Electrode body manufacturing apparatus and electrode body manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide an electrode body manufacturing apparatus and an electrode body manufacturing method capable of suppressing the occurrence of cracks.SOLUTION: An electrode body manufacturing apparatus 10 includes: a foil conveying machine 2 that continuously conveys electrode foil FF; an applicator 3 that intermittently applies an electrode material FA to a main surface FS of the continuously conveyed electrode foil FF to intermittently form a coated area FC coated with the electrode material FA and an uncoated area FU not coated with the electrode material FA; a laser irradiator 1 that irradiates the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF with laser light LL; a shield 4 capable of blocking the laser light LL; an acquisition unit that acquires the position of the uncoated area FU; and a shield conveying machine 5 that inserts the shield 4 between the uncoated area FU and the laser irradiator 1 during a period when the uncoated area FU is included in the irradiation range of the laser light LL.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and an electrode assembly manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] The electrode sheet heating device disclosed in Patent Document 1 inserts a stainless steel shielding plate between the heating surface of the infrared heater and the heated surface of the electrode sheet when the temperature of the electrode sheet reaches a preset upper limit temperature, thereby preventing the electrode sheet from overheating. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-010013 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventors of the present application have discovered the following problems. When such an electrode sheet heating device is used to heat an electrode sheet having a coated area where the electrode material is coated and a non-coated area where the electrode material is not coated, the coated area and the non-coated area are heated in the same manner, which may cause cracks.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and provides an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus and an electrode assembly manufacturing method that can suppress the occurrence of cracks. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises: a foil conveyor that continuously conveys the electrode foil; a coater that intermittently coats a main surface of the electrode foil that is continuously conveyed with an electrode material to intermittently form coated regions where the electrode material is coated and uncoated regions where the electrode material is not coated; a laser irradiator that irradiates a main surface of the electrode foil with laser light; a shield capable of blocking the laser light; an acquisition unit that acquires the position of the uncoated region; and a shielding material transporter that inserts the shielding material between the uncoated area and the laser irradiator during a period when the uncoated area is included in the irradiation range of the laser light.

[0007] Furthermore, in the above-described electrode body manufacturing apparatus, the shielding material conveying machine may insert the shielding material during a period in which the uncoated area is included in the irradiation range of the laser light, and then convey the shielding material in accordance with the movement of the uncoated area that accompanies the conveyance of the electrode foil.

[0008] In the electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus described above, the shield may include a cooling circuit through which a cooling medium can flow.

[0009] A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly according to the present disclosure includes the steps of continuously transporting an electrode foil; intermittently applying an electrode material to a main surface of the continuously transported electrode foil, thereby intermittently forming a coated region where the electrode material is applied and an uncoated region where the electrode material is not applied; obtaining the location of the uncoated area; irradiating a main surface of the electrode foil with laser light from a laser irradiator; and inserting a shield capable of blocking the laser light between the uncoated area and the laser irradiator during a period in which the uncoated area is included in the irradiation range of the laser light. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the occurrence of cracks can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an electrode assembly according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a method for manufacturing an electrode assembly according to the first embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the following description and drawings have been simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation.

[0013] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0014] Naturally, the right-handed XYZ coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 and other drawings is for the convenience of explaining the positional relationships of the components. Normally, the positive Z-axis direction is vertically upward, and the XY plane is a horizontal plane, which is common to all drawings. The positive X-axis direction is the feed direction of the electrode foil FF, which will be described later. The Y-axis direction is the width direction of the electrode foil FF.

[0015] <Manufacturing equipment> As shown in FIG. 1, the electrode body manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a laser irradiator 1, a foil conveyor 2, a coater 3, a shield 4, a shield conveyor 5, a sensor 6, and a control device 7.

[0016] The electrode foil roll FR is formed into a roll shape by winding the electrode foil FF around it. The electrode foil roll FR is rotatably arranged at a predetermined position. By rotating, the electrode foil roll FR can feed the electrode foil FF in the feeding direction (here, the positive direction of the X-axis). A winding roll (not shown) may be arranged in the feeding direction. This winding roll (not shown) winds up the electrode foil FF fed by the electrode foil roll FR. The electrode foil FF is made of, for example, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, nickel, iron, titanium, or carbon.

[0017] The foil conveyor 2 continuously conveys the electrode foil FF in the delivery direction. The foil conveyor 2 may convey the electrode foil FF using a roll-to-roll system. The foil conveyor 2 may, for example, include multiple rolls 2A. The multiple rolls 2A may be arranged between the electrode foil roll FR and the winding roll side FW on which the above-mentioned winding roll is arranged. Furthermore, the multiple rolls 2A may be arranged at predetermined intervals below the electrode foil FF. A drive source (not shown) applies a rotational drive force to the multiple rolls 2A, causing the multiple rolls 2A to rotate. This allows the electrode foil FF to be conveyed in the delivery direction.

[0018] The coater 3 intermittently coats the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF, which is continuously conveyed by the foil conveyor 2, with the electrode material FA. This intermittently forms coated regions FC and uncoated regions FU on the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF. The lengths of the coated regions FC in the feed direction and the lengths of the uncoated regions FU in the feed direction are preferably set in advance. On the main surface FS, the coated regions FC and the uncoated regions FU are arranged alternately in the feed direction. The coated regions FC are coated with the electrode material FA. In the coated regions FC, the electrode material FA covers the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF. The uncoated regions FU are not coated with the electrode material FA. In the uncoated regions FU, the electrode material FA does not cover the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF, and the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF is exposed.

[0019] The electrode material FA includes an electrode active material. The electrode active material is a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material.

[0020] The electrode material FA containing the positive electrode active material constitutes the positive electrode. The positive electrode active material is, for example, lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2), lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), LiCo 1 / 3 Ni 1 / 3 Mn 1 / 3 O2, Li 1+x Mn 2-x-y M y Examples of such spinels include Li-Mn spinels substituted with different elements and having a composition represented by O4 (M is one or more metal elements selected from Al, Mg, Co, Fe, Ni, and Zn).

[0021] The electrode material FA containing the negative electrode active material constitutes a negative electrode. The negative electrode active material is, for example, a material capable of absorbing and releasing metal ions such as metallic lithium or lithium ions. The material capable of absorbing and releasing metal ions such as lithium ions is, for example, an alloy-based negative electrode active material or a carbon material. The alloy-based negative electrode active material is, for example, a Si alloy-based negative electrode active material or a Sn alloy-based negative electrode active material. The Si alloy-based negative electrode active material may be silicon, silicon oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, or a solid solution thereof. The Si alloy-based negative electrode active material may contain elements other than silicon, such as Fe, Co, Sb, Bi, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, In, Sn, or Ti. The Sn alloy-based negative electrode active material is tin, tin oxide, tin nitride, or a solid solution thereof. The Sn alloy-based negative electrode active material may also contain elements other than tin, such as Fe, Co, Sb, Bi, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, In, Ti, Si, etc. The carbon material is, for example, hard carbon, soft carbon, graphite, or the like.

[0022] The electrode material FA may contain optional components such as a conductive additive, a binder, and a solid electrolyte. The conductive additive may be, for example, a carbon material such as vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF) or carbon nanofiber, or a metal material. The binder may be, for example, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), butadiene rubber (BR), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), or a combination thereof.

[0023] The sensor 6 detects the uncoated region FU. The sensor 6 is preferably provided at an interval from the coater 3 in the feeding direction. The sensor 6 is preferably disposed, for example, above the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF. The sensor 6 may be, for example, a line scan camera.

[0024] The laser irradiator 1 irradiates a predetermined irradiation range with laser light LL. Specifically, it is preferable that the laser irradiator 1 can constantly irradiate the predetermined irradiation range with laser light LL uniformly. The laser irradiator 1 is, for example, a semiconductor laser. The laser irradiator 1 is disposed above the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF. The laser irradiator 1 irradiates the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF with laser light LL.

[0025] The shield 4 is made of a material capable of blocking the laser light LL irradiated by the laser irradiator 1. Such a material is, for example, stainless steel. The shield 4 may be provided with a cooling circuit through which a cooling medium can flow. When the cooling medium is supplied to the cooling circuit, heat is transferred from the shield 4 to the cooling medium. This prevents the shield 4 from overheating even when the shield 4 is exposed to the laser light LL, ensuring the shielding properties of the shield 4. The shape and size of the shield 4 may be determined depending on the uncoated region FU.

[0026] The shielding object conveying machine 5 can convey the shielding object 4 so that the shielding object 4 can be inserted between the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF and the laser irradiator 1. After inserting the shielding object 4 between the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF and the laser irradiator 1, the shielding object conveying machine 5 can convey the shielding object 4 in the sending direction. The shielding object conveying machine 5 is, for example, a conveying device or an arm robot that can be synchronized with the foil conveying machine 2.

[0027] The control device 7 can be configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In other words, the control device 7 can have the functions of a computer. The control device 7 can execute programs stored in a storage device (not shown) and perform various processes.

[0028] Furthermore, by executing this program, the control device 7 appropriately realizes the functions of the components required for the manufacturing apparatus 10 to perform the necessary operations. For example, the control device 7 acquires various information from each component of the manufacturing apparatus 10, such as the coater 3 and the sensor 6. The control device 7 may store the acquired information in a storage device. The various information includes, for example, the completion of coating of the electrode material FA on the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF by the coater 3 and the uncoated area FU detected by the sensor 6. The control device 7 may store information such as the conveying speed of the electrode foil FF by the foil conveyer 2 and the distance between the coater 3 and the irradiation range of the laser light LL in the storage device. The control device 7 can calculate the position of the uncoated area FU based on this stored information. The control device 7 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires the position of the uncoated area FU. Based on the acquired position of the uncoated area FU, the control device 7 sends to the shield conveyer 5 a signal to insert the shield 4 between the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF and the laser irradiator 1 and a signal to convey the shield 4 in accordance with the conveyance of the electrode foil FF.

[0029] <Manufacturing method> Next, a method for manufacturing an electrode body using the above-described manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. For ease of understanding, the illustration of each component such as the foil conveyor 2, coater 3, shielding conveyor 5, sensor 6, and control device 7 has been omitted in Figure 3 as appropriate.

[0030] A foil conveyor 2 continuously conveys the electrode foil FF (step ST1). A coater 3 intermittently coats a main surface FS of the continuously conveyed electrode foil FF with an electrode material FA (step ST2). As a result, coated regions FC coated with the electrode material FA and uncoated regions FU not coated with the electrode material FA are intermittently formed on the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF. Steps ST1 and ST2 may start substantially simultaneously, or may be performed simultaneously in parallel with the next step ST3.

[0031] Next, the control device 7 acquires the position of the uncoated area FU1 (step ST3). Specifically, the control device 7 calculates the position of the uncoated area FU based on the uncoated area FU detected by the sensor 6, the conveying speed of the electrode foil FF by the foil conveyor 2, etc.

[0032] Next, the laser irradiator 1 irradiates the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF with the laser beam LL (step ST4). In the example shown in Fig. 3, the irradiation range of the laser beam LL includes a coating area FC1 on the main surface FS of the electrode foil FF. The electrode material FA1 coated on the coating area FC1 is irradiated with the laser beam LL and heated.

[0033] Next, the shielding object conveying device 5 inserts the shielding object 4 between the uncoated area FU and the laser irradiator 1 while the uncoated area FU is included in the irradiation range of the laser light LL (step ST5). In the example shown in FIG. 3, the shielding object 4 is inserted between the uncoated area FU1 and the laser irradiator 1 while the uncoated area FU1 is included in the irradiation range of the laser light LL. The shielding object 4 blocks the laser light LL. Therefore, the uncoated area FU1 is hardly irradiated with the laser light LL.

[0034] Finally, the shield conveying device 5 conveys the shield 4 in accordance with the movement of the uncoated region FU associated with the conveyance of the electrode foil FF (step ST6). In the example shown in Fig. 3, the shield conveying device 5 conveys the shield 4 in accordance with the movement of the uncoated region FU1. Therefore, even if the uncoated region FU1 moves in the sending direction associated with the conveyance of the electrode foil FF, the shield 4 moves in accordance with the uncoated region FU1. In other words, the shield 4 blocks the laser light LL while moving in accordance with the movement of the uncoated region FU1.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 3, the shielding object conveying device 5 may remove the shielding object 4 from between the uncoated area FU1 and the laser irradiator 1 once the uncoated area FU1 has passed through the irradiation range of the laser light LL. Thereafter, by repeating the above-described steps ST3 to ST6, the shielding object 4 blocks the laser light LL, thereby preventing the laser light LL from irradiating another uncoated area FU within the irradiation range of the laser light LL. After the uncoated area FU1 has passed through the irradiation range of the laser light LL, the uncoated area FU1 portion of the electrode foil FF may be wound up on a winding roll (not shown). Various processes may be performed on the electrode foil FF as needed.

[0036] In this manner, the electrode assembly can be manufactured.

[0037] According to the above-described configuration of the electrode assembly manufacturing method, the shielding object conveying device 5 inserts the shielding object 4 between the uncoated region FU and the laser irradiator 1 during the period when the uncoated region FU is within the irradiation range of the laser light LL. Therefore, the uncoated region FU1 is hardly irradiated with the laser light LL. Therefore, the irradiation of the laser light LL onto the uncoated region FU can be suppressed while ensuring the irradiation amount of the laser light LL onto the coated region FC. This suppresses heat transfer from the uncoated region FU to the edge of the coated region FC adjacent to the uncoated region FU, thereby suppressing drying of the edge of the adjacent coated region FC. As a result, the electrode material FA at the edge of the adjacent coated region FC is less likely to crack. Therefore, the irradiation amount of the laser light LL can be changed depending on the coated region FC and the uncoated region FU to suppress cracking. Furthermore, there is no need to extend the drying process and drying time throughout the entire process to suppress cracking. This allows for a reduction in the length of the drying process line and the number of laser irradiators 1.

[0038] Furthermore, the shield conveying device 5 conveys the shield 4 in accordance with the movement of the uncoated region FU accompanying the conveyance of the electrode foil FF. The shield 4 can block the laser light LL while moving in accordance with the movement of the uncoated region FU. This further reduces the irradiation of the laser light LL onto the uncoated region FU. This further reduces the occurrence of cracks.

[0039] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented by appropriately combining the above-described embodiment and examples thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10. Electrode body manufacturing equipment 1 Laser irradiator 2 Foil conveyor 2A Roll 3 Coating machine 4 Shield 5. Shielding material transporter 6 sensors 7 Control Device LL laser light FF electrode foil FS, FS1 main surface FA, FA1, FA2 electrode materials FR electrode foil roll FW winding roll side FC, FC1, FC2 application area FU, FU1 Uncoated area

Claims

1. a foil conveyor that continuously conveys the electrode foil; a coater that intermittently coats a main surface of the electrode foil that is continuously conveyed with an electrode material to intermittently form coated regions where the electrode material is coated and uncoated regions where the electrode material is not coated; a laser irradiator that irradiates a main surface of the electrode foil with laser light; a shield capable of blocking the laser light; an acquisition unit that acquires the position of the uncoated region; a shielding object conveying device that inserts the shielding object between the uncoated area and the laser irradiator during a period in which the uncoated area is included in the irradiation range of the laser light, Electrode body manufacturing equipment.

2. the shielding object conveying device inserts the shielding object during a period in which the uncoated region is included in the irradiation range of the laser light, and then conveys the shielding object in accordance with the movement of the uncoated region that accompanies the conveyance of the electrode foil. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The shield includes a cooling circuit through which a cooling medium can flow. The electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. continuously conveying the electrode foil; intermittently applying an electrode material to a main surface of the continuously transported electrode foil, thereby intermittently forming a coated region where the electrode material is applied and an uncoated region where the electrode material is not applied; obtaining the location of the uncoated area; irradiating a main surface of the electrode foil with laser light from a laser irradiator; and inserting a shield capable of blocking the laser light between the uncoated area and the laser irradiator during a period in which the uncoated area is included in the irradiation range of the laser light. A method for manufacturing an electrode body.

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