JP6528457B2 - APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SEPARATOR ELECTRODE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEPARATOR ELECTRODE - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode and a method for manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode.

  Patent Document 1 describes an electrode laminating apparatus that manufactures an electrode laminate in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are alternately stacked with a separator interposed therebetween. The electrode laminating apparatus includes a roll pair for welding a first separator sheet and a second separator sheet, and a positive electrode supply device for supplying a positive electrode between the first separator sheet and the second separator sheet. . The roll pair welds the first separator sheet and the second separator sheet to form a welded portion that supports the lower portion of the positive electrode. The positive electrode supply device drops the positive electrode toward the welding portion at the timing when the welding portion is formed.

JP 2012-199210 A

  In the electrode laminating apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the lower part of the positive electrode dropped toward the welding part is supported by the welding part, whereby the electrode can be positioned in the vertical direction. However, in the above-described electrode laminating apparatus, the positioning of the positive electrode in directions other than the vertical direction has not been sufficiently studied, and room for improvement in the positional accuracy of the electrode with respect to the separator still remains.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator which can improve the position accuracy of the electrode with respect to a separator, and the manufacturing method of an electrode with a separator.

  The apparatus for manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode according to the present invention is a manufacturing apparatus for a separator-equipped electrode that manufactures a separator-equipped electrode by housing the electrode in a bag-like separator, and a pair of long lengths that configure the bag-like separator. A conveying portion for conveying the sheet-like separator member in the longitudinal direction along the reference plane including the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the separator member, and a pair of separator members conveyed by the conveying portion along the lateral direction It is provided between the 1st welding part which mutually welds and forms a 1st welding field, a supply part which supplies an electrode between a pair of separator members, and a 1st welding part and a supply part, and supply is performed by a supply part. A guide member for guiding the target electrode between the pair of separator members, and the supply unit passes the electrode through the guide member so that the electrode abuts on the first welding area. By lowering the electrode, the electrode is supplied between the pair of separator members, and the guide member has a first main surface along the reference surface and a second main surface intersecting the short direction, and the reference surface Is set so that the electrode slides on both the first main surface and the second main surface when the electrode passes through the guide member.

  In the manufacturing apparatus of the separator-equipped electrode, the supply portion drops the electrode through the guide member so as to bring the electrode into contact with the first welding area to supply the electrode between the pair of separator members. Therefore, the electrode is positioned with respect to the separator member in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the separator member based on the first welding area. Furthermore, in the manufacturing apparatus of this separator-equipped electrode, the first main surface of the guide member is along the reference plane including the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the separator member, and the second main surface of the guide member is short. Cross in the hand direction. The reference surface is set such that the electrode slides on both the first main surface and the second main surface when the electrode passes through the guide member. Therefore, when the electrode is supplied as described above, the movement of the electrode in the thickness direction of the separator member (the direction intersecting the transport direction) is restricted by the first main surface of the guide member. In addition, the movement of the electrode in the lateral direction of the separator member (another direction intersecting the transport direction) is restricted by the second main surface of the guide member. Thus, in the manufacturing apparatus of this separator-equipped electrode, the electrode is positioned with respect to the separator member in a plurality of directions. Therefore, it is possible to improve the positional accuracy of the electrode with respect to the separator.

  The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator concerning this invention welds the edges in the transversal direction of a pair of separator members mutually, after an electrode contact | abuts to a 1st welding area, and the 2nd welding area is formed. You may provide a welding part. In this case, after the other end of the electrode is reliably brought into contact with the first welding area, the second welding area can be formed to close the edge of the separator member. Therefore, the accuracy of positioning of the electrodes in the transport direction is further improved.

  In the manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator which concerns on this invention, a 1st welding part and a 2nd welding part may be comprised by a single heater roller. In this case, the number of parts can be reduced.

  In the apparatus for manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode according to the present invention, the electrode has an upper end portion, a lower end portion, a main body portion having a side end portion connecting the upper end portion and the lower end portion, and a tab projecting from the upper end portion And the supply unit may supply the electrode between the pair of separator members by dropping the electrode through the guide member so that the side end abuts on the first welding area. In this case, when manufacturing a plurality of electrodes with separators by sequentially supplying a plurality of electrodes to a series of separator members, it is avoided that tabs are disposed between the electrodes adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the separator members. Therefore, the generation of scraps around the tabs between the electrodes adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the separator member is avoided. Therefore, the yield of the separator-attached electrode member can be improved.

  The manufacturing method of a separator-equipped electrode according to the present invention is a manufacturing method of a separator-equipped electrode in which a separator-equipped electrode is manufactured by accommodating the electrode in a bag-shaped separator, and a pair of long lengths constituting a bag-shaped separator A conveying step of conveying the sheet-like separator member in the longitudinal direction along the reference plane including the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction of the separator member, and a pair of separator members conveyed in the conveying step along the transverse direction A welding step of welding together to form a first welding region, and a supplying step of supplying an electrode between the pair of separator members, wherein in the supplying step, the electrode is brought into contact with the first welding region By dropping the electrode through the guide member, the electrode is supplied between the pair of separator members, and the guide member is arranged along the reference surface. The reference surface has a first main surface and a second main surface intersecting in the short direction, and when the electrode passes through the guide member, the electrode slides on both the first main surface and the second main surface. It is set to move.

  According to the method of manufacturing the separator-equipped electrode, in the supplying step, the electrode is dropped through the guide member so as to abut the first welding area, and is supplied between the pair of separator members. Therefore, the electrode is positioned with respect to the separator member in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the separator member based on the first welding area. Furthermore, in the method of manufacturing the separator-equipped electrode, the first main surface of the guide member is along the reference plane including the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the separator member, and the second main surface of the guide member is short. Cross in the hand direction. The reference surface is set such that the electrode slides on both the first main surface and the second main surface when the electrode passes through the guide member. Therefore, when the electrode is supplied as described above, the movement of the electrode in the thickness direction of the separator member (the direction intersecting the transport direction) is restricted by the first main surface of the guide member. In addition, the movement of the electrode in the lateral direction of the separator member (another direction intersecting the transport direction) is restricted by the second main surface of the guide member. Thus, in the method of manufacturing the separator-equipped electrode, the electrode is positioned with respect to the separator member in a plurality of directions. Therefore, it is possible to improve the positional accuracy of the electrode with respect to the separator.

  In the method of manufacturing an electrode with a separator according to the present invention, the electrode has an upper end, a lower end, a main body having a side end connecting the upper end and the lower end to each other, and a tab projecting from the upper end And in the supplying step, the electrode may be supplied between the pair of separator members by dropping the electrode through the guide member so that the side end abuts on the first welding area. In this case, the yield of the separator-attached electrode can be improved.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator which can improve the position accuracy of the electrode with respect to a separator, and the manufacturing method of the electrode with a separator can be provided.

It is sectional drawing of an electrical storage apparatus provided with the positive electrode with a separator. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. It is a figure which shows the positive electrode with a separator typically. It is the schematic which shows the manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the manufacturing apparatus of FIG. (A) is a perspective view for explaining a guide member. (B) is a cross-sectional view along VIb-VIb in (a). (A)-(d) is schematic which shows the manufacturing method of the electrode with a separator.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a power storage device provided with a positive electrode with a separator. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. The power storage device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is configured as an on-vehicle non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

  The storage device 1 includes, for example, a hollow case 2 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an electrode assembly 3 housed in the case 2. The case 2 is formed of, for example, a metal such as aluminum. An insulating film (not shown) is provided on the inner wall surface of the case 2. For example, a non-aqueous organic solvent-based electrolytic solution is injected into the inside of case 2. In the electrode assembly 3, the positive electrode active material layer 15 of the positive electrode 11, the negative electrode active material layer 18 of the negative electrode 12, and the separator 13 described later are porous, and the pores are impregnated with the electrolyte solution . The positive electrode terminal 5 and the negative electrode terminal 6 are disposed apart from each other on the upper surface portion of the case 2. The positive electrode terminal 5 is fixed to the case 2 via the insulating ring 7, and the negative electrode terminal 6 is fixed to the case 2 via the insulating ring 8.

  The electrode assembly 3 includes a positive electrode (electrode) 11, a negative electrode 12, and a bag-like separator 13 disposed between the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12. For example, the positive electrode 11 is accommodated in the separator 13. In a state where the positive electrode 11 is accommodated in the separator 13, the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12 are alternately stacked via the separator 13. That is, the electrode assembly 3 includes the separator-attached positive electrode (separator-attached electrode) 10 configured by housing the positive electrode 11 in the bag-like separator 13.

  From the viewpoint of improving the space efficiency and increasing the volume of the electrode assembly 3 occupying the space in the case 2, as one example, the electrode assembly 3 is provided at the lower end of the positive electrode 10 with separator and the negative electrode 12 (positive electrode terminal 5 And the end opposite to the negative electrode terminal 6 can be accommodated in the case 2 so as to be in contact with the bottom surface of the case 2. An insulating member (not shown) is disposed on the inner surface of the case 2. Therefore, in this case, the lower ends of the separator-attached positive electrode 10 and the negative electrode 12 are in contact with the bottom surface of the case 2 via the insulating member. However, a minute gap may be formed between the lower end of the positive electrode 10 with separator and the lower end of the negative electrode 12 and the bottom surface of the case 2 in addition to the space occupied by the insulating member.

  FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a positive electrode with a separator. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the positive electrode 11 has a metal foil 14 made of, for example, aluminum foil, and a positive electrode active material layer 15 formed on both sides of the metal foil 14. The metal foil 14 of the positive electrode 11 has a rectangular main body portion 14 a having upper end portions 14 c, lower end portions 14 d, and side end portions 14 e and 14 f connecting the upper end portions 14 c and lower end portions 14 d to one another. And a rectangular tab 14b protruding from the upper end portion 14c to correspond to. The positive electrode active material layer 15 is a porous layer formed by containing a positive electrode active material and a binder. The positive electrode active material layer 15 is formed by supporting the positive electrode active material on at least a central portion between the upper end portion 14 c and the lower end portion 14 d on both surfaces of the main body portion 14 a. Examples of the positive electrode active material include composite oxides, metallic lithium, sulfur and the like. The composite oxide includes, for example, at least one of manganese, nickel, cobalt and aluminum, and lithium. As an example, here, the positive electrode active material is not supported on the tab 14 b. However, an active material may be supported on the base end portion of the tab 14b on the side of the main body portion 14a. The tab 14 b extends upward from the upper end portion 14 c of the main body portion 14 a and is connected to the positive electrode terminal 5 via the conductive member 16.

  The negative electrode 12 has, for example, a metal foil 17 made of copper foil and a negative electrode active material layer 18 formed on both sides of the metal foil 17. Similarly to the metal foil 14 of the positive electrode 11, the metal foil 17 of the negative electrode 12 corresponds to the position of the negative electrode terminal 6 and the rectangular main body 17 a having the upper end, the lower end, and the side end not shown. And a rectangular tab 17b protruding from the upper end of the main body 17a. The negative electrode active material layer 18 is formed by supporting the negative electrode active material on at least a central portion between the upper end portion and the lower end portion on both surfaces of the main body portion 17a. The negative electrode active material layer 18 is a porous layer formed by containing a negative electrode active material and a binder. As the negative electrode active material, for example, graphite, highly oriented graphite, meso carbon micro beads, hard carbon, carbon such as soft carbon, alkali metals such as lithium and sodium, metal compounds, SiO x (0.5 ≦ x ≦ 1.5) Etc., boron-added carbon, and the like. As an example, the negative electrode active material is not supported on the tab 17 b here. However, an active material may be supported on the base end portion of the tab 17b on the main body 17a side. The tab 17 b extends upward from the upper end of the main body 17 a and is connected to the negative electrode terminal 6 through the conductive member 19.

  The separator 13 accommodates only the positive electrode 11 inside. The separator 13 has a rectangular shape as viewed from the stacking direction of the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12. The separator 13 is formed in a bag shape by welding together a pair of long sheet-like separator members constituting the bag-like separator 13. Specifically, the separator 13 has a bag shape whose outer edge is defined by a welding area W formed by welding the separator members to each other. In FIG. 3, the welding area W is shaded for the sake of explanation. The welding area W includes a welding area W1 (first welding area), a welding area W2 (second welding area), a welding area W3 (second welding area), and a welding area W4 (second welding area). .

  The pair of welding regions W1 respectively oppose the side end 14e and the side end 14f of the main body 14a, and extend along the side end 14e and the side end 14f. Welded region W2 faces upper end portion 14c of main body portion 14a and extends along upper end portion 14c. The welding area W3 faces the upper end portion 14c of the main body portion 14a. A non-welding region W3n is interposed between the welding region W2 and the welding region W3. In the separator 13, the tab 14b is made to project through the non-welding area W3n. The welding region W4 faces the lower end portion 14d of the main body portion 14a and extends along the lower end portion 14d. The welding area W3 and the welding area W4 and the welding area W1 on the side end 14f side are connected to each other.

  The welding area W2 and the welding area W4 and the welding area W1 on the side end 14e side are not connected to each other. Specifically, the non-welding region W2n is interposed between the welding region W2 and the welding region W1 on the side end 14e side. A non-welding region W4n is interposed between the welding region W4 and the welding region W1 on the side end 14e side. That is, the separator 13 is not closed in the non-welded region W2n, the non-welded region W3n, and the non-welded region W4n. The non-welded area W2n and the non-welded area W4n may not be provided. That is, the welding area W1, the welding area W2 and the welding area W4 may be continuous. As a forming material of the separator (separator member) 13, a porous film made of a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), a woven or non-woven fabric made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), methylcellulose or the like It is illustrated.

  Subsequently, main steps of a method of manufacturing power storage device 1 will be described. First, the kneading step is carried out. In the kneading step, the active material particles, which are the main components of the active material layer, and particles such as a binder and a conductive additive are kneaded in a solvent in the kneader to produce an electrode mixture having good dispersibility of each particle. . The binder may be, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as polyamide imide or polyimide, or may be a polymer resin having an imide bond in the main chain. The solvent may be, for example, an organic solvent such as NMP (N-methyl pyrrolidone), methanol, methyl isobutyl ketone or the like, or may be water. The conductive aid is, for example, a carbon-based material such as acetylene black, carbon black, or graphite.

  Next, a coating process is implemented. In the coating step, a strip-shaped metal foil wound in a roll shape is drawn out, and an electrode mixture is intermittently or continuously applied to the surface of the metal foil. The metal foil coated with the electrode mixture passes through the inside of a drying furnace immediately after the application of the electrode mixture. Thus, the solvent contained in the electrode mixture is dried and removed, and the binder made of a resin bonds the active material particles to each other. Thus, an active material layer having fine gaps (voids) between active material particles is formed.

  Then, a press process is implemented. In the pressing step, the active material layer formed on the surface of the strip-shaped metal foil is pressed by a roll at a predetermined pressure. As a result, the active material layer is compressed, and the density of the active material is increased to an appropriate value. Next, an appearance inspection process is performed. In the appearance inspection step, the surface condition of the active material layer is confirmed by a camera or the like to judge the non-defective product and the defective product.

  Next, a vacuum drying step is performed. Here, the strip-like metal foil on which the active material layer is formed is accommodated in a vacuum drying furnace and dried under reduced pressure and temperature. This removes a slight amount of solvent remaining in the active material layer. Next, a punching process is performed. In the punching process, the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12 are formed by punching out the metal foil on which the active material layer is formed into a predetermined shape using a punching machine.

  Then, an electrode accommodation process is implemented. In the electrode accommodation step, the positive electrode 11 is manufactured by accommodating the positive electrode 11 in the separator 13 while forming the rectangular bag-like separator 13 from the pair of long sheet-like separator members. At this time, positioning of the positive electrode 11 with respect to the separator 13 is performed (details will be described later).

  Next, a lamination process is performed. In the laminating step, the separator-attached positive electrode 10 and the negative electrode 12 are sequentially laminated. The assembly process is then carried out. In the assembly process, the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12 integrate the laminated body laminated through the separator 13, and the tab 14 b of the positive electrode 11 and the tab 17 b of the negative electrode 12 are respectively welded. Thereby, an electrode assembly 3 is obtained. Then, the conductive member 16 and the conductive member 19 are respectively welded to the tab 14 b of the positive electrode 11 and the tab 17 b of the negative electrode 12.

  The separator-attached positive electrode 10 and the negative electrode 12 have substantially the same shape and size. That is, the width and height of the negative electrode 12 and the width and height of the positive electrode with separator 10 are substantially equal to each other. Therefore, the width and height of the main body portion 14 a of the positive electrode 11 are slightly smaller than the width and height of the main body portion 17 a of the negative electrode 12.

  Subsequently, the above electrode accommodation step will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. An orthogonal coordinate system S is shown in FIGS. An electrode accommodation process is a manufacturing method of a separator with an electrode which manufactures a positive electrode with a separator (electrode with a separator) 10 here by accommodating positive electrode (electrode) 11 in bag-like separator 13. This manufacturing method is implemented by the manufacturing apparatus 20. That is, the manufacturing apparatus 20 is a manufacturing apparatus of the separator-equipped electrode which manufactures the separator-equipped positive electrode 10 by accommodating the positive electrode 11 in the bag-like separator 13.

The manufacturing apparatus 20 includes a pair of feed rollers (supply portions) 21 facing each other, a pair of guide rollers 22 facing each other, a heater roller (first welding portion, second welding portion) 23, and a pair of conveyances facing each other A roller (conveying unit) 24, a cutting unit 25, and a guide member 26 are provided. The supply roller (supply unit) 21, the guide member 26, the guide roller 22, the heater roller 23, the conveyance roller 24, and the cutting unit 25 are arranged in order along the X direction of the orthogonal coordinate system S. The rotation axes of the supply roller 21, the guide roller 22, the heater roller 23, and the conveyance roller 24 are along the Y direction of the orthogonal coordinate system S.

Here, first, long sheet-like separator members 13a and 13b which are the source of the separator 13 are prepared. The separator members 13a and 13b are respectively fed from a non-illustrated original fabric roll and conveyed by the conveying roller 24 along the longitudinal direction thereof. At that time, the separator members 13a and 13b are guided by the guide roller 22 and conveyed substantially parallel to each other along the X direction. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the separator members 13a and 13b is along the X direction, the short direction is along the Y direction, and the thickness direction is along the Z direction. That is, the separator members 13a and 13b are conveyed in the longitudinal direction along the reference plane (that is, the surface stretched by the X direction and the Y direction) SF including the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction at least on the rear side of the heater roller 23. Be done. The reference plane SF is a virtual plane.

  Subsequently, details of each part of the manufacturing apparatus 20 will be described. The conveyance roller 24 has a cylindrical shape, and is disposed between the heater roller 23 and the cutting unit 25. The transport roller 24 transports the pair of separator members 13a and 13b in the transport direction along the longitudinal direction, as described above. More specifically, the transport roller 24 transports the separator members 13a and 13b in the transport direction along the longitudinal direction by rotating in the arrow direction while sandwiching the separator members 13a and 13b by a drive source (not shown). At this time, the separator members 13a and 13b are along the reference plane SF.

  The heater roller 23 is disposed between the guide roller 22 and the conveyance roller 24. The heater roller 23 rotates as the separator members 13 a and 13 b are transported by the transport roller 24. However, the heater roller 23 may be rotationally driven by a drive source independent of the transport roller 24. In this case, the rotation speed of the heater roller 23 is basically adjusted to the conveyance speed of the separator members 13 a and 13 b by the conveyance roller 24. In this case, by controlling the number of rotations of the heater roller 23, it is also possible to adjust the welding position.

  The heater roller 23 welds the pair of separator members 13a and 13b to each other to form a bag-like separator 13. Therefore, the heater roller 23 welds the pair of separator members 13a and 13b transported by the transport roller 24 to each other along the short direction of the separator members 13a and 13b to form a weld area W1. Further, the heater roller 23 welds the edges E of the pair of separator members 13a and 13b in the short direction to each other to form a welding area W2, a welding area W3, and a welding area W4.

  The heater roller 23 includes cylindrical rollers 23a and rollers 23b facing each other. A convex portion H is formed on the outer side surface of the roller 23a. The height of the convex portion H is substantially constant along the circumferential direction of the roller 23a. Further, as an example, a heater is provided inside the roller 23a, and the heat can be transferred to the convex portion H. A heater may be provided inside the roller 23b to heat both the roller 23a and the roller 23b. On the other hand, here, the unevenness is not provided in the roller 23b. In such a heater roller 23, a welding area W1 to a welding area W4 are formed by sandwiching the pair of separator members 13a and 13b by the top surface of the convex portion H of the heated roller 23a and the outer peripheral surface of the roller 23b. . Therefore, the shape of the convex portion H is set such that the shapes of the welding area W1 to the welding area W4 are as shown in the example illustrated.

  More specifically, the convex portion H includes a first convex portion H1, a second convex portion H2, a third convex portion H3, and a fourth convex portion H4 (see particularly FIG. 5). The first convex portion H1 linearly extends along the direction of the rotation axis of the roller 23a (the short direction of the separator members 13a and 13b) in order to form the welding region W1. The second convex portion H2 extends along the circumferential direction of the roller 23a in order to form the welding area W2. The third convex portion H3 extends in the circumferential direction of the roller 23a in order to form the welding area W3. The fourth convex portion H4 extends along the circumferential direction of the roller 23a in order to form the welding area W4.

  A flat portion H2n and a flat portion H4n in which the convex portion H is not provided are set between the first convex portion H1, the second convex portion H2 and the fourth convex portion H4 on the outer peripheral surface of the roller 23a. There is. In the flat portion H2n and the flat portion H4n, the roller 23a does not contact the separator member 13a, and the separator members 13a and 13b are not welded. Therefore, the second convex portion H2 and the fourth convex portion H4 follow the non-welded area W2n and the non-welded area W4n following the formation of the welded area W1 by the first convex section H1, while the separator members 13a and 13b are interposed. The edges E in the short direction are welded to each other to form a welding area W2 and a welding area W4.

  In addition, a concave portion H3n is provided between the second convex portion H2 and the third convex portion H3. The second convex portion H2 and the third convex portion H3 do not contact the separator member 13a in the concave portion H3n. That is, the separator members 13a and 13b are not welded even in the recess H3n. The non-welded portion is the non-welded region W3n described above. The recess H3 n is provided at a position corresponding to the tab 14 b. The third convex portion H3 and the fourth convex portion H4 are connected to the first convex portion H1 on the side opposite to the flat portion H2n and the flat portion H4n. That is, following formation of welding field W3 and welding field W4, welding field W1 is formed again.

  As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus 20, the first welding portion forming the welding region W1 by welding the separator members 13a and 13b together along the short direction of the separator members 13a and 13b, and the positive electrode 11 as described later. After the side end portion 14e of the first contact portion abuts on the welding area W1, the edges E of the pair of separator members 13a and 13b in the short direction are welded to each other to form a welding area W2, a welding area W3 and a welding area W4. A second welding portion is formed by a single heater roller 23. When the welding area W1 and the welding areas W2 and W4 are formed continuously with each other, a heater roller for forming the welding area W1 and a heater roller for forming the welding areas W2 and W4 are separately prepared. do it.

  The supply roller 21 supplies the positive electrode 11 between the pair of separator members 13a and 13b. The supply roller 21 has a cylindrical shape and is disposed above the guide roller 22. The supply roller 21 rotates while sandwiching the positive electrode 11 to supply the positive electrode 11 between the separator members 13 a and 13 b while conveying the positive electrode 11. The supply of the positive electrode 11 by the supply roller 21 is synchronized with the conveyance of the separator members 13 a and 13 b by the conveyance roller 24 and the formation of the welding area W 1 by the heater roller 23.

That is, the supply roller 21 drops the positive electrode 11 through the guide member 26 so that the side end 14e of the main body 14a of the positive electrode 11 abuts on the welding area W1, and thereby the positive electrode 11 is interposed between the separator members 13a and 13b. Supply (electrode). Thereby, the positive electrode 11 is positioned with respect to the separator members 13a and 13b in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the separator members 13a and 13b with reference to the welding area W1.

  The cutting unit 25 is disposed downstream (downstream) of the transport roller 24. The cutting unit 25 includes a rotary blade 25a and a fixed blade 25b. The cutting unit 25 cuts the separator members 13a and 13b so as to sandwich the separator members 13a and 13b between the rotary blade 25a and the fixed blade 25b. In particular, the cutting unit 25 cuts the separator members 13a and 13b in the welding area W1 of the separator members 13a and 13b as the rotary blade 25a rotates. Thereby, the separated positive electrode with separator 10 is manufactured (cut out). In addition, the cutting part 25 is not limited to what used the fixed blade and the rotary blade. For example, the cutting unit 25 may use a rotary cutter using a pair of rotary blades that respectively rotate around upper and lower axes, or may use melting by heat.

  Here, the guide member 26 positions the positive electrode 11 with respect to the separator 13. The guide member 26 is provided between the supply roller 21 and the heater roller 23. The guide member 26 guides the positive electrode 11 supplied by the supply roller 21 toward the space between the pair of separator members 13a and 13b. The guide member 26 includes, for example, a rectangular plate-like bottom wall 26r and a trapezoidal plate-like side wall 26p erected at the end of the bottom wall 26r in the short direction of the separator members 13a and 13b. It is formed in an L-shaped plate shape.

  The bottom wall portion 26r includes a first main surface SF1 facing the side wall portion 26p. Side wall portion 26p includes a second main surface SF2 facing the bottom wall portion 26r. The first main surface SF1 is a surface along the reference surface SF. The second main surface SF2 is a surface that intersects the short sides of the separator members 13a and 13b. Here, the second main surface SF2 is substantially orthogonal to the reference surface SF. The first main surface SF1 and the second main surface SF2 are connected to each other. The first main surface SF1 has a rectangular shape whose longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the separator members 13a and 13b. The second main surface SF2 is in the shape of a long trapezoid whose longitudinal direction is along the longitudinal direction of the separator members 13a and 13b. As an example, the height from the first main surface SF1 on the second main surface SF2 gradually decreases from the supply roller 21 toward the heater roller 23.

  Here, the reference plane SF is set such that when the positive electrode 11 passes through the guide member 26, the positive electrode 11 slides on both the first main surface SF1 and the second main surface SF2. Specifically, the reference plane SF can be set as follows. That is, the reference plane SF is set such that the gravity of the positive electrode 11 acts on both the first main surface SF1 and the second main surface SF2 when the positive electrode 11 is positioned in the guide member 26. As an example, the reference plane SF is inclined relative to the horizontal plane such that the first main surface SF1 is positioned vertically above the surface of the bottom wall 26r of the guide member 26 opposite to the first main surface SF1. The second main surface SF2 is inclined relative to the vertical surface so that the second main surface SF2 is positioned vertically above the surface of the side wall 26p of the guide member 26 opposite to the second main surface SF2.

  In the guide member 26 including the first main surface SF1 and the second main surface SF2 defined by the reference surface SF, the positive electrode 11 dropped from the supply roller 21 is on the opposite side to the heater roller 23 in the guide member 26. It is introduced into the guide member 26 from the end 26a. The positive electrode 11 introduced to the guide member 26 moves on the guide member 26 while the main surface 11s slides on the first main surface SF1 and the lower end portion 14d slides on the second main surface SF2 . Accordingly, the movement of the positive electrode 11 in the thickness direction of the separator members 13a and 13b is restricted by the first main surface SF1, and the movement of the positive electrode 11 in the lateral direction of the separator members 13a and 13b is performed by the second main surface SF2. It is regulated. Then, the positive electrode 11 is drawn from the end 26 b of the guide member 26 on the heater roller 23 side toward the space between the pair of separator members 13 a and 13 b.

  Subsequently, the description will be continued regarding an example of the electrode accommodation step (a method of manufacturing an electrode with a separator). In this manufacturing method, first, the separators 13a and 13b are conveyed by the conveyance roller 24 in the longitudinal direction along the reference surface SF (conveyance step).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 7A, by welding the separator members 13a and 13b being conveyed in the conveying step by the heater roller 23 along the shorter direction. , Forming a welding area W1 serving as a reference of positioning of the positive electrode 11 (welding step).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 (b), the positive electrode 11 is supplied between the separator members 13 a and 13 b conveyed in the conveying step (supply step). Here, in synchronization with the formation of the welding area W1 in the welding step, the positive electrode 11 is guided through the guide member 26 so that the side end 14e of the main body 14a of the positive electrode 11 abuts on the welding area W1. The positive electrode 11 is supplied between the pair of separator members 13a and 13b by dropping it.

Thereby, the positive electrode 11 is positioned with respect to the separator members 13a and 13b in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the separator members 13a and 13b with reference to the welding area W1. Furthermore, in this supply step, the positive electrode 11 is slid on both the first main surface SF1 and the second main surface SF2 of the guide member 26. Thereby, the positive electrode 11 is positioned with respect to the separator members 13a and 13b in the lateral direction and the thickness direction of the separator members 13a and 13b (that is, in the reference surface SF).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 (c), after the positive electrode 11 is supplied between the separator members 13 a and 13 b in the supply step, the separator members 13 a and 13 b are provided by the heater roller 23. The edges E in the short direction of the upper and lower sides are welded to each other to form a welded area W2 and a welded area W4. At this time, a non-welding region W2n and a non-welding region W4n are interposed between the welding region W1 and the welding region W2 and between the welding region W1 and the welding region W4, respectively.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 (d), a welding area W 3 is formed by the heater roller 23. At this time, the non-welding region W3n is interposed between the welding region W2 and the welding region W3. Thereafter, another welding area is formed by welding the pair of separator members 13a and 13b along the short direction at a position opposite to the welding area W1 previously formed across the positive electrode 11 by the heater roller 23. Form W1. This other welding area W1 is the welding area W1 to which the side end 14e of the main body 14a of the other positive electrode 11 to be supplied subsequently comes in contact. As a result, the bag-like separator 13 is formed with respect to the continuous separator members 13 a and 13 b, and the positive electrode 11 is accommodated in the separator 13. That is, the positive electrode 10 with a separator is manufactured.

Then, the separator members 13 a and 13 b are cut by the cutting unit 25. Specifically, the separators 13a and 13b are cut by the cutting unit 25 in the pair of welding areas W1 on both sides of the positive electrode 11. Thus, the separator-attached positive electrode 10 is separated (cut out).

As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment, the supply roller 21 drops the positive electrode 11 through the guide member 26 so that the side end 14 e of the positive electrode 11 abuts on the welding region W1. The positive electrode 11 is supplied between the separator members 13a and 13b. Therefore, the positive electrode 11 is positioned with respect to the separator members 13a and 13b in the longitudinal direction (conveying direction, X direction) of the separator members 13a and 13b with reference to the welding area W1.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment, the first main surface SF1 of the guide member 26 is along the reference plane SF including the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the separator members 13a and 13b, and the guide member 26. The second main surface SF2 of the cross in the short direction. The reference surface SF is set such that when the positive electrode 11 passes through the guide member 26, the positive electrode 11 slides on both the first main surface SF1 and the second main surface SF2. Therefore, when the positive electrode 11 is supplied as described above, the movement of the positive electrode 11 in the thickness direction (direction intersecting the transport direction) of the separator members 13a and 13b is restricted by the first main surface SF1 of the guide member 26. Ru.

Further, the movement of the positive electrode 11 in the lateral direction (another direction intersecting the transport direction) of the separator members 13a and 13b is restricted by the second main surface SF2 of the guide member 26. Thus, in the manufacturing apparatus 20, the positive electrode 11 is positioned with respect to the separator members 13a and 13b in a plurality of directions. Therefore, it is possible to improve the positional accuracy of the positive electrode 11 with respect to the separator 13.

  Further, in the manufacturing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment, the edge of the separator members 13a and 13b in the short direction after the side end portion 14e of the main body portion 14a of the positive electrode 11 abuts on the welding region W1 by the heater roller 23. The portions E are welded to each other to form a welded area W2 to a welded area W4. As a result, after the side end 14e of the positive electrode 11 is reliably abutted on the welding area W1, the welding area W2 to the welding area W4 can be formed to close the edge E of the separator members 13a and 13b. Therefore, the accuracy of positioning of the positive electrode 11 in the transport direction is further improved.

  Further, in the manufacturing apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment, the tab 14b is provided so as to protrude from the upper end 14c of the main body 14a of the positive electrode 11, and the supply roller 21 has the side end 14e on which the tab 14b is not provided. The positive electrode 11 is supplied between the pair of separator members 13a and 13b so as to be in contact with the welding area W1.

Therefore, when a plurality of positive electrodes 11 are sequentially supplied to the series of separator members 13a and 13b to manufacture a plurality of separator-attached positive electrodes 10, tabs are provided between the positive electrodes 11 adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the separator members 13a and 13b. It is avoided that 14b is arranged. Accordingly, generation of scraps around the tabs 14b between the positive electrodes 11 adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the separator members 13a and 13b is avoided. Therefore, the yield of the separator-attached positive electrode 10 can be improved.

  On the other hand, in the manufacturing method (electrode accommodation step) according to the present embodiment, in the supply step, the positive electrode 11 is dropped through the guide member 26 so that the side end 14e of the positive electrode 11 abuts on the welding region W1. The positive electrode 11 is supplied between 13a and 13b. Therefore, the positive electrode 11 is positioned with respect to the separator members 13a and 13b in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) of the separator members 13a and 13b with reference to the welding area W1.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the first main surface SF1 of the guide member 26 is along the reference plane SF including the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the separator members 13a and 13b. The second main surface SF2 intersects the short direction. The reference plane SF is set such that when the positive electrode 11 passes through the guide member 26, the positive electrode 11 slides on both the first main surface SF1 and the second main surface SF2. Therefore, when the positive electrode 11 is supplied as described above, the movement of the positive electrode 11 in the thickness direction (direction intersecting the transport direction) of the separator members 13a and 13b is restricted by the first main surface SF1 of the guide member 26. Ru.

Further, the movement of the positive electrode 11 in the lateral direction (another direction intersecting the transport direction) of the separator members 13a and 13b is restricted by the second main surface SF2 of the guide member 26. Thus, in the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the positive electrode 11 is positioned with respect to the separator members 13a and 13b in a plurality of directions. Therefore, it is possible to improve the positional accuracy of the positive electrode 11 with respect to the separator members 13a and 13b.

  Further, in the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, between the separator members 13a and 13b so that the side end 14e where the tab 14b is not provided is brought into contact with the welding region W1 by the supply roller 21 in the supply step. Supply the positive electrode 11 to the Therefore, when a plurality of positive electrodes 11 are sequentially supplied to the series of separator members 13a and 13b to manufacture a plurality of separator-attached positive electrodes 10, tabs are provided between the positive electrodes 11 adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the separator members 13a and 13b. It is avoided that 14b is arranged. Accordingly, generation of scraps around the tabs 14b between the positive electrodes 11 adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the separator members 13a and 13b is avoided. Therefore, the yield of the separator-attached positive electrode 10 can be improved.

  When the positional accuracy of the positive electrode 11 with respect to the separator 13 is low, the positive electrode 11 needs to be set sufficiently smaller than the internal space of the separator 13 defined by the welding region W1 to the welding region W4. This is to prevent the welding area W1 to the welding area W4 and the positive electrode 11 from interfering with each other and ensure that the positive electrode 11 is accommodated in the separator 13 even when the positional deviation of the positive electrode 11 with respect to the separator 13 is large. is there. In this respect, according to the manufacturing apparatus 20 and the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the positional accuracy of the positive electrode 11 with respect to the separator 13 is improved, so that the positional deviation of the positive electrode 11 with respect to the separator 13 is suppressed. For this reason, it is not necessary to consider the above situations, and the positive electrode 11 can be set relatively large. Therefore, the capacity of power storage device 1 can be improved. In addition, even when the positive electrode 11 is formed relatively large, the positive electrode 11 is reliably accommodated inside the separator 13, so that the positive electrode 11 is reliably insulated, and safety is ensured.

  The above-mentioned embodiment explains one embodiment of the manufacturing device of the electrode with a separator concerning the present invention, and the manufacturing method of the electrode with a separator. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator which concerns on this invention, and the manufacturing method of the electrode with a separator are not limited to what was mentioned above. The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator which concerns on this invention, and the manufacturing method of the electrode with a separator can be what deform | transformed what was mentioned above arbitrarily in the range which does not change the summary of each claim.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the positive electrode 11 is supplied between the separator 13 members a and 13b such that the lower end 14d of the main body 14a of the positive electrode 11 where the tab 14b is not provided abuts on the welding area W1. An example was described. However, when the positive electrode 11 is supplied, any end other than the upper end 14 c of the main body 14 a of the positive electrode 11 provided with the tab 14 b can be brought into contact with the welding area W 1.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, the case where the positive electrode 11 was accommodated in the separator 13 was demonstrated. However, the negative electrode 12 may be accommodated in the separator 13. That is, any one of the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 12 may be accommodated in the separator 13 to form an electrode with a separator.

  10: positive electrode with separator (electrode with separator) 11: positive electrode (electrode), 13: separator, 13a, 13b: separator member, 14a: main body, 14b: tab, 14c: upper end, 14d: lower end, 14e, 14f: side end portion, 20: manufacturing device, 21: supply roller (supply unit), 23: heater roller (first welded portion, second welded portion), 24: conveying roller (conveying portion), 26: guide member, E ... edge part, SF ... reference surface, SF1 ... first main surface, SF2 ... second main surface, W1 ... welding area (first welding area), W2 ... welding area (second welding area), W3 ... welding area ( Second welding area), W4 ... welding area (second welding area).

Claims (6)

An apparatus for manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode that manufactures a separator-equipped electrode by housing the electrode in a bag-like separator,
A transport unit configured to transport the pair of long sheet-like separator members constituting the bag-like separator along the reference plane including the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the separator member in the longitudinal direction;
A first welding portion forming a first welding region by welding a pair of the separator members conveyed by the conveying portion to each other along the short direction;
A supply unit for supplying the electrode between the pair of separator members;
And a guide member provided between the first welding portion and the supply portion for guiding the electrode supplied by the supply portion between the pair of separator members.
The supply unit supplies the electrode between a pair of the separator members by dropping the electrode through the guide member so that the electrode abuts on the first welding area.
The guide member has a first main surface along the reference surface, and a second main surface intersecting the short direction.
The reference surface is set such that the gravity of the electrode acts on both the first main surface and the second main surface when the electrode passes through the guide member.
Equipment for manufacturing separators and electrodes. After the electrodes abut on the first welding area, a second welding section is provided that welds the edges of the pair of separator members in the short direction to each other to form a second welding area.
The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator of Claim 1. The first welding portion and the second welding portion are constituted by a single heater roller,
The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator of Claim 2. The electrode includes a main body having an upper end, a lower end, and a side end connecting the upper end and the lower end to each other, and a tab protruding from the upper end.
The supply unit supplies the electrode between a pair of the separator members by dropping the electrode through the guide member such that the side end abuts on the first welding area.
The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator as described in any one of Claims 1-3. A method of manufacturing an electrode with a separator, which manufactures an electrode with a separator by housing the electrode in a bag-like separator,
Conveying the pair of long sheet-like separator members constituting the bag-like separator in the longitudinal direction along a reference plane including the longitudinal direction and the short direction of the separator member;
A welding step of welding the pair of separator members conveyed in the conveying step to each other along the short direction to form a first welding region;
Feeding the electrode between the pair of separator members.
In the supplying step, the electrode is supplied between the pair of separator members by dropping the electrode through a guide member so that the electrode abuts on the first welding area;
The guide member has a first main surface along the reference surface, and a second main surface intersecting the short direction.
The reference surface is set such that the gravity of the electrode acts on both the first main surface and the second main surface when the electrode passes through the guide member.
The manufacturing method of the electrode with a separator. The electrode includes a main body having an upper end, a lower end, and a side end connecting the upper end and the lower end to each other, and a tab protruding from the upper end.
Supplying the electrode between the pair of separator members by dropping the electrode through the guide member so that the side end abuts on the first welding region in the supplying step;
The manufacturing method of the electrode with a separator of Claim 5.

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