Chute for supplying powder

Abstract

A chute for supplying powder in a secondary battery manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a main body including an inlet through which the powder is introduced, an outlet through which the powder is discharged, and a base plate formed therebetween; and a plurality of heating lines formed in the main body, wherein each heating line includes a first portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body, a second portion extending parallel to the outlet, and a third portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body and spaced apart from the first portion.

Description

Powder supply chute

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

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0069321, filed May 28, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to a chute for supplying powder, and more specifically, to a chute for supplying powder while uniformly heating or keeping it warm in a secondary battery manufacturing process.

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

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

[0006] These lithium secondary batteries primarily use lithium oxide and carbon materials as the positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively. Lithium secondary batteries comprise an electrode assembly comprising positive and negative plates coated with the positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively, with a separator interposed between them, and an outer case, i.e., a battery case, that seals and encloses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0007] In general, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into can-type secondary batteries in which the electrode assembly is built into a metal can and pouch-type secondary batteries in which the electrode assembly is built into a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the outer packaging material.

[0008] The manufacturing process for these lithium secondary batteries is broadly divided into three stages: the electrode process, the assembly process, and the formation process. The electrode process is further subdivided into the active material mixing process, the electrode coating process, the rolling process, the slitting process, and the winding process. Among these, the active material mixing process involves selectively mixing conductive materials, organic binder polymers, and additives into the electrode active material to obtain a mixture, as needed.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a powder supply chute according to the prior art. Fig. 2 illustrates an example (comparative example) of the powder supply chute according to the prior art of Fig. 1.

[0010] Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional chute (10) includes a main body (20) and a plurality of heating lines (30). The main body (20) includes an inlet (21) through which powder is introduced, a base plate (22) through which powder moves, and a discharge portion (23) through which powder is discharged. A plurality of heating lines (30; 30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n; where n is a natural number) are provided in the main body (20).

[0011] The powder introduced into the inlet (21) moves along the base plate (22) and is discharged from the discharge portion (23). The powder moves along the longitudinal direction of the base plate (22), and for convenience, the direction of movement of the powder is indicated as “F”. The discharge portion (23) is formed diagonally based on the longitudinal direction of the base plate (22) of the main body (20). In other words, the discharge portion (23) is formed diagonally based on the width direction (direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction) of the base plate (22) of the main body (20).

[0012] A plurality of heating lines (30; 30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n) have a structure in which they start from the inlet (21), are arranged along the base plate (22), change direction near the discharge portion (23), are arranged again along the base plate (22), and end at the inlet portion (21). The plurality of heating lines (30; 30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n) are formed, for example, in a U shape, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

[0013] Meanwhile, in the suit (10) according to the prior art, a plurality of heating lines (30; 30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n) are arranged in a row along the width direction of the base plate (22) of the main body (20).

[0014] In the suit (10) according to this prior art, the discharge part (23) and / or the vicinity (area indicated by a dotted line, P out-con There is concern that the temperature deviation of the powder may be large (see reference).

[0015] For example, there may be a large difference in the temperature of the powder moving along the path (F1) passing through the heating line (30-1), the path (F3) passing through the heating line (30-2), and the path (F5) passing through the heating line (30-3) and the temperature of the paths (F2, F4) that do not pass through the heating line (30). In addition, when a plurality of heating lines (30; 30-1, 30-2, 30-3) are each heated to different temperatures, there may be a large difference in the temperature of the powder between the path (F1) passing through the heating line (30-1), the path (F3) passing through the heating line (30-2), and the path (F5) passing through the heating line (30-3).

[0016] There is a need to solve the temperature deviation (temperature unevenness problem) of the powder discharged from the discharge portion (23) of the suit (10) according to the prior art.

[0017] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a chute that supplies powder while uniformly heating or keeping it warm in a secondary battery manufacturing process.

[0018] However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the problems described above and can be expanded in various ways within the scope of the technical ideas included in the present invention.

[0019] A chute for supplying powder in a secondary battery manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a main body including an inlet portion into which the powder is introduced, an outlet portion through which the powder is discharged, and a base plate formed therebetween; and a plurality of heating lines formed in the main body, each heating line including a first portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body, a second portion extending parallel to the outlet portion, and a third portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body and spaced apart from the first portion.

[0020] The second portion of each of the plurality of heating lines may be arranged parallel to the discharge portion, but sequentially away from the discharge portion.

[0021] One of the neighboring heating lines may have a structure that surrounds the other heating line.

[0022] The heating line located at the most center can be surrounded by neighboring heating lines, which can be surrounded sequentially by the next neighboring heating lines, and the outermost heating line can surround the heating line located inside.

[0023] The first portion of the outermost heating line may start at or near one end of the inlet, and the third portion of the outermost heating line may end at or near the other end of the inlet.

[0024] The heating line located at the most central position may have a structure including the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion, or may have a linear structure having only the first portion excluding the second portion and the third portion.

[0025] The first portion may extend in the longitudinal direction of the main body from the inlet portion toward the outlet portion, the second portion may change direction from the first portion and extend parallel to the outlet portion, and the third portion may change direction from the second portion and extend in the longitudinal direction of the main body toward the inlet portion.

[0026] The above discharge portion may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.

[0027] The above discharge portion is formed diagonally based on the longitudinal direction of the main body, and the intersection angle of the extension line of the first part of the heating line and the extension line of the second part can form an acute angle.

[0028] The above heating line may include a fourth portion formed of a triangular plane structure inside the point where the first portion and the second portion of the heating line meet.

[0029] The point where the first part and the second part of the heating line meet may have a round shape or a chamfered shape, and the point where the second part and the third part of the heating line meet may have a round shape or a chamfered shape.

[0030] Each of the plurality of heating lines may be formed integrally by connecting the first part, the second part, and the third part to each other.

[0031] The first portions of each of the plurality of heating lines may be parallel to each other, the second portions of each of the plurality of heating lines may be parallel to each other, and the third portions of each of the plurality of heating lines may be parallel to each other.

[0032] The above multiple heating lines can be individually temperature controlled.

[0033] At least some of the above plurality of heating lines can be heated to a lower temperature from the outermost heating line toward the central heating line.

[0034] The above heating line may be a heating wire.

[0035] The above powder may be an electrode active material powder supplied on a current collector.

[0036] According to the present invention, the powder can be heated and / or kept evenly and uniformly throughout the entire suit, and the precision of temperature control of each of the plurality of heating lines is increased.

[0037] In addition, by providing a uniform temperature of the electrode active material powder provided on the current collector in the suit, the quality of the electrode sheet produced accordingly can be improved.

[0038] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0039] Figure 1 illustrates a powder supply chute according to the prior art.

[0040] Figure 2 illustrates an example (comparative example) of a powder supply chute according to the prior art of Figure 1.

[0041] Figure 3 illustrates a conceptual diagram of a powder supply chute according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Fig. 4 is a reference drawing regarding the heating line of Fig. 3.

[0043] Figure 5 is another reference drawing regarding the heating line of Figure 3.

[0044] Figure 6 illustrates one embodiment of the powder supply chute of Figure 3.

[0045] Figure 7 shows the temperature of the suit surface (surface of the base plate) in each of the embodiment of Figure 6 (Embodiment 1) and the comparative example of Figure 2 as a graph.

[0046] FIG. 8 schematically illustrates a case in which electrode active material powder is supplied onto a current collector using a suit according to an embodiment of the present invention described above in FIGS. 3 to 7.

[0047] FIG. 9 is another embodiment of the present invention, showing a modified embodiment of the powder supply chute of FIG. 6.

[0048] FIG. 10 is another embodiment of the present invention, showing a modified example of the discharge section of the powder supply chute of FIG. 3.

[0049] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0050] In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0051] Furthermore, the sizes and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of explanation, and thus the present invention is not necessarily limited to the illustrated components. In the drawings, the thicknesses are enlarged to clearly represent various layers and regions. Furthermore, in the drawings, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for convenience of explanation.

[0052] Furthermore, when we say that a layer, membrane, region, plate, or other part is "on" or "over" another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly on" the other part, but also cases where there are other parts in between. Conversely, when we say that a part is "directly on" another part, it means that there are no other parts in between. Furthermore, saying that a part is "on" or "over" a reference part means that it is located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean that it is located "above" or "over" the direction opposite to gravity.

[0053] Additionally, throughout the specification, whenever a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0054] Additionally, throughout the specification, when we say "in plan", we mean when the target portion is viewed from above, and when we say "in cross section", we mean when the target portion is viewed from the side in a cross-section cut vertically.

[0055] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a powder supply chute according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a reference diagram regarding the heating line of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is another reference diagram regarding the heating line of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the powder supply chute of FIG. 3.

[0057] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, a chute (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body (110) and a plurality of heating lines (120). The main body (110) includes an inlet (111) into which powder is introduced, a base plate (112) through which powder moves, and a discharge portion (113) through which powder is discharged. The inlet (111) and the discharge portion (113) are separated by a base plate (112), and powder introduced into the inlet (111) moves along the base plate (112) and is discharged from the discharge portion (113). Both sides of the base plate (112) (the portion between the inlet (111) and the discharge portion (113)) may include a blocking plate protruding upward from the base plate (112) to prevent powder from leaking out. Accordingly, the powder is prevented from falling out from both sides of the base plate (112) other than the discharge portion (113).

[0058] The powder moves along the longitudinal direction of the base plate (112), and for convenience, the direction of movement of the powder is indicated as “F”. For example, one end of the base plate (112) may become an inlet (111) and the other end of the base plate (112) may become an outlet (113).

[0059] Meanwhile, the discharge portion (113) may be formed diagonally, for example, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the base plate (112) of the main body (110). (In other words, the discharge portion (113) may be formed diagonally with respect to the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the base plate (112) of the main body (110).) However, the present invention is not limited to that illustrated in FIG. 3, and various modifications and changes are possible, such as the discharge portion (113) and the base plate (112) being formed at a right angle between both sides (see FIG. 10).

[0060] A plurality of heating lines (120; 120-1, 120-2, ..., 120-n; where n is a natural number) are provided in the main body (110). FIG. 6 illustrates a case where four heating lines (120) are provided, for example, and n=4, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be variously modified depending on the environment in which the present invention is implemented.

[0061] First, referring to FIG. 3, in a suit (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention, each of a plurality of heating lines (120) is arranged parallel to the discharge portion (113), and each of the plurality of heating lines (120) is arranged sequentially in an order of increasing distance from the discharge portion (113).

[0062] Fig. 4 is a reference drawing of Fig. 3, and illustrates any one of the plurality of heating lines (120) of Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 4, each of the plurality of heating lines (120) includes a first portion (121) extending in the longitudinal direction of the base plate (111) of the main body (110), a second portion (122) extending parallel to the discharge portion (113), and a third portion (123) extending again in the longitudinal direction of the base plate (111). The first portion (121) and the third portion (123) are spaced apart from each other. The first portion (121), the second portion (122), and the third portion (123) of the heating line (120) may be connected to each other and formed integrally. In addition, the point where the first part (121) and the third part (123) meet may form an intersection angle (e.g., an acute angle) as shown in FIG. 3, but may also be chamfered (not shown) or rounded (see FIG. 6). In some cases, as described later in the modified example of FIG. 9, when the extension line of the first part (121) and the extension line of the third part (123) intersect to form an acute angle, the point may have a planar structure of a triangle (e.g., a right triangle) to reduce the blind spot inside the point where the first part (121) and the third part (123) meet (see FIG. 9).

[0063] Likewise, the point where the second part (122) and the third part (123) meet may form an intersection angle (e.g., an obtuse angle) (see FIG. 3), but may also be chamfered (not shown) or rounded (see FIG. 6). In addition, although not illustrated in the present invention, in some cases, if a blind spot is formed at the point where the second part (122) and the third part (123) meet, an additional structure may be provided to reduce this blind spot.

[0064] In addition, when the discharge portion (113) is not formed diagonally, but is perpendicular to the side of the base plate (112), for example, the intersection angle at the point where the first part (121) and the third part (123) meet and the intersection angle at the point where the second part (122) and the third part (123) meet may each be perpendicular, and various modifications and changes are possible.

[0065] The first part (121) of the heating line (120) starts from the inlet (111) and is arranged along the base plate (112). The second part (122) of the heating line (120) changes direction and is arranged parallel to the discharge part (113). The third part (123) of the heating line (120) has a structure in which the direction is changed again and is arranged along the base plate (112) again and ends at the inlet (111).

[0066] Each of these heating lines (120) can be formed, for example, in a roughly U-shaped or recurved structure as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0067] At this time, the discharge part (113) of Fig. 3 and / or the vicinity (area indicated by dotted line, P out In the reference), the second part (122) of the heating line (120) is arranged parallel to the discharge portion (113) (i.e., parallel to the edge line of the discharge portion (113)).

[0068] Accordingly, the discharge portion (113) and / or vicinity (P out) the temperature deviation of the powder is reduced, and the temperature uniformity of the powder can be realized. In detail, since all of the paths (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) in FIG. 3 pass through at least one heating line (120; the outermost heating line) among the plurality of heating lines (120), the temperature of the powder discharged from the discharge portion (113) can be uniformized, unlike the case of FIG. 1 in the prior art. That is, the temperature deviation between the powders passing through each of the paths (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) in FIG. 3 can be significantly reduced.

[0069] Meanwhile, in the example of Fig. 3, P out Although the present invention is not limited to this, a case where one heating line (120-1) passes through the area of ​​the plurality of heating lines (120) is illustrated, and a second part (122) of some of the heating lines (120) is additionally P out It can be arranged parallel to the discharge portion (113) in the area (i.e. parallel to the edge line of the discharge portion (113).

[0070] In a suit (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of heating lines (120) have a structure in which one heating line (120) among neighboring heating lines (120) surrounds another heating line (120) among neighboring heating lines (120). The heating line (120) located at the most central position is sequentially arranged in such a manner that it is surrounded by the neighboring heating line (120) and is again surrounded by the next neighboring heating line (120), so that the outermost heating line (120) surrounds all of the heating lines (120) located inside the outermost heating line (120).

[0071] Conversely, the description based on the outermost heating line (120) is as follows. The outermost heating line (120) is referred to as the first heating line (120-1). First, the first heating line (120-1) starts from one end of the inlet (111) or its vicinity and is arranged along one end of the outermost side of the base plate (112) or its vicinity (see the first part (121)). Next, the first heating line (120-1) changes direction and is arranged parallel to the discharge part (113) or its vicinity (see the second part (122)). Next, the first heating line (120-1) changes direction and is again arranged along the other side of the outermost surface of the base plate (112) or its vicinity, and has a structure that ends at the other end of the inlet portion (111) or its vicinity (see the third part (123)).

[0072] The second heating line (120-2) adjacent to the first heating line (120-1) starts from the inlet (111) and is arranged along the base plate (112) like the first heating line (120-1), is arranged parallel to the discharge portion (113), and then is arranged again along the base plate (112) and ends at the inlet portion (111). At this time, the second heating line (120-2) is arranged parallel to and spaced inward from the neighboring first heating line (120-1). That is, the second heating line (120-2) is surrounded by the first heating line (120-1).

[0073] Likewise, a plurality of heating lines (120; 120-1, 120-2, ..., 120-n) are arranged in the manner described above, such that the heating line (120-n) arranged at the most center is surrounded by the remaining heating lines (120). The heating line (120-n) arranged at the most center may have a structure including a first portion (121), a second portion (122), and a third portion (123) like the remaining heating lines (120), or may be provided in a straight shape including only the first portion (121).

[0074] Regarding the above-described structure of the plurality of heating lines (120), in detail, each of the plurality of heating lines (120) is parallel to each other between the first parts (121, see FIG. 4), parallel to each other between the second parts (122, see FIG. 4), and parallel to each other between the third parts (123, see FIG. 4).

[0075] Meanwhile, each of the plurality of heating lines (120) can be controlled to an individual temperature. More specifically, each of the plurality of heating lines (120) can be heated to a different temperature, and in some cases, some or all of them can be heated to the same temperature.

[0076] To elaborate, it is not always the case that all of the plurality of heating lines (120) must be heated to the same temperature to achieve temperature uniformity of the powder. For example, in some cases, if the amount of powder passing over each of the plurality of heating lines (120) is different, the heating line (120) located in the area where more powder passes may need to be heated to a higher temperature. As described above, the temperature of the outermost heating line (120) may need to be heated to a higher temperature than the other heating lines (120). Of course, in some cases, all of the plurality of heating lines (120) may need to be heated to the same temperature. The important point here is that each of the plurality of heating lines (120) can be controlled to an individual temperature.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 5, which is a reference drawing of FIG. 3, any point (P) of the base plate (112) of the suit (100) of FIG. 3 area (Reference) also explains the principle of achieving temperature uniformity of powder.

[0078] Figure 5 (a) is P of Figure 3 area 5 is enlarged and illustrated, and (b) of Fig. 5 is a comparative example of (a) of Fig. 5, and P of Fig. 1 area-conis enlarged and shown. P described below area and P area-con It is emphasized that each of them is not limited to those shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 1, and corresponds to any point of the base plate (112).

[0079] First, referring to (a) of Fig. 5, heating lines (120-1) and heating lines (120-3) are arranged on both sides of the heating line (120-2). That is, P area In the case of different heating lines (120), they become adjacent to each other.

[0080] P area In , heat exchange occurs between the heating line (120-1) and the heating line (120-2) to form an equilibrium temperature, and heat exchange also occurs between the heating line (120-2) and the heating line (120-3) to form an equilibrium temperature. At this time, depending on the process environment or conditions, the heating line (120-1), the heating line (120-2), and the heating line (120-3) may be heated to different temperatures, or some or all of them may be heated to the same temperature.

[0081] Accordingly, even if the temperature changes in any one heating line (120) among the heating line (120-1), heating line (120-2), and heating line (120-3), P area Overall, it can have a generally uniform temperature. Also, P area When viewed from within, the temperatures of the heating line (120-1), heating line (120-2), and heating line (120-3) can be individually controlled, so P area Overall, it is about controlling the temperature more precisely to have a uniform temperature.

[0082] However, referring to (b) of Fig. 5 according to the prior art, P area-conIn , the third part (33) of the heating line (30-1) and the third part (33) of the neighboring heating line (30-2) are respectively arranged on both sides based on the first part (31) of the heating line (30-1). P area-con When viewed from within, the first part (31) of the heating line (30-1) and the third part (33) of the heating line (30-1) have only the same temperature, and the third part (33) of the neighboring heating line (30-2) is controlled to be the same as or different from the temperature of the heating line (30-1), so that the precision of the temperature control becomes lower than that of (a) of FIG. 5 according to the present invention.

[0083] That is, even in the prior art, as in the case of the present invention, even if multiple heating lines are individually controlled, the heating line arrangement in the present invention of Fig. 5(a) can increase the precision of temperature control for temperature uniformity of the powder compared to the heating line arrangement in the prior art of Fig. 5(b).

[0084] Again, in the case of the present invention, as described above in FIG. 3, the discharge portion (113) and / or the vicinity (P) is more than in the case of the prior art. out ) It goes without saying that the temperature deviation of the powder is reduced and that the temperature uniformity of the powder can be achieved.

[0085] There are no particular limitations on the method for implementing the heating line (120) according to the present invention, and any method capable of heating or insulating the suit (100) is sufficient. Each heating line (120) may be implemented in various ways, such as, for example, a heating wire, or a pipe (tube) through which a heating fluid flows.

[0086] FIG. 6 is an example of one embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates a case in which a plurality of heating lines (120) are provided, for example, four.

[0087] In the case of FIG. 6, even if each of the plurality of heating lines (120) is heated to a different temperature, the temperature deviation of the surface of the base plate (112) can be reduced compared to the case of the comparative example of FIG. 2, where each of the plurality of heating lines (30) is heated to a different temperature.

[0088] First, in the embodiment of FIG. 6 (Example 1), the first heating line (120-1) located at the outermost end is located relatively closer to the outside of the suit (100) than the other heating lines (120), resulting in the greatest heat loss. To prevent this, the first heating line (120-1) is heated to the highest temperature among the plurality of heating lines (120). In the example of FIG. 6, the first heating line (120-1) is heated to, for example, 100 degrees Celsius.

[0089] The second heating line (120-2) arranged in the following order can be heated to a lower temperature than the first heating line (120-1). Since the second heating line (120-2) has a structure surrounded by the first heating line (120-1), it is relatively less affected by the external temperature than the first heating line (120-1), and can be implemented in this way when heat loss to the outside is less than that of the first heating line (120-1). In the example of Fig. 6, the second heating line (120-2) is heated to, for example, 90 degrees Celsius.

[0090] Likewise, the third heating line (120-3) arranged in the following order can be heated to a lower temperature than the second heating line (120-2). Since the third heating line (120-3) has a structure surrounded by the second heating line (120-2) and the first heating line (120-1), it is relatively less affected by the external temperature than the second heating line (120-2), and can be implemented in this way when heat loss to the outside is less than that of the second heating line (120-2). In the example of Fig. 6, the third heating line (120-3) is heated to, for example, 80 degrees Celsius.

[0091] The fourth heating line (120-4), located at the most central location, may be heated to a lower temperature than the third heating line (120-3), or in some cases, may be heated to a higher temperature.

[0092] To elaborate, depending on the process environment, there may be cases where the temperature of the fourth heating line (120-4) is set low. For example, when powder is transported on the chute (100), the thickness of the powder moving from the center of the chute (100) along the longitudinal direction of the chute (100) may be much lower than the thickness of the powder moving closer to the outermost edge of the chute (100) along the longitudinal direction of the chute (100). In this case, since the powder thinly piled in the center of the chute (100) is more easily heated than the powder thickly piled on the outer edge of the chute, it is advantageous to set the temperature of the fourth heating line (120-4) low in order to heat the powder to the same temperature throughout.

[0093] However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described, and the temperature of each of the plurality of heating lines (30) can be individually controlled to suit the process environment and conditions in which the present invention is implemented.

[0094] According to the plurality of heating lines (120) according to the present invention of FIG. 6, compared to the prior art, the entire chute (100) can be heated uniformly. In detail, the line AA of FIG. 6 is a line extending parallel to the longitudinal direction (powder movement direction, F) of the chute (100) from the center point in the width direction of the chute (100). On each side of the chute (100) divided by the line AA, a first heating line (120-1), a second heating line (120-2), a third heating line (120-3), and a fourth heating line (120-4) are arranged in this order from the outermost to the center. As described above, each heating line (120) is sequentially heated to a lower temperature as it moves toward the center from the first heating line (120-1), but since heat loss to the outside is relatively reduced as it moves toward the center from the first heating line (120-1), the base plate (112) of the suit (100) is heated uniformly as a whole. Of course, the temperature of the fourth heating line (120-4) located at the most central location can be controlled to a different temperature for other reasons as described above.

[0095] In addition, in some cases, in the beginning of the process, all of the plurality of heating lines (120) are heated to the same temperature, and then, as time passes, if the temperature decreases relatively only near the outermost part of the chute (100), various modifications and changes are possible, such as setting the temperature of only the heating line (120-1) located at the outermost part higher than the other heating lines (120). For reference, in the case of the prior art, even if only the heating line (30-1) is heated, it is not possible to heat evenly along the outermost part of the chute (10).

[0096] Fig. 7 graphically shows the temperature of the suit surface (surface of the base plate) in each of the embodiment (Example 1) of Fig. 6 and the comparative example of Fig. 2. In Fig. 6, points P1, P2, P3, and P4 are each arbitrarily selected points, for example, points divided into four equal parts along the width direction of the suit (100).

[0097] Referring to the graph of Fig. 7, the temperature deviation between positions along the width direction of the chute (100) is significantly reduced not only at the discharge portion (113) but also at the powder passing over the surface of the base plate (112). For reference, in the case of the present invention, the temperature deviation according to position of the powder discharged from the discharge portion (113) is also reduced, as described above in Fig. 3.

[0098] Points P1 and P4 may both be located on the surface of the base plate (112) between the first heating line (120-1) and the second heating line (120-2), or in some cases, may be located on the surface of the base plate (112) above the first heating line (120-1) or the second heating line (120-2). In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the first heating line (120-1) and the second heating line (120-2) are heated to 100 degrees Celsius and 90 degrees Celsius, respectively, so that the surface temperature of the base plate (112) at points P1 and P4 has a temperature of either 90 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Celsius.

[0099] Additionally, points P2 and P3 may both be located on the surface of the base plate (112) between the third heating line (120-3) and the fourth heating line (120-4), or in some cases, may be located on the surface of the base plate (112) above the third heating line (120-3) or the fourth heating line (120-4). In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the third heating line (120-3) and the fourth heating line (120-4) are heated to 80 degrees Celsius and 100 degrees Celsius, respectively, so that the surface temperature of the base plate (112) at points P2 and P3 has any temperature between 80 degrees Celsius and 100 degrees Celsius.

[0100] Meanwhile, the comparative example of FIG. 2 is a case where each of a plurality of heating lines (30) in the suit (10) of FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the prior art is heated to a different temperature. In the comparative example of FIG. 2, the first heating line (30-1) is heated to, for example, 100 degrees Celsius. The second heating line (30-2) is heated to, for example, 90 degrees Celsius. The third heating line (30-3) is heated to, for example, 80 degrees Celsius. In the case of the comparative example of FIG. 2, as shown in the graph of FIG. 7, the deviation between the temperatures of the suit (100) surface (the surface of the base plate (112)) measured at each of P1, P2, P3, and P4 increases.

[0101] In the case of Fig. 6, the maximum temperature deviation is 4.28 degrees Celsius, while in the case of the comparative example of Fig. 2, the maximum temperature deviation is 17.72 degrees Celsius, indicating that the temperature deviation of Example 1 is smaller than that of the comparative example. Accordingly, it can be seen that the temperature of the powder discharged from the discharge portion in the chute (100) according to Example 1 of the present invention can be more uniform than that in the chute (10) of the comparative example according to the prior art.

[0102] FIG. 8 schematically illustrates a case in which electrode active material powder is supplied onto a current collector using a suit according to an embodiment of the present invention described above in FIGS. 3 to 7.

[0103] Referring to Fig. 8, a feeder (200) is positioned above the inlet (111, see Fig. 3) of the chute (100). Electrode active material powder (1) is received inside the feeder (200) and then supplied onto the inlet (111) of the chute (100). The electrode active material powder (1) moves along the movement direction (F) on the base plate (112, see Fig. 3) of the chute (100). At this time, the electrode active material powder (1) is heated and / or kept warm by a plurality of heating lines (120) as described above with reference to Figs. 3 to 7 while moving on the base plate (112) of the chute (100).

[0104] The chute (100) may be coupled to a driving device (not shown) that vibrates the chute (100) at least in the longitudinal direction of the chute (100). The driving device may be a vibration generating device including, for example, an inductor, an armature, etc. In accordance with the vibration of the driving device, the powder (1) on the main body (110) of the chute (100) may vibrate and move from the inlet (111) toward the outlet (113). The driving device coupled to the chute (100) refers to a typical driving device for a chute, and thus a more detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0105] Electrode active material powder (1) is supplied from the discharge portion (113, see Fig. 3) of the chute (100) onto the current collector (2). At this time, the current collector (2) moves along the travel direction (S). The portion of the current collector (2) where the electrode active material powder (1) is supplied and flattened by a rolling member (300, for example, a rolling roll) becomes the holding portion of the electrode. The portion of the current collector (2) where the electrode active material powder (1) is not supplied and the current collector (2) is exposed as it is becomes the uncoated portion of the electrode.

[0106] FIG. 9 is another embodiment of the present invention, showing a modified example of the powder supply chute of FIG. 6.

[0107] In the case where the discharge portion (113) of the chute (100) is formed in a diagonal direction, an acute angle is formed when the longitudinal direction of the base plate (112) of the chute (100) and the diagonal direction of the discharge portion (113) of the chute (100) intersect. In other words, one end of the discharge portion (113) of the chute (100) forms an acute angle, and the other end forms an obtuse angle.

[0108] Meanwhile, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, when each of the plurality of heating lines (120) passes through or near an acute angle of the discharge portion (113) of the chute (100), the gap between neighboring heating lines (120) may increase, forming a blind spot.

[0109] To compensate for this, in the modified example of FIG. 9, each of the plurality of heating lines (120) has a fourth part (124; 124-1, 124-2, 124-3, 124-4) having a planar structure of a triangle (e.g., a right triangle) at a point where a first part (121, see FIG. 4) formed along the longitudinal direction of the base plate (112) of the chute (100) and a second part (122, see FIG. 4) formed along the direction (diagonal direction) of the discharge portion (113) of the chute (100) form an acute angle. Accordingly, the heating line (120) can pass evenly throughout the chute (100) without any blind spots.

[0110] Meanwhile, in the case where the heating line (120-4) located at the most central position among the plurality of heating lines (120) is formed in a straight line shape (consisting only of the first part (121, see FIG. 4) and not including the second part (122, see FIG. 4) and the third part (123, see FIG. 4)), the end facing the discharge portion of the heating line (120-4) may have a fourth part (124-4) having a triangular planar structure.

[0111] FIG. 10 is another embodiment of the present invention, showing a modified example of the discharge section of the powder supply chute of FIG. 3.

[0112] In the embodiment of Fig. 10, the discharge portion (113) is exemplarily shown as being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body (110). It is formed perpendicularly between the discharge portion (113) and the two sides of the base plate (112). Except for the intersection angle between the sides along the longitudinal direction of the discharge portion (113) and the base plate (112) in Fig. 10, the description thereof is identical to that described above in Figs. 3 to 9, and therefore, reference is made to the foregoing.

[0113]

[0114] Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present invention described above can be applied, for example, to a manufacturing process of a dry electrode.

[0115] The electrode according to the present invention may be a positive electrode or a negative electrode. That is, the manufacturing process of the electrode according to the present invention is not particularly limited to the positive electrode and the negative electrode and can be easily applied to the manufacturing of any electrode, and different electrodes can be manufactured depending on the material (e.g., positive electrode active material or negative electrode active material) used in the manufacturing of each electrode. Therefore, the term "electrode" used in the specification of the present invention for electrode, electrode active material, current collector, etc. may mean both positive electrode and negative electrode unless specifically defined.

[0116] In the manufacturing process of the dry electrode of the present invention, a mixture is obtained by dry mixing an electrode active material and a binder polymer, etc.

[0117] Any material that contains lithium and can absorb and release lithium ions can be used as the cathode active material. For example, the cathode active material may be a layered compound such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2), or a compound substituted with one or more transition metals; chemical formula Li 1+x Mn 2-x Lithium manganese oxides such as O4 (where x is 0 to 0.33), LiMnO3, LiMn2O3, LiMnO2; lithium copper oxide (Li2CuO2); vanadium oxides such as LiV3O8, LiFe3O4, V2O5, Cu2V2O7; chemical formula LiNi 1-x M x Ni-site type lithium nickel oxide represented by O2 (where M = Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, or Ga, and x = 0.01 to 0.3); chemical formula LiMn 2-x M x Lithium manganese composite oxide represented by O2 (wherein, M = Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn or Ta, and x = 0.01 to 0.1) or Li2Mn3MO8 (wherein, M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn); LiNi x Mn 2-xA lithium manganese composite oxide having a spinel structure represented by O4; LiMn2O4 in which a portion of Li in the chemical formula is replaced by an alkaline earth metal ion; a disulfide compound; Fe2(MoO4)3, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the positive electrode may have a positive electrode mixture layer including lithium metal, a carbon material, a metal compound, and a mixture thereof. The metal compound may be a compound containing one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, Sb, Bi, Al, Ga, In, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Mg, Sr, and Ba, or a mixture thereof.

[0118] The negative electrode may be manufactured by providing and rolling a negative electrode active material on a negative electrode current collector, or may be manufactured by a dry process like the above-described positive electrode manufacturing process, and may optionally further include a conductive material, organic binder polymer, additives, etc., as in the positive electrode, as needed.

[0119] In addition, the negative electrode active material may include, for example, a carbon material and a silicon material. The carbon material refers to a carbon material mainly composed of carbon atoms, and such carbon materials may include graphite having a completely layered crystal structure such as natural graphite, soft carbon having a low-crystalline layered crystal structure (graphene structure; a structure in which hexagonal honeycomb planes of carbon are arranged in layers), hard carbon in which these structures are mixed with non-crystalline parts, artificial graphite, expanded graphite, carbon fiber, non-graphitizable carbon, carbon black, acetylene black, Ketjen black, carbon nanotubes, fullerene, activated carbon, graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc., and preferably, at least one selected from the group consisting of natural graphite, artificial graphite, and carbon nanotubes. More preferably, the carbon material may include natural graphite and / or artificial graphite, and may include at least one of carbon black and carbon nanotubes together with natural graphite and / or artificial graphite. In this case, the carbon material may include 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes relative to 100 parts by weight of the entire carbon material, more specifically, 0.1 to 5 parts by weight; or 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes relative to 100 parts by weight of the entire carbon material.

[0120] In addition, silicon material is a particle containing silicon (Si) as a main component as a metallic component, and is composed of silicon (Si) particles and silicon oxide (SiO). X , 1≤X≤2) particles. As an example, the silicon material may include silicon (Si) particles, silicon monoxide (SiO) particles, silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles, or a mixture of these particles.

[0121] In addition, in the present invention, the current collector may be an electrically conductive material such as a metal plate, and an appropriate one may be used according to the polarity of the current collector electrode known in the secondary battery field.

[0122] In addition, in the present invention, the conductive material is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity without causing a chemical change in the battery.

[0123] In addition, in the present invention, the binder resin is not particularly limited as long as it is a component that assists in the bonding of the active material and the conductive material and the bonding to the current collector.

[0124] According to these embodiments of the present invention, when forming a pattern on the surface of an electrode, an additional process for pattern formation is not required, thereby improving process efficiency. In addition, by using an electrode manufacturing device according to the embodiments of the present invention, the specific surface area of ​​the electrode can be effectively increased, thereby enabling the storage of more electrolyte ions when charging the battery, thereby improving battery performance.

[0125] In this example, terms indicating directions such as front, back, left, right, up, and down are used, but these terms are only for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the location of the target object or the location of the observer.

[0126] Electrodes manufactured by applying the control method of the electrode manufacturing device according to the embodiment described above can be included in secondary batteries, and these secondary batteries can be assembled in multiples to form a battery module. The battery module can be equipped with various control and protection systems, such as a BMS (Battery Management System) and a cooling system, to form a battery pack.

[0127] Secondary batteries, battery modules, or battery packs can be applied to a variety of devices. Specifically, they can be applied to transportation vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles, but are not limited thereto. They can also be applied to a variety of devices that utilize secondary batteries.

[0128] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0129] [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1: Electrode active material powder

[0131] 2: Whole house

[0132] 10: Suit

[0133] 20: Body

[0134] 21: Inlet

[0135] 22: Base plate

[0136] 23: Exhaust

[0137] 30: Heating line

[0138] 100: Suit

[0139] 110: Battery case

[0140] 111: Inlet

[0141] 112: Base plate

[0142] 113: Exhaust

[0143] 120: Heating line

[0144] 121: Part 1

[0145] 122: Part 2

[0146] 123: Part 3

[0147] 124: Part 4

[0148] 200: Feeder

[0149] 300: Rolled member

Claims

1. In a suit for supplying powder in a secondary battery manufacturing process, A main body including an inlet portion through which the powder is introduced, an outlet portion through which the powder is discharged, and a base plate formed between them; and It comprises a plurality of heating lines formed on the above body, A powder supply chute, wherein each heating line comprises a first portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body, a second portion extending parallel to the discharge portion, and a third portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the main body and spaced apart from the first portion.

2. In paragraph 1, A powder supply chute, wherein the second portion of each of the plurality of heating lines is arranged parallel to the discharge portion, but is arranged so as to be sequentially moved away from the discharge portion.

3. In paragraph 1, A powder supply chute having a structure in which one heating line of adjacent heating lines surrounds the other heating line.

4. In paragraph 1, A powder supply chute in which the centrally located heating line is surrounded by neighboring heating lines, which are then surrounded sequentially by the next neighboring heating lines, and the outermost heating line surrounds the heating line arranged inside.

5. In paragraph 4, A powder supply chute, wherein the first portion of the outermost heating line starts at or near one end of the inlet, and the third portion of the outermost heating line ends at or near the other end of the inlet.

6. In paragraph 4, A powder supply chute, wherein the heating line located at the most central portion has a structure including the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion, or has a linear structure having only the first portion excluding the second portion and the third portion.

7. In paragraph 1, The first part starts from the inlet and extends in the longitudinal direction of the main body toward the outlet, The second part changes direction from the first part and extends parallel to the discharge part, A powder supply chute wherein the third part changes direction from the second part and extends in the longitudinal direction of the main body to the inlet.

8. In paragraph 1, The above discharge portion is a powder supply chute that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body.

9. In paragraph 1, The above discharge portion is formed diagonally based on the longitudinal direction of the main body, A powder supply chute, wherein the intersection angle of the extension line of the first part of the heating line and the extension line of the second part forms an acute angle.

10. In paragraph 9, A powder supply chute, wherein the heating line includes a fourth portion having a triangular plane structure inside the point where the first portion and the second portion of the heating line meet.

11. In paragraph 1, A powder supply chute in which each of the plurality of heating lines is formed integrally by connecting the first part, the second part, and the third part to each other.

12. In paragraph 11, The point where the first part and the second part of the heating line meet has a round shape or a chamfered shape, A powder supply chute, wherein the point where the second part and the third part of the heating line meet has a round shape or a chamfered shape.

13. In paragraph 1, Parallel to each other between the first portions of each of the plurality of heating lines, Parallel to each other between the second portions of each of the plurality of heating lines, A powder supply chute, parallel to each other between the third portions of each of the plurality of heating lines.

14. In paragraph 1, The above multiple heating lines are individually temperature controlled, powder supply chute.

15. In paragraph 1, A powder supply chute, wherein at least some of the plurality of heating lines are heated to a lower temperature from the outermost heating line toward the central heating line.

16. In paragraph 1, The above heating line is a powder supply chute, which is a heating wire.

17. In paragraph 1, The above powder is an electrode active material powder supplied onto a current collector, a powder supply chute.

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