Pouch Cell Knife Geometry for Simultaneous Corner and Side Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing pouch cell manufacturing process is complex and prone to safety issues due to separate cutting of corner and side surfaces, which can lead to scrap and insulation breakage.
Innovation Solution
A pouch cell cutting apparatus with a top knife and bottom knife, featuring protrusion parts, simultaneously cuts the corner and side surfaces of the battery cell, forming a shear angle, thereby simplifying the process and reducing the risk of scrap and insulation breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the sealing part of the pouch cell is cut using conventional separate cutting methods, then the corner part and side surface part can be cut, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and increases the risk of insulation breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cutting of the corner part and side surface part into a single simultaneous cutting operation using a integrated cutting tool. The tool features a first cutting edge for the corner part and a second cutting edge for the side surface part, both acting on the sealing part at the same time. This merging of cutting operations simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining insulation integrity by reducing the number of separate cutting steps that could potentially cause insulation breakage.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple wing press steps are performed to ensure proper sealing, then sealing quality improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the cutting operation on the sealing part immediately after sealing, before any wing press steps are performed. By cutting the sealing part that has just been formed, the invention ensures that the sealing quality is established first, and then the cutting is performed in a single operation. This eliminates the need for multiple iterative wing press steps to achieve proper sealing, as the cutting is done on the freshly sealed part, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining sealing quality.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional separate cutting steps are used for corner and side surface, then each part can be processed, but the number of process steps increases and scrap risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the cutting of both the corner part and side surface part into a single cutting step using a unified cutting tool. The tool is designed with a first cutting edge that engages the corner part and a second cutting edge that engages the side surface part, allowing both cuts to be performed simultaneously in one operation. This merging reduces the number of process steps from multiple separate cutting operations to a single integrated cutting step, thereby reducing device complexity and the risk of scrap while maintaining cutting accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A pouch cell cutting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, includes a top knife and a bottom knife for cutting a sealing part of a battery cell which includes a cell case and an electrode assembly housed in the cell case, wherein both side parts of the top knife comprises protrusion parts protruding toward the recessed parts formed on both side parts of the bottom knife, respectively, and wherein a corner part of the battery cell is cut by the protrusion part.