Bag cutting apparatus

Abstract

A bag cutting apparatus according to the present disclosure is a bag cutting apparatus for cutting a bag including a cup portion and a side portion extending from the cup portion, the bag cutting apparatus including a cutter including a blade portion having a cross-sectional area that decreases toward an end portion to cut the side portion, and a guide positioned adjacent to the blade portion to hold the side portion when the cutter cuts the side portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross-references to related applications]

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0142495, filed in Korea on October 23, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] [Technology Field]

[0004] This disclosure relates to bag cutting equipment. More specifically, this disclosure relates to bag cutting equipment for cutting the sides of a bag. Background Technology

[0005] With the development of technology and increasing demand for electric vehicles and mobile devices, the demand for rechargeable batteries as an energy source is increasing. Unlike primary batteries, which can only be used once, rechargeable batteries can be reused. A rechargeable battery consists of a positive electrode and a negative electrode. Electricity is generated by the movement of electrons released from the metal when oxidation occurs at the positive electrode. The oxidized metal at the positive electrode moves to the negative electrode through the electrolyte, where it is reduced.

[0006] To manufacture a secondary battery, firstly, an electrode active material slurry is applied to a positive electrode current collector and a negative electrode current collector to create the positive and negative electrodes, and then the positive and negative electrodes are stacked on both sides of a separator to form an electrode assembly. Next, the electrode assembly is housed in a battery casing, followed by electrolyte injection and sealing.

[0007] Based on the material of the casing housing the electrode components, secondary batteries are classified into pouch type and can type. Pouch-type secondary batteries are formed by housing the electrode components in a pouch made of flexible polymer. Can-type secondary batteries, on the other hand, are formed by housing the electrode components in a casing made of metal or plastic.

[0008] The bag, or the battery casing of a pouch-type secondary battery, is manufactured by pressing a flexible pouch film to form a cup-shaped portion. Furthermore, when forming the cup-shaped portion, the electrode assembly is housed within the electrode-receiving space of the cup-shaped portion, and the bag is sealed by joining the edges of the cup-shaped portion to form the sides.

[0009] In this scenario, with a large number of secondary batteries loaded onto the battery module housing, it is necessary to reduce the length of the secondary batteries. To reduce the width of the secondary batteries, unnecessary portions on the sides must be cut off at the edges of the bag.

[0010] When unnecessary portions of the side panels are cut off, curling may occur within the side panels. When curling occurs, a side panel with a length different from the intended length may be formed, and when the side panels are sealed in subsequent processing, the corresponding side panels may be of different sizes. To prevent this, battery casings with significantly different dimensions from the intended side panel can be discarded. However, discarding battery casings can lead to low battery casing yields and higher production costs. Furthermore, if any battery casings that are overlooked during the inspection of discarded casings are used to produce and distribute rechargeable batteries, the resulting rechargeable batteries may have poor quality. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Technical issues

[0012] This disclosure aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and therefore aims to provide a bag cutting device for preventing curling on the sides.

[0013] This disclosure also relates to a bag cutting device that prevents collisions between the guide and the cutter due to overlapping paths when the guide is used to prevent curling in the side.

[0014] The technical problems to be solved by this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art related to this disclosure will clearly understand these and other technical problems from the following description.

[0015] Technical solution

[0016] The bag cutting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a bag cutting device for cutting bags including a cup-shaped portion and a side extending from the cup-shaped portion. The bag cutting device includes a cutter and a guide. The cutter includes a blade portion having a cross-sectional area that decreases toward an end to cut the side. The guide is positioned adjacent to the blade portion to hold the side as the cutter cuts the side.

[0017] The guide may include a first guide and a second guide, respectively positioned to contact a surface located on the opposite side of the side portion.

[0018] After the guide holds the side portion, the cutter can cut the side portion.

[0019] The guide can be positioned closer to the cup-shaped portion than the blade portion.

[0020] The guide can be configured to move to a holding position adjacent to the cup-shaped portion and a holding position adjacent to the blade portion, and when the guide is in the holding position, the cutter can cut the side portion.

[0021] When the guide moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide can move in contact with the side.

[0022] When the guide moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide can slide.

[0023] The guide can extend in the length direction, and the length of the side portion in the length direction of the guide can be equal to or less than the length of the guide.

[0024] While the guide holds the side portion, the cutter can move in a cutting direction to cut the side portion, the cutting direction being perpendicular to the extension direction of the side portion.

[0025] The cutter may have a guide receiving space for accommodating the guide, and the guide may be inserted into the guide receiving space when the cutter moves in the cutting direction.

[0026] In the cutting direction, the height of the guide receiving space can be equal to or greater than the height of the guide.

[0027] The guide receiving space may have a width corresponding to the width of the guide.

[0028] The guide can be accommodated in the guide housing space of the cutter before retaining the side portion, so as to move together with the cutter.

[0029] The guide can move along the extension direction of the guide receiving space in the cutting direction to hold the side portion.

[0030] The side portion may include a lead-sealing portion extending along the short side of the cup-shaped portion and a degassing sealing portion extending along the long side of the cup-shaped portion. The lead-sealing portion may include a pair of lead-sealing portions extending from opposite sides of the cup-shaped portion, respectively. The guide may include a pair of guides to hold the pair of lead-sealing portions, respectively.

[0031] The bag cutting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a bag cutting device for cutting bags including a cup-shaped portion and a side extending from the cup-shaped portion. The bag cutting device includes a cutter and a guide. The cutter is configured to cut the side, and the guide is configured to contact the side to hold the side when the cutter cuts the side. The guide can be configured to move to a holding ready position adjacent to the cup-shaped portion and a holding position adjacent to the cutter to hold the side when the cutter cuts the side.

[0032] When the guide moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide can move in contact with the side.

[0033] When the guide moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide can slide.

[0034] The width of the guide can be equal to or greater than the width of the side portion.

[0035] The bag cutting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a bag cutting device for cutting bags including a cup-shaped portion and a side extending from the cup-shaped portion. The bag cutting device includes a cutter and a guide. The cutter is configured to cut the side, and the guide is configured to contact the side to hold the side when the cutter cuts the side, wherein the guide is received in a guide receiving space of the cutter to move with the cutter before holding the side.

[0036] Beneficial effects

[0037] Since the bag cutting apparatus according to this disclosure includes a guide positioned adjacent to the cutter to hold the side portion in place while the cutter is cutting the side portion, curling in the side portion can be prevented.

[0038] Since the bag cutting device according to this disclosure is configured to move from the holding preparation position to the holding position adjacent to the cutter, curling in the side can be prevented.

[0039] Since the guide of the bag cutting device according to this disclosure is housed in the guide receiving space of the cutter before the side is held so as to move together with the cutter, collision between the guide and the cutter due to overlapping paths can be prevented.

[0040] The effects that can be obtained from this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art related to this disclosure will clearly understand these and other effects from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is an assembly diagram of a publicly disclosed secondary battery.

[0042] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 The image shows a perspective view of the secondary battery casing before it is cut by a conventional bag-cutting device.

[0043] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 The diagram shows a battery casing and a conventional bag cutting device.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a plan view of the battery casing, showing the components... Figure 3 The cutting line shown is produced by a conventional bag cutting machine.

[0045] Figure 5 This shows when cutting through the cutting line. Figure 2 The graph shown is a curve of the L1-0 length distribution of the battery casing.

[0046] Figure 6 This shows when cutting through the cutting line. Figure 2 The graph shown is a curve illustrating the L2-0 length distribution of the battery casing.

[0047] Figure 7 This illustrates a bag being cut by a bag-cutting device according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 A perspective view of the battery casing shown.

[0048] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 7 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the battery casing and the bag cutting device according to the first embodiment.

[0049] Figure 9 This shows when the battery casing is... Figure 8 The diagram shown is a plan view of the battery casing after cutting according to the bag cutting device of the first embodiment.

[0050] Figure 10 It is shown Figure 7 The diagram shows the guide of the bag cutting device in the ready position.

[0051] Figure 11 It is shown Figure 10 The diagram shows the guide of the bag cutting device in the holding position.

[0052] Figure 12 It is shown Figure 10 The guide of the bag cutting device shown is in a side view of the holding ready position.

[0053] Figure 13 This is a side view showing the guide of the bag cutting device according to the second embodiment in the holding ready position.

[0054] Figure 14 It is shown Figure 13 The side view of the bag cutting device shown is in the holding position.

[0055] Figure 15 This is a side view showing a bag cutting device and a battery casing according to a third embodiment.

[0056] Figure 16This is a side view showing the bag cutting device and battery casing according to the fourth embodiment.

[0057] Figure 17 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device and battery casing according to the fifth embodiment.

[0058] Figure 18 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device and battery casing according to the sixth embodiment.

[0059] Figure 19 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device and battery casing according to the seventh embodiment.

[0060] Figure 20 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device and battery casing according to the eighth embodiment.

[0061] Figure 21 This is a plan view showing the bag cutting device and battery casing according to the ninth embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0062] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in full detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to readily perform the disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to or construed as described below.

[0063] In order to clearly describe this disclosure, irrelevant descriptions or detailed descriptions of related known techniques that may unnecessarily obscure the gist of this disclosure have been omitted, and when reference numerals are attached to elements in each figure, the same or similar reference numerals are attached to the same or similar elements throughout the specification.

[0064] Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms or words used in the specification and appended claims should not be construed as limited to their general or dictionary meanings, but rather as based on their meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of this disclosure, and on the principle that allows the inventors to appropriately define terms for best interpretation.

[0065] It should be understood that the various embodiments of this disclosure and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features of this disclosure to a particular embodiment, but rather to include various modifications, equivalents or alternatives to the corresponding embodiments.

[0066] Regarding the description of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related elements.

[0067] Unless the context otherwise indicates, the singular form of the noun corresponding to an item may include one or more items.

[0068] Each phrase used in this document, such as “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, “at least one of A or B”, “A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B or C”, can include any of the items listed with the corresponding phrase or all possible combinations thereof.

[0069] The term “and / or” includes a combination of multiple related statement elements or any element of multiple related statement elements.

[0070] Terms such as “first” and “second” are simply used to distinguish the corresponding elements from the corresponding other implementations and are not intended to limit the corresponding elements in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).

[0071] When an element (e.g., the first element) is referred to as (with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicationally”) “coupled” or “connected” to another element (e.g., the second element), the element may be connected to the other element directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or via a third element.

[0072] The terms “comprising,” “including,” or “having” indicate the presence of the stated feature, drawing, step, operation, element, component, or combination thereof, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, drawings, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0073] When a component is referred to as being “connected to,” “coupled to,” “in contact with,” or “supported” by another component, this includes cases where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact with each other, as well as cases where they are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact with each other through a third component.

[0074] When a component is said to be "on" another component, the component can contact the other component, and the other component can exist between them.

[0075] Meanwhile, the terms “vertical direction,” “down,” and “front-back direction” as used herein are defined based on the accompanying drawings, and the shape and position of each element are not limited by these terms.

[0076] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the direction in which the electrode assembly 10 moves to be accommodated in the electrode accommodating space 110S can be defined as "down", the direction in which the electrode lead 12 extends can be defined as "side", and based on this definition, up, back, left and right can be defined.

[0077] Alternatively, the +X direction can be defined as "forward", the +Y direction as "right", and the +Z direction as "up", and based on this definition, backward, left, and right can be defined.

[0078] In the following, embodiments according to this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] First Implementation Method

[0080] Figure 1 This is an assembly diagram of the secondary battery B disclosed herein.

[0081] like Figure 1 As shown, the secondary battery B may include an electrode assembly 10. The electrode assembly 10 can be formed by stacking electrodes (not shown) and separators (not shown) in an alternating manner. First, a slurry including electrode active materials, binders, and plasticizers can be applied to a positive current collector and a negative current collector to form a positive electrode and a negative electrode, respectively. Additionally, separators can be stacked between the electrodes to form the electrode assembly 10, which can be inserted into a battery housing 100. An electrolyte (not shown) can be injected into the battery housing 100, and the battery housing 100 can be sealed.

[0082] Specifically, the electrode assembly 10 may include two types of electrodes, namely positive and negative electrodes, with a diaphragm inserted between the electrodes to insulate them from each other. Depending on the method of stacking the positive, negative, and diaphragm, the electrode assembly 10 may be a stacked type, a jelly roll type, a stacked / folded type, etc. The two types of electrodes, namely the positive and negative electrodes, may have a structure in which an active material slurry is applied to a metal foil or mesh electrode current collector comprising aluminum and copper, respectively. The slurry is typically formed by mixing particulate active material, auxiliary conductive material, binder, and plasticizer with an added solvent. The solvent in the slurry can be removed in subsequent processing.

[0083] like Figure 1 As shown, the electrode assembly 10 may include electrode tabs 11. The electrode tabs 11 may be connected to each of the positive and negative electrodes of the electrode assembly 10 and protrude outwards from the electrode assembly 10 to serve as a path for electrons to move between the interior and exterior of the electrode assembly 10. Multiple electrode tabs 11 may protrude in different directions of the electrode assembly 10, but are not limited to this; multiple electrode tabs 11 may also protrude parallel to each other in the same direction or may protrude in various directions. The electrode assembly 10 may include electrode leads 12 connected to the electrode tabs 11 to supply power to the exterior of the secondary battery B. The electrode leads 12 may be spot-welded to the electrode tabs 11.

[0084] The electrode assembly 10 may include an insulating portion 13 surrounding a portion of the electrode lead 12. The insulating portion 13 may be located between two portions of the battery housing 100 to insulate the electrode lead 12 from the battery housing 100.

[0085] The electrode contact 11 configured with positive polarity can be referred to as a positive electrode contact, and the electrode contact 11 configured with negative polarity can be referred to as a negative electrode contact. The electrode lead 12 configured with positive polarity can be referred to as a positive electrode lead, and the electrode lead 12 configured with negative polarity can be referred to as a negative electrode lead. One end of the electrode lead 12 can be connected to the electrode contact 11, and the other end can protrude outward from the battery casing 100. That is, the electrode lead 12 can include a positive electrode lead with one end connected to the positive electrode contact and extending in the direction of the positive electrode contact protrusion, and a negative electrode lead with one end connected to the negative electrode contact and extending in the direction of the negative electrode contact protrusion. At the same time, the other ends of the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead can protrude outward from the battery casing 100. Therefore, the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead can supply the power generated inside the electrode assembly 10 to the outside. In addition, the positive electrode contact and the negative electrode contact can extend in different directions.

[0086] The positive and negative leads can be made of different materials. The positive lead can be made of the same aluminum as the positive current collector, and the negative lead can be made of the same copper or nickel-plated copper as the negative current collector. In addition, the portion of the electrode lead 12 that protrudes outward from the battery casing 100 can serve as a terminal portion for electrical connection to external terminals.

[0087] The battery housing 100 can be made of a highly flexible material to house the electrode assembly 10 therein. When a flexible pouch film is stretched using a punch (not shown), a portion of the pouch film can be stretched to form a cup-shaped portion 110 with a pouch-shaped electrode receiving space 110S, thereby manufacturing the battery housing 100. The battery housing 100 can be sealed while housing the electrode assembly 10, thereby exposing a portion of the electrode leads 12.

[0088] For reference, as used herein, "bag film" can be a term referring to an element in progress before the battery housing 100 is completed; therefore, depending on the context, the term "bag film" can have the meaning of "battery housing 100." Furthermore, "battery housing 100" can refer to a completed battery housing 100, or it can refer to a battery housing 100 before completion. The meaning of "battery housing 100" can be interpreted differently depending on the context.

[0089] When forming the cup-shaped portion 110 in the bag film, only one cup-shaped portion 110 can be formed in one bag film, but this disclosure is not limited to this; two adjacent cup-shaped portions 110 can be formed in one bag film by stretching. Therefore, as Figure 1As shown, two adjacent cup-shaped portions 110 can be formed. Each cup-shaped portion 110 can have the same depth, but is not limited to this; the depths of each cup-shaped portion 110 can be different from each other. After the electrode assembly 10 is housed in one cup-shaped portion 110, the battery can 100 be folded relative to the axis such that the cup-shaped portion 110 and the other cup-shaped portion 110 face each other. Therefore, the other cup-shaped portion 110 can house the electrode assembly 10 on its upper side. Since two cup-shaped portions 110 house one electrode assembly 10, they can house a thicker electrode assembly 10 than a single cup-shaped portion 110.

[0090] Additionally, in this disclosure, "bag film" may refer to a film formed before the battery housing 100 is formed, and in the accompanying drawings, the reference numerals for the bag film may be the same as those for the battery housing 100.

[0091] Additionally, the battery casing 100 can be folded to form a folded portion connecting the two cup-shaped portions 110. Since the folded portion is formed by folding and integrally connected, the number of sealed sides can be reduced when a sealing process is performed later. Therefore, the process can be accelerated, and the number of sealing processes can be reduced. Specifically, when the cross-section of the cup-shaped portion 110 is close to a rectangular shape, the battery casing 100 can be sealed by sealing the battery casing 100 with the folded portion on three sides. However, when the two cup-shaped portions 110 are each formed in a separate pouch film, the edges of the battery casing 100 can be sealed when the pouch film is positioned such that the cup-shaped portions 110 face each other without folded portions. In this case, when the cross-section of the cup-shaped portion 110 is close to a rectangular shape, the battery casing 100 can be sealed by sealing the battery casing 100 on all four sides. For ease of description, this disclosure will be described based on a battery casing 100 including the folded portion. However, aspects of this disclosure can be applied to battery casings 100 without the folded portion.

[0092] When the electrode lead 12 is connected to the electrode tab 11 of the electrode assembly 10 and the insulating portion 13 is formed on a portion of the electrode lead 12, the electrode assembly 10 can be accommodated in the electrode accommodating space 110S of the cup-shaped portion 110, and another cup-shaped portion 110 can cover the electrode assembly 10. Subsequently, on the sides other than the side where the folded portion is located, the portion of the side 120 extending from the cup-shaped portion 110 can be sealed, and electrolyte can be injected into the electrode accommodating space 110S through the unsealed side 120. After the electrolyte is injected, the unsealed side 120 can be sealed.

[0093] The pouch film forming the battery housing 100 may include multiple layers. The following description is based on the pouch film, but can be equally applied to the battery housing 100 formed from the pouch film.

[0094] The bag film may include a surface protective layer (not shown), a sealant layer (not shown), and a moisture barrier layer (not shown). The bag film may also include a stretching aid layer located on the moisture barrier layer.

[0095] The sealant layer may be made of a first polymer, formed in the innermost layer and in direct contact with the electrode assembly 10. Here, the innermost layer may be the last layer based on a moisture-barrier layer in the direction toward the electrode assembly 10. The sealant layer may be insulating because it is in direct contact with the electrode assembly 10.

[0096] like Figure 1 As shown, when the pouch films are folded relative to a reference line, the pouch films that meet each other can be symmetrical with respect to the side where they meet. The symmetrical pouch films can be configured such that the individual sealant layers included in the individual pouch films are in contact with each other. When heat is applied to the pouch films that are in contact with each other, because the sealant layers can include polymers, the sealant layers of the individual pouch films that are in contact with each other can melt and bond together when heated. Therefore, a side portion 120 of the battery housing 100 can be formed, and the side portion 120 can be sealed by bonding the sealant layers that meet each other.

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, before sealing the entire side portion 120, only a portion of the side portion 120 can be sealed, and the electrolyte can be injected into the electrode housing space 110S through the unsealed portion of the side portion 120. After the electrolyte is contained in the electrode housing space 110S, the unsealed portion of the side portion 120 can be sealed, and it can be repeatedly charged and discharged to activate the secondary battery B. An aging process for permeating the electrolyte into the electrode can be performed during the time interval between charging and discharging. When this process is repeated, the electrical characteristics of the secondary battery B can be activated. During the activation process of the secondary battery B, gas can be generated inside the secondary battery B. The gas generated inside can move to a portion of the side portion 120, and the gas located in the side portion 120 can be released through the holes. The side portion 120 near the electrode can be sealed again, and a degassing process can be performed, which trims the area of ​​the side portion 120 where holes are formed. The remaining side portion 120 with a predetermined width after being cut by the degassing process can be referred to as the degassed sealing portion 122. For reference, the side portion 120 that engages with the inserted electrode lead 12 may be referred to as the lead sealing portion 121. That is, the side portion 120 may include a degassing sealing portion 122 and a lead sealing portion 121. The degassing sealing portion 122 may be located on the side of the cup-shaped portion 110 opposite to the folded portion, and the lead sealing portion 121 may extend from the end of the degassing sealing portion 122 to the folded portion.

[0098] The portion of side 120 with a predetermined width may undergo additional processing to reduce its width. This is because it is necessary to reduce the width of side 120 to reduce the overall width of the secondary battery B. The volumetric energy density can be increased by reducing the width of the secondary battery B. More specifically, the degassing sealing portion 122 may be configured to reduce its width by folding at least once.

[0099] Furthermore, in the foregoing description, the cup-shaped portion 110, side portion 120, folded portion, degassing sealing portion 122, or lead sealing portion 121 that may be included in the pouch film have used the same names as the components of the battery housing 100 formed based on the pouch film. A name does not refer to a component, and a name may be interpreted differently depending on the context.

[0100] Figure 2 This shows a bag cut by a standard bag cutting machine (CA). Figure 1 A perspective view of the battery casing 100 shown. Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 The battery casing 100 and the conventional bag cutting device CA are shown as a side view. Figure 4 It shows when passing Figure 3 The diagram shows a plan view of the battery casing 100 after it has been cut by the conventional bag cutting equipment CA.

[0101] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 The battery casing 100 of the secondary battery shown is a perspective view before it is cut by a conventional bag-cutting device CA-0. Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 The diagram shows the battery casing 100 and the conventional bag cutting equipment CA-0. Figure 4 This is a plan view of the battery casing 100, showing the components... Figure 3 The cutting line CL is shown in the CA-0 standard bag cutting equipment.

[0102] Reference Figures 2 to 4 Describe the CA-0 standard bag cutting equipment.

[0103] For reference, although the accompanying drawings are shown and the following description is based on a bag as an example of a battery housing 100, it can be seen that aspects of this disclosure also apply when the battery housing 100 has a structure similar to that described below. Therefore, although the battery housing 100 shown in the drawings is illustrated based on the shape of the bag, it is referred to as battery housing 100 in this disclosure. Furthermore, regardless of the name, the bag cutting device CA of this disclosure can be used to cut both the bag and the battery housing 100.

[0104] like Figure 2As shown, the side portion 120 of the battery casing 100 can be cut along the cutting line CL. Specifically, since the length of the degassing sealing portion 122 can be appropriately cut in a subsequent processing step after gas removal, the portion of the side portion 120 of the battery casing 100 cut before sealing can be the lead sealing portion 121. The lead sealing portion 121 can be appropriately cut so that the electrode leads 12 can protrude. The lead sealing portion 121 can be cut in a direction parallel to the short side of the cup-shaped portion 110.

[0105] like Figure 3 As shown, the bag cutting device CA-0 can be configured to cut the side 120 of the battery casing 100. The bag cutting device CA can include a cutter 200-0 configured to cut the side 120 of the battery casing 100, particularly the lead seal portion 121. The cutter 200-0 can include a blade portion 220-0 with a reduced cross-sectional area towards the end. The blade portion 220-0 can have a sharp tip. The blade portion 220-0 can move close to the side 120 to cut the side 120. In this case, the blade portion 220 can include a pair of blade portions 220-0 positioned at an upper and lower position facing each other, and the pair of blade portions 220-0 can cut the side 120 located between them when they contact each other.

[0106] However, as Figure 3 As shown, when the cutter 200-0 cuts the side 120 of the battery casing 100, like... Figure 4 As shown in the battery casing 100, curling may occur at the edge of the side 120. Figure 4 As shown, the curling that occurs in the side portion 120 can occur when the corner of the side portion 120 curls towards the cup-shaped portion 110. When curling occurs in the side portion 120, the side portion 120 may not have been cut to a predetermined size. For reference, although Figure 2 The curling in the side 120 of the battery casing 100 is not shown, but Figure 4 The curling in the side 120 of the battery housing 100 is shown, thus revealing the sloping edge in the plan view. In particular, similar to the following description, when applying aspects of this disclosure... Figure 9 When the battery casing 100 shown is supported by the guide 300, curling in the side 120 is prevented. Figure 9 The non-sloping side 120 is shown in the figure.

[0107] To conduct observations, experiments were performed when the side portion 120 was cut using a standard bag-cutting device (CA). Figure 2 The lengths of L1-0 and L2-0 are shown.

[0108] Figure 5This shows when cutting through the cutting line CL. Figure 2 The graph shows the L1-0 length distribution of the battery housing 100. Figure 6 This shows when cutting through the cutting line CL. Figure 2 The graph shows the L2-0 length distribution of the battery housing 100.

[0109] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 The results of a study describe the length of a battery casing 100 cut by a conventional bag-cutting device CA.

[0110] As shown below, there is a difference in the average value between the lengths of L1-0 and L2-0.

[0111] [Table 1]

[0112] L1-0 L2-0 Average length (mm) 558.24 557.40

[0113] Typically, the reduction in total length due to curling makes the length corresponding to L2-0 smaller than that of L1-0.

[0114] Furthermore, when comparing the L1-0 and L2-0 distributions, the L2-0 distribution is more dispersed. Because the curling is difficult to control, the length corresponding to L2-0 is measured over a wider range. This hinders consistent quality.

[0115] Furthermore, in the Capability of Process (Cpk) of L1-0, the Cpk value is as high as 2.654, while the Cpk value of L2-0 is as low as 1.442. A Cpk value greater than 1.69 is generally considered good, thus confirming that the Cpk value of L2-0 must be improved (Cpk is a commonly used metric, and its description is omitted).

[0116] In summary, due to curling in the outer portion of the lead seal portion 121 of L2-0, the battery casing 100 may not form the expected length and may not maintain a constant length.

[0117] This disclosure solves this problem. It aims to minimize, in accordance with the following aspects. Figure 7 The difference in length between L1 and L2 is shown, which narrows the L2 distribution.

[0118] Figure 7 This illustrates a bag cut by the bag cutting device CA according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 A perspective view of the battery casing 100 shown. Figure 8 It is shown Figure 7 The battery casing 100 and the bag cutting device CA according to the first embodiment are shown in cross-sectional view. Figure 9This shows that when the battery casing 100 is... Figure 8 The diagram shows a plan view of the battery casing 100 after cutting according to the bag cutting device CA of the first embodiment.

[0119] Reference Figures 7 to 9 A bag cutting apparatus CA according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0120] A bag-cutting device CA can be configured to cut a bag including a cup-shaped portion 110 and a side portion 120 extending from the cup-shaped portion 110. More specifically, the bag-cutting device CA can include a cutter 200 and a guide 300, the cutter 200 being configured to cut the side portion 120, and the guide 300 being configured to hold the side portion 120 while the cutter 200 is cutting the side portion 120. During side cutting, curling at the corners of the side portion 120 can be prevented, thereby reducing length differences in the side portion 120.

[0121] More specifically, the cutter 200 may include a blade portion 220 having a cross-sectional area that decreases towards its end. When the cutter 200 cuts the side portion 120, the guide 300 may be positioned adjacent to the blade portion 220. The end of the side portion 120 located outside the guide 300 may curl toward the guide 300, and the guide 300 may support the side portion 120 to prevent curling inwards. Therefore, curling can occur up to a position adjacent to the guide 300. When the cutter 200 and the guide 300 are positioned adjacent to each other, curling of the side portion 120 can be prevented from initiating near the cutting position of the cutter 200; therefore, the guide 300 may preferably be located near the cutter 200, particularly near the blade portion 220. For example, based on... Figure 8 The end of the lead wire sealing portion 121 on the left side of the guide 300 can be curled to the right. However, curling can be prevented from occurring between the contact point between the guide 300 and the lead wire sealing portion 121 and the cup-shaped portion 110. Therefore, when the blade portion 220 and the guide 300 are positioned adjacent to each other, curling at the cutting position of the blade portion 220 can be minimized.

[0122] The guide 300 may include a first guide 300' and a second guide 300'', respectively positioned to contact opposite surfaces of the side 120. For example, as Figure 8As shown, the first guide 300' can support the lead seal portion 121 from above, and the second guide 300'' can support the lead seal portion 121 from below. That is, the lead seal portion 121 can be located between the first guide 300' and the second guide 300''. When the lead seal portion 121 bends, curling may occur. The first guide 300' and the second guide 300'' can support the lead seal portion 121 to prevent bending, thereby preventing curling within the lead seal portion 121.

[0123] Furthermore, for ease of understanding, the description of side portion 120 described below can be understood as a description of lead-sealed portion 121. As mentioned above, since degassing seal portion 122 can be cut again in subsequent processing, it may be difficult to achieve the surprising effects provided by the application of aspects of this disclosure. When lead-sealed portion 121 that has not undergone cutting in subsequent processing is used in bag cutting apparatus CA to apply aspects of this disclosure, the effects of aspects of this disclosure can be effectively provided. Therefore, in the following text, side portion 120 can be understood as lead-sealed portion 121. However, degassing seal portion 122 may also need to be cut first, so aspects of this disclosure can be applied to degassing seal portion 122.

[0124] After the guide 300 holds the side portion 120, the cutter 200 can cut the side portion 120. In the sequence of the cutting process of the cutter 200 and the process of the guide 300 holding the side portion 120, the process of the guide 300 holding the side portion 120 can be performed first. When the holding process is performed first, the side portion 120 can be flattened to suit cutting.

[0125] The guide 300 can be positioned closer to the cup-shaped portion 110 than the blade portion 220. When the side portion 120 is cut by the blade portion 220, curling may occur again in the cut side portion 120. When curling occurs in the side portion 120, subsequent processing may be inconvenient, therefore it is necessary to prevent curling. Curling in the side portion 120 can occur when the end of the side portion 120 curls towards the cup-shaped portion 110, therefore it may be necessary to position the cutting line CL further away from the cup-shaped portion 110 than the guide 300. When the guide 300 is positioned further away from the cup-shaped portion 110 than the cutting line CL, it is not possible to prevent the cut portion from moving towards the cup-shaped portion 110, and curling may occur again in the cut side portion 120. Since the cutting line CL can be formed by the blade portion 220, it may be desirable to position the guide 300 closer to the cup-shaped portion 110 than the blade portion 220. In other words, the guide 300 can be adjacent to the blade portion 220 to prevent curling near the cutting line CL, while the guide 300 can be closer to the cup-shaped portion 110 than the blade portion 220 to prevent the side portion 120 from additionally curling after cutting.

[0126] When the guide 300 holds the side portion 120, the cutter 200 can move in a cutting direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the side portion 120 to cut the side portion 120. For example, as Figure 8 As shown, the cutting direction can be vertical. The extension direction of the side portion 120 can be horizontal. This is because applying the cutting force perpendicular to the object to be cut is most effective.

[0127] The cutter 200 may have a guide receiving space 210S for accommodating the guide 300. More specifically, the cutter 200 may include a cutter body 210, a blade portion 220 extending from the cutter body 210, and the cutter body 210 may have the guide receiving space 210S. The cutter body 210 may have a wider width than the blade portion 220. This is because the cutter body 210 can be mounted on a device for moving the cutter 200. The blade portion 220 may protrude from the cutter body 210. In particular, as Figure 8 As shown, the blade portion 220 can protrude downward from the cutter body 210. A space can be formed between the non-protruding side of the cutter body 210 and the end of the blade portion 220, and the guide 300 can be accommodated in this space to position the guide 300 as close as possible to the blade portion 220. For example, in the description of the location... Figure 8When the first guide 300' on the left side is adjacent to a component, a space can be formed below the cutter body 210 on the right side of the blade portion 220, and the guide 300 can be located in this space. In this positional relationship, the cutter body 210 can be located on the guide 300. The blade portion 220 can move downward to cut the side portion 120, so the blade portion 220 may need to move. The downward movement of the blade portion 220 can refer to the downward movement of the cutter body 210 integrally formed with the blade portion 220. When the cutter body 210 moves downward, if the cutter body 210 does not have a guide receiving space 210S, the cutter body 210 may come into contact with the guide 300, and the movement of the cutter body 210 and the blade portion 220 may be hindered. To prevent this, when the cutter 200 moves in the cutting direction, the guide 300 can be inserted into the guide receiving space 210S.

[0128] In the cutting direction, the height H2 of the guide receiving space 210S can be equal to or greater than the height H1 of the guide 300. When the blade portion 220 moves, the guide receiving space 210S can completely accommodate the guide 300 within the guide receiving space 210S.

[0129] In this case, the width of the guide receiving space 210S can be equal to or greater than the width of the guide 300. Preferably, the guide receiving space 210S can have a width corresponding to the width of the guide 300. The guide receiving space 210S can accommodate the guide 300 within the guide receiving space 210S.

[0130] The lead seal portion 121 may include a pair of lead seal portions 121 extending from opposite sides of the cup-shaped portion 110, respectively. The guide 300 may include a pair of guides 300 to respectively retain the pair of lead seal portions 121. For example, as... Figure 8 As shown, the guide 300 may include a pair of guides 300 supporting opposite sides of the lead seal portion 121 and another pair of guides 300 supporting the lead seal portion 121 extending in opposite directions relative to the cup-shaped portion 110, i.e., a total of four guides 300. The side portion 120 may include the lead seal portion 121 extending along the short side of the cup-shaped portion 110 and the degassing seal portion 122 extending along the long side of the cup-shaped portion 110, and when the guide 300 supports the lead seal portion 121, the guide 300 may be positioned to extend along the short side of the cup-shaped portion 110 (i.e., the extension direction of the lead seal portion 121). When the guide 300 supports the degassing seal portion 122, the guide 300 may be positioned to extend along the long side of the cup-shaped portion 110 (i.e., the extension direction of the degassing seal portion 122).

[0131] The guide 300 can be moved to more effectively prevent curling in the side 120. The movement of the guide 300 will be described below.

[0132] Figure 10 It is shown Figure 7 The diagram shows the guide 300 of the bag cutting device CA in a hold-ready position. Figure 11 It is shown Figure 10 The diagram shows the guide 300 of the bag cutting device CA in the holding position. Figure 12 It is shown Figure 10 The guide 300 of the bag cutting device CA shown is in a side view in the hold-ready position.

[0133] Reference Figures 10 to 12 The bag cutting apparatus CA according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail.

[0134] The guide 300 can be configured to move to a holding ready position adjacent to the cup-shaped portion 110 and a holding position adjacent to the blade portion 220. For example, Figure 10 The position of the guide 300 shown can be in the ready position. Figure 11 The position of the guide 300 shown can be a holding position.

[0135] When the guide 300 is in the holding position, the cutter 200 can cut the side 120. After the guide 300 moves to the desired position, positioning the guide 300 adjacent to the blade portion 220 of the cutter 200, the cutter 200 can cut the side 120. Therefore, when the guide 300 is in the holding ready position, the cutter 200 may not cut the side 120.

[0136] When the guide 300 moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide 300 can move in contact with the side portion 120. As the guide 300 moves in contact with the side portion 120, it can simultaneously push a portion of the side portion 120 that may curl outward from the cup-shaped portion 110 to flatten the side portion 120. When cutting the flattened side portion 120, the cutter 200 can cut the side portion 120 to a length close to a preset length.

[0137] When the guide 300 moves from the ready position to the holding position, the guide 300 can slide. The guide 300 can move from the ready position to the holding position via a curved path, but in order to minimize the movement time, the guide 300 can move from the ready position to the holding position via a straight path in contact with the side 120.

[0138] The guide 300 can extend in the length direction, and the length of the side portion 120 in the length direction of the guide 300 can be equal to or less than the length of the guide 300. Therefore, when the guide 300 moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide 300 can support the outer side of the lead seal portion 121 while moving. Here, the holding position of the guide 300 can be a position adjacent to the blade portion 220, and the holding ready position of the guide 300 can refer to a position where the guide 300 is positioned closer to the cup-shaped portion 110 than the holding position.

[0139] For example, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, as the guide 300 moves, the lead sealing portion 121, located on the upper and lower sides in the figure and on the left and right sides in a predetermined direction, can flatten when it comes into contact with the guide 300.

[0140] In the following description, embodiments different from the first embodiment will be presented. Descriptions of common parts between the first embodiment and other embodiments will be omitted, and other embodiments will be described based on their differences. That is, it will be apparent that the description of the first embodiment may constitute such a description when specific descriptions not mentioned in other embodiments are necessary.

[0141] Second Implementation Method

[0142] Figure 13 This is a side view showing the guide 300 of the bag cutting device CA according to the second embodiment in the holding ready position. Figure 14 It is shown Figure 13 The guide 300 of the bag cutting device CA shown is in a holding position (side view).

[0143] Reference Figure 13 and Figure 14 Describes a bag cutting device CA according to a second embodiment.

[0144] The bag cutting device CA according to the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that, when in the holding ready position, the guide 300 is located in the guide receiving space 210S of the cutter 200. That is, before the holding side 120, the guide 300 can be accommodated in the guide receiving space 210S of the cutter 200 to move together with the cutter 200.

[0145] In the second embodiment, the guide 300 can be as follows: Figure 13 As shown, it is in the ready position and can be as follows Figure 14The guide 300 is shown in the holding position. That is, the guide 300 can move together with the cutter 200, and when the guide 300 is positioned adjacent to where it should support the side 120, the guide 300 can move separately from the cutter 200 to support the side 120, and then the cutter 200 can move to cut the side 120. For example, as... Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the cutter 200 and guide 300 can move together until the blade portion 220 is located on the cutting line CL of the side 120. Subsequently, only the guide 300 can move downward to support the side 120. Then, the cutter 200 can move downward to cut the side 120.

[0146] The guide 300 can move in the cutting direction along the extension direction of the guide receiving space 210S to hold the side 120.

[0147] Third Implementation Method

[0148] Figure 15 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device CA and the battery housing 100 according to the third embodiment.

[0149] Reference Figure 15 A bag cutting apparatus CA according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0150] The bag cutting device CA according to the third embodiment has a smaller width of the cutter body 210 than that of the bag cutting device CA according to the first embodiment. The width of the cutter body 210 can be set to prevent the guide 300 from being located below the cutter body 210. In this case, interference with the guide 300 can be prevented when the cutter 200 moves in the cutting direction. When there is no interference with the guide 300, the guide receiving space 210S in the cutter 200 is not required, and the guide receiving space 210S may not be formed.

[0151] Cutter 200 can be used in, for example Figure 15 It extends in the direction shown.

[0152] Fourth Implementation Method

[0153] Figure 16 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device CA and the battery housing 100 according to the fourth embodiment.

[0154] Reference Figure 16 A bag cutting apparatus CA according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0155] Unlike the first embodiment, the bag cutting device CA according to the fourth embodiment does not include a pair of upper and lower cutters 200 and a pair of upper and lower guides 300. A support member 400 may be disposed on the side opposite to the cutters 200 and guides 300 of the fourth embodiment. The support member 400 may be located on the side of the side 120 opposite to the cutters 200 to prevent the side 120 from being pushed back and left uncut when the cutters 200 move to cut the side 120. For example, as... Figure 16 As shown, the cutter 200 can be located on the upper side of the side portion 120, and the support member 400 can be located on the lower side of the side portion 120. In this case, the support member 400 can have a through hole 400H at a position corresponding to the blade portion 220, through which the blade portion 220 can pass. The support member 400 can serve a similar function to the guide 300, in order to prevent the side portion 120 from curling together with the guide 300.

[0156] Fifth Implementation Method

[0157] Figure 17 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device CA and the battery housing 100 according to the fifth embodiment.

[0158] Reference Figure 17 A bag cutting apparatus CA according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0159] The bag cutting device CA according to the fifth embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the guide is further away from the cup-shaped portion 110 than the blade portion 220.

[0160] As in the fifth embodiment, the guide 300 can support the side 120 during cutting in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The first embodiment cannot be applied to a situation where the blade portion 220 is positioned too close to the cup-shaped portion 110 such that the guide 300 cannot be positioned between the cup-shaped portion 110 and the blade portion 220. However, the fifth embodiment may be more advantageous than the first embodiment in that it can be performed even when the blade portion 220 is positioned in contact with the cup-shaped portion 110, because the guide 300 is located further out of the cup-shaped portion 110 than the blade portion 220.

[0161] Sixth Implementation Method

[0162] Figure 18 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device CA and the battery housing 100 according to the sixth embodiment.

[0163] Reference Figure 18 A bag cutting apparatus CA according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0164] The bag cutting apparatus CA according to the sixth embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that, when in the hold-ready position, the guide 300 is positioned separately from the side 120. The guide 300 can be positioned for easy storage and only supports the side 120 during cutting to prevent it from curling. Therefore, the guide 300 does not need to contact the side 120 in the hold-ready position to achieve aspects of this disclosure.

[0165] Seventh Implementation Method

[0166] Figure 19 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device CA and the battery housing 100 according to the seventh embodiment.

[0167] Reference Figure 19 A bag cutting apparatus CA according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0168] The bag cutting device CA according to the seventh embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the height of the guide receiving space 210S is shorter than the height of the guide 300. When the blade portion 220 is long enough, collisions between the cutter 200 and the guide 300 due to movement can be avoided.

[0169] Eighth Implementation Method

[0170] Figure 20 This is a side view showing the bag cutting device CA and the battery housing 100 according to the eighth embodiment.

[0171] Reference Figure 20 A bag cutting apparatus CA according to the eighth embodiment of this disclosure is described.

[0172] The bag cutting device CA according to the eighth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the extending direction of the guide 300 has a predetermined angle with the side 120, and the guide receiving space 210S extends parallel to the extending direction of the guide 300, so the extending direction of the guide receiving space 210S also has a predetermined angle with the side 120.

[0173] Ninth Implementation Method

[0174] Figure 21 This is a plan view showing the bag cutting device CA and the battery casing 100 according to the ninth embodiment.

[0175] Reference Figure 21 A bag cutting apparatus CA according to a ninth embodiment of this disclosure is described.

[0176] The bag cutting device CA according to the ninth embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the length of the guide 300 is equal to or less than the length of the lead seal portion 121. When the guide 300 is positioned near the edge of the lead seal portion 121, the guide 300 can prevent the lead seal portion 121 from curling even if the guide 300 does not necessarily support the edge of the lead seal portion 121.

[0177] Unless otherwise expressly stated, the disclosed embodiments may be combined with other embodiments. Alternatively, when combining embodiments with other embodiments, any combination of embodiments may be made, unless expressly limited. It should be understood that such combinations of embodiments are disclosed in this disclosure.

[0178] Although this disclosure has been described above with respect to a limited number of embodiments and accompanying drawings, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and this disclosure may be embodied in different forms by those skilled in the art related to this disclosure and within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A bag cutting device for cutting bags, the bag including a cup-shaped portion and a side extending from the cup-shaped portion, the bag cutting device comprising: A cutter comprising a blade portion having a cross-sectional area decreasing toward the end for cutting the side portion; and A guide member, positioned adjacent to the blade portion to hold the side portion as the cutter cuts the side portion.

2. The bag cutting equipment according to claim 1, in, The guide includes a first guide and a second guide, respectively positioned to contact a surface located on the opposite side of the side portion.

3. The bag cutting equipment according to claim 1, in, After the guide holds the side portion, the cutter cuts the side portion.

4. The bag cutting equipment according to claim 1, in, The guide is positioned closer to the cup-shaped portion than the blade portion.

5. The bag cutting equipment according to claim 1, in, The guide is configured to move to: The holding position adjacent to the cup-shaped portion; and The holding position adjacent to the blade portion, When the guide is in the holding position, the cutter cuts the side portion.

6. The bag cutting device according to claim 5, in, When the guide moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide moves in contact with the side.

7. The bag cutting equipment according to claim 5, in, When the guide moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide moves slidably.

8. The bag cutting equipment according to claim 1, in, The guide extends in the length direction. Wherein, the length of the side portion in the length direction of the guide is equal to or less than the length of the guide.

9. The bag cutting equipment according to claim 1, in, While the guide holds the side portion, the cutter moves in a cutting direction to cut the side portion, the cutting direction being perpendicular to the extension direction of the side portion.

10. The bag cutting device according to claim 9, in, The cutter has a guide receiving space for accommodating the guide. When the cutter moves in the cutting direction, the guide is inserted into the guide receiving space.

11. The bag cutting device according to claim 10, in, In the cutting direction, the height of the guide receiving space is equal to or greater than the height of the guide.

12. The bag cutting device according to claim 10, in, The guide receiving space has a width corresponding to the width of the guide.

13. The bag cutting device according to claim 9, in, The guide is housed in the guide housing space of the cutter before retaining the side portion so as to move together with the cutter.

14. The bag cutting device according to claim 13, in, The guide moves along the extension direction of the guide receiving space in the cutting direction to hold the side portion.

15. The bag cutting device according to claim 1, in, The side portion includes: A lead-sealed portion extending along the short side of the cup-shaped portion; and A degassing and sealing portion extending along the long side of the cup-shaped portion. The lead sealing portion includes a pair of lead sealing portions extending from opposite sides of the cup-shaped portion. The guide includes a pair of guides to respectively retain the pair of lead wire sealing portions.

16. A bag cutting device for cutting a bag, the bag including a cup-shaped portion and a side extending from the cup-shaped portion, the bag cutting device comprising: A cutter configured to cut the side portion; and A guide member configured to contact the side portion as the cutter cuts the side portion to hold it in place. The guide is configured to move to: The holding position adjacent to the cup-shaped portion; and A holding position adjacent to the cutter to hold the side portion while the cutter is cutting the side portion.

17. The bag cutting device according to claim 16, in, When the guide moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide moves in contact with the side.

18. The bag cutting device according to claim 16, in, When the guide moves from the holding ready position to the holding position, the guide moves slidably.

19. The bag cutting device according to claim 16, in, The width of the guide is equal to or greater than the width of the side portion.

20. A bag cutting device for cutting a bag, the bag including a cup-shaped portion and a side extending from the cup-shaped portion, the bag cutting device comprising: A cutter configured to cut the side portion; and A guide member configured to contact the side portion as the cutter cuts the side portion to hold it in place. The guide is housed in the guide housing space of the cutter before holding the side portion so as to move together with the cutter.

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