WO2022210966A1

WO2022210966A1 - Battery electrode manufacturing device

Info

Publication number: WO2022210966A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/016270
Authority: WO
Inventors: 英明堀江; 健一郎榎; 勇輔中嶋
Original assignee: Ａｐｂ株式会社
Priority date: 2021-03-31
Filing date: 2022-03-30
Publication date: 2022-10-06
Also published as: JP2022157886A

Abstract

A battery electrode manufacturing device according to the present invention includes: a chamber (100) having an internal space where the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure; a slit (101) formed in the chamber and in the form of an opening through which a component sheet passes from the external space to the internal space of the chamber, the component sheet including multiple continuous components each including a base film layer, which is formed by dividing a belt-like base film (current collector (21B)) in predetermined units, and a mask layer disposed on the surface of the base film layer; and an entry suppressing mechanism (500) that suppresses the entry of air into the internal space through the slit.

Description

Battery electrode manufacturing equipment

The present invention relates to a battery electrode manufacturing apparatus.

In recent years, active materials are sometimes supplied to the base film in the manufacturing process of batteries. For example, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, an active material may be supplied to a current collector. For example, a battery electrode is manufactured by arranging a positive electrode active material, a separator, a negative electrode active material, the other current collector, and a frame on one of the current collectors of the positive electrode and the negative electrode. . In addition, the positive electrode current collector, the positive electrode active material, the separator, the negative electrode active material, and the negative electrode current collector are laminated in a predetermined order. Also, the frame is provided at the edge of the current collector layer, and configured to surround the outer periphery of the separator and the active material layer.

Japanese Patent No. 6633866 JP 2019-207750 A

Here, there is an idea that the active material is supplied to the base film in a chamber whose internal space is reduced below atmospheric pressure. As a result, the quality of the battery electrode can be improved by preventing the contamination of impurities and the like.

In order to improve the efficiency of the production when producing a battery electrode in the chamber, for example, a substrate film is continuously supplied from outside the chamber (under normal pressure environment) into the chamber (under reduced pressure environment). There is a need to. The present inventors provide a slit in a chamber whose internal space is reduced below atmospheric pressure, and through the slit, a member containing a base film (e.g., a base film on the base film A member on which a mask is placed on the surface) has been found to be transported. With this configuration, if a large amount of air flows into the chamber through the slit, problems may arise, such as the decompression state in the chamber being hindered. Therefore, the inflow of air through the slit is suppressed. preferably.

An object of the present invention is to provide a battery electrode manufacturing apparatus capable of suppressing the inflow of air into the chamber through the slit.

The present invention provides a chamber whose internal space is reduced below atmospheric pressure, a base film layer formed in the chamber and formed by dividing a belt-shaped base film into predetermined units, and a base film layer. A slit having an opening shape for a member sheet in which a plurality of members including a mask layer to be placed on the surface is connected to pass from the outer space of the chamber to the inner space, and to the inner space through the slit. and an inflow suppression mechanism for suppressing the inflow of air.

According to the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the inflow of air into the chamber through the slit.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cell. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining the inflow of air into the internal space of the chamber. FIG. 3B is a diagram for explaining the inflow of air into the internal space of the chamber. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an inflow suppression mechanism according to the embodiment; FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an example of an inflow suppression mechanism according to the embodiment; FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating an example of an inflow suppression mechanism according to the embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an inflow suppression mechanism according to the embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an inflow suppression mechanism according to the embodiment;

A battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment. In addition, components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art or substantially the same components.

[Embodiment]
A battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is a battery electrode manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the electrode 20 applied to the unit cell 10 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, first, the basic configuration of the cell 10 and the electrode 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and then the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

<Single battery>
The cell 10 is a secondary battery in this embodiment. Note that the lithium ion battery in this specification refers to a secondary battery that uses lithium ions as charge carriers and is charged and discharged by movement of the lithium ions between the positive and negative electrodes. The lithium ion battery (secondary battery) includes a battery using a liquid material for the electrolyte and a battery using a solid material for the electrolyte (so-called all-solid battery). In addition, the lithium ion battery in the present embodiment includes a battery having a metal foil (metal current collector foil) as a current collector, and is composed of a resin to which a conductive material is added instead of the metal foil, a so-called resin current collector. Including a battery with a body. When the resin current collector is used as a resin current collector for a bipolar electrode, which will be described later, a positive electrode is formed on one surface of the resin current collector and a negative electrode is formed on the other surface to obtain a bipolar electrode. may be configured. In addition, the lithium ion battery in the present embodiment includes those in which the positive electrode or negative electrode active material or the like is applied to the positive electrode current collector or the negative electrode current collector using a binder to form an electrode, and in the case of a bipolar battery, is a bipolar electrode having a positive electrode layer formed by applying a positive electrode active material or the like using a binder to one surface of a current collector, and a negative electrode layer formed by applying a negative electrode active material or the like using a binder to the opposite surface of the current collector. including those that consist of

In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the "positive electrode 20a" and the "negative electrode 20b", they may simply be referred to as the "electrode 20". In addition, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the “positive electrode current collector layer 21a” and the “negative electrode current collector layer 21b”, they may simply be referred to as “the current collector layer 21”. In addition, when it is not necessary to specifically distinguish between the “positive electrode active material layer 22a” and the “negative electrode active material layer 22b”, they may simply be described as the “active material layer 22”.

The cell 10 has a positive electrode 20a, a negative electrode 20b, a separator 30, and a frame 35, as shown in FIG. The positive electrode 20 a is one electrode 20 of the two electrodes (battery electrodes) 20 that constitute the cell 10 . The negative electrode 20 b is the other electrode 20 of the two electrodes 20 that constitute the cell 10 . The separator 30 is a plate-like member arranged between the positive electrode 20a and the negative electrode 20b. The frame 35 is a frame-shaped member that surrounds the periphery of the separator 30 . In the unit cell 10, the positive electrode 20a, the separator 30, and the negative electrode 20b are stacked in this order, and integrated in a positional relationship in which the frame 35 surrounds the periphery of the separator 30. As shown in FIG.

The positive electrode 20a has a positive electrode current collector layer 21a and a positive electrode active material layer 22a, and the positive electrode active material layer 22a is electrically coupled to one of both surfaces of the positive electrode current collector layer 21a. . On the other hand, the negative electrode 20b has a negative electrode current collector layer 21b and a negative electrode active material layer 22b, and the negative electrode active material layer 22b is electrically coupled to one of both surfaces of the negative electrode current collector layer 21b. ing. The positive electrode 20a and the negative electrode 20b in this embodiment are formed in a rectangular plate shape.

The separator 30 functions as a partition between the positive electrode 20a and the negative electrode 20b, and prevents the positive electrode active material layer 22a and the negative electrode active material layer 22b from coming into contact with each other. The separator 30 in this embodiment is formed in a rectangular plate shape smaller than the positive collector layer 21a and the negative collector layer 21b.

The frame 35 forms the skeleton of the unit cell 10 . The frame 35 seals the positive electrode active material layer 22a between the positive electrode current collector layer 21a and the separator 30, and seals the negative electrode active material layer 22b between the negative electrode current collector layer 21b and the separator 30. It is something to do. The frame body 35 in this embodiment is formed in a frame shape surrounding the outer periphery of the separator 30 .

The unit cell 10 is laminated in the order of the positive electrode current collector layer 21a, the positive electrode active material layer 22a, the separator 30, the negative electrode active material layer 22b, and the negative electrode current collector layer 21b. That is, in the cell 10, the positive electrode current collector layer 21a and the negative electrode current collector layer 21b are arranged as the outermost layers. That is, in the cell 10 , the collector layer 21 is exposed to the outside of the cell 10 .

Note that FIG. 1 shows a case where a part of the separator 30 is configured to enter the frame body 35 . That is, in FIG. 1 , the separator 30 has a width slightly larger than that of the active material layer 22 surrounded by the frame 35 , and a part of the separator 30 bites into the frame 35 . However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and for example, the positive electrode active material layer 22a, the negative electrode active material layer 22b, and the separator 30 may have the same width. The frame 35 shown in FIG. 1 may be manufactured integrally, or manufactured by separately manufacturing the frame 35 on the side of the positive electrode 20a and the frame 35 on the side of the negative electrode 20b and combining them. good too.

<Battery pack>
A plurality of unit cells 10 can be combined and used in the form of an assembled battery in which the voltage and capacity are adjusted, that is, a battery pack. The assembled battery is configured by stacking a plurality of flat unit cells 10 in the thickness direction. Unit cells 10 adjacent in the thickness direction are stacked such that different electrodes 20 are in contact, that is, one positive electrode 20a and the other negative electrode 20b are in contact. In the assembled battery, the single cells 10 inside are covered with an outer layer film made of a flexible insulating material, such as a laminate film. The assembled battery is provided with outlets electrically connected to the positive electrodes 20a and the negative electrodes 20b located at both ends of the plurality of cells 10 in the thickness direction. A part of the extraction part is exposed to the outside of the exterior film, and power is supplied to an electrically connected electrical device on the outside.

The method of stacking the assembled battery is arbitrary. As an example of the lamination method, a unit cell having a positive electrode resin current collector on the first surface and a negative electrode resin current collector on the second surface is arranged such that the first surface (positive electrode side) and the first surface (positive electrode side) of a pair of adjacent unit cells are stacked. A laminated battery may be formed by laminating a plurality of layers in series so that the two surfaces (negative electrode side) are adjacent to each other. As another example, a single cell in which a positive electrode layer is provided on one side of a single resin current collector and a negative electrode layer is provided on the other side of the resin current collector may be laminated with an electrolyte layer interposed between them to form a laminated battery. good.

<Specific example of positive electrode current collector>
As the positive electrode current collector that constitutes the positive electrode current collector layer 21a, a known current collector used in a lithium-ion single battery can be used. A resin current collector (such as the resin current collector described in JP-A-2012-150905 and WO 2015/005116) can be used. The positive electrode collector constituting the positive electrode collector layer 21a is preferably a resin collector from the viewpoint of battery characteristics and the like.

Metal current collectors include, for example, copper, aluminum, titanium, nickel, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, zirconium, zinc, tungsten, bismuth, antimony, alloys containing one or more of these metals, and the group consisting of stainless alloys. and one or more metal materials selected from These metal materials may be used in the form of thin plates, metal foils, or the like. Alternatively, a metal current collector formed by forming the above metal material on the surface of a base material other than the above metal material by sputtering, electrodeposition, coating, or the like may be used.

The resin current collector preferably contains a conductive filler and a matrix resin. Examples of the matrix resin include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polymethylpentene (PMP) and the like, but are not particularly limited. Also, the conductive filler is not particularly limited as long as it is selected from materials having conductivity. The conductive filler may be a conductive fiber having a fibrous shape.

The resin current collector may contain other components (dispersant, cross-linking accelerator, cross-linking agent, colorant, ultraviolet absorber, plasticizer, etc.) in addition to the matrix resin and the conductive filler. Also, a plurality of resin current collectors may be laminated and used, or a resin current collector and a metal foil may be laminated and used.

Although the thickness of the positive electrode current collector layer 21a is not particularly limited, it is preferably 5 to 150 μm. When a plurality of resin current collectors are laminated and used as the positive electrode current collector layer 21a, the total thickness after lamination is preferably 5 to 150 μm. The positive electrode current collector layer 21a can be obtained, for example, by molding a conductive resin composition obtained by melt-kneading a matrix resin, a conductive filler, and a dispersing agent for a filler used if necessary into a film by a known method. can be done.

<Specific example of positive electrode active material>
The positive electrode active material layer 22a is preferably a non-bound mixture containing a positive electrode active material. Here, the non-bound body means that the position of the positive electrode active material is not fixed in the positive electrode active material layer, and the positive electrode active materials and the positive electrode active materials and the positive electrode active material and the current collector are irreversibly means not fixed. When the positive electrode active material layer 22a is a non-bound body, the positive electrode active materials are not irreversibly fixed to each other. Even when stress is applied to the material layer 22a, the positive electrode active material moves, which is preferable because the destruction of the positive electrode active material layer 22a can be prevented. The positive electrode active material layer 22a, which is a non-binder, can be obtained by a method such as changing the positive electrode active material layer 22a into a positive electrode active material layer 22a containing a positive electrode active material and an electrolytic solution but not containing a binder. can. In this specification, the binder means an agent that cannot reversibly fix the positive electrode active materials together and the positive electrode active material and the current collector, and includes starch, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxyl Known solvent-drying type binders for lithium ion batteries such as methylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, tetrafluoroethylene, styrene-butadiene rubber, polyethylene and polypropylene can be used. These binders are used by dissolving or dispersing them in a solvent, and by volatilizing and distilling off the solvent, the surface solidifies without exhibiting stickiness. cannot be reversibly fixed.

Examples of the positive electrode active material include, but are not particularly limited to, a composite oxide of lithium and a transition metal, a composite oxide containing two transition metal elements, and a composite oxide containing three or more metal elements. .

The positive electrode active material may be a coated positive electrode active material in which at least part of the surface is coated with a coating material containing a polymer compound. When the positive electrode active material is covered with the coating material, the volume change of the positive electrode is moderated, and the expansion of the positive electrode can be suppressed.

As the polymer compound constituting the coating material, those described as active material coating resins in JP-A-2017-054703 and WO 2015/005117 can be suitably used.

The covering material may contain a conductive agent. As the conductive agent, the same conductive filler as contained in the positive electrode current collector layer 21a can be preferably used.

The positive electrode active material layer 22a may contain an adhesive resin. As the adhesive resin, for example, a non-aqueous secondary battery active material coating resin described in JP-A-2017-054703 is mixed with a small amount of an organic solvent to adjust its glass transition temperature to room temperature or lower. Also, those described as adhesives in JP-A-10-255805 can be preferably used. In addition, adhesive resin is a resin that does not solidify even if the solvent component is volatilized and dried, and has adhesiveness (the property of adhering by applying a slight pressure without using water, solvent, heat, etc.) means On the other hand, a solution-drying type electrode binder used as a binder is one that dries and solidifies by volatilizing a solvent component, thereby firmly adhering and fixing active materials to each other. Therefore, the binder (solution-drying type electrode binder) and the adhesive resin described above are different materials.

The positive electrode active material layer 22a may contain an electrolytic solution containing an electrolyte and a non-aqueous solvent. As the electrolyte, those used in known electrolytic solutions can be used. As the non-aqueous solvent, those used in known electrolytic solutions (eg, phosphate esters, nitrile compounds, mixtures thereof, etc.) can be used. For example, a mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or a mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) can be used.

The positive electrode active material layer 22a may contain a conductive aid. As the conductive aid, a conductive material similar to the conductive filler contained in the positive electrode current collector layer 21a can be preferably used.

Although the thickness of the positive electrode active material layer 22a is not particularly limited, it is preferably 150 to 600 μm, more preferably 200 to 450 μm, from the viewpoint of battery performance.

<Specific example of negative electrode current collector>
As the negative electrode current collector constituting the negative electrode current collector layer 21b, the same one as the positive electrode current collector can be appropriately selected and used, and can be obtained by the same method. The negative electrode current collector layer 21b is preferably a resin current collector from the viewpoint of battery characteristics and the like. Although the thickness of the negative electrode current collector layer 21b is not particularly limited, it is preferably 5 to 150 μm.

<Specific example of negative electrode active material>
The negative electrode active material layer 22b is preferably a non-bonded mixture containing a negative electrode active material. The reason why the negative electrode active material layer is preferably a non-binder and the reason why the positive electrode active material layer 22a is preferably a non-binder is the method for obtaining the negative electrode active material layer 22b which is a non-binder. , and the method for obtaining the positive electrode active material layer 22a which is a non-binder.

As the negative electrode active material, for example, a carbon-based material, a silicon-based material, a mixture thereof, or the like can be used, but is not particularly limited.

The negative electrode active material may be a coated negative electrode active material in which at least part of the surface is coated with a coating material containing a polymer compound. When the periphery of the negative electrode active material is covered with the coating material, the volume change of the negative electrode is moderated, and the expansion of the negative electrode can be suppressed.

As the coating material, the same coating material as that constituting the coated positive electrode active material can be suitably used.

The negative electrode active material layer 22b contains an electrolytic solution containing an electrolyte and a non-aqueous solvent. As for the composition of the electrolytic solution, an electrolytic solution similar to the electrolytic solution contained in the positive electrode active material layer 22a can be suitably used.

The negative electrode active material layer 22b may contain a conductive aid. As the conductive aid, a conductive material similar to the conductive filler contained in the positive electrode active material layer 22a can be preferably used.

The negative electrode active material layer 22b may contain an adhesive resin. As the adhesive resin, the same adhesive resin as an optional component of the positive electrode active material layer 22a can be preferably used.

Although the thickness of the negative electrode active material layer 22b is not particularly limited, it is preferably 150 to 600 μm, more preferably 200 to 450 μm, from the viewpoint of battery performance.

<Specific example of separator>
The electrolyte retained in the separator 30 includes, for example, an electrolytic solution or a gel polymer electrolyte. By using these electrolytes, the separator 30 ensures high lithium ion conductivity. Examples of the form of the separator 30 include, but are not particularly limited to, polyethylene or polypropylene porous films. As the separator, a sulfide-based or oxide-based inorganic solid electrolyte, or a polymer-based organic solid electrolyte can be used. By applying a solid electrolyte, an all-solid battery can be constructed.

<Specific example of frame>
The material for the frame 35 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that is durable against the electrolytic solution. For example, a polymer material is preferable, and a thermosetting polymer material is more preferable. As a material for forming the frame 35, any material having insulating properties, sealing properties (liquid-tightness), heat resistance under the battery operating temperature, and the like may be used, and a resin material is preferably employed. More specifically, examples of the frame 35 include epoxy-based resins, polyolefin-based resins, polyurethane-based resins, and polyvinylidene fluoride resins. preferable.

<Manufacturing equipment>
Next, the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000. As shown in FIG. For example, the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 includes a chamber 100 , a frame supply device 200 , an active material supply device 300 , a roll press 400 and an inflow suppression mechanism 500 .

Note that the case where the base film is the strip-shaped current collector 21B will be described below as an example. That is, hereinafter, an apparatus for supplying an active material to a current collector will be described as the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 . However, embodiments are not limited to this. For example, the base film may be a current collector, a separator, or a transfer film. Even when the base film is a separator or a film for transfer, the embodiments described below are similarly applicable.

In addition, a case where a member sheet in which a plurality of members including the current collector layer 21 and the frame 35 are connected is conveyed into the chamber 100 will be described below. That is, hereinafter, a case will be described in which a member sheet in which a plurality of members including a base film and a frame body 35 placed on the surface of the base film are connected is conveyed into the chamber 100 . However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and a member sheet in which a plurality of members including a base film and a mask layer placed on the surface of the base film are connected is conveyed into the chamber 100. The same can be applied in any case.

The mask layer may be either a mask or a frame 35. When the base film is, for example, the current collector 21B, the frame 35 (framed current collector) is used, and the base film is used for transfer, for example. When it is a film, a mask (base film with a mask) is used. When using a member sheet in which a mask layer is placed on the surface of the base film layer, the active material layer (electrode composition layer) formed on the member sheet is transferred to the current collector or the framed current collector. It is possible to obtain an electrode for a lithium ion battery.

The internal space of the chamber 100 is evacuated below atmospheric pressure. Specifically, the internal space of the chamber 100 is decompressed below atmospheric pressure by a decompression pump (not shown). The standard atmospheric pressure is approximately 1013 hPa (approximately 105 Pa). Also, the chamber 100 has a slit 101 that communicates the internal space and the external space.

For example, a current collector roll 21R is arranged outside the chamber 100, and a strip-shaped current collector 21B is pulled out from the current collector roll 21R. Note that the current collector 21B is obtained before the current collector layer 21 is cut into a predetermined shape. That is, the current collector layer 21 shown in FIG. 1 is formed by dividing the current collector 21B into predetermined units. The current collector 21B is transported at a predetermined speed along the transport direction D by a transport device such as a belt conveyor. Hereinafter, the direction in which the current collector 21B is conveyed will be described as the downstream side D1, and the opposite direction as the upstream side D2.

The frame supply device 200 supplies the frame 35 to the conveyed current collector 21B. For example, the frame supply device 200 has a robot arm, and places the pre-manufactured frame 35 at a predetermined position on the transported current collector 21B. After placing the frame 35 on the current collector 21B, the current collector 21B and the frame 35 may be compressed by a roll press so as to be sandwiched between them.

The method for manufacturing the frame 35 is not particularly limited. For example, the frame 35 can be formed into a predetermined shape by cutting a sheet or block made of a predetermined material such as a polymeric material. For example, the frame 35 is obtained by punching out a material sheet made of a predetermined material.

Further, for example, the frame body 35 can be formed into a predetermined shape by a method using a frame mold such as injection molding. For example, a mold having an internal space of a predetermined shape is prepared in advance, and the frame body 35 can be formed into a predetermined shape by performing injection molding on the mold.

Further, for example, the frame body 35 can be formed into a predetermined shape by ejecting or applying a predetermined material onto the base material. For example, the frame 35 can be formed into a predetermined shape by a dispenser. That is, the frame 35 can be formed by discharging a predetermined amount of a predetermined material from a nozzle onto the substrate under the control of the dispenser. To give another example, the frame 35 can be formed by applying a predetermined material in a predetermined shape onto the base material using a coater such as a screen printer.

More specifically, the frame body 35 can be formed by discharging or applying a predetermined material onto the base material in a predetermined shape using a dispenser, a coater, or the like, and peeling it off from the base material after drying. can be done. Alternatively, the frame body 35 is formed by discharging or applying a predetermined material such as a two-liquid curing resin or a UV curing resin onto the base material using a dispenser, a coater, or the like so as to form a predetermined shape, and peeling off from the base material after curing. It can be formed by letting

In addition, the frame body 35 can be formed into a predetermined shape by various methods. For example, the frame 35 may be formed into a predetermined shape by assembling sheets or blocks made of a predetermined material so as to have a predetermined shape. Alternatively, for example, the frame body 35 may be formed into a predetermined shape by arranging a sheet made of a predetermined material in the longitudinal direction of the base material and ejecting or applying the material in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the frame 35 can be manufactured by any type of 3D printer.

Also, although the pre-manufactured frame 35 has been described as being placed on the current collector 21B, the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the frame 35 may be manufactured on the current collector 21B. As an example, the current collector 21B is used as a base material, and a predetermined material is discharged or applied in a predetermined shape onto the current collector 21B using a dispenser, a coater, or the like, thereby forming the frame 35 on the current collector 21B. can be formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the current collector roll 21R and the frame supply device 200 are arranged in the external space of the chamber 100. As shown in FIG. The space in which the current collector roll 21R and the frame body supply device 200 are arranged may be at normal pressure, or may be evacuated by a chamber different from the chamber 100 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the current collector 21B and the frame 35 are transported into the internal space of the chamber 100 through the slit 101. That is, the current collector 21B and the frame 35 are conveyed into the internal space of the chamber 100 in the form of a member sheet in which a plurality of members including the current collector layer 21 and the frame 35 are connected. The slit 101 has an opening shape for the member sheet to pass from the outer space of the chamber 100 to the inner space.

Here, when the current collector 21B and the frame 35 are transported into the internal space of the chamber 100 through the slit 101, air may flow into the internal space of the chamber 100 through the slit 101. be. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, when there is a gap between a plurality of frames 35 arranged on the current collector 21B, while the gap is located in the slit 101, the air passing through the gap enters the chamber. It may flow into the internal space of 100. Further, the frame 35 is a member having an internal space 35a in which the active material layer 22 will be formed later. Then, for example, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the air passing through the internal space 35a of the frame 35 flows into the internal space of the chamber 100 while the internal space 35a of the frame 35 is positioned in the slit 101. There is

Therefore, the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 according to the embodiment further includes an inflow suppressing mechanism 500, as shown in FIG. The inflow suppression mechanism 500 suppresses the inflow of air through the slit 101 when the current collector 21B and the frame 35 are transported into the internal space of the chamber 100 . A specific example of the inflow suppression mechanism 500 will be described later.

The active material supply device 300 is arranged in the internal space of the chamber 100 and supplies the powdery active material 22c onto the conveyed current collector 21B. The active material 22c means a plurality of electrode granulated particles including an electrode active material and a conductive aid.

For example, the active material supply device 300 includes a screw conveyor, a hopper, a shutter, and the like. In this case, the active material 22c is conveyed by a screw conveyor and accommodated inside the hopper. Also, the hopper has an opening, and the opening is opened and closed by a shutter. For example, when the internal space 35a of the frame 35 is positioned below the opening of the hopper, the active material supply device 300 controls the shutter to open the opening, so that the inside of the frame 35 above the current collector 21B is exposed. The active material 22c can be supplied to the position of the space 35a.

The roll press 400 compresses the active material 22c supplied onto the current collector 21B. For example, roll press 400 has a pair of compression rollers and a drive. Current collector 21B, frame 35, and active material 22c are sandwiched between the pair of compression rollers. Roll press 400 compresses first thickness active material 22c to a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. For example, the second thickness is the thickness of the frame 35 . Thereby, the active material layer 22 shown in FIG. 1 is formed.

After the various steps described above, the electrode 20 including the current collector layer 21 and the active material layer 22 is manufactured by dividing the strip-shaped current collector 21B into predetermined units. Also, the unit cell 10 is manufactured by laminating a pair of electrodes 20 (that is, the positive electrode 20a and the negative electrode 20b) so as to face each other with the separator 30 interposed therebetween. In addition, an assembled battery is manufactured by stacking a plurality of unit cells 10 in the thickness direction and sealing the plurality of unit cells 10 with an outer package.

Next, a specific example of the inflow suppression mechanism 500 will be described. First, the inflow suppression mechanism 510 will be described with reference to FIG. The inflow suppression mechanism 510 is an example of the inflow suppression mechanism 500 shown in FIG. The inflow suppressing mechanism 510 controls to open the shutter 512 when the frame 35 passes.

More specifically, the inflow suppression mechanism 510 includes a tubular slit 511, a shutter 512, an actuator 513, and a sensor 514. Cylindrical slit 511 has an internal space that is continuous with slit 101 of chamber 100 . That is, in the case shown in FIG. 4, the current collector 21B and the frame 35 are transported into the internal space of the chamber 100 through the slit 101 and the cylindrical slit 511 of the chamber 100. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, the tubular slit 511 has a slit into which the shutter 512 is inserted. The shutter 512 is inserted into the inner space of the cylindrical slit 511 and configured to be movable in a direction intersecting the transport direction D. As shown in FIG. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 4, the shutter 512 is vertically moved by an actuator 513 . The actuator 513 has, for example, a motor and a driving mechanism, and moves the shutter 512 vertically as shown in FIG. The sensor 514 is, for example, an optical sensor and senses the frame 35 . More specifically, sensor 514 senses the position of frame 35 with respect to shutter 512 . Materials for the tubular slit 511 and the shutter 512 are not particularly limited, and any material such as metal or resin can be selected.

For example, the inflow suppression mechanism 510 determines the position of the frame 35 with respect to the shutter 512 according to the sensing result of the sensor 514 . Then, the inflow suppressing mechanism 510 controls the shutter 512 to open when the frame 35 passes.

More specifically, in the case shown in FIG. 4 , the gap between the frames 35 is located at the position of the shutter 512 . In this case, the inflow suppression mechanism 510 closes the shutter 512 by controlling the operation of the actuator 513 to move the shutter 512 downward as shown in FIG. This prevents the air passing through the gap between the frames 35 from flowing into the internal space of the chamber 100 . Note that the downward movement of the shutter 512 may be realized by free fall instead of the actuator 513 . On the other hand, when the sensor 514 detects that the frame 35 has been transported to just before the shutter 512, the inflow suppressing mechanism 510 controls the operation of the actuator 513 to move the shutter 512 upward as shown in FIG. thereby opening the shutter 512 .

In this way, the inflow suppression mechanism 510 suppresses the inflow of air into the internal space of the chamber 100 by controlling the shutter 512 to open when the frame 35 passes. That is, the inflow suppressing mechanism 510 opens the air inflow path to the internal space of the chamber 100 while the frame 35 passes and closes it while the frame 35 does not pass, thereby preventing the air from entering the internal space of the chamber 100 . Inflow of air can be suppressed.

Next, the inflow suppression mechanism 520 will be described using FIGS. 5A and 5B. The inflow suppression mechanism 520 is an example of the inflow suppression mechanism 500 shown in FIG. The inflow suppression mechanism 510 controls to open the shutter 522 when the frame 35 passes. Note that FIGS. 5A and 5B show the case where the frame 35 is arranged on the current collector 21B without a gap, but the case where the frame 35 is provided with a gap can be similarly applied. be.

More specifically, the inflow suppression mechanism 520 includes a cylindrical slit 521 and a shutter 522. Cylindrical slit 521 has an internal space that is continuous with slit 101 of chamber 100 . 5A and 5B, the current collector 21B and the frame 35 are transported into the internal space of the chamber 100 through the slit 101 and the cylindrical slit 521 of the chamber 100. FIG.

Note that FIGS. 5A and 5B show rollers arranged to sandwich the current collector 21B and the frame 35 . The roller may be a transport mechanism for transporting the current collector 21B to the downstream side D1, or may be a tension roller that applies tension so that the current collector 21B is not twisted. A compression roller for pressing the electric body 21B and the frame 35 may be used. Although such a roller may be arranged near the slit 101, the shape of the cylindrical slit 521 can be appropriately changed in consideration of the position and size of the roller. Although not shown, the same applies to the tubular slit 511 in FIG.

The shutter 522 is arranged in the inner space of the tubular slit 521 and configured to be rotatable. In the case shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the shutter 522 is rotatable with the depth direction as the axis of rotation. Materials for the cylindrical slit 521 and the shutter 522 are not particularly limited, and arbitrary materials such as metal and resin can be selected.

The inflow suppression mechanism 520 controls the shutter 522 to open when the frame 35 passes. More specifically, in the case shown in FIG. 5A, the internal space 35a of the frame 35 is located at the position of the shutter 522, and the shutter 522 shields the internal space 35a. This prevents the air passing through the internal space 35 a from flowing into the internal space of the chamber 100 . Further, as shown in FIG. 5B , when the frame 35 is transported to the position of the shutter 522 , the shutter 522 is pushed open by the frame 35 .

In this way, the inflow suppression mechanism 520 suppresses the inflow of air into the internal space of the chamber 100 by controlling the shutter 522 to open when the frame 35 passes. That is, the inflow suppressing mechanism 520 opens the inflow path of air to the internal space of the chamber 100 while the frame 35 passes and closes it while the frame 35 does not pass, thereby preventing air from entering the internal space of the chamber 100 . Inflow of air can be suppressed.

Next, the tubular slit 530 will be explained using FIG. Cylindrical slit 530 is an example of inflow suppression mechanism 500 shown in FIG. Cylindrical slit 530 has an internal space that is continuous with slit 101 of chamber 100 . That is, in the case shown in FIG. 6, the current collector 21B and the frame 35 are transported into the internal space of the chamber 100 through the slit 101 and the cylindrical slit 530 of the chamber 100. As shown in FIG. The material of the tubular slit 530 is not particularly limited, and any material such as metal or resin can be selected.

The length of the cylindrical slit 530 in the conveying direction D is adjusted so that at least one of the conveyed frames 35 is always positioned in the internal space formed by the slit 101 and the cylindrical slit 530 . Specifically, in the member sheet including the current collector 21B and the frame 35, the cylindrical slit 530 is more The internal space formed by the slit 101 and the tubular slit 530 is configured to be elongated in the transport direction D. As shown in FIG. As a result, before one frame 35 is discharged to the downstream side D1 from the internal space formed by the slit 101 and the cylindrical slit 530, the other frame 35 is carried into the internal space from the upstream side D2. , and at least one frame 35 is always positioned in the internal space. That is, the internal space formed by the slit 101 and the tubular slit 530 is always closed by at least one frame 35 . Thus, the tubular slit 530 can suppress the inflow of air into the internal space of the chamber 100 .

FIG. 7 shows a case where rollers are arranged near the slit 101. FIG. In this case, the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 can suppress the inflow of air into the internal space of the chamber 100 by the tubular slit 540 in the same manner as the tubular slit 530 . That is, the length of the cylindrical slit 540 in the conveying direction D is adjusted so that at least one of the conveyed frames 35 is always positioned in the internal space formed by the slit 101 and the cylindrical slit 540. .

The roller shown in FIG. 7 may be a transport mechanism for transporting the current collector 21B to the downstream side D1, or may be a tension roller that applies tension so that the current collector 21B is not twisted. Alternatively, it may be a compression roller for pressing the current collector 21B and the frame 35 together. Moreover, the material of the tubular slit 540 is not particularly limited, and any material such as metal or resin can be selected.

As described above, the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 of the embodiment includes at least the chamber 100, the slit 101, and the inflow suppressing mechanism 500. The internal space of the chamber 100 is evacuated below atmospheric pressure. The slit 101 is formed in the chamber 100, and consists of a current collector layer 21 formed by dividing a strip-shaped current collector 21B into predetermined units and a frame 35 placed on the surface of the current collector layer 21. A member sheet in which a plurality of members including is continuous has an opening shape for passing from the outer space of the chamber 100 to the inner space. The inflow suppression mechanism 500 suppresses the inflow of air into the internal space of the chamber 100 through the slit 101 . As a result, the inflow of air into the chamber 100 via the slit 101 can be suppressed, and the pressure-reduced state in the chamber 100 can be maintained. As a result, the quality of the electrode 20 manufactured by the battery electrode manufacturing apparatus 1000 can be improved.

As described above, the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment. is also included. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the configurations shown in the respective embodiments can be appropriately combined and used.

Claims

a chamber whose interior space is decompressed below atmospheric pressure;
A member in which a plurality of members including a base film layer formed by dividing a belt-shaped base film into predetermined units and a mask layer placed on the surface of the base film layer are connected. a slit having an opening shape for a sheet to pass from the outer space of the chamber to the inner space;
an inflow suppression mechanism that suppresses an inflow of air into the internal space through the slit.
2. The inflow suppression mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the inflow suppression mechanism includes a shutter that can open and close an air inflow path to the internal space through the slit, and controls the shutter to open when the mask layer passes through. battery electrode manufacturing equipment.
3. The inflow suppressing mechanism includes a sensor capable of sensing the mask layer, and controls the shutter to open when the sensor senses that the mask layer has been transported to just before the shutter. The battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to 1.
The battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the shutter is configured to be pushed open by the conveyed mask layer.
The inflow suppression mechanism includes a cylindrical slit having an internal space continuous with the slit,
The battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the member sheet is conveyed from the external space to the internal space via the slit and the cylindrical slit.
In the cylindrical slit, the internal space formed by the slit and the cylindrical slit is larger than the difference between the interval at which the mask layer is arranged in the member sheet and the dimension of the mask layer in the conveying direction. 6. The battery electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, which is configured to be long.