Metal Foil Roller Protrusions for Ni/MH Battery Substrate

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manufacturing of metal-made three-dimensional substrates for electrodes in electrochemical products faces challenges such as accumulation of minute fragments on rollers, reduced contact area with active material, and uneven wear leading to poor current collection performance, especially in the context of Ni/MH batteries.

Innovation Solution

The surface of rollers is processed with a grid pattern of protrusions and concavities to prevent fragment accumulation, and the shape of protrusions is designed with a rising angle of 55 to 75 degrees to form innumerable wrinkles on the substrate, enhancing contact area and wear resistance, ensuring consistent height and preventing displacement during processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional rollers with smooth surfaces are used for processing metal foil, then the manufacturing process is simple, but minute fragments accumulate on the rollers causing interruptions and reduced productivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous manufacturing capabilityVSAvoidfragment accumulation on rollers

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The roller surface is designed with a grid pattern of protrusions and concavities, creating a porous-like structure that prevents fragment accumulation. The concavities act as receptacles that trap fragments, while the protrusions maintain processing effectiveness, enabling continuous manufacturing without interruptions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The roller surface is segmented into a grid pattern of discrete protrusions and concavities rather than being smooth or uniformly textured. This segmentation allows different regions of the roller surface to serve different functions: protrusions for processing metal foil and concavities for fragment collection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the contact area between substrate and active material is increased, then current collection capability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecurrent collection capabilityVSAvoidsubstrate structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The substrate is transformed from a flat two-dimensional surface to a three-dimensional structure with protrusions and concavities. This dimensional change increases the surface area available for contact with active material without requiring additional components or complex assembly, thereby improving current collection capability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Manufacturing precision

If protrusions on rollers are made with sharp tips for precise processing, then manufacturing precision is high, but wear occurs unevenly leading to displacement and reduced reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing precisionVSAvoidconsistent substrate height

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusions are designed with predetermined geometry including a rising angle of 55 to 75 degrees and flat portions at specific heights. This preliminary design of the protrusion shape anticipates wear patterns and ensures that even as the protrusions wear, the flat portions maintain consistent substrate height and prevent displacement, thereby preserving reliability over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusion geometry is optimized with specific parameters: a rising angle of 55 to 75 degrees and inclusion of flat portions. These parameter changes balance processing precision with wear resistance, ensuring that the protrusions maintain their functional geometry longer and prevent substrate displacement during continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Area of stationary object

If the rising angle of protrusions is increased to form more wrinkles, then contact area with active material increases, but manufacturing precision may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact area with active materialVSAvoidsubstrate height consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The rising angle of the protrusions is optimized to a specific range of 55 to 75 degrees. This parameter optimization balances two competing requirements: a steeper angle creates more wrinkles and increases contact area with active material, while a gentler angle maintains easier manufacturing. The specified range achieves the optimal compromise, forming sufficient wrinkles for good contact while maintaining manufacturing precision and substrate height consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9299986B2Method for manufacturing metal-made three-dimensional substrate for electrodes, metal-made three-dimensional substrate for electrodes and electrochemical applied products using the same

Publication Date: 2016.03.29 JAPAN CAPACITOR IND CO LTD

AI summary

In a method for manufacturing a metal-made three-dimensional substrate, a metal foil is passed between a pair of rollers 21 and 22. Each surface S of a pair of the rollers 21 and 22 is provided with protrusion portions 23 arranged in a grid pattern, and the protrusion portions 23 are arranged so that protrusions 23 of the one roller 22 are oriented toward the center 27 of a virtual quadrangle having four adjacent protrusion portions 23a to 23d of the other roller 21 as the apices.