US-20260124777-A1 - APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SECONDARY BATTERY AND ELECTRODE PLATE CUTTING UNIT FOR SECONDARY BATTERY

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery and an electrode plate cutting unit for a secondary battery, in which, since a lower cutter is fixedly pressed using a high-strength spring, the lower cutter has good fixing strength and cutting precision is stably maintained, thereby preventing deintercalation of an active material when cutting an electrode plate and improving quality of a cut surface. The apparatus includes a transport unit configured to transport an electrode plate, which is a cutting target, along a transport path, a winding unit configured to receive and wind a cut electrode plate transported by the transport unit, and a cutting unit having an upper cutter installed above the transport path to move upwardly and downwardly, a fixing body fixed below the transport path to provide support strength, a lower cutter supported by the fixing body and configured to cut the electrode plate through cross motion with the upper cutter, and an elastic support elastically supporting the lower cutter toward the fixing body to maintain a fixed state of the lower cutter with respect to the fixing body.

Inventors

• Junhwan KWON
• Jinhwan Kim
• Jongmin Im
• Bonggeun KANG

Assignees

• SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20250715

Priority Date

20241106

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery, comprising: a transport unit configured to transport an electrode plate, which is a cutting target, along a transport path; a winding unit configured to receive and wind a cut electrode plate transported by the transport unit; and a cutting unit having an upper cutter installed above the transport path to move upwardly and downwardly, a fixing body fixed below the transport path to provide support strength, a lower cutter supported by the fixing body and configured to cut the electrode plate through cross motion with the upper cutter, and an elastic support elastically supporting the lower cutter toward the fixing body to maintain a fixed state of the lower cutter with respect to the fixing body.
2. 2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elastic support comprises: a horizontal extension shaft of which one end portion passes through the lower cutter to be coupled to the fixing body and which extends horizontally; a pressing spring surrounding the horizontal extension shaft; and a spring supporter which presses the pressing spring toward the lower cutter so that the pressing spring presses the lower cutter toward the fixing body.
3. 3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a screw portion is formed on the horizontal extension shaft, and the spring supporter comprises: a spring cover through which the horizontal extension shaft passes; and a pressing force control nut coupled to the screw portion to move the spring cover forwardly toward the pressing spring.
4. 4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a positioning guide part which guides a mounting position of the lower cutter with respect to the fixing body is formed between the fixing body and the lower cutter.
5. 5 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the positioning guide part comprises: a positioning groove formed in a surface facing the lower cutter or the fixing body; and an insertion part formed on the fixing body or the lower cutter and fitted into the positioning groove.
6. 6 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a plurality of guide grooves which are parallel to the horizontal extension shaft and open to face the spring cover are formed in the fixing body, and the spring cover is provided with a balancing arm extending horizontally while fixed to the spring cover and slidably inserted into the guide groove to prevent tilting of the spring cover.
7. 7 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elastic support comprises: a fixing bracket at a side opposite to the lower cutter while supported by the fixing body; and a pressing spring fitted in a compressed state between the fixing bracket and the lower cutter and elastically presses the lower cutter toward the fixing body while supported by the fixing bracket.
8. 8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a spacer which adjusts a gap between the fixing body and the fixing bracket is further provided between the fixing body and the fixing bracket.
9. 9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a spring pusher which presses the pressing spring toward the lower cutter is further installed on the fixing bracket.
10. 10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a female screw hole is formed in the fixing bracket, and the spring pusher comprises: a screw shaft screw-coupled to the female screw hole; a pushing disk provided on one end portion of the screw shaft to transmit a pressing force to the pressing spring; and a torque input unit which applies a shaft rotational force to the screw shaft.
11. 11 . An electrode plate cutting unit for a secondary battery, comprising: an upper cutter installed above an electrode plate that moves along a transport path; a fixing body fixed below the transport path to provide support strength; a lower cutter supported by the fixing body to cut the electrode plate through cross motion with the upper cutter; and an elastic support which elastically supports the lower cutter toward the fixing body to maintain a fixed state of the lower cutter with respect to the fixing body.
12. 12 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the elastic support comprises: a horizontal extension shaft of which one end portion passes through the lower cutter to be coupled to the fixing body and which extends horizontally; a pressing spring surrounding the horizontal extension shaft; and a spring supporter pressing the pressing spring toward the lower cutter so that the pressing spring presses the lower cutter toward the fixing body.
13. 13 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a screw portion is formed on the horizontal extension shaft, and the spring supporter comprises: a spring cover through which the horizontal extension shaft passes; and a pressing force control nut coupled to the screw portion to move the spring cover forwardly toward the pressing spring.
14. 14 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a positioning guide part that guides a mounting position of the lower cutter with respect to the fixing body is formed between the fixing body and the lower cutter.
15. 15 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the positioning guide part comprises: a positioning groove formed in a surface facing the lower cutter or the fixing body; and an insertion part formed on the fixing body or the lower cutter and fitted into the positioning groove.
16. 16 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 13 , wherein a plurality of guide grooves which are parallel to the horizontal extension shaft and open to face the spring cover are formed in the fixing body, and the spring cover is provided with a balancing arm extending horizontally while fixed to the spring cover and slidably inserted into the guide groove to prevent tilting of the spring cover.
17. 17 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the elastic support comprises: a fixing bracket at a side opposite to the lower cutter while supported by the fixing body; and a pressing spring fitted in a compressed state between the fixing bracket and the lower cutter and elastically presses the lower cutter toward the fixing body while supported by the fixing bracket.
18. 18 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 17 , wherein a spacer which adjusts a gap between the fixing body and the fixing bracket is further provided between the fixing body and the fixing bracket.
19. 19 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 17 , wherein a spring pusher which presses the pressing spring toward the lower cutter is further installed on the fixing bracket.
20. 20 . The electrode plate cutting unit as claimed in claim 19 , wherein a female screw hole is formed in the fixing bracket, and the spring pusher comprises: a screw shaft screw-coupled to the female screw hole; a pushing disk provided on one end portion of the screw shaft to transmit a pressing force to the pressing spring; and a torque input unit which applies a shaft rotational force to the screw shaft.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This present application claims priority to and the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0156599, filed on Nov. 6, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 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 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 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 a secondary battery, in which a lower cutter has good fixing strength and cutting precision is stably maintained, thereby preventing deintercalation of an active material when cutting an electrode plate and improving quality of a cut surface. 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, which is a cutting target, along a transport path, a winding unit configured to receive and wind a cut electrode plate transported by the transport unit, and a cutting unit having an upper cutter installed above the transport path to move upwardly and downwardly, a fixing body fixed below the transport path to provide support strength, a lower cutter supported by the fixing body and configured to cut the electrode plate through cross motion with the upper cutter, and an elastic support elastically supporting the lower cutter toward the fixing body to maintain a fixed state of the lower cutter with respect to the fixing body. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrode plate cutting unit for a secondary battery, which includes an upper cutter installed above an electrode plate that moves along a transport path, a fixing body fixed below the transport path to provide support strength, a lower cutter supported by the fixing body to cut the electrode plate through cross motion with the upper cutter, and an elastic support which elastically supports the lower cutter toward the fixing body to maintain a fixed state of the lower cutter with respect to the fixing body. Aspects and features of the present disclosure are not limited to those described herein, and other aspects and features not specifically mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the present disclosure herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The herein and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing exemplary embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an electrode assembly of a secondary battery that may be manufactured through an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery according to embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an interior of a pouch-type battery to which the electrode assembly of FIG. 1 is applied; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cylindrical battery manufactured through the apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery according to embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an exterior of a prismatic battery that may be manufactured through the apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery according to embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a basic configuration of the apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery according to embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating a state in which an upper cutter moves downwardly in a cutting unit illustrated in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view for describing an internal structure of the cutting unit of FIG. 7: FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a modified example of the cutting unit of FIG. 7; FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a modified example of the cutting unit i