Jig and method for hot-pressing insulating film on side plate of lithium battery module

Abstract

The jig comprises an upper die and a lower die, a die cavity is formed in the lower die, the contour of the die cavity is completely matched with the edge contour of the upper die and the edge contour of a to-be-machined lithium battery module side plate, namely, the contour of the die cavity is designed in a profiling mode, and a plurality of sets of lithium battery module side plates and the insulating films are arranged in the die cavity. The lower portion of the upper die extends into the die cavity, and the upper portion of the upper die is higher than the top of the lower die. The invention also provides a method for hot-pressing the insulating film on the side plate of the lithium battery module. Compared with the prior art, the mold has the beneficial effects that the side wall of the mold cavity replaces a stop block or a backer; and millimeter-level and even higher-precision repeated positioning is realized. 28 groups are hot-pressed simultaneously by a single set of jig, so that the production efficiency is improved. The jig is arranged outside the hot press and assembled at normal temperature, and the risk that operators make contact with high-temperature equipment is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fixture for hot-pressing insulating film onto the side panel of a lithium battery module, specifically a tooling fixture for precise positioning and fixing during the hot-pressing process of applying insulating film to the side panel of a lithium battery module. It belongs to the technical field of hot-pressing fixtures. Background Technology

[0002] In the production process of lithium-ion battery modules, to ensure electrical safety, a PET insulating film is typically applied to the inner surface of the module's side panels. Currently, the commonly used method is to adhere the PET insulating film to the side panels using a hot-pressing process. In existing technology, the following method is generally used to position the side panels during the hot-pressing operation:

[0003] 1. Manual positioning: Operators manually place the side plates on the lower mold of the hot press, relying on visual inspection and experience for rough alignment. This method suffers from poor positioning accuracy and low consistency, easily leading to defects such as misalignment, wrinkling, and glue overflow after product pressing, seriously affecting product quality and yield.

[0004] 2. Simple stop block positioning: Simple fixed stops are set on the mold. However, since the side plates of the module are usually irregular in shape, and the material may undergo slight deformation due to heat during hot pressing, the simple stops cannot effectively constrain and self-adjust, and there is still a risk of unreliable positioning.

[0005] Existing technologies typically have the following problems and drawbacks:

[0006] 1. Poor positioning accuracy: Most of them use simple blocks or backing for positioning. For side plates with complex contours or protrusions and depressions, they cannot achieve effective positioning. During the hot pressing process, the side plates are prone to slight displacement, which can cause the insulation film to be misaligned, wrinkled or damaged.

[0007] 2. Inefficiency: Operators need to manually calibrate each side plate carefully, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, making it difficult to meet the requirements of high-speed production.

[0008] 3. Poor consistency: Due to reliance on manual operation, it is difficult to guarantee the quality stability of film applied by different batches or different operators.

[0009] 4. Inability to adapt to complex structures: Ordinary fixtures cannot provide clearance for areas such as mounting holes and solder joints on the side panels, which may result in uneven placement of the side panels or damage to the insulation film.

[0010] 5. Safety hazards exist: Manual operation is carried out next to high-temperature hot pressing equipment, which poses a risk of burns.

[0011] 6. Unstable product quality: Inaccurate positioning directly leads to poor pressing and a high scrap rate.

[0012] The core problem is the lack of a dedicated fixture capable of quickly and accurately positioning and fixing the side panels of battery modules, adapting to their complex structures, and ensuring stable and reliable quality of the hot-pressed insulating film. Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a dedicated fixture capable of rapid, accurate, and reliable positioning to solve the aforementioned problem. Summary of the Invention

[0013] To overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, the purpose of this invention is to provide a fixture for hot-pressing insulating film on the side plate of a lithium battery module.

[0014] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a fixture for hot-pressing insulating film on the side plate of a lithium battery module, comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, wherein the lower mold is provided with a mold cavity, the contour of the mold cavity completely matches the edge contour of the upper mold and the edge contour of the side plate of the lithium battery module to be processed, i.e., contouring design, wherein a plurality of sets of lithium battery module side plates and insulating film are provided in the mold cavity, the lower part of the upper mold extends into the mold cavity, and the upper part is higher than the top of the lower mold.

[0015] A further feature of the present invention is that a plurality of Teflon sheets are disposed in the mold cavity, and the Teflon sheets are stacked on the upper and lower surfaces of the side plate and insulating film of each lithium battery module.

[0016] A further feature of the present invention is that a limiting groove is provided on the side of the mold cavity, and a limiting handle is provided on the edge of the upper mold, wherein the limiting handle matches the limiting groove.

[0017] A further feature of the present invention is that the corners of the mold cavity are provided with outwardly rounded corners.

[0018] A further feature of the present invention is that the mold cavity is provided with 28 sets of lithium battery module side plates and insulating film.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for hot-pressing an insulating film onto the side panel of a lithium battery module, comprising the following steps:

[0020] (1) Stack the insulating film on the side plate of the lithium battery module to form a set;

[0021] (2) Stack several sets of lithium battery module side plates and insulating films, and stack a layer of Teflon sheet on the upper and lower surfaces of each set;

[0022] (3) Place it into the cavity of the lower mold. The contour of the cavity is completely matched with the edge contour of the upper mold and the edge contour of the side plate of the lithium battery module to be processed, which is the contour design.

[0023] (4) Place the upper mold into the mold cavity, with the upper part of the upper mold higher than the upper part of the lower mold; tap the upper mold with a rubber mallet;

[0024] (5) Place several sets of fixtures together in the same layer of the hot press for hot pressing;

[0025] (6) After hot pressing is completed, remove the fixture and take out the product after the fixture has cooled down.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0027] 1. High Precision and Consistency: By using a single piece of aluminum sheet to create the lower mold and employing CNC precision machining of the mold cavity, its contour perfectly matches the edge contour of the side plate of the battery module to be processed—a contour-following design. The side wall of the mold cavity replaces blocks or supports. This achieves millimeter-level or even higher precision in repeatable positioning, ensuring consistent product dimensions in mass production, effectively preventing displacement during hot pressing, and ensuring accurate placement of the insulating film.

[0028] 2. Easy to operate: The fixture achieves "foolproof" operation, and operators can quickly and accurately place products without complicated training. The loading and unloading time of a single product is greatly shortened, and production efficiency is significantly improved.

[0029] 3. Efficiency Improvement: By using a single piece of aluminum sheet to make the lower mold and employing CNC precision machining fixtures, the fixtures achieve a machining depth of up to 50mm, which can simultaneously hot press 28 products with a single set of fixtures, significantly improving production efficiency.

[0030] 4. High product quality consistency: The design eliminates the impact of human error on the quality of the insulating film application, ensuring high consistency and stability in mass-produced products and reducing the defect rate. Teflon sheets are used to avoid obstructing mounting holes, solder joints, and other areas on the side panels.

[0031] 5. Safe and reliable: The fixture is assembled outside the hot press and is installed at room temperature, which effectively avoids the risk of operators coming into contact with high-temperature equipment.

[0032] 6. Versatility and scalability: The fixture's structural design can be customized to suit the shape of side panels for different battery module models, demonstrating excellent adaptability. This design approach is also valuable for the hot-pressing positioning of other plate-shaped parts with similar structures. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fixture for hot-pressing insulating film on the side plate of a lithium battery module, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the jig, insulating film, Teflon sheet, and lithium battery module side plate;

[0035] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a portion of the middle circle A.

[0036] In the diagram: 1. Upper mold; 2. Lower mold; 3. Limiting handle; 4. Mold cavity; 5. Limiting groove; 6. Outwardly flared fillet; 7. Insulating film; 8. Teflon sheet; 9. Lithium battery module side plate. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby providing a clearer and more explicit definition of the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] See appendix Figure 1-3 As shown in this embodiment, a fixture for hot-pressing insulating film on the side panel of a lithium battery module includes an upper mold and a lower mold. The lower mold is made of AL6061-T6 aluminum alloy and has dimensions of 520mm × 160mm × 65mm. A mold cavity is provided in the lower mold, and the cavity is precision-machined using CNC machining to a depth of 50mm. The contour of the mold cavity perfectly matches the edge contour of the upper mold and the edge contour of the side panel of the lithium battery module to be processed, i.e., a contour-following design. Several sets of lithium battery module side panels and insulating films are provided in the mold cavity. The upper mold is also made of AL6061-T6 aluminum alloy and has dimensions of 470mm × 130mm × 10mm. The lower part of the upper mold extends into the mold cavity, and the upper part is higher than the top of the lower mold.

[0039] To avoid areas such as mounting holes and solder joints on the side plate of the lithium battery module, the present invention is further configured such that: a plurality of Teflon sheets are disposed in the mold cavity, and the Teflon sheets are stacked on the upper and lower surfaces of each group of lithium battery module side plates and insulating films. The Teflon sheets are provided with clearance holes. The clearance holes are arranged vertically and vertically corresponding to the mounting holes and solder joints.

[0040] To facilitate the limiting of the upper mold, the present invention is further configured such that: a limiting groove is provided on the side of the mold cavity, and a limiting handle is provided on the edge of the upper mold, the limiting handle matching the limiting groove. The limiting handle not only limits the movement but also facilitates the removal of the upper mold. By grasping the limiting handle, the upper mold can be removed from the mold cavity.

[0041] To prevent the lithium battery module side panels from getting stuck in the mold cavity, the present invention further includes: the corners of the mold cavity are provided with outwardly flared rounded corners. These outwardly flared rounded corners increase the allowance for expansion, and when the lithium battery module side panels overfill the mold cavity, the outwardly flared rounded corners can avoid the sharp corners of the lithium battery module side panels, reducing the probability of sharp corners scratching the mold cavity. A single fixture can assemble 28 lithium battery module side panels and insulating films. After assembling 5 fixtures, they are simultaneously placed in the same layer of the hot press. The hot press is started, and after hot pressing is completed, the fixtures are removed. After the fixtures cool, the products are removed.

[0042] The present invention also provides a method for hot-pressing an insulating film onto the side panel of a lithium battery module, comprising the following steps:

[0043] (1) Stack the insulating film on the side plate of the lithium battery module to form a set;

[0044] (2) Stack several sets of lithium battery module side plates and insulating films, and stack a layer of Teflon sheet on the upper and lower surfaces of each set;

[0045] (3) Place it into the cavity of the lower mold. The contour of the cavity is completely matched with the edge contour of the upper mold and the edge contour of the side plate of the lithium battery module to be processed, which is the contour design.

[0046] (4) Place the upper mold into the mold cavity, with the upper part of the upper mold higher than the upper part of the lower mold; tap the upper mold with a rubber mallet;

[0047] (5) Place several sets of fixtures together in the same layer of the hot press for hot pressing;

[0048] (6) After hot pressing is completed, remove the fixture and take out the product after the fixture has cooled down.

[0049] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it. They should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fixture for hot-pressing insulating film onto side panels of lithium battery modules, comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, wherein the lower mold has a cavity, the contour of which perfectly matches the edge contour of the upper mold and the edge contour of the side panel of the lithium battery module to be processed, i.e., contour-following design, and the cavity contains a plurality of sets of lithium battery module side panels and insulating films, characterized in that, The lower part of the upper mold extends into the mold cavity, while the upper part is higher than the top of the lower mold.

2. The fixture for hot-pressing insulating film on the side plate of a lithium battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mold cavity contains several Teflon sheets, which are stacked on the upper and lower surfaces of the side plates and insulating film of each lithium battery module.

3. The fixture for hot-pressing insulating film on the side plate of a lithium battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The side of the mold cavity is provided with a limiting groove, and the edge of the upper mold is provided with a limiting handle, which matches the limiting groove.

4. The fixture for hot-pressing insulating film on the side plate of a lithium battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The corners of the mold cavity are provided with outwardly rounded corners.

5. The fixture for hot-pressing insulating film on the side plate of a lithium battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mold cavity is equipped with 28 sets of lithium battery module side plates and insulating film.

6. A method for hot-pressing an insulating film onto the side panel of a lithium battery module, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: (1) Stack the insulating film on the side plate of the lithium battery module to form a set; (2) Stack several sets of lithium battery module side plates and insulating films, and stack a layer of Teflon sheet on the upper and lower surfaces of each set; (3) Place it into the cavity of the lower mold. The contour of the cavity is completely matched with the edge contour of the upper mold and the edge contour of the side plate of the lithium battery module to be processed, which is the contour design. (4) Place the upper mold into the mold cavity, with the upper part of the upper mold higher than the upper part of the lower mold; tap the upper mold with a rubber mallet; (5) Place several sets of fixtures together in the same layer of the hot press for hot pressing; (6) After hot pressing is completed, remove the fixture and take out the product after the fixture has cooled down.

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