Web transport device

Abstract

To provide a web carrier device capable of suppressing manufacture costs by retracting a web press member with a simple mechanism.SOLUTION: A web carrier device has a chain 7 which engages a sprocket 6 to drive it along a conveyance direction A of a web 1, and a web introduction member 10 which is mounted with a front edge part 1a of the web 1 to introduce the web 1 into a gas as driven by the chain 7. Cam roller members 32 are provided at both end parts of the web introduction member 10 and are made to abut on cam members 34. Consequently, web press members 20 are retracted away from an outer peripheral surface 5f, and the web introduction member 10 is inserted into the expanded gap without any interference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a web conveyance device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a web conveyance device for manufacturing electrodes of a battery, a tab forming machine that performs laser processing or the like while conveying a web as a workpiece is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses using a web introduction member to pass a web from the upstream to the downstream of a conveyance device in advance. It is desirable that the guide roller is provided with a web pressing member so that the thin foil web does not lift off from the outer peripheral surface due to a change in the conveyance direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a conventional web conveyance device, the gap between the web pressing member and the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller is set to a dimension that allows the web to pass through. Therefore, when a web introduction member having a larger dimension in the thickness direction than the web passes through the gap, it is necessary to move the web pressing member to expand the gap so as not to interfere. In the conventional web conveyance device, when the web introduction member approaches the gap, for example, using the driving force of an actuator such as an air cylinder, the web pressing member is retracted in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller to expand the gap.

[0005] However, in order to move the web retaining member at the right time, it is necessary to use sensors and actuators that detect the proximity of the web introduction member. Therefore, further improvements were needed to suppress the increase in the number of parts and reduce manufacturing costs. Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a web transport device that can reduce manufacturing costs by retracting the web retaining member with a simple mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The web conveying device of this disclosure comprises a guide roller for supporting and guiding a strip-shaped web, a web retaining member for passing the web through a gap provided between the outer surface of the guide roller and the web, and a sprocket provided on the rotation axis of the guide roller. The web conveying device also comprises a chain that engages with the sprocket and drives along the web conveying direction, and a web introduction member that attaches the leading edge of the web and introduces the web into the gap by the drive of the chain. Furthermore, the web conveying device is characterized by comprising a cam roller member provided on the web introduction member, and a cam member that contacts the cam roller member and retracts the web retaining member in a direction away from the outer surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, a web transport device is provided that can reduce manufacturing costs by retracting the web retaining member with a simple mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view illustrating the overall configuration of a tab forming machine equipped with a web conveying device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This section describes a web conveying device that includes a general web-holding member common to the first and second conveying paths, and shows a perspective view of the guide roller corresponding to the direction of arrow II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing a tab forming machine equipped with a web transfer device, where tabs are laser-processed onto the side edges of a web. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the web-holding member and interlocking mechanism of a web transport device, with an enlarged view of the main parts. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing how tabs protruding from the side edges of a web are held down by a web-holding member in a web conveying device. [Figure 6] This is a plan view in the direction of arrow VI in Figure 2, illustrating the configuration of the guide rollers in the web conveying device as seen from above. [Figure 7] This is a front view of the web conveying device, showing the configuration of the guide rollers as seen from the front, as seen from arrow VII in Figure 2. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the web conveying device at a position along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7, showing the relationship between the guide roller, web holding member, and cam member. [Figure 9] This is a side view of the web transport device, showing the relationship between the web introduction member, guide roller, and interlocking mechanism, as seen from the direction of arrow IX in Figure 7. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the operation of an interlocking mechanism in a web conveying device that retracts the web holding member away from the outer surface of the guide roller. (a) is a side view showing the state before the cam roller contacts the cam member, (b) is a side view showing the state when the cam roller is in contact with the cam member, and (c) is a side view showing the state when the cam roller swings in a direction that lifts the cam member away from it. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the operation of a web conveying device in which the web retaining member, which has been lifted up by the operation of the interlocking mechanism, returns to the direction of the outer circumferential surface of the guide roller. (a) is a side view showing the gap that has widened as the web retaining member separates from the outer circumferential surface of the guide roller, through which the rod-shaped member passes. (b) is a side view showing the state in which the cam roller is in contact with the extended surface of the cam member, and (c) is a side view showing the state in which the cam roller is located at the end of the extended surface of the cam member. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view illustrating how the web introduction member moves along the second transport path in the direction of the guide roller as the chain moves in a web transport device. [Figure 13]This is a perspective view illustrating how a web is passed through the gap between the guide roller and the web holding member in a web conveying device. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the web retaining member in the web conveying device of Embodiment 2, showing how the web introduction member moves along with the movement of the chain in the direction of the guide roller and the web retaining member which is approximately the entire width of the device. [Figure 15] This is a side view illustrating the configuration of the guide roller, web holding member, and cam member in the web conveying device of Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of the web transport device of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In this disclosure, when referring to up and down or left and right, unless otherwise specified, the description will basically be based on the up and down or left and right directions with the transport direction of the web 1 being the front and back direction. Note that the "left and right direction" of the web 1 is synonymous with the "width direction," and a "left and right pair" is synonymous with a pair on the left and right sides of the longitudinal centerline of the web 1. Also, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Embodiment 1

[0010] Figure 1 illustrates the overall configuration of a tabbed electrode sheet manufacturing apparatus equipped with an embodiment of the web transport device 100 of this disclosure. The tabbed electrode sheet manufacturing apparatus manufactures tabbed electrode sheets used in lithium secondary batteries or lithium capacitors, electric capacitors, etc. The tabbed electrode sheet manufacturing apparatus comprises a web transport device 100, a feeding device 2a, a winding device 2b, and a laser processing device 8. Of these, the feeding device 2a has a strip electrode attached to it as a web 1 wound into a roll shape, which is the material for the tabbed electrode sheet. The winding device 2b is configured to have a winding shaft that can be rotated to wind the processed web 1 into a roll shape.

[0011] Then, the web conveyor 100 conveys the belt-shaped web 1 sent out from the feeder 2a along the conveyance path to the winder 2b. For this reason, the web conveyor 100 has a first conveyance unit 3 positioned upstream in the conveyance direction A of the web 1, and a second conveyance unit 4 positioned downstream following the first conveyance unit 3. The first conveyance unit 3 has a plurality of guide rollers 5a and guide rollers 5c provided with a pair of left and right sprockets 6 engaged with the chain 7 of the first conveyance unit 3. Note that the guide roller 5a and the guide roller 5b of the second conveyance unit 4 described later convey the web 1, but the guide roller 5c and the guide roller 5d of the second conveyance unit 4 described later do not convey the web 1. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide the web pressing member 20 and the interlocking mechanism 30 in the first conveyance unit 3. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the web pressing member 20 and the interlocking mechanism 30 described later may be provided on any of the guide rollers, for example, the guide roller 5a.

[0012] Here, mainly the second conveyance unit 4 will be described. The second conveyance unit 4 has a plurality of guide rollers 5b and guide rollers 5d. Among these, the guide roller 5b has a pair of left and right sprockets 6 engaged with the chain 7 of the second conveyance unit 4 provided at both ends of the rotation axis. The guide roller 5b is rotatably supported via a bearing with respect to the rotation axis. Also, the sprocket 6 is rotatably supported via a bearing with respect to the rotation axis. Thereby, the guide roller 5d and the sprocket 6 rotate freely with respect to the rotation axis respectively.

[0013] For example, when passing the web 1 from upstream to downstream before processing, the sprocket 6 is rotated by a motor or manually. At this time, the web introduction member 10 is also moved in the conveyance direction by the chain 7. In a state where the web 1 is hanging and abutting on the outer peripheral surface 5f of the guide roller 5b, the guide roller 5b rotates by the frictional force of the web 1. In a state where the web 1 is not hanging on the guide roller 5b, the guide roller 5b does not rotate. During the processing of web 1, as web 1 is wound onto the winding device 2b and moves, the frictional force of web 1 on the guide roller 5b causes the guide roller 5b to rotate. In Embodiment 1, a chain 7 is used as the power transmission member and a sprocket 6 is used as the rolling wheel, but a belt and pulleys may be used instead of the chain 7 and sprocket 6.

[0014] The web transport device 100 includes a pair of left and right web holding members 20 that pass the web 1 through a gap provided between the outer surface of the guide roller 5 shown in Figure 2, and a rod-shaped web introduction member 10 that is perpendicular to the direction of movement and the longitudinal direction, and parallel to the axial direction of the guide roller 5, between a pair of left and right chains 7, 7. The web introduction member 10 is used only when attaching the web roll to the feeding device 2a in the pre-processing stage and passing the web 1 through from the feeding device 2a to the winding device 2b in advance. Therefore, the left and right ends of the web introduction member 10 are connected to the left and right chains 7, respectively. The web introduction member 10 is then attached by adhering the leading edge 1a of the web 1, and in the introduction step prior to the processing step, the web 1 is introduced into the gap formed between the pressing surface of the pressing plate 21 and the outer peripheral surface 5f of the guide roller 5b by driving the chain 7.

[0015] Furthermore, the web transport device 100 is equipped with an interlocking mechanism 30. As shown in Figure 4, the interlocking mechanism 30 mainly consists of a cam roller member 32 rotatably mounted at the end of the web introduction member 10, and a cam member 34 that is pivotably mounted on a plate-shaped bearing member 15 that rotatably supports the guide roller 5b, with the cam member 34 pivotably mounted on a pivot axis 35. The cam member 34 is provided with a rolling surface portion 36 that allows the cam roller member 32 to roll against it, and a support beam member 38 fixed to the upper surface of the swinging side of the cam member 34, serving as a support for the web retaining member 20. The support beam member 38 is arranged with its longitudinal direction parallel to the axial direction of the guide roller 5b, and is configured to swing in a direction toward or toward the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b along with the swinging of the cam member 34 to which its left and right ends are fixed.

[0016] Furthermore, the interlocking mechanism 30 has a biasing member 40. The biasing member 40 in Embodiment 1 is mainly composed of a metal spring 41, and one end 41a of the spring 41 is connected via a cam-side fixed shaft to the outer end 38a of a support beam member 38 which is provided on the cam member 34 and swings integrally with it. The other end 41b of the spring 41 is connected via a bearing-side fixed shaft to the outer surface portion 15a of the bearing member 15. As a result, the biasing member 40 biases the rolling surface portion 36 of the cam member 34 in a direction that brings it closer to the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. In Embodiment 1, a spring 41 is used as the biasing member 40, but any biasing member that biases the rolling surface portion 36 in a direction that brings it closer to the outer circumferential surface 5f may be made of rubber or other material that is elastic and expandable.

[0017] The cam roller member 32 and the cam member 34 then transmit the force that causes the web introduction member 10 to move in the conveying direction together with the chain 7 to the web holding member 20, converting it into a force that causes the web holding member 20 to move away from the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5 by oscillation. Furthermore, when the cam roller member 32 is not in contact with the rolling surface portion 36 of the cam member 34, there is no force to swing it in the direction away from the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5. Therefore, the biasing force of the biasing member 40 causes the swinging ends of the support beam member 38 and the cam member 34 to swing closer to the outer circumferential surface 5f, returning them to their initial positions (see Figure 10(a)).

[0018] Furthermore, the web transport device 100 of Embodiment 1 is equipped with a laser processing device 8 between the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 4. The laser processing apparatus 8 is configured to include an irradiation unit (not shown) having a galvanometer scanner or the like. The irradiation unit irradiates the left and right side edges 1b of the web 1, which is moving at high speed from the first transport unit 3 to the second transport unit 4, with laser light L as shown in Figure 3, cutting it into a rectangle, triangle, trapezoid, or the like. This allows one or more tabs 1c, which will serve as electrodes for a battery, to be formed on the side edges 1b of the web 1 at desired intervals.

[0019] Furthermore, the rolling surface portion 36 of the cam member 34 in this embodiment has an extended portion 36a. The extended portion 36a is curved to conform to the curved shape of the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b, and extends smoothly and continuously from the straight portion of the rolling surface portion 36 toward the downstream side in the conveying direction A of the web 1. The extended portion 36a maintains a force that swings the cam roller member 32 in a direction that separates it from the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5 by extending the time that the cam roller member 32 is in contact with the rolling surface portion 36, thereby suppressing the rapid return of the cam member 34.

[0020] The web retaining member 20 has a retaining plate 21 whose retaining surface is curved along the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. The retaining plate 21 is fixed to the support beam member 38 via an attachment 22 provided on the guide roller 5b side of the support beam member 38. In the transport direction A of the press plate 21, the upstream end is inclined at a predetermined angle of attack in a direction that moves away from the outer surface 5f as it moves upstream. As a result, the web 1 is smoothly guided into the gap between the press surface of the press plate 21 and the outer surface 5f of the guide roller 5b, thereby reducing lifting and twisting.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, when the web 1 passes through the gap formed between the pressing surface of the pressing plate 21 and the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b, the pressing plate 21 presses the convex tab 1c formed on the side edge 1b of the web 1 in a direction that brings it into contact with the outer circumferential surface 5f. This prevents the tab 1c from lifting away from the outer circumferential surface 5f when the conveying direction A changes along the curved shape of the outer circumferential surface 5f.

[0022] Figure 6 is a plan view of one of the guide rollers 5b, as seen from the direction VI indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. Although the mounting angles of the web retaining member 20 and the interlocking mechanism 30 differ for the other guide rollers 5b, their configurations are substantially the same, so their explanation is omitted. The web conveying device 100 of Embodiment 1 is equipped with a pair of web holding members 20, one on the left and one on the right, whose side end faces are curved in a roughly S-shape. The web-holding members 20, 20 are fixed symmetrically to the left and right at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction via a pair of left and right attachments 22 provided on the guide roller side surface of the elongated support beam member 38. Furthermore, the support beam member 38 has its left and right outer ends 38a connected to the upper surfaces of cam members 34, 34, which are positioned on the left and right sides of the guide roller 5b, respectively, and is arranged parallel to the rotation axis of the guide roller 5b.

[0023] Figure 7 is a front view of the guide roller 5b, taken from the front in the direction of arrow VII in Figure 2. The cam members 34, 34 oscillate around the pivot axis 35 (see Figures 10 and 11). Due to the oscillation of each cam member 34, the left and right web-holding members 20, 20, which are supported by the support beam member 38, move simultaneously in a direction away from or closer to the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. This makes it possible to change the size of the gap formed between the pressing surface of the pressing plate 21 and the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. The gap can be expanded or contracted from a size that allows only the web 1 to pass through to a size that allows both the web 1 and the web introduction member 10 to pass through.

[0024] As shown in Figure 8, the rolling surface portion 36 of the cam member 34 is formed to have an extended portion 36a on the downstream side and a guide inclined surface portion 36b on the upstream side in the conveying direction A, so that it is roughly S-shaped when viewed from the side. Of these, the extended portion 36a extends downstream in the transport direction A and is curved to follow the curved shape of the outer circumferential surface 5f. As a result, even if the transport direction A of the cam roller member 32 rolling on the rolling surface portion 36 is changed immediately after the web introduction member 10 passes through the gap (see (c) in Figure 11), the cam member 34 is gradually swung toward the approaching direction. This protects the web 1 and the outer circumferential surface 5f from the press plate 21 rapidly approaching the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b and colliding with it.

[0025] Furthermore, the guide inclined surface portion 36b extends upstream in the transport direction A and is inclined at a predetermined angle so as it moves upstream, it moves away from the outer peripheral surface 5f. This allows the web 1 to be guided into the gap with the outer peripheral surface 5f along the transport direction A and pass through smoothly.

[0026] The interlocking mechanism 30, via the cam roller member 32, cam member 34, and support beam member 38, converts the force that moves the web introduction member 10 in the transport direction A together with the chain 7 into a force that moves the nearly orthogonal web pressing member 20 away from the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. The pressing plate 21 swings around the pivot axis 35 as the pivot point due to the converted force, and expands the gap formed between the pressing surface and the outer circumferential surface 5f. Furthermore, the pressing plate 21 of the web pressing member 20 moves in an arc with the pivot axis 35 as the pivot center, due to the biasing force of the biasing member 40, toward the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. When the cam member 34 returns to its initial position, the pressing plate 21 moves toward the outer circumferential surface 5f, and is configured to pass the web 1 through the gap between the pressing surface and the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b.

[0027] Next, the operation and effects of the web transport device 100 of Embodiment 1 will be explained using Figures 9 to 13. [Introduction process] First, we will explain the introduction process, which involves introducing web 1 into the transport path of the web transport device 100 before processing web 1. The sprocket 6 shown in Figure 9 is rotationally driven by the rotational force of a power device such as a motor (not shown) (or manually operated by a handle, etc.). As the sprocket 6 rotates, the chain 7, which is engaged with the teeth of the sprocket 6, moves along the first conveying section 3 and the second conveying section 4, respectively (see Figure 1). A web introduction member 10, positioned perpendicularly between a pair of chains 7, 7, holds the leading edge 1a of the web 1 by adhering to it (see Figure 2). As a result, as the chains 7, 7 move, the web 1 moves along the first transport section 3 and the second transport section 4 while being pulled by the web introduction member 10.

[0028] Figure 10(a) shows the state before the cam roller member 32, which moves along the second transport section 4, comes into contact with the cam member 34 (see Figure 12). In the second conveying section 4 of the web conveying device 100 of Embodiment 1, the web introduction member 10 moves in the conveying direction A as the chain 7 (see Figure 12) moves. The web introduction member 10 approaches the guide roller 5b while pulling the leading edge 1a of the web 1, guiding the web 1 between the upper outer peripheral surface 5f of the guide roller 5b and the web holding member 20.

[0029] Figure 10(b) shows how the cam roller member 32 of the interlocking mechanism 30 comes into contact with the cam member 34 as the web introduction member 10 moves in the transport direction A. When the outer edge of the cam roller member 32 contacts the guide inclined surface portion 36b formed at a predetermined inclination angle on the rolling surface portion 36 of the cam member 34, the cam member 34 swings around the pivot axis 35 as the pivot point and is flipped up. This causes the gap between the pressing surface of the pressing plate 21 and the outer surface 5f of the guide roller 5b to begin to widen.

[0030] In Figure 10(c), as the cam roller member 32 moves further in the conveying direction A, the cam roller member 32 rolls along the rolling surface portion 36 of the cam member 34, further increasing the amount of oscillation of the cam member 34. As a result, the gap between the pressing surface and the outer peripheral surface 5f of the pressing plate 21 is enlarged to a size that allows the web introduction member 10 to pass through.

[0031] Figure 11(a) shows the web introduction member 10 passing through the gap between the outer surface 5f and the web retaining member 20 when the gap is enlarged. As the cam member 34 swings, the web introduction member 10 can pass through the enlarged gap while pulling the web 1 without interfering with the guide roller 5b and the flipped-up web retaining member 20.

[0032] Figure 11(b) shows the state in which the cam roller member 32 moves in the transport direction A within the gap and comes into contact with the extended portion 36a that extends from the rolling surface portion 36 of the cam member 34. In this state, even if the transport direction A is changed by approximately 90 degrees downward in the figure as the web introduction member 10 moves along the chain 7 (not shown), the cam roller member 32 continues to roll along the extended portion 36a. Therefore, the oscillation angle of the flipped-up cam member 34 is suppressed to decrease as it returns to its original position, and the rapid reduction of the gap between the outer peripheral surface 5f and the web retaining member 20 is suppressed.

[0033] Figure 11(c) shows the state in which the cam roller member 32 is located at the end of the extended portion 36a of the cam member 34. At this time, the web 1 passes through the gap and is wrapped around the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b while contacting it, and is interposed between the retaining plate 21 and the outer circumferential surface 5f. The extended portion 36a extends its end while curving downstream in the web transport direction A. Therefore, compared to a cam member, for example, in which the horizontal rolling surface portion 36 reaches the end in a straight line, the cam member 34 of Embodiment 1 can gradually bring the retaining plate 21 closer to the outer peripheral surface 5f. Therefore, in the web transport device 100 of Embodiment 1, even when the cam member 34 is in the flipped-up state, the biasing force of the biasing member 40 brings the press plate 21 closer to the outer circumferential surface 5f, but the gap does not decrease rapidly. Thus, the web 1 and the outer circumferential surface 5f or the press plate 21 can be protected from damage.

[0034] As shown in Figure 13, the web introduction member 10 moves downward by changing the transport direction A with the guide roller 5b, and moves to a location near the guide rollers 5c and 5d shown in Figure 1 that does not affect the processing steps. After the web introduction member 10 has passed, the gap between the guide roller 5b and the web holding members 20, 20 becomes smaller. As a result, in subsequent processing steps, the holding plates 21 of each web holding member 20 can hold the web 1 in the direction of the outer circumferential surface 5f as it passes through. As shown in Figure 5, the tab 1c, which is formed protruding from the side edge 1b, is rectangular and convex, and is located in an unlayered portion where the active material layer 1e is not provided. The tab 1c is thinner and relatively fragile compared to the other parts of the web 1 where the active material layer 1e is laminated. In the web conveying device 100 of Embodiment 1, each web holding member 20 returns to its initial position due to the biasing force of the spring 41 during the processing step. In the returned state, the holding plate 21 moves in the direction of the outer peripheral surface 5f, forming a gap between it and the outer peripheral surface 5f of the guide roller 5b that is large enough for the web 1 to pass through. Therefore, when changing the conveying direction A, the side edges 1b including each tab 1c are prevented from lifting up and are less likely to curl up even if they are bent along the shape of the outer peripheral surface 5f.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, the web transport device 100 can press down on the left and right side edges 1b of the web 1 in the longitudinal direction with the pressing surfaces of the respective pressing plates 21 of the web pressing member 20. Each of the left and right web retaining members 20 is supported by a single support beam member 38. Meanwhile, the rotation centers of the left and right pair of sprockets 6, 6 are located coaxially with the rotation axis of the guide roller 5b, allowing the pair of chains 7, 7 to move at a constant speed at the same rotational speed through synchronization. As a result, the respective cam roller members 32 provided on the left and right of the web introduction member 10 contact the left and right cam members 34, 34 simultaneously and swing at the same angle. Therefore, the support beam member 38 can simultaneously move the left and right pair of web-holding members 20 away from or closer to the outer surface 5f of the guide roller 5b by the swinging of the cam members 34 fixed to both outer ends 38a. Therefore, the size of the gap between the pressing surfaces of the independently formed left and right pressing plates 21 and the outer peripheral surface 5f of the guide roller 5b can both be made large enough to allow the web 1 to pass through, thereby preventing the web 1 from lifting up and twisting.

[0036] [Processing process] Next, a processing step for processing the web 1 using a tab forming machine equipped with the web transport device 100 of the embodiment will be described. The web 1, introduced into the web conveying device 100, has its leading edge 1a attached to the winding device 2b and is processed while moving along the conveying direction A as it is wound up. During the machining process, the web introduction member 10 moves to a location near the guide rollers 5c and 5d shown in Figure 1, where it does not affect the machining process. Also, during the machining process, the chain 7, sprocket 6, and web introduction member 10 remain stationary and unused.

[0037] The first transport unit 3 adjusts the tension on the web 1 fed from the feeder 2a for laser processing, and also adjusts its position to prevent the web 1 from meandering. Then, as the web 1 moves from the first transport unit 3 to the second transport unit 4, a convex tab 1c is appropriately formed on the side edge 1b of the web 1 by irradiation with laser light L from the laser processing device 8 at a position between the first transport unit 3 and the second transport unit 4. In Embodiment 1, a layerless portion is provided on the longitudinal side edge 1b of the web 1 where the active material layer 1e is not present (see Figure 3). Also, the tab 1c formed on the side edge 1b does not have the active material layer 1e. Therefore, the side edge 1b and tab 1c are thinner, relatively fragile, and easily deformed compared to the other portions where the active material layer 1e is laminated, and are prone to curling or twisting when the conveying direction A is changed by the guide roller 5b.

[0038] When the tab 1c formed on the web 1 approaches the guide roller 5b, the side edge portion 1b including the tab 1c is passed through the gap provided between the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b and the web retaining member 20. The size of the gap is narrowed to a size that allows the web 1 to pass through because the cam member 34 returns to its initial position due to the biasing force of the biasing member 40. Therefore, during the processing step, the pressing plate 21 can hold the web 1 in the direction of the outer surface 5f, allowing the web 1 to pass through the gap between the pressing plate 21 and the outer surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. The tabs 1c formed on the side edge 1b of the web 1 are less prone to curling and twisting even when the conveying direction A is changed by the guide roller 5b.

[0039] As described above, the web conveying device 100 of Embodiment 1 includes, as shown in Figure 1, a guide roller 5b that supports and guides a strip-shaped web 1, a web holding member 20 that passes the web 1 through a gap provided between the guide roller 5b and the outer peripheral surface 5f, and a sprocket 6 provided on the rotation axis of the guide roller 5b. The web conveying device 100 also includes a chain 7 that engages with the sprocket 6 and drives along the conveying direction A of the web 1, and a web introduction member 10 that attaches the leading edge 1a of the web 1 and introduces the web 1 into the gap by the drive of the chain 7. Furthermore, the web conveying device 100 includes a cam roller member 32 provided on the web introduction member 10, and a cam member 34 that contacts the cam roller member 32 and retracts the web holding member 20 in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface 5f. The web conveying device 100 is equipped with an interlocking mechanism 30 that transmits the force with which the web introduction member 10 moves in the conveying direction A together with the chain 7 to the web holding member 20, and converts this force into a force that separates the web holding member 20 from the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b.

[0040] According to this disclosure, a web conveying device is provided that can reduce manufacturing costs by driving the web retaining member 20 with a simple mechanism and timing correctly. Specifically, the force of the web introduction member 10, which moves in the conveying direction together with the chain 7, is used to separate the web holding member 20 from the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5. In this way, as the chain 7 moves, it moves away from the outer surface 5f of the guide roller 5 at the moment it approaches the web retaining member 20, allowing the web introduction member 10 to pass through the widened gap without interfering with the web retaining member 20.

[0041] Therefore, unlike conventional web transport devices, there is no need for an actuator to retract the web retaining member 20 using a driving force separate from the power used to transport the web. Furthermore, the timing of retracting the web retaining member 20 can be easily synchronized with the timing of the web introduction member 10 passing through the gap, without the need for detection components such as sensors. Therefore, the web transport device 100 can reduce the number of parts in detection components such as actuators and sensors, simplify its structure, and thereby achieve practically beneficial effects such as reduced manufacturing costs.

[0042] Furthermore, the web transport device 100 is provided between the first transport section 3 and the second transport section 4, as shown in Figure 1, and includes a laser processing device 8 for laser processing tabs 1c on the side edge 1b (see Figure 3) of the web 1. Therefore, even when the tab 1c is laser-processed at high speed onto the side edge 1b of the web 1 using the laser processing device 8, lifting and warping are prevented. Consequently, production efficiency can be further improved and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0043] Furthermore, the rolling wheel is a sprocket 6, and the belt is a chain 7 that meshes with the sprocket 6. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the sprocket 6 is reliably converted into a force that moves the chain 7, which meshes and engages with the teeth of the sprocket 6. This allows for easy synchronization of the movement of the web introduction member 10 with the movement of the web holding member 20 to move away from or closer to the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b via the interlocking mechanism 30.

[0044] Furthermore, the interlocking mechanism 30 includes a cam roller member 32 rotatably mounted at the end of the web introduction member 10, and a cam member 34 pivotably supported by the bearing member 15 of the guide roller 5b. The cam member 34 has a rolling surface portion 36 that allows the cam roller member 32 to roll against it, and a support beam member 38 that supports the web retaining member 20. Therefore, as the web introduction member 10 moves, the cam roller member 32 comes into contact with the cam member 34 and, while rolling along the rolling surface portion 36, causes the cam member 34 to oscillate. In this way, the cam member 34 can move the web-holding member 20 away from or closer to the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b via the support beam member 38.

[0045] The interlocking mechanism 30 has a biasing member 40 that connects one end 41b to the bearing member 15 and the other end 41a to the cam member 34, thereby biasing the rolling surface portion 36 in a direction that approaches the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. The interlocking mechanism 30 also has an extended portion 36a that extends the rolling surface portion 36 and curves downstream in the conveying direction A, following the shape of the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. Therefore, a biasing force is applied by the biasing member 40 via the cam member 34, causing the web retaining member 20 to move in the direction of the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. This ensures that a certain size of gap is maintained between the retaining surface of the web retaining member 20 and the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. Therefore, the web 1, which is passed through the gap between the pressing surface of the pressing plate 21 and the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b, is conveyed along the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b, thereby reliably preventing it from lifting up and twisting.

[0046] Furthermore, the extended portion 36a of the rolling surface portion 36 is curved toward the downstream side in the conveying direction A, following the shape of the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b. As a result, the web 1 is securely interposed in the gap, and the retaining plate 21 can be gradually brought closer to the outer circumferential surface 5f until the timing to change the conveying direction A. Therefore, even when the biasing force of the biasing member 40 is used to return the web retaining member 20 to its original position in the direction of the outer peripheral surface 5f, the gap does not decrease rapidly. This protects the web 1 and the outer peripheral surface 5f or the retaining plate 21 from damage. Embodiment 2

[0047] Figures 14 and 15 show the configuration of the main parts of the web transport device 200 of Embodiment 2. In Embodiment 2, parts that are the same as or equivalent to the web transport device 100 according to Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. The description will focus mainly on the parts that differ.

[0048] As shown in Figure 14, the web conveying device 200 has a web holding member 120 that is elongated and has a width dimension that is approximately the same as the axial width dimension of the outer peripheral surface 5f of the guide roller 5b, and is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide roller 5b and the support beam member 38. The web retaining member 120 of Embodiment 2 is fixed to the support beam member 38 at three points by a pair of left and right attachments 122, 122 provided on the guide roller side surface of the support beam member 38, and a central attachment 123 positioned midway between the two attachments 122, 122.

[0049] As shown in Figure 15, the side end face shape of the retaining plate 121 constituting the web retaining member 120 is approximately the same shape as the retaining plate 21 of Embodiment 1 (see Figure 8), and is curved in a roughly S-shape. The retaining plate 121 is formed such that the longitudinal cross-sectional shape at all points in the longitudinal direction is the same roughly S-shape. Furthermore, while the web-holding member 120 is supported on the guide roller 5b side of the support beam member 38, the size of the gap formed between the holding surface of the holding plate 121 and the outer peripheral surface 5f of the guide roller 5b can be changed in accordance with the oscillation of the cam member 34.

[0050] In this case, the retaining plate 121 of Embodiment 2 is supported by a support beam member 38 via three attachments 122, 122 and a central attachment 123 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the gap spacing dimension can be maintained at the same dimension at any point along the longitudinal direction of the retaining plate 121. Therefore, there is no risk that the web introduction member 10 may come into contact with the outer surface 5f due to the tilting of the retaining plate 121 or a decrease in mounting accuracy. Furthermore, during the introduction process, the gap can be expanded or contracted from a size that only the web 1 can pass through to a size that allows the web introduction member 10 to pass through.

[0051] Furthermore, during the processing step, when the web 1 is passed through the gap formed between the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5b and the pressing plate 121, the web 1 is evenly pressed in the direction of the outer circumferential surface 5f at all points by the pressing surface of the pressing plate 121, which is elongated in the left-right width direction. As a result, in addition to the lifting of the tab 1c on the side edge 1b, the lifting and twisting of the entire web 1 are prevented evenly at all points in the left and right width directions. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the web transport device 100 in Embodiment 1, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0052] The present invention has been described above based on Embodiments 1 and 2, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in Embodiments 1 and 2. The present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from its spirit, including by appropriately combining or selecting the configurations described in Embodiments 1 and 2. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or add / substitute other configurations to parts of the configurations in Embodiments 1 and 2. Possible modifications to Embodiments 1 and 2 are as follows, for example.

[0053] In other words, in the web conveying devices 100 and 200 of Embodiments 1 and 2, an interlocking mechanism 30 is provided between both ends of the guide roller 5b provided in the second conveying section 4 and the web holding members 20 and 120, but it is not limited to this. For example, the interlocking mechanism 30 may be provided on the guide rollers 5a and 5c of the first conveying section 3 and the guide roller 5b of the second conveying section 4 in accordance with the shape of the web 1, or the interlocking mechanism 30 may be provided on only one end of the guide rollers 5a to 5d. Furthermore, the interlocking mechanism 30 only needs to transmit the force with which the web introduction member 10 moves in the conveying direction together with the chain 7 to the web holding member 20, and convert that force into a force that separates the web holding member 20 from the outer circumferential surface 5f of the guide roller 5. In other words, the number, shape, or combination of components of the interlocking mechanism 30 is not particularly limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Web 5b Guide roller 6 sprocket 7 chain 10 Web introduction components 20 Web retaining member 32 Cam roller component 34 Cam component 100,200 Web transport device

Claims

1. A guide roller that supports and guides a strip-shaped web, A web-holding member is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the guide roller and the web, and A sprocket provided on the rotating shaft of the guide roller, A chain that engages with the sprocket and drives along the conveying direction of the web, A web introduction member that attaches the leading edge of the web and introduces the web into the gap by driving the chain, The cam roller member provided on the web introduction member, A cam member that contacts the cam roller member and retracts the web retaining member in a direction away from the outer circumferential surface, A web transport device characterized by comprising the following:

2. The cam roller member is rotatably provided at the end of the web introduction member, The cam member has a pivot shaft supported by a bearing member that pivots the guide roller, The web conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a rolling surface portion that causes the cam roller member to roll and the web retaining member to swing with the pivot axis as the pivot center.

3. The web conveying device according to claim 2, further comprising a biasing member that biases the cam member toward the guide roller, wherein the rolling surface portion has an extended portion that curves in the direction of conveying the web in accordance with the shape of the outer circumferential surface.

4. The web conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a support beam member for supporting the web pressing member, wherein the support beam member is arranged with its longitudinal direction parallel to the axial direction of the guide roller, and its left and right ends are fixed to the upper surface on the swinging side of the cam member, thereby causing the pressing surface of the web pressing member to swing toward or toward the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller in conjunction with the swinging of the cam member.

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