Battery Inspection Flow for Grouped Storage and Take-Out

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery inspection systems face challenges in efficiently taking out a desired set of batteries together, leading to reduced operating rates in inspection devices due to the unpredictable storage and retrieval of batteries within the system.

Innovation Solution

A battery inspection system with a controller managing groups of batteries, utilizing conveyors and storage devices to ensure that desired sets are taken out together, and incorporating stacking and unstacking devices to handle batteries efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If visual inspection is performed by trained personnel, then detection capability can identify obvious defects, but the process is time-consuming and subject to human error

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedefect detection accuracyVSAvoidinspection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated optical inspection system that uses cameras, lighting, and image processing algorithms to detect defects. This substitution eliminates human factors such as fatigue and subjectivity while significantly reducing inspection time through automated capture and analysis of product images.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates digital copies (images) of the product surface for inspection purposes. By capturing high-resolution images and analyzing them through software algorithms, the system can repeatedly examine the same product without additional time cost, enabling both rapid inspection and detailed analysis of detected defects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Productivity

If automated inspection systems are implemented, then inspection speed and consistency are improved, but system complexity and initial cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinspection throughputVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection system is designed to handle multiple product types and defect categories through configurable parameters and algorithms. The same hardware platform can be adapted to inspect different products by adjusting lighting conditions, camera settings, and analysis criteria, reducing the need for multiple specialized systems and simplifying overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The inspection process is divided into distinct functional modules: image capture, image processing, defect detection, and result output. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier maintenance and upgrades without requiring complete system replacement, thereby managing complexity while maintaining high productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If detailed inspection of small defects is performed, then detection precision increases, but inspection time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesmall defect detection capabilityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by focusing detailed analysis only on regions of interest where defects are detected or suspected. Rather than uniformly analyzing every pixel of every product image with maximum detail, the system first performs a rapid preliminary scan and then applies more computationally intensive analysis only where necessary, reducing overall processing time while maintaining high detection precision for small defects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4112500B1Battery inspection system
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 MURATA MASCH LTD
  • EP4112500B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4112500B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4112500B1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(B)

AI summary

A battery inspection system (1) includes a controller configured to perform: group control of managing a predetermined number of batteries (B) taken in by a take-in conveyor (2) as a same group; inspection control of controlling a conveying device (9) to bring the batteries (B) taken in by the take-in conveyor into an inspection device (4) that is not performing inspection, and also controlling the conveying device (9) to retrieve the batteries (B) that have been inspected from the inspection device (4); and storage control of controlling the conveying device (9) to store at least some of the batteries (B) retrieved from the inspection device (4) into the storage device (6), and also controlling the conveying device (9) to continuously deliver a set of batteries of the same group from the inspection device (4) or the storage device (6) to the take-out conveyor (7).