Welding Equipment, Welding Method for Power Battery Top Cover and Power Battery Production Line

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of manufacturing power batteries, and particularly relates to a welding device for a power battery top cover, a welding method and a power battery production line. The welding device includes a battery transmission device, a positioning device and a laser welding device. The battery transmission device includes a transmission line and a carrier arranged on the transmission line; the positioning device includes a conveying line arranged on one side of the transmission line and a welding tooling arranged on the conveying line; the laser welding device is used for welding the joint between the top cover and the housing of the power battery to be welded. By using the fact that the transmission line and the conveying line run at the same speed for a period of time during the running process along the conveying direction, it is ensured that the power battery on the carrier and the welding tooling run synchronously along the conveying direction. At the same time, the welding tooling clamps and positions the power battery, and then the laser welding device is used to weld the joint between the top cover and the housing of the power battery clamped in the welding tooling, greatly improving the efficiency of top cover welding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of manufacturing power batteries, and particularly to a welding device for a power battery top cover, a welding method and a power battery production line. Background Art

[0002] With the introduction of relevant national policies to promote the new energy vehicle industry, the electric vehicle industry has achieved unprecedented rapid development, greatly increasing the production demand for new energy vehicle batteries. Power batteries are the power source and one of the core components of electric vehicles. At present, the low production capacity of power batteries is also a key factor restricting the development of electric vehicles.

[0003] Existing power batteries generally include a housing, battery cells disposed within the housing, and a top cover for sealing the opening end of the housing. During the production process of power batteries, it is necessary to weld the top cover of the battery to the opening end of the battery housing to seal the battery. However, the traditional method used in the top cover welding process of the top cover welding machine is fixed-point positioning static welding, that is, the power battery after the top cover is inserted into the housing is sent to the position where the laser welding head is located. Immediately, the power battery is clamped at this position using a welding fixture, and then the laser emitted by the laser welding head is used to weld the edge of the top cover and the housing together.

[0004] During this process, since the welding method used is fixed-point positioning static welding, it is necessary to wait for the previous power battery to be welded and moved away before the next power battery can be sent to the designated position for welding. In this way, a lot of time is wasted, the welding efficiency of the top cover cannot be improved, and the production efficiency of power batteries is affected. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention provide a welding device for a power battery top cover, a welding method and a power battery production line, which are used to solve the technical problem that in the existing production process of power batteries, the fixed-point positioning static welding method is adopted in the top cover welding process, and the welding efficiency of the top cover cannot be improved, affecting the production efficiency of power batteries.

[0006] To this end, according to one aspect of the present invention, a welding device for a power battery top cover is provided. The welding device includes:

[0007] A battery transmission device, including a transmission line and a carrier disposed on the transmission line, the carrier being used to carry the power battery to be welded;

[0008] A positioning device, including a conveying line disposed on one side of the transmission line and a welding fixture disposed on the conveying line;

[0009] A laser welding device, which is used to weld the joint between the top cover and the housing of the power battery to be welded;

[0010] Among them, both the transmission line and the conveyor line operate along the conveying direction. When the welding tooling moves to be directly opposite to the position of the carrier, the welding tooling can maintain the same speed as the carrier. The welding tooling clamps and positions the power battery to be welded within the motion range of maintaining the same speed as the carrier, and the laser welding device welds the power battery to be welded that is clamped and positioned.

[0011] Optionally, the conveyor line includes a guide rail. The welding tooling is slidably connected within the guide rail. The welding tooling has jaws that can open and close relatively. The guide rail includes a first section, a connecting section, and a second section connected in sequence, and the second section is arranged closer to the carrier in the horizontal direction than the first section. During the process of the welding tooling sliding from the first section to the second section, a sliding motion towards the carrier is generated within the connecting section, so that the jaws are inserted into the opposite sides of the power battery to be welded.

[0012] Optionally, the second section includes a first horizontal section, a lifting section, and a second horizontal section connected in sequence, and the second horizontal section is arranged farther away from the carrier in the vertical direction than the first horizontal section. During the process of the welding tooling sliding from the first horizontal section to the second horizontal section, a sliding motion away from the carrier is generated within the lifting section, so that the power battery to be welded clamped by the jaws is separated from the carrier.

[0013] Optionally, the welding tooling further includes a lifting driving member. The driving end of the lifting driving member is connected to the jaws. The lifting driving member is used to drive the jaws to move away from the carrier in the vertical direction after the jaws clamp the power battery to be welded, so that the power battery to be welded clamped by the jaws is separated from the carrier.

[0014] Optionally, the welding tooling further includes a protection plate. The jaws include a first finger and a second finger that are vertically spaced apart. A clamping space for clamping the power battery to be welded is formed between the first finger and the second finger. The protection plate is arranged on the first finger. After the jaws clamp the power battery to be welded, the protection plate covers the top cover.

[0015] Optionally, the laser welding device includes a conveying mechanism and a welding head assembly arranged on the conveying mechanism. The conveying mechanism is arranged on one side of the transmission line and is arranged opposite to the conveyor line with respect to the conveying direction.

[0016] Optionally, the conveying mechanism is a ring-shaped conveying mechanism, and the operating speeds of the ring-shaped conveying mechanism, the transmission line, and the conveyor line are the same, so that the power battery to be welded, the welding tooling, and the welding head assembly located on the carrier run synchronously along the conveying direction.

[0017] Optionally, the annular transfer mechanism includes a long-side annular transfer line and a short-side annular transfer line, and the welding head assembly includes a long-side welding head and a short-side welding head. The long-side welding head is disposed on the long-side annular transfer line and is used for welding two long-side seams between the top cover and the housing of the power battery to be welded; the short-side welding head is disposed on the short-side annular transfer line and is used for welding two short-side seams between the top cover and the housing of the power battery to be welded.

[0018] Optionally, the long-side welding head includes two long-side welding heads, and the two long-side welding heads respectively correspond to two long-side seams between the top cover and the housing of the same power battery to be welded; the short-side welding head includes two short-side welding heads, and the two short-side welding heads respectively correspond to two short-side seams between the top cover and the housing of the same power battery to be welded.

[0019] Optionally, the long-side annular transfer line includes a first long-side annular transfer line and a second long-side annular transfer line, and the long-side welding head includes two long-side welding heads, and the two long-side welding heads are respectively disposed on the first long-side annular transfer line and the second long-side annular transfer line; and / or

[0020] The short-side annular transfer line includes a first short-side annular transfer line and a second short-side annular transfer line, and the short-side welding head includes two short-side welding heads, and the two short-side welding heads are respectively disposed on the first short-side annular transfer line and the second short-side annular transfer line.

[0021] Optionally, the transmission line is a closed-loop annular transmission line, the conveying line is a closed-loop annular conveying line, a plurality of carriers are arranged at equal intervals in the conveying direction on the annular transmission line, a plurality of welding toolings are arranged at equal intervals in the conveying direction on the annular conveying line, and the distance between two adjacent carriers is the same as the distance between two adjacent welding toolings.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a welding method for welding the top cover of a power battery, and the welding method includes the following steps:

[0023] Drive the carrier fixed with the power battery to be welded to transfer in the conveying direction;

[0024] Drive the welding tooling to move in the conveying direction, and when the welding tooling moves to be directly opposite to the position of the carrier, the welding tooling and the carrier maintain the same speed;

[0025] The welding tooling clamps and positions the power battery to be welded in the movement interval of maintaining the same speed as the carrier, and then the welding mechanism welds the top cover of the power battery to be welded.

[0026] Optionally, before the welding mechanism welds the top cover of the power battery to be welded, the welding tooling lifts the power battery to be welded that has been clamped and positioned, so that the power battery to be welded is separated from the carrier.

[0027] Optionally, the welding mechanism welds the top cover of the power battery to be welded through a laser flying welding head; or

[0028] The welding mechanism includes a conveying mechanism and a welding head assembly arranged on the conveying mechanism. During the process of the welding mechanism welding the top cover of the power battery to be welded, the welding head assembly moves along the conveying direction under the drive of the conveying mechanism and keeps the same speed as the welding tooling and the carrier.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power battery production line, which includes the welding equipment as described above or adopts the welding method as described above.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the welding equipment, welding method and power battery production line for the top cover of the power battery provided by the present invention are as follows: Compared with the prior art, the welding equipment for the top cover of the power battery of the present invention is provided with a conveying line for conveying welding tooling on one side of the conveying line of the battery transmission device. During the process of the conveying line and the conveying line running along the conveying direction, when the welding tooling moves to be directly opposite to the position of the carrier, the welding tooling and the carrier keep the same speed, ensuring that the power battery to be welded located on the carrier runs synchronously with the welding tooling along the conveying direction. During the process of the power battery to be welded and the welding tooling running synchronously along the conveying direction, the welding tooling clamps and positions the power battery to be welded, and then uses the laser welding device to weld the joint between the top cover and the housing of the power battery to be welded clamped in the welding tooling. Designed in this way, the traditional fixed-point positioning static welding is changed into a dynamic moving continuous welding process. The conveying line for conveying the power battery to be welded can always keep the state of continuously conveying forward. The positioning and welding of the power battery to be welded do not need to stay and wait, greatly improving the efficiency of top cover welding. Similarly, this welding method can greatly improve the efficiency of top cover welding, and this power battery production line can improve the production efficiency of power batteries. Description of the Drawings

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0032] Among them:

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the welding equipment for the top cover of the power battery shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 is a partial structural diagram of the welding equipment for the top cover of the power battery shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a positioning device, a guide rail of a conveying line, and a power battery to be welded on a carrier in a welding device for the top cover of a power battery shown in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of a power battery production line shown in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] 100. Battery transmission device; 110. Transmission line; 120. Carrier;

[0038] 200. Positioning device; 210. Conveying line; 211. Guide rail; 2111. First section; 2112. Connecting section; 2113. Second section; 212. Driving part; 220. Welding tooling; 221. Claw; 2211. First finger; 2212. Second finger; 222. Lifting driving member; 223. Protection plate;

[0039] 300. Laser welding device; 310. Long-side annular conveying line; 320. Short-side annular conveying line; 330. Long-side welding head; 340. Short-side welding head;

[0040] 1000. Power battery to be welded; 1001. Long-side joint; 1002. Short-side joint; 1100. Housing; 1200. Top cover. Detailed implementation manners

[0041] For the convenience of understanding the present invention, the present invention will be described more comprehensively below with reference to the relevant drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive.

[0042] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0043] It should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0044] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this invention belongs. The terms used in the description of the present invention herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0046] As described in the background art, in the related art, during the production of power batteries, the method adopted in the process of welding the top cover is fixed-point positioning static welding, which cannot improve the welding efficiency of the top cover and affects the production efficiency of power batteries.

[0047] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention provides a welding device for a power battery top cover, as Figures 1 - 3 shown. The welding device includes a battery transfer device 100, a positioning device 200, and a laser welding device 300. The battery transfer device 100 includes a transfer line 110 and a carrier 120 disposed on the transfer line 110, and the carrier 120 is used to carry the power battery 1000 to be welded; the positioning device 200 includes a conveying line 210 disposed on one side of the transfer line 110 and a welding tooling 220 disposed on the conveying line 210; the laser welding device 300 is used to weld the seam between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the power battery 1000 to be welded; wherein, both the transfer line 110 and the conveying line 210 operate along the conveying direction. When the welding tooling 220 moves to a position directly opposite to the carrier 120, the welding tooling 220 can maintain the same speed as the carrier 120. The welding tooling 220 clamps and positions the power battery 1000 to be welded within the movement range of maintaining the same speed as the carrier 120, and the laser welding device 300 welds the power battery 1000 to be welded that is clamped and positioned.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present invention, the welding device is provided with a conveying line 210 for conveying the welding tooling 220 on one side of the conveying line 110 of the battery conveying device 100. During the operation of the conveying line 110 and the conveying line 210 along the conveying direction, when the welding tooling 220 moves to a position directly opposite to the carrier 120, the welding tooling 220 keeps the same speed as the carrier 120, ensuring that the power battery to be welded 1000 located on the carrier 120 runs synchronously with the welding tooling 220 along the conveying direction. During the synchronous operation of the power battery to be welded 1000 and the welding tooling 220 along the conveying direction, the welding tooling 220 clamps and positions the power battery to be welded 1000, and then the laser welding device 300 welds the seam between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the power battery to be welded clamped in the welding tooling 220. With such a design, the traditional fixed-point positioning static welding is changed into a dynamic moving continuous welding process. The conveying line 110 for conveying the power battery to be welded 1000 can always maintain a continuously forward conveying state, and the positioning and welding of the power battery to be welded 1000 do not need to stop and wait, greatly improving the welding efficiency of the top cover 1200.

[0049] It should be noted that the welding device for the power battery top cover is integrally controlled by a control part, which is used to control the operation of each part, device or each mechanism component, so as to realize the action coordination of the battery conveying device 100, the positioning device 200 and the laser welding device 300 in time and space, so as to realize the dynamic welding process. Those skilled in the art will adjust it according to different actual production situations (such as production efficiency, etc.).

[0050] Among them, the welding device for the power battery top cover further includes a vision recognition system. Before welding the top cover 1200, the vision recognition system first recognizes the seam position between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 on the power battery to be welded 1000, and then transmits the welding position data to the control part. The control part controls the laser welding device 300 to perform welding at the corresponding position according to the welding position data. The vision recognition system is a prior art, and its structure and working principle are known to those skilled in the art, and will not be elaborated here.

[0051] In one embodiment, as Figure 3As shown in the figure, the conveyor line 210 includes a guide rail 211. The welding tooling 220 is slidably connected within the guide rail 221. The welding tooling 220 has jaws 221 that can open and close relative to each other. The guide rail 211 includes a first section 2111, a connecting section 2112, and a second section 2113 that are connected in sequence. Moreover, the second section 2113 is arranged closer to the carrier 120 in the horizontal direction compared to the first section 2111. During the process of the welding tooling 220 sliding from the first section 2111 to the second section 2113, a sliding motion towards the carrier 120 is generated within the connecting section 2112, so that the jaws 221 are inserted into the opposite sides of the power battery 1000 to be welded.

[0052] The guide rail 211 is used to guide the movement of the welding tooling 220. The conveyor line 210 further includes a driving part 212 for providing power for the movement of the welding tooling 220. The driving part 212 is connected to the welding tooling 220 to drive the welding tooling 220 to slide along the guide rail. Specifically, the driving part 212 can adopt mechanical driving (such as chain / band driving driven by a motor), or magnetic driving, which is not limited herein.

[0053] In a specific embodiment, the second section 2113 includes a first horizontal section, a lifting section, and a second horizontal section that are connected in sequence. Moreover, the second horizontal section is arranged farther from the carrier 120 in the vertical direction compared to the first horizontal section. During the process of the welding tooling 220 sliding from the first horizontal section to the second horizontal section, a sliding motion away from the carrier 120 is generated within the lifting section, so that the power battery 1000 to be welded clamped by the jaws 221 is separated from the carrier 120.

[0054] Through the above design, by using the variable track design of the second section 2113 in the vertical direction, the welding tooling 220 can lift the power battery 1000 clamped within the first horizontal section to the second horizontal section through the lifting section, so as to separate it from the carrier 120, avoiding the influence of the conveyance of the carrier 120 on the speed of the power battery 1000 to be welded during the subsequent laser welding process. This enables the laser welding device 300 to only need to match the conveyance speed of the welding tooling 220, reducing the difficulty of dynamic tracking and system design during laser welding.

[0055] In another specific embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, the welding tooling 220 further includes a lifting driving member 222. The driving end of the lifting driving member 222 is connected to the jaws 221. The lifting driving member 222 is used to drive the jaws 221 to move away from the carrier 120 in the vertical direction after the jaws 221 clamp the power battery 1000 to be welded, so that the power battery 1000 to be welded clamped by the jaws 221 is separated from the carrier 120.

[0056] With the above design, there is no need to make a track-changing design for the second section 2113 in the vertical direction. By using the lifting drive member 222 to drive the welding power battery 1000 clamped by the clamping jaws 221 to rise, the welding power battery 1000 can be separated from the carrier 120.

[0057] Specifically, the lifting drive member 222 can adopt linear actuators such as linear cylinders, oil cylinders, and linear motors.

[0058] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 shown, the welding tooling 220 further includes a protection plate 223. The clamping jaws 221 include a first clamping finger 2211 and a second clamping finger 2212 that are vertically spaced apart. A clamping space for clamping the welding power battery 1000 is formed between the first clamping finger 2211 and the second clamping finger 2212. The protection plate 223 is disposed on the first clamping finger 2211. After the clamping jaws 221 clamp the welding power battery 1000, the protection plate 223 covers the top cover 1200.

[0059] By providing the protection plate 223 and using the protection plate 223 to cover the top cover 1200 of the welding power battery 1000, only the seam between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 is exposed. During the subsequent welding process of the top cover 1200, the protection plate 223 can prevent the welding slag from burning the upper surface of the top cover 1200 and avoid affecting the appearance and performance of the welding power battery 1000.

[0060] In one embodiment, the laser welding device 300 includes a fixed bracket and a laser flying welding head disposed on the fixed bracket.

[0061] The laser flying welding technology is a new laser welding technology that performs scanning welding by controlling a laser galvanometer. It is an existing technology in the field of laser processing. Its specific structure and welding principle are known to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated here.

[0062] By using the laser flying welding technology, the laser flying welding head can be fixed on the fixed bracket and located above the positioning device 200, and there is no need to move correspondingly following the movement of the welding power battery 1000. Thus, the top cover 1200 of the welding power battery 1000 continuously conveyed on the conveyor line 210 and clamped and positioned by the welding tooling 220 can be welded, making the structure of the entire laser welding device 300 simpler.

[0063] Of course, in other embodiments, the laser welding device 300 may not adopt the laser flying welding technology, but instead use an ordinary laser welding head to drive through the transmission mechanism in the following embodiments to weld the top cover 1200 of the welding power battery 1000.

[0064] In another embodiment, as Figures 1 - 2As shown, the laser welding device 300 includes a conveying mechanism and a welding head assembly disposed on the conveying mechanism. The conveying mechanism is disposed on one side of the transmission line 110 and is disposed opposite to the conveying line 210 in the conveying direction.

[0065] In the embodiment of the present invention, the conveying mechanism can drive the welding head assembly to move along with the welding tooling 220, so that the power battery 1000 to be welded clamped and positioned by the welding tooling 220 completes the welding of the top cover 1200 during the conveying process.

[0066] It should be noted that the arrangement of the conveying mechanism and the conveying line 210 can be as Figure 1 shown, that is, the conveying mechanism is arranged on one side inside the annular transmission line 110, and the conveying line 210 is arranged on one side outside the annular transmission line 110, so that the power battery 1000 to be welded located on the carrier 120 can pass between the conveying mechanism and the conveying line 210. Of course, in other implementation manners, the conveying mechanism can also be arranged on one side outside the annular transmission line 110, and the conveying line 210 is arranged on one side inside the annular transmission line 110.

[0067] During the process of welding the top cover 1200 of the power battery 1000 to be welded by using the welding head assembly, it is necessary to control the conveying mechanism, the transmission line 110 and the conveying line 210 to rotate at the same speed for a period of time.

[0068] In a specific embodiment, the conveying mechanism is an annular conveying mechanism, and the annular conveying mechanism, the transmission line 110 and the conveying line 210 rotate at the same speed, so that the power battery 1000 to be welded, the welding tooling 220 and the welding head assembly located on the carrier 120 run synchronously in the conveying direction.

[0069] By designing the conveying mechanism as an annular conveying mechanism, the dynamic welding of the top cover 1200 is realized by controlling the annular conveying mechanism, the transmission line 110 and the conveying line 210 to always rotate at the same speed continuously and uniformly, making the control of the entire welding equipment simpler.

[0070] In a further specific embodiment, as Figures 1 - 2 shown, the annular conveying mechanism includes a long-side annular conveying line 310 and a short-side annular conveying line 320, the welding head assembly includes a long-side welding head 330 and a short-side welding head 340. The long-side welding head 330 is disposed on the long-side annular conveying line 310 and is used for welding two long-side seams 1001 between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the power battery 1000 to be welded; the short-side welding head 340 is disposed on the short-side annular conveying line 320 and is used for welding two short-side seams 1002 between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the power battery 1000 to be welded.

[0071] With the above design, the welding of the long-side seam 1001 and the short-side seam 1002 between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the power battery 1000 to be welded is carried out separately, which is convenient for the overall structural layout and subsequent maintenance of the equipment.

[0072] It should be noted that the sealing end of the housing 1100 and the top cover 1200 of the power battery 1000 to be welded are both rectangular. Thus, the seams between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 can be divided into two relatively arranged long-side seams 1001 and two relatively arranged short-side seams 1002.

[0073] The arrangement positions of the long-side circular conveyor line 310 and the short-side circular conveyor line 320 along the conveying direction can be interchanged to arrange the welding sequence of the long-side seam 1001 and the short-side seam 1002 according to actual needs. Here, taking the long-side circular conveyor line 310 in the front and the short-side circular conveyor line 320 in the back, and welding the long-side seam 1001 first and then the short-side seam 1002 as an example, the welding process will be described.

[0074] The circular conveyor mechanism, the transmission line 110, and the conveying line 210 all operate continuously and uniformly at the same speed. When the power battery 1000 to be welded on the carrier 120 moves between the transmission line 110 of the positioning device 200 and the conveying line 210 of the laser welding device 300 under the action of the circular conveyor mechanism in the battery transmission device 100, the welding tooling 220 corresponding to the power battery 1000 on the transmission line 110 clamps and positions the power battery 1000 during the process of running with the power battery 1000 to be welded. Then, the long-side welding head 330 on the long-side circular conveyor line 310 corresponding to the power battery 1000 welds the long-side seam 1001 during the process of running with the power battery 1000 to be welded. After the welding of the long-side seam 1001 is completed, the power battery 1000 to be welded continues to be conveyed between the short-side circular conveyor line 320 and the transmission line 110 of the positioning device 200. Then, the short-side welding head 340 on the short-side circular conveyor line 320 corresponding to the power battery 1000 welds the short-side seam 1002 during the process of running with the power battery 1000 to be welded. Thus, the entire welding process of the top cover 1200 is completed. During the welding process, the transmission line 110 for conveying the power battery 1000 to be welded can always maintain a state of continuously moving forward. The positioning and welding of the power battery 1000 to be welded do not need to stop and wait, greatly improving the welding efficiency of the top cover 1200.

[0075] In some specific embodiments, each long-side welding head 330 includes two long-side welding tips, and the two long-side welding tips respectively correspond to two long-side seams 1001 between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the same power battery 1000 to be welded; each short-side welding head 340 includes two short-side welding tips, and the two short-side welding tips respectively correspond to two short-side seams 1002 between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the same power battery 1000 to be welded.

[0076] With the above design, it is possible to simultaneously weld the two long-side seams 1001 between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the same power battery 1000 to be welded by using one long-side welding head 330, and it is possible to simultaneously weld the two short-side seams 1002 between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the same power battery 1000 to be welded by using one short-side welding head 340.

[0077] In some other specific embodiments, the long-side annular conveyor line 310 includes a first long-side annular conveyor line and a second long-side annular conveyor line, the long-side welding head 330 includes two long-side welding tips, and the two long-side welding tips are respectively arranged on the first long-side annular conveyor line and the second long-side annular conveyor line; and / or

[0078] The short-side annular conveyor line 320 includes a first short-side annular conveyor line and a second short-side annular conveyor line, the short-side welding head 340 includes two short-side welding tips, and the two short-side welding tips are respectively arranged on the first short-side annular conveyor line and the second short-side annular conveyor line.

[0079] With the above design, the seam between the top cover 1200 and the housing 1100 of the same power battery 1000 to be welded is refined into four steps, that is, using the long-side welding tip on the first long-side annular conveyor line to weld one of the long-side seams 1001, using the long-side welding tip on the second long-side annular conveyor line to weld the other long-side seam 1001; then using the short-side welding tip on the first short-side annular conveyor line to weld one of the short-side seams 1002, and using the short-side welding tip on the second short-side annular conveyor line to weld the other short-side seam 1002.

[0080] Specifically, the first long-side annular conveyor line, the second long-side annular conveyor line, the first short-side annular conveyor line, and the second short-side annular conveyor line can all adopt magnetic drive annular lines, or can adopt conveyor belts formed into rings or other annular transmission mechanisms.

[0081] In the above embodiments, during the welding process, the annular conveying mechanism, the transmission line 110, and the conveying line 210 operate at the same speed for a period of time, so that the power battery to be welded 1000, the welding tooling 220, and the welding head assembly located on the carrier 120 are synchronously operated along the conveying direction to achieve dynamic welding. In other embodiments, the conveying mechanism in the laser welding device 300 may not adopt an annular conveying mechanism, but two sets of linear conveying mechanisms (such as linear modules), and a long-side welding head for welding a long-side joint 1001 and a short-side welding head for welding a short-side joint 1002 are respectively arranged on the two sets of linear conveying mechanisms. During the welding process of the long-side joint 1001, the long-side welding head first keeps synchronous with a long-side joint 1001 of the power battery to be welded 1000 under the drive of the linear conveying mechanism. After completing the welding of this long side, it accelerates forward or backward under the drive of the linear conveying mechanism, and then keeps synchronous with another long-side joint 1001 of the power battery to be welded 1000 to complete the welding of this long side. Similarly, during the welding process of the short-side joint 1002, the short-side welding head first keeps synchronous with a short-side joint 1002 of the power battery to be welded 1000 under the drive of the linear conveying mechanism. After completing the welding of this short side, it accelerates forward or backward under the drive of the linear conveying mechanism, and then keeps synchronous with another short-side joint 1002 of the power battery to be welded 1000 to complete the welding of this short side.

[0082] In some embodiments, as Figures 1 - 2 shown, the transmission line 110 is a closed-loop annular transmission line, the conveying line 210 is a closed-loop annular conveying line, a plurality of carriers 120 are arranged at equal intervals along the conveying direction on the annular transmission line, a plurality of welding toolings 220 are arranged at equal intervals along the conveying direction on the annular conveying line, and the distance between two adjacent carriers 120 is the same as the distance between two adjacent welding toolings 220.

[0083] With such a design, during the continuous conveying of the welding tooling 220 by the annular transmission line, a plurality of welding toolings 220 running on the side of the annular transmission line close to the transmission line 110 can respectively clamp and position the power batteries to be welded 1000 on a plurality of carriers 120 on the transmission line 110, further improving the welding efficiency of the top cover 1200 of the power battery to be welded.

[0084] Specifically, both the annular transmission line and the annular conveying line can adopt a magnetic drive annular line, or can adopt a conveyor belt surrounded in a ring or other annular transmission mechanisms.

[0085] According to another aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a welding method for welding the top cover of a power battery, and the welding method includes the following steps:

[0086] Driving the carrier fixed with the power battery to be welded to move along the conveying direction;

[0087] Drive the welding tooling to move in the conveying direction, and when the welding tooling moves to be directly opposite to the position of the carrier, the welding tooling and the carrier maintain the same speed.

[0088] The welding tooling clamps and positions the power battery to be welded within the movement range where it maintains the same speed as the carrier, and then the welding mechanism performs lid welding on the power battery to be welded.

[0089] In the embodiment of the present invention, by controlling the welding tooling to move to be directly opposite to the position of the carrier, the welding tooling and the carrier maintain the same speed, ensuring that the power battery to be welded located on the carrier runs synchronously with the welding tooling in the conveying direction. During the synchronous running of the power battery and the welding tooling in the conveying direction, the welding tooling clamps and positions the power battery, and then uses the laser welding mechanism to weld the seam between the lid and the housing of the power battery clamped in the welding tooling. With such a design, the traditional fixed-point positioning static welding is changed into a dynamic moving continuous welding process. The power battery to be welded can always maintain a state of continuously moving forward. The positioning and welding of the power battery to be welded do not need to stop and wait, greatly improving the efficiency of lid welding.

[0090] In a specific embodiment, before the welding mechanism performs lid welding on the power battery to be welded, the welding tooling lifts the power battery to be welded that has been clamped and positioned, so that the power battery to be welded is separated from the carrier.

[0091] With this design, during the subsequent laser welding process, the influence of the carrier's conveying on the speed of the power battery to be welded is avoided, so that the laser welding device only needs to match the conveying speed of the welding tooling, reducing the difficulty of dynamic tracking and system design during laser welding.

[0092] In some specific embodiments, the welding mechanism performs lid welding on the power battery to be welded through a laser flying welding head; or, the welding mechanism includes a conveying mechanism and a welding head assembly arranged on the conveying mechanism. During the process of the welding mechanism performing lid welding on the power battery to be welded, the welding head assembly moves in the conveying direction under the drive of the conveying mechanism and maintains the same speed as the welding tooling and the carrier.

[0093] In the solution of using a laser flying welding head to weld the lid, the laser flying welding head can be fixed on a fixed bracket without moving correspondingly following the movement of the power battery, and then the lid welding can be performed on the power battery continuously conveyed on the conveying line and clamped and positioned by the welding tooling, making the entire welding mechanism simpler.

[0094] In the solution of using a transfer mechanism to cooperate with a welding head assembly to weld the top cover, by controlling the transfer mechanism, the transmission line, and the annular conveyor to operate at the same speed, the power battery clamped and positioned by the welding tooling completes the welding of the top cover during the conveying process.

[0095] According to another aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a power battery production line, as Figure 4 shown. This power battery production line includes the welding equipment as described above or adopts the welding method as described above.

[0096] Since this power battery production line includes the welding equipment as described above or adopts the welding method as described above, correspondingly, it also has the advantages and benefits brought by the above welding equipment or welding method, which will not be elaborated here.

[0097] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of concise description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope recorded in this specification.

[0098] The above embodiments only represent several implementation manners of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be understood as a limitation to the scope of the invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several deformations and improvements can still be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A welding device for the top cover of a power battery, characterized in that, Including: A battery transfer device, including a transfer line and a carrier disposed on the transfer line, the carrier being used for carrying a power battery to be welded; A positioning device, including a conveying line disposed on one side of the transfer line and a welding tooling disposed on the conveying line; A laser welding device for welding a seam between a top cover and a housing of the power battery to be welded; Wherein, both the transfer line and the conveying line operate along the conveying direction. When the welding tooling moves to a position directly opposite to the carrier, the welding tooling can maintain the same speed as the carrier. The welding tooling clamps and positions the power battery to be welded within the movement range of maintaining the same speed as the carrier, and the laser welding device welds the power battery to be welded that is clamped and positioned; The conveying line includes a guide rail, the welding tooling is slidably connected within the guide rail, the welding tooling has jaws that can be opened and closed relatively. The guide rail includes a first section, a connecting section, and a second section connected in sequence, and the second section is disposed closer to the carrier in the horizontal direction compared to the first section. During the process of the welding tooling sliding from the first section to the second section, a sliding movement towards the carrier occurs within the connecting section, so that the jaws are inserted into opposite sides of the power battery to be welded; The second section includes a first horizontal section, a lifting section, and a second horizontal section connected in sequence, and the second horizontal section is disposed farther from the carrier in the vertical direction compared to the first horizontal section. During the process of the welding tooling sliding from the first horizontal section to the second horizontal section, a sliding movement away from the carrier occurs within the lifting section, so that the power battery to be welded clamped by the jaws is separated from the carrier; The laser welding device includes a conveying mechanism and a welding head assembly disposed on the conveying mechanism. The conveying mechanism is disposed on one side of the transfer line and is disposed opposite to the conveying line with respect to the conveying direction; The transfer line is a closed-loop annular transfer line, and the conveying line is a closed-loop annular conveying line; the conveying mechanism is an annular conveying mechanism, and the operating speeds of the annular conveying mechanism, the transfer line, and the conveying line are the same, so that the power battery to be welded, the welding tooling, and the welding head assembly located on the carrier operate synchronously along the conveying direction.

2. The welding device according to claim 1, wherein, The welding tooling further includes a lifting driving member, the driving end of the lifting driving member is connected to the jaws, and the lifting driving member is used for driving the jaws to move away from the carrier in the vertical direction after the jaws clamp the power battery to be welded, so that the power battery to be welded clamped by the jaws is separated from the carrier.

3. The welding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The welding tooling further includes a protection plate. The jaws include a first finger and a second finger that are spaced apart vertically. A clamping space for clamping the power battery to be welded is formed between the first finger and the second finger. The protection plate is disposed on the first finger, and after the jaws clamp the power battery to be welded, the protection plate covers the top cover.

4. The welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular conveying mechanism includes a long-side annular conveying line and a short-side annular conveying line. The welding head assembly includes a long-side welding head and a short-side welding head. The long-side welding head is arranged on the long-side annular conveying line and is used for welding two long-side seams between the top cover and the housing of the power battery to be welded. The short-side welding head is arranged on the short-side annular conveying line and is used for welding two short-side seams between the top cover and the housing of the power battery to be welded.

5. The welding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The long-side welding head includes two long-side welding heads, and the two long-side welding heads respectively correspond to two long-side seams between the top cover and the housing of the same power battery to be welded. The short-side welding head includes two short-side welding heads, and the two short-side welding heads respectively correspond to two short-side seams between the top cover and the housing of the same power battery to be welded.

6. The welding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The long-side annular conveying line includes a first long-side annular conveying line and a second long-side annular conveying line. The long-side welding head includes two long-side welding heads, and the two long-side welding heads are respectively arranged on the first long-side annular conveying line and the second long-side annular conveying line; and / or The short-side annular conveying line includes a first short-side annular conveying line and a second short-side annular conveying line. The short-side welding head includes two short-side welding heads, and the two short-side welding heads are respectively arranged on the first short-side annular conveying line and the second short-side annular conveying line.

7. The welding device according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, A plurality of the carriers are arranged on the annular transmission line at equal intervals along the conveying direction, and a plurality of the welding toolings are arranged on the annular conveying line at equal intervals along the conveying direction, and the distance between two adjacent carriers is the same as the distance between two adjacent welding toolings.

8. A welding method for a welding device as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The welding method includes the following steps: Driving the carrier fixed with the power battery to be welded to move along the conveying direction; Driving the welding tooling to move along the conveying direction, and when the welding tooling moves to be directly opposite to the position of the carrier, the welding tooling and the carrier maintain the same speed; The welding tooling clamps and positions the power battery to be welded in the movement interval of maintaining the same speed with the carrier, and then the welding mechanism welds the top cover of the power battery to be welded.

9. The welding method according to claim 8, wherein, Before the welding mechanism welds the top cover of the power battery to be welded, the welding tooling lifts the power battery to be welded that is clamped and positioned, so that the power battery to be welded is separated from the carrier.

10. The welding method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The welding mechanism welds the top cover of the power battery to be welded through a laser flying welding head; or The welding mechanism includes a conveying mechanism and a welding head assembly arranged on the conveying mechanism. During the process of the welding mechanism welding the top cover of the power battery to be welded, the welding head assembly moves along the conveying direction under the drive of the conveying mechanism and maintains the same speed with the welding tooling and the carrier.

11. A power battery production line, characterized in that, Including the welding equipment according to any one of claims 1-7.

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