Battery cell flattening device and battery cell flattening method

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery cell flattening device and a battery cell flattening method. The battery cell flattening device includes: a battery cell feeding mechanism, a first flattening mechanism, a battery cell flipping mechanism, a second flattening mechanism, and a battery cell discharging mechanism. The battery cell feeding mechanism is arranged near the first flattening mechanism, and the battery cell feeding mechanism is used to vertically place the battery cell on the first flattening mechanism. The first flattening mechanism is used to support the rotation of the battery cell and flatten the first end of the battery cell. The battery cell flipping mechanism is arranged between the first flattening mechanism and the second flattening mechanism, and the battery cell flipping mechanism is used to flip the battery cell in a vertical direction. The second flattening mechanism is used to support the rotation of the battery cell and flatten the second end of the battery cell. The battery cell discharging mechanism is arranged near the second flattening mechanism, and the battery cell discharging mechanism is used to unload the flattened battery cell. The present invention solves the problem that the existing battery cell flattening device has a large footprint and is difficult to efficiently flatten vertically arranged battery cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery processing, and in particular to a battery cell flattening device and a battery cell flattening method. Background Art

[0002] The battery cell is the most important component of a battery. It undergoes a series of processes, including flattening, encapsulation, casing, and collector plate welding, before it can be assembled into a battery. Therefore, the performance of the cell directly impacts the performance of the battery, making the cell preparation process before battery assembly extremely important.

[0003] Flattening is a key process in the manufacturing of full-tab cylindrical batteries. If the battery cell is not flattened, the end of the battery cell will appear fluffy, with possible flanges and numerous burrs. The end of the battery cell will also have a certain degree of divergence in concentricity relative to the battery body. To facilitate the subsequent welding of the collector plate at the end of the battery cell, the end of the battery cell needs to be flattened to form a dense flat surface, ensuring that the layers of electrode sheets are tightly integrated to form a conductive current collector.

[0004] Existing battery cell flattening equipment can only flatten horizontally arranged battery cells. The battery cell flattening equipment occupies a large space along the conveying direction of the battery cells, and multiple flattening mechanisms are arranged based on one battery cell conveying line, which also limits the production efficiency of the battery cell flattening equipment and affects the flattening efficiency of the battery cells. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem solved by the present invention is that the existing battery cell flattening equipment occupies a large space and is difficult to efficiently flatten vertically arranged battery cells.

[0006] To solve the above problems, the first aspect of the present invention provides a battery cell flattening device, comprising: a battery cell feeding mechanism, a first flattening mechanism, a battery cell flipping mechanism, a second flattening mechanism and a battery cell discharging mechanism;

[0007] The battery cell feeding mechanism is arranged close to the first flattening mechanism, and is used to place the battery cells vertically on the first flattening mechanism;

[0008] The first flattening mechanism is used to support the rotation of the battery cell and flatten the first end of the battery cell;

[0009] The battery cell flipping mechanism is provided between the first flattening mechanism and the second flattening mechanism, and is used to flip the battery cell in a vertical direction;

[0010] The second flattening mechanism is used to support the rotation of the battery cell and flatten the second end of the battery cell, where the first end and the second end are two opposite ends of the battery cell in the vertical direction;

[0011] The battery cell discharging mechanism is arranged close to the second flattening mechanism, and the battery cell discharging mechanism is used to discharge the battery cells after being flattened.

[0012] Furthermore, the first kneading mechanism and the second kneading mechanism each include a kneading turntable, a kneading assembly and a first driving assembly;

[0013] A plurality of the flattening components are arranged along the circumference of the flattening turntable, and the flattening components can clamp and fix the battery cell and flatten the first end or the second end of the battery cell;

[0014] The first driving assembly is connected to the kneading turntable, and is used to drive the kneading turntable to rotate along its central axis, and drive the kneading assembly to rotate along the central axis of the kneading turntable.

[0015] Furthermore, the first flattening mechanism and the second flattening mechanism are provided with a battery cell loading station, a battery cell height adjustment station, a battery cell flattening starting station, a battery cell flattening ending station and a battery cell unloading station in sequence along the circumference of the flattening turntable;

[0016] The battery cell loading station of the first flattening mechanism is arranged close to the battery cell feeding mechanism, the battery cell unloading station of the second flattening mechanism is arranged close to the battery cell unloading mechanism, and the battery cell flipping mechanism is arranged between the battery cell unloading station of the first flattening mechanism and the battery cell loading station of the second flattening mechanism;

[0017] At the battery cell height adjustment station, the flattening assembly adjusts the height of the battery cell it clamps to a preset height;

[0018] From the battery cell flattening starting station to the battery cell flattening ending station, the flattening assembly flattens the first end portion or the second end portion of the battery cell clamped therein.

[0019] Furthermore, the cell height adjustment station is fixedly provided with a height-changing component, and the height-changing component includes a height-changing cam and a second driving component;

[0020] The height-changing cam is connected to the flattening component, and the second driving component is connected to the height-changing cam. The second driving component is used to adjust the height of the height-changing cam. The height-changing cam can adjust the height of the battery cell clamped by the flattening component to a preset height under the drive of the second driving component.

[0021] Furthermore, the battery cell height adjustment station is fixedly provided with a visual detection device, which is electrically connected to the height-changing component. The visual detection device is used to visually detect the height of the battery cell clamped by the flattening component, and the height-changing component adjusts the height of the battery cell clamped by the flattening component according to the detection result of the visual detection device.

[0022] Furthermore, the flattening assembly includes a battery core clamping assembly;

[0023] The battery cell clamp assembly includes a clamp, a height-changing connecting rod and a height-changing cam follower. The clamp is used to clamp and fix the battery cell. One end of the height-changing connecting rod is connected to the clamp, and the other end of the height-changing connecting rod is connected to the height-changing cam follower. The height-changing cam follower rotates around the height-changing cam, and the height-changing cam follower can contact the height-changing cam and drive the height-changing cam follower to move in a vertical direction through the height-changing cam, so as to drive the battery cell clamped by the clamp to move in a vertical direction.

[0024] Furthermore, the flattening assembly also includes a height locking piece, which is connected to the height-changing link. The height locking piece is used to limit the position of the height-changing link. When the height locking piece is closed, the height-changing link is fixed in the vertical direction. When the height locking piece is opened, the height-changing link can move in the vertical direction.

[0025] Furthermore, the first kneading mechanism and the second kneading mechanism further include a feeding cam assembly, and the kneading assembly further includes a kneading wheel assembly;

[0026] The flattening wheel assembly includes a flattening head and a lifting guide rod. The flattening head is arranged opposite to the first end or the second end of the battery cell. One end of the lifting guide rod is connected to the flattening head, and the other end of the lifting guide rod is connected to the feed cam assembly through a cam follower. The feed cam assembly includes a circular ring cam. The circular ring cam is provided with a cam guide rail along its circumference. The height of the cam guide rail is uneven. The cam follower moves along the cam guide rail. The cam follower drives the flattening head to approach or move away from the first end or the second end of the battery cell through the lifting guide rod.

[0027] Furthermore, a center hole shaping mechanism, an insulation detection mechanism and a size detection mechanism are provided between the second flattening mechanism and the battery core discharging mechanism;

[0028] The center hole shaping mechanism is used to shape the center hole of the flattened battery cell;

[0029] The insulation detection mechanism is used to perform insulation detection on the flattened battery cell;

[0030] The size detection mechanism is used to detect the size of the flattened battery cell.

[0031] A second aspect of the present invention further provides a method for flattening a battery cell, wherein the battery cell flattening device as described in the first aspect is used to flatten the end of the battery cell, and the battery cell flattening method comprises the following steps:

[0032] The battery cell feeding mechanism places the battery cell vertically on the first flattening mechanism;

[0033] The first flattening mechanism flattens the first end of the battery cell while driving the battery cell to rotate;

[0034] The battery cell after the first end portion is flattened is transferred to the battery cell flipping mechanism, and the battery cell flipping mechanism flips the battery cell after the first end portion is flattened in a vertical direction;

[0035] The flipped battery cell is transferred to the second flattening mechanism, which flattens the second end of the battery cell while driving the battery cell to rotate;

[0036] The flattened battery cells are transferred to the battery cell discharging mechanism, and the battery cell discharging mechanism discharges the flattened battery cells.

[0037] The battery cell flattening equipment and battery cell flattening method described in the present invention can vertically load the battery cells through the battery cell feeding mechanism, and the first flattening mechanism can flatten the first end of the battery cell while carrying the battery cell to rotate, and after the battery cell flipping mechanism flips the battery cell, the second flattening mechanism can flatten the second end of the battery cell while carrying the battery cell to rotate, so that the battery cell can be transported from the battery cell feeding mechanism to the battery cell discharging mechanism while flattening the two ends of the battery cell, so that there is no need to stop the machine during the flattening process of the battery cell, which is beneficial to improving the flattening efficiency of the battery cell; in addition, the battery cell flattening equipment provided by the present invention can vertically flatten and load the battery cells, which is beneficial to reducing the space volume occupied by the entire set of equipment, and the various mechanisms are compactly arranged, which is beneficial to improving the production efficiency of the entire set of equipment, thereby helping to further improve the flattening efficiency of the battery cell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of the structure of the battery cell flattening device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the top view of the first flattening mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a partial front view structural diagram of the first smoothing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The technical solution of the present invention is described clearly and in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In addition, in the description of the present invention, the meaning of "at least one" is one or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0042] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integral connections. They may refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections. They may refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary, and they may refer to internal communication between two components or interactions between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] Throughout this specification, the term "as an alternative embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment or example is included in at least one alternative embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same implementation or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0044] In order to further illustrate the present invention in detail, the present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0045] Combine Figure 1 As shown, the first aspect of this embodiment provides a battery cell flattening device, which includes: a battery cell feeding mechanism, a first flattening mechanism 20, a battery cell flipping mechanism 30, a second flattening mechanism 40 and a battery cell discharging mechanism, wherein:

[0046] The battery cell feeding mechanism is arranged close to the first flattening mechanism 20, and the battery cell feeding mechanism is used to place the battery cell 1 vertically on the first flattening mechanism 20; the first flattening mechanism 20 is used to support the rotation of the battery cell 1 and flatten the first end of the battery cell 1; the battery cell flipping mechanism 30 is arranged between the first flattening mechanism 20 and the second flattening mechanism 40, and the battery cell flipping mechanism 30 is used to flip the battery cell 1 180° in the vertical direction; the second flattening mechanism 20 is used to support the rotation of the battery cell 1 and flatten the second end of the battery cell 1, the first end and the second end are two opposite ends of the battery cell 1 in the vertical direction; the battery cell discharging mechanism is arranged close to the second flattening mechanism 40, and the battery cell discharging mechanism is used to unload the flattened battery cell 1.

[0047] In this embodiment, the battery cells can be loaded vertically through the battery cell feeding mechanism, and the first flattening mechanism can flatten the first end of the battery cell while carrying the battery cell to rotate. After the battery cell flipping mechanism flips the battery cell, the second flattening mechanism can flatten the second end of the battery cell while carrying the battery cell to rotate. It can be achieved that while flattening the two ends of the battery cell, the battery cell can also be transported from the battery cell feeding mechanism to the battery cell discharging mechanism, so that there is no need to stop the machine during the flattening process of the battery cell, which is conducive to improving the flattening efficiency of the battery cell; in addition, the battery cell flattening equipment provided in this embodiment can vertically flatten and load the battery cells, which is conducive to reducing the space volume occupied by the entire set of equipment, and the various mechanisms are compactly arranged, which is conducive to improving the production efficiency of the entire set of equipment, thereby helping to further improve the flattening efficiency of the battery cell.

[0048] In this embodiment, the battery cell feeding mechanism includes a battery cell feeding conveyor 10, a battery cell support cup separator 11 and a support cup return member 12, wherein: the support cup loads the battery cell 1 in the vertical direction, the battery cell feeding conveyor 10 conveys the battery cell 1 loaded with the support cup to the battery cell support cup separator 11, the battery cell support cup separator 11 separates the battery cell 1 and the support cup, and the separated battery cell 1 is clamped to the first flattening mechanism 20 in the vertical direction, and the separated empty support cup is refluxed along the support cup return member 12 and recycled. In this embodiment, loading the battery cell 1 by the support cup is beneficial to protecting and positioning the battery cell 1. Before the battery cell 1 is fed into the first flattening mechanism 20, the battery cell 1 and the support cup are separated, which is beneficial for the first flattening mechanism 20 to flatten the first end of the battery cell 1.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first flattening mechanism 20 and the second flattening mechanism 40 have the same structure. For the convenience of description, Figure 2 and Figure 3The structure of the first flattening mechanism 20 is described in detail. Since the structure of the second flattening mechanism 40 is the same as that of the first flattening mechanism 20, the only difference is that the first flattening mechanism 20 flattens the first end of the battery cell 1, and the second flattening mechanism 40 flattens the second end of the battery cell 1, the structure of the second flattening mechanism 40 will not be described in detail later.

[0050] Combine Figure 2 As shown, the first flattening mechanism 20 includes a flattening turntable 21, a flattening assembly 22, and a first drive assembly; wherein, multiple flattening assemblies 22 are arranged along the circumference of the flattening turntable 21, and each flattening assembly 22 can clamp and fix the battery cell 1 and flatten the first end of the battery cell 1; the first drive assembly is connected to the flattening turntable 21, and the first drive assembly is used to drive the flattening turntable 21 to rotate along its central axis, and drive the flattening assembly 22 to rotate along the central axis of the flattening turntable 21, so that the flattening assembly 22 can drive the battery cell 1 clamped by it to rotate along the central axis of the flattening turntable 21 to transport it to the next workstation, and while the flattening assembly 22 rotates along the central axis of the flattening turntable 21, the flattening assembly 22 flattens the first end of the battery cell 1 clamped by it. As an optional embodiment, the first drive assembly can be a servo motor.

[0051] Combine Figure 2 As shown, the first flattening mechanism 20 is further provided with a battery cell loading station A, a battery cell height adjustment station B, a battery cell flattening starting station C, a battery cell flattening ending station D and a battery cell unloading station E. The battery cell loading station A, the battery cell height adjustment station B, the battery cell flattening starting station C, the battery cell flattening ending station D and the battery cell unloading station E are sequentially arranged along the circumference of the flattening turntable 21, wherein:

[0052] The cell loading station A of the first flattening mechanism 20 is disposed near the cell feeding mechanism. Specifically, the cell loading station A of the first flattening mechanism 20 is disposed near the cell cup separator 11. The cell cup separator 11 separates the cell 1 from the cup. The separated cell 1 is then clamped vertically onto the cell loading station A of the first flattening mechanism 20. The cell unloading station E of the second flattening mechanism 40 is disposed near the cell discharging mechanism. The cell flipping mechanism 30 is disposed between the cell unloading station E of the first flattening mechanism 20 and the cell loading station A of the second flattening mechanism 40.

[0053] At the battery cell height adjustment station B, the flattening component 22 adjusts the height of the battery cell 1 it clamps to adjust the height of the battery cell 1 to a preset height, so that the benchmark for subsequent flattening processing of the battery cell 1 can be kept consistent, which is beneficial to improving the flattening accuracy of the battery cell 1 and the quality of the battery cell 1.

[0054] The cell flattening starting position C is the position where the flattening of the cell 1 begins. When the flattening assembly 22 rotates to the cell flattening starting position C, the flattening assembly 22 begins flattening the first end of the cell 1. The cell flattening ending position D is the position where the flattening of the cell 1 stops. When the flattening assembly 22 rotates to the cell flattening ending position D, the flattening assembly 22 stops flattening the first end of the cell 1. In this embodiment, the specific positions of the cell flattening starting position C and the cell flattening ending position D are not further limited, and those skilled in the art can set them according to actual circumstances.

[0055] Specifically, combined Figure 3 As shown, the cell height adjustment station B is provided with a height-changing assembly, which includes a height-changing cam 231 and a second drive assembly 232. The height-changing cam 231 is connected to the flattening assembly 22, and the second drive assembly 232 is connected to the height-changing cam 231. The second drive assembly 232 is used to drive the height-changing cam 231 to move in the vertical direction to adjust the height of the height-changing cam 231. Driven by the second drive assembly 232, the height-changing cam 231 can adjust the height of the cell 1 clamped by the flattening assembly 22 to a preset height. As an optional embodiment, the second drive assembly 232 can be a servo motor.

[0056] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the specific value of the preset height is not further limited, and those skilled in the art can set it according to actual conditions.

[0057] The flattening assembly 22 includes a battery cell clamping assembly and a flattening wheel assembly, wherein the battery cell clamping assembly includes a clamping jaw 221, a height-changing connecting rod 222 and a height-changing cam follower 223. The clamping jaw 221 is used to clamp and fix the battery cell 1. One end of the height-changing connecting rod 222 is connected to the clamping jaw 221, and the other end of the height-changing connecting rod 222 is connected to the height-changing cam follower 223. The height-changing cam follower 223 rotates around the height-changing cam 231, and when the height-changing cam follower 223 is connected to the height-changing cam, the battery cell 1 is flattened. When the wheel 231 is in contact, the second driving component 232 drives the height-changing cam 231 to move in the vertical direction, which can drive the height-changing cam follower 223 to move in the vertical direction, and drive the battery cell 1 clamped by the clamp 221 to move in the vertical direction through the height-changing connecting rod 222 until the height of the battery cell 1 is adjusted to a preset height; when the height-changing cam follower 223 is not in contact with the height-changing cam 231, the height-changing cam 231 has no function of adjusting the height of the battery cell 1 clamped by the clamp 221. Specifically, when the flattening turntable 21 rotates, the position of the height-changing cam 231 remains unchanged, that is, the height-changing cam 231 does not rotate with the flattening turntable 21, but the battery cell clamping claw assembly rotates with the flattening turntable 21. When the height-changing cam follower 223 rotates to the position of the height-changing cam 231 along with the flattening turntable 21, the height-changing cam follower 223 can be clamped on the height-changing cam 231. At this time, the height-changing cam 231 is driven by the second driving assembly 232 to drive the height-changing cam follower 223 to move in the vertical direction to pass through the variable The high connecting rod 222 drives the battery cell 1 clamped by the clamping claw 221 to move in the vertical direction, and adjusts the height of the battery cell 1 to a preset height; after the height of the battery cell 1 is adjusted, the height-changing cam follower 223 continues to rotate with the flattening turntable 21, so that the height-changing cam follower 223 is separated from the height-changing cam 231, and the battery cell 1 with adjusted height is transported to the next workstation, and then, the next flattening component 22 rotates to the position of the height-changing cam 231 for height adjustment, and the above operation is repeated until the flattening process of all battery cells 1 is completed. Therefore, in this embodiment, a variable height cam follower 223 and a variable height connecting rod 222 are provided to cooperate with the variable height cam 231 to adjust the height of the battery cell 1 clamped by the clamp 221, so that the height of the battery cell 1 can be adjusted while the flattening component 22 is rotating, and shutdown can be avoided during the height adjustment process, which is beneficial to improving the flattening efficiency of the battery cell 1 and adjusting the height of the battery cell 1 to a preset height, which is beneficial to improving the flattening accuracy of the battery cell 1 and the quality of the battery cell 1, and effectively ensuring the consistency of the battery cell 1 after the flattening process.

[0058] As a preferred embodiment, the flattening assembly 22 further includes a height locking member 224, which is connected to the height-changing connecting rod 222. The height locking member 224 is used to limit the position of the height-changing connecting rod 222, thereby limiting the position of the clamping claw 221 connected to the height-changing connecting rod 222, so as to limit the height of the battery cell 1 to a preset height, thereby preventing the height of the battery cell 1 from changing subsequently, which would affect the flattening accuracy and flattening effect of the battery cell 1. When the height locking member 224 is closed, the height-changing connecting rod 222 is fixed in the vertical direction. When the height locking member 224 is opened, the height-changing connecting rod 222 can move in the vertical direction. Specifically, the height locking member 224 can adopt a locking clamp. When the locking clamp locks the height-changing link 222, the height position of the height-changing link 222 is locked, and the height of the battery cell 1 clamped by the clamp 221 is fixed; when the locking clamp opens the height-changing link 222, the height-changing link 222 can move in the vertical direction, the height position of the height-changing link 222 can be changed, and the height of the battery cell 1 clamped by the clamp 221 can be changed. Therefore, by setting the height locking piece 224, when the height changing cam follower 223 and the height changing cam 231 adjust the height of the battery cell 1, the height locking piece 224 is opened, so that the height changing link 222 can drive the clamping claw 221 to move in the vertical direction; after the height changing cam follower 223 and the height changing cam 231 adjust the height of the battery cell 1 to the preset height, the height locking piece 224 is closed, and the height of the battery cell 1 is limited to the preset height by the height locking piece 224 to avoid subsequent changes in the height of the battery cell 1, so that when the flattening wheel assembly flattens the battery cell 1, the height of the battery cell 1 is always maintained at a fixed position, which is beneficial to improving the flattening accuracy and flattening effect of the battery cell 1.

[0059] As a preferred embodiment, the battery cell height adjustment station B is also provided with a visual inspection device 24. The visual inspection device 24 is fixedly arranged at the battery cell height adjustment station B, and when the flattening turntable 21 rotates, the position of the visual inspection device 24 remains unchanged, that is, the visual inspection device 24 does not rotate with the flattening turntable 21. The visual inspection device 24 is used to visually inspect the height of the battery cell 1 clamped by the flattening component 22, and the visual inspection device 24 transmits the visual inspection result to the height-changing component, and the height-changing component adjusts the height of the battery cell 1 clamped by the flattening component 22 according to the inspection result of the visual inspection device 24. Thus, by providing the visual inspection device 24, the height-changing component can more accurately adjust the height position of the battery cell 1 clamped by the clamp 221, which is conducive to further improving the flattening accuracy of the battery cell 1. As an optional embodiment, the visual inspection device 24 can use a CCD camera component to take a picture of the battery cell 1 through the CCD camera component to obtain a visual inspection result.

[0060] Combine Figure 3As shown, the first kneading mechanism 20 also includes a feed cam assembly. Each first kneading mechanism 20 is provided with a feed cam assembly. The feed cam assembly is arranged below the kneading wheel assembly in the vertical direction and is fixedly arranged on the first kneading mechanism 20. When the kneading turntable 21 rotates, the position of the feed cam assembly remains unchanged, that is, the feed cam assembly does not rotate with the kneading turntable 21. The feed cam assembly includes a circular cam 25, and the circular cam 25 is provided with a cam guide along its circumference. The height of the cam guide is uneven. The flattening wheel assembly includes a flattening head 225 and a lifting guide rod 226. The flattening head 225 is arranged opposite to the first end of the battery cell 1. One end of the lifting guide rod 226 is connected to the flattening head 225, and the other end of the lifting guide rod 226 is connected to the annular cam 25 through a cam follower. The cam follower moves along the cam guide rail with uneven height, so that the cam follower drives the flattening head 225 to move through the lifting guide rod 226, so that the flattening head 225 approaches or moves away from the first end of the battery cell 1. When the flattening head 225 approaches the first end of the battery cell 1, the flattening head 225 flattens the first end of the battery cell 1. When the flattening head 225 completes flattening the first end of the battery cell 1, the flattening head 225 moves away from the first end of the battery cell 1 and returns to its original position to flatten the next battery cell 1.

[0061] Specifically, the height of the area where the cam guide rail is opposite to the battery loading station A and the battery height adjustment station B is smaller than the height of the area where the cam guide rail is opposite to the battery cell flattening starting station C, and the height from the area where the cam guide rail is opposite to the battery cell loading station A to the area where the cam guide rail is opposite to the battery cell flattening starting station C can gradually increase. Thus, the cam follower moving along the cam guide rail drives the flattening head 225 to approach the first end of the battery cell 1 through the lifting guide rod 226 until the flattening head 225 contacts the first end of the battery cell 1. The gradual increase in height is conducive to the flattening head 225 approaching the first end of the battery cell 1 more smoothly. The height of the area where the cam guide rail is opposite to the battery cell flattening starting station C and the height of the area where the cam guide rail is opposite to the battery cell ending station D remain the same. Therefore, from the battery cell flattening starting station C to the battery cell ending station D, the flattening head 225 is always in contact with the first end of the battery cell 1, and the first end of the battery cell 1 is flattened by the flattening head 225, so that the first end of the battery cell 1 can be flattened while the battery cell 1 is being transported, which is beneficial to improving the flattening efficiency of the battery cell 1. The height of the area where the cam guide rail is opposite to the battery cell flattening starting station C and the height of the area where the cam guide rail is opposite to the battery cell ending station D remain the same, so that when the flattening head 225 flattens the battery cell 1, the reference position of the battery cell 1 always remains unchanged, which is beneficial to improving the flattening accuracy of the battery cell 1. The height of the area opposite to the battery cell unloading station E of the cam guide rail can be equal to the height of the area opposite to the battery cell termination station D of the cam guide rail, or it can be less than the height of the area opposite to the battery cell termination station D. However, the height from the area opposite to the battery cell unloading station E of the cam guide rail to the height of the area opposite to the battery cell loading station A of the cam guide rail can gradually decrease, or it can first decrease and then remain unchanged. Therefore, after the flattening head 225 completes flattening the first end of the battery cell 1, the cam follower moving along the cam guide rail drives the flattening head 225 away from the first end of the battery cell 1 through the lifting guide rod 226, and returns to the area opposite to the battery cell loading station A of the cam guide rail to flatten the next battery cell 1. Therefore, in this embodiment, by setting the feeding cam assembly to cooperate with the flattening wheel assembly, the periodic feeding and rotational movement of the flattening wheel assembly can be realized, so that the flattening assembly can flatten the first end of the battery cell 1 while conveying the battery cell 1, and can ensure that the first flattening mechanism 20 performs rapid and uniform processing on the first end of the battery cell 1, so that the battery cell 1 flattened by the first flattening mechanism 20 maintains good consistency.

[0062] In this embodiment, the specific structure of the battery cell flipping mechanism 30 is not further limited. Those skilled in the art can select a conventional flipping mechanism in the art, as long as it can achieve a 180° flip of the battery cell 1 and swap the positions of the first end and the second end of the battery cell 1.

[0063] As an optional embodiment, a center hole shaping mechanism 50, an insulation detection mechanism 60, and a size detection mechanism 70 are further provided between the second flattening mechanism 40 and the battery cell discharging mechanism. The flattened battery cell 1 passes through the center hole shaping mechanism 50, the insulation detection mechanism 60, and the size detection mechanism 70 in sequence, wherein the center hole shaping mechanism 50 is used to shape the center hole of the flattened battery cell 1, the insulation detection mechanism 60 is used to perform insulation detection on the flattened battery cell 1, and the size detection mechanism 70 is used to detect the size of the flattened battery cell 1. Therefore, before the battery cell is unloaded, by providing the center hole shaping mechanism 50, the insulation detection mechanism 60, and the size detection mechanism 70, it is beneficial to improve the quality of the battery cell 1. In this embodiment, the specific structures of the center hole shaping mechanism 50, the insulation detection mechanism 60, and the size detection mechanism 70 are not further limited. Those skilled in the art can select the corresponding conventional structure in the field according to actual conditions, as long as the corresponding functions can be achieved.

[0064] The battery cell discharging mechanism includes a first battery cell discharging mechanism 80 and a second battery cell discharging mechanism 81, which are arranged in parallel. The first battery cell discharging mechanism 80 is used to discharge good battery cells 1 after being flattened, and the second battery cell discharging mechanism 81 is used to discharge defective battery cells 1 after being flattened. Thus, good battery cells and defective battery cells 1 after being flattened are discharged separately, which is conducive to further improving the flattening efficiency and quality of the battery cells 1. Good battery cells 1 after being flattened refer to battery cells that are qualified after being tested by the insulation detection mechanism 60 and the size detection mechanism 70; defective battery cells 1 after being flattened refer to battery cells that have problems with either the insulation detection mechanism 60 or the size detection mechanism 70.

[0065] The battery cell discharging mechanism also includes a cup inlet 83 and a cell cup assembly 84, wherein the cup inlet 83 transports the empty cup to the cell cup assembly 84, the cell cup assembly 84 places the flattened battery cell 1 into the cup, and transports the flattened battery cell 1 loaded with the cup to the first cell discharging mechanism 80 and the second cell discharging mechanism 81, so as to facilitate the transportation of the battery cell 1 to the next workstation for processing, and enable the cup to have better protection and positioning effects on the battery cell 1.

[0066] The second aspect of the present invention further provides a method for flattening a battery cell. The method flattens the end of the battery cell 1 using the battery cell flattening device shown in the first aspect. The method comprises the following steps:

[0067] The battery cell feeding mechanism places the battery cell 1 vertically on the first flattening mechanism 20;

[0068] The first flattening mechanism 20 flattens the first end of the battery cell 1 while driving the battery cell 1 to rotate;

[0069] The battery cell 1 with the first end flattened is transferred to the battery cell flipping mechanism 30, and the battery cell flipping mechanism 30 flips the battery cell 1 with the first end flattened in the vertical direction;

[0070] The flipped battery cell 1 is transferred to the second flattening mechanism 40 , which flattens the second end of the battery cell 1 while driving the battery cell 1 to rotate;

[0071] The flattened battery cells 1 are transferred to a battery cell discharging mechanism, which unloads the flattened battery cells 1 .

[0072] The battery cell flattening method provided in this embodiment can vertically load the battery cells through the battery cell feeding mechanism, and the first flattening mechanism can flatten the first end of the battery cell while carrying the battery cell to rotate, and after the battery cell flipping mechanism flips the battery cell, the second flattening mechanism can flatten the second end of the battery cell while carrying the battery cell to rotate, so that the battery cell can be transported from the battery cell feeding mechanism to the battery cell discharging mechanism while flattening both ends of the battery cell, so that there is no need to stop the machine during the flattening process of the battery cell, which is beneficial to improving the flattening efficiency of the battery cell; in addition, the battery cell flattening method provided in the present invention can vertically flatten and load the battery cell, which is beneficial to reducing the space volume occupied by the entire set of equipment, and is beneficial to improving the production efficiency of the entire set of equipment, thereby helping to further improve the flattening efficiency of the battery cell.

[0073] Although the present disclosure is disclosed as above, the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and these changes and modifications will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery cell flattening device, characterized in that: include: Battery cell feeding mechanism, first flattening mechanism, battery cell turning mechanism, second flattening mechanism and battery cell discharging mechanism; The battery cell feeding mechanism is arranged close to the first flattening mechanism, and is used to place the battery cells vertically on the first flattening mechanism; The first flattening mechanism is used to support the rotation of the battery cell and flatten the first end of the battery cell; The battery cell flipping mechanism is provided between the first flattening mechanism and the second flattening mechanism, and is used to flip the battery cell in a vertical direction; The second flattening mechanism is used to support the rotation of the battery cell and flatten the second end of the battery cell, where the first end and the second end are two opposite ends of the battery cell in the vertical direction; The battery cell discharging mechanism is arranged close to the second flattening mechanism, and is used to discharge the flattened battery cells; Wherein, the first kneading mechanism and the second kneading mechanism both include a kneading turntable, a kneading assembly and a first driving assembly; A plurality of the flattening components are arranged along the circumference of the flattening turntable, and the flattening components can clamp and fix the battery cell and flatten the first end or the second end of the battery cell; The first driving assembly is connected to the kneading turntable, and is used to drive the kneading turntable to rotate along its central axis, and drive the kneading assembly to rotate along the central axis of the kneading turntable.

2. The battery cell flattening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first flattening mechanism and the second flattening mechanism are provided with a battery cell loading station, a battery cell height adjustment station, a battery cell flattening starting station, a battery cell flattening ending station and a battery cell unloading station in sequence along the circumference of the flattening turntable; The battery cell loading station of the first flattening mechanism is arranged close to the battery cell feeding mechanism, the battery cell unloading station of the second flattening mechanism is arranged close to the battery cell unloading mechanism, and the battery cell flipping mechanism is arranged between the battery cell unloading station of the first flattening mechanism and the battery cell loading station of the second flattening mechanism; At the battery cell height adjustment station, the flattening assembly adjusts the height of the battery cell it clamps to a preset height; From the battery cell flattening starting station to the battery cell flattening ending station, the flattening assembly flattens the first end portion or the second end portion of the battery cell clamped therein.

3. The battery cell flattening device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cell height adjustment station is fixedly provided with a height-changing component, and the height-changing component includes a height-changing cam and a second driving component; The height-changing cam is connected to the flattening component, and the second driving component is connected to the height-changing cam. The second driving component is used to adjust the height of the height-changing cam. The height-changing cam can adjust the height of the battery cell clamped by the flattening component to a preset height under the drive of the second driving component.

4. The battery cell flattening device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The battery cell height adjustment station is fixedly provided with a visual detection device, which is electrically connected to the height-changing component. The visual detection device is used to visually detect the height of the battery cell clamped by the flattening component. The height-changing component adjusts the height of the battery cell clamped by the flattening component according to the detection result of the visual detection device.

5. The battery cell flattening device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The flattening assembly includes a battery core clamping claw assembly; The battery cell clamp assembly includes a clamp, a height-changing connecting rod and a height-changing cam follower. The clamp is used to clamp and fix the battery cell. One end of the height-changing connecting rod is connected to the clamp, and the other end of the height-changing connecting rod is connected to the height-changing cam follower. The height-changing cam follower rotates around the height-changing cam, and the height-changing cam follower can contact the height-changing cam and drive the height-changing cam follower to move in a vertical direction through the height-changing cam, so as to drive the battery cell clamped by the clamp to move in a vertical direction.

6. The battery cell flattening device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The flattening assembly also includes a height locking piece, which is connected to the height-changing link. The height locking piece is used to limit the position of the height-changing link. When the height locking piece is closed, the height-changing link is fixed in the vertical direction. When the height locking piece is opened, the height-changing link can move in the vertical direction.

7. The battery cell flattening device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first and second kneading mechanisms further include a feed cam assembly, and the kneading assembly further includes a kneading wheel assembly; The flattening wheel assembly includes a flattening head and a lifting guide rod. The flattening head is arranged opposite to the first end or the second end of the battery cell. One end of the lifting guide rod is connected to the flattening head, and the other end of the lifting guide rod is connected to the feed cam assembly through a cam follower. The feed cam assembly includes a circular ring cam. The circular ring cam is provided with a cam guide rail along its circumference. The height of the cam guide rail is uneven. The cam follower moves along the cam guide rail. The cam follower drives the flattening head to approach or move away from the first end or the second end of the battery cell through the lifting guide rod.

8. The battery cell flattening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A center hole shaping mechanism, an insulation detection mechanism, and a size detection mechanism are further provided between the second flattening mechanism and the battery core discharging mechanism; The center hole shaping mechanism is used to shape the center hole of the flattened battery cell; The insulation detection mechanism is used to perform insulation detection on the flattened battery cell; The size detection mechanism is used to detect the size of the flattened battery cell.

9. A method for flattening a battery cell, characterized in that: The end of the battery cell is flattened using the battery cell flattening device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the battery cell flattening method comprises the following steps: The battery cell feeding mechanism places the battery cell vertically on the first flattening mechanism; The first flattening mechanism flattens the first end of the battery cell while driving the battery cell to rotate; The battery cell after the first end portion is flattened is transferred to the battery cell flipping mechanism, and the battery cell flipping mechanism flips the battery cell after the first end portion is flattened in a vertical direction; The flipped battery cell is transferred to the second flattening mechanism, which flattens the second end of the battery cell while driving the battery cell to rotate; The flattened battery cells are transferred to the battery cell discharging mechanism, and the battery cell discharging mechanism discharges the flattened battery cells.

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