Patent Application
20220021016
The disclosure relates to a technical field of battery, and in particular to an electrode assembly and its forming method and a manufacturing system, a secondary battery, a battery module and a device.
With developments of society, science and technology, secondary batteries are widely used to power high power devices, such as electric vehicles. The secondary battery forms a battery module by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series or in parallel to obtain a larger capacity or power.
The secondary battery includes a cathode electrode plate and an anode electrode plate, and the cathode electrode plate and the anode electrode plate are stacked to form an electrode assembly. However, after the cathode electrode plate and the anode electrode plate are stacked with respect to each other, at least one of the cathode electrode plate and the anode electrode plate may deviate from a predetermined position, which thereby affect an electrochemical performance of the secondary battery.
Embodiments of the disclosure provide an electrode assembly and its forming method and a manufacturing system, a secondary battery, a battery module and a device, which can ensure that a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate are at predetermined positions after being stacked, thereby ensuring that the secondary battery has a good electrochemical performance.
In one aspect, according to embodiments of the disclosure, an electrode assembly for a secondary battery is provided, which includes:
a first electrode plate including a plurality of bending sections and a plurality of stacked first stacking sections, each bending section being configured to connect two adjacent first stacking sections, wherein the bending section includes a guiding portion for guiding the bending section to be bent during production; and a second electrode plate with a polarity opposite to that of the first electrode plate, the second electrode plate including a plurality of second stacking sections, and each second stacking section being disposed between two adjacent first stacking sections.
In another aspect, according to embodiments of the disclosure, a secondary battery is provided, which includes an electrode assembly according to the above embodiments.
In another aspect, according to embodiments of the disclosure, a battery module is provided, which includes a secondary battery according to the above embodiments.
In another aspect, according to embodiments of the disclosure, a device is provided, which includes a secondary battery according to the above embodiments, and the secondary battery is configured to provide electrical energy.
In another aspect, according to embodiments of the disclosure, a forming method of an electrode assembly is provided, which includes:
providing a first electrode plate, which includes a plurality of bending sections and a plurality of first stacking sections, each bending section being configured to connect two adjacent first stacking sections, wherein the bending section includes a guiding portion;
providing a second electrode plate with a polarity opposite to that of the first electrode plate, wherein the second electrode plate includes a plurality of second stacking sections, and each of the second stacking sections is disposed between two adjacent first stacking sections; and
bending the bending section along the guiding portion so that the two adjacent first stacking sections connected to the bending section are stacked.
In another aspect, an electrode assembly manufacturing system is provided according to embodiments of the disclosure, which includes:
a first conveying mechanism for providing a first electrode plate, wherein the first electrode plate includes a plurality of bending sections and a plurality of first stacking sections, and each of the bending sections is configured to connect two adjacent first stacking sections;
a trace making mechanism for providing a guiding portion in the bending section, wherein the guiding portion is configured to guide the bending section to be bent during production;
a second conveying mechanism for providing a second electrode plate with a polarity opposite to that of the first electrode plate, wherein the second electrode plate includes a plurality of second stacking sections, and each of the second stacking sections is disposed between two adjacent first stacking sections; and
a stacking mechanism for bending the bending section along the guiding portion and stacking the two adjacent first stacking sections connected to the bending section.
The disclosure provide following beneficial effects: by providing the guiding portion at the bending section, the bending section can be bent along the guiding portion during production, which ensures that the bending section has a more accurate bending position when it is bent with respect to the first stacking section, so that the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate are at predetermined positions after being stacked, thereby ensuring that the secondary battery has a good electrochemical performance.
Features, advantages, and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to accompanying drawings.
The views are not necessarily plotted in actual proportion in the drawings.
Below, embodiments of the disclosure will be further described in detail with reference to the drawings and embodiments. The detailed description according to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are intended to exemplary illustrate the principles of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, i.e., the disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments.
In the description of the disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of “a plurality” is two or more; the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “inner”, “outer” and the like is merely for the purpose of describing the disclosure and simplifying the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to has a particular orientation, is constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood to be a limitation of the disclosure. Moreover, the terms “first”, “second”, and the like are configured for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
The orientations in the following description are all directions shown in the drawings and are not intended to limit specific structures of the disclosure. In the description of the disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the terms “installation”, “connected to”, and “connected with” are to be understood broadly, and may be, for example, a fixed connection, a disassemble connection, or an integral connection; they can be connected directly or indirectly through an intermediate medium. The specific meaning of the above terms in the disclosure can be understood by the person skilled in the art according to actual circumstance.
For better understanding of the disclosure, embodiments of the disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to
Embodiments of the disclosure provide a device that adopts a secondary battery 30 as a power source. The device can be but not limited to a vehicle, a ship, an aircraft or the like. Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
After noticing the problem of the poor electrochemical performance of existing secondary batteries, the inventors found that at least one of a cathode electrode plate and an anode electrode plate in a formed electrode assembly deviates from the predetermined position, which thus affects the electrochemical performance of the secondary battery. The inventors further discovered that at least one of the cathode electrode plate and the anode electrode plate in the formed electrode assembly deviates from the predetermined position, which results in lithium plating phenomenon in the electrode assembly and thereby affects the electrochemical performance of the secondary battery. It is speculated that the reason may be that a portion of the anode electrode plate extends beyond an outer edge of the cathode electrode plate but has a too small dimension or the anode electrode plate does not extend beyond the outer edge of the cathode electrode plate.
Through the analyzing an assembling process of the electrode assembly, the inventors further studied the lithium plating phenomenon and found that, by taking the anode electrode plate continuously arranged and the cathode electrode plate discontinuously arranged as an example, it is difficult for the anode electrode plate to be folded along a predetermined area during a bending process, leading to the small dimension of the portion of the anode electrode plate that extends beyond the outer edge of the cathode electrode plate after the cathode electrode plate and the anode electrode plate are stacked to form the electrode assembly, which will likely result in the lithium plating phenomenon in the electrode assembly and thereby affect the electrochemical performance and the safety performance of the secondary battery.
Based on the above problems discovered by the inventors, the inventors have improved a structure of an electrode assembly 50, and embodiments of the disclosure will be further described below.
As shown in
The case 40 according to the embodiment of the disclosure has a square structure or other shapes. The case 40 includes an internal space for accommodating the electrode assembly 50 and electrolyte, and an opening communicating with the internal space. The case 40 may be made of materials such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, or plastic.
The top cover assembly 60 according to embodiments of the disclosure includes a top cover plate 61 and electrode terminals 62. The top cover plate 61 according to embodiments of the disclosure includes an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to each other, and an electrode lead-out hole through the outer and inner surfaces. The top cover plate 61 can cover the opening of the case 40 and be sealingly connected to the case 40. The inner surface of the top cover plate 61 faces the electrode assembly 50. The electrode terminal 62 is disposed in the top cover plate 61 and disposed corresponding to the electrode lead-out hole. A part of the electrode terminal 62 is exposed from the outer surface of the top cover plate 61 and is configured to be welded with a busbar.
The electrode assembly 50 according to embodiments of the disclosure includes a main body 50a and tabs 50b extending from the main body 50a. In embodiments of the disclosure, from each of two opposite end faces of the main body 50a, one tab 50b extends. In some other embodiments, two tabs 50b extend from one of the two opposite end faces of the main body 50a. The two tabs 50b have opposite polarities, one of the two tabs is a negative tab and the other is a positive tab. A positive active material is coated on a coating region of the anode electrode plate, while a negative active material is coated on a coating region of the cathode electrode plate. A plurality of uncoated regions extending from the coating regions of the main body 50a are serve as tabs 50b. The positive tab extends from the coating region of the anode electrode plate while the negative tab extends from the coating region of the cathode electrode plate. Connecting plates 70 are configured to connect the tabs 50b of the electrode assembly 50 and the electrode terminals 62.
In an embodiment,
In the embodiment, each bending section 511 is provided with a guiding portion 5111. In the embodiment, the guiding portion 5111 includes a groove 5111a. The groove 5111a is recessed and extends from a surface of the first electrode plate 51 in the thickness direction H of the first electrode plate 51 along a direction approaching the current collector 51a. Among two adjacent bending sections 511, a groove 5111a disposed in one bending section 511 is located at one side of the current collector 51a, and a groove 5111a disposed in the other bending section 511 is located at the other side of the current collector 51a. The groove 5111a may be formed by removing a part of the electrode active material layer 51b from the first electrode plate 51. Alternatively, when the electrode active material is coated on the current collector 51a, less electrode active material is coated at a corresponding position to form the groove 5111a. In the embodiment, along the thickness direction H, a depth of the groove 5111a may be equal to a thickness of the electrode active material layer 51b. The groove 5111a extends to a surface of the current collector 51a, but does not extend into the current collector 51a. However, it should be understood that the depth of the groove 5111a may be less than the thickness of the electrode active material layer 51b, so that the groove 5111a does not pass through the electrode active material layer 51b in the thickness direction H; and in this case, there is a part of the electrode active material between the groove 5111a and the current collector 51a. In the embodiment, since the depth of the groove 5111a is less than or equal to the thickness of the electrode active material layer 51b, the current collector 51a will not be damaged when the groove 5111a is formed, and compared to a case where the depth of the groove 5111a is greater than the thickness of the electrode active material layer 51b (in this case, the current collector 51a will be damaged), a strength of the current collector 51a will not be affected. In the embodiment, a mouth of the groove 5111a is greater than or equal to a bottom of the groove 5111a. In an example, a projection of the groove 5111a on a plane perpendicular to the first direction X has a V-shape. However, the projection of the groove 5111a is not limited to a V shape, and may also have a U shape or a rectangular shape. Since the mouth of the groove 5111a is greater than or equal to the bottom of the groove 5111a, on one hand, it facilitates ensuring the bending position of the bending section 511 and enabling easy forming of the groove 5111a; and on the other hand, the electrode active material near the mouth of the groove 5111a is subjected to a small compression stress or no compression stress during the bending process, so that a bending resistance of the first stacking section 512 is reduced, and thereby the first stacking section 512 can be more easily and more accurately bent to a predetermined position. In the embodiment, the first electrode plate 51 further includes a thinned area 5110 disposed in the bending section 511, and the thinned area 5110 is disposed corresponding to the groove 5111a along the thickness direction H of the first electrode plate 51. A thickness of the first electrode plate 51 at the thinned area 5110 is smaller than a thickness of the first electrode plate 51 outside the thinned area 5110. At this time, because a rigidity of the thinned area 5110 is less than a rigidity of the first electrode plate 51 outside the thinned area 5110, the bending section 511 can be more easily bent at the thinned area 5110, which facilitates enabling first outer edges 5121 of two adjacent first stacking sections 512 on a same side to be aligned.
In the embodiment as shown in
A size of the guiding portion 5111 in the first direction X is set according to a size of the bending section 511 in the first direction X. The size of the guiding portion 5111 in the first direction X is a length of the guiding portion 5111. The size of the bending section 511 in the first direction X is also a length of the bending section 511. Therefore, in some other embodiments, the groove 5111a does not pass through the bending section 511 along the first direction X. A ratio of the size of the groove 5111a in the first direction X to the size of the bending section 511 in the first direction X is from 0.4 to 0.8, preferably 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 or 0.8.
In the embodiment shown in
For the first electrode plate 51 according to the embodiment of the disclosure, since the bending section 511 includes the guiding portion 5111, when the first electrode plate 51 is being bent during the production process of the electrode assembly 50, it is easier for the first electrode plate 51 to be bent at an area where the guiding portion 5111 of the bending section 511 is located under the guidance of the guiding portion 5111, which accordingly facilitates improving a controllability and an accuracy of a bending position of the bending section 511 by providing the guiding portion 5111, thereby improving an alignment of the first outer edges 5121 of the two adjacent first stacking sections 512, reducing a possibility that one of the first stacking section 512 and the second stacking section 521 serving as a negative electrode cannot completely cover the other of the first stacking section 512 and the second stacking section 521 serving as a positive electrode due to a randomness of the bending position of the first electrode plate 51 after being bent, and reducing a possibility that lithium plating phenomenon occurs in the manufactured electrode assembly 50. Furthermore, the electrode active material layer 51b coated on the current collector 51a has a certain brittleness. During the bending process of the bending section 511, the electrode active material layer 51b will be subjected to an external force, so that the electrode active material layer 51b may fall off or drop in powder form from the current collector 51a, which affects an electrochemical performance and a safety performance of the electrode assembly 50. The groove 5111a according to the disclosure is formed by reducing the corresponding electrode active material, so that during the bending process of the bending section 511, the disposed groove 5111a facilitates reducing an internal stress suffered by the corresponding electrode active material layer 51b, thereby reducing a possibility that the electrode active material layer 51b will drop in powder form or fall off.
In some other embodiments, the same structure as the embodiments as shown in
In some other embodiments, the same structure as the embodiment as shown in
In some other embodiments, the same structure as the embodiment as shown in
In some other embodiments, the same structure as the embodiment as shown in
In one embodiment, the guiding portion 5111 includes a through hole 5111b. A ratio of a size of the through hole 5111b in the first direction X to a size of the bending section 511 in the first direction X is 0.4 to 0.8, preferably 0.6 or 0.7.
The electrode assembly 50 according to embodiments of the disclosure includes a first electrode plate 51, a second electrode plate 52 and a separator 53. The first electrode plate 51 includes a first stacking section 512 and a bending section 511 that are alternately disposed. The bending section 511 includes a guiding portion 5111. During the production process of the electrode assembly 50, it is required to sequentially dispose the separator 53 and the second electrode plate 52 on the first electrode plate 51, and then bend the first electrode plate 51 through multiple reciprocal folding, so that the first stacking section 512 and the second stacking section 521 of the second electrode plate 52 are stacked with respect to each other. The guiding portion 5111 of the bending section 511 can guide the first electrode plate 51 to bend at a predetermined position of the bending section 511 during the bending process of the first electrode plate 51, which thereby improves a controllability and an accuracy of the bending position of the first electrode plate 51, and then ensures first outer edges 5121 of the first stacking sections 512 to be aligned, so that one of the first stacking section 512 and the second stacking section 521 serving as a cathode electrode plate can cover the other of the first stacking section 512 and the second stacking section 521 serving as an anode electrode plate. In this way, the electrode assembly 50 according to embodiments of the disclosure has a low possibility that lithium plating phenomenon occurs between the first electrode plate 51 and the second electrode plate 52, and ensures that a secondary battery using the electrode assembly 50 has a good electrochemical performance and a good safety performance.
Embodiments of the disclosure also provide a forming method of an electrode assembly 50, which includes:
providing a first electrode plate 51, the first electrode plate 51 including a plurality of bending sections 511 and a plurality of first stacking sections 512, and each bending section 511 being configured to connect two adjacent first stacking sections 512, wherein the bending section 511 includes a guiding portion 5111;
providing a second electrode plate 52 with a polarity opposite to that of the first electrode plate 51, the second electrode plate 52 including a plurality of second stacking sections 521, and each second stacking section 521 being disposed between two adjacent first stacking sections 512;
bending the bending section 511 along the guiding portion 5111 so that first outer edges 5121 of the two adjacent first stacking sections 512 connected to the bending section 511 are aligned.
The forming method of the electrode assembly 50 according to embodiments of the disclosure can be configured to manufacture the electrode assembly 50 according to the above embodiments.
In an embodiment, the forming method further includes a step of forming the guiding portion 5111 through at least one of a metal cutter, a laser cutter, and a liquid etching tool. In an example, in this step, the electrode active material layer 51b at a predetermined position on the bending section 511 is removed by mechanical cutting, laser cutting, water erosion, or chemical reaction, etc., so as to form the guiding portion 5111 at the first electrode plate 51.
In one embodiment, prior to the step of providing the second electrode plate 52 with the polarity opposite to that of the first electrode plate 51, the first electrode plate 51 including the guiding portion 5111 is provided with separators 53 disposed in pairs, so that the separators 53 disposed in pairs are located on opposite sides of the first electrode plate 51.
In the forming method of the electrode assembly 50 according to the disclosure, during a production process of the electrode assembly 50, the first electrode plate 51 is bent along the guiding portion 5111 of the bending section 511. The guiding portion 5111 of the bending section 511 can guide the first electrode plate 51 to be bent at a predetermined position of the bending section 511 during the bending process of the first electrode plate 51, thereby improving controllability and accuracy of the bending position of the first electrode plate 51, so that the first outer edges 5121 of the two adjacent first stacking sections 512 connected to the bending section 511 can be aligned, and one of the first stacking section 512 and the second stacking section 521 serving as a cathode electrode plate can cover the other of the first stacking section 512 and the second stacking section 521 serving as an anode electrode plate. In this way, the electrode assembly 50 manufactured by the forming method of the electrode assembly 50 according to embodiments of the disclosure has a low possibility that lithium plating phenomenon occurs between the first electrode plate 51 and the second electrode plate 52, and ensures that a secondary battery using the electrode assembly 50 has a good electrochemical performance and a good safety performance.
In embodiments of the disclosure, the electrode assembly 50 may be a stacked cell formed by stacking and folding a first electrode plate 51, a separator 53, and a second electrode plate 52. The first electrode plate 51 includes a plurality of bending sections 511 and a plurality of first stacking sections 512, wherein the bending section 511 after being bent is at least partially in a bent state. The first electrode plate 51 has a continuously extending overall structure. Along an extending direction W of the first electrode plate 51, the bending sections 511 and the first stacking sections 512 are alternately disposed. The second electrode plate 52 includes a plurality of second stacking sections 521, and each second stacking section 521 is disposed between two adjacent first stacking sections 512. In the following embodiments, description is made by taking an example in which first electrode plate 51 is an anode electrode plate and the second electrode plate 52 is a cathode electrode plate. Similarly, in other embodiments, the first electrode plate 51 may be a cathode electrode plate, and the second electrode plate 52 may be an anode electrode plate. The guiding portion 5111 may be a trace formed in the first electrode plate 51.
In order to better understand the disclosure, a stacked cell manufacturing system and a stacked cell forming method according to embodiments of the disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to
Embodiments of the disclosure provide a stacked cell manufacturing system, including:
a first conveying mechanism 100 for providing an anode electrode plate, wherein the anode electrode plate includes a plurality of bending sections 511 and a plurality of first stacking sections 512, and each bending section 511 is configured to connect two adjacent first stacking sections 512;
a trace making mechanism 300, wherein the trace making mechanism 300 is configured to provide traces in the bending section 511, and the traces are configured to guide the bending section 511 to bend during a production process;
a second conveying mechanism 400 for providing a cathode electrode plate with a polarity opposite to that of the anode electrode plate, wherein the cathode electrode plate includes a plurality of second stacking sections 521, and each second stacking section 521 is disposed between two adjacent first stacking sections 512;
a stacking mechanism 600 for bending the bending section 511 along the trace and stacking the two adjacent first stacking sections 512 connected to the bending section 511.
In one embodiment, please refer to
It should be noted that the terms “upstream” and “downstream” as mentioned above and below in the disclosure refer to orders in a production sequence of the stacked cell, and is not intended to limit spatial positions of the respective components.
Moreover, the traces as mentioned above and below in the disclosure refer to marks or imprints left by things, such as a crease, and optionally, it may refer to a structure formed by a material-removed portion after a part of material is removed from the anode electrode plate through a material removing component.
The stacked cell manufacturing system according to embodiments of the disclosure can meet production requirements of the stacked cell, and also can reduce safety risks of the stacked cell.
Please also refer to
The first roll-off device 101 may include a first roll-off roller and a driving component that drives the first roll-off roller to rotate, the anode electrode plate is wound around the first roll-off roller, and the first roll-off roller rotates to roll off the anode electrode plate.
Optionally, the first tape splicing device 102 can be arranged downstream of the first roll-off device 101, and can be used to perform tape splicing when the rolling off of the anode electrode plate has been finished to ensure a continuous production.
Optionally, the first offset correcting device 104 is located upstream of the trace making mechanism 300; it can be monitored, through a detection device, in real time or at a certain time interval whether the anode electrode plate is within a predetermined range of the trace making mechanism 300; if not, it is required to adjust the position of the anode electrode plate to ensure that the anode electrode plate is always within a trace making range of the trace making mechanism 300.
Optionally, the first tension balancing device 103 may be located downstream of the first tape splicing device 102; when the first roll-off device 101 and a driving motor for providing a moving power for the anode electrode plate are not synchronized, the first tension balancing device 103 may be used to adjust it to maintain a tension of the anode electrode plate within a certain range.
Please refer to
As an optional embodiment, the first trace making component 301 is one of a metal cutter, a laser cutter, and a liquid etching tool, the first trace making component 301 in the above form can remove material at a predetermined position by mechanical cutting, laser cutting, water erosion, or chemical reaction, etc., to form a trace on one surface of the anode electrode plate in the thickness direction H. The operation process is simple, and facilitates an easy formation of traces.
In some optional examples, similarly, the second trace making component 302 of the stacked cell manufacturing system according to the above embodiments is one of a metal cutter, a laser cutter, and a liquid etching tool. The second trace making component 302 can remove material at a predetermined position by mechanical cutting, laser cutting, water erosion, or chemical reaction, etc., to form a trace on the other surface of the anode electrode plate in the thickness direction H. The operation process is simple, and facilitates an easy formation of traces.
As an optional embodiment, a first dust removing device 105 is disposed downstream of the trace making mechanism 300. The first dust removing device 105 is located between the trace making mechanism 300 and the separator conveying mechanism 200. The first dust removing device 105 is configured to remove dust from a front side and/or a back side of the anode electrode plate to clean the anode electrode plate. The first dust removing device 105 may include a bristle brush and a dust suction component. When the anode electrode plate is moving, the dust can be peeled off by the bristle brush, and the dust peeled off from the anode electrode plate can be sucked and collected by the dust suction component to ensure a cleanliness of the anode electrode plate when it is clamped by the separator 53 and thereby further optimize an electrical performance of the stacked cell formed by folding and stacking.
In some optional embodiments, the separator conveying mechanism 200 may be further located downstream of the second trace making component 302 of the trace making mechanism 300, the separator conveying mechanism 200 includes separator conveying devices disposed in pairs, and two separator conveying devices in a pair can be disposed opposite to each other. Each separator conveying device includes a separator roll-off roller 21 and a driving component that drives the separator roll-off roller to rotate, the separator 53 is wound around the separator roll-off roller, and the separator roll-off roller rotates to roll off the separator 53, and a guiding wheel may guide the corresponding separator 53 to a predetermined position to clamp the anode electrode plate with traces.
Please also refer to
Optionally, the second roll-off device 401 may include a second roll-off roller and a driving component that drives the second roll-off roller to rotate, the cathode electrode plate is wound around the second roll-off roller, and the second roll-off roller rotates to roll off the cathode electrode plate.
Optionally, the second tape splicing device 402 can be arranged downstream of the second roll-off device 401, and can be used to perform tape splicing when the rolling off of the cathode electrode plate has been finished to ensure a continuous production.
Optionally, the second tension balancing device 403 is located downstream of the second tape splicing device 402; when the second roll-off device 401 and a driving motor for providing a moving power for the cathode electrode plate are not synchronized, the second tension balancing device can be used 403 may be used to adjust it to maintain a tension of the cathode electrode plate within a certain range. Optionally, the second offset correcting device 404 is located downstream of the second tension balancing device 403; it can be monitored, through a detection device, in real time or at a certain time interval whether the cathode electrode plate is within a predetermined range of the second offset correcting device 404; if not, it is required to adjust the position of the cathode electrode plate to ensure that the cathode electrode plate is always within a cutting range of the cutting mechanism 45.
Optionally, the cutting device 405 is disposed downstream of the second offset correcting device 404, and is configured to cut the tape-shaped cathode electrode plate into a plurality of block-shaped structures with a predetermined size.
Optionally, a second dust removing device 406 is located downstream of the cutting device 405, and is configured to receive the block-shaped cathode electrode plate and remove dust from the cathode electrode plate, so as to ensure a cleanliness of the cathode electrode plate connected to the separator 53. The second dust removing device 406 may include a belt brush 4061 and a dust suction device 4062; the cathode electrode plate cut by the cutting device 405 falls to the belt brush 4061 of the second dust removing device 406, and the cathode electrode plate can be transported through the belt brush 4061 in a direction towards the composite forming mechanism 500 and connected to the separator 53. In the transportation process, the dust on the cathode electrode plate can also be peeled off by the belt brush 4061 and sucked and collected by the dust suction device 4062, so as to ensure a cleanliness of the cathode electrode plate connected to the separator 53 and thereby enable the produced stacked cell to better meet its electrical requirements.
In specific implementations, the second conveying mechanisms 400 may be disposed in pairs according to requirements, and the second conveying mechanisms 400 disposed in pairs may be opposite to each other, and may synchronously or alternately provide cathode electrode plates to a same separator 53 or different separators 53.
Please refer to
As an optional embodiment, the heating conveying assembly 501 includes a heating component 5011 and a conveying component 5012. The heating component 5011 is configured to heat the separator 53 and the cathode electrode plate. The conveying component 5012 includes a transmission wheel 5012a and a transmission belt 5012b cooperating with the transmission wheel 5012a, and the transmission belt 5012b is disposed around the heating component 5011 and is configured to convey the separator 53 and the cathode electrode plate.
Since the cathode electrode plate is applied with a PVDF adhesive and the corresponding separator 53 is also applied with a PVDF adhesive, both adhesives after being heated and pressed can be better bonded together.
Therefore, the heating conveying assembly 501 adopts the above structures, which can meet heating and bonding requirements, and also the conveying component 5012 is restricted to include a transmission wheel 5012a and a transmission belt 5012b that cooperates with the transmission wheel 5012a; by restricting a relationship between the transmission belt 5012b and the heating component 5011, on the basis that heating requirements are met, the cathode electrode plate on the surface of the separator 53 can be protected and transported by the transmission belt 5012b, so that the cathode electrode plate can move synchronously with the separator 53, to ensure a stable relative position of the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53, thereby ensuring composite requirements between the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53.
Moreover, in the stacked cell manufacturing system according to embodiments of the disclosure, the heating conveying assembly 501 adopts the above structural forms, so that after the cathode electrode plate has been sufficiently heated by the heating component 5011, the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53 are connected together through the roller pressing component 502 to achieve a preparation of the assembly to be stacked. Compared with a traditional composite forming mechanism, the heating conveying assembly 501 adopts the transmission belt to replace a disposable PET film; and by cancelling the PET film, it can save time taken to unwind and wind the PET film, and can increase a utilization rate of equipment and reduce a manufacturing cost.
In some optional embodiments, the heating component 5011 may adopt components capable of providing thermal energy such as an oven, a heat exchanger, etc., to at least complete heating of the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53.
In some optional embodiments, when the heating component 5011 adopts an oven structure, the oven can be made of a metal plate and include multiple heating tubes evenly disposed within the oven; heat from the heating tubes can bring a heating oven to a setting temperature; when the cathode electrode plate passes through the oven, the temperature of the oven makes the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53 reach a certain temperature by heat radiation.
Optionally, the transmission belt 5012b can be a belt, the number of which can be arranged according to a size of the cathode electrode plate; in some optional embodiments, the number of the transmission belts 5012b can be two or more, and the two or more transmission belts 5012b are disposed at intervals and can jointly convey the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53, to ensure a stability of a force applied to the cathode electrode plate, thereby ensuring that the cathode electrode plate can smoothly move in synchronization with the separator 53.
As an optional embodiment, the number of heating conveying assemblies 501 is two or more, every two heating conveying assemblies 501 form a group and are disposed opposite to each other, and the two heating conveying assemblies 501 in a same group jointly clamp and convey the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53 through oppositely disposed transmission belts 5012b.
By disposing the heating conveying assemblies 501 in pairs and enabling the heating conveying assemblies 501 disposed in pairs to jointly clamp and act on the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53, it can be ensured that the cathode electrode plates on two separators 53 can move in synchronization with respective corresponding separators 53, which can better ensure a stability of a relative position of each cathode electrode plate and each separator 53 so as to ensure an accuracy of a position of the cathode electrode plate on the separator 53 before the roller pressing component 502.
As an optional embodiment, the roller pressing component 502 may include squeezing rollers 5021 disposed in pairs, and the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53 after being heated can be squeezed by the squeezing rollers 5021 disposed in pairs, so that the cathode electrode plate and the separator 53 are compositely connected and form an assembly to be stacked with the anode electrode plate.
As an optional embodiment, the roller pressing component 502 and/or the transmission belt 5012b is provided with a dust removing component 503, i.e., at least one of the roller pressing component 502 and the transmission belt 5012b is provided with a dust removing component 503, and the dust removing component 503 can also adopt a cooperation of a bristle brush and a dust suction device to remove dust from the assembly to be stacked to better ensure a performance of the stacked cell.
Please refer to
As an optional embodiment, the swing mechanism 602 includes a mounting base 6022 and clamping rollers 6023 disposed in pairs and connected to the mounting base 6022, the gap 6021 is formed between the clamping rollers 6023 disposed in pairs, and the swing mechanism 602 is connected to the power source 601 through the mounting base 6022. The swing mechanism 602 adopts the above structural form, which allows it to be easily connected to the power source 601 to better meet power transmission requirements, and also to meet passing through requirements of the assembly to be stacked, so that the assembly to be stacked can be folded back and forth along the predetermined traces to ensure packing requirements of the stacked cell.
Optionally, the power source 601 may adopt a driving motor, the mounting base 6022 may include mounting plates disposed in pairs and at intervals, the clamping roller 6023 is located between two mounting plates and axial ends of the clamping roller 6023 are respectively connected to the corresponding mounting plates.
In some optional embodiments, the swing mechanism 602 further includes limiting reinforcement rollers 6024 disposed in pairs, and the limiting reinforcement roller 6024 is located upstream of the clamping roller 6023 and connected to the mounting base 6022. By providing the limiting reinforcement roller 6024, a tilt angle of the assembly to be stacked can be limited when the swing mechanism 602 is moving, which better ensures that the assembly to be stacked can be folded back and forth along the corresponding traces, thereby ensuring a stacking accuracy.
Moreover, by providing the limiting reinforcement roller 6024, it can also strengthen the mounting base 6022, can avoid changes in a relative position of the mounting base 6022 and the clamping roller 6023 or a relative position of the clamping rollers 6023 disposed in pairs due to the swinging of the swing mechanism 602 along the predetermined trajectory, and can also better ensure the stacking requirements of the stacked cell.
In some optional embodiments, the stacked cell manufacturing system according to the above embodiments further includes a main conveying mechanism 700, the main conveying mechanism 700 is located between the composite forming mechanism 500 and the stacking mechanism 600, and the main conveying mechanism 700 is configured to provide a moving power to the assembly to be stacked to better ensure that the assembly to be stacked moves toward the stacking mechanism 600 at a predetermined speed. The driving motor configured to provide power to the anode electrode plate described in the above embodiments may be the main conveying mechanism 700.
Therefore, the stacked cell manufacturing system according to embodiments of the disclosure includes a first conveying mechanism 100, a separator conveying mechanism 200, a trace making mechanism 300, a second conveying mechanism 400, a composite forming mechanism 500, and a stacking mechanism 600; and by providing the trace making mechanism 300 and enabling it to make the traces on the anode electrode plate, a step of cutting the anode electrode plate can be omitted, which avoids burr generation, ensures safety of the stacked cell, and also simplifies a structure of the stacked cell manufacturing system.
In one embodiment, please refer to
S100: providing an anode electrode plate, and making multiple traces on the anode electrode plate, wherein the multiple traces are distributed at intervals in an extending direction W of the anode electrode plate;
S200: providing separators 53 disposed in pairs to the anode electrode plate with the traces, and enabling the separators 53 disposed in pairs to jointly clamp the anode electrode plate;
S300: providing multiple cathode electrode plates to the separator 53, so that the multiple cathode electrode plates are applied at intervals along the extending direction W and connected to a surface of the separator 53 away from the anode electrode plate to form an assembly to be stacked, wherein each cathode electrode plate is located between two adjacent traces;
S400, reciprocally folding and stacking the assembly to be stacked along positions of the multiple traces to form a stacked cell.
In some optional examples, the forming method of the stacked cell according to the embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented through the stacked cell manufacturing system discussed in the above embodiments.
In step S100, the provided anode electrode plate has a continuous tape-like structure, and the trace is a structure formed by a material-removed portion after a part of material is removed from the anode electrode plate by a material removing component, wherein the material removing component is one of a metal cutter, a laser cutter, and a liquid etching tool, i.e., the material removing component may be the trace making mechanism 300 described in the above embodiments.
In some optional examples, the part of the material removed by the material removing component from the anode electrode plate may be an electrode active material, and then a depth of the trace is less than or equal to a thickness of the electrode active material layer 51b. The part of the material removed by the material removing component from the anode electrode plate may also be the electrode active material and a material of the current collector 51a, and then the depth of the trace is greater than the thickness of the electrode active material layer 51b.
In some optional examples, in step S100, one trace of the two adjacent traces is located on one surface of the anode electrode plate in its thickness direction H, and the other trace is located on the other surface of the anode electrode plate in the thickness direction H.
When the forming method of the disclosure is implemented through the stacked cell manufacturing system according to any of the above embodiments, in step S100, the anode electrode plate may be provided by the first conveying mechanism 100, and the corresponding traces may be made on the anode electrode plate by the trace making mechanism 300. In step S200, the separators 53 disposed in pairs may be provided by the separator transport mechanism 200.
In some optional embodiments, in step S300, one of two adjacent cathode electrode plates is connected to one of the separators 53 disposed in pairs, and the other is connected to the other of the separators 53 disposed in pairs. Through the above arrangement, the formed stacked cell can better meet use requirements and optimize an electrical performance of the stacked cell.
In some optional examples, the cathode electrode plate may be provided by the second conveying mechanism 400 in the stacked cell manufacturing system according to any of the above embodiments.
In step S400, the stacking mechanism 600 in the stacked cell manufacturing system according to any of the above embodiments may fold and stack the assembly to be stacked to meet production requirements of the stacked cell.
The forming method of the stacked cell according to the embodiments of the disclosure can meet the production requirements of the stacked cell, and can also reduce safety risks of the stacked cell.
It should be noted that, in the stacked cell manufacturing system and the forming method of the stacked cell according to the above embodiments of the disclosure, in the thickness direction H of the anode electrode plate, a thickness of an area of the anode electrode plat where the trace is formed is less than a thickness of other area of the anode electrode plate where no trace is formed. Making the traces can ensure that it is easier for the anode electrode plate to be folded at the area where the trace is formed as compared to the other areas.
Optionally, the trace may be the groove 5111a according to the above embodiments which is formed after a material is removed from the anode electrode plate. Optionally, the shape of the groove 5111a may be a U-shaped groove, a triangular groove, or other regular-shaped polygonal grooves or irregularly shaped special-shaped grooves. Optionally, the trace passes through the anode electrode plate in a tape width direction of the anode electrode plate. The tape width direction of the anode electrode plate is the same as the first direction X, and the tape width direction is perpendicular to the extending direction W and the thickness direction H.
Optionally, the number of grooves 5111a is two or more. Along the first direction X, two or more grooves 5111a are disposed at intervals. Alternatively, the number of grooves 5111a may be one.
Optionally, the trace may be the through hole 5111b according to the above embodiments which is formed after a material is removed from the anode electrode plate. When the first electrode plate 51 is in an unfolded state, along the thickness direction H of the first electrode plate 51, the through hole 5111b passes through the two electrode active material layers 51b and the current collector 51a. In an example, a shape of the through hole 5111b may be a rectangle shape, a square shape, an ellipse shape, a trapezoid shape, or a triangle shape. The number of the through holes 5111b is two or more, and along the first direction X, the two or more through holes 5111b are disposed at intervals. In one embodiment, the number of through holes 5111b may be one.
Optionally, the traces may be the groove 5111a and the through hole 5111b according to the above embodiments which are formed after the material is removed from the anode electrode plate. Optionally, the number of the through holes 5111b is two or more, and along the first direction X, one or two or more grooves 5111a may be disposed between two adjacent through holes 5111b. Alternatively, the number of grooves 5111a is two or more, and one or more through holes 5111b may be disposed between two adjacent grooves 5111a.
Although the disclosure has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made to the disclosure and components may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the disclosure; and in particular, the technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict. The disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201911224967.7 | Dec 2019 | CN | national |
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2020/081139, filed on Mar. 25, 2020, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201911224967.7, filed on Dec. 4, 2019, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CN2020/081139 | Mar 2020 | US |
| Child | 17489666 | US |
