A sleeve ring system and battery module production line

Abstract

The application provides a steel ring sleeving system and a battery module production line. The steel ring sleeving system comprises a first steel ring sleeving device and a second steel ring sleeving device. The first steel ring sleeving device comprises a steel ring grabbing device, a first grabbing mechanism and at least one set of second grabbing mechanisms arranged on a base plate; the first grabbing mechanism is used for fixing two side edges of a steel ring opposite in a first direction, and the second grabbing mechanism is used for fixing two side edges of the steel ring opposite in a second direction; a first driving device is used for driving the steel ring grabbed by the steel ring grabbing device to be sleeved on one end of a to-be-fixed battery cell; and the second steel ring sleeving device is used for sleeving another steel ring on the other end of the to-be-fixed battery cell. Thus, the automatic production of the steel rings sleeved on both ends of the to-be-fixed battery cell can be realized through the first steel ring sleeving device and the second steel ring sleeving device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery module manufacturing technology, and in particular to a steel ring system and a battery module production line. Background Technology

[0002] A battery module is generally formed by fixing multiple battery cells together. Currently, the multiple battery cells in a battery module are fixed by placing steel rings around the perimeter of the stacked cells. Furthermore, steel rings are typically placed at both the top and bottom ends of the multiple cells in a battery module to ensure the overall robustness and dimensional stability of the battery module.

[0003] In the related technologies of battery module production, the process of fitting steel rings on the battery module assembly line generally requires two people to be responsible for fitting the lower steel ring and the upper steel ring respectively.

[0004] However, manual fitting of steel rings is inefficient and poses safety risks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a steel ring fitting system and a battery module production line to solve the technical problems of low production efficiency and safety risks associated with manual steel ring fitting.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a steel rim fitting system, which includes a first steel rim fitting device and a second steel rim fitting device.

[0007] The first set of steel ring equipment includes:

[0008] A steel ring gripping device includes a base plate, a first gripping mechanism disposed on the base plate, and at least one set of second gripping mechanisms. The first gripping mechanism is used to fix two opposite sides of the steel ring along a first direction; the second gripping mechanism is used to fix two opposite sides of the steel ring along a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction intersect.

[0009] The first driving device is used to drive the steel ring gripping device to grip the steel ring and put the steel ring on one end of the battery cell to be fixed.

[0010] The second set of steel ring equipment includes:

[0011] A steel ring positioning device is used to place another steel ring onto the other end of the battery cell to be fixed.

[0012] This application also provides a battery module production line, which includes any of the steel ring systems described above.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application are as follows: The steel ring fitting system provided by this application includes a first steel ring fitting device and a second steel ring fitting device. The steel ring gripping device in the first steel ring fitting device includes a base plate and a first gripping mechanism and at least one set of second gripping mechanisms disposed on the base plate; the first gripping mechanism is used to fix the two opposite sides of the steel ring along a first direction; the second gripping mechanism is used to fix the two opposite sides of the steel ring along a second direction. Thus, after the steel ring gripping device in the first steel ring fitting device grips the steel ring, it can simultaneously fix the four sides of the steel ring, so that the steel ring can maintain a fixed size. Then, the first driving device in the first steel ring fitting device drives the steel ring on the steel ring gripping device to fit onto one end of the battery cell to be fixed. The second steel ring fitting device can fit another steel ring onto the other end of the battery cell to be fixed. The steel ring fitting system provided by this application, through the cooperation of the first steel ring fitting device and the second steel ring fitting device, can realize the automated fitting of steel rings at both ends of the battery cell to be fixed, saving manpower and improving the production efficiency of battery modules.

[0014] In the first set of steel ring equipment, the first and second gripping mechanisms of the steel ring gripping device can fix the steel ring by adsorbing the outer surface of the steel ring with an adsorption element. In this way, after the steel ring gripping device grips the steel ring, it will not occupy the space of the inner ring of the steel ring, which facilitates the steel ring fitting operation. The first and second gripping mechanisms are also provided with a pressing boss. The pressing boss has an abutment surface. When the adsorption element adsorbs the outer surface of the steel ring, the abutment surface abuts against the side of the steel ring facing the substrate. Thus, when the first driving device drives the steel ring to be fitted onto the outer circumference of the battery cell, the friction between the inner circumference surface of the steel ring and the outer circumference surface of the battery cell can be transmitted to the pressing boss of the fixing block.

[0015] Furthermore, when the suction component in the gripping device is a suction cup, the suction surface of the suction cup protrudes from the mounting surface of the fixing block when the suction cup is in its natural state. When the suction cup adsorbs the steel ring, the suction surface of the suction cup moves towards the mounting surface. In this way, on the one hand, the collision between the steel ring and the fixing block can be reduced during adsorption. On the other hand, when the suction cup adsorbs the steel ring, after moving a certain distance towards the mounting surface, the outer surface of the side of the steel ring can be made to fit or nearly fit against the mounting surface of the fixing block. Thus, the steel ring can be corrected by using the mounting of the fixing block.

[0016] The second set of steel ring equipment includes a steel ring positioning device comprising a support plate, a tensioning assembly, and a drive mechanism. The support plate supports the steel ring. The tensioning assembly tensions the steel ring placed on the support plate. The tensioning assembly includes several tensioning shafts slidably disposed relative to the support plate, the shape of which is adapted to the shape of the steel ring. The drive mechanism is disposed on the support plate and drives the tensioning shafts to slide relative to the support plate, thereby opening or closing the tensioning assembly. When positioning the steel ring, the steel ring can be placed on the support plate with the tensioning assembly in the closed state, and the tensioning assembly positioned inside the steel ring. Then, the drive mechanism drives the tensioning assembly to open, allowing the tensioning shafts to tension the deformed steel ring according to the specified shape. This ensures precise correspondence between the dimensions of each side of the steel ring and the outer circumference of the battery cell to be fixed, and reduces the requirements for the placement of the steel ring on the support plate. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a first-view structural schematic diagram of a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a second-view structural schematic diagram of a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first set of steel ring equipment in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a third-view structural schematic diagram of the steel ring gripping device in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a fourth-view structural schematic diagram of the steel ring gripping device in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first gripping component and the second gripping mechanism on the first mounting plate of the steel ring gripping device in a steel ring gripping system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second gripping mechanism on the second mounting plate of the steel ring gripping device in a steel ring gripping system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first gripping component of the steel ring gripping device in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Enlarged view of point C in the middle;

[0027] Figure 10 This is a fifth-view structural schematic diagram of the second set of steel rings in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 11 This is a sixth-view structural schematic diagram of the second set of steel rings in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 12 This is a seventh-view structural schematic diagram of the steel ring positioning device of the second steel ring device in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application:

[0030] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the steel ring positioning device of the second steel ring equipment in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application from an eighth perspective.

[0031] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism of the steel ring positioning device in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bearing plate of the steel ring positioning device in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application, which is provided with a support block;

[0033] Figure 16 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the top block of the second set of steel rings in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping mechanism for the second set of steel rings in a steel ring system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 18 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a partial structure of a battery module production line provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 19 This is a top view of a partial structure of a battery module production line provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] In the diagram: 1000, First steel ring equipment; 100, Steel ring gripping device; 10, First gripping mechanism; 11, First slide rail; 12, First gripping assembly; 121, Fixing block; 121a, Pressing boss; 121b, Abutment surface; 121c, Mounting surface; 122, Adsorption component; 122a, Adsorption surface; 123, Slider; 124, Connecting plate; 125, Sliding drive component; 13, Stop block; 20, Second gripping mechanism; 21, Second slide rail; 22, First... 23. Second gripping assembly; 30. Base plate; 40. Adjustment mechanism; 41. First nut; 42. Second nut; 43. Adjusting screw; 44. First limiting block; 45. Second limiting block; 46. First mounting plate; A. First direction; B. Second direction; 200. First driving device; 2000. Second set of steel ring equipment; 300. Steel ring positioning device; 50. Bearing plate; 51. Support surface; 52. Guide groove; 53. Mounting groove; 54. Installation Frame; 55. Track; 56. Support block; 57. Clearance groove; 60. Tensioning assembly; 61. Tensioning shaft; 70. Drive mechanism; 71. Drive unit; 72. Drive plate; 73. Transmission arm; 731. Connecting part; 732. Sliding part; 80. Fixing plate; 81. Support shaft; 82. Positioning pin; 821. Operating protrusion; 822. Pin structure; 83. Embossed handle; 400. Second drive device; 90. Base frame; 91. Bearing platform; 911. Through hole; 92 921. Lifting mechanism; 921. Lifting platform; 9211. Top block; 9212. Lifting boss; 922. Lifting drive assembly; 93. Clamping mechanism; 931. First clamping assembly; 9311. First clamping block; 932. Second clamping assembly; 9321. Second clamping block; X, third direction; Y, fourth direction; 500. Steel ring; 3000. Battery cell stacking equipment; 4000. Battery cell gripping robot; 5000. Steel ring feeding equipment; 6000. Conveying equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining this application and not for limiting it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings, not all structures. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0041] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0042] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0043] Please see Figures 1 to 4 This application provides a steel ring fitting system. The steel ring fitting system includes a first steel ring fitting device 1000 and a second steel ring fitting device 2000. The first steel ring fitting device 1000 includes a steel ring gripping device 100 and a first driving device 200. The steel ring gripping device 100 includes a base plate 30 and a first gripping mechanism 10 and at least one set of second gripping mechanisms 20 disposed on the base plate 30. The first gripping mechanism 10 is used to fix two opposite sides of a steel ring 500 along a first direction A. The second gripping mechanism 20 is used to fix two opposite sides of a steel ring 500 along a second direction B. The first direction A and the second direction B intersect. The first driving device 200 is used to drive the steel ring gripping device 100 to grip the gripping steel ring 500 and fit the steel ring 500 onto one end of the battery cell to be fixed. The second steel ring fitting device 2000 is used to fit another steel ring 500 onto the other end of the battery cell to be fixed.

[0044] The steel ring 500 used in battery modules is generally a rectangular ring structure bent from thin sheet metal. When freely placed, its dimensions may deviate from the dimensions of the battery cell to be fixed due to sheet metal deformation. Therefore, the shape of the steel ring 500 needs to be positioned before it is fitted onto the battery cell. In the first steel ring device 1000, the shape of the steel ring 500 can be fixed by the steel ring gripping device 100, which holds the steel ring 500 in place along the two opposite sides in the first direction A and along the two opposite sides in the second direction B. The second steel ring device 2000 can fix the shape of the steel ring 500 by setting a steel ring positioning device 300.

[0045] It should be noted that the cell to be fixed can be understood as being formed by multiple cells being squeezed together. When fixing the cell to be fixed with steel rings 500, the multiple cells in the cell to be fixed can be stacked horizontally and squeezed together. When the steel rings 500 are fitted onto both ends of the cell to be fixed to assemble a battery module, it can be understood that the steel rings 500 are fitted onto the upper and lower ends of the cell to be fixed. Specifically, the steel rings 500 are fitted onto the upper end of the cell to be fixed, and the steel rings 500 are fitted from top to bottom. The equipment for fitting the steel rings 500 needs to grasp and fix the steel rings 500 from the upper end or the outer surface of the steel rings 500. The first steel ring fitting device 1000 in the steel ring fitting system provided in this application can be used to fit the steel rings 500 from the upper end of the cell to be fixed, and the second steel ring fitting device 2000 can be used to fit the steel rings 500 from the lower end of the cell to be fixed, but it is not limited to these. This application uses the example of a first set of steel ring equipment 1000 for fitting a steel ring 500 from the upper end of the battery cell to be fixed, and a second set of steel ring equipment 2000 for fitting a steel ring 500 from the lower end of the battery cell to be fixed. Furthermore, it should be noted that a battery module formed by pressing and fixing multiple battery cells together is generally rectangular. Therefore, the steel ring 500 used in battery module production is generally a rectangular steel ring. The following embodiments of this application use a rectangular steel ring as an example, but are not limited to this. When the steel ring 500 is rectangular, it can be understood that the intersecting first direction A and second direction B are perpendicular to each other. When the shape of the steel ring 500 is octagonal, hexagonal, etc., the included angle between the intersecting first direction A and second direction B and the two sides of the steel ring 500 it grips corresponds to the angle between them. For example, when the steel ring 500 is hexagonal, the first gripping mechanism 10 and the second gripping mechanism 20 grip the two adjacent sides of the steel ring 500 respectively. At this time, the included angle between the first direction A and the second direction B is 60 degrees. By making the first direction A and the second direction B intersect, the first gripping mechanism 10 and the second gripping mechanism 20 can grip different sides of the steel ring 500 to ensure that the steel ring 500 can be gripped stably.

[0046] Please refer to the following: Figures 3 to 9 The following is an explanation of the first set of steel ring equipment 1000:

[0047] The steel ring gripping device 100 in the first steel ring equipment 1000 includes a base plate 30 and a first gripping mechanism 10 and at least one set of second gripping mechanisms 20 disposed on the base plate 30. The first gripping mechanism 10 includes at least two sets of first gripping components 12 that can be arranged close to or far apart from each other along a first direction A. The first gripping mechanism 10 fixes the opposite sides of the steel ring 500 along the first direction A through the first gripping components 12. Each set of second gripping mechanisms 20 includes at least two sets of second gripping components 22 that can be arranged close to or far apart from each other along a second direction B. The second gripping mechanism 20 fixes the opposite sides of the steel ring 500 along the second direction B through the second gripping components 22.

[0048] The base plate 30 in the steel ring gripping device 100 is used to connect the first gripping mechanism 10 and the second gripping mechanism 20. For example... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the substrate 30 can be a rectangular plate structure, but is not limited to this.

[0049] The first gripping mechanism 10 includes at least two sets of first gripping components 12 that can be arranged close to or far apart along a first direction A. The second gripping mechanism 20 includes at least two sets of second gripping components 22 that can be arranged close to or far apart along a second direction B. It can be understood that both the first gripping components 12 and the second gripping components 22 are slidably disposed relative to the substrate 30. Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the first gripping mechanism 10 further includes a first slide rail 11, which is disposed along a first direction A, and the first gripping component 12 is slidably disposed on the first slide rail 11. The second gripping mechanism 20 further includes a second slide rail 21, which is disposed along a second direction B, and the second gripping component 22 is slidably disposed on the second slide rail 21. In some embodiments, the first direction A and the second direction B are perpendicular to each other.

[0050] Before gripping the steel ring 500, the steel ring gripping device 100 provided in this application can first slide the two first gripping components 12 in the first gripping mechanism 10 to a state of mutual separation on the first slide rail 11. Similarly, the two second gripping components 22 in the second gripping mechanism 20 can slide to a state of mutual separation on the second slide rail 21. Then, the first driving device 200 drives the steel ring gripping device 100 to move to the position of the steel ring 500, so that the two sides of the steel ring 500 along the first direction A are located between the two first gripping components 12, and the two sides of the steel ring 500 along the second direction B are located between the two second gripping components 22. Finally, the two first gripping components 12 in the first gripping mechanism 10 are brought closer together along the first slide rail 11 to fix the opposite sides of the steel ring 500 along the first direction A. Simultaneously, the two second gripping components 22 in the second gripping mechanism 20 are brought closer together along the second slide rail 21 to fix the opposite sides of the steel ring 500 along the second direction B. This achieves the gripping of the steel ring 500 by the steel ring gripping device 100. Since the opposite sides of the steel ring 500 along the first direction A and the opposite sides along the second direction B are fixed in designated positions by the first gripping mechanism 10 and the second gripping mechanism 20 respectively after the steel ring gripping device 100 grips the steel ring 500, the steel ring gripping device 100 can maintain the steel ring 500 at a fixed size after gripping it. It should be noted that the sliding positions of the two first gripping components 12 when they move away from or towards each other along the first slide rail 11, the sliding positions of the two second gripping components 22 when they move away from or towards each other along the second slide rail 21, and the designated positions where the first gripping components 12 and the second gripping components 22 finally fix the steel ring 500 can be preset according to the specific dimensions of the steel ring 500. The designated positions can be understood as the positions of each side of the steel ring 500 when it can be fitted onto the outer circumference of the battery cell to be fixed. It should also be noted that when the steel ring 500 is fixed at the designated positions by the first gripping components 12 and the second gripping components 22, the dimensions of each side of the steel ring 500 can be slightly enlarged based on the dimensions of each side before the steel ring 500 is gripped, thereby facilitating the subsequent fitting of the steel ring and ensuring that the steel ring 500 fixed at the designated position on the steel ring gripping device 100 can be smoothly fitted onto the outer circumference of the battery cell to be fixed. After the steel ring gripping device 100 grips the fixing steel ring 500, the first driving device 200 drives the steel ring gripping device 100 to move directly above the battery cell to be fixed, and then the steel ring gripping device 100 drives the steel ring 500 to move from top to bottom, so as to fit the steel ring 500 onto the upper end of the battery cell to be fixed.

[0051] The first gripping component 12 and the second gripping component 22 can fix the side of the steel ring 500 by fixing the outer circumferential surface of the side of the steel ring 500, or by clamping and fixing one end of the side, but are not limited to these.

[0052] To facilitate the placement of the steel ring 500 on the outer circumference of the battery cell to be fixed, such as Figures 6 to 8 In some embodiments, both the first gripping component 12 and the second gripping component 22 include a fixing block 121. An adsorption element 122 is provided on the fixing block 121. The adsorption element 122 is used to adsorb onto the outer surface of the steel ring 500 to grip the steel ring 500. The structures of the first gripping component 12 and the second gripping component 22 can be identical. The following explanation uses the first gripping component 12 as an example to illustrate the structure of the first gripping component 12 and the second gripping component 22. The first gripping component 12 includes a fixing block 121. An adsorption element 122 is provided on the fixing block 121. The adsorption element 122 is used to adsorb onto the outer surface of the steel ring 500 to grip the steel ring 500. Thus, after gripping the steel ring 500, the steel ring gripping device 100 will not occupy the inner space of the steel ring 500. The adsorption element 122 can be a suction cup or an electromagnet. It is understandable that when the adsorption component 122 is a suction cup, the adsorption component 122 fixes the steel ring 500 by vacuum adsorption; when the adsorption component 122 is an electromagnet, the adsorption component 122 fixes the steel ring 500 by magnetic force. However, the way the adsorption component 122 fixes the steel ring 500 is not limited to these methods.

[0053] like Figure 8 and Figure 9In some embodiments, the adsorption member 122 includes at least one suction cup, and one side surface of the suction cup used to adsorb the steel ring 500 is the adsorption surface 122a. Correspondingly, the fixing block 121 has a mounting surface 121c, and when the suction cup is in its natural state, the adsorption surface 122a protrudes from the mounting surface 121c; when the suction cup adsorbs the steel ring 500, the adsorption surface 122a moves toward the mounting surface 121c. Since suction cups are generally made of rubber and have a certain degree of flexibility, by making the adsorption surface 122a of the adsorption component 122 protrude from the mounting surface 121c of the fixing block 121, when the suction cup adsorbs the steel ring 500, due to the vacuum of the suction cup, the suction cup can move a certain distance into the fixing block 121 along the mounting hole of the suction cup on the fixing block 121. That is, the adsorption surface 122a of the suction cup moves closer to the mounting surface 121c. On the one hand, this can reduce the collision between the steel ring 500 and the fixing block 121 during adsorption. On the other hand, after the suction cup moves a certain distance into the fixing block 121, the outer surface of the steel ring 500 can be made to fit or nearly fit against the side surface of the fixing block 121 where the suction cup is located. Thus, the mounting surface 121c of the fixing block 121 can be used to correct the steel ring 500. It should be noted that when the adsorption component 122 in the first gripping assembly 12 is a suction cup, it can be understood that the suction cup is also connected to an air pump. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the mounting surface 121c of the fixing block 121 may be provided with a plurality of suction cups. These suction cups can be arranged along the length direction of the corresponding steel ring side. For example, if the first gripping component 12 fixes the steel ring 500 on opposite sides along the first direction A, i.e., the length direction of the steel ring side corresponding to the first gripping component 12 is the second direction B, then the plurality of suction cups on the first gripping component 12 are arranged along the second direction B; correspondingly, if the second gripping component 22 fixes the steel ring 500 on opposite sides along the second direction B, i.e., the length direction of the steel ring side corresponding to the second gripping component 22 is the first direction A, then the plurality of suction cups on the second gripping component 22 are arranged along the first direction A. This increases the fixing area of ​​the steel ring gripping device 100 on the steel ring 500, improving the stability of the steel ring gripping device 100 in gripping the steel ring 500.

[0054] like Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the fixing block 121 includes a pressing boss 121a. The pressing boss 121a has an abutment surface 121b. When the adsorption member 122 adsorbs the outer surface of the steel ring 500, the abutment surface 121b abuts against the side of the steel ring 500 facing the substrate 30. It can be understood that the abutment surface 121b on the fixing block 121 is perpendicular to the mounting surface 121c on which the adsorption member 122 is mounted.

[0055] To ensure the reliability of the steel ring 500 in fixing the battery cell, the inner size of the steel ring 500 is generally made close to the outer size of the battery cell to be fixed. This creates some resistance when the two steel rings 500 are fully fitted onto the outer circumference of the battery cell. By providing a pressing boss 121a on the fixing block 121, when the first driving device 200 drives the steel ring 500 on the steel ring gripping device 100 to be fitted onto the outer circumference of the battery cell from top to bottom, the positions of each side of the steel ring 500 first correspond to the positions of the outer periphery of the battery cell to be fixed. Then, the steel ring gripping device 100 moves the steel ring 500 downward until it is fitted onto the outer circumference of the battery cell. During the downward movement of the steel ring 500, the friction between the inner circumferential surface of the steel ring 500 and the outer circumferential surface of the battery cell can be transmitted to the pressing boss 121a of the fixing block 121.

[0056] In the first gripping mechanism 10, two sets of first gripping components 12, arranged close to or far apart from each other along the first direction A, can be slidably mounted on the first slide rail 11. Similarly, in the second gripping mechanism 20, two sets of second gripping components 22, arranged close to or far apart from each other along the second direction B, can be slidably mounted on the second slide rail 21. The first slide rail 11 extends along the first direction A, and the second slide rail 21 extends along the second direction B. When the structures of the first gripping components 12 and the second gripping components 22 are identical, the devices of the first slide rail 11 and the second slide rail 21 are also identical. Taking the first slide rail 11 as an example, it can be a rectangular strip, with grooves on its upper surface or opposite horizontal sides. The cross-sectional shape of the grooves can be rectangular, trapezoidal, or arc-shaped, but is not limited to these. It is understood that the first gripping component 12 also includes a slider 123 that cooperates with the first slide rail 11, and the slider 123 has protrusions that cooperate with the grooves of the first slide rail 11. Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the first gripping component 12 may further include a connecting plate 124, and a fixing block 121 is disposed on the slider 123 via the connecting plate 124. The connecting plate 124 may be L-shaped, with one bent portion of the connecting plate 124 fixedly connected to the slider 123, and the fixing block 121 fixedly connected to the other bent portion of the connecting plate 124.

[0057] It should be noted that the first gripping assembly 12 and the second gripping assembly 22 also include a sliding drive component 125. The sliding drive component 125 in the first gripping assembly 12 drives the first gripping assembly 12 to move along the first slide rail 11, and the sliding drive component 125 in the second gripping assembly 22 drives the second gripping assembly 22 to move along the second slide rail 21. It can be understood that the sliding drive component 125 is a linear drive component; for example, the sliding drive component 125 can be a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or an electric telescopic rod, but it is not limited to these.

[0058] In battery module production, different specifications of battery modules contain different numbers of cells, so the size of the steel ring 500 used in different specifications of battery modules is also different. The steel ring 500 corresponding to different specifications of battery modules generally has the same side length along the second direction B, but the side length along the first direction A is different.

[0059] To enable the steel ring gripping device 100 to better adapt to steel rings 500 of different sizes, such as Figures 4 to 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the first gripping mechanism 10 includes two first slide rails 11, and a set of first gripping components 12 are slidably disposed on each first slide rail 11. The steel ring gripping device 100 also includes an adjustment mechanism 40. The adjustment mechanism 40 is used to adjust the relative distance between the two first slide rails 11 along the first direction A. By adjusting the relative distance between the two first slide rails 11 along the first direction A, the adjustment mechanism 40 can adjust the position of the first gripping components 12 on the first slide rails 11 corresponding to the two sides of the steel ring 500 in the first direction A.

[0060] The adjusting mechanism 40 adjusts the relative distance between the two sections of the first slide rail 11 along the first direction A. It can fix one of the two sections of the first slide rail 11, and adjust the distance between the two sections of the first slide rail 11 by adjusting the position of the other one. Alternatively, the adjusting mechanism 40 can adjust the position of the two sections of the first slide rail 11 at the same time to adjust the distance between the two sections of the first slide rail 11.

[0061] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, a second mounting plate 23 may also be provided on the substrate 30. The second mounting plate 23 is disposed at a distance from the substrate 30. The second slide rail 21 in the second gripping mechanism 20 may be disposed on the side of the second mounting plate 23 facing away from the substrate 30. The adjustment mechanism 40 may include an adjusting screw 43, a first nut 41, and a second nut 42. The adjusting screw 43 is rotatably disposed on the side of the substrate 30 where the first gripping mechanism 10 and the second gripping mechanism 20 are disposed, and the adjusting screw 43 is located between the substrate 30 and the second mounting plate 23. The two ends of the adjusting screw 43 may be respectively provided with a first thread and a second thread, and the first thread and the second thread are opposite. In the adjustment mechanism 40, the first nut 41 is engaged with the first thread, and the second nut 42 is engaged with the second thread. By rotating the adjusting screw 43, the first nut 41 and the second nut 42 can move closer to each other and further away from each other, thereby driving the two sections of the first slide rail 11 to move closer to each other or further away from each other to achieve the relative distance between the two sections of the first slide rail 11.

[0062] like Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments, the adjusting mechanism 40 may further include a first limiting block 44 and a second limiting block 45. The first limiting block 44 and the second limiting block 45 may be fixedly disposed on the base plate 30 to limit the movement range of the first nut 41 and the second nut 42 along the adjusting screw 43. It can be understood that by positioning the first limiting block 44 and the second limiting block 45 on either side of the first nut 41 and the second nut 42, the movement range of both the first nut 41 and the second nut 42 can be limited simultaneously. Figure 4 As shown, the first limiting block 44 can be positioned between the first nut 41 and the second nut 42, and on the side of the second mounting plate 23 facing the first nut 41, with the first limiting block 44 positioned on the side of the first nut 41 facing away from the second nut 42. Both the first limiting block 44 and the second limiting block 45 can be provided with U-shaped groove structures or through holes, allowing the adjusting screw 43 to pass through the U-shaped groove structures or through holes of the first limiting block 44 and the second limiting block 45.

[0063] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the adjusting mechanism 40 may further include two first mounting plates 46, which are arranged opposite each other along a first direction A. Each mounting plate may have at least one first slide rail 11, on which a first gripping component 12 is slidably mounted. The two first mounting plates 46 may be connected to a first nut 41 and a second nut 42 respectively, so that when the adjusting screw 43 rotates, the first nut 41 and the second nut 42 can adjust the distance between the two sections of the first slide rail 11 by moving the two first mounting plates 46 closer together or further apart.

[0064] like Figure 6 As shown, to improve the positioning effect of the steel ring gripping device 100 on the size and shape of the steel ring 500 after gripping it, at least one set of second gripping mechanisms 20 can be provided on the first mounting plate 46. Correspondingly, the second slide rail 21 of the second gripping mechanism 20 is set on the first mounting plate 46, and two opposing sets of second gripping components 22 are slidably arranged on the second slide rail 21. By setting the second slide rail 21 and the second gripping components 22 on the first mounting plate 46, the two sides of the steel ring 500 along the first direction A can also be fixed at the included angle position at the end, thereby ensuring the positioning effect of the steel ring gripping device 100 on the size and shape of the steel ring 500 after gripping it.

[0065] It should be noted that, since the two sets of first gripping components 12 in the first gripping mechanism 10 need to adapt to steel rings 500 of different sizes along the first direction A, the first gripping mechanism 10 needs to include two sections of first slide rail 11. Since the steel rings 500 corresponding to different specifications of battery modules have the same size along the second direction B, in the above embodiment, the second slide rail 21 in the second gripping mechanism 20 is a single section, that is, the two sets of second gripping components 22, which are either far apart or close together along the second direction B, are arranged at both ends of the same section of second slide rail 21. Alternatively, each set of second gripping components 22 can correspond to a separate section of second slide rail 21, thus making the cross-sectional shape and length of the first slide rail 11 and the second slide rail 21 the same, achieving universality between the first slide rail 11 and the second slide rail 21, and facilitating the production and assembly of the steel ring gripping device 100. Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment of the application uses each group of second gripping components 22 corresponding to a segment of the second slide rail 21 as an example for illustration, but it is not limited to this. Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the ends of the first slide rail 11 and the second slide rail 21 may also be provided with a stop 13. The stop 13 is used to limit the position of the two first gripping components 12 and the two second gripping components 22 close to each other, so as to prevent the first gripping components 12 and the second gripping components 22 from getting too close to each other and squeezing the steel ring 500 to deform.

[0066] The first drive device 200 in the first steel ring device 1000 is used to drive the steel ring gripping device 100 to grip the steel ring 500 and place the steel ring 500 onto one end of the battery cell to be fixed. The first drive device 200 can be a robotic arm. The steel ring gripping device 100 is mounted on the robotic arm. The first drive device 200 needs to drive the gripping device to grip the steel ring 500 from the steel ring placement area, then move the steel ring 500 directly above the battery cell to be fixed, and then move the steel ring gripping device 100 downwards. It can be understood that the robotic arm needs to have a degree of freedom of movement in the vertical direction and a degree of freedom of rotation about a vertical axis.

[0067] Please refer to the following: Figures 10 to 17 The following is an explanation of the second set of steel ring equipment 2000:

[0068] The second steel ring device 2000 may include a steel ring positioning device 300 and a second driving device 400. The steel ring positioning device 300 is used to position the shape of the steel ring 500. The second driving device 400 is used to drive the steel ring 500 on the steel ring positioning device 300 to be fitted onto the other end of the battery cell to be fixed.

[0069] The second set of steel ring equipment 2000 fits the steel ring 500 onto the lower end of the battery cell to be fixed. The steel ring positioning device 300 can include a support plate 50 to vertically support the steel ring 500. Positioning posts or positioning grooves can be provided on the support plate 50 to position the shape of the steel ring 500, but this is not limited to these. Taking the positioning of a rectangular steel ring 500 as an example, for instance, four positioning posts can be provided on the support plate 50, the shape of which matches the shape of the steel ring 500. After the steel ring 500 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the four positioning posts, the positioning posts are located at the bending position of the steel ring 500, thus achieving the positioning of the steel ring 500's shape. For example, the side surface of the support plate 50 used to support the steel ring can also be provided with a positioning groove adapted to the shape of the steel ring 500, allowing one end of the steel ring 500 to be embedded in the positioning groove, thereby achieving the positioning of the steel ring 500's shape.

[0070] like Figures 12 to 14 As shown, in some embodiments, to facilitate the positioning operation of the steel ring 500, the steel ring positioning device 300 includes a support plate 50, a tensioning assembly 60, and a drive mechanism 70; wherein, the support plate 50 is used to support the steel ring 500; the tensioning assembly 60 is used to tension the steel ring 500, and includes a plurality of tensioning shafts 61 slidably disposed relative to the support plate 50, the shape of the plurality of tensioning shafts 61 being adapted to the shape of the steel ring 500; the drive mechanism 70 is disposed on the support plate 50 and is used to drive the plurality of tensioning shafts 61 to slide relative to the support plate 50 so that the tensioning assembly 60 opens or closes.

[0071] When using the steel ring positioning device 300, the tensioning assembly 60 is first in a retracted state. Then, the steel ring 500 is placed on the support plate 50 and fitted onto the outer circumference of the tensioning assembly 60. In the retracted state, the tensioning shafts 61 in the tensioning assembly 60 are close together, facilitating the quick and accurate fitting of the deformed steel ring 500. After the steel ring 500 is fitted onto the tensioning assembly 60, the drive mechanism 70 drives the tensioning assembly 60 to open, thereby tensioning the steel ring 500 according to the specified shape. When the tensioning assembly 60 moves from retracted to open, the tensioning shafts 61 in the tensioning assembly 60 move away from each other until they slide to a specified position. The sliding trajectory of each tensioning shaft 61 in the tensioning assembly 60 can be preset to ensure that the dimensions of each side of the tensioned steel ring 500 corresponding to the outer circumference of the battery cell to be fixed when the tensioning assembly 60 opens. The specified position to which the tensioning shafts 61 move away from each other is the position of the tensioning shafts 61 relative to the support plate 50 when the tensioning assembly 60 opens.

[0072] The support plate 50 is used to support the steel ring 500. The support plate 50 can be a rectangular plate-shaped device corresponding to the shape of the steel ring 500. It can be understood that when the steel ring positioning device 300 is in normal use, the support plate 50 is in a horizontal state, and the upper surface of the support plate 50 is the support surface 51 that supports the steel ring 500.

[0073] like Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the support plate 50 is provided with a plurality of guide grooves 52, which allow a plurality of tensioning shafts 61 in the tensioning assembly 60 to pass through the corresponding guide grooves 52. The guide grooves 52 extend through the upper and lower surfaces of the support plate 50. After the tensioning shafts 61 pass through the guide grooves 52, one end of the tensioning shaft 61 extends to one side of the support surface 51 of the support plate 50, and the other end extends to the side of the support plate 50 opposite to the support surface 51. The portion of the tensioning shaft 61 extending above the support surface 51 can be used to tension the steel ring 500. The end of the tensioning shaft 61 located on the side of the support plate 50 opposite to the support surface 51 is connected to the drive mechanism 70. It can be understood that when the drive mechanism 70 drives the tensioning assembly 60 to open or close, each tensioning shaft 61 in the tensioning assembly 60 slides along its corresponding guide groove 52. By providing a guide groove 52 on the support plate 50, during the opening or closing process of the tensioning assembly 60, several tensioning shafts 61 in the tensioning assembly 60 move along the guide groove 52, ensuring the stability of the movement of the tensioning shafts 61.

[0074] When the tensioning assembly 60 needs to tension the steel ring 500 into a rectangle, it can be understood that the tensioning assembly 60 includes at least four tensioning shafts 61. For example... Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the tensioning assembly 60 includes four tensioning shafts 61, which form a rectangle. This application describes an embodiment where the tensioning assembly 60 includes four tensioning shafts 61 as an example, but it is not limited to this. The number of guide grooves 52 on the support plate 50 corresponds to the number of tensioning shafts 61, and there are also four guide grooves 52 on the support plate 50. The four guide grooves 52 are distributed at the four corners of the support plate 50, and the extending direction of the four guide grooves 52 corresponds to the sliding trajectory of the tensioning shafts 61 as they approach or move away from each other during the opening or closing process of the tensioning assembly 60. Figure 12 As shown, the four guide grooves 52 can all extend from the middle area of ​​the support plate 50 to the four corners of the support plate 50.

[0075] The drive mechanism 70 is mounted on the support plate 50 and is used to drive a plurality of tensioning shafts 61 to slide relative to the support plate 50 to open or close the tensioning assembly 60. When the tensioning shafts 61 in the tensioning assembly 60 are slidably positioned in the guide grooves 52, it can be understood that the drive mechanism 70 drives the plurality of tensioning shafts 61 to reciprocate along their corresponding guide grooves 52 to open or close the tensioning assembly 60.

[0076] To ensure the tensioning and positioning effect of the tensioning assembly 60 on the steel ring 500, when the drive mechanism 70 drives the tensioning assembly 60 to open or close, it can make several tensioning shafts 61 in the drive tensioning assembly 60 slide synchronously relative to the bearing plate 50.

[0077] like Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the drive mechanism 70 may include a drive unit 71, a drive plate 72, and a plurality of transmission arms 73. Each transmission arm 73 in the drive mechanism 70 corresponds to a tension shaft 61. One end of each transmission arm 73 is connected to its corresponding tension shaft 61, and the other end is connected to the drive plate 72. The drive unit 71 is used to drive the drive plate 72 to move in a direction perpendicular to the support plate 50, so that the drive plate 72 drives the plurality of tension shafts 61 to slide synchronously relative to the support plate 50 through the plurality of transmission arms 73. In this way, a single power source can drive the plurality of tension shafts 61 to move synchronously, simplifying the overall structure of the steel ring positioning device 300.

[0078] When the tensioning assembly 60 includes four tensioning shafts 61, four transmission arms 73 are correspondingly connected to the drive plate 72. The drive plate 72 can be a rectangular plate structure, and the four transmission arms 73 are respectively connected to the four corners of the drive plate 72.

[0079] like Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the transmission arm 73 may include a connecting portion 731 and a sliding portion 732. One end of the connecting portion 731 is rotatably connected to the drive plate 72, and the other end is rotatably connected to the sliding portion 732. The end of the sliding portion 732 away from the connection with the connecting portion 731 is connected to the tensioning shaft 61. Thus, when the drive portion 71 drives the drive plate 72 to move up and down, the drive plate 72 can drive the sliding portion 732 to move through the connecting portion 731. Both the connecting portion 731 and the sliding portion 732 may be rod-shaped structures. Both ends of the connecting part 731 are provided with shaft hole structures. The connection positions of the driving plate 72 and the connecting part 731, and the connection positions of the sliding part 732 and the connecting part 731 are also provided with shaft hole structures. Thus, the rotational connection between the connecting part 731 and the driving plate 72, and the rotational connection between the connecting part 731 and the sliding part 732 can be achieved by the shaft hole structure through which the pin passes. However, the rotational connection methods between the connecting part 731 and the driving plate 72, and the rotational connection methods between the connecting part 731 and the sliding part 732 are not limited to this.

[0080] To ensure the stability of the sliding part 732 in the transmission arm 73 relative to the bearing plate 50, a track 55 may be provided on the surface of the bearing plate 50 opposite to the support surface 51, and the sliding part 732 is slidably disposed on the track 55. The sliding part 732 may include a slide rod that matches the cross-sectional shape of the track 55. A first connecting block is provided at one end of the slide rod facing away from the track 55, and a second connecting block is provided at the other end. The first connecting block is connected to the tensioning shaft 61, and the second connecting block is provided with a shaft hole structure for connecting with the connecting part 731.

[0081] The drive unit 71 is used to move the drive plate 72 in a direction perpendicular to the support plate 50. Here, the direction perpendicular to the support plate 50 refers to the direction perpendicular to the support surface 51 of the support plate 50. In the normal operating state, the support surface 51 of the steel ring positioning device 300 is horizontal, and the direction perpendicular to the support plate 50 is the vertical direction. That is, the drive unit 71 drives the drive plate 72 to move in the vertical direction. It can be understood that the drive unit 71 is used to generate linear drive; for example, the drive unit 71 can be a cylinder assembly, a hydraulic cylinder assembly, or an electric telescopic rod assembly, but it is not limited to these. This embodiment uses a cylinder assembly as an example to illustrate the drive unit 71, where the cylinder assembly can be a thin-type cylinder with a guide rod, but it is not limited to this.

[0082] The drive unit 71 can be located on the side of the drive plate 72 facing the support plate 50, or it can be located on the side of the drive plate 72 facing away from the support plate 50. To save space in the vertical direction occupied by the drive mechanism 70, such as... Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the support plate 50 is provided with a mounting groove 53, and the support surface 51 of the support plate 50 is provided with a mounting bracket 54, allowing the drive unit 71 to pass through the mounting groove 53 and be mounted on the mounting bracket 54. It can be understood that the guide rod end of the drive unit 71 is connected to the drive plate 72, and the cylinder end opposite to the guide rod end is connected to the mounting bracket 54. The mounting bracket 54 can be U-shaped, so that after the drive unit 71 is mounted on the mounting bracket 54, a portion of the cylinder protrudes vertically from the support surface of the support plate 50, thereby reducing the space occupied by the drive mechanism 70 in the vertical direction below the support plate 50. When the rim positioning device 300 is provided in the second rim device 2000, the space occupied by the rim positioning device 300 in the vertical direction can be reduced.

[0083] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the steel ring positioning device 300 may further include a fixing plate 80. The fixing plate 80 is connected to the side of the bearing plate 50 facing away from the support surface 51, and the drive plate 72 and the transmission arm 73 in the drive mechanism 70 are located between the fixing plate 80 and the bearing plate 50.

[0084] When the steel ring positioning device 300 is applied in the second steel ring equipment 2000, the fixing plate 80 is used to install the steel ring positioning device 300 onto the second steel ring equipment 2000. The fixing plate 80 is connected to the side of the bearing plate 50 facing away from the support surface 51. Since the drive mechanism 70 and the transmission arm 73 are located between the fixing plate 80 and the bearing plate 50, it can be understood that the fixing plate 80 and the bearing plate 50 are spaced apart. For example, the bearing plate 50 and the fixing plate 80 can be connected by a support shaft 81, but it is not limited to this. Several support shafts 81 can be distributed between the bearing plate 50 and the fixing plate 80, with the bearing plate 50 connected to one end of the support shaft 81 and the fixing plate 80 connected to the opposite end of the support shaft 81.

[0085] It should be noted that the size of the steel ring 500 varies depending on the number of battery cells in different battery module specifications. Generally, the steel ring 500 of different battery module specifications has the same side length in one direction and a different side length in the other direction. When assembling battery modules of different specifications, different steel ring positioning devices 300 need to be installed on the second steel ring equipment 2000. Therefore, when the steel ring positioning device 300 is used in the second steel ring equipment 2000, the fixing plate 80 in the steel ring positioning device 300 is detachably installed on the second steel ring equipment 2000.

[0086] like Figure 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the steel ring positioning device 300 further includes a positioning pin 82. The fixing plate 80 is provided with a positioning hole that mates with the positioning pin 82. The positioning pin 82 passes through the fixing plate 80 and the support plate 50. One end of the positioning pin 82 has an operating protrusion 821, and the other end has a pin structure 822. The operating protrusion 821 protrudes from the support surface 51 of the support plate 50, and the pin structure 822 protrudes from the side of the fixing plate 80 facing away from the support plate 50, to mate with the corresponding positioning hole on the second set of steel ring equipment 2000 to position the steel ring positioning device 300 in the placement position of the second set of steel ring equipment 2000. Afterwards, it can be fixedly connected to the second set of steel ring equipment 2000 via an embossed handle 83.

[0087] like Figure 15As shown, in some embodiments, the steel ring positioning device 300 further includes a support block 56. The support block 56 is disposed on one side of the support plate 50 used to support the steel ring 500. The support block 56 is used to support the battery cell to be fixed by the steel ring 500. The support block 56 can be a single piece disposed in the middle of the support plate 50, or two long strips can be disposed on opposite sides of the support plate 50. When the steel ring positioning device 300 is used in a second set of steel ring equipment 2000, the support block 56 can be placed under the battery cells to be fixed, which are pressed together, and then the steel ring 500 can be moved upwards to fit onto the lower end of the battery cell to be fixed. It can be understood that, in the vertical direction, the upper surface of the support block 56 protrudes beyond the upper edge of the steel ring 500.

[0088] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the edge of the support plate 50 is provided with a plurality of clearance grooves 57. The clearance grooves 57 can avoid the top block 9211 that causes the steel ring 500 to disengage from the tensioning assembly 60. When the steel ring positioning device 300 is applied in the second steel ring device 2000, the second steel ring device 2000 can be provided with a top block 9211, which is located at a position corresponding to the clearance groove 57. By driving the top block 9211 to move upward, the steel ring 500 is pushed out from the tensioning shaft 61. The clearance groove 57 can be a notch groove provided on the edge of the support plate 50, but is not limited to this. It should be noted that when the steel ring positioning device 300 also includes a fixing plate 80, and the edge size of the fixing plate 80 is larger than the edge size of the steel ring 500, the fixing plate 80 is also provided with a corresponding clearance groove 57.

[0089] The second drive device 400 in the second set of steel ring equipment 2000 is used to drive the steel ring 500 on the steel ring positioning device 300 to be fitted onto the other end of the battery cell to be fixed. When the second set of steel ring equipment 2000 fits the steel ring 500 from the lower end of the battery cell to be fixed, after the steel ring positioning device 300 positions the steel ring 500, the second drive device 400 can directly drive the steel ring positioning device 300 to move vertically to achieve the fitting of the steel ring 500 from the lower end of the battery cell to be fixed. Therefore, the second drive device 400 has at least one degree of freedom to drive the steel ring positioning device 300 to move vertically. The second set of steel ring equipment 2000 may include a base frame 90, on which both the second drive device 400 and the steel ring positioning device 300 are mounted.

[0090] like Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown, in some embodiments, the second drive device 400 includes a lifting mechanism 92, which includes a lifting platform 921. The lifting platform 921 is provided with a plurality of top blocks 9211, which are distributed on the outer periphery of the support plate 50, and are used to lift the steel ring 500 to the outer periphery of the battery cell to be fixed when the lifting platform 921 is lifted.

[0091] like Figure 16 As shown, a lifting boss 9212 is provided at one end of the top block 9211 that mates with the steel ring 500. When the lifting mechanism 92 lifts the steel ring 500, the lifting boss 9212 of the top block 9211 contacts the lower end face of the steel ring 500, thereby pushing the steel ring 500 away from the tensioning assembly 60 as the lifting platform 921 rises. It should be noted that when the edge of the bearing plate 50 is distributed with several clearance grooves 57, the shape of the top block 9211 is adapted to the shape of the clearance groove 57. The adaptation of the shape of the top block 9211 to the shape of the clearance groove 57 means that the top block 9211 can pass through the clearance groove 57 and can move up and down relative to the bearing plate 50 within the clearance groove 57.

[0092] The lifting platform 921 disengages the steel ring 500 from the tensioning assembly 60 by moving upwards. It can be understood that the lifting mechanism 92 may also include a lifting drive assembly 922. The lifting drive assembly 922 can be a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a screw-slider mechanism. Figure 10 As shown, a lead screw is rotatably mounted on the base frame 90, and a slider that is threadedly engaged with the lead screw is mounted on the lifting platform 921.

[0093] In the second set of steel ring equipment 2000, the steel ring positioning device 300 is installed on the base frame 90. For example... Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, in some embodiments, a support platform 91 is provided on the base frame 90 of the second set of steel ring equipment 2000. The steel ring positioning device 300 is detachably mounted on the support platform 91. The support platform 91 is movable along a third direction X, and has a plurality of through holes 911 arranged along a fourth direction Y. The through holes 911 are used to accommodate top blocks 9211 that are opposite each other in the fourth direction Y. The third direction X and the fourth direction Y are perpendicular to each other. When the second set of steel ring equipment 2000 is in its normal operating position, it can be understood that the third direction X and the fourth direction Y are two mutually perpendicular directions in the horizontal plane.

[0094] It should be noted that steel rings 500 of different sizes have different side lengths in the fourth direction Y. To enable the lifting mechanism 92 to accommodate steel rings 500 of different sizes, the top blocks 9211 positioned opposite each other in the fourth direction Y on the support platform 91 can be movably mounted on the lifting platform 921 via a double-ended screw. The threads at both ends of the double-ended screw rotate in opposite directions. The two top blocks 9211 positioned opposite each other in the fourth direction Y engage with the threads at both ends of the double-ended screw. Thus, by driving the double-ended screw to rotate, the two top blocks 9211 positioned opposite each other in the fourth direction Y can be moved closer or further apart to accommodate steel rings 500 of different sizes in the fourth direction Y. Correspondingly, the through holes 911 arranged along the fourth direction Y on the support platform 91 can correspond to the positions of the two top blocks 9211 positioned opposite each other in the fourth direction Y for different sizes of steel rings 500. When the steel ring positioning device 300 corresponding to a steel ring 500 of a different size is replaced, the lifting mechanism 92 drives the top block 9211 to descend, so that the top block 9211 exits the through hole 911, and the relative position in the fourth direction Y can be adjusted.

[0095] Since the second set of steel ring equipment 2000 generally has a battery cell clamping and fixing device above the lifting mechanism 92, and the replacement of the steel ring positioning device 300 and the loading of the steel ring 500 onto the support plate 50 both require a certain amount of operating space in the vertical direction, the support platform 91 can be moved along the third direction X to a position away from the lifting mechanism 92 when it is necessary to replace the steel ring positioning device 300 or load the steel ring 500. This facilitates the replacement of the steel ring positioning device 300 and the loading of the steel ring 500 onto the support plate 50. The specific implementation of the movable support platform 91 along the third direction X can be achieved through a screw-slider mechanism, but it is not limited to this. For example, the base frame 90 has screws at opposite ends of the support platform 91 along the third direction X. The opposite ends of the support platform 91 are threaded to the corresponding screws, and the screws are rotated by a motor to realize the movement of the support platform 91 along the third direction X. However, the specific implementation of the movable support platform along the third direction X is not limited to this.

[0096] like Figure 17 In some embodiments, the second steel ring device 2000 further includes a clamping mechanism 93. The clamping mechanism 93 is disposed on the base frame 90 and located above the lifting mechanism 92. The clamping mechanism 93 is used to clamp the battery cell to be fixed.

[0097] The clamping mechanism 93 includes a first clamping assembly 931 and a second clamping assembly 932. The first clamping assembly 931 includes two first clamping blocks 9311 that move relative to or away from each other along a third direction X, for clamping the battery cell to be fixed in the third direction X. The second clamping assembly 932 includes two second clamping blocks 9321 that move relative to or away from each other along a fourth direction Y.

[0098] In some embodiments, a support block 56 is also provided on the support surface 51 of the support plate 50. When the second set of steel ring equipment 2000 puts the steel ring 500 onto the battery cell to be fixed, the support block 56 can be supported below each battery cell to be fixed. Then the lifting mechanism 92 pushes the steel ring 500 upward, so that the steel ring 500 is put onto the outer periphery of the lower end of the battery cell to be fixed.

[0099] The steel ring fitting system provided in the above embodiments of this application allows the first steel ring fitting device 1000 to be positioned on one side of the base frame 90 of the second steel ring fitting device 2000 during use. Taking a robotic arm as an example, the first driving device 200 is used to drive the steel ring gripping device 100 to grip the steel ring 500 and fit it onto one end of the battery cell to be fixed. In the steel ring fitting system, it can be understood that the first driving device 200 can also drive the steel ring gripping device 100 to grip the steel ring 500 and place it on the support plate 50 of the steel ring positioning device 300 in the second steel ring fitting device 2000. For example, the first driving device 200 drives the steel ring gripping device 100 to grip the steel ring 500 and place it on the support plate 50 of the steel ring positioning device 300, causing the tensioning component 60 to open and position the shape of the steel ring 500. Then, the lifting mechanism 92 drives the lifting platform 921 to move upward, causing the lifting platform 921 to drive the top block 9211 to lift the steel ring 500 on the tension shaft 61 until the steel ring 500 is fitted under the battery cell to be fixed on the clamping mechanism 93. The first driving device 200 drives the steel ring gripping device 100 to grip the steel ring 500 and place the steel ring 500 on the bearing plate 50 of the steel ring positioning device 300. Then, the first driving device 200 drives the steel ring gripping device 100 to grip the steel ring 500 and then fits the gripped steel ring 500 onto the battery cell to be fixed from above. Thus, the automated production of fitting steel rings 500 in the battery module production line is completed through the cooperation of the first set of steel ring equipment 1000 and the second set of steel ring equipment 2000.

[0100] Please refer to the following: Figure 18 and Figure 19 In some embodiments, a battery module production line is also provided, which includes the steel ring system described in the above embodiments.

[0101] It should be noted that the battery module production line can also be equipped with a cell stacking device 3000, a cell gripping robot 4000, a steel ring feeding device 5000, and a conveying device 6000. The cell stacking device 3000 is used to store the cells to be fixed. The cell gripping robot 4000 is used to grip the cells to be fixed from the cell stacking device 3000, place the cells to be fixed on the clamping mechanism 93 of the second set of steel ring equipment 2000, and after fitting steel rings 500 on both the upper and lower ends of the cells to be fixed, place the cells with steel rings 500 on the conveying device 6000. The conveying device 6000 is used to transport the cells with the steel rings 500 fitted to the next process. The steel ring feeding device 5000 is used to transport the steel rings 500 to a position where the steel ring gripping device 100 in the first set of steel ring equipment 100 can grip them. The conveying device 6000 can be a double-speed chain, but is not limited to this. The conveying equipment 6000 can also be equipped with a fixing fixture, which is used to place the battery cell after the steel ring 500 is attached.

[0102] In operation, the battery module production line can have the cell stacking equipment 3000, the cell gripping robot 4000, and the second set of steel ring equipment 2000 positioned on one side of the conveyor equipment 6000, while the steel ring feeding equipment 5000 and the first set of steel ring equipment 5000 are positioned on the other side of the conveyor equipment 6000. During operation, the cell gripping robot 4000 grips the cells to be fixed from the cell stacking equipment 3000, and the first set of steel ring equipment 1000 grips a steel ring 500 from the steel ring feeding equipment 5000 and places it on the bearing plate 50 of the steel ring positioning device 300 in the second set of steel ring equipment 2000. The steel ring positioning device 300 controls the tensioning component 60 to open, precisely positioning the steel ring 500. The first set of steel ring equipment 1000 then grips a second steel ring 500 from the steel ring feeding equipment 5000. Simultaneously, the cell gripping robot 4000 grips the cells from the cell stacking equipment 3000... The first set of steel rings 1000 picks up the battery cell to be fixed and places it on the second set of steel rings 2000. After the clamping mechanism 93 of the second set of steel rings 2000 clamps and positions the battery cell to be fixed, the lifting mechanism 92 of the second set of steel rings 2000 drives the top block 9211 to move upward, so that the top block 92111 pushes the steel ring 500 on the tension shaft 61 to move upward and fit it on the lower end of the battery cell to be fixed. At the same time, the first set of steel rings 1000 puts the second steel ring 500 it has picked up on the upper end of the battery cell to be fixed. At this time, the steel rings 500 on the upper and lower ends of the battery cell to be fixed are completed. Afterwards, the clamping mechanism 93 of the second steel ring device 2000 releases the battery cell with the steel ring 500 attached, the lifting mechanism 92 descends, the first steel ring device 1000 continues to grip the steel ring 500, the battery cell gripping robot 4000 places the battery cell with the steel ring 500 attached onto the fixed fixture of the conveying device 6000, the conveying device 6000 transports the battery cell with the steel ring 500 attached to the next process, and the battery cell gripping robot 4000 then grips the battery cell to be fixed from the battery cell stacking device 3000, and so on in a repeated cycle.

[0103] The battery module production line provided in this application adopts all the technical solutions of the above-mentioned steel ring system embodiment. Therefore, it has at least all the technical effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned steel ring system embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0104] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A steel ring fitting system, characterized in that, The steel ring system includes a first steel ring device and a second steel ring device; The first set of steel ring equipment includes: A steel ring gripping device includes a base plate, a first gripping mechanism and at least one set of second gripping mechanisms disposed on the base plate. The first gripping mechanism is used to fix two opposite sides of the steel ring along a first direction, and the second gripping mechanism is used to fix two opposite sides of the steel ring along a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction intersect. The first gripping mechanism includes at least two sets of first gripping components that can be arranged close to or far apart from each other along the first direction. Each set of second gripping mechanisms includes at least two sets of second gripping components that can be arranged close to or far apart from each other along the second direction. Both the first gripping component and the second gripping component include a fixing block, and the fixing block is provided with an adsorption element. The aforementioned adsorption element is used to adhere to the outer surface of the steel ring to grip it; the fixing block includes a pressing boss with an abutment surface, which abuts against the side of the steel ring facing the substrate when the adsorption element adsorbs the outer surface of the steel ring; the adsorption element includes at least one suction cup, the surface of which is used to adsorb the steel ring; the fixing block has a mounting surface, the suction cup is disposed on the mounting surface, and when the adsorption element is in its natural state, the adsorption surface protrudes from the mounting surface; when the suction cup adsorbs the steel ring, the adsorption surface moves towards the mounting surface, so that the outer surface of the side of the steel ring is in contact with or nearly in contact with the mounting surface to correct the steel ring; The first driving device is used to drive the steel ring gripping device to grip the steel ring and put the steel ring on one end of the battery cell to be fixed. The second set of steel ring equipment is used to fit another steel ring onto the other end of the battery cell to be fixed. The second set of steel ring equipment includes: A steel ring positioning device is used to position the shape of a steel ring. The steel ring positioning device includes a support plate, a tensioning assembly, and a driving mechanism. The support plate is used to support the steel ring. The tensioning assembly is used to tension the steel ring and includes a plurality of tensioning shafts slidably disposed relative to the support plate. The shape formed by the plurality of tensioning shafts is adapted to the shape of the steel ring. The driving mechanism is disposed on the support plate and is used to drive the plurality of tensioning shafts to slide relative to the support plate to open or close the tensioning assembly. The second driving device is used to drive the steel ring on the steel ring positioning device to be fitted onto the other end of the battery cell to be fixed.

2. The steel ring system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first gripping mechanism further includes a first slide rail, which is arranged along the first direction, and the first gripping component is slidably disposed on the first slide rail; The second gripping mechanism further includes a second slide rail, which is arranged along the second direction, and the second gripping component is slidably disposed on the second slide rail; The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

3. The steel ring system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first gripping mechanism includes two sections of the first slide rail, and a set of the first gripping components are slidably disposed on each section of the first slide rail; The steel ring gripping device also includes: An adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the relative distance between the two sections of the first slide rail along a first direction.

4. The steel ring system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The adjustment mechanism includes two first mounting plates arranged opposite each other along the first direction. Each first mounting plate is provided with at least one set of the first gripping components and at least one set of the second gripping mechanism. The adjustment mechanism adjusts the relative distance between the two sections of the first slide rail along the first direction by adjusting the relative distance between the two first mounting plates along the first direction.

5. The steel ring system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The steel ring positioning device also includes: A support block is disposed on the side of the bearing plate used to support the steel ring, and is used to support the battery cell to be fixed by the steel ring.

6. The steel ring system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driving mechanism includes a driving unit, a driving plate, and several transmission arms. One end of each transmission arm is connected to a corresponding tensioning shaft, and the other end is connected to the driving plate. The driving unit is used to drive the driving plate to move in a direction perpendicular to the support plate, so that the driving plate drives the tensioning shafts to slide synchronously through the several transmission arms.

7. The steel ring system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second driving device includes: A lifting mechanism, comprising a lifting platform, wherein a plurality of top blocks are provided on the lifting platform, the plurality of top blocks being distributed correspondingly on the outer periphery of the bearing plate, the top blocks being used to lift the steel ring so that the steel ring is fitted onto the outer periphery of the battery cell to be fixed when the lifting platform is lifted.

8. The steel ring system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The edge of the bearing plate is provided with several clearance grooves, and the shape of the top block is adapted to the shape of the clearance grooves.

9. A battery module production line, characterized in that, The battery module production line includes the steel ring system as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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