Nozzle assembly and coating system equipped therewith

Abstract

A nozzle assembly and a coating system equipped therewith. The nozzle assembly (5) comprises a lip plate (51), a cover plate (52), and a clamped plate (53). The lip plate (51) is provided with a lip plate flow path (51a) and a receiving groove (51b). The lip plate flow path (51a) extends upward in the thickness direction of the lip plate (51) and penetrates the lip plate (51), while the receiving groove (51b) is located on one side in the thickness direction of the lip plate (51) and is used to receive fluid from outside the nozzle assembly (5). The lip plate flow path (51a) and the receiving groove (51b) are in fluid communication. The clamped plate (53) is located between the lip plate (51) and the cover plate (52), and the clamped plate (53) is provided with a notch (53a) extending upward from the bottom side of the clamped plate (53), the uppermost part of the notch (53a) is higher than or at the same height as the uppermost part of the lip plate flow path (51a). Therefore, the nozzle assembly can achieve accurate discharge and suppress the generation of fluid hammerhead.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a nozzle assembly and a coating system including the same.

Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles indicate the development direction of current automotive technology. Driving range is an important parameter for characterizing the performance of electric vehicles. The driving range depends partly on the performance of the battery of the electric vehicle. With the development of new processes for automotive batteries, the battery of an electric vehicle, especially a blade battery, needs to be coated on a part of its surface with a very thin adhesive material. Generally, it is required to uniformly coat a thermal adhesive material of 5 mm (width) or more and less than 20 μm (thickness) on the electrode plate of the battery, which is very important for enhancing the reliability of the automotive battery. The thermal adhesive needs to be very thinly and uniformly wound around the top surface of the electrode plate, and coating defects such as lack of adhesive and coating unevenness are not allowed. Also, due to the strict standards of electrode manufacturing, it is intolerable for the metal on which the adhesive is to be applied to be exposed to the atmosphere. Furthermore, the start / stop function is an essential requirement for continuous coating performance. As usual, hammer head and coating breakage failures must be completely avoided. This is clearly a severe challenge for existing products.

[0003] It is known that seam welders are used in the production of positive and negative electrodes of automotive batteries, and a relatively high production line speed (up to 120 m / min), that is, a high hot melt adhesive film coating speed, is required to replace the conventional adhesive tape pasting process. However, current methods and products cannot achieve a uniform adhesive thickness on the electrode plate.

[0004] Therefore, improvement of the coating system is required.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle assembly that can spray a fluid, such as an adhesive, particularly a polyurethane adhesive, onto a substrate with high precision, thereby achieving an extremely thin coating layer. The present invention also provides a coating system equipped with the nozzle assembly.

[0006] The present invention provides a nozzle assembly comprising a lip plate, a cover plate, and a shim, wherein the lip plate has a lip plate channel that penetrates the lip plate along the thickness direction of the lip plate, and a receiving groove located on one side in the thickness direction of the lip plate and used to receive fluid from outside the nozzle assembly, the lip plate channel and the receiving groove being in fluid communication, the cover plate is connected to the lip plate on the other side opposite to the receiving groove of the lip plate, the shim is located between the lip plate and the cover plate and has a notch extending upward from the bottom side of the shim, the height of the uppermost part of the notch is greater than or equal to the height of the uppermost part of the lip plate channel of the lip plate.

[0007] This allows for precise and stable control of the thickness and width of the fluid distributed from the nozzle assembly, making it possible to obtain a coating of the desired thickness on the substrate, particularly an extremely thin or uniform micron-level coating layer.

[0008] Preferably, the notch has a rectangular shape, the lip plate channel has a rectangular cross-section, and the height of the upper edge of the notch is greater than or equal to the height of the upper edge of the lip plate channel. This allows the fluid to flow out continuously.

[0009] Preferably, the upper edge of the notch has a structured shape. This allows for obtaining a specific fluid pattern.

[0010] Preferably, the structured shape is comb-like. This allows for obtaining specific fluid patterns, particularly striped patterns.

[0011] Preferably, the shim thickness is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm. This allows for obtaining a coating layer of a specific thickness.

[0012] Preferably, the width of the shim's notch is in the range of 4 mm to 20 mm. This allows for obtaining a coating layer of a specific width.

[0013] Preferably, the width of the shim's notch is 7 mm. This allows for obtaining a coating layer of a specific width.

[0014] Preferably, the lip plate, cover plate, and shim have the same contour in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the lip plate. This facilitates manufacturing.

[0015] Preferably, the lip plate, cover plate, and shim each have a protrusion at the bottom, and the notch is located on the protrusion of the shim. This facilitates manufacturing and observation of the fluid outlet condition.

[0016] Preferably, the cover plate, shim, and lip plate are sequentially secured by screws.

[0017] The present invention also provides a coating system comprising a fluid source, a metering assembly, and the aforementioned nozzle assembly, wherein the metering assembly is in the form of a positive displacement pump and is configured to communicate with the fluid source to receive fluid from the fluid source, and the nozzle assembly communicates with the metering assembly, receives fluid from the metering assembly, and distributes fluid from the nozzle assembly.

[0018] In this way, the thickness and width of the fluid distributed from the coating system can be precisely and stably controlled, thereby enabling the creation of a coating layer of a desired thickness on the substrate, particularly an extremely thin or uniform micron-level coating.

[0019] Preferably, the fluid source is configured as either a fluid cartridge or a hose, and the coating system has a universal adapter for connecting the fluid cartridge or hose. Therefore, the fluid can be replaced quickly.

[0020] Preferably, the metering assembly includes a drive gear and a driven gear driven by a motor. Therefore, the fluid can be distributed accurately.

[0021] Preferably, the gap between the drive gear and the driven gear on one side of the metering assembly is in fluid communication with the fluid source, and the gap between the drive gear and the driven gear on the other side of the metering assembly is in fluid communication with the nozzle assembly.

[0022] Preferably, the coating system has a heating block, and the metering assembly is in fluid communication with the nozzle assembly via the heating block. Therefore, the fluid can be accurately heated to facilitate smooth fluid distribution.

[0023] Preferably, the heating block has a flange portion and a main body portion connected to each other, the metering assembly is attached to the main body portion, and the nozzle assembly is attached to the flange portion.

[0024] Preferably, the coating system includes a valve integrated with the heating block, which allows for control of fluid distribution.

[0025] Preferably, the valve and nozzle assembly overlap at least partially in the vertical direction of the coating system. This allows the fluid in the fluid channel to be drawn back when the system stops, eliminating fluid hammerheads.

[0026] Preferably, a valve seat is provided within the fluid passage of the flange portion, and the tip of the valve stem of the valve can contact the valve seat to block the flow of fluid within the fluid passage of the flange portion.

[0027] Preferably, a seal having a central opening is provided between the lip plate of the nozzle assembly and the heating block.

[0028] This application further discloses the use of a coating system for the surface coating of thin plate batteries.

[0029] Preferably, the thin plate battery is a battery for powering an electric vehicle.

[0030] The nozzle assembly and coating system of the present invention can achieve an extremely thin adhesive thickness, for example, less than 20 μm, thereby meeting the spraying requirements on the surface of the battery of an electric vehicle.

[0031] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description in connection with the drawings, where like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to indicate the same or similar components.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of a coating system comprising a nozzle assembly according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a longitudinal sectional view of a coating system comprising a nozzle assembly according to the present invention. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged sectional view of the nozzle assembly region of the coating system according to the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an exploded view of the metering assembly of the coating system according to the present invention. [Figure 5] It is an exploded view of the coating system according to the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0033] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. In the following description, terms indicating direction, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "top," and "bottom" (if any), will be used only in the description of the drawings and will not substantially limit the present invention. Other embodiments may be used or other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. As generally described herein and shown in the drawings, aspects of the present disclosure can be arranged, substituted, combined and designed in a variety of different configurations, each of which will be readily understood to be explicitly considered as part of the present disclosure and to form part of the present disclosure.

[0034] Where a component or a variation thereof is described as “connected,” “joined,” or “attached” to another component, it may be directly connected, joined, or attached to that other component, or an intermediate component may be involved. Conversely, where a component or a variation thereof is described as “directly connected,” “directly joined,” or “directly attached” to another component, no intermediate component is involved. Throughout the specification, the same reference numeral refers to the same component. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. For brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or configurations may not be described in detail. The terms “and / or” and their abbreviation “ / ” include any and all combinations of one or more related enumeration items.

[0035] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coating system comprising a nozzle assembly according to the present invention. In the figure, direction X indicates the longitudinal direction of the coating system, direction Y indicates the transverse direction of the coating system, and direction Z indicates the vertical direction of the coating system, i.e., the height direction. In this specification, the longitudinal direction, transverse direction, and vertical direction of the coating system may be simply referred to as the longitudinal direction, transverse direction, and vertical direction, respectively.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the coating system comprises a fluid source 10, a metering assembly 3, and a nozzle assembly 5. The fluid source 10 is used to contain and / or supply fluid. The fluid source is, for example, a cartridge 101 or a hose 102. The cartridge 101 can be of various specifications and may be, for example, a 300cc cartridge. In some examples, the fluid may be an adhesive, for example, a polyurethane adhesive, a thermoplastic hot melt adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, or another adhesive having sufficient tackiness and “exposure time” as described herein, but other materials may also be considered. Instead of using a cartridge, a hose or other connecting pipe can be used. The hose or other connecting pipe is directly connected to another metering system. The hose can be connected to a melter. High-temperature fluids, such as thermal adhesives, are supplied to the coating system either through a connection between the melter and the hose or a direct connection to the adhesive cartridge. The cartridge or hose is used to supply fluids such as molten adhesives. The cartridge or hose as an alternative fluid supply device is very convenient to implement and thereby increases the adaptability of the coating system to the fluid source 10. The fluid suitable for distribution is not limited to adhesives, but may be various other fluid materials in the spraying process. The adhesive may be an insulating adhesive or a conductive adhesive. Generally, conductive adhesives contain a conductive substance to promote conductivity after being coated on the surface of the substrate.

[0037] A fluid source 10, such as a cartridge 101 or hose 102, can be connected to a universal adapter 1010 of the coating system. These universal adapters can have the same structure. Therefore, the cartridge 101 or hose 102 can be connected to or fluid-communicated with a coating system of the same specifications or configuration, or to the interface of the same coating system, via the universal adapter 1010. Using the universal adapter 1010 allows the use of different forms of fluid sources, supplying multiple fluids such as adhesives, and enabling rapid fluid changes in actual operation.

[0038] The metering assembly 3 is an integrated metering system and has the form of a positive displacement pump. The small positive displacement pump / gear pump can deliver very small amounts of adhesive with each tooth as it rotates, allowing for relatively high-precision control of the fluid outflow velocity and very precise discharge volume. The metering assembly 3 receives fluid from the fluid source 10. A drive device such as a servo motor 2 rotates the shaft of the metering assembly 3 / metering pump at a constant or variable speed. The rotational speed of the metering assembly 3 is precisely controlled so that the gear pump provides a stable outflow. The metering assembly 3 allows for accurate and sufficient supply of fluid to the coating nozzle assembly 5. The metering assembly 3 in the form of a gear pump plays a crucial role in the preparation of micron-level coating fluid films such as adhesive films and is a key element in achieving micron-level coating performance.

[0039] The nozzle assembly 5 is located at the end of the coating system in the direction of fluid flow. The nozzle assembly 5 has the form of a slit nozzle for coating a strip-shaped fluid coating layer onto the substrate.

[0040] The metering assembly 3 may be directly connected to the nozzle assembly 5, or it may be in direct fluid communication with the nozzle assembly 5. Preferably, the coating system includes a heating block 6 located between the metering assembly 3 and the nozzle assembly 5. The heating block 6 has multiple fluid passages inside for fluid communication between the metering assembly 3 and the nozzle assembly 5. A seal 36 is provided between the heating block 6 and the metering assembly 3.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the coating system is also provided with an adjustment mechanism 1. The structure of the adjustment mechanism 1 is not limited, but it may be a conventional adjustment mechanism equipped with a winch. For example, the adjustment mechanism 1 is attached to the heating block 6 of the coating system. If there is no heating block 6, the adjustment mechanism 1 may be attached to the housing of the metering assembly 3 of the coating system. The adjustment mechanism 1 adjusts the height, horizontality, and elevation angle of the coating system, and specifically, it can adjust the left-right and front-back position, tilt angle, and vertical height of the wiper lip (fluid outlet / adhesive outlet) of the nozzle assembly 5, respectively. The coating system is also provided with a valve 4, which will be described later.

[0042] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a coating system equipped with a nozzle assembly according to the present invention. The longitudinal cross-section of the coating system shown in Figure 2 is viewed along the longitudinal direction X along the cross-sectional line II of Figure 1, and mainly shows the configuration of the fluid flow path within the coating system. As shown in Figure 2, the adjustment mechanism 1 and the metering assembly 3 are attached to the heating block 6 of the coating system, respectively. The metering assembly 3 comprises an upper plate 31, a lower plate 32, and a gear support plate 33 located between the upper and lower plates. The gear support plate 33 is provided with a small gear mechanism of the metering assembly 3, which constitutes an internal metering pump. The gear mechanism of the metering assembly 3 comprises a drive gear 34 (not shown here; see Figure 4) and a driven gear 35. The drive gear 34 is driven by the motor shaft 21 of the motor 2.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the metering assembly 3 is in fluid communication with the heating block 6. Preferably, the heating block 6 is in fluid communication with a first flow path 61, a second flow path 62, a third flow path 63, and a fourth flow path 64 in sequence. As can be seen from Figure 1, the first flow path 61 has a heating block inlet 61a and is in fluid communication with a universal adapter 1010 connected to a fluid source. The second flow path 62 is in fluid communication with the inlet 62a of the metering assembly 3, and the third flow path 63 is in fluid communication with the outlet 63a of the metering assembly 3 (see Figure 4). The fourth flow path 64 is in fluid communication with the nozzle assembly 5. Therefore, the fluid from the fluid source passes through the heating block 6, the metering assembly 3, and the heating block 6 in sequence and flows into the nozzle assembly 5. It is understood that the number, cross-sectional shape, and size of the fluid flow paths in the heating block 6 are not particularly limited.

[0044] The fourth flow path 64 may be in direct fluid communication with the nozzle assembly 5. For example, the heating block 6 has a main body portion and a flange portion, which are connected to each other or formed integrally. The metering assembly 3 is provided in the main body portion of the heating block 6. The first flow path 61, second flow path 62, third flow path 63 and fourth flow path 64 of the heating block 6 are basically provided in the main body portion. The nozzle assembly 5 is provided in the flange portion. The fourth flow path 64 is in direct fluid communication with the nozzle assembly 5.

[0045] However, the fourth flow path 64 can also be configured so as not to directly communicate with the nozzle assembly 5. For example, the valve 4 is provided in the flange portion and is located between the fourth flow path 64 and the nozzle assembly 5. The fourth flow path 64 communicates with the nozzle assembly 5 via the valve 4.

[0046] Specifically, the valve 4 is attached to the flange portion from one side of the heating block 6 to which the metering assembly 3 is attached. The type of valve 4 is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be an electromagnetically controlled valve. The valve 4 has a valve stem 41 that extends downward in the flange portion beyond the fourth flow path 64 of the heating block 6. That is, the tip 41a of the valve stem 41 is lower than the fourth flow path 64 of the heating block 6, and in particular lower than the opening 64a of the fourth flow path 64. On the other hand, the heating block 6 has a fifth flow path 65 that communicates with the fourth flow path 64 of the heating block 6 through the internal cavity of the valve 4 that houses the valve stem 41. One end of the fifth flow path 65 that communicates with the internal cavity of the valve 4, specifically the inner end, is provided with a valve seat 66 to which the tip 41a of the valve stem 41 can abut, thereby blocking fluid communication between the fifth flow path 65 and the fourth flow path 64. Valve 4 is located between the nozzle assembly 5 and the heating block 6, that is, between the nozzle assembly 5 and the metering assembly 3.

[0047] As can be seen in Figure 2, the flange portion of the heating block 6 constitutes part of the housing of the valve 4, particularly the underground housing. Thus, the valve 4 is an integrated valve that is integrated with the heating block 6. When the coating system stops, the valve stem 41 of the valve 4 moves upward, thereby drawing the fluid in the fifth passage 65 upward / backward, and the valve 4 has a suck-back effect, i.e., it constitutes a suck-back valve. The valve 4 cannot simply be considered a general on / off valve. The valve 4 has two main purposes in this application. One purpose is that it is a so-called suck-back valve, and has the important function of drawing back fluid such as adhesive when the valve 4 is closed. Therefore, as long as the device stops coating, the suck-back valve 4 can eliminate hammerhead defects in the coating fluid. On the other hand, the valve stem 41 of the valve 4 is deeply incorporated into the heating block 6, and the closed end opening of the valve 4 is adjacent to the inlet groove of the nozzle assembly 5. This structure offers many advantages for applying fluids such as adhesive to the substrate. For example, this configuration improves the system's responsiveness to start / stop commands for the coating system, thereby significantly enhancing the coating system's start / stop functionality.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, the fluid source 10 is located on one side of the motor 2 and metering assembly 3 in the width direction Y of the coating system. As shown in Figure 2, the adjustment mechanism 1, motor 2, and valve 4 are arranged sequentially in the longitudinal direction X of the coating system, and it is preferable that the valve 4 at least partially overlaps the nozzle assembly 5 in the longitudinal direction Z of the coating system. It is well known that a drop in fluid pressure in the fluid flow path / adhesive passage has a significant adverse effect on the final coating performance. According to this embodiment, by having the valve 4 and nozzle assembly 5 at least partially overlap in the longitudinal direction Z of the coating system, the flow path distance from the tip 41a of the valve stem 41 of the valve 4 to the nozzle assembly 5 can be shortened, thereby reducing the drop in fluid pressure in the flow path. Furthermore, by positioning the metering assembly 3 as close as possible to the nozzle assembly 5 in the longitudinal direction X, the drop in fluid pressure in the flow path can be further reduced. This improves the responsiveness of the coating system to start / stop commands.

[0049] Furthermore, the heating block 6 is provided with a plug to remove the fluid flow path / dead zone within the flow path and avoid the residue of solidified fluid. For example, the heating block 6 is provided with a plug 64b located at one end of the fourth flow path 64 opposite to the opening 64a, which closes the fourth flow path 64 at that end. Preferably, a heating element and a temperature sensor are provided inside the heating block 6. The heating element is used to heat the fluid from the metering assembly 3, and the temperature sensor detects the temperature of the fluid inside the heating block 6. The flow path inside the heating block 6 is optimized to the shortest distance in order to reduce the fluid pressure drop that occurs within the flow path.

[0050] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the nozzle assembly region of the coating system according to the present invention. As shown in Figures 2 to 3, the nozzle assembly 5 comprises a lip plate 51 and a cover plate 52. The lip plate 51 and the cover plate 52 are sequentially screwed together. The lip plate 51 has a lip plate channel 51a that extends through the lip plate in the thickness direction of the lip plate, and a receiving groove 51b located on one side in the thickness direction of the lip plate to receive fluid from outside the nozzle assembly. The lip plate channel 51a and the receiving groove 51b are in fluid communication with each other. If a heating block 6 is not provided, the receiving groove 51b may be positioned facing the outlet of the metering assembly 3 to receive fluid from the metering assembly 3. If a heating block 6 is provided between the metering assembly 3 and the nozzle assembly 5, as shown in Figure 3, the receiving groove 51b is located on one side of the lip plate 51 facing the fifth channel 65 of the heating block 6, and is in fluid communication with the fifth channel 65, specifically the outlet 65a of the fifth channel 65.

[0051] The cover plate 52 is connected to the lip plate 51 on the other side opposite to the receiving groove 51b of the lip plate 51. The fluid material can pass through the fifth flow path 65 of the heating block 6, the receiving groove 51b, and the lip plate flow path 51a in that order to reach the slit between the lip plate 51 and the cover plate 52. This causes the nozzle assembly 5 to form a slit-type nozzle assembly.

[0052] Figure 4 is an exploded view of the metering assembly of the coating system according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the drive gear 34 and the driven gear 35 constitute the gear mechanism of the metering assembly 3. The gear mechanism is mounted on a gear support plate 33 located between the upper plate 31 and the lower plate 33. The drive gear 34 has a drive gear shaft 34a and is driven by a drive device such as a motor 2, and the drive gear shaft 34a is driven-connected to the drive shaft of the drive device such as a motor shaft 21. The motor 2 is, for example, a servo motor, which can accurately transmit shaft speed and output. The driven gear 35 has a driven gear shaft 35a. The drive gear 34 and the driven gear 35 constitute a small gear mechanism. Specifically, the gap between the drive gear 34 and the driven gear 35 on one side of the metering assembly 3 communicates with the fluid source 10, and the gap between the drive gear 34 and the driven gear 35 on the other side of the metering assembly 3 communicates with the nozzle assembly 5. Therefore, the internal space of the metering assembly 3, i.e., the metering pump, is in communication with the fluid source 10 and can receive fluid material from the fluid source 10. The nozzle assembly 5 is in fluid communication with the metering assembly 3 and can receive fluid material from the metering assembly 3. The fluid material passes through the metering assembly 3 and enters the nozzle assembly 5.

[0053] Furthermore, a groove 37 may be provided on the upper surface of the lower plate 32 to accommodate a sealing component (not shown here; see Figure 2). The sealing component is provided between the lower plate 32 and the gear support plate 33 to prevent unintended fluid leakage from between them.

[0054] Figure 5 is an exploded view of the coating system according to the present invention. As can be seen from Figure 5, the nozzle assembly 5 includes a lip plate 51 and a cover plate 52, as well as a shim 53 positioned between the lip plate 51 and the cover plate 52. The shim 53 has a notch 53a extending upward from the bottom of the shim, and the height of the uppermost part of this notch is greater than or equal to the height of the uppermost part of the lip plate flow path 51a of the lip plate 51. Preferably, the notch 53a has a substantially rectangular shape, and the lip plate flow path 51a has a rectangular cross-section. The height of the upper edge of the rectangular notch 53a is greater than or equal to the height of the upper edge of the rectangular cross-section of the lip plate flow path 51a. Furthermore, designing the shim-type slit nozzle assembly 5 in combination is also an important element in achieving micron-level coating performance.

[0055] The shape of the upper edge of the notch 53a can be set as needed. Preferably, the upper edge of the notch 53a has a structural shape that forms a specific fluid pattern when coated by the coating system. In particular, the structural shape may be comb-like in shape to form a textured fluid pattern.

[0056] In the field of power batteries for electric vehicles, it is usually necessary to coat the aluminum foil edges of the battery electrode substrate with a fluid such as hot melt adhesive. For this application, the equivalent adhesive film width is between approximately 4 mm and 12 mm, with a 7 mm adhesive film width being generally preferred, and the required adhesive film thickness is between approximately 0.05 mm and 0.2 mm. Exceeding this range is not permitted. Therefore, the thickness of shim 53 is set within the range of 0.05 to 0.2 mm. The width of shim 53 is set within the range of 4 mm to 20 mm, preferably 7 mm. It is understood that other values ​​can be selected for the width and thickness of shim 53 depending on actual production needs. Stainless steel nozzle shims are used to allow for more freedom in manipulating the coating pattern and the resulting distribution. For example, the thickness of the shim can be adjusted within the range of 0.01 mm to 0.2 mm to control the thickness of the adhesive film. On the other hand, the notch structure / pattern of the shim is a primary method for controlling the consistency and uniformity of the coating.

[0057] The shapes of the lip plate 51, cover plate 52, and shim 53 are not particularly limited. Preferably, the shapes of the lip plate 51, cover plate 52, and shim 53 are consistent and / or identical in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the lip plate 51. Preferably, as shown in Figure 5, the lip plate 51, cover plate 52, and shim 53 each have a projection at the bottom, and the notch 53a is located on the projection of the shim 53. Thus, the nozzle assembly has a protruding spray lip.

[0058] The connections between the lip plate 51, cover plate 52, and shim 53 of the nozzle assembly 5, as well as the connection between the nozzle assembly 5 and the heating block 6, can be achieved in various ways. Preferably, the nozzle assembly 5 and the heating block 6 are connected by multiple screws, fixing the nozzle assembly 5, the heating block 6, and the metering assembly 3 to each other and enabling fluid communication.

[0059] Referring again to Figure 5, a seal 54 is provided between the joint surface of the lip plate 51 of the nozzle assembly 5 and the flange portion of the heating block 6. The seal 54 is annular, preferably rectangular, and has a central opening. The seal 54 surrounds the fluid flowing from the heating block 6 to the nozzle assembly 5, and in particular to the lip plate 51 of the nozzle assembly 5. The outlet 65a of the fifth flow path 65 of the heating block 6 is set lower than the vertical Z height of the coating system of the lip plate flow path 51a of the lip plate 51, specifically lower than the height of the lowest part of the lip plate flow path 51a of the lip plate 51. Thus, the portion of the lip plate 51 below the lip plate flow path 51a constitutes a damming member. The damming member extends upward from the bottom of the lip plate 51 to the lip plate flow path 51a. The upper edge of the damming member is higher than the outlet 65a of the fifth flow path 65 of the heating block 6. As a result, the fluid that flows out from the outlet 65a of the fifth flow path 65 of the heating block 6 enters the receiving groove 51b of the lip plate 51 and flows upward. The fluid that rises to the height of the damming member flows into the lip plate flow path 51a. The presence of the damming member allows for precise control of the fluid distribution flow and suppresses the generation of fluid hammerheads.

[0060] A boss (not shown) can be provided on the outer edge of one side of the lip plate 51 that connects to the seal 54, to restrict the movement of the seal 54. Instead of providing the boss on the surface of the lip plate 51, it is also conceivable to provide it on the surface of the flange portion that contacts the seal 54.

[0061] The various components of the coating system can be formed from the same material. Preferably, each component can be made from an aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the overall weight of the system can be reduced by providing weight-reducing holes in the components.

[0062] The assembly of the coating system of the present invention will now be described. The coating system of the present invention can be divided into several subsystems, which are obtained by assembling these subsystems. First, the motor 2 and the metering assembly 3 are mounted together to form the first subsystem. The pump 4 and the nozzle assembly 5 are mounted on the heating block 6 to form the second subsystem. The first subsystem is mounted on the second subsystem to form the third subsystem. The adjustment mechanism 1 is mounted on the heating block 6 to form the fourth subsystem. Next, the fluid source 10 is connected to the heating block 6 to form the entire coating system. It will be easily understood that the assembly order of the components can be freely changed. Preferably, the fluid source 10 is mounted last, but this is not necessarily required.

[0063] The operating principle of the coating system of the present invention will be described below.

[0064] When the operator or control device of the coating system issues a start command to activate the coating system, the fluid flowing out from the fluid source 10 enters the heating block 6. The fluid enters the first flow path 61 and the second flow path 62 of the heating block 6 and enters the metering assembly 3. Driven by the motor 2, the fluid flows out of the metering assembly 3 by the gear mechanism of the metering assembly 3, i.e., the high-precision metering pump, and enters the third flow path 63 and the fourth flow path 64 of the heating block 6 and enters the internal chamber of the valve 4. When the valve 4 is turned on, that is, when the valve stem 41 of the valve 4 rises, the fluid flowing out from the internal cavity of the valve 4 enters the fifth flow path 65 of the heating block 6 (see Figure 2). The fluid flowing out from the fifth flow path 65 then passes through the seal 54 and enters the receiving groove 51b of the lip plate 51 of the nozzle assembly 5, where it is blocked by the damming member of the lip plate 51 and rises. Subsequently, the fluid passes over the damming member and enters the lip plate channel 51a, enters the space between the lip plate 51 and the cover plate 52, and finally flows out of the nozzle assembly 5 through the notch 53a of the shim 53, and is distributed to the surface of the substrate, such as the workpiece or battery electrodes. In this way, the coating system uses a shim-equipped slit-type nozzle assembly to coat the substrate with an extremely thin (micron-level) fluid of a predetermined width, such as an adhesive. The coating system of the present invention is also called a belt-type coater and incorporates a uniquely designed composite (shim + slit) nozzle assembly.

[0065] The most important non-contact methods for bonding adhesives to all types of substrates are jetting and spraying. Unfortunately, neither jetting nor spraying can form a uniform and continuous adhesive pattern. Currently, slit nozzle coating is the only method that meets such coating requirements. Slit nozzle coating distributes the adhesive onto the electrodes in some way using a contact method. Fluid distribution can be achieved as long as the thermal adhesive material can flow continuously to the ends of the slit nozzle assembly.

[0066] From the standpoint of fluid flow path and operating principle, the design concept of the present invention is distinctly different from conventional slit nozzle coating nozzles. The novel design of the composite slit nozzle assembly of the present invention is a significant improvement over common slit nozzle structures that reduce adhesive dripping during system standby, such as by adding shims or combining them with damming structures. The coating system of the present invention, which integrates shims and a precision metering pump and uses a high-precision metering pump to accurately supply fluids such as adhesive to the shim-type slit coating nozzle, achieves high-precision coating performance (capable of forming a continuous adhesive layer of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm on electrode aluminum foil), provides a supply device for various high-temperature fluids such as adhesives, offers diverse types of fluid patterns, provides a user-friendly human-machine interface, and has easily maintainable, reliable, and durable spare parts. Furthermore, the coating system of the present invention is suitable for high-speed production lines in automated production lines. The coating system of the present invention is particularly suitable for coating the thin terminal side edges of blade batteries.

[0067] Embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. It is expected that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1 Adjustment mechanism 2 motors 3 Weighing assembly 33 Gear support plate 34 Drive gear 35 Driven gear 4 valves 5 Nozzle Assembly 51 Lip Plate 51a Lip plate channel 51b Receiving groove 52 Cover Plate 54 Seals 6. Heating Block 10 Fluid source 101 Cartridges 102 Hose

Claims

1. The lip plate (51) has a lip plate channel (51a) that extends through the lip plate in the thickness direction of the lip plate, and a receiving groove (51b) located on one side of the lip plate in the thickness direction and receiving fluid from outside the nozzle assembly, and the lip plate channel (51a) and the receiving groove (51b) are in fluid communication with each other, A cover plate (52) connected to the lip plate (51) on the other side of the lip plate (51) opposite to the receiving groove (51b), A shim (53) is located between the lip plate (51) and the cover plate (52), Equipped with, The nozzle assembly (5) is characterized in that the shim has a notch (53a) extending upward from the bottom side of the shim, and the height of the uppermost part of the notch is greater than or equal to the height of the uppermost part of the lip plate flow path (51a) of the lip plate (51).

2. The nozzle assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the notch (53a) has a rectangular shape, the lip plate flow path (51a) has a rectangular cross-section, and the height of the upper edge of the notch is greater than or equal to the height of the upper edge of the lip plate flow path (51a).

3. The nozzle assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper edge of the notch (53a) is provided with a structured shape.

4. The nozzle assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the structured shape is comb-like.

5. The nozzle assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the thickness of the shim (53) is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm.

6. The nozzle assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the width of the notch (53a) of the shim (53) is in the range of 4 mm to 20 mm.

7. The nozzle assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the width of the notch (53a) of the shim (53) is 7 mm.

8. The nozzle assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lip plate (51), the cover plate (52), and the shim (53) have the same contour in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the lip plate.

9. The nozzle assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the lip plate (51), the cover plate (52), and the shim (53) each have a protrusion at their bottom, and the notch (53a) is located within the protrusion of the shim (53).

10. The nozzle assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cover plate (52), the shim (53), and the lip plate (51) are sequentially fixed to each other by screws.

11. Fluid source (10), A positive displacement pump is configured to receive fluid by communicating with the fluid source (10), and a metering assembly (3) is configured to receive fluid. The nozzle assembly (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is in fluid communication with the metering assembly (3), receives fluid from the metering assembly (3), and distributes the fluid from the nozzle assembly, A coating system equipped with the following features.

12. The fluid source is configured as one of a fluid cartridge (101) and a hose (102), The coating system according to claim 11, characterized in that the coating system has a universal adapter (1010) for connecting the fluid cartridge or the hose.

13. The coating system according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the weighing assembly (3) includes a drive gear (34) driven by a motor (2) and a driven gear (35).

14. The coating system according to claim 13, characterized in that the gap between the drive gear (34) and the driven gear (35) on one side of the measuring assembly (3) is in fluid communication with the fluid source, and the gap between the drive gear (34) and the driven gear (35) on the other side of the measuring assembly (3) is in fluid communication with the nozzle assembly (5).

15. The coating system according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the coating system has a heating block (6), and the measuring assembly (3) is in fluid communication with the nozzle assembly (5) via the heating block (6).

16. The coating system according to claim 15, characterized in that the heating block (6) has a flange portion and a main body portion connected to each other, the measuring assembly (3) is attached to the main body portion, and the nozzle assembly (5) is attached to the flange portion.

17. The coating system according to claim 16, characterized in that it comprises a valve (4) integrated with the heating block (6).

18. The coating system according to claim 17, characterized in that the valve (4) and the nozzle assembly (5) overlap at least partially in the longitudinal direction of the coating system.

19. The valve seat (66) is provided in the fluid passage of the flange portion, The coating system according to claim 17, characterized in that the tip (41a) of the valve stem (41) of the valve (4) can contact the valve seat (66) to block the flow of fluid in the fluid passage within the heating block (6).

20. The coating system according to claim 15, characterized in that a seal (54) having a central opening is provided between the lip plate (51) and the heating block (6) of the nozzle assembly (5).

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