Pressing tray

Abstract

A pressing tray related to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a main body having a plurality of pressing spaces provided such that battery cells are seated therein; and a plurality of pressing jigs including a pair of partition walls and an airbag, which is mounted between the pair of partition walls and can inflate when injected with air, and provided in the main body such that the pair of partition walls face two battery cells respectively arranged in two adjacent pressing spaces. The pressing jigs are provided to press the facing battery cells as the respective partition walls move when the airbags inflate.

Description

Pressure tray

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure tray, and more specifically, to a pressure tray for pressurizing a battery cell in an activation process of a battery cell.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0183510 filed on December 11, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the document of said Korean patent application are incorporated herein as part of this specification.

[0003] A battery cell refers to a secondary battery that can be repeatedly reused through charging and discharging. Recently, battery cells have been widely used in the field of advanced electronic devices, such as smartphones, laptop computers, and electric vehicles.

[0004] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of a pouch-type battery cell, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line xx of FIG. 1(a).

[0005] The above battery cell (10) may include an electrode assembly (11), a cell case (12), and an electrolyte (17). The battery cell (10) may be classified into a cylindrical battery cell, a prismatic battery cell, and a pouch-type battery cell depending on the shape of the electrode assembly (11) and the cell case (12).

[0006] For example, the pouch-type battery cell (10) includes an electrode assembly (11) in which a negative plate and a positive plate are alternately stacked via a separator. The pouch-type battery cell (10) can be manufactured by housing the electrode assembly (11) in the cup portion of a cell case (12), injecting an electrolyte (17) into the cell case (12), and sealing the cell case (12).

[0007] The above electrolyte (17) is impregnated into the electrode assembly (11) and acts as a medium for moving lithium ions between the negative plate and the positive plate of the electrode assembly (11) during charging and discharging of the battery cell (10). Accordingly, the above electrolyte (17) is a major factor affecting the performance of the battery cell (10).

[0008] When the electrolyte (17) is filled inside the cell case (12) of the above pouch-type battery cell (10), both sides of the cell case (12) become convex outward. At this time, in order to increase the capacity of the battery cell (10), a squeezing operation is required to press both sides of the cell case (12) of the battery cell (10).

[0009] When performing the squeezing operation, the electrolyte (17) filled inside the cell case (12) must spread evenly so that the capacity of the battery cell (10) can be increased, so it is important to spread the electrolyte (17) evenly.

[0010] The above squeezing operation can be performed in a pressure tray where the charging and discharging of the battery cell (10) is performed. The above squeezing operation may be a pretreatment process of the activation process.

[0011] The above activation process is a process that stabilizes the structure of the battery cell (10) through charging, aging, and discharging of the battery cell (10) so that the battery cell (10) becomes usable.

[0012] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a side view of a conventional pressure tray.

[0013] As illustrated in FIG. 2, a conventional pressure tray (20) may include a plurality of pressure jigs (22) and a drive shaft (21). The drive shaft (21) is connected to the plurality of pressure jigs (22) and may be configured to move the plurality of pressure jigs (5) linearly.

[0014] The above-mentioned pressure tray (10) has a structure in which a battery cell (10) is placed between two adjacent pressure jigs (22), and then a plurality of pressure jigs (22) are moved in a first direction (F1) from one side of the pressure tray (20) toward the other side, thereby pressing the plurality of battery cells (10) while pushing them toward the other side of the pressure tray.

[0015] Each battery cell (10) is placed between two pressure jigs (22).

[0016] When the drive shaft (21) pushes the plurality of pressure jigs (22) in a first direction (F1) from one side of the pressure tray (20) to the other, the plurality of battery cells (10) placed between the plurality of pressure jigs (22) are moved in the direction of movement (F1) of the plurality of pressure jigs (22).

[0017] FIGS. 3 and FIGS. 4 are drawings for explaining problems that occur when a conventional pressure tray pressurizes multiple battery cells. FIGS. 3 is a drawing for explaining problems that occur when a pressure jig provided in a conventional pressure tray pushes out multiple battery cells, and FIGS. 4 is a drawing for explaining problems that occur when the spacing between pressure jigs is irregular during the process of multiple pressure jigs moving multiple battery cells in a conventional pressure tray.

[0018] In performing the above squeezing operation, if the conventional pressure tray (20) shown in FIG. 2 is applied, as the pressure progresses, the opposing surfaces of the pressure jig (22) and the battery cell (10) may not be parallel as shown in FIG. 3.

[0019] If the pressure distribution during pressurization is uneven, the pressure applied to both sides of the battery cell (10) may not be evenly distributed. This may result in the battery cell (10) being damaged or the electrolyte (17) not being evenly impregnated throughout, leading to a decrease in quality.

[0020] A conventional pressure tray (20) requires a driving device (23) for moving the plurality of pressure jigs (22) in a first direction (F1) when pressure is applied, and moving the plurality of pressure jigs (22) in a second direction (F2) opposite to the first direction (F1) when pressure is released.

[0021] In a conventional pressure tray (20), when a plurality of battery cells (10) are moved in a first direction (F1) during pressure application, if the electrode tab (15) of a battery cell (10) is placed in a position where it is not connected to a charging gripper (30) provided in the pressure tray, charging and discharging of the corresponding battery cell (10) cannot be performed.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, if the spacing (d) between the pressure jigs (22) is not constant, a phenomenon may occur in which the charging grippers (30) installed at regular intervals cannot be connected to the battery cell (10) at the correct position.

[0023] As such, the structure of the conventional pressure tray (20) may cause various problems during the pressure process for the battery cell (10).

[0024] The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a pressure tray capable of applying uniform pressure to both sides of a plurality of battery cells.

[0025] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a pressure jig and a pressure tray capable of applying uniform pressure to both sides of a plurality of battery cells at a position where the battery cells can electrically contact a charging gripper.

[0026] To solve the above-mentioned problem, a pressure tray related to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body portion having a plurality of pressure spaces arranged to accommodate a battery cell, and a plurality of pressure jigs provided in the main body portion.

[0027] Each pressurizing jig includes a pair of bulkheads and an airbag that is mounted between the pair of bulkheads and can be inflated upon air injection, and is positioned within the main body such that the pair of bulkheads and two battery cells, each placed in adjacent two pressurizing spaces, face each other.

[0028] In addition, the above-mentioned pressurizing jig is configured to pressurize the battery cells facing each other as each partition moves when the airbag is inflated.

[0029] In addition, the gap between the pair of partitions is arranged to be adjusted through the contraction and expansion of the airbag.

[0030] The above pair of bulkheads can be arranged to make surface contact with one side of the battery cell facing the airbag when the airbag is inflated.

[0031] The battery cell comprises an electrode assembly having an electrode tab and a cell case having a cup portion in which the electrode assembly is housed, and the partition wall may have a plate shape having an area equal to or larger than the area of ​​the cup portion.

[0032] The above-mentioned pressurizing jig can be mounted within the main body so that the pair of partitions can move along the bottom surface of the main body when the airbag is inflated.

[0033] The above-described pressure tray may include an air pipe fluidly movably connected to the airbag of each pressure jig, and an air supply unit connected to the air pipe of the plurality of pressure jigs and configured to inject air into the plurality of airbags.

[0034] The above air piping has a plurality of branch lines connected to the airbags of each of the above pressurized jigs, and air supplied from the air supply unit can be supplied to the airbags through the air piping and each of the branch lines.

[0035] The above airbag may be configured to simultaneously pressurize both sides of a battery cell placed between two adjacent pressurizing jigs when inflated.

[0036] The above pair of partitions may be mounted facing each other on both sides of the airbag and arranged so that the gap between them is adjusted during the inflation and deflation of the airbag.

[0037] The above airbag may be configured to pressurize the pair of bulkheads in a direction perpendicular to the bulkheads when air is injected.

[0038] The two adjacent pressure jigs mentioned above can be spaced apart at equal intervals.

[0039] The battery cell comprises an electrode assembly having an electrode tab and a cell case having a cup portion for housing the electrode assembly, and the main body has a plurality of guide grooves provided to support a first edge of the cell case that is not provided with the electrode tab, and the guide grooves can be arranged in each pressurized space.

[0040] The above-described pressure tray may include a plurality of charging grippers configured to electrically contact the electrode tabs of each battery cell accommodated in the main body.

[0041] The plurality of charging grippers may be positioned in the main body so as to face the electrode tabs of the battery cells accommodated in their respective guide grooves. At this time, the plurality of charging grippers may be spaced upward from the bottom surface of the main body. For example, the plurality of charging grippers may be spaced upward from the bottom surface of the main body so as to be located coaxially with their respective guide grooves or on a virtual plane.

[0042] The above-mentioned pressure jig may be provided to be separable from the above-mentioned main body.

[0043] The above bulkhead may be made of a resin material with higher rigidity than the airbag.

[0044] A pressure tray having the configuration and structure as described above can have the following effects.

[0045] The above-described pressure tray can apply pressure to both sides of the battery cell as the pressure jig moves, while the battery cell is stationary in a position where it can electrically contact the charging gripper.

[0046] In addition, the above-mentioned pressure tray can apply uniform pressure to both side cup portions of a plurality of battery cells.

[0047] The present invention can uniformly pressurize the cup portions of multiple battery cells during the squeezing operation of battery cells, thereby improving the impregnation of the electrolyte into the electrode assembly.

[0048] By arranging to adjust the gap between a pair of bulkheads through the inflation and deflation of an airbag, a squeezing operation can be performed while the battery cell is fixed in a preset position.

[0049] The above-mentioned pressure tray eliminates the need to move the battery cell during the squeezing operation, allowing the battery cell to be electrically connected to the charging gripper in the correct position, thereby improving the efficiency of the battery cell activation process.

[0050] The pressurizing jig is provided to make surface contact with the opposing surface of the battery cell when the airbag is inflated, and can pressurize the opposing surface of the battery cell with uniform pressure through the partition.

[0051] The above-described pressurizing jig is structured such that the airbag is not in direct contact with the battery cell, but rather the air pressure of the airbag is applied to the battery cell through the pair of partitions, thereby increasing the precision of the pressure distribution of the airbag's air pressure to the battery cell.

[0052] In addition, the above pair of bulkheads can be manufactured using an injection molding method, which can reduce the manufacturing cost of the pressure jig.

[0053] In addition, unlike conventional pressure trays, the pressure tray according to the present invention may omit a drive shaft, a drive source for operating the drive shaft, and a component for fixing the drive shaft to a plurality of pressure jigs, and accordingly, the product can be made lighter and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0054] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of a pouch-type battery cell, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line xx of FIG. 1(a).

[0055] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a side view of a conventional pressure tray.

[0056] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a problem that occurs during the process of a pressure jig equipped in a conventional pressure tray pushing out multiple battery cells.

[0057] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a problem that occurs when the spacing between pressure jigs is irregular during the process in which multiple pressure jigs move multiple battery cells in a conventional pressure tray.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a pressure tray according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the configuration of a pressure jig according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an installation state diagram in which a plurality of battery cells are mounted on a pressure tray according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] FIGS. 8 and 9 schematically illustrate the operating state of a pressurizing jig when injecting air into an airbag according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Hereinafter, a pressure jig and a pressure tray related to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0063] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of a general pouch-type battery cell, FIG. 1(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 1(a), FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a pressure tray according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a pressure jig according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] The present invention is a device for performing a squeezing operation of a battery cell (10) before performing charging and discharging of the battery cell (10) to activate the battery cell (10).

[0065] A pressure tray (100) related to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body (110) and a plurality of pressure jigs (130).

[0066] The above main body (110) has a plurality of pressurized spaces (113) provided for the battery cell (10) to be seated.

[0067] Each pressurizing jig (130) includes a pair of partitions (131, 132) and an airbag (133) that is mounted between the pair of partitions (131, 132) and can be inflated when air is injected. Additionally, the pressurizing jig (130) is provided in the main body (110) such that the pair of partitions (131, 132) face each of the two battery cells (10) placed in adjacent pressurizing spaces (113).

[0068] The above-mentioned pressurizing jig (130) is provided to pressurize the battery cells (10) facing each other as each partition moves when the airbag is inflated.

[0069] The above-mentioned pressure jig (130) is configured to adjust the gap between the pair of partitions (131, 132) through the contraction and expansion of the airbag (133), and can be configured to pressurize the battery cells (10) facing each of the partitions (131, 132) when the airbag (133) is inflated.

[0070] The battery cell (10) may include an electrode assembly (11) having an electrode tab (15), a cell case (12) configured to accommodate the electrode assembly (11), and an electrolyte (17) injected into the internal space of the cell case (12).

[0071] The electrode assembly (11) is provided by cross-stacking a negative plate and an positive plate through a separator. The electrode assembly (11) may include a negative tab for connecting a plurality of negative plates into one and a positive tab for connecting the plurality of positive plates into one. For convenience of explanation, the negative tab and the positive tab will be collectively referred to as "electrode tab (15)".

[0072] The battery cell (10) may be configured such that the electrode assembly (11) is received in the cup portion (13) of the cell case (12) and the electrode tab (15) is drawn out to the outside of the cell case (12).

[0073] The battery cell (10) may be formed by injecting the electrolyte (17) into the internal space of the cell case (12) and then sealing the rim of the cell case (12). The rim of the cell case (12) may include a rim where the electrode tab (15) is exposed and a rim where the electrode tab (15) is not provided.

[0074] For convenience of explanation in this specification, the edge where the electrode tab (15) is not provided is referred to as the first edge (14). The first edge (14) may correspond to the long side edge of the battery cell.

[0075] If the electrolyte (17) is not impregnated into the electrode assembly (11), the cup portion (13) of the cell case (12) may have both sides convex outward due to the electrolyte (17).

[0076] The above squeezing operation is a process for applying pressure to both sides of the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10) so that the electrolyte (17) is impregnated into the electrode assembly (11).

[0077] The above-mentioned pressure tray (100) may include a main body (110) in which a plurality of battery cells (10) are mounted spaced apart at regular intervals and a pressure space (113) is provided between every two adjacent battery cells (10).

[0078] The main body (110) may be configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells (10) and the plurality of pressure jigs (130). The plurality of battery cells (10) may be seated in the guide groove (111) at the correct position of the main body (110). The plurality of battery cells (10) may be arranged such that the spacing (D1) between two adjacent battery cells (10) is equal. For example, each pressure space (113) provided between two adjacent battery cells may have the same spacing.

[0079] The plurality of battery cells (10) and the plurality of pressure jigs (130) may be arranged alternately along the arrangement direction of the battery cells (10). For example, one battery cell (10) may be placed between two adjacent pressure jigs (130). One pressure jig (130) may be placed between two adjacent battery cells (10).

[0080] The above main body (110) may have a plurality of guide grooves (111) provided on its bottom surface. The guide grooves (111) may be provided to support the first edge (14) of the battery cell (10).

[0081] The plurality of guide grooves (111) may be spaced apart in the arrangement direction of the battery cell (10). The plurality of guide grooves (111) may be spaced apart at equal intervals. Accordingly, the battery cell (10) is positioned within the main body (110) at a location equipped with a guide groove (111), and when pressurized, its position within the main body (110) can be fixed.

[0082] A plurality of charging grippers (170) may be mounted on the main body (110).

[0083] The plurality of charging grippers (170) may be positioned on the main body (110) so as to face the electrode tab (15) of the battery cell (10) accommodated in each guide groove (111). At this time, the plurality of charging grippers (170) may be spaced upward from the bottom surface of the main body (110). For example, the plurality of charging grippers (170) may be spaced upward from the bottom surface of the main body (110) so as to be located coaxially with each guide groove (111) or on a virtual same plane.

[0084] The charging gripper (170) is electrically in contact with the electrode tab (15) of the battery cell (10) and can serve as a charging connector to supply electricity to the electrode assembly (11) connected to the electrode tab (15).

[0085] The plurality of battery cells (10) can be seated in each guide groove (111) and stored in the internal space of the main body (110). The battery cells (10) can be mounted in the internal space of the pressure tray (100) such that the first edge (14) of the battery cells (10) is inserted into the guide groove (111) between a pair of pressure jigs (130).

[0086] The above pressure tray (100) may include a plurality of pressure jigs (130) installed in the main body (110) such that in each pressure space (113), the pair of partitions (131, 132) face the opposing surfaces of two adjacent battery cells (10).

[0087] A pair of pressure jigs (130) may be positioned facing each other on both sides of a single guide groove (111). With each battery cell (10) seated in each guide groove (111) and its position restricted, a plurality of pressure jigs (130) may be provided to simultaneously press both sides of the plurality of battery cells (10).

[0088] The plurality of pressure jigs (130) may be alternately arranged with the battery cells (10) along the arrangement direction of the battery cells (10). The plurality of pressure jigs (130) may be mounted on the main body (110) so as to be movable within each of the pressure spaces (113).

[0089] The above-mentioned pressure jig (130) may be mounted in the internal space of the main body (110) so as to face the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10). The above-mentioned pressure jig (130) may be movably seated on the bottom surface of the main body (110) so as to face the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10). Additionally, the above-mentioned pressure jig (130) may be provided so as to be detachable from the main body (110).

[0090] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the pressurizing jig (130) may include a pair of partitions (131, 132) and an airbag (133) mounted between the pair of partitions (131, 132).

[0091] The above pressure jig (130) may be provided with the airbag (133) and the pair of partitions (131, 132) as a single unit. The partitions (131, 132) and the airbag (133) may be made of a flame-retardant resin material. The pair of partitions (131, 132) can be manufactured by injection molding, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the pressure jig (130).

[0092] The above pair of partitions (131, 132) may be provided to be in surface contact with the cup portion (13) of the cell case (12). The partitions (131, 132) may be provided in the form of plates having an area equal to or larger than the area of ​​the cup portion (13).

[0093] The above pair of partitions (131, 132) may be provided in the form of rigid plates. The above pair of partitions (131, 132) may be made of a resin material having a higher rigidity than that of the airbag (133). For example, the partitions (131, 132) may be made of a flame-retardant resin material.

[0094] The above pair of partitions (131, 132) may be mounted facing each other on both sides of the airbag (133) and may be arranged so that the gap is adjusted when the airbag (133) is inflated. The above pair of partitions (131, 132) may be mounted within the main body (110) so as to be movable along the bottom surface of the main body (110) when the airbag (133) is inflated.

[0095] The above pair of partitions (131, 132) may be provided so that the air pressure of the airbag (133) is distributed in a direction perpendicular to the partitions (131, 132) to uniformly pressurize the opposing surface of the battery cell (10) that is in surface contact with the partitions (131, 132).

[0096] The airbag (133) may be configured to be expandable to a predetermined volume upon injection of air. The airbag (133) may be made of a flame-retardant resin material. The airbag (133) may be provided with an air inlet (134) into which air is injected.

[0097] The airbag (133) may be configured to simultaneously pressurize both sides of a battery cell (10) placed between two adjacent pressurizing jigs (130) when inflated.

[0098] The above airbag (133) may be configured to pressurize the pair of partitions (131, 132) in a direction perpendicular to the partitions (131, 132) when air is injected.

[0099] For example, if the above pair of partitions (131, 132) are not present, the airbag (133) expands into a roughly spherical shape when air is injected, and due to the pressure difference between the central part and the outer part of the airbag (133), it becomes difficult to uniformly pressurize the entire area of ​​the cup part (13) of the battery cell (10). That is, if the battery cell is directly pressurized using only the airbag (133) without the above partitions (131, 132), the air pressure inside the airbag (133) may concentrate pressure only on the central part of the electrode assembly (11) contained in the battery cell (10).

[0100] In contrast, the pressure jig (130) according to the present embodiment is configured to have a pair of partitions (131, 133) mounted on both sides of the airbag (133) and to apply surface pressure to the cup portion (13) of the battery cell through the pair of partitions (131, 133) when the airbag (133) is inflated, and can apply pressure evenly to the central and outer portions of the electrode assembly (11) within the cup portion (13) of the battery cell.

[0101] Accordingly, the above-mentioned pressurizing jig (130) can pressurize the entire area of ​​the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10) that is in contact through the pair of partitions (131, 132) when the airbag (133) is inflated, and can improve the pressurizing efficiency of the battery cell (10).

[0102] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an installation state diagram in which a plurality of battery cells are mounted on a pressure tray according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 schematically illustrate an operation state diagram of a pressure jig when air is injected into an airbag according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] The above-described pressure tray (100) may include an air pipe (160) fluidly movably connected to each airbag (133) provided in the plurality of pressure jigs (130), and an air supply unit (150) fluidly movably mounted to the air pipe (160) and configured to supply air to the plurality of airbags (133) through the air pipe (160).

[0104] The above air pipe (160) can be fluidly mounted to the air inlet (134).

[0105] Referring to FIG. 9, the air piping (160) may have a plurality of branch lines (161) connected to each airbag (133) of the plurality of pressurizing jigs (130), and may be configured to supply air from the air supply unit (150) to the plurality of airbags (133) at once.

[0106] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the pressure jig (130) is configured to allow the gap between the pair of partitions (131, 132) (see D1 in FIG. 8) to be adjustable through the expansion and contraction of the airbag (133). The gap between the pair of partitions (131, 132) is variable and can be configured to extend to the gap (D1) between the pair of battery cells (10).

[0107] Referring to FIG. 7, the pressure jig (130) can be mounted such that the pair of partitions (131, 132) in each pressure space (113) face the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10).

[0108] When air is not injected into the airbag (133) and the airbag (133) is in a deflated state, the pair of partitions (131, 132) are positioned apart from the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10). In the pressurized space (113), the pair of partitions (131, 132) may be positioned facing the cup portion (13) of the adjacent battery cell (10).

[0109] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, when air is injected into each airbag (133), the plurality of pressurizing jigs (130) can pressurize both sides of the battery cells (10) placed between them through partitions (131, 132) connected to each airbag (133).

[0110] When the air is injected into the airbag (133), the airbag (133) expands and can push the pair of partitions (131, 132) in opposite directions to widen the gap (D1) between the pair of partitions (131, 132).

[0111] In the above pressurized space (113), the pair of partitions (131, 132) are moved away from each other by the air pressure of the airbag (133) and come into contact with the cup portion (13) of an adjacent battery cell (10), and can pressurize the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10).

[0112] The air pressure of the airbag (133) can pressurize the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10) in a direction perpendicular to the partition (131, 132), that is, in a lateral direction of the battery cell (10). The pressurizing jig (130) can uniformly pressurize the entire area of ​​the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10) while in surface contact with the cup portion (13) of the battery cell (10) through the partition (131, 132).

[0113] When squeezing the battery cell (10), a pair of pressure jigs (130) uniformly press both sides of the battery cell (10) to press the electrolyte (17) in a direction from the outside to the inside of the electrode assembly (11), thereby improving the impregnation of the electrolyte (17) into the electrode assembly (11).

[0114] The above-described pressure jig (130) is not structured such that the airbag (133) is in direct contact with the battery cell (10), but rather the air pressure of the airbag (133) is applied to the battery cell (10) through the pair of partitions (131, 132), thereby increasing the precision of the pressure distribution of the air pressure of the airbag (133) to the battery cell (10).

[0115] According to a pressure tray (100) related to one embodiment of the present invention, when applying pressure (during the squeezing process), the squeezing operation of the battery cells (10) can be performed by applying pressure to both sides of the battery cells (10) through the plurality of pressure jigs (130) without moving the plurality of battery cells (10) within the main body (110) and while the electrode tab (15) of the battery cell (10) is fixed in a position where it can contact the charging gripper (170).

[0116] Accordingly, the pressure tray (100) is configured so that the electrode tab (15) of the battery cell (10) can be stably connected to the charging gripper (170) during the charging process of the battery cell (10) after the squeezing operation, thereby improving the efficiency of the activation process of the battery cell (10).

[0117] In addition, unlike a conventional pressure tray (20, see FIG. 2), the pressure tray (100) according to the present invention may omit a drive shaft (21), a drive device (23) for operating the drive shaft (21), and a component for fixing the drive shaft (21) to a plurality of pressure jigs (22), and accordingly, the product can be made lighter and the manufacturing cost reduced.

[0118] The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art with 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.

[0119] According to a pressure tray related to one embodiment of the present invention, when a battery cell is stationary in a position where it can electrically contact a charging gripper, both sides of the battery cell can be uniformly pressured as the pressure jig moves.

Claims

1. A main body having a plurality of pressurized spaces arranged to accommodate a battery cell; and It includes a pair of bulkheads and an airbag mounted between the pair of bulkheads and inflatable upon air injection, and includes a plurality of pressure jigs provided in the main body such that the pair of bulkheads and two battery cells respectively disposed in two adjacent pressure spaces face each other. The above-described pressurizing jig is a pressurizing tray configured to pressurize the opposing battery cells as each partition moves during the inflation of the airbag.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above pair of partitions is a pressure tray provided to be in surface contact with one side of a battery cell facing the airbag when the airbag is inflated.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above battery cell includes an electrode assembly having an electrode tab and a cell case having a cup portion for housing the electrode assembly. The above partition is a pressure tray having a plate shape with an area equal to or larger than the area of ​​the cup portion.

4. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned pressurizing jig is a pressurizing tray mounted within the main body so that the pair of partitions can move along the bottom surface of the main body when the airbag is inflated.

5. In Paragraph 1, Air piping movably connected to the airbag of each pressurized jig and fluid; and A pressure tray further comprising an air supply unit connected to the air piping of the plurality of pressure jigs and configured to inject air into a plurality of airbags.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above air piping has a plurality of branch lines connected to the airbags of each of the above pressurizing jigs, and the air supplied from the air supply unit is supplied to the airbags through the air piping and each of the branch lines in the pressurizing tray.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above airbag is a pressure tray arranged to simultaneously pressurize both sides of a battery cell placed between two adjacent pressure jigs when inflated.

8. In Paragraph 1, The above pair of partitions are mounted facing each other on both sides of the airbag, and a pressure tray is provided to adjust the gap during the inflation and deflation of the airbag.

9. In Paragraph 8, The above airbag is a pressure tray provided to pressurize the pair of partitions in a direction perpendicular to the partitions when air is injected.

10. In Paragraph 7, The two adjacent pressure jigs above are pressure trays spaced apart at equal intervals.

11. In Paragraph 1, The above battery cell includes an electrode assembly having an electrode tab and a cell case having a cup portion for housing the electrode assembly. The above main body has a plurality of guide grooves provided to support the first edge of the cell case where the electrode tab is not provided, and the guide grooves are pressure trays arranged in each pressure space.

12. In Paragraph 11, A pressure tray further comprising a plurality of charging grippers configured to electrically contact the electrode tabs of each battery cell accommodated in the main body.

13. In Paragraph 12, The above plurality of charging grippers are pressure trays disposed in the main body so as to face the electrode tabs of the battery cells accommodated in each guide groove.

14. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned pressure jig is a pressure tray provided to be detachably connected to the main body.

15. In Paragraph 1, The above bulkhead is a pressure tray made of a resin material having higher rigidity than the airbag.

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