Mold coater system, method for operating mold coater system, and electrode for battery

Abstract

A die coater system configured to coat a foil with an active material includes a die block assembly having at least one discharge port for coating a paste of the active material onto the foil wherein the discharge port defines a discharge direction and extends in a transverse direction wherein the die coater system further includes at least one adjustment device configured to adjust the discharge direction of the foil. And an adjustment device coupled to a back side of the mold block assembly opposite the discharge port, where the adjustment device includes an actuator configured to push at least a section of the mold block assembly forward or backward in the discharge direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a die coater system configured to coat a foil with an active material. The present invention also relates to a method for operating a die coater system to coat a foil with an active material. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an electrode, in particular an anode and / or a cathode, for a battery comprising a foil coated with an active material. Background Art

[0002] Batteries, especially rechargeable / dischargeable secondary batteries, are generally used not only as power sources for mobile devices, but are also increasingly used as power sources in electric vehicles (EVs) (which include battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs), etc.) in an attempt to solve problems such as air pollution caused by conventional vehicles using internal combustion engines that rely on fossil fuels. Therefore, there is a growing demand for the development of secondary batteries and related manufacturing methods.

[0003] Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Lithium secondary batteries are considered to be very important for electric vehicles and have attracted much attention due to their favorable properties. For example, compared with nickel-based secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries hardly show a memory effect and can therefore be charged and discharged freely while showing a very low self-discharge rate and a high energy density.

[0004] Secondary batteries may be classified based on the shape of a battery case into a cylindrical battery in which an electrode assembly is mounted in a cylindrical metal can, a square battery in which an electrode assembly is mounted in a square metal can, or a pouch-type battery in which an electrode assembly is mounted in a pouch-shaped case made of laminated aluminum sheets.

[0005] A battery generally includes two electrodes of opposite polarity, i.e., an anode and a cathode. The electrodes are arranged together with a diaphragm in a common container. The diaphragm divides the container so that the anode and the cathode do not directly contact each other, thereby avoiding a short circuit. In addition, the common container is filled with an electrolyte solution that allows ions to be transferred from the cathode to the anode to allow a chemical reaction to release electrical energy. The electrodes of the battery may each include a corresponding foil. The foil may include a conductive material or be composed of a conductive material. In particular, the foil may be composed of or include a metal or a metal alloy, such as aluminum or copper or be composed of aluminum or copper. Preferably, at least one electrode of the battery is implemented as a foil coated with an active electrode material (abbreviated as: active material).

[0006] For example, an electrode configured to be used as an anode may be provided with an active material layer configured to receive and / or store (preferably releasably store) ions. The active material, in particular the active material of the anode, may include graphite as its main component. An electrode configured to be used as a cathode may be provided with an active material configured to release ions. The active material, in particular the active material of the cathode, may include a metal oxide (e.g., lithium oxide) or consist of a metal oxide (e.g., lithium oxide). The active material may, for example, include LCO (LiCoO2), NCM (Li (NiCoMn) O2), NCA (Li (NiCoAl) O2), LMO (LiMn2O) and / or LFP (LiFePO4), or consist of LCO (LiCoO2), NCM (Li (NiCoMn) O2), NCA (Li (NiCoAl) O2), LMO (LiMn2O) and / or LFP (LiFePO4). In addition to the active ingredient (active material mixture), the active material may also include conductive additives, binders, fillers and other ingredients. The active cathode material may be configured to be replenishable. The process of releasing ions from the cathode active material and receiving ions by the anode active material may be referred to as discharging. The process of releasing ions from the anode active material and replenishing the cathode active material with ions may generally be referred to as charging or recharging. The active materials used in the battery electrodes are considered to be critical to determining the properties of the battery such as capacity, voltage, and memory effect.

[0007] The cathode active material may be a compound such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) or lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2) or a compound substituted with one or more transition metals; lithium manganese oxide, such as Li 1+x Mn 2-x 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; Ni-type lithium nickel oxide, with the molecular formula LiNi 1-x M x O2, wherein M = Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B or Ga, and x = 0.01 to 0.3; lithium manganese composite oxide, with the molecular formula LiMn 2-x M x O2, wherein M = Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn or Ta, and x = 0.01 to 0.1, or represented by the molecular formula Li2Mn3MO8, wherein M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn; LiMn2O4, wherein the Li portion of the molecular formula is replaced by an alkaline earth metal ion.

[0008] The negative electrode active material may include, for example, carbon such as non-graphitized carbon or graphite-based carbon; Li x Fe2O3(0≤x≤1), Li x WO2(0≤x≤1), Sn x Me 1-x Me' y O z (Me: Mn, Fe, Pb, Ge; Me': Al, B, P, Si, metals in Group 1 of the periodic table, metal composite oxides such as those in Groups 2 and 3, halogens, 0 < x ≤ 1; 1 ≤ y ≤ 3; 1 ≤ z ≤ 8); lithium metal; lithium alloy; silicon-based alloy; tin-based alloy; metal oxides such as SnO, SnO2, PbO, PbO2, Pb2O3, Pb3O4, Sb2O3, Sb2O4, Sb2O5, GeO, GeO2, Bi2O3, Bi2O4, and Bi2O5; conductive polymers such as polyacetylene; Li-Co-Ni-based materials, etc. can be used.

[0009] Generally, based on the total weight of the active material mixture including the electrode active material, the conductive material can be added in an amount of 1% to 30% (by weight). There is no particular limitation on the conductive material as long as it has conductivity and does not cause chemical changes in the battery, and examples thereof include graphite, such as natural graphite or artificial graphite; carbon black, such as carbon black, acetylene black, Ketjen black, channel black, furnace black, lamp black, and Summer black; conductive fibers, such as carbon fibers and metal fibers; metal powders, such as carbon fluoride, aluminum, and nickel powders; conductive compounds, such as zinc oxide and potassium titanate; conductive metal oxides, such as titanium oxide; alternatively or additionally, conductive materials such as polyphenylene derivatives can be used.

[0010] The binder is a component that aids in binding the electrode active material to the conductive material and to the current collector, and is generally added in an amount of 1% to 30% (by weight) based on the total weight of the active material mixture including the electrode active material. Examples of such binders include polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), starch, hydroxypropyl cellulose, regenerated cellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, tetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), sulfonated EPDM, styrene-butadiene rubber, fluororubber, various copolymers, etc.

[0011] Optionally, a filler is used as a component to suppress the swelling of the electrode, and there is no particular limitation on it as long as it is a fibrous material that does not cause chemical changes in the battery, and examples thereof include olefin polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene; fibrous materials such as glass fibers and carbon fibers can be used.

[0012] The active material mixture may be a slurry-type active material mixture in which the electrode active material, etc. is contained in a predetermined solvent (e.g., NMP) to appropriately coat the current collector (foil). The foil-type current collector used as an anode or cathode may generally be made of a metal sheet having a thickness of 3 μm to 500 μm. The anode foil may, for example, include stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, calcined carbon, or an aluminum or stainless steel surface treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, etc., or may consist of stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, calcined carbon, or an aluminum or stainless steel surface treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, etc. The cathode foil may, for example, include copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, calcined carbon, a copper or stainless steel surface treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, etc., or may consist of copper, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, calcined carbon, a copper or stainless steel surface treated with carbon, nickel, titanium, silver, etc. Aluminum-cadmium alloys may be used, etc. However, as long as it has conductivity and does not cause chemical changes in the battery, there is no particular limitation on it. The term "foil" is to be understood as a general term relating to web-like materials such as films, sheets, foils, nets, porous materials (eg sieves, foams and nonwovens) and the like.

[0013] In order to produce electrodes for batteries by coating foils with active materials, die coater systems are usually used. Some die coater systems are described in KR 10-2022-0027024A, KR 10-2022-0094459A, KR 10-1750599B1, KR 10-2020-037662A or KR 10-2020-037662A.

[0014] It is desirable to provide the foil with an active material layer having a constant thickness, width and density and a uniform height. In some cases, the properties of the active material slurry discharged onto the membrane, particularly the flow properties, may not correspond to the expected range of values ​​associated with optimal results. When the active material slurry discharged onto the foil from the die coater system is not within the optimal parameter range, the resulting active material layer on the foil may not have the desired thickness, width, uniformity or density. In this case, the resulting electrode quality may not meet the standards, which may result in reduced battery life, capacity, voltage, energy density, power level, etc.

[0015] For example, during the start-up of the coating process, it may sometimes be detected that the temperature of the active material slurry discharged from the mold block assembly is below the optimal temperature value range, especially in the laterally outer sections of the discharge opening. This leads to a reduction in the flow rate in these areas and, therefore, to a local reduction in the thickness of the active material layer on the foil. During electrode production, a typical rate of movement of the foil transport may be 100 meters / minute. If the start-up duration is 5 minutes, about 500 meters of electrodes with substandard quality are produced.

[0016] In some cases, heating and / or cooling may be provided to control the temperature of the slurry according to a desired operating temperature. By controlling the operating temperature, the flow properties of the slurry may be affected so as to affect the rate at which the slurry is ejected from the discharge port and applied to the foil. For example, a die coater assembly in which an active heating system is included in the die block assembly has been tested. However, since the die block is typically a large block of metal of considerable mass, temperature control thereof has proven to be relatively slow and difficult to accurately control. Summary of the invention

[0017] Technical issues

[0018] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to provide a die coater system and a method for operating a die coater system and an electrode to provide an active material layer of improved quality, in particular with respect to its thickness, width, uniformity and / or density. This object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0019] However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and various extensions can be made within the scope of the technical concept included in the present disclosure.

[0020] Technical Solution

[0021] One or more problems known from the prior art are solved by the subject matter according to the independent claims. Specific embodiments are given by the features of the dependent claims.

[0022] It is worth noting that some of the features and operations of the die coater system and method for operating a die coater apparatus and / or foil described above may also be employed in the claimed subject matter and may not be repeated below for the sake of brevity of description.

[0023] Thus, a die coater system is provided, which is configured to coat a foil with an active material. The die coater system includes a die block assembly having at least one discharge port, the discharge port being used to coat the active material slurry onto the foil. The discharge port may have a cross-sectional area configured to face the foil. The discharge port may have a generally rectangular cross-section. Preferably, the die block assembly includes at least two, at least three, at least four or more discharge ports. The number of discharge ports of the die block assembly may be equal to two, three or four.

[0024] The discharge opening extends in a transverse direction. The extension of the discharge opening in the transverse direction is preferably a main dimension of the discharge opening.

[0025] The lateral extension of the discharge outlet refers to the extension along the first direction. The discharge outlet also has an extension along the second direction, which for ease of reference can be referred to as the vertical direction, wherein the second direction intersects the first direction, in particular perpendicular to the first direction. The lateral extension or first extension of the discharge outlet is preferably greater than the extension of the discharge outlet in the second direction, in particular at least five times greater, preferably at least ten times greater, more preferably at least one hundred times greater. The discharge outlet may have a slot-like shape. The width of the rectangular opening defined by the discharge outlet is significantly greater than the height. The magnitude of the first (lateral) extension or width of the discharge outlet is preferably at least 10 mm, in particular at least 100 mm or at least 200 mm, preferably at least 400 mm, and not more than 2000 mm, in particular not more than 1000 mm. The magnitude of the second (vertical) extension or height of the discharge outlet is preferably less than 1 mm, preferably less than 100 μm, and greater than 1 μm, preferably greater than 10 μm.

[0026] The discharge outlet defines a discharge direction. The discharge direction may be designated as a third direction. The discharge direction corresponds to a direction in which the active material slurry moves through the discharge outlet as it exits the mold block assembly. The discharge direction may correspond to a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the first direction and the second direction along which a cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge outlet extends. In other words, the discharge direction is preferably perpendicular to a plane in which a cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge outlet faces.

[0027] The die block assembly can be configured to be arranged so that the foil is positioned in front of the discharge opening at a constant coating distance. The coating distance preferably extends between the discharge opening and the foil in the discharge direction or in a third direction. The coating distance between the foil and the discharge opening can be configured to correspond to the desired active material layer thickness. In terms of the transverse direction, the foil can be arranged parallel to the discharge opening. The parallel arrangement of the foil in the transverse direction relative to the discharge opening can be achieved by guiding the foil in front of the discharge opening, for example on a roller with a constant diameter of the axis of rotation arranged in the transverse direction.

[0028] The die coater system according to the present disclosure further comprises at least one adjustment device coupled to a back side of the die block opposite to the discharge outlet. In other words, the back side of the die block assembly is located on a side of the die block assembly that is configured to face away from the foil during operation of the die coater system. In particular, the adjustment device engages the back side of the die block opposite to the discharge outlet. The adjustment device may be arranged partially or completely behind the back side of the die block assembly. When viewed in the discharge direction, the back side of the die block assembly is arranged rearwardly relative to the discharge outlet. The discharge outlet is arranged in front of the back side relative to the discharge direction.

[0029] In a die coater system according to the present disclosure, an adjustment device includes an actuator configured to push at least one section of a die block assembly forward or backward in a discharge direction. For example, the actuator may be configured to push a lateral outer section of the die block assembly forward or backward in a discharge direction. Alternatively or additionally, the actuator may be configured to push at least a central section of the die block assembly forward or backward in a discharge direction. It should be clear that the die coater system may include a plurality of adjustment devices, each having a corresponding actuator. The die coater system includes a plurality of adjustment devices, which may include a plurality of actuators associated with different sections of the die block assembly. In different sections of the die block assembly, for example, a first (left) outer lateral section, a second (right) outer lateral section, and / or a lateral central section, may have a corresponding actuator associated therewith. The actuator is configured to selectively push a section of the die block assembly associated therewith forward and / or backward relative to the discharge direction. Different sections of the die coater assembly may be pushed in different directions and / or with different magnitudes from different actuators. For example, a first actuator may push a first section of the mold block assembly forward or backward relative to an ejection direction according to a first magnitude, and a second actuator may push a second section of the mold block assembly forward or backward along the ejection direction according to a second magnitude, which second magnitude may be equal to the first magnitude or different from the first magnitude.

[0030] An adjustment device may be provided for the mold block assembly so as to push the mold block assembly forward or backward in the discharge direction so as to modify the coating distance. The adjustment device may be particularly configured to move the mold block assembly, in particular its discharge opening, forward or backward in the discharge direction at least in sections so as to be closer to or further away from the foil. The adjustment device may be configured to selectively modify (in particular increase and / or decrease) the discharge distance between the mold block assembly and the foil by pushing the mold block assembly forward and / or backward in the discharge direction. Preferably, the die-coater system is configured with an adjustment device that can selectively push at least part of the mold block assembly forward in the discharge direction so as to reduce the coating distance. Alternatively or additionally, the die-coater system may be configured with an adjustment system that is capable of at least partially pushing the mold block assembly backward in the discharge direction so as to increase the coating distance. By increasing or decreasing the discharge distance, the thickness of the active material layer applied to the foil can be set. Unlike thermal adjustments of the die block assembly, a push forward or backward can be made quickly to quickly adjust the die coater system to address (particularly compensate for) events affecting the coating process to achieve an improved quality active material layer.

[0031] In some embodiments of the die coater system, the die block assembly is configured to be at least partially deformable, in particular bendable, by means of an adjustment device, so as to at least partially displace the discharge opening relative to the static position of the discharge opening. The static position of the discharge opening may correspond to a flat plane. In the static position of the die block assembly, the discharge opening preferably extends only in a first (lateral) direction and a second (height) direction, thereby describing a flat plane. The die block assembly may in particular be bendable in a curved curve that is arcuate around a curved center line extending in a second direction corresponding to the conveying direction of the foil and / or the height direction of the discharge opening. Preferably, the die block assembly is at least partially bendable to present a concave or convex curved curve. A die block assembly presenting a convex curved curve may have at least one central section that protrudes beyond at least one lateral section of the die block assembly, which is offset backwards relative to the discharge direction. A die block assembly presenting a concave curved curve may have at least one central section that is retracted behind at least one lateral section of the die block assembly, which is offset forwards relative to the discharge direction. The mold block assembly may be deformable to at least partially displace the discharge opening by at least 1 μm, in particular at least 3 μm, more particularly at least 5 μm, and / or not more than 50 μm, in particular not more than 25 μm, more particularly not more than 10 μm relative to the static position of the discharge opening. Surprisingly, the results show that by deforming the mold block assembly via an adjustment device so that the discharge opening is partially displaced forward or backward relative to the discharge direction, an active material layer with significantly improved uniformity of the desired height and / or width can be produced. It has been previously believed that in order to obtain a uniform active material layer, the discharge opening of the mold block assembly must always have a continuous and flat plane and any deformation of the mold block assembly must be avoided. Therefore, the adjustment of the discharge opening only takes into account its height dimension. On the other hand, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferred that the height extension of the discharge opening in the second direction remains constant. In other words, regardless of whether the mold block assembly is in a static position or a position deformed by an adjustment device, the height extension of the discharge opening can preferably remain constant.

[0032] Some embodiments of the die coater system include at least one retaining bracket attached to the back of the die block assembly and connected to at least one actuator. In particular, the die coater system may include a first retaining bracket and a second retaining bracket that are laterally spaced apart from each other. The first retaining bracket may be arranged in a first (left) lateral section of the die block assembly, and the second retaining bracket may be arranged in a second (right) lateral section of the die block assembly. It may be preferred that the first retaining bracket is coupled to a first adjustment device including a first actuator, and the second retaining bracket is coupled to a second adjustment device including a second actuator. The retaining bracket may be rigidly attached to one or more die blocks of the die block assembly. For example, the retaining bracket may be rigidly attached to a first (upper) die block and a second (lower) die block. The retaining bracket may be rigidly attached to a plurality of die blocks, such as three die blocks or four die blocks. Alternatively, the retaining bracket may be rigidly attached to only one die block of the die block assembly.

[0033] According to some embodiments, the mold coater system includes at least one fixed bracket rigidly attached to the back of the mold block assembly, and a fixed base member to which the fixed bracket and the actuator are rigidly attached. The fixed base member is preferably formed separately from the mold block assembly. It may be preferred that the fixed base member is rigidly connected to the mold block assembly only via the adjustment device and the fixed bracket. The fixed bracket can be configured to serve as a fixed and / or rigid anchor point for the mold block assembly for the pushing action of the adjustment system (in particular, the deformation (e.g., bending) caused to the mold block assembly by at least one adjustment device). The fixed bracket can be rigidly attached to one or more mold blocks of the mold block assembly. For example, the fixed bracket can be rigidly attached to a first (upper) mold block and a second (lower) mold block. The fixed bracket can be rigidly attached to multiple mold blocks, such as three mold blocks or four mold blocks. Alternatively, the fixed bracket can be rigidly attached to only one mold block of the mold block assembly.

[0034] In a further development of the die coater system comprising at least one fixed bracket, at least one fixed bracket can be arranged in the lateral direction between the first holding bracket and the second holding bracket. It may be preferred that several fixed brackets are provided and those two or more fixed brackets are arranged between the first holding bracket and the second holding bracket. For example, the first fixed bracket can be arranged adjacent to the first holding bracket, and the second fixed bracket can be arranged adjacent to the second holding bracket. The active material slurry supply pipe can be attached to the die block assembly between the fixed brackets. In particular for such a die coater system in which it is only desired to push the die bracket (in particular to deform it) by an adjustment device in the lateral end sections of the die block assembly, it has proven to be advantageous to provide one or more fixed brackets therebetween to fix the central section of the die block assembly.

[0035] In particular, at least one fixing bracket may be attached to the back side of the mold block assembly in a lateral section of the mold block assembly which is arranged in an outer third, in particular in an outer quarter, more particularly in an outer fifth of the lateral extension of the mold block assembly. In particular for situations where it is desired to modify the active electrode layer applied to the foil only in the outermost lateral area, such a die coater system in which the fixing bracket or the fixing brackets are also arranged offset from a central quarter section or a central third section of the mold block assembly shows advantageous effects.

[0036] Some embodiments of the die coater system further include: at least one transfer rod operatively coupling at least one actuator to at least one retaining bracket; and a support bracket arranged between the actuator and the retaining bracket to support the transfer rod. The support bracket may be rigidly coupled to the fixed base member. At least one transfer rod (coupling rod) may be a movable rod, such as a lever or an axle, which may preferably be movable in a third direction. Alternatively or additionally, the coupling rod may be rotatable, in particular rotatable about an axis oriented in the third direction (preferably parallel to the third direction).

[0037] In a further development of the die coater system including a transfer rod, the support bracket includes a device configured to selectively weaken the forward movement and / or backward movement of the transfer rod. The device for selectively weakening the forward movement and / or backward movement of the transfer rod can be configured to allow movement when the actuator is active. Alternatively or additionally, the device for selectively weakening the movement of the transfer rod can be configured to inhibit movement when the actuator is inactive. In particular, the device can be configured to weaken the movement of the transfer rod caused by the pushback of the active material slurry discharged from the mold block assembly or the elasticity of the mold block against deformation. In particular, the transfer rod and the device configured to selectively weaken the forward movement and / or backward movement of the transfer rod are in a threaded engagement state, in particular having a trapezoidal thread.

[0038] According to some embodiments of the mold coater system, the actuator includes a gear unit. In particular, the gear unit of the actuator can be a reduction gear unit, more particularly a self-locking reduction gear unit. The gear unit can be configured to have a reduction ratio of at least 1 / 10, in particular a reduction ratio of at least 1 / 20 or 1 / 50, more particularly a reduction ratio of at least 1 / 100. The gear unit may, for example, include a worm gear. Alternatively or additionally, the gear unit of the actuator is configured to transform the rotary motion of the actuator into a linear motion. The gear unit of the handle can be configured to transfer motion from the actuator to the transfer rod, in particular to move the transfer rod forward or backward in a linear motion at least partially along a third direction. The actuator may include an electric drive, preferably an electric motor, such as a servo motor, a stepper motor, etc. Alternatively, the actuator may include a manual drive, such as a hand crank.

[0039] In some embodiments, the die coater system further comprises at least one sensor unit. The die coater system may comprise several sensor units. At least one sensor unit may be configured to measure the active material layer deposited on the foil. In particular, the die coater system comprises a radiation-based sensor unit, such as a beta-ray transmission sensor, which is configured to measure the active material layer deposited on the foil. More particularly, the sensor unit is adapted to measure the thickness, density, lateral width and / or basis weight of the active material layer deposited on the foil. It may be preferred that the measurement is determined relative to a reference area (e.g., a 5 cm×5 cm reference area). One or more sensor units may be configured to measure the foil before it is coated, measure the first (front) side of the coated foil in a wet state, measure the first (front) side of the coated foil in a dry state, measure the second (back) side of the coated foil in a wet state, and / or measure the second (back) side of the coated foil in a dry state.

[0040] According to a further development of the die-coater system comprising at least one sensor unit, the die-coater system further comprises a control unit, which is operatively coupled to the sensor unit and the regulating device, in particular the actuator, more in particular its driver. The control unit can be configured to adjust the forward and / or backward push provided by the regulating device based on measurements about the layer of active material deposited on the foil. For example, measurements about the layer of active material deposited on the foil can be processed by the control unit, for example by comparing them with a reference value range or a reference threshold value, wherein the control unit can be configured to set the regulating device in order to optimize, maintain or correct the current state of the die block assembly. By using at least one sensor unit and a control unit for operating the regulating device based on the measurements of the sensor unit, an automated optimization of the coating can be performed.

[0041] In some embodiments, the mold block assembly includes a first (upper) mold block and a second (lower) mold block, the first mold block and the second mold block surrounding the groove, wherein the discharge port is connected to the groove. The mold block assembly may also include at least one manifold formed in the first mold block and / or the second mold block. The manifold is preferably connected to the groove to provide the active material slurry to the discharge port. In particular, the manifold is connected to a supply line, and the active material slurry is delivered to the mold block assembly through the supply line. In particular, at least one retaining bracket and / or at least one fixing bracket is rigidly attached to at least one of the first mold block and / or the second mold block.

[0042] According to some embodiments of the die coater system, the die coater system further comprises a coating roller configured to convey the foil in a conveying direction in front of at least one discharge opening of the die block assembly. Preferably, the coating roller is configured to have an outer circumference with a constant diameter and to be at a predetermined discharge distance from the discharge opening. The coating roller preferably has a rotation axis extending in a transverse direction.

[0043] In addition, the present disclosure also relates to a method for operating a die coater system to coat a foil with an active material: using a die block assembly having at least one discharge opening for coating an active material slurry onto the foil, wherein the discharge opening extends in a transverse direction. The method also includes providing the active material slurry to the foil through the discharge opening of the die block assembly in a discharge direction. The die block assembly may use several discharge openings to coat the active material slurry. The discharge direction may correspond to an average direction in which the slurry moves through the discharge openings of the die block assembly. Preferably, a die block assembly including several discharge openings having the same orientation may be used. In addition, the method includes moving the foil in a conveying direction that intersects the transverse direction of the discharge opening, in particular vertically, preferably vertically upward or vertically downward. It may be preferred that the conveying direction of the foil at the discharge opening corresponds to a height direction or a second direction. The transverse direction of the foil preferably corresponds to the transverse direction of the discharge opening. The method also includes coupling at least one adjustment device to the back side of the die block opposite to the discharge opening, and using the adjustment device to push at least one section of the die block assembly including the discharge opening forward or backward in the discharge direction.

[0044] The method may comprise controlling one or more properties of the active material slurry, such as supply pressure, supply rate, slurry temperature etc., wherein it may be preferred that these properties are set to constant or substantially constant values.

[0045] It may be preferred that the method of operating a die-coater system described herein uses the die-coater system described above. The method described herein may be particularly configured to operate according to an embodiment of the die-coater system described above. In particular, the die-coater system described above may be operated according to the method of operating a die-coater system described herein.

[0046] In an embodiment of the method, the adjusting device is used to at least partially displace the discharge opening by at least 1 μm, in particular at least 3 μm, more particularly at least 5 μm, and / or not more than 50 μm, in particular not more than 25 μm, more particularly not more than 10 μm relative to a rest position of the discharge opening, wherein preferably the rest position of the discharge opening corresponds to a flat surface. For example, for an average coating thickness of 0.5 mm, an increase of 6 mg / cm2 in active material slurry can be achieved by using two laterally spaced-apart adjusting devices to push the lateral edge segments forward by a maximum of about 10 μm in the discharge direction. 2 In another example, for an average coating thickness of 0.5 mm, a reduction of 8 mg / cm2 in active material slurry can be achieved by using two laterally spaced adjustment devices to push the lateral edge segments back by up to about 5 μm in the discharge direction. 2 Up to 10mg / cm 2 If desired, the active material coating width may be modified, for example, the coating width may be increased when the mold block assembly is pushed forward and / or the coating width may be decreased when the mold block assembly is pushed rearward.

[0047] The present disclosure also relates to an electrode for a battery, in particular an anode or a cathode, or a set of anodes and / or cathodes, comprising a foil coated with an active material using the above method.

[0048] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0049] According to embodiments, a significantly improved quality active material coating may be applied to a foil for forming an electrode. A foil may be provided with an active material coating having greatly improved uniformity and / or an active material coating having little deviation in thickness.

[0050] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described effects, and additional other effects not described above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a die coater system;

[0052] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a die coater system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with the die block assembly open;

[0053] Figure 3 is based on Figure 2 Another perspective view of the die coater system;

[0054] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] Figure 5 is based on Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the regulating device;

[0056] Fig. 6A is a schematic top view of a die coater assembly in a stationary position;

[0057] Figure 6B It means use Fig. 6A Schematic diagram of a cross-sectional profile (web gauge profile) of an active material layer deposited on a foil by a die coater assembly;

[0058] Fig. 7A is a schematic top view of a mold block assembly bent into a convex shape;

[0059] Figure 7B It means use Fig. 7A Schematic diagram of a cross-sectional profile of an active material layer deposited on a foil by a die coater assembly;

[0060] Fig. 8A is a schematic top view of a mold block assembly bent into a concave shape; and

[0061] Figure 8B It means use Fig. 8A Schematic representation of the cross-sectional profile of the die-coater assembly depositing the active material layer on the foil. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] Therefore, a die coater system is provided, which is configured to coat a foil with an active material. The die coater system includes a die block assembly having at least one discharge port for coating the active material slurry onto the foil. The discharge port may have a cross-sectional area configured to face the foil. The discharge port may have a generally rectangular cross-section. Preferably, the die block assembly includes at least two, at least three, at least four or more discharge ports. The number of discharge ports of the die block assembly may be equal to two, three or four.

[0063] In addition, the present disclosure relates to a method for operating a die coater system for coating a foil with an active material, the method using a die block assembly having at least one discharge port to apply an active material slurry to the foil, wherein the discharge port extends in a transverse direction. The method also includes providing the active material slurry to the foil through the discharge port of the die block assembly in a discharge direction. The die block assembly can use several discharge ports to apply the active material slurry. The discharge direction can correspond to the average direction in which the slurry moves through the discharge port of the die block assembly. Preferably, a die block assembly including several discharge ports with the same orientation can be used. In addition, the method includes moving the foil in a conveying direction that is intersecting, in particular perpendicular, preferably vertically upward or vertically downward relative to the transverse direction of the discharge port. Preferably, the conveying direction of the foil at the discharge port corresponds to the height direction or the second direction. The transverse direction of the foil preferably corresponds to the transverse direction of the discharge port. The method also includes connecting at least one adjustment device to the back side of the die block opposite to the discharge port, and using the adjustment device to push at least one section of the die block assembly (including the discharge port) forward or backward in the discharge direction.

[0064] Invented Patterns

[0065] The various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the various embodiments. The present disclosure can be modified in various different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0066] In order to clearly describe the present disclosure, parts irrelevant to the description will be omitted, and the same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout the description.

[0067] In addition, in the drawings, for the convenience of description, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily illustrated, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the size and thickness shown in the drawings. In the drawings, for the sake of clarity, the thickness of layers, regions, etc. is exaggerated. In the drawings, for the convenience of description, the thickness of some layers and regions is exaggerated.

[0068] In addition, it should be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region or plate is referred to as being "on" or "above" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or there can be an intermediate element. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, this means that there are no other intermediate elements. In addition, the term "on" or "above" refers to being disposed on or below a reference portion, and does not necessarily mean being disposed at the upper end of the reference portion in the opposite direction of gravity. At the same time, similar to the case described as being "on" or "above" another portion, the case described as being "below" or "below" another portion will also be understood with reference to the above.

[0069] In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as “including” or “comprising” a certain component, unless otherwise specified, it means that the part may also include other components, rather than excluding other components.

[0070] In addition, throughout the specification, when “plane” is mentioned, it means observing the target portion from the upper side, and when “cross section” is mentioned, it means observing the target portion from one side of the cross section cut vertically.

[0071] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a die coater system 100 is shown. The foil 2 is guided by a roller 102 in front of a die block assembly 1. The die block assembly has a discharge opening 13 facing the foil 2. The axis of rotation of the roller 102 is aligned with the discharge opening 13 of the die block assembly 1. The active electrode material is applied to the foil 2 by providing an active material slurry via the die block assembly 1 to form an active material layer 200 on a first side of the foil. The active material slurry may be different from the active material, in particular because the slurry additionally comprises at least one solvent, etc. The die block assembly 1 may include two or more die blocks 11, 21 rigidly connected to each other. A channel may be formed as a groove 12 between two die blocks 11, 21. In order to supply the active material slurry, at least one die block 21 in the assembly 1 may be provided with a manifold 15. On one side, for example on the side facing the back side 19 of the die block assembly 1, the manifold 15 is connected to a supply pipe. On the other side, which may be referred to as the front side, the manifold 15 is connected to a channel extending to the discharge opening 13 or multiple discharge openings. The die coater system 100 of the present disclosure includes at least one adjustment device 3 coupled to the back side 19 of the die block assembly 1 .

[0072] Figure 2 A perspective view of a die coater system 100 with an open die block assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The first die block 11 is removed from the second die block 21. The first die block 11 is tilted away from the second die block 21 by means of a tilting mechanism 112. The tilting mechanism 112 may be attached to the die blocks 11, 21 at the back side 19 of the die block assembly 1. Alternatively, the tilting mechanism may be attached laterally to the die blocks 11, 21 (not shown in detail). For example, the tilting mechanism 112 may be attached to the die blocks 11, 21 laterally. Figure 2 The mold block assembly is shown in an open or maintenance state to clear active material slurry from the grooves between the mold blocks 11 , 21 or from the manifold 15 .

[0073] Figure 3The die coater system 100 is shown in a closed state or operating state. In the operating state of the die coater system 100, the mold blocks 11, 21 of the mold block assembly 1 are engaged with each other to define a discharge port 13 facing forward. In the operating state, the mold blocks 11 and 21 are rigidly fastened to each other so that the two blocks operate essentially as an integral unit. In the operating state, the active material slurry can be delivered to the mold block assembly 1 via a supply line 115. The supply line 115 can be arranged in a transverse central section 10C of the mold block assembly 1. Within the mold block assembly 1, the active material slurry is temporarily stored in a manifold 15. The manifold 15 can be used as a buffer storage for supplying an active material slurry having uniform characteristics (e.g., with respect to pressure, temperature, particle size) to at least one discharge port 13.

[0074] Preferably, the mold block assembly 1 has a plurality of outlets 13, such as two outlets or four outlets. In the case where the mold block assembly 1 includes several outlets 13, it is preferred that the several outlets 13 of the mold block assembly 1 have the same size. Preferably, in the mold block assembly 1 having multiple outlets 13, the multiple outlets 13 have the same shape, a first extension (width) in the first direction Y and / or a second extension (height) in the second direction Z. The multiple outlets 13 can be formed into a cross-section having a congruent rectangular shape. The rectangular outlet can have a first extension (width) between 200 mm and 1000 mm, in particular between 400 mm and 800 mm, preferably about 640 mm. The rectangular outlet can have a second extension (height) that is substantially smaller than its first extension. The second extension of the rectangular outlet can be between 1 μm and 10 mm, in particular between 10 μm and 1 μm, preferably between 100 μm and 500 μm.

[0075] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the die-coater system 100 is configured as a horizontal die-coater system 100, wherein the conveying direction T of the foil in front of the horizontally aligned discharge outlet 13 corresponds to a vertical direction Z aligned with the direction of gravity relative to the floor of the manufacturing site. Alternatively, the die block assembly may be arranged such that the discharge outlet 13 is oriented in a vertical direction of the foil facing in front of the discharge outlet 13, wherein the conveying direction of the foil corresponds to a horizontal direction relative to the floor of the manufacturing site, not shown, in particular parallel or substantially parallel to the floor of the manufacturing site.

[0076] The mold block assembly 1 is mounted on a fixed base plate 101. One or more columns or carriers 105 may be arranged between the mold block assembly 1 and the fixed base plate 101 in a vertical direction Z to bear the weight of the mold blocks 11, 21. Preferably, the mold blocks 11, 21 rest on top of at least one carrier 105 in a slidable manner. Additionally or alternatively, a linear bearing, such as a linear sliding bearing or a linear roller bearing, may be provided between the carrier 105 and the mold block assembly 1. It may be preferred that the mold block assembly 1 rests on top of the carrier 105 in a manner that does not hinder the adjustment of the mold block assembly 1 by the adjustment device 3, 4.

[0077] Optionally, a fixing bracket 103 is provided to fix the mold block assembly 1 to the base plate 101. The fixing bracket 103 can be provided as a rigid connection between the mold block assembly 1 and the base plate 101 in the first direction X. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, the first direction X is aligned horizontally. In an alternative embodiment, at least one fixing bracket 103, a plurality of or all fixing brackets may be replaced by corresponding adjustment devices (not shown in detail). The fixing bracket 103 may be provided to define the position of a section of the mold block assembly 1 associated with the fixing bracket relative to the base plate 101. Thus, when the adjustment devices 3, 4 partially push the mold block assembly 1 away from its rest position, one or more fixing brackets 103 may partially retain the mold block assembly in its rest position. The fixing bracket 103 may be rigidly attached to one, several or all mold blocks 11, 21 of the mold block assembly 1. The fixing bracket 103 is preferably rigidly connected to the back side 19 of the mold block assembly 1. Alternatively or additionally, a rigid connection of the fixing bracket 103 to the mold block assembly 1 may be provided on the top side 17 and / or the bottom side 18 of the mold block assembly 1.

[0078] like Figure 1 As shown, the die coater system 100 of the present disclosure is provided with at least one adjustment device 3, 4. The adjustment device 3, 4 is coupled to the back side 19 of the die block assembly 1. The adjustment device 3, 4 comprises an actuator 30, 40, which is configured to push at least one section of the die block assembly forward or backward along the discharge direction X. Figure 3 As shown, the die coater system 100 may be provided with several adjustment devices 3 and 4 that are laterally spaced apart from each other. The fixing bracket 103 (if any) may be arranged along the transverse direction Y between the several adjustment devices 3, 4.

[0079] exist Figure 3In the exemplary embodiment shown, the first adjustment device 3 is arranged in the first transverse outer section 10A, and the second adjustment device 4 is arranged in the second transverse outer section 10B. The first section 10A is located on the left side of the mold block assembly 1. The second section 10B is located on the right side of the mold block assembly 1, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 The transverse outer section can be defined by the endmost third, quarter or fifth portion of the mold block assembly in the transverse direction Y.

[0080] At least one fixing bracket 103 is arranged in the central section 10C between the first section 10A and the second section 10B with respect to the transverse direction Y. In an alternative embodiment, the central section 10C may not have any adjustment devices or fixing brackets, etc., and any fixing brackets and adjustment devices may be exclusively arranged in the transversely outward sections 10A and / or 10B (not shown).

[0081] The die coater assembly 1 can preferably be fixedly held relative to the fixed base plate 101 relative to the first (transverse) direction Y and / or relative to the second (vertical) direction Z, in particular by at least one adjustment device 3, a fixed bracket 103 and / or a carrier 105.

[0082] When the adjustment device 3 pushes the mold block assembly 1 forward in the discharge direction X, the section of the mold block assembly 1 coupled to the adjustment device 3 can be moved (particularly bent) closer to the foil 2 guided in front of the discharge port 13 (guided by the roller 102 in this example) to narrow the gap d between the discharge port 13 and the foil 2. By pushing the mold block assembly forward, the distance d between the discharge port 13 and the foil 2 is reduced compared to the static position. The reduced distance d increases the flow resistance of the active material slurry, so that less active material slurry can leave the discharge port 13 and be applied to the foil 2. Therefore, the thickness t of the active material layer 200 in the area associated with the corresponding adjustment device 3 or 4 can be reduced.

[0083] When the adjustment device 3 pushes the mold block assembly 1 backward relative to the discharge direction X, the section of the mold block assembly 1 coupled to the adjustment device 3 can be moved (particularly bent) away from the foil 2 guided in front of the discharge outlet 13 to widen the distance d between the discharge outlet 13 and the foil 2. By pushing the mold block assembly backward, the distance d between the discharge outlet 13 and the foil 2 is increased compared to the static position. The increased distance d reduces the flow resistance of the active material slurry, so that more active material slurry can leave the discharge outlet 13 and be applied to the foil 2. Therefore, the thickness t of the active material layer 200 in the area associated with the corresponding adjustment device 3 or 4 can be increased.

[0084] Figure 4 and Figure 5A detailed illustration of an adjustment device 3 configured for a die coater system 100 according to the present disclosure is shown. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a hand crank 31 implements an actuator 30 for manually driving the adjustment device 3. Alternatively, an electric drive, such as a servo motor or a stepper motor (not shown) may also be used.

[0085] The adjustment device 3 includes a retaining bracket 35 that can be attached to the back side 19 of the mold block assembly 1. Figure 3 As shown, the holding brackets 35, 45 may be arranged to positively engage the back side 19 of the mold block assembly 1 and are preferably attached to the back side 19 for transmitting movement and / or force from the respective actuator 30, 40, which movement and / or force may be directed forward or backward along the discharge direction X. The holding brackets 35, 45 may, for example, be rigidly attached to the first mold block 11 or the second mold block 21 or a plurality of mold blocks or all mold blocks of the mold block assembly 1.

[0086] The adjustment device 3 comprises a transmission rod 33 to operatively couple the actuator 30 to its holding bracket 35. The transmission rod 33 is movable forward and / or backward along the discharge direction X. The transmission rod 33 is movable to transmit the driving force and / or movement from the actuator 30 to the mold block assembly 1. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the transfer rod 33 is realized as a rotatable transfer shaft. The rotatable transfer shaft is received by a rotary bearing 38 connected to a holding bracket 35, so that the mold block assembly 1 is not exposed to the rotational movement of the rod 33. The rotary shaft comprises a trapezoidal thread 36, which is received in a corresponding thread in a support bracket 37.

[0087] The support bracket 37 is fixedly connected to the fixed base plate 101 of the die coater system 100. The support bracket 37 can be provided to withstand part or all of the holding force applied by the mold block assembly 1 in the third direction X. By providing the support bracket 37 between the actuator 30 and the holding bracket 35, the reaction force to which the actuator 30 is subjected due to the deformation of the mold block assembly and / or the repulsive force to which the active material slurry is subjected due to the exit of the mold block assembly 1 through the discharge port 13 can be alleviated. Additionally or alternatively, the provision of the trapezoidal thread 36 can provide a self-locking capability so that a linear force (particularly a linear force caused by a repulsive force originating from the mold block assembly 1) does not move the transfer rod 33. In other words, the trapezoidal thread 36 serves as a means for selectively weakening the forward and / or backward movement of the transfer rod 33 and the holding bracket 35 connected thereto, unless the actuator 30 provides a rotational movement to the transfer rod 33. The transfer rod 33 can only move forward and / or backward along the discharge direction X when the actuator 30 is in an active state. Unless the actuator 30 is activated, in particular activated to cause a rotational movement of the transmission rod 33 , the current setting state and / or position of the mold block assembly 1 is maintained by the adjusting device 3 .

[0088] The actuator 30 of the adjustment device 3 may be provided with a gear unit 32. The gear unit 32 may have a self-locking capability, in particular to protect the actuator 30 from repulsive forces from the mold block assembly 1. Additionally or alternatively, the gear unit 32 may have a reduction ratio. The gear unit 32 may be configured to transform a first motion into a second motion. For example, the gear unit 32 may be configured to transform a first rotational motion into a second rotational motion in a second direction. For example, the gear unit 32 may include a worm gear. Additionally or alternatively, the gear unit 32 may be configured to transform a rotational motion into a linear motion. The gear unit 32 may, for example, include a coupling to a threaded shaft, which transforms the rotational motion of the gear into a linear motion of a shaft (preferably, a shaft used as a transmission rod 33).

[0089] The actuator 30 may be attached to the gear unit 32. The actuator 30 and / or the gear unit 32 may be attached to the fixed base plate 101 using the socket member 107.

[0090] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the exemplary embodiment of the die coater system 100 shown, two adjustment devices 3 and 4 having the same configuration are provided. The first adjustment device 3 and the second adjustment device 4 can be arranged as described above. Figure 4 and Figure 5In the die coater system 100 according to the present disclosure, the plurality of adjustment devices 3, 4 can be operated independently of each other so as to provide a separate forward or backward push in a corresponding section of the mold block assembly 1 associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustment devices 3, 4. Optionally, the die coater system 100 can be configured to operate the plurality of adjustment devices 3 and 4 correspondingly to each other, in particular in a synchronous operation mode, so as to provide the same forward or backward push in a corresponding section of the mold block assembly 1 associated with a corresponding adjustment device 3 or 4.

[0091] When the actuators 30 , 40 or the adjusting devices 3 , 4 are activated, their respective holding brackets 35 , 45 are caused to push the associated section of the mold block assembly 1 forwards or backwards in the discharge direction X.

[0092] Figures 6a, 7a and 8a illustrate schematically a die coater system 100 in different states that may be configured as described above. The die coater system 100 comprises two laterally spaced adjustment devices 3, 4 coupled to the back side 19 of a die block assembly 1 having four laterally spaced, substantially equally sized discharge ports 13.

[0093] exist Fig. 6A In the static state of the mold block assembly 1, the discharge opening 13 is located in a flat plane extending along the first (transverse) direction Y and the second (vertical) direction Z. Figure 6B A schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional profile (grid gauge profile) of an active material layer deposited on a foil using the die coater assembly of FIG6a is shown. When the active material slurry has substantially homogeneous material properties (particularly pressure, temperature, density) that are substantially non-different regardless of which of the plurality of discharge ports 13 the active material slurry is discharged through, the resulting Figure 6B The active material layer 200 shown applied to the foil 2 shows substantially uniform and constant properties. The layer 200 is applied to the foil 2 in four distinct lines corresponding to the four discharge openings 13. The width, density and height of the four lines are substantially equal. The thickness t of the layer 200 is substantially constant and therefore uniform in the transverse direction Y.

[0094] exist Fig. 7A, the mold block assembly is pushed into a first deformed state, i.e. bent into a convex shape when viewed from above in the vertical direction Z. In the first deformed state, the adjustment devices 3, 4 are operated to push the associated laterally outer sections 10A, 10B of the mold block assembly 1 backwards relative to the discharge direction X. The pushing of the adjustment devices 3, 4 causes the mold block assembly to deviate from the straight rest state and to display a convexly bent geometry when viewed from above with respect to the vertical direction Z. Compared with the laterally central section 10C of the mold block assembly, the outer sections 10A, 10B are moved further away from the foil 2. The discharge outlet 13 of the mold block assembly 1 is bent in a corresponding manner. Therefore, the further outwards the discharge outlet 13 is arranged relative to the transverse direction Y, the greater its distance from the foil 2. As shown in FIG. Figure 7B As shown, with the mold block assembly 1 pushed into the first state, a cross-section of the active material layer 200 deposited onto the foil 2 shows a greater thickness t in laterally outward lines and regions than in relatively more central lines and regions.

[0095] exist Fig. 8A , the mold block assembly is pushed into a second deformed state, i.e. bent into a concave shape when viewed from above in a vertical direction. In the second deformed state, the adjustment devices 3, 4 are operated to push the associated laterally outer sections 10A, 10B of the mold block assembly 1 forwards relative to the discharge direction X. The pushing of the adjustment devices 3, 4 causes the mold block assembly to deviate from the straight rest state and to display a concave bending geometry when viewed from above with respect to the vertical direction Z. Compared with the laterally central section 10C of the mold block assembly, the outer sections 10A, 10B move closer to the foil 2. The discharge outlet 13 of the mold block assembly 1 is bent in a corresponding manner. Therefore, the further outwards the discharge outlet 13 is arranged relative to the transverse direction Y, the closer it is to the foil 2. As in Figure 8B As seen in FIG. 1 , with the mold block assembly 1 pushed into the second state, the cross-section of the active material layer 200 deposited onto the foil 2 shows a relatively smaller thickness t in the laterally outward lines and regions than in the more central lines and regions.

[0096] Several experiments were conducted to measure the effect of using the die coater system 1 according to the present disclosure under different operating conditions. In the following experiments, the temperature of the active material slurry and other properties related to the active material slurry were controlled to be constant. The environment was preferably set to standard conditions (25° C., 1013.25 hPa). The load curve (g / cm2) of the active material layer 200 coated on the foil 2 was measured by using a beta ray transmission sensor (not shown). 2 ), in particular as a base weight, to conduct experiments. In different experiments, the adjustment device is set to different offset values ​​so as to Fig. 7A The associated section of the mold block assembly is pushed forward in the ejection direction (indicated by -) in the manner described above, or as described above with respect to Fig. 8AThe described manner pushes backwards in the discharge direction (indicated as +). For each respective sample, the properties of four laterally spaced lines of the active material coating were considered. For each pair of left lines (DS) and right lines (OS), the average value (AVG) about the maximum value (MAX) of the load curve was determined. Additionally, for the two central lines, the respective widths (a, b), the central distance between the two central lines (c) and the lateral distances (d, e) to the respective adjacent outer lines were determined. The experimental results can be learned from Table 1 shown below.

[0097] [Table 1]

[0098]

[0099] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present disclosure defined in the appended claims also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0100] <Description of Reference Numerals>

[0101] 1 Mold block assembly

[0102] 2 foil

[0103] 3.4 Adjustment device

[0104] 10A first transverse section

[0105] 10B Second transverse section

[0106] 10C Horizontal central section

[0107] 11. First mold block

[0108] 12 slots

[0109] 13 Exhaust port

[0110] 15 Manifold

[0111] 16 Front

[0112] 17 Top side

[0113] 18 Bottom side

[0114] 19 Back

[0115] 21 Second mold block

[0116] 30, 40 Actuator

[0117] 31, 41 Hand crank

[0118] 32, 42 gear units

[0119] 33, 43 Transfer rod

[0120] 34, 44 Worm gear

[0121] 35, 45 retaining bracket

[0122] 36 Trapezoidal thread

[0123] 37, 47 support bracket

[0124] 100 Die Coater System

[0125] 101 Fixed base component

[0126] 102 Roller

[0127] 103, 104 fixed bracket

[0128] 105 Carrier

[0129] 107 socket

[0130] 112 Tilt device

[0131] 115 Supply pipe

[0132] 200 Active material layers

[0133] T conveying direction

[0134] X third direction, discharge direction

[0135] Y first direction, horizontal direction

[0136] Z second direction

Claims

1. A die-coater system configured to coat a foil with an active material, the die-coater system comprising: a mold block assembly having at least one discharge opening for applying active material slurry onto the foil, wherein the discharge opening defines a discharge direction and extends in a transverse direction, The die coater system further comprises at least one adjustment device coupled to a back side of the die block assembly opposite to the discharge port, wherein the adjustment device comprises an actuator configured to push at least one section of the die block assembly forward or backward along the discharge direction.

2. The die coater system of claim 1, wherein: The mold block assembly is configured to be at least partially deformable, in particular at least partially bendable, by the adjustment device, thereby at least partially displacing the outlet opening by at least 1 μm, in particular at least 3 μm, more particularly at least 5 μm, and / or not more than 50 μm, in particular not more than 25 μm, more particularly not more than 10 μm relative to a rest position of the outlet opening, wherein, preferably, the rest position of the outlet opening corresponds to a flat plane.

3. The die-coater system according to one of the preceding claims, comprising: At least one holding bracket is attached to the back side of the mold block assembly and connected to the at least one actuator, the at least one holding bracket being specifically a first holding bracket and a second holding bracket that are laterally spaced apart from each other.

4. The die-coater system according to one of the preceding claims, comprising: at least one fixing bracket attached to the back side of the mold block assembly, and A fixed base member to which the fixed bracket and the actuator are rigidly attached.

5. The die coater system according to claims 3 and 4, wherein: The at least one fixing bracket is arranged in a transverse direction between the first holding bracket and the second holding bracket.

6. The die coater system of claim 5, wherein: The at least one fixing bracket is attached to the back side of the mold block assembly in a transverse section of the mold block assembly, which is arranged in an outer third, in particular an outer quarter, more particularly an outer fifth of the transverse extension of the mold block assembly.

7. The die coater system according to one of claims 3 to 6, further comprising: At least one transfer rod operatively coupling the at least one actuator to the at least one retaining bracket, and a support bracket disposed between the actuator and the retaining bracket supporting the transfer rod.

8. The die coater system of claim 7, wherein: The support bracket includes a device configured to selectively attenuate forward movement and / or rearward movement of the transfer rod.

9. The die coater system of claim 8, wherein: The transmission rod and the device configured to selectively weaken the forward movement and / or backward movement of the transmission rod are in a threaded engagement state, in particular having a trapezoidal thread.

10. The die coater system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: The actuator comprises a gear unit, The gear unit is particularly a reduction gear unit, more particularly a self-locking reduction gear unit, and / or The gear unit is in particular configured to transform a rotational movement of the actuator into a linear movement.

11. The die-coater system according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: At least one sensor unit, in particular a radiation based sensor unit, such as a beta ray transmission sensor, is configured to measure the active material layer deposited on the foil.

12. The die-coater system according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: A control unit is operatively coupled to the sensor unit and the regulating device and is configured to adjust the forward and / or backward thrust based on measurements regarding the layer of active material deposited on the foil.

13. The die coater system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: The mold block assembly comprises a first mold block and a second mold block, the first mold block and the second mold block surrounding a slot, wherein the outlet opening is in communication with the slot and at least one manifold is formed in the first mold block and / or the second mold block, wherein, in particular, the at least one retaining bracket and / or the at least one fixing bracket is rigidly attached to at least one of the first mold block and the second mold block.

14. The die-coater system according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: A coating roller is configured to transport the foil in a transport direction in front of the at least one discharge opening, wherein the coating roller is arranged in front of the at least one discharge opening and has a rotation axis extending in the transverse direction.

15. A method for operating a die coater system to coat a foil with an active material, the method comprising the steps of: applying the active material slurry to the foil using a mold block assembly having at least one discharge opening, wherein the discharge opening extends in a transverse direction, providing active material slurry to the foil in a discharge direction through the discharge port of the mold block assembly, moving the foil in a conveying direction intersecting the transverse direction of the discharge opening, At least one adjustment device is coupled to a back side of the mold block opposite the discharge port, and the adjustment device is used to push at least a section of the mold block assembly including the discharge port forward or backward in the discharge direction.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The adjustment device is used to at least partially displace the discharge opening relative to a rest position of the discharge opening by at least 1 μm, in particular at least 3 μm, more in particular at least 5 μm, and / or not more than 50 μm, in particular not more than 25 μm, more in particular not more than 10 μm, wherein, preferably, the rest position of the discharge opening corresponds to a flat plane.

17. An electrode for a battery, the electrode comprising a foil coated with an active material by the method according to claim 15 or 16.

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