JP7547176B2 - Connection mechanism between charge/discharge device and thin secondary battery - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connection mechanism between a thin secondary battery and a charging/discharging device that charges and discharges the thin secondary battery.

In recent years, rechargeable secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries have been widely used in electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and other electrical products, etc. Examples of such secondary batteries include thin secondary batteries (commonly known as laminate cells).
In the manufacture of this battery, as with conventional rechargeable batteries, a charge/discharge test is conducted on the manufactured battery to check whether the battery meets the required performance and characteristics before it is shipped. This charge/discharge test is conducted by arranging multiple thin secondary batteries in a line in the thickness direction and connecting terminals connected to a charge/discharge power source (power source of a charge/discharge device) to the electrodes of each thin secondary battery.

An example of a technique for connecting terminals to the electrodes of the above-mentioned thin secondary battery is the chuck mechanism of a charge/discharge test device for thin secondary batteries described in Patent Document 1. Specifically, a plurality of metal plates of chuck members that are expanded in a substantially V-shape in plan view are arranged between a pair of rollers provided on a roller holding member attached to an air cylinder, and the expanded metal plates are closed by moving the pair of rollers by the air cylinder in the expanding direction of the metal plates, and the electrodes of the thin secondary battery arranged between the opposing metal plates are chucked by the metal plates.
In this manner, in the cited document 1, a pair of rollers that move in a direction perpendicular to the direction of opening and closing the metal plate of the chuck member that is opened in a substantially V-shape are used.

Patent No. 5498273

However, when rollers are used to open and close the metal plate of the chuck member that is expanded in a substantially V-shape as in the cited document 1, there is a risk that the rollers may not rotate due to deterioration over time (e.g., wear, etc.), and may not operate normally. In addition, since rollers are used to open and close the metal plate, it is necessary to secure a space for installing them.
In addition, since multiple chuck members are installed, the capacity of the air cylinder needs to be increased in order to close the metal plates of these chuck members simultaneously. If this capacity is insufficient, the metal plates of the chuck members cannot be closed, and normal operation may not be possible.
Furthermore, if it is necessary to increase the contact pressure of the metal plate of the chuck member against the electrodes of the thin secondary battery due to an increase in the current flowing from the charging/discharging power source, the spring pressure of the metal plate must be increased. In this case, the spring pressure is applied to the entire chuck mechanism, so a structure that can withstand this spring pressure is required, which may require the size of the chuck mechanism to be increased.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charge/discharge device that can be simplified in configuration and can connect to electrodes in a smaller space than conventional methods.

A connection mechanism for a charge/discharge device according to a first aspect of the present invention that meets the above-mentioned objective is a connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charge/discharge device that charges and discharges a plurality of thin secondary batteries that can be charged and discharged by arranging the thin secondary batteries in a line in the thickness direction and connecting terminals connected to a charge/discharge power source to electrodes of the thin secondary batteries, the connection mechanism for the charge/discharge device being configured to:
First and second gripping pieces are provided for each of the thin secondary batteries and are arranged opposite each other with a gap therebetween;
The terminal and the first magnetic attraction body are attached to the first gripping piece on a surface side facing the second gripping piece,
a terminal receiving portion which is paired with the terminal, and a second magnetic attraction body which is paired with the first magnetic attraction body are respectively attached to a surface of the second gripping piece which faces the first gripping piece,
Due to the magnetic attraction force between the paired first and second magnetic attracting bodies, the opposing first and second gripping pieces are brought closer to each other, and the electrode arranged between the first and second gripping pieces is clamped between the terminal and the terminal receiving portion.

A second aspect of the present invention that meets the above objective is a connection mechanism for a charge/discharge device and a thin secondary battery, which is configured to connect a terminal connected to a charge/discharge power source to an electrode of each of a plurality of thin secondary batteries that can be charged and discharged, in a state where the thin secondary batteries are arranged in a line in the thickness direction, and charge and discharge the thin secondary batteries, the connection mechanism for the charge/discharge device and the thin secondary battery comprises:
a first gripping piece portion and a second gripping piece portion are provided for each of the thin secondary batteries, the first gripping piece portions being adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary batteries, the second gripping piece portions being adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary batteries, and the second gripping piece portions being adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary batteries,
the terminal is attached to a surface of the first gripping piece facing the second gripping piece, and a terminal receiving portion that is paired with the terminal is attached to a surface of the second gripping piece facing the first gripping piece,
Furthermore, a first magnetic attraction body is attached to a surface of one or more of the first gripping pieces facing the second gripping pieces, and a second magnetic attraction body that pairs with the first magnetic attraction body is attached to a surface of the second gripping piece facing the first gripping piece to which the first magnetic attraction body is provided,
Due to the magnetic attraction force between the paired first and second magnetic attracting bodies, the opposing first and second gripping pieces are brought closer to each other, and the electrode arranged between the first and second gripping pieces is clamped between the terminal and the terminal receiving portion.

In the connection mechanism between the charging/discharging device and the thin secondary battery of the first and second inventions, it is preferable that the connection mechanism further has a frame body in which the first and second gripping piece portions are housed and which guides the first gripping piece portion and the second gripping piece portion so that they can move toward or away from each other, and that an insertion groove is formed in the upper part of the frame body to guide the electrode between the first gripping piece portion and the second gripping piece portion.
Here, the frame may be made of an insulating material.

In the connection mechanism between the charge/discharge device and the thin secondary battery according to the first and second aspects of the invention, it is preferable that a temperature sensor is further attached to the surface of the first gripping piece facing the second gripping piece, or to the surface of the second gripping piece facing the first gripping piece.

In the connection mechanism between the charge/discharge device and the thin secondary battery according to the first and second inventions, it is preferable that the terminal receiving portion is a voltage measurement terminal.

In the connection mechanism between the charging/discharging device and the thin secondary battery according to the first and second inventions, it is preferable that a spring material is disposed between the opposing first and second gripping pieces, and in a free state, the distance between the first and second gripping pieces is widened, so that the terminal and the terminal receiving portion are not in contact with the electrode.

In the connection mechanism between the charge/discharge device and the thin secondary battery according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the terminal is preferably attached to the first gripping piece via an elastic member.
The terminal itself may be elastic.

In the connection mechanism between the charge/discharge device and the thin secondary battery according to the first and second inventions, it is preferable that the terminal is removably attached to the first gripping piece.

In the connection mechanism between the charge/discharge device and the thin secondary battery according to the first and second inventions, it is preferable that either or both of the first and second gripping pieces are substrates.

In the connection mechanism between the charge/discharge device and the thin secondary battery of the first and second inventions, it is preferable that one of the first and second magnetic attraction bodies is an electromagnet A, and the other of the first and second magnetic attraction bodies is an electromagnet B or a magnetic body.
Here, on the condition that the first and second magnetic attracting bodies are the electromagnets A and B, respectively,
current is applied to the electromagnets A and B so that a repulsive force acts between the pair of electromagnets A and B attached to the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece, respectively, which are arranged opposite to each other, and an attractive force acts between the pair of electromagnets A and B attached to the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece, respectively, which are arranged back to back, thereby separating the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece, which are arranged opposite to each other;
It is preferable that the electromagnets A and B are energized so that an attractive force acts between the pair of electromagnets A and B attached to the first and second gripping piece portions arranged opposite each other, and a repulsive force acts between the electromagnets A and B attached to the first and second gripping piece portions arranged back to back, thereby bringing the first and second gripping piece portions arranged opposite each other closer to each other.

The connection mechanism of the charge/discharge device and the thin secondary battery of the present invention provides first and second gripping piece portions arranged opposite each other with a gap between them for each thin secondary battery, with a terminal and a first magnetic attraction body attached to the side of the first gripping piece portion facing the second gripping piece, and a terminal receiving portion and a second magnetic attraction body attached to the side of the second gripping piece portion facing the first gripping piece, and the magnetic attraction force of the pair of first and second magnetic attraction bodies brings the opposing first and second gripping pieces closer together, and the electrode is clamped between the terminal and the terminal receiving portion.This allows connection between the terminal of the charge/discharge device and the electrode of the thin secondary battery without complicating the configuration of the chuck mechanism or using rollers, as in the conventional case.
Therefore, the configuration can be simplified, and connection to the electrodes can be achieved in a smaller space than before.

1A is a front cross-sectional view of a connection mechanism between a thin secondary battery and a charge/discharge device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating principle of a connection mechanism between the charging/discharging device and a thin secondary battery. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another operation principle of the connection mechanism between the charge/discharge device and a thin secondary battery. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating principle of a connection mechanism between a thin secondary battery and a charge/discharge device according to a first modified example. FIG. 13 is an explanatory front view of a connection mechanism between a thin secondary battery and a charge/discharge device according to a second modified example. FIG. 1A is a front view showing a disconnected state of a connection mechanism between a thin secondary battery and a charging/discharging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a side cross-sectional view, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line bb in (A). 1A is a front view showing a connection state of a connection mechanism between the charging/discharging device and a thin secondary battery, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line cc in FIG.

Next, with reference to the attached drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described for understanding the present invention.
As shown in Figures 1(A) to 1(C) and 2, a connection mechanism 10 for a charge/discharge device according to a first embodiment of the present invention with a thin secondary battery (hereinafter also referred to simply as a connection mechanism) is a mechanism used in a charge/discharge device that arranges a plurality of rechargeable thin secondary batteries 11 in a line in the thickness direction, and connects terminals 13 connected to a charge/discharge power source (not shown) to electrodes 12 of each thin secondary battery 11 to charge/discharge (charge/discharge test (charge/discharge inspection)). Note that Figures 1(A) to 1(C) and 2 show only one thin secondary battery 11 out of the plurality of thin secondary batteries 11 arranged in a line in the thickness direction (see Figure 3 described later for the plurality of thin secondary batteries 11 arranged in a line in the thickness direction).
The details are explained below.

The charging/discharging device is provided with a storage section for storing, for example, a tray or the like capable of storing and arranging a plurality of thin secondary batteries 11 in a line in the thickness direction. Within this storage section, terminals 13 connected to electrodes 12 of each thin secondary battery 11 are arranged at positions corresponding to the plurality of thin secondary batteries 11 arranged in a line on the tray or the like, and these terminals 13 are connected to a charging/discharging power source.
One charge/discharge power source is used for one thin secondary battery 11, and the maximum number of thin secondary batteries 11 that can be accommodated and arranged on one tray is the same as the number of charge/discharge power sources, but one charge/discharge power source can also be used for two or more thin secondary batteries 11 connected in series. This thin secondary battery 11 is, for example, a lithium ion battery in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are alternately laminated, and the positive electrode and the negative electrode are each connected to an electrode 12 (also called a tab), placed in a container made of a laminate film, and an electrolyte is injected and sealed (the electrode 12 protrudes to the outside), but there is no particular limitation as long as it is a thin secondary battery that can be charged and discharged.

As shown in Figures 1(A) to (C), the connection mechanism 10 has a frame body 14 provided for each thin secondary battery 11, and the gripping sides (Figure 1(A) and the upper sides in Figure 2) of first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 arranged opposite each other with a gap between them are housed within this frame body 14.
The frame 14 is made of resin (an example of an insulating material), has a rectangular parallelepiped exterior shape, is open at the bottom end, and covers the first and second grip pieces 15, 16. A stop rod 17 is attached to the bottom side (opening side) of the frame 14, and is disposed along the thickness direction of the first and second grip pieces 15, 16. An insertion groove 18 is formed in the upper part of the frame 14 to guide the electrode 12 inserted into the frame 14 between the first grip piece 15 and the second grip piece 16.
This allows the first gripping piece 15 and the second gripping piece 16 to be guided (the range of movement is limited) so that they can move toward or away from each other within the frame body 14, while also preventing the frame body 14 from coming loose from the first and second gripping pieces 15, 16.

On the surface of the first gripping piece 15 facing the second gripping piece 16, a terminal 13 is attached on the upper side, and an electromagnet (electromagnet A: an example of a first magnetic attractant) 19 is attached below the terminal 13. On the surface of the second gripping piece 16 facing the first gripping piece 15, a terminal receiving portion 20 that pairs with the terminal 13 is attached on the upper side, a temperature sensor 21 is attached below the terminal receiving portion 20, and an electromagnet (electromagnet B: an example of a second magnetic attractant) 22 that pairs with the electromagnet 19 is attached below the temperature sensor 21. The temperature sensor 21 may be attached on the surface of the first gripping piece 15 facing the second gripping piece 16 (below the terminal 13 and above the electromagnet 19).
The terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 are attached and fixed in opposing positions so as to sandwich (clamp) the electrode 12, which is disposed between the first gripping piece 15 and the second gripping piece 16, from both sides in the thickness direction, and the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 come into contact with the electrode 12, thereby enabling charging and discharging of the thin secondary battery 11 to be performed via the terminal 13. Note that by using the terminal receiving portion 20 as a voltage measurement terminal, it is also possible to measure the voltage during charging and discharging.

The electromagnets 19 and 22 are magnetized by passing electricity through them (applying a voltage), and the poles of the magnets (north and south poles) can be switched by changing the direction of the current.
Here, the electromagnets 19 and 22 are attached and fixed at the same height on the opposing surfaces of the first and second gripping pieces 15 and 16, respectively, and are magnetized to opposite poles to attract the first and second gripping pieces 15 and 16, so that the electrode 12 can be sandwiched between the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20. Note that the electromagnets 19 and 22 are attached at a position below the insertion groove 18 in a front view (at a position that does not overlap with the electrode 12 induced inside the frame 14 in a side view), and as long as the electrode 12 can be sandwiched between the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20, the electromagnets 19 and 22 do not necessarily need to come into contact (abut) when approaching each other, and a gap (for example, about 0.1 mm to several mm) may be present.
Here, with reference to Figure 2, we will explain what happens when electricity is passed through the electromagnet 19 attached to the first gripping piece 15 so that the side facing the second gripping piece 16 becomes the north pole (the opposite side becomes the south pole).

2, electricity is passed through the electromagnet 22 attached to the second gripping piece 16 so that the side facing the first gripping piece 15 becomes the north pole (the opposite side becomes the south pole). This generates a repulsive force between the electromagnet 19 and the electromagnet 22, causing the first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 to move in directions away from each other, and the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 become out of contact with the electrode 12.
2, electricity is passed through the electromagnet 22 so that the side facing the first grip piece 15 becomes the S pole (the opposite side becomes the N pole). As a result, an attractive force (magnetic attraction force) is generated between the electromagnet 19 and the electromagnet 22, so that the first and second grip pieces 15, 16 move in a direction approaching each other, and the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 come into contact (abut) with the electrode 12.
When electricity is passed through the electromagnet 19 so that the side facing the second gripping piece 16 becomes the south pole (the opposite side becomes the north pole), electricity is passed through the electromagnet 22 so that the pole thereof is reversed.

In use, first, the tray containing the multiple thin secondary batteries 11 is placed in the storage section, so that the thin secondary batteries 11 are positioned above the frame 14 containing the first and second grip pieces 15, 16, as shown in Fig. 1(B) .
1(A), the tray housing the thin secondary batteries 11 is lowered relative to the frame 14 (or the frame 14 is raised relative to the tray housing the thin secondary batteries 11). At this time, the electrodes 12 of the thin secondary batteries 11 are guided and positioned (placed) between the first gripping piece 15 and the second gripping piece 16 via the insertion grooves 18 formed in the upper part of the frame 14.
At this point, as shown in the left diagram of Fig. 2, the first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 are separated from each other, and the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 are not in contact with the electrode 12. At this time, it is not necessary to energize the electromagnets 19, 22 (they can be in a non-energized state), but considering, for example, residual magnetization (residual magnetic force due to magnetization), it is preferable to pass electricity so that the opposing sides of the electromagnets 19 and 22 become N poles (or S poles), or to place a spring material 24 between the opposing first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 as shown in Fig. 4 described later.

Next, electricity is passed through the electromagnets 19 and 22 so that an attractive force (magnetic attraction force) is generated between the electromagnets 19 and 22. As a result, as shown in the right diagram of Fig. 2, the first and second gripping pieces 15 and 16 are moved in a direction approaching each other, and the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 come into contact with the electrode 12 (the electrode 12 is sandwiched between the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20).
Then, the same or different charge/discharge tests are performed on each charge/discharge power source according to a preset test program.
After charging and discharging the thin secondary battery 11 using the above method, electricity is passed through the electromagnets 19 and 22 so that a repulsive force (a repulsive force) is generated between the electromagnets 19 and 22. This causes the first and second gripping pieces 15 and 16 to move in directions away from each other, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 2, and brings the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 into a non-contact state with the electrode 12.

The electromagnets 19 and 22 can also be energized as shown in Fig. 3. Reference numeral 23 in Fig. 3 denotes an insulating spacer disposed between adjacent thin secondary batteries 11.
As shown in the upper diagram of Figure 3, when the opposing first gripping piece 15 and second gripping piece 16 are separated, current is passed through the pair of electromagnets 19, 20 attached to the opposing first and second gripping pieces 15, 16, respectively, so that a repulsive force acts between the electromagnets 19 and 22 (in Figure 3, for each thin secondary battery 11, current is passed so that the north pole and south pole alternate across the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11 on both the side of the electromagnet 19 facing the electromagnet 22 and the side of the electromagnet 22 facing the electromagnet 19).
At this time, electric current is applied to the electromagnets 19, 22 so that an attractive force acts between the electromagnet 19 attached to the first gripping piece 15 used to grip one thin secondary battery 11 and the electromagnet 22 attached to the second gripping piece 16 used to grip the other thin secondary battery 11, which are adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11 (i.e., between the electromagnet 19 and the electromagnet 22 attached to the first gripping piece 15 and the second gripping piece 16 arranged back to back) (in Figure 3, this is done so that for each thin secondary battery 11, the attachment side of the electromagnet 19 to the first gripping piece 15 and the attachment side of the electromagnet 22 to the second gripping piece 16 both have alternating south and north poles across the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11).
This makes it possible to increase the repulsive force when the opposing first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 separate from each other.

As shown in the lower diagram of Figure 3, when the opposing first gripping piece 15 and second gripping piece are brought closer together, current is passed through the pair of electromagnets 19, 20 attached to the opposing first and second gripping pieces 15, 16, respectively, so that an attractive force acts between electromagnet 19 and electromagnet 22 (in Figure 3, this is done so that the opposing electromagnet 22 side of electromagnet 19 has alternating north and south poles across the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11, and so that the opposing electromagnet 19 side of electromagnet 22 has alternating south and north poles across the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11).
At this time, current is passed through the electromagnets 19, 22 so that a repulsive force acts between the electromagnet 19 attached to the first gripping piece 15 used to grip one of the thin secondary batteries 11, and the electromagnet 22 attached to the second gripping piece 16 used to grip the other thin secondary battery 11, which are adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11 (i.e., between the electromagnet 19 and the electromagnet 22 attached to the first gripping piece 15 and the second gripping piece 16 arranged back to back) (in Figure 3, this is done so that the attachment side of the electromagnet 19 to the first gripping piece 15 has alternating south and north poles across the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11, and the attachment side of the electromagnet 22 to the second gripping piece 16 has alternating north and south poles across the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11).
This makes it possible to increase the attractive force between the opposing first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 when they approach each other.

In this way, the first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 can be moved toward and away from each other (hereinafter also referred to as opening and closing) by passing current through the electromagnets 19, 22. For example, when the connection mechanism 10 is in a standby state (when the thin secondary battery 11 is not being charged or discharged), the first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 can be placed in a non-energized state (non-energized state) while separated from each other, thereby reducing power consumption.
Furthermore, by using the electromagnets 19 and 22, for example by changing the number of turns of the coil, the strength of the attractive or repulsive force generated between the electromagnets 19 and 22 can be adjusted.
The above-mentioned temperature sensor 21 is a device (e.g., a thermistor, a thermocouple, etc.) that measures the temperature of the thin secondary battery 11 during charging and discharging, and when the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 are in contact with the electrode 12, the temperature sensor 21 can also measure the temperature by coming into contact with the surface of the electrode 12.

Also, as shown in FIG. 4, a spring material (such as a compression coil spring) 24 that connects the first gripping piece 15 and the second gripping piece 16 can be disposed between the opposing first gripping piece 15 and second gripping piece 16 (at a height position below the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 and above the electromagnets 19, 22 when viewed from the side).
In this case, in the free state (electromagnets 19, 22 are not energized), as shown in the left diagram of Figure 4, the distance between the first gripping piece 15 and the second gripping piece 16 is widened (opened), and the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 are not in contact with the electrode (not shown).
As shown in the right diagram of Figure 4, when the terminal 13 and the terminal receiving portion 20 are brought into contact with the electrode, electricity is passed through the electromagnets 19, 22 so that the attractive force is stronger than the elastic force of the spring material 24, and the gap between the first gripping piece 15 and the second gripping piece 16 is narrowed (closed state).

5, the terminal 13 can be attached to the first gripping piece 15 via a spring (such as a compression coil spring, which is an example of an elastic member) 25. Note that rubber or the like can be used instead of the spring.
Also, if the terminal itself has elasticity, the terminal can be attached to the first gripping piece without using a spring. An example of such a terminal is a leaf spring type terminal.
This makes it possible, for example, to absorb structural errors in the connection mechanism 10, and to more reliably establish contact between the electrodes 12 and the terminals 13.
Moreover, it is preferable that the terminal is removably attached to the first grip piece, which makes the terminal replaceable and improves maintainability.
Furthermore, either one or both of the first and second gripping pieces can be made into a substrate. This allows one or more of the terminal, terminal receiving portion, electromagnet, and temperature sensor to be soldered to the substrate, and the distance between the pair of adjacent first and second gripping pieces in the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery can be further narrowed (even a narrower space can be accommodated). The first and second gripping pieces may be made of resin or metal (which may have elasticity).

Next, with reference to Figures 6(A) to (C) and Figures 7(A) and (B), a connection mechanism (hereinafter also referred to simply as the connection mechanism) 30 for a charge/discharge device with a thin secondary battery in a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Since the basic principle is the same as the connection mechanism 10 for a charge/discharge device with a thin secondary battery described above, the same members are given the same symbols and detailed descriptions are omitted.
The connection mechanism 30 has first and second gripping members 31, 32. The first and second gripping members 31, 32 have first and second gripping piece portions 15a, 16a (similar to the first and second gripping piece portions 15, 16 described above) that are arranged facing each other with a gap for each thin secondary battery 11, and the first gripping piece portions 15a adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11 are connected to each other by a connecting member 33 to form an integrated unit, and the second gripping piece portions 16a adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11 are connected to each other by a connecting member 34 to form an integrated unit.
It is preferable that the first and second gripping pieces 15a, 16a are also housed within a frame body, similar to the first and second gripping pieces 15, 16 described above.

The five (plural) first gripping pieces 15a and the five (plural) second gripping pieces 16a constituting the first and second gripping members 31, 32, respectively, are alternately arranged along the thickness direction of the thin secondary battery 11. The terminals 13 are attached to the first gripping pieces 15a, and the terminal receivers 20 are attached to the second gripping pieces 16a.
6(B), electromagnets 19 and 22 are attached and fixed to the overlapping portion of the first gripping piece 15a and the second gripping piece 16a when the first and second gripping members 31 and 32 are viewed from the side. The electromagnet 19 is attached and fixed to the first gripping piece 15a located in the center among the five first gripping pieces 15a, and the electromagnet 22 is attached and fixed to the second gripping piece 16a located in the center and facing the first gripping piece 15a located in the center among the five first gripping pieces 16a.
This allows the multiple first and second gripping pieces 15a, 16a to approach each other (Figures 7 (A) and (B)) and move away from each other (Figures 6 (A) to (C)) by passing electricity through a pair of opposing electromagnets 19, 22.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and includes other embodiments and modifications that are conceivable within the scope of the claims. For example, the scope of the present invention also includes a case in which a connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device of the present invention is configured by combining a part or all of the above-mentioned respective embodiments and modifications.
In the above embodiment, the case where electromagnets are attached to both the first and second gripping pieces has been described, but it is also possible for one of the first and second magnetic attracting bodies to be an electromagnet and for the other of the first and second magnetic attracting bodies to be a magnetic body (a ferromagnetic body). The magnetic body may be iron oxide, chromium oxide, cobalt, ferrite, non-oxidized metal magnetic body (oxide), or the like.

In the above embodiment, the case where one electromagnet is attached to each of the first and second gripping pieces has been described, but for example, two or more electromagnets may be attached to each of the first and second gripping pieces, which further strengthens the attractive force between the opposing electromagnets and makes it easy to increase the contact pressure of the terminal and the terminal receiving part against the electrode.
In the above embodiment, the electromagnet is attached to one of the gripping pieces located in the center among the multiple gripping pieces provided on the gripping member, but the electromagnet may be attached to two or more gripping pieces. In this case, it is preferable to attach the electromagnet to at least the gripping piece located in the center of the gripping member (connecting member) in the longitudinal direction.

In addition, in the above embodiment, when placing the electrodes of the thin secondary battery between the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece, the tray containing the thin secondary battery is lowered or the first and second gripping pieces are raised. However, this operation is not particularly limited as it changes depending on the state of the thin secondary battery in the tray, and for example, the tray and/or the first and second gripping pieces can be moved forward or backward depending on the orientation of the electrodes of the thin secondary battery contained in the tray.
Furthermore, each operation of the connection mechanism between the charging/discharging device and the thin secondary battery, and the charging/discharging of the thin secondary battery are sequentially performed by a control means (for example, a computer, etc.) based on a preset program.

10: Connection mechanism between the thin secondary battery and the charging/discharging device, 11: Thin secondary battery, 12: Electrode, 13: Terminal, 14: Frame, 15, 15a: First gripping piece, 16, 16a: Second gripping piece, 17: Anti-pullout rod, 18: Insertion groove, 19: Electromagnet (first magnetic attractant), 20: Terminal receiver, 21: Temperature sensor, 22: Electromagnet (second magnetic attractant), 23: Spacer, 24: Spring material, 25: Spring (elastic member), 30: Connection mechanism between the thin secondary battery and the charging/discharging device, 31: First gripping member, 32: Second gripping member, 33, 34: Connection member

Claims (13)

A connection mechanism between a thin secondary battery and a charge/discharge device that charges and discharges a plurality of thin secondary batteries that are rechargeable and dischargeable and that is arranged in a thickness direction and that connects terminals connected to a charge/discharge power source to electrodes of the thin secondary batteries, the connection mechanism comprising:
First and second gripping pieces are provided for each of the thin secondary batteries and are arranged opposite each other with a gap therebetween;
The terminal and the first magnetic attraction body are attached to the first gripping piece on a surface side facing the second gripping piece,
a terminal receiving portion which is paired with the terminal, and a second magnetic attraction body which is paired with the first magnetic attraction body are respectively attached to a surface of the second gripping piece which faces the first gripping piece,
A connection mechanism for a charging/discharging device to a thin secondary battery, characterized in that the magnetic attraction force between the pair of the first magnetic attraction body and the second magnetic attraction body brings the opposing first gripping piece and the second gripping piece closer to each other, and the electrode arranged between the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece is clamped between the terminal and the terminal receiving portion. A connection mechanism between a thin secondary battery and a charge/discharge device that charges and discharges a plurality of thin secondary batteries that are rechargeable and dischargeable and that is arranged in a thickness direction and that connects terminals connected to a charge/discharge power source to electrodes of the thin secondary batteries, the connection mechanism comprising:
a first gripping piece portion and a second gripping piece portion are provided for each of the thin secondary batteries, the first gripping piece portions being adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary batteries, the second gripping piece portions being adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary batteries, and the second gripping piece portions being adjacent to each other along the thickness direction of the thin secondary batteries,
the terminal is attached to a surface of the first gripping piece facing the second gripping piece, and a terminal receiving portion that is paired with the terminal is attached to a surface of the second gripping piece facing the first gripping piece,
Furthermore, a first magnetic attraction body is attached to a surface of one or more of the first gripping pieces facing the second gripping pieces, and a second magnetic attraction body that pairs with the first magnetic attraction body is attached to a surface of the second gripping piece facing the first gripping piece to which the first magnetic attraction body is provided,
A connection mechanism for a charging/discharging device to a thin secondary battery, characterized in that the magnetic attraction force between the pair of the first magnetic attraction body and the second magnetic attraction body brings the opposing first gripping piece and the second gripping piece closer to each other, and the electrode arranged between the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece is clamped between the terminal and the terminal receiving portion. The connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device according to claim 1 or 2 further includes a frame in which the first and second gripping pieces are housed and which guides the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece in a direction in which they move toward or away from each other, and an insertion groove is formed in the upper part of the frame to guide the electrode between the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece. The connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device further includes a frame in which the first and second gripping pieces are housed and which guides the electrode between the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece. The connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device according to claim 3, wherein the frame is made of an insulating material. The connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a temperature sensor attached to the surface of the first gripping piece facing the second gripping piece, or the surface of the second gripping piece facing the first gripping piece. The connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a temperature sensor attached to the surface of the first gripping piece facing the second gripping piece. A connection mechanism for a charge/discharge device and a thin secondary battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the terminal receiving portion is a voltage measurement terminal. A connection mechanism between a thin secondary battery and a charging/discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a spring material is disposed between the opposing first gripping piece and the second gripping piece, and in a free state, the gap between the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece is widened, and the terminal and the terminal receiving part are in a non-contact state with the electrode. A connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the terminal is attached to the first gripping piece via an elastic member. A connection mechanism for a charge/discharge device and a thin secondary battery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the terminals have elasticity. A connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the terminal is removably attached to the first gripping piece. A connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that either or both of the first and second gripping pieces are a substrate. A connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charging/discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that one of the first and second magnetic attracting bodies is an electromagnet A, and the other of the first and second magnetic attracting bodies is an electromagnet B or a magnetic body. 13. The connection mechanism for a thin secondary battery of a charge/discharge device according to claim 12, wherein the first and second magnetic attracting bodies are the electromagnets A and B, respectively,
current is applied to the electromagnets A and B so that a repulsive force acts between the pair of electromagnets A and B attached to the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece, respectively, which are arranged opposite to each other, and an attractive force acts between the pair of electromagnets A and B attached to the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece, respectively, which are arranged back to back, thereby separating the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece, which are arranged opposite to each other;
A connection mechanism for a charging/discharging device to a thin secondary battery, characterized in that current is passed through the electromagnets A and B so that an attractive force acts between the pair of electromagnets A and B attached to the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece arranged opposite each other, and so that a repulsive force acts between the electromagnets A and B attached to the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece arranged back to back, thereby bringing the first gripping piece and the second gripping piece arranged opposite each other closer to each other.

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