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), the equipment comprising: a supply device (2) for continuously supplying the segments (16) at a predetermined supply speed; a discharge device (3) for discharging the segments (16) in a stack; and at least one cell stacking unit (11) for receiving the segments (16) from the supply device (2), stacking them, and transferring them to the discharge device (3). The cell stacking unit (11) has at least one take-out unit (111) and a transfer mechanism (112). The transfer mechanism (112) has a relay (114), a transfer lever (117), and and a receiving part (115) movable from a receiving position to a discharging position and in the opposite direction, a transfer lever (117) taking up a segment (16) from a removal unit (111) and storing it in the receiving part (115) arranged at the receiving position, and a relay (114) movable from a preparation position to a holding position, the relay (114) being arranged at the holding position during the traveling movement of the receiving part (115) from the receiving position to the discharging position and forming an intermediate stand for transferring the segment (16).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cell stacking installation comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1, a method for controlling such a cell stacking installation comprising the features of the preamble of claim 18, a sorting device for or in a cell stacking installation comprising the features of the preamble of claim 31, and a sorting method for producing cell stacks in a cell stacking installation comprising the features of the preamble of claim 35. [Background technology]

[0002] Energy cells, or energy accumulators, within the meaning of the present invention are used in the form of battery cells or fuel cells, where very large amounts of energy must be stored for relatively long periods of time, for example in automobiles and other land vehicles, ships, aircraft, or even in stationary installations, such as photovoltaic power plants. For this purpose, such energy cells have a structure consisting of multiple segments stacked together in a laminate. These segments each have alternating anode and cathode sheets, which are separated from each other by separator sheets, which are also manufactured as segments. During the manufacturing process, the segments are precut and then stacked in a predetermined order in the laminate and bonded to each other by lamination. 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 deposited thereon is then, in a second step, again cut into segments by a cutting unit, the segments now being formed by one separator sheet with one anode or cathode sheet disposed thereon in the double layer. Insofar as this is technically possible or necessary from a manufacturing perspective, the endless webs of separator material with the anode and cathode sheets deposited thereon may be stacked before cutting, so as to form one endless web with a first endless layer of separator material with the anode or cathode sheet deposited thereon and a second endless layer of separator material, also with the anode or cathode sheet deposited thereon. This "four-layer" endless web is then cut into segments by a cutting unit, and the segments are formed in four layers, in this case 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 material, anode material or cathode material, or a segment of a double layer or a four-layer segment of the above-mentioned configuration.

[0003] Apparatuses for manufacturing battery cells are known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,629,991 and US Pat. No. 5,629,991.

[0004] The production of battery cells, for example for electric mobility, is currently carried out on production equipment with a capacity of 100 to 240 monocells per minute. The production equipment operates in some areas or throughout with a clocked, discontinuous motion, e.g., a reciprocating motion, which limits the production capacity. Most known machines operate with a single-sheet lamination method (e.g., "pick and place"), which has the disadvantage of being a relatively slow process. Laminating cell structures 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 clock-type movements are limited in performance. Massive parts, such as receivers and tools, must be constantly accelerated and braked. This process determines the time course and consumes a lot of energy. The mass of the moving parts cannot be reduced arbitrarily. Parts that move at relatively high speeds often have to withstand relatively high loads, which makes them even more time-consuming or costly, and therefore heavier.

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

[0008] In a preceding manufacturing step, the segments are stacked in a first step to form a so-called monocell 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 introduced as two endless webs, after which pre-cut segments in the form of anode sheets are placed on one of these endless webs, and pre-cut segments in the form of cathode sheets are placed on the other endless web, and then bonded to each other by a lamination process. The pre-fabricated composite webs are then bonded to each other in a further lamination process, thus forming a four-layer composite web. In principle, it is also possible to place a cut first electrode in the form of a cathode or anode between separator sheets in the form of endless webs, and a cut second electrode in the form of an anode or cathode on or below one of these separator sheets. The lamination of the four web layers is then carried out in a common lamination process, so that mono-cells are produced in a fixed formation while the endless web is still in existence, i.e., before cutting. The mono-cells are then cut from the combined web by cutting through the spaces between successive anode or cathode sheets. Alternatively, the endless web of separator material having anode and cathode sheets disposed thereon may be cut, in which case the mono-cells are then produced by a subsequent bonding process of a first cut separator sheet, each having an anode, and a second cut separator sheet, each having a cathode.

[0009] The segments are then stacked to form a stack of multiple segments. If the segments are monocells or separator sheets with an anode or cathode sheet disposed thereon, the cathode or anode is present on the exposed side of the stack, which is then covered in a so-called closed cell arrangement. A closed cell has a first separator sheet, an anode or cathode sheet disposed thereon, and a second separator sheet disposed thereon, but no cathode or anode sheet disposed on the second separator sheet. This allows the closed cell to be considered a monocell without a cathode or anode sheet. The completed stack of multiple monocells and the closed cells is advantageous in that the stack has one separator sheet each on the top and bottom of the stack, so that the anode and cathode sheets are covered by the separator sheets on their top and bottom sides, respectively, and do not come into contact with each other.

[0010] In order to achieve a very high production rate of energy cells or energy accumulators, it is desirable 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] German Patent Application Publication No. 102017216213 Summary of the Invention

[0012] Against this background, the problem underlying the present invention is to provide a cell stacking equipment, a method for operating such a cell stacking equipment, a sorting device and a sorting method, which enable stacking of segments at the highest possible production rate without resulting in any adverse effects on the positional accuracy of the segments stacked on top of each other.

[0013] To achieve this object, a cell stacking apparatus is proposed having the features of claim 1 and a method for controlling the cell stacking apparatus is proposed having the features of claim 18. Furthermore, to achieve this object, a sorting device is proposed as set forth in claim 31 and a sorting method is proposed as set forth in claim 36. 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 supply device that continuously supplies the segments at a predetermined supply rate; a discharge device that discharges the segments in a stack; At least one cell stacking unit that receives the segments from the supply device, stacks them, and delivers them to the discharge device; In a cell stacking equipment comprising: The cell stacking unit has at least one take-out unit and a transfer mechanism; and The transfer mechanism includes a relay, a transfer lever, and a receiving portion that is movable from a receiving position to a discharging position and in the opposite direction; The transfer lever takes the segment from the take-out unit and places it in a receiving part that is positioned at the receiving position; and the relay is movable from a ready position to a holding position; the relay is arranged in a holding position during the travel of the receiver from the receiving position to the discharging position and forms an intermediate platform for transferring the segments; We propose a cell stacking equipment for stacking energy cell segments.

[0015] The advantage of the proposed solution is that the segments are received by the take-out unit at the feed speed of the feeder, then received by a transfer mechanism with a transfer lever in a soft transfer movement, stacked, and further transferred to the discharge device. It is particularly significant that the lateral forces acting on the segments when the transfer lever receives them are reduced, since this allows the segments to be stacked in a more accurate position in the transfer mechanism. Furthermore, it is proposed that the transfer mechanism has a relay movable from a ready position to a holding position, which is located in the holding position during the travel of the receiver for unloading the stack and forms an intermediate platform for transferring the segments. The provided relay allows the transfer of the segments even when the receiver filled with a previously constructed stack for the delivery of the stack from the take-out unit is traveled to the discharge location and is therefore not available for receiving the segments at the delivery position of the take-out unit. This allows for uninterrupted, i.e., continuous, discharge of segments from the take-out unit to the transfer mechanism, with the resulting high stacking rate. The transfer is returned from the holding position to the ready position as soon as the receiver is again returned to the transfer point of the take-out unit, so that the segments are transferred onto the transfer mechanism only when the receiver is not located at the transfer position of the take-out unit. This ensures that the stacking process, and in particular the travel of the receiver from the transfer position, is not hindered or restricted by the transfer. The transfer is moved from the ready position to the holding position when a predetermined number of segments have been stacked in the receiver or when a predetermined stack height has been reached, specifically immediately after transferring the last segment onto the stack. In this case, the transfer is inserted into the segment transfer process, so that the transfer of the next segment onto the stack is interrupted, and the next segment is instead transferred onto the transfer. The relay thus effectively forms a temporary storage area for a short period of time, thereby assuming the function of the receiving part until the receiving part is moved back to the transfer point.

[0016] It is further proposed that the take-out unit is formed by a rotatably driven drum. The realization of the take-out unit as a rotatably driven drum has the advantage that the speed at which the segments are received by the take-out unit during the continuous feeding movement is extremely high. Furthermore, the use of a rotatably driven drum has the advantage that the structural form of the cell stacking installation is extremely compact. Furthermore, a drum path can be used as the feeding device, which allows the segments to be fed at an extremely high feeding rate.

[0017] It is further proposed that the drum has at least one, preferably three, receiving punches arranged at the same angle to one another for receiving the segments, from which the transfer lever takes over the segments. The receiving punches allow the segments to be transported and handed over very gently. If more receiving punches are provided, this additionally increases the rate at which the drum receives the segments, or conversely, if the number of segments to be received per unit time is predetermined, the required rotation speed of the drum can be reduced.

[0018] Another preferred development proposes that the number of receiving punches is odd. This allows the receiving position of the segments from the supply device and the transferring position to the transfer mechanism to be arranged opposite each other, i.e., at an angle of 180 degrees relative to the rotation axis of the drum. Furthermore, when one receiving punch is present at the receiving position, another receiving punch is not present at the transferring position, and vice versa. This proposed development allows the receiving position and the transferring position to be arranged opposite each other, which allows for a structurally simple configuration of the cell stacking system, in which two receiving punches do not pass through the receiving and transferring positions at the same time.

[0019] It is further proposed that the receiving punches each have a receiving surface that is in the shape of a circular arc section when viewed in a cross section of the drum, and that the receiving surfaces of the receiving punches are arranged on the same diameter when viewed in this cross section, thereby forming a receiving radius and passing through the receiving point and the transfer point on the same diameter with respect to the drum.

[0020] It is further proposed that the take-out unit periodically decelerates and accelerates during the feeding of the segments, so that the segments can be received from the feeding device and transferred to the transfer mechanism at different speeds due to the acceleration and deceleration of the take-out unit, with the segments preferably being received at a high speed to achieve a high conveying capacity of the feeding device, and transferred at a lower speed to make the transfer softer and in particular to enable the segments to be stacked in the correct position.

[0021] Furthermore, the transfer mechanism is proposed to have a linearly movable receiving part, which supplies the stack to the ejection device in the direction normal to the surface of the segment. The linearly movable receiving part in the proposed direction allows the stack or the segments stacked in the stack to be removed without any lateral force being applied. This prevents the segments or stack from losing their correct position during removal.

[0022] It is further proposed that the transfer mechanism has a lifting device which, in operation, moves the receiving part via a linear guide device, by means of which the receiving part and the stack held therein are transported along a predetermined path, and the receiving part can be returned to the transfer point of the removal unit after the release of the stack with a movement that must be very precisely controlled.

[0023] Furthermore, in this case, it is proposed that at least one sensor device be provided in the area of ​​the lifting device, which detects characteristics of the stack or the receiving part. The travel path of the receiving part, realized by the lifting device, can thereby additionally be used to position the sensor device, and the guide device precisely defines the travel path of the receiving part, allowing the sensor device to be precisely oriented with respect to the receiving part being moved past the sensor device and the stack held in the receiving part. In this case, the sensor device can detect, for example, the position of the receiving part or when the receiving part has passed a predetermined position. Furthermore, characteristics of the stack, such as the stack height, the side of the stack, or the position and orientation of the stack, can also be detected, so that they can be recorded or stacks with errors can be rejected before further processing.

[0024] Furthermore, it is proposed that the lifting device, after transferring one segment, moves the receiving part away from the removal unit by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the transferred segment plus a predetermined additional travel. This ensures that there is sufficient free space between the end face of the stack and the removal unit for the next segment to be transferred. This allows the next segment to be transferred without exerting pressure on the segment. Furthermore, the receiving part moves by the predetermined additional travel, so that the required free space is provided each time, taking into account the manufacturing tolerances or tolerances in the movement sequence of the segments. Furthermore, the additional additional travel over the number of transferred segments adds up to form an expanded free space, which subsequently allows or simplifies the entry of a transfer device after a predetermined stack height is reached in the receiving part.

[0025] It is further proposed that the receiving part and the transfer part each have a mounting surface formed by a plurality of toothed surfaces arranged parallel to one another and equally spaced apart, and that the transfer part and the receiving part engage with each other via the toothed surfaces of the transfer part and the receiver part during the transfer part's movement to transfer the stack of segments. By forming the mounting surfaces as proposed, the receiving part can be returned to the transfer point after releasing the stack without colliding with the transfer part. During the movement to the transfer point, the toothed surfaces of the receiving part are moved between the toothed surfaces of the transfer part's mounting surface with the toothed surfaces of the receiver, thereby complementing the mounting surface of the transfer part and forming an enlarged receiving surface. After the receiving part is again positioned at the transfer point, the transfer part is again moved back from the holding position to the ready position, transferring the already stacked segments to the receiving part. The stack is effectively "transferred."

[0026] Furthermore, it is proposed that a discharge device is provided with a number of independently movable transport receptacles into which the transfer mechanism transfers the stacks. The independently movable transport receptacles are used to transport the stacks to further processing. Since the segments and stacks are checked by one or more sensor devices during the preceding transport and / or stacking process for compliance with predetermined quality standards and are removed from the production process if the quality standards are not met, the stacking process and the frequency of the stacks to be removed can fluctuate. This change in the transport frequency of the stacks to be removed can be taken into account in connection with the corresponding control by the individual transport receptacles.

[0027] 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 removal unit and / or the transfer mechanism from the supply device in receiving the segments and their transport on the removal unit. By means of the vacuum lines capable of applying a negative pressure, the transfer of the segments and their transport on the removal unit can be realized with very low input forces acting on the segments. Furthermore, the force exerted on the segments can be controlled very simply by switching the negative pressure in the vacuum lines on and off. Thus, for example, the receipt of 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 transfer mechanism is then similarly carried out by switching off the negative pressure in the vacuum line of the removal unit and enabling the negative pressure in the vacuum line of the receiving part of the transfer mechanism.

[0028] It is further proposed that the transfer lever is driven by a drive device for a periodic ejection movement from the removal unit, whereby the segments can be taken from the removal unit and stacked in a receiving part of the transfer mechanism in a repeating sequence of movements of the transfer lever.

[0029] Furthermore, particularly gentle receiving and stacking of the segments can be achieved by the ejection movement of the transfer lever being formed by a linear stroke movement. The movement of the transfer lever is then directed so that the segments are ejected in the direction normal to the surface of the segment or also in the radial direction of the removal unit formed by the drum, since no lateral forces act on the segments. The stroke movement of the transfer lever can be achieved, for example, by an eccentric drive, a linear drive, or the like.

[0030] It is further proposed that the transfer lever performs a constant or increased stroke by a predetermined additional stroke during the transfer of the segments into the receiving part. The same stroke simplifies the movement of the transfer lever. If it is desired to avoid an undesirable influence of the stack height on the transfer process, this can be avoided by the above-mentioned control of the stroke of the receiving part. Alternatively, the transfer lever may perform a stroke increased by a predetermined additional stroke from the transfer of one segment to the transfer of the next. The stroke of the transfer lever is thereby adapted to the stroke of the receiving part, which performs a stroke corresponding to the thickness of one segment plus one additional stroke. The transfer lever thereby follows the receiving part, and the increase in the distance of the stack surface relative to the previous transfer point due to the travel of the receiving part by the additional stroke can be at least partially compensated for. In an ideal case, the additional stroke of the receiving part and the additional stroke of the transfer lever are the same, so that the transfer point of the segment relative to the stack surface is always the same. The transfer points are selected relative to the surface of the stack so that the segments undergo as little or as little dropping movement as possible, and ideally no dropping movement at all. This further reduces the force acting on the segments. Furthermore, this reduces the possible relative movement between the segments to as little as possible, which in turn reduces abrasive wear and particle release from the segments in general.

[0031] It is further proposed that the transfer lever, while transferring the segment onto the transfer device, which is placed in the holding position, performs a stroke that is reduced by at least the thickness of the segment. The proposed reduced stroke prevents pressure from being exerted on the segment to be subsequently transferred onto the transfer device, without the transfer device having to perform any movement. This is particularly advantageous because the transfer device is already designed with a suitable mechanism and suitable drive specifically for the movement sequence from the preparation position to the holding position and in the opposite direction, so that a purely stroke movement of the transfer device toward the segment to be transferred would be an entirely new movement that would have to be realized in addition to the original movement, even if possible, and would require considerable effort or cost. If the movement sequence of the transfer device from the preparation position to the holding position or in the opposite direction were used here to compensate for the stack height, then precise stacking of the segments in a vertically sided block would be impossible unless the movement was a purely stroke movement. For this reason, preferably the relay does not perform any movement during the loading of the segments, and stack height compensation is in this case realized by varying the stroke of the loading lever.

[0032] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in a method for controlling a cell stacking equipment for stacking energy cell segments according to claim 18, the cell stacking equipment a supply device that continuously supplies the segments at a predetermined supply rate; at least one cell stacking unit that receives the segments (16) from a supply device and stacks them into a stack; and The cell stacking unit has at least one take-out unit and a transfer mechanism; and The transfer mechanism includes a relay, a transfer lever, and a receiving portion that is movable from a receiving position to a discharging position and in the opposite direction; The transfer lever takes the segment from the take-out unit and places it in a receiving part that is positioned at the receiving position; and The relay is moved from a ready position to a holding position while the receiver is moved from a receiving position to a discharging position and in the opposite direction, and forms an intermediate platform on which the segments are transferred in the holding position.

[0033] The advantage of the proposed method is to be found in that the segments are received in a continuous supply by the take-up unit at the supply speed of the supply device, and are then transferred and stacked as softly as possible thanks to the proposed design of the transfer mechanism with transfer levers, relays and mobile receiving parts. The cell stacking equipment, based on the proposed control, forms the interface between the continuous supply of segments via the supply device 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 at all, i.e. without any further conveying speed.

[0034] It is further proposed that the take-out unit has a controllable drive, which is controlled in such a way that the take-out unit is accelerated for receiving segments from the feed device and decelerated for transferring the segments to the loading mechanism. Due to the proposed control of the drive movement of the take-out unit, the take-out unit can be designed very simply for receiving segments at a high feed rate of the feed device and at the same time for transferring the segments to the loading mechanism as gently as possible.

[0035] It is further proposed that the removal unit is formed by a drum that is driven in rotation 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.With this proposed development, the removal unit can be specially designed for receiving the segments from the supply device formed by the drum path, which on the other hand makes a high conveying capacity possible at the same time as a soft conveying of the segments.

[0036] It is further proposed that the transfer mechanism has a linearly movable receiving section, which is moved from a receiving position to a discharging position when a sensor device detects that the stack has reached a predetermined stack height in the receiving section. The receiving section is used to transport the completed stack from the receiving position to the discharging position, and is moved linearly to ensure that the input force acting on the segments is as low as possible. The receiving section preferably moves linearly in the direction normal to the surface of the segments stacked in the receiving section, so that the lateral force acting on the segments when they are transported through the receiving section is as low as possible. This linear movement of the receiving section constitutes an inventive concept independent of the relay, which allows the stacking process and transport to be improved independently of the relay.

[0037] In this case, the lifting device preferably moves the receiving part away from the removal unit after the transfer of one segment by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the transferred segment plus the predetermined additional stroke, see above for the advantages resulting from this.

[0038] It is further proposed that the relay is moved from the ready position to the holding position before the movable receiver is moved from the receiving position to the discharging position, the movements of the relay and the receiver overlap during this phase, so that the relay forms a transfer surface for the following segment before the receiver is moved from the receiving position to the discharging position.

[0039] 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 overlapping during this phase, so that the relay is only moved back to the ready position once the receiving part is in the receiving position and can receive the following segment.

[0040] It is further proposed that the movement of the transfer device is controlled depending on the movement and / or position of the receiving part. This prevents the transfer device and the receiving part from colliding with each other during their movement process. Furthermore, this makes it possible to control the overlapping movement particularly simply, since the movement of the transfer device to the preparation position or the movement of the receiving part to the release position is only activated after the respective other part has completed its previous movement process. For the most effective cooperation between the receiving part and the transfer device, the movements of the receiving part and the transfer device are preferably controlled relative to each other so that at least the receiving part or the transfer device is always located in the receiving position and forms a transfer surface for the segments to be transferred. This allows for uninterrupted transfer of the segments.

[0041] It is further proposed that the receiving part and the relay each have a resting surface formed by a plurality of toothed surfaces arranged parallel to one another and equally spaced apart, and that the relay and the receiving part engage with each other by means of their teeth during the movement of the relay and the receiving part to transfer the stack of segments.With this proposed development, the receiving part can be moved very simply into the receiving position while the relay is still in the holding position, as the teeth of the receiving part can be inserted between the teeth of the relay without colliding with the relay.

[0042] 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 successively ejected from the removal unit in the same ejection movement, preferably a linear stroke movement with as low a lateral force as possible acting on the segments.

[0043] Furthermore, it is proposed that the ejection movement is realized by a linear stroke movement. This proposed development makes it possible to transfer the segments into the receiving part with as little pressure as possible acting on the segments. The stroke movement can be realized, for example, in a very simple manner by a controllable eccentric drive with a variable stroke or also by a controllable linear drive.

[0044] It is further proposed that the transfer lever performs a stroke that is the same or that is increased by a predetermined additional stroke section during the transfer of the segments into the receiving part.

[0045] It is further proposed that the transfer lever is driven to perform a stroke movement with a stroke reduced by at least the thickness of the segment within the sequence of the segments while transferring the segments onto the relay placed in the holding position.

[0046] The proposed method features a moving transfer lever during the transfer of the segments onto the transfer mechanism and during the transfer of the segments into the receiving part, resulting in a particularly gentle transfer of the segments. The transfer mechanism remains stationary during the transfer of the segments and forms a fixed support surface. The stack is thus built up with a decreasing distance between the transfer lever and the stack surface. To ensure that the transfer point of the segments is always the same and as close as possible to the stack surface, the transfer lever performs a stroke that decreases from the transfer of one segment to the transfer of the next. In the ideal case, this stroke is reduced by the thickness of one segment. When transferring the segments into the receiving part, this stroke can be constant, provided that after each segment, the receiving part performs a stroke movement that increases by the thickness of one segment. Preferably, however, after each segment, the receiving part performs a stroke that corresponds to the thickness of one segment plus a predetermined additional stroke. Thus, after the receiving part has fully loaded a predetermined number of segments, it is moved away from the transfer lever or the removal unit by a stroke that corresponds to the number of segments multiplied by the additional stroke, leaving a free space into which the relay can immediately enter without the receiving part having to perform any further movement for this purpose. To prevent the transfer point of the segments from being enlarged by the additional stroke during this stroke movement of the receiving part, the transfer lever also performs a stroke movement with a stroke that is increased by the additional stroke, and the additional stroke of the transfer lever and the receiving part is, in the ideal case, the same.

[0047] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problem, there is provided a segmentation device for a cell stacking facility or in a cell stacking facility for segments of energy cells according to any one of claims 1 to 17, comprising: the supply device is configured and arranged to supply A number 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 formed and configured to receive A number of segments per unit time from the supply device and to convey B number of segments per unit time to the first discharge area and C number of segments per unit time to the second discharge area; The number B of segments per unit time is transportable toward the second transport unit and is deliverable to the second transport unit at the discharge area; and The number C of segments per unit time is provided in the second release area, in particular to be delivered 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 facility for segments of energy cells is proposed.

[0048] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problem, there is provided a segmentation method for manufacturing a cell stack in a cell stacking facility for energy cell segments according to any one of claims 1 to 17, comprising: supplying A number of segments per unit time with a supply device configured and arranged to supply A number of segments of energy cells per unit time; a first transport unit for the segments downstream of the supply device for transporting the segments; a second transport unit for the segments, which is disposed downstream of the first transport unit, for transporting 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 G2 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 of segments per unit time B and the number of segments per unit time C is less than or equal to the number of segments per unit time A. A segmentation method is proposed for producing cell stacks in a cell stacking facility for energy cell segments.

[0049] Both the segmentation device and the segmentation method comprise two conveying units and a segmentation 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 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 the first two conveying units.

[0050] It is further proposed that the second conveying unit is operated as a rotatably drivable conveying unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum, or as an interactive combination of a first rotatably drivable conveying unit, in particular in the form of a reversing drum, and a second rotatably drivable conveying unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum.

[0051] The advantage of the proposed sorting device and the proposed sorting method is that the cell stacking device or removal unit, respectively, can stack the supplied segments in number A at a lower stacking rate than if the supplied segments were in number A, since the supplied segments in number A are sorted on both transport units into smaller numbers B and C. This allows the transport rate of the supply device to be designed accordingly high, and at the same time the stacking rate can be designed accordingly low for high positional accuracy of the stacked segments and thus of the stack itself.

[0052] The second conveying unit is preferably configured as a rotatably driven conveying unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum, or as an interactive combination of a first rotatably driven conveying unit, in particular in the form of a reversing drum, and a second rotatably driven conveying unit, in particular in the form of a transfer drum, which in itself allows for a very high conveying capacity of the segments. In particular, configuring the first conveying unit as a rotatably driven conveying unit allows for continuous feeding of segments to the conveying unit and continuous removal of segments from the conveying unit. Due to the rotational movement of the conveying unit, the forces acting on the segments, in particular lateral forces, can be reduced to as low a level as possible, which in turn allows for very precise conveying of the segments and therefore the formation of very precisely positioned stacks.

[0053] The present invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0054] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a manufacturing machine having a cell stacking facility according to the present invention; [Figure 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. [Figure 3]FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cell stacking equipment, showing the rotation direction of the drum. [Figure 4] Two perspective views of a cell stacking unit, each showing one removal unit of the cell stacking unit positioned at a receiving position and one at a delivery position. [Figure 5] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the take-out unit in the receiving position and the relay in the holding position. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the take-out unit at the receiving position and the relay at the holding position. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional view of a take-out unit at a transfer position and a relay at a preparation position. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a take-out unit at a delivery position and a repeater at a preparation position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0055] 1 shows a manufacturing machine having a cell stacking equipment 1 according to the present invention, which includes 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 includes a supply section for 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 are cut by a cutting device to predetermined lengths and / or widths to form anodes and cathodes, respectively, which are then placed on one of the endless webs, E1 and E3, of separator material. The joining is performed by first separating the anodes or cathodes from the lowermost endless web E4 and placing them on a conveyor belt T, followed by the endless web E3 of separator material thereon, and then separating the anodes or cathodes from the endless web E2 and placing them on the endless web E3 of separator material, which are then covered on top by the uppermost endless web E1 of separator material to form a four-layered endless web EG. The four-layered endless web EG with the anodes or cathodes on their upper surfaces is then fed to a laminating unit L, where they are firmly bonded together by the action of thermal and / or mechanical energy. If a different configuration of the four endless webs EG is desired, the endless webs E1 to E4 may be arranged differently.

[0056] The laminated four-layer endless web EG is then fed to a cell lamination facility 1 in the production machine and cut into segments 16, also called monocells, of a predetermined length and / or width in a cutting device 4. However, it is also possible to feed double-layer segments 16, consisting of only one layer of separator material and an anode or cathode, and / or single-layer segments 16 in the production machine to the cell lamination facility 1, if it is desired that these be stacked accordingly and further processed.

[0057] The cutting device 4 is formed here by a drum pair consisting of a cutting drum with a cutting knife and an opposing drum with an opposing knife. The four-layer endless web EG, guided toward the cutting drum or the opposing drum, is cut by the shearing action of the cutting knife on the opposing drum into segments 16 of a predetermined length, determined by the spacing between the cutting knives or the opposing knives, depending on whether the endless web is guided toward the cutting drum or the opposing drum. Leaving 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 vacuum. 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.

[0058] The cell stacking installation 1, which includes a cell stacking device 7, is shown enlarged in Fig. 2. The supply device 2 has four transfer drums 5 and three turnover drums 6, each arranged between two transfer drums 5; only two of these transfer drums 5 and turnover drums 6 are visible in the excerpt of Fig. 2. The cell stacking device 7 further has four cell stacking units 11, each of which has one take-out unit 111 and one corresponding transfer mechanism 112; only two of these take-out units 111 and transfer mechanisms 112 are visible in the excerpt of Fig. 2. The take-out units 111 are configured as rotating bodies, for example in the form of drums, that are driven to rotate and have three support zones in the form of receiving punches 113 oriented at an angle of 120 degrees to one another. The receiving punch 113 has an outer surface, which may be dimensioned in its outer dimensions to correspond at least to the outer shape of the segment 16 or larger. In a cross section of the receiving punch 113 perpendicular to the rotation axis of the removal unit 111, the receiving punch 113 has the contour of a circular arc section, each having the same radius, so that they form a complementary imaginary circle. Furthermore, the removal unit 111 is arranged with its receiving punch 113 and dimensioned in terms of radius so that, during rotation, the removal unit 111 contacts with the outer surface of the receiving punch 113 against the outer surface of the transfer drum 5 with a gap corresponding to at least the thickness of the segment 16. The rotation of the removal unit 111 is controlled relative to the respective transfer drum 5 so that the receiving punch 113 receives exactly one segment 16 from the transfer drum 5 during each 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 peripheral speed corresponding to the peripheral speed of the segment 16 held on the transfer drum 5 at the point of shortest distance from the transfer drum 5 (corresponding to receiving station XA), and the segment 16 is received by the receiving punch 113 without any relative velocity in the peripheral direction in the ideal case.

[0059] 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 over its entire surface by the receiving punch 113. Furthermore, the receiving punch 113 also 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 a number of parallel, circumferentially oriented teeth, between which gaps of constant and identical width are arranged. The end faces of the teeth together form the outer surface of the receiving punch 113 in this case.

[0060] Each receiving punch 113 forms a receiving surface 123 on the outside of the receiving punch 113, and the receiving surfaces 123 are separated from each other by free zones 124 based on the plurality of receiving punches 113.

[0061] A vacuum line 122 is provided in the tooth of the receiving punch 113, to which a vacuum can be applied, and which opens into the tooth or into the outer surface of the end face of the receiving punch 113 through an opening of the vacuum line 122. Furthermore, a corresponding opening of the vacuum line, to which a vacuum can be applied, may also be provided in the outer surface of the transfer drum 5. In this case, the segment 16 is held against 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 moving through the receiving station XA. This can be seen in the left diagram of FIG. 4.

[0062] The rotational movement of the take-out units 111, and thus the receiving punches 113, is controlled so that the take-out 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 supply device 2 in a fixed sequence, in a four-beat rhythm. As a result, the first take-out units 111 assigned to the first transfer drum 5 of the first cell stacking unit 11 receive the first segments 13 of the group of four from the first transfer drum 5 in rhythmic order during rotation by one of the receiving punches 113 of the first take-out units 111. Subsequently, the remaining segments 16 of the group of four on the first transfer drum 5 are received by the first reversing drum 6 and then transferred onto the second transfer drum 5. As the segments 16 are transferred onto the second transfer drum 5 via the reversing drum 6, they are rotated once around their longitudinal axis, which is oriented parallel to the rotation axes of the transfer drum 5 and the reversing drum 6, so that the segments 16 face outward on the second transfer drum 5 with the same upper surface as on the first transfer drum 5. The second cell stacking unit 11 then similarly removes the second segments 16 of each quadruple group from the second transfer drum 5 using the receiving punch 113 of the second removal unit 111, as can be seen in FIG. 2 . This process is repeated until the fourth cell stacking unit 11 finally removes the last segment 16 of the quadruple group from the fourth transfer drum 5, and all segments 16 of the quadruple group 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 segments 16 have been removed after delivery by the last delivery drum 5.

[0063] 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 take-out 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 manner described above. The take-out unit 111 is driven to rotate clockwise, as can also be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 based on the direction of the arrows. During the reception of each segment 16, the take-out unit 111 is located with one of its receiving punches 113 at 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 take-out unit 111, in which one receiving punch 113 is located at the "12 o'clock position," is also referred to as the receiving position of the take-out unit 111 within the meaning of the present invention. The receiving punch 113 that received the segments 16 of the preceding group of four on the take-out drum 5 is now in the "4 o'clock position". In this receiving position, the take-out unit 111 rotates at a peripheral speed of the outer surface of the receiving punch 113 that corresponds to the peripheral speed of the segments 16 on the transfer drum 5, and has just received one segment 16 with the receiving punch 113 that is located in 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 an empty outer surface, because it has just released one segment 16 to the transfer mechanism 112. At this time, the take-out unit 111 is in a position where it passes through the transfer mechanism 112 with a free zone 124 in the form of 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.

[0064] In order to transfer the segments 16 from the receiving punch 113, which is located at the "4 o'clock position" in the receiving position 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" now located at the "6 o'clock position", passes through the transfer station XA. This can be seen in the right diagram of FIG. 4.

[0065] The transfer station XB is the point of shortest distance between the outer surface of the transferring receiving punch 113 and the transfer mechanism 112. Since there is an odd number of receiving punches 113, the transfer station XB can be located 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 II at the same time. This position of the take-out unit 111, where the receiving punch 113 is located at the "6 o'clock position", is also referred to as the transfer position of the take-out unit 111 within the meaning of the present invention.

[0066] During this rotational movement, the take-out unit 111 is decelerated so that, at the transfer position, the take-out unit 111 rotates at a significantly lower peripheral speed or even comes to a standstill for a very short moment. At the transfer position of the take-out unit 111, the segment 16 is released from the receiving punch 113, which is located at the "6 o'clock position," to the transfer mechanism 112, which will be described in more detail below. Because the receiving punch 113 rotates at a significantly lower peripheral speed or, in the ideal case, even comes to a standstill at this position, the segment 16 is 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 segment 16 is transferred to the transfer mechanism 112 without any lateral forces, only with movement normal to the surface of the segment 16. This ensures that the lateral forces on the segments 16 during delivery are as low as possible, and the segments 16 can thereby be subsequently stacked into a stack with extremely high positional accuracy.

[0067] Furthermore, in this position of the take-out unit 111, i.e. in the transfer position, the third empty receiving punch 113 is in the "10 o'clock position" when stationary 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 which is in the "12 o'clock position". Since the empty 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-out unit 111, the take-out unit 111 is subsequently again accelerated until the empty receiving punch 113 which was previously in the "10 o'clock position" passes through the receiving station XA in the "12 o'clock position" at the tangential speed of the segment 16 being fed on the transfer drum 5 and receives the segment 16.

[0068] The take-out unit 111, in the form of a rotating body driven to rotate and having three receiving punches 113 arranged at an angle of 120 degrees from one another, accelerates and decelerates in a repeating sequence, i.e., the body decelerates three times and accelerates three times during one revolution, depending on the number of receiving punches 113. The take-out unit 111 may 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" and "4 o'clock" positions. This is because, due to the different requirements for the movement of the take-out unit 111 when receiving and transferring segments 14, it is impossible for one segment 16 to be transferred simultaneously with the receipt of a second segment 16, i.e., two receiving punches 113 to simultaneously pass through the receiving station XA and the transfer station XB. Therefore, it is advantageous to provide an odd number of take-out punches 113. This is because the receiving station XA and the transfer station XB can thereby be positioned on opposite sides, i.e., at the "12 o'clock position" and the "6 o'clock position," and thus at an angle of 180 degrees to each other. This can be seen in both views of FIG. 4. The movement of the take-off unit 111 is controlled in this case so 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, which is driven to rotate, so that the receiving punches 113 are arranged at a fixed angle to each other during the rotational movement. The receiving punches 113 are arranged here at equal intervals and at the same angle to each other and are driven together with the base body of the take-off unit 111. The advantage of this solution is that the above-mentioned acceleration and deceleration of the segments 16 into the transfer station XB and the receiving station XA is achieved solely by controlling the movement of the take-out unit 111, while the receiving punches 113 themselves do not perform individually controlled movements but are instead decelerated and accelerated as a group.This allows the overall control and structural design to be simplified, and in particular the receiving punch 113 does not require any separate, movable support in the take-out unit 111. In this regard, it is particularly advantageous to arrange the transfer station XB in the "six o'clock position", i.e. below the take-out unit 111, since the transfer of the segments 16 is thereby not carried out against the acting force of gravity, but is instead further assisted by the acting force of gravity.

[0069] The transfer mechanism 112 has a receiving part 115 which is linearly movable by a lifting device 116, the movement of which is triggered by the operation 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 close as possible to the transfer station XB of the segment 16, while 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.

[0070] The transfer mechanism 112 further comprises a transfer lever 117 having a comb-like structure with a plurality of teeth 118 oriented parallel to one another, the teeth 118 being dimensioned in terms of width and arrangement such that, as the take-out unit 111 rotates, the teeth 118, based on their position 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. Advantageously, when the receiving punch 113 is stationary at the transfer station XB, the transfer lever 117 itself performs a movement relative to the receiving punch 113 and actively combs the segments 16 from the outer surface of the receiving punch 113. The transfer lever 117 is 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. To eject the segment 16, the transfer lever 117 then performs a linear stroke movement in the radial direction of the take-out unit 111, thereby entraining the segment 16 in the direction normal to its surface. Due to the direction of the ejection movement of the segment 16, the forces acting on the segment 16 can be kept as low as possible, and a particularly gentle ejection movement of the segment 16 can be achieved. The linear stroke movement of the transfer lever 117 ends with the segment 16 being transferred 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 by decreasing as the number of stacked segments 16 increases in accordance with an increase in the stack 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. This allows the stroke of the transfer lever 117 to be selected to be constant. Preferably, however, the receiving part 115 is moved away from the removal unit 111 by a stroke corresponding to the thickness of the segment 16 plus a small additional stroke of, for example, 1 millimeter. In this case, the transfer lever 117 is driven to perform a stroke movement whose stroke is increased by an additional stroke, ideally an additional stroke of 1 millimeter, each time a segment 16 is transferred, so that the segment 16 is always transferred at a constant, as small a distance as possible from the stack surface. 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 multiplied by the additional travel, resulting in an additional free space being created into which the relay 114, which will be described in more detail below, can enter without requiring any further movement of the receiver 115. If the additional travel is 1 millimeter and the number of segments 16 in the stack is 20, the receiver 115 is then 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 to its holding position in the transfer station XB for the placement of the next segment 16 without any further movement of the receiver 115.

[0071] A vacuum channel system extends within the transfer lever 117. The vacuum channel system includes a supply channel from which a plurality of branch channels branch off. The branch channels are arranged to communicate with the supply channel and with the open surface of the transfer lever 117.

[0072] A number of vacuum lines 120 are provided in the transfer lever 117, and can be seen in FIG. 7. The vacuum lines 120 open into the underside of the transfer lever 117, into the receiving surface provided therein, via their openings. The vacuum lines 120 are further connected to an external, flexible line of an external vacuum supply 121. The vacuum supply 121 for the negative pressure into the vacuum lines 120 of the transfer lever 117 is controlled so that when each one of the segments 16 is supplied to 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, a negative pressure is already present in the vacuum lines 120. 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, in this case towards the upper surface of the segment 16, by the negative pressure acting in the vacuum lines 120, 122 of the receiving punch 113 and the transfer lever 117. 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. At this time, 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 vacuum still applied in the vacuum line 122 of the receiving punch 113. The segment 16 is thus permanently exposed to a suction force, specifically, first to the suction force of the take-out unit 111 and then to the suction force of the transfer lever 117. This completes the transfer of the segment 16 from the take-out unit 111 onto the transfer lever 117, which then 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 to an external vacuum supply via a flexible line 121 so that the transfer lever 117 can perform a linear stroke movement and the segment 16 is held thereon by negative pressure. A flexible line also allows the vacuum supply to be achieved 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 complement each other and form an enlarged, uniformly curved abutment surface in the engagement position of the transfer lever 117.

[0073] As a result, when the teeth 118 of the transfer lever 117 engage in the intermediate space between the teeth of the receiving punch 113 in the engagement position, they complement the teeth 118 of the receiving punch 113 to form a substantially continuous, uniform loading surface. Due to the same curvature, the receiving punch 113, together with the segment 16 held by the receiving punch 113, moves tangentially along the curved surface of the transfer lever 117, and the transfer lever reaches the engagement position in the intermediate space of the receiving punch 113 between the segment 16 and the base of the removal unit 111. During the rotational movement of the removal unit 111, the segment 16 is sucked by the negative pressure acting in the compressed air line 122 of the receiving punch 113 and is held in a curved position on the surface of the receiving punch. The transfer lever 117 also has a vent line 120 to which negative pressure is applied at the point where the transfer lever 117 abuts against the surface of the segment 16. As a result, the segment 16 is simultaneously sucked and fixed for a very short time by the negative pressure acting in the compressed air line 120 of the transfer lever 117 and in the compressed air line 122 of the receiving punch 113. Only when the transfer lever 117 has been received by the negative pressure acting in the compressed air line 120 of the transfer lever 117 is the negative pressure in the compressed air line 122 of the receiving punch 113 switched off and the transfer lever 117 can remove the segment 16. At this time, the negative pressure in the receiving punch 113 may still be applied for a short time span, so that the transfer lever 117 must pull the segment 16 away from the receiving surface 123 of the receiving punch 113 against the force exerted by the negative pressure in the vacuum line 122.

[0074] Considered as segments 16 are individual separator sheets or monocells with separator sheets, where one or each separator sheet has a thickness of 8 to 25 μm, preferably 10 to 15 μm. Such thin separator sheets allow for extremely high specific energy and energy density to be achieved simultaneously with an extremely compact configuration. Furthermore, the cell lamination equipment 1 can be used to laminate segments 16 or monocells with anodes and / or cathodes having an electrode area of ​​2 × 4 cm and / or with one anode, one cathode, and two separator sheets to produce the smallest cells, particularly the smallest pouch cells. The cell lamination equipment 1 can also be used to laminate segments 16 or monocells with anodes and / or cathodes having an electrode area of ​​15 × 40 cm and / or with one anode, one cathode, and two separator sheets to produce larger-area cells. 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, and 800 mm 2 ~80,000mm 2 In particular, 1200mm 2 ~60,000mm 2 or 1800mm 2 ~36000mm 2 The electrode area is in the range of

[0075] The toothed portions 118 preferably form an area ratio of 30 to 70% of the surface of the receiving surface 123 of the receiving punch 113 with their surfaces, so that the segment 16 held therein abuts on the receiving surface 123 over an area of ​​30 to 70% of the surface of the segment 16. In this case, the segment 16 can be fixed to the receiving surface 123 via negative pressure in the vacuum line 122. The proposed area ratio is therefore preferred, since it allows for a soft reception and soft transport of the segment 16, as well as for the accurate fixing of the segment 16 in position and the engagement of the transfer lever 117, which is made possible by the intermediate space between the toothed portions 118 and the resulting pick-up movement.

[0076] When the receiving punch 113 is stationary or rotates at a relatively slow speed in 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 unit 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 118, below the segment 16 held by the receiving punch 113, into the intermediate space between the teeth 118 of the receiving punch 113. To eject the segment 16, the transfer lever 117 then performs a linear stroke movement in the radial direction of the removal unit 111, thereby entraining the segment 16 in the direction normal to the surface of the segment 16. In this case, depending on the direction of the ejection movement of the segments 16, the forces acting on the segments 16 can be kept as low as possible, and a particularly soft ejection movement of the segments 16 can be achieved. The linear stroke movement of the transfer lever 117 ends with the transfer of the segments 16 into the receiving section 115 of the transfer mechanism 112. In this case, the stroke of the stroke movement of the transfer lever 117 is controlled so that the segments 16 are transferred into the receiving section 115 with as little dropping movement as possible and with as little pressure as possible.

[0077] The receiving part 115 may also have a vacuum line capable of applying a negative pressure, the vacuum line being arranged with an opening in the vacuum line such that, when negative pressure is applied, the vacuum line generates a suction force on the segment 16 to be received. In this case, the segment 16 can be transferred from the take-out unit 111 into the receiving part 115 of the transfer mechanism 112 at the transfer point II 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, in addition to the above-mentioned combing process by the transfer lever 117.

[0078] This process of ejecting the segments 16 from the receiving punch 113 of the take-out unit 111 into the receiving section 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 section 115 has exceeded a predetermined height or that a predetermined number of segments 16 have been piled up in the receiving section 115. In response to a signal from the sensor device, the lifting device 116 is then activated, and the receiving section 115, together with the stack of segments 16, is caused to move linearly from the receiving position to the ejecting position towards the ejection device 3. Basically, the number of segments 16 supplied and the number of segments 16 ejected in the preceding ejection device are also known in the machine control of the production machine and cell stacking installation, so that the lifting device 116 can be activated based on the number of stacked segments 16 known in the machine control, that a predetermined number of segments 16 to be stacked has been reached.

[0079] The lifting device 116 is controlled so that, during the transfer of the segments 16 into the receiving part 115, the receiving part 115 is moved away from the removal unit 111 by a distance corresponding to the thickness of one segment 16 plus a small additional stroke each time a segment 16 is transferred. This allows the point of release of the segments 16 by switching off the negative pressure in the vacuum line 120 of the transfer lever 117 to be selected as close as possible above the surface, thereby achieving an extremely gentle transfer of the segments with as little drop height as possible. Furthermore, the receiving part 115, together with the stack held therein, is moved away from the removal unit 111 stepwise by a controlled stroke movement each time a segment 16 is transferred, thereby providing new free space for the transfer of the next segment 16. This prevents the transfer lever 117 from exerting a pressure on the segment 16 when the next segment 16 is transferred. The additional travel provided firstly provides a certain margin for compensating for allowable deviations in the thickness and movement course of the segments 16, and secondly, the additional travel is summed up to provide free space that simplifies or allows the entry of the relay 114 into the holding position after the target stack height is reached.

[0080] When transferring the segments 16 into the receiving part 115, the transfer lever 117 ideally performs a stroke that is increased by an additional stroke corresponding to the additional stroke of the receiving part 115 each time a segment 16 is transferred, and the segment 16 is transferred and placed as close as possible to the surface of the stack held in the receiving part 115 by switching off the negative pressure in the vacuum line 120 of the transfer lever 117. This allows the impulse acting on the segment 16 during transfer to be kept as low as possible. Furthermore, the transfer lever 117 has a curved outer surface that matches the outer surface of the receiving punch 113 and holds the segment 16, while the segment 16 has a flat, planar orientation while being stacked in the receiving part 115. The segment 16 therefore has to perform an additional movement from a curved position to a flat position when ejected, which, in turn, means that the edge section has to perform a slightly larger stroke when transferred. This non-uniform movement can lead to the segments 16 tending to "flutter" when loaded. To counter this tendency, it is advantageous for the loading lever 117 to load the segments 16 as closely as possible above the surface of the stack, and then to still be held above the loaded segments 16 for a short time span to mitigate any possible fluttering of the segments 16.

[0081] The transfer mechanism 112 further includes a relay 114 movable from a preparation position to a holding position, which relay 114 is arranged in the holding position during the travel of the receiving section 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. The relay 114 allows the transfer of the segments 16 even when the receiving section 115 filled with a previously constructed stack for the transfer of the stack from the removal unit 111 is moved to the release position and is therefore not available for receiving the segments 16 in the transfer station XB. This allows for uninterrupted, i.e., continuous, discharge of the segments 16 from the removal unit 111 at a high stacking rate, which is thereby made possible.

[0082] 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 this case, 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 being built in the receiving part 115 and the virtual 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. In the holding position, the relay 114 thus forms an intermediate receiving part for transferring the segments 16. After the relay 114 is placed in the holding position with its resting surface, the lifting device 116 is activated and the receiving part 115, together with the stack of segments 16, is moved vertically downward in a linear motion from the receiving position to the discharge position assigned to the discharge device 3.

[0083] The segments 16 to be subsequently transferred are not in this case transferred into the receivers 115, but instead transferred onto the relay 114, which is arranged in the holding position and is fixed during this phase. Nevertheless, so that no pressure is exerted on the segments 16 during transfer, the stroke of the transfer lever 117 is controlled in such a way that it decreases as the number of segments 16 to be stacked increases, depending on the increasing stack height of the segments 16 on the relay 114. The relay 114 is specially designed to perform its movement from the ready position to the holding position and in the opposite direction by means of a hinge mechanism. For stack height compensation of the segments 16, on the other hand, a pure stroke movement unequal to the movement of the relay 114 is meaningful so that the stacks are stacked in the correct position with their sides arranged at right angles to each other, so that stack height compensation is preferably realized here by the described control of the stroke movement of the transfer lever 117, while the relay 114 is intentionally fixed in this phase to achieve a position-invariant loading surface.

[0084] The receiving part 115 is moved linearly in the direction normal to the surface of the segments 16 that are stacked to form the stack, so that during this movement as little lateral force as possible acts on the stack and the segments 16. This ensures that the segments 16 that are stacked in the correct position alone, and the entire stack in the correct position, do not shift sideways. Insofar as this is meaningful, the segments 16 that are stacked to form the stack may additionally be fixed to each other via tape.

[0085] The segment 16 is transferred onto the relay 114 only when the receiving part 115 is not positioned in the transfer station XB, so that the relay 114 is returned from the holding position to the ready position shown in the right diagram of Figure 4 as soon as the receiving part 115 is again returned to the transfer station XB.

[0086] The receiving part 115 and the relay 114 each have a support surface formed by the surfaces of a plurality of identical teeth 118 arranged parallel to one another and equidistant from one another. The teeth 118 of the relay 114 and the receiving part 115 engage with each other during the movement of the relay 114 and the receiving part 115 for the transfer of the stack of segments 16. After the receiving part 115 has discharged the stack into the discharge device 3, it is then moved back to the receiving position, where the teeth 118 of the receiving part 115 engage with the teeth 118 of the relay 114. In this position, the receiving part 115 and the relay 114 briefly form a common support surface for the stack of segments 16 to be stacked. Next, the relay 114 is returned from the holding position to the ready position, and during the return movement, the relay 114 is moved laterally parallel to the teeth 118, thereby disengaging from the engagement of the teeth 118 of the receiving portion 115. Next, the stack is supported from below only by the mounting surface of the receiving portion 115, and further segments 16 are stacked on the stack held in the receiving portion 115 until the stack reaches the planned stack height, and this process is repeated.

[0087] By forming the resting surfaces of the receiving part 115 and the relay 114 by the teeth 118 as proposed, the receiving part 115 can be returned to the receiving position after the stack has been released without colliding with the relay 114 and / or without interfering with the transfer of the segments 16 onto the relay 114 that is currently taking place. Furthermore, the relay 114 can thereby be returned from the holding position to the ready position without the stack losing its support.

[0088] The teeth of the receiving punch 113, the relay 114, and the receiving part 115 each form a contoured surface having a structure that allows the relay 114 to engage with the receiving punch 113 and the receiving part 115. For this purpose, the teeth of one member are respectively arranged to correspond to the intermediate chamber of the other member. The intermediate chamber and the teeth are dimensioned so that they engage with each other with play, so that the engagement movement can be completed with high process reliability. Furthermore, the teeth and the intermediate chamber are oriented so that they are oriented in the direction of the engagement movement of both members.

[0089] In this embodiment, the take-out unit 111 is formed by a rotating body that can be driven to rotate. The rotating body has at least two support zones that are arranged spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction (and fixed in the circumferential direction) and extend in the circumferential direction by a length Y, which receive the segments 16 at the receiving station XA. The support zones are formed here by receiving surfaces 123 of the receiving punches 113. Between the support zones, free zones 124 are provided that extend in the circumferential direction by a length Z, and in this embodiment, each free zone 124 is formed by a cavity extending radially inward, thereby forming a free space. While the support zones are each suitably configured to receive one segment 16, the free zones are not configured to receive the segments 16 but merely form intentionally unused intermediate zones between the support zones, which are useful for realizing various movement states of the take-out unit 111 and for receiving and transferring the segments 16. For this purpose, 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 the receiving phase at the receiving station XA in which the segments 16 are received by the carrying zone.

[0090] 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 configured for receiving the segments 16. The free zone is thereby characterized in that it does not carry the segments 16 and therefore does not discharge the segments 16 at the transfer station XB. As a result, it is not necessary for the take-out unit 111 to fulfill special movement conditions during the receiving phase in which the take-out unit 111 passes through the transfer station XB with the free zone 124, and the movement behavior of the take-out unit 111 can be designed solely for receiving the segments 16 at the transfer station XA.

[0091] The carrying zone and the free zone 124 are arranged such that while the carrying zone passes through the receiving station XA, the free zone passes through the transfer station XB and is directed toward the receiving station XA, while the carrying zone is directed toward the transfer station XB. The free zone 124 may then have a length Z greater than the carrying zone in the circumferential direction of the rotor, so that the rotation angle of the free zone 124 passing through the transfer station XB and the receiving station XA is greater than the rotation angle of the carrying zone passing through the transfer station XB and the receiving station XA. This allows the available rotation angle, which is available for acceleration and deceleration of the take-out unit 111, to be greater than the rotation angle required for receiving and transferring the segment 16. Due to the larger rotation angle, the maximum acceleration and deceleration for switching between two predetermined speeds can be reduced. The free zone 124 then has a length Z that covers the receiving station XA and the transfer station XB.

[0092] In this case, the length Y of one or each support zone may be smaller, equal to, or larger than the length Z of one or each free zone 124. Furthermore, the lengths Z of the free zones 124 between the support zones may be equal or different, thereby achieving the advantages described at the beginning. The length Y of one or each support zone extending in the circumferential direction is 20 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 90 mm, or 100 mm or more. The length Y of one or each support zone extending in the circumferential direction is 200 mm, 180 mm, 150 mm, 120 mm, 100 mm, 80 mm, or 60 mm or less. The extension dimension of one or each support zone transverse to the length Y is 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 150 mm, 180 mm, or 300 mm or more. The or each support zone may extend transversely to the length Y not more than 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.

[0093] A rotating body is also considered to be a drum having a cylindrical outer surface and formed by zones a support zone and a free zone 124, the support zone being purposely formed for the support or reception of the segments 16, while the free zone is not configured for this purpose and may also be called a passive zone. Also considered as a rotating body is any object which receives the segments 16 during its rotational movement at the receiving station XA and further conveys them by its rotational movement to the transfer station XB, where they are released as described above.

[0094] The rotating body may be configured as a rotor with a plurality of rotor arms, one or each of which may have a receiving surface at its free end. 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 the 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 rotor's orbit, in particular fixed relative to the spacing of the rotor arms in the direction of the orbit, in particular invariable relative to the spacing of the rotor arms in the direction of the orbit.

[0095] The discharge device 3 has a number of individually movable receivers 119, each of which has a support surface with identically shaped, 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 this way, in the transfer position, the receivers 115 can insert their toothings 118 into the toothings 118 of the receivers 119 and transfer the stack onto the support surface of the receivers 119. The individually movable receivers are used to transport the stack to further processing. Since the segments 16 and the stacks are checked by one or more sensor devices during the preceding transport and / or stacking process for compliance with predetermined quality standards and are removed from the production process if the quality standards are not met, the stacking process and the frequency of stacks to be removed from the receivers 115 may vary. This change in the conveying frequency of the stack to be removed can be taken into account by the individual travelling possibilities of the conveying receivers 119 in conjunction with a corresponding control.

[0096] An important independent aspect of the present invention is further a dividing device for or in a cell stacking facility as described at the beginning, and a dividing method when manufacturing a cell stack in a cell stacking facility as described at the beginning, as set forth in claim 31 or claim 35.

[0097] In this way, a large flow of segments 16, for example, segments 16 cut online from a four-layer endless web EG, can be further processed immediately after the segments 16 are cut. The cut segments 16 are no longer manually fed, but can be continuously fed into a stack. The segments 16 are no longer freed, which allows their position and orientation within the processing line / processing chain to be maintained and used to control the operation of further subsequent processing units. Reorientation steps, such as those typically required for temporary transfer of segments 16, interruption of material flow, and subsequent resumption, can be reduced or even largely or completely eliminated. Orientation can be performed very effectively already during the orientation of the web from which the segments 16 are cut. If necessary, corrections to the positioning and / or orientation of the segments can still be performed in the feeder, transport unit F1, and / or transport unit F2.

[0098] The supplied segment 16 of energy cells A per unit time is advantageously divided into a number B per unit time and a number C per unit time. The number B per unit time is advantageously transported further, gated, and removed from the number A, so that the number C is already significantly reduced relative to the number A. This allows for easier access to a neat and precise stack without interrupting the material flow. On the other hand, the number B is also significantly reduced relative to the number A, allowing for easier access to a neat and precise stack. In a sense, continuous, undelayed supply of the sorted partial streams to the cell stacking device 7 is possible. If the cell stacking device 7 is equipped with appropriate inlets for the partial streams, stacking can be performed in a parallel connection, thereby achieving high throughput. 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 large flow of segments 16 can be reliably and efficiently aligned and further transported, so to speak, without stops and interruptions, preferably divided into a plurality of partial streams.

[0099] A flow of A segments 16 per unit time, e.g., segments 16 cut online from an endless web EG, can be split so that, for example, every other segment 16 is removed from the flow, a flow of B segments 16 per unit time is formed from every other removed segment 16, and a flow of C segments 16 per unit time is formed from the remaining segments 16. Within the flow of B segments 16, the spacing 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. Within the flow of C segments 16, the spacing 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 consecutive segments 16 in the flow of B segments 16 allows for a sequence of segments, the gap and the associated time intervals being available for accessing the segments 16 during 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 sufficient time to move again, particularly from a discharge or waiting position to a receiving position, during the time interval between the end of the first transported segment 16 and the beginning of the second transported segment 16. This separation process is similar in some ways to the opening of a linear fastener, in which all elements (teeth) are positioned adjacent to each other without any gaps in the closed state and, after opening, have a gap of approximately one element between them. However, unlike linear fasteners, it is advantageous for the present invention if the segments 16 in the flow of A segments per unit time have some gaps, particularly not edge-to-edge or end-to-end. The split can also be imagined as a flow of number A of segments 16, with number B of segments 16 and number C of segments 16 alternating one after the other (e.g., "yellow" and "red" segments 16).In a discharge area, e.g., G1, a flow of segments 16 with a number A is split, and segments 16 with a number B and segments 16 with a number C are handed over or passed through according to their alternating sequence. Taking the example of colors, in this case, a flow of "yellow" segments 16 with a number B per unit time and a flow of "red" segments 16 with a number C per unit time would be generated. In both flows "B" and "C," the segments 16 would have a distance from each other that is greater than or approximately the same as the length of one segment 16. In this configuration, the conveying rates of the flows of segments 16 with a number A per unit time, a number B per unit time, and a 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 and allows for high throughput capabilities.

[0100] Splitting the segment flow of number A coming out of 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 and in parallel with each other.

[0101] 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 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 precise stacking of the segments 16 in the cell stacking units 11, since the stacking speed, in the sense of precise stacking, can be designed to be correspondingly lower than the supply rate of the segments 16 via the feeder 2.

[0102] In this case, the number B of segments 16 supplied to the second transport unit F2 in the first transfer area G1 is greater than the number C of segments 16 discharged in the second release area G2. During the transport process, the segments 16 are subjected to various quality checks and checks for the correct alignment of their parts (e.g., contact tabs, fastening devices, etc.) relative to one another. If it is detected that the quality presets are not being observed, the segments 16 deemed "bad" are excluded from the transport process. This results in the number of segments 16 ultimately stacked being slightly smaller than the number of segments 16 supplied. The segments 16 discharged in the second release area G2 have already been thoroughly checked, for example by a sensor device arranged between the first and second release areas G1 and G2, so that the number C of discharged segments 16 is completely stacked without any further segments 16 being discarded. The segments 16 delivered in the second release area G2, however, still have to travel further along the transport path, so that they may still be slightly misaligned or subject to other influences, which may require further checks and therefore the elimination of the segments 16. For this reason, it is sensible to set the number B of segments 16 delivered to the second transport unit F2 in the first release area G1 to be greater than the number C of segments 16 discharged in the second release area G2.

[0103] It is further advantageous if the number B of segments corresponds to a multiple of the number C of segments. In this case, a structurally simple design with a correspondingly simple stacking can be achieved by providing several 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. Thanks to the proposed sorting device and / or the proposed sorting method, the production machine shown in FIG. 1 can be operated with a high transport rate of the segments 16 in the supply device 2 and, at the same time, with accurate stacking of the segments 16 in the cell stacking units 11. This is because, in accordance with the solution according to the invention, 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 supply device 2. If the supply rate of segments 16 in the supply device 2, i.e., number A, corresponds to, for example, 400 segments 16 per unit time (e.g., per minute), then number C would in this case be 100 segments per minute and number B would be 300 segments per minute, without taking into account the reduction in segments 16 due to rejection due to quality defects.

[0104] The proposed sorting device can optionally be further improved by the features of the proposed cell stacking installation 1, where 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 particularly significant, since they allow the stacking of the segments 16 at the correct position of the product flow sorted by the sorting device. Likewise, the proposed sorting method can also be further improved by combining it with the features of the proposed method for controlling the cell stacking installation 1, since the proposed method essentially includes suggestions on how the cell stacking installation 1, which stacks the partial flows formed by the sorting method, can be improved and controlled. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 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 Tooth 119 Transport receiving part 120 Vacuum line 121 Vacuum supply section 122 Vacuum line 123 Receiving surface 124 Free Space A, B, C, D, E, F Quantity E1~E4 Endless Web EG 4-layer endless web F1 First transport unit F2 Second transport unit G1 First emission region G2 Second emission region XA Pick-up Station XB Delivery Station

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; a discharge device (3) for discharging the segments (16) in a stack; at least one cell stacking unit (11) that receives the segments (16) from the supply device (2), stacks them, and delivers them to the discharge device (3); Equipped with In the cell stacking equipment (1), The cell stacking unit (11) has at least one take-out unit (111) and a transfer mechanism (112), The transfer mechanism (112) has a relay (114), a transfer lever (117), and a receiving part (115) that can move from a receiving position to a discharging position and in the opposite direction; The transfer lever (117) takes the segment (16) from the take-out unit (111) and stores it in the receiving part (115) arranged at the receiving position; The relay (114) is movable from a ready position to a holding position; The relay (114) is arranged at the holding position during the travel movement of the receiving part (115) from the receiving position to the discharging position, and forms an intermediate platform for transferring the segments (16). A cell stacking installation (1) for stacking energy cell segments (16).

2. 2. Cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the take-out unit (111) is formed by a rotatably driven drum.

3. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the drum has at least one, preferably three, receiving punches (113) arranged at the same angle to each other for receiving the segments (16), and the transfer lever (117) takes the segments (16) from the receiving punch (113).

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

5. The receiving punches (113) each have a receiving surface in the shape of a circular arc section when viewed in a cross section of the drum; the receiving surfaces 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. 5. Cell stacking installation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the take-out unit (111) is periodically decelerated and accelerated during the feeding of the segments (16).

7. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the transfer mechanism (112) has a receiving section (115) that can move linearly, and the receiving section (115) supplies the stack to the discharge device (3) in a direction normal to the surface of the segment (16).

8. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 7, 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.

9. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 8, 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).

10. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that, after transferring one segment (16), the lifting device (116) moves the receiving part (115) away from the removal unit (111) by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the transferred segment (16) plus a predetermined additional stroke.

11. 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; 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). A cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that

12. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 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).

13. 5. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 1, wherein the removal unit (111) and / or the receiving portion (115) of the transfer mechanism (112) have one or more vacuum lines capable of applying negative pressure, which, by applying negative pressure, assist the removal unit (111) in receiving the segments (16) from the supply device (2) and / or the transfer mechanism (112) in transporting them on the removal unit (111).

14. 5. Cell stacking installation (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the transfer lever (117) is driven by a drive device for a periodic ejection movement from the removal unit (111).

15. 15. Cell stacking installation (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the ejection movement is formed by a linear stroke movement.

16. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the transfer lever (117) performs a stroke that is the same or that is increased by a predetermined additional stroke while transferring the segment (16) into the receiving part (115).

17. The cell stacking equipment (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the transfer lever (117) performs a stroke reduced by at least the thickness of the segment (16) while transferring the segment (16) onto the relay (116) arranged in the holding position.

18. 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 transfer mechanism (112) has a relay (114), a transfer lever (117), and a receiving part (115) that can move from a receiving position to a discharging position and in the opposite direction; The transfer lever (117) takes the segment (16) from the take-out unit (111) and stores it in the receiving part (115) arranged at the receiving position; The relay (114) is moved from a preparation position to a holding position while the receiver (115) is moved from the receiving position to the discharging position and in the opposite direction, and forms an intermediate platform for transferring the segments (16) at the holding position. A method for controlling a cell stacking installation (1) for stacking segments (16) of energy cells, characterized in that:

19. 19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the removal unit (111) has a controllable drive, which is controlled in such a way that the removal 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).

20. 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; 20. The method of claim 19.

21. 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).

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that

22. 22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that after transferring one segment (16), the lifting device (116) moves the receiving part (115) away from the removal unit (111) by a stroke distance corresponding to the thickness of the transferred segment (16) plus a predetermined additional stroke.

23. 21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that the relay (114) is moved from the preparation position to the holding position before the movable receiving part (115) is moved from the receiving position to the discharging position.

24. 21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that the relay (114) is moved from the holding position to the ready position after the movable receiving part (115) has been moved from the release position to the receiving position.

25. 21. Method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that the movement of the relay (114) is controlled depending on the movement and / or position of the receiving part (115).

26. 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; 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).

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that

27. 21. Method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that the transfer lever (117) is driven for a periodic ejection movement from the removal unit (111) by a drive device.

28. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the ejection movement is formed by a linear stroke movement.

29. 29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that the transfer lever (117) performs a stroke that is the same or that is increased by a predetermined additional stroke while transferring the segment (16) into the receiving part (115).

30. 29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that the transfer lever (117) is driven to perform a stroke movement with a stroke reduced by at least the thickness of the segments (16) in the sequence of the segments (16) while transferring the segments (16) onto the relay (116) arranged in the holding position.

31. A segmentation device of or in a cell stacking installation (1) for segments (16) of energy cells according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 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) is provided, 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); a number B of segments (16) per unit time are provided so as to be transportable toward the second transport unit (F2) and to be deliverable 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:

32. 32. The sorting device according to claim 31, 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).

33. 32. The segmentation device according to claim 31, wherein the number C is smaller than the number B.

34. 32. The segmentation device according to claim 31, wherein the number B is a multiple of the number C.

35. A sectioning method for manufacturing a cell stack in a cell stacking installation (1) for a segment (16) of an energy cell according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 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 transport unit (F2) and delivered to the second transport unit (F2) at the first discharge area (G1); and 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.

36. 36. The method according to claim 35, 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).

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

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

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