Pre-welding device and battery production line

Abstract

The present application discloses a pre-welding device and a battery production line, which belongs to the field of battery manufacturing technology, wherein the pre-welding device is used for pre-welding the end cap and shell of a battery cell, the end face of the end cap has a protrusion to form a step surface corresponding to the shell on the end face of the end cap, and the shell has a first wall away from the end cap. The pre-welding device includes a pressing mechanism, a welding mechanism and a clamp; the pressing mechanism is arranged above the first bearing mechanism, the pressing mechanism is used to press the shell down along the gravity direction, so that the shell is sleeved on the outer periphery of the protrusion, and cooperates with the step surface, and the end cap seal opens; the welding mechanism is used to pre-weld the end cap and the shell; the clamp includes a support and a pressing assembly; the support is used to support the end cap; the pressing assembly is arranged on the support, and the pressing assembly is used to press down the outer surface of the first wall after the pressing mechanism presses the battery cell to seal the end cap to limit the shell and the end cap in the gravity direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing, and in particular to a pre-welding device and a battery production line. Background Art

[0002] At present, the batteries most commonly used in vehicles are generally lithium-ion batteries. As a rechargeable battery, lithium-ion batteries have the advantages of small size, high energy density, high power density, many cycles and long storage time.

[0003] A battery cell generally includes a shell, an end cover and an electrode assembly. In order to reduce deformation at the weld when the shell and the end cover are welded, the shell and the end cover will be pre-welded after the electrode assembly is accommodated in the shell and the end cover seals the opening of the shell and is press-fitted. Since the requirements for fixtures at the press-fitting station are different from those at the pre-welding station, the fixtures of the press-fitting station and the pre-welding station are not universal. Therefore, a transfer device is required to transfer the battery cell after the press-fitting process, which increases the time of the battery cell and reduces the production efficiency of the battery cell. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a pre-welding device and a battery production line to reduce the production time of battery cells and improve the production efficiency of battery cells.

[0005] In the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application provides a pre-welding device for pre-welding the end cap and shell of a battery cell, wherein the end face of the end cap has a protrusion to form a step surface corresponding to the shell on the end face of the end cap, and the shell has a first wall away from the end cap. The pre-welding device includes a pressing mechanism, a welding mechanism and a clamp; the pressing mechanism is arranged above the first bearing mechanism, and the pressing mechanism is used to press the shell down along the gravity direction so that the shell is sleeved on the outer periphery of the protrusion and cooperates with the step surface, and the end cap seals the opening; the welding mechanism is used to pre-weld the end cap and the shell; the clamp includes a support and a pressing assembly; the support is used to support the end cap; the pressing assembly is arranged on the support, and the pressing assembly is used to press down the outer surface of the first wall after the pressing mechanism presses the battery cell so that the end cap seals the opening of the shell, so as to limit the shell and the end cap in the gravity direction.

[0006] In the above technical scheme, the support member is used to support the end cover, and the open end cover of the shell is closed above the end cover. The pressing mechanism and the pressing assembly are above the support member, pressing down the wall of the shell opposite to the opening to make the open end of the shell match the end cover. On the one hand, during the assembly of the end cover and the shell, the opening of the shell faces downward, and dust is not easy to fall into the shell, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the inside of the battery, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell; on the other hand, during the process of pressing the shell and the end cover by the pressing mechanism and the pressing assembly, the shell only bears its own gravity and the downward pressure of the pressing mechanism and the pressing assembly and the supporting force of the support member. Therefore, compared with the situation where the end cover is located above the shell, the shell does not need to bear the pressure generated by the gravity of the electrode assembly and the end cover, thereby reducing the supporting force of the support member on the shell, and further when the shell adopts a thinner structure (such as a steel shell), the risk of shell deformation is reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell. The pressing assembly is used to press the battery cell in the pressing mechanism so that the shell is pressed down after the end cover is sealed and opened, so as to limit the shell and the end cover in the direction of gravity, so that the battery cell can still be maintained in the pressed state of the shell and the end cover by the pressing assembly after being pressed by the pressing mechanism, and thus, when the shell adopts a thinner structure, the risk of the shell shaking due to the light shell during the movement of the clamp and thus causing the press-fitting failure is reduced; at the same time, since the clamp only limits the end cover and the first wall by the support member and the pressing assembly, the obstruction of the clamp on the parts where the shell and the end cover need to be welded is reduced, which facilitates the pre-welding mechanism to pre-weld the shell and the end cover, so that the above-mentioned clamp can meet the requirements of the pressing station and the pre-welding station for the clamp at the same time, so that it can be applied to the requirements of the pressing station and the pre-welding station at the same time, so that there is no need to replace the clamp of the battery cell at the transfer station during the production process, thereby reducing the production time of the battery cell and improving the production efficiency of the battery cell.

[0007] In some embodiments, the support member has a support surface for supporting the end cover, the support surface is recessed along the gravity direction to form a first accommodation portion, and the electrode terminal of the end cover is accommodated in the first accommodation portion.

[0008] In the above technical solution, the electrode terminal of the end cover is accommodated in the first accommodating portion. On the one hand, the risk of unstable support of the end cover due to interference between the electrode terminal and the support member can be reduced; on the other hand, the electrode terminal is plugged into the first accommodating portion, which can play a structural limiting role on the end cover and further improve the stability of the end cover supported by the support member.

[0009] In some embodiments, the clamp includes a first limiting assembly for limiting the end cap in a first direction, where the first direction is perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

[0010] In the above technical solution, the first limiting assembly limits the end cover in the first direction, so that before the end cover and the shell are press-fitted, the end cover is limited in the first direction, reducing the sliding of the end cover relative to the support member, which is beneficial to improve the stability of the end cover on the support member and improve the assembly accuracy of the battery cell.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first limiting assembly includes two first limiting members, the two first limiting members are spaced apart from each other along a first direction on the supporting member, and a first limiting gap for accommodating the end cover is formed between the two first limiting members.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the end cover is accommodated in the first limiting gap defined by the two first limiting members, so that in the process of the pressing mechanism pressing down the shell to press-fit the battery cell and in the process of the pressing assembly pressing the shell to maintain the press-fit state, the end cover is limited by the two first limiting member structures in the first direction, thereby reducing the risk of the shell being damaged due to uneven force during the press-fitting process caused by the movement of the end cover along the first direction, and reducing the risk of press-fitting failure during the press-fitting process caused by the movement of the end cover along the first direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the pressing assembly includes a mounting rod, a pressing member and a first driving member; one end of the mounting rod is connected to the support member; the pressing member is rotatably arranged at one end of the mounting rod away from the support member in the direction of gravity; the first driving member is configured to drive the pressing member to rotate toward the direction close to the shell.

[0014] In the above technical solution, the first driving member drives the pressing member to rotate toward the shell to limit the shell and the end cover in the direction of gravity, so that the battery cell can still maintain the pressed state of the shell and the end cover through the pressing assembly after being pressed by the pressing mechanism. The structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0015] In some embodiments, the pressing down components are two spaced apart along a first direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the direction of gravity; the clamp also includes two second limiting members, wherein the two second limiting members are respectively arranged on the mounting rods of the two second limiting members, and a second limiting gap for accommodating the shell is formed between the two second limiting members.

[0016] In the above technical solution, there are two pressing assemblies spaced apart along the first direction, so that pressure can be applied to the shell more evenly, thereby improving the stability of the clamp's maintaining the press-fitted state of the shell and the end cover; at the same time, the shell is accommodated in the second limiting gap defined by the two second limiting members, so that in the process of the pressing mechanism pressing down the shell to press-fit the battery cell and in the process of the pressing assembly pressing the shell to maintain the press-fitted state, the shell is limited in the first direction by the two second limiting member structures, reducing the risk of the shell being damaged due to uneven force during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the shell along the first direction, and reducing the risk of press-fitting failure during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the shell along the first direction.

[0017] In some embodiments, surfaces of the two second limiting members facing each other in the first direction are both provided with a first groove, part of the shell is accommodated in the first groove, and the gap between the bottom walls of the two first grooves in the first direction is the second limiting gap.

[0018] In the above technical solution, part of the shell is accommodated in the first groove, and the gap between the bottom walls of the two first grooves in the first direction is the second limiting gap, so that in the process of the pressing mechanism pressing down the shell to press-fit the battery cell and in the process of the pressing assembly pressing the shell to maintain the pressed state, the shell is limited by the structure of the wall of the first groove in a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the shell due to uneven force during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the shell in a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity, and reducing the risk of press-fitting failure during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the shell in a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

[0019] In some embodiments, the clamp includes a first clamp, which is used to clamp the battery cell whose length direction is parallel to a first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the direction of gravity; the pre-welding device also includes a first supporting mechanism; the first supporting mechanism is used to support the first clamp and to drive the first clamp to pass through the pressing mechanism and the welding mechanism in sequence along the first direction.

[0020] In the above technical solution, the first clamp is driven by the first bearing mechanism to move between the pressing mechanism and the welding mechanism, so that during the production process, there is no need to replace the clamp of the battery cell at the transfer station, thereby reducing the production time of the battery cell and improving the production efficiency of the battery cell.

[0021] In some embodiments, the pre-welding device also includes two third limiting members and two second driving members; the two third limiting members are arranged at intervals along the second direction and are located below the pressing mechanism, and a third limiting gap for accommodating the shell is formed between the two third limiting members, and the gravity direction, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; the two second driving members are configured to respectively drive the two third limiting members to move along the second direction so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell in its width direction.

[0022] In the above technical solution, the two second driving members are configured to respectively drive the two third limiting members to move along the second direction so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell in the length direction thereof, so that in the process of the pressing mechanism pressing down the shell to press-fit the battery cell, the shell is limited by the two third limiting member structures in the second direction to be located at a preset position, thereby making the opening of the shell on both sides in the second direction exceed the protrusion on both sides in the second direction, reducing the risk of interference between the shell and the protrusion during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the shell along the second direction, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the shell due to interference between the shell and the protrusion during the press-fitting process when the shell adopts a thinner structure, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the battery cell due to interference between the shell and the protrusion during the press-fitting process.

[0023] In some embodiments, the third limiting member includes a mounting plate and an adsorption member, the mounting plate is connected to the second driving member; the adsorption member is arranged on the surface of the mounting plate facing the shell along the second direction, and the adsorption member is used to adsorb the surface of the shell facing the mounting plate.

[0024] In the above technical solution, by arranging the adsorption member on the surface of the mounting plate facing the shell along the second direction, and arranging the adsorption member for adsorbing the surface of the shell facing the mounting plate, on the one hand, the structure for limiting the movement of the shell in the second direction by the adsorption member is simple and easy to implement; on the other hand, compared with the method of limiting the movement of the shell in the second direction by directly abutting the third limit member against the shell, adsorbing the shell by the adsorption member can reduce the magnitude of the extrusion force applied to the shell by the third limit member while limiting the movement of the shell in the second direction, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of the shell due to the extrusion force of the two third limit members when the shell adopts a thinner structure.

[0025] In some embodiments, the adsorbent is a suction cup, and the suction cup is made of flexible material.

[0026] In the above technical solution, the adsorption member is a suction cup, which is made of flexible material, thereby reducing the risk of the adsorption member scratching the outer surface of the shell, and when the shell adopts a thinner structure, further reducing the risk of the shell being deformed due to the squeezing force of the two third limit members.

[0027] In some embodiments, the pre-welding device also includes two fourth limiting members and two third driving members; the two fourth limiting members are arranged at intervals along the first direction and are located below the pressing mechanism, and a fourth limiting gap is formed between the two fourth limiting members, and one of the two second driving members is also configured to drive the two fourth limiting members to move along the second direction so that the shell is located in the fourth limiting gap; the two third driving members are configured to respectively drive the two fourth limiting members to move along the first direction so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell in its length direction.

[0028] In the above technical solution, one of the two second driving members is also configured to drive the two fourth limiting members to move along the second direction so that the shell is located in the fourth limiting gap, so that when the first supporting mechanism drives the battery cell to move below the pressing mechanism, the two fourth limiting members can be located on one side of the supporting mechanism in the second direction, thereby reducing the risk of the fourth limiting members interfering with the movement of the first supporting mechanism; the two third driving members are configured to respectively drive the two fourth limiting members to move along the first direction to limit the shell in the first direction, so that in the process of the pressing mechanism pressing down the shell to press the battery cell, the shell is limited by the two fourth limiting member structures in the first direction to be located at a preset position, so that both ends of the opening of the shell in the first direction exceed both ends of the protrusion in the first direction, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the shell and the protrusion during the pressing process due to the movement of the shell along the first direction, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the shell due to interference between the shell and the protrusion during the pressing process when the shell adopts a thinner structure, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the battery cell due to damage to the shell during the pressing process due to interference between the shell and the protrusion when the shell adopts a thinner structure.

[0029] In some embodiments, the welding mechanism includes two welding guns and two fourth driving members; the two welding guns are respectively located on opposite sides of the first supporting mechanism in the second direction, the welding guns are used to pre-weld the end cover and the shell, and the gravity direction, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; the two fourth driving members are configured to respectively drive the two welding guns to move along the first direction.

[0030] In the above technical solution, by respectively arranging two welding guns on opposite sides of the first supporting mechanism in the second direction, and configuring the two fourth driving members to respectively drive the two welding guns to move along the first direction, the two welding guns can simultaneously pre-weld the gap between the end cover and the shell extending along the length direction of the battery cell, thereby reducing the process time of the pre-welding process and the production cycle compared to the case of welding with one welding gun, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0031] In some embodiments, the welding mechanism also includes two fifth limiting members and two fifth driving members; the two fifth limiting members are arranged at intervals along the second direction, and a fifth limiting gap for accommodating the shell and the end cover is formed between the two fifth limiting members; the two fifth driving members are configured to respectively drive the two fifth limiting members to move along the second direction to limit the shell and the end cover in the second direction.

[0032] In the above technical solution, the two fifth driving members are configured to respectively drive the two fifth limiting members to move along the second direction to limit the shell and the end cover in the second direction, so that in the process of welding the gap between the end cover and the shell by the welding gun, the shell and the end cover are limited by the two fifth limiting member structures in the second direction, so as to reduce the deformation of the shell and the end cover welding caused by welding stress, improve the quality of the pre-welded weld, and further improve the reliability of the packaging of the battery cell, and further improve the reliability of the battery cell. At the same time, since the first direction is parallel to the length direction of the battery cell at this time, the wall portion of the shell abutting against the fifth limiting member is a larger wall portion of the shell, thereby increasing the abutment area of ​​the shell and the fifth limiting member, thereby reducing the pressure at the abutment between the shell and the fifth limiting member, thereby reducing the risk of shell deformation caused by abutment with the fifth limiting member when the shell adopts a thinner structure.

[0033] In some embodiments, the fifth limiting member includes a limiting body and a plurality of abutting portions, wherein the plurality of abutting portions are arranged at intervals along the first direction, protrude from the limiting body along the gravity direction, and are used to abut against the shell and / or the end cover; and a welding gap is provided between two adjacent abutting portions in the first direction for the welding gun to pre-weld the end cover and the shell.

[0034] In the above technical solution, there is a welding gap between two adjacent abutment portions in the first direction for a welding gun to pre-weld the end cover and the shell, so that during the pre-welding process, the parts of the end cover and the shell to be pre-welded have abutment portions on both sides of the opposite sides in the first direction for limiting the welding deformation of the end cover and the shell, thereby further reducing the deformation of the welding point of the shell and the end cover caused by welding stress and improving the quality of the pre-welded weld.

[0035] In some embodiments, the plurality of abutment portions include a first abutment portion and a second abutment portion, and the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion are alternately arranged along the first direction; along the gravity direction, the first abutment portion extends beyond the shell and abuts against the end cover, and the second abutment portion does not extend beyond the shell and abuts against the shell.

[0036] In the above technical solution, the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion are alternately arranged along the first direction, and along the gravity direction, the first abutting portion exceeds the shell and abuts against the end cover, and the second abutting portion does not exceed the shell and abuts against the shell. Thus, the fifth stopper abuts against the shell and the end cover alternately, and the shell and the end cover bear the abutting force of the fifth stopper more evenly, thereby further reducing the deformation of the shell and the end cover welding caused by welding stress, and improving the quality of the pre-welded weld.

[0037] In some embodiments, along the second direction, the second abutting portion exceeds the first abutting portion.

[0038] In the above technical solution, along the second direction, the second abutment portion exceeds the first abutment portion, so that the second abutment portion can drive the inner surface of the shell to be attached to the outer surface of the protrusion facing the second abutment portion, and then during the pre-welding process, the protrusion and the second limiting member are used to perform structural limiting, thereby further reducing the deformation of the welding point between the shell and the end cover caused by welding stress, thereby improving the quality of the pre-welded weld.

[0039] In some embodiments, on a projection plane perpendicular to the second direction, at least a portion of an orthographic projection of the second abutting portion overlaps with an orthographic projection of the protrusion.

[0040] In the above technical solution, on the projection plane perpendicular to the second direction, at least part of the orthographic projection of the second abutment portion overlaps with the orthographic projection of the protrusion, so that at least part of the shell is located between the protrusion and part of the second abutment portion in the second direction. On the one hand, the reliability of the structural limitation of the shell by the protrusion and the second limit member during the pre-welding process is increased, thereby further reducing the deformation of the welding joint between the shell and the end cover caused by welding stress, and improving the quality of the pre-welded weld; on the other hand, part of the second abutment portion can be indirectly abutted against the protrusion in the second direction through the shell, so that the movement of the second abutment portion in the second direction can be limited by the protrusion, thereby reducing the risk of shell deformation due to excessive movement of the second abutment portion when the shell adopts a thinner structure.

[0041] In some embodiments, the clamp also includes a second clamp, and the pre-welding device also includes a second carrying mechanism and a reversing mechanism; the second clamp is used to clamp the battery cell whose length direction is parallel to the second direction; the second carrying mechanism is used to carry the second clamp; the reversing mechanism is used to grab the battery cell on the first clamp, and rotate the battery cell so that the length direction of the battery cell is parallel to the second direction, and then place the battery cell on the second clamp; or, the reversing mechanism is used to grab the battery cell on the second clamp, and rotate the battery cell so that the length direction of the battery cell is parallel to the first direction, and then place the battery cell on the first clamp; the first carrying mechanism is also used to drive the first clamp to be located below the reversing mechanism; the second carrying mechanism is used to drive the second clamp to pass through the reversing mechanism and the welding mechanism in sequence.

[0042] In the above technical solution, by providing the reversing mechanism, the second clamp and the second bearing mechanism, the pre-welding device can pre-weld the gap between the end cover and the shell extending along the width direction of the battery cell.

[0043] In some embodiments, the welding mechanism further includes two sixth driving members, and the two sixth driving members are configured to respectively drive the two welding guns to move along the second direction.

[0044] In the above technical solution, the two sixth driving members are configured to respectively drive the two welding guns to move along the second direction, so that when the reversing mechanism drives the battery cell to rotate and causes the distance between the gap between the end cover and the shell to be pre-welded and the welding gun in the second direction to change, the distance between the welding gun and the battery cell in the second direction can be adjusted by the sixth driving member, so that the distance between the welding gun and the gap to be pre-welded in the second direction is suitable for the welding gun to perform welding, thereby improving the quality of the pre-welded weld.

[0045] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a battery production line, comprising the pre-welding device described in any embodiment of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a clamp provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0048] Figure 2 An exploded view of the structure of a battery cell provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0049] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Sectional view of AA in the middle;

[0050] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0051] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the clamp provided in some embodiments of the present application in another direction;

[0052] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of another clamp provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0053] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a pre-welding device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0054] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a pressing mechanism provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0055] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged view of point C in the middle;

[0056] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a pressing mechanism provided in some embodiments of the present application when pressing a battery cell;

[0057] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a welding mechanism provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0058] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first clamp and a fifth stopper provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0059] Fig.13 for Fig.12 The enlarged view of point D in the middle;

[0060] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure of a fifth limiting member provided in some embodiments of the present application limiting a battery cell;

[0061] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the structure of a reversing mechanism provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0062] Icon: 100-Pre-welding device;

[0063] 10-clamp; 10A-first clamp; 10B-second clamp;

[0064] 11-support member; 111-support surface; 112-first accommodating portion;

[0065] 12-pressing assembly; 121-mounting rod; 122-pressing member; 123-first driving member;

[0066] 13-first limiting assembly; 131-first limiting member; 132-first limiting gap;

[0067] 14-second limiting member; 141-first groove;

[0068] 20 - battery cell; 21 - end cap; 211 - protrusion; 212 - electrode terminal; 22 - housing; 221 - first wall; 23 - electrode assembly;

[0069] 30- first bearing mechanism;

[0070] 40-pressing mechanism; 41-seventh driving member; 42-guide rod; 43-third limiting member; 431-mounting plate; 432-adsorption member; 433-eighth driving member; 434-third platform; 435-limiting block; 44-pressing block; 45-third driving member; 46-fourth limiting member; 47-second driving member;

[0071] 50-welding mechanism; 51-welding gun; 511-contour meter; 52-fourth driving member; 53-sixth driving member; 54-second frame; 55-fourth platform; 56-fifth stopper; 561-abutting portion; 561A-first abutting portion; 561B-second abutting portion; 562-welding gap; 563-body; 564-connecting portion; 57-fifth driving member;

[0072] 60-reversing mechanism; 61-ninth driving member; 62-first mounting frame; 63-tenth driving member; 64-second mounting frame; 65-eleventh driving member; 66-clamping member;

[0073] 70-first frame; 71-first support rod; 72-first platform; 73-second support rod; 74-second platform;

[0074] X-first direction; Y-second direction; Z-gravity direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0076] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meanings as those commonly understood by technicians in the technical field of this application; the terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application or the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order or a primary and secondary relationship.

[0077] Reference to "embodiment" in this application means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0078] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", and "attached" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0079] The term "and / or" in this application is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0080] In the embodiments of the present application, the same reference numerals represent the same components, and for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of the same components are omitted in different embodiments. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width and other dimensions of various components in the embodiments of the present application shown in the drawings, as well as the overall thickness, length, width and other dimensions of the integrated device are only exemplary descriptions and should not constitute any limitation to the present application.

[0081] The term “plurality” used in this application refers to two or more (including two).

[0082] At present, from the perspective of market development, the application of power batteries is becoming more and more extensive. Power batteries are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power and solar power stations, but also widely used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, electric cars, as well as military equipment and aerospace and other fields. With the continuous expansion of the application field of power batteries, the market demand is also constantly expanding.

[0083] The battery cell includes a shell, an end cap and an electrode assembly, and the electrode assembly is accommodated in the shell. The shell has an opening, and the shell has a first wall facing away from the end cap. The end cap is used to cover the opening so that the end cap and the shell together form a storage space for accommodating the electrode assembly. When packaging a battery cell with a thin shell thickness (such as a steel shell battery cell), the shell is more easily deformed during welding due to the low shell thickness, and the shell is more easily deformed when subjected to a large external force due to the low shell thickness. Therefore, it is difficult to limit the deformation of the thinner shell during welding by a welding fixture. Therefore, it is necessary to add a pre-welding process between the press-fitting process and the welding process to reduce the deformation of the shell during the welding process and improve the packaging yield of the battery cell.

[0084] The end face of the end cap generally has a protrusion to form a step surface corresponding to the shell on the end face of the end cap, so that when the battery cell is press-fitted, it is generally necessary to adjust the position of the end cap relative to the shell from multiple different directions through a correction mechanism, and then press the electrode assembly into the shell through a pressing mechanism, so that the protrusion of the end cap is inserted into the opening, and the end cap and the shell cooperate to seal the opening of the shell. Since the requirements for the fixture of the press-fitting station are different from those of the pre-welding station, the fixtures of the press-fitting station and the pre-welding station are not universal, so a transfer device is required to transfer the battery cell after the press-fitting process, which increases the time of the battery cell and reduces the production efficiency of the battery cell.

[0085] Based on the above considerations, in order to reduce the production time of battery cells and improve the production efficiency of battery cells, the embodiment of the present application provides a pre-welding device for pre-welding the end cap and shell of the battery cell, the end face of the end cap has a protrusion to form a step surface corresponding to the shell on the end face of the end cap, and the shell has a first wall away from the end cap. The pre-welding device includes a pressing mechanism, a welding mechanism and a clamp; the pressing mechanism is arranged above the first bearing mechanism, and the pressing mechanism is used to press the shell down along the gravity direction so that the shell is sleeved on the outer periphery of the protrusion and cooperates with the step surface, and the end cap seal opens; the welding mechanism is used to pre-weld the end cap and the shell; the clamp includes a support and a pressing assembly; the support is used to support the end cap; the pressing assembly is arranged on the support, and the pressing assembly is used to press down the outer surface of the first wall after the pressing mechanism presses the battery cell to seal the end cap to limit the shell and the end cap in the gravity direction.

[0086] In the above-mentioned pre-welding device, a support is used to support the end cover, and the open end cover of the shell is closed above the end cover. The pressing mechanism and the pressing assembly are above the support member, pressing down the wall of the shell opposite to the opening to make the open end of the shell match the end cover. On the one hand, during the assembly of the end cover and the shell, the opening of the shell faces downward, and dust is not easy to fall into the shell, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the inside of the battery, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell; on the other hand, during the process of pressing the shell and the end cover by the pressing mechanism and the pressing assembly, the shell only bears its own gravity and the downward pressure of the pressing mechanism and the pressing assembly and the supporting force of the support member. Therefore, compared with the situation where the end cover is located above the shell, the shell does not need to bear the pressure generated by the gravity of the electrode assembly and the end cover, thereby reducing the supporting force of the support member on the shell, and further when the shell adopts a thinner structure (such as a steel shell), the risk of shell deformation is reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell. The pressing assembly is used to press the battery cell in the pressing mechanism so that the shell is pressed down after the end cover is sealed and opened, so as to limit the shell and the end cover in the direction of gravity, so that the battery cell can still be maintained in the pressed state of the shell and the end cover by the pressing assembly after being pressed by the pressing mechanism, and thus when the shell adopts a thinner structure, the risk of the shell shaking due to the light shell during the movement of the clamp and thus causing the press-fitting failure is reduced; at the same time, since the clamp only limits the end cover and the first wall by the support member and the pressing assembly, the obstruction of the clamp on the parts where the shell and the end cover need to be welded is reduced, which is convenient for the pre-welding mechanism to pre-weld the shell and the end cover, and when the shell and the end cover are pre-welded when the shell adopts a thinner structure, the pressing assembly and the support member can limit the movement of the shell and the end cover in the direction of gravity, reducing the risk of pre-welding deformation of the shell and the end cover. Thereby, the above-mentioned clamp can meet the requirements of the pressing station and the pre-welding station for the clamp at the same time, so that it can be suitable for the requirements of the pressing station and the pre-welding station at the same time, so that during the production process, there is no need to replace the clamp of the battery cell at the transfer station, thereby reducing the production time of the battery cell and improving the production efficiency of the battery cell.

[0087] Please refer to Figure 1-Figure 3 , and please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamp 10 provided in some embodiments of the present application. Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the structure of the battery cell 20 provided in some embodiments of the present application. Figure 3 for Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of AA in the figure, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pre-welding device 100 provided in some embodiments of the present application. Figure 8A schematic diagram of the structure of a pressing mechanism 40 provided in some embodiments of the present application. The present application provides a pre-welding device for pre-welding the end cap 21 and the shell 22 of the battery cell 20, wherein the end face of the end cap 21 has a protrusion 211 to form a step surface corresponding to the shell 22 on the end face of the end cap 21, and the shell 22 has a first wall 221 away from the end cap 21. The pre-welding device includes a pressing mechanism 40, a welding mechanism 50 and a clamp 10; the pressing mechanism 40 is arranged above the first supporting mechanism 30, and is used to press down the shell 22 along the gravity direction Z, so that the shell 22 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the protrusion 211, and cooperates with the step surface, and the end cover 21 seals the opening; the welding mechanism 50 is used to pre-weld the end cover 21 and the shell 22; the clamp includes a support member 11 and a pressing assembly; the support member 11 is used to support the end cover 21; the pressing assembly is arranged on the support member 11, and the pressing assembly is used to press down the outer surface of the first wall 221 after the pressing mechanism 40 presses the battery cell 20 so that the end cover 21 seals the opening of the shell 22, so as to limit the shell 22 and the end cover 21 in the gravity direction Z.

[0088] One end of the housing 22 has an opening so that the electrode assembly 23 can be placed inside the housing 22 through the opening. The housing 22 can be made of a metal material, such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, or nickel-plated steel. The first wall 221 is a wall portion of the housing 22 away from the opening side. The end cap 21 is sealed at the opening to provide a stable working environment for the electrode assembly 23.

[0089] The pressing mechanism 40 is a mechanism for applying an external force to the first wall 221 of the housing 22 to drive the housing 22 to be sleeved outside the protrusion 211 and to enable the end cover 21 to cover the opening.

[0090] The welding mechanism 50 is a mechanism for providing heat to the connection between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 to weld the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22. Exemplarily, the welding mechanism 50 can be arranged on one side of the first supporting mechanism 30 in the second direction Y, so that the welding mechanism 50 pre-welds the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 extending along the first direction X.

[0091] It can be understood that when packaging a battery cell 20 (such as a steel shell battery cell) with a thinner shell 22, due to the thin thickness of the shell 22, the heat-affected zone of the shell 22 is larger during welding, which in turn makes the risk of welding deformation of the shell 22 greater, so that the shell 22 and the end cover 21 need to be pre-welded. Since the shell 22 is thin and has low strength, the solution of pressing the end cover 21 on the shell 22 is likely to cause the shell 22 to deform. Therefore, the shell 22 needs to be pressed on the end cover 21 to reduce the external force on the shell 22. During pre-welding, due to the smaller mass of the shell 22, the battery cell 20 (such as an aluminum shell battery cell 20) with a thicker structure than the shell 22 is more easily blown by the protective gas of the welding gun 51, resulting in failure of the press-fitting of the shell 22 and the end cover 21. The clamp 10 provided in any of the above embodiments is used as the first clamp 10A. On the one hand, the shell 22 only bears its own gravity and the downward pressure of the downward pressure mechanism 40 and the downward pressure assembly 12, and the supporting force of the support member 11. Therefore, compared with the situation where the end cover 21 is located above the shell 22, the shell 22 does not need to bear the pressure generated by the gravity of the electrode assembly 23 and the end cover 21, thereby reducing the supporting force of the support member 11 on the shell 22. When the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure (such as a steel shell), the risk of deformation of the shell 22 is reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell 20. The pressing assembly 12 is used to press the battery cell 20 in the pressing mechanism 40, so that the shell 22 is pressed down after the end cover 21 seals the opening, so as to limit the shell 22 and the end cover 21 in the gravity direction Z, so that the battery cell 20 can still maintain the pressed state of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 through the pressing assembly 12 after being pressed by the pressing mechanism 40, and thus when the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure, the risk of the shell 22 shaking due to the lightness of the shell 22 and thus causing the press-fitting failure during the movement of the first clamp 10A from the press-fitting mechanism to the welding mechanism 50 is reduced; at the same time, since the clamp 10 is only supported by the support The support member 11 and the pressing assembly 12 limit the end cover 21 and the first wall 221, thereby reducing the obstruction of the clamp 10 on the parts where the shell 22 and the end cover 21 need to be welded, making it easier for the pre-welding mechanism to pre-weld the shell 22 and the end cover 21, so that the above-mentioned clamp 10 can simultaneously meet the requirements of the pressing station and the pre-welding station for the clamp 10, so that it can be suitable for the requirements of the pressing station and the pre-welding station at the same time, so that during the production process, there is no need to replace the clamp 10 of the battery cell 20 at the transfer station, thereby reducing the production time of the battery cell 20 and improving the production efficiency of the battery cell 20.

[0092] The support member 11 is the portion of the fixture 10 for placing the end cover 21 . Exemplarily, the support member 11 may be made of metal material to reduce the risk of deformation of the support member 11 when subjected to pressure from the pressing assembly 12 and the pressing mechanism 40 , thereby enabling the support member 11 to stably support the battery cell 20 .

[0093] In some embodiments, the support member 11 may be fixed relative to the ground. In other embodiments, the support member 11 may also be connected to an external driving member so as to move relative to the ground.

[0094] The support member 11 may be fixedly disposed in the direction Z of gravity, that is, the support member 11 cannot move along the direction Z of gravity.

[0095] The pressing assembly 12 is a component disposed on the support member 11 and used to press the housing 22 to maintain the pressed state of the battery cell 20 after the battery cell 20 is pressed.

[0096] In some embodiments, the pressing assembly 12 may include a hydraulic cylinder, which includes a cylinder body and a telescopic rod that can extend out of the cylinder body along the gravity direction Z. A pressure block is provided at one end of the telescopic rod away from the cylinder body. The telescopic cylinder is retracted relative to the cylinder body to drive the pressure block to press the shell 22 to limit the shell 22 and the end cover 21 in the gravity direction Z.

[0097] It can be understood that the above-mentioned hydraulic cylinder can also be a driving component such as a linear module, a cylinder and an electric telescopic rod.

[0098] The pressing assembly 12 is used to press the battery cell 20 into the pressing mechanism 40 so that the end cover 21 seals the opening and then presses down the shell 22. It can be understood that when the pressing mechanism 40 does not press the battery cell 20, the pressing assembly 12 does not press the shell 22 to facilitate adjusting the position of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 through the correction mechanism.

[0099] Please refer to Figure 3 The support member 11 is used to support the end cover 21, that is, the support member 11 is located below the end cover 21. When the end cover 21 and the shell 22 are assembled, the open end cover 21 of the shell 22 is closed above the end cover 21, and the pressing mechanism 40 and the pressing assembly 12 are above the support member 11 to press down the wall of the shell 22 opposite to the opening, so that the open end of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 are matched, so that in the process of assembling the end cover 21 and the shell 22, the opening of the shell 22 faces downward, and dust is not easy to fall into the shell 22, so as to ensure the cleanliness of the inside of the battery, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell 20;

[0100] Please refer to Figure 3At the same time, since the support member 11 is located below the end cover 21, the electrode assembly 23 that needs to be loaded into the shell 22 is located above the end cover 21, and the supporting force of the support member 11 on the electrode assembly 23 is transmitted to the electrode assembly 23 through the end cover 21, so that the shell 22 only bears its own gravity and the downward pressure of the downward pressure mechanism 40 and the downward pressure assembly 12 and the supporting force of the support member 11. Compared with the case where the end cover 21 is located above the shell 22, the shell 22 does not need to bear the pressure generated by the gravity of the electrode assembly 23 and the end cover 21, thereby reducing the supporting force of the support member 11 on the shell 22. When the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure (such as a steel shell), the risk of deformation of the shell 22 is reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the battery cell 20.

[0101] In this embodiment, the pressing assembly 12 is used to press the battery cell 20 in the pressing mechanism 40, so that the shell 22 is pressed down after the end cover 21 seals the opening, so as to limit the shell 22 and the end cover 21 in the gravity direction Z, so that the battery cell 20 can still maintain the pressed state of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 through the pressing assembly 12 after being pressed by the pressing mechanism 40, and then when the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure, the risk of the shell 22 shaking due to the lightness of the shell 22 during the movement of the clamp 10, thereby reducing the risk of press-fitting failure. Since the clamp 10 only limits the end cover 21 and the first wall 221 through the support member 11 and the pressing assembly 12, the blocking of the housing 22 and the end cover 21 by the clamp 10 is reduced, which makes it easier for the pre-welding mechanism to pre-weld the housing 22 and the end cover 21. When the housing 22 is thinner, the pressing assembly 12 and the support member 11 can limit the movement of the housing 22 and the end cover 21 along the gravity direction Z, thereby reducing the risk of pre-welding deformation of the housing 22 and the end cover 21. As a result, the clamp 10 can simultaneously meet the requirements of the press-fitting station and the pre-welding station for the clamp 10, so that it can be applied to the requirements of the press-fitting station and the pre-welding station at the same time, so that the clamp 10 of the battery cell 20 does not need to be replaced by the transfer station during the production process, thereby reducing the production time of the battery cell 20 and improving the production efficiency of the battery cell 20.

[0102] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , and please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 for Figure 3 According to some embodiments of the present application, the support member 11 has a support surface 111 for supporting the end cap 21 , the support surface 111 is recessed along the gravity direction Z to form a first accommodation portion 112 , and the electrode terminal 212 of the end cap 21 is accommodated in the first accommodation portion 112 .

[0103] The support surface 111 is the side of the support member 11 facing the battery cell 20 in the gravity direction Z. Exemplarily, the support surface 111 may be a plane to fit with the surface of the end cover 21 facing the support member 11 .

[0104] The first accommodating portion 112 is a groove-shaped structure provided on the supporting surface 111. For example, the first accommodating portion 112 can be formed on the supporting surface 111 by machining methods such as turning and milling, or can be formed together with the supporting surface 111 by an integral molding method.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the battery cell 20 further includes an electrode terminal 212. The end cap 21 is provided with an electrode terminal 212 hole. The electrode passes through the electrode terminal 212 hole and is insulated and connected to the hole wall of the electrode terminal 212 hole. The electrode terminal 212 is used to be electrically connected to the electrode tab of the electrode assembly 23 so that current flows into the electrode assembly 23, or, for current to flow out of the electrode assembly 23. Exemplarily, the electrode terminal 212 extends out of the electrode terminal 212 hole and protrudes out of the surface of the end cap 21 away from the housing 22, so that the external circuit is electrically connected to the electrode assembly 23 through the electrode terminal 212 to charge the electrode assembly 23, or to facilitate the discharge of the electrode assembly 23.

[0106] It can be understood that, since the electrode terminal 212 protrudes from the side of the end cap 21 away from the electrode assembly 23, when the support member 11 supports the end cap 21, the electrode terminal 212 will abut against the support surface 111 of the support member 11, resulting in the end cap 21 not being able to abut against the support surface 111 of the support member 11. Therefore, when the first accommodating portion 112 accommodates the electrode terminal 212, the portion of the support surface 111 other than the first accommodating portion 112 can abut against the side of the end cap 21 away from the electrode assembly 23 more stably.

[0107] Exemplarily, the dimension of the first accommodating portion 112 in the gravity direction Z should be greater than the dimension of the electrode terminal 212 protruding from the surface of the end cap 21 away from the electrode assembly 23 in the gravity direction Z. The side wall of the first accommodating portion 112 may or may not be in contact with the peripheral surface of the electrode terminal 212, so that the electrode terminal 212 can be smoothly inserted into the first accommodating portion 112, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the support member 11 and the electrode terminal 212, resulting in the support member 11 being unable to support the end cap 21.

[0108] When the support member 11 supports the end cover 21 and viewed along the gravity direction Z, the outer contour of the support surface 111 should overlap with the outer contour of the end cover 21 , or the outer contour of the support surface 111 should be located outside the outer contour of the end cover 21 .

[0109] The shape of the first accommodating portion 112 can be a shape that matches the electrode terminal 212. For example, when the electrode terminal 212 is cylindrical, the first accommodating portion 112 can be circular, and the radial dimension of the first accommodating portion 112 should be larger than the radial dimension of the electrode terminal 212. The shape of the first accommodating portion 112 can also be a shape that does not match the electrode terminal 212. The first accommodating portion 112 only needs to be able to allow the electrode terminal 212 to be inserted.

[0110] In this embodiment, the electrode terminal 212 of the end cap 21 is accommodated in the first accommodating portion 112. On the one hand, the risk of unstable support of the end cap 21 due to interference between the electrode terminal 212 and the support member 11 can be reduced; on the other hand, the electrode terminal 212 is plugged into and matched with the first accommodating portion 112, which can play a structural limiting role for the end cap 21, further improving the stability of the support member 11 in supporting the end cap 21.

[0111] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 , and please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamp 10 provided in some embodiments of the present application in another direction. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another structure of a clamp 10 provided for some embodiments of the present application. According to some embodiments of the present application, the clamp 10 includes a first limiting assembly 13 for limiting the end cover 21 in a first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the direction Z of gravity.

[0112] The first limit assembly 13 can be in various structural forms. For example, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 The first limiting assembly 13 may include two first limiting members 131, and the two first limiting members 131 are spaced apart from each other on the support member 11 along the first direction X. A first limiting gap 132 for accommodating the end cover 21 is formed between the two first limiting members 131, and the end cover 21 is limited by the first limiting gap 132.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first limiting assembly 13 may also include two first limiting members 131, which are arranged on the support member 11 at intervals along the second direction Y. The two first limiting members 131 are respectively abutted against two side surfaces of the end cover 21 that are relatively arranged in the second direction Y, and the friction force between the first limiting member 131 and the end cover 21 limits the movement of the end cover 21 along the first direction X relative to the first limiting member 131.

[0114] The first direction X is a direction perpendicular to the gravity direction Z. It can be understood that the size of the support member 11 in the first direction X should be adapted to the size of the battery cell 20 in the first direction X when the clamp 10 carries and clamps the battery cell 20. Figure 5, when the battery cell 20 is clamped by the clamp 10 and the length direction of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the first direction X, the length direction of the support member 11 is also parallel to the first direction X; Figure 6 When the battery cell 20 is clamped by the clamp 10 and the width direction of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the first direction X, the width direction of the support member 11 is also parallel to the first direction X.

[0115] In this embodiment, the first limiting assembly 13 limits the end cover 21 in the first direction X, so that before the end cover 21 and the shell 22 are press-fitted, the end cover 21 is limited in the first direction X, reducing the sliding of the end cover 21 relative to the support member 11, which is beneficial to improve the stability of the end cover 21 on the support member 11 and improve the assembly accuracy of the battery cell 20.

[0116] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 , and please refer to Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the first limiting assembly 13 includes two first limiting members 131, and the two first limiting members 131 are spaced apart from each other on the support member 11 along the first direction X, and a first limiting gap 132 for accommodating the end cover 21 is formed between the two first limiting members 131.

[0117] The first limiting member 131 is a component in the clamp 10 for limiting the end cover 21. Exemplarily, the first limiting member 131 can be detachably or non-detachably connected to the support member 11 by welding, clamping, screwing, etc.

[0118] The first limiting member 131 may be made of non-metallic materials such as rubber and plastic, so as to reduce the risk of the first limiting member 131 scratching the end cover 21 when the first limiting member 131 contacts the end cover 21 .

[0119] The first limiting gap 132 is a gap between two first limiting members 131 .

[0120] The side of the first limiting gap 132 facing away from the support member 11 is an open structure, so that the end cover 21 can be inserted into the first limiting gap 132 from the upper end of the first limiting gap 132. Along the second direction Y, both ends of the first limiting gap 132 are open structures, so that the end cover 21 can enter or exit the first limiting gap 132 along the second direction Y. The first direction X, the second direction Y and the gravity direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0121] In some embodiments, a guide surface is provided on a side of the first limiting member 131 facing away from the supporting member 11 , and the guide surface is used to guide the end cover 21 to move toward the first gap.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first limiting member 131 does not extend beyond the side of the end cover 21 facing the housing 22 in the gravity direction Z, so as to only perform structural limiting on the end cover 21 .

[0123] In some embodiments, the first limiting member 131 extends beyond the side of the end cover 21 facing the shell 22 in the gravity direction Z, so as to perform structural limiting on both the end cover 21 and the shell 22 .

[0124] It can be understood that when the two first limiting members 131 limit the end cover 21 along the first direction X, the two first limiting members 131 can respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the end cover 21 opposite to each other in the first direction X, so as to limit the movement of the end cover 21 along the first direction X; there can also be a certain gap between the first limiting members 131 and the end cover 21 in the first direction X, so that the two first limiting members 131 can limit the maximum range of movement of the end cover 21 in the first direction X.

[0125] Exemplarily, the two first limiting members 131 can be fixed relative to the support member 11 so that the size of the first gap in the first direction X is constant; or, at least one of the two first limiting members 131 can move relative to the support member 11 along the first direction X, thereby adjusting the size of the first gap in the first direction X and thus being able to limit end covers 21 of different sizes.

[0126] The two first limit members 131 are spaced apart on the support member 11 along the first direction X so that the two first limit members 131 will not block the gap extending along the first direction X between the end cover 21 and the shell 22, thereby facilitating the welding mechanism 50 to pre-weld the gap extending along the first direction X between the end cover 21 and the shell 22.

[0127] In this embodiment, the end cover 21 is accommodated in the first limiting gap 132 defined by the two first limiting members 131, so that during the process of the pressing mechanism 40 pressing down the shell 22 to press the battery cell 20 and the process of the pressing assembly 12 pressing the shell 22 to maintain the press-fit state, the end cover 21 is limited by the two first limiting members 131 structures in the first direction X, thereby reducing the risk of uneven force on the shell 22 during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the end cover 21 along the first direction X and reducing the risk of press-fitting failure during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the end cover 21 along the first direction X.

[0128] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 , and please refer to Figure 6According to some embodiments of the present application, the pressing assembly 12 includes a mounting rod 121, a pressing member 122 and a first driving member 123; one end of the mounting rod 121 is connected to the support member 11; the pressing member 122 is rotatably arranged at one end of the mounting rod 121 away from the support member 11 in the gravity direction Z; the first driving member 123 is configured to drive the pressing member 122 to rotate toward the direction close to the shell 22.

[0129] The mounting rod 121 is a portion of the pressing assembly 12 for setting other components and connecting to the support member 11. Exemplarily, the mounting rod 121 extends along the gravity direction Z so that the structural member for clamping the shell 22 can be set above the first gap through the mounting rod 121.

[0130] The mounting rod 121 may be a metal part, so that the mounting rod 121 has a certain strength to reduce the risk of deformation of the mounting rod 121 when the reaction force applied by the housing 22 to the pressing member 122 is received, thereby improving the reliability of the pressing assembly 12 in limiting the housing 22 and the end cover 21. Exemplarily, the mounting rod 121 may be a hollow structure to reduce the overall weight of the clamp 10; the mounting rod 121 may be a solid structure to improve the strength of the mounting rod 121.

[0131] In some embodiments, along the second direction Y, the sides of the housing 22 and the end cover 21 are beyond the two sides of the mounting rod 121. This allows the limiting structure on the pressing mechanism 40 to limit the housing 22 and the end cover 21 through the portions of the housing 22 and the end cover 21 that exceed the mounting rod 121 in the second direction Y.

[0132] The pressing member 122 is a component in the pressing assembly 12 used to abut against the shell 22. Exemplarily, the pressing member 122 can be made of non-metallic materials such as rubber and plastic to reduce the risk of the first limiting member 131 scratching the end cover 21 when the pressing member 122 contacts the shell 22.

[0133] The surface where the pressing piece abuts against the shell 22 may be a plane, so as to reduce the pressure between the lower pressing piece 122 and the shell 22 , thereby reducing the risk of the lower pressing piece 122 crushing the shell 22 .

[0134] The first driving member 123 is a component that drives the pressing member 122 to press the housing 22 and the end cover 21 in the gravity direction Z. Exemplarily, the first driving member 123 can be a driving element such as an electric telescopic rod, a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0135] The first driving member 123 may be disposed on a side of the mounting rod 121 away from the housing 22 in the first direction X to reduce the risk of the first driving member 123 interfering with the housing 22 .

[0136] In some embodiments, the middle portion of the pressing member 122 is rotatably disposed at one end of the mounting rod 121 away from the support member 11, and the first driving member 123 is hinged to one end of the pressing member 122 away from the housing 22. The first driving member 123 is used to drive the end of the pressing member 122 away from the housing 22 to rotate around the middle portion of the pressing member 122, so as to drive the end of the pressing member 122 close to the housing 22 to press the housing 22 or not to abut against the housing 22. Since the middle portion of the pressing member 122 is rotatably disposed at one end of the mounting rod 121 away from the support member 11, the end of the pressing member 122 close to the housing 22 can be driven by the first driving member 123 to rotate in a direction away from the housing 22, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the housing 22 and the pressing member 122 when assembling the housing 22.

[0137] In this embodiment, the first driving member 123 drives the pressing member 122 to rotate toward the shell 22 to limit the shell 22 and the end cover 21 in the gravity direction Z, so that the battery cell 20 can still maintain the pressed state of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 through the pressing assembly 12 after being pressed by the pressing mechanism 40. The structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0138] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 , and please refer to Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the pressing down assembly 12 is two spaced apart along a first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the gravity direction Z; the clamp 10 also includes two second limiting members 14, and the two second limiting members 14 are respectively arranged on the mounting rods 121 of the two second limiting members 14, and a second limiting gap for accommodating the shell 22 is formed between the two second limiting members 14.

[0139] The pressing assembly 12 is two spaced apart in the first direction X, and the two second stoppers 14 are respectively arranged on the mounting rods 121 of the two second stoppers 14, a second gap is formed between the two second stoppers 14, and the housing 22 is accommodated in the second gap, so that the housing 22 is located between the two pressing components 122 in the first direction X, so that the two pressing components 122 can press and limit the two ends of the housing 22 in the first direction X, so that the force on the housing 22 is more uniform. At the same time, the two sides of the clamp 10 in the second direction Y are open structures, that is, the two mounting rods 121 will not block the gap between the end cover 21 and the housing 22 extending in the first direction X, thereby facilitating the pre-welding mechanism 50 to pre-weld the gap between the end cover 21 and the housing 22 extending in the first direction X.

[0140] The second limiting member 14 is a component in the clamp 10 for limiting the housing 22 . Exemplarily, the second limiting member 14 can be detachably or non-detachably connected to the mounting rod 121 by welding, clamping, screwing, or the like.

[0141] The second limiting member 14 may be made of non-metallic materials such as rubber and plastic, so as to reduce the risk of the second limiting member 14 scratching the housing 22 when the second limiting member 14 contacts the housing 22 .

[0142] The second limiting gap is a gap between two second limiting members 14 .

[0143] The side of the second limiting gap facing away from the support member 11 is an open structure, so that the housing 22 can be inserted into the second limiting gap from the upper end of the second limiting gap.

[0144] It can be understood that when the two second limiting members 14 limit the shell 22 along the first direction X, the two second limiting members 14 can respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell 22 that are opposite to each other in the first direction X, so as to limit the movement of the shell 22 along the first direction X; there can also be a certain gap between the second limiting members 14 and the shell 22 in the first direction X, so that the two second limiting members 14 can limit the maximum range of movement of the shell 22 in the first direction X.

[0145] Exemplarily, the two second limit members 14 can be fixed respectively relative to the two mounting rods 121 so that the size of the first gap in the first direction X is constant; or, at least one of the two first limit members 131 can move relative to the support member 11 along the first direction X, thereby adjusting the size of the first gap in the first direction X and thus being able to limit the end covers 21 of different sizes.

[0146] In some embodiments, there is a second groove on the sides of the two mounting rods 121 facing each other, and part of the second limit member 14 is accommodated in the second groove, thereby increasing the compactness of the clamp 10 and reducing the dimensions of the mounting rods 121 and the second limit member 14 in the first direction X.

[0147] In the present embodiment, there are two pressing assemblies 12 spaced apart along the first direction X, so that pressure can be applied to the shell 22 more evenly, thereby improving the stability of the clamp 10 in maintaining the press-fitted state of the shell 22 and the end cover 21; at the same time, the shell 22 is accommodated in the second limiting gap defined by the two second limiting members 14, so that in the process of the pressing mechanism 40 pressing down the shell 22 to press the battery cell 20 and in the process of the pressing assembly 12 pressing the shell 22 to maintain the press-fitted state, the shell 22 is limited by the two second limiting members 14 structures in the first direction X, thereby reducing the risk of the shell 22 being damaged due to uneven force during the press-fitting process caused by the movement of the shell 22 along the first direction X, and reducing the risk of press-fitting failure during the press-fitting process caused by the movement of the shell 22 along the first direction X.

[0148] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 , and please refer to Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the surfaces of the two second limiting members 14 facing each other in the first direction X are provided with a first groove 141, part of the shell 22 is accommodated in the first groove 141, and the gap between the bottom walls of the two first grooves 141 in the first direction X is the second limiting gap.

[0149] The first groove 141 is a groove-shaped structure arranged on the side where the two second limit members 14 face each other. For example, the first groove 141 can be formed on the second limit member 14 by machining methods such as turning and milling, or can be formed together with the second limit member 14 by integral molding.

[0150] It can be understood that the first groove 141 extends along the gravity direction Z so that a portion of the housing 22 is clamped in the first groove 141 , and the side wall of the first groove 141 can be a plane perpendicular to the second direction Y.

[0151] When the first groove 141 limits the shell 22 along the second direction Y, the two side walls of the first groove 141 that are relatively arranged in the second direction Y can respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell 22 that are relatively arranged in the second direction Y, so as to limit the movement of the shell 22 along the second direction Y; there can also be a certain gap between the two side walls of the first groove 141 that are relatively arranged in the second direction Y and the shell 22, so that the first groove 141 can limit the maximum range of movement of the shell 22 in the second direction Y.

[0152] In some embodiments, on a plane perpendicular to the second direction Y, the orthographic projection of the second limit member 14 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22, so that the two second limit members 14 will not block the gap extending along the first direction X between the end cover 21 and the shell 22, thereby facilitating the welding mechanism 50 to pre-weld the gap extending along the first direction X between the end cover 21 and the shell 22.

[0153] In this embodiment, part of the shell 22 is accommodated in the first groove 141, and the gap between the bottom walls of the two first grooves 141 in the first direction X is a second limiting gap, so that in the process of the pressing mechanism 40 pressing down the shell 22 to press the battery cell 20 and in the process of the pressing assembly 12 pressing the shell 22 to maintain the pressed state, the shell 22 is structurally limited by the wall of the first groove 141 in a direction perpendicular to the gravity direction Z, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the shell 22 due to uneven force during the press-fitting process caused by the shell 22 moving in a direction perpendicular to the gravity direction Z, and reducing the risk of press-fitting failure during the press-fitting process caused by the shell 22 moving in a direction perpendicular to the gravity direction Z.

[0154] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8The clamp includes a first clamp 10A, which is used to clamp the battery cell 20 whose length direction is parallel to the first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the gravity direction Z; the pre-welding device also includes a first supporting mechanism 30; the first supporting mechanism 30 is used to support the first clamp 10A and to drive the first clamp 10A to pass through the pressing mechanism 40 and the welding mechanism 50 in sequence along the first direction X.

[0155] The first supporting mechanism 30 is a mechanism in the pre-welding device 100 for driving the first fixture 10A to move along the first direction X between the pressing mechanism 40 and the welding mechanism 50. Exemplarily, the first supporting mechanism 30 can be a linear module, a conveyor belt, etc. having a carrier plate for supporting the first fixture 10A.

[0156] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8 The pre-welding device 100 further includes a first frame 70, and the pressing mechanism 40 is installed on the first frame 70. The first frame 70 includes a plurality of first support rods 71 ​​and a first platform 72. The plurality of first support rods 71 ​​are arranged at intervals and supported below the first platform 72 to form a first placement space below the first platform 72, and the first bearing mechanism 30 passes through the first placement space along the first direction X. The plurality of first support rods 71 ​​are evenly spaced along the periphery of the support member 11 to improve the uniformity of the force on the first platform 72, thereby improving the stability of the first platform 72.

[0157] The structure of the pressing mechanism 40 has various forms, see Figure 8 The pressing mechanism 40 includes a seventh driving member 41 and a pressing block 44. The seventh driving member 41 is disposed on the side of the first platform 72 away from the first bearing mechanism 30. The output end of the seventh driving member 41 passes through the first platform 72 and is connected to the pressing block 44. The seventh driving member 41 is used to drive the pressing block 44 to reciprocate along the gravity direction Z, so that when the pressing block 44 is pressed down along the gravity direction Z, the pressing block 44 can abut against the first wall 221 of the housing 22, thereby driving the housing 22 to be pressed down. Exemplarily, the seventh driving member 41 can be a driving element such as an electric telescopic rod, a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0158] Exemplarily, the pressing mechanism 40 may further include a guide assembly, which includes a guide rod 42. A guide hole for the guide rod 42 to pass through is provided on the first platform 72. One end of the guide rod 42 is connected to the pressing block 44, and the other end passes through the guide hole and is located on a side of the first platform 72 away from the first bearing mechanism 30. The guide rod 42 guides the pressing block 44 to move up and down to improve the stability of the movement of the pressing block 44.

[0159] The length direction of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the first direction X, so that after the pressing mechanism presses the battery cell 20, the welding mechanism 50 can pre-weld the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 extending along the length direction of the battery cell 20, thereby relative to the situation where the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 extending along the width direction of the battery cell 20 is pre-welded, the number of pre-welding points is greater, and the effect of limiting the deformation of the shell 22 during welding is better.

[0160] Exemplarily, the welding mechanism 50 may also be used to weld a gap extending along the first direction X between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 .

[0161] In this embodiment, the first supporting mechanism 30 drives the first clamp 10A to move between the pressing mechanism 40 and the welding mechanism 50, so that during the production process, there is no need to replace the clamp of the battery cell 20 at the transfer station, thereby reducing the production time of the battery cell 20 and improving the production efficiency of the battery cell 20.

[0162] Please refer to Figure 8 According to some embodiments of the present application, the pre-welding device 100 also includes two third limit members 43 and two second driving members 47; the two third limit members 43 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y and are located below the pressing mechanism 40, and a third limit gap for accommodating the shell 22 is formed between the two third limit members 43, and the gravity direction Z, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other; the two second driving members 47 are configured to respectively drive the two third limit members 43 to move along the second direction Y so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell 22 in its width direction.

[0163] The third limiting member 43 is a component in the welding device for limiting the housing 22. Exemplarily, the third limiting member 43 may be a limiting block 435 for abutting against the housing 22, and the third limiting member 43 may be made of non-metallic materials such as rubber and plastic to reduce the risk of the third limiting member 43 scratching the housing 22 when the third limiting member 43 contacts the housing 22.

[0164] In some embodiments, the third limiting member 43 can also be used to limit the position of the end cover 21 in the second direction Y.

[0165] The third limiting gap is a gap between two third limiting members 43 .

[0166] The second driving member 47 is a member for driving the third limiting member 43 to move in the second direction Y. Exemplarily, the second driving member 47 may be a driving element such as an electric telescopic rod, a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0167] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8The first frame 70 also includes a second support rod 73 and a second platform 74. The second support rods 73 are two arranged at intervals along the second direction Y and supported below the second platform 74 to improve the uniformity of the force on the second platform 74, thereby improving the stability of the first platform 72 and allowing the parts arranged on the second platform 74 to have a certain distance from the ground. The second platforms 74 are two arranged at intervals along the second direction Y, and each second platform 74 is provided with two first support rods 71 ​​arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and the first support rod 71 and the second support rod 73 are coaxially arranged. The first platform 72, the first support member 11, the second platform 74 and the second support member 11 together form a first placement space. The second driving member 47 and the third limiting member 43 are arranged on the side of the second platform 74 facing the first platform 72.

[0168] In some embodiments, there may be one second driving member 47 , and the one second driving member 47 drives one of the two third limiting members 43 to move along the second direction Y to adjust the distance between the two third limiting members 43 to limit the housing 22 .

[0169] It can be understood that the two second driving members 47 respectively drive the two third limiting members 43 to move along the second direction Y, so that the shell 22 and the end cover 21 have better centering in the first clamp 10A, thereby facilitating the pressing mechanism 40 to press the shell 22 and the end cover 21.

[0170] In this embodiment, the two second driving members 47 are configured to respectively drive the two third limiting members 43 to move along the second direction Y so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell 22 in the length direction thereof, so that in the process of the pressing mechanism 40 pressing down the shell 22 to press-fit the battery cell 20, the shell 22 is limited by the two third limiting members 43 structures in the second direction Y to be located at a preset position, so that both sides of the opening of the shell 22 in the second direction Y exceed both sides of the protrusion 211 in the second direction Y, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211 during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the shell 22 in the second direction Y, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the shell 22 due to interference between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211 during the press-fitting process when the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the shell 22 and the battery cell 20 during the press-fitting process due to interference between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211.

[0171] Please refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , and please refer to Fig.10 , Fig. 9 for Figure 8 The enlarged image of point C in the middle. Fig.10A schematic diagram of the structure of the pressing mechanism 40 provided in some embodiments of the present application when pressing the battery cell 20. According to some embodiments of the present application, the third stopper 43 includes a mounting plate 431 and an adsorbing member 432, the mounting plate 431 is connected to the second driving member 47; the adsorbing member 432 is disposed on the surface of the mounting plate 431 facing the housing 22 along the second direction Y, and the adsorbing member 432 is used to adsorb the surface of the housing 22 facing the mounting plate 431.

[0172] The mounting plate 431 is a plate-shaped part for setting the adsorbent 432. Exemplarily, the side of the mounting plate 431 facing the housing 22 may be a plane, and the plane is perpendicular to the second direction Y to provide the adsorbent 432 with a relatively stable installation reference.

[0173] The adsorption member 432 is a component used to adsorb the surface of the shell 22. For example, the adsorption member 432 may be a suction cup. When the shell 22 is a steel shell, the adsorption member 432 may also be a magnetic adsorption component, such as a magnet or an electromagnet.

[0174] In some embodiments, the mounting plate 431 may extend along the first direction X or the gravity direction Z, so that the adsorbents 432 may be multiple and spaced apart along the first direction X or the gravity direction Z, so that the multiple adsorbents 432 can uniformly provide adsorption force to the shell 22 .

[0175] In some embodiments, reference Fig. 9 , the third limiting member 43 also includes a third platform 434, a limiting block 435 and an eighth driving member 433. The third platform 434 is arranged on the second driving member 47. The second driving member 47 is used to drive the third platform 434 to move along the second direction Y. The eighth driving member 433 is arranged on the side of the third platform 434 away from the second platform 74, and the mounting plate 431 is arranged at the output end of the eighth driving member 433. The eighth driving member 433 is a driving element that can drive the mounting plate 431 to move along the second direction Y. The adsorption member 432 is arranged on the side of the mounting plate 431 facing the shell 22 in the second direction Y. The limiting block 435 is arranged on the third platform 434. Specifically, refer to Fig.10 The second driving member 47 drives the third platform 434 along the second direction Y to approach the end cover 21 and the shell 22, and abuts against the shell 22 and the end cover 21 along the second direction Y. Then the eighth driving member 433 drives the mounting plate 431 along the second direction Y to approach the shell 22 and makes the adsorption member 432 adsorb the shell 22. Then the eighth driving member 433 can drive the shell 22 to be further fine-tuned so that the opening of the shell 22 can be mounted outside the protrusion 211.

[0176] In an embodiment where the shell 22 is a thinner structure, the eighth driving member 433 can drive the adsorption member 432 to move in a direction away from the electrode assembly 23, thereby causing the shell 22 to deform slightly elastically outward. When the pressing block 44 of the pressing mechanism 40 drives the shell 22 to press down on the end cover 21, the shell 22 deforms in the direction of the electrode assembly 23, thereby damaging the electrode assembly 23.

[0177] In some embodiments, there are two limit blocks 435, both of which are set on the third platform 434 and located on opposite sides of the mounting plate 431 in the first direction X, so that when the limit blocks 435 abut against the shell 22, the shell 22 is evenly stressed, reducing the risk of deformation of the shell 22.

[0178] In this embodiment, by arranging the adsorption member 432 on the surface of the mounting plate 431 facing the shell 22 along the second direction Y, and arranging the adsorption member 432 to adsorb the surface of the shell 22 facing the mounting plate 431, on the one hand, the structure for limiting the movement of the shell 22 in the second direction Y by the adsorption member 432 is simple and easy to implement; on the other hand, compared with the method of limiting the movement of the shell 22 in the second direction Y by directly abutting the third limiting member 43 against the shell 22, the adsorption of the shell 22 by the adsorption member 432 can reduce the extrusion force applied to the shell 22 by the third limiting member 43 while limiting the movement of the shell 22 in the second direction Y, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of the shell 22 due to the extrusion force of the two third limiting members 43 when the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure.

[0179] Please refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10 According to some embodiments of the present application, the adsorption member 432 is a suction cup, and the suction cup is made of a flexible material.

[0180] In some embodiments, an air duct connected to the suction cup is opened in the mounting plate 431, and the vacuum pump is connected to the interior of the suction cup through the air duct. After the suction cup abuts against the shell 22, the vacuum pump drives the air between the suction cup and the shell 22 to leave the interior of the suction cup through the air duct, thereby forming a negative pressure between the suction cup and the shell 22, so that the shell 22 is adsorbed by the suction cup.

[0181] In this embodiment, the adsorption member 432 is a suction cup made of flexible material, thereby reducing the risk of the adsorption member 432 scratching the outer surface of the shell 22 and further reducing the risk of deformation of the shell 22 due to the squeezing force of the two third limit members 43 when the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure.

[0182] Please refer to Figure 8According to some embodiments of the present application, the pre-welding device 100 also includes two fourth limit members 46 and two third driving members 45; the two fourth limit members 46 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X and are located below the pressing mechanism 40, and a fourth limit gap is formed between the two fourth limit members 46, and one of the two second driving members 47 is also configured to drive the two fourth limit members 46 to move along the second direction Y so that the shell 22 is located in the fourth limit gap; the two third driving members 45 are configured to respectively drive the two fourth limit members 46 to move along the first direction X so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell 22 in its length direction.

[0183] The fourth stopper 46 is a component in the welding device for limiting the housing 22. For example, the fourth stopper 46 can be made of non-metallic materials such as rubber and plastic to reduce the risk of the fourth stopper 46 scratching the housing 22 when the fourth stopper 46 contacts the housing 22.

[0184] In some embodiments, the fourth limiting member 46 can also be used to limit the position of the end cover 21 in the second direction Y.

[0185] The fourth limiting gap is a gap between two fourth limiting members 46 .

[0186] The third driving member 45 is a member for driving the fourth limiting member 46 to move in the first direction X. Exemplarily, the third driving member 45 may be a driving element such as an electric telescopic rod, a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0187] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8 The third driving member 45 and the fourth limiting member 46 are connected to the second driving member 47 so that the second driving member 47 can drive the third driving member 45 and the fourth limiting member 46 to approach the housing 22 along the first direction X.

[0188] In some embodiments, the fourth limit member 46 and the third drive member 45 are two groups, each group of the fourth limit member 46 and the third drive member 45 includes two fourth limit members 46 and two third drive members 45, and the two groups of two fourth limit members 46 and two third drive members 45 are respectively arranged on the two second platforms 74.

[0189] It can be understood that the two third driving members 45 respectively drive the two fourth limiting members 46 to move along the first direction X, so that the shell 22 and the end cover 21 have good centering in the first clamp 10A, thereby facilitating the pressing mechanism 40 to press the shell 22 and the end cover 21.

[0190] It can be understood that, since the length direction of the housing 22 is parallel to the first direction X when the pressing mechanism 40 is pressed, the size of the housing 22 in the second direction Y is smaller than that of the housing 22 in the first direction X, and thus the wall portion of the housing 22 abutting against the fourth stopper 46 is less likely to deform than the wall portion abutting against the third stopper 43. Thus, no additional adsorption member 432 is required to assist in positioning the housing 22 during press-fitting.

[0191] In this embodiment, one of the two second driving members 47 is further configured to drive the two fourth limiting members 46 to move along the second direction Y so that the shell 22 is located in the fourth limiting gap. When the first supporting mechanism 30 drives the battery cell 20 to move below the pressing mechanism 40, the two fourth limiting members 46 can be located on one side of the supporting mechanism in the second direction Y, thereby reducing the risk of the fourth limiting member 46 interfering with the movement of the first supporting mechanism 30. The two third driving members 45 are configured to respectively drive the two fourth limiting members 46 to move along the first direction X to limit the shell 22 in the first direction X, thereby In the process of the pressing mechanism 40 pressing down the shell 22 to press-fit the battery cell 20, the shell 22 is limited by the two fourth limiting members 46 structures in the first direction X to be located at a preset position, so that both ends of the opening of the shell 22 in the first direction X exceed the two ends of the protrusion 211 in the first direction X, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211 during the press-fitting process due to the movement of the shell 22 along the first direction X, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the shell 22 due to interference between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211 during the press-fitting process when the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the battery cell 20 due to interference between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211 during the press-fitting process.

[0192] Please refer to Fig.11 , Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a pre-welding structure provided for some embodiments of the present application. According to some embodiments of the present application, the welding mechanism 50 includes two welding guns 51 and two fourth driving members 52; the two welding guns 51 are respectively located on opposite sides of the first supporting mechanism 30 in the second direction Y, and the welding guns 51 are used to pre-weld the end cover 21 and the shell 22, and the gravity direction Z, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other; the two fourth driving members 52 are configured to drive the two welding guns 51 to move along the first direction X respectively.

[0193] The welding gun 51 is a component that provides heat to the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 to melt a portion of the end cover 21 and the shell 22 to form a weld. Exemplarily, the welding gun 51 may be a laser welding gun 51 .

[0194] In some embodiments, the welding mechanism 50 further includes a profilometer 511, which is disposed on one side of the welding gun 51 in the first direction X or the gravity direction Z, and can be driven by the fourth driving member 52 together with the welding gun 51 to move along the first direction X. The profilometer 511 is used to detect the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22. After the profilometer 511 confirms that the gap position and the size in the gravity direction Z of the end cover 21 and the shell 22 are correct, the welding gun 51 performs spot welding for pre-welding the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22.

[0195] The fourth driving member 52 is a member for driving the welding gun 51 to move in the first direction X. By way of example, the fourth driving member 52 may be a driving element such as an electric telescopic rod, a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0196] Specifically, when the first clamp 10A or the second clamp 10B drives the battery cell 20 and the welding mechanism 50, the fourth driving member 52 drives the welding gun 51 to move along the first direction X, so that the welding gun 51 performs pre-welding spot welding on the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 along the first direction X.

[0197] In this embodiment, two welding guns 51 are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the first supporting mechanism 30 in the second direction Y, and two fourth driving members 52 are configured to respectively drive the two welding guns 51 to move along the first direction X, so that the two welding guns 51 can simultaneously pre-weld the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 extending along the length direction of the battery cell 20, thereby reducing the process time of the pre-welding process and the production cycle compared to the case of welding with one welding gun 51, thereby improving the production efficiency.

[0198] Please refer to Figure 7 and Fig.12 , Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first clamp 10A and the fifth position-limiting member 56 provided in some embodiments of the present application. According to some embodiments of the present application, the welding mechanism 50 further includes two fifth position-limiting members 56 and two fifth driving members 57; the two fifth position-limiting members 56 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y, and a fifth position-limiting gap for accommodating the housing 22 and the end cover 21 is formed between the two fifth position-limiting members 56; the two fifth driving members 57 are configured to respectively drive the two fifth position-limiting members 56 to move along the second direction Y, so as to limit the housing 22 and the end cover 21 in the second direction Y.

[0199] The fifth stopper 56 is a component in the welding mechanism 50 for limiting the end cover 21 of the housing 22 during the pre-welding process. Exemplarily, the fifth stopper 56 can be made of non-metallic materials such as rubber and plastic to reduce the risk of the fifth stopper 56 scratching the housing 22 and the end cover 21 when the fifth stopper 56 contacts the housing 22 and the end cover 21.

[0200] The fifth driving member 57 is a member for driving the fifth limiting member 56 to move in the second direction Y. Exemplarily, the fifth driving member 57 may be a driving element such as an electric telescopic rod, a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0201] In some embodiments, reference Figure 7 The pre-welding device 100 further includes a second frame 54 and a fourth platform 55. The second frame 54 includes a plurality of third support rods and a top frame. The plurality of third support rods are supported below the top frame. The fourth platform 55 is disposed in the frame to form a second placement space below the third platform 434. The first carrying mechanism 30 sequentially passes through the first placement space and the second placement space along the first direction X. Fig.12 The fifth driving member 57 is arranged on the side of the fourth platform 55 away from the second placement space in the gravity direction Z. The fourth platform 55 is provided with a strip hole for part of the fifth limiting member 56 to pass through. The strip hole extends along the second direction Y. Part of the fifth limiting member 56 is located in the second placement space. Part of the fifth limiting member 56 passes through the strip hole and is connected to the output end of the fifth driving member 57.

[0202] In this embodiment, the two fifth driving members 57 are configured to respectively drive the two fifth limiting members 56 to move along the second direction Y, so as to limit the shell 22 and the end cover 21 in the second direction Y, so that in the process of welding the gap between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 by the welding gun 51, the shell 22 and the end cover 21 are limited by the two fifth limiting members 56 structures in the second direction Y, so as to reduce the deformation of the welding part of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 caused by welding stress, improve the quality of the pre-welded weld, and further improve the reliability of the packaging of the battery cell 20, and further improve the reliability of the battery cell 20. At the same time, since the first direction X is parallel to the length direction of the battery cell 20 at this time, the wall portion of the shell 22 abutting against the fifth limiting member 56 is a larger wall portion of the shell 22, thereby increasing the abutment area of ​​the shell 22 and the fifth limiting member 56, thereby reducing the pressure at the abutment between the shell 22 and the fifth limiting member 56, so that when the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure, the risk of deformation of the shell 22 caused by abutment with the fifth limiting member 56 is reduced.

[0203] Please refer to Fig.13 , Fig.13 for Fig.12 Enlarged view of point C in the middle; according to some embodiments of the present application, the fifth limiting member 56 includes a limiting body and a plurality of abutting portions 561, the plurality of abutting portions 561 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and protrude from the limiting body along the gravity direction Z, and are used to abut with the shell 22 and / or the end cover 21; there is a welding gap 562 between two adjacent abutting portions 561 in the first direction X for the welding gun 51 to pre-weld the end cover 21 and the shell 22.

[0204] The abutting portion 561 is a portion of the fifth stopper 56 for abutting against the housing 22 and the end cover 21. Exemplarily, the fifth stopper 56 can be made of a non-metallic material such as rubber or plastic to reduce the risk of the fifth stopper 56 scratching the housing 22 and the end cover 21 when the fifth stopper 56 contacts the housing 22 and the end cover 21.

[0205] Exemplarily, the abutting portion 561 and other structural components of the fifth position-limiting member 56 may be integrally formed, or the abutting portion 561 may be detachably connected to other structural components of the fifth position-limiting member 56 .

[0206] In some embodiments, reference Fig.13 The fifth limiting member 56 includes a connecting portion 564 and a main body portion 563. The main body portion 563 is connected to the output end of the fifth driving member 57. The connecting portion 564 extends along the first direction X and is sequentially connected to multiple abutting portions 561. The connecting portion 564 and the main body portion 563 are detachably connected by bolts.

[0207] In this embodiment, there is a welding gap 562 between two adjacent abutment portions 561 in the first direction X for the welding gun 51 to pre-weld the end cover 21 and the shell 22, so that during the pre-welding process, the pre-welded parts of the end cover 21 and the shell 22 have abutment portions 561 on both sides of the opposite sides in the first direction X for limiting the welding deformation of the end cover 21 and the shell 22, thereby further reducing the deformation of the welding portion of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 caused by welding stress and improving the quality of the pre-welded weld.

[0208] Please refer to Fig.12 and Fig.13 , and please refer to Fig.14 , Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure of the fifth limiting member 56 provided in some embodiments of the present application when limiting the battery cell 20. According to some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of abutting portions 561 include a first abutting portion 561A and a second abutting portion 561B, and the first abutting portion 561A and the second abutting portion 561B are alternately arranged along the first direction X. Along the gravity direction Z, the first abutting portion 561A exceeds the housing 22 and abuts against the end cover 21, and the second abutting portion 561B does not exceed the housing 22 and abuts against the housing 22.

[0209] The first abutting portion 561A is a portion of the abutting portions 561 among the plurality of abutting portions 561 that is used to abut against the end cover 21 .

[0210] The second abutting portion 561B is a portion of the abutting portions 561 among the plurality of abutting portions 561 that is used to abut against the housing 22 .

[0211] In this embodiment, the first abutting portion 561A and the second abutting portion 561B are alternately arranged along the first direction X, and along the gravity direction Z, the first abutting portion 561A exceeds the shell 22 and abuts against the end cover 21, and the second abutting portion 561B does not exceed the shell 22 and abuts against the shell 22. Thus, the fifth stopper 56 abuts against the shell 22 and the end cover 21 alternately, and the shell 22 and the end cover 21 bear the abutting force of the fifth stopper 56 more evenly, thereby further reducing the deformation of the welding portion of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 caused by welding stress, and improving the quality of the pre-welded weld.

[0212] Please refer to Fig.14 According to some embodiments of the present application, along the second direction Y, the second abutting portion 561B exceeds the first abutting portion 561A.

[0213] It can be understood that as the thickness of the shell 22 becomes thinner, on the one hand, the melted material of the shell 22 in the molten pool will be reduced, thereby causing the thickness of the molten pool to decrease; on the other hand, the gap between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211 will become larger, thereby increasing the distance that the molten pool flows toward the protrusion 211, thereby aggravating the concave deformation of the weld, making it easier for stress to concentrate at the weld, resulting in easy cracking at the weld, thereby reducing the connection strength between the shell 22 and the end cover 21, thereby reducing the reliability of the battery cell 20. Since the second abutment portion 561B exceeds the first abutment portion 561A, the second abutment portion 561B will drive part of the shell 22 to elastically deform along the second direction Y, so that the shell 22 is close to the protrusion 211, thereby reducing the gap between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211 in the second direction Y. Therefore, when the shell 22 and the end cover 21 are pre-welded or welded, the molten pool formed by the melting of part of the shell 22 and part of the end cover 21 is used to fill the part of the gap between the shell 22 and the protrusion 211 in the second direction Y. Therefore, the area of ​​the concave deformation region is reduced, and the concave deformation of the weld is reduced, thereby reducing the stress concentration of the weld, thereby increasing the connection strength between the shell 22 and the end cover 21, and improving the reliability of the battery cell 20.

[0214] In this embodiment, along the second direction Y, the second abutment portion 561B exceeds the first abutment portion 561A, so that the second abutment portion 561B can drive the inner surface of the shell 22 to be attached to the outer surface of the protrusion 211 facing the second abutment portion 561B, and then during the pre-welding process, the protrusion 211 and the second limiting member 14 are used to perform structural limiting, thereby further reducing the deformation of the welding joint of the shell 22 and the end cover 21 caused by welding stress, thereby improving the quality of the pre-welded weld.

[0215] Please refer to Fig.14According to some embodiments of the present application, on a projection plane perpendicular to the second direction Y, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the second abutting portion 561B overlaps with the orthographic projection of the protrusion 211 .

[0216] That is, when observing along the second direction Y, the second abutting portion 561B and the protrusion 211 partially overlap, so that the second abutting portion 561B and the protrusion 211 can structurally limit the shell 22 in the second direction Y.

[0217] In this embodiment, on the projection plane perpendicular to the second direction Y, at least part of the positive projection of the second abutment portion 561B overlaps with the positive projection of the protrusion 211, so that at least part of the shell 22 is located between the protrusion 211 and part of the second abutment portion 561B in the second direction Y. On the one hand, the reliability of the structural limitation of the shell 22 by the protrusion 211 and the second limiting member 14 during the pre-welding process is increased, thereby further reducing the deformation of the welding joint between the shell 22 and the end cover 21 due to welding stress, and improving the quality of the pre-welded weld; on the other hand, part of the second abutment portion 561B can be indirectly abutted against the protrusion 211 in the second direction Y through the shell 22, so that the movement of the second abutment portion 561B in the second direction Y can be limited by the protrusion 211, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of the shell 22 due to excessive movement of the second abutment portion 561B when the shell 22 adopts a thinner structure.

[0218] Please refer to Figure 7 and Fig.15 According to some embodiments of the present application, the fixture 10 also includes a second fixture 10B, which is used to clamp the battery cell 20 whose length direction is parallel to the second direction Y; the pre-welding device 100 also includes a second carrying mechanism (not shown in the figure) and a reversing mechanism 60; the second carrying mechanism is used to carry the second fixture 10B; the reversing mechanism 60 is used to grab the battery cell 20 on the first fixture 10A, and rotate the battery cell 20 so that the length direction of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the second direction Y, and then place the battery cell 20 on the second fixture 10B; or, the reversing mechanism 60 is used to grab the battery cell 20 on the second fixture 10B, and rotate the battery cell 20 so that the length direction of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the first direction X, and then place the battery cell 20 on the first fixture 10A; the first carrying mechanism 30 is also used to drive the first fixture 10A to be located below the reversing mechanism 60; the second carrying mechanism is used to drive the second fixture 10B to pass through the reversing mechanism 60 and the welding mechanism 50 in sequence.

[0219] The second supporting mechanism is a mechanism in the pre-welding device 100 for driving the second fixture 10B to move along the first direction X between the reversing mechanism 60 and the welding mechanism 50. For example, the second supporting mechanism can be a linear module, a conveyor belt, etc. having a carrier plate for supporting the first fixture 10A.

[0220] In some embodiments, the reversing mechanism 60 includes a ninth driving member 61, a first mounting frame 62, a tenth driving member 63, a second mounting frame 64, an eleventh driving member 65 and a clamping member 66, wherein the ninth driving member 61 is arranged on the second frame 54, the first mounting frame 62 is arranged on the ninth driving member 61, the ninth driving member 61 is used to drive the second mounting frame 64 to move along the gravity direction Z, the tenth driving member 63 is arranged on the first mounting frame 62, the second mounting frame 64 is arranged at the output end of the tenth driving member 63, the tenth driving member 63 is used to drive the second mounting frame 64 to rotate, the clamping member 66 is slidably arranged on the second mounting frame 64, the clamping members 66 are two arranged at intervals, and the eleventh driving member 65 is used to drive the two clamping members 66 to move closer to or away from each other.

[0221] Specifically, when the battery cell 20 is driven to reverse by the reversing mechanism 60, the ninth driving member 61 drives the first mounting frame 62, the second mounting frame 64, the eleventh driving member 65 and the clamping member 66 to move toward the first clamp 10A, and then the eleventh driving member 65 drives the two clamping members 66 to move toward each other to clamp the battery cell 20. Then the ninth driving member 61 drives the first mounting frame 62, the second mounting frame 64, the eleventh driving member 65 and the clamping member 66 to move away from the first clamp 10A, and then the tenth driving member 63 drives the second mounting frame 64, the eleventh driving member 65, the clamping member 66 and the battery cell 20 to rotate so that the width direction of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the first direction X. At this time, the first bearing mechanism 30 drives the first clamp 10A away from the reversing mechanism 60, and at the same time, the second bearing mechanism drives the second clamp 10B to be located below the reversing mechanism 60. The ninth driving member 61 drives the first mounting frame 62, the second mounting frame 64, the eleventh driving member 65 and the clamping member 66 to move toward the second supporting mechanism, and then the eleventh driving member 65 drives the two clamping members 66 to move away from each other to release the battery cell 20, so as to place the battery cell 20 in the second fixture 10B.

[0222] It can be understood that the reversing mechanism 60 can also clamp the battery cell 20 on the second fixture 10B and place it on the first fixture 10A after reversing.

[0223] Specifically, after the first clamp 10A drives the battery cell 20 to be pressed and pre-welded between the long side gaps of the end cover 21 and the shell 22 in sequence, the reversing mechanism 60 can remove the battery cell 20 from the first clamp 10A, and place it on the second clamp 10B after reversing, and be driven by the second clamp 10B to enter the welding mechanism 50 to pre-weld the wide side gaps between the end cover 21 and the shell 22. At this time, the second clamp 10B and the battery cell 20 can be driven to move toward the discharge port by the second supporting mechanism; or, the battery cell 20 can be removed from the second clamp 10B by the reversing mechanism 60, and placed on the first clamp 10A after reversing, and the first clamp 10A and the battery cell 20 can be driven to move toward the discharge port by the first supporting mechanism 30.

[0224] In this embodiment, by providing the reversing mechanism 60 , the second clamp 10B and the second bearing mechanism, the pre-welding device 100 can pre-weld the gap between the end cover 21 and the housing 22 extending along the width direction of the battery cell 20 .

[0225] Please refer to Fig.11 According to some embodiments of the present application, the welding mechanism 50 further includes two sixth driving members 53, and the two sixth driving members 53 are configured to drive the two welding guns 51 to move along the second direction Y respectively.

[0226] The sixth driving member 53 is a member for driving the welding gun 51 to move in the second direction Y. Exemplarily, the sixth driving member 53 may be a driving element such as an electric telescopic rod, a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0227] In some embodiments, the fourth driving member 52 and the welding gun 51 are both drivingly connected to the output end of the sixth driving member 53, so that the sixth driving member 53 can drive the fourth driving member 52 and the welding gun 51 to move along the second direction Y.

[0228] In this embodiment, the two sixth driving members 53 are configured to respectively drive the two welding guns 51 to move along the second direction Y, so that when the reversing mechanism 60 drives the battery cell 20 to rotate, causing the distance between the gap that needs to be pre-welded between the end cover 21 and the shell 22 and the welding gun 51 in the second direction Y to change, the distance between the welding gun 51 and the battery cell 20 in the second direction Y can be adjusted by the sixth driving member 53, so that the distance between the welding gun 51 and the gap that needs to be pre-welded in the second direction Y is suitable for the welding gun 51 to perform welding, thereby improving the quality of the pre-welded weld.

[0229] An embodiment of the present application further provides a battery production line, comprising the pre-welding device 100 of any one of the above embodiments.

[0230] According to some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 1-Figure 15The present application provides a pre-welding device for pre-welding the end cover 21 and the shell 22 of the battery cell 20. The end surface of the end cover 21 has a protrusion 211 to form a step surface corresponding to the shell 22 on the end surface of the end cover 21. The shell 22 has a first wall 221 away from the end cover 21. The pre-welding device includes a pressing mechanism 40, a welding mechanism 50 and a clamp; the pressing mechanism 40 is arranged above the first supporting mechanism 30, and the pressing mechanism 40 is used to press down the shell 22 along the gravity direction Z, so that the shell 22 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the protrusion 211, and cooperates with the step surface, and the end cover 21 seals the opening; the welding mechanism 50 is used to pre-weld the end cover 21 and the shell 22; the clamp includes a support member 11 and a pressing assembly; the support member 11 is used to support the end cover 21; the pressing assembly is arranged on the support member 11, and the pressing assembly is used to press down the outer surface of the first wall 221 after the pressing mechanism 40 presses the battery cell 20 to seal the opening so as to limit the shell 22 and the end cover 21 in the gravity direction Z. The support member 11 has a support surface 111 for supporting the end cap 21, and the support surface 111 is recessed along the gravity direction Z to form a first accommodating portion 112, and the electrode terminal 212 of the end cap 21 is accommodated in the first accommodating portion 112. The clamp 10 includes a first limiting assembly 13, which is used to limit the end cap 21 in a first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the gravity direction Z. The first limiting assembly 13 includes two first limiting members 131, and the two first limiting members 131 are spaced apart from each other on the support member 11 along the first direction X, and a first limiting gap 132 for accommodating the end cap 21 is formed between the two first limiting members 131. The pressing assembly 12 includes a mounting rod 121, a pressing member 122 and a first driving member 123; one end of the mounting rod 121 is connected to the support member 11; the pressing member 122 is rotatably arranged at one end of the mounting rod 121 away from the support member 11 in the gravity direction Z; the first driving member 123 is configured to drive the pressing member 122 to rotate in a direction close to the housing 22. The pressing assembly 12 is two spaced apart along the first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the gravity direction Z; the clamp 10 also includes two second limiting members 14, the two second limiting members 14 are respectively arranged on the mounting rods 121 of the two second limiting members 14, and a second limiting gap for accommodating the housing 22 is formed between the two second limiting members 14. The surfaces of the two second limiting members 14 facing each other in the first direction X are both provided with a first groove 141, and a part of the housing 22 is accommodated in the first groove 141, and the gap between the bottom walls of the two first grooves 141 in the first direction X is the second limiting gap.

[0231] The clamp includes a first clamp 10A, and the first clamp 10A is used to clamp the battery cell 20 whose length direction is parallel to the first direction X, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the gravity direction Z; the pre-welding device also includes a first bearing mechanism 30; the first bearing mechanism 30 is used to bear the first clamp 10A, and is used to drive the first clamp 10A to pass through the pressing mechanism 40 and the welding mechanism 50 in sequence along the first direction X. The pre-welding device 100 also includes two third limit members 43 and two second driving members 47; the two third limit members 43 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y and are located below the pressing mechanism 40, and a third limit gap for accommodating the shell 22 is formed between the two third limit members 43, and the gravity direction Z, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other; the two second driving members 47 are configured to respectively drive the two third limit members 43 to move along the second direction Y, so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell 22 in the width direction thereof. The third stopper 43 includes a mounting plate 431 and an adsorbent 432, wherein the mounting plate 431 is connected to the second driving member 47; the adsorbent 432 is arranged on the surface of the mounting plate 431 facing the shell 22 along the second direction Y, and the adsorbent 432 is used to adsorb the surface of the shell 22 facing the mounting plate 431. The adsorbent 432 is a suction cup, and the suction cup is made of a flexible material. The pre-welding device 100 also includes two fourth stoppers 46 and two third driving members 45; the two fourth stoppers 46 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X and are located below the pressing mechanism 40, and a fourth stopper gap is formed between the two fourth stoppers 46, and one of the two second driving members 47 is also configured to drive the two fourth stoppers 46 to move along the second direction Y so that the shell 22 is located in the fourth stopper gap; the two third driving members 45 are configured to respectively drive the two fourth stoppers 46 to move along the first direction X so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell 22 in its length direction. The welding mechanism 50 includes two welding guns 51 and two fourth driving members 52; the two welding guns 51 are respectively located on opposite sides of the first bearing mechanism 30 in the second direction Y, and the welding guns 51 are used to pre-weld the end cover 21 and the shell 22, and the gravity direction Z, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other; the two fourth driving members 52 are configured to drive the two welding guns 51 to move along the first direction X. The welding mechanism 50 also includes two fifth limiting members 56 and two fifth driving members 57; the two fifth limiting members 56 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y, and a fifth limiting gap for accommodating the shell 22 and the end cover 21 is formed between the two fifth limiting members 56; the two fifth driving members 57 are configured to drive the two fifth limiting members 56 to move along the second direction Y, so as to limit the shell 22 and the end cover 21 in the second direction Y.The fifth stopper 56 includes a stopper body and a plurality of abutting portions 561, the plurality of abutting portions 561 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, protrude from the stopper body along the gravity direction Z, and are used to abut against the housing 22 and / or the end cover 21; there is a welding gap 562 between two adjacent abutting portions 561 in the first direction X for the welding gun 51 to pre-weld the end cover 21 and the housing 22. The plurality of abutting portions 561 include a first abutting portion 561A and a second abutting portion 561B, the first abutting portion 561A and the second abutting portion 561B are alternately arranged along the first direction X; along the gravity direction Z, the first abutting portion 561A exceeds the housing 22 and abuts against the end cover 21, and the second abutting portion 561B does not exceed the housing 22 and abuts against the housing 22. Along the second direction Y, the second abutting portion 561B exceeds the first abutting portion 561A. On the projection plane perpendicular to the second direction Y, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the second abutting portion 561B overlaps with the orthographic projection of the protrusion 211 . The pre-welding device 100 also includes a second clamp 10B, a second supporting mechanism and a reversing mechanism 60; the second clamp 10B is a clamp 10 as provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, which is used to clamp a battery cell 20 whose length direction is parallel to the second direction Y; the second supporting mechanism is used to support the second clamp 10B; the reversing mechanism 60 is used to grab the battery cell 20 on the first clamp 10A, and rotate the battery cell 20 so that the length direction of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the second direction Y, and then place the battery cell 20 on the second clamp 10B; or, the reversing mechanism 60 is used to grab the battery cell 20 on the second clamp 10B, and rotate the battery cell 20 so that the length direction of the battery cell 20 is parallel to the first direction X, and then place the battery cell 20 on the first clamp 10A; the first supporting mechanism 30 is also used to drive the first clamp 10A to be located below the reversing mechanism 60; the second supporting mechanism is used to drive the second clamp 10B to pass through the reversing mechanism 60 and the welding mechanism 50 in sequence. The welding mechanism 50 further includes two sixth driving members 53 , which are configured to drive the two welding guns 51 to move along the second direction Y respectively.

[0232] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other.

[0233] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present application and are not used to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A pre-welding device for pre-welding an end cap and a shell of a battery cell, wherein the end face of the end cap has a protrusion to form a step surface corresponding to the shell on the end face of the end cap, and the shell has a first wall away from the end cap, characterized in that: include: A pressing mechanism, the pressing mechanism is used to press the shell downward along the direction of gravity, so that the shell is sleeved on the outer periphery of the protrusion and cooperates with the step surface, and the end cover covers the opening of the shell; A welding mechanism, used for pre-welding the end cover and the shell, the welding mechanism comprising: Two fifth limiting members are arranged at intervals along the second direction, and a fifth limiting gap for accommodating the housing and the end cover is formed between the two fifth limiting members; Two fifth driving members are configured to respectively drive the two fifth limiting members to move along the second direction, so as to limit the housing and the end cover in the second direction; The fifth limiting member includes a limiting body and a plurality of abutting portions, wherein the plurality of abutting portions are arranged at intervals along the first direction, protrude from the limiting body along the gravity direction, and are used to abut against the housing and / or the end cover; There is a welding gap between two adjacent abutting portions in the first direction for a welding gun to pre-weld the end cover and the shell; Fixture, including: A support member, used for supporting the end cover; A pressing assembly is arranged on the support member, and is used to press down the outer surface of the first wall after the pressing mechanism presses the battery cell so that the end cover covers the opening, so as to limit the shell and the end cover in the direction of gravity.

2. The pre-welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member has a support surface for supporting the end cover, the support surface is recessed along the gravity direction to form a first accommodation portion, and the electrode terminal of the end cover is accommodated in the first accommodation portion.

3. The pre-welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamp comprises a first limiting assembly for limiting the end cover in a first direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the gravity direction.

4. The pre-welding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first limiting assembly includes two first limiting members, which are spaced apart from each other on the support member along a first direction, and a first limiting gap for accommodating the end cover is formed between the two first limiting members.

5. The pre-welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressing assembly comprises: A mounting rod, one end of which is connected to the support member; A pressing member, rotatably disposed at an end of the mounting rod away from the supporting member in the gravity direction; The first driving member is configured to drive the pressing member to rotate toward the shell.

6. The pre-welding device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pressing components are two arranged at intervals along a first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the gravity direction; The clamp further includes two second limiting members, which are respectively arranged on the mounting rods of the two second limiting members, and a second limiting gap for accommodating the housing is formed between the two second limiting members.

7. The pre-welding device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The surfaces of the two second limiting members facing each other in the first direction are both provided with a first groove, part of the shell is accommodated in the first groove, and the gap between the bottom walls of the two first grooves in the first direction is the second limiting gap.

8. The pre-welding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The clamp comprises a first clamp, the first clamp is used to clamp the battery cell whose length direction is parallel to a first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the gravity direction; The pre-welding device also includes: The first bearing mechanism, the pressing mechanism is arranged above the first bearing mechanism, the first bearing mechanism is used to bear the first clamp, and to drive the first clamp to pass through the pressing mechanism and the welding mechanism in sequence along the first direction.

9. The pre-welding device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The pre-welding device also includes: Two third limiting members are arranged at intervals along the second direction and are located below the pressing mechanism, a third limiting gap for accommodating the shell is formed between the two third limiting members, and the gravity direction, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; The two second driving members are configured to respectively drive the two third limiting members to move along the second direction so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell in the width direction thereof.

10. The pre-welding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The third limiting member comprises: a mounting plate connected to the second driving member; The adsorbent is arranged on the surface of the mounting plate facing the shell along the second direction, and the adsorbent is used for adsorbing the surface of the shell facing the mounting plate.

11. The pre-welding device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The adsorption component is a suction cup, and the suction cup is made of flexible material.

12. The pre-welding device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The pre-welding device also includes: Two fourth limiting members are arranged at intervals along the first direction and are located below the pressing mechanism, a fourth limiting gap is formed between the two fourth limiting members, and one of the two second driving members is further configured to drive the two fourth limiting members to move along the second direction so that the housing is located in the fourth limiting gap; The two third driving members are configured to respectively drive the two fourth limiting members to move along the first direction so as to respectively abut against the two side surfaces of the shell in the length direction thereof.

13. The pre-welding device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The welding mechanism comprises: Two welding guns, respectively located on opposite sides of the first bearing mechanism in the second direction, the welding guns are used to pre-weld the end cover and the shell, and the gravity direction, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; The two fourth driving members are configured to respectively drive the two welding guns to move along the first direction.

14. The pre-welding device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The plurality of abutting portions include a first abutting portion and a second abutting portion, wherein the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion are alternately arranged along the first direction; Along the gravity direction, the first abutting portion exceeds the shell and abuts against the end cover, and the second abutting portion does not exceed the shell and abuts against the shell.

15. The pre-welding device according to claim 14, characterized in that: Along the second direction, the second abutting portion exceeds the first abutting portion.

16. The pre-welding device according to claim 15, characterized in that: On a projection plane perpendicular to the second direction, at least a portion of an orthographic projection of the second abutting portion overlaps with an orthographic projection of the protrusion.

17. The pre-welding device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The clamp comprises a second clamp, and the second clamp is used to clamp the battery cell whose length direction is parallel to the second direction; The pre-welding device also includes: a second carrying mechanism, the second carrying mechanism being used for carrying the second clamp; A reversing mechanism, wherein the reversing mechanism is used to grab the battery cell on the first fixture, rotate the battery cell so that the length direction of the battery cell is parallel to the second direction, and then place the battery cell on the second fixture; or, the reversing mechanism is used to grab the battery cell on the second fixture, rotate the battery cell so that the length direction of the battery cell is parallel to the first direction, and then place the battery cell on the first fixture; The first bearing mechanism is also used to drive the first clamp to be located below the reversing mechanism; The second bearing mechanism is used to drive the second clamp to pass through the reversing mechanism and the welding mechanism in sequence.

18. The pre-welding device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The welding mechanism further includes two sixth driving members, and the two sixth driving members are configured to respectively drive the two welding guns to move along the second direction.

19. A battery production line, characterized in that: Comprising the pre-welding device as claimed in any one of claims 1-18.

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