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.
Claims20
A system for manufacturing battery cells comprising:
- a feed rotator configured to contact 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.
A method for manufacturing battery cells comprising:
- counter-rotating a feed rotator in a first direction to force an uppermost electrode sheet in a stack against a fixed stop;
- forward-rotating the feed rotator in a second direction opposite to the first direction to feed the uppermost electrode sheet onto a conveyor;
- and
- transporting the uppermost electrode sheet to a stacking station using the conveyor.
A battery cell assembly system comprising:
- an electrode sheet magazine configured to hold a stack of electrode sheets;
- 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 from the feed rotator;
- 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.