A welding strip clamping mechanism and a battery string repair machine

Abstract

This application provides a welding strip clamping mechanism and a battery string repair machine. The welding strip clamping mechanism includes a moving mechanism, a mounting bracket, a first guide mounting seat, a second guide mounting seat, an opening and closing drive mechanism, an elastic clamping mechanism, and a pair of first and second clamps. The first clamp is floatingly connected to the first guide mounting seat, and the second clamp is floatingly connected to the second guide mounting seat. The elastic clamping mechanism is mounted on the mounting bracket and is used to drive the second clamp to rotate in a horizontal plane, so that the clamping end of the second clamp is aligned with the clamping end of the corresponding first clamp. The opening and closing drive mechanism is mounted on the mounting bracket and is used to drive the first and second guide mounting seats to move closer together or separate to both sides, thereby causing the second and first clamps to clamp or release the welding strip. The welding strip clamping mechanism provided by this application can ensure the alignment of the clamping end of the second clamp with the clamping end of the first clamp, thereby reducing or eliminating the gap between the two clamped welding strips.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic cell string repair, specifically a welding strip clamping mechanism and a cell string repair machine. Background Technology

[0002] When defective cells are found in a battery string, the string can be repaired. Figure 11 Taking a battery string as an example, the connecting solder strip between the defective battery cell 300 and its adjacent battery cell 400 is cut off. The location of the cut solder strip is as follows: Figure 11 Mark the "×" position, then remove the defective battery cell from the battery string, and place the replacement battery cell 500 with solder ribbon in the empty position after the defective battery cell 300 is removed. Then, lap weld the solder ribbon on the replacement battery cell 500 (only one solder ribbon is shown on the front and back of the replacement battery cell) to the solder ribbon on the adjacent battery cell 400.

[0003] During lap welding, a welding strip clamping mechanism is required to first clamp the welding strip on the replacement cell 500 together with the welding strip on the adjacent cell 400. The welding strip clamping area is located in Figure 11 Region B in the diagram refers to the area directly above the solar cell. Existing solder ribbon clamping mechanisms typically have multiple sets of clamps to simultaneously hold multiple pairs of solder ribbons. If two clamps in a set cannot align due to various reasons, a large gap can easily appear between the two solder ribbons held by that set of clamps. Alternatively, if there are foreign objects such as solder balls (which may form on the solder ribbons during string soldering) on ​​a solder ribbon on an adjacent solar cell, the obstruction caused by these foreign objects will also result in a large gap between the two solder ribbons after clamping. The presence of gaps will prevent the two solder ribbons from smoothly overlapping during the soldering process, thus affecting the overall rework quality of the solar cell string. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a welding strip clamping mechanism, the detailed technical solution of which is as follows:

[0005] A welding strip clamping mechanism includes a moving mechanism, a mounting bracket, a first guide mounting seat, a second guide mounting seat, an opening and closing driving mechanism, an elastic clamping mechanism, and a plurality of first and second clamps arranged in pairs, wherein:

[0006] The mounting bracket is connected to the drive end of the moving mechanism, which is used at least to drive the mounting bracket to rise and fall.

[0007] The opening and closing drive mechanism is mounted on the mounting bracket, and both the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat are connected to the drive end of the opening and closing drive mechanism.

[0008] Each first clamp is arranged side by side, and each first clamp is connected to the first guide mounting seat by a first floating component. Each second clamp is arranged side by side, and each second clamp is connected to the second guide mounting seat by a second floating component, and can rotate relative to the second guide mounting seat in the horizontal plane.

[0009] The elastic clamping mechanism is mounted on the mounting bracket. The drive end of the elastic clamping mechanism is provided with several elastic parts that correspond one-to-one with the second clamps. The second guide mounting seat is provided with reference blocks corresponding to each second clamp. The elastic clamping mechanism is configured to drive the elastic parts to push each second clamp to rotate in the horizontal plane and abut against the corresponding reference block, so that the clamping end of each second clamp is aligned with the clamping end of the corresponding first clamp. The elastic parts can also undergo elastic deformation when subjected to the reverse force of the corresponding second clamp.

[0010] The opening and closing drive mechanism is used to drive the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat to move closer to the middle after the clamping end of the second chuck is aligned with the clamping end of the corresponding first chuck, so that the clamping end of the second chuck and the clamping end of the corresponding first chuck cooperate to clamp the welding strip; the opening and closing drive mechanism is also used to drive the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat to separate to both sides, so that the clamping end of the second chuck and the clamping end of the corresponding first chuck release the welding strip.

[0011] The solder ribbon clamping mechanism provided in this application allows each first clamp and each second clamp to be vertically and flexibly connected to a corresponding guide mounting base. This configuration enables the first and second clamps to adaptively adjust their relative height after descending and contacting the battery cell, ensuring alignment in the vertical direction. Simultaneously, by incorporating an elastic clamping mechanism and a reference block, the solder ribbon clamping mechanism can also adaptively adjust the horizontal angle of the clamping end of the second clamp. This ensures that the clamping end of the second clamp is aligned with the clamping end of the first clamp before clamping the solder ribbon, reducing or eliminating solder balling when no solder balls are present on the solder ribbon. In addition to the gap between the two solder strips after being clamped; on the other hand, even if there are solder balls on the solder strips, the solder balls can force the second chuck to rotate after clamping, causing the elastic part to deform elastically. When the solder balls remelt during the soldering process, the second chuck can rotate back to the reference position under the action of the elastic part, thereby reducing or eliminating the gap between the two solder strips. Ultimately, this allows the two solder strips to smoothly climb the solder and achieve overlap during the soldering process, ensuring the quality of the overlap soldering. Furthermore, the elastic clamping mechanism has a drive end. By making the elastic clamping mechanism float the second chuck in the height direction and then driving the elastic part to push the second chuck against the reference block, the jamming phenomenon of the second chuck during floating can be avoided.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first floating assembly includes a first guide post, a first spring, a first chuck mounting base, and a floating guide assembly, wherein: the upper and lower ends of the first guide post are respectively fixedly connected to the first guide mounting base; the first chuck mounting base is slidably fitted onto the first guide post; the first spring is fitted onto the first guide post, with the upper end of the first spring abutting against the first guide mounting base and the lower end of the first spring abutting against the first chuck mounting base; the first chuck is mounted on the first chuck mounting base, with the clamping end of the first chuck extending downwards from the first chuck mounting base; and the floating guide assembly is disposed between the first chuck mounting base and the first guide mounting base to restrict the first chuck mounting base to move vertically.

[0013] A simple first floating assembly is provided, which achieves a floating connection between the first chuck mounting base and the first guide mounting base through the extension and retraction adjustment of the first spring. This allows the first chuck to adaptively adjust its relative position in the height direction after descending and contacting the battery cell. Furthermore, by setting a floating guide assembly, the first chuck can only float up and down along the first guide post and cannot rotate around it, ensuring that the first chuck will not deflect after floating in the height direction. Ultimately, this ensures that when the second chuck rests against the reference block, the clamping end of the second chuck can be aligned with the clamping end of the first chuck.

[0014] In some embodiments, the floating guide assembly includes a limiting wheel and a limiting plate, wherein: the limiting wheel is fixedly mounted on a first clamp mounting base; the limiting plate is fixedly mounted on a first guide mounting base, and a limiting groove extending in a vertical direction is provided on the side of the limiting plate opposite to the limiting wheel; the limiting wheel is slidably inserted into the limiting groove.

[0015] A simple floating guide assembly is provided, which enables the first chuck mounting seat to float vertically and prevents jamming during the floating process.

[0016] In some embodiments, the second floating assembly includes a second guide post, a second spring, and a second chuck mounting base, wherein: the upper and lower ends of the second guide post are respectively fixedly connected to the second guide mounting base; the second chuck mounting base is slidably fitted onto the second guide post; the second spring is fitted onto the second guide post, with the upper end of the second spring abutting against the second guide mounting base and the lower end of the second spring abutting against the second chuck mounting base; the second chuck is mounted on the second chuck mounting base, and the clamping end of the second chuck extends downward out of the second chuck mounting base.

[0017] A simple second floating assembly is provided, which achieves a floating connection between the second chuck mounting base and the second guide mounting base through the extension and retraction adjustment of the second spring. This allows the second chuck to achieve adaptive adjustment of its relative position in the height direction after descending and contacting the battery cell. Furthermore, the second chuck mounting base can rotate around the second guide post after being subjected to force, thereby driving the second chuck to rotate in the horizontal plane.

[0018] In some embodiments, the elastic clamping mechanism includes a sliding mounting plate, a translation drive unit, and a plurality of elastic parts, wherein: the translation drive unit is mounted on a mounting bracket, the sliding mounting plate is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket and connected to the drive end of the translation drive unit; the plurality of elastic parts are all fixedly mounted on the sliding mounting plate, and the elastic parts are located on the side of the corresponding second chuck mounting seat away from the second chuck; the translation drive unit is used to drive the sliding mounting plate to translate, so as to drive the elastic parts to move toward or away from the corresponding second chuck mounting seat; when the elastic parts move toward the corresponding second chuck mounting seat, the elastic parts push the second chuck mounting seat to rotate around the second guide post in the horizontal plane, so as to drive the second chuck to abut against the corresponding reference block.

[0019] When the translation drive unit drives the sliding mounting plate to translate, it can synchronously push each second chuck mounting seat to rotate around the second guide post in the horizontal plane through the elastic part on it, so that each second chuck abuts against the corresponding reference block. Thus, even if the second chuck deflects during the floating process in the height direction, it can return to the reference position when it abuts against the reference block under the push of the elastic part, ensuring that the clamping end of each second chuck is aligned with the clamping end of the corresponding first chuck before clamping the welding strip.

[0020] In some embodiments, the elastic part includes a spring limiting plate, a third guide rod, a third spring, and a push plate, wherein: the spring limiting plate is fixedly mounted on the sliding mounting plate; the first end of the third guide rod slidably passes through one of the spring limiting plate or the push plate, and the second end of the third guide rod is fixedly connected to the other of the spring limiting plate or the push plate; the third spring is fitted onto the third guide rod, the first end of the third spring abuts against the elastic limiting plate, and the second end of the third spring abuts against the push plate; when the elastic part moves toward the corresponding second clamp, the push plate pushes the second clamp mounting seat to rotate, and the third spring is compressed and contracted.

[0021] A simple elastic part is provided, which realizes the elastic connection between the push plate and the spring limiting plate through the extension and retraction adjustment of the third spring, so that the push plate can elastically push the second chuck mounting seat, so that the second chuck mounting seat can rotate adaptively.

[0022] In some embodiments, a stop wheel is fixedly installed on the side of the second chuck mounting base near the push plate, and the push plate drives the second chuck mounting base to rotate by pushing the stop wheel.

[0023] Using a retaining wheel as the contact part between the second chuck mounting base and the push plate ensures that the second chuck mounting base can rotate smoothly.

[0024] In some embodiments, the opening and closing drive mechanism includes a motor, a cam, a first cam follower, a second cam follower, and a fourth spring, wherein: the motor is mounted on a mounting bracket, and the cam is connected to the drive shaft of the motor; the first cam follower is mounted on a first guide mounting seat and is located on a first side of the cam, and the second cam follower is mounted on a second guide mounting seat and is located on a second side of the cam; the first end of the fourth spring is connected to the first guide mounting seat, and the second end of the fourth spring is connected to the second guide mounting seat, and the fourth spring is used to pull the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat towards the middle, and the first cam follower and the second cam follower press against the cam; when the motor drives the cam to rotate, it causes the first cam follower and the second cam follower to move closer or further away, thereby causing the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat to move closer to the middle or separate to both sides.

[0025] A simple opening and closing drive mechanism is provided, which can drive the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat to move closer to the middle or separate to the sides using only one motor.

[0026] In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the clamping end of the first chuck includes a first bottom surface, a second bottom surface, and a first side surface, wherein the first bottom surface is lower than the second bottom surface, and the first side surface is located between the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface; the bottom surface of the clamping end of the second chuck includes a third bottom surface, a fourth bottom surface, and a second side surface, wherein the third bottom surface is lower than the fourth bottom surface, and the second side surface is located between the third bottom surface and the fourth bottom surface, the second side surface is opposite to the first side surface and forms a space between them for exposing the solder strip, the second side surface and the first side surface move closer to or further away from each other as the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat move relative to each other to clamp or release the solder strip; the first bottom surface and the third bottom surface are used to abut against the battery cell; the height between the second bottom surface and the first bottom surface and the height between the fourth bottom surface and the third bottom surface are both greater than h and less than 2h, where h is the height of the solder strip.

[0027] By configuring the clamping ends of the first and second chucks, the following can be achieved: when the first and second chucks descend, the first bottom surface of the first chuck and the third bottom surface of the second chuck can contact the battery cell and eventually reach the same height after floating. The welding strip to be clamped enters between the first side surface of the first chuck and the second side surface of the second chuck. Subsequently, the first and second chucks move towards the middle, thereby causing the first side surface of the first chuck and the second side surface of the second chuck to clamp the welding strip. In addition, setting the height between the second bottom surface and the first bottom surface, and the height between the fourth bottom surface and the third bottom surface to be greater than the height of the welding strip and less than twice the height of the welding strip can prevent the two welding strips to be welded from being stacked vertically after being clamped, thus ensuring the welding effect.

[0028] In some embodiments, the clamping end of the first chuck is further provided with a vertical first through hole, and the clamping end of the second chuck is further provided with a vertical second through hole. When the clamping end of the first chuck and the clamping end of the second chuck clamp the welding strip, the welding strip is exposed from the first through hole and the second through hole. The first through hole and the second through hole are both ventilation holes, or the first through hole and the second through hole are both light-transmitting holes.

[0029] When the first and second through holes are used as ventilation holes, the weld strip can be cooled after welding; when the first and second through holes are used as light-transmitting holes, the welding laser can be transmitted, which can extend the heating length of the weld strip and ensure welding quality.

[0030] This application also provides a battery string repair machine, which includes a solder strip cutting mechanism, a repair platform, a support table, a replacement battery cell feeding mechanism, a welding mechanism, and the solder strip clamping mechanism described in any one of the above.

[0031] The rework platform is used to carry the battery string to be reworked, and to vertically offset the defective battery cell from the battery cell adjacent to the first side, and / or vertically offset the defective battery cell from the battery cell adjacent to the battery cell adjacent to the second side, wherein the battery cell adjacent to the first side is the battery cell in the battery string to be reworked that is adjacent to the defective battery cell and located on the first side of the defective battery cell, and the battery cell adjacent to the second side is the battery cell in the battery string to be reworked that is adjacent to the defective battery cell and located on the second side of the defective battery cell;

[0032] The solder strip cutting mechanism is used to cut the solder strip between the defective battery cell and the battery cell adjacent to the first side, and / or to cut the solder strip between the defective battery cell and the battery cell adjacent to the second side;

[0033] The support platform is used to support replacement battery cells, which have first and second side solder strips welded on them.

[0034] The replacement cell loading mechanism is used to pick up replacement cells from the carrier table and load the replacement cells onto the defective position in the battery string on the repair platform. The defective position is the empty position after the defective cell is rejected.

[0035] The welding strip clamping mechanism is used to clamp the first side welding strip of the replacement cell located at the defect location together with the welding strip to be overlapped on the first side adjacent cell, and / or to clamp the second side welding strip of the replacement cell located at the defect location together with the welding strip to be overlapped on the second side adjacent cell.

[0036] The welding mechanism is used to weld the first side welding strip of the clamped replacement battery cell to the welding strip to be overlapped on the first side adjacent battery cell, and / or to weld the second side welding strip of the clamped replacement battery cell to the welding strip to be overlapped on the second side adjacent battery cell.

[0037] Through the coordination of the welding strip cutting mechanism, the rework platform, the support platform, the replacement cell feeding mechanism, the welding mechanism, and the welding strip clamping mechanism, the battery string rework machine of this application realizes the automatic rework of battery strings to be repaired. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the welding strip clamping mechanism in an embodiment of this application at one angle.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a side view of the welding strip clamping mechanism in an embodiment of this application.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a front view of the welding strip clamping mechanism in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a rear view schematic diagram of the welding strip clamping mechanism in the embodiments of this application;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the first clamp and the first guide mounting seat in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 6 This is a top view of the welding strip clamping mechanism in an embodiment of this application.

[0044] Figure 7 This is a bottom view of the welding strip clamping mechanism in an embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the welding strip clamping mechanism in an embodiment of this application from another angle.

[0046] Figure 9 for Figure 8Enlarged view of region A in the image;

[0047] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first and second clamps in the embodiments of this application;

[0048] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the battery string repair process;

[0049] Figures 1 to 10 Includes:

[0050] Mounting bracket 1;

[0051] First guide mounting base 2:

[0052] Second guide mounting base 3: reference block 31;

[0053] Opening and closing drive mechanism 4:

[0054] Motor 41, cam 42, first cam follower 43, second cam follower 44, fourth spring 45;

[0055] Elastic clamping mechanism 5:

[0056] Elastic part 51: spring limiting plate 511, third spring 512, push plate 513;

[0057] Sliding mounting plate 52;

[0058] Translation drive unit 53;

[0059] First clamp 6:

[0060] First bottom surface 61, second bottom surface 62, first side elevation 63, first through hole 64;

[0061] Second clamp 7:

[0062] Third bottom surface 71, fourth bottom surface 72, second side elevation 73, second through hole 74;

[0063] First floating component 8:

[0064] First spring 81;

[0065] First chuck mounting base 82;

[0066] Floating guide assembly 83: limiting wheel 831, limiting plate 832, limiting groove 833;

[0067] Second floating component 9:

[0068] Second spring 91, second chuck mounting base 92, stop wheel 921;

[0069] First welding strip 100, second welding strip 200. Detailed Implementation

[0070] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0071] Existing solder ribbon clamping mechanisms typically employ multiple sets of clamps to simultaneously hold multiple pairs of solder ribbons. If two clamps in a particular set cannot align due to various circumstances, a large gap can easily appear between the two solder ribbons held by that set. Alternatively, if a solder ribbon on an adjacent cell contains foreign matter such as solder balls (which may form on the ribbon during stringing), this obstruction will also cause a large gap between the two clamped solder ribbons. The presence of this gap prevents the two solder ribbons from smoothly overlapping during soldering, thus affecting the overall rework quality of the battery string.

[0072] To address the aforementioned problems with existing solder strip clamping mechanisms, this application provides a solder strip clamping mechanism that ensures smooth soldering and overlapping between two solder strips during the soldering process.

[0073] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, the welding strip clamping mechanism in this embodiment includes a moving mechanism (not shown in the figure), a mounting bracket 1, a first guide mounting seat 2, a second guide mounting seat 3, an opening and closing driving mechanism 4, an elastic clamping mechanism 5, and several first clamps 6 and second clamps arranged in pairs, wherein:

[0074] Mounting bracket 1 is connected to the drive end of the moving mechanism. The moving mechanism is used to drive the mounting bracket lifting 1 to move up and down. Optionally, the moving mechanism can also be configured to drive the mounting bracket to translate along the X and / or Y directions.

[0075] The opening and closing drive mechanism 4 is mounted on the mounting bracket 1, and the first guide mounting seat 2 and the second guide mounting seat 3 are both connected to the drive end of the opening and closing drive mechanism 4.

[0076] Each first clamp 6 is arranged side by side, and each first clamp 6 is connected to the first guide mounting seat 2 in a vertically floating manner via a first floating component 8. Each second clamp 7 is arranged side by side, and each second clamp 7 is connected to the second guide mounting seat 3 in a vertically floating manner via a second floating component 9, and is able to rotate relative to the second guide mounting seat 3 in the horizontal plane.

[0077] The elastic clamping mechanism 5 is mounted on the mounting bracket 1. The drive end of the elastic clamping mechanism 5 has several elastic portions 51 corresponding to the second clamps 7. The second guide mounting base 3 has a reference block 31 corresponding to each second clamp 7. The elastic clamping mechanism 5 is configured to drive the elastic portions 51 to rotate each second clamp 7 in the horizontal plane so that it abuts against the corresponding reference block 31, aligning the clamping end of each second clamp 7 with the clamping end of the corresponding first clamp 6. The elastic portions 51 can also elastically deform when subjected to the reverse force of the corresponding second clamp 7.

[0078] The opening and closing drive mechanism 4 is used to drive the first guide mounting base 2 and the second guide mounting base 3 to move towards the center after the clamping end of the second chuck 7 is aligned with the corresponding clamping end of the first chuck 6, so that the clamping end of the second chuck 7 and the corresponding clamping end of the first chuck 6 cooperate to clamp the welding strip; the opening and closing drive mechanism 4 is also used to drive the first guide mounting base 2 and the second guide mounting base 3 to separate to both sides, so that the clamping end of the second chuck 7 and the corresponding clamping end of the first chuck 6 release the welding strip; wherein, the extension direction of the welding strip is as follows. Figure 7 The direction indicated by the middle arrow.

[0079] The solder strip clamping mechanism in this embodiment is suitable for clamping a set of first solder strips and a set of second solder strips respectively connected to two adjacent battery cells. The specific clamping process is as follows:

[0080] In the initial state, the first clamp 6 and the corresponding second clamp 7 in each group are in an open state (e.g., Figure 10 ).

[0081] Next, adjust the position of the mounting bracket 1 so that the clamping gap between each set of first clamps 6 and second clamps 7 is aligned with the corresponding first welding strip 100 and second welding strip 200 to be overlapped.

[0082] Next, the moving mechanism drives the mounting bracket 1 to descend. Since the first clamp 6 can be connected to the first guide mounting seat 2 by the first floating component 8 and the second clamp 7 can be connected to the second guide mounting seat 3 by the second floating component 9, as the mounting bracket 1 descends, the relative positions of the first clamp 6 and the second clamp 7 can be adaptively adjusted in the height direction after contacting the battery cell, ultimately ensuring that both the first clamp 6 and the second clamp 7 are in contact with the battery cell, achieving alignment in the height direction.

[0083] Next, the elastic clamping mechanism 5 drives each second clamp 7 to rotate in the horizontal plane via its elastic part 51 until each second clamp 7 abuts against the corresponding reference block 31, thereby aligning the clamping end of each second clamp 7 with the clamping end of the corresponding first clamp 6. In addition, the elastic part 51 undergoes elastic deformation due to the reverse force of the corresponding second clamp 7.

[0084] Finally, the opening and closing drive mechanism 4 drives the first guide mounting seat 2 and the second guide mounting seat 3 to move closer to the center, causing the clamping ends of each second clamp 7 to clamp synchronously with the clamping ends of the corresponding first clamp 6, so as to synchronously implement the horizontal overlap of each pair of first welding strips 100 and second welding strips 200.

[0085] As can be seen, the welding strip clamping mechanism provided in this application can achieve adaptive adjustment of the relative position in the height direction after the first clamp 6 and the second clamp 7 are lowered and contact the battery cell, since each first clamp 6 and each second clamp 7 can be connected to the corresponding guide mounting seat in a floating manner. This ensures that the first clamp 6 and the second clamp 7 can be aligned in the height direction.

[0086] Meanwhile, by setting the elastic clamping mechanism 5, the solder strip clamping mechanism provided in this application can also adaptively adjust the angle of the clamping end of the second chuck 7 in the horizontal direction, thereby ensuring that the clamping end of the second chuck 7 is aligned with the clamping end of the first chuck 6, ensuring that the two solder strips can smoothly climb the solder and achieve overlap during the welding process, and ultimately ensuring the quality of the overlap soldering.

[0087] When there are no foreign objects such as solder balls on the first and second solder strips to be overlapped, the first and second solder strips can be clamped by the clamping ends of the first clamp 6 and the second clamp 7 after alignment. This can reduce or eliminate the gap between the clamped first and second solder strips, so that the first and second solder strips can be smoothly soldered during the soldering process, thereby improving the overlap quality.

[0088] When foreign objects such as solder balls are present on the first and second solder strips to be overlapped, after clamping the first and second solder strips by the clamping ends of the aligned first chuck 6 and second chuck 7, a large gap will still exist between the clamped first and second solder strips due to the obstruction of the foreign objects. However, due to the presence of the elastic part 51, the foreign objects can force the second chuck 7 to rotate, causing the elastic part 51 to elastically deform. After the foreign objects remelt during the soldering process, the second chuck 7 can rotate back to the reference position under the action of the elastic part 51, thereby reducing or eliminating the gap between the first and second solder strips, allowing the first and second solder strips to smoothly climb the solder during the soldering process and improving the overlap quality.

[0089] In addition, the elastic clamping mechanism 5 has a driving end. By driving the elastic part 51 to push the second chuck 7 against the reference block 31 after the elastic clamping mechanism 5 completes the floating in the height direction of the second chuck 7, the second chuck 7 can float smoothly without being affected by forces in other directions during the floating process along the height direction, thus avoiding the phenomenon of jamming when the second chuck 7 floats.

[0090] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, optionally, the first floating assembly 8 includes a first guide post, a first spring 81, a first chuck mounting base 82, and a floating guide assembly 83, wherein: the upper and lower ends of the first guide post are respectively fixedly connected to the first guide mounting base 2; the first chuck mounting base 82 is slidably fitted onto the first guide post; the first spring sleeve 81 is mounted on the first guide post; the upper end of the first spring 81 abuts against the first guide mounting base 2; and the lower end of the first spring 81 abuts against the first chuck mounting base 82. The first chuck 6 is mounted on the first chuck mounting base 82, and the clamping end of the first chuck 6 extends downward out of the first chuck mounting base 82.

[0091] Since a first spring 81 is provided between the first clamp mounting base 82 and the first guide mounting base 2, when the moving mechanism drives the mounting bracket 1 to descend, the first clamp 6 can achieve adaptive adjustment of its relative position in the height direction after descending and contacting the battery cell under the extension and retraction adjustment of the first spring 81.

[0092] A floating guide assembly 83 is disposed between the first chuck mounting base 82 and the first guide mounting base 2. The floating guide assembly 83 is used to restrict the first chuck mounting base 82 to move vertically. That is, under the guidance of the floating guide assembly 83, the first chuck mounting base 82 and the first chuck 6 mounted thereon can only float in the vertical direction and cannot rotate on the horizontal plane. Ultimately, this ensures that when the second chuck 7 rotates to the correct position relative to the first chuck 6, the clamping end of the second chuck 7 is aligned with the clamping end of the first chuck 6.

[0093] like Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, optionally, the floating guide assembly 83 includes a limiting wheel 831 and a limiting plate 832, wherein: the limiting wheel 831 is fixedly mounted on the first chuck mounting base 82, and the limiting plate 832 is fixedly mounted on the first guide mounting base 2. A limiting groove 833 extending vertically is provided on the side of the limiting plate 832 opposite to the limiting wheel 831. The limiting wheel 831 is slidably inserted into the limiting groove 833. Because the limiting wheel 831 can only slide up and down along the limiting groove 833, the first chuck mounting base 82 can only float up and down along the first guide post and will not rotate around the first guide post.

[0094] A single limiting plate 832 may be provided, with several limiting grooves 833 corresponding one-to-one with the limiting wheels 831. Alternatively, multiple limiting plates 832 may be provided, each corresponding to one limiting wheel 831, and each limiting plate 832 may have one limiting groove 833.

[0095] By using the limiting wheel 831 and the limiting groove 833 to guide the floating of the first chuck mounting seat 82, the first chuck mounting seat 82 can be restricted to move vertically, and the floating smoothness of the first chuck mounting seat 82 can be improved, avoiding jamming of the first chuck mounting seat 82 during the floating process.

[0096] like Figure 1 As shown, optionally, the second floating component 9 includes a second guide post, a second spring 91, and a second chuck mounting base 92, wherein: the upper and lower ends of the second guide post are respectively fixedly connected to the second guide mounting base 3; the second chuck mounting base 92 is slidably fitted onto the second guide post; the second spring 91 is fitted onto the second guide post, with its upper end abutting against the second guide mounting base 3 and its lower end abutting against the second chuck mounting base 92; the second chuck 7 is mounted on the second chuck mounting base 92, with its clamping end extending downwards from the second chuck mounting base 92.

[0097] Since a second spring 91 is provided between the second chuck mounting base 92 and the second guide mounting base 3, when the moving mechanism drives the mounting bracket 1 to descend, the second chuck 7 can achieve adaptive adjustment of its relative position in the height direction after descending and contacting the battery cell under the extension and retraction adjustment of the second spring 91. Furthermore, the second chuck mounting base 92 can also rotate around the second guide post after being subjected to force, thereby driving the second chuck 7 to rotate in the horizontal plane.

[0098] like Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, optionally, the elastic clamping mechanism 5 includes a sliding mounting plate 52, a translation drive unit 53, and several elastic parts 51 as described above. The translation drive unit 53 is mounted on the mounting bracket 1, and the sliding mounting plate 52 is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket 1 and connected to the drive end of the translation drive unit 53. Several elastic parts 51 are fixedly mounted on the sliding mounting plate 52, and the elastic parts 51 are located on the side of the corresponding second clamp mounting seat 92 away from the second clamp 7.

[0099] The translation drive unit 53 is used to drive the sliding mounting plate 52 to translate, so as to move each elastic part 51 toward or away from the corresponding second chuck mounting seat 92. When the elastic part 51 moves toward the corresponding second chuck mounting seat 92, the elastic part 51 pushes the second chuck mounting seat 92 to rotate around the second guide post in the horizontal plane, thereby causing the second chuck 7 to abut against the corresponding reference block 31.

[0100] The translation drive unit 53 can adopt various existing linear drive mechanisms that can drive the sliding mounting plate 52 to slide and translate relative to the mounting bracket 1, such as a cylinder drive mechanism consisting of a cylinder, a slide rail and a slider.

[0101] like Figure 2 , Figure 7 and Figure 9 As shown, the elastic part 51 includes a spring limiting plate 511, a third guide rod, a third spring 512, and a push plate 513, wherein: the spring limiting plate 511 is fixedly mounted on the sliding mounting plate 52. The first end of the third guide rod slides through one of the spring limiting plate 511 or the push plate 513, and the second end of the third guide rod is fixedly connected to the other of the spring limiting plate 511 or the push plate 513. The third spring 512 is fitted onto the third guide rod, with its first end abutting against the elastic limiting plate 511 and its second end abutting against the push plate 513. When the elastic part 51 moves toward the corresponding second clamp 7, the push plate 513 pushes the second clamp mounting base 92 to rotate, and the third spring 512 is compressed and contracts.

[0102] As can be seen, by setting a third spring 512 between the push plate 513 and the spring limiting plate 511, the push plate 513 and the spring limiting plate 511 can be elastically connected by the extension and retraction adjustment of the third spring 512, so that the push plate 513 can elastically push the second chuck mounting seat 92, so that the second chuck mounting seat 92 can rotate.

[0103] like Figure 7 As shown, optionally, a retaining wheel 921 is fixedly installed on the side of the second chuck mounting base 92 near the push plate 513. The push plate 513 drives the second chuck mounting base 92 to rotate by pushing the retaining wheel 921. Using the retaining wheel 921 as the contact part between the second chuck mounting base 92 and the push plate 513 can ensure that the second chuck mounting base 92 can rotate smoothly.

[0104] like Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, optionally, the opening / closing drive mechanism 4 includes a motor 41, a cam 42, a first cam follower 43, a second cam follower 44, and a fourth spring 45. The motor 41 is mounted on the mounting bracket 1, and the cam 42 is connected to the drive shaft of the motor 41. The first cam follower 43 is mounted on the first guide mounting seat 2, located on the first side of the cam 42. The second cam follower 44 is mounted on the second guide mounting seat 2, located on the second side of the cam 42. The first end of the fourth spring 45 is connected to the first guide mounting seat 2, and the second end is connected to the second guide mounting seat 3. The fourth spring 45 is used to pull the first guide mounting seat 2 and the second guide mounting seat 3 towards the center, causing the first cam follower 43 and the second cam follower 44 to press against the cam 42. When the motor 41 drives the cam 42 to rotate, it causes the first cam follower 43 and the second cam follower 44 to move closer or further away, thereby causing the first guide mounting seat 2 and the second guide mounting seat 3 to move closer to the center or separate to both sides, and finally causing each pair of first grippers 6 and second grippers 7 to clamp or separate.

[0105] It can be seen that by setting the opening and closing drive mechanism 4, only one motor is needed to drive the first guide mounting seat 2 and the second guide mounting seat 3 to move closer to the middle or separate to both sides, thereby reducing the structural complexity and cost of the opening and closing drive mechanism 4.

[0106] like Figure 10 As shown, optionally, the bottom surface of the clamping end of the first clamp 6 includes a first bottom surface 61, a second bottom surface 62, and a first side surface 63, wherein the first bottom surface 61 is lower than the second bottom surface 62, and the first side surface 63 is located between the first bottom surface 61 and the second bottom surface 62. The bottom surface of the clamping end of the second clamp 7 includes a third bottom surface 71, a fourth bottom surface 72, and a second side surface 73, wherein the third bottom surface 71 is lower than the fourth bottom surface 72, and the second side surface 73 is located between the third bottom surface 71 and the fourth bottom surface 72. The second side surface 73 is opposite to the first side surface 63, and a space for exposing the overlap area of ​​the solder strip is formed between them. The second side surface 73 and the first side surface 63 move closer to or further away from each other as the first guide mounting seat 2 and the second guide mounting seat 3 move relative to each other to clamp or release the solder strip. The first bottom surface 61 and the third bottom surface 71 are used to abut against the battery cell.

[0107] By configuring the clamping ends of the first clamp 6 and the second clamp 7 as described above, it is possible to achieve the following: as the first clamp 6 and the second clamp 7 descend, the first bottom surface 61 of the first clamp 6 and the third bottom surface 71 of the second clamp 7 can float upwards after contacting the battery cell, eventually reaching the same height. The welding strip to be clamped enters between the first side surface 63 of the first clamp 6 and the second side surface 73 of the second clamp 7. Subsequently, the first clamp 6 and the second clamp 7 move closer to the middle, thereby causing the first side surface 63 and the second side surface 73 to smoothly clamp the welding strip. The welding mechanism can pass through the space formed between the second side surface 73 and the first side surface 63 to expose the overlapping area of ​​the welding strip and perform welding on the overlapping part of the welding strip.

[0108] Optionally, the height between the second bottom surface 62 and the first bottom surface 61, and the height between the fourth bottom surface 72 and the third bottom surface 71, are both greater than h and less than 2h, where h is the height of the welding strip. This setting prevents the two welding strips to be welded from being clamped together and stacked vertically, thus ensuring the welding effect.

[0109] Optionally, the clamping end of the first chuck 6 is further provided with a vertical first through hole 64, and the clamping end of the second chuck 7 is further provided with a vertical second through hole 74. When the clamping end of the first chuck 6 and the clamping end of the second chuck 7 clamp the welding strip, the welding strip is exposed from the first through hole 64 and the second through hole 74. Optionally, the first welding strip 100 is exposed from the first through hole 64, and the second welding strip 200 is exposed from the second through hole 74.

[0110] The first through hole 64 and the second through hole 74 can be used as ventilation holes. During the welding process, air can be blown into the ventilation holes to cool the welded strips. The first through hole 64 and the second through hole 74 can also be used as light transmission holes. In this case, laser welding can be used, allowing the laser beam to pass through the light transmission holes to irradiate the weld strips, thereby extending the heated length of the two weld strips, accelerating the melting of the solder on the weld strips, and ensuring the welding quality.

[0111] This application also provides a battery string repair machine, which includes a solder ribbon cutting mechanism, a repair platform, a support platform, a replacement battery cell loading mechanism, a welding mechanism, and a solder ribbon clamping mechanism as described in any of the above embodiments. The repair platform is used to carry the battery string to be repaired and to vertically offset the defective battery cell from its first adjacent battery cell, and / or vertically offset the defective battery cell from its second adjacent battery cell. The first adjacent battery cell is the battery cell in the battery string to be repaired that is adjacent to the defective battery cell and located on the first side of the defective battery cell, and the second adjacent battery cell is the battery cell in the battery string to be repaired that is adjacent to the defective battery cell and located on the second side of the defective battery cell. The solder ribbon cutting mechanism is used to cut the solder ribbon between the defective battery cell and the first adjacent battery cell, and / or to cut the solder ribbon between the defective battery cell and the second adjacent battery cell. The support platform is used to carry the replacement battery cell, on which the first and second side solder ribbons are welded. The replacement cell loading mechanism is used to pick up replacement cells from the support platform and load them onto the defective location in the battery string on the repair platform. The defective location is the empty position after the defective cell is rejected. The solder strip clamping mechanism is used to clamp the first-side solder strip of the replacement cell located at the defective location together with the solder strip to be overlapped on the first-side adjacent cell, and / or to clamp the second-side solder strip of the replacement cell located at the defective location together with the solder strip to be overlapped on the second-side adjacent cell. The welding mechanism is used to weld the first-side solder strip of the clamped replacement cell together with the solder strip to be overlapped on the first-side adjacent cell, and / or to weld the second-side solder strip of the clamped replacement cell together with the solder strip to be overlapped on the second-side adjacent cell.

[0112] Through the coordination of the welding strip cutting mechanism, the rework platform, the support platform, the replacement cell feeding mechanism, the welding mechanism, and the welding strip clamping mechanism, the battery string rework machine of this application realizes the automatic rework of battery strings to be repaired.

[0113] The foregoing has provided a sufficiently detailed and specific description of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that the descriptions in the embodiments are merely exemplary, and all changes made without departing from the true spirit and scope of this application should fall within the protection scope of this application. The scope of protection claimed in this application is defined by the claims, and not by the above descriptions in the embodiments.

Claims

1. A welding strip clamping mechanism, characterized in that, The welding strip clamping mechanism includes a moving mechanism, a mounting bracket, a first guide mounting seat, a second guide mounting seat, an opening and closing drive mechanism, an elastic clamping mechanism, and several pairs of first and second clamps, wherein: The mounting bracket is connected to the drive end of the moving mechanism, and the moving mechanism is used at least to drive the mounting bracket to move up and down; The opening and closing drive mechanism is mounted on the mounting bracket, and both the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat are connected to the drive end of the opening and closing drive mechanism. Each of the first clamps is arranged side by side, and each of the first clamps is connected to the first guide mounting base in a floating manner via a first floating component; each of the second clamps is arranged side by side, and each of the second clamps is connected to the second guide mounting base in a floating manner via a second floating component, and is capable of rotating relative to the second guide mounting base in a horizontal plane; The elastic clamping mechanism is mounted on the mounting bracket. The driving end of the elastic clamping mechanism has several elastic portions corresponding to the second clamps. The second guide mounting seat has a reference block corresponding to each of the second clamps. The elastic clamping mechanism is configured to drive the elastic portions to rotate each of the second clamps in a horizontal plane to abut against the corresponding reference block, so that the clamping end of each second clamp is aligned with the clamping end of the corresponding first clamp. The elastic portions can also elastically deform when subjected to the reverse force of the corresponding second clamp. The opening and closing drive mechanism is used to drive the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat to move towards the center after the clamping end of the second chuck is aligned with the corresponding clamping end of the first chuck, so that the clamping end of the second chuck cooperates with the clamping end of the corresponding first chuck to clamp the welding strip; the opening and closing drive mechanism is also used to drive the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat to separate to both sides, so that the clamping end of the second chuck releases the welding strip from the clamping end of the corresponding first chuck.

2. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first floating assembly includes a first guide post, a first spring, a first clamp mounting base, and a floating guide assembly, wherein: The upper and lower ends of the first guide post are respectively fixedly connected to the first guide mounting base. The first clamp mounting base is slidably fitted on the first guide post. The first spring is fitted on the first guide post. The upper end of the first spring abuts against the first guide mounting base, and the lower end of the first spring abuts against the first clamp mounting base. The first chuck is mounted on the first chuck mounting base, and the clamping end of the first chuck extends downward out of the first chuck mounting base; The floating guide assembly is disposed between the first chuck mounting base and the first guide mounting base, and is used to restrict the first chuck mounting base to move vertically.

3. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The floating guide assembly includes a limiting wheel and a limiting plate, wherein: The limiting wheel is fixedly installed on the first chuck mounting base; The limiting plate is fixedly installed on the first guide mounting seat, and a limiting groove extending in the vertical direction is provided on the side of the limiting plate opposite to the limiting wheel. The limiting wheel is slidably inserted into the limiting groove.

4. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The second floating assembly includes a second guide post, a second spring, and a second chuck mounting base, wherein: The upper and lower ends of the second guide post are fixedly connected to the second guide mounting base, the second clamp mounting base is slidably fitted on the second guide post, the second spring is fitted on the second guide post, the upper end of the second spring abuts against the second guide mounting base, and the lower end of the second spring abuts against the second clamp mounting base; The second chuck is mounted on the second chuck mounting base, and the clamping end of the second chuck extends downward out of the second chuck mounting base.

5. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The elastic clamping mechanism includes a sliding mounting plate, a translation drive unit, and several elastic parts, wherein: The translation drive unit is mounted on the mounting bracket, and the sliding mounting plate is slidably mounted on the mounting bracket and connected to the drive end of the translation drive unit. Several elastic portions are fixedly mounted on the sliding mounting plate, and the elastic portions are located on the side of the corresponding second clamp mounting seat away from the second clamp; The translation drive unit is used to drive the sliding mounting plate to translate, so as to move the elastic part toward or away from the corresponding second clamp mounting seat; When the elastic part moves toward the corresponding second chuck mounting seat, the elastic part pushes the second chuck mounting seat to rotate around the second guide post in the horizontal plane, so as to cause the second chuck to abut against the corresponding reference block.

6. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic part includes a spring limiting plate, a third guide rod, a third spring, and a push plate, wherein: The spring limiting plate is fixedly installed on the sliding mounting plate; The first end of the third guide rod is slidably connected to one of the spring limiting plate or the push plate, and the second end of the third guide rod is fixedly connected to the other of the spring limiting plate or the push plate. The third spring is fitted onto the third guide rod, with the first end of the third spring abutting against the spring limiting plate and the second end of the third spring abutting against the push plate; When the elastic part moves toward the corresponding second clamp, the push plate pushes the second clamp mounting seat to rotate, and the third spring is compressed and contracts.

7. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 6, characterized in that, A stop wheel is fixedly installed on the side of the second chuck mounting base near the push plate, and the push plate drives the second chuck mounting base to rotate by pushing the stop wheel.

8. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The opening and closing drive mechanism includes a motor, a cam, a first cam follower, a second cam follower, and a fourth spring, wherein: The motor is mounted on the mounting bracket, and the cam is connected to the drive shaft of the motor; The first cam follower is mounted on the first guide mount and is located on the first side of the cam; the second cam follower is mounted on the second guide mount and is located on the second side of the cam. The first end of the fourth spring is connected to the first guide mounting seat, and the second end of the fourth spring is connected to the second guide mounting seat. The fourth spring is used to pull the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat towards the middle, so that the first cam follower and the second cam follower press against the cam. When the motor drives the cam to rotate, it causes the first cam follower and the second cam follower to move closer or further away, thereby causing the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat to move closer to the center or separate to both sides.

9. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the clamping end of the first chuck includes a first bottom surface, a second bottom surface, and a first side surface, wherein the first bottom surface is lower than the second bottom surface, and the first side surface is located between the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface; The bottom surface of the clamping end of the second chuck includes a third bottom surface, a fourth bottom surface, and a second side surface, wherein the third bottom surface is lower than the fourth bottom surface, the second side surface is located between the third bottom surface and the fourth bottom surface, the second side surface is opposite to the first side surface and a space for exposing the solder strip is formed between them, and the second side surface and the first side surface move closer to or further away from each other as the first guide mounting seat and the second guide mounting seat move relative to each other to clamp or release the solder strip; The first bottom surface and the third bottom surface are used to abut the battery cell; the height between the second bottom surface and the first bottom surface and the height between the fourth bottom surface and the third bottom surface are both greater than h and less than 2h, where h is the height of the welding strip.

10. The welding strip clamping mechanism as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The first chuck is provided with a vertical first through hole at its clamping end, and the second chuck is provided with a vertical second through hole at its clamping end. When the clamping ends of the first chuck and the second chuck clamp the welding strip, the welding strip is exposed from the first through hole and the second through hole. Both the first through hole and the second through hole are ventilation holes, or both the first through hole and the second through hole are light-transmitting holes.

11. A battery string repair machine, characterized in that, The battery string repair machine includes a solder strip cutting mechanism, a repair platform, a support platform, a replacement battery cell feeding mechanism, a welding mechanism, and a solder strip clamping mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The rework platform is used to carry the battery string to be reworked, and to vertically offset the defective battery cell from the battery cell adjacent to the first side, and / or vertically offset the defective battery cell from the battery cell adjacent to the battery cell adjacent to the second side, wherein the battery cell adjacent to the first side is the battery cell in the battery string to be reworked that is adjacent to the defective battery cell and located on the first side of the defective battery cell, and the battery cell adjacent to the second side is the battery cell in the battery string to be reworked that is adjacent to the defective battery cell and located on the second side of the defective battery cell; The solder strip cutting mechanism is used to cut the solder strip between the defective battery cell and the battery cell adjacent to the first side, and / or to cut the solder strip between the defective battery cell and the battery cell adjacent to the second side. The support platform is used to support the replacement battery cell, and the replacement battery cell has a first side welding strip and a second side welding strip welded on it. The replacement battery cell loading mechanism is used to pick up the replacement battery cell from the support platform and load the replacement battery cell to the defective position in the battery string on the repair platform. The defective position is the position vacated after the defective battery cell is rejected. The welding strip clamping mechanism is used to clamp the first side welding strip of the replacement battery cell located at the defect location together with the welding strip to be overlapped on the first side adjacent battery cell, and / or to clamp the second side welding strip of the replacement battery cell located at the defect location together with the welding strip to be overlapped on the second side adjacent battery cell. The welding mechanism is used to weld the first side welding strip of the clamped replacement battery cell to the welding strip to be overlapped on the first side adjacent battery cell, and / or to weld the second side welding strip of the clamped replacement battery cell to the welding strip to be overlapped on the second side adjacent battery cell.

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