Powder supply chute

Abstract

A chute for supplying powder in a secondary battery manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a body comprising an inlet into which the powder flows, an outlet outlet from which the powder is discharged, and a base plate formed between the inlet and outlet; and a plurality of heating lines formed on the body, each heating line comprising a first portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the body, a second portion extending parallel to the outlet, and a third portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the body and separated from the first portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [Cross-reference of related applications] This application claims priority rights based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0069321 dated 28 May 2024, and all content disclosed in the documents of said Korean Patent Application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a powder supply chute, and more specifically to a chute for supplying powder uniformly while heating or maintaining its temperature in a secondary battery manufacturing process. [Background technology]

[0003] In modern society, as the use of portable devices such as mobile phones, laptops, video cameras, and digital cameras, as well as energy storage devices (ESS), becomes commonplace, development in related technologies is becoming more active. Furthermore, rechargeable secondary batteries are being used as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) as a solution to air pollution caused by existing gasoline vehicles that use fossil fuels, thus increasing the need for development in secondary batteries.

[0004] Currently, commercially available rechargeable batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium-ion batteries. Among these, lithium-ion batteries are attracting attention because they exhibit almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, allowing for flexible charging and discharging, and have the advantages of a very low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] Such lithium secondary batteries primarily use lithium oxide and carbon material as the positive electrode active material and negative electrode active material, respectively. A lithium secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, each coated with the positive electrode active material and negative electrode active material respectively, are arranged with a separator in between, and a battery case that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with the electrolyte.

[0006] Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into two types based on the shape of their casing: can-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in an aluminum laminate sheet pouch.

[0007] The manufacturing process for such lithium secondary batteries is broadly divided into three stages: the electrode process, the assembly process, and the chemical conversion process. The electrode process is further divided into the active material mixing process, the electrode coating process, the rolling process, the slitting process, and the winding process. Of these, the active material mixing process is a process in which conductive materials, organic binder polymers, additives, etc. are selectively mixed with the electrode active material as needed to obtain a mixture.

[0008] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a conventional powder supply chute. Figure 2 shows an example (comparative example) of the conventional powder supply chute shown in Figure 1.

[0009] Referring to Figure 1, the conventional chute 10 includes a main body 20 and a plurality of heating lines 30. The main body 20 includes an inlet 21 into which powder flows, a base plate 22 to which powder moves, and an outlet 23 from which powder is discharged. The plurality of heating lines 30; 30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n (where n is a natural number) are provided in the main body 20.

[0010] The powder that flows into the inlet 21 moves along the base plate 22 and is discharged from the discharge 23. The powder moves along the length direction of the base plate 22, and for convenience, the direction of powder movement is denoted as "F". The discharge 23 is formed in a diagonal shape based on the length direction of the base plate 22 of the main body 20. Alternatively, the discharge 23 is formed in a diagonal shape based on the width direction (direction perpendicular to the length direction) of the base plate 22 of the main body 20.

[0011] Multiple heating lines 30;30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n have a structure that starts from the inlet 21, is arranged along the base plate 22, changes direction near the discharge 23 and is again arranged along the base plate 22, and ends at the inlet 21. Multiple heating lines 30;30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n are formed, for example, in a U shape, as shown in Figure 1.

[0012] On the other hand, in the conventional chute 10, multiple heating lines 30; 30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n are arranged in a line along the width direction of the base plate 22 of the main body 20.

[0013] In the conventional chute 10, the discharge section 23 and / or its vicinity (area indicated by the dotted line, P out-con (See reference) There is a risk of large temperature deviations in the powder.

[0014] For example, there may be a slight difference in temperature between the powder moving along paths F1 (through heating line 30-1), F3 (through heating line 30-2), and F5 (through heating line 30-3) and the temperatures of paths F2 and F4 (which do not pass through heating line 30). Also, if multiple heating lines 30; 30-1, 30-2, and 30-3 are heated at different temperatures, there may be a large temperature difference in the powder between paths F1 (through heating line 30-1), F3 (through heating line 30-2), and F5 (through heating line 30-3).

[0015] The need to solve the temperature deviation (temperature non-uniformity problem) of the powder discharged from the discharge section 23 of the chute 10 in such conventional technology is becoming increasingly apparent. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0016] The present invention aims to provide a chute for uniformly heating or maintaining the temperature of powder during the secondary battery manufacturing process.

[0017] However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and can be variously extended within the scope of the technical idea included in the present invention.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0018] A powder supply chute according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body including an inflow portion into which powder flows, a discharge portion from which the powder is discharged, and a base plate formed between the inflow portion and the discharge portion; and a plurality of heating lines formed in the main body, and each heating line may include a first portion extending in the length direction of the main body, a second portion extending parallel to the discharge portion, and a third portion extending in the length direction of the main body and spaced apart from the first portion.

[0019] Each second portion of the plurality of heating lines is arranged parallel to the discharge portion and is arranged so as to be sequentially farther from the discharge portion.

[0020] One of the adjacent heating lines may have a structure surrounding the other adjacent heating line.

[0021] The heating line located at the most central portion may be surrounded by adjacent heating lines, and sequentially, the next adjacent heating lines may surround it, and the outermost heating line may surround the heating lines arranged inside.

[0022] The first portion of the outermost heating line may start from one end or the vicinity of the inflow portion, and the third portion of the outermost heating line may end at the other end or the vicinity of the inflow portion.

[0023] The heating line located at the most central portion may have a structure including the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion, or may have a straight-line structure having only the first portion excluding the second portion and the third portion.

[0024] The first portion may extend in the longitudinal direction of the main body starting from the inlet and toward the discharge, the second portion may change direction at the first portion and extend parallel to the discharge, and the third portion may change direction at the second portion and extend in the longitudinal direction of the main body toward the inlet.

[0025] The discharge section may be perpendicular to the length of the main body.

[0026] The discharge section is formed in a diagonal shape with respect to the length direction of the main body, and the intersection angle between the extension of the first portion of the heating line and the extension of the second portion may form an acute angle.

[0027] The heating line may include a fourth portion consisting of a triangular planar structure formed inside the point where the first portion and the second portion of the heating line meet.

[0028] The point where the first portion and the second portion of the heating line meet may have a rounded shape or a chamfered shape, and the point where the second portion and the third portion of the heating line meet may also have a rounded shape or a chamfered shape.

[0029] Each of the plurality of heating lines may be formed integrally by connecting the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion to each other.

[0030] Each of the plurality of heating lines may be parallel to each other between the first portion, each of the plurality of heating lines may be parallel to each other between the second portion, and each of the plurality of heating lines may be parallel to each other between the third portion.

[0031] The temperature of each of the aforementioned heating lines may be controlled individually.

[0032] At least some of the aforementioned heating lines may be heated at a lower temperature from the outermost heating line towards the central heating line.

[0033] The heating line may also be an electric heating wire.

[0034] The aforementioned powder may be electrode active material powder supplied onto the current collector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0035] According to the present invention, the powder can be heated and / or kept at a uniform temperature evenly throughout the entire chute, and the precision of temperature control for each of the multiple heating lines is increased.

[0036] Furthermore, by providing a uniform temperature for the electrode active material powder supplied onto the current collector via the chute, the quality of the resulting electrode sheets can be improved.

[0037] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned should be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0038] [Figure 1] This shows a conventional powder supply chute. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an example (comparative example) of a conventional powder supply chute. [Figure 3] This diagram shows a conceptual diagram of a powder supply chute according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a reference diagram of the heating line in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is another reference diagram of the heating line in Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 3 shows one embodiment of the powder supply chute. [Figure 7]The temperature of the chute surface (surface of the base plate) in each of the embodiments in Figure 6 (Example 1) and the comparative example in Figure 2 is shown in the graph. [Figure 8] Figures 3 to 7 schematically show a case in which electrode active material powder is supplied onto a current collector using the chute according to the embodiment of the present invention described above. [Figure 9] Another embodiment of the present invention shows a modified embodiment of the powder supply chute shown in Figure 6. [Figure 10] Another embodiment of the present invention shows a modified version in which the discharge section of the powder supply chute in Figure 3 is altered. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, so that they can be easily implemented by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention can be realized in a variety of different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0040] To clearly explain the present invention, unnecessary explanatory parts have been omitted, and the same or similar reference numerals are used throughout the specification for identical or similar components.

[0041] Furthermore, the dimensions and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrary for illustrative purposes and are not necessarily limited to those shown in the present invention. Thicknesses are shown enlarged in the drawings to clearly represent multiple layers and regions. In addition, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated in the drawings for illustrative purposes.

[0042] Furthermore, when a part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate is said to be "on top of" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly above" the other part, but also the case where the other part is in between. Conversely, when one part is said to be "directly above" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. Also, being "on top of" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "up" in the opposite direction of gravity.

[0043] Furthermore, when a specification states that a certain part "includes" a certain component, unless otherwise stated, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but rather that other components may be included.

[0044] Furthermore, throughout the specification, "on a plane" refers to the view of the subject from above, and "on a cross-section" refers to the view of a cross-section of the subject, obtained by cutting it vertically, from the side.

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0046] Figure 3 shows a conceptual diagram of a powder supply chute according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a reference diagram of the heating line in Figure 3. Figure 5 is another reference diagram of the heating line in Figure 3. Figure 6 shows one embodiment of the powder supply chute in Figure 3.

[0047] Referring to Figures 3 to 6, a chute 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 110 and a plurality of heating lines 120. The main body 110 includes an inlet 111 into which powder flows, a base plate 112 to which the powder moves, and a discharge 113 to which the powder is discharged. The area between the inlet 111 and the discharge 113 is the base plate 112, and the powder that flows into the inlet 111 moves along the base plate 112 and is discharged from the discharge 113. The base plate 112 may include protective plates that protrude upward from the base plate 112 on both sides (the portion between the inlet 111 and the discharge 113) to prevent powder from leaking to the outside. This prevents powder from falling to the outside on both sides of the base plate 112 that are not the discharge 113.

[0048] The powder moves along the length of the base plate 112, and for convenience, the direction of powder movement is denoted as "F". For example, one end of the base plate 112 can become the inlet 111, and the other end of the base plate 112 can become the discharge 113.

[0049] On the other hand, the discharge section 113 may be formed in a diagonal shape based on the length direction of the base plate 112 of the main body 110 (or, in other words, the discharge section 113 may be formed in a diagonal shape based on the width direction (direction perpendicular to the length direction) of the base plate 112 of the main body 110). However, the present invention is not limited to what is shown in Figure 3, and various modifications and changes are possible, such as forming the discharge section 113 at a right angle between the discharge section 113 and both sides of the base plate 112 (see Figure 10).

[0050] Multiple heating lines 120; 120-1, 120-2, ..., 120-n (where n is a natural number) are provided in the main body 110. Figure 6 shows an example where, for example, four heating lines 120 are provided and n=4, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be modified in various ways depending on the environment in which the present invention is implemented.

[0051] First, referring to Figure 3, in a chute 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the multiple heating lines 120 is arranged parallel to the discharge section 113, and each of the multiple heating lines 120 is arranged in order from further away from the discharge section 113.

[0052] Figure 4 is a reference diagram to Figure 3, showing any one of the multiple heating lines 120 in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 4, each of the multiple heating lines 120 consists of a first portion 121 extending in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 112 of the main body 110, a second portion 122 extending parallel to the discharge portion 113, and a third portion 123 again extending in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 112. The first portion 121 and the third portion 123 are separated from each other. The first portion 121, the second portion 122, and the third portion 123 of the heating line 120 may be connected to each other and formed as a single unit. Also, the point where the first portion 121 and the third portion 123 meet may form an intersection angle (e.g., an acute angle) as shown in Figure 3, but may also be chamfered or (not shown) rounded (see Figure 6). In some cases, as will be described later in the modified example of Figure 9, if an acute angle is formed when the extension of the first part 121 and the extension of the third part 123 intersect, the planar structure may have a triangular shape (for example, a right triangle) to reduce the blind spot inside the point where the first part 121 and the third part 123 meet (see Figure 9).

[0053] Similarly, the point where the second portion 122 and the third portion 123 meet may form an intersection angle (e.g., an obtuse angle) (see Figure 3), but may also be chamfered or rounded (not shown) (see Figure 6). Furthermore, although not shown in the present invention, if a blind spot is formed at the point where the second portion 122 and the third portion 123 meet, the invention may have an additional structure to reduce such a blind spot.

[0054] Furthermore, if the discharge section 113 is not formed in a diagonal shape, but for example forms a right angle with the side of the base plate 112, then the intersection angle at the point where the first section 121 and the third section 123 meet, and the intersection angle at the point where the second section 122 and the third section 123 meet, may each be a right angle, allowing for a variety of modifications and changes.

[0055] The first portion 121 of the heating line 120 starts from the inlet 111 and is arranged along the base plate 112. The second portion 122 of the heating line 120 changes direction and is arranged parallel to the discharge portion 113. The third portion 123 of the heating line 120 changes direction again and is again arranged along the base plate 112, and has a structure that ends at the inlet 111.

[0056] Each of these heating lines 120 may be formed in a roughly U-shaped or recursive structure, as shown in Figure 1.

[0057] At this time, the discharge section 113 and / or its vicinity (the area indicated by the dotted line, P) in Figure 3. out (See reference) The second portion 122 of the heating line 120 is positioned parallel to the discharge section 113 (i.e., parallel to the peripheral edge of the discharge section 113).

[0058] As a result, the discharge section 113 and / or the vicinity P out This reduces the temperature deviation of the powder, enabling uniformity of the powder's temperature. To elaborate, in Figure 3, paths F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5 all pass through at least one of the multiple heating lines 120 (the outermost heating line), so unlike in the conventional technology shown in Figure 1, the temperature of the powder discharged from the discharge section 113 can be made uniform. In other words, the temperature deviation between the powders passing through each of the paths F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5 in Figure 3 can be significantly reduced.

[0059] On the other hand, in the example in Figure 3, P out The present invention is shown as an example in which one heating line 120-1 passes through the region, but is not limited thereto, and the present invention may also be shown in which a second portion 122 of some of the heating lines 120 is additionally P out They may be arranged in the region parallel to the discharge section 113 (that is, parallel to the peripheral edge of the discharge section 113).

[0060] In the chute 100 according to this embodiment of the present invention, the multiple heating lines 120 have a structure in which one heating line 120 from among adjacent heating lines 120 surrounds another heating line 120 from among adjacent heating lines 120. The heating line 120 located at the very center is surrounded by adjacent heating lines 120, and then further surrounded by the next adjacent heating line 120, and so on, until the outermost heating line 120 surrounds all the heating lines 120 located inside the outermost heating line 120.

[0061] Conversely, the explanation based on the outermost heating line 120 is as follows. The outermost heating line 120 is referred to as the first heating line 120-1. First, the first heating line 120-1 starts from one end or near the inlet 111 and is positioned along one outermost side of the base plate 112 or near it (see first part 121). Next, the first heating line 120-1 changes direction and is positioned parallel to the discharge 113 at or near the discharge 113 (see second part 122). Next, the first heating line 120-1 changes direction again and is positioned along the other outermost side of the base plate 112 or near it, and has a structure that ends at the other end of the inlet 111 or near it (see third part 123).

[0062] The second heating line 120-2, adjacent to the first heating line 120-1, starts at the inlet 111, runs along the base plate 112, runs parallel to the discharge 113, then runs along the base plate 112 again, and ends at the inlet 111, similar to the first heating line 120-1. At this time, the second heating line 120-2 is positioned parallel to the adjacent first heating line 120-1, but separated inward. In other words, the second heating line 120-2 is surrounded by the first heating line 120-1.

[0063] Similarly, multiple heating lines 120; 120-1, 120-2, ..., 120-n are arranged in the manner described above, with the centrally located heating line 120-n being surrounded by the remaining heating lines 120. The centrally located heating line 120-n may have a structure including a first part 121, a second part 122, and a third part 123, similar to the remaining heating lines 120, or it may be provided in a single line shape including only the first part 121.

[0064] In addition to the aforementioned structure of the multiple heating lines 120, each of the multiple heating lines 120 is parallel to each other between the first parts 121 (see Figure 4), parallel to each other between the second parts 122 (see Figure 4), and parallel to each other between the third parts 123 (see Figure 4).

[0065] On the other hand, each of the multiple heating lines 120 may be controlled to an individual temperature. More specifically, each of the multiple heating lines 120 may be heated at a different temperature, and in some cases, some or all of them may be heated at the same temperature.

[0066] To clarify, achieving uniform temperature of the powder does not necessarily require all heating lines 120 to be heated to the same temperature at all times. For example, in some cases, if the amount of powder passing over each of the heating lines 120 differs, the heating lines 120 located in areas with more powder passing through may need to be heated to a higher temperature. As mentioned earlier, the outermost heating line 120 may need to be heated to a higher temperature than the other heating lines 120. Of course, in some cases, all heating lines 120 may need to be heated to the same temperature. The important point here is that each of the heating lines 120 can be controlled to an individual temperature.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 5, which is a reference diagram of FIG. 3, the principle of achieving temperature uniformity of the powder at any point (P area reference) on the base plate 112 of the chute 100 in FIG. 3 will be described.

[0068] FIG. 5(a) shows an enlarged view of P area in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5(b) is a comparative example of FIG. 5(a), showing an enlarged view of P area-con in FIG. 1. P area and P area-con described below are not limited to those shown in FIGS. 3 and 1, and it is emphasized that they correspond to any point on the base plate 112.

[0069] First, referring to FIG. 5(a), the heating lines 120-1 and 120-3 adjacent to each other on both sides are arranged with reference to the heating line 120-2. That is, P area will be adjacent between the heating lines 120 that are different from each other.

[0070] At P area heat exchange occurs between the heating line 120-1 and the heating line 120-2 to form an equilibrium temperature, and heat exchange also occurs between the heating line 120-2 and the heating line 120-3 to form an equilibrium temperature. At this time, depending on the process environment and conditions, etc., the heating lines 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 may be heated at different temperatures, or some or all of them may be heated at the same temperature.

[0071] Thereby, even if the temperature changes in a specific one of the heating lines 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3, P area as a whole can have a substantially uniform temperature. Also, when viewed within P area the temperatures of the heating lines 120-1, 120-2, and 120-3 can be individually controlled, soarea Overall, the temperature will be controlled more precisely to ensure a uniform temperature throughout the system.

[0072] However, referring to Figure 5(b) relating to the prior art, P area-con Then, with the first part 31 of heating line 30-1 as the reference point, the third part 33 of heating line 30-1 and the adjacent third part 33 of heating line 30-2 are positioned on both sides. area-con Internally, the first portion 31 of heating line 30-1 and the third portion 33 of heating line 30-1 have the same temperature, and the third portion 33 of the adjacent heating line 30-2 is controlled to be the same as or different from the temperature of heating line 30-1. Therefore, the precision of temperature control is lower than in Figure 5(a) according to the present invention.

[0073] In other words, even in the conventional technology, as in the present invention, even if multiple heating lines are controlled individually, the arrangement of heating lines in the present invention shown in Figure 5(a) can improve the precision of temperature control for uniformizing the temperature of the powder compared to the arrangement of heating lines in the conventional technology shown in Figure 5(b).

[0074] In other words, in the case of the present invention, compared to the prior art, the discharge section 113 and / or its vicinity P are improved as described above in Figure 3. out However, it is also possible to reduce the temperature deviation of the powder and achieve uniform temperature distribution.

[0075] The method for realizing the heating line 120 according to the present invention is not particularly limited, and any method that can heat or maintain the temperature of the chute 100 is sufficient. Each of the heating lines 120 can be realized in various ways, such as being an electric heating wire or being a pipe (tube) through which a heating fluid flows.

[0076] Figure 6 illustrates an example of one embodiment of the present invention, specifically a case where multiple heating lines 120, for example, four, are provided.

[0077] In the case of Figure 6, even if each of the multiple heating lines 120 is heated at a different temperature, the temperature deviation on the surface of the base plate 112 can be reduced compared to the case of the comparative example in Figure 2, where each of the multiple heating lines 30 is heated at a different temperature.

[0078] First, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6 (Example 1), the outermost heating line 120-1 is located relatively closer to the outside of the chute 100 than the other heating lines 120, resulting in the greatest heat loss. To prevent this, the first heating line 120-1 is heated to the highest temperature among the multiple heating lines 120. In the example shown in Figure 6, the first heating line 120-1 is heated to, for example, 100 degrees Celsius.

[0079] The second heating line 120-2, arranged in the following order, may be heated at a lower temperature than the first heating line 120-1. Since the second heating line 120-2 has a structure surrounded by the first heating line 120-1, it is relatively less affected by the external temperature than the first heating line 120-1, and this can be achieved when there is less heat loss to the outside than the first heating line 120-1. In the example in Figure 6, the second heating line 120-2 is heated to, for example, 90 degrees Celsius.

[0080] Similarly, the third heating line 120-3, arranged in the following order, may be heated at a lower temperature than the second heating line 120-2. Since the third heating line 120-3 has a structure surrounded by the second heating line 120-2 and the first heating line 120-1, it is relatively less affected by the external temperature than the second heating line 120-2, and this can be achieved when there is less heat loss to the outside than the second heating line 120-2. In the example in Figure 6, the third heating line 120-3 is heated to, for example, 80 degrees Celsius.

[0081] The fourth heating line 120-4, located at the very center, may be heated at a lower temperature than the third heating line 120-3, or, in some cases, at a higher temperature.

[0082] To elaborate, depending on the process environment, the temperature of the fourth heating line 120-4 may be set lower. For example, when powder is transported on a chute 100, the thickness of the powder moving along the length of the chute 100 in the center of the chute 100 may be significantly lower than the thickness of the powder moving along the length of the chute 100 near the outermost edge of the chute 100. In this case, the powder thinly piled in the center of the chute 100 heats up more easily than the powder thickly piled on the outside of the chute, so setting the temperature of the fourth heating line 120-4 lower is advantageous in order to heat the powder to a uniform temperature throughout.

[0083] However, the present invention is not limited to what has been described above, and the temperature of each of the multiple heating lines 30 can be individually controlled to suit the process environment and conditions under which the present invention is realized.

[0084] With the multiple heating lines 120 according to the present invention as shown in Figure 6, the chute 100 can be heated more uniformly overall compared to the conventional technology. To clarify, line AA in Figure 6 is a line that extends parallel to the length direction (powder movement direction, F) of the chute 100 at the center point in the width direction of the chute 100. On each side of the chute 100 divided by line AA, the first heating line 120-1, second heating line 120-2, third heating line 120-3, and fourth heating line 120-4 are arranged in order from the outermost part toward the center. As mentioned above, each heating line 120 is heated at a progressively lower temperature as you move from the first heating line 120-1 toward the center, but the heat loss to the outside decreases relatively as you move from the first heating line 120-1 toward the center, so as a result, the base plate 112 of the chute 100 is heated uniformly overall. Of course, the temperature of the fourth heating line 120-4, located at the very center, may be controlled to a different temperature for other reasons, as mentioned above.

[0085] Furthermore, in some cases, multiple heating lines 120 can be heated to the same temperature at the beginning of the process, and if the temperature becomes relatively lower only near the outermost part of the chute 100 as time progresses, the temperature of only the outermost heating line 120-1 can be set higher than that of the other heating lines 120. Various modifications and changes are possible. For reference, in the conventional technology, even if only heating line 30-1 is heated, it becomes impossible to heat evenly along the outermost part of the chute 10.

[0086] Figure 7 shows a graph of the temperature of the chute surface (surface of the base plate) for each of the embodiments (Example 1) in Figure 6 and the comparative example in Figure 2. In Figure 6, points P1, P2, P3, and P4 are arbitrarily selected points, for example, points that divide the width direction of the chute 100 into four equal parts.

[0087] Referring to the graph in Figure 7, it is shown that the temperature deviation of the powder passing over the surface of the base plate 112 is significantly reduced not only in the discharge section 113 but also between positions along the width direction of the chute 100. For reference, in the present invention, the reduction in temperature deviation depending on the position of the powder discharged from the discharge section 113 can be seen as described above in Figure 3.

[0088] Points P1 and P4 are both located on the surface of the base plate 112 between the first heating line 120-1 and the second heating line 120-2, or, in some cases, on the surface of the base plate 112 on either the first heating line 120-1 or the second heating line 120-2. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, since the first heating line 120-1 and the second heating line 120-2 are heated to 100 degrees Celsius and 90 degrees Celsius, respectively, the surface temperature of the base plate 112 at points P1 and P4 is either 90 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Celsius.

[0089] Furthermore, both points P2 and P3 are located on the surface of the base plate 112 between the third heating line 120-3 and the fourth heating line 120-4, or, in some cases, on the surface of the base plate 112 on either the third heating line 120-3 or the fourth heating line 120-4. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, since the third heating line 120-3 and the fourth heating line 120-4 are heated to 80 degrees Celsius and 100 degrees Celsius respectively, the surface temperature of the base plate 112 at points P2 and P3 is either 80 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Celsius.

[0090] On the other hand, the comparative example in Figure 2 is a case in which each of the multiple heating lines 30 in the chute 10 of Figures 1 and 2 according to the prior art is heated at different temperatures. In the comparative example in Figure 2, the first heating line 30-1 is heated to, for example, 100 degrees Celsius. The second heating line 30-2 is heated to, for example, 90 degrees Celsius. The third heating line 30-3 is heated to, for example, 80 degrees Celsius. In such a comparative example in Figure 2, as shown in the graph in Figure 7, the deviation between the temperatures of the chute 100 surface (the surface of the base plate 112) measured at P1, P2, P3, and P4 becomes large.

[0091] In Figure 6, the maximum temperature deviation is 4.28 degrees Celsius, while in the comparative example in Figure 2, the maximum temperature deviation is 17.72 degrees Celsius, indicating that the temperature deviation of Example 1 is smaller than that of the comparative example. This shows that the temperature of the powder discharged from the discharge section can be made more uniform with the chute 100 of Example 1 of the present invention compared with the chute 10 of the comparative example relating to the prior art.

[0092] Figure 8 schematically shows how electrode active material powder is supplied onto the current collector using the chute according to the embodiment of the present invention described in Figures 3 to 7.

[0093] Referring to Figure 8, the feeder 200 is positioned above the inlet 111 (see Figure 3) of the chute 100. The electrode active material powder 1 is contained inside the feeder 200 and supplied to the inlet 111 of the chute 100. The electrode active material powder 1 moves along the direction of movement F on the base plate 112 (see Figure 3) of the chute 100. At this time, as the electrode active material powder 1 moves on the base plate 112 of the chute 100, it is heated and / or kept warm by multiple heating lines 120 as described above in Figures 3 to 7.

[0094] The chute 100 may be coupled to a drive device (not shown) that vibrates the chute 100 at least in the longitudinal direction of the chute 100. The drive device may be a vibration generating device including, for example, an inductor, an armature, etc. The vibration of the drive device may cause the powder 1 on the body 110 of the chute 100 to vibrate and move from the inlet 111 to the outlet 113. The drive device coupled to the chute 100 refers to a normal chute drive device, so a more detailed explanation is omitted.

[0095] The electrode active material powder 1 is supplied onto the current collector 2 from the discharge section 113 (see Figure 3) of the chute 100. At this time, the current collector 2 moves along the direction of travel S. The portion on the current collector 2 where the electrode active material powder 1 is supplied and flattened by the rolling member 300 (e.g., rolling rolls) becomes the electrode maintenance portion. The portion on the current collector 2 where the electrode active material powder 1 is not supplied and the current collector 2 is left exposed becomes the plain portion of the electrode.

[0096] Figure 9 shows a modified version of the powder supply chute shown in Figure 6, as another embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] When the discharge section 113 of the chute 100 is formed in a diagonal direction, an acute angle is formed when the longitudinal direction of the base plate 112 of the chute 100 intersects with the diagonal direction of the discharge section 113 of the chute 100. To elaborate, one end of the discharge section 113 of the chute 100 forms an acute angle, and the other end forms an obtuse angle.

[0098] On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, when each of the multiple heating lines 120 passes through or near one end of the discharge section 113 of the chute 100 that forms an acute angle, the distance between adjacent heating lines 120 may increase, potentially creating a blind spot.

[0099] To complement this, in the modified version shown in Figure 9, each of the multiple heating lines 120 has a fourth section 124; 124-1, 124-2, 124-3, 124-4, which has a planar structure of a triangle (e.g., a right triangle) at the point where a first section 121 (see Figure 4) formed along the length of the base plate 112 of the chute 100 and a second section 122 (see Figure 4) formed along the direction of the discharge section 113 of the chute 100 (diagonal direction) make an acute angle. This allows the heating lines 120 to pass evenly throughout the entire chute 100 without any blind spots.

[0100] On the other hand, if the heating line 120-4 located at the very center of the multiple heating lines 120 is in a straight line shape (consisting only of the first part 121 (see Figure 4) and not including the second part 122 (see Figure 4) and the third part 123 (see Figure 4)), the end of the heating line 120-4 toward the discharge section may have a fourth part 124-4 having a triangular planar structure.

[0101] Figure 10 shows a modified example of the present invention, in which the discharge section of the powder supply chute in Figure 3 is modified.

[0102] In the embodiment shown in Figure 10, the discharge section 113 is shown as an example where it is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body 110. It is formed perpendicularly between the discharge section 113 and both sides of the base plate 112. In Figure 10, other explanations, except for the intersection angle between the sides of the discharge section 113 and the base plate 112 along the longitudinal direction, overlap with those described in Figures 3 to 9, so please refer to those previously described.

[0103] On the other hand, the embodiments of the present invention described above can be applied, for example, to the manufacturing process of dry electrodes.

[0104] The electrode according to the present invention may be a positive electrode or a negative electrode. In other words, the manufacturing process of the electrode according to the present invention is not particularly limited to positive and negative electrodes and can be easily applied to any electrode manufacturing, and different electrodes can be manufactured depending on the materials used in the manufacture of each electrode (e.g., positive electrode active material or negative electrode active material). Therefore, unless otherwise specifically defined, the terms electrode, electrode active material, current collector, etc., used in this specification may mean both positive and negative electrodes.

[0105] In the manufacturing process of the dry electrode of the present invention, an electrode active material and a binder polymer are dry-mixed to obtain a mixture.

[0106] Any material containing lithium and capable of intercalating and releasing lithium ions can be used as the positive electrode active material. For example, the positive electrode active material can be a layered compound such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) or lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2), or a compound substituted with one or more transition metals; chemical formula Li 1+x Mn 2-x Lithium manganese oxides such as O4 (where x is between 0 and 0.33), LiMnO3, LiMn2O3, LiMnO2; lithium copper oxide (Li2CuO2); vanadium oxides such as LiV3O8, LiFe3O4, V2O5, Cu2V2O7; chemical formula LiNi 1-x M x Ni-site type lithium nickel oxide represented as O2 (where M = Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, or Ga, and x = 0.01 to 0.3); chemical formula LiMn 2-x M x Lithium manganese composite oxide represented as O2 (where M = Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn, or Ta, and x = 0.01 to 0.1) or Li2Mn3MO8 (where M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn); LiNi x Mn 2-xLithium manganese composite oxides with a spinel structure represented by O4; LiMn2O4 in which part of the Li in the chemical formula is replaced with an alkaline earth metal ion; disulfide compounds; Fe2(MoO4)3, etc. may be included, but are not limited to these. The positive electrode may also comprise a positive electrode mixture layer containing lithium metal, carbon material, metal compound, and mixtures thereof. The metal compound may be a compound containing one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, Sb, Bi, Al, Ga, In, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Mg, Sr, and Ba, or a mixture thereof.

[0107] The negative electrode may be manufactured by providing and rolling a negative electrode active material onto a negative electrode current collector, or by a dry process as described above for manufacturing the positive electrode, and may optionally further contain conductive materials such as those in the positive electrode, organic binder polymers, additives, etc.

[0108] Furthermore, the negative electrode active material may include, for example, a carbon material and a silicon material. The carbon material refers to a carbon material whose main component is carbon atoms. Such carbon materials may include graphite, which has a complete layered crystalline structure like natural graphite; soft carbon having a low-crystalline layered crystalline structure (graphene structure; a structure in which hexagonal honeycomb-shaped planes of carbon are arranged in layers); hard carbon in which such a structure is mixed with amorphous parts; artificial graphite; expanded graphite; carbon fibers; non-graphitizable carbon; carbon black; acetylene black; Ketjen black; carbon nanotubes; fullerenes; activated carbon; graphene; and carbon nanotubes. Preferably, it may include one or more selected from the group consisting of natural graphite, artificial graphite, and carbon nanotubes. More preferably, the carbon material may include natural graphite and / or artificial graphite, and may include one or more of carbon black and carbon nanotubes together with natural graphite and / or artificial graphite. In this case, the carbon material may contain 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes per 100 parts by weight of the total carbon material, more specifically, 0.1 to 5 parts by weight; or 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes per 100 parts by weight of the total carbon material.

[0109] Furthermore, silicon material is a particle that mainly contains silicon (Si) as a metallic component, and consists of silicon (Si) particles and silicon oxide (SiO₂). X (1 ≤ X ≤ 2) A silicon material may contain one or more of the following particles. For example, a silicon material may contain silicon (Si) particles, silicon monoxide (SiO) particles, silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles, or mixtures of these particles.

[0110] Furthermore, in the present invention, the current collector can be anything that exhibits electrical conductivity, such as a metal plate, and can be any current collector electrode known to be suitable in the field of secondary batteries.

[0111] Furthermore, in the present invention, the conductive material is not particularly limited as long as it is conductive without inducing a chemical change in the battery.

[0112] Furthermore, in the present invention, the binder resin is not particularly limited as long as it is a component that assists in the bonding of the active material to a conductive material and to the current collector.

[0113] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when attempting to form a pattern on the surface of an electrode, additional steps for pattern formation become unnecessary, thereby improving process efficiency. Furthermore, by using the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment of the present invention, the specific surface area of ​​the electrode can be effectively increased, allowing for the storage of more electrolyte ions during battery charging, thus improving battery performance.

[0114] In this embodiment, terms indicating direction such as front, back, left, right, up, and down were used, but such terms are merely for explanatory convenience and can change depending on the position of the object in question, the observer's position, etc.

[0115] Electrodes manufactured using the control method for the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment described above may be included in a secondary battery, and multiple such secondary batteries can be assembled to form a battery module. The battery module can be incorporated together with various control and protection systems such as a BMS (Battery Management System) and a cooling system to form a battery pack.

[0116] Rechargeable batteries, battery modules, or battery packs can be applied to a variety of devices. Specifically, they can be applied to transportation methods such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and hybrids, but are not limited to these, and are applicable to a wide range of devices that utilize rechargeable batteries.

[0117] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present invention, as defined in the following claims, also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0118] 1: Electrode active material powder 2: Current collector 10: Shoot 20: Main unit 21:Inflow part 22: Base plate 23: Discharge section 30: Heating line 100: Shoot 110: Main unit 111:Inflow section 112: Base plate 113: Discharge section 120: Heating Line 121: Part 1 122:Second part 123: Third part 124: 4th part 200: Feeder 300: Rolled member

Claims

1. A main body including an inlet into which powder flows, an outlet into which the powder is discharged, and a base plate formed between the inlet and outlet; and The main body includes a plurality of heating lines formed therein, Each heating line is a powder supply chute, comprising a first portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body, a second portion extending parallel to the discharge section, and a third portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body and separated from the first portion.

2. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein the second portion of each of the plurality of heating lines is arranged parallel to the discharge section and is arranged to move progressively further away from the discharge section.

3. The powder supply chute according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one of the adjacent heating lines has a structure that surrounds the other heating line.

4. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein a heating line located at the very center is surrounded by adjacent heating lines, and so on, with the next adjacent heating line surrounding it, and the outermost heating line surrounding the heating lines located inside.

5. The powder supply chute according to claim 4, wherein the first portion of the outermost heating line begins at or near one end of the inlet, and the third portion of the outermost heating line ends at or near the other end of the inlet.

6. The powder supply chute according to claim 4, wherein the heating line located at the very center has a structure including the first part, the second part, and the third part, or has a straight-line structure having only the first part excluding the second and third parts.

7. The first portion extends in the longitudinal direction of the main body, starting from the inlet and toward the discharge. The second part switches direction in the first part and extends parallel to the discharge section. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein the third portion has its direction switched in the second portion and extends in the longitudinal direction of the main body to the inlet portion.

8. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein the discharge section is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.

9. The discharge section is formed in a diagonal shape with respect to the length direction of the main body, The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein the intersection angle between the extension of the first portion of the heating line and the extension of the second portion of the heating line forms an acute angle.

10. The powder supply chute according to claim 9, wherein the heating line includes a fourth portion consisting of a triangular planar structure formed inside the point where the first portion and the second portion of the heating line meet.

11. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of heating lines is integrally formed by connecting the first part, the second part, and the third part to each other.

12. The point where the first portion and the second portion of the heating line meet has a rounded shape or a chamfered shape. The powder supply chute according to claim 11, wherein the point where the second portion and the third portion of the heating line meet has a rounded shape or a chamfered shape.

13. Each of the plurality of heating lines is parallel to one another between the first portion, Each of the aforementioned heating lines is parallel to one another between the second portion, The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of heating lines is parallel to one another between the third portion.

14. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the plurality of heating lines is individually controlled.

15. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of heating lines are heated at a lower temperature from the outermost heating line towards the central heating line.

16. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein the heating line is an electric heating wire.

17. The powder supply chute according to claim 1, wherein the powder is electrode active material powder supplied onto a current collector.

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