JP2014026935A - Device for creating electrode sheet for battery, and method for creating electrode sheet for battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To continuously create electrode sheets.SOLUTION: A device 10 for creating an electrode sheet for a battery has: a film supply mechanism 20 for continuously supplying films continuously aligned; a folding mechanism 30 for folding a film F to form a folding parallel to a traveling direction of the film F; an electrode plate insertion mechanism 40 for holding and conveying an electrode plate EP at a speed corresponding to a conveying speed of the film F at the folding mechanism 30, lowering a lower side section of the conveyed electrode plate EP, and releasing the electrode plate EP at a position for grounding a folding part of the film F folded by the folding mechanism 30; a deposition mechanism 50 for depositing the films F around the electrode plate EP; a cutting mechanism 60 for cutting the film F in its width direction and making the films F sandwiching the electrode plate EP into an individual electrode sheet ES; an integration mechanism 70 for integrating the individual electrode sheets ES; and a control mechanism for synchronizing and controlling the respective mechanisms.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery electrode sheet creating apparatus and a battery electrode sheet creating method for creating an electrode sheet for a battery by interposing an electrode plate between sheet-like films.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a battery electrode sheet creating apparatus for creating an electrode sheet by sandwiching an electrode plate with a separator (film) is known.

  For example, an electrode sheet creating apparatus shown in Patent Document 1 below is known. As shown in FIG. 8, the electrode sheet creating apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is fed to an upper separator unwinding unit 102 from which an upper separator is unwound and a lower separator unwinding unit 103 from which a lower separator 101 is unwound. Further, a nip roll 104 that holds the upper separator 100 and the lower separator 101 and draws a predetermined length, a laminated portion 105 of a secondary battery, a roll-shaped positive electrode material 106 and a negative electrode material 107, a sheet-like positive electrode plate 108, A negative electrode 109, a positive electrode plate 108, a transfer hand 112 for placing the negative electrode plate 109 on the lower separator 101 on the conveyor 110, and a conveyor 110 for conveying the placed positive electrode 108 and the negative electrode plate 109. I have.

  In particular, the positive electrode plate 108 and the negative electrode plate 109 are arranged by the transfer hand 112 so as to maintain a predetermined interval with respect to the traveling direction of the lower separator 101 and to maintain a predetermined interval from the end of the lower separator. . When the positive electrode plate 108 and the negative electrode plate 109 are arranged at predetermined positions on the conveyor 110, the support member 116 provided at the end of the conveyor 110 is turned 90 degrees from the standby position, and the positive electrode 108 and the negative electrode The plate 109 is held down to prevent misalignment during conveyance. Further, the transfer conveyor 110 is stopped when the positive plate 108 and the negative plate 109 are transferred, and when the support member 116 is operated, it moves by a predetermined length in the direction of the nip roll 104 to perform intermittent operation.

JP 2012-74402 A

  However, since the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above transfers the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate by the transfer hand, when determining the position, the separator travels in both the traveling direction and the width direction. It is configured to require alignment. That is, it was not an electrode sheet creation device that can be easily positioned.

  Moreover, since it required fine alignment, it was an electrode sheet production apparatus which not only required a support member but also could not be operated continuously. That is, it was not an electrode sheet production apparatus capable of efficiently obtaining an electrode sheet. In addition, the entire apparatus is vertically long in the horizontal direction, and the installation space is large.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery electrode sheet creating apparatus that can easily position an electrode plate.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery electrode sheet creating apparatus that increases productivity and reduces installation space through continuous production.

  A battery electrode sheet creation device according to the present invention is a battery electrode sheet creation device that creates a battery electrode sheet by covering a positive electrode or a negative electrode plate with a film, and continuously. A film supply mechanism that continuously supplies the film, a folding mechanism that folds the film so as to make a crease parallel to the traveling direction of the film, and an electrode at a speed corresponding to the film transport speed in the folding mechanism. An electrode plate insertion mechanism that holds and conveys the plate, lowers the lower side portion of the electrode plate to be conveyed, and releases the electrode plate at a position that contacts the fold portion of the film folded by the folding mechanism; A welding mechanism that welds the films around the electrode plates, a cutting mechanism that cuts the width direction of the films and separates the films sandwiching the electrode plates into individual electrode sheets; An integrated mechanism for stacking of the electrode sheet and is characterized in that it comprises.

  Moreover, in the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to the present invention, the fold portion of the folded film can be located at a position lower than the opening when the electrode plate is inserted.

  Furthermore, in the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to the present invention, the folding mechanism includes an opening member that opens the opening of the folded film after the film supplied from the supply apparatus is folded in parallel with the traveling direction. Can have.

  Still further, in the battery electrode sheet producing apparatus according to the present invention, the folding mechanism is paired at a position sandwiching the film on the upstream side of the position where the electrode plate carrier releases the electrode plate. The pair of nipping rollers including a roller can freely change a sandwiching position for sandwiching the film and the electrode plate and a release position where the film and the electrode plate are not sandwiched, It is possible to shift to the clamping position immediately before the electrode plate is released by the electrode plate carrier, and to shift to the release position before the rear end in the traveling direction of the electrode plate passes.

  Furthermore, in the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to the present invention, the electrode plate insertion mechanism conveys the electrode plate in the same direction as the film traveling direction in a predetermined range downstream of the position where the electrode plate is released. You can do that.

  Moreover, the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus which concerns on this invention WHEREIN: The said electrode plate insertion mechanism can assume that the upper direction of the conveyance path | route of a film is made into the conveyance path | route of an electrode plate.

  Furthermore, in the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to the present invention, the welding mechanism welds three sides of the periphery of the electrode plate except the fold portion side, and among the three sides excluding the fold portion side. A traveling direction welding device that welds one side in the traveling direction and a width direction welding device that welds the remaining two sides in the width direction can be provided.

  Furthermore, the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to the present invention includes a drum having a circumferential length several times the cutting length of the film, and performs from the welding by the welding mechanism to the cutting by the cutting mechanism on the drum. Can be.

  Moreover, in the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to the present invention, the cutting mechanism has a drag roller that is paired with the drum on the upstream side of the welding mechanism, and the drag roller includes a cutter in the width direction. The drum may include a cutter receiver.

  Further, the battery electrode sheet preparation method according to the present invention is a battery electrode sheet preparation method for forming an electrode sheet for a battery by covering an electrode plate having a polarity of a positive electrode or a negative electrode with a film. The film is continuously fed to the film, the film is folded so as to be folded in parallel with the film traveling direction, and the electrode plate is held and transported at a speed corresponding to the film transport speed. And lowering the lower side portion of the electrode plate to be transported to release the electrode plate at a position where it is in contact with the fold portion of the film folded by the folding mechanism, and welding the films around the electrode plate to each other A step of cutting the width direction of the film to make the film sandwiching the electrode plates into individual electrode sheets, and a step of accumulating the individual electrode sheets. When, is characterized in executing the processing including.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the electrode sheet preparation apparatus for batteries which can position an electrode plate easily and can produce an electrode sheet continuously in a small space.

It is a front schematic diagram of the battery electrode sheet creation device according to the first embodiment. 1 is a schematic plan view of a battery electrode sheet creation device according to a first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the intermediate nipping roller which concerns on 1st embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the welding part of the film which concerns on 1st embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the insertion operation of electrode plate EP by the electrode plate carrier 41 which concerns on 1st embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between operation | movement of the electrode plate carrier which concerns on 1st embodiment, and operation | movement of an intermediate nipping roller. It is the plane schematic diagram of the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment. It is an AA arrow line view of Drawing 7, and is a schematic diagram of a plow unit concerning a second embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus.

[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, the structure of 1st embodiment for implementing this invention is demonstrated using FIGS. 1-4. The following embodiments and examples do not limit the invention according to each claim, and all combinations of features described in the embodiments and examples are essential to the means for solving the invention. Not necessarily.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a battery electrode sheet creating apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the battery electrode sheet creation device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of the intermediate nipping roller. Moreover, FIG. 4 is a figure for demonstrating the welding part of a film. Hereinafter, a configuration example of the battery electrode sheet creation device according to the first embodiment will be described. In FIG. 2, the electrode plate carrier is omitted in order to make the overall configuration easy to see.

  The battery electrode sheet creating apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment includes a film supply mechanism 20, a folding mechanism 30, an electrode plate insertion mechanism 40, a welding mechanism 50, a cutting mechanism 60, a stacking mechanism 70, and a control. A mechanism (not shown) is provided.

  The film supply mechanism 20 according to the first embodiment includes a reel arm (not shown) capable of suspending a take-up roll-shaped film 21, a tension control device (not shown), a web guide device (not shown), It is comprised. Specifically, the film F in the form of a take-up roll is unwound, and the film F is continuously fed toward the subsequent folding mechanism 30.

  The film F is a separator for physically separating the electrode plate EP. At the same time, the film F has insulating properties and can prevent a short circuit due to electrical connection. At the same time, it has characteristics such as bending resistance and heat resistance. Therefore, the material used as the film F is preferably a microporous thin film, for example.

  The folding mechanism 30 according to the first embodiment includes an infeed roller 31, a former 32, an opening member 33, an inlet nipping roller 34, a first detection sensor 35, an intermediate nipping roller 36, and an outlet nippi. And a ring roller 37.

  The infeed roller 31 is a roller that pulls the film F fed from the supply mechanism while winding it, and feeds the film F to the subsequent former 32.

  The former 32 is a member for performing “former folding” that creases the film F conveyed via the infeed roller 31. Further, the folds made by the former 32 are made in parallel with the traveling direction of the film F and at a position that becomes a half in the width direction of the film F. In addition, the part which forms the fold of the folded film F is referred to as a “fold part”, and the side on the opposite side of the fold part where the films are overlapped is referred to as an “opening part”.

  In addition, the fold portion of the film F folded by the former fold is disposed so as to be positioned at a position lower than the opening when the electrode plate EP is inserted below the electrode plate carrier 41 described later. .

  According to such a configuration, when inserting the electrode plate EP, it becomes possible to make the fold a final contact point of the electrode plate EP, and the electrode sheet ES can be stably and continuously formed. .

  In addition, although the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus 10 which concerns on 1st embodiment is comprised so that it may crease in the film F by "former fold", so that it may crease in a different folding method It may be configured. For example, a method called “plough folding” can be used. The plow fold will be described in a second embodiment described later.

  The opening member 33 is a member configured to be located at a position where the film F is sandwiched between the film F on the opening side of the film F with the crease. When no measures are taken, the folded film F is in a closed state due to the tension during conveyance. Therefore, the opening member 33 is disposed between the openings of the folded film F, and the opening of the film F is forcibly opened. According to such a configuration, the electrode plate EP can be reliably inserted.

  The entrance nipping roller 34 is a roller that is rotationally driven as a pair, and is a roller for tightening the fold by sandwiching the film F folded by the former 32.

  The first detection sensor 35 is a detection sensor for detecting whether or not the electrode plate EP conveyed by the electrode plate carrier 41 has reached a predetermined position upstream of the electrode plate release position. When it is determined that the electrode plate EP has reached a predetermined position upstream of the electrode plate release position, a signal is transmitted to the control mechanism.

  The intermediate nipping roller 36 is a roller that is rotationally driven in pairs. In addition, the rollers of the pair of intermediate nipping rollers 36 have a “nip position” for sandwiching the film F and the electrode plate EP, and the film F and the electrode plate EP according to control from the control mechanism. It is configured so that the “release position” that is not sandwiched can be freely changed.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a configuration example of the intermediate nipping roller 36. As shown in FIG. 3, the “clamping position” is a position where the paired intermediate nipping rollers 36 are arranged substantially in parallel with a narrow gap, and the “release position” is 2 In this position, the intermediate nipping roller 36 is positioned in an inverted C shape so as to come into contact with the opened film F by the opening member 33.

  Further, the timing of shifting the position of the intermediate nipping roller 36 will be described in detail in the description of the operation. The transition timing is controlled according to the detection of the electrode plate EP by the first detection sensor 35 disposed on the upstream side of the intermediate nipping roller 36. Specifically, the timing can be accurately controlled by using the conveyance speed of the electrode plate EP and the distance from the first detection sensor 35 to the sandwiching position.

  According to such a configuration, the film F and the electrode plate EP can be positioned more reliably, and a more accurate electrode sheet ES can be provided.

  The exit nipping roller 37 is a pair of rollers that are rotationally driven. The exit nipping roller 37 is configured to sandwich the electrode plate EP and the film F that have passed through the intermediate nipping roller 36 again. By using a roller slightly longer than the intermediate nipping roller 36, the entire film is sandwiched.

  The electrode plate insertion mechanism 40 according to the first embodiment includes an electrode plate carrier 41 that conveys the electrode plate EP and inserts the electrode plate EP into the film F.

  The electrode plate carrier 41 is a transport device having rails for transporting and inserting the electrode plate EP. Specifically, it is a chain type conveying device, a gripper (not shown) for holding the electrode plate EP supplied from the electrode plate EP supply device, and a cam (not shown) for releasing the electrode plate EP from the gripper. And having. The electrode plate carrier 41 conveys the electrode plate EP held by the gripper to a predetermined position and releases it at the predetermined position. The predetermined position where the electrode plate carrier 41 releases the electrode plate EP is referred to as an “electrode plate release position”.

  Moreover, the shape of the rails related to the electrode plate carrier 41 is substantially U-shaped, and the substantially U-shaped bottom surface portion is gradually inclined from one end to a position that leaves the length of one electrode plate EP. It is formed to have an inclined part that descends and a horizontal part that is horizontal from the end point of the inclined part to the other end. In addition, the electrode plate carrier 41 is disposed such that the inclined portion is positioned on the downstream side of the opening member 33 and the end point of the horizontal portion (that is, the end point of the bottom surface portion) is the electrode plate release position.

  According to such a configuration, when the electrode plate EP conveyed by the electrode plate carrier 41 is inserted into the film F, highly accurate positioning can be realized, and the electrode sheet ES having high accuracy can be obtained. Will be able to create.

  Further, the curve start position on the bottom surface of the electrode carrier 41 (that is, the position where the conveyance of the electrode plate EP is started along the traveling direction of the film F) is configured to be located downstream of the position where the opening member 33 is disposed. Has been. According to such a configuration, since the insertion of the lower side portion of the electrode plate EP into the film F is surely performed, continuous production is easily performed.

  The electrode plate carrier 41 conveys the electrode plate EP in the same direction as the traveling direction of the film F between the position where the opening member 33 is disposed and the position where the intermediate nipping roller 36 is disposed. According to such a configuration, when the electrode plate EP is inserted, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the possibility of deviation in the opening width direction, and it is possible to reduce mistakes in creating the electrode sheet ES.

  The electrode plate carrier 41 is located above the film F conveyance path. According to such a structure, the insertion mechanism of the electrode plate EP can be developed above the transport path of the film F, and the electrode sheet ES can be created with a small installation space.

  The welding mechanism 50 according to the first embodiment is configured to use a non-contact type welding method, and includes a second detection sensor 51, a winding drum 52, a drag roller 53, and a traveling direction welding device 54. , And a width direction welding device 55.

  The second detection sensor 51 is a detection sensor arranged at a position where the film F enters the winding drum 52 or detects that the film F has entered. Moreover, the 2nd detection sensor 51 transmits a signal with respect to each control apparatus which controls the traveling direction welding apparatus 54, the width direction welding apparatus 55, and the cutter apparatus 61 according to the detection of the electrode plate EP. According to such a configuration, accurate welding timing and cutting timing can be measured.

  The winding drum 52 is a drum having a circumference that is several times the cutting length, and is a member that winds the film F fed from the infeed roller 31 and feeds it to a subsequent mechanism while controlling the behavior of the film F. . Further, the winding drum 52 is a receiving member when welding is performed by a traveling direction welding device 54 and a width direction welding device 55 described later. That is, the film F is welded and cut on the common winding drum 52.

  According to such a configuration, since the film F is welded and cut while being wound around the winding drum 52 and the behavior is controlled, the accuracy of the position at which the film F is welded and cut can be increased. become able to.

  The drag roller 53 is a roller that is positioned on the downstream side of each welding apparatus described later and is paired with the winding drum 52. The drag roller 53 contributes to reliably performing welding and cutting performed on the film F by bringing the film F into a state of being sandwiched in cooperation with the winding drum 52.

  The traveling direction welding device 54 is a device that performs welding in the traveling direction of the film F. The width direction welding device 55 is a device that performs welding in the width direction of the film F. The traveling direction welding device 54 and the width direction welding device 55 perform welding by a non-contact type welding method in which welding is performed without touching the film F. Specifically, a welding method using a high frequency, a laser, a heater, or the like is used.

  Here, the welding part of 1st embodiment is demonstrated concretely using FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic view for explaining the welded portion 56 of the film. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the three sides excluding the fold portion side are welded around the electrode plate EP, and the traveling direction among the three sides excluding the fold portion side. The welding portion 56 (56a) is welded by the traveling direction welding device 54, and the remaining two welding portions 56 (56b, 56c) in the width direction are welded by the width direction welding device 55. If the entire area occupied by one side is welded, the welding strength is increased, but it is not always necessary to weld the entire one side without a gap. That is, it is only necessary that the movement of the electrode plate EP can be limited by interspersing the welding points in a balanced manner.

  The cutting device 60 according to the first embodiment includes a cutter device 61.

  The cutter device 61 is a non-contact type cutting device, and is a device that sandwiches the electrode plate EP and cuts the film F welded around the electrode plate EP at a predetermined interval to obtain an electrode sheet ES. Specifically, the cutter device 61 included in the cutting mechanism 60 according to the first embodiment is a non-contact type device such as a high frequency or a laser.

  The stacking mechanism 70 according to the first embodiment includes a transport conveyor 71, a stacking box 72, and an air blowing device 73.

  The transport conveyor 71 is a conveyor on which the individual electrode sheets ES cut by the cutting mechanism 60 are placed and transported to the accumulation box 72.

  The accumulation box 72 is a box for accumulating individual electrode sheets ES placed on the conveyor 71.

  The air blowing device 73 forcibly applies a force to the electrode sheets ES so that all the electrode sheets ES are placed in the same direction when placing the individual electrode sheets ES on the transport conveyor 71. It is a device to defeat. As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying posture of the electrode sheet ES is in a vertical state before and after cutting, but in the conveying conveyor 71, it is in a horizontal state. That is, it is necessary to change the posture of the electrode sheet ES from the vertical state to the horizontal state after cutting and before placing on the conveyor 71. Therefore, in the first embodiment, air is blown against the upper end portion of the electrode sheet ES at the moment when it is placed on the transport conveyor 71. Thereby, the direction in which the cut electrode sheets ES are accumulated is determined.

  The control mechanism according to the first embodiment is the operation timing of each device or member (for example, the film F conveyance speed, the electrode plate EP conveyance speed, the intermediate nipping roller 36 position transition timing, and the welding apparatus welding. The timing and the cutting timing by the cutter device 61 are controlled while being synchronized. In particular, it is highly accurate in continuously forming an electrode sheet by continuously inserting an electrode plate, continuously welding, and continuously cutting the film F that is continuously conveyed. Each step needs to be performed. Therefore, in this embodiment, synchronous control is performed using a control mechanism.

  According to such a configuration, since it is possible to position the electrode plate EP with high accuracy, it is possible to ensure high accuracy in subsequent welding and cutting. Therefore, it is possible to improve the production speed and obtain a highly accurate electrode sheet ES.

  The configuration of the battery electrode sheet creation device 10 according to the first embodiment has been described above. Next, operation | movement of the battery electrode sheet production apparatus 10 which concerns on 1st embodiment is demonstrated. In the first embodiment, various rollers (specifically, an infeed roller, an entrance nipping roller 34, an intermediate nipping roller 36, an exit nipping roller 37, a drag roller 53, and a guide roller); The operations of the electrode plate carrier 41 and the winding drum 52 are synchronously controlled by a control mechanism (not shown).

  First, the roll of film F is suspended on a reel arm. Then, the suspended film F is unwound, the position in the width direction of the film F is adjusted by the web guide device, and then fed downward in the vertical direction.

  Next, the fed film F is wound around the in-feed roller 31 and changes the traveling direction to the horizontal direction. The traveling film F that has changed its direction in the horizontal direction is gradually creased by the former 32 disposed on the traveling path, and when the film F passes through the former 32, it is folded in the vertical direction.

  Then, the film F that has been folded in two through the former 32 is sandwiched by the entrance nipping roller 34, and the crease is firmly attached. Thereafter, the film F is turned 90 degrees in the horizontal direction by the guide roller. Thereby, the fold of the film F becomes a stronger fold.

  The film F whose direction has been changed is opened so that the electrode plate EP can be inserted by the opening member 33. At this time, the fold portion of the film F is positioned below the opening.

  Next, the electrode plate EP conveyed by the electrode plate carrier 41 is inserted into the opened film F. Here, the operation of inserting the electrode plate EP into the film F by the electrode plate carrier 41 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the insertion operation of the electrode plate EP by the electrode plate carrier 41. As described above, in the electrode plate carrier 41, the rail shape of the electrode plate carrier 41 is substantially U-shaped, and in the substantially U-shaped bottom surface portion, the electrode plate carrier 41 is gradually inclined from one end to the middle. It is formed to have an inclined portion that descends and a horizontal portion that is horizontal from the middle to the other end. In addition, an arrow α in FIG. 5 indicates the transport direction of the film F, and an arrow β indicates the transport direction of the electrode plate EP. In FIG. 5, the gripper of the electrode plate carrier 41 is omitted.

  First, the electrode plate EP is gradually inserted into the film from the curve start position on the bottom surface of the carrier 41 by the electrode plate carrier 41. Specifically, when the electrode plate EP reaches the curve start position, the transport direction is changed along the curve shape of the bottom surface of the electrode plate carrier 41. At this time, since the curve start position of the electrode plate carrier 41 is disposed on the downstream side of the opening member, the film is in an open state, and the lower side of the electrode plate EP gradually opens the film. It will be inserted into the part. Further, the lower side portion of the electrode plate EP is gradually lowered along the inclined portion of the bottom surface of the electrode plate carrier 41. When moving from the inclined portion to the horizontal portion, the leading end side in the traveling direction of the lower side portion of the electrode plate EP is in contact with the fold portion of the film F. Then, the electrode plate EP that grounds the traveling direction front end side of the fold portion and the lower side portion is conveyed along the horizontal portion by the length in the traveling direction of one electrode plate EP. As a result, almost the entire lower side portion of the electrode plate EP is in a state of being completely grounded to the fold portion of the film, so that the electrode plate EP is positioned. At this time, the first detection sensor 35 located upstream of the electrode plate release position detects the passage of the electrode plate EP.

  In addition, when the electrode plate EP is inserted by the electrode plate carrier 41 in this way, in order to make the distance between the preceding electrode plate EP and the succeeding electrode plate EP constant, the electrode plate carrier 41 is increased in speed. Repeat deceleration. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the operation of the electrode plate carrier and the operation of the intermediate nipping roller. The electrode plate carrier 41 accelerates when the preceding electrode plate EPa is released, and accelerates the succeeding electrode plate EPb until the distance between the following electrode plate EPb and the preceding electrode plate EPa becomes constant (FIG. 6). (B), in particular the arrow β ′). When the distance between the succeeding electrode plate EPb and the preceding electrode plate EPa becomes constant, the electrode plate carrier 41 synchronizes with the transport speed of the film F and keeps the succeeding electrode plate EPb at the electrode plate release position. (FIG. 6C). In this way, the speed increasing and decelerating operations for reducing the distance between the electrode plates EP are continuously performed.

  According to such an operation, the electrode plate EP can be stably inserted, the insertion interval of the electrode plates EP can be made constant, and an electrode sheet ES with high accuracy can be created while continuously producing. Will be able to.

  In this way, the insertion operation of the electrode plate EP by the electrode plate carrier 41 according to the first embodiment is completed.

  Next, when the insertion operation of the electrode plate EP by the electrode plate carrier 41 is completed, the intermediate nipping roller 36 is operated, and immediately after, the release operation of the electrode plate carrier 41 is performed. The transition operation of the intermediate nipping roller 36 and the release operation of the electrode plate carrier 41 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the relationship between the transition operation of the intermediate nipping roller and the release operation of the electrode plate carrier. Specifically, FIG. 6 shows that the intermediate nipping roller 36 taking the release position after finishing the sandwiching of the preceding electrode plate takes the sandwiching position with respect to the subsequent electrode plate EPb, and then It is a figure for demonstrating at what timing the electrode plate carrier 41 releases the electrode plate EP with respect to the position shift of the intermediate nipping roller 36 in addition to the flow to move to the release position. .

  First, the preceding electrode plate EPa inserted into the film F is transported at the same speed as the film F toward the intermediate nipping roller 36 located at the release position (FIG. 6A).

  Next, when the leading end of the preceding electrode plate EP in the traveling direction reaches the position of the sandwiching position of the intermediate nipping roller 36, the intermediate nipping roller 36 moves to the sandwiching position, and the leading electrode plate EPa is placed on the film. It clamps and fixes from the outer side of F (FIG.6 (b)). When the intermediate nipping roller 36 sandwiches the preceding electrode plate EPa, the preceding electrode plate EPa is released from the electrode plate carrier 41. The timing is controlled by the control mechanism according to, for example, the distance from the detection position of the first detection sensor 35 based on the detection of the electrode plate EP to the sandwiching position and the transport speed of the film F.

  Then, when the preceding electrode plate EPa passing through the intermediate nipping roller 36 located at the sandwiching position passes substantially half of the length in the traveling direction of the electrode plate EP, the intermediate nipping roller 36 is released. It shifts to a position and prepares for the sandwiching of the succeeding electrode plate EPb (FIG. 6C). The control of this timing is performed by a control mechanism according to, for example, the conveyance speed of the film F, the length of the electrode plate EP in the traveling direction, and a minute mechanical delay.

  The intermediate nipping roller 36 repeats the operations shown in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (c). According to such an operation, the electrode plate EP can be reliably inserted into the determined position with respect to the film F with high accuracy, and the adhesive state between the film and the electrode plate can be further strengthened. Therefore, it is possible to provide a higher quality electrode sheet without waste.

  Heretofore, the insertion and release operations of the electrode plate carrier 41 and the transition operation of the intermediate nipping roller 36 have been described. As is apparent from the above description, the insertion and release operations of the electrode plate carrier 41 and the transition operation of the intermediate nipping roller 36 are closely related. That is, the battery electrode sheet creating apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment releases the electrode plate EP from the control of the electrode plate carrier 41 when the electrode plate EP is sandwiched and controlled by the intermediate nipping roller 36. Therefore, since the moment when the electrode plate EP is not controlled can be eliminated, a battery electrode sheet producing apparatus having high productivity and high accuracy is obtained.

  Next, after positioning the electrode plate EP and creating a close contact state between the film F and the electrode plate EP, the exit nipping roller 37 is passed to create a stronger contact state. Then, the electrode plate EP that has passed through the outlet nipping roller 37 is wound around the winding drum 52. At this time, the second detection sensor 51 located on the upstream side of the winding drum 52 detects the passage of the electrode plate EP.

  Next, the film F wound around the winding drum 52 is welded to each other by each welding device. As described above, the welded portion 56 at this time has four sides around the electrode plate EP (specifically, one side on the fold side, one side on the opening side, and two sides parallel to the width direction). Among these, it is a portion corresponding to three sides other than the fold portion side. In particular, the traveling direction welding device 54 welds one side on the opening side, and the width direction welding device 55 welds two sides on the width direction side. The welding timing at this time corresponds to the position of the electrode plate EP detected by the second detection sensor 51 provided on the upstream side of the winding drum 52. That is, the welding timing is determined by the distance from the detection position of the electrode plate EP by the second detection sensor 51 to each welding apparatus that performs the welding, the transport speed of the film F, and a mechanical delay.

  Next, the electrode sheets ES that are continuously welded and welded by the welding devices are cut in the width direction by the cutter device with the upstream side sandwiched between the winding drum 52 and the drag roller 53. Thereby, the electrode sheet ES which continues continuously turns into each electrode sheet ES. The cutting timing at this time corresponds to the position of the electrode plate EP detected by the second detection sensor 51 provided on the upstream side of the winding drum 52. That is, the cutting timing is determined by the distance from the detection position of the electrode plate EP by the second detection sensor 51 to the cutter device 61 that performs the cutting, the transport speed of the film F, and a mechanical delay.

  Furthermore, the cut individual electrode sheets ES are placed on the transport conveyor 71 and are accumulated in the accumulation box 72. When the electrode sheet ES is placed on the transport conveyor 71, the air spray device 73 blows air in a certain direction so that the electrode sheet ES placed on the transport conveyor 71 is oriented. In this way, the electrode sheet ES is created and integrated.

  The operation of the battery electrode sheet creation device 10 according to the first embodiment has been described above.

  As described above, the battery electrode sheet creation device 10 according to the first embodiment includes a film supply mechanism that continuously supplies a continuous film, and a film that is folded in parallel with the traveling direction of the film. Folding mechanism (for example, former 32) that bends so as to be noticeable, and holds and transports the electrode plate at a speed corresponding to the film transport speed in the folding mechanism, and lowers the lower side of the transported electrode plate An electrode plate insertion mechanism (for example, an electrode plate carrier 41) that releases the electrode plate at a position that contacts the fold portion of the film folded by the folding mechanism, and a welding mechanism that welds the films around the electrode plate ( For example, a traveling direction welding device 54 and a width direction welding device 55) and a cutting mechanism that cuts the width direction of the film and turns the film sandwiching the electrode plates into individual electrode sheets (example) If, a cutter device 61), and is configured with an integrated mechanism for stacking individual electrode sheet (e.g., an integrated conveyor 71 and the integrated box 72). Therefore, the battery electrode sheet preparation device can easily position the electrode plate, and can continuously produce the electrode sheet in a small space.

[Second Embodiment]
The configuration and operation of the battery electrode sheet creation device 10 according to the first embodiment have been described above. However, the configuration of the battery electrode sheet creation device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described first embodiment, and any modification can be employed. Then, next, the example of a structure of the battery electrode sheet production apparatus 100 which concerns on 2nd embodiment is demonstrated using FIG.7 and FIG.8. In addition, in the battery electrode sheet creating apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment, the first is that the folding mechanism folds the film by plow folding, and the welding mechanism and the cutting mechanism are contact types. This is different from the battery electrode sheet creating apparatus 10 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the battery electrode sheet creation device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the plow unit according to the second embodiment, taken along the line AA in FIG.
In addition, about the member same or similar to the member demonstrated by 1st embodiment mentioned above, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description and illustration are abbreviate | omitted.

  The folding mechanism 130 according to the second embodiment is configured to include a plow unit 132.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the plow unit 132 is a device that abuts near the middle in the width direction of the film F being conveyed, and performs “plough folding” that folds the film F from the lower side or the upper side. . Further, the folds made by the plow unit 132 are made parallel to the traveling direction of the film F and at a position that is half the width of the film F. In addition, the part which forms the fold of the folded film F is referred to as a “fold part”, and the side on the opposite side of the fold part where the films are overlapped is referred to as an “opening part”.

  The welding mechanism 150 according to the second embodiment includes a traveling direction welding roller 154 and a width direction welding roller 155.

  The running direction welding roller 154 is configured to have a circumferential length equal to the cutting length of the film F, and is a roller that welds the welding portion 56 (56a) in the running direction by contacting the film F. In addition, about the welding part 56, it is the same as the part demonstrated in 1st embodiment.

  The width-direction welding roller 155 is configured to have a circumferential length equal to the cutting length of the film F, and is a roller that welds the width-direction welding portion 56 (56b, 56c) by contacting the film F. is there. In addition, about the welding part 56, it is the same as the part demonstrated in 1st embodiment.

  The cutting mechanism 160 according to the second embodiment includes a winding drum 152 and a cutter roller 161.

  The winding drum 152 winds the film F fed from the infeed roller 31 and feeds it to the subsequent mechanism, and serves as a receiving member for welding by the traveling direction welding roller 154 and the width direction welding roller 155. That is, the film F is subjected to a plurality of steps of welding and cutting on a common winding drum 152. Therefore, the circumferential length of the winding drum 152 is longer than that of the traveling direction welding roller 154, the width direction welding roller 155, and the cutter roller 161. In the second embodiment, the circumferential length of the winding drum 152 is configured to be an integral multiple of the circumferential length of the cutter roller 161 because it has a cutter receiver with respect to the cutter roller 161.

  The cutter roller 161 is a roller having a cutter for cutting the film F while being paired with the winding drum 152 located on the downstream side of each welding roller. Note that the circumferential length of the cutter roller 161 according to the second embodiment is configured to be the same length as the cutting length of the film F.

  The configuration of the battery electrode sheet creation device 100 according to the second embodiment has been described above. Next, operation | movement of the battery electrode sheet production apparatus 100 which concerns on 2nd embodiment is demonstrated. The difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment is a folding operation, a welding operation, and a cutting operation. Therefore, descriptions of operations other than these operations may be omitted.

  First, the film F wound in a roll is suspended on a reel arm. Then, the suspended film F is unwound, the position of the film F in the width direction is adjusted by the web guide device, and fed.

  Next, the fed film F is wound around the in-feed roller 31 and is gradually folded by the plow unit 132 disposed on the travel path, so that the film F is folded in two.

  Then, the film F that has been folded in two through the plow unit 132 is sandwiched by the entrance nipping roller 34, and the fold is firmly attached. Then, the film F changes the running direction by 90 degrees in the horizontal direction by the guide roller. Thereby, the fold of the film F becomes a stronger fold.

  The film F whose direction has been changed is opened so that the electrode plate EP can be inserted by the opening member 33. At this time, the fold portion of the film F is positioned below the opening.

  The electrode plate EP is inserted into the opened film F by the electrode plate carrier 41. Note that the first detection sensor 35 located upstream of the electrode plate release position detects the passage of the electrode plate EP before the electrode plate EP is inserted.

  Next, when the electrode plate EP with the electrode plate carrier 41 inserted into the film F is being transported to the vicinity of the electrode plate release position, the intermediate nipping roller 36 is operated, and the electrode plate EP is moved to the film F. It is pinched and fixed from the outside. Immediately thereafter, the electrode plate carrier 41 releases the electrode plate EP. By operating in this way, welding and cutting can be performed while the position of the electrode plate EP is reliably performed.

  The operation of the intermediate nipping roller 36 allows the electrode plate EP inserted into the film F to pass through the outlet nipping roller 37 in a state where the electrode plate EP is positioned, thereby further ensuring the positioning of the film F and the electrode plate EP. Then, the electrode plate EP that has passed through the outlet nipping roller 37 is wound around the winding drum 152.

  The film F wound around the winding drum 152 is welded by each welding device. As described above, the welded portion 56 at this time has four sides around the electrode plate EP (specifically, one side on the fold side, one side on the opening side, and two sides parallel to the width direction). Among these, portions (56a, 56b, 56c) corresponding to three sides other than the fold portion side. In particular, the traveling direction welding device 154 welds the welded portion 56 (56a) on the opening side, and the widthwise welding device 155 welds the welded portion 56 (56b, 56c) on the widthwise side.

  In the second embodiment, since the circumferential lengths of the traveling direction welding roller 154 and the width direction welding roller 155 are the same as the cutting length, when each welding roller makes one rotation, a set of electrode plates EP and The film F (that is, the length corresponding to the cutting length) passes through. That is, even if the position of the electrode plate EP is not detected, if the welding position is adjusted once, substantially the same position can be welded to each of the electrode plates EP that are inserted and positioned one after another. Become.

  According to such an operation, since synchronization can be easily achieved, it becomes possible to perform highly accurate welding with a simple configuration, and productivity can be improved.

  Next, the electrode sheet ES continuously welded by the traveling direction welding roller 154 and the width direction welding roller 155 is sandwiched between the winding drum 152 and the drag roller 53 on the upstream side and wound on the downstream side. The sheet is cut by the cutter of the cutter roller 161 while being sandwiched between the drum 152 and the cutter roller 161. In this way, the electrode sheets ES that are continuously connected to each other become individual electrode sheets ES.

  Since the peripheral length of the cutter roller 161 is the same as the cutting length, if the first cutting is performed at an appropriate position, the next cutting position comes when the cutter roller 161 rotates once. .

  According to such an operation, since synchronization can be easily achieved, high-accuracy cutting can be performed with a simple configuration, so that productivity can be improved.

  Furthermore, the cut individual electrode sheets ES are placed on the transport conveyor 71 and are accumulated in the accumulation box 72. When the electrode sheet ES is placed on the conveyor 71, air is blown in a certain direction by the air blowing device 73, so that the direction of the electrode sheet ES placed on the conveyor 71 is determined. In this way, the electrode sheet ES is created and integrated.

  As described above, the battery electrode sheet creation device 100 according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which the circumferential lengths of the traveling direction welding roller 154, the width direction welding roller 155, and the cutter roller 161 are equal to the cutting length. Therefore, the welding position and the cutting position can be easily determined, and continuous production can be easily performed. In particular, since the driving of each member is controlled in synchronization, each process that requires high accuracy, such as positioning of the electrode plate EP, welding of the film F, and cutting of the film F, is enabled with a simple configuration. Will be able to.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in each embodiment mentioned above. Various modifications or improvements can be added to the above embodiments. For example, in the first embodiment, it is possible to adopt a form in which changes or improvements are made such that the film is folded using plow folding. It is apparent from the scope of the claims that such forms can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be used in an apparatus for producing an electrode sheet for a battery.

  10,100 battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus, 20 film supply mechanism, 21 take-up roll film, 30,130 folding mechanism, 31 infeed roller, 32 former, 33 opening member, 34 inlet nipping roller, 35 first Detection sensor, 36 intermediate nipping roller, 37 outlet nipping roller, 40 electrode plate insertion mechanism, 41 electrode plate carrier, 50,150 welding mechanism, 51 second detection sensor, 52,152 winding drum, 53 drag roller, 54 traveling direction welding device, 55 width direction welding device, 56 (56a, 56b, 56c) welding portion, 60,160 cutting mechanism, 61 cutter device, 70 stacking mechanism, 71 transport conveyor, 72 stacking box, 73 air spraying device, 132 plow units, 154 runs Direction welding roller 155 widthwise welding rollers, 161 cutters rollers, F film, EP electrode plates, ES electrode sheet, the conveying direction of the α film, beta, conveying direction of β'electrode plate.

Claims (10)

A battery electrode sheet creating apparatus for creating an electrode sheet for a battery by covering an electrode plate having a polarity of a positive electrode or a negative electrode with a film,
A film supply mechanism for continuously supplying a continuous film;
A folding mechanism that folds the film so that the crease is parallel to the traveling direction of the film;
At the position where the electrode plate is held and transported at a speed corresponding to the film transport speed, and the lower side of the transported electrode plate is lowered and contacted with the fold portion of the film folded by the folding mechanism. An electrode plate insertion mechanism for releasing the electrode plate;
A welding mechanism for welding the films around the electrode plate;
A cutting mechanism that cuts the width direction of the film and turns the film sandwiching the electrode plates into individual electrode sheets,
An accumulation mechanism for accumulating the individual electrode sheets;
A battery electrode sheet producing apparatus comprising: In the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to claim 1,
A battery electrode sheet producing apparatus, wherein the folded portion of the folded film is positioned at a position lower than the opening when the electrode plate is inserted. In the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The battery sheet producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the folding mechanism includes an opening member that opens an opening portion of the folded film after the film supplied from the supply apparatus is folded in parallel with the traveling direction. In the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The folding mechanism includes a nipping roller paired at a position sandwiching the film on the upstream side of the position where the electrode plate carrier releases the electrode plate,
The pair of nipping rollers can freely change the sandwiching position for sandwiching the film and the electrode plate and the release position for not sandwiching the film and the electrode plate, and by the electrode plate carrier. A battery electrode sheet producing apparatus, wherein the battery sheet is moved to a clamping position immediately before releasing the electrode plate, and is moved to the release position before the rear end of the electrode plate in the traveling direction passes. In the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The battery electrode sheet creating apparatus, wherein the electrode plate insertion mechanism conveys the electrode plate in the same direction as the film traveling direction in a predetermined range downstream of the position where the electrode plate is released. In the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The electrode sheet insertion mechanism is a battery electrode sheet producing apparatus characterized in that an upper part of a film conveyance path is an electrode plate conveyance path. In the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The welding mechanism welds three sides of the periphery of the electrode plate excluding the fold part side, and welds one side of the running direction among the three sides excluding the fold part side; and And a width direction welding apparatus for welding the remaining two sides in the width direction. In the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Equipped with a drum whose circumference is several times the cutting length of the film,
A battery electrode sheet producing apparatus that performs from the welding by the welding mechanism to the cutting by the cutting mechanism on the drum. In the battery electrode sheet preparation apparatus according to claim 8,
The cutting mechanism has a drag roller that is paired with the drum on the upstream side of the welding mechanism,
The drag roller includes a cutter in the width direction,
The battery electrode sheet producing apparatus, wherein the drum includes a cutter receiver. It is a battery electrode sheet creation method for creating an electrode sheet for a battery by covering an electrode plate having a polarity of a positive electrode or a negative electrode with a film,
Continuously supplying a continuous film;
Folding the film so that it folds in parallel to the direction of travel of the film;
The electrode plate is held and transported at a speed corresponding to the transport speed of the film, and the lower side portion of the transported electrode plate is lowered, and the electrode is in a position where it is grounded to the fold portion of the film folded by the folding mechanism. Releasing the electrode plate to release the plate;
Welding the films around the electrode plates;
Cutting the width direction of the film and making the film sandwiched between the electrode plates into individual electrode sheets;
Accumulating individual electrode sheets;
A method for producing a battery electrode sheet, comprising performing a process including:

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