Search

KR-102962591-B1 - AUTO SPLICING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRODE AND AUTO SPLICING PROCESS

KR102962591B1KR 102962591 B1KR102962591 B1KR 102962591B1KR-102962591-B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an auto splicing device and an auto splicing method for electrodes, and more specifically, by using the auto splicing device to align the driving electrode and the new electrode connected to and supplied to the driving electrode based on the shoulder line, the connection failure between the driving electrode and the new electrode can be minimized.

Inventors

  • 하상수
  • 김기욱

Assignees

  • 주식회사 엘지에너지솔루션

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20211208

Claims (8)

  1. An auto splicing device for electrodes comprising a first electrode transfer unit; a second electrode transfer unit; and an electrode supply unit, The first electrode transfer unit comprises: a first winding unit for winding a first electrode; a first transfer unit for transferring the wound first electrode; and a first splicing unit for connecting a second electrode to the first electrode when the winding of the transferred first electrode is completed. The second electrode transfer unit comprises: a second winding unit for winding the second electrode; a second transfer unit for transferring the wound second electrode; and a second splicing unit for connecting the second electrode to the first electrode. The first splicing part or the second splicing part includes a first EPC (Edge Position Control) sensor and a second EPC sensor on both sides, and The first EPC sensor and the second EPC sensor are arranged facing the same direction to detect one electrode surface of the first electrode and one electrode surface of the second electrode located on the same plane when the first electrode and the second electrode are connected, and An auto splicing device for electrodes, wherein the first EPC sensor detects a shoulder line formed on one electrode surface of the first electrode, and the second EPC sensor detects a shoulder line formed on one electrode surface of the second electrode, The first electrode comprises a first electrode surface and a second electrode surface, wherein the first electrode surface of the first electrode is wound in a shape facing the center of the roll and the second electrode surface is wound facing the outer edge of the roll. The second electrode comprises a first electrode surface and a second electrode surface, wherein the first electrode surface of the second electrode is wound in a shape facing the center of the roll and the second electrode surface is wound facing the outer edge of the roll. An auto splicing device for electrodes, wherein the first EPC sensor detects the shoulder line of the second electrode surface of the first electrode, and the second EPC sensor detects the shoulder line of the second electrode surface of the second electrode.
  2. delete
  3. delete
  4. delete
  5. In paragraph 1, The first electrode transfer unit and the second electrode transfer unit are maintained spaced apart from each other, An auto splicing device in which, when the unwinding of the first electrode is completed in the first electrode transfer unit, the first unwinding unit is separated from the first splicing unit, and the first splicing unit and the second splicing unit are joined so that the first electrode and the second electrode are connected and supplied to the electrode supply unit.
  6. In paragraph 1, The above electrode supply unit includes a third EPC sensor that detects the second electrode surface of the connected first electrode and the second electrode surface of the second electrode, an auto splicing device.
  7. (a) a step of unwinding the first electrode and supplying it to the notching process; (b) a step of cutting the lower end of the first electrode; (c) detecting and aligning the shoulder line of the first electrode cut above and the second electrode connected to the first electrode; and (d) a step of connecting one end of the first electrode and one end of the second electrode by aligning them based on the detected shoulder line; wherein An auto-splicing method using an auto-splicing device for electrodes of claim 1, wherein a shoulder line formed on one electrode surface of the first electrode and a shoulder line formed on one electrode surface of the second electrode, which are located on the same plane, are each detected by the first EPC and the second EPC and aligned.
  8. In Paragraph 7, If meandering occurs between the first electrode and the second electrode, An auto-splicing method that, after stopping the first electrode, performs a correction to align the shoulder line formed on one electrode surface of the first electrode and the shoulder line formed on one electrode surface of the second electrode located on the same plane.

Description

Auto-splicing apparatus for electrodes and auto-splicing method The present invention relates to an auto splicing device and an auto splicing method for electrodes used when supplying electrodes to a notching process using a roll-to-roll method during a secondary battery manufacturing process. In the secondary battery manufacturing process, the notching process refers to the process of cutting the electrodes. In the notching process, the electrode to be notched is supplied while unwinding the electrode wound in a roll shape. At this time, when the supply of a single electrode wound in a roll form is completed, it must be replaced with another electrode, and the process of automatically connecting the replacement electrode is called the auto slicing process. At this time, the electrode being supplied is called the driving electrode, and the electrode that is replaced and continuously supplied following the driving electrode can be called the new electrode. Specifically, the driving electrode and the new electrode may be in the form of an electrode sheet, and the electrode sheet may be supplied to a notching process to be cut into individual electrodes. In the currently implemented auto-splicing process, if electrode misalignment and coating line position defects occur due to the meandering of the traveling electrode and the new electrode at the time of electrode replacement, an electrode gap is formed in the electrode connection part, leading to problems such as overhang. In this case, overhang refers to a defect in which the gap between the anode, separator, and cathode deviates from the specified specifications when stacking the anode, separator, and cathode in the process after notching. In addition, there is a problem in that correction is impossible when meandering occurs between the aforementioned driving electrode and the new electrode. In addition, two EPC (Edge Position Control) sensors detect the traveling electrode and the new electrode, but since they detect different sides of the traveling electrode and the new electrode, dimensional defects may occur when connecting the two electrodes, and consequently, process capability may be reduced. As described above, in the case of the conventional auto-splicing process, it is difficult to correct for meandering between the driving electrode and the new electrode when connecting the electrodes, and also, due to the limitations of the location where the EPC sensor is installed, a gap may occur between the driving electrode and the new electrode when connecting the electrodes. As a result, shoulder line dimensional defects may occur before and after the connection between the manufactured electrodes, and process capability may be reduced, so it is necessary to develop a technology that can improve these problems. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the shoulder line from the electrode. FIG. 2a is a schematic diagram of an auto splicing device for an electrode according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2b is a schematic diagram of an auto splicing device for an electrode according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first electrode (A1) and a second electrode (A2) connected according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an auto-splicing process for an electrode according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 5a and 5b are schematic diagrams of an auto-splicing process using a conventional auto-splicing device. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings according to embodiments thereof, but this is for the sake of easier understanding of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the present invention. As used in this specification, the term "coating line" refers to the boundary between the retained portion, which is the part coated with the electrode active material, and the uncoated portion, which is the part not coated with the electrode active material, on the electrode tab. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the shoulder line from the electrode. Referring to FIG. 1, the electrode (100) includes an electrode surface (110) and an electrode tab (120) protruding from the end of the electrode surface (110). The surface of the electrode surface (110) may have an electrode coating layer formed thereon coated with an electrode active material. The electrode coating layer may be formed on both surfaces of the electrode (100). The electrode tab (120), formed by a notching process during the electrode manufacturing process, includes a portion where the electrode coating layer is formed and a portion where the electrode coating layer is not formed. In the electrode (100), the portion where the electrode coating layer is formed is called the retaining portion (130a), and the portion where the electrode coating layer is not formed is called the uncoate