Separator sealing apparatus and method for preventing bending of separator of secondary battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11862809-B2
Application number	US-202017252839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	Jul 22, 2019
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A separator sealing apparatus for bonding an upper separator and a lower separator with an electrode plate being interposed therebetween and a separator sealing method is provided. The separator sealing apparatus includes a first sealing unit configured to seal a first region specified as an outer edge along a width direction of the electrode plate, among portions where the upper separator and the lower separator face each other; and a second sealing unit configured to seal a second region specified as an outer edge along a length direction of the electrode plate, among the portions where the upper separator and the lower separator face each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A separator sealing apparatus for bonding an upper separator and a lower separator with an electrode plate being interposed therebetween, the separator sealing apparatus comprising:
a first sealing unit configured to seal a first region of the upper separator and the lower separator along a width direction of the electrode plate where the upper separator and the lower separator face each other; and
a second sealing unit configured to seal a second region of the upper separator and the lower separator along a length direction of the electrode plate where the upper separator and the lower separator face each other,
wherein the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit are detachably coupled to each other.

2. The separator sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a transfer unit configured to continuously supply the electrode plate, the upper separator and the lower separator in one direction,
wherein the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit are configured to operate in synchronization with the transfer unit at a preset speed to move vertically to press and thermally fuse the first region and the second region.

3. The separator sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second sealing unit is adjustable relative to the first sealing unit according to a width of the electrode plate.

4. The separator sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first sealing unit includes:
a first upper heating block configured to apply pressure and heat to the first region of the upper separator; and
a first lower heating block configured to apply pressure and heat to the first region of the lower separator, the first lower heating block being in a same vertical plane as the first upper heating block.

5. The separator sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first sealing unit is configured to seal another first region of the upper separator and the lower separator along the width direction of the electrode plate, and the first sealing unit includes:
a pair of first upper heating blocks configured to apply pressure and heat to the first regions of the upper separator, the pair of first upper heating blocks being spaced apart from each other at an interval to extend in one direction side by side; and
a pair of first lower heating blocks configured to apply pressure and heat to the first regions of the lower separator, the pair of first lower heating blocks are arranged opposite the pair of first upper heating blocks.

6. A separator sealing apparatus for bonding an upper separator and a lower separator with an electrode plate being interposed therebetween, the separator sealing apparatus comprising:
a first sealing unit configured to seal a first region of the upper separator and the lower separator along a width direction of the electrode plate where the upper separator and the lower separator face each other; and
a second sealing unit configured to seal a second region of the upper separator and the lower separator along a length direction of the electrode plate where the upper separator and the lower separator face each other,
wherein the first sealing unit is configured to seal another first region of the upper separator and the lower separator along the width direction of the electrode plate, and the first sealing unit includes:
a pair of first upper heating blocks configured to apply pressure and heat to the first regions of the upper separator, the pair of first upper heating blocks being spaced apart from each other at an interval to extend in one direction side by side; and
a pair of first lower heating blocks configured to apply pressure and heat to the first regions of the lower separator, the pair of first lower heating blocks are arranged opposite the pair of first upper heating blocks,

wherein the second sealing unit is configured to seal another second region of the upper separator and the lower separator along the length direction of the electrode plate, and the second sealing unit includes:
a plurality of second upper heating blocks respectively configured to extend in a direction intersecting with the first upper heating block and coupled to the pair of first upper heating blocks at locations spaced apart from each other at an interval along an extending direction of the pair of first upper heating blocks to apply heat and pressure to the second regions of the upper separator; and
a plurality of second lower heating blocks provided to be symmetric with the second upper heating blocks in one-to-one relationship and coupled to the pair of first lower heating blocks to apply heat and pressure to the second regions of the lower separator.

7. The separator sealing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the pair of first upper heating blocks have a plurality of grooves formed along the extending direction,
wherein each of the second upper heating blocks has a connection portion with a step formed in at least one end thereof, and
wherein each connection portion is selectively fit into one of the plurality of grooves.

8. The separator sealing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein each connection portion is fixed and released by a bolt inserted into the connection portion and the one of the plurality of grooves of the pair of first upper heating blocks.

9. A separator sealing method for bonding an upper separator and a lower separator with an electrode plate being interposed therebetween using the separator sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , the separator sealing method comprising:
sealing both the first region and the second region so that the electrode plate is not exposed to the outside.

10. The separator sealing method according to claim 9 , wherein the electrode plate is a negative electrode plate in one of a mono cell semi-finished product in which the lower separator, the negative electrode plate, the upper separator and a positive electrode plate are stacked in order or a half cell semi-finished product in which the lower separator, the negative electrode and the upper separator are stacked in order.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd
• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Min-Jae
• Kim Jong-Hun
• Hwang Sung-Min

Classifications

• H01M50/403 Primary

  Manufacturing processes of separators, membranes or diaphragms · CPC title

• H01M10/0583

  of accumulators with folded construction elements except wound ones, i.e. folded positive or negative electrodes or separators, e.g. with "Z"-shaped electrodes or separators · CPC title

• H01M50/463

  Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M10/052 Primary

  Li-accumulators · CPC title