Apparatus for inspecting electrode assembly, battery cell comprising electrode assembly manufactured using the same, and battery pack and vehicle comprising the battery cell

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus for inspecting an electrode assembly, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the apparatus, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery cell. An apparatus for inspecting an electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for inspecting an electrode assembly of a battery cell, the apparatus comprising: a winding reel on which a negative electrode, a first separator, a positive electrode, and a second separator are wound; a first inspection unit disposed spaced apart from the negative electrode and facing at least one of a first end portion of the negative electrode and a second end portion of the negative electrode; a second inspection unit provided spaced apart from the positive electrode and facing at least one of a first end portion of the positive electrode and a second end portion of the positive electrode; and a control section that determines whether or not the electrode assembly is defective by an inspection result from at least one of the first inspection unit and the second inspection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0179669 filed on December 20, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0186038 filed on December 19, 2023 in Korea, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an electrode assembly inspection device, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection device, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery cell, and more specifically, to an electrode assembly inspection device capable of inspecting whether meandering occurs in an electrode assembly during its manufacture and whether an uncoated joint is folded, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection device, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery cell. Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries have high applicability according to product groups and electrical characteristics such as high energy density, and thus are generally applied not only to portable devices but also to electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by an electric power source.

[0004] Such secondary batteries are gaining attention as a new energy source with improved eco-friendliness and enhanced energy efficiency, since they have the major advantage of not only significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels but also generating no byproducts from energy use.

[0005] Currently, widely used secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, etc. The operating voltage of the unit secondary battery cell is about 2.5V to 4.5V.

[0006] Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in series to configure a battery module or a battery pack. In addition, according to the required charge / discharge capacity, a plurality of battery cells may also be connected in parallel to configure a battery module or a battery pack. Therefore, the number and electrical connection type of battery cells included in a battery module or a battery pack may be differently set according to at least one of the required output voltage and the required charge / discharge capacity.

[0007] In addition, cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch-type battery cells are known as types of secondary battery cells. In the case of a cylindrical battery cell, a separator as an insulator is interposed between a positive electrode and a negative electrode and wound to form a core-wound electrode assembly, which is then inserted into a battery can and an electrolyte to form a battery. Also, in a cylindrical battery cell, a current collector plate may be used to electrically connect the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, respectively.

[0008] In the process of manufacturing an electrode assembly of a cylindrical battery cell, a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a separator should be placed at predetermined positions, but during the manufacturing process, meandering in which the negative electrode, the positive electrode, and the separator are not precisely aligned may occur.

[0009] During the manufacturing process of the electrode assembly, depending on the lateral tolerance of the coating portions of the negative electrode and the positive electrode and the difference in the alignment of the upper separator and the lower separator, meandering occurs in one direction, and in severe cases, the reverse direction may occur.

[0010] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing an apparatus for inspecting whether a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a separator have meandering when manufacturing an electrode assembly of a conventional cylindrical battery cell.

[0011] Reference Figure 1 In order to inspect such meandering, conventional inspection is performed by observing only one side of the electrode assembly using a single camera 1, and both sides cannot be inspected due to the equipment and winding process, so there is a risk that meandering caused by tolerance may occur in the side opposite to the inspection side. That is, there is a problem that it is not possible to fully and accurately inspect whether the negative electrode 2, the positive electrode 3, and the separator 4 have meandering.

[0012] In addition, when forming the uncoated tabs on the negative and positive electrodes, the uncoated tabs may be folded during the manufacturing process of the electrode assembly, but in the related art, there is a problem in that it is not possible to check whether the uncoated tabs are folded.

[0013] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new electrode assembly winding meandering inspection device and an electrode assembly winding meandering inspection method that can solve the above-mentioned problems. Summary of the invention

[0014] Technical issues

[0015] The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore, the present disclosure relates to providing an electrode assembly inspection device configured to inspect meandering caused by lateral tolerance of a coated portion of an electrode, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection device, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery cell.

[0016] In addition, in another aspect, the present disclosure relates to providing an electrode assembly inspection device for inspecting meandering caused by lateral tolerance of a coated portion of an electrode in an area that cannot be inspected during the winding process of the electrode assembly by using calculations between inspection data before winding and inspection data during winding, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection device, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery cell.

[0017] In addition, the present disclosure relates to providing an electrode assembly inspection device capable of accurately inspecting whether defects exist between a negative electrode, a positive electrode and a separator, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection device, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery cell.

[0018] In addition, the present disclosure relates to providing an electrode assembly inspection device that can accurately inspect whether an uncoated joint is folded when an uncoated joint is formed on a negative electrode or a positive electrode, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection device, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery cell.

[0019] However, the technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned herein can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description of the present disclosure.

[0020] Technical Solution

[0021] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electrode assembly inspection device can be provided, which is a device for inspecting the electrode assembly of a battery cell, and the electrode assembly inspection device includes: a winding reel, on which a negative electrode, a first separator, a positive electrode, and a second separator are wound; a first inspection unit, which is separated from the negative electrode and is configured to face at least one of the first end of the negative electrode and the second end of the negative electrode; a second inspection unit, which is separated from the positive electrode and is configured to face at least one of the first end of the positive electrode and the second end of the positive electrode; and a control unit, which determines whether the electrode assembly is defective based on an inspection result from at least one of the first inspection unit and the second inspection unit.

[0022] In an embodiment, the first inspection unit may be disposed beside the negative electrode, and the second inspection unit may be disposed above the positive electrode.

[0023] In an embodiment, the first inspection unit and the second inspection unit may be disposed to be orthogonal to each other with respect to the winding reel.

[0024] In an embodiment, the first inspection unit may be disposed to face a portion where the negative electrode is wound on the winding reel.

[0025] In an embodiment, the second inspection unit may be disposed to face a portion where the positive electrode is wound on the winding reel.

[0026] In an embodiment, a negative electrode uncoated joint may be formed at the first end of the negative electrode, and the first inspection unit may include a first photographing member disposed to face the first end of the negative electrode to photograph the negative electrode uncoated joint.

[0027] In an embodiment, the control unit may determine whether the negative electrode uncoated tab is folded based on a result photographed by the first photographing member.

[0028] In an embodiment, the first inspection unit may include a second photographing member disposed to face the second end portion of the negative electrode to photograph a gap between the negative electrode and the first separator.

[0029] In an embodiment, the second inspection unit may include a third photographing member disposed to face the first end portion of the positive electrode to photograph a gap between the positive electrode and the second separator.

[0030] In an embodiment, the third imaging component may image a gap between the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm.

[0031] In an implementation, the positive electrode may be located inside the first separator and the second separator, and a first end portion of the positive electrode may be coated with a positive electrode active material.

[0032] In an embodiment, a positive electrode uncoated joint may be formed at the second end of the positive electrode, and the second inspection unit may include a fourth photographing member disposed to face the second end of the positive electrode to photograph the positive electrode uncoated joint.

[0033] In an embodiment, the control unit may determine whether the positive electrode uncoated tab is folded based on a result photographed by the fourth photographing member.

[0034] In an embodiment, a negative electrode active material may be coated on both sides of the negative electrode, and a positive electrode active material may be coated on both sides of the positive electrode, and the control unit may calculate whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode is meandering in an opposite direction based on a result of checking whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode is meandering in one direction.

[0035] In an embodiment, the control unit can store positive electrode measurement data of the lateral length of the positive electrode active material coated on both sides of the positive electrode measured before winding, and the coating line on the rear side of the virtual positive electrode can be deduced by calculating the positive electrode measurement data, and the coating line on the front side of the virtual positive electrode can be deduced by calculating the winding bending gap of the joint part of the positive electrode, and the winding bending gap can be deduced using the coating line on the rear side of the virtual positive electrode, the coating line on the front side of the virtual positive electrode, and the end line on the front side of the negative electrode.

[0036] In an embodiment, the control unit can store negative electrode measurement data of the lateral length of the negative electrode active material coated on both sides of the negative electrode measured before winding, and the coating line on the front side of the virtual negative electrode can be deduced by calculating the negative electrode measurement data, and the coating line on the rear side of the virtual negative electrode can be deduced by calculating the winding bending gap of the joint part of the negative electrode, and the winding bending gap can be deduced using the coating line on the front side of the virtual negative electrode, the coating line on the rear side of the virtual negative electrode, and the end line on the rear side of the positive electrode.

[0037] In addition, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the above-mentioned electrode assembly inspection device can be provided, a battery pack including at least one above-mentioned battery cell can be provided, and a vehicle including at least one above-mentioned battery cell can be provided.

[0038] Beneficial Effects

[0039] The embodiment of the present disclosure has the effect of checking meandering caused by lateral tolerance of the coating portion of the electrode.

[0040] In addition, there is an effect of checking meandering due to lateral tolerance of the coating portion of the electrode using calculation between inspection data before winding and inspection data during winding in an area that cannot be detected during the winding process of the electrode assembly.

[0041] In addition, there is an effect of accurately inspecting whether or not there are defects between the negative electrode, the positive electrode, and the separator.

[0042] In addition, there is an effect of accurately inspecting whether the uncoated tab is folded when forming the uncoated tab on the negative electrode or the positive electrode.

[0043] However, the effects to be obtained by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other technical effects not mentioned herein from the following description of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the above disclosure, are used to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not interpreted as being limited to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing an apparatus for inspecting whether a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a separator have meandering when manufacturing an electrode assembly of a conventional cylindrical battery cell.

[0046] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of an electrode assembly inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 The figure is viewed from direction A.

[0048] Figure 4 It is along Figure 2 The figure is viewed from direction B.

[0049] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an image photographed by a first inspection unit in an electrode assembly inspection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An enlarged view of part a.

[0051] Figure 7 It is shown in Figure 6 Figure 4 shows the folding that occurs in the negative electrode uncoated joint.

[0052] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 An enlarged view of part b.

[0053] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an image photographed by a second inspection unit in an electrode assembly inspection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 An enlarged view of part c.

[0055] Fig.11 It is shown in Fig.10 A diagram showing a situation in which a gap is formed between the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm.

[0056] Fig.12 yes Fig. 9 An enlarged view of part d.

[0057] Fig.13 and Fig.141 and 2 are diagrams for respectively describing that the electrode assembly inspection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure calculates whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode meanders in the opposite direction based on the result of inspecting whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode meanders in one direction.

[0058] Fig.15 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a battery pack including a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection apparatus according to each embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Fig.16 It is used to describe Fig.15 Diagram of a battery pack for a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general meaning and dictionary meaning, but are interpreted based on the meaning and concept corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that allows the inventor to define the terms suitable for the best description. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only one of the most preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to fully represent the technical aspects of the present disclosure, so it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may be made when submitting this application.

[0061] In the accompanying drawings, for the convenience and clarity of description, the size of each component or a specific part of a component is exaggerated, omitted or schematically illustrated. Therefore, the size of each component does not fully reflect the actual size. If it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration will make the subject matter of the present disclosure unnecessarily obscure, such description will be omitted.

[0062] As used herein, the term “coupled” or “connected” refers not only to a case where one member is directly coupled or directly connected to another member, but also to a case where one member is indirectly coupled or indirectly connected to another member through a joining member.

[0063] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of an electrode assembly inspection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 A is the direction of observation, and Figure 4 It is along Figure 2 The figure is viewed from direction B.

[0064] The electrode assembly inspection device 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is a device for inspecting the electrode assembly 21 when winding the electrode assembly 21 of the battery cell 20. Specifically, referring to Figures 2 to 4The electrode assembly inspection device 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is capable of not only inspecting the battery cells 20 (e.g., Fig.15 A device capable of checking whether there is a meandering bend between the negative electrode 22, the positive electrode 26 and the separators 25 and 29 during the manufacturing process of the electrode assembly 21 included in the cylindrical battery cell), and whether the uncoated joint is folded when the negative electrode uncoated joint 24 is formed on the negative electrode 22 or the positive electrode uncoated joint 28 is formed on the positive electrode 26.

[0065] The electrode assembly 21 has a structure in which a positive electrode 26, a negative electrode 22, and separators 25, 29 interposed therebetween are wound in one direction. Also, a central hole is formed at the center of the electrode assembly 21, and the electrode assembly may be formed in a core-wound type.

[0066] For example, refer to Figures 2 to 4 The electrode assembly 21 may be manufactured by winding at least once a laminate formed by sequentially stacking the negative electrode 22, the first separator 25, the positive electrode 26, and the second separator 29. Here, the positive electrode 26 and the negative electrode 22 may be formed in a sheet shape.

[0067] That is, the electrode assembly 21 applied to this embodiment may be a wound type electrode assembly. In this case, an additional separator (not shown) may also be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electrode assembly 21 to insulate the battery can. That is, the electrode assembly 21 may have a winding structure known in the related art without limitation.

[0068] The positive electrode active material 27 may be applied to one or both sides of the positive electrode 26, and a positive electrode uncoated tab 28 to which the positive electrode active material 27 is not applied may be formed at the end of the positive electrode 26. The positive electrode uncoated tab 28 is exposed to the outside of the separator while forming a plurality of winding turns around the center of the electrode assembly 21, and may be used as an electrode tab itself. However, the positive electrode uncoated tab 28 may not be formed on the positive electrode 26.

[0069] The negative electrode active material 23 may be applied to one or both sides of the negative electrode 22, and a negative electrode uncoated tab 24 to which the negative electrode active material 23 is not applied may be formed at the end of the negative electrode 22. The negative electrode uncoated tab 24 is exposed to the outside of the separator while forming a plurality of winding turns around the center of the electrode assembly 21, and may be used as an electrode tab itself. However, the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 may not be formed on the negative electrode 22.

[0070] Here, when the positive electrode 26 and the negative electrode 22 each include an uncoated portion, the positive electrode uncoated tab 28 and the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 may be configured to face in opposite directions.

[0071] Also, as long as the positive electrode active material 27 coated on the positive electrode 26 and the negative electrode active material 23 coated on the negative electrode 22 are active materials known in the art, they may be used without limitation.

[0072] The separator may be a porous polymer film, for example, a porous polymer film made of a polyolefin polymer such as ethylene homopolymer, propylene homopolymer, ethylene / butene copolymer, ethylene / hexene copolymer and ethylene / methacrylate copolymer alone or a stacked structure thereof.

[0073] As another example, the separator may be a conventional porous non-woven fabric, for example, a non-woven fabric made of high melting point glass fiber, polyethylene terephthalate fiber, or the like.

[0074] At least one surface of the diaphragm may include a coating of inorganic particles. In addition, the diaphragm itself may be formed by a coating of inorganic particles. The particles constituting the coating may have a structure connected to a binder so that there is a void volume between adjacent particles.

[0075] Reference Figures 2 to 4 , the electrode assembly inspection device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to include a winding reel 100 , a first inspection unit 200 , a second inspection unit 300 , and a control unit 400 .

[0076] The negative electrode 22, the first separator 25, the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29 are wound on a winding reel 100. Figure 2 , the negative electrode 22 is relative to Figure 2 Set in front ( Figure 2 The first separator 25 is disposed between the negative electrode 22 and the positive electrode 26, and the second separator 29 is disposed behind the positive electrode 26 ( Figure 2 However, the arrangement of the negative electrode 22, the first separator 25, the positive electrode 26, and the second separator 29 is not limited thereto.

[0077] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment, the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 is formed on the left side of the negative electrode 22 ( Figure 2 X2 direction in the figure), and the positive electrode uncoated tab 28 is formed on the right side of the positive electrode 26 ( Figure 2 However, the positions of the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 and the positive electrode uncoated tab 28 are not limited thereto.

[0078] The first inspection unit 200 may be spaced apart from the negative electrode 22 and disposed facing at least one of the first end 22a of the negative electrode 22 and the second end 22b of the negative electrode 22. The first inspection unit 200 may be disposed in various ways, such as near the negative electrode 22 ( Figure 2 ) setting in the Y1 direction in the figure, but is not limited to this.

[0079] The first inspection unit 200 may be disposed to face the portion of the negative electrode 22 wound on the winding reel 100. Figure 3 , the first inspection unit 200 may be disposed to face the negative electrode 22 and a portion where the first separator 25 , the positive electrode 26 , and the second separator 29 are wound on the winding reel 100 .

[0080] Reference Figure 2 , the first inspection unit 200 and the second inspection unit 300 may be disposed to be orthogonal to each other with respect to the winding reel 100 , but are not limited thereto and do not necessarily have to be orthogonal to each other.

[0081] The first inspection unit 200 may include a first photographing member 210 and a second photographing member 220. Here, the first photographing member 210 and the second photographing member 220 may be different and, for example, may be various cameras.

[0082] The first photographing member 210 may be disposed to face the first end portion 22a of the negative electrode 22 to photograph the negative electrode uncoated tab 24, and the second photographing member 220 may be disposed to face the second end portion 22b of the negative electrode 22 to photograph the gap between the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25. A detailed description thereof will be provided later.

[0083] The second inspection unit 300 may be spaced apart from the positive electrode 26 and disposed to face at least one of the first end 26a of the positive electrode 26 and the second end 26b of the positive electrode 26. The second inspection unit 300 may be disposed in various ways, for example, disposed above the positive electrode 26 ( Figure 2 Z2 direction in the figure), but not limited to this.

[0084] The second inspection unit 300 may be disposed to face the portion of the positive electrode 26 wound on the winding reel 100. Figure 3 , the second inspection unit 300 may be disposed to face the positive electrode 26 and a portion where the negative electrode 22 , the first separator 25 , and the second separator 29 are wound on the winding reel 100 .

[0085] As mentioned above, refer to Figure 2 , the second inspection unit 300 and the first inspection unit 200 may be disposed to be orthogonal to each other with respect to the winding reel 100 , but are not limited thereto and do not necessarily have to be orthogonal to each other.

[0086] The second inspection unit 300 may include a third photographing member 310 and a fourth photographing member 320. Here, the third photographing member 310 and the fourth photographing member 320 may be different and, for example, may be various cameras.

[0087] The third photographing member 310 may be disposed to face the first end portion 26a of the positive electrode 26 to photograph the gap between the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29, and the fourth photographing member 320 may be disposed to face the second end portion 26b of the positive electrode 26 to photograph the positive electrode uncoated tab 28. A detailed description thereof will be provided later.

[0088] The control unit 400 determines whether the electrode assembly 21 is defective based on the inspection results from at least one of the first inspection unit 200 and the second inspection unit 300. Here, the defects in the electrode assembly 21 may include a case where the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25 are not accurately aligned at a predetermined position and meandering occurs, a case where the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29 are not accurately aligned at a predetermined position and meandering occurs, a case where the first separator 25 and the second separator 29 are not accurately aligned at a predetermined position and meandering occurs, a case where folding occurs in the negative electrode uncoated joint 24, or a case where folding occurs in the positive electrode uncoated joint 28.

[0089] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an image captured by a first inspection unit in an electrode assembly inspection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An enlarged view of part a, Figure 7 It is shown in Figure 6 Figure 1 shows the folding of the negative electrode uncoated joint in FIG. 1 , and Figure 8 yes Figure 5 An enlarged view of part b.

[0090] As mentioned above, refer to Figure 2 , the first inspection unit 200 may include a first photographing member 210 and a second photographing member 220 .

[0091] Here, the first photographing member 210 is disposed to face the first end portion 22 a of the negative electrode 22 to photograph the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 .

[0092] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 may be formed at the first end portion 22a of the negative electrode 22. As described above, the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 is a portion to which the negative electrode active material 23 is not applied, and itself may be used as an electrode tab.

[0093] The first photographing member 210 (see Figure 2 ) photographs the negative electrode uncoated tab 24, and the control unit 400 may determine whether the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 is folded based on the result photographed by the first photographing member 210.

[0094] That is, when the negative electrode uncoated connector 24 photographed by the first photographing member 210 is Figure 6 , the control unit 400 determines that the negative electrode uncoated joint 24 is normal, but when the negative electrode uncoated joint 24 photographed by the first photographing member 210 is as shown in FIG. Figure 7 When the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 is folded as shown in FIG. 1 , the control unit 400 determines that the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 is defective.

[0095] Therefore, the first photographing member 210 may check whether the negative electrode uncoated tab 24 is defective.

[0096] Furthermore, the second photographing component 220 (see Figure 2 ) may be disposed to face the second end portion 22 b of the negative electrode 22 to capture a gap between the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25 .

[0097] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 8 , the region of the negative electrode 22 to which the negative electrode active material 23 is applied is located inside the first separator 25. Figure 8 As shown in , the control unit 400 determines whether meandering has occurred in the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25 by comparing the width of the negative electrode 22 with the width of the first separator 25 using a video or image taken between the negative electrode active material 23 of the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25, thereby determining whether they are defective.

[0098] That is, the total width of the negative electrode 22 and the total width of the first separator 25 can be compared, and the gap G1 between the second end 22b of the negative electrode 22 and the second end 25b of the first separator 25 can be utilized (see Figure 8 ) to determine whether the alignment part is misaligned.

[0099] Here, in an embodiment, reference data of the total width of the negative electrode 22 and the total width of the first separator 25 are input to the control unit 400 in advance, and whether there is a defect can be determined by comparing the reference data with a video or image taken when the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25 are wound.

[0100] Alternatively, data related to the respective widths of the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25 before being wound, taken in real time, is stored in the control unit 400, and by comparing the stored data with a video or image taken when winding the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25, it can be determined whether there is a defect.

[0101] Therefore, it is possible to check whether the negative electrode 22 and the first separator 25 are defective due to meandering.

[0102] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an image captured by a second inspection unit in an electrode assembly inspection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 The enlarged view of part c, Fig.11 It is shown in Fig.10 A diagram showing a case where a gap is formed between the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm in FIG. Fig.12 yes Fig. 9 An enlarged view of part d.

[0103] As mentioned above, refer to Figure 2 , the second inspection unit 300 may include a third photographing member 310 and a fourth photographing member 320 .

[0104] Here, the third photographing component 310 (see Figure 2 ) is arranged to face the first end portion 26 a of the positive electrode 26 to capture the gap between the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29 .

[0105] Reference Figure 2 , the positive electrode 26 is located inside the first separator 25 and the second separator 29, and the positive electrode 26 is coated with a positive electrode active material 27. That is, referring to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 , the area of ​​the positive electrode 26 to which the positive electrode active material 27 is applied is located inside the second separator 29. Fig.10 As shown in , the control unit 400 determines whether meandering has occurred in the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29 by comparing the width of the positive electrode 26 with the width of the second separator 29 using a video or image taken between the positive electrode active material 27 of the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29, thereby determining whether they are defective.

[0106] That is, the total width of the positive electrode 26 and the total width of the second separator 29 can be compared, and the gap G2 between the first end 26a of the positive electrode 26 and the first end 29a of the second separator 29 (see Fig.10 ) to determine whether the alignment part is misaligned.

[0107] Here, in an embodiment, reference data of the total width of the positive electrode 26 and the total width of the second separator 29 are input to the control unit 400 in advance, and whether there is a defect can be determined by comparing the reference data with a video or image taken when the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29 are wound.

[0108] Alternatively, data related to the widths of the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29 before being wound is stored in real time in the control unit 400, and whether there is a defect can be determined by comparing the stored data with a video or image taken when the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29 are wound.

[0109] Therefore, it is possible to check whether the positive electrode 26 and the second separator 29 are defective due to meandering.

[0110] In addition, refer to Fig.11, the third photographing member 310 can photograph the gap G3 between the first diaphragm 25 and the second diaphragm 29. The first diaphragm 25 and the second diaphragm 29 can be formed to have the same width. In this case, for example, the first end 25a of the first diaphragm 25 and the first end 29a of the second diaphragm 29 should overlap in a matching manner, but when a meandering bend occurs, the first end 25a of the first diaphragm 25 and the first end 29a of the second diaphragm 29 do not match, and a gap G3 appears, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 as shown in .

[0111] In this manner, if the first end portion 25 a of the first diaphragm 25 does not match the first end portion 29 a of the second diaphragm 29 according to the video or image photographed by the third photographing member 310 , the control unit 400 may determine that there is a defect.

[0112] Reference Fig. 9 and Fig.12 , the positive electrode uncoated tab 28 may be formed at the second end portion 26b of the positive electrode 26. As described above, the positive electrode uncoated tab 28 is a portion to which the positive electrode active material 27 is not applied, and itself may be used as an electrode tab.

[0113] The fourth photographing component 320 (see Figure 2 ) is disposed to face the second end portion 26b of the positive electrode 26 to photograph the positive electrode uncoated tab 28, and the control unit 400 may determine whether the positive electrode uncoated tab 28 is folded based on the result photographed by the fourth photographing member 320.

[0114] That is, when the positive electrode uncoated connector 28 photographed by the fourth photographing member 320 is Fig.12 , the control unit 400 determines that the positive electrode uncoated joint 28 is normal. However, when the positive electrode uncoated joint 28 photographed by the fourth photographing member 320 is folded, the control unit 400 determines that the positive electrode uncoated joint 28 is defective. Here, the folding of the positive electrode uncoated joint 28 may be similar to Figure 7 Folding of the negative electrode uncoated tab 24.

[0115] Therefore, the fourth photographing member 320 may check whether the positive electrode uncoated tab 28 is defective.

[0116] Fig.13 and Fig.14 1 and 2 are diagrams for respectively describing that the electrode assembly inspection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure calculates whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode meanders in the opposite direction based on the result of inspecting whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode meanders in one direction.

[0117] Control unit 400 (see Figure 2) can calculate whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode is meandering in the opposite direction based on the result of checking whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode is meandering in one direction. Here, the negative electrode active material is coated on both sides of the negative electrode, and the positive electrode active material is coated on both sides of the positive electrode.

[0118] And, for example, a positive electrode surface inspector (not shown) can measure positive electrode measurement data. The positive electrode measurement data is measurement data of the lateral length of the positive electrode active material coated on both sides of the positive electrode measured before winding. And, the control unit 400 stores the positive electrode measurement data.

[0119] Reference Fig.13 , the coating line L1 on the rear side of the virtual positive electrode can be derived by calculating the above-mentioned positive electrode measurement data. And, the coating line L2 on the front side of the virtual positive electrode can be derived by calculating the meandering gap of the joint portion of the positive electrode.

[0120] Here, for example, the meandering gap of the joint portion of the positive electrode can be derived by calculating the lateral length of the positive electrode active material coated on one of the two sides plus the positive electrode gap plus the first separator width plus the alignment deviation between the separators minus the absolute value of the negative electrode gap or the lateral length of the positive electrode active material coated on the other of the two sides plus the positive electrode gap plus the first separator width plus the alignment deviation between the separators minus the absolute value of the negative electrode gap (whichever is smaller). However, this is just an example.

[0121] Reference Fig.13 , control unit (see Figure 2 ) The meandering gap can be derived using the coating line L1 on the back side of the virtual positive electrode, the coating line L2 on the front side of the virtual positive electrode, and the slitting line L3 on the front side of the negative electrode. And, Fig.13 L4 in FIG. 2 is the line of the first diaphragm 25 .

[0122] In addition, for example, a negative electrode surface inspector (not shown) can measure negative electrode measurement data. The negative electrode measurement data is measurement data of the lateral length of the negative electrode active material coated on both sides of the negative electrode measured before winding. And, the control unit 400 stores the negative electrode measurement data.

[0123] Reference Fig.14 , the coating line L5 on the front side of the virtual negative electrode can be derived by calculating the above-mentioned negative electrode measurement data. And, the coating line L6 on the rear side of the virtual positive electrode can be derived by calculating the meandering gap of the joint part of the negative electrode.

[0124] Here, for example, the meandering gap of the joint portion of the negative electrode can be derived by calculating the lateral length of the negative electrode active material coated on one of the two sides plus the negative electrode gap plus the first separator width plus the alignment deviation between the separators minus the absolute value of the positive electrode gap or the lateral length of the negative electrode active material coated on the other of the two sides plus the negative electrode gap plus the first separator width plus the alignment deviation between the separators minus the absolute value of the positive electrode gap (whichever is smaller). However, this is only an example.

[0125] Reference Fig.14 , control unit 400 (see Figure 2 ) The meandering gap can be derived using the coating line L5 on the front side of the virtual negative electrode, the coating line L6 on the rear side of the virtual negative electrode, and the slitting line L7 on the rear side of the positive electrode. And, Fig.14 L8 in FIG. 2 is the line of the second diaphragm 29 .

[0126] Therefore, there is an effect of checking meandering due to lateral tolerance of the coating portion of the electrode by calculation between inspection data before winding and inspection data during winding in a region that cannot be detected during winding of the electrode assembly.

[0127] Fig.15 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a battery pack including a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection apparatus according to each embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0128] Reference Fig.15 The battery pack 30 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more battery cells 20. Here, the battery cell 20 may be a cylindrical battery cell, and the battery cell 20 includes an electrode assembly 21 manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection device 10 according to each embodiment of the present disclosure as described above.

[0129] In addition, the battery pack 30 may further include a battery pack case 31 for accommodating the battery cells 20 , various devices for controlling the charge / discharge of the battery cells 20 such as a BMS, a current sensor, a fuse, and the like.

[0130] Fig.16 It is used to describe Fig.15 Diagram of a battery pack for a vehicle.

[0131] Reference Fig.16 The vehicle 40 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more battery cells 20 or battery pack 30. The battery cell 20 includes an electrode assembly 21 manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection device 10 according to each embodiment of the present disclosure as described above. And, the battery pack 30 may include one or more battery cells 20 as described above.

[0132] Here, the vehicle 40 includes various vehicles designed to use electric power such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0133] Terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, and right as used herein are used only for convenience of description, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the terms may change depending on the elements described or the position of an observer.

[0134] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to a limited number of embodiments and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the technical aspects of the present disclosure and within the equivalent scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed above should be considered from an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective. That is, the true technical idea scope of the present disclosure is shown in the claims, and all differences within the scope of equivalents should be interpreted as being included in the present disclosure.

[0135] Industrial Applicability

[0136] The present disclosure relates to an electrode assembly inspection apparatus, a battery cell including an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection apparatus, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery cell, and is particularly applicable to industries related to secondary batteries.

Claims

1. An electrode assembly inspection device, which is a device for inspecting an electrode assembly of a battery cell, and comprises: a winding reel on which the negative electrode, the first separator, the positive electrode and the second separator are wound; a first inspection unit, the first inspection unit being spaced apart from the negative electrode and disposed to face at least one of a first end portion of the negative electrode and a second end portion of the negative electrode; a second inspection unit, the second inspection unit being spaced apart from the positive electrode and disposed to face at least one of the first end of the positive electrode and the second end of the positive electrode; as well as A control unit that determines whether the electrode assembly is defective based on an inspection result from at least one of the first inspection unit and the second inspection unit.

2. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 1, in, The first inspection unit is disposed beside the negative electrode, and the second inspection unit is disposed above the positive electrode.

3. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 2, in, The first inspection unit and the second inspection unit are disposed orthogonally to each other with respect to the winding reel.

4. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 1, in, The first inspection unit is disposed to face a portion where the negative electrode is wound on the winding reel.

5. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 1, in, The second inspection unit is disposed to face a portion where the positive electrode is wound around the winding reel.

6. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 1, in, A negative electrode uncoated tab is formed at a first end of the negative electrode, and The first inspection unit includes a first photographing member disposed to face the first end portion of the negative electrode to photograph the negative electrode uncoated joint.

7. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 6, in, The control unit determines whether the negative electrode uncoated tab is folded based on a result photographed by the first photographing member.

8. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 1, in, The first inspection unit includes a second photographing member disposed to face the second end of the negative electrode to photograph a gap between the negative electrode and the first separator.

9. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 1, in, The second inspection unit includes a third photographing member disposed to face the first end portion of the positive electrode to photograph a gap between the positive electrode and the second separator.

10. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 9, in, The third imaging unit images a gap between the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm.

11. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 9, in, The positive electrode is located inside the first separator and the second separator, and a first end portion of the positive electrode is coated with a positive electrode active material.

12. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 1, in, A positive electrode uncoated tab is formed at a second end of the positive electrode, and The second inspection unit includes a fourth photographing member disposed to face the second end portion of the positive electrode to photograph the positive electrode uncoated joint.

13. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 12, in, The control unit determines whether the positive electrode uncoated tab is folded based on a result photographed by the fourth photographing means.

14. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 1, in, A negative electrode active material is coated on both sides of the negative electrode, and a positive electrode active material is coated on both sides of the positive electrode, and The control unit calculates whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode meanders in the opposite direction based on a result of checking whether the negative electrode or the positive electrode meanders in one direction.

15. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 14, in, The control unit stores positive electrode measurement data of the lateral length of the positive electrode active material coated on both sides of the positive electrode measured before winding, derives a coating line on the rear side of a virtual positive electrode by calculating the positive electrode measurement data, derives a coating line on the front side of the virtual positive electrode by calculating a meandering gap of a joint portion of the positive electrode, and derives a meandering gap using the coating line on the rear side of the virtual positive electrode, the coating line on the front side of the virtual positive electrode, and the end line on the front side of the negative electrode.

16. The electrode assembly inspection device according to claim 14, in, The control unit stores negative electrode measurement data of the lateral length of the negative electrode active material coated on both sides of the negative electrode measured before winding, derives the coating line on the front side of the virtual negative electrode by calculating the negative electrode measurement data, derives the coating line on the rear side of the virtual negative electrode by calculating the meandering gap of the joint part of the negative electrode, and derives the meandering gap using the coating line on the front side of the virtual negative electrode, the coating line on the rear side of the virtual negative electrode, and the end line on the rear side of the positive electrode. 17 . A battery cell comprising an electrode assembly manufactured using the electrode assembly inspection apparatus according to claim 1 .

18. A battery pack comprising at least one battery cell according to claim 17.

19. A vehicle comprising at least one battery cell according to claim 17.

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