US 12,330,239 B2
Laser notching apparatus for cutting of electrode sheets
Paul John Bojanowski, Macomb Township, MI (US); Hannah Bever, South Lyon, MI (US); Andrew William Sherman, Commerce Township, MI (US); Michael Orr, Ferndale, MI (US); and Paul Andrew Pierzecki, White Lake, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Feb. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/667,647.
Prior Publication US 2023/0249291 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. B23K 26/38 (2014.01)
CPC B23K 26/38 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for cutting electrode sheets, the apparatus comprising:
a conveyor configured to move an original sheet in a first direction, the original sheet comprising an electrode portion and an ear portion extending from an edge of the electrode portion; and
a laser device configured to move a laser to cut out a tab connected to the electrode portion from the ear portion of the original sheet, the laser device also configured to move the laser in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction from one edge of the electrode portion to another edge of the electrode portion to cut and separate a respective electrode sheet comprising an electrode section and the tab connected to the electrode section from the original sheet,
wherein the laser is configured to cut out the tab from the ear portion and cut and separate the respective electrode sheet comprising the electrode section and the tab connected to the electrode section from the original sheet as the conveyor is moving the original sheet, and
wherein the laser moves along a first vector path to form a first shape in the ear portion as the conveyor moves the original sheet and moves along a second vector path to form a second shape in the ear portion as the conveyor moves the original sheet, the second shape being different from the first shape, the first shape and the second shape cooperate to form the tab that is cut out from the ear portion,
wherein a speed of the conveyor is determined based on a predetermined shape of the tab.