Inspection equipment for battery splitting machine

Abstract

A battery slitter inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention inspects an assembly state of a slitter applied to a battery slitting process, and may comprise: an imaging device for capturing an image of a mounting shape of an upper blade and a lower blade included in an upper blade unit and a lower blade unit and cutting an electrode by rotational motion; and a control unit for deriving at least one inspection parameter from the captured image of the mounting shape of the upper blade and the lower blade, and determining the assembly state of the splitting machine according to the derived inspection parameter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0154398, filed on November 9, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery slitting machine inspection device, and more particularly to a battery slitting machine inspection device for inspecting the assembly state of a slitting machine used in a battery slitting process. Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries, which can be recharged and reused, serve as energy sources for a wide range of applications, from small devices such as smartphones, tablets, and vacuum cleaners to medium- and large-scale energy sources such as personal mobile devices, electric vehicles, and smart grid energy storage systems (ESS). Secondary batteries are manufactured and used in the form of components, such as battery modules with multiple battery cells connected in series and parallel, or battery packs with battery modules connected in series and parallel, depending on the system requirements.

[0004] Batteries can be roughly categorized into cylindrical, pouch, and square shapes based on their shape. Generally speaking, batteries can be manufactured by combining the separator and electrolyte after manufacturing the positive and negative plates, but batteries of different shapes can also be manufactured depending on the assembly and packaging methods.

[0005] The battery manufacturing process generally includes electrode preparation, assembly, and activation / inspection stages. The slitting process, part of electrode preparation, involves cutting the manufactured electrodes into standard sizes. The assembly state of the electrode cutting device (i.e., slitting machine) used in the slitting process can affect the slitting quality.

[0006] Traditionally, manual methods have been used to verify the assembly status of cutting devices. Workers visually inspect the equipment after assembly or measure the electrode slit width after the slitting process. However, with these manual methods, inspections are based on worker experience, and results can vary from worker to worker. In other words, existing inspection methods are inaccurate, and corrections are made only after defects have occurred in the manufacturing process, resulting in significant inefficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] In order to solve one or more problems in the prior art, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a battery slitting machine inspection device for inspecting the assembly state of a slitting machine used in a battery slitting process.

[0009] Technical Solution

[0010] In order to achieve the objectives of the present disclosure, a battery slitting machine inspection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is used to inspect the assembly status of a slitting machine applied to a battery slitting process, and the device may include: an imaging device, the imaging device being configured to capture an image of the installation shape of one or more upper knives included in an upper knife unit and one or more lower knives included in a lower knife unit, wherein the upper knife and the lower knife cut electrodes by a rotational motion; and a controller, the controller being configured to derive one or more inspection parameters from the image of the installation shape of the upper knife and the lower knife, and determine the assembly status of the slitting machine based on the derived inspection parameters.

[0011] Here, the inspection parameters may be related to: the shapes of a plurality of upper sleeves and one or more upper knives arranged between the plurality of upper sleeves and the gaps therebetween; and the shapes of a plurality of lower sleeves and one or more lower knives arranged between the plurality of lower sleeves and the gaps therebetween.

[0012] The inspection parameters may include one or more of the following: gaps between the plurality of upper knives; and gaps between the plurality of lower knives.

[0013] The inspection parameters may include one or more of the following: a gap between a first upper knife and a first upper sleeve arranged beside the first upper knife; and a gap between a first lower knife and a first lower sleeve arranged beside the first lower knife.

[0014] The inspection parameter may include an overlap size between a second upper knife and a second lower knife corresponding to the second upper knife.

[0015] The inspection parameter may include one or more of the following: a difference between an outer diameter of a third lower knife and an outer diameter of a third lower sleeve arranged beside the third lower knife; and an avoidance gap between the lower sleeves.

[0016] The inspection parameters may include one or more of the following: a height difference of the uppermost portion of the upper sleeve determined according to a rotation angle of the upper sleeve; and a height difference of the uppermost portion of the lower sleeve determined according to a rotation angle of the lower sleeve.

[0017] The battery slitting machine inspection equipment may further include a lighting device, which is located on the opposite side of the imaging device relative to the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit, and illuminates the surrounding area where the upper knife, the upper sleeve, the lower knife and the lower sleeve are located.

[0018] The battery slitting machine inspection device may further include a first moving device for moving the imaging device along the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis of the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit or in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis.

[0019] The battery slitter inspection apparatus may further include a second moving device for moving the lighting device in synchronization with the movement of the imaging device caused by the first moving device.

[0020] The battery cutting machine inspection equipment may also include: a joining head, which is used to fix the battery cutting inspection equipment to the axis of the knife unit including the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit; a knife guide, which is used to guide the position of the bottom surface of the knife unit; and an alignment cylinder, which is used to push the knife unit to the knife guide.

[0021] Beneficial effects

[0022] According to the embodiments of the present invention described above, before actual slitting, factors that have a significant impact on the efficiency of the slitting process can be measured by inspecting the slitting machine after assembling the knife unit, thereby achieving stable slitting quality.

[0023] Furthermore, the assembly status of the slitter can be accurately inspected at a higher resolution than physical measurement inspection.

[0024] Furthermore, by using the slitter inspection apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention, slitter assembly defects due to operator errors can be inspected and prevented in advance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery manufacturing process to which the present invention may be applied.

[0026] Figure 2 FIG1 is a front view schematically showing an electrode slitting device to which the present invention is applicable.

[0027] Figure 3 It is schematically shown Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the upper knife and the lower knife of the electrode cutting device, and Figure 4 It is an explanation Figure 3 A cross-sectional view showing the overlapping dimensions of the upper and lower blades of an electrode slitting device.

[0028] Figure 5 FIG. 1 shows a gap between a knife and a sleeve among inspection items for a slitting machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6 The outer diameter difference and the avoidance clearance between the inspection items of the slitter according to the embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0030] Figure 7 Showing the height difference during sleeve rotation between inspection items of a slitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 An external view showing a slitter inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 9 is a table showing data verifying the effectiveness of the battery slitter inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] 100: Slitting machine inspection equipment

[0034] 110: Imaging device 120: Illumination device

[0035] 111: First mobile device 121: Second mobile device

[0036] 130: Knife guide 150: Alignment cylinder

[0037] 170: Bonding head 190: Controller

[0038] 300: Electrode cutting device

[0039] 310: Upper slitting roller

[0040] 320: Lower slitting roller

[0041] 325: Avoidance slot

[0042] 330: Upper Knife

[0043] 340: Cut

[0044] T: Overlap size

[0045] G: Gap

[0046] P: Blade spacing (blade distance) DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The present invention may be modified in various forms and have various embodiments, specific embodiments of which are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail below. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments, but rather encompasses all variations, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Throughout the description of the figures, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0048] It should be understood that although terms such as first, second, A, and B may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are simply used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element can be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element can be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple related items or any one of multiple related items.

[0049] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another element, it can be directly coupled or connected to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0050] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms "comprising", "including" and / or "having" when used herein specify the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components and / or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, elements and / or combinations thereof.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. It should be further understood that terms (such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology and are not to be interpreted as idealized or overly formal unless explicitly defined herein.

[0052] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery manufacturing process to which the present invention may be applied.

[0054] Batteries are manufactured through an electrode preparation process S10, an assembly process S20, and an activation / inspection process S30. Batteries completed through these processes are shipped as battery packs or battery modules. A battery pack includes multiple battery cells connected in series. The battery pack can be connected to a load via positive and negative terminals and perform charge / discharge operations. The battery pack can be configured for series or parallel connections depending on the system requirements of the battery.

[0055] More specifically, the electrode preparation process S10 can be performed in the following order: a "mixing process" of mixing raw materials; a "coating process" of applying the mixed slurry to a metal foil and drying it; a "rolling process" of compressing the electrode to reduce the thickness of the electrode; a "slitting process" of cutting the electrode into a preset width; and a "grooving process" of creating a joint on the electrode.

[0056] The slitting process involves thinning the electrodes through a roll-pressing process and then cutting them to the desired battery size. This involves using a slitting machine to vertically cut the electrodes according to the designed battery specifications. The blades are interchangeable depending on the size of the battery cell being manufactured.

[0057] The assembly process S20 is the process of assembling the positive and negative plates and separators manufactured by the electrode preparation process to make finished battery cells. Depending on the type of battery (cylindrical, pouch, square), the manufacturing sequence may be different, and the technology used by each manufacturer may also be different. The assembly process S20 may generally include detailed processes such as the stacking process of stacking multiple plates and separators one by one, the joint welding process of converging the current on a single plate into one place, and the packaging process of forming and sealing the final battery shape after injecting the electrolyte.

[0058] In addition, the activation / inspection process S30 is a process for activating electrical energy and confirming stability. The activation process is carried out by repeating aging and charging / discharging. During the "aging" process, the battery is stored at room temperature and maintained at a certain temperature and humidity to allow the electrolyte to penetrate into the positive and negative electrodes. When the electrolyte is dispersed inside the battery and the movement of ions between the positive and negative electrodes becomes smooth, the battery is partially charged to activate the battery cell. At this time, lithium ions move to the negative electrode, and the electrolyte is decomposed, forming an "SEI" layer on the surface of the negative electrode, which is a solid film that can conduct ions. Afterwards, the batteries that have undergone the activation process are tested for charging capacity, and defective batteries are screened before the batteries leave the factory.

[0059] The present invention provides an apparatus for inspecting a slitting machine used in a slitting process during an electrode process.

[0060] Figure 2 FIG1 is a front view schematically showing an electrode slitting device to which the present invention is applicable.

[0061] The slitting process can be performed on a jumbo roll, which is a form of rolled thin electrode sheet discharged from the roll-pressing process. The electrode sheet coated with the electrode active material and dried is rolled into a roll on the jumbo roll. It can be understood here that the electrode sheet coated with the electrode active material and dried is the coated electrode sheet after the coating process is completed.

[0062] The electrode slitting device 300, or slitting machine, cuts the electrode sheet along its width to form a plurality of electrodes. The electrode sheet is coated with either a negative electrode active material or a positive electrode active material. When the electrode sheet coated with the negative electrode active material is cut by the electrode slitting device 300, a negative electrode is produced. Furthermore, when the electrode sheet coated with the positive electrode active material is cut by the electrode slitting device 300, a positive electrode is produced.

[0063] The electrode slitting device 300 to which the present invention is applicable may be configured to include an upper unit and a lower unit, wherein the upper unit may include an upper slitting roller 310 and a plurality of upper knives 330 , and wherein the lower unit may include a lower slitting roller 320 and a plurality of lower knives 340 .

[0064] The upper slitting roller 310 may be arranged parallel to the width direction of the electrode sheet 30 coated with the active material. The upper slitting roller 310 may include an upper roller body 311 arranged parallel to the width direction of the electrode sheet 30 and a plurality of upper sleeves 313 assembled to the upper roller body 311. The plurality of upper sleeves 313 are preferably formed to have the same width and diameter. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the upper slitting roller 310 is configured to include twelve upper sleeves 313 and eleven upper knives 330 disposed between the upper sleeves.

[0065] The lower slitting roller 320 may be arranged in parallel with the upper slitting roller 310. The lower slitting roller 320 may include a lower roller body 321 arranged in parallel with the width direction of the electrode sheet 30 and a plurality of lower sleeves 323 assembled to the lower roller body 321. The plurality of lower sleeves 323 preferably have the same width and diameter. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the lower slitting roller 320 is configured to include twelve lower sleeves 323 and eleven lower knives 340 disposed between the lower sleeves.

[0066] Multiple upper blades 330 may be arranged at equal intervals along the length of the upper slitting roller 310. The upper blades 330 may be secured to both sides of the upper sleeve 313 in the width direction by means of fastening members. The upper blades 330 may be arranged in a circular pattern along the circumference of the upper slitting roller 310 and protrude a certain height from the outer surface of the upper sleeve 313.

[0067] Multiple lower blades 340 may also be arranged along the length of the lower slitting roller 320, and may correspond to the multiple upper blades 330. The lower blades 340 may be arranged at equal intervals. The lower blades 340 may be arranged in a circular shape along the circumference of the lower slitting roller 320 and may be at the same height as the outer surface of the lower sleeve 323.

[0068] At the same time, the spacing between the blades (pitch; P) can be Figure 2 In the identification, the interval between the knives is usually set to 60mm. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the interval between the knives (slitting width) is one of the important inspection factors in the slitting machine inspection.

[0069] Previously, operators relied on experience to verify slit widths, such as visually inspecting the slitter after assembling or cutting electrode tissue.

[0070] Figure 3 It is schematically shown Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the upper and lower blades of the electrode cutting device, Figure 4 It is an explanation Figure 3 A cross-sectional view showing the overlapping dimensions of the upper and lower blades of an electrode slitting device.

[0071] The upper blade 330 and the lower blade 340 can be formed to a thickness of approximately 1 mm. An upper cutter portion 331 is formed on the circumference of the upper blade 330, and is slanted downward from the inside to the outside of the upper blade 330. The two upper cutter portions 331 fixed to each upper sleeve 313 form an acute angle, with their inclination angle θ1 flaring outward. The pair of upper cutter portions 331, flaring outward at the inclination angle θ1, are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the upper slitting roller 310.

[0072] The lower cutter portion 341 is formed on the circumference of the lower blade 340. The lower cutter portion 341 is shaped to be inclined upward from the outside to the inside of the lower blade 340. Here, the two lower cutter portions 341 fixed to each lower sleeve 323 form an acute angle, and their inclined angle θ2 converges inward. The pair of lower cutter portions 341 with the inwardly converging inclined angle θ2 are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the lower slitting roller 320.

[0073] Since the bevel angle θ1 of the upper cutter portion 331 diverges outward and the bevel angle θ2 of the lower cutter portion 341 converges inward, the sharp tips of the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 overlap to cut the electrode sheet 30. Here, since the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 are formed to be inclined at an acute angle, the shearing forces of the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 are concentrated on the cut portion of the electrode sheet 30, so that the electrode 31 can be cut smoothly.

[0074] A support surface portion 324 is formed on the outer surface of the lower slitting roller 320 to support the electrode 31 between the plurality of lower knives 340. The support surface portion 324 is formed on the outer surface of the lower sleeve 323 so as to be in close contact with the lower surface of the electrode sheet 30. When the electrode sheet 30 is conveyed, the support surface portion 324 rotates, thereby continuously supporting the cut portion of the electrode sheet 30.

[0075] An escape groove 325 is formed on the outer surface of the lower slitting roller 320 to guide the upper cutter portion 331 into the adjacent portion of the lower knife 340. The escape groove 325 can form a groove on both sides of the lower sleeve 323 along the circumferential direction.

[0076] The escape groove 325 can be formed within a range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm from the inner surface of the lower blade 340. The escape groove 325 can be formed in a circular shape along the circumference of the lower slitting roller 320 and have a uniform depth along the circumference. Because the escape groove 325 is formed in a circular shape, when the lower slitting roller 320 rotates, the upper blade 330 is drawn into the escape groove 325, thereby continuously cutting the electrode sheet 30. The escape gap G, which can be defined as the width of the escape groove, is one of the main inspection parameters of the slitting inspection equipment according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0077] An appropriate overlap dimension T of the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 may be 0.15 mm to 0.25 mm. The overlap dimension T refers to the maximum height at which the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 overlap each other when cutting the electrode sheet 30. If the overlap dimension T is less than the reference range, the shear force of the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 may be reduced, thereby reducing the performance of cutting the electrode sheet 30. On the contrary, if the overlap dimension T exceeds the reference range, the shear force of the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 may be excessively increased. In addition, if the overlap dimension T exceeds the reference range, the wear rate of the tips of the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 may increase, thereby shortening the service life of the upper cutter and the lower cutter.

[0078] The overlap dimension T between the upper cutter portion 331 and the lower cutter portion 341 is one of the inspection items for a slitter according to an embodiment of the present invention. Previously, during the slitting process after blade assembly, the relative dimensions of the overlap block and the blade outer diameter were estimated and used, but the actual overlap dimension could not be confirmed.

[0079] In the present invention, an imaging device and an illumination device are used to obtain images of the upper and lower blade ends, the coordinate values ​​of the images of the upper and lower blade ends are confirmed, and the overlapping size of the upper and lower blades can be obtained by calculating the coordinate values.

[0080] Figure 5 FIG. 1 shows the gap between the knife and the sleeve among the inspection items of the slitting machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] refer to Figure 5 The left figure shows the concept of the gap between the upper blade 330 and the upper sleeve 313 (the so-called lateral pressure gap). Figure 5 The right figure of FIG. 1 shows the gap between the knife and the sleeve shown in the actual image captured by the inspection device according to the present invention.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a battery slitting machine inspection device can determine whether the upper knife assembly state is defective by measuring the area size of light irradiated from a lighting device and passing through between the upper knife and the upper sleeve adjacent to the upper knife and identifying the area shape of the light.

[0083] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a battery slitting machine inspection device can determine whether the lower knife assembly state is defective by measuring the area size of light irradiated from a lighting device and passing through between the lower knife and the lower sleeve adjacent to the lower knife, and identifying the area shape of the light.

[0084] If the gap between the upper knife and the upper sleeve or between the lower knife and the lower sleeve is not properly maintained, the cutting performance may be degraded and the shedding of active materials may increase, which may lead to battery safety issues.

[0085] Previously, in order to check the gap between the upper knife and the upper sleeve, or the gap between the lower knife and the lower sleeve, manual operations were required depending on the operator's skills, such as checking the degree of light passing through with eyes, or cutting a piece of paper.

[0086] In the present invention, by using an imaging device and an illumination device that assists the imaging device, it is possible to determine whether the blade assembly state is defective based on the area size and shape of light irradiated by the illumination device and passing through the upper blade, upper sleeve, or lower blade and lower sleeve. In other words, the battery slitting machine inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention can verify the gap between the upper blade and the upper sleeve, as well as the gap between the lower blade and the lower sleeve, using captured images, and verify whether the gap is maintained appropriately, thereby confirming whether the blade of the slitting device is properly installed, so that a proper slitting process can be performed.

[0087] Figure 6 The outer diameter difference and the avoidance clearance between the inspection items of the slitter according to the embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0088] exist Figure 6 In the figure, L represents the height of the lower sleeve outer diameter and the lower cutter outer diameter. Figure 6 The height in the middle) is preferably the same, but there may be an outer diameter difference between the outer diameter of the lower sleeve and the outer diameter of the lower knife.

[0089] also, Figure 6 The G in represents the avoidance gap, that is, Figure 4 Since the upper cutter portion 331 of the upper knife is inserted into the escape groove portion 325 and cuts the electrode sheet 30 together with the lower cutter portion 341 of the lower knife, it is preferable to maintain the escape gap at an appropriate size.

[0090] According to the prior art, in the slitting process, the knife is assembled and used based on the dimensions engraved on the upper knife unit or the lower knife unit, but the actual dimensions of the avoidance gap cannot be identified.

[0091] In the present invention, the relevant images captured by the imaging device can be used to check whether the outer diameter difference occurs and the size of the avoidance gap, and to check whether each part / position of the slitting device is installed correctly.

[0092] Figure 7 Showing the height difference during sleeve rotation between inspection items of a slitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] The upper and lower sleeves rotate to perform slitting, such as Figure 7 As shown in FIG, as the rotation angle changes, for example, 0°, 60°, and 120°, a difference in the top height may occur. The top height of the sleeve preferably does not change during rotation. The slitting machine inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention can determine whether the sleeve is defective by recording and tracking changes in the top height.

[0094] Figure 8 An external view showing a slitter inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] The slitter inspection apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus that can inspect a slitter by measuring an assembly state of a cutting device (ie, a slitter) applied to a battery slitting process.

[0096] refer to Figure 8 The slitter inspection apparatus 100 may include an imaging device 110 , an illumination device 120 , a first moving device 111 supporting movement of the imaging device, a second moving device 121 supporting movement of the illumination device, and a controller 190 .

[0097] The imaging device 110 can capture images of the upper knife and the lower knife that cut the electrode by rotational motion in the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit. The imaging device 110 can be a device such as a camera, and can be moved on the x, y and z axes. Resolution can be used as an important factor for accurate measurement in selecting the imaging device 110. For example, the resolution of the imaging device 110 can be 3.45μm, and the measurement FOV field of view can be within 15mm. Therefore, the image area that can be measured by the imaging device 110 is only 12.8*9.6mm. Considering that the slitting width (i.e., the knife spacing) is generally between 40mm and 100mm, the movement of the imaging device becomes an important factor in deriving the inspection parameters according to the present invention.

[0098] To support the movement of the imaging device 110, a first moving device 111 can be provided. The first moving device 111 can be configured to include, for example, a linear motor. The first moving device 111 can move the imaging device 110 from the first upper sleeve and the first upper knife to the twelfth upper sleeve and the eleventh upper knife at a constant speed and distance. In this way, the imaging device 110 can measure the spacing between the upper knives and the spacing between the lower knives (i.e., the slitting width).

[0099] Furthermore, the slitting machine inspection apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an illumination device located on the side of the imaging device opposite the upper and lower blade units, and illuminating the surroundings of the upper blade, upper sleeve, lower blade, and lower sleeve. The illumination device being located on the side of the camera opposite the slitting device may result in a difference in brightness in the image captured by the camera, and one or more inspection parameters considered in the present invention may be derived from the captured image.

[0100] At the same time, a second moving device 121 supporting the movement of the lighting device 120 can be located around the lighting device 120. The second moving device 121 can move the lighting device in the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis of the upper and lower blade units, or in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis. Here, the movement of the first moving device and the movement of the second moving device can be controlled to be synchronized with each other.

[0101] In other words, the controller 190 of the slitting machine inspection device 100 can derive one or more inspection parameters from the captured shapes of the installed upper and lower blades, and determine the assembly state of the slitting device based on the derived inspection parameters. More specifically, the controller 190 can receive an image captured by an imaging device, verify and analyze the relevant coordinate values ​​of each component (upper blade, lower blade, upper sleeve, lower sleeve) shown in the image, and derive one or more inspection parameters according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] Here, the controller 190 may be located close to the imaging device 110, the lighting device 120, the first mobile device 111, and the second mobile device 121, but may also be located at a relatively long distance. The controller 190 may be connected to the imaging device 110, the lighting device 120, the first mobile device 111, and the second mobile device 121 through wired or wireless communication. The controller 190 may be implemented in the form of a computing device that can be accessed and controlled by an operator or user.

[0103] Here, the inspection parameters according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of the following: a gap between multiple upper knives; a gap between a first upper knife and a first upper sleeve adjacent to the first upper knife; an overlapping size between a second upper knife and a second lower knife corresponding to the second upper knife; and a topmost height difference according to the rotation angle of the upper sleeve.

[0104] The inspection parameters according to an embodiment of the present invention may also include at least one of the following: the gap between multiple lower knives; the gap between the first lower knife and the first lower sleeve adjacent to the first lower knife; the outer diameter difference between the third lower knife and the third lower sleeve adjacent to the third lower knife; the avoidance gap of the lower sleeve; and the uppermost height difference according to the rotation angle of the lower sleeve.

[0105] Here, through Figure 2 The gaps between the upper knives and the gaps between the lower knives P are observed. By moving the camera from the first knife to the Nth knife in sequence (N is the total number of knives included in each of the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit), the gaps between the knives can be measured in sequence.

[0106] In addition, the gap between the lower knives at each angle can be measured by rotating the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit at different rotation angles (such as 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°, etc.).

[0107] Here, the gap size between the knives may be calculated by the controller 190 which checks and calculates coordinate values ​​of the first knife and the second knife appearing on an image acquired by the imaging device.

[0108] At the same time, if Figure 5 It is observed that the gap between the first upper knife and the first upper sleeve adjacent to the first upper knife can be referred to as a lateral pressure gap.

[0109] In addition, through Figure 4 The overlap size T between the second upper knife and the second lower knife corresponding to the second upper knife is observed. Meanwhile, the overlap size can be calculated by the controller 190 which checks and calculates the coordinate values ​​of the upper knife end and the lower knife end appearing on the image acquired by the imaging device.

[0110] pass Figure 6 As described above, the outer diameter difference between the third lower cutter and the third lower sleeve adjacent to the third lower cutter and the lower sleeve's clearance G can be observed. The outer diameter difference and the lower sleeve's clearance G can also be calculated by the controller 190, which analyzes the image acquired by the imaging device and verifies and calculates the relevant coordinate values.

[0111] pass Figure 7 The difference in the uppermost height according to the rotation angle of the upper sleeve or the lower sleeve is observed and can be regarded as a monitoring parameter for quality control of the slitting device.

[0112] Meanwhile, the blade used in the slitting device is usually made of HCr electroplated material, but this material has severe reflective properties. Therefore, one of the main factors in the slitting machine inspection device 100 according to the present invention is to install the camera and the blade in parallel.

[0113] To this end, the slitting machine inspection device 100 may include: a coupling head 170, which is used to align and fix the slitting machine inspection device 100 to the upper / lower knife axis of the knife unit (the position where the knife is inserted); a knife guide 130, which is arranged on the lower surface of the knife unit and guides the position of the bottom surface of the knife unit; and an alignment cylinder 150, which pushes the knife unit to the knife guide.

[0114] With the help of the joining head 170, knife guide 130 and alignment cylinder 150 of the slitting machine inspection device 100, the knife unit as the inspection target can be installed at a certain position in the slitting machine inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the inspection device can perform consistent and accurate inspection on the slitting machine.

[0115] Figure 9 is a table showing data verifying the effectiveness of the battery slitter inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0116] Figure 9 The results of physical measurement inspections of the slitting widths of three types of positive electrodes and three types of negative electrodes, as well as inspection results using a slitting machine inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, are shown. The physical measurement inspection is a practical inspection of the slitting widths used previously, and shows the results of actual measurement of the electrode width using a steel ruler or the like after the slitting process.

[0117] from Figure 9 From the table, there is almost no difference between the values ​​of physical measurement inspection and the values ​​of image inspection according to the present invention. In addition, the resolution of physical measurement inspection is 0.5mm, while the resolution of image inspection according to the present invention is 0.001mm, which shows that the measurement accuracy has been improved.

[0118] Furthermore, according to the present invention, before actual slitting is performed, the slitting width, the clearance, the overlap, etc. can be measured by inspecting the slitting machine after assembling the knife unit. Thus, a one-time inspection of the knife unit can eliminate the need for physical measurement inspection of the slitting width during the use of the knife unit (approximately 200,000 meters for positive and approximately 1,000,000 meters for negative).

[0119] The operations of the methods according to the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a computer-readable program or code on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include various recording devices that store computer system-readable data. In addition, computer-readable recording media can be distributed among network-connected computer systems to store and execute the computer-readable program or code in a distributed manner.

[0120] The present invention has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes may be made to the present invention within the scope without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery slitting machine inspection device, the battery slitting machine inspection device is used to inspect the assembly status of the slitting machine used in the battery slitting process, the battery slitting machine inspection device comprising: an imaging device configured to capture an image of an installation shape of one or more upper knives included in the upper knife unit and one or more lower knives included in the lower knife unit, the upper knives and the lower knives cutting the electrode by a rotational motion; as well as A controller is configured to derive one or more inspection parameters from the image of the installation shape of the upper knife and the lower knife, and determine an assembly state of the slitting machine according to the derived inspection parameters.

2. The battery cutting machine inspection device according to claim 1, wherein: The inspection parameters are related to the shapes of the multiple upper sleeves and one or more upper knives arranged between the multiple upper sleeves and the gaps therebetween; and the shapes of the multiple lower sleeves and one or more lower knives arranged between the multiple lower sleeves and the gaps therebetween.

3. The battery cutting machine inspection device according to claim 2, wherein: The inspection parameters include one or more of the following: gaps between the plurality of upper knives; and The gaps between the multiple lower knives.

4. The battery cutting machine inspection device according to claim 2, wherein: The inspection parameters include one or more of the following: a gap between a first upper knife and a first upper sleeve disposed beside the first upper knife; and A gap between a first lower knife and a first lower sleeve arranged beside the first lower knife.

5. The battery cutting machine inspection device according to claim 2, wherein: The inspection parameter includes a size of an overlap between a second upper knife and a second lower knife corresponding to the second upper knife.

6. The battery cutting machine inspection device according to claim 2, wherein: The inspection parameters include one or more of the following: a difference between an outer diameter of a third lower knife and an outer diameter of a third lower sleeve arranged beside the third lower knife; and The avoidance gap between the lower sleeves.

7. The battery cutting machine inspection device according to claim 2, wherein: The inspection parameters include one or more of the following: A height difference of the uppermost portion of the upper sleeve determined according to the rotation angle of the upper sleeve; as well as The height difference of the uppermost portion of the lower sleeve is determined according to the rotation angle of the lower sleeve.

8. The battery slitting machine inspection equipment according to claim 2 further comprises a lighting device, which is located on the opposite side of the imaging device relative to the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit, and illuminates the surrounding area where the upper knife, the upper sleeve, the lower knife and the lower sleeve are located.

9. The battery cutting machine inspection equipment according to claim 1 further includes a first moving device, which is used to move the imaging device along the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis of the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit or in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rotation axis.

10. The battery slitter inspection device according to claim 9, further comprising a second moving device for moving the lighting device in synchronization with the movement of the imaging device caused by the first moving device.

11. The battery cutting machine inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a joining head, the joining head being used to fix the battery cutting and inspection device to an axis of a knife unit including the upper knife unit and the lower knife unit; a knife guide for guiding a position of a bottom surface of the knife unit; as well as An alignment cylinder is used to push the knife unit to the knife guide.

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