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-2022158200-A1
Application number	US-202117452325-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 26, 2021
Priority date	Nov 16, 2020
Publication date	May 19, 2022
Grant date	—

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 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 may have a thickness of 100 pim 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 for fabricating a membrane-electrode-subgasket assembly, the method comprising:
a step of feeding a membrane-electrode assembly sheet having catalyst layers provided on both surfaces thereof; a cutting step of forming a cut line in the fed membrane-electrode assembly sheet, wherein forming the cut line comprises punching portions outside each of the catalyst layers; a separation step of separating a membrane-electrode assembly from the membrane-electrode assembly sheet having the cut line formed therein; a first lamination step of laminating the separated membrane-electrode assembly onto a first subgasket; and a second lamination step of laminating a second subgasket onto the membrane-electrode assembly.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the cutting step is performed by a cutting roller; the separation step is performed by a suction roller; and the first lamination step is performed by the suction roller and a hot roller.

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

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 the membrane-electrode assembly comprises an electrolyte membrane and the catalyst layers provided on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein, in the separation step, the membrane-electrode assembly is sucked and separated by a suction force of a suction roller, and the membrane-electrode assembly is separated along the cut line formed in the membrane-electrode assembly sheet.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein, in the cutting step, the membrane-electrode assembly sheet and the membrane-electrode assembly are connected to each other by tension with respect to the cut line, and in the separation step, the suction force of the suction roller is greater than the tension.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein, in the first lamination step, 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.

Assignees

• Huyndai Motor Company
• Kia Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• H01M8/02

  Details (electrodes H01M4/86 - H01M4/98) · CPC title

• H01M4/8896 Primary

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

• H01M4/8878

  Treatment steps after deposition of the catalytic active composition or after shaping of the electrode being free-standing body · CPC title