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EP-4425622-B1 - AUTOMATIC SEPARATOR SUPPLY DEVICE

EP4425622B1EP 4425622 B1EP4425622 B1EP 4425622B1EP-4425622-B1

Inventors

  • KWON, KI SUN
  • KANG, Ryeon Ho
  • LEE, GIL YOUNG
  • KIM, MIN KI

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20221202

Claims (11)

  1. An automatic separator supply apparatus for supplying a separator winding roll (10), on which a separator is wound, to manufacture an electrode assembly by winding an electrode and the separator, the automatic separator supply apparatus comprising: a transfer unit (140) which comprises a unit shaft (141) for receiving the separator winding roll (10) and moves the received separator winding roll (10); and an unwinder (160) which comprises an unwinder shaft (161), to which the separator winding roll (10) moved by the transfer unit (140) is mounted, and unwinds the separator from the separator winding roll (10) mounted to the unwinder shaft (161) when the electrode and the separator are wound, wherein the transfer unit (140) mounts the separator winding roll (10) to the unwinder shaft (161) of the unwinder (160) after the unit shaft (141) is aligned with the unwinder shaft (161) of the unwinder (160); and wherein the unit shaft (141) of the transfer unit (140) is positioned at the same height as the unwinder shaft (161) of the unwinder (160), the automatic separator supply apparatus being characterized in that the transfer unit (140) moves horizontally and conveys the separator winding roll (10) to the unwinder (160).
  2. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer unit (140) further comprises a transfer cylinder (143) and a transfer cylinder shaft (142) mounted to the transfer cylinder (143), wherein the separator winding roll (10) positioned on the unit shaft (141) is pushed and moved toward the unwinder shaft (161) of the unwinder (160) by movement of the transfer cylinder shaft (142), and the separator winding roll (10) is mounted to the unwinder shaft (161).
  3. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer unit (140) comprises a traveling means (150) provided in a lower portion of the transfer unit (140), and the transfer unit (140) is horizontally moved along a support table by the traveling means (150) and conveys the separator winding roll (10) to the unwinder (160).
  4. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an unwinder alignment sensor (C3) for detecting an alignment state between the unit shaft (141) of the transfer unit (140) and the unwinder shaft (161) of the unwinder (160).
  5. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 4, wherein with reference to the detection value by the unwinder alignment sensor (C3), the transfer unit (140) is horizontally moved by the traveling means (150) to a position at which the unit shaft (141) of the transfer unit (140) and the unwinder shaft (161) of the unwinder (160) are aligned with each other.
  6. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lift unit (120) that receives the separator winding roll (10) and conveys the separator winding roll (10) to the transfer unit (140), wherein the lift unit (120) rotates horizontally and moves vertically to convey the received winding roll (10) to the transfer unit (140).
  7. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 6, wherein the lift unit (120) comprises a lift shaft (121) on which the received separator winding roll (10) is positioned, and the lift unit (120) conveys the separator winding roll (10) to the unit shaft (141) of the transfer unit (140) after the lift shaft (121) is aligned with the unit shaft (141) of the transfer unit (140).
  8. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a lift alignment sensor (C2) for detecting an alignment state between the lift shaft (121) of the lift unit (120) and the unit shaft (141) of the transfer unit (140).
  9. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 8, wherein the lift unit (120) comprises a lift means(130) provided in a lower portion of the lift unit (120), and the lift unit (120) is moved up and down by the lift means (130) and conveys the separator winding roll (10) to the transfer unit (140).
  10. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 9, wherein with reference to the detection value by the lift alignment sensor (C2), the lift unit (120) is moved up and down by the lift means (130) to a position at which the lift shaft (121) of the lift unit (120) and the unit shaft (141) of the transfer unit (140) are aligned with each other.
  11. The automatic separator supply apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an article supply unit (110) that supplies the separator winding roll (10) to the lift unit (120).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims the benefit of the priority of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2021-0171352, filed on December 02, 2021, and 10-2022-0166549, filed on December 02, 2022. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an automatic separator supply apparatus. BACKGROUND ART Secondary batteries, unlike primary batteries, can be recharged and have been extensively researched and developed in recent years due to small sizes and high capacities thereof. As technology development and demands for mobile devices increase, the demands for secondary batteries as energy sources are rapidly increasing. The secondary batteries are classified into coin-type batteries, cylindrical batteries, prismatic batteries, and pouch-type batteries depending on shapes of battery cases. In such a secondary battery, an electrode assembly installed inside a battery case serves as a chargeable and dischargeable power generating element that has a structure in which an electrode and a separator are stacked. The electrode assemblies may be generally classified into: a jelly-roll-type battery in which a separator is interposed between a positive electrode and a negative electrode, each of which has the form of a sheet coated with an active material, and then wound; a stacking-type battery in which a plurality of positive and negative electrodes are sequentially stacked with separators therebetween; and a stacking/folding-type battery in which stacking-type unit cells are wound together with a long separating film. The jelly roll-type electrode assemblies are manufactured by winding separators and electrodes such as positive electrodes and negative electrodes, and a separator roll, on which a separator is wound, for supplying the separator during a winding process is manually replaced. This replacement causes an operator to stop operation of equipment when manually replacing the separator roll, and accordingly, a loss of a material replacement load of the operator occurs. KR 20170054829 A discloses materials exchanging device of winding equipment for secondary battery. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEM An aspect of the present invention is to provide an automatic separator supply apparatus capable of automatically supplying a separator. TECHNICAL SOLUTION An automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for supplying a separator winding roll, the apparatus laid out in appended claim 1. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS According to the present invention, when an electrode assembly is manufactured by winding an electrode and a separator, the separator may be automatically supplied, via a transfer unit, to an unwinder that provides a separator to be wound. In addition, a lift unit and an article supply unit are further provided, and thus, the separator may be more easily and automatically supplied. A separator winding roll is mounted to an unwinder shaft of an unwinder after a unit shaft of the transfer unit, on which the separator winding roll is positioned, is aligned with the unwinder shaft of the unwinder, and thus, the separator winding roll may be easily mounted to the unwinder. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an article supply unit and a lift unit in an automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2 is a front view showing an article supply unit and a lift unit in an automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which a separator winding roll is being conveyed from an article supply unit to a lift unit in an automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a lift unit is rotating after a separator winding roll is conveyed to the lift unit in an automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which a lift unit has been lowered in an automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, but a separator winding roll is in a state before being conveyed to a transfer unit.FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a separator winding roll is being conveyed from a lift unit to a transfer unit in an automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which a transfer unit is moving after a separator winding roll is conveyed to the transfer unit in an automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state in which a transfer unit is moving after a separator winding roll is conveyed to the transfer unit in an automatic separator supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG.