A coating die device and a coating apparatus

Abstract

This application discloses a coating die head device and coating equipment. The coating die head device of this application has a defoaming mechanism installed on the die head body. This defoaming mechanism can pre-eliminate residual micro-bubbles in the slurry, so that the slurry flowing from the outlet of the die head body is essentially bubble-free, improving the yield of the coating process and enhancing the forming quality of the electrode sheet in subsequent processes such as drying. In other words, the coating die head device provided in this application embodiment can significantly improve the surface forming of the electrode sheet, thereby improving battery performance, lithium battery cycle life, discharge stability, and energy density. Furthermore, the defoaming mechanism is integrated with the die head body, resulting in a compact structure and small footprint. Additionally, the defoaming mechanism is positioned close to the die head body, and the distance between the defoaming mechanism and the outlet on the die head body is relatively short. This ensures that the slurry, after bubble removal, travels a shorter flow path to the outlet, preventing the slurry from generating bubbles again.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of adhesive coating technology, and in particular to a coating die head device and coating equipment. Background Technology

[0002] A slot coater is a coating technology that uses pressure to extrude slurry along a die slit and transfer it onto a moving substrate. Its core principle is to evenly spray the coating onto the substrate through the narrow slit of the die, forming a uniform coating layer. The slot coater uses a narrow-slit die to evenly spray slurry onto the substrate.

[0003] Currently, during the coating process, air bubbles are sprayed onto the substrate surface along with the slurry. When these air bubbles come into contact with air, they burst on the electrode surface during baking, causing pits of varying depths and sizes. These pits increase the battery's internal resistance and cause lithium plating on the electrode surface, which reduces battery performance. The presence of air bubbles significantly affects the cycle life, discharge stability, and energy density of lithium batteries. In extreme cases, the presence of air bubbles may even lead to battery safety accidents, such as short circuits or explosions.

[0004] How to minimize air bubbles in slurry is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a coating die device that can significantly reduce air bubbles in extruded slurry. Another purpose of this application is to provide a coating apparatus including the above-described coating die device.

[0006] This application provides a coating die head device for a coating equipment, comprising:

[0007] The die head body has an internal cavity, and an inlet and an outlet are provided on the outer surface of the die head body. Both the inlet and the outlet are connected to the cavity.

[0008] A defoaming mechanism is installed on the die head body, and the defoaming mechanism is used to remove at least part of the gas in the slurry flowing into the receiving cavity.

[0009] In this embodiment, a defoaming mechanism is installed on the die head body. This mechanism can eliminate residual micro-bubbles in the slurry beforehand, ensuring that the slurry flowing from the outlet of the die head body is essentially bubble-free. This improves the yield of the coating process and enhances the forming quality of the electrode sheet in subsequent processes such as drying. In other words, the coating die head device provided in this embodiment can significantly improve the surface forming of the electrode sheet, thereby improving battery performance, lithium battery cycle life, discharge stability, and energy density. Furthermore, the defoaming mechanism is integrated with the die head body, resulting in a compact structure and small footprint. Additionally, the defoaming mechanism is positioned close to the die head body, ensuring a short flow path for the slurry after bubble removal, preventing the re-generation of bubbles.

[0010] In one example, the defoaming mechanism includes a mounting body and a defoaming component. The mounting body is connected to the outer wall of the die head body. The mounting body also includes a flow channel with an inlet and an outlet. The outlet of the flow channel is connected to the feed port. The defoaming component is mounted on the mounting body and is used to remove gas from the slurry inside the flow channel.

[0011] In one example, a gas overflow hole is also provided on the top wall of the mounting body, and the gas overflow hole is connected to the flow channel.

[0012] In one example, the defoaming mechanism further includes a gas-liquid separator, which is located at the gas overflow hole.

[0013] In one example, a connecting pipe is installed at the gas overflow port, and the gas-liquid separator is connected to the connecting pipe by a snap-fit ​​connection.

[0014] In one example, the pipe includes at least one bend, with snap-fit ​​connectors at both ends of the bend.

[0015] In one example, the defoaming component includes an ultrasonic generator, the vibrator of which is located inside the flow channel.

[0016] In one example, the coating die device further includes a controller electrically connected to the defoaming component to control the operation of the defoaming component.

[0017] In one example, the controller is integrated into the mold head body or the mounting body.

[0018] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also provide a coating machine, comprising:

[0019] The feeding system is used to supply the coating slurry;

[0020] The coating equipment includes the coating die head device described in any one of the above claims, wherein the coating die head device is connected to the feeding system via a pipeline.

[0021] The coating machine in this embodiment has the above-mentioned coating die head, so the coating machine also has the above-mentioned technical effects of the coating die head. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus in one embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a coating die head device in one embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a partial component in the coating die head device shown;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 2 The diagram shows a structural schematic of the mounting body and the defoaming component assembled into a whole.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the gas-liquid separator shown in the diagram;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The diagram shows the structure of the filter element in the gas-liquid separator.

[0028] in, Figures 1 to 6 The one-to-one correspondence between the reference numerals and component names in the attached drawings is as follows:

[0029] 100 Coating die head device; 1 Die head body; 11 Upper die; 12 Lower die; 120 Receiving cavity; 121 First receiving cavity; 122 Second receiving cavity; 123 Discharge side; 124 Bolt hole; 13 Adjusting micrometer;

[0030] 2 Defoaming mechanism; 21 Mounting body; 211 Inlet; 212 Fixing hole; 213 Gas overflow hole; 22 Defoaming component; 23 Gas-liquid separator; 231 Outer shell; 232 Filter element; 2321 Mounting part; 2322 Core; 24 Connecting pipe; 241 Snap-fit ​​connector;

[0031] 200 Feeding system; 201 Storage tank; 202 Agitator pump; 203 Switch valve; 204 Screw pump; 205 Pressure sensor; 206 Filter; 207 Gap valve; 300 Vacuum chamber; 400 Coating roller; 500 Substrate; 500 Composite of slurry and substrate; 600 Filter roller. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a coating die head device in one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a partial component in the coating die head device shown; Figure 4 for Figure 2 The diagram shows a structural schematic of the mounting body and the defoaming component assembled into a whole. Figure 5 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the gas-liquid separator shown in the diagram; Figure 6 for Figure 5 The diagram shows the structure of the filter element in the gas-liquid separator. Figure 1 The double arrows indicate the direction of slurry flow. Figure 3 The dashed arrow also indicates the direction of slurry flow.

[0033] This application provides a coating apparatus for uniformly spraying a slurry onto a substrate surface. The coating apparatus includes a feeding system 200, a coating die device 100, an extrusion system, a drying system, and a control system. The feeding system 200 provides the coating slurry, and the coating die device 100 uniformly sprays the slurry onto the substrate 500. The extrusion system extrudes the slurry onto the substrate 500 and may include components such as a vacuum chamber 300, a coating roller 400, and several filter rollers 600. The drying system dries the coated slurry-substrate composite 500', and the control system is responsible for the operation and monitoring of the entire apparatus.

[0034] In this embodiment, the feeding system 200 includes a storage tank 201, a stirring pump 202, and a screw pump 204. The storage tank 201 stores slurry, and the stirring pump 202 stirs the slurry inside the storage tank 201. The screw pump 204 is connected to the outlet of the storage tank 201 via a pipeline and is used to transport the slurry in the storage tank 201 to the coating die head device 100. A switching valve 203 can also be installed on the connecting pipe 24 between the storage tank 201 and the screw pump 204 to control the opening or closing of the pipeline, adapting to different operating conditions of the equipment. The switching valve 203 can be manual, as manual switching valves have a simple structure. Of course, the switching valve 203 can also be an electrically controlled valve, which is beneficial for achieving automated control. A pressure sensor 205, a filter 206, and other detection components can also be installed on the connecting pipe 24 between the screw pump 204 and the coating die head device 100. Of course, valve components such as a gap valve 207 can also be installed. The pressure sensor 205 can be one or more, and it is mainly used to detect the pressure on the pipeline. The filter 206 can be one or more, and it is mainly used to filter impurities in the slurry. The structure of the filter 206 can refer to existing technology and will not be detailed here.

[0035] In this embodiment, the coating die head device 100 includes a die head body 1 and a defoaming mechanism 2, wherein the die head body 1 has an internal cavity, and the outer surface of the die head body 1 is provided with an inlet and an outlet. Figure 3 The figure shows the discharge side 123, with the discharge port located on the discharge side 123. The inlet is located on the opposite side of the discharge side 123. Both the inlet and the discharge port are connected to the receiving cavity 120, allowing the slurry to enter the receiving cavity from the inlet, pass through the receiving cavity 120, and then flow out of the receiving cavity 120 from the discharge port, thus spraying the substrate 500 surface. In this embodiment, the discharge port of the die head body 1 can be in the form of a slit, i.e., the die head body 1 is a slit-type die head body, and correspondingly, the coating equipment is a slit-type coating machine. Although the figures in this application do not show the structure of the inlet and discharge port, this does not hinder those skilled in the art from understanding and implementing the technical solution of this application.

[0036] In this embodiment, the defoaming mechanism 2 is installed on the die head body 1. The defoaming mechanism 2 is used to remove at least a portion of the gas in the slurry flowing into the receiving cavity 120. That is, the defoaming mechanism 2 can remove some or all of the gas in the slurry flowing into the receiving cavity 120. The defoaming mechanism 2 can be an ultrasonic generator, which can emit high-frequency vibration signals to peel off tiny air bubbles from the slurry. The peeled-off air bubbles can be discharged from the coating die head device 100. The ultrasonic generator has a simple structure and can effectively remove tiny air bubbles.

[0037] Of course, the defoaming mechanism 2 can also be other components that can generate vibration, such as a stirring rod or a mechanical vibrator.

[0038] In this embodiment, a defoaming mechanism 2 is installed on the die head body 1. The defoaming mechanism 2 can eliminate residual micro-bubbles in the slurry, so that the slurry flowing out of the outlet of the die head body 1 is basically free of bubbles, improving the yield of the coating process and improving the forming quality of the electrode sheet in subsequent processes such as drying. That is, the coating die head device 100 provided in this embodiment can greatly improve the surface forming of the electrode sheet, improve the overall line yield and reduce the internal resistance of the battery, thereby improving battery performance, lithium battery cycle life, discharge stability and energy density, and improving battery quality. Furthermore, the defoaming mechanism 2 is integrated with the die head body 1, with a compact structure and small footprint. In addition, the defoaming mechanism 2 is located close to the die head body 1, and the distance between the defoaming mechanism 2 and the outlet of the die head body 1 is relatively short. This way, after the bubbles are removed, the slurry flows through a shorter path to the outlet, avoiding the regeneration of bubbles in the slurry.

[0039] In this embodiment, the defoaming mechanism 2 includes a mounting body 21 and a defoaming component 22. The mounting body 21 is connected to the outer wall of the die head body 1. For example, the mounting body 21 is provided with a fixing hole 212 for accommodating connecting components such as fixing screws. The mounting body 21 also includes a flow channel with an inlet 211 and an outlet. The outlet 211 of the flow channel is connected to the feed inlet. Figure 4 Only the inlet on the mounting body 21 is shown; the outlet is not shown. The shape of the flow channel is not limited herein.

[0040] In one example, the defoaming component 22 is installed on the mounting body 21. Taking the defoaming component 22 as an ultrasonic generator as an example, the ultrasonic generator can be fixed to the outer wall of the mold head body 1 by screws or other means. Of course, the ultrasonic generator can also be fixed to the mold head body 1 by snap-fit ​​or screw connection. The defoaming component 22 is used to remove residual gas in the slurry inside the flow channel, that is, the gas in the slurry is removed before the slurry enters the receiving cavity 120. When the defoaming component 22 is an ultrasonic generator, the vibrator of the ultrasonic generator can be located inside the flow channel. The high-frequency vibration of the vibration generator peels off the tiny air bubbles in the slurry, thereby achieving the removal of air bubbles inside the slurry.

[0041] In this embodiment, as the slurry flows through the mounting body 21, the air bubbles inside are eliminated by the defoaming component 22, and the slurry with the air bubbles removed then enters the receiving cavity of the die head body 1. In this way, the structure of the die head body 1 basically does not need to be modified, and the mounting body 21 can be directly connected to the existing die head body 1, reducing the modification cost of the die head body 1.

[0042] In this embodiment, the mounting body 21 is further provided with a gas overflow hole 213, which connects to the flow channel. In this embodiment, the gas in the slurry rises due to vibration and can eventually flow to the outside of the mounting body 21 through the gas overflow hole 213, resulting in relatively low gas overflow resistance. The gas overflow hole 213 can be located on the top wall of the mounting body 21, further facilitating rapid gas overflow.

[0043] In this embodiment, the defoaming mechanism 2 further includes a gas-liquid separator 23, which is located at the gas overflow hole 213. The gas-liquid separator 23 only allows minute amounts of gas to pass through and is discharged outside the mounting body 21. While ensuring rapid gas overflow, the gas-liquid separator 23 can also block the outflow of slurry liquid, trapping the slurry inside the connector. In particular, the combination of ultrasonic technology and gas-liquid separation technology can perfectly eliminate residual bubbles in the slurry, improving the yield of the coating process.

[0044] In this embodiment, a connecting pipe 24 is installed at the gas overflow hole 213. The gas-liquid separator 23 is connected to the connecting pipe 24 via a snap-fit ​​connection. This snap-fit ​​connection allows for quick installation and disassembly, improving installation efficiency and facilitating maintenance and replacement of related components, thus offering economic benefits. The specific structure of the snap-fit ​​connection is not described in detail herein; those skilled in the art can refer to existing designs.

[0045] In this embodiment, the connecting pipe 24 includes at least one bend, and snap-fit ​​connectors 241 are provided at both ends of the bend. The attached figure shows that the connecting pipe 24 has two bends. The bends facilitate the installation of the gas-liquid separator 23 and can increase the flow path of the bubbles, which is beneficial for the return of the slurry carried out by the bubbles.

[0046] In this embodiment, the coating die head device 100 further includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the defoaming component 22 to control the operation of the defoaming component 22. The controller can control the defoaming component 22 to work intermittently to eliminate bubbles, or it can control the defoaming component 22 to work continuously. The specific control strategy of the controller for the defoaming component 22 can be reasonably set according to the specific equipment. This enables automated control of the equipment.

[0047] The controller can be integrated into the die head body 1 or the mounting body 21 to improve the structural compactness of the coating die head device 100.

[0048] Of course, the controller can also be integrated with the control system of the coating equipment. In one example, an adjusting micrometer 13 can also be provided on the die head body 1 for precisely adjusting the slurry extrusion rate at the discharge port of the die head body 1. The specific structure and installation method of the adjusting micrometer 13 can be found in the prior art, and will not be detailed in this application. The receiving cavity 120 of the die head body 1 may include a first receiving cavity 121 and a second receiving cavity 122 that are connected to each other, and the first receiving cavity 121 and the second receiving cavity 122 are arranged along the slurry flow direction. The first receiving cavity 121 and the second receiving cavity 122 may be the same size or different sizes. The first receiving cavity 121 and the second receiving cavity 122 can buffer the slurry, which is beneficial for the slurry to be extruded evenly from the discharge port.

[0049] In one specific example, when the coating equipment is operating, the slurry flows into the mounting body 21 through the delivery pipe of the screw pump 204. At this time, the ultrasonic generator operates, emitting high-frequency sound waves to vibrate and float residual air bubbles in the slurry. The air bubbles enter the gas-liquid separator 23 through the connecting pipe 24, and then the gas is discharged after being filtered by the gas-liquid separator 23. On the other hand, the bubble-free slurry after being treated by the ultrasonic generator enters the receiving cavity 120 of the die head body 1, is buffered by the first receiving cavity 121 and the second receiving cavity 122, and finally flows out from the discharge port (lip) of the die head body 1. Through precise adjustment by the die head adjusting micrometer, it is evenly sprayed onto the substrate 500.

[0050] In one specific embodiment, the die head body 1 includes an upper die 11 and a lower die 12, which can be connected as a whole by bolts or screws. Figure 3 The diagram shows that the lower mold 12 has bolt holes 124. When the mold is closed, the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12 form a receiving cavity, and the discharge port can be formed between the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12. The feed port can be provided on the lower mold 12.

[0051] The following section provides a specific structure of the coating die head device 100, as detailed in the description below.

[0052] In one specific embodiment, the lengths of both the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12 are 500mm-2000mm; the length of the mounting body 21 is determined by the size of the mold head body 1, ranging from approximately 300mm-1600mm; the effective usable size range of the ultrasonic generator's vibrator is 260mm-1500mm, with a diameter of 14mm-16mm. The gas-liquid separator 23 has a diameter of 60mm-100mm and a length of 100mm-160mm, customized according to the width of the mold head body 1. The dimensions of the aforementioned components—mold head body 1, ultrasonic generator, and gas-liquid separator 23—can adapt to different coating processes, meeting the requirements of different speeds and widths.

[0053] In this application example, the ultrasonic generator operates in the frequency range of 20kHz-200kHz, has a throughput of ≤2L / min, and is suitable for coating widths ≤2000mm and coating speeds ≤120M / min. This ultrasonic generator can meet the coating requirements of most substrate widths.

[0054] Specifically, the gas-liquid separator 23 includes a housing 231 and a filter element 232. The filter element 232 further includes a mounting part 2321 and a core 2322. The mounting part 2321 is fixed to the housing, and the core 2322 is located inside the housing 231. The core 2322 can adopt a multi-layer wound polymer material filter screen structure, which can block the liquid from flowing out and only allow small gas particles to pass through and be discharged through the exhaust port of the separation device, thus intercepting the slurry inside the connecting pipe 24.

[0055] The structure in which the gas-liquid separator 23 and the connecting pipe 24 are snapped together can be installed on the filter element.

[0056] The coating equipment in this embodiment has the above-mentioned coating die head device 100, so the coating equipment also has the above-mentioned technical effects of the coating die head device 100.

[0057] For other structural details regarding the coating equipment, please refer to current technology; this application will not elaborate further.

[0058] In the description of embodiments of this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0059] In the embodiments of this application, "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0060] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to this application without departing from the principles of this application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A coating die head device for a coating equipment, characterized in that, include: The mold head body (1) has an internal cavity (120) and an inlet and an outlet on its outer surface. The inlet and outlet are connected to the cavity (120). Defoaming mechanism (2) is installed on the die head body (1) and is used to remove at least part of the gas in the slurry flowing into the receiving cavity (120).

2. The coating die apparatus for a coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by, The defoaming mechanism (2) includes a mounting body (21) and a defoaming component (22). The mounting body (21) is connected to the outer wall of the die head body (1). The mounting body (21) also includes a flow channel with an inlet and an outlet. The outlet of the flow channel is connected to the feed port. The defoaming component (22) is installed on the mounting body (21) and is used to remove gas from the slurry inside the flow channel.

3. The coating die apparatus for a coating apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by, The top wall of the mounting body (21) is also provided with a gas overflow hole (213), which is connected to the flow channel.

4. The coating die apparatus for a coating apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by, The defoaming mechanism (2) also includes a gas-liquid separator (23), which is located at the gas overflow hole (213).

5. The coating die apparatus for a coating apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by, A connecting pipe (24) is installed at the gas overflow hole (213), and the gas-liquid separator (23) is connected to the connecting pipe (24) by a snap-fit ​​connection.

6. The coating die apparatus for a coating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The connecting pipe (24) includes at least one bend section, and both ends of the bend section are provided with snap-fit ​​connectors (241).

7. The coating die apparatus for a coating apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The defoaming component (22) includes an ultrasonic generator, the vibrator of which is located inside the flow channel.

8. The coating die head device for a coating apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The coating die head device also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the defoaming component (22) to control the operation of the defoaming component (22).

9. The coating die apparatus for a coating apparatus according to claim 8, characterized by, The controller is integrated and installed on the mold head body (1) or the mounting body (21).

10. A coating apparatus characterized by comprising: include: The feeding system is used to supply the coating slurry; The coating die head device for coating equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the coating die head device is connected to the feeding system via a pipeline.

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