Rounded Electrode Assembly via Zigzag Separator and Curved Pressing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing electrode assemblies struggle to produce rounded shapes due to adhesion issues between electrodes and separators, making it difficult to maintain the rounded form during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a zigzag folding of the separator sheet to alternately stack unit cells, followed by a lamination process using rounded heating presses to bond the unit cells and separator sheet, ensuring the electrode assembly is formed and maintained in a rounded shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the electrode assembly is pressed in the conventional stacking method, then the unit cells and separator sheet are bonded together, but the electrode assembly cannot be manufactured in a rounded shape due to adhesion issues
Solution Approach 1:
The separator sheet is preliminarily folded into a zigzag shape before stacking the unit cells. This preliminary folding creates predetermined bending zones that guide the final rounded shape formation during pressing, allowing the electrode assembly to be easily manufactured in a rounded shape without adhesion issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing surfaces of the heating presses are designed with rounded curvature that matches the desired electrode assembly shape. The zigzag-folded separator sheet conforms to this curved pressing surface, enabling the manufacturing of electrode assemblies in rounded shapes while maintaining proper adhesion between unit cells and separator sheet.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the electrode assembly is pressed to bond unit cells and separator sheet, then adhesion is achieved, but the rounded shape cannot be maintained due to adhesion problems
Solution Approach 1:
The separator sheet is preliminarily folded into a zigzag shape that creates natural bending zones. This preliminary action ensures that when pressing is applied to bond the unit cells and separator sheet, the rounded shape is maintained because the zigzag folds guide the deformation along the desired curved path, preventing adhesion failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the separator sheet is changed by folding it into a zigzag configuration before assembly. This parameter change in the separator sheet's geometry allows it to maintain the rounded shape during bonding, as the folded structure provides mechanical stability and guides the pressing force to achieve both adhesion and shape maintenance simultaneously.
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
This approach allows for the easy manufacture and continuous maintenance of electrode assemblies in a rounded shape, preventing damage and cracking by generating a restoring force that maintains the bent state, thus facilitating the use of these assemblies in devices with curved designs.
Implementation Method 1
a lamination process of heating and pressing both surfaces of the electrode assembly through a pair of heating presses to bond the plurality of unit cells and the separator sheet to each other
Implementation Method 2
a lamination process of heating and pressing both surfaces of the electrode assembly through a pair of heating presses to bond the plurality of unit cells and the separator sheet to each other
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, an electrode manufactured therethrough, and a secondary battery. The method for manufacturing the electrode assembly according to the present invention comprises: a stacking process of stacking a plurality of unit cells, each of which comprises an electrode and a separator, and a separator sheet, wherein the separator sheet is folded in a zigzag shape to locate the unit cells between the folded separator sheets, thereby forming an electrode assembly in the separator sheet is stacked in the zigzag shape; and a lamination process of heating and pressing both surfaces of the electrode assembly through a pair of heating presses to bond the plurality of unit cells and the separator sheet to each other, wherein, in the lamination process, each of the pair of heating presses are formed in a rounded shape to form the electrode assembly in a rounded shape when pressing the electrode assembly.