Cell charging and discharging device having distance-adjustable cell grippers, and cell charging and discharging method using same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cell charging and discharging device having distance-adjustable cell grippers, and a cell charging and discharging method using same, and, specifically, to a cell charging and discharging device and a cell charging and discharging method using same, the cell charging and discharging device comprising: cell grippers positioned to be spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other; a distance adjustment unit capable of adjusting the distance between the cell grippers; and a driving unit connected to the distance adjustment unit so as to drive the distance adjustment unit, wherein the cell grippers include: a body unit; piezoelectric elements positioned on both side surfaces of the body unit; and a length-adjustable connection unit for connecting the body unit and the piezoelectric elements.

Description

Cell charging and discharging device equipped with a distance-adjustable cell gripper and a cell charging and discharging method using the same

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 2024-0128828 filed September 24, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the document of said Korean patent application are incorporated herein as part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to a cell charging and discharging device equipped with a distance-adjustable cell gripper and a cell charging and discharging method using the same. Specifically, it relates to a cell charging and discharging device equipped with a distance-adjustable cell gripper capable of performing charging and discharging on battery cells of various sizes, and a cell charging and discharging method using the same.

[0003] Recently, due to air pollution caused by the use of fossil fuels and the development of alternative energy sources resulting from energy depletion, the demand for secondary batteries capable of storing generated electrical energy is increasing.

[0004] Rechargeable batteries, which serve as an indispensable energy source for various electronic devices in modern society, are seeing increased capacity requirements due to the growing usage and complexity of mobile devices and the development of electric vehicles. While multiple battery cells are arranged in small devices to meet user demand, vehicles utilize battery modules that electrically connect multiple battery cells, or battery packs equipped with multiple such modules.

[0005] Meanwhile, before the battery cell is housed in a battery module or the like, a cell charging and discharging process is performed by a cell charging and discharging device to activate the battery cell and make it ready for use.

[0006] These battery cells are manufactured in various sizes depending on the case size of the battery module they are housed in or the type of device they are mounted on, and thus, individual cell charging and discharging operations are required to accommodate these various sizes.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a gripper unit according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the gripper unit according to the prior art is configured to grip and fix a battery cell during charging and discharging, and comprises a gripper head portion (21), a pair of gripper pressure portions (24) connected to the gripper head portion (21) and extending downward to a cell insertion space, a current terminal (25) for applying current to a secondary battery cell, and a voltage terminal (26) for applying voltage to a secondary battery cell.

[0008] Additionally, the gripper head portion (21) is configured to include a cap member (22) located on the upper part of the gripper pressure portion (24) to guide the electrode lead portion, and a block member (23) capable of sliding movement.

[0009] The gripper unit according to this prior art has a fixed gripper pressure part (24), so it can charge and discharge a secondary battery cell of a fixed size, but it has the disadvantage of requiring a new size gripper pressure part (24) to charge and discharge a secondary battery cell of a different size.

[0010] (Prior Art Literature)

[0011] (Patent Document 1) Korean Published Patent Application No. 2020-0017825

[0012] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a cell charging and discharging device equipped with a distance-adjustable cell gripper capable of adjusting the spacing of the cell gripper to perform charging and discharging corresponding to battery cells of various sizes, and a cell charging and discharging method using the same.

[0013] A cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose comprises a cell gripper (100) positioned at a certain distance apart, a distance adjustment unit (200) capable of adjusting the distance between the cell grippers (100), and a driving unit (300) connected to the distance adjustment unit (200) to drive the distance adjustment unit (200), wherein the cell gripper (100) comprises a body part (110), a piezoelectric element (120) located on both sides of the body part (110), and a connecting part (130) that connects the body part (110) and the piezoelectric element (120) and is capable of length adjustment.

[0014] In addition, in the cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention, the connecting part (130) is characterized by being in the form of a tube that can be extended.

[0015] In addition, in the cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention, the connecting part (130) is characterized by being connected to an air pump (140) capable of supplying and sucking air.

[0016] In addition, the cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention is characterized in that an air flow path (141) connecting the air pump (140) and the connecting part (130) is provided, and a part of the air flow path (141) is embedded inside the body part (110).

[0017] In addition, in the cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention, the connecting part (130) is characterized by being formed by including one or more of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyimide (PI), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

[0018] In addition, in the cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention, the distance adjustment unit (200) is characterized by having a rod shape having a certain length and having a fastening member (210) provided at both ends.

[0019] In addition, the cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention is characterized in that a guide portion (111) to which the fastening member (210) is fastened is provided at each of the positions spaced apart from one edge of the body portion (110) by a certain distance and at the other edge by a certain distance.

[0020] In addition, in the cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention, the guide portion (111) is characterized by having a rail shape with a certain length in the vertical direction.

[0021] In addition, in the cell charging / discharging device according to the present invention, the fastening member (210) is characterized by moving in a vertical direction within the area where the guide part (111) is formed.

[0022] In addition, in the cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention, the distance adjustment unit (200) is provided in two such units to connect one body part (110) and another body part (110) adjacent thereto, and the distance adjustment unit (200) is characterized by being connected to the body part (110) to form an X shape.

[0023] In addition, a cell charging and discharging method using a cell charging and discharging device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first step of positioning the electrode lead of a battery cell between cell grippers; a second step of adjusting the position of the cell grippers so as to be adjacent to the electrode lead; a third step of moving a piezoelectric element so as to be in close contact with the electrode lead; a fourth step of charging and discharging the battery cell; and a fifth step of separating the piezoelectric element from the electrode lead.

[0024] As described above, the cell charging and discharging device equipped with a distance-adjustable cell gripper according to the present invention and the cell charging and discharging method using the same have the advantage of being able to perform charging and discharging on battery cells of various sizes by adjusting the distance between cell grippers by the distance adjustment unit.

[0025] In addition, a cell charging and discharging device equipped with a distance-adjustable cell gripper and a cell charging and discharging method using it have the advantage of being able to suppress damage to the electrode lead caused by applied pressure by moving the piezoelectric element through the supply and suction of air to make close contact with the electrode lead.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a gripper unit according to the prior art.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cell charging and discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which a cell gripper is separated by a driving unit in a cell charging and discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which a cell gripper is positioned adjacently by a driving unit in a cell charging and discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a cell gripper according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in close contact with an electrode lead.

[0031] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a cell charging and discharging method using a cell charging and discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Embodiments that enable a person skilled in the art to easily implement the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, in describing the operating principles of preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, if it is determined that a specific description of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0033] In addition, the same reference numerals are used for parts having similar functions and operations throughout the drawings. Throughout the specification, when a part is described as being connected to another part, this includes not only cases where they are directly connected, but also cases where they are indirectly connected with other elements in between. Furthermore, unless specifically stated otherwise, the inclusion of a certain component does not exclude other components but implies that additional components may be included.

[0034] Hereinafter, a cell charging and discharging device equipped with a distance-adjustable cell gripper according to the present invention and a cell charging and discharging method using the same will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cell charging / discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which a cell gripper is separated by a driving unit in a cell charging / discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which a cell gripper is positioned adjacently by a driving unit in a cell charging / discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a cell gripper according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in close contact with an electrode lead.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, a cell charging and discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a cell gripper (100), a distance adjustment unit (200), and a driving unit (300).

[0037] First, the cell gripper (100) performs charging and discharging by fixing and closely contacting a battery cell (C) to be charged and discharged, and is configured to include a body part (110), a piezoelectric element (120), a connecting part (130), and an air pump (140).

[0038] First, the body portion (110) supports some of the other components of the cell gripper (100) described later so that they can be mounted, and can be formed in a flat plate shape having a certain thickness.

[0039] The body portion (110) may be formed in multiple numbers and may be formed on each side based on one electrode lead (L) to be discharged.

[0040] In addition, if charging and discharging are to be performed on multiple electrode leads (L), the body part (110) may be added to correspond to this configuration.

[0041] For example, as shown in the drawing, the structure may be configured such that a body portion (110) is provided on each of the two sides of the electrode leads (L) positioned spaced apart from each other.

[0042] Additionally, the body part (110) has guide parts (111) formed at a position spaced a certain distance from one edge and a position spaced a certain distance from the other edge on a surface corresponding to the distance adjustment part (200) described later.

[0043] The guide portion (111) is formed at a position spaced apart in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the body portion (110) and is formed in a rail shape having a certain length in the height direction (Z-axis direction) by being recessed to a certain depth.

[0044] A fastening member (210) of the distance adjustment member (200), which will be described later, is coupled to the guide member (111), and a certain area in which the fastening member (210) can move is formed.

[0045] Next, the piezoelectric element (120) is formed in a flat plate shape having a certain area and is provided on each surface corresponding to the electrode lead (L) of the body part (110) so as to perform charging and discharging by being in direct contact with the electrode lead (L) of the battery cell (C).

[0046] The piezoelectric element (120) is connected to one or more of a current terminal (not shown) and a voltage terminal (not shown), so that charging and discharging can be performed when in close contact with the electrode lead (L).

[0047] The connecting part (130) is provided between the body part (110) and the piezoelectric element (120) to connect the body part (110) and the piezoelectric element (120), and can adjust the distance between the body part (110) and the piezoelectric element (120).

[0048] The connecting part (130) is in the form of a tube that can be expanded and contracted, and expansion is achieved by air supply and air suction by an air pump (140) described later, and is provided with one or more between the body part (110) and the piezoelectric element (120).

[0049] Here, the connecting portion (130) is made of one or more of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyimide (PI), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

[0050] This connecting part (130) can move the piezoelectric element (120), allowing the piezoelectric element (120) and the electrode lead (L) to be in close contact and separated from each other.

[0051] That is, the connecting part (130) extends so that the piezoelectric element (120) and the electrode lead (L) come into close contact with each other to perform charging and discharging, and when charging and discharging are completed, the connecting part (130) contracts so that the piezoelectric element (120) and the electrode lead (L) are separated.

[0052] At this time, the connecting part (130) can reduce damage to the electrode lead (L) caused by excessive pressure being applied when the piezoelectric element (120) is in close contact with the electrode lead (L) by means of air supply and air suction as described above.

[0053] Next, the air pump (140) supplies air to and sucks air into the connection part (130) to expand and contract the connection part (130), and is connected to the connection part (130) through the air flow path (141).

[0054] At this time, a part of the air flow channel (141) is formed in a structure that is embedded in the body part (110) and connected to the connecting part (130).

[0055] Additionally, although the structure is illustrated such that the air flow path (141) connected to the air pump (140) branches out and is connected to each body part (110), the air pump (140) and the air flow path (141) may each be provided to correspond to the body part (110) as needed.

[0056] Next, the distance adjustment unit (200) is for adjusting the distance between the body parts (110) that are spaced apart, and is in the shape of a rod having a certain length, and has fastening members (210) formed at both ends of the surface corresponding to the body parts (110).

[0057] Two distance adjustment units (200) are provided to connect one body unit (110) and another body unit (110) adjacent to it, and the two distance adjustment units (200) are connected diagonally to form an X shape.

[0058] At this time, the fastening member (210) of the distance adjustment part (200) is connected to the guide part (111) of the body part (110) and moves in the height direction (Z-axis direction) within the area where the guide part (111) is formed.

[0059] Accordingly, the distance adjustment unit (200) moves the body parts (110) within a certain distance when adjusting the distance between the body parts (110), thereby preventing the body parts (110) from being completely in close contact or separated more than necessary.

[0060] For example, when the distance between the body parts (110) is separated by the distance adjustment part (200), the fastening member (210) moves in a direction that brings them closer to each other, and when the fastening member (210) comes into close contact with the end of the guide part (111), the movement stops.

[0061] Additionally, when the distance between the body parts (110) is narrowed by the distance adjustment part (200), the fastening member (210) moves in a direction away from each other, and when the fastening member (210) comes into close contact with the end of the guide part (111), the movement stops.

[0062] Next, the driving unit (300) drives the distance adjustment unit (200) to adjust the distance between the body parts (110), and may be, for example, a motor.

[0063] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a cell charging and discharging method using a cell charging and discharging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 6, a cell charging and discharging method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first step of positioning the electrode leads of a battery cell between cell grippers, a second step of adjusting the position of the cell grippers so as to be adjacent to the electrode leads, a third step of moving a piezoelectric element so as to be in close contact with the electrode leads, a fourth step of charging and discharging the battery cell, and a fifth step of separating the piezoelectric element from the electrode leads.

[0065] The first step of positioning the electrode leads of a battery cell between cell grippers is to position the electrode leads of the battery cell between the body portions of the spaced-apart cell grippers.

[0066] The second step of adjusting the position so that the cell gripper is adjacent to the electrode lead is to adjust the distance between the body parts of the cell gripper through a distance adjustment unit to move them to a position separated by a certain distance from each other.

[0067] At this time, if the distance between the body parts is narrowed by the guide part of the body part and the fastening member of the distance adjustment part, the movement of the distance is stopped at a certain position.

[0068] In other words, it is possible to prevent the body part from being completely in close contact with an adjacent body part by not narrowing beyond a certain distance.

[0069] The third step of moving the piezoelectric element so that it comes into close contact with the electrode lead is a step in which the connecting part extends while the body part is spaced a certain distance from an adjacent body part so that the piezoelectric element comes into close contact with the electrode lead of the battery cell.

[0070] The connection section expands the air passage section due to air supplied from the air pump, bringing the piezoelectric element connected to the connection section into close contact with the electrode lead.

[0071] The fourth step of charging and discharging the battery cell is the step in which a piezoelectric element in close contact with the electrode lead of the battery cell charges and discharges the battery cell.

[0072] At this time, the piezoelectric element performs charging and discharging by transmitting electricity supplied from either the connected current terminal or the voltage terminal to the electrode lead.

[0073] The fifth step of separating the piezoelectric element from the electrode lead is the step of separating the piezoelectric element from the electrode lead when the charging and discharging of the battery cell is completed.

[0074] The piezoelectric element draws air from the connection part by an air pump, causing the connection part to contract and become separated from the electrode lead.

[0075] A person skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will be able to perform various applications and modifications within the scope of this invention based on the above content.

[0076] (Explanation of symbols)

[0077] 100: Cell Gripper

[0078] 110: Body part

[0079] 111: Guide Department

[0080] 120: Piezoelectric element

[0081] 130: Connection

[0082] 140: Air pump

[0083] 141: Air flow path

[0084] 200: Distance adjustment unit

[0085] 210: Fastening member

[0086] 300: Drive unit

[0087] C: Battery cell

[0088] L: Electrode lead

Claims

1. Cell grippers positioned at a certain distance apart; A distance adjustment unit capable of adjusting the distance between the cell grippers; and A driving unit connected to the distance adjustment unit and driving the distance adjustment unit; comprising, The cell gripper described above is a cell charging and discharging device comprising a body portion, piezoelectric elements located on both sides of the body portion, and a connecting portion that connects the body portion and the piezoelectric elements and is adjustable in length.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned connection is a cell charging and discharging device in the form of a flexible tube.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above connection is a cell charging and discharging device connected to an air pump capable of supplying and sucking air.

4. In Paragraph 3, An air passage connecting the above air pump and the above connection part is provided, A part of the above air flow path is a cell charging / discharging device embedded inside the body part.

5. In Paragraph 2, The above-mentioned connecting part comprises one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyimide, and polyvinyl chloride, forming a cell charging and discharging device.

6. In Paragraph 2, The above distance adjustment unit is a cell charging / discharging device having a rod shape with a certain length and equipped with fastening members at both ends.

7. In Paragraph 6, A cell charging and discharging device having guide portions for which the fastening member is fastened, each of which is spaced a certain distance from one edge of the body portion and a certain distance from the other edge.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above guide section is a cell charging / discharging device having a rail shape with a certain length in the height direction.

9. In Paragraph 8, The above fastening member is a cell charging / discharging device that moves in the height direction within the area where the guide part is formed.

10. In Paragraph 7, The above distance adjustment unit is provided in two parts to connect one body part and another body part adjacent to it, and A cell charging and discharging device in which the above distance adjustment part is connected to the body part to form an X shape.

11. A cell charging and discharging method using a cell charging and discharging device described in any one of claims 1 to 10, A first step of positioning the electrode leads of a battery cell between cell grippers; A second step of adjusting the position so that the cell gripper is adjacent to the electrode lead; A third step of moving the piezoelectric element so as to be in close contact with the electrode lead; A fourth step of charging and discharging the above battery cell; and A cell charging and discharging method comprising: a fifth step of separating the piezoelectric element from the electrode lead.

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