Soldering flux coating mechanism, battery piece feeding device, series welding equipment and series welding method

Abstract

The invention discloses a soldering flux coating mechanism, a battery piece feeding device, series welding equipment and a series welding method.The soldering flux coating mechanism is used for coating soldering flux to welding points on the surface of a battery piece before a welding strip is laid on the battery piece, and the welding points are used for being welded to the welding strip; the scaling powder coating mechanism comprises a lifting module and a coating pen assembly. The coating pen assembly is configured to be driven by the lifting module to descend so as to coat soldering flux on a welding point on a battery piece below the coating pen assembly, and is driven by the lifting module to ascend and reset after coating is finished; according to the application, the soldering flux can be coated on the welding points on the battery piece through the lifting of the coating pen assembly before the welding strip is laid on the battery piece, so that the volatilization loss caused by the heating of the soldering flux on the welding strip before the battery piece which is laid and stacked with the welding strip subsequently enters a welding area can be made up; therefore, the influence on the welding quality of the welding strip and the battery piece due to the heat loss of the soldering flux can be avoided, and the welding reliability of the welding strip and the battery piece is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of photovoltaic cell manufacturing technology, and in particular to a flux coating mechanism, a cell feeding device, a string welding device and a string welding method. Background Art

[0002] The current battery stringing process is to coat the soldering ribbon with flux, and then lay and stack the soldering ribbon coated with flux and the battery cells on a welding conveyor belt according to the battery stringing rules. The welding conveyor belt transports the battery cells and the soldering ribbon to the bottom of the light box for heating, so that the soldering ribbon is welded to the battery cells.

[0003] Because the distance between two adjacent battery cells is relatively close after they are laid and stacked, when the previous battery cell enters the welding area of ​​the light box for heating and welding, the battery cell to be welded next to it, although it has not yet entered the welding area of ​​the light box, will also be affected by the heat of the light box, causing the flux on the surface of the soldering ribbon on the battery cell to be welded to volatilize to varying degrees, reducing the amount of flux, and affecting the final welding quality between the soldering ribbon and the battery cell to be welded. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the present application provides a flux coating mechanism, a battery cell feeding device, a string welding device and a string welding method.

[0005] Specifically, in a first aspect, the present application provides a flux coating mechanism for coating flux on welding points on the surface of a battery cell before laying a welding ribbon on the battery cell, the welding points being used for welding with the welding ribbon;

[0006] The flux coating mechanism includes a lifting module and a coating pen assembly;

[0007] The coating pen assembly is configured to be driven down by the lifting module to apply flux to the welding points on the battery cell located below the coating pen assembly, and to be driven up and reset by the lifting module after coating is completed.

[0008] The flux coating mechanism provided in the present application can coat the flux on the welding points on the battery cell by raising and lowering the coating pen assembly before laying the solder ribbon on the battery cell. This can compensate for the volatilization loss of the flux on the solder ribbon caused by heat before the battery cell with the subsequently laid and stacked solder ribbon enters the welding area, thereby avoiding the influence of the heat loss of the flux on the solder ribbon and the battery cell on the welding quality, thereby ensuring the welding reliability of the solder ribbon and the battery cell.

[0009] In some embodiments, the coating pen assembly includes a coating pen group, the coating pen group includes at least two coating pens arranged side by side and spaced apart along a first direction, the first direction is parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines on the battery cell, and each coating pen is used to simultaneously apply flux to at least two welding points on the battery cell in a one-to-one correspondence;

[0010] or,

[0011] The coating pen assembly includes at least two coating pen groups, each coating pen group includes at least two coating pens arranged side by side and spaced apart along a first direction, and two adjacent coating pen groups are arranged side by side and spaced apart along a second direction. The first direction is parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines on the battery cell, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. Each coating pen is used to simultaneously apply flux to at least four welding points on the battery cell one by one.

[0012] A coating pen group is arranged in the coating pen assembly, and the coating pen group includes at least two coating pens arranged side by side and spaced in parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines on the battery cell. The coating pens simultaneously apply flux to at least two welding points on the battery cell one by one, so that a row of welding points on the battery cell can be coated with flux at the same time. Since the welding strips and the battery cell are laid perpendicular to the extension direction of the fine grid lines, a row of welding points coated each time corresponds to a plurality of welding strips one by one, so that each welding strip can be reliably welded to the battery cell.

[0013] Alternatively, at least two coating pen groups are arranged in the coating pen assembly, each coating pen group includes at least two coating pens arranged side by side and spaced apart in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines on the battery cell, and two adjacent coating pen groups are arranged side by side and spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the fine grid lines on the battery cell, so that flux can be applied to at least two rows of welding points on the battery cell at the same time each time, and because the welding ribbon and the battery cell are laid perpendicular to the extension direction of the fine grid lines, each row of welding points corresponds one-to-one to multiple welding ribbons, so that each welding ribbon can be welded to the battery cell through at least two welding points with flux, ensuring reliable welding between the welding ribbon and the battery cell.

[0014] In some embodiments, the coating pen includes: a pen head and a pen core, wherein the pen head is installed at the bottom of the pen core;

[0015] The pen core is configured to store the flux and deliver the flux to the pen tip;

[0016] The pen tip is used to apply flux to the soldering points.

[0017] The pen core can store a certain amount of soldering flux, and supply the soldering flux to the pen tip connected to the bottom of the pen core, and the pen tip can apply the soldering flux on the welding point.

[0018] In some embodiments, the flux coating mechanism further includes a flux auxiliary module, the liquid inlet end of the flux auxiliary module is connected to the flux feeding part, and the liquid outlet end of the flux auxiliary module is connected to the coating pen assembly;

[0019] The flux supplement module is configured to replenish the flux outputted from the flux supply portion into the coating pen assembly.

[0020] The liquid inlet end of the flux auxiliary module is connected to the flux supply part, and can receive the flux provided by the flux supply part. The liquid outlet end of the flux auxiliary module is connected to the coating pen assembly, and can replenish the flux received from the flux supply part into the coating pen assembly, thereby realizing online and timely replenishment of the flux and ensuring coating efficiency.

[0021] In some embodiments, the flux assist module includes:

[0022] A valve and an injection member, wherein a first end of the valve is connected to a soldering flux supply portion, a second end of the valve is connected to a first end of the injection member, and a second end of the injection member faces toward a coating pen assembly;

[0023] The valve is configured to: open when the flux dosage in the coating pen assembly is insufficient to deliver the flux pumped out of the flux supply portion to the injection member;

[0024] The jetting member is configured to jet and deliver solder flux to the coating pen assembly.

[0025] By connecting the first end of the valve with the flux supply part, the second end with the first end of the injection member, and the second end of the injection member toward the coating pen assembly, it is possible to replenish the flux in the coating pen assembly by opening the valve when the flux in the coating pen assembly is insufficient.

[0026] In some embodiments, the coating pen assembly includes at least two coating pens, each coating pen is correspondingly configured with a spray member, and each spray member is correspondingly connected to a valve; or,

[0027] The coating pen assembly comprises at least two coating pens, each coating pen is correspondingly provided with a spraying member, and all the spraying members are connected with a valve.

[0028] Each coating pen is configured with a corresponding injection piece, and each injection piece is connected to a valve, so that the flux replenishment of each coating pen can be controlled individually. Alternatively, each coating pen is configured with a corresponding injection piece, and all injection pieces are connected to a valve, so that the flux replenishment of all coating pens can be controlled simultaneously.

[0029] In some embodiments, the flux supplement module includes a valve, a liquid collection chamber and a penetration piece, and the coating pen assembly includes at least two coating pens, wherein:

[0030] The first end of the valve is communicated with the flux feeding part, and the second end of the valve is communicated with the liquid inlet end of the liquid collecting chamber;

[0031] The penetrating element and the coating pen are arranged one by one. The first end of the penetrating element is inserted into the liquid collecting cavity from the bottom of the liquid collecting cavity, and the second end of the penetrating element is connected to the corresponding coating pen. The soldering flux in the liquid collecting cavity penetrates into the corresponding coating pen through the penetrating element.

[0032] A liquid collecting chamber connected to the liquid outlet end of the valve is arranged between the valve and the coating pen, and a penetration piece is arranged one-to-one corresponding to the coating pen and inserted into the liquid collecting chamber from the bottom of the liquid collecting chamber. The flux in the coating pen can be replenished by penetration, thereby realizing continuous and uniform replenishment of the flux in all coating pens.

[0033] In some embodiments, the coating pen assembly includes at least two coating pens;

[0034] The lifting module includes a lifting drive assembly and a lifting frame; each coating pen is installed on the lifting frame, and the lifting frame is configured to be driven by the lifting drive assembly to lift and lower, so as to drive all coating pens to lift and lower at the same time;

[0035] or,

[0036] The lifting module includes a lifting drive component that is connected to the coating pen in a one-to-one driving manner, and each lifting drive component is used to drive the corresponding coating pen to rise and fall.

[0037] Each coating pen is installed on a lifting frame, which is driven by a lifting drive assembly. It can realize the simultaneous lifting and lowering of all coating pens, with a simple structure and low cost. By configuring a lifting drive assembly with a one-to-one driving connection for each coating pen, independent lifting control of a single coating pen can be implemented.

[0038] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a cell loading device, the cell loading device comprising: a cell conveying mechanism and a flux coating mechanism as provided in any one of the first aspects;

[0039] The coating pen assembly of the flux coating mechanism is installed above the battery cell conveying mechanism;

[0040] The battery cell conveying mechanism is configured to convey the battery cells;

[0041] The flux coating mechanism is configured to coat flux onto welding points on the surface of the battery cell when the battery cell conveying mechanism conveys the battery cell to the bottom of the flux coating mechanism.

[0042] The battery cell loading device provided in the present application is equipped with a flux coating mechanism above the battery cell conveying mechanism for conveying the battery cells. During the conveying process of the battery cells, flux can be coated on the welding points on the surface of the battery cells to achieve continuous flux coating of each battery cell, thereby continuously providing battery cells with flux to the subsequent process.

[0043] In some embodiments, the fine grid lines of the battery cells on the battery cell conveying mechanism extend along a first direction, and the battery cell conveying mechanism is configured to convey the battery cells forward along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

[0044] The flux coating mechanism is configured to coat flux at least on each welding point close to the front edge of the cell and arranged side by side along the first direction when the cell conveying mechanism conveys the cell to the bottom of the flux coating mechanism.

[0045] When the battery cell is conveyed to the bottom of the flux coating mechanism, the flux coating mechanism at least coats flux on each welding point close to the front edge of the battery cell and arranged side by side along the first direction, and can implement flux coating on at least a row of welding points on the head of the battery cell to ensure the welding reliability between the head of the battery cell and the welding strip.

[0046] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a string welding device, which includes: a battery cell feeding device, a conveying device, a solder strip coating device, a pressing and cutting device, a solder strip pulling device, a welding conveying device and a welding device as provided in the second aspect;

[0047] The cell feeding device is used to convey the cell to the feeding station, and to apply flux to the welding points on the surface of the cell during the conveying process of the cell;

[0048] The welding strip pulling device is used to clamp and pull at least two welding strips, so that the welding strips pass through the welding strip coating device and the pressing and cutting device in sequence, the welding strip coating device is used to coat the welding strip with solder flux, and the pressing and cutting device is used to press and cut the welding strip after the welding strip pulling device pulls the welding strip coated with solder flux to a preset length;

[0049] The handling device is used to pick up the battery cells from the loading station, and cooperate with the welding ribbon pulling device to lay and stack the battery cells and welding ribbons on the welding conveyor device according to the stringing rules of the battery strings, wherein the welding ribbons are laid and stacked on the battery cells in a direction perpendicular to the fine grid lines on the battery cells;

[0050] The welding conveying device is used to convey the battery cells stacked with welding strips to the welding device, and the welding device is used to heat the battery cells stacked with welding strips so that the welding strips are welded and connected to the battery cells.

[0051] The battery cell loading device coats the welding points on the surface of the battery cell with flux before the battery cell is transported to the loading station and moved to the welding conveyor for laying and stacking the solder ribbons. This is to compensate for the loss of flux caused by the heating of the solder ribbons when the battery cell with stacked solder ribbons is transported to the welding device by the welding conveyor, thereby ensuring the welding quality of the solder ribbons and the battery cells.

[0052] In some embodiments, the string welding equipment also includes a battery cell glue applying device, which is arranged in the front of the battery cell feeding device and is used to apply glue spots to at least one surface of the battery cell. The glue spots are applied on the solder strip laying path of the battery cell, and the glue spots do not overlap with the welding points.

[0053] Glue dots for low-temperature welding are applied to at least one surface of the battery cell by a battery cell glue applying device. After the battery cell with the glue dots and the soldering strip are laid and stacked, the soldering strip and the battery cell are glued and welded by solidifying the glue at the glue dots and melting the solder on the surface of the soldering strip.

[0054] In a fourth aspect, the present application further provides a string welding method, the string welding method comprising:

[0055] Applying flux to the soldering points on the surface of the cell;

[0056] Applying flux to the solder ribbon;

[0057] According to the stringing rules of the battery string, the battery cells coated with flux and the welding strips coated with flux are laid, stacked, heated and welded to form a battery string.

[0058] The string soldering method provided in the present application can coat the welding points on the battery cell with flux before laying the solder ribbon on the battery cell, and can compensate for the volatilization loss of the flux on the solder ribbon caused by heat before the battery cell with the subsequently laid stacked solder ribbon enters the welding area, thereby avoiding the influence of the heat loss of the flux on the solder ribbon and the battery cell on the welding quality, thereby ensuring the welding reliability of the solder ribbon and the battery cell.

[0059] In some embodiments, the string soldering method further includes, before applying flux to the welding points on the surface of the battery cell, applying glue dots to at least one surface of the battery cell, the glue dots being applied on the solder strip laying path of the battery cell, and the glue dots not overlapping with the welding points.

[0060] Before applying flux to the welding points on the surface of the battery cell, glue points are applied on the surface of the battery cell. The glue points and the welding points do not overlap, so that the battery cell and the soldering strip can be glued and welded without reacting the flux on the battery cell with the glue points. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] The disclosure of the present application will become more easily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, similar numbers in the drawings are used to represent similar components, among which:

[0062] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell;

[0063] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0064] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a flux coating mechanism in one of the embodiments of the present application;

[0065] Figure 4It is a side view of a flux coating mechanism in one of the embodiments of the present application;

[0066] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Middle AA section view;

[0067] Figure 6 is a front view of a flux coating mechanism in one of the embodiments of the present application;

[0068] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Middle BB section view;

[0069] Figure 8 is a front view of a flux coating mechanism in another embodiment of the present application;

[0070] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A top view of

[0071] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 Middle CC section view;

[0072] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell loading device in one of the embodiments of the present application;

[0073] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the string welding equipment in one of the embodiments of the present application.

[0074] Among them: 1. Battery cell; 11. Fine grid line; 12. Welding point; 2. Welding strip; 3. Lifting module; 31. Lifting drive assembly; 32. Lifting frame; 33. Connector; 4. Coating pen assembly; 41. Coating pen; 411. Pen tip; 412. Pen core; 5. Flux auxiliary module; 51. Valve; 52. Injection piece; 53. Liquid collecting chamber; 54. Penetration piece; 55. Pipeline; 56. Flux flow channel; 6. Tooling; 100. Battery cell loading device; 110. Flux coating mechanism; 120. Battery cell conveying mechanism; 200. Handling device; 300. Welding strip coating device; 400. Pressing and cutting device; 500. Welding strip traction device; 600. Welding conveying device; 700. Welding device; 800. Tooling loading device; 900. Tooling unloading device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] Some embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principles of the present application and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0076] At present, the battery stringing process is to coat the soldering tape with flux, and then lay and stack the soldering tape and the battery cells according to the stringing rules of the battery string, and then transport them to the bottom of the light box for heating and welding. However, when the two adjacent battery cells are transported on the welding conveyor belt after laying and stacking, the distance between the two adjacent battery cells is relatively close. When the previous battery cell enters the welding area of ​​the light box for heating and welding, the battery cell to be welded next to it has not yet entered the welding area of ​​the light box, but it will also be affected by the heat of the light box, resulting in different degrees of volatilization of the flux on the surface of the soldering tape on the battery cell to be welded, and the amount of flux is reduced, which affects the final welding quality of the soldering tape and the battery cell to be welded. To solve the above problems, the present application creatively proposes a flux coating mechanism, a battery cell feeding device, a string soldering equipment and a string soldering method, which can coat the welding points on the battery cell with flux by lifting and lowering the coating pen assembly before laying the solder tape on the battery cell, and can compensate for the volatilization loss of the flux on the solder tape caused by heat before the battery cell with the subsequently laid stacked solder tape enters the welding area, thereby avoiding the influence of the heat loss of the flux on the solder tape and the battery cell on the welding quality, thereby ensuring the welding reliability of the solder tape and the battery cell.

[0077] The present application will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0078] The embodiment of the present application provides a flux coating mechanism 110, which is used to coat flux on the welding point 12 on the surface of the battery cell 1 before laying the welding tape 2 on the battery cell 1, and the welding point 12 is used for welding with the welding tape 2; the welding tape 2 is a copper tape with a coating, wherein the coating can be a tin coating layer, a SnBiAg (tin-bismuth-silver) alloy layer or other metal layer or alloy layer. During the welding process, the coating on the welding tape 2 melts and is welded to the welding point 12 on the surface of the battery cell. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, multiple rows of fine grid lines 11 are arranged on the surface of the battery cell 1, and the welding strips 2 are laid and stacked perpendicular to the direction of the fine grid lines 11. At least a row of welding points 12 is arranged on the surface of the battery cell 1 at the head (i.e., the end of the battery cell 1 that first enters the welding area) along the direction parallel to the fine grid lines 11. The battery cell 1 can also be provided with several rows of welding points 12 at the tail and / or middle part, wherein the tail refers to the end of the battery cell 1 away from the head, and the middle part refers to the part of the battery cell between the head and the tail.

[0079] Reference Figure 3-Figure 6 As shown, the flux coating mechanism 110 includes a lifting module 3 and a coating pen assembly 4;

[0080] The coating pen assembly 4 is configured to be driven down by the lifting module 3 to apply flux to the welding point 12 on the battery cell 1 located below the coating pen assembly 4, and to be driven up and reset by the lifting module 3 after coating is completed.

[0081] The flux coating mechanism 110 provided in the present application can coat the flux on the welding points 12 on the battery cell 1 by raising and lowering the coating pen assembly 4 before laying the solder ribbon 2 on the battery cell 1. This can compensate for the volatilization loss of the flux on the solder ribbon 2 caused by heat before the battery cell 1 with the subsequently laid and stacked solder ribbon 2 enters the welding area, thereby avoiding the influence of the heat loss of the flux on the solder ribbon 2 and the battery cell 1 on the welding quality, thereby ensuring the welding reliability of the solder ribbon 2 and the battery cell 1.

[0082] In one embodiment, the coating pen assembly 4 includes a coating pen group, which includes at least two coating pens 41 arranged side by side and spaced apart along a first direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines 11 on the battery cell 1, and each coating pen 41 is used to simultaneously apply flux to at least two welding points 12 on the battery cell 1 one by one.

[0083] A coating pen group is arranged in the coating pen assembly 4, and the coating pen group includes at least two coating pens 41 arranged side by side and spaced apart in parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines 11 on the battery cell 1. The coating pen 41 simultaneously applies flux to at least two welding points 12 on the battery cell 1 one by one, so that a row of welding points 12 on the battery cell 1 can be coated with flux at the same time, and because the welding strips 2 are laid perpendicular to the extension direction of the fine grid lines 11 when the battery cell 1 is laid, a row of welding points 12 coated each time corresponds to multiple welding strips 2 one by one, so that each welding strip 2 can be reliably welded to the battery cell 1.

[0084] Optionally, for a flux coating mechanism with only one coating pen group, when it is necessary to apply flux coating to two or even multiple rows of welding points 12 on a battery cell, the coating pen group and the battery cell 1 can be controlled to move relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the fine grid lines 11, so that one coating pen group applies flux coating to each row of welding points 12 in turn.

[0085] In another embodiment, the coating pen assembly 4 includes at least two coating pen groups, each coating pen group includes at least two coating pens 41 arranged side by side and spaced apart along a first direction, and two adjacent coating pen groups are arranged side by side and spaced apart along a second direction. The first direction is parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines 11 on the battery cell 1, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. Each coating pen 41 is used to simultaneously apply flux to at least four welding points 12 on the battery cell 1 one by one.

[0086] At least two coating pen groups are arranged in the coating pen assembly 4, each coating pen group includes at least two coating pens 41 arranged side by side and spaced apart in parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines 11 on the battery cell 1, and two adjacent coating pen groups are arranged side by side and spaced apart in perpendicular to the extension direction of the fine grid lines 11 on the battery cell 1, so that at least two rows of welding points 12 on the battery cell 1 can be coated with flux at the same time each time, and because the welding ribbon 2 and the battery cell 1 are laid perpendicular to the extension direction of the fine grid lines 11, each row of welding points 12 corresponds one by one to multiple welding ribbons 2, so that each welding ribbon 2 can be welded to the battery cell 1 through at least two welding points 12 with flux, ensuring reliable welding between the welding ribbon 2 and the battery cell 1.

[0087] Optionally, the number of coating pens 41 in a coating pen group is consistent with the number of a row of welding points 12 arranged along the first direction on the battery cell 1, so that each time the coating pen assembly 4 descends, one coating pen group can apply flux to a row of welding points 12 on the battery cell 1, thereby improving the coating efficiency; the number of coating pen groups can be set accordingly according to the number of rows of welding points 12 to be coated with flux on the battery cell 1, so as to achieve one-time coating of flux on all welding points 12, which is more efficient. Of course, the number of rows of welding points 12 to be coated with flux on the battery cell 1 can be less than that of the battery cell 1, and the flux can be applied in batches.

[0088] In some embodiments, reference Figure 7 and Fig.10 As shown, the coating pen 41 includes: a pen tip 411 and a pen core 412, and the pen tip 411 is installed at the bottom of the pen core 412;

[0089] The pen core 412 is configured to store soldering flux and deliver the soldering flux to the pen tip 411;

[0090] The pen tip 411 is used to apply soldering flux to the soldering point 12 .

[0091] The pen core 412 can store a certain amount of flux and supply the flux to the pen tip 411 connected to the bottom of the pen core 412 . The pen tip 411 can apply the flux to the welding point 12 .

[0092] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 As shown, the flux coating mechanism 110 further includes a flux auxiliary module 5, the liquid inlet end of the flux auxiliary module 5 is connected to the flux feeding part (not shown), and the liquid outlet end of the flux auxiliary module 5 is connected to the coating pen assembly 4;

[0093] The flux supplementary module 5 is configured to replenish the flux output by the flux feeding part into the coating pen assembly 4. Optionally, the liquid outlet of the flux supplementary module 5 is directly assembled and connected with the liquid inlet of the coating pen assembly 4, or the liquid outlet of the flux supplementary module 5 is connected with the liquid inlet of the coating pen assembly 4 through a connector.

[0094] The liquid inlet end of the flux auxiliary module 5 is connected to the flux supply part, and can receive the flux provided by the flux supply part. The liquid outlet end of the flux auxiliary module 5 is connected to the coating pen assembly 4, and can replenish the flux received from the flux supply part into the coating pen assembly 4, thereby realizing online and timely replenishment of the flux and ensuring coating efficiency.

[0095] Optionally, the liquid inlet end of the flux auxiliary module 5 can be directly connected to the flux supply part through a pipeline, or can be connected to the flux flow channel 56 opened inside the lifting frame 32 through a pipeline 55, and the flux flow channel 56 is connected to the flux supply part (such as Figure 7 shown).

[0096] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3-Figure 7 As shown, the flux auxiliary module 5 includes:

[0097] The valve 51 is connected to the injection member 52, the first end of the valve 51 is connected to the soldering flux supply part, the second end of the valve 51 is connected to the first end of the injection member 52, and the second end of the injection member 52 faces the coating pen assembly 4;

[0098] The valve 51 is configured to: open when the flux dosage in the coating pen assembly 4 is insufficient, so as to deliver the flux pumped out of the flux supply part to the injection member 52;

[0099] The injection member 52 is configured to inject and deliver the soldering flux to the coating pen assembly 4 .

[0100] By connecting the first end of the valve 51 to the flux supply part and the second end to the first end of the injection member 52, with the second end of the injection member 52 facing the coating pen assembly 4, it is possible to replenish the flux in the coating pen assembly 4 by opening the valve 51 when the flux in the coating pen assembly 4 is insufficient.

[0101] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the coating pen assembly 4 includes at least two coating pens 41 , each coating pen 41 is correspondingly configured with a spray member 52 , and each spray member 52 is correspondingly connected to a valve 51 .

[0102] Each coating pen 41 is correspondingly configured with a spray piece 52 , and each spray piece 52 is correspondingly connected to a valve 51 , so that the flux replenishment of each coating pen 41 can be independently controlled.

[0103] In another embodiment, the coating pen assembly 4 includes at least two coating pens 41 , each coating pen 41 is correspondingly configured with a spray member 52 , and all the spray members 52 are connected to a valve 51 .

[0104] Each coating pen 41 is correspondingly provided with an injection member 52, and all injection members 52 are connected to a valve 51. After the valve 51 is opened, the flux pumped out by the flux feeding unit enters a valve 51, and simultaneously enters all injection members 52 connected to the valve 51 from the valve 51, and then enters all coating pens 41, so that the flux replenishment of all coating pens 41 can be controlled simultaneously. Optionally, the liquid inlet end of each injection member 52 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the valve 51 through a manifold block.

[0105] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8-Figure 10 As shown, the soldering flux auxiliary module 5 includes a valve 51, a liquid collecting chamber 53 and a permeable member 54, and the coating pen assembly 4 includes at least two coating pens 41, wherein:

[0106] The first end of the valve 51 is communicated with the flux supply part, and the second end of the valve 51 is communicated with the liquid inlet end of the liquid collecting chamber 53;

[0107] The penetration member 54 is arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the coating pen 41, the first end of the penetration member 54 is inserted into the liquid collecting chamber 53 from the bottom of the liquid collecting chamber 53, the second end of the penetration member 54 is connected to the corresponding coating pen 41, and the soldering flux in the liquid collecting chamber 53 penetrates into the corresponding coating pen 41 through the penetration member 54. Optionally, a pipeline is connected between the upper liquid inlet end of the liquid collecting chamber 53 and the discharge end of the soldering flux feeding part, and a valve 51 is installed on the pipeline, the first end of the valve 51 is connected to the soldering flux feeding part, and the second end of the valve 51 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the liquid collecting chamber 53.

[0108] A liquid collecting chamber 53 connected to the liquid outlet end of the valve 51 is provided between the valve 51 and the coating pen 41, and a penetration piece 54 is provided one-to-one with the coating pen 41 and inserted into the liquid collecting chamber 53 from the bottom of the liquid collecting chamber 53. The flux in the coating pen 41 can be replenished by penetration, thereby realizing continuous and uniform replenishment of the flux in all coating pens 41.

[0109] In some embodiments, the coating pen assembly 4 includes at least two coating pens 41;

[0110] The lifting module 3 includes a lifting drive assembly 31 and a lifting frame 32; each coating pen 41 is installed on the lifting frame 32, and the lifting frame 32 is configured to be driven by the lifting drive assembly 31 to lift and lower, so as to drive all coating pens 41 to lift and lower at the same time. Optionally, the flux coating mechanism also includes at least two connecting members 33, at least two connecting members 33 are evenly distributed on both sides of the lifting frame 32, the first end of the connecting member 33 is connected and fixed to the side of the lifting frame 42, and the second end of the connecting member 33 is connected and fixed to the driving end of the lifting drive assembly 31, the lifting drive assembly 31 drives the connecting member 33 to lift and lower to drive the lifting frame 32 to lift and lower, and the lifting frame 42 is connected to the lifting drive assembly 31 through the connecting member 33 connected and fixed on the side to avoid affecting the arrangement of the coating pens 41 on the bottom surface of the lifting frame 42.

[0111] Each coating pen 41 is mounted on a lifting frame 32 , and the lifting frame 32 is driven by a lifting drive assembly 31 , so that all coating pens 41 can be lifted and lowered simultaneously, with a simple structure and low cost.

[0112] In another embodiment, the lifting module 3 includes lifting drive components (not shown) that are connected to the coating pens 41 in a one-to-one driving manner, and each lifting drive component is used to drive the corresponding coating pen 41 to rise and fall.

[0113] The lifting drive assembly connected to the coating pen 41 in a one-to-one driving manner can implement the lifting and lowering of a single coating pen 41.

[0114] By configuring the coating pens 41 with lifting drive components that are connected to the coating pens 41 in a one-to-one driving manner, independent lifting control of a single coating pen can be implemented.

[0115] The flux coating mechanism 110 provided in the embodiment of the present application is applicable to battery cells without a main grid and also to battery cells with a main grid. The welding point 12 on the surface of the battery cell with a main grid is arranged on the main grid on the surface of the battery cell, and the main grid is perpendicular to the fine grid line.

[0116] The present application also provides a battery cell loading device 100, referring to Fig.11 As shown, the cell loading device 100 comprises: a cell conveying mechanism 120 and a flux coating mechanism 110 as provided in any of the above embodiments;

[0117] The coating pen assembly 4 of the flux coating mechanism 110 is installed above the cell conveying mechanism 120;

[0118] The cell conveying mechanism 120 is configured to convey the cell 1;

[0119] The flux coating mechanism 110 is configured to coat flux onto the welding points 12 on the surface of the battery cell 1 when the battery cell conveying mechanism 120 conveys the battery cell 1 to the bottom of the flux coating mechanism 110 .

[0120] The cell loading device 100 provided in the present application is provided with a flux coating mechanism 110 above the cell conveying mechanism 120 for conveying the cell 1, which can be implemented to coat the welding points 12 on the surface of the cell 1 with flux during the conveying process of the cell 1, thereby achieving continuous flux coating of each cell 1, thereby continuously providing the cell 1 with flux to the subsequent process.

[0121] As mentioned above, when the previous cell enters the light box welding area for heating welding, the cell to be welded next to it, although it has not yet entered the light box welding area, will also be affected by the heat of the light box, causing the flux on the surface of the welding strip on the cell to be welded to volatilize to varying degrees, reducing the amount of flux, affecting the final welding quality between the welding strip and the cell to be welded. Among them, since the head of the cell is closest to the light box welding area, the amount of flux volatilized on the welding strip at the head of the cell is the largest, affecting the welding reliability between the welding strip and the head of the cell.

[0122] In order to solve the above technical problems, in some embodiments, the thin grid lines 11 of the battery cell 1 on the battery cell conveying mechanism 120 extend along a first direction, and the battery cell conveying mechanism 120 is configured to convey the battery cell 1 forward along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

[0123] The flux coating mechanism 110 is configured as follows: when the battery cell conveying mechanism 120 conveys the battery cell 1 to the bottom of the flux coating mechanism 110, flux is coated on at least each welding point 12 close to the front edge of the battery cell 1 and arranged side by side along the first direction, that is, flux is coated on at least a row of welding points 12 at the head of the battery cell 1. Since the soldering ribbon 2 is laid on the battery cell 1 perpendicular to the direction of the fine grid lines 11 on the battery cell 1, each soldering ribbon 2 can be reliably welded to the head of the battery cell 1.

[0124] When the cell 1 is conveyed to the bottom of the flux coating mechanism 110, the flux coating mechanism 110 at least coats the soldering points 12 close to the front edge of the cell 1 and arranged side by side along the first direction, and can coat the soldering points 12 of at least one row at the head of the cell 1 with the flux, so as to ensure reliable welding between the soldering ribbon 2 and the head of the cell 1. Of course, the remaining rows of soldering points on the cell 1 can be selectively coated with flux according to the actual welding conditions between the soldering ribbon 2 and the cell 1.

[0125] The present application also provides a series welding device, referring to Fig.12 As shown, the string welding equipment includes: a battery cell feeding device 100, a conveying device 200, a solder strip coating device 300, a pressing and cutting device 400, a solder strip pulling device 500, a welding conveying device 600 and a welding device 700 as provided in the above embodiment;

[0126] The cell loading device 100 is used to transport the cell 1 to the loading station, and to apply flux to the welding points 12 on the surface of the cell 1 during the transportation of the cell 1;

[0127] The solder strip pulling device 500 is used to clamp and pull at least two solder strips 2, so that the solder strips 2 pass through the solder strip coating device 300 and the pressing and cutting device 400 in sequence. The solder strip coating device 300 is used to coat solder flux on the solder strip 2. The pressing and cutting device 400 is used to press and cut the solder strip 2 after the solder strip pulling device 500 pulls the solder strip 2 coated with solder flux to a preset length.

[0128] The handling device 200 is used to pick up the battery cell 1 from the loading station, and cooperate with the welding ribbon pulling device 500 to lay and stack the battery cell 1 and the welding ribbon 2 on the welding conveying device 600 according to the stringing rule of the battery string, wherein the welding ribbon 2 is laid and stacked on the battery cell 1 in a direction perpendicular to the fine grid line 11 on the battery cell 1;

[0129] The welding conveying device 600 is used to convey the battery cell 1 stacked with the welding ribbon 2 to the welding device 700. The welding device 700 is used to heat the battery cell 1 stacked with the welding ribbon 2 so that the welding ribbon 2 is welded and connected to the battery cell 1.

[0130] The battery cell loading device 100 coats flux on the welding points 12 on the surface of the battery cell 1 before the battery cell 1 is transported to the welding conveyor device 600 for laying and stacking the soldering ribbon 2, so as to compensate for the loss of flux caused by the heating of the soldering ribbon 2 when the battery cell 1 with the stacked soldering ribbon 2 is transported to the welding device 700 by the welding conveyor device 600, thereby ensuring the welding quality between the soldering ribbon 2 and the battery cell 1.

[0131] In some embodiments, the string welding equipment also includes a battery cell glue applying device (not shown), which is arranged in the front of the battery cell loading device 100, and is used to apply glue spots to at least one surface of the battery cell 1. The glue spots are applied on the solder strip laying path of the battery cell 1, and the glue spots do not overlap with the welding points 12.

[0132] By applying glue dots to the soldering tape laying path of the battery cell 1, after the battery cell 1 and the soldering tape 2 are laid and stacked, the soldering tape can be further bonded to the battery cell 1 by curing the glue dots, thereby achieving welding and bonding between the battery cell 1 and the soldering tape 2, so as to improve the connection force between the battery cell 1 and the soldering tape 2.

[0133] By making the glue point and the welding point 12 not overlap, it is possible to avoid the glue point and the soldering flux at the welding point 12 from reacting, thereby avoiding affecting the quality of the glue point, and also ensuring that the soldering flux at the welding point 12 can fully exert the soldering effect.

[0134] Optionally, the glue point is UV glue or thermosetting glue. When the glue point is UV glue, a UV lamp can be set on the welding conveying device to irradiate the glue point to solidify the glue point; when the glue point is thermosetting glue, the glue point can be directly heated by the welding device to solidify the glue point.

[0135] Optionally, the battery cell glue applying device can apply glue to one surface or both surfaces of the battery cell 1. Taking the application of glue to both surfaces of the battery cell 1 as an example, the battery cell glue applying device includes a first glue applying mechanism, a flipping mechanism and a second glue applying mechanism which are arranged in sequence. The first glue applying mechanism applies glue to the first surface of the battery cell by silk screen printing, dispensing or spraying. The flipping mechanism is used to flip the battery cell 1 180° so that the second surface of the battery cell 1 faces upward. The second glue applying mechanism applies glue to the second surface of the battery cell 1 by silk screen printing, dispensing or spraying. The battery cell 1 after glue application is transported to the input end of the battery cell loading device 100.

[0136] Optionally, the string welding equipment further includes a tooling loading device 800;

[0137] The tool loading device 800 is used to transport the tool 6 , and the transport device 200 is also used to transport the tool 6 from the tool loading device 800 to the battery cell 1 stacked with the welding ribbon 2 , so that the tool 6 presses the welding ribbon 2 to position it on the battery cell 1 .

[0138] Optionally, the string welding equipment also includes a tooling unloading device 900, which is configured to move between the discharge end of the welding device 700 and the feed end of the tooling loading device 800; the tooling unloading device 900 is used to pick up the tooling 6 on the battery cell 1 after welding and transport it to the tooling loading device 800, thereby realizing the recycling of the tooling.

[0139] Optionally, the tooling 6 includes a frame and multiple rows of elastic pressing pins mounted on the frame, and each row of pressing pins is used to press the soldering ribbon 2 stacked on a battery cell 1 .

[0140] The embodiment of the present application also provides a series welding method, the series welding method comprising:

[0141] S1. Apply flux to the welding points on the surface of the battery cell.

[0142] S2. Apply flux to the soldering ribbon.

[0143] S3. Lay and stack the battery cells coated with solder flux and the solder strips coated with solder flux according to the stringing rules of the battery strings, heat and weld them, and form a battery string.

[0144] The string soldering method provided in the present application can coat the welding points on the battery cell with flux before laying the solder ribbon on the battery cell, and can compensate for the volatilization loss of the flux on the solder ribbon caused by heat before the battery cell with the subsequently laid stacked solder ribbon enters the welding area, thereby avoiding the influence of the heat loss of the flux on the solder ribbon and the battery cell on the welding quality, thereby ensuring the welding reliability of the solder ribbon and the battery cell.

[0145] In some embodiments, the string welding method further comprises:

[0146] SA. Before applying flux to the welding points on the surface of the battery cell, apply glue dots to at least one surface of the battery cell, the glue dots are applied on the laying path of the solder strip of the battery cell, and the glue dots do not overlap with the welding points.

[0147] Before applying flux to the welding points on the surface of the battery cell, glue points are applied on the surface of the battery cell. The glue points and the welding points do not overlap, so that the battery cell and the soldering strip can be glued and welded without reacting the flux on the battery cell with the glue points.

[0148] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0149] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0150] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A flux coating mechanism, characterized in that: Used to apply flux to welding points on the surface of the battery cell before laying the welding tape on the battery cell, and the welding points are used for welding with the welding tape; The soldering flux coating mechanism comprises a lifting module and a coating pen assembly; The coating pen assembly is configured to be driven down by the lifting module to apply flux to the welding points on the battery cell below the coating pen assembly, and to be driven up and reset by the lifting module after coating is completed.

2. The flux coating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coating pen assembly comprises a coating pen group, wherein the coating pen group comprises at least two coating pens arranged side by side and spaced apart along a first direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines on the battery cell, and each coating pen is used to simultaneously apply solder flux to at least two welding points on the battery cell in a one-to-one correspondence; or, The coating pen assembly includes at least two coating pen groups, each of which includes at least two coating pens arranged side by side and spaced apart along a first direction, and two adjacent coating pen groups are arranged side by side and spaced apart along a second direction, the first direction is parallel to the extension direction of the fine grid lines on the battery cell, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and each coating pen is used to simultaneously apply flux to at least four welding points on the battery cell one by one.

3. The flux coating mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The coating pen comprises: a pen head and a pen core, wherein the pen head is installed at the bottom of the pen core; The pen core is configured to store soldering flux and deliver the soldering flux to the pen tip; The pen tip is used for applying soldering flux to the welding point.

4. The flux coating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The soldering flux coating mechanism further comprises a soldering flux auxiliary module, the liquid inlet end of the soldering flux auxiliary module is connected to the soldering flux feeding part, and the liquid outlet end of the soldering flux auxiliary module is connected to the coating pen assembly; The flux supplement module is configured to replenish the flux output by the flux supply unit into the coating pen assembly.

5. The flux coating mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The flux auxiliary module includes: A valve and an injection member, wherein a first end of the valve is communicated with the flux supply portion, a second end of the valve is communicated with a first end of the injection member, and a second end of the injection member faces the coating pen assembly; The valve is configured to: open when the flux dosage in the coating pen assembly is insufficient, so as to deliver the flux pumped out of the flux supply portion to the injection member; The injection member is configured to inject and deliver soldering flux to the coating pen assembly.

6. The flux coating mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The coating pen assembly comprises at least two coating pens, each of which is correspondingly provided with one of the spraying members, and each of the spraying members is correspondingly connected with one of the valves; or, The coating pen assembly includes at least two coating pens, each of which is correspondingly provided with one spray member, and all the spray members are connected to one valve.

7. The flux coating mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The soldering flux auxiliary module includes a valve, a liquid collecting chamber and a penetration piece, and the coating pen assembly includes at least two coating pens, wherein: The first end of the valve is communicated with the flux supply portion, and the second end of the valve is communicated with the liquid inlet end of the liquid collecting chamber; The penetrating element is arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the coating pen, the first end of the penetrating element is inserted into the liquid collecting cavity from the bottom of the liquid collecting cavity, the second end of the penetrating element is connected to the corresponding coating pen, and the flux in the liquid collecting cavity penetrates into the corresponding coating pen through the penetrating element.

8. The flux coating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coating pen assembly includes at least two coating pens; The lifting module includes a lifting drive assembly and a lifting frame; each of the coating pens is mounted on the lifting frame, and the lifting frame is configured to be driven to lift by the lifting drive assembly to drive all the coating pens to lift at the same time; or, The lifting module includes a lifting drive assembly that is connected to the coating pens in a one-to-one driving manner, and each lifting drive assembly is used to drive the corresponding coating pen to lift and lower.

9. A battery cell feeding device, characterized in that: The cell feeding device comprises: a cell conveying mechanism and a flux coating mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8; The coating pen assembly of the flux coating mechanism is installed above the battery cell conveying mechanism; The battery cell conveying mechanism is configured to convey battery cells; The flux coating mechanism is configured to coat flux on welding points on the surface of the battery cell when the battery cell conveying mechanism conveys the battery cell to the bottom of the flux coating mechanism.

10. The battery cell feeding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The thin grid lines of the battery cell on the battery cell conveying mechanism extend along a first direction, and the battery cell conveying mechanism is configured to convey the battery cell forward along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; The flux coating mechanism is configured to coat flux at least on each of the welding points close to the front edge of the battery cell and arranged side by side along the first direction when the battery cell conveying mechanism conveys the battery cell to the bottom of the flux coating mechanism.

11. A string welding device, characterized in that: The string welding equipment comprises: a battery cell feeding device, a handling device, a solder strip coating device, a pressing and cutting device, a solder strip pulling device, a soldering conveying device and a soldering device as claimed in claim 9 or 10; The cell feeding device is used to convey the cell to the feeding station, and is used to apply flux to the welding points on the surface of the cell during the conveying process of the cell; The solder strip pulling device is used to clamp and pull at least two solder strips, so that the solder strips pass through the solder strip coating device and the pressing and cutting device in sequence, the solder strip coating device is used to coat the solder flux on the solder strip, and the pressing and cutting device is used to press and cut the solder strip after the solder strip pulling device pulls the solder strip coated with the solder flux to a preset length; The handling device is used to pick up the battery cells from the loading station, and cooperate with the welding ribbon pulling device to lay and stack the battery cells and welding ribbons on the welding conveyor device according to the stringing rules of the battery strings, wherein the welding ribbons are laid and stacked on the battery cells in a direction perpendicular to the fine grid lines on the battery cells; The welding conveying device is used to convey the battery cells stacked with welding strips to the welding device, and the welding device is used to heat the battery cells stacked with welding strips so that the welding strips are welded and connected to the battery cells.

12. The string welding equipment according to claim 11, characterized in that: The string welding equipment also includes a battery cell glue applying device, which is arranged in the front of the battery cell feeding device and is used to apply glue dots to at least one surface of the battery cell. The glue dots are applied on the solder strip laying path of the battery cell, and the glue dots do not overlap with the welding points.

13. A string welding method, characterized in that: The string welding method comprises: Applying flux to the soldering points on the surface of the cell; Applying flux to the solder ribbon; According to the stringing rules of the battery string, the battery cells coated with flux and the welding strips coated with flux are laid, stacked, heated and welded to form a battery string.

14. The string welding method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The string soldering method also includes, before applying flux to the welding points on the surface of the battery cell, applying glue dots to at least one surface of the battery cell, the glue dots being applied on the solder strip laying path of the battery cell, and the glue dots not overlapping with the welding points.

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