Electrode coating apparatus and electrode coating method using same

Abstract

The present invention pertains to an electrode coating apparatus and an electrode coating method using same, the electrode coating apparatus comprising: a roller for conveying an electrode current collector; a slurry-dispensing unit which is positioned near the roller to supply an active material onto one surface of the electrode current collector; a first chamber which is positioned on one side of the slurry-dispensing unit and in which negative pressure is formed; and a second chamber which is positioned between the slurry-dispensing unit and the first chamber and of which a predetermined region is positioned below the first chamber; and a pressure-reducing member for generating negative pressure in the first chamber, wherein the first chamber has one or more partition walls equipped therein.

Description

Electrode coating device and electrode coating method using the same

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2023-0182386, filed December 14, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrode coating device and an electrode coating method using the same, and more specifically, to an electrode coating device that forms a coating layer by applying an active material to an electrode current collector, and an electrode coating method using the same.

[0003]

[0004] As technological development and demand for mobile devices increase, rechargeable secondary batteries are increasingly being used as energy sources for a variety of mobile devices. Secondary batteries are also attracting attention as an energy source for electric and hybrid electric vehicles, offering an alternative to conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles that rely on fossil fuels.

[0005] Secondary batteries are classified into cylindrical and 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-type case made of aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the battery case.

[0006] The electrode process for making the positive and negative electrodes of a secondary battery includes a mixing process for mixing raw materials, a coating process for applying the mixed slurry to an electrode current collector and drying it, and a rolling process for pressing the slurry while flattening it by passing the electrode between two rolls.

[0007] In particular, the coating process is a process of forming an electrode by applying a slurry containing an active material to an electrode collector and drying it, and plays a very important role in the electrochemical characteristics and performance of the battery.

[0008] Figure 1 is a drawing for explaining the process of applying slurry to an electrode current collector using an electrode coating device according to a conventional technology.

[0009] Referring to Fig. 1, in order to manufacture an electrode (10), slurry is sprayed from a slurry spraying unit (20) toward one surface of an electrode collector (11) to form a coating layer (12).

[0010] However, when so-called pattern coating is performed in which the coating layer (12) on the electrode current collector (11) is formed at a certain interval, an inclined portion (12b) is created outside the flat portion (12a) at the end of each coating layer (12) due to the viscosity and surface tension of the slurry.

[0011] This slope (12b) affects the battery performance, such as high resistance and tab dropout due to poor tab fusion in the post-process.

[0012]

[0013] (Prior art literature)

[0014] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2040511

[0015]

[0016] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an electrode coating device and an electrode coating method using the same, which can reduce the defect rate of an electrode by having a coating layer formed only of a flat portion with a constant thickness during a coating process or minimizing the length even when an inclined portion is created.

[0017]

[0018] As a technical means for achieving the above object, an electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a roller (100) for driving an electrode current collector (11); a slurry spraying unit (200) located near the roller (100) for supplying an active material to one surface of the electrode current collector (11); a first chamber (300) located on one side of the slurry spraying unit (200) and forming a negative pressure; a second chamber (400) located between the slurry spraying unit (200) and the first chamber (300), with a certain area located below the first chamber (300); and a pressure reducing member (500) for forming a negative pressure in the first chamber (300); and characterized in that at least one partition wall (360) is provided inside the first chamber (300).

[0019] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first chamber (300) is provided at a preset distance from the slurry spraying unit (200), and the second chamber (400) is provided so as to be in contact with one side of the slurry spraying unit (200).

[0020] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the first chamber (300) includes a first plate (310), a second plate (320) extending upward from a front edge of the first plate (310), a third plate (330) extending upward from a rear edge of the first plate (310), a pair of fourth plates (340) extending upward from both side edges of the first plate (310), and a fifth plate (350) connecting the second plate (320) and the pair of fourth plates (340), wherein the second plate (320) is provided with a plurality of exhaust pipes (321) communicating with the pressure reducing member (500).

[0021] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the partition wall (360) is formed of two or more fixed to the first plate (310), and the exhaust pipe (321) is positioned between the partition walls (360) and the partition walls (360) and / or between the partition walls (360) and the fourth plate (340) so as not to overlap with the partition walls (360).

[0022] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the upper part of the partition wall (360) is characterized in that it is spaced apart from the fifth plate (350) by a certain distance.

[0023] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the front surface of the partition wall (360) is characterized in that it is spaced apart from the second plate (320) by a certain distance.

[0024] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the fifth plate (350) is characterized by including a 5a plate (351) connecting the second plate (320) and the pair of fourth plates (340), and a 5b plate (352) connected to the 5a plate (351) and provided to be movable forward or backward.

[0025] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second chamber (400) is characterized by having a box-shaped structure with an open top, and a discharge pipe provided at the bottom for discharging the active material.

[0026] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second chamber (400) includes a second a chamber (410) and a second b chamber (420), and is characterized in that the bottom surface is inclined.

[0027] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the discharge pipe is composed of a 2a discharge pipe (411) provided in the 2a chamber (410) and a 2b discharge pipe (421) provided in the 2b chamber (420), and the 2a discharge pipe (411) and the 2b discharge pipe (421) are characterized in that they are provided at the lowest part of the bottom surface of the 2a chamber (410) and the 2b chamber (420), respectively.

[0028] In addition, the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by further including a photographing unit (600) positioned near the roller (100) to photograph one side of the electrode current collector (11) that has passed through the slurry spraying unit (200); and a control unit (700) to adjust the negative pressure of the vacuum chamber (300) through information received from the photographing unit (600).

[0029] In addition, in the electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure reducing member (500) includes a suction member (510) that generates negative pressure, and a valve (520) provided between the suction member (510) and the exhaust pipe (321), and the control unit (700) is characterized in that it controls at least one of the output of the suction member (510) and the opening / closing angle of the valve (520).

[0030] In addition, an electrode coating method using an electrode coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by including: (S1) a step of forming a certain level of negative pressure in the first chamber (300); (S2) a step of spraying an active material on one surface of the electrode current collector (11) to form a coating layer (12); (S3) a step of photographing the coating layer (12) formed on the electrode current collector (11); and (S4) a step of transmitting information of the photographing unit (600) to the control unit.

[0031] In addition, the electrode coating method according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by further including a step of controlling the negative pressure of the first chamber (300) through information transmitted from the photographing unit (600) (S5).

[0032] In addition, in the electrode coating method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the information of the step (S5) is characterized in that it is information on the inclined portion (12b) forming the coating layer (12).

[0033]

[0034] As described above, according to the electrode coating device and the electrode coating method using the same according to the present invention, a first chamber for forming negative pressure is provided on one side of the slurry spraying unit, so that the coating layer can be formed only of a flat portion or the length of an inclined portion can be minimized, thereby reducing the electrode failure rate.

[0035] In addition, according to the electrode coating device and the electrode coating method using the same according to the present invention, a plurality of partition walls are provided inside the chamber, and the upper part and the front part of each partition wall are connected to each other, so that the negative pressure difference inside the chamber can be minimized.

[0036] In addition, according to the electrode coating device and electrode coating method using the same according to the present invention, the bottom surface of the second chamber that receives the slurry removed by negative pressure is inclined, so the removed slurry can be quickly discharged.

[0037]

[0038] Figure 1 is a drawing for explaining the process of applying slurry to an electrode current collector using an electrode coating device according to a prior art.

[0039] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electrode coating device according to the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a combination of a roller, a slurry spraying unit, a first chamber, and a second chamber in an electrode coating device according to the present invention.

[0041] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the electrode coating device illustrated in Fig. 3 viewed from the other side.

[0042] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the electrode coating device illustrated in Fig. 3.

[0043] Figure 6 is a drawing of the electrode coating device shown in Figure 3 viewed from one side.

[0044] Fig. 7 is a front view of the electrode coating device illustrated in Fig. 3.

[0045] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the slurry spraying unit, the first chamber, and the second chamber combined in the electrode coating device according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the first chamber and the second chamber combined in an electrode coating device according to the present invention.

[0047]

[0048] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, when describing the operating principles of preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, if a detailed description of a related known function or configuration is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0049] Additionally, the same drawing reference numerals are used for parts with similar functions and actions throughout the drawings. Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be connected to another part, this includes not only direct connections but also indirect connections with other elements intervening. Furthermore, inclusion of a component does not exclude other components unless specifically stated otherwise, but rather implies the inclusion of additional components.

[0050] In addition, in the drawing, the front refers to the direction in which the slurry injection unit (200) faces the first chamber (300) (3 o'clock direction based on FIG. 2), and the rear refers to the direction in which the first chamber (300) faces the slurry injection unit (200) (9 o'clock direction based on FIG. 2).

[0051]

[0052] Hereinafter, an electrode coating device according to the present invention will be described. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an electrode coating device according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a roller, a slurry spraying unit, a first chamber, and a second chamber combined in the electrode coating device according to the present invention. In addition, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the electrode coating device shown in Fig. 3 as viewed from the other side, and Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the electrode coating device shown in Fig. 3.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the electrode coating device of the present invention is a device for manufacturing an electrode (10) by forming a coating layer (12) on an electrode current collector (11), and is configured to include a roller (100), a slurry spraying unit (200), a first chamber (300), a second chamber (400), a pressure-sensitive member (500), a photographing unit (600), and a control unit (700).

[0054] First, the electrode (10) can be a positive electrode or a negative electrode, and these positive and negative electrodes are configured to include an electrode current collector (11) and a coating layer (12) provided on one surface of the electrode current collector (11).

[0055] Meanwhile, the positive electrode current collector constituting the positive electrode is mainly made of aluminum material, and a slurry containing a positive electrode active material and a binder is applied to the positive electrode current collector.

[0056] Examples of the cathode active material include layered compounds such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2), and compounds substituted with one or more transition metals; lithium manganese oxides such as Li1+xMn2-xO4 (wherein, x is 0 to 0.33), LiMnO3, LiMn2O3, LiMnO2; lithium copper oxide (Li2CuO2); vanadium oxides such as LiV3O8, V2O5, Cu2V2O7; and Ni-site type lithium nickel oxides expressed by the chemical formula LiNi1-xMxO2 (wherein, M = Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, or Ga, and x = 0.01 to 0.3); Lithium manganese composite oxides represented by the chemical formula LiMn2-xMxO2 (wherein, M = Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn, or Ta, and x = 0.01 to 0.1) or Li2Mn3MO8 (wherein, M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn); LiMn2O4 in which a portion of Li in the chemical formula is replaced with an alkaline earth metal ion; disulfide compounds; Fe2(MoO4)3, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0057] In addition, the negative electrode current collector constituting the negative electrode is mainly made of copper material, etc., and a slurry mixed with a negative electrode active material and a binder is applied to the negative electrode current collector. As the negative electrode active material, for example, carbon such as non-graphitizable carbon and graphite carbon; LixFe2O3(0≤x≤1), LixWO2(0≤x≤1), SnxMe1-xMe'yOz(Me: Mn, Fe, Pb, Ge; Me': Al, B, P, Si, elements of group 1, 2, and 3 of the periodic table, halogen; 0 <x≤1; 1≤y≤3; 1≤z≤8) 등의 금속 복합 산화물; 리튬 금속; 리튬 합금; 규소계 합금; 주석계 합금; SnO, SnO2, PbO, PbO2, Pb2O3, Pb3O4, Sb2O3, Sb2O4, Sb2O5, GeO, GeO2, Bi2O3, Bi2O4, Bi2O5 등의 금속 산화물; 폴리아세틸렌 등의 도전성 고분자; Li-Co-Ni계 재료; Si, SiO, SiO2 단독 또는 이들의 혼합물인 Si계 등을 사용할 수 있으나, 이들만으로 한정되는 것은 아니다.

[0058] The aforementioned positive and negative current collectors each have a holding portion coated with an active material and a non-coated portion coated with an active material. Since the non-coated portion is generally notched to form an electrode, these positive and negative electrodes correspond to a known configuration, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0059] The roller (100) may be provided to drive the electrode current collector (11). In other words, the roller (100) may contact the other surface of the electrode current collector (11) and support the electrode current collector (11) so that it continues to drive.

[0060] At this time, the roller (100) can provide a driving direction so that the electrode current collector (11) moves by the rotational force of the electrode roller that winds the electrode (10) on which the active material is applied to the electrode current collector (11) to form a coating layer (12).

[0061] A slurry spraying unit (200) is positioned near the roller (100) and can supply slurry to one surface of the electrode current collector (11). This slurry spraying unit (200) can include a nozzle portion (210) to supply slurry to one surface of the electrode current collector (11) driven by the roller (100).

[0062] The nozzle unit (210) can apply slurry supplied from a slurry storage tank (not shown) to one surface of the electrode current collector (11) to form a coating layer (12) on the electrode current collector (11).

[0063] Here, the slurry spraying unit (200) can continuously supply slurry to one side of the electrode current collector (11) through the nozzle unit (210) to form a continuous coating layer (12), and, if necessary, can also intermittently supply slurry to one side of the electrode current collector (11) to form a patterned coating layer (12).

[0064] Since the slurry injection unit (200) equipped with such a nozzle section (210) corresponds to a configuration known in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] In addition, the front side (3 o'clock direction in FIG. 3) of the slurry injection unit (200) may further include a protruding member (220) extending forward by a certain length to support the first chamber (300) and the second chamber (400), and a detailed description thereof will be provided later.

[0066] Fig. 6 is a side view of the electrode coating device illustrated in Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a front view of the electrode coating device illustrated in Fig. 3. In addition, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the electrode coating device according to the present invention in which a slurry spraying unit, a first chamber, and a second chamber are combined, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the electrode coating device according to the present invention in which the first chamber and the second chamber are combined.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 5 to 9 together, the first chamber (300) is positioned on one side (3 o'clock direction in FIG. 6) of the slurry spraying unit (200) to form negative pressure, thereby inducing all parts of the coating layer to have a flat surface.

[0068] This first chamber (300) may be formed by including a first plate (310), a second plate (320), a third plate (330), a fourth plate (340), and a fifth plate (350). More specifically, the first plate (310) may be the lower surface of the first chamber (300) (6 o'clock direction based on FIG. 6), the second plate (320) may be the front surface of the first chamber (300) (3 o'clock direction based on FIG. 6), the third plate (330) may be the rear surface of the first chamber (300) (9 o'clock direction based on FIG. 6), the fourth plate (340) may be a pair of side surfaces of the first chamber (300) (3 o'clock-9 o'clock direction based on FIG. 7), and the fifth plate (330) may be the upper surface of the first chamber (300) (12 o'clock direction based on FIG. 6).

[0069] The first plate (310) may be provided on the lower surface of the first chamber (300), but may be provided so as to be spaced apart from the slurry injection unit (200) by a preset distance.

[0070] The second plate (320) may be provided so as to extend upward from the front edge of the first plate (310). In addition, the third plate (330) may be provided so as to extend upward from the rear edge of the first plate (310). In this case, the third plate (330) may be extended so as to have a length shorter than the upwardly extended length of the second plate (320).

[0071] The fourth plate (340) may be provided as a pair of plates extending upward from both side edges of the first plate (310).

[0072] Another pair of fourth plates (340) may be provided to extend from both side edges of the second plate (320) toward the slurry spraying unit (200) so as to cover at least a portion of both side surfaces of the slurry spraying unit (200) and the roller (100). This pair of fourth plates (340) may serve as a shield to prevent the slurry from splashing sideways when the slurry spraying unit (200) supplies slurry to one surface of the electrode current collector (11).

[0073] And the fifth plate (350) can connect the second plate (320) and a pair of fourth plates (240). The fifth plate (350) can extend from the second plate (320) toward the slurry spraying unit (200), but can extend only by a preset length so as not to make contact with the roller (100).

[0074] In addition, the fifth plate (350) includes a fifth a plate (351) and a fifth b plate (352). The fifth a plate (351) is provided to connect the second plate (320) and a pair of fourth plates (340), and the fifth b plate (352) is provided to be connected to the fifth a plate (351) and to be able to move forward or backward.

[0075] A plurality of holes (352a) in the shape of a long hole may be formed in the 5b plate (352). These plurality of holes (352a) may be provided so that a connecting member (not shown) connecting the 5a plate (351) and the 5b plate (352) can pass through them.

[0076] Additionally, a plurality of holes (352a) may be provided so that the 5b plate can move forward or backward with respect to a connecting member (not shown). That is, the plurality of holes (352a) may be formed so that the distance between the rear surface of the 5b plate (352) and the roller (100) can be adjusted.

[0077] For example, the 5b plate (352) can be slidably moved from the 5a plate (351) according to the thickness of the electrode current collector (11) that runs through the gap between the 5b plate (352) and the roller (100), thereby adjusting the gap between the 5b plate (352) and the roller (100). The 5b plate (352) can be slidably moved from the 5a plate (351) by the extended length of the hole (352a) of the long shape.

[0078] By adjusting the gap between the 5b plate (352) and the roller (100) by sliding the 5b plate (352) according to the thickness of the electrode collector (11), the negative pressure formed inside the first chamber (300) can be maximized.

[0079] Meanwhile, it is preferable that at least one partition wall (360) be provided inside the first chamber (300), and it is more preferable that at least two partition walls (360) are fixed to the first plate (310). For example, when three partition walls (360) are provided, the internal space of the first chamber (300) can be divided into four spaces (S1, S2, S3, S4).

[0080] At this time, the upper part of the bulkhead (360) is spaced apart from the fifth plate (350) by a certain distance, and the front part is also spaced apart from the second plate (320). Therefore, the bulkhead (360) divides the internal space of the first chamber (300) into a first space (S1), a second space (S2), a third space (S3), and a fourth space (S4), but these spaces are structured to be connected to each other.

[0081] For example, the bulkhead (360) may be arranged so that the rear surface is in contact with the third plate (330), but the upper portion and the front surface may be provided at a certain distance from the fifth plate (350) and the second plate (320), respectively.

[0082] Additionally, the partition wall (360) in the shape of a square plate may be provided in a form in which the corner portion extending toward the roller (100) in the upper portion is cut obliquely. In this case, the cut area may be cut in a straight or curved shape. For example, the partition wall (360) may be partially cut so as not to damage the moving electrode current collector (11).

[0083] Additionally, the second plate (320) of the first chamber (300) is provided with an exhaust pipe (321), and a plurality of exhaust pipes (321) may be provided so as to be in communication with the pressure reducing member (500).

[0084] The exhaust pipe (321) may be positioned between the bulkheads (360) and the bulkheads (360), and / or between the bulkheads (360) and the fourth plate (340) so as not to overlap with the bulkheads (360). For example, the exhaust pipe (321) may be positioned with respect to the first space portion (S1), the second space portion (S2), the third space portion (S3), and the fourth space portion (S4) formed by the bulkheads (360).

[0085] Accordingly, the exhaust pipe (321) is arranged for each of the first space (S1), the second space (S2), the third space (S3), and the fourth space (S4), thereby reducing the negative pressure deviation for each space.

[0086] In addition, even if a plurality of bulkheads (360) are provided, the upper portion and the front portion of the bulkheads (360) are structured to be connected to each other, so that the internal pressure of the first space portion (S1) to the fourth space portion (S4), i.e., the first chamber (300), can be controlled to be the same or similar.

[0087] Continuing, the second chamber (400) may be positioned between the slurry spraying unit (200) and the first chamber (300), with a certain area positioned below the first chamber (300). More specifically, the first chamber (300) may be provided at a preset distance from the slurry spraying unit (200), while the second chamber (400) may be provided so as to be in contact with one side of the slurry spraying unit (200).

[0088] This second chamber (400) may include a pair of second a chambers (410) and second b chambers (420) and may have a box-shaped structure with an open top. For example, the second chamber (400) has an open top that is spaced apart from the slurry injection unit (200) by a distance from the first chamber (300), and slurry corresponding to the inclined portion is received through the open area.

[0089] In other words, the slurry accommodated in the second chamber (400) is slurry that is removed by the negative pressure formed by the first chamber (300) when the slurry injection unit (200) supplies the slurry to the electrode collector (11).

[0090] Meanwhile, it is preferable that the bottom surfaces of the pair of second chambers (410) and second chambers (420) are inclined, and it is preferable that a discharge pipe for discharging slurry is provided on the bottoms of the second chambers (410) and second chambers (420).

[0091] Here, the discharge pipe may include a second a discharge pipe (411) and a second b discharge pipe (412), and the second a discharge pipe (411) may be provided in the second a chamber (410), and the second b discharge pipe (412) may be provided in the second b chamber (420).

[0092] These 2a discharge pipes (411) and 2b discharge pipes (421) may be provided at the lowest portions of the bottom surfaces of the 2a chamber (410) and the 2b chamber (420), respectively. For example, when the bottom surfaces of the 2a chamber (410) and the 2b chamber (420) are inclined so as to become lower as they go outward (based on FIG. 7, the 2a chamber is in the 9 o'clock direction, and the 2b chamber is in the 3 o'clock direction), the 2a discharge pipe (411) and the 2b discharge pipe (421) may be provided on the bottom surfaces facing outward of the 2a chamber (410) and the 2b chamber (420), respectively.

[0093] In this way, the bottom surface of the second chamber (400) that receives the removed slurry is inclined and a discharge pipe is provided, so that the removed slurry can be quickly discharged to the outside before it hardens.

[0094] And the second chamber (400) may include a connecting portion (430) connecting the second a chamber (410) and the second b chamber (420). This connecting portion (430) is provided to connect the highest points of the bottom surfaces of the second a chamber (410) and the second b chamber (420), and may be provided so that a groove is formed on the upper side. For example, the groove may be provided so as to be seated on a protruding member (220) provided in the slurry spraying unit (200), and accordingly, the second chamber (400) and the slurry spraying unit (200) may be connected to each other.

[0095] Additionally, the second chamber (400) may further have a sealing member (440) positioned on the other side that is in contact with one side of the slurry spraying unit (200). For example, the sealing member (440) may be provided so that no gap is created between the slurry spraying unit (200) and the second chamber (400).

[0096] Next, the pressure reducing member (500) includes a suction member (510) that generates negative pressure and a valve (520) provided between the suction member (510) and the exhaust pipe (321), and may be provided to form negative pressure in the first chamber (300). For example, the suction member (510) may be a known suction means such as a vacuum pump that causes the inside of the first chamber (300) to be in a negative pressure state.

[0097] And the valve (520) can be provided to finely adjust the negative pressure of the suction member (510) according to the opening and closing angle.

[0098] In addition, the pressure reducing member (500) is connected to each of a plurality of exhaust pipes (321) to form a negative pressure in the space inside the first chamber (300). To elaborate, the pressure reducing member (500) is connected to a plurality of exhaust pipes (321) arranged for the first space (S1), the second space (S2), the third space (S3), and the fourth space (S4) to adjust the negative pressure in each of these spaces, thereby making the negative pressure inside the first chamber (300) uniform.

[0099] The photographing unit (600) is positioned near the roller (100) and can photograph one side of the electrode current collector (11) that has passed through the slurry spraying unit (200). In other words, the photographing unit (600) can photograph one side of the electrode current collector (11) on which a coating layer (12) is formed by the slurry spraying unit (200), and can transmit the photographed information to the control unit (700).

[0100] In addition, the control unit (700) can control the negative pressure of the first chamber (300) by controlling at least one of the output of the suction member (510) and the opening / closing angle of the valve (520) through the received information.

[0101] In other words, the control unit (700) receives information on the presence or absence of an inclined portion (12b) and the length of the coating layer (12) obtained by the photographing unit (600) photographing one side of the electrode current collector (11) on which the coating layer (12) is formed by the slurry spraying unit (200) in real time, and can control the pressure-sensitive member (500) based on the received information.

[0102] For example, when a sloped portion (12b) is formed on one side of a flat portion (12a) or is formed longer than a preset length, the control unit (700) can increase the negative pressure of the first chamber (300) by adjusting the output of the suction member (510) or the opening / closing angle of the valve (520) based on information received through the photographing unit (600) to completely remove or alleviate the sloped portion (12b).

[0103] In order for the control unit (700) to control the pressure reducing member (500) in real time, it is preferable that the photographing unit (600) continuously photograph one side of the electrode current collector (11) that has passed through the slurry spraying unit (200), but it is also possible to photograph at set intervals.

[0104] This control unit (700) may be implemented in hardware form, software form, or a combination of hardware and software form. The control unit may be implemented in the form of a computing device (operating device) such as a microprocessor, but is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in various forms apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0105]

[0106] Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9, a method for coating an electrode current collector using an electrode coating device according to the present invention will be described.

[0107] The electrode coating method according to the present invention may be configured to include (S1) a step of forming a certain level of negative pressure in a first chamber (300), (S2) a step of spraying an active material onto one surface of an electrode current collector (11) to form a coating layer (12), (S3) a step of photographing the coating layer (12) formed on the electrode current collector (11), (S4) a step of transmitting information from a photographing unit (600) to a control unit, and (S5) a step of controlling the negative pressure of the first chamber (300) using information transmitted from the photographing unit (600).

[0108] Here, the information of step (S5) may be information of the inclined portion (12b) forming the coating layer (12).

[0109]

[0110] As described above, specific parts of the present invention have been described in detail. To those skilled in the art, such specific descriptions are merely preferred embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are possible within the scope and technical idea of ​​the present invention, and it is natural that such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the appended patent claims.

[0111] (Explanation of symbols)

[0112] 10: Electrode

[0113] 11: Electrode current collector 12: Coating layer

[0114] 12a: Flat area 12b: Sloping area

[0115] 100: Roller

[0116] 200: Slurry injection unit

[0117] 210: Nozzle part 220: Protruding member

[0118] 300: Chamber 1

[0119] 310: First Plate

[0120] 320: Second plate 321: Exhaust pipe

[0121] 330: Third Plate

[0122] 340: Fourth Plate

[0123] 350: Fifth Plate

[0124] 351: Plate 5a

[0125] 352: Plate 5b 352a: Hole

[0126] 360: Bulkhead

[0127] 400: Second Chamber

[0128] 410: Chamber 2a 411: Discharge pipe 2a

[0129] 420: 2b chamber 421: 2b discharge pipe

[0130] 430: connecting member 440: sealing member

[0131] 500: No pressure relief

[0132] 510: Suction member 520: Valve

[0133] 600: Filming Department

[0134] 700: Control Unit

[0135] S1: First space S2: Second space

[0136] S3: Third space S4: Fourth space

Claims

1. A roller that drives the electrode collector; A slurry spraying unit positioned near the roller and supplying an active material to one surface of the electrode collector; A first chamber located on one side of the above slurry injection unit and forming a negative pressure; A second chamber positioned between the slurry injection unit and the first chamber, with a certain area positioned below the first chamber; and Including a pressure reducing member for forming negative pressure in the first chamber; An electrode coating device characterized in that one or more baffles are provided inside the first chamber.

2. In paragraph 1, The above first chamber is provided at a preset distance from the slurry injection unit, An electrode coating device, characterized in that the second chamber is provided so as to be in contact with one side of the slurry spraying unit.

3. In paragraph 1, The first chamber comprises a first plate, a second plate extending upwardly from a front edge of the first plate, a third plate extending upwardly from a rear edge of the first plate, a pair of fourth plates extending upwardly from both side edges of the first plate, and a fifth plate connecting the second plate and the pair of fourth plates. An electrode coating device characterized in that the second plate is provided with a plurality of exhaust pipes communicating with the pressure reducing member.

4. In paragraph 3, An electrode coating device characterized in that the above-mentioned bulkheads are composed of two or more fixed to the first plate, and the exhaust pipe is positioned between the bulkheads and / or between the bulkheads and the fourth plate so as not to overlap with the bulkheads.

5. In paragraph 4, An electrode coating device characterized in that the upper part of the above bulkhead is spaced apart from the fifth plate by a certain distance.

6. In paragraph 4, An electrode coating device characterized in that the front surface of the above bulkhead is spaced apart from the second plate by a certain distance.

7. In paragraph 3, The above fifth plate, A 5a plate connecting the second plate and the pair of fourth plates, and An electrode coating device characterized by including a 5b plate connected to the 5a plate and configured to be movable forward or backward.

8. In paragraph 1, An electrode coating device characterized in that the second chamber has a box-shaped structure with an open top and a discharge pipe provided on the bottom for discharging active material.

9. In paragraph 8, An electrode coating device, wherein the second chamber comprises a second a chamber and a second b chamber, and has a sloped bottom surface.

10. In paragraph 9, An electrode coating device characterized in that the discharge pipe is composed of a 2a discharge pipe provided in the 2a chamber and a 2b discharge pipe provided in the 2b chamber, and the 2a discharge pipe and the 2b discharge pipe are provided at the lowest part of the bottom surface of the 2a chamber and the 2b chamber, respectively.

11. In paragraph 3, A photographing unit positioned near the roller to photograph one side of the electrode collector that has passed through the slurry spraying unit; and An electrode coating device further comprising a control unit that controls the negative pressure of the vacuum chamber through information received from the photographing unit.

12. In paragraph 11, The above pressure reducing member includes a suction member that generates negative pressure, and a valve provided between the suction member and the exhaust pipe, An electrode coating device characterized in that the control unit controls at least one of the output of the suction member and the opening / closing angle of the valve.

13. A method for coating an electrode current collector using an electrode coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, (S1) A step of forming a certain level of negative pressure in the first chamber; (S2) A step of forming a coating layer by spraying an active material on one surface of the electrode current collector; (S3) a step of photographing a coating layer formed on the electrode collector; and (S4) An electrode coating method, characterized by including a step of transmitting information of the above shooting unit to the control unit.

14. In paragraph 13, (S5) An electrode coating method, characterized in that it further includes a step of controlling the negative pressure of the first chamber through information transmitted from the photographing unit.

15. In paragraph 14, An electrode coating method, characterized in that the information of the above step (S5) is information on a slope forming the coating layer.

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