Battery cell manufacturing apparatus and battery cell manufacturing method for improving wetting property of electrolyte

Abstract

A battery cell manufacturing apparatus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a tray including a bottom plate and first and second rib sets respectively positioned on both sides of the bottom plate; a cell loader that loads a plurality of battery cells onto the bottom plate between the first rib set and the second rib set; and a plurality of elastic partition members positioned between first ribs included in the first rib set and second ribs included in the second rib set, the first ribs and the second ribs being positioned to correspond to each other, wherein, while the battery cells are loaded on the bottom plate, the elastic partition members press the battery cells.

Description

Battery cell manufacturing apparatus and battery cell manufacturing method for improving electrolyte impregnation

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

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0159888 filed November 12, 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 a battery cell manufacturing apparatus and a battery cell manufacturing method, and more specifically, to a battery cell manufacturing apparatus and a battery cell manufacturing method that enable an electrolyte to be impregnated into an electrode quickly and efficiently.

[0004] Recently, as the demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones has increased rapidly, and the development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites has accelerated, much research is being conducted on secondary batteries used as their power sources.

[0005] Examples of rechargeable batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium-ion batteries. Among these, lithium-ion batteries are widely used in the field of advanced electronic devices due to their advantages over nickel-based batteries, such as virtually no memory effect, allowing for free charging and discharging, a very low self-discharge rate, high operating voltage, and high energy density per unit weight.

[0006] Secondary batteries are classified according to the shape of the battery case into cylindrical batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a cylindrical metal can; prismatic batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a rectangular metal can; and pouch-type batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a pouch-type case made of aluminum laminate sheets.

[0007] The electrode assembly embedded in the battery case is a rechargeable power generator composed of a stacked structure of a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, and is classified into jellyroll type, stack type, and stack / folding type. The jellyroll type is a form in which a separator is interposed between long sheet-shaped positive and negative electrodes coated with active material and wound; the stack type is a form in which a plurality of positive and negative electrodes of a predetermined size are sequentially stacked with a separator interposed; and the stack / folding type is a composite structure of the jellyroll type and the stack type.

[0008] In order for a secondary battery containing the electrode assemblies described above to possess high capacity and high energy density and maintain a long lifespan, the electrode assemblies interposed within the battery must be completely impregnated with the electrolyte to ensure active electrode reactions between the electrodes. If the electrode assemblies are incompletely impregnated with the electrolyte, the reactions between the electrodes are not smooth, leading to increased resistance and a rapid decline in output characteristics and battery capacity. Consequently, this can result in reduced battery performance and a shortened lifespan. Furthermore, due to high resistance, there is a risk of battery degradation or explosion.

[0009] Therefore, in order to improve the performance and enhance the safety of secondary batteries, research is being conducted on various methods to increase the impregnation properties of electrode assemblies.

[0010] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery cell manufacturing apparatus and a battery cell manufacturing method that enable the electrolyte to be impregnated into the electrode quickly and efficiently.

[0011] 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.

[0012] A battery cell manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a tray including a bottom plate and first and second rib sets respectively located on both sides of the bottom plate, a cell loader that loads a plurality of battery cells onto the bottom plate between the first rib set and the second rib set, and a plurality of elastic partition members located between the first rib and the second rib that correspond to each other among a plurality of first ribs included in the first rib set and a plurality of second ribs included in the second rib set, and when the battery cells are loaded onto the bottom plate, the elastic partition members press the battery cells.

[0013] The above battery cell contains an electrolyte, and when the elastic partition member pressurizes the battery cell, the liquid level of the electrolyte may rise in the opposite direction of gravity.

[0014] The above battery cell can be loaded on the bottom plate such that the elastic partition member overlaps the front surface of the body portion of the battery cell.

[0015] Before the battery cell is loaded onto the bottom plate, the plurality of elastic bulkhead members are positioned between the first lip set and the second lip set, and the spacing between adjacent elastic bulkhead members among the plurality of elastic bulkhead members may be smaller than the thickness of the battery cell before it is loaded onto the bottom plate.

[0016] The battery cells are moved in the direction of gravity by the cell loader to load the battery cells between adjacent elastic partition members, and during the process of loading the battery cells between the elastic partition members, pressure is applied from the battery cells to the elastic partition members, and after the battery cells are loaded, pressure can be applied to the battery cells by the elastic recovery of the elastic partition members.

[0017] When the battery cells are loaded onto the bottom plate, the battery cells come into contact with the elastic bulkhead member, and the battery cells can be arranged to be spaced apart with a predetermined spacing.

[0018] The above elastic partition member can press the body portion of the battery cell in the thickness direction of the battery cell.

[0019] Before the battery cell is loaded onto the bottom plate, the elastic bulkhead member may encroach upon the loading space of the battery cell.

[0020] The above battery cell can be a pouch-type battery cell.

[0021] The upper portion of the above elastic bulkhead member may have a chamfered structure.

[0022] The upper and lower portions of the elastic bulkhead member each have a first thickness and a second thickness, and the first thickness may be smaller than the second thickness.

[0023] The above battery cell manufacturing device may further include an external frame on which the tray is mounted.

[0024] A method for manufacturing a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: forming a plurality of elastic partition members spaced apart with a predetermined spacing on a tray comprising a bottom plate and first and second rib sets located on each side of the bottom plate; loading battery cells into a cell insertion portion formed in the space between adjacent elastic partition members among the plurality of elastic partition members; and performing a pre-aging process while the elastic partition members press the battery cells.

[0025] While the above elastic partition member pressurizes the battery cell, the liquid level of the electrolyte contained in the battery cell can rise in the opposite direction of gravity.

[0026] The predetermined spacing of the plurality of elastic partition members is smaller than the thickness of the battery cell before it is loaded into the cell insertion part, and when the battery cell is inserted into the cell insertion part, the elastic partition members receive pressure from the battery cell and their thickness is reduced, and the elastic partition members are restored to their original state by elasticity, thereby pressurizing the battery cell.

[0027] The above battery cell manufacturing method may further include a step of performing a pre-aging process while the elastic partition member presses the body portion of the battery cell in the thickness direction of the battery cell.

[0028] When the elastic partition member presses the body portion of the battery cell, the elastic partition member may come into surface contact with the body portion of the battery cell.

[0029] The above battery cell may include an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, and a cell case that packages the electrode assembly.

[0030] According to the embodiments, during the pre-aging process, pressure can be applied to the surface of the battery cell through a highly elastic member in the tray to bring about a liquid level-raising effect. Accordingly, the electrolyte can be rapidly and efficiently impregnated into the electrode within a set time.

[0031] 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.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tray of a battery cell manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a lip structure included in the tray of Figure 1.

[0034] Figure 3 is a front view of the rib structure of Figure 2.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an external tray for moving a tray with a plurality of battery cells loaded in the tray of FIG. 1.

[0036] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the combination of the tray of Figure 1 and the outer tray of Figure 2.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a battery cell loaded in the tray of FIG. 5.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an elastic partition member according to the present embodiment arranged in the tray of FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a method of combining an elastic bulkhead member and a rib according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a battery cell loaded in a battery cell manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing how a battery cell is inserted between adjacent elastic partition members using a battery cell manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing how battery cells are inserted between adjacent elastic partition members using a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing the structure of an elastic partition member in a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention are 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 other than those described below, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described herein.

[0046] To clearly explain the present invention, parts unrelated to the description have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0047] In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings have been arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for convenience of explanation, so it is obvious that the content of the present invention is not limited to what is illustrated. In the drawings below, the thickness of each layer has been enlarged to clearly represent various layers and regions. Also, in the drawings below, the thickness of some layers and regions has been exaggerated for convenience of explanation.

[0048] Furthermore, when describing a part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate as being "above" or "on" another part, this should be interpreted to include not only cases where the corresponding part is "directly above" the other part, but also cases where there is another part in between. Conversely, when describing a corresponding part such as a layer, membrane, region, or plate as being "directly above" another part, it may mean that there is no other part in between. Additionally, stating that a part is "above" or "on" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "above" or "on" in the opposite direction of gravity. Meanwhile, just as describing a part as being "above" or "on" another part can be understood by referring to the aforementioned content, describing a part as being "below" or "under" another part can also be understood.

[0049] 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.

[0050] Additionally, throughout the specification, "planar" means when the part is viewed from above, and "cross-sectional" means when the cross-section obtained by cutting the part vertically is viewed from the side.

[0051] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tray of a battery cell manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a lip structure included in the tray of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of the lip structure of FIG. 2.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery cell manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a tray (1000). After the completion of the packaging process and before degassing, a pre-aging process may be performed to sufficiently impregnate the electrolyte, so as to form a battery cell comprising an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, and a cell case that packages the electrode assembly. The tray (1000) according to the present embodiment may serve to maintain a state in which a plurality of battery cells are loaded in order to perform the pre-aging process.

[0053] The pre-aging process may be a process of storing the battery cells for several days in a warehouse maintained at approximately 23 degrees while stacking them vertically in an activation tray to ensure sufficient impregnation with the electrolyte after the packaging process of the battery cells.

[0054] The tray (1000) according to the present embodiment includes a bottom plate (1100) and, respectively, a first and second rib set (1200, 1300; rib set) located on both sides of the bottom plate (1100). The first rib set (1200) includes a plurality of first ribs (1201) spaced apart at a predetermined interval, and the second rib set (1300) includes a plurality of second ribs (1301) spaced apart at a predetermined interval.

[0055] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the first lip (1201) and the second lip (1301) each have a structure protruding in the opposite direction of gravity (z-axis) from both sides of the bottom plate (1100), and may include a first part (1250) on which the electrode lead of the battery cell is mounted, and a second part (1255) extending above the first part (1250). At this time, the first part (1250) may have a first width (d1), and the second part (1255) may have a second width (d2), and the first width (d1) may be larger than the second width (d2). The first width (d1) and the second width (d2) may be widths defined in the direction (x-axis) in which the electrode lead of the battery cell protrudes when the battery cell is loaded on the tray (1000).

[0056] As illustrated in FIG. 3, a cell insertion section (110S) may be formed so that a battery cell can be loaded and aligned between adjacent ribs (1201, 1301). The cell insertion section (110S) may be a space in which the end of the battery cell is inserted into the first and second ribs (1201, 1301) in a vertical direction (-z-axis). A gap may be formed between adjacent ribs (1201, 1301) located below the cell insertion section (110S) so that the electrode lead of the battery cell can be seated in the gap.

[0057] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an external tray for moving a tray with a plurality of battery cells loaded in the tray of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the tray of FIG. 1 and the external tray of FIG. 2 combined.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the outer tray (2000) can serve as an external box for delivering the tray (1000) loaded with the battery cells to a required location, such as a chamber for carrying out a pre-aging process. A tray (1000) with multiple battery cells (110) stacked on it can be stored on the outer tray (2000). The outer tray (2000) may have a frame including an upper frame, a lower frame, and a side frame connecting them. The tray (1000) can be stored inside the frame. The outer tray (2000) can serve to secure the tray (1000) on which the battery cells are directly loaded. That is, the tray (1000) can be assembled on the outer tray (2000), and the battery cells can be mounted on the tray (1000).

[0059] As described above, the battery cell (110) loaded onto the tray (1000) according to the present embodiment may include an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, and a cell case that packages the electrode assembly. With reference to FIG. 6, the battery cell (110) will be described in detail.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a battery cell loaded in the tray of FIG. 5.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 6, the battery cell (110) is preferably a pouch-type battery cell. For example, the battery cell (110) according to the present embodiment has a structure in which two electrode leads (111, 112) face each other and protrude from one end (114a) and the other end (114b) of the cell body (113), respectively. More specifically, the electrode leads (111, 112) are connected to an electrode assembly (not shown) and protrude from the electrode assembly (not shown) to the outside of the battery cell (110).

[0062] Meanwhile, the battery cell (110) can be manufactured by bonding the two ends (114a, 114b) of the cell case (114) and the one side (114c) connecting them, while the electrode assembly (not shown) is housed in the cell case (114). In other words, the battery cell (110) according to the present embodiment has a total of three sealing parts (114sa, 114sb, 114sc), and the sealing parts (114sa, 114sb, 114sc) are sealed by a method such as heat fusion, and the other side can be formed as a connecting part (115). The cell case (114) can be made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer.

[0063] Additionally, the connecting portion (115) may extend along one edge of the battery cell (110), and a protrusion (110p) of the battery cell (110), called a bat-ear, may be formed at the end of the connecting portion (115). Additionally, as the cell case (114) is sealed with the protruding electrode leads (111, 112) in between, a terrace portion (116) may be formed between the electrode leads (111, 112) and the cell body (113). That is, the battery cell (110) includes a terrace portion (116) that extends from the cell case (114) in the direction in which the electrode leads (111, 112) protrude.

[0064] According to the present embodiment, the upper and lower portions of the battery cell (110) may correspond to a side portion (114c) and a connecting portion (115) that connect both ends (114a, 114b) of the cell case (114), respectively. The upper and lower portions of the battery cell (110) may be parts where the cell edge is cooled.

[0065] The battery cell (110) loaded in the tray (1000) according to the present embodiment contains an electrolyte. When the battery cell (110) is loaded in the tray (1000), the electrolyte may sag downward due to gravity. Therefore, if pre-aging is performed in this state, the impregnation of the electrolyte may not be efficiently achieved. To ensure efficient impregnation of the electrolyte within the battery cell (110), the tray (1000) according to the present embodiment includes an elastic partition member described later.

[0066] Although not illustrated in FIG. 5, an elastic partition member is positioned between adjacent battery cells (110) among a plurality of battery cells (110) arranged to be spaced apart with a predetermined spacing. The elastic partition member according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

[0067] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an elastic partition member according to the present embodiment arranged in the tray of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a method of joining an elastic partition member and a rib according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 7, in the tray (1000) according to the present embodiment, a plurality of elastic partition members (500) are arranged between the first lip set (1200) and the second lip set (1300). At this time, the plurality of elastic partition members (500) may be arranged such that individual elastic partition members (500) are spaced apart at a predetermined interval. The elastic partition members (500) according to the present embodiment are located between the first lip (1201) and the second lip (1301) which are positioned to correspond to each other.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 8, in order to fix the elastic partition member (500) to the tray (1000), the elastic partition member (500) can be coupled with a projection (1205) formed on the first and second ribs (1201, 1301). In the tray (1000) according to the present embodiment, in order to allow the elastic partition member (500) to be coupled with the projection (1205), holes (1205h) are formed on both sides of the elastic partition member (500), and a coupling structure may be provided in which a projection (1205) is inserted into the holes (1205h). Accordingly, a plurality of elastic partition members (500) can be stably arranged between the first rib set (1200) and the second rib set (1300). The projection (1205) and the hole (1205h) may each be formed as one or multiple.

[0070] The elastic partition member (500) according to the present embodiment may use a sponge material. Due to the softness of the sponge material, there is almost no external damage when inserting and / or pressing the battery cell (110).

[0071] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a battery cell loaded in a battery cell manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a battery cell inserted between adjacent elastic partition members using a battery cell manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Referring to FIGS. 5, 7, 9, and 10, using a battery cell manufacturing device according to the present embodiment, a battery cell (110) can be moved in the direction of gravity by a cell loader (700; cell loader) and loaded onto a bottom plate (1100). At this time, the battery cell (110) can be loaded between adjacent elastic partition members (500). During the process of loading the battery cell (110) between the elastic partition members (500), pressure can be applied from the battery cell (110) to the elastic partition members (500). After the battery cell (110) is loaded between the elastic partition members (500), pressure can be applied to the battery cell (110) by the elastic recovery of the elastic partition members (500). At this time, the elastic partition members (500) can press the body portion of the battery cell (110) in the thickness direction of the battery cell (110). Here, the body portion of the battery cell (110) may be a part corresponding to the cell body (113) with reference to the description in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, the cell body (113) may be a part that overlaps with a stack cell in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are stacked. According to the present embodiment, the battery cell occupies most of the area of ​​the body portion of the battery cell (110), and the impregnation of the electrolyte may be enhanced by applying pressure to the entire area of ​​the body portion of the battery cell (110).

[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 10, when a battery cell (110) is loaded between adjacent elastic partition members (500) using a battery cell manufacturing device according to the present embodiment, the gap (w) between adjacent elastic partition members (500) may be smaller than the thickness (t) of the battery cell before the battery cell (110) is loaded on the bottom plate. Therefore, when the battery cell (110) is inserted into the cell insertion part (110S) between the elastic partition members (500) having a gap smaller than the thickness (t) of the battery cell (110), the battery cell (110) presses against the elastic partition members (500) during the loading process, and after the battery cell (110) is loaded, the elastic force of the elastic partition members (500) presses against the battery cell (110). At this time, the liquid level of the electrolyte contained in the battery cell (110) rises in the opposite direction of gravity. Additionally, when a plurality of battery cells (110) are loaded between adjacent elastic partition members (500), the battery cells (110) can be arranged to be spaced apart with a predetermined spacing. Additionally, the battery cells (110) and the elastic partition members (500) may come into contact, and the elastic partition members (500) may overlap the front surface of the body portion of the battery cells (110).

[0074] The battery cell manufacturing device according to the present embodiment is preferably applied to a pouch-type battery cell. This is because, when considering raising the liquid level of the electrolyte by pressurizing the battery cell (110) in the battery cell manufacturing device, in the case of a prismatic battery cell, etc., pressurization itself may be difficult due to the elastic partition member (500).

[0075] In FIG. 10, before the battery cell (110) is loaded onto the bottom plate (1100), the elastic partition member (500) may encroach upon the loading space (110S1) of the battery cell (110). As shown in FIG. 10, the loading space (110S1) of the battery cell (110) has a gap wider than the width (w) of the cell insertion part (110S), and, if there is no pressure from the elastic partition member (500), it may have a width substantially equal to the thickness (t) of the battery cell before the battery cell (110) is loaded onto the bottom plate. The loading space (110S1) of the battery cell (110) may be a virtual space.

[0076] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing how battery cells are inserted between adjacent elastic partition members using a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 11, the embodiment of FIG. 11 is mostly identical to the description in FIG. 10, except that the upper portion of the elastic partition member (500) may have a chamfered structure. Thus, by having a chamfered structure (500C) on the upper portion of the elastic partition member (500), entry into the cell insertion portion (110S) of the battery cell (110) becomes easier, and the possibility of damage occurring during loading of the battery cell (110) can be reduced. The chamfered structure (500C) according to the present embodiment may be formed lengthwise along the x-axis direction of FIG. 7, or a plurality of chamfered structures may be formed spaced apart at predetermined intervals.

[0078] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing the structure of an elastic partition member in a battery cell manufacturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 12, the embodiment according to FIG. 11 is mostly the same as described in FIG. 10, except that the upper (500A) and lower (500B) of the elastic partition member (500) each have a first thickness (S1) and a second thickness (S2), and the first thickness (S1) may be smaller than the second thickness (S2). Due to the design of the elastic partition member (500) as described above, the force pulling up the electrolyte concentrated at the bottom of the battery cell (110) in the opposite direction of gravity is formed to be greater than the force applied to the top of the battery cell (110), thereby enabling more uniform electrolyte impregnation. For example, when a battery cell (110) is inserted into a cell insertion portion (110S) between elastic partition members (500), the pressure applied to the battery cell (110) from the lower portion (500B) of the elastic partition member (500) is stronger than the pressure applied to the battery cell (110) from the upper portion (500A) of the elastic partition member (500). Therefore, the uniformity of electrolyte impregnation can be increased by significantly increasing the effect of offsetting gravity at the lower portion of the battery cell (110) where the electrolyte is more concentrated.

[0080] At this time, the gap between the upper portions (500A) of adjacent elastic partition members (500) needs to be designed to be thinner than the thickness (t) of the battery cell (110). This is because if the gap between the upper portions (500A) of adjacent elastic partition members (500) is designed to be thicker than the thickness (t) of the battery cell (110), the electrolyte impregnation at the upper portion of the battery cell (110) may be reduced.

[0081] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] A method for manufacturing a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: forming a plurality of elastic partition members spaced apart with a predetermined spacing on a tray comprising first and second rib sets (S1); loading battery cells into a cell insertion portion formed in the space between adjacent elastic partition members among the plurality of elastic partition members (S2); and performing a pre-aging process while the elastic partition members press the battery cells (S3). The tray comprises a bottom plate and the first and second rib sets located on each side of the bottom plate.

[0083] The predetermined spacing of the plurality of elastic partition members is smaller than the thickness of the battery cell before it is loaded into the cell insertion part. When the battery cell is inserted into the cell insertion part, the elastic partition members receive pressure from the battery cell and their thickness is reduced, and as the elastic partition members return to their original state due to elasticity, they can pressurize the battery cell.

[0084] The method for manufacturing a battery cell according to the present embodiment further includes the step of performing a pre-aging process while pressing the body portion of the battery cell in the thickness direction of the battery cell. During the pre-aging process, while the elastic partition member presses the battery cell, the liquid level of the electrolyte contained in the battery cell may rise in the direction opposite to gravity. Accordingly, the electrolyte can be rapidly and efficiently impregnated into the electrode contained in the battery cell.

[0085] When the elastic partition member presses the body portion of the battery cell, the elastic partition member may come into surface contact with the body portion of the battery cell.

[0086]

[0087] 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.

[0088]

[0089] [Explanation of the symbol]

[0090] 110: Battery cell

[0091] 110S: Cell insertion part

[0092] 110S1: Cargo space

[0093] 113: Cell body

[0094] 114: Cell Case

[0095] 500: Elastic bulkhead member

[0096] 1000: Tray

[0097] 1100: Bottom plate

[0098] 1200, 1300: 1st and 2nd Lip Sets

[0099] 1201, 1301: 1st, 2nd

[0100] 1205: Protrusion

[0101] 1250, 1255: Parts 1 and 2

Claims

1. A tray comprising a bottom plate and first and second rib sets located on each side of the bottom plate, A cell loader that allows a plurality of battery cells to be loaded onto the bottom plate between the first lip set and the second lip set, and It includes a plurality of elastic partition members located between a plurality of first lips and a plurality of second lips that are positioned to correspond to each other among a plurality of first lips included in the first lip set and a plurality of second lips included in the second lip set, and A battery cell manufacturing device in which the elastic bulkhead member presses the battery cell while the battery cell is loaded on the bottom plate.

2. In Paragraph 1, A battery cell manufacturing device in which the above-mentioned battery cell contains an electrolyte, and when the above-mentioned elastic partition member pressurizes the above-mentioned battery cell, the liquid level of the electrolyte rises in the opposite direction of gravity.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above battery cell is a battery cell manufacturing device in which the above battery cell is loaded on the bottom plate such that the elastic partition member overlaps the front surface of the body portion of the above battery cell.

4. In Paragraph 1, Before the battery cell is loaded onto the bottom plate, the plurality of elastic bulkhead members are positioned between the first lip set and the second lip set, and A battery cell manufacturing device in which the spacing between adjacent elastic partition members among the plurality of elastic partition members is smaller than the thickness of the battery cell prior to being loaded on the bottom plate.

5. In Paragraph 4, A battery cell manufacturing apparatus that moves the battery cell in the direction of gravity by the cell loader and loads the battery cell between adjacent elastic partition members, applies pressure from the battery cell to the elastic partition member during the process of loading the battery cell between the elastic partition members, and after the battery cell is loaded, applies pressure to the battery cell by the elastic recovery of the elastic partition member.

6. In Paragraph 5, A battery cell manufacturing apparatus in which, when the above-mentioned battery cells are loaded onto the above-mentioned bottom plate, the above-mentioned battery cells and the above-mentioned elastic partition member come into contact, and the above-mentioned battery cells are arranged to be spaced apart with a predetermined spacing.

7. In Paragraph 5, The above elastic partition member is a battery cell manufacturing device that presses the body portion of the battery cell in the thickness direction of the battery cell.

8. In Paragraph 1, A battery cell manufacturing device in which, prior to the battery cell being loaded onto the bottom plate, the elastic bulkhead member encroaches upon the loading space of the battery cell.

9. In Paragraph 1, The above battery cell is a battery cell manufacturing device using a pouch-type battery cell.

10. In Paragraph 1, A battery cell manufacturing device having a chamfered structure at the upper portion of the above elastic partition member.

11. In Paragraph 1, A battery cell manufacturing device in which the upper and lower portions of the elastic partition member each have a first thickness and a second thickness, and the first thickness is smaller than the second thickness.

12. In Paragraph 1, A battery cell manufacturing device further comprising an external frame on which the above-mentioned tray is mounted.

13. A step of forming a plurality of elastic partition members spaced apart with a predetermined spacing on a tray comprising a bottom plate and first and second rib sets located on each side of the bottom plate, A step of loading battery cells into a cell insertion portion formed in the space between adjacent elastic partition members among the plurality of elastic partition members, and A method for manufacturing a battery cell comprising the step of performing a pre-aging process while the above elastic partition member presses the battery cell.

14. In Paragraph 13, A method for manufacturing a battery cell in which, while the above elastic partition member presses the battery cell, the liquid level of the electrolyte contained in the battery cell rises in the opposite direction of gravity.

15. In Paragraph 13, A method for manufacturing a battery cell in which the predetermined spacing of the plurality of elastic partition members is smaller than the thickness of the battery cell before being loaded into the cell insertion part, and when the battery cell is inserted into the cell insertion part, the elastic partition members receive pressure from the battery cell and their thickness is reduced, and the elastic partition members are restored to their original state by elasticity while pressurizing the battery cell.

16. In Paragraph 13, A method for manufacturing a battery cell, further comprising the step of performing a pre-aging process while the elastic partition member presses the body portion of the battery cell in the thickness direction of the battery cell.

17. In Paragraph 16, A method for manufacturing a battery cell in which, when the elastic partition member presses the body portion of the battery cell, the elastic partition member is in surface contact with the body portion of the battery cell.

18. In Paragraph 13, A method for manufacturing a battery cell comprising: an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, and a cell case packaging the electrode assembly.

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