JP6817850B2 - Gasket addition device and gasket addition method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gasket adding device and a gasket adding method for adding a sub-gasket film surrounding the periphery of an electrode layer to a membrane-electrode assembly in which an electrode layer is formed on the surface of an electrolyte film.

In recent years, fuel cells have been attracting attention as a drive power source for automobiles and mobile phones. A fuel cell is a power generation system that produces electric power by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen (H ₂ ) contained in fuel and oxygen (O ₂ ) in the air. A fuel cell has a feature that the power generation efficiency is high and the burden on the environment is small as compared with other batteries.

There are several types of fuel cells depending on the electrolyte used. One of them is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) that uses an ion exchange membrane (electrolyte membrane) as an electrolyte. Since the polymer electrolyte fuel cell can operate at room temperature and can be made smaller and lighter, it is expected to be applied to automobiles and portable devices.

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell generally has a structure in which a plurality of cells are laminated. One cell is configured by sandwiching both sides of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) with a pair of separators. The membrane-electrode assembly has an electrolyte membrane and a pair of electrode layers formed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane. One of the pair of electrode layers is an anode electrode and the other is a cathode electrode. When a fuel gas containing hydrogen comes into contact with the anode electrode and air comes into contact with the cathode electrode, electric power is generated by an electrochemical reaction.

The above membrane-electrode assembly is easily damaged by external pressure. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a resin frame (sub-gasket film) is attached to the membrane-electrode assembly. Then, when handling the membrane / electrode assembly, the sub-gasket film is gripped instead of the membrane / electrode assembly itself. Conventionally, the attachment of the sub-gasket film to the membrane-electrode assembly is often performed manually. Further, Patent Document 1 describes an apparatus for adhering an edge seal arranged under a gasket to a catalyst layer-electrolyte membrane laminate.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-65577

In the apparatus of Patent Document 1, the catalyst layer-electrolyte membrane laminate supply unit places the catalyst layer-electrolyte membrane laminate on the carrier tape at equal intervals (see paragraph 0032, FIG. 1). However, in the device, the catalyst layer-electrolyte membrane laminate supply unit mechanically holds the catalyst layer-electrolyte membrane laminate. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to add a sub-gasket film to the membrane-electrode assembly with the same configuration as the apparatus of Patent Document 1, there is a concern that the catalyst layer-electrolyte film laminate may be damaged due to mechanical retention.

On the other hand, if the membrane / electrode assembly is fed out from the roller, damage to the membrane / electrode assembly due to mechanical holding can be suppressed. However, in that case, when the distance between the membrane / electrode assembly delivered from the roller is not constant, another problem arises in which the position of the sub-gasket film bonded to the membrane / electrode assembly shifts.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and suppresses damage to the membrane / electrode assembly due to human holding or mechanical holding, and the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gasket adding device and a gasket adding method capable of suppressing a misalignment when the two are bonded together.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application is a gasket adding device that adds a sub-cassis film surrounding the periphery of the electrode layer to a membrane-electrode assembly in which an electrode layer is formed on the surface of an electrolyte film. A first transport mechanism for transporting the membrane-electrode assembly by a plurality of first transport rollers and a second transport mechanism for transporting the sub-cassette film by a plurality of second transport rollers are provided. The plurality of first transport rollers include a sticking roller, and the plurality of second transport rollers include a suction roller that is adjacent to the sticking roller and sucks and holds the sub-jaxing film, and is held by the sticking roller. When the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-jaxlet film adsorbed and held by the suction roller come into contact with each other, the membrane-electrode assembly and the sub-cascade film are bonded to each other, and the sticking roller and the suction roller are bonded together. Further provided is an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the contact position between the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-cassis film.

The second invention of the present application is the gasket adding device of the first invention, further comprising an advancing / retreating mechanism for advancing / retreating the sticking roller in the contact / separation direction with respect to the suction roller.

The third invention of the present application is the gasket addition device of the first invention or the second invention, and after the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film come into contact with each other, the membrane / electrode assembly is the sticking roller. It is separated from the sub-gasket film and transported together with the sub-gasket film.

The fourth invention of the present application is the gasket adding device of any one invention from the first invention to the third invention, and in the first transport mechanism, the first back sheet and the membrane / electrode assembly are laminated. A first unwinding portion for unwinding the first laminated substrate, and a first half-cut portion for separating only the layer of the membrane / electrode assembly from the first laminated substrate into an adopted region and a non-adopted region. A first separation and recovery unit that separates the non-adopted region from the first laminated substrate and recovers the separated non-adopted region is further provided, and the adopted region of the membrane / electrode assembly is formed. Together with the first back sheet, it is conveyed to the sticking roller.

The fifth invention of the present application is the gasket adding device of any one invention from the first invention to the fourth invention, and the second transport mechanism is a first in which a second back sheet and the sub-gasket film are laminated. A second unwinding portion that unwinds the two laminated base materials, a second half-cut portion that separates only the layer of the sub-gasket film from the second laminated base material into a necessary region and an unnecessary region, and the second laminated base material. The required region of the sub-gasket film is further provided with a second separation and recovery unit that separates the unnecessary region and the second back sheet from the base material and recovers the separated unnecessary region and the second back sheet. The region is sucked and held by the suction roller.

The sixth invention of the present application is the gasket addition device of any one invention from the first invention to the fifth invention, and the first invention is to detect the position of the membrane-electrode assembly transported by the first transport mechanism. The detection unit further includes a detection unit and a second detection unit that detects the position of the sub-gasket film conveyed by the second transfer mechanism, and the adjustment mechanism includes a detection result of the first detection unit and the second detection unit. The contact position between the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film between the sticking roller and the suction roller is adjusted based on the detection result of the portion.

The seventh invention of the present application is the gasket addition device of the sixth invention, and the adjusting mechanism comprises a transport direction adjusting mechanism for delaying either one of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism with respect to the other. Including.

The eighth invention of the present application is the gasket addition device of the sixth invention or the seventh invention, and the adjusting mechanism includes a width direction adjusting mechanism which moves the sticking roller in the rotation axis direction.

The ninth invention of the present application is the gasket addition device of any one of the first to eighth inventions, and is a membrane / electrode assembly with a sub-gasket film that has passed between the sticking roller and the suction roller. It further includes a product collection unit that cuts out and collects the body.

The tenth invention of the present application is the gasket addition device of any one of the first to ninth inventions, the sub-gasket film has an adhesive surface, and is between the sticking roller and the suction roller. A cover attachment portion for attaching the cover film is further provided on the exposed adhesive surface of the film-electrode assembly with the sub-gasket film that has passed through the above.

The eleventh invention of the present application is a method of adding a gasket to a membrane / electrode assembly in which an electrode layer is formed on the surface of an electrolyte film, by adding a sub-buffer film surrounding the periphery of the electrode layer. A step of transporting the electrode assembly to the sticking roller, b) a step of transporting the sub-cassis film to the suction roller adjacent to the sticking roller, and c) the membrane-electrode assembly held by the sticking roller. In the step c), the process includes a step of adhering the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-cassis film by bringing the sub-cascade film adsorbed and held by the suction roller into contact with the membrane-electrode assembly. The contact position between the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-cascade film between the sticking roller and the suction roller is adjusted.

The twelfth invention of the present application is the gasket adding method of the eleventh invention, and the sticking roller can advance and retreat in the contacting and separating direction with respect to the suction roller, and in the step c), the sticking roller is attached to the suction roller. Get closer to.

The thirteenth invention of the present application is the gasket adding method of the eleventh invention or the twelfth invention, and after the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film come into contact with each other, the membrane / electrode assembly is attached to the sticking roller. It is separated from the sub-gasket film and transported together with the sub-gasket film.

The 14th invention of the present application is the method of adding a gasket according to any one of the 11th to 13th inventions, and the step a) is a-1) the first backsheet and the membrane / electrode assembly. A step of feeding out the first laminated base material in which is laminated, and a-2) a step of separating only the layer of the membrane / electrode assembly of the first laminated base material into an adopted region and a non-adopted region. a-3) The step of separating the non-adopted region from the first laminated substrate and recovering the separated non-adopted region, and a-4) the adopted region of the membrane / electrode assembly. Along with the first back sheet, it has a step of transporting it to the pasting roller.

The fifteenth invention of the present application is a method of adding a gasket according to any one of the eleventh to fourteenth inventions, and in the step b), b-1) the second back sheet and the sub-gasket film are laminated. A step of feeding out the second laminated base material, and b-2) a step of separating only the layer of the sub-gasket film from the second laminated base material into a necessary region and an unnecessary region, and b-3) the above. A step of separating the unnecessary region and the second back sheet from the second laminated base material and recovering the separated unnecessary region and the second back sheet, and b-4) the necessary region of the sub-gasket film. The step of sucking and holding the above-mentioned suction roller.

The 16th invention of the present application is the method of adding a gasket according to any one of the 11th to 15th inventions, and the step a) is a-5) the position of the film-electrode joint to be conveyed. It has a step of detecting, the step b) has a step of detecting the position of the sub-bark film to be conveyed b-5), and the step c) is c-1) the step a-5). Based on the detection result of the above step b-5) and the detection result of the step b-5), there is a step of adjusting the contact position between the film / electrode joint and the sub-barquet film between the sticking roller and the suction roller.

The 17th invention of the present application is the gasket adding method of the 16th invention, and in the step c-1), either one of the transfer of the membrane / electrode assembly and the transfer of the sub-gasket film is performed with respect to the other. Including the process of delaying.

The 18th invention of the present application is the gasket adding method of the 16th invention or the 17th invention, and the step c-1) includes a step of moving the sticking roller in the rotation axis direction.

The 19th invention of the present application is the method of adding a gasket according to any one of the 11th to 18th inventions. D) A film with a sub-gasket film that has passed between the sticking roller and the suction roller. It further has a step of cutting out and recovering the electrode assembly.

The twentieth invention of the present application is the method of adding a gasket according to any one of the eleventh to nineteenth inventions, wherein the sub-gasket film has an adhesive surface, and e) the sticking roller and the suction roller. Further, the present invention includes a step of attaching a cover film to the exposed adhesive surface of the membrane-electrode assembly with the sub-gasket film that has passed between them.

According to the first to twentieth inventions of the present application, the sub-gasket film can be efficiently added to the membrane-electrode assembly while suppressing damage to the electrolyte membrane due to human holding or mechanical holding. Further, by adjusting the contact position between the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film between the sticking roller and the suction roller, it is possible to suppress the misalignment when the two are stuck together.

In particular, according to the fourth or fourteenth invention of the present application, the first backsheet can be used to carry the membrane-electrode assembly while suppressing deformation. Further, the sub-gasket film can be added only to the adopted region (for example, the non-defective part) of the membrane-electrode assembly.

In particular, according to the fifth or fifteenth invention of the present application, the second back sheet can carry the sub-gasket film while suppressing deformation. Further, the required region of the sub-gasket film after separation is attracted and held by the suction roller to suppress deformation.

It is a schematic diagram of the gasket addition device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which showed the structure of the gasket addition device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a partial perspective view of the 1st laminated base material. It is a figure which showed the state of separation of the base material in the 1st separation and recovery part. It is a partial perspective view of the 2nd laminated base material. It is a figure which showed the state of separation of the base material in the 2nd separation and recovery part. It is an enlarged view around the sticking roller and the suction roller. It is a figure which conceptually showed the state of bonding the membrane-electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film. It is a block diagram which showed the connection between a control part and each part in a manufacturing apparatus. It is a figure which showed the structure of the gasket addition device which concerns on a modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the gasket addition device 1A according to the first embodiment. This gasket adding device 1A is a device that adds a sub-gasket film 80A to the membrane-electrode assembly 90A. The membrane-electrode assembly 90A has an electrolyte membrane and an electrode layer formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane. The sub-gasket film 80A is a film for handling that surrounds the periphery of the electrode layer of the membrane-electrode assembly 90A.

As shown in FIG. 1, the gasket addition device 1A includes a first transfer mechanism 10A and a second transfer mechanism 20A. The first transfer mechanism 10A conveys the membrane / electrode assembly 90A by a plurality of first transfer rollers 11A. The second transport mechanism 20A transports the sub-gasket film 80A by the plurality of second transport rollers 21A.

The plurality of first transport rollers 11A of the first transport mechanism 10A include a sticking roller 16A. The plurality of second transport rollers 21A of the second transport mechanism 20A include a suction roller 25A that sucks and holds the sub-gasket film 80A. As shown in FIG. 1, the sticking roller 16A and the suction roller 25A are adjacent to each other.

When the gasket addition device 1A is in operation, the membrane / electrode assembly 90A is transported to the sticking roller 16A by the first transfer mechanism 10A. Further, the sub-gasket film 80A is transported to the suction roller 25A by the second transport mechanism 20A. Then, the membrane / electrode assembly 90A held by the sticking roller 16A and the sub-gasket film 80A held by the suction roller 25A come into contact with each other. As a result, the membrane / electrode assembly 90A and the sub-gasket film 80A are bonded to each other. As a result, a gasketed membrane-electrode assembly 100A in which the sub-gasket film 80A is added to the membrane-electrode assembly 90A is obtained.

In this way, the gasket addition device 1A attaches the film-electrode assembly 90A to be roller-conveyed and the sub-gasket film 80A to be roller-conveyed to each other by bringing them into contact with each other between the two rollers. Therefore, the sub-gasket film 80A can be efficiently added to the membrane-electrode assembly 90A while suppressing damage to the membrane-electrode assembly 90A due to human holding or mechanical holding.

Further, as conceptually shown in FIG. 1, the gasket addition device 1A includes an adjustment mechanism 50A. The adjusting mechanism 50A adjusts the contact position between the membrane / electrode assembly 90A and the sub-gasket film 80A between the sticking roller 16A and the suction roller 25A. The adjusting mechanism 50A may be, for example, a mechanism that temporarily changes the rotation speed of the sticking roller 16A or the suction roller 25A.

Even if there is a variation in the distance between the membrane / electrode assembly 90A transported by the first transport mechanism 10A in the transport direction, the gasket addition device 1A can use the adjusting mechanism 50A to provide the membrane / electrode assembly 90A and the sub-gasket film. The contact position with 80A can be adjusted. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation between the membrane / electrode assembly 90A and the sub-gasket film 80A when they are bonded together.

<2. Second Embodiment>
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the gasket addition device 1 according to the second embodiment. The gasket addition device 1 is a device for manufacturing a membrane / electrode assembly 100 with a sub-gasket used for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell by adding a sub-gasket film 80 to the membrane-electrode assembly 90. The membrane-electrode assembly 90 has an electrode layer 92 formed on the surface of a thin-film electrolyte membrane 91 (see FIG. 3). The membrane-electrode assembly 90 is manufactured in advance in another device. The sub-gasket film 80 is a film for handling that surrounds the periphery of the electrode layer 92.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gasket addition device 1 of the present embodiment includes a first transfer mechanism 10, a second transfer mechanism 20, a porous base material transfer mechanism 30, and a control unit 40.

The first transfer mechanism 10 is a mechanism for transporting the membrane-electrode assembly 90 together with the long strip-shaped first backsheet 93 (see FIG. 3). The first transfer mechanism 10 has a plurality of first transfer rollers 11. The plurality of first transport rollers 11 are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other. At least a part of the first transport rollers 11 are drive rollers that are actively rotated by being driven by a motor. When the drive roller rotates, the first backsheet 93 and the membrane / electrode assembly 90 are conveyed in the longitudinal direction of the first backsheet 93 along the transfer paths defined by the plurality of first transfer rollers 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first transport mechanism 10 includes a first unwinding unit 12, a first half-cut unit 13, a first separation and recovery unit 14, a first detection unit 15, a sticking roller 16, and a first winding. It has a part 17.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a base material (hereinafter, referred to as “first laminated base material 94”) unwound from the first unwinding portion 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the first laminated base material 94 has a structure in which a long strip-shaped first backsheet 93 and a membrane / electrode assembly 90 are laminated. The membrane-electrode assembly 90 has a long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane 91 and an electrode layer 92 formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 91.

For the electrolyte membrane 91, for example, a fluorine-based or hydrocarbon-based polymer electrolyte membrane is used. Specific examples of the electrolyte membrane 91 include a polymer electrolyte membrane containing perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid (for example, Nafion (registered trademark) manufactured by DuPont in the United States, Flemion (registered trademark) manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., and Asahi Kasei Co., Ltd. Aciplex (registered trademark) and Goreselect (registered trademark) manufactured by Gore. The film thickness of the electrolyte membrane 91 is, for example, 5 μm to 30 μm. The electrolyte membrane 91 swells due to the humidity in the atmosphere, but contracts when the humidity becomes low. That is, the electrolyte membrane 91 has a property of being easily deformed according to the humidity in the atmosphere.

As the material of the electrode layer 92, a material that causes a fuel cell reaction at the anode or cathode of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell is used. For example, catalyst particles such as platinum (Pt), a platinum alloy, and a platinum compound are used as a material for the electrode layer 92. Examples of platinum alloys include at least one selected from the group consisting of ruthenium (Ru), palladium (Pd), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe) and the like. An alloy of metal and platinum can be mentioned. Generally, platinum is used as the material of the electrode layer 92 for the cathode, and platinum alloy is used as the material of the electrode layer 92 for the anode.

The first backsheet 93 is a film for suppressing deformation of the electrolyte membrane 91. As the material of the first backsheet 93, a resin having a higher mechanical strength than the electrolyte membrane 91 and an excellent shape-retaining function is used. Specific examples of the first backsheet 93 include PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) films. The film thickness of the first backsheet 93 is, for example, 25 μm to 100 μm.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first half-cut portion 13 forms a layer of the membrane / electrode assembly 90 of the first laminated base material 94 unwound from the first unwinding portion 12, with the adopted region 901 and the non-adopted region 902. It is a processing unit that separates into and. The first half-cut portion 13 has, for example, a cutter 131 having rectangular teeth slightly larger than the electrode layer 92, and a receiving plate 132. When the electrode layer 92 is conveyed between the cutter 131 and the receiving plate 132, the first half-cut portion 13 brings the cutter 131 and the receiving plate 132 closer to each other. As a result, the electrolyte membrane 91 is cut into a rectangular shape around the electrode layer 92 as shown by the broken line in FIG. At this time, the first backsheet 93 is not cut, and only the electrolyte membrane 91 is cut into a rectangular shape.

The membrane-electrode assembly 90 is divided into a rectangular adopted region 901 including a normal electrode layer 92 and a non-adopted region 902 which is another region by the first half-cut portion 13. The positions of the electrode layers 92 on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 91 are not necessarily evenly spaced. Therefore, the first half-cut portion 13 may have a sensor for detecting the position of the electrode layer 92. Then, in response to the detection signal of the sensor, the transport of the first laminated base material 94 may be temporarily stopped, and then the electrolyte membrane 91 in the first half-cut portion 13 may be cut. Further, the defective electrode layer 92, such as the central electrode layer 92 in FIG. 3, may be excluded from the adoption region 901.

The first separation / recovery unit 14 is located on the downstream side of the transfer path of the first transfer mechanism 10 with respect to the first half-cut unit 13. The first separation / recovery unit 14 separates the non-adopted region 902 from the first laminated base material 94 and recovers the separated non-adopted region 902. The first separation / recovery unit 14 has, for example, a first peeling roller 141 and a first recovery roller 142.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state of separation of the first laminated base material 94 in the first separation / recovery unit 14. Of the first laminated base material 94, the first backsheet 93 and the adopted region 901 of the membrane / electrode assembly 90 are directed toward the downstream side of the first separation and recovery unit 14 of the first transfer mechanism 10 (that is,). , To the sticking roller 16 described later). On the other hand, the non-adopted region 902 of the membrane-electrode assembly 90 is conveyed to the first recovery roller 142 via the first peeling roller 141 and wound up by the first recovery roller 142.

Return to FIG. The first detection unit 15 is located on the downstream side of the transfer path of the first transfer mechanism 10 with respect to the first separation and recovery unit 14. The first detection unit 15 detects the position of the adopted region 901 of the membrane-electrode assembly 90 conveyed together with the first backsheet 93. For the first detection unit 15, for example, a transmission type or reflection type optical sensor capable of distinguishing between the adoption region 901 of the membrane / electrode assembly 90 and the first backsheet 93 is used. However, instead of the optical sensor, another type of sensor, a CCD camera, or the like may be used. When the adopted area 901 is conveyed to the first detection unit 15, the first detection unit 15 transmits a detection signal indicating that the adopted area 901 has been detected to the control unit 40.

The sticking roller 16 is one of a plurality of first transport rollers 11. The sticking roller 16 is located on the downstream side of the transport path of the first transport mechanism 10 with respect to the first detection unit 15. The sticking roller 16 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface that contacts the back surface of the first backsheet 93 (the surface opposite to the membrane / electrode assembly 90). When the first back sheet 93 is conveyed, the sticking roller 16 is driven to rotate as the first back sheet 93 moves. Further, the first back sheet 93 that has passed through the sticking roller 16 is collected by the first winding unit 17.

The second transport mechanism 20 is a mechanism for transporting the long strip-shaped sub-gasket film 80. The second transfer mechanism 20 has a plurality of second transfer rollers 21. The plurality of second transport rollers 21 are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other. At least a part of the second transport rollers 21 are drive rollers that are actively rotated by being driven by a motor. When the drive roller rotates, the sub-gasket film 80 is conveyed in the longitudinal direction of the sub-gasket film 80 along a transfer path defined by the plurality of second transfer rollers 21.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second transport mechanism 20 includes a second unwinding section 22, a second half-cut section 23, a second separation and recovery section 24, a suction roller 25, a second detection section 26, and a product recovery section 27. And has a second take-up portion 28.

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a base material (hereinafter, referred to as “second laminated base material 82”) unwound from the second unwinding portion 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the second laminated base material 82 has a structure in which a long strip-shaped second back sheet 83 and a long strip-shaped sub-gasket film 80 are laminated.

The sub-gasket film 80 is a film that serves as a frame for handling the membrane-electrode assembly 90. As the material of the sub-gasket film 80, a resin having higher mechanical strength than the electrolyte membrane 91 and having an excellent shape-retaining function is used. Specific examples of the sub-gasket film 80 include PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or PS (polystyrene) films. The film thickness of the sub-gasket film 80 is, for example, 25 to 100 μm.

One surface of the sub-gasket film 80 is an adhesive surface on which an adhesive layer is formed. As the adhesive, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive is used. However, instead of the pressure sensitive adhesive, a thermosetting adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive or a UV curable adhesive may be used. The adhesive surface of the sub-gasket film 80 is covered with a second back sheet 83. As the material of the second back sheet 83, for example, a film of PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is used. The film thickness of the second back sheet 83 is, for example, 25 μm to 100 μm.

The second half-cut portion 23 is a processing portion that cuts the sub-gasket film 80 into a necessary region 801 and an unnecessary region 802 among the second laminated base materials 82 unwound from the second unwinding portion 22. As shown in FIG. 2, the second half-cut portion 23 has, for example, a cutter 231 having rectangular teeth slightly smaller than the electrode layer 92 of the membrane-electrode assembly 90, and a receiving plate 232. The second half-cut portion 23 cuts the sub-gasket film 80 into a rectangular shape by sandwiching the second laminated base material 82 between the cutter 231 and the receiving plate 232. At this time, the second back sheet 83 is not cut, and only the layer of the sub-gasket film 80 is cut into a rectangular shape. As shown by the broken line in FIG. 5, rectangular cut portions are formed at equal intervals in the transport direction.

The second separation / recovery unit 24 is located on the downstream side of the transfer path of the second transfer mechanism 20 with respect to the second half-cut unit 23. The second separation / recovery unit 24 separates the unnecessary region 802 and the second backsheet 83 of the sub-gasket film 80 from the second laminated base material 82, and recovers the separated unnecessary region 802 and the second backsheet 83. .. The second separation / recovery unit 24 has, for example, a second release roller 241 arranged adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 25 and a second recovery roller 242.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of separation of the second laminated base material 82 in the second separation / recovery unit 24. Of the second laminated base material 82, the required region 801 of the sub-gasket film 80 is suction-held on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 25. On the other hand, the unnecessary region 802 and the second back sheet 83 of the sub-gasket film 80 are conveyed to the second recovery roller 242 via the second release roller 241 and wound up by the second recovery roller 242.

The suction roller 25 is one of a plurality of second transport rollers 21. The suction roller 25 rotates while sucking and holding the sub-gasket film 80 and the porous base material 70 described later. As shown in FIG. 2, the sticking roller 16 of the first transport mechanism 10 and the suction roller 25 of the second transport mechanism 20 are arranged adjacent to each other. The diameter of the suction roller 25 is larger than the diameter of the sticking roller 16. The suction roller 25 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface having a plurality of suction holes. Further, a motor (not shown) is connected to the suction roller 25. When the motor is operated, the suction roller 25 rotates around a horizontally extending axial center.

As the material of the adsorption roller 25, for example, a porous material such as porous carbon or porous ceramics is used. Specific examples of the porous ceramics include a sintered body of alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) or silicon carbide (SiC). The pore diameter of the porous adsorption roller 25 is, for example, 5 μm or less, and the porosity is, for example, 15% to 50%.

As the material of the adsorption roller 25, a metal may be used instead of the porous material. Specific examples of the metal include stainless steel such as SUS or iron. When metal is used as the material of the suction roller 25, minute suction holes may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 25 by processing. The diameter of the suction holes is preferably 2 mm or less in order to prevent the generation of suction marks.

A suction port 251 is provided on the end surface of the suction roller 25. The suction port 251 is connected to a suction mechanism (for example, an exhaust pump) (not shown). When the suction mechanism is operated, a negative pressure is generated at the suction port 251 of the suction roller 25. Then, negative pressure is also generated in the plurality of suction holes provided on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 25 through the pores in the suction roller 25. The porous base material 70 and the sub-gasket film 80, which will be described later, are sucked and held on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 25 by the negative pressure, and are conveyed in an arc shape by the rotation of the suction roller 25.

The second detection unit 26 is located on the downstream side of the transfer path of the second transfer mechanism 20 with respect to the second separation and recovery unit 24, and is arranged so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 25. The second detection unit 26 detects the position of the rectangular cut portion 803 of the sub-gasket film 80 that is conveyed while being held by the suction roller 25. For the second detection unit 26, for example, a reflection type optical sensor is used. However, instead of the optical sensor, another type of sensor, a CCD camera, or the like may be used. When the cut portion 803 of the sub-gasket film 80 is conveyed to a position facing the second detection unit 26, the second detection unit 26 transmits a detection signal indicating that the cut portion 803 has been detected to the control unit 40. To do.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the sticking roller 16 and the suction roller 25. As shown in FIG. 7, the sticking roller 16 is connected to the advancing / retreating mechanism 18 and the width direction moving mechanism 19. As the advancing / retreating mechanism 18 and the width direction moving mechanism 19, for example, a mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the motor into a linear motion via a ball screw is used. When the advancing / retreating mechanism 18 is operated, the sticking roller 16 moves in the direction of contact / separation with respect to the suction roller 25 (direction of arrow A in FIG. 5). Further, when the width direction moving mechanism 19 is operated, the sticking roller 16 moves in the width direction (direction parallel to the rotation axis of the sticking roller 16).

The gasket addition device 1 brings the sticking roller 16 closer to the suction roller 25 by the advancing / retreating mechanism 18, so that the film held by the sticking roller 16 is opposed to the adhesive surface of the sub-gasket film 80 held by the suction roller 25. -The electrode assembly 90 is brought into contact with each other. As a result, the membrane-electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 are bonded together.

FIG. 8 is a diagram conceptually showing how the membrane-electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 are bonded together. When the membrane / electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 are bonded together, the control unit 40 makes sure that the adopted area 901 of the membrane-electrode assembly 90 and the rectangular cut portion 803 of the sub-gasket film 80 face each other. Adjust the position of both. Specifically, the control unit 40 has a rectangular shape of the adoption region 901 of the membrane / electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 based on the detection result of the first detection unit 15 and the detection result of the second detection unit 26. The amount of misalignment with the cutting portion 803 in the transport direction and the width direction is recognized. Then, the control unit 40 delays the transport of either the first transport mechanism 10 or the second transport mechanism 20 with respect to the other, depending on the amount of misalignment in the transport direction. As a result, the positions of the adopted region 901 and the cutting portion 803 in the transport direction are adjusted. Further, the control unit 40 operates the width direction moving mechanism 19 according to the amount of displacement in the width direction. As a result, the positions of the adopted region 901 and the cutting portion 803 in the width direction between the sticking roller 16 and the suction roller 25 are adjusted.

That is, in the present embodiment, the braking portion that delays the transfer of the first transfer mechanism 10 or the second transfer mechanism 20 is the film / electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 between the sticking roller 16 and the suction roller 25. It functions as a transport direction adjustment mechanism that adjusts the contact position in the transport direction. Further, in the present embodiment, the width direction moving mechanism 19 for moving the sticking roller 16 in the rotation axis direction is the width direction between the membrane / electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 between the sticking roller 16 and the suction roller 25. It functions as a width direction adjustment mechanism that adjusts the contact position of.

The adopted region 901 of the membrane-electrode assembly 90 comes into contact with the adhesive surface around the cut portion 803 of the sub-gasket film 80. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the adopted region 901 of the membrane-electrode assembly 90 is separated from the first back sheet 93 held by the sticking roller 16 and moves to the sub-gasket film 80 side. As a result, a membrane / electrode assembly 100 with a sub-gasket is obtained in which the membrane-electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 are bonded together. The membrane / electrode assembly 100 with a sub-gasket is conveyed to the downstream side of the transfer path of the second transfer mechanism 20 by the suction roller 25.

Return to FIG. The product collection unit 27 is located on the downstream side of the transfer path of the second transfer mechanism 20 with respect to the suction roller 25. The product collection unit 27 has a cutter 271 having rectangular teeth and a collection container 272. The product recovery unit 27 cuts out the periphery of each electrode layer 92 of the membrane / electrode assembly 100 with a sub-gasket into a rectangle with a cutter 271. Then, the cut out rectangular portion is stored in the collection container 272. As a result, the rectangular membrane-electrode assembly having the sub-gasket film 80 added around it is sequentially accumulated in the collection container 272.

After that, the sub-gasket film 80 after the rectangular portion is cut out is wound around the second winding portion 28.

The porous base material transport mechanism 30 is a mechanism for supplying the long strip-shaped porous base material 70 toward the adsorption roller 25 and collecting the used porous base material 70. The porous base material 70 is a breathable base material having a large number of fine pores. The porous base material 70 is preferably made of a material that does not easily generate dust. Due to the porous base material transport mechanism 30, the porous base material 70 is always interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 25 and the sub-gasket film 80. As described above, in the present embodiment, the sub-gasket film 80 is held on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 25 via the porous base material 70. As a result, the adhesion of foreign matter from the sub-gasket film 80 to the suction roller 25 and the adhesion of foreign matter from the suction roller 25 to the sub-gasket film 80 can be suppressed.

The control unit 40 is a means for controlling the operation of each unit in the gasket addition device 1. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit 40 and each unit in the gasket addition device 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 40 is composed of a computer having a processor 41 such as a CPU, a memory 42 such as a RAM, and a storage unit 43 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program P for controlling the operation of the gasket addition device 1 is installed in the storage unit 43.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 40 includes the drive motor of the first transport mechanism 10, the first half-cut unit 13, the first detection unit 15, the advancing / retreating mechanism 18, the width direction moving mechanism 19, and the first 2 The drive motor of the transfer mechanism 20, the second half-cut unit 23, the second detection unit 26, the product recovery unit 27, and the drive motor of the porous substrate transfer mechanism 30 are communicably connected to each other.

The control unit 40 temporarily reads the computer program P and data stored in the storage unit 43 into the memory 42, and the processor 41 performs arithmetic processing based on the computer program P to control the operation of each of the above units. To do. As a result, the bonding process of the membrane-electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 in the gasket addition device 1 proceeds.

As described above, in the gasket addition device 1, the film-electrode assembly 90 transported by the rollers and the sub-gasket film 80 transported by the rollers are brought into contact with each other by being brought into contact with each other between the two rollers. Therefore, the sub-gasket film 80 can be efficiently added to the membrane-electrode assembly 90 while suppressing damage to the membrane-electrode assembly 90 due to human holding or mechanical holding.

Further, even if the distance between the electrode layers 92 formed in the film / electrode assembly 90 unwound from the first unwinding portion 12 in the transport direction varies, the film is between the sticking roller 16 and the suction roller 25. -The contact position between the adoption area 901 of the electrode assembly 90 and the rectangular cut portion 803 of the sub-cassis film 80 can be adjusted. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation between the membrane / electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 when they are bonded together.

Further, in the gasket adding device 1, the non-adopted region 902 of the membrane / electrode assembly 90 unwound from the first unwinding portion 12 is separated and collected. Therefore, the sub-gasket film 80 can be added only to the adopted region 901 (for example, a non-defective product portion) of the membrane-electrode assembly 90.

<3. Modification example>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a gasket adding device 1B according to a modified example. In the example of FIG. 10, the product collection unit 27 is omitted, and a cover attachment unit 29 is provided instead. The sub-gasket film 80 that has passed between the sticking roller 16 and the suction roller 25 is in a state where a part of the adhesive surface is exposed. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 10, the cover film 60 is attached to the exposed adhesive surface of the sub-gasket film 80 by the cover attaching portion 29. In this way, the membrane / electrode assembly 100 with a sub-gasket can be wound around the second winding portion 28.

Further, in the above embodiment, the electrode layer 92 is formed only on one surface of the electrolyte membrane 91. However, the electrode layers 92 may be formed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane 91.

Further, in the above embodiment, the sub-gasket film 80 is attached only to one surface of the membrane-electrode assembly 90. However, the sub-gasket film 80 may be attached to both sides of the membrane-electrode assembly 90. In that case, two second transport mechanisms 20 for transporting the sub-gasket film 80 may be provided in the gasket addition device 1. Then, the membrane / electrode assembly 90 and the sub-gasket film 80 may be bonded between the suction roller 25 included in each of the second transport mechanisms 20 and the sticking roller 16 of the first transport mechanism 10.

Further, the detailed configuration such as the position and number of the transfer rollers in the gasket addition device may be different from each drawing of the present application. Further, the elements appearing in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined as long as there is no contradiction.

1,1A Gasket addition device 10,10A 1st transfer mechanism 11,11A 1st transfer roller 12 1st unwinding part 13 1st half cut part 14 1st separation and recovery part 15 1st detection part 16, 16A Attaching roller 17th 1 Winding part 18 Advancing / retreating mechanism 19 Width direction moving mechanism 20, 20A 2nd transport mechanism 21, 21A 2nd transport roller 22 2nd unwinding part 23 2nd half cut part 24 2nd separation and recovery part 25, 25A Adsorption roller 26 2nd detection part 27 Product recovery part 28 2nd winding part 29 Cover attachment part 30 Porous base material transfer mechanism 40 Control part 50A Adjustment mechanism 60 Cover film 70 Porous base material 80, 80A Sub-cascade film 82 2nd laminated base Material 83 2nd back sheet 90, 90A Membrane / electrode assembly 91 Electrolyte film 92 Electrode layer 93 1st back sheet 94 1st laminated base material 100, 100A Electrode assembly with sub-casing 801 Required area 802 Unnecessary area 803 Cut part 901 Adopted area 902 Non-adopted area

Claims (20)

A gasket addition device that adds a sub-gasket film that surrounds the periphery of the electrode layer to a membrane-electrode assembly in which an electrode layer is formed on the surface of the electrolyte film.
A first transport mechanism that transports the membrane-electrode assembly by a plurality of first transport rollers, and
A second transport mechanism that transports the sub-gasket film by a plurality of second transport rollers, and
With
The plurality of first transport rollers include a sticking roller.
The plurality of second transport rollers include a suction roller adjacent to the sticking roller and sucking and holding the sub-gasket film.
When the membrane / electrode assembly held by the sticking roller and the sub-gasket film adsorbed and held by the suction roller come into contact with each other, the membrane-electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film are bonded together. ,
A gasket addition device further provided with an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the contact position between the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film between the sticking roller and the suction roller. The gasket addition device according to claim 1.
A gasket addition device further comprising an advancing / retreating mechanism for advancing / retreating the sticking roller in the contact / separation direction with respect to the suction roller. The gasket addition device according to claim 1 or 2.
A gasket addition device in which after the membrane-electrode assembly comes into contact with the sub-gasket film, the membrane-electrode assembly is separated from the sticking roller and conveyed together with the sub-gasket film. The gasket addition device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The first transport mechanism includes a first unwinding portion that unwinds a first laminated base material in which a first back sheet and the membrane / electrode assembly are laminated.
A first half-cut portion that separates only the layer of the membrane / electrode assembly into a adopted region and a non-adopted region among the first laminated base materials.
A first separation and recovery unit that separates the non-adopted region from the first laminated base material and recovers the separated non-adopted region.
With more
A gasket addition device in which the adopted region of the membrane-electrode assembly is conveyed to the sticking roller together with the first backsheet. The gasket addition device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The second transport mechanism includes a second unwinding portion that unwinds a second laminated base material on which a second back sheet and the sub-gasket film are laminated.
Of the second laminated base material, a second half-cut portion that separates only the layer of the sub-gasket film into a necessary region and an unnecessary region,
A second separation / recovery unit that separates the unnecessary region and the second backsheet from the second laminated base material and recovers the separated unnecessary region and the second backsheet.
With more
A gasket addition device in which the required area of the sub-gasket film is suction-held by the suction roller. The gasket addition device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
A first detection unit that detects the position of the membrane-electrode assembly transported by the first transport mechanism, and
A second detection unit that detects the position of the sub-gasket film transported by the second transport mechanism, and
With more
The adjusting mechanism is based on the detection result of the first detection unit and the detection result of the second detection unit, and the film / electrode assembly between the sticking roller and the suction roller and the sub-gasket film. Gasket addition device that adjusts the contact position. The gasket addition device according to claim 6.
The adjustment mechanism
A gasket addition device including a transport direction adjusting mechanism that delays either one of the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism with respect to the other. The gasket addition device according to claim 6 or 7.
The adjustment mechanism
A gasket addition device including a width direction adjusting mechanism for moving the sticking roller in the rotation axis direction. The gasket addition device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
A gasket addition device further provided with a product recovery unit that cuts out and recovers a membrane / electrode assembly with a sub-gasket film that has passed between the sticking roller and the suction roller. The gasket addition device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The sub-gasket film has an adhesive surface and has an adhesive surface.
A gasket adding device further provided with a cover attaching portion for attaching a cover film to the exposed adhesive surface of a membrane / electrode assembly with a sub-gasket film that has passed between the attaching roller and the suction roller. A gasket addition method in which a sub-gasket film surrounding the periphery of the electrode layer is added to a membrane-electrode assembly in which an electrode layer is formed on the surface of an electrolyte membrane.
a) The process of transporting the membrane-electrode assembly to the sticking roller,
b) A step of transporting the sub-gasket film to a suction roller adjacent to the sticking roller, and
c) The membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film are brought into contact with each other by bringing the membrane-electrode assembly held by the sticking roller into contact with the sub-gasket film held by the suction roller. The process of bonding and
Have,
A gasket addition method for adjusting the contact position between the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film between the sticking roller and the suction roller in the step c). The gasket addition method according to claim 11.
The sticking roller can move forward and backward in the direction of contact and separation with respect to the suction roller.
A method of adding a gasket that brings the sticking roller closer to the suction roller in the step c). The gasket addition method according to claim 11 or 12.
A gasket addition method in which after the membrane-electrode assembly comes into contact with the sub-gasket film, the membrane-electrode assembly is separated from the sticking roller and conveyed together with the sub-gasket film. The gasket adding method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.
In step a),
a-1) A step of feeding out the first laminated base material in which the first back sheet and the membrane / electrode assembly are laminated, and
a-2) A step of separating only the layer of the membrane / electrode assembly of the first laminated substrate into an adopted region and a non-adopted region.
a-3) A step of separating the non-adopted region from the first laminated base material and recovering the separated non-adopted region.
a-4) A step of transporting the adopted region of the membrane-electrode assembly together with the first back sheet to the sticking roller.
Gasket addition method having. The gasket adding method according to any one of claims 11 to 14.
In step b),
b-1) A step of feeding out the second laminated base material in which the second back sheet and the sub-gasket film are laminated, and
b-2) A step of separating only the layer of the sub-gasket film from the second laminated base material into a necessary region and an unnecessary region.
b-3) A step of separating the unnecessary region and the second backsheet from the second laminated base material and recovering the separated unnecessary region and the second backsheet.
b-4) A step of sucking and holding the required region of the sub-gasket film on the suction roller.
Gasket addition method having. The gasket adding method according to any one of claims 11 to 15.
In step a),
a-5) It has a step of detecting the position of the membrane-electrode assembly to be conveyed.
In step b),
b-5) It has a step of detecting the position of the sub-gasket film to be conveyed.
In step c),
c-1) Based on the detection result of the step a-5) and the detection result of the step b-5), the membrane / electrode assembly and the sub-gasket film between the sticking roller and the suction roller A gasket addition method comprising a step of adjusting the contact position of the. The gasket addition method according to claim 16.
In the step c-1),
A gasket addition method including a step of delaying either one of the transfer of the membrane-electrode assembly and the transfer of the sub-gasket film with respect to the other. The gasket addition method according to claim 16 or 17.
In the step c-1),
A gasket adding method including a step of moving the sticking roller in the direction of the rotation axis. The gasket adding method according to any one of claims 11 to 18.
d) A gasket addition method further comprising a step of cutting out and recovering a membrane / electrode assembly with a sub-gasket film that has passed between the sticking roller and the suction roller. The gasket adding method according to any one of claims 11 to 19.
The sub-gasket film has an adhesive surface and has an adhesive surface.
e) A gasket addition method further comprising a step of attaching a cover film to the exposed adhesive surface of a membrane-electrode assembly with a sub-gasket film that has passed between the attachment roller and the suction roller.

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