Electrode Manufacturing Apparatus

Abstract

An electrode manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment is an electrode manufacturing apparatus that traverses an electrode substrate having a coated portion and an uncoated portion. The apparatus includes: a traversing roller that traverses the electrode substrate, wherein the traversing roller includes a first roller, and a second roller surrounding an outer surface of the first roller, and wherein a diameter of a central part of the second roller is larger than a diameter of one end part of the second roller.

Claims

1. An electrode manufacturing apparatus that traverses an electrode substrate having a coated portion and an uncoated portion, the apparatus comprising: a traversing roller that traverses the electrode substrate, wherein the traversing roller comprises a first roller having an outer surface, and a second roller surrounding the outer surface of the first roller, and wherein a diameter of a central part of the second roller is larger than a diameter of one end part of the second roller.

2. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the second roller is configured to change a position thereof in the axial direction.

3. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first roller and the second roller are separated in the axial direction.

4. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first roller has a longer axial length than an axial length of the second roller, and the first roller is exposed by at least one end part of the second roller in the axial direction.

5. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: a first groove portion having at least one groove is formed on the outer surface of the first roller exposed by the at least one end part of the second roller in the axial direction, and at least one second groove portion is formed in the at least one end part of the second roller.

6. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the first roller and the second roller are connected by a fastening member when the first groove portion and the second groove portion coincide with each other.

7. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: the fastening member is a bolt coupling type.

8. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the electrode substrate comprises a coated portion and an uncoated portion.

9. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first roller is exposed by the at least one end part of the second roller, and the at least one end part of the second roller and the exposed first roller form a step.

10. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: the electrode substrate is configured to travels in a state where the exposed first roller corresponds to the notched tab formed on the electrode substrate.

11. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: the notched tab is formed by notching a part of the uncoated portion.

12. The electrode manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: one end part of the second roller forms a non-contact region with the electrode substrate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a rolling process using a conventional rolling apparatus;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an electrode plate after rolling;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a guide roll device;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the electrode rolling device of FIG. 3;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing a state in which the electrode rolling device of FIG. 4 is viewed from the side surface;

[0033] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an electrode substrate formed by the notching process section of FIG. 3;

[0034] FIG. 7 is a view showing an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the electrode manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 7 as viewed from above;

[0036] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a traversing roller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0037] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of one end part of the traversing roller of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0038] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out them. The present disclosure may be modified in various different ways, and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0039] A description of parts not related to the description will be omitted herein for clarity, and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the description.

[0040] Further, in the drawings, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily illustrated for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, for convenience of description, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated.

[0041] In addition, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or plate is referred to as being “on” or “above” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, it means that other intervening elements are not present. Further, the word “on” or “above” means disposed on or below a reference portion, and does not necessarily mean being disposed “on” or “above” the reference portion toward the opposite direction of gravity.

[0042] Further, throughout the specification, when a portion is referred to as “including” a certain component, it means that the portion can further include other components, without excluding the other components, unless otherwise stated.

[0043] Further, throughout the specification, when referred to as “planar”, it means when a target portion is viewed from the upper side, and when referred to as “cross-sectional”, it means when a target portion is viewed from the side of a cross section cut vertically.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a guide roll device.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 3, the guide roll device 100 includes a feeding roll 201, a rolling roll 109, a notching process section 140, a guide roll 150, and a winding roll 202. Specifically, the guide roll device 100 comprises a feeding roll 201 that winds the electrode substrate 250, a rolling roll 109 in which the electrode substrate 250 is unwound from the feeding roll 201 and supplied to the guide roll device 100, and the supplied electrode substrate 250 is rolled, a notching process section 140 that performs a notching process to form a notched tab, a guide roll 150 that traverses the electrode substrate 250, and a winding roll 202 that rewinds the electrode substrate 250 in which the rolling process and the notching process have been completed.

[0046] Before rolling the electrode substrate 250 by the rolling roll 109, the guide roll device 100 can unwind the electrode substrate 250 wound on the feeding roll 201 and coat an electrode mixture containing an active material onto an electrode current collector.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the electrode rolling device of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing a state in which the electrode rolling device of FIG. 4 is viewed from the side surface.

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the electrode substrate 250 can be rolled in a state in which the active material is coated onto the electrode current collector layer 300 to form the coated portion 400 and the uncoated portion 500, as described above.

[0049] The electrode rolling device 100 includes an unwinding roller 101 that unwinds the electrode substrate 250 having a coated portion 400 having a coating material formed on the electrode current collector layer 300 and an uncoated portion 500 corresponding to a plain portion, a rewinding roller 102 that rewinds the electrode substrate 250, a rolling roll 109 this is positioned between the unwinding roller 101 and the rewinding roller 102 and rolls the coated portion 400 and the uncoated portion 500 of the electrode substrate 250 according to the moving direction of the electrode substrate 250. The uncoated portion 500 may refer to a region excluding the coated portion 400 formed on the electrode current collector layer 300.

[0050] The unwinding roller 101 provides the electrode substrate 250, which is an object to be rolled, to the rolling device 100, and allows the electrode substrate 250 to move in the arrow direction D1 of FIG. 5 in accordance with the clockwise rotation. The electrode substrate 250 unwound by the unwinding roller 101 passes between the rolling rolls 109 while moving along the direction of the arrow. The rolling rolls 109 are respectively positioned on both sides with respect to the electrode substrate 250, and the electrode substrate 250 that has passed between the two rolling rolls 109 is pressed. After that, the electrode substrate 250 that has passed between the two rolling rolls 109 is wound on the rewinding roller 102 again.

[0051] In FIGS. 4 and 5, the electrode substrate 250 passing through the rolling roll 109 has been described as being disposed between the unwinding roller 101 and the rewinding roller 102. However, in order to ensure that the electrode manufacturing process proceeds continuously by the roll-to-roll method as shown in FIG. 3, the electrode substrate 250 supplied from the feeding roll 201 can travel without the unwinding roller 101 and the rewinding roller 102, and pass through the rolling roll 109 and be wound on the winding roll 202.

[0052] When the coated portion 400 and the uncoated portion 500 are rolled by the rolling roll 109, biased tension occurs due to the difference in tension between the coated portion 400 and the uncoated portion 500, particularly, residual stress may remain in the uncoated portion 500 or the boundary portion between the coated portion 400 and the uncoated portion 500.

[0053] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an electrode substrate formed by the notching process section of FIG. 3.

[0054] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, the uncoated portion 500 of the electrode substrate 250 may be cut by the notching process section 140 to form a notched tab 500p. The notched tab 500p may have a structure protruding from the edge portion 500a of the uncoated portion 500. After the notched tab 500p is formed by the notching process section 140, the electrode substrate 250 may be moved by the guide roll 150 for a subsequent process progress as described in FIG. 3.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a view showing an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the electrode manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 7 as viewed from above.

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the electrode substrate 250 on which the rolling process and the notching process have been performed may be transferred by the traversing roller 600 for a subsequent process. At this time, the residual stress accumulated due to a biased tension generated in the rolling process, etc. may remain in the uncoated portion 500, and thus breakage of the electrode base material 250 may occur. According to the present embodiment, in order to prevent the electrode substrate 250 from breaking, the diameter of the central part of the traversing roller 600 may be designed to be larger than the diameter of one end part of the traversing roller 600. According to the present embodiment, the non-contact region P for preventing the traversing roller 600 and the electrode substrate 250 from contacting each other in the uncoated portion 500 may be formed. For this purpose, the axial direction end part of the traversing roller 600 may have a tapered shape.

[0057] Next, the traversing roller 600 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0058] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a traversing roller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of one end part of the traversing roller of FIG. 9.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the traversing roller 600 included in the electrode manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a first roller 600a and a second roller 600b surrounding the outer surface of the first roller 600a. At this time, the axial length of the second roller 600b may correspond to the width of the electrode substrate 250 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction D1 of the electrode substrate 250 in FIG. 8. According to the present embodiment, the second roller 600b may change its position in the axial direction. The axial direction of the second roller 600b may be the x-axis direction of FIG. 9, and may be perpendicular to the traveling direction D1 of the electrode substrate 250. By allowing the second roller 600b to change its position in the axial direction, it is possible to control meandering of the electrode substrate 250. Further, the first roller 600a and the second roller 600b may be types that are separated in the axial direction.

[0060] The first roller 600a according to the present embodiment has a longer axial length than the second roller 600b, and the first roller 600a may be exposed from the axial direction end part of the second roller 600b. In other words, the first roller 600a is an inner roller, and the second roller 600b is an outer roller and surrounds the circumference of the first roller 600a, and a part of the first roller 600a having a longer axial length than the second roller 600b protrudes outside the second roller 600b.

[0061] The first roller 600a and the second roller 600b may be fastening members. The fastening member may have a bolt fastening structure as an example. In order to be fastened by bolts, a first groove portion 600h1 having at least one groove is formed on the outer surface of the first roller 600a exposed from the axial direction end part of the second roller 600b, and a second groove portion 600h2 may be formed at an axial direction end part of the second roller 600b. At this time, when the first groove portion 600h1 and the second groove portion 600h2 coincide with the second roller 600b while changing its position in the axial direction, the first roller 600a and the second roller 600b can be connected by a bolt-type coupling system.

[0062] According to the present embodiment, the first roller 600a is exposed from the axial direction end part of the second roller 600b, and the end part of the second roller 600b and the exposed first roller 600a may form a step. Since the electrode substrate 250 travels in a state where the exposed first roller 600a corresponds to the notched tab 500p shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to prevent the notched tab 500p from being folded.

[0063] Further, the diameter of the central part of the second roller 600b may be larger than the diameter of one end part of the second roller 600b. In this regard, as described in FIG. 8, the diameter of the central part of the traversing roller 600 may be designed to be larger than the diameter of one end part of the traversing roller 600, and the diameter of the central part of the second roller 600b included in the traversing roller 600 is designed to be larger than the diameter of one end part of the second roller 600b, whereby a non-contact region not in contact with the electrode substrate 250 may be formed at one end part of the second roller 600b.

[0064] Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and numerous other variations and modifications made by those skilled in the art using the basic principles of the invention defined in the appended claims also fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0065] 109: rolling roll [0066] 250: electrode substrate [0067] 500p: notched tab [0068] 600: traversing roller [0069] 600a: first roller [0070] 600b: second roller [0071] 600h1: first groove portion [0072] 600h2: second groove portion