JP2023132202A - Manufacturing method and manufacturing device for laminate battery - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing method for a laminate battery with which it is possible to realize improvement in productivity while maintaining highly accurate quality; and a manufacturing device for conducting such a method.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method is for a laminate battery B formed by alternately laminating a plurality of positive electrode sheets 13A and a plurality of negative electrode sheets 10A, and respectively interposing separators 11, 12 between the positive electrode sheets 13A and the negative electrode sheets 10A. The method includes: a step for sandwiching the plurality of positive electrode sheets 13A or the plurality of negative electrode sheets 10A arranged in a line by the separators 11, 12 that have a long shape, respectively from below and above; a division step for dividing each separators 11, 12 into pieces so that each pair of the separators 11, 12 sandwiching one positive electrode sheets 13A or one negative electrode sheets 10A from below and above; and a lamination step for alternately laminating the negative electrode sheets 10A and the positive electrode sheets 13A, which are each sandwiched by the divided separators 11, 12, thereby forming an electrode laminated body 15 including a predetermined number of the positive electrode sheets 13A and the negative electrode sheets 10A being laminated and having the separators 11, 12 interposed therebetween.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a stacked battery, and an apparatus for manufacturing a stacked battery that implements the manufacturing method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a stacked battery is known in which a plurality of electrode plates, such as a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, are alternately stacked one after another, each with a separator interposed therebetween.
Various methods have been proposed for manufacturing the laminated battery. For example, in Patent Document 1, on both sides of a negative electrode sheet consisting of a long strip-shaped negative electrode core coated with a negative electrode active material layer, After forming a laminated sheet by adhering the long belt-shaped first separator and second separator to each other via an adhesive layer made of an adhesive sheet or an adhesive, and cutting the formed laminated sheet into a predetermined shape, By alternately stacking a plurality of cut laminated sheets (negative electrode plates sandwiched between two separators) and a plurality of pre-prepared positive electrode plates, the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are formed. A method for manufacturing the above-described stacked battery in which the batteries are stacked alternately with separators in between is disclosed.
Further, for example, in Patent Document 2, as one method for laminating separators that insulate a positive electrode sheet and a negative electrode sheet, a method is described in which separators are laminated on both sides of a negative electrode sheet and are at least partially adhered with an adhesive. discloses a method for manufacturing a stacked battery.

International Publication No. 2018/021263 JP2020-161331 Publication

By the way, in recent years, the demand for stacked batteries with such a configuration has been increasing, and there is an increasing demand for improving productivity (the number of stacked batteries manufactured per unit time) in the manufacturing process of the stacked batteries. It has become.
However, in the manufacturing method in Patent Document 1, a negative electrode plate sandwiched between two separators is prepared in advance by cutting a laminated sheet, so that, for example, a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates, Although a slight improvement in productivity can be expected compared to the case where multiple separators are laminated one after another in order, it is still necessary to stack long strips of separators when laminating multiple positive and negative electrode plates. It takes time to produce a laminated sheet by adhering the first separator and the second separator, respectively, and it is difficult to obtain sufficient effects that meet the above requirements.
In addition, in the manufacturing method in Patent Document 2, the separators are laminated on both sides of the negative electrode sheet and are at least partially adhered with an adhesive, so compared to the manufacturing method in Patent Document 1, at least Although the step of providing a layer can be omitted and productivity can be further improved, it has been difficult to obtain sufficient effects that meet the above requirements even with this manufacturing method.

The present invention has been made in view of the current problems described above, and provides a method for manufacturing a stacked battery that can improve productivity while maintaining high precision quality, and the method. The objective is to provide manufacturing equipment that performs the following steps.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and next, means for solving this problem will be explained.

That is, the method for producing a stacked battery according to the present invention is a method for producing a stacked battery in which a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are alternately stacked, and separators are interposed between the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates. a step of sandwiching a plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates arranged in a row with elongated separators from above and below, and a dividing step of dividing the separators into separators that sandwich one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate from above and below, By alternately stacking the negative electrode plates and positive electrode plates sandwiched between the divided separators, an electrode stack consisting of a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates stacked in a predetermined number with the separators interposed is formed. It is characterized by comprising a lamination step.
Moreover, the manufacturing apparatus for a laminated battery according to the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing a laminated battery in which a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are alternately laminated, and a separator is interposed between each of the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates. A separator supply device that sandwiches a plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates arranged in a row with long separators from above and below, and a dividing device that divides the separators into separators that sandwich one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate from above and below. By alternately stacking the negative electrode plates and positive electrode plates sandwiched between the divided separators, a plurality of electrode stacks consisting of a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are laminated at a predetermined number with the separators interposed. and an electrode plate mounting device forming a body.
As described above, in the method and apparatus for manufacturing a stacked battery according to the present invention, a plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates arranged in a row are sandwiched between long separators from above and below, and one positive electrode plate or negative electrode is attached to the separator. By dividing the plate into separators that sandwich the top and bottom of the plate, and alternately stacking the negative and positive plates sandwiched between the divided separators, a plurality of positive plates are stacked in a predetermined number with the separators interposed. and a negative electrode plate to form an electrode stack.
Therefore, compared to conventional laminated battery manufacturing equipment that generates laminated sheets and forms electrode laminates by gluing elongated strip-shaped separators on top and bottom of positive and negative electrode sheets, at least It becomes possible to reduce the number of layer formation steps and shorten the process, thereby improving the productivity of the manufactured stacked battery.
Furthermore, as described above, the formed plurality of electrode stacks is cut and divided into individual electrode stacks, so the separator interposed between each positive electrode plate and negative electrode plate becomes bag-shaped. , each positive electrode plate and negative electrode plate are sufficiently held, and, for example, it is possible to prevent the stacked positive electrode plate and negative electrode plate from collapsing, etc., and to obtain a high-quality stacked battery. .

Further, in the method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to the present invention, in the stacking step, one positive electrode plate or one negative electrode plate is sandwiched between the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates from above and below between long separators. It is preferable that the upper and lower separators are formed into a bag shape and welded together so as to surround the periphery.
Further, in the stacked battery manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the electrode plate mounting device is configured to hold the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates between the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates from above and below with elongated separators. It is preferable that the upper and lower separators are formed into a bag shape and welded so as to surround the negative electrode plate.
With such a configuration, the upper and lower separators can be formed into a bag shape and welded to surround one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate while being sandwiched between long separators from above and below. , one positive electrode plate or one negative electrode plate can be reliably disposed within the bag-shaped separator, and a stacked battery of high quality can be stably obtained.

Further, in the method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to the present invention, in the stacking step, when the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are alternately stacked, either the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate is moved to the stacking position. At the same time as the arrangement, it is preferable to hold either the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate in order to move it to the stacking position.
Further, in the stacked battery manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the electrode plate mounting device may place one of the positive electrode plates or the negative electrode plates when alternately stacking the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates. At the same time as being placed in the stacking position, it is preferable to hold either the positive electrode plate or the negative plate in order to move it to the stacking position.
By having such a configuration, when the positive electrode plates and the negative electrode plates are alternately stacked, it is possible to simultaneously place either the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate to the stacking position and move the other to the stacking position. As a result, a more stable and high quality stacked battery can be obtained.

Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to the present invention, before the dividing step, the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates are sandwiched between elongated separators from above and below, and the one positive electrode plate or It is preferable to bond the upper and lower separators around the negative electrode plate at multiple locations.
Further, in the stacked battery manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, on the upstream side of the dividing device, the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates are sandwiched between elongated separators from above and below, and the one positive electrode plate is Alternatively, it is preferable to include an adhesive device that adheres upper and lower separators around the negative electrode plate at a plurality of locations.
With such a configuration, the positive or negative electrode plate can be placed in the position where it is packaged by the bag-like separator without shifting, and the positive or negative electrode plate can be placed inside the bag-like separator. can be reliably welded.

The present invention has the following effects.
That is, according to the method and apparatus for manufacturing a stacked battery according to the present invention, it is possible to improve productivity while maintaining highly accurate quality.

FIG. 3 is a diagram sequentially showing the method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to the present invention over time, and is a schematic cross-sectional view showing each state of the stacked battery formed in steps (a) to (e). 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of a stacked battery manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a stacked battery manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for cutting a strip-shaped electrode plate into a predetermined shape. FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams chronologically showing a method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and are schematic cross-sectional diagrams showing each state of the stacked battery formed by (a) to (f). It is a diagram. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the overall configuration of a stacked battery manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the configuration of a separator supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view showing the composition of the adhesion device concerning the second embodiment of the present invention.

Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 1 to 4.

[Manufacturing method of stacked battery]
Stacked battery B of the present invention is a rechargeable and dischargeable secondary battery, and includes a positive electrode sheet that is a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet that is a negative electrode sheet, and insulates these positive electrode sheets and negative electrode sheets. It includes an electrode stack in which separators are stacked. The positive electrode sheet includes a positive electrode current collector (such as aluminum) and positive electrode mixture layers formed on both sides of the positive electrode current collector. The positive electrode mixture layer is composed of a positive electrode mixture slurry containing a positive electrode active material (such as lithium cobalt oxide), a conductive agent, and a binder. The negative electrode sheet includes a negative electrode current collector (copper or the like) and negative electrode mixture layers formed on both sides of the negative electrode current collector. The negative electrode mixture layer is composed of a negative electrode mixture slurry containing a negative electrode active material (such as graphite), a conductive agent, and a binder.

[Stacked battery manufacturing device (first embodiment)]
The method for manufacturing the stacked battery B according to the first embodiment includes a first step of cutting the negative electrode sheet 10 into the negative electrode plate 10A, a second step of forming the negative electrode tab 10Aa on the negative electrode plate 10A, and a second step of cutting the negative electrode sheet 10 into the negative electrode plate 10A. A third step in which a plurality of negative electrode plates 10A are lined up and sandwiched between long separators 11 and 12 from above and below; A fourth step of dividing the two negative electrode plates 10A into separators 11 and 12 that sandwich the upper and lower sides, and alternately stacking the negative electrode plates 10A and positive electrode plates 13A sandwiched between the separators 11 and 12 divided in the fourth step. a fifth step; and a sixth step of welding the surrounding portions of the separators 11 and 12 sandwiched between the negative electrode plate 10A and the positive electrode plate 13A stacked in the fifth step to form a bag-shaped separator. , and a seventh step of packaging the electrode laminate 15, which is a laminate of the negative electrode plate 10A and the positive electrode plate 13A wrapped in a bag in the sixth step, with a separator 16.

The formation process of the stacked battery B according to the first embodiment will be explained using FIG. 1.
The negative electrode sheet 10 having the negative electrode tab 10Aa formed in the first step and the second step is sent downstream of the manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 1(a), in the third step, the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A are arranged and sandwiched between elongated separators 11 and 12 from above and below. Next, as shown in FIG. 1(b), in a fourth step, one negative electrode plate 10A is divided into separators 11 and 12 that sandwich the upper and lower sides. Next, as shown in FIGS. 1(c) and 1(d), in a fifth step, the negative electrode plate 10A and the positive electrode plate 13A sandwiched between the separators 11 and 12 divided in the fourth step are alternately laminated. do. Next, as shown in FIG. 1(e), in the sixth step, the parts around the separators 11 and 12 sandwiched between the negative electrode plate 10A and the positive electrode plate 13A stacked in the fifth step are welded. to make a bag-shaped separator. Finally, in a seventh step, the electrode laminate 15, which is a laminate of the negative electrode plate 10A and the positive electrode plate 13A, is wrapped with a separator 16.

In this embodiment, the stacked battery B is constructed by wrapping each divided electrode stack 15 several times with separators 16 to restrict the stacked structure several times. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stacked battery B may be formed by having each divided electrode stack 15 without having the separator 16.

[Stacked battery manufacturing device (first embodiment)]
Next, the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 100 for the stacked battery B according to the first embodiment will be described using FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 100 for manufacturing the electrode stack 15 in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(e).

As shown in FIG. 2, the manufacturing apparatus 100 processes the negative electrode sheet 10 and the positive electrode sheet 13 arranged at both ends into one negative electrode plate 10A and one positive electrode plate 13A in the process of conveying them to the center side, This is an apparatus for forming the electrode stack 15 on a rotary table 56. First, the processing lane 21 for processing the negative electrode plate 10A from the negative electrode sheet 10 into the negative electrode plate 10A will be described. A roll 10R around which the negative electrode sheet 10 is wound is arranged at the most upstream side of the processing lane 21 of the negative electrode plate 10A.

A conveyance roller 22 is provided downstream of the roll 10R. The conveyance roller 22 conveys the long negative electrode sheet 10 fed out from the roll 10R to the downstream of the processing lane 21 under tension. A trimming device 23 is arranged downstream of the conveyance roller 22. The trimming device 23 is a device that forms the negative electrode tab 10Aa by cutting one end, as shown in FIG.

The negative electrode tab 10Aa of the negative electrode plate 10A is formed by cutting out a part of one end of the negative electrode plate 10A. A negative electrode mixture layer 10Ab is formed in a portion of the negative electrode plate 10A other than the negative electrode tab 10Aa.

A cutting device 24 is arranged further downstream of the trimming device 23. The cutting device 24 is a device that divides the long negative electrode sheet 10 on which the negative electrode tabs 10Aa are formed into strip-shaped negative electrode plates 10A. The cutting device 24 can use a laser beam, a cutter, or the like.

One strip-shaped negative electrode plate 10A is divided so that one negative electrode tab 10Aa is arranged. Further, the cutting device 24 cuts so as to chamfer the end opposite to the end where the negative electrode tab 10Aa is formed, as shown in FIG.

A separator supply device 25 is arranged downstream of the cutting device 24. The separator supply device 25 is a device that arranges separators 11 and 12 above and below the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A. The separator supply device 25 includes a grip part 31 for moving the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A upward, a lower separator supply part 32 for laying the separators 11 and 12 below the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A, and a lower separator supply part 32 for laying the separators 11 and 12 below the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A. An upper separator supply section 33 for laying the separator 12 above the separator 10A is provided.

The gripping section 31 is a device that moves the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A upward and grips them. The lower separator supply section 32 includes a roll 11R around which a long separator 11 is wound, and a feeding section 32a that feeds out the long separator 11 from the roll 11R. The feeding section 32a is composed of a suction belt and a feeding roller, and sucks the separator 11 with the suction belt and feeds it out. Further, the upper separator supply section 33 includes a roll 12R around which a long separator 12 is wound, and a feeding section 33a that feeds out the long separator 12 from the roll 12R. The feeding section 33a is composed of a suction belt and a feeding roller, and sucks the separator 12 with the suction belt and feeds it out.

A separator cutting device 26 is arranged downstream of the separator supply device 25 . The separator cutting device 26 is a dividing device that cuts and divides the periphery of one negative electrode plate 10A sandwiched between the long separators 11 and 12 into a size that can be packaged. By cutting the separators 11 and 12, the separator cutting device 26 aligns a plurality of the separators 11 and 12 with the separators 11 and 12 placed above and below one negative electrode plate 10A.

Next, the processing lane 41 for processing the positive electrode plate 13A from the positive electrode sheet 13 into the positive electrode plate 13A will be explained using FIG. A roll 13R around which the positive electrode sheet 13 is wound is arranged at the most upstream side of the processing lane 41 of the positive electrode plate 13A.

A conveyance roller 42 is provided downstream of the roll 13R. The conveyance roller 42 conveys the long positive electrode sheet 13 fed out from the roll 13R to the downstream of the processing lane 41 under tension. A trimming device 43 is arranged downstream of the conveyance roller 42. The trimming device 43 is a device that forms the positive electrode tab 13Aa by cutting one end, as shown in FIG. The positive electrode tab 13Aa of the positive electrode plate 13A is formed by cutting out a part of one end of the positive electrode plate 13A. A positive electrode mixture layer 13Ab is formed in a portion of the positive electrode plate 13A other than the positive electrode tab 13Aa.

A cutting device 44 is arranged further downstream of the trimming device 43. The cutting device 44 is a device that divides the long positive electrode sheet 13 on which the positive electrode tabs 13Aa are formed into rectangular positive electrode plates 13A. The cutting device 44 can use a laser beam, a cutter, or the like.

One strip-shaped positive electrode plate 13A is divided so that one positive electrode tab 13Aa is arranged. Further, the cutting device 44 cuts so as to chamfer the end opposite to the end where the positive electrode tab 13Aa is formed, as shown in FIG.

An electrode plate holding device 51, which is an example of an electrode plate mounting device, is arranged in the center of the manufacturing apparatus 100, where the downstream end of the processing lane 21 for the negative electrode plate 10A and the downstream end of the processing lane 41 for the positive electrode plate 13A are arranged. be done.

The electrode plate holding device 51 is a device that alternately stacks a plurality of positive electrode plates 13A and negative electrode plates 10A. More specifically, the electrode plate holding device 51 places either the positive electrode plate 13A or the negative electrode plate 10A in the stacking position, and at the same time moves either the positive electrode plate 13A or the negative electrode plate 10A to the stacking position. It is a device to hold (pick) for The electrode plate holding device 51 includes a first transfer arm 52, a second transfer arm 53, and a support column 54 that rotatably supports the first transfer arm 52 and the second transfer arm 53.

The first transfer arm 52 and the second transfer arm 53 have a gripping device 55 at the tip thereof that can grip a plurality of negative electrode plates 10A and positive electrode plates 13A. The gripping device 55 of the first transfer arm 52 grips the negative electrode plate 10A sandwiched between the separators 11 and 12 by air suction. Further, the gripping device 55 of the second transport arm 53 grips the positive electrode plate 13A by air suction.

The first transfer arm 52 and the second transfer arm 53 are arranged at 90 degrees with the support column 54 as the center in plan view. That is, when one of the first transfer arm 52 and the second transfer arm 53 grips the negative electrode plate 10A or the positive electrode plate 13A, one of them is arranged above the rotary table 56.

The rotary table 56 is configured to be rotatable around a support shaft extending in the vertical direction. Pallets 57 on which the electrode stack 15 is placed are provided on the rotary table 56 at positions 180 degrees opposite to each other.

[Operating procedure of stacked battery manufacturing device (first embodiment)]
Next, the operating procedure of the manufacturing apparatus 100 for the stacked battery B will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the negative electrode sheet 10 on which the negative electrode tabs 10Aa are formed is further divided into strip-shaped negative electrode plates 10A by a cutting device 24 on the downstream side. One strip-shaped negative electrode plate 10A is divided so that one negative electrode tab 10Aa is arranged. Further, the cutting device 24 cuts so as to chamfer the end opposite to the end where the negative electrode tab 10Aa is formed, as shown in FIG.

A plurality of cut negative electrode plates 10A are conveyed to the separator supply device 25 on the downstream side in a state where they are lined up. The separator 11 is placed below the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A by the lower separator supply section 32. First, the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A are moved upward by the gripping section 31. The separator 11 is wound around the roll 11R of the lower separator supply section 32, and is fed out by the feeding section 32a and placed on the lower surface of the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A. Next, the grip portion 31 is lowered, and the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A are arranged on the upper surface of the separator 11.

Next, the separator 12 is placed above the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A by the upper separator supply section 33. A plurality of negative electrode plates 10A are conveyed to the downstream side together with the separator 11 laid down on the upstream side. The separator 12 is wound around the roll 12R of the upper separator supply section 33, and is fed out by the feeding section 33a and placed on the upper surface of the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A.

Next, the long separators 11 and 12 are cut into a size that can be wrapped around one negative electrode plate 10A using the separator cutting device 26. By cutting the separators 11 and 12, a plurality of the separators 11 and 12 are arranged in a state in which the separators 11 and 12 are placed above and below one negative electrode plate 10A.

On the other hand, the positive electrode plate 13A is transported from the processing lane 41 for the positive electrode plate 13A. The positive electrode sheet 13 pulled out from the roll 13R is conveyed downstream of the processing lane 41 of the positive electrode plate 13A under tension by the conveyance roller 42. As shown in FIG. 4, the positive electrode sheet 13 conveyed downstream is cut at one end by a trimming device 43 to form a positive electrode tab 13Aa. The positive electrode tab 13Aa of the positive electrode plate 13A is formed by cutting out a part of one end of the positive electrode plate 13A. A positive electrode mixture layer 13Ab is formed in a portion of the positive electrode plate 13A other than the positive electrode tab 13Aa.

As shown in FIG. 2, the positive electrode sheet 13A on which the positive electrode tabs 13Aa are formed is further divided into strip-shaped positive electrode plates 13A by a cutting device 44 on the downstream side. One strip-shaped positive electrode plate 13A is divided so that one positive electrode tab 13Aa is arranged. Further, the cutting device 44 cuts so as to chamfer the end opposite to the end where the positive electrode tab 13Aa is formed, as shown in FIG.

Next, the plurality of positive electrode plates 13A and negative electrode plates 10A are alternately stacked using the electrode plate holding device 51. On the rotary table 56, the gripping device 55 of the first transport arm 52 places the second transport arm 53 on the negative electrode plate 10A, which is placed on the pallet 57 and is provided with separators 11 and 12 on the upper and lower sides. The positive electrode plate 13A that has been placed (picked) from the device 55 is placed (placed). By repeating this, the electrode stack 15 is placed on the pallet 57 of the rotary table 56.

By rotating the rotary table 56 by 180 degrees, the electrode stack 15 formed on the upstream side is transported to the downstream side of the rotary table 56. The electrode stack 15 transported to the downstream side of the rotary table 56 is further transported to a packaging device (not shown) located downstream of the manufacturing device 100. In the packaging device, the electrode laminate 15 is formed by welding the surrounding portions of the separators 11 and 12 sandwiched between the stacked negative electrode plate 10A and positive electrode plate 13A to form a bag-shaped separator. Furthermore, packaging is carried out by wrapping a separator 16 around the outermost periphery of the electrode laminate 15, which is made by stacking a plurality of bag-shaped separators.

[Stacked battery manufacturing device (second embodiment)]
The method for manufacturing the stacked battery B according to the second embodiment includes a first step of cutting the negative electrode sheet 10 into the negative electrode plate 10A, a second step of forming the negative electrode tab 10Aa on the negative electrode plate 10A, and a second step of cutting the negative electrode sheet 10 into the negative electrode plate 10A. A third step in which a plurality of negative electrode plates 10A are lined up and sandwiched between long separators 11 and 12 from above and below; A fourth step in which the upper and lower separators 11 and 12 of the two negative electrode plates 10A are bonded at multiple locations, and a fifth step in which the portions bonded in the fourth step are cut and divided into separate separators 11 and 12. and a sixth step of alternately laminating the negative electrode plate 10A and positive electrode plate 13A sandwiched between the separators 11 and 12 divided in the fifth step, and the negative electrode plate 10A and the positive electrode plate laminated in the sixth step. A seventh step of welding the surrounding portions of separators 11 and 12 sandwiched between 13A to form a bag-shaped separator, and a seventh step of welding the surrounding portions of separators 11 and 12 sandwiched between 13A and 13A, and a step of welding the negative electrode plate 10A and positive electrode plate 13A wrapped in a bag shape in the seventh step. and an eighth step of packaging the electrode laminate 15, which is a laminate, with a separator 16.

In this embodiment, the stacked battery B is constructed by wrapping each divided electrode stack 15 several times with separators 16 to restrict the stacked structure several times. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stacked battery B may be formed by having each divided electrode stack 15 without having the separator 16.

The formation process of the stacked battery according to the second embodiment will be described using FIG. 5.
The negative electrode sheet 10 having the negative electrode tab 10Aa formed in the first step and the second step is sent downstream of the manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 5(a), in the third step, a plurality of negative electrode plates 10A are arranged and sandwiched between elongated separators 11 and 12 from above and below. Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b), in a fourth step, the upper and lower separators 11 and 12 around one negative electrode plate 10A are bonded at multiple locations. Next, as shown in FIG. 5(c), in the fifth step, the parts including the bonded parts are cut to be divided. Next, as shown in FIGS. 5(d) and (e), in the sixth step, the negative electrode plate 10A and the positive electrode plate 13A sandwiched between the separators 11 and 112 divided in the fifth step are laminated alternately. do. Next, in the seventh step, as shown in FIG. Weld it to make a bag-shaped separator. Finally, in the eighth step, the electrode laminate 15, which is a laminate of the negative electrode plate 10A and the positive electrode plate 13A, is wrapped with a separator 16.

[Stacked battery manufacturing device (second embodiment)]
Next, the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 200 for a stacked battery B according to the second embodiment will be described using FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 200 for manufacturing the electrode laminate 15 in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(f).

As shown in FIG. 6, the manufacturing apparatus 200 processes the negative electrode sheet 10 and the positive electrode sheet 13 arranged at both ends into one negative electrode plate 10A and one positive electrode plate 13A in the process of conveying them to the center side. This is a device that forms the electrode stack 15 using a transport pallet 88. First, the processing lane 61 for processing the negative electrode plate 10A from the negative electrode sheet 10 into the negative electrode plate 10A will be described. A roll 10R around which the negative electrode sheet 10 is wound is arranged at the most upstream side of the processing lane 61 of the negative electrode plate 10A.

A conveyance roller 62 is provided downstream of the roll 10R. The conveyance roller 62 conveys the long negative electrode sheet 10 fed out from the roll 10R to the downstream of the processing lane 61 under tension. A trimming device 63 is arranged downstream of the conveyance roller 62. The trimming device 63 is a device that forms the negative electrode tab 10Aa by cutting one end, as shown in FIG.

The negative electrode tab 10Aa of the negative electrode plate 10A is formed by cutting out a part of one end of the negative electrode plate 10A. A negative electrode mixture layer 10Ab is formed in a portion of the negative electrode plate 10A other than the negative electrode tab 10Aa.

A feed roller 64 is provided further downstream of the trimming device 63. The feed roller 64 is a roller that feeds the negative electrode sheet 10 of a certain length to the cutting device 65 on the downstream side. A cutting device 65 is arranged downstream of the feed roller 64.

The cutting device 65 is a device that divides the long negative electrode sheet 10 on which the negative electrode tabs 10Aa are formed into strip-shaped negative electrode plates 10A. The cutting device 65 can use a laser beam, a cutter, or the like.

One strip-shaped negative electrode plate 10A is divided so that one negative electrode tab 10Aa is arranged. Further, the cutting device 65 cuts so as to chamfer the end opposite to the end where the negative electrode tab 10Aa is formed, as shown in FIG.

A feed roller 66 is provided downstream of the cutting device 65. The feed roller 66 is a roller that sends the cut negative electrode plate 10A to the separator supply device 67 on the downstream side. A separator supply device 67 is arranged downstream of the feed roller 66. The separator supply device 67 is a device that arranges separators 11 and 12 above and below the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A. The separator supply device 67 includes a lower separator supply section 71 that lays the separator 11 below the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A, and an upper separator supply section 72 that lays the separator 12 above the plurality of negative electrode plates.

The lower separator supply section 71 includes a roll 11R around which a long separator 11 is wound, and a feeding section 71a that feeds out the long separator 11 from the roll 11R. The feeding section 71a is composed of a suction belt and a feeding roller, and sucks the separator 11 with the suction belt and feeds it out. Further, the upper separator supply section 72 includes a roll 12R around which a long separator 12 is wound, and a feeding section 72a that feeds out the long separator 12 from the roll 12R. The feeding section 72a is composed of a suction belt and a feeding roller, and sucks the separator 12 with the suction belt and feeds it out.

A bonding device 68 is provided downstream of the separator supply device 67. The bonding device 68 is a device that thermally welds the upper and lower separators 11 and 12 by pressing and applying heat to the bonding locations of the upper and lower separators 11 and 12. The bonding device 68 includes a seal roller having a heat-pressing portion and a rod-shaped seal bar having a heat-pressing portion.

A separator cutting device 69 is arranged downstream of the bonding device 68. The separator cutting device 69 is a device that cuts the periphery of one negative electrode plate sandwiched between the elongated separators 11 and 12 into a size that can be packaged. By cutting the separators 11 and 12, the separator cutting device 69 aligns a plurality of the separators 11 and 12 with the separators 11 and 12 placed above and below one negative electrode plate 10A.

Next, the processing lane 81 for processing the positive electrode plate 13A from the positive electrode sheet 13 to the positive electrode plate 13A will be explained. A roll 13R around which the positive electrode sheet 13 is wound is arranged at the most upstream side of the processing lane 81 of the positive electrode plate 13A.

A conveyance roller 82 is provided downstream of the roll 13R. The conveyance roller 82 conveys the long positive electrode sheet 13 fed out from the roll 13R to the downstream of the processing lane 81 under tension. A trimming device 83 is arranged downstream of the conveyance roller 82. The trimming device 83 is a device that forms the positive electrode tab 13Aa by cutting one end, as shown in FIG. The positive electrode tab 13Aa of the positive electrode plate 13A is formed by cutting out a part of one end of the positive electrode plate 13A. A positive electrode mixture layer 13Ab is formed in a portion of the positive electrode plate 13A other than the positive electrode tab 13Aa.

A cutting device 84 is arranged further downstream of the trimming device 83. The cutting device 84 is a device that divides the long positive electrode sheet 13 on which the positive electrode tabs 13Aa are formed into rectangular positive electrode plates 13A. The cutting device 84 can use a laser beam, a cutter, or the like.

One strip-shaped positive electrode plate 13A is divided so that one positive electrode tab 13Aa is arranged. Furthermore, the cutting device 84 cuts the end so as to chamfer the end opposite to the end where the positive electrode tab 13Aa is formed, as shown in FIG.

A transfer arm 85, which is an example of an electrode plate mounting device, is arranged in the center of the manufacturing apparatus 200, where the downstream end of the processing lane 61 for the negative electrode plate 10A and the downstream end of the processing lane 81 for the positive electrode plate 13A are arranged. Ru.

The transfer arm 85 is a device that alternately stacks a plurality of positive electrode plates 13A and negative electrode plates 10A. More specifically, the transfer arm 85 holds either the positive electrode plate 13A or the negative electrode plate 10A in order to move either the positive electrode plate 13A or the negative electrode plate 10A to the stacking position at the same time as arranging either the positive electrode plate 13A or the negative electrode plate 10A to the stacking position. It is a device.
The transfer arm 85 includes a first grip part 86 and a second grip part 87.

The first gripping portion 86 grips the negative electrode plate 10A sandwiched between the separators 11 and 12 by air suction. Further, the second gripping portion 87 grips the positive electrode plate 13A by air suction.

The transport pallet 88 is a pallet on which the electrode stack 15 is placed, and is arranged on the transport surface of a transport device (not shown) that transports the electrode stack 15 to the downstream side.

[Operating procedure of stacked battery manufacturing apparatus (second embodiment)]
Next, the operating procedure of the stacked battery manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the processing lane 61 of the negative electrode plate 10A, the negative electrode sheet 10 pulled out from the roll 10R is conveyed under tension by the conveyance roller 62 to the downstream of the processing lane 61 of the negative electrode plate 10A. transported. The negative electrode sheet 10 conveyed downstream is cut by a trimming device 63 and one end thereof is cut by a cutting device 65 as shown in FIG. 4, thereby forming a negative electrode tab 10Aa.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the negative electrode sheet 10 on which the negative electrode tabs 10Aa are formed is further divided into strip-shaped negative electrode plates 10A by a cutting device 65 on the downstream side. One strip-shaped negative electrode plate 10A is divided so that one negative electrode tab 10Aa is arranged. Further, the cutting device 65 cuts so as to chamfer the end opposite to the end where the negative electrode tab 10Aa is formed, as shown in FIG.

A plurality of cut negative electrode plates 10A are conveyed to a separator supply device 67 on the downstream side by a feed roller 66 in a state where they are lined up. Separators 11 and 12 are placed above and below the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A. The separators 11 and 12 are wound around the roll 11R of the lower separator supply section 71 and the roll 12R of the upper separator supply section 72, and are fed out by the feeding sections 71a and 72a and applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the plurality of negative electrode plates 10A. Placed.

Next, the upper and lower separators 11 and 12 of one negative electrode plate 10A are bonded at a plurality of locations using a bonding device 68 such as a seal roller, for example. As shown in FIG. 8, the bonding locations are at multiple locations between adjacent long sides of the strip-shaped negative electrode plate 10A, as well as around corners and short sides. This restricts the movement of the strip-shaped negative electrode plate 10A in the long side direction and the short side direction.

Next, using a separator cutting device 69 such as a cutter roller, the long separators 11 and 12 are cut into a size that can be wrapped around one negative electrode plate. The cutting location is a portion between the adjacent long sides of the strip-shaped negative electrode plate 10A and including the bonding location bonded by the bonding device 68. By cutting the separators 11 and 12, a plurality of the separators 11 and 12 are arranged in a state in which the separators 11 and 12 are placed above and below one negative electrode plate 10A.

On the other hand, the positive electrode plate 13A is transported from the positive electrode plate 13A processing lane 81. The positive electrode sheet 13 pulled out from the roll 13R is conveyed downstream of the processing lane 81 of the positive electrode plate 13A under tension by the conveyance roller 82. The positive electrode sheet 13 transported downstream is cut off at one end by the trimming device 83, thereby forming a positive electrode tab 13Aa. The positive electrode tab 13Aa of the positive electrode plate 13A is formed by cutting out a part of one end of the positive electrode plate 13A. A positive electrode mixture layer 13Ab is formed in a portion of the positive electrode plate 13A other than the positive electrode tab 13Aa.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the positive electrode sheet 13 on which the positive electrode tabs 13Aa are formed is further divided into strip-shaped positive electrode plates 13A by a cutting device 84 on the downstream side. One strip-shaped positive electrode plate 13A is divided so that one positive electrode tab 13Aa is arranged. Furthermore, the cutting device 84 cuts the end so as to chamfer the end opposite to the end where the positive electrode tab 13Aa is formed, as shown in FIG.

Next, using the transfer arm 85, the plurality of positive electrode plates 13A and negative electrode plates 10A are alternately stacked.
On the transport pallet 88, the positive electrode plate 13A placed from the second gripping part 87 is placed on the negative electrode plate 10A placed from the first gripping part 86 of the transfer arm 85. By repeating this, the electrode stack 1 is placed on the transport pallet 88.

The electrode stack 15 placed on the transport pallet 88 is transported to a packaging device (not shown) located downstream of the manufacturing device 200. In the packaging device, the electrode laminate 15 is formed by welding the surrounding portions of the separators 11 and 12 sandwiched between the stacked negative electrode plate 10A and positive electrode plate 13A to form a bag-shaped separator. Furthermore, packaging is carried out by wrapping a separator 16 around the outermost periphery of the electrode laminate 15, which is made by stacking a plurality of bag-shaped separators.

Although one embodiment embodying the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such embodiment in any way, but is merely an example, and within the scope of the gist of the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various forms, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the description of the claims, and furthermore, the meaning of equivalents described in the claims and everything within the scope are including changes.

B Stacked battery 10 Negative electrode sheet 10A Negative electrode plate 10Aa Negative electrode tab 10Ab Negative electrode mixture layer 10R Roll 11 Separator 12 Separator 13 Positive electrode sheet 13A Positive electrode plate 13Aa Positive electrode tab 13Ab Positive electrode mixture layer 13R Roll 21 Processing lane 22 Conveyance roller 23 Trimming device 2 4 Cutting device 25 Separator supply device 26 Separator cutting device 31 Gripping section 32 Lower separator supply section 33 Upper separator supply section 41 Processing lane 42 Conveyance roller 43 Trimming device 44 Cutting device 51 Electrode plate holding device 52 First conveyance arm 53 Second conveyance arm

Claims (8)

A method for manufacturing a stacked battery comprising alternately stacking a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates, and interposing separators between the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates, the method comprising:
A step of sandwiching a plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates arranged in a row between long separators from above and below,
a dividing step of dividing the separator into separators that sandwich the upper and lower sides of one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate;
By alternately stacking the negative electrode plates and positive electrode plates sandwiched between the divided separators, an electrode stack consisting of a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates stacked in a predetermined number with the separators interposed is formed. comprising a lamination step,
A method for manufacturing a stacked battery, characterized by: In the lamination step,
With the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates sandwiched between long separators from above and below, the upper and lower separators are formed into a bag shape and welded so as to surround one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate,
The method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the lamination step,
When alternately stacking the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates, one of the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate is placed in the stacking position, and at the same time, either the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate is moved to the stacking position. hold for,
The method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before the dividing step,
With the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates sandwiched between long separators from above and below, the upper and lower separators around the one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate are adhered at multiple locations,
Cutting the upper and lower separators so as to surround one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate,
The method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: An apparatus for manufacturing a stacked battery, in which a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates are alternately stacked, and a separator is interposed between the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates,
a separator supply device that sandwiches a plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates arranged in a row between long separators from above and below;
a dividing device that divides the separator into separators that sandwich the upper and lower sides of one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate;
By alternately stacking the negative electrode plates and positive electrode plates sandwiched between the divided separators, a plurality of electrode laminates consisting of a plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates stacked at a predetermined number with the separators interposed are formed. an electrode plate mounting device for forming the electrode plate;
A manufacturing device for a laminated battery characterized by the following. The electrode plate mounting device includes:
With the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates sandwiched between long separators from above and below, the upper and lower separators are formed into a bag shape and welded so as to surround one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate,
The apparatus for manufacturing a stacked battery according to claim 5, characterized in that: The electrode plate mounting device includes:
When alternately stacking the plurality of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates, one of the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate is placed in the stacking position, and at the same time, either the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate is moved to the stacking position. hold for,
The method for manufacturing a stacked battery according to claim 5, characterized in that: On the upstream side of the dividing device,
comprising an adhesive device that adheres upper and lower separators around the one positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate at a plurality of locations, with the plurality of positive electrode plates or negative electrode plates sandwiched between elongated separators from above and below;
The laminated battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that:

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