JPH10208775A - Manufacturing apparatus for electrode element of lithium polymer battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing apparatus which can solve a problem such as load restriction and roller warp and easily manufactures electrode elements with high quality at high production yield. SOLUTION: Pairs of back up rollers 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b are arranged on the opposite each other in respectively rotatable manner in the outer circumferential face in the opposed side of a pair of cylindrical type pressurizing rollers 6, 7, which are installed approximately in parallel as to optionally set the gap and at the same time load can optionally be applied through the pairs of the back up rollers 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. Lamination of the electrode elements is carried out based on the load restriction and on the other hand the warp in the width direction of the pressurizing rollers 6, 7 is solved. The layered body of the electrode elements to be laminated is properly heated by heating bodies 12a, 12b in controllable manner.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing an electrode element for a lithium polymer battery, and more particularly, to a lamination apparatus for a laminate forming an electrode element for a lithium polymer battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Small, lightweight, thin, large-capacity, and high-voltage power sources are required for power supplies for portable telephones and television cameras. For example, a positive electrode layer, a polymer electrolyte layer, and a negative electrode layer are required. There is also known a lithium non-aqueous solvent battery having a thickness of about 0.5 mm, which is provided with electrode elements configured to be superposed and integrated into a sheet (thin) (for example, US Patent No.
5,296,318).

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a main part of the polymer electrolyte battery. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes an electrolyte-retaining polymer-electrolyte system that functions as a separator (for example, a polymer such as hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride copolymer and an ethylene carbonate solution such as a lithium salt, a nonaqueous electrolyte solution). 2) a positive electrode formed by laminating a positive electrode layer containing a nonaqueous electrolytic solution and an electrolyte-retaining polymer on a current collector, an active material such as a metal oxide, and 3 an active material that occludes and releases lithium ions. Negative electrodes formed by laminating a negative electrode layer containing a non-aqueous electrolyte and an electrolyte-retaining polymer on a current collector. Reference numerals 4 and 5 denote sealing layers made of a resin film for covering and protecting the back surfaces of the positive electrode 2 and the negative electrode 3 (sealing). Layer).

The active material of the positive electrode 2 includes, for example, lithium manganese composite oxide, manganese dioxide, lithium-containing cobalt oxide, lithium-containing nickel cobalt oxide, lithium-containing amorphous vanadium pentoxide, chalcogen compound, etc. Is mentioned. Examples of the negative electrode active material include fired products of bisphenol resin, polyacrylonitrile, cellulose, and the like, and fired products of coke and pitch. These are natural or artificial graphite, carbon black, acetylene black, Ketjen black, nickel powder, and the like. And a form containing nickel powder or the like.

Further, the electrolyte system 1 is prepared by adding lithium perchlorate, lithium hexafluorophosphate, boron tetrafluoride to a non-aqueous solvent such as ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate and methyl ethyl carbonate. Examples thereof include those in which lithium fluoride, lithium arsenide hexafluoride, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, and the like are dissolved at about 0.2 to 2 mol / l. And in producing this kind of lightweight, flexible lithium polymer battery,
Lamination of the electrode elements is performed on the premise. That is, the positive electrode 2, the separator (polymer-electrolyte system) 1, and the negative electrode 3, which are the electrode elements, are integrated in a laminated manner. After that, the integrated electrode element is
It is cut to size and separated, and a required external lead is attached, and this is mounted in a battery outer can. Next, after supplying and injecting a required electrolytic solution, the opening of the battery outer can is sealed while the external lead is led out, thereby manufacturing a lithium polymer battery.

Incidentally, a lamination device obtained by improving a pouch laminator is generally used for laminating and integrating the electrode elements. That is, since the pouch laminator has a low set load area and is not suitable for lamination and integration of the electrode elements, a device having a high set load area is used.

[0007]

However, since the pressure roller provided in this pouch laminator is a rubber roller lined with soft rubber, the load area cannot be so large. Therefore, it is difficult to manufacture an electrode element that is uniformly stacked and integrated as a whole, and as a result, there is a problem that a high-quality lithium polymer battery having no variation in performance cannot be manufactured. In addition, instead of using the rubber roller, it has been attempted to use a solid roller made of metal.However, since the rigidity of the roller is low with respect to the roller width, the roller bends, and the roller is uniform over the entire width. There is a problem that a load cannot be applied.

Further, it is conceivable to use a calender press for laminating and integrating the electrode elements. However, in general, the calender press has a gap regulation and a relatively large set load area. If the roller width is not suitable and the width of the roller is large, it is not suitable because the equipment becomes large and there is a problem of bending.

In any case, each of the above-described means has problems such as load regulation and roller deflection, and is practically used from the viewpoint of improving the yield of high-quality electrode elements and improving the mass productivity of lithium polymer batteries. It can be said that development of an electrode element lamination device (manufacturing device) for a lithium polymer battery, which is effective for the above, is awaited.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a manufacturing apparatus capable of solving problems such as load regulation and roller deflection and easily obtaining a high-quality electrode element with good yield. With the goal.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pair of cylindrical pressure rollers which oppose outer peripheral surfaces and are arranged substantially in parallel so that an opposing interval can be set arbitrarily. A rotary drive mechanism for rotating the rollers, a pair of backup rollers rotatably arranged on the outer peripheral surface opposite to the opposing surface of the pressure roller, and at least one of the pair of backup rollers On either side, a pair of heating elements for heating a load-applying mechanism for arbitrarily applying a load, and a belt-shaped laminate forming an electrode element for a lithium polymer battery fed between the opposing surfaces of the pressure roller from both sides. And a drive mechanism for relatively moving the heating body in the facing direction and arbitrarily setting the distance between the facing surfaces, thereby manufacturing an electrode element for a lithium polymer battery.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pair of cylindrical pressure rollers which are arranged substantially parallel to each other so as to be able to set an opposing interval arbitrarily on an outer peripheral surface, and a rotating means for rotating the pressure roller. A driving mechanism, a pair of backup rollers rotatably disposed on the outer peripheral surface opposite to the opposing surface of the pressure roller, and a load on at least one of the backup rollers forming the pair. A load applying mechanism for arbitrarily applying a load, a pair of heating elements for heating the band-shaped laminate forming the electrode element for the lithium polymer battery fed between the opposing faces of the pressure roller from both sides, and the heating element. A drive mechanism that relatively moves in the facing direction and arbitrarily sets the distance between the facing surfaces, and a winding mechanism that winds the pressure-integrated sealing body passing between the facing surfaces of the pressure roller. Having Preparative an apparatus for manufacturing a lithium polymer battery electrode elements, wherein.

In the first and second aspects of the present invention,
The pair of cylindrical pressure rollers are made of metal such as tool steel and have a diameter of about 4 to 10 cm and a roller width of about 10 to 30 cm, and at least one of the pressure rollers can change and control the interval between the opposing peripheral surfaces. As described above, and is configured to rotate at substantially the same peripheral speed using a motor or the like as a drive source. Each pair of backup rollers disposed on the opposite peripheral surface of each cylindrical pressure roller is made of, for example, metal and has a diameter of about 4 to 15 cm and a roller width of about 10 to 30 cm.
The backup roller pair is slidably rotated in contact with the peripheral surface of the corresponding pressure roller, while at least one of the pair is rotated by a load (pressing) by an air cylinder, for example, so as to face the peripheral surface of the pressure roller. The space between the surfaces is configured and arranged so that it can be set and controlled arbitrarily.

Further, the pair of heating elements are, for example, a ceramic type having a built-in electric heater, a metal type having an insulated built-in electric heater, and the like. It is arranged on the feeding side with respect to the pressure roller. The pair of heating bodies can be relatively moved by, for example, an air cylinder or the like according to the thickness or the type of the band-shaped laminated body passing between the facing surfaces of the heating bodies, and can be appropriately heated. It is arranged and configured as follows.

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, by using the backup roller together, a load regulating system is realized, and the occurrence of bending of the pressure roller in the roller width direction is eliminated or prevented. Therefore, the band-shaped laminate forming the electrode element is entirely and uniformly pressed and crimped as a whole.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an electrode element manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a top view showing the same schematic configuration. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numerals 6 and 7 denote a pair of cylindrical pressure rollers which oppose the outer peripheral surface and are arranged substantially in parallel so that the opposing interval can be set arbitrarily. Is a rotation driving mechanism for driving the rotation. Here, the pressure rollers 6, 7 are made of, for example, tool steel and have a diameter of 10 mm.
cm and the roller width is about 30 cm.
Are pivotally supported so that the distance between the opposing peripheral surfaces can be varied and controlled. The motor and the like are rotated at substantially the same peripheral speed by a rotation drive mechanism 8 including a drive source 8a and a power transmission mechanism 8b such as gears.

Reference numerals 9 and 10 denote a pair of backup rollers rotatably arranged on the outer peripheral surface opposite to the opposing surfaces of the pressure rollers 6 and 7, respectively. Reference numeral 11 denotes a backup roller forming the pair. 9 is a load applying mechanism for arbitrarily applying a required load. Here, the pair of backup rollers 9 and 10 are composed of a pair of metal rollers 9a and 9b having a diameter of about 5 cm and a roller width of about 30 cm and a pair of 10a and 10b, and a distance and an interval of about 15 cm from each other. Put in parallel,
It is arranged in contact with the outer peripheral surface on the opposite side of the pressure rollers 6 and 7. Then, a required load is applied to one of the backup rollers 9 (9a, 9b) by a load applying mechanism 11 including a coupling portion 11a and an air cylinder 11b.

Further, 12a and 12b are the pressure rollers 6,
A pair of heating elements 13 for heating the strip-shaped laminate constituting the electrode element for the lithium polymer battery fed between the opposing faces 7 from both sides, and 13 relatively moves the heating elements 12a and 12b in the opposite direction. This is a drive mechanism for arbitrarily setting the distance between the opposing surfaces. Here, the heating elements 12a and 12b are, for example, plate-shaped metal heaters having a built-in nichrome wire heater. The heating mechanism 12a is moved up and down by a driving mechanism 13, for example, an air cylinder, and the distance between the facing surfaces of the heating elements 12a and 12b is adjusted. Is set arbitrarily.

Next, an operation example of the manufacturing apparatus having the above configuration will be described.

First, a strip-shaped positive electrode (for example, an active material such as a metal oxide) is sandwiched between a strip-shaped electrolyte-retaining polymer-electrolyte system that functions as a separator (for example, a polymer such as hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride copolymer). A positive electrode layer containing a substance and an electrolyte-retaining polymer is laminated on a current collector, and a strip-shaped negative electrode (for example, a negative electrode layer containing an active material for absorbing and releasing lithium ions and an electrolyte-retaining polymer is laminated on the current collector). ) Is prepared.

The strip-shaped laminate is fed between the opposing peripheral surfaces of the pressure rollers 6 and 7 through the opposing surfaces of the heaters 12a and 12b. At this time, the heating elements 12a and 12b
The drive mechanism 13 is set so as to heat to about 150 ° C., and to maintain a sufficient gap between the opposing surfaces for the band-shaped laminate to pass.

On the other hand, the pressure roller 6 of the pressure rollers 6 and 7 receives a load from the air cylinder 11b through the coupling portion 11a and the backup rollers 9a and 9b. The distance between the peripheral surfaces of the opposing pressure rollers 7 is controlled by the load applied to the pressure roller 6, and the fed belt-shaped laminate is pressed and pressed uniformly (uniformly) as a whole in the width direction. The belt-shaped laminate is pressed and integrated while rotating at substantially the same peripheral speed, and is sent out from the area of the pressure rollers 6 and 7.

That is, at the stage of passing between the peripheral surfaces of the pressure rollers 6 and 7, the strip-shaped laminate as the workpiece on which the electrode elements are formed is appropriately heated. On the other hand, the pressure rollers 6 and 7 are connected to each other by a backup roller pair 9a-9b and 10a-10.
b, the pressure roller 6,
7 is also corrected and absorbed. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an electrode element for a lithium polymer battery that is uniformly pressed and pressed (heat-fused) as a whole without causing unevenness in pressure bonding and non-uniform lamination.

In the above configuration example, the band-like laminate that has been integrated by pressure bonding in the region of the pressure rollers 6 and 7 may be taken out and cut into appropriate dimensions and shapes as appropriate. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a winding mechanism is provided to wind the band-shaped laminate that has been pressure-bonded and integrated in the area of the pressure rollers 6 and 7.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the pressure rollers 6 and 7 may be made of other materials, and a load applying mechanism for the pressure rollers 6 and 7 may be installed on the pressure roller 7 side or on both pressure roller sides. .

[0027]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, a high-quality electrode element of a lithium polymer battery can be obtained with good yield.
And it can be provided in mass production. That is, in the lamination of the electrode element for the lithium polymer battery,
Even when the pressure roller width is wide, the deflection of the pressure roller is suppressed, and lamination is performed under appropriate load regulation, so that there is no variation in quality such as denseness and constant performance. An electrode element can be manufactured. In addition, the ability to manufacture electrode elements with constant performance enables mass production of highly reliable lithium polymer batteries.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an electrode element manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating a schematic configuration of an electrode element manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a lithium polymer battery.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6, 7 pressure roller 8: rotary drive mechanism for pressure roller 8a: motor 8b: power transmission mechanism 9, 10, pair of backup rollers 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b: backup roller pair 11 … Loading mechanism 11a… Connection part 11b… Air cylinders 12a, 12b… Heating body 13… Heating body driving mechanism

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A pair of cylindrical pressure rollers arranged so as to face each other at an outer peripheral surface thereof and to be able to arbitrarily set an interval therebetween, a rotation driving mechanism for rotating and driving the pressure roller, A pair of backup rollers rotatably disposed on the outer peripheral surface opposite to the opposing surface of the pressure roller, and a load for arbitrarily applying a load to at least one of the backup rollers forming the pair A load mechanism, a pair of heating elements for heating the band-shaped laminate forming the electrode element for the lithium polymer battery fed between the opposing faces of the pressure roller from both sides, And a driving mechanism for arbitrarily setting the distance between the opposing surfaces to each other. 2. A pair of cylindrical pressure rollers, which are arranged substantially in parallel so as to oppose their outer peripheral surfaces and can arbitrarily set an opposing interval, a rotation drive mechanism for rotating and driving the pressure rollers, A pair of backup rollers rotatably disposed on the outer peripheral surface opposite to the opposing surface of the pressure roller, and a load for arbitrarily applying a load to at least one of the backup rollers forming the pair A load mechanism, a pair of heating elements for heating the band-shaped laminate forming the electrode element for the lithium polymer battery fed between the opposing faces of the pressure roller from both sides, And a take-up mechanism that winds the sealed body that has been pressure integrated by passing between the opposing surfaces of the pressure roller. Features For manufacturing an electrode element for a lithium polymer battery.