Calender conveying roller and calendering apparatus for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells

Abstract

A calender transport roller and a calender device for manufacturing electrodes are provided, which can achieve reduced preparation time and improved accuracy, and thus improved quality of compressed electrodes. [Solution] A calender transport roller for a calender device for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, used to transport an electrode tape 12, the electrode tape 12 comprising a flat conductor tape 14 and a coating 16 partially applied to at least the side of the conductor tape facing the transport roller 10, the transport roller 10 having a contact area 22 with the electrode tape 12, the transport roller 10 having an adjustment portion 24 in its contact area 22, and an expansion device 28 for changing the diameter of the transport roller 10 in the adjustment portion 24 to compensate for the height difference between the coated portion 18 and the uncoated portion 20 of the electrode tape 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a calendar conveying roller for a calendar device for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells, which is used for conveying an electrode tape to or from a pair of calendar rolls. The electrode tape includes a flat conductor tape and a coating partially applied at least on the side facing the conveying roller in the conductor tape. The conveying roller has a contact range on its jacket surface where the electrode tape can contact. The present invention further relates to a calendar device for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells, which has at least a pair of calendar rolls and at least one conveying roller.

Background Art

[0002] For manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells, a flat conductor tape in the form of a thin copper film for an anode or an aluminum film for a cathode or a corresponding metal net has a coating made of a composite mixture on both sides, and the edges of the conductor tape remain uncoated. After the composite is provided on the metal conductor tape, and optionally after removing the carrier solvent, the electrode tape now coated on both sides is usually supplied to a calendar device in a roll-to-roll process, where the coating is compressed by one or more pairs of rotating calendar rolls to reduce or adjust porosity and increase conductivity and energy density.

[0003] At this time, it is desirable that the electrode tape be supplied as flatly, accurately, and evenly as possible into the gap formed between the calender rolls, or conveyed from behind the calender rolls. Since the electrode tape is partially coated on the side facing the conveyor roller, the electrode tape is placed flat on the conveyor roller across its entire width. There is a height difference between the coated portion and the adjacent uncoated edge portion, and this height difference usually corresponds to the thickness of the coating on one side of the electrode tape (over a total width of approximately 80-200 μm) of about 30-100 μm. In contrast, the film thickness of the conductive tape is only about 6-25 μm.

[0004] To prevent the formation of creases, distortions, or cracks in the uncoated edge area, it is common practice to compensate for the height difference between the coated and uncoated portions by manually applying adhesive tape to the calendar conveyor roll. In this process, the adhesive tape must be applied with great precision to achieve appropriate fit for different coating widths and heights, and must be removed and reapplied each time new electrode tape is to be compressed. This manual fitting process is very time-consuming and not always precise. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a calender conveying roller and calendering apparatus for manufacturing electrodes that can achieve a reduction in preparation time, an improvement in accuracy, and ultimately an improvement in the quality of the compressed electrodes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] For this purpose, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a calendar conveyor roller of the type described at the beginning is provided, the conveyor roller having at least one adjustment portion in its contact area, and an expansion device is provided in the adjustment portion that changes the diameter of the conveyor roller so as to compensate for the height difference between the coated portion of the electrode and the adjacent uncoated portion of the electrode.

[0007] It should be noted that the contact area can be understood as the entire area of ​​the jacket surface of the conveyor roller that the electrode tape contacts or is placed on. This contact area extends axially across most of the width of the conveyor roller and may be larger than the adjustment area in particular. The calender conveyor roller is used purely for conveying electrode tape to or from the calender roll and is not a calender roll itself.

[0008] Therefore, in the conveyor roller according to the present invention, the diameter of the conveyor roller can be changed in an adjustment section using an expansion device, particularly mechanically (i.e., not by thermal expansion or similar means), according to intent, and can be set to a desired value. This ensures a flat supply of the electrode tape to the calender roll, as the height difference between the coated portion of the electrode tape and the adjacent uncoated portion is compensated for while forming a step in the conveyor roller, thereby preventing undesirable stress and the formation of folds, cracks, or distortions in the uncoated portion of the electrode tape. Thus, the calender conveyor roller according to the present invention makes it possible to improve the quality of the manufactured electrodes, which can be wound into coils more easily even after compression. Furthermore, subsequent steps such as cutting and shaping the coils and cleaning of contour cuts, particularly mechanically or by laser, are greatly facilitated by the flat and fold-free uncoated area.

[0009] Compared to the conventional method of manually adjusting the height of each electrode tape by applying adhesive tape to the transport roller, the solution according to the present invention offers the further advantage of reducing the preparation time when adjusting the calendar device for new electrode tapes, while simultaneously avoiding inaccuracies caused by manual adhesion. In addition, it eliminates the problem of contamination of the transport roller by adhesive tape residue that may remain after removal of the adhesive tape. Furthermore, the calendar transport roller according to the present invention can be easily added to an existing calendar device by replacing the transport roller without changing the rest of the equipment.

[0010] Preferably, the adjustment section has multiple individual segments arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the conveyor roller, and each segment is expandable radially of the conveyor roller independently of adjacent segments. In this configuration, the conveyor roller can be particularly easily adapted to electrode tapes having coated portions of different widths by expanding the required number of segments to a larger diameter in order to fully support the uncoated portion of the electrode tape over its entire width.

[0011] The segment is configured in particular as a ring or in a ring shape, and the segment can be slit or divided into multiple ring portions in the circumferential direction.

[0012] Furthermore, the segments are preferably made of steel, particularly stainless steel, which provides particularly high precision in adjusting to the desired diameter. In addition, the conveying rollers can be covered with a somewhat expandable fixed rubber material on the radially outward side of the segments, in particular to obtain a uniform surface.

[0013] A particularly user-friendly configuration can be achieved if a motor-driven expansion mechanism is provided to individually control each segment electrically, hydraulically, or pneumatically.

[0014] To allow the conveyor roller to optimally adapt to the different widths of the coated portions of each electrode tape, it is advantageous that the width of some or all segments is a maximum of 2 mm in the axial direction of the conveyor roller. In particular, the segments have a width of only about 1 mm.

[0015] In areas where electrode tape coating is typically absent, such as the axial edge range of the conveyor roller or contact area, the segments can be configured to be correspondingly wider.

[0016] The problems mentioned at the beginning are similarly solved by a conveyor roller of the type mentioned at the beginning, according to a second aspect of the present invention, the conveyor roller having at least one adjustment portion having at least one pre-fabricated adjustment ring in its contact area, wherein the diameter of the conveyor roller is changed in the adjustment ring so as to compensate for the height difference between the coated portion of the electrode and the adjacent uncoated portion of the electrode.

[0017] Therefore, in this embodiment of the conveyor roller according to the present invention, the diameter of the conveyor roller can be intentionally changed in the adjustment section by an adjustment ring forming one or more separate pre-fabricated sections, and can also be set to a desired value, thus creating a step in the conveyor roller. Since the height difference between the coated and uncoated portions of the electrode tape is compensated for, a flat supply of the electrode tape to the calendar roll is ensured, thereby avoiding undesirable stress and the formation of folds, cracks, or distortions in the uncoated portion of the conductor tape. Therefore, this embodiment of the calendar conveyor roller according to the present invention also makes it possible to improve the quality of the manufactured electrodes.

[0018] Similarly, this solution offers the advantage of reducing preparation time when adjusting the calendar device for new electrode tapes, compared to the conventional method of manually adjusting the height of each electrode tape using adhesive tape attached to the transport roller. At the same time, it avoids the inaccuracies caused by manual adhesion. In addition, it eliminates the problem of contamination of the transport roller by adhesive tape residue that may remain after the adhesive tape is removed. Furthermore, the calendar transport roller according to the present invention can be easily added to an existing calendar device by replacing the transport roller without changing the rest of the equipment.

[0019] Preferably, at least one adjustment ring is closed around the periphery.

[0020] In one preferred embodiment, one or more adjustment rings are made of steel, particularly stainless steel. This allows for particularly high precision when adjusting to the desired diameter.

[0021] Preferably, the adjustment section comprises a plurality of adjustment rings arranged side by side in the axial direction of the conveyor roller. Thus, the conveyor roller can be particularly easily adapted to coated sections of different widths.

[0022] In one preferred embodiment, the conveyor roller comprises a rigidly formed roller body, in which at least one adjustment ring is positioned in an adjustment portion and is particularly pressed in.

[0023] Since the conveyor roller needs to be removed from the calendar device, instead of pushing the adjustment ring in the axial direction of the conveyor roller, it is also conceivable to construct the adjustment ring from two parts. In this case, both parts can be fitted radially into the conveyor roller when it is incorporated into the calendar device, and can be connected to each other, for example, by a locking coupling.

[0024] In a particularly preferred embodiment, a plurality of adjustment rings with different radial thicknesses are provided, and the adjustment rings are selectively arranged on the roller body at the adjustment portion. In this configuration, by selecting one or more adjustment rings that accurately compensate for the height difference between the coated portion and the uncoated portion of the electrode tape, the conveying roller can be adapted to different heights within the coated range. Therefore, here, the entire set of different adjustment rings is operated and those that are respectively adapted are used.

[0025] At this time, the roller body can have a uniform diameter. Thereby, the advantage is obtained that at least one adjustment ring can be freely displaced in the axial direction of the conveying roller on the roller body. Therefore, in order to adapt the conveying roller to the different widths of the coated portions of the individual electrode tapes, the axial positions of one or more adjustment rings can be easily selected correspondingly.

[0026] At this time, in a particularly preferred aspect, the adjustment portion extends over the entire contact range and includes a plurality of adjustment rings arranged adjacent to each other also in the range where the electrode tape is coated. At this time, the rigid roller body located thereunder can have a diameter significantly smaller than that of the conveying roller, which means that the adjustment ring has a relatively large radial thickness, thereby facilitating the technical implementation and handling.

[0027] Alternatively, the central area of ​​the roller body can also have a larger diameter and can be used directly as a mounting surface for the electrode tape. This area defines the minimum width of the coating. Adjacent to the central area, towards the axial edge of the conveying roller, is an adjustment section where the roller body has a smaller diameter. In the adjustment section, adjustment rings of different radial thicknesses are positioned as needed and pressed in particularly axially. By using an appropriate adjustment ring whose radial thickness exactly corresponds to the difference between the diameter of the roller body in the central area and the diameter in the adjustment section, the width of the coated area of ​​the electrode tape is adjusted. In addition, another adjustment ring with a larger radial thickness is used to compensate for height differences in the adjustment section where there is no coating on the electrode tape. In this configuration (compared to a solution where the radial thickness of the adjustment ring simply corresponds to the height of the coating on one side of the electrode tape, which is approximately 30-100 μm), the radial adjustment ring can be formed to be thicker and therefore more stable, thus offering advantages in terms of technical implementation and handling.

[0028] Theoretically, the adjustment section could also include multiple adjustment rings of different diameters, selectively positioned above and below the roller body. These adjustment rings would have the same radial thickness, and the adjustment for the height difference between the coated and uncoated portions of the electrode tape would be achieved by arranging a corresponding number of adjustment rings above and below each other. Thus, the radial thickness of each adjustment ring would determine the minimum step required to achieve the adjustment.

[0029] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustment portion extends over the entire contact range in the axial direction of the conveying roller. Thereby, in an embodiment having an expandable segment and also in an embodiment having an adjustment ring, an optimal adaptation to different heights and widths of the coating of the electrode tape becomes possible. Similarly, accurate conveyance of an electrode tape provided with two or more coated portions with uncoated portions provided therebetween over the width is also possible.

[0030] Alternatively, in the axial direction of the conveying roller, it is possible to provide a plurality of adjustment portions, particularly at least two adjustment portions, arranged near the axial end portions of the conveying roller. And between the adjustment portions, the diameter of the conveying roller is invariant, which is an embodiment with lower cost but can be adjusted with less variability. Here too, at least one further adjustment portion can be arranged in the central range with respect to the axial direction of the conveying roller, whereby it is also possible to convey an electrode having a plurality of rows of coatings without creases.

[0031] In order to achieve a particularly accurate adaptation to different heights of the coating, preferably, an adjustment ring or segment is formed such that the diameter of the conveying roller can be adapted in steps between 10 and 30 μm in the adjustment portion. Thus, thereby, the conveying roller can be adapted to different coating heights in steps of 5 to 15 μm. Thus, in the case of adjustment rings arranged one above the other, the thickness of the (thin) ring corresponds to 5 to 15 μm, and in the case of adjustment rings having different radially thicknesses used selectively, the gradation of the ring set needs to be selected correspondingly. In the case of an expandable segment, the expansion step should be set correspondingly. At this time, it may be sufficient if the segment can be finely graded near the average value of the coating height.

[0032] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a calendering apparatus is set up for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells. The calendering apparatus comprises at least a pair of calendering rolls and at least one calendering transport roller as described above. In this apparatus, the transport roller transports the electrode tape toward the gap formed between the calendering rollers. In particular, in the transport roller used as a feed unit to the calendering rolls, accurate and crease-free electrode transport is important in order to obtain qualitatively valuable electrodes. Therefore, the calendering apparatus according to the present invention provides high flexibility and rapid adaptation to different electrode tapes. For further advantages, refer here to the configuration of the calendering transport roller according to a dependent claim.

[0033] In one advanced form, the calendering apparatus is provided with a second calendering roller according to the present invention, the second calendering roller being positioned immediately behind a pair of calendering rolls in the direction of travel of the electrode tape. In this way, the quality of the electrodes produced can be further improved, and naturally, the diameter of the second calendering roller is partially adapted to the height difference between the coated and uncoated portions of the electrode tape after the coating has been compressed.

[0034] Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following description of several preferred embodiments, based on the attached drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0035] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view of a partially cross-section of a calendar transport roller according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which transports electrode tape. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view of the calendar conveying roller based on Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view of a partially cross-section of a calendar transport roller according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which transports electrode tape. [Figure 4]This is a schematic side view of a partially cross-section of a calender conveying roller according to a third embodiment of the present invention, which conveys electrode tape. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view of a partially cross-section of a calender conveying roller according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which conveys electrode tape. [Figure 6] This is a schematic side view of a partially cross-section of a calender conveying roller according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, which conveys electrode tape. [Figure 7] This is a schematic side view of a partially cross-section of a calendar transport roller according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, which transports electrode tape. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing a calendar apparatus according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0036] Figures 1 and 2 show a calender conveyor roller 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is used in a calendering apparatus 1 (see Figure 8) to manufacture electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells. The conveyor roller 10 contributes to the transport of electrode tapes 12 to or from a pair of calender rolls 2. The electrode tapes 12 consist of a flat conductive tape 14, which is a metal film or metal net fed out from the roller. An aluminum film is used for the production of cathodes, and a copper film is used for the production of anodes. The film thickness is 6 to 25 μm.

[0037] The conductive tape 14 is partially coated on both sides with a composite mixture coating 16 having a thickness of approximately 30 to 100 μm on each side. The coating 16 is a slurry that is applied as a wet film and then dried. Alternatively, it is possible to apply a viscous mixture by press coating or extrusion in a so-called solvent-free "dry coating process" or extrusion process. The width of the coating 16 is 70 to 430 mm.

[0038] The coating 16 creates a height difference between the coated portion 18 of the electrode tape 12 and two different portions 20 of the electrode tape 12 located in the edge range, on the side facing the conveyor roller 10. The width of the uncoated edge of the electrode tape 12 is typically 0.5 to 10 cm, and in this case, it is approximately 2 cm.

[0039] It should be noted that the diagrams are for illustrative purposes only and are not to scale.

[0040] In the uncoated portion 20, the electrode tape 12 needs to be supplied as evenly as possible into the gap 4 (see Figure 8) formed between the calendar rolls 2 in order to prevent mechanical deformation of the sensitive conductive tape 14 and the formation of creases, cracks, and distortions. For this purpose, the conveyor roller 10 is provided with an adjustment portion 24 in the contact area 22 on the jacket surface of the conveyor roller 10 that the electrode tape 12 can contact, and in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, the adjustment portion extends across the entire contact area 22 in the axial direction A of the conveyor roller 10.

[0041] The adjustment section 24 has multiple individual segments 26 arranged side by side in the axial direction A of the conveyor roller 10, and the expansion device 28 changes the diameter of the conveyor roller 10 in the adjustment section 24, and moreover, changes each individual segment 26 independently of its adjacent segments, so that the segment can be expanded radially R of the conveyor roller 10 using the expansion device 28 located radially inward.

[0042] Segment 26 is made of stainless steel (special steel) and is particularly configured in a ring shape, with the ring portion being circumferentially slit or divided into multiple ring portions. Segment 26 can be further covered radially outward with a fixed, somewhat stretchable rubber material.

[0043] The expansion device 28 includes a motor-driven expansion mechanism that individually controls each segment 26 electrically, hydraulically, pneumatically, or mechanically. Since the expansion step is preferably in the range of about 10 μm, precision mechanical control is required here.

[0044] By partially expanding the adjustment section 24 or individual segments 26, the transport roller 10 is adjusted to each electrode tape 12 to be transported so as to compensate for the height difference between the coated portion 18 of the electrode tape 12 and the two adjacent uncoated portions 20.

[0045] The width of each segment 26 in the axial direction A of the conveyor roller 10 is preferably only a few millimeters, particularly in the transition range between the coated portion 18 and the uncoated portion 20. In the central area where there is a continuous coating 16, the segment 26 can be configured to be correspondingly wider, as well as the radially outward edge of the adjustment portion 24.

[0046] Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the calendar conveying roller 10. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and only the differences from the previously described embodiment will be explained.

[0047] The conveyor roller 10 shown in Figure 3 differs from the conveyor roller in Figure 1 only in that the individual segments 26 are narrower in the central range of the adjustment portion 24 in the axial direction A, while the segments 26 are somewhat wider in the edge range.

[0048] In addition, in the illustrated configuration, the electrode tape 12 comprises two coated portions 18, with another uncoated portion 20 of the electrode tape 12 provided between the coated portions. In this area as well, to prevent the formation of creases and similar folds, the segment 26 is extended to compensate for the height difference between the coated portions 18 and the uncoated portion 20 between them.

[0049] As can be seen from Figure 3, the width of the uncoated portion 20 located between the coated portions 18 is approximately twice the width of the uncoated portion 20 at both edges of the electrode tape 12.

[0050] Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of the calendar conveyor roller 10, in which the adjustment portion 24 does not extend across the entire contact range 22, and two adjustment portions 24 are provided, each located near the axial end of the conveyor roller 10 in the axial direction A of the conveyor roller 10. Since the diameter of the conveyor roller 10 remains constant between the adjustment portions 24, the minimum width that the coating 16 can have is set.

[0051] Figure 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the calendar conveyor roller 10, and here again, only the differences from the embodiments already described will be explained. The calendar conveyor roller 10 in Figure 5 is equipped with an adjustment portion 24 that extends over the entire contact range 22 in the axial direction A of the conveyor roller.

[0052] However, in this case, the adjustment section 24 is provided with a plurality of pre-fabricated adjustment rings 30, rather than individual extended segments, and these adjustment rings allow the diameter of the transport roller 10 to be changed so as to compensate for the height difference between the coated portion 18 and the uncoated portion 20 of the electrode tape 12.

[0053] The adjustment section 24 comprises a plurality of adjustment rings 30 arranged side by side in the axial direction of the conveyor roller 10.

[0054] The adjustment ring 30 is closed in the circumferential direction and is made of steel, particularly stainless steel. The adjustment ring 30 is positioned on the roller body 32 of the rigidly formed conveyor roller 10 and is pushed in particularly laterally.

[0055] In this case, the adjustment ring 30 that contacts the electrode tape 12 or conductor tape 14 in the uncoated portion 20 has a greater radial thickness than the adjustment ring that supports the coated portion 18 of the electrode tape 12.

[0056] To adapt the transport roller 10 to each electrode tape 12, a suitable adjustment ring 30, optimally adjusted for each electrode tape 12 to be transported, is selected from a plurality of adjustment rings 30 having different radial thicknesses. For this purpose, a complete set of adjustment rings 30 exists, and their radial thicknesses are stepped in increments of approximately 10 μm, each selected for the corresponding coating 16. The roller body 32 has a uniform diameter, and the adjustment rings 30 are pressed into this diameter throughout the entire contact area 22.

[0057] Here too, the width of each adjustment ring 30 in the axial direction A of the conveyor roller 10 is in the range of a few millimeters, which allows for the most accurate possible fit to the width of the coating 16.

[0058] Figure 6 shows a calendar conveyor roller 10 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, in which the height difference between the coated portion 18 and the adjacent uncoated portion 20 of the electrode tape 12 is accommodated by a plurality of adjustment rings 30 located in the adjustment portion 24. Similar to the embodiment in Figure 3, the electrode tape 12 here also has two coated portions 18, with an uncoated portion 20 between the two coated portions 18. At least in the central range of the adjustment portion 24, it can be seen that the adjustment rings 30 here are configured to be somewhat narrower in their axial width than in the configuration in Figure 5.

[0059] A calendar conveying roller 10 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 7. Here again, the height difference between the coated portion 18 and the uncoated portion 20 is compensated for by the adjustment ring 30. In this case, similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 4, two adjustment portions 24 are provided located near the axial end of the conveying roller 10. In the central part of the contact area 22 where the coated portion 18 of the electrode tape 12 is located, the roller body 32 is used as a direct contact surface for the electrode tape 12 or the coating 16.

[0060] In the illustrated embodiment, the roller body 32 has a uniform diameter, but alternatively, the central part of the roller body 32 that directly contacts the coating 16 may have a larger diameter, and the roller body 32 may have a smaller diameter within the adjustment portion 24. Such a configuration allows the adjustment ring 30 to be formed thicker in the radial direction R, which has the advantage of being more technically feasible.

[0061] Finally, Figure 8 shows a calendering apparatus 1 according to the present invention for manufacturing electrodes, comprising a pair of calendering rolls 2 and two transport rollers 10, 10', the transport rollers 10 transporting the electrode tape 12 toward the gap 4 formed between the calendering rolls 2.

[0062] Between the calender rolls 2, the coating 16 is compressed to reduce the porosity of the coating, thereby making it possible to achieve an improved surface structure, improved conductivity, and greater energy density.

[0063] The second transport roller 10' is positioned behind the calendar roll 2 in the direction L of the electrode tape 12's travel, and further transports the compressed electrode tape 12 to a winding device (not shown) that winds the coated and compressed electrode tape 12 onto a coil. Furthermore, the present invention may also encompass the following embodiments: 1. A calender conveying roller for a calendering apparatus (1) for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells, used for conveying electrode tapes (12) to or from a pair of calendering rolls (2), wherein the electrode tape (12) comprises a flat conductive tape (14) and a coating (16) partially applied to at least the side of the conductive tape facing the conveying roller (10), and the conveying roller (10) has a contact range (22) on its jacket surface to which the electrode tape (12) can make contact, wherein the conveying roller (10) is provided with at least one adjustment portion (24) in its contact range (22), and an expansion device (28) is provided in the adjustment portion (24) to change the diameter of the conveying roller (10) in order to compensate for the height difference between the coated portion (18) of the electrode tape (12) and the adjacent uncoated portion (20) of the electrode tape (12). 2. The calendar conveyor roller according to 1. above, characterized in that the adjustment portion (24) has a plurality of individual segments (26) arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction (A) of the conveyor roller (10), and each segment is expandable in the radial direction (R) of the conveyor roller (10) independently of adjacent segments. 3. The calendar conveying roller according to 2. above, characterized in that it is provided with a motor-driven expansion mechanism that individually controls the segments (26) electrically, hydraulically, pneumatically, or mechanically. 4. The calendar conveyor roller according to 2. or 3. above, characterized in that several or all of the segments (26) have a maximum width of 2 mm in the axial direction (A) of the conveyor roller (10). 5. A calendering roller for a calendering apparatus (1) for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells, used for transporting electrode tape (12) to or from a pair of calendering rolls (2), wherein the electrode tape (12) comprises a flat conductive tape (14) and a coating (16) partially applied to at least the side of the conductive tape (12) facing the transporting roller (10), and the transporting roller (10) is in contact with the electrode tape (12) on its jacket surface. A calendar conveying roller having a possible contact range (22), wherein the conveying roller (10) is provided with at least one adjustment portion (24) having at least one pre-manufactured adjustment ring (30) within its contact range (22), and the diameter of the conveying roller (10) is changed by the adjustment ring so as to compensate for the height difference between the coated portion (18) of the electrode tape (12) and the adjacent uncoated portion (20) of the electrode tape (12). 6. The calendar conveying roller according to 5. above, characterized in that at least one adjustment ring (30) is closed around its periphery. 7. The calendar conveyor roller according to 5. or 6. above, characterized in that one or more adjustment rings (30) are made of steel, particularly stainless steel. 8. The calendar conveyor roller according to any one of 5. to 7. above, characterized in that the adjustment part (24) comprises a plurality of adjustment rings (30) arranged side by side in the axial direction (A) of the conveyor roller (10). 9. The calendar conveyor roller according to any one of 5. to 8. above, wherein the conveyor roller (10) comprises a rigidly formed roller body (32), and the roller body is characterized in that at least one adjustment ring (30) is positioned in the adjustment portion (24) and is particularly pressed in. 10. The calendar conveying roller according to 9. above, characterized in that a plurality of adjustment rings (30) of different radial thicknesses are provided in the adjustment section (24) on the roller body (32). 11. The calendar conveyor roller according to any one of 1. to 10. above, characterized in that the adjustment portion (24) extends over the entire contact range (22) in the axial direction (A) of the conveyor roller (10). 12. A calendar conveyor roller according to any one of 1 to 11 above, characterized in that a plurality of adjustment parts (24), particularly at least two adjustment parts (24) located near the axial end of the conveyor roller (10), are provided in the axial direction (A) of the conveyor roller (10). 13. A calendering apparatus for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells, comprising at least one pair of calendering rolls (2) and at least one transport roller (10) as described in any one of 1. to 12. above, characterized in that the transport roller (10) transports the electrode tape (12) toward a gap (4) formed between the calendering rolls (2). 14. The calendering apparatus according to 13., characterized in that a second transport roller (10') according to any one of 1. to 12. above is provided, positioned immediately after a pair of calendering rolls (2) in the running direction (L) of the electrode tape (12).

Claims

1. A calender conveying roller for a calendering apparatus (1) for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells, used for conveying electrode tape (12) to or from a pair of calendering rolls (2), wherein the electrode tape (12) comprises a flat conductive tape (14) and a coating (16) partially applied to at least the side of the conductive tape facing the conveying roller (10), and the conveying roller (10) has a contact area (22) on its jacket surface that the electrode tape (12) can contact. A calendar conveying roller characterized in that the conveying roller (10) has at least one adjustment portion (24) in its contact area (22), an expansion device (28) is provided in the adjustment portion (24) to change the diameter of the conveying roller (10) in order to compensate for the height difference between the coated portion (18) of the electrode tape (12) and the adjacent uncoated portion (20) of the electrode tape (12), and the adjustment portion (24) extends over the entire contact area (22) in the axial direction (A) of the conveying roller (10).

2. The calendar conveyor roller according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustment portion (24) has a plurality of individual segments (26) arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction (A) of the conveyor roller (10), and each segment is expandable in the radial direction (R) of the conveyor roller (10) independently of adjacent segments.

3. The calendar conveying roller according to claim 2, characterized in that it is provided with a motor-driven expansion mechanism that individually controls the segments (26) electrically, hydraulically, pneumatically, or mechanically.

4. The calendar conveyor roller according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that some or all of the segments (26) have a maximum width of 2 mm in the axial direction (A) of the conveyor roller (10).

5. A calendar conveyor roller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a plurality of adjustment parts (24), particularly at least two adjustment parts (24) located near the axial end of the conveyor roller (10), are provided in the axial direction (A) of the conveyor roller (10).

6. A calendering apparatus for manufacturing electrodes for battery cells, particularly lithium-ion battery cells, comprising at least a pair of calendering rolls (2) and at least one transport roller (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transport roller (10) transports an electrode tape (12) toward a gap (4) formed between the calendering rolls (2).

7. The calendering apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that a second conveying roller (10') according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is provided, positioned immediately behind a pair of calendering rolls (2) in the running direction (L) of the electrode tape (12).

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