Unit cell preparation apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12519124-B2
Application number	US-202117912734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Mar 25, 2020
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

An apparatus for preparing a unit cell is provided. The apparatus includes a lower separator reel from which a lower separator sheet is unwound, a first nozzle configured to apply an adhesive to at least a portion of one surface facing upward of the unwound lower separator sheet, an upper separator reel from which an upper separator sheet is unwound, a second nozzle configured to apply an adhesive to at least a portion of one surface facing upward of the unwound upper separator sheet, and a first nip roll configured to turn opposite surfaces of the upper separator sheet upside down so that the one surface of the upper separator sheet to which the adhesive has been applied is directed downward and adheres to an upper surface of a first electrode stably placed on the one surface of the lower separator sheet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for preparing a unit cell, the apparatus comprising:
a lower separator reel from which a lower separator sheet is unwound; a first nozzle configured to apply an adhesive to at least a portion of one surface facing upward of the unwound lower separator sheet; an upper separator reel from which an upper separator sheet is unwound; a guide roll configured to guide one surface of the upper separator sheet to face upward when the upper separator sheet is unwound and transferred to make a transfer direction of the upper separator sheet opposite to a transfer direction of the lower separator sheet; a second nozzle configured to apply an adhesive to at least a portion of one surface facing upward of the unwound upper separator sheet; and a first nip roll configured to reverse the transfer direction of the upper separator sheet while turning opposite surfaces of the upper separator sheet upside down so that the one surface of the upper separator sheet to which the adhesive has been applied is directed downward and adheres to an upper surface of a first electrode stably placed on the one surface of the lower separator sheet.

2 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first header configured to stably place the first electrode on the one surface of the lower separator sheet to which the adhesive has been applied.

3 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first electrode reel from which a first electrode sheet is unwound, wherein the first electrode sheet is configured to form the first electrode.

4 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first vision sensor disposed above the first electrode configured to photograph the first electrode, before the first electrode adheres to the upper separator sheet.

5 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 1 , wherein the first nip roll includes two first nip rolls respectively disposed on opposite surfaces of a first stack, the two first nip rolls configured to apply pressure to the first stack while rotating, wherein the first stack includes the lower separator sheet, the first electrode, and the upper separator sheet stacking sequentially stacked.

6 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third nozzle configured to apply an adhesive to at least a portion of the other surface facing upward of the upper separator sheet.

7 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 6 , further comprising:
second nip rolls respectively disposed on opposite surfaces of a second stack the second nip rolls configured to apply pressure to the second stack while rotating, when the second electrode is stably placed on the other surface of the upper separator sheet to which the adhesive has been applied, wherein the second stack includes the lower separator sheet, the first electrode, the upper separator sheet and a second electrode sequentially stacked.

8 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second header configured to stably place the second electrode on the other surface of the upper separator sheet to which the adhesive has been applied.

9 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second electrode reel from which a second electrode sheet is unwound, wherein the second electrode sheet is configured to form the second electrode.

10 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second vision sensor disposed above the second electrode configured to photograph the second electrode, before the second electrode is stably placed on the other surface of the upper separator sheet.

11 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 7 , further comprising a cutter configured to cut the second stack at a predetermined interval.

12 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third vision sensor disposed on a side of the first electrode configured to photograph the first electrode, when the first electrode adheres to the upper separator sheet.

13 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 12 , further comprising:
a light source disposed above the upper separator sheet configured to radiate light toward the upper separator sheet, when the first electrode adheres to the upper separator sheet.

14 . The apparatus for preparing the unit cell of claim 1 , wherein the one surface of the upper separator sheet to which the adhesive is applied is configured to come into contact with the upper surface of the first electrode immediately upon the upper separator sheet being turned upside down.

15 . A method of preparing a unit cell, the method comprising:
unwinding a lower separator sheet from a lower separator reel; applying an adhesive by a first nozzle to at least a portion of one surface facing upward of the unwound lower separator sheet; stably placing a first electrode on the one surface of the lower separator sheet to which the adhesive has been applied; unwinding an upper separator sheet from an upper separator reel; guiding one surface of the upper separator sheet to face upward by a guide roll when the upper separator sheet is unwound and transferred to make a transfer direction of the upper separator sheet opposite to a transfer direction of the lower separator sheet; applying an adhesive by a second nozzle to at least a portion of one surface facing upward of the unwound upper separator sheet; and reversing the transfer direction of the upper separator sheet while turning opposite surfaces of the upper separator sheet upside down by first nip rolls so that the one surface of the upper separator sheet to which the adhesive has been applied is directed downward and adheres to an upper surface of the first electrode stably placed on the one surface of the lower separator sheet.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the turning of the opposite surfaces of the upper separator sheet upside down comprises the first nip rolls respectively disposed on opposite surfaces of a first stack, the first nip rolls configured to apply pressure to the first stack while rotating, wherein the first stack includes the lower separator sheet, the first electrode, and the upper separator sheet sequentially stacked.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
applying an adhesive by a third nozzle to at least a portion of the other surface facing upward of the upper separator sheet, after the turning of the opposite surfaces of the upper separator sheet upside down.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
stably placing a second electrode on the other surface of the upper separator sheet to which the adhesive has been applied, after the applying of the adhesive by the third nozzle.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
respectively disposing second nip rolls on opposite surfaces of a second stack, the second nip rolls configured to apply pressure to the second stack while rotating, after the stably placing of the second electrode, wherein the second stack includes the lower separator sheet, the first electrode, the upper separator sheet, and the second electrode sequentially stacked.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
cutting the second stack at a predetermined interval by a cutter, after the applying of the pressure to the second stack.

Assignees

• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Tai Jin
• Jung Su Taek
• Kwon Soon Kwan
• Bae Sang Ho
• Choi Seong Won
• Lee Yong Jun

Classifications

• H01M10/0413

  Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/0436

  Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment · CPC title

• H01M10/0585

  of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators · CPC title

• H01M4/04

  Processes of manufacture in general · CPC title

• H01M50/46

  Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes · CPC title