JP6816604B2 - Electrode transfer device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrode transfer device.

As a conventional electrode transfer device, for example, the device described in Patent Document 1 is known. The electrode transport device described in Patent Document 1 includes a transport belt that transports the electrode plate in the traveling direction, a flat plate-shaped width direction position regulating portion arranged on the opposite side of the tab of the transported electrode plate, and a transport belt. It is provided with a group of guide rollers arranged on both sides of the above and for moving the conveyed electrode plate to a desired position. The width direction position regulating plate includes a first width direction position regulating plate that inclines by a predetermined angle toward the side opposite to the traveling direction of the electrode plate, and the first width direction position regulating plate continuously in the traveling direction. It is composed of a second width direction position regulating plate extending in parallel with the other.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-186799

In the above electrode transfer device, when the electrode plate is supplied to the transfer belt from the electrode plate supply device, the tab of the electrode plate is attached to the second width direction position regulation plate of the width direction position regulation portion by the action of the guide roller group. The electrode plate is positioned by abutting the side end portions on the opposite side to the electrode plate.

The electrode plate positioned by the second width direction position regulation plate of the width direction position regulation unit is conveyed in the traveling direction in a state of being in contact with the second width direction position regulation plate. At this time, the width direction position regulating portion is fixed. Therefore, the electrode plate is conveyed in a state of being rubbed against the second width direction position regulating plate. Therefore, powder falling off of the active material layer formed on the electrode plate is likely to occur.

On the other hand, in order to position the electrode plate along the traveling direction, for example, the following configuration can be considered. That is, as an example, a protrusion such as a sun is provided on the transport belt, and a curtain (goodwill) is provided on the transport belt so as to be relatively stationary with respect to the transport belt. In this case, the electrode plate comes into contact with the curtain while being conveyed by the conveying belt. Then, the electrode plate is slid on the transport belt toward the upstream side in the traveling direction due to friction with the curtain, and is abutted against the protrusion. As a result, the position of the electrode plate in the traveling direction is defined by the protrusion.

However, the electrode plate abutted against the protrusion is conveyed in the traveling direction together with the protrusion. At this time, the curtain passes over the electrode plate while contacting each other. Therefore, also in this case, as in the above case, the active material layer formed on the electrode plate is likely to be powdered. Further, when the electrode plate first comes into contact with the stationary curtain, the active material layer is also likely to be powdered. When the exfoliated active material particles are mixed in the electrode assembly, it contributes to the generation of defective products.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrode transport device capable of positioning the electrode while suppressing powder falling off of the active material layer when transporting the electrode.

The electrode transfer device according to the present invention includes a conveyor for transporting sheet-shaped electrodes including an active material layer and a positioning mechanism for positioning the electrodes on the conveyor, and the conveyor is formed in an annular shape. It has an annular portion that is circulated and driven, the annular portion includes a mounting surface on which an electrode is mounted, and a positioning mechanism is provided on the annular portion and is provided on the annular portion to contact the electrode and position the electrode. The contact surface is placed on the contact member including the contact member and the posture of the contact member on the downstream side of the electrode mounting position in the electrode transport direction from the first posture in which the contact surface is along the mounting surface. It has a conversion unit that converts into a second posture that intersects the surface.

In this electrode transfer device, the electrode having the active material layer is conveyed by circulating driving the annular portion in a state of being placed on the mounting surface. The annular portion is provided with a contact member of the positioning mechanism. Further, the contact member is converted from the first posture along the mounting surface to the second posture in which the contact surface intersects the mounting surface on the downstream side of the mounting position of the electrode by the conversion part of the positioning mechanism. Will be done. Therefore, when the electrode is mounted on the mounting surface when the electrode is transported, if a part of the electrode is applied to the contact surface, the contact that rises with respect to the mounting surface as the posture of the contact member is changed. Pressed by the surface. As a result, the electrodes are defined by the position of the contact surface. Therefore, according to this electrode transport device, it is possible to position the electrodes while suppressing powder falling off of the active material layer when transporting the electrodes.

In the electrode transfer device according to the present invention, the conversion unit may change the posture of the contact member from the first posture to the second posture according to the drive of the annular portion. In this case, the rise of the contact surface with respect to the mounting surface corresponds to the circulation speed of the annular portion. Therefore, as compared with the case where the electrode is abutted against a member that is stationary with respect to the annular portion, for example, powder dropping of the active material layer can be reliably reduced.

In the electrode transport device according to the present invention, the conversion unit includes a guide member extending along the transport direction, the contact member includes an engaging portion that engages with the guide member, and the guide member is downstream in the transport direction. It may include an inclined portion that is inclined upward toward. In this case, with a simple configuration, the posture of the contact member can be changed from the first posture to the second posture according to the drive of the annular portion.

In the electrode transfer device according to the present invention, the annular portion includes a belt portion that is cyclically driven in an annular shape and a plurality of mounting members provided on the belt portion so that the belt portion is circulated and driven together with the belt portion. The placement member may include a mounting surface.

In the electrode transport device according to the present invention, the contact members may be provided on some mounting members separated from each other so that the contact surfaces extend in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the electrodes. In this case, positioning in the transport direction can be performed.

In the electrode transfer device according to the present invention, the positioning mechanism is provided on a part of the mounting members different from the part of the mounting members, and intersects the mounting surface and faces the contact surface side. It may have a regulatory member including. In this case, since the electrodes can be positioned by the contact surface and the intersection surface, the reliability of positioning is improved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrode transport device capable of positioning an electrode while suppressing powder falling off of an active material layer when transporting an electrode.

It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of the power storage device manufactured by applying the electrode transport device which concerns on this embodiment. It is sectional drawing along the line II-II of FIG. It is a schematic side view which shows the electrode transport device which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic plan view of the electrode transfer device shown in FIG. It is a schematic side view of a conveyor. It is a partial plan view of the conveyor shown in FIG. It is a schematic side view which shows a part of the conveyor shown in FIG. It is a schematic side view which shows the state of positioning. It is a side view which shows the modification of the engaging part.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the electrode transfer device will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements or the corresponding elements may be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description may be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of a power storage device manufactured by applying the electrode transfer device according to the present embodiment. 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 a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

The power storage device 1 includes, for example, a case 2 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an electrode assembly 3 housed in the case 2. The case 2 is made of a metal such as aluminum. Although not shown, a non-aqueous (organic solvent-based) electrolytic solution is injected into the case 2. The positive electrode terminal 4 and the negative electrode terminal 5 are arranged on the case 2 so as to be separated from each other. The positive electrode terminal 4 is fixed to the case 2 via the insulating ring 6, and the negative electrode terminal 5 is fixed to the case 2 via the insulating ring 7.

Further, an insulating film F is arranged between the electrode assembly 3 and the inner side surface and the bottom surface of the case 2, and the insulating film F insulates the case 2 from the electrode assembly 3. The lower end of the electrode assembly 3 is in contact with the inner bottom surface of the case 2 via the insulating film F. By arranging the spacer S between the electrode assembly 3 and the case 2, a gap is filled between the electrode assembly 3 and the case 2. The spacer S includes one or a plurality of sheets, and the number of the sheets may vary depending on the thickness of the electrode assembly 3.

The electrode assembly 3 has a structure in which a plurality of positive electrodes 8 and a plurality of negative electrodes 9 are alternately laminated via a bag-shaped separator 10. The positive electrode 8 is wrapped in a bag-shaped separator 10. The positive electrode 8 in a state of being wrapped in the bag-shaped separator 10 is configured as a positive electrode 11 with a separator. Therefore, the electrode assembly 3 has a structure in which a plurality of positive electrodes 11 with separators and a plurality of negative electrodes 9 are alternately laminated. The electrodes located at both ends of the electrode assembly 3 are negative electrodes 9.

The positive electrode 8 has, for example, a metal foil 14 which is a positive electrode current collector made of an aluminum foil, and a positive electrode active material layer 15 formed on both sides of the metal foil 14. The metal foil 14 has a rectangular foil main body portion 14a in a plan view and a tab 14b integrated with the foil main body portion 14a. The tab 14b protrudes from the edge near one end of the foil body 14a and penetrates the separator 10. The tab 14b is connected to the positive electrode terminal 4 via the conductive member 12. In FIG. 2, tab 14b is omitted for convenience.

The positive electrode active material layer 15 is formed on both surfaces of the foil main body portion 14a. The positive electrode active material layer 15 is a porous layer formed by containing the positive electrode active material and the binder. Examples of the positive electrode active material include composite oxides, metallic lithium, sulfur and the like. Composite oxides include, for example, at least one of manganese, nickel, cobalt and aluminum and lithium.

The negative electrode 9 has, for example, a metal foil 16 which is a negative electrode current collector made of copper foil, and a negative electrode active material layer 17 formed on both sides of the metal foil 16. The metal foil 16 has a rectangular foil main body portion 16a in a plan view and a tab 16b integrated with the foil main body portion 16a. The tab 16b protrudes from the edge near one end of the foil body 16a. The tab 16b is connected to the negative electrode terminal 5 via the conductive member 13. Note that in FIG. 2, tab 16b is omitted for convenience.

The negative electrode active material layer 17 is formed on both surfaces of the foil main body portion 16a. The negative electrode active material layer 17 is a porous layer formed by containing the negative electrode active material and the binder. Examples of the negative electrode active material include 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 or boron-added carbon and the like.

The separator 10 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. Examples of the material of the separator 10 include a porous film made of a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), or a woven cloth or non-woven fabric made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), methyl cellulose and the like.

When manufacturing the power storage device 1 configured as described above, first, a positive electrode 11 with a separator and a negative electrode 9 formed by wrapping the positive electrode 8 with a bag-shaped separator 10 are manufactured, and then the positive electrode 11 with a separator and the negative electrode 9 are formed. Are alternately laminated, and the positive electrode 11 with a separator and the negative electrode 9 are fixed with tape or the like to obtain an electrode assembly 3. Then, after connecting the tab 14b of the positive electrode 11 with a separator to the positive electrode terminal 4 via the conductive member 12, and connecting the tab 16b of the negative electrode 9 to the negative electrode terminal 5 via the conductive member 13, the electrode assembly 3 is connected to the case. It is housed in 2.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the electrode transfer device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the electrode transfer device shown in FIG. As an example, the electrode transport device 20 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 carries out a step of providing a separator 10 for a positive electrode 8 which is an individual electrode cut from a strip-shaped electrode material in a punching step. It is a device that conveys to the equipment to be installed. The separator 10 has a bag shape in the above-mentioned example, and is provided so as to wrap the positive electrode 8.

The transfer target of the electrode transfer device 20 may be the negative electrode 9. That is, the electrode transfer device 20 conveys a sheet-shaped electrode containing an active material layer. In the following, the positive electrode 8 is shown as an example of the electrode. Therefore, in the following, the positive electrode 8 can be generalized as an electrode.

The electrode transfer device 20 includes a transfer conveyor 21, a transfer conveyor 22, and a transfer conveyor (conveyor) 23. The conveyor 23 is arranged on the downstream side of the conveyor 21 in the transport direction P. The conveyor 22 is arranged above the conveyors 21 and 23. The conveyor 21 is, for example, a belt conveyor. The transport conveyor 21 transports the positive electrode 8 cut from the strip-shaped electrode material in the punching step of the previous step.

The conveyor 22 is a suction conveyor. The transfer conveyor 22 conveys the positive electrode 8 delivered from the transfer conveyor 21 in a suction state. The conveyor 22 has a belt 24 having a large number of small holes (not shown) and a suction duct 25 arranged inside the belt 24. The outer peripheral surface of the lower portion of the belt 24 constitutes the transport surface 24a of the positive electrode 8.

The suction duct 25 is open to the lower side. The suction duct 25 is connected to an external negative pressure source (not shown) via a suction port 26. The region of the transport surface 24a of the belt 24 corresponding to the opening of the suction duct 25 is a suction region 27 that sucks and holds the positive electrode 8 by applying a negative pressure to the positive electrode 8 through a small hole (not shown). .. When the positive electrode 8 deviates from the adsorption region 27, the positive electrode 8 separates from the belt 24 and falls.

The start end of the suction region 27 wraps around the end of the conveyor 21. Therefore, the positive electrode 8 conveyed to the vicinity of the end of the transfer conveyor 21 is conveyed in a state of being adsorbed by the transfer conveyor 22. Further, the suction region 27 is wrapped with the conveyor 23. Therefore, the positive electrode 8 transported to a position outside the suction region 27 of the transfer conveyor 22 is separated from the transfer conveyor 22 and falls onto the transfer conveyor 23.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a conveyor (conveyor 23). FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of the conveyor shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a part of the conveyor shown in FIG. As described above, the conveyor 23 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 is for transporting the positive electrode 8 that has fallen from the conveyor 22 by passing through the suction region 27 of the conveyor 22.

The conveyor 23 has an annular portion 30 that is formed in an annular shape and is circulated and driven. The annular portion 30 has a pair of timing belts (belt portions) 31, a drive gear 32, a plurality of pipe members 34, and a plurality of slide members (mounting members) 35. The timing belts 31 are arranged apart from each other at predetermined intervals so as to be parallel to each other, and are housed in the frame 33. The timing belt 31 is formed in an annular shape by the frame 33. Further, the timing belt 31 is circularly driven in an annular shape as the drive gear 32 rotates by engaging with the drive gear 32 arranged in a part of the annular shape. The circulation path of the timing belt 31 is defined by the frame 33. The upper surface of the timing belt 31 moves along the transport direction P in the region along the frame 33. In the following, the direction from one timing belt 31 to the other timing belt 31 may be referred to as the width direction (or simply the width direction) of the conveyor 23.

The slide member 35 is provided on the timing belt 31. Here, the slide members 35 are arranged along the circulation direction of the timing belt 31 (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as the circulation direction) and are supported by the timing belt 31 and the frame 33. More specifically, the pipe members 34 are arranged along the circulation direction and extend along the width direction to be connected to the pair of timing belts 31. Here, the pipe member 34 is fixed to the outer surface of the timing belt 31 via the pedestal portion 36. Here, the slide member 35 has an H-shaped cross section, and is slidably engaged with a pair of pipe members 34 adjacent to each other along the circulation direction.

The upper surface of the slide member 35 has a rectangular shape here, and is a mounting surface 35s desired on the outside of the timing belt 31. The mounting surface 35s is a surface on which the positive electrode 8 is mounted. In the present embodiment, the transport conveyor 23 is configured as a slat conveyor in which the slide member 35 is a slide shoe and is a slat. As described above, the annular portion 30 includes the timing belt 31 which is cyclically driven in an annular manner, and the plurality of slide members 35 provided on the timing belt 31 so as to be cyclically driven together with the timing belt 31 (via the pipe member 34). And, including. The slide member 35 includes a mounting surface 35s.

Here, the electrode transfer device 20 includes a positioning mechanism 40 for positioning the positive electrode 8 on the transfer conveyor 23. Here, the positioning mechanism 40 positions the positive electrode 8 in the width direction (the direction along the mounting surface 35s and intersecting the transport direction P). Therefore, the positioning mechanism 40 has a plurality of contact members 41, a pair of guide members (conversion units) 42, and a plurality of regulation members 43.

The contact member 41 and the regulation member 43 are provided on the slide member 35 (annular portion 30). More specifically, the abutting member 41 is provided on a part of the slide members 35 that are separated from each other along the circulation direction (a part of the mounting members), and the regulating member 43 is , Among the slide members 35, a part of the slide member 35B (another part of the mounting member) different from the slide member 35A is provided. A plurality of (here, two) slide members 35 and 35B are arranged between the pair of slide members 35A adjacent to each other in the circulation direction, and between the pair of slide members 35B adjacent to each other in the circulation direction. , A plurality of (here, two) slide members 35, 35A are arranged.

As an example, the contact member 41 and the regulation member 43 are alternately provided for each of the three slide members 35. However, the distance between the contact member 41 and the regulation member 43 is not limited to this. That is, the distance between the abutting member 41 and the regulating member 43 that are adjacent to each other along the circulation direction is set to be larger than the size of the positive electrode 8 and within a range in which the positive electrode 8 can be positioned. Just do it.

The contact member 41 has a rectangular plate shape with the width direction of the conveyor 23 as the longitudinal direction. The abutting member 41 is attached to an end portion of the slide member 35 (slide member 35A) on the upstream side in the circulation direction. In particular, the contact member 41 is foldable by being attached to the slide member 35 via, for example, a hinge. That is, the contact member 41 can change the posture of the slide member 35 to at least about 90 ° between the tilted posture and the standing posture.

As will be described later, the contact member 41 includes a contact surface 41s for contacting the positive electrode 8 and positioning the positive electrode 8. The contact surface 41s extends in the width direction. The contact surface 41s is a surface desired along the mounting surface 35s and outside the annular region of the timing belt 31 in the posture in which the contact member 41 is tilted down. On the other hand, the contact surface 41s intersects (for example, orthogonally) with the mounting surface 35s in the standing posture of the contact member 41. That is, the posture of the contact member 41 can be changed between the first posture in which the contact surface 41s is along the mounting surface 35s and the second posture in which the contact surface 41s intersects the mounting surface 35s. It is said that. As an example, when the contact member 41 is in the first posture, the contact surface 41s is substantially flush with the mounting surface 35s.

The contact member 41 includes a pair of engaging portions 41p that engage with the guide member 42. Here, the engaging portion 41p includes columnar protrusions provided on both end faces of the contact member 41 in the width direction, and a disk-shaped roller 41r provided at the tip of the protrusion. The engaging portion 41p extends along the width direction and projects to the outside of the timing belt 31.

The guide member 42 changes the posture of the contact member 41 from the first posture to the second posture on the downstream side of the transport direction P of the positive electrode 8 from the mounting position of the positive electrode 8 on the mounting surface 35s. Here, the pair of guide members 42 are arranged so as to be parallel to each other in a state of being separated from each other in the width direction. The guide member 42 is arranged outside the timing belt 31 in the width direction and inside the end portion of the engaging portion 41p when viewed from the direction intersecting the mounting surface 35s. Here, the guide member 42 is provided at a position overlapping the roller 41r in the width direction when viewed from the direction intersecting the mounting surface 35s. On the other hand, the guide member 42 is inclined upward (vertically upward) toward the downstream side in the transport direction P (that is, here, the entire guide member 42 is an inclined portion).

As a result, the start end of the guide member 42 (the end on the upstream side in the transport direction P) is located below the roller 41r in the first posture, and the end of the guide member 42 (the end on the downstream side in the transport direction P). Part) is located above the roller 41r in the first posture. Therefore, when the contact member 41 moves together with the slide member 35 along the transport direction P and the roller 41r reaches the start end of the guide member 42, the roller 41r (engagement portion 41p) gets over the guide member 42 and the guide member 42. Engage in.

Then, as the movement of the contact member 41 progresses, the engagement position between the engaging portion 41p and the guide member 42 gradually rises according to the inclination of the guide member 42. As a result, the contact member 41 gradually rises with respect to the mounting surface 35s. That is, the posture of the contact member 41 is gradually changed from the first posture to the second posture. As a result, the guide member 42 changes the posture of the contact member 41 from the first posture in which the contact surface 41s is along the mounting surface 35s to the second posture in which the contact surface 41s intersects the mounting surface 35s. To do. In this way, the guide member 42 changes the posture of the contact member 41 from the first posture to the second posture according to the drive of the timing belt 31 and the slide member 35.

Therefore, the speed of changing the posture of the contact member 41 is defined by the moving speed of the timing belt 31 and the inclination angle of the guide member 42 with respect to the mounting surface 35s. In other words, here, the speed of changing the posture of the contact member 41 can be controlled to a desired value by adjusting the moving speed of the timing belt 31 and the inclination angle of the guide member 42 with respect to the mounting surface 35s. ..

The regulating member 43 is attached to the downstream end of the slide member 35 (slide member 35B) in the circulation direction. The regulating member 43 projects from the mounting surface 35s. The regulating member 43 has a rectangular plate shape with the width direction as the longitudinal direction. The regulating member 43 includes an intersecting surface 43s that intersects (orthogonally) the mounting surface 35s and is desired on the contact surface 41s side (upstream side in the circulation direction). The intersection surface 43s extends in the width direction. The intersecting surface 43s faces the abutting surface 41s (parallel to each other as an example) when the abutting member 41 is in the second posture. Here, the regulation member 43 is not foldable, and its posture is fixed with respect to the slide member 35.

Subsequently, the positioning of the positive electrode 8 on the conveyor 23 will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view showing a state of positioning. In FIG. 8, the inclination of the guide member 42 is shown larger than in other drawings for the sake of ease of understanding. As shown in FIG. 8A, first, the positive electrode 8 is mounted (mounted at the mounting position) on the mounting surface 35s of the slide member 35. Here, as described above, the positive electrode 8 is placed on the mounting surface 33s by dropping from the conveyor 22.

At this time, the contact surface 41s of the contact member 41 is in the first posture along the mounting surface 35s. Then, here, the positive electrode 8 is placed so as to be arranged from the mounting surface 35s to the contact surface 41s (so that a part of the positive electrode 8 rests on the contact surface 41s). The control of the mounting position of the positive electrode 8 can be realized, for example, by adjusting the relative positional relationship between the end of the suction region 27 of the conveyor 22 and the conveyor 23.

After that, when the slide member 35 on which the positive electrode 8 is placed moves along the transport direction P with the circulation drive of the timing belt 31, as shown in FIG. 8B, the contact member The engaging portion 41p (here, the roller 41r) of 41 comes into contact with the guide member 42 from above, and the engaging portion 41p and the guide member 42 engage with each other.

After that, when the movement of the slide member 35 proceeds in a state where the engaging portion 41p and the guide member 42 are engaged, the engaging portion 41p slides along the guide member 42 as shown in FIG. 8C. It moves and rises. As a result, the posture of the contact member 41 gradually rises from the first posture. That is, the contact surface 41s rises so that the angle of the contact surface 41s with respect to the mounting surface 35s gradually increases. As a result, the positive electrode 8 which is partially placed on the contact surface 41s is pressed by the contact surface 41s in the transport direction P.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8D, as the movement of the slide member 35 further progresses, the engaging portion 41p slides along the guide member 42 and further rises, and the contact member 41 The posture is the second posture. That is, the contact surface 41s is sufficiently raised with respect to the mounting surface 35s. As an example, the angle of the contact surface 41s with respect to the mounting surface 35s is about 90 °. As a result, the pressing of the positive electrode 8 by the contact surface 41s is completed, and the position of the positive electrode 8 in the transport direction P is defined as the position of the base end (the end on the mounting surface 33s side) of the contact surface 41s.

The posture of the contact member 41 is maintained in the second posture even after the movement of the slide member 35 further progresses and the engagement between the engaging portion 41p and the guide member 42 is released. That is, while the positive electrode 8 is being conveyed, the displacement of the positive electrode 8 is continuously suppressed by the contact surface 41s. If the angle of the contact surface 41s with respect to the mounting surface 35s is not larger than 90 °, the positive electrode 8 may be sandwiched between the mounting surface 35s and the contact surface 41s. Therefore, the upper limit of the angle of the contact surface 41s with respect to the mounting surface 35s can be 90 ° as an example.

As described above, in the electrode transfer device 20 (conveyor conveyor 23), the slide member 35 and the timing belt 31 (that is, the annular portion 30) are circulated driven in a state where the positive electrode 8 is mounted on the mounting surface 35s. It is transported by being carried. The slide member 35 is provided with a contact member 41 of the positioning mechanism 40. Further, the contact member 41 is mounted by the guide member 42 of the positioning mechanism 40 on the downstream side of the transport direction P from the mounting position of the positive electrode 8 from the first posture in which the contact surface 41s is along the mounting surface 35s. It is converted into a second posture that intersects the placement surface 35s.

Therefore, when the positive electrode 8 is mounted on the mounting surface 35s when the positive electrode 8 is conveyed, if a part of the positive electrode 8 is applied to the contact surface 41s, the mounting surface is changed according to the posture of the contact member 41. It is pressed by the contact surface 41s that rises with respect to 35s. As a result, the positive electrode 8 is defined by the position of the contact surface 41s. Therefore, according to the electrode transfer device 20, when the positive electrode 8 is conveyed, the positive electrode 8 can be positioned while suppressing powder falling from the positive electrode active material layer 15.

Further, in the electrode transfer device 20, the guide member 42 changes the posture of the contact member 41 from the first posture to the second posture according to the drive of the timing belt 31. Therefore, the rise of the contact surface 41s with respect to the mounting surface 35s corresponds to the moving speed of the timing belt 31 and the slide member 35. Therefore, as compared with the case where the positive electrode 8 is abutted against the stationary member with respect to the slide member 35 (annular portion 30), powder dropping of the positive electrode active material layer 15 can be reliably reduced.

Further, in the electrode transfer device 20, the contact member 41 includes an engaging portion 41p that engages with the guide member 42. Then, the guide member 42 is inclined upward as it goes downstream in the transport direction P. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the posture of the contact member 41 can be changed from the first posture to the second posture according to the drive of the timing belt 31 and the slide member 35.

Further, in the electrode transport device 20, the contact member 41 is provided on a part of the slide members 35A separated from each other so that the contact surface 41s extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction P of the positive electrode 8. Therefore, positioning in the transport direction P can be performed.

Further, in the electrode transfer device 20, the positioning mechanism 40 is provided on a part of the slide member 35B different from the part of the slide member 35A, and intersects the mounting surface 35s and faces the contact surface 41s side. It has a regulating member 43 including a surface 43s. Therefore, the positive electrode 8 can be positioned by the contact surface 41s and the intersection surface 43s. That is, here, the crossing surface 43s prevents the positive electrode 8 pressed against the contact surface 41s from moving too much in the transport direction P. Therefore, the reliability of positioning is improved.

The above-described embodiment describes one embodiment of the electrode transfer device according to the present invention. Therefore, the electrode transfer device according to the present invention is not limited to the electrode transfer device 20 described above. The electrode transfer device according to the present invention may be an arbitrary modification of the electrode transfer device 20 as long as the gist of each claim is not changed.

For example, in the above embodiment, the entire guide member 42 is an inclined portion inclined with respect to the mounting surface 35s. However, a part of the guide member 42 may be an inclined portion. That is, a part of the guide member 42 may be parallel to the mounting surface 35s, and the rest may be inclined with respect to the mounting surface 35s.

Further, in the drawing according to the above embodiment, the guide member 42 is provided on a part of the conveyor 23 along the transport direction P. However, the guide member 42 may be provided so as to extend over the entire conveyor 23 along the transport direction P. That is, the length of the guide member 42 along the transport direction P is arbitrary.

However, by lengthening the guide member 42 to secure the length of the inclined portion, it is possible to set the angle of the inclined portion with respect to the mounting surface 35s to be small. Reducing the angle of the inclined portion corresponds to reducing the posture conversion speed of the contact member 41 when the moving speed of the timing belt 31 and the slide member 35 (that is, the annular portion 30) is constant. The angle of the inclined portion can be set to 20 ° or more and 30 ° or less as an example so that the posture conversion speed of the contact member 41 is not increased too much.

Further, the contact member 41 may be attached to the slide member 35 by using a hinge with an elastic member such as a spring. In this case, for example, the elastic force of the elastic member is applied to the contact member 41 in the direction in which the contact member 41 rises, and the engaging portion 41p is configured to contact and engage with the guide member 42 from below. Then, the same effect can be obtained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the positioning mechanism 40 has been described as positioning the positive electrode 8 in the transport direction P. However, the positioning mechanism 40 may position the positive electrode 8 in the width direction (or position in both directions). When positioning in the width direction, for example, the contact member 41 may be provided at the end portion of the slide member 35 in the width direction. In this case, the contact surface 41s extends along the transport direction P.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the engaging portion 41p engages with the guide member 42 via the disc-shaped roller 41r has been illustrated. However, the mode of engagement between the engaging portion 41p and the guide member 42 can be arbitrarily changed. As an example, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the engaging portion 41p has a substantially rectangular plate shape provided in the cylindrical portion so as to project downward (inside the annular shape of the timing belt 31) instead of the roller 41r. It may have a protrusion 41q of. The corner portion of the protruding portion 41q that comes into contact with the guide member 42 is chamfered in an arc shape (it is a partially cylindrical surface). In this case, the engaging position between the engaging portion 41p and the guide member 42 is lower. Therefore, in this case, the guide member 42 may not protrude above the mounting surface 35s.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case where the slide member 35 is provided on the pipe member 34 and the contact member 41 is provided on the slide member 35 has been illustrated. However, when the slide is unnecessary, the slide member 35 may not be provided, the pipe member 34 may be formed in a prismatic shape, or a plate-shaped member may be used instead of the pipe member 34. When the slide member 35 is not provided (that is, when the annular portion 30 does not include the slide member 35), the pipe member 34 or the plate-shaped member becomes a mounting member having a mounting surface, and the contact member 41 corresponds to the contact member 41. It may be provided directly on the member. Furthermore, the annular portion 30 does not have to include a belt portion such as a timing belt 31. That is, the annular portion 30 may include the mounting surface 35s, and the contact member 41 may be provided on the annular portion 30.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which one positive electrode 8 is conveyed in the width direction is given. However, in the electrode transport device 20, a plurality of positive electrodes 8 may be transported in the width direction. For example, the electrode transport device 20 can be a device that transports a positive electrode 8 which is an individual electrode cut by multiple stripping (for example, double stripping) from a strip-shaped electrode material in a punching process.

8 ... Positive electrode (electrode), 9 ... Negative electrode (electrode), 20 ... Electrode transfer device, 23 ... Conveyor conveyor (conveyor), 30 ... Circular part, 31 ... Timing belt (belt part), 35 ... Slide member (mounting member) ), 35A ... Slide member (some mounting members), 35B ... Slide member (some other mounting member), 35s ... Mounting surface, 40 ... Positioning mechanism, 41 ... Contact member, 41s ... Contact surface, 41p ... engaging part, 42 ... guide member (conversion part), 43 ... regulating member, 43s ... intersection surface, P ... transport direction.

Claims (6)

A conveyor for transporting sheet-shaped electrodes containing an active material layer,
A positioning mechanism for positioning the electrodes on the conveyor, and
With
The conveyor has an annular portion that is formed in an annular shape and is circulated and driven.
The annular portion includes a mounting surface on which the electrode is mounted.
The positioning mechanism is provided on the annular portion, and the contact member including the contact surface for contacting the electrode and positioning the electrode and the posture of the contact member are set with respect to the mounting position of the electrode. On the downstream side in the transport direction of the electrode, a conversion unit that converts the contact surface from the first posture along the previously described mounting surface to the second posture in which the contact surface intersects the previously described mounting surface. Have,
Electrode transfer device. The conversion unit converts the posture of the contact member from the first posture to the second posture in response to the drive of the annular portion.
The electrode transfer device according to claim 1. The conversion unit includes a guide member extending along the transport direction.
The contact member includes an engaging portion that engages with the guide member.
The guide member includes an inclined portion that is inclined upward as it goes downstream in the transport direction.
The electrode transfer device according to claim 2. The annular portion includes a belt portion that is cyclically driven in an annular shape, and a plurality of mounting members provided on the belt portion so that the belt portion is circulated and driven together with the belt portion.
The previously described placing member includes the previously described placing surface,
The electrode transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The abutting member is provided on a part of the previously described members separated from each other so that the abutting surface extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the electrode.
The electrode transfer device according to claim 4. The positioning mechanism is provided on a part of the previously described mounting member different from the part of the mounting member, and has a regulating member including an intersecting surface that intersects the previously described mounting surface and faces the contact surface side. ,
The electrode transfer device according to claim 5.

Images