EP-4737015-A1 - DIE COATER

EP4737015A1EP 4737015 A1EP4737015 A1EP 4737015A1EP-4737015-A1

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a die coater. The die coater includes a first die including a land portion and a manifold having a certain depth from the land portion and configured to accommodate an electrode slurry, a body shim coupled to the first die and including a body extending in a first direction and wings protruding in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, from an end portion of the body in the first direction, a spacer shim coupled to the first die and partially covering the manifold, and a shim fixing pin configured to fix the spacer shim to the land portion of the first die, the spacer shim includes a slot into which the shim fixing pin is inserted, and the shim fixing pin includes a shank portion and a flange connected to the shank portion and is configured to be rotated with respect to the spacer shim with the shank portion as an axis.

Inventors

PARK, MIN GU
MOON, YOUNG GYU
CHOI, MIN HYUCK
KIM, GUK TAE
LIM, Chae Ryeun
KIM, MIN CHEOL

Assignees

LG Energy Solution, Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20250404

Claims (14)

A die coater comprising: a first die including a land portion and a manifold, the manifold having a certain depth from the land portion and configured to accommodate an electrode slurry; a body shim coupled to the first die, wherein the body shim includes a body extending in a first direction and wings protruding in a second direction from an end portion of the body in the first direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; a spacer shim coupled to the first die and partially covering the manifold; and a shim fixing pin configured to fix the spacer shim to the land portion of the first die, wherein the spacer shim includes a slot into which the shim fixing pin is inserted, the shim fixing pin includes a shank portion and a flange connected to the shank portion, and the shim fixing pin is configured to be rotated with respect to the spacer shim with the shank portion as an axis.
The die coater of claim 1, wherein a long side of the slot has a first length and a short side of the slot has a second length less than the first length, and a maximum horizontal length of the flange is less than the first length and greater than the second length.
The die coater of claim 1, wherein a planar shape of the flange is an oval shape.
The die coater of claim 1, wherein a planar shape of the flange is a circular shape, and a center of the flange and a center of the shank portion are spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the flange.
The die coater of claim 1, wherein a planar shape of the flange is a polygonal shape.
The die coater of claim 5, wherein a center of gravity of the flange and the center of the shank portion are spaced apart from each other in the direction parallel to the flange.
The die coater of claim 1, wherein a planar shape of the flange is a closed round shape with a variable radius.
The die coater of claim 7, wherein a center of gravity of the flange and a center of the shank portion are spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the flange.
The die coater of claim 7, wherein the flange includes a first pole and a second pole, and a distance between the first and second poles is a maximum horizontal distance of the flange.
The die coater of claim 9, wherein a rate of change according to an angle of the radius at the first pole and the second pole is zero.
The die coater of claim 9, wherein a horizontal distance between the first pole and the center of the shank portion is different from a horizontal distance between the second pole and the center of the shank portion.
The die coater of claim 1, wherein relative positions of the first die and the spacer shim are adjusted by the rotation of the shim fixing pin.
A die coater comprising: a first die with a manifold; a spacer shim coupled to the first die and partially covering the manifold; and a shim fixing pin configured to fix the spacer shim to a land portion of the first die, wherein the spacer shim includes a slot into which the shim fixing pin is inserted, the shim fixing pin includes a shank portion and a flange connected to the shank portion, and a center of gravity of the flange and a center of the shank portion are spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the flange.
The die coater of claim 13, wherein a long side of the slot has a first length and a short side of the slot has a second length less than the first length, and a maximum horizontal length of the flange is less than the first length and greater than the second length.

Description

[Technical Field] The present disclosure relates to a die coater. This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0047190, filed on April 8, 2024, and the entire content of the Korean patent application is incorporated herein by reference. [Background Art] Secondary batteries can be charged and discharged a plurality of times unlike primary batteries. Secondary batteries are widely used as energy sources for various types of wireless devices such as handsets, laptop computers, and cordless vacuum cleaners. Recently, the main use of secondary batteries is moving from mobile devices to mobility, as manufacturing costs per unit capacity of secondary batteries drastically decrease due to improvements in energy density and economies of scale and a range of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) increases to the same level as fuel vehicles. Electrodes of a secondary battery are most important components of the secondary battery in terms of an energy density. The electrodes of the secondary battery may be formed through a coating process, a roll press process, a drying process, a slitting process, and a notching process. Among these processes, the coating process is a process of applying a coating material containing an active material onto an electrode plate and may be performed by a die coater. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] The present disclosure is directed to providing a die coater with improved coating performance. [Technical Solution] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a die coater. The die coater includes a first die including a land portion and a manifold having a certain depth from the land portion and configured to accommodate an electrode slurry, a body shim coupled to the first die and including a body extending in a first direction and wings protruding in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, from an end portion of the body in the first direction, a spacer shim coupled to the first die and partially covering the manifold, and a shim fixing pin configured to fix the spacer shim to the land portion of the first die, the spacer shim includes a slot into which the shim fixing pin is inserted, and the shim fixing pin includes a shank portion and a flange connected to the shank portion and is configured to be rotated with respect to the spacer shim with the shank portion as an axis. A long side of the slot may have a first length, a short side of the slot may have a second length less than the first length, and a maximum horizontal length of the flange may be less than the first length and greater than the second length. A planar shape of the flange may be an oval shape. A planar shape of the flange may be a circular shape, and a center of the flange and a center of the shank portion may be spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the flange. A planar shape of the flange may be a polygonal shape. The center of gravity of the flange and the center of the shank portion may be spaced apart from each other in the direction parallel to the flange. A planar shape of the flange may be a closed round shape with a variable radius. The center of gravity of the flange and the center of the shank portion may be spaced apart from each other in the direction parallel to the flange. The flange may include a first pole and a second pole, and a distance between the first and second poles may be a maximum horizontal distance of the flange. A rate of change according to an angle of the radius at the first pole and the second pole may be zero. A horizontal distance between the first pole and the center of the shank portion may be different from a horizontal distance between the second pole and the center of the shank portion. Relative positions of the first die and the spacer shim may be adjusted by the rotation of the shim fixing pin. Example embodiments provide a die coater. The die coater includes a first die with a manifold, a spacer shim coupled to the first die and partially covering the manifold, and a shim fixing pin configured to fix the spacer shim to a land portion of the first die, the spacer shim includes a slot into which the shim fixing pin is inserted, the shim fixing pin includes a shank portion and a flange connected to the shank portion, and a center of gravity of the flange and a center of the shank portion are spaced apart from each other in a direction parallel to the flange. A long side of the slot may have a first length, a short side of the slot may have a second length less than the first length, and a maximum horizontal length of the flange may be less than the first length and greater than the second length. [Advantageous Effects] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a position of a spacer shim relative to a lower die in a slurry discharge direction can be adjusted by rotation of a shim fixing pin. Accordingly, the leakage of an electrode slurry can be mitigated or prevented, and the rel