Adhesive applying device, adhesive applying system and adhesive applying method

Abstract

The application discloses a rubber sticking device, a rubber sticking system and a rubber sticking method. The rubber sticking device is used for sticking rubber tape separated from a protective film to the surface of a workpiece. The rubber sticking device comprises at least one rubber sticking wheel set, each rubber sticking wheel set comprises a pay-off wheel and a take-up wheel arranged as a pair, the pay-off wheel and the take-up wheel are arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the workpiece and are configured to be able to rotate around respective rotation axes, the peripheral surface of the pay-off wheel is used for carrying the rubber tape, and the take-up wheel is used for taking up the protective film. The rubber sticking wheel set is arranged such that at least the peripheral surface of the pay-off wheel faces a conveying channel through which the workpiece passes, and the peripheral surface of the pay-off wheel has a portion overlapping the conveying channel in the rotation axis direction of the pay-off wheel, and the peripheral surface of the pay-off wheel has an elastic portion. The rubber sticking device and the rubber sticking system of the embodiment of the application have the advantages of simple structure, high space utilization, energy saving and environmental protection, and can improve production efficiency. The rubber sticking method has the effects of improving space utilization, saving energy and protecting the environment, and improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and in particular to an adhesive application device, adhesive application system and adhesive application method. Background Technology

[0002] New energy batteries are being used more and more widely in daily life and industry. For example, new energy vehicles equipped with batteries are already widely used. In addition, batteries are being used more and more in the field of energy storage.

[0003] In the battery manufacturing process, adhesive tape is sometimes needed on the large surfaces and sides of individual battery cells to bond them together during assembly. Furthermore, the degree of automation in battery manufacturing is increasing. Therefore, how to quickly apply adhesive tape on battery production lines is one of the research topics in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides an adhesive application device, adhesive application system, and adhesive application method that are simple in structure, have high space utilization, are energy-saving and environmentally friendly, and can improve production efficiency.

[0005] This application is achieved through the following technical solution.

[0006] The first aspect of this application provides an adhesive applicator for applying adhesive tape separated from a protective film to the surface of a workpiece. The applicator comprises at least one set of adhesive application wheels, each set including a pair of unwinding and rewinding wheels. The unwinding and rewinding wheels are spaced apart along the conveying direction of the workpiece and configured to rotate about their respective axes of rotation. The circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel is used to carry the adhesive tape, and the rewinding wheel is used to wind up the protective film. The adhesive application wheel set is configured such that at least the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel faces a conveying channel through which the workpiece passes. Furthermore, the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel has a portion overlapping the conveying channel in the direction of its axis of rotation, and the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel has an elastic portion.

[0007] Because the adhesive application device can simultaneously apply adhesive and peel off the film on the surface of the workpiece through the adhesive application wheel set, it has a simple structure and few parts, which effectively reduces assembly difficulty, assembly time, and production costs. At the same time, the adhesive application device of this application occupies less space, which helps to improve space utilization.

[0008] Furthermore, because the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller, which has an elastic section, overlaps with the conveyor channel through which the workpiece passes in the direction of the unwinding roller's rotation axis, the unwinding roller can rotate under the drive of the workpiece passing through the conveyor channel. This eliminates the need for an additional drive device to rotate the unwinding roller, further reducing the number of parts in the adhesive application device, lowering equipment development costs, and contributing to energy conservation and environmental protection. Additionally, the take-up roller is used to wind up the protective film, allowing it to be wound up simultaneously with the adhesive application, eliminating the need for additional time to recover the protective film and improving production efficiency. Moreover, the protective film recovered by the take-up roller is continuous and rolled up, reducing the risk of contamination and damage, facilitating the recycling of the protective film, and further contributing to lower production costs. Moreover, the take-up roller also requires no additional power source, further contributing to energy conservation and environmental protection.

[0009] In some embodiments, in the overlapping portion, the direction of movement of the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel is consistent with the conveying direction of the workpiece.

[0010] Therefore, it is possible to apply adhesive to the surface of the workpiece while it is being conveyed, resulting in high adhesive application efficiency. Moreover, since the unwinding wheel rotates under the drive of the conveying workpiece, no additional power source is required, which is beneficial for energy conservation and environmental protection.

[0011] In some embodiments, within the same adhesive application wheel assembly, the unwinding wheel rotates in the same direction as the winding wheel, and the winding wheel rotates along with the unwinding wheel.

[0012] Therefore, the take-up roller can rotate without an additional power source, which helps to simplify the structure and save energy and protect the environment. Moreover, by setting the rotation direction of the unwinding and take-up rollers, the take-up roller can be rotated using the driving force of the protective film itself, which helps to simplify the composition of the adhesive application roller assembly.

[0013] In some embodiments, the unwinding reel is located downstream of the winding reel along the conveying direction of the workpiece.

[0014] Therefore, the adhesive can be applied synchronously as the workpiece is transported, and the structure is simple and occupies little space.

[0015] In some embodiments, the adhesive application roller assembly is configured such that the rotation axis directions of the unwinding roller and the winding roller are the same, and the circumferential surfaces of the unwinding roller and the winding roller both face the conveying channel, with a gap between the circumferential surface of the winding roller and the conveying channel.

[0016] Because the unwinding and take-up reels rotate in the same direction and their circumferential surfaces face the conveying channel, the friction between the workpiece and the unwinding reel during workpiece transport can be effectively utilized, improving the reliability of the workpiece driving the unwinding reel. Furthermore, a gap exists between the circumferential surface of the take-up reel and the conveying channel, facilitating the smooth retraction of the protective film without interfering with the transported workpiece.

[0017] In some embodiments, the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel is made of an elastic material that can be compressed radially.

[0018] Since the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller can be compressed radially, the elasticity of the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller can increase the contact force between the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller and the surface of the workpiece, which helps to increase the friction between the workpiece and the unwinding roller and helps to firmly bond the tape to the surface of the workpiece.

[0019] In some embodiments, the number of the adhesive-applying roller sets is multiple, and the adhesive-applying roller sets are disposed on at least one of the opposite sides of the conveying channel.

[0020] This allows for flexible adjustment of the number and position of the adhesive application wheels to accommodate various adhesive application locations.

[0021] In some embodiments, the number of the adhesive application roller sets is two, and the two adhesive application roller sets are symmetrically arranged about the conveying channel.

[0022] Since there are two adhesive application wheels, adhesive can be applied to two surfaces of the workpiece simultaneously, thereby improving adhesive application efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0023] A second aspect of this application provides an adhesive application system, which includes: the adhesive application apparatus provided in the first aspect of this application; and a conveyor belt for conveying the workpiece through the conveyor channel.

[0024] Because the adhesive application system is equipped with a conveyor belt, workpieces can be transported to the adhesive application unit for application. The conveyor belt also acts as a limiting force, ensuring the workpieces follow a predetermined trajectory. This reduces the likelihood of workpieces deviating from or straying from the conveyor path during transport to the adhesive application unit, and prevents interference with other structures in the production line. Furthermore, using a conveyor belt allows for the simultaneous transport of multiple workpieces, improving the overall efficiency of the adhesive application system.

[0025] In some embodiments, the conveyor belt includes a clamp for fixing the workpiece so that it does not move relative to the conveyor belt.

[0026] Because the conveyor belt includes clamps, the workpiece can remain fixed on the conveyor belt during the conveying process, thereby reducing the possibility of workpiece displacement, tilting, or falling during the conveying channel, which could lead to adhesive application failure and improve the reliability of the adhesive application system.

[0027] In some embodiments, the adhesive application system further includes a roll of adhesive tape wound into a coil.

[0028] This allows for continuous application of adhesive.

[0029] In some embodiments, the tape roll includes a continuous protective film and tape cut at equal intervals attached to the protective film.

[0030] Therefore, it is possible to continuously apply adhesive to multiple workpieces without the need for an additional tape cutting device or to pause the conveyor to cut the tape.

[0031] In some embodiments, the tape includes double-sided tape.

[0032] Therefore, it is particularly suitable for scenarios that require bonding of workpieces, such as bonding individual battery cells to form groups, bonding battery end plates, heat exchange plates, etc.

[0033] A third aspect of this application provides a method for applying adhesive tape separated from a protective film to the surface of a workpiece, characterized in that the method includes: placing the workpiece on a conveyor belt; and the conveyor belt moving along a conveyor direction causing the workpiece to pass through an adhesive application device in a conveyor channel where the tape is applied, wherein the adhesive application device includes at least one adhesive application wheel assembly, each of the adhesive application wheel assemblies including an unwinding wheel and a winding wheel arranged as a pair, the unwinding wheel and the winding wheel being spaced apart along the conveyor direction of the workpiece, the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel being used to carry the tape, the winding wheel being used to wind up the protective film, the adhesive application wheel assembly being configured such that at least the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel faces the conveyor channel through which the workpiece passes, and the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel has a portion overlapping the conveyor channel in the direction of rotation axis of the unwinding wheel, and the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel has an elastic portion.

[0034] Therefore, it is possible to apply adhesive to the surface of the workpiece efficiently, and it has the advantages of energy saving and environmental protection.

[0035] In some embodiments, the adhesive application method further includes: placing a roll of adhesive tape on the unwinding wheel of each of the adhesive application wheel groups; fixing the first end of the continuous protective film in the roll of adhesive tape to the take-up wheel; and aligning and abutting the end of the adhesive tape that has been separated from the protective film with a predetermined position on the surface of the workpiece.

[0036] Therefore, continuous adhesive application can be started with simple operation; and the accuracy of adhesive placement can be improved.

[0037] In some embodiments, the step of having tape applied by the tape applicator includes the step of a conveyor belt moving along the conveying direction causing the workpiece to pass through the tape applicator in the conveying channel and having tape applied to both sides of the workpiece, wherein the tape applicator includes two tape applicator roller sets, the two tape applicator roller sets being symmetrically arranged about the conveying channel.

[0038] Therefore, the workpiece only needs to pass through the conveyor channel once to have tape applied to both sides, thus further improving production efficiency.

[0039] In some embodiments, the tape roll includes a continuous protective film and tape cut at equal intervals attached to the protective film.

[0040] Therefore, it is possible to continuously apply adhesive to multiple workpieces without the need for an additional tape cutting device or to pause the conveyor to cut the tape.

[0041] In some embodiments, the tape includes double-sided tape.

[0042] Therefore, it is particularly suitable for scenarios that require bonding of workpieces, such as bonding individual battery cells to form groups, bonding battery end plates, heat exchange plates, etc.

[0043] In some embodiments, the workpiece includes at least one of a battery cell, a battery cell array, and a heat exchange plate for a battery.

[0044] This can help improve the production efficiency of the battery manufacturing process, especially the battery assembly process.

[0045] In some embodiments, the step of placing the workpieces on the conveyor belt includes placing a plurality of the workpieces end-to-end on the conveyor belt, or placing a plurality of the workpieces spaced apart from each other on the conveyor belt.

[0046] Therefore, workpieces can be placed flexibly according to actual needs.

[0047] Invention Effects

[0048] This application provides a simple, space-efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly adhesive application device, system, and method that can improve production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0049] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0050] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the structure of the adhesive applicator provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0051] Figure 2 A plan view of a partial structure of a double-sided tape provided for some embodiments of this application.

[0052] Figure 3 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the adhesive application system for applying adhesive to a single battery cell, as provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0053] Figure 4 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the adhesive application system for applying adhesive to a battery cell array according to some embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 5 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the adhesive application system for applying adhesive to a heat exchange plate according to some embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 6 A schematic flowchart illustrating the adhesive application method of the adhesive application system provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the adhesive application method of an adhesive application system provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0057] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0058] 1-Adhesive application roller assembly; 11-Unwinding roller; 12-Take-up roller; 13-(Unwinding roller) rotating shaft; 14-(Take-up roller) rotating shaft; 2-Adhesive tape roll; 21-Adhesive tape; 22-Protective film; 3-Workpiece; 4-Conveyor belt; 5-Conveyor channel; 100-Adhesive application device; 1000-Adhesive application system. Detailed Implementation

[0059] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0060] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0061] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0062] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0063] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0064] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, operated or used in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0065] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0066] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the technical term "contact" should be interpreted broadly, and can be direct contact, contact through an intermediate medium layer, contact between two contacting parties with substantially no interaction force, or contact between two contacting parties with interaction force.

[0067] The following is a detailed description of this application.

[0068] Currently, new energy batteries are being used more and more widely in daily life and industry. They are not only used in energy storage systems for hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but also extensively in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of the application areas of power batteries, the market demand is also constantly increasing.

[0069] During the battery manufacturing process, tape is usually applied to the large surface and sides of the battery cells to bond them together when they are assembled.

[0070] Currently, the process of applying adhesive to individual battery cells is usually done manually or using an adhesive applicator.

[0071] The manual adhesive application method requires the operator to first manually stick the tape to the surface of the battery to be adhesiveed, and then manually peel off the protective film to complete the adhesive application process. The position of the adhesive applied each time may be different, resulting in low application accuracy and poor consistency, which is not conducive to the assembly of individual battery cells. In addition, the manual adhesive application method has low application efficiency and is not conducive to controlling production costs.

[0072] Compared to manual application, using a glue applicator to apply adhesive to the surface of battery cells improves both accuracy and efficiency. However, traditional glue applicators typically involve two processes: applying the adhesive and peeling off the film, each performed by a separate robotic arm. These robotic arms often require pauses during operation, and with a large number of arms, overlapping pauses can occur. Therefore, there is room for improvement in reducing the overall glue application time. Furthermore, the numerous robotic arms and their associated transmission and control components make the overall glue applicator complex, space-consuming, and energy-intensive. Thus, further improvements are needed to enhance space utilization and improve energy efficiency.

[0073] In addition, the protective film torn off by the film-tearing robot is usually in small pieces, about the same size as the adhesive area, and is difficult to reuse even if it is recycled.

[0074] This application addresses the problems existing in the aforementioned related technologies by proposing an adhesive application device. The device includes at least one adhesive application wheel assembly, each assembly comprising a pair of unwinding and rewinding wheels. The unwinding and rewinding wheels are spaced apart along the conveying direction of the workpiece. The circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel is used to carry the adhesive tape, and the rewinding wheel is used to rewind the protective film. The adhesive application wheel assembly is configured such that at least the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel faces the conveying channel through which the workpiece passes. Furthermore, the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel has a portion overlapping the conveying channel in the direction of its rotation axis, and the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel has an elastic portion.

[0075] The adhesive applicator in this application replaces the adhesive applicator and film-removing robot in related technologies with an adhesive applicator wheel set. The wheel set allows for simultaneous application of adhesive and removal of film from the workpiece's surface, resulting in a simple structure with fewer parts, effectively reducing assembly difficulty, assembly time, and production costs. Furthermore, the adhesive applicator occupies less space, improving space utilization.

[0076] Furthermore, because the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller, which has an elastic section, overlaps with the conveyor channel through which the workpiece passes in the direction of the unwinding roller's rotation axis, the unwinding roller can rotate under the drive of the workpiece passing through the conveyor channel. This eliminates the need for an additional drive device to rotate the unwinding roller, further reducing the number of parts in the adhesive application device, lowering equipment development costs, and contributing to energy conservation and environmental protection. Additionally, the take-up roller is used to wind up the protective film, allowing it to be wound up simultaneously with the adhesive application, eliminating the need for additional time to recover the protective film and improving production efficiency. Moreover, the protective film recovered by the take-up roller is continuous and rolled up, reducing the risk of contamination and damage, facilitating the recycling of the protective film, and further contributing to lower production costs. Moreover, the take-up roller also requires no additional power source, further contributing to energy conservation and environmental protection.

[0077] The adhesive applicator of this application can be used in the battery production process, such as for applying adhesive to the surface of individual battery cells before battery assembly, and also for applying adhesive to surfaces such as battery end plates and heat exchange plates that require bonding with adhesive tape. Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the adhesive applicator provided in this application is not only for applying adhesive to various workpieces in the battery manufacturing process, but can also be used for applying adhesive to any other workpiece that requires adhesive application.

[0078] Below, refer to Figures 1 to 7 Some embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0079] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the structure of the adhesive applicator 100 provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 A partial structural schematic diagram of double-sided tape provided for some embodiments of this application. Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the adhesive application system 1000 used to apply adhesive to a battery cell according to some embodiments of this application. Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the adhesive application system 1000 provided in some embodiments of this application when applying adhesive to a row of battery cells. Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure of the adhesive application system 1000 used to apply adhesive to a heat exchange plate according to some embodiments of this application. Figure 6 A schematic flowchart illustrating the adhesive application method of the adhesive application system provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the adhesive application method of an adhesive application system provided in some embodiments of this application. Wherein, Figures 3 to 5 The circular arrow in the diagram indicates the rotation direction of the adhesive application wheel assembly 1 when the adhesive application system 1000 is working, and the straight arrow indicates the conveying direction of the workpiece 3.

[0080] like Figure 1As shown, this application embodiment provides an adhesive applicator 100 for applying adhesive tape 21, separated from a protective film 22, to the surface of a workpiece 3. The adhesive applicator 100 includes at least one adhesive applicator wheel assembly 1. Each adhesive applicator wheel assembly 1 includes a pair of unwinding wheels 11 and take-up wheels 12. The unwinding wheels 11 and take-up wheels 12 are spaced apart along the conveying direction of the workpiece 3 and configured to rotate about their respective axes of rotation. The circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel 11 is used to carry the adhesive tape 21, and the take-up wheel 12 is used to wind up the protective film 22. The adhesive applicator wheel assembly 1 is configured such that at least the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel 11 faces the conveying channel 5 through which the workpiece 3 passes. Furthermore, the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel 11 has a portion overlapping the conveying channel 5 in the direction of its rotation axis, and the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel 11 has an elastic portion.

[0081] In the manufacturing process of products such as batteries, it is sometimes necessary to bond workpieces 3 to each other or to bond other components to workpieces 3. In such cases, it is usually necessary to apply adhesive to one or more surfaces of workpieces 3 first to facilitate bonding. The adhesive application device 100 of this application embodiment is a device that can continuously apply adhesive tape 21 to the surface of workpieces 3 while continuously peeling off the protective film on the tape.

[0082] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 2 As shown, the tape 21 has, for example, a protective film 22. The protective film 22 is a protective film that prevents the prepreg from sticking and protects the prepreg from contamination. In this embodiment, the prepreg is the tape 21. Exemplarily, the protective film 22 can be, for example, release paper. The release paper can adhere to the tape 21 to isolate the tape 21 from the outside, preventing the tape 21 from sticking to other objects when not in use, but the release paper also makes it easy to separate the two. When using the tape, the protective film 22 is usually peeled off. When the tape 21 is a double-sided tape, for the double-sided tape 21 wound into a roll and its protective film 22, one layer of double-sided tape 21 and one layer of protective film 22 adhered to one side of the double-sided tape 21 are wound in a stacked state. Therefore, both adhesive sides of the double-sided tape 21 can be protected by the protective film 22. When using, pull out the adhesive tape 21 with the protective film 22 on one side of the adhesive side, exposing the adhesive side on the other side. Stick the adhesive side to the target adhesive surface and peel off the protective film 22 to expose the adhesive side. At this time, it can be bonded to other parts.

[0083] For example, the tape 21 may be adhesive on both sides. One side of the tape 21 is used to stick to the surface of a workpiece, and the other side is used to stick to the surface of another workpiece or other object to be bonded, thereby achieving bonding between the two.

[0084] As another example, the two sides of the tape 21 may have different adhesive properties, with one side having weaker adhesiveness and the other side having stronger adhesiveness. The side of the tape 21 with stronger adhesiveness is used to stick to the surface of a workpiece, and the side with weaker adhesiveness is used to stick to the surface of another workpiece or other objects to be bonded, thereby achieving bonding between the two.

[0085] Of course, tape 21 is not limited to double-sided tape; it can be other suitable tapes. For example, tape 21 can also be adhesive on only one side (e.g., a label with an adhesive backing). Such tape 21 can be held in place by the protective film 22, for example, through electrostatic adsorption or other suitable means.

[0086] Alternatively, the tape 21 can be a sheet with a certain width, which is a strip in this embodiment, but the tape 21 can also be other shapes. There are no limitations on the shape of the tape 21 as long as the purpose of this application can be achieved.

[0087] In some embodiments of this application, workpiece 3 may be, for example, a battery cell, a battery cell array, or a battery heat exchange plate. Figure 5 The workpiece 3 shown is an example. Of course, in some other embodiments, workpiece 3 can also be other workpieces that require adhesive tape 21 to be applied.

[0088] In this embodiment of the application, the battery cell can be a secondary battery, which refers to a battery cell that can be recharged to activate the active materials and continue to be used after the battery cell has been discharged.

[0089] The battery cell can be a lithium-ion battery, sodium-ion battery, sodium-lithium-ion battery, lithium metal battery, sodium metal battery, lithium-sulfur battery, magnesium-ion battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, nickel-cadmium battery, lead-acid battery, etc., and the embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0090] The heat exchange plate in this embodiment is, for example, a component installed in a battery module, battery pack, etc., for heat exchange of individual battery cells, and typically has a heat exchange medium flow path inside. As a specific example, it could be a water-cooled plate.

[0091] The adhesive application device 100 includes at least one adhesive application wheel set 1, which is used to apply adhesive to the surface of the workpiece 3. In some embodiments, if the workpiece 3 has multiple surfaces to be adhesiveped, that is, multiple surfaces of the workpiece 3 need to be adhesiveped, the adhesive application device 100 may also be provided with multiple adhesive application wheel sets 1, so that multiple surfaces can be adhesiveped simultaneously, thereby improving the adhesive application efficiency of the adhesive application device 100.

[0092] The adhesive application wheel assembly 1 includes an unwinding wheel 11 and a winding wheel 12 arranged as a pair. The unwinding wheel 11 and the winding wheel 12 are arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the workpiece 3. The interval arrangement means that there is a gap between the unwinding wheel 11 and the winding wheel 12. In this way, when the adhesive application wheel assembly 1 is working, the unwinding wheel 11 and the winding wheel 12 will not interfere with each other, thereby enabling the adhesive application to proceed smoothly.

[0093] The unwinding reel 11 is, for example, cylindrical, and its circumferential surface is used to support the tape 21. In this embodiment, the tape 21 is wound into a roll and is generally annular, so that it can be fitted onto the circumferential surface of the unwinding reel 11. In some other embodiments, the tape 21 may be disposed on the circumferential surface of the unwinding reel 11 by any other suitable means, such as adhesive bonding, as long as it does not affect the unwinding of the tape 21. The cylindrical unwinding reel 11 is capable of rotating about its own axis.

[0094] The circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 has an elastic portion, which includes, but is not limited to, rubber, foam, etc. Because the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 has an elastic portion, the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 can be squeezed and compressed by the workpiece 3, which can firmly adhere the tape 21 carried on the circumferential surface to the surface of the workpiece 3 with a certain degree of resistance force, without interfering with the movement of the workpiece 3 along the conveying direction.

[0095] For example, the unwinding roller 11 may include a separate elastic portion layer made of an elastic material. The elastic portion layer is generally annular and is fitted onto the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11, for example, made of resin or metal. The elastic portion and the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 do not move relative to each other, for example, by means of an adhesive.

[0096] As another example, the unwinding reel 11 may be made entirely of an elastic material.

[0097] Additionally, the unwinding roller 11 is mounted on the rotating shaft 13 in a manner that prevents it from moving in the axial direction relative to the rotating shaft 13 but allows it to rotate about the axis of the rotating shaft 13. The components constituting the rotating shaft 13 are typically rigid, and may be made of materials such as plastic or metal.

[0098] The take-up roller 12 can take up the protective film 22 synchronously with the application of adhesive. The take-up roller 12 is also cylindrical and is mounted on the rotating shaft 14 in a manner that it cannot move in the axial direction relative to the rotating shaft 14 but can rotate about the axis of the rotating shaft 14.

[0099] The adhesive applicator is held in a frame (not shown), for example, the frame may hold the rotation shaft 13 of the unwinding reel 11 and the rotation shaft 14 of the take-up reel 12.

[0100] The conveyor channel 5 is a channel for conveying the workpiece 3. More specifically, it is the space through which the outer contour of the workpiece 3 moves along the conveying direction. This space (the conveyor channel 5) is located, for example, at the upper center of the conveyor belt, or in the conveying path of the workpiece 3. The circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 faces the conveyor channel 5, and the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 has a portion that overlaps with the conveyor channel 5 in the direction of the rotation axis of the unwinding roller 11. The overlapping portion means that when projected along the rotation axis 13 of the unwinding roller 11, the projection of the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 overlaps with the projection of the conveyor channel 5 on the projection plane. That is, when the workpiece 3 is conveyed through the unwinding roller 11, it will abut against and compress the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11, thereby driving the unwinding roller 11 to rotate in a state where there is no relative movement between the workpiece 3 and the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11. While the unwinding roller 11 is rotating, the adhesive tape 21 will be adhered to the surface of the workpiece 3, thereby completing the adhesive application process. In this way, automatic adhesive application can be achieved without setting up an additional drive device to drive the unwinding wheel 11 to rotate. This not only reduces the number of parts in the adhesive application device 100, but also simplifies the control process, reduces the development cost of the equipment, and is also conducive to energy conservation and environmental protection.

[0101] The adhesive application device 100 of this application can simultaneously apply adhesive and peel off the film on the surface of the workpiece 3 to be adhesiveped using the adhesive application wheel set 1. It has a simple structure and few parts, thus effectively reducing assembly difficulty, assembly time, and production costs. At the same time, the adhesive application device 100 of this application occupies little space, which helps to improve space utilization.

[0102] Furthermore, since the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11, which has an elastic portion, overlaps with the conveyor channel 5 through which the workpiece passes in the direction of the unwinding roller's rotation axis, the unwinding roller 11 can rotate under the drive of the workpiece 3 passing through the conveyor channel 5. This eliminates the need for an additional drive device to drive the unwinding roller, further reducing the number of parts in the adhesive application device, lowering equipment development costs, and also contributing to energy conservation and environmental protection. Additionally, the take-up roller 12 is used to take up the protective film 22. Therefore, the protective film 22 can be taken up simultaneously with the adhesive application, eliminating the need for additional time to recover the protective film, which improves production efficiency. Moreover, the protective film recovered by the take-up roller is continuous and rolled up, facilitating the recycling of the protective film 22, further contributing to reduced production costs. Furthermore, the take-up roller also requires no additional power source, further contributing to energy conservation and environmental protection.

[0103] In some embodiments of this application, in the overlapping portion, the movement direction of the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel 11 is consistent with the conveying direction of the workpiece 3.

[0104] Therefore, adhesive can be applied to the surface of the workpiece 3 while it is being conveyed, resulting in high adhesive application efficiency. Furthermore, the unwinding wheel 11 rotates under the drive of the conveying workpiece 3, eliminating the need for an additional power source and promoting energy conservation and environmental protection.

[0105] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, in the same adhesive roller group 1, the rotation direction of the unwinding roller 11 is the same as the rotation direction of the winding roller 12, and the winding roller 12 rotates along with the rotation of the unwinding roller 11.

[0106] In this embodiment, although the protective film 22 can be wound, it has a certain rigidity (specifically, it maintains its posture along the surface of the protective film 22 and is not prone to drooping). Therefore, as the unwinding roller 11 rotates, the protective film 22 continuously extends. With one end of the protective film 22 fixed to the circumferential surface of the winding roller 12, the winding roller 12 can rotate under the push of the protective film 22, thereby winding the protective film 22 around its own circumferential surface. In addition, since the unwinding roller 11 and the winding roller 12 rotate in the same direction, it is advantageous to use the pushing force of the protective film 22 itself to rotate the winding roller 12.

[0107] Therefore, the take-up roller 12 can rotate without an additional power source, which helps to simplify the structure and save energy and protect the environment. Moreover, by setting the rotation direction of the unwind roller 11 and the take-up roller 12, the take-up roller can be rotated by the driving force of the protective film itself, which helps to simplify the composition of the adhesive application roller assembly.

[0108] Of course, in some other embodiments, the winding wheel 12 may also be provided with a driving device, which drives the winding wheel 12 to rotate, thereby winding up the protective film 22.

[0109] In some embodiments of this application, the unwinding roller 11 is located downstream of the winding roller 12 along the conveying direction of the workpiece 3.

[0110] Downstream side refers to the material removal direction of workpiece 3. (Combined with...) Figures 3 to 5 Workpiece 3 first passes through take-up reel 12 and then through unwind reel 11.

[0111] Along the conveying direction of workpiece 3, the unwinding roller 11 is located downstream of the winding roller 12. Thus, it can be applied and the film removed synchronously as workpiece 3 is conveyed, and the structure is simple and occupies little space.

[0112] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some other embodiments, as long as the unwinding of the tape 21 and the winding of the protective film 22 can be achieved simultaneously, the relative positions of the unwinding roller 11 and the winding roller 12 are not limited to the above-described manner.

[0113] In some embodiments of this application, the adhesive application wheel assembly 1 is configured such that the rotation axis directions of the unwinding wheel 11 and the winding wheel 12 are the same, and the circumferential surfaces of the unwinding wheel 11 and the winding wheel 12 both face the conveying channel, and a gap is left between the circumferential surface of the winding wheel 12 and the conveying channel 5.

[0114] Since the rotation axes of the unwinding roller 11 and the winding roller 12 are in the same direction and their circumferential surfaces face the conveying channel 5, it is easy to effectively utilize the friction force of the workpiece 3 on the unwinding roller 11 when conveying the workpiece 3, thereby improving the reliability of the workpiece 3 driving the unwinding roller 11. It is also beneficial to make full use of the driving force of the protective film 22 to smoothly wind up the protective film 22.

[0115] Furthermore, during the adhesive application process, the take-up roller 12 continuously winds up the protective film 22, causing the outer diameter of its circumference to gradually increase. If the distance between the take-up roller 12 and the surface of the workpiece 3 to be adhesiveped is too close, it may come into contact with the surface of the workpiece 3 after winding up a certain amount of protective film 22, thus affecting the smooth application of adhesive. However, because there is a gap between the circumference of the take-up roller 12 and the conveying channel 5, the circumference of the take-up roller 12 can be configured to never come into contact with the surface of the workpiece 3 to be adhesiveped, thus not affecting the normal conveying of the workpiece 3. This facilitates the smooth recovery of the protective film 22 by the take-up roller 12 without interfering with the conveying workpiece 3, improving the reliability of the adhesive application device 100.

[0116] In some embodiments of this application, the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel 11 is made of an elastic material that can be compressed radially.

[0117] Since the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 can be compressed radially, the elasticity of the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 can increase the contact force between the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 and the surface of the workpiece 3, which helps to increase the friction between the workpiece 3 and the unwinding roller 11, and helps to firmly bond the tape 21 to the surface of the workpiece 3.

[0118] Furthermore, since the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 overlaps with the conveying channel 5, when the workpiece 3 is conveyed through the unwinding roller 11, the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 is compressed and abuts against the surface of the workpiece 3, and rotates with the workpiece 3, thereby achieving adhesive application to the surface of the workpiece 3. As adhesive application continues, the adhesive tape 21 is continuously reduced, and thus, the outer diameter of the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 is also continuously reduced. Since the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 is made of elastic material, the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 continuously releases the compression as the outer diameter decreases, ensuring that the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 always abuts against the surface of the workpiece 3. This reduces the possibility of adhesive application failure due to the adhesive tape 21 failing to contact the surface of the workpiece 3, and improves the reliability of the adhesive application device 100. At the same time, it also saves on the number of parts and reduces production costs.

[0119] Of course, in some other embodiments, the adhesive applicator 100 may also be provided with a displacement mechanism, which is connected to the unwinding wheel 11 to control the position of the unwinding wheel 11 so that the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel 11 always overlaps with the conveying channel 5, that is, so that the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel 11 can always contact the surface of the workpiece 3.

[0120] In some embodiments, there are multiple adhesive application roller sets 1, which are disposed on at least one of the opposite sides of the conveying channel 5.

[0121] This application does not impose a specific limitation on the number of adhesive-coated wheel sets 1. For example, the number of adhesive-coated wheel sets 1 can be only one or multiple. This application does not impose a specific limitation on the number of adhesive-coated wheel sets 1; the number can be specifically set according to actual usage requirements.

[0122] Furthermore, this application embodiment does not specifically limit the position of the adhesive application wheel assembly 1. The adhesive application wheel assembly 1 can be configured on at least one of the opposite sides of the conveying channel 5. For example, it can be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the conveying channel 5, or multiple sets can be configured on one side of the conveying channel 5.

[0123] Of course, in some embodiments, if the surface of the workpiece 3 to be glued is the top surface of the workpiece 3, the glue application wheel set 1 can also be located on the top side of the workpiece 3. The position of the glue application wheel set 1 can be specifically set according to the position of the surface to be glued.

[0124] Because the number and position of the adhesive application rollers 1 can be flexibly set, a wide variety of adhesive application positions can be accommodated. For example, even if two or more rows of adhesive tape 21 need to be applied to the surface to be adhesiveped, it can be completed in one go by the adhesive application device 100 of this application embodiment.

[0125] In some embodiments of this application, there are two adhesive application wheel sets 1, which are symmetrically arranged about the conveying channel 5.

[0126] In scenarios such as applying adhesive to battery cells, sometimes the surfaces to be adhesiveped are two large surfaces of the workpiece 3 facing each other. In this case, the adhesive application device 100 is provided with two adhesive application wheel sets 1, and the two adhesive application wheel sets 1 are symmetrically arranged about the conveyor channel 5. In this way, adhesive can be applied to the two surfaces of the workpiece 3 to be adhesiveped (e.g., the two large surfaces of the battery cell) at the same time, thereby improving adhesive application efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0127] The circumferential surfaces of the unwinding rollers 11 of the two adhesive application roller sets 1 overlap with the conveying channel 5 in the direction of the rotation axis of the unwinding rollers 11, and a gap is formed between the circumferential surfaces of the unwinding rollers 11 of the two adhesive application roller sets 1, and an interference fit is formed between the workpiece 3 and the gap.

[0128] An interference fit is a fit that has an interference (including a minimum interference equal to zero). That is, in the direction perpendicular to the workpiece 3, the algebraic difference between the size of the gap and the size of the workpiece 3 is negative. In other words, in the embodiment of this application, in the direction perpendicular to the workpiece 3, the size of the workpiece 3 is slightly larger than the size of the gap.

[0129] Because the workpiece 3 has an interference fit with the circumferential surfaces of the unwinding rollers 11 of the two adhesive application roller sets 1, the circumferential surfaces of the unwinding rollers 11 can always abut against the surface of the workpiece 3 when the workpiece 3 is conveyed through the two unwinding rollers 11. This increases the contact force between the two circumferential surfaces and the surface of the workpiece 3, which helps to improve the friction between the workpiece 3 and the unwinding rollers 11 and helps to firmly adhere the adhesive tape 21 to the surface of the workpiece 3. This reduces the possibility of adhesive failure due to the adhesive tape 21 not being able to contact the surface of the workpiece 3 because the gap is too large, thus improving the reliability of the adhesive application device 100. In addition, the symmetrical arrangement of the two adhesive application roller sets 1 helps to maintain the stability of the workpiece 3's position and the uniform adhesion of the adhesive tape 21 on both sides.

[0130] As described above, the adhesive application device 100 of some embodiments of this application can apply adhesive to the surface of the workpiece 3 using at least one adhesive application wheel set 1. It has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and has few parts, thereby reducing assembly difficulty, assembly time, saving production costs, and improving production efficiency. At the same time, the adhesive application device 100 of this application occupies less space, which is beneficial for improving space utilization.

[0131] Furthermore, neither the unwinding roller 11 nor the winding roller 12 of the adhesive application roller assembly 1 requires an additional drive device to rotate. The workpiece 3 drives the adhesive application roller assembly 1 to rotate only when it passes by, further reducing the number of parts in the adhesive application device 100, lowering equipment development costs, and also contributing to energy conservation and environmental protection. The protective film 22 wound up by the winding roller 12 can also be easily recycled and reused.

[0132] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, this application embodiment also provides an adhesive application system 1000, which includes an adhesive application device 100 according to any one of the above embodiments and a conveyor belt 4, the conveyor belt 4 being used to transport the workpiece 3 through the conveyor channel 5.

[0133] Conveyor belt 4 generally refers to a carrier used for conveying materials, such as a belt or other strip-shaped material, multiple rollers arranged side by side, or multiple chains. This application does not particularly limit the configuration of the conveyor belt, as long as it can stably and continuously convey materials. In the embodiments of this application, the material is the workpiece 3 to be glued, such as a battery cell, battery end plate, or battery heat exchange plate. These workpieces 3 can be placed directly on the conveyor belt or placed in a workpiece tray or similar structure. The conveyor belt 4 can be driven by a drive device (not shown), which includes a power mechanism and a transmission mechanism that transmits power between the power mechanism and the conveyor belt 4. The transmission mechanism can be, for example, a gear transmission mechanism or a belt transmission mechanism. Alternatively, a trolley carrying the workpiece can be used instead of the conveyor belt, and the workpiece 3 can be moved through the conveyor channel 5 by the trolley.

[0134] Because the adhesive application system 1000 is equipped with a conveyor belt 4, the workpiece 3 can be conveyed to the adhesive application device 100 for adhesive application via the conveyor belt 4. The conveyor belt 4 provides a certain degree of restraint for the workpiece 3, ensuring that it is conveyed along a predetermined trajectory. This reduces the possibility of the workpiece 3 deviating from or leaving the conveyor path during its journey to the adhesive application device 100, and prevents interference between the workpiece 3 and other structures in the production line. Furthermore, using the conveyor belt 4 allows for the simultaneous conveying of multiple workpieces 3, which improves the working efficiency of the adhesive application system 1000.

[0135] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, conveyor belt 4 is a straight conveyor belt. The straight conveyor belt 4 has a regular shape, simple structure, and is easy to process, which helps reduce production costs. In addition, the straight conveyor belt 4 occupies less space, which helps improve space utilization.

[0136] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the shape of the conveyor belt 4. In some other embodiments, the conveyor belt 4 may also be any other suitable shape.

[0137] In some embodiments, the conveyor belt 4 includes a clamp (not shown) for fixing the workpiece 3 so that it does not move relative to the conveyor belt 4.

[0138] Since the conveyor belt 4 includes a clamp, the workpiece 3 can be fixed on the conveyor belt 4 during the conveying process, thereby reducing the possibility of the workpiece 3 being displaced, tilted, or falling when passing through the conveying channel 5, which would cause the adhesive to fail and improve the reliability of the adhesive application system 1000.

[0139] For example, the clamp can be an electric gripper, a pneumatic gripper, or a hydraulic gripper, etc.

[0140] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the type of fixture, as long as it can prevent the workpiece 3 from moving relative to the conveyor belt 4.

[0141] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the adhesive application system 1000 also includes a roll of adhesive tape 2 wound into a roll.

[0142] The tape roll 2 is mounted on the unwinding roller 11, thereby enabling continuous application of adhesive.

[0143] In some embodiments, the tape roll 2 includes a continuous protective film 22 and tape 21 cut at equal intervals attached to the protective film 22.

[0144] In related technologies, the adhesive tape 21 is typically a continuous, uninterrupted structure. Therefore, the adhesive application system usually needs to be equipped with a cutting device to cut the tape after it has been adhered to the surface of the workpiece to be coated. However, the cutting device also experiences a certain pause time during the cutting process, thus extending the overall operation time of the adhesive application system. In addition, the cutting blade of the cutting device may also suffer from dulling and unreliable blade positioning.

[0145] In this embodiment, the tape 21 is attached to the protective film 22 and cut at equal intervals. That is, the tape 21 itself is a series of tape sections that are disconnected from each other. In this way, the tape application system 1000 can continuously apply tape to multiple workpieces 6 without the need for an additional tape cutting device or to stop the conveyor to cut the tape. This saves the tape cutting process, reduces production costs, and avoids tape application failure or tape 21 overflow on the surface of the workpiece 3 due to tape cutting failure. This improves the efficiency and success rate of tape application and enhances the stability and reliability of the tape application device 100.

[0146] In some embodiments, tape 21 includes double-sided tape.

[0147] Therefore, the 1000 adhesive application system is particularly suitable for scenarios that require bonding of workpieces, such as bonding individual battery cells to each other, bonding battery end plates, heat exchange plates, etc.

[0148] like Figure 6 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a method for applying adhesive tape 21, which is separated from the protective film 22, to the surface of the workpiece 3. The method includes the following steps:

[0149] S100: Place workpiece 3 on conveyor belt 4.

[0150] The workpiece 3 can be clamped and fixed to the conveyor belt 4 by the fixture, so that the workpiece 3 does not move relative to the conveyor belt 4. This ensures that the workpiece 3 remains fixed on the conveyor belt 4 during the conveying process, reducing the possibility of the workpiece 3 shifting, tilting, or falling on the conveyor belt 4, which could cause the adhesive to fail.

[0151] S200: The conveyor belt 4 moving along the conveying direction causes the workpiece 3 to pass through the adhesive application device 100 in the conveying channel 5 and be covered with adhesive tape 21.

[0152] Therefore, it is possible to efficiently apply adhesive to the surface of workpiece 3, and it has the advantages of energy saving and environmental protection.

[0153] The adhesive applicator 100 includes at least one adhesive applicator roller assembly 1. Each adhesive applicator roller assembly 1 includes an unwinding roller 11 and a winding roller 12 arranged as a pair. The unwinding roller 11 and the winding roller 12 are spaced apart along the conveying direction of the workpiece 3. The circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 is used to carry the adhesive tape 21, and the winding roller 12 is used to wind up the protective film 22. The adhesive applicator roller assembly 1 is configured such that at least the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 faces the conveying channel 5 through which the workpiece 3 passes. Furthermore, the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 has a portion that overlaps with the conveying channel 5 in the direction of the rotation axis of the unwinding roller 11, and the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller 11 has an elastic portion.

[0154] Additionally, in some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the adhesive application method also includes the following steps:

[0155] S300: The roll of tape 2 is placed on the unwinding wheel 11 of each tape application wheel group 1, and the first end of the continuous protective film 22 in the roll of tape 2 is fixed to the take-up wheel 12.

[0156] For example, the first end of the protective film 22 can be fixed to the take-up reel 12 by adhesive. Of course, the first end of the protective film 22 can also be fixed to the take-up reel 12 in any other suitable way.

[0157] S400: Align and abut the end of the tape 21 of the tape roll 2, which has been separated from the protective film 22, with the specified position on the surface of the workpiece 3.

[0158] For example, the end of the tape 21 can be manually aligned and abutted against a predetermined position on the surface of the workpiece 3.

[0159] Alternatively, an additional detection or positioning mechanism can be provided to align and abut the end of the tape 21 with a predetermined position on the surface of the workpiece 3 through sensor detection or camera addressing.

[0160] By following the steps described above, continuous adhesive application can be initiated with simple operations, and the accuracy of adhesive placement can be improved.

[0161] In some embodiments, the step of having tape 21 applied by the tape applicator 100 includes the step of the conveyor belt 4 moving along the conveying direction causing the workpiece 3 to pass through the tape applicator 100 in the conveying channel 5 and having tape 21 applied to both sides of the workpiece 3, wherein the tape applicator 100 includes two tape applicator roller sets 1, which are symmetrically arranged about the conveying channel 5.

[0162] Therefore, workpiece 3 only needs to pass through conveyor channel 5 once to have tape 21 applied to both sides, further improving production efficiency.

[0163] In some embodiments, the tape roll 2 includes a continuous protective film 22 and tape 21 cut at equal intervals attached to the protective film 22.

[0164] Therefore, it is possible to continuously apply adhesive to multiple workpieces 3 without the need for an additional tape cutting device or to pause the conveyor to cut the tape.

[0165] In some embodiments, tape 21 includes double-sided tape.

[0166] Therefore, the adhesive application method of this application is particularly suitable for scenarios that require bonding of workpieces, such as bonding battery cells to each other, bonding battery end plates, heat exchange plates, etc.

[0167] In some embodiments, workpiece 3 includes at least one of battery cell, battery cell array, and battery heat exchange plate.

[0168] The term "battery cell queue" here refers to a queue consisting of two or more battery cells arranged in a row.

[0169] This can help improve the production efficiency of the battery manufacturing process, especially the battery assembly process.

[0170] In some embodiments, the step of placing the workpiece 3 on the conveyor belt 4 includes placing a plurality of workpieces 3 end-to-end on the conveyor belt 4, or placing a plurality of workpieces 3 with gaps between them on the conveyor belt 4.

[0171] like Figure 3 , Figure 5As shown, workpieces 3 (e.g., battery cells) can be placed on the conveyor belt with the adhesive side facing the adhesive application roller assembly 1, and gaps are left between each workpiece 3. When each workpiece 3 passes through the conveyor channel 5, the corresponding workpiece 3 drives the unwinding roller 11 to rotate and be adhesively applied. Since the gaps between the workpieces 3 do not exert friction on the unwinding roller 11, unnecessary rotation of the unwinding roller 11 is avoided, preventing misalignment of subsequent workpieces during adhesive application. In this case, the accuracy requirement for the placement of the workpieces 3 on the conveyor belt is relatively low.

[0172] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, workpieces 3 (e.g., battery cells) can also be positioned on the conveyor belt with the adhesive side facing the adhesive application wheel assembly 1, and each workpiece 3 can be placed head-to-head with the others to form a queue (e.g., a battery cell queue). In this case, adhesive can be applied to the workpieces 3 continuously, which helps to further improve the adhesive application efficiency. Alternatively, gaps can be left between the battery cell queues.

[0173] Therefore, workpieces can be placed flexibly according to actual needs.

[0174] The following describes specific examples of some embodiments of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0175] As a concrete example, consider applying double-sided tape 21 to the surface of a battery cell. The battery cell is fed via a mechanism not shown, mounted and clamped on a conveyor belt 4, which moves to transport the battery cell to the tape application device 100 (also referred to as "unloading"). The tape application device 100 applies double-sided tape 21 to both sides of the battery cell while peeling off the protective film 22 from the double-sided tape. The protective film 22 is then wound up and retracted by the take-up roller 12.

[0176] Therefore, by adjusting the relative positions of the film-peeling turntable (rewinding roller 12) and the film-applying turntable (unwinding roller 11) on both sides of the battery cell, and with the auxiliary transmission of the simple conveyor belt 4, through Figure 3 , Figure 4 The adhesive application system shown can simultaneously apply double-sided tape and remove protective film on both sides of battery cells, battery cell arrays, and water-cooled plates used as heat exchange plates online. This improves equipment flexibility and workpiece changeover capabilities, increases assembly efficiency, and significantly reduces equipment costs.

[0177] Moreover, such as Figure 2 As shown, the use of equidistant, intermittent roll-type double-sided adhesive tape results in low cost and convenient roll feeding, eliminating the need for complex assembly mechanisms. Assembly can be achieved simply by assembling the roll core with the film-applying turntable (unwinding roller 11) shaft (unwinding roller's rotating shaft 13). Furthermore, the intermittent, separable roll-type double-sided adhesive tape enables roll feeding and sheet-type film application, improving the level of automation.

[0178] Furthermore, the double-sided tape application function can be achieved by rotating the film application turntable (unwinding roller 11), replacing the cumbersome material feeding and unloading mechanisms and related sensing and control components of existing film application robots, thus reducing equipment costs. Moreover, the film application action of the film application device is similar to gear and rack bonding, with high positioning accuracy of the rolling film application and better adhesion between the double-sided tape and the workpiece.

[0179] Furthermore, the automatic film tearing can be achieved through the rotation function of the film tearing turntable (winding roller 12), replacing the cumbersome feeding and unloading mechanisms and related sensing and control components of existing film tearing robots, thus reducing equipment costs. In addition, the online recycling of the entire roll of double-sided adhesive protective film is neat and fast, avoiding contact contamination and damage. The recycled double-sided adhesive protective film can be reused, reducing the cost of incoming materials.

[0180] In a specific embodiment of this application, a simplified conveyor belt is used. This simplified conveyor belt 4 is linear, regularly shaped, and has a short route, which can reduce equipment development costs and workshop floor space. Moreover, the simplified conveyor belt 4 can be equipped with corresponding clamping elements according to the size of the battery cell, battery cell assembly, and water-cooling plate, enabling rapid changeover and high flexibility.

[0181] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An adhesive applicator for attaching adhesive tape separated from a protective film to the surface of a workpiece, characterized in that, The adhesive applicator includes multiple adhesive applicator roller sets, which are disposed on at least one of the opposite sides of a conveyor channel through which the workpiece passes. Each adhesive applicator roller set includes a pair of unwinding and rewinding rollers, which are spaced apart along the conveying direction of the workpiece and configured to rotate about their respective axes of rotation. The circumferential surface of the unwinding roller is used to carry the adhesive tape, and the rewinding roller is used to wind up the protective film. The adhesive-applying wheel assembly is configured such that at least the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel faces the conveying channel, and when projected along the rotation axis of the unwinding wheel, the projection of the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel overlaps with the projection of the conveying channel on the projection plane, and the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel has an elastic portion, and the unwinding wheel can rotate under the drive of the workpiece passing through the conveying channel; In the same set of adhesive application rollers, the rotation direction of the unwinding roller is the same as that of the winding roller, and the winding roller rotates along with the rotation of the unwinding roller.

2. The adhesive applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the overlapping portion, the direction of movement of the circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel is consistent with the conveying direction of the workpiece.

3. The adhesive applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the conveying direction of the workpiece, the unwinding wheel is located downstream of the winding wheel.

4. The adhesive applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The adhesive application wheel assembly is configured such that the rotation axis directions of the unwinding wheel and the winding wheel are the same, and the circumferential surfaces of the unwinding wheel and the winding wheel both face the conveying channel, with a gap between the circumferential surface of the winding wheel and the conveying channel.

5. The adhesive applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The circumferential surface of the unwinding wheel is made of an elastic material that can be compressed radially.

6. The adhesive applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The number of adhesive-applying roller sets is two, and the two adhesive-applying roller sets are symmetrically arranged about the conveying channel.

7. An adhesive application system, characterized in that, include: The adhesive applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and A conveyor belt is used to transport the workpiece through the conveyor channel.

8. The adhesive application system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The conveyor belt includes clamps for fixing the workpiece so that it does not move relative to the conveyor belt.

9. The adhesive application system according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes rolls of tape wound into a coil.

10. The adhesive application system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The tape roll includes a continuous protective film and tape cut at equal intervals attached to the protective film.

11. The adhesive application system according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that, The tape includes double-sided tape.

12. A method for applying adhesive tape, separated from a protective film, to the surface of a workpiece, characterized in that, The method includes: The step of placing the workpiece on the conveyor belt; and A step in which a conveyor belt moving along a conveyor direction causes a workpiece to pass through a conveyor channel and be covered with adhesive tape by an adhesive applicator, wherein the adhesive applicator includes a plurality of adhesive applicator roller sets, the roller sets being disposed on at least one of opposite sides of the conveyor channel through which the workpiece passes, each roller set including a pair of unwinding rollers and winding rollers, the unwinding rollers and the winding rollers being spaced apart along the conveyor direction, the circumferential surface of the unwinding rollers being used to carry the adhesive tape, and the winding rollers being used to wind up the protective film, the roller sets being configured such that, to The circumferential surface of the unwinding roller faces the conveying channel through which the workpiece passes. When projected along the rotation axis of the unwinding roller, the projection of the circumferential surface of the unwinding roller overlaps with the projection of the conveying channel on the projection plane. The circumferential surface of the unwinding roller has an elastic portion. The unwinding roller can rotate under the drive of the workpiece passing through the conveying channel. In the same adhesive application roller set, the rotation direction of the unwinding roller is the same as the rotation direction of the take-up roller, and the take-up roller rotates along with the rotation of the unwinding roller.

13. The adhesive application method according to claim 12, characterized in that, Also includes: The steps are as follows: placing the rolled tape on the unwinding wheel of each of the adhesive application wheel groups, and fixing the first end of the continuous protective film in the tape roll to the take-up wheel; and The step of aligning and abutting the end of the tape roll that has been separated from the protective film with a predetermined position on the surface of the workpiece.

14. The adhesive application method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The step of having tape applied to the workpiece via the tape-applying device includes the step of a conveyor belt moving along the conveying direction causing the workpiece to pass through the tape-applying device in the conveying channel and having tape applied to both sides of the workpiece, wherein the tape-applying device includes two tape-applying wheel sets, which are symmetrically arranged about the conveying channel.

15. The adhesive application method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The tape roll includes a continuous protective film and tape cut at equal intervals attached to the protective film.

16. The adhesive application method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The tape is a double-sided tape.

17. The adhesive application method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that, The workpiece includes at least one of a battery cell, a battery cell array, and a heat exchange plate for a battery.

18. The adhesive application method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that, The step of placing the workpieces on the conveyor belt includes placing multiple workpieces end-to-end on the conveyor belt, or placing multiple workpieces with gaps between them on the conveyor belt.

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