Composite foil device and application thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a composite foil device and application thereof, and the composite foil device comprises a foil generating device which comprises a cathode roller and is at least used for generating a foil layer; the gluing device is located at the top of the cathode roller and comprises a first heating roller, a second heating roller and a third heating roller; the second heating roller and the third heating roller are sequentially arranged in the direction close to the cathode roller, the first heating roller is arranged beside the second heating roller to form a first roller pair, the second heating roller and the third heating roller form a second roller pair, and the third heating roller and the cathode roller form a third roller pair. Coating the surface of the foil layer with glue through the first pair of rollers, the second pair of rollers and the third pair of rollers in sequence to form a glue layer; and the compounding device is used for compounding the base material, the adhesive layer and the foil layer to obtain the composite foil. The device can realize integration of foil generation and compounding, can simplify the production process, reduce the cost and guarantee the performance of the composite foil, and is low in equipment cost, small in occupied area, high in utilization rate and wide in application prospect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of multilayer composite material technology, and more specifically, to a composite foil device and its application. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of 5G, consumer electronics, new energy vehicles, and energy storage, the demand for metal foil has increased rapidly. However, metal foil has problems such as high production costs, high density, large weight ratio, and low battery safety and energy density. In order to reduce the use of metal, effectively reduce the cost of battery current collectors, and improve the overall energy density and safety of batteries, the industry has developed a current collector composed of a polymer substrate layer and a metal foil layer disposed on one or both sides of the polymer substrate layer, called a composite current collector.

[0003] Taking composite copper foil as an example, traditional composite copper foil is usually made by "one-step," "two-step," and "three-step" copper plating processes. The one-step process uses chemical deposition or magnetron sputtering in a single step. The two-step process first deposits a metal layer tens of nanometers thick onto the surface of a polymer film using magnetron sputtering, ensuring conductivity and good film density and adhesion. Then, electroplating is used to thicken the metal layer to the target thickness, such as 1 μm. The three-step process is based on the two-step process, adding vapor deposition before electroplating to accelerate metal layer deposition. Regardless of whether it's a one-step, two-step, or three-step process, all suffer from complex and uncontrollable processes, poor uniformity of the composite copper foil, high equipment costs, high production costs, and difficulty in mass production. Furthermore, methods have been reported that first composite thick copper foil with polymers using roll pressing or hot pressing, and then thinning to the required thickness using chemical wire reduction or mechanical processing, also suffer from complex and uncontrollable processes, resulting in poor performance of the composite copper foil.

[0004] Therefore, the industry urgently needs to develop a new composite foil processing device that can simplify the production process, reduce equipment costs, and ensure the performance of the composite foil. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on this, this application provides a composite foil device that can simplify the production process, reduce costs, and ensure the performance of the composite foil.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this application is a composite foil device, comprising:

[0007] A foil-forming apparatus, including a cathode roller, for producing at least a foil layer;

[0008] A coating device, located at the top of the cathode roller, includes a first heating roller, a second heating roller, and a third heating roller. The second and third heating rollers are sequentially arranged along the direction close to the cathode roller. The first heating roller is located beside the second heating roller, forming a first pair of rollers. The second and third heating rollers form a second pair of rollers. The third heating roller and the cathode roller form a third pair of rollers. Adhesive is sequentially applied to the surface of the foil layer through the first, second, and third pair of rollers to form an adhesive layer.

[0009] A composite device for combining a substrate, an adhesive layer, and a foil layer to obtain a composite foil.

[0010] This application employs three sets of rollers, allowing adhesive to be sequentially applied to the surface of the foil layer through the extrusion and transmission action of the first, second, and third rollers, forming an adhesive layer. Utilizing the adhesive properties of this layer, the metal foil layer (such as copper foil) prepared by the foil-making device is composited with a substrate to form a composite foil material. The foil layer is uniformly bonded to the surface of the substrate, resulting in high composite strength and structural stability. The composite process is simple and quick, requiring no complex or expensive production equipment, facilitating mass production and overcoming the difficulty in mass-producing composite foil materials, especially composite copper foil. Furthermore, the extrusion and transmission action of the three sets of rollers refines the adhesive particles, and combined with heating, enhances the adhesive's bonding ability, thereby increasing the bonding force between the substrate and the adhesive layer, as well as between the adhesive layer and the foil layer. This results in a more stable composite foil structure and better mechanical properties. Additionally, applying adhesive to the rough surface of the foil layer, through a mechanical anchoring structure, further enhances the strength and elongation at break of the composite foil material, while also improving the peelability of the foil layer on the cathode roller surface. Moreover, this application integrates foil making and composite processes, improving equipment utilization and further reducing production costs.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first and third heating rollers are both heated rubber rollers, and the second heating roller is a heated steel roller. The combination of the rigid steel roller and the flexible rubber roller ensures that the adhesive is uniformly squeezed and transferred between the first heated rubber roller and the second heated steel roller, and between the second heated steel roller and the third heated rubber roller, thus refining the adhesive particles and improving the subsequent film-forming quality. Furthermore, the combination of the rubber roller and the steel roller also prevents side leakage of the adhesive during the squeezing and transfer process.

[0012] In one embodiment, the adhesive applicator further includes a first wall plate and a second wall plate disposed opposite to each other. One end of the first heating roller, the second heating roller and the third heating roller are respectively mounted on the first wall plate, and the other end of each roller passes through the second wall plate and is respectively connected to the first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the third driving mechanism.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first, second, and third drive mechanisms are all articulated drive mechanisms. Using articulated drive mechanisms facilitates adjustment of the distance and angle of each heating roller. For example, by simply moving the heating rollers without simultaneously moving the heating rollers and their corresponding drive mechanisms, the position or movement distance of each heating roller can be changed, thereby controlling the residence time of adhesive particles in each pair of rollers and / or the feed particle size and / or the discharge particle size.

[0014] In one embodiment, the adhesive application device further includes several reinforcing rods, each with its two ends connected to the first wall panel and the second wall panel, respectively. Each reinforcing rod is used to stabilize the adhesive application device. Each heating roller has a certain weight, and during operation, it exerts a significant force on the side wall panels; the reinforcing rods further stabilize the wall panels.

[0015] In one embodiment, the composite device includes a guide roller and a pressure roller assembly. The guide roller is used to pull the substrate onto the surface of the cathode roller. The pressure roller assembly is configured with the cathode roller surface as a support surface, and the pressure roller assembly is arranged at intervals along the circumference of the cathode roller. The pressure roller assembly and the cathode roller together press the substrate and the foil layer, and composite the substrate with the adhesive layer and the foil layer to prepare the composite foil material. By setting the pressure roller assembly, the uniformity, structural stability, and mechanical properties of the composite foil material are enhanced.

[0016] In one embodiment, the foil-forming apparatus further includes an electrolytic cell for containing an electrolyte, wherein the bottom of the cathode roller is immersed in the electrolyte to form the foil layer on the surface of the cathode roller.

[0017] In one embodiment, the foil-making apparatus further includes a drying device for drying the foil layer on the surface of the cathode roller. The drying device is positioned opposite the cathode roller in a direction away from the laminating apparatus. As the cathode roller rotates, the electrolyte on the surface of the foil layer is ejected, and the drying device dries the foil layer surface online to further remove the electrolyte, preventing the electrolyte from affecting the lamination of the foil layer with the adhesive and the substrate.

[0018] In one embodiment, the drying apparatus includes a squeeze roller and an oven.

[0019] In one embodiment, the squeeze roller is disposed on the surface of the cathode roller. By squeezing the foil layer, the electrolyte carried out when the foil layer is separated from the surface of the electrolyte is squeezed out online, so that the electrolyte flows back into the electrolytic cell, avoiding the electrolyte from affecting the bonding of the foil layer with the adhesive and the substrate.

[0020] In one embodiment, the oven is arranged opposite to the cathode roller. As the cathode roller rotates, the electrolyte on the surface of the foil layer is thrown out and the foil layer surface is dried online by the drying device, thereby improving the cleanliness of the foil layer surface and the bonding effect of the foil layer with the adhesive and substrate.

[0021] In one embodiment, the composite foil device further includes a lifting device for raising and lowering the coating device. The lifting device includes a fixed plate and an adjusting mechanism. The fixed plate is disposed on the foil-making device, and one end of the adjusting mechanism is disposed on the fixed plate, while the other end is connected to the coating device. The adjusting mechanism raises and lowers the coating device, thereby changing the distance between the third heating roller and the cathode roller. By setting up the lifting device, the coating device is lowered to perform the coating operation, and when no coating is needed, the coating device is raised for cleaning and maintenance.

[0022] In one embodiment, the adjustment mechanism is a cylinder lifting device, which has the advantages of small size, heavy load, easy control, low failure rate and wide environmental applicability.

[0023] Another objective of this application is to provide a method for preparing composite foil, which uses the composite foil apparatus described above to prepare composite foil, and the preparation method includes the following steps:

[0024] A foil layer is formed on the surface of the cathode roller;

[0025] The adhesive is applied to the first pair of rollers, and the adhesive is coated onto the surface of the foil layer by the squeezing and conveying action of the first pair of rollers, the second pair of rollers and the third pair of rollers in sequence to form an adhesive layer;

[0026] Composite foil is prepared by combining a substrate, an adhesive layer, and a foil layer.

[0027] Another object of this application is to provide a composite current collector production system, including the composite foil device as described above.

[0028] This application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0029] Compared to forming composite foils on the surface of a substrate by magnetron sputtering or electroplating, or by first preparing a composite foil containing a thick metal foil layer and then thinning the thick metal foil layer, this application utilizes the adhesive properties of the adhesive layer to directly composite the metal foil layer (such as copper foil) prepared by the foil-making device with the substrate to form a composite foil. The foil layer is uniformly composited on the surface of the substrate, giving the substrate and foil a high composite strength and structural stability. Moreover, the composite process is simpler and faster, does not require complex and expensive production equipment, and is easy to mass-produce, overcoming the problem of difficult mass production of composite foils, especially composite copper foils.

[0030] Furthermore, this application employs a multi-roller coating method to apply adhesive online to the foil surface. Specifically, three sets of rollers are set up. After the adhesive is subjected to the squeezing and transmission action of the first, second, and third rollers in sequence, the adhesive particles become finer. At the same time, since the metal foil on the surface of the cathode roller has a certain temperature (e.g., 40℃~55℃), in conjunction with the heating roller, the adhesion of the adhesive is significantly improved, thereby improving the bonding between the substrate and the adhesive layer, as well as between the adhesive layer and the foil layer, making the composite foil structure more stable and its mechanical properties better. Moreover, the side of the foil layer that contacts the cathode roller is smooth, while the side coated with adhesive is rough. The rough surface has a large roughness, and its surface morphology is conducive to the strong adhesion of the adhesive. The mechanical interlocking structure further enhances the strength and elongation at break of the composite foil, while also improving the peelability of the foil layer on the cathode roller surface. For extremely thin metal foils with poor mechanical properties and difficult to peel (such as 1μm copper foil), by combining it with adhesive and substrate, the pure metal foil does not need to undergo separate peeling, winding, transportation and storage steps, which improves production efficiency, reduces losses and further reduces production costs.

[0031] Furthermore, this application utilizes a coating device in conjunction with a foil-forming device and a laminating device to prepare composite foil materials. While the coating device is being cleaned and / or maintained, the foil-forming device can operate normally to produce pure metal foils, such as copper foils with a thickness of 3μm or more, significantly improving equipment utilization. Therefore, the composite foil material apparatus of this application can integrate foil forming, coating, and laminating processes, and boasts low equipment cost, small footprint, and broad application prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the foil-making apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first heating roller shown in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second heating roller according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third heating roller according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the adhesive application apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the adhesive application apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the adhesive application apparatus according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 9 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the first lifting device shown in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first lifting device and the first wall panel according to an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 11 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the second lifting device shown in one embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 12 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of a lifting device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 18 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a composite foil device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: Composite foil device 1, Foil production device 10, Cathode roller 110, Cathode roller body 1101, Cathode roller motor 1102, Motor support frame 1103, Electrolytic cell 120, Electrolytic cell body 1201, Electrolytic cell support frame 1202, Drying device 130, Squeezing roller 1301, Oven 1302, Oven main board 13021, Oven support frame 13022, Glue coating device 20, First heating roller 210, First heating roller body 2101, First drive mechanism 2102, First drive motor 21021, First hinge mechanism 21022, Second heating roller 220, Second heating roller body 2201, Second drive mechanism 2202, Second drive motor 22021, Second hinge mechanism 22022, Third heating roller 230, Third heating roller body 2301, Third drive... Mechanism 2302, third drive motor 23021, third hinge mechanism 23022, wall panel 240, first wall panel 2401, second wall panel 2402, reinforcing rod 250, composite device 30, guide roller 310, pressure roller assembly 320, lifting device 40, first lifting device 410, first adjusting mechanism 4101, first cylinder 41011, first cylinder body 410111, first cylinder base plate 410112, first connecting piece 410113, first slider 41012, first slide rail 41013, first outer fixing plate 4102, first base plate 4103, second lifting device 420, second adjusting mechanism 4201, second cylinder 42011, second slider 42012, second slide rail 42013, second outer fixing plate 4202, second base plate 4203 and walkway 50. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. This application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this application. For better illustration of the following embodiments, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual dimensions of the product; it will be understood by those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0054] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application and in its specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0055] In this application, "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The terms "comprising," "having," and "including" as used in this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, unless explicit qualifying terms such as "only," "consisting of," etc., are used, in which case another component may be added.

[0056] In this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc. Similarly, "at least one" refers to one or more, including one, two, or more than two, and "multiple" refers to two or more, including two, three, or more than three, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0057] In this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0058] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0059] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0060] In this application, it should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element present. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0061] See Figure 1 One embodiment of this application provides a composite foil device 1, comprising:

[0062] The foil-forming device 10 includes a cathode roller 110 and an electrolytic cell 120. The electrolytic cell 120 is used to contain an electrolyte, and the bottom of the cathode roller 110 can be immersed in the electrolyte to form a foil layer on the surface of the cathode roller 110.

[0063] The adhesive coating device 20, located at the top of the cathode roller 110, includes a first heating roller 210, a second heating roller 220, and a third heating roller 230. The second heating roller 220 and the third heating roller 230 are sequentially arranged along the direction close to the cathode roller 110. The first heating roller 210 is located beside the second heating roller 220, forming a first pair of rollers. The second heating roller 220 and the third heating roller 230 form a second pair of rollers. The third heating roller 230 and the cathode roller 110 form a third pair of rollers. Adhesive is sequentially applied to the surface of the foil layer through the first pair of rollers, the second pair of rollers, and the third pair of rollers to form an adhesive layer.

[0064] The composite device 30 is used to composite a substrate, an adhesive layer, and a foil layer to obtain a composite foil.

[0065] This application employs a multi-roller coating method to apply adhesive online to the surface of a foil layer. Specifically, three sets of rollers are used, allowing the adhesive to be applied to the foil layer surface sequentially through the extrusion and transmission action of the first, second, and third rollers, forming an adhesive layer. Utilizing the adhesive properties of this layer, the metal foil layer prepared by the foil-making device 10 is composited with a substrate to form a composite foil material. The foil layer is uniformly bonded to the surface of the substrate, resulting in high composite strength and structural stability for both the substrate and the foil. The composite process is simple and fast, requiring no complex or expensive production equipment, facilitating mass production and overcoming the difficulty in mass-producing composite foil materials, especially composite copper foil. Furthermore, the extrusion and transmission action of the three sets of rollers refines the adhesive particles, and combined with heating, enhances the adhesive's bonding ability, thereby improving the bonding force between the substrate and the adhesive layer, as well as between the adhesive layer and the foil layer. This results in a more stable composite foil structure and better mechanical properties. In addition, applying adhesive to the rough surface of the foil layer, through a mechanical anchoring structure, further enhances the strength and elongation at break of the composite foil material, while also improving the peelability of the foil layer on the cathode roller surface.

[0066] Understandably, this application does not impose any special restrictions on the cathode roller 110, the electrolytic cell 120, or the electrolyte in the foil production apparatus 10. For example, this application does not impose any special restrictions on the material and size of the cathode roller, the material and size of the electrolytic cell, or the composition of the electrolyte; conventional settings in the art are sufficient.

[0067] For example, see Figures 1-2 The cathode roller 110 includes a cathode roller body 1101, a cathode roller motor 1102, and a motor support frame 1103. The cathode roller body 1101 is driven to rotate by the cathode roller motor 1102 connected to its end, and the motor support frame 1103 is used to support the motor.

[0068] For example, see Figures 1-2 The electrolytic cell 120 includes an electrolytic cell body 1201 and an electrolytic cell support frame 1202 for supporting and fixing the electrolytic cell body 1201.

[0069] Understandably, the electrolytic cell 120 is used to contain the electrolyte, and the bottom of the cathode roller 1101 can be immersed in the electrolyte to undergo an electrolytic reaction to form a foil layer on the surface of the cathode roller 1101. During the rotation of the cathode roller 1101, the foil layer is carried out from the electrolyte, and the electrolyte on the surface of the foil layer is thrown off.

[0070] Furthermore, to avoid residual electrolyte adversely affecting the adhesive and subsequent lamination process, the foil layer can be pretreated before applying the adhesive, such as through drying. See also Figure 2A drying device 130 can be installed in the foil production device 10 to dry the foil layer on the surface of the cathode roller body 1101. The drying device 130 is arranged opposite to the cathode roller body 1101 in the direction away from the composite device 30. The drying device 130 includes a squeezing roller 1301 and an oven 1302. The roller surface of the squeezing roller 1301 abuts against the cathode roller body 1101, and the electrolyte is removed by the squeezing roller 1301. The oven 1302 includes an oven main board 13021 and an oven support frame 13022. The oven support frame 13022 is installed on the electrolytic cell support frame 1202 and is used to support the oven main board 13021 and the adhesive coating device 20. The oven main board 13021 is used to dry the foil layer and further remove the electrolyte.

[0071] As the cathode roller 1101 rotates, its surface foil layer is transported to the area below the coating device 20. The coating device 20 of this application coats the foil layer with adhesive sequentially through the first pair of rollers, the second pair of rollers, and the third pair of rollers to form an adhesive layer. Furthermore, this application can change the particle size (or discharge particle size) of the adhesive particles after the rollers are extruded by changing the distance between each heating roller, making it widely applicable and easy to control.

[0072] Optionally, the first heating roller 210 is a heating rubber roller.

[0073] See Figure 3 The first heating roller 210 includes a first heating (adhesive) roller body 2101 and a first drive mechanism 2102. The first drive mechanism 2102 is a hinged drive mechanism, including a first drive motor 21021 and a first hinge mechanism 21022. The first heating (adhesive) roller body 2101 is connected to the first drive motor 21021 through the first hinge mechanism 21022. The hinged drive mechanism facilitates adjustment of the position and angle of the first heating roller body 2101. For example, by simply moving the first heating roller body 2101 without simultaneously moving both the first heating roller body 2101 and the first drive mechanism 2102, the position or movement distance of the first heating roller body 2101 can be changed, thereby controlling the residence time of adhesive particles in the first pair of rollers and / or the output particle size. Exemplarily, the first hinge mechanism 21022 is a universal joint. Furthermore, it is understood that the heating roller includes an outer adhesive layer, a hard adhesive layer, a metal core, a roller neck, and corresponding mounting accessories; this application does not make any special requirements in this regard.

[0074] Optionally, the second heating roller 220 is a heated steel roller. Through the cooperation of the second heating steel roller 220 and the first heating rubber roller 210, which is rigid and flexible respectively, the adhesive is uniformly squeezed and transferred between the first heating rubber roller 210 and the second heating steel roller 220, refining the adhesive particles and improving the subsequent film formation quality. In addition, it can also prevent the adhesive from leaking during the squeezing and transfer process.

[0075] See Figure 4The second heating roller 220 includes a second heating (steel) roller body 2201 and a second drive mechanism 2202. The second drive mechanism 2202 is a hinged drive mechanism, including a second drive motor 22021 and a second hinge mechanism 22022. The second heating (steel) roller body 2201 is connected to the second drive motor 22021 through the second hinge mechanism 22022. The hinged drive mechanism facilitates adjustment of the position and angle of the second heating roller body 2201. For example, by simply moving the second heating roller body 2201 without simultaneously moving both the second heating roller body 2201 and the second drive mechanism 2202, the position or movement distance of the second heating roller body 2201 can be changed, thereby controlling the residence time of glue particles in the first and second pairs of rollers and / or the feed particle size and / or the discharge particle size. Exemplarily, the second hinge mechanism 22022 is a universal joint. Furthermore, it is understood that the heating steel roller includes a metal roller body, a roller neck, and corresponding mounting accessories; this application does not make any special requirements in this regard.

[0076] Optionally, the third heating roller 230 is a heating adhesive roller. Through the rigid-flexible cooperation between the second heating steel roller 220 and the third heating adhesive roller 230, and between the third heating adhesive roller 230 and the cathode roller 110, the adhesive is uniformly squeezed and transferred between the second heating steel roller 220 and the third heating adhesive roller 230, and between the third heating adhesive roller 230 and the cathode roller 110, thereby refining the adhesive particles and improving the subsequent film formation quality. In addition, it can also prevent the adhesive from leaking during the squeezing and transfer process.

[0077] See Figure 5 The third heating roller 230 includes a third heating (adhesive) roller body 2301 and a third drive mechanism 2302. The third drive mechanism 2302 is a hinged drive mechanism, including a third drive motor 23021 and a third hinge mechanism 23022. The heating adhesive roller body 2301 is connected to the third drive motor 23021 through the third hinge mechanism 23022. The hinged drive mechanism facilitates adjustment of the position and angle of the third heating roller body 2301. For example, by moving only the third heating roller body 2301 without simultaneously moving both the third heating roller body 2301 and the third drive mechanism 2302, the position or movement distance of the third heating roller body 2301 can be changed, thereby controlling the residence time of adhesive particles in the second and third pairs of rollers and / or the feed particle size and / or the discharge particle size. For example, the third hinge mechanism 23022 is a universal joint. In addition, it is understood that the heated rubber roller includes an outer rubber layer, a hard rubber layer, a metal core, a roller neck, and corresponding mounting accessories, which are not specifically required in this application.

[0078] Understandably, this application does not impose any special restrictions on the installation method of each heating roller in the adhesive applicator 20. For example, each heating roller can be installed on the wall panel 240.

[0079] SeeFigure 6 The adhesive applicator 20 includes a first wall panel 2401 and a second wall panel 2402 arranged opposite to each other. One end of the first heating roller 210, the second heating roller 220 and the third heating roller 230 are respectively installed on the first wall panel 2401, and the other end of each roller passes through the second wall panel 2402 and is respectively connected to the first driving mechanism 2102, the second driving mechanism 2202 and the third driving mechanism 2302.

[0080] Optionally, both the first wall panel 2401 and the second wall panel 2402 are mounted on the foil-making device 10. Exemplarily, both the first wall panel 2401 and the second wall panel 2402 are mounted on the oven support frame 13022. Further, the first wall panel 2401 and the second wall panel 2402 are symmetrically arranged.

[0081] Optionally, to make the adhesive application device 20 more stable, several reinforcing rods 250 are also provided on the adhesive application device 20. The two ends of each reinforcing rod 250 are respectively connected to the first wall panel 2401 and the second wall panel 2402, for stabilizing the adhesive application device 20. See also... Figure 6 A reinforcing rod 250 is provided on the side of the first heating roller 210. See also Figure 7 A reinforcing rod 250 is provided on the side of the second heating roller 220 and on the side of the third heating roller 230.

[0082] Optionally, the first wall panel 2401 and the second wall panel 2402 are symmetrically arranged and have the same structure. For the sake of brevity, only the first wall panel 2401 will be described in detail below.

[0083] See Figures 6-8 The first wall panel 2401 has three U-shaped openings, two of which are in opposite directions (e.g., one to the left and one to the right, or one in front and one behind), for mounting the first heating roller 210 and the second heating roller 220 respectively. The third U-shaped opening faces the cathode roller body 1101 and is used to mount the third heating roller 230. Additionally, the first wall panel 2401 also has three circular through holes, all for mounting reinforcing rods. For example, Figure 8 (A) is a schematic diagram of the adhesive application device 20. Figure 8 Figure (B) shows the installation layout of the first heating roller 210, the second heating roller 220, the third heating roller 230 and each reinforcing rod 250 on the first and second wall panels.

[0084] This application uses the foil-making device 10 and the adhesive-coating device 20 to form an adhesive layer on the foil surface, and then uses the composite device 30 to composite the substrate with the adhesive layer and the foil layer, thus realizing the integration of foil making and composite.

[0085] Understandably, this application does not impose any special limitations on the structure of the composite device 30. For example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1The composite device 30 includes a guide roller 310 and a pressure roller assembly 320. The guide roller 310 is used to pull the substrate onto the surface of the cathode roller body 1101 (or the surface of the adhesive layer). The pressure roller assembly 320 is configured with the cathode roller body 1101 surface as a support surface, and the pressure roller assembly 320 is arranged at intervals along the circumference of the cathode roller body 1101. The pressure roller assembly 320 and the cathode roller body 1101 jointly press the substrate and the foil layer, and composite the substrate, adhesive layer, and foil layer to prepare a composite foil material. By setting the pressure roller assembly 320 to cooperate with the cathode roller body 1101, the uniformity, structural stability, and mechanical properties of the composite foil material are enhanced.

[0086] Furthermore, the pressure roller assembly 320 is formed by two or more pressure roller assemblies. For example, the pressure roller near the upstream end (adhesive coating device 20) in the pressure roller assembly 320 is a preliminary pressing roller, and the pressure roller near the downstream end in the pressure roller assembly 320 is a finishing pressing roller; the pressure roller assemblies in the pressure roller assembly 320 are configured such that the pressing pressure F1 of the preliminary pressing roller is greater than the pressing pressure F2 of the finishing pressing roller. When the composite materials reach the initial pressing roller for lamination, the initial pressing roller provides strong pressing pressure, thus tightly pressing the composite layer in the initial bonding state and maintaining sufficient stretch of the composite material in the pressing area. It also squeezes out any gaps or air bubbles that may exist at the composite interface towards the upstream input side, ensuring that the composite interface of the composite layer after passing through the initial pressing roller is completely bonded and basically free of obvious air bubbles and gaps, thereby improving the lamination quality. The final pressing roller provides a pressing pressure of F2, which is less than F1. This avoids excessive stretching caused by strong tension on both the front and back sides of the composite layer, and avoids wrinkles caused by elastic contraction after passing through the pressing area. At the same time, it avoids the continuous accumulation of obvious air gaps, because the composite layer after passing through the initial pressing roller may still have a very small number of air gaps that have little impact on the performance of the composite layer. If the final pressing roller also maintains strong pressing pressure, it may squeeze air gaps upstream, that is, between the initial pressing roller and the final pressing roller. As the production process progresses, this will continue to accumulate in multiple areas of the finished composite layer, forming obvious air bubbles or wrinkles, which will significantly affect the quality of the final product. On the other hand, setting F2 < F1 also facilitates the export and separation of the composite layer. The reduced pressure of the tail pressing roller compared to the upstream pressing roller helps alleviate the adhesion of the wound material to the corresponding supporting roller, making it easier for the composite wound material to detach from the corresponding roller along the transmission direction. If F2 is a strong pressing pressure, the wound material may easily stick to the corresponding supporting roller as the material travels, and uneven force during the export of the composite layer can easily cause tearing. The downward pressure includes the pressure exerted perpendicularly by the corresponding pressure roller on the surface of the supporting roller.

[0087] Optionally, the composite device 30 also includes a guide roller (not shown) located downstream of the pressure roller assembly 320 for drawing the composite foil away from the surface of the cathode roller body 1101.

[0088] Optionally, the composite foil device 1 further includes a lifting device 40 for lifting the coating device 20. The lifting device 40 includes a fixed plate and an adjusting mechanism. The fixed plate is mounted on the foil production device 10, and one end of the adjusting mechanism is mounted on the fixed plate, while the other end is connected to the coating device 20. By adjusting the mechanism, the distance between the third heating roller 2301 and the cathode roller 1101 is changed. By setting the lifting device 40, the coating device 20 is lowered, and the third heating roller 230 and the cathode roller 110 form a third pair of rollers for coating. When coating is not required, the coating device 20 is raised for cleaning and curing. Optionally, lifting devices 40 are provided on both sides of the coating device 20, such as a first lifting device 410 and a second lifting device 420.

[0089] See Figure 9 The first lifting device 410 includes a first adjusting mechanism 4101, a first outer fixing plate 4102, and a first base plate 4103. The top end of the first adjusting mechanism 4101 is connected to the first wall panel 2401, and the bottom end is disposed on the first outer fixing plate 4102. The first outer fixing plate 4102 is disposed on the first base plate 4103. The first base plate 4103 is disposed on the foil-making device 10, such as when the first base plate 4103 is disposed on the oven support frame 13022.

[0090] Optionally, see Figures 9-10 The first adjusting mechanism 4101 is a cylinder lifting device, including a first cylinder 41011, a first slider 41012 (such as two sliders), and a first slide rail 41013 (such as two slide rails), all of which are mounted on the first outer fixing plate 4102. Further, the first cylinder 41011 includes a first cylinder body 410111, a first cylinder base plate 410112 connected thereto, and a first connecting member 410113. The top of the first cylinder body 410111 is connected to the first wall plate 2401 through the first connecting member 410113, and the bottom of the first cylinder body 410111 is connected to the first outer fixing plate 4102 through the first cylinder base plate 410113. The movement of the first adjusting mechanism 4101 controls the lifting and lowering of the first wall plate 2401 in the glue application device 20, thereby changing the distance between one end of the third heating roller body 2301 (away from the third drive mechanism 2302) and the cathode roller body 1101.

[0091] See Figure 9 , Figure 11The second lifting device 420 includes a second adjusting mechanism 4201, a second outer fixing plate 4202, and a second base plate 4203. The top end of the second adjusting mechanism 4201 is connected to the second wall panel 2402, and the bottom end is disposed on the second outer fixing plate 4202. The second outer fixing plate 4202 is disposed on the second base plate 4203. The second base plate 4203 is disposed on the foil-making device 10, such as when the second base plate 4203 is disposed on the oven support frame 13022.

[0092] Optionally, see Figure 11 The second adjustment mechanism 4201 is a cylinder lifting device, including a second cylinder 42011, a second slider 42012 (such as two blocks) and a second slide rail 42013 (such as two rails), all of which are installed on the second outer fixing plate 4202. The movement of the second adjustment mechanism 4201 controls the lifting of the second wall plate 2402 in the glue application device 20, thereby changing the distance between the other end of the third heating roller body 2301 (near the third drive mechanism 2302) and the cathode roller body 1101.

[0093] For example, see Figure 9 , Figures 11-12 The first wall panel 2401 and the second wall panel 2402 are symmetrically arranged, as are the first lifting device 410 and the second lifting device 420. Both the first lifting device 410 and the second lifting device 420 are pneumatic lifting devices. The first wall panel 2401 and the second wall panel 2402 are positioned between the first outer fixing plate and the second outer fixing plate. Furthermore, the structure of the second adjusting mechanism 4201 is similar to that of the first adjusting mechanism 4101, and will not be described in detail here.

[0094] See Figure 1 , Figures 13-18 ,in Figure 1 , Figures 13-17 This is a schematic diagram of the composite foil device structure according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 18This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram. The composite foil apparatus 1 provided in this embodiment includes a foil-making device 10, an adhesive-coating device 20, a laminating device 30, and a lifting device 40. The composite foil apparatus 1 uses the adhesive-coating device 20 to coat the surface of the metal foil layer prepared by the foil-making device 10, and then uses the laminating device 30 to laminate the substrate, adhesive layer, and foil layer to form a composite foil. This results in a composite foil with high composite strength and structural stability, and the laminating process is simple and fast. Furthermore, the cooperation between the adhesive-coating device 20 and the foil-making device 10 forms three sets of rollers. The squeezing and conveying action of these three sets of rollers refines the adhesive particles; combined with heating, this significantly improves the adhesive's bonding ability, thereby increasing the bonding force between the substrate and the adhesive layer, as well as between the adhesive layer and the foil layer, making the composite foil structure more stable and its mechanical properties better. Furthermore, by coating the rough surface of the foil with adhesive and using a mechanical anchoring structure, the strength and elongation at break of the composite foil are further enhanced. This also improves the peelability of the foil on the cathode roller 110 surface. The metal foil no longer needs to undergo separate peeling, winding, transportation, and storage steps, thus improving production efficiency, reducing losses, and further lowering production costs. In addition, the composite foil device 1 can integrate foil production and composite processes, offering advantages such as low equipment cost, high space utilization, small footprint, and high equipment utilization rate, making it a promising candidate for widespread application.

[0095] Optionally, the composite foil apparatus 1 further includes an unwinding device (not shown in the figure) and a winding device (not shown in the figure); the unwinding device is used at least to unwind the substrate; the winding device is used at least to wind the composite foil; after the substrate is unwound from the unwinding device, it is laminated with the adhesive layer and the foil layer through the composite device 30 to form a composite foil, and the composite foil is wound up by the winding device. It is understood that this application does not impose special limitations on the structure of the unwinding device, as long as it achieves the purpose of unwinding the substrate. Similarly, this application does not impose special limitations on the structure of the winding device, as long as it achieves the purpose of winding the substrate.

[0096] Optionally, the composite foil apparatus 1 further includes a substrate surface treatment device (not shown in the figure), located downstream of the unwinding device and upstream of the composite device 30, for surface treatment of the substrate, such as changing the polarity or roughness of the substrate surface to facilitate subsequent composite and improve the performance of the composite foil.

[0097] Optionally, the composite foil apparatus 1 further includes a passivation treatment device (not shown in the figure), located downstream of the composite apparatus 30 and upstream of the winding device, for passivating the composite foil to prevent oxidation reactions caused by contact with oxygen, water, acids, etc. in the external environment, thereby maintaining its surface smoothness and electrical properties. It is understood that this application does not impose special limitations on the structure of the passivation treatment device or the passivation solution.

[0098] Optionally, the composite foil device 1 also includes a walkway 50. See, for example, [link to example]. Figures 19-20The walkway 50 is located on the side of the electrolytic cell 120.

[0099] Understandably, this application does not impose any special limitations on the substrate. Optionally, the substrate includes one or more combinations of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyimide (PI), polyamide (PA), polyester (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer (SAN), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS), polyarylsulfone (PASF), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), poly3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT), polyaniline (PANI), and polypyrrole (PPy). Exemplarily, the substrate is PET or PP.

[0100] Understandably, this application does not impose any special limitations on the adhesive layer. Optionally, the adhesive layer includes one or more combinations of rosin resin, terpene resin, petroleum resin, polyurethane resin, polyacrylic resin, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyester resin, polyimide, organosilicon polymers and their modified compounds, and polyolefins and their modified compounds.

[0101] Understandably, this application does not impose any special limitations on the foil layer. Optionally, the foil layer includes one or more combinations of copper foil and aluminum foil. Exemplarily, the foil layer is copper foil.

[0102] Another objective of this application is to provide a method for preparing composite foil, which uses the composite foil apparatus described above to prepare composite foil, and the preparation method includes the following steps:

[0103] A foil layer is formed on the surface of the cathode roller;

[0104] The adhesive is applied to the first pair of rollers, and the adhesive is coated onto the surface of the foil layer by the squeezing and conveying action of the first pair of rollers, the second pair of rollers and the third pair of rollers in sequence to form an adhesive layer;

[0105] Composite foil is prepared by combining a substrate, an adhesive layer, and a foil layer.

[0106] Compared to methods such as magnetron sputtering or electroplating on a substrate surface to form composite foils, or preparing a composite foil containing a thick metal foil layer and then thinning the thick metal foil layer, this application utilizes the adhesive properties of the adhesive layer to directly composite the metal foil layer (such as copper foil) on the cathode roller surface with the substrate to form a composite foil. This ensures the foil layer is uniformly bonded to the substrate surface, resulting in high composite strength and structural stability between the substrate and the foil. Furthermore, the composite process is simpler and faster, requiring no complex or expensive production equipment, facilitating mass production and overcoming the difficulty in mass-producing composite foils, especially composite copper foils. Further, this application incorporates three sets of rollers. The adhesive passes through the first, second, and third sets of rollers in sequence, resulting in finer adhesive particles. The metal foil on the cathode roller surface has a certain temperature, which, in conjunction with the heating roller, significantly improves the adhesive's bonding properties, thereby enhancing the bond between the substrate and the adhesive layer, as well as between the adhesive layer and the foil layer. This makes the composite foil structure more stable and its mechanical properties better.

[0107] In one embodiment, the method for preparing the composite foil as described above further includes the step of unwinding the substrate.

[0108] In one embodiment, the method for preparing the composite foil as described above further includes a step of surface treatment of the unwound substrate.

[0109] In one embodiment, the method for preparing the composite foil as described above further includes a passivation treatment step on the composite foil.

[0110] In one embodiment, the method for preparing the composite foil as described above further includes a step of winding the composite foil.

[0111] Another objective of this application is to provide a composite current collector production system, including the composite foil device described above. Based on this application's composite current collector production system, it is applicable to the lamination of ultra-thin foils during the composite current collector production process, in order to obtain a tightly laminated, high-quality composite material with a smooth surface. The overall composite current collector production system has a simple structure, is easy to deploy and install, has high production efficiency, low cost, and the resulting composite products have correspondingly good performance, showing broad application prospects.

[0112] Another objective of this application is to provide a composite current collector produced by the aforementioned composite current collector production system. The resulting composite current collector exhibits tightly bonded material layers that are not easily separated, and a smooth composite interface, thus possessing excellent composite current collector performance.

[0113] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0114] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, intended to facilitate a detailed understanding of the technical solutions of this application, but should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. It should be understood that technical solutions obtained by those skilled in the art based on the technical solutions provided in this application through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation are all within the scope of protection of the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent application should be determined by the content of the appended claims, and the specification and drawings can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. A composite foil apparatus, comprising: The application relates to a foil composite device and a preparation method thereof. The foil composite device comprises a foil generating device, a glue coating device and a foil composite device. The glue coating device comprises a cathode roller, a first heating roller, a second heating roller and a third heating roller. The second heating roller and the third heating roller are arranged in sequence in the direction close to the cathode roller, and the first heating roller is arranged on the side of the second heating roller to form a first pair of rollers. The second heating roller and the third heating roller form a second pair of rollers.

2. The composite foil apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The third heating roller and the cathode roller form a third pair of rollers.

3. The composite foil apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The glue coating device further comprises a first wall plate and a second wall plate.

4. The composite foil apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The first heating roller, the second heating roller and the third heating roller are respectively arranged on the first wall plate and penetrate through the second wall plate.

5. The composite foil apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the third driving mechanism are all hinged driving mechanisms.

6. The composite foil apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The glue coating device further comprises a plurality of reinforcing rods.

7. The composite foil apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The foil composite device comprises a guide roller and a pressure roller combination. The guide roller is used for pulling the substrate to the surface of the cathode roller. The pressure roller combination is arranged along the circumference of the cathode roller.

8. The composite foil apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The pressure roller combination and the cathode roller jointly cover the substrate and the foil layer.

9. A method of producing a composite foil, characterized by, The foil composite device satisfies one or more of the following conditions (1) and (2). The foil generating device further comprises an electrolytic tank. The bottom of the cathode roller can be immersed in the electrolyte to form the foil layer on the surface of the cathode roller. The foil generating device further comprises a drying device.

10. A composite current collector production system characterized by comprising: The drying device is arranged opposite to the cathode roller in the direction away from the foil composite device. The glue coating device is lifted by the lifting device. The lifting device comprises a fixing plate and an adjusting mechanism. The fixing plate is arranged on the foil generating device. One end of the adjusting mechanism is arranged on the fixing plate. The other end of the adjusting mechanism is connected to the glue coating device. The distance between the third heating roller and the cathode roller is changed by the adjusting mechanism. The foil composite device is used for preparing the foil composite material. The preparation method comprises the following steps. The foil layer is generated on the surface of the cathode roller. The glue is applied to the first pair of rollers. The glue is coated on the surface of the foil layer by the extrusion and transmission of the first pair of rollers, the second pair of rollers and the third pair of rollers. The substrate, the glue layer and the foil layer are combined to prepare the foil composite material. The foil composite device is used for preparing the foil composite material.

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