JP2851138B2 - Lithium thin film supply device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying a strip-shaped lithium thin film, and more particularly to a manufacturing apparatus for obtaining a lithium thin film piece used as a negative electrode of a nonaqueous solvent battery. The present invention relates to an improvement of a supply device of a belt-like lithium thin film to be incorporated.

(Prior art) In recent years, a non-aqueous solvent battery using lithium as a negative electrode uses a non-aqueous electrolyte such as propylene carbonate, diethoxymethane, etc., and thus has a higher leakage resistance than a battery using an alkaline electrolyte. It is excellent in long-term storage characteristics and long-term microcurrent discharge characteristics. For this reason, such non-aqueous solvent batteries are used as a power source for driving a display element such as a calculator or an IC card having a built-in IC and for backing up its memory.

The above non-aqueous solvent battery has a diameter of 25 mm and a thickness of 3.5 m.
Coins with a JIS name CR type within m are generally used. The negative electrode of this type of coin-shaped non-aqueous solvent battery uses a lithium thin film, which is an extremely soft alkali light metal. The lithium thin film used for this negative electrode has a width of 20
~ 30mm, wall thickness 0.15 ~ 0.3mm is common,
In a recently developed and commercially available thin rectangular lithium battery having a thickness of 0.5 mm, an extremely thin lithium thin film is used. For example, for a 0.5mm thick lithium battery, 0.03 ~
A 0.15 mm lithium thin film is used as the negative electrode. Such a thick lithium thin film is sent to a cutting device from a hoop around which a belt-like lithium thin film is wound, and is cut into a predetermined size by this device or is punched into a desired shape.

By the way, as a supply device for supplying the strip-shaped lithium thin film to the cutting device, a gripper feeder type that conventionally supplies the thin lithium film while being sandwiched by fingers that are opened and closed by an air band, and a roll feeder system that supplies the thin lithium thin film through a pair of rollers. Is known.

However, in both the gripper feeder system and the roll feeder system, since pressure is directly applied to the belt-like lithium thin film to be supplied, there is a problem that a soft ultrathin lithium thin film is cracked or torn.

In order to solve such a problem, the present applicant has already proposed a belt-like lithium thin film supply device that supplies an endless belt of a rotary belt mechanism and a belt-like lithium thin film fed thereon while sandwiching the same with fingers. Kaisho 64-8914
No. 7).

However, in such a belt-like lithium thin film supply device, since the belt-like lithium thin film is sent to the cutting device in the next step while being pressed by the finger, it is easy to meander,
Stable supply was not always possible.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention has been made in order to solve the problem of the belt-like lithium thin film supply device that has been already proposed, and is pressed by a finger while the belt-like lithium thin film is sent to the next step. It is an object of the present invention to provide a belt-like lithium thin film supply device capable of preventing meandering and stably supplying a belt-like lithium thin film.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a rotating belt mechanism, a feed roller mechanism disposed above one end side of the rotating belt mechanism and wound with a belt-shaped lithium thin film, and the rotating mechanism. A first transport mechanism that reciprocates in the length direction of the belt mechanism and has at least one pair of fingers for sandwiching the endless belt of the rotary belt mechanism and the belt-shaped lithium thin film fed thereon; And a second transfer mechanism provided, wherein the second transfer mechanism reciprocates in conjunction with the finger, is movable up and down, and has an adsorption holding member for adsorbing the belt-shaped lithium thin film. While holding the endless belt and the belt-like lithium thin film sent thereon by the fingers, the belt-like lithium thin film extending from the endless belt is adsorbed by the adsorption holding member. An apparatus for feeding a strip-shaped lithium thin film, wherein the strip-shaped lithium thin film is transported by lifting and moving the suction holding member in synchronization with the finger.

(Operation) According to the supply device of the present invention, the second transport mechanism, which reciprocates and moves up and down in association with the finger and has an adsorption holding member for adsorbing the strip-shaped lithium thin film, includes By providing the belt-shaped lithium thin film, the belt-shaped lithium thin film can be prevented from being meandered by being pushed by the finger while being sent to the next step, and can be stably supplied.

That is, in the conventional belt-shaped lithium thin film supply apparatus which supplies the endless belt of the rotating belt mechanism and the belt-like lithium thin film sent thereon while reciprocating while sandwiching the fingers, the pressure by the finger is applied to the belt-like lithium thin film by the endless belt. Since it is not directly added, there is an advantage that a belt-like lithium thin film can be supplied without cracking or tearing. However, such an apparatus for supplying a belt-shaped lithium thin film has a structural limitation that a stroke distance for reciprocating operation of the finger must be ensured within a length range of the rotating belt mechanism. For this reason, even if the cutting device or the like in the next step is installed close to the end of the rotating belt mechanism, the strip-shaped lithium thin film corresponding to at least the stroke distance of the finger is sent to the next step while being pressed by the finger. In addition, there is a specific problem that it is easy to meander. In particular, when the stroke of the finger is increased in order to increase the supply efficiency of the strip-shaped lithium thin film, the above problem becomes more remarkable. In the belt-like lithium thin film supply device of the present invention, the belt-like lithium thin film is suctioned and lifted by the suction holding member provided at the subsequent stage of the finger, and is sent.
The belt-like lithium thin film is prevented from being pushed by the movement of the finger, and the meandering can be prevented. as a result,
The belt-like lithium thin film can be supplied stably.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG.

Reference numeral 1 in the figure denotes a table on which brackets 2 and 3 are erected at a predetermined distance from each other. Rollers 5a and 5b rotatably supported by shafts 4a and 4b are arranged near the upper portions of the brackets 2 and 3, and an endless belt 6 is pivotally supported between the rollers 5a and 5b. The shafts 4a and 4b, the rollers 5a and 5b, and the endless belt 6 constitute a rotating belt mechanism 7. A base plate 8 is provided on the table 1 close to the left end side of the rotating belt mechanism 7, and the base plate 8 is used as a cutting device (not shown) in the next step.
Has been extended to.

Numeral 9 in the drawing denotes a belt-like lithium thin film feeding mechanism which is disposed close to and above the right end of the rotary belt mechanism 7.
The feed mechanism 9 has a shaft 11 rotatably supported by a bracket 10 erected on the table 1 and a rotatably supported shaft 11 via a bearing 12. Flange portions 13a, 13b are provided at both ends.
And a pair of pipe-shaped cores 13 longer than the width of the endless belt 6 of the rotary belt mechanism 7, and a lower end attached to both ends of the core 13 so as to straddle the endless belt 6 of the rotary belt mechanism 7. It comprises bobbins 14a and 14b and a lithium hoop 15 in which a band-shaped lithium thin film having a thickness of 0.1 mm, a width of 15 mm and a length of 20 m is wound around the core 13.

Reference numeral 16 in the drawing denotes a base plate shared by a first transport mechanism 17 and a second transport mechanism 18 described later. Two engaging portions 19a and 19b are attached to the lower surface of the base plate 16, and two guide shafts 20 parallel to each other are attached to these engaging portions 19a and 19b.
a and 20b are inserted. These guide shafts 20a, 20b
Are respectively mounted on support plates 21a and 21b which stand on the table 1 at a predetermined distance from each other. The base plate 16,
Guide shafts 20a, 2 inserted through the engaging portions 19a, 19b by a driving force of the base plate driving air cylinder 22 in the horizontal direction.
It reciprocates along the area corresponding to the brackets 2 and 3 along 0b, that is, parallel to the rotating belt mechanism 7. On the base plate 16, three support plates 23a, 23b, 24 are erected along the longitudinal direction of the base plate 16, that is, at predetermined intervals sequentially in the feeding direction of the strip-shaped lithium thin film. I have.

The first transport mechanism 17 has a structure in which air hands 25 are attached to the support plates 23a and 23b, respectively. The air hand 25 has an air cylinder 26, and the air cylinder 26 is fixed to the support plates 23a and 23b, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, the air hand 25 has an air cylinder 26 having a piston rod 27 that can move forward and backward, a finger operating inclined cam 28 attached to the tip of the piston rod 27, and a rear end having the inclined cam 28. 28, a pair of gripper fingers 30 extending to the endless belt 6 whose tips are opposed to each other and the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29 fed thereon.
a, 30b and these fingers 30a, 30b
Four springs 32a (32a), 32b (32) provided between shafts 31a, 31b serving as tilting fulcrums of the fingers 30a, 30b and both side walls of the inclined cam 28 and both sides of the fingers 30a, 30b.
b) and a cover 33 that covers these members. That is, when the piston rod 27 is advanced by the air cylinder 26, the finger operating inclined cam 28 at the tip of the rod 27 comes into contact with and presses the opposing surface of the fingers 30a, 30b, so that the fingers 30a, 30b are connected to the shafts 31a, 30b. By tilting their distal ends away from each other around the center 31b, the fingers 30a,
30b is opened. On the other hand, when the piston rod 27 is retracted by the air cylinder 26, the finger operating inclined cam 28 at the tip of the rod 27 separates from the opposing surface of the fingers 30a and 30b, and also via the springs 32a (32a) and 32b (32b). Since a force is applied to pull the rear ends of the fingers 30a, 30b, the fingers 30a, 30b are tilted about the shafts 31a, 31b so that their tips are close to each other, and the fingers 30a, 30b are closed.

The second transport mechanism 18 fixes the cylinder bracket 34 to the support plate 24 so that the tip thereof is located above the belt-like lithium thin film 29 sent to the base plate 8, and The air cylinder 35 is fixed so that its piston rod advances downward, and the suction holding member 36 is fixed to the tip of the piston rod of the air cylinder 35. The suction holding member 36 is vertically moved by the operation of the piston rod of the air cylinder 35. A suction tube 37 is attached to a side surface of the suction holding member 36, and a plurality of suction holes 38 having a diameter of, for example, 1 mm are formed in a bottom surface thereof. Note that it is desirable to provide a large number of suction holes having a small hole diameter on the bottom surface of the suction holding member 36 from the viewpoint of adsorbing the strip-shaped lithium thin film without sucking into the suction holes.

Next, the operation of the belt-like lithium thin film supply device of the present embodiment will be described.

First, the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29 is slowly pulled out from the winding core 13 of the feed mechanism 9 and the lithium hoop 15 provided on the bobbins 14a and 14b, and the thin film 29 is transferred to the base plate on which the suction holding member 36 of the second transport mechanism 18 is located. Move to 29 upper part. Subsequently, when the air cylinder 26 of the air hand 25 of the first transfer mechanism 17 is driven to retract the piston rods 27, as described above, the finger operating inclined cam 28 at the tip of the rod 27 is moved to the gripper finger 30a. , 30b and the springs 32a (32a), 32b (32
Since a force is applied to pull the rear ends of the fingers 30a and 30b through b), the fingers 30a and 30b are tilted and closed so that their front ends are close to each other about the shafts 31a and 31b, and the fingers 30a and 30b are closed. , 30b, the endless belt 6 of the rotating belt mechanism 7
And the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29 sent thereon is sandwiched.
Simultaneously with these operations, the air cylinder 35 of the second transfer mechanism 18 is driven to lower the suction holding member 36 fixed to the piston rod, and the bottom surface of the suction holding member 36 is The thin film 29 is brought into contact with the thin film 29, and the inside of the suction holding member 36 is depressurized through a suction pipe 37 by a suction pump (not shown), and the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29 is adsorbed on the suction holding member 36,
Further, the air cylinder 35 is driven to raise the piston rod thereof, and the belt-shaped lithium thin film 29 is
Lift a small distance. In this state, the piston rod of the air cylinder 22 for driving the base plate is retracted to move the base plate 16 in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 2 along the guide shafts 20a and 20b engaged with the engaging portions 19a and 19b. Then, the base plate 16
The air hand 25 and the suction holding member 36 simultaneously move in the direction of arrow A via the upper support plates 23a, 23b, 24. As a result, the gripper fingers 30a, 30b of the air hand 25
The endless belt 6 of the rotary belt mechanism 7 sandwiched between is smoothly rotated, and the belt-shaped lithium thin film 29 moves together with the endless belt 6 by a length corresponding to the moving stroke of the base plate 16 without cracking or tearing. Is done. At the same time, the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29 sucked and pulled up by the suction holding member 36 is also moved by a length corresponding to the movement stroke of the base plate 16. At this time, the suction holding member 36 at the subsequent stage of the fingers 30a, 30b adsorbs and lifts the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29 and moves in synchronization with the fingers 30a, 30b, so that the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29 moves the fingers 30a, 30b. The pressing is eliminated to prevent the meandering from occurring, and the occurrence of contact resistance with the base plate 8 is prevented.

Next, the air cylinder of the two air hands 25
When the piston rod 27 is advanced, the finger operating inclined cam 28 at the tip of the rod 27 comes into contact with and presses the opposing surface of the gripper fingers 30a, 30b, as described above, so that each finger 30a, 30b is connected to the shaft 31a. The fingers 30a and 30b are opened by tilting the distal ends thereof away from each other with the centers of the endless belt 6 of the rotary belt mechanism 7 and the belt-like lithium thin film 29 sent thereon over the fingers 30a and 30b. Is released. Simultaneously with this operation, the air cylinder 35
By operating the piston rod, the suction holding member 36 is lowered to stop the evacuation of the suction pump and to reduce the suction holding member.
A gas is introduced into 36 to release the adsorption and holding state of the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29, and the piston rod of the air cylinder 26 is further raised to separate the adsorption and holding member 36 from the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29. In this state, the piston rod of the base plate driving air cylinder 22 is advanced to move the base plate 9 in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 2 to return to the original position.

As described above, the gripper fingers of the first transport mechanism 17
Nipping of the endless belt 6 and the lithium thin film 29 fed thereon by 30a and 30b, and a suction holding member of the second transport mechanism 18
The adsorption and holding of the belt-like lithium thin film 29 by 38 and the transport mechanism
17, 17, the movement of the base plate 16 in the direction of arrow A, the release of the gripping by the gripper fingers 30a, 30b, the release of the suction holding member 38 by suction, and the movement of the base plate 16 in the direction of arrow B. Thereby, the belt-shaped lithium thin film 29 is fed by a desired length, and the first and second transport mechanisms 17, 18 return to the original positions.
By repeating this series of operations, the strip-shaped lithium thin film 29 is stably supplied from the lithium hoop 15 provided on the winding core 13 of the feed mechanism 9 to a cutting device (not shown).

In the above-described embodiment, an air cylinder is used as a means for reciprocating the base plate according to the first and second transport mechanisms, but a ball screw rotated by a motor may be used instead of the air cylinder. In this case, the base plate is reciprocated by screwing an engagement portion fixed to the lower surface thereof to the ball screw.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the belt-shaped lithium thin film from being pushed and meandered by the fingers while being sent to the next step, and to stably supply the belt-shaped lithium thin film. It is possible to provide a supply device of a strip-shaped lithium thin film that is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a strip-shaped lithium thin film supply device showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the supply device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a first view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an air hand of a transport mechanism. 1 ... table, 6 ... endless belt, 7 ... rotary belt mechanism, 9 ... feed mechanism, 15 ... lithium hoop, 17 ...
First transport mechanism, 18 Second transport mechanism, 25 Air hand, 29 Thin lithium film strip, 30a, 30b Finger, 36 Adsorption holding member.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A rotating belt mechanism, a feed roller mechanism disposed above one end of the rotating belt mechanism and wound with a belt-shaped lithium thin film, and a reciprocating operation in a longitudinal direction of the rotating belt mechanism; A first transport mechanism having at least one pair of fingers for sandwiching the endless belt of the belt mechanism and the belt-shaped lithium thin film fed thereon, and a second transport mechanism provided at a stage subsequent to the fingers, The second transport mechanism reciprocates in conjunction with the finger, is vertically movable, and has an adsorption holding member for adsorbing the strip-shaped lithium thin film. The second transport mechanism is fed by the finger to the endless belt and over the endless belt. While holding the strip-shaped lithium thin film, the strip-shaped lithium thin film extended from the endless belt is sucked up by the suction holding member and pulled up, and the suction holding member is lifted by the finger. Feeder of the belt-shaped lithium thin film characterized by conveying the strip lithium film by moving synchronously.