Variable-distance positioning and equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging of square battery

Abstract

The application discloses a variable-distance positioning and equal-division pressing mechanism for square battery charging and discharging, which comprises a rack, a pressing mechanism arranged between a top frame and a bottom frame of the rack, a lifting seat, a lifting driving cylinder and a plurality of restraint trays, a cam arranged at the rear of each restraint tray fixing seat, a variable-distance positioning and equal-division needle plate mechanism arranged at the bottom of the top frame, a plurality of needle plates, a needle plate frame, a linear guide bottom plate, a linear guide, a reset unit, a wire outlet connector and a plurality of probe assembly sets, the reset unit comprising a cam contact block and a horizontal pushing part, the horizontal pushing part being connected to the front end of the cam contact block and arranged at the rear end of the linear guide bottom plate, and the cam contact block being provided with a wedge-shaped pushing surface and a vertical surface from bottom to top and capable of cooperating with the cam. The application has the beneficial effect that the battery bulging and thickness size error accumulation are reduced through the grouped positioning of the probes, and the probes are ensured to be aligned with the battery tabs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a pressing mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries, belonging to the category of lithium battery charging and discharging equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Charging and discharging are crucial processes in lithium battery manufacturing. These processes typically utilize a pressing mechanism, which includes a bottom frame and a top frame that can open and close towards each other. Both frames are horizontally positioned, with the bottom frame located below the top frame. A restraint support frame is mounted on the bottom frame, and spacers are arranged in rows on this frame. The spaces between adjacent spacers form the housing for the lithium batteries. During charging and discharging, the lithium batteries are placed within these spaces, forming a row. A row of probes is arranged on the top frame, positioned above the lithium battery rows. When the top and bottom frames close together, the probes contact the battery terminals, initiating the charging and discharging process.

[0003] For stable and reliable charging and discharging of lithium batteries, it is crucial to ensure the stability of the contact between the battery tabs and the probe. Specifically, the vertical projections of the probe and the battery tabs must coincide. If the probe and battery tabs are misaligned, the probe will fail to effectively contact the battery tabs, affecting the charging and discharging process.

[0004] Theoretically, when the probe queue and the lithium battery queue are aligned, the lithium battery and its corresponding probe should be aligned. However, lithium batteries have thickness errors, separator size errors, and thickness errors caused by lithium battery expansion during charging and discharging. In particular, these errors accumulate in the lithium battery queue, causing the deviation between lithium batteries far from the calibration point and their corresponding probes to a degree sufficient to affect the effective charging and discharging of the lithium batteries.

[0005] Existing pressing mechanisms simply perform lifting and pressing without error correction, affecting the consistency and quality of lithium batteries. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention proposes a variable-distance positioning and pressing mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries. By using a probe-group positioning method, the cumulative dimensional errors caused by lithium battery swelling and thickness dimensional errors are eliminated, thereby improving the stability of lithium battery charging and discharging, and enhancing the quality and consistency of the lithium battery.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0008] The present invention provides a variable-distance positioning and equal-distribution pressing mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries, comprising:

[0009] The frame includes a horizontally arranged top frame and a bottom frame, with the bottom frame located below the top frame. The top frame and bottom frame are spaced apart and are fixedly connected by several guide rods.

[0010] A pressing mechanism, located between a top frame and a bottom frame, includes a lifting seat, a lifting drive cylinder, and several restraint trays. The lifting seat is horizontally positioned between the top and bottom frames and slidably connected to a guide rod. The lifting seat has a rectangular tray placement frame, with the extension direction of the long side defined as the left-right direction and the extension direction of the short side defined as the front-back direction. Several restraint tray fixing seats are arranged side-by-side in the left-right direction on the tray placement frame. The lifting drive cylinder is located on the top frame, and its lifting end is connected to the tray placement frame. The restraint trays are detachably installed on the restraint tray fixing seats. Each restraint tray contains a row of vertically spaced, parallel, and equally spaced partitions perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The longitudinal axis of the row of partitions is along the front-back direction. Space for accommodating lithium batteries is provided between adjacent partitions, and the partitions are flexibly connected. The mechanism is characterized by:

[0011] Each restraint tray holder has a cam at the rear, and the cam's rotation axis is set in the left-right direction;

[0012] The bottom of the top frame is equipped with a variable-distance positioning and evenly distributing needle plate mechanism, including several needle plates that correspond one-to-one with the restraint tray fixing seat. Each needle plate includes a needle plate frame, a linear guide rail base plate, a linear guide rail, a reset unit, a wire outlet connector, and several sets of probe assemblies. The needle plate frame is suspended directly above the restraint tray fixing seat, and the wire outlet connector is located at the rear end of the needle plate frame. The linear guide rail base plate is located at the bottom of the needle plate frame, and the lower surface of the linear guide rail base plate is provided with a linear guide rail arranged in the front-back direction. Several sets of probe assemblies are slidably mounted on the linear guide rail and aligned in the front-back direction. Each set of probe assemblies is connected to the linear guide rail base plate through a reset spring. The bottom of each probe assembly is provided with a positioning lever for insertion into the accommodating space and several pairs of probes for contacting the battery terminals. The probes are electrically connected to the wire outlet connector through wires.

[0013] The reset unit includes a cam contact block and a horizontal pushing part, with the horizontal pushing part connected to the front end of the cam contact block. The horizontal pushing part is located at the rear end of the linear guide base plate. The cam contact block has a wedge-shaped pushing surface and a vertical surface that can cooperate with the cam from bottom to top. The cam is located in front of the wedge-shaped pushing surface, which gradually tilts towards the cam side from bottom to top. The vertical surface is connected to the top of the wedge-shaped pushing surface. As the cam rolls upward on the wedge-shaped pushing surface, it pushes the cam contact block from the first position to the rearward position. The horizontal pushing part is located between the cam contact block and the rearmost vertical partition plate, and is used to push the vertical partition plate array to move backward. In the first position, the cam meets the bottom of the wedge-shaped pushing surface, and at the same time, the positioning lever disengages from the vertical partition plate. In the second position, the cam presses against the vertical surface, and at the same time, the positioning lever presses against the adjacent rear vertical partition plate, providing a position reference in the front-rear direction for the probe on the probe assembly.

[0014] Preferably, the probe assembly includes a slider, probes, positioning levers, a mounting block, and a reset spring. The mounting block has a slider at its end, and the mounting block is slidably mounted on the linear guide rail via the slider. The bottom of the mounting block has several pairs of probes and positioning levers. The reset spring is disposed between the mounting block and the base plate of the linear guide rail.

[0015] Furthermore, the probe assembly also includes a temperature probe, which is inserted into the mounting block and has its detection end flush with the detection end of the probe, for detecting the battery temperature.

[0016] Preferably, the cam contact block is U-shaped and located behind the linear guide base plate, and the front end face of the cam contact block is provided with the wedge-shaped pushing surface and the vertical surface; the horizontal pushing part includes a fixed block and a top block, the fixed block is connected to the rear end of the linear guide base plate, a second linear bearing is installed in the fixed block, and a compression spring is provided between the top block and the fixed block; the optical axis is installed in the second linear bearing, the front end of the optical axis is connected to the top block, the rear end of the optical axis is connected to the cam contact block, a compression spring is installed between the top block and the fixed block, and the top block rests against the rear part of the probe assembly.

[0017] Preferably, the restraint tray fixing seat is a rectangular area surrounded by four L-shaped guide blocks. The rear of the rectangular area is provided with an anti-reverse pin and the front is provided with a positioning pin. An arrival sensor is provided within the rectangular area to determine whether the restraint tray is correctly placed. The edge of the tray placement frame is provided with a first linear bearing for passing through the guide rod and a limiting rod for limiting the vertical height of the tray placement frame.

[0018] Preferably, the cam is mounted on the support rod, and the bottom of the support rod is located at the rear of the pallet placement frame; the cam is rotatably mounted on the top of the support rod via a camshaft, and the camshaft is arranged along the left and right direction of the pallet placement frame.

[0019] Preferably, the restraint tray includes vertical partitions, restraint blocks, a tray bottom plate, a front end plate, and a rear end plate. The front end plate and the rear end plate are respectively disposed at both ends of the tray bottom plate, and a connecting shaft and a guide shaft connect the front end plate and the rear end plate. The vertical partitions are slidably disposed on the guide shaft and form a vertical partition row in the front-back direction. Restraint blocks are detachably provided between the front end plate and the foremost partition, and between the rear end plate and the last vertical partition, for adjusting the size of the accommodating space between the vertical partitions.

[0020] Preferably, a contact sensor is provided at the bottom of the tray base plate, and the contact sensor contacts the positioning sensor when the restraint tray is placed in place.

[0021] Preferably, the front of the pallet bottom plate is provided with an anti-reverse pin positioning hole and the rear is provided with a positioning hole, which, together with the anti-reverse pin and the positioning pin, respectively, achieves the positioning of the pallet for restraint.

[0022] A method for charging and discharging a battery using the variable-distance positioning and equal-distribution pressing mechanism for charging and discharging a square battery according to the present invention includes the following steps:

[0023] 1) First, place the restraint trays side by side in the corresponding restraint tray fixing positions in the tray placement frame. During the placement process, the restraint trays can be guided by L-shaped guide blocks. The positioning pins, anti-reverse pins, contact sensors and position sensors are used to determine whether the restraint trays are placed correctly.

[0024] 2) After the restraint tray is placed in place, the lifting drive cylinder drives the tray placement frame to rise. The cam contacts the bottom end of the cam contact block of the reset unit. The positioning lever is located in the middle of the two adjacent vertical partitions and does not contact the front and rear vertical partitions. At this time, the cam contact block and the probe assembly are in the first position. At this time, the elastic force of the compression spring pushes the top block forward. The top block pushes the probe assembly forward on the linear guide rail. The reset spring is stretched and generates a backward pulling force on the probe assembly until the elastic force of the compression spring and the pulling force of the reset spring reach a balance on the probe assembly.

[0025] 3) The lifting drive cylinder drives the tray placement frame to continue rising. The cam rolls from bottom to top along the wedge-shaped pushing surface of the cam contact block, causing the cam contact block to move backward. The cam contact block drives the top block to move while compressing the compression spring. The balance between the spring's pushing force and the return spring's pulling force is disrupted. Then, the return spring pulls the probe assembly backward until the positioning lever contacts the rear vertical partition. The probe assembly is positioned, and at this time, the cam contact block and the probe assembly are in the second position. At this time, the lever of each probe assembly provides a position reference in the front-back direction for the probe on its respective probe assembly. Since each probe assembly contains a small number of probes, the accumulation of size errors between the lithium battery and the vertical partition can be avoided, ensuring that the probe is aligned with the corresponding lithium battery tab.

[0026] 4) The lifting drive cylinder drives the tray placement frame to continue rising until the limit rod reaches the predetermined stroke. The lifting drive cylinder stops moving, and the probe contacts the battery tabs directly below to start the charging and discharging process.

[0027] 5) After charging is completed, the lifting drive cylinder drives the tray placement frame to descend. The cam rolls from top to bottom along the wedge-shaped pushing surface of the cam contact block. The cam contact block returns to the first position under the action of the cam and the compression spring. The probe assembly returns to the first position along the linear guide under the action of the reset tension spring. The positioning lever is located in the middle of the two adjacent vertical partitions and does not contact the front and rear vertical partitions.

[0028] 6) The lifting drive cylinder drives the pallet placement frame to continue to descend until the pallet placement frame reaches its lowest position, thus completing the entire process.

[0029] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. By using a positional equalization method, the coverage area of ​​the lithium battery queue and probe assembly is reduced from the entire queue to the length of a single probe assembly, reducing the accumulation of battery swelling and thickness errors, and allowing the probe and the lithium battery tabs to align with each other, resulting in better contact and improved battery consistency and quality; 2. The alignment action between the probe assembly and the lithium battery is reliable, increasing the reliability of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the restraint tray of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the variable-distance positioning and equal-division needle plate mechanism of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the fixing block of the horizontal pushing part and the linear guide base plate of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the probe assembly of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the reset unit of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 5a This is a structural diagram of the cam contact block of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5b This is a side view of the cam contact block of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 5c This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the cam contact block of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the lifting seat of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 6a yes Figure 6 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0041] Figure 7a This is a schematic diagram of the first position engagement between the cam and the cam contact block of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 7b yes Figure 7a Enlarged view of point A.

[0043] Figure 7c yes Figure 7a Enlarged view of point B.

[0044] Figure 8a This is a schematic diagram illustrating the positioning and engagement of the cam and the cam contact block in this invention.

[0045] Figure 8b yes Figure 8a Enlarged view of point A.

[0046] Figure 8c yes Figure 8a Enlarged view of point B.

[0047] Figure 9a This is a schematic diagram of the second position engagement between the cam and the cam contact block of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 9b yes Figure 9a Enlarged view of point A.

[0049] Figure 9c yes Figure 9a Enlarged view of point B.

[0050] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Restraint tray; 11. Vertical partition; 12. Lithium battery; 13. Restraint block; 14. Tray base plate; 15. Front end plate; 16. Rear end plate; 17. Connecting shaft; 18. Guide shaft; 2. Needle plate; 21. Probe assembly; 22. Reset unit; 23. Outlet connector; 24. Linear guide rail; 25. Linear guide rail; 26. Linear guide rail base plate; 27. Needle plate holder; 211. Slider; 212. Probe; 213. Positioning lever; 214. Mounting block; 215. Reset tension spring; 216. Temperature probe; 217. Wire; 220. Horizontal push part; 221. Cam contact 1. Block; 222. Second linear bearing; 223. Top block; 224. Compression spring; 225. Optical axis; 226. Fixing block; 2211. Wedge-shaped pushing surface; 2212. Vertical surface; 3. Lifting seat; 31. Tray placement frame; 301. Support rod; 311. Restraining tray fixing seat; 312. First linear bearing; 32. L-shaped guide block; 33. Positioning pin; 34. Anti-reverse pin; 35. Position sensor; 36. Cam; 361. Rotating shaft; 4. Lifting drive cylinder; 5. Frame; 51. Top frame; 52. Bottom frame; 53. Guide rod; 6. Pressing mechanism; 7. Variable distance positioning and evenly distributing needle plate mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0052] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0053] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0054] Furthermore, 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 number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0055] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0056] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0057] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0058] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and exemplary embodiments.

[0059] like Figures 1-6 As shown, the variable-distance positioning and equal-distribution pressing mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries according to the present invention includes:

[0060] The frame 5 includes a horizontally arranged top frame 51 and a bottom frame 52, with the bottom frame 52 located below the top frame 51. The top frame 51 and the bottom frame 52 are spaced apart and are fixedly connected by several guide rods 53.

[0061] The pressing mechanism 6, located between the top frame 51 and the bottom frame 52, includes a lifting seat 3, a lifting drive cylinder 4, and several restraint trays 1. The lifting seat 3 is horizontally positioned between the top frame 51 and the bottom frame 52 and is slidably fitted onto the guide rod 53. The lifting seat 3 has a rectangular tray placement frame 31 for supporting and positioning the trays. The extension direction of the long side of the tray placement frame 31 is defined as the left-right direction, and the extension direction of the short side of the tray placement frame 31 is defined as the front-back direction. The tray placement frame 31 is positioned in the left-right direction and... The frame is equipped with three restraint tray fixing seats 311; the lifting drive cylinder 4 is set on the top frame 51, and the lifting end of the lifting drive cylinder 4 is connected to the tray placement frame 31; the restraint tray 1 is detachably installed at the restraint tray fixing seat 311, and the restraint tray 1 is provided with a row of vertical partitions 11 that are perpendicular to the horizontal plane and parallel to each other at equal intervals. The longitudinal axis of the row of vertical partitions 11 is along the front and back direction, and there is a space for accommodating the battery 12 between adjacent vertical partitions 11. The vertical partitions are flexibly connected.

[0062] Each restraint tray fixing seat 311 is provided with a cam 36 at the rear, and the rotation shaft 361 of the cam 36 is arranged in the left and right direction;

[0063] The bottom of the top frame 51 is provided with a variable-distance positioning and evenly distributing needle plate mechanism 7, including several needle plates 2 corresponding one-to-one with the restraint tray fixing seat 311. The needle plate 2 includes a needle plate frame 27, a linear guide rail base plate 26, a linear guide rail 24, a reset unit 22, a wire outlet connector 23, and several sets of probe assemblies 21. The needle plate frame 27 is suspended directly above the restraint tray fixing seat 311, and the wire outlet connector 23 is provided at the rear end of the needle plate frame 27. The linear guide rail base plate 26 is located at the bottom of the needle plate frame 27. The lower surface is provided with a linear guide rail 25 arranged in the front-to-back direction. The probe assembly 21 is slidably mounted on the linear guide rail 25 and aligned in the front-to-back direction. Several sets of probe assemblies 21 are connected to the base plate 26 of the linear guide rail through a reset spring 215, which allows the probe assembly 21 to extend, retract, and reset. The bottom of the probe assembly 21 is provided with a positioning lever 213 for insertion into the accommodating space and several pairs of probes 212 for contacting the battery tabs. The probes 212 are electrically connected to the outlet connector 23 through wires 217.

[0064] The reset unit 22 includes a cam contact block 221 and a horizontal pushing part 220. The horizontal pushing part is connected to the front end of the cam contact block 221. The horizontal pushing part 220 is located at the rear end of the linear guide base plate 26. The cam contact block 221 has a wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211 and a vertical surface 2212 that can cooperate with the cam 36 from bottom to top. The cam 36 is located in front of the wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211. The wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211 gradually tilts towards the cam side from bottom to top. The vertical surface 2212 is connected to the top of the wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211. The cam 36 moves upward on the wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211. During the rolling process, the cam contact block 221 is pushed from the first position to the second position; the horizontal pushing part 220 is disposed between the cam contact block 221 and the rearmost vertical partition 11, and is used to push the vertical partition array to move backward; in the first position, the cam 36 meets the bottom of the wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211, and at the same time, the positioning lever 213 disengages from the vertical partition 11; in the second position, the cam 36 presses against the vertical surface 2212, and at the same time, the positioning lever 213 presses against the adjacent vertical partition 11 behind, providing a position reference for the probe 212 on the probe assembly 21 in the front-back direction.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present invention, the probe assembly 21 includes a slider 211, a probe 212, a positioning lever 213, a mounting block 214, and a reset spring 215. The mounting block 214 is provided with a slider 211 at its end, and the mounting block 214 is slidably mounted on the linear guide rail 25 via the slider 211. The bottom of the mounting block 214 is provided with several pairs of probes 212 and positioning levers 213. The reset spring 215 is disposed between the mounting block 214 and the linear guide rail base plate 26, with one end connected to the end of the mounting block 214 and the other end connected to the linear guide rail base plate 26.

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, the probe assembly 21 also includes a temperature probe 216, which is inserted into the mounting block 214 and has its detection end flush with the detection end of the probe 212, for detecting the temperature of the lithium battery surface.

[0067] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the cam contact block 221 is U-shaped and is located behind the linear guide base plate 26. The front end face of the cam contact block 221 is provided with the wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211 and the vertical surface 2212. The horizontal pushing part 220 includes a fixing block 226 and a top block 223. The fixing block 226 is connected to the rear end of the linear guide base plate 26. A second linear bearing 222 passes through the fixing block 226. The optical shaft 225 passes through the second linear bearing 222. The front end of the optical shaft 225 is connected to the top block 223, and the rear end of the optical shaft 225 is connected to the cam contact block 221. A compression spring 224 is sleeved on the optical shaft 225 between the top block 223 and the fixing block 226.

[0068] like Figure 6 As shown, the cam 36 is mounted on the support rod 301, and the bottom of the support rod 301 is located at the rear of the tray placement frame 31; the cam 36 is rotatably mounted on the top of the support rod 301 via a rotating shaft 361, and the rotating shaft 361 is arranged along the left and right directions of the tray placement frame 31.

[0069] like Figure 6 As shown, the top frame 51 and the bottom frame 52 are both rectangular frames, parallel to each other vertically, and fixed by four vertically arranged guide rods 53.

[0070] like Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the restraint tray fixing seat 311 is a rectangular area surrounded by four L-shaped guide blocks 32. The rear of the rectangular area is provided with an anti-reverse pin 34 and the front with a positioning pin 33. A positioning sensor 35 is provided within the rectangular area to determine whether the restraint tray 1 is correctly placed. The frame edge of the tray placement frame 31 is provided with a first linear bearing 312 for passing through the guide rod 53 and a limiting rod 37 for limiting the vertical height of the tray placement frame 31. During the lifting drive cylinder 4, the cam 36 cooperates with the reset unit 22 installed at the tail of the variable distance positioning and distributing needle plate 7. By adjusting the position of the positioning lever 213 on the probe assembly 21 in the front-back direction, the lever of each probe assembly 21 provides a position reference in the front-back direction for the probe on its respective probe assembly 21. Since each probe assembly 21 contains a small number of probes 212, the accumulation of size errors between the lithium battery and the vertical partition can be avoided, ensuring that the probe is aligned with the corresponding lithium battery tab, thereby achieving accurate positioning.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present invention, the restraint tray 1 is located at the center of the entire mechanism. The function of this device is to place several lithium batteries 12 and apply a certain restraint force to counteract the swelling of the batteries 12 during charging and discharging. The expansion of the batteries during charging causes changes in the overall size, which leads to a decrease in the consistency and quality of the batteries 12. The restraint tray 1 includes vertical partitions 11, restraint blocks 13, a tray bottom plate 14, a front end plate 15, and a rear end plate 16. The front end plate 15 and the rear end plate 16 are respectively disposed at both ends of the tray bottom plate 14, and a connecting shaft 17 and a guide shaft 18 connect the front end plate 15 and the rear end plate 16. The vertical partitions 11 are slidably disposed on the guide shaft 18 and form a vertical partition queue in the front-back direction. To ensure the necessary flexibility of the vertical partition queue during movement, the vertical partitions 11 are flexibly connected to each other to allow a certain degree of relative displacement while the vertical partitions 11 are linked together. For example, the vertical partitions 11 can be connected with loose ropes. The restraint blocks 13 are selectively placed between the front end plate 15 and the foremost partition 11, and between the rear end plate 16 and the last vertical partition 11 as needed, to press the lithium batteries between the vertical partitions 11. The entire restraint tray does not require a power mechanism.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present invention, a contact sensor is provided at the bottom of the tray base plate 14, and when the restraint tray 1 is placed in place, the contact sensor contacts the positioning sensor 35.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present invention, the rear part of the tray bottom plate 14 is provided with an anti-reverse pin positioning hole and the front part is provided with a positioning hole, which respectively cooperate with the anti-reverse pin 34 and the positioning pin 33 to achieve the positioning of the tray 1.

[0074] The method for charging and discharging a battery using the variable-distance positioning and equal-distribution pressing mechanism for charging and discharging a square battery as described in this invention includes the following steps:

[0075] 1) First, place the restraint tray 1 side by side in the corresponding restraint tray fixing seat 311 in the tray placement frame 31. During the placement process, the restraint tray 1 can be guided by the L-shaped guide block 32. The positioning pin 32, anti-reverse pin 34, contact sensor and position sensor 35 are used to determine whether the restraint tray 1 is placed correctly.

[0076] 2) After the restraint tray 1 is placed in place, the lifting drive cylinder 4 drives the tray placement frame 31 to rise. The cam 36 contacts the bottom end of the cam contact block 221 of the reset unit 22. The positioning lever 213 is located in the middle of the two adjacent vertical partitions 11, and does not contact the front and rear vertical partitions 11. At this position, the cam contact block and the probe assembly are in the first position. At this time, the elastic force of the compression spring 224 pushes the top block forward. The top block pushes the probe assembly forward on the linear guide rail. The reset spring is stretched and generates a backward pulling force on the probe assembly until the elastic force of the compression spring 224 and the pulling force of the reset spring reach a balance on the probe assembly.

[0077] 3) The lifting drive cylinder 4 drives the tray placement frame 31 to continue to rise. The cam 36 rolls from bottom to top along the wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211 of the cam contact block 221, causing the cam contact block 221 to move backward. The cam contact block 221 drives the top block 223 to move while compressing the compression spring 224. The balance between the pushing force of the compression spring 224 and the tension of the return spring 215 is disrupted. Then, the return spring 215 pulls the probe assembly 21 to move backward until the positioning lever 213 contacts the rear vertical partition 11. The positioning of the probe assembly 21 is completed. At this time, the cam contact block 221 and the probe assembly 21 are in the second position. At this time, the positioning lever 213 of each probe assembly 21 provides a position reference in the front-back direction for the probe 212 on the probe assembly 21. Since each probe assembly 21 contains a small number of probes 212, the accumulation of size errors between the lithium battery and the vertical partition 11 can be avoided, ensuring that the probe 212 is aligned with the corresponding lithium battery tab.

[0078] 4) The lifting drive cylinder 4 drives the tray placement frame 31 to continue to rise until the limit rod 37 reaches the predetermined stroke. The lifting drive cylinder 4 stops moving, and the probe 212 contacts the electrode of the battery 12 directly below and performs the charging and discharging process.

[0079] 5) After charging and discharging, the lifting drive cylinder 4 drives the tray placement frame 31 to descend. The cam 36 rolls from top to bottom along the wedge-shaped pushing surface 2211 of the cam contact block 221. The cam contact block 221 returns to the first position under the action of the cam 36 and the compression spring 224. The probe assembly 21 returns to the first position along the linear guide rail 24 under the action of the reset tension spring 215. The positioning lever 213 is located in the middle of the two adjacent vertical partitions 11 and does not contact the vertical partitions 11 in front and behind.

[0080] 6) The lifting drive cylinder 4 drives the pallet placement frame 31 to continue to descend until the pallet placement frame 31 descends to the lowest position, thus completing the entire process.

[0081] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A variable-distance positioning and equalizing voltage contact mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries, comprising: a frame (5) including horizontally arranged top and bottom frames (51, 52), the bottom frame (52) being below the top frame (51), the top and bottom frames (51, 52) being spaced apart and fixedly connected by several guide rods (53); a contact mechanism (6) arranged between the top and bottom frames (51, 52), including a lifting seat (3), a lifting drive cylinder (4), and several restraint trays (1), the lifting seat (3) being horizontally arranged between the top and bottom frames (51, 52) and slidably connected with the guide rods (53); the lifting seat (3) has a rectangular tray placing frame (31), the extension direction of the long side of the tray placing frame (31) being defined as the left-right direction, the extension direction of the short side of the tray placing frame (31) being defined as the front-back direction, the tray placing frame (31) having several restraint tray fixing seats (311) arranged side by side in the left-right direction; the lifting drive cylinder (4) is arranged on the top frame (51), the lifting end of the lifting drive cylinder (4) being connected with the tray placing frame (31); the restraint tray (1) is detachably installed at the restraint tray fixing seat (311), the restraint tray (1) being internally provided with a queue of several vertical plates (11) perpendicular to the horizontal plane and parallel to each other at equal intervals, the longitudinal axis of the queue of vertical plates (11) being along the front-back direction, the adjacent vertical plates (11) leaving a containing space for accommodating lithium batteries (12) therebetween, the vertical plates being flexibly connected; characterized in that: the rear part of each restraint tray fixing seat (311) is provided with a cam (36), the rotation shaft (361) of the cam (36) being arranged along the left-right direction; the bottom of the top frame is provided with a variable-distance positioning and equalizing needle plate mechanism (7), including several needle plates (2) corresponding to the restraint tray fixing seats (311) one by one, the needle plate (2) including a needle plate frame (27), a linear guide rail bottom plate (26), a linear guide rail (24), a reset unit (22), a wire outlet connector (23), and several sets of probe assemblies (21); the needle plate frame (27) is suspended directly above the restraint tray fixing seat (311), the rear end of the needle plate frame (27) being provided with the wire outlet connector (23); the linear guide rail bottom plate (26) is arranged at the bottom of the needle plate frame (27), the lower surface of the linear guide rail bottom plate (26) being provided with the linear guide rail (24) arranged along the front-back direction, the several sets of probe assemblies (21) being slidably arranged on the linear guide rail (24) and aligned in the front-back direction, each set of probe assemblies (21) being connected with the linear guide rail bottom plate (26) by a reset tension spring (215); the bottom of the probe assembly (21) is provided with a positioning lever (213) for insertion into the containing space and several pairs of probes (212) for contacting the battery tabs, the probes (212) being electrically connected with the wire outlet connector (23) by wires (217). ​ ​ ​ ​ The reset unit (22) comprises a cam contact block (221) and a horizontal pushing part (220) connected to the front end of the cam contact block (221), and the horizontal pushing part (220) is arranged at the rear end of the linear guide bottom plate (26); the cam contact block (221) is provided with a wedge-shaped pushing surface (2211) and a vertical surface (2212) from bottom to top, the wedge-shaped pushing surface (2211) is arranged in front of the cam (36) and gradually inclines to the cam side from bottom to top, the vertical surface (2212) is connected to the top of the wedge-shaped pushing surface (2211), and the cam (36) pushes the cam contact block (221) to move from the first position to the second position rearward in the process of rolling upward on the wedge-shaped pushing surface (2211); the horizontal pushing part (220) is arranged between the cam contact block (221) and the last vertical partition plate (11) and is used for pushing the vertical partition plate queue to move rearward; in the first position, the cam (36) meets the bottom of the wedge-shaped pushing surface (2211), and meanwhile, the positioning lever (213) is separated from the vertical partition plate (11); in the second position, the cam (36) is pressed on the vertical surface (2212), and meanwhile, the positioning lever (213) is pressed on the vertical partition plate (11) adjacent to the rear, so as to provide a position reference in the front-rear direction for the probe (212) on the probe assembly (21).

2. A variable pitch positioning equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries according to claim 1, characterized in that: The probe assembly (21) comprises a sliding block (211), a probe (212), a positioning lever (213), a mounting block (214) and a reset tension spring (215), the end of the mounting block (214) is provided with the sliding block (211), the mounting block (214) is slidably arranged on the linear guide rail (24) through the sliding block (211); the bottom of the mounting block (214) is provided with a plurality of pairs of probes (212) and positioning levers (213); and the reset tension spring (215) is arranged between the mounting block (214) and the linear guide bottom plate (26).

3. A variable pitch positioning equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The probe assembly (21) further comprises a temperature probe (216), the temperature probe (216) is arranged in the mounting block (214), and the detection end of the temperature probe (216) is flush with the detection end of the probe (212) and is used for detecting the temperature of the lithium battery (12).

4. A variable pitch positioning equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The cam contact block (221) is arranged at the rear of the linear guide bottom plate (26) and is provided with the wedge-shaped pushing surface (2211) and the vertical surface (2212) on the front end surface of the cam contact block (221); the horizontal pushing part (220) comprises a fixed block (226) and a top block (223), the fixed block (226) is connected to the rear end of the linear guide bottom plate (26), the second linear bearing (222) is arranged in the fixed block (226), and the compression spring (224) is arranged between the top block (223) and the fixed block (226); the optical shaft (225) is arranged in the second linear bearing (222), the front end of the optical shaft (225) is connected to the top block (223), and the rear end of the optical shaft (225) is connected to the cam contact block (221).

5. A variable pitch positioning equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The cam (36) is arranged on the support rod (301), the bottom of the support rod (301) is arranged at the rear of the tray placing frame (31); the cam (36) is rotatably arranged on the top of the support rod (301) through the rotating shaft (361), and the rotating shaft (361) is arranged along the left-right direction of the tray placing frame (31).

6. A variable pitch positioning equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The restraint tray fixing seat (311) is a rectangular area surrounded by four L-shaped guide blocks (32), the rear of the rectangular area is provided with the anti-reverse pin (34), the front is provided with the positioning pin (33), and the rectangular area is provided with the in-place sensor (35) to determine whether the restraint tray (1) is placed correctly; the frame edge of the tray placing frame (31) is provided with the first linear bearing (312) for penetrating the guide rod (53) and the limiting rod (37) for limiting the vertical height of the tray placing frame (31).

7. A variable pitch positioning equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The restraint tray (1) comprises vertical partitions (11), restraint blocks (13), a tray bottom plate (14), a front end plate (15) and a rear end plate (16), the front end plate (15) and the rear end plate (16) are arranged at two ends of the tray bottom plate (14) respectively, and the front end plate (15) and the rear end plate (16) are connected with a connecting shaft (17) and a guide shaft (18); a plurality of vertical partitions (11) are slidably arranged on the guide shaft (18) and form a vertical partition queue in the front-rear direction; the restraint blocks (13) are detachably arranged between the front end plate (15) and the frontmost partition (11) and between the rear end plate (16) and the rearmost vertical partition (11), and are used for adjusting the size of the accommodation space between the vertical partitions (11).

8. A variable pitch positioning equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom of the tray bottom plate (14) is provided with a contact sensor, and the contact sensor is in contact with the in-place sensor (35) when the restraint tray (1) is placed in place.

9. A variable pitch positioning equalizing voltage combination mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The rear of the tray bottom plate (14) is provided with an anti-reverse pin positioning hole, and the front is provided with a positioning hole, which are matched with the anti-reverse pin (34) and the positioning pin (33) to realize the positioning of the restraint tray (1).

Images