Electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method using the same

Abstract

An electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first diaphragm supply unit for supplying a first diaphragm sheet; a second diaphragm supply unit that supplies a second diaphragm sheet; a first electrode supply unit that supplies a plurality of first electrode sheets so as to be positioned between the first diaphragm sheet and the second diaphragm sheet; a lamination unit forming a first electrode-membrane assembly including a plurality of first electrode sheets positioned between the first membrane sheet and the second membrane sheet; a second electrode supply unit that supplies a plurality of stacked second electrode sheets so as to be positioned on an outer surface of a separator of the first electrode-separator assembly; a stacking unit on which an electrode assembly formed by stacking the first electrode-separator assembly and the second electrode sheet is disposed; and a holding unit that holds a second electrode sheet and moves the second electrode sheet to the stacking unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0112122 filed on September 5, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0116652 filed on September 4, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method using the same, and more particularly, to an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus having improved productivity and a manufacturing method using the same. Background Art

[0004] In modern society, as portable devices such as mobile phones, laptops, video cameras, and digital cameras have been used daily, technological development in the field related to the mobile devices described above has been stimulated. In addition, rechargeable / dischargeable secondary batteries are used as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs), etc., in an attempt to solve the air pollution caused by existing gasoline vehicles using fossil fuels, etc. Therefore, the demand for the development of secondary batteries is growing.

[0005] Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, etc. Among them, lithium secondary batteries have attracted people's attention due to their advantages such as free charge and discharge, extremely low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0006] Secondary batteries may be classified into cylindrical or prismatic batteries in which an electrode assembly is built in a cylindrical or prismatic metal can and pouch-type batteries in which an electrode assembly is built in a pouch-type case made of stacked aluminum plates based on the shape of a battery case.

[0007] In addition, secondary batteries can be classified based on the structure of an electrode assembly having a structure in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked with a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. Typically, it can be mentioned: a roll (winding) type structure in which a long sheet type positive electrode and a long sheet type negative electrode are wound with a separator sandwiched therebetween; a stack (laminate) type structure in which a plurality of positive electrodes cut into a predetermined unit size and a plurality of negative electrodes are sequentially stacked with a separator sandwiched therebetween; and the like. In recent years, in order to solve the problems caused by a roll-type electrode assembly and a stacked type electrode assembly, a stacked / folded type electrode assembly has been developed, which is a combination of a roll-type electrode assembly and a stacked type electrode assembly.

[0008] Meanwhile, in manufacturing a stacked electrode assembly and a stacked / folded electrode assembly, a method conventionally adopted is to prepare a plurality of bi-cells formed by sequentially laminating a negative electrode, a separator, and a positive electrode, laminating them or attaching them to a sheet-like separator, and then folding the sheet-like separator in one direction. However, this conventional structure not only has a complicated manufacturing process because the bi-cell is prepared in advance and then attached to a sheet-like separator and laminated, but also has a problem of generating an unnecessary gap space between the electrode and the separator due to the overlap and arrangement of several layers of the sheet-like separator on the side surface of the final battery cell.

[0009] In addition, conventionally, in addition to this lamination method, an electrode assembly manufacturing method using a zigzag lamination method is also used. The zigzag lamination method is an electrode assembly lamination method in which the positive electrode and the negative electrode are alternately inserted in the process of the diaphragm unrolled from the winding roll moving from one side to the other side and from the other side to one side. However, in the case of the conventional zigzag lamination method, there is a problem that the cut electrodes must be stored separately, and there is a risk that the inserted electrodes may move during the lamination process. In addition, when producing long battery cells, it is difficult to control the tension of the diaphragm and the process speed is slow, which not only reduces the production efficiency but also limits the productivity improvement.

[0010] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and method that can improve the manufacturing efficiency and productivity of the above-mentioned stacked or stacked / folded type electrode assemblies and improve product durability and stability. Summary of the invention

[0011] Technical issues

[0012] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an electrode assembly manufacturing device and a manufacturing method using the electrode assembly manufacturing device. Compared with the traditional electrode assembly manufacturing process, the electrode assembly manufacturing device and the manufacturing method using the electrode assembly manufacturing device can improve manufacturing efficiency, product quality and productivity.

[0013] The objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned objects, and any other objects and advantages not mentioned herein should be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Technical Solution

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electrode assembly manufacturing device is provided, the electrode assembly manufacturing device comprising: a first diaphragm supply unit, the first diaphragm supply unit supplies a first diaphragm sheet; a second diaphragm supply unit, the second diaphragm supply unit supplies a second diaphragm sheet; a first electrode supply unit, the first electrode supply unit supplies a plurality of first electrode sheets so that the plurality of first electrode sheets are located between the first diaphragm sheet and the second diaphragm sheet; a laminating unit, the laminating unit forms a first electrode-diaphragm assembly, the first electrode-diaphragm assembly includes a plurality of first electrode sheets located between the first diaphragm sheet and the second diaphragm sheet; a second electrode supply unit, the second electrode supply unit supplies a plurality of second electrode sheets, the plurality of second electrode sheets are stacked to be located on the outer side surface of the diaphragm of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly; a stacking unit, the electrode assembly formed by stacking the first electrode-diaphragm assembly and the second electrode sheets is placed on the stacking unit; and a holding unit, the holding unit holds the second electrode sheet and moves the second electrode sheet to the stacking unit.

[0016] The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus may further include a moving unit that moves the first electrode-separator assembly to stack the first electrode-separator assembly formed in the laminating unit on the stacking unit.

[0017] The moving unit may further include at least one roller that changes a moving direction of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly.

[0018] The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus may further include a conveying unit which moves the plurality of second electrode sheets supplied from the second electrode supplying unit.

[0019] The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus may further include a buffer table on which the second electrode sheet located in the conveying unit is temporarily placed before being moved to the stacking unit.

[0020] The buffer stage may include a first buffer stage and a second buffer stage, and the stacking unit may be located between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage.

[0021] The stacking unit may be movable between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage.

[0022] The stacking unit may be movable on a straight line forming a shortest distance between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage when viewed in a plan view.

[0023] The holding unit may hold the second electrode sheet seated on the buffer table while moving between the buffer table and the stacking unit, and may move the second electrode sheet to the stacking unit.

[0024] The stacking unit having received the transfer of the held second electrode sheet may be moved so that the first electrode-separator assembly is laminated thereon.

[0025] The stacking unit can be moved to be adjacent to a buffer table farther away from the stacking unit among the buffer tables including the first buffer table and the second buffer table so as to stack the first electrode-diaphragm assembly, and the stacking unit can position the first electrode-diaphragm assembly on the uppermost second electrode sheet of the stacking unit by moving to be adjacent to the buffer table.

[0026] The first electrode may be a cathode, and the second electrode may be a cathode.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrode assembly manufacturing method, the manufacturing method comprising the following steps: forming a first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet, the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet comprising two sheet-like diaphragms and a plurality of first electrode sheets continuously located between the inner surfaces of the sheet-like diaphragms facing each other; arranging a 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly as a part of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet in a stacking unit; stacking a 2-1 electrode sheet on the outer surface of the diaphragm of the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly arranged in the stacking unit; rotating and moving the stacking unit to stack the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly on the stacked 2-1 electrode sheet; and stacking the 2-2 electrode sheet on one surface of the 1-2 electrode diaphragm assembly, the one surface being located on the opposite side of the surface of the 1-2 electrode diaphragm assembly facing the 2-1 electrode sheet.

[0028] The step of stacking a 2-1 electrode sheet on the outer surface of the diaphragm of the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly arranged in the stacking unit may include: before moving the second electrode sheet to the stacking unit, temporarily placing the second electrode sheet supplied from the second electrode supply unit on a buffer table; and stacking the second electrode sheet temporarily placed on the buffer table on the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly by a holding unit.

[0029] The buffer stage may include a first buffer stage and a second buffer stage, and the stacking unit may be disposed between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage.

[0030] The step of rotationally moving the stacking unit to stack the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly on the stacked 2-1 electrode sheet may be the following steps: the stacking unit moves between the first buffer table and the second buffer table, and the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly is stacked on the uppermost 2-1 electrode sheet of the stacking unit.

[0031] The 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly and the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly may be connected to each other in a zigzag shape during a process of being set in the stacking unit, and the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly and the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly may be in a state where the plurality of first electrode sheets are stacked between the sheet-like diaphragms.

[0032] Beneficial effects

[0033] According to an embodiment, the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure and the manufacturing method using the same preform the negative electrode-separator assembly and alternately stack the negative electrode-separator assembly and the positive electrode sheets, thereby being able to further improve productivity.

[0034] Furthermore, by forming the first electrode-separator assembly through a series of steps and then laminating it with the positive electrode sheet, productivity can be further improved.

[0035] Effects obtainable from the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects. Also, those skilled in the art in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can clearly understand other unmentioned effects from the following description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Front view of the electrode assembly manufacturing equipment.

[0038] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A plan view of the moving state of the positive electrode sheet in the electrode assembly manufacturing equipment.

[0039] Figure 4 and Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 A side view of the operation of the electrode assembly manufacturing equipment.

[0040] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a negative electrode-separator assembly inserted in an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 7 It is shown by Figure 6Side view of a negative electrode-diaphragm assembly manufactured by the manufacturing method.

[0042] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 5 0 is a side view of an electrode assembly of portion A, which is an electrode assembly manufactured by an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Fig. 9 is a side view of an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to a comparative example.

[0044] Fig.10 is a side view showing an electrode assembly manufactured by an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. The present disclosure can be modified in various different ways and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0046] In order to clearly describe the present disclosure, parts irrelevant to the description will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the description to denote the same or similar elements.

[0047] In addition, in the drawings, for the convenience of description, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily shown, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings, for the sake of clarity, the thickness of layers, regions, etc. are exaggerated. In the drawings, for the convenience of description, the thickness and area of ​​components are magnified.

[0048] In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as “including” or “comprising” a certain component, it means that the part may further include other components, without excluding the other components, unless otherwise specified.

[0049] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when referred to as a “plane”, it means when the target portion is viewed from the upper side, and when it is referred to as a “cross section”, it means when the target portion is viewed from the side of the cross section cut vertically.

[0050] Now, an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0051] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Front view of the electrode assembly manufacturing equipment. Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 1 is a plan view of a moving state of a positive electrode sheet 110 in an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus.

[0052] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment may include: a first diaphragm supply unit 15 and a second diaphragm supply unit 15 for supplying a first diaphragm sheet and a second diaphragm sheet, respectively; a first electrode supply unit 10 for supplying a first electrode sheet; laminating units 160 and 170 for forming an electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet; a second electrode supply unit 20 for supplying a second electrode sheet; a stacking unit 30 for placing an electrode assembly; and a holding unit 40 for moving a positive electrode sheet 110 to the stacking unit 30 (see Figure 4 and Figure 5 ).

[0053] The first and second separator supply units 15 are disposed at the upper and lower parts, respectively, and a path along which the plurality of first electrode sheets 120 provided from the first electrode supply unit 10 move may be formed between the first and second separator supply units 15. The first electrode supply unit 10 may include an unwinding roller that releases the first electrode sheet, and may further include a first cutting portion 12 that cuts the first electrode sheet to form the plurality of first electrode sheets 120. The first electrode sheet 120 may be a negative electrode.

[0054] The second electrode supply unit 20 may include an unwinding roller that releases the second electrode sheet, and may further include a second cutting unit 22 that cuts the second electrode sheet to form a plurality of second electrode sheets 110. The second electrode sheet 110 may be a positive electrode. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment may further include a conveying unit 300 that conveys the plurality of second electrode sheets 110. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment may further include an alignment unit 62 that aligns the plurality of second electrode sheets 110 that move through the conveying unit 300.

[0055] The laminating unit according to the present embodiment may include a heater 160 and a pressurizing device 170 so that the first diaphragm sheet 130 and the second diaphragm sheet 130 (see Figure 4 and Figure 5 ) and the first electrode sheet 120 interposed therebetween are combined with each other. The first and second diaphragm sheets and the first electrode sheet 120 may be combined with each other by a laminating unit to form a first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150.

[0056] The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment may further include a moving unit 180 that moves the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 150 so as to place the plurality of first electrode-diaphragm assemblies 155 (see FIG. 1 ) formed in the lamination unit. Figure 4 and Figure 5 ) are stacked on the stacking unit 30. The moving unit 180 may be at least one roller. The moving unit 180 may change the moving direction of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150. For example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 that has passed through the pressurizing device 170 moves in the z-axis direction, and then can change its direction in the x-axis direction by the moving unit 180. In addition, the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 that has moved in the x-axis direction can change its direction in the -z-axis direction when passing through the moving unit 180 again. At this time, a gap viewer 63 for measuring the width or gap of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 can be added.

[0057] The electrode assembly manufacturing equipment according to the present embodiment includes a buffer table 32, on which the second electrode sheet 110 located in the conveying unit 300 is temporarily placed before the second electrode sheet 110 is moved to the stacking unit 30. The buffer table 32 includes a first buffer table and a second buffer table, and the stacking unit 30 is arranged between the first buffer table and the second buffer table so that it can move between the first buffer table and the second buffer table. The stacking unit 30 can reciprocate rotationally between the first buffer table and the second buffer table. In addition, when viewed in a plan view, the stacking unit 30 can move on a straight line that forms the shortest distance between the first buffer table and the second buffer table. For example, the stacking unit 30 can move along Figure 3 The arrow A1 shown reciprocates.

[0058] The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment may further include a stage 35 for placing the stacking unit 30. The stage 35 may be a workbench using a three-axis motor and may be used to adjust the alignment of the stacking unit 30, etc. At this time, a fixing member 33 is formed on the stage 35 to prevent the stacking unit 30 from moving.

[0059] Figure 4 and Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 A side view of the operation of the electrode assembly manufacturing equipment.

[0060] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 ,like Figure 7As shown, the electrode assembly manufacturing equipment according to the present embodiment may include: a first electrode supply unit 10, which supplies a first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 including two sheet-shaped diaphragms 130 and a plurality of first electrode sheets 120 continuously located between the inner side surfaces of the diaphragms 130 facing each other; a second electrode supply unit 20, which supplies a second electrode sheet 110 to be stacked on the outer side surface of the diaphragm 130 of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 supplied from the first electrode supply unit 10; a stacking unit 30, which is provided for arranging the electrode assembly 100, wherein the electrode assembly 100 is formed by stacking the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 as a part of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 and the second electrode sheet 110; and a holding unit 40, which holds the second electrode sheet 110 from the second electrode supply unit 20 and moves the second electrode sheet 110 toward the stacking unit 30. At this time, the first electrode may be a negative electrode, and the second electrode may be a positive electrode.

[0061] The plurality of second electrode sheets 110 provided via the second electrode supply unit 20 may be moved in one direction in a state of being aligned via the conveying unit 300 or while being aligned by the aligning unit 62, etc. Before the second electrode sheets 110 located in the conveying unit 300 are moved to the stacking unit 30, the second electrode sheets 110 may be temporarily placed on the buffer stage 32.

[0062] The buffer stage 32 includes a first buffer stage and a second buffer stage, and the stacking unit 30 is disposed between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage and can reciprocate between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage. According to the present embodiment, the second electrode sheet 110 is provided from the buffer stage 32 formed in plurality, thereby being able to improve the productivity of the electrode assembly 100 of the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0063] At this time, the stacking unit 30 may be formed between the buffer stages 32 adjacent to each other among the plurality of buffer stages 32. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the stacking unit 30 is formed between a first buffer table 32 and a second buffer table 32 on each of the left and right sides, and can move and / or reciprocate between the first buffer table and the second buffer table. Specifically, when viewed in a plan view, the stacking unit 30 can move and / or reciprocate on a straight line forming the shortest distance between the first buffer table 32 and the second buffer table 32.

[0064] The holding unit 40 may be moved between the buffer table 32 and the stacking unit 30. Specifically, the holding unit 40 may hold the second electrode sheet 110 from the buffer table 32 adjacent to the holding unit 40, move the held second electrode sheet 110 to the stacking unit 30, and stack it on the stacking unit 30. At this time, after the second electrode sheet 110 is stacked on the electrode assembly 100 (see Figure 8 ), the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 may be disposed on the electrode assembly 100 (see Figure 8 ). Therefore, the second electrode sheet 110 may be stacked to be located on the outer side surface of the separator 130 of the first electrode-separator assembly 155.

[0065] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The stacking unit 30 may stack the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 on the stacking unit 30 or on the second electrode sheet 110 while moving between the first buffer stage 32 - 1 on the right and the second buffer stage 32 - 2 on the left.

[0066] That is, as described above, the stacking unit 30 may receive the transfer of the second electrode sheet 110 from the holding unit 40 while moving between the first buffer stage 32-1 and the second buffer stage 32-2. Before receiving the transfer of the second electrode sheet 110, the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1 may be placed on the stacking unit 30. The 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1 may be located on the stacking unit 30, and the 2-1 electrode sheet 110-1 may be stacked on the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1. At this time, the stacking unit 30 that has received the transfer of the held 2-1 electrode sheet 110-1 may move so as to transfer the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1 to the stacking unit 30. Figure 5 The 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-2 is stacked on the 2-1 electrode sheet 110-1. The 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1 and the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-2 are portions of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 that pass through the switch roller 37. The 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1 and the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-2 may be portions of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 that pass through the switch roller 37 in sequence.

[0067] More specifically, the stacking unit 30 can be moved to be adjacent to the second buffer stage 32-2 farther from the stacking unit 30 among the plurality of buffer stages 32 to stack the electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-2. In addition, the stacking unit 30 is moved to be adjacent to the second buffer stage 32-2, thereby making it possible to position the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-2 on the uppermost 2-1 electrode sheet 110-1 of the stacking unit 30.

[0068] For example, refer to Figure 5, the stacking unit 30 is positioned close to the second buffer stage 32-2 located on the left side, and can receive the supply of the 2-2 electrode sheet 110-2 therefrom. Subsequently, the stacking unit 30 can be moved to be located near the first buffer stage 32-1 farther from the stacking unit 30 among the buffer stages 32, so as to stack a new 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1 again. That is, it can be moved to a position similar to Figure 4 In addition, the stacking unit 30 is moved to be adjacent to the first buffer stage 32-1, thereby making it possible to position the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1 on the uppermost 2-2 electrode sheet 110-2 of the stacking unit 30. By repeating such a process, the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 and the second electrode sheet 110 can be alternately stacked to form an electrode assembly.

[0069] Therefore, the electrode assembly manufacturing equipment according to the present embodiment continuously supplies multiple first electrode-diaphragm assemblies 155 from the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150, and stacks the second electrode sheets 110 on the first electrode-diaphragm assemblies 155 in two directions while the stacking unit 30 rotates back and forth, thereby improving productivity compared to conventional electrode assembly manufacturing equipment.

[0070] Next, a first electrode-separator assembly supplied to the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment and an electrode assembly manufactured by the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0071] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a negative electrode-separator assembly inserted in an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 It is shown by Figure 6 A side view of a first electrode-diaphragm assembly manufactured by the manufacturing method. Figure 8 It is shown Figure 5 0 is a side view of an electrode assembly of portion A, which is an electrode assembly manufactured by an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] The first electrode-separator assembly 155 inserted into the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed by laminating a long sheet-shaped separator 130 and a first electrode sheet 120 .

[0073] At this time, refer to Figure 6 In the process of forming the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155, the long sheet-shaped first electrode sheet 121 is inserted into the first electrode-diaphragm assembly manufacturing equipment, and then the long sheet-shaped first electrode sheet 121 can be cut to form the first electrode sheet 120, but is not limited to this, and the first electrode sheet 120 itself can be inserted.

[0074] On the other hand, the diaphragm 130 may be provided as two long sheet-like diaphragms 130 .

[0075] Therefore, if Figure 7 As shown, the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 can be formed in a state where a plurality of first electrode sheets 120 are inserted between the inner side surfaces of two diaphragms 130 facing each other. At this time, the plurality of first electrode sheets 120 inserted between the diaphragms 130 can be arranged along the longitudinal direction ( Figure 7 in the horizontal direction) are arranged spaced apart from each other.

[0076] Furthermore, in order to form the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150, as Figure 6 As shown, the heating and lamination process is further performed, thereby being able to form the final first electrode-separator assembly sheet 150. Therefore, the separator 130 and the first electrode sheet 120 can be combined with each other, and a stronger first electrode-separator assembly sheet 150 and electrode assembly 100 can be formed. The lamination process may be a pressurization process.

[0077] In addition, the electrode assembly is manufactured by supplying the above-mentioned first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 to an electrode assembly manufacturing device. Figure 8 The electrode assembly 100 may be manufactured in such a manner that the first electrode-separator assembly 155 and the second electrode sheet 110 are folded and laminated by a zigzag lamination method.

[0078] Specifically, refer to Figure 8 The electrode assembly 100 may be manufactured by folding the connection portion formed on the separator 130 in opposite directions. Here, the connection portion may be a portion of the electrode assembly 100 where the second electrode sheet 110 or the first electrode sheet 120 is not provided and only the separator 130 exists.

[0079] Specifically, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the stacking unit 30 of the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment stacks the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 while moving between the first buffer stage 32-1 and the second buffer stage 32-2. At this time, when moving from a position adjacent to the first buffer stage 32-1 to a position adjacent to the second buffer stage 32-2 and from a position adjacent to the second buffer stage 32-2 to a position adjacent to the first buffer stage 32-1, the two moving directions are opposite to each other, and the connection portion formed on the diaphragm 130 of the electrode assembly 100 may be folded in directions opposite to each other.

[0080] According to the implementation method described in the above embodiment, it has been described that the first electrode sheet is a negative electrode sheet, and the negative electrode-diaphragm assembly stacked on the negative electrode sheet is alternately stacked with the positive electrode sheet, but an implementation method in which the positive electrode sheet is stacked on the positive electrode-diaphragm assembly stacked on the negative electrode sheet alternately may also be adopted.

[0081] However, in the case of an electrode assembly in which the negative electrode is designed to be larger than the positive electrode during the manufacturing process, it may be more preferable to provide an embodiment of a negative electrode separator assembly in which a negative electrode sheet is laminated on a separator in consideration of process margin.

[0082] Next, an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to a comparative example will be described.

[0083] Fig. 9 is a side view of an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to a comparative example. Fig.10 is a side view showing an electrode assembly manufactured by an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to a comparative example.

[0084] Reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10 , the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus 200 according to the comparative example may include a positive electrode supply unit and a negative electrode supply unit into which a separator 230 is inserted and a positive electrode sheet 210 and a negative electrode sheet 220 are supplied.

[0085] Therefore, the stacking unit 260 may move between the positive electrode supply unit and the negative electrode supply unit and receive the transfer of the positive electrode sheet 210 and the negative electrode sheet 220 from the holding unit 270 to form the electrode assembly 250 .

[0086] In addition, since the electrode assembly 250 manufactured by the electrode assembly manufacturing equipment 200 according to the comparative example includes a single-piece separator 230, it can have a structure of the electrode assembly 250 in which the positive electrode sheet 210 or the negative electrode sheet 220 is arranged around the single-piece separator 230, rather than a structure in which the negative electrode sheet 120 is located between two separators 130.

[0087] At this time, because the positive electrode sheet 210 and the negative electrode sheet 220 must be stacked on the separator 230, respectively, the conventional electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus 200 has limitations in increasing the production speed.

[0088] On the other hand, the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure stacks the second electrode sheet 110 after inserting the first electrode-separator assembly 155 , which makes it possible to ensure productivity twice that of the conventional electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus 200 .

[0089] Next, a method of manufacturing an electrode assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0090] The electrode assembly manufacturing method according to the present embodiment includes: a step of forming a first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150, the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 including two sheet-shaped diaphragms 130 and a plurality of first electrode sheets 120 continuously located between the inner side surfaces of the diaphragms 130 facing each other; a step of setting a first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 as a part of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 in a stacking unit 30; a step of stacking a second electrode sheet 110 on the outer side surface of the diaphragm 130 of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 disposed in the stacking unit 30; and a step of rotating and moving the stacking unit 30 to stack the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 on the stacked second electrode sheet 110. The first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 may include a 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-1 and a 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly 155-2, and the second electrode sheet 110 may include a 2-1 electrode sheet 110-1 and a 2-2 electrode sheet 110-2. At this time, the electrode assembly manufacturing method according to the present embodiment may include a step of stacking the 2-2 electrode sheet 110-2 on one surface of the 1-2 electrode diaphragm assembly 155-2, wherein the one surface is located on the opposite side of the surface of the 1-2 electrode diaphragm assembly 155-2 facing the 2-1 electrode sheet 110-1.

[0091] At this time, the step of stacking the second electrode sheet 110 on the outer surface of the diaphragm 130 of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 arranged in the stacking unit 30 can be a step in which the holding unit 40 holds the second electrode sheet 110 from the buffer table 32 and stacks the held second electrode sheet 110 on the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 arranged in the stacking unit 30.

[0092] More specifically, as described above, the stacking unit 30 is located between the first buffer stage 32-1 and the second buffer stage 32-2, and can move and reciprocate between them. Therefore, the step of moving the stacking unit 30 to stack the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 on the stacked second electrode sheet 110 can be a step in which the stacking unit 30 moves between the first buffer stage 32-1 and the second buffer stage 32-2 and the first electrode-diaphragm assembly 155 can be stacked on the uppermost second electrode sheet 110 of the stacking unit 30.

[0093] Thus, the electrode assembly manufacturing method according to the present embodiment forms the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet 150 , receives the supply of the second electrode sheets 110 from the plurality of buffer stages 32 , and stacks them, thereby being able to provide an electrode assembly manufacturing method with further improved productivity.

[0094] The present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and that various modifications and improvements may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and ideas of the present invention, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0095] [Explanation of Reference Numerals]

[0096] 10: First electrode supply unit

[0097] 20: Second electrode supply unit

[0098] 30: Stacking unit

[0099] 32: Buffer table

[0100] 37: Switching roller

[0101] 40: Holding unit

[0102] 62: Alignment Unit

[0103] 100: Electrode assembly

[0104] 110: Second electrode sheet

[0105] 120: First electrode sheet

[0106] 130: Diaphragm

[0107] 150: First electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet

[0108] 180: Mobile unit

[0109] 300: Transmission unit

Claims

1. An electrode assembly manufacturing device, the electrode assembly manufacturing device comprising: a first diaphragm supply unit, wherein the first diaphragm supply unit supplies a first diaphragm sheet; a second diaphragm supply unit, wherein the second diaphragm supply unit supplies a second diaphragm sheet; a first electrode supply unit, the first electrode supply unit supplying a plurality of first electrode sheets so that the plurality of first electrode sheets are located between the first diaphragm sheet and the second diaphragm sheet; a lamination unit, the lamination unit forming a first electrode-diaphragm assembly, the first electrode-diaphragm assembly comprising the plurality of first electrode sheets located between the first diaphragm sheet and the second diaphragm sheet; a second electrode supply unit, the second electrode supply unit supplies a plurality of second electrode sheets, the plurality of second electrode sheets being stacked to be located on an outer side surface of the diaphragm of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly; a stacking unit on which an electrode assembly formed by stacking the first electrode-diaphragm assembly and the second electrode sheet is placed; as well as A holding unit holds the second electrode sheet and moves the second electrode sheet to the stacking unit.

2. The electrode assembly manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus further includes a moving unit that moves the first electrode-separator assembly to laminate the first electrode-separator assembly formed in the laminating unit onto the stacking unit.

3. The electrode assembly manufacturing equipment according to claim 2, wherein: The moving unit further includes at least one roller that changes a moving direction of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly.

4. The electrode assembly manufacturing equipment according to claim 1, The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus further includes a conveying unit that moves the plurality of second electrode sheets supplied from the second electrode supplying unit.

5. The electrode assembly manufacturing device according to claim 4, The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus further includes an aligning unit that aligns the plurality of second electrode sheets moved through the conveying unit.

6. The electrode assembly manufacturing equipment according to claim 4, The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus further includes a buffer stage on which the second electrode sheet located in the conveying unit is temporarily placed before being moved to the stacking unit.

7. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The buffer table includes a first buffer table and a second buffer table, and The stacking unit is disposed between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage.

8. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: The stacking unit moves between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage.

9. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: The stacking unit moves on a straight line forming a shortest distance between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage when viewed in a plan view.

10. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The holding unit holds the second electrode sheet placed on the buffer table while moving between the buffer table and the stacking unit, and moves the second electrode sheet to the stacking unit.

11. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The stacking unit having received the transfer of the held second electrode sheet moves so that the first electrode-separator assembly is laminated thereon.

12. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: The stacking unit is moved to be adjacent to a buffer stage farther from the stacking unit among the buffer stages including the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage so as to stack the first electrode-separator assembly, and The stacking unit is moved adjacent to the buffer stage to position the first electrode-diaphragm assembly on the uppermost second electrode sheet of the stacking unit.

13. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The first electrode is a cathode, and the second electrode is a cathode.

14. A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, the method comprising the following steps: forming a first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet, wherein the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet includes two sheet-shaped diaphragms and a plurality of first electrode sheets continuously located between inner side surfaces of the sheet-shaped diaphragms facing each other; placing a 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly as a part of the first electrode-diaphragm assembly sheet in a stacking unit; stacking a 2-1 electrode sheet on the outer side surface of the separator of the 1-1 electrode-separator assembly disposed in the stacking unit; Rotating and moving the stacking unit to stack the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly on the stacked 2-1 electrode sheet; as well as The 2-2 electrode sheet is stacked on one surface of the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly, and the one surface is located on the opposite side of the surface of the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly facing the 2-1 electrode sheet.

15. The method for manufacturing an electrode assembly according to claim 14, wherein: The step of laminating the 2-1 electrode sheet on the outer side surface of the separator of the 1-1 electrode-separator assembly provided in the stacking unit comprises: before moving the second electrode sheet to the stacking unit, temporarily placing the second electrode sheet supplied from the second electrode supply unit on a buffer table; and The second electrode sheet temporarily placed on the buffer table is stacked on the 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly by a holding unit.

16. The method for manufacturing an electrode assembly according to claim 14, wherein: The buffer table includes a first buffer table and a second buffer table, and The stacking unit is located between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage.

17. The method for manufacturing an electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein: The step of rotationally moving the stacking unit to stack the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly on the stacked 2-1 electrode sheet is the following step: The stacking unit moves between the first buffer stage and the second buffer stage, and the 1-2 electrode-separator assembly is stacked on an uppermost 2-1 electrode sheet of the stacking unit.

18. The method for manufacturing an electrode assembly according to claim 14, wherein: The 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly and the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly are connected to each other in a zigzag shape during a process of being arranged in the stacking unit, and The 1-1 electrode-diaphragm assembly and the 1-2 electrode-diaphragm assembly are in a state where the plurality of first electrode sheets are stacked between the two sheet-shaped separators.

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