Separator supply device for secondary battery

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separator supply device for a secondary battery and, more specifically, to a separator supply device for a secondary battery, the device controlling tension applied to a side separator positioned in the inner space of a body unit only by means of pressure generated through the flow of air flowing from an inlet to an outlet, thereby preventing the tension applied to the separator from rapidly increasing even if the transfer speed of the separator undergoes a rapid change.

Description

Separator supply device for secondary batteries

[0001] The present invention relates to a separator supply device for a secondary battery, and more particularly, to a separator supply device for a secondary battery that controls the tension applied to a side separator located in an internal space of a body part only by the pressure generated by the flow of air flowing from an intake port to an exhaust port, thereby preventing the tension applied to the separator from rapidly increasing even in a situation where a rapid change occurs in the conveyance speed of the separator.

[0002] With the recent full-scale development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites, research on secondary batteries, which are high-performance batteries capable of repeated charging and discharging, is actively underway. Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium-ion secondary batteries. Among these, lithium-ion secondary batteries are attracting attention due to their advantages such as virtually no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, allowing for free charging and discharging, a very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0003] These secondary batteries are made up of a positive electrode plate, a separator (separator), and a negative electrode plate sequentially stacked and immersed in an electrolyte solution. There are two main stacking processes for manufacturing the internal cell stacks of these secondary batteries. The first is to stack the negative electrode plate, separator, positive electrode plate, and separator in that order and then roll them together (winding) to manufacture them in the form of a jellyroll. The second is to cut the negative electrode plate and positive electrode plate to the required size and then alternately stack the negative electrode plate, separator, positive electrode plate, and separator. The second stacking method above is advantageous in terms of the lifespan and space efficiency of the secondary battery when manufacturing high-capacity or large-scale secondary batteries, and is increasingly being adopted for electric vehicles.

[0004] To perform this stacking process, the separator must be fed into the stacking device. A dancer roll is typically used to control tension during the separator feeding process, and details are provided below.

[0005]

[0006] Figure 1 is a reference diagram for explaining a tension control system equipped with a conventional dancer roll.

[0007]

[0008] Below, the structure of a tension control system equipped with a dancer roll and its associated problems are briefly described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0009]

[0010] Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional tension control system (9) includes a dancer roll (910) that applies a constant tension to a workpiece (P). In addition, a lever (not shown) is coupled to an end side of the dancer roll (910). The dancer roll (910) is configured to rotate around the center of rotation of the link by the displacement of a pneumatic cylinder (not shown). In addition, the pneumatic cylinder operates in a manner of maintaining a constant pressure manually set in a connected valve, so it cannot be said to be an active type of tension feedback control system, but rather, its main purpose is to function as a tension damper that absorbs fluctuations in tension that occur in the span.

[0011] And, the conventional tension control system (9) may be formed with a first roll (920) that advances a workpiece (P) and a first electric motor (930) that transmits force to the first roll (920), a first inverter (940) that drives the first electric motor (930), a converter (950) that converts a positional change of the dancer roll (910) into an electric signal, a fixed roll (960) that movably supports the workpiece (P) to which a constant tension is applied by the dancer roll (910), a second roll (970) that advances the workpiece (P), a second electric motor (980) that transmits force to the second roll (970), and a second inverter (990) that receives positional information of the dancer roll (910) and drives the second electric motor (980).

[0012] As to the operation method of the conventional system (9), first, the first motor (930) is started by the first inverter (940), and the second motor (980) is started by the second inverter (990). At this time, the dancer roller (910) is in a transient state for an initial period of time, and oscillates greatly left and right and / or up and down. This also applies when the transport speed of the workpiece (P) changes rapidly.

[0013] At this time, the position signal of the dancer roll (910) is converted into an electric signal and fed back to the second inverter (990), and the second inverter (990) outputs a frequency that compensates for the difference between the preset dancer roll (910) position value and the fed back dancer roll (910) position value, thereby controlling the speed of the second motor (980). As a result, the dancer roll (910) remains at the center point that is not tilted left or right or up and down, thereby transmitting uniform tension to the workpiece (910).

[0014] In a structure like this, when the transport speed of the workpiece (P) changes rapidly, the dancer roll (910) cannot move immediately due to the inertia of the dancer roll (910) and the lever, so a problem may arise in which the tension applied to the workpiece (P) suddenly increases rapidly.

[0015]

[0016] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventor of the present invention proposes a novel secondary battery separator supply device having an improved structure / function, the details of which will be described later.

[0017] It was devised to solve the problems of the prior art mentioned above.

[0018]

[0019] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a separator supply device for a secondary battery that controls the tension applied to a side separator located in the internal space of a body part only by the pressure generated by the flow of air flowing from an intake port to an exhaust port, thereby preventing the tension applied to the separator from rapidly increasing due to the inertia of a mechanical component such as a roller even in a situation where a rapid change occurs in the conveyance speed of the separator.

[0020] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a separator supply device for a secondary battery that enables the tension applied to the separator to be controlled by pneumatic pressure rather than mechanical control by applying a predetermined level of tension to the separator by the operation of a vacuum pump coupled to an outlet.

[0021] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a separator supply device for a secondary battery that enables accurate positioning of the separator by having a detection unit that detects the position of the separator located in the internal space of the body.

[0022] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a secondary battery separator supply device that enables precise detection of a separator by having a detection unit including a transmission-type photo sensor.

[0023] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a separator supply device for a secondary battery, which allows a home sensor to be formed between a first limit sensor and a second limit sensor, thereby ensuring that the separator is accurately placed at a reference position at the standby point of the stack device.

[0024] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a separator supply device for a secondary battery that prevents the separator from sticking to the inner wall of the first surface and / or the second surface of the body by providing an anti-adsorption portion on the first surface and / or the second surface of the body.

[0025] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a separator supply device for a secondary battery that controls an effective gap between a spacer and an adjacent end of a separator by providing a spacer on the inner space side of a body portion, thereby preventing damage while maintaining the pressure applied to the separator at a desired level.

[0026] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a secondary battery separator supply device that enables smooth stacking operation by having a first operation control module that stops operation of the stack device or slows down the operation speed when the first limit sensor does not detect a separator located in the internal space of the body.

[0027] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a secondary battery separator supply device that enables smooth stacking operation by having a second operation control module that stops the operation of a feeding unit or slows down the feeding speed when a second limit sensor detects a separator located in an internal space of a body.

[0028] In addition, the present invention provides a secondary battery separator supply device that has a third operation control module that stops the operation of a feeding unit at a time when a home sensor detects a separator at a stack device standby time, thereby preventing the first operation control module and / or the second operation control module from operating immediately after the stack device is driven.

[0029] In order to achieve the above-described purpose, the present invention can be implemented by an embodiment having the following configuration.

[0030]

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention is characterized by including a pair of roller parts spaced apart from each other on a side adjacent to a tension control part; a tension control part that controls tension applied to a separator introduced into an internal space through pneumatic control; and a control part that controls the operation of the tension control part.

[0032] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the tension control unit of the separator supply device for a secondary battery according to the present invention is characterized by including: a body part forming the body of the tension control unit and having an internal space for introducing a separator; an intake port formed openly in the body part to allow a separator to be introduced into the internal space of the body part; and an exhaust port communicating with the internal space of the body part to allow air in the internal space of the body part to be sucked in and discharged.

[0033] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the discharge port of the separator supply device for a secondary battery according to the present invention is connected to a vacuum pump, so that air flows from the suction port and is discharged when the vacuum pump operates.

[0034] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the tension control unit of the separator supply device for a secondary battery according to the present invention is characterized in that it further includes a detection unit that is disposed on one side of the body part and detects the position of the separator introduced into the internal space of the body part.

[0035] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit of the secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention is characterized by including: a first limit sensor disposed on a side adjacent to the suction port to detect a separator in the internal space of the body; and a second limit sensor disposed on a side adjacent to the discharge port and spaced apart from the first limit sensor to detect a separator in the internal space of the body.

[0036] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit of the secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention further includes a home sensor that is disposed between the first limit sensor and the second limit sensor and detects the separator in the internal space of the body.

[0037] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the home sensor of the secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention is characterized in that it is located at an arbitrary position between the adjacent first limit sensor and the second limit sensor.

[0038] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit of the secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention is characterized in that it includes a photosensor.

[0039] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the tension control unit of the secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention is characterized in that it further includes an anti-adsorption unit that is coupled to the first surface and / or the second surface of the body portion and injects gas into the internal space of the body portion.

[0040] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the tension control unit of the secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention is characterized in that it further includes a spacer which is arranged on the front and / or rear side of the body part or on the side adjacent to the front and / or rear side in the internal space of the body part, and sets a gap size between the front and / or rear inner wall of the body part and the adjacent separator end.

[0041] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention further includes a feeding unit that supplies a separator to a tension control unit; and a stacking device that performs a stacking operation through a separator supplied from the roller unit and the tension control unit; and the control unit is characterized in that it includes a first operation control module that stops the operation of the stacking device or slows down the operation speed when the first limit sensor does not detect a separator located in the internal space of the body unit.

[0042] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit of the secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention is characterized in that it further includes a second operation control module that stops the operation of the feeding unit or slows down the feeding speed when the second limit sensor detects a separator located in the internal space of the body.

[0043] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a secondary battery separator supply device according to the present invention further includes a feeding unit that supplies a separator to a tension control unit; and a stacking device that performs a stacking operation through the separator supplied from the roller unit and the tension control unit; and the control unit is characterized in that it includes a third operation control module that stops the operation of the feeding unit when a home sensor detects a separator at a standby time of the stacking device.

[0044] The present invention has the following effects through the above-mentioned configuration.

[0045]

[0046] The present invention has the effect of preventing the tension applied to the separator from rapidly increasing due to the inertia of mechanical parts such as rollers even in a situation where a rapid change occurs in the conveyance speed of the separator by controlling the tension applied to the separator located in the internal space of the body part only by the pressure generated by the flow of air flowing from the intake port to the exhaust port side.

[0047] In addition, the present invention has the effect of enabling the tension applied to the separator to be controlled by air pressure rather than mechanical control by applying a predetermined level of tension to the separator by the operation of a vacuum pump coupled to the discharge port.

[0048] In addition, the present invention has an effect of enabling the precise location of the separator to be specified by providing a detection unit that detects the location of the separator located in the internal space of the body.

[0049] In addition, the present invention exhibits the effect of enabling precise detection of a separator by including a transmission-type photo sensor in the detection unit.

[0050] In addition, the present invention has the effect of ensuring that the separator is accurately placed at the reference position at the standby point of the stack device by forming the home sensor between the first limit sensor and the second limit sensor.

[0051] In addition, the present invention has an effect of preventing the separator from sticking to the inner wall of the first surface and / or the second surface of the body by providing an anti-adsorption portion on the first surface and / or the second surface of the body.

[0052] In addition, the present invention has the effect of controlling the effective gap between the spacer and the adjacent end of the separator by providing a spacer on the inner space side of the body portion, thereby preventing damage while maintaining the pressure applied to the separator at a desired level.

[0053] In addition, the present invention has a first operation control module that stops the operation of the stack device or slows down the operation speed when the first limit sensor does not detect a separator located in the internal space of the body, thereby achieving the effect of enabling smooth stack operation.

[0054] In addition, the present invention has a second operation control module that stops the operation of the feeding unit or slows down the feeding speed when the second limit sensor detects a separator located in the internal space of the body, thereby exhibiting an effect of enabling smooth stacking operation.

[0055] In addition, the present invention has a third operation control module that stops the operation of the feeding unit at the time when the home sensor detects the separator at the stack device standby time, thereby showing the effect of preventing the first operation control module and / or the second operation control module from operating immediately after the stack device is operated.

[0056]

[0057] Meanwhile, even if the effect is not explicitly mentioned herein, it is added that the effect and its provisional effect described in the following specification expected by the technical features of the present invention are treated as described in the specification of the present invention.

[0058] Fig. 1 is a reference diagram for explaining a tension control system equipped with a conventional dancer roll;

[0059] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a separator supply device for a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] FIG. 3 is a front view for explaining a separator supply device for a secondary battery according to FIG. 2;

[0061] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a separator supply device for a secondary battery according to FIG. 2;

[0062] Fig. 5 is a reference drawing showing the internal space of the body part according to Fig. 2;

[0063] Figures 6 to 8 are vertical cross-sectional views for reference to explain the operation of the detection unit and the control unit;

[0064] Fig. 9 is a reference drawing for explaining the spacer according to Fig. 2;

[0065] Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a control unit according to Fig. 2.

[0066] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various ways, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described below, but rather should be interpreted based on the scope of the claims. Furthermore, these embodiments are provided for reference only to more fully explain the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0067] As used herein, the singular forms may include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, the words "comprise" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0068] Hereinafter, when a component (or layer) is described as being placed on another component (or layer), it should be noted that the component may be placed directly on the other component, or other component(s) or layer(s) may be positioned between the components. Furthermore, when a component is described as being placed directly on or above another component, no other component(s) are positioned between the components. Furthermore, positioning "on", "above", "below", "upper", "lower", or "on one side" or "side" of a component means a relative positional relationship.

[0069] When a component is described as being 'connected' or 'coupled' to another component below, it is understood that this concept includes not only the two components being directly connected or coupled, but also the components being indirectly connected or coupled by another component.

[0070] In addition, when distinguishing between components by entering the numbers 'first' and 'second' in front of them below, it should be noted that the 'second' component does not presuppose the 'first' component and that both components are independent.

[0071]

[0072] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a separator supply device for a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a separator supply device for a secondary battery according to FIG. 2; and FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a separator supply device for a secondary battery according to FIG. 2.

[0073]

[0074] Hereinafter, a secondary battery separator (hereinafter referred to as “separator”; S) supply device (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0075]

[0076] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the present invention relates to a separator supply device (1) for a secondary battery, and more specifically, to a separator supply device (1) for a secondary battery that controls the tension applied to a side separator (S) located in the internal space of a body part (310) only by the pressure generated by the flow of air flowing from an intake port (320) to an exhaust port (330), thereby preventing the tension applied to the separator (S) from rapidly increasing even in a situation where a rapid change occurs in the conveyance speed of the separator (S).

[0077] The above secondary battery separator supply device (1) may be formed, for example, between a feeding unit (3) that supplies a separator (S) toward the supply device (1) and a stack device (5) that receives the separator (S) that has passed through the supply device (1), but it should be noted that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the separator supply device (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be utilized in a device other than the stack device. The above-described feeding unit (3) may be, for example, a pair of rollers that supplies a separator, and the stack device (5) may be, for example, a device that alternately stacks a negative electrode plate, a separator, a positive electrode plate, and a separator. In this case, the secondary battery separator supply device (1), the feeding unit (3), and the stack device (5) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be referred to as a secondary battery separator supply system.

[0078] A secondary battery separator supply device (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a roller unit (10), a tension control unit (30), and a control unit (50).

[0079]

[0080] The roller unit (10) is a roller configuration formed on one side of the tension control unit (30). This roller unit (10) may be formed, for example, on the side adjacent to the suction port (320), which is the inlet side of the tension control unit (30). In addition, the roller unit (10) may be formed such that the first roller (110) and the second roller (130) are spaced apart from each other. At this time, the first roller (110) and the second roller (130) are idle rollers, and are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction in the drawing, but they may be spaced apart in the front-back direction or the left-right direction depending on the arrangement of the tension control unit (30), and there is no separate limitation thereto. At this time, it is preferable that the first roller (110) and the second roller (130) are formed in a position so as not to overlap with the suction port (320). For example, the two facing end sides of the first roller (110) and the second roller (130) can be formed so as not to cover the suction port (320).

[0081] In addition, the first roller (110) and the second roller (130) may be formed of, for example, aluminum (Al) material. And, for example, the first roller (110) may allow one side of the separator (S) supplied through the feeding unit (3) to be fed into the internal space of the tension control unit (30) (or the internal space of the body unit (310)), and the second roller (130) may allow the separator (S) connected from the internal space of the tension control unit (30) and exposed to the outside to be fed into the stack device (5).

[0082]

[0083] The tension control unit (30) is formed on the side adjacent to the roller unit (10), and is configured to control the tension applied to the separator (S) by allowing the separator (S) positioned between a pair of roller units (110, 130) to be inserted into the internal space thereof. At this time, it is preferable that the internal space of the tension control unit (30) be positioned on the side overlapping the space between the first roller (110) and the second roller (130).

[0084] For this purpose, the tension control unit (30) may include a body unit (310), an intake port (320), an exhaust port (330), a detection unit (340), an adsorption prevention unit (350), and a spacer (360).

[0085]

[0086] Fig. 5 is a reference drawing showing the internal space of the body part according to Fig. 2.

[0087]

[0088] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the body portion (310) is configured to form the outer surface or body of the tension control portion (30), and preferably has an internal space so that the side separator (S) positioned between the first roller portion (110) and the second roller portion (130) is introduced inside. The body portion (310) may be, for example, a plate-shaped configuration in which the suction port (320) side is open and has an internal space, but there is no particular limitation thereto. In addition, a detection portion (340) and an anti-adsorption portion (350) may be formed on opposite surfaces (the first surface (311) and the second surface (313)) of the body portion (310). Although the first surface (311) is illustrated as the upper surface and the second surface (313) as the lower surface in the drawing, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0089] For example, a detection unit (340) and an anti-adsorption unit (350) may be formed on each of the first side (311) and the second side (313) of the body part (310). A through hole may be formed in the body part (310) on which the detection unit (340) is formed, into which an individual detection unit (340) is inserted to specify the position of the separator (S) in the internal space of the body part (310).

[0090] For convenience of explanation, the through hole of the first surface (311) is referred to as the 'first through hole (310a)', and the through hole of the second surface (313) is referred to as the 'second through hole (310b)' (see Fig. 4). As will be described in detail below, when the detection unit (340) is formed on both the first surface (311) and the second surface (313), and three sensors, namely, a first limit sensor (341), a second limit sensor (343), and a home sensor (345), are formed on each surface (311 and 313), the first through hole (310a) and the second through hole (310b) may be spaced apart from each other along the length direction and formed three each on each surface (311 and 313). In addition, when the detection unit (340) is formed with three sensors on only one side (311 or 313), the second through-hole (310b) may not be formed, but only three first through-holes (310a) may be formed spaced apart from each other along the length direction on only one side (311 or 313). It should be noted that the number of through-holes formed in this way can be changed according to the user's choice. The term 'length direction' above may refer to, for example, the direction of separation between the intake port (320) and the exhaust port (330).

[0091] In addition, an insertion hole may be formed in the side body part (310) where the adsorption prevention part (350) is formed, so as to directly communicate with the internal space of the individual adsorption prevention part (350) or so as to allow the adsorption prevention part (350) to be inserted. For convenience of explanation, the insertion hole of the first side (311) is referred to as a 'first insertion hole (310c)', and the insertion hole of the second side (313) is referred to as a 'second insertion hole (310d)' (see Fig. 4). The first insertion hole (310c) is configured to allow the adsorption prevention part (350) combined from the first side (311) of the body part (310) to be inserted, so that one adsorption prevention part (350) communicates with the internal space of the body part (310). In addition, the second insertion hole (310d) is configured to allow the adsorption prevention part (350) combined from the second surface (313) of the body part (310) to be inserted, so that another adsorption prevention part (350) communicates with the internal space of the body part (310). It should be noted that the number of insertion holes formed can also be changed according to the user's selection. For example, one or more insertion holes may be formed on the first surface (311) or the second surface (313). That is, the number of insertion holes formed on each surface (311, 311) may be changed according to the number of adsorption prevention parts (350).

[0092] The suction port (320) is configured to be openly formed in the body part (310) adjacent to the roller part (10) so that one side of the separator (S) can be positioned in the internal space of the body part (310). That is, the suction port (320) can allow the internal space of the body part (310) to communicate with the outside. In addition, as an example, when air in the internal space of the body part (310) is sucked in through the discharge port (330), the suction port (320) communicated with the discharge port (330) can suck in external air of the body part (310) into the internal space. At this time, the separator (S) can move in a direction in which one side thereof is adjacent to the discharge port (330) from the suction port (320) due to the pressure of the air flowing from the suction port (320) toward the discharge port (330). That is, the separator (S) can be introduced into the internal space of the body part (310) by the air pressure applied to the side separator (S) located between the first roller (110) and the second roller (130).

[0093] Accordingly, a predetermined tension can be applied to the separator (S) by the air pressure generated through the discharge port (330). Therefore, even if a rapid change occurs in the supply speed of the separator (S), the tension applied to the separator (S) can be controlled by air pressure rather than mechanical control, so there is an advantage in that problems such as those encountered when applying a conventional dancer roll (910) do not occur.

[0094] The exhaust port (330) is configured to communicate with the internal space of the body part (310) and suck in air from the internal space of the body part (310). The exhaust port (330) is preferably formed, for example, at an end of the body part (310) that is far from the suction port (320). In addition, the exhaust port (330) may be formed one at a time on the body part (310), or may be formed in multiple places, without any particular limitation thereto. For example, the exhaust port (330) is preferably formed at the first surface (311) or the second surface (313), and is preferably formed at a side adjacent to the edge of the body part (310) (see FIG. 5). In addition, the exhaust port (330) may be connected to, for example, a vacuum pump (not shown), so that when the vacuum pump operates, air may flow from the suction port (320) to the exhaust port (330).

[0095] The detection unit (340) is formed in the body part (310) and is configured to detect the position of the separator (S) in the internal space of the body part (310). That is, since the internal space of the body part (310) is sealed except for the intake port (320) and the exhaust port (330), it is impossible to know exactly where the separator (S) is located in the internal space of the body part (310). Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the purpose is to specify the position of the separator (S) located in the internal space of the body part (310) through the detection unit (340). As described above, the detection unit (340) can be inserted into the through hole of the body part (310).

[0096] This detection unit (340) may be any of the known or to-be-known configurations, such as an ultrasonic sensor or a photo sensor, but is preferably a photo sensor, and for precise detection, it is more preferably a transmission-type photo sensor rather than a reflective photo sensor. In addition, the 'detected position information' of the separator (S) through the detection unit (340) may be transmitted to the control unit (50) described later.

[0097] This detection unit (340) may include a first limit sensor (341), a second limit sensor (343), and a home sensor (345). Hereinafter, the detection unit (340) is exemplarily described as being made of a transmission-type photo sensor, and at this time, individual sensors (341, 343, 345) may be formed one by one on the first surface (311) and the second surface (313) of the body portion (310) so as to face each other. At this time, the sensors (341, 343, 345) on the first surface (311) may be light-emitting units, and the sensors (341, 343, 345) on the second surface (313) may be light-receiving units, and the opposite case is also possible.

[0098] The first limit sensor (341) is formed on the side adjacent to the suction port (320) and is configured to detect the separator (S) in the internal space of the body portion (310). As described above, when the first limit sensor (341) is formed of a transmission-type photo sensor, it can be formed on the first surface (311) and the second surface (313) of the body portion (310), respectively.

[0099] The second limit sensor (343) is formed on the side adjacent to the discharge port (330) and is configured to detect the separator (S) in the internal space of the body portion (310). This second limit sensor (343) may be formed between the first limit sensor (341) and the discharge port (330). In addition, as described above, when the second limit sensor (343) is formed of a transmission-type photo sensor, it may be formed on the first surface (311) and the second surface (313) of the body portion (310), respectively.

[0100] The home sensor (345) is formed between the first limit sensor (341) and the second limit sensor (343) and is configured to detect the separator (S) on the internal space of the body part (310). As described above, when the home sensor (345) is formed of a transmission-type photo sensor, it can be formed on the first surface (311) and the second surface (313) of the body part (310), respectively. In addition, the individual home sensor (345) can be formed at any position between the adjacent first limit sensor (341) and the second limit sensor (343). For example, the individual home sensor (345) can be formed approximately at the center side of the adjacent first limit sensor (341) and the second limit sensor (343), but there is no particular limitation thereto.

[0101]

[0102] Figures 6 to 8 are vertical cross-sectional views for reference to explain the operation of the detection unit and the control unit.

[0103]

[0104] Below, the functions of each sensor (341, 343, 345) and the control unit (50) through it will be described in detail.

[0105]

[0106] First, referring to FIG. 6, when the first limit sensor (341) does not detect the separator (S) located in the internal space of the body part (310), it means that the speed of supply of the separator (S) to the stack device (5) is faster than the reference speed, so the control unit (50) can momentarily stop the operation of the stack device (5) or slow down the operation speed of the stack device (5).

[0107] In addition, referring to Fig. 7, when the second limit sensor (343) detects the separator (S) located in the internal space of the body (310), it means that the supply speed of the separator (S) through the feeding unit (3) is faster than the reference speed compared to the processing speed of the stack device (5), so the control unit (50) can stop the operation of the feeding unit (3) or slow down the feeding speed. The term 'reference speed' above is understood to be the target speed.

[0108] And at the standby point of the stack device (5), it is not possible to know exactly which sensor (341 or 343) the separator (S) is tilted towards between the first limit sensor (341) and the second limit sensor (343). At this time, when the stack device (5) is driven while the separator (S) is very close to the first limit sensor (341), if the separator (S) is not detected by the first limit sensor (341), a problem may occur in which the stack device (5) is stopped by the control unit (50) as soon as it is driven. In addition, conversely, when the stack device (5) is driven while the separator (S) is very close to the second limit sensor (343), if the separator (S) is detected by the second limit sensor (343), the operation of the feeding unit (3) may be stopped as soon as the stack device (5) is driven. The term 'waiting point' above is understood to mean the point in time before the stack device (5) is driven.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 8, in order to solve this problem, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the separator (S) is detected by the home sensor (345) at the standby time of the stack device (5), the control unit (50) stops the operation of the feeding unit (3). As a result, the separator (S) can be substantially supplied to the home sensor (345). Thereafter, the control unit (50) operates the feeding unit (3) and the stack device (5). Therefore, the possibility of the above-described problems occurring can be significantly reduced. In this way, the home sensor (345) can cause the separator (S) to be fed to the reference position (the position corresponding to the home sensor (345)) at the standby time of the stack device (5).

[0110] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the anti-adsorption portion (350) is configured to be coupled with the first surface (311) and / or the second surface (313) of the body portion (310) to inject gas (e.g., air) into the internal space of the body portion (310). For example, in the case of a separator (S) having a high viscosity, after being injected into the internal space of the body portion (310), there may be cases where it sticks to the inner wall of the body portion (310). In this case, even if the air is discharged through the discharge port (330), a problem may occur in which the separator (S) cannot smoothly move in a direction adjacent to the discharge port (330) due to air pressure. Therefore, a desired level of tension is not formed in the separator (S). In order to solve this problem, in one embodiment of the present invention, by introducing gas such as air into the internal space of the body part (310) through the passage of the adsorption prevention part (350) coupled through the first insertion hole (310c) and / or the second insertion hole (310d), the outer surface of the separator (S) can be prevented from sticking to the inner wall of the body part (310).

[0111]

[0112] Fig. 9 is a reference drawing for explaining the spacer according to Fig. 2.

[0113]

[0114] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 5 and 9, a spacer (360) is formed within the internal space of the body portion (310) on a side adjacent to the front (315) and / or the back (317) of the body portion (310) to control the flow path of air discharged toward the exhaust port (330). For example, in the internal space of the body portion (310), a separator (S) is positioned between the front (315) and the back (317) opposite to the front (315). At this time, the front-to-back width size (W1) of the separator (S) is formed to be smaller than the distance (W2) between the front (315) and the back (317). Accordingly, a gap (2D1=W2-W1) can be formed between the front surface (315) of the body part (310) and the end of the adjacent separator (S), and between the back surface (317) of the body part (310) and the end of the adjacent separator (S).

[0115] At this time, if the gap (D1) is formed larger than necessary, the air flow path that escapes toward the discharge port (330) becomes excessively large, which may cause a problem in that the air pressure required for the separator (S) is not applied, and thus the tension applied to the separator (S) cannot be controlled to the desired level. Conversely, if the gap (D1) becomes smaller than necessary, the air flow path that escapes toward the discharge port (330) becomes excessively small, which may cause the air to not discharge smoothly, resulting in a traffic jam, which may cause damage such as folding of the edge of the separator (S) adjacent to the discharge port (330).

[0116] In order to solve such a problem, the present invention is characterized in that a spacer (360) is formed within the internal space of the body portion (310) on a side adjacent to the front surface (315) and / or the back surface (317) of the body portion (310) or on the inner wall side of the front surface (315) and / or the back surface (317), thereby controlling an effective gap (D2; D1>D2) between the spacer (360) and an adjacent end of a separator (S). That is, it is possible to prevent damage to the separator (S) while maintaining the pressure applied to the separator (S) by the spacer (360) at a desired level. Such a spacer (360) may be coupled, for example, to the inner wall of the front (315) and / or the back (317) of the body portion (310), or to the inner wall of the first side (311) and / or the second side (313), and the scope of the present invention is not limited by specific examples.

[0117]

[0118] Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a control unit according to Fig. 2.

[0119]

[0120] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 10, the control unit (50) is configured to control the operation of the secondary battery separator supply device (1), feeding unit (3), and stack device (5), and can receive position information detected through the detection unit (340) as described above. To this end, the control unit (50) may include a first operation control module (510), a second operation control module (530), and a third operation control module (550).

[0121] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 11, the first motion control module (510) is configured to stop the operation of the stack device (5) or slow down the operation speed when the first limit sensor (341) does not detect the separator (S) located in the internal space of the body part (310). As described above, when the first limit sensor (341) does not detect the separator (S) in the internal space of the body part (310), it means that the separator (S) supply speed of the feeding part (3) to the stack device (5) is faster than the preset speed, and the first motion control module (510) can operate to correct this.

[0122] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 10, the second operation control module (530) is configured to stop the operation of the feeding unit (3) or slow down the feeding speed when the second limit sensor (343) detects the separator (S) located in the internal space of the body part (310). As described above, when the second limit sensor (343) detects the separator (S) in the internal space of the body part (310), it means that the supply speed of the separator (S) through the feeding unit (3) is faster than the preset speed compared to the processing speed of the stack device (5), and the second operation control module (530) may operate to correct this.

[0123] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 10, the third operation control module (550) is configured to stop the operation of the feeding unit (3) at the point when the home sensor (345) detects the separator (S) at the standby point of the stack device (5). Through this third operation control module (550), the separator (S) can be placed at the reference position immediately before the stack device (5) is driven.

[0124]

[0125] The detailed description above is illustrative of the present invention. Furthermore, the foregoing description illustrates preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. In other words, changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein, the scope equivalent to the written disclosure, and / or the scope of technology or knowledge in the art. The above-described embodiments illustrate the best possible state for implementing the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and various modifications required for specific application fields and uses of the present invention are also possible. Therefore, the detailed description of the present invention above is not intended to limit the present invention to the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A pair of roller sections spaced apart from each other on the side adjacent to the tension control section; A tension control unit that controls the tension applied to a separator introduced into an internal space through pneumatic control; and A secondary battery separator supply device characterized by including a control unit that controls the operation of the tension control unit.

2. In paragraph 1, the tension control unit A body part forming the body of the above tension control part and having an internal space for inserting a separator; An inlet formed openly in the above body part to allow a separator to be introduced into the internal space of the above body part; and A secondary battery separator supply device characterized by including an exhaust port communicating with the internal space of the body part to allow air in the internal space of the body part to be sucked in and discharged.

3. In the second paragraph, the outlet A secondary battery separator supply device, characterized in that it is connected to a vacuum pump and causes air to flow from an intake port and be discharged when the vacuum pump operates.

4. In the second paragraph, the tension control unit A secondary battery separator supply device, characterized in that it further includes a detection unit disposed on one side of the body part and detecting the position of a separator introduced into the internal space of the body part.

5. In paragraph 4, the detection unit A first limit sensor, which is arranged on a side adjacent to the suction port and detects a separator in the internal space of the body part; and A secondary battery separator supply device characterized by including a second limit sensor that detects a separator in the internal space of the body portion and is spaced apart from the first limit sensor on the side adjacent to the discharge port.

6. In paragraph 5, the detection unit A secondary battery separator supply device, characterized in that it further includes a home sensor that is disposed between the first limit sensor and the second limit sensor and detects a separator in the internal space of the body portion.

7. In the 6th paragraph, the home sensor A secondary battery separator supply device characterized in that it is located at an arbitrary position between adjacent first limit sensors and second limit sensors.

8. In paragraph 6, the detection unit A separator supply device for a secondary battery, characterized by including a photosensor.

9. In the second paragraph, the tension control unit A secondary battery separator supply device, characterized in that it further includes an anti-adsorption part coupled to the first surface and / or the second surface of the body part and injecting gas into the internal space of the body part.

10. In the second paragraph, the tension control unit A secondary battery separator supply device, characterized in that it further includes a spacer, which is arranged on the front and / or back side of the body part or on a side adjacent to the front and / or back side in the internal space of the body part, and sets a gap size between the front and / or back inner wall of the body part and the adjacent separator end.

11. In paragraph 5, A feeding section for supplying a separator to a tension control section; and It further includes a stack device that performs stacking operation through a separator supplied from the above roller section and tension control section; The above control unit A secondary battery separator supply device, characterized by including a first operation control module that stops operation of the stack device or slows down the operation speed when the first limit sensor does not detect a separator located in the internal space of the body.

12. In paragraph 11, the control unit A secondary battery separator supply device, characterized in that it further includes a second operation control module that stops the operation of the feeding unit or slows down the feeding speed when the second limit sensor detects a separator located in the internal space of the body.

13. In paragraph 6, A feeding section for supplying a separator to a tension control section; and It further includes a stack device that performs stacking operation through a separator supplied from the above roller section and tension control section; The above control unit A secondary battery separator supply device, characterized by including a third operation control module that stops the operation of the feeding unit at a time when the home sensor detects the separator at the standby time of the stack device.

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