Battery welding system and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery welding system and a control method. The battery welding system comprises a first conveying module and a first welding module. The first conveying module is used for conveying incoming batteries. The incoming battery comprises a shell and a top cover. And the extension direction of the long edge of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying module. The first welding module is arranged on the side of the first conveying module and is configured to weld the joint of the long edge of the shell and the long edge of the top cover. In the long edge welding process, the incoming battery is conveyed by the first conveying module to continuously move, and the first welding module is kept fixed. In the welding process, incoming batteries are kept in a conveying state all the time, the circulation speed is increased, the control cost and the production cost are reduced, the production strategy is simplified, and then the production efficiency is improved. And a space reserved for movement of the welding machine can be saved, so that the space of the whole production environment is more abundant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of batteries, and particularly to a battery welding system and a control method. Background Art

[0002] Power batteries have become the green batteries with the best comprehensive performance in the world at present due to their characteristics such as high voltage, high capacity, low consumption, no memory effect, pollution-free, small volume, small internal resistance, less self-discharge, and many cycle times. During the production process of power batteries, it is usually necessary to weld the battery case and the top cover together. How to improve the welding efficiency directly affects the production efficiency of power batteries. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, this application provides a battery welding system and a control method to improve the welding efficiency.

[0004] In the first aspect of this application, a battery welding system is provided, which includes a first conveying module and a first welding module. The first conveying module is used to convey the incoming batteries. The incoming batteries include a case and a top cover. The extending direction of the long side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying module. The first welding module is arranged beside the first conveying module and is configured to weld the joint of the long sides of the case and the top cover. During the long side welding process, the incoming battery continuously moves under the conveyance of the first conveying module, and the first welding module remains fixed. In this way, while ensuring the welding quality, the incoming battery can be kept in a conveying state during the welding process, improving the turnover speed, reducing the control cost and production cost, simplifying the production strategy, and thus improving the production efficiency. Compared with the prior art solution in which the battery is stationary during welding and the welding machine moves relative to the battery for welding, the space reserved for the movement of the welding machine can be saved, making the space of the entire production environment more abundant.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first conveying module is configured to reduce the conveying speed from an initial first speed to a second speed at least when the first welding module starts welding the first end of the long side of the incoming battery that reaches the first welding module first, and increase the conveying speed from the second speed to the first speed when the second end of the long side of the incoming battery that reaches the first welding module later completes welding. Reducing the conveying speed can ensure the welding quality.

[0006] In some embodiments, a first rolling device is further included. The first rolling device is arranged beside the first conveying module and is located downstream of the first welding module in the conveying direction of the first conveying module, and is used to roll the long side weld seam after welding the long side of the incoming battery core. Rolling the long side weld seam can improve the strength and reliability of the weld seam and ensure the production quality.

[0007] In some embodiments, it further includes a second conveying module and a second welding module. The second welding module is arranged beside the second conveying module and is used to weld the joint of the short side of the housing and the short side of the top cover. The short sides of the housing and the top cover are dimensionally matched, and the process of welding the short side of the housing and the short side of the top cover together is the short-side welding process. Welding both the long side and the short side improves the welding integrity of the incoming battery.

[0008] In some embodiments, it includes a transfer device. The first conveying module and the second conveying module are arranged at intervals. The transfer device is arranged between the first conveying module and the second conveying module and is used to transfer the incoming battery to the second conveying module after the long side of the incoming battery is welded. Using the transfer device, the transfer of the incoming battery can be completed conveniently and efficiently.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first conveying module and the second conveying module are arranged in parallel at intervals, and the conveying directions of the first conveying module and the second conveying module are opposite. This can effectively save the occupied space and improve the space utilization rate.

[0010] In some embodiments, the transfer device includes a grasping component. The grasping component is configured to grasp the incoming battery and reverse the orientation of the incoming battery so that when the incoming battery is placed on the second conveying module, the extending direction of the short side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveying module. During the process of the transfer device transferring the incoming battery, the grasping component also adjusts the orientation of the incoming battery, improving the efficiency and enabling the incoming battery to be directly welded on the short side without further adjusting the angle of the incoming battery when placed on the second conveying module, thus improving the production efficiency.

[0011] In some embodiments, the grasping component is rotatably arranged along its own axis to drive the incoming battery to rotate when grasping the incoming battery. Specifically, the transfer device has a rotary cylinder, and the grasping component is arranged on the rotary cylinder. The rotary cylinder drives the grasping component to rotate to adjust the orientation of the grasped incoming battery.

[0012] In some embodiments, the grasping component is configured to grasp two incoming batteries. Grasping two incoming batteries at one time, adjusting the orientations of the two incoming batteries simultaneously, and placing the two incoming batteries on the second conveying module can improve the transfer efficiency and thus improve the production efficiency.

[0013] In some embodiments, the transfer device includes a central rotating shaft and a plurality of grasping components connected to the central rotating shaft. The plurality of grasping components are arranged symmetrically about the center of the central rotating shaft. The central rotating shaft is configured to drive the plurality of grasping components to perform circular motion centered on the central rotating shaft, so that during one rotation of the central rotating shaft, the plurality of grasping components sequentially grasp the incoming batteries on the first conveying module. By controlling the central rotating shaft to rotate continuously in a certain direction, the incoming batteries on the first conveying module can be continuously transferred to the second conveying module, simplifying the transfer control strategy.

[0014] In some embodiments, the transfer device includes four grasping components. In the direction of the circular motion of the grasping components, the adjacent two grasping components are spaced 90 degrees apart. The transfer device can be simplified, and during one rotation of the central rotating shaft, the four grasping components sequentially grasp the incoming batteries, improving the efficiency.

[0015] In some embodiments, the transfer device further includes a lifting member. The grasping component is disposed on the lifting member, and the lifting member is movably disposed in the height direction to drive the grasping component to move in the height direction, so as to adjust the distance between the grasping component and the second conveying module in the height direction. The height of the grasping component can be conveniently adjusted by the lifting member, reducing the control cost.

[0016] In some embodiments, a second rolling device is further included. The second rolling device is disposed beside the second conveying module and is located downstream of the second welding module in the conveying direction of the second conveying module, and is used for rolling the short-side weld of the incoming battery core. After the short-side welding, rolling the short-side weld can improve the strength and reliability of the weld and ensure the production quality.

[0017] In some embodiments, a blanking module is further included. The blanking module is correspondingly disposed with the second conveying module and is used for blanking the incoming battery after the short side of the incoming battery is welded. After both the long side and the short side of the incoming battery are welded, blanking is performed through the blanking module, so as to facilitate subsequent production and processing thereof and improve the fluency of the entire production process.

[0018] In some embodiments, a pressing device is further included. The pressing device is disposed beside the first conveying module and is located upstream of the first welding module in the conveying direction of the first conveying module, and is used for pressing the incoming battery before welding the long side of the incoming battery core. Pressing before welding the long side can improve the reliability of the finished battery.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first welding module includes two first laser welders. The two first laser welders are spaced apart, and the two first laser welders are configured to respectively weld the two long sides of the incoming battery. The two first laser welders are respectively located on both sides of the incoming battery, so that both long sides can be welded, improving the welding efficiency.

[0020] In some embodiments, it further includes a feeding module, which is correspondingly arranged with the first conveying module and is used to feed the battery onto the first conveying module. The feeding module can improve the feeding efficiency and the production speed.

[0021] The second aspect of the present application provides a control method for a battery welding system as described above. The control method includes the following steps:

[0022] Convey the incoming battery to the first welding module through the first conveying module. During the conveying process of the incoming battery, the extending direction of the long side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying module; and

[0023] When one end of the long side of the incoming battery close to the first welding module reaches the position of the first welding module, start the first welding module, and when the other end of the long side of the incoming battery reaches the position of the first welding module, turn off the first welding module.

[0024] In some embodiments, it further includes: at least when the first welding module starts to weld the first end of the long side of the incoming battery that reaches the first welding module first, reduce the conveying speed of the first conveying module from the initial first speed to the second speed, and when the second end of the long side of the incoming battery that reaches the first welding module later completes welding, increase the conveying speed from the second speed to the first speed.

[0025] In some embodiments, it further includes: detecting the quality of the long side weld after the long side of the incoming battery is welded. In the case where the quality of the long side weld does not meet the requirements, remove the incoming battery from the first conveying module; in the case where the quality of the long side weld meets the requirements, continue to weld the short side of the incoming battery.

[0026] In some embodiments, when the quality of the long side weld meets the requirements, it includes: first performing a rolling treatment on the long side weld, and then welding the short side of the incoming battery.

[0027] In some embodiments, the battery welding system further includes a second conveying module, a second welding module and a transfer device. The second welding module is arranged beside the second conveying module and is used to weld the joint of the short side of the housing and the short side of the top cover. The first conveying module and the second conveying module are arranged at intervals, and the transfer device is arranged between the first conveying module and the second conveying module. The control method includes: after the long side of the incoming battery is welded, make the transfer device transfer the incoming battery to the second conveying module to weld the short side of the incoming battery.

[0028] In some embodiments, making the transfer device transfer the incoming battery to the second conveying module includes: during the transfer process, reverse the orientation of the incoming battery so that the extending direction of the short side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveying module.

[0029] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to understand the technical means of this application more clearly, it can be implemented according to the content of the specification. And in order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following specific embodiments of this application are given. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required to be used in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the following described drawings are only some embodiments of this application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained according to the drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the station layout of the battery welding system according to some embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the transfer device of the battery welding system according to some embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the first welding module starting to weld the long side of a supplied battery according to some embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the first welding module completing the welding of the long side of a supplied battery according to some embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the second welding module starting to weld the short sides of two supplied batteries according to some embodiments of this application.

[0037] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the second welding module completing the welding of the short sides of two supplied batteries according to some embodiments of this application.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the control method of the battery welding system according to some embodiments of this application.

[0039] The reference numerals in the specific embodiments are as follows:

[0040] The first welding module 100, the first conveying module 200, the second welding module 300, the second conveying module 400, the transfer device 500, the blanking module 600, the loading module 700, the first rolling device 800, the second rolling device 900, the pressing device 1000, the first post-welding inspection module 1100, the first appearance inspection module 1200, the second post-welding inspection module 1300, the second appearance inspection module 1400, the rejection module 1500;

[0041] The first laser welding machine 101, the second laser welding machine 301, the gripping assembly 501, the central rotating shaft 502, and the lifting member 503. Detailed implementation manners

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill 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 description of the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0043] In the description of the embodiments of this 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 indicating the quantity, specific order, or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, the meaning of "a plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0044] Referring to "embodiments" herein means that specific features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments can be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The phrase appearing in various positions in the specification 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 explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. 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.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "a plurality" 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 sheets" refers to more than two sheets (including two sheets).

[0047] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by technical terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. is 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 device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0048] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation", "connection", "coupling", "fixation", etc. shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral body; 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.

[0049] Currently, from the perspective of the development of the market situation, the application of power batteries is becoming more and more extensive. Power batteries are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but also widely used in electric transportation such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles, as well as in multiple fields such as military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of the application fields of power batteries, the market demand is also continuously increasing.

[0050] The inventor of the present application noticed that in the prior art, during the production of power batteries, when welding the top cover of the power battery, usually after the battery is transported to the welding station, the battery stops being transported, and the welding machine is driven to move relative to the battery to complete the welding, so the efficiency is relatively low. This results in limited equipment processing capacity and low production efficiency.

[0051] Based on the above technical problems, the applicant's research found that if the battery can continue to be transported during the welding process, the production rhythm can be greatly optimized and the production efficiency can be improved.

[0052] Reference Figure 1, this application provides a battery welding system, including a first conveying module 200 and a first welding module 100. The first conveying module 200 is used to convey incoming batteries. The incoming battery includes a housing and a top cover. The extending direction of the long side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying module 200. The first welding module 100 is arranged beside the first conveying module 200 and is configured to weld the joint between the long side of the housing and the long side of the top cover. During the long side welding process, the incoming battery continuously moves under the conveyance of the first conveying module 200, and the first welding module 100 remains fixed.

[0053] Specifically, for the incoming battery conveyed by the first conveying module 200, the battery core has been placed into the housing, and the connecting piece is connected between the battery core and the pole on the top cover in a welded manner. The long sides of the housing and the top cover are dimensionally matched, and the long side welding process is the process of welding the long side of the housing and the long side of the top cover together. During the long side welding process, the first welding module 100 remains fixed. When one end of the long side of the incoming battery close to the first welding module 100 reaches the position of the first welding module 100, the first welding module 100 starts and begins to weld. When the other end of the long side of the incoming battery reaches the position of the first welding module 100, the long side welding is completed, and the first welding module 100 is turned off. In other words, during the entire long side welding process, the acting point of the first welding module 100 for welding the long side remains fixed, and by moving the incoming battery, the entire long side is welded.

[0054] Based on this method, while ensuring the welding quality, it is also possible to keep the incoming battery in a conveying state during the welding process, improve the transfer speed, reduce the control cost and production cost, simplify the production strategy, and thus improve the production efficiency. Compared with the prior art solution where the battery is stationary during welding and the welding machine is controlled to move relative to the battery for welding, the space reserved for the movement of the welding machine can be saved, making the space of the entire production environment more abundant.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first conveying module 100 is configured to reduce the conveying speed from an initial first speed to a second speed at least when the first welding module 100 starts welding at the first end of the incoming battery where the long side first arrives at the first welding module 100, and increase the conveying speed from the second speed to the first speed when the welding is completed at the second end of the incoming battery where the long side then arrives at the first welding module 100. Reducing the conveying speed can ensure the welding quality. In some embodiments, the first conveying module 100 may reduce the conveying speed before the long side of the incoming battery first arrives at the first end of the first welding module 100 and starts welding, and after the welding is completed at the second end of the incoming battery where the long side then arrives at the first welding module 100, restore the conveying speed after a certain time interval. In other words, different from the above embodiments, making the first conveying module 100 reduce the conveying speed earlier and restore the conveying speed later can improve the stability of the system operation to a certain extent.

[0056] Reference Figure 1 , in some embodiments, it further includes a first rolling device 800. The first rolling device 800 is arranged beside the first conveying module 200 and is located downstream of the first welding module 200 in the conveying direction of the first conveying module 200, and is used to roll the long side weld after welding the long side of the incoming battery core. Rolling the long side weld can improve the strength and reliability of the weld and ensure the production quality.

[0057] Reference Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the battery welding system further includes a second conveying module 400 and a second welding module 300. The second welding module 300 is arranged beside the second conveying module 400, and the second welding module 300 is used to weld the joint of the short side of the housing and the short side of the top cover. The short sides of the housing and the top cover are dimensionally matched, and the process of welding the short side of the housing and the short side of the top cover together is the short side welding process. Welding both the long side and the short side improves the welding integrity of the incoming battery.

[0058] Reference Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the battery welding system includes a transfer device 500. The first conveying module 200 and the second conveying module 400 are arranged at intervals, and the transfer device 500 is arranged between the first conveying module 200 and the second conveying module 400, and is used to transfer the incoming battery to the second conveying module 400 after the long side of the incoming battery is welded. Using the transfer device 500 can complete the transfer of the incoming battery conveniently and efficiently.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first conveying module 200 and the second conveying module 400 are arranged in parallel at intervals, and the conveying directions of the first conveying module 200 and the second conveying module 400 are opposite. This can effectively save the occupied space and improve the space utilization rate.

[0060] Reference Figure 2 , in some embodiments, the transfer device 500 includes a grasping component 501, and the grasping component 501 is configured to grasp the incoming battery and reverse the orientation of the incoming battery, so that when the incoming battery is placed on the second conveying module 400, the extending direction of the short side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveying module 400. During the process of the transfer device 500 transferring the incoming battery, the grasping component 501 also adjusts the orientation of the incoming battery, improving the efficiency, so that when the incoming battery is placed on the second conveying module 400, the angle of the incoming battery does not need to be adjusted anymore, and the short side can be directly welded, improving the production efficiency.

[0061] Reference Figure 2 , in some embodiments, the grasping component 501 is rotatably arranged along its own axis to drive the incoming battery to rotate when grasping the incoming battery. Specifically, the transfer device 500 has a rotary cylinder, the grasping component 501 is arranged on the rotary cylinder, and the rotary cylinder drives the grasping component 501 to rotate to adjust the orientation of the grasped incoming battery.

[0062] In some embodiments, the grasping component 501 is configured to grasp two incoming batteries. Grasping two incoming batteries at one time, adjusting the orientations of the two incoming batteries at the same time, and placing the two incoming batteries on the second conveying module 400, so that the transfer efficiency can be improved, and further the production efficiency can be improved.

[0063] Reference Figure 2, in some embodiments, the transfer device 500 includes a central rotating shaft 502 and a plurality of grasping components 501 connected to the central rotating shaft 502. The plurality of grasping components 501 are arranged symmetrically about the center of the central rotating shaft 502. The central rotating shaft 502 is configured to drive the plurality of grasping components 501 to perform circular motion centered on the central rotating shaft 502, so that during one rotation of the central rotating shaft 502, the plurality of grasping components 501 sequentially grasp the incoming batteries on the first conveying module 200. Specifically, the first conveying module 200 has a transfer loading station. After the long sides of the incoming batteries are welded, they reach the transfer loading station to be transferred by the transfer device 500. The second conveying module 400 has a transfer unloading station. The transfer device 500 places the incoming batteries obtained from the transfer loading station at the transfer unloading station, thereby completing the transfer operation. The transfer loading station and the transfer unloading station are respectively arranged at different positions on the movement path of the grasping component 501. During one circular motion of the grasping component 501, it passes through the transfer loading station and the transfer unloading station respectively. That is, by controlling the central rotating shaft 502 to rotate in a certain direction all the time, the incoming batteries on the first conveying module 200 can be continuously transferred to the second conveying module 400, simplifying the transfer control strategy.

[0064] Reference Figure 2 , in some embodiments, the transfer device 500 includes four grasping components 501. In the direction of the circular motion of the grasping component 501, the adjacent two grasping components 501 are spaced 90 degrees apart. Such a setting can simplify the transfer device 500. During one rotation of the central rotating shaft 502, the four grasping components 501 sequentially grasp the incoming batteries, improving the efficiency.

[0065] Specifically, the central rotating shaft 502 is configured to rotate half a turn (i.e., 180 degrees) to realize the movement of a certain grasping component 501 from the transfer loading station to the transfer unloading station. In other words, it completes the transfer work of an incoming battery cell from the transfer loading station to the transfer unloading station. Further, for example, the central rotating shaft 502 rotates counterclockwise. In the counterclockwise direction, the four grasping components 501 are respectively positioned as the first grasping component to the fourth grasping component. When the first grasping component matches the transfer loading station, a grasping action is performed. When the third grasping component matches the transfer unloading station and performs a releasing action, after the central rotating shaft 502 rotates 90 degrees, the fourth grasping component matches the transfer loading station and performs a grasping action, and the second grasping component matches the transfer unloading station and performs a releasing action. When the central rotating shaft 502 continues to rotate 90 degrees, the first grasping component matches the transfer unloading station and performs a releasing action, and the third grasping component matches the transfer loading station and performs a grasping action.

[0066] Reference Figure 2, in some embodiments, the transfer device 500 further includes a lifting member 503. The grasping assembly 501 is disposed on the lifting member 503. The lifting member 503 is movably disposed in the height direction Z to drive the grasping assembly 501 to move in the height direction Z, so as to adjust the distance between the grasping assembly 501 and the second conveying module 400 in the height direction Z. When the grasping assembly 501 performs a grasping action, the lifting member 503 drives the grasping assembly 501 to descend for grasping, and drives the grasping assembly 501 to ascend after grasping. When the grasping assembly 501 performs a lowering action, the lifting member 503 drives the grasping assembly 501 to descend for lowering, and drives the grasping assembly 501 to ascend after lowering. The height of the grasping assembly 501 can be conveniently adjusted by the lifting member 503, reducing the control cost.

[0067] Reference Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the battery welding system further includes a second rolling device 900. The second rolling device 900 is disposed beside the second conveying module 400 and is located downstream of the second welding module 300 in the conveying direction of the second conveying module 400, and is used to roll the short-side weld of the incoming battery cells. After the short-side welding, rolling the short-side weld can improve the strength and reliability of the weld and ensure the production quality.

[0068] Reference Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the battery welding system further includes a blanking module 600. The blanking module is correspondingly disposed with the second conveying module 200 and is used to blank the incoming battery after the short side of the incoming battery is welded. After the long side and the short side of the incoming battery are both welded, blanking is performed through the blanking module 600, so as to facilitate subsequent production and processing thereof and improve the smoothness of the entire production process.

[0069] Reference Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the battery welding system further includes a pressing device 1000. The pressing device 1000 is disposed beside the first conveying module 200 and is located upstream of the first welding module 200 in the conveying direction of the first conveying module 200, and is used to perform a pressing process on the incoming battery before welding the long side of the incoming battery cells. Pressing before welding the long side can improve the reliability of the finished battery.

[0070] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4, in some embodiments, the first welding module 100 includes two first laser welders 101. The two first laser welders 101 are arranged at intervals and are configured to weld two long sides of the incoming battery respectively. The two first laser welders 101 are located on both sides of the incoming battery respectively, so that both long sides can be welded, improving the welding efficiency. During the long side welding process, when one end of the long side of the incoming battery close to the first welding module 100 reaches the position of the first welding module 100, the two first laser welders 101 emit laser for welding. At this time, the incoming battery still travels in the direction shown by the gray arrow. When the other end of the long side of the incoming battery reaches the position of the first welding module 100, the long side welding is completed and the two first laser welders 101 stop emitting laser. Further, with the continuous conveyance of the first conveyance module 200, one end of the second incoming battery adjacent to the incoming battery whose long side welding has been completed reaches the position of the first welding module 100. The two first laser welders 101 weld the long side of the second incoming battery with reference to the above process, which will not be elaborated here.

[0071] It can be understood that on the basis of the above embodiments, with reference to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the second welding module 300 includes two second laser welders 301. The two second laser welders 301 are arranged at intervals and are configured to weld two short sides of the incoming battery respectively. After the long sides of two adjacent incoming batteries are both welded, they are transferred to the second conveyance module 400, and the orientations of two adjacent incoming batteries are adjusted so that the extending direction of the short sides is parallel to the conveyance direction of the second conveyance module 400 (refer to the gray arrow). Different from the long side welding process, the two second laser welders 301 in the second welding module 300 are arranged staggeredly, so that when two incoming batteries reach the position of the second welding module 300 as a group, in the conveyance direction of the second conveyance module 400 (refer to the gray arrow), one of the second laser welders 301 is located at the front end of the short side of the incoming battery at the front side, and the other second laser welder 301 is located at the rear end of the short side of the incoming battery at the rear side. And at this time, the second conveyance module 400 stops the conveyance action, and the two second laser welders 301 move towards each other (refer to the black arrow) to weld the two short sides of the two incoming batteries on both sides respectively.

[0072] Of course, the two second laser welders 301 can also refer to the arrangement form of the two first laser welders 101 in the first welding module 100, that is, when the incoming battery reaches the second welding module 300, the two second laser welders 301 are arranged on both sides of the incoming battery and are aligned in position.

[0073] In some embodiments, the battery welding system further includes a loading module 700, which is correspondingly arranged with the first conveying module 200 and is used to load the battery onto the first conveying module 200. The loading module 700 can improve the loading efficiency and production speed.

[0074] The present application also provides a control method based on the battery welding system as described above. The control method includes the following steps:

[0075] Convey the incoming battery to the first welding module 100 through the first conveying module 200. During the conveying process of the incoming battery, the extending direction of the long side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying module 200; and

[0076] When one end of the long side of the incoming battery close to the first welding module 100 reaches the position of the first welding module 100, start the first welding module 100, and when the other end of the long side of the incoming battery reaches the position of the first welding module 100, turn off the first welding module 100.

[0077] During the welding process, the incoming battery core remains in the conveying state, thereby improving the welding efficiency and production efficiency.

[0078] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: at least when the first welding module 100 starts welding from the first end of the long side of the incoming battery that first reaches the first welding module 100, reduce the conveying speed of the first conveying module 200 from the initial first speed to the second speed, and when the second end of the long side of the incoming battery that later reaches the first welding module 100 finishes welding, increase the conveying speed from the second speed to the first speed, thereby improving the welding efficiency.

[0079] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: detecting the quality of the long side weld after the long side of the incoming battery is welded. In the case where the quality of the long side weld does not meet the requirements, remove the incoming battery from the first conveying module 200; in the case where the quality of the long side weld meets the requirements, continue to weld the short side of the incoming battery. Remove the defective products to ensure the yield rate of the final finished battery.

[0080] In some embodiments, the case where the quality of the long side weld meets the requirements includes: first performing a rolling treatment on the long side weld, and then welding the short side of the incoming battery. Rolling the long side weld can improve the production quality.

[0081] In some embodiments, the control method includes: after the long side of the incoming battery is welded, the transfer device 500 transfers the incoming battery to the second conveying module 400 to weld the short side of the incoming battery.

[0082] In some embodiments, transporting the incoming battery to the second conveying module 400 by the transfer device 500 includes: during the transportation process, reversing the orientation of the incoming battery so that the extending direction of the short side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveying module 400.

[0083] The present application also provides a battery production line, including the battery welding system described above. Through this battery production line, the production efficiency of the welding process can be improved during the battery production process, thereby improving the overall production efficiency of the battery.

[0084] The following will Figures 1 to 6 introduce in detail a battery welding system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0085] The battery welding system includes a first welding module 100, a first conveying module 200, a second welding module 300, a second conveying module 400, a transfer device 500, a blanking module 600, a loading module 700, a first rolling device 800, a second rolling device 900, a pressing device 1000, a positioning module, a defocus amount detection module, a first post-welding detection module 1100, a first appearance detection module 1200, a second post-welding detection module 1300, a second appearance detection module 1400, and a rejection module 1500. The first conveying module 200 is used to convey the incoming battery, and during the conveying process, the extending direction of the long side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction. The first welding module 100 includes two first laser welders 101, and the two first laser welders 101 are arranged at intervals. When the incoming battery reaches the position of the first welding module 100, the two first laser welders 101 are respectively located on both sides of the incoming battery to weld the two long sides. The transfer device 500 includes a central rotating shaft 502, four grasping components 501 connected to the central rotating shaft 502, and a lifting member. The central rotating shaft 502 is rotatably arranged. The four grasping components 501 are connected to the central rotating shaft 502 and are evenly spaced around the central rotating shaft 502. The grasping components 501 are used to grasp the incoming battery. The central rotating shaft 502 drives the grasping components 501 to perform a circular motion so that the four grasping components 501 sequentially grasp the incoming battery from the first conveying module 200 and transfer it to the second conveying module 400. And during the transfer process, the grasping components 501 rotate around their own axes to adjust the orientation of the incoming battery. The grasping components 501 are arranged on the lifting member 503. When it is necessary for the grasping components 501 to grasp the incoming battery, the lifting member 503 drives the grasping components 501 to descend to approach the incoming battery. The positioning module is used to position the incoming battery when it is loaded onto the first conveying module 200, so that the incoming battery remains stable during the conveying process and reduces the possibility of accidental shaking. The defocus amount detection module is used to detect the defocus amount of the first laser welder 101 in the first welding module 100 before welding. The first post-welding detection module 1100 is used to detect the weld quality after the long side is welded. The first appearance detection module 1200 is used to detect the appearance condition after the long side weld is rolled. The positioning module is also configured to re-position the incoming battery when the long side of the incoming battery is welded and transferred to the second conveying module 400, so that the incoming battery remains stable during the conveying process and reduces the possibility of accidental shaking. The second post-welding detection module 1300 is used to detect the weld quality after the short side is welded. The second appearance detection module 1400 is used to detect the appearance condition after the short side weld is rolled.The rejection module 1500 is configured to promptly reject the incoming battery from the first conveying module 200 or the second conveying module 400 when the detection results of the first post-welding detection module 1100, the first appearance detection module 1200, the second post-welding detection module 1300, and the second appearance detection module 1400 do not meet the requirements, so as to ensure the yield rate of the finished battery.

[0086] Although the present application has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various improvements can be made to it and its components can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the 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 falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery welding system, comprising: A first conveying module (200) for conveying incoming batteries, where the incoming batteries include a housing and a top cover, and the extending direction of the long side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying module (200); and A first welding module (100) disposed beside the first conveying module (200) and configured to weld the joint of the long side of the housing and the long side of the top cover. During the long-side welding process, the incoming battery continuously moves under the conveyance of the first conveying module (200), and the first welding module (100) remains fixed.

2. The battery welding system according to claim 1, wherein, The first conveying module is configured to reduce the conveying speed from an initial first speed to a second speed at least when the first welding module starts welding the first end of the long side of the incoming battery that first reaches the first welding module, and increase the conveying speed from the second speed to the first speed when the second end of the long side of the incoming battery that later reaches the first welding module finishes welding.

3. The battery welding system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, It further includes a first rolling device (800), which is disposed beside the first conveying module (200) and is located downstream of the first welding module (200) in the conveying direction of the first conveying module (200) for rolling the long-side weld seam after welding the long side of the incoming battery core.

4. The battery welding system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, It further includes a second conveying module (400) and a second welding module (300), where the second welding module (300) is disposed beside the second conveying module (400), and the second welding module (300) is used to weld the joint of the short side of the housing and the short side of the top cover.

5. The battery welding system according to claim 4, wherein, It includes a transfer device (500). The first conveying module (200) and the second conveying module (400) are spaced apart. The transfer device (500) is disposed between the first conveying module (200) and the second conveying module (400) for transferring the incoming battery to the second conveying module (400) after the long side of the incoming battery is welded.

6. The battery welding system according to claim 5, wherein, The first conveying module (200) and the second conveying module (400) are arranged in parallel and spaced apart, and the conveying directions of the first conveying module (200) and the second conveying module (400) are opposite.

7. The battery welding system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein The transfer device (500) includes a grasping component (501), which is configured to grasp the incoming battery and reverse the orientation of the incoming battery so that when the incoming battery is placed on the second conveying module (400), the extending direction of the short side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveying module (400).

8. The battery welding system according to claim 7, wherein, The grasping component (501) is rotatably arranged along its own axis to drive the incoming battery to rotate when grasping the incoming battery.

9. The battery welding system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The grasping component (501) is configured to grasp two of the incoming batteries.

10. The battery welding system according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein, The transfer device (500) includes a central rotating shaft (502) and a plurality of the grasping components (501) connected to the central rotating shaft (502). The plurality of the grasping components (501) are arranged symmetrically about the center of the central rotating shaft (502). The central rotating shaft (502) is configured to drive the plurality of the grasping components (501) to perform circular motion centered on the central rotating shaft (502), so that during one rotation of the central rotating shaft (502), the plurality of the grasping components (501) sequentially grasp the incoming batteries on the first conveying module (200).

11. The battery welding system according to claim 10, wherein, The transfer device (500) includes four of the grasping components (501). In the direction of the circular motion of the grasping components (501), adjacent two of the grasping components (501) are spaced 90 degrees apart.

12. The battery welding system according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein, The transfer device (500) further includes a lifting member (503). The grasping component (501) is disposed on the lifting member (503). The lifting member (503) is movably disposed in the height direction (Z) to drive the grasping component (501) to move in the height direction (Z) so as to adjust the distance between the grasping component (501) and the second conveying module (400) in the height direction (Z).

13. The battery welding system according to any one of claims 4 to 12, wherein, It further includes a second rolling device (900). The second rolling device (900) is disposed beside the second conveying module (400) and is located downstream of the second welding module (300) in the conveying direction of the second conveying module (400) for rolling the short-side welds of the incoming battery cells.

14. The battery welding system according to any one of claims 4 to 13, wherein, It further includes a blanking module (600). The blanking module (600) is correspondingly disposed with the second conveying module (200) for blanking the incoming batteries after the short sides of the incoming batteries are welded.

15. The battery welding system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, It further includes a pressing device (1000). The pressing device (1000) is disposed beside the first conveying module (200) and is located upstream of the first welding module (200) in the conveying direction of the first conveying module (200) for performing a pressing process on the incoming batteries before welding the long sides of the incoming battery cells.

16. The battery welding system according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The first welding module (100) includes two first laser welders (101). The two first laser welders (101) are spaced apart and are configured to respectively weld the two long sides of the incoming batteries.

17. The battery welding system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, It further includes a loading module (700). The loading module (700) is correspondingly disposed with the first conveying module (200) for loading batteries onto the first conveying module (200).

18. A control method for a battery welding system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, the control method comprising the following steps: Convey the incoming batteries to the first welding module (100) through the first conveying module (200). During the conveying process of the incoming batteries, the extending direction of the long sides of the incoming batteries is parallel to the conveying direction of the first conveying module (200); and When one end of the long side of the incoming battery near the first welding module (100) reaches the position of the first welding module (100), start the first welding module (100), and when the other end of the long side of the incoming battery reaches the position of the first welding module (100), turn off the first welding module (100).

19. The control method according to claim 18, wherein, It further includes: at least when the first welding module (100) starts welding the first end of the long side of the incoming battery that first reaches the first welding module (100), reduce the conveying speed of the first conveying module (200) from the initial first speed to the second speed, and when the second end of the long side of the incoming battery that later reaches the first welding module (100) finishes welding, increase the conveying speed from the second speed to the first speed.

20. The control method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein It further includes: After welding the long side of the incoming battery, detect the quality of the long-side weld seam. In the case where the quality of the long-side weld seam does not meet the requirements, remove the incoming battery from the first conveying module (200); in the case where the quality of the long-side weld seam meets the requirements, continue to weld the short side of the incoming battery.

21. The control method according to claim 20, wherein, In the case where the quality of the long-side weld seam meets the requirements, it includes: first performing a rolling treatment on the long-side weld seam, and then welding the short side of the incoming battery.

22. The control method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein, The battery welding system further includes a second conveying module (400), a second welding module (300) and a transfer device (500). The second welding module (300) is arranged beside the second conveying module (400). The second welding module (300) is used to weld the joint of the short side of the housing and the short side of the top cover. The first conveying module (200) and the second conveying module (400) are arranged at intervals. The transfer device (500) is arranged between the first conveying module (200) and the second conveying module (400). The control method includes: after welding the long side of the incoming battery, make the transfer device (500) transfer the incoming battery to the second conveying module (400) to weld the short side of the incoming battery.

23. The control method according to claim 22, wherein, Making the transfer device (500) transfer the incoming battery to the second conveying module (400) includes: during the transfer process, reverse the orientation of the incoming battery so that the extending direction of the short side of the incoming battery is parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveying module (400).

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