KR101101008B1 - Electrode assembly apparatus and electrode assembly apparatus making method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and an electrode assembly manufacturing method using the same to prevent damage to the electrode plate in the process of manufacturing the electrode assembly by stacking the electrode plate and to make the electrode assembly more easily.

The present invention includes the steps of disposing the electrode plate between the first and second guides arranged at a predetermined interval; And the electrode plate includes the step of folding the electrode plate to face the same surface, the electrode plate is to provide a method for manufacturing an electrode assembly is determined by the first and second guides the width of the electrode assembly is stacked.

Description

Electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and electrode assembly manufacturing method using the same {ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY APPARATUS AND ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY APPARATUS MAKING METHOD USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and an electrode assembly manufacturing method using the same, and more particularly, to an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus for preventing damage to the electrode plate and an electrode assembly manufacturing method using the same.

In general, secondary batteries are rechargeable and can be miniaturized and large-capacity, and as the light weight and high functionality of portable wireless devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, and notebook computers are advanced, many studies have been conducted on secondary batteries used as driving power. have.

Such secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among them, lithium secondary batteries have high operating voltage and high energy density per unit weight. It is widely used in the field.

Referring to the configuration of the rectangular secondary battery of the above-described lithium secondary battery, the rectangular secondary battery includes a bare cell corresponding to the battery itself, a protective circuit unit and an electrode terminal including the positive and negative terminals of the bare cell. And a nickel step in electrical contact with the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal.

The bare cell includes an electrode assembly formed by stacking electrode plates formed of a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate and a separator interposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate, the electrode assembly and the electrolyte therein. It comprises a metal can, and a cap assembly for blocking the open side of the metal can. The cap assembly typically includes a cap plate, and the cap plate is fixed by welding to an open side of the can to seal the can. In addition, the electrode terminal is provided on the cap plate in a state of being insulated from the can through the insulating film, and such an electrode terminal constitutes one pole of the battery and the can constitutes the other pole of the battery.

As described above, the electrode assembly included in the bare cell is formed by stacking electrode plates. In the stacking method, when the electrode assemblies are vertically placed and a force is applied at different heights from both sides, the electrode assemblies are stacked. However, when stacked in this manner, there is a problem that the first electrode plate or the second electrode plate of the electrode assembly is damaged by the applied force.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and an electrode assembly manufacturing method using the same to prevent damage to the electrode plate in the process of manufacturing the electrode assembly by stacking the electrode plate and to make the electrode assembly more easily.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention includes the steps of: disposing a pole plate between first and second guides arranged at predetermined intervals; And the electrode plate includes the step of folding the electrode plate to face the same surface, the electrode plate is to provide a method for manufacturing an electrode assembly is determined by the first and second guides the width of the electrode assembly is stacked.

Additionally, the electrode plate is positioned between the first and second guides in a state in which the electrode plate is wound on a roll to receive the electrode plate on a surface thereof, and wherein the electrode plate is released from the roll while the roll moves left and right. To provide.

In addition, the spacing of the first and second guides is to provide an adjustable electrode assembly manufacturing method.

In addition, the height of the first and second guide is to provide a method of manufacturing an electrode assembly is variable.

In addition, in the step of folding the pole plate, to provide a method for manufacturing an electrode assembly using a jig for pressing the pole plate in the horizontal direction.

Additionally, in the folding of the electrode plate, the electrode assembly includes a first step of folding the electrode plate to have a predetermined angle with a vertical line and a second step of folding the electrode plate folded at a predetermined angle in parallel with a horizontal plane. To provide a way.

In addition, in the first step, the predetermined angle is to provide an electrode assembly manufacturing method of 70 degrees.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, the second aspect of the present invention, the first and second guides are arranged at a predetermined interval; A working plate on which the gap between the first and second guides is adjusted and the pole plate is folded and placed; A jig for folding the pole plate; And a roll positioned on the work plate and accommodated on the surface of the electrode plate, the roll moving in a direction in which the second guide is positioned in a direction in which the first guide is positioned.

In addition, the working plate is to provide an electrode assembly device further comprising a guide conveying device for moving the first and second guides.

Additionally, the first and second guides may further include a fixing means for fixing the positions of the first and second guides to a position in contact with the guide transfer device.

In addition, the first and second guides provide an electrode assembly device having a variable height.

In addition, the jig is to provide an electrode assembly device including a first jig, a second jig and a third jig.

In addition, the first jig or the third jig is to provide an electrode assembly device which is inclined to form 70 degrees with the surface perpendicular to the ground.

According to the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and the electrode assembly manufacturing method using the same according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent damage to the active material generated in the process of laminating the electrode plate, the electrode plate may be laminated uniformly.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a rechargeable lithium battery according to one embodiment of the present invention. Meanwhile, although a rectangular lithium secondary battery is illustrated here, the present invention is not limited to the rectangular secondary battery, and may be applied to a cylindrical lithium secondary battery or a pouch type secondary battery, which also belongs to the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a lithium secondary battery 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a can 100 and an electrode assembly 200 accommodated in the can 100. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the can type secondary battery 1000 according to the present exemplary embodiment may further include a cap assembly 300 that seals the top opening 100a of the can 100.

The can 100 may be formed of a metal material having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may itself serve as a terminal. However, the shape of the can 100 is not limited thereto. At this time, the polarity of the can 100 is formed to be opposite to the first electrode plate 210 which will be described later. In addition, although not shown, the can 100 may have an enlarged heat dissipation area having a predetermined shape for widening the heat dissipation area so as to facilitate external discharge of heat generated therein. The can 100 includes an upper opening portion 100a having one surface thereof opened, and the electrode assembly 200 is accommodated through the upper opening portion 100a.

In the electrode assembly 200, a separator 230 is interposed between the first electrode plate 210, the second electrode plate 220, and the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220. The first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220 are folded and formed.

The separator 230 is formed to include a porous material capable of blocking electron conduction between the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220 in the electrode assembly 300 and smoothly moving lithium ions. For example, the separator 230 may use polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or a composite film thereof. In addition, the separator 230 may be formed to have a larger width than the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220, so that the separator 230 may occur at the top and bottom of the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220. It is possible to effectively prevent the electrical short.

In the lithium secondary battery according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the separator 230 is disposed to surround the outermost portion of the electrode assembly 200, and may be formed of a material including ceramic.

In this case, in the lithium secondary battery according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the polarity of the can 100 is formed as one of a positive electrode and a negative electrode.

In addition, the outermost portion of the first electrode plate 210 is disposed at an outer portion of the electrode assembly 200 than the outermost portion of the second electrode plate 220. Therefore, when the can 100 is penetrated, the can 100 is configured to short-circuit preferentially with the first electrode plate 210.

The cap assembly 300 includes a cap plate 340, an insulation plate 350, a terminal plate 360, and an electrode terminal 330. The cap assembly 300 is insulated from the electrode assembly 200 by a separate insulating case 370 and coupled to the upper opening 100a of the can 100 to seal the can 100.

The cap plate 340 is formed of a metal plate having a size and shape corresponding to that of the upper opening 100a of the can 100. The terminal plate hole 341 having a predetermined size is formed in the center of the cap plate 340, and the electrode terminal 330 is inserted into the terminal hole hole 341. When the electrode terminal 330 is inserted into the terminal through hole 341, a tubular gasket 335 is coupled to the outer surface of the electrode terminal 330 and inserted together to insulate the electrode terminal 330 from the cap plate 340. . One side of the cap plate 340 may be formed with an electrolyte injection hole 342 in a predetermined size, and a safety vent (not shown) may be formed in the other side. Safety vent is formed integrally by thinning the cross-sectional thickness of the cap plate (340). After the cap assembly 320 is assembled to the upper opening 100a of the can 100, electrolyte is injected through the electrolyte injection hole 342, and the electrolyte injection hole 342 is sealed by a stopper 343.

The electrode terminal 330 is connected to the first electrode tab 217 of the first electrode plate 210 or the second electrode tab 227 of the second electrode plate 220 to be the first electrode terminal or the second electrode terminal. It will work. An insulating tape 218 is wound around the first electrode tab 217 and the second electrode tab 227 from the electrode assembly 200 to prevent a short circuit.

On the other hand, the rest of the configuration of the lithium secondary battery can be easily implemented by those of ordinary skill in the art, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

2 is a view showing the structure of the electrode assembly shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 2, the electrode assembly includes a separator interposed between the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate and the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220 coated with the active material layer ( It is formed by stacking the electrode plate (not shown). At this time, the first electrode plate 210 is folded to face the first electrode plate 210 and the second electrode plate 220 is formed in a zigzag form facing the second electrode plate 220.

3 is a front view illustrating an electrode plate laminating apparatus for forming an electrode assembly illustrated in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 3, the electrode stacking device includes a first guide 401, a second guide 402, a working plate 403, a first jig 404, a second jig 405, and a third jig ( 406 and roll 407.

The first guide 401 and the second guide 402 are positioned at regular intervals on the work plate 403 on which the pole plates 500 are stacked. The distance between the first guide 401 and the second guide 402 is determined by the size of the electrode assembly formed by stacking the electrode plates 500. When the size of the electrode assembly is large, the distance between the first guide 401 and the second guide 402 is wide, and when the size of the electrode assembly is small, the distance between the first guide 401 and the second guide 402 is narrow. In addition, the size of the electrode plate 500 laminated by the first guide 401 and the second guide 402 is kept constant. The first guide 401 and the second guide 402 may further include a guide feeder (not shown) to easily adjust the gap and to set a predetermined gap. An example of the guide conveying device may be a rail (not shown). In addition, fastening means for fixing the first guide 401 and the second guide 402 on the rail are attached to the first guide 401 and the second guide 402, respectively, so that the first guide 401 and the second guide 402 are attached to the first guide on a guide conveying device such as a rail. The guide 401 and the second guide 402 are fixed so as not to move in the set position. In addition, the pole plate 500 is wound on the roll 407 located on the upper portion of the working plate 403, and the pole plate 500 wound on the roll 407 is released while the work is being carried out, and a zig-zag shape is formed on the working plate 403. Stacked and stacked.

The first jig 404 is positioned between the first guide 401 and the second guide 402, and is adjacent to and parallel to the first guide 401. The pole plate 500 wound on the roll 407 is unwound and formed between the first guide 401 and the second guide 402. At this time, the roll 407 is located close to the second guide 402. Then, the first jig 404 is laid in the direction of the second guide 402 to bend the pole plate 500. At this time, when excessive force is applied to the pole plate 500 by the first jig 404, damage may occur to the pole plate 500, so that the first jig 404 is about 70 degrees with the first guide 401. Lying down. In this case, the electrode plate 500 wound on the roll 407 is released more.

After the first jig 404 is laid down and the pole plate is folded, it is returned to the position before the first jig 404 is removed or laid down again. Then, by applying a force to the pole plate 500 using the second jig 405 provided separately, the pole plate 500 is further folded so that the folded pole plate 500 is horizontal with the work plate 403. ) Form a first plate layer that is horizontal to At this time, the pole plate 500 wound on the roll 407 is further loosened. After the second jig 405 is removed, the third jig 406 is positioned between the first guide 401 and the second guide 402, and is adjacent to the second guide 402 and formed side by side. do. At this time, the roll 407 is moved to a position close to the first guide 401. Then, the third jig 406 is laid in the direction of the first guide 401 so that the pole plate 500 is folded. In this case, the third jig 406 is also laid down while maintaining an angle of about 70 degrees with the second guide 402 to prevent excessive force from being applied to the electrode plate 500. Then, the third jig 406 is returned to the position before being removed or laid down again. Then, the second jig 405 is again formed adjacent to and parallel to the second guide 402. Then, the second jig 405 presses the electrode plate 500 in the direction parallel to the working plate 403 to form a second electrode plate layer horizontal to the working plate 403.

Then, the electrode plates are continuously stacked in the same manner as described above to form a zigzag electrode assembly as shown in FIG. 2. Here, although the pole plates are laminated in the zigzag form using the first to third jigs, it is also possible to laminate the pole plates in the zigzag form using only one jig.

4A and 4B are structural diagrams showing a first embodiment of the first guide shown in FIG. 3. Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the height of the first guide 401 is variable so that the first guide 401 may correspond to the height at which the pole plates are stacked.

The first guide 401 includes a first additional guide 401a and a second additional guide 401b, respectively. The first additional guide 401a and the second additional guide 401b are connected via the hinge 401c. Accordingly, when the height of stacking the pole plates is low, as shown in FIG. 4B, the first and second guides 401a and 401b are folded, and when the height of stacking the pole plates is high, the height of stacking the pole plates is as shown in FIG. 4A. Similarly, the first additional guide 401a and the second additional guide 401b are rotated by the hinge 401c and arranged in a straight line.

4A and 4B are shown for the first guide 401 only, but the second guide may also be configured like the first guide 401.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such descriptions are for illustrative purposes only and it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims. You must lose.

1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a rechargeable lithium battery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a view showing the structure of the electrode assembly shown in FIG.

3 is a front view illustrating an electrode plate laminating apparatus for forming an electrode assembly illustrated in FIG. 2.

4A and 4B are structural diagrams showing a first embodiment of the first guide shown in FIG. 3.

Claims (14)

Disposing the electrode plates between the first and second guides arranged at predetermined intervals; And The electrode plate includes the step of folding the electrode plate to face the same surface, the electrode plate manufacturing method of the electrode assembly is determined by the first and second guide the width of the electrode assembly is folded. The method of claim 1, The electrode plate is positioned between the first and second guides in a state in which the electrode plate is wound on a roll wound around the surface, the electrode assembly manufacturing method for releasing the electrode plate from the roll as the roll moves to the left and right. The method of claim 1, The method of manufacturing an electrode assembly, wherein the distance between the first and second guides is adjustable. The method of claim 1, The height of the first and second guide is variable electrode assembly manufacturing method. The method of claim 1, In the folding of the electrode plate, the electrode assembly manufacturing method using a jig for pressing the electrode plate in the horizontal direction. The method of claim 1, In the folding of the electrode plate, the electrode assembly manufacturing method comprising a first step of folding the electrode plate to have a predetermined angle with a vertical line and the second step of folding the electrode plate folded at the predetermined angle in parallel with a horizontal plane. The method of claim 6, In the first step, the predetermined angle is 70 degrees electrode assembly manufacturing method. The method of claim 1, The electrode plate is a method of manufacturing an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode coated with an active material layer and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. First and second guides arranged at predetermined intervals; A working plate on which the gap between the first and second guides is adjusted and the pole plate is folded and placed; A jig for folding the pole plate; And Located on the working plate and the electrode plate is wound around the surface, the electrode assembly device including a roll moving in the direction in which the second guide is located in the direction in which the first guide is located. The method of claim 9, The working plate further comprises a guide conveying device for moving the first and second guides. 11. The method of claim 10, And the first and second guides further include fixing means for fixing the positions of the first and second guides to a position in contact with the guide transfer device. The method of claim 9, The first and second guides are electrode assembly apparatus of which the height is variable. The method of claim 9, The jig is an electrode assembly device comprising a first jig, a second jig and a third jig. The method of claim 13, The first jig or the third jig is inclined to form a 70 degrees with the surface perpendicular to the ground electrode assembly device.

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