Method and equipment for adhesive fixation of battery cover body and protective layer sheet

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the adhesive fixation of battery covers and protective plies, comprising: a protective ply placement step in which all discrete protective plies for one battery cover are picked up together from a pick-up position by a first single robotic arm and transferred together and placed on corresponding receiving tables of a support tool; a protective layer sheet alignment step in which the movable stopper is actuated to move from the rest position to the stop position; a protective layer sheet gluing step, wherein the upper surface of the protective layer sheet placed on the receiving table top is sprayed with a binder by a borne spraying device through a second single robot arm; a battery cover body pressing step: transferring and placing the received battery cover body on a supporting tool on which the glued protective layer sheet is placed, and actuating a movable tool to move from the upper part to the supporting tool and apply pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover body, and the lower surface of the battery cover body and the upper surfaces of the plurality of protective layer sheets are contacted together and are bonded and fixed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and equipment for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer. Background Art

[0002] Vehicle power batteries have safety requirements. For example, the battery cover may be internally installed with a protective layer such as a mica sheet to provide a fire-retardant barrier.

[0003] The protective layer is usually bonded to the battery cover, and the bonding process and equipment may require many manual operations, and / or one or more non-manual operations may not meet the increasing requirements in terms of efficiency, quality, etc. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention promotes production efficiency and process repeatability by providing an improved method and equipment for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer, so that one or more protective layers are bonded and fixed to the battery cover in a proper position relative to the battery cover and / or by an appropriate volume of adhesive and / or in a manner that meets cycle time requirements on a production line.

[0005] According to some aspects of the present invention, a method for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer is provided, comprising: a protective layer placement step, wherein all discrete protective layer sheets for a battery cover are picked up together from a picking position by a first single robot arm, and are transferred and placed together on a corresponding receiving table of a supporting tool, wherein the placed protective layer sheets are spaced apart from each other, and the receiving tables are spaced apart from each other and correspond to the areas on the battery cover where the protective layer sheets are to be bonded and fixed; a protective layer alignment step, wherein a movable stopper for acting on the edge of the protective layer sheet is actuated from a resting position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table The position moves to a stop position for aligning the protective layer sheet toward the receiving table; a protective layer sheet gluing step, in which the adhesive is sprayed on the upper surface of the protective layer sheet placed on the receiving table by the spraying device carried by the second single robot arm; a battery cover pressing step, in which the received battery cover body is transferred and placed on the supporting tooling on which the glued protective layer sheet is placed by the first single robot arm or another robot arm, and the actuating movable tooling moves from above toward the supporting tooling and applies pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover body, so that the lower surface of the battery cover body contacts and is bonded and fixed with the upper surfaces of multiple protective layer sheets. By setting steps that can be executed sequentially, the protective layer sheet and the battery cover body are operated successively to achieve a compact and efficient process flow, in which some operations are parallelized, that is, performed simultaneously, such as picking up, placing and aligning the protective layer sheet and docking and pressing the battery cover body with each protective layer sheet.

[0006] According to some aspects of the invention, at least one receiving table includes a generally flat portion, and the two movable stoppers are opposite to each other across the generally flat portion, and / or at least one receiving table also includes an elevated portion relative to the generally flat portion, and the opposing movable stopper is opposite to the elevated portion of the receiving table across the generally flat portion. The main surface portion of the protective layer is bidirectionally aligned in the desired orientation by the relatively arranged movable stoppers and / or also by means of the elevated portion that also plays an alignment role. In addition, the elevated portion can conform to a possible angled portion of the protective layer.

[0007] According to some aspects of the present invention, in the step of placing the protective layer sheet, the movable stopper is maintained at a rest position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table and protrudes upward beyond at least a portion of the upper surface of the corresponding receiving table, and in the step of aligning the protective layer sheet, the movable stopper is actuated to retreat a distance away from the corresponding receiving table, lower a distance, and then move toward the corresponding receiving table, and finally reach the stop position. By setting the alignment movement of the movable stopper, it is avoided to apply undesired actuation to the deviated protective layer sheet, and possible interference with subsequent operations is also avoided. In addition, the rest position can play a certain stopping role in the placement and falling process of the protective layer sheet.

[0008] According to some aspects of the present invention, the spraying device includes a plurality of nozzles forming a rectangular array of multiple rows and columns, and is configured to apply multiple adhesive strips simultaneously. The strip adhesive is applied simultaneously by the plurality of nozzles arranged in a matrix, spraying efficiency is improved, and a favorable distribution of the strip adhesive with more in the middle and less at the ends is achieved under simplified motion control.

[0009] According to some aspects of the present invention, during the placement of the battery cover on the support tooling with the protective layer sheet placed thereon, the battery cover is centered by means of an alignment wedge positioned on the support tooling at the periphery of the receiving table, and after the battery cover is placed on the support tooling with the protective layer sheet placed thereon and before the movable tooling is actuated to apply pressure to the battery cover from above, a clamp positioned on the support tooling at the periphery of the receiving table is actuated to clamp and lock the edge of the centered battery cover. By centering and holding the battery cover relative to the support tooling, simultaneous registration and docking of the battery cover with each protective layer sheet that has been aligned with the support tooling is conveniently achieved.

[0010] According to some aspects of the present invention, the movable tooling applies pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover, including making the upper mold of the movable tooling fit the upper surface of the battery cover in a planar manner. By applying planar pressure on the back side of the surface of the battery cover where bonding and fixing occurs, the need for multiple pressing heads for each protective layer sheet is eliminated, and the pressure is dispersed, thereby improving the pressing effect.

[0011] According to some aspects of the present invention, actuating the movable tooling to move from above toward the supporting tooling includes causing a spring bushing of the movable tooling to engage with an alignment sleeve located on the supporting tooling at the periphery of the receiving table. The alignment and cooperation between the movable tooling and the supporting tooling further improves the position accuracy of the pressure application, including the above-mentioned planar pressure application.

[0012] According to some aspects of the present invention, the movable tooling applies pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover, including making the stop protrusion of the movable tooling contact the stop column of the support tooling. By limiting the closest position of the movable tooling and the support tooling, it is helpful to limit the undesirable deformation of the battery cover and each protective layer sheet located therebetween, and to limit the excessive extrusion of the adhesive between the battery cover and each protective layer sheet.

[0013] According to some aspects of the present invention, the method includes a glue inspection step after the step of gluing the protective layer and before the step of pressing the battery cover, wherein a visual inspection of the adhesive on the protective layer is performed by a light projection device and an image acquisition device also carried by the same second single robot arm carrying the spraying device. The inspection is performed by the same carrying device immediately after the gluing, and possible defects are confirmed as early as possible so as to perform glue remediation and / or reset the step of repositioning and spraying in the case of removing the protective layer that is not intended to be glued.

[0014] According to some aspects of the present invention, picking up all the discrete protective layer sheets for a battery cover together from the picking position includes picking up by a first single robot arm by a corresponding suction device carried by the robot arm, wherein the suction location of the suction device is smaller than the main surface size of the protective layer sheet. By applying the suction force locally, the requirements for storing and even stacking the protective layer sheets at the picking position do not have to be stringent.

[0015] According to some aspects of the present invention, there is provided a device for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer, comprising: a supporting tool and a movable tool located above the supporting tool, and at least two robot arms; wherein the supporting tool comprises a plurality of receiving tables spaced apart from each other for placing all discrete protective layers for a battery cover, the receiving tables corresponding to the areas on the battery cover to which the protective layers are to be bonded and fixed; wherein the supporting tool comprises at least one movable stopper for acting on at least one edge of the protective layer, the movable stopper being configured to be in a rest position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table and facing the receiving table. The movable tooling is configured to move upward toward and away from the supporting tooling so as to apply pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover body placed on the supporting tooling on which the glue-coated protective layer sheet is placed, so that the lower surface of the battery cover body contacts and is bonded to the upper surfaces of multiple protective layer sheets together; wherein the at least two robot arms include at least: a first single robot arm for picking up and transferring all discrete protective layer sheets for a battery cover body together; and a second single robot arm carrying a spraying device for spraying adhesive on the upper surface of the protective layer sheet placed on the receiving table.

[0016] According to some aspects of the present invention, at least one receiving table includes a substantially flat portion, and the supporting tooling includes two movable limit members positioned relative to each other with the substantially flat portion between them for the receiving table, and / or at least one receiving table also includes an elevated portion relative to the substantially flat portion, and the supporting tooling includes opposing movable limit members positioned relative to the elevated portion with the substantially flat portion between them for the receiving table.

[0017] According to some aspects of the present invention, the rest position is vertically higher than the stop position, and the movable limiting member has a retreat position that is further away from the receiving table than the rest position.

[0018] According to some aspects of the invention, a spraying device includes a plurality of nozzles forming a rectangular array of multiple rows and columns and is configured to apply multiple adhesive stripes simultaneously.

[0019] According to some aspects of the present invention, the support tooling also includes: an alignment wedge positioned on the support tooling at the periphery of the receiving table surface, used to center the placed battery cover; and a clamp positioned on the support tooling at the periphery of the receiving table surface, used to clamp and lock the edge of the centered battery cover.

[0020] According to some aspects of the present invention, the movable tooling includes an upper die configured to perform planar cooperation with an upper surface of a battery cover and including recessed portions in the upper die and / or groove portions between protruding pressing bumps.

[0021] According to some aspects of the present invention, the movable tooling includes a spring bushing, the supporting tooling includes an alignment sleeve positioned on the supporting tooling at the periphery of the receiving table, and the spring bushing is configured to be fitted with the alignment sleeve.

[0022] According to some aspects of the present invention, the movable tooling includes a stop protrusion, and the supporting tooling includes a stop column positioned on the supporting tooling at the periphery of the receiving table, wherein the stop protrusion is configured to be used for contacting and cooperating with the alignment sleeve.

[0023] According to some aspects of the invention, the same second single robotic arm that carries the spraying device also carries a light projection device and an image acquisition device configured to perform a visual inspection of the adhesive on the protective layer sheet.

[0024] According to some aspects of the invention, the first single robot arm carries a corresponding suction device for picking up all discrete protective layer sheets for one battery cover together, wherein the suction site of the suction device has a size smaller than the major face size of the protective layer sheet.

[0025] According to the above and other aspects of the present invention, it is helpful to reduce the complexity of steps and / or the number of processes, reduce or even avoid manual labor, improve the degree of automation of bonding and fixing of battery covers and protective layers, and achieve good efficiency and consistent quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 A bottom view of an exemplary battery cover is shown.

[0027] Figure 2 Shown for a Figure 1 A perspective view of all the separate protective layer sheets of a battery cover.

[0028] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer sheet according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 4 A partial perspective view of an apparatus for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer sheet according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 5 A close-up enlarged view of equipment for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer sheet according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figures 6A-6D A schematic diagram showing the movement of a movable stopper of equipment for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer sheet according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0032] Figure 7A schematic diagram showing an adhesive applied by a spraying device of an equipment for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer sheet according to some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments depicted and described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It will also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in any manner and / or combination to provide many additional embodiments.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. The terms used in the above description are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0035] For ease of explanation, in the various drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar modules, units and / or components, and the parts in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0036] Reference now Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a bottom view of an exemplary battery cover 100. In other words, the inner surface of the battery cover 100 is shown. In order to help the battery assembly with the battery cover 100 have fire retardant properties, the battery cover 100 is provided with a plurality of protective layers on the inner surface. Such protective layers are usually spaced apart in different regions. For example, Figure 1 In the exemplary battery cover 100 shown, the battery cover 100 has nine arrangement areas, in which a total of nine protective layer sheets (for example, circled numbers in the figure) are arranged, including two groups of four protective layer sheets roughly aligned in a row and a slender protective layer sheet extending longitudinally along the row direction between the two groups. Figure 1 In the exemplary battery cover 100 shown, the battery cover 100 includes a first longitudinal end 101 of narrow width and a second longitudinal end 102 of wide width opposite to the first longitudinal end 101. The elongated protective layer sheet extends from the outside of the group of four protective layer sheets (e.g., the first longitudinal end 101 side) across the first, second, and partially across the third.

[0037] Reference now Figure 2 , Figure 2 Shown for a Figure 1 A perspective view of all discrete protective layer sheets 200 of a battery cover 100. Discrete means that the protective layer sheets 200 are independent of each other during the bonding process. Note that Figure 2is an upper perspective view, i.e. Figure 2 The bonded surface of the protective layer sheet 200 is observed in the orientation. Such protective layer sheet 200 includes or is composed of mica sheets, which are generally brittle and easily broken by excessive bending. One, more than one, or even all of the protective layer sheets are preformed and may include a substantially flat main portion (referred to as a substantially flat portion). For example, a particular protective layer sheet 200 includes an elevated portion relative to the substantially flat portion, particularly an elevated portion relative to the substantially flat portion in the illustrated orientation. Figure 2 In the protective layer sheets 200 shown, two groups of four protective layer sheets 200 aligned roughly in a row include a roughly rectangular flat portion, and a first angled portion at the edges facing each other, advantageously extending along the entire edge, and the two protective layer sheets 200 farthest from the flat, elongated protective layer sheets 200 also include a second angled portion at the edge farthest from the flat, elongated protective layer sheets 200, advantageously extending along only part of the edge, and the second angled portion is continuous with the first angled portion.

[0038] In the production of electric vehicles, especially power batteries thereof, there is a step of attaching protective layers on the inner surface of the battery cover. Good alignment and secure attachment of multiple protective layers to corresponding areas within the inner surface of the battery cover can be challenging and may require a large amount of cycle time, resulting in potential quality variability. For example, some steps require delicate manual operations, and / or the process or equipment has a setting that is not conducive to production line efficiency and process repeatability.

[0039] The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer.

[0040] Reference now Figure 3 , Figure 3 A flow chart of method 3 for bonding and fixing a battery cover 100 and a protective layer sheet 200 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0041] Method 3 at least includes a protective layer placement step 301 , a protective layer alignment step 302 , a protective layer gluing step 303 , and a battery cover pressing step 304 .

[0042] In the protective layer sheet placement step 301, all discrete protective layer sheets 200 for one battery cover 100 are picked up together from the picking position by a first single robot arm, and transferred and placed together on a corresponding receiving table 401 of the supporting tooling 400, wherein the placed protective layer sheets 200 are spaced apart from each other, and the receiving tables 401 are spaced apart from each other and correspond to the areas on the battery cover 100 where the protective layer sheets 200 are to be bonded and fixed.

[0043] In the protection layer sheet alignment step 302 , a movable stopper 402 acting on the edge of the protection layer sheet 200 is actuated to move from a rest position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table 401 to a stop position for aligning the protection layer sheet 200 toward the receiving table 401 .

[0044] In the step 303 of coating the protective layer, the adhesive is sprayed on the upper surface of the protective layer 200 placed on the receiving table 401 by a spraying device carried by the second single robot arm;

[0045] In the battery cover pressing step 304, the received battery cover 100 is transferred and placed on the supporting tooling 400 on which the glue-coated protective layer sheet 200 is placed by the first single robot arm or another robot arm, and the movable tooling 450 is actuated to move from above toward the supporting tooling 400 and apply pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover 100, so that the lower surface of the battery cover 100 is in contact with and bonded to the upper surfaces of multiple protective layer sheets 200.

[0046] By method 3, a plurality of protective layer sheets 200 are first placed together (placed, aligned), then adhesively bonded (glued), and finally the battery cover 100, which advantageously does not have adhesive, is actively pressed onto the glued surface of the protective layer sheet 200 (compression bond). Preparing all the discrete protective layer sheets 200 for one battery cover 100 at one time can help improve efficiency, and actively applying pressure on battery covers 100 of a larger size range instead of on the protective layer sheets 200 can both help uniform bonding and fixation, and avoid the complexity of each smaller protective layer sheet 200 finding a positioning position within the battery cover surface 100, and the ends, edges, etc. of the battery cover 100 extending outside the receiving table 401 can be conveniently used and acted upon.

[0047] In some embodiments, the first single robot arm means that the robot arm carries a picking device for picking up all discrete protective layer sheets 200 for one battery cover 100 together. The picking device is advantageously a suction device having a suction portion that can be in the form of a suction head or a suction disc. The size of the suction portion of the suction device is smaller than the size of the main surface of the protective layer sheet 200 (e.g., the size of the substantially flat main portion). This is advantageous, for example, when the picking position of the protective layer sheet 200 is arranged with stacked protective layer sheets 200 for multiple battery covers 100, the protective layer sheets 200 in such a stack have a predetermined approximate orientation with respect to each other, but do not have to be completely aligned, and the protective layer sheets 200 can still be properly picked up, and the exact alignment is performed after being placed on the receiving platform 401. Therefore, method 3 does not come at the expense of increasing the burden of material preparation.

[0048] In some embodiments, it can be seen from the steps of Method 3 that the area on the battery cover 100 to which the protective layer 200 is to be bonded and fixed is the area within the lower surface of the battery cover 100, which is the area within the inner surface of the battery cover 100, that is, facing inward when a battery assembly is formed.

[0049] In some embodiments, during the movement from the rest position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table 401 to the stop position for aligning the protective layer sheet 200 toward the receiving table 401, the movable stopper 402 for acting on the edge of the protective layer sheet 200 pushes the protective layer sheet 200 by contacting the thickness side of the protective layer sheet 200. The stop position of the movable stopper 402 means that there is a movement restriction of the protective layer sheet 200 in the direction of the movable stopper 402. In the stop position, the upper edge of the movable stopper 402 is located between the thickness of the protective layer sheet 200 placed on the corresponding receiving table 401.

[0050] In some embodiments, the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive. Accordingly, the spraying device includes a heating component. The adhesive is advantageously applied substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the protective layer sheet 200. Accordingly, the second single robot arm manipulates the swing of the carried spraying device.

[0051] In some embodiments, the received battery cover 100 comes from a previous production step or from a storage unit. The picking device of the first single robot arm that is the same as or different from that for picking up the protective layer sheet 200 can be configured to pick up the battery cover 100 (for example, using the aforementioned suction device), or a picking device of another robot arm can be used. When the battery cover 100 is placed on the supporting tooling 400 on which the glued protective layer sheet 200 is placed, one or more portions of the battery cover 100 will be directly supported by the protective layer sheet 200 (and, if any, the adhesive) supported by the receiving table 401. The battery cover 100 is advantageously kept pressed by the movable tooling 450 for a predetermined period of time, for example, about 10 seconds, thereby allowing the adhesive to fully contact and cure with the fixed bonding object.

[0052] Reference now Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 A partial perspective view of an apparatus 4 for bonding and fixing a battery cover 100 and a protective layer sheet 200 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 5A close-up enlarged view of an apparatus 4 for bonding and fixing a battery cover 100 and a protective layer sheet 200 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Method 3 is advantageously combined with apparatus 4. Apparatus 4 includes a support fixture 400 and a movable fixture 450 located above the support fixture 400, and at least two robot arms not shown. The support fixture 400 includes a plurality of receiving tables 401 spaced apart from each other for placing all discrete protective layer sheets 200 for one battery cover 100, and the receiving tables 401 correspond to the areas on the battery cover 100 where the protective layer sheets 200 are to be bonded and fixed. The support fixture 400 includes at least one movable stopper 402 for acting on at least one edge of the protective layer sheet 200, wherein the movable stopper 402 is configured to move between a rest position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table 401 and a stop position for aligning the protective layer sheet 100 toward the receiving table 401. The movable tooling 450 is configured to move upward toward and away from the supporting tooling 400 so as to apply pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover 100 placed on the supporting tooling 400 on which the adhesive-coated protective layer sheet 200 is placed, so that the lower surface of the battery cover 100 contacts and adheres to the upper surfaces of the plurality of protective layer sheets 200. The at least two robot arms include at least a first single robot arm and a second single robot arm. The first single robot arm is configured to pick up and transfer all discrete protective layer sheets 200 for one battery cover 100 together. The second single robot arm is configured to carry a spraying device for spraying adhesive on the upper surface of the protective layer sheet 200 placed on the receiving table 100.

[0053] By means of equipment 4, the same benefits as those of method 3 are also obtained.

[0054] In some embodiments, the movable tooling 450 operates as an upper pressure head and is driven by, for example, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a servo drive, etc. Figure 4 In the exemplary movable fixture 450 shown, the movable fixture 450 includes a base plate 451 and a transmission component disposed above the base plate 451, such as a shaft 452 and a shaft-end gear 453 shown, wherein the shaft-end gear 453 is configured to cooperate with a rack on a column.

[0055] In some embodiments, at least two robotic arms may be positioned alongside base 420 .

[0056] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the support tool 400 includes components for the battery cover 100 (described in detail below) and components for the protective layer 200 (including at least the aforementioned receiving table 401 and the movable stopper 402), which are arranged and positioned in a favorable manner so that the battery cover 100 and each protective layer 200 are in the desired position when bonded and fixed. The support tool 400 also includes components for facilitating the implementation of bonding and fixing (described in detail below), which are arranged and positioned in a favorable manner to alleviate the warping deformation of the battery cover and improve the uniformity and / or accuracy of pressure. The aforementioned components are arranged on a workbench 410, which is connected to a base 420 or forms a part of the upper part of the base 420. The movable tool 450 also includes components for facilitating the implementation of bonding and fixing (described in detail below), which are arranged and positioned in a favorable manner to alleviate the warping deformation of the battery cover and improve the uniformity and / or accuracy of pressure.

[0057] For example, in Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the exemplary supporting tool 400 shown, the supporting tool 400 has nine receiving platforms 401 for receiving nine protective layer sheets 200, including two groups of four receiving platforms 401 roughly aligned in a row and an elongated receiving platform 401 located between the two groups and extending longitudinally along the row direction, thereby defining the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end of the supporting tool 400. The elongated receiving platform 401 extends from the outside of the group of four receiving platforms 401 (e.g., the first longitudinal end side) and crosses the first, second, and partially crosses the third.

[0058] For example, in Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the exemplary support tool 400 shown, the movable stopper 402 is arranged at the immediate periphery of the corresponding receiving table 401, and includes an action surface facing the corresponding receiving table 401, which is substantially parallel to the receiving table 401, especially its substantially flat portion 4011 extends and has a certain height, so as to be associated with the corresponding receiving table 401. In other words, the movable stopper 402 includes a strip-shaped action surface. In addition, two or more movable stoppers 402 of the same orientation are connected to the same transmission component 4021 through their respective brackets, which helps to promote movement consistency.

[0059] Reference now Figure 5 , the receiving table 401 (not all are labeled for clarity), the movable limit member 402 (not all are labeled for clarity) and their cooperation are described in more detail.

[0060] like Figure 5As shown, one or more, in particular each, of the receiving surfaces 401 includes a substantially flat portion 4011 (not all of which are labeled for clarity). In addition, one or more of the receiving surfaces 401 also include an elevated portion 4012 relative to the substantially flat portion 4011 (not all of which are labeled for clarity). To this end, there may be two movable stoppers 402 that are opposite to each other across the substantially flat portion 4011, and accordingly, the support fixture 400 includes two movable stoppers 402 positioned relative to each other across the substantially flat portion 4011 for the receiving surface 401. Alternatively or additionally, there may be an opposing movable stopper 402 that is opposite to the elevated portion 4012 across the substantially flat portion 4011, and accordingly, the support fixture 400 includes an opposing movable stopper 402 that is positioned relative to the elevated portion 4012 across the substantially flat portion 4011 for the receiving surface 401. Thus, the two oriented stops about the same direction are obtained by two movable stops or by one movable stop and one fixed stop or by both (i.e., there may be a movable stopper 402 that is opposite to another movable stopper 402 and to the raised portion 4012 across the substantially flat portion 4011). Advantageously, the raised portion 4012 comprises a face that is inclined away from the substantially flat portion 4011 so as to utilize the deadweight of the protective layer 200 to drive its alignment movement. Figure 4 In the receiving table 401 shown, two groups of four receiving tables 401 aligned roughly in a row include a roughly rectangular flat portion 4011, and a first raised portion extending along the entire edge at the edges facing each other (i.e., the edges toward the center of the supporting tool 400), and the two receiving tables 401 farthest from the flat elongated receiving table 401 also include a second raised portion extending along only a portion of the edge at the edge farthest from the flat elongated receiving table 401, and the second raised portion is continuous with the first raised portion. In some embodiments, the receiving table 401 has an upper surface contour conforming to the protective layer sheet 200 to be received. In some embodiments, the surface of the movable stopper 402 facing the corresponding receiving table 401 contacts the corresponding receiving table 401 in the stop position.

[0061] In some embodiments, in the protective layer placement step 301, the movable stopper 402 is maintained at a rest position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table 401 and protrudes upward beyond at least a portion (e.g., a substantially flat portion 4011) of the upper surface of the corresponding receiving table 401, and in the protective layer alignment step 302, the movable stopper 402 is actuated to retreat a distance away from the corresponding receiving table 401, lower a distance, and then move toward the corresponding receiving table 401, and finally reach the stop position. Therefore, the rest position is vertically higher than the stop position, and the movable stopper 402 has a retreat position farther away from the receiving table than the rest position.

[0062] Reference now Figures 6A-6D , Figures 6A-6D The schematic diagram of the movement of the movable stopper 402 of the equipment 4 for bonding and fixing the battery cover 100 and the protective layer sheet 200 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. For the sake of clarity, the relative positions of the receiving table 401 and the movable stopper 402 observed from the side are shown in a schematic wireframe, and the dimensions are not necessarily drawn to scale. Fig. 6A The rest position of the movable limit member 402 is shown. Since the rest position is vertically higher than the stop position, a roughly placed protective layer sheet 200 may touch the movable limit member 402 during the falling process and be guided toward the corresponding receiving table 401, but it may also abut or overlap the movable limit member 402. Figure 6B The first retreat position of the movable stopper 402 is shown. Since it is further away from the receiving surface than the rest position, the protective layer sheet 200 will be separated from the movable stopper 402 and rest on the corresponding receiving surface 401 autonomously. Figure 6C The second retreat position of the movable stopper 402 is shown, wherein the movable stopper 402 is lowered relative to the first retreat position (eg, the upper edge is located between the thickness of the protective layer sheet 200 placed on the corresponding receiving table 401). Fig.6D The stop position of the movable stopper 402 is shown. As the movable stopper 402 moves toward the receiving table 401, any protective layer sheet 200 touched during this period will be pushed to perform the alignment movement. It can be seen that this sequential movement mode enhances the robustness of the method 3 and the device 4.

[0063] In some embodiments, the spraying device includes a plurality of nozzles forming a rectangular array of multiple rows and columns and is configured to apply multiple adhesive beads simultaneously.

[0064] Reference now Figure 7 , Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing an adhesive applied by a spraying device of the equipment 4 for bonding and fixing the battery cover 100 and the protective layer sheet 200 according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 7 The example shows Figure 4 The situation of gluing a plurality of protective layer sheets 200 which are placed roughly in a row and aligned on the receiving table 401 is shown. Figure 7As shown, the spraying device successively applies strips of adhesive to the first part of each protective layer sheet 200 along the spaced protective layer sheets 200, and then moves to the second part of the last protective layer sheet 200 adjacent to the first part while stopping spraying, and successively applies strips of adhesive to the second part of each protective layer sheet 200 along the spaced protective layer sheets 200 in the opposite direction. For example, the first stroke above the first part and the second stroke above the second part both spray multiple (three in the figure) adhesive strips 700 (not all of which are marked for clarity). This can reduce the idle stroke, including the idle stroke from the first part to the second part. In some embodiments, multiple nozzles forming the same adhesive strip are configured to simultaneously actuate the discharge of multiple nozzles, so that the amount of adhesive located along the middle of the adhesive strip of the protective layer sheet 200 is greater than the amount of adhesive along the end of the adhesive strip when, for example, the spraying device maintains a substantially uniform speed, which helps to avoid edge overflow and increase the relative amount of glue in the center.

[0065] Return to reference Figure 4 , the components of the support tool 400 for the battery cover 100 and their use are described in more detail.

[0066] In some embodiments, the support fixture 400 further includes an alignment wedge 403 (not all of which are labeled for clarity) for centering the placed battery cover 100 and a clamp (not shown) for clamping and locking the edge of the centered battery cover 100. The alignment wedge 403 and the clamp are both positioned on the support fixture 400 at the periphery of the receiving table 401. Accordingly, during the placement of the battery cover 100 on the support fixture 400 with the placed protective layer sheet 200, the battery cover 100 is centered by the alignment wedge 403 (interacting with it), and after the placement of the battery cover 100 on the support fixture 400 with the placed protective layer sheet 200 and before the actuation of the movable fixture 450 to apply pressure to the battery cover 100 from above, the clamp is actuated to clamp and lock the edge of the centered battery cover 100. Thereby, the accuracy and stability of the position of the battery cover 100 relative to the receiving table 401 and thus the aligned protective layer sheet 200 thereon are facilitated.

[0067] For example, in Figure 4In the exemplary support fixture 400 shown, the support fixture 400 is provided with two sets of alignment wedges 403 at the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end, respectively, which are longitudinally opposite to each other and are used to interact with the first longitudinal end 101 and the second longitudinal end 102 of the battery cover 100. Each set of alignment wedges 403 is positioned to externally connect the shape of the corresponding longitudinal end of the battery cover 100. For example, the first set includes three alignment wedges 403 that are closer to each other and are externally connected to and interact with the first longitudinal end 101 of the narrow width of the battery cover 100, and the second set includes four alignment wedges 403 that are farther away from each other and are externally connected to and interact with the second longitudinal end 102 of the wide width of the battery cover 100. One or more of the alignment wedges 403, especially one or more located on the lateral outer side of each set transverse to the longitudinal direction, are not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, so in addition to the longitudinal stop for the battery cover 100, a lateral stop for the battery cover 100 is also provided.

[0068] although Figure 4 Not shown in the illustrated exemplary support fixture 400 , clips may be arranged to be distributed around a portion or the entire area where the edge of the battery cover 100 is located when placed, so as to control possible warping of the battery cover 100 during pressing.

[0069] Continue to refer Figure 4 , describing in more detail the components and their use for facilitating adhesive fixation.

[0070] In some embodiments, the movable tool 450 includes an upper mold (not shown), which is configured to be used for planar cooperation with the upper surface of the battery cover 100. Accordingly, the movable tool 450 applies pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover 100, including making the upper mold of the movable tool 450 and the upper surface of the battery cover 100 planar cooperation. For example, the upper mold includes a battery cover rib avoidance portion to avoid acting on the narrower dimension of the rib on the upper surface (outer surface) of the battery cover 100. The rib avoidance portion may include a recessed portion in the upper mold, and alternatively or additionally, may include a groove portion between the protruding pressing bumps.

[0071] In some embodiments, the movable fixture 450 includes spring bushings 454 (one visible in the figure), and the support fixture 400 includes alignment sleeves 404 (two visible in the figure) positioned on the support fixture 400 at the periphery of the receiving table 401, wherein the spring bushings 454 are configured to be engaged with the alignment sleeves 404. Accordingly, actuating the movable fixture 450 to move from above toward the support fixture 400 includes engaging the spring bushings 454 with the alignment sleeves 404. For example, the spring bushings 454 are positioned downwardly at the edge regions, in particular corner regions, such as one at each corner, of the base plate 451 of the movable fixture 450, and the alignment sleeves 404 are positioned upwardly at the edge regions, in particular corner regions, such as one at each corner, of the working table 410 of the support fixture 400, and the alignment sleeves 404 are also positioned on the support fixture 400 at the periphery of the alignment wedges 403 and / or the clamps. In this way, the movable fixture 450 will be aligned with the support fixture 400, which helps the upper mold on the movable fixture 450 to be aligned and engaged with the upper surface of the placed battery cover 100.

[0072] In some embodiments, the movable tool 450 includes a stop protrusion 455 (two of which are visible in the view), and the support tool 400 includes a stop post 405 (seven of which are visible in the view, but not all of which are labeled for clarity) positioned on the support tool 400 at the periphery of the receiving table 401, wherein the stop protrusion 455 is configured to cooperate with the alignment sleeve 404 for contact. Accordingly, the movable tool 450 applying pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover 100 includes cooperation such that the stop protrusion 455 of the movable tool 450 contacts the stop post 405 of the support tool 400. For example, the stop protrusions 455 are positioned downwardly at the edge area, especially the side area, of the base plate 451 of the movable jig 450, such as several on each side, and the stop posts 405 are positioned upwardly at the edge area, especially the side area, of the worktable 410 of the supporting jig 400, such as several on each side. The stop posts 405 are also positioned on the periphery of the alignment wedge 403 and / or the clamp on the supporting jig 400. The stop posts 405 on the same side are located between the alignment sleeves 404 at the two corners, and the stop protrusions 455 on the same side are located between the spring bushings 454 at the two corners. In this way, the movable jig 450 will be close to the supporting jig 400 with reduced warping, which helps the upper mold on the movable jig 450 to be aligned and engaged with the upper surface of the placed battery cover 100.

[0073] In some embodiments, timely and effective detection of the glue coating condition can be provided. The same second single robot arm carrying the spraying device also carries a light projection device and an image acquisition device, wherein the light projection device and the image acquisition device are configured to perform a visual inspection of the adhesive on the protective layer sheet 200. Accordingly, method 3 includes a glue coating inspection step after the protective layer sheet gluing step 303 and before the battery cover pressing step 304, wherein a visual inspection of the adhesive on the protective layer sheet 200 is performed by the light projection device and the image acquisition device also carried by the same second single robot arm carrying the spraying device. For example, such inspection can be performed under projected structured light or excitation light.

[0074] By utilizing the method and equipment for bonding and fixing the battery cover and the protective layer of the present invention, the main steps of bonding and fixing the battery cover and the protective layer are automatically completed in one go, achieving good quality, reducing or even avoiding manual labor, improving production line efficiency, being able to adapt to the cycle time requirements of the production line, and achieving process stability.

[0075] The above is an explanation of the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made in the exemplary embodiments without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Therefore, all of these modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. The present invention is defined by the appended claims, which include equivalents to the claims.

Claims

1. A method for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer, comprising: a protective layer placement step, wherein all discrete protective layer sheets for one battery cover are picked up from a pick-up position together by a first single robot arm, and are transferred and placed together on corresponding receiving tables of a supporting tool, wherein the placed protective layer sheets are spaced apart from each other, and the receiving tables are spaced apart from each other and correspond to areas on the battery cover to which the protective layer sheets are to be bonded and fixed; a step of aligning the protective layer sheet, wherein a movable stopper for acting on the edge of the protective layer sheet is actuated to move from a rest position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table surface to a stop position for aligning the protective layer sheet toward the receiving table surface; a step of coating the protective layer with glue, wherein the adhesive is sprayed on the upper surface of the protective layer placed on the receiving table by a spraying device carried by the second single robot arm; A battery cover pressing step, wherein the received battery cover is transferred and placed on a supporting tooling on which the glue-coated protective layer is placed by a first single robot arm or another robot arm, and the movable tooling is actuated to move from above toward the supporting tooling and apply pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover, so that the lower surface of the battery cover is in contact with and bonded to the upper surfaces of the plurality of protective layer sheets.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one receiving table comprises a substantially flat portion, and the two movable stoppers are opposite to each other across the substantially flat portion, and / or At least one receiving table further includes a raised portion relative to the substantially flat portion, and the opposed movable stopper is opposed to the raised portion of the receiving table across the substantially flat portion.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the protective layer sheet placement step, the movable limit member is maintained in a rest position spaced apart from the corresponding receiving table and protrudes upward beyond at least a portion of the upper surface of the corresponding receiving table, and in the protective layer sheet alignment step, the movable limit member is actuated to retreat a distance away from the corresponding receiving table, lower a distance, and then move toward the corresponding receiving table, and finally reach the stop position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the spraying device comprises a plurality of nozzles forming a rectangular array of multiple rows and columns and configured to apply a plurality of adhesive stripes simultaneously.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the placement of the battery cover on the support tooling with the protective layer sheet placed thereon, the battery cover is centered by an alignment wedge positioned on the support tooling at the periphery of the receiving table, and after the battery cover is placed on the support tooling with the protective layer sheet placed thereon and before the movable tooling is actuated to apply pressure to the battery cover from above, a clamp positioned on the support tooling at the periphery of the receiving table is actuated to clamp and lock the edge of the centered battery cover. 6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the movable tooling applies pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover, comprises making an upper mold of the movable tooling fit in a planar manner with the upper surface of the battery cover.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating the movable tooling to move from above toward the supporting tooling comprises causing a spring bushing of the movable tooling to engage with an alignment sleeve positioned on the supporting tooling at a periphery of the receiving table. 8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing of the movable tool on the upper surface of the battery cover comprises making a stop protrusion of the movable tool contact and cooperate with a stop column of the supporting tool.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes a gluing inspection step after the gluing step of the protective layer and before the battery cover pressing step, wherein a visual inspection of the adhesive on the protective layer is carried out by a light projection device and an image acquisition device also carried by the same second single robot arm carrying the spraying device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein picking up all discrete protective layer sheets for one battery cover together from a picking position comprises picking up by a corresponding suction device carried by a first single robotic arm, wherein a suction portion of the suction device has a size smaller than a major surface size of the protective layer sheet.

11. A device for bonding and fixing a battery cover and a protective layer, comprising: Support tooling and movable tooling located above the support tooling, at least two robotic arms; The supporting tooling includes a plurality of receiving tables spaced apart from each other for placing all discrete protective layer sheets for a battery cover, and the receiving tables correspond to the areas on the battery cover to which the protective layer sheets are to be bonded and fixed; The supporting tool comprises at least one movable stopper for acting on at least one edge of the protective layer, wherein the movable stopper is configured to move between a rest position spaced apart from a corresponding receiving table and a stop position facing the receiving table for aligning the protective layer; The movable tooling is configured to move upward toward and away from the supporting tooling so as to apply pressure to the upper surface of the battery cover body placed on the supporting tooling on which the adhesive-coated protective layer sheets are placed, so that the lower surface of the battery cover body and the upper surfaces of the plurality of protective layer sheets are contacted and bonded together; wherein the at least two robotic arms include at least: a first single robotic arm for picking up and transferring all discrete protective layer sheets for a battery cover together; A second single robot arm carries a spraying device for spraying adhesive onto the upper surface of the protective layer sheet placed on the receiving table.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein at least one receiving surface comprises a substantially flat portion, and the supporting tool comprises two movable stoppers positioned relative to each other across the substantially flat portion for the receiving surface, and / or At least one receiving table further comprises a raised portion relative to the substantially flat portion, and the supporting tool comprises an opposed movable stopper positioned relative to the raised portion across the substantially flat portion for the receiving table.

13. The equipment according to claim 11, wherein the rest position is vertically higher than the stop position, and the movable limiting member has a retreat position farther away from the receiving table than the rest position.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the spray device comprises a plurality of nozzles forming a rectangular array of multiple rows and columns and configured to apply multiple adhesive stripes simultaneously.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the support tool further comprises: An alignment wedge positioned on the support fixture at the periphery of the receiving table for centering the placed battery cover; The clamps positioned on the support fixture at the periphery of the receiving table are used to clamp and lock the edges of the centered battery cover.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the movable tooling comprises an upper die configured to perform planar cooperation with an upper surface of the battery cover and comprising recessed portions in the upper die and / or groove portions between protruding pressing bumps.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the movable tooling includes a spring bushing, the support tooling includes an alignment sleeve positioned on the support tooling at a periphery of the receiving surface, and the spring bushing is configured to be telescopically engaged with the alignment sleeve.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the movable tooling includes a stop protrusion, and the support tooling includes a stop post positioned on the support tooling at a periphery of the receiving surface, the stop protrusion being configured to cooperate in contact with the alignment sleeve.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the same second single robotic arm that carries the spraying device also carries a light projection device and an image acquisition device configured to perform a visual inspection of the adhesive on the protective layer sheet.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first single robotic arm carries respective suction devices for picking up together all discrete protective layer sheets for one battery cover, wherein the suction sites of the suction devices have dimensions smaller than the major face dimensions of the protective layer sheets.

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