Scraper and device for manufacturing electrode comprising same

Abstract

A blade according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first blade having a first tip including an inclined plane; and a second blade having a second tip including a curved surface, in which the first blade and the second blade are in contact with each other, can integrally move toward a traveling electrode in which the active material has been disposed on the current collector, or can move in opposite directions or can be individually moved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0024345, filed on February 23, 2023, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0018641, filed on February 7, 2024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0003] The present invention relates to a scraper, an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode including the scraper, a method for forming a pattern on an electrode, and a method for manufacturing an electrode, and more particularly, to a scraper, an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode including the scraper, a method for forming a pattern on an electrode, and a method for manufacturing an electrode, which neatly process a boundary portion of a pattern during electrode pattern formation in an electrode process and also make the thickness of a provided active material uniform. Background Art

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

[0005] Current commercial secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, etc. Among these secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries have attracted attention because they have advantages such as exhibiting almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, and thus being freely chargeable and dischargeable, having a very low self-discharge rate, and having a high energy density.

[0006] The manufacturing process of lithium secondary batteries is broadly divided into electrode processing, assembly, and molding. The electrode process is further divided into active material mixing, electrode coating, rolling, slitting, and winding. The electrode coating process is divided into a wet process, where active material slurry is applied to the electrode current collector, and a dry process, where the active material is applied to the current collector in a solid state.

[0007] A more effective method is needed to neatly process boundary portions of patterns during electrode pattern formation and also to uniformize the thickness of an active material provided on a current collector. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a scraper, an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode including the scraper, a method for forming a pattern on an electrode, and a method for manufacturing an electrode, which neatly processes a boundary portion of a pattern during electrode pattern formation after providing an active material onto a current collector, and also makes the thickness of the provided active material uniform.

[0010] However, the technical problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and can be variously extended within the scope of the technical concept included in the present disclosure.

[0011] Technical Solution

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a scraper is provided, comprising: a first blade having a first tip including an inclined plane, and a second blade having a second tip including a curved surface, wherein the first blade and the second blade are in contact with each other, wherein an active material is provided on a current collector and is capable of moving toward a traveling electrode as a whole or individually, or vice versa.

[0013] The first blade may be located on the upstream side of the second blade in the direction of travel of the electrode, the inclined plane of the first tip of the first blade may be arranged to be oriented in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the electrode, and the curved surface of the second tip of the second blade may be arranged to be oriented in the direction of travel of the electrode from the inclined plane.

[0014] The first blade is positioned relatively closer to the electrode than the second blade, and the end of the first tip of the first blade can be maintained in contact with the current collector, so that the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed to form a pattern on the exposed area of ​​the current collector.

[0015] Outer surfaces of the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other and can be kept separated from the current collector by a predetermined distance to flatten the thickness of the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode.

[0016] Only the first blade moves toward the traveling electrode, and the end of the first tip of the first blade may contact the current collector, so that active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed to form a pattern on an exposed area of ​​the current collector.

[0017] The first blade that has moved toward the traveling electrode returns to its initial position, and the outer surfaces of the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other and can be maintained in a state of being separated from the current collector by a predetermined distance to flatten the thickness of the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode.

[0018] The end of the first tip of the scraper contacts the current collector, and the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed so that the area where the current collector is exposed becomes the uncoated portion of the electrode, and the outer surfaces of the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other so that the area where the active material is flattened becomes the coated portion of the electrode, and the uncoated portion and the coated portion can be alternately arranged to form a pattern on the electrode.

[0019] The inclination angle of the inclined plane of the first blade may have any angle selected from greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees based on the traveling electrode.

[0020] The first blade and the second blade may each be arranged orthogonally to the traveling electrode.

[0021] The first tip of the first blade further includes a curved surface at an end portion, and the curved surface and the inclined plane of the first tip of the first blade may be connected to each other.

[0022] The inclined plane of the first tip of the first blade may be composed of at least two planes having inclination angles different from each other.

[0023] The second tip of the second blade further includes an inclined plane, the curved surface of the second tip of the second blade may be arranged at an end of the second tip of the second blade, and the curved surface and the inclined plane may be connected to each other.

[0024] The inclined plane of the second tip of the second blade may be composed of at least two planes having inclination angles different from each other.

[0025] A doctor blade is used in the dry electrode process, and the active material can be provided as a powder on the current collector.

[0026] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode, the apparatus including: a scraper according to the above embodiment; a feeder arranged in front of the scraper and supplying active material to a current collector; and a rolling member arranged behind the scraper and rolling the electrode provided with the active material.

[0027] The apparatus further includes an air blower disposed behind the scraper, wherein when the active material remains on the uncoated portion of the electrode, the air blower blows air to remove the active material.

[0028] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for forming a pattern on an electrode by a scraper according to the above-mentioned embodiment is provided, the method comprising the following steps: moving a first blade downward to contact the surface of a current collector of a traveling electrode; maintaining the position of the first blade for a predetermined time period so that the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed; returning the first blade to its initial position so that the outer surfaces of the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other; and performing flattening of the active material of the electrode by the first tip of the first blade and the second tip of the second blade, wherein the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are maintained in a state of being separated from the current collector by a predetermined distance.

[0029] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing an electrode in an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode according to the above-mentioned embodiment is provided, the method comprising the following steps: supplying an active material to a current collector of an electrode through a feeder; moving a first blade downward to contact the surface of the current collector of the traveling electrode; maintaining the position of the first blade for a predetermined period of time so that the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed; returning the first blade to its initial position so that the outer surfaces of the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other; and performing flattening of the active material of the electrode by the first tip of the first blade and the second tip of the second blade, wherein the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are maintained in a state of being separated from the current collector by a predetermined distance.

[0030] The method may further include removing the active material by blowing air with a blower when the active material remains on an uncoated portion of the electrode on which the planarization of the active material has been performed.

[0031] The method may further include rolling the electrode, on which the planarization of the active material has been performed, using a rolling member.

[0032] Beneficial effects

[0033] According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is advantageous in that a boundary portion of a pattern can be neatly processed during electrode pattern formation in an electrode process, and the thickness of a provided active material can be planarized to make the thickness uniform.

[0034] Furthermore, by using the doctor blade according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and the apparatus for manufacturing an electrode including the same, defects in the electrode manufactured thereby may be prevented or significantly reduced, thereby improving the performance of the battery manufactured thereby. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1is a conceptual diagram of an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 An embodiment of a scraper for an electrode manufacturing device.

[0037] Figure 3 Shown Figure 1 Various embodiments of a scraper for an electrode manufacturing apparatus.

[0038] Figure 4 Shown Figure 1 Another embodiment of a scraper for an electrode manufacturing apparatus.

[0039] Figure 5 It's about Figure 4 Reference picture of the scraper.

[0040] Figure 6 Shown Figure 1 Another embodiment of a scraper for an electrode manufacturing device.

[0041] Figure 7 Shown for the Figure 2 An embodiment of a process in which a scraper is used to form a pattern on an electrode.

[0042] Figure 8 is included in Figure 7 A flow chart of a method for manufacturing an electrode and a process for forming a pattern on an electrode.

[0043] Figure 9 and Figure 10 Each shows Figure 7 A modified embodiment that has been partially modified. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily perform them. The present disclosure can be modified in various ways and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0045] 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.

[0046] In addition, in the drawings, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for the convenience of description, so it is obvious that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of some layers, regions, etc. are exaggerated for the sake of clarity. In the drawings, the thickness of some layers and regions are exaggerated for the sake of convenience of description.

[0047] Furthermore, 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 intervening elements may be present. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, this means that no other intervening elements are present. Furthermore, a reference to a particular portion being "on" or "above" a reference portion means that the particular portion is above or below the reference portion, and does not specifically mean that the particular portion is "above" or "on" the reference portion in a direction opposite to the force of gravity. Furthermore, similar to the case where it is described as being formed on or located "on" or "above" another portion, the case where it is described as being formed or disposed "below" or "beneath" another portion will be understood with reference to the above.

[0048] Furthermore, since the upper surface / lower surface of a specific member may be determined differently depending on which direction is used as a reference, throughout this specification, “upper surface” or “lower surface” is defined to mean two opposite surfaces of the corresponding member on the z-axis.

[0049] In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as “including” or “comprising” a certain component, it means that the part may further include other components, but does not exclude other components, unless otherwise specified.

[0050] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when referred to as a “plane”, this means observing the target portion from the upper side, and when referred to as a “cross section”, this means observing the target portion from one side of a cross section cut vertically.

[0051] Now, an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0052] Figure 1 : is a conceptual diagram of an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is simplified and shows the electrode manufacturing apparatus viewed from the front. Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 An embodiment of a scraper of an electrode manufacturing device, Figure 2 It is a simplified diagram showing the scraper viewed from the front. Figure 3 Shown Figure 1 Various embodiments of a scraper for an electrode manufacturing apparatus.

[0053] refer to Figure 1 The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure mainly includes a feeder 10, a scraper 100, a blower 20, and a rolling member 30. If necessary, the apparatus may further include a drying unit, an inspection unit, etc., and other components may include subcomponents provided in a typical electrode manufacturing apparatus.

[0054] The feeder 10 supplies the electrode active material 3 to the electrode current collector 2. In the case of a dry electrode manufacturing process, the active material 3 is supplied as a powder. The portion of the electrode active material 3 not provided on the electrode current collector 2 or the portion where the active material 3 is removed by a scraper as described below is an uncoated portion. When some of the electrode active material 3 remains on the electrode current collector 2 in the portion where the electrode active material 3 is not provided or in the portion where the active material 3 is removed by a scraper (i.e., the uncoated portion), the blower 20 blows air to blow away the electrode active material 3, thereby preventing the electrode active material 3 from remaining on the current collector. The rolling member 30 can be, for example, a rolling roller, and rolls the electrode active material 3 provided to the electrode current collector 2. The electrode active material 3 supplied by the feeder 10 can be an electrode active material to which a conductive material, an organic binder polymer, additives, etc. are selectively mixed as needed. In addition, other specific details about the feeder 10, the blower 20, and the rolling member 30 are the same as those provided in a typical electrode manufacturing apparatus, and therefore, their description will be omitted.

[0055] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The scraper 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first blade 110 and a second blade 120, wherein the first blade 110 and the second blade 120 are configured as a set. The first blade 110 and the second blade 120 are arranged in a row in a vertical direction and contact each other. In addition, the inclined plane 111a of the first blade 110 and the curved surface 121a of the second blade 120 are oriented in opposite directions.

[0056] During the electrode manufacturing process (electrode pattern formation), the first blade 110 and the second blade 120 may be arranged, for example, orthogonally to the traveling direction of the electrode 1. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and in some cases, the first blade 110 and the second blade 120 may have a configuration such as Figure 9 or Figure 10 The slightly tilted shape shown.

[0057] In addition, the first blade 110 and the second blade 120 may contact each other in the height direction, but may be individually movable in the vertical direction. Figure 3 (a) shows a case where the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 coincide with each other. That is, this shows a case where the outer surfaces of the end of the first tip 111 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 are connected to each other.

[0058] Figure 3(b) shows a case where the first blade 110 is positioned relatively lower than the second blade 120. That is, this shows a case where the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 is positioned relatively lower than the second tip 121 of the second blade 120.

[0059] Figure 3 (c) shows a case where the second blade 120 is positioned relatively lower than the first blade 110. That is, this shows a case where the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 is positioned relatively lower than the first tip 111 of the first blade 110.

[0060] The first tip 111 of the first blade 110 is composed of an inclined plane 111a, and the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 is composed of a curved surface 121a. The inclination angle θ between the inclined plane 111a and the electrode current collector 2 can be, for example, any angle selected from greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, for example, any angle selected from 10 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less, for example, any angle selected from 10 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less.

[0061] Since the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 is formed by the inclined plane 111a, the end is sharp, which is conducive to forming a pattern on the electrode (i.e., forming a boundary portion of the active material provided on the electrode collector 2). In addition, the first blade 110 is positioned further forward (upstream side) than the second blade 120 in the direction of travel of the electrode 1. In addition, the inclined plane 111a of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 is oriented in the direction opposite to the direction of travel of the electrode 1. That is, the inclined plane 111a of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 is oriented toward the active material 3 close to the electrode. Thus, a pattern can be formed on the electrode (i.e., forming a boundary portion of the active material provided on the electrode collector 2) by the first blade 110 alone (see Figure 3 At this time, the first blade 110 is positioned relatively lower than the second blade 120.

[0062] When the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 coincide with each other, that is, when the outer surfaces of the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 are connected to each other (see Figure 3(a)), it is advantageous to flatten the thickness of the active material and make the thickness of the active material uniform by using the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the second tip 121 of the second blade 120. Therefore, when the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 coincide with each other, the thickness of the active material can be flattened and made uniform by using the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 integrated. At this time, the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 are separated by a predetermined distance from the current collector 2 of the traveling electrode 1. The spacing distance can be, for example, the thickness of the active material 3 to be flattened, and is determined in advance according to the environment in which the present invention is implemented and / or the electrode to be manufactured.

[0063] In addition, since the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 is formed of a curved surface, in some cases, if necessary, the thickness of the active material can be flattened and made uniform by using the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 alone (see FIG. Figure 3 (c)).

[0064] Figure 4 Shown Figure 1 Another embodiment of the scraper of the electrode manufacturing equipment. More specifically, Figure 4 Shown Figure 3 The first blade 110 is shown to be changed to Figure 4 This is the case with the first blade 110'. Figure 4 The scraper 100 ′ includes a first blade 110 ′ and a second blade 120 . Figure 5 More specifically, Figure 4 The first blade 110'.

[0065] The first blade 110' has a first tip 111' comprising at least one inclined plane 111a and a curved surface 111b. The curved surface 111b is located at the end of the tip 111' of the first blade 110'. For example, this means Figure 5 The surface between P3 and P4 in FIG. In other words, the end of the tip 111′ of the first blade 110′ is processed into a rounded shape. The end of the tip 111′ of the first blade 110′ is formed by the curved surface 111b, thereby preventing excessive pressure from being concentrated on the tip when the tip contacts the current collector 2 or active material 3 of the electrode, which could cause the tip to wear or partially damage.

[0066] First tip 111' of first blade 100' has an inclined plane 111a that follows curved surface 111b at its end. That is, curved surface 111b and inclined plane 111a are connected to each other. Inclined plane 111a can be provided as a single plane, or as two inclined planes 111a-1 and 111a-2, with these two inclined planes 111a-1 and 111a-2 having different angles θ1 and θ2 therebetween, as described herein. In this case, angle θ2 between the end of first tip 111' of first blade 110' and inclined plane 111a-2, which is located closer to inclined plane 111a-1, is greater than angle θ1 between the end of tip 111' and inclined plane 111a-1. When flattening active material 3, first blade 110' can contact active material 3 to further reduce the resistance received from active material 3. Thus, active material 3 can be flattened more effectively.

[0067] Here, reference Figure 5 , where the angle θ2 is, for example, Figure 4 The angle between the extension line connecting P1 and P2 corresponding to the inclined plane 111a-1 and the extension line connecting P2 and P3 corresponding to the inclined plane 111a-2. In addition, the angle θ1 between them refers to the angle between the extension line connecting P1 and P2 corresponding to the inclined plane 111a-1 and the line extending in the total height (length) direction of the first blade 110'. The angle θ1 between them is any angle selected from greater than 0 degrees and less than 45 degrees, and the angle θ2 between them is any angle selected from greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, wherein the angle θ2 between them is greater than the angle θ1 between them.

[0068] In addition, the number of inclined planes is not limited to the above number and can be adjusted according to the environment in which the present invention is implemented. In addition, the size ratio of the plurality of inclined planes is not limited to the size ratio shown and can be adjusted according to the environment in which the present invention is implemented.

[0069] Furthermore, the curved surface 111 b has a curvature radius R and a central angle α, wherein the curvature radius R and the central angle α may be variously adjusted according to the environment in which the present invention is implemented.

[0070] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present invention, the second blade 120 and the first blade 110' are arranged in a straight line in the vertical direction and are in contact with each other. In addition, the curved surface 111b and the inclined planes 111a-1 and 111a-2 of the first blade 110' and the curved surface 121a of the second blade 120 are oriented in opposite directions. In addition, the second blade 120 and the first blade 110' can be in contact with each other in the height direction, but can move independently in the vertical direction.

[0071] A pattern can be formed on the electrode (i.e., a boundary portion of the active material provided on the electrode current collector 2) by using the first blade 110' alone. At this time, the first blade 110' is positioned relatively lower than the second blade 120. In addition, when the end of the first tip 111' of the first blade 110' and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 coincide with each other, the thickness of the active material can be flattened and uniformed at the same time by using the first tip 111' of the first blade 110' and the second tip 121 of the second blade 120. Of course, in some cases, the thickness of the active material can also be flattened and uniformed by using the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 alone.

[0072] Since the other descriptions and process details about the second blade 120 and the first blade 110' are the same as those about Figure 3 The description of the scraper 100 is repeated, so reference is made above to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The content described in .

[0073] Figure 6 Shown Figure 1 Another embodiment of the scraper of the electrode manufacturing equipment. More specifically, Figure 6 The second blade 120 is shown to be changed to Figure 6 The second blade 120' is shown. That is, Figure 6 The scraper 100 ″ includes a first blade 110 and a second blade 120 ′.

[0074] When viewed in the accompanying drawings, Figure 6 The second blade 120' is constructed as Figure 4 The first blade 110' is bilaterally symmetrical, and the rest of the blade 110' has a similar structure and shape. That is, the second blade 120' has a curved surface 121a at the end of the second tip 121' and has at least one inclined plane 121b following the curved surface. Figure 6 The curved surface 121a and the at least one inclined plane 121b of the second blade 120' each have Figure 4 and Figure 5 The curved surface 111 b and the at least one inclined plane 111 a of the first blade 110 ′ have bilaterally symmetrical structures and shapes, and therefore, reference is made to those set forth above and a detailed description thereof is omitted because it is repetitive.

[0075] A pattern can be formed on the electrode (i.e., a boundary portion of the active material provided on the electrode current collector 2) by using the first blade 110 alone. At this time, the first blade 110 is positioned relatively lower than the second blade 120'. In addition, when the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121' of the second blade 120' coincide with each other, the thickness of the active material can be flattened and uniformed at the same time by the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the second tip 121' of the second blade 120'. Of course, in some cases, the thickness of the active material can also be flattened and uniformed by the second tip 121' of the second blade 120' alone.

[0076] in addition, Figure 6 The first blade 110 and the second blade 120 'are Figures 1 to 5 The first blade 110 and the second blade 120' described in the above are repeated. Therefore, for more details, refer to the above Figures 1 to 5 Those described in .

[0077] Figure 7 Shown for the Figure 2 An embodiment of a process in which a scraper is used to form a pattern on an electrode.

[0078] refer to Figure 7 , a method of forming a pattern on an electrode by a scraper (see steps S120 to S150 ) and a method for manufacturing an electrode including a process of forming a pattern on an electrode (see steps S110 to S170 ) will be described. Figure 8 is included in Figure 7 A flow chart of a method for manufacturing an electrode and a process for forming a pattern on an electrode.

[0079] Execution through the feeder 10 (see Figure 1 ) Step (S110) of supplying the electrode active material 3 to the current collector 2 of the electrode. At this time, the electrode 1 moves in the moving direction. In addition, as Figure 7 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the scraper 100 is located at a point where a pattern will be formed on the active material 3 (eg, a point where a boundary between a coated portion and an uncoated portion will be formed).

[0080] In the method for manufacturing an electrode, a method of forming a pattern on the electrode corresponds to steps S120 to S150, and is specifically as follows:

[0081] like Figure 7As shown in (b), a step (S120) of moving the first blade toward the current collector 2 of the traveling electrode is performed. For example, in step S120, the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 is lowered to the surface of the current collector 2 of the electrode so that the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 (the end of the first tip) can contact the current collector of the electrode. At this time, the first blade 110 is positioned relatively lower than the second blade 120. In step S120, the point where the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 contacts the electrode 1 becomes the boundary between the coated portion and the uncoated portion, the coated portion being the area on which the active material 3 is provided on the current collector 2, and the uncoated portion being the area from which the active material 3 provided on the current collector 2 is removed.

[0082] Next, if Figure 7 As shown in (c), the execution will Figure 7 The position of the lower first blade 110 in (b) is maintained for a predetermined period of time (S130). In step S130, the active material 3 on the traveling electrode 1 is removed to form an area where the current collector 2 is exposed. More specifically, the current collector 2 of the electrode 1 continues to travel in the traveling direction. However, the active material 3 of the electrode 1 is blocked by the first blade 110 and cannot travel. This is because, as described above in step S120, the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 is in contact with the surface of the current collector 2 of the electrode. Therefore, as Figure 7 As shown in (c), the active material 3 is removed to form an uncoated portion, which is a region where the current collector 2 is exposed.

[0083] Next, if Figure 7 As shown in (d), a step (S140) of returning the first blade 110 to its initial position is performed. That is, the first blade 110 moves upward in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the first blade 110 in step S120 and returns to its initial position. Therefore, the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 coincide with each other. That is, the outer surfaces of the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 are connected to each other. At this time, the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 are separated by a predetermined distance from the current collector 2 of the traveling electrode 1. The spacing distance can be, for example, the thickness of the active material 3 to be flattened, and can be predetermined according to the environment for implementing the present invention and / or the electrode to be manufactured.

[0084] Next, in Figure 7In the state shown in (d), i.e., with the end of the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the end of the second tip 121 of the second blade 120 aligned, the method includes a step (S150) of flattening the active material 3 of the electrode 1 using the first tip 111 of the first blade 110 and the second tip 121 of the second blade 120. The portion of the active material 3 of the electrode 1 flattened in step S150 becomes a coated portion. Through these steps, a pattern of alternating coated and uncoated portions is formed on the electrode 1.

[0085] The electrode active material 3 is fed through the feeder 10 (see Figure 1 ) is continuously supplied onto the current collector 2 of the electrode described in step S110 above, step S120 is repeated again to form a boundary between the coated portion and the uncoated portion of the electrode 1. Subsequently, the above steps S130 to S150 are repeated in sequence. If steps S120 to S150 are repeated multiple times in this order, an electrode 1 having a pattern in which the coated portion and the uncoated portion are alternately repeated can be manufactured.

[0086] When the active material 3 remains in the uncoated portion of the electrode 1 where the planarization of the active material 3 has been performed, the method further includes removing the active material 3 by using a blower 20 (see FIG. Figure 1 ) Step (S160) of blowing air to remove the active material. In addition, the method further comprises a step (S170) of using a rolling member 30 (see Figure 1 ) rolling the electrode 1 on which the active material 3 has been flattened. Step S160 may be performed as follows. Figure 8 The step S160 is performed between steps S150 and S170. Alternatively, the step S160 may be performed after the step S170. Thereafter, the electrode is cut to produce an electrode assembly.

[0087] Figure 9 and Figure 10 Each shows Figure 7 The modified implementation method is partially modified. Figure 7 As shown, during the electrode manufacturing process (electrode pattern formation), the first blade 110 and the second blade 120 may be arranged, for example, orthogonally to the traveling direction of the electrode 1. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and in some cases, the first blade 110 and the second blade 120 may have a configuration as shown in FIG. Figure 9 or Figure 10 The slightly tilted shape shown.

[0088] In addition, Figures 7 to 10 In the Figure 2 The present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be similarly applied to a process in which a scraper 100 forms a pattern on the electrode 1. Figure 4 The scraper 100 ' or Figure 6 The process of forming a pattern on the electrode 1 using a doctor blade 100 ′ is shown.

[0089] The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to, for example, a dry electrode manufacturing process.

[0090] The electrode according to the present invention may be a positive electrode or a negative electrode. That is, the manufacturing process of the electrode according to the present disclosure is not particularly limited to the positive electrode or the negative electrode, can be easily applied to any electrode manufacturing process, and can be manufactured according to the material used to manufacture each electrode (e.g., positive electrode active material or negative electrode active material). Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the term "electrode" used herein for electrode, electrode active material 3, electrode current collector 2, etc. may refer to both the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

[0091] In the dry electrode manufacturing process of the present disclosure, the electrode active material 3 and the binder polymer are dry-mixed to obtain a mixture.

[0092] The positive electrode active material can be used without particular limitation as long as it is a material containing lithium and thus capable of intercalating / deintercalating lithium ions. For example, the positive electrode active material may include: a layered compound such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) and lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2) or a compound substituted with one or more transition metals; a lithium manganese oxide such as a compound of the chemical formula Li 1+x Mn 2-x O4 (where x is 0 to 0.33), LiMnO3, LiMn2O3, LiMnO2; lithium copper oxide (Li2CuO2); vanadium oxides such as LiV3O8, LiV3O4, V2O5 and Cu2V2O7; 1-x M x Nickel-type lithium nickel oxide represented by O2 (wherein M = Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B or Ga, and x = 0.01 to 0.3); 2-x M x Lithium manganese composite oxide represented by Li2Mn3MO8 (wherein M=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn); lithium manganese composite oxide having the chemical formula LiNi x Mn 2-xThe positive electrode may include, but is not limited to, a positive electrode mixture layer comprising metallic lithium, a carbon material, a metal compound, or a mixture thereof. The metal compound may be a compound comprising one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, Sb, Bi, Al, Ga, In, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Mg, Sr, and Ba, or a mixture thereof.

[0093] The negative electrode can be manufactured by providing the negative electrode active material onto the negative electrode collector and rolling it, or can be manufactured in a dry manner similar to the above-mentioned positive electrode manufacturing process, and if necessary, can optionally further contain a conductive material, an organic binder polymer, additives, etc. as in the positive electrode.

[0094] In addition, the negative electrode active material may include, for example, a carbon material and a silicon material. A carbon material refers to a carbon material comprising carbon atoms as a main component, and examples of carbon materials include graphite having a graphene structure as fully formed in natural graphite, soft carbon having a low crystalline graphene structure (a structure in which the hexagonal honeycomb planes of carbon are arranged in a layered form), and hard carbon, artificial graphite, expanded graphite, carbon fiber, non-graphitizable carbon, carbon black, acetylene black, Ketjen black, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, activated carbon, graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc., wherein these structures are mixed with an amorphous portion, and preferably, one or more of the group consisting of natural graphite, artificial graphite, and carbon nanotubes may be included. More preferably, the carbon material includes natural graphite and / or artificial graphite, and may include one or more of carbon black and carbon nanotubes and natural graphite and / or artificial graphite. In this case, the carbon material may include 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes based on 100 parts by weight of the total carbon material, and more specifically, the carbon material may include 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes based on 100 parts by weight of the total carbon material; or the carbon material may include 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes based on 100 parts by weight of the total carbon material.

[0095] In addition, the silicon material is a particle containing silicon (Si) as a main component as a metal component, and may include silicon (Si) particles and silicon oxide (SiO X , where 1≤X≤2) particles. As an example, the silicon material may include silicon (Si) particles, silicon monoxide (SiO) particles, silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles, or a mixture of these particles.

[0096] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the current collector includes a metal plate having conductivity, and may be a metal plate appropriately selected according to the polarity of electrodes known in the field of secondary batteries.

[0097] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the conductive material is not particularly limited as long as it does not cause chemical changes in the corresponding battery and has conductivity.

[0098] In addition, according to the present disclosure, the binder resin is not particularly limited as long as it is a compound that facilitates bonding between the active material and the conductive material and bonding with the current collector.

[0099] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, when a pattern is formed on the surface of the electrode, no additional process for forming the pattern is required, thereby improving process efficiency. In addition, by using the electrode manufacturing equipment according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the specific surface area of ​​the electrode can be effectively expanded, which allows more electrolyte ions to be stored when charging the battery, thereby improving battery performance.

[0100] In this embodiment, terms such as front, back, left, right, upper and lower sides have been used to indicate directions, but it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the terms used are provided only for convenience of description and may become different depending on the position of the object, the position of the observer, etc.

[0101] The electrodes manufactured by applying the control method of the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment can be included in a secondary battery, and a plurality of such secondary batteries can be assembled together to form a battery module. The battery module can be installed together with various control and protection systems such as a BMS (battery management system) and a cooling system to form a battery pack.

[0102] Secondary batteries, battery modules, or battery packs can be applied to various devices. Specifically, they can be applied to vehicle devices such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, etc., but are not limited thereto and can be applied to various devices that can use secondary batteries.

[0103] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to its preferred embodiments, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements using the basic concepts of the present disclosure defined in the appended claims, which also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0104] [Explanation of Reference Numbers]

[0105] 1: Electrode

[0106] 2: Current collector

[0107] 3: Active Materials

[0108] 10: Feeder

[0109] 20: Blower

[0110] 30: Rolled components

[0111] 100: scraper

[0112] 110, 110': First blade

[0113] 111, 111': First tip

[0114] 111a: Inclined plane

[0115] 111b: Curved surface

[0116] 120, 120': Second blade

[0117] 121, 121': Second tip

[0118] 121a: Curved surface

[0119] 121b: Inclined plane

Claims

1. A scraper, comprising: a first blade having a first tip including an inclined plane; as well as a second blade having a second tip including a curved surface, wherein the first blade and the second blade are in contact with each other, Therein, active materials are arranged on current collectors and can move in their entirety or individually towards the traveling electrode, or vice versa.

2. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: The first blade is located on the upstream side of the second blade in the direction of travel of the electrode, The inclined plane of the first tip of the first blade is arranged to be oriented in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the electrode, and The curved surface of the second tip of the second blade is arranged to be oriented in the direction of travel of the electrode from the inclined plane.

3. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: The first blade is positioned closer to the electrode than the second blade, and the end of the first tip of the first blade is maintained in contact with the current collector, so that the active material disposed on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed to form a pattern on an exposed area of ​​the current collector.

4. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: The outer surfaces of the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other and maintained at a predetermined distance from the current collector to flatten the thickness of the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode.

5. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: Only the first blade moves toward the traveling electrode, and the end of the first tip of the first blade contacts the current collector, so that the active material disposed on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed to form a pattern on an exposed area of ​​the current collector.

6. The scraper according to claim 5, wherein: The first blade moved toward the traveling electrode returns to its initial position, and outer surfaces of the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other and maintained at a predetermined distance from the current collector to flatten the thickness of the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode.

7. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: The end of the first tip of the scraper contacts the current collector, and the active material provided on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed so that the area where the current collector is exposed becomes an uncoated portion of the electrode, The outer surfaces of the end of the first tip of the first blade and the end of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other so that the area where the active material is flattened becomes a coating portion of the electrode, and The uncoated portions and the coated portions are alternately arranged to form a pattern on the electrode.

8. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: Based on the traveling electrode, the inclination angle of the inclined plane of the first blade has any angle selected from greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees.

9. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: The first blade and the second blade are both arranged orthogonally to the traveling electrode.

10. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: The first tip of the first blade further includes a curved surface at an end, and The curved surface and the inclined plane of the first tip of the first blade are connected to each other.

11. The scraper according to claim 10, wherein: The inclined plane of the first tip of the first blade is composed of at least two planes having mutually different inclination angles.

12. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: The second tip of the second blade further includes an inclined plane, The curved surface of the second tip of the second blade is arranged at an end of the second tip of the second blade, and The curved surface and the inclined plane are connected to each other.

13. The scraper according to claim 12, wherein: The inclined plane of the second tip of the second blade is composed of at least two planes having mutually different inclination angles.

14. The scraper according to claim 1, wherein: The scraper is used in the dry electrode process, and The active material is provided on the current collector in a powder form.

15. An apparatus for manufacturing an electrode, the apparatus comprising: The scraper according to claim 1; a feeder disposed in front of the scraper and supplying the active material to the current collector; as well as A rolling member is arranged behind the scraper and rolls the electrode provided with the active material.

16. The apparatus for manufacturing an electrode according to claim 15, The device also includes a blower arranged behind the scraper, in, When the active material remains on the uncoated portion of the electrode, the blower blows air to remove the active material.

17. A method for forming a pattern on an electrode by using the scraper according to claim 1, the method comprising the following steps: moving the first blade downwardly to contact a surface of the current collector of the traveling electrode; maintaining the position of the first blade for a predetermined period of time such that the active material disposed on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed; returning the first blade to its original position so that outer surfaces of the end portion of the first tip of the first blade and the end portion of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other; as well as Planarization of the active material of the electrode is performed by the first tip of the first blade and the second tip of the second blade, wherein ends of the first tip of the first blade and the second tip of the second blade are kept separated from the current collector by a predetermined distance.

18. A method for manufacturing an electrode in the apparatus for manufacturing an electrode according to claim 15, the method comprising the steps of: supplying active material to the current collector of the electrode through a feeder; moving the first blade downwardly to contact a surface of the current collector of the traveling electrode; maintaining the position of the first blade for a predetermined period of time such that the active material disposed on the current collector of the traveling electrode is removed; returning the first blade to its original position so that outer surfaces of the end portion of the first tip of the first blade and the end portion of the second tip of the second blade are connected to each other; as well as Planarization of the active material of the electrode is performed by the first tip of the first blade and the second tip of the second blade, wherein ends of the first tip of the first blade and the second tip of the second blade are kept separated from the current collector by a predetermined distance.

19. The method for producing an electrode according to claim 18, The method further comprises the following steps: When the active material remains on the uncoated portion of the electrode on which the planarization of the active material has been performed, the active material is removed by blowing air with a blower.

20. The method for manufacturing an electrode according to claim 18, The method further comprises the following steps: The electrode on which the active material has been planarized is rolled using a rolling member.

Images