SORTING MACHINE OF BATTERY CELL AND SORTING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110234232A1
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Ro, Huntae
• Granted Patent: US 9,209,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/433
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/344 according to electric or electromagnetic properties sorting according to size measured electrically or electronically B07C5/08; material testing by magnetic means G01N24/00, G01N27/00, by electrical means G01N27/00; electrical measuring devices in general G01R; coin testing G07D5/00
• 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 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A battery cell sorting machine includes an inserting unit into which a battery cell is inserted, a measuring unit on which the inserted battery cell is placed, an open circuit voltage (OCV) measuring unit configured to measure an OCV of the battery cell placed on the measuring unit, a loading unit configured to discharge the battery cell placed on the measuring unit, a discharge voltage measuring unit configured to measure a discharge voltage of the battery cell discharged by the loading unit, and a control unit configured to sort battery cells placed on the measuring unit into different groups, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a voltage differential between the OCV and the discharge voltage of each of the battery cells and to sort the battery cells having corresponding voltage differential ranges between the OCV and the discharge voltage into one group.

Claims

1. A sorting machine of a battery cell comprising:

an inserting unit into which a battery cell is inserted;

a measuring unit on which the inserted battery cell is placed;

an open circuit voltage (OCV) measuring unit configured to measure an OCV of the battery cell placed on the measuring unit;

a loading unit configured to discharge the battery cell placed on the measuring unit;

a discharge voltage measuring unit configured to measure a discharge voltage of the battery cell discharged by the loading unit; and

a control unit configured to sort battery cells placed on the measuring unit into different groups,

wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a voltage differential between the OCV and the discharge voltage of each of the battery cells and to sort the battery cells having corresponding voltage differential ranges between the OCV and the discharge voltage into one group.

2. The battery cell sorting machine of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a battery cell having a voltage differential between the OCV and the discharge voltage greater than a reference value as an abnormal battery cell.

3. The battery cell sorting machine of claim 1, further comprising a sorting unit which is configured to move the battery cell of each group sorted by the control unit and to load the battery cell in a corresponding group.

4. The battery cell sorting machine of claim 1, wherein the measuring unit includes a plus terminal connected to a plus terminal of the battery cell and a minus terminal connected to a minus terminal of the battery cell.

5. The battery cell sorting machine of claim 1, wherein the loading unit includes a plus terminal and a minus terminal, wherein the plus terminal of the loading unit is connected to a plus terminal of the measuring unit, and wherein the minus terminal of the loading unit is connected to a minus terminal of the measuring unit.

6. The battery cell sorting machine of claim 1, wherein the loading unit is configured to operate before the discharge voltage measuring unit measures the discharge voltage of the battery cell.

7. The battery cell sorting machine of claim 1, wherein the loading unit is configured to discharge the battery cell for a time period ranging from one second to two seconds.

8. The battery cell sorting machine of claim 1, wherein a data storage unit configured to store the OCV'"'"'s and the discharge voltages is electrically connected to the control unit.

9. A battery cell sorting method comprising:

determining if a battery cell is inserted into a sorting machine;

primarily measuring an open circuit voltage (OCV) of a battery cell;

secondarily measuring a discharge voltage of the battery cell;

calculating a voltage differential between the OCV and the discharge voltage of the battery cell; and

sorting battery cells having substantially the same OCV and corresponding voltage differential ranges.

10. The battery cell sorting method of claim 9, wherein secondarily measuring comprises discharging the battery cell by operating a loading unit that is connected to the battery cell.

11. The battery cell sorting method of claim 9, wherein secondarily measuring comprises discharging the battery cell for a time period ranging from one second to two seconds.

12. The battery cell sorting method of claim 9, wherein sorting the battery cells comprises determining battery cells having a voltage differential greater than a reference value as abnormal battery cells.

13. The battery cell sorting method of claim 9, wherein sorting the battery cells comprises sorting the battery cells having substantially the same OCV, and then sorting into one group the battery cells having corresponding voltage differential ranges among the battery cells having substantially the same OCV.

14. The battery cell sorting method of claim 9, wherein sorting the battery cells comprises sorting the battery cells having substantially the same voltage differential, and then sorting into one group the battery cells having substantially the same OCV among the battery cells having corresponding voltage differential ranges.

15. A method of forming a battery pack comprising:

measuring an open circuit voltage (OCV) of a battery cell;

measuring a discharge voltage of the battery cell;

calculating a voltage differential between the OCV and the discharge voltage of the battery cell;

identifying battery cells having substantially the same OCV or corresponding voltage differential ranges; and

forming a battery pack with battery cells having substantially the same OCV or corresponding voltage differential ranges.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying battery cells comprises sorting into an initial group battery cells having substantially the same OCV, and sorting into a subgroup within the initial group battery cells having corresponding voltage differential ranges.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying battery cells comprises sorting into an initial group battery cells having corresponding voltage differential ranges, and sorting into a subgroup within the initial group battery cells having substantially the same OCV.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the battery pack further comprises connecting in series battery cells in a group defined by substantially the same OCV and corresponding voltage differential ranges.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the battery pack further comprises moving battery cells from an initial group to a battery cell group defined by substantially the same OCV and corresponding voltage differential ranges.