Pole piece coating device, coating machine and pole piece coating control method

Abstract

The invention provides a pole piece coating device which comprises a material storage component, a coating component and a coating component, wherein the material storage component is provided with a containing cavity for containing active substance coating; the coating die head is provided with a coating inlet and a coating outlet; the main pipeline is used for communicating the accommodating cavity with the coating inlet; the material supply driving part is mounted on the main pipeline, so that the active substance coating in the material storage part is driven to flow to the coating die head through the material supply driving part; the pressure compensation component is mounted on the main pipeline, and the pressure compensation component is located between the feeding driving component and the coating die head, so that the pressure in the main pipeline is adjusted through the pressure compensation component. The pole piece coating device provided by the embodiment of the invention solves the technical problem that the pole piece coating thickness of the pole piece coating device in the related technology is difficult to control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lithium battery manufacturing, and more specifically, to an electrode coating apparatus, a coating machine, and an electrode coating control method. Background Technology

[0002] Electrodes are one of the key components of lithium-ion batteries. An electrode consists of a current collector and an active material coating applied to the surface of the current collector. In related technologies, electrode fabrication is typically accomplished using an electrode coating apparatus. This apparatus allows the active material to be coated onto the surface of the current collector.

[0003] In related technologies, electrode coating devices often struggle to accurately control the coating thickness at various locations on the electrode, leading to a mismatch in coating thickness between the positive and negative electrodes. Specifically, during electrode coating, the coating thickness at the beginning and end of the positive electrode needs to be less than that at the beginning and end of the negative electrode. However, existing coating devices cannot precisely control this thickness, easily resulting in a mismatch and potentially causing lithium plating due to an unacceptable CB value, negatively impacting the quality of the produced lithium batteries. The CB value, also known as N / P, refers to the ratio of the negative electrode capacity to the positive electrode capacity at the same stage. To prevent lithium plating, the CB value is typically greater than 1.

[0004] Therefore, the electrode coating apparatus in the related technology has the technical problem of difficulty in controlling the thickness of the electrode coating, and no effective solution has been proposed for this technical problem at present. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide an electrode coating apparatus to solve the technical problem of difficulty in controlling the thickness of electrode coating in related technologies.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, one aspect of the present invention provides an electrode coating apparatus, comprising: a storage component having a receiving cavity for containing an active material coating; a coating die having a coating inlet and a coating outlet; a main pipeline connecting the receiving cavity to the coating inlet; a feeding drive component installed on the main pipeline, the feeding drive component driving the active material coating in the storage component to flow to the coating die; and a pressure compensation component installed on the main pipeline, the pressure compensation component being located between the feeding drive component and the coating die, the pressure compensation component adjusting the pressure within the main pipeline.

[0007] Furthermore, the pressure compensation component has a coating buffer chamber that is connected to the main pipeline. The pressure compensation component includes a drive structure that drives the active material coating in the main pipeline to flow into the coating buffer chamber, or drives the active material coating in the coating buffer chamber to flow into the main pipeline.

[0008] Furthermore, the paint buffer cavity extends along a preset direction, and the driving structure includes a driving part that is movably disposed within the paint buffer cavity along the preset direction.

[0009] Furthermore, along a predetermined direction, at least one end face of the drive unit has a protruding structure or a recessed structure.

[0010] Furthermore, an exhaust port is provided on the pressure compensation component and / or at the position corresponding to the pressure compensation component in the main pipeline, and the exhaust port is connected to the paint buffer chamber.

[0011] Furthermore, the electrode coating apparatus includes a return pipeline, a gap valve, and a coating valve; the coating valve is installed on the main pipeline, located between the pressure compensation component and the material storage component, and controls the on / off state of the main pipeline; the gap valve is installed on the main pipeline, located between the coating valve and the material storage component, the return pipeline connects the material storage component and the gap valve, and the gap valve controls the connection or disconnection between the main pipeline and the return pipeline.

[0012] Furthermore, the electrode coating apparatus includes a controller, and the feeding drive component, pressure compensation component, gap valve and coating valve are all communicatively connected to the controller. The controller controls the operation of the feeding drive component, pressure compensation component, gap valve and coating valve.

[0013] Furthermore, the electrode coating apparatus includes: a coating roller, which is disposed at the coating outlet of the coating die and is rotatably disposed around its central axis to drive the current collector to move relative to the coating die; a coating roller drive component, which is connected to the coating roller to drive the coating roller to rotate, wherein a controller is connected to the coating roller drive component and controls the operation of the coating roller drive component.

[0014] Furthermore, the electrode coating device includes: a detection component, which is spaced apart from the coating roller, and is used to detect whether the current collector surface at the target position is coated with an active material coating; and an angle encoder, which is installed on the coating roller to collect the rotation angle information of the coating roller; wherein, both the detection component and the angle encoder are communicatively connected to the controller.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, a coating machine is provided for coating an active material coating on the surface of a current collector, wherein the coating machine includes the electrode coating apparatus described above.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, an electrode coating control method is provided, comprising: activating a feeding drive component of an electrode coating apparatus when coating start requirements are met, wherein the feeding drive component drives the active material coating in the storage component to flow through the main pipeline to the coating die head; and controlling the operation of a pressure compensation component during the coating of the target area of ​​the electrode to adjust the pressure in the main pipeline, wherein the pressure compensation component is installed in the main pipeline.

[0017] Furthermore, the pressure compensation component has a coating buffer chamber connected to the main pipeline. The pressure compensation component includes a drive structure that drives the active material coating in the main pipeline to flow into the coating buffer chamber, or drives the active material coating in the coating buffer chamber to flow into the main pipeline. The coating buffer chamber extends along a preset direction. The drive structure includes a drive unit that is movably disposed within the coating buffer chamber along the preset direction. During the coating process on the target area of ​​the electrode, controlling the operation of the pressure compensation component includes controlling at least one of the following parameters: the start time of the drive unit's movement, the stop time of the drive unit's movement, the speed of the drive unit's movement, and the stroke of the drive unit's movement.

[0018] Furthermore, the electrode coating apparatus includes a return pipeline, a gap valve, and a coating valve; the coating valve is installed on the main pipeline, located between the pressure compensation component and the material storage component, and controls the opening and closing of the main pipeline; the gap valve is installed on the main pipeline, located between the coating valve and the material storage component, the return pipeline connects the material storage component and the gap valve, and the gap valve controls the connection or disconnection between the main pipeline and the return pipeline; after starting the material supply drive component of the electrode coating apparatus, the electrode coating control method further includes controlling at least one of the following parameters: the opening time of the gap valve, the closing time of the gap valve, the opening speed of the gap valve, the closing speed of the gap valve, the opening time of the coating valve, the closing time of the coating valve, the opening speed of the coating valve, and the closing speed of the coating valve.

[0019] The electrode coating apparatus using the technical solution of this invention includes: a storage component having a receiving cavity for containing active material coating; a coating die having a coating inlet and a coating outlet; a main pipeline connecting the receiving cavity and the coating inlet; a feeding drive component installed on the main pipeline to drive the active material coating in the storage component to flow to the coating die; and a pressure compensation component installed on the main pipeline, located between the feeding drive component and the coating die, to adjust the pressure within the main pipeline. With this structural design, the electrode coating apparatus uses the feeding drive component to drive the active material coating stored in the storage component towards the coating die, and then extrudes it through the coating outlet of the coating die onto the surface of the current collector to be coated, thus achieving electrode coating. During the electrode coating process, by operating the pressure compensation component, the pressure inside the main pipeline can be flexibly adjusted, thereby changing the flow rate of the active material coating at the coating outlet, ultimately regulating the thickness of the active material coating on the electrode. By employing a pressure compensation component, the coating thickness of the electrode can be adjusted at any position in the coating direction, making the electrode coating more controllable and improving the electrode coating effect. This solves the technical problem of difficulty in controlling the coating thickness of the electrode in related technologies. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the electrode coating apparatus of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the electrode coating apparatus of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pressure compensation component in an embodiment of the electrode coating apparatus of the present invention.

[0024] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0025] 1. Material storage component; 2. Coating die head; 21. Coating inlet; 22. Coating outlet; 3. Main pipeline; 4. Material supply drive component; 5. Pressure compensation component; 51. Coating buffer chamber; 52. Drive structure; 6. Return pipeline; 7. Gap valve; 8. Coating valve; 9. Coating roller; 10. Third valve. Detailed Implementation

[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 An embodiment of the present invention provides an electrode coating apparatus, comprising: a storage component 1 having a receiving cavity for containing an active material coating; a coating die 2 having a coating inlet 21 and a coating outlet 22; a main pipeline 3 connecting the receiving cavity to the coating inlet 21; a feeding drive component 4 installed on the main pipeline 3 to drive the active material coating in the storage component 1 to flow to the coating die 2; and a pressure compensation component 5 installed on the main pipeline 3, located between the feeding drive component 4 and the coating die 2, to adjust the pressure within the main pipeline 3.

[0028] The electrode coating apparatus with this structural design uses a feeding drive component 4 to drive the active material coating stored in the storage component 1 towards the coating die head 2, and then extrudes it through the coating outlet 22 of the coating die head 2 onto the surface of the current collector to be coated, thus achieving electrode coating. During the electrode coating process, the pressure inside the main pipeline 3 can be flexibly adjusted by operating the pressure compensation component 5, thereby changing the flow rate of the active material coating at the coating outlet 22, ultimately regulating the thickness of the active material coating on the electrode. By using the pressure compensation component 5, the electrode coating thickness can be adjusted at any position in the coating direction, making the electrode coating more controllable, which is beneficial to improving the electrode coating effect and solving the technical problem of difficult thickness control of electrode coating in related technologies.

[0029] The aforementioned feed drive component 4 is installed on the main pipeline 3. That is, the feed drive component 4 can be installed at any position on the main pipeline 3, such as at one end of the main pipeline 3, or in the main body of the main pipeline 3, which is the portion located between the two ends of the main pipeline 3. The feed drive component 4 is the component used to drive the flow of the active material coating. In actual implementation, a pump is usually chosen, although other components that can generate fluid driving action are not excluded.

[0030] In actual implementation, the specific selection of pressure compensation component 5 can vary, as long as it can play a role in compensating and adjusting the hydraulic pressure in the main pipeline 3.

[0031] In this embodiment, the pressure compensation component 5 has a coating buffer chamber 51, which is connected to the main pipeline 3. The pressure compensation component 5 includes a driving structure 52, which is used to drive the active material coating in the main pipeline 3 to flow into the coating buffer chamber 51, or to drive the active material coating in the coating buffer chamber 51 to flow into the main pipeline 3.

[0032] Specifically, the drive structure 52 can take various forms, as long as it can provide the driving force to propel the active material coating into or out of the main pipeline 3 with precision, thereby regulating the material pressure inside the main pipeline 3. In actual implementation, the drive structure 52 can be located inside or outside the coating buffer chamber 51. The power it uses to drive the flow of the active material coating in the main pipeline 3 can either squeeze and push the coating or squeeze the outer wall of the coating buffer chamber 51. For example, the drive structure can be a peristaltic pump, a screw pump, etc.

[0033] The paint buffer cavity 51 extends along a preset direction, and the drive structure 52 includes a drive unit that is movably disposed within the paint buffer cavity 51 along the preset direction.

[0034] In order to enable the drive unit to move in a preset direction, there are many possible implementation methods. For example, a linear motor structure can be used, in which the output end of the linear motor is connected to the drive unit, thereby enabling the linear motor to drive the drive unit to move in the preset direction. Another example is that the motor drives the gear to rotate, which in turn drives the rack to move, thereby driving the drive unit to move.

[0035] Along a predetermined direction, at least one end face of the drive unit has a protruding structure or a recessed structure.

[0036] In this embodiment, at least one end face of the driving unit along a preset direction has a protruding or recessed structure. In this case, the corresponding end face is a non-planar structure. By setting different protrusions or recesses, different squeezing effects can be achieved during the movement of the driving unit along the preset direction, thereby achieving different pressure compensation effects. In specific implementations, the shape of the aforementioned end face can be any regular or irregular shape.

[0037] Preferably, the drive unit is a spherical structure. In this preferred embodiment, the drive unit is a spherical structure, so both end faces along the preset direction are arc-shaped surfaces. Compared with a planar structure, it has less impact on the pressure of the active material coating during the pushing and pulling process along the preset direction, thereby allowing the pressure in the main pipeline 3 to be adjusted on a smaller scale and improving the accuracy of the feeding pressure control.

[0038] In some other alternative embodiments, the shape of the drive unit can be other regular or irregular shapes, such as cylindrical, conical, etc.

[0039] In one embodiment, a gap is provided between the inner wall of the coating buffer cavity 51 and the driving part. As a preferred embodiment, this embodiment incorporates a gap between the inner wall of the coating buffer cavity 51 and the driving part. Therefore, during the pushing and pulling process of the driving part in a preset direction, some of the active material coating will flow through the gap without producing a piston-like suction and pushing effect, only generating a relatively gentle pressure fluctuation. This helps improve the stability of pressure changes within the main pipeline 3, avoiding large pressure fluctuations that could lead to significant variations in coating thickness, thereby ensuring the coating quality of the electrode sheet.

[0040] In another optional embodiment, the inner wall of the paint buffer cavity 51 is fitted with the drive unit to form a piston-like structure, which can also play a role in regulating the internal pressure of the main pipeline 3 during the process of the drive unit pushing and pulling in a preset direction.

[0041] Optionally, the preset direction is vertical, or the preset direction is horizontal. The pressure compensation component 5 and / or the main pipeline 3 are provided with vent holes at positions corresponding to the pressure compensation component 5. The vent holes are connected to the paint buffer chamber 51.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the preset direction is vertical. In this case, the residual air in the paint buffer chamber 51 can easily float upwards and be discharged outside the paint buffer chamber 51, reducing or avoiding its impact on the pressure compensation process. Figure 2 As shown, in another embodiment, the preset direction is horizontal. At this time, the air remaining in the paint buffer chamber 51 is difficult to be effectively discharged. If there is air remaining, it will interfere with the pressure compensation process. In order to solve this problem, an exhaust hole is designed on the pressure compensation component 5 or the main pipeline 3 to facilitate the discharge of air from the paint buffer chamber 51.

[0043] The electrode coating device includes a return pipeline 6, a gap valve 7, and a coating valve 8. The coating valve 8 is installed on the main pipeline 3 and is located between the pressure compensation component 5 and the material storage component 1. The coating valve 8 controls the opening and closing of the main pipeline 3. The gap valve 7 is installed on the main pipeline 3 and is located between the coating valve 8 and the material storage component 1. The return pipeline 6 connects the material storage component 1 and the gap valve 7. The gap valve 7 controls the connection or disconnection between the main pipeline 3 and the return pipeline 6.

[0044] The gap valve 7 can be installed at any position in the return pipe 6, as long as it can control the opening or closing of the return pipe. For example, the gap valve 7 can be installed at the end of the return pipe 6, or it can be installed in the main body of the return pipe 6, which is the part between the two ends of the return pipe 6.

[0045] In practice, by controlling the opening of coating valve 8 and the slow closing of gap valve 7, the flow rate of the active material coating can be gradually increased, thereby controlling the coating thickness at the electrode head. By slowly opening gap valve 7 and closing coating valve 8, the coating thickness at the electrode tail can be controlled. When coating valve 8 is completely closed, the flow of active material coating to coating die 2 is prevented, thus forming a coating gap and effectively improving the flexibility of coating.

[0046] In an optional embodiment, the electrode coating apparatus includes a third valve 10, which is disposed in the return pipeline 6, and the opening degree of the third valve 10 is adjustable. In a preferred embodiment, the third valve 10 is a throttling valve. By setting the third valve 10, the return flow of the coating can be controlled more conveniently and flexibly, thereby helping to control the coating quality.

[0047] The electrode coating device includes a controller. The feeding drive component 4, pressure compensation component 5, gap valve 7 and coating valve 8 are all connected to the controller in communication. The controller controls the operation of the feeding drive component 4, pressure compensation component 5, gap valve 7 and coating valve 8.

[0048] By setting a controller, the operating status of the feeding drive component 4, pressure compensation component 5, gap valve 7, and coating valve 8 can be controlled. Control of the feeding drive component 4 may include, but is not limited to: starting, stopping, and operating power. Control of the pressure compensation component 5 may include, but is not limited to: starting, stopping, pressurizing, depressurizing, pressurizing speed, and depressurizing speed. Control of the gap valve 7 and coating valve 8 may include, but is not limited to: opening, closing, opening speed, closing speed, and opening amplitude.

[0049] Taking the paint buffer cavity 51 as an example, which extends along a preset direction and the drive structure 52 includes a drive unit that can be moved along a preset direction, the controller's control of the pressure compensation component 5 may include: the movement and stop of the drive unit, the movement direction of the drive unit, the movement speed of the drive unit, and the movement amplitude of the drive unit.

[0050] The electrode coating apparatus includes: a coating roller 9, which is disposed at the coating outlet 22 of the coating die 2 and is rotatably disposed around its central axis to drive the current collector to move relative to the coating die 2; a coating roller drive component, which is connected to the coating roller 9 to drive the coating roller 9 to rotate, wherein a controller is connected to the coating roller drive component and controls the operation of the coating roller drive component.

[0051] In this embodiment, the electrode coating device includes: a detection component, which is spaced apart from the coating roller 9, and is used to detect whether the current collector surface at the target position is coated with an active material coating; and an angle encoder, which is installed on the coating roller 9 to collect the rotation angle information of the coating roller 9; wherein, both the detection component and the angle encoder are communicatively connected to the controller.

[0052] With this structural design, the detection component can detect when the active material coating on the current collector surface is ready to begin or stop coating. Then, by obtaining the rotation angle information of the coating roller 9 through an angle encoder, accurate control of the coating length or gap length can be achieved. For example, when the detection component detects that the active material coating has begun to be applied to the current collector surface at the target location, the controller begins to acquire and judge the rotation angle information obtained by the angle encoder. When the coating roller 9 rotates to a preset angle, the controller controls the relevant structure of the electrode coating device to stop coating, thus accurately controlling the coating length. In an optional embodiment, the detection component is a sensing optical fiber, which is oriented towards the target position.

[0053] The electrode coating device with the above-described structure can monitor the coating time point or real-time position detected by the detection component and then perform corresponding actions. The pressure compensation component 5 can precisely and conveniently adjust the pressure of the active material coating in the main pipeline 3, thereby achieving electrode coating thickness adjustment at any position in the coating direction. For example, during intermittent coating, the positive electrode tail can be thinned, while the negative electrode tail can be thickened. This tail-thickness control is something that coating devices in related technologies cannot achieve, effectively solving the problem of difficult thickness adjustment at the 0-30mm tail of intermittent coating.

[0054] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a coating machine for coating an active material coating on the surface of a current collector, wherein the coating machine includes the aforementioned electrode coating apparatus.

[0055] In addition, embodiments of the present invention also provide an electrode coating control method, which includes: activating the feeding drive component 4 of the electrode coating device when the coating start-up requirements are met, wherein the feeding drive component 4 drives the active material coating in the storage component 1 to flow through the main pipeline 3 to the coating die head 2; during the coating of the target area of ​​the electrode, controlling the operation of the pressure compensation component 5 to adjust the pressure in the main pipeline 3, wherein the pressure compensation component 5 is installed in the main pipeline 3. Using this electrode coating control method, after the feeding drive component 4 is activated to begin coating, during the coating of the target area of ​​the substrate, the pressure inside the main pipeline 3 is flexibly adjusted by controlling the operation of the pressure compensation component 5, thereby changing the flow rate of the active material coating at the coating outlet 22 of the coating die head 2, ultimately adjusting the thickness of the active material coating on the electrode. By controlling the pressure compensation component 5, the coating thickness of the electrode at any target position in the coating direction can be adjusted, making the electrode coating more controllable and improving the electrode coating effect. This solves the technical problem of difficulty in controlling the coating thickness of the electrode in related technologies.

[0056] The aforementioned coating start-up requirements can be flexibly determined according to actual conditions, and are prerequisites for starting the coating process. For example, in an optional embodiment, the coating start-up requirements include: the coating roller 9 running smoothly at the set rotation speed, and the electrode to be coated moving to the coating position.

[0057] In one specific embodiment, the pressure compensation component 5 has a coating buffer cavity 51, which is connected to the main pipeline 3. The pressure compensation component 5 includes a drive structure 52, which drives the active material coating in the main pipeline 3 to flow into the coating buffer cavity 51, or drives the active material coating in the coating buffer cavity 51 to flow into the main pipeline 3. The coating buffer cavity 51 extends along a preset direction. The drive structure 52 includes a drive unit, which is movably disposed within the coating buffer cavity 51 along the preset direction. During the coating process on the target area of ​​the electrode sheet, controlling the operation of the pressure compensation component 5 includes controlling at least one of the following parameters: the start time of the drive unit's movement, the stop time of the drive unit's movement, the movement speed of the drive unit, and the movement stroke of the drive unit. By controlling the above-mentioned operation parameters of the drive unit, different pressure compensation effects can be achieved, thereby achieving different coating thickness control effects.

[0058] In this embodiment, the electrode coating apparatus includes a return pipeline 6, a gap valve 7, and a coating valve 8. The coating valve 8 is installed on the main pipeline 3 and is located between the pressure compensation component 5 and the material storage component 1. The coating valve 8 controls the opening and closing of the main pipeline 3. The gap valve 7 is installed on the main pipeline 3 and is located between the coating valve 8 and the material storage component 1. The return pipeline 6 connects the material storage component 1 and the gap valve 7. The gap valve 7 controls the connection or disconnection between the main pipeline 3 and the return pipeline 6. After starting the material supply drive component 4 of the electrode coating apparatus, the electrode coating control method further includes controlling at least one of the following parameters: the opening time of the gap valve 7, the closing time of the gap valve 7, the opening speed of the gap valve 7, the closing speed of the gap valve 7, the opening time of the coating valve 8, the closing time of the coating valve 8, the opening speed of the coating valve 8, and the closing speed of the coating valve 8. The electrode coating apparatus of this embodiment further includes a gap valve 7 and a coating valve 8. The electrode coating control method also includes controlling the gap valve 7 and the coating valve 8. Specific control parameters may include the opening time of the gap valve 7, the closing time of the gap valve 7, the opening speed of the gap valve 7, the closing speed of the gap valve 7, the opening time of the coating valve 8, the closing time of the coating valve 8, the opening speed of the coating valve 8, the closing speed of the coating valve 8, etc., thereby flexibly controlling the start and pause of coating to achieve gap coating. Specifically, by controlling the opening of the coating valve 8 and the slow closing of the gap valve 7, the flow rate of the active material coating can be gradually increased, thereby controlling the coating thickness at the electrode head. By slowly opening the gap valve 7 and closing the coating valve 8, the coating thickness at the electrode tail can be controlled. When the coating valve 8 is completely closed, the flow of the active material coating to the coating die 2 is prevented, thereby forming a coating gap and effectively improving the flexibility of coating.

[0059] The following describes the use of the electrode coating apparatus of this application using a specific embodiment:

[0060] In this embodiment, the gap valve 7 and coating valve 8 of the electrode coating device are connected and locked to the corresponding main pipeline 3 or return pipeline 6 by a snap fastener. The snap fastener is sealed with a sealing ring. After the connection is completed and confirmed to be secure, subsequent operations can be carried out.

[0061] In this embodiment, the pressure compensation component 5 consists of a linear motor, a pull rod (for example, the diameter of the pull rod can be 1-15mm), and a push head. The linear motor is connected to the pull rod, and the pull rod is connected to the push head, which is the aforementioned drive unit. A spherical shape is preferred for the push head. A cylindrical push head is a secondary option. After the push head is installed, confirm whether the gap between the push head and the inner wall of the paint buffer cavity 51 meets the requirements and whether there is any deformation. After confirming that everything is correct, subsequent operations can proceed. Specifically, the push head can be a sphere, cylinder, cone, or irregular metal connector, etc. The push head is detachable and maintains a certain gap or sealed connection with the edge of the tee's inner wall.

[0062] In practical implementation, the pressure compensation component 5 can be configured according to... Figure 1 Install as shown, or follow... Figure 2 The installation method shown refers to the preset directions of vertical and horizontal. When the paint is not fully filled in front of and behind the pusher head, a certain volume of air will be trapped. If... Figure 1 The installation method shown allows for easier air venting and discharge, ensuring coating stability. If using... Figure 2 With the installation method shown, the air remaining in the paint buffer chamber 51 is difficult to be effectively discharged. If there is residual air, it will interfere with the pressure compensation process. In order to solve this problem, an exhaust hole is designed on the pressure compensation component 5 or the main pipeline 3 to facilitate the discharge of air from the paint buffer chamber 51.

[0063] After the device is installed, debugging can be performed. In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the coating valve 8 and the gap valve 7 are designed with a time difference. When coating begins, the coating valve 8 opens, while the gap valve 7 slowly closes, forming thickness control at the coating head. The active material coating reaches the coating die 2 through the coating valve 8 and is then extruded and coated onto the current collector foil. During the coating gap, the gap valve 7 opens, and the coating valve 8 slowly closes, allowing the active material coating to flow back to the storage component 1 through the return pipe 6. After coating is completed, it is confirmed whether the coating thickness at each part of the electrode meets the requirements.

[0064] The main components include a PLC main controller (i.e., the controller mentioned above), a encoder roller signal acquisition component (i.e., the angle encoder mentioned above), a coating valve 8, a gap valve 7, a pressure compensation component 5, an optical fiber sensor (i.e., the detection component mentioned above), etc.

[0065] When performing single-sided gap coating on the current collector, after starting the coating roller drive component at the set speed, the coating roller drive component drives the coating roller 9 to run smoothly at the preset speed. The coating button on the operation panel can be manually adjusted. After receiving the signal, the PLC main controller outputs the coating command to each component to start the coating operation.

[0066] The coating valve 8 and the gap valve 7 can be adjusted on the control panel. For example, the opening / closing position information of the valve assembly taper block, the opening speed, and the closing speed can be included. Specific values ​​can be entered as needed.

[0067] If the coating thickness control is inadequate when the electrode sheet is coated using the above method, the pressure compensation component 5 can be activated. The operation of the pressure compensation component 5 is controlled by the PLC main controller, and its parameters can be set via the operation panel, such as: opening or closing of the pressure compensation component 5, opening speed, closing speed, opening and closing strokes, and opening and closing positions. In this embodiment, the pressure compensation component 5 is driven by a servo motor. The opening speed of the pressure compensation component 5 is mainly controlled by the opening speed of the servo motor, for example, within the range of 0.1 to 10000 mm / s; the closing speed of the pressure compensation component 5 is also mainly controlled by the closing speed of the servo motor, for example, within the range of 0.1 to 10000 mm / s; the opening and closing strokes of the pressure compensation component 5 are determined by the initial zero point of the pressure compensation component 5. The opening stroke is the distance corresponding to the pulse signal moving forward from the initial zero point, and the closing stroke is the distance corresponding to the pulse signal moving backward from the initial zero point. The specific stroke range is determined by the mechanical structure, and can be adjusted within the range of 0.1 to 20 mm. The open and closed positions of the pressure compensation component 5 are input according to the debugging requirements.

[0068] When the actual coating thickness differs from the target thickness, the pressure compensation can be adjusted by modifying the stroke parameters, opening and closing positions, and stroke of the pressure compensation component 5 on the operation panel.

[0069] As can be seen from the above description, the embodiments of the present invention achieve the following technical effects:

[0070] The electrode coating apparatus of this invention includes: a storage component 1 having a receiving cavity for containing active material coating; a coating die 2 having a coating inlet 21 and a coating outlet 22; a main pipeline 3 connecting the receiving cavity to the coating inlet 21; a feeding drive component 4 installed on the main pipeline 3 to drive the active material coating in the storage component 1 to flow to the coating die 2; and a pressure compensation component 5 installed on the main pipeline 3, located between the feeding drive component 4 and the coating die 2, to adjust the pressure within the main pipeline 3. With this structural design, the active material coating stored in the storage component 1 is driven by the feeding drive component 4 to move towards the coating die 2, and is extruded through the coating outlet 22 of the coating die 2 onto the surface of the current collector to be coated, thus achieving electrode coating. During the electrode coating process, the pressure inside the main pipeline 3 can be flexibly adjusted by operating the pressure compensation component 5, thereby changing the flow rate of the active material coating at the coating outlet 22, ultimately regulating the thickness of the active material coating on the electrode. By using the pressure compensation component 5, the electrode coating thickness can be adjusted at any position in the coating direction, making the electrode coating more controllable, which is beneficial to improving the electrode coating effect and solving the technical problem of difficult thickness control of electrode coating devices in related technologies.

[0071] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0072] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0073] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0074] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrode coating apparatus, characterized in that, include: The material storage component (1) has a receiving cavity for containing active material coating; A coating die (2) having a paint inlet (21) and a paint outlet (22); Main pipeline (3), which connects the receiving cavity to the paint inlet (21); A feeding drive component (4) is installed on the main pipeline (3) and drives the active material coating in the storage component (1) to flow to the coating die head (2). Pressure compensation component (5) is installed on the main pipeline (3). The pressure compensation component (5) is located between the feeding drive component (4) and the coating die head (2). The pressure compensation component (5) adjusts the pressure in the main pipeline (3).

2. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure compensation component (5) has a paint buffer chamber (51) which is connected to the main pipeline (3). The pressure compensation component (5) includes a drive structure (52) which drives the active material paint in the main pipeline (3) to flow into the paint buffer chamber (51) or drives the active material paint in the paint buffer chamber (51) to flow into the main pipeline (3).

3. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The paint buffer cavity (51) extends along a preset direction, and the driving structure (52) includes a driving part, which is movably disposed within the paint buffer cavity (51) along the preset direction.

4. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, Along the preset direction, at least one end face of the drive unit has a protruding structure or a recessed structure.

5. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pressure compensation component (5) and / or the main pipeline (3) at the position corresponding to the pressure compensation component (5) are provided with exhaust holes, which are connected to the paint buffer chamber (51).

6. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrode coating device includes a return pipeline (6), a gap valve (7), and a coating valve (8); the coating valve (8) is installed on the main pipeline (3) and is located between the pressure compensation component (5) and the storage component (1), and the coating valve (8) controls the opening and closing of the main pipeline (3); the gap valve (7) is installed on the main pipeline (3) and is located between the coating valve (8) and the storage component (1), the return pipeline (6) connects the storage component (1) and the gap valve (7), and the gap valve (7) controls the connection or disconnection between the main pipeline (3) and the return pipeline (6).

7. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The electrode coating device includes a controller. The feeding drive component (4), the pressure compensation component (5), the gap valve (7), and the coating valve (8) are all communicatively connected to the controller. The controller controls the operation of the feeding drive component (4), the pressure compensation component (5), the gap valve (7), and the coating valve (8).

8. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The electrode coating apparatus includes: A coating roller (9) is disposed at the paint outlet (22) of the coating die (2). The coating roller (9) is rotatably arranged about its central axis to drive the current collector to move relative to the coating die (2); A coating roller drive component is connected to the coating roller (9) to drive the coating roller (9) to rotate. A controller is connected to the coating roller drive component and controls the operation of the coating roller drive component.

9. The electrode coating apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The electrode coating apparatus includes: The detection component is spaced apart from the coating roller (9) and is used to detect whether the surface of the current collector at the target position is coated with an active substance coating. An angle encoder is installed on the coating roller (9) to collect the rotation angle information of the coating roller (9); Both the detection component and the angle encoder are communicatively connected to the controller.

10. A coating machine, characterized in that, The coating machine is used to coat an active material coating on the surface of a current collector, wherein the coating machine includes the electrode coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A method for controlling electrode coating, characterized in that, include: When the coating start-up requirements are met, the feeding drive component (4) of the electrode coating device is started, wherein the feeding drive component (4) drives the active material coating in the storage component (1) to flow to the coating die head (2) through the main pipeline (3); During the coating process on the target area of ​​the electrode, the pressure compensation component (5) is controlled to adjust the pressure in the main pipeline (3), wherein the pressure compensation component (5) is installed in the main pipeline (3).

12. The electrode coating control method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The pressure compensation component (5) has a paint buffer chamber (51) connected to the main pipeline (3). The pressure compensation component (5) includes a drive structure (52) that drives the active material paint in the main pipeline (3) to flow into the main pipeline (3). The coating buffer chamber (51) or the active material coating in the coating buffer chamber (51) is driven to flow into the main pipeline (3). The coating buffer chamber (51) extends in a preset direction. The driving structure (52) includes a driving part. The driving unit is movably disposed within the coating buffer cavity (51) along the preset direction; wherein, during the coating process on the target area of ​​the electrode, controlling the operation of the pressure compensation component (5) includes controlling at least one of the following parameters: The start time of the movement of the drive unit, the stop time of the movement of the drive unit, the speed of the movement of the drive unit, and the stroke of the movement of the drive unit.

13. The electrode coating control method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The electrode coating device includes a return pipeline (6), a gap valve (7), and a coating valve (8); the coating valve (8) is installed on the main pipeline (3) and is located between the pressure compensation component (5) and the storage component (1), and the coating valve (8) controls the opening and closing of the main pipeline (3); the gap valve (7) is installed on the main pipeline (3) and is located between the coating valve (8) and the storage component (1), the return pipeline (6) connects the storage component (1) and the gap valve (7), and the gap valve (7) controls the connection or disconnection between the main pipeline (3) and the return pipeline (6); after starting the feeding drive component (4) of the electrode coating device, the electrode coating control method further includes controlling at least one of the following parameters: The opening time of the gap valve (7), the closing time of the gap valve (7), the opening speed of the gap valve (7), the closing speed of the gap valve (7), the opening time of the coating valve (8), the closing time of the coating valve (8), the opening speed of the coating valve (8), and the closing speed of the coating valve (8).

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