Cell-in-Housing Tooling

Abstract

The present invention proposes a battery cell shell insertion tool, comprising: a first clamping and alignment mechanism for clamping the battery cell; a second clamping and alignment mechanism for clamping the outer shell and aligning the outer shell with the battery cell; a drive mechanism for driving the first and second clamping and alignment mechanisms to synchronously perform the clamping action; a guide mechanism for guiding the first and second clamping and alignment mechanisms to slide toward each other, thereby driving the battery cell and outer shell toward each other; and a press-fitting mechanism for inserting the battery cell into the outer shell. Compared with existing technologies, the present invention can insert the battery cell into the outer shell using only one set of tooling, efficiently completing the entire battery cell shell insertion process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of battery processing and production, and in particular to a battery core shell inserting tool suitable for square lithium batteries. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, thanks to the rapid development of the new energy industry, the lithium battery industry has achieved remarkable development results. Among them, square lithium batteries are simpler in structure and more convenient to assemble into power battery packs compared to lithium batteries of other shapes. Therefore, square lithium batteries have natural advantages in the industry and have become one of the research focuses in the industry.

[0003] In the processing and production process of square lithium batteries, it is generally necessary to go through the steps of slurry mixing - coating - sheeting - winding - assembly - laser welding - liquid injection - formation - sealing - capacity separation, etc. The battery cell needs to be transported to the designated position by the conveying and loading device, and then the material taking device takes the battery cell and places the battery cell in the battery cell transfer mold. The battery cell in the battery cell transfer mold is transferred to the outer shell through the transfer device, and the outer shell is installed on the battery cell through the lid closing device to complete the battery cell shelling.

[0004] In the prior art, the battery cells need to be transferred to a specific station for shelling, and then transferred to a conveyor line after shelling. This requires a large number of tools for shelling the battery cells, resulting in a very low efficiency in shelling the battery cells. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a battery cell shell insertion tool, which aims to solve the defect of low efficiency of battery cell shell insertion caused by the need for multiple sets of tooling to achieve battery cell shell insertion in the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a battery cell shell insertion tool, characterized in that it includes: a first clamping and positioning mechanism for clamping the battery cell; a second clamping and positioning mechanism for clamping the shell and aligning the shell with the battery cell; a driving mechanism for driving the first clamping and positioning mechanism and the second clamping and positioning mechanism to synchronously perform the clamping action; a guiding mechanism, the guiding mechanism is used to guide the first clamping and positioning mechanism and the second clamping and positioning mechanism to slide towards each other; and a pressing mechanism for pressing the shell into the battery cell.

[0007] Furthermore, the guiding mechanism includes a fixed bracket and a movable bracket, the movable bracket is slidably arranged on the fixed bracket in the direction from the second clamping alignment mechanism to the first clamping alignment mechanism, and the first clamping alignment mechanism, the second clamping alignment mechanism, the driving mechanism and the guiding mechanism are arranged on the movable bracket.

[0008] Furthermore, the guide mechanism also includes a first guide component connected to the first clamping and positioning mechanism and a second guide component connected to the second clamping and positioning mechanism, and the first guide component and the second guide component are slidably connected; the first clamping and positioning mechanism includes a first clamping body arranged on one side of the horizontal direction of the battery cell, and the second clamping and positioning mechanism includes a second clamping body arranged on one side of the horizontal direction of the shell, and the first clamping body and the second clamping body are arranged on the same side of the battery cell, the first clamping body is connected to the first guide component, and the second clamping body is connected to the second guide component.

[0009] Furthermore, the battery cell shell inserting tool also includes a linkage mechanism, the linkage mechanism includes a first connecting rod, the first connecting rod is connected between the first guide assembly and the second guide assembly; the driving mechanism includes a driving device, the driving device is used to drive the first connecting rod to synchronously drive the first clamping body and the second clamping body to perform a clamping action.

[0010] Furthermore, one end of the first connecting rod is fixedly connected to the second clamping body, and the first clamping body is provided with a first through hole for the first connecting rod to slide through, and one end of the first connecting rod relative to the second clamping body is clamped on the outside of the first through hole.

[0011] Furthermore, an elastic reset member is provided between the first clamping body and the second clamping body.

[0012] Furthermore, the first clamping and alignment mechanism includes four first clamping bodies, which are respectively arranged around the battery core in the horizontal direction; the second clamping and alignment mechanism includes four second clamping bodies, which are respectively arranged around the shell in the horizontal direction.

[0013] Furthermore, the linkage mechanism also includes a sleeve and a second connecting rod, the sleeve is arranged on the fixed bracket, the second connecting rod is telescopically arranged in the sleeve, the second connecting rod is connected to the first clamping and positioning mechanism, and the second connecting rod is also connected to the movable bracket, and the movable bracket synchronously drives the second clamping and positioning mechanism to slide.

[0014] Furthermore, the movable bracket further includes an alignment opening arranged downward, and the fixed bracket further includes a suction cup assembly arranged opposite to the alignment opening, and the suction cup assembly grabs the shell to the alignment opening.

[0015] Furthermore, the press-fitting mechanism includes a telescopic driving device provided on the fixed bracket, the telescopic driving device includes a telescopic end, and the suction cup assembly is provided at the telescopic end.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention arranges a first clamping and positioning mechanism, a second clamping and positioning mechanism, a driving mechanism, a guiding mechanism and a pressing mechanism on the tooling; the first clamping and positioning mechanism clamps the battery cell, and the second clamping and positioning mechanism clamps the shell; the driving mechanism drives the first clamping and positioning mechanism and the second clamping and positioning mechanism to synchronously perform the clamping action to clamp the battery cell and the shell and keep them aligned; the guiding mechanism is used to guide the first clamping and positioning mechanism and the second clamping and positioning mechanism to slide toward each other, thereby guiding the battery cell and the shell to approach each other, aligning and approaching the battery cell and the shell to complete the pre-positioning of the battery cell and the shell, and finally sending the battery cell into the shell through the pressing mechanism, thereby efficiently completing the entire action of the battery cell entering the shell, which perfectly solves the defect in the prior art that multiple sets of tooling are required to achieve the battery cell entering the shell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the installation structure of the battery cell shell tooling in the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the battery cell shell inserting tooling in the present invention when viewed from above.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the battery cell shell inserting tooling in the present invention when viewed from above.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the battery cell shell inserting tooling in the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional installation structure diagram of the first and second clamping and positioning mechanisms in the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a side view of the installation structure of the first and second clamping and alignment mechanisms in the present invention.

[0024] 100. Battery cell shell insertion tooling; 1. First clamping and positioning mechanism; 11. First clamping body; 111. Insertion plate; 2. Second clamping and positioning mechanism; 21. Second clamping body; 3. Driving mechanism; 31. Driving device; 5. Guide mechanism; 51. Fixed bracket; 52. Fixed plate; 521. Lower extension plate; 53. Movable bracket; 54. Bottom plate; 541. Upper extension plate; 55. First guide assembly; 56. Second guide assembly; 6. Press-fitting mechanism; 61. Suction cup assembly; 7. Battery cell; 8. Shell; 9. Linkage mechanism; 91. First connecting rod; 92. First through hole; 93. Elastic reset member; 94. Sleeve; 95. Sliding groove; 96. Second connecting rod; 961. Rolling bearing; 962. Socket; 97. Sliding member; 98. Transmission plate; 10. Execution device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0026] The battery cell shell tooling 100 proposed in this application is shown in the attached Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the battery cell shelling tooling 100 proposed in the present application mainly includes a first clamping and positioning mechanism 1, a second clamping and positioning mechanism 2, a driving mechanism 3, a guiding mechanism 5 and a pressing mechanism 6, wherein the first clamping and positioning mechanism 1 is used to clamp the battery cell 7, and the second clamping and positioning mechanism 2 is used to clamp the shell 8. The clamping centers of the first clamping and positioning mechanism 1 and the second clamping and positioning mechanism 2 remain coaxial, and the driving mechanism 3 drives the first clamping and positioning mechanism 1 and the second clamping and positioning mechanism 2 to synchronously perform the clamping action so as to clamp the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 and keep them aligned. The guiding mechanism 5 is used to guide the first clamping and positioning mechanism 1 and the second clamping and positioning mechanism 2 to slide toward each other, thereby guiding the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 to approach each other. After the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 are aligned and close, the battery cell 7 is sent into the shell 8 through the pressing mechanism 6 to complete the entire action of the battery cell 7 entering the shell.

[0027] The following will introduce the battery cell shell tooling 100 in detail. Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the guiding mechanism 5 of the battery cell shelling tool 100 mainly includes a fixed bracket 51 and a movable bracket 53. The fixed bracket 51 is used to support and fix the tool on the execution equipment 10 that specifically performs the step of putting the battery cell 7 into the shell. The execution equipment 10 is such as a robotic arm, a conveying carrier, etc. The movable bracket 53 is slidably connected to the above-mentioned fixed bracket 51, that is, the fixed bracket 51 is used to fix the tool, and the movable bracket 53 slides on the fixed bracket 51, and can be used to perform actions such as clamping, alignment and assembly of the battery cell 7 and the shell 8.

[0028] Furthermore, the movable bracket 53 includes a base plate 54, the second clamping alignment mechanism 2 is installed at the lower end of the base plate 54, and an alignment port is provided in the middle of the base plate 54. The fixed bracket 51 includes a fixed plate 52, and the fixed plate 52 is arranged parallel to the base plate 54, and the fixed plate 52 is arranged above the base plate 54. A suction cup assembly 61 is also provided on the fixed bracket 51, and the suction cup assembly 61 sucks the shell 8 by vacuuming the shell 8. The suction cup assembly 61 is arranged opposite to the alignment port, so that the shell 8 is grabbed to the alignment port; the execution device 10 in this embodiment is a set of annular magnetic drive conveyor lines, and a mover carrier is provided on the magnetic drive conveyor line. The mover carrier circulates on the annular guide rail to fix the fixed plate 52 on the mover carrier, so as to be used to convey the battery cell shell tooling 100 to the top of the battery cell 7. The pressing mechanism 6 includes a telescopic driving device, which includes a telescopic end. The suction cup assembly 61 is arranged on the telescopic end of the telescopic driving device. The suction cup assembly 61 is pushed up and down by the telescopic driving device. The telescopic driving device is the power driving unit for pushing the core into the shell. After the second clamping and positioning mechanism 2 and the first clamping and positioning mechanism 1 clamp the outer shell 8 and the battery core 7 respectively, the telescopic driving device pushes the outer shell 8 to be mounted on the battery core 7.

[0029] Furthermore, an upper extension plate 541 perpendicular to the bottom plate 54 is provided above the bottom plate 54 of the fixed bracket 51, and a lower extension plate 521 perpendicular to the fixed plate 52 is provided below the fixed plate 52 of the movable bracket 53. The upper extension plate 541 and the lower extension plate 521 fit together, and the upper extension plate 541 and the lower extension plate 521 can slide in the vertical direction. To achieve this function, the present application provides a set of slide rails on the upper extension plate 541 and a slider on the lower extension plate 521, so that the upper extension plate 541 and the lower extension plate 521 can slide relative to each other up and down.

[0030] Furthermore, combined with Figures 4 to 6As shown, the guide mechanism 5 also includes a first guide component 55 connected to the first clamping alignment mechanism 1 and a second guide component 56 connected to the second clamping alignment mechanism 2. The first guide component 55 and the second guide component 56 are slidably connected to drive the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 to approach each other again; specifically, the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 are rectangular in shape. In order to better achieve the clamping alignment of the battery cell 7 and the shell 8, a clamping body is required to be provided on all four sides of the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 to clamp the battery cell 7 and the shell 8. For ease of understanding, the present application takes the clamping body on one side of the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 as an example. The second clamping alignment mechanism 2 includes a second clamping body 21. The second clamping body 21 is provided on one side of the shell 8 in the horizontal direction. The second clamping body 21 is the main body that performs the clamping action. The holding and positioning mechanism 1 includes a first clamping body 11 provided on one side of the battery cell 7 in the horizontal direction, and the first clamping body 11 is used to clamp and center the battery cell 7, wherein the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 are located on the same side of the battery cell 7, and the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 are slidably connected by a first guide component 55 and a second guide component 56. The first guide component 55 can be a linear slide rail fixed on the first clamping body 11, and the second guide component 56 can be a slider fixed on the second clamping body 21. The second guide component 56 slides linearly on the first guide component 55. Since the slide rail is fixed on the first clamping body 11, when the second clamping body 21 slides, it will slide toward the first clamping body 11, so that the shell 8 and the battery cell 7 are close to each other.

[0031] Preferably, the second clamping body 21 is tilted relative to one end of the first clamping body 11 to form a trumpet-shaped shape from top to bottom. The first clamping body 11 can be inserted into the tilted trumpet-shaped shape. This can avoid the second clamping body 21 and the first clamping body 11 from interfering with each other when they are close, and the distance between the shell 8 and the battery cell 7 is closer, which facilitates the accuracy of the final push-in.

[0032] Furthermore, the battery cell shell inserting tool 100 also includes a linkage mechanism 9, which includes a first linkage rod 91. The upper end of the first linkage rod 91 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the second clamping body 21, and the lower end of the first linkage rod 91 faces the first clamping body 11, and the first clamping body 11 is provided with a first through hole 92 for the first linkage rod 91 to slide through. The first linkage rod 91 is clamped on the outside of the first through hole 92 relative to the lower end of the second clamping body 21, so that the sliding limit positions of the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 can be limited. When the first clamping body 11 slides downward to abut against the first linkage rod 91, the distance between the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 reaches the farthest. The driving mechanism 3 includes a driving device 31, which is a cylinder. The cylinder pushes the first connecting rod 91 to move horizontally toward the battery core 7 and the housing 8. Since the first connecting rod 91 is relatively fixed to the first clamping body 11 in the horizontal direction, by driving the driving device 31, the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 can be synchronously driven to perform the clamping action.

[0033] Furthermore, an elastic return member 93 is provided between the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21. The elastic return member 93 is a spring. The spring is mounted on the first connecting rod 91, and the upper end of the spring abuts against the second clamping body 21, and the lower end of the spring abuts against the first clamping body 11. Therefore, when the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 are in a natural state, the spring pushes the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 away from each other, that is, when the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 are forced to slide toward each other, after the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 are assembled, the first elastic return member 93 bounces the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 apart.

[0034] Furthermore, the linkage mechanism 9 also includes a sleeve 94 and a second linkage rod 96, wherein the sleeve 94 is mounted and fixed on the fixed plate 52, the sleeve 94 is hollow, the second linkage rod 96 is arranged in the sleeve 94, and the second linkage rod 96 extends to the lower end of the sleeve 94, and the second linkage rod 96 slides up and down in the sleeve 94 to realize the extension and contraction of the second linkage rod 96, and a pair of oppositely arranged sliding grooves 95 are provided on the sleeve 94, and the sliding grooves 95 extend perpendicular to the horizontal direction, and the second linkage rod 96 is provided with a sliding member 97, the sliding member 97 extends through the sliding groove 95 to the outside of the sleeve 94, and a transmission plate 98 is also provided on the bottom plate 54. The transmission plate 98 is abutted against the lower end of the sliding member 97, and the lower end of the second connecting rod 96 is provided with a socket 962. The first clamping body 11 is also provided with a plug plate 111 that penetrates into the socket 962 to limit the first clamping body 11 from sliding downward; when the movable bracket 53 slides downward, the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 are synchronously driven downward. The first clamping body 11 slides to both sides of the battery cell 7 until the sliding member 97 abuts against the bottom of the lower groove of the sliding groove 95 to prevent the second connecting rod 96 and the sleeve 94 from disengaging. At this time, the first clamping body 11 slides to the limit position and no longer slides downward. However, the second clamping body 21 continues to slide downward with the movable bracket 53. Under the clamping of the second clamping body 21, the shell 8 continues to move toward the battery cell 7 and compresses the elastic reset member 93. When the shell 8 is partially inserted into the battery cell 7, the first clamping alignment mechanism The structure 1 and the second clamping alignment mechanism 2 synchronously release the shell 8 and the battery cell 7, and the telescopic drive device continues to push the shell 8 downward until the battery cell 7 is completely sent into the shell 8. When the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 are assembled, the movable bracket 53 is driven by external force to slide upward, and the transmission plate 98 abuts against the sliding member 97 to make the second connecting rod 96 slide upward synchronously. The second connecting rod 96 then drives the first clamping body 11 to slide upward, and at the same time the elastic reset member 93 elastically resets, and the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 are bounced apart.

[0035] Furthermore, a rolling bearing 961 is provided at the lower end of the socket 962, and the insert plate 111 is in contact with the rolling bearing 961, so that when the driving device 31 drives the first clamping body 11 to perform a clamping action, the insert plate 111 slides in the socket 962, and the rolling bearing 961 assists the insert plate 111 in sliding, thereby reducing the sliding friction between the insert plate 111 and the socket 962.

[0036] It should be noted that the second clamping body 21 and the base plate 54 in this application are slidably connected by means of a slide rail and a slider, so that the driving mechanism 3 drives the second clamping body 21 to clamp in the horizontal direction. The connection structure of the slide rail and the slider is a common structure and will not be repeated in this application.

[0037] The working principle of the present application is as follows: the battery cell shelling tool 100 is installed on the execution device 10, and the execution device 10 drives the tool synchronously. The tool first grabs the shell 8 to the alignment port through the suction cup assembly 61, and then the execution device 10 continues to drive the shell 8 to the top of the battery cell 7. After the shell 8 is transported to the top of the battery cell 7, the movable bracket 53 begins to slide downward under the force, and the first clamping alignment mechanism 1 and the second clamping alignment mechanism 2 move downward accordingly with the movement of the movable bracket 53 until the first clamping body 11 of the first clamping alignment mechanism 1 moves downward to the limit position. At this time, the first clamping alignment mechanism 1 corresponds to the four sides of the battery cell 7, and the second clamping alignment mechanism 2 corresponds to the four sides of the shell 8. The pressing mechanism 6 (telescopic drive device) pushes the shell 8 to move a short distance toward the battery cell 7, and the driving mechanism 3 drives the first clamping alignment mechanism 1 and the second clamping alignment mechanism 2 to synchronously perform clamping alignment. Thereby adjusting the upper and lower positions of the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 and fixing the battery cell 7 and the shell 8; then the movable bracket 53 continues to slide downward, the first clamping alignment mechanism 1 no longer moves downward, and the second clamping alignment mechanism 2 continues to move downward, inserting a part of the shell 8 into the battery cell 7, and when the second clamping alignment mechanism 2 slides to the limit position with the first clamping alignment mechanism 1, the second clamping alignment mechanism no longer moves downward, and finally the pressing mechanism 6 (telescopic drive device) pushes the shell 8 toward the battery cell 7 until the battery cell 7 is completely sent into the shell 8; when the battery cell 7 and the shell 8 are assembled, the movable bracket 53 slides upward, and the transmission plate 98 abuts against the sliding member 97 to make the second connecting rod 96 slide upward synchronously, and the second connecting rod 96 then drives the first clamping body 11 to slide upward, and at the same time the elastic reset member 93 elastically resets, and the first clamping body 11 and the second clamping body 21 are bounced apart, and the tooling is reset as a whole.

[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery cell shell inserting tool, characterized in that: include: A first clamping and positioning mechanism, used for clamping the battery cell; The second clamping and aligning mechanism is used to clamp the housing and align the housing with the battery cell; A driving mechanism, driving the first clamping and positioning mechanism and the second clamping and positioning mechanism to synchronously perform a clamping action; The guide mechanism is used to guide the first clamping and alignment mechanism and the second clamping and alignment mechanism to slide towards each other; the guide mechanism includes a fixed bracket and a movable bracket, and the movable bracket is slidably arranged on the fixed bracket in the direction from the second clamping and alignment mechanism to the first clamping and alignment mechanism, and the first clamping and alignment mechanism, the second clamping and alignment mechanism, the driving mechanism and the guide mechanism are arranged on the movable bracket; the guide mechanism also includes a first guide component connected to the first clamping and alignment mechanism and a second guide component connected to the second clamping and alignment mechanism, and the first guide component and the second guide component are slidably connected; the first clamping and alignment mechanism includes a first clamping body provided on one side of the horizontal direction of the battery cell, and the second clamping and alignment mechanism includes a second clamping body provided on one side of the horizontal direction of the shell, and the first clamping body and the second clamping body are provided on the same side of the battery cell, the first clamping body is connected to the first guide component, and the second clamping body is connected to the second guide component; A linkage mechanism, the linkage mechanism includes a first linkage rod, the first linkage rod is connected between the first guide assembly and the second guide assembly; the driving mechanism includes a driving device, the driving device is used to drive the first linkage rod to synchronously drive the first clamping body and the second clamping body to perform a clamping action; the linkage mechanism also includes a sleeve and a second linkage rod, the sleeve is provided on the fixed bracket, the second linkage rod is telescopically provided in the sleeve, the second linkage rod is connected to the first clamping alignment mechanism, and the second linkage rod is also connected to the movable bracket, and the movable bracket synchronously drives the second clamping alignment mechanism to slide; The press-fitting mechanism is used to press the shell into the battery core, and the press-fitting mechanism includes a telescopic driving device arranged on the fixed bracket.

2. The battery core shell inserting tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the first connecting rod is fixedly connected to the second clamping body, and the first clamping body is provided with a first through hole for the first connecting rod to slide through. One end of the first connecting rod relative to the second clamping body is clamped on the outside of the first through hole.

3. The battery core shell inserting tool according to claim 2, characterized in that: An elastic reset member is provided between the first clamping body and the second clamping body.

4. The battery core shell inserting tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first clamping and alignment mechanism includes four first clamping bodies, which are respectively arranged around the battery core in the horizontal direction; the second clamping and alignment mechanism includes four second clamping bodies, which are respectively arranged around the shell in the horizontal direction.

5. The battery cell shell inserting tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable bracket further includes an alignment opening arranged downward, and the fixed bracket further includes a suction cup assembly arranged opposite to the alignment opening, and the suction cup assembly grabs the shell to the alignment opening.

6. The battery cell shell inserting tool according to claim 5, characterized in that: The telescopic drive device includes a telescopic end, and the suction cup assembly is arranged at the telescopic end.

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