US 12,390,947 B2
Electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus including ultrasonic cutter and method using the same
Tae Jong Kim, Daejeon (KR); Sang Ho Bae, Daejeon (KR); Su Taek Jung, Daejeon (KR); and Joo Young Chung, Daejeon (KR)
Assigned to LG Energy Solution, Ltd., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 18/005,015
Filed by LG Energy Solution, Ltd., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Sep. 13, 2021, PCT No. PCT/KR2021/012408
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 10, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/055317, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 17, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0117858 (KR), filed on Sep. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0330885 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B26D 7/08 (2006.01); H01M 10/04 (2006.01)
CPC B26D 7/086 (2013.01) [H01M 10/0404 (2013.01); H01M 10/049 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrode assembly manufacturing apparatus comprising:
positive and negative electrode sheet supply units configured to supply positive and negative electrode sheets, respectively;
positive and negative cutting units each disposed at a rear of the respective positive and negative electrode sheet supply units;
a lamination unit disposed at a rear of the electrode sheet supply units, the lamination unit being configured to laminate a positive electrode from the positive cutting unit and a negative electrode from the negative cutting unit stacked with a separator between the positive and the negative electrodes; and
positive and negative electrode formation units disposed between the respective positive and negative cutting units and the lamination unit, each electrode formation unit being configured to cut the respective positive or negative electrode sheet to manufacture a unit electrode,
wherein each cutting unit comprises a die having a planar support surface configured to support the respective electrode sheet and an ultrasonic cutter spaced apart from the die, the ultrasonic cutter having a planar cutting surface configured to form an electrode tab,
wherein each ultrasonic cutter includes a cutting edge configured to cut the respective electrode sheet to form an outer periphery of the unit electrode while forming the electrode tab,
wherein each ultrasonic cutter further comprises an auxiliary cutting edge configured to form a recess configured to guide a cutting of the electrode sheet into the unit electrode, and
the positive and negative cutting units and the lamination unit are disposed on a same continuous process line.