SECONDARY BATTERY ELECTRODE SURFACE PRESSURE CUTTING DEVICE USING ADJUSTMENT MODULE

The present disclosure relates to a device for cutting a secondary battery electrode, and more particularly, to a secondary battery electrode surface pressure cutting device including upper and lower blades configured to cut a secondary battery electrode and using a modularized adjustment module to finely adjust the upper blade. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a secondary battery electrode surface pressure cutting device using an adjustment module, the surface pressure cutting device including an upper blade fixedly fastened to a moving block in a frame, and a lower blade fixedly fastened in a lower blade fixing block, in which the upper blade may cut an electrode while moving upward or downward, and the upper blade fixedly fastened to the moving block may be finely adjusted. The adjustment module may include a threaded part having a protrusion portion formed at one side thereof, a spring fitted with the protrusion portion, an adjustment member having an adjustment guide formed at a side opposite to a fitting portion so as to be fitted with the other side of the spring, and an O-ring fitted with the adjustment guide. In addition, the adjustment guide may have a shape tapered outward. In addition, the frame and the moving block have an adjustment module fitting hole into which the adjustment module is inserted to adjust the upper blade.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0061540 filed on May 12, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Field

The present disclosure relates to a device for cutting a secondary battery electrode, and more particularly, to a secondary battery electrode surface pressure cutting device including upper and lower blades configured to cut a secondary battery electrode and using a modularized adjustment module to finely adjust the upper blade.

Description of the Related Art

In general, a notching process, which shears an electrode during a process of manufacturing an electrode of a secondary battery, uses an unwinder part configured to unwind the electrode wound in the form of a roll, a notching processing part configured to shear the electrode by using a press, and a vision inspection part configured to inspect whether the processed electrode has been normally processed.

During the notching processing, a cutting process is performed to manufacture unit electrodes by shearing the electrode. Typically, in order to cut the electrode, a scaffold-type cutting device is mainly used to an electrode sheet in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the electrode sheet.

FIG.1attached hereto is a schematic view of a general cutting device, i.e., a conceptual view illustrating the cutting device typically used to cut an electrode.

As can be understood by those skilled in the art, a cutting device10illustrated inFIG.1is used to manufacture unit electrodes u by cutting an electrode sheet S between a lower blade20and an upper blade30.

The cutting device in the related art will be described.

First, Korean Patent No. 10-2469560 (registered on Nov. 17, 2022) discloses a secondary battery electrode cutting device in order to prevent a problem with the cutting device in the related art illustrated inFIG.1and using the upper blade30and the lower blade20, i.e., a problem of the occurrence of burrs or the non-uniformity of cut surfaces caused by a deformation in shape of the lower blade20.

Korean Patent No. 10-2469560 aims to provide the secondary battery electrode cutting device in which the lower blade is installed on a lower blade frame to prevent a shape of the lower blade from being deformed, i.e., the secondary battery electrode cutting device capable of easily adjusting a clearance and being easily installed on the lower blade frame to correspond to the pushing motion of the upper blade.

Therefore, Korean Patent 10-2469560 relates to the lower blade of the device for cutting the secondary battery electrode and is a completely different invention from the upper blade of the cutting device that is the spirit of the present disclosure.

Meanwhile, Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2022-0013247 (published on Feb. 4, 2022) aims to provide a power transmission unit for an electrode cutting device including a structure capable of preventing a situation in which cut surfaces of electrode sheets are not uniform and a machining force is decreased because of the occurrence of tolerance in the electrode cutting device caused when a process of cutting the electrode sheets is repeated.

In order to achieve the object, Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2022-0013247 discloses constituent elements, such as an upward/downward movable lifting block, an upper frame for mounting an upper blade holder, a connection shaft between the lifting block and the upper frame, and an elastic member on an upper portion of the connection shaft, in order to provide the power transmission unit.

It can be seen that Korean Application Laid-Open No. 10-2022-0013247 relates to power transmission of the cutting device and has been made with a completely different intention from the present disclosure.

As described above, the development has been conducted on the cutting device, which cuts the secondary battery electrode by using the upper and lower blades, in order to prevent a problem of a change in shape of the lower blade or a problem of tolerance between the upper and lower blades caused by the repeated cutting process.

Therefore, there is a need for a method or technology capable of solving the problem of tolerance, which may occur between the upper and lower blades when the cutting device is assembled or used, or the problem of tolerance caused by the repeated use of the cutting device, and coping with the non-uniformity of the cut surfaces or the occurrence of burrs caused by these problems.

DOCUMENTS OF RELATED ART

Patent Documents

SUMMARY

An object to be achieved by the present disclosure is to provide a cutting device for a secondary battery electrode, which is a surface pressure-type cutting device for a secondary battery electrode and is capable of coping with the non-uniformity of cut surfaces and preventing the occurrence of burrs by using an adjustment module capable of bringing an upper blade into precisely close contact with a lower blade, thereby producing electrodes, which are smoothly cut in desired shapes, while preventing the occurrence of burrs and the non-uniformity of the cut surfaces caused by tolerance or the like that was considered as a problem in the related art.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a secondary battery electrode surface pressure cutting device using an adjustment module, the surface pressure cutting device including an upper blade fixedly fastened to a moving block in a frame, and a lower blade fixedly fastened in a lower blade fixing block, in which the upper blade may cut an electrode while moving upward or downward, and the upper blade fixedly fastened to the moving block may be finely adjusted.

The adjustment module may include a threaded part having a protrusion portion formed at one side thereof, a spring fitted with the protrusion portion, an adjustment member having an adjustment guide formed at a side opposite to a fitting portion so as to be fitted with the other side of the spring, and an O-ring fitted with the adjustment guide.

In addition, the adjustment guide may have a shape tapered outward.

In addition, the frame and the moving block have an adjustment module fitting hole into which the adjustment module is inserted to adjust the upper blade.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide the secondary battery electrode surface pressure cutting device that is the secondary battery electrode cutting device that uses the upper blade fixedly fastened to the moving block fixedly fastened to the frame and having fine spaces at two opposite sides and uses the lower blade fixedly fastened in the lower fixing block, in which the upper blade is moved upward or downward by using the adjustment module that may finely adjust the upper blade toward the lower blade. The occurrence of tolerance between the upper and lower blades may be prevented by the optimal surface pressure between the upper blade and the fixed lower blade, thereby smoothly cutting the electrode in a desired shape without the occurrence of burrs on the cut electrode or the non-uniformity of the cut surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

The following description is intended to assist in understanding and practicing the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, to which the present disclosure pertains, that the present disclosure may be variously modified, altered, or changed without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure defined by the appended claims.

In addition, it is noted that in the description of the present disclosure, specific descriptions of the publicly-known components, which may be easily understood by those skilled in the art or be apparent to those skilled in the art, will be omitted.

FIG.2is a schematic perspective view of a surface pressure cutting device100of the present disclosure. The surface pressure cutting device100includes a moving block300fixedly fastened in a frame200, an upper blade350fixedly fastened to the moving block300, and a lower blade550fixedly fastened to a lower blade fixing block500.

The moving block300is supported by moving block support bushings210, and the upper blade350is fastened to the moving block300by fasteners360.

In addition, the lower blade550is fixedly fastened in the lower blade fixing block500by lower blade fixing bolts560.

The moving block300, to which the upper blade350is fixedly fastened, and the frame200, to which the moving block300is fixedly fastened while being accommodated in the frame200, may be configured to be moved upward or downward as a whole by a non-illustrated power transmission device by means of guides220and cartridge fixing parts230.

The upper blade350moves upward or downward to cut an electrode that passes between the upper blade350and the lower blade550at the lower side.

The configuration of the cutting device is a typical. The designation of the components of the cutting device may be expressed differently, but the components are identical to general components.

That is, as illustrated inFIG.3, the surface pressure cutting device100includes the moving block300fixedly fastened to the frame200, the upper blade350fixedly fastened to the moving block300, and the lower blade550fixedly fastened to the lower blade fixing block500. The upper blade350is moved upward or downward by the non-illustrated power transmission by means of the guides220and the cartridge fixing parts230inFIG.2, such that the upper blade350cuts the secondary battery electrode that passes between the upper blade350and the lower blade550.

In general, the components are assembled to completely manufacture the cutting device.

The general structure of the cutting device in the present disclosure is characterized by finely adjusting the upper blade350, which is fixedly fastened to the moving block300, by using adjustment modules400inFIG.2.

Hereinafter, the feature of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the embodiment.

First, with reference toFIG.4,FIG.4is a schematic side view illustrating a main feature of the surface pressure cutting device100of the present disclosure. The surface pressure cutting device100includes the moving block300to which the upper blade350is fixedly fastened, the frame200to which the moving block300is fixedly fastened while being accommodated in the frame200, and the lower blade550fixedly fastened to the lower blade fixing block500at the lower side. The upper blade350fixedly fastened to the moving block300is moved upward or downward by the non-illustrated power transmission device by means of the cartridge fixing parts230and the guides220connected to the frames200. A movement speed or the like is set by an inputted value.

That is, the guide220, the cartridge fixing part230, the frame200, the moving block300, and the upper blade350, which are components illustrated in within the bold line A inFIG.4, are configured to be integrally movable upward or downward, and the lower blade550is fixed, such that a secondary battery electrode E, which passes between the upper blade350and the lower blade550, is cut by the upper blade350that moves upward or downward.

In this case, the moving block300accommodated in and fixedly fastened to the frame200has fine clearances T at left and right sides based on the drawing when the moving block300is fixedly fastened.

In general, the clearances T are about 1 mm at the left and right sides.

The present disclosure was completed through trial and error on the determination that when the moving block300, to which the upper blade350is fixedly fastened, may be finely moved inward by using the clearances T between the moving block300and the frame200, the upper blade350may be finely moved toward the lower blade550at the lower side, thereby forming smoother cut surfaces and preventing the occurrence of burrs during the surface pressure cutting.

First, the present disclosure is characterized in that the moving block300may be finely moved toward the inside of the frame200by adjusting the adjustment module400inFIG.4, which is illustrated as the adjustment module400inFIG.2, such that a surface pressure of the cutting device100may be adjusted by finely moving and adjusting the upper blade350, which is fixedly fastened to the moving block300, toward the lower blade550.

With reference back toFIG.4, in order to carry out the present disclosure with the aforementioned feature, the moving block300needs to be finely moved to the right side based onFIG.4by the adjustment modules400. To this end, it is necessary to provide a space into which the adjustment module400may be inserted.

Therefore, the frame200and the moving block300have adjustment module fitting holes310into which the adjustment modules400may be inserted.

The adjustment module fitting hole310has a length that enables the adjustment module400to be fitted into the adjustment module fitting hole310. The adjustment module fitting hole310is formed straight between the frame200and the moving block300.

As illustrated inFIG.5, the adjustment module400includes a threaded part410having a protrusion portion411, a spring420, an adjustment member430having a fitting portion431formed at one side thereof, an adjustment guide433formed at the other side thereof, and a contact portion432formed between the fitting portion431and the adjustment guide433, and an O-ring440having an insertion hole441formed at a center thereof.

As illustrated inFIG.5A, in the adjustment module400, which is configured as described above, the spring420is fitted with the protrusion portion411formed on the threaded part410, and the fitting portion431of the adjustment member430is fitted with the other side of the spring420. Therefore, when the fitting portion431is fitted with the spring420, the contact portion432of the adjustment member430is in contact with an outer portion of the spring420.

In the aligned state described above, the adjustment guide433of the adjustment member430is inserted into the insertion hole441of the O-ring440.

When the adjustment module400is aligned and fitted into the adjustment module fitting hole310, the adjustment module400finely pushes the moving block300by using a force generated when the threaded part410is pressed and rotated through a wrench hole or the like at an outer side of the threaded part410, such that the upper blade350fixedly fastened to the moving block300is also finely pushed toward the lower blade550.

In order to implement the above-mentioned operations, the protrusion portion411at the outer side of the threaded part410is shaped to correspond to and be fitted with an inner diameter of the spring420, and the contact portion432of the adjustment member430is formed to correspond to an outer diameter of the spring420.

In addition, the adjustment guide433of the adjustment member430has a shape tapered outward, such that the adjustment guide433is fitted into the insertion hole441of the O-ring440. An outer diameter of the O-ring440is equal to an outer diameter of the contact portion432of the adjustment member430, such that a transmitted force is constant.

The use of the adjustment module400will be described with reference toFIGS.4and5A. When the threaded part410(seeFIG.2) of the adjustment module400is pressed and rotated at the outer side of the frame200of the surface pressure cutting device100configured as illustrated inFIG.4, the force is transmitted to the moving block300through the spring420fitted with the protrusion portion411of the threaded part410, the adjustment member430fitted with the spring420, the contact portion432of the adjustment member430, and the O-ring440fitted with the contact portion432, and the moving block300is finely moved by the force, such that the upper blade350fixedly fastened to the moving block300is finely moved and adjusted toward the lower blade550.

FIG.2illustrates four adjustment modules400, but three adjustment modules400may be provided.

If three or fewer adjustment modules400are used, the instability occurs because of an interval between the adjustment modules400when the upper blade350moves toward the lower blade550. If four or more adjustment modules400are used, there is no special effect, but only costs are increased, and the working time is lengthened. Therefore, three to four adjustment modules400disposed at equal intervals may be used.

Experimental Example 1

In consideration of thicknesses and the like of the frame200and the moving block300typically assembled, fastened, and configured, the threaded part410, in which a thread length was set to about 9 mm, about 9.3 mm, and about 9.5 mm, the spring420, which was configured as a compression spring having a total length of about 10 mm and a maximum load of 196 N (20 kgf), the adjustment member430, and the O-ring440were prepared, and the assembly module400was completed.

The adjustment module fitting holes310, which penetrated the frame200and the moving block300straight, were formed before the surface pressure cutting device300was assembled and fixedly fastened, and then the surface pressure cutting device100was configured.

First, the cut surfaces were sometimes smooth according to a result of cutting the electrode E by manually moving the upper blade350upward and then moving the upper blade350downward before the use of the adjustment module400of the present disclosure. However, in some cases, the cut surfaces were slightly uneven because of the clearances T between the frame200and the moving block300.

Next, the text using the adjustment module400of the present disclosure was performed.

The adjustment module400was used for the fixedly fastened cutting device100, as illustrated inFIG.5A.

First, when the threaded part410, in which the thread length was about 9 mm, was used to push the spring by 0.2 mm by applying a force of 3.92 N (1.4 kgf), the cut surface was smooth, and almost no noise occurred.

Second, the threaded part, in which the thread length was about 9.3 mm, was used, and the thread length was relatively long. According to a result of pushing the spring by 0.05 mm by applying a force of 9.6 N (1.0 kgf), it can be seen that the cut surface has high quality, but noise occurs, which may affect a surrounding environment.

Third, the threaded part, in which the thread length was about 9.5 mm, was used, and the thread length was long. According to a result of pushing the spring by about 0.7 mm by applying a force of 13.72 N (1.4 kgf) and cutting the surface, it can be seen that the cut surface has high quality, but severe noise occurs, which causes noise pollution.

According to the test result, a higher force is required to press the spring420by the same length as the length of the threaded portion of the threaded part410increases, and noise occurs because of pressure applied to the spring420. Therefore, the determination indicates that the most optimal state is a state in which the thread length of the threaded part410is about 9 mm, the length of the spring420is about 10 mm, and the maximum load of the spring420is 196 N (20 kgf).