JPH06325758A - Active material filling method for lead-acid battery and continuous filling device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To fill active material in a paste state over a current collector thickly and accurately at high speed in a lead storage battery which arranges structurally a positive electrode, a negative electrode and electrolyte in a same plane. CONSTITUTION:A sheet 14 made of paper, plastics and the like identical in a plane shape to a current collector 5 (or 7) is disposed in front of a die 16 within the open space 15 of a molding flask 11. Active material P in a paste state is filled in a housing space 15a at the bottom section of which the sheet 14 is disposed. The molding flask 11 is rotatably moved so as to be positioned in such a way that the opening of the housing space 15a is faced to the current collector 5 over the stage section, the die 16 is projected to the current collector 5, so that the active material P in a paste state within the housing space is extruded over the current collector 5 via the sheet 14 so as to be adhered thereon. This constitution thereby enables the thick active material P in a paste state to be filled in without sticking the active material in a paste state onto the die 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for filling an active material for a lead storage battery and a continuous filling device used in this method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a lead-acid battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-132064), a positive electrode and a negative electrode are formed by attaching a paste-like active material onto a current collector. is doing. As a filling device for depositing such a paste-like active material on a current collector, there is a screen printing machine which scratches the paste-like active material placed on a screen with a squeegee and transfers it to the lower side.

[0003]

However, when it is attempted to print a thicker active material on the current collector by the conventional screen printing method, the material of the screen mask should be made thicker and its pattern accuracy should be improved. It is impossible to realize thick coating of the active material because it is technically extremely difficult to raise the current value.

Therefore, in order to increase the thickness of the printing coating to increase the capacity of the electrode, a so-called metal mask in which a mask is opened in a flat metal having a thickness comparable to the thickness of the active material to be printed is used. The method used was used. However, when an active material is printed on the surface of a current collector using such a metal mask, bleeding and bleeding out of the paste-like active material often occur, which is a cause of short-circuit failure between electrodes. Therefore, there is a problem that the manufacturing yield is low.

As an alternative filling device, there is a dispenser for directly printing the paste-like active material on the surface of the current collector. When a dispenser is used, the possibility that the paste-like active material bleeds into the electrode gap and oozes out can be ignored, so that the occurrence of short-circuit failure between the electrodes can be suppressed, and the manufacturing yield can be significantly improved. However, the dispenser method has a problem that it takes time to print the entire surface of the comb-shaped current collector. Therefore, in consideration of mass production of batteries, it has been desired to increase the printing speed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to paste on a current collector in a lead storage battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for filling an active material for a lead storage battery, which is capable of filling the active material with accuracy, at a high speed, and thickly, and a continuous filling device therefor.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following constitution. A first method for filling a lead storage battery active material according to the present invention is a method for depositing a paste-like active material on a current collector used in a lead storage battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane. In, the accommodating space for the paste-like active material was formed in the front part of the opening space by inserting and inserting the die into the opening space having the same planar shape as the current collector so as to be movable back and forth. Using the mold part, (1) Place a sheet (paper, plastic, etc.) of the same plane shape as the current collector in the front surface of the die in the opening space, and (2) this sheet is the bottom surface. The paste-like active material is filled in the storage space arranged in the storage part, and (3) the mold part is rotated and positioned so that the opening of the storage space and the current collector on the stage face each other. (4) The die in the opening space is projected toward the current collector. Thus, the paste-like active material in the storage space is pushed out and attached onto the current collector through the sheet.

A first lead-acid battery active material continuous filling device according to the present invention is a paste-like active material on a current collector used in a lead-acid battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane. In a device for adhering, a die is movably fitted and inserted into a cylinder part that accommodates a paste-like active material and is supplied from a nozzle and an opening space having the same planar shape as the planar shape of the current collector. A mold part in which a storage space for the paste-like active material is formed in the front part of the opening space, a stage part in which the substrate having the current collector is positioned and arranged, and a plurality of the mold parts are attached, It has the same planar shape as the planar shape of the current collector and the rotating body that positions the mold part on the lower part of the cylinder part by rotation, above the stage part, and is inserted into the storage space of the mold frame. It is composed of .

A second method for filling an active material for a lead storage battery according to the present invention comprises a paste active material on a current collector used in a lead storage battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane. In the method of attaching, in the opening space of the same planar shape as the planar shape of the current collector, by accommodating and inserting a pressing die so as to move forward and backward, there is a storage space for the paste active material in the front part of the opening space. Using the formed mold part, (1)
A spacer (plastic material such as fluorine resin or metal coated with plastic) is laterally inserted on the front surface of the die in the mold frame, and (2) a paste-like active material is placed in the storage space partitioned by the spacer. Filling with a substance, (3) the mold part is rotationally moved and positioned so that the opening of the storage space and the current collector on the stage part face each other, and (4) a spacer is provided along the front surface of the pressing mold. By pulling out, the paste-like active material filled in the storage space is cut off, and (5) by pushing the die in the opening space toward the current collector, the paste-like active material in the storage space is removed. It is characterized in that it is extruded and attached onto a current collector.

In the continuous filling device for a lead storage battery active material according to the present invention, a paste-like active material is attached onto a current collector used in a lead storage battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane. In the device, by inserting and inserting a die into a cylinder portion that accommodates the paste-like active material and supplies it from a nozzle and an opening space having the same planar shape as the planar shape of the current collector, the die can be moved forward and backward. A mold part in which a paste-like active material storage space is formed in the front part of the opening space, a stage part on which the substrate having the current collector is positioned and arranged, and a plurality of the mold parts are arranged, and a mold is formed by rotation. It is removably inserted into the insertion groove formed in the mold frame so as to cover the lower part of the cylinder part, the rotating body positioned above the stage part, and the front surface of the die in the opening space. Consisting of a spacer That.

Further, in the continuous filling device, the filling thickness of the paste-like active material in the storage space of the mold part is controlled to an arbitrary thickness by controlling the depth at which the die is stored from the mold surface. Set.

[0012]

In the above structure, after a sheet of paper, plastic or the like is previously attached to the front surface of the die in the opening space of the mold part, the storage space is filled with the paste-like active material, and the paste is pasted through the sheet. In order to extrude the active material on the current collector, or to fill the active material paste with the spacer inserted in the front face of the die, and to remove the active material while extruding the spacer when extruding.
It is possible to prevent the paste-like active material from adhering to the die, and it is possible to smoothly transfer and attach the thick paste-like active material onto the current collector. Further, when the paste-like active material is filled in the storage space of the mold part, the depth at which the die is stored from the mold surface can be arbitrarily set, so that the paste-like active material of an arbitrary thickness can be provided in the same device. Can be filled.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to illustrated embodiments. 1 and 2 are a schematic front view showing a first embodiment of a continuous charging device for a lead storage battery active material according to the present invention, a schematic diagram showing the operating state in order, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are related to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing a second embodiment of a continuous charging device for a lead-acid battery active material, a schematic view showing the operating state in sequence, FIG.
FIG. 6 is a plan view and a sectional view showing the configuration of the lead storage battery.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in a lead-acid battery, a positive electrode 1 and a negative electrode 2, which are comb-shaped in a plan view, mesh on a plastic sheet 3, which is a substrate, in the same plane with a space therebetween. , And the opposing end faces are arranged so as to be separated from each other at a constant distance. The plastic sheet 3 is made of a composite material having polypropylene as the outermost layer and has a thickness of 0.1 mm.

The positive electrode 1 is composed of an active material layer made of a positive electrode paste 4 and a positive electrode current collector 5. The negative electrode 2 is also composed of an active material layer made of the negative electrode paste 6 and a negative electrode current collector 7. Positive electrode paste 4 and negative electrode paste 6
Use a different type from. The positive electrode current collector 4 and the negative electrode current collector 6 are made of a lead alloy foil having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm, and are heat-sealed on the plastic sheet 3 along the electrode pattern. On such a positive electrode current collector 4 and a negative electrode current collector 6, the positive electrode paste 4 and the negative electrode paste 6 were made to have a thickness of several mm by the continuous filling device of the following Example 1 or Example 2. Fill with

<First Embodiment> As shown in FIG. 1, this continuous filling device mainly accommodates a paste-like active material P and supplies it from a nozzle 10a to a cylinder portion 10 and a paste-like active material P which will be described later. A plurality of (four in this embodiment) mold parts 11 temporarily stored in the space, and the mold parts 1
1 is inserted into the accommodating space of a mold body 11 and a rotating body 12 protruding from the outer periphery at equal intervals, a stage portion 13 on which a plastic sheet 3 having current collectors 4 and 6 is positioned and arranged. The seat 14 includes

The mold frame 11 is provided with a comb-tooth-shaped opening space 15 having the same shape as the current collectors 4 and 6 in plan view, and a pressing die 16 having the same plane shape is moved forward and backward in the opening space 15. By fitting and inserting as much as possible, a storage space 15a for the paste-like active material P is formed in the front part of the opening space 15. The mold frame 11 is attached to the rotary body 12 such that the mold frame surface is orthogonal to the radial direction of the rotary body 12 and at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The cylinder portion 10 is arranged above the rotating body 12 so as to be movable left and right in the horizontal direction, and the tip of the nozzle 10a is arranged parallel to the mold surface while the tip of the nozzle 10a is in contact with the mold surface. The storage space 15a can be filled with the paste-like active material P that has been moved and stored in the cylinder portion 10 while being completely printed at the tip of the nozzle at a constant pressure.

The rotary body 12 is connected to a rotary drive mechanism (not shown) and is rotated by 45 ° so that the four frame parts 11 are sequentially positioned below the cylinder part 10 and above the stage part 13. To do so. Stage part 1
3 is a part for transferring the paste-like active material P in the storage space 15a onto the plastic sheet 3, and the plastic sheet 3 is a part of the current collector 5 (or 7) that is heat-sealed along the electrode pattern. The pattern and the pattern of the opening space 15 of the mold part 11 are aligned and fixed to the stage part 13 so that they match.

The rotating body 12 is provided with an advancing / retreating mechanism (not shown) for advancing / retreating the pressing die 16. In addition, the die 1
By controlling the depth in which 6 is stored, the filling thickness of the paste-like active material P described later into the current collector 5 (or 7) can be arbitrarily set up to a thickness of about 2 mm.

The seat 14 is a storage space 15 for the mold part 11.
Made of paper with the same planar shape as the planar shape of a (pressing die 16),
The thickness of 100 μm is used.

With the above structure, the paste-like active material is filled as follows (see FIGS. 1 and 2). (1) Storage space 1 for the mold part 11 in front of the cylinder part 10
The sheet 14 is arranged on the front surface of the pressing die 16 in 5a. (2) The mold part 11 in which the seat 14 is inserted is the cylinder part 1.
When it is located below 0, the paste-like active material P is filled into the storage space 15a from the cylinder portion 10. The sheet 14 is interposed between the die 16 and the paste-like active material P.

(3) The rotating body 12 is rotated. (4) By causing the pressing die 16 of the mold portion 11 that has reached the stage portion 13 to project, the paste-like active material P is transferred to the current collector 5 (or 7) through the sheet 14 and adhered thereto. The sheet 14 prevents the pasty active material P from adhering to the front surface of the pressing die 16, and the thick pasty active material P can be smoothly transferred onto the current collector. Further, the filling thickness of the paste-like active material P can be arbitrarily set by changing the storage depth of the die 16.

Assuming that the distance between the lower surface of the mold part 11 and the upper surface of the current collector 5 (or 7) is T, T is the mold part 11
Thickness t of the paste-like active material P filled in the storage space of
Set larger than ₁ . Further, the thickness of the pressing die 16 protruding below the lower surface of the mold part 11 in the protruding operation is t ₂
When sets t ₂ such that t ₂ ≧ T-t _1.

When t ₂ is set to a value smaller than the value of (T-t ₁ ), the pasty active material P cannot be pressed onto the current collector 5 (or 7). In addition, t ₂ becomes (T
If it is set to be extremely larger than the value of −t ₁ ), the paste-like active material P will be crushed on the current collector 5 (or 7), causing the active material to leak out and cause a short circuit of the battery. Become.

Further, in this continuous filling device, a step of filling the paste-like active material P into the mold part 11 at the upper portion and a step of extruding and transferring the paste-like active material P onto the current collector at the lower portion, Since it is possible to continuously repeat by rotating the four mold parts 11, high-speed filling is possible.

<Embodiment 2> As shown in FIG. 3, this continuous filling apparatus comprises a cylinder portion 10, four mold portions 11, a rotary body 12, and a stage portion 13 as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the spacer 20 is used instead of the sheet 14.

The mold part 11 includes a spacer 2 on the front surface of the pressing mold.
An insertion groove 21 parallel to the mold surface is formed so that 0 can be positioned, and the spacer 20 can be inserted into the insertion groove 21 from the lateral direction. Since the other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

The spacer 20 is sized so that it can sufficiently cover the front surface of the die 16, and the material is preferably a material that does not cause a chemical reaction with the paste-like active material and is capable of brushing off the paste-like active material. . For example, a fluorine resin, a urethane resin, an epoxy resin, a plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or a metal foil or a metal plate coated with the plastic material can be used.

With the above structure, the paste-like active material is filled as follows. (1) In front of the cylinder part 10, the insertion groove 21 of the mold part 11
A spacer 20 made of Teflon and having a thickness of 200 μm is inserted therein to partition the pressing die 16 from the storage space 15a. (2) When the mold part 11 in which the spacer 20 is inserted is located at the lower part of the cylinder part 10, the paste-like active material P is filled from the cylinder part 10 into the storage space 15a. The spacer 20 is interposed between the pressing die 16 and the paste-like active material P.

(3) The rotating body 12 is rotated. (4) When the mold frame portion 11 reaches the stage portion 13, the paste-like active material P filled in the storage space 15a is brushed off while the spacer 20 is pulled out along the lower surface of the pressing die 16.

(5) By protruding the pressing die 16, the paste-like active material P is transferred onto the current collector 5 (or 7) and adhered thereto. Since the surface of the paste-like active material P with which the pressing die 16 contacts is printed off by the spacer 20, the pressing die 16
The paste-like active material P does not adhere to the lower surface of the above, and the paste-like active material P can be smoothly transferred onto the current collector 5 (or 7).

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the paste-like active material is filled in the opening space of the mold frame, a sheet such as paper is arranged in advance on the front surface of the die, and the paste-like active material is inserted through the sheet. Since the material is extruded or a spacer is inserted on the front surface of the die, and the paste-like active material is brushed off while extruding the spacer during extrusion, the paste-like active material is less likely to adhere to the front surface of the die and has a large thickness. The pasty active material can be smoothly transferred onto the current collector. As a result, the paste-like active material can be accurately, thickly and uniformly adhered onto the current collector, and the paste-like active material does not bleed into the electrode gap or ooze out, resulting in short circuit between electrodes. Since the occurrence of the accident can be completely suppressed, the manufacturing yield can be remarkably improved.

Further, at the time of filling the paste-like active material into the storage space of the mold frame, by setting the depth at which the die is stored from the mold surface, the same mold can be made to have an arbitrary thickness. It is possible to fill the paste-like active material and easily manufacture lead-acid batteries with different thicknesses and different battery capacities. Further, since the step of filling the active material and the step of transferring the active material onto the current collector can be continuously repeated, it becomes possible to fill the active material onto the current collector at high speed. Its industrial value is extremely high, such as the ability to improve the manufacturing speed of storage batteries.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a first embodiment of a continuous filling device for a lead storage battery active material according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing in sequence the operation of the mold part and the state of transfer of the pasty active material in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing a second embodiment of the continuous filling device for the active material for lead-acid battery according to the present invention.

4A and 4B are schematic views sequentially showing the operation of the mold part and the state of transfer of the paste-like active material in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of a lead storage battery.

6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Positive Electrode 2 Negative Electrode 3 Plastic Sheet (Substrate) 4 Positive Electrode Paste (Active Material Layer) 5 Positive Electrode Current Collector 6 Negative Electrode Paste (Active Material Layer) 7 Negative Current Collector 10 Cylinder 10a Nozzle 11 Form 12 Rotating body 13 Stage portion 14 Seat 15 Opening space 15a Storage space 16 Stamping die 20 Spacer 21 Insertion groove

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A method of depositing a paste-like active material on a current collector used in a lead storage battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane, which has the same planar shape as that of the current collector. In a planar opening space, using a mold part in which a storage space for the paste-like active material is formed in the front part of the opening space by inserting and inserting a pressing die so as to move forward and backward, (1) the opening On the front surface of the die in the space, a sheet having the same plane shape as the plane shape of the current collector is arranged, and (2) the sheet is filled with the paste-like active material in the storage space arranged at the bottom portion, (3) The mold part is rotationally moved and positioned so that the opening of the storage space and the current collector on the stage face each other, and (4) the die in the opening space is directed toward the current collector. By projecting, the paste-like active material in the storage space through the sheet Lead filling method of the battery active material, characterized in that depositing extruded on a current collector. 2. An apparatus for depositing a paste-like active material on a current collector used in a lead-acid battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane. The space for supplying the paste-like active material is provided in the front part of the supply cylinder and the opening space having the same planar shape as that of the current collector by inserting and pressing the pressing die so as to move forward and backward. And a stage part on which the substrate having the current collector is positioned and arranged, a plurality of the mold parts are attached, and the mold part is rotated to form a lower part of the cylinder part and the stage part. For a lead-acid battery, comprising a rotating body positioned above the sheet, and a sheet having the same plane shape as that of the current collector and inserted into the storage space of the mold. Continuous filling device for active materials. 3. A method of depositing a paste-like active material on a current collector used in a lead storage battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane, which has the same planar shape as that of the current collector. In a planar opening space, using a mold frame part in which a storage space for the paste-like active material is formed in the front part of the opening space by inserting and inserting a pressing die so as to move forward and backward, (1) the mold A spacer is laterally inserted on the front surface of the die in the frame portion, (2) the paste-like active material is filled in the storage space partitioned by the spacer, and (3)
The mold part is rotated and positioned so that the opening of the storage space and the current collector on the stage part face each other, (4)
By removing the spacer along the front surface of the die, the paste-like active material filled in the storage space is cut off,
(5) A lead storage battery active material, characterized in that by pushing a die in the opening space toward the current collector, the paste-like active material in the storage space is pushed out and attached onto the current collector. Filling method. 4. A device for depositing a paste-like active material on a current collector used in a lead-acid battery having a structure in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte are arranged on the same plane. The space for supplying the paste-like active material is provided in the front part of the supply cylinder and the opening space having the same planar shape as that of the current collector by inserting and pressing the pressing die so as to move forward and backward. And a stage part on which a substrate having the current collector is positioned and arranged, a plurality of the mold parts are arranged, and the mold part is rotated to form a lower part of the cylinder part and the stage part. And a spacer that is removably inserted into an insertion groove formed in the mold part so as to cover the front surface of the die in the opening space. Continuous charging of active materials for storage batteries Apparatus. 5. The continuous filling device according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the filling thickness of the paste-like active material in the storage space of the mold part is the depth at which the die is stored from the mold surface. A continuous filling device for a lead storage battery active material, which can be set to an arbitrary thickness by controlling.