Secondary battery laminate manufacturing equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology which enables high-speed production of a multilayer body for secondary batteries.　The present invention provides an apparatus 1 for producing a multilayer body 2, in which a band-like separator S is zigzag folded and laminated so as to have electrode plates of the same shape alternately sandwiched therebetween, for secondary batteries, the apparatus being characterized by comprising: a transfer robot 12 which sequentially transfers a negative electrode plate 91 onto a stage 41; a means for arranging a positive electrode plate 92 in a standby position 424 so as to be parallel to a side of another positive electrode plate on the stage in the folding line direction; a separator supply unit 30 which supplies the separator without any slackness; and a rotary chuck mechanism 43 which pinches the negative electrode plate 91 in the standby position 424 together with the separator S positioned above in such a manner that the length of a free portion of the separator between the positive electrode plate 92 and the negative electrode plate 91 is equal to the width of the electrode plates by means of two opening and closing chucks 432, which are arranged so as to face each other in the folding line direction, and sequentially transfers the pinched negative electrode plate 91 onto a top negative electrode plate on the stage.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a stack for a secondary battery in which a separator is interposed between electrode plates in a zigzag pattern, and more particularly to an apparatus capable of stably and quickly forming the stack. [Background technology]

[0002] When manufacturing a secondary battery, a laminate is formed by stacking positive and negative electrode plates alternately with a separator sandwiched between them. For example, in the technology using a strip-shaped separator, 1) Place the positive electrode plate 2) Move the separator supply roller from the left side to the right side of the positive plate, stretching the separator in the width direction of the positive plate and covering it. 3) Place the negative electrode plate on top of the separator. 4) Move the separator supply roller from the right side to the left side of the negative plate, stretching the separator in the width direction of the negative plate and covering it. 1) Place the positive electrode plate on top of the separator. Steps 1 to 4 are repeated to produce a laminate.

[0003] However, the conventional techniques have the following problems. The positive and negative electrode plates are alternately transferred using, for example, a single arm, which makes it difficult to place them at high speed. Furthermore, because the separator is reciprocated above the placement location, the actual volume occupied by the reciprocating mechanism is large, and high-speed operation is difficult to achieve in order to avoid interference with the arm. Additionally, there are problems such as reduced freedom in system design. Furthermore, even if high-speed driving were achieved, the reciprocation would be intermittent, causing the separator roll at the base end to rotate too much, resulting in sagging. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2004-022449 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2017-016946 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for rapidly manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries according to claim 1 is an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for secondary batteries in which a strip-shaped separator long in one direction is zigzag-folded and rectangular flat-based electrode plates A and B are alternately sandwiched and stacked, the zigzag fold direction being in the strip width direction, a first transfer means for sequentially transferring electrode plates A to a mounting table with the same orientation direction, a placement means for arranging electrode plate B in a standby position with the side direction aligning so that it is parallel to the side in the fold direction of electrode plate A on the mounting table, and a second transfer means for extending the separator from the source of unwinding and placing electrode plate B directly above electrode plate B in the standby position. the separator supply means for supplying the separator without slack to the laminate on the loading table, which is the destination; a second transfer means for holding the electrode plate B in the waiting position and the separator in the air together and transferring them sequentially onto the uppermost electrode plate A on the loading table by two holders arranged opposite to each other in the folding line direction so that the length of the free separator portion between the electrode plate B in the waiting position and the electrode plate A in the uppermost position is a predetermined length; and a transfer control means for controlling the transfer order so that transfer by the first transfer means and transfer by the second transfer means alternate.

[0007] In other words, the invention of claim 1 enables the separator to be pulled out, folded in a Z shape, and sequentially sandwiched between electrode plate A by the transfer movement of electrode plate B, thereby enabling the laminate to be produced at high speed.

[0008] In addition, one of the electrode plates A and B is a positive electrode plate and the other is a negative electrode plate. Both have roughly the same shape, but the negative electrode plate may be larger than the positive electrode plate. The separator may also be longer in the folding direction than the electrode plates in order to improve insulation reliability. The predetermined length is, of course, a length that allows for zigzag folding, and is roughly the width of electrode plate A or electrode plate B, but it is preferable for the length to allow for appropriate fold-back. The method of holding the electrode plate B and the separator by the holder is not particularly limited as long as it can hold them together, and examples include clamping them. In addition, when the separator is porous, it can also be adsorbed. Further, the holder performs holding and releasing, but in order to avoid impact with the laminate, etc., this does not preclude the holder from performing operations such as pulling out and inserting as appropriate.

[0009] The laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries according to claim 2 is an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for secondary batteries in which a strip-shaped separator long in one direction is zigzag-folded and rectangular flat-based electrode plates A and B are alternately sandwiched and stacked, the zigzag-folding direction being in the strip width direction, the apparatus comprising: a mounting table on which the laminate is formed; a placement means for placing electrode plate B in a standby position with its sides aligned so as to be parallel to the sides of the laminate on the mounting table in the fold direction; and a separator feeder for extending the separator from its source of unwinding, passing directly above electrode plate B in the standby position, and supplying the separator without slack to the laminate on the mounting table, which is the destination of unwinding. a data supply means, a first transfer means for transferring electrode plate A onto electrode plate B in a standby position with the separator sandwiched therebetween and with the orientation aligning; a second transfer means for holding electrode plate B, the separator, and electrode plate A in the standby position together by two holders arranged opposite to each other in the bent line direction so that the length of the free separator portion between electrode plate B in the standby position and electrode plate A at the top of the mounting position is a predetermined length, and for transferring them sequentially onto electrode plate A at the top of the mounting table; and a transfer control means for controlling the order of transfer so that transfer by the first transfer means and transfer by the second transfer means alternate.

[0010] In other words, the invention of claim 2 allows electrode plate B and electrode plate A to be transferred together, and while pulling out the separator sandwiched between them, the plates can be folded in a Z shape and stacked sequentially on the mounting table, thereby enabling the laminate to be produced quickly.

[0011] The laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries described in claim 1 or 2, it is provided with a lowering means for gradually lowering the mounting table as it is transferred so that the height of the uppermost surface of the mounting table remains constant.

[0012] In other words, the invention according to claim 3 can stably manufacture laminates without causing misalignment due to stacking.

[0013] The lowering includes a case where the table itself is lowered dynamically, and a case where the table is lowered passively by being pushed down during transfer. Therefore, depending on the mode of use, the transfer means may also function as the lowering means.

[0014] The laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries described in claim 1 or 2, the uppermost electrode plate on the mounting table and the electrode plate in the waiting position are aligned at substantially the same height, and the second transfer means is two opposing bifurcated arms whose base ends rotate on an axis, and a holder is respectively implanted at the tip of the arm, the bifurcated arms having rotation axes aligned on the same straight line in the direction of the bend, a drive means for rotating the bifurcated arms on the axis, and an opening / closing control means for holding and releasing the holder every half a revolution.

[0015] In other words, the invention according to claim 4 realizes transfer and return by rotational drive with phase and position coordinated, thereby realizing stable high-speed production.

[0016] "Substantially the same height" means, in the case of the device of claim 1, that the height of electrode plate A at the top of the mounting table and the height of electrode plate B in the standby position are approximately the same, and in the case of the device of claim 2, that the height of electrode plate A at the top of the mounting table and the height of electrode plate A in the standby position are approximately the same. The term "bifurcated arm" is used in a broad sense and is not particularly limited as long as the two holders form a circle and the transfer is performed twice while the rotation axis makes one revolution. In addition to a bifurcated arm with 180° rotational symmetry, it also includes a mode in which two holders are attached to a disk surface. In order to achieve the Z-shaped folding, the holder is equipped with a phase offset mechanism that rotates the axis of the arm in the opposite direction to prevent the orientation of the electrode plate from changing. The distance between the two holders at the end of the arm is set to a distance that allows for Z-shaped folding (the distance between the centers of the holders is about twice the width of the electrode).

[0017] The laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries described in claim 1 or 2, the separator supply means is a cylinder arranged on the opposite side of the mounting table side as viewed from the waiting position, with the axis along the bent line direction, and is equipped with a cylinder around which the separator is wrapped and which passes directly above the electrode plate B, and a reciprocating means for moving the cylinder back and forth approximately horizontally without changing the direction of the axis of the cylinder, thereby mitigating fluctuations in the tension of the separator when it is transferred by the second transfer means.

[0018] That is, the invention according to claim 5 makes it possible to keep the separator payout speed constant or within a certain range, thereby realizing stable and high-speed production without sagging.

[0019] In addition, the separator can be supplied from a position appropriately higher than the cylinder, wrapped around the lower side of the cylinder by a central angle of about 90°, turned horizontally, and passed directly above the standby position. "Approximately horizontal" means that some vertical displacement may be included to avoid interference, etc.

[0020] The present invention can provide a technique for rapidly manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a laminate manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation sequence of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation sequence of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a manufacturing apparatus for a laminate for a secondary battery according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation sequence of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation sequence of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a front view showing an example of an actual laminate; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. <Embodiment 1> Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a laminate manufacturing apparatus for a secondary battery. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are explanatory diagrams showing the sequence of operations (a left side view is shown on the left, and a plan view is shown on the right). Note that in the drawings, the configuration and drawings are appropriately simplified for the convenience of explanation. Hereinafter, the laminate manufacturing apparatus for secondary batteries will be simply referred to as the laminate manufacturing apparatus as appropriate.

[0023] In the first embodiment, a laminate manufacturing apparatus will be described in which a negative electrode plate is waiting on a mounting table, and a positive electrode plate is transferred onto the negative electrode plate while wrapping a separator around it to form a laminate. The laminate manufacturing equipment 1 mainly comprises a negative electrode plate supplying unit 10, a positive electrode plate supplying unit 20, a separator supplying unit 30, a stacking unit 40, and a sequence control unit 50, and produces a laminate 2 in which a strip-shaped separator S is folded in a zigzag pattern and stacked with negative electrode plates 91 and positive electrode plates 92 alternately sandwiched between them.

[0024] The negative electrode plate 91 is a rectangular thin copper plate, and has a tongue 91z disposed at a position shifted from the center of a short side of the rectangle. The positive electrode plate 92 is also a rectangular thin aluminum plate, and has a tongue 92z provided at a position offset from the center of the short side of the rectangle. In this embodiment, the negative electrode plate 91 is larger than the positive electrode plate 92 . Specifically, the negative electrode plate 91 may be a copper thin plate having a length of 146 mm, a width of 96 mm and a thickness of 0.02 mm, and the positive electrode plate 92 may be an aluminum thin plate having a length of 142 mm, a width of 92 mm and a thickness of 0.02 mm. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the negative electrode plate 91 and the positive electrode plate 92, they will be referred to as electrode plate 90 as appropriate.

[0025] Moreover, the width of the separator S is longer than the vertical length of the negative electrode plate 91 to prevent short circuit. For example, the separator S may have a width of 150 mm and a thickness of 0.02 mm. However, in the drawings, the width of the separator S is drawn appropriately shorter than that of the electrode plate 90 for ease of explanation. Note that FIG. 7 shows a plan view and a front view of the laminate 2 with a ratio close to the actual ratio.

[0026] The negative electrode plate supply section 10 includes an endless conveyor 11 which aligns the negative electrode plates 91 and intermittently transports them at equal intervals, and a transfer robot 12 which picks up the negative electrode plates 91 that have reached the most downstream position of the endless conveyor 11 from directly above, transfers them to the mounting table 41 of the stacking section 40, and repeatedly releases them.

[0027] The positive electrode plate supply unit 20 has an endless conveyor 21 that intermittently transports the positive electrode plates 92 at equal intervals while aligning their orientation.

[0028] The separator supply section 30 has a separator roll 31 formed by winding a long strip-shaped separator S around a shaft 31a on one side, a group of orientation rollers 32 that passes the separator S unwound from the separator roll 31 while appropriately changing its direction to near the downstream side of the endless conveyor 21, a cylindrical dancer roller 33 located above near the most downstream side of the endless conveyor 21, and a reciprocating drive section 34. The final orientation roller 32f of the orientation roller group 32 is provided at a position higher than the dancer roller 33, so that the separator S is supplied from above the dancer roller 33. The separator S supplied from above is wrapped around the lower circumferential surface of the dancer roller 33, and its orientation is changed to approximately horizontal, so that it passes directly above the positive electrode plate 92 located at a standby position 424 described below.

[0029] The axis 31a of the separator roll 31 is arranged horizontally, and when viewed from the separator roll 31, the separator S moves up and down until it reaches the laminate 2, but does not shift horizontally, i.e., in the direction of the axis 31a (which is also the width direction of the separator S), and in this sense is unwound in a straight line. In the laminate 2, the separator S is zigzag-folded, and the direction of the fold lines of the zigzag folds is the same direction (parallel) as the direction of the shaft 31a or the width direction of the separator S. The shaft 33a of the dancer roller 33 and the shafts of the orientation roller group 32 are also parallel to the fold line direction.

[0030] The reciprocating drive unit 34 reciprocates above the endless conveyor 21 while holding the axis 33a of the dancer roller 33 so as not to change its orientation. The separator S is tensioned without slack from the separator roll 31, which is the source of the payout, to the laminate 2, which is the destination of the payout, but the tension fluctuates greatly when the positive electrode plate 92 wraps the separator S around it and is stacked on the mounting table 41. The reciprocating drive unit 34 absorbs or alleviates this tension fluctuation, preventing breakage of the separator S and excessive payout due to the inertia of the separator roll 31. The reciprocating motion will be described later.

[0031] The stacking unit 40 includes a mounting table 41 and a rotary chuck mechanism 43 .

[0032] The mounting table 41 has a base 411 , a holding claw 412 , and a lowering drive unit 413 . The base 411 is where the laminate 2 is formed, and is a base on which the positive electrode plates 92 and the negative electrode plates 91 are alternately stacked with the separator S interposed therebetween in a zigzag manner. This stacking is performed by the transfer robot 12 for the negative electrode plates 91, and by the rotary chuck mechanism 43 for the positive electrode plates 92, while the separator S is rolled up. The positive electrode plate 92 and the negative electrode plate 91 are both oriented such that their long sides face the direction of the folding line.

[0033] The holding claws 412 are L-shaped claws that press down from above while regulating the side surfaces of the stack 2 to prevent the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 on the pedestal 411 from shifting. When the negative electrode plate 91 is transferred from the transfer robot 12, the holding claws 412 are once pulled out and then press down the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 from above again. Thereafter, the separator S and the positive electrode plate 92 are bundled and stacked on top of the negative electrode plate 91, but the holding claws 412 remain in this state until the next negative electrode plate 91 is transferred from the transfer robot 12.

[0034] The lowering drive unit 413 sequentially lowers each stack of negative electrode plates 91 so that the top negative electrode plate 91 on the base 411 is aligned with the height of the standby position 424. This keeps the height of the top electrode plate 90 constant, improving transfer stability. The lowering interval is the thickness of the negative electrode plate 91, the positive electrode plate 92, and two separators. If the lowering is performed immediately after the holding claws 412 hold down the top positive electrode plate 92, the posture stability of the stack 2 is improved.

[0035] The rotary chuck mechanism 43 picks up the positive electrode plate 92 that has moved to the most downstream position of the endless conveyor 21, and stacks it on the placement table 41. For convenience, this most downstream position will be referred to as a standby position 424. The distance between the positive electrode plate 92 at the standby position 424 and the negative electrode plate 91 on the pedestal 411 is designed to be the width (short side length) of the negative electrode plate 91 plus α. In other words, the positional relationship is such that the length of the free separator S between the positive electrode plate 92 at the standby position 424 and the negative electrode plate 91 on the pedestal 411 is approximately the width (short side length) of the electrode plate 90. As a result, when the positive electrode plate 92 is transferred, the separator S is sandwiched between the negative electrode plate 91 at a substantially appropriate length.

[0036] The rotary chuck mechanism 43 is composed of a pair of bifurcated arms 431 , two sets of open / close chucks 432 , a drive motor 433 , and a chuck control unit 434 .

[0037] The bifurcated arm 431 rotates around an axis 431a and has arms 431b that are bifurcated in the middle. An opening / closing chuck 432 is attached to the tip of each of the two bifurcated arms 431. The bifurcated arm 431 is rotationally symmetrical at 180° including the open / close chuck 432, and is disposed in an opposing relationship with the separator S therebetween. Each of the shafts 431 a is at the same height as the standby position 424 and the uppermost surface of the base 411 , is on the same straight line in the direction of the bent line, and is located midway between the standby position 424 and the base 411 . The opposing open-close chucks 432 are arranged in phase with each other. That is, the open-close chucks 432 are arranged to be at the same height as the opposing open-close chucks 432.

[0038] Because of this positional relationship, when the forked arm 431 describes a circle by the rotation of the shaft 431a, one side reaches the standby position 424 and the other side reaches a position on the uppermost surface of the base 411 for every half revolution. At this time, the chuck control unit 434 controls the two opposing open-close chucks 432 in the standby position 424 to close (by collapsing the upper flaps) and overlap the short side of the positive electrode plate 92 with the edge of the separator S directly above it, so that they each grip the short side. Moreover, the two opposing open / close chucks 432 on the top surface of the base 411 are controlled to be pulled out after being released, thereby completing the transfer of the positive electrode plate 92 to the base 411. The upper flap is raised by the time the next half rotation is completed. By this half rotation, the separator S between the positive electrode plate 92 and the negative electrode plate 91 is folded in a Z shape to an appropriate length and inserted onto the negative electrode plate 91 of the base 411. The open / close chuck 432 is adapted to hold and transfer the positive electrode plate 92 with the upper surface always facing upward.

[0039] The sequence control unit 50 controls the overall drive so that the positive electrode plates 92 and the negative electrode plates 91 are transferred alternately. First, the endless conveyor 11, the transfer robot 12, and the endless conveyor 21 are synchronously driven intermittently.

[0040] At the same time intervals as the intermittent drive, the sequence control unit 50 controls the drive motor 433, the chuck control unit 434, the reciprocating drive unit 34, the lowering drive unit 413, etc., to sequentially form the laminate 2. In the following, the operation of the stacking unit 40 under the control of the sequence control unit 50 will be mainly described.

[0041] First, the transfer robot 12 transfers the negative electrode plate 91 onto the pedestal 411 (FIG. 2a). The dancer rollers 33 retreat to the positive electrode plate supply section 20 side (move to the upstream side of the endless conveyor 21).

[0042] Next, the holding claws 412 of the laminate 2 are pulled out and rise for the next pressing (FIG. 2b). At the same time, the opening and closing chuck 432 on the base 411 side slides and is pulled out from the laminate 2 at the same time that the upper flap is released. At this time, the separator S and the laminate 2 are held down by the transfer robot 12, so the stability of their posture is maintained. On the other hand, the upper flap of the opening and closing chuck 432 on the standby position 424 side is closed to grip the separator S and the positive electrode plate 92 together. The dancer roller 33 continues to retreat toward the positive electrode plate supply unit 20 side.

[0043] Next, the holding claws 412 press down the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 again, and the lowering drive unit 413 lowers the base 411 by one step (FIG. 2c). Also, the upper flap of the opening and closing chuck 432 on the base 411 side is raised. During this time, the transfer robot 12 continues to press down the separator S and the stack 2 to maintain their posture.

[0044] Next, the bifurcated arm 431 is rotated, and the positive electrode plate 92 and the separator S sandwiched by the open / close chuck 432 are overlapped on the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 of the base 411 (FIGS. 3d and 3e). In addition, in accordance with the rotation of the bifurcated arm 431, the dancer rollers 33 are advanced and the transfer robot 12 is elevated to begin the transfer motion of the next negative electrode plate 91. The endless conveyor 21 is driven to bring the next positive electrode plate 92 to the waiting position 424 .

[0045] Next, the open / close chuck 432 on the standby position 424 side is pushed in (FIG. 3f), which returns the container to its original state (FIG. 2a).

[0046] The sequence control unit 50 controls the reciprocating drive unit 34 in accordance with the rotation of the bifurcated arm 431, thereby buffering an excessive increase in tension in the separator S and preventing breakage of the separator S and over-rotation of the separator roll 31. In other words, the forward and backward movement of the dancer roller 33 is controlled so as to prevent breakage or over-rotation.

[0047] As described above, according to the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 of embodiment 1, the rotary chuck mechanism 43 can be used to transfer and mount the positive electrode plate 92 side while simultaneously folding the separator S in a zigzag manner and interposing it between the positive electrode plate 92 and the negative electrode plate 91, thereby enabling high-speed production of a laminate 2 with a matched phase.

[0048] <Embodiment 2> In the second embodiment, a laminate manufacturing apparatus will be described in which a negative electrode plate is placed on top of a positive electrode plate with a separator placed therebetween, and the three are then transferred together to a mounting table to form a laminate. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the transfer of the negative electrode plate in embodiment 2. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are explanatory diagrams showing the sequence of operations (a left side view is shown on the left, and a plan view is shown on the right). In the second embodiment, only the parts that are different from the first embodiment will be described, and the same configurations will be given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0049] In this embodiment, the transfer robot 12 picks up the negative electrode plate 91 that has arrived at the most downstream position of the endless conveyor 11 from directly above, transfers it to the standby position 424 of the stacking unit 40, and repeats the release operation. The base 411 is a place where the laminate 2 is formed, and is a base for stacking the negative electrode plate 91, the separator S, and the positive electrode plate 92 together with the separator S folded zigzag between them.

[0050] The holding claw 412 is an L-shaped claw that presses down from above while regulating the side surface of the stack 2 to prevent the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 on the base 411 from shifting. When the next negative electrode plate 91 is stacked on the base 411 together with the separator S and the positive electrode plate 92, the holding claw 412 is temporarily pulled out and then presses down again from above the uppermost negative electrode plate 91. The holding claw 412 repeats this movement in sequence.

[0051] The lowering drive unit 413 sequentially lowers each stack of negative electrode plate 91-separator S-positive electrode plate 92 so that the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 on the pedestal 411 is aligned to the height of the standby position 424. This keeps the height of the uppermost electrode plate 90 constant at all times, improving transfer stability.

[0052] The open / close chuck 432 in the standby position 424 clamps together the positive electrode plate 92, the separator S thereon, and the negative electrode plate 91 transferred by the transfer robot 12. As the bifurcated arm 431 rotates, the set of electrode plates 90 draws a semicircle while pulling out a new separator S from upstream, and is then stacked on the laminate 2 on the base 411. At this time, the free portion of the separator S is folded in a Z shape at an appropriate length to ensure insulation. After placement, the open / close chuck 432 releases the set of electrode plates 90, and the bifurcated arm 431 rotates again to describe a semicircle and return to the standby position 424. In this case as well, phase offset is performed so that the open / close chuck 432 always holds and transfers the set of electrode plates 90 with the upper surfaces facing upward.

[0053] The sequence control unit 50 controls the overall drive so that the transfer of the negative electrode plate 91 and the transfer of the bundle of the negative electrode plate 91, separator S, and positive electrode plate 92 onto the base 411 are alternated. In the following, the operation of the stacking unit 40 under the control of the sequence control unit 50 will be mainly described.

[0054] First, the transfer robot 12 transfers the negative electrode plate 91 onto the separator S at the standby position 424 (FIG. 5a). Moreover, the holding claws 412 of the laminate 2 are pulled out and raised for the next pressing. The dancer roller 33 retreats toward the positive electrode plate supply unit 20 side.

[0055] Next, the holding claws 412 press down the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 again (FIG. 5b). At this time, the laminate 2 does not lose its position because it is being held down by the open / close chuck 432 on the base 411 side, even in a state where the holding claws 412 have been pulled out. The upper flap of the opening and closing chuck 432 on the standby position 424 side is closed to grip the negative electrode plate 91, the separator S, and the positive electrode plate 92 together. The dancer roller 33 continues to retreat toward the positive electrode plate supply unit 20 side.

[0056] Next, the opening / closing chuck 432 on the base 411 side slides and is pulled out from the stack 2 at the same time as the upper flap is released (FIG. 5c). At this time, even if the opening / closing chuck 432 is pulled out, the stack 2 does not lose its posture because the holding claws 412 press down the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 again.

[0057] Next, the bifurcated arm 431 is rotated, and the bundle of the negative electrode plate 91, separator S, and positive electrode plate 92 clamped by the open-close chuck 432 is superimposed on the uppermost negative electrode plate 91 on the base 411 (FIGS. 6d and 6e). In addition, in accordance with the rotation of the bifurcated arm 431, the dancer rollers 33 are advanced, and the lowering drive unit 413 lowers the base 411 by one step. In addition, the endless conveyor 21 is driven to make the next positive electrode plate 92 arrive at the standby position 424 .

[0058] Next, the open / close chuck on the standby position 424 side is pushed in (FIG. 6f), which returns the container to its original state (FIG. 5a).

[0059] The sequence control unit 50 controls the reciprocating drive unit 34 in accordance with the rotation of the bifurcated arm 431, thereby buffering an excessive increase in tension in the separator S and preventing breakage of the separator S and over-rotation of the separator roll 31. In other words, the forward and backward movement of the dancer roller 33 is controlled so as to prevent breakage or over-rotation.

[0060] As described above, according to the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 of embodiment 2, the rotary chuck mechanism 43 can transfer a set of electrode plates 90 and simultaneously fold the separator S in a zigzag manner and sandwich it between the laminate 2, thereby enabling high-speed production of a phase-matched laminate 2. [Industrial Applicability]

[0061] The present invention can also be applied to the manufacture of capacitors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Laminate manufacturing equipment 2. Laminate 10 Negative plate supply section 11 Endless conveyor 12 Transfer robot 20 Positive electrode plate supply section 21 Endless Conveyor 22 Loading and unloading robot 30 Separator supply section 31 Separator roll (31a Axis of separator roll 31) 32 Orientation roller group 32f Orientation roller 33 Dancer Roller (33a Dancer Roller 33 axis) 34 Reciprocating drive unit 40 Laminated section 41 Placement table 411 Pedestal 412 Holding claw 413 Lowering drive 424 Standby position 43 Rotary chuck mechanism 431 Two-pronged arm 431a Axis of bifurcated arm 431 431b Two-pronged arm 431 arm 432 Opening and closing zipper 433 Drive motor 434 Chuck control section 50 Sequence control section 90 Electrode plate 91 Negative plate (91z Negative plate tongue) 92 Positive plate (92z Positive plate tongue) S Separator

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery, in which a strip-shaped separator that is long in one direction is zigzag-folded and rectangular flat-based electrode plates A and B are alternately sandwiched and stacked, The zigzag fold direction is in the width direction of the belt. a first transfer means for sequentially transferring the electrode plates A to the mounting table while keeping the orientation direction the same; a placement means for placing the electrode plate B in a standby position with the direction of the side aligned so as to be parallel to the side of the electrode plate A on the placement table in the direction of the bent line; a separator supplying means for extending the separator from the source of the separator, passing directly above the electrode plate B at the standby position, and supplying the separator without slack to the laminate on the mounting table, which is the destination of the separator; a second transfer means for holding the electrode plate B at the standby position and the separator above in the air together and transferring them successively onto the uppermost electrode plate A on the mounting table by two holders arranged opposite to each other in the folding line direction so that the length of the free separator portion between the electrode plate B at the standby position and the uppermost electrode plate A at the mounting table is a predetermined length; A transfer control means for controlling a transfer order such that the transfer by the first transfer means and the transfer by the second transfer means are alternated; 1. An apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery, comprising:

2. An apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery, in which a strip-shaped separator that is long in one direction is zigzag-folded and rectangular flat-based electrode plates A and B are alternately sandwiched and stacked, The zigzag fold direction is in the width direction of the belt. a mounting table on which a laminate is formed; a placement means for placing the electrode plate B in a standby position with the direction of the side aligned so as to be parallel to the side of the folded line of the laminate on the placement table; a separator supplying means for extending the separator from the source of the separator, passing directly above the electrode plate B at the standby position, and supplying the separator without slack to the laminate on the mounting table, which is the destination of the separator; a first transfer means for transferring the electrode plate A onto the electrode plate B located at a standby position while sandwiching the separator therebetween and aligning the orientation direction; a second transfer means for holding the electrode plate B, the separator and the electrode plate A in the standby position together by two holders arranged opposite to each other in the folding line direction so that the length of the free separator portion between the electrode plate B in the standby position and the uppermost electrode plate A in the mounting position is a predetermined length, and for successively transferring them onto the uppermost electrode plate A on the mounting table; A transfer control means for controlling a transfer order such that the transfer by the first transfer means and the transfer by the second transfer means are alternated; 1. An apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery, comprising:

3. 3. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery according to claim 1, further comprising a lowering means for gradually lowering the mounting table during transfer so that the height of the uppermost surface of the mounting table is constant.

4. The electrode plate at the top of the mounting table and the electrode plate at the standby position are substantially aligned at the same height. The second transfer means is Two opposing bifurcated arms whose base ends rotate on an axis, each having a holder attached to the tip of the arm, and whose rotation axes are aligned on the same straight line in the direction of the bend line; A driving means for rotating the bifurcated arm; an opening / closing control means for holding and releasing the holder every half rotation; 3. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. The separator supply means is a cylindrical body arranged on the opposite side of the mounting table side as viewed from the standby position, with the axis being the direction of the bent line, the cylindrical body having the separator wound therearound and passing directly above the electrode plate B; a reciprocating means for moving the cylindrical body back and forth substantially horizontally without changing the direction of the axis of the cylindrical body, thereby reducing fluctuations in tension of the separator when the separator is transferred by the second transfer means; 3. The apparatus for manufacturing a laminate for a secondary battery according to claim 1, further comprising:

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