WO2019039102A1 - Device for manufacturing electrode equipped with separator and method for manufacturing electrode equipped with separator - Google Patents

Abstract

A manufacturing device 20 is provided with: a conveyance roller 25 for conveying separator members 10a, 10b; a first heater roller 23 for welding the separator members 10a, 10b to each other and forming a first welding region W1; a pair of feed rollers 21 for feeding a positive electrode 8 between the separator members 10a, 10b; a control unit 27 that controls rotational motions of the pair of feed rollers 21 such that the positive electrode 8 is fed at a speed higher than the conveyance speeds of the separator members 10a, 10b and abuts against the first welding region W1 in a state where the positive electrode 8 is held between the pair of feed rollers 21; and a guide roller 22a that guides the separator member 10a and that is disposed at a position along a moving path of the positive electrode 8. A conveyance path of the separator member 10b is set so as to be separated from the moving path.

Description

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SEPARATOR ELECTRODE, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEPARATOR ELECTRODE

One aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode with a separator, and a method for manufacturing an electrode with a separator.

Patent Document 1 describes an electrode laminating apparatus that manufactures an electrode laminate in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are alternately stacked with a separator interposed therebetween. The electrode laminating apparatus includes a roll pair for welding a first separator sheet and a second separator sheet, and a positive electrode supply device for supplying a positive electrode between the first separator sheet and the second separator sheet. . The roll pair welds the first separator sheet and the second separator sheet to form a welding area for supporting the lower part of the positive electrode. The positive electrode supply device drops the positive electrode toward the welding area at the timing when the welding area is formed.

JP 2012-199210 A

In such an electrode laminating apparatus, the delivery speed of the electrode (positive electrode) and the transport speed of the separator sheet are the same, and when the delivery timing of the electrode between the separator sheets is delayed, the electrode abuts on the welding area It may not be possible to reach the position. In this case, when the distance between the electrode and the welding area is increased by a certain amount or more, when forming another welding area by the roll pair (or another roll pair), the electrode may be caught in the roll pair. There is. On the other hand, if the electrode delivery speed is simply made larger than the separator sheet transfer speed to address such problems, the following other problems may occur. That is, when there is no delay in the delivery timing of the electrode, the electrode is abutted against the welding area with a stronger force than originally, and a load is applied to the electrode along the transport direction of the electrode to damage the electrode There is a fear.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing apparatus of a separator-equipped electrode capable of suppressing damage to the electrode while preventing biting of the electrode during welding of the separator member, and a method of manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode. To aim.

An apparatus for manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode according to one aspect of the present invention is a manufacturing apparatus for a separator-equipped electrode that manufactures a separator-equipped electrode in which the electrode is accommodated between the separators. By welding together a transport portion for transporting the separator member and a pair of separator members transported by the transport portion, a welding portion for forming a weld area extending in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the separator member and an electrode are sandwiched. The pair of feed rollers for feeding the electrode toward the space between the pair of separator members by rotation, and the electrode are fed at a speed higher than the transport speed of the separator member, and the electrode is sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers A control unit that controls the rotation operation of the pair of feed rollers so as to abut on the welding area in a state, and above the welding part in the transport direction And a first guide roller disposed at a position along the movement path of the electrode and guiding one of the separator members, and the transport path of the other separator member is the upstream of the welding portion in the transport direction. It is set to be separated from the movement path.

A method of manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode according to one aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode in which a separator-equipped electrode in which the electrode is accommodated between separators, and a pair of long sheet-like electrodes constituting the separator A conveying step of conveying the separator member, and a welding step of forming a welding region extending in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the separator member by welding the pair of separator members conveyed in the conveying step to each other; The pair of separators are arranged such that the electrodes are delivered at a speed greater than the transport speed of the separator member by the pair of rotating feed rollers, and the electrodes are brought into contact with the welding area while being sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers. And a delivery step for delivering between Upstream of the feeding direction, a first guide roller disposed at a position along the movement path of the electrode and guiding one of the separator members is provided, and upstream of the welding position in the transport direction, the other The transport path is set apart from the movement path.

In these manufacturing apparatuses and methods, the electrode is sent between the pair of separator members so as to abut the welding area while being sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers at a speed greater than the conveying speed of the separator members. Ru. Thereby, the electrode can be reliably brought into contact with the welding area. As a result, it is possible to prevent biting of the electrode (that is, biting of the electrode when forming another welding area) due to the electrode not reaching the position where it abuts on the welding area. Further, a first guide roller for guiding one separator member is disposed at a position along the movement path of the electrode, and a conveyance path of the other separator member is set to be separated from the movement path. . Therefore, when the electrode abuts on the welding area and a load is applied to the electrode along the electrode delivery direction, the electrode can be bent in a convex direction toward the transport path of the other separator member. There is. As a result, the load can be properly released, and damage to the electrode can be suppressed. As mentioned above, according to said manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method, damage to an electrode can be suppressed, preventing biting of the electrode at the time of welding of a separator member.

The apparatus for manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode may further include a second guide roller disposed at a position separated from the moving path upstream of the welding portion in the transport direction and guiding the other separator member. According to this configuration, the other separator member can be appropriately guided so that the transport path of the other separator member is separated from the movement path.

The apparatus for manufacturing an electrode with a separator further includes a detection unit that detects an amount of deflection of the electrode located between the pair of feed rollers and the welding unit, and the control unit is based on the amount of deflection detected by the detection unit. The rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers may be controlled. According to this configuration, based on the amount of deflection of the electrode, control for delivering the electrode at an appropriate speed is possible from the viewpoint of preventing biting of the electrode or suppressing damage to the electrode.

The control unit may decrease the rotational speeds of the pair of feed rollers when the amount of deflection detected by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold. According to this configuration, for example, when the amount of deflection is very large (that is, when the force pressing the electrode into the welding region is too large), the delivery speed of the electrode can be reduced, and the increase in the amount of deflection of the electrode is suppressed. can do. Thereby, damage to the electrode can be more effectively suppressed.

The control unit may increase the rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers when the deflection amount detected by the detection unit is equal to or less than a predetermined second threshold. According to this configuration, for example, when the amount of bending is very small (that is, when the electrode may not be in contact with the welding area), the electrode delivery speed can be increased, and the electrode can be more reliably It can be made to abut on the welding area. Thereby, the biting of the electrode at the time of welding of the separator member can be appropriately prevented.

The apparatus for manufacturing an electrode with a separator further includes a supply unit that supplies the electrodes to the pair of feed rollers, and the control unit controls the pair of the feed rollers based on the supply timing of the electrodes from the supply unit to the pair of feed rollers. The rotational speed may be controlled. According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately control the electrode delivery speed according to the supply timing of the electrodes from the supply unit to the pair of feed rollers. For example, when the electrode supply timing is delayed, the rotational speed of the feed roller can be increased by that amount, and when the electrode supply timing is too early, the rotational speed of the feed roller can be decreased by that amount. .

According to one aspect of the present invention, damage to the electrode can be suppressed while preventing biting of the electrode at the time of welding of the separator member.

It is sectional drawing of an electrical storage apparatus provided with the positive electrode with a separator. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. It is a figure which shows the positive electrode with a separator typically. It is the schematic which shows the manufacturing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows a mode that a positive electrode is thrown in between separator members. It is a figure which shows typically control based on the deflection amount of a positive electrode. It is a flowchart which shows an example of control of the rotational speed of a feed roller. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of control of the rotational speed of a feed roller.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a power storage device provided with a positive electrode with a separator. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. The power storage device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is configured as an on-vehicle non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

The power storage device 1 includes, for example, a substantially rectangular case 2 and an electrode assembly 3 housed in the case 2. The case 2 is formed of, for example, a metal such as aluminum. For example, a non-aqueous (organic solvent based) electrolyte solution is injected into the inside of the case 2. The positive electrode terminal 4 and the negative electrode terminal 5 are disposed apart from each other on the case 2. The positive electrode terminal 4 is fixed to the case 2 via the insulating ring 6, and the negative electrode terminal 5 is fixed to the case 2 via the insulating ring 7. Further, an insulating film F is disposed between the electrode assembly 3 and the inner side surface and the bottom surface of the case 2, and the insulating film F insulates between the case 2 and the electrode assembly 3. The lower end of the electrode assembly 3 is in contact with the inner bottom surface of the case 2 via the insulating film F. In addition, by arranging the spacer S between the electrode assembly 3 and the case 2, a gap between the electrode assembly 3 and the case 2 is prevented. The spacer S is made of, for example, a plurality of resin sheets. The number of resin sheets is appropriately adjusted according to the thickness of the electrode assembly 3.

The electrode assembly 3 has a structure in which a plurality of positive electrodes 8 (electrodes) and a plurality of negative electrodes 9 are alternately stacked via a bag-like separator 10. The positive electrode 8 is wrapped in a bag-like separator 10. The positive electrode 8 in a state of being wrapped in the bag-like separator 10 is configured as a positive electrode 11 with a separator. Therefore, the electrode assembly 3 has a structure in which a plurality of separator-attached positive electrodes 11 and a plurality of negative electrodes 9 are alternately stacked. The electrodes located at both ends of the electrode assembly 3 are negative electrodes 9.

FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a positive electrode with a separator. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the positive electrode 8 has a metal foil 14 which is a positive electrode current collector made of, for example, aluminum foil, and a positive electrode active material layer 15 formed on both sides of the metal foil 14. There is. The metal foil 14 of the positive electrode 8 has a foil main body portion 14a having a rectangular shape in plan view, and a tab 14b integrated with the foil main body portion 14a. The foil body 14a includes a lower end 14x, an upper end 14y opposite to the lower end 14x, and a pair of side ends 14r and 14p connecting the lower end 14x and the upper end 14y. The side ends 14r and 14p intersect the lower end 14x and the upper end 14y. The tab 14b is rectangular. The tab 14 b protrudes from the upper end 14 y of the foil body 14 a so as to be disposed at a position offset with respect to the position of the positive electrode terminal 4. The tab 14 b penetrates the separator 10. The plurality of tabs 14 b extending from the plurality of positive electrodes 8 are connected (welded) to the conductive member 12 in a state of being collected from the foil, and are connected to the positive electrode terminal 4 via the conductive member 12. In FIG. 2, the tab 14 b is omitted for the sake of convenience.

The positive electrode active material layer 15 is formed on both the front and back sides of the foil body portion 14a. The positive electrode active material layer 15 is a porous layer formed by containing a positive electrode active material and a binder. The positive electrode active material layer 15 is formed by supporting the positive electrode active material on at least a central portion between the lower end portion 14 x and the upper end portion 14 y on both sides of the foil main body portion 14 a. Examples of the positive electrode active material include composite oxides, metallic lithium, sulfur and the like. The composite oxide includes, for example, at least one of manganese, nickel, cobalt and aluminum, and lithium.

The negative electrode 9 has, for example, a metal foil 16 which is a negative electrode current collector made of copper foil, and a negative electrode active material layer 17 formed on both sides of the metal foil 16. The metal foil 16 of the negative electrode 9 has a foil main body portion 16a having a rectangular shape in plan view, and a tab 16b integrated with the foil main body portion 16a. The foil body portion 16a includes a lower end, an upper end opposite to the lower end, and a pair of side ends connecting the lower end and the upper end to each other. The tab 16b is rectangular. The tab 16 b protrudes from one end of the foil body 16 a so as to be disposed at a position offset with respect to the position of the negative electrode terminal 5. The tab 16 b is connected to the negative electrode terminal 5 via the conductive member 13. In FIG. 2, the tab 16 b is omitted for the sake of convenience.

The negative electrode active material layer 17 is formed on both the front and back sides of the foil body 16a. The negative electrode active material layer 17 is a porous layer formed by containing a negative electrode active material and a binder. As the negative electrode active material, for example, graphite, highly oriented graphite, meso carbon micro beads, hard carbon, carbon such as soft carbon, alkali metals such as lithium and sodium, metal compounds, SiO x (0.5 ≦ x ≦ 1.5) Etc., or boron-added carbon and the like.

The separator 10 accommodates the positive electrode 8 inside as an example. The separator 10 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The separator 10 has a pair of sheet-like separator members. The pair of sheet-like separator members are welded to each other and formed in a bag shape. Specifically, the separator 10 has a bag whose outer edge is defined by a first welding area W1, a second welding area W2, a third welding area W3 and a fourth welding area W4 formed by welding the separator members to each other. It is a state. In FIG. 3, the first welding area W1 to the fourth welding area W4 are shaded for the sake of explanation.

The first welding area W1 is an area facing the side end 14r of the foil main body 14a and extending along the side end 14r. The third welding area W3 is an area facing the side end 14p of the foil main body 14a and extending along the side end 14p. The second welding area W2 is an area facing the lower end portion 14x of the foil main body portion 14a and extending along the lower end portion 14x. The fourth welding area W4 is an area facing the upper end portion 14y of the foil main body portion 14a and extending along the upper end portion 14y. The first welding area W1 to the fourth welding area W4 are connected to each other so as to have a rectangular ring shape. A non-welding region W5 is interposed in the fourth welding region W4.

That is, the separator 10 is not closed in the non-welding region W5. In the separator 10, the tab 14b protrudes through the non-welding region W5. Examples of the material for forming the separator 10 include porous films made of polyolefin resins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), and woven or non-woven fabrics made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), methyl cellulose and the like. . Note that the first welding region W1 to the fourth welding region W4 may be intermittently formed in a range in which no displacement of the positive electrode 8 occurs in the separator 10.

Next, main steps of a method of manufacturing power storage device 1 will be described. First, the kneading step is carried out. In the kneading step, the active material particles, which are the main components of the active material layer, and particles such as a binder and a conductive additive are kneaded in a solvent in the kneader to produce an electrode mixture having good dispersibility of each particle. . The binder is, for example, a fluorine-containing resin such as polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene or fluororubber, a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene, an imide resin such as polyimide or polyamide imide, or an alkoxysilyl group-containing resin It is also good. The solvent may be, for example, an organic solvent such as NMP (N-methyl pyrrolidone), methanol, methyl isobutyl ketone or the like, or may be water. The conductive aid is, for example, acetylene black or a carbon-based material such as carbon black and graphite.

Subsequently, a coating process is performed. In the coating step, a strip-shaped metal foil wound in a roll shape is drawn out, and an electrode mixture is intermittently or continuously applied to the surface of the metal foil. The metal foil coated with the electrode mixture passes through the inside of a drying furnace immediately after the application of the electrode mixture. As a result, the solvent contained in the electrode mixture is dried and removed, and the binder made of resin bonds the active material particles to each other. Thus, an active material layer having fine gaps (voids) between active material particles is formed.

Subsequently, a pressing process is performed. In the pressing step, the active material layer formed on the surface of the strip-shaped metal foil is pressed by a roll at a predetermined pressure. As a result, the active material layer is compressed, and the density of the active material is increased to an appropriate value.

Subsequently, a reduced pressure drying step is carried out. Here, the strip-like metal foil on which the active material layer is formed is accommodated in a vacuum drying furnace and dried under reduced pressure and temperature. This removes a slight amount of solvent remaining in the active material layer. Subsequently, a punching process is performed. In the punching process, the positive electrode 8 and the negative electrode 9 are formed by punching out the metal foil on which the active material layer is formed into a predetermined shape using a punching machine.

Subsequently, an electrode accommodation step is performed on the positive electrode 8. In the electrode accommodation step, the positive electrode 8 is manufactured by accommodating the positive electrode 8 in the separator 10 while forming the rectangular bag-like separator 10 from the pair of long sheet-like separator members. Details of the electrode accommodation step will be described later.

Subsequently, a lamination process is performed. In the laminating step, the positive electrode 11 with a separator and the negative electrode 9 are alternately laminated sequentially. Subsequently, an assembly process is performed. In the assembly process, a laminated body in which the positive electrode 8 and the negative electrode 9 are laminated via the separator 10 is integrated by sticking a tape on the outer periphery. Thereby, the electrode assembly 3 is obtained. Further, the positive electrode terminal 4 and the negative electrode terminal 5 are welded and integrated with the conductive members 12 and 13 in advance, respectively. Then, the conductive member 12 and the conductive member 13 are respectively welded to the tab 14 b of the positive electrode 8 and the tab 16 b of the negative electrode 9. Thereafter, the positive electrode terminal 4 and the negative electrode terminal 5 are fixed to the lid of the case 2, and then the electrode assembly 3 is accommodated in the case 2 main body. Finally, by integrating the lid of the case 2 and the case 2 main body by welding, the shape of the power storage device 1 is obtained. Thereafter, the storage device 1 is completed through an electrolyte injection process, an activation process, and the like.

In addition, the said manufacturing process is an example, and replacement | exchange, a change, etc. of a partial procedure may be performed. For example, when the drying time after application of the electrode mixture is taken long and the subsequent steps are performed in a dry room, the reduced pressure drying step may be omitted. Also, the punching process may be performed before the pressing process.

Here, the separator-attached positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 9 have substantially the same shape and size. That is, the width and height of the negative electrode 9 and the width and height of the positive electrode with separator 11 are substantially equal to each other. Therefore, the width and height of the foil body portion 14 a of the positive electrode 8 are slightly smaller than the width and height of the foil body portion 16 a of the negative electrode 9.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8, a manufacturing apparatus of the separator-equipped electrode and the above-mentioned electrode accommodation step will be described. An orthogonal coordinate system CS is shown in FIG. The X and Y directions of the orthogonal coordinate system CS indicate the horizontal direction, and the Z direction indicates the vertical direction. The electrode accommodation step of the present embodiment is a method of manufacturing a separator-attached electrode in which the cathode with separator 11 is manufactured by housing the cathode 8 in the bag-like separator 10. This manufacturing method is implemented by the manufacturing apparatus 20. That is, the manufacturing apparatus 20 is an apparatus for manufacturing a separator-attached electrode that manufactures the separator-attached positive electrode 11 by housing the positive electrode 8 in the bag-like separator 10.

The manufacturing apparatus 20 includes a pair of feed rollers 21 facing each other, a pair of guide rollers 22 facing each other, a first heater roller 23 (welded portion), a second heater roller 24, and a pair of transport rollers facing each other And a cutting unit 26, a control unit 27 that controls the rotation operation of the feed roller 21, a sensor 28 (detection unit), a sensor 29, and a supply unit 30. The supply unit 30, the feed roller 21, the guide roller 22, the first heater roller 23, the second heater roller 24, the conveyance roller 25, and the cutting unit 26 are arranged in order along the X direction. The rotational axes of the feed roller 21, the guide roller 22, the first heater roller 23, the second heater roller 24, and the transport roller 25 are along the Y direction.

Here, a pair of long sheet-like separator members 10a and 10b that make up the bag-like separator 10 (the source of the separator 10) are prepared. The separator members 10a and 10b are respectively fed from a non-illustrated original roll and conveyed by the conveyance roller 25 along the longitudinal direction thereof.

The lower separator member 10a (one separator member) is guided by a cylindrical guide roller 22a (first guide roller). The guide roller 22 a is disposed at a position along the movement path of the positive electrode 8 so that the separator member 10 a is along the lower surface 8 a of the positive electrode 8. Therefore, the separator member 10a is transported along the horizontal surface (X direction) downstream of the guide roller 22a. That is, the transport direction of the separator member 10a is along the X direction downstream of the guide roller 22a.

The upper separator member 10 b (the other separator member) is guided by a cylindrical guide roller 22 b (second guide roller). In the present embodiment, the size (roller diameter) of the guide roller 22b is larger than that of the guide roller 22a, but the size of the guide roller 22b may be the same as that of the guide roller 22a. It may be smaller than 22a. The guide roller 22b is disposed at a position separated by a predetermined distance d1 from the movement path of the positive electrode 8 so that the separator member 10b along the guide roller 22b is separated from the upper surface 8b of the positive electrode 8. The distance d1 may be a distance that allows the predetermined deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 (see FIG. 6) to be acceptable. By the arrangement of the guide rollers 22b, the transport path of the separator member 10b is set to be separated from the moving path of the positive electrode 8. In the present embodiment, the transport path is in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. For this reason, the separator member 10 b is conveyed along the direction inclined with respect to the horizontal surface in the section from the guide roller 22 b to the first heater roller 23. Specifically, in the section, the separator member 10b is inclined downward so as to approach the upper surface 8b of the positive electrode 8 as it goes downstream. Then, the separator member 10 b is transported along the horizontal surface (X direction) along the upper surface 8 b of the positive electrode 8 downstream of the first heater roller 23. That is, at the downstream of the first heater roller 23, the conveying direction of the separator member 10b is in the X direction.

As described above, the separator members 10a and 10b are conveyed upstream of the first heater roller 23 so that the distance between the separator members 10a and 10b gradually decreases toward the downstream, and X in the downstream of the first heater roller 23 It is conveyed substantially parallel to each other along the direction. As described above, in the section transported substantially in parallel, the transport direction of the separator members 10a and 10b is along the horizontal direction (X direction). At this time, the longitudinal direction of the separator members 10a and 10b is along the X direction, the short direction is along the Y direction, and the thickness direction is along the Z direction.

The conveyance roller 25 has a cylindrical shape, and is disposed between the second heater roller 24 and the cutting unit 26. As described above, the transport roller 25 transports the pair of separator members 10 a and 10 b in the X direction along the longitudinal direction. More specifically, transport roller 25 transports separator members 10a and 10b in the transport direction (here, the X direction) by rotating in the direction of the arrows while sandwiching separator members 10a and 10b by a drive source (not shown). .

The supply unit 30 supplies the positive electrode 8 to the feed roller 21 by moving the positive electrode 8 along the X direction. The supply unit 30 may be configured by, for example, a belt conveyor and a roller conveyor. The positive electrode 8 is manufactured in the previous step and supplied to the supply unit 30. The upper surface of the positive electrode 8 supplied by the supply unit 30 corresponds to the upper surface 8 b described above, and the surface on the opposite side of the upper surface 8 b corresponds to the lower surface 8 a described above.

The feed roller 21 is a cylindrical nip roller that receives the positive electrode 8 from the supply unit 30 and sandwiches and rotates the positive electrode 8 to deliver the positive electrode 8 toward the space between the separator members 10a and 10b. The pair of feed rollers 21 extends from the first heater roller 23 in the X direction within a range in which the positive electrode 8 can abut on a first welding area W1 (welding area) described later in a state where the positive electrode 8 is sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 21. It is disposed at a spaced position. Specifically, the first welding area W1 immediately after the center position P1 of the pair of feed rollers 21 (the position where the positive electrode 8 is held by being held by the pair of feed rollers 21 from above and below) and the first heater roller 23 The distance d2 to the downstream end position P2 is adjusted to be smaller than at least the width of the positive electrode 8 (the distance between the side end 14p and the side end 14r).

The rotational speed of the feed roller 21 is controlled by the control unit 27. Specifically, the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 is such that the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 delivered in the X direction by the feed roller 21 is larger than the transport speed of the separator members 10 a and 10 b transported in the X direction by the transport roller 25. To be controlled by the control unit 27.

The first heater roller 23 is disposed between the guide roller 22 and the second heater roller 24 described above. The first heater roller 23 includes a pair of cylindrical rollers 23a and 23b facing each other. The rollers 23 a and 23 b are rotationally driven by a drive source independent of the transport roller 25. In this case, the rotational speed of the rollers 23a and 23b is basically matched with the transport speed of the separator members 10a and 10b by the transport roller 25. In this case, the welding position can also be adjusted by controlling the number of rotations of the roller 23a. The roller 23 b may rotate as the separator members 10 a and 10 b are transported by the transport roller 25.

The first heater roller 23 welds the separator members 10a and 10b conveyed by the conveyance roller 25 to each other along the short direction (Y direction) of the separator members 10a and 10b. As a result, the first heater roller 23 forms a first welding area W1 and a third welding area W3 extending in the lateral direction (direction intersecting the transport direction) of the separator members 10a and 10b.

The 1st welding field W1 and the 3rd welding field W3 are formed as follows as an example. That is, for example, the roller 23a has a convex portion 23c extending in the rotation axis direction and a heater inside the roller 23a. The rollers 23a and 23b rotate in the direction of the arrows while sandwiching the separator members 10a and 10b between the top surface of the convex portion 23c of the roller 23a heated by the heater and the outer peripheral surface of the roller 23b. Thereby, the separator member 10a and the separator member 10b are welded at intervals according to the length of the outer periphery of the roller 23a.

As a result, a plurality of first welding regions W1 and third welding regions W3 alternately arranged separately from each other in the longitudinal direction of the separator members 10a and 10b are formed. Here, for convenience, when the specific positive electrode 8 is supplied to the separator members 10a and 10b, the welding area located on the side end 14r side of the specific positive electrode 8 is referred to as a first welding area W1. The welding area located on the side end 14p side is referred to as a third welding area W3. Therefore, in this case, the first welding area W1 and the third welding area W3 may be the same area, and the names are changed according to the positional relationship with the positive electrode 8 to which attention is paid.

The second heater roller 24 is disposed downstream of the first heater roller 23 in the transport direction, and is disposed between the first heater roller 23 and the transport roller 25. The second heater roller 24 includes a pair of cylindrical rollers 24a and 24b facing each other. The rollers 24 a and 24 b are rotationally driven by a drive source independent of the transport roller 25. However, the rollers 24 a and 24 b may rotate as the separator members 10 a and 10 b are transported by the transport roller 25.

The second heater roller 24 welds the separator members 10a and 10b conveyed by the conveyance roller 25 to each other at one edge E2 (along the conveyance direction) in the short direction (Y direction), 2 Form a welding area W2. Further, the second heater roller 24 welds the separator members 10a and 10b conveyed by the conveyance roller 25 to each other at the other edge E4 (along the conveyance direction) in the short direction (Y direction) , The fourth welding area W4 is formed. The second welding area W2 and the fourth welding area W4 extend along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the separator members 10a and 10b. The second welding area W2 and the fourth welding area W4 are formed as follows, as an example.

That is, for example, the roller 24a has a first convex portion extending along the circumferential direction of the roller 24a. The first convex portion extends in the entire circumferential direction of the roller 24 a and has an annular shape. That is, the start end and the end of the first convex portion coincide with each other. On the other hand, the roller 24a has a second convex portion extending along the circumferential direction of the roller 24a. The second convex portion is separated from the first convex portion along the rotation axis of the roller 24a, and is substantially parallel to the first convex portion. In addition, the second convex portion does not cover the entire circumferential direction of the roller 24a. That is, the start end and the end of the second convex portion do not coincide with each other, and a missing portion is provided between them. Furthermore, the roller 24a has a heater inside the roller 24a. The rollers 24a and 24b rotate in the direction of the arrows while sandwiching the separator members 10a and 10b between the top surfaces of the first and second protrusions of the roller 24a heated by the heater and the outer peripheral surface of the roller 24b. Do.

Thereby, the separator member 10a and the separator member 10b are welded at the edge portions E2 and E4 to form the second welding region W2 and the fourth welding region W4. Further, the separator member 10a and the separator member 10b are not welded at the missing portion of the second convex portion, and the non-welded region W5 is formed. The tab 14b of the positive electrode 8 is made to project from the non-welding region W5. That is, the missing portion of the second convex portion is set to form the non-welded region W <b> 5 at a position corresponding to the tab 14 b of the positive electrode 8. The roller 24b may also include a heater inside the roller 24b, and both the roller 24a and the roller 24b may heat the separator members 10a and 10b.

The cutting unit 26 is disposed downstream of the transport roller 25 in the transport direction of the separator members 10 a and 10 b. The cutting unit 26 includes a fixed blade 26 a and a rotary blade 26 b. The cutting unit 26 cuts the separator members 10 a and 10 b conveyed by the conveyance roller 25 so as to be sandwiched between the fixed blade 26 a and the rotary blade 26 b. The cutting unit 26 cuts the separator members 10a and 10b in each of the first welding area W1 and the third welding area W3. Thereby, the separated positive electrode with separator 11 is obtained. In addition, the cutting part 26 is not limited to the structure which used the fixed blade and the rotary blade. For example, the cutting unit 26 may be a rotary cutter using a pair of rotary blades that respectively rotate around upper and lower axes, or may be configured to utilize melting by heat.

The control unit 27 causes the positive electrode 8 to be delivered at a speed greater than the transport speed of the separator members 10a and 10b, and abuts the first welding region W1 in a state where the positive electrode 8 is sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 21. The rotation operation of the pair of feed rollers 21 is controlled. The control unit 27 is configured as a computer device including, for example, a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, a storage, a communication device, and the like. A processor executes predetermined software (program) read into a memory or the like, and reads and writes data in the memory and storage, and controls communication (for example, communication with sensors 28 and 29 described later) by a communication device. Thus, control of the rotation operation of the feed roller 21 (details will be described later) is realized.

The sensor 28 detects the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 located between the pair of feed rollers 21 and the first heater roller 23. The deflection amount is information indicating how much the positive electrode 8 is bent, and is represented by, for example, a numerical value. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the sensor 28 is disposed above the moving path of the positive electrode 8 (here, a path along the horizontal surface (X direction)), and the pair of feed rollers 21 and the first heater roller 23 Are configured as a distance sensor that measures the distance to the upper surface 8 b of the positive electrode 8 located between the two. In this case, when the positive electrode 8 is bent in a convex direction toward the guide roller 22b, the distance between the sensor 28 and the upper surface 8b of the positive electrode 8 is smaller than when the positive electrode 8 is not bent. Become. Therefore, the sensor 28 can calculate the amount of deflection based on the measured distance. Here, in the deflection of the positive electrode 8 described above, the side end portion 14 r of the positive electrode 8 in a state of being sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 21 abuts against the first welding region W 1, and the load from both sides in the X direction May occur when added.

The sensor 28 is not limited to the above-described distance sensor. For example, the sensor 28 may be a camera that captures an image of the positive electrode 8 located between the pair of feed rollers 21 and the first heater roller 23 from the side (Y direction). In this case, the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 is calculated by image processing on an image captured by the sensor 28 which is a camera. Further, the process of calculating the deflection amount based on the measurement distance or the result of the image processing described above may be executed by the sensor 28 or may be executed by the control unit 27 communicably connected to the sensor 28. . In this case, the control unit 27 and the sensor 28 function as a detection unit that detects the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8. Further, in this case, the “bending amount detected by the sensor 28” in the present specification is “bending calculated by the control unit 27 based on the information acquired by the sensor 28 (for example, the measurement distance and the captured image described above). It is read as "quantity".

The sensor 29 is a sensor which is provided above a predetermined position (in the present embodiment, in the vicinity of the outlet) of the supply unit 30 and detects the presence or absence of the positive electrode 8. The sensor 29 periodically transmits a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of the positive electrode 8 to the control unit 27. Based on the detection signal, the control unit 27 grasps an arrival time (such as time) when the positive electrode 8 reaches a predetermined position of the supply unit 30. The control unit 27 sets one pair from the supply unit 30 based on such information on arrival time, the supply speed of the positive electrode 8 by the supply unit 30, the distance from the predetermined position to the delivery position of the pair of feed rollers 21, and the like. It is possible to predict a supply time (a timing at which the positive electrode 8 is supplied from the supply unit 30 to the pair of feed rollers 21) at which the positive electrode 8 is delivered to the feed roller 21.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, an operation when the positive electrode 8 is inserted between the separator members 10a and 10b by the feed roller 21 will be described.

First, a comparative example will be described. When the butting of the electrode to the welding area as described in Patent Document 1 is not performed, the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 and the transport speed of the separator members 10a and 10b are equal. Therefore, the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 from the supply unit 30 to the feed roller 21 is the first welding area W1 immediately after the position of the side end 14r of the positive electrode 8 delivered by the feed roller 21 is formed by the first heater roller 23. It is controlled to substantially coincide with the position of the downstream end Wa of the Here, the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is controlled by, for example, the timing of delivering the positive electrode 8 to the supply unit 30 from the previous step, the conveyance speed (conveyor speed etc.) of the positive electrode 8 by the supply unit 30, and the like. However, for example, variations may occur in the timing of delivering the positive electrode 8 to the supply unit 30 from the previous step. When the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is delayed due to such variation, the side end 14r of the positive electrode 8 can not catch up to a position close to the end Wa of the first welding area W1. For this reason, the distance between the side end 14r of the positive electrode 8 and the end Wa of the first welding region W1 becomes large, and the next welding timing by the first heater roller 23 (the third welding region W3 for the positive electrode 8 is In the formation timing, the positive electrode 8 may be caught in the first heater roller 23.

In addition, an example of the dispersion | variation of the timing etc. which delivers the positive electrode 8 to the supply part 30 from the above-mentioned pre-process is demonstrated. When delivering the positive electrode 8 to the supply unit 30 from the previous step, the positive electrode 8 transfers a plurality of transfer devices (for example, a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, etc.). Although the speed control of the transport device itself is possible, it is difficult to avoid the positional deviation of 10 mm or less that occurs at the time of transfer. On the other hand, for example, the width of the positive electrode 8 of the storage device for vehicles is about several cm to 20 cm. In such a power storage device, the variation (displacement) allowed in the position of the positive electrode 8 with respect to the welding region is about 2 to 3 mm, and is 1 mm or less when high accuracy is required. That is, even if the speed of the transfer device is controlled upstream, it is difficult to completely absorb the variation in the position of each positive electrode 8.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 from the supply unit 30 to the feed roller 21 is downstream of the first welding area W1 immediately after being formed by the first heater roller 23. Control is performed so that the side end 14r of the positive electrode 8 does not abut on the side end Wa. That is, the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is adjusted to be delayed from the appropriate supply timing in the above-described conventional operation example. Further, the control unit 27 causes the end of the first welding area W1 in a state where the delivery speed Vw of the positive electrode 8 is larger than the transport speed Vs of the separator members 10a and 10b and the positive electrode 8 is sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 21. The rotational speed of the feed roller 21 is controlled so as to catch up (abut on) the part Wa. As a result, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 5, the side end 14r of the positive electrode 8 abuts against the end Wa of the first welding area W1 while the positive electrode 8 is sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 21. As a result, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 5, at the next welding timing by the first heater roller 23 (the timing when the third welding region W3 for the positive electrode 8 is formed), the first heater roller 23 is the positive electrode 8. The third welding area W3 can be formed without biting.

Next, control of the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 based on the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 will be described with reference to FIG.

As described above, the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 from the supply unit 30 to the feed roller 21 may vary. The upper part of FIG. 6 shows a state in which the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 has come earlier than the scheduled timing. Here, the “scheduled timing” is predetermined so that the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 falls below a certain level and the positive electrode 8 abuts on the first welding region W1 in a state of being sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 21. Supply timing of the positive electrode 8. Such delivery timing may have a certain duration.

In this case, the side end 14r of the positive electrode 8 abuts on the first welding area W1 at a position upstream of the predetermined position. Further, since the delivery speed Vw1 of the positive electrode 8 by the feed roller 21 is larger than the transport speed Vs of the separator members 10a and 10b, the positive electrode 8 is strongly pushed into the first welding area W1. As a result, a load is applied to the positive electrode 8 from both sides in the delivery direction (X direction) of the positive electrode 8. Here, since the guide roller 22a is disposed at a position along the moving path of the positive electrode 8, the lower surface 8a of the positive electrode 8 is supported by the separator member 10a in contact with the lower surface 8a. On the other hand, the guide roller 22b is separated from the moving path of the positive electrode 8 by a predetermined distance d1 (see FIG. 3). That is, the transport path of the separator member 10 b is set to be separated from the moving path of the positive electrode 8. Thus, a gap in which the positive electrode 8 can enter is provided between the upper surface 8 b of the positive electrode 8 and the separator member 10 b.

Therefore, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 6, the positive electrode 8 to which the load from both sides in the X direction is applied between the pair of feed rollers 21 and the first welding region W1 is the guide roller 22b side (here, the upper side Will bend in a convex direction). Thereby, the said load can be released appropriately and damage to the positive electrode 8 can be suppressed.

On the other hand, there is a limit to the allowable deflection amount. For example, if the amount of deflection is too large, the positive electrode 8 may be broken or part of the positive electrode active material layer 15 may be peeled off. Therefore, the control unit 27 may control the rotational speeds of the pair of feed rollers 21 based on the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 detected by the sensor 28. For example, the control unit 27 may decrease the rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers 21 when the amount of deflection detected by the sensor 28 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold. The lower part of FIG. 6 shows a state after the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 is changed from Vw1 to Vw2 (Vw2 <Vw1) smaller than Vw1 by such control. For example, when the delivery speed Vw2 is the same as the transport speed Vs of the separator members 10a and 10b, the distance by which the positive electrode 8 is delivered by the feed roller 21 per unit time and the first welding area W1 move along the X direction. The distance is equal. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an increase in the amount of bending of the positive electrode 8. Further, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6, the delivery speed Vw2 may be temporarily made smaller than the transport speed Vs of the separator members 10a and 10b. In this case, the distance by which the first welding region W1 moves along the X direction is larger than the distance by which the positive electrode 8 is delivered by the feed roller 21 per unit time, so the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 is reduced. Can.

On the other hand, contrary to the situation shown in FIG. 6 (when the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is earlier than the scheduled timing), the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 may be later than the scheduled timing. In this case, at a time when it is expected that a certain amount of bending will be detected as the positive electrode 8 abuts on the first welding region W1, the certain amount of bending will not be detected. Further, in this case, unless the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 is increased, the positive electrode 8 delivered by the feed roller 21 does not abut the first welding region W1, and along with the separator members 10a and 10b in the transport direction (X direction). There is a risk of flowing downstream along. Therefore, the control unit 27 may increase the rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers 21 when the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 detected by the sensor 28 is equal to or less than a predetermined second threshold. Here, the second threshold is smaller than the first threshold. Thereby, the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 can be increased, and the positive electrode 8 can be more reliably brought into contact with the first welding region W1. As a result, biting of the positive electrode 8 by the first heater roller 23 can be appropriately prevented.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of control of the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 based on the above-described amount of deflection. First, the sensor 28 detects the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 located between the pair of feed rollers 21 and the first heater roller 23 (step S1). Subsequently, the control unit 27 determines whether the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 is equal to or more than the first threshold (step S2). When the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 is equal to or greater than the first threshold (step S2: YES), the control unit 27 reduces the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 to reduce the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 (step S3). Thus, the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 can be reduced, and an increase in the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 can be suppressed.

On the other hand, when the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 is not the first threshold or more (step S2: NO), the control unit 27 determines whether the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 is the second threshold or less (step S4). When the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 is equal to or less than the second threshold (step S4: YES), the control unit 27 increases the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 to increase the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 (step S5). Thereby, the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 can be increased, and the positive electrode 8 can be more reliably brought into contact with the first welding region W1.

On the other hand, when the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 is not less than the second threshold (step S4: NO), that is, when the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 is in an appropriate range, the control unit 27 maintains the current delivery speed of the positive electrode 8. Do. That is, the control unit 27 does not change the rotational speed of the feed roller 21.

Further, instead of performing control based on the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8 as described above, the control unit 27 may perform control based on the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 from the supply unit 30 to the feed roller 21.

For example, the control unit 27 is based on the comparison between the detection signal received from the sensor 29 (for example, information indicating the detection time of the positive electrode 8 that has reached the predetermined position of the supply unit 30) and the position of the convex portion 23c of the first heater roller 23. To determine whether the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is earlier or later than the planned timing. For example, when the control unit 27 determines that the detection time of the positive electrode 8 at the predetermined position of the supply unit 30 indicated by the detection signal is earlier (or later) than the scheduled time corresponding to the scheduled timing, the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is It can be understood that it is earlier (or later) than the scheduled timing. Further, the control unit 27 can also quantitatively grasp how much earlier (or later) the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is scheduled from the time difference between the detection time and the scheduled time. Here, “the scheduled time corresponding to the scheduled timing” is expected to be detected at the predetermined position of the supply unit 30 when the positive electrode 8 is supplied at the scheduled timing. It is time. Such scheduled time is grasped beforehand based on the speed (conveyor speed etc.) of the supply unit 30 and the like.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of control of the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 based on the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 described above. First, the sensor 29 acquires the detection time of the positive electrode 8 that has reached the predetermined position of the supply unit 30 (step S11). Subsequently, the control unit 27 determines whether the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is earlier than the scheduled timing based on the detection time (step S12). For example, the control unit 27 makes the above determination based on the comparison between the detection time and the position of the convex portion 23 c of the first heater roller 23. If the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is earlier than the scheduled timing (step S12: YES), the control unit 27 reduces the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 to reduce the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 (step S13). Here, the control unit 27 reduces the rotational speed by, for example, a size corresponding to the time difference between the detection time and the scheduled time. Thus, the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 can be reduced, and an increase in the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 can be suppressed.

On the other hand, when the supply timing of positive electrode 8 is not earlier than the scheduled timing (step S12: NO), control unit 27 determines whether the supply timing of positive electrode 8 is later than the scheduled timing (step S12) S14). If the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is later than the scheduled timing (step S14: YES), the control unit 27 increases the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 to increase the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 (step S15). Here, the control unit 27 increases the rotational speed by, for example, a size corresponding to the time difference between the detection time and the scheduled time. Thereby, the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 can be increased, and the positive electrode 8 can be more reliably brought into contact with the first welding region W1.

On the other hand, when the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is not later than the scheduled timing (step S14: NO), that is, when the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 matches the scheduled timing, the control unit 27 Maintain delivery speed. That is, the control unit 27 does not change the rotational speed of the feed roller 21.

The control procedure (FIG. 6) based on the amount of deflection described above and the control procedure (FIG. 7) based on the supply timing are not limited to the above examples. For example, the determinations in steps S2 and S4 of FIG. 6 may be performed in the reverse order or may be performed simultaneously. Similarly, the determinations in steps S12 and S14 of FIG. 7 may be performed in the reverse order or may be performed simultaneously. Also, the control based on the deflection amount or the control based on the supply timing may be periodically and repeatedly performed. According to such repeated control, the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 is controlled such that the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 delivered toward the first welding region W1 by the feed roller 21 falls within an appropriate range. In addition, it takes time until the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 is changed after the deflection amount is detected (or after the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is grasped), and the delivery of the positive electrode 8 currently being delivered by the feed roller 21 In some cases, the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 can not be changed until the completion of the above. In such a case, the above-described control changes the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 delivered by the feed roller 21 later than the currently delivered positive electrode 8. That is, in this case, the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 to be delivered next is adjusted based on whether or not the delivery speed of the immediately preceding positive electrode 8 was appropriate.

Next, an example of an electrode accommodation process (a manufacturing method of an electrode with a separator) is explained. In this manufacturing method, first, the conveyance roller 25 conveys the separator members 10a and 10b in the X direction (conveyance step). Subsequently, the first heater roller 23 welds the conveyed separator members 10a and 10b to each other to form a first welding region W1 extending in the short direction (Y direction) intersecting the conveying direction of the separator members 10a and 10b. Form (welding step). Subsequently, the first welding is performed in a state where the pair of feed rollers 21 is fed at a delivery speed Vw that the positive electrode 8 is larger than the transport speed Vs of the separator members 10a and 10b and the positive electrode 8 is sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 21. The positive electrode 8 is sent out between the separator members 10a and 10b so as to abut the region W1 (sending step).

As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus 20, the positive electrode 8 contacts the first welding area W1 in a state of being sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 21 at the delivery speed Vw larger than the transport speed Vs of the separator members 10a and 10b. It is delivered between the separator members 10a and 10b so as to be in contact with each other. Thus, the positive electrode 8 can be reliably brought into contact with the first welding area W1. As a result, biting of the positive electrode 8 (for example, the first heater roller) occurs when forming another welding area (for example, the third welding area W3) due to the positive electrode 8 not reaching the position where it abuts the first welding area W1. 23) can be prevented. Further, a guide roller 22a for guiding one of the separator members 10a is disposed at a position along the movement path of the positive electrode 8, and the transport path of the other separator member 10b is set apart from the movement path. ing. Therefore, when the positive electrode 8 abuts against the first welding region W1 and a load is applied to the positive electrode 8 along the feeding direction (X direction) of the positive electrode 8, the positive electrode 8 is bent in a convex direction toward the transport path. It is possible to do this (see Figure 6). As a result, the load can be properly dissipated, and damage to the positive electrode 8 can be suppressed. As described above, according to the manufacturing apparatus 20 and the method of manufacturing the separator-equipped electrode, damage to the positive electrode 8 can be suppressed while preventing biting of the positive electrode 8 at the time of welding of the separator members 10a and 10b.

The manufacturing apparatus 20 further includes a guide roller 22 b disposed at a position separated from the moving path upstream of the first heater roller 23 in the transport direction and guiding the other separator member 10 b. Thereby, the separator member 10b can be appropriately guided so that the conveyance path of the separator member 10b is separated from the movement path. Further, as the guide roller 22b guides the separator member 10b, the separator member 10b is stretched without slack between the guide roller 22b and the roller 23b. Thereby, the positive electrode 8 can be prevented from colliding with the surface of the roller 23 b via the separator member 10 b. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a shift in the entry timing of the positive electrode 8 to the welding position (a shift due to the collision).

The manufacturing apparatus 20 further includes a detection unit that detects the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 located between the pair of feed rollers 21 and the first heater roller 23. The control unit 27 determines the deflection detected by the detection unit. The rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers 21 is controlled based on the amount. As a result, based on the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8, control for delivering the positive electrode 8 at an appropriate speed from the viewpoint of preventing biting of the positive electrode 8 or suppressing damage to the positive electrode 8 becomes possible. As described above, the detection unit may be configured by the sensor 28 alone, or the sensor 28 and the control unit 27 may function as the detection unit.

In addition, the control unit 27 reduces the rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers 21 when the deflection amount detected by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold. Thus, for example, when the amount of deflection is very large (that is, when the force pressing the positive electrode 8 into the first welding region W1 is too large), the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 can be reduced. The increase can be suppressed. Damage to the positive electrode 8 can thereby be suppressed more effectively.

In addition, the control unit 27 may increase the rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers 21 when the deflection amount detected by the detection unit is equal to or less than a predetermined second threshold. Thereby, for example, when the amount of deflection is very small (that is, when the positive electrode 8 may not be in contact with the first welding region W1), the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 can be increased, and more reliably The positive electrode 8 can be brought into contact with the first welding area W1. Thereby, the biting of the positive electrode 8 at the time of welding of separator member 10a, 10b can be prevented appropriately.

The manufacturing apparatus 20 further includes a supply unit 30 that supplies the positive electrode 8 to the pair of feed rollers 21, and the control unit 27 controls the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 from the supply unit 30 to the pair of feed rollers 21. The rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers 21 can be controlled. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately control the delivery speed of the positive electrode 8 in accordance with the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 from the supply unit 30 to the pair of feed rollers 21. For example, as described above, when the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is delayed, the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 is increased by that amount, and when the supply timing of the positive electrode 8 is too early, the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 by that amount Can be controlled to reduce the

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, although the case where the positive electrode 8 is accommodated in the separator 10 has been described in the above embodiment, the negative electrode 9 may be accommodated in the separator 10. That is, at least one of the positive electrode 8 and the negative electrode 9 may be accommodated in the separator 10 by the manufacturing apparatus 20 to manufacture the electrode with a separator.

In the above embodiment, the positive electrode 8 and the separator members 10a and 10b are conveyed along the horizontal direction (X direction), but the conveying direction of the positive electrode 8 and the separator members 10a and 10b is other than the horizontal direction. It may be along a direction (for example, the vertical direction).

In the above embodiment, the first heater roller 23 for forming the first welding area W1 and the third welding area W3 and the second heater roller 24 for forming the second welding area W2 and the fourth welding area W4 are provided. Although the separate configuration has been described, the first heater roller 23 and the second heater roller 24 may be configured as a single heater roller. For example, by providing the first convex portion and the second convex portion of the second heater roller 24 described above on the first heater roller 23, the first heater roller 23 is configured to form the first welding region W1 to the fourth welding region W4. It may be done.

Further, in the above embodiment, the control unit 27 controls the rotational speed of the feed roller 21 based on the deflection amount of the positive electrode 8, but instead of the control (or together with the control), the control unit 27 The transport speed of the supply unit 30, which is a conveyor or the like, may be controlled. This makes it possible to change the timing at which the positive electrode 8 is supplied to the feed roller 21 so that the amount of deflection of the positive electrode 8 falls within an appropriate range.

Also, the guide roller 22b may be omitted. In this case, the separator member 10b may be disposed to extend vertically upward along, for example, the roller 23b.

8: positive electrode (electrode), 9: negative electrode, 10: separator, 10a: one separator member, 10b: other separator member, 11: positive electrode with separator (electrode with separator), 20: manufacturing device, 21: feed roller, 22: guide roller 22a: guide roller (first guide roller) 22b: guide roller (second guide roller) 23: first heater roller (welded portion) 24: second heater roller 25: conveyance roller (conveyance unit (conveyance unit) , 26: cutting part, 27: control part, 28: sensor (detection part), 29: sensor, 30: supply part, W1: first welding area, W3: third welding area.

Claims (7)

An apparatus for manufacturing a separator-equipped electrode, which manufactures a separator-equipped electrode in which an electrode is accommodated between separators, comprising:
A transport unit configured to transport a pair of long sheet-like separator members constituting the separator;
A welded portion forming a welded region extending in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the separator member by welding together a pair of the separator members transported by the transport portion;
A pair of feed rollers for feeding the electrode between the pair of separator members by sandwiching and rotating the electrode;
The rotating operation of the pair of feed rollers is performed such that the electrodes are delivered at a speed greater than the transport speed of the separator member, and the electrodes abut the welding area in a state of being sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers. A control unit to control
A first guide roller disposed at a position along the moving path of the electrode and upstream of the welding portion in the transport direction, the first guide roller guiding one of the separator members;
Equipped with
The transport path of the other of the separator members is set so as to be separated from the movement path upstream of the weld portion in the transport direction.
Equipment for manufacturing separators and electrodes. The apparatus further comprises a second guide roller disposed at a position separated from the moving path upstream of the welding portion in the transport direction and guiding the other separator member.
The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator of Claim 1. It further comprises a detection unit for detecting the amount of deflection of the electrode located between the pair of feed rollers and the welding portion,
The control unit controls the rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers based on the deflection amount detected by the detection unit.
The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator of Claim 1 or 2. The control unit reduces the rotational speeds of the pair of feed rollers when the deflection amount detected by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold.
The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator of Claim 3. The control unit increases the rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers when the deflection amount detected by the detection unit is equal to or less than a predetermined second threshold value.
The manufacturing apparatus of the electrode with a separator of Claim 3 or 4. The apparatus further comprises a supply unit that supplies the electrodes to a pair of the feed rollers,
The control unit controls the rotational speed of the pair of feed rollers based on the supply timing of the electrodes from the supply unit to the pair of feed rollers.
An apparatus for manufacturing an electrode with a separator according to any one of claims 1 to 5. What is claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing an electrode with a separator, comprising the steps of:
A conveying step of conveying a pair of long sheet-like separator members constituting the separator;
A welding step of forming a welding region extending in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the separator member by welding together the pair of separator members conveyed in the conveying step;
The electrodes are delivered at a speed higher than the transport speed of the separator member by a pair of feed rollers which sandwich and rotate the electrodes, and the electrodes are pressed against the welding area in a state of being sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers. Delivering the electrodes towards a pair of the separator members so as to be in contact with each other;
Including
A first guide roller is provided at a position along the movement path of the electrode and upstream of the welding position in the welding step, the first guide roller guiding one of the separator members,
The transport path of the other of the separator members is set to be separated from the movement path upstream of the welding position in the transport direction.
The manufacturing method of the electrode with a separator.

Images