Slot die coating apparatus

Abstract

A slot die coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a lower die, an upper die disposed above the lower die to form a slot, and a shim disposed between the lower die and the upper die to adjust the width of the slot, and at least one camera is disposed on the underside of the upper die to measure the shim.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2022 - 0186960 filed on December 28, 2022, and all the contents disclosed in the documents of the patent application are included as part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to a slot die coating apparatus, and more specifically, to a slot die coating apparatus capable of minimizing error occurrence during a process.

Background Art

[0003] Recently, due to the depletion of fossil fuels, the price of energy sources has increased, concerns about environmental pollution have amplified, and the demand for environmentally friendly alternative energy sources has become an essential and indispensable factor for future life. For this reason, research on various power generation technologies such as nuclear power, solar power, wind power, and tidal power has continued, and power storage devices for more efficiently using the energy produced in this way have also received great attention.

[0004] In particular, with the development of technology and the increasing demand for mobile devices, the demand for batteries as an energy source has increased rapidly, and many studies on batteries that can meet various requirements have been conducted.

[0005] Typically, there is a high demand for lithium secondary batteries such as lithium - ion batteries and lithium - ion polymer batteries, which have advantages such as high energy density, discharge voltage, and output stability.

[0006] Secondary batteries can also be classified according to the structure of their electrode assemblies, which consist of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator membrane interposed between the two electrodes. Typical examples include jelly roll type electrode assemblies, in which long sheet-like positive and negative electrodes are wound together with a separator membrane in between, and stack type electrode assemblies, in which multiple positive and negative electrodes cut into predetermined units are sequentially stacked with a separator membrane in between. Recently, in order to solve the problems of the jelly roll type electrode assemblies and stack type electrode assemblies, a hybrid form of the jelly roll type and stack type has been developed. This type of electrode assembly has a structure in which unit cells, in which positive and negative electrodes of predetermined units are stacked with a separator membrane in between, are positioned on a separation film and sequentially wound up.

[0007] Furthermore, secondary batteries can be classified according to the shape of their case into cylindrical secondary batteries, rectangular secondary batteries, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a pouch-type case made of laminated sheet.

[0008] To manufacture such a secondary battery, an electrode assembly is housed in a case, an electrolyte is injected, and then it is sealed. The electrode assembly is manufactured by assembling unit cells that are stacked in a 3-layer or 5-layer structure with a separator membrane interposed between the positive and negative electrodes. Such positive or negative electrodes can be manufactured by applying a slurry to an electrode current collector, drying it, and pressing it. A slot die coating apparatus is used to apply such a slurry. A slot die coating apparatus is a device that uses a pulsation-free pump or a piston pump to supply a fluid, such as slurry, adhesive, hard coating agent, or ceramic, between the processed upper and lower dies to coat a material to be coated, such as fabric, film, glass plate, or sheet, to a certain thickness.

[0009] The slot die coating apparatus used in the manufacture of electrodes continuously applies slurry to the electrode current collector in a specific direction. To form an outlet from which the slurry is discharged, a die coater shim is interposed between the two dies in the slot die coating apparatus.

[0010] Such shims can have various shapes depending on the form of the slurry being applied and can be made replaceable to suit the applied process. However, the process of replacing such shims involves measuring the new shim to be replaced, placing it in the precise position between the upper and lower dies, and then assembling it. This process is prone to errors and damage to the shim. Furthermore, during the coating process after assembly, it is necessary to check for shim damage and whether the shim was properly inserted. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a slot die coating apparatus that can reduce measurement errors or user errors that may occur during the shim replacement and assembly processes in a slot die coating apparatus.

[0012] However, the problems that the embodiments of the present invention aim to solve are not limited to those described above, and can be broadly extended within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A slot die coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a lower die, an upper die positioned above the lower die to form a slot, and a shim interposed between the lower die and the upper die to adjust the width of the slot, wherein at least one camera for measuring the shim is positioned on the lower surface of the upper die.

[0014] A barcode containing morphological information of the shim may be formed on one surface of the shim facing the upper die.

[0015] The information contained in the barcode can be recognized by the at least one camera.

[0016] The lower surface of the upper die may include at least one housing portion formed by a concave recess extending from the lower surface.

[0017] Each of the at least one cameras may be located inside each of the at least one housings.

[0018] The upper die may further include a transparent window positioned in the open portion of the housing and having the same plane as the lower surface of the upper die.

[0019] The shim may be formed to be replaceable.

[0020] The slot may be formed in a location where the shim is not located.

[0021] The shim may include a base extending along the longitudinal direction of the slot die coating apparatus and a plurality of guides extending from the base in the width direction of the slot die coating apparatus.

[0022] The slots may be formed in accordance with the space between adjacent guides among the plurality of guides. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to embodiments of the present invention, a slot die coating apparatus can be provided that reduces measurement errors or user errors that may occur during the shim replacement and assembly process.

[0024] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 8 is an exploded view showing a slot die coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 11 is a view showing a cross section taken along line II-II' of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 14 is a view showing the lower surface of the upper die of FIG. 1.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. The present invention can be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0027] For the sake of clarity in the description of the present invention, parts that are unnecessary for the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0028] In addition, the sizes and thicknesses of the respective components shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to what is shown in the drawings. In the drawings, the thickness is enlarged to clearly show various layers and regions. And in the drawings, for the convenience of explanation, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated.

[0029] Furthermore, when we say that a layer, membrane, region, plate, or other part is "on top" of another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly above" the other part, but also the case where the other part is in between. Conversely, when we say that one part is "directly above" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. Moreover, being "on top" of a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "up" in the opposite direction of gravity.

[0030] Furthermore, when a specification states that a certain part "includes" a certain component, unless otherwise specified, this means that it can further encompass other components rather than excluding them.

[0031] In this specification, "on a plane" refers to the view of the subject from above, and "on a cross-section" refers to the view of a cross-section obtained by cutting the subject perpendicularly, viewed from the side.

[0032] A slot die coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0033] Figure 1 is an exploded view showing a slot die coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line II-II' in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view showing the lower side of the upper die in Figure 1.

[0034] Referring to Figure 1, a slot die coating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a lower die 110, an upper die 120 positioned above the lower die 110 and forming a slot 230 through which a slurry flows, and a shim 200 interposed between the lower die 110 and the upper die 120 to adjust the width and shape of the slot 230.

[0035] The lower die 110 and the upper die 120 are assembled with one surface facing the other. At this time, the opposing surface of the lower die 110 and the upper die 120 is formed to be larger than the size of the shim 200 so as to surround the outer surface of the shim 200. In this way, the assembled slot die coating apparatus 100 can be configured so that the shim 200 does not protrude to the outside.

[0036] The lower die 110 may have a supply hole 112 into which slurry is supplied from the outside, and may include an internal space 111 into which the supplied slurry is stored. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the supply hole and internal space may be formed in the upper die 120, or in both the upper and lower dies.

[0037] A shim 200 is placed between the lower die 110 and the upper die 120. Therefore, the lower die 110 and the upper die 120 are separated from each other by the thickness of the shim 200, and a slot 230 is formed inside the slot die coating apparatus 100. The slurry stored in the internal space 111 flows along the slot 230 and can be discharged to the outside through a discharge port. The discharge port may be formed in the space between the end of the lower die 110 and the end of the upper die 120 at the end of the slot 230. Such a discharge port is formed to be thin and long, so that the slurry can be applied broadly and uniformly to the electrode current collector as the slot die coating apparatus 100 moves at a constant speed on the current collector.

[0038] The shims 200, which adjust the width and shape of the slot 230, can have various shapes depending on the pattern to be applied. In particular, as shown in Figure 1, the slot die coating apparatus 100 may include a base 210 formed long on the opposite side of the end that forms the discharge port along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction in the drawing), and a plurality of guides 220 extending from there toward the discharge port. The plurality of guides 220 basically include two guides 220 formed on both ends of the base 210 to maintain the spacing between the lower die 110 and the upper die 120, and in addition, may include a plurality of guides 220 formed between the two guides 220 formed on both ends. In other words, the number and width of the guides 220 can be appropriately adjusted depending on the type of pattern formed by the slurry applied from the discharge port. For example, if only two guides 220 formed on both ends of the base 210 are included, the slurry applied from the discharge port between them may have one broad pattern, and by adding guides 220, patterns such as stripes can be formed.

[0039] A barcode 400 containing design information for the shim 200 may be formed on one surface of the shim 200, particularly on the surface facing the upper die 120. The barcode 400 can be recognized by a camera (described later) to provide information about the currently installed shim 200 when designing a new shim 200. Such information may include the thickness and width of the shim 200, the thickness or width of the guide 220 and base 210 respectively, and the spacing between the guides 220.

[0040] Such shims 200 may be provided in a variety of shapes, interchangeable depending on the pattern obtained. In other words, if a new shape is required, a new shim 200 of a new shape or thickness can be designed and formed to be replaced between the lower die 110 and the upper die 120. However, errors may occur if the worker directly places and assembles the new shim 200 between the lower die 110 and the upper die 120. Also, in the process of designing a new shim 200, it is necessary to disassemble the entire assembly to obtain information on the existing shim 200 (thickness, shape, position, etc.), and design errors may occur in this process as well.

[0041] In other words, designing and assembling a new shim 200 requires design information for the inside of the slot die coating apparatus 100, particularly information for the shim 200 between the lower die 110 and the upper die 120. However, obtaining this information requires a means to prevent errors from occurring during the process of obtaining this information by taking measurements or disassembling and reassembling the slot die coating apparatus 100. For this reason, in this embodiment, at least one camera 300 is placed on the lower side surface 122 of the upper die 120.

[0042] The camera 300 may be formed in a housing portion 121 that is concave inward from the lower side surface 122 of the upper die 120. In this case, one camera 300 may be positioned in one housing portion 121. A transparent window 310 may also be positioned in the open portion of the housing portion 121 so as to be on the same plane as the lower side surface 122 of the upper die 120. Such a transparent window 310 can maintain the shape of the slot 230 and prevent damage to the camera 300 from slurry.

[0043] The camera 300 can directly photograph the shape of the shim 200 located below the camera 300 and transmit that information to the operator designing the new shim 200. In other words, the dimensions of the newly designed shim 200 can be matched to the dimensions of the slot die coating apparatus 100 using information about the shim 200 already contained within the slot die coating apparatus 100, such as its thickness, width, and the shape and ratio of the guide 220 and base 210.

[0044] Furthermore, the camera 300 can have a sensor function to recognize the barcode 400. The information obtained by recognizing the barcode 400 containing information about the shim 200 can be provided for the design of a new shim 200. As explained earlier, it would also be possible to directly measure the shape or dimensions of the shim 200 using the camera 300 and provide information about the shim 200, but in addition to this, by storing detailed information about the shim 200 itself in the barcode 400 and recognizing it, it becomes possible to provide more detailed and accurate information.

[0045] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of the operator actually measuring the shim 200 for information can be omitted, thereby preventing various errors or inaccuracies that may occur during the measurement stage. At the same time, the processing status (information) of the shim 200 can be accurately and quickly grasped without actual measurement. Therefore, since the shim 200 can be precisely processed according to the design and assembled in the correct position, process errors can be minimized and process efficiency can be improved.

[0046] Although 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 by those skilled in the art utilizing the basic concepts of the present invention, as defined in the following claims, also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 100: Slot die coating apparatus 110: Lower die 120: Upper die 200: Sim 300: Camera 400: Barcode

Claims

1. Lower die and An upper die positioned above the lower die and forming a slot, A shim interposed between the lower die and the upper die to adjust the width of the slot is included, A slot die coating apparatus, wherein at least one camera for measuring the shim is positioned on the lower side surface of the upper die.

2. A slot die coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a barcode containing morphological information of the shim is formed on one surface of the shim facing the upper die.

3. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one camera recognizes the information contained in the barcode.

4. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the upper die includes at least one housing portion formed by a concave recess from the lower surface.

5. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the at least one cameras is located inside each of the at least one housings.

6. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the upper die is positioned in the open portion of the housing and further includes a transparent window that is flush with the lower surface of the upper die.

7. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shim is formed to be replaceable.

8. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slot is formed in a portion where the shim is not located.

9. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the shim includes a base extending along the longitudinal direction of the slot die coating apparatus and a plurality of guides extending from the base in the width direction of the slot die coating apparatus.

10. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the slot is formed in the space between adjacent guides among the plurality of guides.

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