JP6769191B2 - Electrode manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrode manufacturing apparatus.

Among the electrode assemblies used for secondary batteries and the like, the laminated electrode assembly is configured by laminating a large number of single-wafer-shaped electrodes (positive electrode and negative electrode). The single-wafer-shaped electrode is manufactured by first forming a strip-shaped electrode having active material layers on both sides of a long metal foil, and then cutting the strip-shaped electrode. As the cutting means, for example, die cutting using a press mold, laser cutting using a laser beam, or the like can be appropriately selected, but each has its own problems. In the case of laser cutting, the position of the focal point with respect to the work (belt-shaped electrode) greatly affects the cutting quality, so in addition to the displacement of the front, back, left and right, the displacement of the vertical direction (laser-beam irradiation direction) due to warpage, bending, etc. It is necessary to suppress and position accurately.

Patent Document 1 describes a positioning and transporting device that processes a workpiece being transported. This positioning transfer device includes a belt conveyor (hereinafter referred to as a "suction conveyor") that sucks and conveys a strip-shaped electrode as a work, a processing device that processes a work conveyed by the suction conveyor, and these. It includes a controller to control. The suction conveyor has a conveyor belt having a ventilation hole formed therein, a suction duct arranged below the conveyor belt, and a decompression means such as a vacuum pump and a negative pressure fan. Since negative pressure is supplied to the ventilation holes of the conveyor belt by the decompression means and the suction duct, the work is attracted to the conveyor belt. With such a configuration, even a thin work such as a strip electrode can be positioned. The processing device includes a cutter punch and a die, or a laser beam cutting device, and cuts a strip-shaped electrode maintained in a tension state by the suction conveyor in the width direction of the belt while moving in synchronization with the transfer movement of the suction conveyor.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-136437

When manufacturing the electrode, for example, the quality of the active material coated on the electrode is protected by performing it in a controlled space such as a dry room. Therefore, an electrode manufacturing device such as the positioning transfer device described above is installed in the space. Here, the dry room and the like are managed in a special environment by being subjected to predetermined vacuuming and cleaning. Therefore, the equipment cost for managing such a special environment increases as the space becomes wider.

As described above, if the strip-shaped electrode is sucked on the belt by using the suction conveyor, the vertical displacement can be suppressed. However, in order to suppress the vertical displacement of the entire strip-shaped electrode, it is necessary to provide a suction portion over the entire transport region of the suction conveyor, for example. If the range in which the suction portion is provided is widened, a suction duct corresponding to the wide range is required. Further, the configuration of the decompression means such as a vacuum pump is also large depending on the size of the suction duct, which requires an installation space. In the conventional electrode manufacturing apparatus, since the suction conveyor is used in the strip-shaped electrode delivery step, the strip-shaped electrode cutting step, and the transfer step after cutting, the entire apparatus tends to be large in size. Therefore, the cost for managing the dry room and the like is high.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrode manufacturing apparatus capable of miniaturization.

The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is an electrode manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an electrode by cutting a long strip-shaped electrode having an active material layer formed on a metal foil, and the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped electrode is the transport direction. A transport unit that transports the strip-shaped electrode to the transport path and a laser device that cuts the strip-shaped electrode on the transport path by irradiating laser light are provided, and the transport unit rotates with the strip-shaped electrode sandwiched from above and below. By doing so, a delivery section including a pair of rollers that feed the strip-shaped electrode in the transport direction, and a suction section that is provided at a distance from the delivery section on the downstream side in the transport direction from the delivery section and attracts the strip-shaped electrode onto the transport path. The moving portion is provided between the sending portion and the suction portion, and moves in the transport direction while holding the strip-shaped electrode sent out by the sending portion to deliver the strip-shaped electrode to the suction portion. The sending section and the moving section apply tension in the transport direction of the strip-shaped electrode between the sending section and the moving section.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the transport unit that transports the strip-shaped electrode sends the strip-shaped electrode in the transport direction by the sending portion, and the strip-shaped electrode is delivered to the suction portion by the moving portion. Tension is applied to the strip-shaped electrode between the sending portion and the moving portion in the transport direction by the sending portion and the moving portion. As a result, the strip-shaped electrode is in a state in which the vertical displacement due to warpage or bending is suppressed even in the portion not attracted to the suction portion, so that the strip-shaped electrode can be cut with good quality by the laser device. In this configuration, the range in which the suction portion is provided can be made smaller than that of the suction conveyor in which the suction portion is arranged in the entire transport region. As a result, the size of the suction duct, which increases according to the installation range of the suction portion, can be reduced, and the decompression means can be miniaturized, so that the electrode manufacturing apparatus can be miniaturized.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the laser apparatus may irradiate the band-shaped electrode with laser light along the outer edge of the suction portion. The portion of the strip-shaped electrode that is attracted to the suction portion is in a state of being positioned with particularly high accuracy. In this case, the portion of the strip-shaped electrode to be irradiated with the laser beam can be in a particularly accurately positioned state. Therefore, the strip-shaped electrode can be cut in a more suitable state.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the suction portion may be formed so as to have the same dimensions and shape as the manufactured electrode when viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam. In this case, the strip-shaped electrode can be cut in a suitable state when manufacturing an electrode having a desired size and shape.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the suction portion may include a suction member that sucks the strip-shaped electrode and a rotating portion that rotates the suction member. In this case, the electrode can be transported to the next step by rotating the suction member in a state where the manufactured electrode is sucked by the suction member. As a result, even in the transfer process after the cutting process, the equipment can be downsized as compared with the suction conveyor. Therefore, the electrode manufacturing apparatus can be further miniaturized.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the strip-shaped electrode has a first portion covered with an active material layer and a second portion with exposed metal foil, and the laser apparatus cuts the first portion. It may have a first cutting portion and a second cutting portion which is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction from the first cutting portion and cuts the second portion. In this case, it is possible to save the trouble of switching the output characteristics of the laser beam irradiating the band-shaped electrode between the first portion and the second portion.

The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention may further include a laser protection member for blocking the laser beam that has passed through the band-shaped electrode when the band-shaped electrode is irradiated with the laser light. In this case, it is possible to suppress the influence of the laser beam passing through the band-shaped electrode on other parts.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, the transport paths of the transport section may be arranged in the lateral direction of the strip-shaped electrode. In this case, the transport path can be arranged more effectively, and further space saving can be achieved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrode manufacturing apparatus capable of miniaturization.

FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a strip-shaped electrode cut by the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of an electrode manufactured by cutting the strip-shaped electrode of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of the electrode manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the electrode manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the moving portion and the suction portion of the electrode manufacturing apparatus shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. FIG. 6 is a side view of the moving portion and the suction portion shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining the moving portion and the suction portion of the electrode manufacturing apparatus shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. FIG. 8 is a side view of the moving portion and the suction portion shown in FIG. 7.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements and the corresponding elements may be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description may be omitted. The following drawings may show a Cartesian coordinate system S consisting of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis.

FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a strip-shaped electrode cut by the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of an electrode manufactured by cutting the strip-shaped electrode of FIG. 1A. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment manufactures the electrode 50 shown in FIG. 1 (b) by cutting the strip-shaped electrode 10 shown in FIG. 1 (a). The electrode 50 has a metal foil 51 and an active material layer 52 formed on the metal foil 51. The electrode 50 is, for example, a positive electrode or a negative electrode used in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of a lithium ion secondary battery.

The metal foil 51 is, for example, an aluminum foil in the case of a positive electrode, and a copper foil or a nickel foil in the case of a negative electrode. The active material layer 52 is formed by applying an electrode paste to at least one surface (here, both surfaces) of the metal foil 51. The electrode paste is a slurry having a predetermined viscosity and contains an active material, a binder, a solvent and the like. The active material is a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material. The positive electrode active material is, for example, a composite oxide or a sulfur-based material. The composite oxide contains at least one of manganese, nickel, cobalt and aluminum and lithium. The negative electrode active material includes, for example, graphite, highly oriented graphite, mesocarbon microbeads, carbon such as hard carbon and soft carbon, alkali metals such as lithium and sodium, metal compounds, and SiOx (0.5 ≦ x ≦ 1.5). ) And other metal oxides and boron-added carbon. The binder is, for example, a fluororesin such as polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene or fluororubber, a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene, an imide resin such as polyimide or polyamideimide, or an alkoxysilyl group-containing resin. The solvent is, for example, an organic solvent such as NMP (N-methylpyrrolidone), methanol, or methyl isobutyl ketone. Further, the electrode paste may contain a conductive auxiliary agent such as carbon black, graphite, acetylene black, and Ketjen black (registered trademark). In addition, the electrode paste may contain a thickener such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).

The electrode 50 includes a coated portion 53 covered with the active material layer 52 and an uncoated portion 54 with the metal foil 51 exposed. In the coating section 53, for example, the active material layer 52 is formed on both surfaces of the metal foil 51. A tab 55 used for electrical connection of the electrode 50 is provided in the uncoated portion 54.

When manufacturing the electrode 50, a step of kneading each of the above substances to form an electrode paste, a step of applying the electrode paste to the strip-shaped metal foil 11, and a step of drying the coated electrode paste to form a strip-shaped metal. A long strip-shaped electrode 10 in which the active material layer 12 is formed on the metal foil 11 shown in FIG. 1A is generated by a step of forming the active material layer 12 on the foil 11. In this embodiment, the strip-shaped electrode 10 has the active material layer 12 formed on both sides of the metal foil 11 by continuous coating, and two electrodes 50 are cut out in the lateral direction of the strip-shaped electrode 10. The strip-shaped electrode 10 is formed with an active material layer 12 at a central portion in the lateral direction at a predetermined interval (an interval longer than the length of the tab 55) from each end in the lateral direction. In the step of cutting the strip-shaped electrode 10, the electrode 50 shown in FIG. 1B is cut out from the strip-shaped electrode 10. When the electrode 50 is manufactured, there are steps such as pressing, vacuum drying, and inspection in addition to the above steps.

The strip-shaped electrode 10 includes a coated portion (first portion) 13 covered with the active material layer 12 and an uncoated portion (second portion) 14 with the metal foil 11 exposed. The thickness of the metal foil 11 is, for example, several tens of μm. The thickness of the active material layer 12 is, for example, 50 μm to 80 μm. Therefore, the thickness of the portion made of only the metal foil 11 is much thinner than the thickness of the portion made of the metal foil 11 and the active material layer 12. The electrode 50 is manufactured by cutting the strip-shaped electrode 10 described above at a first cutting line L1 set in the coated portion 13 and a second cutting line L2 set in the uncoated portion 14. .. The first cutting line L1 and the second cutting line L2 are lines irradiated with the laser beam L by the laser device 3 described in detail later.

Next, the electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of the electrode manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the electrode manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a transport unit 2, a laser apparatus 3, and a laser protection member 4. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 is connected to, for example, a transport unit 5 that transports the electrode 50 in the next step at the most downstream of the transport unit 2. Note that in FIGS. 2 and 4, the laser device 3 and the transport unit 5 are not shown.

The transport unit 2 transports the band-shaped electrode 10 to a transport path 21 whose transport direction is the longitudinal direction (for example, the X-axis direction) of the strip-shaped electrode 10. Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of (for example, two) electrodes 50 are cut out in the lateral direction of the band-shaped electrode 10. Therefore, the transport paths 21 of the transport unit 2 are arranged in the same number (here, two rows) as the electrodes 50 to be cut out in the lateral direction of the strip-shaped electrodes 10.

The transport unit 2 includes a supply unit 22, an accumulator mechanism 23, a delivery unit 24, a moving unit 25, and a suction unit 26. In the transport section 2, the supply section 22, the accumulator mechanism 23, the delivery section 24, the moving section 25, and the suction section 26 are arranged in this order from the upstream to the downstream in the transport direction.

The supply unit 22 is, for example, an unwinding roll. The supply unit 22 continuously feeds out the strip-shaped electrode 10 by rotation, for example. The accumulator mechanism 23 includes three rollers 23a, 23b, 23c. The strip-shaped electrode 10 is bridged over the three rollers 23a, 23b, and 23c in this order. The accumulator mechanism 23 changes the path length of the band-shaped electrode 10 from the roller 23a to the roller 23c by moving the roller 23b up and down in a state where the band-shaped electrode 10 is continuously extended from the supply unit 22. Thereby, for example, the accumulator mechanism 23 can intermittently carry out the strip-shaped electrode 10 from the roller 23c while rotating the supply unit 22 at a constant speed. The accumulator mechanism 23 intermittently carries out the strip-shaped electrodes 10 in the transport direction, for example, every two lengths of the electrodes 50 cut out in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped electrodes 10.

The delivery unit 24 includes a pair of nip rolls (rollers) 24a and 24b arranged in the vertical direction (here, the Z-axis direction). The pair of nip rolls 24a and 24b rotate together with the strip-shaped electrode 10 sandwiched from the vertical direction to feed the strip-shaped electrode 10 carried out from the roller 23c in the transport direction. Further, the pair of nip rolls 24a and 24b can adjust the speed at which the strip-shaped electrode 10 is sent out in the transport direction by adjusting the rotation speed.

The moving unit 25 is provided between the sending unit 24 and the suction unit 26 so as to be reciprocally movable between the sending unit 24 and the suction unit 26 in the transport direction. The moving unit 25 includes, for example, a slider 25b connected to the actuator 25a. The slider 25b has a suction surface 25s along the transport path 21. The slider 25b sucks the band-shaped electrode 10 on the transport path 21 by sucking the band-shaped electrode 10 on the suction surface 25s. The slider 25b attracts the strip-shaped electrode 10 to the suction surface 25s by, for example, evacuation. The suction surface 25s is provided with, for example, a suction hole (not shown), and is connected to a decompression means such as a pump (not shown) for evacuation via a suction duct. However, the suction of the slider 25b to the suction surface 25s is not limited to vacuuming, and may be, for example, electrostatic suction due to static electricity. The slider 25b attracts the strip-shaped electrode 10 to the suction surface 25s and moves to the downstream side in the transport direction in synchronization with the delivery of the strip-shaped electrode 10 by the delivery unit 24. The slider 25b delivers the strip-shaped electrode 10 to the suction portion 26 by moving to the downstream side in the transport direction in a state where the strip-shaped electrode 10 sent out by the delivery portion 24 is attracted to and held by the suction surface 25s. The shape of the slider 25b will be described later.

The pair of nip rolls 24a, 24b and the slider 25b apply tension to the strip-shaped electrode 10 between the nip rolls 24a, 24b and the slider 25b in the transport direction of the strip-shaped electrode 10. Here, as described above, the pair of nip rolls 24a and 24b can adjust the speed at which the strip-shaped electrode 10 is sent out in the transport direction by adjusting the rotation speed. The rotation speed of the pair of nip rolls 24a and 24b is adjusted so that the strip-shaped electrode 10 is sent out in the transport direction at a speed equal to or lower than the speed of movement of the slider 25b to the downstream side in the transport direction. As a result, tension is always applied to the strip-shaped electrode 10 between the pair of nip rolls 24a and 24b and the slider 25b.

The suction unit 26 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction from the delivery unit 24, apart from the delivery unit 24. A plurality (for example, two) of the suction portions 26 are arranged in the lateral direction (here, the Y-axis direction) of the strip-shaped electrode 10. The suction unit 26 sucks the strip-shaped electrode 10 onto the transport path 21. The suction unit 26 includes a plurality of (for example, four) suction members 26a that suck the strip-shaped electrode 10, a rotating portion 26b that rotates the suction member 26a, and a support portion 26c that fixes each suction member 26a to the rotating portion 26b. And, including. The shape of the suction member 26a will be described later.

Each of the suction members 26a has a suction surface 26s. In the four suction members 26a, the four suction surfaces 26s are sequentially arranged on the transport path 21 one by one by being rotated by the rotating portion 26b. The suction member 26a having the suction surface 26s arranged on the transport path 21 has the suction surface 26s facing upward (for example, one in the Z-axis direction). The suction member 26a sucks the band-shaped electrode 10 on the transport path 21 by sucking the band-shaped electrode 10 on the suction surface 26s. The suction member 26a sucks the strip-shaped electrode 10 onto the suction surface 26s by, for example, evacuation. The suction surface 26s is provided with, for example, a suction hole (not shown), and is connected to a decompression means such as a pump (not shown) for evacuation via a suction duct. The adsorption of the adsorption member 26a is not limited to vacuuming, and may be, for example, electrostatic adsorption by static electricity.

The cut electrode 50 is sucked on the suction surface 26s facing the direction intersecting the transport path 21 (for example, one of the X-axis directions). Further, the suction surface 26s facing the opposite direction (here, the other in the Z-axis direction) with respect to the transport path 21 faces the transport portion 5. The suction member 26a having the suction surface 26s facing the transport section 5 releases the suction of the electrode 50 and delivers the electrode 50 to the transport section 5. The remaining suction member 26a (here, the suction member 26a having the suction surface 26s facing the other in the X-axis direction) is in a state in which nothing is sucked on the suction surface 26s.

The rotating portion 26b is arranged at the center of the four suction members 26a. The rotating portion 26b has, for example, a cubic shape. Four sides of each cube-shaped surface of the rotating portion 26b are arranged so as to face four sides (here, one and the other in the X-axis direction and one and the other in the Z-axis direction) in one state. There is. A suction member 26a is fixed to each of the side surfaces of the rotating portion 26b via a support portion 26c. The rotating portion 26b is connected to, for example, a rotational driving unit (not shown), and is rotated in 90 ° units in the forward direction (clockwise in this case) along the transport path 21 by being driven by the rotational driving unit. As a result, the four suction members 26a are rotated in units of 90 ° and are arranged one by one on the transport path 21 in order.

The laser device 3 irradiates the band-shaped electrode 10 on the transport path 21 with the laser beam L from above the transport path 21. The laser beam L includes laser beams L31 and L32 having different output characteristics. Here, for example, the output value of the laser beam L32 is higher than the output value of the laser beam L31. The laser device 3 cuts the strip-shaped electrode 10 on the transport path 21 by irradiating the laser beam L. The laser device 3 has a first cutting portion 31 and a second cutting portion 32. The first cutting portion 31 is arranged at a position facing the suction portion 26 above the transport path 21. Further, the second cutting portion 32 is arranged above the transport path 21 and upstream of the first cutting portion 31 in the transport direction.

The first cutting portion 31 cuts the coating portion 13. The first cutting portion 31 includes an output portion 31a and a support portion 31b. The output portion 31a is attached below the support portion 31b and is arranged so as to face the strip-shaped electrode 10. The output unit 31a irradiates the coating unit 13 of the band-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L31. The output unit 31a scans the laser beam L31 along the first cutting line L1 (see FIG. 1A) set in the coating unit 13 of the strip electrode 10.

The second cutting portion 32 cuts the uncoated portion 14. The second cutting portion 32 includes an output portion 32a and a support portion 32b. The output portion 32a is attached below the support portion 32b and is arranged so as to face the strip-shaped electrode 10. The output unit 32a irradiates the uncoated portion 14 of the strip-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L32. The output unit 32a scans the laser beam L32 along the second cutting line L2 (see FIG. 1A) set in the uncoated portion 14 of the strip electrode 10.

When the band-shaped electrode 10 is irradiated with the laser light L, the laser protection member 4 blocks the laser light L that has passed through the band-shaped electrode 10. The laser protection member 4 is provided on the downstream side of the transport path 21. The laser protection member 4 is provided at a position below the transport path 21 and facing the laser device 3 so as to be able to advance and retreat. The laser protection member 4 includes a cover member 41a and a guide member 41b.

The cover member 41a is formed in a plate shape. Further, the cover member 41a is provided with a slit 41s through which the support portion 26c can be inserted when the cover member 41a advances to a position facing the laser device 3. The cover member 41a is made of, for example, a flame-retardant resin. The cover member 41a is installed on the guide member 41b so as to be slidable. The cover member 41a is driven by a driving unit (not shown) and slides to a position facing the first cutting portion 31 and the second cutting portion 32 of the laser device 3. As a result, when the band-shaped electrode 10 is irradiated with the laser beam L, the cover member 41a advances to a position facing the laser device 3. Further, the cover member 41a retracts from a position facing the laser device 3 when the suction member 26a is rotated. The guide member 41b guides the slide movement of the cover member 41a.

The transport unit 5 transports the manufactured electrode 50 to the next step. The transport unit 5 is, for example, a belt conveyor. The transport unit 5 is arranged below the suction unit 26. The transport unit 5 transports the electrode 50 in the transport direction in the Y-axis direction, for example. The transport unit 5 transports the electrode 50 delivered from the suction member 26a of the suction unit 26 to, for example, an inspection step. The electrodes 50 may be transported one by one, or may be stored in a magazine or the like and transported one by one.

Next, the shapes of the slider 25b and the suction member 26a will be described. FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the moving portion and the suction portion of the electrode manufacturing apparatus shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. FIG. 6 is a side view of the moving portion and the suction portion shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining the moving portion and the suction portion of the electrode manufacturing apparatus shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. FIG. 8 is a side view of the moving portion and the suction portion shown in FIG. 7.

The suction member 26a is formed so as to have the same dimensions and shape as the manufactured electrode 50 when viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam L. In addition, the same in the present specification includes not only completely the same dimensional shape but also substantially the same dimensional shape with a slight difference (for example, a dimensional difference of about 0.5 mm). For example, the suction member 26a is slightly smaller than the manufactured electrode 50 when viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam L.

Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality (here, two) of the suction portions 26 are arranged in the lateral direction of the band-shaped electrode 10. That is, two suction members 26a are arranged on the transport path 21. The two suction members 26a on the transport path 21 are arranged so as to be paired, for example. Of the two suction members 26a on the transport path 21, one of the suction members 26a (for example, the one closer to the laser protection member 4) is viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam L, and the other (for example, the laser protection member 4) It is arranged in a direction rotated by 180 ° with respect to the suction member 26a (farther from). The two suction members 26a on the transport path 21 are arranged so that the portions corresponding to the tabs 55 of the electrodes 50 face both ends of the strip electrode 10 in the lateral direction (that is, the uncoated portion 14 side). ing.

The slider 25b is formed so as to be fitted to the suction member 26a when it is moved to the position closest to the suction member 26a. That is, the portion of the slider 25b on the downstream side in the transport direction is formed so as to have a dimensional shape corresponding to the portion of the suction member 26a on the upstream side in the transport direction when viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam L32. In the state where the slider 25b is moved to the position closest to the suction member 26a, the slider 25b and the suction member 26a are arranged with a slight gap.

Next, the operations of the slider 25b, the suction member 26a, and the laser device 3 in the cutting step of cutting the strip-shaped electrode 10 will be described. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the strip-shaped electrode 10 is attracted to the suction surface 25s of the slider 25b. That is, the strip-shaped electrode 10 is in a state in which tension is applied by the slider 25b and the pair of nip rolls 24a and 24b. In that state, the cover member 41a of the laser protection member 4 advances to a position facing the laser device 3.

Then, the second cutting portion 32 of the laser device 3 irradiates the uncoated portion 14 of the strip-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L32. The second cutting portion 32 irradiates the laser beam L32 along the second cutting line L2. Here, the position of the second cutting line L2 overlaps with the position of the outer edge of the suction member 26a when viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam L. That is, the second cutting portion 32 irradiates the band-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L32 along the outer edge of the suction member 26a. Further, the second cutting portion 32 irradiates the band-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L32 along the outer edge of the slider 25b of the moving portion 25. The laser beam L32 is applied to the gap between the slider 25b and the suction member 26a.

Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the slider 25b moves to the downstream side in the transport direction in a state where the strip-shaped electrode 10 is attracted to and held by the suction surface 25s. Then, the suction member 26a sucks the strip-shaped electrode 10 on the suction surface 26s. Therefore, the strip-shaped electrode 10 is in a state where tension is applied by the slider 25b and the suction member 26a.

In this state, the first cutting portion 31 of the laser device 3 irradiates the coating portion 13 of the strip-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L31. The first cutting portion 31 irradiates the laser beam L31 along the first cutting line L1. Here, the position of the first cutting line L1 overlaps with the position of the outer edge of the suction member 26a when viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam L. That is, the first cutting portion 31 irradiates the band-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L31 along the outer edge of the suction member 26a. Further, the first cutting portion 31 irradiates the band-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L31 along the outer edge of the slider 25b of the moving portion 25. The laser beam L31 is applied to the gap between the slider 25b and the suction member 26a. Then, the cover member 41a of the laser protection member 4 retracts from the position facing the laser device 3.

With the above, the cutting process is completed. After that, the rotating portion 26b rotates the suction member 26a in a state where the cut and manufactured electrode 50 is sucked by 180 °, and the electrode 50 is delivered to the transporting portion 5. Then, the electrode 50 is transported to the inspection process.

Next, the operation and effect of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the transport unit 2 for transporting the strip-shaped electrode 10 sends the strip-shaped electrode 10 in the transport direction by the delivery unit 24, and the strip-shaped electrode 10 is a moving portion. It is delivered to the suction unit 26 by 25. Tension is applied to the strip-shaped electrode 10 between the delivery unit 24 and the moving unit 25 in the transport direction by the transmission unit 24 and the moving unit 25. As a result, the strip-shaped electrode 10 is in a state in which the vertical displacement due to warpage or bending is suppressed even in the portion not sucked by the suction portion 26, so that the strip-shaped electrode 10 can be cut with good quality by the laser device 3. Become. In this configuration, the range in which the suction unit 26 is provided can be made smaller than that of the suction conveyor in which the suction unit is arranged in the entire transport region. As a result, the size of the suction duct, which increases according to the installation range of the suction unit 26, can be reduced, and the decompression means can be miniaturized. Therefore, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 can be miniaturized. it can.

Further, since the suction unit 26 can be miniaturized as described above, the responsiveness of the suction unit 26 to the negative pressure can be improved, and the suction can be switched on and off. Therefore, the energy consumption associated with adsorption can be reduced. Further, when the suction conveyor is used, air enters through the small holes not covered by the strip-shaped electrode 10 and the gap between the suction duct and the belt, so that the loss of negative pressure is large. On the other hand, the suction portion 26 of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can reduce the loss of negative pressure, so that the decompression means can be miniaturized.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the laser apparatus 3 irradiates the band-shaped electrode 10 with the laser beam L along the outer edge of the suction portion 26. The portion of the strip-shaped electrode 10 that is attracted to the suction portion 26 is in a state of being positioned with particularly high accuracy. With this configuration, the portion of the strip-shaped electrode 10 to be irradiated with the laser beam L can be in a particularly accurately positioned state. Therefore, the strip-shaped electrode 10 can be cut in a more suitable state.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1, the suction portion 26 is formed so as to have the same dimensions and shape as the manufactured electrode 50 when viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam L. Therefore, when manufacturing the electrode 50 having a desired size and shape, the strip-shaped electrode 10 can be cut in a suitable state.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1, the suction unit 26 includes a suction member 26a for sucking the strip-shaped electrode 10 and a rotating part 26b for rotating the suction member 26a. Therefore, by rotating the suction member 26a in a state where the manufactured electrode 50 is sucked by the suction member, the electrode 50 can be delivered to the transport unit 5 and transported to the next step. As a result, even in the transfer process after the cutting process, the equipment can be downsized as compared with the suction conveyor. Therefore, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 can be further miniaturized.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1, the strip-shaped electrode 10 includes a coated portion (first portion) 13 covered with the active material layer 12 and an uncoated portion (second portion) 14 with the metal foil 11 exposed. (See FIG. 1A), the laser apparatus 3 is arranged on the first cutting portion 31 for cutting the coated portion 13 and on the upstream side in the transport direction from the first cutting portion 31, and is an uncoated portion. It has a second cutting portion 32 for cutting 14 (see FIGS. 6 and 8). Therefore, it is possible to save the trouble of switching the output characteristic of the laser beam L irradiating the strip-shaped electrode 10 between the coated portion 13 and the uncoated portion 14.

The electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 further includes a laser protection member 4 for blocking the laser beam L that has passed through the band-shaped electrode 10 when the band-shaped electrode 10 is irradiated with the laser beam L. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the influence of the laser beam L passing through the band-shaped electrode 10 on other parts.

In the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1, the transport paths 21 of the transport unit 2 are arranged in the lateral direction of the strip-shaped electrode 10. Therefore, the transport path 21 can be arranged more effectively, and further space saving can be achieved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the present embodiment, the laser device 3 has been described with reference to an example having the first cutting portion 31 and the second cutting portion 32, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The laser device 3 may have, for example, only the first cutting portion 31. In this case, the laser device 3 irradiates the laser beam L31 with the first cutting portion 31 to cut the coating portion 13, and irradiates the laser light L32 by switching the output of the first cutting portion 31 to unpaint. Cut the portion 14. Alternatively, the laser device 3 may irradiate the laser beam L31 with the first cutting portion 31 to cut the coated portion 13 and the uncoated portion 14. Further, in this case, both the coated portion 13 and the uncoated portion 14 may be cut while the suction member 26a sucks the strip-shaped electrode 10 on the suction surface 26s.

Further, in the present embodiment, the slider 25b has been described with reference to an example having a suction surface 25s, but the present invention is not limited to this. The slider 25b may have, for example, a holding member. In this case, the slider 25b delivers the band-shaped electrode 10 to the suction unit 26 by moving to the downstream side in the transport direction while holding the band-shaped electrode 10 delivered by the sending unit 24 by sandwiching the holding member.

Further, in the present embodiment, the rotating portion 26b of the suction portion 26 has been described with an example of exhibiting a cubic shape, but the shape of the rotating portion 26b is not limited to this. The rotating portion 26b may have a polygonal shape such as an octagonal shape or a hexagonal shape when viewed from the Y-axis direction, or may have a circular shape or an elliptical shape when viewed from the Y-axis direction. For example, when the rotating portion 26b has an octagonal shape when viewed from the Y-axis direction, eight suction members 26a may be provided. The quantity of the suction member 26a can be arbitrarily changed according to the shape of the rotating portion 26b.

Further, in the present embodiment, the electrode 50 has been described with reference to an example in which the electrode 50 is transported to the inspection step by the transport unit 5 arranged below the suction unit 26, but the present invention is not limited to this. The inspection step may be performed in a state where the electrode 50 is adsorbed on the adsorption unit 26. For example, the inspection step may be performed at a position where the electrode 50 is rotated by 90 ° from the transport path 21.

Further, in the present embodiment, the strip-shaped electrode 10 has an active material layer 12 formed in the central portion of the metal foil 11 in the lateral direction, and two electrodes 50 are cut out in the lateral direction of the strip-shaped electrode 10. The strip-shaped electrode 10 is not limited to this, although it has been described with an example of using two strips. As for the band-shaped electrode 10, one electrode 50 may be cut out in the lateral direction.

Further, the transport paths 21 of the transport unit 2 may be arranged in four rows in the lateral direction of the strip-shaped electrodes 10. In this case, the strip-shaped electrode 10 has four electrodes 50 cut out in the lateral direction. When a large number of transport paths 21 are arranged in the lateral direction of the band-shaped electrodes 10 (here, four rows), the suction members 26a on the transport paths 21 may be arranged in pairs of two.

Further, instead of using the accumulator mechanism 23, a rotation source such as a motor is connected to the unwinding roll which is the supply unit 22, and the unwinding roll is directly controlled to rotate, whereby the strip-shaped electrode 10 is intermittently carried out. May be good. On the other hand, when the accumulator mechanism 23 is used, the strip-shaped electrode 10 continuously supplied from the previous step may be intermittently carried out from the roller 23c of the accumulator mechanism 23 without using the unwinding roll.

1 ... Electrode manufacturing device, 2 ... Conveying part, 3 ... Laser device, 4 ... Laser protective member, 10 ... Band-shaped electrode, 11 ... Metal foil, 12 ... Active material layer, 13 ... Coating part (first part), 14 ... uncoated part (second part), 21 ... transport path, 24 ... delivery part, 24a, 24b ... nip roll (roller), 25 ... moving part, 26 ... suction part, 26a ... suction member, 26b ... rotating part, 31 ... 1st cutting part, 32 ... 2nd cutting part, 50 ... Electrode, L (L31, L32) ... Laser light.

Claims (7)

An electrode manufacturing device that manufactures electrodes by cutting long strip-shaped electrodes in which an active material layer is formed on a metal foil.
A transport unit that transports the strip-shaped electrode to a transport path whose transport direction is the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped electrode,
A laser device that cuts the strip-shaped electrode on the transport path by irradiating the laser beam, and
With
The transport unit
A delivery unit including a pair of rollers that feed the strip-shaped electrode in the transport direction by rotating while sandwiching the strip-shaped electrode from the vertical direction.
A suction portion provided on the downstream side of the delivery portion in the transport direction at a distance from the delivery portion and adsorbing the strip-shaped electrode on the transport path.
A moving portion provided between the sending portion and the suction portion and moving in the transport direction while holding the strip-shaped electrode sent by the sending portion to deliver the strip-shaped electrode to the suction portion. And have
The sending section and the moving section are electrode manufacturing devices that apply tension in the transport direction of the strip-shaped electrode between the sending section and the moving section. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser apparatus irradiates the strip-shaped electrode with a laser beam along the outer edge of the adsorption portion. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the suction portion includes a suction member formed so as to have the same dimensions and shape as the electrode to be manufactured when viewed from the direction of irradiating the laser beam. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the suction portion includes a suction member that sucks the strip-shaped electrode and a rotating portion that rotates the suction member. The strip-shaped electrode has a first portion covered with the active material layer and a second portion with the metal foil exposed.
The laser device has a first cutting portion that cuts the first portion, and a second cutting portion that is arranged upstream of the first cutting portion in the transport direction and cuts the second portion. , The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising a laser protection member for blocking the laser beam passing through the band-shaped electrode when the band-shaped electrode is irradiated with the laser light. The suction unit, the are arrayed in the lateral direction of the belt-shaped electrode, the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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