TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an electrode lead cutting apparatus capable of cutting an electrode lead of a battery cell to the setting length of the electrode lead.

BACKGROUND ART

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.

RELATED ART DOCUMENT

Patent Document

Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2018-037488

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

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.

Technical Solution

An electrode lead cutting apparatus for battery cells according to an embodiment of the present invention may include 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 may further include 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.

