Tab cutting device and method

Abstract

The embodiment of the present invention relates to the field of soft-pack battery processing, and discloses a tab cutting device and method, wherein the tab cutting device includes: two symmetrically arranged tab cutting assemblies, and two visual inspection assemblies for photographing the tabs on both sides of the battery cell; the tab cutting assembly includes a frame that slides in the horizontal direction, on which a lower pre-compression pad mounting plate and a cutting assembly mounting plate that slides in the vertical direction are mounted; an upper pre-compression block and a cutting knife are mounted on the cutting assembly mounting plate, and a lower pre-compression pad that is arranged opposite to the upper pre-compression block is mounted on the lower pre-compression pad mounting plate. The tab cutting device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can adjust the position of the cutting knife in real time according to the position of the battery cell, so that the lengths of the two tabs always remain equal, and a battery cell that meets the requirements can be cut out.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of soft-pack battery processing, and in particular to a tab cutting device and method. Background Art

[0002] Soft-pack batteries are widely used in electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, electric vehicles, solar photovoltaic power generation systems, wind power generation systems, mobile communication base stations, large server backup UPS power supplies, emergency lighting, portable mobile power supplies, mine safety equipment and other fields due to their advantages such as light weight, long cycle life, good safety performance, high energy density, stable discharge, excellent performance, and environmental protection and pollution-free.

[0003] Before soft-pack batteries are packaged into groups, the battery module's cells must be tab-cut to facilitate busbar installation. The existing tab-cutting process often requires manual handling of the cells, making it difficult to maintain dimensional accuracy and processing efficiency low. Furthermore, the cells must be positioned by the tabs, not by the aluminum-plastic film, and these tabs must not touch, making this process challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present invention provide a tab cutting device and method, which are used to solve or partially solve the problem of low precision in existing tab cutting.

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a tab cutting device, comprising: two symmetrically arranged tab cutting assemblies, and two visual inspection assemblies for photographing the tabs on both sides of the battery cell; the tab cutting assembly comprises a frame sliding in the horizontal direction, on which a lower pre-compression pad mounting plate and a cutting assembly mounting plate sliding in the vertical direction are mounted; an upper pre-compression block and a cutting knife are mounted on the cutting assembly mounting plate, and a lower pre-compression pad arranged opposite to the upper pre-compression block is mounted on the lower pre-compression pad mounting plate.

[0006] On the basis of the above technical solution, a through hole is opened at the middle position of the lower pre-compression pad mounting plate, and the tab cutting assembly further includes a waste material trough connected to the through hole.

[0007] On the basis of the above technical solution, the tab cutting assembly further includes a slide for driving the frame to move.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the tab cutting assembly also includes an upper pre-compression block mounting plate installed on the cutting assembly mounting plate. The distance between the upper pre-compression block mounting plate and the cutting assembly mounting plate is adjustable, and the upper pre-compression block is installed on the upper pre-compression block mounting plate.

[0009] On the basis of the above technical solution, a vertically arranged linear guide rail is installed on the frame, and the cutting component mounting plate is assembled with the linear guide rail.

[0010] On the basis of the above technical solution, the tab cutting assembly further comprises a vertically arranged cylinder mounted on the frame, and the movable end of the cylinder is connected to the cutting assembly mounting plate.

[0011] On the basis of the above technical solution, the movable end of the cylinder is connected to the cutting assembly mounting plate through a weighing force sensor.

[0012] On the basis of the above technical solution, the tab cutting device also includes two symmetrically arranged first tab leveling assemblies and two second tab leveling assemblies; the first tab leveling assembly and the second tab leveling assembly include a cabinet body that slides in the horizontal direction, and the cabinet body is equipped with a lower pre-leveling block mounting plate and an upper pre-leveling block mounting plate that slides in the vertical direction; the upper pre-leveling block mounting plate is equipped with an upper pre-leveling block, and the lower pre-leveling block mounting plate is equipped with a lower pre-leveling block that is arranged opposite to the upper pre-leveling block.

[0013] On the basis of the above technical solution, the tab cutting device further includes a stepping conveyor line for conveying battery cells, a battery cell fixing seat is installed on the fixed bracket of the stepping conveyor line, and each battery cell fixing seat is correspondingly provided with a battery cell clamping assembly.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a tab cutting method, comprising:

[0015] Two visual inspection components are used to take pictures of the tabs on both sides to obtain the theoretical center of the battery cell. Based on the required total length of the battery cell, the length of the tabs on both sides that need to be cut is calculated;

[0016] The two frames slide a corresponding distance respectively, and the cutting knife cuts the tab; wherein, the sliding distance of the frame is calculated based on the theoretical center of the battery cell and the length of the tab that needs to be cut.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention provides a tab cutting device and method. First, two visual inspection components are used to photograph the tabs on both sides of the battery cell, obtain the theoretical center of the battery cell, and calculate the length of the tabs on both sides that need to be cut based on the required total length of the battery cell. Two frames are respectively slid a corresponding distance, and then the tabs are cut by a cutting knife. The sliding distance of the frame is calculated based on the theoretical center of the battery cell and the length of the tabs that need to be cut, that is, the sliding distances of the two frames can be different. The tab cutting device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can adjust the position of the cutting knife in real time according to the location of the battery cell, so that the lengths of the two tabs always remain equal, and a battery cell that meets the requirements can be cut. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a tab cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a tab cutting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the first tab leveling assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 Flowchart of a tab cutting method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Reference numerals:

[0024] 1. Tab cutting assembly; 11. Cutting assembly mounting plate; 12. Lower pre-pressing pad mounting plate; 13. Frame; 14. Waste trough; 15. Lower pre-pressing pad; 16. Upper pre-pressing block; 17. Weighing force sensor; 2. First tab leveling assembly; 21. Flat flange type weighing measurement sensor; 22. Upper pre-leveling block mounting plate; 23. Upper pre-leveling block; 24. Lower pre-leveling block; 25. Lower pre-leveling block mounting plate; 26. Cabinet; 3. Visual inspection assembly; 4. Stepper conveyor line; 5. Battery cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] A battery module consists of several individual cells, each with a positive and negative electrode. Tabs are the metal conductors that lead the positive and negative electrodes from the individual cells. Several individual cells are connected in series and parallel to form a battery module.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the tab cutting device of an embodiment of the present invention includes: two symmetrically arranged tab cutting components 1, and two visual inspection components 3 for photographing the tabs on both sides of the battery cell; the two symmetrically arranged tab cutting components 1 are respectively used to cut the left tab of the battery cell and the right tab of the battery cell, and the two symmetrically arranged visual inspection components 3 are respectively used to align the left tab of the battery cell and the right tab of the battery cell, and the visual inspection component 3 includes a camera and an image processor;

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, the tab cutting assembly 1 includes a frame 13 that slides in the horizontal direction, and a lower pre-pressing pad mounting plate 12 vertically connected to the frame 13 is fixedly mounted on the side of the frame 13. A cutting assembly mounting plate 11 vertically connected to the frame 13 is also slidably mounted on the side of the frame 13. The cutting assembly mounting plate 11 is located above the lower pre-pressing pad mounting plate 12. The cutting assembly mounting plate 11 slides in the vertical direction, that is, the cutting assembly mounting plate 11 moves toward the lower pre-pressing pad mounting plate 12.

[0029] An upper pre-compression block 16 and a cutting knife are mounted on the bottom surface of the cutting assembly mounting plate 11 , and a lower pre-compression block 15 facing the upper pre-compression block 16 is mounted on the top surface of the lower pre-compression block mounting plate 12 .

[0030] It should be noted that the upper pre-compression block 16 and the lower pre-compression pad 15 clamp the upper and lower surfaces of the tab, and the tab is cut by a cutting knife arranged near the upper pre-compression block 16 .

[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, two visual inspection components 3 are first used to photograph the tabs on both sides of the battery cell, respectively, to obtain the theoretical center of the battery cell, and based on the required total length of the battery cell, the length of the tabs on both sides that need to be cut is calculated; the two frames are respectively slid a corresponding distance, and then the tabs are cut by a cutting knife; the sliding distance of the frame is calculated based on the theoretical center of the battery cell and the length of the tabs that need to be cut, that is, the sliding distances of the two frames can be different. The tab cutting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention can adjust the position of the cutting knife in real time according to the location of the battery cell, so that the lengths of the two tabs are always kept equal, and a battery cell that meets the requirements can be cut.

[0032] On the basis of the above embodiment, a through hole is opened at the middle position of the lower pre-compression pad mounting plate 12, and the tab cutting assembly further includes a waste material trough 14 connected to the through hole.

[0033] It should be noted that the lower pre-load pad 15 is positioned near the edge of the through-hole, allowing the cutting blade to move up and down within the through-hole. The provision of a waste chute 14 ensures a secure environment at the tab cutting station, facilitating material recycling. The waste chute 14 is fixed to the bottom surface of the lower pre-load pad 15.

[0034] On the basis of the above embodiment, the tab cutting assembly 1 further includes a slide for driving the frame 13 to move.

[0035] It should be noted that, by installing the frame 13 on the slide, the two frames 13 can be moved closer to or farther away from each other, thereby adjusting the position of the cutting blade.

[0036] Based on the above embodiment, the tab cutting assembly 1 also includes an upper pre-compression block mounting plate installed on the cutting assembly mounting plate 11. The distance between the upper pre-compression block mounting plate and the cutting assembly mounting plate 11 is adjustable, and an upper pre-compression block 16 is installed on the upper pre-compression block mounting plate.

[0037] It should be noted that an upper pre-compression block 16 is installed on the bottom surface of the upper pre-compression block mounting plate, and the upper pre-compression block mounting plate is installed on the cutting component mounting plate 11 through two guide rods. The distance between the upper pre-compression block mounting plate and the cutting component mounting plate 11 is adjusted by moving the guide rods up and down.

[0038] On the basis of the above embodiment, a vertically arranged linear guide rail is installed on the frame 13, and the cutting component mounting plate 11 is assembled with the linear guide rail.

[0039] It should be noted that, in order to improve the sliding stability, a vertically arranged linear guide rail is installed on the side of the frame 13, and the side of the cutting component mounting plate 11 is assembled with the linear guide rail.

[0040] On the basis of the above embodiment, the tab cutting assembly 1 further comprises a vertically arranged cylinder mounted on the frame 13 , and the movable end of the cylinder is connected to the cutting assembly mounting plate 11 .

[0041] It should be noted that the movable end of the cylinder is connected to the cutting assembly mounting plate 11 via a weighing force sensor 17 .

[0042] In the embodiment of the present invention, the weighing force sensor 17 is used to measure the cutting force to prevent the tab from being deformed due to excessive cutting force, which would cause distortion in visual inspection and inaccurate compensation for cutting displacement.

[0043] Based on the above embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the tab cutting device further includes two first tab leveling assemblies 2 and two second tab leveling assemblies that are symmetrically arranged;

[0044] Along the movement direction of the battery cell, there are two first tab leveling assemblies 2, two tab cutting assemblies 1 and two second tab leveling assemblies;

[0045] The first and second tab leveling assemblies include a cabinet 26 that slides horizontally, with a lower pre-leveling block mounting plate 25 and an upper pre-leveling block mounting plate 22 that slides vertically mounted on the side of the cabinet 26. An upper pre-leveling block 23 is mounted on the upper pre-leveling block mounting plate 22, and a lower pre-leveling block 24 is mounted on the lower pre-leveling block mounting plate 25, facing the upper pre-leveling block 23. The upper pre-leveling block mounting plate 22 is located directly above the lower pre-leveling block mounting plate 25.

[0046] It should be noted that a vertically arranged linear guide rail is installed on the side of the cabinet 26, and the side of the upper pre-leveling block mounting plate 22 is assembled with the linear guide rail. A cylinder is installed on the cabinet 26, and the movable end of the cylinder is connected to the upper pre-leveling block mounting plate 22 through a flat flange weighing measurement sensor 21.

[0047] It can be understood that the first tab leveling assembly and the second tab leveling assembly also include a linear guide rail and a cylinder. The linear guide rail is assembled with the bottom of the cabinet 26. The movable end of the cylinder is connected to the cabinet 26, and the horizontal movement of the cabinet 26 is driven by the cylinder.

[0048] Based on the above embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the tab cutting device further includes a stepping conveyor line 4 for conveying the battery cells 5 , and a battery cell fixing seat is installed on the fixed bracket of the stepping conveyor line 4 , and each battery cell fixing seat is correspondingly provided with two battery cell clamping assemblies.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present invention, the two fixed brackets of the stepping conveyor line 4 are in a stationary state, and the movable bracket located between the two fixed brackets is in motion, and the motion path of the movable bracket is in the shape of a U-shaped U.S. A battery cell holder is mounted on one of the fixed brackets, and another battery cell holder is mounted on the other fixed bracket. The two battery cell holders are used to place the two ends of the battery cell, that is, the battery cell 5 is placed horizontally on the stepping conveyor line 4.

[0050] It should be noted that a cell clamping assembly is mounted on each side of a cell holder, used to clamp the sides of the cell. Specifically, the two cell clamping assemblies are arranged sequentially along the length of the mounting bracket. Each cell clamping assembly includes a cylinder with a push plate mounted on its movable end, which engages or disengages the side of the cell.

[0051] It is understood that one cell holder may correspond to only one cell clamping assembly, with only one side of the cell holder being provided with a through slot adapted to the push plate. In this case, the other opposite side of the cell holder may serve as a reference surface. The stepping conveyor line 4 is located between the two tab cutting assemblies 1.

[0052] Figure 4FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a tab cutting method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the tab cutting method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0053] S10, using two visual inspection components to take pictures of the tabs on both sides respectively, obtain the theoretical center of the battery cell, and calculate the length of the tabs on both sides that need to be cut based on the required total length of the battery cell;

[0054] S20, the two frames slide a corresponding distance respectively, and the cutting knife cuts the tab; wherein the sliding distance of the frame is calculated based on the theoretical center of the battery cell and the length of the tab to be cut.

[0055] It should be noted that the offset of the battery cell can be obtained based on the theoretical center of the battery cell and the virtual center of the battery cell, and the moving distance of the cutting knife can be obtained through the offset of the battery cell and the length of the tab to be cut.

[0056] In an embodiment of the present invention, two visual inspection components 3 are first used to photograph the tabs on both sides of the battery cell 5, respectively, to obtain the theoretical center of the battery cell, and based on the required total length of the battery cell, the length of the tabs on both sides that need to be cut is calculated; the two frames are respectively slid a corresponding distance, and then the tabs are cut by a cutting knife; the sliding distance of the frame is calculated based on the theoretical center of the battery cell and the length of the tabs that need to be cut, that is, the sliding distances of the two frames can be different. The tab cutting method provided in an embodiment of the present invention can adjust the position of the cutting knife in real time according to the location of the battery cell, so that the lengths of the two tabs are always kept equal, and a battery cell that meets the requirements can be cut.

[0057] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tab cutting device, characterized in that: include: Two symmetrically arranged tab cutting assemblies and two visual inspection assemblies for photographing the tabs on both sides of the battery cell; the tab cutting assembly includes a frame that slides in the horizontal direction, on which a lower pre-compression pad mounting plate and a cutting assembly mounting plate that slides in the vertical direction are mounted; an upper pre-compression block and a cutting knife are mounted on the cutting assembly mounting plate, and a lower pre-compression pad that is arranged opposite to the upper pre-compression block is mounted on the lower pre-compression pad mounting plate; The tab cutting device also includes a stepping conveyor line for conveying battery cells, the two fixed brackets of the stepping conveyor line are in a stationary state, the movable bracket located between the two fixed brackets is in a moving state, and the moving path of the movable bracket is in a U-shaped shape, and the fixed brackets of the stepping conveyor line are equipped with battery cell fixing seats, the two battery cell fixing seats are used to place the two ends of the battery cell, and each battery cell fixing seat is correspondingly provided with a battery cell clamping assembly; Two visual inspection components are used to take pictures of the tabs on both sides respectively to obtain the theoretical center of the battery cell, and the length of the tabs on both sides that need to be cut is calculated based on the required total length of the battery cell; the two frames are slid a corresponding distance respectively, and the cutting knife cuts the tabs; the sliding distance of the frame is calculated based on the theoretical center of the battery cell and the length of the tabs that need to be cut.

2. The tab cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A through hole is provided at the middle position of the lower pre-compression pad mounting plate, and the tab cutting assembly further includes a waste material trough communicated with the through hole.

3. The tab cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tab cutting assembly further includes a slide for driving the frame to move.

4. The tab cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tab cutting assembly further comprises an upper pre-compression block mounting plate mounted on the cutting assembly mounting plate, the spacing between the upper pre-compression block mounting plate and the cutting assembly mounting plate is adjustable, and the upper pre-compression block is mounted on the upper pre-compression block mounting plate.

5. The tab cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A vertically arranged linear guide rail is installed on the frame, and the cutting component mounting plate is assembled with the linear guide rail.

6. The tab cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tab cutting assembly further comprises a vertically arranged cylinder mounted on the frame, wherein the movable end of the cylinder is connected to the cutting assembly mounting plate.

7. The tab cutting device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The movable end of the cylinder is connected to the cutting component mounting plate through a weighing force sensor.

8. The tab cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The tab cutting device also includes two symmetrically arranged first tab leveling assemblies and two second tab leveling assemblies; the first tab leveling assembly and the second tab leveling assembly include a cabinet body that slides in the horizontal direction, and a lower pre-leveling block mounting plate and an upper pre-leveling block mounting plate that slides in the vertical direction are installed on the cabinet body; the upper pre-leveling block mounting plate is installed with an upper pre-leveling block, and the lower pre-leveling block mounting plate is installed with a lower pre-leveling block that is arranged opposite to the upper pre-leveling block.

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