Device for folding pouch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12230749-B2
Application number	US-202118030206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2021
Priority date	Nov 3, 2020
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A device for folding a pouch having first and second cup parts, first and second circumferential parts formed flat along circumferences thereof, respectively, includes: lower and upper nests on which the first and second cup parts are seated; first and second guides fixed to the lower and upper nests and having first and second protrusions protruding upwardly therefrom, the first and second protrusions in close contact with each other forming a support protrusion; and a pressing part allowing a connection part of the first and second circumferential parts to be in close contact with the support protrusion when the first and the second cup parts are seated on the lower and the upper nests, respectively, wherein when the pressing part causes the connection part and the support protrusion to be in contact, the upper nest rotates so that the second cup part is folded onto the first cup part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for folding a pouch having a first cup part and a second cup part, each of the first cup part and the second cup part having a concavely recessed shape to accommodate an electrode assembly, a first circumferential part formed flat along a circumference of the first cup part, a second circumferential part formed flat along a circumference of the second cup part, and a connection part connecting the first circumferential part and the second circumferential part, the device comprising,
a lower nest on which the first cup part is configured to be seated;
an upper nest on which the second cup part is configured to be seated;
a guide comprising a first guide fixed to the lower nest and having a first protrusion protruding upwardly therefrom, and a second guide fixed to the upper nest and having a second protrusion protruding upwardly therefrom, the first protrusion and the second protrusion in close contact with each other to form a support protrusion; and
a pressing part that allows the connection part to be in close contact with the support protrusion when the first cup part and the second cup part are seated on the lower nest and the upper nest, respectively,
wherein, in a state where the pressing part allows the connection part to be in close contact with the support protrusion, the upper nest is configured to rotate so that the second cup part is folded onto the first cup part.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein, when the first guide and the second guide are in horizontal contact with each other, the lower nest and the upper nest are horizontal.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein, when the upper nest rotates, the first protrusion and the second protrusion in close contact with each other are separated to be spread apart from each other.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first protrusion is formed integrally with the first guide, and the second protrusion is formed integrally with the second guide.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion respectively define, as slopes, surfaces in contact with the first cup part and the second cup part so that the support protrusion has a cross-sectional shape getting sharper towards an end.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein further comprising:
a first corner formed between surfaces that are perpendicular to each other as the first protrusion protrudes from the first guide, and
a second corner formed between surfaces that are perpendicular to each other as the second protrusion protrudes from the second guide.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pressing part comprises:
a body part that allows the connection part to be in close contact with the support protrusion; and
an extension part that extends from the body part and allows a sidewall surface of the first cup part into close contact with the first protrusion when the body part presses the connection part.

8. The device of claim 7 , further comprising a seating groove is-formed between the extension part and the body part so that an upper end of the support protrusion is seated thereon.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein a first corner is formed between surfaces that are perpendicular to each other as the first protrusion protrudes from the first guide, and
when the body part of the pressing part allows the connection part to be in close contact with the support protrusion, the extension part allows the first cup part to be in close contact with the first corner.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein an end protrudes from the extension part to such an extent that when the extension part is in close contact with the first protrusion, the body part is in contact only with the first protrusion and not in contact with the second protrusion.

11. A device for folding a pouch having a first cup part and a second cup part, each of the first cup part and the second cup part having a concavely recessed shape to accommodate an electrode assembly, and a first circumferential part formed flat along a circumference of the first cup part, and a second circumferential part formed flat along a circumference of the second cup part, and a connection part connecting the first circumferential part and the second circumferential part, the device comprising,
a lower nest on which the first cup part is configured to be seated;
an upper nest on which the second cup part is configured to be seated;
a guide fixed to the lower nest and having a support protrusion protruding upwardly therefrom; and
a pressing part that allows the connection part to be in close contact with the support protrusion when the first cup part and the second cup part are seated on the lower nest and the upper nest, respectively,
wherein, in a state where the pressing part allows the connection part to be in close contact with the support protrusion, the upper nest is configured to rotate so that the second cup part is folded onto the first cup part.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the pressing part comprises:
a body part that allows the connection part to be in close contact with the support protrusion, and
an extension part that extends from the body part and allows a sidewall surface of the first cup part to be in close contact with the support protrusion when the body part presses the connection part.

13. The device of claim 12 , further comprising a seating groove formed between the extension part and the body part so that an upper end of the support protrusion is seated thereon.

14. The device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a first corner formed between surfaces that are perpendicular to each other as the support protrusion protrudes from the guide, and
wherein, when the body part of the pressing part allows the connection part to be in close contact with the support protrusion, the extension part allows the first cup part to be in close contact with the first corner.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pouch comprises a stack of an inner layer made of a polymer; an outer layer made of a different type of a polymer from the inner layer; and a metal layer stacked between the inner layer and an outer layer and made of an aluminum material.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the pouch comprises a stack of an inner layer made of a polymer; an outer layer made of a different type of a polymer from the inner layer; and a metal layer stacked between the inner layer and an outer layer and made of an aluminum material.

Assignees

• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Geun Hee
• Oh Se Young
• Oh Jung Su
• Ha Jeong Min

Classifications

• B29L2031/3468

  Batteries, accumulators or fuel cells (battery cases B29L2031/7146) · CPC title

• B29C53/063

  combined with folding · CPC title

• H01M50/105

  Pouches or flexible bags · CPC title

• H01M10/0404 Primary

  Machines for assembling batteries · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title