Laminate delamination system and laminate delamination method

Abstract

The outermost thin film 40 can be easily peeled off from the other thin films 41. [Solution] The laminate peeling system 100 peels off a laminate 4 in which two or more thin films 40 are laminated and the surfaces of the thin films 40 are adhering to each other by a liquid adhering between the thin films 40. The peeling system 100 includes a gap forming device 1 that forms a gap between the outermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41, and a fluid injection device 2 that injects fluid toward the gap in a direction parallel to the surface 40A of the thin film 40. The gap forming device 1 has a holding part 10 that holds one or more corners of the surface of the outermost thin film 40, a heating part 13 that heats one or more corners of the surface 40A of the outermost thin film 40 that are held by the holding part 10, and a biasing part 11 that biases the holding part 10 that holds the outermost thin film 40 in a direction perpendicular to the surface 40A of the thin film 40 and away from the laminate 4.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a laminate peeling system and a laminate peeling method.

Background Art

[0002] A method of peeling a sheet-like material from a laminate in which the sheet-like material is adhered to the surface of a plate-like body is known. By holding and pulling up the vicinity of the edge of the sheet-like material by holding means, a peeling is caused between the layers of the laminate in the vicinity of the edge to form a gap so as to be exposed on the end face.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above method, when a liquid adheres between the plate-like body and the sheet-like material, it is not easy to peel the sheet-like material adsorbed on the surface of the plate-like body due to the surface tension of the liquid.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a laminate peeling system and a laminate peeling method capable of easily peeling the outermost thin film from other thin films in a laminate in which the surfaces of the thin films are adsorbed to each other by a liquid adhering between the thin films.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A laminate delamination system according to one aspect of the present invention is a delamination system for delaminating a laminate in which two or more thin films are laminated and the surfaces of the thin films are adhering to each other by a liquid adhering between the thin films. The delamination system comprises a gap-forming device that forms a gap between the outermost thin film included in the laminate and a second thin film adjacent to the outermost thin film, and a fluid injection device that injects a fluid into the gap in a direction parallel to the surface. The gap-forming device has a holding part that holds one or more corners of the surface of the outermost thin film, a heating part that heats one or more corners of the surface of the outermost thin film that are held by the holding part, and a biasing part that biases the holding part that holds the outermost thin film in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the thin film and away from the laminate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, in a laminate in which the surfaces of thin films are adsorbed together by a liquid adhering between the thin films, it is possible to provide a laminate peeling system and a laminate peeling method that can easily peel the outermost thin film from other thin films. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a peeling system according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a perspective view showing an example of a laminate, suction head, fluid injection head, and camera placed on a table. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a perspective view showing another example of a laminate, suction head, fluid injection head, and camera placed on a table. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A is a perspective view showing the specific configuration of the suction head. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view of the suction head along the cutting line IIIB-IIIB in Figure 3A. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the steps of the laminate delamination method (Part 1). [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the steps of the laminate delamination method (part 2). [Figure 4C] Figure 4C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the steps of the laminate delamination method (part 3). [Figure 4D] Figure 4D is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the steps of the laminate delamination method (part 4). [Figure 4E] Figure 4E is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the steps of the laminate delamination method (part 5). [Figure 4F] Figure 4F is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the steps of the laminate delamination method (part 6). [Figure 4G] Figure 4G is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the steps of the laminate delamination method (part 7). [Figure 4H] Figure 4H is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the steps of the laminate delamination method (part 8). [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a flowchart showing an example of a method for delaminating a laminate. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B shows an example of a method for delaminating a laminate, and is another part of the flowchart. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0010] (Laminate delamination system) Referring to Figure 1, the laminate peeling system 100 according to the embodiment is a peeling system that peels off a laminate 4 in which two or more thin films 40 are laminated and the surfaces of the thin films 40 are adhering to each other by a liquid adhering between the thin films 40.

[0011] As will be described later, the laminate 4 includes, for example, a laminate cell in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator that separates the positive electrode and the negative electrode included in a vehicle drive battery such as a lithium-ion battery are laminated. In this case, each of the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator corresponds to a thin film. An electrolytic solution, which is an example of a liquid, adheres between the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator. Due to the surface tension of the liquid, the surfaces of the above-described thin films are adsorbed to each other. The peeling system 100 of the laminate peels the outermost thin film from the other thin films by removing the liquid that has adsorbed the surfaces of the thin films. Examples of the electrolytic solution include dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), and the like.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, the peeling system 100 includes a gap forming device 1. The gap forming device 1 forms a gap between the outermost thin film 40 included in the laminate 4 and the second layer thin film adjacent to the outermost thin film 40. The gap forming device 1 has a holding portion 10, a heating portion 13, and a biasing portion 11. The outermost thin film 40 is the thin film located on the outermost side among two or more thin films constituting the laminate, and includes the uppermost and lowermost thin films. In the present embodiment, the description will continue taking the uppermost thin film as an example. The second layer thin film is a thin film that contacts the uppermost thin film 40 through a liquid, and indicates the thin film located at the second layer counted from the uppermost thin film 40.

[0013] Referring further to FIG. 2A, the laminate 4 is placed on the flat surface of the table 5. In the present embodiment, suction holes for sucking air are formed in the surface of the table 5. By sucking the lower surface of the laminate 4 from the suction holes, the lower surface of the laminate 4 can be adsorbed to the surface of the table 5 to fix the laminate 4 to the table 5. The surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40 appears on the upper surface of the laminate 4. When the laminate 4 is a laminate cell, except for the electrode tabs in the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the shape of each surface of the thin film 40 has substantially the same shape, for example, a rectangular shape.

[0014] Hereafter, in the embodiments, an XYZ coordinate system, which is an example of a rectangular coordinate system, is used. A plane parallel to the flat surface of the table 5 and the surface of the thin film 40 is defined as the XY plane. A direction perpendicular to the flat surface of the table 5 and the surface 40A of the outermost thin film 40, that is, the stacking direction of two or more thin films 40 is defined as the Z direction. In the Z direction, the direction and surface on the side of the outermost thin film 40 are referred to as upward and upper surface, respectively, and the direction and surface on the side of the table 5 are referred to as downward and lower surface. On the surface of the thin film 40, directions parallel to a pair of orthogonal sides are defined as the X direction and the Y direction.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the holding unit 10 includes one or more suction heads 14, 14a to 14d that can contact the upper surface 40A (an example of the surface of the thin film 40) of the outermost thin film 40. The suction heads 14, 14a to 14d can contact one or more corners of the upper surface 40A of the outermost thin film 40. FIG. 2A shows a state where one suction head 14 contacts one corner. FIG. 2B shows a state where, as an example of two or more suction heads, four suction heads 14a to 14d contact four corners. Although the detailed structure will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, suction holes are formed on the lower surfaces of the suction heads 14, 14a to 14d. The holding unit 10 includes an air pump (not shown) that sucks air from the suction holes of the suction head 14. By bringing the suction holes of the suction heads 14, 14a to 14d into contact with the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40 and sucking, the suction heads 14, 14a to 14d are adsorbed to the upper surface 40A. Thereby, the holding unit 10 can hold one or more corners of the upper surface 40A of the outermost thin film 40. Since all of the suction heads 14, 14a to 14d have the same structure and the same function, hereafter, the suction head 14 will be taken as an example and the description will continue.

[0016] The heating unit 13 includes a sheath heater 15, which is an example of a heater. The heating unit 13 uses the sheath heater 15 to heat one or more corners of the upper surface 40A of the outermost thin film 40 that are held by the holding unit 10. The sheath heater 15 is incorporated into the adsorption head 14. The thermal energy generated by the sheath heater 15 is transferred to the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40 via the adsorption head 14, which is in contact with the surface 40A. The heat transfer structure of the sheath heater 15, along with the detailed structure of the adsorption head 14, will be described later with reference to Figures 3A and 3B.

[0017] The heating unit 13 may also include a temperature control unit 16. The temperature control unit 16 adjusts the temperature of the sheath heater 15 so that its temperature is below the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature among the materials constituting the laminate 4. For example, the temperature control unit 16 has a temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the temperature of the sheath heater 15. The temperature control unit 16 controls the output of the sheath heater 15 so that the measured temperature is below the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature. Instead of the temperature control unit 16, the controller 6, which will be described later, may also control the output of the sheath heater 15.

[0018] Referring to Figure 2A, the biasing unit 11 biases the holding unit 10, which holds the outermost thin film 40, in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the thin film and away from the laminate 4 (the positive direction of the Z axis). As a result, the biasing unit 11 can bias one or more corners of the upper surface 40A of the outermost thin film 40 that are held by the holding unit 10 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0019] Referring to Figure 1, the gap-forming device 1 may further include a biasing force measuring unit 12. The biasing force measuring unit 12 measures the biasing force applied by the biasing unit 11. The biasing force differs when a gap is formed and when a gap is not formed. The biasing force when a gap is formed is smaller than the biasing force when a gap is not formed. Therefore, when the biasing force measured by the biasing force measuring unit 12 falls below a predetermined second reference value, it can be determined that a gap has been formed.

[0020] The peeling system 100 includes a fluid injection device 2. The fluid injection device 2 injects fluid toward the gap formed by the gap forming device 1 in a direction parallel to the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40. By injecting fluid toward the gap in a direction parallel to the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40, the fluid injection device 2 extends the gap across the entire surface of the thin film 40. By extending the gap starting from the gap formed at the corner, the entire uppermost thin film 40 can be peeled away from the other thin films.

[0021] Referring to Figure 1, the fluid injection device 2 has one or more fluid injection heads 20 that inject fluid toward the gap in a direction parallel to the surface of the thin film 40, and a head height adjustment unit 21 that adjusts the position of the fluid injection heads 20 in the height direction (Z direction). Figure 2A shows an example using one fluid injection head 20, and Figure 2B shows an example of using four fluid injection heads 20a to 20d as an example of two or more fluid injection heads. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the suction heads 14, 14a to 14d, the fluid injection heads 20, 20a to 20d, and the cameras 30, 30a to 30d, including the cameras 30, 30a to 30d which will be described later, form sets. The number of sets is one or more. The maximum number of sets is determined according to the planar shape of the laminate 4. For example, if the planar shape of the laminate 4 is rectangular, the surface 40A of the thin film 40 contains four corners, so the maximum number of sets is 4. Figure 2A shows the case where there is 1 pair, and Figure 2B shows the case where there is the maximum number of pairs, which is 4.

[0022] The head height adjustment unit 21 adjusts the height of the fluid injection head 20 so that its position in the height direction (Z direction) is at the same position as the gap formed between the outermost thin film 40 and the second thin film.

[0023] The peeling system 100 may further include a width measuring device 3. The width measuring device 3 measures the width between the outermost thin film 40 and the second thin film. This width represents the width between the lower surface of the outermost thin film 40 and the upper surface of the second thin film. When the width measured by the width measuring device 3 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first reference value, it can be determined that a gap has formed between the outermost thin film 40 and the second thin film. The first reference value can be selected, for example, within the range of 2 mm to 3 mm. The width measuring device 3 includes, for example, a camera 30. The camera 30 images the outer circumference of each laminated thin film that is exposed on the side surface connecting the upper and lower surfaces of the laminate 4. Referring to Figures 2A and 2B, the camera 30 images the outer circumference of each thin film at one or more corners held by the holding part 10, and generates image data. The width measuring device 3 can measure the width between the outermost thin film 40 and the second thin film by acquiring the image data and processing the image. Image processing of the image data may be performed by the controller 6, which will be described later, instead of the width measuring device 3.

[0024] The peeling system 100 may further include a pressure adjustment device 7. The pressure adjustment device 7 reduces the pressure in the space surrounding the laminate 4 to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. The pressure adjustment device 7 includes a vacuum chamber 70 and a vacuum pump (not shown) for evacuating the closed space inside the vacuum chamber 70. The closed space inside the vacuum chamber 70 contains the gap forming device 1, fluid injection device 2, width measuring device 3, and table 5, which are components of the peeling system 100 excluding the controller 6, and the laminate 4. By reducing the pressure in the space surrounding the laminate 4 to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, the boiling point of the liquid is lowered, and the solution can be evaporated and removed at a lower temperature.

[0025] The peeling system 100 further includes a controller 6 that controls the entire peeling system 100. The controller 6 includes, for example, a microcomputer 61 and a memory 60. The microcomputer 61 includes, for example, a general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and an input / output unit. The memory 60 is, for example, an electromagnetic memory device and may include a semiconductor memory device, a magnetic memory device, or an optical memory device. The memory 60 includes registers, a cache memory, and ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) used as main memory. The microcomputer 61 controls the entire peeling system 100 by having the CPU execute a computer program stored in the memory 60. Details of the control will be described later with reference to Figures 5A and 5B.

[0026] Memory 60 stores, in addition to the computer program, at least melting temperature data 62, biasing force data 63, and gap data 64. Melting temperature data 62 is data indicating the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature among the materials constituting the laminate 4, and is referenced by the temperature adjustment unit 16 when adjusting the temperature of the sheath heater 15. Biasing force data 63 is data indicating the biasing force when a gap is formed, the biasing force when no gap is formed, and a predetermined second reference value that is referenced when determining the formation of a gap. The biasing force when a gap is formed and the biasing force when no gap is formed are referenced by the biasing unit 11 when adjusting the biasing force applied to the holding unit 10. Gap data 64 is data indicating a predetermined first reference value that is referenced when determining the formation of a gap.

[0027] The specific configuration of the suction head 14 will be described with reference to Figures 3A and 3B. Figure 3A shows the suction surface 51A exposed on the lower surface of the suction head 14 when viewed from diagonally below with respect to the XY plane. Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view of the suction head 14 along the cutting line IIIB-IIIB in Figure 3A.

[0028] The adsorption head 14 comprises an adsorbent body 51 having an adsorption surface 51A capable of adsorbing onto the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40, and a tube 52 mechanically connected to the end of the adsorbent body 51 opposite to the adsorption surface 51A. A suction hole 54 is formed in the adsorption surface 51A of the adsorbent body 51, and the suction hole 54 penetrates the adsorbent body 51 to the end opposite to the adsorption surface 51A and is connected to one end of the tube 52. Therefore, by bringing the adsorption surface 51A of the adsorption head 14 into contact with the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40 and drawing air from the other end of the tube 52, the adsorption head 14 can adsorb onto the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40 and hold the uppermost thin film 40. The material of the adsorbent body 51 is, for example, a resin such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or PFA (perfluoroalkoxyalkane), or rubber. For example, a copper tube can be used as the tube 52.

[0029] A sheathed heater 15 is positioned inside the adsorbent 51. The sheathed heater 15 is positioned to surround the suction hole 54. A groove is formed in the adsorption surface 51A surrounding the suction hole 54, and the sheathed heater 15 is positioned inside this groove. Power lines 53A and 53B, which supply power to the sheathed heater 15, are electrically connected to both ends of the sheathed heater 15. The power lines 53A and 53B are drawn out from the adsorbent 51 in the Z direction and connected to a power source (not shown). The sheathed heater 15 generates heat due to the power supplied from the power lines 53A and 53B. The thermal energy of the sheathed heater 15 is transferred either directly to the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40 through the adsorption surface 51A, or to the adsorbent 51 and then from the adsorbent 51 to the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40 through the adsorption surface 51A. Although not shown in the diagram, the temperature sensor of the temperature control unit 16 is located inside the adsorbent 51, close to the sheath heater 15.

[0030] (Method for delaminating laminates) An example of a method for peeling the laminate 4 will be described with reference to Figures 4A to 4H, 5A and 5B. An example of a method for peeling the laminate 4 can be carried out using the peeling system 100 shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the controller 6 controls the peeling system 100, and the case in which the controller 6 carries out an example of a method for peeling the laminate 4 will be described. As shown in Figure 4A, an example of a laminate 4 is shown as a laminate cell in which a positive electrode 4a, a negative electrode 4c, and a separator 4b that separates the positive electrode 4a and the negative electrode 4c are laminated. The laminate cell, which is an example of a laminate 4, is composed of multiple sets 4A of positive electrode 4a, separator 4b, negative electrode 4c and separator 4b being laminated. In Figure 4A, the positive electrode 4a is arranged as the uppermost thin film 40, and the separator 4b is arranged as the second thin film 41.

[0031] First, the gap formation process S1 shown in Figure 5A is performed. In the gap formation process S1, a gap GP is formed between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41, which are adsorbed by an electrolyte, which is an example of a liquid. The gap formation process S1 includes steps S10 to S17 shown in Figure 5A.

[0032] First, in step S10, the uppermost thin film 40 is held using the suction head 14. As shown in Figure 4A, the suction head 14 is moved toward the corner of the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40. As shown in Figure 4B, the suction surface 51A of the suction head 14 is brought into contact with the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40 and air is drawn in through the suction hole 54. As a result, the suction head 14 is adsorbed onto the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40, and the uppermost thin film 40 is held by the suction head 14.

[0033] Next, the process proceeds to step S11. Step S11 includes a heating and biasing step. In the heating and biasing step, the suction head 14 and the sheath heater 15 are used to heat the corners of the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40, while biasing the corners in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40 (Z direction) and away from the laminate 4 (positive Z direction). This allows a biasing force F (see Figure 4B) to be applied to the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40 while heating it.

[0034] In this way, by heating the corner of the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40, the liquid adhering between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41 can be evaporated and removed. By removing the liquid that was adsorbing the surfaces of the thin films 40 and 41 together, the adsorption force between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41 decreases. With the adsorption force reduced, the adsorption head 14 holding the corner of the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40 is biased upward (in the positive direction of the Z axis). As a result, as shown in Figure 4C, a gap GP can be easily formed between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41 held by the adsorption head 14. Note that step S11 includes a width measurement step. In the width measurement step, the width measuring device 3 starts measuring the width between the lower surface of the uppermost thin film 40 and the upper surface of the second thin film 41 using the camera 30 (see Figure 4C). Thereafter, the width measuring device 3 continues the measurement until all the thin films have been peeled off (YES in step S3).

[0035] In steps S12 to S14, the temperature of the sheath heater 15 is adjusted so that it is below the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature among the materials constituting the laminate 4. The process proceeds to step S12, where the temperature of the sheath heater 15 is measured. The process proceeds to step S13, where the controller 6 determines whether the measured temperature is below the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature among the materials constituting the laminate 4, i.e., below the minimum melting temperature. If the determination in step S13 is positive (YES in S13), heating continues and the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if the determination in step S13 is negative (NO in S13), the material in question melts and contamination occurs. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S14, heating is stopped, and the process returns to step S12.

[0036] Next, in steps S15 to S17, it is determined whether or not a gap GP is formed between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41. The criteria for this determination are the width between the lower surface of the uppermost thin film 40 and the upper surface of the second thin film 41, the biasing force, and the amount of movement of the adsorption head 14.

[0037] First, in step S15, the controller 6 determines whether the width between the lower surface of the uppermost thin film 40 and the upper surface of the second thin film 41, as measured by the width measuring device 3, is equal to or greater than the first reference value. If the determination in step S15 is positive (YES in S15), it is determined that a gap GP has been formed, and the gap formation step S1 is terminated, and the process proceeds to step S2. If the determination in step S15 is negative (NO in S15), the process proceeds to step S16.

[0038] In step S16, it is determined whether the biasing force measured by the biasing force measuring unit 12 has fallen below the second reference value. If the determination in step S16 is positive (YES in S16), it is determined that a gap GP has been formed, and the gap formation step S1 is terminated, and the process proceeds to step S2. If the determination in step S16 is negative (NO in S16), the process proceeds to step S17.

[0039] In step S17, it is determined whether the amount of movement of the suction head 14 since the biasing unit 11 began to apply bias has exceeded the third reference value. The start of biasing by the biasing unit 11 corresponds to step S11. The amount of movement of the suction head 14 indicates the amount of movement of the suction head 14 in the positive direction of the Z axis. Since the material of the suction body 51 is a soft resin or rubber, the suction body 51 may deform in response to the biasing force. Therefore, the third reference value may be set in advance, taking into account the amount of deformation of the suction body 51 in response to the biasing force. If the determination in step S17 is positive (YES in S17), it is determined that the gap GP has been formed, and the gap formation step S1 is terminated, and the process proceeds to step S2. If the determination in step S17 is negative (NO in S17), it is determined that the gap GP has not yet been formed, and the process returns to step S12.

[0040] Thus, if at least one of the following criteria—the width between the lower surface of the uppermost thin film 40 and the upper surface of the second thin film 41, the biasing force, and the amount of movement of the adsorption head 14—is met, it is determined that a gap GP has been formed, and process S1 is terminated, proceeding to process S2 (fluid injection process). On the other hand, if none of the criteria are met, it is determined that a gap GP has not yet been formed. Heating, biasing, and gap measurement, which were started in process S11, are continued until a positive determination is made in process S15, process S16, or process S17.

[0041] In the fluid injection step S2, as shown in Figure 4D, fluid is injected towards the formed gap GP. This allows the gap GP formed at the corner to advance in the XY plane, as shown in Figure 4E. Then, as shown in Figure 4G, by widening the gap GP to the entire thin film 40, the entire outermost thin film 40 is separated from the other thin films 41.

[0042] The fluid injection process S2 includes processes S20 to S22. In process S20, heating of the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40 for the purpose of evaporation and removal of liquid is stopped. At this time, the biasing force F on the upper surface 40A by the adsorption head 14 is continued in order to maintain the state in which the gap GP is formed. Also in process S20, first, the head height adjustment unit 21 adjusts the position of the fluid injection head 20 in the direction (Z direction) to match the gap GP. Then, the fluid is injected from the fluid injection head 20 toward the formed gap GP in a direction parallel to the corner of the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40. The fluid may be air. More preferably, dry air with a low partial pressure of oxygen is used.

[0043] The process proceeds to step S21, where it is determined whether the gap GP has progressed to the entire thin film 40 by the injection of fluid, as shown in Figure 4G. This can be determined, for example, from the change in biasing force measured by the biasing force measuring unit 12, or from the image data from the camera 30 of the width measuring device 3. If the determination in step S21 is positive, the injection of fluid is no longer necessary, so the process proceeds to step S22 and the injection of fluid is stopped. If the determination in step S21 is negative, the entire outermost thin film 40 has not peeled off, so the injection of fluid is continued.

[0044] After the fluid injection step S2, the process proceeds to step S3 to determine whether all the thin films 40 contained in the laminate 4 have been removed. If the determination in step S3 is negative, the process returns to step S1 and starts an example of a thin film removal operation in which the second thin film 41 becomes the new top thin film 40. Through these steps, all the thin films 40 contained in the laminate 4 can be removed one by one.

[0045] According to the embodiment, the following effects and advantages can be obtained.

[0046] One or more corners of the upper surface 40A of the outermost thin film 40, which is an example of the outermost layer, are heated by the holding part 10. This allows the liquid adhering between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41 to evaporate and be removed. By removing the liquid that was adsorbing the surfaces of the thin films together, the adsorption force between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41 decreases. With the adsorption force reduced, the holding part 10, which is holding one or more corners of the surface of the uppermost thin film 40, is biased in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the thin film (Z direction) and away from the laminate 4 (positive Z direction). This allows a gap GP to be easily formed between one or more corners of the upper surface 40A of the uppermost thin film 40 held by the holding part 10 and the second thin film 41. By injecting fluid toward the gap GP in a direction parallel to the surface of the thin film (parallel to the XY plane), the outermost thin film 40 can be easily peeled away from the other thin films 41. This will enable mechanization and automation of dismantling, which was previously done manually by humans.

[0047] The heating unit 13 raises the temperature of the liquid adhering between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41. This allows the liquid adhering between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41 to evaporate and be removed.

[0048] The temperature control unit 16 adjusts the temperature of the sheath heater 15 so that the temperature of the sheath heater 15 is below the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature among the materials constituting the laminate 4. If the material is heated above the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature among the materials constituting the laminate 4, that material will melt and cause contamination. Therefore, by heating the surface of the outermost thin film to below its melting temperature, the occurrence of contamination can be suppressed.

[0049] The pressure regulator 7 reduces the pressure in the space surrounding the laminate 4 to a level lower than atmospheric pressure. By reducing the pressure, the boiling point of the liquid is lowered, allowing the solution to be evaporated and removed at a lower temperature.

[0050] The fluid injection device 2 injects fluid toward the gap GP in a direction parallel to the upper surface 40A of the thin film 40, thereby extending the gap GP across the entire thin film 40. By extending the gap GP starting from the gap GP formed at the corners, the entire outermost thin film 40 can be separated from the other thin films 41.

[0051] If the width measured by the width measuring device 3 is equal to or greater than the first reference value, if the biasing force applied by the biasing unit 11 is equal to or less than the second reference value, or if the amount of movement of the holding unit 10 since the biasing unit 11 began to apply bias is equal to or greater than the third reference value, it can be determined that a gap GP has been formed between the outermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41. Therefore, by starting the fluid injection after the gap GP has been formed, the fluid injection device 2 can efficiently inject the fluid.

[0052] If the width measured by the width measuring device 3 becomes equal to or greater than the first reference value, if the biasing force applied by the biasing unit 11 becomes equal to or less than the second reference value, or if the amount of movement of the holding unit 10 since the biasing unit 11 began to apply bias becomes equal to or greater than the third reference value, the heating unit 13 determines that a gap GP has formed between the outermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41, and terminates heating of one or more corners. Since there is no need to heat the surface of the thin film after the gap GP has formed, unnecessary energy loss can be suppressed.

[0053] The laminate 4 is a laminate in which the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator, which are included in a vehicle drive battery, are each stacked as thin films 40.

[0054] Technological development is underway to recycle vehicle drive batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries. Conventionally, laminate cells, consisting of multiple stacked sets of positive electrode, separator, negative electrode, and separator, were crushed, dissolved using organic solvents, and then heat-treated to decompose them down to the elemental level, such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium, before new batteries were made using these elements. This conventional method resulted in high carbon dioxide emissions and high recycling costs.

[0055] Therefore, development is underway to separate the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator from the laminate cell, extract the active material, and regenerate it.

[0056] To separate the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator, it is necessary to peel off each sheet of the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator one by one from the laminate of the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator. However, since the sheets are impregnated with electrolyte and the sheet surface is in a wet environment with electrolyte adhering to it, peeling is not easy. Furthermore, the electrolyte contains a flammable liquid, making the peeling work even more difficult. On the other hand, in order to commercialize the recycling of vehicle drive batteries, it is urgent to mechanize and automate the peeling work of the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator, which has been done manually until now. By applying this embodiment to a laminate 4 in which the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator contained in a vehicle drive battery are each laminated as thin films 40, it is possible to peel off the thin films one by one from the outermost thin film 40. Therefore, since the laminate 4 in which different types of thin films (positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator) are alternately laminated can be disassembled and consolidated into thin films of the same type, the productivity of the vehicle drive battery recycling business can be improved.

[0057] (Other embodiments) As described above, embodiments of the present invention have been presented, but the statements and drawings that constitute part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0058] For example, as shown in Figure 2B, four sets of suction heads 14a-14d, fluid injection heads 20, 20a-20d, and cameras 30, 30a-30d, which are two or more examples, are positioned at the four corners of the surface 40A of the thin film 40. The four suction heads 14a-14d may simultaneously bias the four corners in the positive Z direction while heating them. The fluid injection process S2 may be started sequentially from the corners where the width between the uppermost thin film 40 and the second thin film 41 exceeds a first reference value. Alternatively, the fluid injection process S2 may be started sequentially from the corners where the biasing force applied to the corner falls below a second reference value. This can shorten the time required to peel off the thin film 40. This can further improve the productivity of the vehicle drive battery recycling business. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1. Gap forming device 2 Fluid injection device 3. Width measuring device 4 Laminate 4a Positive electrode 4b Separator 4c negative electrode 6 Controllers 7. Pressure Regulator 10 Holding part 11. Encouraging part 12 Biasing force measuring section 13 Heating section 14, 14a~14d Suction head 15 Sheathed Heater 16 Temperature adjustment section 20, 20a~20d Fluid injection head 21 Head height adjustment section 30, 30a~30d Camera 40. Thin film of the top layer (an example of the outermost layer) 41. The second thin film 40A Top view (an example of a surface) 51 Adsorbent 51A Adsorption surface 54 Suction hole 60 memory 61 Microcomputers 62 Melting temperature data 63. Allied Power Data 64 Gap data 70 Vacuum chamber 100 peeling system F biasing force GP gap

Claims

1. A laminate peeling system for peeling a laminate in which two or more thin films are stacked and the surfaces of the thin films are adsorbed to each other by a liquid adhering between the thin films, A gap-forming apparatus for forming a gap between the outermost thin film included in the laminate and a second thin film adjacent to the outermost thin film, The system includes a fluid injection device that injects fluid into the gap in a direction parallel to the surface of the thin film, The gap forming device is, A retaining portion that holds one or more corners of the surface of the outermost thin film, A heating unit that heats the one or more corners of the surface of the outermost thin film that are held by the holding unit, The holding portion that holds the outermost thin film is biased by a biasing portion that biases the thin film in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the thin film and away from the laminate, A laminate delamination system having the following features.

2. The laminate delamination system according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit raises the temperature of the liquid adhering between the outermost thin film and the second thin film.

3. The aforementioned heating section is Heater and, A temperature adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of the heater so that the temperature of the heater is below the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature among the materials constituting the laminate. A laminate peeling system according to claim 1, comprising:

4. The laminate delamination system according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure adjustment device for reducing the pressure of the space surrounding the laminate to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

5. The laminate delamination system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid injection device injects fluid toward the gap in a direction parallel to the surface, thereby extending the gap to the entire thin film.

6. The device further comprises a width measuring device for measuring the width between the outermost thin film and the second thin film, The gap forming device further includes a biasing force measuring unit for measuring the biasing force applied by the biasing unit, The laminate delamination system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid injection device starts injecting the fluid when the width measured by the width measuring device becomes equal to or greater than a first reference value, when the biasing force applied by the biasing unit becomes equal to or less than a second reference value, or when the amount of movement of the holding unit since the biasing unit began to apply bias becomes equal to or greater than a third reference value.

7. The device further comprises a width measuring device for measuring the width between the outermost thin film and the second thin film, The gap forming device further includes a biasing force measuring unit for measuring the biasing force applied by the biasing unit, The laminate peeling system according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit terminates heating of the one or more corners when the width measured by the width measuring device becomes equal to or greater than a first reference value, when the biasing force applied by the biasing unit becomes equal to or less than a second reference value, or when the amount of movement of the holding unit since the biasing unit began to apply bias becomes equal to or greater than a third reference value.

8. The laminate peeling system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the laminate is a laminate in which a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator, each included in a vehicle drive battery, are laminated as the thin film.

9. A method for peeling a laminate in which two or more thin films are stacked and the surfaces of the thin films are adsorbed together by a liquid adhering between the thin films, A gap-forming step is to form a gap between the outermost thin film included in the laminate and the second thin film adjacent to the outermost thin film. The system includes a fluid injection step of injecting a fluid into the gap in a direction parallel to the surface of the thin film, The aforementioned gap formation step is, A heating and biasing step in which one or more corners of the surface of the outermost thin film are heated using a heater, and the one or more corners are biased in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the thin film and away from the laminate, A method for peeling a laminate, comprising the characteristics of a laminate.

10. The method for peeling a laminate according to claim 9, wherein the heating biasing step includes a temperature adjustment step of adjusting the temperature of the heater so that the temperature of the heater is less than the melting temperature of the material with the lowest melting temperature among the materials constituting the laminate.

11. The gap formation step further comprises a width measurement step of measuring the width between the outermost thin film and the second thin film, The method for peeling a laminate according to claim 9, wherein when the measured width becomes equal to or greater than a first reference value, the heating of the corner is stopped and the fluid injection process is started.

12. The gap formation step further comprises a biasing force measurement step for measuring the biasing force applied to the corner, The method for peeling a laminate according to claim 9, wherein when the measured biasing force falls below a second reference value, the heating of the corner is stopped and the fluid injection process is started.

13. In the gap formation step, while heating two or more corners of the surface of the outermost thin film, the two or more corners are biased in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the thin film and away from the laminate, The method for peeling a laminate according to claim 11, wherein the fluid injection process is started sequentially from the corners whose width is equal to or greater than the first reference value among the two or more corners.

14. In the gap formation step, while heating two or more corners of the surface of the outermost thin film, the two or more corners are biased in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the thin film and away from the laminate, The method for peeling a laminate according to claim 12, wherein the fluid injection process is started sequentially from the corners where the biasing force has fallen below the second reference value, among the two or more corners.

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