CELL STACKING INSTALLATION FOR STACKING SEGMENTS OF ENERGY CELLS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A CELL STACKING INSTALLATION OF SUCH A CELL STACKING INSTALLATION, SEGMENTATION DEVICE FOR OR IN A CELL STACKING INSTALLATION, AND SEGMENTATION METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CELL STACKS IN A CELL STACKING INSTALLATION

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cell stacking equipment (1) for stacking energy cell segments (16), comprising a supply device (2) for continuously supplying the segments (16) at a predetermined supply speed, and at least one cell stacking unit (11) for receiving the segments (16) from the supply device (2) and stacking them into a stack, the cell stacking unit (11) having at least one removal unit (111) and a transfer mechanism (112), the removal unit (111) being driven to perform repeated alternating movements consisting of acceleration and deceleration, and the removal unit (111) receiving the segments (16) from the supply device (2) at the supply speed and transferring them to the transfer mechanism (112) during the decelerated movement or in a stationary state.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention relates to a cell stacking installation comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1 or claim 16, a method for controlling such a cell stacking installation comprising the features of the preamble of claim 23, a segmentation device for or in a cell stacking installation comprising the features of the preamble of claim 35 and a segmentation method for producing cell stacks in a cell stacking installation comprising the features of the preamble of claim 39. [Background technology]

[0002] Energy cells, or also energy accumulators, in the sense of the present invention are used in the form of battery cells or fuel cells, in which very large amounts of energy must be stored for relatively long periods, for example in motor vehicles and other land vehicles, ships, aircraft, or also in stationary installations, such as photovoltaic installations. For this purpose, such energy cells have a structure consisting of a number of segments that are stacked together in a stack. These segments are respectively alternating anode and cathode sheets, the anode and cathode sheets being separated from one another by separator sheets that are also produced as segments. During the production process, the segments are precut and then stacked in a predetermined sequence in the stack and bonded to one another by lamination. In this case, the anode and cathode sheets are first cut from an endless web and then individually placed at intervals on each of the endless webs of separator material. This subsequently formed "double-layer" endless web of separator material with the anode or cathode sheet placed thereon is then cut into segments in a second step again by a cutting unit, the segments being in this case formed by one separator sheet with one anode or cathode sheet arranged thereon in a double layer. Insofar as this is production-technically possible or necessary, the endless web of separator material with the anode and cathode sheets placed thereon may be stacked before cutting, so that one endless web is formed with a first endless layer of separator material with the anode or cathode sheet placed thereon and a second endless layer of separator material also with the anode or cathode sheet placed thereon. This "four-ply" endless web is then cut into segments by a cutting unit, and the segments are formed, in this case, in four layers, having a first separator sheet, an anode sheet, a second separator sheet and an abutting cathode sheet thereon.Alternatively, the segments may be formed from a first separator sheet, a cathode sheet, a second separator sheet and an anode sheet abutting thereon. The advantage of this solution is that one cut can be saved. A segment in the sense of the present invention may therefore be a segment of a single layer of separator, anode or cathode material, but also a segment of a double layer, a segment of a triple layer or a segment of a quadruple layer of the above mentioned configurations.

[0003] Apparatuses for manufacturing battery cells are known, for example from US Pat. No. 5,399,623 and US Pat. No. 5,499,633.

[0004] The manufacture of battery cells, for example for electric mobility, is today carried out on production facilities with a capacity of 100-240 monocells per minute. The production facilities work in some areas or throughout with a clocked discontinuous movement, e.g. a reciprocating movement, which limits the production capacity. Most of the known machines work in a single-sheet lamination method (e.g. "pick and place"), which has the disadvantage that the process is relatively slow. Lamination of cell arrangements is not possible here.

[0005] Another known approach is a machine with a continuously advancing material web and a clocked tool, such as a parting knife or a tool for changing the pitch.

[0006] In principle, machines with clocked movements are limited in terms of performance. Massive parts, such as receivers and tools, must be constantly accelerated and braked. The process determines the time course and consumes a lot of energy. The mass of the parts being moved cannot be reduced arbitrarily. Parts that are moved at relatively high speeds must often withstand relatively high loads and therefore are even more laborious or costly and heavier.

[0007] In order to reduce the production costs of battery manufacturing, it is necessary, among other things, to increase the production capacity of the machines. One condition for a high production capacity is a high production rate of the stack of energy cells, which is formed from a number of stacked segments of the type described at the beginning.

[0008] The segments are stacked in a preceding manufacturing step, in which in a first step a so-called monocell is formed, consisting of a first separator sheet, an anode sheet arranged thereon, a second separator sheet arranged thereon and a cathode sheet arranged thereon. Alternatively, the separator sheets can first be guided as two endless webs, after which the already cut segments in the form of an anode sheet are placed on one of these endless webs and the already cut segments in the form of a cathode sheet on the other endless web and are bonded together by a lamination process. The thus prefabricated composite webs are then bonded together in a further lamination process, thus forming a four-layer composite web. Basically, it is also possible to place the cut first electrodes in the form of cathodes or anodes between the separator sheets in the form of endless webs and the cut second electrodes in the form of anodes or cathodes on or under one of these separator sheets. The lamination of the four webs is then carried out in one common lamination process, so that while there is still an endless web, i.e. before cutting, the monocells are produced in a fixed arrangement. The monocells are then cut from the combined web by a cut passing through the space between successive anode and / or cathode sheets. Alternatively, the endless web of separator material with the anode and cathode sheets arranged thereon may be cut, in which case the monocells are then produced by a subsequent joining process of a respective cut first separator sheet with the anode and a cut second separator sheet with the cathode.

[0009] The segments are then stacked into a stack of a number of segments. If the segments are monocells or separator sheets with an anode sheet or cathode sheet arranged thereon, the cathode or anode is present on the exposed side of the stack, which is then covered by a so-called closed cell arrangement. A closed cell has a first separator sheet, an anode sheet or cathode sheet arranged thereon and a second separator sheet arranged thereon, on which, however, no cathode or anode sheet is arranged. A closed cell can thus also be considered as a monocell without a cathode or anode sheet. The finished stack of a number of monocells and this closed cell is distinguished in that the stack in this case has one separator sheet on the top side of the stack and one separator sheet on the bottom side of the stack, respectively, so that the anode and cathode sheets are covered by the separator sheet towards the top and bottom, respectively, and do not come into contact with each other.

[0010] In order to achieve a very high production rate of energy cells and / or energy accumulators, it is desirable in this case to stack the produced segments with as high a production rate as possible and with as high a positional accuracy as possible. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 041713 [Patent Document 2] DE 102017216213 Summary of the Invention

[0012] Against this background, the problem underlying the present invention is to provide a cell stacking apparatus, a method for controlling such a cell stacking apparatus, a division device and a division method, which enable stacking of segments at the highest possible production rate without resulting in adverse effects on the positional accuracy of the segments stacked on top of one another.

[0013] To achieve this goal, a cell stacking installation is proposed with the features of claim 1 or 16, and a method for controlling the cell stacking installation with the features of claim 23. Furthermore, to achieve this goal, a segmentation device is proposed as claimed in claim 35, and a segmentation method is proposed as claimed in claim 39. Further preferred developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims, the figures and the corresponding description.

[0014] According to claim 1, in order to solve the above problem, there is provided a cell stacking equipment for stacking energy cell segments, comprising: A feeder that continuously feeds the segments at a predetermined feed rate; At least one cell stacking unit that indirectly or directly receives the segments provided by the supply device and stacks them into a stack; Equipped with The cell stacking unit has at least one take-out unit and a transfer mechanism. In cell stacking equipment, the take-out unit is driven to perform repeated alternating movements of acceleration and deceleration; and the take-out unit receives the segments from the feed device at the feed speed and delivers them to the loading / unloading mechanism in a decelerated motion or at rest; A cell stacking apparatus for stacking energy cell segments is proposed.

[0015] The advantage of the proposed solution is that the segments are received by the removal unit at the feed speed of the feeder and then, due to the slowing down of the movement of the removal unit, are transferred to the loading mechanism at a lower speed or even in a stopped state. Due to the receipt of the segments at the feed speed of the feeder, on the one hand, an uninterrupted take-over of the segments at the high conveying speed of the feeder can be realized with the lowest possible load of the segments during the receiving. On the other hand, due to the slowed down speed of the removal unit or due to the standstill of the removal unit, a transfer of the segments to the loading mechanism can be realized with a comparatively low input lateral force on the segments. The reduced lateral force when releasing the segments into the loading mechanism is particularly significant here, since the segments can be built up in a stack in the loading mechanism in a more accurate position. This allows the relative movements, particularly abrasive ones, between the already loaded segments and the segments that are just in the process of loading can be minimized.

[0016] It is further proposed that the take-off unit is formed by a rotatably driven rotor, and the repeated alternating movement of acceleration and deceleration is formed by an accelerated and decelerated rotational movement of the rotor. The realization of the take-off unit as a rotatably driven rotor has the advantage that the receiving speed of the segments by the take-off unit during the continuous feeding movement is very high. Furthermore, the use of a rotatably driven rotor has the advantage that the constructional form of the cell stacking installation is very compact. Furthermore, as the feeding device, a drum path in the form of several drums connected one after the other can be used, which makes it possible to feed the segments at a very high feeding rate.

[0017] It is further proposed that the rotor has at least one, preferably two, three or more than three receiving punches for receiving the segments, which are arranged at the same angle to each other, and the rotor is decelerated and accelerated during one revolution depending on the number of receiving punches. By means of multiple receiving punches, the rate of receiving the segments by the rotor is improved and / or conversely, the required rotation speed of the rotor can be reduced if the number of segments to be received per unit time is given in advance.

[0018] Another preferred development proposes that the number of receiving punches is an odd number, so that the receiving station for the segments from the feed device and the transfer station to the transfer mechanism can be arranged opposite each other, i.e. at an angle of 180° with respect to the rotation axis of the drum, such that when one receiving punch is arranged in the receiving station, another receiving punch is not present in the transfer station. The same applies vice versa. This proposed development allows the receiving station and the transfer station to be arranged opposite each other, which allows a structurally simple design of the cell stacking installation, in which two receiving punches do not pass through the receiving station and the transfer station at the same time.

[0019] It is further proposed that the receiving punches each have a receiving surface which, in a cross section of the rotating body, is in the shape of a circular arc section and that the receiving surfaces of the receiving punches are arranged on the same diameter in this cross section, the receiving surfaces of the receiving punch thereby forming a receiving radius and passing through the receiving station and the transfer station thereby on the same diameter in relation to the rotating body.

[0020] It is further proposed that the transfer mechanism has a linearly movable receiving part, which removes the stack from the removal unit in the direction of the surface normal of the segments. Due to the linearly movable receiving part in the proposed direction, the stack and / or the segments stacked in the stack are removed without any lateral forces acting on them. This prevents the segments and / or the stack from losing their correct position again during removal.

[0021] It is further proposed that the transfer mechanism has a lifting device, which in operation causes the receiving part to travel via a linear guide device. By means of the linear guide device and the corresponding lifting device, the receiving part and the stack held therein are removed in a predetermined travel path. The receiving part can thus be returned, with a movement to be very precisely controlled, into the transfer station of the removal unit after the release of the stack.

[0022] Furthermore, in this case, it is proposed that at least one sensor device is provided in the region of the lifting device, which detects properties of the stack or the receiving part. The travel path of the receiving part, which is realized by the lifting device, can thus additionally be used for positioning the sensor device. The guide device defines the travel path of the receiving part and allows the sensor device to be precisely oriented with respect to the receiving part, which is moved past the sensor device, and the stack held in the receiving part. The sensor device can then detect, for example, the position of the receiving part or that the receiving part has passed a predetermined position. Furthermore, properties of the stack, such as the stack height, the side of the stack or the arrangement and orientation of the stack, can also be detected, so that these can be recorded or stacks with errors can be excluded before further processing.

[0023] It is further proposed that the transfer mechanism has a transfer mechanism which is movable from the preparation position to the holding position. The transfer mechanism is arranged in the holding position during the travel of the receiver for removing the stack and forms an intermediate platform on which the segments are transferred. By means of the provided transfer mechanism, the transfer of the segments is also possible when the receiver, which is filled with a previously completed stack for the transfer of the stack from the removal unit, is traveled to the discharge location and is therefore not available for receiving the segments at the transfer station of the removal unit. This allows an uninterrupted, i.e. continuous, discharge of the segments from the removal unit to the transfer mechanism with the high stacking rates that are thereby made possible. In order that the segments are transferred onto the transfer mechanism only when the receiver is not arranged in the transfer station of the removal unit, the transfer mechanism is returned from the holding position to the preparation position as soon as the receiver is again returned into the transfer station of the removal unit. As a result, the stacking process and in particular the travel movement of the receiver from the transfer station is not hindered or limited by the transfer mechanism. The relay is moved from the preparation position to the holding position when a predetermined number of segments has been stacked in the receiver and / or when a predetermined stacking height has been reached, and in particular immediately after the transfer of the last segment onto the stack. In the process, the relay is brought into the segment transfer process, so that the transfer of the next segment onto the stack is interrupted and the next segment is transferred onto the relay instead. The relay thus effectively forms a temporary resting place for a short time, thereby assuming the function of the receiver until the receiver is moved back into the transfer station.

[0024] It is further proposed that the receiving part and the transferor each have a resting surface which is formed by a contoured surface with teeth and an intermediate space arranged between the teeth, and that during the movement of the transferor and the receiving part for transferring the stack of segments, the transferor and the receiving part engage in each case with the teeth of the transferor and the receiving part into the intermediate space of the other part. By forming the resting surface as proposed, the receiving part can be run back into the transfer station after the release of the stack without colliding with the transferor. During the movement into the transfer station, the receiving part is then moved with the teeth of the resting surface of the receiving part between the teeth of the resting surface of the transferor, thereby complementing the resting surface of the transferor and forming an enlarged receiving surface. After the receiving part has been placed again in the transfer station, the transferor is again moved back from the holding position to the preparation position and transfers the already stacked segments to the receiving part. The stack is in effect "transferred" and transferred from a temporary storage place on the transferor into the receiving part. The teeth can in this case be equally spaced and oriented parallel to one another, but can also have different spacing and / or a different orientation, insofar as the delivery and reception of the segments and in particular the engagement movements require this.

[0025] It is further proposed that a discharge device is provided with a number of individually movable transport receptacles into which the transfer mechanism transfers the stacks. The individually movable transport receptacles are used for removing the stacks to a further processing step. The stacking process and the frequency of the stacks to be removed can vary, since the segments and stacks are checked during the preceding transport and / or stacking process by one or more sensor devices for compliance with a predetermined quality standard and are removed from the production process if the quality standard is not met. This change in the transport frequency of the stacks to be removed can be taken into account in conjunction with a corresponding control by the individual driveability of the transport receptacles.

[0026] It is further proposed that the removal unit and / or the receiving part of the transfer mechanism have one or more vacuum lines capable of applying a negative pressure, which aids the receiving of the segments by the removal unit from the supply device and / or by the transfer mechanism from the removal unit and the transport on the removal unit. By means of the vacuum lines capable of applying a negative pressure, the transfer of the segments and the transport of the segments on the removal unit can be realized with a very low input force acting on the segments. Furthermore, the force exerted on the segments can be controlled very simply by switching on and off the negative pressure in the vacuum lines. Thus, for example, the receiving of the segments by the removal unit from the supply device can be controlled very simply by activating the negative pressure in the vacuum lines of the removal unit and switching off the negative pressure in the vacuum lines of the supply device to the transfer point. The transfer of the segment from the removal unit to the loading / unloading mechanism is then likewise performed by switching off the negative pressure in the vacuum lines of the removal unit and activating the negative pressure in the vacuum lines of the receiver of the loading / unloading mechanism. In another configuration, a holding vacuum is applied to the or each vacuum line of the removal unit opening into the carrying zone, the holding vacuum being switched off with a delay at or during the transfer of the segment to the loading / unloading mechanism, and the segment to be transferred is peeled off against the still at least partially applied holding vacuum, which ensures holding of the segment to be transferred in a fixed and accurate position and helps to prevent position changes due to possible floating or falling movements.

[0027] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problem, we propose a cell stacking equipment having the features of the generic part of claim 16, in which at least one cell stacking unit is arranged in the cell stacking device for stacking segments into a stack, the cell stacking unit having at least one removal unit and a transfer mechanism arranged in a delivery station, and the removal unit having a rotating body that can be driven to perform a rotational movement, receives the segments at a receiving station, and has at least two carrying zones arranged spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction (and fixed in the circumferential direction) and extending in the circumferential direction with a length Y.

[0028] The proposed solution makes it possible to stack the segments at a very high piece rate, since the removal unit is designed as a rotating body having a carrying zone and a free zone, by receiving the segments in a receiving station through the carrying zone with a continuous rotational movement.

[0029] The or each supporting zone has a length Y extending in the circumferential direction of at least 20 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 90 mm or 100 mm. The or each supporting zone has a length Y extending in the circumferential direction of at most 200 mm, 180 mm, 150 mm, 120 mm, 100 mm, 80 mm or 60 mm. The or each supporting zone has an extension dimension transverse to the length Y of at least 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm, 180 mm or 300 mm. The or each support zone may have an extension dimension transverse to the length Y of less than or equal to 400 mm, 350 mm, 300 mm, 250 mm, 200 mm, 150 mm, 130 mm, 120 mm, 110 mm, 100 mm, 90 mm, 80 mm, 50 mm or 40 mm.

[0030] In this case, a free zone is preferably provided between the carrying zones, extending in the circumferential direction with a length Z, and the carrying zones and the free zones are arranged such that the removal unit passes through the transfer mechanism with the free zone during the receiving phase in which the segments are received by the carrying zones at the receiving station.

[0031] The free zone is intentionally not configured for receipt of segments and allows the segments to pass through the transfer station during receipt of the segments in the receiving station without being ejected in the transfer station.

[0032] The advantage of the proposed solution is to be found in that by forming the cell stacking device as proposed, an improved reception and transfer of the segments and thus an improved stacking of the segments is possible. Since the reception and transfer of the segments is not carried out simultaneously at a single position of the removal unit due to the proposed carrying zone, free zone and their arrangement, the removal unit can be optimized in terms of its movement behavior when receiving and transferring the segments for an improved reception of the segments from the supply and an optimized release and stacking of the segments, by this movement behavior being individually designed accordingly at the positions when the removal unit passes through the transfer station and the receiving station with the carrying zone.

[0033] It is further proposed that the length Y of the or each carrying zone is smaller, equal to or greater than the length Z of the or each free zone. If the length Y of the carrying zone is smaller, this is advantageous for the delivery of the segments, since in this case, due to the larger length of the free zone, a larger rotation angle is provided for the adaptation of the movement behavior of the removal unit to the receipt and delivery of the segments. If the length Y of the carrying zone is equal to the length Z of the or each free zone, this allows the advantage of a change in the movement behavior as uniform as possible to be realized, in particular with the same acceleration and deceleration of the removal unit. If the length Y of the carrying zone is larger than the length Z of the free zone, this is advantageous in terms of the capacity of the removal unit, since the outer surface of the rotor can be designed for the receipt and delivery of a larger number of segments.

[0034] It is further proposed that the lengths Z of the free zones between the bearing zones are equal or different. If the lengths Z of the free zones are equal, this allows for a repeatable, as far as possible, identical movement sequence of the rotating body between the receipt and delivery of the segments (and vice versa). If the lengths Z of the free zones are different, this allows for individually different movement sequences to be realized, whereby deviations in, for example, the feed or discharge movement of the segments can be taken into account.

[0035] It is further proposed that the or each carrying zone has a receiving surface, by means of which the segments are held in the carrying zone in a surface manner and can be transported from the receiving station to the transfer station by means of the rotating body, whereby a particularly soft transport of the segments can be achieved with as low as possible local maximum forces acting on the segments with respect to the surface.

[0036] It is further proposed that the or each free zone is formed in the rotating body by a cavity extending radially inwards. By forming the free zone as proposed, a free space is provided in the rotating body, which allows a collision-free overlapping relative movement, for example of a transfer mechanism or on a feed device, with respect to the rotating body. Furthermore, this allows the mass of the rotating body that has to be moved to be reduced, which in turn simplifies the motion control and reduces the energy that has to be expended to drive the rotating body.

[0037] It is further proposed that the or each free zone has a radially inwardly offset delimitation relative to the or each bearing zone, whereby a uniquely defined spatial separation of the free zone from the bearing zone is provided, which allows for example a simplified detection of the rotational movement of the rotating body.

[0038] Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, there is provided a method for controlling a cell stacking equipment for stacking energy cell segments, as set forth in claim 23, the cell stacking equipment comprising: A feeder that continuously feeds the segments at a predetermined feed rate; at least one cell stacking unit that receives the segments from the feeder and stacks them into a stack; having The cell stacking unit has at least one take-out unit and a transfer mechanism. In the method, the removal unit has a controllable drive, the drive being controlled such that the removal unit is accelerated for receiving the segments from the supply device and decelerated for delivering the segments to the loading mechanism; A method for controlling a cell stacking machine for stacking segments of energy cells is proposed.

[0039] The advantage of the proposed method is that the segments are received by the removal unit in a continuous supply at the feed speed of the feed device and then, due to the slowing down of the movement of the removal unit, are transferred to the transfer mechanism for stacking of the segments at a lower speed or even in a stopped state. Due to the receipt of the segments at the feed speed of the feed device, on the one hand, an uninterrupted take-over of the segments at a high conveying speed of the feed device can be realized with the lowest possible load of the segments during the reception. On the other hand, due to the slowed down speed of the removal unit or due to the standstill of the removal unit, a transfer of the segments to the transfer mechanism can be realized with a comparatively low input lateral force acting on the segments. The reduced lateral force when releasing the segments into the transfer mechanism is particularly significant here, since the segments can thereby be stacked in a more accurate position in the transfer mechanism into a stack. The cell stacking equipment, based on the proposed control, forms the interface between the continuous supply of segments via a feeder and the stacking of the segments, which is carried out at a relatively low transverse speed of the segments or ideally without any transverse speed, i.e. without any further conveying speed.

[0040] It is further proposed that the take-out unit is formed by a drum which is driven in a rotational movement by a drive, and the drive controls the rotational movement of the drum in such a way that the drum receives the segments from the supply device during the rotational movement and transfers them to the transfer mechanism in a stationary state or during a reduced rotational movement. By forming the take-out unit as a rotatably driven drum, the deceleration and acceleration of the take-out unit can be realized very simply by deceleration and acceleration of the rotational movement of the drum, which can be carried out, for example, by a controlled drive via an electric motor. Furthermore, the take-out unit can thereby be specially formed for the reception of the segments from the supply device formed by the drum path.

[0041] It is further proposed that the removal unit and / or the transfer lever each have a vacuum line, which holds the segment on the removal unit and / or the transfer lever by applying a negative pressure, and the negative pressure in the vacuum line of the removal unit and the negative pressure in the vacuum line of the transfer lever are controlled to overlap for the transfer of the segment. By applying the negative pressure in the vacuum lines of the removal unit and the transfer lever in an overlapping manner, the segment is subjected to a suction force by applying the negative pressure without interruption during the transfer, so that the segment cannot perform an uncontrolled movement. The segment is held until the negative pressure is applied to the removal unit via the negative pressure in the vacuum line and to the vacuum line of the transfer lever, which also applies to the segment and the transfer lever receives the segment. The negative pressure in the vacuum line of the removal unit is in effect switched off only when the segment is actively received by the transfer lever by the negative pressure in the vacuum line of the transfer lever. In this case, the vacuum in the vacuum line of the removal unit is preferably still applied in such a way that the transfer lever still pulls the segment off the removal unit against the still remaining holding force, so that the transfer of the segment is not carried out in phases in which no controlled force is exerted on the segment, so that the movement of the segment is controlled by the applied vacuum in all movement phases due to the movement of the removal unit and the transfer lever, and the segment cannot carry out an uncontrolled movement.

[0042] It is further proposed that the transfer mechanism has a linearly movable receiving part, which is moved from a receiving position to a releasing position when it is recognized via a sensor device that the stack has reached a predetermined stacking height in the receiving part. The receiving part is used to transfer the completed stack from the receiving position to the releasing position, and is moved linearly in order to achieve as low an input force as possible acting on the segments.

[0043] It is further proposed that a relay is provided, which is moved by a controllable drive from the preparation position to the holding position in order to receive the segments, and by means of the relay a second transfer surface for the segments is provided, which is used as a temporary resting place in the holding position while the receiver is not located in the receiving position and / or in the transfer station of the removal unit.

[0044] In this case, the relay is preferably moved from the preparation position to the holding position between the transfer of two segments. By moving the relay as proposed, it forms a transfer surface for the following segment and the receiver can be run from the receiving position to a discharge position, in which the stack arranged in the receiver is transferred to a discharge device. With the proposed solution, a virtually uninterrupted transfer surface for the segments is provided, so that the stacking process can be continued even during the running movement of the receiver.

[0045] It is further proposed that the relay is moved from the holding position to the ready position after the movable receiving part has been moved from the release position to the receiving position, the movements of the relay and the receiving part overlap during this phase, so that the relay is only moved back to the ready position when the receiving part is in the receiving position and can receive the following segment.

[0046] It is further proposed that the movement of the relay is controlled depending on the movement and / or the position of the receiver. This can prevent the relay and the receiver from colliding during their movement process. Furthermore, this allows the overlapping movement to be controlled particularly simply, since the movement of the relay to the preparation position or the movement of the receiver to the release position is only activated after the respective other part has finished the previous movement process. For the most efficient cooperation of the receiver and the relay, the movements of the receiver and the relay are preferably controlled relative to one another in such a way that at least the receiver or the relay is always located in the receiving position and forms a transfer surface for the segments to be transferred. This can allow uninterrupted transfer of the segments.

[0047] It is further proposed that the receiver and the relay each have a resting surface which is formed by a number of toothed surfaces arranged parallel to one another and equally spaced apart, and that the relay and the receiver engage with each other by means of their teeth during the movement of the relay and the receiver to transfer the stack of segments. With this proposed development, the receiver can be moved very simply into the receiving position while the relay is still in the holding position, as the receiver can be inserted with its teeth between the teeth of the relay without colliding with the relay.

[0048] It is further proposed that the transfer mechanism has a transfer lever, which removes the segments from the removal unit and supplies them to the transfer mechanism. The transfer lever receives the segments from the removal unit and actively guides them into the receiving part of the transfer mechanism, so that the transfer of the segments from the removal unit into the receiving part is performed in a correspondingly controlled and guided manner, and the forces acting on the segments during the transfer are likewise controlled and can be minimized by a corresponding course of the ejection movement. Furthermore, the transfer of the segments can be configured with higher process reliability as a result.

[0049] It is further proposed that the transfer lever is driven by a drive for a periodic ejection movement from the removal unit, by means of which the segments can be ejected successively with the same ejection movement, the periodic ejection movement being preferably a linear stroke movement with as low as possible lateral forces acting on the segments.

[0050] Further, in order to solve the above problem, there is provided a segmentation device for a cell stacking installation or in a cell stacking installation for a segment of an energy cell according to any one of claims 1 to 22, comprising: the supply device is configured and arranged to supply a number A of segments of energy cells per unit time; a first transport unit for the segments is provided, the first transport unit being downstream of the feed device, a second transport unit for the segments is provided, the second transport unit being downstream of the first transport unit; the first transport unit is configured and arranged to receive a number A of segments per unit time from the supply device and to convey a number B of segments per unit time to the first discharge area and a number C of segments per unit time to the second discharge area; The number B of segments per unit time is arranged to be transportable toward the second transport unit and to be delivered to the second transport unit in the discharge area, and A number C of segments per unit time are provided in the second release area, in particular to a cell stacking device, or to a cell stacking unit, or to one or more removal units of the cell stacking device, and In particular, the sum of the number of segments per unit time B and the number of segments per unit time C is equal to or less than the number of segments per unit time A. A segmentation device for or in a cell stacking installation for segments of energy cells is proposed.

[0051] Further, in order to solve the above problem, a method for dividing a cell stack in a cell stacking facility for energy cell segments according to any one of claims 1 to 22 is provided, comprising: supplying a number A of segments per unit time with a supply device configured and arranged to supply the number A of segments of energy cells per unit time; a first transport unit for the segments, which is disposed downstream of the supply device, transports the segments; a second transport unit for the segments, which is downstream of the first transport unit, transports the segments; The first transport unit receives a number A of segments per unit time from the supply device and transports a number B of segments per unit time to the first discharge area and a number C of segments per unit time to the second discharge area G2; A number B of segments per unit time are conveyed towards the second conveying unit and handed over to the second conveying unit at the first discharge area; and The number C of segments per unit time is transferred in the second release area, in particular to a cell stacking device, or to a cell stacking unit, or to one or more removal units of the cell stacking device, and in particular The sum of the number B of segments per unit time and the number C of segments per unit time is equal to or less than the number A of segments per unit time.

[0052] Both the sectioning device and the sectioning method comprise two conveying units and a sectioning of the supplied segments into two partial streams. If it is desired to increase the capacity of the installation or to reduce the number of segments which are further transported in the partial streams, further conveying units may be provided according to the same principle, which are arranged in parallel or in series with respect to the first two conveying units.

[0053] It is further proposed that the second transport unit is operated as a rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum, or as an interactive combination of a first rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a reversing drum, and a second rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum.

[0054] An advantage of the proposed sorting device and the proposed sorting method is to be found in that the cell stacking device and / or the removal unit, respectively, can be stacked at a lower stacking rate than if the number of pieces A was supplied, since the number of pieces A is divided on both transport units into smaller numbers B and C. As a result, the conveying rate of the supply device can be designed accordingly high, and the stacking rate can at the same time be designed accordingly low for a high positional accuracy of the segments to be stacked and thus of the stack itself.

[0055] The second transport unit is preferably designed as a rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum, or as an interactive combination of a first rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a reversing drum, and a second rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum, which in itself allows a very high transport capacity of the segments. In particular, the design of the first transport unit as a rotatably drivable transport unit allows a continuous supply of the segments to the transport unit and a continuous removal of the segments from the transport unit. Due to the rotational movement of the transport unit, the forces acting on the segments, in particular the lateral forces, can be reduced to as small a magnitude as possible, which on the other hand allows a very precisely positioned transport of the segments and thus also the formation of a very precisely positioned stack.

[0056] The present invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0057] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a manufacturing machine having a cell stacking facility according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a cell stacking facility including one cell stacking device and a plurality of cell stacking units. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cell stacking equipment with the rotation direction of the drum indicated. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are two perspective views showing a cell stacking unit, each showing one removal unit of the cell stacking unit positioned at a receiving position and one at a handover position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the take-out unit in the receiving position and the relay in the holding position. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a take-out unit at a receiving position and a relay at a holding position. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a take-off unit at a transfer position and a relay at a preparation position. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a take-out unit at a transfer position and a relay at a preparation position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0058] 1 shows a manufacturing machine with a cell stacking installation 1 according to the invention, which comprises an initial supply device 2, a discharge device 3, an upstream cutting device 4 and a cell stacking device 7 arranged between the supply device 2 and the discharge device 3. The manufacturing machine further comprises a supply of four endless webs (E1-E4), two of which E1 and E3 are made of separator material, one endless web E2 is made of anode material and one endless web E4 is made of cathode material. The endless webs E2 and E4 of cathode material and anode material are cut by a cutting device to a predetermined length and / or width into anodes and cathodes, respectively, which are then placed on one of the endless webs E1 and E3 of separator material after cutting. The joining is carried out in such a way that first the anodes or cathodes cut off from the lowest endless web E4 are separated and laid on a transport belt T, then the endless web E3 of separator material is laid on top of it, and then again the anodes or cathodes cut off from the endless web E2 are separated and laid on the endless web E3 of separator material, which are then covered on top by the laying on of the topmost endless web E1 of separator material to form one four-layered endless web EG. This four-layered endless web EG with the anodes or cathodes on its top side is then fed to a lamination unit L, in which the four-layered endless web EG are joined to one another by the action of thermal and / or mechanical energy to form a solid joint. If it is desired that the four-layered endless web EG has a different configuration, the endless webs E1 to E4 may be arranged differently.

[0059] The laminated four-ply endless web EG is then fed to a cell lamination facility 1 in the production machine and cut in a cutting device 4 into segments 16 of a predetermined length and / or width, also called monocells. However, it is also possible to feed the cell lamination facility 1 in the production machine with segments 16 of double layers consisting of only one layer of separator material and of an anode or cathode and / or with segments 16 of a single layer, if this is desired to be stacked accordingly and further processed.

[0060] The cutting device 4 is formed here by a drum pair consisting of a cutting drum with a cutting knife and a counter drum with a counter knife, and cuts the four-layer endless web EG guided towards the cutting drum or the counter drum by a shearing action of the cutting knife on the counter drum into segments 16 of a predetermined length, which is determined by the distance between the cutting knife or the counter knife, depending on whether the endless web is guided towards the cutting drum or the counter drum. Starting from the cutting device 4, the cut segments 16 are fed to a feed device 2. The feed device 2 is formed by a drum path with several transport drums, on which the segments 16 are held, for example, by negative pressure. If the fed endless web is a four-layer endless web EG, the segments 16 cut from the four-layer endless web EG thus correspond to the monocells described at the beginning.

[0061] The cell stacking installation 1 with the cell stacking device 7 is shown enlarged in Fig. 2. The supply device 2 has four transfer drums 5 and three reversing drums 6 arranged between two transfer drums 5, only two of which can be seen in the excerpt of Fig. 2. The cell stacking device 7 further has four cell stacking units 11, each of which has a removal unit 111 and a corresponding transfer mechanism 112, only two of which can be seen in the excerpt of Fig. 2. The removal units 111 are formed as rotating bodies driven in a rotational movement, for example in the form of drums, and have three bearing zones in the form of receiving punches 113 oriented at an angle of 120° to one another. The receiving punch 113 has an outer surface, which in its outer dimensions may at least correspond to or be larger than the outer shape of the segment 16. In a cross section of the receiving punch 113 perpendicular to the rotation axis of the removal unit 111, the receiving punch 113 has a contour in the shape of a circular arc section, each having the same radius, so that they complement each other to form an imaginary circle. Furthermore, the removal unit 111 is arranged with its receiving punch 113 and is dimensioned in terms of radius in such a way that the removal unit 111 contacts with the outer surface of the receiving punch 113 against the outer surface of the transfer drum 5 during the rotational movement with a gap that corresponds at least to the thickness of the segment 16. The rotational movement of the removal unit 111 is controlled with respect to the respective transfer drum 5 in such a way that the receiving punch 113 receives exactly one segment 16 from the transfer drum 5 during its revolution. For this purpose, the movement of the removal unit 111 is controlled so that the outer surface of the receiving punch 113 has a circumferential speed corresponding to the circumferential speed of the segment 16 held on the transfer drum 5 at the point of shortest distance to the transfer drum 5 (corresponding to the receiving station XA) and the segment 16 is received by the receiving punch 113, in the ideal case, without any relative velocity in the circumferential direction.

[0062] The outer surface of the receiving punch 113 has an arc length in the circumferential direction that corresponds at least to the width of the segment 16 in the circumferential direction of the transfer drum 5, so that the segment 16 is received by the receiving punch 113 over the entire surface. Furthermore, the receiving punch 113 has a length in the axial direction of the take-off unit 111 that corresponds at least to the length of the segment 16 in the axial direction of the take-off drum 5. The receiving punch 113 has a comb-like structure with multiple teeth that are oriented parallel to one another in the circumferential direction, between which gaps are arranged in each case with constant and identical widths. The end faces of the teeth together form in this case the outer surface of the receiving punch 113.

[0063] Each receiving punch 113 forms a receiving surface 123 on the outer side of the receiving punch 113 , and the receiving surfaces 123 are separated from each other by free zones 124 based on a plurality of receiving punches 113 .

[0064] In the teeth of the receiving punch 113, a vacuum line 122 is provided, to which a vacuum can be applied, which opens into the outer surface of the teeth and / or the end face of the receiving punch 113 with an opening of the vacuum line 122, which can be seen in Figs. 6 and 4. Furthermore, in the outer surface of the transfer drum 5, a corresponding opening of the vacuum line can also be provided, to which a vacuum can be applied. The segment 16 is held on the outer surface of the transfer drum 5 by applying a vacuum in the vacuum line and is received by the removal unit 111 by switching off the vacuum in the vacuum line of the transfer drum 5 and switching on the vacuum in the vacuum line 122 of the receiving punch 113 running through the receiving station XA. This can be seen in the left diagram of Fig. 4.

[0065] The orbiting movement of the take-off units 111 and thus the receiving punches 113 is controlled in such a way that the take-off units 111 and thus the receiving punches 113 receive the segments 16 from the transfer drum 5 in a predetermined sequence. In this embodiment, four cell stacking units 11 are provided in the cell stacking device 7, so that each of the cell stacking units 11 receives the segments 16 from the feed device 2 in a fixed sequence and in a four-beat rhythm. Thus, the first take-off unit 111 assigned to the first transfer drum 5 of the first cell stacking unit 11 receives, during its orbit, the first segments 13 of the group of four from the first transfer drum 5 in rhythm by one of the receiving punches 113 of the first take-off unit 111. The segments 16 of the group of four remaining on the first transfer drum 5 are then received by the first reversing drum 6 and transferred further onto the second transfer drum 5. As the segment 16 is transferred onto the second transfer drum 5 via the reversing drum 6, the segment 16 is then rotated once about its longitudinal axis, which is oriented parallel to the rotation axes of the transfer drum 5 and the reversing drum 6, so that the segment 16 faces outward on the second transfer drum 5 with the same upper side as on the first transfer drum 5. The second cell stacking unit 11 then likewise removes the second segment 16 of the group of quadruplets from the second transfer drum 5 by means of the receiving punch 113 of the second removal unit 111, respectively. This can be seen in FIG. 2. This process is repeated until finally the fourth cell stacking unit 11 removes the last segment 16 of the group of quadruplets from the fourth transfer drum 5, and all the segments 16 of the group of quadruplets have been received by the cell stacking unit 11. As each of the removal units 111 has three receiving punches 113, the segments 16 are removed from the supply by the receiving punches 113 in groups of three quadruplets, continuing until all the segments 16 have been removed after delivery by the last delivery drum 5.

[0066] In FIG. 4, the cell stacking unit 11 according to the invention with the transfer mechanism 112 according to the invention can be seen in two different positions in an enlarged view. The removal unit 111 is arranged between the transfer drum 5 and the transfer mechanism 112 and receives the segments 16 from the transfer drum 5 in the above-described manner. The removal unit 111 is driven to rotate clockwise, which can also be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 on the basis of the direction of the arrows. During the respective reception of a segment 16, the removal unit 111 is located with one of its receiving punches 113 in the "12 o'clock position" and runs through the receiving station XA with this receiving punch 113. This can be seen in the left view of FIG. 4. This position of the removal unit 111, in which one receiving punch 113 is arranged in the "12 o'clock position", is also called the receiving position of the removal unit 111 within the meaning of the present invention. The receiving punch 113 which has received the segments 16 of the preceding group of four on the take-off drum 5 is in this position at the "4 o'clock position". In this receiving position, the take-off unit 111 rotates with a circumferential speed of the outer surface of the receiving punch 113 which corresponds to the circumferential speed of the segments 16 on the transfer drum 5 and has just received one segment 16 with the receiving punch 113 which is arranged at the "12 o'clock position". Another receiving punch 113 is in the "8 o'clock position" and does not carry a segment 16, i.e. has a free outer surface, since it has just released one segment 16 to the transfer mechanism 112. The take-out unit 111 is then in a position where it passes through the transfer mechanism 112 with a free zone 124 in the form of a free space, so that at this receiving position, the possibility of the take-out unit 111 colliding with the transfer mechanism 112 is eliminated and / or the transfer mechanism 112 can perform movement relative to the take-out unit 111 with members of the transfer mechanism 112.

[0067] In order to transfer the segments 16 from the receiving punch 113, which is present at the "4 o'clock position" in the receiving location of the removal unit 111, the removal unit 111 is decelerated during its further rotational movement until the removal unit 111, with the receiving punch 113 previously located at the "4 o'clock position", is now located at the "6 o'clock position" and runs through the transfer station XB. This can be seen in the right diagram of FIG.

[0068] The transfer station XB is the location of the shortest distance between the outer surface, i.e. the receiving surface 123, of the receiving punch 113 to be transferred and the transfer mechanism 112. Since there is an odd number of receiving punches 113, the transfer station XB can be arranged at the "6 o'clock position" so that it is located opposite the receiving station XA at ​​the "12 o'clock position" without two of the receiving punches 113 passing through the receiving station XA and the transfer station XB at the same time. This position of the take-out unit 111, where the receiving punch 113 is arranged at the "6 o'clock position", is also referred to as the transfer position of the take-out unit 111 in the sense of the present invention.

[0069] During this rotational movement, the take-out unit 111 is decelerated to such an extent that the take-out unit 111 rotates at a significantly lower circumferential speed in the transfer position or even comes to a standstill for a very short moment. The segments 16 are released from the receiving punch 113, which is arranged in the "6 o'clock position" in the transfer position of the take-out unit 111, to the transfer mechanism 112, which will be described in more detail below. Since the receiving punch 113 rotates at a significantly lower circumferential speed in this position or, in the ideal case, even comes to a standstill, the segments 16 are transferred with significantly lower lateral forces than would be possible if the take-out unit 111 were not decelerated. When the take-out unit 111 comes to a standstill, the segments 16 are instead transferred to the transfer mechanism 112 without any lateral forces, only with a movement in the direction normal to the surface of the segments 16. This ensures that the lateral forces acting on the segments 16 during delivery are as low as possible, and the segments 16 can thereby be subsequently built up into a stack with extremely high positional accuracy.

[0070] Furthermore, in this position of the take-off unit 111, i.e. in the transfer position, the third free receiving punch 113 is present at the "10 o'clock position" when at rest and / or at a low rotational speed and is at an angle of 60 degrees to the receiving station XA of the transfer drum 5 at the "12 o'clock position". Since the free receiving punch 113 must again have the circumferential speed of the segment 16 on the transfer drum 5 in the receiving position of the take-off unit 111, the take-off unit 111 is subsequently accelerated again until the free receiving punch 113 previously present in the "10 o'clock position" runs through the receiving station XA at ​​the "12 o'clock position" with the tangential speed of the segment 16 supplied on the transfer drum 5 and receives the segment 16.

[0071] The take-off unit 111 in the form of a rotating body driven in a rotating movement with three receiving punches 113 arranged at an angle of 120 degrees to each other is thus accelerated and decelerated in a repeated sequence, the rotating body being decelerated three times and accelerated three times during one revolution depending on the number of receiving punches 113. The take-off unit 111 may also have an even number of receiving punches 113, in which case the receiving station XA and the transfer station XB must be located differently, for example at the "12 o'clock position" and the "4 o'clock position", because due to the different requirements for the movement state of the take-off unit 111 when receiving and transferring the segments 14, it is not possible for one segment 16 to be transferred simultaneously with the receiving of a second segment 16, i.e. two receiving punches 113 to run through the receiving station XA and the transfer station XB at the same time. It is therefore advantageous to provide an odd number of take-off punches 113. 4. The movement of the take-off unit 111 is controlled in this case in such a way that the take-off unit 111 is decelerated and accelerated overall, without the distance between the receiving punches 113 changing. The take-off unit 111 is formed here by a rotating body in the form of a drum, so that the receiving punches 113 are arranged in this case at a fixed angle to one another during the rotational movement. The take-off unit 111 is formed here by a rotating body in the form of a drum, so that the receiving punches 113 are arranged in this case at a fixed angle to one another during the rotational movement. The receiving punches 113 are arranged here at equal intervals and at the same angle to one another and are driven together with the base body of the take-off unit 111.The advantage of this solution is to be found in that the above-mentioned acceleration and deceleration of the segments 16 into the transfer station XB and into the receiving station XA is realized only by the sole control of the movement of the take-off unit 111, while the receiving punch 113 itself does not perform an individually controlled movement, but is instead decelerated and accelerated as a group. This allows the overall control and the structural arrangement to be simplified. In particular, the receiving punch 113 does not require any separate movable support in the take-off unit 111. It is particularly advantageous to arrange the transfer station XB in the "6 o'clock position", i.e. below the take-off unit 111, since the transfer of the segments 16 is thereby not performed against the acting gravitational force, but is instead further assisted by the acting gravitational force.

[0072] The transfer mechanism 112 comprises a receiving part 115 which is linearly movable by a lifting device 116, the movement of which is triggered by the action of the lifting device 116 and is guided by a guide device, for example a guide rod. The receiving part 115 is linearly movable between a receiving position and a discharging position, the receiving position of the receiving part 115 being arranged as closely as possible to the transfer station XB of the segment 16, whereas the discharging position of the receiving part 115 corresponds to a more distant position of the receiving part 115 which is assigned to the discharging device 3.

[0073] The transfer mechanism 112 further comprises a transfer lever 117, which has a comb-like structure with a number of teeth 118 oriented parallel to one another, which are dimensioned with respect to width and arrangement in such a way that, during the revolution of the take-out unit 111, the teeth 118, depending on the position of the teeth 118 or by active movement, come to engage in the gaps between the teeth 118 of the receiving punch 113 and passively or actively comb the segments 16 held by the receiving punch 113 from the receiving punch 113 at the transfer station XB. When the receiving punch 113 is stationary at the transfer station XB, it is advantageous for the transfer lever 117 itself to perform a movement relative to the receiving punch 113 and actively comb the segments 16 from the outer surface of the receiving punch 113. The transfer lever 117 is then driven by a drive to perform a periodic linear stroke movement. During the movement of the receiving punch 113 to the transfer station XB, the transfer lever 117 reaches with its teeth into the intermediate space between the teeth of the receiving punch 113, below the segment 16 held by the receiving punch 113. For the ejection of the segment 16, the transfer lever 117 then performs a linear stroke movement in the radial direction of the removal unit 111, entraining the segment 16 in the direction of the surface normal of the segment 16. Depending on the direction of the ejection movement of the segment 16, the forces acting on the segment 16 are as low as possible and a particularly soft ejection movement of the segment 16 can be achieved. The linear stroke movement of the transfer lever 117 ends with the transfer of the segment 16 into the receiving part 115 of the transfer mechanism 112. At this time, the stroke of the stroke movement of the transfer lever 117 is controlled so that the segments 16 are transferred into the receiving part 115 with as little dropping movement as possible and with as little pressing force as possible. For this purpose, the stroke is controlled in such a way that the stroke decreases as the number of stacked segments 16 increases in accordance with an increase in the stacking height of the segments 16 stacked in the receiving part 115.Alternatively, the receiving part 115 can be driven by a linear drive to perform a stroke movement after the transfer of the segment 16, the stroke corresponding in this case to at least the thickness of the segment 16. The stroke of the transfer lever 117 can thus be selected to be constant. Preferably, however, the receiving part 115 is moved away from the removal unit 111 by a stroke corresponding in this case to the thickness of the segment 16 plus a small additional stroke of, for example, 1 millimeter. In order that the segment 16 is transferred in this case always at a constant, as small as possible, distance from the stack surface, the transfer lever is driven in this case to perform a stroke movement whose stroke is increased by an additional stroke after each transfer of a segment 16, in this case ideally by an additional stroke of 1 millimeter. With the proposed solution, the receiver 115 is additionally moved away from the removal unit 111 by a factor depending on the number of stacked segments 16 times the additional travel, so that an additional free space is formed into which the relay 114, which will be described in more detail below, can enter without needing an additional movement of the receiver 115 for this purpose. If the additional travel is 1 millimeter and the number of segments 16 in the stack is 20, the receiver is in this case moved an additional 20 millimeters away from the removal unit 111, i.e. away from the transfer station XB, and the relay 114 can be moved into the transfer station XB for the placement of the following segment 16 without any further movement of the receiver 115.

[0074] A vacuum channel system extends through the transfer lever 117. The vacuum channel system has a supply channel from which a number of branch channels branch off. The branch channels are arranged to communicate with the supply channel to the open surface of the transfer lever 117.

[0075] A number of vacuum lines 120 are provided in the transfer lever 117, which can be seen in FIG. 7. The vacuum lines 120 open into the underside of the transfer lever 117, into the receiving surface provided there, via their openings. The vacuum lines 120 are further connected to an external, per se flexible line of an external vacuum supply 121. The vacuum supply 121 of the negative pressure into the vacuum lines 120 of the transfer lever 117 is controlled in such a way that a negative pressure is already present in the vacuum lines 120 when each one of the segments 16 is fed into the receiving station XA via the receiving punch 113 and the segment 16 is still held on the receiving punch 113 via the negative pressure acting in the vacuum lines 122 of the receiving punch 113. The transfer lever 117 comes to rest with its underside against the upper surface of the segment 16 in the receiving station XA, and the segment 16 is still sucked in via the same surface via the vacuum line 122 of the receiving punch 113. The segment 16 is thus briefly sucked in simultaneously and in the same direction by the negative pressure acting in the vacuum lines 120, 122 of the receiving punch 113 and of the transfer lever 117, in this case towards the upper surface of the segment 16. Only when the transfer lever 117 has held the segment 16 via the negative pressure in the vacuum line 120 of the transfer lever 117 is the negative pressure in the vacuum line 122 of the receiving punch 113 switched off. In this case, the vacuum in the vacuum line 122 of the receiving punch 113 and the movement of the transfer lever 117 overlap, so that the segment 16 is pulled off by the transfer lever 117 against the still-applied vacuum in the vacuum line 122 of the receiving punch 113. The segment 16 is thus permanently exposed to a suction force, in particular first to the suction force of the removal unit 111 and then to the suction force of the transfer lever 117. This completes the transfer of the segment 16 from the removal unit 111 onto the transfer lever 117, which transfers the segment 16 into the receiving part 115 of the transfer mechanism 112 with a linear stroke movement.The vacuum line 120 is connected via a flexible line 121 to an external vacuum supply so that the transfer lever 117 can perform a linear stroke movement and the segment 16 is held thereon by negative pressure during this time. With the flexible line, the vacuum supply can also be realized via the interface of mutually moving parts. The transfer lever 117 has a curved receiving surface on its upper surface facing the segment 16 to be removed, the receiving surface being formed by the end faces of the teeth of the transfer lever 117. The curvature of the surface corresponds to the curvature of the receiving surface 123 of the receiving punch 113, so that the transfer lever 117 and the teeth of the receiving punch 113 form a complementary enlarged homogeneously curved abutment surface in the engagement position of the transfer lever 117.

[0076] The receiving part 115 may also have a vacuum line to which a negative pressure can be applied, the vacuum line being arranged with an opening thereof in such a way that, when negative pressure is applied, the vacuum line generates a suction force on the segment 16 to be received. The segment 16 can in this case be transferred from the take-out unit 111 into the receiving part 115 of the transfer mechanism 112 in addition to the above-mentioned combing step by the transfer lever 117 at the transfer station XB by switching off the negative pressure in the vacuum line of the receiving punch 113, which is arranged in the "6 o'clock position", and sucking the segment 16 by the vacuum line of the receiving part 115.

[0077] This process of ejecting the segments 16 from the receiving punch 113 of the take-out unit 111 into the receiving part 115 of the transfer mechanism 112 is repeated until it is recognized via a suitable sensor device that the stack of segments 16 built up in the receiving part 115 has exceeded a predetermined height or that a predetermined number of segments 16 have been piled up in the receiving part 115. Depending on the signal of the sensor device, the lifting device 116 is then activated and the receiving part 115 together with the stack of segments 16 is caused to travel linearly from the receiving position to the ejecting position towards the ejection device 3. Basically, in the machine control of the production machine and the cell stacking installation, the number of segments 16 fed and also the number of segments 16 ejected in the preceding ejection device are known, so that the lifting device 116 may be activated upon recognition that a predetermined number of segments 16 to be stacked has been reached based on the number of stacked segments 16 known in the machine control.

[0078] The transfer mechanism 112 further comprises a relay 114 movable from a preparation position to a holding position, which is arranged in the holding position during the travel of the receiver 115 for removing the stack and forms an intermediate platform for transferring the segments 16. This can be seen in the left diagram of FIG. 4. By means of the relay 114 provided, the transfer of the segments 16 is also possible when the receiver 115 filled with a previously completed stack for the transfer of the stack from the removal unit 111 is traveled to the discharge position and thus is not available for the receipt of the segments 16 in the transfer station XB. This allows an uninterrupted, i.e. continuous, discharge of the segments 16 from the removal unit 111 with the high stacking rate that is made possible thereby.

[0079] When the target height of the stack in the receiving part 115 and / or the target number of segments 16 in the stack are recognized via the sensor device, the relay 114 is moved from the preparation position to the holding position, utilizing the free space provided based on the movement of the receiving part 115 and / or based on the free space present between the receiving punches 113. In doing so, the relay 114 is moved with its resting surface into the intermediate space between the receiving part 115 and / or the stack of segments 16 to be built in the receiving part 115 and the imaginary outer diameter of the receiving punch 113, so that the next segment 16 of the next receiving punch 113 is transferred not onto the stack in the receiving part 115, but instead onto the resting surface of the relay 114. The relay 114 thus forms an intermediate receiving part for transferring the segments 16 in the holding position. After the relay 114 has been placed in the holding position with its resting surface, the lifting device 116 is actuated and the receiving part 115 together with the stack of segments 16 is moved vertically downwards in a linear movement from the receiving position to the discharge position assigned to the discharge device 3. The receiving part 115 is then moved linearly in the direction of the surface normal of the segments 16 stacked to form the stack, so that as little lateral forces as possible act on the stack and the segments 16 during this movement. This makes it possible to ensure that the segments 16 stacked in the correct position alone, and the entire stack in the correct position, are not displaced to the side. Insofar as this is meaningful, the segments 16 stacked to form the stack may additionally be fixed to one another via tape.

[0080] In order that the segment 16 is transferred onto the relay 114 only when the receiving part 115 is not positioned in the transfer station XB, the relay 114 is moved back from the holding position to the preparation position shown in the right diagram of Figure 4 as soon as the receiving part 115 is again moved back to the transfer station XB.

[0081] The receiving part 115 and the relay 114 each have a resting surface formed by the surface of a number of identical teeth 118 arranged parallel to one another and equidistant from one another. The teeth 118 of the receiving part 115 and the relay 114 engage with each other during the movement of the receiving part 115 and the relay 114 for the transfer of the stack of segments 16. The receiving part 115 then travels back to the receiving position after the release of the stack into the discharge device 3, whereupon the teeth 118 of the receiving part 115 engage between the teeth 118 of the relay 114. In this position, the receiving part 115 and the relay 114 form for a short time a common resting surface for the stack of segments 16 to be built up. The relay 114 is then moved back from the holding position to the ready position, during which the relay 114 runs laterally parallel to the teeth 118, disengaging from the teeth 118 of the receiver 115. The stack is then supported from below only by the resting surface of the receiver 115, and further segments 16 are stacked on the stack held in the receiver 115 until the stack reaches the planned stack height, and this process is repeated.

[0082] By forming the resting surfaces of the receiving part 115 and the transfer device 114 by the teeth 118 as proposed, the receiving part 115 can be returned after the release of the stack to the receiving position without colliding with the transfer device 114 and / or without interfering with the transfer device 114 which is currently being performed to transfer the segments 16 onto the transfer device 114. Furthermore, the transfer device 114 can be returned from the holding position to the ready position without the stack losing its support. The teeth of the receiving punch 113, the transfer device 114 and the receiving part 115 each form a contoured surface with a structure that allows the transfer device 114 to engage with the receiving punch 113 and the receiving part 115. For this purpose, the teeth of one part are arranged in a corresponding manner in the intermediate chamber of the other part. In order that the engagement movement can be completed with high process reliability, the intermediate chamber and the teeth are dimensioned such that they engage with each other with play. Additionally, the teeth and the intermediate chamber are oriented such that both are oriented in the direction of mating movement of the members.

[0083] The removal unit 111 is formed in this embodiment by a rotor that can be driven in a rotational movement and has at least two bearing zones that are arranged spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction (and fixed in the circumferential direction) and extend in the circumferential direction with a length Y, which receive the segments 16 in the receiving station XA. The bearing zones are formed here by the receiving surfaces 123 of the receiving punches 113. Between the bearing zones, free zones 124 are provided that extend in the circumferential direction with a length Z, which in this embodiment are each formed by a cavity that extends radially inwards, thereby forming a free space. While the bearing zones are preferably formed for receiving one segment 16 in each case, the free zones are not formed for receiving the segments 16 but merely form intentionally unused intermediate zones between the bearing zones, which intermediate zones are meaningful for the realization of the various movement states of the removal unit 111 and for the receiving and transferring of the segments 16. For this purpose, the carrying zone and the free zone 124 are arranged such that the removal unit 111 passes the transfer mechanism 112 through the free zone 124 during a receiving phase at the receiving station XA in which the segments 16 are received by the carrying zone.

[0084] The free zone 124 is realized here by a void. Alternatively, however, the free zone 124 may also generally be formed by a passive surface of the rotor. The passive surface does not have a vacuum line and is therefore not formed for receiving the segments 16. The free zone is thus characterized in that it does not carry the segments 16 and thus does not discharge the segments 16 at the transfer station XB. As a result, it is not necessary for the removal unit 111 to fulfill special movement conditions in the receiving phase in which the removal unit 111 passes through the transfer station XB with the free zone, and the movement behavior of the removal unit 111 can be designed only for receiving the segments 16 at the receiving station XA.

[0085] The carrying zone and the free zone 124 are arranged in such a way that while the carrying zone passes through the receiving station XA, the free zone passes through the transfer station XB and the carrying zone is directed towards the transfer station XB, the free zone is directed towards the receiving station XA. The free zone 124 may then have a greater length Z in the circumferential direction of the rotor than the carrying zone, so that the rotation angle during which the free zone 124 passes through the transfer station XB and the receiving station XA is greater than the rotation angle during which the carrying zone passes through the transfer station XB and the receiving station XA. As a result, the available rotation angle, which is available for acceleration and deceleration of the take-off unit 111, is greater than the rotation angle required for the pick-up and transfer of the segment 16. Due to the greater rotation angle, the maximum acceleration and maximum deceleration for switching between two predefined speeds can be reduced. The free zone 124 then has a length Z which covers the receiving station XA and the transfer station XB.

[0086] In so doing, the length Y of the or each support zone may be smaller, equal or larger than the length Z of the or each free zone 124. Furthermore, the lengths Z of the free zones 124 between the support zones may be equal or different, whereby the advantages explained at the outset can be achieved.

[0087] What is considered as a rotating body is a drum with a cylindrical outer surface and in which a carrying zone and a free zone 124 are formed, the carrying zone being purposely formed for carrying or receiving the segments 16, while the free zone is not configured for this and can also be called a passive zone. Furthermore, what is considered as a rotating body is any object which receives the segments 16 during a rotational movement at the receiving station XA and conveys them further by the rotational movement to the transfer station XB, where they are discharged as described above.

[0088] The rotating body may be formed as a rotor with a plurality of rotor arms, one or each of which may have a receiving surface at the free end of the rotor arm. Furthermore, one or each of the rotor arms may be provided with a vacuum channel, which may open into the free end of the rotor arm, in particular into a receiving surface arranged at this free end. The rotor arms of the rotor are fixedly positioned relative to one another in the direction of the orbit of the rotor, in particular fixed relative to one another with respect to the spacing of the rotor arms in the direction of the orbit, in particular invariable with respect to the spacing of the rotor arms in the direction of the orbit. The ejection device 3 has a number of individually runnable transport receivers 119, which likewise have a resting surface with identically formed, parallel and equally spaced toothings 118, the spacing of which corresponds at least to the width of the toothings 118 of the receivers 115. In the transfer position, the receiver 115 can thereby slide with its teeth 118 between the teeth 118 of the transport receiver 119 and transfer the stack onto the rest surface of the transport receiver 119. The individually movable transport receivers are used to transport the stack to a further processing step. Since the segments 16 and the stack are checked during the preceding transport and / or stacking process by one or more sensor devices for compliance with a predetermined quality standard and are removed from the production process if the quality standard is not met, the stacking process and therefore the frequency of the stacks to be removed from the receiver 115 can vary. This change in the transport frequency of the stacks to be removed can be taken into account in conjunction with a corresponding control by the individual drivability of the transport receivers 119.

[0089] The or each supporting zone has a length Y extending in the circumferential direction of at least 20 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 90 mm or 100 mm. The or each supporting zone has a length Y extending in the circumferential direction of at most 200 mm, 180 mm, 150 mm, 120 mm, 100 mm, 80 mm or 60 mm. The or each supporting zone has an extension dimension transverse to the length Y of at least 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm, 180 mm or 300 mm. The or each support zone may have an extension dimension transverse to the length Y of less than or equal to 400 mm, 350 mm, 300 mm, 250 mm, 200 mm, 150 mm, 130 mm, 120 mm, 110 mm, 100 mm, 90 mm, 80 mm, 50 mm or 40 mm.

[0090] Considered as segments 16 are individual separator sheets or monocells with separator sheets, one or each separator sheet having a thickness of 8 to 25 μm, preferably 10 to 15 μm. With such thin separator sheets, a very high specific energy and energy density can be achieved at the same time as a very compact construction. Furthermore, the cell lamination equipment 1 can be used to laminate segments 16 or monocells with anodes and / or cathodes and / or one anode, one cathode and two separator sheets with an electrode area of ​​2×4 cm to produce the smallest cells, in particular the smallest pouch cells. The cell lamination equipment 1 can also be used to laminate segments 16 or monocells with anodes and / or cathodes and / or one anode, one cathode and two separator sheets with an electrode area of ​​15×40 cm to produce cells with a larger area. The receiving surface 123 of the receiving punch 113 is dimensioned in terms of the area of ​​the receiving surface 123 so that the segments 16 or monocells can be received and conveyed on the entire surface or on a portion of the surface. Exemplary dimensions of the anode and / or cathode are in the range of 100×50 mm to 200×100 mm, in particular 120×60 mm to 180×90 mm, with a maximum dimension of 800 mm. 2 ~80000mm 2 In particular, 1200mm2 ~60000mm 2 Or 1800mm 2 ~36000mm 2 The electrode area is in the range of

[0091] The toothing 118 preferably forms with its surface a surface proportion of 30-70% of the surface of the receiving surface 123 of the receiving punch 113, so that the segment 16 held there abuts on the receiving surface 123 with an area of ​​30-70% of the surface of the segment 16. In this case, the segment 16 can be fixed to the receiving surface 123 via the negative pressure in the vacuum line 122. The proposed surface proportion is preferred in this respect, since it allows a soft reception and soft transport of the segment 16 and at the same time a precise fixing of the segment 16 in position and an engagement of the transfer lever 117 made possible by the intermediate space between the toothings 118 and a pick-up movement made possible by this.

[0092] An important and independent aspect of the present invention further resides in a partitioning device for or in a cell stacking equipment as described at the beginning, and a partitioning method when producing a cell stack in a cell stacking equipment as described at the beginning, as described in claim 35 or claim 39.

[0093] In this way, it becomes possible for a large flow of segments 16, for example segments 16 cut online from a four-ply endless web EG, to be further processed immediately after the cutting of the segments 16, so that the cut segments 16 are no longer, as it were, fed by hand, but can be continuously fed into the stack. The segments 16 are no longer freed in a certain sense, which makes it possible to maintain their position in the processing line / processing chain and their orientation and to use them for the operational control of further subsequent processing units. Reorientation steps, which are often necessary, for example, during temporary transfer of the segments 16, interruption of the material flow and subsequent resumption, can be reduced or even largely or completely omitted. Orientation can already be performed very effectively during the orientation of the web from which the segments 16 are cut. If necessary, corrections of the positioning and / or orientation of the segments can still be performed in the feed device, in the transport unit F1 and / or in the transport unit F2.

[0094] The segments 16 supplied with the number A of energy cells per unit time are advantageously divided into the number B per unit time and the number C per unit time. The number B per unit time is, in a way, advantageously conveyed further, so to speak, gated and removed from the number A, so that the number C is already clearly reduced with respect to the number A. This makes it possible to approach a neat and precise stacking more easily without interrupting the material flow. The number B is, on the other hand, also clearly reduced with respect to the number A, which makes it possible to approach a neat and precise stacking more easily. In a way, a continuous, undelayed supply of the sorted partial streams to the cell stacking device 7 is made possible. When the cell stacking device 7 is equipped with corresponding inlets for the partial streams, the stacking can be carried out in a way connected in parallel, whereby high throughput capacities can be achieved. The endless web EG consisting of uncut segments 16 can be fed at high speed and the segments 16 cut from the web EG can be further processed and stacked online. The bulk flow of segments 16 can be reliably and efficiently aligned and transported further, so to speak, without stops and interruptions, preferably being divided into a number of partial streams.

[0095] A flow of a number A of segments 16 per unit time, e.g. segments 16 cut online from an endless web EG, can be split in such a way that, for example, every other segment 16 is taken from the flow, a flow of a number B of segments 16 per unit time is formed from every other taken segment 16, and a flow of a number C of segments 16 per unit time is formed from the remaining segments 16. In the flow of the number B of segments 16, the distance between two segments 16 can be greater than the length of one segment 16 or approximately the same as the length of one segment 16. In the flow of the number C of segments 16, the distance between two segments 16 can be greater than the length of one segment 16 or approximately the same as the length of one segment 16. The gap between two successive segments 16 formed in the flow of the number B of segments 16 makes it possible to provide a sequence of segments, the gap and the associated time intervals of which can be utilized for access to the segments 16 during the transport of the flow of segments 16 during further processing. For example, one or more take-out units 111 of the cell stacking unit 11 can be given enough time to move again, in particular from a discharge or waiting position to a receiving position, during the time interval between the end of the first segment 16 to be transported and the beginning of the second segment 16 to be transported. This splitting process is in a way similar to the opening of a line fastener, in which in the closed state all elements (teeth) lie next to each other, so to speak, without gaps, and after opening they have a gap of approximately one element between each other. However, it is advantageous for the invention if the segments 16, unlike the line fastener, have a certain gap in the flow of the number A per unit time, in particular not edge-to-edge or end-to-end. The split can also be imagined as a flow of segments 16 of number A, with segments 16 of number B and segments 16 of number C alternating one after the other (e.g., "yellow" and "red" segments 16).In the discharge area, for example G1, the flow of the segments 16 of number A is split and the segments 16 of number B and the segments 16 of number C are handed over or passed according to their alternating sequence. Taking the example of colors, in this case a flow of "yellow" segments 16 of number B and a flow of "red" segments 16 of number C per unit time will be generated. In both flows "B" and "C", the segments 16 will have a respective distance from each other that is greater than or approximately the same as the length of one segment 16. In this configuration, the conveying speeds of the flows of the segments 16 of number A per unit time, number B per unit time and number C per unit time can be maintained at least approximately the same. Advantageously, the spacing between segments 16 in flows "B" and "C" is easily achieved without the need to change the position of segments 16 in flows "B" and / or "C", which ensures particularly gentle handling of segments 16 while enabling high throughput capabilities.

[0096] Splitting the segment flow of number A from the supply device 2 into two partial flows of numbers B and C makes it possible to increase the number A of segments 16 supplied per unit time, even if the stacking capacity of the cell stacking unit 11 is given and limited, because the number A of segments 16 supplied is stacked at a correspondingly lower stacking rate in the two cell stacking units 11 working separately in parallel to one another.

[0097] If it is desired to further increase the conveying rate of the supplied segments 16, i.e. the number A, the supply flow of the number A of segments 16 can be divided into further partial flows of numbers D, E, F, etc., which can then be stacked in parallel in further cell stacking units 11. The basic idea of ​​dividing the supply flow of the segments 16 into several cell stacking units 11 thus allows a significantly higher conveying capacity of the segments 16 and at the same time allows for a precisely positioned stacking of the segments 16 in the cell stacking units 11, since the stacking speed, in the sense of a precisely positioned stacking, can be designed correspondingly lower than the supply rate of the segments 16 via the feeder 2.

[0098] The number B of segments 16 fed to the second transport unit F2 in the first transfer area G1 is then greater than the number C of segments 16 discharged in the second discharge area G2. During the transport process, the segments 16 are subjected to various quality checks and checks for the correct arrangement of their parts (e.g. contact tabs, fastening devices, etc.) relative to one another, and if it is detected that the quality presets are not being respected, the segments 16 considered "bad" are excluded from the transport process. This results in the number of segments 16 finally stacked up always being slightly smaller than the number of segments 16 fed in. The segments 16 discharged in the second discharge area G2 have already been checked completely, for example also by a sensor device arranged between the first and second discharge areas G1 and G2, so that the number C of discharged segments 16 is completely stacked up without further segments 16 being excluded. The segments 16 delivered in the second release area G2, however, still traverse further transport paths below, so that they may still be slightly offset or subject to other influences here, so that it may be necessary below to carry out further checks and thus to exclude the segments 16. For this reason, it is sensible to set the number B of segments 16 delivered in the first release area G1 to the second transport unit F2 greater than the number C of segments 16 discharged in the second release area G2.

[0099] It is furthermore advantageous if the number B of segments corresponds to a multiple of the number C. In this case, a structurally simple design with a correspondingly simple stacking can be achieved by providing a number of identical cell stacking units 11. In this case, as can be seen in FIG. 1, four cell stacking units 11 are provided, so that the number B of segments 16 delivered in the first discharge area G1 corresponds to three times the number C of segments 16 delivered in the second discharge area G2. Due to the proposed sorting device and / or the proposed sorting method, the production machine shown in FIG. 1 can be operated with a high conveying rate of the segments 16 in the feed device 2 and at the same time with a stacking of the segments 16 in the cell stacking units 11 in a correct position, since the stacking rate of the segments 16 in the cell stacking units 11 is significantly lower than the feed rate of the segments 16 in the feed device 2 due to the solution according to the invention. If the supply rate of the segments 16 in the supply device 2, i.e. the number A, corresponds for example to 400 segments 16 per unit time (for example per minute), then the number C would in this case be 100 segments per minute and the number B would be 300 segments per minute, without taking into account the reduction in the number of segments 16 due to rejection due to quality defects.

[0100] The proposed sorting device can optionally be further improved by features of the proposed cell stacking installation 1, where in particular the parallel arrangement of the cell stacking units 11 and the allocation of the cell stacking units 11 to the four delivery drums 5 are of value, since they allow stacking of the segments 16 in the correct position of the product flow sorted by the sorting device. Similarly, the proposed sorting method can also be further improved by combination with features of the proposed method for controlling the cell stacking installation 1, since the proposed method contains an essential suggestion of how the cell stacking installation 1, which stacks the partial flows formed by the sorting method, can be improved and controlled. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 Cell stacking equipment 2 Feeding device 3 Discharge device 4 Cutting device 5. Delivery drum 6 Reversing drum 7 Cell stacking device 11 Cell stacking unit 16 Segments 111 Removal unit 112 Transfer mechanism 113 Receiving Punch 114 Repeater 115 Receiving part 116 Lifting device 117 Transfer lever 118 Teeth 119 Transport receiver 120 Vacuum line 121 Vacuum supply section 122 Vacuum line 123 Receiving Surface 124 Free Zone A, B, C, D, E, F Quantity E1~E4 Endless Web EG 4-ply endless web F1 First transport unit F2 Second transport unit G1 First emission region G2 Second emission region XA Receiving Station XB Delivery Station Y Length Z Length

Claims

1. A cell stacking apparatus (1) for stacking energy cell segments (16), comprising: a supply device (2) for continuously supplying the segments (16) at a predetermined supply rate; at least one cell stacking unit (11) that directly or indirectly receives the segments (16) supplied by the supply device (2) and stacks them into a stack; Equipped with The cell stacking unit (11) has at least one take-out unit (111) and a transfer mechanism (112). In the cell stacking equipment (1), The take-out unit (111) is driven to perform repeated alternating movements of acceleration and deceleration, the take-out unit (111) receives the segments (16) from the feed device (2) at the feed speed and delivers them to the transfer mechanism (112) in a decelerated motion or in a stationary state; A cell stacking installation (1) for stacking energy cell segments (16).

2. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the take-out unit (111) is formed by a rotatably driven rotating body, and the repeated alternating movement consisting of acceleration and deceleration is formed by the accelerating and decelerating rotational movement of the rotating body.

3. the rotating body has at least one, preferably two, three or more than three receiving punches (113) arranged at the same angle to one another for receiving the segments (16); The rotating body is decelerated and accelerated according to the number of the receiving punches (113) during one revolution. A cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that

4. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the number of the receiving punches (113) is odd.

5. Each of the receiving punches (113) has one receiving surface (123) in the shape of a circular arc section when viewed in cross section of the rotor; the receiving surfaces (123) of the receiving punches (113) are arranged on the same diameter in the cross section; A cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that

6. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the transfer mechanism (112) has a receiving section (115) that can move linearly, and the receiving section (115) transports the stack from the removal unit (111) in a direction normal to the surface of the segment (16).

7. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the transfer mechanism (112) has a lift device (116), and the lift device (116) moves the receiving portion (115) via a linear guide device during operation.

8. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one sensor device is provided in the area of ​​the lifting device (116), which sensor device detects a characteristic of the stack or the receiving part (115).

9. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the transfer mechanism (112) has a relay (114) movable from a preparation position to a holding position, the relay (114) being disposed at the holding position while the receiving section (115) is traveling to transport the stack, and forming an intermediate platform for transferring the segments (16).

10. The receiving part (115) and the relay (114) each have a mounting surface, which is formed by a contoured surface consisting of teeth and intermediate spaces arranged between the teeth, The relay (114) and the receiving part (115) engage with the teeth of the relay (114) and the receiving part (115) in the intermediate chamber of the other member each time during the movement of the relay (114) and the receiving part (115) to deliver the stack of segments (16). A cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that

11. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises an ejection device (3) having a number of individually movable transport receiving sections (119), and the transfer mechanism (112) transfers the stack into the transport receiving sections (119).

12. 2. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 1, wherein the take-out unit (111) has one or more vacuum lines (120, 122) capable of applying a negative pressure, and the vacuum lines (120, 122) are characterized in that, by applying a negative pressure, the take-out unit (111) assists in receiving the segments (16) from the supply device (2) by the take-out unit (111) and / or the transfer mechanism (112) from the take-out unit (111) and in transporting them on the take-out unit (111).

13. The cell stacking equipment (1) of claim 6, characterized in that the receiving portion (115) of the transfer mechanism (112) has one or more vacuum lines (120, 122) to which negative pressure can be applied, and the vacuum lines (120, 122) assist the removal unit (111) from the supply device (2) and / or the transfer mechanism (112) from the removal unit (111) in receiving the segments (16) and transporting them on the removal unit (111) by applying negative pressure.

14. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transfer mechanism (112) has a transfer lever (117), which removes the segment (16) from the removal unit (111) and supplies it to the transfer mechanism (112).

15. 15. Cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the transfer lever (117) is driven for a periodic ejection movement from the removal unit (111) by a drive device.

16. The cell stacking equipment according to claim 15, wherein the ejection movement is formed by a linear stroke movement.

17. A cell stacking apparatus (1) for stacking energy cell segments (16), comprising: A cell stacking device (7), a supply device (2) that supplies the segments (16) to the cell stacking device (7); In a cell stacking equipment (1) comprising: At least one cell stacking unit (11) is disposed within the cell stacking device (7) to stack the segments (16) into a stack; The cell stacking unit (11) has at least one take-out unit (111) and a transfer mechanism (112) arranged in a delivery station (XB), the removal unit (111) comprises a rotor drivable for rotational movement, which receives the segments (16) at a receiving station (XA), and which has at least two bearing zones arranged spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction (and fixed in the circumferential direction) and extending in the circumferential direction by a length Y, Between the carrying zones there is provided a free zone (124) extending in the circumferential direction with a length Z, the carrying zone and the free zone (124) are arranged such that the take-out unit (111) passes the transfer mechanism (112) through the free zone (124) during a receiving phase in which the segments (16) are received by the carrying zone at the receiving station (XA). A cell stacking installation (1) for stacking energy cell segments (16).

18. 18. Cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 17, characterized in that the length Y of the or each supported zone is less than, equal to or greater than the length Z of the or each free zone (124).

19. 19. Cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the lengths Z of the free zones (124) between the supporting zones are equal or different.

20. 19. Cell stacking installation according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the or each bearing zone has one receiving surface (123).

21. 19. Cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the or each free zone (124) is formed in the body of revolution by a cavity extending radially inwards.

22. 19. Cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the or each free zone (124) has a demarcation that is offset radially inwards with respect to the or each supporting zone.

23. A method for controlling a cell stacking facility (1) for stacking energy cell segments (16), the cell stacking facility (1) comprising: a supply device (2) for continuously supplying the segments (16) at a predetermined supply rate; at least one cell stacking unit (11) that receives the segments (16) from the supply device (2) and stacks them into a stack; and The cell stacking unit (11) has at least one take-out unit (111) and a transfer mechanism (112). In the method, The take-out unit (111) has a controllable drive, and the drive is controlled so that the take-out unit (111) is accelerated for receiving the segments (16) from the supply device (2) and decelerated for delivering the segments (16) to the transfer mechanism (112). A method for controlling a cell stacking installation (1) for stacking segments (16) of energy cells, characterized in that:

24. the removal unit (111) is formed by a drum driven in rotation by the drive device, the drive device controls the rotational movement of the drum so that the drum receives the segments (16) from the supply device (2) during rotational movement and delivers them to the transfer mechanism (112) in a stationary state or during a reduced rotational movement; 24. The method of claim 23.

25. The transfer mechanism (112) has a receiving part (115) that can move linearly, The linearly movable receiving section (115) is caused to move from the receiving position to the discharging position when it is recognized via a sensor device that the stack has reached a predetermined stack height in the receiving section (115).

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24.

26. 25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that it comprises a relay (114), the relay (114) being moved by a controllable drive from a ready position to a holding position to receive the segment (16).

27. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the relay (114) is moved from the ready position to the holding position between the delivery of two segments (16).

28. The transfer mechanism (112) has a receiving part (115) that can move linearly, The linearly movable receiving section (115) is caused to move from a receiving position to a discharging position when it is recognized via a sensor device that the stack has reached a predetermined stack height in the receiving section (115); 27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the relay (114) is moved from the holding position to the ready position after the movable receiving part (115) is moved from the discharge position to the receiving position.

29. The transfer mechanism (112) has a receiving part (115) that can move linearly, The linearly movable receiving section (115) is caused to move from a receiving position to a discharging position when it is recognized via a sensor device that the stack has reached a predetermined stack height in the receiving section (115); 27. Method according to claim 26, characterized in that the movement of the relay (114) is controlled depending on the movement and / or position of the receiving part (115).

30. The transfer mechanism (112) has a receiving part (115) that can move linearly, The linearly movable receiving section (115) is caused to move from a receiving position to a discharging position when it is recognized via a sensor device that the stack has reached a predetermined stack height in the receiving section (115); The receiving portion (115) and the relay (114) each have a mounting surface, and the mounting surface is formed by the surfaces of a plurality of teeth that are arranged parallel to each other and at equal intervals; and The relay (114) and the receiving part (115) engage with each other by means of teeth of the relay (114) and the receiving part (115) during the movement of the relay (114) and the receiving part (115) to deliver the stack of the segments (16). The method of claim 26, wherein

31. 25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that a transfer lever (117) is provided, which receives the segments (16) from the removal unit (111) during the ejection movement and supplies them to the transfer mechanism (112).

32. 32. Method according to claim 31, characterized in that the transfer lever (117) is driven for a periodic ejection movement from the removal unit (111) by a drive device.

33. The removal unit (111) and the transfer lever (117) each have a vacuum line (120, 122), which holds the segment (16) to the removal unit (111) and the transfer lever (117) by applying a negative pressure; The negative pressure in the vacuum line (122) of the take-out unit (111) and the negative pressure in the vacuum line (120) of the transfer lever (117) are controlled to overlap for the delivery of the segments (16).

32. The method of claim 31 .

34. The transfer mechanism (112) has a receiving part (115) that can move linearly, The linearly movable receiving section (115) is caused to move from a receiving position to a discharging position when it is recognized via a sensor device that the stack has reached a predetermined stack height in the receiving section (115); The ejection movement is formed by a linear stroke movement, The stroke of the stroke movement is controlled according to the stack height of the segments (16) in the receiving portion (115) and / or the number of the segments (16) stacked in the receiving portion (115).

32. The method of claim 31 .

35. A segmentation device of or in a cell stacking installation (1) for segments (16) of energy cells according to claim 1 or 17, comprising: the supply device (2) is configured and arranged to supply a number A of energy cell segments (16) per unit time; a first transport unit (F1) for the segments (16) is provided, said first transport unit (F1) being downstream of said supply device (2); a second transport unit (F2) for the segments (16), said second transport unit (F2) being downstream of said first transport unit (F1); the first transport unit (F1) is formed and configured to receive a number A of segments (16) per unit time from the supply device (2) and to convey a number B of segments (16) per unit time to the first discharge area (G1) and a number C of segments (16) per unit time to the second discharge area (G2); the number B of segments (16) per unit time is transportable toward the second transport unit (F2) and delivered to the second transport unit (F2) in the release area (G1); The number C of segments (16) per unit time is provided in the second release region (G2) so as to be transferable, in particular, to the cell stacking device (7), or to the cell stacking unit (11), or to one or more take-out units (111) of the cell stacking device (7), and in particular, the sum of the number B of segments (16) per unit time and the number C of segments (16) per unit time is equal to or less than the number A of segments (16) per unit time. A segmentation device of or in a cell stacking facility (1) for segments (16) of energy cells, characterized in that:

36. 36. The sorting device according to claim 35, characterized in that the second transport unit (F2) is formed as a rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum (5), or as an interactive combination of a first rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a reversing drum (6), and a second rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum (5).

37. 36. The segmentation device of claim 35, wherein the number C is smaller than the number B.

38. 36. The segmentation device of claim 35, wherein the number B is a multiple of the number C.

39. A method for segmenting during the production of cell stacks in a cell stacking installation (1) for segments (16) of energy cells according to claim 1 or 17, comprising: supplying a number A of segments (16) of energy cells per unit time by the supply device (2) formed and configured to supply a number A of segments (16) of energy cells per unit time; a first conveying unit (F1) for the segments (16) downstream of the feeding device (2) for conveying the segments (16); a second transport unit (F2) for the segments (16) downstream of the first transport unit (F1) transports the segments (16); The first transport unit (F1) receives a number A of segments (16) per unit time from the supply device (2) and transports a number B of segments (16) per unit time to the first discharge area (G1) and a number C of segments (16) per unit time to the second discharge area (G2); A number B of segments (16) per unit time are conveyed towards the second conveying unit (F2) and delivered to the second conveying unit (F2) at the first discharge area (G1); The number C of segments (16) per unit time are transferred in the second release area (G2) in particular to a cell stacking device (7) or to a cell stacking unit (11) or to one or more take-out units (111) of the cell stacking device (7), in particular The sum of the number B of the segments (16) per unit time and the number C of the segments (16) per unit time is equal to or less than the number A of the segments (16) per unit time. A sectioning method for manufacturing cell stacks in a cell stacking facility (1) for segments (16) of energy cells.

40. 40. The method according to claim 39, characterized in that the second transport unit (F2) is operated as a rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum (5), or as an interactive combination of a first rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a reversing drum (6), and a second rotatably drivable transport unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum (5).

41. 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the number C is smaller than the number B.

42. 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the number B is a multiple of the number C.

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