Search

EP-4307416-B1 - ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY MANUFACTURING DEVICE AND ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY MANUFACTURING METHOD

EP4307416B1EP 4307416 B1EP4307416 B1EP 4307416B1EP-4307416-B1

Inventors

  • PARK, JONGSIK
  • Lee, Yonggu

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20220303

Claims (15)

  1. A manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100), comprising: a first machine vision (8-1) provided on a driving-direction front end of a first electrode (1) from a winding core (12), the first machine vision (8-1) being configured to measure a first non-overlap width (110) between a first width-direction end portion of the first electrode (1) and a first width-direction end portion of a first separator (3-1); a second machine vision (8-2) provided on a driving-direction front end of a second electrode (2) from the winding core (12), the second machine vision (8-2) being configured to measure a second non-overlap width (130) between a first width-direction end portion of a second electrode (2) and a first width-direction end portion of a second separator (3-2); a controller configured to: collect vision data obtained from the first machine vision (8-1) and the second machine vision (8-2); set a non-overlap width between the first separator (3-1) and the second separator (3-2) to 0 through vision data; compute a third non-overlap width between the first width-direction end portion of the first electrode (1) and the first width-direction end portion of the second electrode (2); and judge a meandering defect with the computed third non-overlap width; a data processing unit (10) configured to accumulate and process defect judgment data through machine learning; and an input unit (11) configured to automatically input a meandering reference value based on the data processed by the data processing unit (10).
  2. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 1, further comprising at least one of: a third machine vision (8-3) provided on the driving-direction front end of the first electrode (1) from the winding core (12), the third machine vision (8-3) being configured to inspect at least one of a bending of a first electrode coating edge (120) and a first electrode tab of a second width-direction end portion of the first electrode (1); and a fourth machine vision (8-4) provided on the driving-direction front end of the second electrode (2) from the winding core (12), the fourth machine vision (8-4) being configured to inspect at least one of a bending of a second electrode coating edge (140) and a second electrode tab of a second width-direction end portion of the second electrode (2).
  3. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 1, further comprising: a first guide roller (5-1) configured to guide the first electrode (1) and the first separator (3-1) to be in contact with each other at a location spaced apart from the winding core (12) by 5 to 60 mm; and a second guide roller (5-2) configured to guide the second electrode (2) and the second separator (3-2) to be in contact with each other.
  4. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 1, further comprising: a supply line (4-1) of the first electrode (1), a supply line (4-3) of the first separator (3-1), a supply line (4-2) of the second electrode (2), and a supply line (4-4) of the second separator (3-2); and a winding core (12) configured to rotate while fixing a first length-direction end portion of each of the first electrode (1), the first separator (3-1), the second electrode (2), and the second separator (3-2) to wind the first electrode (1), the first separator (3-1), the second electrode (2), and the second separator (3-2).
  5. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 4, further comprising a feed motor (6) between the winding core (12) and each of the supply line (4-1) of the first electrode (1), the supply line (4-3) of the first separator (3-1), the supply line (4-2) of the second electrode (2), and the supply line (4-4) of the second separator (3-2), and the winding core (12), to input each of the first electrode (1), the first separator (3-1), the second electrode (2), and the second separator (3-2) into the winding core (12).
  6. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 5, further comprising a third guide roller (5-3) between each of the feed motors (6) and the supply line (4-1) of the first electrode (1), the supply line (4-3) of the first separator (3-1), the supply line (4-2) of the second electrode (2), and the supply line (4-4) of the second separator (3-2).
  7. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 5, further comprising a cutter between the winding core (12) and the motors to cut the electrode assembly (100) input into the winding core (12).
  8. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 7, wherein the cutter glides between the winding core (12) and the feed motors (6).
  9. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 5, further comprising an illuminator (7) between the feed motors (6) and the first machine vision (8-1) and the second machine vision (8-2).
  10. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 9, wherein the illuminator (7) is a constant current mode bar type illuminator.
  11. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 9, wherein the illuminator (7) is installed at a location spaced apart from the winding core (12) by 130 to 170 mm.
  12. The manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein measurement portions of the first machine vision (8-1) and the second machine vision (8-2) are spaced apart from the winding core (12) by 10 to 50 mm.
  13. A manufacturing method of an electrode assembly (100), comprising: measuring a first non-overlap width (110) between a first width-direction end portion of a first electrode (1) and a first width-direction end portion of a first separator (3-1) by a first machine vision (8-1) provided on a driving-direction front end of the first electrode (1) from a winding core (12); measuring a second non-overlap width (130) between a first width-direction end portion of a second electrode (2) and a first width-direction end portion of a second separator (3-2) by a second machine vision (8-2) provided on a driving-direction front end the second electrode (2); collecting vision data obtained from the first machine vision (8-1) and the second machine vision (8-2) by a controller; setting a non-overlap width between the first separator (3-1) and the second separator (3-2) to 0 through vision data by the controller; computing a third non-overlap width between the first width-direction end portion of the first electrode (1) and the first width-direction end portion of the second electrode (2) by the controller; and judging a meandering defect with the computed third non-overlap by the controller; accumulating and processing defect judgment data through machine learning by a data processing unit (10); and automatically inputting a meandering reference value based on the data processed by the data processing unit (10).
  14. The manufacturing method of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 13, further comprising, before measuring the first non-overlap width (110): supplying the first electrode (1), the first separator (3-1), the second electrode (2), and the second separator (3-2) to a supply line (4-1) of the first electrode (1), a supply line (4-3) of the first separator (3-1), a supply line (4-2) of the second electrode (2), and a supply line (4-4) of the second separator (3-2), respectively; and fixing a length-direction end portion of each of the first electrode (1), the first separator (3-1), the second electrode (2), and the second separator (3-2) to the winding core (12).
  15. The manufacturing method of an electrode assembly (100) of claim 13, wherein collecting the vision data obtained from the first machine vision (8-1) and the second machine vision (8-2) includes at least one of: inspecting, by a third machine vision (8-3) provided on the driving-direction front end of the first electrode (1) from the winding core (12), at least one of a bending of a first electrode coating edge (120) and a first electrode tab of a second width-direction end portion of the first electrode (1), and inspecting, by a fourth machine vision (8-4) provided on the driving-direction front end of the second electrode (2) from the winding core (12), at least one of a bending of a second electrode coating edge (140) and a second electrode tab of a second width-direction end portion of the second electrode (2).

Description

[Technical Field] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0030407 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on March 8, 2021. The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly and a manufacturing method of the electrode assembly. [Background Art] In manufacturing a cylindrical secondary battery, controlling meandering is an important factor. However, positional precisions of an electrode and a separator deteriorate, and as a result, meandering may occur upon winding and a safety accident such as ignition, etc., may occur. When a jelly-roll type electrode assembly is manufactured by winding a positive electrode, the separator, a negative electrode, and the separator at a winding core while consecutively supplying the positive electrode, the separator, the negative electrode, and the separator, positions of the positive electrode, each of the separator, the negative electrode, and the separator is measured using an edge position sensor (EPS) and the meandering is controlled through a relative comparison of the measurement value in related art. In general, the relative comparison is performed by a method such as a method for measuring a non-overlap width between the positive electrode and the negative electrode by an X-ray or a method for checking a real thing by disassembling a jelly-roll by an actual worker, and there is a problem in that this is not delicate by depending on a subjective judgment of the worker. However, the subjective judgment of the worker causes a problem in that the jelly-roll in which the meandering occurs is mis-sorted as an adequate product in some cases, and as a result, an accident that multiple defective jelly-rolls leak in a subsequent process. Further, a meandering inspection of the jelly-roll is temporarily performed through a sampling inspection or only when there is a change such as material replacement. However, there is a problem in that the meandering inspection is not performed except for the case where the meandering inspection is temporarily performed as such. Relevant state of the art is known from document WO 2009/087859 A1. As described above, the relative comparison which depends on the subjective judgment of the worker and the meandering inspection which is intermittently performed cannot but be incomplete, and as a result, it is necessary to improve this. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention has been made in an effort to provide a manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly and a manufacturing method of the electrode assembly, which implement automation, thereby achieving meandering prevention. However, a problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the above-described problem, and other problems not mentioned in the present specification will be able to be clearly appreciated by those skilled in the art from a description of the invention to be described below. [Technical Solution] In order to achieve the above-described object, according to one aspect of the present invention, provided is a manufacturing apparatus of an electrode assembly, which includes: a first machine vision provided on a driving-direction front end of a first electrode from a winding core, the first machine vision being configured to measure a first non-overlap width between a first width-direction end portion of the first electrode and a first width-direction end portion of a first separator;a second machine vision provided on a driving-direction front end of a second electrode from the winding core, the second machine vision being configured to measure a second non-overlap width between a first width-direction end portion of a second electrode and a first width-direction end portion of a second separator;a controller configured to collect vision data obtained from the first machine vision and the second machine vision, set a non-overlap width between the first separator and the second separator to 0 through vision data, compute a third non-overlap width between the first width-direction end portion of the first electrode and the first width-direction end portion of the second electrode, and judge a meandering defect with the computed third non-overlap width;a data processing unit configured to accumulate and process defect judgment data through machine learning; andan input unit configured to automatically input a meandering reference value based on the data processed by the data processing unit. Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, provided is a manufacturing method of an electrode assembly, which includes: measuring a first non-overlap width between a first width-direction end portion of a first electrode and a first width-direction end portion of a first separator by a first machine vision provided on a driving-direction front end of the first electrode from a winding core;measuring a se