Pole piece drying device and coating machine

Abstract

The utility model relates to a pole piece drying device and a coating machine, the pole piece drying device comprises a first drying oven and a reversing mechanism, and the first drying oven is provided with a first drying channel extending along a first direction. And the coated pole piece can pass through the first drying channel to be dried. The pole piece can penetrate through the first drying channel at least twice after being reversed by the reversing mechanism, so that the stroke of the pole piece in the first drying channel can be increased, and the drying time of the pole piece in the first drying oven is prolonged. Therefore, even if the size and the drying power of the first drying oven are not increased, the drying efficiency of the pole piece can be obviously improved. Moreover, the first direction is generally set to be the vertical direction in the using process, the pole pieces penetrating through the first drying channel can droop under the action of gravity, and therefore a passing roller does not need to be arranged in the first drying oven to maintain the tension of the pole pieces. Therefore, the structures of the pole piece drying device and the coating machine can be simplified, so that the cost is lower on the premise of ensuring the drying efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery equipment technology, and in particular to an electrode drying device and a coating machine. Background Technology

[0002] Electrode coating is a crucial step in lithium battery manufacturing. After coating the substrate surface with a slurry, drying is required to obtain a cured active material layer. Typical coating machines use infrared heating or hot air drying, and the coated electrodes are dried while passing through the drying oven. To improve drying efficiency, methods such as extending the length of the drying oven and increasing the heating power are generally employed. However, this results in larger drying equipment and coating machines, more complex structures, and higher costs. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an electrode drying device and coating machine that can achieve low cost while ensuring drying efficiency, in order to address the above problems.

[0004] On one hand, this application provides an electrode drying apparatus, including a first drying oven and a reversing mechanism. The first drying oven has a first drying channel extending along a first direction and through which the electrode passes. The reversing mechanism is disposed at at least one end of the first drying oven along the first direction. The electrode passing through the first drying oven can bypass the reversing mechanism. The reversing mechanism can reorient the electrode so that the electrode passes through the first drying channel at least twice.

[0005] In one embodiment, the first drying oven is provided with a feed inlet and a discharge outlet at the same end along the first direction. The electrode sheet enters through the feed inlet and exits through the discharge outlet. The reversing mechanism is provided at the end of the first drying oven away from the feed inlet and the discharge outlet, which enables the electrode sheet to reverse direction once and pass through the first drying channel twice.

[0006] In one embodiment, the first oven is provided with a blowing assembly for blowing air into the first drying channel. The blowing assembly includes a uniform air distribution plate and an air outlet plate, which are spaced apart. The uniform air distribution plate is located on the air inlet side of the blowing assembly, and the air outlet plate is located on the air outlet side of the blowing assembly. The uniform air distribution plate has uniformly distributed air distribution holes, and the air outlet plate has uniformly distributed air outlet holes.

[0007] In one embodiment, a second drying oven is also included, the second drying oven having a second drying channel extending in a second direction other than the first direction, through which the electrode sheet can pass sequentially in the first drying channel and the second drying channel.

[0008] In one embodiment, the length of the first oven is 20%-80% of the sum of the lengths of the first oven and the second oven.

[0009] In one embodiment, the system further includes a fresh air intake duct and a ventilation duct, wherein the fresh air intake duct is connected to the air inlet end of the second drying channel, and the two ends of the ventilation duct are respectively connected to the air outlet end of the second drying channel and the air inlet end of the first drying channel.

[0010] In one embodiment, the system further includes a tailpipe, which is connected to the air outlet of the first drying channel. A heat exchanger is installed on the tailpipe, and the fresh air intake pipe is thermally coupled to the tailpipe through the heat exchanger.

[0011] In one embodiment, the pipes of the portion containing the heat exchanger are inclined downward relative to the outlet end of the first drying channel.

[0012] In one embodiment, the end of the tailpipe is connected to a liquid storage tank, and the fresh air intake pipe passes around the liquid storage tank and is thermally coupled to the liquid storage tank.

[0013] On the other hand, this application also provides a coating machine, including a coating device and an electrode drying device as described in any of the preferred embodiments above.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the above-mentioned electrode drying device and coating machine have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0015] The aforementioned electrode drying apparatus and coating machine allow coated electrodes to pass through the first drying channel for drying. After being redirected by the reversing mechanism, the electrode passes through the first drying channel at least twice, thus increasing the electrode's travel distance within the channel and extending the drying time in the first oven. Therefore, even without increasing the size and drying power of the first oven, the drying efficiency for the electrode can be significantly improved. Furthermore, since the first direction is generally set vertically during use, the electrode passing through the first drying channel will sag under gravity, eliminating the need for rollers inside the first oven to maintain electrode tension. As can be seen, the structure of the aforementioned electrode drying apparatus and coating machine can be simplified, thus achieving lower costs while ensuring drying efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the coating machine in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the electrode drying device in the coating machine.

[0019] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the uniform air distribution plate in the electrode drying device shown.

[0020] Figure 4 for Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of the air outlet plate in the electrode drying device. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of this utility model. However, this utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. Therefore, this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0022] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are 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 utility model.

[0023] Furthermore, 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 the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0024] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly 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 explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through 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. "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.

[0026] It should be noted that when 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 intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0027] Please see Figure 1 This utility model provides a coating machine 10 and an electrode drying device 100. The coating machine 10 includes an electrode drying device 100 and a coating device 200.

[0028] The coating apparatus 200 is used to coat an active material slurry onto the surface of an electrode substrate, which can be aluminum foil or copper foil. The coating apparatus 200 generally includes a tension roller, a coating head, and a feeding mechanism. The tension roller maintains tension on the electrode substrate, while the coating head uniformly coats the slurry supplied by the feeding mechanism onto the surface of the electrode substrate. The coating apparatus 200 can coat one side or both sides of the electrode substrate. The aforementioned coating apparatus 200 can employ a similar structure to existing coating machines; however, its specific structure is not the focus of this application and will not be described in detail here.

[0029] The electrode drying apparatus 100 is used to dry the active material slurry coated on the surface of the electrode substrate, so as to cure it and obtain an active material layer attached to the surface of the electrode substrate, thereby obtaining the desired electrode 20. In addition, the coating machine 10 generally includes an unwinding mechanism 300 and a winding mechanism 400. The unwinding mechanism 300 is used to unwind the electrode substrate to the coating apparatus 200, and the winding mechanism 400 is used to wind up the electrode 20 dried by the electrode drying apparatus 100 for later use.

[0030] Please refer to the following: Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, the electrode drying device 100 includes a first drying oven 110 and a reversing mechanism 120.

[0031] The first oven 110 has a first drying channel (not shown) extending along a first direction, through which the electrode 20 output from the coating apparatus 200 can pass. The electrode 20 passing through the first drying channel travels along the extension direction of the first drying channel, i.e., the first direction. In actual use, the first direction is usually set to a vertical direction. The first oven 110 can be a single chamber extending along the first direction, or it can include multiple chambers connected end to end along the first direction.

[0032] The first drying oven 110 can dry the electrode 20 passing through the first drying channel using methods such as infrared heating or hot air drying. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first drying oven 110 uses hot air drying. Hot air drying has advantages such as fast drying speed and uniform drying. To avoid heat loss during the drying process, the first drying oven 110 can generally also be insulated. For example, the first drying oven 110 can be set in a closed wall.

[0033] Please refer to the following: Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, a blowing assembly 140 is provided inside the first drying oven 110. The blowing assembly 140 is used to blow hot air into the first drying channel to dry the electrode 20. The blowing assembly 140 includes a uniform air distribution plate 141 and an air outlet plate 142, which are spaced apart. The uniform air distribution plate 141 is located on the air inlet side of the blowing assembly 140, and the air outlet plate 142 is located on the air outlet side of the blowing assembly 140. The uniform air distribution plate 141 has uniformly distributed air distribution holes 1411, and the air outlet plate 142 has uniformly distributed air outlet holes 1412.

[0034] Hot air used for drying the electrode 20 is first blown from the air inlet side of the blower assembly 140 to the air distribution plate 141. After being compressed by the air distribution plate 141, it enters the space between the air distribution plate 141 and the air outlet plate 142 through the air distribution holes 1411. After further compression, it is blown into the first drying channel through the air outlet holes 1412. This ensures that the air volume on the air outlet side of the blower assembly 140 remains highly consistent with minimal fluctuations. Moreover, the air outlet plate 142 can achieve full-surface air outlet, and the air velocity at each air outlet hole 1421 can remain consistent. Therefore, the air volume blown from the air outlet side of the blower assembly 140 to all parts of the electrode 20 is basically the same, ensuring that the electrode 20 is heated evenly, thereby improving the consistency of drying throughout the electrode 20.

[0035] Both the air distribution plate 141 and the air outlet plate 142 can be made of stainless steel, with the air distribution plate 141 generally being slightly thicker than the air outlet plate 142. Specifically, the thickness of the air distribution plate 141 is generally 5mm to 50mm, while the thickness of the air outlet plate 142 is generally 2mm to 30mm. If the air distribution plate 141 and the air outlet plate 142 are too thick, it will result in excessive material usage and increased costs; if they are too thin, their strength will be too low, making them prone to deformation under wind pressure.

[0036] The air distribution holes 1411 are generally circular, and the opening ratio of the air distribution plate 141 is between 5% and 15%. Optionally, the air distribution holes 1411 are arranged in multiple rows on the air distribution plate 141, with adjacent rows staggered. The radius of a single air distribution hole 1411 is a1 = 3mm to 10mm; the center distance between two adjacent air distribution holes 1411 in the same row is b1 = 7mm to 21mm; and the included angle is c1 = 30° to 90°. The air outlet holes 1421 are also generally circular, and the opening ratio of the air outlet plate 142 is between 15% and 40%. Optionally, the air outlet holes 1421 are arranged in multiple rows on the air outlet plate 142, with adjacent rows staggered. The radius of a single air outlet plate 142 is a2 = 3mm to 8mm; the center distance between two adjacent air outlets 1421 in the same row is b2 = 7mm to 17mm; the included angle is c2 = 40° to 70°, preferably 60°.

[0037] Please refer to it again. Figure 2 The reversing mechanism 120 is disposed at at least one end of the first oven 110 along the first direction. The electrode 20 passing through the first oven 110 can bypass the reversing mechanism 120. The reversing mechanism 120 can reorient the electrode 20 so that the electrode 20 passes through the first drying channel at least twice.

[0038] The electrode 20 entering the first drying channel can travel along the first direction. When it reaches the reversing mechanism 120, it is flipped approximately 180 degrees by the reversing mechanism 120, causing the electrode 20 to travel in the opposite direction. In this way, the electrode 20 will travel along a Z-shaped path in the first drying channel, thereby increasing the travel distance of the electrode 20 in the first drying channel and extending the drying time of the electrode 20 in the first oven 110.

[0039] Because the drying time is extended, the drying efficiency for the electrode 20 can be significantly improved even without increasing the size and drying power of the first drying oven 110. As mentioned earlier, the first direction is generally set to a vertical direction during use. Therefore, the electrode 20 passing through the first drying channel will sag and become tense under the action of gravity. Thus, there is no need to install rollers inside the first drying oven 110 to maintain the tension of the electrode 20, and the number of rollers can also be reduced. It can be seen that, while ensuring drying efficiency, the structure of the electrode drying device 100 and the coating machine 10 can be simplified, thereby reducing costs.

[0040] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first drying oven 110 is provided with a feed inlet (not shown) and a discharge outlet (not shown) at the same end along the first direction. The electrode 20 is inserted through the feed inlet and exited through the discharge outlet. The reversing mechanism 120 is provided at the end of the first drying oven 110 away from the feed inlet and the discharge outlet, which enables the electrode 20 to reverse once and pass through the first drying channel twice.

[0041] After the electrode 20 enters the feed inlet, it is fed towards the reversing mechanism 120 in the first direction. Upon passing the reversing mechanism 120, it undergoes a 180-degree reversal and is fed towards the discharge outlet in the opposite direction. Therefore, after one reversal, the electrode 20 passing through the first drying chamber 110 forms two opposing electrode segments within the first drying channel. Since the two electrode segments can only block each other's opposite sides, by controlling the orientation of the electrode 20, the side of each electrode segment coated with slurry can face outwards (away from the other electrode segment). This allows the side of the electrode 20 coated with slurry to be better exposed to the air outlet area of ​​the blowing assembly 140, facilitating rapid and uniform drying of the slurry.

[0042] The distance between the two electrode segments is generally set between 10mm and 2000mm. When the distance is less than 10mm, the two electrode segments are prone to collision when the electrode 20 fluctuates; while if the distance is greater than 2000mm, the first oven 110 needs to provide a large space, which results in the first oven 110 being too large and not conducive to cost control.

[0043] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the electrode 20 can also undergo multiple reversals by increasing the number of reversing mechanisms 120 or by increasing the number of reversing rollers 121. For example, if the electrode 20 is reversed on both sides, the electrode 20 can pass through the first drying channel three times.

[0044] More specifically, in this embodiment, the reversing mechanism 120 includes two spaced-apart reversing rollers 121. The electrode 20, inserted through the inlet, is conveyed to the outlet after passing over the two reversing rollers 121. The two reversing rollers 121 jointly reverse the electrode 20, resulting in a larger contact area with the electrode 20. This increases the turning radius of the electrode 20 during the reversing process, reducing the degree of bending of the electrode 20 during reversing and thus reducing the probability of active material detachment. Furthermore, by controlling the distance between the two reversing rollers 121, the distance between the two electrode segments can also be better controlled.

[0045] To prevent the electrode 20 from wrinkling as it passes over the reversing roller 121, the surface roughness Ra of the reversing roller 121 is less than 0.1, and the roller diameter is greater than or equal to 160 mm. Alternatively, axially extending grooves can be provided on the surface of the reversing roller 121 to prevent wrinkling of the electrode 20. Multiple grooves are spaced apart circumferentially along the reversing roller 121. The width of each groove is between 0.1 mm and 10 mm, the depth is between 0.1 mm and 10 mm, and the center-to-center distance between two adjacent grooves is between 0.2 mm and 5 mm. The cross-sectional shape of the grooves can be semi-circular, elliptical, square, etc.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electrode drying device 100 also includes a support mechanism 130 disposed at one end of the first drying oven 110 near the inlet and outlet. The support mechanism 130 includes a first support roller 131 and a second support roller 132 disposed at intervals. The electrode 20 can pass around the first support roller 131 and enter the inlet, and the electrode 20 that passes through the outlet can pass around the second support roller 132.

[0047] Specifically, the first support roller 131 and the second support roller 132 can adopt the same structure as the reversing roller 121. The electrode sheet 20 output from the coating device 200 can pass around the first support roller 131. The first support roller 131 can maintain the tension of the electrode sheet 20 and guide the electrode sheet 20 to the feed port so that the electrode sheet 20 can smoothly pass through the feed port. The second support roller 132 can maintain the tension of the electrode sheet 20 passing through the discharge port and can guide the electrode sheet 20 dried by the first drying oven 110 to the next step.

[0048] It should be noted that in other embodiments, if the first oven 110 is also provided with a reversing mechanism 120 at the end near the feed inlet and the discharge outlet, the reversing mechanism 120 can replace the support mechanism 130 to guide and tension the electrode 20, so the support mechanism 130 can be omitted.

[0049] Please refer to it again. Figure 2 In this embodiment, the electrode drying device 100 further includes a second drying oven 150, which has a second drying channel extending in a second direction different from the first direction, and the electrode 20 can pass through the first drying channel and the second drying channel in sequence.

[0050] This configuration allows the first oven 110 and the second oven 150 to be roughly L-shaped. The electrode 20, passing through the first oven 110, enters the second drying channel and undergoes secondary drying in the second oven 150. By adding the second oven 150, the drying stroke and drying time of the electrode 20 can be further extended, thereby improving the drying effect. Compared to traditional ovens extending in one direction, while ensuring that the drying stroke of the electrode 20 remains unchanged, the dimensions of the first oven 110 and the second oven 150 in the first and second directions can be reduced respectively, making the electrode drying device 100 more compact.

[0051] The second drying oven 150 can also dry the electrode 20 passing through the first drying channel using infrared heating or hot air drying. Similarly, the second drying oven 150 can be a single chamber extending along the second direction, or it can include multiple chambers connected end-to-end along the second direction. Preferably, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; in actual use, the second direction is generally set to a horizontal direction. To prevent the electrode 20 passing through the second drying channel from sagging under gravity, the second drying oven 150 is generally also equipped with several rollers for supporting the electrode 20.

[0052] Specifically, in this embodiment, the length of the first oven 110 accounts for 20%-80% of the sum of the lengths of the first oven 110 and the second oven 150. When the length of the first oven 110 accounts for less than 20%, the second oven 150 will be too long, requiring more rollers to be installed within it. Conversely, when the length of the first oven 110 accounts for more than 80%, the oven 110 will occupy too much space in the first direction, making layout inconvenient. Preferably, the length of the first oven 110 accounts for 50%.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electrode drying device 100 also includes a fresh air intake pipe 160 and an air exchange pipe 170. The fresh air intake pipe 160 is connected to the air inlet end of the second drying channel, and the two ends of the air exchange pipe 170 are respectively connected to the air outlet end of the second drying channel and the air inlet end of the first drying channel.

[0054] The fresh air intake duct 160 is used to introduce fresh air into the second drying channel, thereby drying the electrode 20 and removing the solvent evaporated during the drying process. Specifically, a heating element can be installed on the fresh air intake duct 160 to heat the fresh air into hot air; alternatively, the heating element can be placed inside the second drying oven 150, so that the fresh air entering the second drying oven 150 through the fresh air intake duct 160 is first heated into hot air by the heating element and then blown onto the electrode 20 in the second drying channel.

[0055] Fresh air continuously enters the second drying channel through the fresh air intake duct 160, while the ventilation duct 170 continuously discharges the exhaust gas containing solvent vapor from the second drying channel, thereby reducing the humidity and solvent concentration within the second drying channel. Since the exhaust gas in the second drying channel still has a high temperature, after the exhaust gas is introduced into the first drying channel by the ventilation duct 170, it can be used to dry the electrode 20 within the first drying channel. Specifically, the end of the ventilation duct 170 furthest from the first drying channel can be connected to the air inlet side of the blower assembly 140, so the high-temperature exhaust gas discharged through the ventilation duct 170 will be blown towards the electrode 20 within the first drying channel through the air outlet side of the blower assembly 140. To ensure uniform airflow within the first drying channel, the ventilation duct 170 can draw air from opposite sides of the first drying oven 110.

[0056] Furthermore, since the second drying oven 150 is closer to the end of the electrode drying device 100 than the first drying oven 110, it evaporates less solvent during the drying process. Therefore, the solvent content in the exhaust gas discharged from the second drying channel is lower than that of the first drying channel. Thus, directly introducing the exhaust gas from the second drying channel into the first drying channel will not increase the solvent concentration in the first drying channel and will not affect the drying effect on the electrode 20. It is evident that by utilizing the exhaust gas discharged from the second drying channel, there is no need to install additional heating components in the first drying oven 110, nor is it necessary to install a fresh air duct for the first drying oven 110, thereby reducing energy consumption and the number of pipes. Moreover, there is no need to install an exhaust gas duct for the second drying oven 150, thus further reducing the cost of the electrode drying device 100.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electrode drying device 100 also includes a tailpipe 180, which is connected to the air outlet of the first drying channel. A heat exchanger 181 is provided on the tailpipe 180, and the fresh air intake pipe 160 is thermally coupled to the tailpipe 180 through the heat exchanger 181.

[0058] The exhaust pipe 180 can directionally discharge the solvent-containing exhaust gas in the first drying channel, thus facilitating the recovery of the solvent in the exhaust gas. Furthermore, the exhaust gas discharged from the outlet of the first drying channel is still at a relatively high temperature and carries a significant amount of heat; direct discharge would result in heat waste. By thermally coupling the exhaust gas in the exhaust pipe 180 with the fresh air intake pipe 160 through the heat exchanger 181, heat exchange can be performed between the exhaust gas in the exhaust pipe 180 and the fresh air in the fresh air intake pipe 160. This preheats the fresh air, increasing its initial temperature before it enters the second drying oven 150, and further helps to reduce energy consumption.

[0059] Meanwhile, the exhaust gas in the tailpipe 180 can be cooled by exchanging heat with the fresh air in the fresh air intake 160, thus accelerating the condensation rate of solvent vapor in the exhaust gas and facilitating solvent recovery. It should be noted that if a heating element is installed on the fresh air intake 160, the portion of the fresh air intake 160 passing through the heat exchanger 181 is located upstream of the heating element.

[0060] The first oven 110 is generally equipped with a hygrometer or gas concentration meter. When the humidity or solvent concentration reaches the upper limit, the solenoid valve on the tailpipe 180 can be controlled to increase the valve opening to accelerate the discharge of tail gas containing solvent vapor, thereby preventing condensation and the formation of liquid droplets inside the first oven 110. At the same time, the ventilation pipe 170 increases the air intake by increasing the valve opening to maintain the internal pressure balance of the first oven 110.

[0061] Specifically, in this embodiment, the pipe of the portion where the heat exchanger 181 is located is inclined downward relative to the outlet end of the first drying channel. Therefore, when the solvent vapor in the exhaust gas flowing through the heat exchanger 181 condenses and forms liquid droplets, it can flow along the pipe to the side away from the outlet end of the first drying channel, thereby preventing the solvent from flowing back into the first drying channel.

[0062] In addition, in this embodiment, the end of the tailpipe 180 is connected to a liquid storage tank 182, and the fresh air intake pipe 160 passes around the liquid storage tank 182 and is thermally coupled to the liquid storage tank 182.

[0063] The storage tank 182 condenses and collects the solvent in the exhaust gas for easy reuse. The tank wall of the storage tank 182 typically has a sandwich structure, through which the fresh air intake duct 160 passes, achieving thermal coupling with the storage tank 182. Since the exhaust gas and solvent inside the storage tank 182 still have a relatively high temperature, they can further preheat the fresh air in the fresh air intake duct 160. Similarly, the fresh air can cool the storage tank 182, thereby accelerating the condensation of solvent vapor.

[0064] Similarly, if the fresh air intake duct 160 is equipped with a heating component, the portion of the fresh air intake duct 160 passing through the liquid storage tank 182 is located upstream of the heating component. Furthermore, since the temperature of the exhaust gas at the heat exchanger 181 is higher than that of the liquid storage tank 182, the portion of the fresh air intake duct 160 passing through the liquid storage tank 182 is also located upstream of the portion of the fresh air intake duct 160 passing through the heat exchanger 181.

[0065] More specifically, the storage tank 182 is equipped with a venting assembly (not shown in the figure), which can be opened to release excess gas inside the storage tank 182 to prevent excessive internal pressure. In addition, the storage tank 182 is generally also equipped with a draining assembly, which can discharge the recovered solvent as needed.

[0066] The electrode drying apparatus 100 and coating machine 10 described above allow the coated electrode 20 to pass through the first drying channel for drying. After being redirected by the reversing mechanism 120, the electrode 20 can pass through the first drying channel at least twice, thus increasing the travel distance of the electrode 20 within the first drying channel and extending the drying time of the electrode 20 in the first oven 110. Therefore, even without increasing the size and drying power of the first oven 110, the drying efficiency of the electrode 20 can be significantly improved. Furthermore, since the first direction is generally set to a vertical direction during use, the electrode 20 passing through the first drying channel will sag under gravity, thus eliminating the need for rollers inside the first oven 110 to maintain the tension of the electrode 20. Therefore, the structure of the electrode drying apparatus 100 and coating machine 10 can be simplified, resulting in lower costs while ensuring drying efficiency.

[0067] 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.

[0068] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electrode drying apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes a first drying oven and a reversing mechanism. The first drying oven has a first drying channel extending along a first direction and through which the electrode sheet passes. The reversing mechanism is disposed at at least one end of the first drying oven along the first direction. The electrode sheet passing through the first drying oven can bypass the reversing mechanism. The reversing mechanism can reorient the electrode sheet so that the electrode sheet passes through the first drying channel at least twice.

2. The electrode drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first drying oven has an inlet and an outlet at the same end along the first direction. The electrode sheet enters through the inlet and exits through the outlet. The reversing mechanism is located at the end of the first drying oven away from the inlet and the outlet, which enables the electrode sheet to reverse direction once and pass through the first drying channel twice.

3. The electrode drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first drying oven is provided with a blowing assembly for blowing air into the first drying channel. The blowing assembly includes a uniform air distribution plate and an air outlet plate. The uniform air distribution plate and the air outlet plate are spaced apart. The uniform air distribution plate is located on the air inlet side of the blowing assembly, and the air outlet plate is located on the air outlet side of the blowing assembly. The uniform air distribution plate has uniformly distributed air distribution holes, and the air outlet plate has uniformly distributed air outlet holes.

4. The electrode drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It also includes a second drying oven, which has a second drying channel extending in a second direction different from the first direction, through which the electrode sheet can pass in sequence through the first drying channel and the second drying channel.

5. The electrode drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The length of the first oven accounts for 20%-80% of the sum of the lengths of the first oven and the second oven.

6. The electrode drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a fresh air intake duct and an air exchange duct. The fresh air intake duct is connected to the air inlet end of the second drying channel, and the two ends of the air exchange duct are respectively connected to the air outlet end of the second drying channel and the air inlet end of the first drying channel.

7. The electrode drying apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a tailpipe, which is connected to the air outlet of the first drying channel. A heat exchanger is installed on the tailpipe, and the fresh air intake pipe is thermally coupled to the tailpipe through the heat exchanger.

8. The electrode drying apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The pipes in the section where the heat exchanger is located are inclined downwards relative to the air outlet end of the first drying channel.

9. The electrode drying apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The tailpipe is connected to a liquid storage tank at its end, and the fresh air intake pipe passes around the liquid storage tank and is thermally coupled to the liquid storage tank.

10. A coating machine, characterized in that, It includes a coating apparatus and an electrode drying apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 above.

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