WO2015050084A1

WO2015050084A1 - Method for bonding separators in electrical device, apparatus for bonding separators in electrical device, and electrical device

Info

Publication number: WO2015050084A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/075909
Authority: WO
Inventors: 岳洋柳; 浩油原; 正司渡辺
Original assignee: 日産自動車株式会社
Priority date: 2013-10-02
Filing date: 2014-09-29
Publication date: 2015-04-09
Also published as: JP6197877B2; JPWO2015050084A1

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a method for bonding separators in an electrical device whereby a pair of separators that each contain a melt material and a heat-resistant material can be bonded together securely with the heat-resistant materials thereof facing each other. [Solution] This method for bonding separators in an electrical device (a packaged electrode (11)) uses ceramic separators (40) each containing a melt material (a polypropylene layer (41)) and a heat-resistant material (a ceramic layer (42)) that is laminated to the polypropylene layer and has a higher melting point than said polypropylene layer. A pair of said ceramic separators are bonded together with the ceramic layers thereof facing each other so as to sandwich a positive electrode (20). A horn (151) that applies an ultrasonic treatment to the ceramic separators is placed up against the polypropylene layers, and while ultrasound is applied in a direction that intersects the lamination direction (Z) so as to melt the polypropylene layers, the ceramic layers in the section that is under pressure from the horn in the lamination direction are pushed out of the region under pressure (the bond site (40h)) to the surrounding region, thereby bonding the polypropylene layers of the ceramic separators to each other.

Description

Electric device separator bonding method, electric device separator bonding apparatus, and electric device

The present invention relates to an electrical device separator joining method, an electrical device separator joining apparatus, and an electrical device.

Conventionally, a battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery is configured by sealing a power generation element to be charged and discharged with an exterior material. The power generation element is configured, for example, by laminating a plurality of packaged electrodes formed by sandwiching a positive electrode with a pair of separators and negative electrodes. The packaged electrode joins both ends thereof to suppress the movement of the positive electrode, thereby preventing a short circuit with the adjacent negative electrode through the separator (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-320636

However, in the configuration as described in Patent Document 1, when the amount of heat generated at the positive electrode and the negative electrode at the time of charging / discharging increases as the output of the battery increases, the heat resistance of the separator may be insufficient.

Therefore, there is a technology for improving the heat resistance of a separator by forming a separator by laminating a molten material and a heat-resistant material having a melting temperature higher than that of the molten material, and facing the heat-resistant material side to an electrode that generates heat. It has been requested. On the other hand, if the electrodes are sandwiched and stacked so that the heat-resistant materials of the pair of separators face each other, it becomes difficult to melt the pair of separators and join them together.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and uses a separator including a molten material and a heat-resistant material having a melting temperature higher than that of the molten material, and a pair of heat-resistant materials facing each other. It is an object of the present invention to provide a separator joining method for an electric device capable of sufficiently joining a separator, a separator joining device for an electric device embodying the separator joining method, and an electric device formed by the separator joining device.

The separator joining method for an electric device according to the present invention that achieves the above object uses a separator including a sheet-like molten material and a heat-resistant material laminated on the molten material and having a higher melting temperature than the molten material. In this separator bonding method, a pair of separators in which the heat-resistant materials sandwiching the electrodes face each other are bonded to each other. In the joining process of the separator joining method, an ultrasonic processing member for processing the separator by ultrasonic waves is brought into contact with a molten material of one separator of a pair of separators, and ultrasonic waves are applied in a direction crossing the stacking direction. The molten material of the pair of separators is made sparse by moving the heat-resistant material of the portion pressed along the laminating direction from the pressed region to the surrounding region while melting the molten material Join.

The separator joining apparatus for an electric device according to the present invention that achieves the above object uses a separator including a sheet-like molten material and a heat-resistant material that is laminated on the molten material and has a higher melting temperature than the molten material. In this separator bonding apparatus, a pair of separators in which the heat-resistant materials sandwiching the electrodes face each other are bonded to each other. The separator joining apparatus has an ultrasonic processing member and a pressing member. The ultrasonic processing member abuts on the molten material of one separator of the pair of separators and applies ultrasonic waves in a direction crossing the stacking direction to perform processing. The pressing member presses the ultrasonic processing member along the stacking direction.

The electrical device according to the present invention that achieves the above object uses a separator including a sheet-like molten material and a heat-resistant material laminated on the molten material and having a higher melting temperature than the molten material. In the electric device, a pair of separators in which the heat-resistant materials sandwiching the electrodes face each other are joined to each other. The electric device includes a joint portion formed by partially moving a heat-resistant material to a surrounding region to make it sparse and joining the melted materials of a pair of separators.

It is a perspective view which shows the lithium ion secondary battery comprised using the electric device (packed electrode) which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the lithium ion secondary battery of FIG. 1 to each structural member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which each laminated | stacked the negative electrode on both surfaces of the packaging electrode of FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of FIG. 3 along line 4-4 shown in FIG. 3; It is a perspective view which shows the separator joining apparatus of the electrical device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the separator holding | maintenance part of FIG. 5, a separator junction part, a separator conveyance follower, and a bagging electrode conveyance part. It is a perspective view which shows the separator junction part of FIG. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a state immediately before a pair of ceramic separators are joined by the separator joining portion of FIG. 5. It is a photograph which shows a pair of ceramic separator in the state of FIG. 8 from the side surface along a conveyance direction. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows typically the state immediately after joining a pair of ceramic separator by the separator junction part of FIG. It is a photograph which shows a pair of ceramic separator in the state of FIG. 10 from the side surface along a conveyance direction. It is a perspective view which shows the various forms of the horn of the separator junction part of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a separator holding | maintenance part, a separator junction part, a separator conveyance follower, and a bagging electrode conveyance part in the separator joining apparatus of the electric device which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the action | operation of the separator holding part and separator junction part of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the separator junction part of the separator joining apparatus of the electric device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the bagging electrode formed by the separator junction part of FIG.

Hereinafter, first and second embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. The sizes and ratios of the members in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual sizes and ratios. In all the drawings of FIGS. 1 to 16, arrows represented by X, Y, and Z are used to indicate the orientation. The direction of the arrow represented by X indicates the conveyance direction X of the ceramic separator 40, the positive electrode 20, and the like. The direction of the arrow represented by Y indicates the direction Y that intersects the transport direction of the ceramic separator 40, the positive electrode 20, and the like. The direction of the arrow represented by Z indicates the stacking direction Z of the ceramic separator 40, the positive electrode 20, and the like.

(First embodiment)
The electrical device formed by joining with the separator joining apparatus 100 corresponds to, for example, the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10 as shown in FIGS. The lithium ion secondary battery 10 is configured by sealing a power generation element 12 to be charged and discharged with an exterior material 50. The power generation element 12 is configured by alternately laminating the packed electrode 11 and the negative electrode 30 in which the positive electrode 20 is sandwiched and bonded by a pair of ceramic separators 40. Even if the lithium ion secondary battery 10 vibrates or receives an impact, it is adjacent to each other via the ceramic separator 40 by suppressing the movement of the positive electrode 20 by the joint portions 40h formed at both ends of the pair of ceramic separators 40. A short circuit between the positive electrode 20 and the negative electrode 30 is prevented. The joining portion 40h moves the ceramic layer 42 adjacent to the polypropylene layer 41 to be melted to the surrounding area and makes it sparse while partially melting the polypropylene layers 41 with the ceramic layers 42 facing each other. The polypropylene layers 41 facing each other are formed by welding.

The separator joining apparatus 100 is shown in FIGS. Separator joining apparatus 100 is used in joining an electric device (packed electrode 11 of lithium ion secondary battery 10). Separator joining apparatus 100 includes ceramic separators 40 each including a sheet-like molten material (corresponding to polypropylene layer 41) and a molten material (corresponding to polypropylene layer 41) laminated on polypropylene layer 41 and having a melting temperature higher than that of polypropylene layer 41. Join.

The separator bonding apparatus 100 includes an electrode transport unit 110 that transports an electrode (positive electrode 20 or negative electrode 30), a first separator transport unit 120 that transports a ceramic separator 40 stacked on one surface of the positive electrode 20, and a stack on the other surface of the positive electrode 20. The 2nd separator conveyance part 130 which conveys the ceramic separator 40 to perform is included. The separator bonding apparatus 100 includes a separator holding unit 140 that holds a pair of ceramic separators 40 that sandwich the positive electrode 20, a separator bonding unit 150 that bonds the pair of ceramic separators 40 to each other, and the ceramic separators 40 being bonded together. In addition, a separator transport follower 160 that follows the transport operation of the packaged electrode transport unit 170 is included. Furthermore, the separator joining apparatus 100 includes a packaged electrode transport unit 170 that transports the packaged electrode 11 and a control unit 180 that controls the operation of each component.

First, the packaged electrode 11 formed by bonding by the separator bonding apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 based on the configuration of the lithium ion secondary battery 10 including the packaged electrode 11.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a lithium ion secondary battery 10 configured using an electric device (packed electrode 11). FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the lithium ion secondary battery 10 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the negative electrodes 30 are laminated on both surfaces of the packaged electrode 11 of FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of FIG. 3 along line 4-4 shown in FIG.

The positive electrode 20 corresponds to an electrode, and is formed by binding a positive electrode active material on both surfaces of a positive electrode current collector 21 which is a conductor. The positive electrode terminal 21 a for taking out electric power is formed to extend from a part of one end of the positive electrode current collector 21. The positive electrode terminals 21a of the stacked positive electrodes 20 are fixed to each other by welding or adhesion.

The material of the positive electrode current collector 21 of the positive electrode 20 is, for example, aluminum expanded metal, aluminum mesh, or aluminum punched metal. The positive electrode active material of the positive electrode 20 includes various oxides (lithium manganese oxide such as LiMn 2 O 4, manganese dioxide, lithium nickel oxide such as LiNiO 2, lithium cobalt oxide such as LiCoO 2, and lithium-containing nickel cobalt. An oxide or amorphous vanadium pentoxide containing lithium) or a chalcogen compound (titanium disulfide, molybdenum disulfide) or the like is used.

The negative electrode 30 corresponds to an electrode having a polarity different from that of the positive electrode 20, and is formed by binding a negative electrode active material 32 on both surfaces of a negative electrode current collector 31 which is a conductor. The negative electrode terminal 31 a extends from a part of one end of the negative electrode current collector 31 so as not to overlap with the positive electrode terminal 21 a formed on the positive electrode 20. The length of the negative electrode 30 in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the positive electrode 20 in the longitudinal direction. The length of the negative electrode 30 in the short direction is the same as the length of the positive electrode 20 in the short direction. The negative electrode terminals 31a of the plurality of negative electrodes 30 that are stacked are fixed to each other by welding or adhesion.

As the material of the negative electrode current collector 31 of the negative electrode 30, for example, copper expanded metal, copper mesh, or copper punched metal is used. As the material of the negative electrode active material 32 of the negative electrode 30, a carbon material that absorbs and releases lithium ions is used. For such carbon materials, for example, natural graphite, artificial graphite, carbon black, activated carbon, carbon fiber, coke, or organic precursor (phenol resin, polyacrylonitrile, or cellulose) is heat-treated in an inert atmosphere and synthesized. Carbon is used.

The ceramic separator 40 is provided between the positive electrode 20 and the negative electrode 30 and electrically isolates the positive electrode 20 and the negative electrode 30. The ceramic separator 40 holds the electrolytic solution between the positive electrode 20 and the negative electrode 30 to ensure ion conductivity. The ceramic separator 40 is formed in a rectangular shape. The length in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic separator 40 is longer than the length in the longitudinal direction of the negative electrode 30 excluding the portion of the negative electrode terminal 31a.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ceramic separator 40 is formed, for example, by laminating a ceramic layer 42 corresponding to a heat-resistant material on a polypropylene layer 41 corresponding to a molten material. The ceramic layer 42 has a higher melting temperature than the polypropylene layer 41. The pair of ceramic separators 40 sandwich the positive electrode 20 and laminate the ceramic layers 42 facing each other. The ceramic layer 42 is in contact with the positive electrode active material of the positive electrode 20.

The polypropylene layer 41 of the ceramic separator 40 is formed of polypropylene in a sheet shape. The polypropylene layer 41 is impregnated with a nonaqueous electrolytic solution prepared by dissolving an electrolyte in a nonaqueous solvent. In order to hold the non-aqueous electrolyte in the polypropylene layer 41, a polymer is contained. The ceramic layer 42 is formed by, for example, applying a ceramic obtained by molding an inorganic compound at a high temperature to the polypropylene layer 41 and drying it. The ceramic is made of a porous material formed by bonding a ceramic particle such as silica, alumina, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide or the like and a binder.

The pair of ceramic separators 40 are bonded to each other by a plurality of bonding portions 40 h formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction along the conveying direction X of the separator bonding apparatus 100. While the ceramic layers 42 are facing each other, the joint portion 40h is partially melted with the polypropylene layers 41 while the ceramic layers 42 adjacent to the polypropylene layer 41 are moved to the surrounding area to make them sparse and face each other. It is formed by welding the polypropylene layers 41 together.

A pair of ceramic separators 40 are stacked so as to sandwich both surfaces of the positive electrode 20 and packed into a bag, thereby forming a packaged electrode 11. For example, three joint portions 40h are formed on both sides along the longitudinal direction of the pair of ceramic separators 40, for example, at both end portions and the central portion. Even if the lithium ion secondary battery 10 vibrates or receives an impact, the movement of the positive electrode 20 in the packaged electrode 11 can be suppressed by the joint portions 40 h formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic separator 40. . That is, it is possible to prevent a short circuit between the adjacent positive electrode 20 and negative electrode 30 through the ceramic separator 40. Therefore, the lithium ion secondary battery 10 can maintain the desired electrical characteristics.

The exterior material 50 is composed of, for example,

laminate sheets

51 and 52 each having a metal plate therein, and covers and seals the power generation element 12 from both sides. When the power generating element 12 is sealed with the

laminate sheets

51 and 52, a part of the periphery of the

laminate sheets

51 and 52 is opened, and the other periphery is sealed by heat welding or the like. An electrolyte solution is injected from the open portions of the

laminate sheets

51 and 52, and the ceramic separator 40 and the like are impregnated with the charge solution. While decompressing the inside from the open portions of the

laminate sheets

51 and 52, the open portions are also heat-sealed and completely sealed.

For example, the

laminate sheets

51 and 52 of the exterior material 50 are each formed by laminating three kinds of materials to form a three-layer structure. The first layer corresponds to a heat-fusible resin and uses, for example, polyethylene (PE), ionomer, or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). The first layer material is adjacent to the negative electrode 30. The second layer corresponds to a metal foil formed, for example, an Al foil or Ni foil. The third layer corresponds to a resinous film and uses, for example, rigid polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or nylon.

Next, each component of the separator bonding apparatus 100 (the electrode conveyance unit 110, the first separator conveyance unit 120, the first number) that embodies the separator bonding method of the electrical device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10). The two-separator transport unit 130, separator holding unit 140, separator joining unit 150, separator transport follower 160, bagging electrode transport unit 170, and control unit 180) will be described in order with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the separator joining apparatus 100 of the electric device (packed electrode 11). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the separator holding unit 140, the separator joint 150, the separator conveyance follower 160, and the packaged electrode conveyance unit 170 of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the separator joint 150 of FIG. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a state immediately before the pair of ceramic separators 40 are joined by the separator joint 150 of FIG. FIG. 9 is a photograph showing the pair of ceramic separators 40 in the state of FIG. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a state immediately after the pair of ceramic separators 40 are joined by the separator joint 150 of FIG. FIG. 11 is a photograph showing the pair of ceramic separators 40 in the state of FIG. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing various forms of the horn of the separator joint 150 of FIG.

The electrode conveyance part 110 cuts out and conveys the positive electrode 20 from the elongate positive electrode base material 20A shown in FIG.

The electrode supply roller 111 of the electrode transport unit 110 has a cylindrical shape, and is wound and held with a long positive electrode base material 20A. The conveyance roller 112 has an elongated cylindrical shape, and is guided to the conveyance belt 113 in a state where a certain tension is applied to the positive electrode base material 20 A wound around the electrode supply roller 111. The conveyor belt 113 is an endless belt provided with a plurality of suction ports on the outer peripheral surface, and conveys the positive electrode base material 20A along the conveyance direction X in a sucked state. The width of the transport belt 113 along the direction Y intersecting the transport direction X is longer than the width of the positive electrode base material 20A. A plurality of rotation rollers 114 are arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the conveyance belt 113 along the direction Y intersecting the conveyance direction X to rotate the conveyance belt 113. Among the plurality of rotating rollers 114, one is a driving roller provided with power, and the other is a driven roller driven by the driving roller. The transport roller 112 and the electrode supply roller 111 rotate following the rotation of the transport belt 113.

The

cutting blades

115 and 116 of the electrode transport unit 110 are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other along a direction Y intersecting the transport direction X, and the positive electrode base 20A is cut into a predetermined shape to form a positive electrode. The cutting blade 115 is provided with a straight and sharp blade at the tip, and cuts one end of the positive electrode base material 20A along the direction Y in a straight line. The cutting blade 116 is provided with a sharp blade that is partially refracted at the tip, and cuts the other end of the positive electrode base material 20A immediately after one end is cut according to the shape of the positive electrode terminal 21a. To do. The cradle 117 receives the cutting blade 115 and the cutting blade 116 for cutting the positive electrode base material 20A. The cradle 117 is disposed to face the cutting blade 115 and the cutting blade 116 via the positive electrode base material 20A to be conveyed. The electrode transport unit 110 carries out the positive electrode 20 cut out from the positive electrode base material 20 A so as to pass between the first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 130.

The first separator transport unit 120 cuts out the ceramic separator 40 for stacking on one surface of the positive electrode 20 (upward in FIG. 5 along the stacking direction Z) from the ceramic separator substrate 40A shown in FIG. Transport.

The first separator transport unit 120 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction X from the electrode transport unit 110, and is disposed above the stacking direction Z in FIG. The 1st separator supply roller 121 of the 1st separator conveyance part 120 consists of cylindrical shapes, and winds and hold | maintains the elongate ceramic separator base material 40A. The first pressure roller 122 and the first nip roller 123 that are arranged to face each other have an elongated cylindrical shape, and apply a certain tension to the ceramic separator substrate 40A wound around the first separator supply roller 121. In this state, it is guided to the first transport drum 124. The first transport drum 124 has a cylindrical shape, and a plurality of suction ports are provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The width of the first transport drum 124 along the direction Y intersecting the transport direction X is shorter than the width of the ceramic separator substrate 40A. That is, both ends of the ceramic separator substrate 40A protrude outward from the first transport drum 124 in the direction Y. In this way, the first transport drum 124 avoids interference with the separator holding part 140 and the separator joint part 150.

When the first transport drum 124 of the first separator transport unit 120 is rotated, the first separator supply roller 121 is driven and rotated in addition to the first pressure roller 122 and the first nip roller 123. The first cutting blade 125 is provided with a straight and sharp blade at the tip, is disposed along a direction Y intersecting the transport direction X, and is used for a long ceramic separator sucked by the first transport drum 124 The base material 40A is cut with a certain width. The first transport drum 124 is laminated with the ceramic separator 40 cut into a rectangular shape being brought close to one surface of the positive electrode 20 carried out from the electrode transport unit 110. The ceramic separator 40 has the ceramic layer 42 facing the one surface of the positive electrode 20.

The second separator conveyance unit 130 is a separator for stacking from the ceramic separator base material 40A on the other surface facing the one surface of the positive electrode 20 (downward in FIG. 5 along the stacking direction Z) as shown in FIG. 40 is cut out and transported.

The second separator transport unit 130 is disposed downstream of the electrode transport unit 110 in the transport direction X and below the stacking direction Z in FIG. The second separator transport unit 130 is disposed to face the first separator transport unit 120 along the stacking direction Z. The second separator supply roller 131 of the second separator transport unit 130 has a cylindrical shape, and holds the long ceramic separator base material 40A wound around it. The second pressure roller 132 and the second nip roller 133 that are arranged to face each other have an elongated cylindrical shape, and apply a certain tension to the ceramic separator substrate 40A wound around the second separator supply roller 131. In this state, it is guided to the second transport drum 134. The second transport drum 134 has a cylindrical shape, and a plurality of suction ports are provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Similarly to the first transport drum 124, the second transport drum 134 has a width along the direction Y intersecting the transport direction X shorter than the width of the ceramic separator substrate 40A. Interference with the separator joint 150 is avoided.

When the second transport drum 134 of the second separator transport unit 130 is rotated, the second separator supply roller 131 is driven and rotated in addition to the second pressure roller 132 and the second nip roller 133. The second cutting blade 135 is provided with a linear sharp blade at the tip, is disposed along the direction Y intersecting the transport direction X, and is a long ceramic separator 40 sucked by the second transport drum 134. Is cut to a certain width. The second transport drum 134 is laminated while bringing the ceramic separator substrate 40A cut into a rectangular shape close to the other surface side of the positive electrode 20 carried out from the electrode transport unit 110. The ceramic separator 40 has the ceramic layer 42 facing the other surface of the positive electrode 20.

The first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 130 are stacked so that the positive electrode 20 is sandwiched between the pair of ceramic separators 40 in the gap portion between the first transport drum 124 and the second transport drum 134. Transport along the transport direction X. Separator holding portions 140 and separator joint portions 150 are disposed at both ends on the downstream side along the transport direction X, respectively.

The separator holding unit 140 holds a pair of ceramic separators 40 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and sandwiched and stacked with the positive electrode 20 interposed therebetween.

The separator holding unit 140 is adjacent to the electrode transport unit 110 along the transport direction X, and is disposed downstream of the first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 130 in the transport direction X. One set of separator holding portions 140 is disposed at both ends along the conveyance direction X of the packaged electrode conveyance portion 170. The holding plate 141 of the separator holding unit 140 is formed in a long plate shape. The holding plate 141 is disposed below the stacking direction Z of the ceramic separator 40 in FIG. 6 and in parallel with the end portion along the transport direction X of the ceramic separator 40. The holding plate 141 assists the bonding of the ceramic separators 40 by the separator bonding portion 150 by holding the pair of ceramic separators 40 from below in the stacking direction Z in FIG. The holding plate 141 has a rectangular hole in order to avoid interference with the horn 151 and the anvil 154 of the separator joint 150.

The holding plate 141 of the separator holding part 140 is raised and lowered along the stacking direction Z by the driving support column 158 of the separator joint part 150. The holding plate 141 holds the pair of ceramic separators 40 from below in the stacking direction Z in FIG. 6 while the horn 151 and the anvil 154 are in contact with each other so as to sandwich the pair of ceramic separators 40. On the other hand, the holding plate 141 is retracted downward in the stacking direction Z shown in FIG. 6 while the horn 151 and the anvil 154 are separated from the pair of ceramic separators 40.

5 to 12, the separator joining portion 150 is rubbed by ultrasonic waves laminated so as to sandwich the positive electrode 20, and the ceramic separators 40 are melted and joined by frictional heat accompanying the friction.

First, the configuration of the separator joint 150 will be described with reference to FIGS.

The separator joint 150 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction X with respect to the first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 130. One set of separator joints 150 is disposed at both ends along the transport direction X. Separator joining portion 150 is close to separator holding portion 140.

The horn 151 of the separator joint 150 applies ultrasonic waves to the ceramic separator 40. The horn 151 is made of metal, and integrally includes a rectangular main body 151a and a protrusion 151b that protrudes from a corner of the main body 151a. The horn 151 is pressed by the pressing member 155 as indicated by the arrow P1 in FIG. 7, and the protruding portion 151 b contacts the polypropylene layer 41 of the ceramic separator 40. The horn 151 generates frictional heat by applying ultrasonic waves along the bonding surfaces of the ceramic layers 42 intersecting with the stacking direction Z and oscillating as represented by the wavy line S1 in FIG.

The booster 152 of the separator joint 150 amplifies the ultrasonic wave while fastening the horn 151 and the vibrator 153. The booster 152 is made of metal and has a cylindrical shape. The vibrator 153 generates vibration corresponding to the frequency of the ultrasonic wave by using electric power supplied from the outside. The vibrator 153 has one end fastened to the booster 152 and a power cable connected to the other end facing the one end. The anvil 154 corresponds to a contact member, and biases the horn 151 while receiving ultrasonic vibration derived from the horn 151. The anvil 154 is made of metal, and integrally includes a rectangular main body 154a and a protrusion 154b formed to protrude from one end of the main body 154a. The protruding portion 154b of the anvil 154 faces the protruding portion 151b of the horn 151 with the pair of ceramic separators 40 interposed therebetween. The anvil 154 is pressed by the urging member 156 to urge the horn 151 as indicated by the arrow P2 in FIG.

The pressing member 155 of the separator joint 150 presses the horn 151 along the stacking direction Z in the downward direction shown in FIG. One end of the pressing member 155 is formed in an annular shape, and a booster 152 fastened to the horn 151 is inserted therethrough. The side of the pressing member 155 is movably connected to the drive column 158 along the stacking direction Z. The urging member 156 presses the anvil 154 upward along the stacking direction Z shown in FIG. The urging member 156 is formed in a plate shape, and an anvil 154 is joined to the end thereof. The urging member 156 is connected to the drive column 158 so as to be movable along the stacking direction Z.

The driving stage 157 of the separator joint 150 moves the pressing member 155 and the urging member 156 along the stacking direction Z via the driving column 158. The driving force generated by the driving stage 157 is converted into a driving force along the stacking direction Z by the driving column 158 and used.

In the separator joining portion 150, the horn 151, the booster 152, the vibrator 153, and the pressing member 155 are disposed above the separator holding portion 140 in the stacking direction Z in FIG. It is configured in a scale. The anvil 154 and the urging member 156 are disposed below the separator holding portion 140 in the stacking direction Z in FIG. 7 and are formed in a long shape along the transport direction X. The drive stage 157 is disposed directly below the reference numeral 7 in the drawing direction Z of the biasing member 156 on which the anvil 154 is placed, and is disposed along the transport direction X. That is, the constituent members of the separator joint 150 are arranged in a long shape along the transport direction X.

Next, the operation of the separator joint 150 will be described with reference to FIGS.

8 and 9 show a state immediately before the pair of ceramic separators 40 are joined by the separator joining portion 150. The ceramic separator 40 formed by laminating the polypropylene layer 41 and the ceramic layer 42 has the ceramic layers 42 facing each other as shown in FIG.

10 and 11 show a state immediately after the pair of ceramic separators 40 are joined by the separator joining portion 150. The horn 151 is in contact with the polypropylene layer 41 of one ceramic separator 40 of the pair of ceramic separators 40 and is represented by a wavy line S1 in FIG. 10 along the bonding surface between the ceramic layers 42 intersecting the stacking direction Z. Ultrasonic waves were applied to the. The direction of the wavy line S1 corresponds to the transport direction X that intersects the stacking direction Z. At the same time, the pressing member 155 pressed the horn 151 toward the polypropylene layer 41 of the ceramic separator 40 as represented by the arrow P1 in FIG. Further, the urging member 156 pressed the anvil 154 toward the horn 151 as indicated by an arrow P2 in FIG. By acting in this manner, the pair of ceramic separators 40 became sparse as the polypropylene layer 41 was melted by frictional heat and the ceramic layer 42 moved from the joint 40h to the surrounding area as shown in FIG. Therefore, the facing polypropylene layers 41 could be joined.

Next, various configurations of the horn of the separator joint 150 will be described with reference to FIG.

The horn 151 described above is shown in FIG. Since the ultrasonic wave is applied to the horn 151 by the vibrator 153, the portion facing the anvil 154 deteriorates. Therefore, when the protrusion 151b1 formed at one corner of one side surface of the main body 151a deteriorates, first, the main body 151a is rotated by 180 ° along the transport direction X, and the protrusion 151b2 facing the protrusion 151b1 is used. To do. Next, when the protruding portion 151b2 deteriorates, the horns 151 arranged one by one so as to face each other along the direction Y via the packaged electrode transport portion 170 are exchanged so as to move in parallel along the direction Y. The projection 151b3 of the replaced horn 151 is used. Further, when the protrusion 151b3 is deteriorated, the main body 151a is rotated by 180 ° along the transport direction X, and the protrusion 151b4 facing the protrusion 151b3 is used. Thus, if one protrusion 151b is formed at each of the four corners of one end of the main body 151a, the life of the horn 151 can be extended four times.

A horn 191 according to Modification 1 of the horn 151 is shown in FIG. The horn 191 is integrally formed with two protrusions 191b so as to be adjacent to each other at four corners on one side of the main body 191a so as to be orthogonal to each other. Therefore, the life of the horn 191 can be extended to twice the life of the horn 151 by using another protrusion 191b each time the protrusion 191b deteriorates.

A horn 192 according to Modification 2 of the horn 151 is shown in FIG. In the horn 192, one protrusion 192b is formed integrally with each of the four corners on one side of the main body 192a and the four corners on the other side facing the one side. Therefore, the life of the horn 192 can be extended to the same extent as the life of the horn 191 by using another protrusion 192b each time the protrusion 192b deteriorates. Here, the anvil 154 receives ultrasonic vibration derived from the horn 151 via the pair of ceramic separators 40, and thus deteriorates in the same manner as the horn 151. Therefore, the anvil 154 has a plurality of protrusions 154b formed integrally with the main body 154a, as with the horn 151.

5 and 6, the separator conveyance follower 160 follows the conveyance of the packaged electrode conveyance unit 170 and moves the separator junction 150 and the like while the separator bonding unit 150 is bonding the ceramic separators 40 to each other. Let

The separator conveyance follower 160 is a lower part in FIG. 5 along the stacking direction Z of the packaged electrode conveyance unit 170, and is downstream of the first separator conveyance unit 120 and the second separator conveyance unit 130 in the conveyance direction X. It is arranged on the side. The X-axis stage 161 of the separator conveyance follower 160 mounts all the constituent members of the separator holding portion 140 and all the constituent members of the separator joint portion 150. The X-axis stage 161 moves so as to reciprocate between the downstream side and the upstream side in the transport direction X. The X-axis stage 161 moves along the downstream side in the transport direction X while the horn 151 and the anvil 154 are in contact with and joined to the pair of ceramic separators 40. On the other hand, when the horn 151 and the anvil 154 complete the joining of the pair of ceramic separators 40 and are separated from each other, the X-axis stage 161 moves at a high speed along the upstream side in the transport direction X and returns to the original position.

The separator transport follower 160 moves the separator holding unit 140 and the separator joint 150 along the transport direction X. Therefore, while the pair of ceramic separators 40 are joined, the first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 120 are moved. The operation of the separator transport unit 130 can be continued. That is, by using the X-axis stage 161, without stopping the rotation of the first transport drum 124 of the first separator transport unit 120 and the second transport drum 134 of the second separator transport unit 130, the pair of ceramic separators 40 Joining can be completed.

The packaged electrode transport unit 170 transports the packaged electrode 11 formed by the separator joint 150 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The packaged electrode transport unit 170 is adjacent to the electrode transport unit 110 along the transport direction X, and is disposed downstream of the first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 130 in the transport direction X. The transport belt 171 of the packaged electrode transport unit 170 is an endless belt provided with a plurality of suction ports on the outer peripheral surface, and transports along the transport direction X while the packaged electrode 11 is sucked. The conveyance belt 171 has a width along the direction Y intersecting the conveyance direction X shorter than the width of the packaged electrode 11. That is, both ends of the bagging electrode 11 protrude outward from the conveyance belt 171 in the direction Y. In this way, the conveyor belt 171 avoids interference with the separator holding part 140 and the separator joining part 150.

Rotating rollers 172 of the packaged electrode transport unit 170 are arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the transport belt 171 along the direction Y intersecting the transport direction X, and rotate the transport belt 171. The rotating roller 172 does not protrude from the conveyor belt 171 in order to avoid interference with the separator holding unit 140 and the separator joint 150. Among the plurality of rotating rollers 172, one is a driving roller provided with power, and the other is a driven roller driven by the driving roller. For example, three transport belts 171 are arranged along the transport direction X.

The suction pad 173 of the packaged electrode transport unit 170 is positioned to face the packaged electrode 11 above the packaged electrode 11 placed on the transport belt 171 in the stacking direction Z in FIG. Yes. The suction pad 173 has a plate shape, and a plurality of suction ports are provided on the surface that comes into contact with the bagging electrode 11. The elastic member 174 is located above the suction pad 173 in the stacking direction Z shown in FIG. One end of the elastic member 174 is joined to the suction pad. The stretchable member 174 is stretchable along the stacking direction Z by using an air compressor or the like as power.

The X-axis stage 175 and the X-axis auxiliary rail 176 of the packaged electrode transport unit 170 support the other end of the telescopic member 174 so as to be movable. The X-axis stage 175 is disposed along the transport direction X and scans the telescopic member 174 along the transport direction X. The X-axis auxiliary rail 176 is disposed in parallel with the X-axis stage 175 and assists the scanning of the telescopic member 174 by the X-axis stage 175. The mounting table 177 has a plate shape, and is disposed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction X with respect to, for example, three conveyance belts 171. The mounting table 177 temporarily stores and stores the packaged electrode 11.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 180 includes an electrode transport unit 110, a first separator transport unit 120, a second separator transport unit 130, a separator holding unit 140, a separator joining unit 150, a separator transport follower 160, and a packaged electrode transport unit. Each operation of 170 is controlled.

The controller 181 of the control unit 180 includes a ROM, a CPU, and a RAM. A ROM (Read Only Memory) stores a control program related to the separator joining apparatus 100. The control program includes the rotation roller 114 and the

cutting blades

115 and 116 of the electrode transport unit 110, the first transport drum 124 and the first cutting blade 125 of the first separator transport unit 120, and the second transport drum of the second separator transport unit 130. 134 and control of the second cutting blade 135 are included. Further, the control program includes the holding plate 141 of the separator holding unit 140, the vibrator 153 and the drive stage 157 of the separator bonding unit 150, the X-axis stage 161 of the separator conveyance follower 160, and the rotation roller 172 of the packaged electrode conveyance unit 170. And those related to the control of the expansion and contraction member 174 and the like.

A CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the control unit 180 controls the operation of each component of the separator joining apparatus 100 based on the control program. A RAM (Random Access Memory) temporarily stores various data related to each component of the separator joining apparatus 100 under control. The data relates to, for example, the operation timing of the vibrator 153 of the separator joint 150.

Next, the operation of the separator bonding apparatus 100 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the electrode transport unit 110 forms the positive electrode 20 by cutting the long positive electrode base material 20 A one by one into a predetermined shape by the

cutting blades

115 and 116. The electrode transport unit 110 transports the positive electrode 20 between the first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 130.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the first separator transport unit 120 cuts out and transports the ceramic separator 40 to be laminated on one surface of the positive electrode 20 from the ceramic separator substrate 40 A. The long ceramic separator substrate 40A is cut into a rectangular shape one by one by the first cutting blade 125, and the ceramic separator 40 is formed. The 1st separator conveyance part 120 laminates | stacks the ceramic separator 40 on the one surface side of the positive electrode 20 carried out from the electrode conveyance part 110. FIG.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the second separator transport unit 130 cuts out and transports the ceramic separator 40 to be laminated on the other surface facing the one surface of the positive electrode 20 from the ceramic separator substrate 40 A. The long ceramic separator substrate 40A is cut into a rectangular shape one by one by the second cutting blade 135, and the ceramic separator 40 is formed. The second separator transport unit 130 stacks the ceramic separator 40 on the other surface side of the positive electrode 20 transported from the electrode transport unit 110.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the separator holding unit 140 holds a pair of ceramic separators 40 stacked on the positive electrode 20. The holding plate 141 assists the bonding of the ceramic separators 40 by the separator bonding portion 150 by holding the pair of ceramic separators 40 from below in the stacking direction Z in FIG. That is, while the horn 151 and the anvil 154 are in contact with the pair of ceramic separators 40, the holding plate 141 holds the ceramic separator 40 positioned below the pair from the lower side shown in FIG. .

Next, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the separator joining portion 150 joins the ceramic separators 40 stacked so as to sandwich the positive electrode 20. The horn 151 abuts on the polypropylene layer 41 of the ceramic separator 40 and applies ultrasonic waves along the bonding surface of the ceramic layers 42 intersecting with the stacking direction Z as indicated by a broken line S1 in the drawing. The direction of the wavy line S1 corresponds to the transport direction X that intersects the stacking direction Z. The pressing member 155 presses the horn 151 along the stacking direction Z toward the polypropylene layer 41 of the ceramic separator 40 as represented by an arrow P1 in the drawing. The anvil 154 presses toward the horn 151 as represented by the arrow P2 in the figure. In this way, in the pair of ceramic separators 40, as shown in FIG. 11, the polypropylene layer 41 is melted, the ceramic layer 42 moves from the joint 40h to the surrounding area and becomes sparse, and the polypropylene layers 41 are joined together. To do. Therefore, the ceramic separator 40 can be joined to each other from the state in which the ceramic layers 42 that are difficult to melt are opposed to each other.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the separator transport follower 160 follows the transport operation of the packaged electrode transport unit 170 while the separator joint 150 joins the ceramic separators 40 to each other. The X-axis stage 161 mounts all the constituent members of the separator holding portion 140 and all the constituent members of the separator joint portion 150. The X-axis stage 161 moves along the downstream side in the transport direction X while the horn 151 and the anvil 154 are in contact with and joined to the pair of ceramic separators 40. That is, by using the X-axis stage 161, the pair of ceramic separators 40 can be joined without stopping the rotation of the first transport drum 124 and the second transport drum 134.

Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the packaged electrode transport unit 170 transports the packaged electrode 11 formed by the separator joint 150. The packaged electrode transport unit 170 places the packaged electrode 11 on the mounting table 177 and temporarily stores it.

According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.

In the separator joining method of the electric device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10), the sheet-like molten material (corresponding to the polypropylene layer 41) and the polypropylene layer 41 are laminated on the polypropylene layer 41. Also, a separator (corresponding to the ceramic separator 40) containing a heat-resistant material (corresponding to the ceramic layer 42) having a high melting temperature is used. In this separator joining method, a pair of ceramic separators 40 facing each other with ceramic layers 42 sandwiching electrodes (corresponding to the positive electrode 20 or the negative electrode 30) are joined together. The separator joining method for the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10 includes a joining step. In the joining process, a processing member (corresponding to the horn 151) that processes the ceramic separator 40 by ultrasonic waves is brought into contact with the polypropylene layer 41 of one ceramic separator 40 of the pair of ceramic separators 40 and intersects the stacking direction Z. While the ultrasonic wave is applied in the applied direction and the polypropylene layer 41 is melted, the ceramic layer 42 of the portion where the horn 151 is pressed along the stacking direction Z is moved from the pressed region (joint portion 40h) to the surrounding region. The polypropylene layers 41 of the pair of ceramic separators 40 are bonded to each other.

Further, in the separator joining apparatus 100 of the electric device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10), the sheet-like molten material (corresponding to the polypropylene layer 41) and the polypropylene layer 41 are laminated on the polypropylene. A separator (corresponding to the ceramic separator 40) containing a heat-resistant material (corresponding to the ceramic layer 42) having a melting temperature higher than that of the layer 41 is used. In this separator bonding apparatus 100, a pair of ceramic separators 40 in which ceramic layers 42 sandwiching electrodes (corresponding to the positive electrode 20 or the negative electrode 30) face each other are bonded to each other. The separator bonding apparatus 100 includes an ultrasonic processing member (corresponding to the horn 151) and a pressing member 155. The horn 151 abuts on the polypropylene layer 41 of one ceramic separator 40 of the pair of ceramic separators 40 and applies an ultrasonic wave in a direction crossing the stacking direction Z to perform processing. The pressing member 155 presses the horn 151 along the stacking direction Z.

In such a configuration, the ceramic separator 40 is pressed along the stacking direction Z while applying the ultrasonic wave along the direction intersecting the stacking direction Z of the ceramic separator 40 to melt the polypropylene layer 41. Therefore, the facing polypropylene layers 41 can be joined by partially moving the ceramic layer 42 to the surrounding area to make it sparse. That is, the pair of ceramic separators 40 in which the ceramic layers 42 face each other can be sufficiently bonded.

In the separator joining method of the electric device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10), the joining step starts the application of ultrasonic waves by the horn 151 while the horn 151 is pressed by the pressing member 155. It can be.

According to such a configuration, since the ultrasonic waves are applied to the pair of ceramic separators 40 while the polypropylene layer 41 is pressed against the horn 151, the pressed portions are caused by the vibration of the ultrasonic waves. Can prevent wrinkles. Therefore, the pair of ceramic separators 40 can sufficiently maintain the bonding strength of the bonding portion 40h.

In the separator joining method of the electric device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10), the joining step ends the pressing of the pressing member 155 against the horn 151 while the ultrasonic wave is continuously applied by the horn 151. It can be set as the structure to do.

According to such a configuration, the pair of ceramic separators 40 is in a state where the application of ultrasonic waves by the horn 151 is continued, and the pressing of the horn 151 by the pressing member 155 is completed. In addition, it is possible to increase the proportion of time during which ultrasonic waves are actually applied. Therefore, the time required for forming the joint portion 40h can be shortened.

In the separator joining apparatus 100 of the electrical device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10), the anvil 154 and the urging member 156 may be further included. The anvil 154 is disposed facing the horn 151 along the stacking direction Z, and abuts against the polypropylene layer 41 of the other ceramic separator 40 of the pair of ceramic separators 40. The biasing member 156 biases the anvil 154 toward the horn 151 along the stacking direction Z.

According to such a configuration, the pair of ceramic separators 40 can be held between the horn 151 and the anvil 154 and sufficiently pressed. Therefore, compared with the case where the pair of ceramic separators 40 are pressed only by the horn 151, the ceramic layer 42 can be partially moved to the surrounding region in a shorter time, and the joining portion 40h can be formed.

In an electrical device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10), a sheet-like molten material (corresponding to the polypropylene layer 41) and the polypropylene layer 41 are laminated and have a melting temperature higher than that of the polypropylene layer 41. A separator (corresponding to the ceramic separator 40) including a high heat-resistant material (corresponding to the ceramic layer 42) is used. The packaged electrode 11 is formed by joining together a pair of ceramic separators 40 in which ceramic layers 42 sandwiching electrodes (corresponding to the positive electrode 20 or the negative electrode 30) face each other. The packaged electrode 11 includes a joining portion 40 h formed by partially moving the ceramic layer 42 to the surrounding area to make the ceramic layer 42 sparse and joining the polypropylene layers 41 of the pair of ceramic separators 40.

According to such a configuration, in order to join the pair of ceramic separators 40, it is not necessary to use the ceramic separator 40 in which the ceramic layer 42 is excluded in advance from the joining portion. That is, according to such a packaged electrode 11, the manufacturing cost and tact of the ceramic separator 40 can be reduced, and the ceramic separators 40 can be sufficiently joined together.

(Modification of the first embodiment)
A separator bonding apparatus that embodies a separator bonding method for a packaged electrode 11 according to a modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the separator holding unit 240, the separator bonding unit 150, the separator conveyance follower 160, and the packaged electrode conveyance unit 170 of the separator bonding apparatus. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the separator holding portion 240 and the separator joint portion 150 of FIG.

The separator joining apparatus according to the modified example of the first embodiment has a configuration in which the pair of holding

plates

241 and 242 are separated from the polypropylene layers 41 after the horn 151 is detached from the polypropylene layer 41 of the ceramic separator 40 as described above. It differs from the structure of the separator joining apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment.

In the modification of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components having the same configuration as in the first embodiment described above, and the above description is omitted.

First, the configuration of the separator holding unit 240 will be described with reference to FIG.

The separator holding unit 240 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction X from the first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 130. One set of separator holding parts 240 is disposed at both ends along the carrying direction X of the packaged electrode carrying part 170. The holding plate 241 of the separator holding unit 240 is formed in a long plate shape, and is below the stacking direction Z of the ceramic separator 40 in FIG. 13 and at an end portion along the conveying direction X of the ceramic separator 40. They are arranged in parallel. The holding plate 242 has the same shape as the holding plate 241. The holding plate 241 and the holding plate 242 are disposed to face each other along the stacking direction Z with a pair of ceramic separators 40 interposed therebetween. The holding plate 241 has a rectangular hole in order to avoid interference with the anvil 154 of the separator joint 150. On the other hand, the holding plate 242 includes a rectangular hole in order to avoid interference with the horn 151 of the separator joint 150. The holding

plates

241 and 242 are raised and lowered by the drive support column 158 of the separator joint 150 so as to approach and separate from each other along the stacking direction Z.

Next, the operation of the separator holding unit 240 will be described with reference to FIG.

14A, the separator holding unit 240 holds the pair of ceramic separators 40 along the stacking direction Z by a pair of holding

plates

241 and 242. As shown in FIG. The horn 151 and the anvil 154 are ultrasonically bonded to the pair of ceramic separators 40 while being pressed against the polypropylene layer 41. Next, as shown in FIG. 14B, the horn 151 is detached upward along the stacking direction Z from the pair of ceramic separators 40 as indicated by the arrow T1 in FIG. At the same time as the operation of the horn 151, the anvil 154 is spaced downward along the stacking direction Z from the pair of ceramic separators 40, as indicated by the arrow T2 in FIG. Next, as shown in FIG. 14C, the holding plate 241 is separated downward along the stacking direction Z from the pair of ceramic separators 40 as represented by the arrow T 4 in FIG. 14. At the same time as the operation of the holding plate 241, the holding plate 242 is detached upward along the stacking direction Z from the pair of ceramic separators 40 as indicated by the arrow T 3 in FIG. 14.

According to the modification of the first embodiment described above, the following configuration provides an effect.

In the separator joining apparatus of the electrical device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 11 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10), the separator further has a pair of holding

plates

241 and 242. The pair of holding

plates

241 and 242 sandwich and hold the polypropylene layers 41 along the stacking direction Z. The pair of holding

plates

241 and 242 are separated from the polypropylene layers 41 after the horn 151 is detached from the polypropylene layer 41.

According to such a configuration, the horn 151 is in a state where the polypropylene layers 41 are held by the pair of holding

plates

241 and 242 even if the horn 151 adheres to the polypropylene layer 41 when the pair of ceramic separators 40 are welded. Thus, it can be separated from the polypropylene layer 41. Therefore, the horn 151 can be prevented from moving while attached to the polypropylene layer 41, and the ceramic separator 40 is not damaged.

Further, in the configuration of the modified example of the first embodiment, even if the anvil 154 adheres to the polypropylene layer 41 when contacting the pair of ceramic separators 40, the polypropylene layer 41 is supported by the pair of holding

plates

241 and 242. In a state where they are held together, they can be separated from the polypropylene layer 41. Therefore, the anvil 154 can be prevented from moving while attached to the polypropylene layer 41, and the ceramic separator 40 is not damaged.

(Second Embodiment)
A separator bonding apparatus that embodies the separator bonding method for the packaged electrode 13 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a separator bonding portion 350 of the separator bonding apparatus. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the packaged electrode 13 formed by the separator joint portion 350 of FIG.

The separator joining apparatus according to the second embodiment differs from the separator joining apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment described above in that the both ends of the pair of ceramic separators 40 along the conveying direction X are seam welded.

In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components having the same configuration as in the first embodiment described above, and the above description is omitted.

The separator joining portion 350 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction X from the first separator transport unit 120 and the second separator transport unit 130. One set of separator joints 350 is disposed at both ends along the transport direction X. Unlike the separator bonding portion 150, the separator bonding portion 350 is provided with each constituent material along a direction Y that intersects the conveyance direction X. The separator joint 350 is different from the separator joint 150 in the configuration of the horn 351, the anvil 354, and the biasing member 356.

The horn 351 of the separator joint 350 applies ultrasonic waves to the ceramic separator 40. The horn 351 is made of metal and has a disk shape. The horn 351 is rotatably arranged along the conveyance direction X of the pair of ceramic separators 40. The horn 351 is pressed by the pressing member 155 as indicated by the arrow P3 in FIG. 15 and presses the polypropylene layer 41 of one ceramic separator 40 of the pair of ceramic separators 40. The horn 351 applies ultrasonic waves along the bonding surface between the ceramic layers 42 intersecting with the stacking direction Z, as represented by the wavy line S2 in FIG. The direction of the wavy line S2 corresponds to the direction Y intersecting the stacking direction Z.

The anvil 354 is made of metal and has a disk shape. The horn 351 is rotatably arranged along the conveyance direction X of the pair of ceramic separators 40. The anvil 354 is opposed to the horn 351 with the pair of ceramic separators 40 interposed therebetween. The anvil 354 is pressed by the urging member 356 as shown by the arrow P4 in FIG. One end of the biasing member 356 is formed in an annular shape, and the rear portion of the anvil 354 is inserted and rotatably connected. The biasing member 356 is movable along the stacking direction Z with respect to the drive column 158. As shown in FIG. 16, the separator joining portion 350 continuously joins both ends along the transport direction X of the pair of ceramic separators 40 to form the packaged electrode 13 including the linear joining portion 40 i.

According to the second embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.

In the separator joining device of the electric device (corresponding to the packaged electrode 13 of the lithium ion secondary battery 10), the horn 351 is formed in a disk shape that is rotatable along the conveying direction X of the pair of ceramic separators 40. ing.

According to such a configuration, both ends along the conveying direction X of the pair of ceramic separators 40 can be continuously joined by seam welding to form a linear joint 40i. Therefore, both ends of the pair of ceramic separators 40 can be bonded more firmly.

Furthermore, according to such a configuration, the horn 351 is hardly adhered to the polypropylene layer 41 because the horn 351 is welded while moving at both ends of the pair of ceramic separators 40. Therefore, the horn 351 can be prevented from moving in a state where it is attached to the polypropylene layer 41, and the ceramic separator 40 is not damaged.

Furthermore, according to such a configuration, the horn 351 only needs to abut on the polypropylene layer 41 of the ceramic separator 40 in a freely rotatable manner. That is, without using the separator conveyance follower 160, the pair of ceramic separators 40 can be joined while the rotation of the first conveyance drum 124 and the second conveyance drum 134 is continued.

Further, the anvil 354 can be formed in a disk shape that is rotatable along the conveying direction X of the pair of ceramic separators 40.

According to such a configuration, the pair of ceramic separators 40 can be held between the horn 351 and the anvil 354 and sufficiently pressed. Therefore, compared with the case where the pair of ceramic separators 40 are pressed only by the horn 351, the ceramic layer 42 can be partially moved to the surrounding region in a shorter time, and the joint portion 40i can be formed.

In addition, the present invention can be variously modified based on the configuration described in the claims, and these are also within the scope of the present invention.

For example, the direction in which the ultrasonic wave is propagated to the ceramic separator 40 may be a direction along the bonding surface of the ceramic layers 42 intersecting with the stacking direction Z, and the conveyance direction X and the direction Y intersecting the stacking direction Z There is no particular limitation as long as it is within the plane.

Moreover, in 1st and 2nd embodiment, the ceramic layer 42 of a pair of ceramic separator 40 was partially moved to the surrounding area, and it demonstrated as a structure which joins the polypropylene layers 41 which faced each other. . Here, it is not necessary to completely move the ceramic layers 42 at the portion to be the joint portion to the surrounding area, and they may be moved to such a degree that they become sparse. That is, the facing polypropylene layers 41 can be bonded together in a state where a part of the ceramic layers 42 remains in a portion that becomes a bonding portion.

Moreover, in 1st and 2nd embodiment, in the packaged electrode 11 used for the lithium ion secondary battery 10, although demonstrated with the structure which joins a pair of ceramic separator 40 mutually, it is limited to such a structure. Absent. The present invention can also be applied to joining members other than the packaged electrode 11 used in the lithium ion secondary battery 10.

In the first and second embodiments, the secondary battery has been described with the configuration of the lithium ion secondary battery 10, but the configuration is not limited to such a configuration. The secondary battery can be configured as, for example, a polymer lithium battery, a nickel-hydrogen battery, or a nickel-cadmium battery.

In the first and second embodiments, the heat-resistant material of the ceramic separator 40 has been described with the configuration of the ceramic layer 42, but is not limited to such a configuration. The heat-resistant material is not limited to ceramics and may be a member having a melting temperature higher than that of the molten material.

In the first and second embodiments, the molten material of the ceramic separator 40 has been described with the configuration of the polypropylene layer 41. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration. The molten material is not limited to polypropylene and may be a member having a melting temperature lower than that of the heat-resistant material.

In the first and second embodiments, the ceramic separator 40 has been described as a configuration in which a heat-resistant material (ceramic layer 42) is laminated on one surface of a molten material (polypropylene layer 41), but the configuration is limited to such a configuration. Never happen. The ceramic separator 40 may be configured by laminating a heat-resistant material (ceramic layer 42) on both surfaces of a molten material (polypropylene layer 41).

In the first and second embodiments, the positive electrode 20 is packed with the pair of ceramic separators 40 to form the packed electrode 11, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The negative electrode 30 may be packed with a pair of ceramic separators 40 to form a packed electrode. Furthermore, it is good also as a structure which inserts the positive electrode 20 or the negative electrode 30 after joining a pair of ceramic separator 40 mutually, and forms a packing electrode.

In the first and second embodiments, the positive electrode 20, the ceramic separator 40, and the packaged electrode 11 have been described as being automatically conveyed. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The positive electrode 20, the ceramic separator 40, or the packaged electrode 11 may be configured to be manually transported.

Moreover, although 1st Embodiment demonstrated as a structure which carries out the spot welding of the both ends of a pair of ceramic separator 40 using the horn 151 and the anvil 154 provided with the projection part, it is not limited to such a structure. . It is good also as a structure which operates the horn 151 provided with the projection part, and the anvil 154 so that a junction part may continue, and seam welds the both ends of a pair of ceramic separator 40. FIG.

In the first embodiment, the projection 151b of the horn 151 and the projection 154b of the anvil 154 are described as being sandwiched and pressed while sandwiching the pair of ceramic separators 40. However, the configuration is limited to such a configuration. Absent. What is necessary is just to provide the projection part in any one of the horn 151 or the anvil 154. FIG. In other words, the pair of ceramic separators 40 may be pressed while being held between the protrusion 151b of the horn 151 and the flat portion of the main body 154a of the anvil 154. Moreover, it is good also as a structure pressed while pinching so that the part which becomes a junction part of a pair of ceramic separator 40 may be pinched | interposed by the convex-shaped projection part 151b of the horn 151, and the concave hollow part of the anvil 154. Further, the pair of ceramic separators 40 may be pressed while being sandwiched between one end of the flat portion of the main body portion 151a of the horn 151 and one end of the flat portion of the main body portion 154a of the anvil 154.

In the second embodiment, the disk-shaped horn 351 and the disk-shaped anvil 354 are used to describe seam welding at both ends of the pair of ceramic separators 40. However, the present invention is not limited to such a structure. Absent. It is good also as a structure which carries out spot welding of the both ends of a pair of ceramic separator 40 by separating the disk-shaped horn 351 and the anvil 354 from a pair of ceramic separator 40 with a fixed period. In such a configuration, the disk-shaped horn 351 and the anvil 354 need not be rotated. Further, in the case of such a configuration, the long separator joining portion 350 shown in FIG. 15 may be disposed by being rotated by 90 ° with respect to the joining portion so as to be along the transport direction X. . Moreover, it is good also as a structure which does not rotate the anvil 354, rotating the horn 351. FIG.

In the second embodiment, instead of the pressing member 155 that presses the disk-shaped horn 351 toward the pair of ceramic separators 40, a spiral spring member having elasticity may be used. Similarly, instead of the urging member 356 that urges the disc-shaped anvil 354 toward the horn 351, a spiral spring member having elasticity may be used.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-207665 filed on October 2, 2013, the disclosure content of which is referenced and incorporated as a whole.

10 Lithium ion secondary battery,
11, 13 Packed electrode (electric device),
12 power generation elements,
20 positive electrode (electrode),
20A positive electrode substrate,
21 positive electrode current collector,
21a positive electrode terminal,
30 negative electrode (electrode),
31 negative electrode current collector,
31a negative electrode terminal,
32 negative electrode active material,
40 Ceramic separator (separator),
40A substrate for ceramic separator,
40h, 40i joint,
41 polypropylene layer (melting material),
42 Ceramic layer (heat-resistant material),
50 exterior materials,
51,52 Laminate sheet,
100 separator joining device,
110 Electrode transfer unit,
111 electrode supply roller,
112 transport rollers,
113 Conveyor belt,
114 rotating rollers,
115,116 cutting blades,
117 cradle,
120 first separator transport section,
121 first separator supply roller;
122 first pressure roller,
123 first nip roller,
124 first transport drum,
125 first cutting blade,
130 second separator transport section,
131 second separator supply roller;
132 second pressure roller,
133 second nip roller,
134 second transport drum,
135 second cutting blade,
140,240 separator holding part,
141, 241, 242 holding plate (holding member),
150, 350 separator joint,
151, 191, 192, 351 Horn (ultrasonic processing member),
151a, 191a, 192a main body,
151b, 151b1, 151b2, 151b3, 151b4, 191b, 192b protrusions,
152 booster,
153 vibrator,
154,354 anvil (contact member),
154a body part,
154b protrusion,
155 pressing member,
156, 356 biasing member,
157 drive stage,
158 drive strut,
160 separator conveyance follower,
161 X-axis stage,
170 Packed electrode transport section,
171 Conveyor belt,
172 rotating roller,
173 suction pad,
174 telescopic member,
175 X axis stage,
176 X-axis auxiliary rail,
177 mounting table,
180 control unit,
181 controller,
X transport direction,
Y direction (crossing the transport direction X),
Z Stacking direction.

Claims

A separator including a sheet-like melted material and a heat-resistant material laminated on the melted material and having a melting temperature higher than that of the melted material, and a pair of the separators facing each other between the heat-resistant materials sandwiching the electrodes A separator joining method for electrical devices to be joined,
An ultrasonic processing member for processing the separator by ultrasonic waves is brought into contact with the molten material of the separator of one of the pair of separators, and ultrasonic waves are applied in a direction crossing the laminating direction to apply the molten material. The melted material of the pair of separators is made sparse by moving the heat-resistant material in the portion where the ultrasonic processing member is pressed along the stacking direction from the pressed region to the surrounding region. The separator joining method of the electric device which has a joining process of joining each other.
2. The separator joining method for an electric device according to claim 1, wherein in the joining step, application of ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic processing member is started in a state where the ultrasonic processing member is pressed by the pressing member.
3. The separator joining method for an electric device according to claim 1, wherein the joining step ends pressing of the ultrasonic processing member by the pressing member in a state where application of ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic processing member is continued.
A separator including a sheet-like melted material and a heat-resistant material laminated on the melted material and having a melting temperature higher than that of the melted material, and a pair of the separators facing each other between the heat-resistant materials sandwiching the electrodes A separator joining apparatus for electrical devices to be joined,
An ultrasonic processing member that contacts the molten material of one of the pair of separators and applies an ultrasonic wave in a direction crossing the stacking direction to perform processing;
And a pressing member that presses the ultrasonic processing member along the laminating direction.
An abutting member disposed opposite to the ultrasonic processing member along the laminating direction and abutting against the molten material of the other separator of the pair of separators;
The separator joining apparatus for an electric device according to claim 4, further comprising an urging member that urges the abutting member toward the ultrasonic machining member along the laminating direction.
Further comprising a pair of holding members that hold the molten materials together in the stacking direction;
The separator joining apparatus for an electric device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the pair of holding members are separated from the melted materials after the ultrasonic processing member is detached from the melted material.
The separator joining apparatus for an electric device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the ultrasonic processing member is formed in a disk shape that is rotatable along a conveying direction of the pair of separators.
The separator joining apparatus for an electric device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the contact member is formed in a disk shape that is rotatable along a conveying direction of the pair of separators.
A separator including a sheet-like melted material and a heat-resistant material laminated on the melted material and having a melting temperature higher than that of the melted material, and a pair of the separators facing each other between the heat-resistant materials sandwiching the electrodes Bonded electrical devices,
An electrical device comprising a joining portion formed by partially moving the heat-resistant material to a surrounding region to make it sparse and joining the molten materials of a pair of the separators.