Machine for conveying and processing material webs and material web portions for batteries

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine (10) for conveying and / or processing at least one material web and / or material web portions (11) for batteries, wherein the machine (10) has a housing (12) with a rear wall (25) and a front wall (20) opposite the rear wall (25), wherein the housing (12) encloses a process chamber (16). Process gas (13) can be introduced into the process chamber (16), wherein the process gas (13) can be conducted through at least one portion (19) of the machine (10), in which the material web (11) and / or the material web portions (11) for batteries are conveyed and / or processed on a conveying path with a conveying path normal along a conveying direction. The portion (19) has a supply device for supplying the process gas (13) into the process chamber (16) and a discharge device for discharging the conducted-through process gas (13) from the process chamber (16), which discharge device is on the rear wall side with respect to the conveying path, wherein the process gas (13) can be introduced into the process chamber (16) and / or supplied to the conveying path by the supply device transversely to the conveying path.

Description

[0001] Körber Technologies GmbH, 21033 Hamburg, Germany

[0002] Machine for conveying and processing material webs and material web sections for batteries

[0003] The present invention relates to a machine for conveying and processing at least one web of material and / or sections of web of material for batteries, wherein the machine has a housing which encloses a process chamber. Process gas can be introduced into the process chamber, wherein the process gas is conductive through at least one section of the machine in which webs of material and / or sections of web of material for batteries are conveyed and / or processed, and the process gas conveyed through the machine can be discharged from the process chamber. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding method for operating such a machine.

[0004] In typical battery cell manufacturing processes, particularly in the production of battery cell stacks as a semi-finished product, the machine and / or the room in which the machine is located is ventilated from top to bottom with process gas. Process gas is, for example, clean, particle-free air. The process gas can, for instance, be particle-free air conforming to ISO class 7 and have a very low humidity with a dew point of < -40 °C.

[0005] Material webs and material web sections for batteries can be, for example, tapes or sheets coated with anode or cathode material, tapes or sheets of separator materials, single cells, stacked sheets, and / or cell stacks. The material webs or material web sections can also be referred to as production material or semi-finished products. Processing can involve, for example, the production of cell stacks from tape-shaped semi-finished products, where the tape-shaped semi-finished products are, for example, fed from coils, cut, and stacked.

[0006] During this conveying and processing, it is important to comply with requirements for a defined maximum quantity of particles in the process gas, especially the air, since even the smallest impurities with particles, for example with a particle size >10 / cm³, on the material webs and material web sections in the finished battery can lead to a reduction in performance or, in the worst case, to total failure.

[0007] The task of this invention is therefore to specify a machine for conveying and processing material webs and / or material web sections for batteries, which enables a further reduction in the particle load of the material webs and / or material web sections. Furthermore, the task of this invention is to specify a method for operating such a machine.

[0008] The invention solves this problem using the features of independent claims.

[0009] A machine for conveying and processing at least one web and / or web sections for batteries is proposed, wherein the machine has a housing with a rear wall and a front wall opposite the rear wall, wherein the housing encloses a process chamber, wherein process gas can be introduced into the process chamber, wherein the process gas is conveyable through at least one section of the machine in which the web and / or web sections for batteries are conveyed and / or processed on a conveying path with a conveying path normal along a conveying direction, wherein the section has a feed device for supplying the process gas into the process chamber, which is arranged on the front wall side with respect to the conveying path, in particular on the front wall of the housing, and / or above and / or below, and has a discharge device for discharging the conveyed process gas from the process chamber.which is arranged on the rear wall of the conveying path, in particular on the rear wall of the housing, and / or above and / or below it. The process gas can be introduced into the process chamber and / or fed to the conveying path from the feed device transversely to the conveying path, preferably at an angle to the conveying path normal and / or the conveying direction of 60° to 120°, in particular from 80° to 100° or from 85° to 95°, and / or substantially orthogonally to the conveying path normal and the conveying direction.

[0010] Furthermore, the process gas can preferably be introduced into the process chamber with a horizontal main flow component. The aforementioned angles to the conveying path normal and / or to the conveying direction of 60° to 120°, in particular 80° to 100° or 85° to 95°, are, within the meaning of this application, perpendicular to the conveying path.

[0011] The process chamber formed by the machine housing constitutes an internal cleanroom for conveying and processing the material webs and / or web sections. In the process chamber of the proposed machine, the gas flow is not from top to bottom, as is the case with conventional machines requiring cleanroom conditions, but horizontally. This is particularly advantageous when the material web and / or web sections are processed horizontally, as particles, especially airborne particles, are thus not deposited onto the material web and / or web sections by the gas flow from above.

[0012] The gas flow of the introduced process gas is lateral and horizontal, corresponding to the horizontal main flow component. This ensures that particles, especially suspended particles, are carried away from the material webs and / or material web sections and not deposited on them. "Main flow component" as used in this application means that the overall flow flows in this direction on average. Local deviations of gas particles with vector components perpendicular to the main flow direction, or even local backflows against the main flow direction, do not contradict a main flow direction, as long as the overall gas flow exhibits the main flow direction, i.e., a horizontal gas flow, within the process chamber of the machine.

[0013] The product flow of the material web and / or material web sections is preferably aligned in the machine with the surface normals of the base surfaces, i.e., the front and back of the material web and / or material web sections, perpendicular to the main flow component. Accordingly, when the process gas passes through the process chamber, the gas flow does not impinge perpendicularly on the base surfaces, but only on the edges of the strips, sheets, and / or stacks.

[0014] The process gas introduced into the process chamber, with a predominantly horizontal flow component, is preferably essentially a laminar flow, and more preferably a laminar and horizontal flow, which is guided through the process chamber within the machine housing. This avoids and reduces turbulence in the machine's process chamber as much as possible. The flow velocity of the air is preferably less than 5 m / s, more preferably less than 3 m / s, and particularly preferably in the range of 0.35 m / s to 0.5 m / s. The process gas preferably corresponds to filtered air of ISO class 5.

[0015] According to a further development, it is proposed that the housing has a plurality of inlet openings for process gas through which process gas can be introduced into the process space, wherein at least two inlet openings are provided on at least one front wall on an inside of the housing at different vertical positions.

[0016] The proposed machine is preferably stationary, meaning that the machine is fixed in its operating position and orientation. The different vertical positions of the inlet openings correspond to different heights within the machine, particularly within the housing, relative to the floor. This results in a more uniform velocity profile of the conveyed airflow along the vertical axis. Furthermore, the main horizontal flow component is enhanced, thus reducing the proportion of vertical flow components in the introduced process gas as it passes through the cleanroom or process chamber of the machine. For example, 10, 20, 30, or more inlet openings can be provided at different vertical positions.

[0017] Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, it is proposed that at least two inlet openings be provided on the at least one front wall on an inner side of the housing, in different horizontal positions. This allows the process gas flow to extend horizontally within the machine, for example along the product stream, in the main flow direction. It can therefore advantageously be achieved that a kind of gas wall flows horizontally through the process chamber of the machine, which shifts particles to one side of the machine so that they are not deposited on the conveyed and processed material webs and / or material web sections. For example, 20, 40, 60 or more inlet openings can be provided in different horizontal positions.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment, it is proposed that the housing has at least one door in a front wall, which has at least two inlet openings in different vertical positions.

[0019] The door in the front wall of the machine can be opened, for example, for maintenance work in the process chamber or for replenishing material webs, such as coils of metal foil, and / or sections of material coated with anode or cathode material. The door has a correspondingly large surface area on the front wall of the housing, which, due to its opening function, is not intended for attaching conveying or processing components of the machine within the process chamber. The gas flow can therefore flow horizontally along the product stream and processing steps, carrying airborne particles to the side opposite the door.

[0020] According to an advantageous further development, it is proposed that a perforated panel with at least 20 inlet openings be provided in the front wall, which is formed, for example, by the at least one door. This enables a uniform, horizontal introduction of process gas.

[0021] Preferably, the inlet openings each have an area of ​​approximately 19 mm². 2 up to 64 mm 2 , preferably each an area of ​​approximately 28 mm 2 up to 51 mm 2 , on .

[0022] Furthermore, it is proposed that the inlet openings are preferably circular, for example with a diameter in the range of 5 mm to 9 mm, preferably with a diameter in the range of 6 mm to 8 mm.

[0023] The circular inlet openings minimize turbulence when introducing the process gas into the process chamber.

[0024] It is further proposed that the majority of the inlet openings, preferably all inlet openings, each have a distance of at least 18 mm, for example 20 mm or 30 mm, between their geometric centers and the nearest inlet opening. This allows, in particular with the proposed inlet opening areas, a good ratio of inlet openings to closed areas to be achieved, in order to ensure uniform introduction of the process gas over a large part of the front wall, especially the door. It is particularly preferred if the inlet openings in a perforated area, especially a door, have a maximum spacing of 40 mm. In this case, the majority refers to the number of inlet openings.

[0025] A slight overpressure relative to the ambient pressure is preferably built up in the process chamber by the introduced process gas. The overpressure is preferably > 1 mbar and preferably < 200 mbar, further preferably < 100 mbar, and particularly preferably < 50 mbar, for example 5 mbar.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment, the machine has at least two doors arranged one above the other, which can be opened and closed independently of each other. This minimizes the open area of ​​the housing when a door is opened, for example to insert a new coil, thus minimizing particle ingress similar to an airlock.

[0027] Preferably, at least one door is double-walled with a gap, the gap forming a channel for process gas to inlet openings on the inside to the process room.

[0028] The space between the openings serves to distribute the process gas to the majority of the door's inlet openings, thus achieving a uniform gas flow with a horizontal main flow component in the process chamber. In particular, a perforated field with circular inlet openings with a diameter in the range of 6 mm to 8 mm and a distance between their geometric centers in the range of 20 mm to 30 mm is especially advantageous for achieving a uniform flow in the process chamber.

[0029] It is further proposed that at least one door has a passage at its upper edge into the space between the doors, the machine having a corresponding passage above the respective door, the two passages forming a flow connection for process gas when the door is closed. In a further advantageous embodiment, it is proposed that the at least one door has a passage into the space between the doors, the machine having a connecting element, for example a channel or hose, connected to the passage, the connecting element forming a flow connection for the process gas when the door is closed and / or open.

[0030] The process gas is preferably introduced into the space between the door openings from above. In advantageous embodiments, the corresponding passage in the machine remains open when the door is open, so that when the door is open, the process gas flows downwards as a gas curtain, forming a barrier against particles. Furthermore, it can be ensured that the gas flow from the inlet openings stops automatically when the door is opened, preventing the operating personnel from being blown towards the door.

[0031] According to a further development, it is proposed that the machine has two doors arranged one above the other, with the lower door having a passage at its upper edge, and the upper door having a passage at its lower edge which corresponds to and / or overlaps the passage at the upper edge of the lower door.

[0032] The two doors, arranged one above the other, can thus be supplied with process gas via a common gas supply line, which, for example, is assigned to the upper door. The openings at the top edge of the lower door and at the bottom edge of the upper door preferably have the same cross-section as the adjacent spaces between the doors. This simplifies the design with doors arranged one above the other, so that the door areas, for example for changing a reel, can be reduced to a minimum. Doors intended for adding or replacing material, and which are therefore opened more frequently, are preferably lower doors.

[0033] Preferably, when the machine is open, process gas with a downward-directed main flow component can be discharged from the at least one door with a passage at its upper edge through the passage above the corresponding open door.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, at least one door is partially and / or predominantly transparent. The door surface can thus be used for gas inlet as well as for process control. For example, an upper door and a lower door, arranged one above the other, can be partially and / or predominantly transparent. This transparency allows an operator to observe the conveying and processing of material webs and / or material web sections for batteries and, if necessary, to intervene. Transparent doors are particularly advantageous in conjunction with the previously described inlet openings into the process chamber of the machine from an intermediate space, since the proposed inlet openings each have an area of ​​approximately 19 mm². 2 up to 64 mm 2 , preferably 28 mm 2 up to 51 mm 2The proposed spacing of at least 18 mm between the geometric centers of the nearest inlet openings allows for a good view of the process chamber despite optical refractions at the resulting edges, while simultaneously enabling a very uniform gas flow with a horizontal main flow component vertically across the height of the process chamber and preferably horizontally along the product stream. Preferably, the machine has a rear wall with multiple outlets for extracting process gas from the process chamber. The rear wall allows for the mounting of equipment for carrying out the conveying and processing processes of the machine, with the conveyed and processed material webs and / or material web sections preferably located exclusively on one side of the rear wall. The process chamber is preferably located between the door and the rear wall.Accordingly, the material webs and / or material web sections can be conveyed and processed in a process room through which process gas flows horizontally.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the machine has, particularly in the area with a plurality of outlets in the rear wall, at least one drum arranged on the rear wall, in particular a drum that can be pressurized with suction air, for example a traction roller or conveyor drum, for conveying and / or processing material webs and / or material web sections for batteries.

[0036] The drum preferably has an axis of rotation which is parallel to the horizontal main flow component of the process gas introduced into the process chamber of the machine. The main surfaces of the material webs and / or material web sections conveyed and processed on the drum, for example anode or cathode sheets, are thus perpendicular to the gas flow of the process gas conveyed through the process chamber with their surface normals, so that suspended particles are not pressed onto the functionally relevant main surfaces of the material webs and / or material web sections. In an advantageous embodiment, the rear wall has at least a section of an annular gap around the outer contour of the at least one drum, wherein the annular gap serves as an outlet for extracting the process gas conveyed through the drum from the process chamber.

[0037] The annular gap is particularly well suited to achieving a horizontal gas flow, which is preferably laminar, across the material webs and / or material web sections on the drum.

[0038] According to a further development, it is proposed that the drum, on the side facing away from the rear wall, at the transition between a shell surface of the drum and an end surface, has a process gas guiding element, preferably designed as a rounding with a curvature with a radius greater than 10 mm or as a conical cover cap or as a tapered cover cap, in order to reduce or avoid turbulence of the process gas.

[0039] The proposed process gas guiding element, in particular a rounded shape, promotes the horizontal flow on the shell surface, where the material webs and / or material web sections are conveyed and processed. This prevents the deposition of suspended particles and carries away any suspended particles that do form with the gas flow.

[0040] Preferably, the machine is segmented into several sections along the conveying path by several, preferably vertical, side walls. The side walls preferably have openings for the product flow, the openings being preferably contour-close to the product flow of the material web and / or material web sections. In this way, the influence on the flow conditions when a door is opened in one segment on the other segments can be minimized. In advantageous embodiments, the machine has a filter and ventilation system that provides process gas, for example, filtered air. Preferably, the machine has a gas supply distribution system or feed device, which is further preferably supplied by a central blower.

[0041] In an advantageous embodiment, the machine has a plurality of independent volume flow controllers for the process gas, for example, filtered air. Preferably, each section of the machine is assigned its own individual volume flow controller for the process gas. The respective volume flow controller can regulate the required gas quantity for each section as needed.

[0042] Furthermore, it is proposed that the machine has a plurality of independent volume flow controllers for the discharged process gas. Preferably, each section of the machine is assigned its own individual volume flow controller for the discharged process gas. In addition to the demand-based control of the volume flow, the pressure conditions in the process chamber of the machine can be adjusted, particularly in conjunction with a corresponding volume flow controller for the input process gas. Accordingly, preferably several sections or each section is assigned a volume flow controller for the process gas introduced into the respective section and a volume flow controller for the process gas discharged from the respective section.

[0043] According to an advantageous further development, it is proposed that the majority of outlets each have an associated volume flow controller, in particular electrically controlled outlet flaps and / or orifices, for the discharged process gas. This allows the flow of the process gas through the process chamber to be adjusted very homogeneously. Accordingly, the outlets can be individually adjusted to the respective mass flow. Since the positioning of the elements, e.g., the drums, on the rear wall for processing the material web and / or material web sections cannot be arbitrarily optimized for the flow of the process gas, the required volume flow can differ considerably between the different outlets.In this way, even the smallest inhomogeneities in the flow can be compensated for, so that undesirable flow directions, especially backflows and vertical flows, can be avoided.

[0044] According to an advantageous further development, it is proposed that a large number of velocity sensors for vertical flows be provided in the process chamber of the machine. This makes it possible to detect vertical flows in the process chamber so that the volume flow controllers of the outlets can be adjusted to minimize existing vertical flows.

[0045] Furthermore, according to a further advantageous development, it is proposed that a plurality of pressure sensors be provided in the process chamber of the machine. The pressure sensors preferably have a resolution of less than 10 Pa, and more preferably less than 1 Pa. The measured pressure values ​​allow the volume flow controllers of the outlets to be adjusted in order to minimize existing vertical flows. Preferably, the target value of the measured pressures is such that all pressure sensors at a defined distance from an outlet exhibit a similar, preferably identical, pressure. The respective pressure sensors are preferably arranged directly upstream of an outlet or, alternatively, at a distance upstream of an outlet, for example, at a distance of 0 to 20 cm.

[0046] Furthermore, to solve the problem of the invention, a method for operating a machine of the type described above or according to one of claims 1 to 23 is proposed, wherein the volume flow of the introduced process gas is increased when the housing is opened. This creates a sluice effect that prevents particles from entering the process chamber of the machine.

[0047] In an advantageous embodiment, the machine has at least one door and at least one volume flow controller for introduced process gas, wherein, upon opening of the at least one door, the volume flow controller increases the volume flow of the introduced process gas. The machine is preferably configured to detect the opening of a door of the machine. An advantageous gas curtain can be achieved, which can reduce or prevent the penetration of particles into the process chamber.

[0048] Furthermore, to solve the problem of the invention, a method for operating a machine of the type described above or according to claim 23 with reference to claim 22 is proposed, wherein the vertical flow velocities are detected by the velocity sensors and / or the pressure values ​​by the pressure sensors, wherein the volume flow controllers assigned to the outlets are controlled in such a way that the vertical flow velocities and / or the detected differences in the pressure values ​​of the pressure sensors are minimized.

[0049] According to a further development, it is proposed that the vertical flow velocities and / or the detected differences in the pressure values ​​of the pressure sensors are continuously minimized using machine learning.

[0050] The invention is explained below with reference to preferred embodiments and the accompanying figures.

[0051] Fig. 1 shows a machine for conveying and processing material webs and / or material web sections for batteries with a plurality of transparent doors in a side view;

[0052] Fig. 2 shows a machine in a partial section through the housing with a door;

[0053] Fig. 3 shows a section of the inside of a door of the machine;

[0054] Fig. 4 shows a machine in a partial section through the housing with a door and a drum;

[0055] Fig. 5 shows another machine in a partial section through the housing with a door and a drum;

[0056] Fig. 6 shows a machine with a gas supply distribution system;

[0057] Fig. 7 shows a machine with its door open during a bobbin change; and Fig. 8 shows a machine in a partial section through the housing with sensors.

[0058] Figure 1 shows a machine 10 for conveying and processing material webs and / or material web sections 11 for batteries. In this advantageous embodiment, the machine 10 conveys material webs and / or material web sections 11 for batteries, e.g., strip-shaped metal foils coated with anode or cathode material, from two reels 33. The machine 10 has a housing 12 that encloses a process chamber 16, which forms a cleanroom for conveying and processing the material webs and / or material web sections 11. The machine 10 has several sections 19, which in this advantageous embodiment are separated from one another by side walls 32. The material webs and / or material web sections 11 are fed through corresponding openings in the side walls 32.In this embodiment, the machine 10 has four sections 19, advantageously allowing process gas 13, in this advantageous embodiment filtered air of cleanroom quality, to be introduced into each of the sections 19. In alternative embodiments, process gas 13 can, for example, only be introduced into some of the sections 19. Furthermore, in alternative embodiments, the sections 19 of the machine 10 can also be functionally determined by the respective processing step of the machine 10.

[0059] Process gas 13, in this advantageous embodiment filtered air, can be introduced into process chamber 16. As symbolized by the arrows in Figure 1, the process gas 13 is initially supplied from above. The process gas 13 serves to keep airborne particles away from the material webs and / or material web sections 11 and, if necessary, to transport them away.

[0060] The process gas 13 is introduced into the process chamber 16 via the doors 18. The process gas 13 flows from the doors 18 into and through the process chamber 16 with a horizontal main flow component. This is shown in Figure 1, in the plane of the image.

[0061] Figure 2 shows a partial section through two doors 18 and the adjacent process chamber 16 of the machine 10, as illustrated, for example, in Figure 1 on the left. The doors 18 form part of the housing 12 and have a plurality of inlet openings 17 for introducing the process gas 13 into the process chamber 16. The doors 18 are double-walled, forming an intermediate space 22 which serves as a channel for the process gas 13 introduced from above into this intermediate space 22 in this embodiment. The inlet openings 17 of the doors 18 are arranged on the front wall 20 on the inside of the housing 12.

[0062] The process gas 13 flows horizontally from the inlet openings 17 into the process chamber 16, where the conveying and processing of the material webs and / or material web sections 11 takes place, for example, unwinding from the reel 33. The inlet openings 17 are distributed across the height of the process chamber 16 at a multitude of vertical positions on the front wall 20 of the housing 12, in this case formed by the door 18. Furthermore, as can be seen in Figures 1 and 3, the inlet openings 17 are also distributed horizontally across the surface of the door 18. The process gas 13, which passes through the process chamber 16, is discharged from the process chamber 16 or cleanroom through a plurality of outlets 26 in a rear wall 25, so that the discharged process gas 13 can either be fed to a filter unit of the machine 10 or discharged from the machine 10.The outlets 26 are distributed across various vertical and horizontal positions in the rear wall 25, ensuring a uniform, horizontal, and ideally laminar airflow from the inlet openings 17 to the outlets 26. An annular gap 31 is provided in the rear wall 25 around the contour of the reel 33, at least in sections, to achieve the most laminar possible flow of process gas 13 across the surface of the reel 33. Between the sections of the annular gap 26, webs are provided in the rear wall 25, on which the reel 33 is supported.

[0063] In the partial view of Figure 2, two doors 18 arranged one above the other are visible. The process gas 13 is initially introduced from above by the machine 10 into the upper door 18 and its intermediate space 22. The upper door 18 has a passage 24 for the process gas 13 at its lower edge. Above the upper door 18, or in alternative embodiments with doors 18 not arranged one above the other, above the lower door 18 in Figure 2, the machine 10 can have a passage 24 for introducing the process gas 13 into the intermediate space 22 of the corresponding door 18. The lower door 18 therefore has a passage 23 at its upper edge, which corresponds to and overlaps with the passage 24.

[0064] Figure 3 shows a section of the front wall 20 of a door 18 of the machine 10. This section shows nine circular inlet openings 17, each with a diameter of 7 mm, corresponding to an area of ​​approximately 38.5 mm². 2 This corresponds to the geometric centers 21 and have a distance of 25 mm to the nearest inlet opening 17. With this distance, a uniform gas flow with a horizontal main flow component can be achieved, wherein the double-walled door 18 is made of a transparent material so that the processing of the material webs and / or material web sections 11 behind it remains visible, while process gas 13 with a horizontal main flow component is directed through the process chamber 16 of the machine 10.

[0065] Figure 4 shows another cross-section at a different location than Figure 2 through the machine 10 with a door 18, wherein the machine 10 has a drum 27 for processing and conveying the material webs and / or material web sections 11. The drum 27 has a shell surface 28 on which the material webs and / or material web sections 11 are conveyed and processed, and an end surface 29 which faces the door 18. At the transition between the front surface 29 and the shell surface 28, the drum 27 has a process gas guiding element 30 in the form of a rounding, which serves to allow the conveyed air t 13 with the horizontal main flow component to flow with as little turbulence as possible and laminarly over the shell surface 28 of the drum 27 with the material webs and / or material web sections 11, for example sheets of metal foils coated with anode or cathode material.

[0066] The drum 27 is mounted on the rear wall 25. The rear wall 25 has a sectioned annular gap 26 around the drum 27, through which the air t 13 is discharged. This allows particles that detach, for example, from the electrode material of the material webs and / or material web sections 11 during the rotation of the drum to be removed. Between the sections of the annular gap 26, webs are provided in the rear wall 25, over which the drum 27 is mounted.

[0067] Figure 5 shows another machine 10 in a partial section through the housing 12 with a door 18 and a drum 27. The drum 27 has a process gas guiding element 30, which, unlike the embodiment shown in Figure 4, is designed as a conical cap.

[0068] Figure 6 shows a machine 10 with a gas supply distribution system 34, wherein in this advantageous embodiment an independent volume flow controller 35 for the process gas 13 is provided for each door 18 or each group of doors 18. Furthermore, an independent volume flow controller 36 is also provided for each of the process gases 13 discharged via the rear wall 25. This allows the flow of the process gas 13 through the process chamber 16 of the machine 10 to be adjusted very precisely and according to demand. In this advantageous embodiment, the pipes shown are half-pipes that allow for both the supply and discharge of process gas 13.

[0069] Figure 7 shows a machine 10 with its door 18 open for changing the reel 33 containing the material web and / or material web sections 11. In the partial view of Figure 7, two doors 18 arranged one above the other are visible. The process gas 13 is initially introduced from above out of the machine 10 into the upper door 18 and the space 22 between the doors. The upper door 18 has a passage 24 at its lower edge for the process gas 13. Since the lower door 18 is open in Figure 7 to allow the reel 33 to be changed in the machine 10 using a reel carrier 37, the process gas 13 flows from the passage 24 out of the space 22 of the upper door 18 into the open area and forms a gas curtain that prevents airborne particles from entering the machine 10.In this advantageous embodiment, a volume flow controller 35 associated with the door 18 increases the volume flow of the introduced process gas 13 when the open state of the door 18 is detected, for example by a contact switch.

[0070] Figure 8 shows another embodiment of a machine 10 in a partial section through the process chamber 16 of the machine 10. A plurality of sensors 38, for example, velocity sensors 38 for vertical flows and / or pressure sensors 38, are provided in the process chamber 16. In this advantageous embodiment, the sensors 38 are each arranged upstream of the outlets 26. Furthermore, in this advantageous embodiment, each outlet 26 has a separate volume flow controller 36. In advantageous embodiments, the values ​​detected by the sensors 38 can be used to adjust the plurality of volume flow controllers 36 so that vertical flows and backflows of process gas 13 in the process chamber 16 are minimized.

[0071] Reference symbol list:

[0072] 10 machine

[0073] 11 material track and / or material track sections

[0074] 12 cases

[0075] 13 Process gas

[0076] 16 Process room

[0077] 17 Inlet opening

[0078] 18 Door

[0079] Section 19

[0080] 20 Front wall

[0081] 21 focal points

[0082] 22 space

[0083] 23 Passage

[0084] 24 passage

[0085] 25 Back panel

[0086] 26 Outlet

[0087] 27 Drum

[0088] 28 mantle area

[0089] 29 forehead area

[0090] 30 Process gas guide element

[0091] 31 Annular gap

[0092] 32 side wall

[0093] 33 Bobbins

[0094] 34 Gas supply distribution

[0095] 35 Volume flow controllers

[0096] 36 Volume flow controllers

[0097] 37 bobbin carriers

[0098] 38 Sensor

Claims

Claims:

1. Machine (10) for conveying and / or processing at least one web of material and / or web sections (11) for batteries, wherein the machine (10) has a housing (12) with a rear wall (25) and a front wall (20) opposite the rear wall (25), wherein the housing (12) encloses a process chamber (16), wherein process gas (13) can be introduced into the process chamber (16), wherein the process gas (13) can be conveyed through at least one section (19) of the machine (10), in which the web of material (11) and / or the web sections (11) for batteries are conveyed and / or processed on a conveying path with a conveying path normal along a conveying direction, wherein the section (19) has a feed device for supplying the process gas (13) into the process chamber (16), which is located on the front wall side, in particular on the front wall (20) of the housing (12) with respect to the conveying path. , and / or is located above and / or below,and a discharge device for discharging the conveyed process gas (13) from the process chamber (16), which is arranged on the rear wall side with respect to the conveying path, in particular on the rear wall (25) of the housing (12), and / or above and / or below, characterized in that the process gas (13) can be introduced and / or fed into the process chamber (16) from the feed device transversely to the conveying path, preferably at an angle to the conveying path normal and / or to the conveying direction of 60° to 120°, in particular from 80° to 100° or from 85° to 95°, and / or substantially orthogonally to the conveying path normal and to the conveying direction.

2. Machine (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (12) has a plurality of inlet openings (17) for process gas (13) through which process gas (13) can be introduced into the process chamber (16), wherein at least two inlet openings (17) are provided on at least one front wall (20) on an inside of the housing (12) at different vertical positions.

3. Machine (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the housing (12) has at least one door (18) in a front wall (20) which has at least two inlet openings (17) at different vertical positions.

4. Machine (10) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a perforated field with at least 20 inlet openings (17) is provided in the front wall (20).

5. Machine (10) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the inlet openings (17) each have a surface in the range of 19 mm 2 up to 64 mm2 , preferably each an area of ​​approximately 28 mm 2 up to 51 mm 2 , point out.

6. Machine (10) according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the inlet openings (17) are circular.

7. Machine (10) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the majority of the inlet openings (17) each have a distance of the geometric centers (21) to the nearest inlet opening (17) of at least 18 mm.

8. Machine (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the machine (10) has at least two doors (18) which are arranged one above the other and can be opened and closed independently of each other.

9. Machine (10) according to one of claims 3 to 8 with reference to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one door (18) is double-walled with an intermediate space (22), wherein the intermediate space (22) forms a channel for process gas (13) to inlet openings (17) on the inside to the process chamber (16).

10. Machine (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one door (18) has a passage (23) at its upper edge into the space (22), wherein the machine (10) has a corresponding passage (24) above the corresponding door (18), wherein the two passages (23, 24) form a flow connection for process gas (13) when the door (18) is closed, or that the at least one door (18) has a passage (23) into the space (22), wherein the machine (10) has a connecting element, for example a channel or hose, connected to the passage (23), wherein the connecting element forms a flow connection for the process gas (13) when the door (18) is closed and / or open.

11. Machine (10) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the machine (10) has two doors (18) arranged one above the other, wherein the lower door (18) has a passage (23) at its upper edge, wherein the upper door (18) has a passage (24) at its lower edge which corresponds to and / or overlaps the passage (23) at the upper edge of the lower door (18).

12. Machine (10) according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that, when the at least one door (18) with a passage (23) at its upper edge is open, process gas (13) with a downwardly directed main flow component can be discharged from the machine (10) through the passage (24) above the corresponding open door (18).

13. Machine (10) according to one of claims 3 to 12 with reference to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one door (18) is partially and / or predominantly transparent.

14. Machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine (10) has a rear wall (25) which has a plurality of outlets (26) for the extraction of process gas (13) passed through from the process room (16).

15. Machine (10) according to claim 14, characterized in that the machine (10), in particular in the area with a plurality of outlets (26) in the rear wall (25), has at least one drum arranged on the rear wall (25). (27) , in particular a drum (27) that can be pressurized with suction air, for conveying and / or processing webs (11) and / or web sections (11) for batteries .

16. Machine (10) according to claim 15, characterized in that the rear wall (25) has at least partially an annular gap (31) around the outer contour of the at least one drum (27), wherein the annular gap (31) is an outlet (26) for the extraction of process gas (13) passed through from the process chamber (16).

17. Machine (10) according to one of claims 15 or 16, characterized in that the drum (27) has a process gas guiding element (30) on the side facing away from the rear wall (25) at the transition between a lateral surface (28) of the drum (27) to an end surface (29), preferably designed as a rounding with a curvature with a radius greater than 10 mm or as a conical cover cap or as a tapered cover cap, in order to reduce or avoid turbulence of the process gas (13).

18. Machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine (10) is segmented into several sections (19) along the conveying path (11) by several, preferably vertical, side walls (32).

19. Machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine (10) has a plurality of independent volume flow controllers (35) for the process gas (13).

20. Machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine (10) has a plurality of independent volume flow controllers (36) for the discharged process gas (13).

21. Machine (10) according to claims 18 to 20, characterized in that a volume flow controller (35) for the process gas (13) introduced into the respective section (19) and a volume flow controller (36) for the process gas (13) discharged from the respective section (19) is assigned to several sections (19) or to each section (19).

22. Machine (10) according to claim 20 or 21 with reference to one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that the plurality of outlets (26) each have an associated volume flow controller (36) for the discharged process gas (13).

23. Machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of velocity sensors (38) for vertical flows and / or a plurality of pressure sensors (38) are provided in the process space (16) of the machine (10).

24. Method for operating a machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when the housing (12) is opened, the volume flow of the introduced process gas (13) from the machine (10) is increased.

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