Battery piece coating equipment and coating method

Abstract

The invention relates to battery piece coating equipment and a coating method.The coating equipment comprises a carrier and a coating device, the carrier comprises N bearing tables used for bearing battery pieces, the number of the bearing tables is N, the bearing tables are arranged at intervals in the first direction, and the coating device comprises a coating mechanism used for conducting coating treatment on the side edges of the battery pieces; the coating mechanism is provided with M coating heads which are arranged at intervals in the first direction, and N and M are integers larger than 1; the coating equipment is provided with a coating station, and when the carrier is located at the coating station, the side edges of the multiple battery pieces are matched with the multiple coating heads in a one-to-one correspondence mode, so that the side edges of the multiple battery pieces can be coated at the same time, and the coating efficiency of the battery pieces is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of solar cell production, and in particular to a cell coating device and a coating method. Background Art

[0002] The production process of solar cells involves the process of coating the cells with glue. For example, when preparing grid lines on the cells by electroplating, the sides of the cells are exposed to the electroplating solution, so that the sides of the cells are also plated with the electroplating solution, which can easily cause the cells to short-circuit. The coating on the sides of the cells is not firmly connected to the cells, causing the metal particles in the coating to easily fall off and transfer to the NP surface of the cells with the electroplating solution, causing contamination and affecting the yield and efficiency of the cells. Specifically, protective glue needs to be applied to the sides of the cells (including the sides, front edges, and back edges of the cells) to protect the sides of the cells from being electroplated.

[0003] The existing glue coating devices and glue dispensing devices in the prior art are usually only capable of coating the side edges of a single battery cell, and each side edge of the battery cell needs to be coated separately, resulting in low production efficiency and high production costs.

[0004] It should be stated that the above background technology content is only used to assist in understanding the inventive concept and technical solution of this patent application. It does not necessarily belong to the prior art of this patent application. In the absence of clear evidence that the above content has been disclosed before the application date of this patent application, the above background technology should not be used to evaluate the novelty and creativity of this application. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a cell coating device capable of coating the sides of multiple cells at the same time.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0007] A cell coating device, comprising:

[0008] A carrier, comprising a carrier for carrying a battery cell, wherein the carrier has N carriers spaced apart along a first direction, where N is an integer greater than 1;

[0009] A coating device, comprising a coating mechanism for coating the side of the battery cell, the coating mechanism having M coating heads spaced apart along the first direction, where M is an integer greater than 1;

[0010] The coating equipment has a coating station. When the carrier is at the coating station, the sides of the multiple battery cells are matched with the multiple coating heads in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0011] Preferably, the coating head has a glue outlet and a receiving groove extending along a second direction, the receiving groove and the glue outlet are connected to each other, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0012] When the carrier is at the coating station, the length of the side to be coated on the battery cell extends along the second direction, and at least a portion of the side to be coated is located in the receiving groove;

[0013] The accommodating groove has a first side wall and a second side wall arranged opposite to each other, and a bottom wall connecting the first side wall and the second side wall. The first side wall and the second side wall both extend along the second direction, and the glue outlet is arranged on at least one of the bottom wall, the first side wall and the second side wall.

[0014] Furthermore, the coating mechanism further comprises a glue storage device having a glue storage cavity, all the coating heads are sequentially spaced along the first direction and arranged on the same side of the glue storage device, and each coating head is provided with a glue outlet channel connecting the glue outlet and the glue storage cavity;

[0015] The coating mechanism also includes an extrusion member, which is slidably arranged in the glue storage cavity and divides the glue storage cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity. The first cavity is connected to the glue outlet channel. The coating mechanism also includes an extrusion drive member for driving the extrusion member to slide.

[0016] Preferably, the coating device further comprises a correction device, wherein the correction device is configured to align the corresponding side edges of all the battery cells on the carrier with each other;

[0017] The correcting device includes a correcting member, the extension direction of which is parallel to the first direction, the correcting member includes a first side portion and a second side portion arranged perpendicular to each other, and the correcting device also includes a correcting driving member for driving the correcting member to move linearly along a third direction, wherein when the carrier is in the coating station, one of the diagonals of the battery cell extends along the third direction.

[0018] Preferably, the supporting platform includes a main body and an adsorption head arranged on the main body, the adsorption head is configured to be able to adsorb and fix the battery cell, and the first direction is a vertical direction, or the first direction is a horizontal direction.

[0019] In some embodiments, the adsorption head is configured to be able to rotate around a first center line so that the multiple side edges of the battery cell respectively cooperate with the coating mechanism in sequence, wherein the first center line extends along the first direction; or, the carrier is configured to be able to be rotatable around a second center line so that the multiple side edges of the battery cell respectively cooperate with the coating mechanism in sequence, wherein the second center line extends along the first direction.

[0020] In some embodiments, when the second center line extends in a vertical direction, the coating apparatus further comprises a rotating seat and a rotation drive mechanism for driving the rotating seat to rotate about a rotation center line extending in the vertical direction; when the carrier is located at the coating station, the carrier is supported on the rotating seat, and the second center line coincides with the rotation center line;

[0021] Alternatively, when the second center line extends in a horizontal direction, the coating equipment further includes a robot arm for driving the carrier to rotate around the second center line.

[0022] Preferably, at least one of the carrier and the coating mechanism is configured to be able to move linearly along a second direction. When the carrier is at the coating station, the length extension direction of the side to be coated on the battery cell extends along the second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0023] Preferably, the coating device further comprises a coating drive mechanism, wherein the coating drive mechanism is configured to drive the coating mechanism to move linearly along a fourth direction so that the coating head cooperates with the side to be coated.

[0024] The fourth direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and when the carrier is in the coating station, the fourth direction is perpendicular to the length extension direction of the side to be coated.

[0025] Furthermore, the coating device is provided with a mounting frame, and the mounting frame includes a mounting rod extending along the fourth direction;

[0026] The coating mechanism includes a connecting frame and a glue storage device arranged on the connecting frame, and all the coating heads are arranged at intervals along the first direction on the same side of the glue storage device.

[0027] The connecting frame can be slidably arranged on the mounting rod along the length extension direction of the mounting rod.

[0028] In some embodiments, the connecting frame includes a slider, a connecting rod fixed on the slider, the slider is slidably mounted on the mounting rod, the glue storage device is mounted on the connecting rod, and the length extension direction of the connecting rod is parallel to the first direction.

[0029] The coating mechanism is located on one side of the carrier in the horizontal direction, or the coating mechanism is suspended above the carrier;

[0030] The first direction is a vertical direction, and the connecting rod also extends in a vertical direction. The coating equipment further includes a workbench, and the bottom of the connecting rod is suspended above the workbench, or a support wheel is provided at the bottom of the connecting rod, and the support wheel is rollingly supported on the workbench.

[0031] In some embodiments, the coating drive mechanism includes an elastic member, which is configured to provide the force required for the coating mechanism to move along the length extension direction of the mounting rod toward the side where the coating head is located; the elastic member is a spring, wherein the mounting frame also includes a first limit block and a second limit block arranged at both ends of the mounting rod, and the spring is arranged on the mounting rod and abuts between the first limit block and the connecting frame.

[0032] In some embodiments, the coating drive mechanism further comprises a drive assembly for driving the coating mechanism to move along the longitudinal extension direction of the mounting rod toward a side away from the coating head;

[0033] The driving assembly includes a screw, a support frame supporting the screw, a push block engaged with the screw thread, a first clamping block fixed below the push block, a second clamping block fixed above the connecting frame, and a driving motor for driving the screw to rotate around its own axis. The length extension direction of the screw is parallel to the length extension direction of the mounting rod, and the push block can drive the first clamping block to be movably arranged on the screw along the length extension direction of the screw.

[0034] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cell coating method, wherein the coating method uses the cell coating device as described above, and the coating method comprises the following steps:

[0035] S1. Place the cell on the carrier platform of the carrier, with the side to be coated exposed outside the carrier platform;

[0036] S2. placing the carrier at the coating station so that the sides of the plurality of battery cells correspond to the plurality of coating heads one by one;

[0037] S3. Driving the battery cell and the coating mechanism to move relative to each other, so that different parts of the side are matched with the coating head in sequence.

[0038] Due to the application of the above-mentioned technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: by adopting the battery cell coating equipment and coating method of the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of battery cells are simultaneously carried by a carrier, which corresponds one-to-one with the plurality of coating heads on the coating mechanism, and can simultaneously coat the sides of a plurality of battery cells, thereby significantly improving the coating efficiency of the battery cells. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Attachment Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the cell coating equipment according to Example 1 of the present invention;

[0040] Attachment Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the main part of the cell coating equipment;

[0041] Attachment Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a carrier in a cell coating device;

[0042] Attachment Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of the main body of the cell coating equipment according to Example 2 of the present invention;

[0043] Attachment Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a cell coating device according to Example 3 of the present invention;

[0044] Attachment Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of the main part of the cell coating equipment;

[0045] Attachment Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of the main part of the cell coating equipment according to Example 4 of the present invention;

[0046] Attachment Figure 8 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the coating mechanism of the present invention;

[0047] Attachment Figure 9 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional schematic diagram of another specific embodiment of the coating mechanism of the present invention;

[0048] Attachment Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the distribution of various workstations on the transmission mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Attachment Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the distribution of various workstations on a transmission mechanism in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Among them: 1. Battery cell;

[0051] 2. Coating mechanism; 21. Glue storage device; 21a. First chamber; 21b. Second chamber; 22. Coating head; 221. Glue outlet; 222. Glue outlet channel; 223. Receiving groove; 2231. First side wall; 2232. Second side wall; 2233. Bottom wall; 23. Connecting rod; 24. Slider; 25. Extrusion member; 26. Support wheel;

[0052] 3. Carrier; 31. Carrier platform;

[0053] 4. Machine base; 41. Workbench; 42. Support column; 43. Top plate;

[0054] 5. Coating drive mechanism; 51. Mounting rod; 52a. First stop block; 52b. Second stop block; 53. Elastic member; 54. Screw; 55. Push block; 56. Drive motor; 57. Connecting column; 58a. First clamping block; 58b. Second clamping block; 59. Support frame;

[0055] 6. Correction device; 61. Correction member; 611. First side; 612. Second side;

[0056] 7. Turntable; 71. Loading station; 72. Coating station; 73. Unloading station. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to make the advantages and features of the present invention easier to understand by those skilled in the art. Obviously, the embodiments described in this application are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the cell coating apparatus includes a carrier 3 and a coating device. The carrier 3 includes a carrier platform 31 for supporting the cell 1. The carrier platforms 31 have N number of carrier platforms 31 spaced apart along a first direction, where N is an integer greater than 1. The coating device includes a coating mechanism 2 for coating the sides of the cell 1. The coating mechanism 2 has M number of coating heads 22 spaced apart along the first direction, where M is an integer greater than 1. The coating apparatus has a coating station. When the carrier 3 is in the coating station, the sides of the multiple cell 1 correspond to the multiple coating heads 22 in a one-to-one correspondence. A suitable amount of adhesive of appropriate viscosity flows out from the coating heads 22, thereby coating the sides of the multiple cell 1. For example, the same side of multiple cell 1 can be coated simultaneously. For another example, multiple battery cells 1 are divided into 2-4 groups, and M coating heads 22 are correspondingly divided into 2-4 groups. Each group of coating heads 22 processes a corresponding number of battery cells 1, and each group of coating heads 22 can start coating the corresponding group of battery cells 1 from a different starting position.

[0059] As a preferred setting method, the number of coating heads 22 is the same as the number of supporting platforms 31, all coating heads 22 are arranged at equal intervals along the first direction, and all supporting platforms 31 are also arranged at equal intervals along the first direction, and the distance between the two equal intervals is consistent, so that the battery cells 1 on all supporting platforms 31 correspond one-to-one with all coating heads 22 in the first direction. Of course, in some embodiments, the number of carriers 31 is consistent with the number of coating heads 22, but the number of battery cells 1 carried on the carrier 3 is less than the number of carriers 31, that is, some carriers 31 can be empty, and some coating heads 22 can be blocked and disabled by adopting a blockable structure. The number of empty carriers 31 is the same as the number of blocked coating heads 22, and it is also necessary to ensure that when the carrier 3 is located at the coating station, each carrier 31 used to carry the battery cells 1 corresponds to a coating head 22; in other embodiments, the number of carriers 31 may also be inconsistent with the number of coating heads 22, that is, some carriers 31 can be empty, or some coating heads 22 can be blocked and disabled by adopting a blockable structure, but it is necessary to ensure that when the carrier 3 is located at the coating station, each carrier 31 used to carry the battery cells 1 corresponds to a coating head 22.

[0060] Specifically, the structure that can block the coating head 22 includes any one of a valve, a quick connector and a flexible plug; when the structure that blocks the coating head 22 is a valve, it can be opened or closed by rotating, lifting or sliding the valve, thereby controlling the blocking of the coating head 22; when the structure that blocks the coating head 22 is a quick connector, it is also matched with a quick socket, which can be quickly connected and disconnected by rotating or pushing, and at the same time, a sealing structure is provided inside the quick socket to prevent leakage of glue, thereby controlling the blocking of the coating head 22; when the structure that blocks the coating head 22 is a flexible plug, the coating head 22 can be directly blocked by the flexible plug to prevent the glue from flowing out; the structure that can block the coating head 22 can also be other structures, which can be set according to actual needs. As long as the coating head 22 can be flexibly blocked according to needs, no specific restrictions are made here.

[0061] See also Figure 8 、 Figure 9 As shown, the coating head 22 has a glue outlet 221 and a receiving groove 223 extending along a second direction. The receiving groove 223 and the glue outlet 221 are interconnected. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. When the carrier 3 is in the coating station, the length of the side to be coated on the battery cell 1 extends along the second direction, and at least a portion of the side to be coated is located in the receiving groove 223. The glue flowing out of the glue outlet 221 is coated on the side of the battery cell 1 in the receiving groove 223. The specific type and viscosity of the glue can be set according to actual needs and are not specifically limited here. The coating mechanism 2 also includes a glue storage device 21 having a glue storage chamber. All coating heads 22 are arranged in sequence along the first direction at intervals on the same side of the glue storage device 21, and each coating head 22 is provided with a glue outlet channel 222 connecting the glue outlet 221 and the glue storage chamber. The glue storage chamber is configured to hold the glue for coating the side of the battery cell 1.

[0062] The coating mechanism 2 also includes an extrusion member 25, which is slidably arranged in the glue storage cavity and divides the glue storage cavity into a first cavity 21a and a second cavity 21b. The first cavity 21a is connected to the glue outlet channel 222. The coating mechanism 2 also includes an extrusion driving member (not shown in the figure) for driving the extrusion member 25 to slide. During the coating process, the extrusion driving member drives the extrusion member 25 to slide toward the first cavity 21a, so that the glue in the first cavity 21a is squeezed out and flows through each glue outlet channel 222 to the glue outlet 221, thereby coating the side of the battery cell 1 located in the accommodating groove 223.

[0063] In some embodiments, as Figure 8 、 Figure 9As shown, the extruding member 25 is adapted to the shape and size of the glue storage chamber of the glue storage device 21. This ensures that when the extruding member 25 squeezes the glue and slides toward the first cavity 21a, the glue can only flow out through the glue outlet channel 222, preventing the glue from remaining in the second cavity 21b. Preferably, the glue storage chamber is a regular rectangular cavity, and the extruding end of the extruding member 25 is a rectangular plate that fits the rectangular cavity. The edges of the rectangular plate are made of a flexible material to prevent the glue from remaining on the side walls of the glue storage chamber during the extrusion process.

[0064] Specifically, the extrusion member 25 also includes a push rod, one end of which is connected to the extrusion end, and the other end of which passes through the glue reservoir 21 and is connected to the working end of the extrusion drive member. The side wall of the glue reservoir 21 is also provided with a glue injection port and a glue injection cap for sealing the glue injection port. When glue needs to be poured into the glue storage cavity, the extrusion drive member drives the extrusion member 25 away from the glue outlet channel 222. That is, when the spatial volume of the first cavity 21a is the largest and the spatial volume of the second cavity 1b is the smallest, the glue injection cap is opened to expose the glue injection port, and glue is poured into the glue storage cavity by a glue injection machine or manually. After the glue injection is completed, the glue injection cap is sealed on the glue injection port. The specific glue injection method can be set according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

[0065] The receiving tank 223 has a first sidewall 2231 and a second sidewall 2232 disposed opposite each other, and a bottom wall 2233 connecting the first sidewall 2231 and the second sidewall 2232. Both the first sidewall 2231 and the second sidewall 2232 extend along the second direction. When the battery cell 1 is engaged with the coating head 22, the upper and lower surfaces of the side edge of the battery cell 1 to be coated face the first sidewall 2231 and the second sidewall 2231, respectively. The glue outlet 221 is provided on at least one of the bottom wall 2233, the first sidewall 2231, or the second sidewall 2232.

[0066] In some embodiments, the glue outlet 221 can be disposed on either or both of the first side wall 2231 and the second side wall 2232. Figure 8 As shown, the glue outlet 221 is provided on the bottom wall 2233, and the glue outlet channel 222 extends along the length direction of the coating head 22 and directly connects the glue outlet 221 with the glue storage cavity; in other embodiments, such as Figure 9As shown, there are two glue outlets 221, which are respectively provided on the first side wall 2231 and the second side wall 2232. Correspondingly, there are also two glue outlet channels 222, both of which are L-shaped. In this way, the glue is applied to the front and back surfaces of the battery cell 1 respectively. This not only makes the glue coating on the side more uniform, but also reduces the contact area between the glue outlet 221 and the external air, making it difficult for the glue in the accommodating groove 223 to solidify, thereby preventing the solidified glue from damaging the battery cell 1 or affecting the smooth flow of the glue from the glue outlet 221 through the glue outlet channel 222. In addition, the glue outlet 221 can also be provided on the bottom wall 2233, the first side wall 2231 and the second side wall 2232 respectively to cope with the situation where the demand for glue is large.

[0067] In some examples, the glue outlet 221 is composed of a single hole, and the flow rate and flow velocity of the glue flowing out through the single hole are relatively fixed. Directly affected by factors such as the size of the hole and the pressure of the glue, the glue flowing out through the single hole usually forms a more concentrated flow beam, and the flow pattern is relatively simple, which can only cover a limited range, and the distribution of the glue in the receiving groove 223 may not be uniform enough; in another example, the glue outlet 221 is composed of multiple dense holes. The total flow rate of the glue flowing out through the dense holes may increase, but the flow rate and flow velocity of each hole may be affected by diversion, making the overall flow rate more uniform.

[0068] like Figure 3 As shown, the carrier 3 has multiple platforms 31. When the battery cell 1 is placed on the platform 31, at least one side of the battery cell 1 should be located outside the platform 31 so that the side can cooperate with the coating head 22 for coating.

[0069] The carrier platform 31 includes a main body and an adsorption head (not shown in the figure) arranged on the main body. The various carrier platforms 31 on the carrier 3 are fixedly connected as a whole through the main body. The adsorption head is configured to be able to adsorb and fix the battery cell 1, so that the battery cell is fixed relative to the carrier platform 31, so that the coating head 22 will not shift or fall on the carrier platform 31 when cooperating with the coating; at the same time, this also makes it possible for the battery cell 1 to be set horizontally or vertically when the carrier 3 is in the coating station, that is, when the carrier 3 is in the coating station, the above-mentioned first direction in which multiple carrier platforms 31 are distributed at intervals and multiple coating heads 22 are distributed at intervals can be either horizontal or vertical.

[0070] When the carrier 3 is at the coating station, and the sides to be coated on the multiple battery cells 1 on the carrier 3 correspond to the multiple coating heads 22 on the coating mechanism 2, the coating mechanism 2 and the carrier 3 are driven to move relative to each other, or the coating mechanism 2 and the battery cells 1 on the carrier 3 are driven to move relative to each other, so that different parts of the sides to be coated on the battery cells 1 are sequentially matched with the coating heads 22, thus completing the coating process on the upper sides of the battery cells 1. In some embodiments, at least one of the carrier 3 and the coating mechanism 2 is configured to be able to move along a second direction. When the carrier 3 is at the coating station, the length of the sides to be coated on the battery cells 1 extends along the second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. At this time, the carrier 3 and the coating mechanism 2 move relative to each other in the second direction, so that the coating heads 22 can sequentially match different parts of the sides to be coated, thus completing the coating process on the upper sides of the battery cells 1.

[0071] The coating equipment also includes a straightening device 6, which is configured to align the corresponding side edges of all battery cells 1 on the carrier 3. Specifically, the straightening device 6 includes a straightening member 61, which includes a first side portion 611 and a second side portion 612 arranged perpendicular to each other, forming an L-shape between the first side portion 611 and the second side portion 612. The first side portion 611 and the second side portion 612 can be connected along the side and arranged perpendicularly, or can be arranged at intervals on the side, but their extension lines are perpendicular. The straightening device 6 also includes a straightening drive member (not shown in the figure) that drives the straightening member 61 to move linearly along a third direction. When the carrier 3 is in the coating station, one of the diagonals of the battery cell 1 extends along the third direction. During the straightening member 61's movement along the third direction, the first side portion 611 and the second side portion 612 respectively abut against two adjacent side edges of the battery cell 1, so that the corresponding side edges of the battery cells 1 on the carrier 3 are aligned with each other in the first direction. As a preferred embodiment, the correction device 6 includes two correction members 61, which are respectively connected to the correction driving members and can move toward or away from each other along the third direction to achieve rapid correction; the side edges of the first side 611 and the second side 612 of the correction member 61 are spaced apart to avoid damage to the tips or chamfers of the battery cells 1 when correcting multiple battery cells 1.

[0072] Specifically, if Figures 1 to 6 In the embodiment shown, when the carrier 3 is in the coating station, the supporting platform 31 of the carrier 3 is spaced apart in the vertical direction, all the battery cells 1 are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and each side edge of the battery cell 1 extends in the horizontal direction. The above-mentioned correction device 6 can make the side edges of the battery cell 1 that are corrected be aligned in the vertical direction, so that when it cooperates with the coating head 22, the side edges of this side can cooperate with the corresponding coating head 22 to realize coating processing.

[0073] For example Figure 7In the embodiment shown, when the carrier 3 is in the coating station, the supporting platform 31 of the carrier 3 is spaced apart in the horizontal direction, all the battery cells 1 are spaced apart in the horizontal direction, the side edges to be coated on the battery cells 1 extend in the horizontal direction, and the coating head 22 cooperates with the upper side edges of the battery cells 1 from above. The above-mentioned correction device 6 can also make the upper side edges of the battery cells 1 that are corrected in the third direction aligned in the vertical direction, so that when they cooperate with the coating head 22, the side edges of this side can cooperate with the corresponding coating head 22 to achieve coating processing.

[0074] Taking into account the size error of the battery cell 1, in some embodiments, a retractable elastic structure may be further provided on the correcting member 61, such as providing an elastic member on one of the first side 611 and the second side 612. During the correcting process, it is ensured that the side of the battery cell 1 to be coated corresponds to the side of the correcting member 61 without the elastic structure, so that they are aligned, and the adjacent side corresponds to the side with the elastic structure, which can avoid damage to the battery cell 1 during the correcting process. In other embodiments, any one of the two correcting members 61 of the correcting device 6 is provided with a retractable elastic structure, that is, the first side 611 and the second side 612 of any one of the correcting members 61 are provided with elastic members. During the correcting process, it is ensured that the two adjacent sides of the battery cell to be coated correspond to the correcting member 61 without the elastic structure, so that they are aligned, and the other two adjacent sides correspond to the correcting member 61 with the elastic structure, which can avoid damage to the battery cell 1 during the correcting process.

[0075] During the coating process, in order to make different sides of the battery cell 1 cooperate with the coating head 22 alternately in sequence, in some embodiments, in the supporting platform 31 on the carrier 3, the adsorption head is configured to be rotatable around a first center line, and the first center line extends along a first direction. When the adsorption head rotates around the first center line, it drives the battery cell 1 to rotate synchronously, so that different sides of the battery cell 1 face the coating mechanism 2.

[0076] In other embodiments, the carrier 3 is configured to be rotatably arranged along a second centerline, which also extends along the first direction. When the carrier 3 rotates about the second centerline, all the battery cells 1 on the carrier 3 rotate synchronously, so that different sides of the battery cells 1 face the coating mechanism 2. It should be noted that when the carrier 3 rotates about the second centerline, at least one side of the battery cell 1 will be blocked by the carrier 3 body. When coating this side, it is necessary to first expose the blocked side of the battery cell 1 before coating.

[0077] Specifically, if Figures 1 to 6In the embodiment shown, the first direction is vertical, the second center line extends in the vertical direction, the coating equipment further includes a rotating seat (not shown), and a rotary drive mechanism for driving the rotating seat to rotate around the rotation center line extending in the vertical direction. When the carrier 3 is located at the coating station, the carrier 3 is supported on the rotating seat, and the second center line coincides with the above-mentioned rotation center line. When the rotating seat is driven by the rotary drive mechanism to rotate, the carrier 3 and the battery cell 1 thereon can be rotated around the second center line, thereby switching to the side facing the coating mechanism 2. Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the second direction is a horizontal direction, the second center line extends in the horizontal direction, and the coating device further includes a robot (not shown in the figure), which drives the carrier 3 to rotate around the second center line.

[0078] See also Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the coating device also includes a coating drive mechanism 5, which is configured to drive the coating mechanism 2 to reciprocate along a fourth direction so that the coating head 22 cooperates with the side to be coated. The above-mentioned fourth direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and when the carrier 3 is in the coating station, the above-mentioned fourth direction is perpendicular to the length extension direction of the side to be coated, that is, the side to be coated can be cooperatively inserted into the accommodating groove 22 of the coating head 22 for coating treatment.

[0079] Specifically, see Figure 2 As shown, the coating equipment is provided with a mounting frame, which includes a mounting rod 51 extending along the fourth direction; the coating mechanism 2 includes a connecting frame, and the glue storage device 21 is provided on the connecting frame, and all the coating heads 22 are arranged on the same side of the glue storage device 21 in sequence along the first direction, wherein the connecting frame can be slidably provided on the mounting rod 51 along the length extension direction of the mounting rod 51. Specifically here, the connecting frame includes a connecting rod 23 and a slider 24 fixed to one end of the connecting rod 23, and the connecting rod 23 extends along the first direction, wherein the slider 24 is slidably mounted on the mounting rod 51, and the glue storage device 21 is installed on the connecting rod 23.

[0080] The coating drive mechanism 5 includes an elastic member 53, which is configured to provide the force required for the coating mechanism 2 to move along the length extension direction of the mounting rod 51 toward the side where the coating head 22 is located, so that the coating head 22 always rests on the side of the battery cell 1 during the coating process, so that the side to be coated can be well matched with the coating head 22 in the depth direction of the accommodating groove 223, thereby ensuring the coating effect. Here, the elastic member 53 is specifically a spring, and the mounting frame also includes a first limit block 52a and a second limit block 52b provided at both ends of the mounting rod 51. The spring is mounted on the mounting rod 51, and its two ends rest between the first limit block 52a and the slider 24 of the connecting frame, and the inner diameter of the spring matches the outer diameter of the mounting rod 51.

[0081] See also Figures 5 and 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the coating drive mechanism 5 further includes a drive assembly for driving the coating mechanism 2 to move away from the side where the coating head 22 is located along the longitudinal extension direction of the mounting rod 51. Here, the drive assembly includes a screw 54, a support frame 59 supporting the screw 54, a push block 55 threadedly engaged with the screw 54, a first clamping block 58a fixedly provided below the push block 55, a second clamping block 58b fixedly provided above the connecting frame, and a drive motor 56 for driving the screw 54 to rotate around its own axis. The longitudinal extension direction of the screw 54 is parallel to the longitudinal extension direction of the mounting rod 51. The push block 55 can drive the first clamping block 58a to be movably provided on the screw 54 along the longitudinal extension direction of the screw 54. Specifically here, the second clamping block 58b is fixed on the slider 24 of the connecting frame, and the support frame 59 includes a first support plate and a second support plate provided at both ends of the screw 54 for supporting the screw 54, and a guide plate connecting the first support plate and the second support plate. The first support plate is fixed above the first limit block 52a, and the second support plate is fixed above the second limit block 52b. The length extension direction of the guide plate is parallel to the length extension direction of the screw 54.

[0082] Before the carrier 3 is placed on the coating station, or when it is necessary to switch the side of the battery cell 1 on the carrier 3 for cooperating with the coating mechanism 2, the drive motor 56 works to drive the screw 54 to rotate, so that the push block 55 drives the first block 58a to move along the screw 54 toward the second block 58b fixed on the slider 24. The lower end of the first block 58a is lower than the upper end of the second block 58b. When the first block 58a touches the second block 58b on the slider 24, the first block 58a pushes the second block 58b to move toward the second block 58b. The slider 24, to which the two clamping blocks 58b are fixedly connected, continues to move toward the first limit block 52a, overcoming the force of the elastic member 53. Alternatively, the first clamping block 58a is a connecting member and the second clamping block 58b is a seating member. When the first clamping block 58a and the second clamping block 58b contact and engage, they continue to move toward the first limit block 52a, overcoming the force of the elastic member 53. This provides greater adjustment space for the carrier 3 and the battery cell 1, avoiding interference and the need for manual adjustment. After the carrier 3 is placed in the coating station or the side of the battery cell 1 has been adjusted, the drive motor 56 operates again to drive the screw 54 to rotate in the opposite direction, causing the push block 55 to move away from the slider 24, that is, the first clamping block 58a moves away from the second clamping block 58b, and causing the elastic member 53 to return to its released state, allowing the coating mechanism 2 to engage with the side of the battery cell 1 to be coated on the carrier 3 under the action of the elastic member 53.

[0083] See also Figures 1 to 2 and Figures 4 to 6In the embodiment shown, the first direction is the vertical direction, and the connecting rod 23 also extends in the vertical direction. The coating device also includes a base 4, on which a workbench 41 is provided, a top plate 43 spaced apart above the workbench 41, and a plurality of support columns 42 connected between the workbench 41 and the top plate 43. The top of the workbench 41 is used to support the carrier 3, and the coating device is installed at the bottom of the top plate 43. The bottom of the connecting rod 23 can be as shown. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, it is suspended above the workbench 41, or it can be Figures 4 to 6 As shown, a support wheel 26 is provided at the bottom of the connecting rod 23 so that the support wheel 26 is supported on the workbench 41 in a rolling manner.

[0084] When the coating equipment is fixedly installed, the mounting frame can be directly mounted on the lower part of the top plate 43. Specifically, Figures 1 to 2 and Figure 4 As shown, at least one of the first limit block 52a and the second limit block 52b on the mounting frame is fixed to the lower part of the top plate 43, that is, the first limit block 52a is fixed to the lower part of the top plate 43, or the second limit block 52b is fixed to the lower part of the top plate 43, or the first limit block 52a and the second limit block 52b are both fixed to the lower part of the top plate 43 to provide support for coating by the coating equipment. It should be noted here that a gap is provided between the slider 24 and the top plate 43 to provide movement space for the slider 24 when it moves on the mounting rod 51. In one example, the size of the first limit block 52a and / or the second limit block 52b is larger than that of the slider 24; in another example, the size of the first limit block 52a, the second limit block 52b and the slider 24 is the same. A connecting column 57 is provided on the limit block fixedly connected to the top plate 43, and is fixedly connected to the top plate 43 through the connecting column 57. This example is also applicable to the drive assembly provided with the coating drive mechanism 5, and the drive assembly is accommodated in the space added by the connecting column 57. The working process of each embodiment is described in detail below:

[0085] Example 1

[0086] This embodiment provides a cell coating method, which uses any of the cell coating devices described above. The coating method includes the following steps:

[0087] S1. Place the cell 1 on the carrier 31 of the carrier 3, with the side to be coated exposed outside the carrier 31;

[0088] S2. Place the carrier 3 at the coating station so that the sides of the multiple battery cells 1 correspond to the multiple coating heads 22 one by one;

[0089] S3 , driving the battery cell 1 and the coating mechanism 2 to move relative to each other, so that different parts of the side edges correspond to and cooperate with the coating head 22 in sequence.

[0090] In a specific embodiment, see Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the first direction is the vertical direction, that is, the supporting platform 31 and the coating head 22 are spaced apart along the vertical direction, the second direction and the fourth direction are both horizontal directions, the above-mentioned first direction, second direction and fourth direction are perpendicular to each other, and the coating mechanism 2 is arranged on one side of the carrier 3 in the horizontal direction.

[0091] During the coating process, the coating mechanism 2 is first manually driven to move as a whole, overcoming the force of the elastic member 53, away from the coating station, that is, away from the area on the workbench 41 where the carrier 3 is placed. Then, the carrier 3 carrying the battery cell 1 is placed on the workbench 41, with its side to be coated facing the coating mechanism 2. Subsequently, the correction device 6 is activated, causing the two correction members 61 to move toward each other to correct the side to be coated. After the correction is completed, the coating mechanism 2 is released, and it moves toward the battery cell 1 under the action of the elastic member 53, and rests on the side of the battery cell 1 to be coated.

[0092] The adsorption heads on each supporting platform 31 on the carrier 3 rotate, driving each battery cell 1 to rotate, and the side of the battery cell 1 squeezes the coating head 22. Under the action of the elastic member 53, the coating head 22 can always maintain cooperation with the side of the battery cell 1. In this way, not only can different parts of the side of the battery cell 1 pass through the coating head 22 in turn, but different sides can also pass through the coating head 22 in turn, thereby realizing coating treatment of each side of the battery cell 1 in the circumferential direction.

[0093] On the basis of this embodiment 1, a rotating seat (not shown in the figure) is further provided on the workbench 41, and the rotation of the rotating seat drives the carrier 3 as a whole to rotate the battery cell 1 thereon, so that different parts of the side of the battery cell 1 and different sides of the battery cell 1 pass through the coating head 22 in turn for coating treatment, and the side of the battery cell 1 blocked by the carrier 3 can be transferred to the outside by driving the rotating adsorption head.

[0094] On the basis of Example 1, alternatively, a horizontal driving mechanism is provided to drive the carrier 3 and / or the coating mechanism 2 to move linearly along the second direction. When coating a certain side edge, coating can be achieved by only moving the carrier 3 and the coating mechanism 2 relative to each other in the second direction. After completing the coating process on a certain side edge, the battery cell 1 is driven to rotate to switch the side edge to be coated.

[0095] Example 2

[0096] See also Figure 4 As shown, the main difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that in the coating mechanism 2, a supporting wheel 26 is provided at the bottom of the connecting rod 23, which makes the coating mechanism 2 more stable when moving along the fourth direction.

[0097] Example 3

[0098] See also Figures 5 and 6 As shown, the main difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that, during the coating process, before the carrier 3 carrying the battery cell 1 is placed on the workbench 41, the screw 54 is driven to rotate by the driving motor 56, so that the push block 55 drives the first block 58a to move along the screw 54 toward the second block 58b fixed on the slider 24. When the first block 58a touches the second block 58b on the slider 24, the slider 24 fixedly connected to the second block 58b is pushed to continue to overcome the force of the elastic member 53 and move toward the first limit block 52a, so that the coating mechanism 2 is away from the coating station, that is, the carrier 3 and the battery cell 1 have a larger adjustment space, which makes the coating process can be controlled by the control system without manual participation, saving manpower and improving efficiency.

[0099] Example 4

[0100] See also Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the first direction is the horizontal direction, that is, the carrier 31 and the coating head 22 are spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and the coating mechanism 2 is arranged above the carrier 3. A horizontal drive mechanism is required to drive the carrier 3, or the coating mechanism 2 is driven to move linearly along the second direction. After coating a specific side, the carrier 3 is flipped by a robot, or the adsorption head is driven to rotate the cell 1, thereby switching the side to be coated. Preferably, the coating mechanism 2 is driven to complete the coating process along a specific side of the battery cell 1. Specifically, after the carrier 3 is placed at the coating station, one end of a specific side of the multiple battery cells 1 cooperates with the multiple coating heads 22 of the coating mechanism 2. The drive motor 56 drives the screw 54 to rotate, so that the push block 55 drives the first clamping block 58a to move along the screw 54 toward the second clamping block 58b fixedly connected to the slider 24. When the first clamping block 58a contacts the second clamping block 58b on the slider 24, it pushes the slider 24 fixedly connected to the second clamping block 58b to continue to overcome the force of the elastic member 53 and move toward the first limit block 52a, so that the coating head 22 of the coating mechanism 2 moves along the specific side of the battery cell 1 to complete the coating process on this side. After the side to be coated is switched, the drive motor 56 drives the screw 54 to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the elastic member 53 gradually returns to a relaxed state in the second direction, and the coating process on the switched side to be coated is completed.

[0101] Example 5

[0102] See also Figure 10 、 Figure 11As shown, in this embodiment, a turntable 7 is used to carry the carrier 3. The turntable 7 rotates to drive the carrier 3 through the loading station 71, multiple different coating stations 72, and the unloading station 73, and the sides of multiple battery cells are coated at the same time. Figure 10 As shown, four stations are set on the turntable 7, which correspond to the loading station 71, two coating stations 72 and the unloading station 74 in sequence. A coating device is set next to each station. The carrier 3 carrying multiple battery cells is loaded at the loading station 71, and the coating device is used to coat the same side of multiple battery cells at the same time. The turntable 7 rotates a preset angle so that the carrier 3 carrying multiple battery cells 1 enters the two coating stations 72 in sequence. Every time the battery cell 1 rotates to enter a new station, it needs to rotate 90° to match the side that has not been coated with the coating device next to the new station one by one, until the coating of the last side is completed at the unloading station 73, and unloading is carried out at the unloading station 73. In order to save production space, the loading and unloading of the battery cells 1 need to be completed on the production line in the same direction, such as Figure 11 As shown, the loading station 71 and the unloading station 73 on the turntable 7 are arranged in the same direction.

[0103] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable people familiar with this technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it. They are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cell coating device, characterized in that: The coating equipment includes: A carrier, comprising a carrier for carrying a battery cell, wherein the carrier has N carriers spaced apart along a first direction, where N is an integer greater than 1; A coating device, comprising a coating mechanism for coating the side of the battery cell, the coating mechanism having M coating heads spaced apart along the first direction, where M is an integer greater than 1; The coating equipment has a coating station. When the carrier is at the coating station, the sides of the multiple battery cells are matched with the multiple coating heads in a one-to-one correspondence.

2. The cell coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coating head has a glue outlet and a receiving groove extending along a second direction, the receiving groove and the glue outlet are connected to each other, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. When the carrier is at the coating station, the length of the side to be coated on the battery cell extends along the second direction, and at least a portion of the side to be coated is located in the receiving groove; The accommodating groove has a first side wall and a second side wall arranged opposite to each other, and a bottom wall connecting the first side wall and the second side wall. The first side wall and the second side wall both extend along the second direction, and the glue outlet is arranged on at least one of the bottom wall, the first side wall and the second side wall.

3. The cell coating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The coating mechanism further includes a glue storage device having a glue storage cavity, all of the coating heads are sequentially spaced along the first direction and arranged on the same side of the glue storage device, and each of the coating heads is provided with a glue outlet channel connecting the glue outlet and the glue storage cavity; The coating mechanism also includes an extrusion member, which is slidably arranged in the glue storage cavity and divides the glue storage cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity. The first cavity is connected to the glue outlet channel. The coating mechanism also includes an extrusion drive member for driving the extrusion member to slide.

4. The cell coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coating device further includes a correction device configured to align the corresponding side edges of all the battery cells on the carrier with each other; The correcting device includes a correcting member, the extension direction of which is parallel to the first direction, the correcting member includes a first side portion and a second side portion arranged perpendicular to each other, and the correcting device also includes a correcting driving member for driving the correcting member to move linearly along a third direction, wherein when the carrier is in the coating station, one of the diagonals of the battery cell extends along the third direction.

5. The cell coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting platform includes a main body and an adsorption head arranged on the main body, the adsorption head is configured to be able to adsorb and fix the battery sheet, and the first direction is a vertical direction, or the first direction is a horizontal direction.

6. The cell coating equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The adsorption head is configured to be rotatable around a first center line so that the multiple side edges of the battery cell respectively cooperate with the coating mechanism in sequence, wherein the first center line extends along the first direction; or, the carrier is configured to be rotatable around a second center line so that the multiple side edges of the battery cell respectively cooperate with the coating mechanism in sequence, wherein the second center line extends along the first direction.

7. The cell coating equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the second center line extends in a vertical direction, the coating apparatus further comprises a rotating seat and a rotation drive mechanism for driving the rotating seat to rotate about the rotation center line extending in the vertical direction; when the carrier is located at the coating station, the carrier is supported on the rotating seat, and the second center line coincides with the rotation center line; Alternatively, when the second center line extends in a horizontal direction, the coating equipment further includes a robot arm for driving the carrier to rotate around the second center line.

8. The cell coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the carrier and the coating mechanism is configured to be able to move linearly along a second direction. When the carrier is at the coating station, the length extension direction of the side to be coated on the battery cell extends along the second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The cell coating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coating device further includes a coating drive mechanism, wherein the coating drive mechanism is configured to drive the coating mechanism to move linearly along a fourth direction so that the coating head cooperates with the side to be coated. The fourth direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and when the carrier is in the coating station, the fourth direction is perpendicular to the length extension direction of the side to be coated.

10. The cell coating equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that: The coating device is provided with a mounting frame, and the mounting frame includes a mounting rod extending along the fourth direction; The coating mechanism includes a connecting frame and a glue storage device arranged on the connecting frame, and all the coating heads are arranged at intervals in sequence along the first direction on the same side of the glue storage device. Wherein, the connecting frame can be slidably arranged on the mounting rod along the length extension direction of the mounting rod.

11. The cell coating equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that: The connecting frame includes a slider and a connecting rod fixed on the slider. The slider is slidably mounted on the mounting rod. The glue storage device is mounted on the connecting rod. The length extension direction of the connecting rod is parallel to the first direction. The coating mechanism is located on one side of the carrier in the horizontal direction, or the coating mechanism is suspended above the carrier; The first direction is a vertical direction, and the connecting rod also extends in a vertical direction. The coating equipment further includes a workbench, and the bottom of the connecting rod is suspended above the workbench, or a support wheel is provided at the bottom of the connecting rod, and the support wheel is rollingly supported on the workbench.

12. The cell coating equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that: The coating drive mechanism includes an elastic member, which is configured to provide the force required for the coating mechanism to move along the length extension direction of the mounting rod toward the side where the coating head is located; the elastic member is a spring, wherein the mounting frame also includes a first limit block and a second limit block provided at both ends of the mounting rod, and the spring is sleeved on the mounting rod and abuts between the first limit block and the connecting frame.

13. The cell coating equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that: The coating drive mechanism further includes a drive assembly for driving the coating mechanism to move along the length extension direction of the mounting rod toward the side away from the coating head; The driving assembly includes a screw, a support frame supporting the screw, a push block engaged with the screw thread, a first clamping block fixed below the push block, a second clamping block fixed above the connecting frame, and a driving motor for driving the screw to rotate around its own axis. The length extension direction of the screw is parallel to the length extension direction of the mounting rod, and the push block can drive the first clamping block to be movably arranged on the screw along the length extension direction of the screw.

14. A battery cell coating method, characterized in that: The coating method uses the cell coating equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and the coating method comprises the following steps: S1. Place the cell on the carrier platform of the carrier, with the side to be coated exposed outside the carrier platform; S2. placing the carrier at the coating station so that the sides of the plurality of battery cells correspond to the plurality of coating heads one by one; S3. Driving the battery cell and the coating mechanism to move relative to each other, so that different parts of the side are matched with the coating head in sequence.

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