# US 12,594,573 B2 · Die coater and inspection device thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,573 B2 - Document ID: US12594573B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/917,707 - Filed: 2021-07-07 - Published: 2023-06-08 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-14 - Assignees: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Applicants: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Inventors: Do Hyun Lee; Seong Su Park; Myung Han Lee; Duck Joong Yun; Woo Jin An - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594573B2 ## CPC - B05C 5/0254: {Coating heads with slot-shaped outlet (B05C5/0283 takes precedence)} - B05C 9/06: for applying two different liquids or other fluent materials, or the same liquid or other fluent material twice, to the same side of the work - B05C 11/10: Storage, supply or control of liquid or other fluent material; Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material {(B05C1/0813, B05C5/0225, B05C17/002 and B05C19/06 take precedence)} - B05C 11/1002: {Means for controlling supply, i.e. flow or pressure, of liquid or other fluent material to the applying apparatus, e.g. valves} - H01M 4/04: Processes of manufacture in general - H01M 4/0409: {by a doctor blade method, slip-casting or roller coating} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A device for inspecting a die coater including a first die, a second die, and a shim formed between the first die and the second die, includes a rail formed to be fixed long on one surface of the first die in a longitudinal direction of the die coater, and at least one sensor assembly configured to move along the rail and inspect a lip or the shim of the die coater, wherein the sensor assembly includes a movable part moving along the rail in the longitudinal direction of the die coater, and a sensor module connected to the movable part, and configured to move in a thickness direction of the die coater and inspect the lip or the shim. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A die coater inspection device for inspecting a die coater comprising a first die, a second die, and a shim formed between the first die and the second die, the die coater inspection device comprising: a rail formed to be fixed long on one surface of the first die in a longitudinal direction of the die coater; and at least one sensor assembly configured to move along the rail and inspect a lip or the shim of the die coater, wherein the sensor assembly comprises: a movable part configured to move along the rail in the longitudinal direction of the die coater; and a sensor module connected to the movable part, and configured to move in a thickness direction of the die coater and inspect the lip or the shim. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The die coater inspection device of claim 1, wherein the sensor module comprises: a position detection sensor configured to detect a position of the lip; and a distance detection sensor configured to measure a height of the lip or the shim. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The die coater inspection device of claim 2, wherein the position detection sensor comprises at least one of a fiber optic sensor, a photo sensor, a proximity sensor, or a vision sensor; and the distance detection sensor comprises at least one of a laser displacement sensor or an ultrasonic displacement sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The die coater inspection device of claim 2, wherein the shim comprises: at least one guide configured to divide an internal space between the first die and the second die into a plurality of spaces; and a base configured to connect ends of the guide to each other and extending in a longitudinal direction of the die coater. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The die coater inspection device of claim 4, wherein the position detection sensor is configured to moves along a first path in which the guide is not present; and the distance detection sensor is configured to moves along a second path in which the guide is present. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The die coater inspection device of claim 2, further comprising: a control part configured to control an operation of the sensor assembly; and a storage part in which reference data on the thickness of the lip or the shim is stored. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The die coater inspection device of claim 6, wherein the control part comprises: a first encoder configured to recognize a coordinate value of the sensor module whenever the sensor module moves in the thickness direction of the die coater; a reception part configured to receive a signal transmitted by the position detection sensor; a determination part configured to determine the position of the lip or the shim according to the signal received by the reception part; and a calculation part configured to perform calculation based on the position of the lip or the shim and the coordinate value so as to derive a coordinate value of the lip or a coordinate value of the shim. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The die coater inspection device of claim 7, wherein, when detecting an edge of the lip, the position detection sensor is configured to changes the signal transmitted to the reception part from a first signal to a second signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The die coater inspection device of claim 8, wherein, when the first signal is changed to the second signal, the first encoder is configured to recognizes the coordinate value of the sensor module as a coordinate value of the edge. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The die coater inspection device of claim 9, wherein the storage part is configured to stores the coordinate value of the edge recognized by the first encoder. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The die coater inspection device of claim 9, wherein, when the reception part receives the second signal, the determination part is configured to determines the position of the lip or the shim using the edge as a boundary. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The die coater inspection device of claim 9, wherein the calculation part is configured to loads the reference data on the thickness of the lip or the shim from the storage part and calculates reference data on the coordinate value of the edge and the thickness of the lip or the shim by reflecting the position of the lip or the shim to derive the coordinate value of the lip or the shim. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The die coater inspection device of claim 12, wherein the calculation part is configured to calculates half of the thickness of the lip or the shim to the coordinate value of the edge to derive the coordinate value of the lip or the shim. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The die coater inspection device of claim 7, wherein the control part further comprises a second encoder configured to recognize a coordinate value of the movable part whenever the movable part moves along the rail in the longitudinal direction of the die coater. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The die coater inspection device of claim 1, wherein the sensor module comprises: a 2D line sensor configured to scan the die coater so as to two-dimensionally detect a shape of the lip and the shim in a width direction of the die coater; and an inspection part configured to compare a measured height value from an edge of the lip to an edge of the shim detected through the 2D line sensor with a set height value to inspect whether defects occur. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The die coater inspection device of claim 15, wherein the inspection part is configured to measure the thickness of the shim using the edge of the lip and the edge of the shim detected through the 2D line sensor, and inspect a discharge gap through the thickness of the shim. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The die coater inspection device of claim 15, wherein the 2D line sensor is configured to scan the die coater every set time so as to continuously detect the shape of the edge of the lip and the shape of the edge of the shim; and the inspection part is configured to inspect a degree of wear of the die and the shim by a change in position with respect to the edge of the lip or a change in position with respect to the edge of the shim continuously measured through the 2D line sensor. ### Claim 18 A die coater comprising: a first die and a second die configured to supply slurry to an outside; and a shim formed between the first die and the second die, wherein a rail is formed to be fixed long on one surface of the first die in a longitudinal direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The die coater of claim 18, further comprising: at least one sensor assembly configured to move along the rail and inspect a lip or the shim; and a control part configured to control an operation of the sensor assembly, wherein the sensor assembly comprises: a movable part configured to move along the rail in a longitudinal direction; and a sensor module connected to the movable part, configured to move in a thickness direction, and configured to inspect the lip. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The die coater of claim 19, wherein the sensor module comprises: a position detection sensor configured to detect a position of the lip; and a distance detection sensor configured to measure the height of the lip or the shim.