A positioning welding mechanism for batteries

Abstract

This invention discloses a positioning and welding mechanism for batteries, comprising: a clamp for holding a battery casing; a pressing and guiding device including a first driving device and a guide member, wherein the guide member moves relative to the clamp under the driving action of the first driving device to embed the battery casing and press it against the battery cell, and the guide member has a through guide hole; a ejector pin device including a second driving device and an ejector pin, the ejector pin and the guide member being located on the same side of the clamp, the guide hole allowing the ejector pin to penetrate, and the ejector pin sliding relative to the guide hole under the driving action of the second driving device to pass through the battery cell and press it against the busbar; and a pressing fixture located on the other side of the clamp, the pressing fixture being configured to cooperate with the ejector pin to press the battery casing and the busbar together. In this positioning and welding mechanism, the battery casing and the busbar are precisely positioned through two pressing actions to facilitate the welding operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery processing technology, and in particular to a positioning and welding mechanism for batteries. Background Technology

[0002] Depending on the requirements of different electronic products, lithium-ion batteries can be made into flat rectangular, cylindrical, rectangular, and button shapes, and there are also battery packs composed of several batteries connected in series and / or parallel. Among them, batteries with nickel-plated steel casings (cylindrical steel-cased batteries) are more commonly used.

[0003] Cylindrical batteries typically consist of cells, a battery casing, and a busbar. The busbar and the battery casing need to be welded together using laser penetration welding. However, existing welding mechanisms lack effective positioning methods for welding between the battery casing and the busbar, which often leads to welding misalignment and incomplete welding, resulting in cost waste and a high defect rate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome at least one of the defects described in the prior art, the present invention provides a positioning welding mechanism for batteries, which provides effective and accurate positioning for welding the battery casing and the busbar, thereby solving the technical problems of welding misalignment and incomplete welding that are prone to occur during welding, improving the yield rate and reducing production costs.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its problem is:

[0006] A positioning welding mechanism for batteries, comprising:

[0007] Clamps are used to hold the battery casing;

[0008] The top-pressing guide device includes a first driving device and a guide member. Under the driving action of the first driving device, the guide member moves relative to the clamp to embed into the battery casing and press against the battery cell. The guide member is provided with a through guide hole.

[0009] The ejector pin device includes a second driving device and an ejector pin. The ejector pin and the guide are located on the same side of the fixture. The guide hole allows the ejector pin to pass through. Under the drive of the second driving device, the ejector pin slides relative to the guide hole to pass through the battery cell and press against the busbar.

[0010] A pressing fixture, located on the other side of the clamp, is configured to engage with an ejector pin for pressing the battery casing to the junction box.

[0011] The positioning and welding mechanism provided by this invention, by setting up a top-pressure guiding device, a pin device, and a pressing fixture, completes two-step top-pressure positioning actions using the guide and the pin. Before the welding operation, the battery cell and the busbar are pre-installed in the battery casing. The fixture holds the battery casing and is positioned at the welding station. The first driving device drives the guide to be at least partially embedded in the battery casing so that the end face of the guide is in contact with the battery cell, thereby pressing against the battery cell to achieve the first step of positioning. At this time, the guide hole of the guide can correspond to the position of the gap of the battery cell. Then, the second driving device drives the pin to slide and penetrate into the guide hole. Under the guidance and restriction of the guide hole, the further sliding of the pin can accurately pass through the gap of the battery cell and press against the busbar to push the busbar to the specified welding position. Then, combined with the pressing fixture pressing against the other side of the battery casing, the two-way cooperation of the pressing fixture and the pin is used to tightly press the battery casing and the busbar into contact. Finally, the welding operation is performed. In this way, through the two-step pressing and positioning action of the guide and the ejector pin, combined with the function of the pressing fixture, effective and precise positioning is provided for the welding of the battery shell and the combiner plate, solving the technical problems of welding deviation and incomplete welding that are prone to occur during welding, improving the yield rate and reducing production costs.

[0012] Furthermore, the guide hole includes a circular section and a tapered section. The first port of the circular section is located on the side of the guide member facing the fixture, the second port of the circular section mates with the small port of the tapered section, and the large port of the tapered section is located on the side of the guide member away from the fixture. The ejector pin enters the guide hole through the large port. In this way, the tapered section allows for more accurate alignment of the ejector pin during insertion, and also serves to correct any deviation of the ejector pin.

[0013] Furthermore, the first driving device includes a first power source, a first mounting base, and a first elastic element. The guide element is mounted on the first mounting base, which is slidably mounted on a first guide rail. The first mounting base is provided with a slide rail. A slide rod is connected to the output end of the first power source. The slide rod is slidably mounted on the slide rail, and a step is provided on the slide rod that abuts against the end of the slide rail away from the clamp. The step pushes the first mounting base to slide toward the clamp. The first elastic element is connected between the slide rod and the first mounting base and provides the guide element with an elastic force to detach from the battery casing.

[0014] By combining the above solutions, during the process of the guide component being embedded in the battery casing, the guide component is subjected to a rigid pushing force provided by the first power source. During the process of the guide component being detached from the battery casing, the guide component is subjected to an elastic force provided by the first elastic component. In this way, the guide component is prevented from being pulled hard when it is detached from the battery casing, thereby preventing the battery cell from becoming loose.

[0015] Furthermore, the first elastic element is a spring, which is sleeved on the slide rod. One end of the first elastic element abuts against the end of the slide rod, and the other end of the first elastic element abuts against the end of the slide rail near the clamp.

[0016] Furthermore, the slide is a U-shaped through groove to facilitate the installation of the slide rod and the first elastic element.

[0017] Furthermore, the top pressure guide device also includes a first pressure sensor configured to detect the reaction force on the guide member in order to avoid cell deformation caused by overpressure.

[0018] Furthermore, the ejector device also includes a motor and a turntable assembly. The turntable assembly is installed at the output end of the motor. Multiple second mounting seats are slidably provided on the circumferential side of the turntable assembly. Each second mounting seat is provided with at least one ejector pin. The motor drives the turntable assembly to rotate so as to move part of the second mounting seats to the drive position of the second drive device. The second drive device drives the second mounting seats at the drive position to slide toward the fixture. The second mounting seats drive the ejector pins to slide relative to the guide holes.

[0019] By combining the above solutions, a turntable drive structure is formed by using a motor and a turntable assembly. Different ejector pins move in batches to the drive position of the second drive device along with their second mounting base (i.e., some ejector pins are in working state, while others are in idle state). This facilitates the replacement of ejector pins used to press against the manifold, avoids the ejector pins from working continuously and failing to cool down effectively. At the same time, only one set of second drive device is needed to drive the ejector pins, simplifying the structure and reducing costs.

[0020] Furthermore, the turntable assembly includes a turntable and multiple base plates, which are evenly arranged on the circumferential side of the turntable. The base plates are provided with a second guide rail for sliding the second mounting seat, and the extension direction of the second guide rail is parallel to the axial direction of the turntable.

[0021] Furthermore, a limiting member is provided on the substrate, which abuts against the second mounting base to limit the initial position of the second mounting base, so as to avoid the second driving device from affecting the driving of the second mounting base due to the uncertain position of the second mounting base.

[0022] Furthermore, the ejector pin is detachably inserted into the second mounting base and locked by a fastener to facilitate the removal and replacement of the ejector pin.

[0023] Furthermore, the second driving device includes a second power source and a third mounting base. The third mounting base is slidably mounted on a third guide rail. The output end of the second power source is connected to the third mounting base. The third mounting base is provided with a positioning pin, and the second mounting base is provided with a pin groove. The second power source drives the third mounting base to slide toward the second mounting base so that the positioning pin is embedded in the pin groove to complete the limiting. The third mounting base and / or the positioning pin pushes the second mounting base to slide toward the clamp. The cooperation between the positioning pin and the pin groove is used to prevent loosening during the sliding process.

[0024] Furthermore, the ejector pin assembly also includes a second pressure sensor configured to detect the reaction force on the ejector pin in order to prevent overpressure-induced deformation of the manifold.

[0025] Furthermore, the third mounting base has a mounting cavity and a sliding hole leading to the mounting cavity. One end of the positioning pin passes through the sliding hole and protrudes outward. The other end of the positioning pin is connected to one end of a second elastic element, and the other end of the second elastic element is connected to a second pressure sensor. The second pressure sensor is mounted on the third mounting base. The second elastic element provides elastic force to the positioning pin to push the second mounting base towards the clamp. In this way, the force of the ejector pin pressing against the manifold is provided by the second elastic element to ensure that the manifold will not be bent or deformed by the ejector pin after reaching the specified welding position. At the same time, attaching the second pressure sensor to the end of the second elastic element also simplifies the installation structure of the second pressure sensor.

[0026] Furthermore, the pressing fixture includes a third drive unit and a pressing table, which moves toward or away from the fixture under the drive of the third drive unit.

[0027] Furthermore, the pressing platform is equipped with a laser welding cavity, an inlet port, and an outlet port. Both the inlet and outlet ports are connected to the laser welding cavity to allow the flow of shielding gas. In this way, the laser welding cavity, inlet port, and outlet port form a flow-through gas channel. In addition to using shielding gas to isolate air and prevent welding oxidation, the flow of shielding gas can also carry away welding slag or impurities, thus playing a role in dust removal, and at the same time, it can also prevent arc discharge.

[0028] In summary, the positioning and welding mechanism for batteries provided by this invention has the following technical effects:

[0029] 1) Precise positioning: The first step of positioning is achieved by embedding the guide component into the battery casing and pressing it against the battery cell. Under the guidance and restriction of the guide hole, the ejector pin passes through the gap of the battery cell and presses against the busbar to achieve the second step of positioning. Combined with the function of the pressing fixture, it provides effective and precise positioning for welding the battery casing and the busbar, solving the technical problems of welding deviation and incomplete welding that are easy to occur during welding, improving the yield rate and reducing production costs.

[0030] 2) High stability: The first elastic element provides elastic force for the guide to detach from the battery casing to prevent the guide from causing the battery cell to loosen, and the first pressure sensor detects the reaction force on the guide to prevent battery cell deformation caused by overvoltage; the second elastic element provides elastic force for the ejector pin to press against the busbar, and the second pressure sensor detects the reaction force on the ejector pin to prevent busbar deformation caused by overvoltage. Thus, the stability of the battery is ensured from multiple angles, further improving the yield rate.

[0031] 3) High production efficiency: The rotary drive structure is composed of a motor and a rotary table assembly. Different ejector pins move in batches to the drive position of the second drive device along with their second mounting base, so as to facilitate the replacement of the ejector pins used to press against the manifold. This avoids the ejector pins from working continuously and not being able to cool down effectively. Therefore, there is no need to wait for the ejector pins to cool down. It can be operated continuously and quickly without stopping the machine or reducing the operation time, which greatly improves the production efficiency of the positioning welding mechanism.

[0032] 4) High safety: By setting up a flow-through gas channel on the pressing table, in addition to using protective gas to isolate the air to prevent welding oxidation, the flow of protective gas can also carry away welding slag or debris, thus playing a role in dust removal. At the same time, it can also prevent arc discharge, resulting in high overall safety. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning and welding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning welding mechanism of the present invention after removing the welding machine, the moving module, and the conveyor line;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the top pressure guide device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the guide component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ejector pin device of the present invention after the second driving device has been removed;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the ejector pin and the second mounting base according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the positioning pin, the second elastic element, and the second pressure sensor in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second driving device according to an embodiment of the present invention after removing the third guide rail and the second power source.

[0042] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the pressing fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the pressing table according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] The meanings of the reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows:

[0045] 1. Fixture; 2. Top-pressure guide device; 21. First drive device; 211. First power source; 2111. Slide rod; 2112. Step; 212. First mounting base; 2121. Slide rail; 213. First elastic element; 214. First guide rail; 22. Guide element; 221. Guide hole; 2211. Circular hole section; 2212. Conical hole section; 23. First pressure sensor; 3. Ejector pin device; 31. Second drive device; 311. Second power source; 312. Third mounting base; 3121. Mounting cavity; 3122. Slide hole; 313. Third guide rail; 314. 315. Positioning pin; 32. Second elastic element; 33. Ejector pin; 34. Motor; 35. Turntable assembly; 36. Turntable; 37. Base plate; 38. Second guide rail; 39. Limiting element; 30. Second mounting base; 31. Pin groove; 32. Fastener; 33. Second pressure sensor; 4. Pressing fixture; 44. Third drive device; 45. Pressing table; 46. Laser welding chamber; 47. Air inlet; 48. Air outlet; 49. Cover; 40. Air inlet connector; 41. Air outlet connector; 42. Welding machine; 6. Frame; 7. Moving module; 8. Conveyor line. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To better understand and implement this invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not 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.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0049] See Figure 1 and Figure 2This invention discloses a positioning and welding mechanism for processing batteries, including battery cells, battery casings, and a busbar. Specifically, the positioning and welding mechanism is used to position and weld the battery casing and the busbar. Before the battery enters the welding station of the positioning and welding mechanism, the battery cells and the busbar need to be pre-installed into the battery casing for subsequent positioning and welding operations.

[0050] In this embodiment, the positioning welding mechanism includes a clamp 1, a top pressure guide device 2, an ejector pin device 3, a pressing fixture 4, a welding machine 5, a frame 6, a moving module 7, and a conveyor line 8. The fixture 1 is used to hold the battery casing. Multiple sets of fixture 1 can be provided and transported by the conveyor line 8. The conveyor line 8 can transport multiple sets of fixture 1 sequentially to the welding station. Of course, the fixture 1 can also use other known methods to move the battery casing, as long as it can position the battery casing at the welding station. The welding machine 5 is used to perform laser penetration welding on the battery casing and the busbar. The welding machine 5 can be installed on the moving module 7 so that the moving module 7 can drive the welding machine 5 to move between multiple welding stations to meet the requirement of one machine for multiple uses. The top pressure guide device 2, the ejector pin device 3, and the pressing fixture 4 can all be set on the frame 6. The top pressure guide device 2 is used to position the battery casing and the battery cell, and can also provide guidance for the ejector pin device 3. The ejector pin device 3 and the pressing fixture 4 are used to position the battery casing and the busbar so that the welding machine 5 can perform welding operations.

[0051] Importantly, the top-pressure guiding device 2 includes a first driving device 21, a guide member 22, and a first pressure sensor 23. Under the driving action of the first driving device 21, the guide member 22 moves relative to the clamp 1 to embed into the battery casing and press against the battery cell. The first pressure sensor 23 is configured to detect the reaction force on the guide member 22 (specifically, to detect the reaction force of the battery cell acting on the guide member 22) to avoid battery cell deformation caused by overpressure. The guide member 22 is provided with a through guide hole 221. The ejector pin device 3 includes a second driving device 31, an ejector pin 32, and a second pressure sensor. 37. The ejector pin 32 and the guide member 22 are both located on the same side of the fixture 1. The guide hole 221 allows the ejector pin 32 to pass through. Under the drive of the second drive device 31, the ejector pin 32 slides relative to the guide hole 221 to pass through the battery cell and press against the busbar. The second pressure sensor 37 is configured to detect the reaction force on the ejector pin 32 (specifically, to detect the reaction force of the busbar on the ejector pin 32) to avoid deformation of the busbar due to overpressure. The pressing fixture 4 is located on the other side of the fixture 1. The pressing fixture 4 is configured to cooperate with the ejector pin 32 to press the battery casing and the busbar together.

[0052] As a preferred application example, the battery described above is a cylindrical steel-cased battery, the battery casing is made of steel, and the battery cell is a wound cell (commonly known as a coiled core). The guide hole 221 corresponds to the center hole of the wound cell. Under the action of the guide hole 221, the ejector pin 32 can accurately pass through the center hole of the wound cell, thereby abutting against the busbar located at one end of the wound cell. Of course, in other application examples, the battery can also be of other shapes, and the battery casing can also be made of aluminum or other metal casings. This embodiment will be specifically described using a cylindrical steel-cased battery.

[0053] As an example, let's take a vertically placed battery casing as an example. In this case, the ejector pin 32 and the guide 22 will both be located below the fixture 1, and the pressing fixture 4 will be located above the fixture 1. For ease of understanding, the following text will be explained with the above-mentioned positional definitions.

[0054] As can be seen, when the battery casing held by the clamp 1 is placed horizontally, the installation positions of the ejector pin 32 and the guide 22 relative to the clamp 1 need to be changed accordingly, and the installation position of the pressing fixture 4 relative to the clamp 1 also needs to be changed accordingly to meet the usage requirements.

[0055] Through the above scheme, in this positioning and welding mechanism, by setting up a top-pressure guide device 2, a top-pin device 3, and a pressing fixture 4, two-step top-pressure positioning actions are completed using the guide member 22 and the top pin 32. Before the welding operation, the battery cell and the busbar are pre-installed in the battery casing. The fixture 1 holds the battery casing and is positioned at the welding station. The first driving device 21 drives the guide member 22 to be at least partially embedded in the battery casing (i.e., the outer diameter of the guide member 22 can be matched with the inner diameter of the battery casing to complete the position calibration), so that the end face of the guide member 22 is in contact with the battery cell, thereby pressing against the battery cell to achieve the first step of positioning. At this time, the guide hole 221 of the guide member 22... The guide hole 221 corresponds to the gap in the battery cell. Specifically, the guide hole 221 is aligned with the center hole of the wound battery cell. Then, the second drive device 31 drives the ejector pin 32 to slide and penetrate into the guide hole 221. Under the guidance and constraint of the guide hole 221, the further sliding of the ejector pin 32 can accurately pass through the gap in the battery cell and press against the busbar. Specifically, the ejector pin 32 passes through the center hole of the wound battery cell to push the busbar to the designated welding position. Combined with the pressing fixture 4 pressing against the other side of the battery casing, the two-way cooperation of the pressing fixture 4 and the ejector pin 32 is used to tightly press the battery casing and the busbar into contact. Finally, the welding operation is performed. In this way, through the two-step pressing and positioning action of the guide 22 and the ejector pin 32, combined with the function of the pressing fixture 4, effective and accurate positioning is provided for the welding of the battery casing and the busbar, solving the technical problems of welding misalignment and incomplete welding that are prone to occur during welding, improving the yield rate and reducing production costs.

[0056] See Figure 4Specifically, the guide hole 221 includes a circular hole section 2211 and a tapered hole section 2212. The first port of the circular hole section 2211 is located on the side of the guide member 22 facing the clamp 1. Specifically, the first port of the circular hole section 2211 is located on the upper surface of the guide member 22. The second port of the circular hole section 2211 is connected to the small port of the tapered hole section 2212. The large port of the tapered hole section 2212 is located on the side of the guide member 22 away from the clamp 1. Specifically, the large port of the tapered hole section 2212 is located on the lower surface of the guide member 22. In use, the upper surface of the guide member 22 is attached to the lower surface of the wound cell. The first port of the circular hole section 2211 is aligned with the center hole of the wound cell. The ejector pin 32 enters the guide hole 221 from the bottom up through the large port and exits from the first port of the circular hole section 2211. Then the ejector pin 32 passes through the center hole of the wound cell and presses against the busbar. In this way, the tapered hole section 2212 can be used to better align and insert the ejector pin 32. At the same time, the tapered hole section 2212 also has the function of correcting the deviation of the ejector pin 32, avoiding the problem of end displacement when the ejector pin is too long, which would lead to difficulty in alignment.

[0057] See Figure 3 In this embodiment, the first driving device 21 includes a first power source 211, a first mounting base 212, a first elastic element 213, and a first guide rail 214. The first power source 211 can be a linear motor, cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or other driving mechanism; it can also be a combination of a motor and a worm gear structure, or a combination of a motor and a rack and pinion structure, as long as it can linearly drive the first mounting base 212 to reciprocate. The first guide rail 214 serves as a guide and can be mounted on the frame 6. The extension direction of the first guide rail 214 corresponds to the placement direction of the battery casing; specifically, the first guide rail 214 extends vertically. The first mounting base 212 serves as a support for mounting the guide element 22, and the first mounting base 212 slides on the first guide rail 214. The first mounting base 212 is provided with a slide rail 2121. A slide rod 2111 is connected to the output end of the first power source 211. The slide rod 2111 slides on the slide rail 2121, and the slide rod 2111 is provided with a step 2112 that abuts against the end of the slide rail 2121 away from the clamp 1. Specifically, the step 2112 abuts against the lower end of the slide rail 2121. The step 2112 pushes the first mounting base 212 to slide toward the clamp 1, thereby the first mounting base 212 drives the guide member 22 to move upward to embed into the battery casing and press against the lower surface of the battery cell. That is, the step provides a rigid pushing force for the upward movement of the guide member 22.

[0058] The first elastic element 213 is connected between the slide rod 2111 and the first mounting base 212 and provides the guide member 22 with an elastic force to detach from the battery casing. Preferably, the first elastic element 213 is a spring, which is sleeved on the slide rod 2111. One end of the first elastic element 213 abuts against the end of the slide rod 2111, and the other end of the first elastic element 213 abuts against the end of the slide rail 2121 near the clamp. Specifically, a flange is connected to the upper end of the slide rod 2111, the upper end of the first elastic element 213 abuts against the lower surface of the flange, and the lower end of the first elastic element 213 abuts against the upper end of the slide rail 2121.

[0059] Thus, the first elastic element 213 elastically drives the first mounting base 212 to remain abutting against the step 2112. When the first power source 211 drives the slide bar 2111 to move downward, the first elastic element 213 elastically pushes the first mounting base 212 to slide downward relative to the first guide rail 214. The first mounting base 212 drives the guide to move downward to detach from the battery casing. This achieves the goal of the first elastic element 213 providing elastic driving force for the downward movement of the guide 22. At the same time, the first elastic element 213 is fitted onto the slide bar 2111 to achieve the installation of the first elastic element 213, making it less likely for the first elastic element 213 to detach from the slide bar 2111, thereby improving the stability of operation.

[0060] By combining the above solutions, during the process of the guide 22 being embedded in the battery casing, the guide 22 is subjected to a rigid pushing force provided by the first power source 211. During the process of the guide 22 being detached from the battery casing, the guide 22 is subjected to an elastic force provided by the first elastic member 213. In this way, the guide 22 is prevented from being pulled hard when it is detached from the battery casing, thereby preventing the battery cell from becoming loose.

[0061] Preferably, in this embodiment, the first pressure sensor 23 can be installed below the first mounting base 212. In a specific example, the first pressure sensor 23 can be installed between the step 2112 and the output end of the first power source 211; or, the step 2112 may not be provided below the slide bar 2111, and the first pressure sensor 23 can be used directly as a component to push against the first mounting base 212, which can also play the same role as the step 2112.

[0062] Of course, in other embodiments, the first pressure sensor 23 may also be installed between the guide member 22 and the first mounting base 212, but the guide hole 221 should be designed to avoid the obstruction; or, the first pressure sensor 23 may be set in other positions to detect the reaction force on the guide member 22.

[0063] See Figure 3To facilitate the installation of the slide rod 2111 and the first elastic element 213, preferably, the slide 2121 is a U-shaped through groove. In this case, the slide 2121 passes through the upper surface, lower surface and one side of the first mounting base 212. During installation, the first elastic element 213 can be first put on the slide rod 2111, and then the first elastic element 213 can be compressed so that the gap between the first elastic element 213 and the step 2112 is greater than the height of the slide 2121 (that is, the thickness of the first mounting base 212 at the slide 2121). After the slide rod 2111 is inserted into the slide 2121 from the side, the first elastic element 213 is released. Under the action of elastic force, the first elastic element 213 extends and abuts against the upper end of the slide 2121.

[0064] See Figure 2 and Figure 5 In this embodiment, the ejector pin device 3 has multiple ejector pins 32. The reason is that during laser welding, heat will be transferred to the ejector pins 32 along with the busbar. In the continuous welding operation, the temperature of the ejector pins 32 will gradually rise. When the hot ejector pins 32 pass through the center hole of the wound battery cell, they may affect the wound battery cell. Therefore, this embodiment uses multiple ejector pins 32 for rotation operation to solve the problem of the hot ejector pins 32 affecting the wound battery cell.

[0065] Based on this, in addition to the second driving device 31, ejector pin 32 and second pressure sensor 37 as described above, the ejector pin device 3 of this embodiment also includes a motor 33 and a turntable assembly 34. The turntable assembly 34 is used to carry multiple ejector pins 32, and the motor 33 is used to drive the turntable assembly 34 to drive different ejector pins 32 to rotate at the driving position of the second driving device 31. The turntable assembly 34 is mounted on the output end of the motor 33. Multiple second mounting seats 35 are slidably arranged on the circumferential side of the turntable assembly 34 at intervals. The sliding direction of the second mounting seats 35 corresponds to the placement direction of the battery casing. Specifically, the second mounting seats 35 are slidably arranged on the circumferential side of the turntable assembly 34 in a vertical direction. Each second mounting seat 35 is provided with at least one ejector pin 32. The motor 33 drives the turntable assembly 34 to rotate so as to move part of the second mounting seats 35 to the driving position of the second driving device 31. The second driving device 31 drives the second mounting seats 35 located at the driving position to slide toward the clamp 1. The second mounting seats 35 drive the ejector pins 32 to slide relative to the guide hole 221.

[0066] By combining the above solutions, a turntable drive structure is formed by the motor 33 and the turntable assembly 34. In this way, different ejector pins 32 move in batches to the drive position of the second drive device 31 along with their second mounting bases 35 (i.e., some ejector pins 32 are in working state, while others are in idle state). This facilitates the replacement of ejector pins 32 used to press against the manifold, avoids the ejector pins 32 from working continuously without effective cooling, and eliminates the need to wait for the ejector pins 32 to cool down. This allows for continuous and rapid operation without stopping the machine or reducing the operation time, which greatly improves the production efficiency of the positioning welding mechanism. At the same time, only one set of second drive device 31 is needed to drive the ejector pins 32, simplifying the structure and reducing costs.

[0067] For details, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The turntable assembly 34 includes a turntable 341 and four base plates 342. The four base plates 342 are evenly arranged on the circumferential side of the turntable 341. The turntable 341 is mounted on the rotating shaft of the motor 33. Each base plate 342 is provided with two second guide rails 343 at intervals. The extension direction of the second guide rails 343 is parallel to the axial direction of the turntable 341 (that is, the second guide rails 343 extend in the vertical direction, and the axial direction of the turntable 341 also extends in the vertical direction). There are eight second mounting seats 35, which are slidably mounted on different second guide rails 343. There are eight ejector pins 32. Each ejector pin 32 is detachably inserted into a different second mounting seat 35. Each second mounting seat 35 is provided with a fastener 36 for locking the ejector pin 32 so as to facilitate the detachable replacement of the ejector pin 32.

[0068] It is understood that the present invention does not limit the specific number of substrates 342, the specific number of second guide rails 343, the specific number of second mounting seats 35, and the specific number of ejector pins 32. The number of substrates 342 may be two, three, five, etc., and the number of second mounting seats 35 slidably disposed on each substrate 342 may be one, three, etc., and the number of ejector pins 32 mounted on each second mounting seat 35 may be two, three, etc.

[0069] See Figure 5 Preferably, to address the issue of the uncertain initial position of the second mounting base 35, a limiting member 344 is provided on the substrate 342. The limiting member 344 abuts against the lower part of the second mounting base 35 to limit the initial position of the second mounting base 35, preventing the uncertain position of the second mounting base 35 from affecting the driving of the second driving device 31 on the second mounting base 35. Specifically, the limiting member 344 is a screw screwed to the lower part of the substrate 342, and an elastic buffer pad that abuts against the limiting member 344 may be provided below the second mounting base 35.

[0070] In addition, in order to facilitate the positioning of the second mounting base 35 when the second driving device 31 drives it, the second mounting base 35 may also be provided with a pin groove 351. Specifically, the pin groove 351 is located on the bottom surface of the second mounting base 35.

[0071] See Figures 7 to 9 In this embodiment, the second driving device 31 includes a second power source 311, a third mounting base 312, a third guide rail 313, and a positioning pin 314. The second power source 311 can be a linear motor, cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or other driving mechanism; it can also be a combination of a motor and a worm gear structure, or a combination of a motor and a rack and pinion structure, to achieve linear drive of the reciprocating movement of the third mounting base 312. The third guide rail 313 serves as a guide and can be mounted on the frame 6. The extension direction of the third guide rail 313 corresponds to the placement direction of the battery casing; specifically, the third guide rail 313 extends vertically. The positioning pin 314 is used to cooperate with the pin groove 351, and the third mounting base 312 serves as a load-bearing component. The component is used to install the positioning pin 314. The third mounting base 312 is slidably mounted on the third guide rail 313. The output end of the second power source 311 is connected to the third mounting base 312. In use, the second power source 311 drives the third mounting base 312 to slide toward the second mounting base 35 so that the positioning pin 314 is embedded in the pin groove 351 to complete the limiting. The third mounting base 312 and / or the positioning pin 314 push the second mounting base 35 to slide toward the clamp 1. In this way, by utilizing the cooperation between the positioning pin 314 and the pin groove 351, it is prevented from loosening during the process of pushing the second mounting base 35 to slide.

[0072] It should be noted that in some specific examples, the third guide rail 313 and the first guide rail 214 can be the same guide rail, that is, the third mounting base 312 and the first mounting base 212 slide on the same guide rail, and the first mounting base 212 can be located above the third mounting base 312; or, the third guide rail 313 and the first guide rail 214 can be two relatively independent guide rails, which are arranged in parallel or vertically.

[0073] It should be noted that a third mounting base 312 can also be used to drive multiple second mounting bases 35. In this case, the number of locating pins 314 installed on the third mounting base 312 changes according to the number of second mounting bases 35 that need to be pushed.

[0074] Combination Figure 8 and Figure 9Preferably, in this embodiment, the second pressure sensor 37 is attached to the positioning pin 314. In this case, the pushing force on the second mounting base 35 is indirectly provided by the positioning pin 314. Specifically, the third mounting base 312 is provided with a mounting cavity 3121 and a sliding hole 3122 that leads to the mounting cavity 3121. One end of the positioning pin 314 passes through the sliding hole 3122 and protrudes outward. The other end of the positioning pin 314 is connected to one end of a second elastic member 315. The other end of the second elastic member 315 is connected to the second pressure sensor 37. The second pressure sensor 37 is mounted on the third mounting base 312. In particular, a portion of the positioning pin 314, the second elastic member 315, and the second pressure sensor 37 are all located within the mounting cavity 3121. The second elastic member 315 provides elastic force to the positioning pin 314 to push the second mounting base 35 toward the clamp 1.

[0075] By combining the above solutions, in use, the second power source 311 drives the third mounting base 312 to slide upward. The force of the thrust is transmitted sequentially by the second pressure sensor 37, the second elastic element 315, and the positioning pin 314 to the second mounting base 35, and then transmitted from the second mounting base 35 to the ejector pin 32 and the manifold. In this way, the force of the ejector pin 32 pressing against the manifold is provided by the second elastic element 315 to ensure that the manifold will not be bent or deformed by the ejector pin 32 after it has passed the specified welding position. At the same time, combining the second pressure sensor 37 with the end of the second elastic element 315 can also simplify the installation structure of the second pressure sensor 37.

[0076] In other embodiments, when the second elastic element 315 is not required to provide elastic force to the positioning pin 314, the positioning pin 314 may only serve a positioning function, and the pushing force on the second mounting base 35 may be provided by the third mounting base 312, or by the positioning pin 314 and the third mounting base 312 together.

[0077] In other embodiments, the second pressure sensor 37 may also be located in other positions to detect the reaction force on the guide member 22.

[0078] See Figure 10 and Figure 11In this embodiment, the pressing fixture 4 includes a third driving device 41, a pressing table 42, and a cover 43. The pressing table 42 moves toward or away from the fixture 1 under the drive of the third driving device 41. The cover 43 is disposed on the pressing table 42 to block light reflection during laser welding. The cover 43 may have holes so that the welding head of the welding machine 5 can extend into it. Specifically, the third driving device 41 includes a lower pressing guide rail and a third power source. The third power source can be a linear motor, cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or other driving mechanism, or a combination of a motor and a worm gear structure, or a combination of a motor and a gear rack structure, as long as it can realize the linear drive of the pressing table 42 to reciprocate. The lower pressing guide rail can be installed on the frame 6 and extends vertically. The pressing table 42 slides on the lower pressing guide rail. Thus, after the ejector pin 32 pushes the busbar to the designated welding position, the third drive device 41 drives the pressing table 42 to press down on the upper surface of the battery casing, thereby achieving the pressing between the battery casing and the busbar.

[0079] Preferably, the pressing table 42 is provided with a laser welding cavity 421, an air inlet 422, and an air outlet 423. Both the air inlet 422 and the air outlet 423 are connected to the laser welding cavity 421 for the flow of protective gas. Specifically, the laser welding cavity 421 extends through the upper and lower surfaces of the pressing table 42, and a cover 43 is installed above the laser welding cavity 421. The air inlet 422 and the air outlet 423 extend through the side of the pressing table 42. An air inlet connector 44 can be installed at the air inlet 422, and an air outlet connector 45 can be installed at the air outlet 423. In use, the lower surface of the pressing table 42 is attached to the upper surface of the battery casing, and the laser welding cavity 421 is aligned with the busbar. During welding, the protective gas enters the laser welding cavity 421 through the air inlet 422 and then flows out through the air outlet 423. The protective gas can expel the air in the laser welding cavity 421 and carry away welding slag or debris, so as to isolate the air to prevent welding oxidation and dust removal, and at the same time prevent arc discharge.

[0080] More preferably, the shielding gas is nitrogen. In other examples, the shielding gas may also be other types of gases such as argon, simply to isolate the gas from the air and prevent oxidation during welding.

[0081] The specific working process of the positioning welding mechanism provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0082] (1) Fixture 1 moves along conveyor line 8 to welding position 1, and the battery stops moving when it is positioned directly below pressing fixture 4;

[0083] (2) The first power source 211 works, driving the first mounting base 212 to slide along the first guide rail 214 to drive the guide member 22 to rise, so that the guide member 22 is embedded in the lower port of the battery casing, and the upper surface of the guide member 22 is in contact with the lower surface of the battery cell. When the first pressure sensor 23 detects that the guide member 22 is subjected to the reaction force of the battery cell to reach the preset value, the first power source 211 stops working to maintain the height position of the guide member 22.

[0084] (3) The motor 33 drives the turntable to rotate clockwise, so that the second mounting base 35 is located directly above the third mounting base 312. The motor 33 stops rotating to position the second mounting base 35 at the drive position of the second drive device 31.

[0085] (4) The second power source 311 works, driving the third mounting base 312 to slide along the third guide rail 313 to drive the positioning pin 314 to rise, so that the positioning pin 314 is embedded in the pin groove 351 at the bottom of the second mounting base 35, thereby pushing the second mounting base 35 and driving the ejector pin 32 to rise. After the ejector pin 32 penetrates the guide hole 221 in the guide member 22, it continues to penetrate into the center hole of the winding cell and presses the busbar to continue rising to the welding specified position. At this time, due to the restriction of the busbar by the battery shell at the welding specified position, the second pressure sensor 37 will detect a sudden change in the reaction force of the ejector pin 32 on the busbar, thereby determining that the busbar is in the welding specified position, and the second power source 311 stops working to maintain the height position of the ejector pin 32.

[0086] (5) The pressing fixture 4 is working. The pressing table 42 presses down to fit against the upper surface of the battery casing. The downward pressure of the pressing table 42 and the lifting force of the ejector pin 32 act on the battery casing and the junction plate from two directions to press the battery casing and the junction plate into close contact.

[0087] (6) Nitrogen gas is connected by the inlet connector 44 and the outlet connector 45. The nitrogen gas enters the laser welding chamber 421 to isolate the air. The welding head of the welding machine 5 enters the laser welding chamber 421 and welds the battery shell and the busbar to complete the welding process.

[0088] The technical means disclosed in this invention are not limited to those disclosed in the above embodiments, but also include technical solutions composed of any combination of the above technical features. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications are also considered within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A positioning and welding mechanism for batteries, characterized in that, include: Clamp (1) is used to hold the battery casing; The top-pressing guide device (2) includes a first driving device (21) and a guide member (22). Under the driving action of the first driving device (21), the guide member (22) moves relative to the clamp (1) to embed the battery casing and press against the battery cell. The guide member (22) is provided with a through guide hole (221). The ejector pin device (3) includes a second driving device (31) and an ejector pin (32). The ejector pin (32) and the guide member (22) are both located on the same side of the clamp (1). The guide hole (221) allows the ejector pin (32) to pass through. Under the drive of the second driving device (31), the ejector pin (32) slides relative to the guide hole (221) to pass through the battery cell and press against the busbar. A pressing fixture (4) is located on the other side of the clamp (1), and the pressing fixture (4) is configured to cooperate with the ejector pin (32) for pressing the battery housing to the busbar; The first driving device (21) includes a first power source (211), a first mounting base (212), and a first elastic element (213). The guide element (22) is mounted on the first mounting base (212), which is slidably mounted on a first guide rail (214). The first mounting base (212) is provided with a slide rail (2121). A slide rod (2111) is connected to the output end of the first power source (211), and the slide rod (2111) slides... The slide rail (2121) is provided with a step (2112) that abuts against the end of the slide rail (2121) away from the clamp (1). The step (2112) pushes the first mounting base (212) to slide toward the clamp (1). The first elastic member (213) is connected between the slide rail (2111) and the first mounting base (212) and provides the guide member (22) with an elastic force to disengage from the battery casing. During the process of the guide (22) being embedded in the battery casing, the guide (22) is subjected to a rigid pushing force provided by the first power source (211). During the process of the guide (22) being detached from the battery casing, the guide (22) is subjected to an elastic force provided by the first elastic member (213).

2. The positioning and welding mechanism for batteries according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide hole (221) includes a circular hole section (2211) and a tapered hole section (2212). The first port of the circular hole section (2211) is located on the side of the guide member (22) facing the clamp (1). The second port of the circular hole section (2211) is connected to the small port of the tapered hole section (2212). The large port of the tapered hole section (2212) is located on the side of the guide member (22) away from the clamp (1). The ejector pin (32) passes through the large port into the guide hole (221).

3. The positioning and welding mechanism for batteries according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first elastic element (213) is a spring. The first elastic element (213) is sleeved on the slide rod (2111). One end of the first elastic element (213) abuts against the end of the slide rod (2111), and the other end of the first elastic element (213) abuts against the end of the slide rail (2121) near the clamp (1).

4. The positioning and welding mechanism for batteries according to claim 3, characterized in that, The slide (2121) is a U-shaped through groove.

5. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top pressure guide device (2) further includes a first pressure sensor (23), which is configured to detect the reaction force on the guide (22).

6. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The ejector device (3) further includes a motor (33) and a turntable assembly (34). The turntable assembly (34) is mounted on the output end of the motor (33). A plurality of second mounting seats (35) are slidably provided on the circumferential side of the turntable assembly (34). Each second mounting seat (35) is provided with at least one ejector pin (32). The motor (33) drives the turntable assembly (34) to rotate to move part of the second mounting seats (35) to the driving position of the second driving device (31). The second driving device (31) drives the second mounting seats (35) at the driving position to slide toward the clamp (1). The second mounting seats (35) drive the ejector pin (32) to slide relative to the guide hole (221).

7. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 6, characterized in that, The turntable assembly (34) includes a turntable (341) and multiple substrates (342). The multiple substrates (342) are evenly arranged on the circumferential side of the turntable (341). The substrates (342) are provided with a second guide rail (343) for sliding the second mounting base (35). The extension direction of the second guide rail (343) is parallel to the axial direction of the turntable (341).

8. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 7, characterized in that, The substrate (342) is provided with a limiting member (344), which abuts against the second mounting base (35) to limit the initial position of the second mounting base (35).

9. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 6, characterized in that, The pin (32) is detachably inserted into the second mounting base (35) and locked by a fastener (36).

10. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second driving device (31) includes a second power source (311) and a third mounting base (312). The third mounting base (312) is slidably mounted on a third guide rail (313). The output end of the second power source (311) is connected to the third mounting base (312). The third mounting base (312) is provided with a positioning pin (314). The second mounting base (35) is provided with a pin groove (351). The second power source (311) drives the third mounting base (312) to slide toward the second mounting base (35) so that the positioning pin (314) is embedded in the pin groove (351) to complete the limiting. The third mounting base (312) and / or the positioning pin (314) push the second mounting base (35) to slide toward the clamp (1).

11. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 10, characterized in that, The ejector pin device (3) further includes a second pressure sensor (37) configured to detect the reaction force on the ejector pin (32).

12. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 11, characterized in that, The third mounting base (312) is provided with a mounting cavity (3121) and a sliding hole (3122) leading to the mounting cavity (3121). One end of the positioning pin (314) passes through the sliding hole (3122) and protrudes outward. The other end of the positioning pin (314) is connected to one end of a second elastic member (315). The other end of the second elastic member (315) is connected to the second pressure sensor (37). The second pressure sensor (37) is mounted on the third mounting base (312). The second elastic member (315) provides elastic force to the positioning pin (314) to push the second mounting base (35) towards the clamp (1).

13. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressing fixture (4) includes a third driving device (41) and a pressing table (42), which moves toward or away from the fixture (1) under the drive of the third driving device (41).

14. The positioning and welding mechanism for a battery according to claim 13, characterized in that, The pressing table (42) is provided with a laser welding cavity (421), an air inlet (422) and an air outlet (423). The air inlet (422) and the air outlet (423) are both connected to the laser welding cavity (421) for the flow of protective gas.

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