Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates to a gripper and a secondary battery transfer device including the same, and more particularly, to a gripper that transfers a secondary battery, and a secondary battery transfer device including the gripper.

Recently, as information technology (IT) is remarkably developed, the use of various portable information and communication devices has been proliferated and accordingly, the 21st century society evolves into a "ubiquitous society" in which high-quality information service is available regardless of time and place.

Lithium secondary batteries play an important role in the evolution into such a ubiquitous society. Specifically, chargeable and dischargeable lithium secondary batteries are not only widely used as energy sources for wireless mobile devices, but also used as energy sources for electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and so on, which have been proposed to solve problems such as air pollution caused by existing gasoline and diesel vehicles using fossil fuel.

As devices to which the lithium secondary batteries are applied are diversified as described above, the lithium secondary batteries are diversified so as to provide powers and capacities suitable for the devices. In addition, there is a strong need to reduce the size and weight of the lithium secondary batteries.

According to the shape of a battery, the lithium secondary batteries may be classified into cylindrical type secondary batteries, prismatic type secondary batteries, pouch type secondary batteries, and so on. Among these batteries, the pouch type secondary batteries, which can be stacked with high integration, has a high energy density per weight, and is inexpensive and easy change in shape, attract a lot of interest. In order to handle pouch type batteries there exist gripper system such as described in documents <CIT>, corresponding to the preambles of the independent claims, that comprises a gripping system holding a battery through electrode leads and pouch in a same plane and <CIT> that hold a battery at a sealing border.

Here, as illustrated in <FIG>, a pouch type secondary battery <NUM> has a structure in which an electrode assembly <NUM> constituted by a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separate disposed therebetween is embedded in a pouch <NUM> having an empty space defined therein together with an electrolyte, and an outer circumference of a battery case is sealed, and an electrode lead <NUM> electrically connected to the electrode assembly <NUM> protrudes from the pouch <NUM>.

The pouch <NUM> may have a structure in which an inner resin layer made of a synthetic resin material, an ultra-thin metal layer made of a metal material, and an outer resin layer made of a synthetic resin material are stacked from the inside toward the outside. The pouch <NUM> includes an accommodation part 12a in which the electrode assembly <NUM> and the electrolyte are accommodated, and a gas pocket part 12b which extends from the accommodation part 12a and in which gas generated from the electrode assembly <NUM> is collected.

Such a secondary battery <NUM> is transferred between process stages during a secondary battery manufacturing process. Here, a secondary battery transfer device including a gripper that presses and fixes the secondary battery <NUM> is used as one of units that transfer the secondary battery <NUM>.

The gripper may press and fix the secondary battery <NUM>, and then move in a vertical direction or in a horizontal direction so as to transfer the secondary battery <NUM> between the process stages. In more detail, the gripper presses and fixes at least an area of the secondary battery <NUM> in a state, in which the secondary battery <NUM> is accommodated to stand vertically so that the gas pocket part 12b is disposed above the accommodation part 12a, and then moves in the vertical direction or in the horizontal direction so as to perform the transfer of the secondary battery <NUM>.

However, there is a problem that the gas pocket part 12b is biased toward the front or rear of the pouch during the accommodating or transferring of the secondary battery <NUM>. In this case, when the gripper moves towards the secondary battery <NUM>, there are problems that the gas pocket part 12b interferes with the gripper to cause scratch on an outer appearance of the secondary battery <NUM> or to make it difficult for the gripper to grip the secondary battery, so that secondary battery quality is deteriorated and process efficiency is reduced. Thus, technologies for fundamentally solving the above problems are required.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gripper with which a position of a gas pocket part is fixed, and a secondary battery transfer device including the gripper.

The present invention provides a gripper that presses and fixes a secondary battery including a pouch, which includes an accommodation part in which an electrode assembly is accommodated and a gas pocket part extending from the accommodation part, and an electrode lead protruding from the pouch. The gripper includes at least one electrode lead fixing part that presses and fixes the electrode lead, and at least one gas pocket part fixing part that presses and fixes the gas pocket part.

The electrode lead fixing part may be provided in a pair and movably provided to adjust a spaced distance between the pair of electrode lead fixing parts.

The gas pocket part fixing part may be provided in a pair and movably provided to adjust a spaced distance between the pair of gas pocket part fixing parts.

The gas pocket part fixing part may include a connection part connected to the electrode lead fixing part, and a protrusion protruding from the connection part so as to face one surface of the gas pocket part.

The protrusion may protrude perpendicularly from the connection part.

The protrusion may include a pressing part that is provided to face the gas pocket part so as to press the gas pocket part, and an inclined part extending from the pressing part. The inclined part may be inclined in a direction that is away from the gas pocket part, as being far away from the pressing part.

The inclined part may be disposed at a lower portion of the pressing part and inclined toward a lower side in a direction that is away from the gas pocket part.

The gas pocket part fixing part may further include a pad part provided in an area facing the gas pocket part to improve adhesion with the gas pocket part.

The gas pocket part fixing part may further include a pad part provided between the pressing part and the gas pocket part to improve adhesion with the gas pocket part.

The present invention provides a secondary battery transfer device that transfers a secondary battery including a pouch, which includes an accommodation part in which an electrode assembly is accommodated and a gas pocket part extending from the accommodation part, and an electrode lead protruding from the pouch. The secondary battery transfer device includes a body part and a pair of grippers that are movably connected to the body part and press and fix the secondary battery, wherein each of the grippers includes at least one electrode lead fixing part that presses and fixes the electrode lead, and at least one gas pocket part fixing part that presses and fixes the gas pocket part.

The present invention has the advantage that the gas pocket part fixing part may be used to fix the position of the gas pocket part so that the gripper may smoothly press and fix the secondary battery.

The present invention has the advantage that the gas pocket part fixing part may be used to fix the position of the gas pocket part so as to minimize the damage that may be caused by the gripper on the outer appearance of the secondary battery.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so as to enable those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains to easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited by the embodiments set forth herein.

The parts unrelated to the description, or the detailed descriptions of related well-known art that may unnecessarily obscure subject matters of the present invention, will be ruled out in order to clearly describe the present invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the whole specification.

Moreover, 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 his or her invention in the best ways.

The present invention provides a gripper <NUM> that presses and fixes a secondary battery <NUM> including a pouch <NUM>, which includes an accommodation part 12a in which an electrode assembly <NUM> is accommodated and a gas pocket part 12b extending from the accommodation part 12a, and an electrode lead <NUM> protruding the pouch <NUM>.

The secondary battery <NUM> may be supported by a support <NUM>. Here, the support <NUM> is a component that supports the secondary battery <NUM>, and may have various configurations.

Specifically, as illustrated in <FIG>, the support <NUM> may include a horizontal support <NUM> that supports the secondary battery <NUM> at a lower side, and at least one vertical support <NUM> that perpendicularly extends upward from the horizontal support <NUM> to support the secondary battery <NUM> at a lateral side.

Here, the horizontal support <NUM> and the vertical support <NUM> may each have various shapes.

For example, the horizontal support <NUM> and the vertical support <NUM> may each have a flat plate shape or a block shape. Here, the vertical support <NUM> may have a '<IMG>' shape so as fit and fix the accommodation part 12a of the secondary battery <NUM>. The horizontal support <NUM> and the vertical support <NUM> may be provided as an integrated component, and may be provided as separate components.

The gripper <NUM> is a component that presses and fixes the secondary battery <NUM>, and may have various configurations.

Specifically, the gripper <NUM> may press and fix the secondary battery <NUM>, and then move so as to transfer the secondary battery <NUM> from one position to another position. Here, a moving direction of the gripper <NUM> may be set to various directions such as a vertical direction or a horizontal direction.

The gripper <NUM> may be provided in plurality. For example, the gripper <NUM> may be provided in a pair. In this case, as illustrated in <FIG>, the grippers <NUM> may be disposed at positions corresponding to both ends, respectively, of the pouch <NUM>, at which the electrode lead <NUM> is disposed.

Such a gripper <NUM> may have various structures. In accordance with the claims, the gripper <NUM> includes at least one electrode lead fixing part <NUM> that presses and fixes the electrode lead <NUM>, and at least one gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> that presses and fixes the gas pocket part.

Here, the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> is a component that presses and fixes the electrode lead <NUM>, and may have various configurations.

For example, the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> may grip and fix the electrode lead <NUM> by simultaneously pressing one surface of the electrode lead <NUM> protruding the pouch <NUM> and the other surface disposed in a direction opposite to the one surface.

In this case, as illustrated in <FIG>, the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> may be provided in a pair to face each other. Here, the electrode lead fixing parts <NUM> may be movably provided to adjust a spaced distance therebetween so as to grip the electrode lead <NUM>.

In more detail, as illustrated in <FIG>, the pair of electrode lead fixing parts <NUM> may be spaced a predetermined distance from each other before pressing and fixing the electrode lead <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the pair of electrode lead fixing parts <NUM> may press and fix the electrode assembly <NUM> by moving in the horizontal direction (a y direction in <FIG>) so that the spaced distance of the pair of electrode lead fixing parts <NUM> decreases. In this case, the pair of electrode lead fixing parts <NUM> may be spaced a distance corresponding to the width of the electrode lead <NUM> from each other. Here, the distance corresponding to the width of the electrode lead <NUM> may be a distance that is the same as or smaller than the width of the electrode lead <NUM>.

The gripper <NUM> described above may further include a body part <NUM> so as to move the electrode lead fixing part <NUM>. That is, the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> may be movably connected to the body part <NUM>, and the body part <NUM> may include a driving device such as a linear motion (LM) guide that operates with the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> so as to move the electrode lead fixing part <NUM>.

Such an electrode lead fixing part <NUM> may have various shapes. For example, the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> may have a bar shape extending in a longitudinal direction that is a height direction (a z direction in <FIG>) of the secondary battery <NUM>.

In the electrode lead fixing part <NUM>, a pad made of a silicon material or the like, which may improve adhesion with the electrode lead <NUM>, may be further provided in an area provided to face the electrode lead <NUM>. Here, when the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> has the bar shape, the pad may be provided at an end of the bar shape.

The gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> is a component that presses and fixes the gas pocket part, and may have various configurations.

Specifically, the gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> may press and fix the gas pocket part 12b so that the gas pocket part 12b is disposed at a fixed position. Here, the fixed position may be understood as a position at which the gas pocket part 12b is aligned parallel to the accommodation part 12a.

That is, when the gas pocket part 12b is biased toward the front or rear of the pouch <NUM> to deviate from the fixed position, the gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> may realign the gas pocket part 12b at the fixed position. Here, the aligned gas pocket part 12b may maintain the alignment position due to the stiffness of an ultra-thin metal layer including a metal material (e.g., aluminum, etc.) constituting the pouch <NUM>.

Such a gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> may grip and fix the gas pocket part 12b by simultaneously pressing one surface of the gas pocket part 12b and the other surface disposed in a direction opposite to the one surface.

In this case, as illustrated in <FIG>, the gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> may be provided in a pair to face each other. In more detail, the gas pocket part fixing parts <NUM> may be movably provided to adjust a spaced distance therebetween so as to grip the gas pocket part fixing part <NUM>.

In more detail, as illustrated in <FIG>, the pair of gas pocket part fixing parts <NUM> may be spaced a predetermined distance from each other before pressing and fixing the gas pocket part 12b.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the pair of gas pocket part fixing parts <NUM> may press and fix the gas pocket part 12b by moving in the horizontal direction (the y direction in <FIG>and <FIG>) so that the spaced distance decreases. In this case, the pair of gas pocket part fixing parts <NUM> may be spaced a distance corresponding to the width of the gas pocket part 12b from each other. Here, the distance corresponding to the width of the gas pocket part 12b may be a distance that is the same as or smaller than the width of the gas pocket part 12b.

The gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> as described above may have various structures.

For example, the gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> may include a connection part <NUM> connected to the electrode lead fixing part <NUM>, and a protrusion <NUM> protruding from the connection part <NUM> so as to face one surface of the gas pocket part 12b.

The gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> may further include a pad part <NUM> provided in an area facing the gas pocket part 12b to improve adhesion with the gas pocket part 12b.

Here, the connection part <NUM> is a component to connect to the electrode lead fixing part <NUM>, and may have various configurations.

Specifically, as the connection part <NUM> is connected to the electrode lead fixing part <NUM>, the connection part <NUM> may operate with movement of the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> so that the protrusion <NUM> to be described later is movable.

More specifically, as illustrated in <FIG>, the connection part <NUM> may be connected to the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> at one side of the electrode lead fixing part <NUM>. In this case, the connection part <NUM> may be bolt-coupled to the electrode lead fixing part <NUM>.

The protrusion <NUM> is a component protruding from the connection part <NUM> so as to face one surface of the gas pocket part 12b and may have various configurations.

Specifically, the protrusion <NUM> may protrude from the connection part <NUM> in a direction parallel to the gas pocket part 12b so as to face the one surface of the gas pocket part 12b. Here, as illustrated in <FIG>, the protrusion <NUM> may protrude from the connection part <NUM> in various directions, and, for example, may protrude perpendicularly from the connection part <NUM>.

In more detail, the protrusion <NUM> may include a pressing part 122a that is provided to face the gas pocket part 12b and presses the gas pocket part 12b, and an inclined part 122b extending from the pressing part 122a.

Here, the pressing part 122a is a component that is provided to face the gas pocket part 12b and presses the gas pocket part 12b, and may have various configurations.

Specifically, as the pressing part 122a has one surface provided to face the gas pocket part 12b, the one surface may press the gas pocket part 12b when the gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> moves in the horizontal direction.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the pad part <NUM>, which may improve the adhesion between the pressing part 122a and the gas pocket part 12b, may be provided between the pressing part 122a and the gas pocket part 12b, i.e., between one surface of the pressing part 122a facing the gas pocket part 12b and the gas pocket part 12b.

<FIG> illustrates that reference symbols 122a and <NUM> indicate the same position. However, it is noted that the pad part <NUM> is a component additionally provided on one surface of the pressing part 122a, and thus the pad part <NUM> and the pressing part 122a are concepts distinguished from each other.

The pad part <NUM> may include various materials. For example, the pad part <NUM> may include a material such as silicon, urethane, and rubber. The pad part <NUM> may adhere to be fixed to the pressing part 122a in various methods or may be provided in various methods such as spray coating.

The inclined part 122b is a component extending from the pressing part 122a and may have various configurations.

Specifically, the inclined part 122b is a component that allows the gas pocket part 12b to be smoothly inserted between the pair of gas pocket part fixing parts <NUM> even when the gas pocket part 12b is biased toward the front or rear of the secondary battery <NUM>. The inclined part 122b may extend to be inclined from the pressing part 122a.

In this case, as the gas pocket part 12b is guided in an inclined direction of the inclined surface, the gas pocket part 12b may be disposed to face the pressing part 122a described above. For this, the inclined part 122b may be inclined in a direction that is away from the gas pocket part, as being far away from the pressing part 122a.

In one example, when the gripper <NUM> moves in the vertical direction (a z direction in <FIG>) with respect to the secondary battery <NUM>, the inclined part 122b may be disposed at a lower portion of the pressing part 122a and inclined toward a lower side in the direction that is away from the gas pocket part 12b.

In another example, when the gripper <NUM> moves in the horizontal direction (an x direction in <FIG>) with respect to the secondary battery <NUM>, the inclined part 122b may be disposed at one lateral portion of the pressing part 122a and inclined toward one side far away from the pressing part 122a in the direction that is away from the gas pocket part 12b.

The present invention provides a secondary battery transfer device that transfers a secondary battery <NUM> including a pouch <NUM>, which includes an accommodation part 12a in which an electrode assembly <NUM> is accommodated and a gas pocket part 12b extending from the accommodation part 12a, and an electrode lead <NUM> protruding from the pouch <NUM>, the secondary battery transfer device including a body part and a pair of grippers <NUM> that are movably connected to the body part and press and fix the secondary battery <NUM>.

Here, a main body part <NUM> is a component connected to the grippers <NUM> and may include a driving device such as a linear motion (LM) guide that operates with the grippers <NUM> so that the grippers <NUM> are movable in at least one of the vertical direction or the horizontal direction.

The grippers <NUM> each is a component that presses and fixes the secondary battery <NUM>, and may have various configurations.

In more detail, the gripper <NUM> is a component that includes at least one electrode lead fixing part <NUM> that a presses and fixes the electrode lead <NUM>, and at least one gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> that presses and fixes the gas pocket part. The gripper <NUM> may have various configurations.

Here, the detailed description of the electrode lead fixing part <NUM> and the gas pocket part fixing part <NUM> may be replaced with the contents described above.

Claim 1:
A gripper (<NUM>) configured to press and fix a secondary battery (<NUM>) comprising a pouch (<NUM>), which comprises an accommodation part (12a) in which an electrode assembly (<NUM>) is accommodated and a gas pocket part (12b) extending from the accommodation part (12a), and an electrode lead (<NUM>) protruding from the pouch (<NUM>), wherein the gripper (<NUM>) comprises:
at least one electrode lead fixing part (<NUM>) configured to press and fix the electrode lead (<NUM>); and characterized in that the gripper also comprises
at least one gas pocket part fixing part (<NUM>) configured to press and fix the gas pocket part (12b).