Coating equipment, battery production system and coating roller manufacturing equipment

Abstract

This application provides a coating apparatus, a battery production system, and a coating roller manufacturing device. The coating apparatus includes a coating roller and a coating head. The coating roller is used to transport a substrate. The coating roller includes a roller body and a protrusion. The roller body includes a coating area. The coating area has a protrusion on at least one edge along the axial direction of the coating roller. The protrusion is disposed in the coating area along the direction surrounding the axis of the coating roller and protrudes circumferentially from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area. Along the axial direction of the coating roller, the maximum size of the protrusion is smaller than the size of the coating area. The protrusion is printed in the coating area. Along the radial direction of the coating roller, the coating area and the protrusion are both disposed opposite to the coating head and form a pressing gap with the coating head. The coating head is used to coat the slurry onto the substrate corresponding to the coating area. This application can thin the edge of the film area, improving the situation of the substrate curling up after coating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and more specifically, to a coating apparatus, a battery production system, and coating roller manufacturing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Battery cells are widely used in electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, electric vehicles, electric cars, electric airplanes, electric ships, electric toy cars, electric toy ships, electric toy airplanes, and power tools, etc.

[0003] In the production process of battery cells' electrodes, a coating device is needed to apply slurry to the substrate. How to improve the situation of the substrate curling and bulging after coating is a research direction in battery technology. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a coating apparatus, a battery production system, and a coating roller manufacturing equipment, which can improve the situation of the substrate being rolled up at the edge after coating.

[0005] This application provides a coating apparatus, including a coating roller and a coating head. The coating roller is used to transport a substrate. The coating roller includes a roller body and a protrusion. The roller body includes a coating area. The coating area has a protrusion on at least one edge along the axial direction of the coating roller. The protrusion is disposed in the coating area along the direction surrounding the axis of the coating roller and protrudes circumferentially from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area. Along the axial direction of the coating roller, the maximum size of the protrusion is smaller than the size of the coating area. The protrusion is printed and formed in the coating area. Along the radial direction of the coating roller, both the coating area and the protrusion are disposed opposite to the coating head and form an extrusion gap with the coating head. The coating head is used to coat the slurry onto the substrate corresponding to the coating area.

[0006] In the above technical solution, the thinning principle of this application involves providing a protrusion on at least one edge of the coating area along the axial direction of the coating roller. This allows the extrusion gap to be reduced during extrusion coating, thereby reducing the coating thickness at the edge of the film area on the substrate and improving the winding edge situation. Furthermore, printing the protrusion onto the coating area results in a higher processing efficiency, lower processing cost, and higher dimensional accuracy compared to mechanical milling. This allows for more precise control of the coating thickness and width at the edge of the film area. Moreover, compared to mechanical milling, when the size of the protrusion needs to be changed, it only requires removing the protrusion, making changeover convenient and less likely to damage the roller body.

[0007] In some embodiments, the materials of the protrusions and the coating area are different.

[0008] In the above technical solution, by setting different materials for the protrusion and the coating area, the bonding force between the two is weaker compared to using the same material, thus making it easier to remove the protrusion during shape change. Furthermore, it also facilitates the selection of materials for the protrusion.

[0009] In some embodiments, the protrusion is a UV-curable inkjet component.

[0010] In the above technical solution, UV-curable inkjet printing relies on ink self-leveling, resulting in a smooth surface on the UV-cured inkjet part after curing. It requires no post-processing, causes minimal damage to the substrate, and exhibits excellent wear resistance and durability. Furthermore, UV-curable inkjet printing offers higher precision, with higher dimensional accuracy in the formed protrusions, allowing for more precise control of the coating thickness and width at the film edge.

[0011] In some embodiments, the protrusion includes a first surface and a second surface disposed radially opposite to each other along the coating roller, the first surface being in contact with the coating area, and the projection of the second surface radially onto the first surface being located within the first surface.

[0012] In the above technical solution, if the second surface has a protrusion along the axial direction of the coating roller relative to the first surface, the protrusion will be damaged during continuous extrusion, affecting the coating size and effect at the edge of the film area. Therefore, by placing the projection of the second surface along the radial direction of the coating roller onto the first surface within the first surface, the durability of the protrusion can be improved.

[0013] In some embodiments, the protrusion includes a third surface and a fourth surface disposed opposite to each other along the axial direction of the coating roller, the third surface being connected to the first surface and the second surface, the fourth surface being connected to the first surface and the second surface, at least a portion of the third surface being inclined or bent toward the fourth surface in the direction from the first surface to the second surface, and / or at least a portion of the fourth surface being inclined or bent toward the third surface.

[0014] In the above technical solution, the formed protrusions are less likely to damage the substrate during the coating process, and the coating thickness of the edge and middle part of the film area transitions smoothly, so that the subsequent film area will have almost no color difference after processing.

[0015] In some embodiments, the third and / or fourth surfaces are smoothly connected to the second surface.

[0016] The above technical solution can further reduce damage to the substrate and improve the smoothness of the thickness transition at the edge of the film area.

[0017] In some embodiments, the protrusion includes a color marking area, which is a different color from the coating area.

[0018] In the above technical solution, a color-coded area is set to facilitate checking whether the position of the protrusion is accurate and whether there is any damage, and to facilitate positioning.

[0019] In some embodiments, the maximum dimension of the protrusion protruding from the coating area along the radial direction of the coating roller is L1, where L1 satisfies: 1um ≤ L1 ≤ 100um.

[0020] In the above technical solution, the value of L1 is set to be greater than or equal to 1um to reduce the gap between the coating head and the coating head and improve the thick edge effect; the value of L1 is set to be less than or equal to 100um to reduce the impact on the energy density of the subsequent battery cells caused by the large protrusion size of the protrusion ...

[0021] In some embodiments, L1 satisfies: 2um≤L1≤50um.

[0022] In the above technical solution, the value of L1 is set to be greater than or equal to 2um to further reduce the gap between the protrusion and the coating head, reduce the thickness of the film edge region, and improve the thick edge effect; the value of L1 is set to be less than or equal to 50um so that the thickness of the thinned area at the edge of the film region is within a reasonable range, further reducing the impact on the energy density of subsequent battery cells due to the small thickness of the film edge.

[0023] In some embodiments, the maximum dimension of the protrusion along the axial direction of the coating roller is L2, where L2 satisfies: 1mm≤L2≤30mm.

[0024] In the above technical solution, limiting the value of L2 to greater than or equal to 1 mm can make the width of the thinned area at the edge of the film region larger, thereby improving the thick edge effect at the edge of the film region; limiting the value of L2 to less than or equal to 30 mm can reduce the impact on the energy density of subsequent battery cells due to the excessive width of the thinned area at the edge of the film region.

[0025] In some embodiments, protrusions are provided on the edges of opposite sides of the coating area along the axial direction of the coating roller. The coating area and the two protrusions located in the coating area form a set of coating units. The coating roller includes multiple sets of coating units, which are arranged sequentially at intervals along the axial direction of the coating roller.

[0026] In the above technical solution, multiple coating units are set up to simultaneously coat multiple film areas on the substrate, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0027] In some embodiments, the protrusion is aligned with one side edge of the coating area along the axial direction of the coating roller.

[0028] In the above technical solution, the outer edge of the protrusion can form a positioning function, which facilitates alignment with the coating head and determines the relative position of the two.

[0029] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a battery production system, including the coating apparatus described above.

[0030] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a coating roller manufacturing apparatus, including a support device, a printing device, and a driving device. The support device supports a roller body, the roller body including a coating area. The printing device prints a protrusion on at least one side edge of the coating area along the axial direction of the roller body, and the protrusion protrudes beyond the outer peripheral surface of the coating area. The driving device drives the roller body to rotate, so that the protrusion is formed in the coating area around the axis of the roller body. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments of this application 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 the drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the coating apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the coating roller in the coating apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a protrusion of a coating roller in a coating apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the protrusion of the coating roller in the coating apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coating roller manufacturing equipment provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0037] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings for the specific embodiments are as follows:

[0038] 100. Coating device; 200. Support device; 300. Printing device; 400. Drive device;

[0039] 1. Coating roller; 11. Roller body; 111. Coating area; 12. Protrusion; 121. First surface; 122. Second surface; 123. Third surface; 124. Fourth surface; 13. Coating unit;

[0040] 2. Coating head;

[0041] 3. Substrate;

[0042] X, the axial direction of the coating roller. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used in the description of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the description, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the description, claims, or accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order or hierarchy.

[0045] In this application, the reference to "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0046] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "attachment" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0047] In this application, the term "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, in this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0048] In the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals denote the same components, and for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of the same components are omitted in different embodiments. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of various components in the embodiments of this application shown in the accompanying drawings, as well as the overall thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of the integrated device, are merely illustrative and should not constitute any limitation on this application.

[0049] In this application, "multiple" means two or more (including two).

[0050] In the electrode manufacturing process, a slurry is applied to at least one side of a substrate using a matching coating roller and an extrusion coating head to form a film area with a slurry coating. A gap exists between the coating roller and the coating head for the substrate to pass through.

[0051] During the coating process, it was found that the film edge was often thicker, which caused the film to curl up. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the film edge to improve the thick edge effect.

[0052] In view of this, this application provides a coating apparatus that, by providing protrusions in the edge region of the coating area, uses these protrusions to change the gap between the coating roller and the coating head, thereby reducing the thickness of the film edge and improving the winding drum edge condition. Furthermore, printing the protrusions onto the roller body results in protrusions with high dimensional accuracy and high processing efficiency. Moreover, when the size of the protrusions needs to be changed, only the protrusions need to be removed, making changeover convenient and minimizing damage to the roller body.

[0053] The coating apparatus described in this application is suitable for coating a substrate to ultimately form a positive electrode or a negative electrode.

[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the coating apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the coating roller in the coating apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0055] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application provides a coating apparatus 100, including a coating roller 1 and a coating head 2. The coating roller 1 is used to transport a substrate 3. The coating roller 1 includes a roller body 11 and a protrusion 12. The roller body 11 includes a coating area 111. The coating area 111 has a protrusion 12 on at least one edge along the axial direction X of the coating roller. The protrusion 12 is disposed in the coating area 111 along the direction surrounding the axis of the coating roller 1 and protrudes circumferentially from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area 111. The protrusion 12 is printed in the coating area 111. Along the axial direction X of the coating roller, the maximum size of the protrusion 12 is smaller than the size of the coating area 111. Along the radial direction of the coating roller 1, the coating area 111 and the protrusion 12 are both disposed opposite to the coating head 2 and form a pressing gap with the coating head 2. The coating head 2 is used to coat the slurry onto the substrate 3 corresponding to the coating area 111.

[0056] The coating roller 1 is used to receive the substrate 3 from the unwinding device (not shown in the figure), so that the substrate 3 enters the coating area 111 smoothly. The coating roller 1 can be driven by a motor or other drive component (not shown in the figure) to rotate around its own axis, thereby conveying the coated substrate 3 and transferring away the slurry sprayed from the coating head 2.

[0057] In this embodiment, the coating area 111 refers to the area used to coat the slurry in conjunction with the coating head, and it corresponds to the film area formed on the substrate 3.

[0058] In this embodiment, the protrusion 12 is disposed on at least one edge of the coating area 111 along the axial direction X of the coating roller. That is, the protrusion 12 can be disposed on one edge region of the coating area 111 along the axial direction X of the coating roller, or it can be disposed on two edge regions of the coating area 111 along the axial direction X of the coating roller. The outer edge of the protrusion 12 can be aligned with the edge of the coating area 111, or the outer edge of the protrusion 12 can protrude beyond the edge of the coating area 111 along the axial direction X of the coating roller.

[0059] In this embodiment, the protrusion 12 is disposed in the coating area 111 along the direction surrounding the axis of the coating roller 1, and protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area 111. This means that the protrusion 12 is disposed in a circle around the axis of the coating roller 1, and each part in the surrounding direction protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area 111.

[0060] Along the axial direction X of the coating roller, the maximum dimension of the protrusion 12 is smaller than the dimension of the coating area 111, wherein the dimension of the coating area 111 along the axial direction X of the coating roller is fixed.

[0061] For example, the roller body 11 and the protrusion 12 are two structural components made of different materials. Further, the roller body 11 is made of a metallic material, such as stainless steel or alloy steel.

[0062] In this embodiment, the protrusion 12 is formed on the coating area 111 by printing, meaning that the protrusion 12 is printed onto the coating area 111 using printing technology. For example, the protrusion 12 can be printed onto the coating area 111 using 3D printing (additive manufacturing). 3D printing is a digital manufacturing technology that creates three-dimensional entities by depositing materials layer by layer. Unlike traditional subtractive manufacturing (such as cutting and drilling), 3D printing is computer-controlled to stack materials (such as plastics, metals, ceramics, etc.) layer by layer to ultimately form complex three-dimensional objects.

[0063] The coating head 2 is connected to the feeding device (not shown in the figure). The feeding device may include a feeding pump, which may be a screw pump. The screw pump supplies slurry to the coating head 2 and controls the coating amount by its own rotation speed.

[0064] The coating head 2 is used to supply slurry to the substrate 3 on the coating roller 1. The coating head 2 cooperates with the coating roller 1 to form an extrusion gap. The substrate 3 is located within the extrusion gap, and the coating thickness of the substrate 3 is determined by the extrusion gap. Exemplarily, the coating head 2 has a lip facing the coating roller 1 and a storage chamber communicating with the lip. The storage chamber is used to store the slurry supplied by the feeding device, and the lip is used to supply the slurry out.

[0065] Along the radial direction of the coating roller 1, the coating roller 1 and the coating head 2 are arranged opposite to each other, forming an extrusion gap for extrusion coating. The slurry flowing out from the coating head 2 is applied to the substrate 3 by the combined limiting and extruding action of the coating head 2 and the coating roller 1. For example, during coating, the slurry is extruded quantitatively from the coating head 2 and evenly coated onto the substrate 3. The coating roller 1 rotates and drives the substrate 3, continuously transferring the slurry onto the substrate 3 to achieve continuous coating.

[0066] The extrusion gap formed by the coating head 2 and the coating roller 1 is positively correlated with the coating thickness; the smaller the extrusion gap, the thinner the coating. The coating area 111 corresponds to the film area of ​​the substrate 3. The larger the size of the protrusion 12 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area 111, the smaller the extrusion gap formed with the coating head 2 at the edge of the film area. The slurry at the edge of the film area can be directly thinned by the protrusion 12 and the coating head 2.

[0067] The thinning principle of this application involves providing a protrusion 12 on at least one side edge of the coating area 111 along the axial direction of the coating roller 1. This allows the extrusion gap to be reduced during extrusion coating under the influence of the protrusion 12, thereby reducing the coating thickness at the edge of the film area on the substrate 3 and improving the winding edge situation. Furthermore, printing the protrusion 12 onto the coating area 111 results in a protrusion 12 that, compared to machine milling, not only has higher processing efficiency and lower processing cost but also higher dimensional accuracy, allowing for more precise control of the coating thickness and width at the edge of the film area. Moreover, compared to machine milling, when the size of the protrusion 12 needs to be changed, it only needs to be removed, thus facilitating changeovers and minimizing damage to the roller body 11.

[0068] In some embodiments, the protrusion 12 and the coating area 111 are made of different materials.

[0069] In this embodiment, the protrusion 12 can be a polylactic acid (PLA) part, an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) part, a polycarbonate (PC) part, or a polyamide (PA, nylon) part. The printing method is 3D printing. The coating area 111 is made of a metallic material.

[0070] By setting different materials for the protrusion 12 and the coating area 111, the bonding force between them is weaker compared to using the same material, thus making it easier to remove the protrusion 12 during shape change. Furthermore, it also facilitates the selection of materials for the protrusion 12.

[0071] In some embodiments, the protrusion 12 is a UV-curable inkjet component.

[0072] The UV-curable inkjet component in this embodiment is formed using UV-curable inkjet printing. UV printing refers to a digital printing technology that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to irradiate liquid ink, causing it to cure rapidly. For example, the ink contains a photoinitiator and acrylate monomers / oligomers. When irradiated with ultraviolet light (typically in the UVA band, 320-400nm), the photoinitiator decomposes to generate free radicals or cations, initiating monomer polymerization and causing the liquid ink to cure instantly.

[0073] Specifically, UV printing falls under the category of 2D planar printing. Its principle involves the printhead spraying UV ink onto the surface of the coating area 111, followed by rapid curing of the ink with ultraviolet light to form a pattern. Raised areas 12 can be created through multiple printing cycles.

[0074] For example, the material of the protrusion 12 may include a binder polymer and functional additives. The binder polymer includes acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, rosin-modified resin, or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The functional additives include polyamide wax (thickening and anti-settling) and polytetrafluoroethylene micropowder (abrasion and scratch resistance).

[0075] UV-curable inkjet printing relies on ink self-leveling, resulting in a smooth surface on the cured UV-cured inkjet parts. It requires no post-processing, causes minimal damage to the substrate 3, and exhibits excellent wear resistance and durability. Furthermore, UV-curable inkjet printing offers higher precision, with greater dimensional accuracy in the formed protrusions 12, allowing for more precise control of the coating thickness and width at the film edges.

[0076] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a protrusion of a coating roller in a coating apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is another schematic diagram of the structure of the protrusion of the coating roller in the coating apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0077] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the protrusion 12 includes a first surface 121 and a second surface 122 disposed radially opposite to each other along the coating roller 1. The first surface 121 is in contact with the coating area 111, and the projection of the second surface 122 on the first surface 121 along the radial direction of the coating roller 1 is located within the first surface 121.

[0078] In this embodiment, the first surface 121 is attached to the coating area 111, that is, the first surface 121 is in direct contact with the coating area 111, and the second surface 122 is located on the side of the first surface 121 away from the coating area 111.

[0079] In this embodiment, the projection of the second surface 122 along the radial direction of the coating roller 1 onto the first surface 121 is located within the first surface 121, that is, the second surface 122 does not protrude from the first surface 121 along the axial direction X of the coating roller.

[0080] If the second surface 122 has a protrusion along the axial direction X of the coating roller relative to the first surface 121, the protrusion will be damaged during continuous extrusion, affecting the coating size and effect at the edge of the film area. Therefore, by positioning the projection of the second surface 122 along the radial direction of the coating roller 1 onto the first surface 121 within the first surface 121, the durability of the protrusion 12 can be improved.

[0081] In some embodiments, the protrusion 12 includes a third surface 123 and a fourth surface 124 disposed opposite to each other along the axial direction X of the coating roller. The third surface 123 is connected to the first surface 121 and the second surface 122, and the fourth surface 124 is connected to the first surface 121 and the second surface 122. At least a portion of the third surface 123 is inclined or bent toward the fourth surface 124 in the direction from the first surface 121 to the second surface 122, and / or at least a portion of the fourth surface 124 is inclined or bent toward the third surface 123.

[0082] In this embodiment, the third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 may both include inclined portions, or both may include curved portions, or one may include an inclined portion and the other may include a curved portion. Inclined means that the cross-sectional shape of the third surface 123 or the fourth surface 124 in the circumferential direction is an inclined straight line.

[0083] In this embodiment, the third surface 123 bends toward the fourth surface 124. Specifically, the central region of the third surface 123 in the bending direction may bulge toward or away from the fourth surface 124. The same applies to the bending of the fourth surface 124 toward the third surface 123. The curvature of the different portions of the bend on the same surface may be the same or different.

[0084] With this configuration, the resulting protrusion 12 is less likely to damage the substrate 3 during the coating process, and the coating thickness at the edge and middle of the film area transitions smoothly, so that the subsequent film area will have almost no color difference after processing.

[0085] Optionally, the third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 are both inclined toward each other in the direction from the first surface 121 to the second surface 122, or the third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 are both bent toward each other.

[0086] In some embodiments, the third surface 123 and / or the fourth surface 124 are smoothly connected to the second surface 122.

[0087] In this embodiment, the connection between the third surface 123 and the second surface 122 is a curved surface connection, and the connection between the fourth surface 124 and the second surface 122 is a curved surface connection.

[0088] This setup can further reduce damage to the substrate 3 and improve the smoothness of the thickness transition at the edge of the film area.

[0089] In some embodiments, the protrusion 12 includes a color marking area, which is different in color from the first coating area 111.

[0090] In this embodiment, the color of the color marking area can be red, green, or yellow, or other colors that are clearly distinguishable from the first coating area 111.

[0091] Color-coded areas are provided to facilitate checking the accuracy of the position of the protrusion 12, whether it is damaged, and to facilitate positioning.

[0092] Optionally, the entire protrusion 12 can be a color-coded area.

[0093] In some embodiments, along the radial direction of the coating roller 1, the maximum dimension of the protrusion 12 protruding from the coating area 111 is L1, where L1 satisfies: 1um ≤ L1 ≤ 100um.

[0094] For example, the value of L1 can be 1um, 10um, 20um, 30um, 40um, 50um, 60um, 70um, 80um, 90um, or 100um.

[0095] The value of L1 is set to be greater than or equal to 1 μm to reduce the gap between the coating head 2 and improve the thick edge effect; the value of L1 is set to be less than or equal to 100 μm to reduce the impact on the energy density of the subsequent battery cells caused by the large protrusion size of the protrusion 12 resulting in a small thickness at the edge of the film area.

[0096] In some embodiments, L1 satisfies: 2um≤L1≤50um.

[0097] For example, the value of L1 can be 2um, 10um, 15um, 20um, 25um, 30um, 35um, 40um, 45um or 50um.

[0098] Setting the value of L1 to greater than or equal to 2 μm further reduces the gap between the protrusion 12 and the coating head 2, reduces the thickness of the film edge region, and improves the thick edge effect; setting the value of L1 to less than or equal to 50 μm ensures that the thickness of the thinned area at the edge of the film region is within a reasonable range, further reducing the impact on the energy density of subsequent battery cells due to the small thickness of the film edge.

[0099] In some embodiments, the maximum dimension of the protrusion 12 along the axial direction X of the coating roller is L2, and L2 satisfies: 1mm≤L2≤30mm.

[0100] For example, the value of L2 can be 1mm, 5mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm or 30mm.

[0101] Limiting the value of L2 to greater than or equal to 1 mm can result in a larger width of the thinned area at the edge of the film region, thus improving the thick edge effect at the edge of the film region. Limiting the value of L2 to less than or equal to 30 mm can reduce the impact on the energy density of subsequent battery cells due to the excessive width of the thinned area at the edge of the film region.

[0102] In some embodiments, protrusions 12 are provided on the opposite edges of the coating area 111 along the axial direction X of the coating roller. The coating area 111 and the two protrusions 12 located in the coating area 111 form a set of coating units 13. The coating roller 1 includes multiple sets of coating units 13, and the multiple sets of coating units 13 are arranged sequentially at intervals along the axial direction X of the coating roller.

[0103] In this embodiment, the portion between two adjacent groups of coating units 13 corresponds to the tab region for the subsequent formation of the electrode sheet.

[0104] Multiple coating units 13 are set up to simultaneously coat multiple film areas on the substrate 3, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0105] In some embodiments, the protrusion 12 is aligned with one side edge of the coating area 111 along the axial direction X of the coating roller.

[0106] In this embodiment, the protrusion 12 is aligned with the edge of the coating area 111 relative to the outer edge of the coating area 111.

[0107] With this configuration, the outer edge of the protrusion 12 can provide a positioning function, making it easy to align with the coating head 2 and determine their relative positions.

[0108] This application also provides a battery production system, including the coating apparatus 100 described above.

[0109] For example, the battery production system also includes a drying device located downstream of the coating device 100, which is used to dry the substrate 3 coated with a slurry coating to form a dried electrode.

[0110] For example, the battery production system includes a cold pressing device located downstream of the drying device and used to compact the electrode sheets.

[0111] For example, the battery production system includes a winding device or a stacking device. The winding device is used to wind a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet, and a separator to form an electrode assembly, and the stacking device is used to stack a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet, and a separator to form an electrode assembly.

[0112] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coating roller manufacturing equipment provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0113] Please see Figure 5 This application also provides a coating roller manufacturing apparatus, including a support device 200, a printing device 300, and a driving device 400. The support device 200 supports a roller body 11, which includes a coating area 111. The printing device 300 prints a protrusion 12 on at least one side edge of the coating area 111 along the roller body axial direction X, and makes the protrusion 12 protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area 111; the driving device 400 drives the roller body 11 to rotate so that the protrusion 12 is formed around the axis of the roller body 11 in the coating area 111.

[0114] For example, the support device 200 includes a bearing housing connected to the roller body 11.

[0115] For example, the printing device 300 includes a UV printing nozzle, a lead screw assembly, and a lead screw motor. The lead screw assembly includes a screw and a nut. The screw is connected to the lead screw motor and rotates under the drive of the lead screw motor. The screw and the nut are threaded together. The UV printing nozzle is mounted on the nut and moves back and forth along the length of the screw under the drive of the lead screw motor to print multiple protrusions 12.

[0116] For example, drive unit 400 includes a motor.

[0117] Please see Figures 1-3This application provides a coating apparatus 100, including a coating roller 1 and a coating head 2. The coating roller 1 is used to transport a substrate 3. The coating roller 1 includes a roller body 11 and a protrusion 12. The roller body 11 includes a coating area 111. The coating area 111 has a protrusion 12 on at least one edge along the axial direction X of the coating roller. The protrusion 12 is disposed in the coating area 111 along the direction surrounding the axis of the coating roller 1 and protrudes circumferentially from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area 111. Along the axial direction X of the coating roller, the maximum size of the protrusion 12 is smaller than the size of the coating area 111. The protrusion 12 is printed in the coating area 111. Along the radial direction of the coating roller 1, the coating area 111 and the protrusion 12 are both disposed opposite to the coating head 2 and form an extrusion gap with the coating head 2. The coating head 2 is used to coat the slurry onto the area of ​​the substrate 3 corresponding to the coating area 111. The protrusion 12 and the coating area 111 are made of different materials. The protrusion 12 is a UV-curable inkjet component. The protrusion 12 includes a first surface 121 and a second surface 122 arranged opposite to each other along the radial direction of the coating roller 1. The first surface 121 is in contact with the coating area 111, and the projection of the second surface 122 onto the first surface 121 along the radial direction of the coating roller 1 is located within the first surface 121. The protrusion 12 includes a third surface 123 and a fourth surface 124 arranged opposite to each other along the axial direction X of the coating roller. The third surface 123 is connected to one end of the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 along the axial direction X of the coating roller, and the fourth surface 124 is connected to the other end of the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 along the axial direction X of the coating roller. At least a portion of the third surface 123 is inclined or bent towards the fourth surface 124 in the direction from the first surface 121 to the second surface 122, and at least a portion of the fourth surface 124 is inclined or bent towards the third surface 123. The protrusion 12 includes a color marking area, the color of which is different from that of the coating area 111. The coating area 111 has protrusions 12 on both sides of the opposite edge along the axial direction X of the coating roller. The coating area 111 and the two protrusions 12 located in the coating area form a set of coating units 13. The coating roller 1 includes multiple sets of coating units 13, which are arranged sequentially at intervals along the axial direction X of the coating roller.

[0118] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0119] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. However, these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A coating apparatus, characterized in that, include: A coating roller for conveying a substrate, the coating roller including a roller body and a protrusion, the roller body including a coating area, the coating area having the protrusion on at least one side edge along the axial direction of the coating roller, the protrusion being disposed in the coating area along a direction surrounding the axis of the coating roller and circumferentially protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area, the maximum size of the protrusion being smaller than the size of the coating area along the axial direction of the coating roller, the protrusion being printed in the coating area; The coating head is arranged radially along the coating roller, with the coating area and the protrusion both positioned opposite to the coating head and forming an extrusion gap with it. The coating head is used to coat the slurry onto the substrate corresponding to the coating area.

2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion and the coating area are made of different materials.

3. The coating apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protrusion is a UV-curable inkjet component.

4. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other along the radial direction of the coating roller. The first surface is in contact with the coating area, and the projection of the second surface along the radial direction of the coating roller onto the first surface is located within the first surface.

5. The coating apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The protrusion includes a third surface and a fourth surface disposed opposite to each other along the axial direction of the coating roller, the third surface being connected to the first surface and the second surface, and the fourth surface being connected to the first surface and the second surface; Along the direction from the first surface to the second surface, at least a portion of the third surface is inclined or bent toward the fourth surface, and / or at least a portion of the fourth surface is inclined or bent toward the third surface.

6. The coating apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The third surface and / or the fourth surface are smoothly connected to the second surface.

7. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The protrusion includes a color marking area, which is a different color from the coating area.

8. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Along the radial direction of the coating roller, the maximum dimension of the protrusion protruding from the coating area is L1, and L1 satisfies: 1um ≤ L1 ≤ 100um.

9. The coating apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The L1 satisfies: 2um≤L1≤50um.

10. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The maximum dimension of the protrusion along the axial direction of the coating roller is L2, and L2 satisfies: 1mm≤L2≤30mm.

11. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Along the axial direction of the coating roller, the protrusions are provided on opposite edges of the coating area. The coating area and the two protrusions located in the coating area form a coating unit. The coating roller includes multiple coating units, which are arranged sequentially at intervals along the axial direction of the coating roller.

12. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The protrusion is aligned with one edge of the coating area along the axial direction of the coating roller.

13. A battery production system, characterized in that, Includes the coating apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-12.

14. A coating roller manufacturing equipment, characterized in that, include: A support device for supporting a roller body, the roller body including a coating area; A printing device for printing a protrusion along at least one side edge of the coating area along the axial direction of the roller body, and causing the protrusion to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the coating area; A driving device for driving the roller body to rotate so that the protrusions are formed around the axis of the roller body in the coating area.

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