Cutting device and cutting method for sheet-like member, and laminated battery manufacturing equipment using the cutting device

Abstract

To cut a sheet-like member at high speed and stably in a direction orthogonal to the transportation direction of the sheet-like member.SOLUTION: A cutting device 10 comprises: a drum-shaped member 13 which has a cylindrical outer shell portion 17 in which a slit hole 15 is formed along a drum axial direction A11; suction holding means 51 which causes a sheet-like member 11 continuously fed from outside to be suction-held on the surface (sheet suction surface 17a) of the outer shell portion; a rotation mechanism 52 which rotates the outer shell portion of the drum-shaped member in a circumferential direction (rotation direction A12); a cutting blade 16 which moves along the slit hole; and a reciprocating mechanism 53 which reciprocates the cutting blade in the drum axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting device and method for cutting a sheet-like member, and a stacked battery manufacturing apparatus using the cutting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are two main methods for cutting a continuously fed (supplied and conveyed) sheet-like material (so-called web sheet material) in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The first method is to temporarily stop all or part of the continuously conveyed sheet and then cut the sheet (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The second method is to cut the sheet while moving a cutting blade or cutting mechanism at the same speed as the continuously conveyed sheet (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-310351 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-125535 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-193087 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 have limitations in achieving both improved cutting accuracy and faster cutting speeds, as explained below, and have the problem that they are unable to cut sheet-like materials quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0005] For example, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 requires rapid acceleration and deceleration of the sheet, which may damage the conveying mechanism and the sheet-like material. In particular, the faster the sheet conveying speed, the more likely it is to damage the conveying mechanism and the sheet-like material. It also becomes difficult to cut with a clean, stable cut surface. Therefore, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 has a limit to the applicable sheet conveying speed. Therefore, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 has a limit to achieving both improved cutting accuracy and faster cutting speed, and is unable to cut sheet-like materials quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0006] Furthermore, for example, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2 requires that a base member that adheres and holds the sheet and a cutting mechanism that cuts the sheet be reciprocated in the sheet conveyance direction in order to cut a continuously conveyed sheet-like material. Therefore, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2 is difficult to apply to cutting sheets that are conveyed at high speeds. Therefore, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2 has limitations in achieving both improved cutting accuracy and faster cutting speeds, and is unable to cut sheet-like materials quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0007] Furthermore, for example, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 3 is configured to press the cutting blade against the sheet surface, which causes the sheet to bend during cutting. Therefore, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 3 has difficulty cutting low-rigidity sheets, thin sheets, or sheets coated with other materials with high cutting accuracy without causing deformation or collapse at the cut surface. Therefore, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 3 has limitations in achieving both improved cutting accuracy and faster cutting speeds, and is unable to cut sheet-like materials quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its main object is to provide a sheet-like member cutting device and cutting method that quickly and stably cut sheet-like members in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and a stacked battery manufacturing device that uses the cutting device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cutting device for sheet-like materials, comprising a cylindrical drum-like member having slit holes formed on the drum surface along the drum axial direction, an adsorption and holding means for adsorbing and holding sheet-like materials continuously fed from the outside onto the drum surface, a rotation mechanism for rotating the drum-like member, a cutting blade that protrudes onto the drum surface through the slit holes, and a reciprocating mechanism for causing the cutting blade to reciprocate in the drum axial direction. Other means will be described later. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the sheet-like material can be cut quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cutting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 5 is an explanatory diagram of an axial guide groove formed on the surface of a guide drum. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a cutting device according to a first modified example. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a structural diagram of the vicinity of a cutting blade in a cutting device of a second modified example. [Figure 5B] 10 shows a structure near a cutting blade in a cutting device of a second modified example. [Figure 6A] 10A and 10B are explanatory views of the operation of a cutting blade in a cutting device according to a second modified example. [Figure 6B] 10A and 10B are explanatory views of the operation of a cutting blade in a cutting device according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in each drawing, common or similar components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0013] [Embodiment] <Cutting device configuration> The configuration of the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6B. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting device 10. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the axial guide groove 27 formed in the guide drum surface 25.

[0014] The conventional techniques described in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the following problems: The present embodiment also aims to provide a cutting device 10 that solves the following problems. (1) In the prior art described in Patent Document 1, when stopping a continuously conveyed sheet only near the cut portion of the sheet, a buffer mechanism must be provided before and after the stopping area of ​​the sheet to retain the continuously conveyed sheet. (2) Furthermore, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2 requires that the speed of the cutting blade or cutting mechanism and the sheet conveyance speed be matched with high precision when cutting a sheet. Furthermore, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2 requires a mechanism for reciprocating the cutting blade or cutting mechanism at high speed within the cutting area.

[0015] The cutting device 10 is a device that cuts a sheet-like material 11 that is continuously fed from outside the cutting device 10 in the width direction (drum axial direction A11). The cutting device 10 can be used to cut various sheet-like materials 11. For example, a laminated battery manufacturing apparatus has a cutting device that cuts sheet-like electrodes, separators, etc. The cutting device 10 of the above-described embodiment can be used as such a cutting device. The cutting device 10 can also be used as a cutting device that cuts paper sheets, plastic sheets, etc.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment includes a drum-shaped member 13, a suction holding means 51, a rotation mechanism 52, a cutting blade 16, and a reciprocating mechanism 53.

[0017] The drum-shaped member 13 has an outer shell portion 17. The outer shell portion 17 is a cylindrical member that rotates in the circumferential direction (rotation direction A12). The outer shell portion 17 has a sheet adsorption surface 17a on the drum surface that adsorbs and holds the sheet-like material 11. In this embodiment, the outer shell portion 17 is described as having a plurality of micropores 31 (FIG. 5A) on the sheet adsorption surface 17a, and adsorbing the sheet-like material 11 by negative pressure suction from the inside. The sheet-like material 11 continuously fed from the outside is adsorbed to the sheet adsorption surface 17a (surface of the outer shell portion 17) by negative pressure and transported as the outer shell portion 17 rotates. One or more linear slit holes 15 are formed in the outer shell portion 17 along the drum axial direction A11. The slit holes 15 are holes used for the movement of the cutting blade 16. When a plurality of slit holes 15 are formed, they are arranged in parallel at equal intervals. The drum-shaped member 13 also has a guide drum 20, and further has central shaft portions 14 at both axial ends of the guide drum 20. In other words, the drum-shaped member 13 has the guide drums 20 as end plates that close the openings at both ends of the outer shell portion 17 and hold the outer shell portion 17, and the central shaft portion 14 as an end cap. The guide drum 20 is a member that moves the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11 in accordance with the rotational angle position of the outer shell portion 17. The guide drum 20 is a member that determines the position and protrusion amount of the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11 on the sheet adsorption surface 17a. The central shaft portion 14 and guide drum 20 are fixed and do not rotate.

[0018] The suction holding means 51 is a means for suctioning and holding the sheet-like material 11, which is continuously fed from outside the cutting device 10, onto the sheet suction surface 17a, which is the surface of the outer shell 17. The suction holding means 51 is composed of negative pressure suction means (negative pressure supply piping 32) that applies negative pressure suction to the inside of the drum-shaped member 13 through micropores 31 provided in the sheet suction surface 17a. Alternatively, the suction holding means 51 may be composed of electrostatic suction means that utilizes the charge or image force of the sheet suction surface 17a.

[0019] The rotation mechanism 52 is a mechanism that rotates the outer shell portion 17 of the drum-shaped member 13 in the circumferential direction (rotation direction A12). In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 52 is described as being configured with a belt conveying mechanism. The rotation mechanism 52 rotates the outer shell portion 17 at a rotational speed that makes the speed of the circumferential surface equal to the moving speed of the sheet-shaped member 11.

[0020] The cutting blade 16 is a blade-like member that moves along the slit hole 15. The cutting blade 16 moves in the drum axial direction A11 along the slit hole 15 in a wrapping angle region 61 shown in FIG. 3. In this way, the cutting device 10 cuts the sheet-like material 11. In this embodiment, the sheet cutting start position is the upper right position in FIG. 1 (the rear position of the drum-like material 13 shown in FIG. 1), and the sheet cutting end position is the lower left position in FIG. 1 (the front position of the drum-like material 13 shown in FIG. 1). When cutting the sheet-like material 11, the cutting blade 16 moves with its cutting edge protruding outside the outer shell portion 17. The wrapping angle region 61 (FIG. 3) is the region where the sheet-like material 11 is attracted to and wrapped around the sheet attracting surface 17a (the surface of the outer shell portion 17), and is located below the circumferential surface of the drum-like material 13. The cutting device 10 cuts the sheet-like member 11 held by suction on the sheet suction surface 17a by moving the cutting blade 16 along the slit hole 15.

[0021] The reciprocating mechanism 53 is a mechanism that reciprocates the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11. The reciprocating mechanism 53 determines the position of the cutting blade 16 for each rotational angle position of the outer shell part 17, and causes the cutting blade 16 to make one reciprocating motion for each rotation of the outer shell part 17.

[0022] The cutting device 10 also includes a peeling means 18, a conveyor belt 19, and a suction mechanism 24. The peeling means 18 is a means for peeling off the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like member 11 cut by the cutting blade 16 from the sheet adsorption surface 17a. In this embodiment, the peeling means 18 is described as being configured as a roller member arranged in close proximity to and facing the drum-like member 13. In this embodiment, the peeling means 18 is described as being connected to an adsorption mechanism 24 that generates negative pressure, and the negative pressure generated by the adsorption mechanism 24 is used to adsorb and peel off the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like member 11 from the sheet adsorption surface 17a.

[0023] The conveying belt 19 is a member that adsorbs the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like material 11 that has been peeled off from the sheet adsorption surface 17a and conveys it in the recovery direction A14. In this embodiment, the conveying belt 19 is described as a belt that is stretched around the peeling means 18 (roller material). In addition, in this embodiment, the conveying belt 19 is described as being connected to an adsorption mechanism 24, and adsorbs and conveys the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like material 11 by using negative pressure generated by the adsorption mechanism 24.

[0024] The suction mechanism 24 is a mechanism that applies an attraction force to the sheet-like member 11 to the peeling means 18 and the conveying belt 19. The suction mechanism 24 is composed of negative pressure suction means (negative pressure supply piping) that creates negative pressure suction inside the drum-like member 13 through micropores (not shown) provided in the peeling means 18 and the conveying belt 19. Alternatively, the suction mechanism 24 may be composed of electrostatic suction means that utilizes the charge or image force of the peeling means 18 and the conveying belt 19.

[0025] As described above, the drum-shaped member 13 has a guide drum 20 and a central shaft portion 14 (FIG. 1) at both axial ends of the guide drum 20. The central shaft portion 14 and the guide drum 20 are fixed and do not rotate. As shown in FIG. 2, an outer shell portion 17 is provided on the outer periphery of the guide drum 20, and the outer shell portion 17 rotates around the guide drum 20. The outer shell portion 17 rotates by providing power to a gear, belt, or the like (not shown) attached to the outer end of the central shaft portion 14 (FIG. 1). The guide drum 20 holds the cutting blade 16 movably along the slit hole 15 (FIG. 1). The guide drum 20 is provided with an axial guide member 22 and a radial guide member 23. The axial guide member 22 guides (guides) the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11. The radial guide member 23 guides (guides) the cutting blade 16 in the radial direction. The axial guide member 22 and the radial guide member 23 are fixed to the guide drum 20. When the outer shell portion 17 rotates, the axial guide member 22 and the radial guide member 23 operate. As a result, the cutting device 10 moves the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11 along the slit hole 15 (FIG. 1) in accordance with the rotational angle position of the outer shell portion 17. The cutting device 10 also changes the amount of protrusion of the cutting blade 16 that protrudes outward from the sheet adsorption surface 17a (the surface of the outer shell portion 17) in accordance with the rotational angle position of the outer shell portion 17.

[0026] In the example shown in Fig. 2, the sheet adsorption surface 17a of the outer shell portion 17 has 12 sets of portions with an angular width of 30°. The guide drum 20 holds the base of each cutting blade 16 with axial guide rollers 21. As shown in Fig. 3, an axial guide groove 27 is formed in the guide drum surface 25 of the guide drum 20. The axial guide groove 27 is a groove into which the axial guide rollers 21 are fitted to guide (induce) the cutting blades 16. In the example shown in Fig. 2, 12 axial guide rollers 21 are arranged at 30° intervals, and all of these 12 axial guide rollers 21 are fitted into the same axial guide groove 27 (Fig. 3).

[0027] FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the surface of the guide drum 20 (guide drum surface 25) developed in a plane. The angles shown in FIG. 3 indicate the rotational angle positions of the outer shell portion 17 of the drum-shaped member 13. "0°" shown in FIG. 3 is the angle at the upper position of the drum-shaped member 13 shown in FIG. 2. "90°" shown in FIG. 3 is the angle at the right position of the drum-shaped member 13 shown in FIG. 2, which corresponds to the angular position at which the sheet-shaped member 11 is fed. "180°" shown in FIG. 3 is the angle at the lower position of the drum-shaped member 13 shown in FIG. 2. "270°" shown in FIG. 3 is the angle at the left position of the drum-shaped member 13 shown in FIG. 2, which corresponds to the angular position at which the cut portion 12 of the sheet-shaped member 11 is peeled off.

[0028] 3, the axial guide groove 27 has a generally sinusoidal curve shape on the guide drum surface 25 of the guide drum 20. The cutting device 10 rotates the outer shell portion 17 to move the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11 along the axial guide groove 27.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3 , the guide drum 20 has a rotation angle region 60 of 0° to 360° of the outer shell portion 17, which is defined by a winding angle region 61 of 90° to 270° and a non-contact angle region 62 of 270° to 90° (i.e., 0° to 90° and 270° to 360°). The winding angle region 61 is the region where the sheet-like material 11 is wound around the sheet adsorption surface 17a and held by suction. In other words, the winding region 26 of the guide drum surface 25 corresponding to the winding angle region 61 corresponds to the region where the sheet-like material 11 is wound around the outer shell portion 17 of the drum-shaped member 13. The reciprocating mechanism 53 moves the cutting blade 16 from one end to the other end in the drum axial direction A11 of the drum-shaped member 13 within the winding angle region 61 of 90° to 270°. At this time, the sheet-like material 11 is adsorbed to the sheet adsorption surface 17a and is cut by the movement of the cutting blade 16. The non-contact angle region 62 is a region where the sheet-like member 11 does not contact the sheet adsorption surface 17a. In the non-contact angle region 62, the reciprocating mechanism 53 returns the cutting blade 16 after cutting the sheet to the sheet cutting start position (a position on the rear side of the drum-like member 13 shown in FIG. 1 (a position on the upper right side in FIG. 1)).

[0030] The cutting device 10 sequentially moves each cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11 in accordance with the rotational angle position of the drum-shaped member 13. The cutting device 10 controls the position of the cutting blade 16 to an appropriate cutting position, thereby cutting the sheet-shaped member 11, which is continuously fed from outside, in the width direction at high speed.

[0031] <Cutting device operation> In this configuration, the cutting device 10 operates the suction holding means 51 and the suction mechanism 24, while rotating the outer shell portion 17 in the rotation direction A12 using the rotation mechanism 52 and running the conveyor belt 19 in the recovery direction A14. The cutting device 10 adsorbs the sheet-like material 11, which is continuously fed from the outside in the supply direction A13 at any timing by a conveying means (not shown), onto the outer shell portion 17 and holds the sheet-like material 11 on the surface of the outer shell portion 17 (sheet adsorption surface 17a). The cutting device 10 then conveys the sheet-like material 11 in the rotation direction A12 while adsorbing and holding it on the surface of the outer shell portion 17. At this time, the cutting device 10 moves the cutting blade 16 along the slit hole 15 in the drum axial direction A11 using the reciprocating mechanism 53. As a result, the cutting device 10 cuts the sheet-like material 11 adsorbed and held on the surface of the outer shell portion 17 in the drum axial direction A11.

[0032] Thereafter, the cutting device 10 stops the negative pressure suction on the sheet adsorption surface 17a of the outer shell portion 17 just before the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like material 11 reaches the peeling means 18. Then, the cutting device 10 peels the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like material 11 from the surface of the outer shell portion 17 using the peeling means 18, and adsorbs and holds the cut portion 12 on the conveyor belt 19. In this way, the cutting device 10 transfers the cut portion 12 from the sheet adsorption surface 17a of the outer shell portion 17 to the conveyor belt 19. Thereafter, the cutting device 10 conveys the cut portion 12 in the recovery direction A14 using the conveyor belt 19.

[0033] <First Modification> In the example shown in FIG. 2, the cutting device 10 has the cutting blade 16 protruding outward from the sheet adsorption surface 17a (the surface of the outer shell part 17) throughout the entire rotation angle range 60 (FIG. 3). However, the cutting device 10 can be modified as shown in a cutting device 10A shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting device 10A of a first modified example. The cutting device 10A shown in FIG. 4 is configured to store the cutting blade 16 inside the outer shell part 17 in the region where the sheet-like material 11 is not cut, for example, between 300° and 60°. The cutting device 10A will be described in detail below.

[0034] Considering the timing of contact between the cutting blade 16 and the sheet-like material 11 and safety, etc., it is desirable for the cutting blade 16 to be stored inside the outer shell part 17 when not in cutting operation. Therefore, as in the cutting device 10A of a first modified example shown in Fig. 4, the cutting blade 16 is configured to be stored inside the outer shell part 17 in an area where cutting of the sheet-like material 11 is not performed, for example, at an angle of 300° to 60°. In other words, the cutting device 10A of the first modified example performs an operation of protruding the cutting blade 16 from the inside to the outside of the outer shell part 17 of the drum-shaped member 13 and an operation of retracting the cutting blade 16 from the outside to the inside of the drum-shaped member 13.

[0035] During cutting, the cutting device 10A stores the cutting blade 16 inside the outer shell 17 in a region where the sheet-like material 11 is not cut, for example, between 300° and 60°. To achieve this, a radial guide groove 29 is formed in the side surface (guide drum side surface 28) of the guide drum 20 to determine the radial position of the cutting blade 16. The radial guide groove 29 has an elliptical or circular shape and is positioned offset downward from the center of the guide drum side surface 28. A radial guide roller 30 is integrally attached to the cutting blade 16 and the axial guide member 22. The radial guide roller 30 is a member that moves the cutting blade 16 in the radial direction. The radial guide roller 30 is fitted into the radial guide groove 29 of the guide drum side surface 28. The cutting device 10A can control the amount of protrusion of the cutting blade 16 from the outer shell 17 depending on the position of the cutting blade 16 in the radial guide groove 29. 4, the cutting device 10A stores the cutting blade 16 inside the outer shell part 17 in an area of ​​300° to 60° above the outer shell part 17, and protrudes the cutting blade 16 outside the outer shell part 17 in an area of ​​120° to 240° below the outer shell part 17. In other words, the cutting device 10A stores the cutting blade 16 inside the outer shell part 17 in an area where the sheet-like material 11 is not cut, and protrudes the cutting blade 16 outside the outer shell part 17 in an area where the sheet-like material 11 is cut.

[0036] The cutting device 10A can arbitrarily control the protrusion amount of the cutting blade 16 at any angular position of the outer shell 17. The cutting device 10A can also control the position of the cutting blade 16 by, for example, moving the cutting blade 16 radially only at the cutting edge of the sheet or gradually changing the protrusion amount of the cutting blade 16 from the drum surface as the sheet is cut. By moving the cutting blade 16 radially only at the cutting edge of the sheet, the cutting device 10A can smoothly make the initial cut of the cutting blade 16 into the sheet-like material 11. Furthermore, by gradually changing the protrusion amount of the cutting blade 16 from the drum surface as the sheet is cut, the cutting device 10A can finely shift the position of the cutting blade 16 used for cutting, thereby extending the life of the cutting blade 16. The cutting device 10A can also remove cutting debris and the like generated from the sheet-like material 11. The position control of the cutting blade 16 can be selected based on the sheet-like material 11 to be cut and the characteristics of the cutting blade 16 during cutting. The cutting device 10A can control the positions of these cutting blades 16 by means of an axial guide groove 27 and a radial guide groove 29 formed in the guide drum surface 25 and the guide drum side surface 28 of the guide drum 20.

[0037] The storage means may be a lever or the like provided on the side of the drum for manual storage. Furthermore, a biasing member such as a spring may be disposed in the storage direction of the cutting blade 16 (i.e., toward the center of the guide drum 20) as a means for causing the cutting blade 16 to protrude outside the outer shell portion 17 only during cutting. With this configuration, the cutting device 10A can cause the cutting blade 16 to protrude outside the outer shell portion 17 by the biasing force in accordance with the rotation of the outer shell portion 17 during cutting. Since the cutting blade 16 cuts the sheet-like material 11 held by suction on the sheet suction surface 17a, the cutting blade 16 is not pushed back outside the outer shell portion 17 by the reaction force generated in the cutting blade 16 during cutting.

[0038] <Second Modification> The cutting device 10 can also be modified, for example, as a second modified cutting device 10B shown in FIGS. 5A to 6B. In the second modified cutting device 10B, the cutting edge of the cutting blade 16 is inclined so as to generate a force that presses the sheet material 11 toward the sheet adsorption surface 17a when cutting the sheet material 11. FIGS. 5A and 5B are structural diagrams of the vicinity of the cutting blade 16 in the second modified cutting device 10B. FIGS. 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the cutting blade 16 in the second modified cutting device 10B. FIGS. 5 to 6B are enlarged cross-sectional views of the outer shell 17 of the cutting device 10B near the sheet cutting portion. FIG. 5A shows the cross-sectional structure of the vicinity of the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11 (i.e., the movement direction of the cutting blade 16). FIG. 5B shows the cross-sectional structure of the vicinity of the cutting blade 16 in a direction perpendicular to the drum-shaped member 13 (i.e., the radial direction of the drum-shaped member 13). 6A shows the movement of the cutting blade 16 and its vicinity in a top view. FIG. 6B shows the movement of the cutting blade 16 and its vicinity in a direction perpendicular to the drum-shaped member 13 (i.e., in the radial direction of the drum-shaped member 13).

[0039] 5A and 5B, negative pressure supply piping 32 for negative pressure suction runs throughout the interior of outer shell portion 17, and a plurality of micropores 31 for adsorbing sheet-like member 11 are formed from the inner surface to the surface of outer shell portion 17. Also, a cutting blade holding member 33 for holding cutting blade 16 is disposed inside outer shell portion 17. Cutting blade holding member 33 is attached to axial guide member 22 (FIG. 5B) so as to be able to swing.

[0040] The cutting device 10B can suction and fix the sheet-like material 11 to the sheet suction surface 17a of the outer shell part 17 by reducing the pressure in the negative pressure supply pipe 32 provided inside the outer shell part 17. The cutting device 10B controls the negative pressure suction operation in accordance with the rotation angle position of the outer shell part 17. This allows the cutting device 10B to easily perform the suction operation of the outer shell part 17 to the sheet-like material 11 at the 90° position, the peeling operation of the peeling means 18 to peel the cut portion 12 at the 270° position, and the transfer of the cut portion 12 to the conveyor belt 19.

[0041] In the example shown in Fig. 5A, the cutting device 10B has the cutting blade 16 positioned so that the tip of the cutting blade 16 is inclined toward the movement direction of the cutting blade 16. By inclining the cutting blade 16, the effective cutting edge angle of the cutting blade 16 becomes more acute. Furthermore, by inclining the tip of the cutting blade 16 toward the movement direction of the cutting blade 16, the cutting device 10B can generate a force that presses the sheet-like material 11 toward the sheet adsorption surface 17a during cutting. This allows the cutting device 10B to cut the sheet-like material 11 that is adsorbed and fixed to the outer shell portion 17 in a more stable state.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5B, during cutting, the sheet-like material 11 is fixed and held by the sheet adsorption surfaces 17a arranged on both sides of the cutting blade 16. To obtain a beautiful, sharp cut surface without defects such as sagging or tearing of the thin sheet-like material 11, it is desirable that the cutting blade 16 is thin and sharp, and that the width of the slit hole 15 formed by the two sheet adsorption surfaces 17a sandwiching the cutting blade 16 is as narrow as possible. In the cutting device 10B, the cutting blade 16 and the sheet adsorption surfaces 17a are integrally formed, so the sheet adsorption surfaces 17a can be arranged with a narrow slit hole 15 width close to the thickness of the cutting blade 16.

[0043] The cutting blade 16 is a fixed, straight blade, but various blade shapes can be used, such as a cutting blade 16 with a curved wave surface or a scissors-like shape with two cutting surfaces forming a V. It is also possible to use a round cutting blade 16 and cut while moving the drum in the axial direction, that is, while rotating during cutting. However, because a round blade cuts while sequentially changing the cutting position, although it has the advantage of being less susceptible to damage to the cutting blade 16, it is difficult to achieve the effect of pressing the sheet-like material 11 against the sheet adsorption surface 17a during cutting as shown in FIG. 5A.

[0044] The width of the sheet material 11 cut by the cutting device 10B is the width of each cutting unit composed of the sheet adsorption surface 17a and the cutting blade 16. If the width of each cutting unit is W and the number of sheets of each cutting unit forming the drum is N, the required drum diameter D and the area angle θ of each cutting unit are expressed by the following equations. D=W×N÷π θ=360° / N

[0045] Furthermore, when the number of sheets N in each cutting angle unit is increased or decreased without changing the drum diameter D, the width WN of each cutting unit is expressed by the following formula. If you add one more card: WN+1=WN×N÷(N+1) If you reduce one card: WN-1=WN×N÷(N-1)

[0046] If the drum diameter D is the same, the greater the number of sheets N in each cutting unit, the smaller the change in each cutting unit width W when adding or subtracting one sheet. In other words, fine adjustment of the sheet cutting width becomes possible. However, on the other hand, the greater the number of sheets N in each cutting angle unit, the larger the required drum diameter D.

[0047] For example, if the sheet cutting width is 100 mm and the drum is formed with 12 cutting angle units, the drum diameter is approximately 382 mm. In this case, if the number of cutting angle units is reduced to 11, the cutting width will be approximately 109 mm, and conversely, if the number of cutting angle units is increased to 13, the cutting width will be approximately 92.3 mm. By increasing or decreasing the number of cutting angle units by one, the cutting width can be adjusted by approximately 8 to 9 mm.

[0048] The greater the number N of cutting angle units forming the drum, the more fine-tuning of the cutting width can be performed when changing the number of sheets, but the larger the required drum diameter D. On the other hand, the larger the drum diameter, the longer the section distance over which the sheet material 11 to be cut is wound around the drum, allowing for faster cutting. The diameter of the drum formed by combining cutting angle units must be determined taking these factors into consideration.

[0049] Although the cutting device 10B is configured by combining cutting units with the same cutting angle width, the combination of cutting units does not necessarily have to be the same. For example, a sheet cutting drum similar to the cutting device 10B can be configured with seven cutting units with a 30° zone angle and three cutting units with a 50° zone angle. Of course, it is also possible to combine cutting units with three or more different zone angles.

[0050] Furthermore, by combining cutting units with any desired angle and allowing for the discarding of excess sheet material 11 after forming the drum, it is possible to cut the sheet to any desired cutting length. For example, in the case of a cutting unit with a 32° angle, a drum can be constructed by allowing for 11 cutting units and a gap of approximately 8°. However, in this case, it becomes necessary to allow for the discarding of approximately 2.2% of the sheet material 11.

[0051] The cutting device 10B has been described as being configured to adhere and fix the sheet-like material 11 to the sheet adsorption surface 17a using negative pressure adsorption and then cut it with the cutting blade 16. Methods other than negative pressure adsorption can also be used to adhere the sheet-like material 11 to the sheet adsorption surface 17a. Another method for adsorbing the sheet-like material 11 to the sheet adsorption surface 17a other than negative pressure adsorption is electrostatic adsorption. Electrostatic adsorption is a method in which an electrostatic charge is applied to the sheet or the sheet adsorption target, i.e., the sheet adsorption surface 17a, using a discharge means or a charging roll, and the sheet-like material 11 is then adsorbed to the target by electrostatic force. Electrostatic adsorption is also a method widely used in printers to adsorb paper or other materials to drums or belts. In sheet adsorption using electrostatic adsorption, the entire surface of the charged sheet or sheet adsorption surface 17a generates an adsorption force, allowing for more uniform adsorption than negative pressure suction using suction holes. To peel off the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like member 11 that has been electrostatically attracted to the sheet attraction surface 17a, static electricity must be removed, and a static removal mechanism must be provided in the peeling mechanism section described above. The electrostatic attraction method can also be used in the belt conveying section after the cut sheet has been peeled off.

[0052] As a method for adsorbing the sheet-like member 11 onto the sheet adsorption surface 17a, various methods capable of adsorbing the sheet-like member 11 onto the sheet adsorption surface, such as surface adhesive force control, can be used in addition to negative pressure adsorption and electrostatic adsorption.

[0053] Furthermore, by providing the outer shell portion 17 with a claw-like mechanical component 34 or the like having a small claw-like mechanical component 35 that rotates with the outer shell portion 17 as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, it is possible to mechanically clamp the vicinity of the cutting start end of the sheet-like material 11. Of course, it is not possible to clamp the entire sheet with a mechanical component that rotates with the drum. However, by mechanically clamping the vicinity of the cutting start end of the sheet-like material 11, it is possible to stabilize the cutting blade 16 when it enters the sheet end, i.e., at the start of cutting, and to prevent deviations in the adsorption of the sheet-like material 11 by the cutting blade 16 during cutting.

[0054] This cutting device 10B cuts the sheet-like material 11 from the side or from a generally obliquely upward direction using an outer shell 17 that can hold the sheet by suction and a cutting blade 16 that protrudes from a narrow slit 15 provided in the outer shell 17. This allows the cutting device 10B to cut the sheet-like material 11 in a very stable state, achieving beautiful and stable cut surfaces. Furthermore, by performing the cutting operation on a rotating drum, it is possible to cut the sheet-like material 11 traveling at high speed without slowing down or stopping it. This allows the sheet-like material 11, which is continuously fed from outside, to be cut quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0055] <Main features of the cutting device> The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment can be configured to have the following features. (1) As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment includes a drum-shaped member 13, a suction holding means 51, a rotation mechanism 52, a cutting blade 16, and a reciprocating mechanism 53. The drum-shaped member 13 has a cylindrical outer shell 17 with a slit 15 formed along the drum axis direction A11. The suction holding means 51 is a means for suction-holding a sheet-shaped material 11, which is continuously fed from outside the cutting device 10, on a sheet suction surface 17a (the surface of the outer shell 17). The rotation mechanism 52 is a mechanism for rotating the outer shell 17 of the drum-shaped member 13 in the circumferential direction (rotation direction A12). The cutting blade 16 is a member that protrudes onto the sheet suction surface 17a through the slit 15. The reciprocating mechanism 53 is a mechanism for reciprocating the cutting blade 16 in the drum axis direction A11.

[0056] The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment adsorbs and holds the sheet-like material 11 on the sheet adsorption surface 17a (surface of the outer shell 17) of the drum-shaped member 13. This allows the cutting device 10 to secure a section and time during which the sheet-like material 11 can be stably cut. The cutting device 10 is also configured to reciprocate the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11. Therefore, the cutting blade 16 cuts the sheet-like material 11 from the side. This allows the cutting device 10 to cut the sheet-like material 11 without affecting the holding state of the sheet-like material 11. This cutting device 10 can achieve both improved cutting accuracy and faster cutting. This allows the cutting device 10 to cut the sheet-like material 11 quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0057] (2) As shown in Fig. 1, in the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 52 rotates the outer shell portion 17 at a rotational speed such that the speed of the circumferential surface is equal to the moving speed of the sheet-like material 11. Furthermore, the reciprocating mechanism 53 determines the position of the cutting blade 16 for each rotational angle position of the outer shell portion 17, and causes the cutting blade 16 to make one reciprocating motion for each rotation of the outer shell portion 17.

[0058] The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment reciprocates the cutting blade 16 once for each rotation of the outer shell 17. Therefore, each time the outer shell 17 rotates once, the cutting device 10 repeats the following actions: moving the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11 to cut the sheet-like material 11, and returning the cutting blade 16 to its initial position. This type of cutting device 10 can achieve both improved cutting accuracy and faster cutting.

[0059] (3) As shown in FIG. 3 , in the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment, a winding angle region 61 and a non-contact angle region 62 are set in the rotation angle region 60 of the outer shell portion 17. The winding angle region 61 is a region where the sheet-like material 11 is wound around the sheet adsorption surface 17a and adsorbed and held thereon. The non-contact angle region 62 is a region where the sheet-like material 11 does not contact the sheet adsorption surface 17a. The reciprocating mechanism 53 moves the cutting blade 16 from one end to the other end in the drum axial direction A11 of the drum-shaped member 13 within the winding angle region 61. In this way, the cutting device 10 cuts the sheet-like material 11 adsorbed to the sheet adsorption surface 17a.

[0060] The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment moves the cutting blade 16 from one end to the other end in the drum axial direction A11 of the drum-shaped member 13 within the winding angle region 61. This allows the cutting device 10 to cut the sheet-shaped member 11 adsorbed to the sheet adsorption surface 17a.

[0061] (4) As shown in Fig. 3, in the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment, the reciprocating mechanism 53 moves the cutting blade 16 from the other end side to the one end side in the non-contact angle region 62. As a result, the cutting device 10 causes the cutting blade 16 to make one reciprocating motion for each rotation of the outer shell portion 17.

[0062] The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment repeats, with each rotation of the outer shell 17, an operation of moving the cutting blade 16 in the drum axial direction A11 to cut the sheet-like material 11 and an operation of returning the cutting blade 16 to its initial position. Such a cutting device 10 can stably cut the sheet-like material 11 at high speed in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0063] (5) As shown in Fig. 1, in the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment, the suction holding means 51 is configured with negative pressure suction means (negative pressure supply pipe 32) that applies negative pressure suction to the inside of the drum-shaped member 13 through the micropores 31 provided in the sheet suction surface 17a. Alternatively, the suction holding means 51 may be configured with electrostatic suction means that utilizes the charge or image force of the sheet suction surface 17a.

[0064] The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment can adsorb and hold the sheet-like material 11 on the sheet adsorption surface 17a (surface of the outer shell portion 17) using the adsorption holding means 51. Therefore, the cutting device 10 can cut the sheet-like material 11 in a stable state so that the sheet-like material 11 does not move. Such a cutting device 10 can stably cut the sheet-like material 11 at high speed in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0065] (6) As shown in Figure 1, in the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment, the drum-shaped member 13 contains a guide drum 20 that determines the position and protrusion amount of the cutting blade 16 on the sheet adsorption surface 17a in the drum axial direction A11. The guide drum 20 is fixedly disposed. The outer shell portion 17 rotates in the circumferential direction (rotation direction A12) to transport the sheet-like material 11.

[0066] The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment conveys the sheet-like material 11 by the outer shell portion 17. At that time, the cutting device 10 moves the cutting blade 16 to an arrangement position in the drum axial direction A11 that corresponds to the rotation angle range of the outer shell portion 17. As the outer shell portion 17 rotates, the cutting device 10 can cut the sheet-like material 11 in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction at a timing synchronized with the rotation angle of the outer shell portion 17.

[0067] (7) As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment includes a peeling means 18 that peels the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like material 11 cut by the cutting blade 16 from the sheet adsorption surface 17a.

[0068] The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment can smoothly peel the cut portion 12 of the sheet-like member 11 from the sheet adsorption surface 17a (the surface of the outer shell portion 17) by the peeling means 18.

[0069] (8) As in the first modified cutting device 10A shown in Figure 4, the cutting blade 16 may be configured to perform a protruding action (moving) from the inside to the outside of the drum-shaped member 13 and a retracting action (moving) from the outside to the inside of the drum-shaped member 13.

[0070] The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment can retract (store) the cutting blade 16 inside the drum-shaped member 13 in an angle range where it does not come into contact with the sheet-like material 11. Therefore, the cutting device 10 can prevent the cutting blade 16 from coming into contact with the sheet-like material 11 at an unintended timing and damaging the sheet-like material 11.

[0071] (9) As in the second modified cutting device 10B shown in Figure 5A, the cutting blade 16 may be configured so that the cutting edge is inclined to generate a force that presses the sheet-like material 11 toward the sheet adsorption surface 17a when moving to cut the sheet-like material 11.

[0072] In the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment, when the cutting blade 16 moves to cut the sheet-like material 11, the sheet-like material 11 is pressed toward the sheet adsorption surface 17a. In this state, the cutting device 10 cuts the sheet-like material 11. Therefore, the cutting device 10 can cut the sheet-like material 11 in a stable state so that the sheet-like material 11 does not move. This type of cutting device 10 can cut the sheet-like material 11 more stably and at high speed in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0073] (10) The cutting method according to this embodiment uses a drum-shaped member 13 having a cylindrical outer shell portion with slit holes 15 formed along the drum axis direction A11, and a cutting blade 16 that moves along the slit holes 15. In this cutting method, the outer shell portion 17 of the drum-shaped member 13 is rotated in the circumferential direction (rotation direction A12) while the sheet-like material 11, which is continuously fed from outside the cutting device 10, is sucked and held along the sheet sucking surface 17a. In this state, the cutting method according to this embodiment moves the cutting blade 16 along the drum axis direction A11. As a result, the cutting method according to this embodiment cuts the sheet-like material 11 in the drum axis direction A11.

[0074] In the cutting method according to this embodiment, the sheet-like material 11 is held by suction on the surface of the outer shell 17 of the drum-shaped member 13. This ensures a section and time during which the sheet-like material 11 can be stably cut. Furthermore, in the cutting method according to this embodiment, the cutting blade 16 moves in the drum axial direction A11. Therefore, the cutting blade 16 cuts the sheet-like material 11 from the side. Therefore, the cutting method according to this embodiment can cut the sheet-like material 11 without affecting the holding state of the sheet-like material 11. This cutting method according to this embodiment can achieve both improved cutting accuracy and faster cutting. Therefore, the cutting method according to this embodiment can cut the sheet-like material 11 quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0075] (11) The cutting device 10 according to this embodiment can be used as part of a stacked battery manufacturing device.

[0076] As described above, the cutting device 10 according to this embodiment can cut the sheet material 11 quickly and stably in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of the embodiments with other configurations, and it is also possible to add other configurations to the configuration of the embodiments. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of each configuration with other configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] For example, as described above, the cutting device 10 can be used in devices that cut various sheet-like members 11. For example, a stacked battery manufacturing apparatus has a device that cuts sheet-like electrodes, separators, and the like. The cutting device 10 of the above-described embodiment can be used in such devices. In this regard, stacked battery manufacturing apparatuses are required to quickly cut electrodes and separators that are fed at high speed and have active material applied to their surfaces. Furthermore, when cutting electrodes, it is required to cut them cleanly (sharply) without breaking the active material applied to their surfaces. Furthermore, separators are extremely thin resin sheet-like members, and they must be cut without stretching or tearing. The cutting device 10 of the above-described embodiment can be suitably applied to such devices that require high-speed and high-precision cutting.

[0079] 10 Cutting equipment (laminated battery manufacturing equipment) 11 Sheet-like member 12 Cut section 13 Drum-shaped member 14 Center shaft part 15 Slit hole 16 cutting blade 17 Outer shell 17a Sheet adsorption surface (surface of outer shell) 18 Peeling means 19 Conveyor belt 20 Guide drum 21 Axial guide roller 22 Axial guide member 23 Radial guide member 24 Adsorption mechanism 25 Guide drum surface 26 Wrapping Regions 27 Axial guide groove 28 Guide drum side 29 Radial guide groove 30 Radial guide roller 31 Micropore 32 Negative pressure supply piping 33 Cutting blade holding member 34 Claw-like mechanism parts 35 Claw-like mechanism parts 51 Adsorption holding means 52 Rotation mechanism (belt conveying mechanism) 53 Reciprocating mechanism 60 rotation angle area 61 Winding angle area 62 Non-contact angle area A11 Drum axial direction A12 Rotation direction (circumferential direction) A13 Supply direction A14 Collection direction

Claims

1. a drum-shaped member having a cylindrical outer shell portion with a slit hole formed along the drum axial direction; a suction holding means for suction-holding a sheet-like material continuously fed from the outside onto the surface of the outer shell; a rotation mechanism that rotates the outer shell portion of the drum-shaped member in a circumferential direction; a cutting blade that moves along the slit; a reciprocating mechanism that reciprocates the cutting blade in the drum axial direction. A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

2. The sheet-like material cutting device according to claim 1, the rotation mechanism rotates the outer shell portion at a rotation speed such that the speed of the circumferential surface is equal to the moving speed of the sheet-like member; The reciprocating mechanism defines the position of the cutting blade for each rotational angle position of the outer shell portion, and causes the cutting blade to reciprocate once for each rotation of the outer shell portion. A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

3. The sheet-like material cutting device according to claim 1, The rotation angle region of the outer shell portion is set to include a wrapping angle region in which the sheet-like member is wrapped around the surface of the outer shell portion and adsorbed and held thereon, and a non-contact angle region in which the sheet-like member does not contact the surface of the outer shell portion, The reciprocating mechanism cuts the sheet-like material adsorbed on the surface of the outer shell portion by moving the cutting blade from one end side to the other end side of the drum-shaped member in the drum axial direction within the wrapping angle range. A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

4. 4. The sheet-like material cutting device according to claim 3, The reciprocating mechanism moves the cutting blade from the other end side toward the one end side in the non-contact angle region, thereby causing the cutting blade to reciprocate once per one rotation of the outer shell portion. A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

5. The sheet-like material cutting device according to claim 1, The suction and holding means is composed of a negative pressure suction means that applies negative pressure to the inside of the drum-shaped member through micropores provided on the surface of the outer shell, or an electrostatic suction means that utilizes the charge or image force of the surface of the outer shell. A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

6. The sheet-like material cutting device according to claim 1, the drum-shaped member includes a guide drum that defines the position and protrusion of the cutting blade on the surface of the outer shell portion in the drum axial direction, The guide drum is fixedly disposed, The outer shell portion rotates in a circumferential direction to convey the sheet-like member. A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

7. The sheet-like material cutting device according to claim 1, a peeling means for peeling off the cut portion of the sheet-like member cut by the cutting blade from the surface of the outer shell portion; A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

8. The sheet-like material cutting device according to claim 1, The cutting blade is configured to perform a protruding motion from the inside of the drum-shaped member to the outside thereof and a retracting motion from the outside of the drum-shaped member to the inside thereof. A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

9. The sheet-like material cutting device according to claim 1, The cutting blade has an inclined cutting edge so as to generate a force that presses the sheet-like material toward the surface of the outer shell portion when the cutting blade moves to cut the sheet-like material. A sheet-like material cutting device characterized by:

10. A drum-shaped member having a cylindrical outer shell portion with a slit hole formed along the drum axial direction, and a cutting blade moving along the slit hole, While rotating the outer shell portion of the drum-shaped member in a circumferential direction, sheet-shaped materials continuously fed from the outside are sucked and held along the surface of the outer shell portion, The cutting blade is moved in the drum axial direction to cut the sheet-like material in the drum axial direction. A method for cutting a sheet-like member, comprising:

11. The sheet material cutting device according to claim 1 is used. A laminated battery manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

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