KR20180114380A - Electrode Coating Apparatus Comprising Coating-Roll Assembly Capable of Modifying Form thereof Depending on Desired Coating Area - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a slurry supply unit which accommodates electrode slurry; a coating-roll assembly for coating the electrode slurry on a metal sheet in a thermal imaging type while rotating the electrode slurry contained in the slurry supply unit around a shaft when the electrode slurry is stained on the surface of the coating-roll assembly; and a guide roll for guiding movement of the metal sheet while being rotated about the shaft in close contact with the metal sheet so that an uncoated portion of the metal sheet is continuously adjacent to the coating-roll assembly. The coating-roll assembly is structured so that two or more unit-rolls are mounted on the shaft in a separable form, and the unit-rolls rotate about the shaft.

Description

[0001] Electrode Coating Apparatus Comprising Coating-Roll Assembly Capable of Modifying Form Depending on Desired Coating Area [0002]

The present invention relates to an electrode coating apparatus comprising a coating-roll assembly capable of changing the shape according to a desired coating area.

BACKGROUND ART [0002] As technology development and demand for mobile devices have increased, the demand for secondary batteries as energy sources has been rapidly increasing. Such secondary batteries generally include a battery case and an electrode assembly that is contained in the battery case in a state impregnated with the electrolyte .

The electrode assembly contained in the battery case is a chargeable / dischargeable power generation device having a laminated structure of a positive electrode / separator / negative electrode. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are respectively connected to a current collector made of aluminum (Al) foil and copper And a negative electrode slurry is applied and dried.

The coating process includes a slot die coating method in which an electrode slurry is discharged onto a current collector by using a slot die, a method in which a rotating roll with electrode slurry is rotated Coating method.

In the schematic structure of the coating apparatus 10 for coating a roll coating system, as shown in FIG. 1, a rotary roll 11 on which an electrode slurry is placed is rotated, and a current collector is brought into close contact with the rotary roll 11 And the electrode slurry deposited on the rotary roll 11 while being transferred is transferred to the current collector.

However, since the roll coating apparatus transfers the electrode slurry using a single rotating roll, the transfer area of the electrode slurry can not be changed, and it is impossible to manufacture electrodes of various sizes.

Further, in the apparatus using only the single rotating roll, the electrode slurry can not be transferred so as to form a constant pattern on the current collector, so that the shape of the electrode can not be also variously produced.

Therefore, there is a need for a new coating apparatus capable of solving these technical problems at once.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and the technical problems required from the past.

Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure in which two or more unit-rolls are mounted on a shaft so that the shape and area of the electrode slurry can be flexibly adjusted according to the shape and size of a desired electrode, And a coating-roll assembly capable of freely deforming the coating-roll assembly.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrode coating apparatus comprising:

An apparatus for coating an electrode slurry containing an electrode active material on a conductive metal sheet,

A slurry supply unit for containing the electrode slurry;

A coating-roll assembly for coating the electrode slurry transferred onto the metal sheet while rotating around the shaft while the electrode slurry contained in the slurry supply unit is placed on the surface; And

A guide roll for guiding the movement of the metal sheet while being rotated about the shaft in close contact with the metal sheet so that the uncoated portion of the metal sheet is continuously adjacent to the coating-roll assembly;

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The coating-roll assembly is characterized in that two or more unit-rolls are mounted on a shaft in a separable form, and the unit-rolls are configured to rotate around an axis.

The advantage of such a structure is that it is a coating-roll assembly capable of combining unit-rolls, in particular by adjusting the arrangement and number of unit-rolls in the coating-roll assembly so that the transfer form and area of the electrode slurry can be adjusted, It is versatile that can be used in the coating process of electrodes of different shapes and sizes.

Another advantage is that maintenance can be advantageous compared to a coating apparatus using a single rotating roll, since worn or broken unit-rolls can be replaced.

Further advantages based on the specific structure of the electrode coating apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below through non-limiting examples.

In one specific example,

A third axis for adjusting the distance to any one unit-roll through at least one motion selected from forward, backward, up and down, and a roller pivoting together with the third axis.

The coating-roll assembly comprises:

A first shaft pivotally rotating in a direction opposite to or in the same direction as the guide roll; And

And n (n > = 2) unit-rolls that are densely packed in the first axis,

Each of the unit-rolls may be coated with the electrode slurry at different portions of the adjacent metal sheet in a state where the electrode slurry is placed on each of the unit-rolls.

Thus, the coating-roll assembly is configured such that each of the unit-rolls is configured to coat the metal sheet, and if the unit-rolls are arranged on the first axis so as to be spaced apart, The pattern can be formed on the metal sheet while the process is performed in the form of an uncoated region without the coating of the electrode slurry.

On the contrary, when the unit-rolls are separated by a certain distance in consideration of the coating thickness of the electrode slurry, the metal sheet portion located between the unit-rolls and the metal sheet portion facing each unit- May be coated.

Specifically, each of the n unit-rolls is mounted on the first shaft in a form spaced from the adjacent unit-roll by a distance of from 0.1 millimeter to 5 millimeters, thereby forming a gap on the first axis;

The portion of the metal sheet facing the gap can be coated in such a way that a part of the electrode slurry impregnated from the unit-roll is spread by the pressure of the unit-roll.

In general, the coating thickness of the electrode slurry at the electrode can range from a few micrometers to several millimeters, and this relatively thin thickness can be achieved satisfactorily by the phenomenon that a small electrode slurry is sparged with pressure.

Therefore, in the present invention, the unit-rolls can be spaced apart so that the electrode slurry is coated with a uniform thickness on the metal sheet due to the spreading of the electrode slurry into the gap, and the spacing is such that the electrode slurry has a uniform thickness As shown in Fig.

Specifically, when the distance of the gap is less than 0.1 millimeters, the electrode slurry is formed thick on the gap irrespective of the coating thickness of the electrode slurry. This is because the electrode slurry has a large amount of sputtering, .

If the distance of the gap is more than 5 mm and the coating thickness of the electrode slurry is to be coated relatively thick, the electrode slurry is thinly formed on the gap, and the amount of the electrode slurry is small, It is due to the fact that it does not spread enough.

Alternatively, if the distance of the gap is more than 5 millimeters and the coating thickness of the electrode slurry is to be coated relatively thin, the electrode slurry may hardly be formed on the gap and an unfilled portion may be formed, , And the electrode slurry hardly spreads in a wide space of the gap.

Within this gap range, the thickness of the electrode may be between 10 micrometers and 100 micrometers.

Of course, in the case where a uniform coating of the electrode slurry is not taken into consideration, for example, in the case of forming a pattern such as an uncoated portion in which the electrode slurry is not applied to the portion of the metal sheet corresponding to the gap or a thin coating thickness, It is also possible to arrange unit-rolls out of range.

In the present invention, the unit-rolls may all be in the shape of a cylinder having the same diameter and pivotally rotate together with the first axis at the same rotation speed.

The unit-rolls may be provided with a heating means for heating the slurry to a predetermined temperature so as to facilitate the fixing of the slurry on the sheet upon transferring the electrode slurry. The heating means may be a heating member such as a hot wire, It can be located inside the roll.

The surface of the unit-rolls may have a fine concavo-convex structure on the surface so that the electrode slurry is well smoothed. In some cases, the surface of the unit-rolls may be coated with titanium or a carbonaceous material for preventing wear.

The coating-roll assembly may also be configured such that in a state in which the unit-rolls are arranged in the first axis in the order of the first unit-roll to the n-th unit-roll,

At least one unit-roll can be deformed in its transfer form while being separated from the first axis.

Here, at least one of n-1 unit-rolls except for the first unit-roll can be adjusted in the form that its transfer form is separated from the first axis in the order of the n-th unit-roll to the second unit-roll have.

Alternatively, the transfer form of the unit-rolls may be adjusted so that the odd-numbered or even-numbered unit-rolls are separated from the first axis.

In one specific example, the first shaft is arranged to control the coating thickness of the electrode slurry, by means of at least one movement selected from forward, backward, up and down relative to the rotational axis of the guide roll, The spacing with the assembly may be set to 90% to 110% of the coating thickness.

Meanwhile, the electrode coating apparatus according to the present invention may further include an adjustment roll pivotally rotating at a predetermined position.

The adjustment roll specifically includes a second axis for adjusting the distance to one unit-roll through at least one motion selected from forward, backward, up and down relative to the first axis, A roller that pivots together, and the distance may be 90% to 100% of the coating thickness.

In one specific example of the adjustment roll,

The electrode slurry remaining on the unit-roll surface may be flattened to a predetermined thickness when the unit-rolls from which adhesion of the electrode slurry to the metal sheet is released immediately after the transfer reaches the predetermined position.

Since the electrode slurries remaining in the unit-rolls are not uniform in thickness, when the unit-rolls arrive at the slurry feeder and then receive the electrode slurry, the electrode slurry is unevenly caused to be imbedded in unit-rolls, The electrode slurry transferred from the unit-roll can be transferred unevenly to the metal sheet in a state where the electrode slurry is unevenly smoothed.

Thus, the adjustment roll can eliminate the problem by flattening the electrode slurry remaining in the unit-rolls.

In another specific example of the adjustment roll,

The slurry can be configured to flatten the slurry of the electrode-slurry on the unit-roll surface to a predetermined thickness before the unit-rolls loaded with the slurry from the slurry supply unit reach the metal sheet.

Since the adjustment roll having the above structure flattens the thickness of the electrode slurry on the unit-roll uniformly before the electrode slurry is transferred to the metal sheet, the electrode slurry is uniformly formed on the metal sheet Thickness.

The predetermined position may be between the slurry supply unit and the guide roll or between the guide roll and the slurry supply unit based on the rotating direction of the coating-roll assembly.

As the rotating speed of the adjusting roll is higher, the thickness of the electrode slurry on the unit-roll becomes thinner and the thickness of the electrode slurry on the unit-roll becomes thicker as the rotating speed of the adjusting roll becomes slower.

However, when the rotation speed of the adjustment roll is excessively slower or faster than the rotation speed of the unit-roll, the electrode slurry on the unit-roll is repeatedly formed And as a result, a non-uniform coating process of the electrode slurry can be performed.

In consideration of this, in the present invention, the rotation speed of the adjustment roll can be set to a range of 80% to 120% of the rotation speed of the coating roll, and the rotation speed of the adjustment roll can be variably adjusted within the range.

The present invention also provides a method for coating an electrode slurry on a conductive metal sheet using an electrode coating apparatus.

Specifically,

Separating or mounting the unit-rolls on the first axis such that the total length of unit-rolls arranged in the coating-roll assembly is between 30% and 90% of the width of the metal sheet;

Loading the metal sheet while rotating the coating-roll assembly, the guide roll, and the adjusting roll, and applying the electrode slurry to each unit-roll of the coating-roll assembly; And

The process in which the electrode slurry of the unit-roll is transferred to the surface of the metal sheet while the metal sheet moved by the guide roll is adjacent to the unit-rolls of the coating-roll assembly;

And a control unit.

The method may further include the step of flattening the electrode slurry on the unit-roll through the adjustment roller to a predetermined thickness.

At this time, the thickness of the electrode slurry coated on the metal sheet can be adjusted by advancing, reversing, raising and / or lowering at least one of the coating-roll assembly, the guide roll and the adjustment roll.

The present invention also provides an electrode manufactured by the electrode coating apparatus and a battery cell including the electrode.

The electrode may be a positive electrode or a negative electrode. The battery cell may be a lithium-ion secondary battery, a lithium polymer secondary battery, or a lithium-ion secondary battery having advantages of high energy density, discharge voltage, A lithium secondary battery such as a lithium-ion polymer secondary battery, or the like.

The positive electrode is prepared, for example, by coating a mixture of a positive electrode active material, a conductive material and a binder on a positive electrode current collector, and then drying the mixture. Optionally, a filler may be further added to the mixture.

The cathode current collector is generally made to have a thickness of 3 to 500 micrometers. The positive electrode current collector and the elongate current collector are not particularly limited as long as they have high conductivity without causing a chemical change in the battery, and examples thereof include stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, A surface treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, or silver on the surface of stainless steel may be used. The anode current collector and the elongate current collector may have various shapes such as a film, a sheet, a foil, a net, a porous body, a foam, a nonwoven fabric, or the like by forming fine irregularities on the surface thereof to increase the adhesive force of the cathode active material.

The cathode active material may be a layered compound such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO ₂ ), lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO ₂ ), or a compound substituted with one or more transition metals; Lithium manganese oxides such as Li _{1 + x} Mn _{2 -x} O ₄ (where x is 0 to 0.33), LiMnO ₃ , LiMn ₂ O ₃ , LiMnO ₂ and the like; Lithium copper oxide (Li ₂ CuO ₂ ); Vanadium oxides such as LiV ₃ O ₈ , LiFe ₃ O ₄ , V ₂ O ₅ and Cu ₂ V ₂ O ₇ ; A Ni-site type lithium nickel oxide expressed by the formula LiNi _1-x M _x O ₂ (where M = Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B or Ga and x = 0.01 to 0.3); Formula _{LiMn 2-x M x O 2} ( where, M = Co, Ni, Fe , Cr, and Zn, or Ta, x = 0.01 ~ 0.1 Im) or Li ₂ Mn ₃ MO ₈ (where, M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn); LiMn ₂ O _{4 in} which a part of Li in the formula is substituted with an alkaline earth metal ion; Disulfide compounds; Fe ₂ (MoO ₄ ) ₃ , and the like. However, the present invention is not limited to these.

The conductive material is usually added in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the mixture including the cathode active material. Such a conductive material is not particularly limited as long as it has electrical conductivity without causing chemical changes in the battery, for example, graphite such as natural graphite or artificial graphite; Carbon black such as carbon black, acetylene black, ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and summer black; Conductive fibers such as carbon fiber and metal fiber; Metal powders such as carbon fluoride, aluminum, and nickel powder; Conductive whiskey such as zinc oxide and potassium titanate; Conductive metal oxides such as titanium oxide; Conductive materials such as polyphenylene derivatives and the like can be used.

The binder is a component which assists in bonding of the active material and the conductive material and bonding to the current collector, and is usually added in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the mixture containing the cathode active material. Examples of such binders include polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), starch, hydroxypropylcellulose, regenerated cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, tetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene , Polypropylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), sulfonated EPDM, styrene butylene rubber, fluorine rubber, various copolymers and the like.

The filler is optionally used as a component for suppressing the expansion of the anode, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a fibrous material without causing a chemical change in the battery. Examples of the filler include olefin polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene; Fibrous materials such as glass fibers and carbon fibers are used.

The negative electrode is manufactured by applying and drying a negative electrode active material on a negative electrode collector, and if necessary, the above-described components may be selectively included.

The negative electrode collector is generally made to have a thickness of 3 to 500 micrometers. Such an anode current collector is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity without causing chemical change in the battery, and may be formed of a material such as copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, fired carbon, surface of copper or stainless steel A surface treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver or the like, an aluminum-cadmium alloy, or the like can be used. In addition, like the positive electrode collector, fine unevenness can be formed on the surface to enhance the bonding force of the negative electrode active material, and it can be used in various forms such as films, sheets, foils, nets, porous bodies, foams and nonwoven fabrics.

Examples of the negative electrode active material include carbon such as non-graphitized carbon and graphite carbon; _{Li x Fe 2 O 3 (0≤x≤1} ), Li x WO 2 (0≤x≤1), Sn x Me 1-x Me 'y O z (Me: Mn, Fe, Pb, Ge; Me' : Metal complex oxides such as Al, B, P, Si, Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 elements of the periodic table, Halogen, 0 < x &lt; Lithium metal; Lithium alloy; Silicon-based alloys; Tin alloy; _{SnO, SnO 2, PbO, PbO} 2, Pb 2 O 3, Pb 3 O 4, Sb 2 O 3, Sb 2 O 4, Sb 2 O 5, GeO, GeO 2, Bi 2 O 3, Bi 2 O 4, and Bi ₂ O ₅ ; Conductive polymers such as polyacetylene; Li-Co-Ni-based materials and the like can be used.

The separation membrane is interposed between the anode and the cathode, and an insulating thin film having high ion permeability and mechanical strength is used. The pore diameter of the membrane is generally 0.01 to 10 micrometers, and the thickness is generally 5 to 300 micrometers. Such separation membranes include, for example, olefinic polymers such as polypropylene, which are chemically resistant and hydrophobic; A sheet or nonwoven fabric made of glass fiber, polyethylene or the like is used. When a solid electrolyte such as a polymer is used as an electrolyte, the solid electrolyte may also serve as a separation membrane.

The electrolytic solution may be a non-aqueous electrolytic solution containing a lithium salt, and is composed of a non-aqueous electrolytic solution and a lithium salt. As the non-aqueous electrolyte, non-aqueous organic solvents, organic solid electrolytes, inorganic solid electrolytes, and the like are used, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Examples of the non-aqueous organic solvent include N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, gamma -Butyrolactone, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, tetrahydroxyfuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, dimethylsulfoxide, 1,3-dioxolane, formamide, dimethylformamide, dioxolane , Acetonitrile, nitromethane, methyl formate, methyl acetate, triester phosphate, trimethoxymethane, dioxolane derivatives, sulfolane, methylsulfolane, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, propylene carbonate Nonionic organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran derivatives, ethers, methyl pyrophosphate, ethyl propionate and the like can be used.

Examples of the organic solid electrolyte include a polymer electrolyte such as a polyethylene derivative, a polyethylene oxide derivative, a polypropylene oxide derivative, a phosphate ester polymer, an agitation lysine, a polyester sulfide, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyvinylidene fluoride, Polymers containing ionic dissociation groups, and the like can be used.

Examples of the inorganic solid electrolyte include Li ₃ N, LiI, Li ₅ NI ₂ , Li ₃ N-LiI-LiOH, LiSiO ₄ , LiSiO ₄ -LiI-LiOH, Li ₂ SiS ₃ , Li ₄ SiO ₄ , Nitrides, halides and sulfates of Li such as Li ₄ SiO ₄ -LiI-LiOH and Li ₃ PO ₄ -Li ₂ S-SiS ₂ can be used.

The lithium salt is a material that is readily soluble in the non-aqueous electrolyte, for example, LiCl, LiBr, LiI, LiClO 4, LiBF 4, LiB 10 Cl 10, LiPF 6, LiCF 3 SO 3, LiCF 3 CO 2, LiAsF _{6, LiSbF 6, LiAlCl 4,} CH 3 SO 3 Li, CF 3 SO 3 Li, (CF 3 SO 2) 2 NLi, chloroborane lithium, lower aliphatic carboxylic acid lithium, lithium tetraphenyl borate and imide have.

For the purpose of improving the charge-discharge characteristics and the flame retardancy, the nonaqueous electrolytic solution is preferably a solution prepared by dissolving or dispersing in a solvent such as pyridine, triethylphosphite, triethanolamine, cyclic ether, ethylenediamine, glyme, hexaphosphoric triamide, N, N-substituted imidazolidine, ethylene glycol dialkyl ether, ammonium salt, pyrrole, 2-methoxyethanol, aluminum trichloride and the like may be added have. In some cases, halogen-containing solvents such as carbon tetrachloride and ethylene trifluoride may be further added to impart nonflammability. In order to improve the high-temperature storage characteristics, carbon dioxide gas may be further added. FEC (Fluoro-Ethylene Carbonate, PRS (Propene sultone), and the like.

In one specific _{example, LiPF 6, LiClO 4, LiBF} 4, LiN (SO 2 CF 3) 2 , such as a lithium salt, a highly dielectric solvent of DEC, DMC or EMC Fig solvent cyclic carbonate and a low viscosity of the EC or PC of And then adding it to a mixed solvent of linear carbonate to prepare a lithium salt-containing non-aqueous electrolyte.

As described above, the electrode coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a coating-roll assembly capable of combining unit-rolls, and the arrangement and the number of unit-rolls in the coating- The transfer form and the area can be adjusted, and thus, it can be used in the coating process of electrodes having different coating types and sizes.

In addition, since the above structure can replace worn or broken unit-rolls, there is an advantage in that maintenance is advantageous compared with a coating apparatus using a single rotating roll.

1 is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus according to the prior art;
2 to 4 are schematic views of an electrode coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a side schematic view of an electrode coating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings according to embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

2 to 4 are schematic views of an electrode coating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to these figures together, the electrode coating apparatus 100 includes a slurry supply unit 140 that accommodates the electrode slurry 2, an electrode slurry 2 that is contained in the slurry supply unit 140, Roll assembly 110 for coating the electrode slurry 2 in the form of transferring the electrode slurry 2 to the metal sheet 1 while rotating the metal sheet 1 while the uncoated portion of the metal sheet 1 is continuously adjacent to the coating- And a guide roll 130 and an adjusting roll 120 for guiding the movement of the metal sheet 1 while rotating around the shaft in a state of being closely attached to the metal sheet 1. [

The guide roll 130 includes a third shaft 131 and a roller 132 that are movable forward, backward, up and down.

The third axis 131 adjusts the distance of the roller 132 to the coating-roll assembly 110 through the movement of forward, backward, up and down. This can also be done for tensioning the metal sheet 1.

The coating-roll assembly 110 includes a first axis 111 that pivots in a direction opposite to the guide roll 130; And three unit-rolls 112, 114, and 116 that are densely packed in a first axis 111.

The unit rolls 112, 114 and 116 are rollers for coating the electrode slurry 2 on different portions of the adjacent metal sheet 1, with the electrode slurry 2 on each surface .

As such, the coating-roll assembly 110 is configured such that the unit-rolls 112, 114, 116 in a first unit-roll 112 to a third unit- And at least one of them may be separated from the first axis 111 and its transfer shape may be deformed, and conversely, the fourth unit-roll may be mounted.

Accordingly, the electrode coating apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a coating-roll assembly 110 capable of a combination of unit-rolls 112, 114, 116, The shape and area of transfer of the electrode slurry 2 can be adjusted by adjusting the number and arrangement of the rolls 112, 114, and 116, and therefore, the electrode slurry 2 can be used in coating processes of electrodes having different shapes and sizes.

Here, at least one of the unit-rolls 114, 116 except for the first unit-roll 112 is separated from the first axis 111 in the order of the third unit-roll to the second unit-roll Its warrior mode can be adjusted to.

The unit-rolls 112, 114, and 116 are all cylinders of the same diameter and are configured to pivot together with the first axis 111 at the same rotational speed.

The unit rolls 112, 114 and 116 are mounted on the first shaft 111 in such a manner as to be spaced a predetermined distance from the unit roll adjacent to each other, , 116) are spaced apart by a distance (3) on the first axis (111).

In this structure, the unit-rolls 112, 114, 116 each transfer the electrode slurry 2 to the area of the metal sheet 1 facing them, and when transferred, the unit-rolls 112, 114, 116 The electrode slurry 2 can be compressed on the metal sheet 1 by a predetermined thickness.

At this time, the electrode slurry 2 is spread to the portion of the metal sheet 1 facing the gap 3 by the pressure of the unit-roll, and the unit-rolls 112, 114, The electrode slurry 2 is also coated on the portion of the metal sheet 1 not facing the electrode sheet 1.

On the other hand, the unit-rolls 112, 114, 116 of the coating-roll assembly 110 can naturally flood the electrode slurry 2 from the slurry feeder 140 onto these surfaces while rotating the electrode slurry 2 When the unit rolls 112, 114 and 116 further rotate, the electrode slurry 2 is transferred onto the metal sheet 1 moving along the guide roll 130 in the direction opposite to the unit-roll rotation direction .

In this structure, the coating thickness of the electrode slurry 2 can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the guide roll 130 and the unit-rolls 112, 114, 116. For this purpose, Respectively, in at least one of the up, down, left, and right directions.

2 to 4, the adjustment roll 120 adjusts the distance to any one unit-roll through at least one motion selected from forward, reverse, up and down based on the first axis 111 And a roller 121 that pivots together with the second shaft 121. The second shaft 121 rotatably supports the first shaft 121 and the second shaft 121,

The adjustment roll 120 is positioned between the guide roll 130 and the slurry supply unit 140 with reference to the rotation direction of the coating-roll assembly 110, The electrode slurry 2 remaining on the unit-roll surface is flattened to a predetermined thickness when the unit-rolls 112, 114,

5 is a side schematic view of an electrode coating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The electrode coating apparatus 200 according to FIG. 5 includes a first axis 211 in which the coating-roll assembly 210 is pivotally rotated in the same direction as the guide roll 130; And an electrode slurry 2 'supplied from the slurry supply unit 240 is supplied to the unit-rollers 212 and 214. The unit- The control roll 220 is configured to planarize the electrode slurry 2, which has been imbedded in the unit roll, to a predetermined thickness in a state where the control roll 220 fills the surface of each unit 212, 214, and 216.

That is, the adjusting roll 220 is positioned between the slurry supply unit 240 and the guide roll 230, and the unit-rolls 212, 214, and 216, in which the electrode slurry 2 is buried, The electrode slurry 2 'on the unit-roll surface is planarized to a predetermined thickness.

In this structure, the adjustment roll 220 can adjust the coating thickness of the electrode slurry 2 ', which is controlled by the adjustment roll 220 and the unit rolls 212, 214 and 216 of the coating- And the rotation speed of the adjustment roll 120. [0054]

That is, when the second shaft 221 moves and the adjusting roll 220 is moved in the unit-roll direction, the electrode slurry 2 'is flattened thinly on the unit-roll, ') Can be determined based on the thickness of the electrode slurry 2'.

Further, as the rotating speed of the adjusting roll 220 is increased, the electrode slurry 2 'is thinned flatly, and conversely, as the rotating speed is slower, the electrode slurry 2' can be flattened thicker.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims (18)

An apparatus for coating an electrode slurry containing an electrode active material on a conductive metal sheet,
A slurry supply unit for containing the electrode slurry;
A coating-roll assembly for coating the electrode slurry transferred onto the metal sheet while rotating around the shaft while the electrode slurry contained in the slurry supply unit is placed on the surface; And
A guide roll for guiding the movement of the metal sheet while being rotated about the shaft in close contact with the metal sheet so that the uncoated portion of the metal sheet is continuously adjacent to the coating-roll assembly;
Lt; / RTI &gt;
Wherein the coating-roll assembly is constructed such that two or more unit-rolls are mounted on a shaft in a removable form, and the unit-rolls are rotated about an axis. The coating and roll assembly of claim 1,
A first shaft pivotally rotating in a direction opposite to or in the same direction as the guide roll; And
N (n? 2) unit-rolls densely packed in the first axis;
Lt; / RTI &gt;
Wherein each of the unit rolls coats the electrode slurry in different portions of the adjacent metal sheet while the electrode slurry is placed on each of the unit rolls. 3. The method of claim 2,
Each of the n unit-rolls being mounted to the first shaft in a spaced apart distance from the adjacent unit-roll by a distance of from 0.1 millimeter to 5 millimeters, forming a gap on the first axis;
Wherein a portion of the metal sheet facing the gap is coated in such a way that a part of the electrode slurry impregnated from the unit roll is spread by the pressure of the unit-roll. 4. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the unit-rolls are all cylinders of the same diameter and pivotally rotate together with the first axis at the same rotation speed. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first axis comprises at least one of a metal sheet and a coating-roll through at least one movement selected from forward, backward, And an interval between the electrode and the assembly is set. 6. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the gap is 90% to 110% of the coating thickness. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electrode coating apparatus further comprises an adjustment roll pivotally rotating at a predetermined position. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7,
Wherein the electrode slurry remaining on the unit-roll surface is flattened to a predetermined thickness when the unit-rolls whose adhesion from the metal sheet is released immediately after the transfer of the electrode slurry reaches the predetermined position. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7,
Wherein the electrode slurry deposited on the unit-roll surface is planarized to a predetermined thickness before the unit-rolls having the electrode slurry deposited thereon from the slurry supply unit reach the metal sheet. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7,
A second shaft for adjusting the distance to any one of the unit-rolls through at least one motion selected from forward, backward, up and down based on the first axis, and a roller pivotally rotating with the second shaft Wherein the electrode coating is performed by using the electrode coating apparatus. 11. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the distance is 90% to 100% of the coating thickness. 8. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined position is between the slurry supply unit and the guide roll or between the guide roll and the slurry supply unit based on the rotation direction of the coating-roll assembly. 8. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotating speed of the adjusting roll can be variably adjusted within a range of 80% to 120% of the rotating speed of the coating roll. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the coating-roll assembly comprises a plurality of unit-rolls arranged in a first axis,
Wherein at least one unit-roll is detachable from the first axis and its transfer shape can be deformed. 2. The apparatus of claim 1,
A third shaft for adjusting a distance to any one of the unit-rolls through at least one motion selected from forward, backward, up and down, and a roller pivoted together with the third shaft. Electrode coating apparatus. 16. A method of coating an electrode slurry on a conductive metal sheet using the electrode coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15,
Separating or mounting the unit-rolls on the first axis such that the total length of unit-rolls arranged in the coating-roll assembly is between 30% and 90% of the width of the metal sheet;
Loading the metal sheet while rotating the coating-roll assembly, the guide roll, and the adjusting roll, and applying the electrode slurry to each unit-roll of the coating-roll assembly; And
The process in which the electrode slurry of the unit-roll is transferred to the surface of the metal sheet while the metal sheet moved by the guide roll is adjacent to the unit-rolls of the coating-roll assembly;
&Lt; / RTI &gt; 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of planarizing the electrode slurry deposited on the unit-roll through the adjustment roller to a predetermined thickness. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the thickness of the electrode slurry coated on the metal sheet is adjusted by advancing, reversing, raising and / or lowering at least one of the coating-roll assembly, the guide roll and the adjustment roll.

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