may include a gripping cylinder configured to grip the battery, and a rotating cylinder connected to the gripping cylinder and configured to be rotatable.

[0020] The second movable part may be configured to support the lower surface of the battery, which is mounted upright on the carrier, and to raise and lower the battery vertically.

[0021] A method for visually inspecting a battery according to one embodiment of the present invention may include: a first inspection step of inspecting the side of the battery in an upright position; a first horizontal movement step of moving the battery horizontally after the side inspection has been completed; a second inspection step of inspecting either the top or bottom of the battery in an upright position; a second horizontal movement step of moving the battery horizontally after the top inspection has been completed; a rotation step of flipping the top and bottom of the battery over; and a third inspection step of inspecting the portion of the top and bottom of the battery in an upright position that was not inspected in the second inspection step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to one aspect of the present invention, compared to conventional battery visual inspection equipment, the visual inspection is performed with the battery placed in an upright position, thus preventing damage or breakage of the battery during the inspection process due to increased weight and size. Furthermore, since the inspection is performed while the battery is moving in an upright position, the possibility of the battery moving is lower compared to when it is moved lying on its side, making the inspection process easier and more accurate.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, the entire side surface of the battery can be divided into four regions, and inspection can be performed using an image that includes an image of each region. In particular, the inspection can be performed without rotating the battery during the inspection process. Therefore, the quality of the inspection is improved, and the inspection process is easier to perform.

[0024] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the spatial efficiency of the battery's visual inspection equipment is increased by positioning both the battery's side inspection section and the battery's upper and lower inspection section on one side of the battery.

[0025] According to still another aspect of the present invention, when inspecting the upper and lower parts of the battery, it is not necessary to separately position inspection parts on the upper and lower parts of the battery, and it is only necessary to position the inspection device on either the upper part or the lower part. Therefore, the space efficiency is increased and the efficiency of the process of inspecting the battery appearance is improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an operation method of a second moving part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an operation method of a second moving part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a first inspection part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view of a part of a first inspection part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a battery inspected by an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an inspection optical path in a first inspection part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an inspection optical path in a first inspection part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an inspection optical path in a first inspection part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an inspection optical path in a first inspection part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an inspection optical path in a first inspection part included in an appearance inspection facility for a battery according to the present invention. [Figure 12]This figure shows the inspection light path in the first inspection unit included in the battery visual inspection equipment according to the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure shows a second inspection unit included in the battery visual inspection equipment according to the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a cross-sectional view of a part of the second inspection unit included in the battery visual inspection equipment according to the present invention. [Figure 15] This figure shows the inspection light path in the second inspection unit included in the battery visual inspection equipment according to the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure shows the operating mechanism of a rotating part included in the battery visual inspection equipment according to the present invention. [Figure 17] This figure shows the operating mechanism of a rotating part included in the battery visual inspection equipment according to the present invention. [Figure 18] This figure shows the operating mechanism of a rotating part included in the battery visual inspection equipment according to the present invention. [Figure 19] This figure shows the operating mechanism of a rotating part included in the battery visual inspection equipment according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings attached herein are illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are intended to further illustrate the technical idea of ​​the invention along with the content of the invention; therefore, the present invention shall not be construed as being limited only to what is shown in the drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same components. In the drawings, the thickness, ratios, and dimensions of the components are exaggerated for the sake of effective explanation of the technical content.

[0028] The terms and words used in this specification and in the claims are not to be interpreted in their ordinary or dictionary sense, but rather in a sense and concept corresponding to the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that inventors can appropriately define the concepts of terms themselves in order to best describe the invention.

[0029] On the other hand, while directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and back have been used in this specification, these terms are merely used for ease of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that they may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the observer's position, etc.

[0030] Therefore, the embodiments described herein and the configurations shown in the drawings represent only preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical concept of the present invention. It should be understood that there may be various equivalent and modified embodiments that can be substituted for these at the time of this application. Figure 1 shows a battery visual inspection apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

[0031] Referring to Figure 1, the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention may include a first inspection unit 10, a second inspection unit 20, and a first moving unit 30.

[0032] The first inspection unit 10 may be configured to inspect the side of the battery B in an upright position. The first inspection unit 10 may be configured to inspect the side of the battery B when it is upright, with the bottom surface of the cylinder generally located in the negative direction of the Z-axis.

[0033] The first inspection unit 10 can perform a visual inspection of the battery B by checking for the presence or absence of dents, foreign objects, scratches, etc. on the side surface.

[0034] The second inspection unit 20 may be configured to inspect the upper and lower parts of the upright battery B. The second inspection unit 20 may be configured to inspect the upper and lower parts of the upright battery B such that the cylindrical base is generally located in the negative direction of the Z-axis. The second inspection unit 20 may be located on top of the battery B to inspect the upper part of the battery B. The second inspection unit 20 may be located on bottom of the battery B to inspect the lower part of the battery B. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the second inspection unit 20 may include a device located on top of the battery B to inspect the upper part of the battery B and a device located on top of the battery B to inspect the lower part of the battery B after it has been inverted by a rotating unit 50 described later. However, the second inspection unit 20 may consist of only one device to inspect the upper and lower parts of the battery B.

[0035] The second inspection unit 20 can inspect the quality of the terminal portion at the top of battery B and the quality of the gasket by inspecting the appearance of the top of battery B. The second inspection unit 20 can perform a visual inspection of the top of battery B by checking for the presence or absence of dents, foreign objects, scratches, etc. The second inspection unit 20 can inspect the quality of the crimping portion at the bottom of battery B and the quality of the gasket by inspecting the appearance of the bottom of battery B. The second inspection unit 20 can perform a visual inspection of the bottom of battery B by checking for the presence or absence of dents, foreign objects, scratches, etc.

[0036] The first inspection unit 10 and the second inspection unit 20 may be arranged along the horizontal direction. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the first inspection unit 10 and the second inspection unit 20 may be arranged in this order along the positive direction of the Y-axis. However, the arrangement of the first inspection unit 10 and the second inspection unit 20 is not limited to the arrangement shown in Figure 1, and the second inspection unit 20 and the first inspection unit 10 may also be arranged in this order along the positive direction of the Y-axis.

[0037] The first moving section 30 may be configured to move the battery B along the horizontal direction. The first moving section 30 may be configured to move the battery B along the extension direction of the Y-axis. The first moving section 30 may be a conveyor configured to move a generally cylindrical battery B while it is placed upright. The first moving section 30 may be a conveyor configured to move a carrier C that is configured to place the battery B upright. The first moving section 30 may be configured such that portions corresponding to the inspection positions of the first inspection section 10 and the second inspection section 20 are cut out so that the second moving section 40, described later, supports the lower part of the battery B.

[0038] With this configuration of the present invention, compared to conventional battery visual inspection equipment, the visual inspection is performed with the battery B placed in an upright position. This prevents the battery B from being damaged or broken during the inspection process due to increased weight and size. Furthermore, since the inspection is performed while the battery B is moving in an upright position, the possibility of the battery B moving is lower compared to when it is moved lying on its side, allowing the inspection process to be carried out easily and accurately.

[0039] Figures 2 and 3 show the operating mechanism of the second movable part 40 included in the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention.

[0040] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention may include a second movable part 40.

[0041] The second moving part 40 may be configured to move the battery B along the vertical direction. The second moving part 40 may be configured to move the battery B along the extension of the Z-axis. The second moving part 40 may be configured to move in the positive and negative directions of the Z-axis. The second moving part 40 may be a hydraulic device configured to move a generally cylindrical battery B while it is mounted upright. The second moving part 40 may be configured to move the battery B, which has been moved horizontally by the first moving part 30, along the vertical direction to the inspection positions of the first inspection part 10 and the second inspection part 20. The second moving part 40 may be configured to receive the lower part of the battery B and move the battery B. The second moving part 40 may be configured to create a vacuum and tight seal between the part that supports the lower part of the battery B and the space formed between the lower part of the battery B.

[0042] Figure 4 shows a first inspection unit 10 included in the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the first inspection unit 10 included in the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention. Figure 6 shows a battery B being inspected by the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention.

[0043] Referring to Figures 4 to 6, the first inspection unit 10 may include a first illumination unit 11, a first reflection unit 13, a first imaging unit 15, a path adjustment unit 19, and a second illumination unit 17.

[0044] The first inspection unit 10 may be configured to inspect the side surface of the battery B by dividing it into four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 arranged sequentially along the circumference. The four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side surface of the battery B may correspond to arcs that divide the circumference into approximately four equal parts. The four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 are for roughly dividing the side surface of the battery B, and each region does not correspond to an arc with a central angle of exactly 90°. The four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 may each correspond to an arc with a central angle of approximately 100°. Therefore, at the edges of each region, there may be a certain amount of overlap with the adjacent region.

[0045] The first illumination unit 11 can irradiate light in a direction facing the side of the battery B. The first illumination unit 11 may be coaxial illumination. The first illumination unit 11 may be positioned between the first imaging unit 15 (described later) and the battery B. The first illumination unit 11 may be positioned in the positive X-axis direction of the upright battery B and configured to irradiate light toward the side of the battery B in the negative X-axis direction.

[0046] The first reflecting section 13 may be configured to reflect light emitted from the first illumination section 11 and cause it to incident on each of the four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4. There may be multiple first reflecting sections 13. There may be four first reflecting sections 13. The first reflecting sections 13 may be mirrors. However, the arrangement and number of the first reflecting sections 13 can be changed according to the design of the first inspection section 10.

[0047] The first imaging unit 15 may be configured to capture an image containing images of four regions by receiving light that has been reflected again by a plurality of first reflecting units 13. The first imaging unit 15 may include a lens and a camera.

[0048] The second illumination unit 17 can irradiate light in a direction toward at least one of the top and bottom of the battery B. The second illumination unit 17 may be a surface illumination. The second illumination unit 17 may be a ring-shaped illumination. The second illumination unit 17 may supplement the light required for visual inspection of the battery B when the light emitted from the first illumination unit 11 is insufficient, such as when the image captured by the first imaging unit 15 is excessively dark. The second illumination unit 17 may be positioned on at least one of the top and bottom of the battery B. That is, the second illumination unit 17 may be selectively deployed when the amount of light emitted from the first illumination unit 11 alone is insufficient to ensure visibility of the battery B's appearance.

[0049] The path adjustment unit 19 may be configured to adjust the path of at least a portion of the light irradiated from the first illumination unit 11 and incident on the plurality of first reflectors 13, and at least a portion of the light reflected by the side of the battery B and reflected again by the plurality of first reflectors 13. The path adjustment unit 19 may be a prism. The path adjustment unit 19 may be a mirror.

[0050] The inspection principle of the side of battery B in the first inspection unit 10 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 7 to 12.

[0051] Figures 7 to 12 show the inspection light path in the first inspection unit 10 included in the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention.

[0052] Figure 7 shows the optical path of the first illumination unit 11 as it irradiates light toward the battery B. Figure 8 shows the inspection optical path for inspecting area a1, one of the four areas a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B. Figure 9 shows the inspection optical path for inspecting area a2, one of the four areas a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B. Figure 10 shows the inspection optical path for inspecting area a3, one of the four areas a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B. Figure 11 shows the inspection optical path for inspecting area a4, one of the four areas a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B. Figure 12 shows the overall inspection optical path of the first inspection unit 10 as viewed from the side.

[0053] Referring to Figure 7, the first illumination unit 11 may be located coaxially with the battery B along the extension of the X-axis. The first illumination unit 11 may be located in the negative direction of the X-axis of the battery B and irradiate light in the positive direction of the X-axis toward the side of the battery B.

[0054] Referring to Figure 8, a portion of the light emitted by the first illumination unit 11 can be directed by the path adjustment unit 19 and the first reflecting unit 13 to a1, one of the four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B. The light directed to a1, one of the four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B, is reflected and can again be directed by the first reflecting unit 13 and the path adjustment unit 19 to enter the first imaging unit 15.

[0055] Referring to Figure 9, a portion of the light emitted by the first illumination unit 11 can be reflected by the first reflector 13 onto a2, one of the four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B. The light that is reflected onto a2, one of the four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B, can be reflected and again incident on the first imaging unit 15 by the first reflector 13.

[0056] Referring to Figure 10, a portion of the light emitted by the first illumination unit 11 can be directed by the path adjustment unit 19 and the first reflection unit 13 to area a3, one of the four areas a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B. The light directed to area a3 on the side of the battery B is reflected and can again be directed by the first reflection unit 13 and the path adjustment unit 19 to enter the first imaging unit 15.

[0057] Referring to Figure 11, a portion of the light emitted by the first illumination unit 11 can be emitted by the first reflector unit 13 onto a4, one of the four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B. The light emitted onto a4, one of the four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 on the side of the battery B, can be reflected and incident again on the first reflector unit 13 and the first imaging unit 15.

[0058] Referring to Figure 12, along the optical paths for each inspection area described above, the first imaging unit 15 can capture an image containing images of four areas a1, a2, a3, and a4 by having the light incident on the first imaging unit 15 refracted by the lens, reflected again by the lens mirror, and then incident on the camera. The image of each area is an image of the side corresponding to an arc with a central angle of approximately 100°, and images of overlapping portions can be superimposed. Therefore, the accuracy of the visual inspection of the side of the battery B can be improved.

[0059] According to this structure of the present invention, the entire side surface of battery B can be divided into four regions a1, a2, a3, and a4, and the inspection can be performed using an image that includes the image of each region. In particular, the inspection can be performed without rotating battery B during the inspection process. Therefore, the quality of the inspection is improved, and the inspection process can be performed smoothly and easily.

[0060] Figure 13 shows a second inspection unit 20 included in the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the second inspection unit 20 included in the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention.

[0061] Referring to Figures 13 and 14, the second inspection unit 20 may include a third illumination unit 21, a second reflection unit 23, a second imaging unit 25, and a fourth illumination unit 27.

[0062] The third illumination unit 21 can emit light in a direction that faces the top of the battery B. The third illumination unit 21 may be coaxial illumination. The third illumination unit 21 may be positioned between the second imaging unit 25 (described later) and the battery B. The third illumination unit 21 may be positioned on top of the upright battery B and configured to emit light downwards toward the top of the battery B.

[0063] The second reflector 23 may be configured to reflect light emitted from the third illumination unit 21 and direct it onto the top of the battery B. The second reflector 23 may be a mirror. However, the arrangement or number of the first reflectors 13 can be changed according to the design of the first inspection unit 10.

[0064] The second imaging unit 25 may be configured to capture an image including an image of the top of the battery B when light reflected again by the second reflecting unit 23 is incident on it. The second imaging unit 25 may include a lens and a camera.

[0065] The fourth illumination unit 27 can irradiate light in a direction toward at least one of the top and bottom of the battery B. The fourth illumination unit 27 may be low-angle illumination. The fourth illumination unit 27 may be dome-shaped illumination. The fourth illumination unit 27 can supplement the light required for visual inspection of the battery B when the light emitted from the third illumination unit 21 is insufficient, such as when the image captured by the second imaging unit 25 is excessively dark. The fourth illumination unit 27 may be positioned on at least one of the top and bottom of the battery B. That is, the fourth illumination unit 27 may be selectively deployed when the amount of light emitted from the third illumination unit 21 alone is insufficient to ensure visibility of the battery B's appearance.

[0066] Figure 15 shows the inspection optical path in the second inspection unit 20 included in the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention.

[0067] Referring to Figure 15, the third illumination unit 21 may be located on top of the battery B. Light emitted by the third illumination unit 21 can be reflected onto the top of the battery B by the second reflector unit 23. The light reflected onto the top of the battery B can be reflected again and incident on the second imaging unit 25.

[0068] According to this structure of the present invention, by positioning both the first inspection unit 10 and the second inspection unit 20 on one side of the battery B, the spatial efficiency of the battery visual inspection equipment 1 is increased.

[0069] Figures 16 to 19 show the operating method of the rotating part 50 included in the battery visual inspection equipment 1 according to the present invention.

[0070] Figure 16 shows the gripping cylinder 51 of the rotating part 50 expanded to grip the battery B. Figure 17 shows the gripping cylinder 51 of the rotating part 50 narrowed to grip the battery B. Figure 18 shows the rotating cylinder 53 of the rotating part 50 rotating upside down the top and bottom of the battery B. Figure 19 shows the battery B, with its top and bottom inverted by the rotating cylinder 53 of the rotating part 50, being moved by the second moving part 40.

[0071] Referring to Figures 16 to 19, the rotating section 50 may include a gripping cylinder 51 and a rotating cylinder 53.

[0072] The rotating part 50 may be configured to invert the upper and lower parts of the battery B.

[0073] The gripping cylinder 51 may be configured to grip the battery B. The gripping cylinder 51 may be configured to grip the battery B from both sides. The gripping cylinder 51 may be a hydraulic device configured to grip the battery B. The portion of the gripping cylinder 51 that grips the battery B may be configured to have a shape that generally corresponds to the outer circumferential surface of the battery B. The portion of the gripping cylinder 51 that grips the battery B may include rubber material to increase the bonding force or frictional force with the battery B. The gripping cylinder 51 may include a cushioning member to prevent excessive pressure from being applied to the portion of the gripping cylinder 51 that grips the battery B.

[0074] The rotating cylinder 53 may be configured to rotate freely. The rotating cylinder 53 may be connected to the gripping cylinder 51. The rotating cylinder 53 may be configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The rotating cylinder 53 may be connected to the gripping cylinder 51 when it is gripping the battery B and configured to rotate the gripping cylinder 51. The rotating cylinder 53 may rotate in 180° increments. The rotating cylinder 53 may be a hydraulic device configured to rotate freely.

[0075] Returning to Figures 16-19, we will explain in more detail the method for visually inspecting the upper and lower parts of battery B.

[0076] The battery appearance inspection method according to the present invention may include: a first inspection step of inspecting the side of the battery B in an upright position; a first horizontal movement step of moving the battery B in a horizontal direction after the side inspection has been completed; a second inspection step of inspecting either the top or bottom of the battery B in an upright position; a second horizontal movement step of moving the battery B in a horizontal direction after the top inspection has been completed; a rotation step of flipping the top and bottom of the battery B over; and a third inspection step of inspecting the portion of the top and bottom of the battery B in an upright position that was not inspected in the second inspection step.

[0077] In the first inspection step, the side of the upright battery B can be inspected. In the first horizontal movement step, the battery B, having completed the first inspection step, can be moved by the first movement unit 30 along the positive direction of the Y-axis to the inspection position above the second inspection unit 20. The battery B can be moved by the second movement unit 40 along the positive direction of the Z-axis to the inspection position above the second inspection unit 20. In the second inspection step, the second inspection unit 20 can inspect the upper appearance of the battery B. After completing the second inspection step, the battery B can be moved by the second movement unit 40 along the negative direction of the Z-axis to the first movement unit 30 so as to be placed on the first movement unit 30. In the second horizontal movement step, the battery B can be moved by the first movement unit 30 along the positive direction of the Y-axis to the inspection position below the second inspection unit 20. The battery B can be moved by the second movement unit 40 along the positive direction of the Z-axis to a position corresponding to the rotation unit 50. The rotation step may include the steps of: the battery B being restrained by the gripping cylinder 51 of the rotating part 50; the battery B being released from the second moving part 40; and the battery B being flipped over by the rotating cylinder 53 of the rotating part 50. The battery B may be moved by the second moving part 40 along the positive direction of the Z axis to the inspection position below the second inspection part 20. The third inspection step allows the second inspection part 20 to inspect the appearance of the lower part of the battery B. After the lower part inspection is complete, the battery B may be moved by the second moving part 40 along the negative direction of the Z axis to the first moving part 30 so that it can be placed on the first moving part 30. After all appearance inspections are complete, the battery B may be discharged by the first moving part 30 along the positive direction of the Y axis.

[0078] However, the inspection order and method using the battery visual inspection equipment 1 of the present invention are not limited to those described above. For example, the inspection of the top and bottom of battery B may be performed before the inspection of the sides of battery B, or the inspection of the bottom of battery B may be performed before the inspection of the top of battery B. In addition, the rotation of battery B by the rotating part 50 may be performed immediately after the inspection of the top is completed.

[0079] With this structure of the present invention, when inspecting the upper and lower parts of battery B, it becomes unnecessary to position separate inspection units on the upper and lower parts of battery B, and it is sufficient to position the inspection device on either the upper or lower part. Therefore, space efficiency is increased and the efficiency of the visual inspection process of battery B is improved.

[0080] As described above, the present invention has been explained with limited embodiments and drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations are possible within the equivalent scope of the technical concept and claims of the present invention by persons with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Battery visual inspection equipment B Battery C Carrier 10. First Inspection Department 11. First lighting section 13. First reflector 15 First imaging unit 17. Second lighting section 19 Route adjustment unit 20 Second Inspection Department 21 Third Lighting Section 23 Second reflector 25 Second imaging unit 27. Fourth Lighting Section 30 First moving part 40 Second moving part 50 Rotating part 51 Gripping Cylinder 53 Rotating Cylinder

Claims

1. A first inspection unit configured to inspect the side of a battery in an upright position, A second inspection unit configured to inspect the upper part of the battery in the upright position, A further second inspection unit configured to inspect the lower part of the upright battery, A first moving part configured to move the battery along the horizontal direction, Three second moving parts configured to move the battery along the vertical direction, Two rotating parts are configured to invert the upper and lower parts of the aforementioned battery, Includes, The second inspection unit is provided between the first inspection unit and one of the two rotating units. The aforementioned further second inspection unit is provided between the two rotating units, The three second movable parts are each provided at the positions of the first inspection part and the two rotating parts, The first inspection unit is, The battery's side surface is configured to be inspected by dividing it into four regions arranged sequentially along its circumference. The first inspection unit is, The device includes a first illumination unit that irradiates light in a direction facing the side of the battery, a plurality of first reflectors configured to reflect the light irradiated from the first illumination unit and cause it to incident on each of the four regions, and a first imaging unit configured to capture an image including images of the four regions when the light reflected again by the plurality of first reflectors is incident on it. The first inspection unit is, Battery visual inspection equipment, including a path adjustment unit configured to adjust the paths of at least a portion of the light irradiated from the first illumination unit and incident on the plurality of first reflectors, and at least a portion of the light reflected by the side of the battery and reflected again by the plurality of first reflectors.

2. The first inspection unit is, The battery appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second illumination unit that irradiates light in a direction toward at least one of the upper and lower parts of the battery.

3. The rotating part is The battery visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a gripping cylinder configured to grip the battery, and a rotating cylinder connected to the gripping cylinder and configured to be rotatable.

4. The second movable part is, The battery visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, configured to support the lower surface of the battery which is mounted upright on a carrier and to raise and lower the battery in a vertical direction.

5. A method for visual inspection of a battery using the visual inspection equipment for a battery described in Claim 1, The first inspection step involves inspecting the side of the battery in an upright position, A first horizontal movement step involves moving the battery, whose side inspection has been completed, horizontally. A second inspection step involves inspecting either the upper or lower part of the upright battery, A second horizontal movement step involves moving the battery, whose upper inspection has been completed, horizontally. A rotation step of turning the upper and lower parts of the battery upside down, A third inspection step involves inspecting the upper and lower parts of the upright battery that were not inspected in the second inspection step, A method for visually inspecting a battery, including [specific details omitted].

Images