JP5829038B2 - Foil-like workpiece positioning apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a foil-like workpiece positioning device and method, and more particularly to a foil-like workpiece positioning device and method for conveying and positioning a foil-like workpiece.

  A positive electrode or a negative electrode (collectively referred to as an electrode) used in a battery has a structure in which an active material is applied to both surfaces of a very thin metal foil. When conveying such a very thin electrode, a conveyor is often used (Patent Document 1).

JP 11-339841 A

  However, the conveyance by the conveyor has a problem that the position of the electrode that has been conveyed is not fixed, and the electrode position is shifted in the post-conveyance process and cannot be used as it is.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a foil-like workpiece positioning apparatus and a method thereof that can use a thin foil-like workpiece in other processes without positional displacement.

In order to achieve the above object, a foil-like workpiece positioning device of the present invention has a conveyance positioning means and a suction conveyor. And the position of a foil-shaped workpiece | work is conveyed and positioned by the conveyance positioning means to the position calculated | required at another process. This conveyance positioning means conveys the work on the suction conveyor in the air. The workpiece positioned by the conveyance positioning means is sucked by the suction conveyor and holds its position during the work of other processes. The suction conveyor stops the transport operation and the suction operation during transport and positioning by the transport positioning means, and performs the suction operation after positioning.

In addition, the foil-like workpiece positioning method of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object conveys the position of the foil-like workpiece to a position required in another process by carrying it in the air on the suction conveyor . At this stage of positioning, the suction conveyor stops the conveying operation and the suction operation. After that, the positioned work is sucked by the suction conveyor and the position is held during the work of other processes.

  According to the present invention, the foil-like workpiece conveyed and carried is positioned, and this is sucked by the suction conveyor, and the position is held during other processes. Thereby, in other processes, a thin foil-like workpiece can be operated without being displaced during the operation.

It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the structure of an electrode manufacturing apparatus. It is a schematic side view for demonstrating the structure of an electrode manufacturing apparatus. It is a front view explaining the detail of a hand. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the shape which curved the strip | belt-shaped electrode material. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the other shape which curved the strip | belt-shaped electrode material. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the difference in the direction which gives the curvature at the time of curving a strip | belt-shaped electrode material. It is a figure for demonstrating a front end metal mold | die, Fig.7 (a) is the front view which looked at only the front end metal mold | die from the carrying-out direction, (b) is sectional drawing which follows the line shown by b in (a) figure. . It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of a front end metal mold | die. It is drawing for demonstrating the shape of an electrode, (a) is a schematic plan view which shows the strip | belt-shaped electrode material before cutting out, (b) is a schematic plan view which shows the shape of the cut-out electrode. It is a top view which shows the position which the hand retracted. It is a side view which shows the position which the hand retracted. It is a perspective view which shows the example using a suction pad. It is the schematic for demonstrating a lamination process.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. Moreover, the size and ratio of each member in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation, and are different from the actual size and ratio.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining the configuration of the electrode manufacturing apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view for explaining the configuration of the electrode manufacturing apparatus.

  First, an outline of the electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described.

  The electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a hand 2, a front end cutting mold (referred to as a front end mold 3), a rear end cutting mold (referred to as a rear end mold 4), a first suction conveyor 5, and a second suction conveyor 6. .

  The hand 2 is a conveyance positioning unit. The hand 2 transports the band-shaped electrode material 100, which is a foil-shaped workpiece, in the air to the front end mold 3, and positions the band-shaped electrode material 100 at a predetermined position in the front end mold 3. The front end mold 3 is a cutting means and cuts the front end of the strip electrode material 100. This cutting by the front end mold 38 is another process. Moreover, the predetermined position at the time of conveyance is a position for the front end mold 3 to cut the strip electrode material 100, and is a position obtained in another process. The rear end mold 4 is a rear end cutting means, and cuts the rear end of the strip electrode material 100. The first suction conveyor 5 is installed in front of the front end mold 3 in the conveying direction. The first suction conveyor 5 is disposed outside the movement locus of the hand 2. The transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5 serves as a support surface when cutting, and adsorbs the strip electrode material 100 when the strip electrode material 100 is cut, and holds the position until the end of cutting. The first suction conveyor 5 is also used to carry the cut electrode forward from the front end mold 3 after the rear end is cut. The second suction conveyor 6 carries out the electrode sent from the first suction conveyor 5 further after cutting the rear end. In addition, the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 1 shows a cut shape. Further, the rear end refers to a portion that becomes the rear end of the cut-out electrode.

  Next, each part of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating details of the hand 2, and is a view of the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5 as viewed from the front end mold 3 toward the rear end mold 4. However, members other than the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5 are not shown.

  The hand 2 is a position where each part constituting the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5 do not interfere when carrying the foil-like electrode material (hereinafter referred to as the belt-like electrode material 100) to the cutting position. The belt-shaped electrode material 100 is held and conveyed in the air (details will be described later). Further, when the hand 2 has transported the strip electrode material 100 to the front end mold 3, each part constituting the hand 2 does not reach the front end mold 3 (that is, does not interfere with the mold) and the strip electrode material 100. It is held in contact.

  The hand 2 is positioned at a predetermined position for cutting the strip electrode material 100 with the front end mold 3 and the rear end mold 4 simultaneously with the loading.

  The hand 2 moves the entire main arms 21 and 22 up and down and the gripping operations by the gripping portions 23 to 26 as well as the main arms 21 and 22, the gripping portions 23 to 26 connected to the main arms 21 and 22. And a gripping mechanism section 20 to be performed. The gripping portions 23 to 26 are attached to the main arms 21 and 22 so as to be parallel to the transport direction of the strip electrode material 100. And the attachment position of the holding parts 23 thru | or 26 is the side outer side of the 1st adsorption conveyor 5. FIG. Thereby, the gripping units 23 to 26 can perform the transport operation without interfering with the first suction conveyor 5. In addition, the side of the 1st suction conveyor 5 is a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction (belt movement direction) of the 1st suction conveyor 5. FIG.

  The entire main arm 21 moves forward and backward with respect to the transport direction together with the gripping mechanism portion 20. At this time, the gripping portions 23 to 26 pass through the lateral outside of the first suction conveyor 5. Therefore, the first suction conveyor 5 does not enter the forward (and backward) movement locus associated with the carry-in operation by the hand 2, that is, the horizontal movement movement locus. That is, the first suction conveyor 5 is disposed outside the operation locus of each part of the hand 2. Therefore, the hand 2 can move and convey the belt-like electrode material 100 while floating from the first suction conveyor 5 with a very slight ascending operation.

  Here, let us consider a case where each part of the hand is arranged to pass directly above the first suction conveyor. In such a temporary configuration, if the hand grasps the belt-shaped electrode material and attempts to carry it into the mold, if the hand is moved horizontally as it is, it will hit the first suction conveyor (interference). For this reason, when gripping the strip-shaped electrode material with the hand, it is gripped behind the first suction conveyor, and then the hand is lifted up until it goes over the first suction conveyor to pass the hand over the first suction conveyor. I have to let it. Of course, when returning to the original gripping position, the hand must be greatly lowered. Therefore, in this temporary configuration, the distance of the vertical movement of the hand becomes long, and it takes much more operation time. In this regard, in the configuration of this embodiment, the vertical movement of the hand 2 is negligible (or may not be moved up and down), and the time required for the vertical movement can be greatly shortened.

  The gripping mechanism section 20 is a mechanism for moving the whole main arms 21 and 22 up and down and gripping or separating the strip electrode material 100 by the gripping sections 23 to 26. The gripping mechanism unit 20 may be any unit for performing a normal hand operation.

  The grip portions 23 and 25 are attached to the main arm 21, and the grip portions 24 and 26 are attached to the main arm 22, respectively. The grip portion 23 is provided to face 24 and the grip portion 25 is provided to face 26. As a result, the gripping portions 23 and 24 grip (hold) one side end of the strip-shaped electrode material 100. Similarly, the gripping portions 25 and 26 grip (hold) the other end of the belt-like electrode material 100 between them. The gripping position is on the rear side with respect to the transport direction, and is a position where the belt-shaped electrode material 100 does not interfere with the front end mold 3 when the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is brought to the cutting position. The gripping position may be a position where the side electrode can be gripped and the strip electrode material 100 can be bent.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the contact surfaces of the gripping portions 23 to 26 with the belt-shaped electrode material 100 are configured to curve the belt-shaped electrode material 100 in a direction intersecting the transport direction when the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is gripped. It is cut diagonally. By curving the strip electrode material 100, the rigidity in the transport direction is increased with respect to the strip electrode material 100, and the front end portion that is not gripped does not hang down.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a curved shape of the strip electrode material. In the figure, the direction indicated by the arrow A is the transport direction (the same applies to FIGS. 5 to 7 and 12).

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the grip portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 sandwich the strip electrode material 100, the center portion of the strip electrode material is bent so as to be lowered (convex downward).

  In this manner, by setting the central portion of the strip electrode material in a lowered state, the strip electrode material 100 has high rigidity in the transport direction, and the front end portion that is not gripped does not hang down. As a result, not only the front end (tip in the transport direction) of the belt-like electrode material but also the intermediate portion where the gripping portion is not in contact does not hang down.

  In such a state where the central portion is lowered, a curved shape can be created simply by gripping and lifting both side portions of the strip electrode material 100. In this case, when the both sides of the strip electrode material 100 are gripped by the hand 2, the hand 2 is slightly held so that the central portion of the strip electrode material 100 does not hit the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5 therebelow. Raise. The rising amount of the hand 2 is preferably such that the central portion of the strip electrode material 100 does not hit the first suction conveyor 5 and is as close to the first suction conveyor 5 as possible. This is because if the amount of rise of the hand 2 is large, the time required for the hand 2 to move up and down becomes longer and the tact time becomes longer. Further, since it is necessary to insert the front end of the strip-shaped electrode material 100 between the upper mold and the lower mold of the front end mold 3, if the amount of the hand 2 is increased, the upper mold and the lower mold of the front end mold 3 are largely opened. Will have to. For this reason, the operation amount of the mold increases, and the tact time becomes long, which is not preferable. For example, when the central portion is lowered, the amount of bending described later (the height from the lowered central portion to both ends orthogonal to the transport direction (h1 in FIG. 3)) and the lowered central portion If the gap (h2 in FIG. 3) between the transfer surface 5a and the transport surface (support surface) 5a is substantially the same, the movement amount of the hand 2 can be reduced. Specifically, for example, when the bending amount (h1 in FIG. 3) of the belt-like electrode material 100 is about 0.5 to 2 mm, the rising amount of the hand 2 (h2 in FIG. 3) is 0.5 to By setting it to about 2 mm, the amount of movement of the hand 2 up and down is very small, and the strip electrode material 100 is not rubbed against the transport surface 5 a of the first suction conveyor 5.

  Of course, regardless of this example, the gap h <b> 2 between the lowered central portion and the conveyance surface 5 a may be set to a height at which the strip electrode material 100 does not rub against the conveyance surface 5 a of the first suction conveyor 5.

  The amount of bending of the belt-like electrode material 100 is only required to be slightly curved because it is sufficient that the front end does not hang down. Specifically, although depending on the size and thickness of the strip-shaped electrode material 100, the height (h1 in FIG. 3) from the lowering central portion to both ends orthogonal to the transport direction is about 0.5 to 2 mm. Just do enough to get enough rigidity. Of course, it is not limited to this example, and the amount of bending (the amount of lowering of the central portion with respect to both ends) is not particularly limited. Depending on the size and thickness of the strip electrode material 100, the amount of bending is also large when the size and thickness are large. If the thickness is small and the thickness is small, the amount of bending may be reduced, for example, the amount of rigidity may be set so that the front end does not sag when the rear end side is gripped.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining another shape in which the belt-like electrode material is curved.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the grip portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 sandwich the strip electrode material 100, it may be curved so that the central portion of the strip electrode material is raised. In this case, the inclination of the contact surface of the grip portion 23 with the strip electrode material 100 may be reversed from that shown in FIG. When the central portion of the belt-like electrode material 100 is raised as described above, it can be transported without changing the vertical position of the hand 2 during movement for loading. At this time, the positions where the gripping portions 23 to 26 grip the strip electrode material 100 may be on the same plane as the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5. That is, in order to grip the vicinity of both side end portions and bend so that the center portion is convex upward, the belt-like electrode material 100 is curved as a whole only by the convex curvature above the first suction conveyor 5. It will be in a floating state. For this reason, the strip electrode material 100 does not come into contact with the first suction conveyor 5, and the ascending movement of the hand 2 becomes unnecessary.

  Also in this case, the amount of bending (the amount of rise of the central portion with respect to both ends) is not particularly limited, and the rigidity is set so that the front end does not sag when the rear end side is gripped depending on the size and thickness of the strip electrode material 100. It can be the amount that comes out.

  Here, the direction in which bending is applied when the strip electrode material 100 is curved will be described. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the difference between the direction of curving and protruding from the end portion is shown below (FIG. 4) or above (FIG. 5). The direction. This is because the side portion of the strip-shaped electrode material 100 is gripped by the grip portion 23 of the hand 2 and thus has such a shape.

  In order not to hang down the front end, it is only necessary to increase the rigidity in the transport direction. For this reason, as long as the direction which gives a curve is a direction which cross | intersects a conveyance direction, any direction may be sufficient.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining a difference in direction in which the band-shaped electrode material 100 is bent.

  FIG. 6A shows the belt-shaped electrode material 100 curved by gripping and lifting the vicinity of the front end and the rear end. A two-dot chain line in FIG. 6A indicates the direction in which the curve enters. When gripping in this way, the grip part 23 gripping the vicinity of the front end part (not shown in the figure, but also 24 at a position opposite the grip part 23) grasps a position where it does not interfere with the front end mold 3. Like that.

  FIG. 6B is a diagram in which the rear end portion is sandwiched between eight figures by the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 and the rear end is bent more strongly than the front end, thereby increasing the rigidity in the transport direction. .

  Various other shapes are also possible. Although FIG. 6 shows only the case where the projection is downward, the projection may be upward.

  Next, the front end mold 3 is a mold for cutting out the shape of the electrode from the strip electrode material 100 together with the rear end mold 4.

  FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the front end mold 3, FIG. 7 (a) is a front view of only the front end mold 3 seen from the carry-out direction, and FIG. 7 (b) is a view in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the line shown by b.

  The front end mold 3 includes a mold support base 301, a mold frame 302, a lower mold base 303, an upper mold base 304, a lower mold 305, an upper mold 306, a frame cylinder 307, an upper mold cylinder 308, and a frame guide. 309 and an upper mold guide 310.

  The mold support base 301 has a frame cylinder 307 attached thereto. A frame guide 309 is provided on the upper part of the mold support base 301. The mold frame 302 is supported by the frame cylinder 307 and the frame guide 309. The entire mold frame 302 moves up and down along the frame guide 309 by the frame cylinder 307. The frame cylinder 307 serves as an elevating means. Four frame guides 309 are provided.

  A lower mold base 303 is fixed to the inner lower part of the mold frame 302, and the lower mold 305 is fixed to the lower mold base 303. On the other hand, an upper mold base 304 is fixed to the inside upper part of the mold frame 302, and an upper mold 306 is fixed to the upper mold base 304. Inside the mold frame 302 is provided an upper mold guide 310 that is fixed from the lower part to the upper part of the mold frame 302. The upper mold base 304 is movable up and down with respect to the upper mold guide 310, and is moved up and down along the upper mold guide 310 by the upper mold cylinder 308. A prescribed position where the upper mold 306 and the lower mold 305 are engaged is held by such a structure in the mold frame 302. Four upper mold guides 310 are provided.

  Then, when the upper mold base 304 is lowered in the mold frame 302, the upper mold 306 fixed to the upper mold base 304 meshes with the lower mold 305 to cut the strip electrode material 100.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the front end mold, and shows the same cross section as FIG.

  The front mold 3 is in an open state for inserting a cut object, and the lower mold 305 is positioned below the transport surface (support surface) of the first suction conveyor 5 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 8A shows an open state of the front end mold 3. In this opened state, the strip electrode material 100 is inserted to a cutting position (a position where the lower mold 305 and the upper mold 306 are engaged).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8B, the lower mold 305 is raised together with the mold frame 302 to a position where the lower mold 305 comes into contact with the strip electrode material 100 (a position of the support surface). The raising operation of the mold frame 302 is performed by the frame cylinder 307.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8C, the upper die 306 is lowered by the upper die cylinder 308 to cut the strip electrode material 100.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8D, the upper die 306 is raised by the upper die cylinder 308 and returned to the original position.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8E, the mold frame 302 is lowered to the original position.

  In this way, the front end mold 3 may be such that the front end of the strip electrode material 100 hangs down when the lower mold 305 is positioned below the transport surface (support surface) of the first suction conveyor 5 in the open state. Even if it exists, it will not be caught between the 1st adsorption conveyor 5 and the lower mold | type 305. FIG. Further, when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position, the front end hanging down can be lifted by raising the lower mold 305, and the front end can be cut at a regular position. As will be described later, when the hand 2 puts the strip electrode material 100 on the first suction conveyor 5 and opens it, the rigidity in the transport direction of the strip electrode material 100 is lost, so the front end may hang down. . At this time, the lower mold is lifted and the part that has dropped is lifted up.

  Further, by arranging the lower mold below, it is possible to prevent the band-shaped electrode material 100 from rubbing against the lower mold 305 when the band-shaped electrode material 100 is conveyed. This also makes it easier to insert the front end into the cutting position. Furthermore, since the lower mold 305 is disposed below the conveying surface, as shown in FIG. 8E, it returns to the original position after cutting, so that the electrode surface is not rubbed when the cut electrode is carried out. I'm sorry.

  Further, since the lower mold 305 is below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5, the active material surface of the electrode is also changed when the cut electrode is moved from the first suction conveyor 5 to the second suction conveyor 6. It can be prevented from rubbing by the lower mold.

  When the lower mold 305 is raised, the entire mold frame 302 is raised. By doing in this way, the lower mold 305 can be raised while the lower mold 305 and the upper mold 306 are held by the mold frame structure so as to be in a predetermined meshing position.

  In the above description, the upper die 306 is lowered and cut after the lower die 305 is lifted, but the lowering start timing of the upper die 306 is not particularly limited. For example, a stroke (lower mold stroke) in which the lower mold 305 rises to the transport surface (support surface) and a stroke (up to reach the strip electrode material 100 supported by the transport surface (support surface) of the upper mold 306 ( The stroke may be appropriately changed according to the stroke to the upper mold conveyance surface. Specifically, for example, if the stroke of the lower mold is longer than the stroke to the conveyance surface of the upper mold, the upper mold 306 starts to descend later, and the upper mold is reached when the lower mold 305 reaches the conveyance surface (support surface). 306 also comes to the transport surface (support surface). On the other hand, if the stroke of the lower mold is shorter than the stroke to the upper mold conveying surface, the upper mold 306 is started to descend first, and the upper mold 306 is also conveyed when the lower mold 305 reaches the conveying surface (support surface). It should come to the surface (support surface). By adjusting the operation timing of the upper die 306 and the lower die 305 in this way, the tact time required for cutting can be further shortened. In addition to the strokes of the upper mold 306 and the lower mold 305, the operation timings of the upper mold 306 and the lower mold 305 may be matched in consideration of the difference in operation speed.

  In addition, since the scrap part when it cut | disconnects in the shape of an electrode with the front end metal mold | die 3 is not contact | abutting to the 1st suction conveyor 5 and the 2nd suction conveyor 6, it will fall below as it is. For this reason, although not shown, it is preferable to provide a slope or the like for discharging the scrap that has fallen in front of the die support base 301 of the front end die 3 in the transport direction.

  The rear end mold 4 may have the same structure as the front end mold 3 described above. However, the cutting shape of the mold is different. First, the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 are retracted and retracted from between the lower mold 41 and the upper mold 42 of the rear end mold 4, and then the lower mold together with the mold frame of the rear end mold 4. 41 is raised and brought into contact with the strip electrode material 100. Thereafter, the upper die 42 is lowered to cut the rear end. The rear end mold 4 has the same configuration as the front end mold 3 because the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 pass between the lower mold 41 and the upper mold 42 of the rear end mold 4. This is to ensure clearance. As already described, when the belt-like electrode material 100 is conveyed, the ascending / descending operation of the hand 2 is made as fast as possible by conveying it immediately above the conveying surface of the first suction conveyor 5. For this reason, if the lower die 41 is on the same plane as the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5, the gripping portions 23 to 26 cannot pass between the lower die 41 and the upper die 42 of the rear end mold 4. The lower mold 41 is lowered while passing 26.

  Note that the lower mold 42 of the rear end mold 4 may be flush with the conveying surface as long as the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 are sufficiently lifted to pass above the lower mold 41. This is because, when the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is transported, it is lifted from the transport surface by the hand 2 and transported in the air, so that the belt-shaped electrode material 100 is not rubbed against the lower mold 42 in this way.

  The first suction conveyor 5 is disposed between the front end mold 3 and the rear end mold 4 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The first suction conveyor 5 stops the suction operation and the transport operation (belt movement) when the band-shaped electrode material 100 is carried in by the hand 2. And the strip | belt-shaped electrode material 100 is carried in by the hand 2, and when the strip | belt-shaped electrode material 100 arrives at a cutting position (almost simultaneously or slightly behind), adsorption | suction operation | movement will be started. At this time, no transfer operation is performed. In other words, the conveyor belt does not move. Thereby, the strip-shaped electrode material 100 carried in and positioned by the hand 2 is held by the suction force of the first suction conveyor 5 and does not move. Thereafter, the front end and the rear end are cut. The suction operation is continued until this cutting is completed. After the cutting, the first suction conveyor 5 starts the transport operation while performing the suction operation, and unloads the cut electrodes together with the operation of the second suction conveyor 6.

  Moreover, the conveyance surface of the 1st adsorption conveyor 5 turns into a support surface which supports this when the strip | belt-shaped electrode material 100 is cut | disconnected. For this reason, the conveyance surface is a flat surface. By making the conveyance surface of the first suction conveyor 5 flat, the belt-like electrode material 100 supported by suction becomes flat and can be cut cleanly.

  The second suction conveyor 6 is disposed further in the transport direction from the front end mold 3 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The transport surface of the second suction conveyor 6 is disposed so as to be positioned below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5. At the time when the cut-out electrode is pushed out by the first suction conveyor 5, the rigidity in the electrode transport direction has already been lost. For this reason, when it extrudes by the 1st adsorption conveyor 5, there exists a possibility that the front end of an electrode may droop. By positioning the transport surface of the second suction conveyor 6 below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5, even if the front end of the electrode hangs down, it can be reliably placed on the transport surface of the second suction conveyor 6.

  Further, in relation to the lower mold 305, the lower mold 305 is disposed below the movement trajectory when the electrodes are transferred from the first suction conveyor 5 to the second suction conveyor 6. Preferably, the second suction conveyor 6 is arranged on the same horizontal plane as the lower mold 305 or slightly above.

  The first suction conveyor 5 is slightly above the second suction conveyor 6, and a lower mold 305 exists between the first suction conveyor 5 and the second suction conveyor 6. When the electrodes are carried out, they are pushed downward from the first suction conveyor 5 to the second suction conveyor 6 to a slight extent. At this time, if the lower mold 305 is above the trajectory where the electrodes move to the second suction conveyor 6, there is a possibility that the electrode carried out will hit the lower mold 305. For this reason, it is set as the position where the lower mold | type 305 does not enter in the movement locus | trajectory when an electrode is carried out from the 1st suction conveyor 5 to the 2nd suction conveyor 6. FIG.

  The suction operation and the transport operation (belt movement) of the second suction conveyor 6 may be always performed, or the suction operation and the transport operation are started when the front end is cut. Also good.

  Here, the shape of the electrode cut out by the electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described. FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining the shape of an electrode, (a) is a schematic plan view showing a strip-shaped electrode material before cutting, and (b) is a schematic plan view showing the shape of the cut-out electrode. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the strip-shaped electrode material 100 has a metal foil as a base material 150, and an active material 151 is intermittently applied on both surfaces thereof. The applied active material 151 is a positive electrode active material in the case of a positive electrode, and is a negative electrode active material in the case of a negative electrode. Since these active materials 151 are well-known, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  A region 152 where the metal not coated with the active material 151 on the front end side 100a of the strip electrode material 100 is exposed is cut into a predetermined shape and used as it is as an electrode tab 153 of the battery as shown in FIG. 9B. It is done. On the other hand, the rear end 100b is cut linearly. Thereby, the shape of the electrode 101 is obtained.

  For example, aluminum, nickel, iron, stainless steel, titanium, copper, or the like is used as the metal foil to be the base material 150. Moreover, a clad material of nickel and aluminum, a clad material of copper and aluminum, or a plating material of a combination of these metals may be used. Further, instead of the metal foil, a resin in which a conductive filler is added to a conductive polymer material or a non-conductive polymer material may be employed. Among these, from the viewpoint of electronic conductivity and battery operating potential, foils of simple metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, and copper are often used. The metal material used differs depending on whether it is a positive electrode or a negative electrode. And the thickness of this base material 150 is about 1-100 micrometers, for example. After such a base material 150 is formed as a battery, it becomes a current collector.

  On the other hand, when the cut-out electrode is used as a secondary battery for an electric vehicle, the size of the electrode is about B5 to A4 in terms of paper size. For this reason, although the width | variety of the magnitude | size of the strip | belt-shaped electrode material 100 becomes about B5-A4 size, length is several to several hundreds of meters, and is wound by roll shape.

  In the present embodiment, the cut-out electrode shape is such that the cut-out shape of the front end 100a becomes the electrode tab 153 shape so that the cut portion can be used as an electrode tab as it is, as shown in FIG. I have to. On the other hand, the rear end 100b is cut out in a straight line. The shape of the electrode after such cutting is cut out in accordance with the battery to be used, and is not limited to the shape as shown.

  The electrodes are not limited to those having the same poles formed on both surfaces, and bipolar electrodes (bipolar electrodes) having a positive electrode on one surface and a negative electrode on the other surface can also be manufactured.

  The electrode cut out in this way is used for, for example, a stacked secondary battery. As is well known, a stacked secondary battery has a configuration in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are sequentially stacked.

  The strip electrode material 100 and the electrode 101 cut out therefrom are very thin. On the other hand, a secondary battery requiring high density and high energy such as for an electric vehicle has a large area. For this reason, when trying to transport horizontally, it is difficult to maintain the shape of the strip-shaped electrode material alone, and it is easy for a portion that has lost support from falling off a transport device (for example, a conveyor) to hang down. It is.

  Next, the overall operation of the electrode manufacturing apparatus will be described.

  First, the front end of the strip electrode material 100 gripped by the hand 2 is conveyed to the cutting position of the front end mold 3 and positioned. At this time, as already described, since each part of the hand 2 passes by the side of the first suction conveyor 5, there is almost no time required for the hand 2 to move up and down. The strip electrode material 100 is transported in the air with increased rigidity in the transport direction. Therefore, the front end can be transported to the cutting position without causing the band-shaped electrode material 100 to rub against other members. This state is the state shown in FIGS.

  Immediately after the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position of the front end mold 3 (almost simultaneously or slightly delayed), the suction operation of the first suction conveyor 5 is started (at this time, the first suction conveyor 5 is transported) Do not work). Thereby, the positioning for cutting the front end is completed, and the belt-like electrode material 100 is held at that position. With the start of this suction operation, the hand 2 is released and moves to a reverse operation. Further, almost simultaneously with these operations (when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position of the front end mold 3, it may be before the suction operation starts), the lower mold 305 is brought into contact with the front end of the strip electrode material 100. The metal mold 302 is raised together for contact. At this time, since the grip portion 23 of the hand 2 has reached only before the front end mold 3, the grip portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 do not interfere with the front end mold 3. Therefore, the raising operation of the mold frame 302 can be started when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position of the front end mold 3. Therefore, the mold operation can be performed before the hand 2 moves backward, and the tact time can be shortened accordingly.

  Thereafter, as described above, the front end die 3 is cut so that the front end has a predetermined shape. During the cutting operation of the front end, the hand 2 moves backward and returns to the position before the band-shaped electrode material 100 is gripped. In addition, the front end mold 3 after the cutting operation is returned to the original position.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a position where the hand is retracted, and FIG. 11 is a side view of the same.

  After the hand 2 is retracted, the rear end mold 4 cuts the rear end of the strip electrode material 100. When the cutting by the rear end mold 4 is completed, the first suction conveyor 5 starts the conveying operation, and pushes the electrode having a specified shape toward the second suction conveyor 6. The second suction conveyor 6 receives this and flows it to the subsequent process. Therefore, the cut electrode does not rub against other members.

  According to this embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.

  The band-shaped electrode material 100 is conveyed by the hand 2 and carried to the front end mold 3 for positioning. At the time of positioning, only the suction operation is performed without performing the transport operation of the first suction conveyor 5, and the position is held until the end of cutting. As a result, the strip electrode material 100 is adsorbed and held at a predetermined cutting position, and can be surely cut into a predetermined shape.

  Further, the first suction conveyor 5 continues the suction operation in a state where the transport operation is stopped until the cutting operation by the front end mold 3 and the rear end mold 4 is completed. For this reason, the position of the strip electrode material 100 does not move until the cutting operation by the front end mold 3 and the rear end mold 4 is completed. In particular, in the case of a thin foil-like workpiece, if it is placed at the specified position, it may move due to vibrations caused by the mold operation. Misalignment can also be prevented.

  Further, since the first suction conveyor 5 starts the suction operation immediately after the band-like electrode material 100 is carried and positioned by the hand 2, the belt-like electrode material 100 is held almost simultaneously when the hand 2 is opened. . For this reason, no position shift occurs due to the opening operation of the hand 2.

  Further, the transport surface of the second suction conveyor 6 is positioned below the transport surface of the first suction conveyor 5. Thereby, when carrying out the electrode after a cutting | disconnection, an electrode can be reliably delivered from the 1st adsorption | suction conveyor 5 to the 2nd adsorption | suction conveyor 6. FIG.

  Further, the positions of the gripping portions 23 to 26 of the hand 2 are arranged on the outer sides of the first suction conveyor 5. That is, the first suction conveyor 5 exists outside the movement locus of the hand 2. Thereby, the belt-like electrode material 100 can be slightly floated and conveyed in the air with respect to the conveyance surface of the first suction conveyor 5 without causing the respective parts of the hand 2 and the first suction conveyor 5 to interfere with each other.

  Further, since the rear end mold 4 is provided, the electrode material can be cut into different shapes at the front end and the rear end.

  The battery electrode manufactured as described above is particularly suitable as a positive electrode or a negative electrode used in a secondary battery mounted on a vehicle as a power source for driving a motor. Here, the vehicle includes, for example, an automobile whose wheels are driven by a motor, and another vehicle (for example, a train). Examples of the automobile include a complete electric car that does not use gasoline, and a hybrid car such as a series hybrid car and a parallel hybrid car. In particular, since the secondary battery for driving a motor used in these vehicles is required to have high output characteristics and high energy, the area of the electrode itself is also increasing. For example, as already described, the size is about B5 to A4. For this reason, since the thickness is very small with respect to the area, it has become difficult to handle compared to battery electrodes such as a business card size or smaller, such as a mobile phone or a personal computer. For this reason, as already described, this embodiment is particularly suitable for manufacturing a large-sized battery electrode.

  Although the embodiment to which the present invention is applied has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  For example, a suction pad may be used as the transport positioning unit. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example using a suction pad.

  As shown in the figure, when the suction pad 200 is used, the upper surface of the strip electrode material 100 is sucked by the suction pad 200. Therefore, the first suction conveyor 5 and the suction pad 200 do not interfere with each other.

  Further, when the suction pad 200 is used, the suction surface has a shape with a curvature in a direction intersecting the transport direction. As a result, the belt-like electrode material 100 can be curved to increase the rigidity in the transport direction and be transported in the air.

  Therefore, even when the suction pad 200 is used, the first suction conveyor 5 exists outside the operation locus of the suction pad 200 as in the embodiment described above. For this reason, there is almost no time required for the suction pad 200 to move up and down, and the tact time can be improved. Further, the strip electrode material 100 can be transported without being rubbed with other members. Further, if the rear end portion in the transport direction is sucked, it does not interfere with the front end mold 3, so that the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the front end mold 3 and is positioned at the same time. Before the pad 200 is retracted, the operation of the front end mold 3 can be started.

  In the present embodiment, the hand 2 (or suction pad 200) is transported and positioned up to the front end mold 3, but instead, the strip electrode material 100 is moved to the mold position by the first suction conveyor 5. May be conveyed to a certain extent, and then only positioning may be performed by the hand 2 (or the suction pad 200). In this way, the hand 2 (or the suction pad 200) can be operated and positioned only within the region that does not interfere with both the front end mold 3 and the rear end mold 4. That is, in the case of a hand, the belt-like electrode material 100 is held and positioned in an area between the front end mold 3 and the rear end mold 4 without passing through while the rear end mold 4 is open. That's fine. In the case of the suction pad 200, the strip electrode material 100 may be sucked and positioned from above without interfering with both the front end mold 3 and the rear end mold 4.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the example in which the belt-shaped electrode material is transported to the mold is shown, but the present invention can also be used for transport to other processes other than the mold and positioning.

  For example, a thin foil-like workpiece such as an electrode (a positive electrode or a negative electrode) or a separator can be conveyed to another process, and then positioned and held for another process. For example, as another process, there is a stacking process for manufacturing a stacked battery.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic view for explaining the lamination process.

  In the stacking process of the stacked battery, positive electrodes, separators, and negative electrodes are alternately stacked in order. For this reason, in a lamination process, it has the adsorption conveyor 50 for conveying a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode to the pallet 60 periphery separately, respectively. Although only one is shown in the figure, there are suction conveyors 50 for the positive electrode, separator, and negative electrode in the actual process.

  At the time of stacking, the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode (workpiece 110 shown in the figure) are conveyed one by one to the pallet peripheral position, picked up by the suction pad 531 (or hand) of the robot 53 and moved onto the pallet 60 for placement. To do.

  At this time, the suction conveyor 50 is used for conveyance to the pallet peripheral position. If the positive electrode, separator, and negative electrode arrive at the peripheral position (as shown in the figure), the suction conveyor 50 stops the transport operation and cancels the suction operation. Then, the suction pad 521 (or hand) of the positioning robot 52 (conveying positioning means) lifts the workpiece 110 once and performs positioning on the suction conveyor 50. When the correct position is reached, the suction pad 521 (or hand) is opened, and immediately thereafter, the suction conveyor 50 restarts the suction operation. At this time, the carrying operation is not performed. Thereafter, when the work 110 is placed on the pallet 60 from the pallet peripheral position, the suction operation is canceled so that the robot 53 can pick up the work 110.

  By doing in this way, the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode are already positioned on the suction conveyor 50 when placing on the pallet from the pallet peripheral position. For this reason, the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode can be stacked at the correct positions by simply moving and placing them on the pallet 60 or other already stacked electrodes and separators without positioning. Therefore, the positioning of the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator can be performed in the time waiting for the other positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator to be placed during the mounting operation. For this reason, the tact time of a lamination process can be shortened.

  Therefore, the work suitable for the present invention is not limited to the strip-shaped electrode material or the cut electrode, and is also suitable for transport positioning of the separator which is one of the battery elements. The thickness of the separator is about 1 to 100 μm as well as the electrode and is very thin.

  Further, the other process includes cutting the separator. Further, it may be a fine shaping process such as an electrode or a separator. Of course, other processing steps may be used.

  Moreover, it can replace with the 2nd suction conveyor 6, or can also use the hand (or suction pad) of this embodiment when conveying the electrode after a cutting | disconnection from the 2nd suction conveyor 6 to the further previous process. . Thereby, it is possible to reliably carry to the previous process without the tip or intermediate portion of the electrode hanging down.

  Moreover, although the front end and the rear end of the electrode are different in shape, they may be the same shape. When cutting into the same shape, only the front end mold 3 is required, and the rear end mold 4 is not necessary. When cutting into the electrode shape with only the front end mold 3, the strip-shaped electrode material 100 is loaded and cut until it protrudes further in the unloading direction by one electrode from the cutting position of the front end mold 3. In other words, the rear end side of the electrode shape is cut by a mold disposed at the position of the front end mold 3. In such a case as well, the positional deviation at the time of cutting the strip electrode material 100 can be prevented as in the embodiment already described.

  Also in this case, the rear side that does not interfere with the mold disposed at the position of the front end mold 3 is gripped by the hand 2 (or the suction pad 200) so as to have rigidity in the transport direction. Thereby, the strip electrode material 100 can be carried into the cutting position without rubbing with other members, and the operation of the mold can be started from the point of time when the belt electrode material 100 comes to the cutting position.

  The front end mold 3 is provided with a lower mold 305 and an upper mold 306 in a mold frame so that only the upper mold 306 moves as a mold, but the upper mold and the lower mold at the time of cutting are moved. As long as meshing can be surely performed at a specified position, these may be provided independently. That is, only the lower mold 305 may be lifted independently when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position, and then the upper mold 306 may be lowered for cutting. The same applies to the rear end mold 4.

  Further, the cutting means and the rear end cutting means are not limited to the mold, and may be a laser, for example. In the case of laser cutting, a contact member is arranged at a position corresponding to the lower mold of the front end mold 3 so that the contact member moves up and down, and is cut by irradiating laser light from above. By using this contact member, even if the front end portion of the belt-like electrode material 100 hangs down, it can be pushed up and positioned at a specified position. Since laser cutting is performed in this state, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dimensional errors during cutting.

  The front end mold 3 is provided with a lower mold 305 and an upper mold 306 in a mold frame so that only the upper mold 306 moves as a mold, but the upper mold and the lower mold at the time of cutting are moved. As long as meshing can be surely performed at a specified position, these may be provided independently. That is, only the lower mold 305 may be lifted independently when the front end of the strip electrode material 100 reaches the cutting position, and then the upper mold 306 may be lowered for cutting. The same applies to the rear end mold 4.

  Further, the hand 2 moves forward and backward only in the transport direction. Instead, in the backward movement, after the strip electrode material 100 is released, the hand 2 is temporarily retracted to the side and then returned to the original direction. For example, the operation direction can be appropriately set such as returning to the position.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art.

1 electrode manufacturing equipment,
2 hands,
3 Front end mold,
4 Rear end mold,
5 first suction conveyor,
5a Transport surface (support surface),
6 second suction conveyor,
20 gripping mechanism,
21, 22 Main arm,
23-26 gripping part,
50 Adsorption conveyor 52 Robot 100 Strip electrode material,
101 electrodes,
150 substrate,
151 active material,
152 regions,
160 electrode tabs,
301 mold support,
302 mold frame,
303 Lower mold base,
304 Upper mold base,
305 Lower mold,
306 Upper mold,
307 cylinder for frame,
308 Upper mold cylinder,
309 guide for frame,
310 Upper mold guide.

Claims (6)

A transport positioning means for transporting and positioning the position of the foil-like workpiece to a position required in another process;
By adsorbing the workpiece positioned by the conveying and positioning means, have a, a suction conveyor which holds in its position work of the other steps,
The transport positioning means transports the work in the air on the suction conveyor,
The foil-like workpiece positioning device is characterized in that the suction conveyor stops the transport operation and the suction operation during the transport and positioning by the transport positioning means, and performs the suction operation after the positioning. 2. The foil-like workpiece positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the suction conveyor does not move while the workpiece is sucked and held during the work in the other step . The other step is cutting the workpiece,
The suction conveyor continues the suction operation until the cutting is completed, the foil-shaped workpiece positioning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that initiating the cutting after the transport operation. Transporting the air on the suction conveyor in the air, transporting and positioning the position of the foil-shaped workpiece to the position required in other processes,
By adsorbing the positioning has been the work by the suction conveyor, have a, a step of holding the work in its position of the other steps,
The foil workpiece positioning method , wherein the suction conveyor stops the conveying operation and the suction operation in the positioning step. 5. The foil-like workpiece positioning method according to claim 4 , wherein, in the holding step, the suction conveyor does not move while the workpiece is sucked and held during the work of the other step . The other step is cutting the workpiece, and the suction conveyor continues the suction operation at the holding stage until the cutting is completed , and after the cutting, the conveyance operation by the suction conveyor is started. The foil-like workpiece positioning method according to claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that:

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