Hot press device and method of hot pressing membrane-electrode assembly of fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017008200-A1
Application number	US-201514945020-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Jul 10, 2015
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hot press device presses one or more objects to be pressed at a predetermined temperature, and includes: a roller around which a roll on which the objects to be pressed are disposed at predetermined intervals is wound; hot plates which are disposed to face one surface of the objects to be pressed while corresponding to the roll supplied from the roller; press units which are disposed to push the hot plates on the objects to be pressed; and a pitch changing unit which moves the hot plates in a direction in which the roll is moved or in a direction opposite to a direction in which the roll is moved, in accordance with a distance between the objects to be pressed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hot press device which presses one or more objects to be pressed at a predetermined temperature, the hot press device comprising:
a roller around which a roll on which the objects to be pressed are disposed at predetermined intervals is wound; hot plates which are disposed to face one surface of the objects to be pressed that is supplied from the roller; press units which are disposed to push the hot plates on the objects to be pressed; and a pitch changing unit which moves the hot plates in a direction in which the roll is moved or in a direction opposite to a direction in which the roll is moved, in accordance with a distance between the objects to be pressed.

2 . The hot press device of claim 1 , wherein:
the objects to be pressed are membrane-electrode assemblies, and the roll is an MEA roll.

3 . The hot press device of claim 2 , wherein:
the hot plates include first, second, and third hot plates that are disposed at predetermined intervals in a direction in which the membrane-electrode assemblies are arranged, and the pitch changing unit moves at least one of the first, second, and third hot plates forward or rearward.

4 . The hot press device of claim 3 , wherein:
the pitch changing unit moves the first hot plate forward or rearward on the basis of the second hot plate.

5 . The hot press device of claim 3 , wherein:
the pitch changing unit moves the third hot plate forward or rearward on the basis of the second hot plate.

6 . The hot press device of claim 3 , wherein:
the second hot plate is fixed, and the first and third hot plates are disposed to be moved forward or rearward.

7 . The hot press device of claim 3 , wherein:
the first, second, and third hot plates are disposed at upper and lower sides so as to correspond to both surfaces of the membrane-electrode assemblies, respectively.

8 . The hot press device of claim 3 , wherein:
the pitch changing unit includes: a servo motor; a screw which is disposed to be rotated by the servo motor; and a moving block which is fastened to the screw, and disposed to be moved in both directions depending on a rotation direction of the screw, and at least one of the first, second, and third hot plates is disposed to be moved in both directions together with the moving block.

9 . The hot press device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a pitch detecting unit which detects a pitch between the membrane-electrode assemblies disposed on the MEA roll; and a control unit which controls the pitch changing unit based on the pitch between the membrane-electrode assemblies which is detected by the pitch detecting unit.

10 . The hot press device of claim 3 , further comprising:
an unwinder roller which rotates to supply the wound MEA roll to the hot press device; and a rewinder roller which rotates to wind the MEA roll to unload the MEA roll from the hot press device.

11 . The hot press device of claim 3 , wherein:
a soft film is fixedly disposed on one surface of at least one of the first, second, and third hot plates so as to face the membrane-electrode assembly, and the soft film has a protruding portion formed to correspond to a shape of the membrane-electrode assembly.

12 . The hot press device of claim 8 , wherein:
the press unit includes: a moving frame which is disposed to face one surface of the MEA roll; and a cylinder which pushes the moving frame on the membrane-electrode assembly, and the moving block is slidably connected to the moving frame.

13 . A hot press method, comprising the steps of:
adjusting positions of hot plates, which press objects to be pressed at a predetermined temperature, in accordance with an interval between the objects to be pressed; pressing the hot plates on both surfaces of the objects to be pressed using predetermined force; and separating the hot plates pressed on the objects to be pressed.

14 . The hot press method of claim 12 , wherein:
the objects to be pressed are arranged on a roll at predetermined intervals, and the roll is loaded between the hot plates.

15 . The hot press method of claim 12 , wherein:
the objects to be pressed are membrane-electrode assemblies, and the roll is an MEA roll.

16 . The hot press method of claim 15 , wherein:
the hot plates include first, second, and third hot plates disposed at predetermined intervals in a direction in which the membrane-electrode assemblies are arranged, and in the adjusting of the positions of the hot plates, at least one of the first, second, and third hot plates is moved forward or rearward.

17 . The hot press method of claim 15 , wherein:
in the adjusting of the positions of the hot plates, the second hot plate is fixed, and the first and third hot plates are moved forward or rearward.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeong Sung Hoon
• Ahn Jong Cheol

Classifications

• B29C43/22 Primary

  of articles of indefinite length · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• B30B15/0035

  using an adjustable connection between the press drive means and the press slide · CPC title

• H01M8/10

  Fuel cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• B30B15/064

  with heating or cooling means · CPC title