An automatic repair device for photovoltaic module cells

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of automatic repair equipment of photovoltaic module cell piece, belong to photovoltaic module production technical field, including bearing assembly, laser scanning assembly, solder strip fixed assembly and cell piece replacement assembly, by setting repair bench unit to carry the cell piece to be repaired, setting laser scanning unit completes the de-soldering of cell piece to be repaired and solder strip, setting solder strip fixed unit completes the fixation of solder strip after de-soldering, and setting cell piece pick-and-place unit completes the transport of undesirable cell piece after de-soldering and the replacement of new cell piece, to accurately realize the accurate repair of undesirable cell piece in battery string. Automatic repair equipment of photovoltaic module cell piece in the utility model, its structure is compact, control is simple, can satisfy on-line repair in battery string preparation process, realize the closed loop of photovoltaic module production and repair, effectively avoid manual intervention in battery string repair process, guarantee battery string repair efficiency, while, improve the repair quality of battery string.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of photovoltaic module production technology, specifically relating to an automatic repair device for photovoltaic module cells. Background Technology

[0002] In the current production process of photovoltaic modules, manufacturers typically cannot achieve a 100% first-pass yield, and some defective cells will still appear. However, since a module is a whole, the entire module cannot be scrapped due to the defect of a single cell. Therefore, defective cells in the module need to be repaired, which usually includes processes such as disassembly, cleaning, replacement, and welding.

[0003] Currently, online photovoltaic (PV) module repair typically involves sending defective cells to an offline repair platform. The faulty cells are then manually removed using soldering irons, the defective cells are cleaned, replaced with new ones, and soldered again to complete the repair process. This existing process involves too much human intervention, and the cell removal process, usually involving hard-contact heating, can easily damage other healthy cells in the module. Soldering iron removal can also lead to uneven solder distribution, affecting secondary soldering. Furthermore, manual thermal disassembly is inefficient, and the entire module production and repair process is an open loop, making it difficult to control worker skill levels and potentially introducing more defects, thus impacting the overall quality of PV module production. Utility Model Content

[0004] In response to one or more of the above-mentioned defects or improvement needs in the existing technology, this utility model provides an automatic repair device for photovoltaic module cells, which aims to solve the shortcomings of conventional repair schemes for photovoltaic modules, complete the online repair of defective cells in a non-contact manner, fully avoid manual intervention, improve the repair efficiency of photovoltaic module cells, and improve the production quality of photovoltaic modules.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an automatic repair device for photovoltaic module cells, comprising: A support assembly for supporting a battery string to be repaired along a first direction, comprising at least one repair table unit for fixing the battery cells to be repaired. A laser scanning assembly includes at least one laser scanning unit for performing laser scanning on the cell to be repaired in order to desolder the cell to be repaired from the solder strip. A solder strip fixing assembly includes at least one solder strip fixing unit for fixing the solder strip after it has been desoldered; A battery cell replacement assembly includes a material handling and displacement mechanism and a battery cell picking and placing unit connected to the material handling and displacement mechanism. The battery cell picking and placing unit can be moved under the drive of the material handling and displacement mechanism to remove the battery cells to be repaired on the rework station unit and replace them with new battery cells. The ribbon fixing assembly can be used to place the ribbon fixed on the ribbon onto the new battery cell after the new battery cell is placed on the rework station unit, and the laser scanning assembly can then weld the ribbon to the new battery cell.

[0006] As a further improvement of this utility model, the bearing assembly includes a plurality of rework station units arranged sequentially along a first direction; the number of the rework station units is the same as the number of battery cells in a single battery string; The battery string can be placed on the support assembly along the first direction, so that each battery cell in the battery string is supported on the rework station unit.

[0007] As a further improvement of this utility model, the rework station unit is an adsorption station set on the lifting unit. After adsorbing the battery cell to be reworked, the adsorption station can be driven down by the lifting unit to move away from the welding ribbon fixed by the welding ribbon fixing component, and a space is formed between the adsorption station and the welding ribbon fixing component for the battery cell replacement component to pick up and put in the battery cell.

[0008] As a further improvement of this utility model, the welding ribbon fixing assembly includes a plurality of welding ribbon fixing units arranged sequentially along a first direction. The number of welding ribbon fixing units is the same as the number of battery cells in the battery string, and they can be aligned vertically with each of the rework station units. The first direction is the length direction of the battery string. Each welding ribbon fixing unit is connected to a displacement module and can be vertically raised and lowered under the drive of the displacement module, so that the corresponding welding ribbon fixing unit can be vertically aligned with the battery cell to be reworked and then moved down by the displacement module to fix the desoldered welding ribbon on it. or, The at least one welding strip fixing unit is mounted on the displacement module and can be moved in the first direction and raised and lowered vertically under the drive of the displacement module, so that each of the rework station units can be aligned with the welding strip fixing unit after carrying the battery cell to be reworked.

[0009] As a further improvement of this utility model, the laser scanning assembly includes a plurality of laser scanning units arranged sequentially along a first direction; the number of the laser scanning units is the same as the number of battery cells in the battery string, and they can be aligned one-to-one with each of the rework station units; or, The at least one laser scanning unit is mounted on the scanning displacement mechanism and can be displaced in a first direction and a second direction under the drive of the scanning displacement mechanism, so that each of the rework station units can be aligned with the laser scanning unit after carrying the battery cell to be reworked; wherein, the second direction is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0010] As a further improvement of this utility model, one of the laser scanning component and the solder ribbon fixing component is located above the supporting component, and the other component is offset between the vertically aligned laser scanning component and the supporting component or between the vertically aligned solder ribbon fixing component and the supporting component; and the other component is mounted on the transverse moving mechanism, and can be moved back and forth in a second direction under the drive of the transverse moving mechanism, so that the other component can move between the two vertically aligned components under the drive of the transverse moving mechanism; wherein, the second direction is the width direction of the battery string; or, The laser scanning component and the ribbon fixing component are spaced apart in the second direction. The bearing component is mounted on the transverse moving mechanism and can be moved back and forth in the second direction under the drive of the transverse moving mechanism, so that the bearing component is vertically aligned with the laser scanning component and the ribbon fixing component respectively.

[0011] As a further improvement of this utility model, it also includes a battery cell fixing assembly; Both the cell fixing assembly and the ribbon fixing assembly are located on one side of the support assembly in the second direction, and the cell fixing assembly is located below the ribbon fixing assembly in the height direction. The battery cell fixing assembly includes a plurality of battery cell fixing units arranged sequentially along a first direction. The number of battery cell fixing units is equal to the number of battery cells in the battery string. Each battery cell fixing unit is connected to an independently arranged translation and lifting mechanism, so that each battery cell fixing unit can move to the top of the bearing assembly under the drive of its respective translation and lifting mechanism and fix the normal battery cells in the battery string. Subsequently, after the desoldered solder ribbon is fixed by the corresponding solder ribbon fixing unit and each normal battery cell is fixed by the corresponding battery cell fixing unit, the solder ribbon fixing unit and the battery cell fixing unit can move upward at the same speed, forming a space between the rework station unit and the solder ribbon fixing unit for the battery cell replacement assembly to pick up and put in the battery cells, while keeping the position between the desoldered solder ribbon and the normal battery cells unchanged.

[0012] As a further improvement of this utility model, the rework station unit is an adsorption station, and the top surface of the adsorption station used to support the battery cell is a curved surface. The middle part of the curved surface protrudes upward, which is used to cause the two ends of the battery cell to bend downward after the battery cell is supported and adsorbed.

[0013] As a further improvement of this utility model, the radian value of the curved surface is 0.2 rad to 0.6 rad.

[0014] As a further improvement of this utility model, the material handling and displacement mechanism includes a horizontal displacement unit and a vertical displacement unit, which are used to drive the battery cell handling and placement unit to perform horizontal and vertical displacement; the battery cell handling and placement unit includes a mounting plate and multiple suction cups disposed below the mounting plate, and the battery cell handling and placement unit can complete the handling and transfer of battery cells to be repaired and new battery cells by the suction of the multiple suction cups.

[0015] The aforementioned improved technical features can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0016] In summary, the beneficial effects of the above-described technical solutions conceived by this utility model compared with the prior art include: This utility model discloses an automatic rework equipment for photovoltaic module cells, comprising a support component, a laser scanning component, a solder ribbon fixing component, and a cell replacement component. It utilizes a rework platform unit to support the cells to be repaired, a laser scanning unit to desolder the cells from the solder ribbon, a solder ribbon fixing unit to fix the solder ribbon after desoldering, and a cell handling unit to transport the defective cells after desoldering and replace them with new cells. This enables the rework of defective cells within a single cell string, avoiding excessive human intervention during the rework process. It reliably achieves online rework during photovoltaic module manufacturing, improving production efficiency and quality.

[0017] The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells in this invention has a compact structure and is easy to control. It can realize online repair during the photovoltaic module manufacturing process, achieve a closed loop between photovoltaic module production and repair, effectively avoid manual intervention in the cell repair process, and improve repair quality while ensuring repair efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells in this embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic repair equipment in one configuration according to an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cell replacement assembly of the automatic repair equipment in this embodiment of the utility model; Figure 4 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic repair equipment in another configuration of this utility model embodiment; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the repair station unit of the automatic repair equipment in this embodiment of the utility model; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the laser scanning unit scanning desoldering in an embodiment of this utility model; In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same technical features, specifically: 1. Load-bearing assembly; 2. Laser scanning assembly; 3. Welding ribbon fixing assembly; 4. Cell replacement assembly; 5. Cell fixing assembly; 101. Rework station unit; 201. Laser scanning unit; 202. First mounting mechanism; 301. Welding strip fixing unit; 302. Second mounting mechanism; 303. Displacement module; 304. First suction cup; 401. Battery cell picking and placing unit; 4011. Mounting plate; 4012. Second suction cup; 402. Material picking and displacement mechanism; 4021. Horizontal displacement unit; 4022. Vertical displacement unit; 501. Battery cell fixing unit; 502. Third mounting mechanism; 503. Translation and lifting mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0022] Furthermore, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise expressly and specifically defined.

[0023] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0025] Below, for reference Figures 1-7 This invention describes an automatic repair device for photovoltaic module cells according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown in the preferred embodiment, the automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells includes a carrier component 1, a laser scanning component 2, a ribbon fixing component 3, and a cell replacement component 4.

[0027] The carrier component 1 is used to support the battery string to be repaired along the first direction. It includes at least one repair table unit 101 for fixing the battery cell to be repaired, so that the battery cell to be repaired can be supported on the repair table unit 101 when the battery string is supported by the carrier component 1.

[0028] During actual load-bearing operations, the battery string contacts the load-bearing component 1 with the side of each battery cell facing away from the solder strip, that is, the side of the battery string with the solder strip facing upwards; this facilitates the subsequent laser scanning and desoldering of the solder strip and the battery cell, and also facilitates the separation of the battery cell from the solder strip after the solder strip is fixed.

[0029] Furthermore, it should be noted that the aforementioned first direction refers to the length direction of the battery string. Correspondingly, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction (i.e., the width direction of the battery string) is denoted as the second direction, such as... Figure 2 , Figure 4 As shown in the image.

[0030] Meanwhile, the laser scanning assembly 2 includes at least one laser scanning unit 201 for performing laser scanning on the battery cell to be repaired, so as to achieve desoldering between the battery cell to be repaired and the solder strip.

[0031] In actual setup, the laser scanning unit 201 preferably performs the desoldering scanning of the battery cell and solder strip as follows: Figure 7 As shown, at this time, the laser scanning unit 201 scans and desolders from the end of a single solder strip along the first direction, and then switches to the next solder strip by displacement in the second direction, repeating the aforementioned scanning and desoldering in the first direction. Thereafter, the laser scanning unit 201 is controlled to repeat the displacement in the first and second directions until the desoldering operation between a single cell and multiple solder strips is completed.

[0032] Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the solder ribbon fixing assembly 3 includes at least one solder ribbon fixing unit 301 for fixing the solder ribbon after desoldering, ensuring that when the desoldered battery cell is removed and replaced, the position of each solder ribbon in the horizontal direction will not shift, so that when the new battery cell is placed on the rework station unit 101 and each solder ribbon is placed on the new battery cell for resoldering, each solder ribbon and the new battery cell can be accurately aligned.

[0033] Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the cell replacement assembly 4 includes a material handling and displacement mechanism 402 and a cell picking and placing unit 401 connected to the material handling and displacement mechanism 402. The cell picking and placing unit 401 can be moved under the drive of the material handling and displacement mechanism 402 to remove the cells to be repaired from the rework station unit 101 and replace them with new cells. Then, after a new cell is placed on the rework station unit 101, the solder ribbon fixing assembly 3 places the solder ribbon fixed on the solder ribbon onto the new cell, and the laser scanning assembly 2 welds the solder ribbon to the new cell, thereby completing the repair of a single cell.

[0034] By setting up a rework station unit 101 to carry the solar cells to be repaired, using a laser scanning unit 201 to desolder the solar cells to be repaired from the solder ribbon, then using a solder ribbon fixing unit 301 to fix the solder ribbon after desoldering, and using a solar cell picking and placing unit 401 to transport the defective solar cells after desoldering and replace them with new solar cells, the rework of defective solar cells in the solar cell string can be realized. This avoids excessive human intervention in the rework process, reliably realizes online rework in the photovoltaic module manufacturing process, and improves the efficiency and quality of photovoltaic module manufacturing.

[0035] More specifically, in the preferred embodiment, the rework station unit 101 is an adsorption station mounted on the lifting unit. The adsorption station can adsorb the battery cells to be reworked, and after the battery cell is desoldered from the solder ribbon, it can be lowered by the lifting unit to move away from the solder ribbon fixed by the solder ribbon fixing component 3. A space is formed between the adsorption station and the solder ribbon fixing component 3 for the battery cell replacement component 4 to pick up and place battery cells, facilitating the removal of defective battery cells and the replacement with new battery cells.

[0036] In actual setup, the cell pick-and-place unit 401 first moves the defective cells on the adsorption table to the waste cell box, then picks up a new cell from the new cell pick-up position and moves it to the adsorption table. After that, it controls the adsorption table to return to its original position and places the solder ribbon fixed on the solder ribbon fixing assembly 3 on the surface of the new cell. After the solder ribbon and the new cell are welded together, the rework of the cells in the cell string can be completed.

[0037] It is understood that during the aforementioned process of picking up and replacing battery cells, the material picking displacement mechanism 402 preferably performs integrated control in the first direction, the second direction, and the vertical (height direction).

[0038] However, in actual handling control, in addition to lifting control, the adsorption platform can preferably be displaced in a second direction. This displacement allows the adsorption platform to move laterally from below the solder ribbon fixing assembly 3, thus preventing the solder ribbon and the assembly from obstructing the adsorption platform vertically. This facilitates the cell picking and placing unit 401 in picking up defective cells and replacing them with new ones. In this case, the picking and displacement mechanism 402 can integrate only the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0039] More specifically, to further facilitate the separation of the battery cell and the solder ribbon, it is preferable to set the top surface of the aforementioned adsorption stage used to support the battery cell as a curved surface, such as... Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the middle part of the curved surface protrudes upward, and multiple adsorption holes are spaced apart on the curved surface, so that the adsorption platform can cause the two ends of the battery cell to bend downward after it carries the adsorbed battery cell.

[0040] In actual setup, the top surface of the adsorption platform is bent downwards on both sides along the first direction to form a curved surface, so that after the welding strip extending along the first direction is fixed with the welding strip fixing unit 301, the battery cell can be quickly separated from the welding strip by adsorption and bending on the curved surface.

[0041] Regarding the selection of the curvature value of the inverted arc surface, if the value is too large, it may cause the reworked battery cells to crack, resulting in difficult-to-clean waste residue at the bearing station and affecting the normal progress of the rework process; if the value is too small, the curvature of the battery cells will not be obvious, and the promotion of the desoldering effect will not be significant. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment, the curvature value of the inverted arc surface should be within a reasonable selection range, and it is further preferred to be 0.2 rad to 0.6 rad.

[0042] Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the carrier component 1 includes a plurality of rework station units 101 arranged sequentially along a first direction, forming a carrier station extending along the first direction. The number of rework station units 101 is the same as the number of battery cells in the battery string; thus, after the battery string is supported on the carrier component 1, each battery cell is aligned with one rework station unit 101. If there are multiple battery cells to be reworked, it is unnecessary to repeatedly move the battery string during the rework process; only the rework operation of each battery cell to be reworked needs to be performed separately.

[0043] It is understood that when there are multiple cells to be repaired, the repair process for each cell is preferably as described above for a single cell, and the repair work for each cell can be carried out simultaneously or separately. If carried out simultaneously, each repair station unit 101 is provided with a solder ribbon fixing unit 301 and a cell picking and placing unit 401.

[0044] As an example, in such Figure 2 In the preferred embodiment shown, the solder ribbon fixing unit 301 is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the rework station unit 101. In this case, the solder ribbon fixing assembly 3 includes a plurality of solder ribbon fixing units 301 arranged sequentially along the first direction. The number of solder ribbon fixing units 301 is the same as the number of battery cells in the battery string, and each solder ribbon fixing unit 301 can be vertically aligned with each rework station unit 101. In actual installation, each solder ribbon fixing unit 301 is connected to the displacement module 303 and can be vertically raised and lowered under the drive of the displacement module 303. This allows the corresponding solder ribbon fixing unit 301 to be vertically aligned with the battery cell to be reworked, then moved downwards by the displacement module 303 to fix the desoldered solder ribbon on it.

[0045] As another example, the number of solder ribbon fixing units 301 is less than the number of battery cells in the battery string or less than the number of rework station units 101 in the carrier assembly 1. In this case, to facilitate solder ribbon fixing during battery cell rework at each rework station unit 101, at least one (or more) solder ribbon fixing units 301 are mounted on a displacement mechanism, and can be displaced in the first direction and raised or lowered vertically under the drive of the displacement mechanism. This allows each rework station unit 101 to be vertically aligned with the solder ribbon fixing unit 301 after carrying the battery cell to be reworked, thereby enabling battery cell rework on different rework station units 101. Clearly, with this configuration, if the number of battery cells to be reworked is less than the number of solder ribbon fixing units 301, multiple battery cells to be reworked can still be reworked simultaneously; if the number of battery cells to be reworked is greater than the number of solder ribbon fixing units 301, multiple battery cells to be reworked are reworked sequentially.

[0046] Similarly, the arrangement of the laser scanning component 2 in the preferred embodiment can also refer to the arrangement of the aforementioned ribbon fixing component 3.

[0047] For example, in such Figure 2 In the preferred embodiment shown, the laser scanning assembly 2 includes a plurality of laser scanning units 201 arranged sequentially along a first direction; the number of laser scanning units 201 is the same as the number of battery cells in the battery string, and they can be aligned vertically with each rework station unit 101. Thus, when a battery cell at any position in the battery string needs to be reworked, the laser scanning unit 201 at the corresponding position can be activated to scan and desolder the battery cell, thereby ultimately realizing the rework of the battery cell at the corresponding position on the battery string.

[0048] Alternatively, in another preferred embodiment, at least one (single or multiple) laser scanning unit 201 is disposed on the scanning displacement mechanism and can be displaced in the first direction and the second direction under the drive of the scanning displacement mechanism, so that each rework station unit 101 can be aligned with the laser scanning unit 201 after carrying the battery cell to be reworked, thereby completing the laser scanning desoldering operation of each battery cell to be reworked and the solder strip.

[0049] Furthermore, in order to simplify the displacement control process of each component, the relative positions of each component can be optimized during actual setup.

[0050] For example, in a feasible preferred embodiment, one of the laser scanning component 2 and the ribbon fixing component 3 is located above the supporting component 1, and the other component is offset between the two vertically aligned components. It should be noted that the offset arrangement here refers to the other component being located on one side of the two vertically aligned components (in the second direction) in the horizontal direction and between the two vertically aligned components in the vertical direction, forming a three-dimensional offset arrangement. Simultaneously, the aforementioned other component is mounted on a transverse movement mechanism and can be moved back and forth in the second direction under the drive of the transverse movement mechanism, allowing the other component to move between the two vertically aligned components, thereby achieving vertical alignment of the corresponding unit on the other component with the rework station unit 101.

[0051] More specifically, the object set on the lateral movement mechanism can be the entire component, or each unit in the component can be set on the lateral movement mechanism separately. For the former, the entire component is first moved laterally above the supporting component 1, and then the corresponding unit is controlled to work; for the latter, the corresponding lateral movement mechanism is controlled individually as needed, and the individually controlled lateral movement mechanism drives the corresponding unit to move in the second direction to complete the rework of the corresponding battery cell.

[0052] For example, in a preferred embodiment, the laser scanning assembly 2 includes a first mounting mechanism 202 and at least one laser scanning unit 201 disposed on the first mounting mechanism 202. The laser scanning assembly 2 is located on one side of the support assembly 1 in the second direction. The first mounting mechanism 202 is disposed on a transverse mechanism and can be displaced in the second direction under the drive of the transverse mechanism. Meanwhile, the solder ribbon fixing assembly 3 includes a second mounting mechanism 302, on which the same number of solder ribbon fixing units 301 as the number of rework station units 101 are disposed. Each solder ribbon fixing unit 301 is connected to the second mounting mechanism 302 via a lifting mechanism, and each solder ribbon fixing unit 301 is disposed directly above each rework station unit 101. In this case, only during the desoldering and welding processes is the transverse mechanism controlled to move the laser scanning assembly 2 to above the support assembly 1, and after desoldering, it returns to its initial position. Afterward, the solder ribbon fixing unit 301 fixes the solder ribbon at the corresponding position, and the cell replacement assembly 4 replaces the cell, ultimately completing the cell rework.

[0053] Based on the aforementioned setup, the only object subject to second-direction displacement during the entire rework process is the laser scanning component 2, which effectively simplifies the component displacement control process during rework.

[0054] As another feasible example, the aforementioned component for lateral movement can also be a carrier component 1. In this case, the laser scanning component 2 and the solder ribbon fixing component 3 are spaced apart in the second direction. Of course, the laser scanning component 2 and the solder ribbon fixing component 3 can be horizontally aligned or obliquely aligned in the second direction (i.e., there is a height difference between the two components), which is not limited here. At the same time, the carrier component 1 is set on the lateral movement mechanism, and the carrier component 1 can be moved backward in the second direction under the drive of the lateral movement mechanism, so that the carrier component 1 is vertically aligned with the laser scanning component 2 and the solder ribbon fixing component 3 respectively. At this time, the carrier component 1 first moves to below the laser scanning component 2 (or is initially below the laser scanning component 2), and the laser scanning unit 201 completes the scanning and desoldering of the corresponding battery cell; then, the carrier component 1 is moved to below the solder ribbon fixing component 3 under the drive of the lateral movement mechanism, and the solder ribbon fixing unit 301 completes the fixing of the solder ribbon at the corresponding repair position, and then the battery cell replacement component 4 completes the replacement of the battery cell. After that, the carrier component 1 moves back to below the laser scanning component 2, and finally the repair of the battery cell is completed.

[0055] It is understood that in the two feasible examples mentioned above, the number of laser scanning unit 201 and ribbon fixing unit 301 can be one or more. The control modes under different numbers of settings are as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0056] To further ensure the reliability of the battery string during cell replacement, a cell fixing component 5 is preferably provided to fix the position of cells that do not need to be repaired, so as to ensure that the components (cells, solder strips) at each position along the length direction (first direction) of the battery string can maintain the stability of their position during cell repair.

[0057] Specifically, in the preferred embodiment, both the cell fixing assembly 5 and the ribbon fixing assembly 3 are located on one side of the support assembly 1 in the second direction, and the cell fixing assembly 5 is located below the ribbon fixing assembly 3 in the height direction, such as... Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown in the image.

[0058] Meanwhile, the battery cell fixing assembly 5 includes a plurality of battery cell fixing units 501 arranged sequentially along the first direction. The number of battery cell fixing units 501 is equal to the number of battery cells in the battery string, ensuring that a battery cell fixing unit 501 is available for alignment with each battery cell in the battery string when it needs to be fixed. Furthermore, each battery cell fixing unit 501 is connected to an independently arranged translation and lifting mechanism 503, and each translation and lifting mechanism 503 is mounted on a third mounting mechanism 502, such as... Figure 4As shown in the diagram. Subsequently, each battery cell fixing unit 501 can move to the top of the bearing assembly 1 under the drive of its respective translation and lifting mechanism 503, and fix the battery cells in the battery string that do not need to be repaired.

[0059] The reason for setting the drive of the battery cell fixing unit 501 to be driven by a single translation and lifting mechanism 503 is to avoid interference with the displacement of the welding strip fixing unit 301 above it when the battery cell fixing assembly 5 is driven by overall displacement.

[0060] More specifically, regarding the ribbon fixing unit 301 in the aforementioned embodiments, it can be mounted on the second mounting mechanism 302, which is movable along the second direction, either through a separately provided lifting mechanism, or it can be connected to the fixed second mounting mechanism 302 through a displacement module 303 similar to the aforementioned translational lifting mechanism 503. For the former, after the second mounting mechanism 302 moves all the ribbon fixing units 301 above the bearing component 1, the ribbon fixing unit 301 at the corresponding position is fixed with the ribbon under the action of the lifting mechanism; for the latter, it is only necessary to control the displacement module 303 at the corresponding position to move the corresponding ribbon fixing unit 301 through horizontal and vertical displacement to complete the fixing of the ribbon on the battery cell to be repaired.

[0061] It is understandable that, in actual setup, the relative positions of the welding strip fixing assembly 3 and the battery cell fixing assembly 5 in the height direction (vertical) can be interchanged. In this case, in order to avoid interference when different units are working, each welding strip fixing unit 301 is set on an independent translation and lifting mechanism, while the battery cell fixing unit 501 located above can be set on an independent translation and lifting mechanism 503, or it can be set on a third mounting mechanism 502 that can be displaced along the second direction through the lifting mechanism.

[0062] Based on the configuration of the cell fixing assembly 5, there is no need to install a lifting mechanism on the rework station unit 101. In this case, the rework station unit 101 only needs to serve as a platform for adsorbing defective cells or new cells. Subsequently, after the desoldered solder ribbon is fixed by the corresponding solder ribbon fixing unit 301 and each normal cell is fixed by the corresponding cell fixing unit 501, the solder ribbon fixing unit 301 and the cell fixing unit 501 can move upwards simultaneously at the same speed (driven by the displacement module 303 and the translation lifting mechanism 503 respectively), vertically carrying the cell string away from the carrier assembly 1, and forming a space between the rework station unit 101 and the solder ribbon fixing unit 301 for the cell replacement assembly 4 to pick up and place cells, while keeping the position between the desoldered solder ribbon and the normal cells unchanged. After the battery cells are replaced on the rework station unit 101, the solder ribbon fixing unit 301 and each battery cell fixing unit 501 descend simultaneously at the same speed to place the battery string on the carrier component 1, thereby completing the placement of the desoldered solder ribbon on the new battery cell for subsequent welding between the two.

[0063] Of course, it is understandable that, depending on the actual setup requirements, while setting up the battery cell fixing assembly 5, a lifting mechanism can also be set up for each rework station unit 101 to meet specific operational needs, which will not be elaborated here.

[0064] Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment where the battery cell fixing assembly 5 is provided, the laser scanning assembly 2 is preferably located on the other side of the second direction of the supporting assembly 1, and the displacement control of the laser scanning assembly 2 is achieved by the lateral movement mechanism, such as... Figure 4 As shown in the image.

[0065] Preferably, the ribbon fixing unit 301 in the preferred embodiment includes a plurality of first suction cups 304 corresponding to each ribbon on a single battery cell. The plurality of first suction cups 304 are preferably spaced apart in a first direction and a second direction to ensure that each position of a single ribbon along the first direction can be reliably adsorbed by the first suction cups 304, thereby ensuring the reliability of ribbon fixing.

[0066] Of course, it is understandable that adsorption units for adsorbing multiple solder strips can be formed simultaneously on the same first suction cup 304. This can be optimized according to actual needs, and will not be elaborated here.

[0067] More specifically, for the battery cell replacement assembly 4 in the foregoing embodiments, its preferred configuration is as shown in the figure, including a battery cell pick-and-place unit 401 and a pick-and-place displacement mechanism 402, with the battery cell pick-and-place unit 401 connected to the pick-and-place displacement mechanism 402. The pick-and-place displacement mechanism 402 includes a horizontal displacement unit 4021 and a vertical displacement unit 4022, used to drive the battery cell pick-and-place unit 401 to perform horizontal and vertical displacement. The battery cell pick-and-place unit 401 includes a mounting plate 4011 and a plurality of second suction cups 4012 disposed below the mounting plate 4011. The battery cell pick-and-place unit can complete the pick-and-place and transport of the battery cells to be repaired and new battery cells by the suction of the plurality of second suction cups 4012.

[0068] Furthermore, the mechanisms involved in the foregoing embodiments for realizing the horizontal displacement and / or vertical displacement of the corresponding units, such as displacement module 303, lifting mechanism, lateral movement mechanism, material handling displacement mechanism 402, and translational lifting mechanism 503, can all be implemented using mature technologies in the prior art, such as multi-axis robotic arms, servo motor-driven slider-rail combination structures, telescopic cylinder-driven displacement mechanisms, threaded screw structures, etc., as long as the corresponding displacement process can be realized, they are not the focus of this utility model, and therefore will not be elaborated here.

[0069] Based on the automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells in the aforementioned preferred embodiment, the repair process for defective cells (cells to be repaired) in the cell string in the preferred embodiment is as follows: (1) The battery strings are inspected (e.g., EL test), the battery strings that pass the inspection are transported to the next process, and the battery strings with cells to be repaired are transported to the carrier assembly 1, and the cells to be repaired are placed on the repair station unit 101; or, after obtaining the whole battery string and before the film lamination, the whole battery string is inspected, the whole battery string that passes the inspection is transported to the next process, the battery string with cells to be repaired is taken out from the whole battery string, and the battery string is placed on the carrier assembly 1, and the cells to be repaired are placed on the repair station unit 101.

[0070] For the transport of the battery string to the carrier assembly 1, a conveyor belt or a suction-and-transfer assembly can preferably be used. For the conveyor belt system, it preferably includes two conveyor belts located on either side of the carrier assembly 1 in a second direction, extending along a first direction. The two conveyor belts or the carrier assembly 1 are mounted on a lifting mechanism, and the vertical lifting between the conveyor belts and the carrier assembly 1 enables the battery string to be transferred between the conveyor belt and the carrier assembly 1. For the suction-and-transfer assembly, it can suction the individual battery cells and transport the battery string to the carrier assembly 1. The specific configuration of the suction-and-transfer assembly can be achieved using existing mature technologies and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0071] It is understandable that if the rework station unit 101 is a single unit, after the rework of a single cell is completed, the battery string needs to be further moved or transferred so that the next cell to be reworked is aligned with the rework station unit 101. Obviously, when the number of rework station units 101 is the same as the number of cells, there is no need for multiple handling during the aforementioned battery string rework process. Furthermore, if the battery string needs to be handled multiple times, it is necessary to ensure that the load-bearing length at both ends of the rework station unit 101 is sufficient to reliably support the cells upstream and downstream of the cell to be reworked.

[0072] (2) The laser scanning unit 201 of the laser scanning component 2 performs laser scanning to desolder the solder strip on the cell to be repaired, thereby completely separating the cell to be repaired from the solder strip.

[0073] In a preferred embodiment, the operating parameters of the laser scanning unit 201 (such as laser power, spot size, scanning speed, defocusing amount, etc.) can be selected according to actual needs.

[0074] For example, in a preferred embodiment, the laser power range is 40~100W; the spot size is set slightly larger than the solder ribbon and pad, more preferably 0.5~5mm; the scanning speed range is 10~200mm / s; and the defocus amount is -5mm~5mm, where a negative defocus amount represents negative defocus.

[0075] (3) Control the welding strip fixing unit 301 to adsorb and fix each desoldering welding strip, and control the rework station unit 101 to adsorb the desoldered battery cell and lower it, so that the battery cell to be reworked is completely separated from the welding strip, and a space is formed between the two for the battery cell picking and placing unit 401 to pick up the material. (4) Control the movement of the cell pick-and-place unit 401, and transport the cell to be repaired 401 (adsorbed) to the waste cell box, and take a new cell and transport it to the repair station unit 101; thereafter, the repair station unit 101 is reset, and the new cell is aligned with the desoldered solder strip.

[0076] In actual setup, the new battery cell is preferably coated with adhesive, such as thermosetting adhesive, and the adhesive is positioned corresponding to the connection position of the solder ribbon. Simultaneously, a heating unit is preferably provided on the solder ribbon fixing unit 301, so that after the solder ribbon contacts the new battery cell, pre-connection can be achieved by adhesive bonding, preventing displacement of the solder ribbon when the solder ribbon fixing unit 301 is removed.

[0077] (5) Release the welding strip fixing unit 301 from fixing the welding strip and weld the welding strip onto the new battery cell, thereby completing the repair of a single battery cell in the battery string.

[0078] If there are other cells in the battery string that need to be repaired, repeat the above process until all defective cells in the battery string have been repaired.

[0079] The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells in this invention has a compact structure and is easy to control. It can meet the online repair needs during the photovoltaic module manufacturing process, realize a closed loop between photovoltaic module production and repair, effectively avoid manual intervention in the repair process, and improve repair quality while ensuring repair efficiency.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic repair device for photovoltaic module cells, characterized in that, include: A support assembly for supporting a battery string to be repaired along a first direction, comprising at least one repair table unit for fixing the battery cells to be repaired. A laser scanning assembly includes at least one laser scanning unit for performing laser scanning on the cell to be repaired in order to desolder the cell to be repaired from the solder strip. A solder strip fixing assembly includes at least one solder strip fixing unit for fixing the solder strip after it has been desoldered; A battery cell replacement assembly includes a material handling and displacement mechanism and a battery cell picking and placing unit connected to the material handling and displacement mechanism. The battery cell picking and placing unit can be moved under the drive of the material handling and displacement mechanism to remove the battery cells to be repaired on the rework station unit and replace them with new battery cells. The ribbon fixing assembly can be used to place the ribbon fixed on the ribbon onto the new battery cell after the new battery cell is placed on the rework station unit, and the laser scanning assembly can then weld the ribbon to the new battery cell.

2. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support assembly includes a plurality of rework station units arranged sequentially along a first direction; the number of the rework station units is the same as the number of battery cells in a single battery string. The battery string can be placed on the support assembly along the first direction, so that each battery cell in the battery string is supported on the rework station unit.

3. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The rework station unit is an adsorption station set on the lifting unit. After adsorbing the battery cell to be reworked, the adsorption station can be driven down by the lifting unit to move away from the solder ribbon fixed by the solder ribbon fixing component, and a space is formed between the adsorption station and the solder ribbon fixing component for the battery cell replacement component to pick up and put in the battery cell.

4. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ribbon fixing assembly includes a plurality of ribbon fixing units arranged sequentially along a first direction. The number of ribbon fixing units is the same as the number of battery cells in the battery string, and they can be vertically aligned with each of the rework station units. The first direction is the length direction of the battery string. Each ribbon fixing unit is connected to a displacement module and can be vertically raised and lowered under the drive of the displacement module. This allows the corresponding ribbon fixing unit to be vertically aligned with the battery cell to be reworked and then moved downward by the displacement module to fix the desoldered ribbon on it. or, The at least one welding strip fixing unit is mounted on the displacement module and can be moved in the first direction and raised and lowered vertically under the drive of the displacement module, so that each of the rework station units can be aligned with the welding strip fixing unit after carrying the battery cell to be reworked.

5. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 3, characterized in that, The laser scanning assembly includes a plurality of laser scanning units arranged sequentially along a first direction; the number of laser scanning units is the same as the number of battery cells in the battery string, and each laser scanning unit can be aligned with a rework station unit. or, The at least one laser scanning unit is mounted on the scanning displacement mechanism and can be displaced in a first direction and a second direction under the drive of the scanning displacement mechanism, so that each of the rework station units can be aligned with the laser scanning unit after carrying the battery cell to be reworked; wherein, the second direction is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 1, 2, 4, or 5, characterized in that, One of the laser scanning component and the solder ribbon fixing component is located above the supporting component, and the other component is offset between the vertically aligned laser scanning component and the supporting component or between the vertically aligned solder ribbon fixing component and the supporting component; and the other component is mounted on the transverse moving mechanism, and can be moved back and forth in a second direction under the drive of the transverse moving mechanism, so that the other component can move between the two vertically aligned components under the drive of the transverse moving mechanism; wherein, the second direction is the width direction of the battery string; or, The laser scanning component and the ribbon fixing component are spaced apart in the second direction. The bearing component is mounted on the transverse moving mechanism and can be moved back and forth in the second direction under the drive of the transverse moving mechanism, so that the bearing component is vertically aligned with the laser scanning component and the ribbon fixing component respectively.

7. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 2, 4, or 5, characterized in that, It also includes the cell mounting assembly; Both the cell fixing assembly and the ribbon fixing assembly are located on one side of the support assembly in the second direction, and the cell fixing assembly is located below the ribbon fixing assembly in the height direction. The battery cell fixing assembly includes a plurality of battery cell fixing units arranged sequentially along a first direction. The number of battery cell fixing units is equal to the number of battery cells in the battery string. Each battery cell fixing unit is connected to an independently arranged translation and lifting mechanism, so that each battery cell fixing unit can move to the top of the bearing assembly under the drive of its respective translation and lifting mechanism and fix the normal battery cells in the battery string. Subsequently, after the desoldered solder ribbon is fixed by the corresponding solder ribbon fixing unit and each normal battery cell is fixed by the corresponding battery cell fixing unit, the solder ribbon fixing unit and the battery cell fixing unit can move upward at the same speed, forming a space between the rework station unit and the solder ribbon fixing unit for the battery cell replacement assembly to pick up and put in the battery cells, while keeping the position between the desoldered solder ribbon and the normal battery cells unchanged.

8. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The rework station unit is an adsorption station. The top surface of the adsorption station, which is used to support the battery cell, is a curved surface. The middle part of the curved surface protrudes upward, which is used to cause the two ends of the battery cell to bend downward after the battery cell is supported and adsorbed.

9. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 8, characterized in that, The curvature of the curved surface is 0.2 rad to 0.6 rad.

10. The automatic repair equipment for photovoltaic module cells according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The material handling and displacement mechanism includes a horizontal displacement unit and a vertical displacement unit, which are used to drive the battery cell handling and placement unit to perform horizontal and vertical displacement. The battery cell handling and placement unit includes a mounting plate and multiple suction cups disposed below the mounting plate. The battery cell handling and placement unit can complete the handling and transfer of battery cells to be repaired and new battery cells by the suction of the multiple suction cups.

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