EP-4742307-A1 - APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SECONDARY BATTERY AND ELECTRODE PLATE CUTTING UNIT FOR MANUFACTURING SECONDARY BATTERY

EP4742307A1EP 4742307 A1EP4742307 A1EP 4742307A1EP-4742307-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery and an electrode plate cutting unit for manufacturing a secondary battery, which enable continuous cutting and prevents productivity from being lowered by supporting a cut front end after cutting an electrode plate to prevent the electrode plate from falling down a normal transport path. An apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery includes a transport unit configured to transport an electrode plate along a transport path, a winding unit configured to receive and wind the electrode plate transported by the transport unit, and a cutting unit having a cutting part which cuts the electrode plate that is transported, and a separation prevention part which supports a front end portion of a subsequent electrode plate, which moves toward the winding unit, in a transport direction after cut by the cutting part to prevent the subsequent electrode plate from deviating from the transport path toward the winding unit.

Inventors

KWON, JUNHWAN
KIM, JINHWAN
Im, Jongmin
KANG, Bonggeun

Assignees

SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20250701

Claims (15)

An apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery, comprising: a transport unit configured to transport an electrode plate along a transport path; a winding unit configured to receive and wind the electrode plate transported by the transport unit; and a cutting unit having a cutting part which is configured to cut the electrode plate that is transported, and a separation prevention part which is configured to support a front end portion of a subsequent electrode plate, which moves toward the winding unit in a transport direction after being cut by the cutting part, to prevent the subsequent electrode plate from deviating from the transport path toward the winding unit.
The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting part comprises: an upper cutter installed above the transport path of the electrode plate; and a lower cutter installed below the transport path to cut the electrode plate through cross motion with the upper cutter, and the separation prevention part comprises: a lower moving guide which is configured to support the lower cutter while installed on a side portion of the lower cutter and is movable upwardly and downwardly; and a first guide driving part configured to move the lower moving guide upwardly and downwardly.
The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein, the first guide driving part is configured such that after the cutting part cuts the electrode plate, the first guide driving part moves the lower moving guide upwardly simultaneously when the upper cutter moves upwardly so that the lower moving guide provides an upward support force to the front end portion of the subsequent electrode plate.
The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the separation prevention part comprises: an upper moving guide installed to be movable upwardly and downwardly on a side portion of the upper cutter; and a second guide driving part configured to move the upper moving guide upwardly and downwardly.
The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper moving guide is positioned above the transport path of the electrode plate, and the second guide driving part is configured such that after the cutting part cuts the electrode plate, the second guide driving part moves the upper moving guide downwardly when the upper cutter moves upwardly so that the upper moving guide provides an upward support force to the front end portion of the subsequent electrode plate.
The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a lower fixed guide, which is configured to fixedly support the lower cutter and to come into contact with the upper moving guide when the upper moving guide moves downwardly, is further installed vertically under the upper moving guide.
The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein an upper fixed guide, which is configured to come into contact with the lower moving guide when the lower moving guide moves upwardly, is further installed vertically above the lower moving guide.
An electrode plate cutting unit comprising: an upper cutter installed above a transport path of an electrode plate transported along the transport path; a lower cutter installed below the transport path to cut the electrode plate; and a separation prevention part which is configured to support a front end portion of the electrode plate cut by the upper cutter and the lower cutter to prevent the electrode plate from sagging downwardly and deviating from the transport path.
The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the separation prevention part is configured to support the front end portion of a subsequent electrode plate in a transport direction to prevent the front end portion from sagging downwardly due to an action of gravity.
The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the separation prevention part comprises: a lower moving guide which is configured to support the lower cutter while installed on a side portion of the lower cutter and which is movable upwardly and downwardly; and a first guide driving part configured to move the lower moving guide upwardly and downwardly.
The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein, the first guide driving part is configured such that after the cutting part cuts the electrode plate, the first guide driving part moves the lower moving guide upwardly simultaneously when the upper cutter moves upwardly so that the lower moving guide provides an upward support force to the front end portion of the subsequent electrode plate.
The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the separation prevention part comprises: an upper moving guide installed to move upwardly and downwardly on a side portion of the upper cutter; and a second guide driving part configured to move the upper moving guide upwardly and downwardly.
The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the upper moving guide is positioned above the transport path of the electrode plate, and the second guide driving part is configured such that after the cutting part cuts the electrode plate, the second guide driving part moves the upper moving guide downwardly when the upper cutter moves upwardly so that the upper moving guide provides an upward support force to the front end portion of the subsequent electrode plate.
The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein a lower fixed guide, which is configured to fixedly support the lower cutter and to come into contact with the upper moving guide when the upper moving guide moves downwardly, is further installed vertically under the upper moving guide.
The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein an upper fixed guide, which is configured to come into contact with the lower moving guide when the lower moving guide moves upwardly, is further installed vertically above the lower moving guide.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates to manufacturing a secondary battery, and more specifically, to an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery and an electrode plate cutting unit for manufacturing a secondary battery. BACKGROUND Secondary batteries are batteries that can be charged and discharged, unlike primary batteries that cannot be recharged. A secondary battery may generally include an electrode assembly including a positive electrode plate, a separator, and a negative electrode plate, a case (or a can) for accommodating the electrode assembly, a substrate tab formed by extending an uncoated portion of each electrode plate of the electrode assembly, an external terminal connected to the substrate tab, and the like. The electrode assembly accommodated in the case includes a stack type and a jelly roll type. The jelly roll type electrode assembly is manufactured by winding continuously supplied electrode plates using a winding device. The winding device includes an electrode plate cutting machine. The electrode plate cutting machine is a device for cutting an electrode plate at a designed interval and includes an upper cutter and a lower cutter. However, conventional electrode plate cutting devices cut an electrode plate, and then the electrode plate may easily deviate downwardly by the tension of a cut front end. The herein information disclosed in this Background section is for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute a related (or prior) art. SUMMARY The present disclosure is directed to providing an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery and an electrode plate cutting unit for manufacturing a secondary battery, which enable continuous cutting by supporting a cut front end after cutting an electrode plate to prevent the electrode plate from falling down a normal transport path. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery, which includes a transport unit configured to transport an electrode plate along a transport path, a winding unit configured to receive and wind the electrode plate transported by the transport unit, and a cutting unit having a cutting part which cuts the electrode plate that is transported, and a separation prevention part which supports a front end portion of a subsequent electrode plate, which moves toward the winding unit, in a transport direction, after being cut by the cutting part, to prevent the subsequent electrode plate from deviating from the transport path toward the winding unit. In some embodiments, the cutting part comprises an upper cutter installed above the transport path of the electrode plate, and a lower cutter installed below the transport path to cut the electrode plate through cross motion with the upper cutter, and the separation prevention part supports the front end portion of the subsequent electrode plate in the transport direction to prevent the front end portion from sagging downwardly due to gravity. In some embodiments, the separation prevention part comprises: a lower moving guide which supports the lower cutter while installed on a side portion of the lower cutter and is movable upwardly and downwardly; and a first guide driving part configured to move the lower moving guide upwardly and downwardly. In some embodiments, after the cutting part cuts the electrode plate, the first guide driving part moves the lower moving guide upwardly simultaneously when the upper cutter moves upwardly so that the lower moving guide provides an upward support force to the front end portion of the subsequent electrode plate. In some embodiments, the separation prevention part comprises: an upper moving guide installed to be movable upwardly and downwardly on a side portion of the upper cutter; and a second guide driving part configured to move the upper moving guide upwardly and downwardly. In some embodiments, the upper moving guide is positioned above the transport path of the electrode plate, and after the cutting part cuts the electrode plate, the second guide driving part moves the upper moving guide downwardly when the upper cutter moves upwardly so that the upper moving guide provides an upward support force to the front end portion of the subsequent electrode plate. In some embodiments, a lower fixed guide, which fixedly supports the lower cutter and comes into contact with the upper moving guide when the upper moving guide moves downwardly, is further installed vertically under the upper moving guide. In some embodiments, an upper fixed guide, which comes into contact with the lower moving guide when the lower moving guide moves upwardly, is further installed vertically above the lower moving guide. In some embodiments, a surface of the lower moving guide is coated with an antistatic layer. In some embodiments, a surface of the upper moving guide is coated with an anti