US-12625045-B2 - Bonding state inspection apparatus and bonding state inspection method using the same

Abstract

Discussed is a bonding state inspection apparatus and a bonding state inspection method using the apparatus, and more particularly to a bonding state inspection apparatus including a transfer unit configured to transfer a battery module having a plurality of battery cells received therein, a thermal image inspection unit configured to scan an upper surface of the battery module, and a shear inspection unit configured to apply a shear force to a bonding ball formed at the battery module and a bonding state inspection method using the same.

Inventors

• Hyun Jin Ji
• Seok Won JEUNG
• Hyun Min OH
• Geon Tae PARK
• Choon Kwon KANG

Assignees

• LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20221121

Priority Date

20211201

Claims (13)

1. 1 . A bonding state inspection apparatus comprising: a transfer unit configured to transfer a battery module having a plurality of battery cells received therein; a thermal image inspection unit configured to scan an upper surface of the battery module; and a shear inspection unit configured to apply a shear force to a bonding ball formed at the battery module, wherein the shear inspection unit comprises: a moving shaft having a predetermined length; a body portion located under the moving shaft; an inspection tip provided at a lower surface of the body portion; and a displacement sensor provided at a side surface of the body portion, wherein the moving shaft is movable in a direction parallel to a transfer direction of the battery module and in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the battery module, wherein both the transfer direction and the direction perpendicular to the transfer direction are parallel with the upper surface of the battery module, and wherein the transfer direction of the battery module is parallel to an extending direction of the transfer unit.
2. 2 . The bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer unit comprises: a first transfer roller configured to transfer the battery module; a second transfer roller configured to change a movement direction of the battery module transferred by the first transfer roller; and a transfer cart configured to allow the battery module transferred by the second transfer roller to be seated therein.
3. 3 . The bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a transfer direction of the first transfer roller and a transfer direction of the second transfer roller are different from each other.
4. 4 . The bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal image inspection unit comprises: a photographing portion constituted by a thermal imaging camera; and an illuminating portion located spaced apart from the photographing portion by a predetermined distance.
5. 5 . The bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the moving shaft is located so as to have the predetermined length in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the battery module.
6. 6 . The bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the body portion is movable in a longitudinal direction of the moving shaft.
7. 7 . The bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection tip includes a metal material having an insulation layer so as to prevent an occurrence of a short circuit due to contact.
8. 8 . The bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an inclined portion inclined at a predetermined angle is formed at a lower part of the inspection tip.
9. 9 . A bonding state inspection method using the bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , the bonding state inspection method comprising: a first operation of transferring the battery module; a second operation of inspecting the upper surface of the battery module through the thermal image inspection unit; a third operation of locating an inspection tip of the shear inspection unit at a position determined to be defective after inspection through the thermal image inspection unit; a fourth operation of applying the shear force to the bonding ball through the inspection tip; and a fifth operation of transferring the battery module along a first transfer roller when the bonding ball is normal and removing the battery module through a second transfer roller when the bonding ball is defective.
10. 10 . The bonding state inspection method according to claim 9 , further comprising an operation of charging and discharging the battery module before the second operation.
11. 11 . The bonding state inspection method according to claim 9 , wherein, in the third operation, the inspection tip is located spaced apart from a side of the bonding ball by a predetermined distance.
12. 12 . The bonding state inspection method according to claim 11 , wherein, in the fourth operation, the shear force is applied to a side surface of the bonding ball.
13. 13 . The bonding state inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the body portion is configured to be moved by the moving shaft in a forward-rearward direction, a leftward-rightward direction, and an upward-downward direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2021-0169950 filed on Dec. 1, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The present invention relates to a bonding state inspection apparatus and a bonding state inspection method using the same, and more particularly to a bonding state inspection apparatus capable of continuously inspecting a bonding state through automation, thereby improving work efficiency, and a bonding state inspection method using the same. BACKGROUND ART With recent development of alternative energies due to air pollution and energy depletion caused as the result of use of fossil fuels, demand for secondary batteries capable of storing electrical energy that is produced has increased. Secondary batteries, which are capable of being charged and discharged, are widely intimately used in daily life. For example, the secondary batteries are used in mobile devices, electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles. Required capacities of secondary batteries used as energy sources of various kinds of electronic devices inevitably used in modern society have been increased due to an increase in usage of mobile devices, increasing complexity of the mobile devices, and development of electric vehicles. In order to satisfy demand of users, a plurality of battery cells is disposed in a small-sized device, whereas a battery module including a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other or a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules is used in a vehicle. Meanwhile, a secondary battery exhibits excellent electrical properties; however, there are problems in that an active material and an electrolyte, which are components of battery, the are decomposed, thus generating heat and gas, in an abnormal operation state, such as overcharging, overdischarging, exposure to a high temperature, and electrical short circuit, whereby a battery cell adjacent thereto is affected, and therefore additional secondary damage occurs. For these reasons, accurate inspection of a bonding state of the secondary battery with improve process efficiency is required in order to improve safety of the secondary battery during a manufacturing process and to reduce defects. In conventional bonding state inspection, electrical connection between battery cells in a battery module or a battery pack is performed by wire bonding, and whether a bonding state is defective is determined through thermal image inspection. In addition, for the bonding determined to be defective as the result of the thermal image inspection, a worker directly checks the bonding position in a subsequent process. When the number of battery cells received in the battery module or the battery pack is increased, however, it is difficult for the worker to directly check the bonding position, whereby worker fatigue is accumulated and reliability and accuracy are deteriorated. Prior Art Document (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2021-0065297 DISCLOSURE Technical Problem The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a bonding state inspection apparatus capable of improving d reliability through automation of a bonding state inspection process and a bonding state inspection method using the same. It is another object of the present invention to provide a bonding state inspection apparatus capable of applying shear force to a bonding ball after thermal image inspection to continuously perform defect inspection, thereby improving process efficiency, and a bonding state inspection method using the same. Technical Solution A bonding state inspection apparatus according to the present invention to accomplish the above objects includes a transfer unit configured to transfer a battery module having a plurality of battery cells received therein, a thermal image inspection unit configured to scan an upper surface of the battery module, and a shear inspection unit configured to apply a shear force to a bonding ball formed at the battery module. Also, in the bonding state inspection apparatus according to the present invention, the transfer unit may include a first transfer roller configured to transfer the battery module, a second transfer roller configured to change the movement direction of the battery module transferred by the first transfer roller, and a transfer cart configured to allow the battery module transferred by the second transfer roller to be seated therein. Also, in the bonding state inspection apparatus according to the present invention, the transfer direction of the first transfer roller and the transfer direction of the second transfer roller may be different from each other. Also, in the bonding state inspection apparatus according to the present invention, the thermal image inspection unit may include a photographing portion constituted