JP2017004615A - Electrode lamination method and electrode lamination device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrode lamination method capable of improving location accuracy in laminating electrode elements, and an electrode lamination device.SOLUTION: An electrode lamination method uses a rotary picker 30 that is rotatable in predetermined one direction around a rotation axis C. The rotary picket 30 includes a plurality of suction parts 38 that are disposed at equal intervals in a circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis C. While rotating the rotary picket 30 in a rotation direction D3, electrode elements 10 and 20 are conveyed in a predetermined order by each of the suction parts 38 and each time each of the suction parts 38 reaches a lamination position S, the electrode elements 10 and 20 that are sucked and held by the suction part 38 is released and laminated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrode stacking method and an electrode stacking apparatus.

  As described in Patent Document 1, a method is known in which a negative electrode foil, a positive electrode foil, and a separator are adsorbed by an adsorption pad, and the adsorption pad is rotated and moved so as to be laminated on a lamination stage. In the method described in Patent Document 1, a transport handler having four arms is used, and a negative electrode suction pad, a positive electrode suction pad, and two separator suction pads are respectively attached to the tips of the arms. Below these suction pads, a lamination stage, a negative foil supply stage, a separator supply stage, and a positive foil supply stage are arranged at intervals of 90 degrees.

  The separator on the separator supply stage is transported to the negative electrode foil supply stage by the separator suction pad and released, so that it is superimposed on the negative electrode. The negative electrode and the separator are transported to the stacking stage by the negative electrode suction pad while being stacked, released, and stacked. On the other hand, the separator on the separator supply stage is transferred to the positive electrode foil supply stage by the separator suction pad and released, so that it is superimposed on the positive electrode. The positive electrode and the separator are transported to the stacking stage by the positive electrode suction pad while being stacked, released, and stacked. These conveyance and lamination are performed while the conveyance handler repeats the clockwise 90 degree rotation and the counterclockwise 90 degree rotation.

JP 2008-282756 A

  In the method described in Patent Document 1, a separator, which is one of electrode elements, is once transported to a negative electrode foil supply stage or a positive electrode foil supply stage and overlaid on the negative electrode or the positive electrode. Then, the two sheets (that is, the negative electrode and the separator, or the positive electrode and the separator) are conveyed again in an overlapped state, and are stacked on the stacking stage. Thus, when the separator is sucked and released twice, the positional accuracy of the electrode elements on the stacking stage may be lowered.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electrode laminating method and an electrode laminating apparatus capable of accurately laminating electrode elements forming part of an electrode assembly in a sheet form.

  An electrode stacking method according to an aspect of the present invention is a rotary picker that is rotatable in a predetermined direction around a rotation axis and has a plurality of suction portions arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis. The sheet-like electrode element supplied to the supply position located below the passage path of the suction portion is sucked and held, and the electrode element is conveyed in the circumferential direction by the rotation of the rotary picker, and is located below the passage path. An electrode stacking method in which electrode elements are stacked in a predetermined order at the stacking position. When the suction unit is positioned on the stacking position, another suction unit is positioned on the supply position, and the rotary picker is rotated in one direction. Then, the electrode elements are conveyed in a predetermined order by the respective suction portions, and each time the respective suction portions reach the stacking position, the electrode elements sucked and held by the suction portions are released and stacked.

  The electrode stacking apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is capable of rotating in a predetermined direction around the rotation axis, and has a plurality of suction portions arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis, A rotary picker that sucks and holds sheet-like electrode elements and conveys them in the circumferential direction, a supply part that supplies electrode elements to a supply position that is located below the passage path of the adsorption part, and a stacking position that is located below the passage path A stacking unit for receiving and laminating electrode elements from the suction unit of the rotary picker in a predetermined order, and a control unit for controlling rotation and suction / release in the rotary picker. When the suction unit is positioned above, the other suction unit is positioned on the supply position, and the control unit rotates the rotary picker in one direction while performing a predetermined order by each suction unit. so Pole element is transported to, each time the respective suction portion reaching the stacking position, are laminated to release the adsorbed retained electrode elements to the adsorption unit.

  According to these electrode stacking methods and electrode stacking apparatuses, a rotary picker having a plurality of suction portions conveys electrode elements in a predetermined order by each suction portion while rotating in a predetermined direction. And when each adsorption | suction part reaches | attains on a lamination | stacking position, the electrode element adsorbed and hold | maintained at the said adsorption | suction part is released and laminated | stacked. As described above, once the electrode element is sucked and held, the holding state is maintained until the stacking position is reached, and the electrode element is not released during that time. Therefore, the positional shift of the electrode element with respect to the adsorption portion is reduced, and the electrode element can be accurately stacked at the stacking position.

  The rotary picker may be rotated and stopped by an angle obtained by dividing 360 degrees by the number of suction portions, and the electrode elements may be stacked by the suction portions on the stacking position while the rotary picker is stopped. In this case, the rotation picker stops each time the suction part reaches the stacking position. Therefore, it is possible to reliably and easily perform adsorption holding and stacking of the electrode elements. Positional accuracy when holding the electrode element by suction is also improved.

  The number of adsorption parts may be larger than the sum of the number of supply positions and the number of stacking positions. In this case, the number of times of stacking during one rotation of the rotary picker increases. Therefore, the stacking speed is further increased.

  According to some embodiments of the present invention, electrode elements can be accurately stacked using a rotary picker.

1 is a schematic plan view of a laminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic side view of the lamination apparatus of FIG. (A)-(c) is a top view which shows the conveyance and lamination | stacking condition of the electrode element accompanying rotation of the rotation picker in FIG. (A)-(c) is a top view which shows the deformation | transformation form of a lamination apparatus, respectively. It is a perspective view which shows the deformation | transformation form of a rotation picker.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In the following description, directions such as “up” and “down” are based on the state shown in the drawings and are for convenience.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electrode stacking apparatus 1 stacks a sheet-like first electrode element 10 constituting a negative electrode and a sheet-like second electrode element 20 constituting a positive electrode and a separator. It is a device. The electrode stacking apparatus 1 stacks the electrode elements 10 and 20 alternately (in a predetermined order) on the stacking stage 4 provided on the pedestal 2, for example. The electrode stacking apparatus 1 manufactures an electrode assembly in which the electrode elements 10 and 20 are alternately stacked. This electrode assembly is housed in a metal casing to constitute a battery cell. Examples of the battery cell include non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries such as lithium ion secondary batteries.

  The electrode stacking apparatus 1 includes a first conveyor (supply unit) 6 that supplies the first electrode element 10 to the first supply position P1, and a second conveyor (supply unit) that supplies the second electrode element 20 to the second supply position P2. ) 8, a rotary picker 30 that sucks, holds, and alternately conveys the electrode elements 10, 20, and a stacking stage (stacking) that alternately receives the electrode elements 10, 20 from the rotating picker 30 at the stacking position S and stacks them. Part) 4. The first supply position P1, the second supply position P2, and the stacking position S are located on the same circumference around the rotation axis C of the rotary picker 30.

  First, the 1st electrode element 10 and the 2nd electrode element 20 used as the object of conveyance and lamination | stacking by the electrode lamination apparatus 1 are demonstrated. The 1st electrode element 10 is an element which comprises a negative electrode. The first electrode elements 10 are sequentially transported in the transport direction D1 in FIG. 1 by the first conveyor 6 provided on the pedestal 2, and are supplied at the first supply position P1 on the first conveyor 6. The first electrode element 10 includes, for example, a rectangular (rectangular) metal foil 12. In addition, unlike the metal foil 22 which comprises the 2nd electrode element 20 mentioned later, the metal foil 12 is not wrapped with the separator.

  The metal foil 12 is, for example, a copper foil. Negative electrode active material layers are provided on both surfaces of the metal foil 12. The negative electrode active material layer includes, for example, a negative electrode active material and a binder. Examples of the negative electrode active material include carbon such as graphite, highly oriented graphite, mesocarbon microbeads, hard carbon, and soft carbon, alkali metals such as lithium and sodium, metal compounds, SiOx (0.5 ≦ x ≦ 1). .5), and boron-added carbon. Moreover, the metal foil 12 has a tab portion 14 that protrudes from the long side. The tab portion 14 is not provided with a negative electrode active material layer. The tab portion 14 is provided for electrical connection with the negative electrode terminal constituting the battery cell.

  The 2nd electrode element 20 is an element which comprises a positive electrode and a separator. The second electrode elements 20 are sequentially transported in the transport direction D2 by the second conveyor 8 provided on the pedestal 2, and are sequentially supplied at the second supply position P2 on the second conveyor 8. The second electrode element 20 includes, for example, a rectangular (rectangular) metal foil 22 wrapped by a separator 26. Except for the one separator 26 illustrated in FIG. 1, the illustration of the separator 26 is omitted in each drawing.

  The metal foil 22 is, for example, an aluminum foil. A positive electrode active material layer is provided on both surfaces of the metal foil 22. The positive electrode active material layer includes, for example, a positive electrode active material and a binder. Examples of the positive electrode active material include composite oxide, metallic lithium, and sulfur. Examples of the composite oxide include those containing at least one of manganese, nickel, cobalt, and aluminum and lithium. The metal foil 22 has a tab portion 24 that protrudes from the long side. The tab portion 24 is not provided with a positive electrode active material layer. The tab portion 24 is provided for electrical connection with the positive electrode terminal constituting the battery cell.

  The separator 26 has, for example, a bag shape. The separator 26 is formed of, for example, a porous film made of a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), a woven fabric made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), methylcellulose, or the like, or a nonwoven fabric. The tab portion 24 protrudes from the separator 26.

  Next, the rotary picker 30 will be described. The rotation picker 30 includes a rotation shaft portion 32 provided on the base 2 and capable of rotating in a rotation direction (predetermined one direction) D3, and a plurality of transport portions 34 provided on the rotation shaft portion 32. Yes. In the case of the rotary picker 30, the number of the conveyance units 34 is ten. The electrode stacking apparatus 1 rotates the rotating shaft portion 32 around the rotation axis C so that the electrode elements 10 and 20 are transported by the transporting portion 34 and are alternately stacked at a predetermined stacking position S. The rotation axis C is substantially parallel to the vertical direction and is along the vertical direction. The rotation axis C may form an angle with respect to the vertical direction.

  The rotary picker 30 will be described in more detail. The rotating shaft portion 32 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, and is rotatably connected to the base 2 at the proximal end. The rotating shaft 32 rotates in the rotation direction D3 (counterclockwise) about the rotating axis C by the power of the power unit 52 that is a motor provided in the base 2, for example. The power unit 52 is, for example, a servo motor. The rotating shaft part 32 can continue to rotate a plurality of turns in the rotation direction D3. In addition, the rotating shaft part 32 can rotate intermittently in the rotation direction D3, and can also rotate continuously. When the rotating shaft portion 32 rotates intermittently, the rotating shaft portion 32 can be rotated and stopped by an angle obtained by dividing 360 degrees by the number of the conveying portions 34, specifically, by 36 degrees. The

  The transport unit 34 includes an arm unit 36, an expansion / contraction unit 37, and a suction unit 38. The arm portion 36 has, for example, a quadrangular prism shape and extends from the outer peripheral surface on the distal end side of the rotating shaft portion 32. Specifically, the arm portion 36 extends outward in the radial direction of the rotation shaft portion 32 so as to be perpendicular to the rotation shaft portion 32. The ten arm portions 36 have substantially the same length, and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis C. In other words, the center lines of the adjacent arm portions 36 intersect at the rotation axis C and form an angle of about 36 degrees (= 360 degrees / 10).

  The extendable part 37 has a cylindrical shape, for example, and is provided at the tip of the arm part 36. An end portion (that is, a lower end portion) opposite to the arm portion 36 in the extendable portion 37 is connected to the adsorption portion 38. The elastic part 37 extends downward from the lower surface of the tip part of the arm part 36. The stretchable part 37 has a stretchable structure, and the length of the stretchable part 37 in the vertical direction is variable. Thereby, the expansion-contraction part 37 moves the adsorption | suction part 38 below. The suction portion 38 is movable in the vertical direction at least between a standby position indicated by a solid line and a work position indicated by a broken line in FIG.

  For example, the suction portion 38 has a box shape with a rectangular bottom surface. The adsorption part 38 holds each electrode element 10 and 20 by adsorbing each electrode element 10 and 20 by the negative pressure which arises in the adsorption hole provided in the lower surface, for example. For example, an air pipe is provided along the arm portion 36, and the tip of the air pipe is connected to the suction portion 38. A valve and a suction pump (not shown) are connected to the proximal end side of the air pipe, and a negative pressure is generated in the air pipe and the suction portion 38. A valve is individually provided for each suction portion 38. When the valve is controlled to be opened and closed by the control unit 60, the suction force in the suction part 38 is generated or disappears. Each suction part 38 can be individually controlled. In such an adsorption mechanism, a common pump may be provided, or an individual pump may be provided for each transport unit 34.

  The suction portion 38 moves on a circular passage route centered on the rotation axis C of the rotation shaft portion 32 as the rotation shaft portion 32 rotates. The suction portion 38 passes over the first supply position P1, the second supply position P2, and the stacking position S. At this time, the suction part 38 moves in a state where it is positioned at the standby position, for example. The height from the base 2 of each adsorption | suction part 38 located in the stand-by position is mutually the same. Accordingly, the four suction portions 38 are located on the same plane while the rotation shaft portion 32 is rotating (see FIG. 2).

  The suction unit 38 moves from the standby position to the work position at the first supply position P1, and performs a holding operation to generate a suction force and hold the sheet-like first electrode element 10. The suction unit 38 moves from the standby position to the work position at the second supply position P2, and generates a suction force to hold the sheet-like second electrode element 20. The suction unit 38 continues to generate a suction force while the electrode elements 10 and 20 are conveyed in the circumferential direction. Further, the suction portion 38 descends from the standby position to the work position at the stacking position S, and the suction force is lost to release the holding of the electrode elements 10 and 20 (that is, release the electrode elements 10 and 20). ) Perform lamination work.

  The 1st conveyor 6 and the 2nd conveyor 8 are demonstrated with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. The 1st conveyor 6 is a belt conveyor which has the conveyance surface extended horizontally, for example, and conveys the 1st electrode element 10 mounted on the conveyance surface in the conveyance direction D1. The 1st supply position P1 to which the 1st electrode element 10 is supplied is provided in the edge part of the downstream in the conveyance direction D1 of the 1st conveyor 6, for example. The first conveyor 6 may move intermittently to stop when the first electrode element 10 is positioned at the first supply position P1, or may move continuously. The conveyance surface of the 1st conveyor 6 is not restricted to extending horizontally, You may incline with respect to a horizontal surface. The conveyance direction D1 may be linear, but may be bent. The conveyance surface of the first conveyor 6 may form a circular track extending along a horizontal plane.

  The 2nd conveyor 8 is a belt conveyor which has the conveyance surface extended horizontally, for example, and conveys the 2nd electrode element 20 mounted on the conveyance surface in the conveyance direction D2. The 2nd supply position P2 to which the 2nd electrode element 20 is supplied is provided in the edge part of the downstream in the conveyance direction D2 of the 2nd conveyor 8, for example. The second conveyor 8 may move intermittently to stop when the second electrode element 20 is positioned at the second supply position P2, or may move continuously. The conveyance surface of the 2nd conveyor 8 is not restricted to extending horizontally, You may incline with respect to a horizontal surface. The conveyance direction D2 may be linear, but may be bent. The conveyance surface of the second conveyor 8 may form a circular track extending along a horizontal plane.

  As described above, the first supply position P1 and the second supply position P2 are both located on the same circumference around the rotation axis C of the rotary picker 30. In other words, the first supply position P <b> 1 and the second supply position P <b> 2 are located below the passage path of the suction unit 38. The first supply position P1 is located upstream of the second supply position P2 in the rotational direction D3 with respect to the stacking position S. Note that the second supply position P2 to which the second electrode element 20 is supplied is located upstream of the first supply position P1 to which the first electrode element 10 is supplied with respect to the stacking position S in the rotational direction D3. May be.

  The first supply position P1 is, for example, arranged 180 degrees away from the stacking position S in the circumferential direction (as a central angle with the rotation axis C as the center). When one suction unit 38 is positioned on the stacking position S, another suction unit 38 on the opposite side of the rotation axis C from the suction unit 38 is positioned on the first supply position P1.

  The conveyance direction D1 is along the direction of the tangent at the first supply position P1 of the circumference around the rotation axis C. On the 1st conveyor 6, the 1st electrode element 10 is mounted so that the long side of the metal foil 12 may face the conveyance direction D1, and the tab part 14 protrudes in a direction perpendicular | vertical to the conveyance direction D1. . More specifically, when the first electrode element 10 reaches the first supply position P1, the tab portion 14 protrudes inward in the radial direction of a circle having the rotation axis C as the center. In this case, the transport direction D1 is perpendicular to the radial direction of the circle, but the transport direction D1 may be parallel to the radial direction or may form an obtuse angle. The first electrode element 10 may be placed so that the tab portion 14 protrudes outward in the radial direction of the circle when it reaches the first supply position P1, or is directed in another direction. Also good.

  The second supply position P2 is, for example, arranged 72 degrees away from the stacking position S in the circumferential direction (as a central angle with the rotation axis C as the center). When one suction unit 38 is positioned on the stacking position S, another suction unit 38 adjacent to the suction unit 38 on the upstream side in the rotation direction D3 is positioned on the second supply position P2. Further, the relationship between the second supply position P2 and the first supply position P1 will be described. When a certain suction portion 38 is positioned on the second supply position P2, the suction portion 38 on the upstream side in the rotation direction D3. The other three adjacent adsorbing portions 38 are located on the first supply position P1.

  The conveyance direction D2 is along the direction of the tangent at the second supply position P2 of the circumference around the rotation axis C. On the 2nd conveyor 8, the 2nd electrode element 20 is mounted so that the long side of the metal foil 22 may face the conveyance direction D2, and the tab part 24 protrudes in the direction perpendicular | vertical to the conveyance direction D2. . More specifically, when the second electrode element 20 reaches the second supply position P2, the tab portion 24 protrudes inward in the radial direction of the circle having the rotation axis C as the center. In this case, the transport direction D2 is perpendicular to the radial direction of the circle, but the transport direction D2 may be parallel to the radial direction or may form an obtuse angle. The second electrode element 20 may be placed so that the tab portion 24 protrudes outward in the radial direction of the circle when it reaches the second supply position P2, or is directed in another direction. Also good.

  With the arrangement described above, the first electrode element 10 and the second electrode element 20 are both sucked and held by the sucking portion 38 in a posture in which the long side (one side provided with the tab portion) is perpendicular to the radial direction, and rotated. It is conveyed in the direction D3. Therefore, the first electrode element 10 and the second electrode element 20 that reach the stacking position S are released and stacked in the same direction and posture. As shown in FIG. 1, the long sides of the first electrode element 10 and the second electrode element 20 are aligned, and the positions where the tab portions 14 and the tab portions 24 are provided with respect to the long sides are different. The part 14 and the tab part 24 are separated in the direction of the long side.

  In the electrode laminating apparatus 1, a plurality of supply positions (first supply position P1 and second supply position P2) are provided, and a plurality of transport units (first conveyor 6 and second conveyor 8) are provided. In this case, the plurality of transport units may be provided so as to be rotationally symmetrical with each other. By making each electrode element be placed in the same orientation and orientation in each transport unit, the orientation and orientation of each electrode element are rotationally symmetrical with each other at each supply position.

  The stacking stage 4 arranged at the stacking position S is a flat jig for stacking the first electrode element 10 and the second electrode element 20 placed on the carry-out conveyor 40, for example. The stacking stage 4 receives the first electrode elements 10 and the second electrode elements 20 alternately (in a predetermined order) and stacks them. The carry-out conveyor 40 is, for example, a belt conveyor, and extends radially outward from the stacking position S. The carry-out conveyor 40 carries out the laminated body after the lamination is completed to the outside of the electrode lamination apparatus 1. In addition, it is not restricted to the case where such a carry-out conveyor 40 is provided. There may be a mode in which a support part for supporting the stacking stage 4 is provided, and the stack after completion of stacking is carried out by moving the support part. A picker or the like that holds or holds the stacked body on the stacking stage 4 and carries it out may be provided.

  In the electrode laminating apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the number of the transport units 34, that is, the suction units 38 is 10, and the number of supply positions of the electrode elements 10 and 20 (that is, the first supply position P1 and the second supply position P2; 2) and the number of stacking positions (that is, stacking stage 4; 1). By providing more suction portions 38 than the electrode element supply locations, more electrode elements can be conveyed while the rotary picker 30 makes one rotation.

  The electrode stacking apparatus 1 further includes a control unit 60 (rotation control means). The control unit 60 is configured by a computer including, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 60 controls the rotation of the rotary shaft unit 32 by controlling the power unit 52. That is, the control unit 60 functions as a rotation control unit that controls the rotation of the rotary shaft unit 32. Moreover, the control part 60 controls each conveyor 6,8,40, each expansion-contraction part 37, each adsorption | suction part 38, the 1st conveyor 6, the 2nd conveyor 8, etc. FIG.

  The operation of the electrode stacking apparatus 1 will be described. A first electrode element 10 is supplied to the first conveyor 6 by a negative electrode supply device (not shown) and placed on the transport surface. A second electrode element 20 is supplied to the second conveyor 8 by a positive electrode supply device (not shown) and placed on the transport surface. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the electrode elements 10 and 20 are placed so that the long side (one side provided with the tab portion) of the rectangular metal foil is directed in the transport directions D1 and D2. The

  The control unit 60 controls the rotary picker 30 so that the first electrode element 10 and the second electrode element 20 are alternately held by the suction units 38 of the rotary picker 30. The expansion / contraction and adsorption operation by the adsorption unit 38 is performed. The control unit 60 controls the first conveyor 6 and the second conveyor 8 in accordance with the suction operation and the suction timing by the rotary picker 30, and sets the electrode elements 10 and 20 to the first supply position P1 and the second supply position P2. Supply. The control unit 60 controls the conveyance unit 34 that has arrived on the stacking position S, and causes the expansion / contraction unit 37 to expand and contract and the releasing operation by the suction unit 38.

  FIGS. 3A to 3C are plan views showing the conveyance and stacking conditions of the electrode elements 10 and 20 as the rotary picker 30 rotates. In each drawing of FIG. 3, serial numbers 1 to 10 are assigned to the arm portions 36 in a clockwise direction so that changes in the positions of the suction portions 38 can be easily understood. In the following description, the suction portion 38 is referred to as “first (n-th) suction portion 38” or the like. In each drawing of FIG. 3, a broken-line circle indicates that the electrode elements 10 and 20 are acquired or released (laminated) at a portion surrounded by the circle.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, when the first suction portion 38 that holds the second electrode element 20 arrives on the stacking position S, the first electrode element is already on the uppermost surface of the stacking stage 4. 10 is placed. The first electrode element 10 is an electrode element released and placed by the tenth suction portion 38 that has passed through the stacking position S. The control unit 60 controls the expansion / contraction part 37 and the suction part 38 to release the second electrode element 20 held by the suction part 38 and to stack the first electrode element 10 on the first electrode element 10. At this time, the control unit 60 controls the sixth adsorption unit 38 to cause the adsorption unit 38 to adsorb and hold the first electrode element 10 at the first supply position P1. The control unit 60 controls the third adsorption unit 38 to cause the adsorption unit 38 to adsorb and hold the second electrode element 20 at the second supply position P2. At this time, the first electrode element 10 is held by suction on the second suction portion 38 and the fourth suction portion 38, respectively. No suction is held on the fifth suction portion 38.

  Subsequently, the control unit 60 controls the rotary picker 30 to rotate and stop the rotary picker 30 by 36 degrees. In response to this, the control unit 60 advances the transport surfaces of the first conveyor 6 and the second conveyor 8. As shown in FIG. 3B, when the second suction portion 38 that holds the first electrode element 10 arrives on the stacking position S, the above-described second electrode element 20 is placed on the stacking stage 4. It is placed. The control unit 60 controls the expansion and contraction unit 37 and the suction unit 38 to release the first electrode element 10 held by the suction unit 38 and stack the first electrode element 10 on the second electrode element 20. At this time, the above-described second electrode element 20 is sucked and held in the third suction portion 38. The above-mentioned first electrode element 10 is adsorbed and held in the fourth adsorption unit 38 and the sixth adsorption unit 38, respectively. No suction is held on the fifth suction portion 38.

  At this time, the control unit 60 does not perform the suction operation on the seventh suction unit 38 on the first supply position P1, and the suction unit 38 passes over the first supply position P1. Just do it. The control unit 60 keeps the suction operation for the fourth suction unit 38 on the second supply position P2, and the suction unit 38 holds the first electrode element 10 while holding the suction. Passes over the supply position P2.

  Subsequently, the control unit 60 controls the rotary picker 30 to rotate and stop the rotary picker 30 by 36 degrees. In response to this, the control unit 60 advances the transport surfaces of the first conveyor 6 and the second conveyor 8. As shown in FIG. 3C, when the first suction unit 38 that holds the second electrode element 20 arrives on the stacking position S, the control unit 60 performs the above-described case of FIG. The same control is performed to operate each suction unit 38.

  The controller 60 alternately stacks the first electrode elements 10 and the second electrode elements 20 on the stacking stage 4 by repeating the above control and operation. The controller 60 conveys the electrode elements 10 and 20 in a predetermined order by the respective suction portions 38 while rotating the rotary picker 30 in the rotation direction D3, and each time the respective suction portions 38 reach the stacking position S. Then, the electrode element 10 or 20 sucked and held by the suction portion 38 is released and stacked on the stacking stage 4. In this series of operations, the control unit 60 rotates and stops the rotary picker 30 by 36 degrees, and the electrode element 10 or 20 is stacked by the suction unit 38 on the stacking position S while the rotary picker 30 is stopped. Let

  As apparent from FIGS. 3A to 3C, in the stacking operation by the electrode stacking apparatus 1, the suction portion 38 positioned between the second supply position P <b> 2 and the stacking position S is always the first electrode element. 10 or the second electrode element 20 is held by suction. In adjacent adsorbing portions 38, the types of electrode elements to be adsorbed and held are different. The suction part 38 on the stacking position S always releases the first electrode element 10 or the second electrode element 20 and stacks them. In other words, the suction unit 38 does not pass over the stacking position S without doing anything, and always performs the stacking operation. The adsorbing part 38 (four adsorbing parts 38 not including the laminating position S and the first supply position P1 and located in the middle) positioned between the stacking position S and the first supply position P1 is always Is not adsorbed and retained. In addition, among the ten suction portions 38, five suction portions 38 exclusively hold the first electrode element 10, and the other five suction portions 38 exclusively hold the second electrode element 20. Holding by adsorption.

  According to the electrode stacking method and the electrode stacking apparatus 1 of the present embodiment described above, the rotary picker 30 having the plurality of suction portions 38 is electroded in a predetermined order by each suction portion 38 while rotating in the rotation direction D3. Convey elements 10,20. And when each adsorption | suction part 38 reaches | attains on the lamination | stacking position S, the electrode elements 10 and 20 adsorbed and hold | maintained at the said adsorption | suction part 38 are released and laminated | stacked. As described above, once the electrode elements 10 and 20 are held by suction, the holding state is maintained until the stacking position S is reached, and the electrode elements 10 and 20 are not released during that time. Therefore, the positional deviation of the electrode elements 10 and 20 with respect to the suction portion 38 is reduced, and the electrode elements 10 and 20 are stacked with high accuracy at the stacking position S. Furthermore, since the electrode elements 10 and 20 are stacked each time the respective suction portion 38 reaches the stacking position S, the suction portion 38 that passes over the stacking position S (passes through without doing anything). No) The electrode elements 10 and 20 are stacked. Therefore, there is no waste in the working time of the laminating work, and the laminating speed of the electrode elements 10 and 20 (the number of laminated layers per rotation of the rotary picker 30) is increased. As a result, the laminate can be completed in a shorter time.

  In the conventional technique described in Patent Document 1, the negative electrode and the separator are stacked in one time when the negative electrode suction pad reaches the stacking stage twice. Similarly, the positive electrode and the separator are stacked in one of the two times when the positive electrode suction pad reaches the stacking stage twice. In other words, when focusing on the stacking stage, nothing is stacked on the stacking stage once every two times. As described above, since there is a time when nothing is stacked on the stacking stage, a waiting time (accompanying work time) occurs. Further, since the separator is adsorbed and released twice, there is a tendency that the positions of the electrode elements stacked on the stacking stage may vary. Furthermore, there is a risk that the separator is picked up and released twice, and foreign matter is picked up during that time.

  According to the electrode laminating method and the electrode laminating apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the possibility of such a decrease in position accuracy and the risk of picking up foreign substances are reduced, and the electrode elements 10 and 20 can be accurately laminated. .

  Further, since the rotary picker is rotated and stopped by 36 degrees, the rotary picker 30 stops each time the suction part 38 reaches the stacking position S. Then, while the rotary picker 30 is stopped, the electrode elements 10 and 20 are stacked. Therefore, the adsorption holding and lamination of the electrode elements 10 and 20 are reliably and easily performed. Furthermore, the positional accuracy when the electrode elements 10 and 20 are held by suction is also improved.

  Further, the number of the suction portions 38 is as large as ten. Therefore, the electrode elements 10 and 20 are acquired in small increments while the rotary picker 30 makes one rotation, and the number of times the electrode elements 10 and 20 are stacked is increased. Thereby, the lamination speed is further increased.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, an electrode laminating apparatus 1A using a rotary picker 30A having three suction portions 38 may be used. In this case, the stacking position S, the first supply position P1, and the second supply position P2 are arranged so as to be separated from each other by 120 degrees in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis C. The control unit 60 rotates the rotary picker 30A by 120 degrees. Also by the electrode laminating apparatus 1A, the electrode elements 10 and 20 are laminated each time the adsorption portion 38 is positioned on the lamination position S, and the electrode elements 10 and 20 are laminated with high accuracy. Moreover, the lamination speed of the electrode elements 10 and 20 is increased. In this case, when attention is paid to the individual adsorption portions 38, the adsorption portions 38 alternately adsorb and hold the first electrode elements 10 and the second electrode elements 20.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, an electrode stacking apparatus 1B using a rotating picker 30B having four suction portions 38 may be used. In this case, the first supply position P1 and the stacking position S are arranged so as to be 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis C in the clockwise direction when viewed in plan. The stacking position S, the second supply position P2, the second supply position P2, and the first supply position P1 are arranged so as to be spaced apart by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis C when viewed in plan. The The controller 60 rotates the rotary picker 30B by 90 degrees. Also by the electrode laminating apparatus 1B, the electrode elements 10 and 20 are laminated each time the adsorption portion 38 is positioned on the lamination position S, and the electrode elements 10 and 20 are laminated with high accuracy. Moreover, the lamination speed of the electrode elements 10 and 20 is increased. In this case, when attention is paid to the individual suction portions 38, the two suction portions 38 having a positional relationship of 180 degrees around the rotation axis C exclusively hold the first electrode element 10 by suction. The other two suction portions 38 having a positional relationship of 180 degrees to the center exclusively hold the second electrode element 20 by suction.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, an electrode stacking apparatus 1C using a rotary picker 30C having five suction portions 38 may be used. In this case, the 2nd electrode element 20A which consists of the positive electrode which has the metal foil 22 and the tab part 24 and is not wrapped with the separator may be conveyed by the 2nd conveyor 8. FIG. Between the stacking position S and the first supply position P1, a separator supply conveyor 71 for supplying the individual separators 26A to the third supply position P3 may be provided. Between the 1st supply position P1 and the 2nd supply position P2, the separator supply conveyor 72 for supplying the separator 26A of a piece to the 4th supply position P4 may be provided. In this case, the stacking position S and the first supply position P1 to the fourth supply position P4 are arranged so as to be separated by 72 degrees in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis C. The control unit 60 rotates the rotary picker 30C by 72 degrees. Also with the electrode laminating apparatus 1C, the electrode elements 10, 20A, and 26A are laminated each time the suction portion 38 is positioned on the laminating position S, and the electrode elements 10, 20A, and 26A are accurately laminated. Further, the stacking speed of the electrode elements 10, 20A, 26A is increased.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described modification, and the number of the transport units 34 (that is, the suction units 38) may be any number as long as it is plural. A larger number of the suction units 38 can increase the stacking speed (the number of stacked layers during one rotation of the rotary picker 30). However, if the interval (center angle) between the adjacent transport units 34 is too small, the suction unit 38 is used. There may be a problem that they interfere with each other. If the arm portion 36 is lengthened in order to avoid interference between the suction portions 38, the ground contact area of the electrode stacking apparatus 1 increases and the apparatus becomes larger. Thus, since the number of the adsorbing portions 38 and the size of the electrode stacking apparatus 1 are in a trade-off relationship, these may be appropriately set according to the situation / conditions. Note that the number of the suction portions 38 may be an even number or an odd number.

  The plurality of transport units 34 are not limited to the aspect having the arm unit 36. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a rotating plate portion 39 that rotates about the rotation axis C is provided, and a plurality of conveying portions 34 </ b> D (examples shown) are arranged at equal intervals on the peripheral portion of the rotating plate portion 39. A rotary picker 30D having six) may be used. In this case, each of the conveyance units 34D includes an expansion / contraction unit 37D and a suction unit 38D.

  The supply position is not limited to the above aspect. When a plurality of supply positions are provided, when a certain suction portion 38 is positioned on the stacking position S, the other plurality of suction portions 38 are set to be positioned on the supply positions of the electrode elements. That's fine. The supply position may be set so as to be separated from the stacking position S (stacking stage 4) by an angle that is an integral multiple of 360 degrees divided by the number of supply units.

  There may be one supply position. When only one supply unit is provided, a plurality of types of electrode elements can be mixed and transported in a predetermined order by the supply unit.

  A plurality of stacking positions may be provided. In that case, a supply unit for supplying a plurality of types of electrode elements is provided on the upstream side in the rotation direction D3 from the first stacking position and on the downstream side in the rotation direction D3 from the second stacking position. Furthermore, a supply unit for supplying a plurality of types of electrode elements is provided on the upstream side in the rotation direction D3 from the second stacking position and on the downstream side in the rotation direction D3 from the first stacking position.

  The stacking position is not limited to the stacking stage. For example, lamination may be performed directly on the conveyor belt of the carry-out conveyor to obtain the lamination position. In this case, it is only necessary to drive the carry-out conveyor after carrying out the lamination to carry out the laminated body, and there is no need to return the lamination stage to a fixed position.

  The control unit 60 is not limited to a mode in which the rotation picker is stopped each time the suction unit 38 is positioned on the stacking position S and the supply positions P1 and P2. The control unit 60 may continuously rotate the rotary picker. In that case, the speeds of the conveyors 6 and 8 at the supply positions P1 and P2 and the speed of the suction unit 38 (peripheral speed of each transport unit 34) are equalized, so that each device can have a relative speed of zero. It may be controlled.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A-1C ... Electrode lamination | stacking apparatus, 4 ... Lamination | stacking stage (lamination part), 6 ... 1st conveyor (supply part), 8 ... 2nd conveyor (supply part), 10 ... 1st electrode element (electrode element), DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 ... 2nd electrode element (electrode element), 26 ... Separator (electrode element), 26A ... Individual piece separator, 30, 30A-30C, 30D ... Rotary picker, 38, 38D ... Adsorption part, 60 ... Control part, 71 , 72 ... separator supply conveyor (supply section), C ... rotation axis, D3 ... rotation direction (one direction), P1 ... first supply position (stacking position), P2 ... second supply position (stacking position), S ... stacking position.

Claims (4)

A rotary picker that can rotate in a predetermined direction around the rotation axis and has a plurality of suction portions arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis, and below the passage path of the suction portion The sheet-like electrode element supplied to the supply position located at the suction position is sucked and held, and the electrode element is conveyed in the circumferential direction by the rotation of the rotary picker. A method of laminating electrodes in a predetermined order,
When the suction part is located on the stacking position, the other suction part is located on the supply position,
While rotating the rotary picker in the one direction, the electrode elements are transported in the predetermined order by the respective suction units,
An electrode stacking method in which the electrode elements sucked and held by the suction portion are released and stacked each time each suction portion reaches the stacking position.   The rotary picker is rotated and stopped by an angle obtained by dividing 360 degrees by the number of the suction portions, and the electrode elements are stacked by the suction portions on the stacking position while the rotary picker is stopped. The electrode lamination method according to claim 1.   3. The electrode stacking method according to claim 1, wherein the number of the adsorption portions is larger than the sum of the number of the supply positions and the number of the stack positions. It is rotatable in a predetermined direction around the rotation axis, and has a plurality of suction portions arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis, and holds the sheet-like electrode element by suction. A rotating picker for conveying in the circumferential direction;
A supply unit for supplying the electrode element to a supply position located below a passage path of the adsorption unit;
A laminating portion for receiving and laminating the electrode elements in a predetermined order from the suction portion of the rotary picker at a laminating position located below the passage path;
A control unit for controlling rotation and adsorption / release in the rotary picker,
The supply unit and the stacking unit are configured such that when the suction unit is positioned on the stacking position, the other suction unit is positioned on the supply position,
The controller is
While rotating the rotary picker in the one direction, the electrode elements are conveyed in the predetermined order by the respective suction portions,
An electrode stacking apparatus that releases and stacks the electrode elements sucked and held by the sucking portion each time each of the sucking portions reaches the stacking position.

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