TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a die coater
inspection device and method, and more specifically, to a die
coater inspection device and method in which a position of a
lip of a die coater may be precisely measured to determine
whether assembly defects of a die and a shim occur, and an
inspection may be immediately performed when the die coater
is in the state of being mounted on a production line without
providing a separate inspection line.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] In general, types of a secondary battery include a
nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a lithium
ion battery, a lithium ion polymer battery, and the like.
Such a secondary battery is applied and used in small
products such as digital cameras, P-DVDs, MP3P, mobile phones,
PDAs, portable game devices, power tools, and e-bikes, as
well as large products that require high power such as
electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, and power storage
devices for storing surplus generated power or renewable
energy, and power storage devices for backup power.
[0004] In order to manufacture the above secondary battery,
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electrode active material slurry is first applied on a
positive electrode collector and a negative electrode
collector to manufacture a positive electrode and a negative
electrode, and they are stacked on both sides of a separator
to form an electrode assembly having a predetermined shape.
Then, the electrode assembly is accommodated in a battery
case, followed by injecting an electrolyte thereto, and
sealing.
[0005] An electrode such as a positive electrode and a
negative electrode may be manufactured by applying a slurry
prepared by mixing an electrode active material, a binder,
and a plasticizer with an electrode collector on an electrode
collector such as a positive electrode collector and a
negative electrode collector, and then drying and pressing
the same. In order to apply such a slurry on an electrode
collector, a die coater is used.
[0006] A die coater generally includes a first die, a shim,
and a second die, may be formed by assembling the first die
and the second die with the shim interposed between the first
die and the second die. At this time, a third die may be
further provided between the first die and the second die, in
which case a first shim may be interposed between the first
die and the third die and a second shim may be interposed
between the second die and the third die. That is, a die
coater may include dies and shims in various numbers.
[0007] The die coater has a very narrow gap between
discharge ports through which the slurry and the like are
discharged. However, when such a gap differs from a designed
gap due to an assembly tolerance or the like, the amount of a
slurry applied on an electrode collector and the like will
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greatly differ from a designed value. In that case, the
quality of a manufactured electrode may be different from
designed quality.
[0008] Alternatively, if a die coater is used for a long
time once it is assembled, a die and a shim may be dissembled
and then reassembled for internal cleaning or the like.
However, in such a process, the positions of a first lip of
the first die, a guide of the shim, a second lip of the
second die may be deviated from their original positions.
Then, even when the same die coater is used to manufacture an
electrode, the quality of the electrode before and after the
reassembly may be different.
[0009] Therefore, in order to reduce an assembly tolerance
and the like, a user allows a lip of a die coater to be in
direct contact with a micrometer so as to measure the height
of a first lip, a shim, and a second lip and gaps
therebetween. However, since the gap of a discharge port
between such lips is very narrow, it is not easy for the user
to make a direct contact therewith to perform measurement,
and there is also a problem of increasing in errors due to
different measurement results by each user.
[0010] [Prior Art Document]
[0011] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Publication No.
2013-0128912
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
[0012] An object to be achieved by the present invention is
to provide a die coater inspection device and method in which
a position of a lip of a die coater may be precisely measured
to determine whether an assembly of a die and a shim is
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defective, and an inspection may be immediately performed
when the die coater is in the state of being mounted on a
production line without providing a separate inspection line.
[0013] The objects of the present invention are not limited
to the aforementioned object, but other objects not described
herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art
from descriptions below.
TECHNICAL SOLUTION
[0014] A die coater inspection 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 according to the
present invention for achieving the above object includes: a
sensor module moving in a thickness direction of the die
coater and configured to inspect a lip or the shim of the die
coater; a control part configured to control an operation of
the sensor module; and a storage part in which reference data
on the thickness of the lip or the shim is stored, wherein
the sensor module includes: 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, and the control part includes: 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
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a coordinate value of the lip or a coordinate value of the
shim.
[0015] In addition, when detecting an edge of the lip, the
position detection sensor may change a signal transmitted to
the reception part from a first signal to a second signal.
[0016] In addition, when the first signal is changed to the
second signal, the first encoder may recognize the coordinate
value of the sensor module as a coordinate value of the edge.
[0017] In addition, the storage part may store the
coordinate value of the edge recognized by the first encoder.
[0018] In addition, when the reception part receives the
second signal, the determination part may determine the
position of the lip or the shim using the edge as a boundary.
[0019] In addition, the calculation part may load the
reference data on the thickness of the lip or the shim from
the storage part and calculate 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.
[0020] In addition, the calculation part may calculate 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.

CLAIMS
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 sensor module moving in a thickness direction of the
die coater and configured to inspect a lip or the shim of the
die coater;
a control part configured to control an operation of
the sensor module; and
a storage part in which reference data on the thickness
of the lip or the shim is stored,
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, and
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
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the lip or a coordinate value of the shim.
2. The die coater inspection device of claim 1,
wherein, when detecting an edge of the lip, the position
detection sensor changes a signal transmitted to the
reception part from a first signal to a second signal.
3. The die coater inspection device of claim 2,
wherein, when the first signal is changed to the second
signal, the first encoder recognizes the coordinate value of
the sensor module as a coordinate value of the edge.
4. The die coater inspection device of claim 3,
wherein the storage part stores the coordinate value of the
edge recognized by the first encoder.
5. The die coater inspection device of claim 3,
wherein, when the reception part receives the second signal,
the determination part determines the position of the lip or
the shim using the edge as a boundary.
6. The die coater inspection device of claim 3,
wherein the calculation part 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.
7. The die coater inspection device of claim 6,
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wherein the calculation part 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.
8. The die coater inspection device of claim 6,
wherein the storage part stores the derived coordinate value
of the lip or the shim.
9. The die coater inspection device of claim 6,
wherein the sensor module moves to a position corresponding
to the derived coordinate value of the lip or the shim.
10. The die coater inspection device of claim 9,
wherein the distance detection sensor measures the height of
the lip or the shim at the position corresponding to the
coordinate value of the lip or the shim.
11. The die coater inspection device of claim 10,
wherein the storage part stores measurement data on the
height of the lip or the shim.