Gas collection device

Abstract

Disclosed is a gas collection device capable of precisely and stably transferring collected gases to be analyzed to a gas analysis module by automating the loading, unloading, punching, and the like of a plurality of batteries.

Description

gas collection device

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0183126, filed December 15, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present application relates to a gas capture device, and more specifically, to a gas capture device capable of accurately and stably transferring captured analysis target gases to a gas analysis module by automating loading, unloading, and punching of a plurality of secondary batteries.

[0003] Secondary batteries are batteries that can be reused repeatedly through the process of discharging, which converts chemical energy into electrical energy, and charging, which converts electrical energy into chemical energy. Commonly known types include nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, lithium-metal batteries, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, and lithium-ion polymer batteries. Among these secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries have been commercialized and are widely used due to their high energy density and voltage, long cycle life, and low self-discharge rate.

[0004] Inside the lithium secondary battery, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and C are produced according to the charge and discharge reaction. n H 2n-2 (n=2~5), C n H 2n (n=2~5), C n H 2n+2 Various types of gases such as hydrocarbons and other organic gases (n=1~5) can be generated.

[0005] Furthermore, lithium secondary batteries generate large amounts of gas as the electrolyte decomposes and degrades with repeated charging and discharging. This phenomenon varies depending on the battery design and usage. Therefore, analyzing the gases generated within the battery to infer the battery degradation mechanism is essential during battery development.

[0006] Therefore, capturing and accurately analyzing the gases generated within secondary batteries is crucial. Information on the composition and content of various gases generated during charging and discharging of lithium secondary batteries is useful for developing battery materials, optimizing battery manufacturing processes, and identifying the causes of battery failures. To achieve this, the development of technologies to capture gases generated within secondary batteries is crucial.

[0007] The following process can be performed as one of the methods for analyzing gases generated inside a secondary battery.

[0008] To capture the gas to be analyzed generated inside the secondary battery, a hole is formed in the case of the secondary battery, and the gas to be analyzed is extracted through the hole.

[0009] The extracted target gas is diffused into a sealed gas diffusion space.

[0010] The target gas diffused in the gas diffusion space is sampled in a sampling container.

[0011] Gas analysis is performed by injecting the sampled target gas into a sampling container into a gas analysis device such as Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).

[0012] However, to obtain reliable analysis results, the above processes must be performed on multiple batteries to collect data. However, performing these processes manually can lead to poor reproducibility, the risk of gas leaks, and device contamination due to repeated procedures. Therefore, an automated gas capture technology for secondary battery analysis is needed to address these issues.

[0013] The present invention relates to a gas collection device, and provides a gas collection device capable of accurately and stably capturing an analysis target gas and transmitting it to a gas analysis module by automating loading, unloading, and punching of a plurality of secondary batteries.

[0014] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0015] The gas collection device is

[0016] A loading unit for sequentially supplying a plurality of target cells to a first position on a first moving unit, one by one;

[0017] The first moving unit moves the analysis target cell located at the first location to a second location on the moving unit;

[0018] A gripper unit that stores the analysis target cell located at the second position in the gas extraction unit or moves the analysis target cell stored in the gas extraction unit to the second position;

[0019] The above gas extraction unit extracts gas from the stored battery;

[0020] A second moving unit that receives the analysis target cell located at the second position from the first moving unit and moves it to a third position, wherein the third position is located on the second moving unit; and

[0021] It may include an unloading unit that retrieves the analysis target cell located at the third location from the second moving unit.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the first moving unit may include a first rotating part that rotates about a first center axis, and a first driving part that rotates the first rotating part.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the first rotating part may be disk-shaped, and the first moving unit may further include a first guide part that prevents the analysis target cell from being dislodged along the circumferential direction of the first rotating part.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the loading unit includes a loading conveyor belt that sequentially transports the analysis target cells to the upper surface of the first rotating part, and a loading driver that drives the loading conveyor belt, and the upper surface of the loading conveyor belt may be higher than the upper end of the first guide part.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the loading unit further includes a pair of loading guide bars that guide a plurality of target cells to be analyzed to be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the loading conveyor belt and prevent the target cells from being separated from the belt by the loading conveyor, wherein the pair of loading guide bars may be parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other by a diameter greater than or equal to the diameter of the target cells to be analyzed, and extend in the longitudinal direction of the loading conveyor belt.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the loading conveyor belt may transport the target cell in a first direction, and the second moving unit may include a second rotating part that rotates around a second center axis spaced apart from the first center by a predetermined distance in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the upper surface of the first rotating part, and a second driving part that rotates the second rotating part.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the second rotating part may be disk-shaped, and the predetermined gap may be smaller than the sum of the radius of the first rotating part and the radius of the second rotating part.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the predetermined interval is a value obtained by subtracting the diameter of the battery to be analyzed from the sum of the radius of the first rotating part and the radius of the second rotating part, and the second moving unit further includes a second guide part that prevents the battery to be analyzed from being dislodged along the circumferential direction of the second rotating part, and the fourth position where the first rotating part and the second rotating part overlap may be a position where the first guide part and the second guide part are open to each other.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the unloading unit includes an unloading conveyor belt that sequentially retrieves the analysis target cells from the second rotating section, and an unloading driver that provides driving force to the unloading conveyor belt, wherein an upper surface of the unloading conveyor belt is lower than an upper surface of the second rotating section, and the second guide section may be opened in an area of ​​the second rotating section that contacts one end of the unloading conveyor belt.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the first position is a position where the analysis target cell loaded by the loading conveyor belt on the first rotating part is first placed, the first rotating part rotates in a direction in which the analysis target cell located at the first position moves away from the fourth position, the second rotating part rotates in a direction opposite to the first rotating part, and the analysis target cell at the fourth position may move from the first rotating part to the second rotating part by the rotation of the second rotating part.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the second position may be a position before the analysis target cell located at the first position is rotated by the first rotating part and arrives at the fourth position, and the third position may be a position of an edge of the second rotating part where the second rotating part contacts one end of the unloading conveyor belt.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the gas extraction unit may include a lower jig into which a lower portion of a cell to be analyzed is inserted; an upper jig that covers an upper portion of the cell to be analyzed and is coupled to an upper portion of the lower jig; a punching portion that is mounted on the upper jig and forms a punching hole in an upper surface of the cell to be analyzed; a jig moving portion that moves the upper jig up and down; and a cuff that maintains a coupled state of the upper jig and the lower jig.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the upper jig and the lower jig have a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, a first protrusion protruding radially along an outer circumference is formed at a lower end of the upper jig, a second protrusion protruding radially along an outer circumference is formed at an upper end of the lower jig, and the clump may bite the first protrusion and the second protrusion so that the lower surface of the first protrusion and the upper surface of the second protrusion are in close contact with each other.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the clumps may be provided in pairs, and one pair of the clumps may bite opposite sides of each other.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the gas capture device may further include a cleaning unit for cleaning the inside of the upper jig and the punching needle of the punching portion.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the cleaning unit includes a nozzle unit that sprays air; a friction block that cleans through friction; a first frame having the nozzle unit coupled to one end and the friction block coupled to the other end; a first rail that guides the first frame to move in the longitudinal direction of the first frame; a second frame that extends in a direction different from the longitudinal direction of the first frame; and a second rail that guides the second frame to move in the longitudinal direction of the second frame, wherein the first rail is fixed to the second frame, and the first frame may be moved closer to or further away from the upper jig by movement of the second frame.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the gas collection device may further include a gas diffusion unit that receives the gas to be analyzed from the gas extraction unit and diffuses the gas to be analyzed in a gas diffusion space formed therein.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the gas diffusion unit includes a base plate portion formed as a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction; a cylindrical side wall portion having a lower end fixed to the base plate portion and extending in the vertical direction; a vertical moving portion having an upper end fixed to the cylindrical side wall portion and moving in the vertical direction; a guide support portion guiding the vertical moving portion's movement in the vertical direction; and a vertical driving portion moving the vertical moving portion in the vertical direction, wherein a space surrounded by the base plate portion, the cylindrical side wall portion, and the vertical moving portion may form the gas diffusion space.

[0039] According to one embodiment, a gas inlet / outlet is formed in the base plate portion, and the gas to be analyzed may be injected or discharged into the gas diffusion space through the gas inlet / outlet.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the cylindrical side wall portion may be a bellows structure.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the vertical moving part may include a cylindrical body member extending in an up-and-down direction, and an upper plate member formed in a plane perpendicular to the up-and-down direction and having an upper end of the body member fixedly joined to a bottom surface, an upper end of the cylindrical side wall portion may be fixedly joined to a bottom surface of the upper plate member, the body member may be positioned inside the cylindrical side wall portion, and a space surrounded by a lower end of the body member, an upper surface of the base plate portion, and an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical side wall portion may form the gas diffusion space.

[0042] According to one embodiment, when the vertical moving part is lowered to the lowest point, the lower end of the body member may contact the upper surface of the base plate part, and all inner surfaces of the cylindrical side wall part may face the outer surface of the body member.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the upper plate member has a disk shape, and the guide support member has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction.

[0044] The inner diameter of the above guide support member is the same as the diameter of the above upper plate member, and the above upper plate member may slide and be guided on the inner circumferential surface of the above guide support member.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the lower end of the guide support is fixed to the upper surface of the base plate, a guide hole extending vertically is formed on a side surface of the guide support, the vertical drive unit includes a power transmission member having one end inserted into the guide support through the guide hole, a vertical movement shaft coupled to the other end of the power transmission member located outside the guide support with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, and a driving actuator supported on the base plate and moving the vertical movement shaft vertically, wherein the power transmission member may be coupled to the upper surface of the upper plate member.

[0046] The gas capture device of the present invention can be configured to automate loading, unloading, and punching of a plurality of secondary batteries, thereby accurately and stably transferring captured analysis target gases to a gas analysis module.

[0047] In addition, the gas collection device of the present invention can vary the volume of the gas diffusion space when sampling the analyte gas diffused in the gas diffusion space of the gas diffusion unit, thereby sampling the analyte gas at a concentration optimized for analysis in the gas analysis unit.

[0048] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a gas collection device according to one embodiment.

[0049] Figures 2 to 8 are conceptual diagrams showing the movement order of the target cells for analysis.

[0050] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a gas extraction unit according to one embodiment.

[0051] Figures 10 to 12 are plan views showing a washing unit according to one embodiment.

[0052] Fig. 13 is a side view showing a gas diffusion unit according to one embodiment.

[0053] Figures 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views showing a gas diffusion unit according to one embodiment.

[0054] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Throughout this process, the sizes and shapes of components depicted in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience. Furthermore, terms specifically defined in consideration of the structure and operation of the present invention may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator. Definitions of these terms should be based on the overall content of this specification.

[0055] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inner,” “outer,” “one side,” “other side,” etc., is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the present invention is normally placed when used, and is only for the purpose of explaining and briefly explaining the present invention, and does not suggest or imply that the indicated device or element must have a specific orientation and be configured or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0056] Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a gas collection device according to an embodiment. Figs. 2 to 8 are conceptual diagrams showing the movement order of an analysis target cell (11) according to an embodiment. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a gas extraction unit (600) according to an embodiment. Figs. 10 to 12 are plan views showing a cleaning unit (800) according to an embodiment. Fig. 13 is a side view showing a gas diffusion unit (700) according to an embodiment. Figs. 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views showing a gas diffusion unit (700) according to an embodiment.

[0057] Hereinafter, the gas collection device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15.

[0058] A gas capture device can sequentially and automatically capture gases from multiple secondary batteries. Specifically, the gas capture device of the present invention can automatically and sequentially perform processes such as punching, gas extraction, gas diffusion, gas sampling, and battery recovery for multiple secondary batteries without manual intervention.

[0059] A gas capture device can extract gases generated inside a secondary battery and deliver them to devices such as GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy), GC-PDD (gas chromatography-pulsed discharge detector), GC-TCD (gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector), and GC-FID (gas chromatography-flame ionization detector).

[0060] In one embodiment, the analysis target cell (11) in the gas capture device may be a secondary cell having a rigid cylindrical case.

[0061] In another embodiment, in the gas collection device, the target cell (11) may be a secondary battery of various shapes housed in a chemically resistant jig with an open upper end. The chemically resistant jig in which the secondary battery is housed may have a cylindrical outer shape. A plurality of chemically resistant jigs may be provided, and the plurality of chemically resistant jigs may each have different internal structures. The internal structures of the plurality of chemically resistant jigs may be formed to correspond to various types of secondary battery structures. When the plurality of secondary batteries are housed in the plurality of chemically resistant jigs, the upper ends of each of the plurality of secondary batteries may be housed so as to be exposed.

[0062] In the following description, the up-down direction may refer to the direction of gravity. For example, the upper part may refer to a position with higher potential energy than the lower part.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 1, the gas collection device of the present invention,

[0064] A gas extraction unit (600) that extracts the gas to be analyzed from the inside of the analysis target cell (11);

[0065] A loading unit (300) that sequentially supplies a plurality of analysis target cells (11) one by one to the first position (111);

[0066] A first moving unit (100) that moves the analysis target cell (11) located at the first position (111) to the second position (112);

[0067] A gripper unit (500) that stores the analysis target cell (11) located at the second position (112) in the gas extraction unit (600) or moves the analysis target cell (11) stored in the gas extraction unit (600) to the second position (112);

[0068] A second moving unit (200) that receives the secondary battery to be analyzed located at the second position (112) from the first moving unit (100) and moves it to the third position (211); and

[0069] It may include an unloading unit (400) for recovering the analysis target cell (11) located at the third position (211).

[0070] In Fig. 1, the straight lines indicated by the dashed dots represent gas flow paths, which may be the first gas flow path (12) and the second gas flow path (13). The analysis target gas generated in the gas extraction unit (600) may be transferred to a gas sampling unit or a gas analysis unit. Specifically, the analysis target gas initially extracted from the analysis target cell (11) in the gas extraction unit (600) may be sent to the gas diffusion unit (700) described below through the first gas flow path (12). In the gas diffusion unit (700), the analysis target gas may be adjusted to a concentration and pressure optimized for analysis and transferred to the gas sampling unit or the gas analysis unit through the second gas flow path (13).

[0071] The first gas path (12) and the second gas path (13) may be gas paths including pipes, hoses, etc.

[0072] A gas sampling unit (not shown) may include a gas sampling container having a gas sampling space formed as a fixed volume inside, and an opening / closing valve for opening / closing the gas sampling container.

[0073] The gas analysis unit (not shown) may be a GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy), a GC-PDD (gas chromatography-pulsed discharge detector), a GC-TCD (gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector), a GC-FID (gas chromatography-flame ionization detector), etc.

[0074] The first moving unit (100) may include a first rotating part (110) that rotates about a first center axis, and a first driving part (120) that provides a driving force for rotating the first rotating part (110), and the loading unit (300) may supply the analysis target cell to the upper surface of the first rotating part (110). The first rotating part (110) may be provided in a disk shape, and the first moving unit (100) may further include a first guide part (130) that prevents the analysis target cell (11) from being detached along the circumferential direction of the first rotating part (110).

[0075] More specifically, the first rotating part (110) may be provided in a disk shape with a first center as the center and a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The analysis target cell (11) is placed on the edge of the first rotating part (110), and the analysis target cell (11) may move in the circumferential direction of the first rotating part (110) according to the rotation of the first rotating part (110). A plurality of cell receiving grooves having a shape corresponding to the lower end of the analysis cell may be formed along the circumferential direction on the edge of the first rotating part (110).

[0076] The first driving unit (120) may be a rotor. The first driving unit (120) may have an upward axis as its rotational axis. The first rotating unit (110) may be rotated at the first center position.

[0077] The first guide portion (130) may be formed in a ring shape. The first guide portion (130) may be formed along the edge of the first rotation portion (110) and may not be formed in an area overlapping with the second rotation portion (210) described later. The upper end of the first guide portion (130) may be formed higher than the upper surface of the first rotation portion (110).

[0078] The loading unit (300) may include a loading conveyor belt (310) that sequentially transports the analysis target cells (11) to the upper surface of the first rotating part (110), and a loading driver that provides driving force to the loading conveyor belt (310). The height of the upper surface of the loading conveyor belt (310) may be higher than the upper end of the first guide part (130).

[0079] That is, the target cells (11) for analysis may be sequentially placed from the loading conveyor belt (310) to the first rotating section (110). The longitudinal direction of the loading conveyor belt (310) may be the radial direction of the first rotating section (110). One end of the loading conveyor belt (310) may face the first center.

[0080] The above loading unit (300) may further include a pair of loading guide bars (320) that guide a plurality of analysis target cells (11) to be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the loading conveyor and prevent them from being separated from the loading conveyor belt (310).

[0081] The above pair of loading guide bars (320) may be provided in a shape that is parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other by a distance greater than the diameter of the target cell (11), and extends in the longitudinal direction of the loading conveyor belt (310).

[0082] When the direction in which the loading conveyor belt (310) transports the analysis target cell (11) is referred to as a first direction, and a direction perpendicular to the first direction and a direction parallel to the upper surface of the first rotation unit (110) is referred to as a second direction, the second moving unit (200) may include a second rotation unit (210) that rotates around a second center axis spaced apart from the first center by a predetermined distance in the second direction, and a second driving unit (220) that provides a driving force for rotating the second rotation unit (210).

[0083] The second rotating part (210) may be provided in a disk shape. The second moving unit (200) may further include a second guide part (230) that prevents the analysis target cell (11) from being detached along the circumferential direction of the second rotating part (210).

[0084] More specifically, the second rotating part (210) may be provided in a disk shape with a second center as the center and a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The analysis target cell (11) is placed on the edge of the second rotating part (210), and the analysis target cell (11) may move in the circumferential direction of the second rotating part (210) according to the rotation of the second rotating part (210). A plurality of cell receiving grooves having a shape corresponding to the lower end of the analysis cell may be formed along the circumferential direction on the edge of the second rotating part (210).

[0085] The second driving unit (220) may be a rotor. The second driving unit (220) may have an up-down rotation axis. The second rotating unit (210) may be rotated at a second center position. The second driving unit (220) may rotate in the opposite direction to the first driving unit (120).

[0086] The second guide portion (230) may be formed in a ring shape. The second guide portion (230) may be formed along the edge of the second rotating portion (210) and may not be formed in the area overlapping the first rotating portion (110) and the area facing the unloading conveyor belt. The upper end of the second guide portion (230) may be formed higher than the upper surface of the second rotating portion (210).

[0087] The predetermined distance between the first center and the second center may be smaller than the sum of the radii of the first rotating part (110) and the radii of the second rotating part (210). More specifically, the predetermined distance may be a value obtained by subtracting the diameter of the target cell (11) from the sum of the radii of the first rotating part (110) and the radii of the second rotating part (210). In an area where the first rotating part (110) and the second rotating part (210) overlap, the first guide part (130) and the second guide part (230) may be open.

[0088] The above unloading unit (400) includes an unloading conveyor belt (410) that sequentially retrieves the analysis target cells (11) placed on the upper surface of the second rotating part (210), and an unloading driver that provides driving force to the unloading conveyor belt (410), and the height of the upper surface of the unloading conveyor belt (410) may be lower than the height of the upper surface of the second rotating part (210).

[0089] The second guide part (230) may be opened on the arc of the second rotating part (210) that contacts one end of the unloading conveyor belt (410).

[0090] The above unloading unit (400) may further include a pair of unloading guide bars (420) that guide a plurality of analysis target cells (11) to be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the unloading conveyor belt (410) and prevent them from being separated from the unloading conveyor belt (410).

[0091] The above pair of unloading guide bars (420) may be provided in a shape that is parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other by a distance greater than the diameter of the target cell (11), and extends in the longitudinal direction of the unloading conveyor belt (410).

[0092] The first position (111) may be a position where the analysis target cell (11) loaded from the loading conveyor belt (310) on the first rotating part (110) is first placed. When the area where the first rotating part (110) and the second rotating part (210) overlap is referred to as a fourth position (113), the first rotating part (110) may rotate in a direction in which the analysis target cell (11) located at the first position (111) moves away from the fourth position (113). For example, the angle formed by the first position (111) and the fourth position (113) with the first center as the vertex may be a right angle. Here, when the first position (111) and the fourth position (113) are designated as point positions, the center of the corresponding position is meant. The meaning that the first rotating part (110) rotates in a direction in which the analysis target cell (11) located at the first position (111) moves away from the fourth position (113) means that the angle formed by the analysis target cell (11) and the fourth position (113) with the first center as the vertex gradually increases.

[0093] The second rotating part (210) can rotate in the opposite direction to the first rotating part (110).

[0094] In the area where the first rotating part (110) and the second rotating part (210) overlap, the analysis target cell (11) may be moved to the second rotating part (210) and moved by the rotation of the second rotating part (210). That is, the analysis target cell (11) may be moved by the second rotating part (210) at the fourth position (113). More specifically, when the analysis target cell (11) reaches the fourth position (113), the analysis target cell (11) may be moved to the third position (211) by the second rotating part (210).

[0095] The second position (112) may be a position before the analysis target cell (11) located at the first position (111) is rotated by the first rotating part (110) and arrives at the fourth position (113), and the third position (211) may be a position of the edge of the second rotating part (210) that contacts one end of the unloading conveyor belt (410).

[0096] For example, the second position (112) may be a position rotated 180° in the rotational direction of the first rotating part (110) from the first position (111).

[0097] For example, the third position (211) may be a position rotated 90° in the rotational direction of the second rotating part (210) from the fourth position (113).

[0098] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9, the movement process of the analysis target battery (11) will be described in detail.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 2, the analysis target cell (11) can be loaded from the loading unit (300) to the first position (111) of the first moving unit (100).

[0100] As shown in FIG. 3, the analysis target cell (11) can be moved from the first position (111) to the second position (112) by the rotation of the first rotating part (110).

[0101] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the analysis target cell (11) can be moved from the second position (112) to the gas extraction unit (600) by the gripper unit (500). The gripper unit (500) may include a grip portion that grips the analysis target cell (11) and a transfer portion that transfers the grip portion. The transfer portion may be capable of movement in at least two axes, including up and down directions.

[0102] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the target cell (11) for analysis is accommodated in a gas extraction unit (600), and in the gas extraction unit (600), as illustrated in FIG. 9, a clump (650) can further secure the lower jig (620) and the upper jig (610) in a combined state. A punching unit (630) forms a perforation hole in the target cell (11) for analysis, and can extract the target gas for analysis from the target cell (11).

[0103] As shown in Fig. 6, the analysis target cell (11) from which the analysis target gas extraction is completed can be moved back to the second position (112) by the gripper unit (500).

[0104] As shown in Fig. 7, the analysis target cell (11) can be moved from the second position (112) to the fourth position (113) by the first rotating part (110).

[0105] As shown in Fig. 8, the analysis target cell (11) can be moved from the fourth position (113) to the third position (211) by the second rotating part (210) and unloaded by the unloading unit (400).

[0106] As shown in Fig. 9, the gas extraction unit (600)

[0107] A lower jig (620) into which the lower part of the analysis target battery (11) is inserted;

[0108] An upper jig (610) that covers the upper part of the analysis target battery (11) and is combined with the upper part of the lower jig (620);

[0109] A punching part (630) that is mounted on the upper jig (610) and forms a punching hole on the upper surface of the battery (11) to be analyzed;

[0110] A jig moving part (640) that moves the upper jig (610) up and down; and

[0111] It may include a clump (650) that maintains the upper jig (610) and the lower jig (620) in a combined state.

[0112] The upper jig (610) and the lower jig (620) can be formed into a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction.

[0113] A cylindrical groove is formed on the bottom surface of the upper jig (610) and the upper surface of the lower jig (620), and the groove can be formed as a battery receiving space (601).

[0114] A first protrusion (611) protruding radially along the outer circumference may be formed at the lower end of the upper jig (610), and a second protrusion (621) protruding radially along the outer circumference may be formed at the upper end of the lower jig (620).

[0115] An O-ring insertion groove may be formed on the bottom surface of the first protrusion (611) or the top surface of the second protrusion (621). The bottom surface of the first protrusion (611) and the top surface of the second protrusion (621) may be in close contact with each other, so that the battery receiving space (601) may be formed as a sealed space.

[0116] The above clump (650) may be used to ensure that the first protrusion (611) and the second protrusion (621) are in close contact with each other while the lower surface of the first protrusion (611) and the upper surface of the second protrusion (621) are in close contact with each other.

[0117] The above clumps (650) are provided as a pair, and a pair of the above clumps (650) may bite opposite sides of each other.

[0118] The jig moving part (640) may be a pneumatic cylinder.

[0119] The gas extraction unit (600) may further include a cleaning unit (800) for cleaning the inside of the upper jig (610) and the punching needle of the punching portion (630). The cleaning unit (800) may be for removing electrolyte adhering to the inside of the upper jig (610) and the punching needle of the punching portion (630). The punching needle may be for punching the case of the target cell (11) of analysis.

[0120] As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the washing unit (800)

[0121] Nozzle part (810) that sprays air;

[0122] Friction block (820) for cleaning through friction;

[0123] A first frame (830) having a nozzle part (810) coupled to one end and a friction block (820) coupled to the other end;

[0124] A first rail (840) that guides the first frame (830) to move in the longitudinal direction of the first frame (830);

[0125] A second frame (850) extending in a direction different from the longitudinal direction of the first frame (830); and

[0126] The second frame (850) may include a second rail (860) that guides the second frame (850) to move in the longitudinal direction.

[0127] The above first rail (840) may be fixed to the above second frame (850).

[0128] The first frame (830) may be moved closer to or further away from the upper jig (610) by the movement of the second frame (850).

[0129] The first frame (830) and the second frame (850) may be equipped with a driving module such as a motor.

[0130] The first frame (830) and the first rail (840) can be configured to select one of a nozzle part (810) that sprays air and a friction block (820) that cleans through friction depending on the degree of contamination.

[0131] The second frame (850) and the second rail (860) may be for approaching and retracting the upper jig (610).

[0132] The gas collection device of the present invention may further include a gas diffusion unit (700) that receives the gas to be analyzed from the gas extraction unit (600) and diffuses the gas to be analyzed into a gas diffusion space (721) formed therein.

[0133] As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the gas diffusion unit (700)

[0134] A base plate portion (710) formed as a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction;

[0135] A cylindrical side wall portion (720) having a lower portion fixed to the base plate portion (710) and extendable in the vertical direction;

[0136] A vertical moving part (730) in which the upper part of the cylindrical side wall (720) is fixed and moves up and down;

[0137] A guide support member (740) that guides the vertical movement of the vertical moving member (730); and

[0138] The above vertical moving part (730) includes a vertical driving part (750) that provides driving force for moving in the up and down direction,

[0139] The space surrounded by the base plate portion (710), the cylindrical side wall portion (720), and the vertical moving portion (730) may form the gas diffusion space (721).

[0140] The above base plate portion (710) may be a plate having a plane shape perpendicular to the vertical direction and may be a plate made of a rigid material. For example, the material of the base plate portion (710) may be SUS.

[0141] A gas inlet (711) is formed in the base plate portion (710), and the gas to be analyzed may be injected or discharged into the gas diffusion space (721) through the gas inlet (711). The center of the gas inlet (711) may be located at the center of a circular area facing the cylindrical side wall portion (720) among the areas of the base plate portion (710). A first gas flow path (12) and a second gas flow path (13) may be connected to the gas inlet (711). The flow path connected to the gas inlet (711) may include a hose, a tube, a pipe, or the like.

[0142] The cylindrical side wall portion (720) may be formed in a cylindrical shape with the vertical direction as the central axis. The cylindrical side wall portion (720) may be expanded or contracted in the vertical direction. The inner diameter value of the cylindrical side wall portion (720) may be fixed when expanded or contracted in the vertical direction. For example, the cylindrical side wall portion (720) may have a bellows structure.

[0143] The above vertical moving part (730) may include a cylindrical body member (731) with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, and an upper plate member (732) formed as a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction and having the upper end of the body member (731) fixedly joined to the bottom surface.

[0144] The upper end of the cylindrical side wall portion (720) is fixedly joined to the lower surface of the upper plate member (732), and the body member (731) may be positioned inside the cylindrical side wall portion (720). A space surrounded by the lower end of the body member (731), the upper surface of the base plate member (710), and the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall portion (720) may form the gas diffusion space (721). At this time, an ideal structure may be one in which the inner diameter of the cylindrical side wall portion (720) and the outer diameter of the body member (731) are the same, and the coefficient of friction between the outer surface of the body member (731) and the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall portion (720) is 0.

[0145] When the vertical moving part (730) is lowered to the lowest point, the lower end of the body member (731) may contact the upper surface of the base plate part (710), and the entire inner surface of the cylindrical side wall part (720) may face the outer surface of the body member (731). That is, in an ideal structure, the volume of the gas diffusion space (721) in the maximum lowering state of the vertical moving part (730), as shown in FIG. 15, may be 'O'.

[0146] The upper plate member (732) is formed in a disk shape, the guide support member (740) is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, the inner diameter of the guide support member (740) is the same as the diameter of the upper plate member (732), and the upper plate member (732) may slide and be guided on the inner surface of the guide support member (740). For example, in an ideal state, the coefficient of friction between the side surface of the upper plate member (732) and the inner surface of the guide support member (740) may be 0. The upper plate member (732) may be formed to have a thickness greater than a certain level to prevent the position from being twisted when moving in the vertical direction.

[0147] The lower part of the above guide support part (740) is fixed to the upper surface of the above base plate part (710), and a guide hole (741) extending in the vertical direction can be formed on the side of the above guide support part (740).

[0148] The vertical driving unit (750) may include a power transmission member (751) having one end inserted into the guide support member (740) through the guide hole (741) and the other end positioned outside the guide support member (740), a vertical movement shaft (752) extending in the vertical direction and coupled to the other end of the power transmission member (751), and a driving actuator (753) supported on the base plate part (710) and moving the vertical movement shaft (752) in the vertical direction.

[0149] The power transmission member (751) may be provided as a support made of a rigid material in the shape of a rod extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0150] The power transmission member (751) may be coupled to the upper surface of the upper plate member (732). More specifically, the lower surface of the one end side of the power transmission member (751) inserted into the guide support member (740) through the guide hole (741) may be attached to the upper surface of the upper plate member (732).

[0151] A gas diffusion unit having the above configuration can vary the volume of the gas diffusion space when sampling the target gas diffused in the gas diffusion space in the sampling unit, thereby sampling the target gas at a concentration optimized for analysis in the gas analysis unit.

[0152] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, they are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the following claims.

[0153] [Explanation of symbols]

[0154] 11... Analysis target cell 12... First gas path 13... Second gas path 100... First moving unit 110... First rotating part 111... First position 112... Second position 113... Fourth position 120... First driving part 130... First guide part 200... Second moving unit 210... Second rotating part 211... Third position 220... Second driving part 230... Second guide part 300... Loading unit 310... Loading conveyor belt 320... Loading guide bar 400... Unloading unit 410... Unloading conveyor belt 420... Unloading guide bar 500... Gripper unit 600... Gas extraction unit 601... Battery receiving space 610... Upper jig 611... First protrusion 620... Lower jig 621... Second Protrusion 630...Punching section 640...Jig moving section 650...Clump 700...Gas diffusion unit 710...Base plate section 711...Gas inlet 720...Cylinder side wall section 721...Gas diffusion space 730...Vertical moving section 731...Body member 732...Top plate member 740...Guide support section 741...Guide hole 750...Vertical driving section 751...Power transmission member 752...Vertical moving shaft 753...Drive actuator 800...Washing unit 810...Nozzle section 820...Friction block 830...First frame 840...First rail 850...Second frame 860...Second rail

Claims

1. A loading unit for sequentially supplying a plurality of batteries one by one to a first position on a first moving unit; The first moving unit moves the battery located at the first position to a second position on the first moving unit; A gripper unit for storing a battery located at the second position in a gas extraction unit or moving a battery stored in the gas extraction unit to the second position; The above gas extraction unit extracts gas from the stored cells; A second moving unit that receives the battery located at the second position from the first moving unit and moves it to a third position, wherein the third position is located on the second moving unit; and A gas capturing device comprising an unloading unit for recovering a battery located at the third position from the second moving unit.

2. In paragraph 1, The above first moving unit, A first rotating part that rotates around the first center axis, A gas capturing device comprising a first driving unit that rotates the first rotating unit.

3. In paragraph 2, The above first rotating part has a disk shape, A gas capturing device, wherein the first moving unit further includes a first guide portion that prevents detachment of the battery along the circumferential direction of the first rotating portion.

4. In paragraph 3, The above loading unit, A loading conveyor belt that sequentially transports the above batteries to the upper surface of the first rotating part, Including a loading driver for driving the loading conveyor belt, A gas collection device wherein the upper surface of the loading conveyor belt is higher than the upper end of the first guide portion.

5. In paragraph 4, The loading unit further includes a pair of loading guide bars that guide a plurality of batteries to be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the loading conveyor belt and prevent them from being separated from the belt by the loading conveyor. A gas capturing device wherein the above pair of loading guide bars are parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other by a distance greater than the diameter of the battery, and extend in the longitudinal direction of the loading conveyor belt.

6. In paragraph 4, The above loading conveyor belt transports the battery in the first direction, The second moving unit comprises a second rotating part that rotates around a second center axis spaced apart from the first center by a predetermined distance in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the upper surface of the first rotating part; A gas capturing device comprising a second driving unit that rotates the second rotating unit.

7. In paragraph 6, The above second rotating part is disk-shaped, A gas capturing device wherein the above predetermined interval is smaller than the sum of the radius of the first rotating part and the radius of the second rotating part.

8. In paragraph 7, The above predetermined interval is a value obtained by subtracting the diameter of the battery from the sum of the radius of the first rotating part and the radius of the second rotating part. The second moving unit further includes a second guide portion that prevents the battery from detaching along the circumferential direction of the second rotating portion. A gas capturing device wherein the fourth position where the first rotating part and the second rotating part overlap is such that the first guide part and the second guide part are open to each other.

9. In paragraph 8, The above unloading unit, An unloading conveyor belt for sequentially recovering batteries from the second rotating section, Including an unloading driver that provides driving force to the above unloading conveyor belt, The upper surface of the above unloading conveyor belt is lower than the upper surface of the second rotating part, A gas collection device in which the second guide section is opened in the area of ​​the second rotating section that comes into contact with one end of the unloading conveyor belt.

10. In paragraph 9, The above first position is the position where the battery loaded by the loading conveyor belt on the first rotating part is first placed, The above first rotating part rotates the battery located at the first position in a direction away from the fourth position, The second rotating part rotates in the opposite direction to the first rotating part, A gas capture device in which the battery at the fourth position moves from the first rotating part to the second rotating part by rotation of the second rotating part.

11. In paragraph 10, The second position is a position before the battery located at the first position rotates by the first rotating part and arrives at the fourth position, A gas capturing device wherein the third position is an edge position of the second rotating part where the second rotating part comes into contact with one end of the unloading conveyor belt.

12. In paragraph 1, The above gas extraction unit, Lower jig into which the lower part of the battery is inserted; An upper jig that covers the upper part of the battery and joins with the upper part of the lower jig; A punching part which is mounted on the upper jig and forms a punching hole on the upper surface of the battery; A jig moving unit that moves the upper jig up and down; and A gas collection device comprising a clump that maintains the upper jig and the lower jig in a combined state.

13. In paragraph 12, The upper jig and the lower jig have a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, At the lower end of the upper jig, a first protrusion is formed that protrudes radially along the outer surface, A second protrusion is formed on the upper part of the lower jig, protruding radially along the outer surface, A gas capturing device in which the clump bites the first protrusion and the second protrusion so that the first protrusion and the second protrusion are in close contact with each other while the lower surface of the first protrusion and the upper surface of the second protrusion are in close contact with each other.

14. In paragraph 12, Further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the inner side of the upper jig and the punching needle of the punching section, The above washing unit, Nozzle part that sprays air; Friction block for cleaning through friction; A first frame having a nozzle part coupled to one end and a friction block coupled to the other end; A first rail that guides the first frame to move in the longitudinal direction of the first frame; A second frame extending in a direction different from the longitudinal direction of the first frame; and The second frame comprises a second rail that guides the second frame to move in the longitudinal direction of the second frame, The above first rail is fixed to the above second frame, A gas capturing device wherein the first frame approaches or moves away from the upper jig by movement of the second frame.

15. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a gas diffusion unit having a gas diffusion space for receiving the extracted gas from the gas extraction unit and diffusing the gas; The above gas diffusion unit, A base plate portion formed as a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction; A cylindrical side wall portion having a lower portion fixed to the base plate portion and extending in the up-down direction; A vertical moving part in which the upper part of the above cylindrical side wall is fixedly joined and moves up and down; A guide support member that guides the vertical movement of the above vertical moving member; and It includes a vertical driving unit that moves the vertical moving unit up and down, A gas collection device, wherein a space surrounded by the base plate portion, the cylindrical side wall portion, and the vertical moving portion forms the gas diffusion space.

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