Pole welding device and battery assembling system

Abstract

The invention provides a pole column welding device and a battery assembling system, the pole column welding device comprises a battery cell fixing assembly, a first tab pressing plate unit and a welding assembly, the battery cell fixing assembly is used for supporting and fixing a battery cell which is horizontally arranged; the first tab pressing plate unit comprises a first driving assembly and a first tab pressing plate, the first tab pressing plate is mounted on the first driving assembly, and the first driving assembly is used for driving the first tab pressing plate to move, so that the first tab pressing plate presses a tab part of a battery cell on a pole of the battery cell; and the welding assembly is arranged to be used for welding the tab part and the pole which are pressed and covered together.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery processing, and particularly to a pole welding device and a battery assembly system. Background Art

[0002] With the development of battery technology, battery cells are applied in more and more fields and gradually replace traditional petrochemical energy in the field of automotive power. The battery cell can store chemical energy and controllably convert the chemical energy into electrical energy. In a recyclable battery cell, after discharging, the active substances can be activated by charging and continue to be used.

[0003] In the production process of battery cells, the welding of the tab is a very important step. However, during the welding process of the tab, welding slag may fall into the interior of the battery cell, resulting in quality problems of the battery cell.

[0004] In addition, the above statements are only used to provide background technical information related to the present application, and do not necessarily constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a pole welding device and a battery assembly system, which can reduce the possibility of welding slag falling into the interior of the battery cell during the welding of the tab.

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a pole welding device, which includes: a battery cell fixing component, a first tab pressing plate unit, and a welding component. The battery cell fixing component is used to support and fix the horizontally placed battery cell; the first tab pressing plate unit includes a first driving component and a first tab pressing plate. The first tab pressing plate is installed on the first driving component, and the first driving component is used to drive the first tab pressing plate to move so that the first tab pressing plate presses the tab of the battery cell against the pole of the battery cell; the welding component is configured to weld the tab and the pole pressed together.

[0007] In the above manner, the battery cell is arranged on the battery cell fixing component in a horizontal (i.e., the tab and the pole face the horizontal direction) manner, and then the tab is pressed by the first tab pressing plate, and welded by the welding component, so that the welding slag during the welding process is not easily introduced into the interior of the battery cell under the action of gravity.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first driving component is configured to: drive the first tab pressing plate to perform a first movement to pre-bend the tab by the first tab pressing plate; and drive the first tab pressing plate to perform a second movement to press the tab against the pole by the first tab pressing plate; the welding component is configured to: when the tab pressing plate presses the tab against the pole, provide welding energy to the tab and the pole.

[0009] By the above method, pre-bending is performed before bending the tab, which can reduce the possibility of wrinkles generated during the bending of the tab.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first tab pressing plate defines a hollow area. When the first tab pressing plate presses the tab on the terminal post, the hollow area exposes the area to be welded of the tab; the welding assembly includes a laser, and the laser is used to emit laser light and irradiate the area to be welded through the hollow area.

[0011] By the above method, the tab can be welded when the first tab pressing plate presses on the surface of the terminal post, reducing the possibility that the tab rebounds after separating from the first tab pressing plate and further reducing the welding quality.

[0012] In some embodiments, the terminal post welding device further includes a second tab pressing plate unit. The second tab pressing plate unit has the same structure as the first tab pressing plate unit, and the first tab pressing plate unit and the second tab pressing plate unit work alternately; the terminal post welding device is provided with a welding station, a first pressing plate replacement station, and a second pressing plate replacement station. The first pressing plate replacement station and the second pressing plate replacement station are respectively located on both sides of the welding station; the welding assembly is arranged corresponding to the welding station. The first tab pressing plate unit is arranged to be driven to switch and move between the welding station and the second pressing plate replacement station, and the second tab pressing plate unit is arranged to be driven to switch and move between the welding station and the first pressing plate replacement station; the terminal post welding device further includes a first pressing plate replacement assembly and a second pressing plate replacement assembly; the first pressing plate replacement assembly is arranged at the first pressing plate replacement station for replacing the first tab pressing plate in the second tab pressing plate unit at the first pressing plate replacement station; the second pressing plate replacement assembly is arranged at the second pressing plate replacement station for replacing the first tab pressing plate in the first tab pressing plate unit at the second pressing plate replacement station.

[0013] By the above method, when the first tab pressing plate unit needs to be cleaned or replaced, it can be moved from the welding station to the first pressing plate replacement station through the first pressing plate replacement assembly. The second tab pressing plate unit can be moved from the second pressing plate replacement station to the welding station through the second pressing plate replacement assembly to replace the first tab pressing plate unit for bending work, thereby reducing the downtime of the terminal post welding device during the replacement process of the first tab pressing plate unit and improving production efficiency.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first pressing plate replacement assembly includes a first pressing plate storage bin and a first pressing plate waste bin. The first pressing plate storage bin is used to store the first tab pressing plate to be replaced, and the first pressing plate waste bin is used to store the replaced first tab pressing plate.

[0015] In the above manner, the operator can regularly store a certain number of first tab pressing plates in the first tab pressing plate storage bin and clean the first tab pressing plates in the first tab pressing plate waste bin, so that the pole column welding device can maintain normal operation for a period of time.

[0016] In some embodiments, the pole column welding device further includes a reference assembly, which is arranged corresponding to the welding assembly and includes a reference plate unit and a pushing unit; the reference plate unit is arranged to move between the welding assembly and the battery cell fixing assembly when the battery cell fixing assembly moves to correspond to the welding assembly; the pushing unit is arranged to push and abut the battery cell fixing assembly and / or the battery cell against the reference plate unit when the reference plate unit moves between the welding assembly and the battery cell fixing assembly.

[0017] In the above manner, by positioning the battery cell through the reference assembly, the battery cell can be accurately positioned in the area to be welded.

[0018] In some embodiments, the pole column welding device further includes a code scanning assembly, which is used to scan the code of the battery cell fixing assembly that supports and fixes the battery cell and the first tab pressing plate unit that presses and covers the tab part of the same battery cell.

[0019] In the above manner, it is convenient to count the number of times the tab part is folded by each first tab pressing plate unit, which is beneficial to timely replace the first tab pressing plate.

[0020] In some embodiments, the pole column welding device further includes a first dust removal assembly, which is installed on the first tab pressing plate unit; when the welding assembly welds the tab part and the pole column pressed together, the first dust removal assembly is in gas communication with the area where the tab part is located.

[0021] In the above manner, it is possible to initially clean the welding slag, smoke and dust generated during the welding process.

[0022] In some embodiments, the pole column welding device further includes a battery cell conveying assembly and a second dust removal assembly. The battery cell conveying assembly is used to drive the battery cell fixing assembly to move from the first tab pressing plate unit towards the second dust removal assembly, and the second dust removal assembly is used to remove dust from the welding area of the tab part.

[0023] In the above manner, it is possible to further clean the welding slag and dust remaining on the battery cell after welding.

[0024] In some embodiments, the second dust removal assembly includes a dust removal pipeline and a dust removal hood. The dust removal pipeline is used to communicate with the air extraction assembly, the dust removal hood is communicated with the dust removal pipeline, and is used to press and cover on the pole column of the battery cell to form an air extraction space between the pole column and the dust removal hood.

[0025] In the above manner, the second dust removal component can suck and collect welding slag and dust, facilitating cleaning.

[0026] In some embodiments, the second dust removal component further includes a moving brush, which is arranged inside the dust removal cover and is used to contact and move along the welding area of the tab; and / or the dust removal cover includes a plug, which is used to block at least a part of the through hole of the terminal post.

[0027] In the above manner, the moving brush can further improve the efficiency of cleaning welding slag, and the plug can reduce the possibility of welding slag, smoke and dust entering the interior of the battery cell through the through hole.

[0028] In some embodiments, the battery cell conveying component is configured to convey the battery cell fixing component along a circulation path, and the circulation path includes an upper path, a descending path, a lower path and an ascending path connected in sequence; and the battery cell conveying component is configured to: when the battery cell fixing component enters the descending path from the upper path, drive the battery cell fixing component to convey along the descending path towards the lower path in a translational manner; when the battery cell fixing component enters the ascending path from the lower path, drive the battery cell fixing component to convey along the ascending path towards the upper path in a translational manner.

[0029] In the above manner, the battery cell conveying component can receive battery cells in a cyclic manner and convey the battery cells to the first pressing unit.

[0030] In some embodiments, the head end of the battery cell fixing component is used to connect the tail end of the adjacent battery cell fixing component, and the battery cell fixing component is configured to: lock with each other along the direction from the head end to the tail end, and be relatively movable along the direction perpendicular to the direction from the head end to the tail end.

[0031] In the above manner, the battery cell fixing components can be detachably connected. When connected, the connected battery cell fixing components can move synchronously, and after the battery cell fixing components are separated, they can enter different paths among the upper path, the descending path, the lower path and the ascending path respectively.

[0032] In some embodiments, the battery cell conveying assembly includes: a first driving unit, a second driving unit, a first lifting unit, and a second lifting unit. The first driving unit is configured to drive at least one battery cell fixing assembly located on the upper path to move along the upper path, so that all the battery cell fixing assemblies located on the upper path move along the upper path. The first lifting unit is disposed at the end of the upper path and is configured to drive the battery cell fixing assembly to separate from the battery cell fixing assembly located on the upper path, enter the descending path, and connect with the battery cell fixing assembly located on the lower path. The second driving unit is configured to drive at least one battery cell fixing assembly located on the lower path to move along the lower path, so that all the battery cell fixing assemblies located on the lower path move along the lower path; the second lifting unit is disposed at the beginning of the upper path and is configured to drive the battery cell fixing assembly to separate from the battery cell fixing assembly located on the lower path, enter the ascending path, and connect with the battery cell fixing assembly located on the upper path.

[0033] In the above manner, compared with the case where each path of the battery cell conveying assembly is arranged on the same horizontal plane, the floor area occupied by the battery cell conveying assembly can be reduced.

[0034] In some embodiments, the battery cell fixing assembly has a first connecting portion at the head end and a second connecting portion at the tail end. One of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion is provided with a limiting sliding groove, and the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove is perpendicular to the direction from the head end to the tail end. The other is provided with a roller that can be slidably disposed in the limiting sliding groove, so that when any two battery cell fixing assemblies are connected, they are relatively locked in the direction from the head end to the tail end and can slide relative to each other in the direction of the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove.

[0035] In the above manner, the friction force during the separation process of the battery cell fixing assembly can be reduced, making it easier for the battery cell fixing assembly to separate. In addition, using rollers can also reduce the probability of the battery cell fixing assembly docking failure when it is not aligned during the connection process.

[0036] In some embodiments, the pole welding device further includes a photographing assembly. The battery cell conveying assembly is configured to drive the battery cell fixing assembly to move from the second dust removal assembly towards the photographing assembly. The photographing assembly includes a 2D camera system and / or a 3D camera system. The 2D camera system is configured to photograph the poles after welding, and the 3D camera system is configured to perform a 3D contour scan on the poles after welding.

[0037] In the above manner, defects such as the weld mark and weld mark height after the welding of the pole ears can be identified.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first pole ear pressing plate is made of tungsten steel.

[0039] In the above manner, the strength and heat resistance of the first pole ear pressing plate can be improved.

[0040] In some embodiments, the pole welding device also includes a battery cell loading assembly and a battery cell flipping assembly; the battery cell loading assembly is used to support the upright battery cells and transport the battery cells toward the battery cell flipping assembly; the battery cell flipping assembly is used to clamp the upright battery cells, flip the battery cells to a flat setting, and place the flatly set battery cells on the battery cell fixing assembly.

[0041] Through the above method, the battery cells can be automatically turned over, thereby improving the loading efficiency.

[0042] One embodiment of the present application also provides a battery assembly system, which includes the above-mentioned pole welding device.

[0043] In some embodiments, the battery cell includes a shell, a bottom cover and an electrode assembly; the shell has an open end, a pole is arranged on the wall of the shell opposite to the open end, the pole has a through hole, and the shell and the bottom cover are connected to form a accommodating cavity connected to the through hole; the active material coating portion of the electrode assembly is arranged in the shell, and the pole ear portion of the electrode assembly is connected to the side of the pole away from the accommodating cavity through the through hole; the battery assembly system also includes a conveying device and an assembly device, the conveying device is used to convey the structure to be assembled to each workstation of the assembly equipment; the workstation of the assembly equipment includes at least a pole welding device; wherein the pole welding device is used to weld the pole ear portion passing through the through hole to the side of the pole away from the accommodating cavity.

[0044] In some embodiments, the battery assembly system also includes a pole ear forming device, a shell insertion device, a pole ear piercing device and a bottom cover welding device; wherein the pole ear forming device is used to weld multiple pole ear sheets of the electrode assembly to form a pole ear portion; the shell insertion device is used to load the electrode assembly into the shell from the open end; the pole ear piercing device is used to clamp the pole ear portion through the through hole when the electrode assembly is loaded into the shell; the bottom cover welding device is used to weld the bottom cover to the open end of the shell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of a battery cell according to one or more embodiments; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the pole ear portion of the battery cell; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the layout of a pole welding device according to one or more embodiments; Figure 4Schematic diagram of the first tab pressing plate unit according to one or more embodiments; Figure 5 is Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the first tab pressing plate unit from another perspective in Figure 6 Schematic cross-sectional view of the first tab pressing plate according to one or more embodiments; Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the first replacement plate assembly and the second replacement plate assembly according to one or more embodiments; Figure 8 is Figure 6 top view of Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the principle of positioning the battery cell by the reference component according to one or more embodiments; Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the second dust removal component according to one or more embodiments; Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the battery cell conveying component according to one or more embodiments; Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the battery cell fixing component according to one or more embodiments; Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the connection of two battery cell fixing components according to one or more embodiments; Figure 14 is Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the first driving unit and the first guiding unit in Figure 15 is Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the first lifting unit or the second lifting unit in Figure 16 is Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the second driving unit and the second guiding unit in Figure 17 Schematic diagram of the battery cell loading component according to one or more embodiments; Figure 18 Schematic diagram of the battery cell unloading component according to one or more embodiments; Figure 19 Schematic diagram of assembling the battery cell by the battery assembly system according to one or more embodiments.

[0046] The reference numerals in the specific embodiments are as follows: 100 battery cell; 101 housing; 101a open end; 102 bottom cover; 103 electrode assembly; 1030 tab part; 104 pole column; 1040 through hole; 500 pole column welding device; 510 Battery cell fixing assembly; 511 First connection part; 512 Second connection part; 513 Guide chute; 514 Roller; 515 Welding assembly; 516 Base; 517 Battery cell bearing part; 518 Guide rail; 519 First limiting area; 520a First tab pressing plate unit; 520b Second tab pressing plate unit; 521 First driving assembly; 522 First tab pressing plate; 5210 Driving motor; 5220 Hollow area; 5221 Gas channel; 530a First replacement pressing plate assembly; 530b Second replacement pressing plate assembly; 531 First pressing plate storage bin; 532 First pressing plate waste bin; 533 Tab pressing plate fixture; 534 Motor; 540 Reference assembly; 541 Reference plate unit; 542 Pushing unit; 550 First dust removal assembly; 560 Battery cell conveying assembly; 561 First driving unit; 562 Second driving unit; 563 First lifting unit; 564 Second lifting unit; 565 First guiding unit; 566 First driving block; 567 Second guiding unit; 570 Second dust removal assembly; 571 Dust removal pipeline; 572 Dust removal cover; 573 Moving brush; 574 Plug; 575 Driving assembly; 576 First driving motor; 577 Second driving motor; 580 Battery cell loading assembly; 581 Conveying unit; 582 Loading robotic arm; 583 Battery cell gripper; 584 First transfer motor; 585 Second transfer motor; 586 Battery cell flipping assembly; 590 Battery cell resetting assembly; 595 Battery cell unloading assembly; 596 First unloading unit; 597 Second unloading unit; 1 Battery assembly system; 200 Tab forming device; 300 Case inserting device; 400 Tab threading device; 600 Bottom cover welding device. Detailed implementation manners

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments of the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present application more clearly, so they are only examples and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity, specific order or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0050] Reference to "embodiment" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The phrase appears in various places in the specification and does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is merely 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 simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0052] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "a plurality of" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "a plurality of groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "a plurality of pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0053] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, technical terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the indicated device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation", "connection", "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can also be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] With the development of battery technology, battery cells are applied in more and more fields and gradually replace traditional fossil energy in the field of automotive power. A battery cell can store chemical energy and controllably convert the chemical energy into electrical energy. In a recyclable battery cell, after discharging, the active material can be activated by charging and continue to be used.

[0056] Currently, during the welding process of the pole ears of most battery cells, the battery cells are erected, which makes the welding slag easily enter the interior of the battery cell under the action of gravity, making it easy for the battery cell to have quality problems.

[0057] In order to reduce the possibility of welding slag entering the interior of the battery cell, the battery cell can be welded when it is in a lying state, so that the welding slag is more likely to fall off under the action of gravity rather than enter the interior of the battery cell. For example, a pole column welding device may include a battery cell fixing component, a first pole ear pressing plate unit, and a welding component. The battery cell fixing component is used to support and fix the lying battery cell; the first pole ear pressing plate unit includes a first driving component and a first pole ear pressing plate. The first pole ear pressing plate is installed on the first driving component, and the first driving component is used to drive the first pole ear pressing plate to move so that the first pole ear pressing plate presses the pole ear of the battery cell against the pole column of the battery cell; the welding component is arranged to weld the pressed-together pole ear part and the pole column.

[0058] In the above manner, the battery cell is arranged on the battery cell fixing component in a lying state (that is, the pole ear part and the pole column face the horizontal direction), and then the pole ear part is pressed by the first pole ear pressing plate, and welded by the welding component, so that the welding slag during the welding process is not easily entered into the interior of the battery cell under the action of gravity.

[0059] The battery cell disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be used in an electrical device that uses a battery cell (also referred to as a battery monomer or a battery) as a power source or various energy storage systems that use a battery cell as an energy storage element. The electrical device can be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, an electric toy, an electric tool, a battery car, an electric vehicle, a ship, a spacecraft, and the like. Among them, the electric toy can include a fixed or mobile electric toy, for example, a game console, an electric vehicle toy, an electric ship toy, and an electric aircraft toy, etc. The spacecraft can include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle, and a spaceship, etc. The pole column welding device disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be used to weld the pole ear part and the pole column of the battery cell. The battery assembly system disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be used to assemble the above-mentioned battery cell.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present application, the battery cell can be a secondary battery, which refers to a battery cell that can be activated by charging after discharging so that the active material can be reused. Each battery cell can also be a primary battery. The battery cell includes, but is not limited to, lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, lithium-metal batteries, sodium-metal batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc.

[0061] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , according to one or more embodiments of the present application, the battery cell 100 can include a housing 101, a bottom cover 102, and an electrode assembly 103. The housing 101 has an open end 101a. A terminal post 104 is provided on the wall of the housing 101 opposite to the open end 101a. The terminal post 104 has a through hole 1040. The housing 101 and the bottom cover 102 are connected to form a receiving cavity communicating with the through hole 104. The active material coating portion of the electrode assembly 103 is disposed inside the housing 101. The tab portion 1030 of the electrode assembly 103 passes through the through hole 1040 and is connected to the side of the terminal post 104 facing away from the receiving cavity.

[0062] Referring to Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the terminal post welding device 500 can include: a battery cell fixing assembly 510, a first tab pressing plate unit 520a, and a welding assembly 515. The battery cell fixing assembly 510 is used to support and fix the horizontally placed battery cell 100. The first tab pressing plate unit 520a includes a first driving assembly 521 and a first tab pressing plate 522. The first tab pressing plate 522 is mounted on the first driving assembly 521. The first driving assembly 521 is used to drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to move so that the first tab pressing plate 522 presses the tab portion 1030 of the battery cell 100 against the terminal post 104 of the battery cell. The welding assembly 515 is configured to weld the tab portion 1030 and the terminal post 104 pressed together.

[0063] Wherein, the horizontally placed battery cell can mean that the tab portion 1030 and the terminal post 104 of the battery cell face the horizontal direction. In the above manner, the battery cell is placed on the battery cell fixing assembly 510 in a horizontal lying manner (i.e., the tab portion 1030 and the terminal post 104 face the horizontal direction), and then the tab portion 1030 is pressed by the first tab pressing plate 522, and welded by the welding assembly 515, so that the welding slag during the welding process is not easily introduced into the battery cell under the action of gravity. The first driving assembly 521 can include one or two driving motors 5210.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first driving component 521 is configured to: drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform a first movement, so that the tab portion 1030 is pre-bent by the first tab pressing plate 522; and drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform a second movement, so that the tab portion 1030 is pressed on the terminal post 104 by the first tab pressing plate 522; the welding component 515 is configured to: when the first tab pressing plate 522 presses the tab portion 1030 on the terminal post 104, provide welding energy to the tab portion 1030 and the terminal post 104.

[0065] The pre-bending may mean that the tab portion 1030 is not pressed and attached to the surface of the terminal post 104, and a preset included angle is presented between the surface of the tab portion 1030 and the surface of the terminal post 104. The range of the preset included angle may be from 15 degrees to 75 degrees. Driving the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the first movement may mean driving the first tab pressing plate 522 to move from one side of the tab portion 1030 towards the other side of the tab portion 1030. In this process, the tab portion 1030 may be pre-bent under the action of the first tab pressing plate 522. Driving the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the second movement may mean driving the first tab pressing plate 522 to move towards the surface of the terminal post 104 until the first tab pressing plate 522 presses the tab portion 1030 on the surface of the terminal post 104. The welding component 515 may weld the tab portion 1030 and the terminal post 104 by laser or ultrasonic wave.

[0066] One of the two driving motors 5210 may be used to drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the first movement. The other of the two driving motors 5210 may be used to drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the second movement. The movement directions of the first movement and the second movement may be perpendicular to each other. When the battery cell 100 is placed flat, the first movement may be a movement from top to bottom, and the second movement may be a horizontal movement.

[0067] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the first driving component 521 is configured to: after the driving motor 5210 that drives the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the first movement drives the first tab pressing plate 522 to pre-bend the tab portion 1030, the driving motor 5210 that drives the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the second movement drives the support frame to drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to press the tab portion 1030 on the terminal post 104 of the battery cell 100; wherein, the driving motor 5210 that drives the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the first movement is installed on the support frame. Alternatively, the first driving component 521 is configured to: while the driving motor 5210 that drives the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the first movement drives the first tab pressing plate 522 to pre-bend the tab portion 1030, the driving motor 5210 that drives the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform the second movement drives the support frame to drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to press the tab portion 1030 on the terminal post 104 of the battery cell 100.

[0068] That is, the two driving motors 5210 can work in sequence or simultaneously.

[0069] In the above manner, pre-bending is performed before bending the pole ear portion 1030, which can reduce the possibility of wrinkles generated during the bending of the pole ear portion 1030. Moreover, when the two driving motors 5210 move simultaneously, it is beneficial to improve the bending efficiency of the pole ear portion 1030; and it is more beneficial to reduce the possibility of wrinkles generated during the bending of the pole ear portion 1030, because the simultaneous movement of the two driving motors 5210 will generate a force that always moves away from the root of the pole ear portion 1030 to be bent, thereby preventing the pole ear portion 1030 from moving reversely during the bending process, making the bending effect of the pole ear better.

[0070] See Figure 6 , in some embodiments, the first pole ear pressing plate 522 defines a hollow area 5220. When the first pole ear pressing plate 522 presses the pole ear portion 1030 on the pole column 104, the hollow area 5220 exposes the welding area of the pole ear portion 1030; the welding assembly 515 includes a laser, and the laser is used to emit laser light and irradiate the laser light through the hollow area 5220 to the welding area.

[0071] In the above manner, the pole ear portion 1030 can be welded when the first pole ear pressing plate 522 presses on the surface of the pole ear portion 1030, reducing the possibility that the pole ear portion 1030 rebounds after being separated from the first pole ear pressing plate 522 and further reducing the welding quality.

[0072] See Figure 7 and Figure 8, in some embodiments, the pole welding device 500 further includes a second tab pressing plate unit 520b, which has the same structure as the first tab pressing plate unit 520a, and the first tab pressing plate unit 520a and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b work alternately; the pole welding device 500 is provided with a welding station, a first pressing plate replacement station and a second pressing plate replacement station, and the first pressing plate replacement station and the second pressing plate replacement station are respectively located on both sides of the welding station; the welding assembly 515 is arranged corresponding to the welding station, the first tab pressing plate unit 520a is arranged to be driven to switch and move between the welding station and the second pressing plate replacement station, and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b is arranged to be driven to switch and move between the welding station and the first pressing plate replacement station; the pole welding device 500 further includes a first pressing plate replacement assembly 530a and a second pressing plate replacement assembly 530b; the first pressing plate replacement assembly 530a is arranged at the first pressing plate replacement station for replacing the first tab pressing plate 522 in the second tab pressing plate unit 520b at the first pressing plate replacement station; the second pressing plate replacement assembly 530b is arranged at the second pressing plate replacement station for replacing the first tab pressing plate 522 in the first tab pressing plate unit 520a at the second pressing plate replacement station.

[0073] The first tab pressing plate unit 520a and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b described in this application only have a difference in naming for the convenience of description. The alternate operation of the first tab pressing plate unit 520a and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b may mean that when the first tab pressing plate unit 520a is at the welding station to bend the tab of the battery cell, the second tab pressing plate unit 520b is in a non-working state (for example, it can be at the first pressing plate replacement station). Similarly, when the second tab pressing plate unit 520b is at the welding station to bend the tab part 1030 of the battery cell, the first tab pressing plate unit 520a may be in a non-working state (for example, it can be at the second pressing plate replacement station).

[0074] In the above manner, when the first tab pressing plate unit 520a needs to be cleaned or replaced, it can be moved from the welding station to the first pressing plate replacement station by the first pressing plate replacement assembly 530a, and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b can be moved from the second pressing plate replacement station to the welding station by the second pressing plate replacement assembly 530b to replace the first tab pressing plate unit 520a for bending work, thereby reducing the downtime of the pole welding device 500 during the replacement process of the first tab pressing plate unit 520a and improving the production efficiency.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first tab pressing plate unit 520a can bend the tab portions 1030 of each pair of one battery cell, and after the welding assembly 515 welds the tab portions 1030 of the battery cell, the first tab pressing plate unit 520a can be moved from the welding station to the second tab pressing plate replacement station for cooling. At this time, the second tab pressing plate unit 520b can be moved from the first tab pressing plate replacement station to the welding station to bend the tab portions of the next battery cell. Similarly, after the second tab pressing plate unit 520b bends the tab portions of one battery cell and the welding assembly 515 welds the tab portions 1030 of the battery cell, it can be moved to the first tab pressing plate replacement station for cooling, and the first tab pressing plate unit 520a can be moved to the welding station again. In this way, the first tab pressing plate unit 520a and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b can be cooled in time, reducing the possibility of heat accumulation during welding, and thus improving the service life of the first tab pressing plate unit 520a and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b. In some other embodiments, the first tab pressing plate unit 520 can also continuously work at the welding station to successively bend the tab portions 1030 of multiple battery cells, then move away from the welding station, and then move the second tab pressing plate unit 520b to the welding station to continuously work.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first tab pressing plate replacement assembly 530a / the second tab pressing plate replacement assembly 530b includes a first pressing plate storage bin 531 and a first pressing plate waste bin 532. The first pressing plate storage bin 531 is used to store the first tab pressing plates 522 to be replaced, and the first pressing plate waste bin 532 is used to store the replaced first tab pressing plates 522.

[0077] The first pressing plate storage bin 531 and the first pressing plate waste bin 532 can be located in the same box body. A number of tab pressing plate storage areas can be provided inside the box body, and each tab pressing plate storage area can serve as the first pressing plate storage bin 531 or the first pressing plate waste bin 532.

[0078] By the above method, the operator can regularly store a certain number of the first tab pressing plates 522 in the first pressing plate storage bin 531 and clean the first tab pressing plates 522 in the first pressing plate waste bin 532, so that the pole column welding device 500 can maintain normal operation for a period of time.

[0079] The first replacement pressure plate assembly 530a / second replacement pressure plate assembly 530b may include an ear pressure plate fixture 533 and at least one motor 534. The ear pressure plate fixture 533 may be used to pick up the first ear pressure plate 522, and at least one motor 534 may drive the ear pressure plate fixture 533 to move. For example, the ear pressure plate fixture 533 may remove the first ear pressure plate 522 of the first ear pressure plate unit 520a located at the second replacement pressure plate station and move it to the first pressure plate waste bin 532, or remove the first ear pressure plate 522 from the first pressure plate storage bin 531, move it to the first replacement pressure plate station and complete the corresponding assembly. The number of motors 534 may be two or three, and the directions in which the two or three motors 534 drive the ear pressure plate fixture 533 to move may be perpendicular to each other.

[0080] See Figure 9 , in some embodiments, the pole welding device 500 further includes a reference assembly 540. The reference assembly 540 is correspondingly arranged with the welding assembly 515 and includes a reference plate unit 541 and a pushing unit 542. The reference plate unit 541 is arranged such that when the battery cell fixing assembly 510 moves to correspond to the welding assembly 515, it moves between the welding assembly 515 and the battery cell fixing assembly 510. The pushing unit 542 is arranged such that when the reference plate unit 541 moves between the welding assembly 515 and the battery cell fixing assembly 510, it pushes and abuts the battery cell fixing assembly 510 and / or the battery cell against the reference plate unit 541.

[0081] That is to say, the reference plate unit 541 may be relatively fixed, and the pushing unit 542 may move horizontally relative to the reference plate unit 541 and drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to move. The battery cell fixing assembly 510 may include a base 516 and a battery cell carrying part 517. The battery cell carrying part 517 may be movably arranged on the base 516. The base 516 may be provided with a guide rail 518, and the extending direction of the guide rail 518 may be from one side of the base to the other side, or parallel to the orientation of the pole 104 of the battery cell arranged on the battery cell fixing assembly 510. The battery cell carrying part 517 may be slidably arranged on the guide rail 518 of the base 516.

[0082] The reference plate unit 541 may have a reference surface provided, and this reference surface may be coplanar or parallel to the welding plane (focal plane) of the welding assembly 515 (such as a laser) such that when the battery cell fixing assembly 510 / the battery cell abuts against this reference surface, the surface of the ear part 1030 of the battery cell after being bent is located within this welding plane.

[0083] By the above method, positioning the battery cell through the reference assembly 540 can accurately position the battery cell in the area to be welded.

[0084] In some embodiments, the terminal post welding device 500 further includes a code scanning component (not shown in the figure), and the code scanning component is used to scan the codes of the battery cell fixing component 510 that supports and fixes the battery cell and the first tab pressing plate unit 520a that presses the tabs of the same battery cell.

[0085] In the above manner, it is possible to conveniently count the number of times each first tab pressing plate unit 520a folds the tabs, which is beneficial to timely replace the first tab pressing plate 522.

[0086] In some embodiments, the terminal post welding device 500 further includes a first dust removal component 550 (see Figure 3 ), and the first dust removal component 550 is installed on the first tab pressing plate unit 520a; when the welding component 515 welds the tabs 1030 and the terminal post 104 that are pressed together, the first dust removal component 550 is in gas communication with the area where the tabs 1030 are located.

[0087] The first dust removal component 550 may include a suction device and a connecting pipe. A gas passage 5221 may be opened inside the first tab pressing plate 522. One end of the gas passage 5221 may be connected to the connecting pipe, and the other end penetrates the surface of the first tab pressing plate 522 facing the tabs, so that the first dust removal component 550 can suck and clean the welding slag, dust or smoke generated during the welding process of the tabs through the connecting pipe and the gas passage 5221. In addition, the gas passage 5221 may also be in communication with the hollow area 5220.

[0088] In the above manner, it is possible to initially clean the welding slag, smoke and dust generated during the welding process.

[0089] See Figure 1 and Figure 10 , in some embodiments, the terminal post welding device 500 further includes a battery cell conveying component 560 and a second dust removal component 570. The battery cell conveying component 560 is used to drive the battery cell fixing component 510 to move from the first tab pressing plate unit 520a towards the second dust removal component 570, and the second dust removal component 570 is used to remove dust from the welding area of the tabs 1030.

[0090] In the above manner, it is possible to further clean the welding slag and dust remaining on the battery cell after welding.

[0091] In some embodiments, the second dust removal component 570 includes a dust removal pipe 571 and a dust removal cover 572. The dust removal pipe 571 is used to communicate with an air extraction component, and the dust removal cover 572 is in communication with the dust removal pipe 571 and is used to press on the terminal post 104 of the battery cell to form an air extraction space between the terminal post 104 and the dust removal cover 572.

[0092] In the above manner, the second dust removal assembly 570 can suck and collect welding slag and dust, facilitating cleaning.

[0093] In some embodiments, the second dust removal assembly 570 further includes a moving brush 573. The moving brush 573 is disposed within the dust removal cover 572 and is used to contact and move along the welding area of the tab portion 1030; and / or the dust removal cover 572 includes a plug 574, and the plug 574 is used to block at least a part of the through hole 1040 of the pole column 104.

[0094] The second dust removal assembly 570 may further include a driving assembly 575. The driving assembly 575 may include a first driving motor 576 for driving the moving brush 573 to rotate. The moving brush 573 may be connected to the output shaft of the first driving motor 576 so that the first driving motor 576 can drive the moving brush 573 to rotate and clean the surface of the tab portion 1030 during rotation. To improve the welding firmness, the welded area formed by welding may be relatively large. Therefore, the moving brush 573 may also move along the surface of the tab portion 1030 to comprehensively clean the surface of the tab portion 1030. The driving assembly 575 may further include a second driving motor 577 for driving the moving brush 573 to move along the surface of the tab portion 1030 / pole column 104. The moving brush 573 is movably disposed within the dust removal cover 572. The first driving motor 576 may be disposed on the second driving motor 577 so that the second driving motor 577 can drive the first driving motor 576 to translate, thereby driving the moving brush 573 to move along the surface of the tab portion 1030.

[0095] The plug 574 may be a rubber plug, and the shape of the plug 574 may be the same as the shape of the through hole 1040. When inserted into the through hole 1040, the probability of welding slag, smoke, and dust entering the through hole 1040 can be reduced. In the above manner, the moving brush 573 can further improve the efficiency of cleaning welding slag, while the plug 574 can reduce the possibility of welding slag, smoke, and dust entering the interior of the battery cell through the through hole 1040.

[0096] See Figure 11 , in some embodiments, the battery cell conveying assembly 560 is configured to convey the battery cell fixing assembly 510 along a circulation path. The circulation path includes an upper path, a descending path, a lower path, and an ascending path connected in sequence; and the battery cell conveying assembly 560 is configured to: when the battery cell fixing assembly 510 enters the descending path from the upper path, drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to convey along the descending path towards the lower path in a translational manner; when the battery cell fixing assembly 510 enters the ascending path from the lower path, drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to convey along the ascending path towards the upper path in a translational manner.

[0097] The upper path can be located above the lower path, and the descending path and the ascending path can be respectively located at the head and tail ends of the upper path and the lower path. The extending direction of the descending path can be vertically downward or obliquely downward. The extending direction of the ascending path can be vertically upward or obliquely upward.

[0098] In the above manner, the battery cell conveying assembly 560 can repeatedly receive battery cells and convey the battery cells to the first pressing plate unit.

[0099] See Figure 12 and Figure 13 , in some embodiments, the head end of the battery cell fixing assembly 510 is used to connect the tail end of the adjacent battery cell fixing assembly 510, and the battery cell fixing assembly 510 is configured to: lock with each other along the direction from the head end to the tail end, and be relatively movable along the direction perpendicular to the direction from the head end to the tail end.

[0100] That is to say, the head end of each battery cell fixing assembly 510 can be connected to the tail end of the previous adjacent battery cell fixing assembly 510, and the tail end can be connected to the head end of the next adjacent battery cell fixing assembly 510. The battery cell fixing assembly 510 being configured to lock with each other along the direction from the head end to the tail end can mean that when two adjacent battery cell fixing assemblies 510 are connected together, applying a force in the direction from the head end to the tail end to one of them, the other will move synchronously and is not easily separated. The battery cell fixing assembly 510 being configured to be relatively movable along the direction perpendicular to the direction from the head end to the tail end can mean that when two adjacent battery cell fixing assemblies 510 are connected together, applying a force in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the head end to the tail end to one of them, this battery cell fixing assembly 510 will move relative to the other battery cell fixing assembly 510 and even separate from each other.

[0101] The battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the upper path can move along the direction perpendicular to the battery cell fixing assembly 510 on the upper path (for example, the direction where the descending path is located) after moving to the end point, and then this battery cell fixing assembly 510 separates from other battery cell fixing assemblies 510 on the upper layer and enters the descending path. Similarly, the battery cell fixing assembly 510 can enter the ascending path from the lower path by the same principle.

[0102] In the above manner, the battery cell fixing assemblies 510 can be separably connected. When connected, the connected battery cell fixing assemblies 510 can move synchronously. After the battery cell fixing assemblies 510 are separated, they can respectively enter different paths among the upper path, the descending path, the lower path, and the ascending path.

[0103] See Figure 14 , Figure 15 and Figure 16, in some embodiments, the battery cell conveying assembly 560 includes: a first driving unit 561, a second driving unit 562, a first lifting unit 563, and a second lifting unit 564. The first driving unit 561 is configured to drive at least one battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the upper path to move along the upper path, so that all the battery cell fixing assemblies 510 located on the upper path move along the upper path. The first lifting unit 563 is disposed at the end of the upper path and is configured to drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to separate from the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the upper path, enter the descending path, and connect with the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the lower path. The second driving unit 562 is configured to drive at least one battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the lower path to move along the lower path, so that all the battery cell fixing assemblies 510 located on the lower path move along the lower path; the second lifting unit 564 is disposed at the beginning of the upper path and is configured to drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to separate from the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the lower path, enter the ascending path, and connect with the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the upper path.

[0104] After the battery cell fixing assembly 510 moves to the end of the upper path, it can descend under the action of gravity and the first lifting unit 563, and will separate from other battery cell fixing assemblies 510 located on the upper path during the descending process, and then move to the starting point of the lower path and can be connected to other battery cell fixing assemblies 510 on the lower path. After the battery cell fixing assembly 510 moves to the end of the lower path, it can ascend under the action of the second lifting unit 564, and separate from other battery cell fixing assemblies 510 located on the lower path during the ascending process, and then move to the starting point of the upper path and can be connected to other battery cell fixing assemblies 510 on the upper path.

[0105] The first driving unit 561 can be a driving motor. The battery cell conveying assembly 560 may further include a first guiding unit 565 located on the upper path. The first driving unit 561 can drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the upper path to move along the first guiding unit 565. The first guiding unit 565 can be a guide rail. The battery cell fixing assembly 510 may further include a first limiting region 519. The first driving unit 561 may have a first driving block 566. The first driving block 566 can translate under the action of the first driving unit 561 and is detachably embedded in the first limiting region 519, thereby driving the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to move.

[0106] The second driving unit 562 can be a conveyor belt, which can drive the battery cell conveying assembly 560 to move through friction and can also play a certain guiding role itself. Of course, the battery cell conveying assembly 560 can also include a second guiding unit 567 located on the lower path. The second driving unit 562 can drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the lower path to move along the second guiding unit 567. The second guiding unit 567 can also be a guide rail.

[0107] The first driving block 566 can be embedded in the first limiting area 519 of one of the battery cell fixing assemblies 510, and synchronously drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 and other battery cell fixing assemblies 510 located on the upper path to move synchronously during the movement along the first guiding unit 565. When moving to a preset distance, the first driving block 566 can be separated from the battery cell fixing assembly 510 and reset, and then can be embedded in the first limiting area 519 of other battery cell fixing assemblies 510 located on the upper path again, and drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to move along the first guiding unit 565.

[0108] By the above method, compared with the case where each path of the battery cell conveying assembly 560 is arranged on the same horizontal plane, the floor area occupied by the battery cell conveying assembly 560 can be reduced.

[0109] In some embodiments, the battery cell fixing assembly 510 has a first connecting portion 511 at the head end and a second connecting portion 512 at the tail end. One of the first connecting portion 511 and the second connecting portion 512 is provided with a limiting sliding groove, and the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove is perpendicular to the direction from the head end to the tail end. The other is provided with a roller 514 that can be slidably arranged in the limiting sliding groove, so that when any two battery cell fixing assemblies 510 are connected, they are relatively locked in the direction from the head end to the tail end and can slide relatively in the direction of the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove.

[0110] In this case, in the direction from the head end to the tail end, the roller 514 of the battery cell fixing assembly 510 is limited by the limiting sliding groove of the connected battery cell fixing assembly 510, so that the two battery cell fixing assemblies 510 are not easily separated in this direction. In the direction parallel to the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove, the roller 514 of the battery cell fixing assembly 510 can move along the limiting sliding groove, so that the two move relatively and gradually separate.

[0111] By the above method, the friction force during the separation process of the battery cell fixing assembly 510 can be made, so that the battery cell fixing assembly 510 is easier to separate. In addition, using the roller 514 can also reduce the probability of the battery cell fixing assembly 510 docking failure when the battery cell fixing assemblies 510 are not aligned during the connection process.

[0112] In some embodiments, the terminal post welding device 500 further includes a photographing assembly (not shown in the figure). The battery cell conveying assembly 560 is configured to drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to move from the second dust removing assembly 570 towards the photographing assembly. The photographing assembly includes a 2D camera system and / or a 3D camera system. The 2D camera system is configured to photograph the terminal post 104 after welding is completed, and the 3D camera system is configured to perform 3D contour scanning on the terminal post 104 after welding is completed.

[0113] In the above manner, defects such as the weld mark and the weld mark height after welding of the tab 1030 can be identified.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first tab pressing plate 522 is made of tungsten steel.

[0115] In the above manner, the strength and heat resistance of the first tab pressing plate 522 can be improved.

[0116] See Figure 17 , in some embodiments, the terminal post welding device 500 further includes a battery cell loading assembly 580 and a battery cell flipping assembly 586; the battery cell loading assembly 580 is configured to support the vertically arranged battery cell and convey the battery cell towards the battery cell flipping assembly 586; the battery cell flipping assembly 586 is configured to clamp the vertically arranged battery cell, flip the battery cell to a horizontal position and place the horizontally arranged battery cell on the battery cell fixing assembly 510.

[0117] The battery cell loading assembly 580 may include a conveying unit 581 and a loading robotic arm 582. The conveying unit 581 may be a conveyor belt or a logistics vehicle. The loading robotic arm 582 may include a battery cell gripper 583, a first transfer motor 584 and a second transfer motor 585. The battery cell gripper 583 may be disposed on the first transfer motor 584. The first transfer motor 584 may be disposed on the second transfer motor 585. The first transfer motor 584 may drive the battery cell gripper 583 to perform a lifting motion so as to pick up the battery cell from the conveying unit 581. The second transfer motor 585 may drive the first transfer motor 584 and the battery cell gripper 583 to perform a horizontal motion so as to transfer the picked-up battery cell to the battery cell flipping assembly 586.

[0118] The battery cell flipping assembly 586 may include a battery cell fixture and a flipping robotic arm. The flipping robotic arm may include at least one rotating motor, and further drive the battery cell fixture and the battery cell clamped by the battery cell fixture to flip to a horizontal state.

[0119] In the above manner, the battery cell can be automatically flipped, thereby improving the loading efficiency.

[0120] See Figure 1 and Figure 18In some embodiments, the pole welding device 500 may further include a cell reset assembly 590 and a cell unloading assembly 595. The cell unloading assembly 595 may include a first unloading unit 596 and a second unloading unit 597. The first unloading unit 596 may be used to convey qualified cells, and may also be referred to as an unloading pull belt. The second unloading unit 597 may be used to convey unqualified cells, and may also be referred to as an NG pull belt. The first unloading unit 596 / the second unloading unit 597 may be a conveyor belt or a logistics vehicle. The cell reset assembly 590 may include at least one linear motor, at least one rotary motor, and a cell picking mechanism. The cell picking mechanism may be used to pick up cells located at the cell fixing assembly 510. The linear motor may be used to drive the cell picking mechanism to move between the cell conveying assembly 560, the first unloading unit 596, and the second unloading unit 597, and the rotary motor may drive the cell picking mechanism to rotate to flip the cell from a flat state to a vertical state.

[0121] See also Figure 19 , one embodiment of the present application also provides a battery assembly system 1, which includes the above-mentioned pole welding device 500. The battery cell 100 may include a shell 101, a bottom cover 102 and an electrode assembly 103. The shell 101 has an open end 101a. A pole 104 is arranged on the wall of the shell 101 opposite to the open end 101a. The pole 104 has a through hole 1040. The shell 101 and the bottom cover 102 are connected to form a accommodating cavity connected to the through hole 104. The active material coating portion of the electrode assembly 103 is arranged in the shell 101. The pole ear portion 1030 of the electrode assembly 103 is connected to the side of the pole 104 away from the accommodating cavity through the through hole 1040. The battery assembly system 1 also includes a conveying device and an assembly device, wherein the conveying device is used to convey the structure to be assembled to each workstation of the assembly device; the workstation of the assembly equipment includes at least a pole welding device; wherein the pole welding device is used to weld the pole ear portion 1030 passing through the through hole 1040 to the side of the pole 104 facing away from the accommodating cavity.

[0122] In some embodiments, the battery assembly system 1 also includes a pole ear forming device 200, a shell insertion device 300, a pole ear piercing device 400 and a bottom cover welding device 600; wherein, the pole ear forming device 200 is used to weld multiple pole ear sheets of the electrode assembly to form a pole ear portion 1030; the shell insertion device 300 is used to load the electrode assembly into the shell from the open end; the pole ear piercing device 400 is used to clamp the pole ear portion 1030 through the through hole 1040 when the electrode assembly is loaded into the shell; the bottom cover welding device 600 is used to weld the bottom cover to the open end of the shell.

[0123] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the conveying device includes a conveying line. The conveying line can be a conveying structure formed by a conveying roller driven by a motor cooperating with a conveyor belt, or a conveying structure formed by articulated conveying chain links driven by a motor, or an AGV conveying cart, which can achieve conveying in at least one direction and can support and ensure the stability of the structure to be assembled.

[0124] The purpose of the tab forming device 200 is to form the tab portion after pre-welding the tab piece, and it can be an ultrasonic welding device, which can ensure that the tab portion 1030 is welded in a clamped and stable state. The casing inserting device 300 is a pushing mechanism or a clamping mechanism, which can stably move the electrode assembly towards the open end of the casing and enter the accommodation cavity through the open end. Similarly, the tab passing device 400 can adopt a clamping structure or a guiding structure, which can guide the tab portion 1030 to smoothly pass through the through hole 1040 without interfering with the casing. The purpose of the terminal welding device 500 is to weld the tab portion 1030 and the terminal 104, and it can be a laser welding device. The purpose of the bottom cover welding device 600 is to weld the circumferential edge of the bottom cover and the open end of the casing, and it is also a laser welding device.

[0125] In addition, the assembly device is not limited to including the tab forming device 200, the casing inserting device 300, the tab passing device 400, the terminal welding device 500, and the bottom cover welding device 600. Exemplarily, when the number of electrode assemblies is multiple, for example, two, the assembly device further includes a pairing device, which is used to stack multiple electrode assemblies so that the tab pieces of the two electrode assemblies are substantially opposite to each other, so that the conveying structure can convey the paired electrode assemblies to the tab forming device 200 for welding of the tab pieces to facilitate the formation of the tab portion. Again exemplarily, in order to ensure the reliability of the battery assembly process, a dust removal and NG detection station, etc. can also be added between any two adjacent stations, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0126] An embodiment of the present application provides a terminal welding device 500, which includes: a battery cell loading component 580, a battery cell flipping component 586, a battery cell fixing component 510, a battery cell conveying component 560, a first tab pressing plate unit 520a, a second tab pressing plate unit 520b, a first pressing plate replacement component 530a, a second pressing plate replacement component 530b, a welding component 515, a reference component 540, a first dust removal component 550, a second dust removal component 570, a code scanning component, and a photographing component.

[0127] The battery cell loading component 580 is used to support the vertically arranged battery cell and convey the battery cell towards the battery cell flipping component 586; the battery cell flipping component 586 is used to clamp the vertically arranged battery cell, flip the battery cell to a horizontal setting and place the horizontally arranged battery cell on the battery cell fixing component 510.

[0128] The battery cell fixing assembly 510 is used to support and fix the battery cell arranged flat; the first tab pressing plate unit 520a includes a first driving assembly 521 and a first tab pressing plate 522, the first tab pressing plate 522 is installed on the first driving assembly 521, and the first driving assembly 521 is used to drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to move, so that the first tab pressing plate 522 presses the tab part 1030 of the battery cell against the terminal 104 of the battery cell; the welding assembly 515 is arranged to weld the tab part 1030 and the terminal 104 pressed together. The first tab pressing plate 522 is made of tungsten steel. The first driving assembly 521 is arranged to: drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform a first movement, so that the first tab pressing plate 522 pre-bends the tab; and drive the first tab pressing plate 522 to perform a second movement, so that the first tab pressing plate 522 presses the tab part against the terminal 104; the welding assembly 515 is arranged to: when the tab pressing plate presses the tab part 1030 against the terminal 104, provide welding energy to the tab part 1030 and the terminal 104. The first tab pressing plate 522 defines a hollow area 5220. When the first tab pressing plate 522 presses the tab part 1030 against the terminal 104, the hollow area 5220 exposes the area to be welded of the tab part 1030; the welding assembly 515 includes a laser, and the laser is used to emit laser light and pass the laser light through the hollow area 5220 to irradiate the area to be welded.

[0129] The second tab pressing plate unit 520b has the same structure as the first tab pressing plate unit 520a, and the first tab pressing plate unit 520a and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b work alternately; the terminal welding device 500 is provided with a welding station, a first pressing plate replacement station and a second pressing plate replacement station, and the first pressing plate replacement station and the second pressing plate replacement station are respectively located on both sides of the welding station; the welding assembly 515 is arranged corresponding to the welding station, the first tab pressing plate unit 520a is arranged to be driven to switch and move between the welding station and the second pressing plate replacement station, and the second tab pressing plate unit 520b is arranged to be driven to switch and move between the welding station and the first pressing plate replacement station; the first pressing plate replacement assembly 530a is arranged at the first pressing plate replacement station and is used to replace the first tab pressing plate 522 in the second tab pressing plate unit 520b at the first pressing plate replacement station; the second pressing plate replacement assembly 530b is arranged at the second pressing plate replacement station and is used to replace the first tab pressing plate 522 in the first tab pressing plate unit 520a at the second pressing plate replacement station. The first pressing plate replacement assembly 530a includes a first pressing plate storage bin 531 and a first pressing plate waste bin 532. The first pressing plate storage bin 531 is used to store the first tab pressing plate 522 to be replaced, and the first pressing plate waste bin 532 is used to store the replaced first tab pressing plate 522.

[0130] The reference component 540 is provided corresponding to the welding component 515, and includes a reference plate unit 541 and a pushing unit 542; the reference plate unit 541 is configured to move between the welding component 515 and the battery cell fixing component 510 when the battery cell fixing component 510 moves to correspond to the welding component 515; the pushing unit 542 is configured to push and abut the battery cell fixing component 510 and / or the battery cell against the reference plate unit 541 when the reference plate unit 541 moves between the welding component 515 and the battery cell fixing component 510. The code scanning component is used to scan the battery cell fixing component 510 that supports and fixes the battery cell and the first tab pressing plate unit 520a that presses the tab part of the same battery cell.

[0131] The first dust removal component 550 is installed on the first tab pressing plate unit 520a; when the welding component 515 welds the tab part 1030 and the pole column 104 pressed together, the first dust removal component 550 is in gas communication with the area where the tab part 1030 is located. The battery cell conveying component 560 is used to drive the battery cell fixing component 510 to move from the first tab pressing plate unit 520a towards the second dust removal component 570, and the second dust removal component 570 is used to remove dust from the welding area of the tab part 1030. The second dust removal component 570 includes a dust removal duct 571 and a dust removal cover 572. The dust removal duct 571 is used to communicate with the air extraction component, and the dust removal cover 572 is communicated with the dust removal duct 571 and is used to press on the pole column 104 of the battery cell to form an air extraction space between the pole column 104 and the dust removal cover 572. The second dust removal component 570 further includes a moving brush 573, which is arranged in the dust removal cover 572 and is used to contact and move on the welding area of the tab part 1030; and / or the dust removal cover 572 includes a plug 574, and the plug 574 is used to block at least a part of the through hole 1040 of the pole column 104.

[0132] The battery cell conveying assembly 560 is configured to convey the battery cell fixing assembly 510 along a circulation path, which includes an upper path, a descending path, a lower path, and an ascending path connected in sequence; and the battery cell conveying assembly 560 is configured to: when the battery cell fixing assembly 510 enters the descending path from the upper path, drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to convey along the descending path towards the lower path in a translational manner; when the battery cell fixing assembly 510 enters the ascending path from the lower path, drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to convey along the ascending path towards the upper path in a translational manner. The head end of the battery cell fixing assembly 510 is used to connect the tail end of the adjacent battery cell fixing assembly 510, and the battery cell fixing assembly 510 is configured to: lock with each other along the direction from the head end to the tail end, and be relatively movable along the direction perpendicular to the direction from the head end to the tail end. The battery cell conveying assembly 560 includes: a first driving unit 561, a second driving unit 562, a first lifting unit 563, and a second lifting unit 564. The first driving unit 561 is used to drive at least one battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the upper path to move along the upper path, so that all the battery cell fixing assemblies 510 located on the upper path move along the upper path. The first lifting unit 563 is arranged at the end of the upper path, and is used to drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to separate from the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the upper path, enter the descending path, and connect with the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the lower path. The second driving unit 562 is used to drive at least one battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the lower path to move along the lower path, so that all the battery cell fixing assemblies 510 located on the lower path move along the lower path; the second lifting unit 564 is arranged at the head end of the upper path, and is used to drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to separate from the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the lower path, enter the ascending path, and connect with the battery cell fixing assembly 510 located on the upper path. The battery cell fixing assembly 510 has a first connecting portion 511 at the head end and a second connecting portion 512 at the tail end. One of the first connecting portion 511 and the second connecting portion 512 is provided with a limiting sliding groove, and the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove is perpendicular to the direction from the head end to the tail end, and the other is provided with a roller 514 that can be slidably arranged in the limiting sliding groove, so that when any two battery cell fixing assemblies 510 are connected, they are relatively locked in the direction from the head end to the tail end and can be relatively slidable in the direction along the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove. The battery cell conveying assembly 560 is used to drive the battery cell fixing assembly 510 to move from the second dust removal assembly 570 towards the photographing assembly. The photographing assembly includes a 2D camera system and / or a 3D camera system. The 2D camera system is used to photograph the welded pole post, and the 3D camera system is used to perform 3D contour scanning on the welded pole post.

[0133] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present application, and they should all be covered by the scope of the claims and the description of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the text, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A pole welding device, characterized in that, it includes: a battery cell fixing assembly for supporting and fixing a horizontally arranged battery cell; a first tab pressing plate unit, including a first driving assembly and a first tab pressing plate, the first tab pressing plate is installed on the first driving assembly, and the first driving assembly is used to drive the first tab pressing plate to move so that the first tab pressing plate presses the tab part of the battery cell on the pole of the battery cell; and a welding assembly configured to weld the tab part and the pole pressed together.

2. The pole welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first driving assembly is configured to: drive the first tab pressing plate to perform a first movement to pre-bend the tab by the first tab pressing plate; and drive the first tab pressing plate to perform a second movement to press the tab part on the pole by the first tab pressing plate; the welding assembly is configured to: when the first tab pressing plate presses the tab part on the pole, provide welding energy to the tab part and the pole.

3. The pole welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first tab pressing plate defines a hollow area, and when the first tab pressing plate presses the tab part on the pole, the hollow area exposes the area to be welded of the tab part; the welding assembly includes a laser, and the laser is used to emit laser light and pass the laser light through the hollow area to irradiate the area to be welded.

4. The pole welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pole welding device further includes a second tab pressing plate unit, and the second tab pressing plate unit has the same structure as the first tab pressing plate unit, and the first tab pressing plate unit and the second tab pressing plate unit work alternately; the pole welding device is provided with a welding station, a first tab pressing plate replacement station and a second tab pressing plate replacement station, and the first tab pressing plate replacement station and the second tab pressing plate replacement station are respectively located on both sides of the welding station; the welding assembly is arranged corresponding to the welding station, the first tab pressing plate unit is configured to be driven to switch and move between the welding station and the second tab pressing plate replacement station, and the second tab pressing plate unit is configured to be driven to switch and move between the welding station and the first tab pressing plate replacement station; the pole welding device further includes a first tab pressing plate replacement assembly and a second tab pressing plate replacement assembly; the first tab pressing plate replacement assembly is arranged at the first tab pressing plate replacement station and is used to replace the first tab pressing plate in the second tab pressing plate unit at the first tab pressing plate replacement station; the second tab pressing plate replacement assembly is arranged at the second tab pressing plate replacement station and is used to replace the first tab pressing plate in the first tab pressing plate unit at the second tab pressing plate replacement station.

5. The pole welding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, the first tab pressing plate replacement assembly includes a first pressing plate storage bin and a first pressing plate waste bin, the first pressing plate storage bin is used to store the first tab pressing plate to be replaced, and the first pressing plate waste bin is used to store the replaced first tab pressing plate.

6. The pole welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pole welding device further includes a reference assembly, the reference assembly is arranged corresponding to the welding assembly, and includes a reference plate unit and a pushing unit; the reference plate unit is arranged to: when the battery cell fixing assembly moves to correspond to the welding assembly, move to be located between the welding assembly and the battery cell fixing assembly; the pushing unit is arranged to: when the reference plate unit moves to be located between the welding assembly and the battery cell fixing assembly, push and abut the battery cell fixing assembly and / or the battery cell against the reference plate unit.

7. The pole welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pole welding device further includes a code scanning assembly, and the code scanning assembly is used for scanning the battery cell fixing assembly that supports and fixes the battery cell and the first pole ear pressing plate that presses the pole ear part of the same battery cell.

8. The pole welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pole welding device further includes a first dust removal assembly, and the first dust removal assembly is installed on the first pole ear pressing plate unit; when the welding assembly welds the pressed pole ear part and the pole, the first dust removal assembly is in gas communication with the area where the pole ear part is located.

9. The pole welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pole welding device further includes a battery cell conveying assembly and a second dust removal assembly, the battery cell conveying assembly is used for driving the battery cell fixing assembly to move from the first pole ear pressing plate unit towards the second dust removal assembly, and the second dust removal assembly is used for removing dust from the welding area of the pole ear part.

10. The pole welding device according to claim 9, characterized in that, the second dust removal assembly includes a dust removal pipeline and a dust removal cover, the dust removal pipeline is used for communicating with an air extraction assembly, the dust removal cover is communicated with the dust removal pipeline, and is used for pressing on the pole of the battery cell to form an air extraction space between the pole and the dust removal cover.

11. The pole welding device according to claim 10, characterized in that, the second dust removal assembly further includes a moving brush, the moving brush is arranged in the dust removal cover and is used for contacting and moving with the welding area of the pole ear part; and / or the dust removal cover includes a plug, and the plug is used for blocking at least a part of the through hole of the pole.

12. The pole welding device according to claim 9, characterized in that, the battery cell conveying assembly is arranged to convey the battery cell fixing assembly along a circulation path, and the circulation path includes an upper path, a descending path, a lower path and an ascending path which are connected in sequence; and the battery cell conveying assembly is arranged to: when the battery cell fixing assembly enters the descending path from the upper path, drive the battery cell fixing assembly to be conveyed along the descending path towards the lower path in a translational manner; when the battery cell fixing assembly enters the ascending path from the lower path, drive the battery cell fixing assembly to be conveyed along the ascending path towards the upper path in a translational manner.

13. The pole welding device according to claim 12, characterized in that, the first end of the battery cell fixing component is used to connect the tail ends of adjacent battery cell fixing components, and the battery cell fixing components are configured to: lock with each other along the direction from the first end to the tail end, and be relatively movable along the direction perpendicular to the direction from the first end to the tail end.

14. The pole welding device according to claim 13, characterized in that, the battery cell conveying component includes: a first driving unit, a second driving unit, a first lifting unit and a second lifting unit, the first driving unit is used to drive at least one battery cell fixing component located on the upper path to move along the upper path, so that all the battery cell fixing components located on the upper path move along the upper path, the first lifting unit is arranged at the end of the upper path, and is used to drive the battery cell fixing component to separate from the battery cell fixing component located on the upper path, enter the descending path, and connect with the battery cell fixing component located on the lower path, the second driving unit is used to drive at least one battery cell fixing component located on the lower path to move along the lower path, so that all the battery cell fixing components located on the lower path move along the lower path; the second lifting unit is arranged at the first end of the upper path, and is used to drive the battery cell fixing component to separate from the battery cell fixing component located on the lower path, enter the ascending path, and connect with the battery cell fixing component located on the upper path.

15. The pole welding device according to claim 13, characterized in that, the battery cell fixing component has a first connecting part at the first end and a second connecting part at the tail end, one of the first connecting part and the second connecting part is provided with a limiting sliding groove, the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove is perpendicular to the direction from the first end to the tail end, and the other is provided with a roller that can be slidably arranged in the limiting sliding groove, so that when any two battery cell fixing components are connected, they are relatively locked in the direction from the first end to the tail end and can be relatively slid in the direction along the extending direction of the limiting sliding groove.

16. The pole welding device according to claim 9, characterized in that, the pole welding device further includes a photographing component, the battery cell conveying component is used to drive the battery cell fixing component to move from the second dust removing component towards the photographing component, the photographing component includes a 2D camera system and / or a 3D camera system, the 2D camera system is used to photograph the poles after welding, and the 3D camera system is used to perform 3D contour scanning on the poles after welding.

17. The pole welding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first pole ear pressing plate is made of tungsten steel.

18. The pole welding device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that, The pole welding device also includes a battery cell loading assembly and a battery cell flipping assembly; the battery cell loading assembly is used to support the battery cell arranged upright and transport the battery cell toward the battery cell flipping assembly; the battery cell flipping assembly is used to clamp the battery cell arranged upright, flip the battery cell to a flat position and place the flatly arranged battery cell on the battery cell fixing assembly.

19. A battery assembly system, It is characterized in that The invention comprises a pole welding device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. The battery assembly system according to claim 19, It is characterized in that The battery cell comprises a shell, a bottom cover and an electrode assembly; the shell has an open end, a pole is arranged on a wall of the shell opposite to the open end, the pole has a through hole, the shell and the bottom cover are connected to form a receiving cavity communicated with the through hole; the active material coating part of the electrode assembly is arranged in the shell, and the pole ear part of the electrode assembly passes through the through hole and is connected to a side of the pole away from the receiving cavity; The battery assembly system further comprises a conveying device and an assembly device, wherein the conveying device is used to convey the structure to be assembled to each station of the assembly device; the station of the assembly device at least comprises the pole welding device; The pole welding device is used to weld the pole ear passing through the through hole to a side of the pole facing away from the accommodating cavity.

21. The battery assembly system according to claim 20, It is characterized in that The battery assembly system also includes a tab forming device, a shell inserting device, a tab piercing device and a bottom cover welding device; Among them, the pole ear forming device is used to weld multiple pole ear sheets of the electrode assembly to form a pole ear part; the shell insertion device is used to load the electrode assembly into the shell from the open end; the pole ear penetration device is used to clamp the pole ear part through the through hole when the electrode assembly is loaded into the shell; the bottom cover welding device is used to weld the bottom cover to the open end of the shell.

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