Battery assembling apparatus and battery assembling method

• US 8,916,279 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Research Institute Limited (Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Japan Research Institute Limited (Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Murase, Hiroaki, Muto, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): USYATINSKY, ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US13/239,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20120011706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 429/90, 429/99, 295/93, 296/231, 297/30, 298/25
• US Class Current: 429/90
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0038 relating to sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53022 with means to test work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53135 : Storage cell or battery

Abstract

Provided is a battery assembling apparatus comprising a selecting section that selects as battery cells to be assembled into a battery pack, from among a plurality of battery cells, battery cells having similar charge curves that indicate a relationship between voltage and charge period, which is a time period necessary for a battery cell to be charged from a first voltage to a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage. As a result, the lifetimes of battery cells and of a battery pack assembled from a plurality of battery cells can be extended.

Claims

1. A battery assembling apparatus comprising:

a selecting section programmed to select, as battery cells to be assembled into a battery pack, from among a plurality of battery cells, battery cells having similar charge curves that indicate a relationship between voltage and time during a charge period, the charge period being a time period necessary for a battery cell to be charged from a first voltage to a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage; and

a charge curve acquiring section including;

a charge curve measuring section configured to charge and discharge the plurality of battery cells and measure the charge curve of each battery cell; and

a charge curve reading section programmed to read information indicating the charge curves from memories provided respectively in the plurality of battery cells, wherein

the charge curve acquiring section is programmed to judge whether each of the plurality of battery cells includes a memory for storing information indicating the charge curve, determine whether the charge curve measuring section or the charge curve reading section acquires the charge curve of each of the plurality of battery cells based on the judgment of whether the battery cell includes a memory, and acquire the charge curve of each of the plurality of battery cells using either the charge curve measuring section or the charge curve reading section depending on the determination.

2. The battery assembling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selecting section is programmed to select, as the battery cells to be assembled into the battery pack, from among the plurality of battery cells, battery cells having similar charge periods.

3. The battery assembling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selecting section is programmed to select, as the battery cells to be assembled into the battery pack, from among the plurality of battery cells, battery cells having similar charge periods and similar voltages at each of a plurality of times within the charge period.

4. The battery assembling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a purpose selecting section programmed to select a usage purpose for the battery pack, according to the charge curves of the battery cells selected as the battery cells to be assembled into the battery pack.