Electrode sheet drying device and electrode manufacturing system using the same

Abstract

An electrode sheet drying device and an electrode manufacturing system using the same are disclosed. An electrode sheet drying device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a drying structure having a transport passage through which an electrode sheet is transported, and a plurality of rod type lamps arranged in a line along the transport passage and radiating electromagnetic waves of a predetermined wavelength band to the electrode sheet transported through the transport passage, and the plurality of rod type lamps may include a first rod type lamp having a length sufficient to cover all of the peripheral portions on both sides of the electrode sheet in the width direction and a central portion between the peripheral portions on both sides, and a second rod type lamp having a length shorter than that of the first rod type lamp but sufficient to cover the central portion of the electrode sheet.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0060203 filed on May 17, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings.

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrode sheet drying device and an electrode manufacturing system using the same, and more particularly to an electrode sheet drying device that dries a coating material applied to an electrode sheet and an electrode manufacturing system that uses the same to manufacture electrodes. [Background technology]

[0003] In general, an electrode assembly for a secondary battery capable of repeated charging and discharging is manufactured by stacking or winding a laminated structure in which a separator is sandwiched between a first electrode corresponding to a cathode and a second electrode corresponding to an anode. In this case, each electrode is manufactured by applying a coating material in a slurry state corresponding to a cathode active material or an anode active material to an aluminum or copper electrode sheet and drying it.

[0004] However, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc., the existing technology of drying an electrode sheet by blowing hot air over the entire electrode sheet using a heater and a nozzle cannot control the amount of heat reaching the electrode sheet for each part of the electrode sheet. Therefore, when actually applied to the electrode sheet drying process, there is a problem that the peripheral parts of the electrode sheet, where the loading amount of the coating material is small, tend to be over-dried, causing heat wrinkles and cracks in those parts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent No. 10-1725904 [Patent Document 2] Korean Patent No. 10-1867659 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electrode sheet drying device that can shorten the time of the electrode sheet drying process, improve the drying efficiency, and prevent heat wrinkles and cracks caused by over-drying of the peripheral parts of the electrode sheet in the actual electrode sheet drying process, thereby improving the coating quality and yield of the electrodes.

[0007] Another technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an electrode manufacturing system that can ensure a high level of coating quality and yield by using the electrode sheet drying device, even when the width of the electrode sheet, the type of coating material, the drying temperature or the drying time, etc. are changed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An electrode sheet drying device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a device for drying an electrode sheet coated with a coating material, and includes a drying structure having a transport passage through which the electrode sheet is transported, and a plurality of rod type lamps arranged in a line along the transport passage and radiating electromagnetic waves of a predetermined wavelength band to the electrode sheet transported through the transport passage, wherein the plurality of rod type lamps may include a first rod type lamp having a length sufficient to cover all of the peripheral portions on both sides in the width direction of the electrode sheet and a central portion between the peripheral portions on both sides, and a second rod type lamp having a length shorter than that of the first rod type lamp but sufficient to cover the central portion of the electrode sheet.

[0009] In an embodiment, the electrode sheet drying device may further include a shielding unit that shields electromagnetic waves emitted from the second rod-type lamp and traveling to the peripheral portions on both sides of the electrode sheet.

[0010] In one embodiment, the electrode sheet drying device may further include heat units arranged at predetermined intervals along the transport passage and configured to blow hot air onto the electrode sheet transported through the transport passage.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first rod-type lamp and the second rod-type lamp are disposed between the heat units, but both may be disposed between each of the heat units, or only one of the two may be disposed between each of the heat units.

[0012] In one embodiment, the plurality of rod-type lamps may further include at least one other rod-type lamp having a length different from that of the first rod-type lamp and the second rod-type lamp.

[0013] In one embodiment, the multiple rod-type lamps may be arranged in a shape such that the length of the rod-type lamps arranged along the transport passage gradually becomes shorter or longer as they proceed in the transport direction of the electrode sheet.

[0014] In one embodiment, the electrode sheet drying device further includes a control unit that controls the electromagnetic wave radiation operation of the plurality of rod-type lamps, and the control unit may be configured to sort the plurality of rod-type lamps into a plurality of lamp groups based on the length of the lamps and control the electromagnetic wave radiation operation for each lamp group.

[0015] In one embodiment, the electrode sheet drying device further includes a width detection sensor that detects a width of the electrode sheet, and the control unit may be configured to determine which lamp groups among the plurality of lamp groups should perform or stop emitting electromagnetic waves based on the width of the electrode sheet detected by the width detection sensor.

[0016] In one embodiment, the electrode sheet drying device further includes a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of at least the peripheral portions on both sides of the portion to be dried of the electrode sheet, and the control unit can be configured to determine which lamp groups among the plurality of lamp groups should perform or stop emitting electromagnetic waves based on the temperatures of the peripheral portions on both sides detected by the temperature sensor.

[0017] An electrode manufacturing system according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to manufacture an electrode using an electrode sheet drying device according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0018] In one embodiment, the electrode manufacturing system includes a plurality of the electrode sheet drying devices, and may further include a first conveying unit that, in a first operation mode of the electrode manufacturing system, conveys a first electrode sheet to a first electrode sheet drying device of the plurality of electrode sheet drying devices for drying, and a second conveying unit that, in the first operation mode, conveys a second electrode sheet to a second electrode sheet drying device of the plurality of electrode sheet drying devices for drying.

[0019] In one embodiment, the electrode manufacturing system further includes a third conveying unit providing an electrode sheet conveying line between the first electrode sheet drying device and the second electrode sheet drying device, and when the operation mode of the electrode manufacturing system is switched from the first operation mode to the second operation mode, the first conveying unit is configured to convey the third electrode sheet to the first electrode sheet drying device for primary drying, and the third conveying unit is configured to convey the primarily dried third electrode sheet to the second electrode sheet drying device for secondary drying. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, a coating material applied to an electrode sheet is dried using rod-type lamps that emit electromagnetic waves in a wavelength band with high energy absorption rate. By adjusting the length and positional relationship of the rod-type lamps to vary the energy of the electromagnetic waves reaching the electrode sheet for each part of the electrode sheet, the drying process time can be shortened and the drying efficiency can be improved, while preventing heat wrinkles and cracks caused by over-drying of the peripheral parts of the electrode sheet in the actual electrode sheet drying process, thereby improving the electrode coating quality and yield.

[0021] In addition, the lengths of the rod-type lamps used to dry the electrode sheets are varied, and the rod-type lamps are sorted into a plurality of lamp groups based on their lengths, and the electromagnetic wave radiation operation is controlled for each lamp group. By adaptively controlling the lamp length based on the width of the electrode sheet to be dried and the temperature of the peripheral portion where the drying speed is relatively fast, a high level of coating quality and yield can be guaranteed even when the width of the electrode sheet or the coating material is changed, and the construction cost of the electrode manufacturing system can be reduced.

[0022] In addition, by selectively providing an electrode sheet transport line that passes through a plurality of electrode sheet drying devices, or a modified electrode sheet transport line that passes through all of the plurality of electrode sheet drying devices in sequence, it is possible to change the type of coating material, drying temperature, drying time, etc. applied in the electrode manufacturing process, thereby diversifying the types of products that can be produced using the same manufacturing system.

[0023] Furthermore, a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to clearly understand from the following description that various embodiments of the present invention can solve various technical problems not mentioned above. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an electrode manufacturing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an electrode sheet for manufacturing an electrode. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of rod-type lamps in an electrode sheet drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an arrangement of rod-type lamps in an electrode sheet drying device according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of rod-type lamps in an electrode sheet drying device according to another modified embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 illustrates an electrode manufacturing system according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the operation mode of the electrode manufacturing system shown in FIG. 6 is switched. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] In order to clarify the solution to the technical problem of the present invention, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, in describing the present invention, if it is recognized that the description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the description of the known technology may be omitted.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms used in the description of the present invention are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention, and may differ depending on the intentions or practices of the designer or manufacturer. Therefore, it is appropriate that the definitions of the terms described below are defined in consideration of the overall contents of this specification. For reference, the same reference numbers used in different drawings in this specification refer to the same components.

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates an electrode manufacturing system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, an electrode manufacturing system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a conveying unit 100, a coating unit 200, and an electrode sheet drying apparatus 300 according to the present invention, and may further include a coating material detection sensor 400 depending on the embodiment.

[0029] The transport unit 100 may be configured to transport the electrode sheet E to be used in the manufacture of an electrode to the electrode sheet drying device 300. To this end, the transport unit 100 may include an unwinding section 110, a transport roller 120, and a rewinding section 130.

[0030] The unwinding unit 110 may generally be configured to unwind and move the electrode sheet E wound in a roll. In this case, the unwinding unit 110 may include a wheel to which the electrode sheet E wound in a roll is fixed, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the wheel in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed to unwind the electrode sheet E fixed to the wheel. In this specification, the term "electrode sheet" may refer to various sheets used in manufacturing an electrode assembly of a secondary battery, such as a sheet for manufacturing a positive electrode, a sheet for manufacturing a negative electrode, a sheet for manufacturing a separator, etc.

[0031] The transport rollers 120 may be configured to be disposed at various positions within the electrode manufacturing system 10 to facilitate the movement of the electrode sheet E.

[0032] The rewinding unit 130 may be configured to rewind the electrode sheet E dried by the electrode sheet drying device 300. For this purpose, the rewinding unit 130 may include a wheel for rewinding the dried electrode sheet E, a motor (not shown) for rotating the wheel in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed to rewind the dried electrode sheet E, and the like.

[0033] The coating unit 200 may be configured to apply a coating material to one or both sides of the electrode sheet E that is unwound by the unwinding unit 110 and moved to the electrode sheet drying device 300. To this end, the coating unit 200 may include a first coater 210 that applies a predetermined coating material to one side of the electrode sheet E, and a second coater 220 that applies a predetermined coating material to the other side of the electrode sheet E.

[0034] The positive electrode of a secondary battery is a source that releases lithium ions while the secondary battery is being charged, and can determine the capacity and voltage of the secondary battery. Such a positive electrode can be manufactured by applying a coating material containing a positive electrode active material, a conductive agent, and a binder to an aluminum (Al) electrode sheet and drying it. Various materials such as LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiFePO4, LiNiCoAlO2, LiNiMnCoO2, or Li2TiO3 can be used as the positive electrode active material.

[0035] The negative electrode of a secondary battery is where lithium ions are stored while the secondary battery is being charged, and can determine the charging rate of the secondary battery. Such a negative electrode can be manufactured by applying a coating material containing a negative electrode active material, a conductive agent, and a binder to a copper (Cu) electrode sheet and drying it. Various materials such as natural graphite, artificial graphite, or low-crystalline carbon can be used as the negative electrode active material.

[0036] The separator of a secondary battery is a key element for ensuring the safety of the secondary battery, and is sandwiched between the positive and negative electrodes to allow lithium ions to pass through while blocking contact between the positive and negative electrodes. Such a separator can be manufactured by applying a coating material containing a ceramic material to the surface of a sheet made of materials such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), and then drying it.

[0037] The electrode sheet drying apparatus 300 according to the present invention dries the electrode sheet E having a coating substance applied thereto, as described above, but may be configured to dry the electrode sheet E using a method that prevents over-drying at the peripheral portion of the electrode sheet E.

[0038] For this purpose, the electrode sheet drying apparatus 300 according to the present invention may include a drying structure 310 and a plurality of rod type lamps 320a, 320b, and may further include any one or more of a shielding unit 330, a heat unit 340, a control unit 350, a width detection sensor 360, and a temperature sensor 370, depending on the embodiment.

[0039] The drying structure 310 corresponds to the body of the electrode sheet drying device 300, and may include a transport passage 312 therein through which the electrode sheet E is transported.

[0040] The plurality of rod-type lamps 320a, 320b may be arranged so as to be aligned along the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310, and configured to radiate electromagnetic waves of a predetermined wavelength band to the electrode sheet E transported through the transport passage 312. In this case, the plurality of rod-type lamps 320a, 320b may be arranged so as to extend in the width direction of the electrode sheet E transported in the longitudinal direction.

[0041] The rod-type lamps 320a and 320b may include medium wave infrared (MIR) lamps that emit infrared rays in the wavelength band from 1400 nm to 3000 nm.

[0042] In particular, the plurality of rod-type lamps 320a, 320b may include rod-type lamps having various lengths.

[0043] In one embodiment, the plurality of rod-type lamps 320a, 320b may include at least one first rod-type lamp 320a having a length that completely covers both side peripheral portions in the width direction of the electrode sheet E and a central portion between the both side peripheral portions, and at least one second rod-type lamp 320b having a length shorter than that of the first rod-type lamp 320a but a length that covers only the central portion of the electrode sheet E. In this case, the first rod-type lamp 320a can radiate electromagnetic waves over the entire width of the electrode sheet E including both side peripheral portions and the central portion in the width direction of the electrode sheet E. In contrast, the second rod-type lamp 320b can radiate electromagnetic waves only to the central portion of the entire width of the electrode sheet E excluding both side peripheral portions.

[0044] For example, if the width of electrode sheet E is around 1400 mm, the first rod-type lamp 320a may be configured to have a length in the range of 1400 mm to 1600 mm, and the second rod-type lamp 320b may be configured to have a length in the range of 600 mm to 700 mm.

[0045] Also, the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b may be composed of an MIR lamp that emits mid-wave infrared rays belonging to a wavelength band from 1400 nm to 6000 nm.

[0046] Furthermore, the plurality of rod-type lamps 320a, 320b may include a plurality of the first rod-type lamps 320a and a plurality of the second rod-type lamps 320b.

[0047] Depending on the embodiment, the electrode sheet drying apparatus 300 may further include at least one other rod-type lamp having a different length from the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b.

[0048] As described above, the electrode sheet drying device 300 according to the present invention may further selectively include one or more of the shielding unit 330, the heat unit 340, the control unit 350, the width detection sensor 360, and the temperature sensor 370, depending on the embodiment.

[0049] The shielding unit 330 may be configured to shield electromagnetic waves emitted from the second rod-shaped lamps 320b and traveling to both periphery portions of the electrode sheet E in the width direction.

[0050] In one embodiment, the shielding unit 330 may include a shielding plate. In this case, the shielding plate may be disposed at both ends of the second rod-shaped lamp 320b in the longitudinal direction, and configured to shield the electromagnetic waves radiated from the second rod-shaped lamp 320b to the peripheral portions on both sides in the width direction of the electrode sheet E.

[0051] In another embodiment, the shielding unit 330 may further include a gradient adjusting means (not shown) capable of adjusting the gradient of the shielding plate. In this case, the gradient adjusting means may be configured to adjust the gradient of the shielding plate to change the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the second rod-type lamp 320b.

[0052] The heating unit 340 may be configured to deliver hot air to the electrode sheet E transported through the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310. To this end, the heating unit 340 may include a nozzle that delivers hot air generated by using a heater and a fan to the electrode sheet E.

[0053] In one embodiment, the electrode sheet drying device 300 may include a plurality of the above-mentioned heat units 340. Such heat units may be arranged so as to be aligned at predetermined intervals from each other along the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310.

[0054] In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b are disposed between the heat units, but both the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b can be disposed between every heat unit.

[0055] As will be explained again below, the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b are arranged between the heat units, but it is also possible that only one of the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b is arranged alternately between each heat unit.

[0056] For reference, FIG. 1 shows an example in which the rod-type lamps, shielding units, and heat units are arranged only in the upper part of the transport passage 312, but it goes without saying that they may also be arranged in the lower part of the transport passage 312 depending on the embodiment.

[0057] Meanwhile, the control unit 350 may be configured to control the operation of the electrode sheet drying apparatus 300. In particular, the control unit 350 may be configured to control the electromagnetic wave radiation operation of the rod-type lamps arranged in the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310.

[0058] In one embodiment, the control unit 350 may be configured to sort the rod-type lamps arranged in the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310 into a plurality of lamp groups based on the length of the lamps and control the electromagnetic wave radiation operation for each lamp group.

[0059] To this end, the control unit 350 may selectively include hardware such as a general-purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, and memories for running the control logic. The control unit 350 may also be configured by combining software such as a computer program with the hardware. That is, the control logic of the control unit 350 may be configured by a computer program and stored in the memory of the control unit 350 itself or in an external memory, and the stored computer program may be configured to be run via the hardware of the control unit 350.

[0060] The width detection sensor 360 may be configured to detect the width of the electrode sheet E passing through the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310. To this end, it goes without saying that the width detection sensor 360 may include an optical sensor array or may include sensors of various configurations capable of detecting the width of the electrode sheet E.

[0061] In one embodiment, the control unit 350 may be configured to determine which lamp groups among the plurality of lamp groups should perform or stop emitting electromagnetic waves based on the width of the electrode sheet E detected by the width detection sensor 360.

[0062] The temperature sensor 370 may be configured to sense the temperature of at least both edge portions in the width direction of the portion to be dried of the electrode sheet E being dried in the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310. For example, the temperature sensor 370 may be configured to measure the temperature in a non-contact manner using an infrared sensor, but is not limited thereto.

[0063] In one embodiment, the control unit 350 may be configured to determine which of the plurality of lamp groups should perform or stop emitting electromagnetic waves based on the temperatures of the peripheral portions on both sides of the electrode sheet E sensed by the temperature sensor 370.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows an example of an electrode sheet for producing an electrode.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 2, the electrode sheet E used in the manufacture of an electrode is unwound in a roll shape and transported in its longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) and undergoes a process of applying a coating substance and drying.

[0066] When the peripheral portions Es1 and Es2 located on both sides in the width W direction of the electrode sheet E are dried at the same temperature as the central portion Ec located between the peripheral portions Es1 and Es2, they are dried more quickly and are overdried than the central portion Ec. This is because the peripheral portions Es1 and Es2 of the electrode sheet E are heated more quickly, even though they have a smaller loading amount of coating material than the central portion Ec. Such an overdrying phenomenon of the peripheral portions Es1 and Es2 leads to thermal wrinkles and cracks in the peripheral portions Es1 and Es2.

[0067] To solve such problems, the electrode sheet drying device 300 according to the present invention can adjust the amount of electromagnetic energy transmitted to the peripheral portions Es1 and Es2 on both sides of the width W direction of the electrode sheet E by drying the electrode sheet E using rod-type lamps of various lengths.

[0068] For example, some of the rod-type lamps arranged in a row along the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310 may each be composed of a first rod-type lamp 320a having a length that completely covers the widths Ws1, Ws2 of the peripheral portions on both sides, which corresponds to the overall width W of the electrode sheet E, and the width Wc of the central portion, and the other lamps may each be composed of a second rod-type lamp 320b having a length that completely covers the width Wc of the central portion of the electrode sheet.

[0069] FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of rod-type lamps in an electrode sheet drying device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] 3, a drying structure 310 of an electrode sheet drying apparatus 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided with a transport passage 312 through which an electrode sheet is transported. As described above, a plurality of first rod-type lamps 320a, a plurality of second rod-type lamps 320b, and a heat unit 340 may be arranged in the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310, and a shielding unit 330, a width detection sensor 360, a temperature sensor 370, and the like may further be arranged.

[0071] In this case, the heat units may be arranged at predetermined intervals along the transport path 312. Also, the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b are arranged between the heat units, and both the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b may be arranged between each pair of heat units.

[0072] FIG. 4 shows an arrangement of rod-type lamps in an electrode sheet drying apparatus 300A according to a modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] 4, a drying structure 310 of an electrode sheet drying apparatus 300A according to a modified embodiment of the present invention may be provided with a transport passage 312 through which an electrode sheet is transported. As described above, a plurality of first rod-type lamps 320a, a plurality of second rod-type lamps 320b, and a heat unit 340 may be arranged in the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310, and a shielding unit 330, a width detection sensor 360, a temperature sensor 370, etc. may be further arranged.

[0074] In this case, the heat units may be arranged at a predetermined interval along the transport path 312. Also, the first rod-type lamps 320a and the second rod-type lamps 320b are arranged between the heat units, but only one of the first rod-type lamps 320a and the second rod-type lamps 320b may be arranged alternately between the heat units.

[0075] FIG. 5 shows an arrangement of rod-type lamps in an electrode sheet drying device 300B according to another modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] 5, an electrode sheet drying apparatus 300B according to another modified embodiment of the present invention may further include at least one third rod-type lamp 320c having a length different from that of the first rod-type lamp 320a and the second rod-type lamp 320b. Also, the electrode sheet drying apparatus 300B may further include a shielding unit 322 for shielding electromagnetic waves emitted from the third rod-type lamp 320c and traveling to both peripheral portions in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the electrode sheet.

[0077] The drying structure 310 of the electrode sheet drying apparatus 300B may be provided with a transport passage 312 through which the electrode sheet is transported. As described above, the transport passage 312 of the drying structure 310 may be provided with a plurality of first rod-type lamps 320a, second rod-type lamps 320b, third rod-type lamps 320c, and heat units 340, and may further include a shielding unit 330, a width detection sensor 360, and a temperature sensor 370. For reference, the third rod-type lamp 320c may be configured to have a shorter length than the second rod-type lamp 320b.

[0078] In this case, the heat units may be arranged at a predetermined interval along the transport path 312. Also, the first rod-type lamp 320a, the second rod-type lamp 320b, and the third rod-type lamp 320c are arranged between the heat units, but only one of the first rod-type lamp 320a, the second rod-type lamp 320b, and the third rod-type lamp 320c (i.e., the first to third rod-type lamps) may be arranged alternately between each pair of heat units.

[0079] In one embodiment, the first rod-type lamp 320a, the second rod-type lamp 320b and the third rod-type lamp 320c may be arranged in a shape such that the length of the rod-type lamps arranged along the transport passage 312 gradually becomes shorter or longer as it proceeds toward the transport direction (X-axis direction) of the electrode sheet.

[0080] FIG. 6 shows an electrode manufacturing system 10A according to a modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 6, an electrode manufacturing system 10A according to a modified embodiment of the present invention may be configured to manufacture electrodes using a plurality of electrode sheet drying apparatuses 300′, 300″. In particular, the electrode manufacturing system 10A may be configured to have a changeable operation mode.

[0082] For this purpose, the electrode manufacturing system 10A may include a first conveying unit 100A, a first coating unit 200A, a first electrode sheet drying device 300', a first coating material detection sensor 400A, a second conveying unit 100B, a second coating unit 200B, a second electrode sheet drying device 300'', a second coating material detection sensor 400B, and a third conveying unit 500.

[0083] In this case, the first and second conveying units 100A, 100B correspond in detail to the conveying unit 100 in Fig. 1 in configuration and function, the first and second coating units 200A, 200B correspond in detail to the coating unit 200 in Fig. 1 in configuration and function, the first and second electrode sheet drying devices 300', 300'' correspond in detail to the electrode sheet drying device 300 in Fig. 1 in configuration and function, and the first and second coating material detection sensors 400A, 400B correspond in detail to the coating material detection sensor 400 in Fig. 1 in configuration and function. However, the first and second electrode sheet drying devices 300', 300'' may be controlled by a single control unit 350.

[0084] In a first operating mode of the electrode manufacturing system 10A, the unwinding section 110A, the transport roller 120A and the rewinding section 130A of the first transport unit 100A may be configured to transport the first electrode sheet E1 wound into a roll to a first electrode sheet drying device 300' among a plurality of electrode sheet drying devices for drying.

[0085] In addition, in the first operating mode, the unwinding section 110B, the transport roller 120B, and the rewinding section 130B of the second transport unit 100B may be configured to transport the second electrode sheet E2, which has been wound into a roll separate from the first electrode sheet E1, to a second electrode sheet drying device 300'' among a plurality of electrode sheet drying devices and dry it.

[0086] Meanwhile, the third conveying unit 500 may be configured to provide an electrode sheet conveying line between the first electrode sheet drying device 300' and the second electrode sheet drying device 300''. To this end, the third conveying unit 500 may include a bypass roller 510 that conveys the electrode sheet primarily dried in the first electrode sheet drying device 300' to the second electrode sheet drying device 300''.

[0087] FIG. 7 shows a state in which the operation mode of the electrode manufacturing system 10A shown in FIG. 6 has been switched.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 7, when the operation mode of the electrode manufacturing system 10A is switched from the first operation mode to the second operation mode, the first conveying unit 100A may be configured to convey the third electrode sheet E1 to a first electrode sheet drying device 300′ for primary drying, and the third conveying unit 500 may be configured to convey the primarily dried third electrode sheet E1 to a second electrode sheet drying device 300″ for secondary drying.

[0089] In this case, the unwinding section 110A and the transport roller 120A of the first transport unit 100A operate in the same manner as in the first operation mode, but the rewinding section 130A of the first transport unit 100A may stop operating. Also, the unwinding section 110B of the second transport unit 100B may stop operating, but the transport roller 120B and the rewinding section 130B of the second transport unit 100B may operate in the same manner as in the first operation mode.

[0090] As described above, according to the present invention, the coating material applied to the electrode sheet is dried using rod-type lamps that emit electromagnetic waves in a wavelength band with high energy absorption rate. By adjusting the length and positional relationship of the rod-type lamps to vary the energy of the electromagnetic waves reaching the electrode sheet for each part of the electrode sheet, the drying process time can be shortened and the drying efficiency can be improved, while preventing heat wrinkles and cracks caused by over-drying of the peripheral parts of the electrode sheet in the actual electrode sheet drying process, thereby improving the electrode coating quality and yield.

[0091] In addition, the lengths of the rod-type lamps used to dry the electrode sheets are diversified, and the rod-type lamps are sorted into multiple lamp groups according to their lengths, and the electromagnetic wave radiation operation is controlled for each lamp group. By adaptively controlling the width of the electrode sheet to be dried and the temperature of the peripheral parts where the drying speed is relatively fast, it is possible to ensure a high level of coating quality and yield even when the width of the electrode sheet or the coating material is changed, and it is possible to reduce the construction cost of the electrode manufacturing system.

[0092] In addition, by selectively providing an electrode sheet transport line that passes through a plurality of electrode sheet drying devices, or a modified electrode sheet transport line that passes through all of the plurality of electrode sheet drying devices in sequence, it is possible to change the type of coating material, drying temperature, drying time, etc. applied in the electrode manufacturing process, thereby diversifying the types of products that can be produced using the same manufacturing system.

[0093] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention can solve various other technical problems in the technical field concerned as well as in the technical field related to the present invention, other than the contents mentioned in this specification.

[0094] The present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that various modified embodiments can be realized within the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed above should be considered from an explanatory perspective, not a limiting one. That is, the true technical scope of the present invention is set forth in the claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrode sheet drying device for drying an electrode sheet to which a coating substance is applied, a drying structure having a transport passage through which the electrode sheet is transported; a plurality of rod-type lamps arranged in a line along the transport passage and configured to radiate electromagnetic waves in a predetermined wavelength band to the electrode sheet transported through the transport passage; Including, The plurality of rod-type lamps include a first rod-shaped lamp having a length sufficient to completely cover both edge portions in the width direction of the electrode sheet and a central portion between the edge portions; a second rod-shaped lamp having a length shorter than that of the first rod-shaped lamp but long enough to cover the central portion of the electrode sheet; An electrode sheet drying device comprising:

2. The electrode sheet drying device according to claim 1 , further comprising a shielding unit for shielding electromagnetic waves emitted from the second rod-shaped lamp and traveling to the peripheral portions on both sides of the electrode sheet.

3. 2. The electrode sheet drying device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of heat units arranged at predetermined intervals from each other along the transport passage and configured to blow hot air onto the electrode sheet transported through the transport passage.

4. 4. The electrode sheet drying device according to claim 3, wherein the first rod-type lamp and the second rod-type lamp are disposed between the plurality of heat units, and either both the first rod-type lamp and the second rod-type lamp are disposed between each of the plurality of heat units, or only one of the first rod-type lamp and the second rod-type lamp is disposed between each of the plurality of heat units.

5. 2 . The electrode sheet drying device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rod-type lamps further includes at least one other rod-type lamp having a length different from that of the first rod-type lamp and the second rod-type lamp.

6. 6. The electrode sheet drying device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of rod-shaped lamps are arranged in a shape such that the length of the rod-shaped lamps arranged along the transport passage gradually becomes shorter or longer as the lamps proceed in the transport direction of the electrode sheet.

7. Further comprising a control unit for controlling the electromagnetic wave radiation operation of the plurality of rod-type lamps, The electrode sheet drying device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to sort the plurality of rod-type lamps into a plurality of lamp groups based on the length of the lamps and to control the electromagnetic wave radiation operation for each lamp group.

8. The electrode sheet further includes a width detection sensor for detecting a width of the electrode sheet, The electrode sheet drying device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to determine which of the plurality of lamp groups should perform or stop radiating electromagnetic waves based on the width of the electrode sheet detected by the width detection sensor.

9. Further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of at least the peripheral portions on both sides of the portion to be dried of the electrode sheet; The electrode sheet drying device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to determine which of the plurality of lamp groups should perform or stop radiating electromagnetic waves based on the temperatures of the peripheral portions on both sides sensed by the temperature sensor.

10. An electrode manufacturing system that manufactures an electrode using the electrode sheet drying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The electrode sheet drying device includes a plurality of the electrode sheet drying devices, a first conveying unit that conveys a first electrode sheet to a first electrode sheet drying device among the plurality of electrode sheet drying devices in a first operation mode of the electrode manufacturing system and dries the first electrode sheet; a second conveying unit that conveys the second electrode sheet to a second electrode sheet drying device among the plurality of electrode sheet drying devices in the first operation mode to dry the second electrode sheet; The electrode manufacturing system of claim 10 further comprising:

12. The electrode sheet drying device further includes a third conveying unit that provides an electrode sheet conveying line between the first electrode sheet drying device and the second electrode sheet drying device, 12. The electrode manufacturing system of claim 11, wherein when the operation mode of the electrode manufacturing system is switched from the first operation mode to the second operation mode, the first conveying unit is configured to convey the third electrode sheet to the first electrode sheet drying device for primary drying, and the third conveying unit is configured to convey the primarily dried third electrode sheet to the second electrode sheet drying device for secondary drying.

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