Patent ID: 8471566

Claim:
An internal short circuit evaluation apparatus for a battery, comprising: an electrode group including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode; an electrolyte; and a battery case for housing said electrode group and said electrolyte, said apparatus comprising: (1) a pressure member for applying pressure to at least a predetermined position of the surface of said electrode group; (2) a short-circuiting member for being pressed into said predetermined position; (3) a battery information measurement unit for measuring battery information that changes when a short circuit is caused by said short-circuiting member in said electrode group; (4) a short circuit detection unit for determining occurrence of an internal short circuit by detecting a change in said battery information measured by said battery information measurement unit and comparing said battery information to a predetermined reference value; (5) a pressurized force measurement unit for measuring a pressurized force applied to said pressure member; (6) a pressure member control unit for controlling said pressure member based on a signal from said short circuit detection unit and a signal from said pressurized force measurement unit; and (7) a short-circuiting member control unit for controlling said short-circuiting member based on a signal from said short circuit detection unit and a signal from said pressurized force measurement unit.