Apparatus for manufacturing electrode

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing an electrode, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a plurality of rolls including a first roll and a second roll adjacent to each other; and a loading unit disposed above and between an upper semicircle of the first roll and an upper semicircle of the second roll, the loading unit including a main body in which an electrode active material is accommodated so as to load the electrode active material, wherein the electrode active material in the loading unit is introduced between the first roll and the second roll, which rotate in opposite directions at different angular velocities, and is calendered therebetween, and the loading unit may include an inclined surface such that a height of the electrode active material loaded in the main body of the loading unit becomes uniform.

Description

Electrode manufacturing device

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

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0158499 filed November 08, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the document of said Korean patent application are incorporated herein as part of this specification.

[0003] The present invention relates to an electrode manufacturing apparatus, and more specifically, to an electrode manufacturing apparatus with improved loading quality of electrode active material.

[0004] In modern society, as the use of portable devices such as mobile phones, laptops, camcorders, and digital cameras, as well as energy storage systems (ESS), has become commonplace, the development of technologies in related fields is becoming active. Furthermore, rechargeable secondary batteries are being utilized as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) as a solution to address air pollution caused by conventional gasoline vehicles using fossil fuels; consequently, the need for the development of secondary batteries is increasing.

[0005] Currently commercialized rechargeable batteries include nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-zinc, and lithium-ion batteries. Among these, lithium-ion 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-based oxides and carbon materials as the positive and negative active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly in which a positive plate and a negative plate, each coated with the positive and negative active materials, are arranged with a separator in between, and an outer casing, namely a battery case, that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0007] Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be classified according to the shape of the casing into can-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a pouch of aluminum laminate sheet.

[0008] The manufacturing process of such lithium secondary batteries is broadly divided into three stages: electrode process, assembly process, and formation process. The electrode process is further divided into active material mixing process, electrode coating process, rolling process, slitting process, and winding process. Among these, the electrode coating process is divided into a wet process that provides an active material slurry to the electrode current collector and a dry process that provides the active material to the current collector in a solid state.

[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the prior art. A plurality of rolls including a rotating roll (2), a rotating roll (3), and a rotating roll (4) are arranged, and an electrode active material (1) is supplied from a feeder (5) into a space formed between the upper semicircle of the rotating roll (2) and the upper semicircle of the rotating roll (3). The rotating roll (2) and the rotating roll (3) are rotated in opposite directions to each other to manufacture an electrode sheet in which an electrode active material layer (11) is formed from the electrode active material (1) fed between the rotating roll (2) and the rotating roll (3).

[0010] There is a need for a manufacturing method that further improves the loading quality of the electrode active material in the electrode process and the quality of the electrode sheet produced accordingly.

[0011] The present invention aims to manufacture a method that further improves the loading quality of the electrode active material in the electrode process.

[0012] However, the problems that the embodiments of the present invention aim to solve 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.

[0013] An electrode manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of rolls including a first roll and a second roll adjacent to each other; and a loading unit including a main body that receives an electrode active material and is positioned between the upper semicircle of the first roll and the upper semicircle of the second roll to load the electrode active material, wherein the electrode active material within the loading unit is introduced between the first roll and the second roll, which rotate in opposite directions at different angular velocities, and calendered, and the loading unit may include an inclined surface so that the height of the electrode active material loaded within the main body of the loading unit including the inclined surface becomes uniform.

[0014] The inclined surface of the loading unit is inclined toward the trailing roll among the first roll and the second roll, and the trailing roll may be a roll through which the electrode active material layer, calendered, that is introduced between the first roll and the second roll moves.

[0015] The inclined surface of the above loading unit may be tilted toward the roll rotating at a greater angular velocity between the first roll and the second roll.

[0016] The tilted angle of the loading unit can be adjusted according to at least one of the difference value between the angular velocity of the first roll and the angular velocity of the second roll, the temperature and / or humidity of the process atmosphere, the unit loading amount of the electrode active material, the height at which the electrode active material is loaded, and the type and / or viscosity of the electrode active material.

[0017] The angular velocity of the second roll is greater than the angular velocity of the first roll, and the electrode sheet formed by passing between the first roll and the second roll can move along the lower semicircle of the second roll.

[0018] The lower part of the loading unit includes a lower open surface that is open toward the first roll and the second roll, and the electrode active material can be introduced between the first roll and the second roll from the lower open surface.

[0019] The main body of the above loading unit includes a first plate placed on the first roll, a second plate placed on the second roll, and a third plate and a fourth plate formed at each end of the first plate and the second plate, respectively, and the first plate and the second plate may each be tilted toward the roll rotating at a greater angular velocity between the first roll and the second roll.

[0020] The third plate and the fourth plate can each be formed vertically.

[0021] The loading unit may further include a first lower opening surface open toward the first roll and a second lower opening surface open toward the second roll.

[0022] The first lower open surface of the loading unit is spaced apart from the surface of the first roll, and the collector can be inserted into the spaced-apart space.

[0023] The electrode active material can be accommodated in a receiving space formed by the main body of the loading unit, the surface of the first roll exposed through the first lower opening, and the surface of the second roll exposed through the second lower opening.

[0024] The above loading unit may further include an upper open surface including an inlet.

[0025] The above inlet may be formed in the whole area or a part of the upper open surface.

[0026] It may further include a feeder disposed above the loading unit to supply the electrode active material.

[0027] The position of the feeder can be adjusted toward the first roll or the second roll so that the height of the electrode active material loaded within the main body of the loading unit including the inclined surface is uniform.

[0028] The supply amount or supply speed of the electrode active material supplied from the feeder into the main body of the loading unit may be adjustable so that the height of the electrode active material loaded into the main body of the loading unit including the inclined surface becomes uniform.

[0029] The above loading unit may be positioned at a predetermined distance from the first roll and the second roll, respectively.

[0030] The spaced predetermined distance of the above loading unit may be in the range of several micrometers to several millimeters.

[0031] The inner surface of the main body of the above-described loading unit may be coated with a material having high surface roughness or may include a plurality of protrusion structures on the inner surface of the main body.

[0032] The above electrode active material may be an electrode active material powder for a dry electrode manufacturing process.

[0033] According to the present invention, the loading quality of the electrode active material in the electrode process can be further improved.

[0034] In addition, according to the present invention, the quality of the electrode and electrode assembly manufactured accordingly can also be improved.

[0035] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description in the claims.

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the prior art.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the loading unit of FIG. 2.

[0039] Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of the area labeled A in Figure 2.

[0040] Figure 5 is a partial enlarged view of the electrode sheet in the area labeled B in Figure 2.

[0041] Figure 6 is a reference diagram of a comparative example.

[0042] Figure 7 is a reference diagram of the loading unit of Figure 2.

[0043] 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 present invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0044] To clearly explain the present invention, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0045] Furthermore, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are depicted arbitrarily for convenience of explanation, and thus the present invention is not necessarily limited to what is illustrated. Thicknesses have been enlarged in the drawings to clearly represent various layers and regions. Additionally, for convenience of explanation, the thickness of some layers and regions has been exaggerated in the drawings.

[0046] Furthermore, when a part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate is said to be "on" or "on" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly above" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part is said to be "directly above" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. Also, saying that a part is "on" or "on" a reference part means that it is located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean that it is located "on" or "on" facing the opposite direction of gravity.

[0047] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0048] Additionally, throughout the specification, "planar" means when the subject part is viewed from above, and "cross-sectional" means when the cross-section obtained by vertically cutting the subject part is viewed from the side.

[0049] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrode manufacturing apparatus (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the loading unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of the area labeled A in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the electrode sheet in the area labeled B in FIG. 2.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 2, first, an electrode manufacturing apparatus (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of rolls. The plurality of rolls includes at least a first roll (110) and a second roll (120). Additionally, as illustrated exemplarily in FIG. 2, the plurality of rolls may further include a third roll (130) following the second roll (120), and in some cases, although not illustrated in the present invention, one or more rolls may further include following the third roll (130).

[0052] A feeder (140) is located above the first roll (110) and the second roll (120). The feeder (140) stores the electrode active material (1) and supplies the electrode active material (1).

[0053] Among a plurality of rolls, an electrode active material (1) is supplied from a feeder (140) between adjacent first rolls (110) and second rolls (120) (more precisely, the electrode active material (1) is supplied to a loading unit (200) to be described later, and then the electrode active material (1) is fed between the first rolls (110) and second rolls (120). At this time, a current collector (10) moves along at least the upper surface of the preceding first roll (110) and is fed between the first rolls (110) and second rolls (120). The electrode active material (1) loaded between the first rolls (110) and second rolls (120) passes between the first rolls (110) and second rolls (120) and is coated as an electrode active material layer (11) on the current collector (10), thereby forming a sheet-shaped electrode.

[0054] Additionally, the electrode may be further calendered, heated, etc. as it passes between the second roll (120) and the third roll (130), which is a subsequent roll adjacent to the second roll (120), and in some cases, the third roll (130) may be a guide roll that performs a guide function.

[0055] The first roll (110) and the second roll (120) rotate in opposite directions. Based on FIG. 2, the first roll (110) rotates clockwise and the second roll (120) rotates counterclockwise. Accordingly, the electrode active material (1) loaded in the space between the upper semicircle of the first roll (110) and the upper semicircle of the second roll (120) is calendered as it descends between the first roll (110) and the second roll (120) to form an electrode active material layer (11).

[0056] First, the first roll (110) and the second roll (120) can rotate at different angular velocities. Due to the different angular velocities between the first roll (110) and the second roll (120), a vortex is generated in the electrode active material (1) loaded within the receiving space (S, see FIG. 3) of the loading unit (200). Accordingly, powders of different diameters are evenly mixed in the electrode active material (1), so that the electrode active material (1) within the receiving space (S) of the loading unit (200) is uniformly mixed (i.e., loading uniformity is improved).

[0057] The angular velocity (w2) of the trailing second roll (120) may be greater than the angular velocity (w1) of the leading first roll (110). Accordingly, the electrode active material (1) introduced between the first roll (110) and the second roll (120) is calendered more easily, while the electrode active material layer (11) that is calendered and exits between the first roll (110) and the second roll (120) is allowed to move more easily along the lower semicircle of the second roll (120).

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, an electrode manufacturing apparatus (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a loading unit (200) on which an electrode active material (1) is loaded between a first roll (110) and a second roll (120).

[0059] More specifically, the loading unit (200) is positioned in the space formed between the upper semicircle of the first roll (110) and the upper semicircle of the second roll (120), and a feeder (140) is positioned above the loading unit (200).

[0060] More specifically, the feeder (140) is positioned on the upper open surface (210) of the loading unit (200) and may be positioned between the end located on the first roll (110) side and the end located on the second roll (120) side of the upper open surface (210) of the loading unit (200). For example, the feeder (140) may be positioned at an intermediate point between the end located on the first roll (110) side and the end located on the second roll (120) side, or positioned further toward the second roll (120) side.

[0061] However, the present invention is not limited to the above description, and it is sufficient if the feeder (140) is positioned on the upper open surface (210) of the loading unit (200), and the feeder (140) is positioned in a location that can achieve a uniform pressure distribution of the electrode active material (1) within the loading unit (20) according to the present invention. Referring to the perspective view of FIG. 3 (a) and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 (b), the loading unit (200) includes an upper open surface (210) including an inlet, a lower open surface (220) including an outlet, and a main body (230) in which a receiving space (S) for receiving the electrode active material (1) is formed between them.

[0062] In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3(b) and FIG. 4 to be described later, the open surfaces (i.e., the upper open surface (210), the lower open surface (220)) are indicated by dotted lines for ease of understanding, and it should be noted that the upper open surface (210) and the lower open surface (220) are not depicted as being in the form of slits.

[0063] A feeder (140) is positioned on the upper open surface (210) of a loading unit (200), and an electrode active material (1) supplied from the feeder (140) is fed into the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) through the upper open surface (210) of the loading unit (200). The upper open surface (210) of the loading unit (200) may, for example, have a shape in which the whole area is open. However, in accordance with the environment in which the present invention is implemented, it is sufficient if the cross-sectional size of the discharge port of the feeder (140) and the cross-sectional size of the open portion of the upper open surface (210) of the loading unit (200) are similar so that the electrode active material (1) can be easily supplied from the feeder (140) through the upper open surface (210) of the loading unit (200).

[0064] The lower surface of the loading unit (200) is open toward the first roll (110) and the second roll (120), respectively. That is, a lower open surface (220) is formed. The electrode active material (1) supplied to the loading unit (200) is loaded (received) in the receiving space (S) inside the main body (230) and then fed between the first roll (110) and the second roll (120). For example, in FIG. 3, the lower open surface (220) may include a first lower open surface (220a) as an open surface facing the first roll (110) and a second lower open surface (220b) as an open surface facing the second roll (120). The surfaces of the first roll (110) and the second roll (120) are respectively exposed to the first lower open surface (220a) and the second lower open surface (220b). Each of the first lower open surface (220a) and the second lower open surface (220b) may have a shape in which the whole area is open, for example.

[0065] In addition, the size, shape, height, etc., of the upper open surface (210) and the lower open surface (220), respectively, are not limited to those described in the present invention, and can be varied and changed in various ways to suit the environment in which the present invention is implemented, such as the type of electrode active material (1) and the size of the calendering roll.

[0066] The main body (230) of the loading unit (200) has a shape in which plates surround it on all sides, except for the upper open surface (210) and the lower open surface (220), so that a space (S) in which an electrode active material (1) is received is formed inside. More specifically, the main body (230) includes a first plate (231) placed on a preceding first roll (110) and a second plate (232) placed on a subsequent second roll (120), and includes a third plate (233) and a fourth plate (234) formed at each end between the first plate (231) and the second plate (232).

[0067] In summary, the surfaces of the four plates (first plate (231) to fourth plate (234)) forming the main body (230) and the first roll (110) and second roll (120) located at the lower open surface (220) each form a space (S) in which an electrode active material (1) is received. The four plates forming the main body (230) may be formed separately and combined, or they may be formed integrally.

[0068] The main body (230) of the loading unit (200) has a structure including an inclined surface. More specifically, the main body (230) has a structure including an inclined surface that is inclined toward the trailing second roll (120). To elaborate, the angular velocity (w2) of the trailing second roll (120) is greater than the angular velocity (w1) of the preceding first roll (110), and the main body (230) has a shape inclined toward the roll having the greater angular velocity among the first roll (110) and the second roll (120).

[0069] To elaborate, the main body (230) is positioned to be tilted at a predetermined angle (θ) toward, for example, the second roll (120) which rotates at a greater angular velocity. For example, the angular velocity (w2) of the second roll (120) is greater than the angular velocity (w1) of the first roll (110) (see FIG. 2).

[0070] More specifically, the first plate (231) extending upward from the surface of the preceding first roll (110) and the second plate (232) extending upward from the surface of the following second roll (120) have inclined surfaces. In this case, the first plate (231) and the second plate (232) have a shape inclined toward the second roll (120) rotating at a greater angular velocity. For example, the first plate (231) and the second plate (232) may be substantially parallel.

[0071] Meanwhile, the angle (θ) at which the main body (230) is tilted can be appropriately adjusted to suit the process environment, electrode active material, etc. in which the present invention is actually implemented. For example, it can be appropriately adjusted to suit at least one of the following: the difference value between the angular velocity of the first roll (110) and the angular velocity of the second roll (120), the temperature and / or humidity of the process atmosphere, the unit loading amount of the electrode active material (1) (loading amount per hour or loading amount per cycle, etc.), the height at which the electrode active material (1) is loaded, the type and / or viscosity of the electrode active material (1), and the frictional force between the electrode active material (1) and the main body (230) of the loading unit (200).

[0072] Typically, since the plane (the xz plane in FIG. 3) perpendicular to the direction of travel of the electrode sheets of the first roll (110) and the second roll (120) is formed vertically, it is desirable that the third plate (233) and the fourth plate (234) are also arranged vertically accordingly.

[0073] Referring to the partial enlarged view of FIG. 4, the loading unit (200) is positioned spaced apart from the circumferential surface of the first roll (110) and the circumferential surface of the second roll (120). For ease of understanding, FIG. 4 shows the first lower open surface (220a) and the second lower open surface (220b) of the loading unit (200) as dotted lines, and illustrates that the first lower open surface (220a) of the loading unit (200) is spaced apart from the circumferential surface of the first roll (110), and the second lower open surface (220b) of the loading unit (200) is spaced apart from the circumferential surface of the second roll (120).

[0074] For reference, FIG. 4 does not show the third plate (233) and the fourth plate (234) connecting the first plate (231) and the second plate (232) at both ends, respectively. However, as described above in FIG. 3, the outlines of the third plate (233) and the fourth plate (234) coincide with the outlines of the first plate (231) and the second plate (232), the first lower open surface (220a), and the second lower open surface (220b) in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, so it can be seen that the third plate (233) and the fourth plate (234) are likewise spaced apart from the circumferential surface of the first roll (110) and the circumferential surface of the second roll (120), respectively.

[0075] The above spacing distance can be appropriately modified or changed according to the environment in which the present invention is implemented and the type and diameter (diameter of the powder) of the electrode active material, and, for example, may be in the range of several micrometers to several millimeters, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient if the spacing between the loading unit (200), the circumferential surface of the first roll (110), and the circumferential surface of the second roll (120) is such that it prevents the electrode active material (1) from deviating in an unwanted direction or position.

[0076] Meanwhile, as described above, the loading unit (200) is positioned spaced apart from the circumferential surface of the first roll (110) and the circumferential surface of the second roll (120). Accordingly, the current collector (10) can be fed into the spaced-apart space between the circumferential surface of the first roll (110) and the lower end of the first plate (231) of the loading unit (200). In addition, since the loading unit (200) does not cause unnecessary contact or friction with the first roll (110) and the second roll (120), the first roll (110) and the second roll (120) can rotate more easily. Furthermore, damage to the first roll (110), the second roll (120), and the loading unit (200) can also be prevented. In addition, since the loading unit (200) is positioned apart from the surface of the collector (10) on the first roll (110), it enables smooth feeding of the collector (10) and prevents damage to the collector (10) caused by friction between the collector (10) and the loading unit (200).

[0077]

[0078] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electrode manufacturing device (100) can improve the quality of the electrode sheet being manufactured by including a loading unit (200).

[0079] To elaborate, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the electrode active material (1) is not fed directly from the feeder (140) into the space between the first roll (110) and the second roll (120), but is accumulated in the receiving space (S) inside the main body (230) of the loading unit (200). Accordingly, compared to the case where the same amount of electrode active material (1) is fed into the space between the first roll (110) and the second roll (120) in the prior art (Fig. 1), in the case of the present invention, even if the same amount of electrode active material (1) is provided from the feeder (140), the height of the electrode active material (1) accumulated in the receiving space (S) is higher.

[0080] Accordingly, according to the present invention, when the electrode active material (1) accumulated in the receiving space (S) is fed between the first roll (110) and the second roll (120), the electrode active material (1) is packed at a high density, so the electrode loading amount can be increased, and the quality of the electrode sheet manufactured accordingly is improved.

[0081] Meanwhile, additionally or alternatively, the loading unit (200) described in FIGS. 2 to 4 may be implemented by including a material or structure having a higher surface roughness (roughness) on the inner surface of the main body (230) (i.e., the surface facing each other between the first plate (231) and the second plate (232) and the surface facing each other between the third plate (233) and the fourth plate (234)).

[0082] For example, the inner surface of the main body (230) may be coated with a material having high surface roughness (roughness), or the inner surface of the main body (230) may be implemented in a manner such as including a plurality of protrusion structures. Accordingly, a vortex can be more easily formed in the electrode active material (1) loaded in the receiving space (S) within the main body (230) of the loading unit (200). As described above, when a vortex is formed in the electrode active material (1), the loading uniformity is improved, and the quality of the final manufactured electrode can be improved.

[0083]

[0084] FIG. 6 is a reference diagram of a comparative example. FIG. 6 (a) shows an initial state in which an electrode active material (1) is supplied into a loading unit (20), and FIG. 6 (b) shows a state in which a predetermined amount of time has elapsed from the state of FIG. 6 (a) in the manufacturing process of an electrode active material layer (11).

[0085] FIG. 7 is a reference diagram of the loading unit of FIG. 2. Likewise, FIG. 7 (a) shows an initial state in which the electrode active material (1) is supplied into the loading unit (20), and FIG. 7 (b) shows a state in which a predetermined amount of time has elapsed from the state of FIG. 7 (a) during the manufacturing process of the electrode active material layer (11).

[0086] First, FIG. 6 illustrates a case as a comparative example of FIG. 7 in which the loading unit (20) is formed vertically without having an inclined surface as in the present invention.

[0087] In the case of the comparative example of FIG. 6, as in the case of FIG. 2 of the present invention, the angular velocity (w2) of the second roll (120) that follows is greater than the angular velocity (w1) of the first roll (110) that follows.

[0088] Accordingly, even if the height of the electrode active material (1) is initially supplied uniformly (evenly, flatly) within the loading unit (20) as shown in FIG. 6 (a), as time passes, the height of the electrode active material (1) within the loading unit (20) becomes non-uniform as shown in FIG. 6 (b). That is, as time passes, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the electrode active material (1) located on the side of the second roll (120) with a higher angular velocity is relatively more discharged, so an uneven pressure distribution of the electrode active material (1) within the loading unit (20) occurs.

[0089] On the other hand, when implemented with a loading unit (200) according to the embodiment of FIG. 2 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7 (a) and FIG. 7 (b), even as time passes, the height of the electrode active material (1) within the loading unit (200) can be maintained in a uniform (even, flat) state.

[0090] Even if the trailing second roll (120) rotates at an angular velocity (w2) greater than the angular velocity (w1) of the leading first roll (110), the loading unit (200) has an inclined surface tilted toward the trailing second roll (120), so the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) can be maintained uniformly even after time has elapsed, as shown in FIG. 7 (b). Accordingly, a uniform pressure distribution of the loaded electrode active material (1) can be consistently achieved.

[0091] Meanwhile, in addition to the embodiment in which the loading unit (200) includes an inclined surface inclined toward the subsequent second roll (120) as described above, the following method can be additionally (incidentally) applied to ensure a uniform pressure distribution of the loaded electrode active material (1).

[0092] For example, by adjusting the position of the feeder (140), a more uniform pressure distribution of the loaded electrode active material (1) can be achieved. More specifically, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, by adjusting the position of the feeder (140), which is positioned between the end located on the first roll (110) side and the end located on the second roll (120) side among the two ends of the upper open surface (210) of the loading unit (200), to either the first roll (110) side or the second roll (120) side as needed, the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded within the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be adjusted more precisely.

[0093] For example, although not illustrated in the drawings of the present invention, in a situation where the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) increases as it moves toward the second roll (120), the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) can be flattened by finely advancing the feeder (140) toward the first roll (110). Conversely, in a situation where the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) increases as it moves toward the first roll (120), the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) can be flattened by finely advancing the feeder (140) toward the second roll (120).

[0094] Alternatively, for example, depending on the situation, by adjusting the amount of electrode active material (1) supplied from the feeder (140) into the main body (230) of the loading unit (200), the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded into the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be adjusted more precisely.

[0095] For example, assuming a case where the feeder (140) is positioned so as to be biased toward the second roll (120) rather than the first roll (110), even though it is not illustrated in the drawings of the present invention, in a situation where the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) increases toward the second roll (120), the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) can be flattened by reducing the supply amount or supply speed of the electrode active material (1) from the feeder (140). Conversely, in a situation where the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) increases toward the first roll (120), the height of the electrode active material (1) loaded in the main body (230) of the loading unit (200) can be flattened by increasing the supply amount or supply speed of the electrode active material (1) from the feeder (140).

[0096]

[0097] In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode active material (1) may be, for example, an electrode active material powder used in a dry electrode manufacturing process.

[0098] That is, the embodiments of the present invention described above can be applied, for example, to a manufacturing process of a dry electrode.

[0099] The electrode according to the present invention may be an anode or a cathode. That is, the manufacturing process of the electrode according to the present invention is not particularly limited to an anode or a cathode and can be easily applied to the manufacture of any electrode, and different electrodes can be manufactured depending on the material used in the manufacture of each electrode (e.g., an anode active material or a cathode active material). Accordingly, the term "electrode" used in the electrode, electrode active material, electrode current collector, etc. in this specification may mean both an anode and a cathode unless specifically defined otherwise.

[0100] In the manufacturing process of the dry electrode of the present invention, an electrode active material and a binder polymer, etc. are dry-mixed to obtain a mixture.

[0101] Any material containing lithium capable of absorbing and releasing 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) or 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, etc.; lithium copper oxide (Li2CuO2); vanadium oxides such as LiV3O8, LiFe3O4, V2O5, Cu2V2O7, etc.; chemical formula LiNi 1-x M xNi-site type lithium nickel oxide represented by O2 (where M = Co, Mn, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, or Ga, and x = 0.01 ~ 0.3); chemical formula LiMn 2-x M x Lithium manganese composite oxide represented by O2 (where M = Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, Zn, or Ta, and x = 0.01 to 0.1) or Li2Mn3MO8 (where M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn); LiNi x Mn 2-x It may include, but is not limited to, a lithium manganese composite oxide with a spinel structure represented by O4; LiMn2O4 in which a portion of the Li in the chemical formula is substituted with an alkaline earth metal ion; a disulfide compound; Fe2(MoO4)3, etc. Additionally, the anode may have an anode composite layer comprising 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.

[0102] The cathode can be manufactured by providing a cathode active material on a cathode current collector and rolling it, or by manufacturing it dry, as in the manufacturing process of the anode described above, and optionally additionally may include a conductive material, an organic binder polymer, an additive, etc., as in the anode.

[0103] In addition, the cathode active material may include, for example, a carbon material and a silicon material. The carbon material refers to a carbon material having carbon atoms as its main component. Such carbon materials may include graphite, which has a completely layered crystal structure like natural graphite; soft carbon, which has a low-crystallinity layered crystal structure (graphene structure; a structure in which hexagonal honeycomb-shaped planes of carbon are arranged in layers); hard carbon, in which such structures are mixed with amorphous portions; artificial graphite; expanded graphite; carbon fiber; non-graphitized carbon; carbon black; acetylene black; ketjen black; carbon nanotubes; fullerene; activated carbon; graphene; carbon nanotubes; and, preferably, one or more 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 together with natural graphite and / or artificial graphite, one or more of carbon black and carbon nanotubes. In this case, the carbon material may comprise 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes per 100 parts by weight of the total carbon material, and more specifically, 0.1 to 5 parts by weight; or 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes per 100 parts by weight of the total carbon material.

[0104] In addition, silicon material is a particle containing silicon (Si) as the main component as a metallic component, comprising silicon (Si) particles and silicon oxide (SiO₂). X It may include one or more of the particles (1≤X≤2). As one example, the silicon material may include silicon (Si) particles, silicon monoxide (SiO) particles, silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles, or a mixture of these particles.

[0105] In addition, in the present invention, the current collector may be a metal plate or the like that exhibits electrical conductivity, and may be appropriate depending on the polarity of the current collector electrode known in the field of secondary batteries.

[0106] In addition, the conductive material in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity without causing chemical changes in the battery.

[0107] 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.

[0108] According to these embodiments of the present invention, when a pattern is to be formed on the surface of an electrode, no additional process for pattern formation is required, thereby improving process efficiency. Furthermore, by using an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention, the specific surface area of ​​the electrode can be effectively increased, allowing more electrolyte ions to be stored during battery charging, thus improving the performance of the battery.

[0109] In this embodiment, terms indicating directions such as front, back, left, right, up, and down have been used; however, these terms are for convenience of explanation only and may vary depending on the location of the object or the position of the observer.

[0110] The electrode manufactured by applying the control method of the electrode manufacturing device according to the embodiment described above may be included in a secondary battery, and such secondary batteries may be assembled in multiple numbers to form a battery module. The battery module may be mounted together with various control and protection systems, such as a Battery Management System (BMS) and a cooling system, to form a battery pack.

[0111] Secondary batteries, battery modules, or battery packs can be applied to various devices. Specifically, they can be applied to means of transportation such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and hybrids, but are not limited to these; they can be applied to various devices capable of using secondary batteries.

[0112] Although 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 by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0113] [Explanation of the symbol]

[0114] 1: Electrode

[0115] 10: The whole house

[0116] 11: Electrode active material layer

[0117] 100: Electrode manufacturing device

[0118] 110: 1st Roll

[0119] 120: Second Roll

[0120] 130: 3rd Roll

[0121] 140: Feeder

[0122] 200: Loading Unit

[0123] 210: Top open surface

[0124] 220: Lower open surface

[0125] 230: Main body

[0126] 231: 1st edition

[0127] 232: 2nd Edition

[0128] 233: 3rd Edition

[0129] 234: 4th Edition

[0130] S: Accommodation space

Claims

1. A plurality of rolls including a first roll and a second roll adjacent to each other; and A loading unit comprising a main body that accommodates the electrode active material and is positioned between the upper semicircle of the first roll and the upper semicircle of the second roll to load the electrode active material, and The electrode active material in the loading unit is introduced and calendered between the first roll and the second roll, which rotate in opposite directions at different angular velocities. An electrode manufacturing apparatus in which the loading unit includes an inclined surface so that the height of the electrode active material loaded within the main body of the loading unit including the inclined surface becomes uniform.

2. In Paragraph 1, An electrode manufacturing device in which the inclined surface of the above loading unit is inclined toward the trailing roll among the first roll and the second roll.

3. In Paragraph 1, An electrode manufacturing device in which the inclined surface of the loading unit is inclined toward the roll rotating at a greater angular velocity between the first roll and the second roll.

4. In Paragraph 3, An electrode manufacturing apparatus wherein the tilted angle of the loading unit is controlled according to at least one of the difference value between the angular velocity of the first roll and the angular velocity of the second roll, the temperature and / or humidity of the process atmosphere, the unit loading amount of the electrode active material, the height at which the electrode active material is loaded, the type and / or viscosity of the electrode active material, and the frictional force between the electrode active material and the main body of the loading unit.

5. In Paragraph 3, An electrode manufacturing device in which the angular velocity of the second roll is greater than the angular velocity of the first roll, and the electrode sheet formed by passing between the first roll and the second roll moves along the lower semicircle of the second roll.

6. In Paragraph 1, The lower part of the loading unit includes a lower open surface that is open toward the first roll and the second roll, and the electrode active material is fed from the lower open surface into the space between the first roll and the second roll, an electrode manufacturing device.

7. In Paragraph 1, The main body of the above loading unit comprises a first plate disposed on the first roll, a second plate disposed on the second roll, and a third plate and a fourth plate formed at each end of the first plate and the second plate, respectively. The electrode manufacturing device, wherein the first plate and the second plate are each inclined toward the roll rotating at a greater angular velocity between the first roll and the second roll.

8. In Paragraph 1, The above third plate and the above fourth plate are each formed vertically, forming an electrode manufacturing device.

9. In Paragraph 1, The above-described loading unit further comprises a first lower opening surface open toward the first roll and a second lower opening surface open toward the second roll, forming an electrode manufacturing device.

10. In Paragraph 9, An electrode manufacturing device in which the first lower open surface of the loading unit is spaced apart from the surface of the first roll, and a current collector is introduced into the spaced-apart space.

11. In Paragraph 9, An electrode manufacturing apparatus in which the electrode active material is received in a receiving space formed by the main body of the loading unit, the surface of the first roll exposed through the first lower opening, and the surface of the second roll exposed through the second lower opening.

12. In Paragraph 1, The above loading unit further comprises an upper open surface including an inlet, an electrode manufacturing device.

13. In Paragraph 12, The above-mentioned inlet is formed in the whole area or part of the above-mentioned upper open surface, an electrode manufacturing device.

14. In Paragraph 1, An electrode manufacturing apparatus further comprising a feeder disposed above the loading unit for supplying the electrode active material.

15. In Paragraph 14, An electrode manufacturing apparatus in which the position of the feeder is adjustable toward the first roll or the second roll so that the height of the electrode active material loaded within the main body of the loading unit including the inclined surface is uniform.

16. In Paragraph 14, An electrode manufacturing apparatus capable of adjusting the supply amount or supply speed of the electrode active material supplied from the feeder into the main body of the loading unit so that the height of the electrode active material loaded into the main body of the loading unit including the inclined surface is uniform.

17. In Paragraph 1, The above loading unit is an electrode manufacturing device positioned at a predetermined distance from the first roll and the second roll, respectively.

18. In Paragraph 17, An electrode manufacturing device in which the spaced predetermined distance of the loading unit is within the range of several micrometers to several millimeters.

19. In Paragraph 1, An electrode manufacturing device wherein the inner surface of the main body of the above-mentioned loading unit is coated with a material having high surface roughness or includes a plurality of protrusion structures on the inner surface of the main body.

20. In Paragraph 1, The above electrode active material is an electrode active material powder for a dry electrode manufacturing process, and the electrode manufacturing device.

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