Pouch forming apparatus and pouch forming method using the same

Abstract

A pouch forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is for forming a housing section for housing an electrode assembly in a pouch sheet, and includes a mounting section on which the pouch sheet is placed, a pressure plate for fixing the pouch sheet to the mounting section by applying pressure to the pouch sheet, a lifting section for causing vertical movement of the pressure plate, and a forming section for forming the housing section by applying pressure to the pouch sheet, wherein a sensor section for measuring the pressure formed between the pressure plate and the mounting section is provided above the mounting section.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] ,

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2023 - 0104551 filed on August 10, 2023, and all the contents disclosed in the literature of the Korean patent application are included as part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to a pouch forming device, and more particularly, to a pouch forming device for forming the shape of a cell case in the manufacturing process of a battery cell.

Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries are attracting attention not only as energy sources for mobile devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and notebook computers, but also as power sources for power devices such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles, and the demand for secondary batteries is increasing rapidly.

[0004] Secondary batteries are classified into cylindrical batteries and prismatic batteries in which the electrode assembly is installed in a cylindrical or rectangular metal can according to the shape of the battery case, and pouch - type batteries in which the electrode assembly is installed in a pouch - type case made of an aluminum laminate sheet.

[0005] In addition, the electrode assembly is typically classified into a jelly - roll type (winding type) electrode assembly in which a long sheet - shaped positive electrode and a negative electrode are wound with a separator interposed therebetween, a stack type (laminated type) electrode assembly in which a plurality of positive electrodes and negative electrodes cut in a predetermined size are sequentially laminated with a separator interposed therebetween, and a stack / folding type electrode assembly in which a stack type unit cell is wound with a long separator.

[0006] In the manufacturing process of battery cells, electrode assemblies are sealed together with the electrolyte in a designated case. In the case of pouch-type batteries, a housing is formed in a pouch sheet, and then a stack-type or stack / folding-type electrode assembly is placed in the housing and the electrolyte is injected. However, the process of forming the housing is carried out by pressing the pouch sheet with a punch or the like after it has been fixed in place, so if the pressure is not properly adjusted, problems can arise such as cracks forming in the pouch sheet or excessive wrinkles forming. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] This invention was devised to solve these problems, and aims to minimize cracks or wrinkles that occur in the pouch sheet during the molding process of the battery cell pouch sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A pouch forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is for forming a housing section for housing an electrode assembly in a pouch sheet, and includes a mounting section on which the pouch sheet is placed, a pressure plate for fixing the pouch sheet to the mounting section by applying pressure to the pouch sheet, a lifting section for causing vertical movement of the pressure plate, and a forming section for forming the housing section by applying pressure to the pouch sheet, wherein a sensor section for measuring the pressure formed between the pressure plate and the mounting section is provided above the mounting section.

[0009] The upper part of the mounting portion is provided with a housing groove for forming the housing portion, and the sensor portion may not be able to correspond to the housing groove.

[0010] The upper part of the mounting portion is provided with a receiving groove for forming the receiving portion, and the pressure plate can pressurize the pouch sheet located in the portion of the mounting portion where the receiving groove is not formed.

[0011] The lifting mechanism is multiplying, and these multiple lifting mechanisms can operate independently of each other.

[0012] The sensor unit may include a surface pressure sensor.

[0013] The sensor unit acquires pressure values ​​corresponding to each position, calculates the position of the center of gravity based on the pressure values, and can display the pressure values ​​corresponding to each position as relative values ​​based on the pressure value formed at the center of gravity.

[0014] The movement of the lifting mechanism changes the pressure between the mounting mechanism and the pressure plate, thereby allowing the position of the center of gravity to shift.

[0015] The lifting mechanism can operate based on the pressure value acquired by the sensor.

[0016] The lifting mechanism includes a first lifting mechanism and a second lifting mechanism. Based on the pressure value obtained from the sensor, one of the first or second lifting mechanism operates, thereby adjusting the tilt of the pressure plate.

[0017] A pouch forming method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: placing a pouch sheet on a mounting section; fixing the pouch sheet on the mounting section by applying pressure to the pouch sheet with a pressure plate; adjusting the inclination of the pressure plate with a lifting section based on a pressure value obtained by a sensor section; and forming a storage section in the pouch sheet by applying pressure to the pouch sheet with a forming section.

[0018] The step of adjusting the inclination of the pressing plate may include the steps of calculating the position of the center of gravity based on the pressure value acquired by the sensor unit, comparing the calculated position of the center of gravity with the pre-saved position of the center of gravity, and adjusting the inclination of the pressing plate by operating the lifting unit so that the calculated position of the center of gravity coincides with the pre-saved position of the center of gravity.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to one aspect of the present invention, in forming a pouch-type case, the pouch sheet can be pressed with an appropriate pressure, thereby minimizing cracks or wrinkles formed in the pouch sheet.

[0020] In addition, the present invention can have various other effects, and regarding these, the description will be omitted for those effects described in each implementation configuration or those effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is a side view of a conventional pouch forming device. [Figure 2] It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the pouch forming device according to FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a top view of the lower die of the pouch forming device according to FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a side view of a pouch forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a top view of the mounting portion of the pouch forming device according to FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the position of the sensor unit and the corresponding lifting unit of the pouch forming device according to FIG. 4. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the operation of a pouch forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the operation of a pouch forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart of a pouch forming method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, referring to the accompanying drawings, it will be described in detail according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. Terms and words used in this specification and the claims should not be construed as limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings. Based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of terms in order to explain his invention in the best way, they must be construed in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention. It should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can replace them at the time of this application.

[0023] In the drawings, the size of each component or a specific part constituting the component is exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for the convenience and clarification of the description. Therefore, the size of each component does not fully reflect the actual size. When it is determined that a specific description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such a description shall be omitted.

[0024] Furthermore, when describing a layer, membrane, region, plate, or other part as being "on top of" or "above" another part, this should be interpreted to include not only cases where the layer, membrane, region, plate, or other part is "directly above" the other part, but also cases where there is another part in between. Conversely, when describing a layer, membrane, region, plate, or other part as being "directly above" another part, it can mean that there is no other part in between. Also, being "on top of" or "above" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being "on top of" or "above" in the opposite direction of gravity. On the other hand, just as describing something as being "on top of" or "above" another part can be understood by referring to the above, describing something as being "below" or "below" another part can also be understood by referring to the above.

[0025] Furthermore, when a specification as a whole states that a certain part "includes" a certain component, this means that, unless otherwise stated, it does not exclude other components, but rather that it may include other components.

[0026] Furthermore, throughout this specification, "on a plane" means as seen from above, and "on a cross-section" means as seen from the side of a cross-section of that part cut perpendicularly.

[0027] A pouch forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is for forming a housing section in a pouch sheet for housing an electrode assembly.

[0028] Before describing a pouch forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, a conventional pouch forming apparatus will be described below.

[0029] Figure 1 is a side view of a conventional pouch forming machine. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the pouch forming machine according to Figure 1. Figure 3 is a top view of the lower die of the pouch forming machine according to Figure 1.

[0030] Referring to Figure 1, a conventional pouch forming apparatus 10 may include a lower die 11 on which the pouch sheet 1 is placed, a stripper 12 that fixes the pouch sheet 1 to the lower die 11 by applying pressure from above, a cylinder 13 that moves the stripper 12 vertically, and a punch 14 that forms the receiving portion 2 by applying pressure to the pouch sheet 1 from above. Here, the lower die 11 is located on a back plate 22, and a seam 21 may be located between the lower die 11 and the back plate 22.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the pouch forming process using the pouch forming device 10 can be performed by placing the pouch sheet 1 on the upper surface of the lower die 11 in which forming grooves 11A are formed, fixing the end of the pouch sheet 1 to the stripper 12, and deforming the pouch sheet 1 by moving the punch 14 vertically.

[0032] However, during this process, the pouch sheet 1 may be damaged or wrinkles may form at the corners of the receiving section 2, so the operator needs to appropriately adjust the pressure applied by the stripper 12 that secures the pouch sheet 1. Normally, the pressure applied by the stripper 12 can be adjusted by the vertical movement of the stripper 12 by the cylinder 13, but conventionally, it has been difficult to accurately confirm the magnitude of the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1, making it difficult to adjust the pressure applied by the stripper 12. Therefore, conventionally, as shown in Figure 3, methods such as arbitrarily manipulating the cylinder 13 or adding a seam 21 between the lower die 11 and the back plate 22 were used to adjust the pressure acting on the pouch sheet 1. However, such conventional methods have the problem of low precision and uneven quality of the final product. In addition, the mold attachment and detachment process required a large amount of work time and the number of steps taken by the operator.

[0033] The following describes a pouch forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. The pouch forming apparatus of this embodiment is intended to solve the conventional problems described above, and to minimize wrinkles or cracks formed in the pouch sheet 1 by more precisely adjusting the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1.

[0034] Figure 4 is a side view of a pouch forming device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a top view of the mounting section of the pouch forming device according to Figure 4. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the position of the sensor section and the corresponding lifting section of the pouch forming device according to Figure 4.

[0035] Referring to Figure 4, the pouch forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment may include a mounting section 110 on which the pouch sheet 1 is placed, a pressure plate 120 for fixing the position of the pouch sheet 1, a lifting section 130 for vertically moving the pressure plate 120, a forming section 140 that forms a housing section 2 in which the electrode assembly is housed by pressurizing the pouch sheet 1, and a sensor section 150 for measuring the pressure acting on the pouch sheet 1.

[0036] The mounting portion 110 can provide a workspace for forming the storage portion 2 on the pouch sheet 1. The mounting portion 110 can be located on the underside of the pouch sheet 1. The mounting portion 110 may be a die. However, it is not necessarily required to be a die, and can be provided by something that has a similar function to a die.

[0037] A receiving groove 112 can be formed on the upper surface of the mounting section 110. The receiving groove 112 can also form a receiving section 2 in the pouch sheet 1 by accommodating the pouch sheet 1 which is pressurized by the forming section 140. The pouch sheet 1 can be positioned so as to cover the receiving groove 112 formed on the upper surface of the mounting section 110.

[0038] Here, the pouch sheet 1 may also contain aluminum. However, the physical properties of the pouch sheet 1 are not limited by the examples described above, and any known material is applicable as long as it has a predetermined rigidity and can stably accommodate the electrode assembly and electrolyte.

[0039] The pressure plate 120 may be for fixing the position of the pouch sheet 1. The pressure plate 120 can be positioned above the mounting section 110. The pressure plate 120 can fix the pouch sheet 1 to the mounting section 110 by applying pressure to the pouch sheet 1. The pressure plate 120 may be a stripper, but is not necessarily required.

[0040] The pressure plate 120 may have an outer shape that corresponds to the outer shape of the mounting portion 110, but not to the receiving groove 112. As a specific example, the pressure plate 120 may be a square plate shape or a shape in which the middle portion has been removed.

[0041] The pressure plate 120 can apply pressure to the edges of the pouch sheet 1. More specifically, the pressure plate 120 can apply pressure to the portion of the pouch sheet 1 located in the mounting portion 110 where the accommodating groove 112 is not formed. The pressure plate 120 can apply pressure to the outside of the edges of the accommodating portion 2 in the pouch sheet 1. In this way, the pressure plate 120 does not have to correspond to the accommodating groove 112 and the accommodating portion 2 of the pouch sheet 1, thereby not restricting the vertical movement of the forming portion 140 that forms the accommodating portion 2. At this time, the accommodating portion 2 can be broadly interpreted to refer not only to the accommodating portion 2 already formed in the pouch sheet 1, but also to the position in the pouch sheet 1 where the accommodating portion 2 is formed.

[0042] The lower part of the pressure plate 120 can pressurize the pouch sheet 1 by contacting it, or pressurize the pouch sheet 1 directly or indirectly through other members that come into contact with the pouch sheet 1. A lifting mechanism 130 can be positioned at the upper part of the pressure plate 120 to adjust the pressure applied from the pressure plate 120 to the pouch sheet 1 by vertically moving the pressure plate 120.

[0043] The lifting mechanism 130 may cause vertical movement of the pressure plate 120. The lifting mechanism 130 can increase the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 by lowering the pressure plate 120. Conversely, the lifting mechanism 130 can decrease the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 by raising the pressure plate 120. The lifting mechanism 130 may, but is not necessarily, be a cylinder that moves the object through a piston motion using air pressure.

[0044] The lifting unit 130 can be equipped with a pressure sensor. For example, the lifting unit 130 can move the pressure plate 120 using air pressure, and the lifting unit 130 can be equipped with an adjustment valve (e.g., a solenoid valve) for adjusting the air pressure and a pressure sensor for measuring the air pressure. The displacement level of the pressure plate 120 can be estimated through the pressure sensor provided in the lifting unit 130, and the pressure that the pressure plate 120 applies to the pouch sheet 1 can be estimated. However, the pressure acting on the pouch sheet 1 can also change depending on the flatness of the mounting unit 110, so it is impractical to estimate the pressure on the pouch sheet 1 by relying on the pressure sensor provided in the lifting unit 130. In addition, since the value collected by the pressure sensor provided in the lifting unit 130 is the pressure formed in a narrow area, the error may be large when representing the pressure value of the pouch sheet 1 over a wide area.

[0045] There may be multiple lifting units 130, and they can operate individually. As shown in Figure 6, multiple lifting units 130 can be positioned along the ends of the mounting unit 110. By adjusting the raising and lowering of the pressure plate 120 through the operation of some of the multiple lifting units 130, the inclination of the pressure plate 120 can be changed. By adjusting the inclination of the pressure plate 120, the pressure plate 120 can locally pressurize the pouch sheet 1 or reduce the pressure acting on the pouch sheet 1. As a specific example, if the lowering level of the pressure plate 120 by the lifting unit 130 located on the -X axis is greater than that by the other lifting units 130, the part of the pouch sheet 1 located on the -X axis may be pressed more strongly than other parts. In this way, by having multiple lifting units 130 operate independently, the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 located between the pressure plate 120 and the mounting unit 110 can be uniformly adjusted.

[0046] The forming section 140 can also form a storage section 2 in the pouch sheet 1. The forming section 140 can be positioned on the upper side of the pouch sheet 1. The forming section 140 can be positioned in a location corresponding to the storage groove 112 of the mounting section 110. The forming section 140 can press down on the pouch sheet 1 in the direction where the storage groove 112 is located, and a storage section 2 with a shape corresponding to the storage groove 112 can be formed in the pouch sheet 1. The storage section 2 can have a shape that is recessed from one side of the pouch sheet 1 toward the other side. The forming section 140 forms the storage section 2 by descending toward the pouch sheet 1, and after the formation of the storage section 2 is complete, it can rise again and return to its original position.

[0047] Here, the end of the forming portion 140 can be accommodated in the receiving groove 112. For this reason, the cross-sectional area of ​​the end of the forming portion 140 may be smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the receiving groove 112. Also, the portion of the forming portion 140 that is inserted into the receiving groove 112 and the inner surface of the receiving groove 112 can be separated by a gap equal to or wider than the thickness of the pouch sheet 1.

[0048] The sensor unit 150 may be for measuring the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1. The pouch forming device 100 in this embodiment can equalize the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 by collecting the pressure value acting on the pouch sheet 1 through the sensor unit 150 and controlling the lifting unit 130 based on the collected value.

[0049] The sensor unit 150 can be positioned between the mounting unit 110 and the pressure plate 120. The sensor unit 150 can be provided on the upper part of the mounting unit 110. The pouch sheet 1 can be positioned above the sensor unit 150. The pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 may change depending on whether the mounting unit 110 is positioned flat or not, so in this embodiment, by providing the sensor unit 150 on the upper part of the mounting unit 110, it is possible that an attempt was made to directly measure the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5, the sensor portion 150 can be located on the upper surface of the mounting portion 110 outside the end of the housing groove 112. The sensor portion 150 can be located on the upper surface of the mounting portion 110 in a position where the housing groove 112 is not formed. The sensor portion 150 can not correspond to the housing groove 112. The sensor portion 150 can correspond to the lower surface of the pressure plate 120. Here, the upper surface and the lower surface can refer to the surface located above and below the Z-axis relative to each other.

[0051] The sensor unit 150 may include a sensor that measures pressure formed on a plane with high resolution. For example, the sensor unit 150 may include a surface pressure sensor. Here, a surface pressure sensor is suitable for measuring surface pressure, has high resolution, and can have small measurement errors even when applied to polyhedra. By utilizing a surface pressure sensor, the sensor unit 150 of this embodiment can be designed to cover a wide area and can precisely collect pressure values ​​at each position.

[0052] On the other hand, since the sensor portion 150 is located on the upper part of the mounting portion 110, it can be pressed together with the pouch sheet 1 by the pressure plate 120. Therefore, it is desirable that the thickness of the sensor portion 150 be small and that the deviation of the thickness value due to position be minimized. For example, it is preferable that the thickness of the sensor portion 150 be within 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm, or 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm.

[0053] The pressure values ​​measured by the sensor unit 150 can be output as a pressure distribution. The pressure values ​​measured by the sensor unit 150 can be output as coordinate values ​​corresponding to each position. The measured pressure values ​​can be displayed on a quadrant plane extending in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions from a single point.

[0054] The sensor unit 150 can include multiple grid-like sub-sensors, and when outputting results, the position of each grid can be represented by coordinates on the X and Y axes. The corresponding pressure value can also be represented by the value on the corresponding coordinate. For example, to cover a range of 10*10 channels, the surface pressure sensor can be configured to include 10 sub-sensors of 1 channel*1 channel size in both the horizontal and vertical directions. This allows for the collection of pressure values ​​for a total of 100 or more positions within the 10*10 channel range.

[0055] Here, the output pressure value can be a relative value with respect to a reference position. The output pressure value can be a pressure distribution value with respect to the center of gravity. For example, if the center of gravity is located in the center of the sensor unit 150, the pressure values ​​at each position can be expressed with a + if higher than the pressure value formed in the center, and a - if lower.

[0056] On the other hand, although not shown in the figures, the pouch forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment may include a control unit that oversees the operation of the pouch forming apparatus 100.

[0057] The control unit can receive pressure values ​​collected from the sensor unit 150. The control unit can calculate the pressure values ​​received from the sensor unit 150 in a coordinate system. The control unit can also control the output unit included in the pouch forming device 100 or an output device connected to the pouch forming device 100 to display the processed pressure values.

[0058] However, as mentioned above, the processing of the pressure value does not necessarily have to be performed by the control unit of the pouch forming device 100. In some embodiments, the sensor unit 150 includes a control unit, and the pressure value is calculated in a coordinate system by the control unit included in the sensor unit 150.

[0059] The control unit can locally adjust the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1. The control unit controls the operation of the lifting unit 130 based on the pressure value acquired by the sensor unit 150, thereby ensuring that the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 is uniform. The control unit can also control the operation of the lifting unit 130 so that the center of gravity of the pouch sheet 1 moves to a preset center of gravity. This will be described in more detail later through Figures 7 and 8.

[0060] Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the operation of a pouch forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 7, the dotted lines are for dividing the lifting section 130 by position and are not included in the scope of the present invention.

[0061] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the lifting unit 130 in this embodiment can control its operation based on the pressure value acquired by the sensor unit 150.

[0062] Referring to Figure 7, the lifting section 130 in this embodiment may be multiple. For the sake of explanation, the lifting section 130 can be divided into a first lifting section 131, a second lifting section 132, a third lifting section 133, and a fourth lifting section 134 depending on its position. Here, the first lifting section 131 is a lifting section 130 located in the -X axis direction, the second lifting section 132 is a lifting section 130 located in the -Y axis direction, the third lifting section 133 is a lifting section 130 located in the +X axis direction, and the fourth lifting section 134 is a lifting section 130 located in the +Y axis direction.

[0063] The sensor unit 150 can measure the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 after the pouch sheet 1 is positioned on the mounting unit 110 and the pressure plate 120 has descended to pressurize the pouch sheet 1. The sensor unit 150 can measure the pressure formed between the end of the mounting unit 110 and the pressure plate 120. The sensor unit 150 can acquire the magnitude of the pressure formed outside the end of the housing unit 2 at different locations. The pressure values ​​at each location can be displayed as values ​​calculated based on the center of gravity of the current state. As illustrated in Figure 8, the initially output value can be a pressure distribution value based on the first center of gravity (c1).

[0064] On the other hand, what the operator may desire is a state in which the deviation of each pressure is minimized and distributed based on the second center of gravity (c2) value. Here, the second center of gravity (c2) value that the operator aims for may differ depending on the mold that determines the shape of the housing 2. Therefore, the second center of gravity (c2) may be a value input by the operator or a value that has been stored in advance. In this way, in order to input a predetermined value from the user, the pouch forming device 100 may include an input unit or be connected to an external device that includes an input unit. The pouch forming device 100 may also include a storage unit, thereby allowing the input value to be stored.

[0065] The lifting section 130 can move the position of the center of gravity by adjusting the level of vertical movement of the pressure plate 120. More specifically, through the position of the first center of gravity (c1), it can be inferred that the third lifting section 133 and the fourth lifting section 134, located in the +X and +Y axes, apply higher pressure to the pouch sheet 1 than the first lifting section 131 and the second lifting section 132, located in the -X and -Y axes. Therefore, by further lowering the first lifting section 131 and the second lifting section 132, or by raising the third lifting section 133 and the fourth lifting section 134, the position of the center of gravity can be moved from the first center of gravity (c1) to the second center of gravity (c2). Such operation of the lifting section 130 can be controlled by the control unit.

[0066] At this time, the sensor unit 150 can collect pressure values ​​in real time, and the collected pressure values ​​can be output after being calculated according to a predetermined algorithm. Therefore, after the operation of the lifting unit 130 is completed, the position of the center of gravity can be confirmed again by the sensor unit 150. The lifting unit 130 can operate until the calculated position of the center of gravity coincides with the second center of gravity (c2), thereby adjusting the tilt of the pressure plate 120. When the calculated position of the center of gravity coincides with the second center of gravity (c2), it can be determined that the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 is uniform. If the calculated position of the center of gravity is the second center of gravity (c2) targeted by the operator, the operation of the lifting unit 130 can be interrupted. Once it is confirmed that the pressure applied to the pouch sheet 1 is uniform based on the values ​​calculated by the sensor unit 150, the operation of the lifting unit 130 is interrupted, and the forming unit 140 descends, thereby forming the storage unit 2 in the pouch sheet 1. Thus, the control unit can initiate or interrupt the operation of the lifting unit 130 or the forming unit 140. Furthermore, the control unit can also process information collected from the sensor unit 150.

[0067] The following describes a pouch forming method based on the above explanation. The pouch forming method described below may also be performed by the pouch forming apparatus 100 described above. Therefore, all of the above content can be applied to the following explanation, and the same explanation will be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0068] Figure 9 is a flowchart of a pouch forming method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Referring to Figure 9, the pouch forming method (S100) according to this embodiment may include the steps of: placing the pouch sheet 1 on the mounting section 110 (S110); fixing the pouch sheet 1 to the mounting section 110 with the pressure plate 120 (S120); operating the lifting section 130 based on the pressure value acquired by the sensor section 150 (S130S); and forming the pouch sheet 140 to form the storage section 2 on the pouch sheet 1 (S140S).

[0070] The following provides a more detailed explanation of each step.

[0071] The pouch sheet 1 can be placed on the upper surface of the mounting portion 110 (S110). The mounting portion 110 may include a receiving groove 112 formed on the upper part of the mounting portion 110. The pouch sheet 1 can be positioned to cover the receiving groove 112 formed on the upper surface of the mounting portion 110.

[0072] The pressure plate 120 can fix the pouch sheet 1 to the mounting section 110 (S120). The pressure plate 120 can be positioned above the pouch sheet 1 and the mounting section 110. The pressure plate 120 can be moved downward toward the pouch sheet 1, and the downward movement of the pressure plate 120 may be due to the operation of the lifting section 130. The pressure plate 120 can be made to adhere tightly to the mounting section 110 by applying pressure to the area of ​​the pouch sheet 1 other than the area where the containment section 2 is formed. By fixing the pouch sheet 1 to the mounting section 110 with the pressure plate 120, the flow of the pouch sheet 1 can be minimized during the process of forming the containment section 2 by the operation of the forming section 140.

[0073] The sensor unit 150 collects the pressure value formed between the pressure plate 120 and the mounting unit 110, and the lifting unit 130 can operate based on the collected pressure value (S130). The sensor unit 150 can be positioned on the mounting unit 110 and can collect the pressure value formed between the pressure plate 120 and the mounting unit 110. The pressure value acquired by the sensor unit 150 can be considered as the pressure value formed on the pouch sheet 1. Here, the pressure value acquired by the sensor unit 150 may be the value after the lowering of the pressure plate 120 is complete.

[0074] The pressure value acquired by the sensor unit 150 can be calculated by the control unit and then output through the output unit. The pressure value acquired by the sensor unit 150 can vary depending on the position, and the pressure value at each position can be represented on the X and Y axes.

[0075] The lifting unit 130 can operate based on the pressure value acquired by the sensor unit 150. The lifting unit 130 can operate so that the position of the center of gravity, as confirmed through the sensor unit 150, moves to a preset position by adjusting the inclination of the pressure plate 120. More specifically, in order to form a uniform pressure distribution, the lifting unit 130 located in the direction of the preset center of gravity from the current position can operate to partially lower the pressure plate 120. Alternatively, the lifting unit 130 located in the opposite direction can operate to partially raise the pressure plate 120. For details on this, please refer to Figures 7 and 8 described above.

[0076] The sensor unit 150 can acquire pressure values ​​in real time. After the operation of the lifting unit 130 is completed, the sensor unit 150 can acquire pressure values. Based on the newly acquired pressure values, the position of the center of gravity can be recalculated. If the newly confirmed position of the center of gravity differs from the preset position of the center of gravity, the lifting unit 130 can partially raise or lower the pressure plate 120 by operating again to make them match. The lifting unit 130 can operate until the position of the center of gravity calculated by the sensor unit 150 is the same as the preset position of the center of gravity.

[0077] Therefore, the (S130S) step described above is, The process may include the steps of: acquiring a pressure value by the sensor unit 150; processing the acquired pressure value to output the current position of the center of gravity; comparing a preset position of the center of gravity with the current position of the center of gravity; and operating the lifting unit 130 based on the positional difference between the preset center of gravity and the current position of the center of gravity, thereby adjusting the tilt of the pressure plate 120. Furthermore, the above steps can be repeated until the preset center of gravity and the current position of the center of gravity are the same.

[0078] Furthermore, the operation of the lifting unit 130 is as follows: The process can be carried out through the following steps: calculating a required set pressure value for the lifting unit 130 based on the pressure value obtained from the sensor unit 150; driving the lifting unit 130 based on the set pressure value; measuring the pressure value formed by the lifting unit 130 using a pressure sensor provided in the lifting unit 130 and comparing the measured pressure value with the required set pressure value; and, if the collected pressure value and the set pressure value are not the same, driving the lifting unit 130 based on the difference between the two values ​​described above. Furthermore, the steps of comparing the two values ​​and driving the lifting unit 130 based on the difference can be repeated until the two values ​​described above are the same.

[0079] On the other hand, if the lifting unit 130 is a cylinder that utilizes air pressure, the lifting unit 130 may include a solenoid valve for adjusting the airflow rate. Therefore, the opening and closing level of the solenoid valve of the lifting unit 130 can be determined according to the required set pressure value. In other words, the lifting unit 130 described above can be driven by opening and closing the solenoid valve. Furthermore, a pressure sensor provided in the lifting unit 130 can measure the air pressure caused by opening and closing the solenoid valve.

[0080] When the position of the center of gravity calculated by the sensor unit 150 is the same as the preset position of the center of gravity, and the operation of the lifting unit 130 is completed, the forming unit 140 can form a receiving groove 112 in the pouch sheet 1 (S140S). The forming unit 140 is positioned above the pouch sheet 1 and can descend toward the pouch sheet 1. The forming unit 140 is positioned to correspond to the receiving groove 112 of the mounting unit 110 and can descend toward the receiving groove 112. At this time, the end of the forming unit 140 can be inserted into the receiving groove 112. As a part of the pouch sheet 1 is accommodated in the receiving groove 112 along with the end of the forming unit 140, a receiving portion 2 that is recessed on the lower side can be formed in the pouch sheet 1.

[0081] On the other hand, such a pouch forming method can be performed by a control unit included in the pouch forming device 100. More specifically, operations such as the displacement of the pressure plate 120 by the lifting unit 130, the lowering of the forming unit 140, and the collection of pressure values ​​by the sensor unit 150 can be controlled by the control unit included in the pouch forming device 100.

[0082] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art, utilizing the basic concepts of the present invention as defined in the following claims, also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 1 Pouch Sheet 100 Pouch forming machines 110 Mounting section 120 Pressure Plate 130 Lifting section 140 Forming section 150 Sensor section

Claims

1. In a pouch forming apparatus that forms a housing for housing an electrode assembly in a pouch sheet, The mounting section on which the pouch sheet is placed, By applying pressure to the pouch sheet, a pressure plate is used to fix the pouch sheet to the aforementioned mounting part. A lifting mechanism that causes the vertical movement of the pressure plate, and The pouch sheet is pressurized to form the storage portion, including a forming portion. A pouch forming apparatus is provided with a sensor unit on the upper part of the mounting section for measuring the pressure formed between the pressure plate and the mounting section.

2. The pouch forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper part of the mounting portion is provided with a housing groove for forming the housing portion, and the sensor portion does not correspond to the housing groove.

3. The upper part of the mounting portion is provided with a storage groove for forming the storage portion. The pouch forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure plate presses the pouch sheet located in the portion of the mounting section in which the receiving groove is not formed.

4. The pouch forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein there are multiple lifting units, and the multiple lifting units operate independently of each other.

5. The pouch forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes a surface pressure sensor.

6. The sensor unit acquires pressure values ​​corresponding to each position, The pouch forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position of the center of gravity is calculated based on the pressure value, and the pressure value corresponding to each position is displayed as a relative value based on the pressure value formed at the center of gravity.

7. The pouch forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the operation of the lifting part changes the pressure between the aforementioned mounting part and the pressure plate, thereby moving the position of the center of gravity.

8. The pouch forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lifting unit operates based on the pressure value acquired by the sensor unit.

9. The lifting mechanism includes a first lifting mechanism and a second lifting mechanism. The pouch forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein one of the first lifting unit and the second lifting unit operates based on the pressure value obtained from the sensor unit, thereby adjusting the inclination of the pressure plate.

10. A pouch forming method using the pouch forming apparatus described in claim 1, The step of placing the pouch sheet on the aforementioned mounting area, The step of fixing the pouch sheet onto the aforementioned mounting portion by applying pressure to the pouch sheet with the pressure plate, The steps include: adjusting the tilt of the pressure plate by the lifting unit based on the pressure value obtained by the sensor unit, and A pouch forming method comprising the step of forming the pouch sheet by applying pressure to the pouch sheet using the forming unit.

11. The step of adjusting the inclination of the pressure plate is: A step of calculating the position of the center of gravity based on the pressure value obtained by the sensor unit. A step of comparing the calculated center of gravity position with a previously saved center of gravity position, The pouch forming method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of adjusting the inclination of the pressure plate by operating the lifting unit so that the calculated position of the center of gravity matches the previously stored position of the center of gravity.

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