Film cutting device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a film cutting apparatus, and provides a film cutting apparatus that quickly performs film cutting for cross-section analysis of a film and minimizes damage to a cross-section caused by the cutting. The film cutting apparatus includes: a sample placement jig; a sample fixing jig; a cooling water tank; a substrate; a support column; a guide portion; a moving portion slidably coupled to the guide portion; and a blade for film cutting, in which a blade insertion groove for inserting the blade for film cutting is formed in the sample placement jig, and may be formed in a shape that traverses the film placement surface in the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0043618 filed on April 3, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated as a part of this specification.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a diaphragm cutting apparatus for performing cutting of a diaphragm in a short time to perform cross-sectional analysis on the diaphragm and minimizing cross-sectional damage caused by the cutting. Background Art

[0003] A separator used in an electrochemical device such as a secondary battery emits ions while blocking the flow of electrons between an anode and a cathode.

[0004] In other words, the separator is a thin film of insulating material that plays the role of allowing only lithium ions to pass through micropores of 0.01μm to 1μm. The separator is mainly made of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

[0005] The separator can prevent short circuits by preventing direct contact between the anode and the cathode, and allows lithium ions to move through micropores provided inside. At this time, when lithium ions pass through the separator and move from the anode to the cathode, the secondary battery can be charged, and when lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode, the secondary battery can be discharged. In addition, when the temperature of the battery rises above a predetermined level, the micropores are blocked, and the separator can prevent short circuits inside the secondary battery. The separator can be equipped with high mechanical strength, and plays a role in ensuring safety by blocking byproducts or foreign matter generated inside.

[0006] As described above, in designing a diaphragm so that the diaphragm functions, it may be important to observe a cross section of the diaphragm to understand its structure.

[0007] Specifically, the diaphragm may be deformed by conditions such as pressure and temperature applied during the manufacturing process, use environment, etc., and in order to observe the degree of deformation at this time, the diaphragm needs to be cut to form a cross section to be observed.

[0008] However, the production of cross sections of the membrane has only been performed using equipment that requires proficiency, such as cryomicrotomy or ion milling.

[0009] For rapid observation and analysis, a technology that allows anyone to easily produce a cross section of a separator with a simple operation is required. Summary of the invention

[0010] Technical goals

[0011] The present disclosure relates to a diaphragm cutting device, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a diaphragm cutting device for performing cutting of a diaphragm in a short time to perform cross-sectional analysis on the diaphragm and minimize cross-sectional damage caused by cutting.

[0012] The technical objectives to be achieved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned technical objectives, and other technical objectives not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0013] Technical Solutions

[0014] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure may include: a sample placement fixture having a diaphragm placement surface parallel to the vertical direction; a sample fixing fixture which is tightly fixed to the membrane mounting surface with the membrane to be analyzed interposed between the sample fixing fixture and the membrane mounting surface; a cooling water tank, the cooling water tank accommodating the sample placement fixture internally; A base plate, the base plate having an upper surface, on which the cooling water tank is mounted; a pair of support columns, the lower ends of the pair of support columns are fixed to the upper surface of the substrate, and the pair of support columns are spaced apart from each other in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a guide unit extending along the first direction and having two ends of the guide unit respectively connected to each of the pair of support columns so that the guide unit can slide in a vertical direction; a moving unit coupled to the guide unit so as to be slidable in the first direction; and a diaphragm cutting blade, the diaphragm cutting blade being mounted at a lower end of the moving unit; wherein a blade insertion groove for inserting the diaphragm cutting blade may be formed in the sample placement fixture, and The blade insertion groove may be formed in a shape that crosses the diaphragm seating surface in a vertical direction.

[0015] Beneficial effects

[0016] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure can perform cutting of the diaphragm for cross-sectional analysis of the diaphragm in a short time and minimize cross-sectional damage due to cutting.

[0017] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure can allow anyone to easily produce a cross section of a diaphragm with a simple operation, thereby enabling rapid observation and analysis of the diaphragm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the sample placement jig and the sample fixing jig are coupled.

[0020] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the A-A' section.

[0021] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the side surface of the sample fixing jig.

[0022] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a sample placement jig.

[0023] Figure 6a is a cross-sectional view showing a cooling water tank.

[0024] Figure 6b It is a plan view showing a cooling water tank.

[0025] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a substrate.

[0026] Figure 8 is a front view showing the front portion of the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a diaphragm cutting method of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig.10 is a SEM image showing a cross section of a membrane cut by the microtomy technique and the membrane cutting apparatus of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure may include: a sample placement fixture having a diaphragm placement surface parallel to the vertical direction; a sample fixing fixture which is tightly fixed to the membrane mounting surface with the membrane to be analyzed interposed between the sample fixing fixture and the membrane mounting surface; a cooling water tank, the cooling water tank accommodating the sample placement fixture internally; A base plate, the base plate having an upper surface, on which the cooling water tank is mounted; a pair of support columns, the lower ends of the pair of support columns are fixed to the upper surface of the substrate, and the pair of support columns are spaced apart from each other in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a guide unit extending in the first direction and having both ends of the guide unit respectively coupled to each of the pair of support columns so that the guide unit can slide in the vertical direction; a moving unit coupled to the guide unit so as to be slidable in the first direction; and a diaphragm cutting blade mounted at a lower end of the vertical moving unit; wherein a blade insertion groove for inserting the diaphragm cutting blade may be formed in the sample placement fixture, and The blade insertion groove may be formed in a shape crossing the diaphragm seating surface in the vertical direction.

[0030] In the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure, when the first direction is a direction perpendicular to the diaphragm mounting surface, and the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the vertical direction, a pair of the sample fixing clamps can be provided, and the pair of the sample fixing clamps can be fixed in close contact with the diaphragm mounting surface, and at the same time, when the blade insertion groove is located between the pair of the sample fixing clamps, the pair of the sample fixing clamps are spaced apart in the second direction.

[0031] In the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure, the sample fixing jig may be in close contact with the sample placement jig by magnetic force.

[0032] In the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure, the first direction may be a direction perpendicular to the diaphragm placement surface, the sample fixing fixture may be provided in the form of a strip extending along the vertical direction, and an upper end of the sample fixing fixture may be bent along the first direction.

[0033] In the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure, a fixture alignment groove may be formed on the bottom surface of the cooling water tank, the lower end of the sample placement fixture is placed in the fixture alignment groove, and the lower end of the sample placement fixture may be placed in the fixture alignment groove and aligned in place.

[0034] In the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure, the sample placement fixture may include: a placement fixture main body component, the placement fixture main body component having a side formed as the diaphragm placement surface; and a plurality of magnet components, the plurality of magnet components are embedded in the diaphragm placement surface, and the lower end of the placement fixture main body component can be placed in the fixture alignment groove.

[0035] In the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure, the cooling water tank may be filled with liquid nitrogen so that a part or the entirety of the blade insertion groove is immersed, and the placement jig main body member and the cooling water tank may be formed of the same material.

[0036] In the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure, a tank alignment groove may be formed in the upper surface of the base plate, and a lower end of the cooling water tank is seated in the tank alignment groove.

[0037] In the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure, the guiding unit may include: a guiding rod, which extends along the first direction and the movable unit is connected to the guiding rod so as to be able to slide in the first direction; and a pair of guiding members, which are respectively fixed at both ends of the guiding rod and connected to the pair of support columns so as to be able to slide in the vertical direction.

[0038] The diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure may also include a pair of elastic springs, the lower ends of the pair of elastic springs are supported on the upper surface of the substrate, the upper ends of the pair of elastic springs are respectively supported on the pair of guide members, and the pair of elastic springs are capable of contracting or extending in the vertical direction, and each of the pair of support columns can be assembled into the center of each of the pair of elastic springs.

[0039] A diaphragm cutting method using the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure, the diaphragm cutting method may include: a membrane placement step of placing the membrane to be analyzed on the membrane placement surface to cover the blade insertion groove; a membrane fixing step of attaching the sample fixing jig to the membrane mounting surface with the membrane to be analyzed positioned between the sample fixing jig and the membrane mounting surface; a diaphragm alignment step of inserting the lower end of the sample placement fixture into the fixture alignment groove to position the sample placement fixture inside the cooling water tank; an ethanol application step of applying ethanol to the membrane to be analyzed; A liquid nitrogen injection step, injecting liquid nitrogen into the cooling water tank; a diaphragm cutting step, lowering the moving unit and inserting the diaphragm cutting blade into the blade insertion groove to cut the diaphragm to be analyzed; a fixture removal step of removing the sample placement fixture from the cooling water tank; and The membrane separation step is to separate the membrane to be analyzed from the sample placement fixture.

[0040] In the diaphragm cutting method of the present disclosure, the sample placement fixture may be provided with a handle member extending upward, and in the liquid nitrogen injection step, liquid nitrogen may be injected into the cooling water tank so that a liquid level formed by the liquid nitrogen is located below an upper end of the handle member.

[0041] Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0042] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the process, the size or shape of the components shown in the accompanying drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. In addition, the terms specifically defined in consideration of the configuration and operation of the present disclosure may vary according to the intention or habits of the user and operator. The definition of these terms should be based on the content throughout this specification.

[0043] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", "one side" and "the other side" are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship placed when the products of the present disclosure are used in daily life. They are merely for the purpose of explanation and brief description of the present disclosure, and do not suggest or imply that the devices or elements shown must be configured or operated in a specified orientation, and should not be interpreted as limiting the present disclosure.

[0044] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure. Figure 2 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the sample placement jig 100 and the sample fixing jig 200 are coupled. Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the A-A' section. Figure 4 2 is a plan view showing a side surface of the sample fixing jig 200 . Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the sample placement jig 100 . Figure 6a 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the cooling water tank 300 . Figure 6b 1 is a plan view showing the cooling water tank 300 . Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the substrate 400 . Figure 8 is a front view showing the front portion of the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a diaphragm cutting method of the present disclosure. Fig.10 is a SEM image showing a cross section of a membrane cut by the microtomy technique and the membrane cutting apparatus of the present disclosure.

[0045] In the following, reference Figures 1 to 10 , the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure will be described in detail. Figures 1 to 8In the embodiment, the z-axis direction may be the vertical direction, the x-axis direction may be the first direction, and the y-axis direction may be the second direction. The vertical direction, the first direction, and the second direction may be orthogonal to each other.

[0046] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure is capable of producing a cut surface of a diaphragm for cross-sectional observation with uniform quality in a short time regardless of the skill level of the analyst.

[0047] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure is capable of producing a large number of analytical samples in a short period of time.

[0048] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure may include: A sample placement fixture 100 having a diaphragm placement surface 113 parallel to the vertical direction; a sample fixing fixture 200 , which is tightly fixed to the membrane placement surface when the membrane 11 to be analyzed is inserted between the sample fixing fixture 200 and the membrane placement surface; A cooling water tank 300 accommodating the sample placement fixture 100 therein; A base plate 400, wherein the base plate 400 has an upper surface, and a cooling water tank 300 is mounted on the upper surface; a pair of support columns 410, the lower ends of the pair of support columns 410 being fixed to the upper surface of the base plate 400, and the pair of support columns 410 being spaced apart from each other in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a guide unit 500 extending in a first direction and having both ends respectively coupled to each of the pair of support columns 410 so that the guide unit can slide in a vertical direction; a moving unit 600 coupled to the guide unit 500 so as to be slidable in a first direction; and The diaphragm cutting blade 700 is installed at the lower end of the moving unit 600. Among them, a blade insertion groove 111 for inserting the diaphragm cutting blade 700 may be formed in the sample placement jig 100, and The blade insertion groove 111 may be formed in a shape that crosses the diaphragm seating surface 113 in a vertical direction.

[0049] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure can cool the diaphragm by immersing the diaphragm in a refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen, and then cut the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed with a blade to form a cross section.

[0050] For the membrane cutting apparatus of the present disclosure, the membrane 11 to be cut and analyzed may be, for example, an insulating material film and a membrane that allows only lithium ions to pass through pores of 0.01 μm to 1 μm, and may be made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or the like.

[0051] One side of the sample placement fixture 100 can be formed as a diaphragm placement surface 113, and the diaphragm placement surface 113 can be formed as a plane perpendicular to the first direction. A blade insertion groove 111 can be formed in the diaphragm placement surface 113 and prepared in a shape extending in the vertical direction. The upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the blade insertion groove 111 is open, so that the diaphragm cutting blade 700 descending from above the sample placement fixture 100 can be placed in the blade insertion groove 111 through the upper end of the blade insertion groove 111. The diaphragm cutting blade 700 can be placed in the blade insertion groove 111 so that a part of it is located inside the blade insertion groove 111, and the rest protrudes outside the entrance of the blade insertion groove 111.

[0052] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a pair of sample fixing jigs 200 may be provided. The pair of sample fixing jigs 200 may be fixed to be in close contact with the diaphragm placement surface 113, while the pair of sample fixing jigs 200 are spaced apart in the second direction with the blade insertion groove 111 being located between the pair of sample fixing jigs 200. One side of the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed may be in close contact with the diaphragm placement surface 113, and the other side may be in close contact with the sample fixing jig 200. In other words, the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed may be clamped between the sample placement jig 100 and the sample fixing jig 200 to fix its position.

[0053] The length of the sample fixing jig 200 in the second direction may be less than half of the length of the sample mounting jig 100 in the second direction.

[0054] Among the surfaces of the sample fixing jig 200, the surface facing the diaphragm seating surface 113 may be formed as a flat surface. The sample fixing jig 200 may be in close contact with the sample seating jig 100 by magnetic force. The material of the sample fixing jig 200 may be ferromagnetic.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown in , the sample fixing jig 200 may be provided in the form of a strip extending in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the sample fixing jig 200 may be bent in the first direction. For example, the sample fixing jig 200 may be provided as a square column extending in the vertical direction with a plane perpendicular to the first direction as its side surface, and the upper portion may be bent in the first direction. When the sample fixing jig 200 is separated from the sample placement jig 100, the bent upper portion of the sample fixing jig 200 may facilitate application of force.

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, the sample mounting jig 100 may include a mounting jig body member 110 and a plurality of magnet members 120 embedded in a diaphragm mounting surface 113 , wherein the mounting jig body member 110 has one side formed as the diaphragm mounting surface 113 .

[0057] For example, the placement jig body member 110 may be provided in a column shape having a plane perpendicular to the first direction as the diaphragm placement surface 113. The upper end of the placement jig body member 110 may be formed to be separated by the blade insertion groove 111. The lower end of the placement jig body member 110 may be formed to have a larger area than the upper portion thereof. The bottom surface of the placement jig body member 110 may be formed in a rectangular shape.

[0058] A groove may be formed in the diaphragm placement surface 113, and the plurality of magnet members 120 may be inserted and embedded in the groove and coupled to the placement fixture body member 110. For example, four magnet members 120 may be provided, and the four magnet members 120 may be placed two by two with the blade insertion groove 111 located therebetween. The plurality of magnet members 120 may be arranged to be aligned in the vertical direction. Specifically, the plurality of magnet members 120 may be arranged on both sides of the blade insertion groove 111 to be aligned in the vertical direction.

[0059] The sample mounting jig 100 may be provided with a handle member 112 extending upward. The handle member 112 may be fixedly coupled to the mounting jig main body member 110, and an upper end of the handle member 112 may be positioned higher than an upper end of the mounting jig main body member 110.

[0060] like Figure 6a As shown, the cooling water tank 300 may be a water tank with an open top. For example, the cooling water tank 300 may be provided in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top. A fixture alignment groove 310 in which the lower end of the sample placement fixture 100 is placed may be formed in the bottom surface of the cooling water tank 300, and the lower end of the sample placement fixture 100 may be placed in the fixture alignment groove 310 and aligned in place. Specifically, the lower end of the placement fixture main body member 110 may be placed in the fixture alignment groove 310.

[0061] The cooling water tank 300 may be filled with liquid nitrogen so that a portion or all of the blade insertion groove 111 is submerged, and the placement jig main body member 110 and the cooling water tank 300 may be made of the same material. For example, the materials of the cooling water tank 300 and the placement jig main body member 110 may be Teflon materials. Specifically, by setting the thermal expansion rates of the placement jig main body member 110 and the cooling water tank 300 to the same level, the placement jig main body member 110 may be attached to or detached from the cooling water tank 300 regardless of the temperature.

[0062] The entrance of the jig aligning groove 310 may be shaped to correspond to the bottom surface of the seating jig body member 110 so that the inner peripheral surface of the jig aligning groove 310 may be in close contact with the side of the seating jig body member 110 .

[0063] like Figure 6b As shown, the bottom surface of the cooling water tank 300 may be provided with an extension groove 311. The extension groove 311 may be connected to the fixture alignment groove 310. In the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure, the sample placement fixture 100 may be coupled to or separated from the cooling water tank 300 while the cooling water tank 300 is filled with liquid nitrogen. The extension groove 311 may allow liquid nitrogen to flow into or out of the fixture alignment groove 310 when the sample placement fixture 100 is attached or detached, so as to prevent the attachment and detachment of the sample placement fixture 100 from being interrupted due to the pressure or volume of the liquid nitrogen.

[0064] like Figure 7 As shown, a box alignment groove 421 may be formed in the upper surface of the base plate 400, and the lower end of the cooling water box 300 is placed in the box alignment groove 421. In the base plate 400, a box alignment groove 421 and a column insertion groove 422 may be formed, and the lower end of the support column 410 is placed in the column insertion groove 422. For the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure, the sample placement jig 100 may be aligned in place by the jig alignment groove 310, and the cooling water box 300 may be aligned in place by the box alignment groove 421, so that the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed can be aligned relative to the diaphragm cutting blade 700 at a position where it can be cut.

[0065] like Figure 8 As shown, the guide unit 500 may include a guide rod 510 and a pair of guide members 520, wherein the guide rod 510 extends along a first direction and the moving unit 600 is connected to the guide rod 510 so as to be able to slide in the first direction, and the pair of guide members 520 are respectively fixed to both ends of the guide rod 510 and connected to the pair of support columns 410 so as to be able to slide in a vertical direction.

[0066] The guide rod 510 may be provided in the form of a strip extending in the first direction. A through hole penetrating the mobile unit 600 in the first direction may be formed in the mobile unit 600, and the guide rod 510 may be placed in the through hole. At least two guide rods 510 may be provided to prevent the mobile unit 600 from tilting.

[0067] The guide member 520 may be provided as a pair and fixedly coupled to both ends of the guide rod 510. The guide member 520 may be coupled to the support column 410 such that it may linearly move in a vertical direction.

[0068] The diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure may further include a pair of elastic springs 411, the lower ends of which are supported on the upper surface of the base plate 400, the upper ends of which are respectively supported on the pair of guide members 520 and can be contracted or extended in the vertical direction, and each of the pair of support columns 410 may be fitted into the center of each of the pair of elastic springs 411. When the analyst presses the mobile unit 600 downward and cuts the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed with the diaphragm cutting blade 700, and the pressure applied by the analyst on the mobile unit 600 is released, the mobile unit 600 may return to its original position by the restoring force of the elastic spring 411.

[0069] The diaphragm cutting blade 700 may be a blade extending in the first direction. The blade of the diaphragm cutting blade 700 may be formed to face downward, and the upper end of the diaphragm cutting blade 700 may be fixed and coupled to the lower end of the moving unit 600.

[0070] The diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure is capable of cutting the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed in an ultra-low temperature atmosphere generated by liquid nitrogen. At this time, the diaphragm cutting blade 700 may be damaged even if it is only used to cut the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed once. Reusing the damaged diaphragm cutting blade 700 may reduce the reproducibility of the analysis experiment and cause errors in the analysis results. The diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure can use the diaphragm cutting blade 700 to cut the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed, and then move the diaphragm cutting blade 700 in the first direction by a predetermined distance through the moving unit 600 to use the unused portion of the diaphragm cutting blade 700 to cut the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed.

[0071] In addition, the moving unit 600 may include a pair of moving members having a plane perpendicular to the second direction, and the pair of moving members may be connected by bolts with the diaphragm cutting blade 700 interposed therebetween. For the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure, the diaphragm cutting blade 700 is a consumable and must be replaced after a certain number of uses. As described above, the diaphragm cutting device of the present disclosure may allow the diaphragm cutting blade 700 to be easily replaced by fixing the diaphragm cutting blade 700 to the moving unit 600 in a prefabricated manner rather than an adhesive type, and the same cutting conditions may be easily maintained before and after replacing the diaphragm cutting blade 700.

[0072] like Fig. 9 As shown, the diaphragm cutting method of the present disclosure may include: Diaphragm placement step S10, placing the diaphragm 11 to be analyzed on the diaphragm placement surface 113 to cover the blade insertion groove 111; a membrane fixing step S20 of attaching the sample fixing fixture 200 to the membrane mounting surface 113 with the membrane 11 to be analyzed located between the sample fixing fixture and the membrane mounting surface; Diaphragm alignment step S30, inserting the lower end of the sample placement fixture 100 into the fixture alignment groove 310 to position the sample placement fixture 100 inside the cooling water tank 300; An ethanol application step S40 of applying ethanol to the membrane 11 to be analyzed; Liquid nitrogen injection step S50, injecting liquid nitrogen into the cooling water tank 300; The membrane cutting step S60 is to lower the moving unit 600 and insert the membrane cutting blade 700 into the blade inserting groove 111 to cut the membrane 11 to be analyzed; A fixture removal step S70 , removing the sample placement fixture 100 from the cooling water tank 300 ; and In the membrane separation step S80 , the membrane 11 to be analyzed is separated from the sample placement fixture 100 .

[0073] In the liquid nitrogen injection step, liquid nitrogen may be injected into the cooling water tank 300 such that a liquid level formed by the liquid nitrogen is located below the upper end of the handle member 112 .

[0074] Fig.10 : is a SEM image showing a cross section of a diaphragm produced by a microtomy technique conventionally used to produce a diaphragm cross section, and a cross section of a diaphragm produced using the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure. Fig.10, the image on the left is a cross section of a diaphragm produced by the microtomy technique, and the image on the right is a cross section of a diaphragm manufactured by the diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure. The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure can produce diaphragm cross sections in a short time, and it can be seen that the thickness of the produced diaphragm is almost the same as that of the diaphragm produced by the microtomy technique.

[0075] Although the embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described above, they are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and embodiments of equivalent scope can be generated therefrom. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present disclosure should be defined by the appended claims.

[0076] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 11···diaphragm to be analyzed, 100···sample placement fixture, 110···placement fixture main body member, 111···blade insertion groove, 112···handle member, 113···diaphragm placement surface, 120···magnet member, 200···sample fixing fixture, 300···cooling water tank, 310···fixture alignment groove, 311···extension groove, 400···base plate, 410···support column, 411···elastic spring, 421···box alignment groove, 422···column insertion groove, 500···guide unit, 510···guide rod, 520···guide member, 600···moving unit, 700···diaphragm cutting blade

[0078] Industrial Applicability

[0079] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure can perform cutting of a diaphragm for cross-sectional analysis of the diaphragm in a short time and minimize cross-sectional damage due to cutting.

[0080] The diaphragm cutting apparatus of the present disclosure can allow anyone to easily produce a cross section of a diaphragm with a simple operation, thereby enabling rapid observation and analysis of the diaphragm.

Claims

1. A diaphragm cutting device, comprising: a sample placement fixture having a diaphragm placement surface parallel to the vertical direction; a sample fixing fixture which is tightly fixed to the membrane mounting surface with the membrane to be analyzed interposed between the sample fixing fixture and the membrane mounting surface; a cooling water tank, the cooling water tank accommodating the sample placement fixture internally; A base plate, the base plate having an upper surface, on which the cooling water tank is mounted; a pair of support columns, a lower end of each of the pair of support columns being fixed to the upper surface of the substrate, wherein the pair of support columns are spaced apart from each other in a first direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; a guide unit extending in the first direction and including two ends, each of which is coupled to each of the pair of support columns so that the guide unit can slide in the vertical direction; a moving unit coupled to the guide unit so as to be slidable in the first direction; as well as a diaphragm cutting blade mounted on a lower end of the vertical moving unit; wherein a blade insertion groove for inserting the diaphragm cutting blade is formed in the sample placement jig, and The blade insertion groove is formed in a shape that crosses the diaphragm seating surface in the vertical direction.

2. The diaphragm cutting device according to claim 1, wherein: The first direction is a direction perpendicular to the diaphragm seating surface, and The second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the vertical direction, and Wherein, a pair of sample fixing fixtures are provided, and The pair of sample fixing jigs are fixed to be in close contact with the diaphragm seating surface, while the pair of sample fixing jigs are spaced apart in the second direction with the blade insertion groove located between the pair of sample fixing jigs.

3. The diaphragm cutting device according to claim 1, wherein: The sample fixing fixture is in close contact with the sample placing fixture through magnetic force.

4. The diaphragm cutting device according to claim 2, wherein: The first direction is a direction perpendicular to the diaphragm placement surface, The sample fixing fixture is provided in the form of a strip extending in the vertical direction, and The upper end of the sample fixing fixture is bent in the first direction.

5. The diaphragm cutting device according to claim 1, wherein: The bottom surface of the cooling water tank includes a fixture alignment groove in which the lower end of the sample placement fixture is placed, and The lower end of the sample placement fixture is placed in the fixture alignment groove and aligned in place.

6. The diaphragm cutting device according to claim 5, wherein: The sample placement fixture comprises: a seating jig body member having one side formed as a seating surface of the diaphragm; and a plurality of magnetic members embedded in the diaphragm seating surface, and The lower end of the seating jig body member is seated in the jig alignment groove.

7. The diaphragm cutting device according to claim 6, wherein: The cooling water tank is filled with liquid nitrogen so that part or all of the insert groove is immersed, and The placement jig main body member and the cooling water tank are formed of the same material.

8. The diaphragm cutting device according to claim 5, wherein: A tank alignment groove is formed in the upper surface of the base plate, and a lower end of the cooling water tank is seated in the tank alignment groove.

9. The diaphragm cutting device according to claim 1, wherein: The guiding unit comprises: a guide rod extending in the first direction and to which the moving unit is coupled so as to be slidable in the first direction; and A pair of guide members are respectively fixed to both ends of the guide rod and coupled to the pair of support columns so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

10. The diaphragm cutting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a pair of elastic springs, the lower ends of the pair of elastic springs are supported on the upper surface of the substrate, the upper ends of the pair of elastic springs are supported on the pair of guide members, and the pair of elastic springs can shrink or stretch in the vertical direction, Wherein, each of the pair of support columns is assembled into the center of each of the pair of elastic springs.

11. A diaphragm cutting method using the diaphragm cutting device according to claim 5, the diaphragm cutting method comprising: a membrane placement step of placing the membrane to be analyzed on the membrane placement surface to cover the blade insertion groove; a membrane fixing step of attaching the sample fixing jig to the membrane mounting surface with the membrane to be analyzed positioned between the sample fixing jig and the membrane mounting surface; a diaphragm alignment step of inserting the lower end of the sample placement fixture into the fixture alignment groove to position the sample placement fixture inside the cooling water tank; an ethanol application step of applying ethanol to the membrane to be analyzed; A liquid nitrogen injection step, injecting liquid nitrogen into the cooling water tank; a diaphragm cutting step, lowering the moving unit and inserting the diaphragm cutting blade into the blade insertion groove to cut the diaphragm to be analyzed; A fixture removal step, removing the sample placement fixture from the cooling water tank; as well as The membrane separation step is to separate the membrane to be analyzed from the sample placement fixture.

12. The diaphragm cutting method according to claim 11, wherein: The sample placement fixture includes an upwardly extending handle member, and In the liquid nitrogen injection step, The liquid nitrogen is injected into the cooling water tank so that the liquid level formed by the liquid nitrogen is located below the upper end of the handle member.

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