Method and apparatus for manufacturing expanded mesh sheet and battery using this expanded mesh sheet

An apparatus for manufacturing an expanded mesh sheet from an elongated sheet, comprising:

• means for conveying said elongated sheet in a lengthwise direction thereof along a conveying path;
• slit forming means including an upper mold and a lower mold, each of the upper mold and the lower mold comprising a plurality of plate cutters superposed at intervals roughly equal to a plate thickness thereof, the plate cutters each having:
• opposing side faces extending to an edge extending in a lengthwise direction of the plate cutter whereat blades are formed at both of the side faces;
• the edge extending in a plurality of protrusions projected at prescribed intervals with straight edge portions therebetween;
• and
• recessed portions provided between said protrusions at said straight edge portions formed by alternately beveling opposing ones of the side faces at the edge thereby interrupting the blades;
• said upper mold and lower mold being disposed opposite to each other on opposing sides of the conveyor path and offset by the plate thickness in a superposition direction of the plate cutters, said cutting plates being aligned with the lengthwise direction thereof parallel with the lengthwise direction of the elongated sheet on the conveying path;
• a reciprocating driver for reciprocating said upper mold and said lower mold in opposite directions to effect periodic engagement of said upper mold and said lower mold with said elongated sheet therebetween thereby forming a plurality of slits extending intermittently in the lengthwise direction of the elongated sheet in a zigzag arrangement;
• expanding means for expanding the elongated sheet in a widthwise direction thereof so as to expand a widthwise dimension of the elongated sheet and open said slits thereby producing the expanded mesh sheet having a reticulated configuration;
• and
• rolling means for receiving and flattening said expanded mesh sheet.