Battery cell manufacturing device

Abstract

A battery cell manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a support plate on which a battery cell is disposed; and a pressing unit that presses the surface of the battery cell while progressing in one direction on a large area of the battery cell so as to press the large area of the battery cell. The pressing unit includes a plurality of pressing rollers that are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the progressing direction of the pressing unit and each come into contact with and press the surface of the battery cell. In order to prevent wrinkles from forming on the surface of the battery cell when pressed by the pressing unit, the pressing unit can progress in a state in which the surface of the battery cell is pressed by each of the plurality of pressing rollers.

Description

Battery cell manufacturing equipment

[0001] Cross-citation with related application(s)

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0173100, filed December 4, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to a battery cell manufacturing device, and more specifically, to a battery cell manufacturing device capable of preventing wrinkles from forming on the surface of a battery during a degasing process.

[0004] In modern society, the widespread use of portable devices like cell phones, laptops, camcorders, and digital cameras, as well as energy storage systems (ESS), has led to active development of related technologies. Furthermore, rechargeable secondary batteries are increasingly being used as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) to address air pollution issues caused by conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. This, in turn, heightens the need for further development of these batteries.

[0005] Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among these, lithium secondary batteries are receiving the most attention due to their advantages of free charging and discharging, low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0006] In the case of pouch-type secondary batteries in these lithium secondary batteries, a degassing process is performed to remove gas generated within the pouch during the activation process through charge and discharge. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional battery cell manufacturing device for performing the degassing process. As shown in Fig. 1, the degassing process pressurizes a storage portion (4) that stores an electrode assembly (3) of a battery cell (2) by a pressure roller (1) to move gas generated in the storage portion (4) to a gas pocket portion (5), and then perforates the gas pocket portion (5) to form a degassing hole, and then discharges the gas that has moved to the gas pocket portion (5) to the outside through the degassing hole.

[0007] However, when the storage portion (4) of the battery cell (2) is pressed by the pressure roller (1), friction between the pressure roller (1) and the surface of the battery cell (2) causes the surface of the battery cell (2) to be pushed, and as a result, a problem occurs in which the appearance of the battery cell (2) is deformed, such as wrinkles being formed on the surface of the battery cell (2).

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery cell manufacturing device capable of preventing wrinkles from forming on the surface of a battery.

[0009] However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the problems described above and can be expanded in various ways within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present invention.

[0010] A battery cell manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a support plate on which a battery cell is placed, and a pressing unit that presses a surface of the battery cell while moving in one direction over a large area of ​​the battery cell to pressurize a large area of ​​the battery cell, wherein the pressing unit includes a plurality of pressing rollers that are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction and pressurize the surface of the battery cell by contacting it, and the pressing unit can move while the surface of the battery cell is pressed by each of the plurality of pressing rollers so that wrinkles do not form on the surface of the battery cell when pressing with the pressing unit.

[0011] Each of the above plurality of pressure rollers can rotate independently.

[0012] The plurality of pressure rollers may be arranged so that their respective rotation axes are parallel to each other, and the rotation axis of at least one of the plurality of pressure rollers may be arranged so as not to overlap with an extension line of another rotation axis.

[0013] The arrangement of the plurality of pressure rollers can be determined based on the pressure with which the pressure rollers press the battery cells, the moving speed of the pressure rollers, and the area with which the pressure rollers come into contact with the battery cells.

[0014] The above plurality of pressure rollers may be arranged so that the pressure rollers arranged toward the center first pressurize the surface of the battery cell.

[0015] The above battery cell manufacturing device further includes a pressing jig arranged at at least both edges of the battery cell to pressurize at least both edges of the battery cell, and the pressing unit can proceed while the edges of the battery cell are pressed by the pressing jig.

[0016] The above pressurizing jig includes a main body portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pressurizing unit, and a pair of pressurizing portions extending parallel to the direction of movement of the pressurizing roller from both ends of the main body portion and facing each other, and the pressurizing unit can pressurize the battery cell between the pair of pressurizing portions.

[0017] The pressurizing unit can move in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate, and the pressurizing unit can move in a pressing direction to pressurize the battery cell after passing through the main body.

[0018] The main body includes an inclined portion formed on the side in the direction of movement of the pressurizing unit, and the pressurizing unit can pressurize the battery cell by moving along the inclined portion in the pressing direction.

[0019] The above-mentioned inclined portion may include a first inclined portion forming a predetermined inclined angle with the support plate and a second inclined portion forming a smaller inclined angle than the first inclined portion.

[0020] The angle of inclination formed by the above-mentioned inclined portion with the support plate can gradually decrease toward the direction of travel of the pressurizing unit.

[0021] The above pressurizing unit may include an elastic member that applies elastic force in the pressing direction to the plurality of pressurizing rollers.

[0022] The gap between the pair of pressurized parts is adjustable.

[0023] The above main body portion includes a first main body portion and a second main body portion, each connected to a pair of pressurizing portions, and the first main body portion and the second main body portion are telescopically extendable.

[0024] Each of the plurality of pressure rollers is movable in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate.

[0025] At least some of the plurality of pressure rollers may move in a pressure direction to pressurize the battery cell.

[0026] Among the plurality of pressure rollers, the pressure roller located between the pair of pressure portions can move in a pressure direction to pressurize the battery cell.

[0027] The above pressurizing jig may be made of a metallic material including stainless steel, or a non-metallic material including Teflon or acrylic.

[0028] The above pressurized jig can be mounted interchangeably.

[0029] The plurality of pressure rollers may include a first array arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement and a second array arranged parallel to the first array.

[0030] The pressure rollers of the first array and the pressure rollers of the second array can be arranged in an alternating manner.

[0031] A battery cell manufacturing device according to embodiments of the present invention can discharge gas while preventing wrinkles from forming on the surface of a battery during a degassing process of a battery, particularly a pouch-type battery.

[0032] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0033] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional battery cell manufacturing device.

[0034] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a pouch-type battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a pressurizing unit of a battery cell manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention pressurizing a battery cell.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a pressurizing jig of a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention before pressurizing a battery cell.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the pressurizing jig of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in FIG. 4 after pressurizing the battery cell.

[0038] Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in Fig. 4.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken in the AA direction to explain how the pressure roller of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in FIG. 5 presses the battery cell.

[0040] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the pressurizing jig illustrated in Fig. 7.

[0041] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing another modified example of the pressurizing jig illustrated in Fig. 7.

[0042] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the pressurizing unit illustrated in Fig. 7.

[0043] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating how the pressure roller of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in FIG. 11 presses the battery cell.

[0045] Fig. 13 is a top view for explaining the arrangement of the pressure rollers of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in Fig. 12.

[0046] FIG. 14 is a top view illustrating the arrangement of pressure rollers in a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0048] In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0049] Furthermore, the sizes and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of explanation, and thus the present invention is not necessarily limited to the illustrated components. In the drawings, the thicknesses are enlarged to clearly represent various layers and regions. Furthermore, in the drawings, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for convenience of explanation.

[0050] Furthermore, when we say that a layer, membrane, region, plate, or other part is "on" or "over" another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly on" the other part, but also cases where there are other parts in between. Conversely, when we say that a part is "directly on" another part, it means that there are no other parts in between. Furthermore, saying that a part is "on" or "over" a reference part means that it is located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean that it is located "above" or "over" the direction opposite to gravity.

[0051] Additionally, throughout the specification, whenever a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0052] Additionally, throughout the specification, when we say "in plan", we mean when the target portion is viewed from above, and when we say "in cross section", we mean when the target portion is viewed from the side in a cross-section cut vertically.

[0053] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0054] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a pouch-type battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 2, a battery cell (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a pouch-type battery cell (10) in which an electrode assembly having electrode leads (12) protruding in both directions is housed in a pouch case (13). However, this is merely an example, and a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention may be a pouch-type battery cell in which electrode leads (12) protrude in one direction. One of the electrode leads (12) is a positive electrode lead, and the other is a negative electrode lead.

[0056] The battery cell (10) may be in the shape of a rectangular sheet. The battery cell (10) may be formed by housing the electrode assembly (11) in a pouch case (13) of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer, and then bonding the outer periphery of the pouch case (13). The battery cell (10) may be manufactured by bonding the periphery of the pouch case (13) while the electrode assembly (11) is housed in the pouch case (13). As another example, the battery cell (10) may be housed in a state where one side of the pouch case (13) is folded, and the remaining sides are sealed.

[0057] The electrode assembly (11) includes a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode that are alternately laminated. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are manufactured by applying a slurry of an electrode active material, a binder resin, a conductive agent, and other additives to at least one surface of a current collector. For the positive electrode, a conventional positive electrode active material such as a lithium-containing transition metal oxide may be used, and for the negative electrode, a conventional negative electrode active material such as lithium metal, carbon material, and metal compound or a mixture thereof that can absorb and release lithium ions may be used. The separator may be a porous polymer film that blocks contact between the positive electrode and the negative electrode to prevent them from being short-circuited and to enable charge movement during charging or discharging.

[0058] The pouch case (13) of the laminate sheet may include an inner resin layer for sealing, a metal layer for preventing penetration of materials, and an outermost outer resin layer. With respect to the electrode assembly (11) inside the pouch case (13), the inner resin layer may be positioned at the innermost position, the outer resin layer may be positioned at the outermost position, and the metal layer may be positioned between the inner resin layer and the outer resin layer.

[0059] The outer resin layer may have excellent tensile strength and weather resistance relative to its thickness and may exhibit electrical insulation properties in order to protect the electrode assembly (11) from the outside. The outer resin layer may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin or nylon resin. The metal layer may prevent air, moisture, etc. from entering the pouch-type secondary battery. The metal layer may include aluminum (Al). The inner resin layers may be heat-sealed to each other by heat and / or pressure applied while the electrode assembly is embedded. The inner resin layer may include cast polypropylene (CPP) or polypropylene (PP).

[0060] The pouch case (13) before the degassing process is completed can be divided into two parts. The pouch case (13) can include a storage portion (14) in which the electrode assembly (11) can be stored, and a gas pocket portion (15) that forms a space for collecting an activation gas generated during a charging and discharging process. As described below, the pressurizing unit (130) pressurizes the storage portion (14) of the battery cell (10), thereby forcibly discharging gas remaining inside the electrode assembly (11) and the storage portion (14) into the gas pocket portion (15).

[0061] Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 2, the pouch case (13) may include a degas hole formed by perforating at least a portion of the gas pocket portion (15). The degas hole may serve as a passage through which gas captured in the gas pocket portion (15) may be discharged to the outside of the pouch case (13).

[0062] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a pressurizing unit of a battery cell manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention pressurizing a battery cell.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 3, the battery cell manufacturing device (100) may include a support plate (110) on which the battery cell (10) is placed, and a pressing unit (130) that presses the surface of the battery cell (10) while moving in one direction on the battery cell (10) to pressurize a large area of ​​the battery cell (10). At this time, the pressing unit (130) includes a plurality of pressing rollers (131a to 131c) that are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction and each contacts the surface of the battery cell (10), and when the battery cell (10) is pressed by the pressing unit (130), the pressing unit (130) may move in a state where the surface of the battery cell (10) is pressed by the plurality of pressing rollers (131a to 131c) so that wrinkles do not form on the surface of the battery cell (10).

[0064] The battery cell (10) may be positioned inside a chamber (not shown) in which a negative pressure is formed in the internal space to facilitate gas discharge. For example, the battery cell (10) may be loaded onto a support plate (110) within the chamber. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the battery cell (10) is illustrated as being horizontally placed on the support plate (110), but the battery cell (10) is not limited to the illustrated arrangement. In some cases, the battery cell (10) may be vertically placed on the support plate (110) to perform the degassing process.

[0065] The pressurizing unit (130) pressurizes the battery cell (10) while moving in one direction, for example, from one side of the receiving portion (14) toward the other side to which the gas pocket portion (15) is connected (hereinafter, referred to as the “progressing direction” for convenience of explanation), in order to discharge the gas remaining in the electrode assembly (11) to the gas pocket portion (15). Accordingly, the pressurizing unit (130) can forcibly discharge the gas remaining inside the receiving portion (14) and the electrode assembly (11) in the direction of the gas pocket portion (12b). Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 3, the pressurizing unit (130) may include a separate driving device for moving the pressurizing unit (130) in the aforementioned progressing direction.

[0066] The pressurizing unit (130) may include a pressurizing roller (131) that contacts the surface of the battery cell (10) to pressurize the battery cell (10), a rotation shaft (132) that rotatably supports the pressurizing roller (131), and a connecting member (133, see FIG. 7) connected to the rotation shaft (132). The pressurizing roller (131) may include a plurality of pressurizing rollers (131a to 131c) that contact the surface of the battery cell (10) to pressurize the battery cell (10), respectively. Meanwhile, in the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the number of pressurizing rollers (131) is described as three, but this is not limited thereto, and the number of the plurality of pressurizing rollers may be changed depending on the size of the battery cell (10), etc.

[0067] Each of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) can rotate independently. When the area of ​​the battery cell (10) is large, when the pressure unit (130) moves while pressing the battery cell (10), the area where the pressure unit (130) comes into contact with the battery cell (10) is large, so that the pouch case (13) may be pushed along the progress of the pressure unit (130). Specifically, the degree to which the battery cell (10) is pushed along the longitudinal direction of the pressure roller (131) on the surface of the pouch case (13) may vary. Accordingly, the surface area of ​​the pouch case (13) pressed by the pressure unit (130) may slightly increase or decrease along the longitudinal direction of the pressure roller (131). If the pressurizing unit (130) pressurizes the entire area of ​​the battery cell (10) at the same rate, the surface area of ​​the pouch case (13) that must be pressed along the longitudinal direction of the pressurizing roller (131) becomes different, and thus, the pouch case (13) may be pushed in a part of the battery cell (10).

[0068] Accordingly, since each of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) rotates independently, the rotation speeds of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) can be made different along the longitudinal direction of the pressure unit (130), so that the pouch case (13) can be prevented from being pushed due to the movement of the pressure unit (130).

[0069] The plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may rotate while moving based on the rotation axis (132). At this time, the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may rotate due to friction with the battery cell (10) while the pressure unit (130) moves in the moving direction. Alternatively, the pressure unit (130) may include a separate rotational driving device for rotating the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c), and the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may rotate by the rotational driving device.

[0070] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a pressurizing jig of a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention before pressing a battery cell. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the pressurizing jig of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in Fig. 4 after pressing a battery cell.

[0071] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the battery cell manufacturing device (100) may include a pressing jig (120) positioned at at least both edges of the battery cell (10) to pressurize at least both edges of the battery cell (10). When pressing with the pressing unit (130), the pressing unit (130) may proceed while the edges of the battery cell (10) are pressed by the pressing jig (120) so that wrinkles do not occur on the surface of the battery cell (10).

[0072] The pressing jig (120) is movable in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate (110). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when a battery cell (10) is loaded onto the support plate (110), the pressing jig (120) can move toward the battery cell (10) to press the edge of the battery cell (10).

[0073] The pressurizing jig (120) may include a main body (121) extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pressurizing unit (130) and a pair of pressurizing parts (122) extending from both ends of the main body (121) in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the pressurizing roller (131) and facing each other. For example, the pressurizing jig (120) may have a T-shape due to the main body (121) and the pressurizing parts (122). Accordingly, the pressurizing jig (120) may pressurize the edge of the storage part (14) of the battery cell (10), more specifically, the remaining edge except for the portion connected to the gas pocket part (15) at the edge of the storage part (14).

[0074] The pressurizing jig (120) may include a rigid material to stably fix the battery cell (10) by applying pressure. For example, the pressurizing jig (120) may include a metallic material including stainless steel, or a non-metallic material including Teflon or acrylic.

[0075] According to a battery cell manufacturing device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention, the pressing jig (120) first presses the edge of the battery cell (10), and then the plurality of pressing rollers (131a to 131c) of the pressing unit (130) press the battery cell (10) while moving forward. More specifically, the plurality of pressing rollers (131a to 131c) of the pressing unit (130) can move in the moving direction while pressing the battery cell (10) between a pair of pressing portions (122) of the pressing jig (120).

[0076] Since the pouch case (13) of the battery cell (10) is pressed by a plurality of press rollers (131a to 131c) while the surface is tightened by the press jig (120), the pouch case (13) does not move as the press unit (130) progresses. Therefore, the battery cell manufacturing apparatus (100) according to embodiments of the present invention can prevent problems such as deformation of the appearance, such as formation of wrinkles on the surface of the battery cell (10).

[0077] Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in Fig. 4.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 6, the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may be arranged such that their respective rotation axes are parallel to each other, and the rotation axis of at least one of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may be arranged such that it does not overlap with an extension of the rotation axis of another pressure roller. In other words, the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131f) may be arranged such that they deviate from a straight line. For example, the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may be arranged such that the pressure roller (131b) arranged toward the center advances first. That is, the pressure roller (131b) located at the center may first contact the battery cell (10), and then the pressure rollers (131a and 131c) located at the edges may contact the battery cell (10). Through this arrangement, the central portion of the battery cell (10) can be pressed first, and the portions toward the edges of the battery cell (10) can be sequentially pressed. Accordingly, the pushing of the pouch case (13) caused by the pressing unit (130) can be dispersed, so that the pushing of the pouch case (13) due to the progress of the pressing unit (130) can be prevented.

[0079] The arrangement of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) can be determined based on the pressure with which the pressure rollers (131a to 131c) press the battery cell (10), the moving speed of the pressure rollers (131a to 131c), the area with which the pressure rollers (131a to 131c) come into contact with the battery cell (10), etc. That is, the distance between the rotational axis of the pressure roller (131b) arranged in the center and the rotational axis of the pressure rollers (131a and 131c) arranged at the edges can be adjusted to become farther apart or closer depending on the pressure with which the pressure rollers (131a to 131c) press the battery cell (10), the moving speed of the pressure rollers (131a to 131c), the area with which the pressure rollers (131a to 131c) come into contact with the battery cell (10), etc. For example, as the pressure with which the pressure rollers (131a to 131c) press the battery cell (10), the speed at which the pressure rollers (131a to 131c) advance, and the area with which the pressure rollers (131a to 131c) come into contact with the battery cell (10) increase, the pushing of the pouch case (13) caused by the pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may increase. Accordingly, the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may be arranged so that the distance between the rotational axis of the pressure roller (131b) arranged in the center and the rotational axis of the pressure rollers (131a and 131c) arranged at the edges increases.

[0080] Meanwhile, the arrangement of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) described with reference to FIG. 6 is not limited by the above-described content, and the arrangement of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131c) may be variously changed depending on the actual environment.

[0081] In addition, in Fig. 6, a pressurizing jig (122) is illustrated for the convenience of understanding, but various modifications and changes are possible, such as implementation without placing the pressurizing jig (122) or implementation with the pressurizing jig (122) placed, depending on the specifications of the battery cell and the process environment in which the present invention is implemented. In other words, the present invention is not limited to that illustrated in Fig. 6, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented by replacing the pressurizing roller (131) in the embodiment of Fig. 3 with the pressurizing roller (131) of Fig. 6.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken in the AA direction to explain how the pressure roller of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in FIG. 5 presses the battery cell.

[0083] The pressurizing unit (130) is movable in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate (110). Accordingly, the pressurizing unit (130) can move toward or away from the battery cell (10) arranged on the support plate (110). Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 7, the pressurizing unit (130) may include a separate driving device connected to the connecting member (133) to move the pressurizing unit (130) in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate (110).

[0084] Since the pressurizing unit (130) is movable in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate (110), the pressurizing unit (130) can move in a direction approaching the battery cell (10) (hereinafter, referred to as the pressing direction) to pressurize the battery cell (10) after passing through the main body (121) of the pressurizing jig (120). Accordingly, the pressurizing roller (131) can pressurize the battery cell (10) by going over the pressurizing jig (120) while the pressurizing jig (120) is pressing the battery cell (10).

[0085] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the pressurizing jig shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing another modified example of the pressurizing jig shown in Fig. 7.

[0086] Referring to Fig. 8, the main body (121) of the pressurizing jig (120) may include an inclined portion (123) formed on the side of the moving direction of the pressurizing unit (130). The pressurizing unit (130) may pressurize the battery cell (10) by moving in the pressing direction along the inclined portion (123).

[0087] The pressure roller (131) of the pressure unit (130) has a predetermined radius, and the main body (121) of the pressure jig (120) also has a predetermined height. Therefore, due to the geometric structure of the pressure roller (131) and the main body (121), the pressure roller (131) cannot pressurize the entire area of ​​the battery cell (10). Accordingly, a problem may arise in which gas remains in a portion of the battery cell (10) that is not pressurized by the pressure roller (131).

[0088] When the inclined portion (123) is formed in the main body (121), the angle of inclination formed between the side surface of the main body (121) on the side of the pressurizing unit (130) in the direction of movement and the battery cell (10) decreases. When the angle of inclination formed between the side surface of the main body (121) and the pressurizing unit (130) decreases, the distance between the side surface of the main body (121) and the position where the pressurizing unit (130) can come into contact with the battery cell (10) decreases. Accordingly, the area where the pressurizing unit (130) does not pressurize the battery cell (10) can be reduced, and gas remaining inside the battery cell (10) can be effectively discharged.

[0089] Referring to Fig. 9, the inclined portion (123) may include a first inclined portion (123a) that forms a predetermined inclined angle with the support plate (110) and a second inclined portion (123b) that forms a smaller inclined angle than the first inclined portion (123a). At this time, a portion formed on the side in the direction of movement of the pressurizing unit (130) may correspond to the second inclined portion (123b).

[0090] Since the second inclined portion (123b) forms a smaller angle of inclination than the first inclined portion (123a), the angle of inclination formed by the side surface of the main body portion (121) and the pressurizing unit (130) can be further reduced. Accordingly, the area where the pressurizing unit (130) does not pressurize the battery cell (10) can be further reduced, and gas remaining inside the battery cell (10) can be effectively discharged.

[0091] Meanwhile, the shape of the inclined portion (123) is not limited by the above-described. For example, the inclined portion (123) including the first inclined portion (123a) and the second inclined portion (123b) does not always have a constant inclined angle, and a form in which the angle of the inclined portion (123) gradually decreases toward the direction of movement of the pressurizing unit (130) is also possible. That is, the side shape of the inclined portion (123) may be an arc shape.

[0092] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the pressurizing unit illustrated in Fig. 7.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 10, the pressurizing unit (130) may include an elastic member (134) that applies an elastic force in a pressing direction to the pressurizing roller (131). For example, the elastic member (134) may be disposed at the end of the connecting member (133) to apply an elastic force to the pressurizing roller (131). At this time, separately from the pressurizing unit (130) moving in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate (110) by the aforementioned driving device, the pressurizing roller (131) can additionally move by the extension length of the elastic member (134).

[0094] The pressure roller (131) can advance while applying an appropriate amount of pressure to the battery cell (10) by means of the elastic member (134), so that the pressure roller (131) can advance in closer contact with the battery cell (10). In addition, even if a portion partially protrudes from the surface of the battery cell (10), a buffering action can be performed by the elastic member (134), so that excessive pressure can be prevented from being applied to the protruding portion.

[0095] When the pressurizing unit (130) moves beyond the main body (121) of the pressurizing jig (120), the pressurizing unit (130) must move away from the battery cell (10) by the height of the main body (121) and then move again toward the battery cell (10). As described above, when the pressurizing roller (131) can move additionally by the elastic member (134)'s extension length and the elastic member (134) that presses the pressurizing roller (131) is included in the pressurizing unit (130), the pressurizing roller (131) can return to its original position by the elastic force of the elastic member (134) even if it moves away from the battery cell (10). Accordingly, after the pressurizing unit (130) has advanced beyond the main body (121) of the pressurizing jig (120), the pressurizing roller (131) can return to the position where it pressurizes the battery cell (10) by the elastic member (134) without requiring a separate operation to control the movement of the pressurizing unit (130) in the pressing direction.

[0096] Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a pressure roller of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in Fig. 11 presses a battery cell. Fig. 13 is a top view illustrating the arrangement of the pressure roller of the battery cell manufacturing device illustrated in Fig. 12.

[0097] Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, the main body (121) of the pressurizing jig (120) includes a first main body (121a) and a second main body (121b) which are respectively connected to a pair of pressurizing parts (122), and the first main body (121a) and the second main body (121b) are telescopically expandable. Since the first main body (121a) and the second main body (121b) are telescopically expandable, the length of the main body (121) can increase or decrease. Since a pair of pressurizing parts (122) are respectively connected to the ends of the first main body (121a) and the second main body (121b), the gap between the pair of pressurizing parts (122) is adjustable. Accordingly, the degassing process can be performed by changing the gap between a pair of pressurizing parts (122) depending on the size of the battery cell (10). However, changing the shape of the pressurizing jig (120) is not limited to the above-described method. If necessary, the shape of the pressurizing jig (120) can also be changed by replacing the pressurizing jig (120) mounted on the battery cell manufacturing device (100) with a pressurizing jig (120) having different specifications, such as size and width. That is, the pressurizing jig (120) can be interchangeably mounted on the battery cell manufacturing device (100).

[0098] Meanwhile, when the gap between a pair of pressurizing parts (122) is changed or the shape of the pressurizing jig (120) is changed due to replacement, the pressurizing roller (131) can also be replaced to correspond to the changed shape of the pressurizing jig (120). That is, the pressurizing roller (131) can be replaced to have the same length as the gap between a pair of pressurizing parts (122).

[0099] As another example, the pressurizing unit (130) may include a plurality of pressurizing rollers (131a to 131f) that respectively contact and pressurize the surface of the battery cell (10), and the plurality of pressurizing rollers (131a to 131f) may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the pressurizing unit (130). At this time, each of the plurality of pressurizing rollers (131a to 131f) is movable in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate (110). As described above, the pressurizing unit (130) may include a separate driving device connected to the connecting member (133) to move each of the pressurizing rollers (131a to 131f) in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate (110).

[0100] At least some of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131f) may move in the pressing direction for pressing the battery cell (10). More specifically, the pressure rollers (131b to 131e) located between a pair of pressing portions (122) among the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131f) may move in the pressing direction for pressing the battery cell (10). The remaining pressure rollers (131a to 131f) among the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131f) cannot move in the pressing direction due to the pressing portions (122) of the pressing jig (120), and therefore, they proceed without moving in the pressing direction. Even if the gap between a pair of pressurizing parts (122) is changed or the shape of the pressurizing jig (120) is changed by replacement, the battery cell (10) can be pressed by the pressurizing rollers located between a pair of pressurizing parts (122) among the plurality of pressurizing rollers (131a to 131f). Therefore, the battery cell manufacturing device (100) according to embodiments of the present invention can perform the degassing process without the need to replace the pressurizing roller (131) even if the shape of the pressurizing jig (120) is changed due to a change in the specification of the battery cell (10).

[0101] Meanwhile, the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131f) illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 13 are depicted as being arranged in a straight line, but may be arranged to deviate from the straight line as described in FIG. 6. Hereinafter, any description overlapping with that described in FIG. 6 will be omitted.

[0102] The plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131f) may be arranged so that the pressure rollers arranged toward the center advance first. That is, the pressure rollers (131c and 131d) located at the center first contact the battery cell (10), then the pressure rollers (131b and 131e) adjacent toward the edge contact the battery cell (10), and finally, the pressure rollers (131a and 131f) located at the edge may contact the battery cell (10). At this time, the arrangement of the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131f) may be determined in consideration of the pressure with which the pressure rollers (131a to 131f) press the battery cell (10), the advancement speed of the pressure rollers (131a to 131f), the area with which the pressure rollers (131a to 131f) come into contact with the battery cell (10), etc.

[0103] Similarly, in FIGS. 11 to 13, a pressurizing jig (122) is illustrated for the convenience of understanding. However, various modifications and changes are possible, such as implementation without placing the pressurizing jig (122) or implementation with the pressurizing jig (122) placed, depending on the specifications of the battery cell and the process environment in which the present invention is implemented. In other words, the present invention is not limited to that illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 13, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented by replacing the pressurizing roller (131) in the embodiment of FIG. 3 with the pressurizing roller (131) of FIG. 11.

[0104] FIG. 14 is a top view illustrating the arrangement of pressure rollers in a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] Referring to Fig. 14, the plurality of pressure rollers (131a to 131m) may include a first array arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel and a second array arranged parallel to the first array. At this time, the pressure rollers (131a to 131g) of the first array and the pressure rollers (131h to 131m) of the second array may be arranged in an alternating manner. Through this, since the area between the pressure rollers (131b to 131f) of the first array that pressurizes the battery cell (10) is pressed by the pressure rollers (131i to 131l) of the second array, the gas inside the battery cell (10) can be effectively discharged.

[0106] Similarly, in Fig. 14, a pressurizing jig (122) is illustrated for the convenience of understanding, but various modifications and changes are possible, such as implementation without placing the pressurizing jig (122) or implementation with the pressurizing jig (122) placed, depending on the specifications of the battery cell and the process environment in which the present invention is implemented. In other words, the present invention is not limited to that illustrated in Fig. 14, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented by replacing the pressurizing roller (131) in the embodiment of Fig. 3 with the pressurizing roller (131) of Fig. 14.

[0107] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0108] [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 10: Battery cell

[0110] 11: Electrode assembly

[0111] 12: Electrode leads

[0112] 13: Pouch Case

[0113] 14: Storage compartment

[0114] 15: Gas pocket section

[0115] 100: Battery cell manufacturing device

[0116] 110: Support plate

[0117] 120: Pressurized jig

[0118] 121: Main body

[0119] 122: Pressurized section

[0120] 123: Slope

[0121] 130: Pressurized unit

[0122] 131: Pressure roller

[0123] 132: Rotation axis

[0124] 133: Absence of connection

[0125] 134: Elastic member

Claims

1. A support plate on which the battery cells are placed; and It includes a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the surface of the battery cell while moving in one direction over a large area of ​​the battery cell to pressurize the large area of ​​the battery cell, The above pressurizing unit, It includes a plurality of pressure rollers arranged in a direction orthogonal to the above-mentioned progressing direction and each of which contacts and presses the surface of the battery cell. A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the pressing unit is operated while the surface of the battery cell is pressed by each of the plurality of pressing rollers so that wrinkles do not form on the surface of the battery cell when the pressing unit is operated.

2. In paragraph 1, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein each of the plurality of pressure rollers is independently rotatable.

3. In paragraph 1, The above plurality of pressure rollers are arranged so that their respective rotation axes are parallel to each other, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the rotation axis of at least one of the plurality of pressure rollers is arranged so as not to overlap with the extension of the rotation axis of another pressure roller.

4. In paragraph 3, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the arrangement of the plurality of pressure rollers is determined based on the pressure with which the pressure rollers press the battery cell, the moving speed of the pressure rollers, and the area with which the pressure rollers come into contact with the battery cell.

5. In paragraph 4, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the plurality of pressure rollers are arranged so that the pressure rollers positioned toward the center first pressurize the surface of the battery cell.

6. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a pressing jig arranged on at least both side edges of the battery cell to pressurize at least both side edges of the battery cell, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the pressing unit operates while the edge of the battery cell is pressed by the pressing jig.

7. In paragraph 6, The above pressurized jig is, A main body extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pressurizing unit; and It includes a pair of pressure parts that extend from both ends of the main body part in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the pressure roller and face each other, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the pressurizing unit pressurizes the battery cell between the pair of pressurizing portions.

8. In paragraph 7, The above pressurizing unit is movable in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the above support plate, A battery cell manufacturing device in which the pressurizing unit moves in a pressurizing direction to pressurize the battery cell after passing through the main body.

9. In paragraph 8, The above main body part includes a slope formed on the side in the direction of movement of the pressurizing unit, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the pressurizing unit moves in the pressurizing direction along the inclined portion to pressurize the battery cell.

10. In paragraph 9, The above-mentioned inclined portion comprises a first inclined portion forming a predetermined inclination angle with the support plate; and A battery cell manufacturing device comprising a second inclined portion forming a smaller angle of inclination than the first inclined portion.

11. In paragraph 9, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the angle of inclination formed by the inclined portion and the support plate gradually decreases toward the direction of movement of the pressurizing unit.

12. In paragraph 7, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the pressurizing unit includes an elastic member that applies an elastic force in the pressing direction to the plurality of pressurizing rollers.

13. In paragraph 7, A battery cell manufacturing device wherein the gap between a pair of pressurized sections is adjustable.

14. In paragraph 13, The above main body part includes a first main body part and a second main body part, each connected to a pair of pressurizing parts, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the first main body part and the second main body part are telescopically extendable.

15. In paragraph 13, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein each of the plurality of pressure rollers is movable in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the support plate.

16. In paragraph 15, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein at least some of the plurality of pressure rollers move in a pressure direction to pressurize the battery cell.

17. In paragraph 16, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein a pressure roller located between a pair of pressure portions among the plurality of pressure rollers moves in a pressure direction to pressurize the battery cell.

18. In paragraph 6, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the above pressurizing jig is made of a metal material including stainless steel, or a non-metal material including Teflon or acrylic.

19. In paragraph 6, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the above pressurizing jig is replaceably mounted.

20. In paragraph 1, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the plurality of pressure rollers include a first array arranged in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction and a second array arranged parallel to the first array.

21. In paragraph 20, A battery cell manufacturing device, wherein the pressure rollers of the first array and the pressure rollers of the second array are arranged in an alternating manner.

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