Lamination device

Abstract

To provide a lamination device that places and laminates a plurality of sheet plates, and that can accurately determine the properness of the placement positions of the sheet plates immediately after the placement.SOLUTION: A lamination device comprises a control unit 8 that determines the properness of the placement positions of a negative electrode plate Ea and a positive electrode plate Eb on the basis of first image data and second image data. The control unit 8, for example, after acquiring first outer shape size information of a first pawl member 22a on the basis of the first image data, executes comparison operation between the first outer shape size information and first actual outer shape size information that is an actual outer shape size of the first pawl member 22a, to calculate a first compensation value Cv1 for matching the first outer shape size information with the first actual outer shape size information, and determines the properness of the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea on the basis of first post-compensation placement position information obtained by compensating for first placement position information of the negative electrode plate Ea by using the first compensation value Cv1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stacking device for placing and stacking a plurality of sheets. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, stacking devices are known that stack a plurality of sheets of boards while sequentially placing them on one another. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrode stack manufacturing device (stacking device) that stacks two types of sheet plates, each consisting of a negative electrode plate (negative electrode plate) and a positive electrode plate (positive electrode plate), alternately with a separator interposed therebetween, and that stacks the negative electrode plates and positive electrode plates alternately in order while folding a long strip-shaped separator zigzag on a lifting stage (loading table) so that the negative electrode plates and positive electrode plates are positioned between the folded portions of the separator. In a stacking device configured in this manner, an imaging means consisting of a digital camera or the like is generally provided above the stacking table, and this imaging means is used to obtain image data of the plate (negative or positive plate) immediately after it is placed on the loading table via the separator, and based on this image data, the appropriate position of the plate on the stacking table is determined.

[0003] Here, when the vertical position of the subject (sheet plate) relative to the imaging means changes, since the angle of view of the imaging means is constant, the image of the subject on the acquired image data is enlarged or reduced depending on the distance between the imaging means and the subject. For example, if the position of the plate (negative or positive electrode plate) relative to the imaging means is closer to the imaging means than a predetermined position that has been set in advance (i.e., if it is at a higher position than the predetermined position), the image of the plate in the image data is captured in an enlarged state compared to the set scale. Furthermore, if the position of the plate (negative or positive electrode plate) relative to the imaging means is farther away from the imaging means than the predetermined position (i.e., if it is at a lower position than the predetermined position), the image of the plate in the image data is captured in a reduced state compared to the set scale. As a result, when the placement position of a plate (negative or positive plate) is grasped based on image data obtained by the imaging means, the deviation between a predetermined reference placement position and the grasped placement position is calculated, and the appropriateness of the placement position of the plate is judged based on this deviation, the deviation will include errors arising from differences in scale depending on the vertical position of the plate relative to the imaging means, making it difficult to accurately judge the appropriateness of the placement position of the plate.

[0004] For this reason, in conventional stacking devices, each time a plate (negative or positive plate) is placed on the stacking table via a separator, the stacking table is lowered a predetermined distance (specifically, the sum of the thickness of the negative or positive plate and the thickness of the separator), so that the position of the top surface of the plate relative to the imaging means is always approximately constant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-215967 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the conventional stacking device described above, the position of the top surface of a plate (negative or positive electrode plate) immediately after it is placed on the stacking table is prone to some variation due to factors such as manufacturing errors within the allowable range for each plate and air entrapment that occurs when the separator is folded zigzag. Here, the variations in the position of the top surface may accumulate without canceling each other out as the number of stacked plates (negative or positive plates) placed on the stacking table increases.As a result, as mentioned above, even if the stacking table is lowered a predetermined distance each time a plate is placed on the stacking table, it becomes difficult to maintain a substantially constant position of the top surface of the plate relative to the imaging means, and it may not be possible to accurately determine the appropriate position of the plate.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the current problems described above, and its object is to provide a stacking device that places and stacks multiple sheet plates, and that can accurately determine the appropriate placement position of the sheet plate immediately after it is placed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0009] That is, a stacking device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a stacking device for placing and stacking a plurality of sheets, and includes a stacking table for holding the sheets to be stacked, a transfer means for placing the sheets on the upper surface of the stacking table, an imaging means for acquiring image data of the stacking table on which the sheet is placed from above each time the sheet is placed by the transfer means, and a control means for determining the appropriateness of the placement position of the sheet based on the image data, and the stacking table includes a tracking means for following the upper surface of the sheet immediately after it is placed on the stacking table. The control means acquires outer size information of the tracking means based on the image data, and then performs a comparison operation between the outer size information and actual outer size information, which is the actual outer size of the tracking means, to calculate a correction value for matching the outer size information to the actual outer size information, and acquires placement position information of the sheet based on the image data, and determines the appropriateness of the placement position of the sheet based on corrected placement position information obtained by correcting the placement position information using the correction value. By having this configuration, the stacking device of the present invention can, when a plate is placed on the stacking table, enlarge or reduce the image of the plate in the image data due to variations in the position of the top surface of the plate, and even if the plate placement position information obtained based on the image data contains errors arising from differences in scale, by correcting the placement position information using a correction value, corrected placement position information that is at least close to the actual value can be obtained, and the corrected placement position information can be used to accurately determine the appropriate placement position of the plate.

[0010] Furthermore, a stacking device according to aspect 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned aspect 1, the stacking table descends by a predetermined descending distance each time a sheet is placed on it, and the control means compensates for the descending distance using the compensation value. With this configuration, even if there is variation in the position of the top surface of the sheet placed on the stacking table, the stacking table can be lowered to an appropriate position that corresponds to the variation by correcting the lowering distance using a correction value, so that the position of the top surface of the sheet relative to the imaging means can be maintained more stably and approximately constant. Therefore, errors arising from differences in scale can be more reliably eliminated from the information on the placement position of the sheet obtained based on image data, and the appropriateness of the placement position of the sheet can be determined more accurately.

[0011] Furthermore, in a stacking device according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned second aspect, the control means corrects the lowering distance every time the plate is placed on the stacking table. By having this configuration, even if there is variation in the position of the top surface of the sheet plate placed on the stacking table, it is possible to prevent this variation from accumulating each time a sheet plate is placed on the stacking table, and it is possible to more accurately determine the appropriate placement position of the sheet plate.

[0012] Furthermore, a stacking device according to aspect 4 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of aspects 1 to 3 above, the following means is a claw member that presses down from above to maintain the placement posture of the sheet of board placed on the stacking table. In this way, the stacking device of the present invention utilizes claw members that follow the top surface of the sheet immediately after it is placed on the stacking table and are provided to maintain the position of the sheet, so that the present invention can be realized at a lower cost without the need to separately provide a device with a complex mechanism.

[0013] Furthermore, a stacking device according to aspect 5 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of aspects 1 to 4 above, the plurality of sheets of plate are made of two types of components consisting of negative electrode plates and positive electrode plates, and are placed on the upper surface of the stacking table by the moving means so that these negative electrode plates and positive electrode plates are arranged alternately with each other, with separators interposed therebetween. By applying the stacking device of the present invention to an apparatus for manufacturing a stacked battery by alternately stacking two types of sheets, consisting of negative and positive electrode plates, with a separator interposed therebetween, it is possible to accurately determine the appropriate placement positions of the negative and positive electrode plates immediately after they are placed on the stacking table, and to manufacture a high-quality stacked battery.

[0014] Furthermore, a stacking device according to aspect 6 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any of aspects 1 to 4 above, the separator is made of a long, strip-shaped member, and the stacking device further comprises a separator supply means that is arranged above the stacking table and moves back and forth horizontally and in one direction relative to the stacking table to supply the separator to the upper surface of the stacking table. Even in a stacking device such as this, which folds a long, strip-shaped separator zigzag on a loading table and alternately places and stacks multiple sheets of negative and positive electrode plates so that they are each positioned between the folded portions of the separator, the stacking device of the present invention can accurately determine the appropriate placement positions of the negative and positive electrode plates immediately after they are placed on the stacking table. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention has the following effects. That is, the stacking device according to the present invention can accurately determine whether the placement position of a sheet of board immediately after it has been placed is appropriate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of a stacking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit. [Figure 3] 10 is a perspective view showing the state of the loading table after a negative electrode plate has been placed at the first stacking position. FIG. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operating procedure of the stacking device, in which (a) is a front view showing the state of the stacking device immediately after the start of the stacking operation, (b) is a front view of the stacking device in a state where a negative electrode plate is placed on the stacking table, and (c) is a front view of the stacking device in a state where the stacking table has been lowered based on the first lowering distance information. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operating procedure of the stacking device, in which (a) is a front view of the stacking device in a state where the stacking table has been horizontally moved to the second stacking position, (b) is a front view of the stacking device in a state where a positive electrode plate has been placed on the stacking table, and (c) is a front view of the stacking device in a state where the stacking table has been lowered based on second lowering distance information. [Figure 6] 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining first image data acquired by a first imaging unit. [Figure 7]10 is a flowchart showing a series of steps when performing suitability determination control to determine the suitability of the placement position of the electrode plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. For the sake of convenience, the following description will be given by defining the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the stacking device 1 according to the directions of the arrows shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. In the following description, the direction of arrow A in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 6(a) is defined as the direction of reciprocating movement of stacking table 2.

[0018] [Overall configuration of stacking device 1] First, the overall configuration of a stacking device 1 embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

[0019] The stacking device 1 in this embodiment is, for example, a device for manufacturing a stacked battery composed of a lithium ion secondary battery or the like, and is a device for stacking two types of electrode plates E composed of a negative electrode plate Ea and a positive electrode plate Eb alternately with a separator S interposed therebetween. Here, the electrode plate E consisting of the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb is an example of a sheet plate according to the present invention.

[0020] The stacking device 1 described below is an example of the stacking device according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the stacking device of the present invention is a device for placing and stacking multiple sheet plates, and the objects (sheet plates) to be stacked are not limited to electrode plates E, nor are they limited to being stacked one after the other with separators S interposed between them. Furthermore, the separator S is not limited to a long strip-shaped separator, but may be a sheet-shaped separator.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the stacking device 1 mainly comprises a stacking table 2 that is arranged to be movable back and forth horizontally and in one direction (left and right in this embodiment) between a first stacking position P1 and a second stacking position P2 that are spaced apart from each other, a separator supply unit 3 that is arranged above the stacking table 2 at approximately the midpoint between the first stacking position P1 and the second stacking position P2, a first transfer unit 4 that is arranged at the first stacking position P1, and a second transfer unit 5 that is arranged at the second stacking position P2. The stacking device 1 also includes a first imaging unit 6 arranged above the stacking table 2 at the first stacking position P1, a second imaging unit 7 arranged above the stacking table 2 at the second stacking position P2, and a control unit 8 (see Figure 2) that controls the operation of the entire stacking device 1.

[0022] Here, as will be described later, the first stacking position P1 is a section for placing the negative electrode plate Ea on the stacking table 2 by the first transfer unit 4. The second stacking position P2 is a section where the second transfer unit 5 places the positive electrode plate Eb on the stacking table 2.

[0023] The stacking table 2 holds the electrode plates E (negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb) to be stacked. The stacking table 2 includes a table main body 21 which is a main body portion, and holding claws 22 which hold the electrode plate E placed on the table main body 21.

[0024] The table main body 21 is made of a member that is rectangular in plan view and has a substantially horizontal upper surface 21a, and the upper surface 21a is provided with a plurality of through holes (not shown). The table body 21 is also provided with a vacuum suction mechanism (not shown) that generates vacuum pressure via the plurality of through holes.

[0025] As will be described later, when the separator S is supplied to the upper surface 21a of the table main body 21 by the separator supply unit 3, the table main body 21 adsorbs and holds the surface of the separator S that is in contact with the upper surface 21a by the negative pressure of the vacuum adsorption mechanism.

[0026] The upper surface 21a of the table body 21 may be made of any material having a plurality of through holes, such as a mesh steel plate or a porous metal (porous metal).

[0027] The table body 21 is also provided with a horizontal movement mechanism (not shown). The horizontal movement mechanism reciprocates the table body 21 horizontally and in one direction (left and right direction) between the first stacking position P1 and the second stacking position P2.

[0028] Then, with the separator S held on the upper surface 21a, the table main body 21 is moved back and forth by the horizontal movement mechanism, whereby the separator S is folded in a zigzag pattern.

[0029] Furthermore, the table body 21 is provided with a lifting mechanism (not shown). The table main body 21 is lowered by the above-mentioned lifting mechanism at a set predetermined pitch (more specifically, a first lowering distance and a second lowering distance, which will be described later).

[0030] At the first stacking position P1, the table main body 21 is lowered by a predetermined pitch (first lowering distance) by the table-side lifting mechanism each time a negative electrode plate Ea is placed, and at the second stacking position P2, the table main body 21 is lowered by a predetermined pitch (second lowering distance) by the table-side lifting mechanism each time a positive electrode plate Eb is placed.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the holding claws 22 have a pair of first claw members 22a and a pair of second claw members 22b provided above the table body 21. The pair of first claw members 22a, 22a press down from above to maintain the placement posture of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the table main body 21 via the separator S bent into an accordion shape at the first stacking position P1 (see Figure 1). In addition, the pair of second claw members 22b·22b press down from above to maintain the placement posture of the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the table main body 21 at the second stacking position P2 (see Figure 1) via the separator S bent in an accordion shape.

[0032] The number of first claw members 22a and second claw members 22b does not need to be two (one pair) each, and any number may be used as long as it is possible to maintain the placement position of the electrode plate E placed on the table main body 21.

[0033] The first claw member 22a and the second claw member 22b are both made of rectangular flat plate-shaped members extending in one direction, and when viewed in a plane, are arranged with their longitudinal direction perpendicular to the direction of reciprocating movement of the table main body 21 (the direction of arrow A in Figure 3, which is the left-right direction in this embodiment) (the front-to-back direction in this embodiment).

[0034] The pair of first claw members 22a·22a face each other in the orthogonal direction (front-to-back direction) and, in a plan view, are each arranged along the end of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the table main body 21 on the second stacking position P2 side (in this embodiment, the left side). In addition, the pair of first claw members 22a·22a is provided with a horizontal movement mechanism (not shown), and the horizontal movement mechanism allows the pair of first claw members 22a·22a to move toward and away from each other along the orthogonal direction (front-to-back direction). Furthermore, the pair of first claw members 22a·22a are provided with a lifting mechanism (not shown), and this lifting mechanism allows the pair of first claw members 22a·22a to move up and down (raise and lower) simultaneously relative to the upper surface 21a of the table main body 21.

[0035] The pair of first claw members 22a·22a are moved by the horizontal movement mechanism toward each other to a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the "first holding position" as appropriate), and then moved downward (lowered) by the lifting mechanism, thereby abutting against both corners of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the table main body 21 on the second stacking position P2 side (in this embodiment, the left side), and maintaining the placement posture of the negative electrode plate Ea. In addition, the pair of first claw members 22a·22a are moved by the horizontal movement mechanism toward the side where they are separated from each other to a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the "first retracted position" as appropriate), and then moved upward (raised) by the lifting mechanism, thereby releasing the holding state of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the table main body 21 and retracting from the negative electrode plate Ea.

[0036] On the other hand, a pair of second claw members 22b·22b face each other in the orthogonal direction (front-to-back direction) and, in a plan view, are each arranged along the end of the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the table main body 21 on the first stacking position P1 side (in this embodiment, the right side). In addition, the pair of second claw members 22b·22b is also provided with a horizontal movement mechanism (not shown) similar to the pair of first claw members 22a·22a described above, and the horizontal movement mechanism allows the pair of second claw members 22b·22b to move toward and away from each other along the orthogonal direction (front-to-back direction). Furthermore, the pair of second claw members 22b·22b is also provided with a lifting mechanism (not shown), similar to the pair of first claw members 22a·22a described above, and the lifting mechanism enables the pair of second claw members 22b·22b to simultaneously move up and down (raise and lower) relative to the upper surface 21a of the table main body 21.

[0037] The pair of second claw members 22b·22b are moved by the horizontal movement mechanism toward each other to a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the "second holding position" as appropriate), and then moved downward (lowered) by the lifting mechanism, thereby abutting against both corners of the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the table main body 21 on the first stacking position P1 side (in this embodiment, the right side), and maintaining the placement posture of the positive electrode plate Eb. In addition, the pair of second claw members 22b·22b are moved by the horizontal movement mechanism toward the side where they are separated from each other to a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the "second retracted position" as appropriate), and then moved upward (raised) by the lifting mechanism, thereby releasing the holding state of the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the table main body 21 and retracting from the positive electrode plate Eb.

[0038] As described below, the pair of first claw members 22a·22a press down from above to maintain the placement posture of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the table main body 21 at the first stacking position P1, and then move to the second stacking position P2 in accordance with the movement of the table main body 21, thereby releasing the holding state of the negative electrode plate Ea. In other words, the pair of first claw members 22a are configured to be movable so as to follow the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea immediately after it has been placed on the table main body 21, and are an example of a following means according to the present invention.

[0039] Furthermore, as will be described later, the pair of second claw members 22b·22b press down from above to maintain the placement posture of the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the table main body 21 at the second stacking position P2, and then move to the first stacking position P1 in accordance with the movement of the table main body 21, thereby releasing the holding state of the positive electrode plate Eb. In other words, the pair of second claw members 22b·22b are configured to be movable so as to follow the upper surface of the positive electrode plate Eb immediately after it is placed on the table main body 21, and are an example of a following means according to the present invention.

[0040] As described above, in the stacking device 1 of this embodiment, the following means is composed of a pair of first claw members 22a·22a and a pair of second claw members 22b·22b that press down from above to maintain the placement posture of the electrode plate E placed on the stacking table 2 (more specifically, the table main body 21). That is, in the stacking device 1 of this embodiment, the first claw member 22a and the second claw member 22b are used to follow the upper surface of the electrode plate E (negative electrode plate Ea or positive electrode plate Eb) immediately after it is placed on the table main body 21, and are provided to maintain the placement position of the electrode plate E.

[0041] Therefore, the suitability determination control described below can be realized at lower cost without the need to separately provide a device with a complex mechanism to follow the upper surface of the electrode plate E described above.

[0042] The separator supply unit 3 is an example of the separator supply means according to the present invention. The separator supplying section 3 supplies a long strip-shaped separator S onto the upper surface 21a of the table main body 21, and folds the separator S in a zigzag pattern by the reciprocating movement of the table main body 21.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the separator supply unit 3 has a pair of separator rollers 31. The pair of separator rollers 31 are disposed opposite to each other. The pair of separator rollers 31 are arranged in the horizontal direction with the orthogonal direction (left-right direction) as their axial direction.

[0044] A separator roll (not shown) consisting of a separator S wound in a roll shape is arranged above the pair of separator rollers 31·31, and the end of the separator S pulled out from the separator roll passes between the pair of separator rollers 31·31 from above to below, and is thereby sandwiched between the pair of separator rollers 31·31.

[0045] The pair of separator rollers 31 rotate in a predetermined direction around their respective axes, whereby the separator S is fed downward and supplied to the upper surface 21 a of the table body 21 .

[0046] The pair of separator rollers 31·31 is provided with a lifting mechanism (not shown), which allows the pair of separator rollers 31·31 to move (lift) between a predetermined upper position (hereinafter referred to as "upper limit position H1" as appropriate) and a predetermined lower position (hereinafter referred to as "lower limit position H2" as appropriate). By positioning the pair of separators 31·31 at the upper limit position H1, the stacking table 2 can move back and forth between the first stacking position P1 and the second stacking position P2 without interfering with the pair of separators 31·31, while carrying a plurality of stacked negative electrode plates Ea·Ea··· and positive electrode plates Eb·Eb···. Furthermore, when the pair of separators 31 are positioned at the lower limit position H2, the separator S extending from the lower ends of the pair of separators 31 toward the table body 21 is in a substantially horizontal position.

[0047] The first transfer unit 4 is an example of the transfer means according to the present invention, and is configured to place the negative electrode plate Ea on the upper surface 21 of the table main body 2 at the first stacking position P1. Similarly to the first transfer section 4, the second transfer section 5 is also an example of a transfer means according to the present invention, and places the positive electrode plate Eb on the upper surface 21 of the table main body 2 at the second stacking position P2.

[0048] The first transfer unit 4 has, for example, a first suction unit 41 capable of holding the negative electrode plate Ea by vacuum pressure, and a drive mechanism (not shown) capable of moving the first suction unit 41 horizontally and vertically (lifting and lowering). Similarly to the first transfer unit 4, the second transfer unit 5 also has, for example, a second suction unit 51 capable of holding the positive electrode plate Eb by vacuum pressure, and a drive mechanism (not shown) capable of moving the second suction unit 51 horizontally and vertically (raising and lowering).

[0049] At the first stacking position P1, a first waiting table 11 is placed on which the negative electrode plate Ea produced in the previous process is placed in advance after being adjusted in position, and the first transfer unit 4 holds the negative electrode plate Ea with the first suction unit 41, and transfers and places the negative electrode plate Ea from the first waiting table 11 on the table main body 21. In addition, a second waiting table 12 is arranged at the second stacking position P2 on which the positive electrode plate Eb produced in the previous process is placed in advance after being adjusted in position, and the second transfer unit 5 holds the positive electrode plate Eb with the second suction unit 51, and transfers and places the positive electrode plate Eb from the second waiting table 12 on the table main body 21.

[0050] The configuration of the first transfer unit 4 and the second transfer unit 5 is not limited to this embodiment, and any configuration may be used as long as it is possible to transfer the electrode plate E between the first waiting table 11 or the second waiting table 12 and the table main body 21, such as a robot using a mechanism such as a Cartesian coordinate type, a vertical multi-joint type, or a horizontal multi-joint type.

[0051] The first imaging unit 6 is an example of an imaging means according to the present invention, and acquires image data (hereinafter referred to as "first image data" as appropriate) of the table body 21 on which the negative electrode plate Ea is placed from above at the first stacking position P1. Similarly to the imaging unit 6, the second imaging unit 7 is also an example of an imaging means according to the present invention, and acquires image data (hereinafter referred to as "second image data" as appropriate) of the table body 21 on which the positive electrode plate Eb is placed from above at the second stacking position P2.

[0052] The first imaging unit 6 is made up of, for example, a commercially available digital camera, and is disposed above the table body 21 located at the first stacking position P1 with the imaging direction facing downward. Similarly to the first imaging unit, the second imaging unit 7 is also composed of, for example, a commercially available digital camera, and is positioned above the table body 21 located at the second stacking position P2 with the imaging direction facing downward.

[0053] Then, each time the negative electrode plate Ea is placed on the table main body 21 and the table main body 21 subsequently moves downward (descends) by a predetermined first descending distance, the first imaging unit 6 acquires an overall image of the negative electrode plate Ea as first image data. In addition, the second imaging unit 7 acquires an overall image of the positive electrode plate Eb as second image data each time the positive electrode plate Eb is placed on the table main body 21 and then the table main body 21 moves downward (descends) by a predetermined second descending distance.

[0054] Here, the first lowering distance is set in advance as a predetermined pitch when lowering the table body 21 immediately after the negative electrode plate Ea is placed at the first stacking position P1, and is set, for example, as the sum of the thickness of the negative electrode plate Ea and the thickness of the separator S. That is, the first imaging unit 6 acquires the first image of the negative electrode plate Ea after the table body 21 is lowered by the first lowering distance and the distance to the top surface of the negative electrode plate Ea is adjusted to a constant value.

[0055] The second lowering distance is set in advance as a predetermined pitch when the table body 21 is lowered immediately after the positive electrode plate Eb is placed at the second stacking position P2, For example, it is set as the sum of the thickness of the positive electrode plate Eb and the thickness of the separator S. That is, the second imaging unit 7 acquires the second image of the positive electrode plate Eb after the table body 21 is lowered by the second lowering distance and the distance to the top surface of the positive electrode plate Eb is adjusted to a constant value.

[0056] The first imaging unit 6 and the second imaging unit 7 may be provided with any imaging element such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor.

[0057] The control unit 8 is an example of a control means according to the present invention. As described above, the control unit 8 controls the operation of the entire stacking device 1 and determines the appropriateness of the placement positions of the electrode plates E (negative electrode plate Ea and positive electrode plate Eb) based on the image data (first image data and second image data) acquired by the first imaging unit 6 and the second imaging unit 7.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 8 includes an arithmetic processing unit 81 configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory unit 82 configured by a ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc., and the memory unit 82 pre-stores, as will be described later, a program for executing the stacking operation of the electrode plate E by the stacking device 1, and a program for determining the appropriateness of the placement position of the electrode plate E placed on the table main body 21 when executing the stacking operation.

[0059] The control unit 8 may be provided with an input means such as a touch panel, an output means such as a monitor, and the like.

[0060] Then, the control unit 8 controls the operation of the entire stacking device 1 in accordance with the operating procedure described below, thereby placing and stacking two types of electrode plates E, consisting of negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb, alternately arranged on the upper surface 21a of the table main body 21 with separators S interposed therebetween. In addition, the control unit 8 executes the suitability judgment control described later to judge the suitability of the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea based on the first image data acquired by the first imaging unit 6, and judges the suitability of the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb based on the second image data acquired by the second imaging unit 7.

[0061] [Operation procedure of stacking device 1] Next, an operation procedure for alternately stacking two types of electrode plates E (negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb) by the stacking device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0062] First, as shown in FIG. 4(a), in the stacking table 2, the table main body 21 is in a state of being stopped at the first stacking position P1 with the separator S held via the upper surface 21a. The pair of first claw members 22a·22a (since FIG. 4 is a front view, only one first claw member 22a is shown) are moved to the first retracted position and are stopped at a predetermined upper limit position h1a. In addition, a pair of second claw members 22b·22b (since Figure 4 is a front view, only one second claw member 22b is shown) are also moved to the second retracted position together with the first claw member 22a and are stopped at a predetermined upper limit position h1b.

[0063] In the separator supply unit 3, the pair of separator rollers 31, 31 are stopped at the lower limit position H2 with their rotation stopped.

[0064] Furthermore, in the first transfer unit 4 and the second transfer unit 5 (see FIG. 1), the first suction unit 41 and the second suction unit 51 are stopped at their respective predetermined standby positions. The negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb are placed on the first standby table 11 and the second standby table 12 (see FIG. 1) after their positions have been adjusted in advance.

[0065] When the stacking operation by the stacking device 1 begins, as shown in Figure 4(b), the first transfer section 4 moves the first suction section 41 to hold the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the first waiting table 11, and then moves the negative electrode plate Ea above the table main body 21 and places the negative electrode plate Ea on the upper surface 21a of the table main body 21 via the separator S.

[0066] When the negative electrode plate Ea is placed on the upper surface 21a of the table body 21, the pair of first claw members 22a are moved horizontally toward the first holding position, and then are lowered toward a predetermined lower limit position h2a. As a result, the pair of first claw members 22a contact both corners of the negative electrode plate Ea on the second stacking position P2 side (left side), thereby maintaining the placement posture of the negative electrode plate Ea.

[0067] When the negative electrode plate Ea is held in place by the pair of first claw members 22a, the pair of separator rollers 31 are moved to the upper limit position H1 while feeding out the separator S, as shown in FIG. 4(c).

[0068] Furthermore, the table body 21 is lowered by the first lowering distance, and is adjusted so that the distance between the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea and the first imaging unit 6 is approximately constant.

[0069] Thereafter, the first imaging unit 6 captures an image of the entire negative electrode plate Ea from above to acquire first image data, converts the acquired first image data into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the control unit 8 (see FIG. 2).

[0070] The control unit 8, which receives an electrical signal from the first imaging unit 6, executes a predetermined suitability judgment control based on the first imaging data, and judges the suitability of the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the table main body 21. The specific content of the aptitude determination control will be described later.

[0071] If the control unit 8 determines that the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea is appropriate, as shown in Figure 5(a), the table body 21 is moved to the second stacking position P2 while pulling out the separator S from a pair of separator rollers 31·31. As a result, the separator S is folded by the pair of first claw members 22a and folded zigzag.

[0072] On the other hand, if the control unit 8 determines that the negative electrode plate Ea is not placed in the proper position, the negative electrode plate Ea is discarded. Furthermore, if the stacking operation of the electrode plates E by the stacking device 1 has progressed to a certain extent and it is determined that the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea is inappropriate, the negative electrode plate Ea will be discarded together with the multiple electrode plates E·E··· that have already been stacked.

[0073] When the table body 21 reaches and stops at the second stacking position P2, the pair of separator rollers 31 are lowered to the lower limit position H2, as shown in FIG. 5(b). As a result, the separator S extending from the lower ends of the pair of separators 31 toward the table body 21 covers the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea together with the pair of first claw members 22a and assumes a substantially horizontal position.

[0074] When the pair of separator rollers 31·31 reaches and stops at the lower limit position H2, the second transfer unit 5 moves the second suction unit 51 to hold the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the second waiting table 12, and then moves the positive electrode plate Eb above the table main body 21 and places the positive electrode plate Eb on the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea via the separator S.

[0075] When the positive electrode plate Eb is placed on the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea, the pair of second claw members 22b are moved horizontally toward the second holding position, and then are lowered toward a predetermined lower limit position h2b. As a result, the pair of second claw members 22b contact both corners of the positive electrode plate Eb on the first stacking position P1 side (right side), thereby maintaining the placement posture of the positive electrode plate Eb.

[0076] When the placement posture of the positive electrode plate Eb is maintained by the pair of second claw members 22b, the pair of separator rollers 31 are moved to the upper limit position H1 while feeding out the separator S, as shown in FIG. 5(c).

[0077] Furthermore, the table body 21 is lowered by the second lowering distance, and is adjusted so that the distance between the upper surface of the positive electrode plate Eb and the second imaging unit 7 is approximately constant.

[0078] Thereafter, the second imaging unit 7 captures an image of the entire positive electrode plate Eb from above to obtain second image data, converts the obtained second image data into an electrical signal, and transmits it to the control unit 8.

[0079] The control unit 8, which receives an electrical signal from the second imaging unit 7, executes a predetermined suitability judgment control based on the second imaging data, and judges the suitability of the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the table main body 21. The specific content of the aptitude determination control will be described later.

[0080] Furthermore, the pair of first claw members 22a are moved horizontally toward the first retracted position, and then move up and down toward a predetermined upper limit position h1a. As a result, the pair of first claw members 22a releases the holding state of the negative electrode plate Ea located on the lower surface side of the positive electrode plate Eb.

[0081] Then, when the control unit 8 determines that the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb is appropriate, the table body 21 is moved again to the first stacking position P1 while pulling out the separator S from the pair of separator rollers 31·31. As a result, the separator S is folded by the pair of second claw members 22b and folded zigzag.

[0082] On the other hand, if the control unit 8 determines that the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb is not appropriate, the positive electrode plate Eb is discarded. In addition, if the stacking operation of the electrode plates E by the stacking device 1 has progressed to a certain extent and it is determined that the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb is not appropriate, the positive electrode plate Eb will be discarded together with the multiple electrode plates E·E··· that have already been stacked.

[0083] When the table body 21 reaches the first stacking position P1, the negative electrode plate Ea is placed again in accordance with the same procedure as the above-described operation procedure at the second stacking position P2.

[0084] That is, after the table main body 21 reaches the first stacking position P1 and the separator S is folded and zigzag by the pair of second claw members 22b·22b, the negative electrode plate Ea is again placed on the upper surface of the positive electrode plate Eb by the first moving part 4.

[0085] Then, the stacked position of the negative electrode plate Ea is maintained by the pair of first claw members 22a·22a, and after the table main body 21 has descended by the first descending distance, the first imaging unit 6 again acquires the first image data, and based on the first image data, the control unit 8 determines whether the negative electrode plate Ea is placed in the appropriate position.

[0086] In this way, the stacking operation at the first stacking position P1 and the second stacking position P2 is repeated alternately, so that the negative electrode plates Ea and the positive electrode plates Eb are stacked alternately in order with the separators S interposed therebetween.

[0087] [Control method for determining the appropriateness of the placement position of electrode plate E (suitability determination control)] Next, a control method executed by the control unit 8 for determining the suitability of the placement position of the electrode plate E (hereinafter referred to as "suitability determination control" where appropriate) will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the above-mentioned suitability judgment control is substantially the same regardless of the difference between the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb, and therefore the following explanation will mainly describe the suitability judgment control for the negative electrode plate Ea performed at the first stacking position P1, and will omit a description of the suitability judgment control for the positive electrode plate Eb performed at the second stacking position P2.

[0088] The placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the upper surface 21a of the table body 21 is determined by the position information of the four corners of the negative electrode plate Ea (a pair of corners Ag1·Ag1 and a pair of corners Ag2·Ag2 described below).

[0089] Here, when the negative electrode plate Ea is placed at the first stacking position P1, the pair of first claw members 22a·22a immediately come into contact to maintain the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea, and therefore, it is difficult to directly recognize the corners Ag1·Ag1 on both sides of the end of the negative electrode plate Ea on the second stacking position P2 side (left side) on the first image data acquired by the first imaging unit 6 (see Figure 1). Therefore, the control unit 8 checks the positions of the detection portions Cp·Cp··· (four locations) near each first claw member 22a on the short and long sides of the negative electrode plate Ea on the first image data, and obtains the position information of each of the above-mentioned corner portions Ag1 from the positions of these detection portions Cp·Cp··· by performing a predetermined calculation process.

[0090] The negative electrode plate Ea is placed, via a separator S, on the upper surface of the positive electrode plate Eb held by the pair of second claw members 22b. As a result, the negative electrode plate Ea is placed in a slightly tilted position compared to a horizontal position, and although the corners Ag2·Ag2 on both sides of the end of the negative electrode plate Ea on the first stacking position P1 side (right side) can be directly recognized, accurate position information may not be obtained.

[0091] Therefore, in this embodiment, product dimension data for the negative electrode plate Ea on the first waiting table 11 (see Figure 1) is acquired in advance, and positional information for the corners Ag2 and Ag2 on both sides of the end of the negative electrode plate Ea on the first stacking position P1 side (right side) is acquired using the product dimension data and positional information for the corners Ag1 and Ag1 on both sides of the end of the negative electrode plate Ea on the second stacking position P2 side (left side) described above.

[0092] Based on the information on the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea thus acquired (i.e., the position information of the pair of corners Ag1·Ag1 and the position information of the pair of corners Ag2·Ag2), the control unit 8 performs a comparison calculation with pre-set allowable range information for the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea, and determines the appropriateness of the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea.

[0093] However, the position of the upper surface of the electrode plate E (negative electrode plate Ea or positive electrode plate Eb) immediately after it is placed on the upper surface 21a of the table main body 21 is prone to some variation due to factors such as manufacturing errors within the allowable range for each electrode plate E and air entrainment that occurs when the separator S is folded zigzag. Here, variations in the position of the upper surface of the electrode plate E may accumulate without canceling each other out as the number of stacked electrode plates E already placed on the table main body 21 increases. As a result, as mentioned above, even if the table main body 21 is lowered a predetermined lowering distance (first lowering distance or second lowering distance) each time each electrode plate E is placed on the table main body 21, it may be difficult to maintain a substantially constant position of the upper surface of the electrode plate E relative to the imaging unit (first imaging unit 6 or second imaging unit 7), and it may not be possible to accurately determine the appropriate placement position of the electrode plate E.

[0094] Therefore, in the suitability judgment control of this embodiment, a predetermined compensation value (the first compensation value Cv1 or the second compensation value Cv2 described below) is calculated in advance according to the procedure shown below, and the compensation value is used to correct the acquired position information of the electrode plate E (negative electrode plate Ea or positive electrode plate Eb), and then the suitability of the placement position of the electrode plate E is judged.

[0095] That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 8 receives from the first imaging unit 6 an electrical signal of first image data that captures an entire image of the negative electrode plate Ea at the first stacking position P1 (see FIG. 1) (step S01), and then acquires information on the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea (position information on the pair of corners Ag1·Ag1 described above and position information on the pair of corners Ag2·Ag2; hereinafter, referred to as "first placement position information" as appropriate) based on the first image data (step S02). On the other hand, the control unit 8 acquires information about the outer size of the pair of first claw members 22a·22a that press down and hold the negative electrode plate Ea in place from above (hereinafter referred to as "first outer size information" as appropriate) based on the first image data (step S03).

[0096] In step S03, the first external size information can be appropriately selected, for example, the width dimension X (see FIG. 6) of each of the first hook members 22a. The first external size information may be acquired for either one of the first claw members 22a, or may be acquired for both of the first claw members 22a.

[0097] After acquiring the first outer size information for the first claw member 22a, the control unit 8 reads information about the actual outer size of the first claw member 22a (hereinafter referred to as "first actual outer size information"), which is pre-stored in the memory unit 82 (see Figure 2), into the calculation processing unit 81, performs a comparison operation between the first actual outer size information and the acquired first outer size information, and calculates a correction value (hereinafter referred to as "first correction value Cv1") to match the first outer size information to the first actual outer size information (step S04).

[0098] Then, the control unit 8 uses the first correction value Cv1 to correct the first placement position information acquired in step S03 above to calculate first post-correction placement position information (step S05), and determines the appropriateness of the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea based on the first post-correction placement position information (step S06).

[0099] The suitability determination control described above is also executed through similar steps (steps S01 to S06) when determining the suitability of the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb at the second stacking position P2.

[0100] That is, based on the second image data, the control unit 8 acquires information on the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb (position information on the pair of corners Ag1·Ag1 described above and position information on the pair of corners Ag2·Ag2; hereinafter referred to as "second placement position information" as appropriate) (step S02), acquires information on the outer size of the pair of second claw members 22b·22b (hereinafter referred to as "second outer size information" as appropriate) (step S03), performs a comparison operation between the information on the actual outer size of the second claw members 22b (hereinafter referred to as "second actual outer size information" as appropriate) and the acquired second outer size information, and calculates a correction value (hereinafter referred to as "second correction value Cv2" as appropriate) for matching the second outer size information to the second actual outer size information (step S04).

[0101] Then, the control unit 8 uses the second correction value Cv2 to correct the second placement position information acquired in step S03 above to calculate second corrected placement position information (step S05), and determines the appropriateness of the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb based on the second corrected placement position information (step S06).

[0102] As described above, the lamination device 1 in this embodiment is a lamination device that places and stacks a plurality of electrode plates (single plates) E·E···, each consisting of two types of negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb, and includes a lamination table 2 that holds the electrode plates (single plates) E to be stacked, a first transfer unit (transfer means) 4 that places the negative electrode plates (single plates) Ea on the upper surface 21a of the lamination table 2 (more specifically, the table body 21), and a second transfer unit (transfer means) 5 that places the positive electrode plates (single plates) Eb on the upper surface 21a of the lamination table 2 (more specifically, the table body 21). The device is equipped with a first imaging unit (imaging means) 6 that acquires, from above, first image data (image data) of the stacking table 2 on which the negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea is placed, each time the negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea is placed by the first transfer unit (transfer means) 4, and a second imaging unit (imaging means) 7 that acquires, from above, second image data (image data) of the stacking table 2 on which the positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb is placed, each time the positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb is placed by the second transfer unit (transfer means) 5. The stacking device 1 also includes a control device (control means) 8 that determines the appropriateness of the placement position of the negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea based on the first image data (image data), and that determines the appropriateness of the placement position of the positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb based on the second image data (image data).

[0103] Here, the stacking table 2 has a first claw member (following means) 22a that follows the upper surface of the negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea immediately after it has been placed on the stacking table 2, and a second claw member (following means) 22b that follows the upper surface of the positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb immediately after it has been placed on the stacking table 2.

[0104] Then, the control unit (control means) 8 acquires first outer size information (outer size information) of the first claw member (following means) 22a based on the first image data (image data), and then performs a comparison operation between the first outer size information (outer size information) and first actual outer size information (actual outer size information), which is the actual outer size of the first claw member (following means) 22a, and compares the first outer size information (outer size information) with the first actual outer size information (actual outer size information). A first correction value (correction value) Cv1 is calculated to match the negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea to the external size information, and first placement position information (placement position information) of the negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea is obtained based on the first image data (image data), and the appropriateness of the placement position of the negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea is determined based on first post-adjustment placement position information (post-adjustment placement position information) obtained by correcting the first placement position information (placement position information) using the first correction value (adjustment value) Cv1.

[0105] Furthermore, the control unit (control means) 8 acquires second outer size information (outer size information) of the second claw member (following means) 22b based on the second image data (image data), and then performs a comparison operation between the second outer size information (outer size information) and second actual outer size information (actual outer size information), which is the actual outer size of the second claw member (following means) 22b, and compares the second outer size information (outer size information) with the second actual outer size information (actual outer size information). A second correction value (correction value) Cv2 is calculated to match the positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb with the second image data (image data), and second placement position information (placement position information) of the positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb is obtained based on the second image data (image data), and the appropriateness of the placement position of the positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb is determined based on second post-adjustment placement position information (post-adjustment placement position information) obtained by correcting the second placement position information (placement position information) using the second correction value (adjustment value) Cv2.

[0106] As such, in the stacking device 1 of this embodiment, the first claw member 22a (or the second claw member 22b) that follows the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea (or the positive electrode plate Eb) is used to calculate the first correction value Cv1 (or the second correction value Cv2) to match the first outer shape size information (or the second outer shape size information) of the first claw member 22a (or the second claw member 22b) acquired based on the first image data (or the second image data) with the first actual outer shape size information (or the second actual outer shape size information). Furthermore, after calculating the first compensation value Cv1 (or the second compensation value Cv2), the first placement position information (or the second placement position information) of the negative electrode plate Ea (or the positive electrode plate Eb) obtained based on the first image data (second image data) is compensated using the first compensation value Cv1 (or the second compensation value Cv2), thereby obtaining the first compensated placement position information (or the second corrected placement position information). Then, based on the acquired first corrected placement position information (or second corrected position information), the appropriateness of the placement position of the first negative electrode plate Ea (or positive electrode plate Eb) is determined.

[0107] Therefore, according to the lamination device 1 of this embodiment, in the negative electrode plate Ea (or the positive electrode plate Eb) placed on the lamination table 2, the image of the negative electrode plate Ea (or the positive electrode plate Eb) on the first image data (or the second image data) is enlarged or reduced due to variations in the position of the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea (or the positive electrode plate Eb), and the first placement position information (or the second placement position information) of the negative electrode plate Ea (or the positive electrode plate Eb) acquired based on the first image data (or the second image data) is Even if the first placement position information (or the second placement position information) contains an error resulting from differences in scale, by correcting the first correction value Cv1 (or the second correction value Cv2) using the first correction value Cv1 (or the second correction value Cv2), it is possible to obtain first corrected placement position information (or the second corrected placement position information) that is at least close to the actual value, and the appropriateness of the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea (or the positive electrode plate Eb) can be accurately determined using the first corrected placement position information (or the second corrected placement position information).

[0108] Furthermore, in the stacking device 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the plurality of sheet plates are made of two types of components consisting of negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb, and are each placed on the upper surface 21a of the stacking table 2 (moving table 21) by a first transfer section (transfer means) 4 and a second transfer section (transfer means) 5 so that the negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb are arranged alternately with each other, with separators S interposed therebetween. As mentioned above, the separator S is not limited to a long strip-shaped separator, but may be a sheet-shaped separator.

[0109] By applying the stacking device of the present invention to an apparatus for manufacturing a stacked battery by alternately stacking two types of electrode plates (single plates) E consisting of negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb with separators S interposed therebetween, it is possible to accurately determine the appropriate placement positions of the negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb immediately after they are placed on the stacking table 2, and to manufacture a high-quality stacked battery.

[0110] Furthermore, in the stacking device 1 of this embodiment, the separator S is made of a long, strip-shaped member, and the stacking device 1 is further configured to be arranged above the stacking table 2 and to be further equipped with a separator supply section (separator supply means) 3 that supplies the separator S to the upper surface 21a of the stacking table 2 (table main body 21) while moving back and forth horizontally and in one direction (left-right direction) relative to the stacking table 2.

[0111] Even in such a stacking device that folds a long, strip-shaped separator S zigzag on a loading table 2 and alternately places and stacks a plurality of electrode plates (single plates) E·E···, each consisting of a negative electrode plate Ea and a positive electrode plate Eb, so that each is positioned between the folded portions of the separator S, the stacking device 1 of this embodiment can accurately determine the appropriate placement positions of the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb immediately after they are placed on the stacking table 2.

[0112] In the above explanation, an example has been described in which the stacking table 2 and the separator supply unit (separator supply means) 3 are configured to be able to move back and forth horizontally relative to each other, and the separator supply unit 3 does not move but the stacking table 2 moves back and forth horizontally to fold the separator S in a zigzag pattern. However, this is not limited to this, and the stacking table 2 may not move, and the separator supply unit 3 may be configured to be able to move back and forth horizontally to perform the back and forth movement.

[0113] [Configuration of stacking device 1 in another embodiment] As another embodiment of the stacking device 1, predetermined pitches (first descent distance and second descent distance) previously set for the downward movement of the table body 21 may be respectively adjusted using predetermined adjustment values ​​(first adjustment value Cv1 and second adjustment value Cv2) calculated when the above-mentioned suitability judgment control is executed.

[0114] Here, the timing for correcting the first lowering distance related to the lowering operation of the table main body 21 on which the negative electrode plate Ea is placed, which is performed at the first stacking position P1, using the first correction value Cv1 is not particularly limited, and for example, the correction of the first lowering distance may be performed using the first correction value Cv1 each time a negative electrode plate Ea is placed on the table main body 21, or each time the number of negative electrode plates Ea already placed on the table main body 21 reaches a predetermined number. Furthermore, the timing for correcting the second descent distance related to the lowering operation of the table main body 21 on which the positive electrode plate Eb is placed, which is performed at the second stacking position P2, using the second correction value Cv2 is not particularly limited. For example, the correction of the second descent distance may be performed using the second correction value Cv2 each time a positive electrode plate Eb is placed on the table main body 21, or each time the number of positive electrode plates Eb already placed on the table main body 21 reaches a predetermined number.

[0115] Thus, in another embodiment of the stacking device 1, the stacking table 2 (more specifically, the table main body 21) is controlled to descend a predetermined first descending distance (descending distance) each time a negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea is placed on the stacking table 2 at the first stacking position P1, and to descend a predetermined second descending distance (descending distance) each time a positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb is placed on the stacking table 2 at the second stacking position P2, and the control unit (control means) 8 is configured to compensate for the first descending distance using the above-mentioned first compensation value (correction value) Cv1, and to compensate for the second descending distance using the above-mentioned second compensation value (correction value) Cv2.

[0116] With this configuration, even if there is variation in the position of the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the stacking table 2, the stacking table 2 can be lowered to an appropriate position that corresponds to the variation by correcting the first lowering distance using the first correction value Cv1, and therefore the position of the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea relative to the first imaging unit 6 can be maintained more stably and approximately constant. Furthermore, even if there is variation in the position of the upper surface of the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the stacking table 2, the second lowering distance can be corrected using the second correction value Cv2, so that the stacking table 2 can be lowered to an appropriate position that corresponds to the variation, thereby more stably maintaining the position of the upper surface of the positive electrode plate Eb relative to the second imaging unit 7 at an approximately constant position.

[0117] Therefore, according to the stacking device 1 in another embodiment, errors arising from differences in scale can be more reliably eliminated in the first placement position information (placement position information) of the negative electrode plate Ea obtained based on the first image data (image data), and the appropriateness of the placement position of the negative electrode plate Ea can be more accurately determined. Furthermore, in the second placement position information (placement position information) of the positive electrode plate Eb obtained based on the second image data (image data), errors arising from differences in scale can be more reliably eliminated, and the appropriateness of the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb can be determined more accurately.

[0118] In actual negative electrode plates Ea and positive electrode plates Eb, slight warping or distortion within an allowable range generally occurs in many cases. Therefore, the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb are placed on the upper surface 21a of the table main body 21 in a state in which they have slight elasticity that allows them to deform in the up and down directions.

[0119] If the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb placed in this state are maintained in their positions by a pair of first claw members 22a·22a and a pair of second claw members 22b·22b, respectively, the following problems may arise.

[0120] That is, the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb are held in a mounted position by the pair of first claw members 22a·22a and the pair of second claw members 22b·22b pressing down on their respective upper surfaces, and therefore there is a risk that the areas of each upper surface that come into contact with the pair of first claw members 22a·22a and the pair of second claw members 22b·22b will sink, leaving so-called "dents."

[0121] Furthermore, as described above, when the holding state of the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb by the pair of first claw members 22a·22a and the pair of second claw members 22b·22b is released, the pair of first claw members 22a·22a and the pair of second claw members 22b·22b are each configured to move horizontally toward the first open position and the second open position, respectively, and move away from the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb. Therefore, when the pair of first claw members 22a·22a and the pair of second claw members 22b·22b move away from the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb, respectively, the horizontal movement of the pair of first claw members 22a·22a and the pair of second claw members 22b·22b causes the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb to bulge due to the above-mentioned elasticity, and as a result, they rub against the pair of first claw members 22a·22a and the pair of second claw members 22b·22b, which could cause ``scratches'' on the upper surfaces of the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb.

[0122] Under such circumstances, according to the stacking device 1 of another embodiment, even if slight warping or distortion occurs in the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb as described above, the stacking table 2 can be lowered to an appropriate position that corresponds to such warping or distortion by correcting the first lowering distance using the first correction value Cv1 and correcting the second lowering distance using the second correction value Cv2, and the position of the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea and the positive electrode plate Eb can be kept approximately constant. Therefore, the operation of the pair of first claw members 22a·22a and the pair of second claw members 22b·22b can prevent dents and scratches from occurring on the upper surfaces of the negative electrode plates Ea and the positive electrode plates Eb, thereby improving the quality of the negative electrode plates Ea and the positive electrode plates Eb that are alternately placed and stacked on the upper surface 21a of the stacking table 2 (table main body 21).

[0123] In another embodiment of the stacking device 1, the control unit (control means) 8 may adjust the first lowering distance using a first compensation value Cv1 each time a negative electrode plate (single plate) Ea is placed on the stacking table 2 (more specifically, the table main body 21) at the first stacking position P1, and may adjust the second lowering distance using a second compensation value Cv2 each time a positive electrode plate (single plate) Eb is placed on the stacking table 2 at the second stacking position P2. The specific timing for correcting the first lowering distance and the second lowering distance using the first adjustment value Cv1 and the second adjustment value Cv2, respectively, is preferably set while the stacking table 2 is moving between the first stacking position P1 and the second stacking position P2, thereby preventing the takt time when the stacking device 1 performs the stacking operation from being extended.

[0124] By having such a configuration, according to the stacking device 1 in another embodiment, even if there is variation in the position of the upper surface of the negative electrode plate Ea placed on the stacking table 2, it is possible to prevent the variation from accumulating each time the negative electrode plate Ea is placed on the stacking table 2, and it is possible to more accurately determine the appropriate position of the negative electrode plate Ea. Furthermore, even if there is variation in the position of the upper surface of the positive electrode plate Eb placed on the stacking table 2, it is possible to prevent the variation from accumulating each time the positive electrode plate Eb is placed on the stacking table 2, and the appropriateness of the placement position of the positive electrode plate Eb can be determined with even greater accuracy.

[0125] The above describes one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, which is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be embodied in various other forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and further includes the meaning of equivalents set forth in the claims, and all modifications within the scope of the claims.

[0126] Furthermore, in the above explanation, an example has been described in which the stacking table 2 and the separator supply means 3 are configured to be able to move back and forth horizontally relative to each other, and the separator supply means 3 does not move but the stacking table 2 moves back and forth horizontally to fold the separator in a zigzag pattern. However, this is not limited to this, and the stacking table 2 may not move, and the separator supply means 3 may be configured to be able to move back and forth horizontally to perform the back and forth movement. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1. Stacking device 2 stacking tables 21 Table body 21a Top side 22a First claw member (following means) 22b Second claw member (following means) 3 Separator supply unit (separator supply means) 4 1st transfer section (transfer means) 5 Second transfer section (transfer means) 6 First imaging unit (imaging means) 7 Second imaging unit (imaging means) 8 Control section (control means) Cv1 First compensation value (correction value) Cv2 Second compensation value (correction value) Ea negative electrode plate (single-leaf plate) Eb positive electrode plate (single wafer plate) S Separator

Claims

1. A stacking device that places and stacks a plurality of sheets, a stacking table for holding the sheets to be stacked; a transfer means for placing a sheet on the upper surface of the stacking table; an imaging means for acquiring image data of the stacking table on which the sheet is placed from above each time the sheet is placed by the transfer means; a control means for determining the appropriateness of the placement position of the sheet based on the image data; The stacking table is a follower means for following the upper surface of the sheet immediately after it is placed on the stacking table; The control means After acquiring the outer size information of the tracking means based on the image data, a comparison is made between the outer size information and actual outer size information, which is the actual outer size of the tracking means, to calculate a correction value for matching the outer size information with the actual outer size information, and acquiring the placement position information of the sheet based on the image data. determining the appropriateness of the placement position of the plate based on post-adjustment placement position information obtained by adjusting the placement position information using the adjustment value; A stacking device characterized by:

2. The stacking table is Each time a sheet is placed on the platen, the platen is lowered by a predetermined distance. The control means correcting the descending distance using the correction value; 2. The stacking device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The control means the lowering distance is corrected every time a sheet is placed on the stacking table.

3. The stacking device according to claim 2, wherein the stacking device comprises:

4. the following means is a claw member that presses down from above to maintain the placement posture of the sheet placed on the stacking table; The stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that:

5. The plurality of sheets of boards are It consists of two types of members: a negative electrode plate and a positive electrode plate, The negative and positive electrode plates are arranged alternately with separators interposed therebetween. The moving means places the stacking table on the upper surface thereof. The stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that:

6. The separator is made of a long strip-shaped member, The stacking device is Located above the stacking table, further comprising a separator supplying means that reciprocates horizontally and in one direction relative to the stacking table and supplies the separator to an upper surface of the stacking table; The stacking device according to claim 5 .

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