EP-4738501-A1 - PRESSING DEVICE FOR POUCH-TYPE SECONDARY BATTERY, AND PRESSING METHOD USING SAME

Abstract

Disclosed are a pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus for pressing a pouch-shaped secondary battery including a first pocket portion configured to receive an electrode assembly having a pair of electrode leads opposite to each other and a first sealed portion at an edge of the first pocket portion, the pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus including a first pressing unit configured to press one surface of the first pocket portion and a second pressing unit configured to press an other surface of the first pocket portion, wherein the first pressing unit has a first pressing pad with a plurality of first embossments facing the one surface of the first pocket portion, and the second pressing unit has a second pressing pad with a plurality of second embossments facing the other surface of the first pocket portion, and a pressing method using the same.

Inventors

• LEE, YOUNG HWAN

Assignees

• LG Energy Solution, Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20250325

Claims (13)

1. A pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus for pressing a pouch-shaped secondary battery comprising a first pocket portion configured to receive an electrode assembly having a pair of electrode leads opposite to each other and a first sealed portion at an edge of the first pocket portion, the pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus comprising: a first pressing unit configured to press one surface of the first pocket portion; and a second pressing unit configured to press an other surface of the first pocket portion, wherein the first pressing unit has a first pressing pad with a plurality of first embossments facing the one surface of the first pocket portion, and the second pressing unit has a second pressing pad with a plurality of second embossments facing the other surface of the first pocket portion.
2. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the pouch-shaped secondary battery is in a vertical direction, the first embossments and the second embossments are closer to the first pocket portion with decreasing distance from a lower side.
3. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first embossments and the second embossments have protruding heights gradually increasing with decreasing distance from the lower side.
4. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the first pressing pad and the second pressing pad is made of an elastic member.
5. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the elastic member comprises a silicone material.
6. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first embossments and the second embossments are configured to temporarily flatten when contacting the first pocket portion.
7. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first pressing pad comprises a first ridge portion configured to press a rounded sliding portion of the one surface of the first pocket portion, and the second pressing pad comprises a second ridge portion configured to press a rounded sliding portion of the other surface of the first pocket portion.
8. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion is in a shape corresponding to the rounded shape of the sliding portion.
9. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first pressing unit comprises a first pressing plate at one surface of the first pressing pad, the first pressing plate being configured to support the first pressing pad, and the second pressing unit comprises a second pressing plate at an other surface of the second pressing pad, the second pressing plate being configured to support the second pressing pad.
10. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a driving unit comprising a first driving member configured to drive the first pressing unit and a second driving member configured to drive the second pressing unit, wherein the first driving member is connected to one surface of the first pressing plate and is configured to move the first pressing pad so as to face the one surface of the first pocket portion, and the second driving member is connected to the other surface of the second pressing plate and is configured to move the second pressing pad so as to face the other surface of the first pocket portion.
11. A pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing method using the pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing method comprising: (S1) locating a pouch-shaped secondary battery between the first pressing unit and the second pressing unit; (S2) operating the first driving member and the second driving member to move the first pressing unit and the second pressing unit to one surface and an other surface of the pouch-shaped secondary battery, respectively; and (S3) pressing a first pocket portion by the first pressing pad and the second pressing pad.
12. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing method according to claim 11, wherein, in step (S3), a lower side of the first pocket portion first contacts the first pressing pad and the second pressing pad.
13. The pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing method according to claim 11, wherein, in step (S3), the first pressing pad and the second pressing pad contact sliding portions of the one surface and the other surface of the first pocket portion.

Description

[Technical Field] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0084885 filed on June 27, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The present invention relates to a pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus and a pressing method using the same, and more particularly to a pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus capable of uniformly pressing the entirety of a pouch-shaped secondary battery to remove gas from a case and a pressing method using the same. [Background Art] With technological development of mobile devices and an increase in demand therefor, secondary batteries, which are capable of being charged and discharged, have been used as an energy source for various mobile devices. Secondary batteries have also attracted attention as an energy source for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles presented as alternatives to existing gasoline and diesel vehicles, which use fossil fuels. Depending on the shape of a battery case, secondary batteries are categorized into a cylindrical battery having an electrode assembly mounted in a cylindrical metal can, a prismatic battery having an electrode assembly mounted in a prismatic metal can, and a pouch-shaped battery having an electrode assembly mounted in a pouch-shaped case made of an aluminum laminate sheet. A typical pouch-shaped secondary battery manufacturing process includes inserting an electrode assembly into a receiving space of a battery case made of a laminate sheet, injecting an electrolyte solution into the battery case, sealing the battery case, and performing an activation process. When the electrolyte solution is injected, however, gas in the case or bubbles generated during the injection process may prevent the electrode assembly from being sufficiently impregnated with the injected electrolyte solution, which causes a part that cannot be charged and discharged to occur even after the activation process, resulting in a decrease in the battery capacity. Of course, even during the activation process, a large amount of gas is generated due to chemical reactions and side reactions between the electrolyte solution and electrodes. FIG. 1 is a conceptual view showing a part of a conventional secondary battery pressing apparatus, FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a pouch-shaped secondary battery, and FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the pouch-shaped secondary battery. As shown in FIGs. 1 to 3, during degassing roller pressing of the pouch-shaped secondary battery 10, a pressing roller 20 presses a first pocket portion 11, whereby gas located in the first pocket portion 11 is moved to the second pocket portion 12 and removed. However, the apparatus is complicated because the pressing rollers 20 must be located on both sides of the first pocket portion 11 and the pressing rollers 20 must be driven relative to the first pocket portion 11 in vertical and horizontal directions. (Prior Art Document) (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2018-0025805 [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus capable of easily removing gas generated in an electrolyte solution injection process or an activation process while having a simple structure and a pressing method using the same. [Technical Solution] As a technical means for achieving the above object, a pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is a pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus for pressing a pouch-shaped secondary battery (10) including a first pocket portion (11) configured to receive an electrode assembly having a pair of electrode leads (13) opposite to each other and a first sealed portion (S1) at an edge of the first pocket portion (11), includes a first pressing unit (100) configured to press one surface of the first pocket portion (11) and a second pressing unit (200) configured to press an other surface of the first pocket portion (11), wherein the first pressing unit (100) has a first pressing pad (110) with a plurality of first embossments (111) facing the one surface of the first pocket portion (11), and the second pressing unit (200) has a second pressing pad (210) with a plurality of second embossments (211) facing the other surface of the first pocket portion (11). Also, in the pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the pouch-shaped secondary battery (10) is in a vertical direction, the first embossments (111) and the second embossments (211) may be closer to the first pocket portion (11) with decreasing distance from a lower side. Also, in the pouch-shaped secondary battery pressing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the