KR102049509B1 - Method and apparatus for stacking electrode plate of prismatic secondary battery - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a method and an apparatus for stacking an electrode plate of a prismatic secondary battery, which alternately receive positive and negative electrode plates on a stack base and supply a separator between the positive and negative electrode plates. According to the present invention, the stack base reciprocates between positive and negative electrode plate supply positions. Also, four stack grippers arranged to be adjacent to an edge of an electrode plate supplied on the stack base and reciprocating together with the stack base, wherein each of the stack grippers has a gripping part capable of performing a swinging motion, are provided. The four stack grippers are synchronized in pair to be operated. The electrode plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by a pair of gripping parts provided in a pair of stack grippers positioned at a front end in a subsequent moving direction of the stack base among the stack grippers.

Description

Method and apparatus for stacking a plate of a rectangular secondary battery {METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STACKING ELECTRODE PLATE OF PRISMATIC SECONDARY BATTERY}

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for stacking pole plates of a rectangular secondary battery.

In general, a chemical cell is composed of a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte of a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, and the amount of energy that can be stored varies depending on the electrode and the material of the electrolyte. These chemical cells are classified into primary batteries used only for one-time discharges and secondary batteries that can be reused through repetitive charging and discharging due to a very slow charging reaction. Recently, the use of secondary batteries is increasing due to the advantages of charging and discharging. .

Due to its advantages, secondary batteries have been applied to various technical fields throughout the industry, and are widely used as energy sources of mobile communication devices such as smart phones, and are attracting attention as energy sources of electric vehicles.

The secondary battery has a form in which a positive electrode plate, a separator, and a negative electrode plate are sequentially stacked to be immersed in an electrolyte, and there are two methods of manufacturing an inner cell stack of such a secondary battery.

In the case of small secondary batteries, a method of arranging a negative electrode plate and a positive electrode plate on a separator and winding them in a jelly-roll form is widely used, whereas in the case of a medium and large secondary battery having more electric capacity, A method of fabricating a cathode plate and a cathode plate by stacking them in a proper order with a separator is widely used. In the case of the stacking method, the punched electrode plate is mainly used, and thus the battery has excellent performance due to a relatively large space through which the electrolyte solution penetrates between the edge of the electrode plate and the separator.

In the zigzag type (also called 'z-folding' type) lamination method, which is widely used among the methods of fabricating a secondary battery cell stack by a lamination method, the separator is folded in a zigzag form, and a negative electrode plate and a positive electrode plate are interposed therebetween. Stacked alternately inserted.

In the zigzag-type stacking method, the manufacturing speed of the cell stack varies depending on the time taken to bring the pole plates from the magazine, the time taken to align the pole plates, the time taken to stack the aligned pole plates on the stack base, and the time taken to alternate the negative plates and the positive plates. It is determined by the sum of the times spent in the stage. Therefore, constant efforts have been made to shorten the working time for each stage.

In the zigzag stacking method, it is necessary to fix the electrode plate and the cell stack because the electrode plates supplied on the stack base are held in place while the cell stack is stacked, while the separators must be held in a zigzag manner.

Korean Patent No. 10-1140447 (registered on April 19, 2012) discloses a stack manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery having a movable fork in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator are integrally pressed on a stacking tray reciprocating between two stacking positions. . The movable fork has vertical and horizontal displacements, which are lifted or moved in the horizontal direction by a lifting cylinder and a horizontal cylinder.

Korean Patent No. 10-1439387 (registered on September 02, 2014) discloses a stack manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery having a plurality of holding blocks for fixing or releasing a positive electrode or a negative electrode on a stacked block. The gripping block includes a reciprocating link portion for horizontally reciprocating and a lifting link portion for elevating it, which are operated by the rotation of the cam disk.

According to such prior arts, it is essential to operate in the order of retraction, ascending, forwarding, and descending of a holding means such as a movable fork or a holding block to fix or release the electrode plate on the stack base. If the gripping means advances toward the stack base before the electrode plate is supplied on the stack base, the electrode plate is placed on the gripping means, and thus the pole plate cannot be fixed. Therefore, the holding means waits for a predetermined time until the pole plate is supplied on the stack base after the retreat and lift operation, and then moves forward and downward to fix the pole plate.

The manufacturing speed of the cell stack is slowed down by the waiting time of the gripping means.

An object of the present invention is to increase the cell stack manufacturing speed of the rectangular secondary battery.

The present invention also aims to increase the holding speed of the electrode plate when manufacturing a cell stack of a rectangular secondary battery.

The invention also aims to reduce damage to the plate when gripping or releasing the plate on the stack base.

Problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In one aspect of a method of stacking a pole plate of a rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, in the pole plate stacking method of a rectangular secondary battery in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are alternately supplied on a stack base, and a separator is supplied between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. Four stack grippers arranged so as to reciprocate between the anode plate supply position and the cathode plate supply position, and adjacent to the edge of the electrode plate supplied on the stack base, and reciprocating with the stack base, each gripper capable of swinging. Is provided, wherein the four stack grippers are operated in pairs in synchronization with each other, and a pair of pole plates supplied on the stack base are positioned at the leading end in a subsequent movement direction of the stack base among the four stack grippers. Are held by a pair of grippers provided in the stack gripper of the In the state where the first pole plate supplied on the stack base is held by the first gripper pair, the second pole plate is gripped by the second gripper pair when the second pole plate is supplied over the first gripper pair. Retracting the first pair of grippers away from the stack base; Swinging up the first pair of grip portions; A third step of advancing the first pair of grippers toward the stack base; And a fourth step of swinging down the first pair of grip portions to grip the third electrode plate supplied on the stack base.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, the third step may be completed before the third electrode plate is supplied on the stack base.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, at least some of the second to fourth steps may be started before completion of the immediately preceding step.

According to another aspect of the method of stacking the electrode plate of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, the second step and the third step may be performed simultaneously.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, at least some of the first to third steps may be performed simultaneously with the reciprocating motion of the stack base.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, each of the four stack grippers are provided with a shock absorber, the shock absorber and the holding portion during the swing-down operation of the holding portion Arranged in an abutting position and contracted when the gripper swings down, immediately before the gripper is retracted away from the stack base, the shock absorber is relaxed to lift the gripper.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, after the fourth step, the step of sequentially retracting the second pair of holding portions away from the stack base; Swinging up the second pair of grip portions; A seventh step of advancing the second pair of grip portions toward the stack base; And an eighth step of swinging down the second pair of grip portions to hold the fourth pole plate supplied on the stack base.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, the first to eighth steps are performed during one round trip of the stack base.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, it further comprises a moving means for moving the stack base, the moving means may move the stack base in a U-shaped trajectory.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, the method further comprises a moving means for moving the stack base, wherein the moving means moves the stack base to a lower half circle type trajectory. Can be.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, in the cathode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery in which the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate is alternately supplied on the stack base, the separator is supplied between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, Four stack grippers arranged adjacent to the edges of the pole plates supplied on the stack base, each stack gripper having a swingable gripper, the four stack grippers being operated in pairs in synchronization, The pole plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by a pair of holding portions, and in a state in which the first pole plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by the first pair of holding portions, the second pole plate is disposed on the first base plate. When supplied over a first pair of grippers, the second pole plate is gripped by a second pair of grippers, and the first pair of grippers is transferred to the stack base. Emitter a first step to move away so that retraction; Swinging up the first pair of grip portions; A third step of advancing the first pair of grippers toward the stack base; And a fourth step of swinging down the first pair of grip portions to grip the third electrode plate supplied on the stack base.

According to one aspect of the pole plate stacking device of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, in the pole plate stacking device of the rectangular secondary battery in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate is alternately supplied on the stack base, a separator is supplied between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, Four stack grippers arranged between the stack base and the anode plate supply position and the cathode plate supply position, and adjacent to the edge of the electrode plate supplied on the stack base, and reciprocating with the stack base, each stack gripper being swing-operable. Provided with a branch, wherein the four stack grippers are operated in pairs and synchronized in pairs, and a pole plate supplied on the stack base is located at the leading end in a subsequent movement direction of the stack base among the four stack grippers. Gripped by a pair of grippers provided in the pair of stack grippers A forward and backward actuator for advancing or retracting the stack gripper, and a swing actuator for swinging up or swinging down the gripper.

According to another aspect of the pole plate stacking apparatus of the square secondary battery according to the present invention, each of the four stack grippers includes a shock absorber, and the shock absorber is pressed by the holding part when the swing actuator swings down the holding part. When the swing actuator is deactivated, it is relaxed to lift the gripping portion.

According to another aspect of the electrode plate stacking apparatus of the square secondary battery according to the present invention, the apparatus further includes a moving means for moving the stack base, and the moving means may move the stack base in a U-shaped trajectory.

According to another aspect of the pole plate stacking apparatus of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, it further comprises a moving means for moving the stack base, the moving means may move the stack base in a lower half-circular trajectory.

According to another aspect of the pole plate stacking device of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention, in the pole plate stacking device of the rectangular secondary battery in which the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate is alternately supplied on the stack base, the separator is supplied between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, Four stack grippers arranged adjacent to the edges of the pole plates supplied on the stack base, each stack gripper having a swingable gripper, the four stack grippers being operated in pairs in synchronization, The pole plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by a pair of gripping portions, and includes a forward and backward actuator for advancing or reversing the stack gripper, and a swing actuator for swinging up or swinging down the gripping portion.

According to another aspect of the pole plate stacking apparatus of the square secondary battery according to the present invention, each of the four stack grippers includes a shock absorber, and the shock absorber is pressed by the holding part when the swing actuator swings down the holding part. When the swing actuator is deactivated, it is relaxed to lift the gripping portion.

According to the present invention, the manufacturing speed of the cell stack is shortened. The yield per unit time of the cell stack can be increased and the number of equipment used can be reduced.

In general, the production space of a cell stack requires a considerable cost to maintain fine dust, temperature, humidity, etc., thereby reducing costs due to the reduction of the space occupied by the equipment.

Further, according to the present invention, the waiting time of the plate holding means is minimized.

Further, according to the present invention, damage to the electrode plate is prevented when the electrode plate is held or released.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is a schematic diagram of a stack base reciprocating between stacking positions of a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the state of FIG. 1 viewed from above, ie, in the A direction.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the state of FIG. 1 viewed from the left side, that is, in the B direction, and is shown as (a) to (d) in the order of operation.
4 is a comparison with step (c) of FIG.
5 is a perspective view of a stack gripper and a stack base according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a stack gripper in an open state.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a stack gripper according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the stack gripper is closed.
7 is a side view of the stack gripper according to FIG. 6.
8 is a schematic diagram showing that the gripper of the stack gripper is lifted by the shock absorber according to one embodiment of the present invention.
9 illustrates a trajectory of movement of the stack base according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 schematically illustrates a stack base reciprocating between two pole plate feed positions in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a conceptual diagram sequentially illustrating a movement path of a stack base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiments set forth in the accompanying drawings are provided for clarity of understanding and the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following description, components having the same reference numerals in different drawings have similar functions and thus are not repeatedly described unless necessary for the understanding of the invention, and well-known components are briefly described or omitted. It should not be understood to be excluded from the examples.

In the present invention, the expression 'connected' refers to a concept in which two elements are physically connected as well as operatively connected, and include a direct connection as well as an indirect connection.

In the zigzag-type stacking method of a square secondary battery, the stack base on which the pole plates are stacked may reciprocate between the positions where the negative plates are stacked and the positions where the positive plates are stacked, or the separator supply unit may reciprocate left and right at the top of the stationary stack base. Can be.

In this case, each time the stack base or the separator supply portion moves once between the two positions, the separator is configured to be covered over the electrode plate laminated to the stack base. Thus, the newly stacked electrode plates are always placed on the separator, and subsequently the separator is covered over the just stacked electrode plates as the stack base moves.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described an embodiment of the electrode plate stacking method of the rectangular secondary battery according to the present invention in detail.

1 schematically illustrates a stack base 10 reciprocating between stacking positions of a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

The stack base 10 receives a negative electrode plate or a positive electrode plate at each position while reciprocating left and right in FIG. 1 between a lamination position of a negative electrode plate and a lamination position of a positive electrode plate. In FIG. 1, the stack base 10 is located on the left side, and the state moved to the right is indicated by a dotted line.

As the reciprocating method of the stack base 10, various methods such as a method of horizontally moving between the stacking positions of two electrode plates and a method of tilting the stack base 10 like a metronome are known. The present invention can be applied to a manner in which the stack base 10 moves to U as well as the above manners, which will be described later.

Four stack grippers 20a, 20b, 30a, and 30b for holding the pole plates on the stack base 10 and gripping portions 21a, 21b, 31a, and 31b which are swingably connected to the stack grippers. ) Is provided (see FIG. 2). Four stack grippers are arranged adjacent each corner of the electrode plate, allowing the gripper to grip near the edges of the electrode plate. When the stack base 10 or the separator S supply part reciprocates, a pair of grip portions 21a and 21b (or 31a and 31b) holding the pole plates form a constant boundary of the separator folded in a zigzag manner. .

Since the stack grippers 20a, 20b, 30a, and 30b must be able to fix the electrode plate supplied on the stack base even during the movement of the stack base 10, the stack grippers 20a, 20b, 30a, and 30b may reciprocate with the stack base 10. For example, stack grippers may be mounted on a frame holding the stack base 10 (see FIG. 9, reference numeral 40), provided that it is possible to fix, i.e., hold, the pole plates stacked on the moving stack base. The mounting position does not matter anywhere.

The grips 21a, 21b, 31a and 31b are connected in a swingable manner to the stack grippers 20a, 20b, 30a and 30b, and the four grippers 21a, 21b, 31a and 31b are paired in pairs. Can be controlled to operate simultaneously.

1 shows the stack base 10 from the front, showing two stack grippers 20a and 30a and gripping portions 21a and 31a respectively connected to them. The separator S is supplied onto the stack base 10 via the guide roller 12. For convenience of description, in FIG. 1, positions and postures of the stack grippers 20a and 30a and the grippers 21a and 31a are constantly shown, regardless of the actual electrode lamination process.

2 is a plan view of a stack base 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the stack grippers 20a, 20b, 30a, and 30b and the gripping portions 21a, 21b, 31a, and 31b provided therein may operate in pairs, and the stack base 10 may be reciprocated. Paired by standard. In other words, two stack grippers (and grips) located at the leading end in the direction of movement of the stack base 10 are paired and synchronized, and two other stack grippers (and grips) located at the rear end are paired and synchronized. .

FIG. 2 shows a pair of grip portions connected to a pair of stack grippers 20a and 20b positioned at a tip in a direction in which the stack base 10 is moved to the left side (in the direction of the arrow at the bottom of FIG. 2). 21a, 21b hold | maintain the electrode plate (not shown), and the separator S is covered on it. The plate is not yet supplied on the separator (S). The remaining pair of gripping portions 31a and 31b are in a state of not holding the electrode plate. Specifically, the remaining pair of gripping portions 31a and 31b are swinged up, and the stack grippers 30a and 30b connected to each other are advanced together as they advance toward the stack base 10. The position (that is, the retracted position) before each stack gripper 30a, 30b advances is indicated by a dotted line.

In the above configuration, the holding parts 21a, 21b, 31a, and 31b hold the electrode plate on the separator S in place, and when the separator is covered on the electrode plate, the grip parts 21a, 21b, 31a, and 31b are folded and tightly covered with the edges of the electrode plate. To help.

Figure 3 illustrates the operation of the stack gripper and the gripper in sequence (a) to (d) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description, since FIG. 3 is viewed from the direction B of FIG. 1, only the pair of stack grippers 20a and 20b and the grippers 21a and 21a are shown among the stack grippers and grippers of FIG. 2.

Step (a) is a subsequent step of FIG. 2, in which the stack grippers 20a and 20b are withdrawn from the stack base 10 (from the pole plate gripping state shown in FIG. 2), and the gripping portions 21a and 21b provided therein. ) Is the closed state, i.e. the swing-down state. At this time, the electrode plate E1 supplied on the separation membrane S may be held by a pair of holding portions 31a and 31b on opposite sides.

In step (b), the gripping portions 21a and 21b swing up. In other words, the stack grippers 20a and 20b are opened.

In step (c), the stack grippers 20a and 20b and the gripping portions 21a and 21b provided therein are advanced toward the stack base 10. At the same time or before and after, the stack base 10 moves to the opposite pole plate supply position and the separator S is covered over the pole plate E1. In FIG. 3, the moving direction of the stack base 10 is back and forth, that is, a direction penetrating through the drawings or vice versa. As such, before the next electrode plate E2 is supplied onto the stack base 10, the stack grippers 20a and 20b and the grip parts 21a and 21b provided therein may be advanced toward the stack base 10. .

On the other hand, since the thickness of the cell stack becomes thicker as the electrode plate is supplied on the stack base 10, the relative height with the stack grippers 20a, 20b, 30a, and 30b is constant by lowering the height of the stack base 10 by that amount. Can be controlled to maintain

In step d, the electrode plate E2 is supplied and the gripping portions 21a and 21b are swinged down to hold the electrode plate E2. Therefore, the electrode plate can be gripped by only one operation, that is, swing-down operation, after the electrode plate E2 is supplied. At this time, the electrode plate E1 and the separator S under the electrode plate E2 are also fixed together.

In contrast, other processes cannot grasp the plates quickly. This will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

Steps c1 and c2 shown in FIG. 4 correspond to step (c) of FIG. 3. In step c1, if the stack grippers 20a1 and 20b1 and the gripping portions 21a1 and 21b1 provided therein have been advanced toward the stack base 10 before the next electrode plate E2 is supplied, the electrode plate E2 is When stacked, the holding parts 21a1 and 21b1 are hit (see the section indicated by the dashed circle in step (c2)). Therefore, the grippers 20a1 and 20b1 and the holding parts 21a1 and 21b1 can move forward only after the pole plate E2 is supplied, and can subsequently be lowered to hold the pole plate so that at least two operations are required.

Hereinafter, the structure of the stack gripper 20 of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIGS.

5 shows that the stack gripper 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged with respect to the stack base 10 in an open state, that is, the grip portion 21 is swing-up. This figure conceptually corresponds to step (b) of FIG.

The stack gripper 20 includes a gripping portion 21 that swings about a swing axis 24, a link portion 25 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), and a body block 28. The gripping portion 21 includes a fixing plate 22 and a fixing block 23 for holding and fixing the pole plate. The stationary plate 22 is shown as a flat plate, but may be any other shape suitable for gripping without damaging the pole plate.

 The stack gripper 20 may move back and forth by the forward and backward actuators 29, and the grip portion 21 may swing by a swing actuator (not shown).

The forward and backward actuators 29 may set the forward timing of the stack gripper in consideration of the average time required for the work performed in the stage immediately before the pole plate is supplied to the stack base 10, that is, stacked. In other words, it is possible to set the stack gripper to advance in advance when the electrode plate is supplied on the stack base 10. For example, if the previous step is alignment of the plates, the average time taken to align the plates is taken into account.

The alignment time may vary for each plate. Thus, if the alignment time of the pole plates is an average value or longer, the stack grippers will be advanced in advance when the pole plates are stacked on the stack base, or vice versa, the pole plates may be stacked on the stack base 10. The stack gripper may not have completed the advance yet.

The swing actuator may be pneumatic, hydraulic or electric, or in another suitable manner. For example, when the swing actuator is operated by applying air pressure, the link portion 25 connected to the swing actuator may move, and the grip portion 21 connected to the link portion 25 may swing about the swing axis 24. . The swing actuator can perform the necessary operation by selectively applying pneumatic pressure to the swing-up side and the swing-down side. 5 to 7 show link cover 26 and swing actuator cover 27.

A shock absorber 30 is embedded in the body block 28, and a shock absorbing rod 31 is provided at the end thereof. The shock absorber 30 may be gas, spring or oil, or in another suitable manner. By forming a spiral groove on the outer surface of the shock absorber 30 and forming a spiral groove on the inner side of the bore of the body block 28 in which the shock absorber 30 is embedded, the spiral absorber 30 can be connected to each other.

The shock absorbing rod 31 is normally projected, i.e., relaxed, by the maximum distance. When pneumatic pressure is applied by the swing actuator so that the grip portion 21 swings down (see FIGS. 6 and 7), the fixing block 23 may press the shock absorbing rod 31 of the shock absorber 30 to contract. Depending on the situation, it is also possible to partially contract the buffer rod 31. When the pneumatic pressure by the swing actuator is released (deactivated), the buffer rod 31 is relaxed to push up the fixing block 23 so that the grip portion 21 is slightly lifted up (see FIG. 8B). The interval at which the gripping portion 21 is lifted can be set by adjusting the distance that the shock absorbing rod 31 relaxes upon pneumatic release.

Lifting the gripping portion 21 is for avoiding damage to the pole plate during the retraction operation, which is a subsequent operation of the gripping portion 21. If the shock absorber 30 or the device that performs the similar function is not used, the pole plate may be scratched when the grip portion 21 holding the pole plate retreats. In other words, if the pneumatic force applied by the swing actuator is released, the gripping portion 21 may be in contact with the pole plate even if the pole plate is not pressed firmly, which may cause unwanted damage to the pole plate during retreat.

FIG. 8A illustrates a state in which the grip portion 21 of the stack gripper 20, in detail, the holding plate 22 grips the pole plate E1, and FIG. 8B illustrates the grip portion. 21 shows the state of lifting. As shown by the dotted line circle | round | yen in FIG. 8 (a), the holding part 21 is in contact with the electrode plate E1. 8 (b) shows that the pneumatic force applied by the swing actuator is released to relax the shock absorbing rod 31 of the shock absorber 30, thereby lifting the gripping portion 21. This state may be referred to as the stack gripper 20 is 'free'.

In FIG. 8 (b), for convenience of explanation, the lifting interval of the gripping portion 21 may be somewhat exaggerated, but the lifting interval of the gripping portion 21 does not touch the electrode plate when the gripping portion 21 retreats. An interval is sufficient so as not to tear the separation membrane S covered over the grip portion 21 or disturb the alignment of the other electrode plates on the separation membrane S. The lifting interval may vary depending on the type of the shock absorber 30, the strength of the internal pressure of the shock absorber 30, and the weight of the grip portion 21 including the fixing block 23. In addition, the lifting absorber 30 may adjust the lifting interval by adjusting the depth embedded in the body block 28. When the shock absorber 30 is buried by the helical coupling, the buried depth may be adjusted up and down by rotating it.

The contact head 33 may be attached to a portion of the fixing block 23 of the grip portion 21 that is to be hit by the shock absorber 30. The contact head 33 is in contact with the shock absorbing rod 31 of the shock absorber 30. The contact head 33 may be made of a wear-resistant material and attached to the fixing block 23 in a manner that is easy to replace when worn (for example, screwed).

The positioning blocks 35 and 36 may be mounted to the stack gripper 20. The positioning block may be a configuration in which two pieces are engaged, for example a V-block, in which one piece 35 of the positioning block is in the grip 21 and the other piece 36 is in the body block 28. The two pieces can be engaged in the swing-down operation of the gripper 21.

The positioning blocks 35 and 36 prevent the gripping portion 21 from shaking horizontally and not horizontally when gripping the pole plate. If the gripping portion 21 is out of horizontal direction, the plate holding portion may be damaged. The positioning blocks 35 and 36 may also form the threshold of the swing-down operation of the gripping portion 21.

The shock absorber 30 and the positioning blocks 35 and 36 described above may prevent damage to the pole plate when the stack gripper 20 grips or releases the pole plate.

Now, a U-shaped movement method of the stack base 10 that can be used in the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 9A, the stack base 10 is located at the upper right of the drawing, which captures the position at which one of the positive electrode plates and the negative electrode plates are stacked on the separator, and the electrode plates are just stacked. When the pole plate is placed on the stack base 10, the gripper 21a of the stack gripper 20a grips the electrode plate and the separator underneath at once, which is achieved by the gripper 21a swinging down. do. Since the horizontal movement mechanism 50 may operate for the horizontal movement of the stack base 10 and the actuator 46 may operate for the vertical movement, the combined operation of the stack base 10 may be U-shaped. Move in the direction of the arrow marked with a lower half circle. Their combined operation can be implemented using PC control or PLC control. FIG. 9 (b) shows the stack base 10 to the left and the lowered state, and FIG. 9 (c) shows the stack base 10 to the left and then raised. In this manner, the stack base 10 moves in a U-shaped or lower semicircular trajectory in the electrode stacking unit.

Alternatively, the U- or lower half-circle movement of the stack base 10 may be implemented using a cam unit (not shown). For example, a cam unit including a follower body which rotates or reciprocates a plate-shaped cam body and moves in accordance with its movement in connection with the cam body, and directly or directly stack-up the stack base 10 to the follower body. Indirect coupling may allow movement in a U or lower half circle.

Separation membranes are further stacked by the movement of FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (c), and after reaching the position of FIG. 9 (c), when the remaining pole plates of the two kinds of pole plates are stacked on the separator, the wave of the stack gripper 30a The branch 31a grips the electrode plate and the separator thereunder, and then moves along the U-shaped or lower half-circular trajectory in the opposite direction, that is, in the state of (a) through (b) in FIG. 9 (c).

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a movement of the stack base 10 shown in FIG. 9. Referring to (a) of FIG. 10, a process of moving the stack base 10 from a right side to a left side in a U-shaped or lower half-circular trajectory is shown in one drawing. The important point here is that the membrane S is not fed back during the movement of this lower half circle trajectory. In other words, the portion of the separation membrane 3 corresponding to the length from the roller (hereinafter referred to as 'end roller') located at the lower end of the guide rollers 12 to the portion gripped by the gripping portion 21a is L1-L2-. It gradually increases to L3-L4. In this way, since the separator is continuously unwound without being wound in the reverse direction, the path where the membrane is unwound or the membrane roll is kept constant without shaking, and there is no need to rearrange the positions of the separator. Thus, the stack base 10 can be continuously moved without waiting for realignment, and the moving speed can be increased to the maximum performance of the equipment.

Additional configurations may be added to further increase the stability of such semi-circular or U-shaped movement of the stack base. For example, if a powder clutch (not shown) employed to maintain the tension of the separator is malfunctioning, the separator may not loosen or even run back at the desired speed. In order to prevent the risk of unexpected malfunction including this, or in case the progress of the membrane is not performed as desired by other factors, a sensor for detecting the progress direction and / or speed of the membrane (not shown) Can be installed). Such sensors may be installed near the end rollers or in other suitable locations. By feeding back the detection result by the sensor to the control unit for controlling the operation of the actuator 46 and the horizontal movement mechanism 50, it will be possible to control the separation membrane to proceed in the desired direction and speed. It is also possible to monitor the progress of the separator in a manner other than the sensor, for example, by sensing the rotational direction and speed of the guide roller 12 including the end roller or a separate roller. Based on this monitoring information, the movement speed of the stack base may be adjusted, thereby preventing the feedback of the separator and releasing the separator at a desired speed.

Similarly, in (b), which shows the movement of the lower semicircular trajectory of the stack base 10 in the opposite direction to that in FIG. 10 (a), the separation membrane S portion is similar to L1'-L2 'during the stack base 10 movement. It gradually increases to -L3'-L4 '.

In FIG. 11, (a) sequentially illustrates a movement path of a stack base moving horizontally, and (b) sequentially compares a movement path of a stack base moving in a U shape or a lower half circle according to the present invention. It is shown. Looking at (b) showing the movement path of the stack base according to the present invention, the pole plate (E1) was laminated from the step (1) to step (2) and the holding portion 21a gripping the pole plate (E1). Then, from step (3) to step (5), the stack base 10 was moved in a semicircle or U shape, and in step 6, another pole plate E2 was stacked and the grip portion 31a moved the pole plate E2. Gripped.

Comparing the movement path (b) with the horizontal movement path (a), in the step (3) to step (5), the movement path (b) to the separation membrane (S) by the gripper 21a compared to (a) It can be seen that less force is applied. Comparing step (4), in the movement path (a), the force by the holding part 21a is transmitted to the separation membrane as a whole in the acceleration direction (that is, the left side), whereas in the movement path (b), the acceleration direction (I.e., the upper left), the force by the gripping portion 21a is only partially transmitted to the separation membrane 3, and furthermore, comparing the step 5, in the movement path a, the acceleration direction is left, so The blade portion of the branch portion 21a exerts a force on the narrow region of the separation membrane S, whereas the acceleration direction is upward in the movement path b, so that the surface portion of the holding portion 21a is relatively wider than the separation membrane S. Force on the area.

Therefore, the risk of damage to the separation membrane (S) is significantly lowered by employing the semi-circular or U-shaped movement of the stack base according to the present invention.

As described above, according to the stack manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to move the electrode plate more quickly, and the lamination speed of the electrode plate can be maximized. This may bring a dramatic productivity improvement in the field of manufacturing secondary batteries.

In the above, the method and apparatus for stacking a pole plate of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and any person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the spirit and spirit of the present invention as claimed in the claims may have various modifications and Modifications may be made.

10: stack base
20a, 20b, 30a, 30b: stack gripper
21a, 21b, 31a, 31b: holding part
E1, E2: Plate
S: separator
30: shock absorber
35, 36: positioning block

Claims (19)

In the electrode plate stacking method of a rectangular secondary battery in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are alternately supplied on the stack base, but a separator is supplied between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate,
The stack base reciprocates between a positive plate supply position and a negative plate supply position,
Four stack grippers arranged adjacent to the edge of the electrode plate supplied on the stack base and reciprocating with the stack base, each stack gripper having a swing-enabled gripper,
The four stack grippers are operated in pairs and in pairs,
A pole plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by a pair of gripping portions provided on a pair of stack grippers positioned at a leading end of the four stack grippers in a subsequent movement direction of the stack base,
Sequentially,
When the second pole plate is supplied over the first gripper pair in a state in which the first pole plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by the first gripper pair, the second pole plate is gripped by the second gripper pair, and the Retracting a first pair of grippers away from the stack base;
Swinging up the first pair of grip portions;
A third step of advancing the first pair of grippers toward the stack base; And
A fourth step of swinging down the first pair of grip portions to hold a third electrode plate supplied on the stack base;
Including,
The third step may be completed before the third electrode plate is supplied onto the stack base.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. delete The method of claim 1,
At least some of the second to fourth steps may begin before completion of the previous step.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. The method of claim 1,
The second step and the third step can be performed at the same time
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. The method of claim 1,
At least some of the first to third steps may be performed simultaneously with the reciprocating motion of the stack base.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. The method of claim 1,
Each of the four stack grippers has a shock absorber, the shock absorber is arranged at a position to be in contact with the gripper during the swing-down operation of the gripper, and is contracted when the gripper swings down.
Immediately before the gripper is retracted away from the stack base, the shock absorber is relaxed to lift the gripper.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. The method of claim 1,
Subsequent to the fourth step, sequentially
Retracting the second pair of grippers away from the stack base;
Swinging up the second pair of grip portions;
A seventh step of advancing the second pair of grip portions toward the stack base; And
An eighth step of swinging down the second pair of holding portions to hold a fourth electrode plate supplied on the stack base;
More,
The seventh step may be completed before the fourth electrode plate is supplied onto the stack base.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. The method of claim 7, wherein
The first to eighth steps are performed during one round trip of the stack base
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. The method of claim 1,
A moving means for moving said stack base,
The moving means may move the stack base to a U-shaped trajectory.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. The method of claim 1,
A moving means for moving said stack base,
The moving means may move the stack base to a lower half circle type trajectory.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. In the electrode plate stacking method of a rectangular secondary battery in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are alternately supplied on the stack base, but a separator is supplied between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate,
Four stack grippers arranged to be adjacent to an edge of the electrode plate supplied on the stack base, each stack gripper having a gripper capable of swinging;
The four stack grippers are operated in pairs and in pairs,
The electrode plate supplied on the stack base is held by a pair of holding parts,
Sequentially,
In a state in which the first electrode plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by the first gripper pair, the second electrode plate is gripped by the second gripper pair when the second electrode plate is supplied over the first gripper pair, Retracting a first pair of grippers away from the stack base;
Swinging up the first pair of grip portions;
A third step of advancing the first pair of grippers toward the stack base; And
A fourth step of swinging down the first pair of grip portions to hold a third electrode plate supplied on the stack base;
Including,
The third step may be completed before the third electrode plate is supplied onto the stack base.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. In the electrode plate stacking device of a rectangular secondary battery in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are alternately supplied on the stack base, but a separator is supplied between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate,
The stack base reciprocates between a positive plate supply position and a negative plate supply position,
Four stack grippers arranged adjacent to the edge of the electrode plate supplied on the stack base and reciprocating with the stack base, each stack gripper having a swing-enabled gripper,
The four stack grippers are operated in pairs and in pairs,
A pole plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by a pair of gripping portions provided on a pair of stack grippers positioned at a leading end of the four stack grippers in a subsequent movement direction of the stack base,
A forward and backward actuator for advancing or retracting the stack gripper, and a swing actuator for swinging up or swinging down the grip portion,
The electrode plate laminating apparatus is sequentially
When the second pole plate is supplied over the first gripper pair in a state where the first pole plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by the first gripper pair, the second pole plate is gripped by the second gripper pair, Retracting a first pair of grippers away from the stack base;
Swinging up the first pair of grip portions;
A third step of advancing the first pair of grippers toward the stack base; And
A fourth step of swinging down the first pair of grip portions to hold a third electrode plate supplied on the stack base;
Works with,
The third step may be completed before the third electrode plate is supplied onto the stack base.
A pole plate laminating device for a square secondary battery. The method of claim 12,
Each of the four stack grippers has a shock absorber,
The shock absorber is to be pressed and contracted when the swing actuator swing-down the gripping portion, and when the swing actuator is deactivated to relax and to lift the gripping portion
A pole plate laminating device for a square secondary battery. The method of claim 12,
A moving means for moving said stack base,
Wherein the moving means is capable of moving the stack base to the U-shaped trajectory
A pole plate laminating device for a square secondary battery. The method of claim 12,
A moving means for moving said stack base,
Wherein the moving means is capable of moving the stack base to the lower half circular trajectory
A pole plate laminating device for a square secondary battery. In the electrode plate stacking device of a rectangular secondary battery in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are alternately supplied on the stack base, but a separator is supplied between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate,
Four stack grippers arranged to be adjacent to an edge of the electrode plate supplied on the stack base, each stack gripper having a gripper capable of swinging;
The four stack grippers are operated in pairs and in pairs,
The electrode plate supplied on the stack base is held by a pair of holding parts,
A forward and backward actuator for advancing or retracting the stack gripper, and a swing actuator for swinging up or swinging down the grip portion,
The electrode plate laminating apparatus is sequentially
When the second pole plate is supplied over the first gripper pair in a state where the first pole plate supplied on the stack base is gripped by the first gripper pair, the second pole plate is gripped by the second gripper pair, Retracting a first pair of grippers away from the stack base;
Swinging up the first pair of grip portions;
A third step of advancing the first pair of grippers toward the stack base; And
A fourth step of swinging down the first pair of grip portions to hold a third electrode plate supplied on the stack base;
Works with,
The third step may be completed before the third electrode plate is supplied onto the stack base.
A pole plate laminating device for a square secondary battery. The method of claim 16,
Each of the four stack grippers has a shock absorber,
The shock absorber is to be pressed and contracted when the swing actuator swing-down the gripping portion, and when the swing actuator is deactivated to relax and to lift the gripping portion
A pole plate laminating device for a square secondary battery. The method of claim 6,
Each of the four stack grippers further includes a positioning block, the positioning block allowing the gripping portion to be level when holding the pole plate.
Stacking method of pole plate of square secondary battery. The method of claim 17,
Each of the four stack grippers further includes a positioning block, the positioning block allowing the gripping portion to be level when holding the pole plate.
A pole plate laminating device for a square secondary battery.

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