Method and system for testing and sorting batteries

The method of testing and sorting a production run of sheet-like, rectangular electric batteries of the type having terminals presented through an exterior layer receptive to placement of indicia by printing, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) testing each individual battery of the production run to obtain a first value of electrical energy for each such battery;
• (b) placing machine readable indicia on said exterior layer of each such battery corresponding to said first value;
• (c) storing the batteries after completion of steps (a) and (b);
• (d) retesting each of the individual batteries after passage of an elapsed period of time to obtain a second value of electrical energy for each battery;
• (e) machine reading said indicia and computing, in accordance with said elapsed period of time of each battery, the rate of decay of electrical energy for each individual battery as a function of the difference between said first and second values per unit time;
• and
• (f) sorting said batteries in accordance with said computed rate of decay to separate those individual batteries of the production run having a rate of stored energy decay exceeding an acceptable value from those batteries of the same production run having a rate of stored energy decay equal to or lower than said acceptable value.

A system for testing and sorting a production run of electric batteries prior to assembly and packaging thereof with related goods to be merchandised with individual batteries of such a production run, said system comprising:

• testing and marking means for obtaining a first value of electrical energy for each individual battery of the production run and for placing machine readable indicia on each such battery corresponding to said first value;
• testing and reading means for obtaining a second value of electrical energy for each battery after an elapsed period of time, for machine reading said indicia and for computing, in accordance with the elapsed period of time of each battery, the rate of decay of electrical energy for each individual battery as a function of the difference between said first and second values per unit time;
• and
• means for sorting said batteries in accordance with said computed rate of decay to separate those individual batteries of the production run having a rate of stored energy decay exceeding an acceptable value from those batteries of the same production run having a rate of stored energy decay equal to or lower than said acceptable value.