Laser welding device and operating method therefor

Abstract

A laser welding device according to one embodiment disclosed in the present document comprises: a laser irradiator capable of laser-welding an electrode lead to an electrode tab of an electrode assembly; a mask jig capable of fixing the electrode tab and the electrode lead; a communication circuit capable of communicating with a welding control device; and a processor, wherein the processor can receive a control instruction from the welding control device by using the communication circuit, perform a laser welding process of laser-welding the electrode lead to the electrode tab by using the laser irradiator and the mask jig if the control instruction is a welding control instruction, and perform an image capturing process of capturing the mask jig by using the laser irradiator and the mask jig if the control instruction is a capturing control instruction.

Description

Laser welding device and its operating method

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This invention claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0130927, filed September 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Technology field

[0004] The embodiments disclosed in this document relate to a laser welding device and an operating method thereof.

[0005] Recently, research and development on secondary batteries has been actively conducted. Here, secondary batteries are rechargeable and include both conventional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries, as well as recent lithium-ion batteries. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries have the advantage of having a much higher energy density than conventional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries can be manufactured in a compact and lightweight form, making them suitable for use as power sources for mobile devices. Recently, their use has expanded to include power sources for electric vehicles, attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0006] Secondary batteries can be classified into cylindrical or prismatic batteries, in which the electrode assembly is built into a cylindrical or prismatic metal can, and pouch-type batteries, in which the electrode assembly is built into a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the battery case.

[0007] The electrode assembly of each battery cell may include multiple electrodes stacked with a separator between them. The manufacturing process for the corresponding interest cell may include a welding process.

[0008] The above welding process can be performed using a laser welding device. The laser welding device can use a mask jig to secure the object. The mask jig is commonly used in the laser welding process. The mask jig can refer to a pad or lug used to secure the object while the object is being laser welded by the laser welding device. The mask jig used for laser welding can be provided with at least one opening through which the laser beam can be aimed at the object. Optionally, the mask jig can include a slit or other hole for a protective gas such as nitrogen.

[0009] The above laser welding device melts the welding target with a laser while the mask jig is held in close contact with the welding target. During this process, spatter generated by the laser melting the target may contaminate the mask jig, resulting in intermittent quality degradation (e.g., tensile strength, appearance, etc.). Furthermore, previously, only a portion of the welding area (e.g., approximately one-third of the entire area) was captured in real time, and no separate image data related to the laser welding mask jig was collected.

[0010] Embodiments disclosed in this document can provide a laser welding device and an operating method thereof that can perform both a laser welding process of laser welding an electrode lead to an electrode tab and an image capturing process of photographing a mask jig.

[0011] The technical problems of the embodiments disclosed in this document are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the descriptions below.

[0012] According to an embodiment disclosed in the present document, a laser welding device includes a laser irradiator capable of laser welding an electrode lead to an electrode tab of an electrode assembly, a mask jig capable of fixing the electrode tab and the electrode lead, a communication circuit capable of communicating with a welding control device, and a processor, wherein the processor receives a control instruction from the welding control device using the communication circuit, and when the control instruction is a welding control instruction, performs a laser welding process of laser-welding the electrode lead to the electrode tab using the laser irradiator and the mask jig, and when the control instruction is a photographing control instruction, performs an image capturing process of photographing the mask jig using the laser irradiator and the mask jig.

[0013] In a laser welding device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document, the laser irradiator may include a scanner, a laser welding module that performs laser welding using the scanner during the laser welding process, and an image capturing module that captures an image of the mask jig using the scanner during the image capturing process.

[0014] In a laser welding device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the processor can capture a plurality of capture areas using the image capture module to obtain a plurality of sub-images, and obtain an analysis image by combining at least some of the plurality of sub-images.

[0015] In the laser welding device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document, the analysis image may be an image of an area including an opening of the mask jig.

[0016] In a laser welding device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the photographing control instruction may be an instruction to acquire the analysis image at set intervals.

[0017] In a laser welding device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the photographing control instruction may be an instruction to acquire an image of a set brightness.

[0018] In a laser welding device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the processor can transmit an image acquired by the image capturing process to the welding control device using the communication circuit.

[0019] An operating method of a laser welding device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may include an operation of receiving a control instruction from a welding control device, an operation of performing a laser welding process of laser welding an electrode lead to an electrode tab of an electrode assembly when the control instruction is a welding control instruction, and an operation of performing an image capturing process of capturing an electrode tab and a mask jig capable of fixing the electrode lead when the control instruction is a photographing control instruction.

[0020] In a method of operating a laser welding device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the laser welding device includes a laser irradiator capable of laser welding the electrode lead to the electrode tab and the mask jig, and the laser irradiator may include a scanner, a laser welding module that performs laser welding using the scanner during the laser welding process, and an image capturing module that captures an image of the mask jig using the scanner during the image capturing process.

[0021] In a method of operating a laser welding device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document, the operation of performing the image capturing process may include an operation of capturing a plurality of capturing areas to obtain a plurality of sub-images, and an operation of combining at least some of the plurality of sub-images to obtain an analysis image.

[0022] In the operating method of the laser welding device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document, the analysis image may be an image of an area including an opening of the mask jig.

[0023] In the operating method of the laser welding device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document, the photographing control instruction may be an instruction to acquire the analysis image at set intervals.

[0024] In the operating method of the laser welding device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document, the photographing control instruction may be an instruction to acquire an image of a set brightness.

[0025] The method of operating a laser welding device according to an embodiment disclosed in this document may further include an operation of transmitting an image acquired by the image capturing process to the welding control device.

[0026] According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, image data of a mask jig can be acquired so as to quantitatively analyze the level of spatter accumulated on the mask jig of a laser welding device.

[0027] According to the embodiments disclosed in this document, image data acquisition and storage efficiency can be improved by adjusting the brightness, size, collection cycle, etc. of mask jig image data.

[0028] In addition, various effects may be provided, either directly or indirectly, through this document.

[0029] Figure 1 is a drawing exemplarily showing the state of a mask jig according to one embodiment.

[0030] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a welding control device and a laser welding device according to one embodiment.

[0031] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a laser irradiator according to one embodiment.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating an example of a laser welding process performed by a laser welding device according to one embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an image for explaining an image capturing process performed by a laser welding device according to one embodiment.

[0034] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the operation of a laser welding device according to one embodiment.

[0035] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the present invention encompasses various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments.

[0036] The various embodiments and terminology used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of the items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0037] In this document, the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" can each include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", "first", "second", "A", "B", "(a)", or "(b)" may be used merely to distinguish the corresponding element from other corresponding elements, and do not limit the corresponding elements in any other respect (e.g., importance or order) unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0038] In this document, whenever a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “connected,” with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicatively,” or “coupled” or “connected,” it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or via a third component.

[0039] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0040] Figure 1 is a drawing exemplarily showing the state of a mask jig according to one embodiment.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 1, the mask jig (30) may include a substrate (10) having a through hole therein and a foreign material layer (20) formed in the through hole.

[0042] The mask jig (30) is a fixing device for fixing the electrode tab and the electrode lead during the process of laser welding the electrode lead to the electrode tab provided in the electrode assembly during the packaging process of the pouch-type cell, and may include a substrate (10) having a through hole provided therein as described above. Since the mask jig (30) includes the substrate (10), it may be possible to irradiate a welding laser beam for the packaging process of the pouch-type cell into the inside of the through hole. Here, the electrode assembly means an electrode cell in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are laminated, and the electrode tab may mean a member that connects the electrode slurry coated on each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode to the electrode lead.

[0043] The foreign material layer (20) may refer to a layer formed by spatter generated by electrode tabs and electrode leads during laser welding during the packaging process of a pouch-type cell accumulating on the mask jig (30). Here, the spatter may include a fusion-type foreign material that is melted by the heat generated during laser welding and attached to the mask jig (30) and an adhesion-type foreign material that is not melted and attached to the mask jig (30). The mask jig (30) may be contaminated by this foreign material layer (20), causing intermittent quality (e.g., tensile strength, appearance, etc.) degradation. Accordingly, it is necessary to secure image data for an analysis area (e.g., a through-hole area) so that the foreign material layer (20) accumulated on the mask jig (30) can be analyzed in advance and measures can be taken to prevent quality degradation in advance.

[0044] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a welding control device and a laser welding device according to one embodiment.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 2, the laser welding device (200) can be connected to the welding control device (100) wired and / or wirelessly.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the connection (201) between the laser welding device (200) and the welding control device (100) may be a communication connection via a wired and / or wireless network. In one embodiment, the wired network may be based on a local area network (LAN) communication or a power line communication. In one embodiment, the wireless network may be based on a short-range communication network (e.g., Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi), or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a long-range communication network (cellular network, 4G network, 5G network).

[0047] According to another embodiment, the connection (201) between the laser welding device (200) and the welding control device (100) may be a connection via a device-to-device communication method (e.g., a bus, a general purpose input and output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

[0048] According to one embodiment, the welding control device (100) may be a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a smart phone, a smart pad), or a personal computer (PC). According to one embodiment, the welding control device (100) may transmit control instructions to the laser welding device (200) via a connection (201). According to one embodiment, the control instructions may include a welding control instruction that causes the laser welding device (200) to perform a laser welding process and / or a photographing control instruction that causes the laser welding device (200) to photograph the mask jig (220).

[0049] According to one embodiment, the laser welding device (200) may include a communication circuit (210), a processor (220), a laser irradiator (230), and a mask jig (240).

[0050] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (210) can establish a wired and / or wireless communication channel (e.g., connection (201)) between the laser welding device (200) and the welding control device (100), and transmit and receive data with the welding control device (100) through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (210) can receive the control instruction from the welding control device (100). According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (210) can transmit an image acquired by an image capturing process of the welding control device (200) to be described later to the welding control device (100).

[0051] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may include a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor. According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may execute software stored in a memory (not shown) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the laser welding device (200) connected to the processor (220).

[0052] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) may perform a laser welding process and / or an image capturing process in response to control instructions received from a welding control device (100) using a communication circuit (210).

[0053] According to one embodiment, the processor (220) can identify a control instruction and perform only one process at a time among a laser welding process or an image capturing process. For example, if the control instruction is a welding control instruction, the processor (220) can perform a laser welding process of laser welding an electrode lead to an electrode tab using a laser irradiator (230), a mask jig (240), and / or other components (e.g., a cell transport device, etc.). If the control instruction is a photographing control instruction, the processor (220) can perform an image capturing process of photographing a mask jig (240) using a laser irradiator (230), a mask jig (240), and / or other components.

[0054] Hereinafter, the configuration of the laser irradiator (230) included in the laser welding device (200) and the laser welding device (200) may be described with reference to FIG. 3. In addition, the operation of at least one component included in the laser irradiator (230) to be described below may be an operation under the control of the processor (220).

[0055] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a laser irradiator according to one embodiment.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 3, the laser irradiator (230) may include a scanner (231), a lens (232), a laser welding module (233), an image capturing module (234), and / or a lighting module (235).

[0057] According to one embodiment, the scanner (231) can irradiate a laser beam transmitted from a laser welding module (233) to an object using at least one internal mirror (not shown) and a lens (232), or transmit light reflected from the object to be photographed to an image capturing module (234). The at least one internal mirror (not shown) may be, for example, a galvanometer mirror. In this case, the scanner (231) can adjust an area to be irradiated with the welding laser or an area to be photographed in the X-axis direction and / or the Y-axis direction by adjusting an angle of the at least one internal mirror (not shown).

[0058] According to one embodiment, the laser welding module (233) can perform laser welding on the electrode tab and electrode lead using the scanner (231) during the laser welding process.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the laser welding module (233) may include a laser fiber (233-1) that outputs a welding laser and a collimator (233-2) that parallelizes the welding laser output by the laser fiber (233-1) and radiates the welding laser toward a scanner (231). The scanner (231) may irradiate the welding laser emitted from the laser welding module (233) to a welding target (e.g., a joint between an electrode tab and an electrode lead).

[0060] According to one embodiment, the image capturing module (234) can capture a mask jig (e.g., the mask jig (240) of FIG. 2) using a scanner (231) during the image capturing process. For example, the image capturing module (234) can capture a photographic object by obtaining light reflected from the photographic object (e.g., the mask jig (240) of FIG. 2) through the scanner (231).

[0061] According to one embodiment, the lighting module (235) can irradiate light to the subject to be photographed during the image capturing process. According to one embodiment, the lighting module (235) can adjust the brightness of the light to be irradiated so that an image with a set brightness is acquired. For example, the photographing control instruction may be an instruction to acquire an image with a set brightness. In this case, the processor (220) can adjust the brightness of the light output by the lighting module (235) so that an image with the set brightness is acquired by the photographing of the image capturing module (234).

[0062] Hereinafter, a laser welding process performed by a laser welding device (200) may be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating an example of a laser welding process performed by a laser welding device according to one embodiment.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, a laser welding process can be confirmed in which a laser welding device (200) uses a laser irradiator (230) and a mask jig (240) to laser weld an electrode lead (420) to an electrode tab (410) provided in an electrode assembly.

[0065] In one embodiment, the laser welding process may include a cell transport device insertion process, an electrode lead insertion process, a first mask jig movement process, a pressurization process, a laser irradiation process, and a second mask jig movement process. In one embodiment, the laser welding device (200) may perform the laser welding process by sequentially performing the above processes included in the laser welding process.

[0066] In the cell transport device input process, the laser welding device (200) can input a cell transport device (not shown) that transports the electrode assembly so that the electrode tab (410) provided in the electrode assembly is positioned at the bottom of the upper mask jig (240-1) and the top of the lower mask jig (240-2).

[0067] In the electrode lead insertion process, the laser welding device (200) can insert the electrode lead (420) so that the electrode lead (420) is positioned at the lower end of the upper mask jig (240-1) and the upper end of the lower mask jig (240-2). At this time, the laser welding device (200) can adjust the position of the electrode lead (420) so that the joint portion of the electrode tab (410) and the joint portion of the electrode lead (420) are joined. In addition, the laser welding device (200) can adjust the positions of the electrode tab (410) and the electrode lead (420) so that the joint portions are positioned in the through hole of the upper mask jig (240-1).

[0068] In the first mask jig movement process, the laser welding device (200) can move the mask jig (240) so that the mask jig (240) comes into contact with the electrode tab (410) and / or the electrode lead (420). For example, the laser welding device (200) can lower the upper mask jig (240-1) and raise the lower mask jig (240-2) so that the mask jig (240) comes into contact with the electrode tab (410) and / or the electrode lead (420).

[0069] In the pressurizing process, the laser welding device (200) can press the electrode tab (410) and / or the electrode lead (420) with the mask jig (240) so that the electrode tab (410) and / or the electrode lead (420) are fixed between the upper mask jig (240-1) and the lower mask jig (240-2).

[0070] In the laser irradiation process, the laser welding device (200) can laser weld the electrode lead (420) to the electrode tab (410) by irradiating a welding laser (430) through the through hole of the upper mask jig (240-1) using a laser irradiator (230).

[0071] In the second mask jig movement process, the laser welding device (200) can move the mask jig (240) so that the mask jig (240) is positioned at the position before the laser welding process. For example, the laser welding device (200) can raise the upper mask jig (240-1) to the position before the laser welding process and lower the lower mask jig (240-2) to the position before the laser welding process.

[0072] Below, the image capturing process performed by the laser welding device (200) can be described.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the image capturing process may include a cell transport device insertion process, a first mask jig movement process, a pressurization process, a photographing process, and a second mask jig movement process. Here, the image capturing process may include the same processes as the remaining processes except for the electrode lead insertion process and the laser irradiation process of the laser welding process. Therefore, if the time required for the photographing process is shorter than or equal to the time required for the electrode lead insertion process and the laser irradiation process, the tact time of the image capturing process may be shorter than or equal to the tact time of the laser welding process.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the laser welding device (200) can perform the image capturing process by sequentially performing the above processes included in the image capturing process. Hereinafter, only the remaining processes, excluding the first mask jig movement process, the pressurization process, and the second mask jig movement process, which are the same processes as the laser welding process, will be described.

[0075] In the cell transport device insertion process, the laser welding device (200) can insert a cell transport device in which an electrode tab is not arranged.

[0076] In the photographing process, the laser welding device (200) can adjust the photographing area of ​​the scanner (231) in the X-axis direction and / or the Y-axis direction. When the photographing area of ​​the scanner (231) is focused, the laser welding device (200) can control the image capturing module (234) to photograph the object to be photographed. Thereafter, the laser welding device (200) can adjust the photographing area of ​​the scanner (231) to the initial area.

[0077] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, an operation of the laser welding device (200) to photograph a mask jig (240), which is a photographing target, using the image photographing module (234) will be described. The operations of the image photographing module (234) to be described below may be operations under the control of the processor (220) included in the laser welding device (200).

[0078] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an image for explaining an image capturing process performed by a laser welding device according to one embodiment.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 5, an image (500) of a cross-section of a mask jig (240) including a through hole can be confirmed.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the image capturing module (234) can capture a plurality of capture areas (510-1, 510-2, etc.) to obtain a plurality of sub-images. That is, each of the plurality of sub-images may be an image of a portion of the image (500) having the same size, rather than an image of the entire image (500).

[0081] According to one embodiment, the image capturing module (234) can obtain an analysis image by combining at least some of the plurality of sub-images. Here, the analysis image may be an image of an area (520) including an opening of the mask jig (240). That is, the image capturing module (234) can obtain an analysis image by combining sub-images corresponding to an area (520) including an opening among the plurality of sub-images.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the image capturing module (234) can acquire the analysis image at set intervals. Here, the set interval can be a interval included in the capturing control instruction acquired by the communication circuit (210) from the welding control device (100).

[0083] Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a laser welding device according to one embodiment. Fig. 6 can be explained using the configurations of Fig. 2.

[0084] The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 is only one embodiment, and the order of steps according to various embodiments of the present invention may be different from that illustrated in FIG. 6, and some of the steps illustrated in FIG. 6 may be omitted, the order between steps may be changed, or steps may be merged.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 6, in operation 605, the laser welding device (200) may receive a control instruction from the welding control device (100). According to one embodiment, the control instruction may include a welding control instruction that causes the laser welding device (200) to perform a laser welding process and / or a photographing control instruction that causes the laser welding device (200) to photograph the mask jig (220).

[0086] At operation 610, the laser welding device (200) can identify the control instruction received at operation 605.

[0087] If the control instruction received in operation 610 is identified as a welding control instruction, in operation 615, the laser welding device (200) may perform a laser welding process of laser welding an electrode lead to an electrode tab using a laser irradiator (230), a mask jig (240), and / or other components (e.g., a cell transport device, etc.).

[0088] If the control instruction received in operation 610 is identified as a shooting control instruction, in operation 620, the laser welding device (200) may perform an image shooting process of shooting a mask jig (240) using a laser irradiator (230), a mask jig (240), and / or other configurations.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the laser welding device (200) can capture multiple shooting areas to obtain multiple sub-images. That is, each of the multiple sub-images may be an image of a portion of the image having the same size, rather than an image of the entire image area.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the laser welding device (200) can obtain an analysis image by combining at least some of the plurality of sub-images. Here, the analysis image may be an image of an area including an opening of the mask jig (240). That is, the laser welding device (200) can obtain an analysis image by combining sub-images corresponding to an area including an opening among the plurality of sub-images.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the laser welding device (200) can acquire the analysis image at set intervals. Here, the set interval may be a interval included in the shooting control instruction acquired in operation 605.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the laser welding device (200) can transmit an image acquired by an image capturing process to a welding control device (100).

[0093] The terms "include," "comprise," or "have" used herein, unless otherwise specifically stated, imply that the corresponding component may be included, and therefore should be interpreted to include other components rather than to exclude other components. All terms, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in this document pertain, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as terms defined in dictionaries, should be interpreted to be consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless explicitly defined in this document.

Claims

1. A laser irradiator capable of laser welding an electrode lead to an electrode tab of an electrode assembly; A mask jig capable of fixing the electrode tab and the electrode lead; A communication circuit capable of communicating with a welding control device; and Contains a processor, The above processor, Receive control instructions from the welding control device using the above communication circuit, If the above control instruction is a welding control instruction, a laser welding process is performed to laser weld the electrode lead to the electrode tab using the laser irradiator and the mask jig, A laser welding device that performs an image capturing process of capturing the mask jig using the laser irradiator and the mask jig when the above control instruction is a shooting control instruction.

2. In claim 1, A laser welding device comprising a scanner, a laser welding module that performs laser welding using the scanner during the laser welding process, and an image capturing module that captures an image of the mask jig using the scanner during the image capturing process.

3. In claim 2, The above processor, using the image capturing module, By capturing multiple shooting areas, multiple sub-images are acquired, A laser welding device that obtains an analysis image by combining at least some of the plurality of sub-images.

4. In claim 3, The above analysis image is an image of a region including an opening of the mask jig, a laser welding device.

5. In claim 3, The above shooting control instruction is an instruction to acquire the analysis image at set intervals, a laser welding device.

6. In claim 2, The above shooting control instruction is an instruction to obtain an image of a set brightness, a laser welding device.

7. In claim 1, A laser welding device, wherein the processor transmits an image acquired by the image capturing process to the welding control device using the communication circuit.

8. An operation of receiving a control instruction from a welding control device; When the above control instruction is a welding control instruction, an operation of performing a laser welding process of laser welding an electrode lead to an electrode tab of an electrode assembly; and A method of operating a laser welding device, comprising: performing an image capturing process for capturing a mask jig capable of fixing the electrode tab and the electrode lead, when the above control instruction is a capturing control instruction.

9. In claim 8, The laser welding device includes a laser irradiator capable of laser welding the electrode lead to the electrode tab and the mask jig, A method for operating a laser welding device, wherein the laser irradiator comprises a scanner, a laser welding module that performs laser welding using the scanner during the laser welding process, and an image capturing module that captures an image of the mask jig using the scanner during the image capturing process.

10. In claim 8, The operation of performing the above image capturing process is as follows: An operation of capturing multiple shooting areas to obtain multiple sub-images, and A method of operating a laser welding device, comprising an operation of obtaining an analysis image by combining at least some of the plurality of sub-images.

11. In claim 10, A method of operating a laser welding device, wherein the above analysis image is an image of an area including an opening of the mask jig.

12. In claim 10, A method of operating a laser welding device, wherein the above shooting control instruction is an instruction to acquire the analysis image at set intervals.

13. In claim 8, The above shooting control instruction is an instruction for obtaining an image of a set brightness, and is a method for operating a laser welding device.

14. In claim 8, A method of operating a laser welding device, further comprising an operation of transmitting an image acquired by the image capturing process to the welding control device.

Images