Apparatus and method for assembling battery cells

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides equipment and a method for assembling a battery monomer. The equipment comprises a transmission mechanism used for fixing an electrode assembly and transmitting the electrode assembly to a film coating station; the film coating mechanism is used for coating at least partial area of the outer surface of the electrode assembly with an insulating layer at the film coating station; the transmission mechanism is also used for transmitting the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer to a shell entering station; and the shell entering mechanism is used for sleeving a shell on the outer side of the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer at the shell entering station. According to the equipment and the method for assembling the battery monomers, the assembling efficiency of the battery monomers can be improved.

Description

Apparatus and method for assembling battery cells Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to an apparatus and method for assembling battery cells. Background Art

[0002] Energy conservation and emission reduction are key to the sustainable development of the automotive industry. Electric vehicles, due to their energy-saving and environmentally friendly advantages, have become an important component of the sustainable development of the automotive industry. For electric vehicles, battery technology is a key factor in their development.

[0003] With the development of battery technology, battery performance is not only affected by battery materials, but also by the manufacturing process, which has become a key factor restricting battery performance. Therefore, how to improve battery processing efficiency is one of the important issues in the battery field.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide an apparatus and method for assembling battery cells, which can improve the assembly efficiency of battery cells.

[0006] In a first aspect, an apparatus for assembling battery cells is provided, comprising: a conveying mechanism for fixing an electrode assembly and conveying the electrode assembly to a coating station; a coating mechanism for wrapping an insulating layer around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly at the coating station; the conveying mechanism is further configured to convey the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer to a shell insertion station; and a shell insertion mechanism for sleevedly placing a shell around the outer side of the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer at the shell insertion station.

[0007] The equipment for assembling battery cells in the embodiment of the present application fixes the electrode assembly through a transmission mechanism and transmits the electrode assembly between different workstations, which can realize processes such as wrapping the insulating layer and inserting the shell. There is no need to repeatedly replace the transmission tool during the transportation and transfer of the electrode assembly, which simplifies the assembly process of the battery cell, improves the assembly efficiency of the battery cell, and reduces the external force damage to the electrode assembly that may be caused when using different transmission tools, thereby improving the qualified rate of the battery cell and thus improving the processing quality rate of the battery.

[0008] In some embodiments, the conveyor mechanism is used to carry the electrode assembly and end cap, the end cap being attached to a first end surface of the electrode assembly, the carrying surface of the conveyor mechanism being attached to a surface of the end cap facing away from the electrode assembly, and the electrode assembly being positioned on the conveyor mechanism along a first direction perpendicular to the first end surface. The conveyor mechanism can simultaneously transport the electrode assembly and end cap for subsequent assembly, thereby improving the processing and assembly efficiency of the battery cells.

[0009] In some embodiments, the wrapping mechanism is configured to control the movement of the insulating layer along the first direction so that the insulating layer approaches the electrode assembly and wraps at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly. Since the electrode assembly is placed on the conveying mechanism along the first direction, the wrapping mechanism controls the movement of the insulating layer along the first direction and gradually approaches the electrode assembly, and can wrap the insulating layer around the electrode assembly starting from the end face of the electrode assembly opposite the first end face. The wrapping process is simple and easy to implement, and the insulating layer can be wrapped around the outer surface of the electrode assembly while the electrode assembly remains placed on the conveying mechanism along the first direction without flipping the electrode assembly.

[0010] In some embodiments, the shell insertion mechanism is configured to: direct the opening of the shell toward the electrode assembly and control the shell to move along the first direction so that the electrode assembly wrapped in the insulating layer enters the shell through the opening. The shell has an opening, and the electrode assembly wrapped in the insulating layer is disposed on the transmission mechanism along the first direction. The shell insertion mechanism controls the shell to move along the first direction and gradually approach the electrode assembly, with the opening of the shell directed toward the electrode assembly. This allows the shell to be placed over the outer surface of the electrode assembly wrapped in the insulating layer without flipping the electrode assembly, thereby achieving the shell insertion process of the electrode assembly. This process is simple and easy to implement.

[0011] In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism includes: a clamping assembly for clamping the electrode assembly along a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; a driving assembly for applying a driving force to the clamping assembly along a third direction, and the clamping assembly is used to release the electrode assembly under the action of the driving force.

[0012] The clamping assembly clamps the electrode assembly along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. When the first direction is perpendicular to the first end face, the second direction is parallel to the first end face to ensure that when the clamping assembly clamps the electrode assembly, it does not affect the first end face of the electrode assembly facing the supporting surface. Then, while the electrode assembly is placed on the transmission mechanism under the action of its own gravity, it can also be subjected to a clamping force along the second direction, further ensuring the stability of the electrode assembly on the transmission mechanism.

[0013] In some embodiments, the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism for conveying the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer from the coating station to the shelling station is different from the third direction.

[0014] If the conveying mechanism transfers the electrode assembly in the same direction as the third direction, the drive assembly is likely to interfere with the transfer mechanism's movement. For example, the drive assembly may need to avoid the transfer mechanism when transferring the electrode assembly, which increases the design complexity of the drive assembly. Conversely, if the conveying mechanism transfers the electrode assembly in a direction different from the third direction, the drive assembly will not hinder the movement of the transfer assembly, facilitating its installation.

[0015] In some embodiments, the clamping assembly includes: two clamping modules spaced apart along the second direction, the electrode assembly is located between the two clamping modules; a moving module linked to the two clamping modules, wherein the two clamping modules are used to: when the moving module moves along the third direction, move along the second direction and away from each other to loosen the electrode assembly, or move along the second direction and approach each other to clamp the electrode assembly; the third direction is different from the second direction.

[0016] The two clamping modules are linked to the mobile module, so that the movement of the mobile module drives the movement of the two clamping modules, thereby enabling the clamping modules to clamp and release the electrode assembly, facilitating the installation and removal of the electrode assembly. Furthermore, because the mobile module moves in a third direction, which is different from the second direction, the positioning of the mobile module is more flexible and easier to implement.

[0017] In some embodiments, the clamping assembly includes a retaining structure connected to the movable module, the retaining structure being configured to retain the movable module at a target position, and the two clamping modules being configured to clamp the electrode assembly along the second direction when the movable module is at the target position. Under the action of the retaining structure, the movable module is positioned at the target position, and correspondingly, the two clamping modules are relatively close to each other, enabling the two clamping modules to clamp the electrode assembly along the second direction.

[0018] In some embodiments, the retaining structure includes a spring extending along the third direction. When no external force is applied to the spring, the spring automatically returns to its initial state, pushing the movable module to the target position, thereby enabling the two clamping modules to clamp the electrode assembly. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0019] In some embodiments, the spring is configured to be compressed in the third direction when the drive assembly applies a driving force to the mobile module in the third direction, and to return to its original shape in the third direction when the drive assembly stops applying the driving force. This spring structure can deform under the action of the driving force and return to its original shape when the driving force is not applied, allowing the mobile module to return to its target position. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0020] In some embodiments, the movable module includes a chute structure, and each of the at least two clamping modules includes a protrusion structure, at least a portion of which is received in the chute structure and moves within the chute structure. The chute structure receives at least a portion of the protrusion structure, allowing the protrusion structure to slide within the chute structure. Thus, by properly designing the chute structure, the two clamping modules having the protrusion structure can be linked relative to the movable module having the chute structure, resulting in a simple structure and easy implementation.

[0021] In some embodiments, the extension direction of the slide groove structure is different from the third direction and different from the second direction, so that when the driving component applies driving force to the moving module along the third direction, due to the setting of the extension direction of the slide groove structure, the two clamping modules can move along the second direction different from the third direction.

[0022] In some embodiments, the mobile module includes two chute structures, and the two chute structures correspond one-to-one with the protrusion structures of the at least two clamping modules. Considering that an electrode assembly is provided between the two clamping modules in the embodiment of the present application, there is a certain distance between the two clamping modules, and correspondingly, the protrusion structures of the two clamping modules are also a certain distance apart. Therefore, two chute structures can be provided to accommodate the two protrusion structures respectively, so that the two chute structures do not affect each other, thereby improving structural reliability.

[0023] In some embodiments, the two chute structures have equal angles with the second direction. Considering that two clamping modules generally need to move synchronously, for example, toward or away from each other, the two chute structures can be set at equal angles with the second direction to synchronize the movement of the protruding structures of the two clamping modules, thereby synchronizing the movement of the two clamping modules and improving the clamping efficiency of the two clamping modules.

[0024] In some embodiments, the two clamping modules are respectively used to clamp two opposing second end surfaces of the electrode assembly, wherein the second end surfaces are perpendicular to the first end surface. By clamping the two opposing second end surfaces of the electrode assembly by the two clamping modules, the clamping force applied to the electrode assembly is more uniform, maintaining the balance of the electrode assembly on the supporting surface, and improving the stability of the electrode assembly on the transmission mechanism.

[0025] In some embodiments, the clamping assembly further comprises a carrying module, the carrying module being stacked with the movable module along the first direction and proximate to the electrode assembly, with a surface of the carrying module facing the electrode assembly serving as the carrying surface. Placing the carrying module between the movable module and the electrode assembly facilitates the carrying module's carrying of the electrode assembly and does not affect the movement of the movable module under the driving force of the driving assembly, thereby facilitating implementation.

[0026] In some embodiments, the film coating station and / or the shell entry station is provided with the drive assembly. At the film coating station, the film coating mechanism wraps the insulating layer around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly. Considering that the first end face of the electrode assembly may not need to be wrapped with an insulating layer, while the other end faces of the electrode assembly need to be wrapped with an insulating layer, the end faces of the electrode assembly clamped by the two clamping modules may also need to be wrapped with an insulating layer. At this time, a driving force can be applied by the drive assembly provided at the film coating station to cause the clamping module to loosen the electrode assembly, thereby wrapping the insulating layer around the outer surface of the electrode assembly. At the shell entry station, the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer enters the interior of the shell from the opening of the shell. Therefore, a driving force can be applied by the drive assembly provided at the shell entry station to cause the two clamping modules to loosen the electrode assembly, thereby enabling the electrode assembly to enter the shell.

[0027] In some embodiments, the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction, so that when the movable module is moved by the driving force, the electrode assembly can still remain relatively stable on the supporting surface under the action of its own gravity, avoiding the position of the electrode assembly being affected by the movement of the movable module.

[0028] In some embodiments, the third direction is perpendicular to the second direction, so that the movement direction of the moving module and the movement direction of the clamping module are perpendicular to each other, and the two will not affect each other in terms of movement position; and when the driving component applies driving force along the third direction, it will not hinder the movement of the two clamping modules, thereby simplifying the structural design and facilitating implementation.

[0029] In a second aspect, a method for assembling battery cells is provided, comprising: transferring an electrode assembly fixed on a conveying mechanism to a wrapping station; at the wrapping station, wrapping an insulating layer around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly; transferring the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer to a shelling station via the conveying mechanism; at the shelling station, sleeveing ​​a shell on the outer side of the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer.

[0030] In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism is used to carry the electrode assembly and the end cover, the end cover is attached to the first end face of the electrode assembly, the carrying surface of the transmission mechanism is attached to the surface of the end cover away from the electrode assembly, and the electrode assembly is placed on the transmission mechanism along a first direction, which is perpendicular to the first end face.

[0031] In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism includes a clamping assembly and a driving assembly, the clamping assembly being used to clamp the electrode assembly along a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, the driving assembly being used to apply a driving force to the clamping assembly along a third direction, and the clamping assembly being used to release the electrode assembly under the action of the driving force.

[0032] In some embodiments, the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism for conveying the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer from the coating station to the shelling station is different from the third direction.

[0033] In some embodiments, the clamping assembly is used to clamp two oppositely disposed second end surfaces of the electrode assembly, and the second end surfaces are perpendicular to the first end surface.

[0034] In some embodiments, neither the first end face nor the second end face is the end face with the largest area of ​​the electrode assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG1 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for assembling battery cells disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a battery cell disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission mechanism for clamping an electrode assembly disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission mechanism for loosening an electrode assembly disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a transmission mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG7 is a schematic top view of a partial structure of a transmission mechanism disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG8 is a schematic top view of another partial structure of a transmission mechanism disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG9 is a schematic top view of another partial structure of a transmission mechanism disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG10 is a schematic top view of a partial structure of another transmission mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a film encapsulation mechanism disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG12 is a partial structural diagram of a shell insertion mechanism disclosed in one embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG13 is a schematic block diagram of another device for assembling battery cells disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG14 is a schematic flow chart of a method for assembling a battery cell disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

[0049] In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to illustrate the principles of the present application, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, that is, the present application is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0051] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means more than two; the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly perpendicular, but is within the allowable error range. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but is within the allowable error range.

[0052] The directional words appearing in the following description are all directions shown in the figures, and do not limit the specific structure of this application. In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0053] In the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals represent the same components, and for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of the same components in different embodiments are omitted. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of the various components in the embodiments of this application, as well as the overall thickness, length, width, and other dimensions of the integrated device shown in the drawings are merely illustrative and should not constitute any limitation on this application.

[0054] References to "embodiments" in this application mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application may be combined with other embodiments.

[0055] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components may be substituted with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but encompasses all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

[0056] The battery referred to in this application refers to a single physical module that includes one or more battery cells to provide higher voltage and capacity. For example, the battery referred to in this application may include a battery module or a battery pack. Batteries generally include a housing that encloses one or more battery cells. The housing prevents liquids or other foreign matter from affecting the charging or discharging of the battery cells.

[0057] In some embodiments, the battery cell may include a lithium-ion secondary battery, a lithium-ion primary battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, or a magnesium-ion battery, etc., but the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. Generally, a battery cell may also be referred to as a battery cell. The battery cell may be cylindrical, flat, rectangular, or other regular or irregular shapes. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to battery cells of any shape.

[0058] A battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The electrode assembly consists of a cathode sheet, an anode sheet, and a separator. A battery cell primarily operates by the movement of metal ions between the cathode and anode sheets. The cathode sheet comprises a cathode current collector and a cathode active material layer. The cathode active material layer is coated on the surface of the current collector. The current collector uncoated with the cathode active material layer protrudes from the current collector coated with the cathode active material layer. The current collector uncoated with the cathode active material layer serves as the cathode tab. For lithium-ion batteries, for example, the cathode current collector can be made of aluminum, and the cathode active material can be made of lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, or lithium manganese oxide. The anode sheet comprises an anode current collector and an anode active material layer. The anode active material layer is coated on the surface of the current collector. The current collector uncoated with the anode active material layer protrudes from the current collector coated with the anode active material layer. The current collector uncoated with the anode active material layer serves as the anode tab. The anode current collector can be made of copper, and the anode active material can be made of carbon or silicon. To ensure high current flow without melting, multiple cathode tabs are stacked, and multiple negative tabs are stacked. The material of the diaphragm may be, for example, polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE).

[0059] The development of battery technology must take into account multiple design factors at the same time, such as energy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, charge and discharge rate and other performance parameters. In addition, the processing efficiency and quality of the battery must also be considered. For example, the processing efficiency of the battery can be improved by improving the processing efficiency of the battery cells.

[0060] The production process of battery cells is very complex. For example, it typically includes the processing and assembly of the electrode assembly, the assembly between the electrode assembly and the end cap, the assembly between the electrode assembly and the housing, and the assembly between the housing and the end cap. Therefore, the production efficiency of battery cells seriously restricts the production efficiency of batteries. Moreover, if the manufacturing process of battery cells is not perfect, it will cause the yield rate of battery cells to decrease during the production process, or cause defects in certain aspects of the battery cells, resulting in performance problems. In severe cases, it can also affect the service life of the battery cells and thus the performance of the battery. Therefore, how to effectively improve the production efficiency of battery cells and the quality rate of products is one of the important issues in the battery field.

[0061] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a device for assembling battery cells, which includes a transmission mechanism, through which the electrode assembly is fixed and the electrode assembly is transmitted between different stations. The transmission mechanism transmits the electrode assembly to the coating station, so that at the coating station, the insulating film is wrapped around at least a part of the outer surface of the electrode assembly through the coating mechanism; the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating film is then transmitted to the shell insertion station by the transmission mechanism, so that at the shell insertion station, the shell is sleeved on the outside of the electrode assembly wrapped with the insulating layer through the shell insertion mechanism. In this way, by transmitting the electrode assembly through different stations in sequence through the transmission mechanism, the processes of wrapping the insulating layer and shell insertion can be realized, and there is no need to repeatedly replace the transmission tool during the transportation and transfer of the electrode assembly, which simplifies the assembly process of the battery cell, improves the assembly efficiency of the battery cell, and reduces the external force damage to the electrode assembly that may be caused by using different transmission tools, thereby improving the qualified rate of the battery cell and thus improving the processing quality rate of the battery.

[0062] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application are applicable to various electrical devices that use batteries.

[0063] Electrical equipment can be vehicles, mobile phones, portable devices, laptops, ships, spacecraft, electric toys, and electric tools, etc. Vehicles can be fuel vehicles, gas vehicles, or new energy vehicles. New energy vehicles can be pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, or extended-range vehicles, etc. Spacecraft include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft, etc. Electric toys include fixed or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys, and electric airplane toys, etc. Electric tools include metal cutting electric tools, grinding electric tools, assembly electric tools, and railway electric tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impact drills, concrete vibrators, and electric planers, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any special restrictions on the above-mentioned electrical equipment.

[0064] To meet different power requirements, a battery can include multiple battery cells, which can be connected in series, parallel, or in a hybrid configuration. A hybrid configuration refers to a combination of series and parallel connections. A battery can also be referred to as a battery pack. Alternatively, multiple battery cells can be connected in series, parallel, or in a hybrid configuration to form a battery module, which can then be connected in series, parallel, or in a hybrid configuration to form a battery. In other words, multiple battery cells can be directly connected to form a battery, or they can be first connected to form battery modules, which can then be connected to form a battery.

[0065] Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 1 for assembling battery cells 2 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present application includes: a conveying mechanism 10 for fixing an electrode assembly 22 and conveying the electrode assembly 22 to a coating station 102; a coating mechanism 20 for wrapping an insulating layer 23 around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22 at the coating station 102; the conveying mechanism 10 is further used to: convey the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 to a shell insertion station 103; and a shell insertion mechanism 30 for sleeve-mounting a shell 211 on the outer side of the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 at the shell insertion station 103.

[0066] Therefore, the device 1 of the embodiment of the present application transmits the electrode assembly 22 through different stations in sequence through the transmission mechanism 10. For example, the transmission mechanism 10 can transmit the electrode assembly 22 to the coating station 102, and pass through the coating mechanism 20 at the coating station 102 to wrap the insulating layer 23 around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22; thereafter, the transmission mechanism 10 can also transmit the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 to the shell insertion station 103, and pass through the shell insertion mechanism 30 at the shell insertion station 103 to sleeve the shell 211 around the outer side of the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23. In this process, the transmission mechanism 10 is used to transmit the electrode assembly 22 without repeatedly replacing other transmission tools, which simplifies the assembly process of the battery cell 2, improves the assembly efficiency of the battery cell 2, and reduces the external force damage to the electrode assembly 22 that may be caused by using different transmission tools, thereby improving the qualified rate of the battery cell 2 and thereby improving the processing quality rate of the battery cell.

[0067] It should be understood that the apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present application can be used to assemble battery cells 2, and the structure of the battery cells 2 can be flexibly configured according to the actual application. For example, Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a possible exploded structure of a battery cell 2 according to the embodiment of the present application. The structure of the battery cell 2 will be described below using Figure 2 as an example. As shown in Figure 2, the battery cell 2 may include one or more electrode assemblies 22 and a housing 21 for accommodating the electrode assemblies 22.

[0068] It should be understood that, as shown in FIG2 , the housing 21 of the embodiment of the present application may be a polyhedral structure. Specifically, the housing 21 may include a shell 211 and an end cap 212, wherein the shell 211 may be a hollow structure with an opening formed at least at one end, and the shape of the end cap 212 may be adapted to the shape of the shell 211, and the end cap 212 is used to cover the opening of the shell 211 so that the shell 211 isolates the internal environment of the battery cell 2 from the external environment. If the shell 211 is a hollow structure with an opening formed at one end, the end cap 212 may be provided as one, such as indicated in FIG2 ; in contrast, if the shell 211 is a hollow structure with openings formed at opposite ends, the end cap 212 may be provided as two, and the two end caps 212 respectively cover the openings at both ends of the shell 211.

[0069] The housing 211 of the embodiment of the present application can be made of a variety of materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, steel, aluminum alloy, etc. The end cap 212 can also be made of a variety of materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, steel, aluminum alloy, etc. The material of the end cap 212 can be the same as or different from the material of the housing 211.

[0070] The housing 21 of the embodiment of the present application can be of various shapes, such as a cylinder, a cuboid, etc. The shapes of the housing 211 and the end cap 212 match each other. For example, as shown in FIG2 , the housing 211 can be a cuboid structure, and the end cap 212 can be a rectangular plate structure that matches the housing 211.

[0071] For ease of explanation, this application uses the outer shell 21 as an example. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the outer shell 21 includes: a shell 211, which is a hollow structure with one end open; and an end cap 212, which is used to cover the opening of the shell 211 to form a closed cavity for placing the electrode assembly 22.

[0072] In the battery cell 2, the housing 211 is used to accommodate the electrode assembly 22. Depending on actual usage requirements, one or more electrode assemblies 22 may be provided within the housing 211. For example, FIG2 illustrates a battery cell 2 including four electrode assemblies 22 arranged along the thickness direction Z of the electrode assembly 22, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0073] The electrode assembly 22 of the present embodiment is the component where the electrochemical reaction occurs in the battery cell 2. The electrode assembly 22 can be cylindrical, rectangular, or the like. If the electrode assembly 22 is cylindrical, the housing 211 can also be cylindrical. If the electrode assembly 22 is rectangular, the housing 211 can also be rectangular.

[0074] For any electrode assembly 22, the electrode assembly 22 may include a tab 222 and a main body 221. Specifically, as shown in FIG2 , the electrode assembly 22 may include at least two tabs 222, and the at least two tabs 222 may include at least one cathode tab and at least one anode tab. The cathode tab may be formed by laminating portions of the cathode electrode sheet that are not coated with the cathode active material layer, and the anode tab may be formed by laminating portions of the anode electrode sheet that are not coated with the negative electrode active material layer.

[0075] The housing 21 of the embodiment of the present application is also provided with an electrode terminal 214, which is used to electrically connect to the electrode assembly 22 to output the electrical energy of the battery cell 2. As shown in Figure 2, the battery cell 2 can also include at least two electrode terminals 214. The at least two electrode terminals 214 can be arranged on the same wall or different walls of the battery cell 2. For example, Figure 2 takes the battery cell 2 as an example, in which the two electrode terminals 214 are provided, and the two electrode terminals 214 are both provided on the end cap 212. The end cap 212 is generally in the shape of a flat plate, and the two electrode terminals 214 are fixed on the flat surface of the end cap 212. The two electrode terminals 214 are respectively a cathode terminal and a negative electrode terminal. Each electrode terminal 214 is provided with a corresponding connecting member 24. The connecting member 24 is located between the end cap 212 and the electrode assembly 22 and is used to electrically connect the electrode assembly 22 and the electrode terminal 214. Specifically, as shown in FIG2 , the cathode tab of the electrode assembly 22 may be connected to the cathode electrode terminal via one connecting member 24 , and the anode tab of the electrode assembly 22 may be connected to the negative electrode terminal via another connecting member 24 .

[0076] It should be understood that the battery cell 2 of the embodiment of the present application also includes an insulating layer 23, which is a hollow structure with at least one opening. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the present application mainly takes the insulating layer 23 having an opening as an example, and the opening is facing the end cover 212. The insulating layer 23 is arranged between the shell 211 and the electrode assembly 22. The hollow structure of the insulating layer 23 is used to accommodate the electrode assembly 22, so that the insulating layer 23 wraps at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22, and the insulating layer 23 can be used to maintain electrical insulation between the electrode assembly 22 and the inner wall of the shell 211. For example, the insulating layer 23 can be a thin film-shaped cover layer composed of an insulating material to cover at least a portion of the periphery of the electrode assembly 22. Specifically, the insulating layer 23 can be a sheet-like structure before wrapping the electrode assembly 22, and a hollow opening structure wrapped around the outside of the electrode assembly 22 is formed by the action of the wrapping mechanism 20.

[0077] In the embodiment of the present application, the shape of the insulating layer 23 can be determined according to the shape of the electrode assembly 22 or the shape of the housing 211. For example, in the embodiment of the present application, the insulating layer 23 is taken as a rectangular parallelepiped, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0078] Optionally, the housing 21 of the battery cell 2 of the embodiment of the present application may also be provided with other components. For example, as shown in FIG2 , the battery cell 20 may also include a pressure relief mechanism.

[0079] It should be understood that the assembly process of the battery cell 2 can be flexibly configured according to the structural characteristics of the battery cell 2 and the actual application. The following describes the assembly process of some components of the battery cell 2 by taking the battery cell 2 shown in FIG. 2 as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0080] As shown in Figures 1 and 2 , the device 1 according to an embodiment of the present application may include a transmission mechanism 10 for securing and transmitting an electrode assembly 22. Figure 3 shows a schematic structural diagram of the transmission mechanism 10 according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of the transmission mechanism 10 according to an embodiment of the present application with the electrode assembly 22 secured thereto. For example, the transmission mechanism 10 shown in Figure 4 may be the transmission mechanism 10 shown in Figures 1 and 3 .

[0081] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the conveying mechanism 10 includes a carrying surface 101 for carrying the electrode assembly 22, and the first end surface 223 of the electrode assembly 22 faces the carrying surface 101, so that the electrode assembly 22 is placed on the conveying mechanism 10 along a first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the first end surface 223. On the one hand, considering that when wrapping the insulating layer 23, the insulating layer 23 generally does not need to wrap the entire surface of the electrode assembly 22, for example, the insulating layer 23 may not need to wrap the first end surface 223 of the electrode assembly 22, therefore, when the electrode assembly 22 is conveyed by the conveying mechanism 10, it is not necessary to wrap the first end surface 223 of the insulating layer 23 toward the carrying surface 101, which will not affect the wrapping process of the insulating layer 23. There is no need to flip the electrode assembly 22 when wrapping the insulating layer 23, thereby avoiding damage to the electrode assembly 22. On the other hand, the first end face 223 faces the supporting surface 101, and the electrode assembly 22 is arranged on the transmission mechanism 10 along the first direction X, so that the electrode assembly 22 can be placed on the transmission mechanism 10 by its own gravity, which is convenient for setting and can also improve the stability of the electrode assembly 22 on the transmission mechanism 10.

[0082] Optionally, the first end surface 223 of the embodiment of the present application can be any surface of the electrode assembly 22 that does not need to be wrapped with the insulating layer 23. For example, the first end surface 223 can be the end surface of the electrode assembly 22 provided with the electrode tab 222, or the electrode tab 222 can also be provided on other end surfaces, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0083] Optionally, considering the processing order of the battery cell 2, the transmission mechanism 10 can also be used to carry other components of the battery cell 2. For example, the transmission mechanism 10 is used to carry the electrode assembly 22 and the end cap 212. The end cap 212 is attached to the first end surface 223 of the electrode assembly 22. The carrying surface 101 of the transmission mechanism 10 is attached to the surface of the end cap 212 away from the electrode assembly 22. The electrode assembly 22 is placed on the transmission mechanism 10 along a first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the first end surface 223. When assembling the battery cell 2, the electrode assembly 22 and the end cap 212 can be fixed first. For example, the electrode terminal 214 of the end cap 212 can be connected to the corresponding tab 222 through the connecting member 24, so that the end cap 212 and the electrode assembly 22 are relatively fixed, that is, the end cap 212 and the electrode assembly 22 can be processed together. That is, the conveying mechanism 10 can be used to carry the electrode assembly 22 and the end cap 212, wherein the carrying surface 101 of the conveying mechanism 10 contacts the surface of the end cap 212 away from the electrode assembly 22, while the surface of the end cap 212 close to the electrode assembly 22 is attached to the first end surface 223. In this way, the conveying mechanism 10 can simultaneously convey the electrode assembly 22 and the end cap 212 for subsequent assembly, which is beneficial to improving the processing efficiency of the battery cell 2.

[0084] It should be understood that the bearing surface 101 of the embodiment of the present application is a surface of the transmission mechanism 10, wherein the surface can be a flat surface to facilitate the processing of the transmission mechanism 10; or the bearing surface 101 can also be an uneven surface. For example, the shape of the bearing surface 101 can be set according to the shape of the component in contact with it. For example, the bearing surface 101 contacts the surface of the end cap 212. Considering that there may be some protruding or recessed components on the surface of the end cap 212 away from the electrode assembly 22, the surface of the end cap 212 away from the electrode assembly 22 is generally uneven. Correspondingly, the bearing surface 101 can also be uneven to adapt to the surface of the end cap 212 away from the electrode assembly 22. For example, the end cap 212 is provided with an electrode terminal 214, which is protruding from the surface of the end cap 212 away from the electrode assembly 22. Correspondingly, a recessed area can be provided on the bearing surface 101 to accommodate the electrode terminal 214, so that the surface of the end cap 212 is compatible with the bearing surface 101. On the one hand, the corresponding relationship between the protruding portion and the recessed area can achieve positioning, facilitating accurate placement of the end cap 212 and the electrode assembly 22 on the bearing surface 101, and can also enable the end cap 212 to be more stably positioned on the bearing surface 101, thereby improving the transmission stability of the transmission mechanism 10; on the other hand, it can also reduce the wear of the bearing surface 101 on the surface of the end cap 212, thereby improving the qualified rate of the battery cells 2.

[0085] The transmission mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 5 shows another structural schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the present application, which is provided with an electrode assembly 22. For example, the difference between Figure 5 and Figure 4 is that the transmission mechanism 10 in Figure 4 clamps the electrode assembly 22, while the transmission mechanism 10 in Figure 5 releases the electrode assembly 22. Figure 6 shows a partial structural schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the present application. For example, in order to clearly show the structure of the transmission mechanism 10, the transmission structure 10 shown in Figure 6 reduces part of the structure for carrying the electrode assembly 22 compared to the transmission mechanism 10 shown in Figure 3. Figures 7 to 9 respectively show top-view schematic diagrams of the transmission mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the present application in several different states. For example, Figures 7 to 9 are top-view schematic diagrams of the partial transmission mechanism 10 shown in Figure 6.

[0086] As shown in Figures 4 to 9, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present embodiment includes: a clamping assembly 11 for clamping the electrode assembly 22 along a second direction Y, which is perpendicular to the first direction X; and a driving assembly 12 for applying a driving force to the clamping assembly 11 along a third direction Z. The clamping assembly 11 is configured to release the electrode assembly 22 under the action of the driving force. The clamping assembly 11 clamps the electrode assembly 22 along the second direction Y, which is perpendicular to the first direction X. When the first direction X is perpendicular to the first end surface 223, the second direction Y is parallel to the first end surface 223. This ensures that when the clamping assembly 11 clamps the electrode assembly 22, it does not affect the orientation of the first end surface 223 of the electrode assembly 22 toward the supporting surface 101. Thus, while the electrode assembly 22 is placed on the transmission mechanism 10 under the action of its own weight, it can also be subjected to a clamping force along the second direction Y, further ensuring the stability of the electrode assembly 22 on the transmission mechanism 10. In addition, when it is necessary to remove the electrode assembly 22 from the transmission mechanism 10, under the action of the driving force of the driving component 12 along the third direction Z, the clamping component 11 can move along the second direction Y to loosen the electrode assembly 22, thereby facilitating the removal of the electrode assembly 22; similarly, when it is necessary to place the electrode assembly 22 in the transmission mechanism 10, the driving force along the third direction Z applied by the driving component 12 can also be used to move the clamping component 11 so that the electrode assembly 22 can be placed in the transmission mechanism 10.

[0087] It should be understood that the drive assembly 22 in the embodiment of the present application applies a driving force along the third direction Z, and the third direction Z can be flexibly set according to actual application. For example, the third direction Z can be the same as or different from the second direction Y of the clamping electrode assembly 22 of the clamping assembly 11. If the third direction Z is set to be different from the second direction Y, the position of the drive assembly 12 can be more flexibly set, avoiding the drive assembly 12 from obstructing the movement of the clamping assembly 11.

[0088] For another example, the direction in which the conveying mechanism 10 conveys the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 from the coating station 102 to the shell insertion station 103 is different from the third direction Z. If the direction in which the conveying mechanism 10 conveys the electrode assembly 22 is the same as the third direction Z, the drive assembly 12 is likely to affect the conveying of the conveying mechanism 10. For example, when the conveying mechanism 10 is conveying the electrode assembly 22, the drive assembly 12 may need to avoid the conveying mechanism 10, which increases the design difficulty of the drive assembly 12. Conversely, if the direction in which the conveying mechanism 10 conveys the electrode assembly 22 is different from the third direction Z, the drive assembly 12 will not hinder the movement of the conveying assembly 22, which will facilitate the installation of the drive assembly 12.

[0089] It should be understood that the drive assembly 12 of the embodiment of the present application can be implemented in various ways. For example, as shown in Figures 4 to 9, the drive assembly 12 can be a cylinder, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0090] In an embodiment of the present application, the clamping assembly 11 includes: two clamping modules 111 spaced apart along a second direction Y, with the electrode assembly 22 located between the two clamping modules 111; and a moving module 112 linked to the two clamping modules 111, wherein the two clamping modules 111 are configured to: when the moving module 112 moves along a third direction Z, move away from each other along the second direction Y to release the electrode assembly 22, or move toward each other along the second direction Y to clamp the electrode assembly 22; the third direction Z is different from the second direction Y. The two clamping modules 111 are linked to the moving module 112, that is, the movement of the moving module 112 can drive the movement of the two clamping modules 111, thereby enabling the clamping modules 111 to clamp and release the electrode assembly 22, thereby facilitating the installation and removal of the electrode assembly 22. In addition, since the moving direction of the moving module 112 is the third direction Z, which is different from the second direction Y, the position setting of the moving module 112 is more flexible and easier to implement.

[0091] It should be understood that, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the third direction Z of the embodiment of the present application may include two opposite directions, so that the moving module 112 can reciprocate along the third direction Z; similarly, the second direction Y of the embodiment of the present application may include two opposite directions, so that the two clamping modules 111 can respectively reciprocate along the second direction Y, so that the two clamping modules 111 can approach each other or move away from each other.

[0092] The clamping and releasing of the electrode assembly 22 by the clamping assembly 11 will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. As shown in Figure 7, the clamping assembly 11 may further include a retaining structure 113 connected to the movable module 112. The retaining structure 113 is used to retain the movable module 112 in a target position. The two clamping modules 111 are used to clamp the electrode assembly 22 along the second direction Y when the movable module 112 is in the target position. In this way, under the action of the retaining structure 113, the movable module 112 is in the target position, and correspondingly, the two clamping modules 111 are relatively close to each other, so that the two clamping modules 111 can clamp the electrode assembly 22 along the second direction Y.

[0093] Alternatively, the retaining structure 113 of the embodiment of the present application can be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, as shown in FIG7 , the retaining structure 113 includes a spring 1131 extending along the third direction Z. When no external force is applied to the spring 1131, the spring 1131 automatically returns to its initial state, pushing the moving module 112 to the target position, thereby allowing the two clamping modules 111 to clamp the electrode assembly 22. This simple structure is easy to implement.

[0094] Optionally, the type of the spring 1131 in the embodiment of the present application can be flexibly set according to actual application. For example, the spring 1131 can be a compression spring or a tension spring, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0095] In the embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG8 , by comparing FIG8 with FIG7 , it can be seen that when the driving component 12 gradually applies a driving force to the mobile module 112 along the third direction Z, the mobile module 112 moves along the third direction Z. For example, the third direction Z is taken as the vertically upward direction as shown in FIG8 , that is, the driving component 12 applies a driving force to the mobile module 112 along the vertically upward third direction Z as shown in FIG8 . At this time, the mobile module 112 moves correspondingly along the vertically upward third direction Z under the action of the driving force. Correspondingly, the two clamping modules 111 linked with the mobile module 112 move along the second direction Y and away from each other, so that the distance between the two clamping modules 111 gradually increases, and the clamping force of the two clamping modules 111 on the electrode assembly 22 also gradually decreases.

[0096] As shown in Figure 9, by comparing Figures 8 and 9, it can be seen that when the driving force applied by the driving component 12 along the vertically upward third direction Z gradually increases until the moving module 112 moves to the farthest distance along the vertically upward third direction Z, the two clamping modules 111 linked with the moving module 112 also move along the second direction Y and move away from each other until the distance between them is maximum, then the electrode assembly 22 can be removed from between the two clamping modules 111, that is, the electrode assembly 22 is removed from the transmission mechanism 10.

[0097] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, when the drive assembly 12 applies a driving force, the driving force is greater than the retaining force of the retaining structure 113, so that the mobile module 112 moves away from the target position. For example, taking spring 1131 as an example, the spring 1131 is configured to be compressed along the third direction Z when the drive assembly 12 applies a driving force to the mobile module 112 along the third direction Z. For example, when the drive assembly 12 applies a driving force in the vertically upward third direction Z, the spring 1131 can be compressed.

[0098] It should be understood that, from Figure 7 to Figure 9, the drive assembly 12 can be regarded as gradually increasing the driving force along the third vertical upward direction Z; on the contrary, from Figure 9 to Figure 7, the drive assembly 12 can be regarded as gradually reducing the driving force along the third vertical upward direction Z.

[0099] Specifically, as shown in FIG9 , when the distance between the two clamping modules 111 is the largest, the electrode assembly 22 may be placed between the two clamping modules 111 so that the electrode assembly 22 is placed in the transmission mechanism 10 .

[0100] As shown in Figure 8, by comparing Figure 8 and Figure 9, it can be seen that when the driving force of the driving component 12 along the vertically upward third direction Z is gradually reduced, the moving module 112 gradually moves along the vertically downward third direction Z under the action of the retaining structure 113. At this time, the two clamping modules 111 linked with the moving module 112 approach each other along the second direction Y, that is, the distance between the two clamping modules 111 gradually decreases, and the two clamping modules 111 can gradually approach the electrode assembly 22 and gradually clamp the electrode assembly 22.

[0101] As shown in Figure 7, by comparing Figure 7 and Figure 8, it can be seen that when the driving component 12 does not apply driving force to the moving module 112, under the action of the retaining structure 113, the moving module 112 returns to the target position, and the two clamping modules 111 linked with the moving module 112 approach each other along the second direction Y and clamp the electrode assembly 22, thereby achieving fixation between the electrode assembly 22 and the transmission mechanism 10.

[0102] It should be understood that as the driving force applied by the drive assembly 12 gradually decreases, the retaining structure 113 can enable the mobile module 112 to gradually approach the target position. For example, taking the retaining structure 113 as a spring 1131 as an example, the spring 1131 is used to reset along the third direction Z when the drive assembly 12 does not apply a driving force to the mobile module 112. Specifically, as shown in Figures 9 to 7, as the driving force applied by the drive assembly 12 gradually decreases, the spring 1131 gradually recovers from the compressed state until the drive assembly 12 does not apply a driving force, and the spring 1131 recovers to its original state along the third direction Z, so that the mobile module 112 moves to the target position and remains at the target position when the drive assembly 12 does not apply a driving force. In this way, the two clamping modules 111 linked to the mobile module 112 can maintain the state of clamping the electrode assembly 22 to fix the electrode assembly 22.

[0103] It should be understood that when an electrode assembly 22 is disposed between two clamping modules 111, the target position of the movable module 112 can be set according to the size of the clamped electrode assembly 22, so that the two clamping modules 111 can clamp the electrode assembly 22. In addition, when no components are disposed between the two clamping modules 111, the movable module 112 can also return to the target position under the action of the retaining structure 113, and the two clamping modules 111 are close to each other but do not clamp any components.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present application, the linkage between the mobile module 112 and the two clamping modules 111 can be achieved in a variety of ways. For example, the linkage between the mobile module 112 and the two clamping modules 111 can be achieved by setting a slide and a protrusion that can move in the slide. Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the mobile module 112 includes a slide structure 1121, and each of the at least two clamping modules 111 includes a protrusion structure 1111, and at least a portion of the protrusion structure 1111 is accommodated in the slide structure 1121 and moves within the slide structure 1121. The slide structure 1121 accommodates at least a portion of the protrusion structure 1111, so that the protrusion structure 1111 can slide within the slide structure 1121. In this way, by reasonably designing the slide structure 1121, the two clamping modules 111 with the protrusion structure 1111 can be linked relative to the mobile module 112 with the slide structure 1121, which has a simple structure and is easy to implement.

[0105] Optionally, the extension direction of the chute structure 1121 can be set according to actual application. For example, the extension direction of the chute structure 1121 can be determined according to the second direction Y and the third direction Z. For another example, the extension direction of the chute structure 1121 is different from the third direction Z and different from the second direction Y, so that when the drive assembly 12 applies a driving force to the mobile module 112 along the third direction Z, due to the setting of the extension direction of the chute structure 1121, the two clamping modules 111 can move along the second direction Y different from the third direction Z. For another example, the extension direction of the chute structure 1121 can also be related to at least one of the following parameters: the moving speed of the mobile module 112, the moving speed of the two clamping modules 111, the magnitude of the driving force applied by the drive assembly 12, and the elastic coefficient of the spring 1131, that is, the extension direction of the chute structure 1121 can be determined according to at least one of the above parameters, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0106] Optionally, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, the mobile module 112 includes two chute structures 1121, and the two chute structures 1121 correspond one-to-one to the protruding structures 1111 of at least two clamping modules 111. Considering that the electrode assembly 22 is provided between the two clamping modules 111 in the embodiment of the present application, there is a certain distance between the two clamping modules 111, and correspondingly, the protruding structures 1111 of the two clamping modules 111 also have a certain distance. Therefore, two chute structures 1121 can be provided to accommodate the two protruding structures 1111 respectively, so that the two chute structures 1121 do not affect each other, thereby improving the structural reliability.

[0107] Optionally, as shown in Figures 7 to 9 , the two chute structures 1121 have equal angles with the second direction Y. Considering that the two clamping modules 111 generally need to move synchronously, for example, toward each other or away from each other, the two chute structures 1121 can be set to have equal angles with the second direction Y, so that the movement of the protruding structures 1111 of the two clamping modules 111 is synchronized, thereby synchronizing the movement of the two clamping modules 111 and improving the clamping efficiency of the two clamping modules 111.

[0108] Optionally, as shown in Figures 7 to 9, two clamping modules 111 are respectively used to clamp two oppositely disposed second end surfaces 224 of the electrode assembly 22, where the second end surfaces 224 are perpendicular to the first end surface 223. By clamping the two opposite second end surfaces 224 of the electrode assembly 22 by the two clamping modules 111, the clamping force applied to the electrode assembly 22 is relatively uniform, maintaining the balance of the electrode assembly 22 on the supporting surface 101, and improving the stability of the electrode assembly 22 on the transmission mechanism 10.

[0109] It should be understood that the specific structures of the two clamping modules 111 in the embodiment of the present application can be flexibly set according to actual applications. For example, the two clamping modules 111 can be set to a mutually symmetrical structure so that when the two clamping modules 111 clamp the electrode assembly 22, the clamping force on the electrode assembly 22 is relatively uniform, thereby maintaining the stability of the electrode assembly 22. For example, each clamping module 111 in the embodiment of the present application can be a columnar structure, and the size of the area where each clamping module 111 contacts the electrode assembly 22 can be flexibly set according to actual conditions, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0110] Alternatively, the above description mainly uses the example of the retaining structure 113 including the spring 1131 extending along the third direction Z. Alternatively, the retaining structure 113 may also be implemented in other ways. Similarly, the linkage between the mobile module 112 and the two clamping modules 111 in the embodiment of the present application may also be implemented through other structures.

[0111] For example, FIG10 shows another schematic top view of the transmission mechanism 10 according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG10 illustrates another possible structure of the retaining structure 113 according to an embodiment of the present application, and also illustrates possible structures of the moving module 112 and the clamping module 111 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG10 , the retaining structure 113 of the transmission mechanism 10 may include a spring 1132 extending along the second direction Y. Specifically, the spring 1132 extending along the second direction Y may be arranged to correspond one-to-one with the two clamping modules 111, i.e., each spring 1132 is connected to a corresponding clamping module 111. In addition, the moving module 112 of the transmission mechanism 10 may include a wedge-shaped surface 1122. Correspondingly, each of the two clamping modules 111 includes a cam 1112, so that the cam 1112 can move along the wedge-shaped surface 1122, thereby causing the moving module 111 to be linked to the two clamping modules 111.

[0112] Specifically, when the driving assembly 12 applies a driving force, that is, when the driving assembly 12 applies a driving force along the third direction Z to the mobile module 112, the mobile module 112 moves along the third direction Z. Correspondingly, the cams 1112 of the two clamping modules 111 move along the wedge surface 1122, so that the two clamping modules 111 move away from each other along the second direction Y to release the electrode assembly 22, or to place the electrode assembly 22. At this time, the spring 1132 will deform under the action of the clamping module 111. Conversely, when the driving assembly 12 gradually reduces the driving force until the driving force stops being applied, the spring 1132 will return to its initial shape, pushing the two clamping modules 111 gradually closer to tighten the electrode assembly 22. At the same time, due to the interaction between the cam 1112 and the wedge surface 1122, the mobile module 112 moves along the third direction Z and returns to the target position.

[0113] Alternatively, as shown in FIG10 , considering that the movable module 112 can be located outside the clamping module 111 when in the target position and can be separated from the two clamping modules 111, the movable module 112 in this embodiment can be set separately from the two clamping modules 111, that is, in the process of the two clamping modules 111 clamping the electrode assembly 22 and moving along different stations, the movable module 112 does not move, and the movable module 112 can be fixedly set at the corresponding station. For example, the position of the movable module 112 can be flexibly set according to actual application. For example, the coating station 102 and / or the shelling station 103 is provided with the movable module 112 so that when the two clamping modules 111 clamp the electrode assembly 22 and move to the station, the movable module 112 can move the two clamping modules 111 to loosen and tighten the electrode assembly 22, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0114] In the embodiment of the present application, the clamping assembly 11 further includes a carrying module 114. The carrying module 114 and the movable module 112 are stacked along the first direction X and are close to the electrode assembly 22. The surface of the carrying module 114 facing the electrode assembly 22 is a carrying surface 101. The carrying module 114 is arranged between the movable module 112 and the electrode assembly 22 to facilitate the carrying module 114 to carry the electrode assembly 22, and will not affect the movement of the movable module 112 under the driving force of the driving assembly 12, thereby facilitating implementation.

[0115] It should be understood that the structure of the carrier module 114 of the embodiment of the present application can be configured according to actual applications. For example, the carrier module 114 can be a plate-shaped structure, and correspondingly, the mobile module 112 can also be a plate-shaped structure. In this way, the carrier module 114 and the mobile module 112 are stacked, which not only facilitates the processing and assembly of the two, but also reduces the overall volume of the transmission mechanism 10 and simplifies the overall structure of the device 1.

[0116] In an embodiment of the present application, the position of the drive assembly 12 can be flexibly set according to the actual application. For example, the drive assembly 12 can be reasonably set according to the work content of different stations. For example, the coating station 102 and / or the shelling station 103 are provided with a drive assembly 12. Specifically, at the coating station 102, the coating mechanism 20 wraps the insulating layer 23 around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22. Considering that the first end face 223 of the electrode assembly 22 does not need to be wrapped with the insulating layer 23, while the other end faces of the electrode assembly 22 need to be wrapped with the insulating layer 23, the end faces of the electrode assembly 22 clamped by the two clamping modules 111 may also need to be wrapped with the insulating layer 23. At this time, the driving force can be applied by the drive assembly 22 set at the coating station 102 to make the clamping module 111 loosen the electrode assembly 22, thereby wrapping the insulating layer 23 around the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22. At the shell entry station 103 , the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 enters the interior of the shell 211 from the opening 2111 of the shell 211 . Therefore, a driving force can be applied by the driving assembly 22 set at the shell entry station 103 to make the two clamping modules 111 loosen the electrode assembly 22, thereby allowing the electrode assembly 22 to enter the shell 211 .

[0117] In the embodiment of the present application, the mobile module 112 moves along the third direction Z. The third direction Z can be flexibly set according to actual applications. For example, the third direction Z is perpendicular to the first direction X, so that when the mobile module 112 is moved by the driving force, the electrode assembly 22 can still remain relatively stable on the supporting surface 101 under the action of its own weight, thereby preventing the position of the electrode assembly 22 from being affected by the movement of the mobile module 112.

[0118] For another example, the third direction Z is perpendicular to the second direction Y, so that the movement direction of the moving module 112 and the moving direction of the clamping module 111 are perpendicular to each other, and the two will not affect each other in the moving position; and when the driving component 12 applies driving force along the third direction Z, it will not hinder the movement of the two clamping modules 111, simplifying the structural design and facilitating implementation.

[0119] Optionally, if the third direction Z is set perpendicular to the second direction Y, the extension direction of the slide structure 1121 can be located between the third direction Z and the second direction Y. For example, the angle between the slide structure 1121 and the third direction Z can be 45°, and the angle between the slide structure 1121 and the second direction Y can also be 45°. In this way, the moving speed of the moving module 112 can be equal to the moving speed of the clamping module 111, which is convenient for control. However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0120] The transmission mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the present application is described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The coating mechanism 20 of the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 11 shows a possible structural schematic diagram of the coating mechanism 20 of the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 11, the coating mechanism 20 is used to: control the movement of the insulating layer 23 along the first direction X so that the insulating layer 23 is close to the electrode assembly 22 and wraps at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22. Since the electrode assembly 22 is placed on the transmission mechanism 10 along the first direction X, the coating mechanism 20 controls the insulating layer 23 to move along the first direction X and gradually approach the electrode assembly 22. The insulating layer 23 can be wrapped around the electrode assembly 22 from the end face of the electrode assembly 22 opposite to the first end face 223. The wrapping process is simple and easy to implement, and the insulating layer 23 can be wrapped around the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22 without flipping the electrode assembly 22 while the electrode assembly 22 remains placed on the transmission mechanism 10 along the first direction X.

[0121] The structure of the coating mechanism 20 of the embodiment of the present application can be configured according to actual application. For example, as shown in Figure 11, the coating mechanism 20 may include: at least one sandwich structure and a bracket 205, wherein the at least one sandwich structure is disposed on the bracket 205. Optionally, Figure 11 takes the example of the at least one sandwich structure including four sandwich structures, respectively referred to herein as a first sandwich structure 201, a second sandwich structure 202, a third sandwich structure 203, and a fourth sandwich structure 204. The four sandwich structures are respectively used to clamp the corner areas of the insulating layer 23, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0122] Optionally, the coating mechanism 20 may further include a fixed structure, such that the support 205 is fixed to the fixed structure as a whole and can move relative to the fixed structure. For example, the support 205 can move relative to the fixed structure along a first direction X. For example, as shown in FIG11 , where the first direction X includes a vertically upward direction, the support 205 can move vertically upward or vertically downward along the first direction X to move away from or closer to the electrode assembly 22 fixed to the transmission mechanism 10.

[0123] As shown in Figure 11, the bracket 205 includes at least one sandwich structure to clamp and fix the insulating layer 23. For example, the embodiment of the present application takes four sandwich structures to clamp the four corners of the insulating layer 23 as an example. In this way, when the insulating layer 23 is wrapped around the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22, the first clamping structure 201 and the second clamping structure 202 clamp the first part 231 of the insulating layer 23 and flip it along the dotted line toward the electrode assembly 22; correspondingly, the third clamping structure 203 and the fourth clamping structure 204 clamp the second part 233 of the insulating layer 23 and flip it along the dotted line toward the electrode assembly 22; the connecting part 232 located between the first part 231 and the second part 233 corresponds to an end face of the electrode assembly 22. For example, the end face corresponding to the connecting part 232 can be the end face opposite to the first end face 223 of the electrode assembly 22, that is, the connecting part 232 wraps the end face opposite to the first end face 223 of the electrode assembly 22, and then the insulating layer 23 is flipped by clamping the four clamping structures to achieve the wrapping of the insulating layer 23 on the other end faces of the electrode assembly 22.

[0124] The shell entry mechanism 30 of the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 12 shows a possible structural schematic diagram of the shell entry mechanism 30 of the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 12, the shell entry mechanism 30 is used to: point the opening 2111 of the shell 211 toward the electrode assembly 22, and control the shell 211 to move along the first direction X, so that the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 enters the shell 211 from the opening. The shell 211 has an opening 2111, and the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 is arranged on the transmission mechanism 10 along the first direction X. The shell entry mechanism 30 controls the shell 211 to move along the first direction X and gradually approaches the electrode assembly 22, and the opening 2111 of the shell 211 is toward the electrode assembly 22. Then, without flipping the electrode assembly 22, the shell 211 can be placed on the outside of the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 to realize the shell entry process of the electrode assembly 22. The process is simple and easy to implement.

[0125] The structure of the shell insertion mechanism 30 of the embodiment of the present application can be configured according to actual application. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the shell insertion mechanism 30 may include: a support component 301, a drive component 302, and a shell fixing component 303. The shell fixing component 303 is fixed to the support component 301, and the drive component 302 can also be fixed to the support component 301, so as to facilitate the processing and assembly of the shell insertion mechanism 30.

[0126] Specifically, as shown in FIG12 , the shell fixing component 303 can be used to fix the shell 211. For example, the shell fixing component 303 can include a bottom clamping structure 3031 and an opening clamping structure 3032, wherein the bottom clamping structure 3031 can be used to clamp and fix the bottom of the shell 211, the bottom of the shell 211 includes the bottom wall of the shell 211 and the portion of the side wall of the shell 211 surrounding and close to the bottom wall, the bottom wall of the shell 211 is the wall opposite to the opening 2111 of the shell 211, and the side wall of the shell 211 is the wall adjacent to the opening 2111 of the shell 211 and used to enclose and form the opening 2111; the opening clamping structure 3032 is used to clamp and fix the portion of the side wall of the shell 211 close to the opening 2111, so that the opening 2111 can be aligned with the electrode assembly 22, so as to facilitate the accurate sleeve of the shell 211 on the outside of the electrode assembly 22 to complete the process of inserting the electrode assembly 22 into the shell.

[0127] It should be understood that the device 1 of the embodiment of the present application may also include other stations and mechanisms for assembling battery cells 2. For example, Figure 13 shows another schematic block diagram of the device 1 of the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 13, the device 1 of the embodiment of the present application may also include: a loading mechanism 40, which is used to fix the electrode assembly 22 on the transmission mechanism 10 at the loading station 104; the transmission mechanism 10 is also used to: transfer the electrode assembly 22 from the loading station 104 to other stations, for example, it can be transferred to the coating station 102. Specifically, the loading mechanism 40 can place the electrode assembly 22 on the transmission mechanism 10 along the first direction X. In Figure 13, the first direction X is taken as the vertical direction as an example. Then, at the loading station 104, the clamping module 111 of the transmission mechanism 10 can clamp and fix the electrode assembly 22, so that the transmission mechanism 10 can transfer the electrode assembly 22 to other stations to start assembling the battery cell 2.

[0128] Optionally, a driving assembly 12 can be set at the loading station 104 so that the driving assembly 12 provides driving force for the transmission mechanism 10. In this way, under the action of the driving force, the clamping modules 111 of the clamping assembly 11 move away from each other, increasing the distance between the two clamping modules 111. The loading mechanism 40 can then set the electrode assembly 22 or the interconnected electrode assembly and end cover 212 between the two clamping modules 111 to fix the electrode assembly 22.

[0129] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG13 , the device 1 of the embodiment of the present application may further include: a first detection mechanism 50 for detecting whether the electrode assembly 22 has defects at the first detection station 105; the transmission mechanism 10 is further used to: transmit the electrode assembly 22 that has passed the first detection station 105 to other stations, for example, it may be transmitted to the coating station 102. Specifically, the first detection station 105 may be located between the loading station 104 and the coating station 102. Before the electrode assembly 22 is wrapped with the insulating layer 23, the electrode assembly 22 may be subjected to defect detection at the first detection station 105 by the first detection mechanism 50, so as to promptly discover and process the defective electrode assembly 22 to avoid affecting the performance of the battery cell 2 including the electrode assembly 22.

[0130] Optionally, the first detection mechanism 50 of the embodiment of the present application may be a charge coupled device (CCD) detection mechanism to take pictures and perform defect detection through a CCD camera, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0131] It should be understood that the direction in which the transmission mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the present application transmits the electrode assembly 22 can be set according to actual applications. For example, in Figure 13, the transmission mechanism 10 transmits the electrode assembly 22 from left to right as an example. For example, the transmission mechanism 10 transmits the electrode assembly 22 from the loading station 104 to the first inspection station 105, and then transmits it to the coating station 102, and so on. However, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0132] Optionally, as shown in Figure 13, the device 1 of the embodiment of the present application may also include: a second detection mechanism 60, which is used to detect the wrapping effect of the insulating layer 23 of the electrode assembly 22 at the second detection station 106; the transmission mechanism 10 is also used to: transmit the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 after passing through the second detection station 106 to other stations, for example, it can continue to be transmitted to the shelling station 103. Specifically, the second detection station 106 can be located between the coating station 102 and the shelling station 103. After the electrode assembly 22 is wrapped with the insulating layer 23, the electrode assembly 22 that has been coated can be further subjected to other treatments. For example, in order to fix the insulating layer 23 and the electrode assembly 22, the insulating layer 23 can be hot-melt treated, and the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 can also be glued. Therefore, the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 can be inspected for defects at the second inspection station 106 by the second inspection mechanism 60 to promptly detect and process defective areas. For example, unqualified areas of glue can be discovered in a timely manner to avoid affecting the performance of the assembled battery cell 2.

[0133] Optionally, the second detection mechanism 60 of the embodiment of the present application may be a CCD detection mechanism to perform photographing and defect detection through a CCD camera, but the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0134] The transport mechanism 10 transports the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 from the coating station 102 to the second inspection station 106, and can also transport it from the second inspection station 106 to the shell insertion station 103, so that at the shell insertion station 103, the shell 211 is placed on the outside of the electrode assembly 22 with the insulating layer 23 through the shell insertion mechanism 30.

[0135] Optionally, as shown in FIG13 , the apparatus 1 further includes a blanking mechanism 70 that separates the electrode assembly 22 encased in the shell 211 from the conveying mechanism 10 at the blanking station 107 , thereby allowing the electrode assembly 22 with the shell 211 to undergo subsequent processing. Specifically, the conveying mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the present application can continue to convey the electrode assembly 22 encased in the shell 211 from the shell insertion station 103 to the blanking station 107 . At the unloading station 107, the unloading mechanism 70 can separate the electrode assembly 22 provided with the shell 211 from the transmission mechanism 10 along the first direction X. In Figure 13, the first direction X is taken as the vertical direction as an example. Then, at the unloading station 107, the clamping module 111 of the transmission mechanism 10 can loosen the electrode assembly 22 so that the transmission mechanism 10 can be separated from the electrode assembly 22 including the shell 211, so that the transmission mechanism 10 can be recycled and continue to fix and transmit other electrode assemblies 22. At the same time, the electrode assembly 22 provided with the shell 211 after separation can continue to perform other subsequent assembly steps to obtain the assembled battery cell 2.

[0136] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, the transmission mechanism 10 further includes: a control component 13 for controlling the movement of the clamping component 11 between different stations. For example, when the transmission mechanism 10 is provided with an electrode assembly 22, that is, from the loading station 104 to the unloading station 107 as shown in FIG13 , the control component 13 can be used to control the stable movement of the clamping component 11 between the different stations to transfer the clamped electrode assembly 22. For example, the control component 13 can select a magnetic drive device to drive the movement of the clamping component 11 by magnetic force to maintain the stability and movement rate of the electrode assembly 22.

[0137] After the electrode assembly 22 is removed from the conveyor mechanism 10, for example, after the unloading station 107, the conveyor mechanism 10 can be moved back to the loading station 104 to secure the next electrode assembly 22. During the process of the clamping assembly 11 of the conveyor mechanism 10 returning from the unloading station 107 to the loading station 104, since no components are clamped, the control assembly 13 can select other devices to save time and cost. For example, the control assembly 13 can include a conveyor belt to quickly transport the clamping assembly 11 back to the loading station 104, thereby completing a cycle, that is, completing the shelling process of one electrode assembly 22.

[0138] In the embodiment of the present application, the device 1 transmits the electrode assembly 22 through different stations in sequence via the transmission mechanism 10. For example, the transmission mechanism 10 can transmit the electrode assembly 22 to the coating station 102, and pass through the coating mechanism 20 at the coating station 102 to wrap the insulating layer 23 around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22; thereafter, the transmission mechanism 10 can also transmit the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 to the shell insertion station 103, and pass through the shell insertion mechanism 30 at the shell insertion station 103 to sleeve the shell 211 around the outer side of the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23. In this process, the transmission mechanism 10 is used to transmit the electrode assembly 22 without repeatedly replacing other transmission tools, which simplifies the assembly process of the battery cell 2, improves the assembly efficiency of the battery cell 2, and reduces the external force damage to the electrode assembly 22 that may be caused by using different transmission tools, thereby improving the qualified rate of the battery cell 2 and thus improving the processing quality rate of the battery.

[0139] The above describes in detail the device 1 for assembling battery cells 2 according to an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The method for assembling battery cells 2 according to an embodiment of the present application will be described below. For parts not described in detail, please refer to the aforementioned embodiments.

[0140] FIG14 is a schematic flow chart of a method 800 for assembling a battery cell 2 according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG14 , the method 800 may include: S810, transferring the electrode assembly 22 secured to the conveying mechanism 10 to the coating station 102; S820, at the coating station 102, wrapping the insulating layer 23 around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22; S830, transferring the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 via the conveying mechanism 10 to the shell insertion station 103; S840, at the shell insertion station 103, inserting the shell 211 onto the outer surface of the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23.

[0141] Optionally, as an embodiment, the transmission mechanism 10 is used to carry the electrode assembly 22 and the end cover 212, the end cover 212 is attached to the first end face 223 of the motor assembly 22, the bearing surface 101 of the transmission mechanism is attached to the surface of the end cover 212 away from the electrode assembly 22, and the electrode assembly 22 is placed on the transmission mechanism 10 along a first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the first end face 223.

[0142] Optionally, as an embodiment, the transmission mechanism 10 includes a clamping assembly 11 and a driving assembly 12, the clamping assembly 11 is used to clamp the electrode assembly 22 along a second direction Y, the second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X, the driving assembly 12 is used to apply a driving force to the clamping assembly 11 along a third direction Z, and the clamping assembly 11 is used to release the electrode assembly 22 under the action of the driving force.

[0143] Optionally, as an embodiment, the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 10 to convey the electrode assembly 22 wrapped with the insulating layer 23 from the coating station 102 to the shelling station 103 is different from the third direction Z.

[0144] Optionally, as an embodiment, the clamping assembly 11 is used to clamp two oppositely disposed second end surfaces of the electrode assembly 22 , where the second end surfaces are perpendicular to the first end surface 223 .

[0145] Optionally, as an embodiment, neither the first end face 223 nor the second end face is the end face with the largest area of ​​the electrode assembly 22 .

[0146] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components may be substituted with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but encompasses all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assembling battery cells, wherein: include: A transport mechanism (10) is used to fix the electrode assembly (22) and transport the electrode assembly (22) to a coating station (102); A coating mechanism (20) is used to coat at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly (22) with an insulating layer (23) at the coating station (102); The transmission mechanism (10) is further used to: transmit the electrode assembly (22) wrapped with the insulating layer (23) to a shell insertion station (103); The shell insertion mechanism (30) is used to sleeve the shell (211) onto the outer side of the electrode assembly (22) wrapped with the insulating layer (23) at the shell insertion station (103).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The transmission mechanism (10) is used to carry the electrode assembly (22) and the end cover (212), the end cover (212) is attached to the first end surface (223) of the electrode assembly (22), the carrying surface (101) of the transmission mechanism (10) is attached to the surface of the end cover (212) away from the electrode assembly (22), and the electrode assembly (22) is placed on the transmission mechanism (10) along a first direction (X), and the first direction (X) is perpendicular to the first end surface (223).

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein The film wrapping mechanism (20) is used for: The insulating layer (23) is controlled to move along the first direction (X) so that the insulating layer (23) is close to the electrode assembly (22) and wraps at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly (22).

4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The shell insertion mechanism (30) is used for: The opening (2111) of the shell (211) is directed toward the electrode assembly (22), and the shell (211) is controlled to move along the first direction (X) so that the electrode assembly (22) wrapped in the insulating layer (23) enters the shell (211) from the opening.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The transmission mechanism (10) comprises: a clamping assembly (11) for clamping the electrode assembly (22) along a second direction (Y), wherein the second direction (Y) is perpendicular to the first direction (X); A driving assembly (12) is used to apply a driving force to the clamping assembly (11) along a third direction (Z), and the clamping assembly (11) is used to release the electrode assembly (22) under the action of the driving force.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein The transmission direction of the electrode assembly (22) wrapped with the insulating layer (23) by the transmission mechanism (10) from the coating station (102) to the shelling station (103) is different from the third direction (Z).

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: The clamping assembly (11) comprises: Two clamping modules (111) are spaced apart along the second direction (Y), and the electrode assembly (22) is located between the two clamping modules (111); A moving module (112) linked to the two clamping modules (111), The two clamping modules (111) are used to: when the moving module (112) moves along the third direction (Z), move along the second direction (Y) and move away from each other to release the electrode assembly (22); or move along the second direction (Y) and move closer to each other to clamp the electrode assembly (22); the third direction (Z) is different from the second direction (Y).

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein The clamping assembly (11) comprises: A holding structure (113) is connected to the moving module (112), and the holding structure (113) is used to hold the moving module (112) at a target position. The two clamping modules (111) are used to clamp the electrode assembly (22) along the second direction (Y) when the moving module (112) is located at the target position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein The retaining structure (113) includes a spring (1131) extending along the third direction (Z).

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein The spring (1131) is used to: When the driving component (12) applies a driving force to the moving module (112) along the third direction (Z), the moving module (112) is compressed along the third direction (Z), and when the driving component (12) does not apply the driving force to the moving module (112), the moving module (112) is reset along the third direction (Z).

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein The moving module (112) includes a slide groove structure (1121), and each clamping module (111) of the at least two clamping modules (111) includes a protruding structure (1111), and at least a portion of the protruding structure (1111) is accommodated in the slide groove structure (1121) and moves within the slide groove structure (1121).

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein The extending direction of the slide groove structure (1121) is different from the third direction (Z) and different from the second direction (Y).

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The moving module (112) comprises two sliding groove structures (1121), and the two sliding groove structures (1121) correspond one-to-one to the protruding structures (1111) of the at least two clamping modules (111).

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein The angles between the two slide groove structures (1121) and the second direction (Y) are equal.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein The two clamping modules (111) are respectively used to clamp two oppositely arranged second end surfaces (224) of the electrode assembly (22), wherein the second end surfaces (224) are perpendicular to the first end surface (223).

16. Apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 15, wherein The clamping assembly (11) further comprises: A carrying module (114), wherein the carrying module (114) and the moving module (112) are stacked along the first direction (X) and close to the electrode assembly (22), and the surface of the carrying module (114) facing the electrode assembly (22) is the carrying surface (101).

17. Apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 16, wherein The film encapsulation station (102) and / or the shell insertion station (103) are provided with the drive assembly (12).

18. Apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 17, wherein The third direction (Z) is perpendicular to the first direction (X).

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 18, wherein The third direction (Z) is perpendicular to the second direction (Y).

20. A method for assembling a battery cell, wherein: include: transporting the electrode assembly (22) fixed on the transport mechanism (10) to the coating station (102); At the coating station (102), an insulating layer (23) is wrapped around at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode assembly (22); The electrode assembly (22) wrapped with the insulating layer (23) is transported to the shell insertion station (103) via the transport mechanism (10); At the shell insertion station (103), the shell (211) is sleeved on the outer side of the electrode assembly (22) wrapped with the insulating layer (23).

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein The transmission mechanism (10) is used to carry the electrode assembly (22) and the end cover (212), the end cover (212) is attached to the first end surface (223) of the electrode assembly (22), the carrying surface (101) of the transmission mechanism (10) is attached to the surface of the end cover (212) away from the electrode assembly (22), and the electrode assembly (22) is placed on the transmission mechanism (10) along a first direction (X), and the first direction (X) is perpendicular to the first end surface (223).

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein The transmission mechanism (10) comprises a clamping assembly (11) and a driving assembly (12), wherein the clamping assembly (11) is used to clamp the electrode assembly (22) along a second direction (Y), wherein the second direction (Y) is perpendicular to the first direction (X), and the driving assembly (12) is used to apply a driving force to the clamping assembly (11) along a third direction (Z), and the clamping assembly (11) is used to release the electrode assembly (22) under the action of the driving force.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein The transmission direction of the electrode assembly (22) wrapped with the insulating layer (23) by the transmission mechanism (10) from the coating station (102) to the shelling station (103) is different from the third direction (Z).

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, wherein The clamping assembly (11) is used to clamp two second end surfaces of the electrode assembly (22) that are arranged opposite to each other, and the second end surfaces are perpendicular to the first end surface (223).

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein Neither the first end face (223) nor the second end face is the end face with the largest area of ​​the electrode assembly (22).

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