Device and method for dividing a continuous web into individual segments, and stacking system for the energy cell producing industry

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for dividing a continuous web (5) into individual segments (3) which are suitable for forming an energy cell, comprising a separating device (7) which is designed to cut the continuous web (5); and a rotatably mounted conveyor rotation body (8) on which a section of the continuous web (5) is conveyed while being cut by means of the separating device (7), wherein the device (1) comprises a controller (13) which controls and / or regulates a drive device (9) such that the conveyor rotation body (8) conveys the continuous web (5) section being conveyed by the conveyor rotation body at a speed which changes periodically.

Description

[0001] Device and method for dividing a continuous web into individual segments and stacking system for the energy cell producing industry

[0002] The present application relates to a device for dividing a continuous web into segments according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a corresponding method having the features of the preamble of claim 17. Furthermore, the application relates to a stacking system for the energy cell production industry having the features of the preamble of claim 16.

[0003] It is known in principle from the prior art to use energy cells or energy storage devices in motor vehicles, other land vehicles, ships, aircraft, or even in stationary systems in the form of battery cells or fuel cells, with which large amounts of energy can be stored over extended periods of time. For this purpose, such energy cells have a structure consisting of a plurality of segments stacked together. These segments can be designed, for example, as electrode sheets, so that anode and cathode sheets alternate in the stack; in such a case, a layer of a separator is arranged between two adjacent electrode sheets.

[0004] According to a first variant, the separators can be designed in the form of individual separator sheets, between which the electrode sheets are arranged. In this case, the separator sheet can also be referred to as a segment. According to a second variant, it is also known to place the separator in the form of a material web by forming a zigzag-shaped fold geometry, i.e., a so-called Z-fold, around the segments.

[0005] Regardless of whether the energy cell is formed according to the first or second variant, the materials are usually provided as continuous webs on so-called coils, also called bobbins, so that the continuous web must first be divided into segments. Furthermore, the actual formation of the stack usually takes place in a discontinuous, timed movement, for example, according to the so-called "pick and place" principle.

[0006] The object of the present application is to provide a device with which high-quality segments can be prepared for the stacking process. Furthermore, the object of the present application is to provide a correspondingly improved method and a correspondingly improved stacking system.

[0007] The object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further preferred embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims, the figures, and the associated description.

[0008] According to a first aspect of this application, the object is achieved by a device for dividing a continuous web into individual segments suitable for forming an energy cell, comprising a separating device configured to sever the continuous web; a rotatably mounted rotary conveyor body on which a portion of the continuous web is conveyed during severing by means of the separating device, wherein the device comprises a control device that controls and / or regulates a drive device such that the rotary conveyor body conveys the portion of the continuous web conveyed by it at a periodically changing speed.

[0009] A periodically changing speed within the meaning of this application can be described by a speed function as a function of time, whose function values ​​repeat at regular intervals. The interpretation of the term "periodic" is therefore based on the mathematical understanding of a periodic function. The time interval between two recurring speed values ​​is referred to as a period. A period is preferably shorter than 1 second, more preferably shorter than 0.1 seconds.

[0010] The periodically changing speed of the endless conveyor allows the cutting process to occur at a speed that is ideally matched to the cutting device. Depending on the design of the cutting device, for example, a mechanical cutting device or a laser cutting device, different requirements are placed on the conveyor speed during the cutting process. Firstly, the ability to periodically change the speed can improve the quality of the segments. Secondly, the cutting process can already take place in the work cycle of any downstream production steps, such as the work cycle of stack formation. This means, for example, that the periodic change in speed of the rotating conveyor body can be adapted to the cycle at which the stack formation takes place.For example, a period of the velocity function of the conveyor body can correspond to the length of a stacking cycle or an integer multiple thereof. The proposed device can be used to produce segments in the form of electrode sheets, i.e., anode or cathode sheets, but also, for example, segments in the form of separator sheets.

[0011] The rotary conveyor body is preferably configured to hold the endless track and / or the segments on its outer surface by means of negative pressure. For this purpose, the outer surface has, for example, a plurality of openings that can be subjected to negative pressure via a vacuum system.

[0012] Preferably, the endless track is guided on the rotating conveyor body with no or almost no slippage. This can be achieved, for example, by holding the endless track on the rotating conveyor body using a vacuum. By avoiding slippage, the peripheral speed of the rotating conveyor body corresponds to the conveying speed of the endless track. Consequently, the conveying speed of the endless track can be adjusted by the peripheral speed of the rotating conveyor body.

[0013] For example, the drive device drives the rotating conveyor body. The drive device can, in turn, be controlled and / or regulated by the control device such that the peripheral speed of the rotating conveyor body changes periodically.

[0014] Preferably, the control device is configured to control and / or regulate the drive device such that the rotary conveyor body conveys the section of the endless track conveyed by it in a clocked movement, wherein a clocked movement comprises a plurality of successive cycles, wherein a cycle comprises a movement interval and a rest interval, wherein the maximum peripheral speed of the rotary conveyor body in the rest interval corresponds to at most 0.5 times the maximum peripheral speed in the movement interval, preferably at most 0.2 times and more preferably at most 0.1 times. Of course, a cycle can also comprise several rest intervals and / or several movement intervals.

[0015] Preferably, the peripheral speed of the conveyor rotating body is constant or approximately constant in a sub-interval of the movement interval.

[0016] Preferably, at least two or more consecutive bars are identical, ie they have the identical temporal sequence and characteristics of movement and rest intervals.

[0017] An approximately constant speed within the meaning of this application also includes speed profiles in which the speed does not deviate by more than 20%, in particular less than 5%, from an average speed in the corresponding sub-interval.

[0018] Alternatively or additionally, the peripheral speed of the rotating conveyor body is zero or almost zero during the rest interval. Thus, the peripheral speed during the movement interval differs significantly from the peripheral speed during the rest interval. This significant difference in speed between the movement interval and the rest interval is particularly advantageous if the continuous web is to be severed at a high conveying speed. Depending on the peripheral speed during the rest interval and its duration, the resulting delay must be compensated for by a higher maximum peripheral speed during the movement interval. Therefore, the speed during the movement interval is greater than the average feed speed of the continuous web, allowing the continuous web to be severed at a relatively high conveying speed; this allows for a particularly gentle cutting process, both on the surface and on the cut edges.This is particularly advantageous when severing electrode tracks for battery cell production, as these are typically coated with a sensitive coating. Any damage to the coating and the resulting contamination can lead to a reduction in the functionality of the battery cells, which can be prevented by the proposed device. The proposed device is also suitable for severing separator tracks, as a poor-quality separator cutting process can also lead to contamination of the electrodes. Furthermore, the device has proven particularly advantageous for severing endless tracks in the form of a separator track, as it can prevent tears in the areas of the segments that ensure the separator's separating function.

[0019] Furthermore, the synchronized movement of the separated segments is advantageous for downstream production steps. For example, it simplifies the otherwise laborious spacing of the individual segments. Furthermore, a synchronized movement is particularly advantageous for forming a stack with a zigzag-folded material web, because the segments can then be deposited cyclically on the material web or in the folds of the material web at the stacking table, utilizing the cyclical movement of the separating device.

[0020] Preferably, the length of the sub-interval of the movement interval and / or the length of the rest interval each correspond to 0.15 to 0.45 times the length of a cycle, more preferably 0.2 to 0.4 times the length of a cycle, and most preferably 1 / 3 of the length of a cycle. This ratio has proven particularly advantageous when the speed is to be kept constant for as long as possible during the movement interval to ensure a uniform separation process.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment, it is proposed that the separating device comprises a cutting drum which is driven by means of a drive device to rotate about a rotational axis, wherein the cutting drum comprises at least one radially outwardly projecting cutting blade, wherein the conveyor rotation body comprises a counter blade, wherein the cutting blade comprises a cutting edge, and the counter blade comprises a cutting edge, wherein the cutting edge of the cutting blade slides along the cutting edge of the counter blade in a point-like contact with a cut of the endless web during the rotational movement of the cutting drum.

[0022] The counterblade within the meaning of this application is designed to interact with the cutting edge of the cutting blade to achieve a cut. The cutting edge can, for example, be designed as a sharp cutting edge; the grinding angle of such a cutting edge is preferably less than 20°, more preferably less than 10°. Alternatively, the angle of the surfaces meeting at the edge can also be more than 20°, preferably more than 40°. In this case, the cutting edge is not designed as a pronounced, sharp cutting edge.

[0023] Preferably, the cutting edge of the cutting knife is aligned at an angle other than zero degrees to the cutting edge of the counter knife.

[0024] The cutting edge of the cutting knife deliberately comes into contact with the cutting edge of the counter knife so that the endless web fed between them is reliably severed. Furthermore, the cutting edge of the cutting knife and the cutting edge of the counter knife are aligned in such a way that they are in point contact at an angle other than zero degrees to one another. This means that the cutting knife glides along the cutting edge of the counter knife in point contact as the cutting drum rotates, cutting through the endless web. This means that the endless web is not cut across its entire width at once during the cutting process, but instead in point contact, which moves in the longitudinal direction of the cutting edge and cutting edge during the cutting process, thereby severed the endless web in one cut transverse to its longitudinal extent.This allows a cut to be made with significantly lower cutting forces while at the same time ensuring an unlimited or at least significantly larger width of the endless web to be cut. The point-like contact point is moved on a curved path which results from the combination of the movement of the contact point transverse to the endless web along the cutting edge of the counter knife with the resulting rotational movement of the counter knife. The movement of the contact point is achieved by aligning the cutting edge and the cutting edge at an angle other than zero degrees in conjunction with the rotational movement of the cutting drum and the rotating conveyor body, i.e. the relative movement of the cutting edge to the cutting edge. This cutting process, which is fundamentally different from the state of the art, enables a particularly surface-friendly cut of the endless web with very little surface contamination.

[0025] The counter knife does not have to be formed as a separate part; it can also be integrated into the rotary conveyor body in a corresponding shape. Furthermore, the counter knife can also be part of an insert which is mounted on the circumference of the rotary conveyor body and can have additional functions. The only important thing for the implementation of the counter knife is the presence of a cutting edge, for example in the form of a sharp edge, on the rotary conveyor body, along which the cutting blade of the cutting drum slides with its cutting edge. In the sense of the invention, the counter knife is therefore to be understood as the section of the rotary conveyor body on which the cutting edge is provided, regardless of whether the counter knife is implemented as a separate insert or is formed integrally with the rotary conveyor body.

[0026] Furthermore, the feature of point contact should not be understood in a purely mathematical sense. Instead, it is intended to express the fact that the cutting blade and the counter blade only touch each other over a very short section during the cutting process, which is then enlarged to a somewhat longer section, for example, solely through the elastic properties of the cutting blade and / or the counter blade. All that is important for the cutting process is that the cutting blade and the counter blade touch each other over this short section, and that the cutting blade and the counter blade slide along each other during the cutting process by executing a longitudinal movement of this contact point, thereby cutting the endless web transversely to its longitudinal extent through a shearing process.

[0027] Preferably, the rotational movements of the cutting drum and the rotary conveyor body are coordinated. This allows the cutting edges of the cutting blade and the cutting edge of the counter blade to slide precisely along one another during the cutting process. The coordinated rotational movement is preferably implemented by the control device. Sensors are preferably provided to detect the rotational movement of the cutting drum and / or the rotary conveyor body. For example, a rotary angle sensor can be provided, which can provide the control device with the current rotational angle of the rotary conveyor body. Based on this rotational angle, the control device can control a drive device, via which the cutting drum is then rotated accordingly.Due to the coordinated rotational movement of the cutting drum and that of the rotary conveyor body, the cutting drum also moves at a periodically changing speed, i.e., in a synchronized manner. For example, the rotational movements of the cutting drum and the rotary conveyor body can also be coordinated by having the conveyor device and the cutting drum each act as slaves to a virtual master. This is achieved with the aid of appropriate sensors for detecting the rotational movements of the cutting drum and the rotary conveyor body, which provide the corresponding signals to the control device.

[0028] It is further proposed that the peripheral speeds of the cutting edge of the cutting knife and the cutting edge of the counter knife deviate from each other by less than 10%, preferably less than 5%. This slight deviation in the peripheral speeds within a movement interval can be used to space the segments or to keep the web tension constant. These minimal deviations in the peripheral speeds are therefore preferably deliberately set by the control device. They are not attributable, or at most only to a small extent, to the mass moments of inertia of the rotating bodies, in particular if any imbalances of the rotating bodies have been eliminated by balancing. Preferably, the peripheral speed of the cutting edge is determined at the radially outermost point of the cutting edge, and the peripheral speed of the cutting edge is determined at the radially outermost point of the cutting edge.

[0029] It has also proven advantageous if, when the cutting edge of the cutting blade slides along the cutting edge of the counterblade, more than 50% of the sliding distance, in particular the entire sliding distance, is completed within the movement interval. By performing the shear cut while the rotating conveyor body is moving, the cutting quality can be improved.

[0030] Preferably, the continuous web is severed by the cutting device at least partially, preferably completely, in a sub-interval of the movement interval at a constant or approximately constant peripheral speed of the rotating conveyor body. This further improves the cutting or separating quality. Complete separation refers to the process from the initial cutting to the completion of the separating process. The peripheral speed of the rotating conveyor body is preferably measured on its outer surface, on which the continuous web rests and is transported.

[0031] If the device is designed to carry out a shear cut by means of a cutting blade and a counter blade as described above, then the sliding of the cutting edge of the cutting blade along the cutting edge of the counter blade preferably takes place at least partially, in particular preferably completely, in the sub-interval with a constant or approximately constant peripheral speed of the conveyor rotation body.

[0032] If the cutting does not occur entirely within the sub-interval at a constant or nearly constant peripheral speed, the first alternative is for the cut to begin in a transition interval of the movement interval in which the rotating conveyor body is accelerated after the rest interval, preferably close to the rest interval at a peripheral speed of zero. This allows the cut to begin in the endless path at the slowest possible speed, thus protecting the material. In this case, the cut end can also occur in the same transition interval in which the rotating conveyor body is accelerated. Alternatively, the cut end can also occur in the sub-interval of the movement interval in which the rotating conveyor body is moved at a constant peripheral speed.

[0033] If the cutting does not take place entirely in the sub-interval with constant peripheral speed, a second alternative is for the end of the cut to fall into a transition interval of the movement interval in which the rotary conveyor body is braked before reaching the rest interval, preferably close to the rest interval at a peripheral speed of zero. This allows the knife to be guided out of the material at the slowest possible speed and thus particularly gently. The start of the cut then lies, for example, in the transition interval of the movement interval in which the rotary conveyor body is accelerated after the rest interval, preferably close to the rest interval at a peripheral speed of zero. Alternatively, the start of the cut can also lie in the sub-interval of the movement interval in which the rotary conveyor body is moved at a constant or almost constant peripheral speed.Furthermore, the start of the cut can also be in the transition interval of the movement interval in which the conveyor rotation body is braked before reaching the rest interval.

[0034] By implementing these variants, chipping and burr formation on the segments can be prevented. Furthermore, wear on the cutting blade sheath and the cutting edge of the counterblade can be reduced.

[0035] The cutting device preferably comprises a laser for severing the endless web. The cutting device can of course also comprise multiple lasers. The cutting of the endless web by means of the at least one laser preferably takes place entirely within the rest interval when the rotating conveyor body is at a standstill. Alternatively, the endless web can be severed entirely within a movement interval by means of the at least one laser. In addition to the laser, the cutting device preferably also comprises mirror devices and / or scanners. Cutting by means of the laser within the rest interval eliminates the need for complex beam tracking in order to compensate for the rotational movements and focus changes that result from the rotation of the rotating conveyor body. Furthermore, the resulting laser burn-off when the drum is at a standstill can be eliminated, for example by suction.Finally, the heat-affected zone can be minimized because it is not enlarged by changes in angle. The laser beam source can be located inside or outside the conveyor's rotating body.

[0036] A single laser can also be redirected to multiple cutting points, for example, using mirror devices. This allows the continuous web to be partially or sectionally severed at different cutting points. At a first cutting point, the continuous web can also be merely scratched without completely severing it. The multiple cutting points can belong to a single cutting edge or to multiple cutting edges.

[0037] According to a further preferred embodiment, it is proposed that the separating device comprises at least one cutting knife with a cutting edge, wherein the separating device is designed to sever the endless web conveyed on the rotary conveyor body with the cutting edge, wherein the device is designed to convey a section of the endless web to be severed by means of the rotary conveyor body into a separating region in which the continuous web is severed, wherein the separating device is designed to move the cutting edge during the severing of the continuous web such that the direction of movement of the cutting edge in a viewing plane that is oriented orthogonally to the axis of rotation of the rotary conveyor body deviates by a maximum of 10° from any opposite radial direction with respect to the rotary conveyor body that runs through the separating region within the viewing plane.

[0038] Preferably, the cutting device is configured to move the cutting edge during the cutting of the endless web such that the direction of movement of the cutting edge in the viewing plane deviates by a maximum of 5°, more preferably by a maximum of 2°, from any opposite radial direction with respect to the conveyor rotation body which runs through the cutting area within the viewing plane.

[0039] For the purposes of this application, a viewing plane refers to a plane orthogonal to the rotational axis of the rotary conveyor body, in which the cutting edge is guided past the counter-blade to effect the cut. This refers to the rotational axis around which the rotary conveyor body rotates in order to convey the endless web on its lateral surface. The viewing plane is therefore a sectional view through the device in a plane orthogonal to the rotational axis of the rotary conveyor body. It is further proposed that the previously defined movement of the cutting edge be fulfilled for a plurality of viewing planes, more preferably for all viewing planes.

[0040] During severing, in the context of this application, means that the proposed direction of movement of the cutting edge must be maintained at all times during the severing process. The severing process within the meaning of this application begins with the first contact of the cutting edge with the endless web upon its insertion into the web and ends when the cutting edge has penetrated the endless web to such an extent that a section of the endless web is completely separated from the remaining endless section of the endless web; the severed section of the endless web then forms one of the segments already described above. The return of the cutting edge, and thus also of the cutting blade, to a starting position from which the next cut begins, is explicitly not part of the severing process because this return movement does not actually cause the endless web to be severed.

[0041] For the purposes of this application, a cutting area is understood to be the area defined by the device in which the continuous web is cut. This is the area in which the cutting edge of the cutting blade is guided past the cutting edge of the counter blade to effect a cut through the continuous web. In practice, the cutting area can be described by a section of the outer surface of the rotating conveyor body. The cutting area extends over a relatively small angular range of the outer surface in relation to the axis of rotation. Preferably, the cutting area is located on a outer surface that extends over an angle of less than 10°, more preferably less than 5°, in particular preferably less than 1° in relation to the axis of rotation. In principle, the angular range of the cutting area is therefore very small.However, it can also be enlarged if, for example, the knife and thus the cutting edge are curved along their longitudinal axis; the cutting area can also be enlarged by the slow co-rotation of the rotary conveyor body during the cutting process. For the purposes of this application, an opposite radial direction is understood to mean the direction opposite to the radial direction. An opposite radial direction therefore points radially inward. The opposite radial direction, for the purposes of this application, points in the direction of the rotational axis of the rotary conveyor body, but does not cross it.

[0042] When, in the context of this application, the maximum deviation of the direction of movement of the cutting edge from an opposite radial direction with respect to the conveyor rotation body is defined, this always means the inner angle between these two directions, i.e. an angle that is less than 180°.

[0043] The proposed cutting edge movement direction allows for a high-quality cut, particularly preventing material breakouts. This has proven particularly advantageous when the continuous web is made of electrode material.

[0044] The rotary conveyor body is mounted for rotation about a rotational axis, so that rotation of the rotary conveyor body about its own rotational axis causes the endless web to be transported; this rotational axis defines an axial direction. The cutting device is preferably designed to guide the cutting edge in such a way that it is not moved in the axial direction during the cutting of the endless web. Furthermore, the cutting device is preferably designed so that the entire movement sequence of the cutting edge, i.e. including the movement before and after the actual cutting, takes place without any movement in this axial direction. The cutting device is preferably designed to guide the cutting edge in a translational or almost translational movement through the endless web during the cutting of the endless web.Further preferably, the cutting device is designed to guide the cutting edge through the endless web in a linear movement or in an approximately linear movement during the cutting of the endless web.

[0045] It is further proposed that the separating device is designed to rotate the cutting edge simultaneously about at least two axes of rotation which are spaced apart from one another and aligned parallel to one another, wherein the rotational speeds with which the cutting edge of the separating device is moved about the at least two axes of rotation are set by means of the control device in such a way that the cutting edge is moved during the severing of the endless web in such a way that its direction of movement in the viewing plane deviates by a maximum of 10° from any opposite radial direction with respect to the conveyor rotation body which runs through the separating region within the viewing plane.

[0046] On the one hand, this allows the advantage of a rotary movement of the cutting edge to be utilized, which is advantageous, for example, in terms of processing speed, because the rotary movement allows, for example, multiple cutting blades, for example, exactly two cutting blades, to be attached to a cutting drum, which are used alternately to sever the continuous web. On the other hand, the preferably counter-rotating second rotational movement of the cutting edge around an additional rotational axis allows components of the rotational movements around the two rotational axes to be compensated during severing of the continuous web, so that a cut through the continuous web can be made with no or at most a minimal component of rotary movement.

[0047] It is further proposed that the separating device comprises a cutting drum which is driven by means of a drive device to rotate about a rotational axis of the at least two rotational axes, wherein the cutting drum comprises the at least one cutting blade with the cutting edge, wherein the at least one cutting blade projects radially outwards, wherein the conveyor rotation body comprises a counter blade with a cutting edge, wherein the separating device is designed to move the rotational axis of the cutting drum on a circular path about the further rotational axis of the at least two rotational axes in such a way that the cutting edge is guided past the cutting edge while effecting a cut in such a way that the direction of movement of the cutting edge in the viewing plane deviates by a maximum of 10° from any opposite radial direction with respect to the conveyor rotation body which runs through the separating region within the viewing plane.

[0048] In this embodiment, the counterblade is also designed to interact with the cutting edge of the cutting blade to achieve a cut. The cutting edge can, for example, be designed as a sharp cutting edge; the grinding angle of such a cutting edge is preferably less than 20°, more preferably less than 10°. Alternatively, the angle of the surfaces meeting at the edge can also be more than 20°, preferably more than 40°. In this case, the cutting edge is not designed as a pronounced, sharp cutting edge. Preferably, the cutting edge of the cutting blade is aligned at an angle other than zero degrees to the cutting edge of the counterblade.

[0049] By partially compensating for the rotational movement of the cutting drum around its own axis of rotation by moving this axis of rotation along a circular path, it is possible to ensure that the cutting edge performs no or at most a slight rotational movement relative to the cutting edge while severing the continuous path in the transverse direction. Preferably, the cutting edge is moved past the cutting edge in a linear motion during cutting. The cutting edge and the cutting edge can thus produce a high-quality cut, creating a scissor cut. The cutting edge can slide along the cutting edge; however, this is not mandatory. In principle, a contactless scissor cut is also possible, in which the cutting edge and the cutting edge do not touch.

[0050] Preferably, both the rotation of the cutting drum around its axis of rotation and the movement of this axis of rotation on a circular path around the other axis of rotation are each effected by a separately controllable servomotor. The drive device of the cutting drum then comprises a servomotor. Thus, the pressure of the cutting edge against the endless track and thus also against the cutting edge can be controlled or regulated by these servomotors. Preferably, the servomotors are controlled or regulated by the control device in a torque-dependent manner. It goes without saying that the movement of the cutting edge must be synchronized with the rotation of the conveyor rotating body in such a way that the cutting edge of the cutting blade interacts with the cutting edge of the counter blade.

[0051] In practice, the cutting area can be determined, for example, with the aid of the counterblade. In this case, the cutting area is defined by the position(s) of the counterblade's cutting edge at which the cutting edge is moved past to effect the cut.

[0052] It is of course also possible for the cutting blade and the counter blade to be curved along their respective longitudinal axes. This means that the cutting edge of the cutting blade and the cutting edge of the counter blade do not run parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating conveyor body. Even with such a curved cutting edge and a correspondingly adapted cutting edge, a high-quality cut can be achieved by the previously described direction of movement of the cutting edge, which in this case is preferably present for all viewing planes.

[0053] Preferably, downstream of the counterblade, with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotary conveyor body, there is a recess in the outer surface of the rotary conveyor body, which forms the contact surface for the endless web. The counterblade can thus have a free cutting edge on its downstream side. The recess is required so that the cutting blade of the cutting drum, which protrudes radially from the cutting drum, can engage in this recess while severing the endless web. The recess in the rotary conveyor body thus forms a free space for the cutting edge of the cutting blade. The movement of the cutting edge and the rotation of the rotary conveyor body must therefore be synchronized such that the cutting edge engages in this recess.To compensate for the circumferential movement of the cutting edge relative to the rotating conveyor body while the cutting edge is immersed in this recess, the cutting edge rotates relatively slowly around the cutting drum's rotational axis during cutting. Before and after cutting, the cutting drum can also be rotated faster around its rotational axis. The cutting drum therefore preferably rotates around its rotational axis at a periodically changing rotational speed.

[0054] Preferably, the radially projecting cutting blade is mounted on a base part of the cutting drum such that the cutting edge, with the end having the cutting edge, is inclined in the direction of rotation of the cutting drum. The angle of inclination relative to a corresponding radial direction of the cutting drum is, for example, between 5° and 10°. This inclination of the cutting blade relative to a radial alignment of the cutting edge ensures that the cutting edge is guided past the cutting edge at the most constant distance possible during the cut. This can improve the cutting quality.

[0055] It is further proposed that the device be configured to perform the severing of the continuous web at a rest interval. This measure can further improve the cutting quality.

[0056] In principle, it is also possible for the cut to occur if the peripheral speed of the rotating conveyor body is not zero during the rest interval. In this case, the cutting area increases accordingly. The maximum deviation of the direction of movement in a viewing plane may then be a maximum of 10° with respect to any opposite radial direction in the entire cutting area within the viewing plane.

[0057] According to a preferred embodiment, the device is designed to process an endless web fed at a constant or approximately constant speed, wherein the device comprises a compensating device, for example comprising a dancer roller, which is arranged upstream of the rotary conveyor body and is designed to enable a transition between a first conveyor section, in which the endless web is moved at a constant conveying speed, and a second conveyor section, in which the endless web is moved at a periodically changing conveying speed. As a result, the endless web can be fed to the compensating device at a constant or approximately constant speed, i.e. continuously, and can be provided to the rotary conveyor body at a periodically changing speed, which is set here, for example, by a clocked movement.

[0058] A person skilled in the art understands a dancer roller to be a roller or bolt around which the material web is guided, wherein the longitudinal axis of the roller or bolt is mounted so as to be displaceable and / or pivotable in order to perform a compensating movement. The longitudinal axis of the roller is formed by its axis of rotation. The bolt can be designed to form an air film between the material web and the bolt so that the material web is guided over the bolt with virtually no friction; consequently, the bolt does not need to be rotatably mounted. The dancer roller has proven itself in practice to be a reliable component for compensating the different conveying speeds between the first conveying section with a continuous conveying speed and the second conveying section with a periodically changing conveying speed.

[0059] According to a second aspect of the present application, a stacking system for the energy cell production industry is proposed to achieve this objective. It is designed to form a stack comprising a plurality of segments and a material web. The material web is preferably a separator material web. Therefore, the disclosure of this application also includes a stacking system with a separator material web guided therein.This stacking system is designed to fold the material web in a zigzag shape and to deposit the segments, for example in the form of electrode sheets, on the material web in such a way that the segments are arranged in the folds of the material web in the stack, wherein the stacking system comprises the following components: a stacking table on which the stack is formed, a material web feed device which is designed to convey the material web to the stacking table, and a first and / or a second segment feed device, each of which is designed to convey segments to the stacking table, wherein the first and / or the second segment feed device each comprises a device as described above.The proposed stacking system makes it possible to form a stack with a so-called Z-fold, whereby the segments, for example anode and / or cathode sheets, can be advantageously formed from the continuous web by appropriate separation. Thus, a stack of improved quality can be formed with a material web, which is, for example, a separator, in a Z-fold. Furthermore, the separation of the continuous web using a clocked movement by means of the device allows the first or second segment feeder to be stopped within any desired cycle. This can be advantageous, for example, if a defective segment has been ejected in the other segment feeder. By stopping a segment feeder, the production of new segments from the continuous web can be easily stopped.With a conventional cutting device, to which the continuous web is fed at a constant or nearly constant speed, stopping is not easily possible due to the sluggish start-up behavior. Thus, it has been accepted to date that further segments are created by cutting them from the continuous web, which then have to be disposed of as surplus or stored at great expense in a storage facility so that they can be fed back into the production process at the appropriate time, i.e. when the other segment feed device again provides intact segments. Preferably, a stack is formed by the stacking system, the first and last segment of which is formed by an anode sheet; segments consisting of cathode and anode sheets alternate between them. Because the first and last segments are each formed by an anode sheet, the full capacity of the relatively expensive cathodes can be utilized, and dendrite formation can be avoided.For example, every 47th cycle of the segment feeder that feeds the cathode sheets must be interrupted during stack formation. The proposed stacking system eliminates the need for time-consuming intermediate storage of segments.

[0060] It goes without saying that the device can also be used in an alternative embodiment of a stacking system in which the material web is not guided around the segments in a Z-fold. In this case, the material web is replaced by another type of segment, for example, separator sheets. The proposed device can then also be used to produce the required separator sheets by cutting a corresponding continuous web.

[0061] Regardless of whether the separator is used in a Z-fold during stack formation or whether several separators in the form of separator sheets are used, the quality of the energy cells formed can be improved with a stacking system comprising the proposed device.

[0062] According to a third aspect of the present application, a method is proposed for dividing an endless web into individual segments suitable for forming an energy cell, wherein a section of the endless web is guided around a rotatably mounted conveyor rotating body and wherein this section is conveyed at a periodically changing speed, wherein the endless web is severed within the section guided around the conveyor rotating body.Preferably, the speed changes periodically such that rest intervals, in which the peripheral speed of the rotary conveyor body is zero or approximately zero, alternate with movement intervals in which the peripheral speed is not zero, wherein the severing of the endless web occurs at least partially, preferably completely, in the movement interval, preferably in a sub-interval of the movement interval with a constant or approximately constant peripheral speed of the rotary conveyor body. Furthermore, the method can be carried out with the device according to the first aspect of this application or with a stacking system according to the second aspect of this application. With regard to the technical effects and advantages associated with the proposed method, reference is made to the preceding explanations in connection with the device.

[0063] The invention is explained below using preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures:

[0064] Fig. 1 a stacking system;

[0065] Fig. 2 shows a device for dividing an endless web;

[0066] Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the conveyor rotating body;

[0067] Fig. 4 a compensation device with upstream web edge control device;

[0068] Fig. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of a device for dividing a continuous web;

[0069] Fig. 6 shows a cutting process in a viewing plane in a first state carried out with a second embodiment of a device;

[0070] Fig. 7 shows a cutting process in a viewing plane in a second state carried out with a second embodiment of a device;

[0071] Fig.8 is a schematic representation of the kinematics of the cutting edge when performing a cut in a viewing plane with a second embodiment of a device; and

[0072] Fig. 9 is a side view of a third embodiment of a device for dividing an endless web.

[0073] Figure 1 shows a side view of a stacking system 100, which is divided by a dashed line into a first area 26, in which the material is conveyed at a constant conveying speed to form a stack 2, and into a second area 27, in which the material is conveyed in a clocked movement to form a stack 2.

[0074] In principle, however, it is also possible to convey the material in the first region 26 at an approximately constant conveying speed instead of at a constant conveying speed, ie at a speed whose minimum and maximum speeds do not deviate from the average conveying speed by more than 20%, in particular by no more than 5%.

[0075] The synchronized movement with which the materials are conveyed to form the stack 2 in the second area 27 is characterized by the fact that several identical cycles are arranged one after the other, each comprising a rest interval 36 and a movement interval 35 (see Figure 3). In the rest interval 36, the movement speed is zero, while in the movement interval 35 the movement speed is not zero. In principle, however, embodiments are also possible in which a movement takes place in the rest interval 36 at a speed significantly reduced compared to the movement interval 35. The stacking system 100 comprises a stacking table 6, on which the stack 2 can be formed by laying a material web 4 in a zigzag shape—one could also speak of a Z-shape—around segments 3 of the first and second type (see Figure 2).In this embodiment, the segments 3 of the first type are anode sheets, which are fed to the stacking table 6 by a first segment feed device 11, i.e., from the right, and the segments 3 of the second type are cathode sheets, which are fed to the stacking table 6 by a second segment feed device 12, i.e., from the left. The material web 4 is fed to the stacking table 6 by a material web feed device 10. In this way, all materials required to form the stack 2 are provided at the stacking table 6.

[0076] The material web 4 is a separator, so that a battery cell can be formed through a repeating layer sequence "separator - anode - separator - cathode." The segment feed devices 11 and 12 are thus configured to alternately deposit a segment 3 of the first and second type onto the stacking table 6. The material web feed device 10 is configured to fold the material web 4 around the currently uppermost segment 3, forming a fold.

[0077] Furthermore, it can be seen in Figure 1 that the stacking system 100 is essentially designed as a drum machine, ie the endless web 5 and the segments 3 formed therefrom (see Figure 2) as well as the material web 4 are essentially transported on drum-like rotating bodies 28, 29, 30.

[0078] In the embodiment shown here, the segments 3 are held on the rotating bodies 28, 29 by the effect of negative pressure. However, it is also possible to hold the segments 3 on the rotating bodies 28, 29 by mechanical holding elements.

[0079] The first and second segment feed devices 11 and 12 each comprise at least one device 1 with which the corresponding endless web 5 can be severed in the transverse direction, thus creating individual segments 3. Each device 1 comprises a rotary conveyor body 8 and a separating device 7. The precise structure of the separating device 7 will be explained below with reference to Figure 2.

[0080] Each of the segment feed devices 11 and 12 comprises three conveyor sections F1, F2, and F3. In the first conveyor section F1, the endless web 5, from which the segments 3 are formed, is conveyed at a constant conveying speed. In the second conveyor section F2, the endless web 5, from which the segments 3 are formed, is conveyed in a timed movement. In this second conveyor section F2, the endless web 5 is then separated into separate segments 3 by means of the device 1. Consequently, in a third conveyor section F3, the segments 3 are conveyed in a timed movement.

[0081] The first segment feed device 11 comprises a plurality of rotating bodies 28, of which, for the sake of clarity, only two are provided with the corresponding reference numeral. The second segment feed device 12 also comprises a plurality of rotating bodies 29, of which only two are provided with a reference numeral. Finally, the material web feed device 10 also comprises a plurality of rotating bodies 30, of which only one is provided with a reference numeral. All rotating bodies 28 and 29, on which individual segments 3 are transported, are designed as drums, the outer surfaces 22 of which each have a plurality of transport sections on which the segments 3 can be transported.

[0082] All rotation bodies 28, 29 of the first and second segment feed devices 11, 12 located in the second region 27 are driven in a clocked movement.

[0083] Figure 2 shows a device 1 for separating the endless web 5 in detail. The arrows indicating the direction of rotation illustrate that the endless web 5 is moved on a rotary conveyor body 8 by its rotational movement about its axis of rotation. Both the endless web 5 and the segments 3 are held by the effect of negative pressure on a contact surface 21, which is part of the outer surface 22 of the rotary conveyor body 8. Furthermore, on the other side of the endless web 5, a separating device 7 comprising a cutting drum 14 is provided, which in turn comprises a cutting blade 16 with a cutting edge 18.

[0084] The radially projecting cutting blade 16 with the cutting edge 18 is arranged on the cutting drum 14, wherein, with respect to the direction of rotation, upstream of the cutting blade 16, a recess 32 is provided in a circumferential surface 23 of the cutting drum 14 to form a one-sided free space on the cutting blade 16. Due to its radially projecting arrangement, the cutting blade 16 has a free cutting edge 18 on its upstream side. A counter blade 17 is provided on the conveyor rotary body 8, which is arranged such that its radial outer surface is arranged on an identical or almost identical radius to the circumferential surface 22 or the contact surface 21. The counter blade 17 thus forms, with the circumferential surface 22 and the contact surface 21, a continuous, stepless outer surface against which the endless web 5 rests radially on the outside.Furthermore, a recess 20 is provided in the contact surface 21 downstream of the counter-blade 17, relative to the direction of rotation of the rotary conveyor body 8, so that the counter-blade 17 has a free cutting edge 19 on its downstream side. The recess 20 is required so that the cutting blade 16 of the cutting drum 14, which protrudes from the cutting drum 14, can penetrate into this recess 20. The recess 20 of the rotary conveyor body 8 thus forms a free space for the cutting edge 18 of the cutting blade 16.

[0085] The cutting edge 18 of the cutting blade 16 is configured to interact with the cutting edge 19 of the counter blade 17 in such a way that the endless web 5 guided therebetween is severed in a shear cut. The counter blade 17 is a component of the rotating conveyor body 8.

[0086] The cutting drum 14 and the conveyor rotary body 8 are driven to rotate in opposite directions, so that when passing through a gap 31, their lateral surfaces 22 and 23 execute a movement in the same direction, which corresponds to the direction of the fed endless web 5 on the conveyor rotary body 8. The cutting edge 18 of the cutting blade 16 and the cutting edge 19 of the counter blade 17 collide with the cutting drum 14 during a correspondingly synchronized movement of the conveyor rotary body 8, thereby performing a cutting movement.

[0087] Due to an inclined position of the cutting edge 18 of the cutting knife 16 to the cutting edge 19 of the counter knife 17, the cutting knife 16 with the cutting edge 18 comes into point-like contact with the cutting edge 19 of the counter knife 17 and in the process cuts through the endless web 5 lying thereon. Since the cutting edge 19 of the counter knife 17 of the conveyor rotary body 8 is moved at the same or almost the same peripheral speed as the cutting edge 18 of the cutting knife 16 of the cutting drum 14, the point-like contact of the cutting edge 18 of the cutting knife 16 slides along the cutting edge 19 of the counter knife 17 in the longitudinal direction of the cutting edge 19 of the counter knife 17 and in the process cuts through the endless web 5 in a cutting line corresponding to the geometry of the cutting edge 19 of the counter knife 17.

[0088] Figure 3 shows how the rotary conveyor body 8 is moved at a periodically changing circumferential speed resulting from its synchronized movement. A graph 33 is a function of the path of a point on the lateral surface 22 of the rotary conveyor body 8 in the circumferential direction over time. A graph 34 is a function of the circumferential speed of the rotary conveyor body 8 over time. Accordingly, in the diagram in Figure 3, time is plotted on the abscissa and the path or speed on the ordinate.

[0089] The following speed curve can be read from graph 34: The rotary movement starts when the rotating conveyor body 8 is accelerated from a standstill. This is followed by a transition interval 38 until a sub-interval 37 is reached, in which the peripheral speed and thus also the speed is constant. This is followed by a further transition interval 39 until the peripheral speed and thus also the speed is reduced again to zero, i.e. the rest interval 36. The two transition intervals 38 and 39 as well as the sub-interval 37 form the movement interval 35. A cycle in turn comprises the movement interval 35 and the rest interval 36. The movement of the rotating conveyor body 8 is repeated in the next cycle. The peripheral speed of the rotating conveyor body 8 is thus changed periodically in such a way that one can speak of a clocked movement.This synchronized movement can be used not only for carrying out the separation process by means of the device 1 (see Figures 1 and 2), in particular for carrying out a shear cut, but also for the downstream process steps. In particular, the formation of the stack 2 on the stacking table 6 (see Figure 1) can then be carried out in a synchronized manner. Thus, in one cycle, a segment 3 of the first type, i.e. an anode sheet, can be placed on the stacking table 6 by the first segment feed device 11, and in a subsequent cycle, a segment 3 of the second type, i.e. a cathode sheet, can be placed on the stacking table 6 by the second segment feed device 12. This synchronized, alternating addition of segments 3 of the first and second type can then be repeated, forming an intermediate layer each time through the material web 4 (see Figure 1), until a finished stack 2 is formed.

[0090] The movement of the rotating conveyor body 8 is selected such that the length of the rest interval 36 is minimized, allowing the process tasks that require a standstill to be performed precisely. This allows the subinterval 37, in which the peripheral speed is constant, to be maintained for as long as possible. A typical distribution, for example, is that the transition intervals 38 and 39 together correspond to one-third of the length of a cycle, the subinterval 37 to one-third of the cycle, and the rest interval 36 to another third of the cycle.

[0091] The cutting drum 14 (see Figure 2) is synchronized with the movement of the conveyor rotary body 8 via a rotary encoder (not shown). The rotary encoder detects the angle of rotation of the conveyor rotary body 8, so that this can be processed by a control device 13 (see Figure 1). The control device 13, in turn, controls a drive device 15 of the cutting drum 14 (see Figure 1). Thus, the movements of the conveyor rotary body 8 and the cutting drum 14 are coordinated with one another.

[0092] The cutting drum 14 is thus also accelerated from a standstill until it is moved at the same constant peripheral speed or rotational speed as the rotary conveyor body 8. The cutting drum 14 is therefore also rotated in a synchronized movement. Thus, the cut can be made entirely, i.e., from the insertion of the cutting edge 18 and / or the cutting edge 19 into the endless path 5 to the exit of the cutting edge 18 and / or the cutting edge 19, in the subinterval 37, in which both the peripheral speed of the rotary conveyor body 8 and the peripheral speed of the cutting drum 14 are constant. Of course, the severing of the endless path 5 can also take place partially or completely outside of the subinterval 37.

[0093] The conveyor rotary body 8 is driven by its own drive device 9 (see Figure 1). This drive device 9 is also controlled by the control device 13 in such a way that the movement shown in Figure 3 occurs.

[0094] The control devices 9 and 13 are not only limited to controlling, but are also designed to perform control tasks.

[0095] Due to the cyclical movement, the mechanical structure of device 1 is designed for very small mass moments of inertia, thus enabling lightweight construction concepts for the drum structure. For example, the drum diameter should be smaller than in cutting devices, where the material is conveyed on rotating bodies with a constant speed.

[0096] The continuous web 5 to be cut is fed to the device 1 in a timed manner by a compensating device 24 (see Figures 1 and 4) arranged upstream of the device 1, i.e., arranged upstream of the device 1 with respect to the conveying direction of the continuous web 5. The conveying speeds before and after cutting are coordinated for each cycle.

[0097] Figure 4 shows the compensating device 24 of the second segment feed device 12 (on the left in Figure 1), already shown in Figure 1, with a web edge control device 40 arranged upstream of it, i.e., upstream with respect to the conveying direction of the endless web 5. Figure 4 thus shows in detail the transition region between the first and second regions 26, 27 (cf. Figure 1) of the second segment feed device 12. The endless web 5 is guided over deflection rollers 41 to the web edge control device 40. Furthermore, a pulling roller 42 is provided, which serves to transport the endless web 5 and ensures web tension; this is the prerequisite for slip-free transport. From the web edge control device 40, the endless web 5 is fed to the compensating device 24, which comprises a dancer roller 25.In this embodiment, the rotational axis of the dancer roller 25 can perform a linear back-and-forth movement and thus a compensating movement that enables a transition from a constant conveying movement of the endless web 5 in the first region 26 to a timed movement 43 of the endless web 5. Alternatively, the back-and-forth movement can also be performed in a pivoting manner. In this embodiment, the compensating movement is performed by an active movement of the rotational axis of the dancer roller 25; however, a passive compensating movement is also conceivable. Thus, in Figure 7, an endless web 5 is fed from the left at a constant speed to the dancer roller 25, and this web is discharged after the dancer roller 25 in a timed movement 43.The compensating movement of the dancer roller 25 is coordinated so that the supply of the endless web 5 at a continuous conveying speed and its synchronized release takes place without a change in the web tension or at most with a minimal change in the web tension; in this case, this takes place by a motorized movement of the rotational axis of the dancer roller 25. The dancer roller 25 can be driven so that it can be set in rotation by a drive (not shown); this can prevent slippage between the endless web 5 and the dancer roller 25. The drive of the dancer roller 25 is synchronous with the conveying speed of the endless web 5, i.e. the peripheral speed of the dancer roller 25 is identical to the conveying speed of the endless web 5; in this way, slippage between the dancer roller 25 and the endless web 5 can be avoided. The dancer roller 25 is moved in cycles during operation, i.e.It performs an identical compensating movement in each cycle; the web tension can thus be kept constant. The purpose of the dancer roller 25 is to decouple the first region 26 of constant conveying speed from the second region 27 with the clocked movement. For example, for starting up and shutting down the stacking system 100 (see Figure 1), a further compensating device (not shown) comprising a dancer assembly is provided to compensate for the speeds of the unwinding unit and the process. The dancer roller(s) of this assembly continuously perform compensating movements depending on the speed of the continuous web 5 being processed.

[0098] In each cycle, the dancer roller 25 of the compensating device 24 is accelerated to a conveying speed and then decelerated back to a standstill. Due to this continuous acceleration and deceleration of the dancer roller 25, it must be designed so that its mass moment of inertia is as low as possible; accordingly, the dancer roller 25 must be designed as light as possible using lightweight construction measures. Thus, the endless web 5 can be conveyed in a timed movement 43 on a roller 44 arranged downstream of the dancer roller.

[0099] The transition from the first region 26 to the second region 27 is implemented in a corresponding manner in the first segment feed device 11 (on the right in Figure 1). It therefore goes without saying that the first segment feed device 11 (on the right in Figure 1) also comprises a corresponding compensating device 24, the structure of which corresponds to the compensating device 24 of the second segment feed device 12. In this way, segments of the first type 3a in the form of anode sheets and segments of the second type 3b in the form of cathode sheets can be deposited alternately in a synchronized manner on the stacking table 6 onto the material web 4.

[0100] The web edge control device 40, which is connected upstream of the compensation device 24 in the first and second segment feed devices 11 and 12, is designed to correct the alignment and / or position of an edge or center of the corresponding endless web 5 if necessary.

[0101] By means of the compensating devices 24 of the first and second segment feed devices 11 and 12, a timed movement 43 is performed in the second area 27. It is also possible to stop the first and second segment feed devices 11 and 12 within any desired cycle. No further cuts are then made by the device 1 until material is fed again to the other segment feed device 11 or 12. In this way, unnecessary waste of segments 3 can be prevented.

[0102] A second embodiment (see Figures 5-8) and a third embodiment (see Figure 9) of the device 1 for severing the endless web 5 are described below. Only the differences compared to the device 1 according to the previously described first embodiment will be discussed below. Otherwise, reference is made to the preceding explanations regarding the first embodiment of the device 1. In particular, the structure of the rest of the stacking system 100 (see Figure 1) can remain unchanged. Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of a device 1 for severing the endless web 5 in detail. The opposite directions of rotation of the conveyor rotation body 8 and the cutting drum 14 are indicated by two arrows. The endless web 5 is moved on the conveyor rotation body 8 by its rotational movement about its rotation axis 52. The endless web 5 is conveyed between the conveyor rotation body 8 and the cutting drum 14.Both the endless track 5 and the segments 3 not shown in Figure 5 (see Figure 2) are held by the effect of negative pressure on a contact surface 21, which is part of the outer surface 22 of the rotary conveyor body 8 (see Figures 6 and 7). Furthermore, on the other side of the endless track 5, the separating device 7 comprising the cutting drum 14 is provided, which in turn comprises at least one cutting blade 16, in this embodiment exactly two cutting blades 16, each with a cutting edge 18. In the illustration shown in Figure 5, however, only one of the two cutting blades 16 is visible.

[0103] The radially projecting cutting blade 16 with the cutting edge 18 (see Figures 6 and 7) is arranged on the cutting drum 14. Figures 6 and 7 show that the radially projecting cutting blade 16 is inclined in the downstream direction with respect to the conveying direction of the endless web 5, i.e., in the direction of rotation of the cutting drum 14. More precisely, the cutting edge 18 of the cutting blade 16 is tilted in the direction of rotation of the cutting drum 14 compared to an orientation in the radial direction. In this exemplary embodiment, the angle of inclination 49 with respect to a cutting blade 16 fictitiously aligned in the radial direction 51 is between 5° and 10°. In principle, different angles of inclination 49 are also possible. The inclination allows an advantageous alignment of the cutting edge 18 during its interaction with the respective counter blades 17 of the rotating conveyor body to be achieved.

[0104] Furthermore, Figure 5 shows that, as in the first embodiment, a plurality of counter knives 17 are provided on the rotary conveyor body 8. The recesses 20 in the contact surface 21, known from the first embodiment and provided downstream of the counter knife 17 in relation to the conveying direction of the rotary conveyor body 8, are also present, so that the counter knife 17 has a free cutting edge 19 on its downstream side. The recess 20 is required so that the cutting knife 16 of the cutting drum 14, which protrudes from the cutting drum 14, can penetrate into this recess 20. The recess 20 of the rotary conveyor body 8 thus forms a free space for the cutting edge 18 of the cutting knife 16.

[0105] The cutting edge 18 of the cutting knife 16 is designed to interact with the cutting edge 19 of the counter knife 17 in such a way that the endless web 5 guided therebetween is severed in a scissor cut in the transverse direction.

[0106] The rotary conveyor body 8 conveys the section of the endless web 5 to be severed into a separating area 48. The separating area 48 is the area of ​​the device 1 in which the continuous web 5 is completely severed. The actual cut then occurs - unlike in the previous exemplary embodiment - in a rest interval 36, for example when the rotary conveyor body 8 is at a standstill. In principle, the cut can also occur in a rest interval 36 in which the rotary conveyor body 8 rotates very slowly about its axis of rotation 52. With the device 1 according to the second embodiment, it can be achieved that the cutting edge 18 is guided past the cutting edge 19 in a linear movement in a direction of movement 50, in such a way that the cutting edge 18 and the cutting edge 19 effect a scissor cut.

[0107] Figure 6 shows the beginning of the cut in a viewing plane where the cutting edge 18 has just reached the cutting edge 19. The viewing plane corresponds to a sectional view through the device 1 orthogonal to the rotation axis 52. For the sake of clarity, the endless path 5 is shown in Figures 6 and 7 only up to shortly before the cutting area 47. In practice, it naturally extends beyond the cutting area 47.

[0108] Figure 7 shows the end of the cut, in which the cutting edge 18 has already been guided past the cutting edge 19 to effect the shear cut and has entered the recess 20. In this state, the continuous web 5 is completely severed in the transverse direction, so that an end section of the continuous web 5 is present as a separate segment 3.

[0109] In Figures 6 and 7, it can be seen that the opposite radial direction 48 runs through the cutting edge 19 of the counter blade 17; it has proven useful in practice to use the cutting edge 19 to identify the cutting area 47. In this case, the cutting area 47 is defined by the position of the cutting edge 19 at which the cutting edge 18 is guided past the cutting edge 19 to perform the cut. If the conveyor rotary body 8 moves during the severing of the endless web 5, the various positions assumed by the cutting edge 19 during the severing of the endless web 5 define the cutting area 47.

[0110] Figure 8 shows, in one viewing plane, the kinematics of the device 1 according to the second embodiment, which is illustrated in Figures 5 to 7. A separating region 47 is illustrated, in which the endless web 5 (see Figures 5 to 7) is severed by a shear cut. The rotating conveyor body 8 remains stationary throughout the entire separating process of the endless web 5, i.e., from the insertion of the cutting edge 5 until the endless web 5 is completely severed. Furthermore, the speed components of the cutting edge 18 are represented by means of a speed triangle. In order to clearly identify the speed of the cutting edge 18, the speed of those points on the cutting edge 18 that first touch the endless web 5 during the severing is used; the totality of these points forms a line along which the cutting edge 18 meets the endless web 5.Due to the rotation of the cutting drum 14 about its own axis of rotation 45, the cutting edge 18 is moved with a movement represented by the velocity vector 53. Due to the movement of the axis of rotation 45 on a circular path 55 around the further axis of rotation 46, the cutting edge 18 is moved according to the velocity vector 54. By adding the velocity vectors 53 and 54, a direction of movement 50 of the cutting edge 18 is obtained, which is described by the velocity vector 56. It can be seen that this velocity vector 56 points in the direction of the opposite radial direction 48 with respect to the conveyor rotation body 8, which runs through the separating region 47. Since the separating region 47 is not formed by a single point in the viewing plane shown in practice, there is more than just a single opposite radial direction 48 running through the separating region 47.The angle enclosed between the velocity vector 56 and the opposite radial direction 48 shown is thus 0°. The angles between the remaining opposite radial directions 48, which run through the separation region 47, and the velocity vector 56 are then also each less than 10°, for example less than 5°, and further, for example, less than 2°. It goes without saying that the rotational speeds of the cutting edge 18 about the two rotational axes 45 and 46 are continuously adjusted to one another as the cutting movement progresses, so that the speed component in the circumferential direction with respect to the conveyor rotary body 8 can be reduced accordingly, or, as implemented in the exemplary embodiment according to Figures 5 to 8, can be reduced to zero with respect to the opposite radial direction 48 shown.To adjust this movement, two separately controllable servomotors (not shown) are provided. The first servomotor is part of the drive device 9 and drives the cutting drum 14 to rotate about the rotation axis 45. The second servomotor drives a shaft (not visible), which in turn drives a connecting rod 58 by means of an eccentric 57; thus, the rotation axis 45 can be moved back and forth on a section of the circular path 55 about the rotation axis 46. The servomotors are controlled or regulated, for example, by the control device 13 (see Figure 1). In this way, the cutting edge 18 can be moved such that the direction of movement 50 of the cutting edge 18 deviates during the cut by a maximum of 10°, for example by a maximum of 5°, and further, for example, by a maximum of 2° from any opposite radial direction 48 relative to the conveyor rotation body 8, which runs through the separation area 47.In this embodiment, the cutting drum 14 comprises two cutting blades 16, which alternately interact with a respective counterblade 17 of the rotary conveyor body 8 to perform a shear cut. The control device 13 (see Figure 1) is thus firstly configured to coordinate the rotational speeds of the cutting edge 18 about the rotation axes 45 and 46, so that during the cutting process, the direction of movement 50 of the cutting edge 18 deviates by a maximum of 10° from the opposite radial direction 48 relative to the rotary conveyor body 8, which runs through the separation region 47. Furthermore, these movements are synchronized with the movement of the rotary conveyor body 8. This ensures that the cutting edge 18 can penetrate past the counterblade 17 into the corresponding recess 20.

[0111] In this way, the device 1 according to the second embodiment can be used to perform a shear cut in which the cutting edge 18 is moved in a linear or nearly linear motion relative to the cutting edge 19. In this way, a high cutting quality can be achieved.

[0112] Figure 9 shows a further embodiment of a device 1, in which the cutting device 7 is configured to move the cutting edge 18 during the cutting of the endless web 5 such that the direction of movement of the cutting edge 18 in a viewing plane deviates by a maximum of 10° from the opposite radial direction 48 with respect to the rotating conveyor body 8, which runs through the cutting region 47 within the viewing plane. In this embodiment, the cutting blade 16 is not arranged on a cutting drum 14, but is merely moved on a circular path around a rotation axis 46. There is no movement of the cutting edge 18 around a further rotation axis. By giving this circular path a sufficiently large radius, it is possible to move the cutting edge 18 past the cutting edge 19 of the counter blade 17 in an almost linear movement.The circular path is defined by a pendulum rod 59, which is mounted for rotation about a rotation axis 46. The radius of the circular path defined by the pendulum rod 59 is, for example, at least 0.5 times the maximum diameter of the rotary conveyor body 8, furthermore, for example, at least 0.8 times. In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the radius of the circular path defined by the pendulum rod 59 deviates by less than 10% from the diameter of the rotary conveyor body 8.

[0113] At an end section of the pendulum rod 59 opposite the rotation axis 46, a receptacle for a cutting blade 18 is provided. A servo motor (not shown), which is controlled or regulated via the control device 13 (see Figure 1), drives a shaft (not visible in Figure 9), which drives a connecting rod 58 by means of an eccentric 57; thus, the cutting edge 18 of the cutting blade 16 can be moved back and forth on a section of the circular path around the rotation axis 46. Due to the selected radius of the circular path around the rotation axis 46, the cutting edge 18 can perform a shear cut in a nearly linear movement, interacting with the cutting edge 19 of a counter blade 17, similar to the second embodiment of the device 1 (see Figures 5 to 8).The back and forth movement of the cutting edge 18 is controlled or regulated by means of the control device 13 in such a way that the cutting edge 18 always hits a counter knife 17 in the cutting area 47, more precisely it is guided past the cutting edge 19 of the counter knife 17 and plunges into the corresponding recess 20, so that a scissor cut is carried out.

[0114] List of reference symbols:

[0115] 1 device

[0116] 2 stacks

[0117] 3 segments

[0118] 4 Material web

[0119] 5 Endless track

[0120] 6 stacking table

[0121] 7 Separator

[0122] 8 conveyor rotating bodies

[0123] 9 Drive device

[0124] 10 Material web feeding device

[0125] 11 first segment feed device

[0126] 12 second segment feed device

[0127] 13 Control device

[0128] 14 Cutting drum

[0129] 15 Drive device

[0130] 16 cutting blades

[0131] 17 counter knives

[0132] 18 cutting edges

[0133] 19 Cutting edge

[0134] 20 Deepening

[0135] 21 contact surface

[0136] 22 lateral surface

[0137] 23 Shell surface

[0138] 24 Compensation device

[0139] 25 dancer roller

[0140] 26 first area

[0141] 27 second area

[0142] 28 rotation bodies

[0143] 29 Rotational bodies 30 Rotational bodies

[0144] 31 space

[0145] 32 Deepening

[0146] 33 Graph

[0147] 34 Graph

[0148] 35 movement interval

[0149] 36 rest intervals

[0150] 37 subinterval

[0151] 38 transition interval

[0152] 39 Transition interval

[0153] 40 Web edge control device

[0154] 41 Deflection roller

[0155] 42 Pull roller

[0156] 43 timed movement

[0157] 44 roller

[0158] 45 Rotation axis

[0159] 46 Rotation axis

[0160] 47 Separation area

[0161] 48 opposite radial direction (of the conveyor rotating body)

[0162] 49 Inclination angle (of the cutting edge)

[0163] 50 Direction of movement (of the cutting edge)

[0164] 51 Radial direction (of the cutting drum)

[0165] 52 Rotation axis (of the conveyor rotation body)

[0166] 53 Velocity vector

[0167] 54 Velocity vector

[0168] 55 circular path

[0169] 56 Velocity vector

[0170] 57 eccentric

[0171] 58 connecting rod

[0172] 59 Pendulum rod 100 Stacking system F1 Conveyor section

[0173] F2 conveyor section

[0174] F3 conveyor section

Claims

Claims:

1. Device (1) for dividing a continuous web (5) into individual segments (3) suitable for forming an energy cell, comprising - a cutting device (7) designed to cut the endless web (5); - a rotatably mounted conveyor rotary body (8) on which a section of the endless web (5) is conveyed during the cutting by means of the cutting device (7); characterized in that - the device (1) comprises a control device (13) which controls and / or regulates a drive device (9) in such a way that the rotary conveyor body (8) conveys the section of the endless web (5) conveyed by it at a periodically changing speed.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that - the control device (13) is designed to control and / or regulate the drive device (9) in such a way that the rotary conveyor body (8) conveys the section of the endless web (5) conveyed by it in a clocked movement, wherein - a clocked movement comprises a plurality of clocks arranged one after the other, where - a cycle comprises a movement interval (35) and a rest interval (36), wherein - the maximum peripheral speed of the conveyor rotation body (8) in the rest interval (36) is at most 0.5 times the maximum peripheral speed in the movement interval interval (35).

3. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that - the peripheral speed of the conveyor rotary body (8) is constant or approximately constant in a sub-interval (37) of the movement interval (35), and / or - the peripheral speed of the conveyor rotary body (8) in the rest interval (36) is zero or approximately zero.

4. Device (1) according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that - the length of the sub-interval (37) of the movement interval (35) and / or the length of the rest interval (36) each correspond to 0.15 times to 0.45 times the length of a cycle.

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the separating device (7) comprises a cutting drum (14) which is driven by a drive device (15) to rotate about a rotation axis, wherein - the cutting drum (14) comprises at least one radially outwardly projecting cutting blade (16), wherein - the conveyor rotary body (8) comprises a counter knife (17), wherein - the cutting blade (16) comprises a cutting edge (18), and the counter blade (17) comprises a cutting edge (19), wherein - the cutting edge (18) of the cutting blade (16) during the rotational movement of the cutting drum (14) comes into point-like contact with a cut of the endless web (5) at the Cutting edge (19) of the counter knife (17) slides along.

6. Device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that - the rotational movements of the cutting drum (14) and the conveyor rotation body (8) are coordinated with one another.

7. Device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the peripheral speeds of the cutting edge (18) of the cutting knife (16) and the cutting edge (19) of the counter knife (17) differ from each other by less than 10%.

8. Device (1) according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that - when the cutting edge (18) of the cutting knife (16) slides along the cutting edge (19) of the counter knife (17), more than 50% of the sliding distance, in particular the entire sliding distance, is completed within the movement interval.

9. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims with reference to claim 3, characterized in that - the continuous web (5) is severed by means of the separating device (7) at least partially, preferably completely, in a sub-interval (37) of the movement interval (35) at a constant or approximately constant peripheral speed of the rotary conveyor body (8).

10. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9 with reference to claim 3, characterized in that - the separating device (7) comprises a laser for separating the endless web (5).

11. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that - the separating device (7) comprises at least one cutting blade (16) with a cutting edge (18), wherein - the separating device (7) is designed to cut the endless web (5) conveyed on the rotary conveyor body (8) with the cutting edge (18), whereby - the device (1) is designed to convey a section of the endless web (5) to be severed by means of the conveyor rotation body (8) into a separation area (47) in which the separation of the endless web (5) takes place, wherein - the separating device (7) is designed to move the cutting edge (18) during the severing of the endless web (5) in such a way that the direction of movement (50) of the cutting edge (18) in a viewing plane which is oriented orthogonally to the axis of rotation (52) of the conveyor rotation body (8) deviates by a maximum of 10° from any opposite radial direction (48) with respect to the conveyor rotation body (8) which runs through the separating region (47) within the viewing plane.

12. Device (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that - the separating device (7) is designed to rotate the cutting edge (18) simultaneously about at least two spaced apart and parallel aligned rotation axes (45, 46), wherein the rotational speeds with which the cutting edge (18) of the separating device (16) is moved about the at least two rotation axes (45, 46) are determined by means of the control device (13) is set such that the cutting edge (18) is moved during the severing of the endless web (5) such that its direction of movement (50) in the viewing plane deviates by a maximum of 10° from any opposite radial direction (48) with respect to the conveyor rotation body (8) which runs through the severing region (47) within the viewing plane.

13. Device (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that - the separating device (7) comprises a cutting drum (14) which is driven by a drive device (15) to rotate about a rotation axis (45) of the at least two rotation axes (45, 46), wherein - the cutting drum (14) comprises at least one cutting blade (16) with the cutting edge (18), wherein - the at least one cutting blade (16) projects radially outwards, wherein - the conveyor rotary body (8) comprises a counter knife (17) with a cutting edge (19), wherein - the separating device (7) is designed to move the rotational axis (45) of the cutting drum (14) on a circular path around the further rotational axis (46) of the at least two rotational axes (45, 46) in such a way that the cutting edge (18) is guided past the cutting edge (19) while effecting a cut in such a way that the direction of movement (50) of the cutting edge (18) in the viewing plane deviates by a maximum of 10° from any opposite radial direction (48) with respect to the conveyor rotation body (8) which runs through the separating region (47) within the viewing plane.

14. Device (1) according to one of claims 11 to 13 with reference to claim 3, characterized in that - the device (1) is designed to carry out the severing of the endless web (5) in a rest interval (36).

15. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the device (1) is designed to process an endless web (5) fed at a constant or approximately constant speed, wherein - the device (1) comprises a compensating device (24), for example comprising a dancer roller (25), which is arranged upstream of the rotary conveyor body (8) and is designed to enable a transition between a first conveyor section (F1), in which the endless web (5) is moved at a constant conveyor speed, and a second conveyor section (F2), in which the endless web (5) is moved at a periodically changing conveyor speed.

16. Stacking system (100) for the energy cell producing industry for forming a stack (2) comprising a plurality of segments (3) and a material web (4), wherein - the stacking system (100) is designed to fold the material web (4) in a zigzag shape and to deposit the segments (3) on the material web (4) in such a way that in the stack (2) the segments (3) are arranged in the folds of the material web (4), wherein the stacking system (100) comprises the following components: - a stacking table (6) on which the stack (2) is formed, - a material web feeding device (10) which is designed to convey the material web (4) to the stacking table (6) countries, as well as - a first and / or a second segment feed device (11, 12), each of which is designed to convey segments (3) to the stacking table (6), characterized in that - the first and / or the second segment feed device (11, 12) each comprises a device (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

17. A method for dividing a continuous web (5) into individual segments (3) suitable for forming an energy cell, wherein - a section of the endless track (5) is guided around a rotatably mounted conveyor rotary body (8) and wherein this section is conveyed at a periodically changing speed, wherein - the endless track (5) is severed within the section guided around the conveyor rotation body (8).

18. Method according to claim 17 with reference to at least one of claims 1-13 and / or 15, characterized in that - the speed changes periodically in such a way that rest intervals (36), in which the peripheral speed of the conveyor rotary body (8) is zero or approximately zero, and movement intervals (35), in which the peripheral speed is not zero, alternate, whereby - the severing of the endless web (5) takes place at least partially, preferably completely, in the movement interval (35), preferably in a sub-interval (37) of the movement interval (35) with constant or approximately constant Circumferential speed of the conveyor rotating body (8).

19. Method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that - the method is carried out with the device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 15 or with a stacking system (100) according to claim 16.

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