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EP-3613513-B1 - ELECTRODE SLURRY COATING APPARATUS AND METHOD

EP3613513B1EP 3613513 B1EP3613513 B1EP 3613513B1EP-3613513-B1

Inventors

  • LEE, TAEK SOO
  • KIM, CHEOL WOO
  • CHOY, SANG HOON

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20181214

Claims (3)

  1. An electrode slurry coating apparatus (100', 100") comprising a lower die (110) applying electrode slurry on a collector (10), an intermediate die (120), and an upper die (130), the electrode slurry coating apparatus (100', 100") comprising: a first discharge part (100a) disposed between the lower die (110) and the intermediate die (120) and primarily applying the electrode slurry on the collector (10) to form a first coating layer (20); an intermediate pressing part (121) disposed on the intermediate die (120) and pressing the first coating layer (20) to expand a width of the first coating layer (20) so as to adjust a thickness of the first coating layer (20); a second discharge (100b) part disposed between the intermediate die (120) and the upper die (130) and secondarily applying the electrode slurry on a surface of the first coating layer (20) that is adjusted in thickness to form a second coating layer (30); an upper pressing part (131) disposed on the upper die and pressing the first coating layer (20) and the second coating layer (30), which are stacked, at the same time to expand a width of each of the first coating layer (20) and the second coating layer (30) so as to adjust a thickness of each of the first coating layer (20) and the second coating layer (30), a lower pressing part (111) disposed at a front end of the lower die (110), wherein the first discharge part (100a) has a width less than that of the second discharge part (100b); characterized in that the intermediate pressing part (121) further protrudes in a direction of the collector (10) than the upper pressing part (131); and the lower pressing part (111) and the intermediate pressing part (121) have the same height when measured based on the upper pressing part (131), the first discharge part (100a) having a width less by 1 mm to 7 mm than that of the second discharge part (100b); or wherein the intermediate pressing part (121) comprises a first pressing surface (121a) adjacent to the lower die (110) and a second pressing surface (121b) adjacent the upper die (130), and the first pressing surface (121a) and the lower pressing part (111) further protrude in a direction of the collector (10) than the upper pressing part (131), wherein the first pressing surface (121a) and the lower pressing part (111) have the same height when measured based on the upper pressing part (131) and are disposed with a first discharge part (100a) therebetween, and wherein the second pressing surface (121b) and the upper pressing part (131) have the same height when measured based on the upper pressing part (131) and are disposed with a second discharge part (100b) therebetween.
  2. The electrode slurry coating apparatus (100', 100") of claim 1, wherein the intermediate pressing part (121) further protrudes by 0.5 times to 1.5 times of a thickness of the second coating layer (30) in the direction of the collector (10)than the upper pressing part (131).
  3. An slurry coating method for applying electrode slurry on a collector (10) through an electrode slurry coating apparatus (100', 100") comprising a lower die (110), an intermediate die (120), and an upper die (130), the electrode slurry coating method comprising: a step (a) of primarily discharging the electrode slurry through a first discharge (100a) part disposed between the lower die (110) and the intermediate die (120) to form a first coating layer (20) on the collector (10); a step (b) of pressing the first coating layer (20) applied on the collector (10) through an intermediate pressing part (121) disposed on the intermediate die (120) and expanding the first coating layer (20) in a width direction to adjust a thickness of the first coating layer (20); a step (c) of discharging the electrode slurry through a second discharge part (100b) disposed between the intermediate die (120) and the upper die (130) to form a second coating layer (30) to be stacked on a surface of the first coating layer (20); and a step (d) of pressing the second coating layer (30) through an upper pressing part (131) disposed on the upper die (130) and pressing the first coating layer (20) by the second coating layer (30) to expand widths of the first coating layer (20) and the second coating layer (30) so as to adjust a thickness of each of the first coating layer (20) and the second coating layer (30), wherein the first discharge part (100a) has a width less than that of the second discharge part (100b); and wherein the intermediate pressing part (121) further protrudes in a direction of the collector (10) than the upper pressing part (131) and a lower pressing part (111) disposed at a front end of the lower die (110) and the intermediate pressing part (121) have the same height when measured based on the upper pressing part (131), the first discharge part (100a) having a width less by 1 mm to 7 mm than that of the second discharge part (100b); or wherein the intermediate pressing part (121) comprises a first pressing surface (121a) adjacent to the lower die (110) and a second pressing surface (121b) adjacent the upper die (130), and the first pressing surface (121a) and the lower pressing part (111) further protrude in a direction of the collector (10) than the upper pressing part (131), wherein the first pressing surface (121a) and the lower pressing part (111) have the same height when measured based on the upper pressing part (131) and are disposed with a first discharge part (100a) therebetween, and wherein the second pressing surface (121b) and the upper pressing part (131) have the same height when measured based on the upper pressing part (131) and are disposed with a second discharge part (100b) therebetween.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims the benefit of the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0002266, filed on January 08, 2018. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electrode slurry coating apparatus and method, and more particularly, to an electrode slurry coating apparatus and method, which are capable of adjusting widths of coating layers that are applied to be multilayered on a collector to match each other. BACKGROUND ART In general, secondary batteries refer to chargeable and dischargeable batteries, unlike primary batteries that are not chargeable. The secondary batteries are being widely used in the high-tech electronic fields such as mobile phones, notebook computers, and camcorders. Such a secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly in which electrodes and separators are alternately stacked and a case accommodating the electrode assembly, and the electrode assembly has a structure in which the plurality of electrodes and the plurality of separators are alternately stacked. Also, each of the electrodes comprises a collector and a coating layer formed on a surface of the collector. That is, the coating layer of the electrode is formed by applying electrode slurry on the surface of the collector through an electrode slurry coating apparatus. In recent years, the electrode slurry may be applied at the same width on the surface of the collector through the electrode slurry coating apparatus to form coating layers stacked to be multilayered. Thus, the coating layers may be more uniformly adjusted in thickness. However, the electrode slurry coating apparatus applies pressing force to the multilayer-stacked coating layers to push the multilayer-stacked coating layers so as to form the multilayer-stacked coating layers having the uniform load or thickness. As a result, the widths may gradually increase from the uppermost layer to the lowermost layer to cause coating defects. US 2012251726A1 relates to a method of manufacturing a film with a coating layer by coating coating-liquid to the surface of a web (film) with an extrusion type die. US 4976999A relates to a method of applying a liquid composite substance to a continuously moving web in manufacturing a photographic photosensitive material. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEM The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrode slurry coating apparatus and method as defined in the claims, which are capable of adjusting widths of coating layers that are applied to be multilayered on a collector to match each other, thereby preventing coating defects from occurring. TECHNICAL SOLUTION To achieve the above object, an electrode slurry coating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the disclosure, which comprises a lower die applying electrode slurry on a collector, an intermediate die, and an upper die, may comprise: a first discharge part disposed between the lower die and the intermediate die and primarily applying the electrode slurry on the collector to form a first coating layer; an intermediate pressing part disposed on the intermediate die and pressing the first coating layer to expand a width of the first coating layer so as to adjust a thickness of the first coating layer; a second discharge part disposed between the intermediate die and the upper die and secondarily applying the electrode slurry on a surface of the first coating layer that is adjusted in thickness to form a second coating layer; and an upper pressing part disposed on the upper die and pressing the first coating layer and the second coating layer, which are stacked, at the same time to expand a width of each of the first coating layer and the second coating layer so as to adjust a thickness of each of the first coating layer and the second coating layer, wherein the first discharge part has a width less than that of the second discharge part. The first discharge part may have a width less by 1 mm to 7 mm than that of the second discharge part. In an electrode slurry coating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate pressing part further protrudes in a direction of a collector than an upper pressing part. The intermediate pressing part may further protrude by 0.5 times to 1.5 times of a thickness of the second coating layer in the direction of the collector than the upper pressing part. A lower pressing part disposed at a front end of the lower die and the intermediate pressing part have the same height when measured based on the upper pressing part. In an electrode slurry coating apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate pressing part comprises a first pressing surface adjacent to a lower die and a second pressing surface adjacent an upper die, and the first pressing surface and the lower pressing part further protrudes in a direction of a