Guide hopper and apparatus for manufacturing secondary battery including the same

{
  "publication_number": "US12062749B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Guide hopper and apparatus for manufacturing secondary battery including the same",
  "abstract": "Provided are a guide hopper and an apparatus for manufacturing secondary battery including the same. The guide hopper includes a guide space adjusted by movement of a corner member defining the guide space. The guide hopper includes a housing, in which an inner space having upper and lower portions is defined, and a variable assembly disposed in the inner space of the housing. The variable assembly includes four corner members of which bent inner sides define a guide space having a rectangular shape. The size of the guide space is adjustable by movement of the corner members in a first direction or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A guide hopper comprising: a housing in which an inner space having an upper portion and a lower portion is defined; and a variable assembly disposed in the inner space of the housing, wherein the variable assembly comprises: a first full-length adjustment frame and a second full-length adjustment frame, each of which has a length in a first direction, the length in the first direction of each of the first and second full-length adjustment frames being configured to be parallel to each other; and four corner members which define a guide space having a rectangular shape, the four corner members being positioned on the first full-length adjustment frame and the second full-length adjustment frame so as to be disposed in the inner space defined by the full-length adjustment frames, wherein the corner members comprise: a pair of first corner members, each of which is positioned at a respective first end of the first and second full-length adjustment frames; and a pair of second corner members, each of which is positioned at a second end of the full-length adjustment frames, wherein the guide space is adjustable by movement of the corner members in the first direction or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.",
    "2. The guide hopper of claim 1, wherein the housing has four side surfaces along which a plurality of side frames are connected to each other to define the inner space.",
    "3. The guide hopper of claim 1, wherein the first full-length adjustment frame and the second full-length adjustment frame each have a shape in which one end in a longitudinal direction is bent downward.",
    "4. The guide hopper of claim 1, wherein the variable assembly further comprises: a ball screw extending through the first and second full-length adjustment frames in the second direction and coupled at one of the first and second ends; and a lever configured to rotate the ball screw along the first and second full-length adjustment frames in the second direction.",
    "5. The guide hopper of claim 4, wherein the lever comprises a dial display which is configured to change by an operation of the lever.",
    "6. The guide hopper of claim 4, wherein: a first full-length adjustment ball screw extending through the first full-length adjustment frame and coupled to the first full-length adjustment frame, and a second full-length adjustment ball screw passing through the second full-length adjustment frame to be coupled at one end of the second full-length adjustment.",
    "7. The guide hopper of claim 6, wherein the lever comprises: a first full-length adjustment lever positioned in a longitudinal direction of the first full-length adjustment ball screw and configured to rotate the first full-length adjustment ball screw; and a second full-length adjustment lever positioned in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the second full-length adjustment ball screw and configured to rotate the second full-length adjustment ball screw.",
    "8. The guide hopper of claim 1, wherein: the variable assembly further comprises a full-width adjustment frame having a length in the second direction and positioned at a predetermined distance from the first and second full-length adjustment frames; and each of the first corner member has a lower portion mounted on a respective one of the first and second full-length adjustment frames, and an upper portion mounted on the full-width adjustment frame.",
    "9. The guide hopper of claim 8, wherein the full-width adjustment frame has a shape in which opposing ends of the full-width adjustment frame are bent downward.",
    "10. The guide hopper of claim 8, wherein the variable assembly further comprises: a full-width adjustment ball screw passing through the full-width adjustment frame in the first direction and coupled to the full-width adjustment frame; and a full-width adjustment lever configured to move the full-width adjustment frame in the first direction by rotating the full-width adjustment ball screw.",
    "11. The guide hopper of claim 10, wherein the full-width adjustment lever comprises a dial display which is configured to change by an operation of the full-width adjustment lever.",
    "12. The guide hopper of claim 8, wherein the variable assembly further comprises: a pair of first linear movement guides positioned along an interior side of a respective one of the first and second full-length adjustment frames and configured to guide movement of a respective one of the first corner members in the first direction; a second linear movement guide positioned perpendicular to the first and second full-length adjustment frames and configured to guide movement of a respective one of the second corner members in the second direction; a pair of third linear movement guides positioned parallel to the first and second full-length adjustment frames and configured to guide movement of the full-width adjustment frame in the first direction; and a fourth linear movement guide positioned along the full-width adjustment frame and configured to guide movement of the first corner members in the second direction.",
    "13. The guide hopper of claim 12, wherein: each of the first corner member comprises: a first bracket mounted on the fourth linear movement guide and each of the first linear movement guides, and a first guide block provided on the first bracket; and each of the second corner member comprises: a second bracket mounted on the second linear movement guide and the full-length adjustment frame, and a second guide block provided on the second bracket.",
    "14. The guide hopper of claim 1, further comprising a roller positioned on an upper portion of one side of the housing so as to have a length in the second direction.",
    "15. The guide hopper of claim 14, wherein the roller is provided to be slidably attachable and detachable in the second direction.",
    "16. An apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery comprising: a magazine configured to receive a radical unit dropped and loaded therein; and the guide hopper of claim 1 is positioned above the magazine and configured to guide the dropping of the radical unit.",
    "17. A guide hopper comprising: a housing in which an inner space having an upper portion and a lower portion is defined; and a variable assembly disposed in the inner space of the housing, wherein the variable assembly comprises: a first full-length adjustment frame and a second full-length adjustment frame, each of which has a length in a first direction, the length in the first direction of each of the first and second full-length adjustment frames being configured to be parallel to each other; and four corner members which define a guide space having a rectangular shape, the four corner members being positioned on the first full-length adjustment frame and the second full-length adjustment frame so as to be disposed in the inner space defined by the full-length adjustment frames, wherein the guide space is adjustable by movement of the corner members in the first direction or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the first full-length adjustment frame and the second full-length adjustment frame each have a shape in which one end in a longitudinal direction is bent downward.",
    "18. An apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery comprising: a magazine configured to receive a radical unit dropped and loaded therein; and the guide hopper of claim 17 is positioned above the magazine and configured to guide the dropping of the radical unit."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a guide hopper and an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery including the same, and more particularly, to a guide hopper, in which the size of a guide space is adjusted by movement of a corner member defining the guide space so that when a full-length or full-width of a radical unit changes, non-operating losses due to replacement of the guide hopper is reduced, and an apparatus for manufacturing a secondary battery including the guide hopper.\n\nA secondary battery has a structure in which an electrode assembly and an electrolyte are embedded in a case such as a can or a pouch. The electrode assembly has a structure in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are repeatedly stacked, and representative examples thereof include a jelly-roll (wound)-type electrode assembly having a structure in which elongated sheet-shaped positive and negative electrodes are wound with a separator interposed therebetween, a stacked type electrode assembly in which multiple positive and negative electrodes are cut into units, each of which has a predetermined size, and stacked in sequence with a separator interposed therebetween, a laminated and stacked-type electrode assembly, and so on.\n\nIn a process for manufacturing the electrode assembly according to a lamination and stacking method, electrodes cut are disposed at predetermined intervals on one or more separators sequentially supplied.",
  "cpc": [
    "H01M 10/0404",
    "B65G 59/061",
    "Y02E 60/10",
    "Y02P 70/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 59/06",
    "H01M 10/04"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "LG Energy Solution Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Dae Hwan Sung"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2022-09-07",
  "publication_date": "2024-08-13",
  "grant_date": "2024-08-13",
  "priority_date": "2021-08-30",
  "application_number": "US-202217939652-A",
  "family_id": "85478535",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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}