KR20230106232A - Device for cleaning mask jig - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to a mask jig cleaning device and a mask jig cleaning method using the same. According to the mask jig cleaning device and mask jig cleaning method using the same of the present application, intermittent quality degradation which occurs during welding to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in an electrode assembly can be reduced, and safety can be ensured by eliminating the risk of fire.

Description

Mask jig cleaning device {DEVICE FOR CLEANING MASK JIG}

This application relates to a mask jig cleaning device and a mask jig cleaning method using the same.

Batteries that store electrical energy can be generally classified into primary batteries and secondary batteries. A primary battery is a disposable battery, whereas a secondary battery is a rechargeable battery manufactured using a material capable of repeating oxidation and reduction processes between an electric current and a material. That is, when a reduction reaction is performed on the material by current, the power is charged, and when an oxidation reaction is performed on the material, the power is discharged. Such charge-discharge can be repeatedly performed.

Among various types of secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries are generally manufactured by mounting an electrode assembly in which a cathode, separator, and anode are stacked in a pouch, and lithium ions are released from lithium metal oxide on the anode to the anode. As the process of intercalation and deintercalation is repeated, the lithium secondary battery is charged and discharged.

Among lithium secondary batteries, in particular, pouch-type cells are easily deformable, inexpensive to manufacture, and have a small weight, so demand for pouch-type cells is increasing.

In the case of such a pouch-type cell, laser welding is performed to fix a lead to an electrode tab of an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are stacked during a package process. However, foreign matter generated during welding is accumulated on the mask jig and interferes with the laser emission path, resulting in deterioration in welding quality of the lead.

Therefore, there is a demand for a mask jig cleaning device to solve these problems.

An object of the present application is to reduce intermittent quality degradation occurring during welding in order to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in an electrode assembly, and to secure safety by eliminating the risk of fire, and a mask jig cleaning device using the mask jig cleaning device. is to provide a way

In order to solve the above problems, the mask jig cleaning device of the present application is used in a welding process to connect a lead to an electrode tab provided in an electrode assembly, a substrate having a through hole therein, and a foreign material formed inside the substrate A device for cleaning a mask jig including a layer, which is provided on an upper portion of the mask jig, and includes a laser for removing the foreign material layer by irradiating a laser beam to the foreign material layer to remove the foreign material layer; and a dust collecting pipe provided under the mask jig and provided with a suction member for sucking foreign matter generated when the foreign matter layer is removed.

The mask jig cleaning device may further include a control unit for controlling the irradiation timing of the laser beam.

In addition, the laser beam irradiation timing may be adjusted to clean the pouch-type cells once when 6000 or more pouch-type cells are produced.

In addition, the dust collection pipe may include a first pipe provided under the mask jig and formed in a height direction, and a second pipe connected to the first pipe and formed in a direction perpendicular to the first pipe.

In addition, the surface of the dust collecting pipe may be matte black.

In addition, the second pipe may further include a copper plate fastened therein.

In addition, the mask jig cleaning method of the present application is used in a welding process to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in an electrode assembly, and includes a substrate having a through hole therein, and a mask including a foreign material layer formed inside the substrate. A method for cleaning a jig, comprising: a removing step of removing the foreign material layer by irradiating a laser beam onto the foreign material layer with a laser for removing the foreign material layer provided on an upper part of the mask jig; and a suction step of sucking in foreign substances generated when the foreign matter layer is removed using a suction member provided in a dust collecting pipe provided under the mask jig.

In addition, the mask jig cleaning method may further include a control step of controlling the irradiation timing of the laser beam.

According to the mask jig cleaning device and the mask jig cleaning method using the same of the present application, in order to connect a lead to an electrode tab provided in an electrode assembly, intermittent quality degradation occurring during welding is reduced, and safety is ensured by eliminating the risk of fire. can do.

1 is a diagram showing a mask jig cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present application by way of example.
2 is a diagram exemplarily showing a state of a mask jig before operating a mask jig cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present application.
3 is a view exemplarily showing a state of a mask jig after operating a mask jig cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present application.
4 is a view showing a dust collection pipe according to an embodiment of the present application by way of example.
5 is a view exemplarily shown to explain a process of not welding a lead to an electrode tab of a pouch-type cell when the mask jig cleaning device is operated according to an embodiment of the present application during the packaging process of the pouch-type cell.

Hereinafter, the mask jig cleaning device of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the accompanying drawings are exemplary, and the mask jig cleaning device of the present application is not limited to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram showing a mask jig cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present application by way of example. 2 is a diagram exemplarily showing a state of a mask jig before operating a mask jig cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mask jig cleaning device 1000 of the present application is used in a welding process to connect a lead to an electrode tab provided in an electrode assembly, and a substrate 2100 having a through hole therein. ), and a device for cleaning the mask jig 2000 including the foreign material layer 2200 formed inside the substrate, and includes a laser 1100 for removing the foreign material layer and a dust collection pipe 1200. According to the mask jig cleaning device of the present application, by cleaning the inside of the mask jig with the above-described device, intermittent quality degradation occurring during welding to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in the electrode assembly is reduced, and the risk of fire is eliminated. In this way, safety can be ensured.

The mask jig is a fixing device for fixing the electrode tab and the lead in the process of laser welding the lead to the electrode tab provided in the electrode assembly during the packaging process of the pouch-type cell. As described above, It includes a substrate having a through hole therein. Since the mask jig includes the substrate described above, it is possible to irradiate a laser beam for welding into the through hole for a packaging process of a pouch type cell. The electrode assembly may refer to an electrode cell in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are stacked, and the electrode tab may refer to a member connecting an electrode slurry coated on each of the positive electrode or the negative electrode with a lead.

The laser for removing the foreign material layer is a device for removing the foreign material layer stacked on the inside of the substrate, is provided on the upper part of the mask jig, and is performed by irradiating a laser beam to the foreign material layer. Specifically, the laser for removing the foreign material layer may be provided at an upper portion with a spaced distance from the mask jig. By removing the foreign material layer through the laser for removing the foreign material layer, it is possible to reduce the intermittent quality degradation phenomenon that occurs during welding to connect the lead to the electrode tab provided in the electrode assembly and to secure safety by eliminating the risk of fire. there is. In the present specification, the term "foreign material" refers to a material having a different shape, property, and/or characteristics of a target material, and the term "foreign material layer" in the present specification refers to an electrode tab and a lead during laser welding during the packaging process of a pouch-type cell. It means a layer formed by accumulation of foreign matter generated by the mask jig. Also, in this specification, removing the foreign material layer is used in the same sense as cleaning the mask jig.

The laser for removing the foreign material layer is different from the laser used for welding during the packaging process of the pouch-type cell, and specifically, the laser beam output may be different from the laser for welding. In one example, the laser for removing the foreign material layer may have a laser beam output of 4.2 kW or more for removing the foreign material layer stacked on the inside of the substrate. Specifically, the laser beam output of the laser for removing the foreign material layer may be 4.5 kW or more. In addition, the upper limit of the laser beam output of the laser for removing the foreign material layer may be 5 kW or less. When the laser for removing the foreign material layer has the above-described laser beam output, the foreign material layer can be removed, thereby preventing intermittent quality degradation occurring during welding to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in the electrode assembly. It can reduce and eliminate the risk of fire to ensure safety. In addition, the laser beam output of the laser for removing the foreign material layer used for welding during the packaging process of the pouch-type cell may be 1 kW to 5 kW, specifically 2 kW to 4 kW.

3 is a view exemplarily showing a state of a mask jig after operating a mask jig cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the foreign material layer may be removed when a laser beam is irradiated by a laser for removing the foreign material layer. By removing the foreign material layer by the laser for removing the foreign material layer, it is possible to reduce the intermittent quality degradation phenomenon that occurs during welding to connect the lead to the electrode tab provided in the electrode assembly and to secure safety by eliminating the risk of fire. there is.

The mask jig cleaning device may further include a controller (not shown). The controller is a part that controls the laser for removing the foreign material layer, and can specifically control the irradiation timing of the laser beam of the laser for removing the foreign material layer.

In one example, the laser beam irradiation timing may be adjusted to clean the pouch-type cells once when 6000 or more pouch-type cells are produced. Specifically, the laser beam irradiation timing can be adjusted to clean once when 7000 or more or 8000 or more pouch-type cells are produced, and the upper limit of the number of pouch-type cells can be adjusted. No, but it may be, for example, 10000 or less or 9000 or less. The laser for removing the foreign material layer may increase the cleaning cycle of the mask jig by having the laser beam irradiation timing described above.

4 is a view showing a dust collection pipe according to an embodiment of the present application by way of example. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the dust collection pipe 1200 is a pipe for removing foreign matter generated when the foreign matter layer is removed, and is provided at the lower part of the mask jig and sucks the foreign matter generated when the foreign matter layer is removed. A suction member (not shown) is provided. By removing the foreign matter through the suction member provided in the dust collection pipe, it is possible to reduce the intermittent quality degradation phenomenon that occurs during welding to connect the lead to the electrode tab provided in the electrode assembly, and to secure safety by removing the risk of fire. can

In one example, the dust collection pipe may include a first pipe 1210 and a second pipe 1220. The first pipe is a pipe provided under the mask jig and may be formed in a height direction. The second pipe is a pipe having one end connected to the first pipe, and may be formed in a direction perpendicular to the first pipe. At this time, the suction member may be attached to the second pipe. In addition, a corrugated hose dust collection pipe made of a resin-based material may be further connected to the other end of the second pipe. In the conventional mask jig cleaning device, the dust collection pipe is composed of only the first pipe, and the corrugated hose dust collection pipe made of a resin-based material is connected to the lower part of the first pipe, and the laser for welding is applied to the corrugated hose dust collection pipe when the laser beam is emitted. There was a problem that the laser beam was directly emitted. However, in the mask jig cleaning device of the present invention, since the dust collecting pipe includes the first pipe and the second pipe having the above structure, the laser for welding is directly connected to the corrugated hose dust collecting pipe that can be connected to the other end of the second pipe. of the laser beam can be avoided.

While defining an angle in this specification, when terms such as vertical, parallel, orthogonal or horizontal are used, this means a substantial vertical, parallel, orthogonal or horizontal within a range that does not impair the desired effect, for example , including errors taking into account manufacturing errors or variations. For example, each of the above cases may include an error within about ±15°, an error within about ±10°, or an error within about ±5°.

In one example, the surface of the dust collecting pipe may be matte black. Specifically, the surface of the dust collection pipe may be treated with a black matt heat-resistant coating method. By treating the surface of the dust collection pipe with black matte, it is possible to lower the diffuse reflectance of the laser beam and reduce laser scanner damage due to the diffuse reflection of the laser beam.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the second pipe may further include a copper plate 1221 fastened therein. Specifically, the copper plate may be fastened to an inner lower portion of the second pipe. By fastening the copper plate inside the second pipe, it is possible to have high heat resistance.

5 is a view exemplarily shown to explain a process of not welding a lead to an electrode tab of a pouch-type cell when the mask jig cleaning device is operated according to an embodiment of the present application during the packaging process of the pouch-type cell. As shown in FIG. 5, when the laser beam for removing the foreign material layer of the mask jig (hereinafter referred to as the first laser) is not irradiated, the lead 4000 is attached to the electrode tab 3000 of the pouch-type cell. The lead may not be seated on the electrode tab of the pouch-type cell when a laser beam of the first laser for removing the foreign material layer of the mask jig is irradiated. Specifically, after the lead is seated on the electrode tab of the pouch-type cell, it is fixed by a mask jig (not shown), and welding is performed by irradiating a laser beam of a welding laser (5000, hereinafter referred to as a second laser), , If a foreign material layer (not shown) is formed on the mask jig during welding, a cleaning operation for removing the foreign material layer may be performed by a laser beam of the first laser without performing welding. Thereafter, when the foreign material layer is removed, a welding process for fixing the lead to the electrode tab of the pouch type cell may be repeatedly performed. The pouch-type cell can secure safety by removing the risk of fire that may occur during the packaging process by performing the above-described packaging process.

This application also relates to a mask jig cleaning method. An exemplary mask jig cleaning method relates to a cleaning method using the aforementioned mask jig cleaning device. Therefore, since the details of the mask jig cleaning method to be described later can be equally applied to the contents described in the mask jig cleaning device, they will be omitted.

The mask jig cleaning method of the present application is used in a welding process to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in an electrode assembly, and a mask jig including a substrate having a through hole therein and a foreign material layer formed inside the substrate It relates to a cleaning method, including a removal step and a suction step. Since the detailed description of the mask jig is the same as described above, it will be omitted.

The removing step is a step of removing the foreign material layer formed inside the substrate, and is performed by irradiating a laser beam to the foreign material layer with a laser for removing the foreign material layer provided on the top of the mask jig. By removing the foreign material layer through the removing step, it is possible to reduce intermittent quality deterioration occurring during welding to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in the electrode assembly, and to secure safety by removing the risk of fire. Since the detailed description of the laser for removing the foreign material layer is the same as described above, it will be omitted.

In one example, the mask jig cleaning method may further include a control step. The control step is a part of controlling the irradiation timing of the laser beam. Since the detailed description of the laser beam irradiation timing is the same as described above, it will be omitted.

The suctioning step is a step of sucking in the foreign matter generated when the foreign matter layer is removed, and is performed using a suction member provided in a dust collecting pipe fastened to the lower part of the mask jig. By removing the foreign matter through the suctioning step, it is possible to reduce intermittent quality degradation occurring during welding to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in the electrode assembly, and to secure safety by removing the risk of fire. Since detailed descriptions of the dust collecting pipe and the suction member are the same as those described above, they will be omitted.

1000: mask jig cleaning device
1100: laser for removing foreign matter layer
1200: dust collection pipe
1210: first pipe
1220: second pipe
1221: copper plate
2000: Mask Jig
2100: substrate
2200: foreign body layer
3000: electrode tab of pouch type cell
4000: lead
5000: laser for welding

Claims (8)

It is used in the process of welding to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in an electrode assembly, and includes a substrate having a through hole therein, and a mask jig including a foreign material layer formed inside the substrate. It relates to a device for cleaning,
a laser for removing the foreign material layer provided on the upper part of the mask jig and irradiating a laser beam to the foreign material layer to remove the foreign material layer; and
A mask jig cleaning device including a dust collecting pipe provided at a lower portion of the mask jig and provided with a suction member for sucking foreign matter generated when the foreign matter layer is removed. The mask jig cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling the irradiation timing of the laser beam. The mask jig cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the laser beam irradiation timing is adjusted to clean once when 6000 or more pouch-type cells are produced. The method of claim 1, wherein the dust collecting pipe is provided in the lower part of the mask jig and formed in a height direction a first pipe and
Mask jig cleaning device including a second pipe connected to the first pipe and formed in a direction perpendicular to the first pipe. The mask jig cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the dust collection pipe is matte black. The mask jig cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein the second pipe further comprises a copper plate fastened therein. A method for cleaning a mask jig used in the process of welding to connect leads to electrode tabs provided in an electrode assembly, including a substrate having a through hole therein, and a foreign material layer formed inside the substrate,
a removal step of removing the foreign material layer by irradiating a laser beam onto the foreign material layer with a laser for removing the foreign material layer provided on the upper part of the mask jig; and
A mask jig cleaning method comprising a suction step of sucking in foreign matter generated when the foreign matter layer is removed using a suction member provided in a dust collection pipe provided at a lower part of the mask jig. The method of claim 7 , further comprising a control step of controlling the irradiation timing of the laser beam.

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