Sealed portion folding apparatus and method for pouch-shaped battery cells

An apparatus for folding a sealed portion of a pouch-shaped battery cell configured such that an electrode assembly is received in a cell case, electrode leads protrude from one side or opposite sides of the cell case, and the sealed portion is provided at three sides or four sides of an edge of the cell case, the apparatus comprising:

• a lower unit configured to allow the sealed portion to be seated thereon, the lower unit comprising a lower folding block configured to perform horizontal reciprocation and upward and downward movement;
• an upper unit located above the lower unit, the upper unit comprising an upper folding block configured to perform horizontal reciprocation and upward and downward movement and to bend the sealed portion to a first predetermined angle;
• a lower folding guide unit located in front of the lower unit, the lower folding guide unit being configured to perform upward and downward movement and to bend the sealed portion to a second predetermined angle;
• and
• an upper folding guide unit located in front of the upper unit, the upper folding guide unit being configured to perform upward and downward movement and to bend the sealed portion to a third predetermined angle,
• wherein the upper folding block includes a first upper folding block, a second upper folding block, and a third upper folding block sequentially disposed side by side in a longitudinal direction of the sealed portion, and
• wherein the second upper folding block is disposed so as to protrude farther than the first upper folding block and the third upper folding block in a forward direction and has a longer length relative to lengths of the first upper folding block and the third upper folding block in the forward direction.