# US 2024/0189941 A1 · Laser notching apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0189941 A1 - Document ID: US20240189941A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/551,964 - Filed: 2022-03-18 - Published: 2024-06-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-25 - Assignees: Youilet Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Youilet Co., Ltd - Inventors: Youn Gil CHUNG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240189941A1 ## CPC - B23K 26/0604: {by a combination of beams} - B23K 26/0608: {in the same heat affected zone [HAZ] (B23K26/0613, B23K26/0619 take precedence)} - B23K 26/0643: {comprising mirrors} - B23K 26/0648: {comprising lenses} - B23K 26/073: Shaping the laser spot - B23K 26/082: Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head - B23K 26/362: Laser etching - B23K 26/364: for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove - B23K 26/38: by boring or cutting - H01M 50/531: Electrode connections inside a battery casing - B23K 2101/34: Coated articles {; Surface treated articles} - B23K 2101/36: Electric or electronic devices - B23K 2101/38: Conductors - B23K 2103/166: {Multilayered materials} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - 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 ## Abstract A laser notching apparatus is presented, comprising: a laser irradiation unit including a first laser irradiating a first beam, a second laser irradiating a second beam, and an optical member which forms paths of the first beam and the second beam; and a control unit which moves a scanner of the laser irradiation unit along a notching line of an electrode, wherein the optical member forms the path of the first beam and the path of the second beam such that a first spot of the first beam and a second spot of the second beam are arranged apart from each other by a first distance on the notching line, and a size of the first spot is larger than a size of the second spot, and the control unit moves a reflective mirror such that a spot of the second beam follows a spot of the preceding first beam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A laser notching apparatus comprising: a laser irradiation unit comprising a first laser irradiating a first beam, a second laser irradiating a second beam, and an optical member which forms paths of the first beam and the second beam; and a control unit configured to move a reflective mirror of the laser irradiation unit along a notching line of an electrode, wherein the optical member forms the path of the first beam and the path of the second beam such that a first spot of the first beam and a second spot of the second beam are arranged apart from each other by a first distance on the notching line, and a size of the first spot is larger than a size of the second spot, and the control unit moves the reflective mirror of the laser irradiation unit such that a spot of the second beam follows a moving trajectory of a spot of the preceding first beam. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The laser notching apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises a current collector and an active material layer stacked on the current collector, the first beam ablates the active material layer, and the second beam cuts the current collector exposed by the ablation of the first beam. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The laser notching apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical member adjusts one of a focal length of the first beam and a focal length of the second beam such that the size of the first spot is set to be larger than the size of the second spot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The laser notching apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical member comprises a lens unit disposed on the path of the first beam and the path of the second beam and configured to form a spot of the first beam and a spot of the second beam on the notching line, and a beam expander disposed between the second laser and the optical member on the path of the second beam, and the beam expander adjusts a focal length of the second beam that passes through the lens unit such that the size of the first spot is set to be larger than the size of the second spot. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The laser notching apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical member comprises a lens unit disposed on the path of the first beam and the path of the second beam and configured to form a spot of the first beam and a spot of the second beam on the notching line, and a light refraction unit disposed on the path of the first beam, and the light refraction unit refracts the first beam such that an incident angle of the first beam on the lens unit and an incident angle of the second beam on the lens unit differ from each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The laser notching apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first laser and the second laser are configured as a single body, so that when the first laser moves along the notching line, the second laser can move together with the first laser. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The laser notching apparatus of claim 6, wherein the optical member changes a position of the first spot such that a spacing direction between the first spot and the second spot is aligned with the notching line. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The laser notching apparatus of claim 7, wherein the optical member comprises a light refraction unit disposed on the path of the first beam, and when a direction of the notching line changes, the optical member rotates the light refraction unit to change a position of the first spot such that the spacing direction between the first spot and the second spot is aligned with the notching line. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The laser notching apparatus of claim 8, wherein the optical member changes the position of the first spot along a circular orbit centered on the second spot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The laser notching apparatus of claim 2, wherein the laser irradiation unit turns off the first laser when the first spot is located in a certain area of the electrode where the active material layer is not present. ### Claim 11 A laser notching apparatus comprising: a laser irradiation unit comprising a first laser irradiating a first beam, a second laser irradiating a second beam, and an optical member which forms paths of the first beam and the second beam; and a control unit which moves a reflective mirror of the laser irradiation unit along a notching line of an electrode, wherein the optical member adjusts focal lengths of the first beam and the second beam differently along the notching line, so that a size of a first spot of the first beam and a size of a second spot of the second beam differ from each other, and a single scanner is used to control the first beam and the second beam to cut the electrode along the notching line. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The laser notching apparatus of claim 11, wherein the optical member adjusts a divergence angle of the first beam or the second beam so that the first spot of the first beam or the second spot of the second beam, passing through the scanner, are different from each other in size. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The laser notching apparatus of claim 12, wherein the optical member makes incident angles of the first beam or the second beam incident on the single scanner different from each other so that the first spot and the second spot are maintained apart by a constant distance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The laser notching apparatus of claim 13, wherein the size of the first spot is larger than the size of the second spot, the electrode comprises a current collector and an active material layer stacked on the current collector, the first beam ablates the active material layer, and the second beam cuts the current collector exposed by the ablation of the first beam. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The laser notching apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical member comprises a lens unit disposed on the path of the first beam and the path of the second beam and configured to form the spot of the first beam and a spot of the second beam on the notching line, and a beam expander disposed between the second laser and the optical member on the path of the second beam, and the beam expander adjusts a divergence angle of the second beam such that the size of the second spot of the second beam that passes through the lens unit is smaller than the size of the first spot. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The laser notching apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical member comprises a lens unit disposed on the path of the first beam and the path of the second beam and configured to form a spot of the first beam and a spot of the second beam on the notching line, and a light refraction unit disposed on the path of the first beam, and the light refraction unit rotates and refracts the incident angle of the first beam such that the first spot maintains the constant distance from the second spot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The laser notching apparatus of claim 16, wherein the light refraction unit allows the first spot to rotate around the second spot and maintain the constant distance from the second spot. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The laser notching apparatus of claim 17, wherein the scanner comprises the lens unit, and the reflective mirror disposed on the path of the first beam and the path of the second beam and configured to control the first beam and the second beam incident on the lens unit, allowing the first spot and the second spot to move along the notching line. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The laser notching apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode is in a stationary state or in motion when notching with the use of the first beam and the second beam is performed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The laser notching apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electrode is in a stationary state or in motion when notching with the use of the first beam and the second beam is performed.