Notching Mold

A notching mold for molding a non-coated portion of an electrode base material, wherein the non-coated portion, is formed on each of two ends of a coated portion, includes: a main mold having an upper mold and a lower mold, parallel to each other, and are slidable close to or away from each other. A first auxiliary mold having auxiliary upper and lower molds coupled to the upper and lower molds, respectively, is configured so that the non-coated portion on one end of the electrode base material is disposed at a processible position. A second auxiliary mold having auxiliary upper and lower molds coupled to the upper and lower molds, respectively, is configured so that, when the electrode base material is input into the main mold, the non-coated portion on the other end of the electrode base material is disposed at a processible position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a notching mold, which molds an electrode tab on an electrode base material, in which an active material is applied to a surface of a collector, wherein a non-coated portion, on which the active material is not applied, is formed on each of one end and the other end of a coated portion, on which the active material is applied, or which processes the base material as an individual electrode, on which an electrode tab is molded, and more particularly, to a notching mold that is capable of processing a plurality of individual electrodes in one stroke and capable of more easily notching electrodes having various sizes because of performing individual notching of a first auxiliary mold and a second auxiliary mold, which are mounted in a main mold.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, secondary batteries refer to chargeable and dischargeable batteries, unlike primary batteries that are not chargeable. The secondary batteries are being widely used in the high-tech electronic fields such as mobile phones, notebook computers, and camcorders.

Such a secondary battery is classified into a can type secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is built in a metal can and a pouch type secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is built in a pouch. The pouch type secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a pouch accommodating the electrode assembly and the electrolyte. Also, the electrode assembly has a structure in which a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of separators are alternately stacked.

Referring toFIG.1A, which illustrates processing of individual electrodes in an electrode base material1, a positive electrode base material or a negative electrode base material, which is processed using a notching mold, is provided in a state in which a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material is applied in a longitudinal direction of a positive electrode collector or a negative electrode collector except for a portion of each of both ends thereof.

In addition, when the electrode base material is input between notching molds as illustrated inFIG.1Bthat illustrates an upper mold and a lower mold of a notching mold according to the related art, a non-coated portion1aformed on one end or each of both ends of a coated portion1bof an electrode base material1is processed as an electrode tab2aby pressing of an embossed part3aand an engraved part4a, which are engaged with each other when an upper mold3and a lower mold4are closed.

Here, cutting into individual electrodes2may also be performed together with the processing of the non-coated portion1aby the notching mold or a separate cutting device. That is, it is processed into the individual electrodes2having shapes as illustrated in followingFIG.1a.

That is, the notching performed in the notching mold means ‘cut off’, for example, means processing of cutting an unnecessary portion of the non-coated portion1ato form the electrode tab2a, processing of forming the electrode tab2aand cutting the base material1by a predetermined length to form the individual electrodes2, or processing of cutting the entire non-coated portion1aat one side. The coated portion1bof the electrode base material1is cut into the coated portion2bof each of the individual electrodes2having a predetermined size.

In the notching mold according to the related art, when an electrode base material1having a different size is input, there is a problem that both the upper mold3and the lower mold4are exchanged, or a processable electrode base material1is limited in size. In addition, since it is difficult to individually adjust a plurality of embossed parts3aand engraved parts4ain order to process a plurality of electrode tabs2ain one stroke by forming the plurality of embossed parts3aand engraved parts4a, and there is a problem that a processing deviation increases, there is difficult to be applied in practice.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, in order to solve the problems of the structure according to the related art, a main object of the present invention is to provide a notching mold that is capable of individually processing both electrode tabs and adjusting individual setting during the processing.

A notching mold, which molds a non-coated portion when an electrode base material, in which an active material is applied to a surface of a collector, is input, wherein the non-coated portion, on which the active material is not applied, is formed on each of one end and the other end of a coated portion, on which the active material is applied, according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises: a main mold comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, which are parallel to each other, wherein the upper mold and the lower mold are slidable close to or away from each other; a first auxiliary mold configured so that, when the electrode base material is input into the main mold, the non-coated portion on one end of the electrode base material is disposed at a processible position, the first auxiliary mold comprising a first auxiliary upper mold coupled to the upper mold and a first auxiliary lower mold coupled to the lower mold; and a second auxiliary mold configured so that, when the electrode base material is input into the main mold, the non-coated portion on the other end of the electrode base material is disposed at a processible position, the second auxiliary mold comprising a second auxiliary upper mold coupled to the upper mold and a second auxiliary lower mold coupled to the lower mold.

When the upper mold and the lower mold of the main mold are slid, the sliding of the first auxiliary upper mold and the first auxiliary lower mold of the first auxiliary mold and the sliding of the second auxiliary upper mold and the second auxiliary lower mold of the second auxiliary mold may be performed at the same time to individually and respectively notch the non-coated portions of the fist auxiliary mold and the second auxiliary mold at the same time (here, the notching process comprises the following meanings. That is, the notching process comprises ‘forming of an electrode tab’, ‘forming of an electrode tab and cutting the electrode tab into individual electrodes’ or ‘cutting of the non-coated portion’).

The first auxiliary upper mold and the second auxiliary upper mold may be coupled to be detachable and adjustable in position in the upper mold, and the first auxiliary lower mold and the second auxiliary upper mold may be coupled to be detachable and adjustable in position in the lower mold.

When the electrode base material is input into the main mold, the first auxiliary mold and the second auxiliary mold may perform the processing so that the plurality of electrode tabs are molded in one stroke.

A stripper that presses and fixes the coated portion when the electrode base material is input may be disposed between the first auxiliary mold and the second auxiliary mold.

The stripper may comprise an upper stripper coupled to the upper mold and a lower stripper coupled to the lower mold, wherein, when the non-coated portions are molded using the first auxiliary mold and the second auxiliary mold, a predetermined pressure may be applied to the coated portion between the upper stripper and the lower stripper to fix movement of the coated portion.

The upper stripper may comprise a main upper stripper disposed at a center between the first auxiliary upper mold and the second auxiliary upper mold and an auxiliary upper stripper disposed at one side of the main upper stripper with a gap therebetween, and the lower stripper may comprise a main lower stripper disposed at a center between the first auxiliary lower mold and the second auxiliary lower mold and an auxiliary lower stripper disposed at one side of the main lower stripper with a gap therebetween.

The auxiliary upper stripper may be disposed at each of both the sides of the main upper stripper with a gap therebetween, and the auxiliary lower stripper may be disposed at each of both the sides of the main lower stripper with a gap therebetween.

Each of the auxiliary upper stripper and the auxiliary lower stripper may be detachable. The auxiliary upper stripper may be detachably coupled to the first auxiliary upper mold of the first auxiliary mold or the second auxiliary upper mold of the second auxiliary mold, and the auxiliary lower stripper may be detachably coupled to the first auxiliary lower mold of the first auxiliary mold or the second auxiliary lower mold of the second auxiliary mold.

The gap between the main upper stripper and the auxiliary upper stripper and the gap between the main lower stripper and the auxiliary lower stripper may be dislocated along a vertical direction.

In the present invention having the above configuration, since the first and second auxiliary molds individually notch the non-coated portions disposed at both the ends of the electrode base material, both the non-coated portions may be more easily molded, and the larger and various types of electrode base materials may be notched.

Since the first and second auxiliary molds individually and simultaneously notch the non-coated portions, respectively, the design flexibility of processing each of the electrode tabs at both the sides may increase, and the processing position and precision may be adjusted more easily.

In the notching mold according to the present invention, since the stripper is provided, the movement of the coated portion may be fixed when the notching is performed.

Since the stripper is divided into the main stripper (the main upper stripper and the main lower stripper) and the auxiliary stripper (the auxiliary upper stripper and the auxiliary lower stripper), the coated portion may be more stably supported by replacing only the auxiliary stripper according to the thermal expansion coefficient of the electrode base material due to the temperature.

Furthermore, the gap between the main upper stripper and the auxiliary upper stripper and the gap between the main lower stripper and the auxiliary lower stripper may be dislocated along the vertical direction to prevent pressing, the marks, or the jamming from occurring on the electrode base material. The auxiliary stripper may be detachably mounted on the first auxiliary mold and the second auxiliary mold and thus may be easily exchanged together when replacing the first auxiliary mold and the second auxiliary mold.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in such a manner that the technical idea of the present invention may easily be carried out by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. The present invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

Also, terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be restrictively interpreted as ordinary meanings or dictionary-based meanings, but should be interpreted as meanings and concepts conforming to the scope of the present invention on the basis of the principle that an inventor can properly define the concept of a term to describe and explain his or her invention in the best ways.

The present invention relates to a notching mold that notches a non-coated portion (molds an electrode tab on the non-coated portion) when an electrode base material1is input so that the base material1, in which an active material is applied to a surface of a collector, wherein a non-coated portion, on which the active material is not applied, is formed on each of one end and the other end of a coated portion1b, on which the active material is applied, is notched into individual electrodes2, on which an electrode tab2ais formed on each of both ends or one end of the non-coated portion2b. Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

FIG.2is a plan view of an upper mold and a lower mold of a notching mold according to a first embodiment of the present invention,FIG.3is a side view of the upper mold and the lower mold of the notching mold according to the first embodiment of the present invention, andFIG.4is a view illustrating a state in which the upper mold and the lower mold are closed inFIG.3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a notching mold provided in this embodiment comprises a main mold10and first and second auxiliary molds20and30, which are additionally coupled to one side and the other side of the main mold10, respectively.

As illustrated inFIG.2, the main mold10comprises an upper mold11and a lower mold12, which are parallel to each other. The upper mold11and the lower mold12are configured to be slidable close to or away from each other. That is, in a state in which the lower mold12is fixed, the upper mold11descends, or in a state in which the upper mold11is fixed, the lower mold12ascends. Alternatively, the upper mold11descends, and the lower mold12ascends. Here, each of surfaces facing each other thereof is formed as a flat surface.

In addition, the first auxiliary mold20is mounted at one side of the main mold10, and the second auxiliary mold30is mounted at the other side of the main mold10.

When the electrode base material1is input into the main mold10, the first auxiliary mold20is disposed at a position at which the non-coated portion1ais processed at one end of the electrode base material1. The first auxiliary mold comprises a first auxiliary upper mold21and a first auxiliary lower mold22, and also, the first auxiliary upper mold21is coupled to the upper mold11, and the first auxiliary lower mold22is coupled to the lower mold12.

When the electrode base material1is input into the main mold10, the second auxiliary mold30is disposed at a position at which the non-coated portion1ais processed at the other end of the electrode base material1. The second auxiliary mold comprises a second auxiliary upper mold31and a second auxiliary lower mold32, and also, the second auxiliary upper mold31is coupled to the upper mold11at an opposite side of the first auxiliary upper mold21, and the second auxiliary lower mold32is coupled to the lower mold12at an opposite side of the first auxiliary lower mold22.

Thus, when the upper mold11and the lower mold12of the main mold10are slid, the sliding of the first auxiliary upper mold21and the first auxiliary lower mold22of the first auxiliary mold20and the sliding of the second auxiliary upper mold31and the second auxiliary lower mold32of the second auxiliary mold30are performed at the same time.

Thus, the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30may individually and simultaneously notch the non-coated portions1aof the electrode base material1. That is, the notching process performed here means all three processing, for example, ‘processing of molding the electrode tab’, ‘processing of forming the electrode tab and then cutting the electrode tab into individual electrodes, or ‘processing of cutting the non-coated portion from the coated portion’.

The first auxiliary upper mold21and the second auxiliary upper mold31provided in this embodiment are coupled to be detachable and adjustable in position in the upper mold11, and the first auxiliary lower mold21and the second auxiliary upper mold21are coupled to be detachable and adjustable in position in the lower mold12.

Thus, when it is necessary to adjust a size or position of the electrode tab according to a size of the electrode base material1on which the notching is performed, the notching may be performed by adjusting or replacing only any one of the first auxiliary mold20and/or the second auxiliary mold30without replacing the entire main mold10.

In addition, in the mold according to the related art, as illustrated inFIG.1b, only one embossed part3aand only one engraved part4aare formed on the upper mold3and the lower mold4, respectively. However, in the mold provided in the present invention, since the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30are disposed to be separated from each other, as illustrated inFIG.2, the first and second auxiliary upper molds21and31and the first and second auxiliary lower molds22and32may be disposed in pairs, and thus, a plurality of embossed parts may be formed on the first auxiliary upper mold21and the second auxiliary upper mold31, and a plurality of engraved parts may be formed in the first auxiliary lower mold22and the second auxiliary lower mold32.

Thus, in the notching mold provided in this embodiment, when the electrode base material1is input into the main mold10, the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30may perform the processing so that the plurality of electrode tabs are molded in one stroke at the same time.

Second Embodiment

Furthermore, the notching mold according to the present invention may comprise a stripper40. That is, as more clearly illustrated inFIGS.3and4, in the notching mold provided in this embodiment, when the electrode base material1is input between the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30, the stripper40that presses and fixes the coated portion1bdisposed between both the non-coated portions1amay be disposed.

The stripper40comprises an upper stripper41coupled to the upper mold11and a lower stripper42coupled to the lower mold12. When the non-coated portions are molded using the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30, a predetermined pressure is applied to the coated portion1bbetween the upper stripper41and the lower stripper42to fix movement of the coated portion1b.

The upper stripper41comprises a main upper stripper41adisposed at a center between the first auxiliary upper mold21and the second auxiliary upper mold31and an auxiliary upper stripper41bdisposed at one side of the main upper stripper41with a gap therebetween.

Also, the lower stripper42comprises a main lower stripper42adisposed at a center between the first auxiliary lower mold22and the second auxiliary lower mold32and an auxiliary lower stripper42bdisposed at one side of the main lower stripper42awith a gap therebetween.

Here, the auxiliary upper stripper41bis disposed at each of both the sides of the main upper stripper42awith a gap between the auxiliary upper stripper41band the main upper stripper42a, and the auxiliary lower stripper42bis disposed at each of both the sides of the main lower stripper42awith a gap between the auxiliary lower stripper42band the main lower stripper42a.

The auxiliary upper stripper41band the auxiliary lower stripper42bare detachable. That is, the auxiliary upper stripper41bis detachably coupled to the first auxiliary upper mold21of the first auxiliary mold20or the second auxiliary upper mold31of the second auxiliary mold30, and the auxiliary lower stripper42bis detachably coupled to the first auxiliary lower mold21of the first auxiliary mold20or the second auxiliary lower mold32of the second auxiliary mold30.

Furthermore, referring toFIG.5that is an enlarged view illustrating a state in which the gap between the main upper stripper41aand the auxiliary upper stripper41band the gap between the main lower stripper42aand the auxiliary lower stripper42bare dislocated along a vertical direction, the gaps occur between the main upper stripper41aand the auxiliary upper stripper41band between main lower stripper42aand the auxiliary lower stripper42b.

Here, the gap between the main upper stripper41aand the auxiliary upper stripper41band the gap between the main lower stripper42aand the auxiliary lower stripper42bare dislocated along the vertical direction.

That is, as a width of the electrode base material1increases (a distance between the non-coated portions on both ends increases), it is difficult to efficiently fix the coated portion1bby using one fixed stripper due to an impact and thermal expansion applied during the processing.

Also, when only one main stripper41aor42ais provided, there is a high possibility that shaking of the coated portion1boccurs in the vicinity of the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30, in which the processing is performed. Therefore, the auxiliary strippers41band42bmay be additionally mounted to the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30to additionally fix the coated portion1bwhen the first auxiliary upper mold21and the second auxiliary lower mold32are slid.

For the above reasons, the stripper provided in this embodiment is provided to be divided into the main strippers41aand42amounted on the main mold10and the auxiliary strippers41band42bmounted on the auxiliary molds20and30.

Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, the gap between the main upper stripper41aand the auxiliary upper stripper41band the gap between the main lower stripper42aand the auxiliary lower stripper42bare dislocated along the vertical direction. That is, when the upper and lower gap positions are the same, both upper and lower sides may be opened to cause a possibility that the coated portion1bis sag or be jammed between the gaps. However, when the gaps are dislocated as described above, since at least one side of both the upper and lower sides is in a blocked state, the possibility of occurrence of the sagging or jamming of the coated portion1bbetween the gaps may be significantly reduced.

In the present invention having the above configuration, since the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30individually notch the non-coated portion1adisposed on each of both the ends of the electrode base material1according to an operation of the main mold10, the molding of both the non-coated portions1amay be more easily performed, and larger and various types of electrode base material may be notched.

Since the first and second auxiliary molds20and30individually and simultaneously notch the non-coated portions, respectively, the design flexibility of processing each of the electrode tabs at both the sides may increase, and the processing position and precision may be adjusted more easily.

In the notching mold according to the present invention, since the stripper40is provided, the movement of the coated portion may be fixed when the notching is performed.

Since the stripper is divided into the main stripper (the main upper stripper and the main lower stripper) and the auxiliary stripper (the auxiliary upper stripper and the auxiliary lower stripper), the coated portion may be more stably supported by replacing only the auxiliary stripper according to the thermal expansion coefficient of the electrode base material due to the temperature.

Furthermore, the gap between the main upper stripper41aand the auxiliary upper stripper41band the gap between the main lower stripper42aand the auxiliary lower stripper42bmay be dislocated along the vertical direction to prevent pressing, the marks, or the jamming from occurring on the electrode base material. The auxiliary strippers41band42bmay be detachably mounted on the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30, and thus, the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30may be exchanged together with the replacement when the first auxiliary mold20and the second auxiliary mold30are replaced.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS