KR20220101886A - System for producing electrodes of battery - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a secondary battery electrode production system for producing a secondary battery electrode including a notching unit for forming an electrode tab of an electrode by notching an electrode material, wherein the notching unit includes a laser unit for irradiating a laser beam to the electrode material along a notching line and a pusher unit disposed on the upper side of the electrode material, the pusher unit includes a pusher coming in contact with the electrode material, and the pusher fixes the electrode material by coming in contact with the region of the electrode material except for the notching line during notching, and fixes a coated unit and an uncoated unit of the electrode material together.

Description

Electrode production system for secondary batteries {SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING ELECTRODES OF BATTERY}

The present invention relates to an electrode production system for secondary batteries.

In general, a chemical battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, and refers to a battery that generates electrical energy using a chemical reaction, which is a disposable primary battery and a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged repeatedly. can be divided into

Due to the advantage of being able to charge and discharge, the use of secondary batteries is gradually increasing. Among such secondary batteries, since the lithium secondary battery has a high energy density per unit weight, it is widely used as a power source for electronic communication devices or a high-output hybrid vehicle.

An electrode used in such a secondary battery is used as a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the battery and is used to electrically connect the battery and the outside of the battery.

The electrode is formed through a notching process and a cutting process. The notching process is a process of forming an electrode tab on an electrode material. The cutting process is a process of cutting the electrode material on which the electrode tab is formed to a predetermined length and producing a single electrode.

The notching part for performing the notching process includes a mold upper plate and a mold lower plate including a punching member. As the upper plate and lower plate of the mold move, the electrode material is punched to form an electrode tab. However, the notched part has a problem in that the maintenance cost of the mold is high. In addition, if the notching process is repeated to some extent, there is a problem in that the mold or the punching member must be replaced.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0089803 (published on Aug. 5, 2015)

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrode production system for a secondary battery including a notched part that does not use a mold.

In an embodiment, in an electrode production system for a secondary battery for producing an electrode for a secondary battery including a notched part for notching an electrode material to form an electrode tab of the electrode, the notching part is the electrode along the notching line A laser unit for irradiating a laser to the material, and a pusher unit disposed on the upper side of the electrode material, wherein the pusher unit includes a pusher contacting the electrode material, and the pusher is the electrode except for the notching line during notching. It is possible to provide an electrode production system for a secondary battery in which the electrode material is fixed in contact with the material region, and the coated portion and the uncoated portion of the electrode material are fixed together.

Preferably, it may further include a cutting unit for cutting the electrode material notched by the laser unit through a knife to form a sheet electrode.

Preferably, the notching line includes a front notching line starting from a front edge of the electrode material to form the electrode tab, and a rear notching line starting from a rear edge of the electrode material, wherein the electrode material comprises the A first region and a second region in contact with the pusher may be included, and the first region and the second region may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the electrode material.

Preferably, the first region may be disposed to be spaced apart from the front notch line, and the second region may be disposed to be spaced apart from the rear notch line.

Preferably, the pusher unit includes a driving unit for reciprocating the pusher in a vertical direction, wherein the pusher includes a first pusher and a second pusher, and the first pusher and the second pusher are in the front-rear direction. Spaced apart, the first pusher may press the coated portion and the uncoated portion together, and the second pusher may press only the coated portion.

Preferably, it further includes the pusher unit and an air blower, the pusher may include an air nozzle connected to the air blower, and an outlet of the air nozzle may be disposed toward the notch line.

Preferably, the pusher may include a lower block in contact with the electrode material and an upper block coupled to the lower block, and the air nozzle may be a gap between the lower block and the upper block.

Preferably, the lower block includes a first surface forming the air nozzle, the upper block includes a second surface forming the air nozzle, the first surface and the second surface are each It may include an inclined surface formed toward the exit.

Preferably, the notching part further includes a suction part including a suction hood, and the suction hood is disposed adjacent to the notched electrode material, and the suction part is to be removed by shunting the scrap of the electrode material during notching. can

Preferably, the length of the pusher may be greater than the length of the sheet electrode on which the electrode tab is formed.

Preferably, the driving unit is coupled to a motor, a shaft connected to the motor and rotating, a pusher rod coupled to the shaft to be reciprocally movable in a vertical direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft, and the pusher rod, , it may include a holder to which the pusher is coupled.

Preferably, the driving unit may include an elastic member disposed between the holder and the pusher to provide a restoring force in the height direction.

Preferably, the pusher may be in contact with the electrode material while the transfer of the electrode material is stopped.

According to an embodiment, instead of the mold, the notching is performed through a laser, thereby providing an advantageous effect of using the notched part almost permanently, except for replacing the consumable part.

According to an embodiment, after notching, in the cutting process, the electrode material is cut through a knife, thereby providing an advantageous effect of increasing the production rate of the electrode.

According to the embodiment, through the pusher for fixing the coated portion and the uncoated portion of the electrode together, the electrode is brought into close contact with the base in the notching line, thereby providing an advantageous effect of increasing the quality of the notching.

According to the embodiment, by arranging the air nozzle on the pusher, after notching, it provides an advantageous effect of easily separating the scrap from the electrode material.

According to the embodiment, through the suction unit disposed adjacent to the base, it provides an advantageous effect of easily removing the scrap.

1 is a front view showing an electrode production system for a secondary battery according to an embodiment;
2 is a plan view of the electrode material;
3 is a view showing a notched part;
4 is a view showing the notched portion viewed from the transport direction side,
5 is a view showing the notched portion viewed from the front and rear direction,
6 is a perspective view showing a first pusher;
7 is a perspective view showing a second pusher;
8 is a side cross-sectional view of the pusher 210 showing the air nozzle;
9 is a view showing a state in which the scrap is separated from the electrode material through the air nozzle.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the following embodiments can be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited. It is not limited to the following examples. Rather, these examples are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will fully convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art.

The terminology used herein is used to describe specific embodiments, not to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular form may include the plural form unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used herein, “comprise” and/or “comprising” refers to the presence of the recited shapes, numbers, steps, actions, members, elements, and/or groups thereof. and does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other shapes, numbers, movements, members, elements and/or groups. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any one and any combination of one or more of those listed items.

It is to be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. are used herein to describe various members, regions and/or regions, these members, parts, regions, layers, and/or regions should not be limited by these terms. do. These terms do not imply a specific order, upper and lower, or superiority, and are used only to distinguish one member, region or region from another member, region or region. Accordingly, a first member, region, or region described below may refer to a second member, region, or region without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings schematically illustrating embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, variations of the illustrated shape may be expected, for example depending on manufacturing technology and/or tolerances. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the specific shape of the region shown herein, but should include, for example, changes in shape caused by manufacturing.

The electrode production system for secondary batteries is a device for automatically and continuously producing electrodes used in secondary batteries.

1 is a front view showing an electrode production system for a secondary battery according to an embodiment. In the figure, the direction indicated by the x-axis is the longitudinal direction of the electrode production system for secondary batteries, and represents the transfer direction of the electrode material. The direction indicated by the y-axis in the drawing is the front-rear direction of the electrode production system for secondary batteries, the same direction as the width direction of the electrode material, and the direction indicated by the z-axis is the height direction of the electrode production system for secondary batteries.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the electrode production system for a secondary battery according to the embodiment includes an unwinding unit 10 , a capacitor unit 20 , a notching unit 30 , a feeding device 40 , and a cutting unit 50 . , an alignment device and a magazine 60 . An electrode material (S) formed of a strip-shaped metal plate extending horizontally from the unwinding part 10 of the mouth side is supplied. The electrode material (S) is a strip-shaped metal plate extending horizontally and may be formed of copper in the case of producing a negative battery, and may be formed of aluminum in the case of producing a positive battery.

Densor unit 20 guides the electrode material (S) supplied from the unwinding unit (10) to the notching unit (30), and the tension of the electrode material (S) in response to a change in the supply rate of the electrode material (S) adjust the

The notched part 30 forms an electrode tab (Sc in FIG. 2) on the supplied electrode material S.

The feeding device 40 supplies the electrode material S notched in the notched part 30 to the cutting part 50 . The feeding device 40 may pull the electrode material S at different speeds or tensions that are repeated periodically.

The cutting unit 50 cuts the supplied electrode material S to produce a sheet of electrodes.

The alignment device and magazine 60 align and load the sheet of electrodes.

2 is a plan view of the electrode material (S).

Referring to FIG. 2 , the electrode material S may be divided into a coated portion Sa and an uncoated portion Sb. The uncoated portion Sb may be disposed in front and rear of the coated portion Sa, respectively. The uncoated portion Sb disposed in front of the coated portion Sa is cut by the notched portion 30 so that the remaining area is formed as the electrode tab Sc. Notching proceeds along the notch line NL in the electrode material S. The notching line NL may be divided into a front notching line NL1 and a rear notching line NL2 . The front notching line NL1 starts from the front edge of the electrode material S to form an electrode tab Sc. The rear notching line (NL2) starts from the rear edge of the electrode material (S). The front notched line NL1 may include a line bent twice to correspond to the shape of the electrode tab Sc, and the rear notched line NL2 may be a straight line formed in a straight line. The laser is irradiated along the notching line NL.

3 is a view showing the notched part 30 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the notched part 30 irradiates a laser to the electrode material S for notching. The laser has an advantage in that it is possible to precisely process the electrode tab Sc due to its high energy density. The notched part 30 includes a laser part 100 and a pusher part 200 . The laser unit 100 irradiates a laser along the notch line NL to the electrode material S. The pusher unit 200 serves to pressurize and adjust the electrode material (S) during notching.

The laser unit 100 may be disposed on the upper side of the pusher unit 200 to irradiate the laser from the upper side to the lower side. The laser unit 100 may include, in addition to the oscillation device, driving devices for moving the oscillation device in two or three axes. Accordingly, the laser unit 100 may move in the front-rear direction (y), the transfer direction (x), and the height direction (z), respectively. The laser unit 100 may include a first laser unit 100 and a second laser unit 100 . The first laser unit 100 may irradiate a laser along the front notching line NL1 . The second laser unit 100 may irradiate a laser along the rear notch line NL2 . The first laser unit 100 and the second laser unit 100 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction y.

The pusher unit 200 may include a pusher 210 and a driving unit 220 . The pusher 210 is in contact with the electrode material (S) to fix the electrode material (S). The driving unit 220 is a device for vertically moving the pusher 210 in the height direction (z). The pusher 210 may include a first pusher 211 and a second pusher 212 . The first pusher 211 and the second pusher 212 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other based on the front-rear direction y. The first pusher 211 may be in contact with the electrode material S near the front notching line NL1. The second pusher 212 may be in contact with the electrode material S near the rear notch line NL2. The first pusher 211 and the second pusher 212 may descend together and contact the electrode material S at the same time.

Among these pushers 210, the first pusher 211 fixes the coated portion Sa and the uncoated portion Sb of the electrode material S together, thereby increasing the adhesion of the electrode material S to the base B. There is an increased advantage. When notching using a laser, if the electrode material S does not adhere to the base B and floats, a defect may occur in the electrode tab Sc because the laser is irradiated out of the notching line NL. When the first pusher 211 fixes the remaining area of the uncoated portion Sb forming the electrode tab Sc as well as the coated portion Sa together with the coated portion Sa, near the front notching line NL1 It is possible to secure the quality of notching by greatly increasing the adhesion of the electrode material (S) to the base (B).

From the viewpoint of the electrode material S, the electrode material S may include a first area A1 and a second area A2 in contact with the pusher 210 . The first area A1 and the second area A2 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction y of the electrode material S. The first area A1 may be disposed near the front notching line NL1 and may be disposed to be spaced apart from the front notching line NL1 by a predetermined distance. The second area A2 may be disposed near the rear notch line NL2 and may be spaced apart from the rear notch line NL2 by a predetermined distance. Here, the first area A1 may be formed over the coated portion Sa and the uncoated portion Sb, and the second area A2 may be formed only on the coated portion Sa.

The length L1 of the first area A1 or the second area A2 , that is, the length of the pusher 210 may be at least greater than the length L2 of the sheet electrode S1 . This is a notching line in which the transfer of the electrode material (S) is stopped in consideration of the fact that the electrode material (S) is cut in the cutting unit (50) immediately after notching and produced as an electrode (S1) in a single sheet. The minimum length of (NL) is set. Here, the length is based on the transfer direction (x).

The cutting part 50 physically cuts the electrode material S through a knife, unlike the notched part 30 . The cutting unit 50 cuts the electrode material S at one time along the cutting line CL to produce a sheet of the electrode S1. Therefore, the cutting process proceeds quickly, thereby increasing the speed of the entire electrode production process.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the notched part 30 viewed from the transport direction (x) side, and FIG. 5 is a view showing the notched part 30 viewed from the front-rear direction (y).

4 and 5 , the driving unit 220 of the pusher unit 200 may include a motor 221 , a shaft 222 , a pusher rod 223 , a guide 224 , and a holder 225 . .

The motor 221 provides a driving force to move the pusher rod 223 along the height direction z. The shaft 222 is connected to the motor 221 to transmit the force of the motor 221 to the pusher rod 223 . The pusher rod 223 moves along the guide 224 in the height direction (z). Various power transmission devices for converting the rotational motion of the shaft 222 into a linear reciprocating motion may be disposed between the shaft 222 and the pusher rod 223 . The holder 225 is coupled to the pusher rod 223, and when the pusher rod 223 elevates and descends, the holder 225 elevates and descends together. The pusher 210 is disposed on the holder 225 , and when the pusher rod 223 descends, it descends together to contact the electrode material S. An elastic member 226 may be disposed between the holder 225 and the pusher 210 . The elastic member 226 may be a member having a restoring force upon expansion and contraction in the height direction (z). This elastic member 226 induces the electrode material (S) to be in close contact with the base (B) by the pusher (210).

When the transfer of the electrode material (S) is stopped, the first pusher (211) and the second pusher (212) descend together, and simultaneously move the first area (A1) and the second area (A2) of the electrode material (S). In contact, the electrode material (S) can be fixed to the base (B).

The suction unit 240 serves to suction and remove the scrap SR generated in the notching process. The suction unit 240 includes a suction hood 241 . During the notching process, when the suction unit 240 is operated, the suction hood 241 is disposed at the front and rear of the base B in the front-rear direction (y), respectively, and the electrode material separated from the front notching line (NL1) ( The scrap SR of S) and the scrap SR of the electrode material S separated from the rear notching line NL2 can be directly sucked.

6 is a perspective view illustrating the first pusher 211 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , the first pusher 211 may include a lower block 210A and an upper block 210B stacked on and coupled to the lower block 210A. The lower surface of the lower block 210A is formed in a plane and contacts the first region (A1 in FIG. 2 ) of the electrode material S. The upper block 210B may be coupled to the holder 225 . The size of the lower block 210A may be smaller than that of the upper block 210B. This first pusher 211 has the following characteristics in order to contact over the coated portion Sa and the uncoated portion Sb.

The first pusher 211 may include a body 211a in contact with the coated portion Sa, and an extension 211b in contact with the uncoated portion Sb and the coated portion Sa. The extension part 211b may extend from the front surface of the body 211a and may be disposed to protrude forward. The size of the extension 211b may be appropriately set in consideration of the size of the electrode tab Sc. The extension 211b may be formed on both the lower block 210A and the upper block 210B, or may be formed only on the lower block 210A.

7 is a perspective view illustrating the second pusher 212 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , the second pusher 212 may also include a lower block 210A and an upper block 210B stacked on and coupled to the lower block 210A. The lower surface of the lower block 210A is formed in a plane and contacts the second region (A2 in FIG. 2 ) of the electrode material S. The upper block 210B may be coupled to the holder 225 . Unlike the first pusher 211 , the front edge of the second pusher 212 does not have an extension 211b and has a straight shape.

FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the pusher 210 showing the air nozzle 250 , and FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the scrap SR is separated from the electrode material S through the air nozzle 250 .

8 and 9 , the pusher 210 forms the air nozzle 250 in the gap between the lower block 210A and the upper block 210B. The air nozzle 250 is connected to the air blower 230 , and during notching, the air supplied to the air blower 230 is sprayed through the outlet of the air nozzle 250 .

The lower block 210A may include a first surface F1 forming the air nozzle 250 . The upper block 210B may include a second surface forming the air nozzle 250 . The first surface F1 and the second surface are disposed to face each other with a gap therebetween. The outlet of the air nozzle 250 may be disposed to face the notching line NL. The first surface F1 and the second surface may each include an inclined surface formed toward the outlet of the air nozzle 250 .

While the laser is irradiated to the electrode material (S), air is sprayed toward the notching line (NL) through the air nozzle (250). The scrap (SR) notched by the laser is pushed by the sprayed air and is easily separated from the electrode material (S). When the first pusher 211 and the second pusher 212 are each notched, air is sprayed, so that the scrap SR can be easily separated from the electrode material S. The separated scrap SR may be directly sucked into the suction hood 241 and removed.

As described above, specific embodiments of the electrode production system for secondary batteries of the present invention have been described, but it is apparent that various implementation modifications are possible within the limits that do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and should be defined by the following claims as well as the claims and equivalents.

That is, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims to be described later rather than the detailed description, and the meaning and scope of the claims; All changes or modifications derived from the equivalent concept should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

10: unwinding part
20: Densor unit
30: notching part
40: feeding device
50: cutting part
60: Alignment device and magazine
100: laser unit
200: pusher unit
210: pusher
210A: lower block
210B: upper block
220: driving unit
211: first pusher
212: second pusher
220: driving unit
221: motor
222: shaft
223: pusher rod
224: guide
225: holder
226: elastic member
230: air blower
240: air nozzle
241: suction hood

Claims (13)

In the electrode production system for a secondary battery for producing an electrode for a secondary battery comprising a notched part for notching an electrode material to form an electrode tab of the electrode,
The notching part includes a laser part for irradiating a laser to the electrode material along the notching line, and a pusher part disposed on the upper side of the electrode material,
The pusher unit includes a pusher in contact with the electrode material,
The pusher is a secondary battery electrode production system for fixing the electrode material in contact with the area of the electrode material except for the notching line during notching, and fixing the coated portion and the uncoated portion of the electrode material together. The method of claim 1,
The electrode production system for secondary batteries further comprising a cutting unit for cutting the electrode material notched by the laser unit through a knife to form a sheet electrode. The method of claim 1,
The notching line includes a front notching line starting from the front edge of the electrode material to form the electrode tab, and a rear notching line starting from the rear edge of the electrode material,
The electrode material includes a first region and a second region in contact with the pusher,
The first region and the second region are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the electrode material. 4. The method of claim 3,
The first region is disposed to be spaced apart from the front notching line, and the second region is disposed to be spaced apart from the rear notching line. The method of claim 1,
The pusher unit includes a driving unit for reciprocating the pusher in the vertical direction,
The pusher includes a first pusher and a second pusher,
The first pusher and the second pusher are spaced apart in the front-rear direction,
The first pusher presses the coated portion and the uncoated portion together, and the second pusher presses only the coated portion. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising the pusher unit, an air blower,
The pusher includes an air nozzle connected to the air blower,
The outlet of the air nozzle is a secondary battery electrode production system is disposed toward the notching line. 7. The method of claim 6,
The pusher includes a lower block in contact with the electrode material, and an upper block coupled to the lower block,
The air nozzle is a gap between the lower block and the upper block, the secondary battery electrode production system. 8. The method of claim 7,
The lower block includes a first surface forming the air nozzle, the upper block includes a second surface forming the air nozzle,
The first surface and the second surface are each an electrode production system for a secondary battery comprising an inclined surface formed toward the outlet. 7. The method of claim 6,
The notching part further includes a suction part including a suction hood,
The suction hood is disposed adjacent to the notched electrode material,
The suction unit, during notching, a secondary battery electrode production system for removing by shunting the scrap of the electrode material. The method of claim 1,
The length of the pusher is greater than the length of the sheet electrode on which the electrode tab is formed, the secondary battery electrode production system. 6. The method of claim 5,
The driving unit includes a motor, a shaft connected to the motor to rotate, a pusher rod coupled to the shaft to reciprocate vertically in a vertical direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft, and a pusher rod coupled to the pusher rod, wherein the pusher is Electrode production system for a secondary battery comprising a holder to be coupled. 12. The method of claim 11,
The driving unit is disposed between the holder and the pusher, the secondary battery electrode production system including an elastic member for providing a restoring force in the height direction. The method of claim 1,
The pusher is a secondary battery electrode production system in contact with the electrode material in a state in which the transfer of the electrode material is stopped.

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