Apparatus for fabricating membrane-electrode-subgasket assembly and method for fabricating membrane-electrode-subgasket assembly using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11916239-B2
Application number	US-202117452325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2021
Priority date	Nov 16, 2020
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

An embodiment apparatus for fabricating a membrane-electrode-subgasket assembly includes a feeding unit including a sheet feeding roller configured to feed a membrane-electrode assembly sheet having catalyst layers provided on both surfaces thereof, a cutting unit including a cutting roller and a support roller configured to rotate in engagement with the cutting roller, wherein the cutting roller is configured to punch portions outside each of the catalyst layers, a first pressing unit including a suction roller and a first hot roller, and a second pressing unit including second hot rollers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for fabricating a membrane-electrode-subgasket assembly, the apparatus comprising:
a feeding unit comprising a sheet feeding roller configured to feed a membrane-electrode assembly sheet having catalyst layers provided on both surfaces thereof;
a cutting unit comprising a cutting roller and a support roller configured to rotate in engagement with the cutting roller, wherein the cutting roller is configured to partially punch portions outside each of the catalyst layers;
a first pressing unit comprising a suction roller and a first hot roller; and
a second pressing unit comprising second hot rollers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cutting roller comprises:
a cylindrical cutting body configured to rotate about a central shaft thereof; and
a cutting blade portion provided on an outer circumferential surface of the cutting body along a rotation direction of the cutting body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cutting blade portion comprises cutting blades protruding in a square frame shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cutting blades protrude discontinuously.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the suction roller and the first hot roller of the first pressing unit are configured to rotate in engagement with each other; and
the second hot rollers of the second pressing unit are configured to rotate in engagement with each other.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the suction roller is configured to move linearly with respect to the first hot roller of the first pressing unit by a predetermined distance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the suction roller comprises:
a cylindrical suction body configured to rotate about a central shaft thereof; and
a suction portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of the suction body and including a suction hole.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the suction roller is configured to suck external air through the suction hole.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer member surrounding the suction roller on an outer circumferential surface of the suction roller.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the buffer member have a thickness of 100 μm or less, a porosity of 60% to 70%, and an airflow rate of 0.060 to 0.070 cfm.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first hot roller of the first pressing unit has a temperature of 50 to 150° C.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a drying device between the cutting unit and the first pressing unit.

13. A method of operating an apparatus for fabricating a membrane-electrode-subgasket assembly comprising a feeding unit comprising a sheet feeding roller configured to feed a membrane-electrode assembly sheet having catalyst layers provided on both surfaces thereof; a cutting unit comprising a cutting roller and a support roller configured to rotate in engagement with the cutting roller, wherein the cutting roller is configured to partially punch portions outside each of the catalyst layers; a first pressing unit comprising a suction roller and a first hot roller; and a second pressing unit comprising second hot rollers, the method comprising:
feeding the membrane-electrode assembly sheet using the feeding unit;
forming a cut line in the fed membrane-electrode assembly sheet using the cutting unit, wherein forming the cut line comprises partially punching portions outside each of the catalyst layers;
separating a membrane-electrode assembly from the membrane-electrode assembly sheet having the cut line formed therein using the suction roller;
laminating the separated membrane-electrode assembly onto a first subgasket using the first pressing unit; and
laminating a second subgasket onto the membrane-electrode assembly using the second pressing unit.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the cutting roller comprises cutting blades that protrude at predetermined intervals and in a square frame shape; and
forming the cut line further comprises pressing the cutting blades against the membrane-electrode assembly sheet.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the cutting blades protrude discontinuously.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cut line is formed in a square frame shape and at a predetermined distance from an edge of each catalyst layer formed on the membrane-electrode assembly sheet such that the catalyst layers are included inside the cut line in the square frame shape.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein, separating the membrane-electrode assembly from the membrane-electrode assembly sheet comprises sucking and separating the membrane-electrode assembly by a suction force of the suction roller, wherein the membrane-electrode assembly is separated along the cut line formed in the membrane-electrode assembly sheet.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
while forming the cut line, the membrane-electrode assembly sheet and the membrane-electrode assembly are connected to each other by tension with respect to the cut line; and
while separating the membrane-electrode assembly from the membrane-electrode, the suction force of the suction roller is greater than the tension.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein, while laminating the separated membrane-electrode assembly onto the first subgasket the suction roller and the first hot roller laminate the membrane-electrode assembly sucked to the suction roller onto the first subgasket transferred to the first hot roller by applying heat and pressure thereto.

20. An apparatus for fabricating a membrane-electrode-subgasket assembly, the apparatus comprising:
a sheet feeding roller configured to feed a membrane-electrode assembly sheet having catalyst layers provided on both surfaces thereof;
a cutting roller and a support roller configured to rotate in engagement with the cutting roller, wherein the cutting roller is configured to partially punch portions outside each of the catalyst layers;
a suction roller and a first hot roller; and
second hot rollers.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Min Jin
• Lee Ki Sub
• Kim Yong Min

Classifications

• H01M4/8896 Primary

  Pressing, rolling, calendering (membrane electrode assemblies H01M8/1004) · CPC title

• H01M4/8882

  Heat treatment, e.g. drying, baking · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/04 Primary

  Construction or manufacture in general (H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/8803 Primary

  Supports for the deposition of the catalytic active composition (H01M4/90 takes precedence) · CPC title