Battery manufacturing device and manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a battery manufacturing device and a manufacturing method that can shorten cycle times and reduce the space required for manufacturing.SOLUTION: In a battery manufacturing device that forms electrode foils 2 with sealing members 3, 4 joined together by stacking them with separators 5 sandwiched in between, the material of the electrode foil 2 that is conveyed as a web is cut while being conveyed as a web to form rectangular electrode foils 2, and after cutting, a gap 6a is provided between adjacent electrode foils 2 in the conveying direction of the web, and a sealing member 3 is joined across this gap 6a to form a strip-shaped electrode foil web 7 in which the electrode foils 2 are joined together, and then the electrode foil web 7 is cut into a rectangle to form a battery cell 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing a battery constructed by stacking a large number of battery cells, each of which is 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.

[0004] Meanwhile, Patent Document 3 describes a web splicing device. The web splicing device described in Patent Document 3 splices one end (leading end) of a new second web paid out from a new web roll (replacement web roll) to one end (trailing end) of a first web paid out from an old web roll (currently in use). Specifically, the web splicing device described in Patent Document 3 includes a frame disposed at a position through which the web passes while being transported, a first suction unit provided in an upper space of the frame and capable of vertically raising and lowering and of adhering and detaching the web, and a first web cutting unit having a cutting blade that travels in the width direction of the web to cut it, and a second suction unit provided in a lower space of the frame and capable of vertically raising and lowering and of adhering and detaching the web, and a second web cutting unit having a cutting blade that travels in the width direction of the web to cut it. In the web splicing device described in Patent Document 3, the above-mentioned first suction unit and second suction unit, as well as the above-mentioned first web cutting unit and second web cutting unit, are each arranged in a positional relationship that is symmetrical with respect to the web transport position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-145102 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-136250 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-117117 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the energy storage module manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1, a bipolar battery cell is manufactured by welding a sealant and a separator to the four edges of rectangular sheet-shaped bipolar electrodes to separate the overlapping bipolar electrodes. The separators used in the manufacturing process of such bipolar batteries are cut into rectangular sheets corresponding to each battery cell and supplied one by one using, for example, the separator supplying device technology described in Patent Document 2. Alternatively, they are supplied one by one using a transport manipulator such as a robot arm or robot hand. This requires time to transport the rectangular or sheet-shaped separators one by one to subsequent processes. 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, additional space must be secured for the processes of cutting the separators, sealant, etc.

[0007] Meanwhile, in the separator supply device for the energy storage module described in Patent Document 2, bipolar electrodes (or electrode plates, electrode foils) are transported from, for example, a roll or reel by so-called web transport to a subsequent process where a sealing material and separator are welded and supplied. By applying the above-described web transport in the battery (or battery cell) manufacturing process, it is possible to reduce the transport time and positioning time, as described above, compared to, for example, transporting each electrode piece by using a transport manipulator or the like. Furthermore, when manufacturing batteries or battery cells using such web transport technology, by applying the web splicing (or foil splicing) technology using the web splicing device described in Patent Document 3, it is possible to perform highly accurate positioning during web splicing and foil splicing, and it is expected that the time required for such positioning processes will be reduced. However, the web splicing device described in Patent Document 3 has two suction units and two web cutting units installed in a frame (or housing), and the frame also has a tape feeding unit equipped with a dancer roll for adjusting the tension of the web (tape), making it difficult to reduce the size of the device. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in order to reduce the size and space required for battery manufacturing devices or manufacturing facilities.

[0008] Furthermore, in the web splicing device described in Patent Document 3 and conventional web transport technologies, active dancers are typically used to adjust the web transport speed when performing the above-mentioned web splicing or foil splicing. As shown in FIG. 1, the active dancer moves up and down in a direction perpendicular to the web transport direction to absorb the difference in transport speed between the front and rear webs in the transport direction (the active dancer acts as a buffer for the transport speed difference). This allows the position (processing point) where foil splicing or other processing is performed to be temporarily stopped (transport stagnation). As shown in FIG. 1, two active dancers are used in pairs at two locations, one before and one after the web transport direction. Therefore, a web transport device using such active dancers requires additional space for moving the active dancers to buffer the transport speed difference. Furthermore, it is inevitable that time is required to move the active dancers up and down to adjust the web transport speed.

[0009] As described above, conventional battery manufacturing techniques using web conveyance still have room for improvement in order to shorten the cycle time when manufacturing batteries or battery cells and to reduce the space required for manufacturing.

[0010] 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]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a battery manufacturing apparatus that forms a battery by joining sealing members to the four peripheral sides of a rectangular electrode foil and stacking the electrode foils with the sealing members joined thereto with a sheet-like separator sandwiched therebetween, the battery manufacturing apparatus comprising: an electrode foil material reel that winds and holds an electrode foil material web in which the electrode foil material is formed into a strip shape; an electrode foil conveying device that conveys the electrode foil material web supplied from the electrode foil material reel; and cutting the electrode foil material web conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device while being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device to form the rectangular electrode foil, and and a sealing material joining device that cuts the sealing material supplied from the sealing material reel into a shape corresponding to the rectangular electrode foil that has been cut by the electrode foil cutting device, and joins the sealing material to the electrode foil that is being transported by the electrode foil transport device, straddling the electrode foils that are adjacent to each other in the transport direction, thereby forming a belt-shaped electrode foil web in which the electrode foils are joined together.

[0012] The electrode foil cutting device of the present invention may also include a clamping mechanism that is movable in the conveying direction in synchronization with the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web by the electrode foil conveying device in the conveying direction, and is movable relatively to the conveying portion of the electrode foil conveying device main body, and that, while moving in the conveying direction, grips the electrode foil material web being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device at at least two different positions in the conveying direction, synchronizes the moving speed when gripping the electrode foil material web and moving in the conveying direction with the conveying speed, thereby restricting movement of the electrode foil material web relative to the electrode foil conveying device in the conveying direction, and allows the relative movement in accordance with the difference between the moving speed and the conveying speed, and a cutting mechanism that moves a cutting blade or a laser beam in the width direction and the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web to cut the electrode foil material web, and the present invention is also With the relative movement stopped by the clamping mechanism, the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web and the feed speed of the cutting blade or the laser beam in the conveying direction are synchronized, and the cutting blade or the laser beam is moved in the width direction between a position where the electrode foil material web is gripped by the clamping mechanism on the upstream side in the conveying direction and a position where the electrode foil material web is gripped on the downstream side in the conveying direction to cut the electrode foil material web, and after the electrode foil material web has been cut, the movement speed of the clamping mechanism that gripped the electrode foil material web on the upstream side is reduced below the movement speed of the clamping mechanism that gripped the electrode foil material web on the downstream side, thereby providing the gap between the electrode foil in the electrode foil material web on the upstream side that has been cut by the cutting mechanism and the electrode foil in the electrode foil material web on the downstream side.

[0013] Furthermore, the clamping mechanism in this invention may have a first clamp that grips the electrode foil material web on the upstream side in the conveying direction, and a second clamp that grips the electrode foil material web on the downstream side in the conveying direction, and this invention may be configured so that, while the electrode foil material web is being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device, the movement speed of the first clamp that has gripped the electrode foil material web, the movement speed of the second clamp that has gripped the electrode foil material web, and the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web by the electrode foil conveying device are all synchronized to stop the relative movement, and after the electrode foil material web is cut by the cutting mechanism with the relative movement stopped, the movement speed of the first clamp that has gripped the electrode foil material web is temporarily reduced below the conveying speed and the movement speed of the second clamp that has gripped the electrode foil material web, thereby creating the gap.

[0014] The sealing member in this invention may comprise a first sealing member joined to two sides in the width direction of the electrode foil material web of the electrode foil formed into a rectangle by the electrode foil cutting device, and a second sealing member joined to two sides in the transport direction of the electrode foil formed into a rectangle by the electrode foil cutting device. The sealing material joining device in this invention may comprise a first sealing material joining device that joins the first sealing member to the two sides in the width direction of the electrode foil, and a second sealing material joining device that joins the second sealing member to the two sides in the transport direction of the electrode foil. The sealing material reel in this invention may comprise a first sealing material reel that supplies the first sealing material to the first sealing material joining device, and a second sealing material reel that supplies the second sealing material to the second sealing material joining device. and a second sealing material reel that supplies the first sealing material, and the first sealing material joining device in this invention may be configured to join the first sealing material, supplied from the first sealing material reel, between the electrode foil on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the electrode foil on the downstream side in the conveying direction, where the gap is provided by the electrode foil cutting device, to the electrode foil on the upstream side and the electrode foil on the downstream side, respectively, to form the electrode foil web by joining the electrode foil on the upstream side and the electrode foil on the downstream side, and the second sealing material joining device in this invention may be configured to continuously join the second sealing material, supplied from the second sealing material reel, to the electrode foil in the electrode foil web formed by the first sealing material joining device.

[0015] The first sealing material joining device in this invention may include a pressure mechanism that applies a pressure to a first joint portion between the electrode foil and the first sealing member while the first sealing member is superimposed on the electrode foil, and a first heating device that heats the first joint portion while the pressure mechanism is applying the pressure to the first joint portion. This invention may be configured to weld the first sealing member to the electrode foil web at the first joint portion. The second sealing material joining device in this invention may include a second heating device that heats a second joint portion between the electrode foil and the second sealing member while the second sealing member is superimposed on the electrode foil, and a pressure roller that applies a pressure to the second joint portion while the second joint portion is heated by the heating device. This invention may be configured to weld the second sealing member to the electrode foil web at the second joint portion.

[0016] On the other hand, the present invention is a manufacturing method of a battery in which sealing members are bonded to the four peripheral sides of a rectangular electrode foil, and the electrode foils to which the sealing members are bonded are laminated with a sheet-like separator sandwiched therebetween, the method comprising the steps of: conveying the electrode foil material web, which is supplied from an electrode foil material reel (source process) that winds and holds an electrode foil material web in which the electrode foil material is formed into a strip shape, by an electrode foil conveying device; cutting the electrode foil material web conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device by an electrode foil cutting device while it is being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device to form the rectangular electrode foil; and The method is characterized by providing a gap between adjacent electrode foils in the conveying direction for positioning and joining the sealing member (electrode foil cutting process), cutting the sealing member, which is supplied from a sealing material reel that winds and holds the strip-shaped sealing material, into a shape or length that corresponds to the rectangular electrode foil by the electrode foil cutting device, and joining the sealing member to the electrode foil while it is being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device, straddling the adjacent electrode foils in the conveying direction, thereby forming a strip-shaped electrode foil web in which the electrode foils are joined together (sealing material joining process).

[0017] The present invention also provides a clamping mechanism that is movable in the conveying direction in synchronization with the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web by the electrode foil conveying device in the conveying direction and is movable relatively to a conveying portion of a main body of the electrode foil conveying device, and that, while moving in the conveying direction, grips the electrode foil material web being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device at at least two different positions in the conveying direction, synchronizes the moving speed at which the electrode foil material web is gripped and moved in the conveying direction with the conveying speed, thereby restricting relative movement of the electrode foil material web with respect to the electrode foil conveying device in the conveying direction and allowing the relative movement in accordance with the difference between the moving speed and the conveying speed, and a cutting mechanism that moves a cutting blade or a laser beam in the width direction of the electrode foil material web (i.e., a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction) and in the conveying direction (i.e., the length direction of the electrode foil material web) to cut the electrode foil material web, and that restricts the relative movement by the clamping mechanism. In this state, the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web and the feed speed of the cutting blade or the laser beam in the conveying direction may be synchronized, and the cutting blade or the laser beam may be moved in the width direction between a position where the electrode foil material web is gripped by the clamping mechanism on the upstream side in the conveying direction and a position where the electrode foil material web is gripped on the downstream side in the conveying direction to cut the electrode foil material web, and after the electrode foil material web has been cut, the movement speed of the clamping mechanism that gripped the electrode foil material web on the upstream side may be reduced to be lower than the movement speed of the clamping mechanism that gripped the electrode foil material web on the downstream side, and the clamping mechanism on the upstream side and the electrode foil material web on the electrode foil conveying device main body may be moved relative to the electrode foil conveying device main body, thereby creating a gap between the electrode foil in the electrode foil material web on the upstream side that has been cut by the cutting mechanism and the electrode foil in the electrode foil material web on the downstream side (electrode foil cutting process).

[0018] Furthermore, this invention may use, as the clamping mechanism, a first clamp that grips the electrode foil material web on the upstream side in the conveying direction and a second clamp that grips the electrode foil material web on the downstream side in the conveying direction, and while the electrode foil material web is being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device, the movement speed of the first clamp that grips the electrode foil material web, the movement speed of the second clamp that grips the electrode foil material web, and the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web by the electrode foil conveying device are all synchronized to stop the relative movement, and after the electrode foil material web is cut by the cutting mechanism with the relative movement stopped, the movement speed of the first clamp that grips the electrode foil material web may be temporarily reduced to be lower than the conveying speed and the movement speed of the second clamp that grips the electrode foil material web, thereby creating the gap (electrode foil cutting process).

[0019] The sealing member in this invention may comprise a first sealing member joined to two sides in the width direction of the electrode foil material web of the electrode foil formed into a rectangle by the electrode foil cutting device, and a second sealing member joined to two sides in the transport direction of the electrode foil formed into a rectangle by the electrode foil cutting device. This invention is also directed to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using, as the sealing material joining device, a first sealing material joining device that joins the first sealing member to the two sides in the width direction of the electrode foil, and a second sealing material joining device that joins the second sealing member to the two sides in the transport direction of the electrode foil, and using, as the sealing material reels, a first sealing material reel that supplies the first sealing member to the first sealing material joining device, and a second sealing material joining device that joins the second sealing member to the second sealing material joining device. and a second sealing material reel that supplies a sealing material, the first sealing material supplied from the first sealing material reel between the electrode foil on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the electrode foil on the downstream side in the conveying direction, where the gap has been provided by the electrode foil cutting device, is joined by the first sealing material joining device to the electrode foil on the upstream side and the electrode foil on the downstream side, respectively, to form the electrode foil web by joining the electrode foil on the upstream side and the electrode foil on the downstream side, and the second sealing material supplied from the second sealing material reel is continuously joined by the second sealing material joining device to the electrode foil in the electrode foil web formed by the first sealing material joining device (sealing material joining step).

[0020] The present invention may also be configured such that the first sealing material joining device uses a pressure mechanism that sandwiches and applies a pressure to a first joint portion between the electrode foil and the first sealing material while the first sealing material is superimposed on the electrode foil, and a first heating device that heats the first joint portion while the pressure mechanism is applying the pressure to the first joint portion, thereby welding the first sealing material to the electrode foil web at the first joint portion; and the second sealing material joining device uses a second heating device that heats a second joint portion between the electrode foil and the second sealing material while the second sealing material is superimposed on the electrode foil, and a pressure roller that applies a pressure to the second joint portion while the second joint portion is heated by the heating device, thereby welding the second sealing material to the electrode foil web at the second joint portion (sealing material joining process). [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] 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 transporting sheet-shaped electrode foils one by one and bonding sealing members to them. Separators cut into sheets in a separate process are then transported one by one onto each electrode foil with a sealing member bonded to it. This requires a lot of time for transporting the electrode foils and separators, as well as for positioning and centering them. In contrast, in the battery manufacturing apparatus and method of this invention, both the strip-shaped electrode foil material (electrode foil material web) wound on an electrode foil material reel and the electrode foil (electrode foil web) spliced ​​together into a strip by bonding sealing members are transported by an electrode foil transport device. That is, each of the components (webs) used to form the electrode foil is transported in a so-called web-like manner.

[0022] The electrode foil material web is transported by an electrode foil transport device and cut in the width direction while being transported. The strip-shaped electrode foil material web is cut to form rectangular electrode foils. Then, a sealing member is bonded to the cut electrode foils, splicing the electrode foils together and forming the strip-shaped electrode foil web again. Therefore, the electrode foil is processed in a series of web transport steps by the electrode foil transport device, from transporting the electrode foil material web to cutting, joining the sealing member, and splicing the electrode foils together (forming the electrode foil web). Therefore, compared to conventional manufacturing techniques in which sheet-shaped electrode foils are transported and formed one by one, positioning and centering of the material or formed product are unnecessary or made easier. For example, if the widthwise position of the electrode foil material web or electrode foil web is fixed during the web transport flow, the material or formed product can be easily positioned by simply adjusting the position and movement amount in the transport direction.

[0023] In this way, in the battery manufacturing apparatus and method of the present invention, the electrode foil material and the electrode foil are each transported by a web. During this web transport process, processes such as cutting the electrode foil (to size) from the electrode foil material, joining the sealing material, and splicing the electrode foil are performed. This shortens the cycle time for battery (battery cell) manufacturing compared to conventional manufacturing techniques, such as those in which electrode foil is procured and transported individually, cut and transported in a separate process, or spliced ​​in a separate process. Furthermore, separate processes for transporting, cutting, and splicing the electrode foil are not required, thereby saving space in the manufacturing site. Furthermore, the process of splicing the electrode foil is also performed during the web transport process, eliminating the need for a conventional active dancer. Therefore, compared to conventional techniques using an active dancer, no space is required for moving the active dancer. Furthermore, the time required to adjust the transport speed using the active dancer is eliminated.

[0024] 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]

[0025] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining the problems of the prior art, showing the operation and function of a typical active dancer. Figure 1(a) shows the state during steady transport, and Figure 1(b) shows the state during foil splicing. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a process diagram (flowchart) showing an outline of the basic manufacturing process for the battery that is the subject of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 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 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an outline (image) of a battery manufacturing method using the battery manufacturing apparatus of 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 illustrating the battery manufacturing apparatus (electrode foil cutting apparatus, clamping mechanism) of the present invention, and a specific battery manufacturing process (electrode foil clamping process) using the manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a battery manufacturing apparatus (electrode foil cutting apparatus, cutting mechanism) according to the present invention, and a specific battery manufacturing process (electrode foil cutting process) using the manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the battery manufacturing apparatus (electrode foil cutting apparatus, cutting mechanism, clamping mechanism) of the present invention, and a specific battery manufacturing process (electrode foil spacing process) using the manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a battery manufacturing apparatus (sealing material joining apparatus, pressure mechanism) of the present invention, and a specific battery manufacturing process (foil joining process / sealing material clamping process) using the manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a battery manufacturing apparatus (sealing material joining apparatus, heating apparatus) according to the present invention, and a specific battery manufacturing process (foil joining process / sealing material welding process) using the manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the battery manufacturing apparatus (sealing material joining device, heating device, and pressure mechanism) of the present invention, and a specific battery manufacturing process (sealing material welding process on the conveying direction side) using the manufacturing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] Figure 2 shows a schematic 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 (or flowchart) in Figure 2 shows the basic process or overall process flow for 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 manufacturing of batteries in the "process P1 (electrode foil cutting process)" and "process P2 (sealing material joining process / foil joining process)" described later.

[0029] First, in step P1 (electrode foil cutting step), a roll of electrode foil material is fed as a web and cut into rectangular electrode foil pieces corresponding to a set of battery cells (a pair of electrode foils and a separator). After the electrode foil is cut, the electrode foil is fed as a web with a gap provided for joining a sealing member in a subsequent step (step P2). The battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention are particularly directed to step P1, and the specific manufacturing steps will be described later.

[0030] In process P2 (sealing material joining process / foil splicing process), sealing materials are welded to the four peripheral sides of the rectangularly 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 the resulting web is transported as a belt-shaped electrode foil web. The battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention are particularly directed to process P2, and the specific manufacturing process will be described later.

[0031] In step P3 (separator bonding step), the electrode foil transported as an electrode foil web is bonded to a 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 that correspond to a set of battery cells. Furthermore, while the cut separators are being transported, they are positioned relative to the electrode foil of the electrode foil 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.

[0032] 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 foil web in which the separator is bonded to the electrode foil, producing a battery cell 1 as shown in Fig. 3, which will be described later.

[0033] Figure 3 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 3 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.

[0034] The electrode foil 2 is a rectangular foil-shaped current collector, one surface of which (upper surface 2a in the example shown in FIG. 3) 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).

[0035] 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. 3, a first sealing member 3 is attached to the long sides of the rectangular electrode foil 2 (two sides in the width direction of the electrode foil material web 6 described below), and a second sealing member 4 is attached to the short sides of the rectangular electrode foil 2 (two sides in the transport direction of the electrode foil material web 6 described below).

[0036] 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. 3).

[0037] 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.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows an outline (image) of a battery manufacturing apparatus and a battery manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the battery manufacturing apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the electrode foil 2 material, i.e., the electrode foil material web 6, formed into a strip shape, is conveyed while cutting, positioning (spacing), and splicing (foil splicing) of the electrode foil material web 6 are performed. Also, the electrode foil web 7, formed into a strip shape (foil spliced) by attaching the first seal member 3, is conveyed while joining the second seal member 4 to the electrode foil 2. By continuously conveying the electrode foil material web 6 and the electrode foil web 7 and performing the above-described processes during the web conveyance, it is possible to eliminate or reduce other processes outside of the web conveyance. At the same time, it is possible to eliminate or reduce the movement and transportation from other processes. This shortens the cycle time during battery manufacturing and saves space in the manufacturing site.

[0039] The manufacturing apparatus 10 for the battery shown in FIG. 4 (in the example shown in FIG. 4, a battery cell 1 of a bipolar battery) includes, as its main components, an electrode foil material reel 11, an electrode foil conveying device 12, an electrode foil cutting device 13, and a sealing material joining device 14.

[0040] The electrode foil material reel 11 winds and holds the material (coated foil) of the electrode foil 2 formed into a strip shape in the so-called battery source process (process P0), i.e., the electrode foil material web 6. In the battery manufacturing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the electrode foil material web 6 is transported from the electrode foil material reel 11 and supplied to an electrode foil transport device 12, which will be described next.

[0041] The electrode foil transport device 12 is responsible for general web transport in this manufacturing apparatus 10 and has, for example, a foil unwinding section 12a composed of the electrode foil material reel 11 described above and a foil winding section 12b composed of a drive roller (not shown) driven by a power source (not shown) such as a motor. As described above, the electrode foil transport device 12 transports the electrode foil material web 6 supplied from the electrode foil material reel 11. The electrode foil transport device 12 also transports the electrode foil 2 that has been cut and formed into a rectangular shape by the electrode foil cutting device 13 described below. The electrode foil transport device 12 then transports the electrode foil web 7 that has been formed into a strip shape again by the joining of the first seal member 3 by the sealing material joining device 14 described below.

[0042] The electrode foil cutting device 13 cuts the electrode foil material web 6 transported by the electrode foil transport device 12 while the web is still being transported by the electrode foil transport device 12, to form rectangular electrode foils 2. After cutting the electrode foil material web 6, the electrode foil cutting device 13 also provides gaps 6a between adjacent electrode foils 2 in the transport direction of the electrode foil material web 6 (the left-right direction in FIG. 4 ) for arranging and joining first seal members 3.

[0043] The sealing material joining device 14 has sealing material reels 8, 9 that hold the sealing members 3, 4 wound up and formed into a strip or tape shape, and cuts the sealing members 3, 4 supplied from the sealing material reels 8, 9 into shapes corresponding to the rectangular electrode foil 2 cut by the electrode foil cutting device 13. At the same time, the sealing material joining device 14 joins the sealing members 3, 4 to the electrode foil 2 being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device 12, straddling adjacent electrode foils 2 in the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web 6 and the electrode foil 2. In particular, by joining the first sealing member 3 to the portion where the gap 6a has been created by the electrode foil conveying device 12 as described above, the electrode foils 2 on either side of the gap 6a are joined together to form the strip-shaped electrode foil web 7.

[0044] In a battery manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a battery (battery cell 1) is manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus 10 configured as described above. Specifically, as described above, sealing members 3 and 4 are bonded to the four peripheral sides of rectangular electrode foil 2, and then a sheet-like separator 5 is bonded to the electrode foil 2 to which the sealing members 3 and 4 have been bonded, thereby forming battery cell 1. A large number of battery cells 1 thus formed are then stacked to manufacture a battery.

[0045] 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 P1 (electrode foil cutting process)" and "Process P2 (sealing material joining process / foil joining process)" of the overall battery manufacturing process shown in the process diagram in Fig. 1. In addition, Figs. 6 to 11 below show an image of the configuration and operation of manufacturing apparatus 10 in each process shown in the process diagram in Fig. 5.

[0046] The content of step P1 in the process flow diagram of Fig. 1, i.e., the "electrode foil cutting process," is carried out in steps P11 to P13 in the process flow diagram of Fig. 5. Also, the content of step P2 in the process flow diagram of Fig. 1, i.e., the "sealing material joining process (or foil joining process)," is carried out in steps P21 to P23 in the process flow diagram of Fig. 5.

[0047] First, in step P11 (electrode foil clamping step), as shown in FIG. 6, the clamping mechanism 21 of the electrode foil cutting device 13 is used to restrict the relative movement of the electrode foil material web 6 with respect to the electrode foil conveying device 12 in the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web 6 (the left-right direction in FIG. 6).

[0048] The clamping mechanism 21 is configured to be movable or self-propelled in the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web 6 in synchronization with the conveying speed of the electrode foil conveying device 12 in that direction. That is, the clamping mechanism 21 is movable relative to a conveying portion (e.g., a conveying belt, not shown) of the electrode foil conveying device 12. The clamping mechanism 21 also has "clamps" that grip the electrode foil material web 6 being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device 12 at at least two different positions in the conveying direction while moving in the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web 6 as described above. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the clamping mechanism 21 has a first clamp 21a that grips the electrode foil material web 6 on the upstream side (left side in FIG. 6) in the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web 6, and a second clamp 21b that grips the electrode foil material web 6 on the downstream side (right side in FIG. 6) in the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web 6. The first clamp 21a and the second clamp 21b are each configured to grip the electrode foil material web 6 at two locations on both ends in the width direction of the electrode foil material web 6. Therefore, in the example shown in Fig. 6, a pair of clamp mechanisms 21 at two locations on both ends in the width direction of the electrode foil material web 6 are provided at two locations (two sets) on the upstream side and downstream side in the conveyance direction of the electrode foil material web 6, for a total of four clamps 21a, 21b.

[0049] The first clamp 21a and the second clamp 21b are configured to be movable relative to each other. The clamp mechanism 21 grips the electrode foil material web 6 and synchronizes the moving speed of the clamp mechanism 21 in the conveying direction with the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web 6, thereby preventing the electrode foil material web 6 from moving relative to the electrode foil conveying device 12 in the conveying direction. At the same time, the clamp mechanism 21 allows the electrode foil material web 6 to move relative to the electrode foil conveying device 12 in the conveying direction in accordance with the difference between the moving speed of the clamp mechanism 21 and the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 (described later), after the electrode foil material web 6 is cut by the electrode foil cutting device 13, the moving speed of the upstream first clamp 21a is slower than the moving speed of the downstream second clamp 21b (i.e., the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web 6), thereby moving the upstream first clamp 21a and the downstream second clamp 21b relative to each other in accordance with the speed difference.

[0050] In process P12 (electrode foil cutting process), as shown in FIG. 7, the electrode foil material web 6 is cut using the cutting mechanism 22 of the electrode foil cutting device 13 while the relative movement of the electrode foil material web 6 with respect to the electrode foil conveying device 12 is restricted by the clamping mechanism 21.

[0051] The cutting mechanism 22 has a "cutting blade" or a "laser beam generator" that moves in the width direction of the electrode foil material web 6 (a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web 6) and in the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web 6 (the length direction of the electrode foil material web 6) to cut the electrode foil material web 6. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the cutting mechanism 22 has a laser beam generator 22a that generates a "laser beam" to cut the electrode foil material web 6. The cutting mechanism 22 synchronizes the conveying speed of the electrode foil material web 6 with the feed speed in the conveying direction of the "cutting blade" or "laser beam" (laser beam generated by the laser beam generator 22a in the example shown in FIG. 4), while the clamping mechanism 21 prevents the electrode foil material web 6 from moving relative to the electrode foil conveying device 12. At the same time, the cutting mechanism 22 moves the "cutting blade" or "laser beam" in the width direction of the electrode foil material web 6 at a predetermined feed speed between the position where the electrode foil material web 6 is gripped by the clamping mechanism 21 on the upstream side in the conveyance direction and the position where the electrode foil material web 6 is gripped on the downstream side. As a result, the electrode foil material web 6 is cut in the width direction of the electrode foil material web 6, i.e., in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the electrode foil material web 6, and a sheet of electrode foil 2 is cut out.

[0052] In step P13 (electrode foil spacing step), as shown in FIG. 8 , after the electrode foil material web 6 is cut in step P12 (electrode foil cutting step), the movement speed of the first clamp 21a gripping the electrode foil material web 6 on the upstream side in the conveyance direction (left side in FIG. 8 ) is temporarily or instantaneously slowed down (decelerated) compared to the movement speed of the second clamp 21b gripping the electrode foil material web 6 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the electrode foil material web 6 (right side in FIG. 8 ). This provides a gap 6a between the electrode foil 2 in the upstream electrode foil material web 6 cut by the cutting mechanism 22 and the electrode foil 2 in the downstream electrode foil material web 6, allowing for placement and bonding of the first seal member 3 in step 21 (described later). In step P13, the conveyance speed of the electrode foil conveying device 12 can be instantly adjusted without using a conventional "active dancer." This allows the above-mentioned gap 6a to be easily and quickly provided.

[0053] Next, in step P21 (foil splicing step / sealing material clamping step) and step P22 (foil splicing step / sealing material welding step), a first seal member 3 is joined by a first seal member joining device 23 to the electrode foil 2 formed into a rectangular shape by the electrode foil cutting device 13 as described above, to form a belt-shaped electrode foil web 7. Specifically, the first seal member 3 supplied from a first seal material reel 8 is joined to two sides of the electrode foil 2 in the width direction of the electrode foil material web 6. Adjacent electrode foils 2 in the conveyance direction of the electrode foil material web 6 are conveyed with the above-mentioned gap 6a between them, and in this state, the first seal member 3 is joined across the two adjacent electrode foils 2, i.e., the electrode foils 2 are joined together (foil splicing), to form the belt-shaped electrode foil web 7.

[0054] First, in step P21 (foil splicing step / sealing material clamping step), as shown in FIG. 9 , a first sealing material 3 supplied from a first sealing material reel 8 is superimposed on the electrode foil 2 cut into a rectangular sheet as described above (specifically, on the gap 6a between the electrode foils 2). Then, a pressure mechanism 24 of a first sealing material bonding device 23 clamps and applies a pressing force to a joint portion (first joint portion) 3a between the electrode foil 2 and the first sealing material 3 while the electrode foil 2 and the first sealing material 3 are superimposed on each other. In the example shown in FIG. 9 , the pressure mechanism 24 has a clamping mechanism 24a made of, for example, a transparent glass plate. The clamping mechanism 24a clamps the electrode foil 2 and the first sealing material 3, and applies a pressing force to the joint portion 3a.

[0055] In step P22 (foil joining step / sealing material welding step), as shown in FIG. 10 , the joint portion 3 a between the electrode foil 2 and the first seal member 3 sandwiched (clamped) by the pressure mechanism 24 (clamping mechanism 24 a) is heated by a heating device (first heating device) 25 of the first seal member joining device 23. In the example shown in FIG. 10 , the heating device 25 includes, for example, a laser heating device 25 a that irradiates the first seal member 3 with a laser beam to heat the first seal member 3 and weld it to the electrode foil 2. With the first seal member 3 and the electrode foil 2 clamped and pressurized by the transparent glass plate of the clamping mechanism 24 a, the laser heating device 25 a irradiates and heats the joint portion 3 a between the first seal member 3 and the electrode foil 2, thereby welding the first seal member 3 to the electrode foil 2. The first seal member 3 may be joined (welded) to both the upper surface 2 a and the lower surface 2 b of the electrode foil 2. Alternatively, the first seal member 3 may be joined (welded) to either the upper surface 2a or the lower surface 2b of the electrode foil 2. Fig. 10 and the above-mentioned Fig. 9 show an example in which the first seal member 3 is welded to the upper surface 2a of the electrode foil 2 (an image of welding the first seal member 3 to the lower surface 2b of the electrode foil 2 is omitted).

[0056] In this step P22, the first seal member 3 supplied from the first seal material reel 8 is joined between the electrode foil 2 on the upstream side (left side in FIG. 10) and the electrode foil 2 on the downstream side (right side in FIG. 10), with the gap 6a provided by the electrode foil cutting device 13 described above, thereby joining the upstream electrode foil 2 and the downstream electrode foil 2. This forms the electrode foil web 7.

[0057] 11, in step P23 (conveyance direction side sealant welding step), a second sealant joining device 26 joins a second sealant 4 to the electrode foil web 7 formed in the foil splicing steps of steps P21 and P22 in the conveyance direction. The second sealant joining device 26 joins the second sealant 4 to two sides in the conveyance direction of the electrode foil 2 formed into a rectangular shape by the electrode foil cutting device 13. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the second sealant joining device 26 welds the second sealant 4 supplied from the second sealant reel 9 to the electrode foil 2 in the electrode foil web 7 formed by the first sealant joining device 23 (i.e., the electrode foils 2 are spliced ​​together).

[0058] Specifically, a joint portion (second joint portion) 4a between the electrode foil 2 and the second seal member 4 is heated by a heating device (second heating device) 27 of a second seal material joining device 26. In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the heating device 27 has, for example, a laser heating device 27a that irradiates the second seal member 4 with a laser beam to heat the second seal member 4. Then, the second seal material joining device 26 applies a pressing force to the joint portion 4a of the second seal member 4 heated by the laser heating device 27a using a pressure mechanism 28 of the second seal material joining device 26, thereby welding the second seal member 4 to the electrode foil 2. In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the pressure mechanism 28 has pressure rollers 28a that sandwich the heated joint portion 4a and press it together to weld it.

[0059] As described above, with the second seal member 4 and the electrode foil 2 overlapping and in close contact with each other, the joint portion 4a between the second seal member 4 and the electrode foil 2 is irradiated with a laser beam to heat it, and a pressure roller 28a applies a pressing force to the joint portion 4a, thereby welding the second seal member 4 to the electrode foil 2. The second seal member 4 may be bonded (welded) to both the upper surface 2a and the lower surface 2b of the electrode foil 2. Alternatively, the second seal member 4 may be bonded (welded) to either the upper surface 2a or the lower surface 2b of the electrode foil 2. FIG. 11 shows an example in which the second seal member 4 is welded to both the upper and lower surfaces 2a, 2b of the electrode foil 2.

[0060] It should be noted that the sealing material joining apparatus 14 (first sealing material joining apparatus 23 and second sealing material joining apparatus 26) in the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described laser heating apparatuses 25a and 27a used to "weld" the sealing members 3 and 4 and the electrode foil 2. For example, an adhesive (not shown) may be used to "bond" the sealing members 3 and 4 and the electrode foil 2. Alternatively, other joining methods may be used as appropriate to join the sealing members 3 and 4 and the electrode foil 2.

[0061] As described above, in the battery manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the electrode foil material web 6 and the electrode foil 2 are each transported as a web, and in the course of this web transport, the electrode foil 2 is cut from the electrode foil material web 6, the seal members 3 and 4 are joined to the electrode foil 2, and the electrode foil 2 is joined (spliced). This shortens the cycle time for manufacturing a battery (battery cell 1) compared to conventional manufacturing techniques, such as those in which the electrode foil 2 is procured and transported one sheet at a time, or the electrode foil 2 is cut and transported in a separate process, or the electrode foil 2 is spliced ​​in a separate process. Furthermore, this eliminates the need for space for separate processes such as transporting the electrode foil 2, cutting the electrode foil 2, and splicing the electrode foil 2, thereby enabling space savings in the manufacturing site.

[0062] 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]

[0063] 1 battery cell 2 Electrode foil 2a (Electrode foil) top surface 2b (electrode foil) bottom surface 3. First seal material (seal material on the width direction side) 3a: Bonding portion (first bonding portion) (between electrode foil and first sealing material) 4. Second seal member (seal member on the conveying direction side) 4a (between the electrode foil and the second sealing material) joint (second joint) 5 Separator 6 Electrode foil material web 6a (electrode foil) spacing 7 Electrode foil web 8. First sealing material reel (sealing material reel on the width direction side) 9 Second sealing material reel (sealing material reel on the conveying direction side) 10 Manufacturing equipment 11 Electrode foil material reel 12 Electrode foil transport device 12a (electrode foil transport device) foil unwinding section 12b Foil winding section (of electrode foil transport device) 13 Electrode foil cutting device 14 Sealing material joining device 21 Clamping mechanism (of electrode foil cutting device) 21a First clamp (upstream of the clamping mechanism) 21b Second clamp (downstream of the clamping mechanism) 22 Cutting mechanism (of electrode foil cutting device) 22a Laser light generator (for cutting mechanism) 23 First sealing material joining device (sealing material joining device on the width direction side) 24 Pressurizing mechanism (of the first sealing material bonding device) 24a Clamping mechanism (of cutting mechanism) 25 Heating device (first heating device) (first sealing material bonding device) 25a Laser heating device (for the first sealing material bonding device) 26 Second sealing material joining device (sealing material joining device on the conveying direction side) 27 Heating device (second heating device) (for second sealing material bonding device) 27a Laser heating device (for the second sealing material bonding device) 28 Pressurizing mechanism (of second sealing material bonding device) 28a (Second sealing material bonding device) pressure roller

Claims

1. A battery manufacturing apparatus for forming a battery by joining sealing members to four peripheral sides of a rectangular electrode foil, and stacking the electrode foil with the sealing members joined thereto with a sheet-like separator sandwiched therebetween, an electrode foil material reel that winds and holds an electrode foil material web in which the electrode foil material is formed into a belt shape; an electrode foil transport device that transports the electrode foil material web supplied from the electrode foil material reel; an electrode foil cutting device that cuts the electrode foil material web transported by the electrode foil transport device while being transported by the electrode foil transport device to form the rectangular electrode foil, and that provides a gap between adjacent electrode foils in the transport direction of the electrode foil material web after cutting, allowing the sealing member to be disposed and joined; a sealing material reel that winds and holds the band-shaped sealing material; a sealing material joining device that cuts the sealing material supplied from the sealing material reel into a shape corresponding to the electrode foil cut and formed into a rectangle by the electrode foil cutting device, and joins the sealing material to the electrode foil being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device, straddling the electrode foils adjacent to each other in the conveying direction, thereby forming a belt-shaped electrode foil web in which the electrode foils are joined together. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

2. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The electrode foil cutting device is a clamping mechanism that is movable in the conveying direction in synchronization with a conveying speed of the electrode foil material web in the conveying direction by the electrode foil conveying device, and that, while the electrode foil material web is moving in the conveying direction, grips the electrode foil material web being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device at at least two different positions in the conveying direction, synchronizes the moving speed when the electrode foil material web is gripped and moved in the conveying direction with the conveying speed, thereby restricting relative movement of the electrode foil material web with respect to the electrode foil conveying device in the conveying direction, and allows the relative movement in accordance with a difference between the moving speed and the conveying speed; a cutting mechanism that cuts the electrode foil material web by moving a cutting blade or a laser beam in the width direction and the transport direction of the electrode foil material web, With the relative movement being restrained by the clamping mechanism, the transport speed of the electrode foil material web and the feed speed of the cutting blade or the laser beam in the transport direction are synchronized, and the electrode foil material web is cut by moving the cutting blade or the laser beam in the width direction between a position where the electrode foil material web is gripped by the clamping mechanism on the upstream side in the transport direction and a position where the electrode foil material web is gripped on the downstream side in the transport direction, After the electrode foil material web is cut, the moving speed of the clamping mechanism that grips the electrode foil material web on the upstream side is reduced to be slower than the moving speed of the clamping mechanism that grips the electrode foil material web on the downstream side, thereby providing the gap between the electrode foil in the electrode foil material web on the upstream side cut by the cutting mechanism and the electrode foil in the electrode foil material web on the downstream side. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

3. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, The clamping mechanism includes: a first clamp that grips the electrode foil material web on the upstream side in the conveying direction; a second clamp that grips the electrode foil material web on the downstream side in the conveying direction, while the electrode foil material web is being transported by the electrode foil transport device, the moving speed of the first clamp gripping the electrode foil material web, the moving speed of the second clamp gripping the electrode foil material web, and the transport speed of the electrode foil material web by the electrode foil transport device are all synchronized to stop the relative movement; After the electrode foil material web is cut by the cutting mechanism while the relative movement is stopped, the moving speed of the first clamp gripping the electrode foil material web is temporarily reduced to be lower than the conveying speed, thereby providing the gap. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

4. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The sealing member is a first seal member joined to two sides in the width direction of the electrode foil material web of the electrode foil formed into a rectangular shape by the electrode foil cutting device; a second seal member joined to two sides in the conveyance direction of the electrode foil formed into a rectangular shape by the electrode foil cutting device, The sealing material joining device includes: a first sealing material joining device that joins the first sealing member to two sides of the electrode foil in the width direction; a second sealing material joining device that joins the second sealing material to two sides of the electrode foil in the transport direction, The sealing material reel includes: a first sealing material reel that supplies the first sealing member to the first sealing material joining device; a second sealing material reel that supplies the second sealing member to the second sealing material joining device, the first sealing material joining device joins the first sealing material, which is supplied from the first sealing material reel between the electrode foil on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the electrode foil on the downstream side in the conveying direction, to the electrode foil on the upstream side and the electrode foil on the downstream side, respectively, and forms the electrode foil web by joining the electrode foil on the upstream side and the electrode foil on the downstream side together; The second sealing material joining device continuously joins the second sealing member supplied from the second sealing material reel to the electrode foil in the electrode foil web formed by the first sealing material joining device. A battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

5. The battery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, The first sealing material joining device is a pressure mechanism that applies a pressing force to a first joint portion between the electrode foil and the first seal member while overlapping the first seal member on the electrode foil; a first heating device that heats the first joining portion while the pressing force is applied to the first joining portion by the pressing mechanism, The first sealing member is welded to the electrode foil web at the first joining portion; The second sealing material joining device is a second heating device that heats a second joint portion between the electrode foil and the second seal member in a state where the second seal member is superimposed on the electrode foil; a pressure roller that applies a pressing force to the second joint portion while the second joint portion is heated by the heating device, The second sealing member is welded to the electrode foil web at the second joining 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, an electrode foil material web, which is formed into a belt-like shape by winding and holding an electrode foil material reel, is fed by an electrode foil feed device; the electrode foil material web being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device is cut by an electrode foil cutting device while being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device to form the rectangular electrode foil, and after cutting, a gap is provided between the electrode foils adjacent to each other in the conveying direction of the electrode foil material web so that the sealing member can be disposed and joined; The sealing material, which is supplied from a sealing material reel that has wound up and held the band-shaped sealing material, is cut by the electrode foil cutting device into a shape corresponding to the rectangular electrode foil, and the sealing material is joined to the electrode foil being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device, straddling the electrode foils adjacent to each other in the conveying direction, thereby forming a band-shaped electrode foil web in which the electrode foils are joined together. 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: a clamping mechanism that is movable in the conveying direction in synchronization with a conveying speed of the electrode foil material web in the conveying direction by the electrode foil conveying device, and that, while the electrode foil material web is moving in the conveying direction, grips the electrode foil material web being conveyed by the electrode foil conveying device at at least two different positions in the conveying direction, synchronizes the moving speed when the electrode foil material web is gripped and moved in the conveying direction with the conveying speed, thereby restricting relative movement of the electrode foil material web with respect to the electrode foil conveying device in the conveying direction, and allows the relative movement in accordance with a difference between the moving speed and the conveying speed; a cutting mechanism that cuts the electrode foil material web by moving a cutting blade or a laser beam in the width direction and the transport direction of the electrode foil material web, With the relative movement being restrained by the clamping mechanism, the transport speed of the electrode foil material web and the feed speed of the cutting blade or the laser beam in the transport direction are synchronized, and the electrode foil material web is cut by moving the cutting blade or the laser beam in the width direction between a position where the electrode foil material web is gripped by the clamping mechanism on the upstream side in the transport direction and a position where the electrode foil material web is gripped on the downstream side in the transport direction, After the electrode foil material web is cut, the moving speed of the clamping mechanism that grips the electrode foil material web on the upstream side is reduced to be slower than the moving speed of the clamping mechanism that grips the electrode foil material web on the downstream side, thereby leaving the gap between the electrode foil in the electrode foil material web on the upstream side cut by the cutting mechanism and the electrode foil in the electrode foil material web on the downstream side. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

8. A method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 7, comprising: a first clamp that grips the electrode foil material web on the upstream side in the conveying direction and a second clamp that grips the electrode foil material web on the downstream side in the conveying direction, while the electrode foil material web is being transported by the electrode foil transport device, the moving speed of the first clamp gripping the electrode foil material web, the moving speed of the second clamp gripping the electrode foil material web, and the transport speed of the electrode foil material web by the electrode foil transport device are all synchronized to stop the relative movement; After the electrode foil material web is cut by the cutting mechanism while the relative movement is stopped, the moving speed of the first clamp gripping the electrode foil material web is temporarily reduced to be lower than the conveying speed, thereby providing the gap. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

9. A method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 6, comprising the steps of: the sealing member includes a first sealing member joined to two sides in the width direction of the electrode foil material web of the electrode foil formed into a rectangle by the electrode foil cutting device, and a second sealing member joined to two sides in the transport direction of the electrode foil formed into a rectangle by the electrode foil cutting device, a first sealing material joining device that joins the first sealing material to two sides of the electrode foil in the width direction, and a second sealing material joining device that joins the second sealing material to two sides of the electrode foil in the conveyance direction, as sealing material joining devices that join the sealing material to the electrode foil and join the electrode foils together to form the electrode foil web; using a first sealing material reel that supplies the first sealing material to the first sealing material joining device and a second sealing material reel that supplies the second sealing material to the second sealing material joining device as the sealing material reels, the first sealing material supplied from the first sealing material reel between the electrode foil on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the electrode foil on the downstream side in the conveying direction, the gap being provided by the electrode foil cutting device, is joined to the electrode foil on the upstream side and the electrode foil on the downstream side by the first sealing material joining device, respectively, to form the electrode foil web by joining the electrode foil on the upstream side and the electrode foil on the downstream side; The second sealing material is continuously bonded by the second sealing material bonding device to the electrode foil in the electrode foil web formed by the first sealing material bonding device, the second sealing material being supplied from the second sealing material reel. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

10. A method for manufacturing a battery according to claim 9, comprising: The first sealing material joining device includes a pressure mechanism that applies a pressing force to a first joining portion between the electrode foil and the first sealing member while the electrode foil and the first sealing member are overlapped with each other, and a first heating device that heats the first joining portion while the pressing force is being applied to the first joining portion by the pressure mechanism, The first sealing member is welded to the electrode foil web at the first joining portion; the second sealing material joining device is a second heating device that heats a second joining portion between the electrode foil and the second sealing member in a state where the second sealing member is superimposed on the electrode foil; a pressure roller that applies a pressing force to the second joint portion while the second joint portion is heated by the heating device, The second sealing member is welded to the electrode foil web at the second joining portion. A method for manufacturing a battery comprising the steps of:

Images