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KR-102963363-B1 - The Apparatus And The Method For Manufacturing Unit Cell

KR102963363B1KR 102963363 B1KR102963363 B1KR 102963363B1KR-102963363-B1

Abstract

A unit cell manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problem comprises: a lower separator reel from which a lower separator sheet is unwound; a first feeding roller for moving the lower separator sheet in a first direction; a first conveyor for moving a first electrode in a second direction parallel to the first direction; a first header for transporting the first electrode from the first conveyor and placing it on the upper surface of the lower separator sheet; an upper separator reel from which an upper separator sheet is unwound; a second feeding roller for moving a first laminate, in which the lower separator sheet, the first electrode, and the upper separator sheet are stacked in order, in the first direction; a second conveyor for moving a second electrode in the second direction; a second header for transporting the second electrode from the second conveyor and placing it on the upper surface of the upper separator sheet; and a cutter for cutting a second laminate formed by stacking the lower separator sheet, the first electrode, the upper separator sheet, and the second electrode in order at regular intervals.

Inventors

  • 윤세현
  • 박동혁
  • 권춘호

Assignees

  • 주식회사 엘지에너지솔루션

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20200720

Claims (16)

  1. A lower separator reel from which a lower separator sheet is unwound; A first feeding roller that moves the lower separator sheet in a first direction; A first conveyor that moves the first electrode in a second direction parallel to the first direction; A first header that transports the first electrode from the first conveyor in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and places it on the upper surface of the lower separator sheet; A first vision sensor positioned between the lower separator sheet and the first conveyor to photograph the first electrode before the first electrode is placed on the upper surface of the lower separator sheet; An upper separator reel from which an upper separator sheet is unwound; A second feeding roller for moving a first laminate, in which the lower separator sheet, the first electrode, and the upper separator sheet are stacked in sequence, in the first direction; A second conveyor that moves the second electrode in the second direction; A second header that transports the second electrode from the second conveyor in a fourth direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and parallel to the third direction, and places it on the upper surface of the upper separator sheet; A second vision sensor positioned between the first laminate and the second conveyor to photograph the second electrode before the second electrode is placed on the upper surface of the upper separator sheet; A heating roller that rotates and applies heat and pressure to a second laminate formed by stacking the lower separator sheet, the first electrode, the upper separator sheet, and the second electrode in sequence; and A unit cell manufacturing device comprising a cutter that cuts the second laminated body, to which heat and pressure are applied, at regular intervals.
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  4. In paragraph 1, A unit cell manufacturing device further comprising a third vision sensor positioned above the first conveyor to photograph the first electrode.
  5. In paragraph 1, A unit cell manufacturing device further comprising a fourth vision sensor positioned above the second conveyor to photograph the second electrode.
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  7. In paragraph 1, A unit cell manufacturing apparatus further comprising a first nip roll that is disposed on each side of the lower separator sheet and the first electrode when the first electrode is seated on the upper surface of the lower separator sheet, and applies pressure to the lower separator sheet and the first electrode while rotating.
  8. In paragraph 1, A unit cell manufacturing device further comprising a second nip roll disposed on each side of the second laminate and applying pressure to the second laminate while rotating.
  9. In paragraph 1, A unit cell manufacturing device further comprising a magazine that sequentially accommodates and stacks a plurality of the above-mentioned unit cells.
  10. In paragraph 1, The first conveyor and the second conveyor above are, A unit cell manufacturing device arranged in a line along the above second direction.
  11. In paragraph 1, A first electrode reel from which a first electrode sheet, on which the first electrode is formed, is unwound; and A unit cell manufacturing apparatus further comprising a second electrode reel from which a second electrode sheet, on which the second electrode is formed, is unwound.
  12. A step in which a lower separator sheet is unwound from a lower separator reel and moves in a first direction; A step in which a first conveyor moves a first electrode in a second direction parallel to the first direction; A step of transferring the first electrode from the first conveyor in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and placing it on the upper surface of the lower separator sheet; A step in which an upper separator sheet is unwound from an upper separator reel and moves in the first direction; A step of forming a first laminate by laminating the upper separator sheet on the upper surface of the lower separator sheet and the first electrode; A step in which a second conveyor moves the second electrode in the second direction; A step of transferring the second electrode from the second conveyor in a fourth direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction and parallel to the third direction, so as to place it on the upper surface of the upper separator sheet to form a second laminate; A step of laminating the second laminate by applying heat and pressure to the second laminate using a rotating heating roller; and The method includes the step of manufacturing a unit cell by cutting the second laminate, to which heat and pressure are applied, at regular intervals using a cutter, wherein In the step of placing the first electrode on the upper surface of the lower separator sheet, A first vision sensor positioned between the lower separator sheet and the first conveyor photographs the first electrode before the first electrode is placed on the upper surface of the lower separator sheet, and In the step of placing the second electrode on the upper surface of the upper separator sheet, A method for manufacturing a unit cell in which a second vision sensor disposed between the first laminate and the second conveyor photographs the second electrode before the second electrode is placed on the upper surface of the upper separator sheet.
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  15. In Paragraph 12, In the step of moving the first electrode in the second direction, A method for manufacturing a unit cell in which a third vision sensor positioned above the first conveyor captures the first electrode.
  16. In Paragraph 12, In the step of moving the second electrode in the second direction, A method for manufacturing a unit cell in which a fourth vision sensor positioned above the second conveyor captures the second electrode.

Description

The Apparatus and Method for Manufacturing Unit Cell The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a unit cell, and more specifically, to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a unit cell by laminating an electrode and a separator sheet, which can easily detect and correct the deviation of an electrode from its proper position. Generally, types of secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and lithium-ion polymer batteries. These secondary batteries are used not only in small products such as digital cameras, P-DVDs, MP3 players, mobile phones, PDAs, portable game devices, power tools, and E-bikes, but also in large products requiring high output such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, as well as in power storage devices and backup power storage devices that store surplus generated power or renewable energy. To manufacture such a secondary battery, first, an electrode active material slurry is applied to a positive electrode current collector and a negative electrode current collector to produce a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and then an electrode assembly of a predetermined shape is formed by stacking them on both sides of a separator. Then, the electrode assembly is placed in a battery case, and after injecting an electrolyte, it is sealed. Electrode assemblies are classified into various types. For example, there are the Simple Stack Type, in which anodes, separators, and cathodes are simply stacked alternately without manufacturing unit cells; the Lamination & Stack Type (L&S), in which unit cells are manufactured first using anodes, separators, and cathodes, and then these unit cells are stacked; the Stack & Folding Type (S&F), in which multiple electrodes or unit cells are attached spaced apart on one side of a separator sheet that is long on one side, and the separator sheet is repeatedly folded in the same direction from one end; and the Z-Folding Type, in which multiple electrodes or unit cells are alternately attached to one side and the other side of a separator sheet that is long on one side, and the method of folding the separator sheet in a specific direction from one end and then folding it in the opposite direction is repeated alternately. Among these, to manufacture a lamination-and-stack type, stack-and-fold type, or Z-fold type electrode assembly, a unit cell can be manufactured first. Generally, to manufacture a unit cell, while the central electrode moves to one side by means of a conveyor belt or the like, a separator is laminated on the upper and lower surfaces of the central electrode, respectively, and subsequently, an upper electrode is further laminated on the top. In some cases, a lower electrode may also be further laminated on the bottom. Then, a laminating process is performed by applying heat and pressure to the laminated body in which the electrode and the separator are laminated. By performing this laminating process, the electrode and the separator are bonded together, allowing the unit cell to be firmly formed. However, conventionally, multiple separator sheets and electrode sheets all moved in the same direction on a single line. Then, when electrodes were manufactured by cutting the electrode sheets at regular intervals using a cutter, the electrodes were immediately placed onto the separator sheets. Consequently, it was not easy to verify whether the electrodes had deviated from their correct positions after cutting the electrode sheets, and it was also not easy to correct them even if they did deviate from their correct positions. In addition, the timing for inserting the remaining electrodes was determined after the position of the central electrode stacked between the two separator sheets was recognized by a sensor. However, since the central electrode is stacked and concealed between the two separator sheets, the position of the electrode tab of the central electrode protruding from one side of the separator was recognized by a sensor to recognize the position of the central electrode. At this time, if part of the electrode tab was damaged, folded, or bent, the sensor could not accurately recognize the position of the central electrode, leading to a problem where unit cell defects occurred. Furthermore, if such electrodes were inserted continuously, there was also a problem where unit cell defects occurred continuously. FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a unit cell according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a unit cell manufacturing apparatus (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a detailed plan schematic diagram of a unit cell manufacturing apparatus (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a unit cell manufacturing apparatus (1a) according to another embodiment of the present invention. The advantages and fea