Power battery sealing and welding device

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of battery welding devices, and provides a power battery sealing welding device which comprises a cap cleaning assembly, a sealing welding assembly and a transfer assembly. The cap cleaning assembly comprises a first cleaning unit, a sorting unit and a second cleaning unit. The first cleaning unit is used for dry ice cleaning of the periphery of a cap. The second cleaning unit is used for laser cleaning of the periphery of the cap. The sealing welding assembly comprises a bearing unit and a welding unit. The bearing unit comprises oppositely arranged cell carriers and a rotating pressing part. The cell carriers are used for bearing one end of a cell shell. The rotating pressing part is used for pressing the cap to the other end of the cell shell. The welding unit is arranged on one side of the bearing unit and is used for laser sealing and welding of the cap and the cell shell. The transfer assembly is used for transferring the cleaned cap to the sealing welding assembly. The power battery sealing welding device provided by the application aims to solve the problems of poor cap cleaning effect and low welding efficiency in the cell sealing and welding process in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery cell welding equipment technology, and more particularly to a power battery sealing welding device. Background Technology

[0002] Batteries, as devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy, are widely used in people's lives and industrial production. In the battery manufacturing process, the battery cells are sequentially flattened, coated with adhesive, placed in the casing, and the current collector is welded before the battery is finally capped to assemble the finished battery.

[0003] The battery capping process mainly involves sealing the battery cap onto the open end of the battery casing. The quality of the cap is crucial, directly affecting the success rate of capping and the appearance of the battery after capping. Currently, before capping the battery, the cap is mainly cleaned manually. This method is not only monotonous but also inefficient, impacting the overall production schedule of the battery production line. Furthermore, the battery sealing and welding process also suffers from inefficiency, potentially affecting the overall efficiency of the battery production line. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a power battery sealing and welding device to solve the problems of poor cap cleaning effect and low welding efficiency in the existing battery cell sealing and welding process.

[0005] To address the above problems, the present invention provides a power battery sealing and welding device, comprising: A cap cleaning assembly includes a first cleaning unit, a sorting unit, and a second cleaning unit. The first cleaning unit is used to drive the cap to rotate and perform dry ice cleaning on the periphery of the cap. The sorting unit is used to move the caps that have been cleaned by the first cleaning unit to the second cleaning unit. The second cleaning unit is used to drive the caps to rotate and perform laser cleaning on the periphery of the caps. A sealing and welding assembly includes a support unit and a welding unit. The support unit includes a cell carrier and a rotating clamping part disposed opposite to each other. The cell carrier supports one end of the cell housing, and the rotating clamping part clamps a cap to the other end of the cell housing. The welding unit is located on one side of the support unit and is used for laser sealing and welding the cap to the cell housing. A transfer assembly is disposed between the cap cleaning assembly and the sealing welding assembly, and is used to transfer the cleaned cap to the sealing welding assembly.

[0006] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device is provided, wherein the second cleaning unit has a first cleaning state and a second cleaning state. When the second cleaning unit is in the first cleaning state, the second cleaning unit has dispersed multi-path lasers, each of which is used to clean the periphery of each cap respectively; when the second cleaning unit is in the second cleaning state, each of which is brought together into a single laser beam, which is used to clean the periphery of one cap. The second cleaning unit includes a laser, a beam expander, a reflector assembly, and at least one galvanometer. The laser, the beam expander, and the reflector assembly are arranged sequentially along the direction of light propagation. The reflector assembly is used to reflect the incident light to the galvanometer. The reflector assembly includes multiple reflective elements, and the reflection angle of each reflective element is adjustable. Each reflective element corresponds to a cleaning station.

[0007] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device is provided, wherein both the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit include a cap carrier, the cap carrier includes a first frame, a rotary drive mechanism and a cap clamping head, the rotary drive mechanism is disposed on the first frame and drivenly connected to the cap clamping head, and is used to drive the cap clamping head to rotate, the cap clamping head being used to clamp and fix the cap.

[0008] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device is provided, wherein the cap clamping head includes a rotating seat and a plurality of clamping members, the rotating seat is used to support the bottom end of the cap, and each of the clamping members is movably arranged along the circumference of the rotating seat so that the cap clamping head has a first clamping state and a second clamping state. In the first clamping state, each of the clamping members is close to the rotation center of the rotating seat and clamps the peripheral wall of the corresponding cap; in the second clamping state, each of the clamping members is away from the rotation center and is separated from the cap.

[0009] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device is provided, wherein the clamping member includes a clamping body and an elastic member, the clamping body is provided with a pressing groove, and when the groove wall of the pressing groove is pressed, the clamping body moves toward the side away from the rotation center; the elastic member is disposed between the clamping body and the rotating seat, and is used to drive the clamping body to move toward the side closer to the rotation center.

[0010] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device is provided, wherein the sorting unit includes a material sorting attachment, the material sorting attachment includes a mounting base, a picking component and a plurality of pressing heads, the picking component is used to pick up or release the cap, and the plurality of pressing heads are respectively disposed on the lower surface of the mounting base, each pressing head is arranged around the picking component and is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the pressing groove corresponding to each clamping component, so as to press against the groove wall of the corresponding pressing groove.

[0011] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device includes a cap cleaning assembly further comprising a feeding unit, a positioning unit, a unloading unit, and a detection unit. The feeding unit is used to feed caps. The positioning unit is used to receive caps supplied by the feeding unit and position the caps for the detection unit to perform good product detection. The sorting unit is used to transfer caps that have passed the detection unit to the first cleaning unit, transfer unqualified caps to the recycling station, and position the caps for the positioning unit to unload. The unloading unit is used to pick up caps that have completed unloading positioning on the positioning unit and unload the caps.

[0012] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device is provided, wherein the sorting unit includes a first sorting mechanism and a second sorting mechanism, both of which are provided with sorting attachments; the sorting attachments of the first sorting mechanism are used to transfer the caps positioned on the positioning unit to the first cleaning unit or recycling station according to the detection results of the detection unit, and to transfer the caps cleaned in the first cleaning unit to the second cleaning unit; the sorting attachments of the second sorting mechanism are used to transfer the caps cleaned in the second cleaning unit to the positioning unit.

[0013] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device is provided, wherein the first material distribution mechanism and the second material distribution mechanism further include a transverse frame and a lifting drive member disposed on the transverse frame, the transverse frame having a movable stroke for transverse movement in a first direction, and the lifting drive member driving the mounting base connected to the material distribution attachment for driving the material distribution attachment to rise and fall; The sorting unit further includes a first linear module and a second linear module. Both the first linear module and the second linear module have a slide table with a sliding stroke along the first direction. The transverse transfer mechanism of the first material sorting mechanism is mounted on the slide table of the first linear module, and the transverse transfer mechanism of the second material sorting mechanism is mounted on the slide table of the second linear module.

[0014] According to the present invention, a power battery sealing and welding device is provided, wherein the positioning unit includes a first positioning member and a second positioning member respectively corresponding to the first material distribution mechanism and the second material distribution mechanism; Both the first positioning component and the second positioning component include a support frame, a positioning gripper, and a material level detection sensor. The positioning gripper is located on the support frame and is used to clamp and position the cap. The material level detection sensor is located on one side of the positioning gripper and is used to detect whether the positioning gripper is clamping the cap.

[0015] The power battery sealing and welding device provided by this invention can perform dry ice cleaning and laser cleaning on the cap, significantly improving the efficiency and quality of cap cleaning. In addition, by setting up a cap cleaning component, a sealing and welding component, and a transfer component, the components work together to efficiently complete the entire battery sealing and welding process, significantly improving the efficiency and quality of battery sealing and welding. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cap cleaning assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the cap cleaning assembly provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second cleaning unit provided by the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the cap carrier provided by the present invention; Figure 5 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the cap clamping head provided by the present invention; Figure 6 This is the second schematic diagram of the structure of the cap clamping head provided by the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first material sorting mechanism of the sorting unit and the first positioning element of the positioning unit provided by the present invention. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning gripper on the first positioning member provided by the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first material distribution mechanism provided by the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the material distribution attachment provided by the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding unit provided by the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer mechanism in the feeding unit provided by the present invention; Figure 13 This is one of the cleaning schematic diagrams of the second cleaning unit provided by the present invention; Figure 14 This is the second schematic diagram of the cleaning unit provided by the present invention; Figure 15 This is a structural schematic diagram of the sealing and welding assembly provided by the present invention.

[0018] Figure label: 1. Feeding unit; 11. Feeding conveyor line; 12. Feeding robotic arm; 111. First line; 112. Second line; 113. Transfer mechanism; 1131. Linear movement module; 1132. Transfer frame; 1133. Transfer gripper; 2. Positioning unit; 21. First positioning component; 211. Support frame; 212. Positioning gripper; 213. Material level detection sensor; 22. Second positioning component; 3. Sorting unit; 31. First material sorting mechanism; 32. Second material sorting mechanism; 33. Linear slide module; 311. Material sorting attachment; 312. Transverse frame; 313. Lifting drive component; 3111. Mounting base; 3112. Pick-up component; 3113. Pressing head; 31131. Connecting arm; 31132. Pressure roller; 4. Second cleaning unit; 41. Cap carrier; 4101. Pressing groove; 4102. Guide channel; 41001. Positioning part; 41002. Connecting part; 411. Cap clamping head; 4111. Rotating seat; 4112. Clamping component; 41121. Clamping body; 41122. Elastic component; 412. Rotation drive mechanism; 413. First frame; 42. Laser cleaning mechanism; 421. Second frame; 422. Motion mechanism; 423. Laser head; 43. Negative pressure dust removal device; 5. Unloading unit; 51. Unloading robotic arm; 52. Unloading conveyor line; 100. Cap; 200. Pallet stacking; 6. Sealing and welding assembly; 61. Bearing unit; 611. Cell carrier; 612. Rotary clamping part; 62. Welding unit; 621. Welding gun head; 63. Air blowing unit; 64. Dust removal unit; 10. Laser; 20. Beam expander; 30. Mirror assembly; 40. Galvanometer; 101. First cleaning station; 102. Second cleaning station; 301. Base; 302. Semi-transparent mirror; 303. Mirror. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0020] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" 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 or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0024] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. Additionally, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided in this invention; however, those skilled in the art will recognize the applicability of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0025] The following is combined Figures 1 to 15 The present invention describes a power battery sealing and welding apparatus.

[0026] In view of the problems of poor cap cleaning effect and low welding efficiency in the existing battery cell sealing welding process, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a power battery sealing welding device, including a cap cleaning component, a sealing welding component, and a transfer component.

[0027] Please see Figures 1-3 The cap cleaning assembly includes a first cleaning unit, a sorting unit 3, and a second cleaning unit 4. The first cleaning unit drives the cap 100 to rotate and performs dry ice cleaning on its periphery. The sorting unit 3 moves the cap 100, after cleaning by the first cleaning unit, to the second cleaning unit 4. The second cleaning unit 4 drives the cap 100 to rotate and performs laser cleaning on its periphery. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first cleaning unit is a dry ice cleaning mechanism. Due to the extremely low boiling point of carbon dioxide, dry ice particles cause a rapid temperature change upon contact with dirt, leading to the dirt shrinking and loosening. Simultaneously, dry ice cleaning lowers the temperature during cleaning, preventing high-temperature damage. Since the surface of the cap 100 has a low temperature after dry ice cleaning, a secondary laser cleaning will not generate high temperatures. Furthermore, because the cap 100 has minimal residual dirt after the first cleaning, the second cleaning unit 4 only performs localized cleaning, resulting in a shorter cleaning time and reduced temperature rise, thus minimizing the high-temperature impact of laser cleaning. In summary, the present invention, through the cooperation of the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit 4, can significantly improve the efficiency and quality of cleaning the cap 100.

[0028] Further, please refer to Figure 15The sealing and welding assembly 6 includes a support unit 61 and a welding unit 62. The support unit 61 includes a cell carrier 611 and a rotating clamping part 612 disposed opposite to each other. The cell carrier 611 supports one end of the cell housing, and the rotating clamping part 612 clamps the cap 100 to the other end of the cell housing. The welding unit 62 is located on one side of the support unit 61 and is used for laser sealing welding of the cap 100 and the cell housing. The support unit 61 clamps and fixes the cell housing and the cap 100 from both ends, and the rotating clamping part 612 drives the cell housing and the cap 100 to rotate around the axial direction. This allows the welding unit 62 located on one side of the support unit 61 to perform sealing welding around the welding position of the cell housing and the cap 100, eliminating the need for the welding unit 62 to rotate around the cell housing and the cap 100. This makes the cylindrical cell sealing and welding mechanism more compact and smaller in size. Furthermore, the sealing and welding assembly 6 also includes an air blowing unit 63 and a dust removal unit 64. The welding unit 62 includes a welding gun head 621, and the air blowing unit 63 includes a first air blowing component and a second air blowing component. The first air blowing component is installed on the welding gun head 621 and blows air in a first direction. The second air blowing component is located on one side of the welding gun head 621 and blows air in a second direction. The dust removal assembly 64 is installed on the rotating clamping part 612 to remove dust from the welding position. The direction of the dust removal airflow is at a certain angle to the direction of the protective gas blowing, which helps to reduce the mutual influence between the dust removal airflow and the protective gas, resulting in a better dust removal effect.

[0029] A transfer assembly, located between the cap cleaning assembly and the sealing and welding assembly 6, is used to transfer the cleaned caps 100 to the sealing and welding assembly 6. When the distance between the two is small, a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm can be used for the transfer operation; when the distance between the two is long, a conveyor belt can be used for material transport. The specific configuration can be determined according to the actual production situation.

[0030] Furthermore, the second cleaning unit 4 has a first cleaning state and a second cleaning state. When the second cleaning unit is in the first cleaning state, it has dispersed multi-path lasers, each laser used to clean the periphery of each cap 100 respectively. When the second cleaning unit 4 is in the second cleaning state, the lasers converge into a single laser beam to clean the periphery of one cap 100. In an optional embodiment, the second cleaning unit 4 includes a laser 10, a beam expander 20, a reflector assembly 30, and at least one galvanometer 40. The laser 10, beam expander 20, and reflector assembly 30 are arranged sequentially along the direction of light propagation. The reflector assembly 30 is used to reflect incident light to the galvanometer 40. The reflector assembly 30 includes multiple reflective elements, the reflection angle of each reflective element is adjustable, and each reflective element corresponds to a cleaning station.

[0031] Understandably, the reflector assembly 30 includes multiple reflective elements, which can be selected from a semi-transparent mirror 302, a reflector 303, or a dichroic mirror. By changing the position or orientation of the reflective elements in the optical path, the first cleaning state or the second cleaning state of the second cleaning unit 4 can be achieved. Optionally, the galvanometer 40 can be configured as a single unit. When the second cleaning unit 4 is in the first cleaning state, the multiple lasers output by the reflector assembly 30 are dispersed from each other and incident on multiple incident areas of the galvanometer 40. The galvanometer 40 then emits light towards the caps 100 on different laser cleaning stations through multiple exit areas. When the second cleaning unit 4 is in the second cleaning state, the multiple lasers output by the reflector assembly 30 are brought closer together and incident on the same incident area of ​​the galvanometer 40. The galvanometer 40 then emits light towards the caps 100 on a single laser cleaning station through a single exit area.

[0032] Optionally, multiple galvanometers 40 can be configured. When the second cleaning unit 4 is in the first cleaning state, the multiple lasers output by the reflector assembly 30 are dispersed and incident on different galvanometers 40, which then emit light towards the caps 100 at different laser cleaning stations. When the second cleaning unit 4 is in the second cleaning state, the multiple lasers output by the reflector assembly 30 are brought closer together and incident on the same galvanometer 40, which then emits light towards the cap at a single laser cleaning station. Thus, the present invention can clean the caps 100 using two cleaning modes based on the state switching of the reflector assembly 30, ensuring cleaning efficiency.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, to facilitate state switching, the reflector assembly 30 includes a base 301, at least one semi-transparent mirror 302, and a reflector 303; wherein, the semi-transparent mirror 302 can also be called a semi-transparent mirror, and the semi-transparent mirror 302 can be replaced by a dichroic mirror. The semi-transparent mirror 302 and the reflector 303 are rotatably mounted on the base 301; at least one semi-transparent mirror 302 and the reflector 303 are arranged sequentially along the light output direction of the laser 10; the semi-transparent mirror 302 is used to reflect a portion of the incident beam to the galvanometer 40, transmit another portion of the incident beam, and deliver the transmitted beam to the next semi-transparent mirror 302 or reflector 303; the reflector 303 is used to reflect the received beam to the galvanometer 40. It is understandable that since the semi-transparent mirror 302 and the reflector 303 are rotatably mounted on the base 301, by changing the rotation angle of the semi-transparent mirror 302 and the reflector 303, the attitude of the semi-transparent mirror 302 and the reflector 303 in the optical path can be changed, thereby realizing the first cleaning state or the second cleaning state of the second cleaning unit 4.

[0034] like Figure 13 and Figure 14As shown, the reflector assembly 30 is equipped with a semi-transparent mirror 302 and a reflector 303. In this case, the reflector assembly converts the single-path laser output from the laser 10 into two-path lasers, and sends the two lasers to the galvanometer 40 respectively. The galvanometer 40 then outputs lasers to the caps 100 on the first cleaning station 101 and the second cleaning station 102 respectively. Figure 13 As shown, in the first cleaning state, the semi-transparent mirror 302 and the reflector 303 are at a first rotation angle and a second rotation angle relative to the light output direction of the laser 10, respectively. The semi-transparent mirror 302 reflects a portion of the incident beam from the laser 10 to the first incident area of ​​the galvanometer 40, transmits the other portion of the incident beam, and sends the transmitted beam to the reflector 303. The reflector 303 then reflects the received beam to the second incident area of ​​the galvanometer. Based on the incident beams received in the first and second incident areas, the galvanometer 40 outputs laser light to the caps 100 located at the first cleaning station 101 and the second cleaning station 102, respectively. Figure 14 As shown, in the second cleaning state, the semi-transparent mirror 302 and the reflector 303 are at the third rotation angle and the fourth rotation angle, respectively, relative to the light output direction of the laser 10. The semi-transparent mirror 302 reflects a portion of the incident beam from the laser 10 to the first incident area of ​​the galvanometer 40, transmits the other portion of the incident beam, and sends the transmitted beam to the reflector 303. The reflector 303 then reflects the received beam back to the first incident area of ​​the galvanometer 40. Based on the incident beam received in the first incident area, the galvanometer 40 outputs laser light to the cap 100 located on the first cleaning station 101.

[0035] The reflector assembly 30 is equipped with a semi-transparent mirror 302 and a reflector 303. In the second cleaning state, the size of the third rotation angle and the fourth rotation angle can be configured to ensure that the two laser beams output from the galvanometer 40 are incident on the edge of the cap 100 and are located at two points on opposite sides of the cap 100. In this way, during the laser cleaning process, only the cap 100 needs to be rotated 180° to perform laser cleaning around the perimeter of the cap 100 without any blind spots.

[0036] As previously described, the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit 4 can drive the cap to rotate and clean its periphery. Specifically, the first cleaning unit includes a dry ice cleaning mechanism and a cap carrier 41, and the second cleaning unit 4 includes a laser cleaning mechanism 42 and a cap carrier 41.

[0037] Please see Figures 4-6Taking the second cleaning unit 4 as an example, the laser cleaning machine 42 includes a second frame 421, a motion mechanism 422, and a laser head 423. The motion mechanism 422 is mounted on the second frame 421 and connected to the laser head 423 to adjust the tilt angle and defocus of the laser head 423. The laser head 423 integrates the laser 10, beam expander 20, reflector assembly 30, and galvanometer 40 shown in the above embodiments. The cap carrier 41 includes a first frame 413, a rotary drive mechanism 412, and a cap clamping head 411. The rotary drive mechanism 412 is mounted on the first frame 413 and drivenly connected to the cap clamping head 411, driving the cap clamping head 411 to rotate. The cap clamping head 411 clamps and fixes the cap 100. The rotary drive mechanism 412 can be a servo motor, and the output end of the servo motor is connected to the rotating seat 4111 via a coupling to drive the cap clamping head 411 to rotate. Furthermore, the cap carrier 41 is equipped with a negative pressure dust removal device 43, which includes a cover and a suction pipe connected to the cover. The cover is placed on the upper side of the cap clamping head 411. During the dry ice cleaning or laser cleaning of the cap 100, the dust generated during the cleaning process can be collected by the cover and the suction pipe under the action of negative pressure.

[0038] Furthermore, the cap clamping head 411 includes a rotating base 4111 and clamping members 4112. The rotating base 4111 is used to support the bottom end of the cap 100. Multiple clamping members 4112 are arranged circumferentially along the rotating base 4111 and are movably disposed on the rotating base 4111. The clamping members 4112 have a first clamping state and a second clamping state. In the first clamping state, each clamping member 4112 is close to the rotation center of the rotating base 4111 and clamps the peripheral wall of the cap 100. In the second clamping state, each clamping member 4112 is away from the rotation center of the rotating base 4111 to separate from the cap 100. Understandably, the rotating seat 4111 on the cap clamping head 411 is disc-shaped. The first surface of the rotating seat 4111 is used to support the cap 100. The second surface of the rotating seat 4111 is provided with a connecting part 41002, which is detachably connected to the rotary drive mechanism 412.

[0039] When the cap 100 is placed on the rotating seat 4111, the cap 100 and the rotating seat 4111 are coaxially arranged. The connecting part 41002 can be configured as a threaded connecting post or a threaded hole to achieve threaded connection with the output end of the rotary drive mechanism 412; the connecting part 41002 can also be configured with a vent hole so that after the cap 100 is cleaned, the cap 100 can be smoothly picked up by a suction cup to achieve the transfer of the cap 100.

[0040] Meanwhile, multiple clamping members 4112 form a clamping space for clamping the cap 100. The clamping members 4112 are circumferentially distributed relative to the rotation center of the rotating base 4111, for example, the clamping members 4112 are evenly arranged circumferentially relative to the rotation center. Each clamping member 4112 has a clamping end, which is the end of the clamping member facing the rotation center of the rotating base 4111. The clamping end is configured to contact or separate from the peripheral wall of the cap 100.

[0041] When the clamping member 4112 is in the first clamping state, the clamping end of each clamping member 4112 has a first radial distance relative to the rotation center of the rotating seat 4111; when the clamping member 4112 is in the second clamping state, the clamping end of each clamping member 4112 has a second radial distance relative to the rotation center of the rotating seat 4111, the second radial distance being greater than the first radial distance, and the first radial distance being adapted to the radius corresponding to the clamping portion on the cap 100. In some embodiments, the upper surface of the rotating seat 4111 is provided with a positioning portion 41001; the bottom end of the cap 100 is provided with a protrusion, and the positioning portion 41001 cooperates with the peripheral wall of the protrusion so that the central axis of the cap 100 coincides with the rotation center of the rotating seat 4111; wherein, a plurality of clamping members 4112 are configured to clamp on the peripheral wall of the protrusion. Understandably, the cap 100 includes a cover body and a protrusion. The protrusion is located on the bottom surface of the cover body, and the positioning part is arranged around the peripheral wall of the protrusion to position the peripheral wall of the protrusion. In this case, the cover body covers the upper surface of the positioning part 41001. This design ensures that when the cap 100 is placed on the rotating seat 4111, the cap 100 and the rotating seat 4111 are coaxially arranged so that the rotating seat 4111 supports the cap 100 and rotates it coaxially, thereby allowing the laser cleaning mechanism 42 to clean the periphery of the cap 100 without dead angles.

[0042] Optionally, the positioning part 41001 can be multiple positioning blocks, spaced apart from each other and arranged around the peripheral wall of the protrusion. Optionally, the positioning part 41001 is a positioning groove provided in the rotating seat 4111, with the protrusion embedded in the positioning groove, so as to use the positioning groove to position the protrusion at the lower end of the cap 100, thereby ensuring the coaxiality of the cap 100 and the rotating seat 4111. The positioning groove is coaxially arranged with the rotating seat 4111.

[0043] Furthermore, when the positioning part 41001 is configured as a positioning groove, the rotating seat 4111 is also provided with multiple guide channels 4102, and multiple clamping members 4112 are correspondingly provided in the multiple guide channels 4102. The end of the guide channel 4102 facing the rotation center is connected to the positioning groove. Each guide channel 4102 extends radially along the rotating seat 4111 so as to guide the clamping member 4112 to move radially along the rotating seat 4111. In this way, the positioning part 41001 and the guide channel 4102 are organically combined to ensure that the positioning operation of the cap 100 and the clamping operation of the cap 100 do not interfere with each other.

[0044] In some embodiments, the cleaning apparatus shown in this embodiment further includes: a feeding unit 1, a positioning unit 2, a discharging unit 5, and a detection unit; the feeding unit 1 is used to feed the caps 100; the positioning unit 2 is used to receive the caps 100 supplied by the feeding unit 1 and position the caps 100 for the detection unit to perform good product detection on the caps 100; the sorting unit 3 transfers the caps 100 that have passed the detection unit to the first cleaning unit, transfers the caps 100 that have failed the detection unit to the recycling station, and transfers the caps 100 that have completed laser cleaning from the second cleaning unit to the positioning unit 2 for the positioning unit 2 to position the caps 100 for discharging; the discharging unit 5 is used to pick up the caps 100 that have completed discharging on the positioning unit 2 and perform the discharging operation on the caps 100.

[0045] Understandably, this invention, through the configuration of a feeding unit 1, a positioning unit 2, a sorting unit 3, a first cleaning unit, a second cleaning unit 4, a detection unit, and a discharging unit 5, continuously feeds caps 100 using the feeding unit 1. After the positioning unit 2 positions the caps 100, the detection unit performs a good product inspection on the caps 100. At the position where the caps 100 were positioned during feeding, the sorting unit 3 picks up the caps 100 in the set posture, transferring the qualified caps 100 to the cap carrier 41 of the first cleaning unit, while transferring the unqualified caps 100 to the recycling station. After the cap carrier 41 of the first cleaning unit positions the qualified caps 100 once, during the rotation of the caps 100 driven by the cap carrier 41, dry ice fluid is output from the dry ice cleaning gun head of the first cleaning unit to clean the caps 100. The periphery of the cap 100 is cleaned with dry ice. Next, the sorting unit 3 transfers the dry-ice-cleaned cap 100 to the cap carrier 41 of the second cleaning unit 4. The cap carrier 41 of the second cleaning unit 4 performs secondary positioning of the cap 100. During the rotation of the cap 100 driven by the cap carrier 41, the laser head 423 of the second cleaning unit 4 outputs laser light to perform laser cleaning on the periphery of the cap 100. Then, at the position where the cap 100 is secondary positioned, the sorting unit 3 picks up the cap 100 in the set posture and transfers the laser-cleaned cap 100 from the second cleaning unit 4 to the positioning unit 2, where the positioning unit 2 positions the cap 100 for unloading. Finally, at the position where the cap 100 is positioned for unloading, the unloading unit 5 picks up the cap 100 and performs the unloading process.

[0046] As can be seen from the above, the present invention can efficiently complete the loading, sorting, dry ice cleaning, laser cleaning and unloading operations of the cap 100. The entire operation process does not require personnel intervention and can stably and efficiently clean a large number of caps 100, ensuring the cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency of the caps 100.

[0047] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 7-12 To ensure the working efficiency of the sorting unit 3, the sorting unit 3 includes a first material distribution mechanism 31 and a second material distribution mechanism 32. Both the first material distribution mechanism 31 and the second material distribution mechanism 32 are equipped with material distribution attachments 311. The first material distribution mechanism 31 is used to selectively transfer the caps 100 that have completed loading and positioning on the positioning unit 2 to the first cleaning unit or recycling station, and to transfer the caps 100 that have completed dry ice cleaning to the second cleaning unit 4, based on the detection results of the detection unit. The second material distribution mechanism 32 is used to transfer the caps 100 that have completed laser cleaning to the position on the positioning unit 2 for unloading and positioning of the caps 100, using the material distribution attachments 311.

[0048] In some embodiments, the sorting unit 3 is provided with a sorting attachment 311, which includes a mounting base 3111, a picking member 3112, and a plurality of pressing heads 3113. The picking member 3112 and the plurality of pressing heads 3113 are respectively disposed on the lower surface of the mounting base 3111, and the plurality of pressing heads 3113 are arranged around the picking member 3112. The picking member 3112 is used to pick up or release the cap 100.

[0049] Meanwhile, the clamping member 4112 includes a clamping body 41121 and an elastic member 41122; the clamping body 41121 is provided with a pressing groove 4101, and when the groove wall of the pressing groove 4101 is pressed, the clamping body 41121 moves toward the side away from the rotation center; the elastic member 41122 is provided between the clamping body 41121 and the rotating seat 4111, and the elastic member 41122 is used to drive the clamping body 41121 to move toward the side closer to the rotation center; a plurality of pressing heads 3113 are arranged one-to-one with the pressing grooves 4101 corresponding to the plurality of clamping members 4112 to press against the groove wall of the pressing groove 4101.

[0050] Understandably, the pickup component 3112 can be any one of a suction cup, a magnetic chuck, or a gripper; when the pickup component 3112 is a suction cup, the suction cup can be adsorbed onto the upper surface of the cap 100 under negative pressure; when the cap 100 is made of a ferromagnetic material, the pickup component 3112 can be a magnetic chuck, which can be a permanent magnet and adsorbed onto the upper surface of the cap 100; when the pickup component 3112 is a gripper, the gripper holds the cap 100 against its peripheral wall.

[0051] Optionally, the pressing head 3113 includes a connecting arm 31131 and a pressure roller 31132; the upper end of the connecting arm 31131 is connected to the mounting base 3111, the lower end of the connecting arm 31131 is connected to the pressure roller 31132, and the pressure roller 31132 makes rolling contact with the groove wall of the pressing groove 4101.

[0052] Understandably, the connecting arm 31131 can be configured to be vertically distributed, and the pressure roller 31132 is rotatably disposed at the lower end of the connecting arm 31131, with the central axis of the pressure roller 31132 being horizontally distributed. The wall of the pressing groove 4101 faces the rotation center of the rotating seat 4111 and is configured as either an inclined surface or an arc surface, or a combination of an inclined surface and an arc surface.

[0053] Meanwhile, by configuring the pressing head 3113 as a connecting arm 31131 and the pressure roller 31132, not only can the downward pressing stroke of the pressing head 3113 be ensured so as to control the movement stroke of the clamping member 4112, but also, based on the rolling contact between the pressure roller 31132 and the groove wall of the pressing groove 4101, noise is ensured during the pressing process, and the clamping member 4112 is prevented from deforming during frequent pressing operations.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first material distribution mechanism 31 and the second material distribution mechanism 32 are further provided with a transverse frame 312 and a lifting drive 313; the transverse frame 312 can move transversely along a first direction, the lifting drive 313 is disposed on the transverse frame 312, and the lifting drive 313 is connected to the mounting base 3111 of the material distribution attachment 311 to drive the material distribution attachment 311 to perform lifting and lowering movements.

[0055] Understandably, by configuring the positions of the first dispensing mechanism 31 and the second dispensing mechanism 32 relative to the cap carrier 41, it can be ensured that the first dispensing mechanism 31 and the second dispensing mechanism 32 can work together without interfering with each other. At the same time, in order to facilitate the switching of the state of the clamping components on the cap clamping head 411 by controlling the dispensing attachment 311, the dispensing attachment 311 can be raised and lowered by the lifting drive 313, which can be an electric push rod or a lead screw lifting drive mechanism.

[0056] In some embodiments, to facilitate the lateral movement of the first dispensing mechanism 31 and the second dispensing mechanism 32 along the first direction, the sorting unit 3 further includes a linear slide module 33; the first dispensing mechanism 31 and the second dispensing mechanism 32 are respectively disposed on the linear slide module 33, which is located on one side of the cap carrier 41 and drives the first dispensing mechanism 31 and the second dispensing mechanism 32 to move along the first direction. It is understood that the linear slide module 33 includes a first linear module and a second linear module, both of which are capable of moving along the first direction. The lateral movement frame 312 of the first dispensing mechanism 31 is mounted on the slide of the first linear module, and the lateral movement frame 312 of the second dispensing mechanism 32 is mounted on the slide of the second linear module.

[0057] In some embodiments, the positioning unit 2 includes a first positioning element 21 and a second positioning element 22; the first positioning element 21 is disposed between the feeding unit 1 and the sorting unit 3, and the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit are disposed side by side between the first positioning element 21 and the second positioning element 22; the second positioning element 22 is disposed between the sorting unit 3 and the unloading unit 5; wherein, the first positioning element 21 is used for feeding and positioning the cap 100, and the second positioning element 22 is used for unloading and positioning the cap 100.

[0058] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first positioning member 21 is arranged opposite to the first material distribution mechanism 31, and the second positioning member 22 is arranged opposite to the second material distribution mechanism 32. The first positioning member 21 and the second positioning member 22 can adopt the same structure, and both can complete the positioning operation of the cap 100 by using the positioning gripper 212 or the contour groove.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first positioning member 21 and the second positioning member 22 are both equipped with a support frame 211, a positioning gripper 212 and a material level detection sensor 213. The positioning gripper 212 is disposed on the support frame 211, and the material level detection sensor 213 is disposed on one side of the positioning gripper 212. The positioning gripper 212 is used to clamp and position the cap 100, and the material level detection sensor 213 is used to detect whether the cap 100 is in the clamping opening of the positioning gripper 212.

[0060] In practical applications, the support frame 211 is used to provide a support platform for setting the positioning gripper 212 and setting the positioning gripper 212 at a set height; the material level detection sensor 213 can be a photoelectric switch. The material level detection sensor 213 and the positioning gripper 212 are electrically connected. When the material level detection sensor 213 detects that there is a cap 100 in the clamping opening of the positioning gripper 212, it can control the positioning gripper 212 to be in a clamping state to clamp and position the cap 100.

[0061] Meanwhile, this embodiment requires an adaptive configuration of the structure of the positioning gripper 212 according to the structure of the material distribution attachment 311, so that the material distribution attachment 311 can pick up the positioned cap 100 from the clamping opening of the positioning gripper 212, or place the cap 100 to be positioned into the clamping opening of the positioning gripper 212.

[0062] In some embodiments, the detection unit includes a scanning mechanism for scanning the cap 100 that has completed its first positioning on the positioning unit 2; wherein, an inverted cubic prism can be used to represent the scanning status of the cap 100 by the scanning mechanism.

[0063] Meanwhile, when the scanning mechanism fails to scan the cap 100, the sorting unit 3 is used to transfer the cap 100 to the recycling station; when the scanning mechanism successfully scans the cap 100, the sorting unit 3 is used to transfer the cap 100 to the first cleaning unit.

[0064] In some embodiments, the loading unit 1 includes a loading conveyor line 11 and a loading robotic arm 12. The loading conveyor line 11 supports a cap tray and moves the cap tray to a loading station. Multiple caps 100 are placed on the cap tray. The loading robotic arm 12 is located on one side of the loading station and picks up caps 100 from the cap tray and transfers the caps 100 to the positioning unit 2. It is understood that the loading conveyor line 11 can be a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor, and is used for continuous conveying of the cap tray containing multiple caps 100. Meanwhile, the loading robotic arm 12 can be a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. The end effector of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is equipped with a telescopic rod, which is vertically arranged. The lower end of the telescopic rod is equipped with a negative pressure suction nozzle, which is used to suck up or release the caps 100.

[0065] In some embodiments, the loading conveyor line 11 includes a first line 111, a second line 112, and a transfer mechanism 113; the first line 111 and the second line 112 are arranged side by side, and the transfer mechanism 113 is located between the first line 111 and the second line 112; the first line 111 is used to move the pallet stack 200 to the loading station, the pallet stack 200 including a plurality of stacked cap pallets; the transfer mechanism 113 is used to pick up empty cap pallets from above the pallet stack 200 and transfer the empty cap pallets to the second line 112; the second line 112 is used to perform the unloading operation of the empty cap pallets.

[0066] Understandably, both the first production line 111 and the second production line 112 can be roller conveyors. The transfer mechanism 113 includes a linear motion module 1131, a transfer frame 1132, and a transfer gripper 1133. The transfer frame 1132 is mounted on the slide of the linear motion module 1131, and the transfer gripper 1133 is mounted on the transfer frame 1132. The transfer gripper 1133 is used to pick up or release cap trays. The linear motion module 1131 is used to control the movement of the transfer gripper 1133 between a first position and a second position. When the transfer gripper 1133 is in the first position, it is located above the end of the first line 111 to pick up empty cap trays from above the pallet stack 200. When the transfer gripper 1133 is in the second position, it is located above the beginning of the second line 112 to release empty cap trays at the beginning of the second line 112. Obviously, this embodiment organically combines the first line 111, the second line 112 and the transfer mechanism 113. This design greatly reduces the space occupied. While meeting the material feeding requirements of the cap 100, it can also quickly unload empty cap trays.

[0067] In some examples, the transfer gripper 1133 includes a lifting drive, an adapter, a first horizontal drive, a second horizontal drive, a first claw body, and a second claw body. The lifting drive is mounted on the transfer frame 1132, with its lifting end facing downwards and connected to the adapter. The first and second horizontal drives are mounted opposite each other on the adapter, with the first and second claw bodies arranged side-by-side. The first claw body is connected to the first horizontal drive, and the second claw body is connected to the second horizontal drive. Thus, the lifting drive controls the gripping height of the first and second claw bodies, and the first and second horizontal drives cooperate to control the first and second claw bodies to move closer or further apart, thereby gripping or releasing the cap tray.

[0068] In some embodiments, the unloading unit 5 includes an unloading conveyor line 52 and an unloading robotic arm 51. The unloading robotic arm 51 is used to pick up the cap 100 that has been positioned on the positioning unit 2 and transfer the cap 100 to the unloading conveyor line 52. The unloading conveyor line 52 is used to unload the cap 100. It is understood that the unloading robotic arm 51 can adopt a structure similar to the loading robotic arm 12. The unloading robotic arm 51 uses a negative pressure suction nozzle to pick up the cap 100 from the positioning gripper 212 corresponding to the second positioning member 22, and then transfers the cap 100 to the unloading conveyor line 52. The unloading conveyor line 52 can be a belt conveyor line with multiple trays arranged along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor line. Each tray is used to support one cap 100, providing physical protection for the cap 100 and preventing the cap 100 from being contaminated. Thus, driven by the belt conveyor, multiple pallets can be used to support the cap 100 and move it, thereby realizing the unloading of the cap 100.

[0069] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A power battery sealing and welding device, characterized in that, include: A cap cleaning assembly includes a first cleaning unit, a sorting unit, and a second cleaning unit. The first cleaning unit is used to drive the cap to rotate and perform dry ice cleaning on the periphery of the cap. The sorting unit is used to move the caps that have been cleaned by the first cleaning unit to the second cleaning unit. The second cleaning unit is used to drive the caps to rotate and perform laser cleaning on the periphery of the caps. A sealing and welding assembly includes a support unit and a welding unit. The support unit includes a battery cell carrier and a rotating clamping part arranged opposite to each other. The battery cell carrier is used to support one end of the battery cell housing, and the rotating clamping part is used to press the cap against the other end of the battery cell housing. The welding unit is located on one side of the support unit and is used for laser sealing and welding the cap to the battery cell housing. as well as, A transfer assembly is disposed between the cap cleaning assembly and the sealing welding assembly, and is used to transfer the cleaned cap to the sealing welding assembly; The second cleaning unit has a first cleaning state and a second cleaning state. When the second cleaning unit is in the first cleaning state, the second cleaning unit has a dispersed multi-path laser, and each laser is used to clean the periphery of each cap respectively. When the second cleaning unit is in the second cleaning state, the lasers converge into a single laser beam to clean the periphery of a cap. The second cleaning unit includes a laser, a beam expander, a reflector assembly, and at least one galvanometer. The laser, the beam expander, and the reflector assembly are arranged sequentially along the direction of light propagation. The reflector assembly is used to reflect the incident light to the galvanometer. The reflector assembly includes multiple reflective elements, and the reflection angle of each reflective element is adjustable. Each reflective element corresponds to a cleaning station. The cap cleaning assembly further includes a feeding unit, a positioning unit, a discharging unit, and a detection unit. The feeding unit is used to feed caps. The positioning unit is used to receive caps supplied by the feeding unit and position the caps for the detection unit to perform good product detection. The sorting unit is used to transfer caps that have passed the detection unit to the first cleaning unit, transfer unqualified caps to the recycling station, and position the caps for the positioning unit to discharge. The discharging unit is used to pick up caps that have completed discharging and positioning on the positioning unit and discharge the caps. The sorting unit includes a first sorting mechanism and a second sorting mechanism, both of which are equipped with sorting attachments. The sorting attachment of the first sorting mechanism is used to transfer the caps positioned on the positioning unit to the first cleaning unit or recycling station according to the detection result of the detection unit, and to transfer the caps cleaned in the first cleaning unit to the second cleaning unit. The sorting attachment of the second sorting mechanism is used to transfer the caps cleaned in the second cleaning unit to the positioning unit. The positioning unit includes a first positioning element and a second positioning element respectively corresponding to the first material distribution mechanism and the second material distribution mechanism; Both the first positioning component and the second positioning component include a support frame, a positioning gripper, and a material level detection sensor. The positioning gripper is located on the support frame and is used to clamp and position the cap. The material level detection sensor is located on one side of the positioning gripper and is used to detect whether the positioning gripper is clamping the cap.

2. The power battery sealing and welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit include a cap carrier. The cap carrier includes a first frame, a rotary drive mechanism, and a cap clamping head. The rotary drive mechanism is located on the first frame and is drivenly connected to the cap clamping head to drive the cap clamping head to rotate. The cap clamping head is used to clamp and fix the cap.

3. The power battery sealing and welding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cap clamping head includes a rotating base and multiple clamping members. The rotating base is used to support the bottom end of the cap, and each of the clamping members is movably arranged along the circumference of the rotating base so that the cap clamping head has a first clamping state and a second clamping state. In the first clamping state, each of the clamping members is close to the rotation center of the rotating seat and clamps the peripheral wall of the corresponding cap; in the second clamping state, each of the clamping members is away from the rotation center and is separated from the cap.

4. The power battery sealing and welding device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The clamping member includes a clamping body and an elastic element. The clamping body is provided with a pressing groove. When the groove wall is pressed, the clamping body moves toward the side away from the rotation center. The elastic element is disposed between the clamping body and the rotating seat and is used to drive the clamping body to move toward the side closer to the rotation center.

5. The power battery sealing and welding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sorting unit includes a sorting attachment, which includes a mounting base, a picking component, and multiple pressing heads. The picking component is used to pick up or release the cap. The multiple pressing heads are respectively disposed on the lower surface of the mounting base. Each pressing head is arranged around the picking component and is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the pressing groove corresponding to each clamping component, so as to press against the groove wall of the corresponding pressing groove.

6. The power battery sealing and welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first material distribution mechanism and the second material distribution mechanism further include a transverse frame and a lifting drive component disposed on the transverse frame. The transverse frame has a movable stroke for transverse movement in a first direction. The lifting drive component drives the mounting base connected to the material distribution attachment to drive the material distribution attachment to lift. The sorting unit further includes a first linear module and a second linear module. Both the first linear module and the second linear module have a slide table with a sliding stroke along the first direction. The transverse transfer mechanism of the first material sorting mechanism is mounted on the slide table of the first linear module, and the transverse transfer mechanism of the second material sorting mechanism is mounted on the slide table of the second linear module.

Images