Positioning and guiding mechanism, lithium battery casing device and casing method
By designing a positioning and guiding mechanism and a guide pin, multi-point precise positioning of long-sized lithium battery cells and precise insertion of aluminum shells are achieved, solving the problem of inaccurate positioning of traditional fixtures and improving the shell insertion yield and production efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENZHEN HYMSON LASER INTELLIGENT EQUIP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-16
AI Technical Summary
Traditional transfer fixtures cannot achieve precise positioning of long lithium battery cells and precise insertion of aluminum casing and cells, resulting in low insertion yield.
The positioning and guiding mechanism includes a guide pin and a positioning component. The guide pin expands at its end during insertion, and works in conjunction with multiple sets of positioning pins and a material handling robot to achieve multi-point precise positioning of the battery cell and precise insertion of the aluminum shell.
This improves the precision and yield of lithium battery casing, ensuring a perfect fit between the aluminum casing and the battery cell, thereby enhancing production efficiency and product quality.
Smart Images
Figure CN116404260B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of lithium battery production technology, and in particular to a positioning and guiding mechanism, a lithium battery casing device, and a casing method. Background Technology
[0002] The casing process is a necessary and extremely important step in the production of lithium batteries. Generally, the battery cell is first fixed on a transfer fixture, and then the aluminum casing is removed and the battery cell is snapped in.
[0003] The advent of long-sized batteries, such as blade batteries, has made traditional transfer fixtures insufficient for precise cell positioning. Therefore, current technologies incorporate multiple sets (4 / 6 / 8 sets or more) of positioning pins on the fixture, with corresponding flanged holes (flared upwards) on the cell's skirt. When placing the cell, the flanged holes and pins engage to achieve precise multi-point positioning of the long-sized cell. Due to the battery's length, the gap between the flanged holes and pins requires extremely high precision, typically 0.02-0.08mm.
[0004] Meanwhile, the aluminum casing's skirt also has multiple sets of through holes that correspond one-to-one with the positions of the battery cell's flanged holes. During casing installation, these through holes on the aluminum casing need to be aligned with the flanged holes one by one. At this time, the gap between the through holes and the flanged sidewalls of the flanged holes needs to meet sealing requirements, typically around 0.02mm. This means that relying solely on pin positioning cannot guarantee precise installation of the aluminum casing and battery cell. Although the through holes on the aluminum casing can be correctly positioned with the pins, the gap between the through holes and the pins is approximately 0.04-0.1mm, much larger than the 0.02mm precision of the gap between the through holes and the flanged sidewalls of the flanged holes. Consequently, when the aluminum casing is further lowered, it is highly likely to collide with the flange, meaning the aluminum casing cannot fully adhere to the battery, resulting in a low casing installation yield. Summary of the Invention
[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a positioning and guiding mechanism, a lithium battery casing insertion device, and a casing insertion method. In a first aspect, the technical solution adopted by this invention is a positioning and guiding mechanism, comprising a guide pin, the peripheral side of which serves as a guide surface, and one end of which has an insertion cavity; and a positioning member, which engages with the insertion cavity. When the guide pin is inserted into the positioning member, the end of the guide pin with the insertion cavity is pushed outwards, increasing its cross-sectional size.
[0006] Preferably, at least two deformation gaps are formed on the side wall of the insertion cavity along the length direction of the guide pin, and the deformation gaps divide the side wall into multiple adjacent pieces.
[0007] Preferably, the length of the deformation gap is greater than the length of the insertion cavity, and the deformation gap divides part of the guide pins into multiple adjacent pins.
[0008] Preferably, there are four deformation gaps, and the four deformation gaps are evenly distributed.
[0009] Preferably, one end of the insertion cavity is open, and the diameter of the opening end of the insertion cavity is smaller than the diameter of the opposite end.
[0010] Secondly, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is a lithium battery casing device, including a fixture for fixing the battery and a material handling robot for picking up and placing the casing. The battery is provided with a positioning flange, and the casing is provided with a through hole that cooperates with the positioning flange. At least two positioning guide mechanisms as described above are provided between the fixture and the material handling robot, and the guide pin is inserted into the through hole, and the positioning member is coaxially arranged with the positioning flange.
[0011] When the guide pin is inserted into the positioning member, the end of the guide pin with the insertion cavity is supported and expanded outward, and its cross-sectional dimension is greater than or equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the positioning flange.
[0012] Preferably, the diameter of one end of the insertion cavity opening is smaller than the diameter of the through hole.
[0013] Preferably, the positioning element is a pin and is fixed to the fixture; the positioning flange protrudes from the surface of the battery, and the positioning flange has a positioning hole through the battery along its protruding direction. When the battery is positioned on the fixture, the pin is inserted into and protrudes from the positioning hole, and the height of the pin protruding from the positioning hole is greater than or equal to the length of the insertion cavity.
[0014] Preferably, the material handling robot includes a material handling base, and a cavity is formed in the material handling base to accommodate the housing; the guide pin is disposed on the material handling base, and the end of the guide pin extends out of the cavity by a distance greater than the wall thickness of the housing.
[0015] Preferably, the material handling robot further includes a drive mechanism, which is drivenly connected to the material handling base. An elastic connector is fixed on the material handling base, and the elastic connector is fixedly connected to the guide pin. When the battery is inserted into the casing, the direction of movement of the casing is the same as the direction of extension and retraction of the elastic connector.
[0016] Thirdly, the present invention also proposes a battery casing method, applied to the aforementioned lithium battery casing device, the method comprising:
[0017] The guide pin is passed through the through hole on the housing to fix the battery to the fixture, and the positioning hole on the battery is inserted into the pin on the fixture; the housing and the guide pin are driven to move towards the battery synchronously until the guide pin is sleeved on the pin and is opened; then the housing is driven to move along the guide surface of the guide pin until it fits against the battery, completing the housing insertion.
[0018] Preferably, before the guide pin is passed through the through hole in the housing, the housing is further shaped.
[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0020] 1. The present invention designs multiple sets of positioning pins on the fixture and opens corresponding flange holes on the skirt of the battery cell. When the battery cell is placed, the flange holes and the pins are inserted and matched to achieve multi-point precise positioning of the long battery cell, which is beneficial to the subsequent precise insertion into the shell.
[0021] 2. This invention designs a guide pin, whose end is expanded after being inserted into the positioning component, and the cross-sectional size increases accordingly. Therefore, when applied to lithium battery casing, it can improve the casing accuracy and ensure a high casing yield. In its natural state, there is a large size difference between the guide pin and the through hole of the aluminum shell, making it easier for the guide pin to be inserted into the through hole of the aluminum shell. During the casing insertion process, as the end of the guide pin moves downward until it is expanded by the pin, the size of the guide pin end is greater than or equal to the size of the flange on the battery cell. Therefore, when the aluminum shell slides down along the guide pin, it can be smoothly and accurately fitted onto the flange of the battery cell, so that the entire aluminum shell and the battery cell are completely fitted together, ensuring the casing yield.
[0022] 3. In this invention, the end of the guide pin has an open insertion cavity, and four deformation gaps are formed on the side wall of the insertion cavity. The four deformation gaps are evenly spaced and have a cross-shaped cross section. Due to the setting of the deformation gaps, the open end of the entire guide pin will naturally shrink under the action of internal stress. Alternatively, during the manufacturing process, the open end of the guide pin can also shrink inward through the control of processes such as calcination and quenching. That is, the diameter of the open end of the guide pin will be smaller than the diameter of the other end. As a result, when picking up the aluminum shell, the gap between the end of the guide pin and the through hole of the aluminum shell will be larger, making it easier to align and position. Attached Figure Description
[0023] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0024] Figure 1 This is an axial view of the guide pin in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] Figure 2This is an axial view of the guide pin from another perspective in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 3 This is a front view of a material handling robot in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of the image;
[0028] Figure 5 This is an axial view of the lithium battery casing device of the present invention when it is ready to be installed.
[0029] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A magnified view of a portion of the image;
[0030] Figure 7 This is an axial view of the lithium battery casing insertion device of the present invention during casing insertion;
[0031] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A magnified view of a portion of the image;
[0032] Figure 9 This is a front view of the lithium battery casing device of the present invention when the casing is completed;
[0033] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 HH sectional view;
[0034] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 A magnified view of a portion of the image.
[0035] 10. Fixture; 11. Battery cell; 12. Positioning flange; 13. Pin; 14. Housing; 15. Through hole; 16. Positioning hole;
[0036] 20. Guide pin; 21. Insertion cavity; 22. Deformation gap; 23. Needle handle; 24. Needle bar; 25. Needle tip; 26. Sleeve;
[0037] 30. Material handling robot; 31. Drive mechanism; 32. Material handling base; 33. Cavity; 34. Material handling plate; 35. Pressing plate; 36. Elastic cylinder; 37. Suction cup. Detailed Implementation
[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.
[0039] This invention first discloses a positioning and guiding mechanism, which can be applied to many scenarios requiring positioning and guidance, such as... Figure 1-2 As shown, it includes a guide pin 20, the peripheral side of which is a guide surface, and one end of the guide pin 20 has an insertion cavity 21; a positioning element, such as... Figure 6 As shown, when the guide pin 20 is inserted into the positioning member, the end of the guide pin 20 with the insertion cavity 21 is pushed outward and its cross-sectional size increases.
[0040] The guide pin 20 of this positioning and guiding mechanism has a guide surface, which can provide guidance for the moving part. That is, the moving part can move to the target position simply by following the circumferential side of the guide pin 20. At the same time, when the guide pin 20 is inserted into the positioning member, the end of the guide pin 20 with the insertion cavity 21 is pushed outward and its cross-sectional size is increased. That is, the open end of the guide pin 20 is opened to a certain extent. Therefore, when the moving part moves along the guide pin 20, it can be guided to a more precise position.
[0041] In particular, when the moving component has a through hole 15, and a sliding connection with the guide pin 20 is formed through the through hole 15 in a clearance fit, the open end of the guide pin 20 will be opened to a certain extent. At this time, the gap between the guide pin 20 and the moving component will be reduced, and the target position reached by the moving component will be more accurate. Moreover, since the end of the guide pin 20 is only opened when it is inserted into the positioning component, the gap between the guide pin 20 and the through hole 15 of the moving component is larger when the moving component and the guide pin 20 are pre-formed in a clearance fit, which is sufficient to facilitate the insertion of the two to form a clearance fit!
[0042] Furthermore, such as Figure 1-2 As shown, at least two deformation gaps 22 are formed on the side wall of the insertion cavity 21 along the length direction of the guide pin 20, and the deformation gaps 22 divide the side wall into multiple adjacent pieces. The number of deformation gaps 22 can be selected according to the process, and can be three, four, five or even more. In this embodiment, four gaps are used as an example, and the four deformation gaps 22 are evenly spaced and have a cross-shaped cross section.
[0043] Due to the deformation gap 22, the original single sidewall is divided into multiple adjacent pieces. Therefore, when the open end of the guide pin 20 is inserted into the positioning member, each sidewall is stretched to a certain extent, allowing the open end of the guide pin 20 to be expanded outward and its cross-sectional size to increase. In other embodiments, this effect can also be achieved without using the deformation gap 22, such as by using a stretchable and deformable material to make the guide pin 20. Especially in applications with low rigidity requirements, materials such as rubber can be used.
[0044] Meanwhile, the deformation gaps 22 provided in this invention allow the open end of the entire guide pin 20 to naturally shrink under internal stress. Alternatively, during manufacturing, the open end of the guide pin 20 can be made to shrink inward through hot / cold processes such as calcination and quenching, meaning the diameter of the open end of the guide pin 20 will be smaller than the diameter of the other end. In this embodiment, the guide pin 20 is a straight, long rod-shaped structure with the same diameter at all points along its length. However, after the aforementioned insertion cavity 21 and four deformation gaps 22 are opened at one end, the diameter of the opening end of the insertion cavity 21 is smaller than the diameter of the opposite end.
[0045] In this embodiment, a cross-shaped groove is cut into the guide pin 20. Utilizing its own strain, the open end of the guide pin 20 undergoes a contraction deformation. It is this slight dimensional change that allows it to adapt to many high-precision applications. The size of the contraction deformation is generally around 0.01-0.03 mm. Of course, the guide pin 20 can be made of metals or alloys with certain strength and deformation capacity, such as manganese, chromium, and steel. The specific material selection is mainly based on hardness and the magnitude of deformation.
[0046] In one embodiment, the length of the deformation gap 22 is greater than the length of the insertion cavity 21, and the deformation gap 22 divides a portion of the guide pins 20 into multiple adjacent pins. This embodiment considers that because the guide pins 20 are relatively long and have small gaps between them, they are prone to deformation when subjected to external impacts, especially since the sidewalls of the insertion cavity 21 are thin-walled structures, making them more susceptible to deformation. Therefore, in this embodiment, the insertion cavity 21 does not need to be too long; the length of the deformation gap 22 only needs to be extended into a portion of the guide pins 20. That is, the guide pin 20 can be considered to consist of three parts: a needle handle 23, a needle rod 24, and a needle head 25. The needle head 25 has the insertion cavity 21 with one open end, which is a thin-walled structure with multiple deformation gaps 22. The needle rod 24 is divided into multiple adjacent pins by the multiple deformation gaps 22, while the needle handle 23 does not have any deformation gaps 22.
[0047] Because the deformation gap 22 is relatively long, during manufacturing, the needle rod 24 and needle tip 25 of the guide pin 20 are both retracted through the control of hot / cold processes such as calcination and quenching. This ensures that the shrinkage size at the opening of the insertion cavity 21 meets the corresponding requirements. Moreover, the shorter length of the needle tip 25 section in the insertion cavity 21 helps to improve the overall strength and rigidity of the guide pin 20.
[0048] Furthermore, in one embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the positioning and guiding mechanism also includes a sleeve 26, a guide pin 20 fixed inside the sleeve 26, and the tip 25 of the guide pin 20 protruding from the sleeve 26.
[0049] Secondly, this invention also proposes a lithium battery casing device, such as... Figure 3-6 As shown, it includes a jig 10 for fixing the battery and a robotic arm 30 for picking up and placing the housing 14. The battery is provided with a positioning flange 12, as shown. Figure 8 As shown, the housing 14 has a through hole 15 that is inserted into the positioning flange 12. At least two positioning guide mechanisms as described above are provided between the fixture 10 and the material handling robot 30. The diameter of one end of the insertion cavity 21 opening is smaller than the diameter of the through hole 15. The guide pin 20 is inserted into the through hole 15, and the positioning member is coaxially arranged with the positioning flange 12.
[0050] During the housing insertion process, the housing 14 needs to be completely fitted onto the battery cell 11. That is, the through hole 15 on the housing 14 needs to be fitted onto the periphery of the positioning flange 12. Since the positioning component is coaxial with the positioning flange 12, and when the guide pin 20 is inserted into the positioning component, the end of the guide pin 20 with the insertion cavity 21 is supported and expanded outward, and the cross-sectional size is greater than or equal to the cross-sectional size of the positioning flange 12. Therefore, the housing 14 only needs to slide along the circumferential guide surface of the guide pin 20 to be accurately fitted onto the positioning flange 12, which greatly improves the housing insertion yield.
[0051] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6 and 8 As shown, the positioning component is a pin 13 fixed to the fixture 10. The pin 13 includes a pin seat and a pin head. The pin seat is detachably fixed to the fixture 10. The top of the pin head is frustoconical and the tail is cylindrical, and the tail is integrally connected to the pin seat. The positioning flange 12 protrudes from the surface of the battery, and the positioning flange 12 has a positioning hole 16 through the battery along its protruding direction. When the battery is positioned on the fixture 10, the pin 13 is inserted into and protrudes from the positioning hole 16, and the height of the pin 13 protruding from the positioning hole 16 is greater than or equal to the length of the insertion cavity 21.
[0052] Since the needle bar 24 is divided into multiple pieces by the deformation gap 22, the sealing end of the insertion cavity 21 becomes a multi-step structure. When the guide pin 20 is sleeved on the pin 13, the top of the pin 13 abuts against the multiple steps, which can prevent the guide pin 20 from being over-inserted and avoid the needle tip 25 from abutting against the nail seat or the positioning flange 12.
[0053] In this embodiment, the fixture 10 is designed with 4 / 6 / 8 or more sets of positioning pins 13, and a corresponding number of positioning flanges 12 and positioning holes 16 are opened on the skirt of the battery cell 11. When the battery cell 11 is placed, the positioning holes 16 are engaged with the pins 13 to achieve multi-point precise positioning of the long battery cell 11.
[0054] Correspondingly, in one embodiment, such as Figure 3-6 As shown, the material handling robot 30 includes a material handling base 32, in which a cavity 33 is formed to accommodate the housing 14; the guide pin 20 is disposed on the material handling base 32, and the distance by which the end of the guide pin 20 extends out of the cavity 33 is greater than the wall thickness of the housing 14. In this embodiment, the wall thickness of the housing 14 refers to the wall thickness of the skirt of the housing 14 with the through hole 15, which is generally 0.3-0.5mm.
[0055] Meanwhile, the material handling robot 30 also includes a drive mechanism 31, which is drivenly connected to the material handling base 32. An elastic connector is fixed on the material handling base 32, and the elastic connector is fixedly connected to the guide pin 20. When the battery is inserted into the casing, the movement direction of the casing 14 is the same as the extension and retraction direction of the elastic connector.
[0056] Specifically, the drive mechanism 31 includes a frame-type frame on which a horizontal drive component, such as a motor structure, a lead screw structure, or a cylinder structure, is mounted. A mounting base is installed on the drive end of the horizontal drive component, and a vertical drive component, such as a motor structure, a lead screw structure, or a cylinder structure, is fixed on the mounting base. The drive end of the vertical drive component is connected to the material-picking base 32, thereby enabling the entire drive mechanism 31 to drive the material-picking base 32 to move in both horizontal and vertical directions. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the drive end of the vertical drive component can also be connected to the material-picking base 32 via a rotatable rotating mechanism, such as a motor, which can drive the material-picking base 32 to rotate in the horizontal plane, giving the material-picking base 32 sufficient degrees of freedom.
[0057] like Figure 3-6As shown, the material-taking base 32 includes a material-taking plate 34. Multiple sets of clamping plates 35 are fixed to the periphery of the material-taking plate 34. The clamping plates 35 and the material-taking plate 34 together form a downward-opening cavity 33. The guide pin 20 is fixed in the ejector sleeve 26, with each ejector sleeve 26 located in the middle of a set of clamping plates 35. In this embodiment, the elastic connector is an elastic cylinder 36, which is fixed to the material-taking plate 34. The telescopic end of the elastic cylinder 36 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the ejector sleeve 26, and the lower end of the ejector sleeve 26 is flush with the lower end of the clamping plate 35. This means that the tip 25 of the guide pin 20 extends out of the ejector sleeve 26 and also protrudes downwards from the bottom of the clamping plate 35, thus the tip 25 of the guide pin 20 protrudes into the cavity 33.
[0058] Meanwhile, multiple sets of suction cup 37 assemblies are fixed on the material handling plate 34, and the suction cups 37 of the suction cup 37 assemblies are connected to the cavity 33. When the material handling robot 30 picks up the housing 14, the housing 14 and the cavity 33 are aligned, and the suction cup 37 assemblies are activated to hold the housing 14. At this time, the housing 14 and the cavity 33 are in close contact, and the skirt of the housing 14 is also basically in contact with the lower end of the clamping plate 35. At the same time, the needle tip 25 of each guide pin 20 passes through the corresponding through hole 15. Due to the special design of the guide pin 20 mentioned above, under normal conditions, the diameter of the needle tip 25 of the guide pin 20 is smaller than the through hole 15 and also smaller than the positioning flange 12. Therefore, when the material handling robot 30 picks up the housing 14, the guide pin 20 and the through hole 15 of the housing 14 are relatively easy to insert and fit together, which is beneficial to improving the production speed.
[0059] In addition, the present invention also discloses a battery casing method, which is applied to the above-mentioned lithium battery casing device, the method comprising:
[0060] The guide pin 20 is passed through the through hole 15 on the housing 14 to fix the battery onto the fixture 10, and the positioning hole 16 on the battery is inserted into the pin 13 on the fixture 10; the housing 14 and the guide pin 20 are driven to move towards the battery synchronously until the guide pin 20 is sleeved on the pin 13 and is opened; then the housing 14 is driven to move along the guide surface of the guide pin 20 until it fits against the battery, completing the insertion into the housing.
[0061] Specifically, the robotic arm 30 first picks up the housing 14. After obtaining the housing 14, the drive mechanism 31 adjusts the position of the housing 14 and aligns it with the position of the battery cell 11 on the fixture 10. Figure 5 As shown, at this time, the housing 14 is directly above the battery cell 11, and then the insertion action is performed: the drive mechanism 31 drives the housing 14 and the guide pin 20 to descend synchronously, as shown. Figure 7-8As shown, the needle tip 25 of the guide pin 20, that is, the end with the insertion cavity 21, is inserted into the pin 13 on the fixture 10. At this time, the needle tip 25 of the guide pin 20 is expanded outward by the pin 13, and the cross-sectional size is slightly larger than or equal to the cross-sectional size of the positioning flange 12.
[0062] Subsequently, when the drive mechanism 31 drives the picking base 32 to press down again, the top wall of the insertion cavity 21 of the guide pin 20 abuts against the pin 13, preventing the guide pin 20 from descending further. Since the guide pin 20 is connected to the picking base 32 via the elastic cylinder 36, the telescopic rod of the elastic cylinder 36 has a certain amount of compression, allowing the guide pin 20 to remain stationary. Meanwhile, the picking base 32 drives the housing 14 to descend a short distance, that is, the housing 14 slides down along the circumferential guide surface of the guide pin 20 and engages with the positioning flange 12. Figure 9-11 As shown, the housing 14 and the battery cell 11 are completely fitted together, thus completing the insertion action. In this embodiment, the gas in the elastic cylinder 36 has certain compression characteristics, thereby realizing the relative movement between the housing 14 and the guide pin 20. In other embodiments, a spring can be used instead of the elastic cylinder 36, or the connection method of the ejector sleeve 26 can be changed so that it is separately connected to the material picking base 32, so that the guide pin 20 and the housing 14 are driven respectively.
[0063] Of course, in other embodiments, the drive mechanism 31 can also drive the fixture 10 while keeping the positions of the picking base 32 and the housing 14 unchanged; or, the fixture 10 and the picking robot 30 can both be driven to adjust their positions, which is more flexible.
[0064] In another embodiment, before the guide pin 20 passes through the through hole 15 in the housing 14, the housing 14 is further shaped. That is, before the material handling robot 30 picks up the housing 14 and performs the insertion action, the housing 14 needs to be shaped first.
[0065] Specifically, the shaping of the housing 14 is as follows: the housing 14 is fitted onto the shaping mold, and pressure is applied to various parts of the housing 14 so that the concave part of the housing 14 is lifted by the mold and the convex part of the housing 14 is flattened by the pressure until the housing 14 fits the mold.
[0066] In this embodiment, the outer dimensions of the mold are the same as the inner dimensions of the housing 14. Multiple sets of dispersed shaping cylinders are used to apply pressure to the housing 14, and the pressure application position of the shaping cylinders can be near the through hole 15. This shaping step solves the problem that, in actual production, due to the long length of long-sized batteries, the aluminum shell is prone to slight deformation during processing, and even the through hole 15 may deform to some extent. It also provides a foundation for subsequent high-precision shell insertion.
[0067] In the description of this specification, the use of terms such as "Embodiment 1," "this embodiment," or "in one embodiment" indicates that the 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 invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example; moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any appropriate manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0068] In the description of this specification, the terms "connection," "installation," "fixing," "setting," and "having" are interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0069] In the description of this specification, relational terms such as “first” and “second” are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase “comprising one…” does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.
[0070] The above description of the embodiments is intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand and apply the technology of this invention. Those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications to these examples and apply the general principles described herein to other embodiments without creative effort. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Modifications in the following situations should be within the scope of protection of this invention: ① New technical solutions implemented based on the technical solution of this invention and combined with existing common knowledge, where the technical effects of the new technical solution do not exceed the technical effects of this invention; ② Equivalent substitutions of some features of the technical solution of this invention using known technology, resulting in the same technical effects as those of this invention; ③ Extendable technical solutions based on the technical solution of this invention, where the substantive content of the extended technical solution does not exceed the technical solution of this invention; ④ Equivalent transformations made using the content of this specification and drawings, directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields.
Claims
1. A positioning and guiding mechanism, characterized in that, include A guide pin, wherein the peripheral side surface of the guide pin is a guide surface, and one end of the guide pin has an insertion cavity, and at least two deformation gaps are formed on the side wall of the insertion cavity along the length direction of the guide pin. The positioning element is inserted into the insertion cavity. When the guide pin is inserted into the positioning element, the end of the guide pin with the insertion cavity is pushed outward and its cross-sectional size increases. The sealing end of the insertion cavity forms multiple stepped structures. When the guide pin is sleeved on the pin, the top of the pin abuts against the multiple steps to prevent the guide pin from being over-inserted.
2. The positioning and guiding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformation gaps divide the sidewall into multiple adjacent pieces.
3. The positioning and guiding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The length of the deformation gap is greater than the length of the insertion cavity, and the deformation gap divides part of the guide pins into multiple adjacent pins.
4. The positioning and guiding mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, There are four deformation gaps, and the four deformation gaps are evenly distributed.
5. The positioning and guiding mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The insertion cavity is open at one end, and the diameter of the opening end of the insertion cavity is smaller than the diameter of the opposite end.
6. A lithium battery casing device, comprising a fixture for fixing the battery and a robotic arm for picking up and placing the casing, wherein the battery has a positioning flange and the casing has a through hole for inserting and engaging with the positioning flange, characterized in that, At least two positioning and guiding mechanisms as described in any one of claims 1-5 are provided between the fixture and the material handling robot, and the guide pin is inserted into the through hole, and the positioning member is coaxially arranged with the positioning flange. When the guide pin is inserted into the positioning member, the end of the guide pin with the insertion cavity is supported and expanded outward, and its cross-sectional dimension is greater than or equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the positioning flange.
7. The lithium battery casing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The diameter of one end of the insertion cavity opening is smaller than the diameter of the through hole.
8. The lithium battery casing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The positioning element is a pin and is fixed to the fixture; the positioning flange protrudes from the surface of the battery, and the positioning flange has a positioning hole through the battery along its protruding direction. When the battery is positioned on the fixture, the pin is inserted into and protrudes from the positioning hole, and the height of the pin protruding from the positioning hole is greater than or equal to the length of the insertion cavity.
9. The lithium battery casing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The material handling robot includes a material handling base, in which a cavity is formed to accommodate the housing; a guide pin is disposed on the material handling base, and the end of the guide pin extends out of the cavity by a distance greater than the wall thickness of the housing.
10. The lithium battery casing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The material handling robot also includes a drive mechanism, which is drivenly connected to the material handling base. An elastic connector is fixed on the material handling base and is fixedly connected to the guide pin. When the battery is inserted into the casing, the direction of movement of the casing is the same as the direction of extension and retraction of the elastic connector.
11. A method for inserting a battery into a casing, characterized in that, The method, applied to the lithium battery casing device according to any one of claims 6-10, comprises: The guide pin is passed through the through hole in the housing to fix the battery to the fixture, and the positioning hole in the battery is inserted into the pin on the fixture; the housing and the guide pin are driven to move towards the battery synchronously until the guide pin is sleeved on the pin and is opened. When the guide pin is inserted into the pin, the top of the pin abuts against multiple steps. Then drive the housing along the guide surface of the guide pin until it fits against the battery, completing the housing insertion.
12. The battery casing method according to claim 11, characterized in that, Before the guide pin is passed through the through hole in the housing, the housing is shaped.