Tab Gluing Device and Tab Gluing Method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of energy storage devices, and discloses an ear tab gluing device and an ear tab gluing method. The ear tab gluing device includes a conveying mechanism, a cutting mechanism, a positioning mechanism, and a gluing mechanism. Among them, the conveying mechanism is used to convey the tape; the first cutter and the second cutter of the cutting mechanism are used to cut the tape into a shape with beveled edges at both ends; the positioning mechanism is used to fix the battery cell; the gluing mechanism can attach the adhesive tape to the ear tab of the battery cell. Therefore, the ear tab gluing device can use roll tape, which has a lower cost compared to die-cut adhesive tape, and eliminates the mechanism for removing the base paper, making the device structure simpler. The cut tape can adapt to the shape of the ear tab, avoiding waste at the corners and facilitating ear tab gluing. The ear tab gluing method includes loading, cutting, gluing, and unloading. It can use roll tape to cut into a tape with beveled edges at both ends, which has a lower cost and can reduce the gluing cost, thereby reducing the production cost of the battery cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of energy storage devices, and particularly to an ear tab gluing device and an ear tab gluing method. Background Art

[0002] During the manufacturing process of lithium-ion batteries, it is necessary to paste adhesive tape at the corresponding parts of the ear tabs for insulation protection and to prevent foreign objects from falling into the battery core. Generally, die-cut adhesive tape is used for gluing, and the gluing operation requires complex actions. For example, it is necessary to first uncover the base paper of the die-cut adhesive tape. Therefore, the gluing device needs to be equipped with at least a mechanism for removing the base paper, resulting in a relatively complex overall structure, and the cost of die-cut adhesive tape is relatively high, increasing the cost of the battery. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. For this purpose, the present application provides an ear tab gluing device suitable for cutting and gluing ordinary adhesive tape, thereby reducing costs.

[0004] An ear tab gluing method with the above-mentioned ear tab gluing device is also provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0005] The ear tab gluing device according to the first aspect embodiment of the present application includes a conveying mechanism, a cutting mechanism, a positioning mechanism, and a gluing mechanism. Among them, the conveying mechanism is used for conveying the adhesive tape; the cutting mechanism includes a first cutter and a second cutter, the first cutter and the second cutter are arranged at a set angle and have a set spacing, and are used for cutting the adhesive tape conveyed by the conveying mechanism; the positioning mechanism is arranged at an interval from the cutting mechanism, and the positioning mechanism is used for fixing the battery core; the gluing mechanism includes a material taking component and a driving component, the driving component is connected to the material taking component, and can drive the material taking component to move between the cutting mechanism and the positioning mechanism, and the material taking component can attach the adhesive tape cut by the cutting mechanism to the ear tab of the battery core.

[0006] The ear tab gluing device according to the first aspect embodiment of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: The first cutter and the second cutter of the cutting mechanism are arranged at a set angle and have a set spacing. Therefore, the first cutter and the second cutter can cut the adhesive tape to form two cutting edges with a set angle, thereby cutting the adhesive tape into a trapezoidal or approximately trapezoidal shape, which is similar to the shape of the ear tab of the battery and can be directly pasted on the ear tab. Therefore, the ear tab gluing device of the embodiment of the present application can use roll-fed adhesive tape, which is cut by the cutting mechanism and then pasted on the ear tab. Compared with die-cut adhesive tape, the roll-fed adhesive tape has a lower cost, and the pasting surface is not covered by the base paper. The gluing device can omit the mechanism for removing the base paper, the device structure is simpler, and the feeding, cutting, and pasting actions of the adhesive tape can be effectively coordinated during gluing, which can improve the gluing efficiency and save the battery cost.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, the cutting mechanism further includes a first moving component, the first cutter and the second cutter are connected to the first moving component, and the first moving component is configured to drive the first cutter and the second cutter to move closer to or away from the tape; alternatively, the cutting mechanism further includes a second moving component and a third moving component, the second moving component is connected to the first cutter and configured to drive the first cutter to move closer to or away from the tape, and the third moving component is connected to the second cutter and configured to drive the second cutter to move closer to or away from the tape.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present application, the conveying mechanism includes an unwinding component and a first clamping component. The unwinding component and the first clamping component are respectively arranged on two sides of the cutting mechanism. The unwinding component is configured to unwind the wound tape, and the first clamping component is configured to clamp the end of the tape so that the tape is unwound along a set path.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present application, the conveying mechanism further includes a second clamping component. The second clamping component is arranged corresponding to the unfolding path of the tape and is configured to clamp the middle part of the tape beside the first cutter and the second cutter.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present application, the picking component includes a picking head and a rotating member. The picking head is connected to the rotating member, and the rotating member is configured to drive the picking head to rotate.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present application, the picking component includes a plurality of the picking heads, and the picking component further includes an adjusting member. The adjusting member is connected to the picking head and is configured to adjust the distance between adjacent picking heads.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present application, the positioning mechanism includes a plurality of positioning components, and each positioning component is respectively configured to fix the battery cell, and the positioning components are arranged at intervals.

[0013] The method for attaching the tab to the battery cell according to the second aspect embodiment of the present application includes:

[0014] Loading: Configure the tape attaching station and the cutting station, fix the battery cell at the tape attaching station, and convey the tape to the cutting station;

[0015] Cutting: At the cutting station, cut the tape with two cutters having a set included angle to form a shape with beveled edges at both ends;

[0016] Tape attaching: Transfer the cut tape to the tape attaching station, align the tape with the tab of the battery cell, and attach the tape to the tab;

[0017] Blanking: After each tab is attached to the tape, the battery cell is removed from the taping station.

[0018] The tab taping method according to the second aspect embodiment of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: The tape is cut by two cutting knives with a set included angle to form a shape with beveled edges at both ends. The shape of the cut tape is similar to that of the tab, and the tape can be directly taped to the tab. Therefore, this method can use conventional roll tape for cutting and taping. Compared with die-cut adhesive paper, roll tape is widely used, easy to obtain, and has a lower cost. Moreover, the adhesive surface of the roll tape is not covered with base paper, and the steps and corresponding mechanisms of removing the base paper of the die-cut adhesive paper are omitted during taping, which can reduce the taping cost to a certain extent, thereby reducing the production cost of the battery cell.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present application, the tape is tensioned at the cutting station, and the tape is clamped on both sides of the two cutting knives.

[0020] The additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be partially given in the following description, partially become apparent from the following description, or be understood through the practice of the present application. Description of the Drawings

[0021] The following further describes the present application in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments, where:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a typical battery cell and its tabs;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the tab taping device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the cutting of the tape;

[0025] Figure 4 is Figure 2 a schematic structural diagram of the cutting mechanism shown;

[0026] Figure 5 is Figure 4 a top view of the cutting mechanism shown;

[0027] Figure 6 is Figure 2 a schematic structural diagram of the conveying mechanism and the cutting mechanism in the tab taping device shown;

[0028] Figure 7 is Figure 3 a partial schematic structural diagram of the material taking mechanism of the tab taping device shown;

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of the material taking head in another embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 9 is Figure 3 a schematic structural view of the positioning mechanism in the tab sticking device shown in

[0031] Figure 10 a schematic view of the placement of a pair of oppositely arranged battery cells;

[0032] Figure 11 a schematic view after the adhesive tape cut by the tab sticking device of the embodiment of the present application is pasted on the tab of the battery cell;

[0033] Figure 12 is Figure 11 a side view of

[0034] Reference numerals:

[0035] battery cell 10, body 11, tab 12, inclined edge 13, coiled tape 20, tape 21, hypotenuse 22;

[0036] conveying mechanism 200, unwinding assembly 201, first clamping assembly 202, first moving member 203, clamping member 204, second clamping assembly 205, pressing head 206, second moving member 207, first pressing roller 208, third moving member 209, second pressing roller 210, positioning slide rail 211, positioning groove 212, roller shaft 213, third pressing roller 214;

[0037] cutting mechanism 300, first cutter 301, second cutter 302, first moving assembly 303;

[0038] positioning mechanism 400, positioning assembly 401, positioning seat 402, receiving cavity 403, cavity wall 404, fourth moving assembly 405;

[0039] tab sticking mechanism 500, material taking assembly 501, driving assembly 502, base frame 503, cross beam 504, material taking head 505, pressing member 506, rotating member 507, adjusting member 508, base 509, elongated hole 510

[0040] first workbench 601, second workbench 602. Detailed implementation manners

[0041] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are exemplary only for explaining the present application and should not be construed as a limitation of the present application.

[0042] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that with respect to the orientation description, such as the orientation or positional relationship indicated by up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., it is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0043] In the description of the present application, the meaning of "several" is more than one, and "above", "below", "within", etc. are understood to include the recited number. If there is a description of "first", "second", etc., it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features or the sequence relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0044] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as "set", "installed", "connected", etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0045] In the description of the present application, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a typical cell structure. Refer to Figure 1 , during the manufacturing process of a lithium-ion battery, it is necessary to paste a tape 21 at the corresponding position of the tab 12 for insulation protection and to prevent foreign objects from falling into the interior of the cell 10. Among them, refer to Figure 1, the battery cell 10 includes a body 11 and a pair of tabs 12 extending from one end of the body 11. The two sides in the width direction of the tabs 12 have inclined edges 13, so that the outer shape of the tabs 12 is similar to a trapezoid. When using conventional tape for pasting, it is necessary to cut a tape with a length that can cover the outer surface of the tabs 12, so there is waste at the corners, and the space occupancy rate for the overall top cover design is relatively large, which is not conducive to the overall structural design. In some solutions, die-cut adhesive paper is used for pasting, and the pasting operation requirements are complex. For example, it is necessary to first uncover the base paper of the die-cut adhesive paper. Therefore, the pasting device needs to be equipped with at least a mechanism for removing the base paper, so that the overall structure is relatively complex, and the cost of die-cut adhesive paper is relatively high, increasing the cost of the battery. In addition, due to the problems of waste in pasting cost and waste of space in the top cover structural parts, the possibility of diverse structural designs of the battery cell is limited.

[0047] The tab pasting device and tab pasting method according to the embodiments of the present application can cut the tape into a shape with beveled edges at both ends, and then paste it at the corresponding positions of the tabs 12 of the battery cell 10. Since the two ends of the cut tape have beveled edges and are in a trapezoidal structure, which is similar to the outer shape of the tabs 12, while ensuring that the tabs 12 can be covered, waste at the corners is avoided, saving a certain amount of space for the top cover structural design. Therefore, the tab pasting device implemented in the present application can use a roll tape to be cut by a cutting device and then pasted. Compared with the current die-cut adhesive paper, the roll tape has a lower cost, and the steps and mechanisms for uncovering the base paper of the die-cut adhesive paper are omitted during pasting, and the space and movement requirements for pasting are simpler. The following are some embodiments of the present application:

[0048] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the tab pasting device according to the embodiment of the present application, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the cutting of the tape, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application provides a tab pasting device, including a conveying mechanism 200, a cutting mechanism 300, a positioning mechanism 400, and a pasting mechanism 500. Among them, the conveying mechanism 200 is used to convey the tape 21, and the cutting mechanism 300 is used to cut the tape 21 conveyed by the conveying mechanism 200. For example, the roll tape 20 is unfolded along a set direction to facilitate cutting; the cutting mechanism 300 is arranged corresponding to the unfolded tape 21 and is used to cut the tape 21 into a shape with beveled edges 22 at both ends. The positioning mechanism 400 is used to fix the battery cell 10; the pasting mechanism 500 is used to obtain the cut tape 21 and transfer it to the positioning mechanism 400 to paste the tabs 12 of the battery cell 10.

[0049] Among them, the cutting mechanism 300 includes a first cutter 301 and a second cutter 302. The first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 are arranged at a set angle α and have a set spacing, thus forming an arrangement inclined with respect to the two side edges of the tape 21, and are used to cut the tape 21 respectively to form a shape with beveled edges 22 at both ends, so that the tape 21 has a trapezoidal structure similar to the outer shape of the tab 12, thereby facilitating the glue picking and pasting of the glue pasting mechanism 500. The angle β of the beveled edges 22 formed by cutting with the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 having the angle α is equal to the angle α. Refer to Figure 3 , the beveled edge 22 cut by the inclined first cutter 301 or second cutter 302 can be used as the beveled edge 22 of two adjacent tapes 21 with opposite directions, which can realize the full utilization of the tape 21 and avoid the waste of the corners of the tape 21.

[0050] The positioning mechanism 400 is arranged at an interval from the cutting mechanism 300. The positioning mechanism 400 is used to fix the battery cell 10 to prevent the battery cell 10 from shaking. The glue pasting mechanism 500 includes a material taking component 501 and a driving component 502. The driving component 502 is connected to the material taking component 501 and can drive the material taking component 501 to move between the cutting mechanism 300 and the positioning mechanism 400. The material taking component 501 can attach the tape 21 to the tab 12 of the battery cell 10.

[0051] Therefore, the tab glue pasting device of the embodiment of the present application can cut the tape 21 with beveled edges 22 at both ends through the cutting mechanism 300, and can adapt to the outer shape of the tab 12. Therefore, the roll tape 20 can be unrolled and then cut and pasted. The cost of the roll tape 20 is lower than that of the die-cut adhesive paper, and the mechanism for removing the base paper is omitted, the equipment is more simplified. The cut tape 21 is similar to the outer shape of the tab 12, which is convenient for tab 12 glue pasting and the optimization of the internal design space of the cover plate, avoids the waste of the corner tape 21, and can effectively coordinate the feeding, cutting and pasting actions of the tape 21 during glue pasting, which can improve the glue pasting efficiency and save the battery cost.

[0052] In some embodiments, the driving component 502 can adopt a conventional gantry motion platform, or a multi-axis motion platform formed by combining multiple linear modules, or a multi-axis robotic arm, as long as the transfer of the material taking component 501 can be realized. For example, in the tab glue pasting device of the embodiment of the present application, the driving component 502 adopts a gantry motion platform, which includes a base frame 503, a power component and a cross beam 504. A guide rail extending from the cutting mechanism 300 to the positioning mechanism 400 is arranged on the base frame 503. A guide rail seat is arranged on the cross beam 504 and can move along the guide rail under the drive of the power component. The material taking component 501 is connected to the cross beam 504. Thus, it can move between the cutting mechanism 300 and the positioning mechanism 400 along with the movement of the cross beam 504 to realize glue picking and pasting.

[0053] Figure 4 is Figure 2 a schematic structural diagram of the cutting mechanism shown Figure 5 is Figure 4 a top view of the cutting mechanism shown. Refer to Figures 2 to 5 , in some embodiments, the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 are arranged at a set angle, and the angle α can be reasonably configured according to the actual shape of the tab 12, and can be in the range of 0° to 60°, such as 10°, 20°, 30°, 45°, 55°, etc., or any other angle between 0° and 60°. In the adhesive pasting device of the embodiment of the present application, the angle α is in the range of 0° to 30°, which can be applicable to the outer dimensions of the tabs 12 of most battery cells 10, avoiding waste at the corners, saving materials, and facilitating the adhesive pasting of the tabs 12. The distance between the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 of the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 can be reasonably configured according to the outer dimensions of the tab 12, as long as the insulation of the tab 12 can be achieved.

[0054] Refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , in some embodiments, the cutting mechanism 300 further includes a first moving component 303. The first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 are connected to the first moving component 303. For example, they are connected to the first moving component 303 through a connecting plate. The first moving component 303 is used to drive the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 to move closer to or away from the tape 21. Thus, the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 move synchronously towards the tape 21, and can simultaneously cut the tape 21 to form the beveled edges 22 at both ends, which can save the number of moving components. Or, the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 can be respectively connected to independent moving components. For example, the cutting mechanism 300 further includes a second moving component and a third moving component (not shown in the figure). The second moving component is connected to the first cutter 301 and is used to drive the first cutter 301 to move closer to or away from the tape 21. The third moving component is connected to the second cutter 302 and is used to drive the second cutter 302 to move closer to or away from the tape 21. Thus, the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 are respectively actuated to cut the tape 21, so that they can be repaired and replaced separately.

[0055] Figure 6 is Figure 2 a schematic structural diagram of the conveying mechanism and the cutting mechanism in the tab adhesive pasting device shown. Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6, in some embodiments, the conveying mechanism 200 includes an unwinding assembly 201 and a first clamping assembly 202. The unwinding assembly 201 and the first clamping assembly 202 are respectively disposed on both sides of the cutting mechanism 300. The unwinding assembly 201 is used for unwinding the coiled tape 20, and the first clamping assembly 202 is used for clamping the end of the tape 21 so that the tape 21 is unfolded along a set path.

[0056] Among them, the first clamping assembly 202 may include a clamping member 204 and a first moving member 203. The clamping member 204 is used for clamping the end of the tape 21, and the first moving member 203 is used for driving the clamping member 204 to move closer to or away from the unwinding assembly 201. After the clamping member 204 approaches the unwinding assembly 201, it clamps the end of the tape 21. By driving the clamping member 204 away from the unwinding assembly 201 through the first moving member 203, the tape 21 is pulled to unfold the coiled tape 20. When the material taking mechanism takes the material after cutting is completed, the clamped end is released. After the driving assembly 502 drives the material taking mechanism away from the cutting mechanism 300, the first moving member 203 continues to drive the clamping member 204 to move towards the unwinding assembly 201 for the next clamping and unfolding of the tape 21. The first moving member 203 may adopt a conventional linear motion mechanism such as a cylinder or an electric cylinder to realize the reciprocating drive of the clamping member 204, with a simple structure and precise movement. The clamping member 204 may adopt a conventional jaw, which has reliable clamping and a simple structure and is easy to implement.

[0057] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 , in some embodiments, the conveying mechanism 200 may further include a second clamping assembly 205. The second clamping assembly 205 is disposed corresponding to the unfolding path of the tape 21 and is used for clamping the middle part of the tape 21 beside the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302. The middle part here refers to the position between the cutting position corresponding to the first cutter 301 and the unwinding assembly 201, and the position between the cutting position corresponding to the second cutter 302 and the end of the tape 21, rather than being limited to the geometric center position of the tape 21. After clamping, it can assist in tensioning the tape 21 to prevent the tape 21 from slipping, so that the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 can cut smoothly, improving the cutting accuracy and efficiency. Among them, the second clamping assembly 205 may include a pressing head 206, a second moving member 207, and a first pressure roller 208. The pressing head 206 and the first pressure roller 208 are correspondingly positioned. The second moving member 207 is used for driving the pressing head 206 to move relative to the first pressure roller 208 to clamp the tape 21 between the pressing head 206 and the pressure roller, or driving the pressing head 206 away from the first pressure roller 208 so that the clamping of the first clamping assembly 202 can cooperate with the traction of the tape 21 to realize the unfolding of the coiled tape 20.

[0058] Reference Figure 6, the conveying mechanism 200 may further include a third pressure roller 214, which is correspondingly located between two first pressure rollers 208 and is on the other side of the tape 21 relative to the cutting mechanism 300. It can abut against the tape 21 from the other side of the tape 21 when the cutting mechanism 300 cuts the tape 21, so as to facilitate cutting the tape 21.

[0059] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 , in the above embodiment, the unwinding assembly 201 may include a third moving member 209 and a second pressure roller 210. The third moving member 209 is connected to the second pressure roller 210. The second pressure roller 210 can abut against the tape 21, and the third moving member 209 can drive the second pressure roller 210 to reciprocate, so as to pull the wound tape 20 to unwind, facilitating the first clamping assembly 202 to pull the wound tape 20 to unwind. The unwinding assembly 201 may further include a roller shaft 213 for threading the wound tape 20. The third moving member 209 may adopt a conventional linear motion mechanism such as a cylinder or an electric cylinder. The second pressure roller 210 may adopt a cylindrical roller structure. The outer surface of the second pressure roller 210 is cylindrical and parallel to the surface of the tape 21, which can effectively avoid damaging the tape 21. The unwinding assembly 201 may further include a positioning slide rail 211. A positioning groove 212 extending along the moving direction of the second pressure roller 210 is provided on the positioning slide rail 211. One end of the second pressure roller 210 is placed in the positioning groove 212. Thus, the moving path of the second pressure roller 210 can be defined through the positioning groove 212, avoiding the damage of the tape 21 or structural interference caused by the offset of the second pressure roller 210 during movement, which helps to improve the stability of the unwinding assembly 201.

[0060] In the above embodiment, during the first unwinding, the wound tape 20 is threaded through the roller shaft 213, the end is pulled out and unfolded to the first clamping assembly 202 for clamping, or after being clamped by the first clamping assembly 202, it is unfolded to a set position, and then cut after being pressed by the second clamping assembly 205. After the cutting mechanism 300 cuts and the material taking mechanism takes the material, the third moving member 209 in the unwinding assembly 201 drives the second pressure roller 210 to push the wound tape 20 to unwind, and then the third moving member 209 drives the second pressure roller 210 to retract. The first moving member 203 in the first clamping assembly 202 drives the clamping member 204 to move towards the end formed after cutting and clamp the end (the unwinding of the second pressure roller 210 and the movement of the clamping member 204 towards the end formed after cutting can be carried out simultaneously). The first moving member 203 drives the clamping member 204 clamping the end of the tape 21 to retract, so that the tape 21 is unfolded beside the cutting mechanism 300 for cutting; repeat the above operations of unwinding and unfolding, so as to realize the continuous feeding of the tape 21.

[0061] Figure 7 For Figure 3 a partial structural schematic diagram of the material taking mechanism in the tab sticking device shown, reference Figure 7, in some embodiments, the tape picking assembly 501 may include a tape picking head 505 and a pressing member 506. The pressing member 506 is connected to the driving assembly 502, and the tape picking head 505 is connected to the pressing member 506. The pressing member 506 is used to drive the tape picking head 505 to approach the battery cell 10, so as to press the tape 21 against the tab 12 of the battery cell 10 at a set position and paste it at the corresponding position of the tab 12, thereby realizing taping of the tab 12. Among them, the tape picking head 505 may adopt a conventional suction cup structure for adsorbing and picking materials. Connecting to a vacuum source can generate negative pressure, thereby adsorbing the tape 21. The negative pressure adsorption method can ensure stable adsorption and avoid damage to the tape 21 such as wrinkles and scratches.

[0062] Reference Figure 7 , the tape picking head 505 is connected with a rotating member 507, and the rotating member 507 is used to drive the tape picking head 505 to rotate. Therefore, it can be applicable to battery cells 10 in various placement manners. After the tape 21 cut by the cutting mechanism 300 is obtained by the tape picking head 505, the hypotenuse 22 position of the tape 21 may not correspond to the hypotenuses 22 on both sides of the tab 12 of the battery cell 10. At this time, the rotating member 507 can be used to drive the tape picking head 505 to rotate by a set angle, so as to correspond to the tab 12, which is convenient for pasting. In some embodiments, the tape picking assembly 501 includes a plurality of tape picking heads 505. Therefore, each tape picking head 505 on the tape picking assembly 501 can respectively obtain a cut tape 21. Thus, after taking glue from a plurality of tapes 21, they can be transferred to the corresponding positions of the battery cell 10 for taping. When the glue taking is completed, or during the transfer process, or after being transferred to the corresponding position of the battery cell 10 and before taping, the orientation of the tape 21 can be adjusted by rotating the rotating member 507 to adapt to the shape and orientation of the tab 12. Among them, the rotating member 507 may adopt a conventional rotating cylinder, and its structure and operation are relatively simple and easy to implement.

[0063] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of the tape picking head in another embodiment of the present application. In some embodiments, reference Figure 8, the material taking assembly 501 includes two material taking heads 505, which can be used to apply adhesive tapes to two tab ears 12 of the same battery cell 10 simultaneously, or to apply adhesive tapes to two opposite tab ears 12 of two oppositely arranged battery cells 10. The material taking assembly 501 further includes an adjusting member 508. The adjusting member 508 is connected to the material taking head 505 and is used to adjust the distance between adjacent material taking heads 505. Since there are differences in the distances between tab ears 12 in different battery cells 10, or the distances between opposite tab ears 12 of two oppositely arranged battery cells 10 are different, the adjusting member 508 can adjust the distance between adjacent material taking heads 505, so as to adapt to tab ears 12 with different distances and improve the adaptability of the tab ear adhesive applying device. Wherein, the adjusting member 508 includes a base 509. A strip-shaped hole 510 is provided on the base 509. One end of a rotating member 507 is arranged in the strip-shaped hole 510 and can be fixed at a set position in the strip-shaped hole 510, thereby fixing the position of the material taking head 505. The relative positions of the material taking heads 505 can be adjusted by the position of the rotating member 507 relative to the strip-shaped hole 510, so as to adapt to two tab ears 12 with different distances.

[0064] Figure 9 is Figure 3 a schematic structural view of the positioning mechanism in the tab ear adhesive applying device shown in Figure 10 a schematic layout view of a pair of oppositely arranged battery cells for reference Figure 9 , in some embodiments, the positioning mechanism 400 includes a plurality of positioning components 401. Each positioning component 401 is respectively used to fix the battery cell 10. The positioning components 401 are arranged at intervals. Thus, the positioning mechanism 400 can fix a plurality of battery cells 10 simultaneously through the plurality of positioning components 401 arranged at intervals, so that a plurality of battery cells 10 can be loaded at one time. After applying adhesive tapes to the tab ears 12 of each battery cell 10 through the material taking mechanism, they are unloaded uniformly. Compared with the scheme of separately loading, applying adhesive tapes, and unloading single battery cells 10, it can effectively save the loading time and thus effectively improve the adhesive applying efficiency. Figure 9 In the embodiment shown, the positioning mechanism 400 includes 2 positioning components 401. The two positioning components 401 are arranged oppositely. Thus, two battery cells 10 can be arranged and positioned in a manner that the tab ears 12 face each other. For reference Figure 10 , for two battery cells 10 with tab ears 12 facing each other, the tab ears 12 on the same side are symmetric with each other. Therefore, the two tab ears 12 on the same side of the two battery cells 10 can be simultaneously applied with adhesive tapes by the above-mentioned adhesive applying assembly having two material taking heads 505, or the two tab ears 12 of the same battery cell 10 can be simultaneously applied with adhesive tapes. After the two material taking heads 505 of the adhesive applying assembly obtain two pieces of adhesive tapes 21, the orientations of the two pieces of adhesive tapes 21 can be adjusted to be consistent with the orientations of the two tab ears 12 to be applied with adhesive tapes through corresponding rotation, so as to facilitate adhesive application.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the positioning component 401 includes a positioning seat 402, and a receiving cavity 403 is provided on the positioning seat 402 for receiving the battery cell 10. Each cavity wall 404 of the receiving cavity 403 can be used to position the body 11 of the battery cell 10, thereby realizing the positioning of the battery cell 10. Alternatively, the positioning component 401 can also adopt other structures, such as using a tooling fixture commonly used in the production and processing of the battery cell 10 for fixing the battery cell 10, as long as the positioning of the battery cell 10 can be realized and the tab 12 and the part of the body 11 close to the root of the tab 12 are exposed for adhesive bonding.

[0066] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the battery cell tab after being adhered to the tab by the tape cut by the tab adhesive sticking device of the embodiment of the present application. Figure 12 for Figure 11 Side view of Figures 10 to 12 The cutting length of the tape 21 can be appropriately larger than the width between the two corresponding oblique edges 22 of the tab 12 to ensure reliable insulation. The width d of the tape 21 can be appropriately larger than the extended length of the tab 12. Therefore, the cut tape 21 can cover the tab 12 while being partially attached to the body 11 near the root of the tab 12 (refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 ), ensure that the adhesion is firm and effectively prevent foreign matter from entering the battery cell 10.

[0067] Both sides of the tab 12 of the battery cell 10 in the thickness direction need to be glued, so after gluing one side, the battery cell 10 can be turned over and the other side can be glued. Alternatively, a rotating mechanism can be provided at the positioning mechanism 400, and the positioning mechanism 400 can be driven by the rotating mechanism to rotate to realize the conversion of the two sides of the tab 12, so that the tape 21 can be unfolded, cut, taken out, and glued from the same side of the positioning mechanism 400. Alternatively, in some embodiments of the tab gluing device, two sets of conveying mechanisms 200, cutting mechanisms 300 and gluing mechanisms 500 can be used to glue both sides of the tab 12 of the battery cell 10, respectively. Therefore, when the battery cell 10 is fixed by the positioning mechanism 400, a horizontal fixation or a vertical fixation method can be adopted to position and fix the horizontally placed or vertically placed battery cell 10, and the positioning component 401 forms a gap at a position close to the root of the tab 12 on the tab 12 and the body 11. Therefore, the tape 21 can be unfolded, cut, taken out, and glued on both sides of the tab 12 of the battery cell 10, respectively, thereby improving the gluing efficiency.

[0068] refer to Figure 9In some embodiments, the positioning mechanism 400 further includes a fourth moving component 405, which is connected to the positioning component 401 and is used to drive the positioning component 401 to move in a direction close to or away from the cutting mechanism 300, so as to facilitate the unloading of the battery cell 10 and avoid interference with the glue sticking mechanism 500. The fourth moving component 405 can be a conventional linear motion component, such as a synchronous belt linear motion component, a gear rack linear motion component, or a screw module linear motion component, etc., which has a simple structure and is easy to implement.

[0069] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the tab gluing device further includes a frame for installing the conveying mechanism 200, the cutting mechanism 300, the positioning mechanism 400 and the gluing mechanism 500, wherein the frame includes a first workbench 601 and a second workbench 602, the positioning mechanism 400 and the gluing mechanism 500 are fixedly installed on the first workbench 601, and the conveying mechanism 200 and the cutting mechanism 300 are fixedly installed on the second workbench 602, so as to achieve stable installation of each mechanism.

[0070] The following is an example of the steps of performing tab gluing using the tab gluing device of the embodiment of the present application. Figures 3 to 12 :

[0071] Tape loading: The inner ring of the roll tape 20 (the width d is adjusted according to the size of the tab 12 of the battery cell 10, and the range can be 10mm to 70mm) is fixed on the roller 213, and the tape 21 is pulled out to a certain length and passes through the second pressing roller 210 and the second clamping assembly 205, and then the end of the tape 21 is fixed at the first clamping assembly 202, wherein the cutting mechanism 300 includes two cutters set at a set angle α, and the angle α is adjusted according to the shape of the tab 12 of the battery cell 10, and the range is 0° to 30°;

[0072] Battery cell loading: placing the battery cell 10 to be glued on the battery cell 10 positioning fixture, and transferring it to the designated position through the fourth moving component 405;

[0073] Cutting: The third moving member 209 unwinds the roll tape 20 by driving the second pressing roller 210 to move back and forth, and the first clamping assembly 202 clamps and unfolds the end of the tape 21. Before cutting, the second clamping assembly 205 clamps the tape 21, and then the first cutter 301 and the second cutter 302 of the cutting mechanism 300 cut the tape 21 to form two trapezoidal sheets of tape 21;

[0074] Glue suction and glue removal: After the glue sticking mechanism 500 absorbs the two cut tapes 21 through the material removal head 505, the rotating member 507 connected to the material removal head 505 rotates 90° counterclockwise and clockwise respectively, so that the placement direction of the tape 21 is consistent with the shape of the two pole ears 12 on the same side of the two opposite battery cells 10.

[0075] Taping: The driving component 502 moves the material picking component 501 to the position corresponding to one side tab 12 of the cell 10 to be taped. The tape 21 adsorbed by the material picking head 505 corresponds to the position to be taped on the tab 12 respectively. Then, the taping action is completed by pressing down with the pressing component 506. The taping actions of the two tapes 21 on the other side tab 12 are the same as the above-mentioned cutting, glue sucking and picking, and taping steps, and the taping of the tab 12 of the cell 10 is completed. After the cell 10 is taped, the appearance is as Figure 11 and Figure 12 .

[0076] Unloading: The positioning mechanism 400 is moved back to the loading position through the fourth moving component 405, the cell 10 is taken out, and the next repeated operation is performed.

[0077] As can be seen from the above, when using the tab taping device of the embodiment of the present application to tape the tab 12, the coil tape 20 can be directly used, which reduces the material cost, and the tape 21 can be cut by the cutting mechanism 300 to form a shape adapted to the tab 12, thereby avoiding waste of the corners, improving the utilization rate of the material, and contributing to the optimization of the top cover space of the tab 12. The structure of this device is simple and easy to implement, which can reduce the production cost of the cell 10 to a certain extent and better meet the development needs of the cell 10.

[0078] The second aspect of the present application provides an embodiment of a tab taping method, including loading, cutting, taping and unloading, wherein:

[0079] Loading: Configure the taping station and the cutting station, fix the cell 10 at the taping station, and convey the coil tape 20 to the cutting station;

[0080] Cutting: At the cutting station, the tape 21 is cut by two cutting blades with a set angle α to form a shape with bevel edges 22 at both ends;

[0081] Taping: Move the cut tape 21 to the taping station, make the tape 21 correspond to the tab 12 of the cell 10, and attach the tape 21 to the tab 12;

[0082] Unloading: After the tape 21 is attached to each tab 12, the cell 10 is removed from the taping station.

[0083] In this method, the tape 21 is cut by two cutting knives with a set included angle α to form a shape with bevel edges 22 at both ends. The shape of the cut tape 21 is similar to that of the tab 12, and the tape can be directly pasted on the tab 12. Therefore, the above method can use a conventional roll tape 20 for cutting and pasting. For example, the roll tape 20 is unwound along a set path and conveyed to the cutting station for cutting. Compared with die-cut adhesive tape, the roll tape 20 is widely used, easy to obtain, and has a lower cost. Moreover, the steps and corresponding mechanisms for removing the base paper of the die-cut adhesive tape are omitted, which can reduce the pasting cost to a certain extent and thus reduce the production cost of the battery cell 10.

[0084] In the tab pasting method of some embodiments, two battery cells 10 are placed and fixed with their tabs 12 facing each other. The tape 21 is cut once to form two tapes 21 with opposite orientations. The two pick-up heads 505 respectively obtain the tapes 21 and rotate them to the same orientation as the two tabs 12 on the same side of the two battery cells 10. Then, the tapes 21 are pasted on the two tabs 12. Similarly, the tape 21 is continuously cut, the pick-up heads 505 obtain two tapes 21 again and rotate the tapes 21 to the required orientation, and paste the two opposite tabs 12 on the other side of the battery cell 10. Among them, at the cutting station, the tape 21 can be first tensioned, and the tape 21 is clamped on both sides of the two cutting knives, so as to facilitate the cutting of the tape 21 and avoid the slipping of the tape 21.

[0085] In the tab pasting method of the above embodiments, the included angle α can be in the range of 0° to 60°, such as 10°, 20°, 30°, 45°, 55°, etc., or any other angle between 0° and 60°. The specific angle can be reasonably configured according to the included angle of the bevel edge 22 of the tab 12 to be pasted, as long as it is ensured that the tape 21 covers the tab 12 to ensure effective insulation. In some embodiments of the present application, the angle of the included angle α is in the range of 0° to 30°. The cut tape 21 can be applicable to the outer dimensions of the tabs 12 of most battery cells 10, avoiding waste of the corners, saving materials, and facilitating the pasting of the tabs 12.

[0086] In the tab pasting method of the above embodiments, according to the protruding length of the tab 12 to be pasted, the width d of the tape 21 can be appropriately larger than the protruding length of the tab 12. Therefore, the cut tape 21 can partially adhere to the position near the root of the tab 12 on the body 11 while covering the tab 12, ensuring firm adhesion and effectively preventing foreign objects from entering the battery cell 10. In some embodiments of the present application, the width d of the tape 21 is adjusted according to the size of the tab 12 of the battery cell 10, and the range is 10 mm to 70 mm, which can be applicable to the protruding lengths of the tabs 12 of most battery cells 10.

[0087] For the above-mentioned ear tab gluing method of the embodiment, the ear tab gluing device of the first aspect embodiment of the present application can be used to implement each step. Among them, the cutting mechanism 300 is arranged at the cutting station, and the positioning mechanism 400 is arranged at the gluing station; during feeding, the conveying mechanism 200 can be used to unwind the roll tape 20 and convey the unwound tape 21, and the battery cell 10 can be fed to the positioning mechanism 400, and the battery cell 10 is positioned and fixed by the positioning component 401; during cutting, the cutting mechanism 300 can be used to cut the tape 21 into a shape with bevel edges 22 at both ends, and the tape 21 to be cut can also be pressed by the first clamping component 202 to facilitate cutting; during gluing, the gluing mechanism 500 can be used to pick up glue, transfer and glue; during discharging, the battery cell 10 is taken out from the positioning mechanism 400 for discharging, and then the feeding and gluing of the next battery cell 10 or the next group of battery cells 10 can be carried out.

[0088] The ear tab gluing device and the ear tab gluing method of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to the production process of power batteries for new energy vehicles to glue the ear tabs, which can reduce production costs.

[0089] The above has described the embodiments of the present application in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the knowledge scope of those of ordinary skill in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the purpose of the present application. In addition, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. Tab sticking device, characterized in that, Including: A conveying mechanism for conveying a tape; A cutting mechanism, the cutting mechanism includes a first cutter and a second cutter, the first cutter and the second cutter are arranged at a set angle and have a set distance, and are used for cutting the tape conveyed by the conveying mechanism to form two trapezoidal tapes with opposite orientations and beveled ends at both ends; the conveying mechanism includes an unwinding assembly, a first clamping assembly and a second clamping assembly, the unwinding assembly and the first clamping assembly are respectively arranged on both sides of the cutting mechanism, the unwinding assembly is used for unwinding the wound tape, the first clamping assembly is used for clamping the end of the tape to make the tape unfold along a set path, the second clamping assembly is arranged corresponding to the unfolding path of the tape, the second clamping assembly includes two pressing heads, two second moving parts and two first pressing rollers, the two first pressing rollers are respectively located on both sides of the cutting mechanism, the pressing heads are respectively located above the first pressing rollers, each second moving part is respectively connected to a pressing head, and the second moving part is used for driving the pressing head to move relative to the first pressing roller to clamp the tape between the pressing head and the first pressing roller; the second clamping assembly is used for clamping the middle part of the tape beside the first cutter and the second cutter, the middle part is the position between the cutting position corresponding to the first cutter and the unwinding assembly, and the position between the cutting position corresponding to the second cutter and the end of the tape; the conveying mechanism further includes a third pressing roller, the third pressing roller is correspondingly located between the two first pressing rollers and is located on the other side of the tape relative to the cutting mechanism; A positioning mechanism, which is arranged at an interval from the cutting mechanism and is used for fixing the battery cell; An adhesive pasting mechanism, including a material taking assembly and a driving assembly, the driving assembly is connected to the material taking assembly and can drive the material taking assembly to move between the cutting mechanism and the positioning mechanism, and the material taking assembly can paste the tape cut by the cutting mechanism onto the pole ear of the battery cell.

2. The tab sticking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutting mechanism further includes a first moving assembly, the first cutter and the second cutter are connected to the first moving assembly, and the first moving assembly is used for driving the first cutter and the second cutter to move to approach or move away from the tape; Alternatively, the cutting mechanism further includes a second moving assembly and a third moving assembly, the second moving assembly is connected to the first cutter and is used for driving the first cutter to move to approach or move away from the tape, and the third moving assembly is connected to the second cutter and is used for driving the second cutter to move to approach or move away from the tape.

3. The tab sticking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle of the included angle is in the range of 0° to 60°.

4. The tab sticking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material taking assembly includes a material taking head and a rotating part, the material taking head is connected to the rotating part, and the rotating part is used for driving the material taking head to rotate.

5. The tab sticking device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The material taking assembly includes a plurality of the material taking heads, the material taking assembly further includes an adjusting part, the adjusting part is connected to the material taking head and is used for adjusting the distance between adjacent material taking heads.

6. The tab sticking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism includes a plurality of positioning components, and each of the positioning components is respectively used to fix the battery cell, and the positioning components are arranged at intervals.

7. Tab sticking method, using the tab sticking device according to claim 1 for tab sticking, characterized in that, It includes: Loading: Configure a tape sticking station and a cutting station, fix the battery cell at the tape sticking station, and convey the tape to the cutting station; Cutting: At the cutting station, cut the tape by two cutting knives with a set included angle to form two trapezoidal tapes with opposite orientations and beveled edges at both ends; Tape sticking: Transfer the cut tape to the tape sticking station, align the tape with the tab of the battery cell, and attach the tape to the tab; Unloading: After each tab is attached with the tape, remove the battery cell from the tape sticking station.

8. The tab sticking method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Tighten the tape at the cutting station, and clamp the tape on both sides of the two cutting knives.

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