Secondary battery fixing jig, secondary battery charging and discharging device, and method for using same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a secondary battery fixing jig, which comprises: a mounting plate including an electrically insulating material and provided to have a secondary battery mounted thereon; a plurality of terminal connection parts each provided to be in direct contact with and electrically connected to one electrode terminal among a plurality of electrode terminals; a bus bar mounted on the mounting plate and provided to electrically connect electrode terminals having the same polarity among the plurality of electrode terminals of the secondary battery; and at least one terminal fixing member configured to be movable along the bus bar and provided to electrically connect, on the bus bar, an electrode terminal having the same polarity as the electrode terminal connected to the terminal connection part.

Description

Secondary battery fixing jig, secondary battery charging / discharging device and method of using the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a secondary battery fixing jig, a secondary battery charging / discharging device, and a method of using the same, and more specifically, to a secondary battery fixing jig, a secondary battery charging / discharging device, and a method of using the same, which can be applied to secondary batteries in which electrode terminals are formed at various locations and have various sizes without changing the design.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0196728, filed December 29, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Recently, rechargeable secondary batteries have been widely used as a power source for wireless mobile devices. Furthermore, secondary batteries are also attracting attention as a potential energy source for electric and hybrid electric vehicles, which are being proposed as a solution to air pollution caused by existing gasoline and diesel vehicles that use fossil fuels. Consequently, the applications that utilize secondary batteries are diversifying significantly due to their advantages, and it is expected that secondary batteries will be applied to a wider range of fields and products in the future.

[0004] Meanwhile, secondary batteries are manufactured by housing the electrode assembly in a case, injecting an electrolyte, and then going through a battery activation step. This battery activation step involves loading the secondary battery into a secondary battery charging / discharging device and then charging / discharging the secondary battery under the conditions necessary for activation.

[0005] Secondary batteries are also tested for their performance. This performance testing utilizes a secondary battery charging / discharging device to evaluate the overall performance of secondary batteries, whether in the activated stage or not. To perform this test, the secondary battery is mounted on a charging / discharging device, and then a measuring terminal, which measures electrical characteristics such as voltage, current, or resistance, is connected to the electrode terminals to measure the electrical characteristics.

[0006] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the appearance of a type of secondary battery fixing jig (15) and a charger / discharger (16) of the prior art. And, Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the appearance of another type of secondary battery fixing jig and charger / discharger of the prior art.

[0007] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a charging / discharging device (10) or a testing device for battery activation or testing includes a charger / discharger (16), a base (11) for mounting or installing a secondary battery (12), and a fixing jig (15) having a terminal connection portion (14) for electrically connecting a charging power source, a discharging load, or a resistance measuring terminal to an electrode terminal (13) of a secondary battery (12) mounted on the base (11) and fixed to the base (11).

[0008] As shown in Fig. 2, the charging / discharging device (10) of the prior art required a change in the structure of the fixing jig (15) that changes the position of the terminal connection part (14) according to a change in the size of the secondary battery (12) or a change in the position of the electrode terminal (13) of the secondary battery (12).

[0009] Meanwhile, secondary batteries, the subject of battery activation or testing, vary in size depending on their specifications, and the protrusion or formation location of their electrode terminals can also vary. Therefore, the size and structure of fixing jigs must be varied to accommodate the diverse sizes and electrode terminal structures.

[0010] In response to these problems, Korean Patent No. 10-1790639 (prior patent) was able to perform charging and discharging and testing of various types of secondary batteries without changing the design of the fixing jig by inserting the terminal connector into the slot at an appropriate depth according to the size of the secondary battery and the structure and direction of the electrode terminal and mounting it on the base plate.

[0011] However, in the prior patent, in the case of a secondary battery having two or more electrode terminals of the same polarity, it was necessary to additionally install a current cable for applying current to each additional terminal connection.

[0012] Moreover, the addition of the current cable in this way requires an increase in the space for accommodating the current cable in the chamber together with the fixing jig, and furthermore, it is easy for the design of the chamber accommodating the fixing jig to change depending on the position of the electrode terminal of the secondary battery, such as the need to additionally form a through hole in the chamber so that the added current cable can extend to the outside. In particular, the cable for applying the current becomes thicker and heavier as the current increases, making it difficult to install it in the chamber.

[0013] In addition, the prior patent requires that two or more electrode terminals be electrically connected to each other using wires. However, if a long electrical path is formed through such long, thin wires, the resistance of the wires increases, making it difficult to measure the resistance precisely.

[0014] There is an urgent need to develop technology to resolve the problems caused by fixed jigs for charging and discharging and performance testing during the activation stage of these secondary batteries.

[0015] The present invention aims to solve problems occurring due to a fixing jig for charging and discharging and performance testing in the activation stage of a conventional secondary battery.

[0016] Through one embodiment of the present invention, it is intended to provide a secondary battery fixing jig capable of performing charging / discharging or testing on secondary batteries having various sizes and structures.

[0017] In addition, through one embodiment of the present invention, it is intended to provide a secondary battery fixing jig that does not require a design change of the fixing jig even when the structure of the secondary battery changes.

[0018] In order to achieve the above-described object, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a secondary battery fixing jig is provided, which is used for charging, discharging or testing a secondary battery by connecting a charging power source, a discharging load or an electrical characteristic measuring terminal to a plurality of electrode terminals provided in a secondary battery, the secondary battery fixing jig comprising: a mounting plate comprising an electrically insulating material and provided for mounting the secondary battery; a plurality of terminal connecting portions each provided for direct contact and electrical connection with one of the plurality of electrode terminals; a bus bar mounted on the mounting plate and provided for electrically connecting electrode terminals of the same polarity among the plurality of electrode terminals of the secondary battery; and at least one terminal fixing member configured to be movable along the bus bar and provided for electrically connecting an electrode terminal of the same polarity as an electrode terminal connected to the terminal connecting portion on the bus bar.

[0019] The above-mentioned mounting plate may have an inner space formed to accommodate the bus bar, and the inner space may have a receiving portion extending along the extension direction of the bus bar.

[0020] The terminal fixing member may be provided with an upper conductive portion that is provided to be movable in the vertical direction so as to secure the electrode terminal tightly on the bus bar; an adjusting screw portion that is provided to adjust the vertical position of the upper conductive portion; and a moving frame that is provided to be movable in the longitudinal direction along the inner surface of the inner space of the receiving portion.

[0021] The plurality of terminal connection portions may include a positive terminal connection portion provided on one side of the mounting plate and configured to be connected to a first positive terminal provided on one side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals; and a negative terminal connection portion provided on one side of the mounting plate and configured to be connected to a first negative terminal provided on one side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals.

[0022] The above bus bar may be provided to electrically connect the positive terminal connection portion and a second positive terminal provided on the other side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals, or to connect the negative terminal connection portion and a second negative terminal provided on the other side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals.

[0023] The terminal fixing member may include a positive terminal fixing member provided to fix the second positive terminal to the bus bar, or may include a negative terminal fixing member provided to fix the second negative terminal to the bus bar.

[0024] The secondary battery has the first positive terminal and the first negative terminal on one side, and the positive terminal connection portion can be connected to the first positive terminal, and the negative terminal connection portion can be connected to the first negative terminal.

[0025] The secondary battery has the first negative terminal on one side and the second positive terminal on the other side, the negative terminal connecting portion is connected to the first negative terminal, the bus bar electrically connects the positive terminal connecting portion and the second positive terminal, and the positive terminal fixing member can fix the second positive terminal to the bus bar.

[0026] The secondary battery has the first positive terminal on one side and the second negative terminal on the other side, the positive terminal connection portion is connected to the first positive terminal, the bus bar electrically connects the negative terminal connection portion and the second negative terminal, and the negative terminal fixing member can fix the second negative terminal to the bus bar.

[0027] The secondary battery has a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal on one side and a second positive terminal on the other side, the positive terminal connecting portion is connected to the first positive terminal, the negative terminal connecting portion is connected to the first negative terminal, the bus bar electrically connects the positive terminal connecting portion and the second positive terminal, and the positive terminal fixing member can fix the second positive terminal to the bus bar.

[0028] The secondary battery has a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal on one side and a second negative terminal on the other side, the positive terminal connecting portion is connected to the first positive terminal, the negative terminal connecting portion is connected to the first negative terminal, the bus bar electrically connects the negative terminal connecting portion and the second negative terminal, and the negative terminal fixing member can fix the second negative terminal to the bus bar.

[0029] The above bus bar may have a structure extending in a straight line when the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal are positioned parallel to each other, or when the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal are positioned parallel to each other.

[0030] The above bus bar may have a bent structure when the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal are not positioned parallel to each other, or when the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal are not positioned parallel to each other.

[0031] The secondary battery may include a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal provided on one side and a second positive terminal and a second negative terminal provided on the other side, the terminal connection portion may include a positive terminal connection portion provided to be connected to the first positive terminal, and a negative terminal connection portion provided to be connected to the first negative terminal, the bus bar may include a positive bus bar provided to electrically connect the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal, and a negative bus bar provided to electrically connect the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal, and the terminal fixing member may include a positive terminal fixing member provided to fix the second positive terminal to the bus bar, and a negative terminal fixing member provided to fix the second negative terminal to the bus bar.

[0032] The above positive electrode bus bar and the negative electrode bus bar may have a structure extending in a straight line when the first positive electrode terminal and the second positive electrode terminal are positioned parallel to each other, or when the first negative electrode terminal and the second negative electrode terminal are positioned parallel to each other.

[0033] The terminal connection part may include an upper pressure plate that can be raised and lowered and is provided to press downwardly the upper surface of the electrode terminal; an adjustment part that is provided to adjust the upper and lower position of the upper pressure plate; and a lower conductive plate that is provided to press upwardly the electrode terminal and to which a current cable that is provided to apply current to the electrode terminal is connected.

[0034] In order to achieve the above-described purpose, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a secondary battery charging / discharging device is provided, including the secondary battery fixing jig and a charger / discharger electrically connected to the terminal connection portion to perform charging, discharging, or testing of the secondary battery.

[0035] In order to achieve the above-described object, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for performing charge / discharge and performance tests for battery activation of a secondary battery having a plurality of electrode terminals using a secondary battery charge / discharge device is provided, the method including: a mounting step of mounting the secondary battery on a mounting plate; a connecting step of connecting the terminal connection portion with an electrode terminal provided on one side of the secondary battery; a fixing step of fixing an electrode terminal provided on the other side of the secondary battery, having the same polarity as the electrode terminal provided on one side, on a bus bar using the terminal fixing member; and a charging / discharging step of performing charge / discharge for battery activation during the process of manufacturing the secondary battery, or a resistance measuring step of measuring the internal resistance of the secondary battery.

[0036] As described above, a secondary battery fixing jig according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a bus bar mounted on the mounting plate and configured to electrically connect electrode terminals of the same polarity, and at least one terminal fixing member configured to move along the bus bar and configured to fix the electrode terminal on the bus bar.

[0037] Therefore, by electrically connecting electrode terminals (13) of the same polarity using a bus bar (130), the increase in measurement resistance due to the connecting member can be minimized, which has the advantage of facilitating precise resistance measurement.

[0038] Moreover, by electrically connecting the electrode terminals (13) of the same polarity through the bus bar (130), there is no need to install separate current supply cables and sensing cables in the terminal fixing member (140), so there is an advantage in that there is no need to change the design of the chamber that accommodates the fixing jig.

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a type of secondary battery fixing jig and charger / discharger of the prior art.

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing another type of secondary battery fixing jig and charger / discharger of the prior art.

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a secondary battery fixing jig and a charger / discharger according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Fig. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a secondary battery fixing jig according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 is a plan view schematically showing the appearance of a secondary battery fixing jig according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 is a plan view schematically showing a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention mounted on a secondary battery fixing jig.

[0045] Figure 7 is a partial perspective view schematically showing a part of a secondary battery fixing jig according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a secondary battery fixing jig according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are plan views schematically showing the appearance of a secondary battery and a fixing jig according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Fig. 11 is a plan view schematically showing the appearance of a secondary battery fixing jig according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 12 is a plan view schematically showing a secondary battery mounted on a secondary battery fixing jig according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Fig. 13 is a partial side view schematically showing a part of a secondary battery fixing jig according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a method for performing charge / discharge or testing for battery activation of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Hereinafter, a secondary battery fixing jig and a charging / discharging device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0053] In addition, regardless of the drawing symbol, identical or corresponding components are given identical or similar reference numbers and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted, and for the convenience of explanation, the size and shape of each component depicted may be exaggerated or reduced.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a secondary battery fixing jig (100) and a charger / discharger (210) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a secondary battery fixing jig (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a secondary battery fixing jig (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a secondary battery (12) mounted on a secondary battery fixing jig (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. For reference, in FIG. 5, a part of the bus bar (130) is shown in a dotted line for convenience of explanation. However, in FIG. 6, a part of the bus bar (130) built into the mounting plate (110) is expressed to be visible from the outside for convenience of explanation of the drawing.

[0055] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, a secondary battery fixing jig (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a jig used for charging, discharging, or testing a secondary battery (12, see FIG. 1) by connecting a charging power source, a discharging load, or an electrical characteristic measurement terminal to a plurality of electrode terminals (13) provided in a secondary battery (12, 12A).

[0056] In addition, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention includes a mounting plate (110). The mounting plate (110) includes an electrically insulating material. For example, the mounting plate (110) includes an electrically insulating plastic material. The mounting plate (110) may be provided so that a secondary battery (12) is mounted on the upper portion. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the mounting plate (110) may have a rectangular flat surface. The mounting plate (110) may have a predetermined thickness in the vertical direction.

[0057] In addition, the mounting plate (110) may be provided with a plurality of insulating covers (115). The insulating covers (115) may have a secondary battery (12) positioned on the upper surface thereof. That is, the insulating covers (115) are provided to prevent a short circuit from occurring due to direct contact between the secondary battery (12) and the bus bar (130). The insulating covers (115) may include a plastic material that is an electrical insulator. The plurality of insulating covers (115) may be detachably provided on the mounting plate (110). That is, the number of insulating covers (115) may be increased or decreased as much as the area required for insulation between the secondary battery (12) and the bus bar (130).

[0058] In addition, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention includes a plurality of terminal connection portions (120). The terminal connection portion (120) may be provided to be electrically connected by directly contacting one electrode terminal (13) among the plurality of electrode terminals (13a, 13b, 13c). In addition, the terminal connection portion (120) may be electrically connected to a charger / discharger (210). The terminal connection portion (120) may be electrically connected via a current cable (212) to apply current supplied from an external device or a charger / discharger (210) to the electrode terminal (13) of the secondary battery (12). A sensing cable (214) for measuring resistance may be connected to the terminal connection portion (120). The sensing cable (214) may be connected to, for example, a charger / discharger (210) capable of measuring resistance or an external resistance measuring device.

[0059] In addition, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention includes a bus bar (130). The bus bar (130) can be mounted on the mounting plate (110). A portion of the bus bar (130) can be provided to be built into the interior of the mounting plate (110). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a portion of the bus bar (130) indicated by a dotted line is located inside the mounting plate (110) and may not be exposed from the outside. In addition, the bus bar (130) may have a form in which one end extends through the interior space of the mounting plate (110) to the terminal connection portion (120) so as to be electrically connected to the terminal connection portion (120). In addition, the bus bar (130) can be provided to electrically connect electrode terminals (13) of the same polarity among a plurality of electrode terminals (13) of the secondary battery (12).

[0060] Additionally, the busbar (130) includes, for example, a copper alloy material. The busbar (130) may have a predetermined thickness to minimize resistance. The size of the cross-section perpendicular to the current direction may be set so that the resistance of the busbar (130) is set to approximately 1% of the resistance of the secondary battery (12).

[0061] Accordingly, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention has a positive terminal connection portion (121) electrically connected to the first positive terminal (13a) of the secondary battery (12A), a negative terminal connection portion (122) electrically connected to the first negative terminal (13b) of the secondary battery (12A), and a bus bar (130) and a second positive terminal (13c) are electrically connected by the pressure of the terminal fixing member (140), so that a secondary battery including three electrode terminals can effectively measure resistance characteristics or battery performance.

[0062] Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view schematically illustrating a portion of a secondary battery fixing jig according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a portion of a secondary battery fixing jig according to an embodiment of the present invention. For reference, in Fig. 8, only the upper conductive portion (143) among the components of the terminal fixing member (140) is illustrated for the purpose of explaining the drawing.

[0063] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 along with FIGS. 3 to 6, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention includes at least one terminal fixing member (140). The terminal fixing member (140) may be configured to be movable along the extended longitudinal direction (F) of the bus bar (130).

[0064] In addition, the terminal fixing member (140) may be provided to electrically connect an electrode terminal (13) having the same polarity as the electrode terminal (13) connected to the terminal connection portion (120) onto the bus bar (130). For example, as shown in Fig. 7, the terminal fixing member (140) may be provided to fix the electrode terminal (13) onto the bus bar (130) by the pressure of the upper conductive portion (143).

[0065] According to this configuration, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention electrically connects the electrode terminals (13a, 13c) of the same polarity using the bus bar (130), thereby minimizing the increase in measurement resistance caused by the connecting member, and thus has the advantage of facilitating precise resistance measurement. Furthermore, by electrically connecting the electrode terminals (13) of the same polarity through the bus bar (130), there is no need to install a separate current supply cable and sensing cable (214) in the terminal fixing member (140), and thus there is the advantage of eliminating the need for a design change of the chamber that accommodates the fixing jig.

[0066] In addition, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention can fix an electrode terminal (13) on a bus bar (130) using a terminal fixing member (140) configured to be movable along the bus bar (130), so that charging and discharging and testing of secondary batteries (12) of various sizes can be performed without changing the structure of the fixing jig.

[0067] Meanwhile, referring back to FIG. 8 together with FIG. 3 to FIG. 7, the mounting plate (110) of the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention has a receiving portion (114) provided to receive a bus bar (130). The receiving portion (114) may have a space formed by recessing a portion of the upper surface of the mounting plate (110) downward. The recessed depth of the receiving portion (114) may be such that the bus bar (130) can be received. The bus bar (130) may have a shape that extends along the recessed space of the receiving portion (114). The receiving portion (114) may have a shape in which the recessed space extends to the terminal connection portion (120) so that one end of the bus bar (130) can be connected to the terminal connection portion (120). That is, the inner space (114a) of the receiving portion (114) may have a shape that extends along the extension direction of the bus bar (130).

[0068] In addition, the terminal fixing member (140) specifically includes an upper conductive portion (143), an adjusting screw portion (144), and a moving frame (145). More specifically, the upper conductive portion (143) may be provided to fix the electrode terminal (13) tightly on the bus bar (130). To this end, the upper conductive portion (143) may be provided to be movable in the up-and-down direction. The upper conductive portion (143) may press downward the electrode terminal (13) so that the electrode terminal (13) is pressed against the bus bar (130). That is, in this pressurized state, the electrode terminal (13) may be interposed between the upper conductive portion (143) and the bus bar (130).

[0069] In addition, the adjusting screw portion (144) may be provided to adjust the vertical position of the upper conductive portion (143). For example, the lower end of the screw bolt of the adjusting screw portion (144) may be connected to the upper conductive portion (143). When the screw bolt of the adjusting screw portion (144) is rotated clockwise, the upper conductive portion (143) may be lowered, and conversely, when the screw bolt of the adjusting screw portion (144) is rotated counterclockwise, the upper conductive portion (143) may be raised. The screw bolt of the adjusting screw portion (144) may have a form in which it is inserted through a through hole of the moving frame (145). A screw thread may be formed on the body of the screw bolt of the adjusting screw portion (144), and a screw groove corresponding to the screw thread may be formed on the inner surface of the through hole of the moving frame (145).

[0070] In addition, the moving frame (145) may be provided to be movable in the longitudinal direction along the inner surface of the inner space (114a) of the receiving portion (114). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the moving frame (145) may have a horizontal bar (145a) extending horizontally and leg portions (145b) extending downward from each end of the horizontal bar (145a) and provided on both sides. A through hole (145h) into which an adjusting screw portion (144) is inserted may be formed in the horizontal bar (145a). The lower end of the leg portion (145b) may be positioned in the inner space (114a) of the receiving portion (114). The leg portion (145b) may be provided to be movable along the inner surface of the inner space (114a) of the receiving portion (114). That is, the bridge portion (145b) may have a width size corresponding to the width in the width direction of the inner space (114a) of the receiving portion (114).

[0071] In addition, the secondary battery (12) may be provided with an electrode assembly (not shown), a pouch case (12a) containing the electrode assembly therein, and a plurality of electrode terminals (13) electrically connected to the electrode assembly and exposed to the outside of the pouch case (12a). For example, the secondary battery (12) may be provided with a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) on one side, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, the secondary battery (12) may be provided with a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side, and a second positive terminal (13c) provided on the other side, as shown in FIG. 10. For example, the secondary battery (12) may be provided with a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side, and a second positive terminal (13c) provided on the other side.

[0072] In addition, the plurality of terminal connecting portions (120) may include a positive terminal connecting portion (121) and a negative terminal connecting portion (122). The positive terminal connecting portion (121) may be provided on one side of the mounting plate (110) and may be provided to be connected to a first positive terminal (13a) provided on one side of the secondary battery (12) among the plurality of electrode terminals (13). The negative terminal connecting portion (122) may be provided on one side of the mounting plate (110) and may be provided to be connected to a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side of the secondary battery (12) among the plurality of electrode terminals (13).

[0073] In addition, the bus bar (130) may be provided to electrically connect the positive terminal connection portion (121) and the second positive terminal (13c) provided on the other side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals (13), or to connect the negative terminal connection portion (122) and the second negative terminal (13d) provided on the other side of the secondary battery (12) among the plurality of electrode terminals (13).

[0074] In addition, the terminal fixing member (140) may include a positive terminal fixing member (141) provided to fix the second positive terminal (13c) to the bus bar (130), or may include a negative terminal fixing member (142) provided to fix the second negative terminal (13d) to the bus bar (130).

[0075] For example, if a secondary battery (12) is provided with a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) on one side, the positive terminal connection portion (121) can be connected to the first positive terminal (13a), and the negative terminal connection portion (122) can be connected to the first negative terminal (13b). At this time, the bus bar (130) does not need to be connected to the electrode terminal (13) of the secondary battery (12).

[0076] In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, when the secondary battery (12) includes a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) on one side and a second positive terminal (13c) on the other side, as shown in FIG. 6, the positive terminal connection portion (121) can be connected to the first positive terminal (13a), and the negative terminal connection portion (122) can be connected to the first negative terminal (13b). In addition, the bus bar (130) can electrically connect the positive terminal connection portion (121) and the second positive terminal (13c). That is, one end of the bus bar (130) can be electrically connected to the positive terminal connection portion (121) connected to the first positive terminal (13a) of the secondary battery (12), and the other end of the bus bar (130) can be electrically connected to the second positive terminal (13c). The positive terminal fixing member (140) can fix the second positive terminal (13c) to the other end of the bus bar (130).

[0077] For example, if the secondary battery (12) includes a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) on one side and a second negative terminal (not shown) on the other side, the positive terminal connection portion (121) may be connected to the first positive terminal (13a), and the negative terminal connection portion (122) may be connected to the first negative terminal (13b). In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the bus bar (130) may electrically connect the negative terminal connection portion (122) and the second negative terminal (13d). That is, one end of the bus bar (130) may be electrically connected to the negative terminal connection portion (122) connected to the first negative terminal (13b) of the secondary battery (12), and the other end of the bus bar (130) may be electrically connected to the second negative terminal (13d). At this time, the negative terminal fixing member (140) can fix the second negative terminal to the other end of the bus bar (130).

[0078] In addition, although not shown in the drawing, the bus bar (130) may have a structure extending in a straight line when the first positive terminal (13a) and the second positive terminal (13c) are positioned parallel to each other, or when the first negative terminal (13b) and the second negative terminal (13d) are positioned parallel to each other.

[0079] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the bus bar (130) may have a bent structure when the first positive terminal (13a) and the second positive terminal (13c) are positioned not parallel in the horizontal direction, or when the first negative terminal (13b) and the second negative terminal (13d) are positioned not parallel in the horizontal direction.

[0080] FIGS. 9 and 10 are schematic plan views illustrating a secondary battery and a fixing jig according to another embodiment of the present invention. For reference, in FIGS. 9 and 10, a portion of a bus bar (130) embedded within a mounting plate (110) is depicted as visible from the outside for convenience of explanation of the drawings.

[0081] First, referring to FIG. 9, a secondary battery (12B) according to another embodiment includes a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side. Accordingly, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention is provided such that the positive terminal connecting portion (121) and the negative terminal connecting portion (122) are respectively connected to the first positive terminal (13a) and the first negative terminal (13b). At this time, the terminal fixing member (140) is not connected to the electrode terminal (13).

[0082] Referring to Fig. 10, a secondary battery (12C) according to another embodiment includes a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side and a second positive terminal (13c) provided on the other side. In addition, the secondary battery (12C) of Fig. 10 is smaller in size in the width direction (W) than the secondary battery (12B) of Fig. 9. Therefore, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention is arranged such that the negative terminal connecting portion (122) is connected to the first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side, and the bus bar (130) is connected to the second positive terminal (13c) provided on the other side by the pressure of the terminal fixing member (140) moved in the width direction (W).

[0083] For example, as in Fig. 10, when a secondary battery (12) is provided with a first negative terminal (13b) on one side and a second positive terminal (13c) on the other side, the negative terminal connecting portion (122) is connected to the first negative terminal (13b), and the positive terminal fixing member (141) can fix the second positive terminal (13c) to the surface of the bus bar (130) connected to the positive terminal connecting portion (121).

[0084] For example, when a secondary battery (12) is provided with a first positive terminal (13a) provided on one side and a second negative terminal (13d) provided on the other side, the positive terminal connection portion (121) is connected to the first positive terminal (13a), and the negative terminal fixing member (142) can fix the second negative terminal (13d) to the surface of a bus bar (130) connected to the negative terminal connection portion (122).

[0085] Accordingly, the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of the present invention has the advantage of being usable in all cases where the secondary battery (12) includes a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side, or a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side and a second positive terminal (13c) provided on the other side, or a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side and a second positive terminal (13c) provided on the other side, so that a design change of the fixing jig is unnecessary, which is convenient.

[0086] Fig. 11 is a plan view schematically showing a secondary battery fixing jig (100A) according to another embodiment of the present invention. And, Fig. 12 is a plan view schematically showing a secondary battery (12) according to another embodiment of the present invention mounted on the secondary battery fixing jig (100A). The secondary battery fixing jig (100A) of Figs. 11 and 12 may further include a negative electrode bus bar (132) and a negative electrode terminal fixing member (142) when compared with the secondary battery fixing jig (100) of Figs. 5 and 6. Since the remaining components are similar, a more detailed description of the remaining components is omitted. For reference, in Figs. 11 and 12, a part of the bus bar (130) configured to be covered by an insulating cover (115) is expressed to be visible from the outside for the convenience of explanation of the drawings.

[0087] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the secondary battery (12) may include a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side, and a second positive terminal (13c) and a second negative terminal (13d) provided on the other side.

[0088] In addition, the terminal connection portion (120) may include a positive terminal connection portion (121) provided to be connected to the first positive terminal (13a), and a negative terminal connection portion (122) provided to be connected to the first negative terminal (13b).

[0089] In addition, the bus bar (130) may include at least one of a positive bus bar (131) configured to electrically connect at least two positive terminals (13a, 13c), and a negative bus bar (132) configured to electrically connect at least two negative terminals (13b, 13d). For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a secondary battery fixing jig (100A) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a positive bus bar (131) and a negative bus bar (132). Each of the positive bus bar (131) and the negative bus bar (132) may be electrically connected to a positive terminal connection portion (121) and a negative terminal connection portion (122), respectively.

[0090] In addition, the terminal fixing member (140) may include a positive terminal fixing member (141) provided to fix the second positive terminal (13c) to the bus bar (130). The positive terminal fixing member (141) may be provided to be movable in the longitudinal direction (F) along the positive bus bar (131). The terminal fixing member (140) may include a negative terminal fixing member (142) provided to fix the second negative terminal (13d) to the bus bar (130). The negative terminal fixing member (142) may be provided to be movable in the longitudinal direction (F) along the negative bus bar (132). At this time, the positive electrode bus bar (131) and the negative electrode bus bar (132) may have a structure extending in a straight line when the first positive electrode terminal (13a) and the second positive electrode terminal (13c) are positioned parallel to each other, or when the first negative electrode terminal (13b) and the second negative electrode terminal (13d) are positioned parallel to each other.

[0091] In addition, in the case where a secondary battery (12) of another type includes a first positive terminal provided on one side and a second negative terminal provided on the other side, the first positive terminal (13a) may be connected to the positive terminal connection portion (121), and the second negative terminal may be electrically connected to a bus bar (132) connected to the negative terminal connection portion (121) by a negative electrode fixing member (142).

[0092] Accordingly, the secondary battery fixing jig (100A) according to another embodiment of the present invention can be used not only when the secondary battery (12) includes a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side, but also when the secondary battery (12) includes a first positive terminal (13a) and a first negative terminal (13b) provided on one side and a second positive terminal (13c) and a second negative terminal (13d) provided on the other side. Accordingly, the secondary battery fixing jig (100A) of the present invention is useful because it enables charging and discharging and testing of secondary batteries (12) of various structures.

[0093] Fig. 12 is a partial side view schematically illustrating a portion of a secondary battery fixing jig (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention. And, Fig. 13 is a partial plan view schematically illustrating a portion of a secondary battery fixing jig (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13 along with FIGS. 3 to 6, the terminal connection portion (120) includes an upper pressure plate (123) and a lower conductive plate (124). Specifically, the upper pressure plate (123) may be provided to be able to be raised and lowered via an adjustment screw. The upper pressure plate (123) may be provided to press the upper surface of the electrode terminal (13) downward. The upper pressure plate (123) may be connected to a voltage sensing cable (214). At this time, the voltage sensing cable (214) may be connected to a charger / discharger (210) or a resistance meter.

[0095] In addition, the terminal connection portion (120) may include an adjustment portion (125) provided to adjust the vertical position of the upper pressure plate (123). The adjustment portion (125) may include an adjustment screw (125a). The adjustment portion (125) may include a connection block (126b) coupled to an end of the adjustment screw (125a). The lower portion of the connection block (126b) may be coupled to the upper pressure plate (123).

[0096] Additionally, the terminal connection portion (120) may include a connection frame (126) having a through hole (126h) formed therein into which the adjustment screw of the adjustment portion (125) is inserted. The connection frame (126) may be formed of an electrically insulating material.

[0097] In addition, the lower conductive plate (124) may be provided to press the electrode terminal (13) upward. As shown in Fig. 6, the lower conductive plates (124) of each of the positive terminal connection portion (121) and the negative terminal connection portion (122) may be electrically connected to connection portions (122a, 122b) to which a current cable (212) provided to apply current to the electrode terminal (13) is connected. At this time, the current cable (212) may be connected to a charger / discharger (210) or a resistance meter.

[0098] Meanwhile, the present invention provides a secondary battery charging / discharging device (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the secondary battery charging / discharging device (200) includes a secondary battery fixing jig (100) and a charger / discharger (210) electrically connected to a terminal connection portion (120) to perform charging, discharging, or testing of a secondary battery (12).

[0099] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a method for performing charge / discharge or testing for battery activation of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] Referring again to FIG. 14 together with FIGS. 3 to 6, the present invention provides a method for performing charging / discharging or testing for battery activation of a secondary battery (12) using a secondary battery charging / discharging device (200) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting step (M01). The mounting step (M01) is configured to mount the secondary battery (12) on a mounting plate (110).

[0101] In addition, the method of the present invention includes a connection step (M02). The connection step (M02) is a step of connecting the terminal connection portion (120) to the electrode terminal (13) provided on one side of the secondary battery (12). For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the positive terminal of the secondary battery (12) may be connected to the positive terminal connection portion (121), and the negative terminal may be connected to the negative terminal connection portion (122).

[0102] In addition, the method of the present invention includes a fixing step (M03). The fixing step (M03) is a step of fixing an electrode terminal (13) provided on the other side of the secondary battery (12) and having the same polarity as the electrode terminal (13) provided on one side, onto a bus bar (130) using a terminal fixing member (140).

[0103] In addition, the method of the present invention includes a charge / discharge step (M04-1) or a resistance measurement step (M04-2). The charge / discharge step (M04-1) is a step for performing charge / discharge for battery activation during the process of manufacturing a secondary battery (12). The resistance measurement step (M04-2) is a step for measuring the internal resistance of the secondary battery (12).

[0104] Accordingly, the method of the present invention has the advantage of facilitating precise resistance measurement by electrically connecting electrode terminals (13) of the same polarity using a bus bar (130), thereby minimizing an increase in measurement resistance caused by the connecting member. Furthermore, the method of the present invention has the advantage of eliminating the need to install separate current application cables and sensing cables (214) in the terminal fixing member (140) by electrically connecting electrode terminals (13) of the same polarity through a bus bar (130), thereby eliminating the need to change the design of the chamber that accommodates the fixing jig.

[0105] The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and those skilled in the art having ordinary knowledge of the present invention will be able to make various modifications, changes, and additions within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes, and additions should be considered to fall within the scope of the following claims.

[0106] Through one embodiment of the present invention, a secondary battery fixing jig capable of performing charging / discharging or testing on secondary batteries having various sizes and structures can be provided.

Claims

1. A secondary battery fixing jig used for charging, discharging or testing the secondary battery by connecting a charging power source, a discharging load or an electrical characteristic measurement terminal to multiple electrode terminals provided on the secondary battery. A mounting plate comprising an electrically insulating material and provided with the secondary battery; A plurality of terminal connectors, each of which is electrically connected by direct contact with one of the plurality of electrode terminals and is provided to be electrically connected to a charger / discharger; A bus bar mounted on the above-mentioned mounting plate and configured to electrically connect electrode terminals of the same polarity among a plurality of electrode terminals of the secondary battery; and A secondary battery fixing jig characterized by comprising: at least one terminal fixing member configured to be movable along the bus bar and electrically connect an electrode terminal having the same polarity as an electrode terminal connected to the terminal connection portion to the bus bar.

2. In paragraph 1, The above mounting plate is, A secondary battery fixing jig, characterized in that an inner space is formed to accommodate the bus bar, and the inner space has a receiving portion extending along the extension direction of the bus bar.

3. In paragraph 2, The above terminal fixing member is, An upper conductive part provided to be able to move up and down so as to secure the electrode terminal in close contact with the bus bar; An adjusting screw portion provided to adjust the upper and lower position of the upper conductive portion; and A secondary battery fixing jig characterized by having a movable frame that is arranged to be able to move longitudinally along the inner surface of the inner space of the above-mentioned receiving portion.

4. In paragraph 3, The above multiple terminal connection parts are, A positive electrode terminal connection portion provided on one side of the above-mentioned mounting plate and configured to be connected to a first positive electrode terminal provided on one side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals; and It includes a negative terminal connection portion provided on one side of the above-mentioned mounting plate and configured to be connected to a first negative terminal provided on one side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals, The above bus bar, It is provided to electrically connect the positive terminal connection portion and the second positive terminal provided on the other side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals, or to connect the negative terminal connection portion and the second negative terminal provided on the other side of the secondary battery among the plurality of electrode terminals. The above terminal fixing member is, A secondary battery fixing jig characterized by including a positive terminal fixing member arranged to fix the second positive terminal to the bus bar, or a negative terminal fixing member arranged to fix the second negative terminal to the bus bar.

5. In paragraph 4, The above secondary battery has a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal on one side, A secondary battery fixing jig, characterized in that the positive terminal connection portion is connected to the first positive terminal, and the negative terminal connection portion is connected to the first negative terminal.

6. In paragraph 4, The above secondary battery has the first negative terminal on one side and the second positive terminal on the other side, The above negative terminal connection portion is connected to the first negative terminal, The above bus bar electrically connects the positive terminal connection portion and the second positive terminal, A secondary battery fixing jig, characterized in that the above positive electrode terminal fixing member fixes the second positive electrode terminal to the bus bar.

7. In paragraph 4, The above secondary battery has the first positive terminal on one side and the second negative terminal on the other side, The above positive terminal connection portion is connected to the first positive terminal, The above bus bar electrically connects the negative terminal connection portion and the second negative terminal, A secondary battery fixing jig, characterized in that the negative terminal fixing member fixes the second negative terminal to the bus bar.

8. In paragraph 4, The above secondary battery has a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal on one side and a second positive terminal on the other side, The above positive terminal connection portion is connected to the first positive terminal, The above negative terminal connection portion is connected to the first negative terminal, The above bus bar electrically connects the positive terminal connection portion and the second positive terminal, A secondary battery fixing jig, characterized in that the above positive electrode terminal fixing member fixes the second positive electrode terminal to the bus bar.

9. In paragraph 4, The above secondary battery, A first positive terminal and a first negative terminal are provided on one side, and a second negative terminal is provided on the other side. The above positive terminal connection portion is connected to the first positive terminal, The above negative terminal connection portion is connected to the first negative terminal, The above bus bar electrically connects the negative terminal connection portion and the second negative terminal, A secondary battery fixing jig, characterized in that the negative terminal fixing member fixes the second negative terminal to the bus bar.

10. In clause 8 or 9, The above bus bar, A secondary battery fixing jig characterized in that it has a structure extending in a straight line when the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal are positioned parallel to each other, or when the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal are positioned parallel to each other.

11. In clause 8 or 9, The above bus bar, A secondary battery fixing jig characterized by having a folded structure when the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal are not positioned parallel to each other, or when the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal are not positioned parallel to each other.

12. In paragraph 3, The above secondary battery is provided with a first positive terminal and a first negative terminal provided on one side, and a second positive terminal and a second negative terminal provided on the other side. The above terminal connection part is, It includes a positive terminal connection portion provided to be connected to the first positive terminal, and a negative terminal connection portion provided to be connected to the first negative terminal, The above bus bar, It includes a positive electrode bus bar provided to electrically connect the first positive electrode terminal and the second positive electrode terminal, and a negative electrode bus bar provided to electrically connect the first negative electrode terminal and the second negative electrode terminal. The above terminal fixing member is, A secondary battery fixing jig, characterized by including a positive terminal fixing member arranged to fix the second positive terminal to the bus bar, and a negative terminal fixing member arranged to fix the second negative terminal to the bus bar.

13. In paragraph 12, The above positive electrode busbar and the above negative electrode busbar are, A secondary battery fixing jig characterized in that it has a structure extending in a straight line when the first positive terminal and the second positive terminal are positioned parallel to each other, or when the first negative terminal and the second negative terminal are positioned parallel to each other.

14. In paragraph 1, The above terminal connection part is, An upper pressure plate capable of moving up and down and configured to press downward the upper surface of the electrode terminal; A control unit provided to control the upper and lower positions of the upper pressure plate; and A secondary battery fixing jig characterized by comprising: a lower conductive plate configured to press upward the electrode terminal and to which a current cable configured to apply current to the electrode terminal is connected; 15. A secondary battery charging / discharging device characterized by including a secondary battery fixing jig according to Article 1, and a charger / discharger electrically connected to the terminal connection part to perform charging, discharging, or testing of the secondary battery.

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