Patent Description:
In recent years, as mobile devices have been increasingly developed and the demand for such mobile devices has increased, the demand for secondary batteries that are capable of being charged and discharged as energy sources for such mobile devices has also sharply increased. In addition, a lot of research on secondary batteries that are capable of satisfying various requirements of such mobile devices has been carried out.

In addition, secondary batteries have also attracted considerable attention as power sources for an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (Plug-In HEV), which have been proposed to solve problems, such as air pollution, caused by existing gasoline and diesel vehicles using fossil fuels.

Among such secondary batteries is a lithium secondary battery having a high energy density and a high voltage, into which much research has been carried out and which has also been commercialized and widely used. Typically, the demand for a pouch-type battery cell, which has a small thickness, is easily arranged in a stacked state, and is partially deformable, is high in terms of the shape of the battery.

The pouch-type battery cell is configured to have a structure in which an electrode assembly and an electrolytic solution are received in a pouch-type laminate sheet capable of receiving the electrode assembly therein. In a narrow meaning, the laminate sheet is called a "pouch-type battery case," and a resin layer of the laminate sheet is characterized in that the resin layer is fusible by heat.

The pouch-type battery cell is particularly configured to have a structure in which the laminate sheet wraps the electrode assembly such that the electrode assembly is not exposed outside, and is configured to have a structure in which heat and pressure are applied to portions of the laminate sheet to be sealed overlapping at the outer edge of the battery case in order to seal the laminate sheet.

For example, the battery cell is configured to have a structure in which the outer edges of the battery case are sealed in the state in which electrode leads protrude outwards from the battery case. Here, each of the electrode leads is made of a conductive metal material, is formed in a bar shape, and has a polygonal structure having angled corners when viewed in a plan view. In general, the electrode lead is configured to have a long rectangular structure.

The electrode leads are cut to predetermined lengths, e.g. lengths that the electrode leads can easily be connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) (not shown) or an external electric device (not shown), in the state of being inserted into cutting jigs configured to intersect up and down.

Conventionally, however, at the time of cutting each of the electrode leads, the cutting position of the electrode lead may be tilted due to the property of the electrode lead, such as flexibility. As a result, it may be difficult to cut a correct point of the electrode lead to be cut, and therefore the lengths of the electrode leads that are cut may be different from each other, which may cause process defects. <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, and <CIT> disclose an apparatus or a method for manufacturing a battery. <CIT> discloses an apparatus for cutting continuous individual packaging bags connected one by one with a connecting piece.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electrode lead cutting apparatus capable of accurately cutting a point of an electrode lead to be cut.

Objects of the present invention are not limited to the aforementioned object, and other unmentioned objects and advantages will be understood from the following description.

An electrode lead cutting apparatus for battery cells according to an embodiment of the present invention is defined in the appended set of claims, the electrode lead cutting apparatus includes a cell fixing unit configured to fix a battery cell, an electrode lead fixing unit configured to supply air to an electrode lead of the battery cell in order to fix a point of the electrode lead to be cut, and an electrode lead cutting unit configured to cut the point of the electrode lead to be cut.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the cell fixing unit may include a suction plate configured to suction the battery cell in a vacuum state.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the electrode lead cutting unit may include a cutting blade configured to cut the electrode lead in the state of being in contact with the point of the electrode lead to be cut, and the cutting blade may include a first cutting blade located above the point of the electrode lead to be cut and a second cutting blade located below the point of the electrode lead to be cut. The electrode lead cutting unit may further include a guide block, and at least one of the first cutting blade and the second cutting blade may be coupled to the guide block so as to be movable upwards and downwards.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the electrode lead cutting unit may include a laser oscillator configured to apply a laser beam to the point of the electrode lead to be cut.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the electrode lead cutting apparatus further includes an electrode lead supporting unit disposed under the electrode lead, the electrode lead supporting unit being configured to support the electrode lead. The electrode lead supporting unit may include a magnetic block configured to fix the electrode lead using magnetic force.

In addition, an electrode lead cutting method for battery cells according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a step of loading a battery cell having an electrode lead exposed therefrom, a step of supplying air from above the electrode lead to fix a point of the electrode lead to be cut, and a step of cutting the fixed point of the electrode lead to be cut.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the electrode lead cutting method may further include a step of providing magnetic force from under the electrode lead to fix the electrode lead using the magnetic force at the time of cutting the electrode lead.

The following drawings appended in this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and serve to make it possible to further understand the technical idea of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention, which will follow. Therefore, the present invention is not necessary to be interpreted in the state of being limited only to matters described in the drawings.

The present invention may be embodied in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

In order to clearly describe the present invention, a detailed description of parts having no relation with the essence of the present invention may be omitted, and the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

Also, in the case in which a part "includes" a component, this means that the part may not exclude another component but may further include another component unless otherwise mentioned. The terms used herein are intended only to mention specific embodiments, not to limit the present invention, and may be interpreted as concepts that are understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains unless otherwise defined in this specification.

<FIG> is a view schematically showing an electrode lead cutting apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the electrode lead cutting apparatus <NUM> includes a cell fixing unit <NUM>, an electrode lead cutting unit <NUM>, and an electrode lead fixing unit <NUM>. In the embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal direction of an electrode lead in which the electrode lead extends is set to an X-axis direction, the width direction of the electrode lead perpendicular to the X-axis direction is set to a Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions is set to a Z-axis direction.

A battery cell <NUM> that is applied to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured to have a structure in which an electrode assembly and an electrolytic solution are received in a pouch sheathing member <NUM>. For example, the battery cell <NUM> may be a pouch-type battery cell. In addition, the battery cell may be a secondary battery that performs charging and discharging operations.

An electrode lead <NUM> may be provided outside the pouch sheathing member <NUM> in a protruding form. One end of the electrode lead <NUM> is electrically connected to the electrode assembly, and the other end of the electrode lead <NUM> is exposed outside the pouch sheathing member <NUM>, whereby the electrode lead <NUM> may serve as a connection terminal of the battery cell <NUM>.

The cell fixing unit <NUM> fixes the battery cell <NUM>, which is a processing target. The cell fixing unit <NUM> may include a suction plate <NUM> configured to suction the battery cell <NUM> in a vacuum state. The suction plate <NUM> may be formed in a flat shape such that one surface of the battery cell <NUM> is seated on the suction plate. The battery cell <NUM> may be disposed on the suction plate <NUM> in the horizontal direction. For example, the battery cell <NUM> may be seated on the suction plate <NUM> in the form in which the electrode lead <NUM> exposed outside the electrode assembly extends in the X-axis direction.

At least one vacuum hole <NUM> may be formed in the suction plate <NUM>. The vacuum hole <NUM> may be formed through the suction plate <NUM> in the Z-axis direction. The suction plate <NUM> may suction a battery cell located so as to correspond to the vacuum hole <NUM>. Consequently, the battery cell may be suctioned on the suction plate <NUM> in a vacuum state, whereby the battery cell may be stably fixed during cutting of the electrode lead <NUM>.

A seating recess <NUM> may be formed in one surface of the suction plate <NUM> on which the battery cell <NUM> is seated, e.g. the upper surface of the suction plate <NUM>. The seating recess <NUM> is formed so as to be recessed from the upper surface of the suction plate <NUM> in a concave shape in the downward direction. The seating recess <NUM> is formed so as to correspond to the external appearance of the battery cell <NUM>. Consequently, the battery cell <NUM> may be seated in the seating recess <NUM>, whereby movement of the battery cell in the X-axis or Y-axis direction may be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy at the time of cutting the electrode lead <NUM>.

As the cell fixing unit <NUM>, a gripper and the like may be applied in addition to the suction plate <NUM>. In the case in which the battery cell <NUM> is fixed by the gripper and the like, however, the portion of the battery cell <NUM> fixed by the gripper under pressure may be deformed or damaged. Preferably, therefore, the suction plate <NUM> is applied as the cell fixing unit <NUM>.

The electrode lead cutting unit <NUM> cuts the electrode lead <NUM>. The electrode lead cutting unit <NUM> may include a cutting blade <NUM> configured to cut the electrode lead <NUM> in the state of being in contact with the electrode lead. The cutting blade <NUM> cuts a point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut.

The cutting blade <NUM> may include a first cutting blade <NUM> and a second cutting blade <NUM>. The first cutting blade <NUM> may be located above the point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut, and the second cutting blade <NUM> may be located below the point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut. The first cutting blade <NUM> and the second cutting blade <NUM> may be disposed so as to cut the electrode lead <NUM> while intersecting each other.

The electrode lead cutting unit <NUM> may include a guide block <NUM>. The guide block <NUM> may guide movement of the cutting blade <NUM> in the Z-axis direction, i.e. the upward-downward movement of the cutting blade, while supporting the cutting blade <NUM>. For example, the first cutting blade <NUM> and the second cutting blade <NUM> may be coupled to the guide block <NUM>, and at least one of the first cutting blade <NUM> and the second cutting blade <NUM> may be coupled to the guide block <NUM> so as to be movable upwards and downwards. The guide block <NUM> may be provided with a guide rail (not shown) configured to guide the upward-downward movement of the cutting blade <NUM>.

The electrode lead fixing unit <NUM> fixes the electrode lead <NUM> at the time of cutting the electrode lead <NUM>. An air blower configured to supply air to the electrode lead <NUM> of the battery cell <NUM> in order to fix the point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut may be applied as the electrode lead fixing unit <NUM>. The air blower is mounted to the guide block <NUM> so as to be located above the electrode lead <NUM>. The air blower may be disposed at a position corresponding to the end of the electrode lead <NUM>. That is, the cutting blade <NUM> may be disposed at one side of the battery cell <NUM>, and the air blower may be disposed at one side of the cutting blade <NUM>.

At the time of cutting the electrode lead <NUM>, air supplied from the air blower applies pressure to the electrode lead <NUM>, whereby the electrode lead <NUM> extending in the X-axis direction is disposed in a horizontal state, and the axial direction of the cutting blade <NUM> becomes perpendicular to the electrode lead <NUM>, and therefore it is possible to provide a correct point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut.

In the case in which the electrode lead <NUM> is cut in the state of being tilted in one direction, on the other hand, the longitudinal direction of the electrode lead <NUM> does not become perpendicular to the axial direction of the cutting blade <NUM>. In the case in which electrode lead <NUM> is cut in this state, there may occur an error between the cutting length and the setting length of the electrode lead <NUM>.

<FIG> is a view showing a method of cutting an electrode lead of a battery cell according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the electrode lead cutting method includes a cell seating step (S10), a cell fixing step (S20), an electrode lead fixing step (S30), and an electrode lead cutting step (S40).

In the cell seating step (S10), a battery cell <NUM> is loaded on the suction plate <NUM>. The battery cell <NUM> may be loaded on the suction plate <NUM> by a transfer unit, such as a robot arm. An electrode lead <NUM>, which is a target to be cut, may be exposed outside the suction plate <NUM>.

A metal that exhibits high conductivity while not causing a chemical change in the battery may be applied as the electrode lead <NUM> of the battery cell <NUM>, although not particularly restricted. For example, the electrode lead <NUM> may be selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), carbon (C), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), and an alloy including two or more thereof, and may be formed in the shape of a thin plate having a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the cell fixing step (S20), the battery cell <NUM> is fixed. Since the seating recess <NUM> is formed in the suction plate <NUM> so as to correspond to the external appearance of the battery cell <NUM>, movement of the battery cell <NUM> loaded on the suction plate <NUM> in the X-axis or Y-axis direction may be prevented. In addition, the battery cell <NUM> is suctioned by the suction plate <NUM>, in which the vacuum hole <NUM> is formed, in a vacuum state, whereby the battery cell may be stably fixed in the cutting process.

In the electrode lead fixing step (S30), a point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut is fixed before cutting the electrode lead <NUM>. That is, the electrode lead <NUM> may exhibit predetermined flexibility since the electrode lead has a thickness of about <NUM> to <NUM>. As a result, the cutting operation may be performed on the electrode lead <NUM> in the state in which the end of the electrode lead is tilted. For example, the electrode lead <NUM> may be in the state of being tilted upwards. In the case in which the electrode lead <NUM> is cut in this state, there may occur the difference between the cutting length and the setting length of the electrode lead. In order to prevent this, air is injected from the air blower disposed above the electrode lead <NUM>. In the case in which the air is supplied, the electrode lead <NUM> is pushed downwards, and the pushed electrode lead <NUM> is maintained in the horizontal state. Consequently, the point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut may be stably secured.

In the electrode lead cutting step (S40), the electrode lead <NUM> is cut to the setting length thereof. That is, at least one of the first cutting blade <NUM> and the second cutting blade <NUM> is moved upwards and downwards to cut the electrode lead <NUM> in the state in which the electrode lead <NUM> is maintained in the horizontal state by the air blower. Since the cutting operation is performed in the state in which the electrode lead <NUM> is maintained in the horizontal state and the point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut is fixed, as described above, it is possible to minimize an error between the cutting length and the setting length of the electrode lead <NUM> at the time of cutting the electrode lead.

<FIG> is a view schematically showing an electrode lead cutting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the electrode lead cutting apparatus <NUM> includes a cell fixing unit <NUM>, an electrode lead cutting unit <NUM>, an electrode lead fixing unit <NUM>, and an electrode lead supporting unit <NUM>.

Constructions of the cell fixing unit <NUM>, the electrode lead cutting unit <NUM>, and the electrode lead fixing unit <NUM> are identical or similar to those in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The electrode lead supporting unit <NUM> is disposed under an electrode lead <NUM> to support the electrode lead <NUM>. The electrode lead supporting unit <NUM> may prevent drooping of the electrode lead <NUM> at the time of cutting the electrode lead <NUM>. For example, when air is supplied downwards from an air blower located about the electrode lead <NUM>, the electrode lead <NUM> may be drooped by the pressure at which the air is supplied. The electrode lead supporting unit <NUM> supports the electrode lead <NUM> under the electrode lead <NUM>, whereby it is possible to prevent drooping of the electrode lead <NUM>. Consequently, it is possible to secure a correct point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut at the time of cutting the electrode lead.

The electrode lead supporting unit <NUM> may include a magnetic block. The magnetic block may fix the electrode lead <NUM> using magnetic force. Consequently, the electrode lead <NUM> may be more securely fixed by the air blower, which supplies air from above the electrode lead <NUM>, and the magnetic block, which fixes the lower side of the electrode lead <NUM> using magnetic force. Since the fixed state of the electrode lead <NUM> is secured, it is possible to easily secure the point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut. Consequently, it is possible to minimize an error between the cutting length and the setting length of the electrode lead <NUM> at the time of cutting the electrode lead.

<FIG> is a view schematically showing an electrode lead cutting apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the electrode lead cutting apparatus <NUM> includes a cell fixing unit <NUM>, an electrode lead cutting unit, and an electrode lead fixing unit <NUM>.

Constructions of the cell fixing unit <NUM> and the electrode lead fixing unit <NUM> are identical or similar to those in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the case in which an electrode lead <NUM> is cut using the cutting blade <NUM>, as in the first embodiment, burrs or electrode particles may be generated on the end surface of the electrode lead <NUM>. The burrs or the electrode particles generated on the end surface of the electrode lead <NUM> may be mixed in a battery cell <NUM>, whereby performance of the battery cell <NUM> may be deteriorated.

For this reason, the electrode lead cutting unit of the third embodiment may include a laser oscillator <NUM>. The laser oscillator <NUM> may apply a laser beam to a point of the electrode lead <NUM> to be cut in order to cut the electrode lead <NUM>. Consequently, it is possible to minimize the amount of burrs or electrode particles generated on the cut surface of the electrode lead <NUM> at the time of cutting the electrode lead <NUM>.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains should understand that the above embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive, in all aspects, since the present invention can be embodied in other concrete forms without changing the technical idea or essential features thereof.

The scope of the present invention is limited by the appended claims, rather than the detailed description of the present invention, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the equivalent concept thereof should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, air is supplied to a point of an electrode lead to be cut through an air blower at the time of cutting the electrode lead such that the electrode lead is maintained in a horizontal state, whereby it is possible to minimize an error in the cutting length of the electrode lead at the time of cutting the electrode lead.

Claim 1:
An electrode lead cutting apparatus (<NUM>) for pouch-type battery cells (<NUM>), the electrode lead cutting apparatus comprising:
a cell fixing unit (<NUM>) configured to fix a battery cell having an electrode lead exposed therefrom;
an electrode lead fixing unit (<NUM>), provided as an air blower mounted to a guide block (<NUM>) so as to be located above the electrode lead (<NUM>),
configured to supply air to the electrode lead of the battery cell in order to fix a point of the electrode lead to be cut;
an electrode lead cutting unit (<NUM>) configured to cut the point of the electrode lead to be cut; and
an electrode lead supporting unit (<NUM>) disposed under the electrode lead, the electrode lead supporting unit (<NUM>) being configured to support the electrode lead.