Spacer for supporting winding core used in battery slitting process and structure including the spacer

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a spacer supports a winding core used in a unit electrode roll produced during a slitting process of a battery. The spacer has a cylindrical shape with a hollow portion that is open at the top and bottom, and can be combined with the winding core to provide a structure corresponding to the width of the slit lane. Here, the spacer can include a plurality of recesses arranged along an upper surface or a lower surface that abuts against the winding core, and the plurality of recesses can contain a magnetic material therein.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0137786, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on October 16, 2023, and all of the contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a spacer that supports a winding core and a structure including the spacer, and more specifically to a spacer that supports a winding core used in a battery slitting process, and a structure including a winding core and a spacer. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries are batteries that can be reused by recharging after discharge and can be used as energy sources for small devices such as mobile phones, tablet PCs (personal computers), and vacuum cleaners, as well as medium- to large-scale energy sources for personal mobility, automobiles, and smart grid ESS (Energy Storage Systems).Depending on the system requirements, secondary batteries are used in the form of assemblies such as battery modules in which multiple battery cells are connected in series and parallel, or battery packs in which battery modules are connected in series and parallel.

[0004] Batteries can be broadly classified into cylindrical, pouch, and prismatic types based on their shape. Although all batteries are manufactured by combining a separator and an electrolyte after manufacturing a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, they can be manufactured into different shapes depending on how they are assembled and packaged.

[0005] A battery manufacturing process generally includes an electrode process, an assembly process, and an activation / inspection process. Meanwhile, the slitting process included in the electrode process is a process of cutting the manufactured electrodes according to specifications, and different slit lane widths and related equipment need to be applied depending on the specifications. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a spacer that supports a winding core used in a battery slitting process.

[0007] Another object of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide a structure including a winding core and a spacer that supports the winding core and is used in a battery slitting process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention provides a spacer that supports a winding core used in a unit electrode roll produced during a battery slitting process, and the spacer has a cylindrical shape with a hollow portion that is open at the top and bottom, and can be combined with the winding core to provide a structure corresponding to the width of the slit lane.

[0009] The spacer may include a plurality of recesses arranged along the upper or lower surface that abuts against the winding core.

[0010] Here, the plurality of recesses may include three or more recesses arranged at equal intervals along the upper or lower surface that abuts against the winding core.

[0011] Each of the recesses may include a magnetic body therein, and the magnetic body may be a neodymium (neodymium) magnetic body.

[0012] The magnetic material of the spacer is magnetically bonded to a plurality of magnetic materials arranged on the outer diameter of one of the upper and lower surfaces of the winding core, so that the spacer and the winding core can integrally form the structure.

[0013] Meanwhile, the winding core is cylindrical with a hollow portion that is open at the top and bottom, and the height of the cylindrical spacer can be set so that when the cylindrical spacer is combined with the winding core, the sum of the height of the cylindrical spacer and the height of the winding core corresponds to the slit lane width.

[0014] To achieve the above object, a support structure according to another embodiment of the present invention is a support structure used in a battery slitting process, and may include: a winding core that provides the center of a unit electrode roll produced during the slitting process; and a spacer that is cylindrical and has a hollow portion with open top and bottom ends, and that is coupled with the winding core to provide a structure corresponding to the width of the slit lane.

[0015] The spacer may include a plurality of recesses arranged along an upper or lower surface that abuts against the winding core.

[0016] The plurality of recesses of the spacer may include three or more recesses arranged at equal intervals along the upper or lower surface that abuts against the winding core.

[0017] Each of the plurality of recesses may contain a magnetic body therein.

[0018] The magnetic material of the spacer can be bound by magnetic force to a plurality of magnetic materials arranged on the outer diameter of either the upper or lower surface of the winding core.

[0019] The spacer and the winding core may together form the structure.

[0020] The winding core is cylindrical with a hollow portion that is open at the top and bottom, and the height of the cylindrical spacer can be set so that when the cylindrical spacer is combined with the winding core, the sum of the height of the cylindrical spacer and the height of the winding core corresponds to the slit lane width.

[0021] The winding core may have a plurality of recesses formed on an upper surface or a lower surface thereof, the recesses corresponding to the plurality of recesses disposed on one surface of the spacer.

[0022] Each of the plurality of recesses may contain a magnetic body therein.

[0023] The plurality of recesses arranged on the upper or lower surface of the winding core may include three or more recesses arranged at equal intervals along the surface that abuts against the spacer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, auxiliary spacers of various sizes are attached to a winding core of a certain specification, so that a slitting process corresponding to various slit widths can be performed in a very simple manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery manufacturing process to which the present invention can be applied. [Figure 2] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a slitting process to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 3a] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a winding core according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3b] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a support structure used in a slitting process for a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing the layout of magnetic bodies inserted into recesses of a core and a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a layout diagram of magnetic bodies inserted into recesses of a core and a spacer according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 shows a configuration in which a winding core and an auxiliary spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention are coupled to a rotating roller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Since the present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, it is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Similar reference numerals are used to refer to similar components throughout the description of the drawings.

[0027] Terms such as "first," "second," "A," and "B" may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component may be designated as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be designated as a first component, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple associated listed items or any one of multiple associated listed items.

[0028] When a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that there may be other components in between. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it is understood that there are no other components in between.

[0029] The terms used in this application are merely used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expressions include the plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and are understood not to preclude the presence or additional possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined in this application.

[0031] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery manufacturing process to which the present invention can be applied.

[0033] Batteries can be manufactured through an electrode process (S10), an assembly process (S20), and an activation / inspection process (S30). Batteries completed through these processes are shipped in the form of a battery pack (or battery module) including a plurality of battery cells connected in series. The battery pack can be connected to a load through the positive and negative terminals to perform charge / discharge operations. The battery pack can be configured by connecting in series or parallel depending on the required specifications of the system in which the battery is used.

[0034] More specifically, the electrode process (S10) may be carried out in the following order: a "mixing process" for mixing raw materials; a "coating process" for applying the mixed slurry to a foil and drying it; a "roll pressing process" for crimping the electrode to reduce its thickness; a "slitting process" for cutting the electrode to a predetermined width; and a "notching process" for forming tabs on the electrode.

[0035] The slitting process involves cutting the thinly stretched electrodes produced through the roll press process to fit the size of the battery. The electrodes are cut lengthwise using a slitter to fit the specifications of the designed battery. The blade can be changed depending on the size of the battery cell to be manufactured.

[0036] The assembly process (S20) is a process in which the positive and negative electrode plates manufactured through the electrode process are assembled with a separator to create a finished cell. The manufacturing procedure varies depending on the shape of the battery (cylindrical, pouch, prismatic), and the technology applied by each manufacturer also varies. The assembly process (S20) usually includes detailed processes such as a stacking process in which multiple electrode plates are stacked with a separator in between, tab welding to collect the current flowing from a single electrode plate in one place, and a packaging process in which the final battery shape is formed and sealed after injecting the electrolyte.

[0037] The activation / testing process (S30) activates electrical energy and checks its stability. The activation process involves repeated aging and charging / discharging. During the aging process, the battery is stored at room temperature, maintaining a constant temperature and humidity, to allow the electrolyte to permeate the positive and negative electrodes. Once the electrolyte has dispersed throughout the battery and ions are able to move smoothly between the positive and negative electrodes, the battery is partially charged to activate the cell. During this process, all lithium ions move to the negative electrode, and the electrolyte decomposes, forming a thin, ion-conductive solid film called a "Solid Electrolyte Interphase" (SEI) layer on the surface of the negative electrode. After the activation process, the batteries are tested for charging capacity and defective batteries are screened out before being shipped.

[0038] The auxiliary spacer according to the present invention, and the structure including the winding core and the spacer supporting it, can be applied to the slitting process in the electrode process in the battery manufacturing process.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a slitting process to which the present invention is applied.

[0040] The slitting process may be performed on a jumbo roll 200, which is a rolled up form of a thinly stretched electrode discharged through a roll press process. An electrode sheet coated with and dried on an electrode active material is wound in a roll shape on the jumbo roll 200. In this case, it is preferable that the electrode sheet coated with and dried on an electrode active material is understood to be a coated electrode sheet that has undergone a coating process.

[0041] For the slitting process, the rolled electrode sheet is unwound by rotation. Referring to FIG. 2, the jumbo roll 200 is unwound by the rotation of an unwinding roller U, and the unwound electrode is cut by a slitting device installed in each slitting lane during the conveying process to form a plurality of unit electrode sheets. Each of the plurality of unit electrode sheets is wound by a rewinder. The rewinder may include a cylindrical winding core C for winding the unit electrode sheet.

[0042] Here, the rewinder's winding core is used to wind unit electrode sheets for each slit lane, and the width of the core can vary depending on the size of the electrode to be slit. As shown in Figure 2, as the slitting process progresses, unit electrode rolls P (also known as pancakes) can be produced for each slit lane.

[0043] Meanwhile, the slitting process may include not only a process of cutting the jumbo roll into a plurality of unit electrode sheets, but also a slitting process of further cutting one unit electrode sheet to form a plurality of sub-unit electrode sheets, and in this case, a sub-unit electrode roll may be formed as a result of the slitting process.

[0044] In this case, if the width of the winding core required by the standard differs, a new core that meets the standard has traditionally been ordered and manufactured, or an auxiliary body has been attached to a winding core of the same standard by welding, etc. This has led to the problem of considerable time and cost being required for the work of manufacturing and assembling a new slit core and auxiliary body.

[0045] FIG. 3a is a cross-sectional side view of a winding core according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] The winding core according to the embodiment of the present invention can be used to form a unit electrode roll produced during a slitting process for a battery.

[0047] Referring to Figure 3a, the winding core according to the embodiment of the present invention may be cylindrical with a hollow portion that is open at the top and bottom. The winding core for a unit electrode roll (pancake) applied to the slitting process of a battery typically has a height of 70 mm (Z direction in Figure 3a). Here, the "height" of the winding core may also be referred to as the "width" depending on the direction in which it is placed when applied to the slitting lane.

[0048] The winding core has a hollow portion penetrating the upper and lower surfaces based on a cylindrical shape, whereby each of the upper and lower surfaces may be in the shape of a ring or a circular band formed along a circumference.

[0049] A plurality of recesses may be formed on a ring formed on the upper or lower surface of the winding core, which contacts the spacer according to the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3a, four recesses are formed on the surface of the ring formed on the upper surface. The four recesses may be arranged at equal intervals on the ring formed along the circumference. Meanwhile, the number of recesses formed on one surface of the winding core may be three or five or more. In this case, it is preferable that the number of recesses formed on one surface of the winding core is the same as the number of recesses formed on one surface of the spacer.

[0050] The recess formed on one surface of the winding core may include a magnetic body inserted therein. In this case, according to one embodiment, the magnetic body may be a neodymium magnetic body.

[0051] FIG. 3b is a cross-sectional side view of a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] The spacer according to the present invention may be an auxiliary spacer that is combined with the winding core according to the present invention to provide a structure corresponding to the width of the slit lane. Here, "corresponding to the width of the slit lane" may mean that the structure is formed to be smaller than the width of the slit lane with a gap therebetween that allows it to be installed inside the slit lane.

[0053] Referring to Figure 3b, the spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention may be cylindrical with a hollow portion that is open at the top and bottom. The spacer can serve to extend the height of the winding core (Z direction in Figure 3b) to fit the width of the slit lane of the battery, and can be provided in various heights such as 5 mm, 10 mm, and 15 mm depending on the battery specifications. Here, the "height" of the spacer may also be referred to as the "width" depending on the direction in which it is placed when applied to the slit lane.

[0054] The spacer has a hollow portion penetrating the upper and lower surfaces based on a cylindrical shape, whereby each of the upper and lower surfaces of the spacer may be in the shape of a ring or circular band formed along a circumference.

[0055] The spacer according to the embodiment of the present invention may have a ring formed on the upper or lower surface thereof, which contacts the winding core according to the present invention, with a plurality of recesses. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3b, four recesses are formed on the surface of the ring formed on the lower surface. The four recesses may be arranged at equal intervals on the ring formed along the circumference. Meanwhile, the number of recesses formed on one surface of the spacer may be three or five or more. In this case, it is preferable that the number of recesses formed on one surface of the spacer is the same as the number of recesses formed on one surface of the winding core.

[0056] The recess formed on one surface of the spacer may include a magnetic body inserted therein, and in one embodiment, the magnetic body may be a neodymium magnetic body.

[0057] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a support structure used in a slitting step for a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 4, the support structure used in the slitting process of the battery of the present invention may include a winding core 310 that provides the center of a unit electrode roll (pancake), and a cylindrical spacer 320 having a hollow portion with open upper and lower ends, which is combined with the winding core to provide a structure corresponding to the width of the slit lane.

[0059] Here, the height (z direction) of the cylindrical spacer 320 can be set so that when the cylindrical spacer 320 is coupled to the winding core, the sum of the height of the cylindrical spacer and the height of the winding core corresponds to the width of the slit lane. This allows the support structure to provide a center for the unit electrode roll according to the present invention. The unit electrode roll according to the present invention can rotate around the support structure by the rotation of a roller inserted into the support structure.

[0060] Here, the spacer may include a plurality of recesses arranged along the upper or lower surface that contacts the winding core. The plurality of recesses of the spacer may include three or more recesses arranged at equal intervals along the upper or lower surface that contacts the winding core, and preferably include four recesses as shown in FIG. 4. Each recess may include a magnetic body (magnet). Here, the magnetic body may be made of neodymium (neodymium).

[0061] As a result, the magnetic material of the spacer is magnetically bonded to multiple magnetic materials arranged on the outer diameter of either the upper or lower surface of the winding core, allowing the spacer and the winding core to form a support structure together.

[0062] Meanwhile, a plurality of recesses corresponding to the plurality of recesses arranged on one surface of the spacer may also be formed on the upper or lower surface of the winding core, and each of the plurality of recesses may contain a magnetic material therein.

[0063] The plurality of recesses arranged on the upper or lower surface of the winding core may include three or more recesses arranged at equal intervals along the surface that abuts against the spacer, and preferably four recesses as shown in the example of FIG.

[0064] Here, the number of recesses arranged on the upper or lower surface of the winding core and the number of recesses arranged at equal intervals along the upper or lower surface of the spacer and the magnetic bodies inserted therein may be set to be the same. However, for example, an embodiment in which six recesses and magnetic bodies are provided on the winding core and three recesses and magnetic bodies are provided on the spacer, such that three of the six magnetic bodies on the winding core are alternately coupled with the magnetic bodies on the spacer, is also possible. Conversely, an embodiment in which the number of magnetic bodies on the spacer is greater than the number of magnetic bodies on the winding core is also possible.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a layout diagram of magnetic bodies inserted into recesses of a core and a spacer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] The left side of Fig. 5 shows a front view of the upper or lower surface of the cylindrical winding core, which is the surface that abuts against the auxiliary spacer and includes multiple recesses, and the right side of Fig. 5 shows a front view of the upper or lower surface of the auxiliary spacer, which is the surface that abuts against the winding core and includes multiple recesses.

[0067] 5, four recesses are provided at equal intervals along the circumference of the upper or lower surface of the winding core, and each recess contains a magnetic body (magnet).Furthermore, four recesses are provided at equal intervals along the circumference of the upper or lower surface of the auxiliary spacer, and each recess contains a magnetic body (magnet).

[0068] Here, the number of recesses arranged on the upper or lower surface of the winding core, the number of recesses arranged at equal intervals along the upper or lower surface of the spacer, and the number of magnetic bodies inserted therein may be set to be the same.

[0069] FIG. 6 is a layout diagram of magnetic bodies inserted into recesses of a core and a spacer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] The left side of Fig. 6 shows a front view of the upper or lower surface of the cylindrical winding core, which is the surface that comes into contact with the auxiliary spacer and includes three equally spaced recesses. The right side of Fig. 6 shows a front view of the upper or lower surface of the auxiliary spacer, which is the surface that comes into contact with the winding core and includes three equally spaced recesses.

[0071] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, three recesses are provided at equal intervals along the circumference of the upper or lower surface of the winding core, and each recess contains a magnetic body (magnet). Also, three recesses are provided along the circumference of the upper or lower surface of the auxiliary spacer, and each recess contains a magnetic body (magnet).

[0072] Here, the number of recesses arranged on the upper or lower surface of the winding core and the number of recesses arranged at equal intervals along the upper or lower surface of the spacer and the magnetic bodies inserted therein may be set to be the same. However, for example, an embodiment in which six recesses and magnetic bodies are provided on the winding core and three recesses and magnetic bodies are provided on the spacer, and three of the six magnetic bodies on the winding core are alternately coupled to the magnetic bodies on the spacer, is also possible. Conversely, an embodiment in which the number of magnetic bodies on the spacer is greater than the number of magnetic bodies on the winding core is also possible.

[0073] 5 and 6, the winding core and the spacer are described with reference to an embodiment in which they include four or three recesses and magnetic bodies, but the number of recesses and magnetic bodies according to the present invention is not limited to this and may be five or more. However, providing a plurality of recesses and magnetic bodies is preferable for improving the binding strength between the winding core and the spacer, and the number may be three or more.

[0074] FIG. 7 shows a configuration in which a winding core and an auxiliary spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention are coupled to a rotating roller.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 7, the winding core according to the embodiment of the present invention can be provided as a single structure by being magnetically coupled to an auxiliary spacer, and multiple structures can be fitted to a rotating roller at regular intervals. Unit electrodes can be wound or unwound around the structures according to the embodiment of the present invention by the rotation of a rewinder roller combined with the multiple structures according to the present invention.

[0076] Some aspects of the invention have been described in the context of an apparatus, but they may also be described in terms of a corresponding method, where a block or apparatus corresponds to a method step or feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method may be described in terms of a corresponding block or item or feature of a corresponding apparatus. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware apparatus, such as, for example, a microprocessor, a programmable computer, or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, one or more of the most important method steps may be performed by such an apparatus.

[0077] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] P: Unit electrode roll C: Winding core 310: Winding core 311: Recess of winding core 320: Auxiliary spacer 321: Recess of auxiliary spacer

Claims

1. A spacer that supports a winding core used in a unit electrode roll produced during a slitting process of a battery, the spacer is cylindrical and has a hollow portion with open top and bottom ends; A spacer that couples with the winding core to provide a structure corresponding to the slit lane width.

2. The spacer according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of recesses disposed along the upper or lower surface that contacts the winding core.

3. The spacer according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of recesses include three or more recesses arranged at equal intervals along the upper or lower surface that abuts against the winding core.

4. The spacer according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of recesses contains a magnetic material therein.

5. The spacer according to claim 4 , wherein the magnetic material is a neodymium magnetic material.

6. The magnetic body of the spacer is bound by magnetic force to a plurality of magnetic bodies arranged on the outer periphery of one of the upper and lower surfaces of the winding core, The spacer of claim 4 , wherein the spacer and the winding core together form the structure.

7. The winding core is cylindrical and has a hollow portion with upper and lower open ends, The spacer according to claim 3, wherein the height of the cylindrical spacer is set so that when the cylindrical spacer is coupled to the winding core, the sum of the height of the cylindrical spacer and the height of the winding core corresponds to the slit lane width.

8. A support structure used in a battery slitting process, a winding core that provides the center of a unit electrode roll produced during the slitting process; a cylindrical spacer having a hollow portion with open top and bottom ends, the spacer being coupled with the winding core to provide a structure corresponding to the slit lane width.

9. The support structure of claim 8 , wherein the spacer includes a plurality of recesses disposed along an upper or lower surface that abuts the winding core.

10. The support structure according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of recesses of the spacer include three or more recesses arranged at equal intervals along the upper or lower surface that abuts against the winding core.

11. The support structure of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of recesses includes a magnetic body therein.

12. The magnetic body of the spacer is bound by magnetic force to a plurality of magnetic bodies arranged on the outer periphery of one of the upper and lower surfaces of the winding core, The support structure of claim 11 , wherein the spacer and the winding core together form the structure.

13. The winding core is cylindrical and has a hollow portion with upper and lower open ends, 11. The support structure of claim 10, wherein the height of the cylindrical spacer is set so that when the cylindrical spacer is coupled to the winding core, the sum of the height of the cylindrical spacer and the height of the winding core corresponds to the slit lane width.

14. a plurality of recesses corresponding to the plurality of recesses arranged on one surface of the spacer are formed on the upper surface or the lower surface of the winding core; The support structure of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of recesses includes a magnetic body therein.

15. The support structure according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of recesses arranged on the upper surface or the lower surface of the winding core include three or more recesses arranged at equal intervals along a surface that abuts against the spacer.

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