Power battery cell tab pre-welding process and equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of power battery processing, and more specifically, to a power battery cell tab pre-welding process and equipment. A power battery cell tab pre-welding process comprises the following steps: loading, folding, tab folding detection, secondary positioning, primary tab pre-welding, first tab shaping, primary tab cutting, secondary tab pre-welding, secondary tab shaping, secondary tab cutting, tab cutting detection, Hi-pot thickness measurement, transposition and pairing, and unloading; a power battery cell tab pre-welding device is also provided. Through the reasonable setting of each process, the present invention can process multiple battery cells in one round, thereby improving the processing efficiency, effectively improving the degree of automation, ensuring the orderly and reasonable pre-welding, shaping, and cutting of the battery cells, and providing a secondary positioning mechanism, which can make the processing position of the battery cell more accurate, prevent the occurrence of phenomena such as wrong welding and welding explosion, reduce the unqualified rate of products, and save production costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to battery cell processing equipment, and more specifically, to a power battery cell tab pre-welding process and equipment. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles are gaining increasing trust among consumers. The most critical component of an electric vehicle is the power battery. A typical power battery is a module containing multiple cells. A battery typically contains four cells, though the number of cells varies depending on the battery design. To meet the cell's current capacity, each cell has its own tabs. Most commonly, a cell has two tabs: a positive tab and a negative tab. During the assembly process, the tabs need to be welded. Generally, each cell's tabs are pre-welded, then paired together, and then welded with adapters. The current technical means discloses a workbench for pre-welding and cutting of battery cells, including: a loading assembly, a clamp assembly, a positive electrode welding assembly of the tab, a negative electrode welding assembly of the tab, a tab cutting assembly, a CCD detection assembly, a dust removal assembly, a blanking assembly, a turntable assembly and a loading and unloading assembly line; the loading assembly, the clamp assembly, the positive electrode welding assembly of the tab, the negative electrode welding assembly of the tab, the tab cutting assembly, the CCD detection assembly, the dust removal assembly and the blanking assembly are sequentially surrounded and fixed on the turntable assembly, and the turntable assembly is arranged on one side of the loading and unloading assembly line; the turntable assembly can drive the loading assembly, the clamp assembly, the positive electrode welding assembly of the tab, the negative electrode welding assembly of the tab, the tab cutting assembly, the CCD detection assembly, the dust removal assembly and the blanking assembly to perform circular motion, and the tangential direction of the rotation of the turntable assembly is consistent with the moving direction of the loading and unloading assembly; it can basically realize automatic pre-welding and cutting of battery cells. However, in the actual pre-welding process, since the tabs of the battery cell are still composed of countless thin sheets stacked together, and the patterns are relatively messy, and the electrodes during loading are also irregular, the pre-welding process requires alignment with the corresponding electrodes, and the welding position must be accurate. Current technical means cannot guarantee the accuracy of the welding points of the battery cell tabs, and there is a possibility of welding misalignment and explosion of the battery cell, resulting in an insufficient yield and a low degree of automation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the problems described in the background art above, such as the inability to accurately position the battery cell tab welding points, the potential for misaligned welding and explosions, resulting in low yields and a low degree of automation, the present invention provides a process and equipment for pre-welding battery cell tabs. This invention ensures accurate welding positions, streamlines the process, and increases yields.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is to provide a power battery cell tab pre-welding process, which includes the following steps:

[0005] S1. Battery cell loading: simultaneously move 2N battery cells to the battery cell placement position of the fixture;

[0006] S2, cell flipping: flip N cells on one side of the fixture;

[0007] S3, Tab folding detection: Check whether the tab position of the battery cell is correct;

[0008] S4, secondary positioning: reposition and adjust the position of each battery cell on the fixture;

[0009] S5. Pre-welding of the primary tabs: Pre-weld the positive tabs and negative tabs on the N flipped cells on one side.

[0010] S6, primary tab shaping: adjust the shape of the pre-welded tab;

[0011] S7, first-level tab cutting: cutting the tab after shape adjustment;

[0012] S8, secondary tab pre-welding: pre-weld the positive tabs and negative tabs of the N battery cells on the other side respectively;

[0013] S9, secondary tab shaping: adjust the shape of the tabs on the N cells on the other side;

[0014] S10, secondary tab cutting: cutting the tabs on the N cells on the other side;

[0015] S11. Tab cutting detection: Check whether the tabs of the battery cell are cut in place;

[0016] S12, Hi-pot thickness measurement: Perform Hi-pot test on each battery cell;

[0017] S13, transposition pairing: swapping the cells on both sides of the fixture;

[0018] S14, blanking: transfer and blank the battery cells;

[0019] Wherein N≥1; preferably N=1-4; more preferably N=2, that is, 4 battery cells are placed on one fixture.

[0020] A power battery cell tab pre-welding device is also provided, comprising a machine platform, a jig conveyor line provided on the machine platform, and the following components arranged in sequence along the jig conveyor line:

[0021] The loading mechanism is used to simultaneously move 2N battery cells to the battery cell placement position of the fixture;

[0022] Folding mechanism, used to flip N battery cells on one side of the fixture;

[0023] Tab folding detection mechanism, used to detect whether the tab position of the battery cell is correct;

[0024] The secondary positioning mechanism is used to reposition and adjust the position of each battery cell on the fixture;

[0025] The first-level tab pre-welding mechanism is used to pre-weld the tabs on N flipped battery cells on one side;

[0026] The first-level tab shaping mechanism is used to adjust the shape of the pre-welded tab;

[0027] The first-level tab cutting mechanism is used to cut the tabs after shape adjustment;

[0028] The secondary tab pre-welding mechanism is used to pre-weld the N battery cells on the other side;

[0029] The secondary tab shaping mechanism is used to adjust the shape of the tabs on the N battery cells on the other side;

[0030] The secondary tab cutting mechanism is used to cut the tabs on the N battery cells on the other side;

[0031] Tab cutting detection mechanism, used to detect whether the tabs of the battery cell are cut in place;

[0032] Hi-pot thickness measuring mechanism, used to perform Hi-pot test on each battery cell;

[0033] A transposition pairing mechanism, used to swap the cells on both sides of the fixture;

[0034] Unloading mechanism, used to transfer and unload battery cells;

[0035] Wherein N≥1, preferably N=1-4; more preferably N=2; that is, 4 battery cells are placed on one fixture.

[0036] Furthermore, the folding mechanism includes a first machine base, a rotating cylinder, a flipping clamp matching the battery cell, a first movable platform, and a first translation device for driving the first movable platform close to or away from the jig conveyor line. The first machine base is arranged on the machine platform, the first translation device is arranged on the first machine base, the first movable platform is connected to the first translation device, the cylinder barrel of the rotating cylinder is installed on the first movable platform, and the flipping clamp is connected to the output end of the rotating cylinder.

[0037] Furthermore, the tab detection mechanism includes a CCD detection component, a second movable platform, and a second translation device for driving the second movable platform toward or away from the jig conveyor line. The CCD component includes a CCD camera, a CCD light source, and an imaging lens. The CCD light source and the imaging lens are located at both ends of the second movable platform on the side close to the jig conveyor line. The CCD camera is located on the side of the second movable platform away from the jig conveyor line and facing the imaging lens.

[0038] Furthermore, the secondary positioning mechanism includes an opening and clamping cylinder, a lifting and positioning frame located above the jig conveyor line, and a positioning component provided directly above each of the battery cell placement positions. The positioning component includes a positioning push piece and a positioning cylinder for driving the positioning push piece to move back and forth toward the center of the battery cell placement position. The positioning cylinder is installed on the lifting and positioning frame. The number of the positioning push pieces is 4, and the 4 positioning push pieces are respectively located above the four sides of the battery cell placement position; the opening and clamping cylinder is located on one side of the jig conveyor line, and the cylinder barrel of the opening and clamping cylinder is installed on the machine platform. A top block is connected to the telescopic rod of the opening and clamping cylinder.

[0039] Furthermore, the first-level tab pre-welding mechanism and the second-level tab pre-welding mechanism each include 2N ultrasonic tab pre-welding machines arranged side by side.

[0040] Furthermore, the primary tab shaping mechanism includes a first shaping cylinder and a second shaping cylinder located above and below the cell placement area. The telescopic rods of the first and second shaping cylinders are both equipped with shaping plates for flattening the tabs. The secondary tab shaping mechanism is identical to the primary one, but shapes different electrodes: one shaping the positive tab and the other the negative tab, and the order of shaping can be reversed.

[0041] Furthermore, the primary tab cutting mechanism includes a cutting cylinder, a blade that matches the tab, and a cutting seat used in conjunction with the blade. The blade is connected to the telescopic rod of the cutting cylinder. The secondary tab cutting mechanism has the same structure as the primary tab cutting mechanism, except that it cuts different electrodes: one cuts the positive electrode and the other cuts the negative electrode, and the order of cutting can be reversed.

[0042] Further, the fixture conveyor line includes a front conveyor line and a rear conveyor line that are parallel to each other. The front conveyor line and the rear conveyor line are connected by a translation conveyor line so that the entire fixture conveyor line is in a "C" shape. The loading mechanism, folding mechanism, tab detection mechanism, secondary positioning mechanism, primary tab pre-welding mechanism, primary tab shaping mechanism, and primary tab cutting mechanism are arranged in sequence along the front conveyor line. The secondary tab pre-welding mechanism, secondary tab shaping mechanism, secondary tab cutting mechanism, tab cutting detection mechanism, Hi-pot thickness measurement mechanism, and unloading mechanism are arranged in sequence along the rear conveyor line. After the fixture reaches the end of the front conveyor line, it is directly pushed flat to the head of the rear conveyor line through the translation conveyor line, so that the relative position and direction of 2N battery cells will not change from beginning to end. Thus, the N battery cells that start on the inner side of the front conveyor line will be located on the outer side of the rear conveyor line after being transferred to the rear conveyor line, which is convenient for the subsequent welding process at the rear end.

[0043] Further, both the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism are manipulators that match the battery cells. The battery cells are transferred between the secondary tab cutting mechanism and the transposition pairing mechanism by a grasping manipulator. After the battery cells are transposed, they are then unloaded and transferred by the unloading manipulator.

[0044] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects are as follows:

[0045] Through the reasonable sequential arrangement of the processes of folding, tab folding detection, secondary positioning, primary tab pre-welding, primary tab shaping, primary tab cutting, secondary tab pre-welding, secondary tab shaping, secondary tab cutting, tab cutting detection, and Hi-pot thickness measurement, the present invention can process multiple battery cells at one time, improving the processing efficiency, effectively increasing the degree of automation, ensuring the orderly and reasonable pre-welding, shaping, and cutting of the battery cells. Moreover, a secondary positioning mechanism is provided, which can make the processing position of the battery cells more accurate, prevent phenomena such as wrong welding and welding explosion, ensure the production efficiency, reduce the unqualified rate of products, and save the production cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Figure 1 is the process flow chart of Embodiment 1.

[0047] Figure 2 is the overall structure diagram of Embodiment 2.

[0048] Figure 3 is the structure diagram of the fixture conveyor line in Embodiment 2.

[0049] Figure 4 is the structure diagram of the fixture in Embodiment 2.

[0050] Figure 5 is the structure diagram of the folding mechanism in Embodiment 2.

[0051] Figure 6 It is a structural diagram of the folding mechanism on the flipping clamp side in Example 2.

[0052] Figure 7 It is a structural diagram of the tab folding detection mechanism in Example 2.

[0053] Figure 8 It is a structural diagram of the secondary positioning mechanism in Example 2.

[0054] Figure 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first-level tab pre-welding mechanism in Example 2.

[0055] Figure 10 It is a structural diagram of the first-level tab shaping mechanism in Example 2.

[0056] Figure 11 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first-level tab cutting mechanism in Example 2.

[0057] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the structure of the Hi-pot thickness measuring mechanism in Example 2.

[0058] Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the structure of the transposition pairing mechanism in Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting this patent. To better illustrate the embodiments, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced in size, and do not represent actual product dimensions. Those skilled in the art will understand that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted from the drawings. The positional relationships depicted in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting this patent.

[0060] The same or similar numbers in the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention correspond to the same or similar parts; in the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if there are terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "long", "short", etc. indicating the orientation or position relationship, they are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms describing the position relationship in the drawings are only used for illustrative purposes and cannot be understood as limiting this patent. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0061] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0062] Example 1

[0063] This embodiment 1 is a power battery cell tab pre-welding process. Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0064] S1. Battery cell loading: simultaneously move 2N battery cells to the battery cell placement position of the fixture;

[0065] S2, cell flipping: flip N cells on one side of the fixture;

[0066] S3, Tab folding detection: Check whether the tab position of the battery cell is correct;

[0067] S4, secondary positioning: reposition and adjust the position of each battery cell on the fixture;

[0068] S5. Pre-welding of the primary tabs: Pre-welding of the tabs on the N battery cells on one side after flipping;

[0069] S6, primary tab shaping: adjust the shape of the pre-welded tab;

[0070] S7, first-level tab cutting: cutting the tab after shape adjustment;

[0071] S8, secondary tab pre-welding: pre-weld the N battery cells on the other side;

[0072] S9, secondary tab shaping: adjust the shape of the tabs on the N cells on the other side;

[0073] S10, secondary tab cutting: cutting the tabs on the N cells on the other side;

[0074] S11. Tab cutting detection: Check whether the tabs of the battery cell are cut in place;

[0075] S12, Hi-pot thickness measurement: Perform Hi-pot test on each battery cell;

[0076] S13, transposition pairing: swapping the cells on both sides of the fixture;

[0077] S14, cutting: transfer the battery cells for cutting.

[0078] In this embodiment, the value of N is 2, that is, 4 battery cells are placed on one fixture at the same time.

[0079] Example 2

[0080] like Figure 2 As shown, a power battery cell tab pre-welding device includes a machine 1, a jig conveyor line 101 provided on the machine 1, and the following components arranged in sequence along the jig conveyor line 101:

[0081] The loading mechanism 2 is used to simultaneously move 2N battery cells 16 to the battery cell placement position of the fixture 20;

[0082] The folding mechanism 3 is used to flip the N battery cells 16 on the left side of the fixture 20;

[0083] The tab folding detection mechanism 4 is used to detect whether the position of the tab 17 of the battery cell 16 is correct;

[0084] The secondary positioning mechanism 5 is used to reposition and adjust the position of each battery cell 16 on the fixture 20;

[0085] The first-level tab pre-welding mechanism 6 is used to pre-weld the tabs 17 on the two flipped battery cells 16 on the left side;

[0086] The first-level tab shaping mechanism 7 is used to adjust the shape of the pre-welded tab 17;

[0087] A first-level tab cutting mechanism 8 is used to cut the tab 17 after the shape adjustment;

[0088] The secondary tab pre-welding mechanism 9 is used to pre-weld the N battery cells 16 on the right side of the fixture 20;

[0089] The secondary tab shaping mechanism 10 is used to adjust the shape of the tabs 17 on the N battery cells 16 on the right side of the fixture 20;

[0090] The secondary tab cutting mechanism 11 is used to cut the tabs on the N battery cells 16 on the right side of the jig 20;

[0091] The tab cutting detection mechanism 12 is used to detect whether the tabs of the battery cell 16 are cut in place;

[0092] Hi-pot thickness measuring mechanism 13, used for performing Hi-pot test on each battery cell 16;

[0093] The unloading mechanism 15 is used to transfer and unload the battery cells 16 .

[0094] In this embodiment, N=2, that is, 4 battery cells are placed on one fixture at the same time. In other embodiments, according to process requirements, N can also be other numbers, preferably 1 to 4.

[0095] The loading mechanism 2 and the unloading mechanism 15 are both manipulators matched with the battery core 16 .

[0096] like Figure 3As shown, the fixture conveyor line 101 includes a front conveyor line 102 and a rear conveyor line 104 that are parallel to each other. The front conveyor line 102 and the rear conveyor line 104 are connected by a translation conveyor line 103 so that the entire fixture conveyor line 101 is in a "C" shape. The loading mechanism 2, the folding mechanism 3, the tab detection mechanism, the secondary positioning mechanism 5, the primary tab pre-welding mechanism 6, the primary tab shaping mechanism 7, and the primary tab cutting mechanism 8 are arranged in sequence along the front conveyor line 102. The secondary tab pre-welding mechanism 9, the secondary tab shaping mechanism 10, the secondary tab cutting mechanism 11, the tab cutting detection mechanism 12, the Hi-pot thickness measurement mechanism 13, and the unloading mechanism 15 are arranged in sequence along the rear conveyor line 104.

[0097] As Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the folding mechanism 3 includes a first machine base, a rotary cylinder 33, a flipping jaw 34 matching the battery cell 16, a first moving platform 32, and a first translation device 31 for driving the first moving platform 32 to approach or move away from the fixture conveyor line 101. The first machine base is arranged on the machine table 1. The first translation device 31 is arranged on the first machine base. The first moving platform 32 is connected to the first translation device 31. The cylinder barrel of the rotary cylinder 33 is installed on the first moving platform 32. The flipping jaw 34 is connected to the output end of the rotary cylinder 33. After 4 battery cells 16 are conveyed from the logistics conveyor line, the loading mechanism 2 grabs them onto the fixture 20 at the corresponding position of the folding structure. At this time, the positions of the battery cells 16 on the fixture are mirror-symmetrical on both sides, the symmetry axis is parallel to the conveying direction, and the tabs on the battery cells 16 are on the opposite sides. The positive electrodes on both sides are on the same side, and the negative electrodes on both sides are on the same side. Therefore, it is necessary to flip the 2 battery cells 16 on the left side (assumed to be the left side in this embodiment) on the fixture through the flipping mechanism so that the electrode positions are swapped, and the positive and negative electrodes are on the same side for subsequent processing.

[0098] As Figure 7As shown, the tab flipping detection mechanism 4 includes a CCD detection component, a second movable platform 42 and a second translation device 41 for driving the second movable platform 42 to approach or move away from the jig conveyor line 101, the CCD component includes a CCD camera 43, a CCD light source 45 and an imaging lens 44, the CCD light source 45 and the imaging lens 44 are located at both ends of the second movable platform 42 close to the jig conveyor line 101, and the CCD camera 43 is arranged on the side of the second movable platform 42 away from the jig conveyor line 101 and facing the imaging lens 44. In this embodiment, after the battery cell is flipped, it is grasped by the mechanical clamp to the jig at the position of the tab flip detection mechanism 4. The jig is opened by the clamping cylinder 54. After the mechanical clamp is in place, the battery cell 16 is placed on the battery cell placement position for detection. After the battery cell is in place, the second translation device 41 pushes the second mobile platform 42 into place, and the position of the tab of the battery cell 16 is detected through the CCD imaging principle of the CCD detection component. If the flipping position is incorrect, the subsequent workstation will perform empty processing on the battery cell on this jig.

[0099] like Figure 8 As shown, the secondary positioning mechanism 5 includes a clamping cylinder 54, a lifting and positioning frame 51 located above the fixture conveyor line 101, and a positioning component ( Figure 8 Due to the angle problem, the clamping cylinder of the secondary positioning mechanism is not shown, and its structure is the same as the clamping cylinder at position 54). The positioning assembly includes a positioning push piece 53 and a positioning cylinder 52 for driving the positioning push piece 53 to move back and forth toward the center of the battery cell placement position. The positioning cylinder 52 is installed on the lifting positioning frame 51. The number of the positioning push pieces 53 is 4, and the 4 positioning push pieces 53 are respectively located above the four sides of the battery cell placement position; the clamping cylinder 54 is located on one side of the jig conveyor line 101, and the cylinder barrel of the clamping cylinder 54 is installed on the machine 1. The telescopic rod of the clamping cylinder 54 is connected to a top block 55. After the CCD detection is completed, the battery cell 16 enters the secondary positioning mechanism 5 for more precise position adjustment. For the jig 20 for placing the battery cell 16, as shown Figure 4As shown, it has the functions of clamping and loosening, and a clamping block 21 is provided on the top for clamping the battery cell 16. An opening is provided on the top to facilitate the shaping mechanism to flatten and shape the battery cell 16 from the top and bottom respectively. The clamping and loosening of the clamping block 21 are controlled by the clamping control key 22 on the side. When the clamping control key 22 on the side is held, the clamping block 21 is forced to expand and then loosened; when the holding of the clamping control key 22 is cancelled, the clamping block 21 is elastically reset and re-tightened; however, the clamping force of the clamping block 21 is not very large, and it can only be clamped from both sides, and the front and rear positions cannot be accurately positioned. Therefore, it is necessary to perform secondary positioning adjustment on the battery cell 16 before pre-welding. The specific steps are: after the jig 20 is in place, the clamping cylinder 54 passes through the top block 5 5 Press the clamping control key 22 on the holding fixture 20, release the clamping block 21, and the lifting and positioning frame 51 with a lifting function moves downward. Then, the four vertical positioning push pieces 53 are pushed from all sides toward the center under the drive of the positioning cylinder 52 to push the battery cell 16 to the set precise position. After the lifting and positioning frame 51 is reset upward, the clamping cylinder 54 is reset, and the clamping block 21 is tightened again. The four positioning push pieces 53 can be driven simultaneously through the linkage under the action of the same positioning cylinder 52, or they can be driven separately by 1 positioning cylinder 52. As long as the four positioning push pieces 53 are translated at the same time, after the translation is in place, the four can just form a space the size of a battery cell 16 at the set position, so that the battery cell 16 can be accurately positioned and clamped.

[0100] like Figure 9 As shown, the first-level tab pre-welding mechanism 6 includes four ultrasonic tab pre-welding machines 61 arranged side by side along the jig conveying direction; the structure of the second-level tab pre-welding mechanism 9 is the same as that of the first-level tab pre-welding mechanism 6. The ultrasonic tab pre-welding machines in this embodiment belong to the prior art and will not be described in detail here; due to the size limitations of the battery cell 16 and the size of the pre-welding machine, as well as the inconsistency of the materials of the positive and negative electrodes, it is necessary to pre-weld the positive and negative electrodes separately. Among the four ultrasonic tab pre-welding machines 61, the first two are positive electrode ultrasonic tab pre-welding machines 61, which first pre-weld the positive electrodes on the two battery cells 16, and the second two are negative electrode ultrasonic tab pre-welding machines 61, which pre-weld the negative electrodes on the two battery cells 16.

[0101] like Figure 10As shown, the first-level tab shaping mechanism 7 includes a first shaping cylinder 71 and a second shaping cylinder (hidden in the figure) located on the upper and lower sides of the battery cell placement position. The telescopic rod of the first shaping cylinder 71 and the telescopic rod of the second shaping cylinder are both provided with a shaping sheet 72 for flattening the tab 17. In this way, the first-level tab shaping mechanism 7 shapes the tabs of the two battery cells after being pre-welded by the first-level tab pre-welding mechanism 6. Since the tab 17 is composed of many thin sheets stacked together, it will be relatively messy and needs to be flattened before cutting. Therefore, the first shaping cylinder 71 and the second shaping cylinder respectively drive the shaping sheet 72 to flatten the tab 17 from the upper and lower positions for subsequent cutting. The shaping sheet 72 is sheet-shaped with rounded corners on the sides and will not cause damage to the tab 17. Generally, one first shaping cylinder has two shaping pieces 72, which can simultaneously perform leveling processing on two tabs 17 on one battery cell 16, so the number of first-level tab shaping mechanisms 77 is generally two groups.

[0102] like Figure 11 As shown, the first-level tab cutting mechanism 8 includes a cutting cylinder 81 and a cutter head 82 that matches the tab. The cutter head 82 is connected to the telescopic rod of the cutting cylinder 81. The first-level tab cutting mechanism 8 is used to cut the shaped positive electrode. Driven by the cutting cylinder 81 and supported by the cutting seat 83, the cutter head 82 cuts off the portion of the tab that exceeds the size. The cooperation relationship between the cutter head 82 and the cutting seat 83 is similar to that of a paper gate knife, so that the tab will not be damaged. The number of first-level tab cutting mechanisms 8 is also 4 sets.

[0103] Assuming that the front-end conveyor line 102 and the rear-end conveyor line 104 are longitudinal, the jig is laterally translated from the end of the front-end conveyor line 102 to the head end of the rear-end conveyor line 104 through the translation conveyor line 103. During the whole process, the orientation of the four battery cells 16 on the jig does not change. In this way, after the two battery cells 16 on the left side are pre-welded, shaped and cut in the front-end conveyor line 102, after the jig is transferred to the rear-end conveyor line 104, the two battery cells 16 on the right side are just on the outside of the conveyor line, which is convenient for the setting and debugging operation of the secondary tab pre-welding mechanism 9, the secondary tab shaping mechanism 10, the secondary tab cutting mechanism 11, the tab cutting detection mechanism 12, and the Hi-pot thickness measuring mechanism 13. The pre-welding, shaping and cutting of the secondary tab pre-welding mechanism 9, the secondary tab shaping mechanism 10, and the secondary tab cutting mechanism 11 are the same as those of the primary tab pre-welding mechanism 6, the primary tab shaping mechanism 7 and the primary tab cutting mechanism 8, so they will not be described one by one. After the four battery cells 16 have been pre-welded, shaped and cut, the tab cutting detection mechanism 12 is used to detect the tab cutting. The tab cutting detection mechanism 12 also uses a CCD detection system to detect whether the tab size is qualified. If it is unqualified, the system will empty the subsequent process, and finally the battery cells 16 will flow into the unqualified logistics line. After passing the inspection of the tab cutting detection mechanism 12, it enters the Hi-pot thickness measurement mechanism 13 for Hi-pot testing, which mainly tests the short circuit between the positive and negative poles of the pole group, and between the negative pole and the large surface of the pole group. Figure 12 As shown, in the Hi-pot thickness measuring mechanism 13, a precision pressure reducing valve 131 is installed, which can adjust the pressure to ≤500kgf; the positive and negative probes have their own spring flexibility and are adjustable in position to prevent the pole ears from being crushed; a precision contact sensor is also provided, which is arranged at two diagonal positions of the pole group, with a detection accuracy of up to 0.05mm, and measures the thickness of the two positions of the pole group; each Hi-pot test line is routed in a separate metal (shielded) wire trough to prevent interference between wires; the flatness of its pressing plate 132 is 0.02mm, and the parallelism of the upper and lower plates is 0.05mm, which can ensure the parallelism / flatness of the product after the pole group thickness measurement; the surface of the pressing plate is plated with an anti-stick coating and evenly distributed with exhaust holes to prevent adhesion during the thickness measurement of the pole group; and a thickness calibration block with a thickness close to that of the battery cell 16 is provided to detect repeatability; a material detection sensor is also installed, and a thickness measurement air pressure detection alarm is used to prevent sensor damage.

[0104] After the product passes the Hi-pot test, it is considered to have passed the entire pre-welding process and can flow into the next process flow after being grabbed by the unloading mechanism 15. Unqualified products will flow into the unqualified conveyor line.

[0105] In this way, this embodiment can process four battery cells 16 at the same time through the reasonable arrangement of the folding mechanism 3, the tab folding detection mechanism 4, the secondary positioning mechanism 5, the first-level tab pre-welding mechanism 6, the first-level tab shaping mechanism 7, the first-level tab cutting mechanism 8, the second-level tab pre-welding mechanism 9, the second-level tab shaping mechanism 10, the second-level tab cutting mechanism 11, the tab cutting detection mechanism 12 and the Hi-pot thickness measuring mechanism 13 in sequence, thereby improving the processing efficiency and effectively improving the degree of automation, ensuring the orderly and reasonable pre-welding, shaping and cutting of the battery cells 16, and setting the secondary positioning mechanism 5, which can make the processing position of the battery cells 16 more accurate, prevent the occurrence of phenomena such as wrong welding and welding explosion, ensure production efficiency, reduce the unqualified rate of products, and save production costs.

[0106] Example 3

[0107] This embodiment is a more preferred implementation of embodiment 2. On the basis of embodiment 1, this embodiment further provides a transposition matching mechanism 14 between the Hi-pot thickness measuring mechanism 13 and the unloading mechanism 15 for swapping the battery cells 16 on both sides of the jig. The arrangement of this embodiment is to facilitate the position of the battery cells 16 when entering the next process, and to facilitate handling. Specifically, during the pre-welding, shaping, and cutting process of the tabs, the tabs of the battery cells 16 on the left and right sides of the jig are back to back. Assuming that the tabs of the battery cells 16 are two hands, it is equivalent to placing them back to back; and after the tabs are pre-welded, the battery cells 16 flow into the next process, and the tabs need to be facing each other to achieve the connection between the tabs. Therefore, a transposition matching mechanism 14 is needed here to adjust the battery cells 16 from back to front. Specifically, the robot grabs the four battery cells 16 that have passed the Hi-pot test onto the transposition matching mechanism 14. The structure of the transposition matching mechanism 14 is as shown below. Figure 13 As shown, the transposition pairing structure includes a π-shaped long bridge 141 and a short bridge 142. The short bridge 142 can be lifted and translated under the drive of the lifting cylinder and the translation cylinder, and the long bridge 141 can be translated under the drive of the translation cylinder. The short bridge 142 can pass between the bridge frames of the long bridge 141. The long bridge 141 and the short bridge 142 each have two battery cell 16 placement positions; in the initial position, the long bridge 141 and the short bridge 142 are at the same horizontal position, and the manipulator places the four battery cells 16 on the long bridge 141 and the short bridge 142 respectively, then the short bridge 142 descends, and then the long bridge 141 and the short bridge 142 are translated relative to each other, and the short bridge 142 passes under the long bridge 141, and the two realize position exchange, and finally the short bridge 142 rises to the initial position, thus realizing the position swap of the battery cells 16.

[0108] Example 4

[0109] This embodiment is a more preferred embodiment of embodiment 2. On the basis of embodiment 1, in this embodiment, the surface of the flip clamp 34 is further coated with PU, which can prevent the surface of the battery cell 16 from being damaged during the clamping process.

[0110] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A power battery cell tab pre-welding process, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: S1. Cell feeding: Simultaneously transfer 2N cells to the cell placement positions of the fixture; S2. Cell folding: Flip N cells on one side of the fixture; S3. Tab folding detection: Detect whether the positions of the tabs of the cells are correct; S4. Secondary positioning: Re-position and adjust the positions of each cell on the fixture; S5. Primary tab pre-welding: Pre-weld the positive tabs and negative tabs on N cells that have been flipped on one side respectively; S6. Primary tab shaping: Adjust the shape of the pre-welded tabs; S7. Primary tab cutting: Cut the tabs whose shapes have been adjusted; S8. Secondary tab pre-welding: Pre-weld the positive tabs and negative tabs on N cells on the other side respectively; S9. Secondary tab shaping: Adjust the shape of the tabs on N cells on the other side; S10. Secondary tab cutting: Cut the tabs on N cells on the other side; S11. Tab cutting detection: Detect whether the cutting of the tabs of the cells is in place; S12. Hi-pot thickness measurement: Perform Hi-pot testing on each cell; S13. Transposition pairing: Swap the cells on both sides of the fixture; S14. Unloading: Transfer and unload the cells; where N≥1; The pre-welding process of the power battery cell tabs is applied to the fixture conveyor line (101). The fixture conveyor line (101) includes a front conveyor line (102) and a rear conveyor line (104) that are parallel to each other. The front conveyor line (102) is connected to the rear conveyor line (104) through a translation conveyor line (103) so that the entire fixture conveyor line (101) is in an "L" shape; Steps S1-S7 are located on the front conveyor line (102), and steps S8-S14 are located on the rear conveyor line (104).

2. A power battery cell tab pre-welding device, characterized in that: It includes a machine table (1), a fixture conveyor line (101) provided on the machine table (1), and the following components arranged in sequence along the fixture conveyor line (101): A feeding mechanism (2) for simultaneously transferring 2N cells to the cell placement positions of the fixture; A folding mechanism (3) for flipping N cells on one side of the fixture; A tab folding detection mechanism (4) for detecting whether the positions of the tabs of the cells are correct; A secondary positioning mechanism (5) for re-positioning and adjusting the positions of each cell on the fixture; A primary tab pre-welding mechanism (6) for pre-welding the tabs on N cells that have been flipped on one side; A primary tab shaping mechanism (7) for adjusting the shape of the pre-welded tabs; A primary tab cutting mechanism (8) for cutting the tabs whose shapes have been adjusted; A secondary tab pre-welding mechanism (9) for pre-welding N cells on the other side; A secondary tab shaping mechanism (10) for adjusting the shape of the tabs on N cells on the other side; A secondary tab cutting mechanism (11) for cutting the tabs on N cells on the other side; A tab cutting detection mechanism (12) for detecting whether the cutting of the tabs of the cells is in place; A Hi-pot thickness measurement mechanism (13) for performing Hi-pot testing on each cell; The transposition pairing mechanism (14) is used to swap the battery cells on both sides of the fixture; The blanking mechanism (15) is used to transfer and blank the battery cells; where N≥1; The fixture conveyor line (101) includes a front conveyor line (102) and a rear conveyor line (104) that are parallel to each other. The front conveyor line (102) and the rear conveyor line (104) are connected by a translation conveyor line (103) so that the entire fixture conveyor line (101) is in an "L" shape. The loading mechanism (2), the folding mechanism (3), the tab folding detection mechanism (4), the secondary positioning mechanism (5), the primary tab pre-welding mechanism (6), the primary tab shaping mechanism (7), and the primary tab cutting mechanism (8) are arranged in sequence along the front conveyor line (102). The secondary tab pre-welding mechanism (9), the secondary tab shaping mechanism (10), the secondary tab cutting mechanism (11), the Hi-pot thickness measurement mechanism (13), and the blanking mechanism (15) are arranged in sequence along the rear conveyor line (104).

3. The power battery cell tab pre-welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The folding mechanism (3) includes a first machine base, a rotary cylinder (33), a flipping jaw (34) matching the battery cell, a first moving platform (32), and a first translation device (31) for driving the first moving platform (32) to approach or move away from the fixture conveyor line (101). The first machine base is arranged on the machine table (1), the first translation device (31) is arranged on the first machine base, the first moving platform (32) is connected to the first translation device (31), the cylinder barrel of the rotary cylinder (33) is installed on the first moving platform (32), and the flipping jaw (34) is connected to the output end of the rotary cylinder (33).

4. The power battery cell tab pre-welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tab folding detection mechanism (4) includes a CCD detection component, a second moving platform (42), and a second translation device (41) for driving the second moving platform (42) to approach or move away from the fixture conveyor line (101). The CCD detection component includes a CCD camera (43), a CCD light source (44), and an imaging lens (45). The CCD light source and the imaging lens (45) are located at both ends of the second moving platform (42) on the side close to the fixture conveyor line (101). The CCD camera (43) is arranged on the side of the second moving platform (42) away from the fixture conveyor line (101) and is facing the imaging lens (45).

5. The power battery cell tab pre-welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The secondary positioning mechanism (5) includes a clamping cylinder (54), a lifting positioning frame (51) located above the fixture conveyor line (101), and a positioning assembly respectively provided above each of the battery cell placement positions, the positioning assembly including a positioning push piece (53) and a positioning cylinder (52) for driving the positioning push piece (53) to move back and forth toward the center of the battery cell placement position, the positioning cylinder (52) being installed on the lifting positioning frame (51), the number of the positioning push pieces (53) being four, and the four positioning push pieces (53) being respectively located above the four sides of the battery cell placement position; the clamping cylinder (54) is located on one side of the fixture conveyor line (101), the cylinder barrel of the clamping cylinder (54) is installed on the machine platform (1), and the telescopic rod of the clamping cylinder (54) is connected to a top block (55).

6. The power battery cell tab pre-welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first-level tab pre-welding mechanism (6) and the second-level tab pre-welding mechanism (9) both include 2N ultrasonic tab pre-welding machines (61) arranged side by side.

7. The power battery cell tab pre-welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first-stage tab shaping mechanism (7) comprises a first shaping cylinder (71) and a second shaping cylinder located on the upper and lower sides of the battery cell placement position, and the telescopic rods of the first shaping cylinder and the second shaping cylinder are both provided with shaping sheets (72) for flattening the tabs.

8. The power battery cell tab pre-welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The primary tab cutting mechanism (8) comprises a cutting cylinder (81), a cutter head (82) matching the tab, and a cutting seat (83) used in conjunction with the cutter head (82); the cutter head (82) is connected to the telescopic rod of the cutting cylinder (81).

9. The power battery cell tab pre-welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism are both manipulators matched with the battery core.

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