JP2012028032A - Manufacturing device and manufacturing method for battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an assembled battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method that eliminates manual adjustment by an operator and automates the process of fastening a restraint band.
A battery assembly manufacturing apparatus is configured to fasten both ends of a restraint band 15 in through holes 22 of an end plate 13 disposed on both sides of a plurality of unit cells 11 arranged. 52, and a positioning member 75 that is fixed to a nut runner 72 that fastens the fastening bolt 36 from the outer surface side of the end plate 13. And the end of the restraint band 15 are made to face the through hole 22 in the inner surface of the end plate 13, and the position of the fastening bolt 36 is engaged with the alignment portion 75. It is positioned at the position of the through hole 22 on the outer surface of the end plate 13.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method for manufacturing an assembled battery by combining a plurality of single cells. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique for sandwiching unit cells from both sides with end plates and attaching a restraining band to the end plates on both sides to restrain the whole.

  Conventionally, there is an assembled battery in which flat unit cells are stacked, end plates are arranged at both ends, and the end plates are constrained by a restraining band or the like. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an assembled battery in which flat rectangular parallelepiped cells are alternately arranged and connected to each other so that high power can be supplied. In this document, it is said that the assembled battery is integrated and restrained by fixing the ends of the restraining bands to the end plates at both ends with fastening bolts.

  In such an assembled battery, the fastening bolt is usually fastened using a nut or fastened to a female screw formed on a restraining band or an end plate. In any case, in order to fasten the restraint band at an appropriate position, it is necessary to precisely position at least three members of the end plate, the restraint band, and the fastening bolt. Therefore, manual adjustment by the operator is indispensable for the alignment of this part.

JP 2001-68081 A

  As described above, there has been a demand for automating the fastening process in which manual adjustment is performed by an operator. However, in order to automate, it is required to adjust the positional relationship between the above three to an accuracy with which the fastening bolt can be inserted without difficulty. For example, this can be dealt with by increasing the accuracy of the component, but this is not preferable because it leads to an increase in the cost of the component.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an assembled battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method that can eliminate manual adjustment by an operator and automate the fastening process of a restraint band.

  An assembled battery manufacturing apparatus designed to solve this problem has end plates with through holes arranged on both sides of a plurality of batteries, and both ends of the restraining band are inserted into the through holes of the end plates on both sides. An assembled battery manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an assembled battery in which a plurality of batteries are constrained by being fastened, a fixing device for fixing a restraining band, and a fixing device positioning member fixed to the fixing device. , A fastening member supply device for supplying a fastening member from the outer surface side of the end plate and fastening the fastening member at a fastening position, and a fastening member positioning member fixed to the fastening member supply device. By aligning the shape of the upper or lower side of the plate and the shape of at least one of the side edges, the end of the restraining band fixed to the fixing device is placed on the inner surface of the end plate. The positioning shape portion facing the through hole and the fastening member positioning member engage with the fastening member positioning member to position the fastening member supplied by the fastening member supply device at the position of the through hole on the outer surface of the end plate. It has a joint part.

  According to the assembled battery manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the restraint band is fixed by the fixing device, and the fixing device is positioned on the end plate by the fixing device positioning member. Therefore, the restraining band is precisely positioned in the through hole of the end plate. Further, since the fastening member positioning member engages with the fixing device positioning member, the fastening member supply device is positioned on the end plate via the fixing device positioning member. Therefore, the fastening member can be supplied to the position of the through hole of the end plate by the fastening member supply device. From these, the restraint band can be fastened by the fastening member through the through hole. Thereby, the process of restraining the end plates arranged on both sides of the plurality of batteries arranged by the restraining band can be automated, and manual adjustment by the operator can be eliminated.

Furthermore, in the present invention, it is desirable that the fixing device chucks the restraining band.
If it is such, a restraint band can be fixed reliably.

Furthermore, in the present invention, it is desirable that the alignment shape portion follows the shape of the upper side and the shape of at least one of the side sides.
If it is such, it can align from the upper direction of an end plate.

Furthermore, in this invention, it is desirable to have the 1st loader which moves a fixing device in a floating state, and the 2nd loader which moves a fastening member supply apparatus in a floating state.
In such a case, the alignment between the loader and the end plate may not be very precise. It is preferable to use a material having a hardness lower than that of the end plate at a position where the fixing device or the fastening member supply device contacts the end plate.

Furthermore, in the present invention, as the alignment shape portion, there are two upper side support portions along the upper side of the end plate and side side support portions along the side side of the end plate, and two upper side support portions in the fixing device positioning member are supported. It is desirable that the portion between the portions is a recess that exposes the through hole of the end plate.
In this case, the through hole of the end plate is exposed in a state where the fixing device positioning member and the end plate are positioned by the alignment shape portion. Therefore, the fastening member can be passed through the through hole as it is.

  Further, the present invention constrains a plurality of batteries by disposing end plates having through holes on both sides of a plurality of arranged batteries and fastening both ends of a restraining band to the through holes of the end plates on both sides. A method of manufacturing an assembled battery comprising: a fixing device that fixes a restraining band; a fixing device positioning member that is fixed to the fixing device; and a fastening that supplies a fastening member from an outer surface side of the end plate and fastens it to a fastening portion The member supply device and the fastening member positioning member fixed to the fastening member supply device are used to fix the restraint band by the fixing device, and the fixing device positioning member has at least the shape of the upper side or the lower side of the end plate and at least the side side. The end of the restraining band fixed to the fixing device is made to face the through hole in the inner surface of the end plate, and the fixing device positioning is performed. By engaging the member and the fastening member positioning member, the position of the fastening member supplied by the fastening member supply device is positioned at the position of the through hole on the outer surface of the end plate, and in this state, the fastening member is fastened by the fastening member supply device. The present invention extends to a method for manufacturing a battery pack in which a member is supplied to a through hole and fastened to an end of a restraining band.

  According to the assembled battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the present invention, manual adjustment by an operator can be eliminated and the fastening process of the restraint band can be automated.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the battery which concerns on the manufacturing method of this form. It is a front view which shows an alignment apparatus. It is a side view which shows an alignment apparatus. It is a side view which shows a fastening device. It is explanatory drawing which shows a positioning member. It is a front view which shows an alignment apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the battery which concerns on the manufacturing method of this form. It is a side view which shows the alignment apparatus used at a 2nd fastening process.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best mode for embodying the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a manufacturing method for combining a plurality of single cells into an assembled battery.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment is a method of manufacturing an assembled battery including a fastening step in which end plates 13 and 14 are arranged at both ends of a plurality of unit cells 11 arranged and restrained by a restraining band 15. For example, if a single battery 11 with positive and negative electrode terminals projecting to the outside is used, and the electrode terminals are connected to each other by arranging them alternately on the front and back, high power suitable for mounting in a hybrid vehicle or the like can be obtained. It becomes an assembled battery. Further, the present embodiment is not limited to the assembled battery in which only the single cells 11 are arranged, and can also be applied to a battery that has a heat dissipation plate or the like disposed between the single cells 11.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the unit cells 11 of this embodiment are all of the same size and have a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. The cell 11 is, for example, a nickel hydride secondary battery. The unit cell 11 may include only one battery element inside, or may be a module in which a plurality of battery elements are connected to each other. The end plates 13 and 14 of the present embodiment are approximately the same size as the unit cells 11, and substantially the same shape is disposed on both ends of the arranged unit cells 11 in reverse order.

  As shown in FIG. 1, two convex portions 23 each having a through hole 22 are formed on the upper sides 13a and 14a of the end plates 13 and 14, respectively. On the lower sides 13b and 14b of the end plates 13 and 14, convex portions 26 each having a through hole 25 are formed at two locations. Hereinafter, the surfaces of the end plates 13 and 14 that are not in contact with the unit cells 11 are referred to as outer surfaces 13c and 14c, and the back sides thereof are referred to as inner surfaces 13d and 14d. The inner surfaces 13 d and 14 d are surfaces that are in contact with the unit cell 11 as a whole. Further, among the other two surfaces, the right side toward the outer surfaces 13c and 14c is referred to as the right side 13e and 14e, and the left side is referred to as the left side 13f and 14f.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the restraining band 15 has two cylindrical members 31 and a connecting member 32, and one end of the cylindrical member 31 is integrated by the connecting member 32. The connecting member 32 secures the interval between the two cylindrical members 31. Further, female threads 34 are formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of both end portions of each cylindrical member 31. In this embodiment, the fastening band 15 that has penetrated the through hole 22 is fastened to the female screw 34, whereby the restraining band 15 is fastened to the end plates 13 and 14. The side of the restraining band 15 where the connecting member 32 is attached is the side attached to the end plate 13 and is attached before the end plate 14 side.

  In FIG. 1, a pallet 17 is arranged on the lower side of the cell 11 and the end plates 13 and 14 in the figure. The pallet 17 is not a part of the assembled battery, but is used to move or rotate the unit cell 11 and the end plates 13 and 14. Then, one end of the lower restraint band 18 is fastened to the lower side 13b of the end plate 13 through the through hole 25 in advance before performing the fastening process of this embodiment. The lower restraint band 18 is two cylindrical members similar to the restraint band 15. Then, after being attached to the end plate 13, it is placed on the pallet 17.

  In this embodiment, the first fastening process and the second fastening process are performed in this order. The first fastening step is a step of fastening the end plate 13 and one end of the restraining band 15 (the end on the side where the connecting member 32 is attached) with the fastening bolt 36. The second fastening step is a step of fastening the other end portion of the restraining band 15 and the other end portion of the lower restraining band 18 attached in the first fastening step to the end plate 14 respectively.

  In order to perform this first fastening process without delay, it is necessary to reliably align the three of the through hole 22 of the end plate 13, the female screw 34 of the restraining band 15, and the fastening bolt 36. Therefore, in this embodiment, an alignment device 41 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and a fastening device 42 as shown in FIG. 4 are used for alignment of these members in the first fastening step. Yes. FIG. 3 is a right side view of FIG. Each of these figures shows a state during the fastening process.

  First, the alignment device 41 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described. The alignment device 41 according to this embodiment includes a loader 51, a chuck device 52, a floating member 53, and a positioning member 54. The loader 51 corresponds to the first loader. The chuck device 52 corresponds to a fixing device. The positioning member 54 corresponds to a fixing device positioning member. In FIG. 2, the connecting member 32 of the restraining band 15 is omitted. The loader 51 is for moving the entire alignment device 41. The chuck device 52 opens and closes the chuck portion 52a to chuck the restraint band 15.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the chuck device 52 is locked to the loader 51 in a floating state by a floating member 53. That is, the chuck device 52 can be disposed at any position within the distance range permitted by the floating member 53 with the position disposed by the loader 51 as the center. The positioning member 54 is a substantially plate-like member that is fixed to an end portion (the end plate 13 side) of the chuck device 52. Accordingly, the positioning member 54 is also in a floating state together with the chuck device 52.

  As shown in FIG. 5, two fixing portions 61 and four bushes 62 are formed on the surface 54 a of the positioning member 54. This figure shows the state seen from the outer surface 13c side of the end plate 13 like FIG. The fixing portion 61 is a place where the positioning member 54 is fixed to the end portion of the chuck device 52. The bush 62 is a through hole or a bottomed hole, and is used for aligning other members by inserting a pin therein in a later process.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the positioning member 54 is formed with an alignment shape portion along the outer shape of the end plate 13. That is, a side support portion 64 is formed on the right side in the drawing, a concave portion 65 having a concave shape in the center, and an upper side support portion 66 projecting downward in the drawing on the left and right sides of the concave portion 65. Among these, the positional relationship shown in FIG. 6 can be obtained by bringing the upper side support portion 66 into contact with the upper side 13a of the end plate 13 and the side side support portion 64 into contact with the right side 13e of the end plate 13, respectively.

  In the arrangement shown in FIG. 6, the convex portion 23 of the end plate 13 is visible in the concave portion 65 of the positioning member 54. The end portion of the restraining band 15 that is chucked by the chuck portion 52 a of the chuck device 52 is disposed beyond the through hole 22 of the end plate 13. That is, the end portion of the restraining band 15 faces the through hole 22 in the inner surface 13d of the end plate 13 (see the back surface in FIG. 6, see FIG. 3). This is an arrangement in which the through hole 22 and the female screw 34 are appropriately aligned.

  The chuck device 52 and the positioning member 54 are fixed to each other so that this arrangement is obtained when the positioning member 54 is engaged with the upper side and the side side of the end plate 13. That is, by using this alignment device 41, the restraint band 15 can be aligned with reference to the positions of the upper side 13a and the right side 13e of the end plate 13 placed on the pallet 17.

  Next, the fastening device 42 shown in FIG. 4 is combined with the alignment device 41 in this state. The fastening device 42 includes a loader 71, a nut runner 72, and a floating member 73. The loader 71 corresponds to a second loader. The nut runner 72 corresponds to a fastening member supply device. The nut runner 72 is attached to the loader 71 by a floating member 73. Therefore, the nut runner 72 can be disposed at any position within the distance range allowed by the floating member 73 with the position disposed by the loader 71 as the center.

  The nut runner 72 is a device that supplies and fastens the fastening bolt 36 to a front portion in the axial direction by holding and fastening the fastening bolt 36 at the tip thereof and advancing it. By precisely adjusting the position of the nut runner 72, the fastening position of the fastening bolt 36 can be precisely adjusted. The fastening bolt 36 is fed forward in the axial direction of the nut runner 72.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, an alignment portion 75 is attached to the nut runner 72. The alignment part 75 corresponds to a fastening member positioning member. Four positioning pins 76 are provided so as to protrude rightward in the drawing from the alignment portion 75. The arrangement of the positioning pins 76 corresponds to the arrangement of the bushes 62 of the alignment device 41. That is, each positioning pin 76 can be fitted into the bush 62 by bringing the fastening device 42 close to the alignment device 41 from the left side in FIG. When the positioning pins 76 are fitted into the bushes 62, the fastening bolts 36 supplied from the nut runner 72 are positioned at the positions of the through holes 22 in the outer surface 13 c of the end plate 13.

  That is, the fastening bolt 36 is held by the nut runner 72, and the alignment portion 75 is engaged with the alignment device 41 that aligns the end plate 13 and the restraining band 15 as described above. Alternatively, the fastening bolt 36 may be held after alignment. As a result, the fastening bolt 36 is aligned with the position where the through hole 22 and the female screw 34 overlap. Therefore, the fastening bolt 36 can be easily fastened to the female screw 34 of the restraining band 15.

  Thus, by using the alignment device 41, the position of the restraining band 15 can be aligned with high accuracy with respect to the end plate 13 arranged together with the single cells 11. Further, by inserting the positioning pin 76 into the alignment device 41, the position of the nut runner 72 with respect to the end plate 13 can be positioned with high accuracy. As a result, the three of the through hole 22 of the end plate 13, the female screw 34 of the restraining band 15, and the fastening bolt 36 could be aligned with an accuracy of 0.5 mm or less between the parts. Thereby, the 1st fastening process of a restraint band can be automated.

  Next, a 2nd fastening process is demonstrated. In this step, as shown in FIG. 7, the assembled battery (the one being manufactured) for which the first fastening process has been completed is connected to the other end of the restraining band 15 and the other end of the lower restraining band 18 by the first fastening. This is a process of fastening to the end plate 14 on the opposite side from that fastened in the process. Since many parts common to the first fastening process are included, the common parts will be briefly described.

  In this embodiment, after the first fastening process is completed, the assembled battery is removed from the alignment device 41 and the fastening device 42, and the pallet 17 is rotated 180 °. This is simply for ease of work. And the pallet 17 is moved to the station for 2nd fastening processes different from a 1st fastening process. Therefore, the restraint band 15 is released from the chuck device 52. Thereby, the other end side of the restraint band 15 is slightly lowered by its own weight. In the assembled battery that has been assembled, the restraint band 15 is disposed slightly above the unit cell 11 so as not to contact the upper side of the unit cell 11 due to the holes 22 in the end plates 13 and 14 on both sides.

  In the second fastening step, as shown in FIG. 8, an alignment device 85 having a loader 81, a chuck device 82, a floating member 83, and a positioning member 84 is used. The chuck device 82 has a chuck portion 82a that can be opened and closed and can be moved in the vertical direction in the figure. This is because it is necessary to pick up the lower restraint band 15. The other loader 81, floating member 83, and positioning member 84 are equivalent to those provided in the alignment device 41, respectively. For example, the positioning member 84 has the same shape as the positioning member 54 shown in FIG. 5, and the bush 62 is also formed.

  Usually, before each of the first and second fastening steps, each cell 11 is charged. Therefore, each unit cell 11 in these fastening steps is in a slightly expanded state in the thickness direction. In other words, the thickness of the group of unit cells 11, that is, the distance between the through hole 22 of the end plate 13 and the through hole 22 of the end plate 14 is larger than the length of the restraining band 15 simply by arranging them.

  Therefore, before the fastening of the other end side of the restraint band 15, the end plates 13 and 14 are pushed in from both outer sides and fastened in a state where the thickness of the group is reduced. In this embodiment, the end plate 13 side is fixed as a reference, and the end plate 14 is pressed in a direction approaching the end plate 13. A block or the like is applied and pushed in on the surface. When the position of the end plate 14 becomes an appropriate position determined in advance (that is, equivalent to the length of the restraining band 15), the end plate 14 is held at that position.

  Next, as in the first fastening step, the alignment device 85 is moved by the loader 81, and the positioning member 84 is brought into contact with the upper side 14a and the right side 14e of the end plate 14. As a result, the end plate 14 and the positioning member 84 are positioned, and therefore the positional relationship between the end plate 14 and the chuck device 82 is determined. Next, the other end of the restraining band 15 is lifted. That is, the chuck portion 82a is lowered in a range where it does not come into contact with the unit cell 11, and is opened and closed to chuck and lift the restraint band 15. The height position of the chuck portion 82a after being lifted is determined in advance so that the female screw 34 on the other end side of the restraining band 15 and the through hole 22 of the end plate 14 face each other.

  Further, also in the second fastening step, in order to fasten the fastening bolt 36 to the other end of the restraining band 15, a fastening device 42 similar to that in the first fastening step is used. As described above, after the cell 11 is pressed and restrained, the positioning pin 76 of the fastening device 42 is fitted into the bush 62 of the positioning member 84. Thereby, the end plate 14 and the nut runner 72 can be positioned.

  The other end side of the restraining band 15 is aligned with the end plate 14 by the alignment device 85. Accordingly, since the three of the through hole 22 of the end plate 14, the female screw 34 on the other end side of the restraining band 15, and the fastening bolt 36 are aligned, the fastening bolt 36 can be fastened by the nut runner 72. it can. Since the other end side of the lower restraint band 18 is positioned by the groove shape formed in the pallet 17, it is not necessary to perform special alignment processing.

  Accordingly, the other end side of the restraint band 15 and the lower restraint band 18 can be appropriately aligned and fastened. That is, the second fastening process of the restraint band can be automated without a major design change.

  As described above in detail, according to the first and second fastening steps of the present embodiment, the positioning members 54 and 84 are aligned based on the upper side and the side side of the end plates 13 and 14. Further, the positioning pin 76 of the fastening bolt 42 is fitted into the bush 62 formed on the positioning members 54 and 84. Further, the positioning members 54 and 84 and the chuck device of the restraining band 15 are aligned with each other. Therefore, since the three of the through holes 22 of the end plates 13 and 14, the female screw 34 of the restraining band 15, and the fastening bolt 36 are appropriately aligned, the fastening process can be automated.

In addition, this form is only a mere illustration and does not limit this invention at all. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof.
For example, in the above embodiment, four bushes and pins are provided. However, three bushings or five or more bushings may be used. Further, the bushing and pin arrangement of the positioning members 54 and 84 may be the same or different.

  Further, although the positioning members 54 and 84 are shown along the upper side and the right side of the end plates 13 and 14, it is obvious that the left side and the lower side may be used. Although only one plane is not sufficient, a shape along the convex portion 23 is possible. Further, instead of simultaneously fastening two bolts with two nut runners, the nut runners may be moved and fastened one by one.

  In this embodiment, a restraint band having a female screw at the end is used. However, a member having a female screw may be attached to the end of the restraint band. In that case, it will be aligned with the position of the female screw. In this embodiment, a restraining band having an outer diameter larger than that of the through hole of the end plate is illustrated, but it may be of a size that can be inserted into the through hole. Alternatively, a male screw may be formed on the restraining band, and a nut may be supplied from the outer surface side of the end plate and fastened. In this embodiment, the restraint band is fixed by chucking (tightening and fixing) with the chuck devices 52 and 82. However, the restraint band is not limited to the chuck device, and any restraint band may be used. For example, the binding band may be fixed using a suction pad, a magnet, or the like.

11 Cell 13, 14 End plate 15 Restraint band 22 Through hole 36 Fastening bolt 51, 71, 81 Loader 52, 82 Chuck device 54, 84 Positioning member 64 Side support part 66 Upper support part 72 Nutrunner 75 Positioning part

Claims (6)

An assembled battery in which a plurality of end plates having through holes are arranged on both sides of a plurality of arranged batteries, and a plurality of batteries are constrained by fastening both ends of the restraining band to the through holes of the end plates on both sides In the assembled battery manufacturing equipment,
A fixing device for fixing the restraining band;
A fixing device positioning member fixed to the fixing device;
A fastening member supply device for supplying the fastening member from the outer surface side of the end plate and fastening the fastening member to the fastening portion;
A fastening member positioning member fixed to the fastening member supply device;
The fixing device positioning member is:
Positioning the end of the restraining band fixed to the fixing device to face the through hole in the inner surface of the end plate by following the shape of the upper or lower side of the end plate and the shape of at least one of the side edges A shape part;
And an engaging portion for positioning the position of the fastening member supplied by the fastening member supply device to the position of the through hole in the outer surface of the end plate by engaging with the fastening member positioning member. Assembly battery manufacturing equipment. In the assembled battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
The assembled battery manufacturing apparatus, wherein the fixing device chucks the restraining band. In the assembled battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The assembled battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alignment shape portion follows an upper side shape and at least one of the side sides. In the assembled battery manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A first loader for moving the fixing device in a floating state;
An assembled battery manufacturing apparatus comprising: a second loader that moves the fastening member supply device in a floating state. In the assembled battery manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
As the alignment shape portion, there are two upper side support portions along the upper side of the end plate, and a side side support portion along the side side of the end plate,
The assembled battery manufacturing apparatus, wherein a portion between the two upper side support portions of the fixing device positioning member is a recess that exposes the through hole of the end plate. In an assembled battery manufacturing method, a plurality of end plates having through holes are arranged on both sides of a plurality of arranged batteries and a plurality of batteries are restrained by fastening both ends of a restraining band to the through holes of the end plates on both sides. ,
A fixing device for fixing the restraining band;
A fixing device positioning member fixed to the fixing device;
A fastening member supply device for supplying the fastening member from the outer surface side of the end plate and fastening the fastening member to the fastening portion;
A fastening member positioning member fixed to the fastening member supply device;
Fixing the restraining band by the fixing device;
When the fixing device positioning member follows the shape of the upper or lower side of the end plate and the shape of at least one of the side sides, the end of the restraining band fixed to the fixing device penetrates the inner surface of the end plate. Facing the hole,
By engaging the fixing device positioning member and the fastening member positioning member, the position of the fastening member supplied by the fastening member supply device is positioned at the position of the through hole on the outer surface of the end plate,
In this state, the fastening member supply device supplies the fastening member to the through hole and fastens it to the end of the restraining band.

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