Method and system for manufacturing an electrochemical cell, and electrode for an electrochemical cell

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell that allows for the earliest possible detection and removal of defective or unacceptable components. [Solution] A manufacturing method wherein two or more layers of electrode material are applied to a strip-type current collector 100 that passes through a coating device, and the application of the two or more layers is carried out such that the current collector after passing through the coating device includes two or more strip-type sections 101, 103 that are oriented longitudinally and covered with electrode material, and two or more uncoated strip-type sections 102 that are oriented longitudinally, and a machine-readable coding 104 that identifies each of the two or more uncoated strip-type sections is assigned to each of the two or more uncoated strip-type sections, and the coding is attached on top of the two or more uncoated strip-type sections.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention, described below, relates to a method and system for producing energy-storage electrochemical cells, and to electrodes for such electrochemical cells. [Background technology]

[0002] An electrochemical cell capable of energy storage can convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy through oxidation-reduction reactions. These generally include a positive electrode and a negative electrode, separated from each other by a separator. During discharge, electrons are released at the negative electrode as a result of the oxidation process. This generates an electron current, which can be extracted by an external electricity consumer, thus the electrochemical cell functions as an energy source. Simultaneously, an ionic current is generated within the cell in response to the electrode reactions. This ionic current passes through the separator, which is made possible by an ion-conducting electrolyte.

[0003] If the discharge is reversible, it is possible to reverse the conversion of the chemical energy generated in the discharge into electrical energy, and therefore the cell can be filled. This cell is called a secondary cell. In secondary cells, the names of the anode (negative electrode) and cathode (positive electrode) refer to the discharge function of the electrochemical cell.

[0004] Commonly used secondary lithium-ion cells are based on the use of lithium, which can move between the electrodes of the cell in ionic form. One of the characteristics of lithium-ion cells is their high energy density.

[0005] The negative and positive electrodes of a lithium-ion cell are generally known as composite electrodes, and these include electrochemically active components (particularly components that can reversibly intercalate and deintercalate lithium ions) as well as electrochemically inert components (conductive materials, electrode binders, current collectors). In the manufacture of lithium-ion cells, composite electrodes are combined with one or more separators to form an assembly. In this assembly, the electrodes and separators are joined to each other, usually under pressure, and sometimes by lamination or adhesive bonding.

[0006] In many embodiments, the assembly has a planar design, and multiple assemblies can be stacked flat on top of each other. However, very frequently, the assembly is formed or machined as a wound type. Generally speaking, regardless of whether it is wound or not, the assembly contains a positive / separator / negative sequence. The assembly is often manufactured as known as a bicell, having a possible sequence of negative / separator / positive / separator / negative or positive / separator / negative / separator / positive.

[0007] When manufacturing composite electrodes, typically a flat layer of paste-like electrode material, which also contains an electrode binder and optionally a conductor, is applied to a suitable current collector and then dried. The electrode material is preferably applied to both sides of the current collector. During the manufacturing process, this is usually done by providing the current collector in the form of a substantially continuous strip, which is then passed through a coating device, where intermittent coating forms a distinct coating interrupted at intervals defined in the direction of travel of the current collector. The current collector strip emerging from the coating device correspondingly has alternating coated and uncoated sections in the direction of travel.

[0008] The current collector strip can then be separated by cutting the strip in the uncoated section. If necessary, the current collector strip can be cut into several more strips. In this way, it is possible to produce two or more individual electrodes from each coated section.

[0009] After the electrodes thus manufactured are processed to form an assembly, they are transferred into a housing. The basic function of the cell can then be established by impregnating the assembly with an electrolyte. The cell thus formed can then be tested for function and performance.

[0010] A particularly important aspect of cell quality is that the manufactured electrodes are free from defects. Using defective electrodes generally means that the cells composed of them must be identified and removed as defective. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] It is desirable to detect any defects and deviations from acceptable limits as early as possible in at least the most relevant components of the electrochemical cell, and ideally, to find and remove those defective or out-of-acceptable components as quickly as possible. This requires traceability of components in the manufacturing chain, and naturally, the ability to clearly identify them. Currently, individual components of an electrochemical cell can at best be assigned to batches. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To solve these problems, preferred embodiments of the methods described below, in particular the methods having the features of claim 1, and further systems and electrodes described below, in particular preferred embodiments thereof described in claims 6 and 8, are proposed. More preferred configurations of the methods, systems, and electrodes will become apparent from the dependent claims.

[0013] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an energy-storing electrochemical cell having an assembly formed from at least two electrodes and at least one separator. More preferably, the manufactured cell is A housing that surrounds the interior and is preferably composed of two or more housing parts, An assembly located inside and formed from at least two electrodes and at least one separator, Includes.

[0014] According to the present invention, in the manufacture of an electrochemical cell, a machine-readable code, particularly a barcode and / or 2D code, is attached to the assembly or at least one component of the assembly, or optionally at least one housing portion, or another component of the cell being manufactured, such as a seal, or introduced into a component of the assembly. This provides the following various advantages: The individual components of an electrochemical cell can, in some cases, be traceable down to the level of individual components of the assembly. Within the system used to manufacture electrochemical cells, individual markings allow us to always know, for example, where each electrode is located within the manufacturing process. In cell testing, it is possible to determine the possible correlation between manufacturing parameters and the functional or performance values ​​of the finished cell.

[0015] According to the present invention, machine-readable coding means both individual machine-readable codes, i.e., individual barcodes or individual 2D codes, and a plurality of machine-readable codes, i.e., a plurality of consecutive 2D codes.

[0016] During assembly, the electrodes are arranged in the order of positive electrode / separator / negative electrode.

[0017] The manufactured electrochemical cell is preferably a secondary lithium-ion cell having the aforementioned composite electrode composed of a current collector coated with an electrode material.

[0018] The active materials used for the anode and cathode of the cell may be basically any electrochemically active component known for secondary lithium-ion cells.

[0019] In the negative electrode, the active material used may be carbon-based particles, such as graphite-like carbon or non-graphite carbon materials capable of lithium intercalation, and these materials are preferably also in particle form. Furthermore, metals and semi-metal materials that can alloy with lithium can also be used. For example, the elements tin, aluminum, antimony, and silicon can form intermetallic phases with lithium. Some compounds of silicon, aluminum, tin, and / or antimony can also reversibly incorporate and release lithium. In some preferred embodiments, for example, silicon can be present in the negative electrode in the form of an oxide. Alternatively, or in addition to this, lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O 12 ) or its derivatives can also be present in the negative electrode, preferably also in particle form.

[0020] In the case of the positive electrode, candidate active materials include, for example, lithium metal oxide compounds and lithium metal phosphate compounds, such as LiCoO2 and LiFePO4. Furthermore, very suitable ones are, in particular, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) having the molecular formula LiNi x Mn y Co z O2 (where x + y + z is typically 1), lithium manganese spinel (LMO) having the molecular formula LiMn2O4, or lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) having the molecular formula LiNi x Co y Al z O2 (where x + y + z is typically 1). Similarly, their derivatives, such as the molecular formula Li 1.11 (Ni 0.40 Mn0.39 Co 0.16 Al 0.05 ) 0.89 Lithium nickel manganese cobalt aluminum oxide (NMCA) having O2 or Li 1+x M-O compounds and / or mixtures of the above materials can also be used.

[0021] The active material is preferably embedded in a matrix constituting the electrode binder, and adjacent particles in the matrix preferably contact each other directly. Conventional electrode binders are based on, for example, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylate or carboxymethyl cellulose.

[0022] A conductive material can be further added to the electrode. The conductive material serves to enhance the electrical conductivity of the electrode. Conventional conductive materials are carbon black and metal powders.

[0023] In the completed cell, the assembly preferably contains an electrolyte, preferably at least one lithium salt such as lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) based, and impregnated with an electrolyte present as a solution in an organic solvent (e.g., in a mixture of organic carbonates, or in a cyclic ether such as THF or nitrile). Another lithium salt that can be used is, for example, lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) and lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB).

[0024] The current collector functions as an electrical contact over the widest possible area between the electrochemically active components present in the electrode material. The current collector is preferably made of metal, or at least its surface is metallized. Suitable metals for the anode current collector include, for example, copper or nickel or another electrically conductive material, particularly copper alloys and nickel alloys, or nickel-plated metals. In principle, stainless steel is also a candidate. Suitable electrodes for the cathode current collector include, for example, aluminum or other electrically conductive materials, particularly aluminum alloys.

[0025] Preferably, the anode current collector and / or cathode current collector are metal foils having a thickness in the range of, for example, 4 μm to 30 μm.

[0026] However, similar to foil, the current collector used may be a metal or metallized nonwoven fabric, or another material such as open-pore foam or expanded metal.

[0027] The separator used may be, for example, an electrically insulating plastic film. It preferably contains micropores to allow the electrolyte to permeate. The film can be formed from, for example, polyolefin or polyetherketone. The possibility of using nonwoven and woven fabrics made of such plastic materials or similar plastic materials as separators is also not ruled out. The electrochemical cells manufactured, particularly the lithium-ion cells, may be button cells. Button cells have a cylindrical design and a height smaller than their diameter. The height of the manufactured button cells is preferably in the range of 4 mm to 15 mm. Furthermore, it is preferable that button cells having a diameter in the range of 5 mm to 25 mm are manufactured. Button cells are suitable for supplying electrical energy to small electronic devices such as watches, hearing aids, and wireless headphones.

[0028] The nominal capacity of lithium-ion cells manufactured by the above method and taking the form of button cells is generally up to 1500mAh. The nominal capacity is preferably in the range of 100mAh to 1000mAh, and more preferably in the range of 100 to 800mAh.

[0029] Electrochemical cells can be manufactured, and the lithium-ion cells manufactured are more preferably cylindrical or round cells. Cylindrical or round cells have a height greater than their diameter. These are particularly suitable for applications in the automotive sector, e-bikes, or other applications with high energy demands.

[0030] The height of the manufactured cylindrical round cell is preferably in the range of 15 mm to 150 mm. The diameter of the cylindrical round cell is preferably in the range of 10 mm to 60 mm. Within these ranges, for example, shape factors of 18 × 65 (diameter × height in mm) or 21 × 70 (diameter × height in mm) are particularly preferred. Cylindrical round cells having these shape factors are particularly suitable for supplying power to the electric drive of automobiles.

[0031] The nominal capacity of the lithium-ion-based cylindrical round cell manufactured by the above method is preferably a maximum of 90,000 mAh. When the shape factor is 21 × 70, the cell realized as a lithium-ion cell preferably has a nominal capacity in the range of 1,500 mAh to 7,000 mAh, more preferably in the range of 3,000 to 5,500 mAh. When the shape factor is 18 × 65, the cell realized as a lithium-ion cell preferably has a nominal capacity in the range of 1,000 mAh to 5,000 mAh, more preferably in the range of 2,000 to 4,000 mAh.

[0032] In the European Union, manufacturers' specifications related to data on the nominal capacity of secondary batteries are strictly regulated. For example, data on the nominal capacity of secondary nickel-cadmium batteries must be based on measurements in accordance with standards IEC / EN 61951-1 and IEC / EN 60622, data on the nominal capacity of secondary nickel-metal hydride batteries must be based on measurements in accordance with standard IEC / EN 61951-2, data on the nominal capacity of secondary lithium batteries must be based on measurements in accordance with standard IEC / EN 61960, and data on the nominal capacity of secondary lead-acid batteries must be based on measurements in accordance with standard IEC / EN 61056-1. All data on nominal capacity in this specification preferably also conform to these standards.

[0033] In all embodiments in which the manufactured cell is a button cell or a cylindrical round cell, the assembly placed inside is preferably of a cylindrical design, and in particular in the form of a cylindrical coil including a helically wound electrode layer and separator layer. Correspondingly, this preferably has two substantially circular end faces and a circumferential side.

[0034] The separators and current collectors required to manufacture such assemblies are preferably of a strip type design and preferably have the following dimensions: Lengths within the range of 0.3m to 25m Width within the range of 30mm to 145mm It has.

[0035] In the case of a cylindrical round cell having a shape factor of 18 × 65, the current collector is, for example, preferably, A width of 56mm to 62mm, preferably 60mm, and Length of 1.5m or less It has.

[0036] In the case of a cylindrical round cell having a shape factor of 21 × 70, the current collector is, for example, preferably, A width of 56mm to 68mm, preferably 65mm, and Length of 2.5m or less It has.

[0037] The housings for button cells and round cells are preferably substantially cylindrical in design. In one preferred embodiment, the housing has, for example, a cup-shaped first housing portion having a bottom, surrounding side walls and an opening, and a second housing portion that closes the opening. In a number of further preferred embodiments, the housing portions are electrically insulated from each other by plastic seals.

[0038] As part of the method of the present invention, the assemblies manufactured can, in principle, also be arranged in a prismatic housing, particularly in the stacked configuration described above. In these embodiments, the housing is not surrounded by an electrochemical cell. Instead, it preferably surrounds multiple assemblies.

[0039] When the housing is designed as a rectangular prism, the housing generally includes multiple rectangular side walls and polygons, particularly a rectangular upper portion and a polygon, particularly a rectangular bottom portion. This is preferably composed of first and second housing portions, the first housing portion preferably including the side walls and the polygonal bottom portion, while the second housing portion preferably corresponds to the polygonal upper portion.

[0040] In the method of the present invention, preferably, at least one of the features a. to e. immediately below is important: a. The assembly has a cylindrical design and includes substantially circular end faces at two ends and surrounding sides. b. A machine-readable code is attached to the side. c. The outer surface of the side is formed at least partially, preferably completely, by a separator winding and / or adhesive sheet. d. Machine-readable coding includes or is a barcode. The e.code bar is a circular bar that surrounds the side. Particularly preferably, features a., b., d., and e. described above are realized in combination. The surrounding and mounted coding allows for automatic readability from all sides during assembly machining. The barcodes usable under this invention may, in particular, be codes written in one of the following international standards: ISO / IEC 15420 (Commercial barcodes for EAN, UPC, IAN, and JAN) ISO / IEC 16390 (2 / 5 Family Codes) ISO / IEC 16388 (39 codes) ISO / IEC 15417 (128 code) In some embodiments, it is preferable to attach a code other than a barcode, such as a 2D code, to another component of the assembly or manufactured cell. Examples of candidate 2D codes include codes written in one of the following international standards: ISO / IEC 18004 (QR code) ISO / IEC 16022 (Data Matrix Code) ISO / IEC JTC1 SC31(Han Xin code) ISO / IEC 15417 In one embodiment, the machine-readable code may be a composite code, i.e., a code composed of a linear barcode and a 2D code.

[0041] In further embodiments, the code may be an alphanumeric code, in other words, a code consisting of numbers, a code consisting of letters, or a mixed code, thus including numbers and letters, and optionally special characters (e.g., punctuation marks such as periods and commas, plus and minus signs, parentheses, or characters with diacritics). The code may, of course, include characters of non-European languages, such as Chinese characters, Japanese characters, Korean characters, or Cyrillic characters.

[0042] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the machine-readable coding may include a combination of a barcode or 2D code or composite code and one or more alphanumeric characters or sequences of alphanumeric characters. Further components of the manufactured cell, which are more preferably provided with a machine-readable coding in the present invention, are the aforementioned seals which can be placed between housing portions, and optionally between housing portions.

[0043] In many cases, it is preferable to attach the machine-readable coding directly to the assembly, or at least one component of the assembly, or at least one of the housing parts, or one of the aforementioned other components of the manufactured cell. However, it may also be preferable to attach the coding to at least one label, and then attach that to the assembly, at least one of its components, or another component of the cell, particularly by adhesive bonding.

[0044] In a particularly preferred modification of the method of the present invention, at least one of the electrodes of the assembly is provided with a machine-readable coding. In particular, both the positive and negative electrodes are provided with machine-readable coding.

[0045] Therefore, in one particularly preferred first variant for manufacturing electrodes for an electrochemical cell, a. At least one layer of electrode material is applied to a strip-type current collector that passes through a coating device. b. The above layers are attached intermittently, so that the current collector after passing through the coating device can be subdivided longitudinally between them into sections covered with electrode material and uncovered sections. c. The strip-type current collector coated with electrode material is passed through at least one cutting device, in which, In the longitudinal direction, covered areas and uncovered areas, and In the horizontal direction, uncovered area The continuous section covered with electrode material is cut, thereby separating the continuous section covered with electrode material from one another, and each covered section is separated into at least two subsections in the longitudinal direction, where d. Each covered section is assigned a machine-readable code that identifies the section. e. The coding is attached to or introduced into the strip current collector and / or electrode material coated thereon, such that after passing through at least one cutting device, the coding is retrieveable over each of the subsections and those subsections can be assigned to coded sections.

[0046] The separated compartments correspond to the electrodes of the cells being manufactured and, in some cases, can be directly subjected to further processing.

[0047] In this particularly preferred first variant of the method described above, after the cutting operation in each step of the method of the present invention, the electrodes can be assigned to the current collector strip, the compartments on the current collector strip, and optionally the tracks within the compartments.

[0048] Particularly preferable, layers of the respective electrode materials are coated on both sides of the strip-type current collector.

[0049] In one particularly preferred variant of the first modification, the method of the present invention is important in that at least one of the features a. and b. immediately below is important: a. Machine-readable coding includes or is a barcode. b. The coding, particularly the barcode, includes or consists of lines and is mounted perpendicular or oblique to the main longitudinal direction of the strip current collector, the strip current collector, and / or the electrode material coated thereon.

[0050] Particularly preferably, features a. and b. immediately above are realized in combination with each other.

[0051] In particularly preferred variants, the use of barcodes offers specific advantages. Thus, the barcode lines can be divided along the main longitudinal direction of the strip-type current collector by corresponding longitudinal cuts without loss of information. Therefore, after passing through at least one cutting device, a single barcode can identify all sub-sections of the covered area.

[0052] Attaching barcode wires along the main length of the strip-type current collector becomes even easier. However, the advantages described outweigh the problems that arise with attaching wires oriented vertically or diagonally.

[0053] If the barcode lines are oriented diagonally, these lines surround the longitudinal end of the strip-type current collector at an angle of preferably 89.9° to 1°, more preferably 89.9° to 25°, and especially 89.9° to 45°.

[0054] The electrode material layer is typically attached to the current collector in the form of a rectangular or strip-shaped area. Therefore, the covering area preferably has a rectangular or strip-shaped form. In a particularly preferred variant, the barcode lines preferably have a length corresponding to or exceeding the width of the covering area.

[0055] In one of the further developmental forms of the particularly preferred first variant, the method of the present invention is important in that at least one of the features a. to c. immediately below is important: a. The coding includes a plurality of individual cords attached laterally and offset from each other to a strip-type current collector and / or electrode material coated thereon. b. The number of individual codes per covered section corresponds to the number of subsections into which the section is separated. c. Coding is a code from a group of barcodes and 2D codes.

[0056] Particularly preferable, features a. to c. described above are realized in combination with each other.

[0057] In this advanced form, the individual codes are preferably arranged such that their readability is not adversely affected after passing through at least one cutting device, and each sub-section is identified by one of the individual codes. Identifying each sub-section by individual codes has the advantage that, if the amount of information in the codes is appropriate, it is theoretically possible to distinguish between individual sub-sections of a section.

[0058] In this advanced form, it is preferable that the bars of the barcode are oriented longitudinally, rather than perpendicularly or obliquely, to the main length direction of the strip-type current collector.

[0059] A particularly preferred first variant of the above method is preferably further characterized by the following additional feature a.: a. The coding assigned to a covered section is attached to the current collector in at least one uncovered section directly adjacent to that section.

[0060] It is preferable to attach the coating after the electrode material has been attached to the current collector. However, it is entirely possible to attach the coating to the current collector even before passing it through the coating device. This can actually be particularly advantageous in some cases, and in this embodiment, the coating can also function as a marking of the area to be coated, and thus can facilitate the control of intermittent coating of the current collector. The coating device in this embodiment may be associated with a device for identifying the attached code.

[0061] Particularly preferable is that the coating is positioned on the current collector, especially within the uncoated area, in such a manner that the coating is not damaged when the uncoated area is cut laterally.

[0062] In one simple case, the coding of the partitions includes a number, which allows for clear identification of the partitions. Particularly preferred are multiple partitions that are numbered sequentially.

[0063] When the coating is introduced into a strip-type current collector, the coating is preferably a series of two or more holes in the current collector. Such holes can be cut into the current collector using a laser, or introduced into the current collector mechanically, for example, by punching.

[0064] For example, a binary code can be introduced into a current collector using the shapes of two holes that differ in shape and / or size. In this case, one hole represents 0 and the other represents 1.

[0065] In one particularly preferred second variant for manufacturing electrodes for an energy electrochemical cell, the method of the present invention for manufacturing an energy-storing electrochemical cell is characterized by the following features: a. An electrode material, for example, at least one layer of the aforementioned electrode material, is applied to a strip-type current collector that passes through a coating device, where, b. At least one layer is applied such that the current collector after passing through the coating device includes at least one strip-shaped section oriented longitudinally and covered with electrode material, and at least one uncoated strip-shaped section oriented longitudinally. c. Each uncovered strip-type compartment or at least one uncovered strip-type compartment is assigned a machine-readable coding that identifies the respective compartment. d. The coating is introduced in the form of through holes in an uncoated strip section, or in at least one uncoated strip section, as described above, or the coating is preferably attached to at least one uncoated strip section, as described above.

[0066] In a preferred embodiment, at least one layer of coating is applied such that, after passing through a coating device, the current collector has an uncoated strip-type section located at its longitudinally oriented end. In this case, the coating is introduced into or attached to this uncoated section.

[0067] In another preferred embodiment, after passing through a coating device, the current collector is coated with at least one layer such that it has a longitudinally oriented uncoated strip section between two longitudinally oriented coated strip sections. In this case, the coating is introduced into or attached to the uncoated section.

[0068] In one particularly preferred second variant, the method of the present invention is important to feature e. below: e. The strip-type current collector coated with electrode material is passed through at least one cutting device, where, A strip-type compartment covered with electrode material or at least one strip-type compartment covered with electrode material, and / or At least one uncoated strip-type section is positioned between two strip-type sections coated with electrode material, It is cut along its length.

[0069] For example, if, after passing through a coating device, the current collector has a longitudinally oriented uncoated strip section between two longitudinally oriented coated strip sections, the coating is preferably introduced into or attached to this uncoated section, which is then cut. In this case, the coating can be attached so that each of the subsections obtained by the cut is searchable after passing through at least one cutting device.

[0070] More preferably, in a particularly preferred first or second variant of the above method, at least one of the further features described in either of the following clauses a. and b. is important: a. The coding may include, in addition to the identification of the partition, the results of at least one inspection performed on the partition. b. The coding may include information about the length and / or width of a section, in addition to the identification of the section.

[0071] In the case of inspection, the inspection may include, for example, an inspection of the thickness of the electrode coating.

[0072] In electrodes manufactured by a particularly preferred modified form of the method of the present invention, the following feature a. is important: a. Includes a machine-readable code containing information that enables the assignment of electrodes to sections covered with electrode material of a strip-type current collector on which electrodes are manufactured.

[0073] With regard to preferred embodiments of electrodes, their individual components, cords, and their positioning, the aforementioned observations are mentioned to avoid repetition. However, regardless of them, it should be emphasized again that in particularly preferred electrodes, the positional alignment of at least one of the features a. and b. immediately below, and especially of features a. and b. immediately below, is important: a. The electrodes are designed in a strip type. b. The coding, in particular the barcode, includes or consists of lines oriented perpendicular or oblique to the main longitudinal direction of the electrode. c. The coding is a sequence of the two or more holes mentioned above in the current collector.

[0074] In systems suitable for carrying out the method of the present invention, and in particular systems suitable for a particularly preferred first variant of the method of the present invention, the following combination of features is especially important: a. The coating device includes a coating device in which a layer of electrode material is intermittently applied to a strip-type current collector that passes through the coating device. b. Includes at least one cutting device designed to cut a strip-type current collector coated with electrode material in the longitudinal and / or transverse directions. c. Apparatus for attaching a machine-readable coating to a strip-type current collector and / or an electrode material coated thereon, the apparatus includes, Lines perpendicular or oblique to the main length direction of the strip-type current collector and / or Multiple individual codes that are offset from each other horizontally, It is designed to be attached to a strip-type current collector and / or an electrode material coated thereon.

[0075] The coating device may include, for example, a nozzle as described in European Patent No. 2 775 771 B1. The cutting device may include mechanical means for dividing the current collector, such as a knife and / or a laser. The device for applying the machine-readable coding may be, for example, a printer.

[0076] In particular, in a second particularly preferred variation of the above method, where the coding is introduced into a strip current collector, the system of the present invention preferably includes a device for introducing the coding into the strip current collector instead of a device for attaching a machine-readable coding. The device for introducing the coding may be, for example, a punching system or a laser.

[0077] Furthermore, the coding can be attached in the form of a label, and in particular, it can be adhesive. Therefore, the device for attaching machine-readable coding may be a labeling device.

[0078] In one preferred embodiment, the label may be an RFID tag including a machine-readable coding, which in this case can be read by a radio receiver.

[0079] Further features of the present invention and the advantages obtained therefrom will be apparent from the drawings and the following description of the drawings. The embodiments described below are for illustrative purposes and to better understand the present invention and should not be understood as limiting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0080] [Figure 1] This document shows one embodiment of a current collector provided with a barcode and covered with a layer of electrode material, according to a particularly preferred modification of the method of the present invention. [Figure 2] This shows a further embodiment of a current collector provided with a barcode and covered with a layer of electrode material, according to a particularly preferred modification of the method of the present invention. [Figure 3] This document shows one embodiment of a current collector provided with a plurality of individual cords and covered with a layer of electrode material, according to a particularly preferred modification of the method of the present invention. [Figure 4] This presents a further embodiment of a current collector provided with a plurality of individual cords and covered with a layer of electrode material, according to a particularly preferred modification of the method of the present invention. [Figure 5] This shows one embodiment of a cylindrical assembly with a machine-readable code attached to its side. [Figure 6] Further embodiment of a cylindrical assembly with a machine-readable code attached to its side is shown. [Figure 7] This shows a current collector having an uncoated, strip-type coded section located at the longitudinally oriented end. [Figure 8] This shows a current collector having an uncoated, strip-type coded section located at the longitudinally oriented end. [Figure 9] This shows a current collector having a longitudinally oriented coded uncovered strip section between two longitudinally oriented covered strip sections. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0081] The current collector 100 shown in Figure 1 includes, in alternating order, sections 101 and 103 covered with electrode material, and an uncovered section 102. The current collector 100 is a strip-type metal foil. The electrode material is attached to the current collector 100 in the form of a thin layer. The uncovered section 102 separates the two covered sections 101 and 103. Within the uncovered section 102, a barcode 104 is attached directly to the current collector 100. The barcode 104 consists of lines oriented perpendicular to the main longitudinal direction H of the current collector 101. The barcode 104 is assigned to and identified by section 103. It has a number assigned to section 103.

[0082] In the case of two longitudinal cuts along lines 105 and 106 that pass through the current collector 100 and are aligned parallel to the main longitudinal direction H, the covered sections 101 and 103 are subdivided into three subsections. Each subsection obtained from section 103 is identified by a barcode 104, which is similarly cut during the longitudinal cut, even after the longitudinal cut.

[0083] Sections 101 and 103 are separated from each other by a cross-section along line 107 in the area of ​​section 102 where barcode 104 is not provided.

[0084] The current collector 100 shown in Figure 2 includes, in an alternating order, sections 101 and 103 covered with electrode material, and an uncovered section 102. The current collector 100 is a strip-type metal foil. The electrode material is attached to the current collector 100 in the form of a thin layer. The two covered sections 101 and 103 are separated by the uncovered section 102. In the uncovered section 101, a barcode 104 is attached directly to the electrode material. The barcode 104 consists of lines oriented perpendicular to the main longitudinal direction H of the current collector 101. The barcode 104 is assigned to and identified by section 101. It has a number assigned to section 101.

[0085] In the case of two longitudinal cuts along lines 105 and 106 that pass through the current collector 100 and are aligned parallel to the main longitudinal direction H, the covered sections 101 and 103 are subdivided into three separate subsections. Each subsection obtained from section 101 is identified by a barcode 104, which is similarly cut during the longitudinal cut, even after the longitudinal cut.

[0086] The resulting compartments are indistinguishable from each other based solely on barcodes. Therefore, in addition to barcodes, numbers or letters can be attached to the current collector to distinguish the compartments. As illustrated, the compartments obtained by longitudinal cutting are each numbered in Figure 2, with reference symbol 111 being referenced. Here, the number before the hyphen could, for example, be a single compartment 101. This type of auxiliary identification is, of course, also conceivable in the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

[0087] Sections 101 and 103 are separated from each other by a cross-section along line 107 of section 102.

[0088] The current collector 100 shown in Figure 3 includes, in an alternating order, sections 101 and 103 covered with electrode material, and an uncovered section 102. The current collector 100 is a strip-type metal foil. The electrode material is attached to the current collector 100 in the form of a thin layer. The uncovered section 102 separates the two covered sections 101 and 103. Within the uncovered section 102, several individual codes 104 are attached directly to the current collector 100. Each individual code 104 is a QR code in each case. These are assigned to and identified by section 101. Each individual code 104 has a number assigned to this section 101. Furthermore, each individual code 104 has a further individual number, thereby distinguishing it from all other individual codes 104 assigned to section 101.

[0089] In the case of four longitudinal cuts along lines 105, 106, 108, and 109 that pass through the current collector 100 and are aligned parallel to the main longitudinal direction H, the covered sections 101 and 103 are subdivided into five separate subsections. Each subsection obtained from section 101 can be identified by one of the individual codes 104, even after the longitudinal cuts, and can be distinguished from other subsections by further individual numbers. Sections 101 and 103 are separated from each other by a cross-section along line 107 of section 102.

[0090] The current collector 100 shown in Figure 4 includes, in an alternating order, sections 101 and 103 covered with electrode material, and an uncovered section 102. The current collector 100 is a strip-type metal foil. The electrode material is attached to the current collector 100 in the form of a thin layer. The uncovered section 102 separates the two covered sections 101 and 103. Within the covered section 101, several individual codes 104 are attached directly to the electrode material. Each individual code 104 is a QR code in each case. These are assigned to and identified by section 101. Each individual code 104 has a number assigned to this section 101. Furthermore, each individual code 104 has a further individual number, thereby distinguishing it from all other individual codes 104 assigned to section 101.

[0091] In the case of three longitudinal cuts along lines 105, 106, and 108 that pass through the current collector 100 and are aligned parallel to the main longitudinal direction, the covered sections 101 and 103 are subdivided into four separate subsections. Each subsection obtained from section 101 can be identified by one of the individual codes 104, even after the longitudinal cuts, and can be distinguished from other subsections by further individual numbers.

[0092] Sections 101 and 103 are separated from each other by a cross-section along line 107 of section 102.

[0093] The cylindrical assembly 110, shown in Figure 5 and formed by helically wound electrodes and separators, is identified by a QR code 104. The QR code 104 is attached to the outside of the side of the assembly 110.

[0094] The outer side of the side can be formed by one outer turn of the separator of assembly 110, or by an adhesive sheet. The QR code 104 (or another machine-readable code) can be attached directly to the outside, in other words, it can be attached, for example, by a printing process, particularly on this turn of the separator or on the adhesive sheet. Alternatively, the QR code 104 (or another machine-readable code) can be placed on a label that is adhered to the outside.

[0095] A QR code 104 (or another machine-readable code) can also be attached to an adhesive strip that is bonded to the outside of the side of the assembly 110 to secure the outer turn of the assembly 110, for example, the turn of the separator strip. Alternatively, in other words, an adhesive label with a QR code attached on top can be used to secure the coil.

[0096] The cylindrical assembly 110 shown in Figure 6 is identified by a barcode 104. The barcode 104 is attached to the side of the assembly 110. The bars of this code are circular bars formed around the side.

[0097] The current collector 100 shown in Figure 7 has a strip-type section 101 oriented longitudinally and covered with electrode material, and an uncovered strip-type section 102 located at the longitudinally oriented end. A coding 104 in the form of elongated lines is attached to the uncovered section 102. These lines can represent, for example, binary codes, with short lines representing 0 and long lines representing 1 (or vice versa). Alternatively, instead of lines, the coding can include elongated slot-shaped holes formed, for example, by a knife or laser. This may be advantageous in subsequent processing. In principle, the electrode material needs to be calendered in section 101. During this process, the thickness of the current collector can be changed in this region, while the thickness of the current collector in the uncovered region 102 remains unchanged. This can generate stress in the current collector, resulting in deformation of the electrode after calendering. Currently, it has been confirmed that introducing through holes in the uncovered region 102 in relation to the coding can sometimes provide a stress reduction effect. Therefore, coating the uncoated edge regions serves multiple functions. It carries available information and reduces stresses caused by calendering. The stress reduction effect can be enhanced by introducing slot-shaped holes in the lateral or diagonal direction (not the longitudinal direction as illustrated).

[0098] The current collector 100 shown in Figure 8 has a strip-type section 101 oriented longitudinally and covered with electrode material, and an uncovered strip-type section 102 oriented longitudinally and located at the end. Coding 104 in the form of round holes and elongated holes is introduced in the uncovered section 102. These holes can represent, for example, binary codes, with round holes representing 0 and elongated holes representing 1 (or vice versa). These holes may also have a stress reduction effect, similar to the slot-shaped holes in Figure 7.

[0099] The current collector 100 shown in Figure 9 has a longitudinally oriented uncovered strip-type section 102 between two longitudinally oriented covered strip-type sections 101 and 103. In this case as well, there is coding 104 introduced in this uncovered section 101. The coding 104 includes two crescent-shaped indentations of different sizes, which are cut or punched into the section 102. These crescent-shaped indentations can represent, for example, a binary code, with the smaller indentation representing 0 and the larger indentation representing 1 (or vice versa). Two strip-type electrodes can be obtained by cutting the current collector along a line S in a cutting device. In this case, the crescent-shaped indentations are separated symmetrically so that their information is still retrievalable even after cutting.

Claims

1. Energy storage is possible, The housing that surrounds the interior, The assembly, which is disposed inside the above-mentioned interior, is formed from at least two electrodes and at least one separator. Includes, Regarding the manufacture of the aforementioned electrode, a. At least one layer of electrode material is applied to a strip-type current collector that passes through a coating device. b. The layers are attached intermittently so that the current collector, after passing through the coating device, can be subdivided longitudinally between them into sections covered with electrode material and uncovered sections. c. The strip-type current collector, coated with electrode material, is passed through at least one cutting device. In the longitudinal direction, the covered area and the uncovered area, and In the lateral direction, the uncovered area A method for manufacturing an electrochemical cell, wherein a section is cut, thereby separating the continuous sections covered with electrode material from one another, and each of the covered sections is separated into at least two subsections in the longitudinal direction, d. Each of the aforementioned covered sections is assigned a machine-readable coding that identifies the respective section, e. The coding is attached to the strip current collector and / or the electrode material coated thereon, or introduced into the strip current collector, such that after passing through the at least one cutting device, the coding is searchable over each of the sub-sections and the sub-sections can be assigned to coded sections. A method characterized by the following.

2. Further features include: a. The machine-readable coding includes or is a barcode. b. The coding, in particular the barcode, includes or consists of lines attached to the strip current collector and / or the electrode material coated thereon, perpendicular or oblique to the main longitudinal direction of the strip current collector. The method according to claim 1, comprising at least one of the following.

3. Further features include: a. The coating includes a plurality of individual cords attached to the strip-type current collector and / or the electrode material coated thereon, offset laterally from one another. b. The number of individual codes per covered section corresponds to the number of sub-sections from which the section is separated. c. The coding is a code from a group of barcodes and 2D codes. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

4. Further features include: a. The coding assigned to the coated section is attached to the current collector in at least one of the uncoated sections directly adjacent to that section. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

5. Further features include: a. The coding may include, in addition to the identification of the compartment, the result of at least one inspection performed on the compartment. b. The coding may include, in addition to the identification of the section and / or the results of the at least one inspection, information relating to the length and / or width of the section. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising:

6. The following features: a. The electrode includes a machine-readable code containing information that enables the assignment of the electrode to a section covered with the electrode material of the manufactured strip-type current collector. An electrode having the characteristics of an electrode manufactured by the method described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Further features include: a. The electrode is of a strip type design. b. The coding, in particular the barcode, includes or consists of lines oriented perpendicular or oblique to the main longitudinal direction of the electrode. The electrode according to claim 6, having at least one of the following.

8. A system for manufacturing an electrochemical cell capable of energy storage, with the following features: a. The coating device includes a coating device in which a layer of electrode material is intermittently applied to a strip-type current collector that passes through the coating device. b. Includes at least one cutting device designed to cut the strip-type current collector, which is coated with electrode material, in the longitudinal and / or transverse directions. c. Apparatus for attaching a machine-readable coating to the strip-type current collector and / or the electrode material coated thereon, wherein the apparatus Lines perpendicular or oblique to the main longitudinal direction of the strip-type current collector, and / or Multiple individual codes that are offset from each other horizontally, Designed to be attached to the strip-type current collector and / or the electrode material coated thereon. A system that has

Images