Systems for battery manufacture
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsWenhui Zhu, Andrew Robert Drews, Yongcai Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for manufacturing battery cells and methods for utilizing the system are presented. The system includes a feed rotator that contacts an uppermost electrode sheet in a stack of electrode sheets, a fixed stop positioned adjacent to the feed rotator, and a bi-directional drive coupled to the feed rotator and operable to rotate the feed rotator in a first direction to force the uppermost electrode sheet against the fixed stop and immediately thereafter rotate the feed rotator in a second direction opposite to the first direction to feed the uppermost electrode sheet away from the stack.
Claims17
A system for manufacturing battery cells comprising:
- an electrode sheet magazine configured to hold a stack of electrode sheets for use in forming a battery cell, and defining a fixed stop and an electrode exit window;
- a feed rotator configured to contact an uppermost electrode sheet in the stack;
- and
- a bi-directional drive coupled to the feed rotator and operable to rotate the feed rotator in a first direction to force the uppermost electrode sheet against the fixed stop and immediately thereafter rotate the feed rotator in a second direction opposite to the first direction to feed the uppermost electrode sheet through the electrode exit window and away from the stack for delivery to a downstream battery cell assembly operation.
A method for manufacturing battery cells comprising:
- retaining a stack of electrode sheets in an electrode sheet magazine that defines a fixed stop and an electrode exit window;
- counter-rotating a feed rotator in a first direction to force an uppermost electrode sheet in the stack against the fixed stop;
- forward-rotating the feed rotator in a second direction opposite to the first direction to feed the uppermost electrode sheet through the electrode exit window and onto a conveyor;
- and
- transporting the uppermost electrode sheet to a stacking station using the conveyor to a battery cell stacking station for incorporation into a battery cell.
A battery cell assembly system comprising:
- an electrode sheet magazine configured to hold a stack of electrode sheets for forming battery cells, and defining a fixed stop and an electrode exit window;
- a feed rotator positioned in contact with an uppermost electrode sheet in the stack;
- a bi-directional drive coupled to the feed rotator;
- a conveyor positioned to receive the uppermost electrode sheet through the electrode exit window and transport the uppermost electrode sheet toward a battery cell stacking station;
- and
- a control system programmed to operate the bi-directional drive to separate and feed only the uppermost electrode sheet to the conveyor by counter rotation of the feed rotator followed by forward rotation of the feed rotator for battery cell assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.