Power Transmission Unit for Electrode Cutting Apparatuses

Abstract

A power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses includes a lift block, an upper frame, a connection shaft, and an elastic member. The lift block includes a structure configured to be mounted to a main frame so as to be movable upwards and downwards. An upper cutter holder is mounted to the upper frame and is fixed to an upper cutter configured to cut an electrode sheet. The connection shaft is configured to connect the lift block and the upper frame to each other. The elastic member is located at the upper part of the connection shaft.

Claims

1. A power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses, the power transmission unit comprising: a lift block comprising a structure configured to be mounted to a main frame so as to be movable upwards and downwards; an upper frame; an upper cutter device mounted to the upper frame and configured to cut an electrode sheet; and a first connection shaft configured to connect the lift block and the upper frame to each other.

2. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a spring or rubber.

3. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein the first connection shaft is inserted into and thereby coupled to a recess formed in the upper frame.

4. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein the lift block includes a recess configured to receive the first connection shaft and the elastic member.

5. The power transmission unit according to claim 4, wherein the upper frame is fastened to the lift block by sliding in a state in which the first connection shaft is coupled to the upper frame.

6. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing screw coupled to the lift block, wherein the first connection shaft is loosely coupled to the lift block via the elastic member located at a lower part of the fixing screw.

7. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, further comprising a second connection shaft; and a fixing frame fixed to the lift block and disposed on the first connection shaft and the second connection shaft, wherein the elastic member is disposed at an upper part of the fixing frame.

8. The power transmission unit according to claim 7, wherein a pressing force and an elastic force of the elastic member with respect to the fixing frame are equally applied to the first connection shaft and the second connection shaft.

9. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein, even though a parallelism tolerance occurs between upward and downward movements of the upper frame and upward and downward movements of the lift block performed to cut the electrode sheet, the upward and downward movements of the upper frame are along a straight line.

10. A method of assembling the power transmission unit according to claim 1, the method comprising: (a) mounting a lift block to a main frame; (b) fixing a connection shaft to an upper frame; (c) fastening the upper frame, to which the connection shaft is fixed, to the lift block by relative sliding between the connection shaft and the lift block; (d) disposing an elastic member at an upper part of the connection shaft through a through-hole of the lift block; and (e) fastening a fixing screw to the through-hole of the lift block to fix the elastic member to the lift block.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in step (c), the upper frame is fastened to the lift block by the relative sliding in a state in which a fixing frame is disposed in a recess formed in the lift block.

12. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, further comprising the main frame, wherein the lift block is mounted to the main frame.

13. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, wherein the upper cutter device includes an upper cutter holder and an upper cutter fixed to the holder and configured to cut the electrode sheet.

14. The power transmission unit according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member located at an upper part of the first connection shaft and within the lift block.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1 is a side view and a partial enlarged view of a conventional electrode cutting apparatus.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses according to an embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a side view of the power transmission unit of FIG. 2.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the power transmission unit of FIG. 2 for electrode cutting apparatuses.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing the power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses of FIG. 2 in a state in which the unit is mounted to a main frame.

[0040] FIG. 6 shows a cut section of an electrode sheet according to Comparative Example.

[0041] FIG. 7 shows a cut section of an electrode sheet according to Example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings such that the preferred embodiments of the present invention can be easily implemented by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. In describing the principle of operation of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, however, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when the same may obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

[0043] In addition, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to parts that perform similar functions or operations. In the case in which one part is said to be connected to another part throughout the specification, not only may the one part be directly connected to the other part, but also, the one part may be indirectly connected to the other part via a further part. In addition, that a certain element is included does not mean that other elements are excluded, but rather means that such elements may be further included unless mentioned otherwise.

[0044] In addition, a description to embody elements through limitation or addition may be applied to all inventions, unless particularly restricted, and does not limit a specific invention.

[0045] Also, in the description of the invention and the claims of the present application, singular forms are intended to include plural forms unless mentioned otherwise.

[0046] Also, in the description of the invention and the claims of the present application, “or” includes “and” unless mentioned otherwise. Therefore, “including A or B” means three cases, namely, the case including A, the case including B, and the case including A and B.

[0047] In addition, all numeric ranges include the lowest value, the highest value, and all intermediate values therebetween unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0048] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective view of a power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the unit of FIG. 2.

[0050] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses includes a lift block 100 including a structure mounted to a main frame (not shown) so as to be movable upwards and downwards, an upper frame 200, to which an upper cutter holder 220 having an upper cutter 210, configured to cut an electrode sheet, fixed thereto is mounted, a connection shaft 300 configured to connect the lift block 100 and the upper frame 200 to each other, and an elastic member 400 located at the upper part of the connection shaft 300.

[0051] When an electrode sheet is fed by a feeding roller, the main frame is synchronized with feeding speed of the electrode sheet and is moved in a feeding direction of the electrode sheet. When relative speed between the main frame and the electrode sheet in the feeding direction becomes 0, the upper frame is moved upwards and downwards to cut the electrode sheet.

[0052] Subsequently, when the main frame returns to a work start position, 1 cycle is completed, and the electrode sheet is cut while the cycle is repeated.

[0053] The lift block 100 is provided therein with a recess configured to receive the connection shaft 300 and the elastic member 400. The upper frame 200 may be coupled to the recess formed in the lift block 100 by sliding fastening in the state in which the connection shaft 300 is coupled thereto in a state of being integrally coupled to a lower frame 260, to which a lower cutter 250 is mounted.

[0054] Consequently, the upper frame and the lower frame may be easily mounted to an electrode cutting apparatus.

[0055] The elastic member 400 is located at the upper part of the connection shaft 300 inserted into the recess formed in the lift block 100 and at the lower part of a fixing screw 110 coupled to the lift block 100, and has a height sufficient to be contracted in the recess by insertion of the fixing screw.

[0056] Consequently, power resulting from upward and downward movement of the lift block may be transmitted to the upper frame via the elastic member and the connection shaft. In the power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses, however, the elastic member is provided in the upper frame, and therefore the lift block and the connection shaft are loosely coupled to each other.

[0057] For example, even though a movement axis along which the lift block moves upwards and downwards deviates from an initially set position, whereby parallelism tolerance occurs between the upward and downward movement of the upper frame and the upward and downward movement of the lift block performed to cut the electrode sheet, such a change less affects the upward and downward movement of the upper frame. Consequently, straightness of the upward and downward movement of the upper frame is guaranteed, whereby it is possible to prevent a change in clearance and parallelism between the upper cutter and the lower cutter that are sophisticatedly set at an initial stage.

[0058] The elastic member is mounted in the recess of the lift block so as to allow a gap between the lift block and the connection shaft to some extent. For example, a spring or rubber may be used as the elastic member.

[0059] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses, and FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing the state in which the power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses is mounted to the main frame 600.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 4, two connection shafts, i.e. a first connection shaft 310 and a second connection shaft 320, are connected to the upper frame 200, and the first connection shaft 310 and the second connection shaft 320 are disposed spaced apart from each other.

[0061] A fixing frame 500 fixed to the lift block 100 is disposed on the first connection shaft 310 and the second connection shaft 320, and the elastic member 400 disposed at the upper part of the fixing frame 500 is fixed by the fixing screw 110 fastened to the lift block 100.

[0062] In this structure, pressing force and elastic force of the elastic member 400 with respect to the fixing frame 500 are equally applied to the first connection shaft 310 and the second connection shaft 320.

[0063] A method of assembling a power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses according to an embodiment includes (a) a step of preparing a lift block mounted to a main frame, (b) a step of fixing a connection shaft to an upper frame, (c) a step of fastening the upper frame, to which the connection shaft is fixed, to the lift block by sliding, (d) a step of disposing an elastic member at the upper part of the connection shaft through a through-hole of the lift block, and (e) a step of fastening a fixing screw to the through-hole of the lift block to fix the elastic member.

[0064] The connection shaft is coupled to the upper frame such that the coupling angle of the connection shaft with respect to the upper surface of the upper frame is a right angle within a precise tolerance allowance range.

[0065] Also, in step (c), the upper frame may be fastened to the lift block by sliding in the state in which a fixing frame is disposed in a recess formed in the lift block.

[0066] After sliding fastening, a spring, as the elastic member, may be inserted into the through-hole of the lift block, and the fixing screw may be fastened to the through-hole of the lift block in order to fix the spring.

[0067] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the following example, which is provided for easier understanding of the present invention, and the category of the present invention is not limited thereto.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE

[0068] An electrode sheet was cut using a power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses configured such that a connection shaft configured to connect a lift block and an upper frame to each other is strongly coupled to the lift block via a bolt as the electrode cutting apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

[0069] A cut section of the electrode sheet is shown in FIG. 6.

EXAMPLE

[0070] An electrode sheet was cut using the power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses according to an embodiment, and a cut section of the electrode sheet is shown in FIG. 7.

[0071] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, an electrode sheet plate 711 was curved and pushed downwards at the cut section of the electrode sheet according to Comparative Example, whereby a burr was generated. An electrode mixture layer 712 was broken, whereby powder was blown, and the cut section of the electrode mixture layer was not smooth.

[0072] In contrast, an electrode sheet plate 811 was not curved at the cut section of the electrode sheet according to Example, and the cut section of an electrode mixture layer 812 was smooth.

[0073] In the case in which the power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses according to the present invention is used, as described above, it is possible to neatly cut the electrode sheet so as to have a smooth cut section and to prevent separation of the electrode mixture layer.

[0074] Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will appreciate that various applications and modifications are possible within the category of the present invention based on the above description.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0075] 10, 100: Lift blocks

[0076] 15: Headless bolt

[0077] 21, 210: Upper cutters

[0078] 110: Fixing screw

[0079] 20, 200: Upper frames

[0080] 220: Upper cutter holder

[0081] 25, 250: Lower cutters

[0082] 260: Lower frame

[0083] 30, 300: Connection shafts

[0084] 310: First connection shaft

[0085] 320: Second connection shaft

[0086] 400: Elastic member

[0087] 500: Fixing frame

[0088] 600: Main frame

[0089] 711, 811: Electrode sheet plates

[0090] 712, 812: Electrode mixture layers

[0091] As is apparent from the above description, a power transmission unit for electrode cutting apparatuses according to the present invention is configured such that an upper frame and a lift block mounted to a main frame to provide power necessary for upward and downward movement of the upper frame are fastened to each other in the state in which an elastic member is disposed therebetween, whereby the upper frame and the lift block are loosely coupled to each other.

[0092] Even though parallelism tolerance occurs between the lift block and the upper frame at the time of upward and downward movement of the lift block and upward and downward movement of the upper frame, therefore, straightness of the upper frame may be guaranteed.

[0093] Since the straightness of the upper frame is guaranteed, as described above, it is possible to prevent fluctuation in clearance between an upper cutter and a lower cutter during repetitive cutting of an electrode sheet.

[0094] Consequently, the cut section of the electrode sheet may not be curved, no burr may be generated, separation of an electrode mixture layer may be prevented, and high cutting force may be uniformly maintained.

[0095] In addition, correction time necessary to maintain parallelism between the upper cutter and the lower cutter may be reduced, whereby productivity may be improved.