Coating device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a coating device capable of forming an insulating film so as to surround each of electrode films intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of a base material. Specifically, the coating device comprises: a conveyance mechanism that conveys a base material; and a coating mechanism that forms an electrode film and an insulating film by coating a predetermined surface of the base material being conveyed with an electrode material and an insulating material. The coating mechanism has: a main discharge unit that intermittently discharges the electrode material toward the predetermined surface of the base material; a side discharge unit that discharges the insulating material to a position adjacent to or at least partially overlapping both ends of each of electrode films in the width direction, the electrode films being intermittently formed on the predetermined surface of the base material; and a frame discharge unit that intermittently discharges the insulating material to a position adjacent to or at least partially overlapping the ends of each of the electrode films in the conveyance direction of the base material, the electrode films being intermittently formed on the predetermined surface of the base material.

Description

Coating device

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating device that forms an electrode film and an insulating film by coating an electrode material and an insulating material on a predetermined surface of a substrate.

[0002] In the manufacturing process of a lithium-ion battery, an electrode material slurry (hereinafter referred to as an electrode material) is coated on a sheet-shaped substrate such as an aluminum foil or a copper foil conveyed by roll-to-roll to form an electrode film, and the formed electrode film is dried to form a positive electrode and a negative electrode. Further, an insulating material slurry (hereinafter referred to as an insulating material) is coated adjacent to the end of the electrode film to form an insulating film, and the formed insulating film is dried to form a separator.

[0003] Such a coating device used in the manufacturing process of a lithium-ion battery includes a conveying mechanism that conveys a substrate by roll-to-roll, and a die that coats an electrode material and an insulating material on a predetermined surface of the substrate during conveyance. This die is provided with a main discharge portion that discharges the electrode material, and side discharge portions that are provided side by side with both ends of the main discharge portion in the width direction (hereinafter referred to as the width direction) that is orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the substrate in the in-plane direction of the substrate, and discharge the insulating material. Then, by discharging the electrode material from the main discharge portion and discharging the insulating material from the side discharge portions toward a predetermined surface of the substrate conveyed by the conveying mechanism, as shown in FIG. 4(a), an electrode film 920 and insulating films 930 are formed adjacent to both ends of the electrode film 920 in the width direction (for example, Patent Document 1 below).

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-167337

[0005] In the manufacturing process of lithium-ion batteries, there is a demand for increased productivity through faster processing and reduced loss of electrode material. Therefore, attempts have been made to intermittently apply electrode material to a predetermined surface of a substrate 910 while it is being transported, thereby intermittently forming an electrode film 920 as shown in Figure 4(b). When intermittently forming an electrode film 920 on a predetermined surface of the substrate 910, it is necessary to form an insulating film 930 so as to surround each of the formed electrode films 920. However, with the above-mentioned coating apparatus, it was not possible to form an insulating film 930 between each end of the electrode film 920 intermittently formed on the predetermined surface of the substrate 910 in the transport direction. In other words, it is necessary to form an insulating film 930 between the electrode films 920, but it was not possible to form an insulating film 930 between the electrode films 920 in the side discharge section.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a coating apparatus capable of forming an insulating film so as to surround each electrode film intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of a substrate.

[0007] The present invention provides a coating apparatus for solving the above problems, comprising: a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate; and a coating mechanism for forming an electrode film and an insulating film by coating an electrode material and an insulating material onto a predetermined surface of the substrate while it is being transported, wherein the coating mechanism is characterized by having: a main discharge section for intermittently discharging the electrode material toward the predetermined surface of the substrate; a side discharge section for discharging the insulating material at a position adjacent to or at least partially overlapping with each end of the electrode film in the width direction that is intermittently formed on the predetermined surface of the substrate; and a frame discharge section for intermittently discharging the insulating material at a position adjacent to or at least partially overlapping with the end of each electrode film in the transport direction of the substrate.

[0008] According to the above coating apparatus, the main discharge unit intermittently discharges electrode material onto a predetermined surface of the substrate during transport. The side discharge unit and frame discharge unit then discharge insulating material so that the width direction of each intermittently formed electrode film and the edges in the transport direction of the substrate are adjacent to or at least partially overlap with each other. This allows for the formation of insulating films that surround each of the intermittently formed electrode films on the predetermined surface of the substrate. Furthermore, the electrode films and insulating films can be formed without creating any gaps between them.

[0009] Furthermore, the transport mechanism may have a coating roll that holds the substrate at a predetermined gripping angle, and the main discharge section, the side discharge section, and the frame discharge section may each be arranged to face the coating roll with the substrate in between.

[0010] This configuration allows electrode material and insulating material to be discharged onto a predetermined surface of the substrate while maintaining a constant distance between each of the main discharge section, side discharge section, and frame discharge section (hereinafter referred to as "each discharge section") and the predetermined surface of the substrate. This enables the formation of electrode films and insulating films of uniform thickness on the predetermined surface of the substrate. Furthermore, since no bending occurs in the substrate being transported between each discharge section, it becomes possible to maintain a constant transport speed of the substrate between each discharge section. This makes it easier to adjust the timing of the discharge of insulating material from the frame discharge section. Consequently, gaps are less likely to occur between the edges of each electrode film intermittently formed on the predetermined surface of the substrate and the insulating film in the transport direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the frame discharge section may be configured such that the gap between the predetermined surface of the substrate and the frame discharge section is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction of the electrode film formed on the predetermined surface of the substrate.

[0012] This configuration prevents the frame discharge unit from coming into contact with the electrode film formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate.

[0013] Furthermore, the frame discharge section may be formed by an upstream lip and a downstream lip in the conveying direction, and the downstream lip may be configured to be thicker than the upstream lip.

[0014] This configuration makes it easier to maintain the insulating material bead between the predetermined surface of the substrate and the frame discharge section, thus facilitating the discharge of insulating material widely across the width direction from the frame discharge section. This suppresses the formation of gaps between the edges of each electrode film formed on the predetermined surface of the substrate and the insulating film in the transport direction.

[0015] Furthermore, the coating mechanism may be configured to include a main die in which the main discharge section and the side discharge section are arranged side by side in the width direction, and a sub-die in which the frame discharge section is provided.

[0016] With this configuration, since the main discharge section and the side discharge section are arranged side by side in the width direction on the main die, the relative positions of the main discharge section and the side discharge section can be kept constant even if the arrangement of the main die is adjusted. As a result, compared to the case where only the main discharge section is provided on the main die and the side discharge section and frame discharge section are provided on the sub-die, gaps are less likely to occur between the edges of the electrode film formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate in the width direction and the insulating film. In addition, since the insulating material can be discharged from the side discharge section almost simultaneously with the discharge of the electrode material from the main discharge section onto a predetermined surface of the substrate, it is possible to suppress the flow of the electrode material in the width direction and the resulting increase in the thickness of the edges of the electrode film in the width direction.

[0017] According to the coating apparatus of the present invention, an insulating film can be formed so as to surround each electrode film that is intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate.

[0018] This is a schematic diagram showing a coating apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating the main die in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating a coating apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing an electrode film and an insulating film formed on a predetermined surface of a substrate by a conventional coating apparatus.

[0019] Embodiments of the coating apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the three axes of the Cartesian coordinate system are X, Y, and Z, the horizontal direction is expressed as the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the XY plane (i.e., the vertical direction) is expressed as the Z-axis direction.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a coating apparatus 100 in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the main die 31 in one embodiment of the present invention, showing a cross-section taken along the line A-A in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the coating apparatus 100 in one embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which an electrode film 11 and an insulating film 12 have been formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 by the coating apparatus 100.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the coating apparatus 100 includes a transport mechanism 2 for transporting the substrate 1 and a coating mechanism 3 for applying electrode material and insulating material to a predetermined surface of the substrate 1. By applying the electrode material and insulating material by the coating mechanism 3 to the predetermined surface of the substrate 1 while it is being transported by the transport mechanism 2, an electrode film 11 and an insulating film 12 are formed, as shown in Figure 3. This forms the positive or negative electrode and separator of a lithium-ion battery.

[0022] The base material 1 is a metal foil that serves as the electrode plate for a lithium-ion battery. When forming the positive electrode, aluminum foil or the like is used, and when forming the negative electrode, copper foil or the like is used. This base material 1 is a long, strip-shaped sheet and is transported by the transport mechanism 2 so as to pass through each part that makes up the coating apparatus 100.

[0023] The electrode material is, for example, a slurry obtained by mixing an active material, a binder, and a conductive additive with a solvent, and is used as the material for the electrode plates of a lithium-ion battery. This electrode material is applied to a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 by the coating mechanism 3 to form an electrode film 11. The insulating material is a slurry obtained by dispersing ceramics such as aluminum oxide in a solvent, and is used as the material for a separator. This insulating material is applied to a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 by the coating mechanism 3 to form an insulating film 12.

[0024] The conveying mechanism 2 is for continuously conveying the base material 1 in its longitudinal direction. This conveying mechanism 2 includes an unwinding roll 21, a winding roll (not shown), a plurality of conveying rolls 22, and a coating roll 23. These rolls are formed in a cylindrical shape and rotate around the central axis of the cylinder as the axis of rotation.

[0025] The unwinding roll 21 is for unwinding the base material 1 downstream, and its rotation is driven and controlled by a control unit (not shown), unwinding the base material 1 at a predetermined speed. The control unit is, for example, composed of a general-purpose computer device, and will be treated similarly in the following description. The winding roll is for winding the base material 1, and, like the unwinding roll 21, its rotation is driven and controlled by the control unit, winding the base material 1 while applying a predetermined tension to it. The tension referred to here is the tension in the conveying direction of the base material 1.

[0026] The conveyor rolls 22 are used to transport the substrate 1 from the unwinding roll 21 to the winding roll. Multiple conveyor rolls 22 are provided and are arranged so that the substrate 1 passes through each part of the coating apparatus 100. Some or all of these conveyor rolls 22 are driven and controlled by a control unit, similar to the unwinding roll 21 and the winding roll, and transport the substrate 1 while applying a predetermined tension to it.

[0027] The coating roll 23 is used to guide the substrate 1 to the position where the electrode material and insulating material are to be applied by the coating mechanism 3. The coating roll 23 is positioned opposite each of the discharge sections of the coating mechanism 3 and holds the substrate 1 from the back side of a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 with a predetermined gripping angle. This allows the substrate 1 to be transported while maintaining a constant distance from each of the discharge sections.

[0028] With this configuration, the conveying mechanism 2 continuously conveys the base material 1 at a predetermined speed while applying a predetermined tension to the base material 1.

[0029] The coating mechanism 3 is for forming an electrode film 11 and an insulating film 12 by coating an electrode material and an insulating material onto a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 being transported by the transport mechanism 2. The coating mechanism 3 in this embodiment includes a main die 31 for coating the electrode material and insulating material onto a predetermined surface of the substrate 1, a sub-die 41 for coating only the insulating material onto a predetermined surface of the substrate 1, a first supply mechanism 5 for supplying the electrode material to the main die 31, a second supply mechanism 6 for supplying the insulating material to the main die 31, and a third supply mechanism 7 for supplying the insulating material to the sub-die 41.

[0030] The main die 31 is formed to be elongated in one direction, and is elongated along the width direction (Y-axis direction shown in Figure 1) which is perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 1 in the in-plane direction of the substrate 1. The coating rolls 23 are arranged at a predetermined distance from the main die 31 such that the rotation axis direction of the coating rolls 23 and the longitudinal direction of the main die 31 are parallel. In the following description, the width direction which is perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 1 in the in-plane direction of the substrate 1 will also be referred to as the width direction in the description of the main die 31, etc.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the main die 31 has a main discharge section 32 that intermittently discharges electrode material onto a predetermined surface of the substrate 1, a manifold 33 that is elongated in the width direction and stores the electrode material, and a slit 34 that connects the main discharge section 32 and the manifold 33.

[0032] Specifically, the main die 31 is constructed by combining a first divided body 31a, which has a tapered upstream lip 35 and a groove formed therein, and a second divided body 31b, which has a tapered downstream lip 36 and a groove formed therein, with a roughly U-shaped shim 37, which consists of a main body portion 37a, a protruding piece 37b, and a protruding piece 37c, sandwiched between them. A manifold 33 and a slit 34 are formed inside, and a main discharge section 32, which is a discharge port, is formed between the upstream lip 35 and the downstream lip 36. The main discharge section 32 opens to the same length as the slit 34 in the width direction.

[0033] The first supply mechanism 5 is for supplying electrode material to the main die 31 and includes a tank 51 for storing electrode material, a supply passage 52 connecting the manifold 33 and the tank 51, a pump (not shown) for transporting the electrode material, and a valve (not shown) for controlling the supply and cessation of the supply of electrode material to the main die 31. When the electrode material stored in the tank 51 is supplied to the manifold 33 through the supply passage 52 by the pump, it is discharged from the main discharge section 32 through the slit 34.

[0034] Here, by alternately switching the opening and closing of the valve, the supply and cessation of electrode material to the manifold 33 are alternately performed, thereby intermittently discharging the electrode material from the main discharge section 32. As a result, the electrode material is intermittently applied to a predetermined surface of the substrate 1, and an electrode film 11 is intermittently formed. Here, the intermittent formation of the electrode film 11 means that, as shown in Figure 3, the electrode film 11 is continuously formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 such that there is a certain gap between each electrode film 11 formed in the transport direction of the substrate 1.

[0035] Furthermore, the main die 31 has side discharge sections 38 that discharge insulating material at positions adjacent to or at least partially overlapping with both ends in the width direction of the electrode film 11 intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the main discharge section 32 and the side discharge sections 38 are arranged side by side in the width direction so that the main discharge section 32 is sandwiched between the two side discharge sections 38.

[0036] Specifically, slits 39 are formed in the protruding pieces 37b and 37c, respectively, extending toward their respective ends. The open end of the slit 39, the first lip 35, and the second lip 36 form a side discharge section 38. The supply passage 62 of the second supply mechanism 6 is connected to the end of the slit 39 opposite to the discharge section 38.

[0037] The second supply mechanism 6 is for supplying insulating material to the main die 31 and includes a tank 61 for storing insulating material, a supply passage 62 connecting each of the slits 39 to the tank 61, and a pump (not shown) for transporting the insulating material. When the insulating material stored in the tank 61 is supplied to each of the slits 39 through the supply passage 62 by the pump, it is discharged from each of the side discharge sections 38 through each of the slits 39.

[0038] Here, the side discharge section 38 is located closer to the main discharge section 32 than the connection portion of the supply passage 62 of the slit 39. That is, the slit 39 is formed with an inclination so that it approaches the main discharge section 32 as it approaches the side discharge section 38. As a result, a flow of insulating material is formed toward the inside in the width direction, and the insulating material discharged from each of the side discharge sections 38 is applied so that it is adjacent to or at least partially overlaps with each of the ends of the electrode film 11 in the width direction. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, an insulating film 12a can be formed so that it is adjacent to or at least partially overlaps with each of the ends of the electrode film 11 in the width direction, which is intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1.

[0039] Furthermore, the second supply mechanism 6 further includes a valve (not shown) for adjusting the amount of insulating material supplied to the main die 31. By adjusting the amount of insulating material supplied to each of the slits 39 using this valve, the amount of insulating material discharged from each of the side discharge sections 38 can be adjusted. By adjusting the amount of insulating material discharged from the side discharge sections 38, the inclination of the slits 39, and the position of the side discharge sections 38, the degree of overlap between each end of the electrode film 11 in the width direction and the insulating film 12a can be adjusted.

[0040] With these configurations, the main die 31 can intermittently form electrode films 11 on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 during transport, and can also form insulating films 12a adjacent to or overlapping with at least a portion of each end of the electrode film 11 in the width direction.

[0041] The sub-die 41 is formed long in one direction and long along the width direction. The sub-die 41 is arranged at a predetermined interval on the downstream side of the main die 31 in the conveyance direction of the base material 1 such that the rotation axis direction of the coating roll 23 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sub-die 41.

[0042] The sub-die 41 has a frame discharge portion 42 that intermittently discharges an insulating material at a position adjacent to or at least partially overlapping with the end portions of the electrode films 11 intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of the base material 1 in the conveyance direction of the base material 1, a manifold 43 formed long in the width direction for storing the insulating material, and a slit 44 connecting the frame discharge portion 42 and the manifold 43.

[0043] Specifically, the sub-die 41 is configured by combining an upstream lip 45 having a tapered shape and a first divided body 41a in which grooves are formed, and a downstream lip 46 having a tapered shape and a second divided body 41b in which grooves are formed, with a shim 47 having a substantially U shape sandwiched therebetween. A manifold 43 and a slit 44 are formed inside thereof, and a frame discharge portion 42, which is a discharge port, is formed between the upstream lip 45 and the downstream lip 46. Further, the frame discharge portion 42 opens with the same length as the slit 44 in the width direction, and the dimension of the slit 44 in the width direction is equal to or greater than the dimension of the slit 34 in the width direction.

[0044] The third supply mechanism 7 is for supplying an insulating material to the sub-die 41, and has a tank 71 for storing the insulating material, a supply path 72 connecting the manifold 43 and the tank 71, a pump (not shown) for sending the insulating material, and a valve (not shown) for controlling the supply and stop of the insulating material to the sub-die 41. When the insulating material stored in the tank 71 is supplied to the manifold 43 through the supply path 72 by the pump, it is discharged from the frame discharge portion 42 through the slit 44.

[0045] Here, by alternately switching the opening and closing of the valve, the supply and cessation of the supply of insulating material to the manifold 43 are alternately performed, thereby intermittently discharging the insulating material from the frame discharge section 42. In this embodiment, the valve is switched between opening and closing so that the insulating material discharged from the frame discharge section 42 is intermittently discharged to a position adjacent to or at least partially overlapping with each end of the electrode film 11, which is intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of the base material 1, in the transport direction of the base material 1. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the insulating film 12b can be formed so that it is adjacent to or at least partially overlapping with each end of the electrode film 11, which is intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of the base material 1, in the transport direction of the base material 1.

[0046] With these configurations, the coating mechanism 3 can intermittently form electrode films 11 on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1, and form insulating films 12 surrounding each of the formed electrode films 11. Furthermore, the electrode films 11 and insulating films 12 can be formed without creating any gaps between them.

[0047] Furthermore, in the coating apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the main discharge section 32, the side discharge section 38, and the frame discharge section 42 (hereinafter, each discharge section) are arranged to face the coating roll 23 with the substrate 1 in between. Therefore, the electrode material and insulating material can be discharged onto a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 while maintaining a constant distance between each discharge section and a predetermined surface of the substrate 1. This makes it possible to form an electrode film 11 and an insulating film 12 of uniform thickness on the predetermined surface of the substrate 1. In addition, since no bending occurs in the substrate 1 as it is transported between each discharge section, it becomes possible to keep the transport speed of the substrate 1 constant between each discharge section. This makes it easier to adjust the timing of discharging the insulating material, especially from the frame discharge section 42. Consequently, gaps are less likely to occur between the edges of each electrode film 11, which are intermittently formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1, in the transport direction, and the insulating film 12.

[0048] Further, the frame discharge portion 42 is arranged such that the gap dimension between the predetermined surface of the base material 1 and the frame discharge portion 42 is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction of the electrode film 11 formed on the predetermined surface of the base material 1. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the frame discharge portion 42 from contacting the electrode film 11 formed on the predetermined surface of the base material 1.

[0049] Further, the downstream lip 46 is formed to be thicker than the upstream lip 45. Therefore, it becomes easier to maintain the bead of the insulating material between the predetermined surface of the base material 1 and the frame discharge portion 42, and it becomes easier to discharge the insulating material widely in the width direction from the frame discharge portion 42. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a gap between the end portion in the conveyance direction of each electrode film 11 formed on the predetermined surface of the base material 1 and the insulating film 12b. Also, the downstream lip 46 of the sub-die 41 is preferably formed to be thicker than the downstream lip 36 of the main die 31. Thereby, since the bead of the insulating material between the predetermined surface of the base material 1 and the frame discharge portion 42 is easier to maintain than the bead of the electrode material between the predetermined surface of the base material 1 and the main discharge portion 32, it becomes easier to apply the insulating material over the entire width direction of the end portion in the conveyance direction of the electrode film 11 formed on the predetermined surface of the base material 1.

[0050] Thus, according to the coating apparatus 100 in the above-described embodiment, the electrode material is intermittently discharged onto the predetermined surface of the base material 1 being conveyed by the main discharge portion 32, so that the side discharge portion 38 and the frame discharge portion 42 discharge the insulating material such that the width direction of each of the intermittently formed electrode films 11 and the end portions in the conveyance direction of the base material are adjacent to or at least partially overlap each other. Therefore, the insulating film 12 can be formed so as to surround each of the electrode films 11 intermittently formed on the predetermined surface of the base material 1. Also, the electrode film 11 and the insulating film 12 can be formed without creating a gap between the electrode film 11 and the insulating film 12.

[0051] Furthermore, since the coating mechanism 3 in the above embodiment includes a main die 31 in which a main discharge section 32 and a side discharge section 38 are arranged side by side in the width direction, and a sub-die 41 in which a frame discharge section 42 is provided, even if the arrangement of the main die 31 is adjusted, the relative positions of the main discharge section 32 and the side discharge section 38 can be kept constant.

[0052] If, for example, only the main discharge section 32 is provided on the main die 31, and the side discharge section 38 and the frame discharge section 42 are provided on the sub-die 41, and the insulating film 12a and insulating film 12b are formed only on the sub-die 41, then it is necessary to finely adjust the relative positions in the width direction of the main discharge section 32 provided on the main die 31 and the side discharge section 38 provided on the sub-die 41 so that no gap is created between the electrode film 11 and the insulating film 12a. In contrast, in the main die 31 of the above embodiment, the main discharge section 32 and the side discharge section 38 are provided side by side in the width direction, so the adjustment of the relative positions in the width direction of the main discharge section 32 and the side discharge section 38 can be simplified. As a result, it becomes less likely that a gap will be created between the edge of the electrode film 11 formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1 in the width direction and the insulating film 12a.

[0053] Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the thickening of the edges of the electrode film 11 formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1. Specifically, the electrode material applied to the predetermined surface of the substrate 1 flows from the main discharge section 32, and the thickness of the edges of the electrode film 11 may become thicker compared to the thickness of the central part. In order to suppress the thickening of the edges of the electrode film 11, it is necessary to discharge insulating material to the edges of the electrode film 11 before the electrode material flows and the thickness of the edges of the electrode film 11 becomes thicker. In contrast, in this embodiment, since the main die 31 has a main discharge section 32 and a side discharge section 38 arranged side by side in the width direction, insulating material can be discharged from the side discharge section 38 almost simultaneously with the discharge of electrode material from the main discharge section 32. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the thickening of the edges of the electrode film 11 formed on a predetermined surface of the substrate 1.

[0054] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the configurations and combinations thereof in the above embodiments are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications to the configurations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, an example was described in which a main discharge section 32 and a side discharge section 38 are provided on the main die 31, and a frame discharge section 42 is provided on the sub die 41, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, each discharge section may be provided on a separate die, or each discharge section may be provided on a single die.

[0055] 100 Coating Apparatus 1 Substrate 11 Electrode Film 12 Insulating Film 12a Insulating Film 12b Insulating Film 2 Conveying Mechanism 21 Unwinding Roll 22 Conveying Roll 23 Coating Roll 3 Coating Mechanism 31 Main Die 31a First Block 31b Second Block 32 Main Discharge Section 33 Manifold 34 Slit 35 Upstream Lip 36 Downstream Lip 37 Shim 37a Body 37b Protruding Piece 37c Protruding Piece 38 Side Discharge Section 39 Slit 41 Sub-Die 41a First Block 41b Second Block 42 Frame Discharge Section 43 Manifold 44 Slit 45 Upstream Lip 46 Downstream Lip 47 Shim 5 First Supply Mechanism 51 Tank 52 Supply Channel 6 Second Supply Mechanism 61 Tank 62 Supply Channel 7 Third supply mechanism 71 Tank 72 Supply line

Claims

1. A coating apparatus comprising: a transport mechanism for transporting a substrate; and a coating mechanism for forming an electrode film and an insulating film by applying an electrode material and an insulating material to a predetermined surface of the substrate while it is being transported, wherein the coating mechanism has: a main discharge section for intermittently discharging the electrode material toward the predetermined surface of the substrate; a side discharge section for discharging the insulating material at a position adjacent to or at least partially overlapping with each end of the electrode film in the width direction that is intermittently formed on the predetermined surface of the substrate; and a frame discharge section for intermittently discharging the insulating material at a position adjacent to or at least partially overlapping with each end of the electrode film in the transport direction of the substrate that is intermittently formed on the predetermined surface of the substrate.

2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism has a coating roll that holds the substrate at a predetermined gripping angle, and the main discharge section, the side discharge section, and the frame discharge section are each arranged to face the coating roll with the substrate in between.

3. The coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame discharge section is arranged such that the gap between the predetermined surface of the substrate and the frame discharge section is larger than the dimension in the thickness direction of the electrode film formed on the predetermined surface of the substrate.

4. The coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame discharge section is formed by an upstream lip and a downstream lip in the conveying direction, and the downstream lip is formed to be thicker than the upstream lip.

5. The coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coating mechanism comprises a main die in which the main discharge section and the side discharge section are arranged in the width direction, and a sub-die in which the frame discharge section is provided.

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