Apparatus for adjusting position of shim for slot die coater, and method for adjusting position of shim by using same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting the position of a shim plate mounted in a slot die coater for manufacturing an electrode, and a method for adjusting the position of a shim plate by using same. The shim position adjustment apparatus comprises: a displacement measurement device for measuring the offset of a shim plate disposed on a die block; and a shim adjustment part that includes a position adjuster for adjusting the position of the shim plate according to the measured offset value, and thus the position of the shim plate can be precisely and easily adjusted to the micrometer level during assembly of the slot die coater such that excellent workability and productivity are provided. In addition, the slot die coater in which the position of the shim plate is adjusted by the present invention has an accurately adjusted offset of the shim plate, and thus a lithium secondary battery electrode that is highly reliable with respect to electrode slurry loading amount and the like can be manufactured.

Description

A core position adjusting device for a slot die coater and a core position adjusting method using the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for controlling the position of a core mounted in a slot die coater used in the manufacture of an electrode for a lithium secondary battery, and a method for controlling the position of the core using the same.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority from Republic of Korea Patent Application No. 10-2024-0019591, dated February 8, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003]

[0004] Lithium secondary batteries are now widely used not only in small devices like portable electronic devices, but also in medium- to large-sized devices like battery packs for hybrid and electric vehicles and power storage systems. In particular, with growing concern over environmental issues, research is being conducted on electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles as alternatives to fossil fuel-powered vehicles like gasoline and diesel, which are major contributors to air pollution.

[0005] Typically, lithium secondary batteries have a structure in which an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator is impregnated with a lithium electrolyte. The electrode is formed by coating an electrode current collector with an electrode slurry containing an electrode active material. A coating device such as a slot die coater is used to coat the electrode slurry.

[0006] A slot die coater includes an upper die block and a lower die block that form a chamber for supplying an active material slurry and set the height of a slot for discharging the active material slurry, and a shim member that is positioned between them and set the width of the slot. At this time, the position of the end of the shim member that is on the same plane with respect to the front outer sides of the upper die block and the lower die block where the slot is located is called the offset of the shim member. The offset of the shim member acts as a major parameter of the coating process because the loading amount of the electrode slurry, etc., may vary during electrode slurry coating depending on its size.

[0007] Accordingly, when assembling a slot die coater, the position of the shim member is adjusted in order to precisely control the offset of the shim member placed between the upper die block and the lower die block to a desired value. However, the position of the shim member is adjusted manually by a worker, and since the offset of the shim member is controlled at the micrometer (㎛) level, there is a limitation that precise adjustment is difficult. In addition, in order for a worker to precisely control the position of the shim member, there is a problem that the work is cumbersome and requires a considerable amount of time because the procedure of measuring the offset of the shim member using an electron microscope, etc., moving the position of the shim member, and then verifying the position of the moved shim member must be repeated.

[0008]

[0009] [Prior Art Literature]

[0010] Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0078497

[0011]

[0012] Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a core member position control device capable of precisely and easily controlling the position of a core member during assembly of a slot die coater used in manufacturing an electrode for a lithium secondary battery, and a core member position control method using the same.

[0013]

[0014] To solve the above-mentioned problem,

[0015] The present invention,

[0016] A device for adjusting the position of a shim plate that is placed between the upper die block and the lower die block of a slot die coater and forms a slot,

[0017] Absence of support,

[0018] An attachment portion supported on one side of the above support member and attached to the lower die block, and

[0019] A support member having the attachment part provided thereon includes a shim adjustment part for adjusting the position of the shim plate;

[0020] The above heart control unit is,

[0021] A displacement measuring device for measuring the offset of the shim plate from the front outer side of the lower die block where the slot is located, and

[0022] A position adjustment device for a shim plate is provided, which includes a position adjuster that adjusts the position of the shim plate by performing a linear reciprocating motion in the longitudinal direction of the shim plate according to an offset value measured by the displacement measuring device.

[0023] At this time, the displacement measuring device and position controller may be arranged side by side along the width direction so as to be parallel to the length direction of the shim plate.

[0024] The above-described core adjustment unit may include a fixed frame including a through hole into which the displacement measuring device and the position controller are respectively inserted and a cut groove positioned above the through hole; a fixed member including a fixing screw that is fastened to the cut groove and fixes the displacement measuring device and the position controller inserted into the through hole; and a moving mechanism positioned between the support member and the fixed member and inducing a linear reciprocating movement of the fixed member in at least one of the width direction and the height direction of the lower die block.

[0025] The above moving mechanism may be a two-axis stage; or two one-axis stages assembled to reciprocate linearly in a direction perpendicular to each other.

[0026] The above position adjuster is a mechanism capable of adjusting the position at the micrometer level, and may include a sleeve having a mother member provided in a circumferential direction, a thimble that rotates on the sleeve and has a son member provided in the rotational direction, a spindle inserted into the inside of the sleeve to perform a reciprocating linear motion, and a ratchet stop inserted into the end of the thimble to implement a linear motion of the spindle through a rotational motion and to keep the pressure applied to the end of the shim plate constant.

[0027] Additionally, the position controller may include a pressing member that applies force to the end of the shim plate at the spindle end, and the pressing member may have a rectangular shape with a long axis and a short axis on a surface that comes into contact with the end of the shim plate.

[0028] The above position controller may be provided with a magnetic member at the end of the spindle that comes into contact with the shim plate.

[0029] The displacement measuring device may include a dial gauge, an eddy current displacement sensor, an optical displacement sensor, a linear proximity sensor, or a magnetoresistive displacement sensor.

[0030] The above attachment portion may include a magnetic member having a structure corresponding to the front outer side of the lower die block.

[0031]

[0032] Furthermore, the present invention,

[0033] A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate of a slot die coater using a position adjusting device of a shim plate according to the invention described above,

[0034] Step (S1) of attaching the shim position adjustment device to the front outer side of the lower die block on which the shim plate is placed;

[0035] Step (S2) of positioning the displacement measuring end of the attached position adjusting device so as to face the shim plate end;

[0036] A step (S3) of measuring the offset of the outer edge reference shim plate of the slot die coater using the positioned displacement measuring device;

[0037] A step (S4) of adjusting the position of the shim plate along the longitudinal direction of the shim plate according to the offset value measured using a position controller, and

[0038] A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate is provided, including a step (S5) of assembling a slot die coater by placing and fixing an upper die block on a shim plate whose position is adjusted.

[0039] At this time, the shim plate whose position is adjusted may be aligned so that the shim plate end is positioned in the same line as the outer end of the lower die block, or may be adjusted so that it is positioned on the inner side of the lower die block.

[0040] The method for adjusting the position of the shim plate may further include a step (S0) of arranging the end of the shim plate to protrude outwardly from the lower slot die before the step (S1) of attaching the shim position adjusting device, when the end of the shim plate is aligned so as to be positioned on the same line as the outer end of the lower die block.

[0041] The step (S2) of positioning the displacement measuring device end to face the shim plate end may include a step (S2-1) of moving the position of the end of the displacement measuring device in at least one of the width direction and the height direction of the lower die block so that the shim plate end and the end of the displacement measuring device face each other; and a step (S2-2) of fixing the position of the moved displacement measuring device.

[0042] The step (S4) of adjusting the position of the shim plate can be performed by bringing the end of the position adjuster into contact with the end of the shim plate and then applying force to the end of the shim plate with the position adjuster along the longitudinal direction of the shim plate.

[0043] The step (S4) of adjusting the position of the shim plate may be performed by aligning the end of the shim plate so that it is positioned on the same line as the outer edge of the lower die block, and the end of the position adjuster may be brought into contact with the end of the shim plate so that the boundary between the shim plate and the lower die block is positioned at the center of the end of the position adjuster.

[0044] Meanwhile, the position controller may be provided with a magnetic member at an end that comes into contact with an end of the shim plate, and in this case, the shim plate may be made of a metal material including at least one of iron, cobalt, and nickel.

[0045]

[0046] The shim plate position adjustment device of a slot die coater according to the present invention has a shim adjustment unit including a displacement measuring device for measuring an offset of a shim plate placed on a die block and a position adjusting device for adjusting the position of the shim plate according to the measured offset value, so that the position of the shim plate can be precisely and easily adjusted to a micrometer level during the assembly process of the slot die coater, thereby having excellent workability and productivity.

[0047] In addition, the slot die coater in which the position of the shim plate is adjusted according to the present invention has the advantage of being able to manufacture an electrode for a lithium secondary battery with high reliability in terms of the loading amount of electrode slurry, etc., because the offset of the shim plate is really adjusted.

[0048]

[0049] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a slot die coater for general electrode manufacturing.

[0050] Figure 2 shows the structure of a slot die coater for general electrode manufacturing, (a) is a side cross-sectional view, and (b) is a front view.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a slot die coater equipped with a shim plate position adjustment device according to the present invention.

[0052] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a shim plate position adjustment device according to the present invention.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a top view showing a shim plate position adjustment device according to the present invention, where (a) shows the appearance before the 1-axis stage operates, and (b) shows the appearance after the 1-axis stage operates in the width direction (y-axis direction) of the lower die block.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a shim plate position adjustment device according to the present invention, (a) showing the appearance before the 1-axis stage operates, and (b) showing the appearance after the 1-axis stage operates in the height direction (z-axis direction) of the lower die block.

[0055] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a position controller used in the present invention.

[0056] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the position of the lower die block of the shim plate whose position is adjusted according to the present invention.

[0057] FIG. 9 is an image schematically showing the direction of force applied to the end of the shim plate when the position of the shim plate is adjusted by a position controller according to the present invention. (a) is an example in which force is applied to the inside of the lower die block, and (b) is an example in which force is applied to the outside of the lower die block.

[0058] FIG. 10 is an image showing the position of the position adjuster in the height direction (z-axis) of the lower die block according to the position of the shim plate end when the outer end of the lower die block and the end of the shim plate are aligned on the same line according to the present invention.

[0059]

[0060] The present invention can be modified in various ways and has many embodiments, and specific embodiments will be described in detail in the detailed description.

[0061] However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific embodiment, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0062] In the present invention, it should be understood that terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0063]

[0064] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0065]

[0066] Position adjustment device of the shim plate

[0067] In one embodiment of the present invention,

[0068] A device for adjusting the position of a shim plate that is placed between the upper die block and the lower die block of a slot die coater and forms a slot,

[0069] Absence of support,

[0070] An attachment portion supported on one side of the above support member and attached to the lower die block, and

[0071] A support member having the attachment part provided thereon includes a shim adjustment part for adjusting the position of the shim plate;

[0072] The above heart control unit is,

[0073] A displacement measuring device for measuring the offset of the shim plate from the front outer side of the lower die block where the slot is located, and

[0074] A position adjustment device for a shim plate is provided, which includes a position adjuster that adjusts the position of the shim plate by performing a linear reciprocating motion in the longitudinal direction of the shim plate according to an offset value measured by the displacement measuring device.

[0075]

[0076] The position adjustment device of the shim plate according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “position adjustment device”) refers to a device that adjusts the position of the shim plate during the assembly process of a slot die coater applied in the manufacture of an electrode of a lithium secondary battery.

[0077] FIGS. 1 to 3 are a perspective view, a side cross-sectional view, and a front view, respectively, showing a slot die coater (1) applied in the manufacture of electrodes of lithium secondary batteries. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the slot die coater (1) may include an upper die block (10); a lower die block (30) facing the upper die block and having a chamber (31) for accommodating electrode slurry; a plate-shaped shim plate (20) positioned between the upper die block and the lower die block, the shim plate having a hollow portion in the body (21) communicating with the chamber (31), and a slot (22) for discharging electrode slurry from the hollow portion; and a fixing device (40) for fixing the assembled upper die block (10), shim plate (20), and lower die block (30).

[0078] Here, the "upper die block" and the "lower die block" are terms indicating a relative positional relationship among a plurality of die blocks. For example, if the slot die coater is a dual slot die coater in which a first die block, a first shim plate, a second die block, a second shim plate, and a third die block are sequentially arranged, the first die block may be a lower die block with respect to the second die block, and conversely, the second die block may be an upper die block with respect to the first die block. Furthermore, in this case, the second die block may be a lower die block with respect to the third die block, and conversely, the third die block may be an upper die block with respect to the second die block.

[0079] The above slot die coater (1) has a shim plate (20) placed between the upper die block (10) and the lower die block (30) to provide a slot (22) through which the electrode slurry is discharged. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the end position of the shim plate (20) that exists on the same surface with respect to the front surfaces of the upper die block (10) and the lower die block (30) where the slot is located, more specifically, the distance between the outer end of the slot die coater where the slot is provided and the end of the shim plate (20) is referred to as the offset (Os) of the shim plate. The offset (Os) of the shim plate (20) acts as a major parameter of the coating process because the loading amount of the electrode slurry, etc. may vary depending on its size during electrode slurry coating. Therefore, it is very important to precisely adjust the offset (Os) of the shim plate to the micrometer (㎛) level when assembling the slot die coater (1). However, since the assembly of a conventional slot die coater is carried out manually by a worker, it is not only difficult to make precise adjustments, but also the slot die coater must be assembled and disassembled several times to make precise offset adjustments, which has limitations in that workability and productivity are significantly low.

[0080] However, the position adjustment device (100) according to the present invention can overcome this problem by measuring the offset of the shim plate (20) placed on the die block when assembling the slot die coater (1) and moving the shim plate (20) so that the measured offset value satisfies the preset position and / or offset.

[0081] For this purpose, the position adjustment device (100) can be used in a non-fixed state when the shim plate (20) is placed on the lower die block (30) during the assembly process of the slot die coater (1) or when the shim plate (20) is placed between the upper die block (10) and the lower die block (30).

[0082] Additionally, the position adjustment device (100) includes means for measuring the offset of the shim plate (20) placed on the lower die block and for moving the shim plate (20) to satisfy a preset position and / or offset.

[0083] Specifically, referring to the above-described FIG. 4, the position adjustment device (100) includes a support member (110) that forms the basic skeleton of the device and supports each component, an attachment part (120) that is supported on one side of the support member (110) and attached to a die block on which a shim plate is arranged, and a shim adjustment part (130) that is located on the other side of the support member (110) on which the attachment part (120) is provided and adjusts the position of the shim plate.

[0084] At this time, the support member (110) may be applied without particular limitations as long as it is a material and structure that can support the attachment part (120) and the core adjustment part (130). For example, the support member (110) may be an "L" shaped stainless steel in which the attachment part (120) is secured on the inside and the core adjustment part (130) is supported on the outside.

[0085] In addition, the attachment part (120) may be attached to the lower die block on which the shim plate is arranged, and may be located on the front outer side of the lower die block in which a slot is provided by the shim plate to measure the offset of the shim plate.

[0086] The above attachment part (120) can be applied without particular limitation as long as it is of a material and shape that can be attached to the lower die block. Specifically, the attachment part (120) may be provided with a magnetic member having a structure corresponding to the die block portion to which the attachment part is to be attached, specifically, the front outer side of the lower die block. In this case, the attachment part (120) can completely fix the position adjustment device (100) to the surface of the lower die block without shaking, so that the offset measurement and movement of the shim plate can be performed more precisely. In addition, by making the structure of the surface on which the attachment part (120) is attached to the lower die block correspond to the structure of the front outer side of the lower die block on which the shim plate is arranged, there is an advantage in that the position adjustment part (130) connected through the support member (110) can be easily adjusted.

[0087] For example, if the exterior of the lower die block has a rectangular parallelepiped block shape, the attachment portion may have a magnetic member in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped or a hexahedron.

[0088] In addition, when the outer appearance of the lower die block has a tapered shape in which the upper surface (or inner surface) is longer than the lower surface (or outer lower surface), the attachment portion may have a rectangular parallelepiped or a regular hexahedron structure, but may include a magnetic member having a structure in which the attachment surface that comes into contact with the lower die block is inclined so that the sum of the inclinations of the front outer surface of the lower die block when attached forms 180°.

[0089] The above-mentioned core control unit (130) includes a displacement measuring device (131) that measures the offset of the core plate and a position controller (132) that moves the core plate according to the offset value measured by the displacement measuring device.

[0090] At this time, the displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) are positioned parallel to the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the shim plate in which the shim plate is arranged for offset measurement and movement of the shim plate, respectively, but can be positioned side by side so as to face the shim plate end along the width direction (y-axis direction) of the lower die block.

[0091] The displacement measuring device (131) and position controller (132) are positioned parallel to the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the shim plate, enabling precise control during offset measurement and movement. In addition, the displacement measuring device (131) and position controller (132) are positioned parallel to the width direction (y-axis direction) of the die block so as to face the end of the shim plate, thereby providing the advantage of enabling immediate movement of the shim plate without a change in the offset after measuring the offset of the shim plate.

[0092] The displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) may be fixed together to precisely measure the offset of the shim plate and move the shim plate accordingly. Specifically, the shim adjusting unit (130) may include a fixing frame (1331) including a through hole (1332) into which the displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) are respectively inserted side by side, and a cut-out groove (not shown) located on the upper portion of the through hole, in order to fix the displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) together; and a fixing member (133) including a fixing screw (1334) that is fastened to the cut-out groove and fixes the displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) inserted into the through hole.

[0093] The above-mentioned fixing member (133) serves to fix the displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) together in parallel with each other. At this time, the fixing member (133) can fix the respective ends of the displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) so that they have the same distance from the end of the shim plate along the width direction (y-axis direction) of the lower die block. That is, the fixing member (133) can fix the end of the displacement measuring device (131) and the end of the position controller (132) so that they are parallel.

[0094] In addition, the core adjustment unit (130) may include a moving mechanism positioned between the fixing member (133) and the support member (110) to induce a linear reciprocating movement of the fixing member (133) in at least one of the width direction (y-axis direction) and the height direction (z-axis direction) of the lower die block.

[0095] Specifically, the moving mechanism may be a two-axis stage; or two one-axis stages assembled to reciprocate linearly in a direction perpendicular to each other.

[0096] As an example, the moving mechanism may include a single-axis stage (134) that can move in the width direction (y-axis direction) of the lower die block as shown in Fig. 5 and a single-axis stage (135) that can move in the height direction (z-axis direction) of the lower die block as shown in Fig. 6. The two single-axis stages can individually perform a linear reciprocating motion (M) in a direction perpendicular to each other. b-f and M u-d ) can be performed.

[0097] The above stages are linear moving mechanisms capable of moving a microscopic distance, and may be capable of moving a distance on the order of millimeters (mm) or micrometers (㎛).

[0098] Each of the single-axis stages (134 and 135) has a structure in which two upper stages (1342a and 1352a) and a lower stage (1342b and 1352b) are combined. In the case of the upper stages (1342a and 1352a), a cylinder member (1341 and 1351) is connected to one side so that the lower stages (1342b and 1352b) move by a predetermined stroke due to the movement of the cylinder member. The cylinder members (1341 and 1351) are connected to a driving unit (not shown) and can move according to the operation of the driving unit. In addition, the cylinder members (1341 and 1351) may have a built-in mechanical conversion mechanism (not shown) that converts rotational motion into linear motion, for example, by a ball screw-ball nut combination. Accordingly, the rotational motion of the driving unit can be transmitted and converted into the linear motion of the cylinder members (1341 and 1351). In addition, other conversion mechanisms may also be employed in the single-axis stages (134 and 135), and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The single-axis stages (134 and 135) are set so that when a rotational motion of a certain angle is transmitted by the driving unit, the forward and backward movement of the cylinder members (1341 and 1351) can be precisely controlled. Therefore, the cylinder members (1341 and 1351) can be moved by a very small amount of stroke (for example, in units of several millimeters) that is difficult for an operator to control.

[0099] The above moving mechanism is directly supported on the support member (110) and moves the fixed member (133) itself to which the displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) are fixed in parallel, but has a configuration that allows movement in two orthogonal axes as described above, so that the displacement measuring device (131) and the position controller (132) can be easily positioned so that their ends face the ends of the shim plate while maintaining them parallel to the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the shim plate. In addition, since the moving mechanism can also adjust a fine distance, there is an advantage in that the zero point of the displacement measuring device can be precisely adjusted before measuring the offset of the shim plate.

[0100] Meanwhile, the displacement measuring device (131) can be applied without particular limitation as long as it can measure the offset of the shim plate. Specifically, the displacement measuring device (131) can be applied as a dial gauge, an eddy current displacement sensor, an optical displacement sensor, a linear proximity sensor, or a magnetoresistive displacement sensor. As an example of the optical displacement sensor, a laser displacement sensor can be used. The laser displacement sensor has a projector that irradiates a laser and a receiver that receives the reflected light. The projector irradiates a laser to the surface of the coating roll, receives the reflected light, and simultaneously measures the angle of the reflected light with a camera, thereby allowing the distance (displacement) from the displacement sensor to the surface of the coating roll to be measured in a non-contact manner.

[0101] As an example, the displacement measuring device (131) may be a dial gauge. Since the dial gauge facilitates position adjustment with a position controller when applied, the movement of the shim plate according to the measured offset value can be made more precise.

[0102] In addition, the position controller (132) may have a structure capable of moving the end of the shim plate in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the shim plate at the micrometer (㎛) level.

[0103] As an example, the position controller (132) may include a sleeve (1324) having a mother member provided in a circumferential direction, a thimble (1323) that rotates on the sleeve and has a son member provided in a rotational direction, a spindle (1322) inserted into the inside of the sleeve to perform a reciprocating linear motion, and a ratchet stop (1321) inserted into the end of the thimble to implement a linear motion of the spindle through a rotational motion and to keep the pressure applied to the end of the shim plate constant.

[0104] Here, the sleeve (1324) may have an internal female screw structure. Accordingly, the sleeve (1324) may be fastened to one side of a spindle (1322) having a high-precision, small-pitch male screw structure. In addition, a thimble (1323) may be mounted on the other side of the spindle (1322) to which the sleeve is fastened, so that the thimble (1323) may have a structure in which it overlaps on the outer end of the sleeve (1324). The spindle (1322) may perform a linear movement in the axial direction by the rotation of the thimble (1323).

[0105] In addition, the sleeve (1324) may be provided with a mother element in millimeters (mm) in the circumferential direction, and the cymbals (1323) may be provided with a son element in micrometers (㎛) in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, the position controller may be capable of adjusting the linear movement distance in micrometers (㎛) units.

[0106] In addition, the spindle (1322) can be fixed by a clamp (not shown) that is fastened through a through hole penetrating the outer surface of the sleeve and presses the surface.

[0107] Furthermore, the spindle (1325) may be coupled with a ratchet stop (1321) protruding outward from the end of the thimble (1323). The position adjuster (132) may move the shim plate by pressing the end of the shim plate using the spindle (1322). However, the movement of the shim plate may be stopped due to the structure of the lower die block. In this case, a high pressure may be applied to the shim plate whose movement has been stopped momentarily, and the ratchet stop (1321) performs a function of preventing the pressure applied to the end of the shim plate from significantly increasing by idling when a force exceeding a predetermined pressure is applied to the spindle.

[0108] In addition, the spindle (1322) applies force by coming into contact with the end of the shim plate when adjusting the position of the shim plate. At this time, a pressure member (1325) may be provided at the end to increase the efficiency of the force applied to the end of the shim plate.

[0109] The above-mentioned pressing member (1325) is not particularly limited as long as it can pressurize the end of the shim plate, but may be made of a material having a hardness equal to or similar to that of the shim plate so that sufficient pressure can be applied to the end of the shim plate when pressing.

[0110] In addition, the shape of the surface that comes into contact with the end of the shim plate may satisfy a predetermined condition so that pressure can be effectively applied to the end of the shim plate. Specifically, the surface that comes into contact with the end of the shim plate may have a rectangular shape with a major axis and a minor axis that is relatively shorter than the major axis, and the major axis of the rectangular shape may be mounted on the spindle (1322) so that it matches the width direction of the shim plate.

[0111] At this time, the pressure member (1325) may have a surface in contact with the end of the shim plate in an oval, rectangular, or a combination thereof shape.

[0112] As an example, the pressing member (1325) may have a rectangular shape in which a semicircle is combined with a short axis of a rectangle, as shown in Fig. 7. In this case, the pressing member (1325) may be arranged so that the long axis is parallel to the end of the shim plate when the shim plate moves, and thus the contact area with the end of the shim plate increases, so that the force of the pressing member can be applied to the end of the shim plate more efficiently.

[0113] The present invention allows the shim plate to be moved more easily even when less force is applied to the shim plate end by adjusting the shape of the surface where the pressure member (1325) comes into contact with the shim plate end as described above.

[0114] Furthermore, the spindle (1322) may be provided with a magnetic member (not shown) at the end that comes into contact with the shim plate. Here, the magnetic member is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having magnetism, but specifically, it may be a permanent magnet. In addition, the magnetic member may be provided at the end of the spindle (1322), and when a pressure member (1325) is provided at the end of the spindle (1322), the magnetic member may be mounted at the end of the pressure member (1325) or the pressure member (1325) itself may be made of a permanent magnet and function as a magnetic member.

[0115]

[0116] The position adjustment device according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, so that the position of the shim plate can be precisely and easily adjusted to the micrometer level during the assembly process of the slot die coater, and thus has excellent workability and productivity.

[0117]

[0118] How to adjust the position of the shim plate

[0119] In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention,

[0120] A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate of a slot die coater using a position adjusting device of a shim plate according to the present invention described above,

[0121] Step (S1) of attaching the shim position adjustment device to the front outer side of the lower die block on which the shim plate is placed;

[0122] Step (S2) of positioning the displacement measuring end of the attached position adjusting device so as to face the shim plate end;

[0123] A step (S3) of measuring the offset of the outer end reference shim plate of the lower die block using the positioned displacement measuring device;

[0124] A step (S4) of adjusting the position of the shim plate along the longitudinal direction of the shim plate according to the offset value measured using a position controller, and

[0125] A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate is provided, including a step (S5) of assembling a slot die coater by placing and fixing an upper die block on a shim plate whose position is adjusted.

[0126]

[0127] The method for adjusting the position of a shim plate according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the “position adjusting method”) refers to a method for adjusting the position of a shim plate placed on a die block during a slot die coater assembly process using the position adjusting device of the present invention described above.

[0128] The above position adjustment method has the characteristics of excellent workability and productivity because it can adjust the position of the shim plate more precisely and easily in the process of assembling the slot die coater using the position adjustment device of the present invention.

[0129] In the present invention, the shim plate can be positioned in two ways. Specifically, the shim plate can be aligned so that its end is positioned in the same line as the outer edge of the lower die block, or can be positioned so that it is positioned on the inner side of the lower die block.

[0130] Referring to Figure 8, the shim plate whose position is adjusted according to the present invention is as shown in (a) at the outer end position (S) of the lower die block and the shim plate end position (L). M ) may be positioned on the same line, in which case the offset of the shim plate may be "0". In addition, the shim plate may be positioned with the end of the shim plate (L) located on the inside of the lower die block as in (b). M ) so that the offset of the shim plate can have a negative (-) value relative to the outer end (S) of the lower die block. The offset of the shim plate affects the loading amount, etc. when applying the electrode slurry, and thus can be appropriately selected according to the specifications of the electrode to be manufactured. In order to adjust the position of the shim plate to the offset (or shim plate position) selected / preset according to the electrode specifications, the position adjustment method of the present invention can satisfy a predetermined condition at each step.

[0131] Hereinafter, the method for adjusting the position of the shim plate of the present invention will be described in more detail for each step.

[0132] First, the position adjustment method includes a step (S1) of attaching a position adjustment device to the front outer side of a lower die block on which a shim plate is arranged.

[0133] This step (S1) refers to a process of attaching the position adjustment device to the front outer side of the lower die block on which the shim plate is placed to fix the device so that it does not shake.

[0134] Here, the "front outer side of the lower die block" refers to the outer side of the lower die block where a slot is provided by the shim plate. Specifically, the position at which the position adjustment device is attached may be an area adjacent to the end of the shim plate arranged in the lower die block, for example, the front outer upper side of the lower die block where the end of the shim plate is located, in order to easily adjust the position of the shim plate.

[0135] In addition, the offset of the shim plate is measured along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the shim plate. Therefore, the displacement measuring device and the position controller of the position adjusting device attached in this step (S1) can be positioned so as to be spaced apart from the end of the shim plate by a predetermined distance (e.g., 0.1 mm to 100 mm, 0.1 mm to 50 mm, or 0.1 mm to 20 mm) in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the shim plate.

[0136] Next, the position adjustment method includes a step (S2) of positioning the position adjustment end of the attached position adjustment device so that it faces the shim plate end.

[0137] The position adjustment device attached to the front outer side of the lower die block is positioned adjacent to the end of the shim plate, but the positions of the displacement measuring device and the position controller of the device are not fixed, so it is difficult to precisely move the position of the shim plate to the micrometer (㎛) level. Accordingly, this step (S2) refers to a process of adjusting the positions of the displacement measuring device and the position controller of the position adjustment device using a moving mechanism included in the position adjustment device and fixing the adjusted positions.

[0138] Specifically, the present step (S2) may include a step (S2-1) of moving the position of the end of the displacement measuring device in at least one of the width direction and the height direction of the lower die block so that the end of the shim plate and the end of the displacement measuring device face each other; and a step (S2-2) of fixing the position of the moved displacement measuring device.

[0139] The step (S2-1) of moving the end position of the displacement measuring device is such that, in order to measure the offset of the shim plate in the previous step (S1), the end positions of the displacement measuring device and the position controller of the position adjusting device are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the shim plate based on the front outer end of the lower die block. Therefore, in this step (S2), the end positions of the displacement measuring device and the position controller can be adjusted in the width direction (y-axis direction) and height direction (z-axis direction) of the lower die block.

[0140] More specifically, the position adjustment device can simultaneously move each end of the displacement measuring device and the position controller in the height direction (z-axis direction) of the lower die block and / or in the width direction (y-axis direction) by using a moving mechanism provided between a fixing member and a support member that fixes the displacement measuring device and the position controller.

[0141] In addition, the step (S2-2) of fixing the position of the moved displacement measuring device can fix the moved displacement measuring device so that it faces the end of the shim plate, thereby preventing the zero point from shaking when measuring the offset of the shim plate.

[0142] Furthermore, since the displacement measuring device is fixed side by side along the width direction (y-axis direction) of the lower die block so as to be parallel to the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the position controller and the shim plate by the fixing member of the position adjusting device, the present step (S2) can be performed simultaneously with the position movement and fixation of the displacement measuring device and the position controller. In addition, the displacement measuring device and the position controller, whose positions are moved and fixed, can have their respective ends spaced apart from the front outer end of the lower die block by the same distance. That is, the ends of the displacement measuring device and the ends of the position controller can be spaced apart from the end of the shim plate by the same distance. Accordingly, the position controller can be precisely operated according to the offset of the shim plate measured by the displacement measuring device.

[0143] Next, the position adjustment method includes a step (S3) of measuring the offset of the shim plate.

[0144] This step (S3) can measure the offset of the shim plate before position adjustment by taking the position of the movable and fixed displacement measuring device as the zero point, i) first measuring the distance (L1) to the front outer end of the lower die block, ii) then measuring the distance (L2) to the end of the shim plate, and iii) calculating the deviation (L1-L2) between them. Accordingly, the offset of the shim plate can indicate a positive (+) value when the shim plate protrudes to the front outer side of the lower die block, and can indicate a negative (-) value when the end of the shim plate is positioned on the inside of the lower die block.

[0145] Next, the position adjustment method includes a step (S4) of adjusting the position of the shim plate according to the offset value measured using the position adjuster.

[0146] This step (S4) refers to a step of comparing the offset value of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3) with the preset position and / or offset of the shim plate, and adjusting the position of the shim plate to satisfy the preset position and / or offset of the shim plate when a deviation exists.

[0147] Here, the offset of the preset shim plate may be a value recalculated based on the distance (L1) from the zero point of the previously measured displacement measuring device to the front outer end of the lower die block so as to have the same reference as the offset of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3).

[0148] To this end, this step (S4) can be performed by bringing the end of the position controller into contact with the end of the shim plate and then applying force to the end of the shim plate with the position controller along the longitudinal direction of the lower die block.

[0149] At this time, the force applied to the end of the shim plate by the position controller may have different directionality depending on the preset position and / or offset of the shim plate and the offset of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3).

[0150] As an example, the force is applied to the end position (L) of the preset shim plate as shown in (a) of Fig. 9. pd ) is the end position (L) of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3). M ) may be a force pushing inward of the lower die block along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the shim plate when it exists relatively inside the lower die block.

[0151] As another example, the force is applied to the end position (L) of the preset shim plate as shown in (b) of Fig. 9. pd ) is the end position (L) of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3). M ) may be a force pulling outward from the lower die block.

[0152] Furthermore, the position controller is configured to set the end position (L) of the preset shim plate. pd ) and / or offset; the end position (L) of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3) M ) and / or the operating position may be slightly different depending on the offset value. Accordingly, the position controller may change position before contacting the end of the shim plate.

[0153] Specifically, the end position of the preset shim plate (L pd ) is adjusted to be positioned on the inner side of the front outer end (S) of the lower die block, the end of the position adjuster faces the end of the shim plate as shown in Fig. 9, and the position in the height direction (z-axis direction) of the lower die block can be adjusted so that the lower end of the position adjuster is on the lower die block.

[0154] However, the end position of the preset shim plate (L pd ) is aligned so that it is in the same line as the front outer end (S) of the lower die block, the end position (L) of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3) M ) and / or the position of the position controller end can be adjusted along the height direction (z-axis direction) of the lower die block depending on the offset value.

[0155] As an example, the end position of the preset shim plate (L pd ) is aligned so that it is in the same line as the front outer end (S) of the lower die block, the end position (L) of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3) pd ) is located 'inside' with respect to the front outer end (S) of the lower die block, the end of the position adjuster faces the end of the shim plate as shown in (a) of Fig. 10, but the position in the height direction (z-axis direction) of the lower die block can be adjusted so that the lower end of the position adjuster is on the lower die block.

[0156] As another example, the end position of the preset shim plate (L pd ) is aligned so that it is in the same line as the front outer end (S) of the lower die block, the end position (L) of the shim plate measured in the previous step (S3) pd ) is located 'outside' of the front outer end (S) of the lower die block, the position of the lower die block in the height direction (z-axis direction) can be lowered so that the boundary between the shim plate and the lower die block is located at the center of the end of the position adjuster, and then the end of the position adjuster and the end of the shim plate can be brought into contact.

[0157] Symplate end (L) M ) is aligned on the same line as the outer end (S) of the lower die block, both of the above-described two examples can be adjusted, but the latter may be more preferable in terms of convenience of operation. To this end, the position adjustment method according to the present invention may perform a step (S0) of arranging the end of the shim plate to protrude outside the lower slot die before adjusting the position of the shim plate, specifically, before the step (S1) of attaching the shim position adjustment device.

[0158] Meanwhile, in this step (S4), if the force applied to the end of the shim plate by the position controller is a force that pulls the lower die block outward, in order to move the shim plate to a preset position, the end of the position controller and the shim plate must remain in contact when the force is applied. To this end, the present invention may include a magnetic member at the end of the position controller that comes into contact with the end of the shim plate, and correspondingly, the shim plate may be formed of a material that has ferromagnetism under magnetic field conditions.

[0159] As an example, the position adjuster may be equipped with a permanent magnet at an end thereof, and the shim plate may be formed of a metal material including at least one of iron, cobalt, and nickel (e.g., iron, nickel, cobalt, iron oxide (Fe2O3, Fe3O4, etc.), ferrite, etc.). The present invention can appropriately implement the attractive force between the position adjuster and the shim plate by providing a magnetic member at the end of the position adjuster and adjusting the components of the shim plate as described above, so that the shim plate can be easily moved when a pulling force toward the outside of the lower die block is applied to the end of the shim plate.

[0160] Finally, the position adjustment method includes a step (S5) of assembling the slot die coater by placing and fixing the upper die block on the position-adjusted shim plate.

[0161] This step (S5) refers to the process of completing the assembly of the slot die coater by fixing a shim plate whose position is adjusted to have a preset position or offset to a lower die block and placing and fixing an upper die block on the shim plate.

[0162]

[0163] The method for adjusting the position of a shim plate according to the present invention can precisely adjust the position of the shim plate at the micrometer (㎛) level during the assembly process of a slot die coater using the shim plate position adjusting device of the present invention, and has the characteristics of excellent workability and productivity. In addition, the slot die coater assembled by applying the above position adjusting method has the advantage of being able to manufacture a lithium secondary battery electrode with high reliability in terms of the loading amount of electrode slurry, etc., since the offset of the shim plate is precisely adjusted.

[0164]

[0165] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art or having ordinary knowledge in the art that various modifications and changes to the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and technical scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims to be described below.

[0166] Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the patent claims.

Claims

1. A device for adjusting the position of a shim plate that is placed between the upper die block and the lower die block of a slot die coater to form a slot. Absence of support, An attachment portion supported on one side of the above support member and attached to the lower die block, and A support member having the attachment part provided thereon includes a shim adjustment part for adjusting the position of the shim plate; The above heart control unit is, A displacement measuring device for measuring the offset of the shim plate from the front outer side of the lower die block where the slot is located, and A position adjustment device for a shim plate, including a position controller that adjusts the position of the shim plate by performing a linear reciprocating motion in the longitudinal direction of the shim plate according to the offset value measured by the displacement measuring device.

2. In paragraph 1, The displacement measuring device and position controller are positioned side by side along the width direction of the lower die block, and the position control device of the shim plate is positioned so as to be parallel to the length direction of the shim plate.

3. In paragraph 1, The above heart control unit is, A fixed frame including a through hole into which the displacement measuring device and the position controller are respectively inserted and a cut groove located on the upper portion of the through hole; a fixed member including a fixing screw that is fastened to the cut groove and fixes the displacement measuring device and the position controller inserted into the through hole; and A position adjustment device of a shim plate, which is located between the support member and the fixing member and includes a moving mechanism that induces a linear reciprocating movement of the fixing member in at least one of the width direction and the height direction of the lower die block.

4. In paragraph 3, The above moving mechanism is a two-axis stage; or a positioning device of a shim plate which is two one-axis stages assembled to reciprocate in a straight line in a direction perpendicular to each other.

5. In paragraph 1, The above position controller, Sleeves with a mother of pearl in the circumferential direction, A thimble that rotates on the sleeve and has a son in the direction of rotation, A spindle inserted into the inside of the sleeve and performing a reciprocating linear motion, and A position adjustment device for a shim plate, including a ratchet stop inserted into the end of the shim plate to realize linear motion of the spindle through rotational motion and to keep the pressure applied to the end of the shim plate constant.

6. In paragraph 5, The above position controller includes a pressing member that applies force to the end of the shim plate at the end of the spindle, The above-mentioned pressure member is a position adjustment device of a shim plate having a rectangular shape with a long axis and a short axis on a surface that comes into contact with the end of the shim plate.

7. In paragraph 5, The above position controller is a position control device of a shim plate having a magnetic member at the end of a spindle that comes into contact with the shim plate.

8. In paragraph 1, The above displacement measuring device is a position adjusting device of a shim plate including a dial gauge, an eddy current displacement sensor, an optical displacement sensor, a linear proximity sensor or a magnetoresistive displacement sensor.

9. In paragraph 1, The above attachment part is a position adjustment device of a shim plate having a magnetic member having a structure corresponding to the front outer side of the lower die block.

10. A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate for a slot die coater using a position adjusting device of a shim plate according to Article 1, Step (S1) of attaching the shim position adjustment device to the front outer side of the lower die block on which the shim plate is placed; Step (S2) of positioning the displacement measuring end of the attached position adjusting device so as to face the shim plate end; A step (S3) of measuring the offset of the outer end reference shim plate of the lower die block using the positioned displacement measuring device; A step (S4) of adjusting the position of the shim plate along the longitudinal direction of the shim plate according to the offset value measured using a position controller, and A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate, comprising a step (S5) of assembling a slot die coater by placing and fixing an upper die block on a shim plate whose position is adjusted.

11. In paragraph 10, The above shim plate, whose position is adjusted, The above shim plate end is aligned so as to be in the same line as the outer end of the lower die block, or A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate, characterized in that the shim plate end is adjusted to be located on the inside of the lower die block.

12. In paragraph 11, A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate, further comprising a step (S0) of arranging the end of the shim plate so that it protrudes outward from the lower slot die before the step (S1) of attaching the shim position adjusting device, when the end of the shim plate is aligned so as to be positioned on the same line as the outer end of the lower die block.

13. In paragraph 10, Step (S2) of positioning the displacement measuring device end of the above positioning device so that it faces the shim plate end, A step (S2-1) of moving the displacement measuring device in at least one of the width direction and height direction of the lower die block so that the end of the shim plate and the end of the displacement measuring device are opposite each other; and A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate, including a step (S2-2) of fixing the position of a moved displacement measuring device.

14. In paragraph 10, A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate, wherein the step (S4) of adjusting the position of the shim plate is performed by bringing the end of the position adjuster into contact with the end of the shim plate, and then applying force to the end of the shim plate with the position adjuster along the longitudinal direction of the shim plate.

15. In paragraph 14, The step (S4) of adjusting the position of the shim plate is a method for adjusting the position of the shim plate by contacting the end of the position adjuster and the end of the shim plate so that the boundary between the shim plate and the lower die block is located at the center of the end of the position adjuster when the end of the shim plate is aligned so that the end of the shim plate is located on the same line as the outer end of the lower die block.

16. In paragraph 10, A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate, characterized in that the position controller is provided with a magnetic member at an end that comes into contact with an end of the shim plate.

17. In paragraph 10, A method for adjusting the position of a shim plate, wherein the shim plate is made of a metal material including at least one of iron, cobalt, and nickel.

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