EVALUATION APPARATUS AND EVALUATION METHOD OF SHEET TYPE CELL

• US 20140327445A1
• Filed: 09/05/2011
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics
• Inventors: Hiwada, Kiyoyasu, Dewa, Harutada
• Granted Patent: US 10,036,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/437
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07314 the body of the probe being perpendicular to test object, e.g. bed of nails or probe with bump contacts on a rigid support on an elastic support, e.g. a film, G01R1/0735
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/378 specially adapted for the type of battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• 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

Abstract

A sheet type cell in which a storage layer is sandwiched by layers of a positive electrode and a negative electrode is evaluated.

The present invention is characterized in that an electrode probe is brought into contact with a measurement part on an outer surface of at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and quantity of electricity is measured at the measurement part, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell. For example, a charge source and a voltage meter are connected to the electrode probe, and a charge characteristic that changes the sheet type cell from a non-charged state to a fully charged state is detected from a change in a measurement voltage of the voltage meter, so as to make an evaluation. Further, for example, a discharge source and the voltage meter are connected to the electrode probe, and a discharge characteristic that changes the sheet type cell from the fully charged state to the non-charged state is detected from the change in the measurement voltage of the voltage meter, so as to make an evaluation. Furthermore, for example, the charge source and the voltage meter are connected to the electrode probe, and the measurement voltage of the voltage meter is detected when the sheet type cell is in the fully charged state, so as to make an evaluation.

Claims

1. An evaluation method of a sheet type cell for evaluating the sheet type cell in which a storage layer is sandwiched by layers of a positive electrode and a negative electrode, the evaluation method comprising the step of

bringing an electrode probe into contact with a measurement part on an outer surface of at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and measuring quantity of electricity at the measurement part, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell.

2. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 1,

wherein the electrode probe is brought into contact with the outer surface of one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a fixed electric potential is applied to the entire electrode of the other of the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

3. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 2,

wherein a charge source and a voltage meter are connected to the electrode probe, and a charge characteristic that changes the sheet type cell from a non-charged state to a fully charged state is detected from a change in a measurement voltage of the voltage meter, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell.

4. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 2,

wherein a discharge source and a voltage meter are connected to the electrode probe, and a discharge characteristic that changes the sheet type cell from a fully charged state to a non-charged state is detected from a change in a measurement voltage of the voltage meter, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell.

5. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 2,

wherein a charge source and a voltage meter are connected to the electrode probe, and a measurement voltage of the voltage meter is detected when the sheet type cell is in a fully charged state, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell.

6. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 2,

wherein two or more of the electrode probes for the different measurement parts are provided, a discharge source and a voltage meter that are provided for each of the electrode probes are used, or the discharge source and the voltage meter that are common to the respective electrode probes and are connected, by switching, to each of the electrode probes are used, and a voltage after the charging is measured at the respective measurement parts via the respective electrode probes, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell based on magnitude of two or more measurement voltages.

7. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 2,

wherein the two electrode probes for the different measurement parts are provided, and a current flowing between the two electrode probes is measured by an ammeter, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell based on a measurement current.

8. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 1,

wherein the measurement part can be changed by movement of at least one of the electrode probe and the sheet type cell, and the quantity of electricity is measured at a plurality of the measurement parts, so as to make an evaluation.

9. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of the electrode probes that are brought into contact with the outer surface of the positive electrode or the negative electrode, and a probe selection circuit that selects the plurality of the electrode probes to form a circuit element of a measurement circuit are provided, and

wherein the selected electrode probes measure the quantity of electricity at a plurality of the measurement parts, so as to make an evaluation.

10. The evaluation method of the sheet type cell according to claim 8,

wherein measurement results and evaluation results at the plurality of the measurement parts are output collectively.

11. An evaluation apparatus of a sheet type cell for evaluating the sheet type cell in which a storage layer is sandwiched by layers of a positive electrode and a negative electrode, the evaluation apparatus comprising:

an electrode probe that is brought into contact with a measurement part on an outer surface of at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and

a measurement evaluation unit that measures quantity of electricity at the measurement part via the electrode probe, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell.

12. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 11, wherein the electrode probe is brought into contact with the outer surface of one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a fixed electric potential is applied to the entire electrode of the other of the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

13. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 12, further comprising

a charge source connected to the electrode probe,

wherein the measurement evaluation unit detects a charge characteristic that changes the sheet type cell from a non-charged state to a fully charged state from a change in a measurement voltage of a voltage meter contained therein, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell.

14. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 12, further comprising

a discharge source connected to the electrode probe,

wherein the measurement evaluation unit detects a discharge characteristic that changes the sheet type cell from a fully charged state to a non-charged state from a change in a measurement voltage of a voltage meter contained therein, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell.

15. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 12, further comprising

a charge source connected to the electrode probe,

wherein the measurement evaluation unit detects a measurement voltage of a voltage meter contained therein when the sheet type cell is in a fully charged state, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell.

16. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 12, further comprising

two or more of the electrode probes for the different measurement parts,

wherein the measurement evaluation unit uses a discharge source that is provided for each of the electrode probes and a voltage meter contained therein, or uses the discharge source that is common to the respective electrode probes and is connected, by switching, to each of the electrode probes and the voltage meter contained therein, and measures a voltage after the charging at the respective measurement parts via the respective electrode probes, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell based on magnitude of two or more measurement voltages.

17. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 12, further comprising

the two electrode probes for the different measurement parts,

wherein the measurement evaluation unit measures a current flowing between the two electrode probes by an ammeter, so as to evaluate the sheet type cell based on a measurement current.

18. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 11, further comprising

a relative movement mechanism that moves at least one of the electrode probe and the sheet type cell so as to allow the measurement part to change,

wherein the measurement evaluation unit measures the quantity of electricity at a plurality of the measurement parts, so as to make an evaluation.

19. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of the electrode probes that are brought into contact with the outer surface of the positive electrode or the negative electrode; and

a probe selection circuit that selects the plurality of the electrode probes to form a circuit element of a measurement circuit,

wherein the measurement evaluation unit selects the electrode probes and measures the quantity of electricity at a plurality of the measurement parts, so as to make an evaluation.

20. The evaluation apparatus of the sheet type cell according to claim 18, further comprising

a collective output unit that collectively outputs measurement results and evaluation results at the plurality of the measurement parts.