Multipurpose jig for manufacturing secondary batteries and method for setting manufacturing equipment using the same

Abstract

A multi-purpose jig for setting a secondary battery manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body including a first reference surface for setting a device for manufacturing a secondary battery, and a protrusion protruding from one side of the main body and including a second reference surface for setting the device. The main body and the protrusion are integral, the thickness of the main body is greater than the thickness of the protrusion, and the first reference surface and the second reference surface are connected.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [Cross-citation with related applications(s)] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0165250, dated November 26, 2021, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a multipurpose jig, more specifically to a jig used for setting a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus, and to a method for setting the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus using the jig. [Background technology]

[0003] Generally, a secondary battery has a structure in which an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode is housed in a case such as a can or a pouch.

[0004] For example, when a secondary battery is manufactured in a pouch type, the secondary battery may be manufactured through a pre-welding process of connecting electrode taps of a plurality of positive electrodes and a plurality of negative electrodes to each other, a cutting process of cutting the pre-welded electrode taps to a predetermined length, and a main-welding process of welding leads to the welded electrode taps.

[0005] The device for doing this can produce a good secondary battery by accurately setting the position of the welds, taking into consideration the configuration of the secondary battery to be manufactured, for example, the positions of multiple taps to be welded in the stacked electrode assembly.

[0006] Usually, such settings are performed using an actual secondary battery.

[0007] However, when using an actual product, the state of the secondary battery can easily change depending on the surrounding environment, making the setting work difficult.

[0008] Therefore, the secondary battery samples for setting must be replaced from time to time, which not only lengthens the manufacturing time but also increases the manufacturing cost. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purpose jig for manufacturing secondary batteries that can make setting up a secondary battery manufacturing device convenient, accurate, and sustainable, and a setting method for the manufacturing device using the same.

[0010] However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and can be variously expanded within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A multipurpose jig for setting a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body including a first reference surface for setting an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery, and a protrusion protruding from one side of the main body and including a second reference surface for setting the apparatus, The main body and the protrusion are integral, the thickness of the main body is greater than the thickness of the protrusion, and the first reference surface and the second reference surface are connected.

[0012] The main body and the protrusion each have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the first reference surface may be one of the opposing narrow surfaces of the main body, and the second reference surface may be one of the opposing wide surfaces of the protrusion.

[0013] The position of the second reference surface relative to the first reference surface may correspond to the position of a positive electrode tab connected to a plurality of positive electrodes or a negative electrode tab connected to a plurality of negative electrodes included in the secondary battery.

[0014] The protrusion may be located only on a portion of the edge of the narrow side of the main body.

[0015] A handle for use in handling may be provided on an edge of the body portion opposite the protrusion.

[0016] The multipurpose jig may include a resin.

[0017] The multi-purpose jig may be configured by a 3D printer.

[0018] A setting method for a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a step of moving the multi-purpose jig from the manufacturing apparatus to a setting location for setting, and setting the position of the setting location so that the setting location is in close contact with the second reference surface.

[0019] The setting portion may be a welding table for welding and connecting positive electrode tabs respectively connected to a plurality of positive electrodes included in the secondary battery or negative electrode tabs respectively connected to a plurality of negative electrodes included in the secondary battery.

[0020] The setting method may further include a step of setting a height of the welding guide jig so that a guide jig for guiding an electrode tap arranged adjacent to the welding table comes into close contact with the protrusion when the multi-purpose jig is moved relative to the setting portion.

[0021] The setting portion may be a cutter for cutting positive electrode tabs respectively connected to a plurality of positive electrodes included in the secondary battery or negative electrode tabs respectively connected to a plurality of negative electrodes included in the secondary battery.

[0022] The setting portion may be a laser support for welding leads to positive electrode tabs respectively connected to a plurality of positive electrodes included in the secondary battery or to negative electrode tabs respectively connected to a plurality of negative electrodes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] The multipurpose jig for setting a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment allows an operator to set various parts of the manufacturing apparatus using a single jig, thereby reducing the time required to set up the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus and improving work productivity.

[0024] In addition, the secondary battery manufactured according to the embodiment can be manufactured into a high-quality product without manufacturing defects by using a device that is constantly set.

[0025] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a multipurpose jig for setting a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a multipurpose jig for setting a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a first example of use in which the multipurpose jig of FIG. 1 is used at a setting portion of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a process in which electrode taps of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention are welded by a welding device through a guide jig. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a method for setting a setting portion of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus using a multipurpose jig according to a first use example of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a method for setting a setting portion of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus using a multipurpose jig according to a first example of use of the present invention. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second example of use in which the multipurpose jig of FIG. 1 is used in a setting portion of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a third example of use in which the multipurpose jig of FIG. 1 is used at a setting portion of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0028] In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0029] Furthermore, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown. Thicknesses are exaggerated in the drawings to clearly show various layers and regions. In the drawings, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation.

[0030] Furthermore, when a layer, film, region, plate, or other part is said to be "on" or "above" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly on" that other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part is said to be "directly on" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. Furthermore, being "on" or "above" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "on" or "above" in the opposite direction of gravity.

[0031] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part "comprises" a certain element, this means that it may further include other elements, rather than excluding other elements, unless otherwise specified to the contrary.

[0032] Furthermore, throughout the specification, "on a plane" means when the subject part is viewed from above, and "on a cross section" means when the subject part is cut vertically and viewed from the side.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a multipurpose jig for setting a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The multi-purpose jig according to the embodiment is configured to set various portions of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus as a single jig. The secondary battery manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment may be an apparatus for manufacturing a pouch-type secondary battery. For example, the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus may be an apparatus for performing a so-called pre-welding process of fixing a plurality of positive electrode tabs or negative electrode tabs provided on a plurality of positive electrodes or negative electrodes, respectively, constituting an electrode assembly in a pouch-type secondary battery by welding, a cutting process of cutting a portion of the welded positive electrode tabs or negative electrode tabs, or a so-called main welding process of attaching a lead to the welded positive electrode tabs or negative electrode tabs.

[0035] 1 is a perspective view showing a multipurpose jig 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the multipurpose jig 1 includes a main body portion 10 and a protrusion portion 12.

[0036] The main body 10 and the protrusion 12 each have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the multipurpose jig 1 may be configured as a single body in which the main body 10 and the protrusion 12 are integrally configured with each other.

[0037] The thickness of the main body 10 is greater than the thickness of the protrusion 12. In other words, the main body 10 has a larger volume than the protrusion 12. The protrusion 12 may have a structure that protrudes from one side edge of the main body 10 and extends along the longitudinal direction (y) of the main body 10.

[0038] Since the main body 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, one of the opposing narrow faces of the main body 10, i.e., the narrow face (or side face) 100a on the side from which the protrusion 12 extends, acts as a first reference surface for setting the setting portion of the manufacturing equipment.

[0039] Since the protrusion 12 also has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, one of the opposing wide surfaces of the protrusion 12, i.e., the wide surface (or lower surface) 120a facing downward in FIG. 1, acts as a second reference surface for setting the setting portion of the manufacturing equipment.

[0040] In the multipurpose jig 1 of FIG. 1, the narrow surface 100a of the main body 10 is connected to the wide surface 120a of the protrusion 12, and the intersection angle therebetween forms a right angle.

[0041] The position of the wide surface (second reference surface) 120a of the protrusion 12 relative to the narrow surface (first reference surface) 100a of the main body 10 is preferably set to correspond to the position of a positive electrode tap connected to multiple positive electrodes or a negative electrode tap connected to multiple negative electrodes included in the secondary battery to be manufactured.

[0042] Furthermore, in the multipurpose jig 1 according to the embodiment, the protrusions 12 are structured to protrude only from a portion of the edge of the narrow surface 100a of the main body 10, rather than from the entire edge. As a result, the remaining edge portion of the narrow surface 100a of the main body 10, where the protrusions 12 are not provided, can act as a portion to ensure a worker's field of view for the setting work, which will be described in more detail later.

[0043] In the multipurpose jig 1 configured in this manner, the main body 10 may correspond to an electrode assembly (or a pouch containing an electrode assembly) in a pouch-type secondary battery, which is configured by stacking multiple positive electrodes, negative electrodes, and separators, and the protrusion 12 may correspond to an electrode tap provided on the electrode assembly. In other words, the outer shape of the multipurpose jig 1 may be similar to that of the pouch-type secondary battery.

[0044] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the protrusion 12 is configured to protrude from the main body 10 so that the other wide surface 120b opposite to the wide surface 120a is placed on the same plane as one wide surface 100c of the opposing wide surfaces of the main body 10, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a configuration.

[0045] For example, the multipurpose jig 3 of the second embodiment shown in Figure 2 has basically the same configuration as the multipurpose jig 1 of Figure 1, but is configured so that the protrusion 32 protrudes from the main body 30 so that there is a step between the wide surface 320b of the protrusion 32 and the wide surface 300c of the main body 30.

[0046] The multipurpose jig 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be applied to the manufacture of a pouch-type secondary battery, which is a so-called one-cup cell type secondary battery having one pouch, and the multipurpose jig 3 shown in FIG. 2 can be applied to the manufacture of a pouch-type secondary battery, which is a so-called two-cup cell type secondary battery having two separated pouches.

[0047] Additionally, the multi-purpose jigs 1, 3 according to the embodiments of Figures 1, 2 may include handles 14, 34 disposed along the edges of the main bodies 10, 30 opposite the protrusions 12, 32, respectively.

[0048] The multipurpose jigs 1 and 3 of the embodiment configured as described above can be manufactured using a 3D printer and are made of a material containing resin, which allows the multipurpose jigs 1 and 3 to be manufactured with a light weight.

[0049] The multipurpose jig according to the embodiment may be used for setting up a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus as follows.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a first example of use in which the multipurpose jig 1 of FIG. 1 is used at a setting position of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus.

[0051] The secondary battery manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is a pre-welding apparatus for connecting a plurality of positive electrode taps or a plurality of negative electrode taps, which are respectively connected to a plurality of positive electrodes or a plurality of negative electrodes included in an electrode assembly of a pouch-type secondary battery. In this pre-welding apparatus, the portion set by the multipurpose jig 1 may be a welding table (or anvil) 40.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, a positive electrode tab 50 (or a negative electrode tab; hereinafter, for convenience, the positive electrode tab) of a pouch-type secondary battery 5 is placed on the welding table 40, and a welding machine (or horn) 42 is lowered to weld the positive electrode tab 50. However, in order for the positive electrode tab 50 to be welded in the correct position, it is important that the welding table 40 is set in the correct position.

[0053] To achieve this, with the multipurpose jig 1 placed on the workbench 60, the worker uses the handle 14 of the multipurpose jig 1 to move the multipurpose jig 1 toward the welding table 40, and adjusts the position (e.g., height) of the welding table 40 so that the top surface of the welding table 40 abuts the wide surface 120a of the protrusion 12 of the multipurpose jig 1, i.e., the second reference surface, to set the welding table 40 (see FIG. 5). If necessary, the narrow surface 100a of the main body 10 of the multipurpose jig 1, i.e., the first reference surface, may also abut against a support portion of the welding equipment with which the welding table 40 comes into contact. Here, it is preferable that the position (e.g., height) of the workbench 60 be maintained at the same position as the workbench used in the lamination and stacking (L&S) process for forming the positive or negative electrode, which is a process preceding the pre-welding process.

[0054] The protrusion 12 of the multipurpose jig 1 can also serve as a setting for a guide jig 44 that gathers a plurality of positive electrode taps 50 when the positive electrode taps 50 are welded.

[0055] 4, guide jig 44 is adjacent to welding table 40 and welding machine 42 and serves to guide positive electrode taps 50 so that they are gathered in one place, and it is necessary for guide jig 44 to be set in the correct position in order to ensure good welding of positive electrode taps 50. In consideration of this, the thickness of protrusion 12 can be set to match the gap of guide jig 44, and when setting up welding table 40, guide jig 44 can also be set with a gap to match the thickness of protrusion 12.

[0056] Meanwhile, as described above, in the multipurpose jig 1, the protrusions 12 are disposed only on a portion of the edge of the main body 10. Therefore, when the multipurpose jig 1 is moved toward the welding table 40 to set up the welding table 40, the portion of the welding table 40 that is not hidden by the protrusions 12 may be exposed, as shown in Fig. 6. This exposed portion allows the worker to secure a clear view when setting up the welding table 40. This allows the worker to easily set up the welding table 40 using the multipurpose jig 1.

[0057] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second example of use in which the multipurpose jig 1 of FIG. 1 is used in a setting portion of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus.

[0058] The secondary battery manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 7 is a cutting device for cutting a plurality of positive electrode tabs or a plurality of negative electrode tabs welded by the pre-welding device shown in Fig. 6 to a certain length. In this cutting device, the portion set by the multipurpose jig 1 may be the lower cutter 70 of the cutters.

[0059] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a third example of use in which the multipurpose jig 1 of FIG. 1 is used at a setting position of a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus.

[0060] The secondary battery manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 8 is a main welding apparatus that welds a lead to the positive electrode tab or negative electrode tab cut by the cutting apparatus shown in Fig. 7. In this main welding apparatus, the location set by the multipurpose jig 1 may be a support stand 80 on which a lower laser of the welding laser is installed.

[0061] Setting of the lower cutter 70 and the support table 80 can also be performed by moving the multipurpose jig 1 to the support table 80 in the same manner as setting of the welding table 40 described above.

[0062] In this way, the multipurpose jig according to the embodiment of the present invention can easily and quickly perform the setting of various parts that require setting in a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus as a single jig.

[0063] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1, 3: Multipurpose jig 10: Main body 12:Protrusion 14: Handle

Claims

1. a main body portion including a first reference surface for setting an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery; a protrusion protruding from one side of the body and including a second reference surface for setting the device; Including, the main body and the protrusion are a single body; The thickness of the main body portion is greater than the thickness of the protrusion portion, The first reference surface and the second reference surface are connected to each other, The main body corresponds to an electrode assembly or a pouch containing an electrode assembly, The protrusion corresponds to an electrode tap provided on the electrode assembly. A multipurpose jig for setting up secondary battery manufacturing equipment.

2. 2. The multipurpose jig of claim 1, wherein the main body and the protrusion each have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the first reference surface is one of the opposing narrow surfaces of the main body, and the second reference surface is one of the opposing wide surfaces of the protrusion.

3. 3. The multipurpose jig according to claim 2, wherein the position of the second reference surface relative to the first reference surface corresponds to the position of a positive electrode tap connected to a plurality of positive electrodes or a negative electrode tap connected to a plurality of negative electrodes included in the secondary battery.

4. The multi-purpose jig according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusions are disposed only on a portion of the edge of the narrow side of the main body portion.

5. The multipurpose jig according to claim 2 , wherein a handle for working is provided on an edge of the main body portion opposite to the protrusion.

6. The multi-purpose tool of claim 1 , wherein the multi-purpose tool comprises a resin.

7. The multi-purpose jig of claim 1 , wherein the multi-purpose jig is configured by a 3D printer.

8. A method for setting a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus using the multipurpose jig according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A setting method for a secondary battery manufacturing apparatus, comprising a step of moving the multipurpose jig from the secondary battery manufacturing apparatus to a setting location for setting, and setting the position of the setting location so that the setting location is in close contact with the second reference surface.

9. 9. The setting method according to claim 8, wherein the setting portion is a welding table for welding and connecting positive electrode taps respectively connected to a plurality of positive electrodes included in the secondary battery or negative electrode taps respectively connected to a plurality of negative electrodes included in the secondary battery.

10. The method further includes a step of setting a height of the welding guide jig so that the welding table and the adjacent guide jig for tap guide are in close contact with the protrusion when the multi-purpose jig is moved. The setting method according to claim 9.

11. The setting portion is a cutter for cutting positive electrode taps respectively connected to a plurality of positive electrodes included in the secondary battery or negative electrode taps respectively connected to a plurality of negative electrodes included in the secondary battery. The setting method according to claim 8.

12. 9. The setting method according to claim 8, wherein the setting portion is a laser support for welding leads to positive electrode taps respectively connected to a plurality of positive electrodes included in the secondary battery or negative electrode taps respectively connected to a plurality of negative electrodes included in the secondary battery.

Images