Retractable Heat Plate Pressing for Secondary Battery Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secondary battery manufacturing processes face challenges in uniformly applying heat and pressure to electrode assemblies, leading to potential misalignment and inefficiencies during the production of prismatic and pouch-shaped batteries.
Innovation Solution
A pressing apparatus with a gripper and dual heat plates is employed to fix and transfer electrode assemblies, ensuring uniform application of heat and pressure across the entire assembly, avoiding interference with electrode tabs, and using retractable heat plates to secure the assembly during heating and pressing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single heat plate is used to heat and press the electrode assembly, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and uniformity of heat/pressure application deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The heat plate system is segmented into a first heat plate for heating/pressing and a second heat plate for fixing. This segmentation allows each heat plate to perform its specialized function independently, improving both the precision of alignment and the uniformity of heat and pressure application without excessive complexity
2Reliability
If the second heat plate is always protruding to fix the electrode assembly, then the reliability of fixation is improved, but the ease of operation and productivity deteriorate due to interference with heating/pressing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The second heat plate is designed to be movable between protruding and retracted positions. It protrudes to fix the electrode assembly during loading/unloading operations for reliability, but retracts during heating and pressing operations to avoid interference and maintain productivity
3Ease of operation
If the gripper holding portions are positioned close to the electrode assembly edges for efficient fixing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to potential interference with heat plate operations
Solution Approach 1:
The design considers spatial relationships in multiple dimensions, positioning the gripper holding portions at specific distances from the electrode assembly edges. This dimensional positioning ensures the gripper can efficiently fix the assembly while maintaining sufficient clearance from the heat plates and electrode tabs, preventing interference and maintaining alignment precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus ensures precise alignment and uniform application of heat and pressure, enhancing the quality and consistency of secondary battery production by preventing misalignment and separator clogging, thereby improving the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat plate including a first upper heat plate and a first lower heat plate spaced apart from each other, the first upper heat plate and the first lower heat plate being moveable and configured to heat and press the fixed electrode assembly
Implementation Method 2
the first upper heat plate and the first lower heat plate being moveable and configured to heat and press the fixed electrode assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A pressing apparatus for secondary batteries includes a gripper configured to fix an electrode assembly into a fixed electrode assembly, and to transfer the fixed electrode assembly, the fixed electrode assembly including a stack of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator, a first heat plate including a first upper heat plate and a first lower heat plate spaced apart from each other, the first upper heat plate and the first lower heat plate being configured to heat and press the fixed electrode assembly, and a second heat plate protruding from the first heat plate, the second heat plate including a second upper heat plate and a second lower heat plate configured to fix the fixed electrode assembly, and the second upper heat plate and the second lower heat plate being retractable into the first heat plate during heating and pressing of the fixed electrode assembly.