Laminating apparatus and unit cell manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention discloses a lamination apparatus and a unit cell manufacturing method. The lamination apparatus of the present invention comprises: a vision part provided on a downstream side of a final cutter part and capturing an image of a unit cell; and a control section that calculates a luminance value of the captured image received from the vision section, and controls the pressure adjustment section to adjust the pressure of the lamination roller section according to the calculated luminance value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0049366 filed on April 21, 2022, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to a laminating device and a unit cell manufacturing method, and more particularly, to a laminating device and a unit cell manufacturing method capable of preventing damage to a separator and reducing a defect rate of a unit cell. Background Art

[0003] Generally, a secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte, and generates electrical energy by utilizing a chemical reaction. Due to the advantage of being able to charge and discharge, the use of secondary batteries has gradually increased. Among these secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries have a high energy density per unit weight, and are therefore widely used as power sources for electronic communication devices, high-power hybrid vehicles, and driving sources for electric vehicles, etc.

[0004] In terms of the shape of secondary batteries, there is a growing demand for prismatic secondary batteries and pouch-type secondary batteries, which can be applied to products such as mobile phones due to their small thickness. In terms of materials of secondary batteries, there is a growing demand for lithium secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries and lithium ion polymer batteries having high energy density, discharge voltage, and output stability.

[0005] The electrode sheet is supplied to the slotting module, and the slotting module forms electrode tabs with equal intervals on one side in the width direction of the electrode sheet. The electrode sheet with the electrode tabs formed thereon is rewound on the rewinding machine.

[0006] Korean Patent Publication No. 2328527 discloses a laminating device. In the laminating device, an electrode sheet wound on two electrode rolls and a separator sheet wound on two separator rolls are supplied. At this time, a first cutter unit cuts a first electrode sheet to form a first electrode, which is then laminated between a pair of separator sheets, and a second cutter unit cuts a second electrode sheet to form a second electrode, which is then laminated on an upper separator sheet. In this case, the second electrode is laminated on the upper separator sheet in a one-to-one correspondence with the first electrode.

[0007] The electrode laminate in which the cut first electrode and the second electrode are respectively laminated on the separator sheet is supplied to the heater unit and the laminating roller of the laminator. The heater unit heats the electrode laminate, and the laminating roller presses and combines the electrode laminate. Subsequently, the third cutter unit installed on the downstream side of the laminating roller cuts the portion of the separator sheet located between a pair of adjacent electrodes to form a single cell. A visual unit is installed on the downstream side of the laminator to inspect the single cell. The visual unit inspects the position change of the electrode bonded to the separator or the deformation of the electrode.

[0008] However, in the above-mentioned laminating device, the laminating roller always presses the electrode laminate with the same pressure, and each of the electrodes on the uppermost layer of the electrode laminate is laminated into a step shape together with the separator sheet. Therefore, whenever the edge portion of the electrode contacts the laminating roller, an impact is applied to the edge portion of the electrode. In addition, as the conveying speed of the electrode laminate increases in order to improve the productivity of the secondary battery, the impact applied to the edge portion of the electrode may further increase. The portion of the separator sheet corresponding to the edge portion of the electrode or the vicinity of the portion may be damaged due to excessive impact. Therefore, the defect rate of the single cell may increase.

[0009] In addition, when the thickness of the electrode in the electrode laminate increases, the step difference between the electrode and the separator sheet increases, and therefore, the amount of impact between the laminating roller and the electrode may further increase. In addition, even when the thickness of the separator sheet in the electrode laminate decreases, the possibility of damage to the separator sheet may further increase even when the same impact force is applied to the electrode. Even in this case, the defect rate of the single cell may increase.

[0010] In addition, the thickness of the electrodes laminated on the electrode laminate may vary due to processing errors of the current collector, coating errors of the active material, lamination errors of the electrodes and the separator sheets, etc. However, in a conventional lamination device, the lamination roller presses the electrode laminate with a constant pressure, which may increase the possibility of damage to the separator sheet when electrodes of different thicknesses are pressed by the lamination roller.

[0011] In addition, since the visual unit simply checks whether the single cell is defective, it is difficult to determine whether the separator sheet is damaged when laminating the electrode laminate. In addition, since the laminating device investigates the cause of the defect after the damage of the separator sheet has been carried out for a certain period of time, the defect rate of the single cell inevitably increases. Summary of the invention

[0012] Technical issues

[0013] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a laminating device and a unit cell manufacturing method capable of preventing damage to separators and reducing the defect rate of unit cells.

[0014] The present invention also aims to provide a laminating apparatus and a unit cell manufacturing method capable of correcting the pressure of a laminating roller unit in real time according to a brightness value of an image captured by a vision unit.

[0015] The present invention also aims to provide a lamination device and a unit cell manufacturing method capable of preventing separator sheets from being damaged or excessively stressed in real time when electrode laminates are laminated.

[0016] The present invention also aims to provide a lamination apparatus and a unit cell manufacturing method capable of significantly alleviating impact between a lamination roller unit and electrodes having different thicknesses in an electrode laminate.

[0017] The present invention also aims to provide a laminating apparatus and a unit cell manufacturing method which can significantly reduce the possibility of separator damage by alleviating impact applied to the separator even when the thickness of the separator in the unit cell is reduced.

[0018] Technical Solution

[0019] According to aspects of the present invention, a lamination device is provided, which includes: a visual unit, which is arranged on the downstream side of a final cutter unit and is configured to capture an image of a unit cell; and a control unit, which is configured to calculate a brightness value of the captured image received from the visual unit, and control a pressure adjustment unit according to the calculated brightness value to correct the pressure of a lamination roller unit.

[0020] The vision unit may be disposed at a lower side of the unit cell to capture an image of the unit cell.

[0021] The control unit may calculate a calculated brightness value corresponding to a portion of the separator in contact with the edge portion of the electrode in the calculated image.

[0022] The permissible brightness range for the calculated brightness value may be preset in the control unit.

[0023] When it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, the control unit may control the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit.

[0024] The vision unit may capture an image of the unit battery in real time, and the control unit may correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit in real time.

[0025] The control unit may correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit based on a maximum pressure among pressures with which the lamination roller unit presses the electrode laminate.

[0026] The control unit may include: a visual control unit configured to receive an image captured by the visual control unit; and an automatic control unit configured to calculate a calculated brightness value by calculating the image received from the visual control unit, and when it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside a preset allowable brightness range, control the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit.

[0027] The initial pressure value of the pressure regulating unit can be preset in the control unit.

[0028] The laminating roller unit may include an upper laminating roller and a lower laminating roller.

[0029] The lower laminating roller may be fixed to a lower side of the separator sheet, and the pressure adjusting unit may be connected to the upper laminating roller to lift and lower the upper laminating roller.

[0030] The laminating apparatus may further include an alarm unit configured to generate a warning sound when determining that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range even after the pressure of the laminating roller unit is corrected.

[0031] The unit cell manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a laminating operation, a cutting operation, and a pressure correcting operation.

[0032] In the laminating operation, the laminating roller unit presses the electrode laminate to laminate the separator sheets and the electrodes.

[0033] In the cutting operation, the final cutter unit cuts the electrode laminate to form unit cells.

[0034] In the image capturing operation, the vision unit captures an image of the unit cell.

[0035] In the pressure adjusting operation, the control unit calculates a brightness value by calculating the captured image received from the vision unit, and controls the pressure adjusting unit to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit according to the calculated brightness value.

[0036] The vision unit may capture an image of the unit cell from the underside of the unit cell.

[0037] The control unit may calculate a calculated brightness value corresponding to a portion of the separator in contact with an edge portion of the electrode of the unit cell in the calculated image.

[0038] The permissible brightness range for the calculated brightness value may be preset in the control unit.

[0039] When it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, the control unit may control the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit.

[0040] The vision unit may capture an image of the unit battery in real time, and the control unit may correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit in real time.

[0041] The control unit may correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit based on a maximum pressure among pressures with which the lamination roller unit presses the electrode laminate.

[0042] The initial pressure value of the pressure regulating unit can be preset in the control unit.

[0043] The pressure adjustment unit can correct the pressure by raising and lowering the upper laminating roller of the laminating roller unit.

[0044] The unit cell manufacturing method may further include generating a warning sound through an alarm unit when it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range even after the pressure of the lamination roller unit is corrected.

[0045] Beneficial Effects

[0046] According to the present invention, the pressure of the laminating roller unit can be corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the image captured by the vision unit, thereby preventing the separator sheet from being damaged or over-pressed in real time when the electrode laminate is laminated. Therefore, the defect rate of the unit cell can be significantly reduced.

[0047] According to the present invention, since the pressure of the laminating roller unit is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the captured image of the unit cell, the impact between the laminating roller unit and the electrodes having different thicknesses in the electrode laminate can be significantly reduced. Therefore, damage to the separator can be minimized and the defect rate of the unit cell can be reduced.

[0048] According to the present invention, since the pressure of the laminating roller unit is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the image captured by the vision unit, the possibility of separator damage can be significantly reduced by alleviating the impact applied to the separator even when the thickness of the separator in the unit battery is reduced.

[0049] According to the present invention, in a unit cell of the same thickness, the thickness of the electrode can be increased by as much as the amount by which the separator is thinned. In addition, in a battery pack having the unit cells stacked, the capacity of the battery can be significantly increased.

[0050] According to the present invention, the alarm unit may generate a warning signal upon determining that the calculated brightness value continues to be outside the allowable brightness range for more than a certain number of times (a certain period of time) even after automatically correcting the pressure of the laminating roller unit.

[0051] In addition to the above-mentioned effects, specific effects of the present invention will be described together with the description of the details of implementing the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Figure 1 is a view schematically illustrating a laminating apparatus according to the present invention.

[0053] Figure 2 is a view schematically illustrating a vision unit and a control unit in a laminating apparatus according to the present invention.

[0054] Figure 3 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which an electrode laminate is pressed by a lamination roller unit in the lamination apparatus according to the present invention.

[0055] Figure 4 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which the thickness of a separator sheet of a unit cell cut from an electrode laminate according to the present invention is formed smaller than that of a conventional separator.

[0056] Figure 5 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which a vision unit according to the present invention captures an image of a unit battery.

[0057] Figure 6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an automatic control unit constituting a control unit according to the present invention.

[0058] Figure 7 is a view schematically illustrating an image of a unit cell captured by a vision unit according to the present invention.

[0059] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing Figure 7 A cross-sectional view showing a state in which a damaged portion is generated in a second separator of a unit battery.

[0060] Fig. 9 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which a compression mark is formed at an edge portion of a separator in a captured image of a unit battery according to the present invention.

[0061] Fig.10 FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a unit battery according to the present invention.

[0062] 10: unit cell, 11: first electrode

[0063] 12: second electrode, 13: separator

[0064] 13a: first separator, 13b: second separator

[0065] E: Edge part, 100: Lamination device

[0066] 102: electrode laminate, 110: first electrode roll

[0067] 111: first electrode sheet, 120: second electrode roll

[0068] 121: second electrode sheet, 130: separator roll

[0069] 130a: first separator roll, 130b: second separator roll

[0070] 131: separator sheet, 131a: first separator sheet

[0071] 131b: second separator sheet, 133: pinch roller

[0072] 141: first cutter unit, 143: second cutter unit

[0073] 150: Laminating unit, 151: Heater unit

[0074] 153: Laminating roller unit, 153a: Upper laminating roller

[0075] 153b: lower laminating roller, 155: pressure regulating unit

[0076] 160: Final Cutter Unit, 170: Vision Unit

[0077] 180: Control unit, 181: Vision control unit

[0078] 183: Automatic control unit, 184: Input control unit

[0079] 185: Data storage unit, 186: Computing and processing unit

[0080] 187: Program storage unit, 188: Output control unit

[0081] 190: Alarm unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0083] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be variously modified and can be implemented in various different forms. The present embodiment is provided only to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to help those skilled in the art fully understand the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and it should be understood that the configuration of any embodiment and the configuration of another embodiment are mutually replaced or added, and all modifications, equivalents and alternatives fall within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0084] The accompanying drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical spirit disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood that all modifications, equivalents and alternatives fall within the gist and technical scope of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings, the size or thickness of the components may be exaggerated in consideration of ease of understanding, etc., but the protection scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited thereto.

[0085] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific implementations or embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In this specification, terms such as "including", "consisting of" are intended to indicate the existence of features, numbers, operations, actions, components, parts or combinations thereof disclosed in the specification. It should be understood that terms such as "including", "consisting of" are not intended to exclude the possibility that one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts or combinations thereof may exist or be added.

[0086] Although terms including ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0087] When it is mentioned that a component is "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component is directly connected to the other component, or another component can be interposed between the two components. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is "directly connected" or "directly linked" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components between the two components.

[0088] When it is mentioned that a component is located at the “upper portion” or “lower portion” of another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly disposed on the other component, and yet another component may be interposed between the two components.

[0089] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0090] Hereinafter, a laminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0091] Figure 1 is a view schematically illustrating a laminating device according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a view schematically illustrating a vision unit and a control unit in a laminating device according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which an electrode laminate is pressed by a lamination roller unit in a lamination apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which the thickness of a separator sheet of a unit cell cut from an electrode laminate according to the present invention is formed to be smaller than that of a conventional separator, Figure 5 is a view schematically illustrating a state in which a vision unit according to the present invention captures an image IM of a unit battery, and Figure 6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an automatic control unit (programmable logic controller (PLC)) constituting a control unit according to the present invention. Figure 7 is a view schematically illustrating an image IM of a unit cell captured by a vision unit according to the present invention, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing Figure 7 A cross-sectional view showing a state in which a damaged portion is generated in a second separator in a unit cell of Fig. 9 IM is a view schematically illustrating a state in which a compression mark is formed at an edge portion of a separator in a captured image IM of a unit cell according to the present invention.

[0092] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In the laminating device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the vision unit 170 captures the image IM of the unit cell 10, and the control unit 180 calculates the brightness value of the captured image IM to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153. When the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 is corrected, the impact between the laminating roller unit 153 and the electrodes 11 and 12 attached to the electrode laminate 102 can be alleviated, thereby preventing the separator sheet 131 or the electrodes 11 and 12 from being damaged by the impact of the laminating roller unit 153. In addition, since the control unit 180 corrects the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 in real time, and the vision unit 170 checks whether the unit cell 10 is defective in real time, the defect rate of the unit cell 10 in the laminating device 100 can be significantly reduced.

[0093] The unit cell 10 may be any of a single cell, a bicell, and a full cell.

[0094] A single cell refers to a battery having a structure in which a separator 13 is provided on one outermost surface thereof and an electrode is provided on the other outermost surface thereof. For example, a single cell may be formed by laminating a first separator 13a, a first electrode 11, a second separator 13b, and a second electrode 12. In addition, a single cell may also be formed by three or more electrodes and three or more separators 13 interposed between the respective electrodes.

[0095] A bicell refers to a battery having a structure in which electrodes having the same polarity are provided on both outermost surfaces. A bicell may be formed by laminating a first electrode 11, a first separator 13a, a second electrode 12, a second separator 13b, and a first electrode 11. In addition, a single cell may also be formed by five or more odd-numbered electrodes and three or more separators 13 laminated between the electrodes.

[0096] A full cell refers to a cell having a structure in which electrodes with opposite polarities are provided on both outermost surfaces. A full cell may be formed by laminating a first electrode 11, a first separator 13a, and a second electrode 12. In addition, a single cell may also be formed by four or more even-numbered electrodes and three or more separators 13 laminated between the electrodes.

[0097] The laminating apparatus 100 of the present invention may manufacture one of a single cell, a bicell, and a full cell, and may change the installation numbers of the electrode roll 110 , the electrode roll 120 , and the separator roll 130 according to the type of the unit cell 10 . Figure 1 and Figure 2 Each illustrates one example of a lamination apparatus 100 configured to manufacture a single cell.

[0098] The laminating apparatus 100 includes a first electrode roll 110 having a first electrode sheet 111 wound thereon. The first electrode sheet 111 is unwound from the first electrode roll 110 and supplied toward a pinch roller 133. One surface or both surfaces of the first electrode sheet 111 are coated with an active material.

[0099] The laminating apparatus 100 includes a second electrode roll 120 having a second electrode sheet 121 wound thereon. The second electrode sheet 121 is unwound from the second electrode roll 120 and supplied toward the laminating unit 150. One surface or both surfaces of the second electrode sheet 121 are coated with an active material.

[0100] The first electrode sheet 111 may be a negative electrode sheet coated with a negative electrode active material, and the second electrode sheet 121 may be a positive electrode sheet coated with a positive electrode active material. In addition, the first electrode sheet 111 may be a positive electrode sheet coated with a positive electrode active material, and the second electrode sheet 121 may be a negative electrode sheet coated with a negative electrode active material.

[0101] The laminating apparatus 100 includes a plurality of separator rolls 130 each having a separator sheet 131 wound thereon. The plurality of separator rolls 130 may include a first separator roll 130a having a first separator sheet 131a wound thereon and a second separator roll 130b having a second separator sheet 131b wound thereon.

[0102] The pinch roller 133 is installed between the first separator roll 130a and the second separator roll 130b so that the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131b overlap. The first cutter unit 141 is installed between the first electrode roll 110 and the pinch roller 133. The first cutter unit 141 cuts the first electrode sheet 111 unwound from the first electrode roll 110 to form the first electrode 11. The first electrode 11 is laminated between the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131b at regular intervals. The pinch roller 133 presses the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131b toward the first electrode 11 so that the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131b are laminated. At least two pinch rollers 133 can be installed to press the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131b, so as to be laminated. In addition, the pinch roller 133 is a member configured to change the conveying direction of the separator sheet 131 , and the number of the pinch rollers 133 may be changed according to the number of installed separator rolls 130 .

[0103] The separator sheet 131 is laminated on both surfaces of each of the first electrodes 11 arranged in a row. For example, the first separator sheet 131a is laminated on one surface of each of the first electrodes 11 arranged in a row, and the second separator sheet 131b is laminated on the other surface of each of the first electrodes 11 arranged in a row.

[0104] A second cutter unit 143 is provided at the inlet side of the laminating unit 150, to which the second electrode 12 is introduced. The second cutter unit 143 cuts the second electrode sheet 121 unwound from the second electrode roll 120, and places the cut second electrode sheet 121 on the upper surface of the second separator sheet 131b. Therefore, the electrode laminate 102 has a structure in which a plurality of first electrodes 11 are arranged between the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131b, and a plurality of second electrodes 12 are arranged on the upper surface of the second separator sheet 131b.

[0105] like Figure 1 As shown in , on the electrode laminate 102, one first electrode sheet 111, one second electrode sheet 121, and two separator sheets 131 may be laminated. In addition, on the electrode laminate 102, two or more first electrode sheets 111, two or more second electrode sheets 121, and four or more separator sheets 131 may be laminated. The lamination numbers of the electrode sheets 111 and the electrode sheets 121 and the separator sheets 131 may be variously changed.

[0106] In the present invention, the positive electrode active material coated on the first electrode sheet 111 and the negative electrode active material coated on the second electrode sheet 121 may be used without limitation as long as the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material are active materials known in the art.

[0107] The positive electrode active material may include: a lithium intercalation material as a main component, such as a layered compound such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) and lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2), or a compound substituted by one or more transition metals; a lithium manganese oxide (LiMnO2), such as a lithium 1+x Mn 2x O4 (where x is 0 to 0.33), LiMnO3, LiMn2O3 and LiMnO2; lithium copper oxide (Li2CuO2); vanadium oxides such as LiV3O8, LiFe3O4, V2O5 and Cu2V2O7; 1-x M x A nickel-type lithium nickel oxide represented by the chemical formula LiMn 2-x M x Lithium manganese composite oxide represented by Li2Mn3MO8 (wherein M=Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn or Ta, and x=0.01 to 0.1) or Li2Mn3MO8 (wherein M=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn); LiMn2O4, wherein Li in the chemical formula is partially replaced by alkaline earth metal ions; disulfide; and Fe2(MoO4)3, or a composite oxide formed by a combination thereof. Although the above types are used as positive electrode active materials, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0108] For example, the positive current collector has a thickness of 3 μm to 500 μm. The positive current collector is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity without causing chemical changes in the battery. Examples of positive current collectors may include stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, calcined carbon, or aluminum or stainless steel whose surfaces have been treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, etc. The positive current collector may have fine irregularities formed in its surface to improve the adhesion of the positive active material. The positive current collector may be used in various forms such as films, sheets, foils, nets, porous bodies, foams, non-woven fabrics, etc.

[0109] The conductive material may be additionally mixed with the positive electrode active material particles. The conductive material is added in an amount of 1wt% to 50wt% based on the total weight of the mixture including the positive electrode active material. The conductive material is not particularly limited as long as it has high conductivity without causing chemical changes in the battery. Examples of conductive materials may include: graphite, such as natural graphite and artificial graphite; carbon black, such as carbon black, acetylene black, Ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and thermal black; conductive fibers, such as carbon fibers and metal fibers; metal powders, such as carbon fluoride, aluminum, and nickel powder; conductive whiskers, such as zinc oxide and potassium titanate; conductive oxides, such as titanium oxide; and conductive materials, such as polyphenylene derivatives.

[0110] In addition, the negative electrode sheet may be manufactured by applying and drying negative electrode active material particles on a negative electrode current collector, and the negative electrode sheet may further include components such as the above-mentioned conductive material, binder, solvent, etc. as needed.

[0111] For example, the negative electrode current collector has a thickness of 3 μm to 500 μm. The negative electrode current collector is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity without causing chemical changes in the secondary battery. Examples of negative electrode current collectors may include copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, calcined carbon, aluminum or stainless steel whose surfaces have been treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, etc., aluminum-cadmium alloys, etc. In addition, as with the positive electrode current collector, fine irregularities may be formed in the surface to enhance the binding force of the negative electrode active material, and may be used in various forms such as films, sheets, foils, nets, porous bodies, foams, non-woven fabrics, etc.

[0112] Examples of negative electrode active materials may include: carbon, such as non-graphitizable carbon or graphite-based carbon; metal composite oxides, such as Li x Fe2O3(0≤x≤1), Li x WO2(0≤x≤1), Sn x Me 1-x Me'yO z (Me: Mn, Fe, Pb, Ge; Me': Al, B, P, Si, elements of Groups I, II and III in the periodic table, halogens; 0≤x≤1; 1≤y≤3; 1≤z≤8); lithium metal; lithium alloy; silicon-based alloy; tin-based alloy; oxides, such as SnO, SnO2, PbO, PbO2, Pb2O3, Pb3O4, Sb2O3, Sb2O4, Sb2O5, GeO, GeO2, Bi2O3, Bi2O4 or Bi2O5; conductive polymers, such as polyacetylene; Li-Co-Ni based materials, etc.

[0113] The binder polymer that can be used in the electrode sheet 11 and the electrode sheet 12 is a component that helps to bind the electrode active material particles and the conductive material and to bind the electrode active material particles to the electrode current collector, and is added in an amount of, for example, 1 wt% to 50 wt% based on the total weight of the mixture including the electrode active material. Examples of the binder polymer may include any one of the binder polymers selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF), polyvinylidene fluoride-co-trichloroethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polybutyl acrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate, polyethylene oxide, polyarylate, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cyanoethyl pullulan, cyanoethyl polyvinyl alcohol, cyanoethyl cellulose, cyanoethyl sucrose, pullulan and carboxymethyl cellulose, or a mixture of two or more thereof, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0114] Non-limiting examples of solvents used in the manufacture of electrodes include acetone, tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, chloroform, dimethylformamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), cyclohexane, water or mixtures thereof. Such solvents provide an appropriate level of viscosity so that a slurry coating can be formed at a desired level on the surface of an electrode current collector.

[0115] The separator 13 includes a porous polymer substrate and a porous coating layer positioned on both surfaces of the porous polymer substrate and including inorganic particles and a binder polymer.

[0116] The porous polymer substrate may be a polyolefin based porous substrate.

[0117] The polyolefin porous substrate may be in the form of a film or a nonwoven web. Due to the porous structure as described above, the electrolyte can move smoothly between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The porous structure can improve the electrolyte impregnation characteristics of the substrate itself, thereby ensuring excellent ion conductivity, and the porous structure can prevent the resistance inside the electrochemical device from increasing, thereby preventing the performance degradation of the electrochemical device.

[0118] The polyolefin porous substrate used in the present invention may be any planar porous substrate commonly used in electrochemical devices, and its material or shape may be variously selected as required.

[0119] The polyolefin porous substrate may be, but is not limited to, a film or nonwoven web formed of high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polypropylene, or a mixture of two or more thereof. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0120] When the separator 13 according to one embodiment of the present invention is used, since the porous coating is provided on both sides of the porous polymer substrate, the solid electrolyte interface layer can be uniformly formed due to the improvement of the impregnation performance relative to the electrolyte, and excellent air permeability can be ensured compared with the conventional single-sided inorganic coated separator 13. For example, the air permeability can be within 120sec / 100cc. In addition, even when the inorganic porous coating is provided on both sides of the porous polymer substrate, a thickness comparable to that of the conventional single-sided inorganic coated separator can be achieved.

[0121] In addition, when the separator 13 according to one embodiment of the present invention is used, the stability of the separator 13 can be improved, so that the heat resistance and pressure resistance can be ensured. Specifically, the heat resistance with a heat shrinkage characteristic of 5% or less at 180°C can be ensured, and the puncture strength of 550gf or more can be ensured, and when the core deformation occurs during the cycle of the secondary battery using the separator 13, the damage or penetration of the separator 13 in the step portion can be prevented.

[0122] The laminating unit 150 includes a heater unit 151 , a laminating roller unit 153 , and a pressure adjusting unit 155 .

[0123] The heater unit 151 heats the separator sheet 131, the electrode 11, and the electrode 12. The heater unit 151 is provided on both sides of the separator sheet 131 to heat the separator sheet 131, the electrode 11, and the electrode 12 from both sides. The heater unit 151 is installed on both sides of the first electrode sheet 111 to be spaced apart from the separator sheet 131. In order to uniformly heat the entire electrode 11, the electrode 12, and the separator sheet 131, the heater unit 151 may be formed to be longer than the width of the separator sheet 131.

[0124] The laminating roller unit 153 presses the separator sheet 131, the electrode 11, and the electrode 12. The laminating roller unit 153 includes an upper laminating roller 153a and a lower laminating roller 153b, which are respectively provided at both sides of the separator sheet 131 to press the separator sheet 131, the electrode 11, and the electrode 12 from both sides.

[0125] The pressure adjusting unit 155 is connected to the laminating roller unit 153 to adjust the pressure applied to the electrode laminate 102 by the laminating roller unit 153. In order to uniformly press the entire first electrode sheet 111 and the separator sheet 131, the laminating roller unit 153 may be formed longer than the width of the separator sheet 131.

[0126] The lower laminating roller 153b is fixed to the lower side of the separator sheet 131, and the upper laminating roller 153a is installed to be liftable on the upper side of the separator sheet 131. The pressure adjustment unit 155 is connected to the upper laminating roller 153a to lift and lower the upper laminating roller 153a. At this time, the pressure adjustment unit 155 can correct the pressure by lifting and lowering the upper laminating roller 153a of the laminating roller unit 153. When the pressure adjustment unit 155 corrects the pressure, the lower laminating roller 153b remains fixed.

[0127] Of course, the pressure adjusting unit 155 may also be connected to each of the upper laminating roller 153a and the lower laminating roller 153b and lift and lower each of the upper laminating roller 153a and the lower laminating roller 153b.

[0128] The pressure regulating unit 155 includes a cylinder (not shown) and a regulator (not shown).

[0129] The air cylinder is connected to the laminating roller unit 153. When the fluid is supplied to the air cylinder, the air cylinder increases the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153, and as the fluid is discharged from the air cylinder, the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 decreases.

[0130] The regulator receives a control signal from the control unit 180 to adjust the pressure of the cylinder. The regulator adjusts the pressure of the cylinder by adjusting the amount of fluid supplied to or discharged from the cylinder. When the regulator adjusts the pressure of the cylinder, the pressure applied to the electrode laminate 102 by the laminating roller unit 153 can be corrected.

[0131] An initial pressure value for the pressure adjustment unit 155 is preset in the control unit 180. The initial pressure value may be changed variously in consideration of the thickness and width of the electrode laminate 102, the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode laminate 102, the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode laminate 102, the conveying speed of the electrode laminate 102, the physical properties of the separator sheet 131, and the like.

[0132] For example, as the thickness and width of the electrode laminate 102 increase, the initial pressure value may increase. In addition, as the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode laminate 102 increases, the step difference between the second electrode 12 and the second separator sheet 131b increases, so that the initial pressure value of the pressure adjustment unit 155 may be relatively reduced, thereby alleviating the impact between the laminating roller unit 153 and the edge portion E of the second electrode 12. In addition, as the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode laminate 102 decreases, the possibility of damage to the separator sheet 131 increases even under relatively small impacts, and therefore, the initial pressure value of the pressure adjustment unit 155 may be relatively reduced so as to minimize damage to the separator sheet 131. In addition, even when the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 is the same, as the conveying speed of the electrode laminate 102 increases, the possibility of damage to the separator sheet 131 increases, and therefore, the initial pressure value of the pressure adjustment unit 155 may be relatively reduced so as to minimize damage to the separator sheet 131.

[0133] In addition, an allowable brightness range for the calculated brightness value is preset in the control unit 180. When it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, the control unit 180 controls the pressure adjustment unit 155 to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153. The above-mentioned brightness value is a quantification of how dark or bright the contrast of the image of the separator sheet captured by the vision unit 170 is, which will be described below. The contrast of the captured image IM is brighter as the brightness value is higher, and the contrast of the captured image IM is darker as the brightness value is lower.

[0134] Here, the allowable brightness range of the calculated brightness value may be changed differently taking into account the thickness and width of the electrode laminate 102, the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode laminate 102, the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode laminate 102, the conveying speed of the electrode laminate 102, the physical properties of the separator sheet 131, etc.

[0135] When the electrode laminate 102 is initially supplied to the laminating unit 150, the pressure adjusting unit 155 presses the electrode laminate 102 at an initial pressure value preset in the control unit 180. In addition, when the visual unit 170 reads the image IM of the unit cell 10 and the brightness value of the unit cell 10 is outside the allowable brightness range preset in the control unit 180, the pressure value of the pressure adjusting unit 155 is corrected in real time.

[0136] The final cutter unit 160 is provided on the downstream side of the laminating roller unit 153. The final cutter unit 160 cuts the separator sheet 131 and the electrodes to form the unit cells 10. In this case, the final cutter unit 160 cuts a portion of the separator sheet 131 between two adjacent electrodes.

[0137] The vision unit 170 is disposed at the downstream side of the final cutter unit 160 and captures an image IM of the unit cell 10. The vision unit 170 irradiates light to the unit cell 10 cut by the final cutter unit 160 and measures light reflected from the unit cell 10 to capture the image IM of the unit cell 10.

[0138] The control unit 180 calculates the brightness value of the captured image IM received from the vision unit 170. For example, the control unit 180 calculates the portion P (see FIG. 14 ) corresponding to the partition according to the calculated image IM. Figure 3 and Figure 5 ), the portion P of the spacer contacts the edge portion E of each of the electrode 111 and the electrode 12. In addition, the control unit 180 controls the pressure adjustment unit 155 to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 according to the calculated brightness value.

[0139] The correction of the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 as described above will be described in detail below.

[0140] When the electrode laminate 102 is supplied to the laminating unit 150, the laminating roller unit 153 presses the electrode laminate 102 while rotating. At this time, when the laminating roller unit 153 is positioned on the upper surface of the second electrode 12, the electrode laminate 102 is pressed relatively strongly (see Figure 3 A) When the laminating roller unit 153 is positioned between two adjacent second electrodes 12, the electrode laminate 102 is relatively weakly pressed (see Figure 3 B).

[0141] However, since each of the second electrodes 12 is laminated in a step shape together with the second separator sheet 131b, whenever the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 contacts the upper lamination roller 153a, an impact is applied to the edge portion E of the second electrode 12. In addition, as the electrode laminate 102 is supplied to the lamination roller unit 153 at a high speed to improve the productivity of the secondary battery, the impact applied to the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 may increase. Here, since the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131b are formed of a porous material through which ions can pass, the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 is impacted and pressed downward, and therefore, the second separator sheet 131 and the first separator sheet 131a are pressed in the thickness direction. In the first separator sheet 131a and the second separator sheet 131, a pressure mark or a damaged portion may be generated on the portion P corresponding to the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 or on the portion close to the portion P.

[0142] In addition, as the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode laminate 102 increases, the step difference between the second electrode 12 and the second separator sheet 131b increases, and thus the amount of impact between the lamination roller unit 153 and the second electrode 12 increases. In addition, as the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode laminate 102 decreases, even when the same impact force is applied to the separator sheet 131, the possibility of damage to the separator sheet 131 may further increase.

[0143] When the electrode laminate 102 is cut by the final cutter unit 160, the unit cell 10 is produced. The vision unit 170 captures the image IM of the unit cell 10 from the lower side thereof.

[0144] At this time, when the separator 13 of the unit battery 10 has no trace of pressure or a damaged portion, the captured image IM of the separator 13 is displayed entirely in white or a color close to white (low brightness). On the contrary, when the separator 13 has a trace of pressure or a damaged portion, in the captured image IM of the separator 13, the portion P corresponding to the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 or the portion close to the portion P is displayed in a dark color (high brightness). As the force with which the second electrode 13 presses the separator 13 becomes stronger, the portion corresponding to the edge portion E of the second electrode 13 is displayed in a darker color. Fig. 9 An example in which a portion P1 having low brightness is partially generated in the captured image IM of the partition 13 is illustrated in FIG. Fig. 9 An example in which a portion P2 having high brightness is partially generated in the captured image IM of the partition 13 is illustrated in B.

[0145] Meanwhile, as the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the unit cell 10 increases, the portion P of the separator corresponding to the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 is displayed in a darker color. In addition, as the thickness of the separator 13 decreases, the portion P of the separator corresponding to the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 is displayed in a darker color. In addition, as the degree of damage of the damaged portion becomes severe, the contrast becomes darker.

[0146] Since the higher the brightness value, the lighter the contrast, and the lower the brightness value, the darker the contrast, it can be observed that the lower the brightness value, the more serious the dent or damage of the separator sheet 131. Therefore, the degree of damage of the separator 13 can be measured by using the brightness value of the image IM captured by the vision unit 170. Figure 7 An example of a captured image IM in which a slightly damaged portion P is produced is illustrated, and Figure 8 The partition in which a slightly damaged portion P is generated is illustrated.

[0147] The pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 may be corrected based on the pressure when the laminating roller unit 153 is positioned on the upper surface of the second electrode 12. The pressure when the laminating roller unit 153 is positioned on the upper surface of the second electrode 12 has the smallest pressure deviation compared to the pressure when the laminating roller unit 153 is positioned between the two second electrodes 12. Therefore, the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 may be accurately corrected by correcting the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 based on the maximum pressure among the pressures applied to the electrode laminate 102.

[0148] Reference Figure 6 The control unit 180 includes a visual control unit 181 and an automatic control unit 183 (a programmable logic control unit (PLC)).

[0149] The vision control unit 181 receives the image IM captured by the vision unit 170. The vision control unit 181 controls the vision unit 170 to emit light from the vision unit 170, and receives the captured image IM captured by the vision unit 170. The vision control unit 181 is denoted as a vision computer.

[0150] The automatic control unit 183 calculates a calculated brightness value by calculating the captured image IM received by the vision control unit 181 , and controls the pressure adjustment unit 155 to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 when determining that the calculated brightness value is outside a preset allowable brightness range.

[0151] The automatic control unit 183 (PLC) includes an input control unit 184, a data storage unit 185, a processing unit 186, a program storage unit 187, and an output control unit 188. The input control unit 184 receives the captured image IM via the input part, and the input control unit 184 sends the captured image IM to the processing unit 186. The processing unit 186 calculates the calculated brightness value by calculating the captured image IM, and when the program determines that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, calculates the pressure correction value. Subsequently, the output control unit 188 outputs the pressure correction value to the pressure adjustment unit 155, and the pressure adjustment unit 155 corrects the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 according to the pressure correction value.

[0152] Reference Figure 4In order to increase the charging capacity of the secondary battery of the same size, in recent years, the thickness t3 and the thickness t4 of the separator 13 of the unit cell 10 are formed to be smaller, while the thicknesses of the electrode 11 and the electrode 12 are formed to be larger. For example, in the conventional unit cell 10, the separator 13 having the thickness t1 and the thickness t2 of about 19um to 20um is used, but recently, the separator 13 having the thickness t3 and the thickness t4 of about 14um to 16um is used. Therefore, according to the present invention, in the unit cell 10, when the thickness t3 and the thickness t4 of the separator 13 of the same size are reduced by about 25%, the thickness of the electrode 11 and the electrode 12 can be increased by about 25%.

[0153] The electrode 11 and the electrode 12 may be thickened by the same amount as the amount by which the thickness t3 and the thickness t4 of the separator 13 are reduced. In the electrode 11 and the electrode 12, the active material is applied to the current collector, and a fine uneven portion is formed on the surface of the current collector to improve the adhesion of the active material. Therefore, the electrode 11 and the electrode 12 may have a small height deviation in the longitudinal direction or the width direction due to the unevenness of the current collector surface and the deviation of the application of the active material layer.

[0154] In addition, when the electrode laminate 102 is pressed by the lamination roller unit 153 of the lamination device 100, the lamination roller unit 153 may be slightly eccentric due to the height deviation of the electrodes 11 and 12. When the following electrodes 11 and 12 approach the lamination roller unit 153 in a state where the lamination roller unit 153 is eccentric due to the preceding electrodes 11 and 12, the lamination roller unit 153 applies an impact to the edge portion E of each of the electrodes 11 and 12, and a portion P of the separator sheet that contacts the edge portion E of each of the electrodes 11 and 12 is damaged. At this time, when the lamination roller unit 153 continues to press the electrode laminate 102 with the same pressure, the defect rate of the unit cell 10 may increase because damaged portions are often generated in the separator sheet 131.

[0155] However, in the present invention, the captured image IM of the unit cell 10 is captured in real time, and it is determined whether the brightness value of the captured image IM is within the allowable brightness range to determine whether the unit cell 10 is defective. In addition, when a specific unit cell 10 is determined to be defective, the control unit 180 controls the pressure adjustment unit 155 to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 in real time, thereby significantly reducing the defect rate of the unit cell 10.

[0156] The laminating device 100 further includes an alarm unit 190 configured to generate a warning signal when it is determined that the calculated brightness value continues to be outside the allowable brightness range for more than a certain number of times (a certain period of time) after correcting the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153. In this case, the alarm unit 190 may generate a warning sound when the calculated brightness value continues to be outside the allowable brightness range for a certain period of time after correcting the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153. When the alarm unit 190 emits the warning sound, the manufacturing process of the laminating device 100 may be stopped manually or automatically.

[0157] As described above, in the present invention, since the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the image IM captured by the vision unit 180, it is possible to prevent the separator sheet 131 from being damaged or excessively pressed when laminating the electrode laminate 102. Therefore, the defect rate of the unit battery 10 can be significantly reduced.

[0158] In addition, the thickness of the electrodes 11 and 12 laminated on the electrode laminate 102 may vary due to processing errors of the current collector, coating errors of the active material, lamination errors of the electrodes 11, 12, and the separator sheet 131, etc. However, in the present invention, since the pressure of the lamination roller unit 153 is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the captured image IM of the unit cell 10, the impact between the electrodes 11 and 12 having different thicknesses and the lamination roller unit 153 can be alleviated in the electrode laminate 10. Therefore, damage to the separator sheet 131 can be minimized.

[0159] In addition, since the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 is corrected in real time according to the brightness value of the image IM captured by the vision unit 180, even when the thickness t3 and the thickness t4 of the separator 13 in the unit cell 10 are reduced, the possibility of damage to the separator 13 can be significantly reduced by alleviating the impact applied to the separator 13. Therefore, in the unit cell 10 of the same thickness, the thickness of the electrode 11 and the electrode 12 can be increased by the amount of thinning of the separator 13. In addition, in the battery pack in which the unit cells 10 are stacked, the capacity of the battery can be significantly increased.

[0160] A unit cell manufacturing method using the lamination device of the present invention configured as described above will be described.

[0161] Fig.10 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a method of manufacturing a unit battery according to the present invention.

[0162] Reference Fig.10, the electrode laminate 102 is supplied to the laminating unit 150. At this time, the heater unit 151 heats the electrode laminate 102, and the laminating roller unit 153 presses the electrode laminate 102 to laminate the separator sheet 131 and the electrodes 11 and 12 (S11). An initial pressure value for the pressure adjusting unit 155 is preset in the control unit 180.

[0163] The final cutter unit 160 cuts the electrode laminate 102 to form the unit cell 10 (S12). At this time, the final cutter unit 160 cuts a portion of the separator sheet 131 between two adjacent electrodes 11 and 12. The unit cell 10 is moved to the upper side of the vision unit 170.

[0164] The vision unit 170 captures the image IM of the unit cell 10 (S13). At this time, the vision unit 170 irradiates light to the lower portion of the unit cell 10 cut by the final cutter unit 160, and measures the light reflected from the unit cell 10 to capture the image IM of the unit cell 10. The vision unit 170 transmits the captured image IM to the control unit 180.

[0165] The control unit 180 calculates a brightness value by calculating the captured image IM received from the vision unit 170 (S14). At this time, the control unit 180 calculates a calculated brightness value corresponding to a portion P of the separator in contact with an edge portion E of each of the electrodes 11 and 12 of the unit cell 10, based on the calculated image IM.

[0166] In this case, when the separator sheet 131 of the unit cell 10 is pressed by the laminating roller unit 153 within the allowable range, the captured image IM of the separator sheet 131 is displayed entirely in white or a color close to white (low brightness). On the other hand, when the separator sheet 131 of the unit cell 10 is excessively pressed or damaged by the laminating roller unit 153 beyond the allowable range, in the captured image IM of the separator sheet 131, a portion corresponding to the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 or a portion close to the portion is displayed in a dark color (high brightness). As the force with which the electrode presses the separator sheet 131 is stronger, the portion corresponding to the edge portion E of the electrode is displayed in a darker color.

[0167] In addition, as the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode laminate 102 increases, the step difference between the second electrode 12 and the second separator sheet 131b increases, and therefore, the amount of impact between the second electrode 12 and the separator sheet 131 increases. In addition, as the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode laminate 102 decreases, the possibility of damaging the separator sheet 131 by the impact force of the second electrode 12 may further increase. Even when the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 is the same, as the conveying speed of the electrode laminate 102 increases, the possibility of damaging the separator sheet 131 may increase.

[0168] The control unit 180 determines whether the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range (S15). When it is determined that the calculated brightness value is within the allowable brightness range, the control unit 180 maintains the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 unchanged.

[0169] When it is determined that the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range, the control unit 180 controls the pressure adjustment unit 155 to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 (S16). Here, the allowable brightness range of the calculated brightness value may be changed differently in consideration of the thickness and width of the electrode laminate 102, the thickness of the second electrode 12 in the electrode laminate 102, the thickness of the separator sheet 131 in the electrode laminate 102, the conveying speed of the electrode laminate 102, the physical properties of the separator sheet 131, and the like.

[0170] The correction of the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 may be performed based on the pressure when the laminating roller unit 153 is positioned on the upper surface of the second electrode 12. Therefore, the amount of the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 may be accurately corrected by correcting the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 based on the maximum pressure among the pressures applied to the electrode laminate 102.

[0171] As described above, when the edge portion E of the first electrode 11 contacts the laminating roller unit 153, an impact is applied to the edge portion E of the second electrode 12, and the portion P of the separator sheet contacting the edge portion E of the second electrode 12 may be pressed or damaged by the impact. In addition, when the electrode laminate 102 is cut by the final cutter unit 160, damage may remain on the edge portion E of the separator 13 of the unit cell 10, and when the visual unit 170 captures the image IM of the unit cell 10, the brightness value of the pressed or damaged portion of the separator 13 may be displayed darker. Therefore, it can be judged whether the unit cell 10 is defective based on the brightness value.

[0172] The control unit 180 recalculates the brightness value by calculating the captured image IM captured by the vision unit 170 in real time (S17).

[0173] It is judged again whether the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range (S18). At this time, after the pressure of the laminating roller unit 153 is corrected, it is judged again whether the calculated brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range for a certain period of time.

[0174] The alarm unit 190 generates an alarm and stops driving the laminating apparatus 100 (S19 and S20). At this time, when the alarm unit 190 emits a warning sound, the manufacturing process of the laminating apparatus 100 may be stopped manually or automatically.

[0175] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary drawings, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and drawings disclosed in this specification, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In addition, although the operational effects of the configuration according to the present invention are not explicitly described when describing the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that predictable effects can also be identified by the configuration.

Claims

1. A laminating device, comprising: a laminating roller unit configured to laminate the separator sheet and the electrodes of the electrode laminate by pressing the upper side and the lower side of the electrode laminate; a pressure adjusting unit connected to the laminating roller unit and configured to adjust the pressure of the laminating roller unit; a final cutter unit disposed on a downstream side of the laminating roller unit and configured to cut the separator sheet and the electrode from the electrode laminate to form unit cells; a vision unit disposed on a downstream side of the final cutter unit and configured to capture an image of the unit cell; as well as A control unit configured to calculate a brightness value of the image and configured to control the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit according to the brightness value.

2. The laminating device according to claim 1, wherein: The vision unit is disposed adjacent to a lower side of the unit battery.

3. The laminating device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is configured to calculate a brightness value corresponding to a portion of the image that is in contact with an edge portion of the electrode.

4. The laminating device according to claim 3, wherein: An allowable brightness range for the brightness value is preset in the control unit, and the control unit is configured to control the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit when determining that the brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range.

5. The laminating device according to claim 4, wherein: The vision unit is configured to capture an image of the unit battery in real time, and the control unit is configured to correct a pressure of the laminating roller unit in real time.

6. The laminating device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit is configured to correct the pressure of the lamination roller unit based on a maximum pressure among pressures with which the lamination roller unit presses the electrode laminate.

7. The laminating device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit comprises: a vision control unit configured to receive the image; and An automatic control unit configured to calculate the brightness value by analyzing the image, and configured to control the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit when determining that the brightness value is outside a preset allowable brightness range.

8. The laminating device according to claim 1, wherein: An initial pressure value of the pressure regulating unit is preset in the control unit.

9. The laminating device according to claim 1, wherein: The laminating roller unit includes an upper laminating roller and a lower laminating roller disposed adjacent to a lower side of the separator sheet, and the pressure adjusting unit is connected to the upper laminating roller, the pressure adjusting unit being configured to lift and lower the upper laminating roller. 10 . The laminating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an alarm unit configured to generate a warning sound when it is determined that the brightness value is outside an allowable brightness range after the pressure of the laminating roller unit is corrected.

11. A method for manufacturing a unit cell, the method comprising: laminating a separator sheet and an electrode of the electrode laminate by pressing the electrode laminate using a laminating roller unit; cutting the electrode laminate using a final cutter unit to form the unit cells; capturing an image of the unit cell using a vision unit; as well as A control unit is used to calculate a brightness value by analyzing the image captured by the vision unit, and a pressure adjusting unit is controlled to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit according to the brightness value.

12. The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to claim 11, wherein: The vision unit captures the image of the unit cell from a position adjacent to a lower side of the unit cell.

13. The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to claim 11, wherein: The control unit calculates a brightness value corresponding to a portion of the image that contacts an edge portion of the electrode of the unit cell.

14. The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to claim 13, wherein: An allowable brightness range for the brightness value is preset in the control unit, and the control unit controls the pressure adjustment unit to correct the pressure of the laminating roller unit when determining that the brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range.

15. The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to claim 14, wherein: The vision unit captures an image of the unit battery in real time, and the control unit corrects a pressure of the laminating roller unit in real time.

16. The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to claim 11, wherein: The control unit corrects the pressure of the laminating roller unit based on a maximum pressure among pressures at which the laminating roller unit presses the electrode laminate.

17. The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to claim 11, wherein: An initial pressure value of the pressure regulating unit is preset in the control unit.

18. The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to claim 11, wherein: The pressure adjusting unit corrects the pressure by raising and lowering an upper laminating roller of the laminating roller unit.

19. The method for manufacturing a unit cell according to claim 11, further comprising: When it is determined that the brightness value is outside the allowable brightness range after the pressure of the laminating roller unit is corrected, a warning sound is generated using an alarm unit.

Images