Marking method, marking device, and pole piece manufacturing system

Abstract

The application provides a marking method, a marking device and a pole piece manufacturing system, and relates to the technical field of pole piece manufacturing. The marking method comprises the following steps: providing a base material; shielding a local area of a first surface of the base material in a thickness direction of the base material and coating the first surface, so as to form a mark line in the local area. When the local area of the first surface in the thickness direction of the base material is shielded and the first surface is coated, the shielded area will not be coated with a coating layer, so that the local area forms a mark line. The mark line is formed in the manner that the local area is shielded so that the shielded local area cannot be coated, and there is no heat affected zone generated when a laser is used for marking in the marking process, which will not affect the quality of the coating layer and can improve the marking quality. Moreover, the marking efficiency is high and the marking cost is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a marking method, marking apparatus, and electrode manufacturing system. Background Technology

[0002] Batteries are widely used in electronics, vehicles, aerospace, and other fields. As application environments and conditions become increasingly complex, higher demands are being placed on battery safety, energy density, and production costs.

[0003] In the battery manufacturing process, it is necessary to mark the electrodes so that they can be folded along the marked lines. The quality of the marking on the electrodes has a significant impact on the quality of the electrodes, the quality of the batteries, and the production cost. Therefore, how to improve the quality of the marking on the electrodes has become an urgent problem to be solved in the battery manufacturing process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a marking method, marking apparatus, and electrode manufacturing system to improve the marking quality of electrode sheets.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for creating a marking, including:

[0006] Provide base materials;

[0007] A partial area of ​​the first surface of the substrate along its thickness direction is masked and the first surface is coated to form a trace line in the partial area.

[0008] In the above technical solution, a localized area of ​​the first surface of the substrate in the thickness direction is masked. When coating is applied to the first surface, the masked area will not be coated, thus forming a trace line in the localized area. By masking a localized area to prevent coating from being applied, a trace line is formed. This method avoids the heat-affected zone generated during laser marking, thus not affecting coating quality and improving marking quality. Furthermore, it offers high marking efficiency and low marking cost.

[0009] In some embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the step of shielding a partial area of ​​the first surface of the substrate along its thickness direction and coating the first surface includes:

[0010] The coating device is intermittently blocked by a shielding element;

[0011] The moving substrate is coated using a coating device;

[0012] When the shielding member blocks the coating device, the shielding member blocks a local area of ​​the first surface.

[0013] In the above technical solution, by intermittently blocking the coating device with a blocking component, the coating device coats the moving substrate, forming a coating layer arranged at intervals along the direction of the substrate's movement on the first surface of the substrate. There is no coating between two adjacent coating layers, forming a trace line. By intermittently blocking with a blocking component, coating can be carried out and trace lines can be formed during the movement of the substrate, thus improving the efficiency of marking.

[0014] In some embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the blocking member includes a plurality of blocking units arranged at intervals;

[0015] The intermittent blocking of the coating device by the blocking member includes:

[0016] The movement of the shielding member causes the multiple shielding units to shield the coating device one by one.

[0017] In the above technical solution, by moving the masking component, multiple masking units successively mask the coating device, allowing the substrate and coating device to continue moving during the marking process, thus improving marking efficiency. Furthermore, the interval between two adjacent masking units and the movement speed of the masking component determine the interval duration of the masking component's blocking of the coating device. Therefore, the movement of the masking component, allowing multiple masking units to successively mask the coating device, is beneficial for improving marking accuracy and uniformity.

[0018] In some embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the step of moving the blocking member to cause the plurality of blocking units to block the coating device one by one includes:

[0019] The shielding member moves cyclically, causing multiple shielding units to shield the coating device one by one.

[0020] In the above technical solution, multiple blocking units block the coating device one by one through cyclic movement, which is a simple implementation method.

[0021] In some embodiments of the first aspect of this application, the marking method is used for marking electrodes.

[0022] In the above technical solution, a trace line is formed by blocking a local area of ​​the current collector on the first surface in the thickness direction, so that the blocked local area cannot be coated with the active material layer. This achieves electrode marking, eliminating the heat-affected zone generated during laser marking and thus not affecting the quality of the active material layer, thereby improving the marking quality of the electrode. Furthermore, the marking efficiency is high and the marking cost is low.

[0023] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a marking apparatus, including a masking member and a coating device; the masking member is configured to mask a local area of ​​a first surface of a substrate along its thickness direction; the coating device is used to coat the first surface to form a mark line in the local area.

[0024] In the above technical solution, the shielding member blocks a local area of ​​the first surface of the substrate in the thickness direction. When the coating device coats the first surface, the area shielded by the shielding member will not be coated, thus forming a trace line in the local area. By shielding a local area of ​​the first surface of the substrate with the shielding member, a trace line is formed in such a way that the shielded local area cannot be coated. This method avoids the heat-affected zone generated during laser marking, thus not affecting the coating quality and improving the marking quality. Furthermore, it offers high marking efficiency and low marking cost.

[0025] In some embodiments of the second aspect of this application, the shielding member includes a plurality of shielding units arranged at intervals;

[0026] The marking device further includes a drive mechanism configured to drive the masking member to move so that the plurality of masking units mask the coating device one by one.

[0027] In the above technical solution, the driving mechanism drives the masking component to move, thereby allowing multiple masking units to successively mask the coating device. This ensures that the substrate and coating device can continue to move during the marking process, thus improving marking efficiency. Furthermore, the spacing between adjacent masking units and the movement speed of the masking component determine the interval duration of the masking of the coating device. Therefore, the movement of the masking component, allowing multiple masking units to successively mask the coating device, helps improve marking accuracy and uniformity.

[0028] In some embodiments of the second aspect of this application, the driving mechanism includes a driving member and a conveyor belt, with a plurality of the shielding units arranged at intervals on the conveyor belt, and the driving member being used to drive the conveyor belt to travel.

[0029] In the above technical solution, the shielding units are arranged at intervals on the transmission belt, and the driving component drives the transmission belt to move, thereby enabling multiple shielding units to move and shield the coating device one by one. By driving the shielding components to move through the belt drive, the stability of the shielding components' movement can be improved and noise can be reduced.

[0030] In some embodiments of the second aspect of this application, the driving mechanism further includes a plurality of drive rollers, the conveyor belt being sequentially wound around each of the drive rollers to form a closed loop structure, and the driving member being used to drive one of the plurality of drive rollers to rotate.

[0031] In the above technical solution, the conveyor belt is sequentially wound around each transmission roller to form a closed loop structure, so that the transmission belt can drive the blocking parts to move stably in a circular motion. The driving method is simple and has good stability.

[0032] In some embodiments of the second aspect of this application, the conveyor belt includes a first sub-belt and a second sub-belt, the first sub-belt and the second sub-belt being arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the drive roller, and the shielding unit being fixed at both ends along the axial direction of the drive roller to the first sub-belt and the second sub-belt, respectively.

[0033] In the above technical solution, fixing the two ends of the shielding unit to the first sub-belt and the second sub-belt respectively can ensure the installation stability of the shielding component. The first sub-belt and the second sub-belt together drive the shielding unit to move, which can improve the movement stability of the shielding unit.

[0034] In some embodiments of the second aspect of this application, the marking device further includes: a locking member for locking the blocking member to the conveyor belt; the outer peripheral surface of the transmission roller is provided with a circumferentially extending receiving portion for receiving the locking member.

[0035] In the above technical solution, locking the shielding component to the transmission belt using a locking component improves the stability of the shielding component's installation on the transmission belt. The locking component is housed in a receiving portion on the outer circumference of the transmission roller, which reduces the overall size of the transmission roller and the locking component, and also improves the stability of the transmission belt.

[0036] In some embodiments of the second aspect of this application, the drive roller is provided with two receiving portions, which are arranged at an axial distance from each other along the drive roller.

[0037] In the above technical solution, both ends of the transmission roller are provided with receiving portions, and the locking components located at both ends of the transmission roller axial direction are provided with corresponding receiving portions, thereby reducing the overall size of the transmission roller and the locking components and further improving the stability of the transmission belt.

[0038] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electrode manufacturing system, including a conveying device and a marking device provided in any of the second aspects; the conveying device is used to convey the electrode, and the marking device is used to mark the electrode.

[0039] In the above technical solution, the marking device provided in the second aspect embodiment marks the electrode sheet without the heat-affected zone generated during laser marking, thus not affecting the quality of the active material layer of the electrode sheet and improving the marking quality. Furthermore, it offers higher marking efficiency and lower marking cost.

[0040] In some embodiments of the third aspect, the electrode manufacturing system includes two of the marking devices, one of which is located downstream of the other, and the two marking devices are respectively used to form marking lines on both sides of the electrode in the thickness direction.

[0041] In the above technical solution, two marking devices are used to form marking lines on both sides of the electrode sheet in the thickness direction. The two marking devices can work synchronously to improve the marking efficiency of the electrode sheet. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 Flowcharts of the marking method provided for some embodiments of this application;

[0044] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a target part with trace lines formed according to some embodiments of this application;

[0045] Figure 3 Schematic diagrams of the structure of a target part with trace lines formed, provided in other embodiments of this application;

[0046] Figure 4 Flowcharts of the marking methods provided in other embodiments of this application;

[0047] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the relative relationship between the marking device and the substrate is provided for some embodiments of this application (the masking unit does not mask the coating device);

[0048] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0049] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the relative relationship between the marking device and the substrate is provided for some embodiments of this application (masking unit masks coating device);

[0050] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0051] Figure 9 Axonometric views of the relative relationship between the marking device and the substrate provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 10A schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the coating device and the shielding member of the marking apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0053] Figure 11 A schematic diagram showing the relative relationship between the marking device and the substrate provided in other embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 12 A schematic diagram illustrating the relative relationship between the marking device and the substrate provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrode manufacturing system provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0056] Icons: 1-Target part; 1a-Substrate; 1b-Coating; 1c-Local area; 1d-Trace line; 1000-Electrode manufacturing system; 100-Trace-making device; 10-Mask; 11-Mask unit; 20-Coating device; 30-Drive mechanism; 32-Conveyor belt; 321-First sub-belt; 322-Second sub-belt; 33-Drive roller; 331-Receiving part; 34-Locking element; 200-Conveying device; X-Thickness direction of substrate; Y-Width direction of substrate; Z-Extension direction of substrate. Detailed Implementation

[0057] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0058] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0059] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0060] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0061] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the indicated orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this application is in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. It is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0062] Currently, judging from market trends, the application of power batteries is becoming increasingly widespread. Power batteries are not only used in energy storage systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but also extensively used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of power battery applications, market demand is also constantly increasing.

[0063] A battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The electrode assembly consists of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The battery cell primarily functions by the movement of metal ions between the positive and negative electrodes. The positive electrode includes a positive current collector and a positive active material layer. The positive active material layer is coated on the surface of the positive current collector, and the uncoated positive current collector protrudes beyond the coated one, serving as the positive electrode tab. Taking a lithium-ion battery as an example, the positive current collector can be made of aluminum, and the positive active material can be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, or lithium manganese oxide, etc. The negative electrode includes a negative current collector and a negative active material layer. The negative active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative current collector, and the uncoated negative current collector protrudes beyond the coated one, serving as the negative electrode tab. The negative electrode current collector can be made of copper, and the negative electrode active material can be carbon or silicon, etc. To ensure that a large current can pass through without melting, there are multiple positive electrode tabs stacked together, and there are multiple negative electrode tabs stacked together. The separator can be made of PP (polypropylene) or PE (polyethylene), etc. In addition, the electrode assembly can be a wound structure or a stacked structure, and the embodiments of this application are not limited to these.

[0064] For wound electrode assemblies, the electrode assembly includes a straight portion and a bent portion connecting the two ends of the straight portion. The bent portions of the electrode assembly are prone to lithium plating and electrode breakage due to bending. Generally, by creating trace lines (i.e., marking the electrode) at the bent portion, the active material layer thickness of the positive electrode at the bent portion is reduced, or almost non-existent, thus lowering the risk of lithium plating and electrode breakage due to bending. Similarly, the active material layer thickness of the negative electrode at the bent portion is reduced, or almost non-existent, to lower the risk of electrode breakage due to bending.

[0065] For stacked electrode assemblies where at least one of the negative and positive electrodes is continuous, the continuous electrode will also be bent, thus forming a bend. To avoid the accumulation of active material layer in the bend and the risk of the electrode breaking due to bending, a trace line (i.e., marking the electrode) is generally set on the part of the continuous electrode located at the bend. This makes the active material layer thickness of the electrode at the bend smaller or the positive electrode almost without an active material layer at the bend, thereby reducing the risk of the electrode breaking due to bending at the bend.

[0066] The inventors discovered that current laser marking techniques for electrodes utilize the high temperature generated by the highly focused laser beam to ablate the active material layer of the electrode, forming a marking edge (i.e., a marking line) that exposes the substrate but does not damage the substrate 1a or expose the substrate. However, during the laser ablation of the active material layer, a heat-affected zone exists on the electrode. This means that the heat generated by laser ablation affects the active material layer around the marking line, and may even affect the performance of the active material, thus impacting the marking quality of the electrode. Furthermore, laser marking is inefficient. The width of the resulting marking line is related to the laser power; if different widths of marking lines are required, lasers with different powers must be used, resulting in high marking costs.

[0067] Based on the above considerations, in order to improve the quality of marking on the electrode, increase the efficiency of marking, and reduce the cost of marking, the inventors, after in-depth research, have provided a marking method that involves shielding a local area of ​​a first surface of the substrate along its thickness direction and coating the first surface to form a marking line in the local area.

[0068] By partially masking a region of the first surface of the substrate along its thickness direction, the masked area will not be coated during the coating process, thus forming a trace line in the localized area. By masking a localized area to prevent coating from being applied, a trace line 1d is formed. This method avoids the heat-affected zone associated with laser marking, thus not affecting coating quality and improving marking quality. Furthermore, it offers high marking efficiency and low marking cost.

[0069] The texturing method disclosed in this application can be used for texturing electrodes, but is not limited to texturing other coated target parts. This is beneficial for improving texturing quality, increasing texturing efficiency, and reducing texturing costs.

[0070] like Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a method for creating a marking pattern, which includes:

[0071] S100, providing substrate 1a;

[0072] S200, a local area 1c of the first surface of the substrate 1a along its thickness direction is shielded and the first surface of 1a is coated to form a trace line 1d in the local area 1c.

[0073] This marking method is used to mark a target part 1, which comprises a substrate 1a and a coating 1b coated on the surface of the substrate in the thickness direction X. Marking the target part 1 involves forming a groove with a certain width and length on the target part 1. In this embodiment, the marking line 1d extends along the width direction Y of the substrate.

[0074] A local region 1c refers to a portion of any one of the two surfaces of the substrate 1a in the thickness direction. The two opposing surfaces of the substrate 1a along the thickness direction X are defined as the first surface and the second surface. The number of local regions 1c on the first surface can be one or more. Here, "two" refers to two or more. Each local region 1c can correspond to a trace line 1d. In embodiments where there are multiple local regions 1c, the multiple local regions 1c are arranged at intervals along a certain direction. The number of local regions 1c on the second surface can also be one or more. A coating 1b can be applied to either the first surface or the second surface of the substrate 1a, or a coating 1b can be applied to both the first and second surfaces. In embodiments where a coating 1b is applied to both the first and second surfaces, a trace line 1d can be formed on both sides of the substrate in the thickness direction X, or a trace line 1d can be formed on one side.

[0075] If the target component 1 is an electrode, then the substrate 1a is a current collector, and the coating 1b applied to the first surface of the substrate in the thickness direction X is an active material layer. Along the thickness direction X of the substrate, the first and second surfaces of the substrate 1a may both be coated with the active material layer, or only one of the first and second surfaces may be coated with the active material layer.

[0076] In an embodiment where the coating 1b is applied to both sides of the substrate 1a along the thickness direction, the target part 1 may have partially obscured regions 1c on both sides of the substrate in the thickness direction X. Therefore, trace lines 1d can be formed on both sides of the target part 1 in the thickness direction X of the substrate. The trace lines 1d on both sides can be correspondingly arranged; in other words, along the thickness direction X of the substrate, the projections of the trace lines 1d on both sides onto the substrate 1a overlap. Figure 2 The diagram shows a case where trace lines 1d are formed on both sides of the coating 1b in the thickness direction X of the substrate, and the projections of the trace lines 1d on both sides onto the substrate 1a overlap. Alternatively, the trace lines 1d on both sides of the substrate thickness direction X are staggered; in other words, along the thickness direction X of the substrate, the projections of the trace lines 1d on both sides onto the substrate 1a partially overlap or are completely staggered. Figure 3 The figure shows a case where trace lines 1d are formed on both sides of the coating 1b in the thickness direction X of the substrate, and the projections of the trace lines 1d on the substrate 1a on both sides are completely misaligned.

[0077] During coating, the local area 1c of the first surface that is covered cannot be coated with coating 1b. The covered local area 1c is not coated with coating 1b, but the covered local area 1c is coated with coating 1b on both sides along the extension direction Z of the substrate. Therefore, for the target part 1, the thickness of the local area 1c is less than the thickness of other areas coated with coating 1b, and a groove is formed in the covered local area 1c. In other words, a trace line 1d is formed in the covered local area 1c.

[0078] When the coating is applied to the masked local area 1c, the coating device 20 ( Figure 5 (As shown in the figure) Coating can be stopped or continued. In an embodiment where the coating apparatus 20 coats the masked local area 1c and the coating apparatus 20 continues to coat, the slurry sprayed by the coating apparatus 20 can be applied to the masking member 10 that masks the local area 1c, so that the local area 1c masked by the masking member 10 cannot be coated with the coating 1b.

[0079] By masking a local area 1c of the first surface of the substrate in the thickness direction X, the masked area will not be coated with the coating 1b when the first surface is coated, thus forming a trace line 1d in the local area 1c. By masking the local area 1c so that the masked local area 1c cannot be coated, the trace line 1d is formed. During the marking process, the target part 1 does not have a heat-affected zone generated when laser marking is used, which will not affect the quality of the coating 1b. This can improve the marking quality, and the marking efficiency and cost are relatively low.

[0080] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, a partial region 1c of the first surface of the substrate 1a along its thickness direction is shielded and the first surface of 1a is coated, including:

[0081] S210, via shielding member 10 ( Figure 8 (As shown in the image) the coating device 20 is intermittently shaded;

[0082] S220, the moving substrate 1a is coated by the coating device 20;

[0083] When the shielding member 10 shields the coating device 20, the shielding member 10 shields a local area 1c of the first surface of 1a.

[0084] In step S210, the masking member 10 intermittently masks the coating apparatus 20, meaning that the masking member 10 does not continuously mask a local area 1c of the surface of the substrate 1a along its thickness direction. This can be understood as the coating apparatus 20 applying coatings to the first surface of the substrate 1a at intervals to form multiple coating areas spaced apart along the extension direction Z of the substrate on the first surface. Along the extension direction Z of the substrate, a local area 1c is formed between two adjacent coating areas and is masked by the masking member 10, with a trace line 1d formed in this local area 1c.

[0085] Along the thickness direction X of the substrate, the shielding member 10 is located between the first surface and the coating device 20, so that the slurry sprayed by the coating device 20 is shielded by the shielding member 10 to prevent the slurry from being coated on the substrate 1a.

[0086] In this embodiment, the partially obscured area 1c of the obscured component 10 extends along the width direction Y of the substrate. The movement direction of the substrate 1a is consistent with the extension direction Z of the substrate. The thickness direction X, the extension direction Z, and the width direction Y of the substrate are mutually perpendicular. If the target component 1 is an electrode, then the movement direction of the electrode is the movement direction of the substrate 1a (the extension direction Z of the substrate). The width direction Y of the substrate is consistent with the width direction of the target component 1, the thickness direction X of the substrate is consistent with the thickness direction of the electrode, and the extension direction Z of the substrate is consistent with the extension direction of the electrode.

[0087] The substrate 1a can be conveyed entirely in a straight line, or it can be conveyed partially in a straight line and partially in a non-linear manner.

[0088] During the coating process, the substrate 1a moves. If the shielding member 10 does not move, the width of the shielded local area 1c can be determined based on the speed of the substrate 1a and the duration of the shielding member 10 shielding the first surface of the substrate 1a. The width of the local area 1c refers to the dimension of the local area 1c in the extension direction Z of the substrate.

[0089] By intermittently blocking the coating device 20 with the blocking member 10, the coating device 20 coats the moving substrate 1a, forming a coating layer 1b spaced at intervals along the extension direction Z of the substrate on the first surface of the substrate 1a. There is no coating between two adjacent coating layers 1b, forming a trace line 1d. By intermittently blocking with the blocking member 10, the coating can be applied and the trace line 1d can be formed during the movement of the substrate 1a, thus improving the marking efficiency.

[0090] like Figures 5-9 As shown, in some embodiments, the shielding member 10 includes a plurality of shielding units 11 arranged at intervals;

[0091] The coating apparatus 20 is intermittently blocked by the blocking member 10, including:

[0092] The movement of the shielding member 10 causes multiple shielding units 11 to shield the coating device 20 one by one.

[0093] Multiple masking units 11 sequentially mask the coating device 20, meaning that multiple masking units 11 alternately mask the coating device 20. In this way, when the masking member 10 masks the coating device 20, if the coating device 20 is continuously coating, the slurry on the masking member 10 can be distributed across multiple masking units 11, preventing excessive accumulation of slurry on any single masking unit 11. Furthermore, when one masking unit 11 masks the coating device 20, the other masking units 11 do not function as maskers, allowing slurry adhering to other masking units 11 to be treated without affecting the masking effect of the masking member 10 on the coating device 20.

[0094] When the masking unit 11 masks the coating apparatus 20, along the thickness direction X of the substrate, the masking unit 11 is located between the coating apparatus 20 and the substrate 1a to prevent the slurry from the coating apparatus 20 from being applied to the substrate 1a. In this embodiment, the coating apparatus 20 does not move, the masking member 10 moves at the same speed as the substrate 1a, and the masking unit 11, which is positioned between the coating apparatus 20 and the substrate 1a, is relatively stationary with respect to the substrate 1a. Therefore, the width of the masking unit 11 is consistent with the width of the trace line 1d.

[0095] By moving the masking member 10, multiple masking units 11 successively mask the coating device 20, allowing the moving substrate 1a and coating device 20 to be continuously coated during the marking process, thereby improving marking efficiency. Furthermore, the spacing between two adjacent masking units 11 and the movement speed of the masking member 10 determine the interval duration of the masking of the coating device 20 by the masking member 10. Therefore, the movement of the masking member 10 allows multiple masking units 11 to successively mask the coating device 20, which is beneficial for improving marking accuracy and uniformity.

[0096] In some embodiments, the movement of the blocking member 10 causes multiple blocking units 11 to block the coating device 20 one by one, including:

[0097] The shielding member 10 moves in a cycle, causing multiple shielding units 11 to shield the coating device 20 one by one.

[0098] There are many ways to drive the blocking member 10 in cyclic motion, such as belt drive, chain drive, etc. In other embodiments, the blocking member 10 can also adopt other motion methods so that multiple blocking units 11 block the coating device 20 one by one, such as the blocking member 10 reciprocating linear motion.

[0099] Through cyclical motion, multiple masking units 11 can mask the coating device 20 one by one, which is a simple method.

[0100] In some embodiments, the marking method is used to mark electrodes.

[0101] In other embodiments, the marking method can also be used to mark other target parts 1 with coating 1b.

[0102] By shielding a local area 1c of the current collector on the first surface in the thickness direction, a trace line 1d is formed in such a way that the shielded local area 1c cannot be coated with the active material layer. This achieves electrode marking, and during the marking process, the target part 1 does not have a heat-affected zone generated when using laser marking, thus not affecting the quality of the active material layer and improving the marking quality of the electrode. Furthermore, the marking efficiency is high and the marking cost is low.

[0103] like Figure 9 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a marking device 100, which includes a masking member 10 and a coating device 20; the masking member 10 is configured to mask a local area 1c of a first surface of a substrate 1a along its thickness direction; the coating device 20 is used to coat the first surface of 1a to form a mark line 1d in the local area 1c.

[0104] The coating device 20 is a device that can spray slurry onto the substrate 1a at a certain pressure. The specific structure can be referred to in the relevant technology, and will not be described in detail here.

[0105] The shielding member 10 can be in the form of a shielding plate, shielding strip, or other structures. The shielding member 10 can be located between the substrate 1a and the coating head of the coating device 20 to shield the coating head of the coating device 20 and prevent the slurry sprayed by the coating device 20 from being coated on the substrate 1a. It can be understood that the shielding member 10 shields a local area 1c of the substrate 1a so that the shielded area cannot be coated.

[0106] The masking member 10 masks a local area 1c of the first surface of the substrate in the thickness direction X. When the coating apparatus 20 coats the first surface, the area masked by the masking member 10 will not be coated with the coating 1b, thus forming a trace line 1d in the local area 1c. By masking a local area 1c of the first surface of the substrate 1a with the masking member 10, the trace line 1d is formed in such a way that the masked local area 1c cannot be coated. This method avoids the heat-affected zone generated during laser marking and does not affect the quality of the coating 1b, thereby improving the marking quality. Furthermore, it offers higher marking efficiency and lower marking costs.

[0107] In some embodiments, the masking member 10 includes a plurality of masking units 11 arranged at intervals; the marking device 100 further includes a driving mechanism 30 configured to drive the masking member 10 to move so that the plurality of masking units 11 mask the coating device 20 one by one.

[0108] The drive mechanism 30 may include structures such as motors and cylinders. Different drive structures result in different motion patterns of the blocking member 10. For example, the drive mechanism 30 can drive the blocking member 10 to circulate or reciprocate linearly.

[0109] The driving mechanism 30 drives the masking member 10 to move, thereby causing multiple masking units 11 to successively mask the coating device 20. This allows the substrate 1a to move continuously and the coating device 20 to continuously coat during the marking process, thus improving marking efficiency. Furthermore, the spacing between two adjacent masking units 11 and the movement speed of the masking member 10 determine the interval duration of the masking of the coating device 20 by the masking member 10. Therefore, the movement of the masking member 10 allows multiple masking units 11 to successively mask the coating device 20, which is beneficial for improving marking accuracy and uniformity.

[0110] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism 30 includes a drive member (not shown) and a conveyor belt 32, with a plurality of shielding units 11 spaced apart on the conveyor belt 32, and the drive member is used to drive the conveyor belt 32 to move.

[0111] The drive unit drives the conveyor belt 32 to move the shielding unit 11 mounted on the conveyor belt 32 to the position of shielding the coating device 20 or to a position that is offset from the coating device 20.

[0112] In other embodiments, the drive mechanism 30 may also be in other structural forms. The drive mechanism 30 includes a motor, and a plurality of shielding units 11 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the output shaft of the motor. The output shaft can rotate at different angles so that different shielding units 11 can shield between the coating device 20 and the substrate 1a.

[0113] The masking units 11 are arranged at intervals on the transmission belt. The driving component drives the transmission belt to move, thereby making multiple masking units 11 move and mask the coating device 20 one by one. The masking component 10 is driven to move by the belt drive, which can improve the movement stability of the masking component 10 and reduce noise.

[0114] The driving component can drive the transmission belt to reciprocate linearly, causing the masking unit 10 to reciprocate linearly between the coating device 20 and the masking unit 10. For example, the driving mechanism 30 also includes a take-up roller (not shown) and a release roller (not shown), with one end of the conveyor belt 32 wound around the take-up roller and the other end wound around the release roller. The take-up roller is used to wind up the conveyor belt 32, and the release roller is used to release the conveyor belt 32. There can be two driving components, which can be used to drive the take-up roller and the release roller to rotate respectively. In embodiments where the take-up roller and the release roller are respectively provided with driving components, the functions of the take-up roller and the release roller can be interchanged, that is, the take-up roller is used to release the conveyor belt 32, and the release roller is used to wind up the conveyor belt 32. Of course, the driving mechanism 30 can also include only one driving component, used to drive the take-up roller to wind up the conveyor belt 32. During the process of the take-up roller winding up the conveyor belt 32, the release roller releases the conveyor belt 32, thereby realizing the movement of the masking unit 11 mounted on the conveyor belt 32.

[0115] In other embodiments, the drive mechanism 30 further includes a plurality of drive rollers 33, with the conveyor belt 32 sequentially wound around each drive roller 33 to form a closed loop structure, and the drive member is used to drive one of the plurality of drive rollers 33 to rotate.

[0116] Multiple refers to two or more. The conveyor belt 32 is wound around each conveyor roller and forms a closed loop structure. The driving component drives one of the multiple transmission rollers 33 to rotate, thereby driving the other transmission rollers 33 and the conveyor belt 32 to move. Figure 11 The diagram shows the case where there are two drive rollers 33. Figure 12 The diagram shows a case where the number of drive rollers 33 is four. Part of the structure of the coating device 20 (e.g., the coating head) can be located within the space enclosed by the conveyor belt 32 to make the structure of the marking device 100 more compact and reduce its space occupation.

[0117] The conveyor belt 32 is sequentially wound around each transmission roller 33 to form a closed loop structure, so that the transmission belt can drive the shielding member 10 to move stably in a circular motion. The driving method is simple and has good stability.

[0118] Please refer to Figure 9 , Figure 10 In some embodiments, the conveyor belt 32 includes a first sub-belt 321 and a second sub-belt 322, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the drive roller 33. The two ends of the shielding unit 11 along the axial direction of the drive roller 33 are respectively fixed to the first sub-belt 321 and the second sub-belt 322.

[0119] The first sub-belt 321, the second sub-belt 322, and the shielding member 10 are separately configured. The two ends of the shielding member 10 are connected to the first sub-belt 321 and the second sub-belt 322 by means of bonding, locking, etc.

[0120] The first sub-belt 321 and the second sub-belt 322 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the drive roller 33, and the portion of the shielding member 10 located between the first sub-belt 321 and the second sub-belt 322 is used to shield the coating device 20.

[0121] In other embodiments, the first sub-band 321, the second sub-band 322, and the shielding member 10 can be integrally formed.

[0122] Fixing the two ends of the shielding unit 11 to the first sub-belt 321 and the second sub-belt 322 respectively can ensure the installation stability of the shielding component 10. The first sub-belt 321 and the second sub-belt 322 together drive the shielding unit 11 to move, which can improve the movement stability of the shielding unit 11.

[0123] In some embodiments, the marking device 100 further includes: a locking member 34 for locking the blocking member 10 to the conveyor belt 32; and a circumferentially extending receiving portion 331 on the outer peripheral surface of the transmission roller 33 for receiving the locking member 34.

[0124] The locking element 34 can be a screw or the like, and this application does not limit it.

[0125] In an embodiment where the conveyor belt 32 includes a first sub-belt 321 and a second sub-belt 322, the two ends of the blocking member 10 are respectively locked to the first sub-belt 321 and the second sub-belt 322 by locking members 34.

[0126] The receiving portion 331 is a groove formed on the outer surface of the drive roller 33, and the receiving portion 331 extends through one end of the drive roller 33 in the axial direction. The diameter of the drive roller 33 at the receiving portion 331 is smaller than the diameter at other positions.

[0127] When the locking member 34 is accommodated in the receiving portion 331, the locking member 34 can protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the area with a larger transmission diameter along the radial direction of the transmission roller 33, so the locking member 34 is partially accommodated in the receiving portion 331. Of course, when the locking member 34 is accommodated in the receiving portion 331, the locking member 34 can be completely accommodated in the receiving portion 331.

[0128] Locking the shield 10 to the transmission belt by the locking member 34 can improve the stability of the shield 10 installed on the transmission belt. The locking member 34 is housed in the receiving portion 331 on the outer peripheral surface of the transmission roller 33, which can reduce the overall size of the transmission roller 33 and the locking member 34, and also improve the stability of the transmission belt.

[0129] In embodiments where the conveyor belt 32 includes a first sub-belt 321 and a second sub-belt 322, both ends of the shielding unit 11 are fixed to the first sub-belt 321 and the second sub-belt 322 by locking members 34. Therefore, in some embodiments, the drive roller 33 is provided with two receiving portions 331, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the drive roller 33.

[0130] The two receiving portions 331 are respectively used to receive the locking member 34 of the fixing shield 10 and the first sub-belt 321, as well as the locking member 34 of the fixing shield 10 and the second sub-belt 322.

[0131] Both ends of the drive roller 33 are provided with receiving portions 331, and the locking members 34 located at both ends of the drive roller 33 in the axial direction have corresponding receiving portions 331, thereby reducing the overall size of the drive roller 33 and the locking members 34 and further improving the stability of the conveyor belt 32 transmission.

[0132] This application also provides an electrode manufacturing system 1000, including a conveying device 200 and a marking device 100 provided in any of the above embodiments; the conveying device 200 is used to convey the electrode, and the marking device 100 is used to mark the electrode.

[0133] The structure of the conveying device 200 can take many forms. For example, the conveying device 200 can be a conveying device 200 that includes multiple rollers, with the electrode sheets sequentially wound around the multiple rollers. Depending on the arrangement of the rollers, the direction of movement of the electrode sheets (the conveying direction of the electrode sheets) is different.

[0134] The marking apparatus 100 provided in the above embodiments marks electrodes without the heat-affected zone generated during laser marking, thus not affecting the quality of the active material layer of the electrode and improving the marking quality. Furthermore, it offers high marking efficiency and low marking cost.

[0135] In some cases, it is necessary to coat the current collector of the electrode with a coating 1b on both surfaces along its thickness direction and to make markings on both sides of the electrode along its thickness direction. In order to improve the coating and marking efficiency, in some embodiments, the electrode manufacturing system 1000 includes two marking devices 100, one of which is located downstream of the other. The two marking devices 100 are used to form marking lines 1d on both sides of the electrode in the thickness direction.

[0136] It should be noted that the term "downstream" mentioned in the embodiments of this application refers to the order of production, meaning that the production order is later, and does not limit the spatial position between the components.

[0137] If one of the two marking devices 100 is located downstream of the other, then the marking process of one of the two marking devices 100 is subsequent relative to the other. The two marking devices 100 are located on opposite sides of the substrate 1a along its thickness direction. The coating device 20 of one of the marking devices 100 is used to coat one surface of the substrate 1a along its thickness direction, and the coating device 20 of the other marking device 100 is used to coat the other surface of the substrate 1a along its thickness direction.

[0138] The two marking devices 100 may have the same or different structures. Figure 13 The diagram shows two marking devices 100 with identical structures. Of course, in other embodiments, the electrode manufacturing system 1000 may also include only one marking device 100.

[0139] Two marking devices 100 are used to form marking lines 1d on both sides of the electrode in the thickness direction. The two marking devices 100 can work synchronously to improve the marking efficiency of the electrode.

[0140] This application provides a method for marking an electrode. The method includes driving a shielding member 10 to move cyclically via a driving mechanism 30, so that multiple shielding units 11 of the shielding member 10 shield the coating device 20 one by one. This causes the shielding member 10 to shield a local area 1c of the surface of the current collector along its thickness direction, so that the active material sprayed by the coating device 20 cannot be coated on the area shielded by the shielding unit 11. The coating device 20 in the extension direction of the current collector can coat the active material on both sides of the shielded local area 1c to form a mark line 1d in the local area 1c.

[0141] By partially shielding a region 1c of the current collector's surface along its thickness direction, the shielded area will not be coated with active material during the current collector surface coating process, thus forming a trace line 1d in the shielded region 1c. By shielding the shielded region 1c to prevent coating, the trace line 1d is formed. During the marking process, the electrode does not have the heat-affected zone generated by laser marking, which does not affect the quality of the active material layer, thereby improving the marking quality of the electrode. Furthermore, the marking efficiency is high and the marking cost is low.

[0142] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A marking device, characterized in that, include: A shielding element is configured to shield a local area of ​​a first surface of a substrate along its thickness direction, the shielding element comprising a plurality of shielding units arranged at intervals. A coating apparatus for coating the first surface to form trace lines in the local area; The marking device further includes: A drive mechanism is configured to drive the blocking member to move so that the plurality of blocking units block the coating device one by one. The drive mechanism includes a drive member and a conveyor belt. The plurality of blocking units are arranged at intervals on the conveyor belt. The drive member is used to drive the conveyor belt to drive the transmission. The drive mechanism also includes a plurality of drive rollers. The conveyor belt is sequentially wound around each of the drive rollers to form a closed loop structure. The drive member is used to drive one of the plurality of drive rollers to rotate. A locking element for locking the obstruction to the conveyor belt; The outer circumferential surface of the transmission roller is provided with a circumferentially extending receiving portion, which is used to accommodate the locking member.

2. The marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveyor belt includes a first sub-belt and a second sub-belt, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the drive roller. The shielding unit is fixed at both ends of the first sub-belt and the second sub-belt along the axial direction of the drive roller, respectively.

3. The marking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive roller is provided with two receiving portions, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the drive roller.

4. An electrode manufacturing system, characterized in that, include: A conveying device used to transport electrode sheets; The marking apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3 is used to mark the electrode sheet.

5. The electrode manufacturing system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The electrode manufacturing system includes two marking devices, one of which is located downstream of the other, and the two marking devices are used to form marking lines on both sides of the electrode in the thickness direction.

6. A method for creating markings, characterized in that, Based on the marking apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3 or the electrode manufacturing system according to any one of claims 4-5, it includes: Provide base materials; A partial area of ​​the first surface of the substrate along its thickness direction is masked and the first surface is coated to form a trace line in the partial area.

7. The marking method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of shielding a local area of ​​the first surface of the substrate along its thickness direction and coating the first surface includes: The coating device is intermittently blocked by a shielding element; The moving substrate is coated using a coating device; When the shielding member blocks the coating device, the shielding member blocks a local area of ​​the first surface.

8. The marking method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The shielding component includes multiple shielding units arranged at intervals; The intermittent blocking of the coating device by the blocking member includes: The movement of the shielding member causes the multiple shielding units to shield the coating device one by one.

9. The marking method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The process of moving the shielding member to cause multiple shielding units to shield the coating device one by one includes: The shielding member moves cyclically, causing multiple shielding units to shield the coating device one by one.

10. The marking method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The aforementioned marking method is used for marking electrodes.

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