JP2012227123A - Device for manufacturing battery electrode and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for manufacturing a battery electrode, capable of conveying a foil-like and band-shaped electrode material to a cutting position without giving a rub with other members.SOLUTION: The device for manufacturing a battery electrode includes: a front end die 3 cutting a foil-like and band-shaped electrode material 100 into an electrode shape; a hand 2 air-conveying the electrode material 100 to a position of cutting by the front end die 3; and a first suction conveyer 5 and a second suction conveyer 6 carrying out the cut electrode. The hand 2 includes a first grasping means and a second grasping means for grasping the electrode material 100, the first grasping means comprising grasping portions 23 and 24, and the second grasping means comprising grasping portions 25 and 26. The first suction conveyer 5 is arranged between a pair of grasping means comprising the first grasping means and the second grasping means.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery electrode manufacturing apparatus and method, and more particularly to a battery electrode manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing a battery electrode by transporting a foil-like electrode material into a predetermined size.

  A positive electrode or a negative electrode (collectively referred to as an electrode) used in a battery has a structure in which an active material is applied to both surfaces of a very thin metal foil. Such an electrode is manufactured by cutting out a predetermined size from a strip-shaped electrode material in which an active material is formed on both surfaces of a metal foil. In this technique, the electrode material is chucked and fed behind the mold in order to send the tip of the strip-shaped electrode material to the mold (Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-128841 A

  However, in the above-described prior art, the strip electrode material is only chucked and sent out behind the mold. For this reason, the strip-shaped electrode material is pushed from behind and inserted into the mold, and the lower end of the mold is supported by the tip that is not chucked. For this reason, when the strip electrode material is pushed from behind to cut out the next electrode shape, there is a problem that the strip electrode material rubs against the lower mold.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a battery electrode manufacturing apparatus and method which can transport a foil-like strip-shaped electrode material to a cutting position without rubbing with other members.

  In order to achieve the above object, the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises a cutting means for cutting a foil-like strip-shaped electrode material into an electrode shape, and an electrode material that holds the electrode material and reaches a cutting position by the cutting means. And a support means provided with a support surface that is disposed before the cutting means in the transport direction of the electrode material and supports the electrode material when the electrode material is cut by the cutting means. Here, the carry-in means includes a pair of gripping means, and the support means is located between the pair of gripping means. The carrying-in means carries the electrode material to the cutting position at a position where the electrode material does not contact the cutting means and the supporting means.

  The battery electrode manufacturing method of the present invention for achieving the above object is a battery electrode manufacturing method using the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus, wherein the electrode material is cut by the carrying-in means, and the cutting means and the supporting means. Holding the electrode material in a position where it does not come into contact with the cutting means, and holding the loaded electrode material on the support surface of the support means, and cutting the electrode material into the shape of the electrode by the cutting means. .

  According to the present invention, since the electrode material is conveyed in the air up to the cutting position of the cutting means, the electrode material does not rub against other members. Furthermore, since the support means is provided between the pair of grip means of the carry-in means, the grip means and the support means do not interfere with each other. Therefore, it is possible to carry the electrode material to the cutting position with almost no vertical movement of the carrying-in means, and the process time of the carrying-in process can be shortened.

It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the structure of an electrode manufacturing apparatus. It is a schematic side view for demonstrating the structure of an electrode manufacturing apparatus. It is a front view explaining the detail of a hand. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the shape which curved the strip | belt-shaped electrode material. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the other shape which curved the strip | belt-shaped electrode material. It is a figure for demonstrating a front end metal mold | die, FIG. 6 (a) is the front view which looked at only the front end metal mold | die from the carrying-out direction, (b) is sectional drawing which follows the line shown by b in (a) figure. . It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of a front end metal mold | die. It is drawing for demonstrating the shape of an electrode, (a) is a schematic plan view which shows the strip | belt-shaped electrode material before cutting out, (b) is a schematic plan view which shows the shape of the cut-out electrode. It is a top view which shows the position which the hand retracted. It is a side view which shows the position which the hand retracted.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. Moreover, the size and ratio of each member in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation, and are different from the actual size and ratio.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining the configuration of the electrode manufacturing apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view for explaining the configuration of the electrode manufacturing apparatus.

  First, an outline of the electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described.

  The electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a hand 2, a front end cutting mold (referred to as a front end mold 3), a rear end cutting mold (referred to as a rear end mold 4), a first suction conveyor 5, and a second suction conveyor 6. .

  The hand 2 serves as a carrying-in means, and includes a gripping means (described later) that sandwiches the belt-like electrode material 100, and carries the air into the front end mold 3 by sandwiching the belt-like electrode material 100 by the gripping means. The front end mold 3 is a cutting means and cuts the front end of the strip electrode material 100. The rear end mold 4 is a rear end cutting means, and cuts the rear end of the strip electrode material 100. The first suction conveyor 5 is a support means, and is installed in front of the front end mold 3 in the direction in which the strip electrode material 100 is conveyed. The first suction conveyor 5 is disposed outside the movement locus of the hand 2. The transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5 becomes a support surface when cutting, and adsorbs and holds the strip electrode material 100 when the strip electrode material 100 is cut. The first suction conveyor 5 is also used to carry the cut electrode forward from the front end mold 3 after the rear end is cut. The second suction conveyor 6 carries out the electrode sent from the first suction conveyor 5 further after cutting the rear end. In addition, the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 1 shows a cut shape. Further, the rear end refers to a portion that becomes the rear end of the cut-out electrode.

  Next, each part of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating details of the hand 2, and is a view of the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5 as viewed from the front end mold 3 toward the rear end mold 4. However, members other than the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5 are not shown.

  The hand 2 is a position where each part constituting the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5 do not interfere when carrying the foil-like electrode material (hereinafter referred to as the belt-like electrode material 100) to the cutting position. The belt-shaped electrode material 100 is held and conveyed in the air (details will be described later). Further, when the hand 2 has transported the strip electrode material 100 to the front end mold 3, each part constituting the hand 2 does not reach the front end mold 3 (that is, does not interfere with the mold) and the strip electrode material 100. It is held in contact.

  The hand 2 moves the entire main arms 21 and 22 up and down and the gripping operations by the gripping portions 23 to 26 as well as the main arms 21 and 22, the gripping portions 23 to 26 connected to the main arms 21 and 22. And a gripping mechanism section 20 to be performed.

  The grip portions 23 and 25 are attached to the main arm 21, and the grip portions 24 and 26 are attached to the main arm 22, respectively. The grip portion 23 is provided to face 24 and the grip portion 25 is provided to face 26. As a result, the gripping portions 23 and 24 grip (hold) one side end of the strip-shaped electrode material 100. Similarly, the gripping portions 25 and 26 grip (hold) the other end of the belt-like electrode material 100 between them. The gripping position is on the rear side with respect to the transport direction, and is a position where the belt-shaped electrode material 100 does not interfere with the front end mold 3 when the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is brought to the cutting position. The gripping position may be a position where the side end can be gripped and the strip electrode material 100 can be bent (details will be described later).

  The gripping portions 23 and 24 are the first gripping means, and the gripping portions 25 and 26 are the second gripping means. The first gripping means (the gripping portions 23 and 24) and the second gripping means (the gripping portions 25 and 26) are used as a pair. The grip means is configured.

  The gripping portions 23 to 26 are attached to the main arms 21 and 22 so as to be parallel to the transport direction of the strip electrode material 100. The attachment positions of the gripping portions 23 to 26 are such that the first suction conveyor 5 as the support means is a pair of gripping means (that is, the first gripping means (the gripping portions 23 and 24) and the second gripping means (the gripping portions 25 and 26)). It is a position arranged between. As a result, the pair of gripping means (the first gripping means (the gripping portions 23 and 24) and the second gripping means (the gripping portions 25 and 26)) interfere with the first suction conveyor 5 on both sides of the first suction conveyor 5. It is possible to carry out the transfer operation without passing.

  Each of the grip portions 23 to 26 may be referred to as a finger portion (finger) in the robot hand.

  The entire main arm 21 moves forward and backward with respect to the transport direction together with the gripping mechanism portion 20. At this time, since the first suction conveyor 5 is located between the pair of gripping means (the first gripping means (the gripping parts 23 and 24) and the second gripping means (the gripping parts 25 and 26)), the gripping part 23 Thru | or 26 passes the side outer side of the 1st adsorption | suction conveyor 5. FIG. For this reason, the hand 2 can lift and convey the strip electrode material 100 from the first suction conveyor 5 with a very slight ascending operation.

  Here, let us consider a case where each part of the hand is arranged to pass directly above the first suction conveyor. In such a temporary configuration, if the hand grasps the belt-shaped electrode material and attempts to carry it into the mold, if the hand is moved horizontally as it is, it will hit the first suction conveyor (interference). For this reason, when the band-shaped electrode material is gripped by the hand, it is gripped behind the first suction conveyor, and then the hand is moved up to the first suction conveyor so that the hand passes over the first suction conveyor. There must be. Of course, when returning to the original gripping position, the hand must be greatly lowered. Therefore, in this temporary configuration, the distance of the vertical movement of the hand becomes long, and it takes much more operation time. In this regard, in the configuration of this embodiment, the vertical movement of the hand 2 is negligible (or may not be moved up and down), and the time required for the vertical movement can be greatly shortened.

  The gripping mechanism section 20 is a mechanism for moving the whole main arms 21 and 22 up and down and gripping (holding) the strip-shaped electrode material 100 by the gripping sections 23 to 26 or releasing it. The gripping mechanism unit 20 may be any unit for performing a normal hand operation.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the contact surfaces of the gripping portions 23 to 26 with the belt-shaped electrode material 100 are configured to curve the belt-shaped electrode material 100 in a direction intersecting the transport direction when the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is gripped. It is cut diagonally. By curving the strip electrode material 100, the rigidity in the transport direction is increased with respect to the strip electrode material 100, and the front end portion that is not gripped does not hang down.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a curved shape of the strip electrode material. In the figure, the direction indicated by arrow A is the transport direction (the same in FIG. 5).

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the grip portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 sandwich the strip electrode material 100, the center portion of the strip electrode material is bent so as to be lowered (convex downward).

  In this manner, by setting the central portion of the strip electrode material in a lowered state, the strip electrode material 100 has high rigidity in the transport direction, and the front end portion that is not gripped does not hang down.

  In such a state where the central portion is lowered, a curved shape can be created simply by gripping and lifting both side portions of the strip electrode material 100. In this case, when the both sides of the strip electrode material 100 are gripped by the hand 2, the hand 2 is slightly held so that the central portion of the strip electrode material 100 does not hit the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5 therebelow. Raise. The rising amount of the hand 2 is preferably such that the central portion of the strip electrode material 100 does not hit the first suction conveyor 5 and is as close to the first suction conveyor 5 as possible. That is, the upper limit of the rising amount of the hand 2 is a position where the belt-like electrode material 100 is not brought into contact with the upper die again when the belt-like electrode material 100 is carried between the upper die and the lower die of the front end mold 3. However, if the amount of lift of the hand 2 is large, the time required for the hand 2 to move up and down becomes longer and the tact time becomes longer. Further, since it is necessary to insert the front end of the strip-shaped electrode material 100 between the upper mold and the lower mold of the front end mold 3, if the amount of the hand 2 is increased, the upper mold and the lower mold of the front end mold 3 are largely opened. Will have to. For this reason, the operation amount of the mold increases, and the tact time becomes long, which is not preferable. Therefore, it is preferable that the raising amount of the hand 2 is as small as possible also from such a mold configuration.

  From these points, the position where the conveyance surface of the first suction conveyor 5 always exists between the gripping portions 23 and 24 (first gripping means) and the gripping portions 25 and 26 (second gripping means) constituting the hand 2. By moving the hand 2 up and down so that

  More specifically, for example, when the central portion of the strip electrode material 100 is lowered, the amount of bending described later (the height from the lower central portion to both ends orthogonal to the transport direction (FIG. 3). H1)) and the gap (h2 in FIG. 3) between the lowered central portion and the transport surface (support surface) 5a are substantially the same, the amount of movement of the hand 2 can be reduced. Specifically, for example, when the bending amount (h1 in FIG. 3) of the belt-like electrode material 100 is about 0.5 to 2 mm, the rising amount of the hand 2 (h2 in FIG. 3) is 0.5 to By setting it to about 2 mm, the amount of movement of the hand 2 up and down is very small, and the strip electrode material 100 is not rubbed against the transport surface 5 a of the first suction conveyor 5.

  Of course, regardless of this example, the gap h <b> 2 between the lowered central portion and the conveyance surface 5 a may be set to a height at which the strip electrode material 100 does not rub against the conveyance surface 5 a of the first suction conveyor 5.

  The amount of bending of the belt-like electrode material 100 is only required to be slightly curved because it is sufficient that the front end does not hang down. Specifically, although depending on the size and thickness of the strip-shaped electrode material 100, the height (h1 in FIG. 3) from the lowering central portion to both ends orthogonal to the transport direction is about 0.5 to 2 mm. Just do enough to get enough rigidity. Of course, it is not limited to this example, and the amount of bending (the amount of lowering of the central portion with respect to both ends) is not particularly limited. Depending on the size and thickness of the strip electrode material 100, the amount of bending is also large when the size and thickness are large. If the thickness is small and the thickness is small, the amount of bending may be reduced, for example, the amount of rigidity may be set so that the front end does not sag when the rear end side is gripped.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining another shape in which the belt-like electrode material is curved.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the grip portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 sandwich the strip electrode material 100, it may be curved so that the central portion of the strip electrode material is raised. In this case, the inclination of the contact surface of the grip portions 23 to 26 with the belt-like electrode material 100 may be reversed from that shown in FIG. Thus, if the center part of the strip | belt-shaped electrode material 100 is made into the state raised, it can convey, without changing the up-and-down position of the hand 2 in the case of carrying in. That is, it is not necessary to move the hand up and down. At this time, the positions where the gripping portions 23 to 26 grip the strip electrode material 100 may be on the same plane as the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5. That is, in order to grip the vicinity of both side end portions and bend so that the center portion is convex upward, the belt-like electrode material 100 is curved as a whole only by the convex curvature above the first suction conveyor 5. It will be in a floating state. For this reason, the strip electrode material 100 does not come into contact with the first suction conveyor 5, and the ascending movement of the hand 2 becomes unnecessary.

  In such a case, since it is not necessary to move the hand 2 up and down substantially, the first suction conveyor 5 is interposed between the gripping portions 23 and 24 (first gripping means) and the gripping portions 25 and 26 (second gripping means). The transport surface is always present.

  Further, the amount of bending (the amount of rise of the central portion with respect to both ends) in this case is not particularly limited, and may be the same as the case where the above-described downward projection is made, depending on the size and thickness of the strip electrode material 100. The amount of rigidity may be such that the front end does not hang down when the rear end side is gripped, and the amount does not contact (interfere) with the first suction conveyor 5.

  Here, the direction in which bending is applied when the strip electrode material 100 is curved will be described. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the difference between the direction of curving and protruding from the end portion is shown below (FIG. 4) or above (FIG. 5). The direction. This is because the side portions of the strip-shaped electrode material 100 are gripped by the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 and thus have such a shape.

  In order not to hang down the front end, it is only necessary to increase the rigidity in the transport direction. For this reason, as long as the direction which gives a curve is a direction which cross | intersects a conveyance direction, any direction may be sufficient.

  Next, the front end mold 3 is a mold for cutting out the shape of the electrode from the strip electrode material 100 together with the rear end mold 4.

  6 is a view for explaining the front end mold 3, FIG. 6 (a) is a front view of only the front end mold 3 seen from the carrying-out direction, and FIG. 6 (b) is a view in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the line shown by b.

  The front end mold 3 includes a mold support base 301, a mold frame 302, a lower mold base 303, an upper mold base 304, a lower mold 305, an upper mold 306, a frame cylinder 307, an upper mold cylinder 308, and a frame guide. 309 and an upper mold guide 310.

  The mold support base 301 has a frame cylinder 307 attached thereto. A frame guide 309 is provided on the upper part of the mold support base 301. The mold frame 302 is supported by the frame cylinder 307 and the frame guide 309. The entire mold frame 302 moves up and down along the frame guide 309 by the frame cylinder 307. Four frame guides 309 are provided.

  A lower mold base 303 is fixed to the inner lower part of the mold frame 302, and the lower mold 305 is fixed to the lower mold base 303. On the other hand, an upper mold base 304 is fixed to the inside upper part of the mold frame 302, and an upper mold 306 is fixed to the upper mold base 304. Inside the mold frame 302 is provided an upper mold guide 310 that is fixed from the lower part to the upper part of the mold frame 302. The upper mold base 304 is movable up and down with respect to the upper mold guide 310 and is moved up and down along the upper mold guide 310 by the upper mold cylinder 308. A predetermined position where the upper mold 306 and the lower mold 305 mesh with each other is held by such a structure in the mold frame 302. Four upper mold guides 310 are provided.

  Then, when the upper mold base 304 is lowered in the mold frame 302, the upper mold 306 fixed to the upper mold base 304 is engaged with the lower mold 305 to cut the strip electrode material 100.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the front end mold, and shows the same cross section as FIG.

  The front mold 3 is in an open state for inserting a cut object, and the lower mold 305 is positioned below the transport surface (support surface) of the first suction conveyor 5 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 7A shows an open state of the front end mold 3. In this opened state, the strip electrode material 100 is inserted to a cutting position (a position where the lower mold 305 and the upper mold 306 are engaged).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7B, the lower die 305 is raised together with the mold frame 302 to a position where the lower mold 305 comes into contact with the strip electrode material 100 (a position of the support surface). The raising operation of the mold frame 302 is performed by the frame cylinder 307.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7C, the upper die 306 is lowered by the upper die cylinder 308 to cut the strip electrode material 100.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7D, the upper die 306 is raised by the upper die cylinder 308 and returned to the original position.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7 (e), the mold frame 302 is lowered to the original position.

  Thus, when the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is conveyed, the front end mold 3 is positioned below the conveyance surface (support surface) of the first suction conveyor 5 in the open state. The strip electrode material 100 is prevented from rubbing against the lower mold 305. This also makes it easier to insert the front end into the cutting position. Furthermore, even if the front end of the belt-like electrode material 100 hangs down by arranging the lower mold 305 below the conveying surface, it is caught between the first suction conveyor 5 and the lower mold 305. Disappears. Further, when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position, the front end hanging down can be lifted by raising the lower mold 305, and the front end can be cut at a regular position. In addition, since the lower mold 305 is below the transport surface in the opened state, as shown in FIG. 7E, it is in this position even after cutting. Therefore, when the cut electrode is carried out, the electrode Avoid rubbing the surface.

  Further, since the lower mold 305 is below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5, the active material surface of the electrode is also changed when the cut electrode is moved from the first suction conveyor 5 to the second suction conveyor 6. It can be prevented from rubbing by the lower mold.

  When the lower mold 305 is raised, the entire mold frame 302 is raised. By doing in this way, the lower mold 305 can be raised while the lower mold 305 and the upper mold 306 are held by the mold frame structure so as to be in a predetermined meshing position.

  In the above description, the upper die 306 is lowered and cut after the lower die 305 is lifted, but the lowering start timing of the upper die 306 is not particularly limited. For example, a stroke (lower mold stroke) in which the lower mold 305 rises to the transport surface (support surface) and a stroke (up to reach the strip electrode material 100 supported by the transport surface (support surface) of the upper mold 306 ( The stroke may be appropriately changed according to the stroke to the upper mold conveyance surface. Specifically, for example, if the stroke of the lower mold is longer than the stroke to the conveyance surface of the upper mold, the upper mold 306 starts to descend later, and the upper mold is reached when the lower mold 305 reaches the conveyance surface (support surface). 306 also comes to the transport surface (support surface). On the other hand, if the stroke of the lower mold is shorter than the stroke to the upper mold conveying surface, the upper mold 306 is started to descend first, and the upper mold 306 is also conveyed when the lower mold 305 reaches the conveying surface (support surface). It should come to the surface (support surface). By adjusting the operation timing of the upper die 306 and the lower die 305 in this way, the tact time required for cutting can be further shortened. In addition to the strokes of the upper mold 306 and the lower mold 305, the operation timings of the upper mold 306 and the lower mold 305 may be matched in consideration of the difference in operation speed.

  In addition, since the scrap part when it cut | disconnects in the shape of an electrode with the front end metal mold | die 3 is not contact | abutting to the 1st suction conveyor 5 and the 2nd suction conveyor 6, it will fall below as it is. For this reason, although not shown, it is preferable to provide a slope or the like for discharging the scrap that has fallen in front of the die support base 301 of the front end die 3 in the transport direction.

  The rear end mold 4 may have the same structure as the front end mold 3 described above. However, the cutting shape of the mold is different. First, the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 are retracted and retracted from between the lower mold 41 and the upper mold 42 of the rear end mold 4, and then the lower mold together with the mold frame of the rear end mold 4. 41 is raised and brought into contact with the strip electrode material 100. Thereafter, the upper die 42 is lowered to cut the rear end. The rear end mold 4 has the same configuration as the front end mold 3 because the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 pass between the lower mold 41 and the upper mold 42 of the rear end mold 4. This is to ensure clearance. As already described, when the belt-like electrode material 100 is conveyed, the ascending / descending operation of the hand 2 is made as fast as possible by conveying it immediately above the conveying surface of the first suction conveyor 5. For this reason, if the lower die 41 is on the same plane as the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5, the gripping portions 23 to 26 cannot pass between the lower die 41 and the upper die 42 of the rear end mold 4. The lower mold 41 is lowered while passing 26.

  Note that the lower mold 42 of the rear end mold 4 may be the same as the conveying surface as long as the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 are lifted so as to pass above the lower mold 41. This is because, when the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is transported, it is lifted from the transport surface by the hand 2 and transported in the air, so that the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is not rubbed against the lower mold 42 in this way.

  The first suction conveyor 5 is disposed between the front end mold 3 and the rear end mold 4 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The first suction conveyor 5 stops both the suction operation and the transport operation (belt movement) when the band-shaped electrode material 100 is carried in by the hand 2. Then, when the band-shaped electrode material 100 is carried in by the hand 2 and the front end of the band-shaped electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position (almost simultaneously or slightly delayed), the suction operation is started. At this time, no transfer operation is performed. In other words, the conveyor belt does not move. Thereby, the strip electrode material 100 carried in by the hand 2 is positioned at the cutting position by the suction force of the first suction conveyor 5. Thereafter, after the front end and the rear end are cut, a transport operation is started, and the cut electrodes are unloaded together with the operation of the second suction conveyor 6.

  Moreover, the conveyance surface of the 1st adsorption conveyor 5 turns into a support surface which supports this when the strip | belt-shaped electrode material 100 is cut | disconnected. For this reason, the conveyance surface is a flat surface. By making the conveyance surface of the first suction conveyor 5 flat, the belt-like electrode material 100 supported by suction becomes flat and can be cut cleanly.

  The second suction conveyor 6 is disposed further in the transport direction from the front end mold 3 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The transport surface of the second suction conveyor 6 is disposed so as to be positioned below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5. At the time when the cut-out electrode is pushed out by the first suction conveyor 5, the rigidity in the electrode transport direction has already been lost. For this reason, when it extrudes by the 1st adsorption conveyor 5, there exists a possibility that the front end of an electrode may droop. By positioning the transport surface of the second suction conveyor 6 below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5, even if the front end of the electrode hangs down, it can be reliably placed on the transport surface of the second suction conveyor 6.

  Further, in relation to the lower mold 305, the lower mold 305 is disposed below the movement trajectory when the electrodes are transferred from the first suction conveyor 5 to the second suction conveyor 6. Preferably, the second suction conveyor 6 is arranged on the same horizontal plane as the lower mold 305 or slightly above.

  The first suction conveyor 5 is slightly above the second suction conveyor 6, and a lower mold 305 exists between the first suction conveyor 5 and the second suction conveyor 6. When the electrodes are carried out, they are pushed downward from the first suction conveyor 5 to the second suction conveyor 6 to a slight extent. At this time, if the lower mold 305 is above the trajectory where the electrodes move to the second suction conveyor 6, there is a possibility that the electrode carried out will hit the lower mold 305. For this reason, it is set as the position where the lower mold | type 305 does not enter in the movement locus | trajectory when an electrode is carried out from the 1st suction conveyor 5 to the 2nd suction conveyor 6. FIG.

  The suction operation and the transport operation (belt movement) of the second suction conveyor 6 may be always performed, or the suction operation and the transport operation are started when the front end is cut. Also good.

  Here, the shape of the electrode cut out by the electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described. FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining the shape of an electrode, (a) is a schematic plan view showing a strip-shaped electrode material before cutting out, and (b) is a schematic plan view showing the shape of the cut out electrode. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the strip electrode material 100 has a metal foil as a base material 150, and an active material 151 is intermittently applied on both surfaces thereof. The applied active material 151 is a positive electrode active material in the case of a positive electrode, and is a negative electrode active material in the case of a negative electrode. Since these active materials 151 are well-known, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, a region 152 where the active material 151 on the front end side 100a of the strip electrode material 100 is exposed is cut into a predetermined shape and used as it is as an electrode tab 153 of the battery. It is done. On the other hand, the rear end 100b is cut linearly. Thereby, the shape of the electrode 101 is obtained.

  For example, aluminum, nickel, iron, stainless steel, titanium, copper, or the like is used as the metal foil to be the base material 150. Moreover, a clad material of nickel and aluminum, a clad material of copper and aluminum, or a plating material of a combination of these metals may be used. Further, instead of the metal foil, a resin in which a conductive filler is added to a conductive polymer material or a non-conductive polymer material may be employed. Among these, from the viewpoint of electronic conductivity and battery operating potential, foils of simple metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, and copper are often used. The metal material used differs depending on whether it is a positive electrode or a negative electrode. And the thickness of this base material 150 is about 1-100 micrometers, for example. After such a base material 150 is formed as a battery, it becomes a current collector.

  On the other hand, when the cut-out electrode is used as a secondary battery for an electric vehicle, the size of the electrode is about B5 to A4 in terms of paper size. For this reason, although the width | variety of the magnitude | size of the strip | belt-shaped electrode material 100 becomes about B5-A4 size, length is several to several hundreds of meters, and is wound by roll shape.

  In the present embodiment, the cut-out electrode shape is such that the cut-out shape of the front end 100a becomes the electrode tab 153 shape so that the cut portion can be used as an electrode tab as it is, as shown in FIG. I have to. On the other hand, the rear end 100b is cut out in a straight line. The shape of the electrode after such cutting is cut out in accordance with the battery to be used, and is not limited to the shape as shown.

  The electrodes are not limited to those having the same poles formed on both surfaces, and bipolar electrodes (bipolar electrodes) having a positive electrode on one surface and a negative electrode on the other surface can also be manufactured.

  The electrode cut out in this way is used for, for example, a stacked secondary battery. As is well known, a stacked secondary battery has a configuration in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are sequentially stacked.

  The strip electrode material 100 and the electrode 101 cut out therefrom are very thin. On the other hand, a secondary battery requiring high density and high energy such as for an electric vehicle has a large area. For this reason, when trying to transport horizontally, it is difficult to maintain the shape of the strip-shaped electrode material alone, and it is easy for a portion that has lost support from falling off a transport device (for example, a conveyor) to hang down. It is.

  Next, the overall operation of the electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described.

  First, the front end of the strip electrode material 100 held by the hand 2 is conveyed to the cutting position of the front end mold 3. At this time, as already described, since each part of the hand 2 passes by the side of the first suction conveyor 5, there is almost no time required for the hand 2 to move up and down. The strip electrode material 100 is transported in the air with increased rigidity in the transport direction. Therefore, the front end can be transported to the cutting position without causing the band-shaped electrode material 100 to rub against other members. This state is the state shown in FIGS.

  When the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position of the front end mold 3, the suction operation of the first suction conveyor 5 is started (at this time, the first suction conveyor 5 does not carry). Thereby, the positioning for cutting is completed. With the start of this suction operation, the hand 2 is released and moves to a reverse operation. Further, almost simultaneously with these operations (when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position of the front end mold 3, it may be before the suction operation starts), the lower mold 305 is brought into contact with the front end of the strip electrode material 100. The metal mold 302 is raised together for contact. At this time, since the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 come only to the front of the front end mold 3, the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 do not interfere with the front end mold 3. Therefore, the raising operation of the mold frame 302 can be started when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position of the front end mold 3. Therefore, the mold operation can be performed before the hand 2 moves backward, and the tact time can be shortened accordingly.

  Thereafter, as described above, the front end die 3 is cut so that the front end has a predetermined shape. During the cutting operation of the front end, the hand 2 moves backward and returns to the position before the band-shaped electrode material 100 is gripped. In addition, the front end mold 3 after the cutting operation is returned to the original position.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a position where the hand is retracted, and FIG. 10 is a side view of the same.

  After the hand 2 is retracted, the rear end mold 4 cuts the rear end of the strip electrode material 100. When the cutting by the rear end mold 4 is completed, the first suction conveyor 5 starts the conveying operation, and pushes the electrode having a specified shape toward the second suction conveyor 6. The second suction conveyor 6 receives this and flows it to the subsequent process. Therefore, the cut electrode does not rub against other members.

  According to this embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.

  The electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 was arranged such that the first suction conveyor 5 was positioned between a pair of gripping means constituting the hand 2. Thereby, each part of the hand 2 can pass through the lateral outer side of the first suction conveyor 5 without interference between each part of the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5. For this reason, the hand 2 can move and convey the belt-like electrode material 100 on the first suction conveyor 5 with a very slight vertical movement (or without moving up and down). Therefore, since the process time accompanying the vertical movement of the hand 2 can be negligible or almost eliminated, the tact time can be improved even if the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5 are on the same side.

  And it decided to carry in by carrying the air | belt-shaped electrode material 100 in the air by the hand 2 to the cutting position by the front end metal mold | die 3. For this reason, the strip electrode material 100 is not rubbed against other members, particularly the mold. Accordingly, the active material applied to the electrode is lost due to the strip electrode material 100 being rubbed against other members, and the reduction in the electric capacity due to the reduction in the thickness of the active material and the life reduction associated therewith are prevented. be able to.

  Further, when the hand 2 carries the strip electrode material 100 to the cutting position of the front end mold 3 (that is, when the portion to be cut of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position of the front end mold 3), the hand 2 The belt-shaped electrode material 100 is gripped at a position where the respective parts (particularly gripping portions 23 to 26) and the front end mold 3 do not interfere with each other. For this reason, the front end mold 3 can be operated immediately after the front end of the strip electrode material 100 comes to the cutting position of the front end mold 3. Therefore, since the mold can be operated without waiting for the hand 2 to move backward, the tact time can be shortened accordingly.

  Further, when gripping with the hand 2, the strip-shaped electrode material 100 is curved and gripped in a direction intersecting the transport direction. For this reason, even if only the back of the strip-shaped electrode material 100 is gripped so that the hand 2 does not interfere with the front end mold 3, the front end of the strip-shaped electrode material 100 does not sag. Moreover, since the hand 2 and the front end mold 3 do not interfere with each other, the mold can be operated before the hand 2 moves backward.

  Further, the strip electrode material 100 is held and held by the hand 2 including the gripping portions 23 and 24 and the gripping portions 25 and 26 facing each other. For this reason, the vicinity of the edge part orthogonal to the conveyance direction in the foil-shaped strip electrode material 100 can be easily grasped.

  In addition, the front end mold 3 has its lower mold 305 positioned below the transfer position and is raised upward when the strip electrode material 100 is inserted into the mold. The front end of the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is not rubbed by the front end mold 3. Further, the lower mold 305 is positioned below, and after the strip electrode material is inserted, it is raised, so that even if the front end of the strip electrode material 100 hangs down, the drooped portion is lifted, and the strip electrode material 100 is It can be cut at a specified position.

  Further, only the suction operation is performed without performing the transport operation of the first suction conveyor 5 when the band-shaped electrode material 100 is carried in by the hand 2. As a result, the strip electrode material 100 is attracted and fixed at a predetermined cutting position, so that it does not move during cutting (during mold operation), and is reliably cut into a prescribed shape. be able to.

  Further, since the rear end mold 4 is provided, the electrode material can be cut into different shapes at the front end and the rear end.

  Further, the transport surface of the second suction conveyor 6 is positioned below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5. Thereby, when carrying out the electrode after a cutting | disconnection, an electrode can be reliably delivered from the 1st adsorption | suction conveyor 5 to the 2nd adsorption | suction conveyor 6. FIG.

  The battery electrode manufactured as described above is particularly suitable as a positive electrode or a negative electrode used in a secondary battery mounted on a vehicle as a power source for driving a motor. Here, the vehicle includes, for example, an automobile whose wheels are driven by a motor, and another vehicle (for example, a train). Examples of the automobile include a complete electric car that does not use gasoline, and a hybrid car such as a series hybrid car and a parallel hybrid car. In particular, since the secondary battery for driving a motor used in these vehicles is required to have high output characteristics and high energy, the area of the electrode itself is also increasing. For example, as already described, the size is about B5 to A4. For this reason, since the thickness is very small with respect to the area, it has become difficult to handle compared to battery electrodes such as a business card size or smaller, such as a mobile phone or a personal computer. For this reason, as already described, this embodiment is particularly suitable for manufacturing a large-sized battery electrode.

  Although the embodiment to which the present invention is applied has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  In the present embodiment described above, the front end and the rear end of the electrode have different shapes, but this may be the same shape. When cutting into the same shape, only the front end mold 3 is required, and the rear end mold 4 is not necessary. When cutting into the electrode shape with only the front end mold 3, the strip-shaped electrode material 100 is loaded and cut until it protrudes further in the unloading direction by one electrode from the cutting position of the front end mold 3. In other words, the rear end side of the electrode shape is cut by a mold disposed at the position of the front end mold 3. Also in this case, as in the embodiment described above, the rear side that does not interfere with the mold arranged at the position of the front end mold 3 is made rigid in the transport direction so that the hand 2 (or suction pad) is provided. 200). Thereby, the strip electrode material 100 can be carried into the cutting position without rubbing with other members, and the operation of the mold can be started from the point of time when the belt electrode material 100 comes to the cutting position.

  In this way, when only the front end mold 3 is used, the electrode is cut out in front of the front end mold 3, so the electrode material 100 is conveyed by the first suction conveyor disposed in front of the front end mold 3. There is no need. Therefore, in this case, the first suction conveyor is unnecessary. However, in this case as well, it is preferable to provide a suction means as a support means in front of the electrode material 100 so that the electrode material 100 carried in by the hand 2 (or the suction pad 200) is sucked and supported. By adsorbing and supporting the electrode material 100 in front of the front end mold 3, it can be surely cut cleanly. For example, a suction pad is used as the suction means, and the suction surface is arranged to be a support surface. In this case, the suction surface of the suction pad is flat. Then, when the electrode material 100 carried in by the hand 2 (or the suction pad 200) reaches the cutting position, the suction operation is started simultaneously with the separation of the electrode material 100 from the hand 2 (or the suction pad 200). The subsequent operation is the same as that of the front end mold 3.

  Further, the cutting means and the rear end cutting means are not limited to the mold, and may be a laser, for example. In the case of laser cutting, a contact member is disposed at a position corresponding to the lower mold, particularly at the position of the front end mold 3 so that the contact member moves up and down, and is cut by irradiating laser light from above. By using this contact member, even if the front end portion of the belt-like electrode material 100 hangs down, it can be pushed up and positioned at a specified position. Since laser cutting is performed in this state, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dimensional errors during cutting.

  The front end mold 3 is provided with a lower mold 305 and an upper mold 306 in a mold frame so that only the upper mold 306 moves as a mold, but the upper mold and the lower mold at the time of cutting are moved. As long as meshing can be surely performed at a specified position, these may be provided independently. That is, only the lower mold 305 may be lifted independently when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position, and then the upper mold 306 may be lowered for cutting. The same applies to the rear end mold 4.

  Further, the hand 2 moves forward and backward only in the transport direction. Instead, in the backward movement, after the strip electrode material 100 is released, the hand 2 is temporarily retracted to the side and then returned to the original direction. For example, the operation direction can be appropriately set such as returning to the position.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art.

1 electrode manufacturing equipment,
2 hands,
3 Front end mold,
4 Rear end mold,
5 first suction conveyor,
5a Transport surface (support surface),
6 second suction conveyor,
20 gripping mechanism,
21, 22 Main arm,
23 to 26 gripping portions (the gripping portions 23 and 24 are the first gripping means, the gripping portions 25 and 26 are the second gripping means, and the first gripping means and the second gripping means form a pair of gripping means),
100 strip electrode material,
101 electrodes,
150 substrate,
151 active material,
152 regions,
160 electrode tabs,
301 mold support,
302 mold frame,
303 Lower mold base,
304 Upper mold base,
305 Lower mold,
306 Upper mold,
307 cylinder for frame,
308 Upper mold cylinder,
309 guide for frame,
310 Upper mold guide.

Claims (13)

Cutting means for cutting the foil-like and strip-like electrode material into the shape of the electrode;
Carrying-in means for gripping the electrode material and transporting the electrode material to a cutting position by the cutting means;
A support means that is disposed before the cutting means in the conveying direction of the electrode material, and has a support surface that supports the electrode material when the electrode material is cut by the cutting means,
The carrying-in means includes a pair of gripping means,
The support means is located between the pair of gripping means;
The apparatus for manufacturing a battery electrode, wherein the carrying-in means carries the electrode material to the cutting position at a position where the electrode material does not contact the cutting means and the support means.   2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the gripping unit grips the electrode material at a position that does not interfere with the cutting unit when the carrying-in unit carries the electrode material to a cutting position of the cutting unit. Electrode manufacturing equipment.   3. The battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gripping means holds the electrode material curved in a direction intersecting the transport direction. 4.   The battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gripping means is a hand that sandwiches the electrode material. The cutting means is a mold comprising a lower mold that can move up and down, and an upper mold that meshes with the lower mold and cuts the electrode material,
In the mold, the lower mold is positioned below a support surface for supporting the electrode material of the support means before the electrode material is carried in, and the lower mold is supported by the lower mold after the electrode material is carried in. 5. The battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper die is lowered to cut the electrode material after rising to a surface. 6.   6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rear end cutting unit that is disposed behind the support unit in the transport direction and cuts a position that is a rear end of the electrode material. The electrode manufacturing apparatus for batteries as described. The support means is a first suction conveyor;
The first suction conveyor further includes a second suction conveyor positioned before the cutting means in the transport direction, and the transport surface of the second suction conveyor is located below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor. The transport surface of the first suction conveyor becomes the support surface, and the first suction conveyor sucks the electrode material by performing a suction operation in a state where the transporting operation is stopped when the loading means loads the electrode material to the cutting position. The electrode formed by supporting and cutting the rear end of the electrode by the rear end cutting means together with the second suction conveyor is carried out before the cutting means in the transport direction. Item 7. The battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to Item 6. A battery electrode manufacturing method using the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Holding the electrode material by the carry-in means in a position not in contact with the cutting means and the support means, and carrying the material to the cutting means;
A method of manufacturing a battery electrode, comprising: holding the loaded electrode material by the support surface of the support means, and cutting the electrode material by the cutting means.   In the carrying-in stage, when the carry-in means carries the electrode material to the cutting position of the cutting means, the gripping means grips the electrode material at a position where the gripping means and the cutting means do not interfere with each other. The method for producing a battery electrode according to claim 8.   10. The battery electrode manufacturing method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, in the carrying-in step, the carrying-in means holds the electrode material in a direction that intersects the carrying direction. A battery electrode manufacturing method using the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5,
Prior to loading of the electrode material, the lower mold is positioned below the support surface of the support means, and after the electrode material is loaded, the lower mold is raised to the support surface, and then the upper mold The method for manufacturing a battery electrode according to claim 8, further comprising a step of cutting the electrode material by lowering the electrode material. A battery electrode manufacturing method using the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6,
The battery electrode according to any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising a step of cutting, by the rear end cutting means, a position to be an electrode rear end of the electrode material after the carrying-in step. manufacturing device. A battery electrode manufacturing method using the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7,
A step of carrying out an adsorption operation in a state in which the conveying operation of the first adsorption conveyor is stopped when the carrying-in means carries the electrode material to the cutting position, and adsorbs and supports the electrode material;
A step of unloading the electrode cut by the first suction conveyor and the second suction conveyor after the electrode trailing edge is cut by the trailing edge cutting means before the cutting means in the transport direction; and 13. The battery electrode manufacturing method according to claim 12, comprising:

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