Electrode manufacturing equipment used for laser notching of electrodes

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrode manufacturing apparatus including: a transfer unit that continuously transfers an electrode sheet to perform an electrode notching process; a laser irradiation unit that performs a notching process by irradiating the electrode sheet with a laser beam; and a pattern jig that supports the electrode sheet by sandwiching the electrode sheet and is located at a position facing the laser irradiation unit, the pattern jig including a panel having a pattern hole through which a laser that notched the electrode sheet passes, the pattern hole having a structure that becomes wider from the front to the rear based on the traveling direction of the laser beam.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0172820 dated December 6, 2021, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated as part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrode manufacturing apparatus used for laser notching of electrodes. [Background technology]

[0003] The demand for secondary batteries is growing rapidly due to the increasing demand for mobile devices, electric vehicles, etc. In particular, lithium secondary batteries, which have high energy density and voltage among secondary batteries, have been commercialized and are widely used.

[0004] The lithium secondary battery is classified according to the structure of the electrode assembly, which is a stacked structure of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. Examples of the electrode assemblies according to this classification include a jelly-roll type (wound type) electrode assembly in which a long sheet-type positive electrode and a negative electrode are wound with a separator interposed therebetween, and a stack type (lamination type) electrode assembly in which a number of positive electrodes and negative electrodes cut into a predetermined size are stacked in sequence with a separator interposed therebetween. Recently, in order to solve the problems of the jelly-roll type electrode assembly and the stack type electrode assembly, a stack / folding type electrode assembly has been used, which is a combination of the jelly-roll type and the stack type, in which unit cells, each of which has a predetermined unit of positive electrode and negative electrode stacked with a separator interposed therebetween, are placed on a separator film and then wound in sequence.

[0005] In general, such a secondary battery is manufactured by coating an electrode mixture, which is a mixture of an electrode active material, a conductive agent, a binder, etc., on an electrode current collector and drying the coated electrode mixture to manufacture an electrode. The manufactured electrode is then stacked with a separator, and then the electrode is placed in a battery case together with an electrolyte and sealed to be completed.

[0006] At this time, the electrode is manufactured by notching an electrode sheet manufactured by applying an electrode active material onto an electrode collector having a long sheet shape, and then cutting the electrode sheet to a predetermined length.

[0007] Generally, the notching process is performed using a jig or roller that includes a cutting portion having a shape corresponding to the electrode, and recently, the notching process is performed by irradiating a predetermined laser onto the electrode sheet so that electrodes can be formed with more precise dimensions.

[0008] A conventional electrode manufacturing apparatus using a laser is shown in schematic form in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the conventional electrode manufacturing apparatus has a drawback in that foreign matter (such as spatter) generated during notching accumulates or sticks around the pattern holes 42 of the pattern jig 40, causing damage to the electrode sheet.

[0009] Therefore, there is a demand for improvements to address such problems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent No. 10-2158708 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, The objective of the present invention is to provide an electrode manufacturing device that can effectively prevent foreign matter (such as spatter) generated during laser notching of an electrode from accumulating or adhering around the pattern holes of a pattern jig and damaging the electrode sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a transfer unit for continuously transferring the electrode sheet to perform an electrode notching process; a laser irradiation unit that irradiates a laser beam onto the electrode sheet to perform a notching process; and a pattern jig that supports the electrode sheet by sandwiching the electrode sheet between the laser irradiation unit and the pattern jig; The pattern jig includes a panel having a pattern hole through which a laser notching the electrode sheet passes, and the pattern hole has a structure in which it becomes wider from the front to the rear based on the traveling direction of the laser beam.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pattern hole is formed as a through hole in the panel, and a wall forming the through hole may include an inclined portion that forms an interior angle of 15 degrees to 80 degrees with an upper surface of the panel in the direction of the laser irradiation part. Preferably, the wall forming the through hole may include an inclined portion that forms an interior angle of 15 degrees to 70 degrees with an upper surface of the panel in the direction of the laser irradiation part.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the panel may have a thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the panel having the pattern holes may be a flat panel or a curved panel that is convex toward the electrode sheet.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pattern jig may be fixed to an upper portion of a suction device.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the panel having the pattern holes may be a curved panel that bulges in the direction of the electrode sheet, and a pattern jig including the curved panel may be fixed to a cylindrical drum suction.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, 3 to 10 pattern jigs including the bulging curved panel may be fixed to a cylindrical drum suction, and during electrode notching, the pattern jigs may be replaced by other pattern jigs as the cylindrical drum suction rotates while notching proceeds.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present invention, a coating layer for preventing adhesion of foreign matter may be further provided on the surface of the panel having the pattern holes.

[0020] The coating layer may have a friction coefficient of 0.3 or less and a surface roughness of 0.15 μm or less.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the foreign matter adhesion prevention coating layer may be formed of one or more coatings selected from a DLC (Diamond-like carbon) coating, an AlCrN (AlCrN) coating, and the like.

[0022] In an embodiment of the present invention, the electrode sheet may include a coated portion where an electrode active material is applied on one surface or both surfaces of an electrode collector, and an uncoated portion where no electrode active material is applied.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, the electrode manufacturing apparatus may be used for a notching process for forming an electrode tap. Effect of the Invention

[0024] The electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a pattern jig having an improved structure, thereby effectively preventing foreign matter (e.g., spatter) generated during laser notching of the electrode from accumulating or adhering around the pattern holes of the pattern jig and damaging the electrode sheet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a conventional electrode manufacturing apparatus and a state of use thereof; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing one embodiment of a pattern jig used in the electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views showing the AA section and the BB section of the pattern jig of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a pattern jig used in the electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the A-A cross section of the pattern jig of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 11 is a photograph showing another embodiment of a pattern jig used in the electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of another embodiment of an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in order to enable those skilled in the art to easily practice the present invention. However, the invention may be embodied in several different forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like reference numerals are used throughout the specification to refer to like parts.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing one embodiment of a pattern jig used in the electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the A-A section (a) and the B-B section (b) of the pattern jig of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic representation of one embodiment of the electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a conveying unit 20 that continuously conveys an electrode sheet 10 for performing an electrode notching process; a laser irradiation unit 30 that irradiates a laser beam onto the electrode sheet 10 to perform a notching process; and a pattern jig 40 that is positioned opposite the laser irradiation unit across the electrode sheet 10 and supports the electrode sheet. The pattern jig 40 includes a panel 44 having a pattern hole 42 through which a laser notches the electrode sheet 10 passes, and the pattern hole 42 has a structure in which it becomes wider from the front to the rear based on the traveling direction of the laser beam.

[0029] 2 and 3, the pattern jig 40 may be a panel 44 itself having pattern holes 42, or may further include the panel 44 and a fixing part for fixing the panel to a suction device, etc. The fixing part may include a support member, fixing means, etc. for appropriately fixing the panel 44 to a suction device, etc. The fixing means may be, for example, a fixing hole for screw connection, etc.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pattern hole 42 is formed as a through hole in the panel, and a wall (wall 48 of the pattern hole) forming the through hole may include an inclined portion that forms an interior angle of 15 degrees to 80 degrees, preferably 15 degrees to 70 degrees, and more preferably 15 degrees to 45 degrees with the upper surface of the panel in the direction of the laser irradiation portion, as shown in FIG.

[0031] Meanwhile, the wall 48 may include an inclined portion that forms an interior angle of 10 degrees to 75 degrees, preferably 20 degrees to 75 degrees, and more preferably 45 degrees to 75 degrees, based on an axis parallel to the central axis of the laser beam, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0032] In one embodiment of the invention, the panel may have a thickness of 1.0mm or less, preferably 0.7mm or less, more preferably 0.5mm or less.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pattern jig 40 may be fixed to the upper part of the suction device 50 as shown in Figs. 4 and 9. That is, in the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present invention, foreign matter (e.g., spatter) is generated when the electrode sheet 10 is notched by the laser beam, and it is required to suck up and remove the foreign matter. Therefore, the pattern jig 40 may be installed together with the suction device. The suction device is installed to communicate with the pattern hole 42 formed in the pattern jig 40, and performs the function of sucking up the pattern hole 42 and foreign matter (e.g., spatter) generated around the pattern hole by sucking in air (e.g., suction through the suction hole 52, suction pipe 54, and suction device 56 in Fig. 4). In the above, "upper part" means a position determined based on the traveling direction of the laser beam.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, the panel 44 having the pattern holes 42 may be a flat panel as shown in Figures 2 and 3, or may be a curved panel 44 that bulges in the direction of the electrode sheet as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of a pattern jig used in the electrode manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, and Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view illustrating the A-A cross section of the pattern jig of Figure 5.

[0035] When the pattern jig 40 includes a curved panel 44 that bulges in the electrode sheet direction, the pattern jig 40 can be applied to an electrode manufacturing apparatus as shown in Fig. 9. That is, the pattern jig 40 can be used in a form fixed to a cylindrical drum suction 50 as shown in Fig. 9.

[0036] 9, the electrode sheet 10 is fed from the electrode sheet conveying unit 20 so that the electrode sheet 10 passes through a cylindrical drum suction 50 while wrapping a part of the drum suction 50. At this time, the pattern jig 40 is fixed to the surface of the drum suction 50 that comes into contact with the electrode sheet 10, and the electrode notching is performed by the laser beam 32 irradiated from the laser irradiation unit 30.

[0037] The pattern jigs 40 including the curved panel may be fixed in numbers of 3 to 10 to a cylindrical drum suction, and during electrode notching, the pattern jigs 40 may be replaced by other pattern jigs 40 as the cylindrical drum suction 50 rotates, and notching may be performed.

[0038] In an embodiment of the present invention, a coating layer (coating layer 49, see FIG. 7) for preventing adhesion of foreign matter may be further provided on the surface of the panel having the pattern holes.

[0039] The coating layer may have a friction coefficient of 0.3 or less, preferably 0.15 or less, and a surface roughness of 0.15 μm or less, preferably 0.1 μm or less.

[0040] In the above, if the friction coefficient exceeds 0.3, foreign matter may accumulate or adhere to the surface, which is not preferable. Also, if the surface roughness exceeds 0.15 μm, foreign matter may accumulate or adhere to the surface, which is not preferable.

[0041] The coating layer may have a hardness of 1,800 to 2,000.

[0042] The foreign matter adhesion prevention coating layer may be formed of one or more coatings selected from DLC (Diamond-like carbon) coating, AlCrN (AlCrN) coating, etc., but is not limited thereto. Any known coating material may be used without limitation as long as it satisfies the requirements of the coating layer.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electrode sheet 10 may include a coated portion where an electrode active material is applied on one surface or both surfaces of an electrode collector, and an uncoated portion where no electrode active material is applied.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the notching may be a process of notching an electrode tap or cutting the electrodes individually.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments mentioned above, Various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10: Electrode sheet 20:Transfer section 30: Laser irradiation unit 32: Laser beam 36: Suction section 40: Pattern jig 42: Pattern hole 44: Panel 46: Pattern jig fixing groove 48: Wall with patterned holes 49: Coating layer 50: Suction device 52: Suction hole 54: Suction piping 56: Inhaler 100: Electrode manufacturing equipment

Claims

1. a transfer unit for continuously transferring the electrode sheet to perform an electrode notching process; a laser irradiation unit that irradiates a laser beam onto the electrode sheet to perform a notching process; and a pattern jig that supports the electrode sheet by sandwiching the electrode sheet between the laser irradiation unit and the pattern jig; The pattern jig is an electrode manufacturing apparatus including a panel having a pattern hole through which a laser that notches the electrode sheet passes, and the pattern hole has a structure in which it becomes wider from the front to the rear based on the traveling direction of the laser beam.

2. 2. The electrode manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pattern hole is formed as a through hole in the panel, and a wall forming the through hole includes an inclined portion that forms an interior angle of 15 degrees to 80 degrees with an upper surface of the panel in a direction toward the laser irradiation portion.

3. 3. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a wall defining the through hole forms an interior angle of 15 degrees to 70 degrees with an upper surface of the panel facing the laser irradiation portion.

4. 2. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the panel has a thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

5. 2. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the panel having the pattern holes is a flat panel or a curved panel that is convex toward the electrode sheet.

6. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pattern jig is fixed to an upper portion of a suction device.

7. 6. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the panel having the pattern holes is a curved panel that bulges in the direction of the electrode sheet, and a pattern jig including the curved panel is fixed to a cylindrical drum suction.

8. 8. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein 3 to 10 pattern jigs including a curved panel bulging in the electrode sheet direction are fixed to a cylindrical drum suction, and during electrode notching, the pattern jigs are replaced with other pattern jigs by the rotation of the cylindrical drum suction while notching is performed.

9. 2. The electrode manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a coating layer for preventing adhesion of foreign matter on a surface of the panel having the pattern holes.

10. 10. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the foreign matter adhesion prevention coating layer has a friction coefficient of 0.3 or less and a surface roughness of 0.15 [mu]m or less.

11. 10. The electrode manufacturing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the foreign matter adhesion prevention coating layer is formed of at least one coating selected from the group consisting of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating and an AlCrN coating.

12. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode sheet includes a coated portion where an electrode active material is applied on one surface or both surfaces of an electrode collector, and an uncoated portion where no electrode active material is applied.

13. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , which is used in a notching process for forming an electrode tap.

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