Method and device for manufacturing substacks of single-cell stacks, battery cell, and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a substack of a cell stack (57) of battery cells (8) having at least the following steps: a) feeding in at least one first material web (3) made of a first material; b) feeding in at least one second material web (22, 27) made of a second material. The invention relates to a battery cell (8), a motor vehicle and a device for producing a substack of a cell stack (57) of battery cells (8).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a method for producing a substack of a cell stack of a battery cell. The invention relates to a battery cell, a motor vehicle and a device for producing a substack of a cell stack of a battery cell. BACKGROUND

[0002] It is known in the prior art to produce a cell stack of a battery cell by using separate devices to separate cathode sheets, anode sheets and separator sheets. The sheets produced in this way are then provided in a magazine and positioned and oriented individually during the stacking of the individual sheets to form a stack. This process for producing a cell stack requires a long cycle time (or production rhythm).

[0003] Another known method is the so-called Z-fold, in which the separator sheets are wound around individual electrode sheets, which however likewise have to be separated and positioned in advance in a preceding process step. The Z-fold also only achieves a relatively slow cycle time.

[0004] It is furthermore known to carry out the formation of the stack by means of a lamination process. However, for this purpose the cathode sheets and the anode sheets have to be laminated with a separator film. The laminable separator film required for this purpose is however relatively expensive.

[0005] The known solutions have various disadvantages. Thus, the formation of a cell stack is currently a very slow process in the production of a battery cell. In the currently shorter cycle stack formation process, it is extremely difficult to achieve the required positional tolerances. Furthermore, by separately preparing the individual sheets for the cell stack, then storing, merging, stacking and connecting, a series of process steps is required, which each require a complex handling of the material. The large number of process steps also requires a greater expenditure in terms of equipment technology and also only allows a relatively slow cycle time. SUMMARY

[0006] The technical problem addressed by the invention is therefore to at least partially solve the problems of the prior art. In particular, a method for producing a substack of a cell stack of a battery cell, a device for producing a substack of a cell stack of a battery cell should be provided with which a cell stack of a battery cell can be produced particularly quickly. Furthermore, the positioning accuracy of the material web used should be improved and the expenditure in terms of equipment technology should be reduced. A corresponding battery cell and motor vehicle should also be provided.

[0007] The above technical problem is solved by a method for producing a substack of a cell stack of a battery cell, a battery cell, a motor vehicle and a device for producing a substack of a cell stack of a battery cell.

[0008] A method for producing a substack of a cell stack of a battery cell has at least the following steps:

[0009] a) feeding at least one first material web made of a first material;

[0010] b) feeding at least one second material web made of a second material;

[0011] c) performing a first cutting on the first material web and the second material web to form continuous, tensile transport sections in each of the first material web and the second material web, which are able to withstand tensile forces in the longitudinal direction of the respective material web, wherein the respective transport sections are arranged offset in the transverse direction with respect to the first material web and the second material web;

[0012] d) merging the first material web and the second material web to form a sub-stack, such that after the merging of the material webs, the transport sections of the second material web are arranged offset in the transverse direction with respect to the transport sections of the first material web;

[0013] e) performing a second cutting, wherein the transport sections of the first material web and the second material web are cut independently of one another at a slitting section which is offset at least in the transverse direction or additionally in the longitudinal direction, such that the respective transport sections are divided in the transverse direction and the sub-stack is completely divided in the transverse direction.

[0014] The above-described method can have at least one of the following features:

[0015] The material webs have different dimensions at least in the transverse direction are used;

[0016] Windows are provided in at least one material web, which are selected such that the slitting section of the transport section of at least one other material web is located in the window;

[0017] At least two sub-stacks are arranged into a single-pool stack after the second cutting;

[0018] The sub-stacks are composed of at least four material webs;

[0019] An electrical discharge flag is configured on at least two material webs at the first cutting or the second cutting;

[0020] The single-pool stack is connected into a single-pool pack using connecting means;

[0021] At least one additional material web is arranged in the single-pool stack when the sub-stacks are arranged into a single-pool stack.

[0022] The above-described technical problem is solved by a battery cell, which has a sub-stack of a single-pool stack of battery cells manufactured according to the method described in the present application.

[0023] The above technical problem is solved by a motor vehicle having at least one battery cell according to the invention.

[0024] The above technical problem is solved by an apparatus for producing a substack of a stack of battery cells, for carrying out a method according to the invention, having at least two storage devices for at least one first material web and at least one second material web, at least one first cutting device and at least one second cutting device for cutting the first material web and the second material web, a transport device for transporting the first material web and the second material web, a device for merging the first material web and the second material web, and a stacking device, wherein the first cutting device produces strip-shaped transport sections, the second cutting device is arranged behind the device for merging in the transport direction and is designed for,

[0025] a complete transverse separation of the first material web and the second material web is produced in the first material web and the second material web, which is offset in the transport direction.

[0026] The apparatus can comprise at least one of the following features:

[0027] The first cutting device and the second cutting device are designed for cutting at least two merged material webs;

[0028] The second cutting device is designed for carrying out a longitudinal cut of an edge region on at least one material web.

[0029] The method has at least the following steps:

[0030] a) inputting at least one first material web made of a first material;

[0031] b) inputting at least one second material web made of a second material;

[0032] c) carrying out a first cut on the first material web and the second material web to form at least one (tensile) transport section each, wherein the respective transport sections are arranged offset in relation to the transverse direction of the material web;

[0033] d) merging the first material web and the second material web;

[0034] e) carrying out a second cut, wherein the transport sections of the first and second material web are cut independently of one another at at least a dicing section offset in the transverse or longitudinal direction.

[0035] In steps a) and b), at least one first material web having a first material and at least one second material web having a second material are first input. The corresponding material webs can be selected, for example, as the anode, cathode, or separator of a single battery cell. For the anode, a suitable material is, for example, a base layer made of a copper-containing material and an anode active layer applied thereon. Correspondingly, an aluminum-containing material is suitable as the base layer for the cathode active layer applied thereon. For the separator, flexible microporous plastic or nonwoven fabric is considered, for example.

[0036] Material width can be preferably input from a storage device, such as a reel or spool, with a larger width length so that the method can be run continuously over a longer period of time.

[0037] For example, if a first material web suitable for manufacturing an anode is input, the web undergoes a first cut at a first cutting device, wherein the cut is performed such that at least one tensile transport section is retained. This transport section should be designed to withstand tensile forces along the longitudinal direction of the material web. This allows the material web to be processed as a continuous web in subsequent steps, since the force required for continued transport can be introduced into the transport section.

[0038] Simultaneously, a first cut is also performed on the second material web, creating a transport section on that web, which is adapted to withstand the forces required for continued transport and processing. However, the transport section of the second material web is created such that, after the subsequent merging of the material webs, it is arranged laterally, i.e., laterally and transversely to the longitudinal direction of the material web, offset from the transport section of the first material web. This allows for the independent shearing of different material webs.

[0039] In a further step of the method, the first material web cut in this way is then merged with a second material web, such as a separator, to form a sub-pile. The second material web of the separator is also stored in a storage device, for example, as a separator coil, so that the first cutting process and the merging of the first and second material webs can be performed at a high speed. In addition to the optional laterally staggered arrangement of the cutting sections, the present invention also allows the cutting sections to be arranged at different positions along the longitudinal direction of the material web. This enables the cutting of material webs of different lengths in a continuous production process.

[0040] After the initial convergence, the sub-pile is then conveyed to the second cutting stage, whereby the transport section again serves as the point of application for the driving force. A second cutting of the sub-pile can then be performed on the second cutting device, in which the corresponding transport section separates from or laterally severs from the sub-pile, thereby creating a complete lateral division of the sub-pile.

[0041] The resulting and separated bilayer sub-stackings, for example, have anodes and separators, and can be arranged, for example, with another bilayer sub-stackings consisting of cathodes and separators to form a single-pool stack.

[0042] Alternatively, instead of the two material webs mentioned above, more material webs are combined after the first cut and then subjected to a second cut. It is particularly advantageous to use four material webs in the order of anode, separator, cathode, separator, or cathode, separator, anode, separator, because these four-layer sub-piles can always be directly stacked on top of each other until the single-cell stack has the required number of anodes and cathodes. This allows for very rapid and precisely positioned single-cell stack production, with production times much shorter than known methods.

[0043] Specifically, it can be specified that material webs with different dimensions at least in the transverse direction are used. For example, the first and second material webs can be cut to different dimensions, or have the desired width in the supplied state. For the safety of a single battery cell, the separator must extend sufficiently in all directions beyond the anode or cathode to be insulated to reliably prevent current from flowing between the two material webs. Here, the interference around the separator extending beyond the cathode should be approximately 3 mm, and the interference around the separator extending beyond the anode should be approximately 1.5 mm. This, for example, means that the separator should be approximately 6 mm beyond the cathode and approximately 3 mm beyond the anode.

[0044] These different dimensions can preferably be generated within the first cutting range using a first cutting device, which performs individualized cuts for each material web. For this purpose, for example, the cathode is cut to the desired width plus the required width of the transport section. Simultaneously, the anode is cut to the desired width plus a 3mm interference fit, as the anode should preferably be larger than the cathode. Finally, the separator is cut to the desired width plus a 6mm interference fit relative to the cathode width. It should be noted that transverse shearing can even be introduced in all three material webs. The only important point is that at least one transport section suitable for withstanding and transmitting tensile forces acting longitudinally along the material web is always retained. The width of the transport section that will be partially separated laterally must be considered accordingly in all width dimensions. If the material webs are now laterally aligned with each other accordingly, they can be merged and fed into a second cutting device for a second cut, so as to obtain separate sub-piles that can then be stacked together.

[0045] A particularly advantageous feature is the inclusion of a window segment within at least one material web, chosen such that the cutting portion of the transport segment of at least one other material web is located within this window segment. This is preferably performed during the first cut, for example, by introducing a small window or hole into the material web, into which a drive mechanism with pins, drive wheels, etc., used for subsequent transport can engage or fit. If the position of this window in one material web and the cutting portion of the transport segment of another material web are chosen such that the window is located inside the window of the other material web, then the strip-shaped transport segment and even the corresponding material web located in the window region are thus separated at that position independently of the other material web. For this purpose, for example, an existing but not yet continuous transverse cutting portion only needs to extend to the edge of the material web. Therefore, this feature enables the independent cutting of two indirectly or directly overlapping material webs. Here, the cutting portion can be located at different positions, both transversely and longitudinally, of the material web.

[0046] In particular, as mentioned above, after the second cut, at least two sub-heaps can be arranged into a single pool heap.

[0047] The sub-piles can in particular consist of at least four material webs. A combination of two electrodes and two separators is particularly advantageous. If these material webs are arranged in a feasible configuration, the resulting sub-piles can be stacked up to the desired single-pool pile height, requiring only the addition of a separator as the first or last material web.

[0048] For example, if a combination of stacked anodes, separators, cathodes, and separators is chosen, a separate separator must be inserted when the sub-stacking is first arranged; otherwise, the anode at the bottom will not be insulated.

[0049] Conversely, if such a combination is chosen, in which the stacked material widths are arranged in the order of separator, anode, separator, and cathode, then a separate separator must be inserted when the sub-stacking is finished, otherwise the cathode at the top will not be insulated.

[0050] In particular, discharge flags can be constructed on at least two material webs during the cutting process. This is especially advantageous in the material webs of the anode and cathode. It is possible to form the discharge device completely and without additional cost during the first and second cuts, simply by selecting appropriate and suitable shear profiles.

[0051] The single-cell stacks manufactured according to this method can be joined into single-cell packages using connecting devices such as tape or adhesive tape in subsequent method steps. This additional step can be added particularly easily as an additional method step after this method.

[0052] For automated placement, it is particularly advantageous that at least one additional material web is placed within the single pool stack when arranging sub-packets into a single pool stack. As described above, this material web may be introduced either on the bottom side of the single pool pack and thus into the single pool stack at the start of sub-packet placement, or on the top side of the single pool pack and thus into the single pool stack at the end of sub-packet placement.

[0053] The advantage of a battery cell stack manufactured according to the above method is that the battery cell can be manufactured at low cost and the individual material bundles can be arranged with particularly precise positioning due to automated and continuous processing. This reduces costs and improves the lifespan or reliability of the battery cell.

[0054] This also applies in particular to motor vehicles with at least one of the aforementioned battery cells.

[0055] The present invention can be implemented in particular using an apparatus for manufacturing a single-pool stack, the apparatus having at least two storage devices for at least one first material web and at least one second material web, at least one first cutting device and at least one second cutting device for cutting the material web, a transport device for conveying the material web, a device for merging the material webs, and a stacking device, wherein the first cutting device produces strip-shaped transport segments, and the second cutting device is arranged behind the device for merging along the transport direction and is designed to produce a complete lateral separation of the material webs staggered along the transport direction.

[0056] In particular, it can be specified that the first and second cutting devices are configured to cut at least two converging material webs, thereby greatly reducing production time if the first or second cutting is performed simultaneously rather than sequentially on as many material webs as possible.

[0057] In particular, it can be specified that the second cutting device is designed to perform longitudinal cutting of the edge region on at least one strip of material. This is advantageous, for example, if laterally arranged transport sections need to be separated when performing the second cut.

[0058] Furthermore, within the scope of this invention, it is feasible to have an apparatus for manufacturing a single-pool stack comprising at least two storage devices for at least one first material web and at least one second material web, at least one first cutting device and at least one second cutting device for cutting the material web, and a transport device for conveying the material web. The apparatus also includes a device for merging the material webs and a stacking device, wherein the first cutting device produces at least one tensile strip-shaped transport segment, and the second cutting device is longitudinally arranged behind the device for merging the material webs and designed to produce a complete lateral separation of the material webs. Viewed longitudinally, the transport segment is preferably constructed at the outer edge of the material web and has a width less than 25% of the width of the material web. If multiple transport segments are arranged on different material webs, the transport segments are preferably arranged laterally and staggered from each other longitudinally.

[0059] The first cutting device can be designed in particular for parallel cutting of at least two material widths.

[0060] Furthermore, it can be specified that the first cutting device is designed to divide at least one material web into multiple material webs parallel to the longitudinal direction. This allows for the processing of wider material webs, for example, in the first cutting device. Preferably, a desired first cut is performed first, followed by the division of the material web into the required width. For example, a material web for the dividers can be cut to twice its width. If this wider material web is now divided into two material webs for the dividers in the first cut, these two material webs can be further processed continuously and uninterruptedly, for example, immediately within a sub-staple containing two electrodes and two dividers.

[0061] It should be noted that the ordinal numbers used herein (“first,” “second,” etc.) are primarily (only) used to distinguish multiple objects, dimensions, or processes of the same kind; that is, they do not, in particular, mandate any dependencies or / or order between these objects, dimensions, or processes. If dependencies and / or order are necessary, this is explicitly stated herein, or will be obvious to those skilled in the art when examining the specifically described design. Attached Figure Description

[0062] The invention and its technical field are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described. In particular, unless otherwise explicitly stated, certain aspects can be extracted from the facts illustrated in the drawings and combined with other components and understandings derived from this description. It should be particularly noted that the drawings and the dimensional relationships shown are merely schematic. Wherein:

[0063] Figure 1 : Side sectional view of the first cutting device for the anode;

[0064] Figure 2 :according toFigure 1 A top view of the cutting device;

[0065] Figure 3 Top view of the anode after the first cut;

[0066] Figure 4 Top view of the cathode after the first cut;

[0067] Figure 5 : Side sectional view of the first cutting device for the separator;

[0068] Figure 6 Top view of two possible cuts for the divider;

[0069] Figure 7 Feasible combinations of four material widths;

[0070] Figure 8 A side view of the process of material merging together;

[0071] Figure 9 Top view of the four merged material sheets;

[0072] Figure 10 The working principle of the first clamping device;

[0073] Figure 11 The first clamping device is closed;

[0074] Figure 12 The operating method of the second clamping device;

[0075] Figure 13 The second clamping device is closed;

[0076] Figure 14 Side view of the cam drive unit;

[0077] Figure 15 : A cross-sectional view of the cam in a cam drive device;

[0078] Figure 16 Top view and side view showing the first, second and third clamping devices;

[0079] Figure 17 Top view of the second cutting device;

[0080] Figure 18 : A perspective view of the first roller of the second cutting device;

[0081] Figure 19 : Side sectional view of the second cutting device;

[0082] Figure 20 Top and side views of a device with a second cutting unit and two hoppers;

[0083] Figure 21 Side view of the third clamping device, gripper and hopper;

[0084] Figure 22 Top view of a conveyor belt with manufactured and unmanufactured single-pool packages;

[0085] Figure 23 : Side view of the first step used for bonding single-pool stacks;

[0086] Figure 24 : Side view of the second step used for bonding single-pool stacks;

[0087] Figure 25 : Side view of the third step used for bonding single-pool stacks;

[0088] Figure 26 : Side view of the fourth step used for bonding single-pool stacks;

[0089] Figure 27 Side view of a single-pool package placed on a conveyor belt;

[0090] Figure 28 A top view of the completed single-pool package; and

[0091] Figure 29 Alternative implementation of the second cutting device. Detailed Implementation

[0092] Figure 1 The first cutting device 1 is shown in a side view. The first storage device 2 is located in... Figure 1On the left side, the first storage device 2 has a reserve of a first material web 3. The first storage device 2 may be, for example, a prefabrication unit comprising a calendered master roll of the first material web 3 having, for example, an anode 7 for a battery cell 8. The calendered and rolled first material web 3 has a particularly uniform layer thickness and is conveyed to the first cutting device 1 under a tension that is as constant and defined as possible to avoid pleats in the first material web 3. The first cutting device 1 consists of a bottom roller 4, a top roller 5, and a hole unit 6. The cutting performed in the first cutting device 1 will be described in detail below. In the embodiment shown here, the first material web 3 has a width chosen such that the material web 3 can be longitudinally divided during cutting so that two first material webs 3a and 3b are simultaneously produced in the first cutting device 1, which can then be further processed. In the embodiment shown here, the first material strip 3 has a width equivalent to twice the width of the cut first material strips 3a and 3b. As an alternative to this embodiment, however, a first material strip 3 with a width equivalent to one or more times the width of the cut first material strips 3a and 3b can also be used directly. In the second case, a plurality of corresponding slitting sections must be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the material strip 3. To carry out this cutting, the bottom roller 4 can be made of, for example, a hardened material such as tungsten carbide or chromium steel. The hole unit 6 is configured as a punching machine adapted to punch holes in the correspondingly divided first material strips 3a and 3b.

[0093] Figure 2 The top view shows the arrangement according to Figure 1 The first cutting device 1. A first material web 3 is conveyed from the first storage device 2 arranged on the left to the bottom roller 4 shown. The first material web 3 has an anode region 9 and an edge 10. The anode region 9 is coated with a material suitable for later use as the anode 7 of a single battery cell 8. This is the so-called anode active layer. The base layer of the anode is preferably copper. Here it can be seen that the first material web 3 is twice as wide as the first material webs 3a, 3b after the first cut. The bottom roller 4 has a rotating blade 11 that introduces a longitudinal cut 12 centered in the material web 3. Then, the hole unit 6 produces a positioning hole 13, which forms the starting point for the definition of the material web 3 or the separate material webs 3a, 3b.

[0094] Figure 3An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown, in which the first cutting device 1 performs a more complex cut on the first material web 3. In this embodiment, in addition to the longitudinally extending longitudinal cut 12, the first cutting device 1 also introduces a laterally extending slit 14, a window cut 15, a two-part discharge cut 16, and a transport hole 17 into the first material web 3 during the first cut. For this purpose, only the rotating blade 11 arranged in the bottom roller 4 needs to be designed with a corresponding cutting profile. Importantly, the edge 10 is not completely cut off at any position in the lateral direction. Only through continuous connection can the edge 10 function as a transport section 18 and bear and transmit the tension along the longitudinal direction of the first material web 3. This transport force is transmitted to the transport section 18, for example, by means of rollers. Alternatively, however, mechanical elements can also be inserted into the transport hole 17 to continuously, rapidly, uninterruptedly, and with high precision transport the first material web 3. Furthermore, the window 19 introduced by the window cut 15 is important to the present invention because it allows for the shearing of the material web located below or above it. The cut section 14 introduced at this location is introduced longitudinally 20 at a spacing of X+Δ1. This means that the anode 7, which will be manufactured laterally, will have a length of X+Δ1. Accordingly, the width 21 of the anode 7 will have a dimension of Y+Δ1, which is substantially equivalent to the width of the section of the discharger cut 16 that is away from the edge 10 and located inside. The two transverse sections of the discharger section 16 arranged side by side in the transport section 18 have defined, in this case, the width of the discharger 25 to be subsequently produced, which is the electrode of the anode 7. The positioning hole 13 is only needed when the material web 3 is first mated, while the transport hole 17 can be used continuously, i.e., throughout the manufacturing process, both for transmitting driving force and for very precise positioning of the material web 3.

[0095] Figure 4 The second material web 22 is shown, which undergoes a first cut, the first cut being substantially the same as... Figure 3 The cutting method described herein is consistent. Figure 4 The difference in the embodiment shown is that it involves the cathode 23. For this purpose, the second material web 22 is first fed from the second storage device 26 into the first cutting device 1. It is particularly effective here to use multiple first cutting devices in parallel, so that, for example, a first cut can be performed simultaneously on the first material web 3 of the anode 7 and the second material web 22 of the cathode 23. For use as the cathode 23, the transport section 18 with the edge 10 and the cathode region 24 are made of a material suitable for the cathode 23 of the battery cell 8. For this purpose, for example, an aluminum-containing substrate is considered as a carrier for the cathode active material. Another difference from the anode 7 is that the length of the cathode 23 along the longitudinal direction 20 and its width 21 are slightly smaller than those of the cathode 23. Figure 3The anode 7 has a length of 20 and a width of 21 along the longitudinal direction 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the anode 7 is larger than the cathode 23 by a difference dimension Δ1. This applies in both the longitudinal direction 20 and the width direction 21.

[0096] The individual second material webs 22a and 22b produced after the first cut can be processed immediately and separately from each other.

[0097] exist Figure 5 The diagram shows a third material web 27 fed into this first cutting device 1 from a third storage device 28. The third material web 27 is a separator 29, which has insulating properties and is adapted to electrically insulate the anode 7 and cathode 23 from each other. The third material web 27 is also subjected to the first cut by means of a bottom roller 4 and a top roller 5. A hole unit 6 is also provided for forming positioning holes 13.

[0098] Figure 6 The upper region shows a view taken from the bottom roller 4, where the hole unit 6 is not shown. In this embodiment, a rotating blade 11 is provided in the bottom roller 4, configured to introduce transverse slitting portions 14 at defined positions of the third material web 27; however, these slitting portions 14 do not extend across the entire width of the third material web 27, but instead leave edges 10. This creates tensile-resistant transport sections 18 on both sides of the third material web 27 within the edges 10, thereby enabling further machining of the third material web 27 in a continuous and unbroken state. Furthermore, positioning holes 13 have been introduced into the third material web 27 by the hole unit 6 (not shown in this figure).

[0099] exist Figure 6 A variation is shown in the lower region, in which the third material width 27 is twice the width of the separator 29 required for the battery cell 8. In this case, for example, the bottom roller 4 can be configured to supplement the transverse slitting section 14, also realizing the longitudinally extending slitting section 12 and dividing the third material width 27 in half along its length. For the safe operation of the battery cell 8, it is advantageous that the separator 29 is larger than the anode 7 or cathode 23 to be insulated. Therefore, starting from the basic dimensions X and Y of the cathode 23, the separator 29 is cut into a width of Y+Δ2 and a length of X+Δ2. Here, Δ2 is the interference fit, which the separator 29 should be larger than the cathode 23.

[0100] exist Figure 7 The diagram shows four material webs that should be stacked together to form a sub-pillar. Here, from bottom to top, are anode 7, separator 29, cathode 23, and another separator 29. All material webs in the shown state have undergone the first cut.

[0101] exist Figure 8The subsequent method steps are shown in the side view. Starting from the left, in the state after the first cut, a first material web 3, a second material web 22, and two third material webs 27 are input in such a manner that one third material web 27 is positioned between the first material web 3 and the second material web 22, and the other third material web is positioned above the second material web 22. Here, the four material webs 3, 27, and 22 are combined into a sub-pile 31 by a guide device 30. Here, a first clamping device 32 engages on the right end of the sub-pile 31, and a second clamping device 33 engages on the left end of the sub-pile 31. The principle of clamping devices 32 and 33 will be described in detail below. Further transport of the sub-pile 31 along the longitudinal direction 20 is achieved by a transport pin 34, which is engaged in the transport holes 17 of the first material web 3 and the second material web 22. The transport pin 34 is driven by a drive device (not shown) and applies driving force to the corresponding transport section 18. Furthermore, for the initial docking of the material webs, a positioning pin 35 is provided, which engages in the positioning hole 13, thus coordinating to precisely transport the material web to be docked from the first cut and its cut profile to the defined position. In the next step, a cam drive 36 is used, designed to drive the transport pin 34 or the positioning pin 35, and to allow the first clamping device 32 and the second clamping device 33 to pass smoothly into the position shown on the right, where a third clamping device 37 is applied to the sub-staple 31.

[0102] The above shows Figure 9 Again, shown in a top view according to Figure 8 The sub-stacking unit 31. Here, the first clamping device 31 and the second clamping device 33 can be seen. It can also be seen here that the transport sections 18 of the anode 7, cathode 23, and separator 29 are staggered in the transverse direction. This specifically results in the transport section 18 of the separator 29 being completely located within the window 19 in the anode 7 or cathode 23. To always ensure the correct transverse orientation of the material web, a monitoring device 38 is provided, which can be configured, for example, as a position recognition device or an optical web edge adjustment device, for width control of the separator 29.

[0103] Figure 10 The first clamping device 32 is shown in a cross section along the longitudinal direction 20 of the sub-staple 31. When the first clamping device 31 is applied, two clamps 39 are positioned above and below the sub-staple 31.

[0104] exist Figure 11 The image then shows the first clamping device 32 in the closed state, in which the clamps 39 move toward each other and securely clamp the sub-staples 31. This ensures that there is no relative movement between the material widths 3, 22, and 27 during subsequent processing.

[0105] Figure 12 The second clamping device 33 is shown, with the left side in the open state and the right side in the closed state. When the second clamping device 33 is applied, multiple clamps 39 are inserted from the side between material webs 3, 22, and 27. After insertion is complete, the clamps 39 move towards each other again to close the second clamping device 33.

[0106] like Figure 13 As shown, the clamps 39 in this embodiment of the second clamping device 33 are constructed differently. There are clamps 39 with a circular cross-section and clamps 39 with a rectangular cross-section. Now, if the clamps 39 move toward each other, the circular clamps 39 are wrapped around the material webs located between them in a gradually increasing manner, in this case, the material webs are the two third material webs 27 of the separator 29. The effect of this is that the additional path length of the third material webs 27 required for this wrapping is guided from the outside. If the first clamping device 32 is closed first, and then the second clamping device 33 is closed, the loose end of the third material web 27 located at the left end behind the sub-staple 31 is supplemented along the longitudinal direction 20, and thus pulled forward or, in the drawing, pulled to the right.

[0107] Figure 14 The sub-pile 31, with a supplementary separator 29, is shown as it passes the cam drive 36. Here, the first transport pin 34 extends and engages with the opposite cam 40 and the sub-pile 31. The sub-pile 31 continues to be transported along the longitudinal direction 20 by the rotation of the two cams 40 of the cam drive 36. The second transport pin 34 is shown retracted in the upper cam 40 and is not yet engaged with the sub-pile 31.

[0108] exist Figure 15 The cam 40 of the cam drive device 36 is shown in cross-sectional view. The cam 40 has an extendable transport pin 34 and a recess 41. The transport pin 34 is used to engage in the transport hole 17 of the material web, while the recess 41 allows the first clamping device 32 and the second clamping device 33 to pass smoothly through the cam 40. The extension and retraction of the transport pin 34 can be controlled in a particularly simple manner by means of a curved track 42, in which a plate 43 connected to the transport pin 34 is pressed against the curved track 42 by means of a spring 44. The curved track 42 is configured such that the transport pin 34 extends precisely when there is a possibility of engagement with the transport hole 17 during the rotational movement of the cam 40.

[0109] Figure 16The sub-pile 31 is shown in top and side views as it passes the cam drive 36. A first clamping device 32 and a second clamping device 33 are used here. The lateral slit 18 in the divider 29 is shown here, once in dashed lines and once in solid lines. The dashed line shows the position of the slit 18 before the application of the first clamping device 32 and the second clamping device 33. Here, the first clamping device 32 is applied first, followed by the second clamping device 33. The additional path length of the divider 29 required when applying the second clamping device 33 can thus be supplemented only from the left side, i.e., from the third storage device 28. Corresponding to this additional path length, the slit 18 shown in dashed lines moves to the right to the position of the slit 18 shown in solid lines. This means that in the continuous manufacturing process, the length of the third material web 27 is greater than the lengths of the first material web 3 and the second material web 22 given by the first storage device 2 and the second storage device 26. This ensures that, in its manufactured state, the separator 29 extends beyond the anode 7 and cathode 23 not only laterally but also longitudinally, thereby guaranteeing safe and reliable insulation. Figure 16 The lower region again shows a side view of the section shown above. Here it is clear how the second clamping device 33 increases the path length of the separator 29 in use. In this view it is also clear that the transport sections 18 of the three material webs 3, 22, and 27 are arranged distinctly apart laterally. Furthermore, the transport section 18 of the separator 29 is also located internally, i.e., away from the edge 10, so that it is located inside the window 19. Laterally, i.e., staggered laterally, the transport sections 18 have several advantages here. Thus, the transport pin 34 can be engaged in the transport hole 17 of the anode 7 on one side and in the transport hole 17 of the cathode 22 on the opposite side. The two material webs 3 and 22 can thus be driven synchronously by transmitting the driving force, which is normally introduced into the material webs 3, 22, and 27 as a pulling force, to the material webs 3 and 22.

[0110] If the transport sections 18 of material webs 3, 22, 27, such as the transport section 18 of separator 29, are arranged such that they are located above at least one window 19 of adjacent material webs 3, 22, such as anode 7 or cathode 23, another advantage of laterally staggered transport sections 18 can be achieved. In this embodiment, separator 29 can be separated at any position inside window 19. More specifically, for this purpose, its transport section 18 is laterally cut at a freely selectable position inside window 19. For this purpose, it is only necessary to correspondingly position the cutting portion 14 introduced into separator 29 by the first cutting device 1 in the first cut inside window 19. If this is done as shown, the transport section 18, which is still present in separator, can be laterally cut very easily by extending the cutting portion 18 to the lateral edge of separator 29. This can be very easily implemented by means of a second cutting device 45, which is configured, for example, as a roller punching or roller cutting device. In particular, additional cuts can be performed within the scope of this second cut, such as cutting the discharger 25 by extending the discharger cut 16 to the edge, or separating the transverse transport section 18 from the anode 7 and cathode 23 by cutting along the longitudinal direction of the sub-staple 31.

[0111] Figure 17 The second cutting device 45 is shown in a top view. A second cut is performed using this second cutting device 45, in which the sub-staple 31 is now also cut laterally. Here, the transport section 18 used up to this point is severed. In this shown state, the sub-staple 31 is simultaneously held by first, second, and third clamping devices 32, 33, and 37 (not shown). Here, due to the use of the second clamping device 33, the cutting section 14 moves to the right from the starting point shown by the dashed line to the position shown by the solid line.

[0112] The second cutting device 45 has a first roller 46 and a second roller 47, which work in conjunction with a mating roller 48. Here, the first roller 46 cuts one side of the anode 7 and the separator 29. The second roller 47 cuts the other side of the cathode 23 and the separator 29. The separator 29 is cut by extending the dividing portion 14 in the region of the window 19 laterally through the separator 29, so that individual separators 29 are now longitudinally subdivided from the continuous separators 29. The separators 29 can only be cut separately from the electrodes through the window 19.

[0113] Furthermore, after the anode 7 and cathode 23 are cut, the corresponding discharger cut 16 is extended laterally outward towards the edge 10 by the first roller 46 or the second roller 47, or by a longitudinal cut extending longitudinally. Then the strip 49 is cut through the longitudinal cut. These two cuts, i.e., cuts along the transverse and cuts along the longitudinal direction, can also be performed simultaneously.

[0114] Figure 18 The first roller 46 is shown in an enlarged view. Here, roller 46 has a recess 41, allowing the first and second clamping devices to pass smoothly through the roller. Furthermore, a separator blade 50 is provided for extending the slitting portion 14 in the separator 29, and a discharger blade 50 is provided for extending the discharger cutting portion 16. Additionally, radially arranged blades may be provided on one of the rollers 46, 47, and 48 to cut the strip 49 in the same process.

[0115] exist Figure 19 The image again shows the first roller 46 together with the mating roller 48, with the sub-staple 31 located between the first roller 46 and the mating roller 48. Both the mating roller 48 and the first roller 46 have recesses 41 to ensure the smooth passage of the first clamping device 32 and the second clamping device 33. Furthermore, the first roller 46 has a transport pin 34 that engages in the transport section 18 of the anode 7 or cathode 23 and ensures safe transport if the transport section 18 has not yet been cut. For the second cut, the first roller 46 has a separator blade 50 and two discharge blades 51, which extend the cutting section 14 in the separator 29 and cut out the discharge device 25.

[0116] exist Figure 20 The diagram shows a top view of the second cutting device 45. Viewed from left to right, the third clamping device 37 is activated simultaneously with the first clamping device 32 and the second clamping device 33. During the further movement of the sub-staple 31 to the right, the second clamping device 33 is released first, followed by the first clamping device 32, so that the supplementary separator 29 can return from its wound position in the second clamping device 33 to a flat position and can move parallel to the anode 7 or cathode 22. Here, the longitudinally viewed cutting portion 14 of the separator 29 moves away from the corresponding discharger 25 and thus safely extends longitudinally 20 beyond the anode 7 or cathode 22.

[0117] After the first clamping device 32 and the second clamping device 33 are released, they then move back to their initial positions via the conveyor belt 52, where they can be reused on the sub-pile 31. Simultaneously, the gripper 53 is applied to the sub-pile 31 so that, after the third clamping device 37 is released, they can continue to be transported to the hopper 54 and stacked there. The gripper 53, along with the clamping devices 32, 33, and 37, operate in a cyclical process to achieve rapid and continuous production of single-pool piles 57.

[0118] Figure 21The third clamping device 37 is shown in a side view. The third clamping device 37 also has multiple clamping elements 55 fixed to a second conveyor belt 56, which moves at the same speed as the sub-pile 31 is transferred from the first clamping device 32 and the second clamping device 33. After the sub-pile 31 is transferred to the gripper 53, the clamping elements 55 move downwards or upwards and then to the left in a reverse motion to be reused on subsequent sub-pile 31s. As a next step, the gripper 53 feeds the sub-pile 31 into a hopper 54, where multiple sub-pile 31s are stacked together to form a single-pool pile 57.

[0119] Since sub-pile 31 consists of four material webs, including an anode 7, a separator 29, a cathode 22, and another separator 29, arranged in this order from bottom to top, a single separator 29 is first placed into an empty hopper 54. This is to prevent electrical contact between the anode 7 located below in sub-pile 31 and other components via this single separator 29. For this purpose, a reserve of a single separator 29 is maintained in the receiving section 58 at hopper 54. Here, each time an empty hopper 54 is filled, the feeding device 59 places the separator 29 as the first material web into hopper 54, for example by means of a suction lifter. Once the single pool pile 57 is complete, hopper 54 is moved and replaced with another empty hopper 54. While the second hopper 54 is being filled, the single pool pile 57 in the first hopper 54 is connected into a single pool package 60 and then transported away. Multiple hoppers 54 can also be used for higher production speeds. For this purpose, for example, two additional hoppers 54 can be arranged parallel to the first two hoppers and can be used to fill the sub-pile 31 by means of a gripper 53 that can reach a greater distance. These additional hoppers 54 can also be pre-configured by the feeding device 59 using dividers 29 when empty. Thus, production can continue uninterrupted and at a high speed.

[0120] Figure 22 A top view on the left shows a hopper 54 filled with single-pool stacks 57 on conveyor belt 61. On its right is a single-pool bundle 60 manufactured on conveyor belt 61, ready to be transported. A slider 62 is used to connect the single-pool stacks 57 into a fixed single-pool bundle 60 using tape 63. Here, the single-pool stacks 57 are fixed inside the hopper 54 at the end 64 of the single-pool stacks, where the discharger 25 is also located.

[0121] exist Figure 23 The first step for bonding is shown. Here, slider 62 first moves laterally outward, and four strips 63 are pulled out of tape roll 66 by means of tape puller 65.

[0122] exist Figure 24The diagram illustrates the second step, in which the slider 62 travels to the single-pool stack 57 and laterally presses the tape 63 against the single-pool stack 57. Here, the tape 63 is simultaneously cut by a blade 67 arranged on the slider 62. During cutting, the tape puller 65 also acts as a retainer for the blade 67.

[0123] Figure 25 This shows how slider 62 continues to move toward single pool stack 57, where the cut tape 63 is pressed against single pool stack 57 to form single pool package 60.

[0124] Then as Figure 26 As shown, the resulting single-pool package 60 is placed on conveyor belt 61 and transported away.

[0125] Figure 27 The bottom 71 of the hopper 54 is shown to open by pivoting downwards and the slider 62 places the single-pool package 60 onto the conveyor belt 61.

[0126] Figure 28 The manufactured single-cell package 60 is shown, which has a discharger 25 and an enclosing tape 63.

[0127] Finally in Figure 29 The diagram illustrates an alternative implementation that can function as the first and second clamping devices 32, 33 and the second cutting device 45. A sub-pile 31 is shown, which has passed through the first cutting device 1 and is now transported to the second cutting device 45 by the cam drive 36. A bottom roller 4 is used here, which can be constructed, for example, as a cam-driven mating roller with a forming punch 68 made of rubber. The forming punch 68 is designed such that, as the slitting portion 14 of the separator 29 enters the second cutting device 45, the sub-pile 31 is forced into a curved motion track 69 by the approximately elliptical rather than circular forming punch 68. The resulting curvature is further enhanced by the additional deformation of the forming punch 68 in this position towards the sub-pile 31 via the pin 70. This results in bending of the material webs 3, 22, 27, which in this state also causes these material webs 3, 22, 27 to move relative to each other. If the separator 29 is now separated in this position using the separator blade 50 arranged on the top roller 5, a separator 29 longer than the anode 7 or cathode 23 located below it is obtained. The discharger cut 16 can then be made with the subsequent separator blade 51, wherein, in this rotational position of the top roller 5 and the bottom roller 4, the sub-staple 31 does not undergo bending because, in this subsequent rotational position, the forming punch 68 does not abut against the sub-staple 31. This means that the discharger cut 16 is made on the straight and stretched sub-staple 31 with the discharger blade 51.

[0128] This invention enables four work steps to be performed in a single facility. These steps include longitudinal cutting, transverse cutting, stacking, and gluing of a single pool stack. Furthermore, very high stacking speeds can be achieved, wherein preferably four material webs are continuously secured by clamping devices 32, 33, 37 or grippers 53, thereby achieving very high positioning and manufacturing accuracy. The material webs also do not need to be separated and then rejoined, thus requiring minimal material handling and achieving excellent material utilization compared to, for example, Z-folding.

[0129] Due to the high positioning accuracy, the required interference fit of 6 mm between the separator 29 and the cathode 23 can be reliably ensured. Finally, other common lamination processes can be omitted, thereby eliminating the need for an expensive, laminated separator 29.

[0130] It should be understood that the above description is merely some embodiments of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the above-described concept.

[0131] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0132] 1. First cutting device

[0133] 2 First storage device

[0134] 3 First material width

[0135] The first material widths separated by 3a and 3b

[0136] 4 bottom rollers

[0137] 5 top rollers

[0138] 6-hole unit

[0139] 7 anodes

[0140] 8-cell battery

[0141] 9 Anode Region

[0142] 10 Edges

[0143] 11 Rotary cutter

[0144] 12 longitudinal sections

[0145] 13 positioning holes

[0146] 14-section cut

[0147] 15 window section

[0148] 16 Discharger Cut Section

[0149] 17 Transport Hole

[0150] 18 Transportation Sections

[0151] 19 windows

[0152] 20 vertical

[0153] 21 width

[0154] 22 Second Material Width

[0155] 22a and 22b are separate second material sections

[0156] 23 cathode

[0157] 24 cathode regions

[0158] 25 dischargers

[0159] 26 Second storage device

[0160] 27 Third Material Page

[0161] 28 Third storage devices

[0162] 29 Dividers

[0163] 30 guiding devices

[0164] 31 sub-heaps

[0165] 32 First clamping device

[0166] 33 Second clamping device

[0167] 34 Transportation Sales

[0168] 35 positioning pin

[0169] 36 Cam Drive Device

[0170] 37 Third clamping device

[0171] 38 monitoring devices

[0172] 39 clips

[0173] 40 Cam

[0174] 41 recess

[0175] 42 Curved Track

[0176] 43 boards

[0177] 44 springs

[0178] 45 Second cutting device

[0179] 46 First Roller

[0180] 47 Second Roller

[0181] 48 with rollers

[0182] 49 strips

[0183] 50 divider knife

[0184] 51 Discharge Knife

[0185] 52 conveyor belt

[0186] 53 grab items

[0187] 54 silos

[0188] 55 clamping elements

[0189] 56 Second Conveyor Belt

[0190] 57 Single Pool Stack

[0191] 58 Accommodation Department

[0192] 59 Feeding device

[0193] 60 single pool packages

[0194] 61 Conveyor Belt

[0195] 62 sliders

[0196] 63 tape

[0197] 64 end side

[0198] 65 tape puller

[0199] 66 tape roll

[0200] 67 dollars

[0201] 68 forming punch

[0202] 69 motion tracks

[0203] 70 pin

[0204] 71 bottom

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a sub-stacking of a single-cell stack (57) for a single-cell battery (8), comprising at least the following steps: a) Input at least one first material web (3) made of the first material; b) Input at least one second material web (22, 27) made of the second material; c) A first cut is made on the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27) to form a continuous, tensile transport section (18) in each of the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27), the transport section being able to withstand tensile force along the longitudinal direction of the respective material web, wherein the respective transport sections (18) are arranged laterally offset relative to the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27); d) The first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27) are joined together to form a sub-piles, such that after the material webs are joined, the transport sections of the second material web are arranged to be laterally offset relative to the transport sections of the first material web; e) A second cut is performed, wherein the transport sections (18) of the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27) are cut independently of each other at least in the transverse direction or additionally in the longitudinal direction at the cut sections (14), such that the corresponding transport sections are transversely divided and constitute a complete division of the sub-stack in the transverse direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Use material strips with different dimensions (3, 22, 27) at least in the transverse direction.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, A window (19) is provided in at least one material web (3, 22, 27), the window being selected such that the cut portion (14) of the transport section (18) of at least one other material web (3, 22, 27) is located in the window (19).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, After the second cut, at least two sub-piles (31) are arranged into a single pool pile (57).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The sub-pile (31) consists of at least four material webs (3, 22, 27).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, During the first or second cut, discharge flags (25) are constructed on at least two material widths (3, 22, 27).

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The single pool stacks (57) are connected into a single pool package (60) using a connecting device (63).

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein, When arranging the sub-pile (31) into a single pool pile (57), at least one additional material web (29) is arranged in the single pool pile (57).

9. A battery cell (8) having a sub-pile of a cell stack (57) of a battery cell (8) manufactured according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A motor vehicle having at least one battery cell (8) according to claim 9.

11. An apparatus for manufacturing a sub-stacking of a single-cell stack (57) of a single-cell battery (8), for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-8, the apparatus comprising at least two storage devices (2, 26, 28) for at least one first material web (3) and at least one second material web (22, 27), at least one first cutting device (1) and at least one second cutting device (45) for cutting the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27), a transport device (34) for conveying the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27), a device (30) for merging the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27), and a stacking device (54), wherein, The first cutting device (1) produces a strip-shaped transport section (18), and the second cutting device (45) is arranged behind the converging device (30) along the transport direction and is designed to produce a complete lateral separation of the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27) in the transport direction, with the first material web (3) and the second material web (22, 27) staggered along the transport direction.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first cutting device (1) and the second cutting device (45) are designed to cut at least two converging material strips (3, 22, 27).

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The second cutting device (45) is designed to perform longitudinal cutting of the edge region (10) on at least one material width (3, 22, 27).

Images