Method for producing a one-sided round cell winding contact and round cell

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a round cell with one-sided round cell winding contact, in which a formation (10) of contact lugs (11) on flat strips of an anode electrode and a cathode electrode takes place in such a way that, when the strips are wound into a winding (23), the respective contact lugs of the anode electrode (21) are located on one semicircular surface of a circle, and the respective contact lugs of the cathode electrode (22) are located on the other semicircular surface of the circle. Furthermore, a winding (20) of the strips takes place to form the winding, wherein the winding has a cylindrical base without contact lugs and a cylindrical cover with contact lugs projecting therefrom. The contact lugs are folded over onto the cylindrical cover.Furthermore, a terminal plate (35) is manufactured, the circular surface of which is divided into two circular segments (31, 32) of equal area, which are separated from each other by a narrow web (33). A first circular segment (31) serves as the anode contact surface and a second circular segment (32) serves as the cathode contact surface. The web (33), which is integrally connected to the two contact surfaces, serves as an insulator. The terminal plate is applied to the winding and is integrally connected to the respective contact lugs. A round cell produced in this way is also presented.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a round cell with one-sided round cell winding contact. Furthermore, a round cell with one-sided round cell winding contact is presented.

[0002] A battery for a vehicle, for example, can be based on round cells. When arranging them to form a battery pack, it can be advantageous to be able to contact both poles on a single side, which is why contact tabs of anode electrodes and cathode electrodes are provided on the same side during the manufacturing process. For this purpose, both electrodes are pre-formed in a so-called notching process in a production step preceding a winding. In this process, the electrodes are given a corresponding contour, for example by punching, which already includes a formation of cell tabs or contact tabs. The electrodes prepared in this way are then coated and / or provided with a separator material and rolled up into a coil, and electrically isolated contact is made between the cell tabs belonging to the anode and cathode, respectively.

[0003] The publication DE 10 2023 125 384 A1 describes a round cell with a rolled cell coil, in which all anode contacts and all cathode contacts are routed out at the same end and formed into two laterally opposite pole lugs. A circular end plate with an anode contact surface and a cathode contact surface is placed on the end of the rolled cell coil. The anode contact surface and the cathode contact surface are arranged laterally opposite one another and separated by an electrical insulator. The insulator is formed by injection molding between the two contact surfaces and has notches for positioning.

[0004] Document CN 218887468 U discloses a round cell with a rolled cell coil, with all anode contacts and all cathode contacts extending from the same end and arranged on laterally opposite sides. A circular end plate is placed on the end of the rolled cell coil. This end plate has an anode contact surface and a cathode contact surface, arranged laterally opposite each other and separated by an electrical insulator.

[0005] The document US 2023 / 0238615 A1 also shows a round cell with a rolled cell coil, in which all anode contacts and all cathode contacts are led out at the same end and arranged on laterally opposite sides. The end of the rolled cell coil has a circular end plate with an anode contact surface and a cathode contact surface, which are welded to the respective contacts of the cell coil.

[0006] EP 4 485 677 A1 describes a cylindrical secondary battery whose electrode assembly has first and second tabs projecting in the first direction. A first current collector plate is connected to the first tabs, while a second current collector plate is configured to be connected to the second tabs. An insulating element is in contact with a periphery of the electrode assembly, the first current collector plate, and the second current collector plate.

[0007] KR 10 2024 0 030 290 A discloses a device for generating a marking on an electrode tap, which device comprises a camera for detecting the position of an electrode tap and a control unit for positioning a marking unit movable in one direction. Positioning is performed based on the position determined by the camera.

[0008] EP 4 340 054 A1 relates to a device for creating a roll chart for monitoring a manufacturing process of a secondary battery. The device comprises a testing and / or measuring device, a data recording unit, and a roll chart creation unit.

[0009] KR 10 2023 0 112 517 A describes a device for marking a code in a notching system and for recognizing the marked code. The device comprises a code marking module, a code recognition module, an inlet guide for an electrode tab of a secondary battery, and a sensor for detecting entry into the inlet guide.

[0010] Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to present a method for producing a round cell in which one-sided contacting of the cell tabs is implemented in a simple manner. Furthermore, a round cell is to be presented that has such a contacting.

[0011] To solve the above-mentioned problem, a method for producing a round cell with one-sided round cell winding contact is proposed, in which the following process steps are carried out: • Forming contact lugs on flat strips of an anode electrode and a cathode electrode in such a way that when the strips are wound up into a coil, the respective contact lugs of the anode electrode are located on one semicircular area of ​​a circle, and the respective contact lugs of the cathode electrode are located on the other semicircular area of ​​the circle; • Winding of the anode electrode, first separator, cathode electrode and second separator lying on top of one another to form a cylindrical coil, wherein the coil has a cylindrical base without contact lugs and a cylindrical cover with contact lugs protruding therefrom; • Fold the contact tabs onto the cylinder cover; • Production of a flat circular terminal plate, the circular area of ​​which is divided into two circular segments of equal area, which are separated from each other by a narrow web, wherein a first circular segment is formed as an anode contact surface for the contact lugs of the anode electrode, wherein a second circular segment is formed as a cathode contact surface for the contact lugs of the cathode electrode, and wherein the web which is integrally connected to the two contact surfaces is formed as an insulator; • Attaching the terminal plate with contact surfaces aligned with the respective folded contact lugs of the electrodes to the cylinder cover of the winding with a material-to-material contact between the respective contact lugs; • Insert the coil with terminal plate into a cell cup.

[0012] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, a marking associated with the respective contact lug and measurable by an optical sensor is applied to the respective electrode during the formation of the respective contact lug. This makes it possible to measure the position of the respective contact lug resulting from the winding process step. This advantageously allows for corrections to be made during the winding process step when bringing the individual strips together, for example, by varying the feed. The marking is applied, for example, using a laser.

[0013] In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, a nickel-plated copper is chosen as the material for the anode contact surface.

[0014] In yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention, aluminum is chosen as the material for the cathode contact surface.

[0015] In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, glass or ceramic is chosen as the material for the web.

[0016] According to the invention, the web is provided with a groove. This allows the terminal plate to be aligned with the coil using a tool that engages in the groove, which proves advantageous when applying the terminal plate to the coil.

[0017] In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the contact lugs are formed so that they extend beyond a separator projection protruding from the winding. It is known from the prior art to leave the separators projecting laterally beyond the electrode winding to prevent electrical contact between the anode electrodes and the cathode electrode. In this case, the cylinder cover is formed by an outer edge of the separators. The contact lugs are folded over onto the cylinder cover defined by the separators. This advantageously simplifies the contacting with the contact surfaces of the terminal plate in a subsequent process step.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the material connection between the web and the two circular segments is obtained by gluing or welding.

[0019] In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the material-to-material contacting of respective contact surfaces of the terminal plate with respective contact lugs is achieved by laser welding.

[0020] Furthermore, a round cell is claimed which is produced by a method according to the invention.

[0021] Further advantages and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0022] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Fig. 1 schematically shows process steps in embodiments of the method according to the invention.

[0023] In Fig.1 schematically shows process steps 10, 20, 30, 40 in embodiments of the method according to the invention. In a process step 10 for forming contact tabs, referred to as "notching" in English, a respective contact tab 11 is formed on an electrode 12, i.e., an anode electrode or a cathode electrode. This is carried out, for example, by a punching process or laser cutting. In addition, a marking 15 can be applied, which enables a measurement of the position of the respective contact tab 11 by an optical sensor. A respective distance 13, 14 between two contact tabs 11 is selected such that, transitioning to a next process step 19, contact tabs of the anode electrode 21 and contact tabs of the cathode electrode 22 form two spatially separated groups, preferably divided into two semicircular areas, for contacting.

[0024] Thus, in the process step of winding 20, starting with the start of the winding of the electrode 12 spread out into a flat strip, the respective distance 13, 14 between two contact lugs increases as the strip progresses in order to obtain the inventive division of the contact lugs of the anode electrode 21 and the contact lugs of the cathode electrode 22 into the two semicircular surfaces, since a radius of a resulting winding 23 increases. If the start of the winding is assumed to be on the left side of the flatly spread out electrode 12 in the illustration of process step 10, the first distance 13 is smaller than the second distance 14. In a process step 30, a flat circular terminal plate 35 is manufactured, the circular surface of which is divided into two circular segments 31, 32 of equal area, which are separated from one another by a narrow web 33. A first circular segment 31 is formed as an anode contact surface for the contact lugs of the anode electrode 21.A second circular segment 32 is formed as the cathode contact surface for the contact lugs of the cathode electrode 22. The web 33, which is integrally connected to the two contact surfaces, is formed as an insulator and has a groove 34 by means of which the terminal plate 35 can be aligned. In a common temporal and spatial transition 29, 39 to the process step 40 of applying the terminal plate 35 to the winding 23, the first circular segment 31 as the anode contact surface and the second circular segment 32 as the cathode contact surface are connected to the respective folded contact lugs of the anode / cathode electrodes by means of integral contact 41, for example by laser welding. List of reference symbols 10 process step forming contact tabs 11 Contact flag 12 Electrode 13 First contact flag distance 14 Second contact lug distance 15 Marking 19 next process step 20 process step winding 21 contact tabs of the anode electrode 22 contact tabs of the cathode electrode 23 wraps 29 next process step 30 process steps manufacturing terminal plate 31 First circle segment 32 Second circle segment 33 Insulator 34 grooves 35 Terminal plate 39 next process step 40 Process step Applying terminal plate to reel 41 Material contact

Claims

[1] Method for producing a round cell with one-sided round cell winding contact, in which the following process steps (10, 20 30, 40) are carried out: • Forming (10) contact lugs (11) on flat strips of an anode electrode and a cathode electrode in such a way that, when the strips are wound up into a coil (23), the respective contact lugs of the anode electrode (21) are located on one semicircular surface of a circle, and the respective contact lugs of the cathode electrode (22) are located on the other semicircular surface of the circle; • Winding (20) of the anode electrode, first separator, cathode electrode and second separator lying on top of one another to form a cylindrical winding (23), the winding (23) having a cylinder base and a cylinder cover with contact lugs (11) projecting therefrom; • Fold the contact tabs (11) onto the cylinder cover; • Production (30) of a flat circular terminal plate (35), the circular surface of which is divided into two circular segments (31, 32) of equal area, which are separated from one another by a narrow web (33), wherein a first circular segment (31) is formed as an anode contact surface for the contact lugs of the anode electrode (21), wherein a second circular segment (32) is formed as a cathode contact surface for the contact lugs of the cathode electrode (22), and wherein the web (33) which is integrally connected to the two contact surfaces is formed as an insulator and the web (33) is provided with a groove (34), whereby the terminal plate (35) can be aligned with respect to the winding (23) by means of a tool which engages in the groove (34); • Applying the terminal plate (35) with contact surfaces aligned with the respective folded-over contact lugs of the electrodes (21, 22) to the cylinder cover of the winding (23) with material contact (41) of the respective contact lugs (11); • Insert the coil (23) with terminal plate (35) into a cell cup. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein during the forming (10) of the respective contact lug (11) a respective marking (15) assigned to the respective contact lug (11) and measurable by an optical sensor is applied to the respective electrode (12), whereby the position of the respective contact lug (11) resulting during the winding process step (20) is measurable. [3] A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein nickel-plated copper is selected as the material for the anode contact surface. [4] A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein aluminum is selected as the material for the cathode contact surface. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which glass or ceramic is selected as the material for the web (33). [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the contact lugs (11) are formed so as to protrude beyond a separator projection protruding from the winding (23), the cylinder cover being formed by an outer edge of the separators, and in which the contact lugs (11) are folded over onto the cylinder cover defined by the separators. [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the material connection between the web (33) and the two circular segments (31, 32) is obtained by gluing or welding. [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the material-to-material contact (41) of respective contact surfaces of the terminal plate (35) with respective contact lugs (11) is obtained by laser welding. [9] Round cell manufactured by one of the above processes.

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