Manufacturing device and manufacturing method for battery

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing device for a battery capable of easily shortening a cycle time and saving a space for a manufacturing place.SOLUTION: In a manufacturing device for a battery for laminating and forming an electrode foil 2, in which seal members 3 and 4 are joined to four sides, while holding a separator 5 therebetween, a separator web 6 is conveyed while being wound around a first drive roller 12. The separator web 6 wound around the first drive roller 12 is cut on the first drive roller 12 and molded into the rectangular separator 5 corresponding to the electrode foil 2. The separator 5 molded rectangular is conveyed while changing the winding thereof from the first drive roller 12 to the second drive roller 14. An electrode web 7 molded in a belt shape by connecting a number of electrode foils 2 is wound and conveyed correspondingly to the second drive roller 14, around which the separator 5 is wound, and the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 in the electrode web 7 are joined on the second drive roller 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a battery in which a large number of battery cells are stacked, each battery cell being formed by joining a seal member and a separator to a rectangular electrode. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a method for manufacturing an energy storage module. The energy storage module described in Patent Document 1 is a so-called bipolar battery, and is composed of an electrode stack formed by stacking multiple bipolar electrodes (electrode plates), each of which has a positive electrode and a negative electrode on both sides, and a sealing member that surrounds the periphery of the electrode stack and seals the electrode stack. The method for manufacturing the energy storage module described in Patent Document 1 includes the steps of forming a frame-shaped sealing member (primary seal) around the outer edge of the bipolar electrodes, attaching a separator onto the primary seal, stacking the bipolar electrodes while placing a through-hole-forming member on the primary seal, welding the primary seals together, and forming a sealing member (secondary seal) around the primary seal. In the step of welding the primary seals together, the primary seals are welded together to form through-holes that communicate with the internal space formed between adjacent bipolar electrodes of the electrode stack, and have a shape corresponding to the shape of the through-hole-forming member.

[0003] Patent Document 2 also describes an electricity storage module and a separator supplying device for supplying separators in the manufacturing process of the electricity storage module. The electricity storage module described in Patent Document 2 is a so-called bipolar battery, similar to the electricity storage module described in Patent Document 1, and is formed by stacking a plurality of bipolar electrodes (electrode plates), each of which has a positive electrode and a negative electrode on both sides, with separators interposed between them. Furthermore, the separator supply device described in Patent Document 2 includes a sliding surface section that causes the separator to slide horizontally on an inclined sliding surface using gravity; a stopping section that stops the separator that has slid along the sliding surface; a gas ejection section that ejects gas from holes provided on the sliding surface to facilitate smooth flow of the separator on the sliding surface; a charge removal section that charges the gas ejected from the holes in the gas ejection section, thereby removing the charge on the separator and making it difficult for the separator, which is prone to charging, to adhere to the sliding surface; and an adsorption and transport section that sucks and adsorbs the separator that has stopped on the sliding surface and supplies it to a predetermined position in the manufacturing process of the energy storage module. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-145102 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-136250 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the method for manufacturing an energy storage module described in Patent Document 1, a battery cell of a bipolar battery is manufactured by welding a sealant and a separator to the four sides of rectangular sheet-shaped bipolar electrodes to separate the overlapping bipolar electrodes. The separators used in the manufacturing process of such a bipolar battery are cut into rectangular sheets corresponding to a set of battery cells and supplied by, for example, the separator supply device described in Patent Document 2. Alternatively, they are supplied using a transport manipulator such as a robot arm or robot hand.

[0006] In the conventional bipolar battery manufacturing process described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, bipolar electrodes are cut into rectangular shapes corresponding to a set of battery cells, for example, from a roll of web-transported material, and then transported to a process where a sealant and separator are welded. Separators are also cut into rectangular shapes corresponding to a set of battery cells, and each rectangular sheet is transported to a process where the separator is welded. Therefore, in the conventional battery manufacturing process described above, transporting the bipolar electrodes and separators cut into rectangular or sheet shapes to subsequent processes requires time. Furthermore, positioning of the bipolar electrodes and separators is required each time they are transported to subsequent processes. These factors increase the cycle time in battery manufacturing. Furthermore, the process for cutting the bipolar electrodes and separators is performed separately from the continuous process flow of the web transport. Therefore, a separate space must be secured for the process. As described above, conventional battery manufacturing techniques still have room for improvement in order to shorten the cycle time when manufacturing batteries and to reduce the space required for manufacturing.

[0007] This invention was devised with an eye on the above-mentioned technical problems, and aims to provide a battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method that can shorten the manufacturing cycle time and save space in the manufacturing location. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a battery manufacturing apparatus that bonds sealing members to the four peripheral sides of rectangular electrode foil, and laminates the electrode foil with the bonded sealing members between sheet-like separators, the battery manufacturing apparatus comprising: a separator reel that winds and holds a separator web in which a strip of separator material is formed; a first drive roller that winds and transports the separator web supplied from the separator reel; a cutting device that cuts the separator web wound around the first drive roller on the first drive roller to form rectangular separators corresponding to the shape and size of the electrode foil; and a cutting device that rewinds the separator formed into a rectangular shape on the first drive roller and transports it from the first drive roller, and cuts the separator into a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape and size of the electrode foil, from the first drive roller, and transports it. a second drive roller that wraps and transports the electrode web, which is formed into a strip by connecting the electrode foils together by joining the sealing member, in accordance with the position at which the separator is wrapped around it; a driven roller that is installed adjacent to the second drive roller, rotates with the rotation of the second drive roller, and sandwiches the electrode web between itself and the second drive roller to bring the electrode web wrapped around the second drive roller into close contact with the separator that was previously wrapped around the second drive roller; and a joining device that joins the separator and the electrode foil on the second drive roller in a state where the electrode foil in the electrode web wrapped around the second drive roller overlaps the separator that has been rewound from the first drive roller to the second drive roller.

[0009] Furthermore, the first drive roller in this invention may have a separator suction section that sucks the separator web wound around the first drive roller and the separator cut by the cutting device into a rectangular shape from the roll surface of the first drive roller, and transports the separator web and the separator while they are sucked onto the first drive roller, and a separator floating section that blows air from the roll surface to the separator that is transported while sucked onto the separator suction section, and floats the separator from the first drive roller. Preferably, the second drive roller in the present invention may have an electrode web suction section that sucks the electrode web, which is wound around the second drive roller together with the separator, from the roll surface of the second drive roller and transports the separator and the electrode web in a state where they are adsorbed to the second drive roller, and an electrode web floating section that blows air from the roll surface to the separator and the electrode web that are transported in a state where they are adsorbed to the electrode web suction section and joined to the electrode foil by the joining device, thereby floating the separator and the electrode web off the second drive roller.

[0010] Furthermore, the separator adsorption portion in this invention may be formed in one region obtained by dividing the roll surface of the first drive roller into two circumferentially, and the separator floating portion may be formed in the other region of the first drive roller other than the separator adsorption portion; and the electrode web adsorption portion in this invention may be formed in one region obtained by dividing the roll surface of the second drive roller into two circumferentially, and the electrode web floating portion may be formed in the other region of the second drive roller other than the electrode web adsorption portion.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention may be configured such that, when joining the separator and the electrode foil on the electrode web on the second drive roller, the rotation of the first drive roller is temporarily stopped, and the second drive roller is continuously rotated while the rotation of the first drive roller is stopped, and the electrode web is transported on the second drive roller, thereby adjusting the spacing of the separator to be superimposed on the electrode foil and positioning the separator relative to the electrode foil.

[0012] The joining device in the present invention may include a heating device that heats the joint portion between the separator and the electrode foil while the separator and the electrode foil on the electrode web are overlapped on the second drive roller, and a pressure roller that applies a pressing force to the joint portion after the joint portion has been heated by the heating device, and the present invention may be configured to weld the separator to the electrode web at the joint portion.

[0013] On the other hand, the present invention is a manufacturing method of a battery that forms by joining sealing members to the four peripheral sides of a rectangular electrode foil, and stacking the electrode foil with the joined sealing members between sheet-like separators, wherein the separator web is supplied from a separator reel that winds and holds a separator web formed from a strip-shaped separator material, and is wound around a first drive roller and transported, the separator web wound around the first drive roller is cut on the first drive roller by a cutting device to form the rectangular separator corresponding to the shape and size of the electrode foil, the separator formed into a rectangular shape on the first drive roller and transported from the first drive roller is wound from the first drive roller to a second drive roller, and transporting the separator web and the separator on the first drive roller, and in parallel with the transport of the separator web and the separator on the first drive roller, joining the sealing members to each of the many electrode foils to connect the electrode foils together to form a strip-shaped electrode web, which is then wound around the second drive roller in alignment with the position on the second drive roller where the separator is wound, and transported, the electrode foil in the electrode web wound around the second drive roller is superimposed on the separator that has been rewound from the first drive roller to the second drive roller, and the separator and the electrode foil are joined together by a joining device in a state where they are superimposed on the second drive roller.

[0014] Furthermore, in the present invention, when the electrode web is wound around the second drive roller by a driven roller that is installed adjacent to the second drive roller and rotates in accordance with the rotation of the second drive roller, the electrode web may be sandwiched between the second drive roller and the driven roller, and the electrode web may be brought into close contact with the separator that has been previously wound around the second drive roller.

[0015] The present invention also provides a separator suction unit provided on the first drive roller that sucks the separator web supplied from the separator reel and wound around the first drive roller, and the separator cut by the cutting device and formed into a rectangular shape, from the roll surface of the first drive roller, and transports the separator while being sucked onto the first drive roller; a separator floating unit provided on the first drive roller blows air from the roll surface onto the separator that is being transported while being sucked onto the separator suction unit, to float the separator from the first drive roller, and An electrode web suction unit provided on the second drive roller may suck the electrode web, which is wound around the second drive roller together with the separator, from the roll surface of the second drive roller, and transport the separator and the electrode web in a state where they are adsorbed to the second drive roller, and an electrode web floating unit provided on the second drive roller may blow air from the roll surface to the separator and the electrode web, which are transported in a state where they are adsorbed to the electrode web suction unit and joined to the electrode foil by the joining device, to float the separator and the electrode web from the second drive roller.

[0016] Furthermore, in this invention, the separator adsorption portion may be formed in one of two regions obtained by dividing the roll surface of the first drive roller in the circumferential direction, and the separator floating portion may be formed in the other region of the first drive roller other than the separator adsorption portion; and the electrode web adsorption portion in this invention may be formed in one of two regions obtained by dividing the roll surface of the second drive roller in the circumferential direction, and the electrode web floating portion may be formed in the other region of the second drive roller other than the electrode web adsorption portion.

[0017] Furthermore, in this invention, when joining the separator and the electrode foil on the electrode web on the second drive roller, the rotation of the first drive roller may be temporarily stopped, and the second drive roller may be continuously rotated while the rotation of the first drive roller is stopped, and the electrode web may be transported on the second drive roller, thereby adjusting the spacing of the separator to be superimposed on the electrode foil and positioning the separator relative to the electrode foil.

[0018] The joining device in the present invention may include a heating device that heats the joint portion between the separator and the electrode foil while the separator and the electrode foil on the electrode web are overlapped on the second drive roller, and a pressure roller that applies a pressing force to the joint portion after the joint portion has been heated by the heating device, and the present invention may weld the separator to the electrode web at the joint portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The battery of this invention is formed by bonding sealing members to the four edges of rectangular electrode foils that serve as current collectors or electrode plates, and then stacking multiple electrode foils with such sealing members sandwiched between separators. Conventional batteries are manufactured, for example, by moving separators cut into sheets in a separate process one by one onto a single electrode foil with a sealing member bonded thereto. This requires a lot of time for conveying the separators and for positioning and centering them. In contrast, in the battery manufacturing apparatus and method of this invention, a strip-shaped separator material (separator web) wound on a separator reel and electrode foils (electrode webs) joined to a strip in a previous process by bonding sealing members are transported as webs by first and second drive rollers, respectively. The separator web is wound around the first drive roller and transported, and is cut on the first drive roller to form rectangular separator sheets. The separator formed into a sheet is rewound from the first drive roller to the second drive roller and transported. Meanwhile, the electrode web is wound around the second drive roller and transported, where it is overlapped with the separator previously wound around the second drive roller. Then, the electrode foil of the electrode web and the separator are joined on the second drive roller. For example, the joining portion is heated and pressurized to weld the electrode foil and the separator. When winding the separator around the second drive roller, the rotation of the first drive roller and the second drive roller are controlled, respectively, so that the spacing of the separator wound around the second drive roller can be adjusted as desired. In other words, the separator can be easily positioned relative to the electrode foil of the electrode web.

[0020] In this way, in the battery manufacturing apparatus and method of the present invention, the separator and electrode foil are each transported as a web, and the separator is cut and the separator and electrode foil are joined together during this continuous web transport process. This shortens the cycle time for battery manufacturing compared to when the separator is cut and transported in a separate process. Furthermore, this eliminates the need for a separate process for cutting and joining the separator, thereby saving space in the manufacturing site.

[0021] Therefore, according to the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to easily shorten the cycle time for battery manufacturing and save space in the manufacturing location. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing an outline of the basic manufacturing process for the battery that is the subject of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline (image) of the components (electrode foil, sealing member, and separator) of a battery (battery cell) to be manufactured according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an outline (image) of a battery manufacturing method using the battery manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a process diagram showing an outline of a specific manufacturing process for a battery that is the subject of manufacturing in this invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the battery manufacturing apparatus of the present invention and the specific battery manufacturing process using the manufacturing apparatus (mainly the process of supplying and transporting the separator web and electrode web). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the battery manufacturing apparatus of the present invention and the specific steps of manufacturing a battery using the manufacturing apparatus (mainly the steps of cutting the separator and heating the electrode foil). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the battery manufacturing apparatus of the present invention and the specific steps of manufacturing a battery using the manufacturing apparatus (mainly the steps of pressing the separator and electrode foil). [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the battery manufacturing apparatus of the present invention and the specific steps of manufacturing a battery using the manufacturing apparatus (mainly the steps of transporting the battery cells and adjusting the position of the separators). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples of specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0024] The battery targeted by the embodiment of this invention is constructed by stacking foil-shaped current collectors (electrode foils) coated with materials (active materials) that form positive and negative electrodes, sandwiching a separator between them. In particular, bipolar batteries, in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are formed on both sides of the electrode foil, require highly accurate positioning when stacking the electrode foil and separator. The battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the embodiment of this invention shorten the cycle time for battery manufacturing and save space in the manufacturing site, even when manufacturing such bipolar batteries. Note that the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the embodiment of this invention are not limited to the bipolar batteries described above, and may also be used to manufacture so-called monopolar batteries, in which a current collector forming a positive electrode and a current collector forming a negative electrode are stacked with a separator sandwiched between them.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a schematic manufacturing process (process diagram) of a battery manufactured using the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The process diagram (or flowchart) in Figure 1 shows the basic steps or overall process flow when manufacturing a battery, and as will be described later, the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention are primarily directed to the manufacture of a battery in "Process P3 (separator bonding process)" described later.

[0026] First, in process P1 (electrode foil cutting process), the electrode foil material is supplied in a roll and transported as a web, and is cut into rectangular electrode foil pieces corresponding to a set of battery cells (a pair of electrode foils and a separator). After the electrode foils are cut, they are transported as a web, leaving a gap for welding a sealing member in the subsequent process (process P2).

[0027] In process P2 (sealing material joining process), sealing materials are welded to the four peripheral sides of the rectangular cut electrode foil. The electrode foil was cut in the previous process (process P1) and transported with a gap between them. By joining the sealing materials in process P2, the front and rear electrode foils are connected to each other and transported as a belt-shaped electrode web.

[0028] In step P3 (separator bonding step), the electrode foil transported as an electrode web is bonded to the separator. The separator is formed as a strip of separator material (separator web) that is wound and held on a separator reel. In this step P3, the separator web supplied from the separator reel is cut into rectangular sheet-like separators corresponding to a set of battery cells. Furthermore, while the cut separators are transported, they are positioned relative to the electrode foil of the electrode web, and the separators and electrode foils are superimposed. Then, while the separators and electrode foils are transported in a positioned and superimposed state, the separators and electrode foils are bonded to each other. The battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention are directed to step P3, and specific manufacturing steps will be described later.

[0029] In step P4 (battery cell cutting step), the electrode foil to which the separator is bonded is cut. That is, a set of battery cells, each consisting of a pair of electrode foil and separator, is cut out from the electrode web in which the separator is bonded to the electrode foil, producing a battery cell 1 as shown in Fig. 2, which will be described later.

[0030] Figure 2 shows the components of a battery to be manufactured in an embodiment of the present invention, specifically a battery cell 1. The battery cell 1 shown in Figure 2 forms, as an example, a bipolar battery (not shown) and is mainly composed of an electrode foil 2, sealing members 3 and 4, and a separator 5.

[0031] The electrode foil 2 is a rectangular foil-shaped current collector, one surface of which (upper surface 2a in the example shown in FIG. 2) is coated with a material for forming a positive electrode (positive electrode active material, not shown), and the other surface of which (lower surface 2b in the example shown in FIG. 2) is coated with a material for forming a negative electrode (negative electrode active material, not shown).

[0032] The sealing members 3 and 4 are bonded to the four peripheral sides of the rectangular electrode foil 2, and when the battery cells 1 are stacked, they seal in the electrolyte (not shown) between adjacent battery cells 1. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the sealing member 3 is attached to the long side of the rectangular electrode foil 2, and the sealing member 4 is attached to the short side of the rectangular electrode foil 2.

[0033] The separator 5 is a rectangular, sheet-like or thin-flake insulator that is sandwiched between adjacent battery cells 1 when the battery cells 1 are stacked to prevent short-circuiting between adjacent current collectors, i.e., between the electrode foils 2. Therefore, the separator 5 is attached to one side of one of the electrode foils 2 (the upper side 2a in the example shown in FIG. 2).

[0034] As described above, a set of battery cells 1 is formed by joining the sealing members 3, 4 and the separator 5 to the rectangular electrode foil 2. A predetermined number of such battery cells 1 are stacked in the thickness direction of the electrode foil 2, and electrode terminals (not shown) are provided on both ends in the stacking direction to form a bipolar battery.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows an outline (image) of a battery manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this battery manufacturing method, a separator web 6, a strip-shaped separator 5 material, is conveyed as a web, while a rectangular separator 5 is cut out and the separator 5 is bonded to an electrode foil 2. Also, an electrode web 7, which has been formed into a strip by attaching sealing members 3 and 4, is conveyed as a web, while the separator 5 is bonded to an electrode foil 2 as described above. By conveying the separator web 6 and the electrode web 7 as webs, and performing processes such as cutting out the separator 5, positioning, and bonding the separator 5 to the electrode foil 2 during the web conveyance process, it is possible to eliminate or reduce other processes outside of the web conveyance. This also eliminates or reduces the need for transfers and transports from other processes. This shortens the cycle time for battery manufacturing and saves space in the manufacturing site.

[0036] An outline (image) of a manufacturing apparatus used to realize the manufacturing of batteries by the battery manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention as described above, i.e., a battery manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, is shown in Figure 4. The battery (in the example shown in Figure 4, a bipolar battery) manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 4 includes, as its main components, a separator reel 11, a first drive roller 12, a cutting device 13, a second drive roller 14, a driven roller 15, and a joining device 16.

[0037] The separator reel 11 winds and holds a separator web 6 (raw material for the separator 5) formed into a strip shape. In the battery manufacturing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the separator web 6 is transported from the separator reel 11 and supplied to a first drive roller 12, which will be described next.

[0038] The first drive roller 12 is a roller driven by a power source (not shown) such as a motor, and winds and conveys the separator web 6 supplied from the separator reel 11 and the separator 5 cut on the first drive roller 12 by a cutting device 13 (described later). In the example shown in FIG. 4, an auxiliary roller 17 is provided adjacent to the first drive roller 12, between the separator reel 11 and the first drive roller 12. The auxiliary roller 17 applies a predetermined tension to the separator web 6 supplied from the separator reel 11, and brings the separator web 6 wound around the first drive roller 12 into close contact with the roll surface 12a of the first drive roller 12. The roll surface 12a of the first drive roller 12 is formed with a cutter groove 12b along which a cutting edge (not shown) of a cutter 13b of the cutting device 13 slides or which guides the cutting edge of the cutter 13b when the separator web 6 is cut by the cutting device 13 (described later).

[0039] The first drive roller 12 also has a separator attracting portion 18 and a separator lifting portion 19.

[0040] The separator suction section 18 sucks the separator web 6 wound around the first drive roller 12 and the separator 5 cut into a rectangular shape by a cutting device 13 (described later) from the roll surface 12a of the first drive roller 12, and causes the separator web 6 and the separator 5 to adhere to the roll surface 12a. The separator suction section 18 is formed in one of two regions obtained by dividing the roll surface 12a of the first drive roller 12 in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the separator suction section 18 is formed in a region where the separator web 6 and the separator 5 are conveyed, between a portion where the auxiliary roller 17 and the roll surface 12a contact and a portion where the second drive roller 14 (described later) contacts the roll surface 12a. The separator adsorption section 18 is configured, for example, by connecting a vacuum pump (not shown) to minute air holes (not shown) formed in the roll surface 12a and operating the vacuum pump to suck in air, thereby adsorbing the separator web 6 and the separator 5 to the roll surface 12a in the region described above.

[0041] The separator lifting portion 19 blows air from the roll surface 12a onto the separator 5 that is conveyed while being adsorbed to the separator adsorption portion 18, thereby lifting the separator 5 from the roll surface 12a of the first drive roller 12. In other words, the separator 5 that was in close contact with the roll surface 12a is released from the roll surface 12a. The separator lifting portion 19 is formed in an area of ​​the first drive roller 12 other than the separator adsorption portion 18. Specifically, the separator 5 is rewound onto the second drive roller 14, and the separator lifting portion 19 is formed in an area of ​​the first drive roller 12 where nothing is conveyed between a portion where the second drive roller 14 (described later) and the roll surface 12a contact and a portion where the auxiliary roller 17 and the roll surface 12a contact in the circumferential direction of the roll surface 12a. The separator floating section 19, for example, connects a compressor (not shown) to minute air holes (not shown) formed in the roll surface 12a, and discharges compressed air from the air holes in the roll surface 12a, thereby floating the separator 5 from the roll surface 12a at the point where the separator 5 is transferred from the first drive roller 12 to the second drive roller 14, i.e., at the point where the second drive roller 14 and the roll surface 12a come into contact.

[0042] The cutting device 13 cuts the separator web 6 wound around the first drive roller 12 on the first drive roller 12, forming it into a rectangular separator 5 corresponding to the shape and size of the electrode foil 2. The cutting device 13 is, for example, a "cutter roll" having a movable roller 13a and a cutter 13b attached thereto, as shown in FIG. 4 , and cuts the separator web 6 by bringing the cutter 13b into contact with the roll surface 12a at a predetermined position on the first drive roller 12 around which the separator web 6 is wound and moving the cutter 13b in the width direction of the first drive roller 12 and the movable roller 13a, thereby cutting the separator web 6 and cutting out and forming a rectangular separator 5.

[0043] The second drive roller 14 is disposed close to or adjacent to the first drive roller 12, and rewinds and transports the separator 5 that has been formed into a rectangular shape on the first drive roller 12 and transported from the first drive roller 12. At the same time, the second drive roller 14 winds and transports the electrode web 7, which has been formed into a strip shape by joining the electrode foils 2 together by bonding the sealing members 3 and 4 to each of the many electrode foils 2, in a position where the separator 5 has been wound.

[0044] The second drive roller 14 also has an electrode web suction portion 20 and an electrode web lifting portion 21.

[0045] The electrode web suction section 20 sucks the electrode web 7, which is wound around the second drive roller 14 together with the separator 5, from the roll surface 14a of the second drive roller 14, and transports the separator 5 and electrode web 7 in a state of being adsorbed to the second drive roller 14. The electrode web suction section 20 is formed in one of two regions obtained by dividing the roll surface 14a of the second drive roller 14 in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the electrode web suction section 20 is formed in a region, in the circumferential direction of the roll surface 14a, where the separator 5 and the electrode web 7 are transported, between a portion where the first drive roller 12 and the roll surface 14a contact each other and a portion where a pressure roller 24 (described later) and the roll surface 14a contact each other. The electrode web adsorption unit 20 adsorbs the separator 5 and the electrode web 7 to the roll surface 12a in the above-described region by, for example, connecting a vacuum pump (not shown) to minute air holes (not shown) formed in the roll surface 14a and operating the vacuum pump to suck in air.

[0046] The electrode web lifting portion 21 blows air from the roll surface 14a onto the separator 5 and electrode web 7 that are transported while being adsorbed to the electrode web adsorption portion 20, thereby lifting the separator 5 and electrode web 7 from the roll surface 14a of the second drive roller 14. In other words, the electrode web lifting portion 21 releases the separator 5 and electrode web 7 that were in close contact with the roll surface 14a from the roll surface 14a. The electrode web lifting portion 21 is formed in an area of ​​the second drive roller 14 other than the electrode web adsorption portion 20. Specifically, the electrode web lifting portion 21 is formed in an area of ​​the second drive roller 14 that is not adjacent to the electrode web adsorption portion 20, between a portion where the pressure roller 24 and the roll surface 14a contact each other and a portion where the first drive roller 12 and the roll surface 14a contact each other in the circumferential direction of the roll surface 14a, where the separator 5 and the electrode web 7 leave the second drive roller 14 and wrap around another driven roller 22 adjacent to the second drive roller 14, and where nothing is transported on the second drive roller 14. The electrode web floating unit 21, for example, connects a compressor (not shown) to fine air holes (not shown) formed in the roll surface 14a and discharges compressed air from the air holes in the roll surface 14a, thereby floating the separator 5 and the electrode web 7 from the roll surface 14a at a point where they separate from the second drive roller 14 after passing the pressure roller 24. The driven roller 22 applies a predetermined tension to the separator 5 and the electrode web 7 being transported away from the second drive roller 14, and adjusts the transport direction (advance direction) of the separator 5 and the electrode web 7.

[0047] The driven roller 15 is disposed adjacent to the second drive roller 14 and rotates in accordance with the rotation of the second drive roller 14. At the same time, the driven roller 15 and the second drive roller 14 pinch the electrode web 7 transported from a previous process (not shown) between them, and the electrode web 7 wound around the second drive roller 14 is brought into close contact with the separator 5 that has already been wound around the second drive roller 14.

[0048] The joining device 16 joins the separator 5, which has been rewound from the first drive roller 12 onto the second drive roller 14, and the electrode foil 2 of the electrode web 7, which has been wound around the second drive roller 14, on the second drive roller 14. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the joining device 16 is provided with a heating device 23 and a pressure roller 24, and fuses the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 together.

[0049] The heating device 23 heats a joint 25 between the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 in a state in which the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 of the electrode web 7 overlap each other on the second drive roller 14. The heating device 23 is provided on the driven roller 15 side in the circumferential direction of the roll surface 14a relative to a contact point between a pressure roller 24 (described later) and the roll surface 14a of the second drive roller 14. In other words, the heating device 23 is disposed so as to heat the joint 25 between the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the second drive roller 14 relative to a contact point between the pressure roller 24 (described later) and the roll surface 14a of the second drive roller 14. The heating device 23 may be, for example, a laser welding device (not shown) that irradiates the joint 25 with laser light to generate heat at the boundary surface (not shown) of the joint 25. Alternatively, an ultrasonic welding device (not shown) that applies ultrasonic vibration to the joining portion 25 to generate frictional heat at the boundary surface (not shown) of the joining portion 25 may be used.

[0050] After heating the joint 25 between the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 with the heating device 23, the pressure roller 24 sandwiches the joint 25 between the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 between itself and the second drive roller 14 and applies a pressing force to the joint 25. The pressure roller 24 then welds the separator 5 to the electrode web 7 at the joint 25. Specifically, the separator 5 is welded to the joint between the seal members 3 and 4 of the electrode foil 2 on the electrode web 7. The pressure roller 24 is pressed in the normal direction of the second drive roller 14 at the joint 25 by an actuator (not shown) that uses, for example, hydraulic pressure or a servo motor.

[0051] Note that the joining device 16 in the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the one that uses the heating device 23 and pressure roller 24 as described above to "weld" the joining portion 25 between the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2. For example, an adhesive (not shown) may be used to "bond" the joining portion 25 between the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2. Alternatively, other joining methods may be used as appropriate to join the joining portion 25 between the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2.

[0052] In the battery manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention, as an example, a battery is manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus 10 configured as described above. Specifically, a battery is manufactured by joining sealing members 3 and 4 to the four peripheral sides of the rectangular electrode foil 2 as described above, and stacking the electrode foil 2 with the joined sealing members 3 and 4 with a sheet-like separator 5 sandwiched therebetween.

[0053] Fig. 5 shows a specific manufacturing process (process diagram) for a battery manufactured using the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The process diagram (flowchart) in Fig. 5 specifically illustrates the battery manufacturing process in "process P3 (separator bonding process)" of the overall battery manufacturing process shown in the process diagram in Fig. 1. Figs. 6 to 9 also show images of the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 10 in each process shown in the process diagram in Fig. 5.

[0054] First, in step P11 (separator web supply / transport step), as shown in FIG. 6 , the separator web 6 is transported from the separator reel 11 and supplied to the first drive roller 12. Then, the separator web 6 supplied to the first drive roller 12 is wound around the first drive roller 12 and transported. At this time, the separator web 6 is transported while being attracted to the separator attracting portion 18 of the first drive roller 12.

[0055] 7, in process P12 (separator cutting process), the separator web 6 wound around the first drive roller 12 is cut on the first drive roller 12 by a cutting device 13 and formed into a rectangular separator 5 corresponding to the shape and size of the electrode foil 2. The separator 5 formed into a rectangular shape on the first drive roller 12 is then conveyed while being attracted to the separator attracting portion 18 of the first drive roller 12.

[0056] 7, in process P13 (separator rewinding process), separator 5 formed into a rectangular shape on first drive roller 12 is rewound from first drive roller 12 to second drive roller 14 while being transported on first drive roller 12. At this time, separator 5 is peeled off from roll surface 12a of first drive roller 12 by air discharged from separator lifting portion 19 of first drive roller 12, and is smoothly rewound onto second drive roller 14.

[0057] Step P14 (electrode web supply / transport step) is performed in parallel with the transport of the separator web 6 and separator 5 on the first drive roller 12 in steps P11 to P13 and the rewinding of the separator 5 from the first drive roller 12 to the second drive roller 14. In step P14, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , an electrode web 7, which is formed by connecting electrode foils 2 in a strip shape in a previous step (not shown), is transported and supplied to the second drive roller 14. The electrode web 7 supplied to the second drive roller 14 is then cut out from the separator web 6 in step P12 and rewound onto the second drive roller 14 in step P13. The electrode web 7 is then transported while being wound around the second drive roller 14 so as to overlap the separator 5 that was previously wound around the second drive roller 14. At this time, the electrode web 7 overlapping the separator 5 is transported together with the separator 5 while being attracted to the electrode web suction portion 20 of the second drive roller 14.

[0058] In step P15 (electrode foil heating step) and step P16 (separator welding step), as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, separator 5 and electrode foil 2 are overlapped on second drive roller 14, and then joined by joining device 16.

[0059] Specifically, in step P15, a joint 25 between the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 of the electrode web 7 is heated while the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 of the electrode web 7 are overlapped on the second drive roller 14. For example, the above-mentioned laser welding device is used as the heating device 23, and the electrode foil 2 at the joint 25 is heated by irradiating the joint 25 with laser light.

[0060] In step P16, a pressing force is applied from pressure roller 24 to joint portion 25 heated by heating device 23 in step P15 above. That is, pressure roller 24 is pressed against joint portion 25 that has been heated while being transported on second drive roller 14. Through step P15 above and step P16, separator 5 is welded to electrode foil 2 in electrode web 7 at joint portion 25 between separator 5 and electrode foil 2.

[0061] 9, in step P17 (battery cell transport step), the electrode web 7, in which the separators 5 are joined to the electrode foil 2 in steps P15 and P16 described above, is transported as a web to a subsequent step (not shown) as the raw material for the battery cells 1, in which the battery cells 1 are connected in a belt-like shape. During this process, the electrode web 7 with the separators 5 joined is peeled off the roll surface 12a of the second drive roller 14 by air ejected from the electrode web lifting portion 21 of the second drive roller 14, and is smoothly rewound onto the driven roller 22 for the subsequent step. Then, in the subsequent step, the electrode web 7 transported as a web from the second drive roller 14, i.e., the raw material for the belt-like connected battery cells 1, is cut out to produce the battery cells 1 as shown in FIG. 2 above.

[0062] In each of the above-described steps, when the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 of the electrode web 7 are joined on the second drive roller 14, the rotation of the first drive roller 12 is temporarily stopped, as shown in Fig. 9. Then, with the rotation of the first drive roller 12 stopped, the second drive roller 14 is continued to rotate, and the electrode web 7 is transported on the second drive roller 14, thereby adjusting the spacing of the separator 5 to be superimposed on the electrode foil 2 and positioning the separator 5 relative to the electrode foil 2.

[0063] As described above, the "battery" manufactured by the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed by joining sealing members 3 and 4 to the four sides of rectangular electrode foil 2, which serves as a "current collector" or "electrode plate," and stacking a large number of electrode foils 2 with these sealing members 3 and 4 joined, with separators 5 sandwiched between them. To manufacture such a "battery," specifically, a battery cell 1 composed of electrode foil 2 and separator 5, the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention transports a separator web 6 wound on a separator reel 11 and an electrode web 7 by a first drive roller 12 and a second drive roller 14, respectively. The separator web 6 is wound around the first drive roller 12 and transported, and is cut on the first drive roller 12 to form a rectangular separator 5. The rectangular sheet-shaped separator 5 is then rewound from the first drive roller 12 and transported by the second drive roller 14. Meanwhile, the electrode web 7 is wound around the second drive roller 14 and transported, and is superimposed on the separator 5 that has previously been wound around the second drive roller 14. Then, the electrode foil 2 of the electrode web 7 and the separator 5 are joined on the second drive roller 14. For example, the electrode foil 2 and the separator 5 are welded together by a heating device 23 and a pressure roller 24. When winding the separator 5 around the second drive roller 14, the interval between the separators 5 wound around the second drive roller 14 can be adjusted as desired by controlling the rotation of the first drive roller 12 and the second drive roller 14, respectively. This makes it easy to position the separator 5 relative to the electrode foil 2 of the electrode web 7.

[0064] As described above, in the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the separator 5 and the electrode foil 2 are each transported as a web, and the separator 5 is cut out and the separator 5 is joined to the electrode foil 2 during this continuous web transport process. This reduces the cycle time for manufacturing the battery cell 1 compared to conventional methods in which the separator 5 is cut and transported in a separate process. Furthermore, this eliminates the need for a separate space for cutting and joining the separator 5, thereby enabling space savings in the manufacturing location for the battery cell 1.

[0065] Therefore, according to the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to easily shorten the cycle time for manufacturing the battery cells 1 and save space in the manufacturing location. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 battery cell 2 Electrode foil 2a (Electrode foil) top surface 2b (electrode foil) bottom surface 3 Sealing material 4 Sealing material 5 Separator 6 Separator web 7 Electrode Web 10 Manufacturing equipment 11 Separator reel 12 First driving roller 12a (first driving roller) roll surface 12b Cutter groove (of first driving roller) 13 Cutting device 13a Movable roller (of cutting device) 13b Cutter (for cutting devices) 14 Second driving roller 15 driven roller 16 Bonding equipment 17 Auxiliary roller 18 Separator adsorption part 19 Separator floating part 20 Electrode web suction part 21 Electrode web floating part 22 driven roller 23 Heating device (joining device) 24 Pressure roller (joining device) 25 (Separator and electrode foil) joint

Claims

1. A battery manufacturing apparatus for forming a battery by joining sealing members to four peripheral sides of rectangular electrode foils, and stacking the electrode foils with the sealing members joined thereto with a sheet-like separator sandwiched therebetween, a separator reel that holds a separator web formed by rolling up the separator material into a strip shape; a first drive roller that winds and transports the separator web supplied from the separator reel; a cutting device that cuts the separator web wound around the first drive roller on the first drive roller to form the separator into a rectangular shape corresponding to the electrode foil; a second drive roller that rewinds and transports the separator that has been formed into a rectangular shape on the first drive roller and that has been transported from the first drive roller, and that winds and transports an electrode web that has been formed into a band shape by joining the sealing members to the many electrode foils, respectively, in a position where the separator has been wound, in accordance with the position where the separator has been wound; a driven roller that is disposed adjacent to the second drive roller, that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the second drive roller, that sandwiches the electrode web between itself and the second drive roller, and that brings the electrode web wound around the second drive roller into close contact with the separator; a joining device that joins the separator and the electrode foil on the second drive roller in a state in which the electrode foil of the electrode web wound around the second drive roller overlaps the separator that has been rewound from the first drive roller to the second drive roller. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

2. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The first drive roller is a separator suction unit that sucks the separator web wound around the first drive roller and the separator cut by the cutting device into a rectangular shape from the roll surface of the first drive roller, and transports the separator web and the separator while they are both sucked onto the first drive roller; a separator lifting section that blows air from the roll surface onto the separator that is conveyed while being adsorbed to the separator adsorption section, thereby lifting the separator from the first drive roller, The second drive roller is an electrode web suction unit that sucks the electrode web, which is wound around the second drive roller together with the separator, from the roll surface of the second drive roller and transports the separator and the electrode web in a state of being attracted to the second drive roller; an electrode web floating section that blows air from the roll surface onto the separator and the electrode web that have been transported while being adsorbed to the electrode web adsorption section and joined to the electrode foil by the joining device, thereby floating the separator and the electrode web away from the second drive roller. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

3. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, the separator suction portion is formed in one of two regions obtained by dividing the roll surface of the first drive roller in half in the circumferential direction, the separator lifting portion is formed in an area of ​​the first drive roller other than the separator attracting portion, the electrode web adsorption portion is formed in one of two regions obtained by dividing the roll surface of the second drive roller in a circumferential direction, The electrode web lifting portion is formed in a region of the second drive roller other than the electrode web attracting portion. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

4. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, When the separator and the electrode foil of the electrode web are joined on the second drive roller, temporarily stopping the rotation of the first drive roller; The second drive roller is continuously rotated while the rotation of the first drive roller is stopped, and the electrode web is transported on the second drive roller, thereby adjusting the interval between the separators to be superimposed on the electrode foil and positioning the separators relative to the electrode foil. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

5. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The joining device is a heating device that heats a joint portion between the separator and the electrode foil in a state in which the separator and the electrode foil of the electrode web are overlapped with each other on the second drive roller; a pressure roller that applies a pressing force to the joint portion after the joint portion is heated by the heating device, The separator is welded to the electrode web at the joint portion. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

6. A method for manufacturing a battery, comprising: joining sealing members to four peripheral sides of a rectangular electrode foil; and stacking the electrode foil with the sealing members thereon with a sheet-like separator sandwiched therebetween, a separator web, which is a strip of separator material, is wound and held on a separator reel, and the separator web is wound around a first drive roller and conveyed; The separator web wound around the first drive roller is cut on the first drive roller by a cutting device to form the separator into a rectangular shape corresponding to the electrode foil; The separator formed into a rectangular shape on the first drive roller and transported from the first drive roller is rewound from the first drive roller to a second drive roller and transported; In parallel with the transport of the separator web and the separator on the first drive roller, an electrode web formed into a band shape by joining the sealing members to the multiple electrode foils, respectively, to connect the electrode foils to each other is wound around the second drive roller in alignment with the position where the separator is wound on the second drive roller, and is transported; the electrode foil of the electrode web wound around the second drive roller is superimposed on the separator that has been rewound from the first drive roller to the second drive roller; With the separator and the electrode foil overlapping on the second drive roller, the separator and the electrode foil are joined by a joining device. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

7. A method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 6, comprising the steps of: When the electrode web is wound around the second drive roller by a driven roller that is installed adjacent to the second drive roller and rotates in accordance with the rotation of the second drive roller, the electrode web is sandwiched between the second drive roller and the driven roller, and the electrode web is brought into close contact with the separator that has been previously wound around the second drive roller. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

8. A method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 7, comprising: a separator suction unit provided on the first drive roller sucks the separator web supplied from the separator reel and wound around the first drive roller, and the separator cut by the cutting device and formed into a rectangular shape, from the roll surface of the first drive roller, and transports them in a state of being sucked onto the first drive roller; a separator lifting portion provided on the first drive roller blows air from the roll surface onto the separator that is conveyed while being adsorbed to the separator adsorption portion, thereby lifting the separator from the first drive roller; an electrode web suction unit provided on the second drive roller sucks the electrode web, which is wound around the second drive roller together with the separator, from the roll surface of the second drive roller, and transports the separator and the electrode web in a state of being adsorbed to the second drive roller; At an electrode web floating portion provided on the second drive roller, air is blown from the roll surface onto the separator and the electrode web, which are transported while being adsorbed by the electrode web adsorption portion and joined to the electrode foil by the joining device, to float the separator and the electrode web from the second drive roller. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

9. A method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 8, comprising: the separator suction portion is formed in one of two regions obtained by dividing the roll surface of the first drive roller in half in the circumferential direction, the separator lifting portion is formed in an area of ​​the first drive roller other than the separator attracting portion, the electrode web adsorption portion is formed in one of two regions obtained by dividing the roll surface of the second drive roller in a circumferential direction, The electrode web lifting portion is formed in a region of the second drive roller other than the electrode web attracting portion. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

10. A method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 9, comprising: When the separator and the electrode foil of the electrode web are joined on the second drive roller, temporarily stopping the rotation of the first drive roller; The second drive roller is continuously rotated while the rotation of the first drive roller is stopped, and the electrode web is transported on the second drive roller, thereby adjusting the interval between the separators to be superimposed on the electrode foil and positioning the separators relative to the electrode foil. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

11. A method for manufacturing the battery according to any one of claims 6 to 10, comprising: The joining device is a heating device that heats a joint portion between the separator and the electrode foil in a state in which the separator and the electrode foil of the electrode web are overlapped with each other on the second drive roller; a pressure roller that applies a pressing force to the joint portion after the joint portion is heated by the heating device, The separator is welded to the electrode web at the joint portion. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

Images