Drum Laminating Heads With Rolling Transfer for Electrode Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

In laminate-type batteries, misalignment of electrode plates occurs due to vibrations during the lamination process, leading to reduced throughput and potential gaps between layers, which is particularly problematic for lithium-ion secondary batteries where positive electrode plates should not protrude from negative electrode plates.

Innovation Solution

A laminating device with a drum section and rolling motion mechanism that uses swingable laminating heads with curved holding surfaces to smoothly transfer sheet members onto a lamination stage, ensuring precise alignment and continuous operation despite potential vibrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the suction pad is stopped on the lamination stage to perform lamination, then the sheet member can be laminated, but vibrations occur due to inertia causing misalignment and position gaps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidthroughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The suction pad is decelerated before reaching the lamination stage and maintains a stopped state at the lamination position to perform the lamination action. This preliminary deceleration and stopping action eliminates vibrations that would otherwise cause misalignment, while the system is designed to quickly resume motion after lamination to minimize throughput impact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the motion state of the suction pad by transitioning from moving to stopped state at the lamination position, and then back to moving state after lamination. This dynamic control allows precise alignment during lamination while maintaining overall system productivity through quick state transitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If a standby time is provided to wait for vibration to subside, then alignment precision is maintained, but the throughput of the laminating device is inhibited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidstandby time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The suction pad is decelerated before reaching the lamination stage and maintained in a stopped state at the lamination position, performing the lamination action during this stopped state. This eliminates the need for standby time after lamination, as the vibration-free state is maintained throughout the lamination process itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains continuous useful action by performing lamination during the stopped state without requiring additional standby time afterward. The transition from moving to stopped state and back to moving state is seamlessly integrated into the production cycle, eliminating idle time and maintaining continuous productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Productivity

If the suction pad moves at constant speed through the lamination stage, then throughput is maximized, but vibrations cause position gaps between laminated layers

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovethroughputVSAvoidposition alignment
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The suction pad's motion speed is dynamically adjusted based on its position: moving at constant speed during transport to maximize throughput, then decelerating before the lamination stage and stopping at the lamination position to eliminate vibrations and ensure precise alignment during lamination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The suction pad is decelerated before reaching the lamination stage and stopped at the lamination position to perform lamination without vibrations. This preliminary speed reduction and stopping action ensures position alignment precision during lamination while the overall system maintains high throughput through efficient motion control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 device improves throughput by maintaining precise alignment and continuous lamination, reducing the need for standby times and enhancing the manufacturing efficiency of laminate-type batteries.

Implementation Method 1

individual pieces of electrode plates and separators are sucked by a suction pad by vacuum suction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum suction: Vacuum

Implementation Method 2

a rolling motion mechanism that rolls the holding surface on the lamination surface so that a delivery point of the sheet member formed between the holding surface and the lamination surface moves

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRolling motion: Roller

Data Source

PatentEP4223680B1Laminating device
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP4223680B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4223680B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4223680B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A layering device 100 layers a plurality of sheet materials W on a layering stage 30, and comprises: a plurality of layering heads 102 each having a retaining surface 110 with a curved surface shape for retaining a sheet material W; a drum part 104 in which the plurality of layering heads 102 are arranged in the circumferential direction, the layering heads 102 are retained in a state in which the retaining surface 110 can swing, and by rotation, the drum part 104 causes each layering head 102 to advance to a layering position facing a layering surface 30a with a flat surface shape of the layering stage 30; and a rolling mechanism 106 for causing the retaining surface 110 to roll on the layering surface 30a so that a sheet material W delivery point formed between the retaining surface 110 and the layering surface 30a moves from the rear end to the front end of the sheet material W in the rotation direction D1 of the drum part 104 in a state in which the layering heads 102 are moving due to the rotation of the drum part 104.