Laser notching apparatus for cutting of electrode sheets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330239-B2
Application number	US-202217667647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2022
Priority date	Feb 9, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus for cutting electrode sheets includes a conveyor and a laser device. The conveyor is configured to move an original sheet including an electrode portion and an ear portion extending from an edge of the electrode portion. The laser device is configured to move a laser to cut out a tab connected to the electrode portion from the ear portion of the original sheet. The laser device is also configured to move the laser from one edge of the electrode portion to another edge of the electrode portion to cut and separate a respective electrode sheet including the tab from the original sheet. The laser is configured to cut out the tab from the ear portion and cut and separate the respective electrode sheet including the tab from the original sheet as the conveyor is moving the original sheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cutting electrode sheets, the apparatus comprising:
a conveyor configured to move an original sheet in a first direction, the original sheet comprising an electrode portion and an ear portion extending from an edge of the electrode portion; and
a laser device configured to move a laser to cut out a tab connected to the electrode portion from the ear portion of the original sheet, the laser device also configured to move the laser in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction from one edge of the electrode portion to another edge of the electrode portion to cut and separate a respective electrode sheet comprising an electrode section and the tab connected to the electrode section from the original sheet,
wherein the laser is configured to cut out the tab from the ear portion and cut and separate the respective electrode sheet comprising the electrode section and the tab connected to the electrode section from the original sheet as the conveyor is moving the original sheet, and
wherein the laser moves along a first vector path to form a first shape in the ear portion as the conveyor moves the original sheet and moves along a second vector path to form a second shape in the ear portion as the conveyor moves the original sheet, the second shape being different from the first shape, the first shape and the second shape cooperate to form the tab that is cut out from the ear portion,
wherein a speed of the conveyor is determined based on a predetermined shape of the tab.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor is a vacuum conveyor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser is configured to cut out and separate the tab and the respective electrode sheet from the original sheet in a single pass.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the laser is a pulsing laser comprising a pulsing rate greater than or equal to 1 Megahertz.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser is a pulsing laser having a power greater than or equal to 500 Watts.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser comprises a first laser and a second laser, and wherein the first laser cuts out the tab connected to the electrode portion and the second laser cuts and separates the respective electrode sheet comprising the tab.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first laser and the second laser cut simultaneously.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a speed of the conveyor is synchronized with a cutting rate of the first laser and a cutting rate of the second laser.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electrode sheet pick-up device positioned downstream of the conveyor and configured to pick-up the respective electrode sheet from the conveyor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the electrode sheet pick-up device is a rotary drum.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a rotational speed of the rotary drum is synchronized with a speed of the conveyor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speed of the conveyor is synchronized with a cutting rate of the laser device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is oblique to the first direction.

14. An apparatus for cutting electrode sheets, the apparatus comprising:
a conveyor configured to move an original sheet in a first direction, the original sheet comprising an electrode portion and an ear portion extending from an edge of the electrode portion; and
a laser device comprising:
a first laser configured to move to cut out a tab connected to the electrode portion from the ear portion of the original sheet, the first laser configured to cut out the tab in a single pass; and
a second laser configured to move in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction from one edge of the electrode portion to another edge of the electrode portion to cut and separate a respective electrode sheet comprising an electrode section and the tab connected to the electrode section from the original sheet, the second laser configured to cut out the respective electrode sheet in a single pass, wherein the first laser is configured to cut out the tab from the ear portion and the second laser is configured to cut and separate the respective electrode sheet comprising the electrode section and the tab connected to the electrode section from the original sheet as the conveyor is moving the original sheet,

wherein the first laser moves along a first vector path to form a first shape in the ear portion as the conveyor moves the original sheet and the second laser moves along a second vector path to form a second shape in the ear portion as the conveyor moves the original sheet, the second shape being different from the first shape, the first shape and the second shape cooperate to form the tab that is cut out from the ear portion,
wherein a speed of the conveyor is determined based on a predetermined shape of the tab.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the conveyor is a vacuum conveyor.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second lasers comprises a plurality of lasers arranged in tandem.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second lasers comprises a pulsing rate greater than or equal to 1 Megahertz.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first and second lasers are pulsing lasers having a power greater than or equal to 500 Watts.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second direction is oblique to the first direction.

20. An apparatus for cutting electrode sheets, the apparatus comprising:
a conveyor configured to move an original sheet in a first direction, the original sheet comprising an electrode portion and an ear portion extending from an edge of the electrode portion;
a laser device comprising:
a first laser configured to move to cut out a tab connected to the electrode portion from the ear portion of the original sheet, the first laser configured to cut out the tab in a single pass; and
a second laser configured to move in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction from one edge of the electrode portion to another edge of the electrode portion to cut and separate a respective electrode sheet comprising an electrode section and the tab connected to the electrode section from the original sheet, the second laser configured to cut out the respective electrode sheet in a single pass;

a controller in communication with the first and second lasers, the controller configured to:
instruct the first laser to cut out the tab from the ear portion; and
instruct the second laser to cut and separate the respective electrode sheet comprising the electrode section and the tab connected to the electrode section from the original sheet as the conveyor is moving the original sheet, wherein the controller instructs the first laser and the second laser to cut the original sheet simultaneously to produce a single electrode sheet from the original sheet, wherein a speed of the conveyor and a cutting velocity of the first and second lasers are determined based on a predetermined shape of the tab.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bojanowski Paul John
• Bever Hannah
• Sherman Andrew William
• Orr Michael
• Pierzecki Paul Andrew

Classifications

• B23K2101/36

  Electric or electronic devices · CPC title

• B23K26/0838

  by using an endless conveyor belt · CPC title

• B23K26/0622

  by shaping pulses · CPC title

• B23K26/0869

  Devices involving movement of the laser head in at least one axial direction · CPC title

• B23K26/38 Primary

  by boring or cutting · CPC title