Tab fixing assembly and battery assembling method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of battery assembly, in particular to a tab fixing assembly and a battery assembly method. The tab fixing assembly comprises a first clamping piece and a second clamping piece which are connected with each other, and the relative positions of the second clamping piece and the first clamping piece comprise an opening position and a clamping position; at the opening position, the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece are respectively far away from the tab, and at the clamping position, the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece are respectively propped against two opposite surfaces of the tab. The tab fixing assembly can restrain the bending position when the tab is bent, the tab is clamped and guided before the tab is bent and in the bending process, it is ensured that the tab is bent according to the preset track and form, accurate control and protection of the bending form of the tab are achieved, and the tab bending efficiency is improved. Therefore, the problems of wrinkling, tearing, position deviation or redundant deformation and the like of the outer side of the tab during bending are effectively prevented, and the problems of inverted insertion and the like during bending, transportation and use of the tab are avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery assembly, in particular to a tab fixing assembly and a battery assembly method. BACKGROUND

[0002] The battery tab is one of the main components of a lithium battery, which is connected between the winding core and the top cover to facilitate electrical connection between the winding core and the outside.

[0003] However, when the tab is bent and formed, especially for tabs with a large width, a thin thickness or a soft material, one or more defects such as reverse insertion, wrinkles or bulges are prone to occur. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a tab fixing assembly and a battery assembly method to solve the problem of one or more defects such as reverse insertion, wrinkles or bulges.

[0005] A tab fixing assembly,

[0006] for fixing the tab when the tab is bent, the tab fixing assembly comprising:

[0007] a first clamping member; and

[0008] a second clamping member connected to the first clamping member; the relative positions of the second clamping member and the first clamping member include an open position and a clamping position;

[0009] In the open position, the first clamping member and the second clamping member are respectively away from the tab;

[0010] In the clamping position, the first clamping member and the second clamping member are respectively abutted on two surfaces of the tab arranged oppositely.

[0011] The tab fixing assembly can constrain the bending position of the tab when the tab is bent, and by clamping and guiding the tab before and during the bending of the tab, it ensures that the tab completes the bending according to the preset trajectory and form, realizes the precise control and protection of the bending form of the tab, thereby effectively prevents the tab from appearing wrinkles, tears, position deviation or redundant deformation when the tab is bent, and avoids the problems of reverse insertion during the bending, transportation and use of the tab.

[0012] In use, the first and second clamping members of the tab fixing assembly are opened, then inserted from one side of the tab in the width direction, and the first and second clamping members are fixed on both sides of the tab in the thickness direction. When the tab is clamped and fixed, the first and second clamping members extend along the width direction of the tab, thereby constraining the bending position of the tab. The tab fixing assembly provided by the embodiment has a simple structure and is convenient to use, facilitating automatic clamping of the tab by automatic equipment, thereby optimizing the production process and improving production efficiency and yield. The use of the tab fixing assembly simplifies the control difficulty of the tab bending process, facilitates automatic operation, reduces manual intervention and rework of defective products, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the production line and the product qualification rate.

[0013] In one embodiment, in the open position, the first and second clamping members are arranged at an angle;

[0014] In the clamped position, the angle between the first and second clamping members is not greater than 5°;

[0015] And the natural state between the first and second clamping members is the clamped position.

[0016] The structure makes the first and second clamping members have a clear opening structure. By utilizing the elasticity of the material itself, the tab fixing assembly can be opened to the open position under the action of external tools. When the tab fixing assembly is placed on both sides of the tab, the external force is removed, and the tab fixing assembly rebounds to the clamped position by relying on its own elastic restoring force, thereby generating a soft and stable clamping force on the tab, so that it is not easy to loosen in subsequent operations. The opening angle of the open position of the tab fixing assembly can be determined according to the material properties and wall thickness design.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first clamping member is configured with a first clamping curved surface, and the second clamping member is configured with a second clamping curved surface, and the first and second clamping curved surfaces are used to contact the surface of the tab.

[0018] The arc surface is the cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the first clamping member and the second clamping member, and the projection of the first clamping arc surface and the second clamping arc surface is an arc surface. Since the tab has a certain thickness, the inner and outer sides of the tab bending position form arc surfaces, and there is usually no sharp corner. The arc surface facilitates the contact between the first clamping arc surface and the second clamping arc surface and the inner and outer surfaces of the tab bending position when the tab is bent, so that the first clamping arc surface and the second clamping arc surface have a profiling design with the inner and outer sides of the tab bending position, and the arc surface structure can provide effective shape constraint and positioning for the inner and outer sides of the tab after bending. This double-sided positioning ensures that the overall shape of the tab after bending strictly follows the expected design, the path is accurate, and the shape is regular, avoiding wrinkles or tears of the tab due to stress concentration points during the bending process, which is beneficial to improve the safety of the tab bending process.

[0019] In one embodiment, the curvature of the first clamping arc surface is smaller than the curvature of the second clamping arc surface.

[0020] Since the curvature of the inner side of the tab bending position is smaller, the inner side of the bending position is closer to the core, and the curvature of the outer side of the bending position is larger, the outer side is farther away from the core, and this physical form is the form of the tab bending position. The first clamping arc surface is located on the inner side of the tab bending position, and the second clamping arc surface is located on the outer side of the tab bending position. The curvature of the first clamping arc surface is smaller than the curvature of the second clamping arc surface, which follows the physical law of material stretching on the outer layer and compression on the inner layer during tab bending, providing a more suitable support space for tab bending. The first clamping arc surface is used to provide guidance for tab bending to avoid excessive constraint, which is beneficial to make the first clamping arc surface and the second clamping arc surface more suitable for the bending shape of the tab to ensure the stability of the first clamping arc surface and the second clamping arc surface for guiding the bending process, avoiding wrinkles on the inner side of the bending position, and avoiding tearing or breaking on the outer side of the bending position.

[0021] In one embodiment, when the first clamping member and the second clamping member are in the clamping position, a predetermined gap is reserved between the first clamping arc surface and the second clamping arc surface.

[0022] The tab fixing assembly clamps the tab in the preset gap, so that the tab fixing assembly has the functions of fixing the tab and providing guidance for the bending of the tab, effectively restricts the movement of the tab in the thickness direction without damaging the tab, mainly plays the role of maintaining and assisting the formation of the inner and outer tab bending shapes, and avoids excessive extrusion or damage to the tab itself. Especially during the tab bending process, if the clamping force of the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece on the tab is too large, it will affect the plastic deformation of the tab material itself during the bending process, and it is more likely to cause the tab to wrinkle or break. Therefore, the setting of the preset gap in the embodiment is beneficial to clamp the tab in the preset gap by the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece, but the external force acting on the surface of the tab is small, so as to ensure the stability of the tab bending process.

[0023] In one of the embodiments, the preset gap is 0.9-1 times the thickness of the tab.

[0024] The preset thickness range is beneficial to clamp the tab on both sides of the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece, to generate a small pressure on the surface of the tab or only contact without pressure, so as to avoid damage to the structure of the tab during clamping, and to maintain the inner and outer shapes of the tab bending position, so as to ensure the guiding effect.

[0025] In one of the embodiments, the width of the first clamping piece is smaller than the width of the second clamping piece, so that the tab fixing assembly is set to adapt to the shape of the tab bending, avoids supporting the tab by the first clamping piece located on the inner side of the tab bending position, affects the bending angle of the tab, and is beneficial to improve the stability of the tab fixing assembly providing guidance for the bending of the tab.

[0026] In one of the embodiments, the length of the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece is not less than half the width of the tab, so that the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece cover at least the main area of the tab bending, so that the tab fixing assembly can be applied to tabs of different widths, especially the tabs of commonly used large square batteries. Specifically, for tabs of different widths, different lengths of the tab fixing assembly can be set accordingly, or the length of the tab fixing assembly can be designed to be at least not less than half the width of the tab with the maximum width, so that when the tab fixing assembly is applied to a tab with a smaller width, the fixed range of the tab fixing assembly is greater than half the width of the tab, so as to ensure the clamping effect, thereby expanding the application range of the tab fixing assembly, without designing a tab fixing assembly for each width of the tab, which is beneficial to reduce the cost.

[0027] In one of the embodiments, the tab fixing assembly further comprises:

[0028] The connecting piece is located on the same side of the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece along the length direction of the first clamping piece.

[0029] The connecting piece is connected with the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece;

[0030] The connecting piece is configured with an adjusting groove extending along the width direction of the first clamping piece, and the adjusting groove is provided with an opening facing one side of the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece.

[0031] The connecting piece structure is beneficial to the tab fixing assembly using the elasticity of the material itself, so that the tab fixing assembly can be pried open from the opening by an external tool or device, and conveniently and quickly sleeved on the tab; after the external force is removed, a soft and stable clamping force is generated on the tab by relying on the elastic restoring force.

[0032] A battery assembly method, comprising:

[0033] Connecting the winding core with the tab and the tab with the cover plate;

[0034] Folding the winding core to a first preset angle, and bending the tab to the first preset angle;

[0035] Using an external force to make the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece of the tab fixing assembly described above be in an open position, and inserting the tab fixing assembly into the bending position of the tab, so that the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece are respectively located on both sides of the tab;

[0036] Removing the external force, so that the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece are respectively abutted against the two oppositely arranged surfaces of the tab to clamp the tab;

[0037] Continuing to fold the winding core to a second preset angle.

[0038] Through the above process, the tab is accurately guided and constrained inside the tab fixing assembly, the inner side and the outer side thereof are smoothly extended along the arc surface of the tab fixing assembly, and the overall shape thereof is accurately controlled by the double-sided limiting structure of the tab fixing assembly. Therefore, the tab can smoothly and accurately complete bending according to the preset bending radius and bending angle, and effectively avoids reverse insertion, redundancy, wrinkles or tearing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a battery provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a tab fixing assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 It is a local enlarged view of A in the above figure.

[0041] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a tab fixing assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Figure 4A structure diagram of folding the winding core of the battery provided in an embodiment of the present application to a first preset angle.

[0043] Figure 5 A structure diagram of folding the winding core of the battery provided in an embodiment of the present application to a second preset angle.

[0044] Legend of reference signs:

[0045] 1000 - tab fixing assembly

[0046] 100 - first clamping piece; 110 - first clamping curved surface; 200 - second clamping piece; 210 - second clamping curved surface; 300 - connecting piece; 310 - adjusting groove

[0047] 2000 - winding core

[0048] 3000 - tab

[0049] 4000 - cover plate; 4001 - connecting piece DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to make the above objectives, characteristics and advantages of the present application more apparent, specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, a large number of specific details are set forth in order to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different ways other than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, so the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0051] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if these terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0052] In addition, the terms "first", "second", and the like, if any, are used herein for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicating the number of indicated technical characteristics. Thus, a feature defined with the terms "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the term "a plurality of" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited.

[0053] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, if the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like appear, these terms should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the communication between the inside of two elements or the interaction relationship between the two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, if the first feature is described as "on" or "under" the second feature and the like, it can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature can be the first feature directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or it can only mean that the first feature is higher than the second feature in horizontal height. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature can be the first feature directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or it can only mean that the first feature is lower than the second feature in horizontal height.

[0055] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "disposed to" another element, it can be directly on another element or there can be a middle element. If an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element or there can be a middle element. If present, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in the present application are only for illustrative purposes and do not represent the only implementation.

[0056] Referring to Figure 1 , Figure 1 The structure of the battery provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0057] As Figure 1As shown, the battery includes a winding core 2000, a tab 3000, and a cover plate 4000, and the tab 3000 is connected between the winding core 2000 and the cover plate 4000. Specifically, the tab 3000 is connected between the connecting pieces of the winding core 2000 and the cover plate 4000.

[0058] As shown, the tab fixing assembly 1000 is used to fix the tab 3000 when the tab 3000 is bent, so that the tab 3000 can be bent according to the fixed position of the tab fixing assembly 1000. Figures 1-3

[0059] Specifically, the tab fixing assembly 1000 includes a first clamping piece 100 and a second clamping piece 200, the second clamping piece 200 is connected with the first clamping piece 100, and the relative position of the second clamping piece 200 and the first clamping piece 100 includes an open position and a clamping position. In the open position, the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 are respectively away from the tab 3000, and in the clamping position, the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 are respectively abutted on the two oppositely arranged surfaces of the tab, so that the tab fixing assembly 1000 can constrain the bending position of the tab 3000 when the tab 3000 is bent. By clamping and guiding the tab 3000 before and during the bending of the tab 3000, it is ensured that the tab 3000 completes the bending according to the preset trajectory and form, realizes the precise control and protection of the bending form of the tab 3000, thereby effectively preventing the problems such as wrinkles, tears, position deviation or redundant deformation of the outer side of the tab 3000 when bending, and avoiding the problems such as inverted insertion of the tab 3000 during the bending, transportation and use.

[0060] In use, the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 of the tab fixing assembly 1000 are opened, then inserted from one side of the tab 3000 in the width direction, and the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece 200 are fixed on both sides of the tab 3000 in the thickness direction. When clamping and fixing the tab 3000, the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 extend along the width direction of the tab 3000, thereby constraining the bending position of the tab 3000. The tab fixing assembly 1000 provided by the embodiment has simple structure and is convenient to use, and is convenient for automatic clamping of the tab 3000 by automatic equipment, thereby optimizing the production process and improving the production efficiency and yield. The use of the tab fixing assembly 1000 simplifies the control difficulty of the bending process of the tab 3000, is easy to realize automatic operation, reduces manual intervention and rework of defective products, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the production line and the product qualification rate.

[0061] ​The stress concentration caused by improper bending or redundant deformation of the tab 3000, especially on the outside of the bending position of the tab 3000, is easy to cause the tab 3000 to reach the fatigue limit and tear or even break. This will directly cause the damage of the conductive path of the tab 3000, causing serious quality problems such as battery capacity reduction and internal resistance increase. The present embodiment avoids the tearing or breaking of the tab 3000, thereby avoiding the damage of the conductive path of the tab 3000, protecting the conductive path of the tab 3000, and further ensuring the stability of the capacity and internal resistance of the battery.

[0062] At the same time, if the tab 3000 fails to form according to the predetermined trajectory during the bending process, it may cause the end of the tab 3000 to be inserted into the wrong position (such as the interlayer of the roll core 2000 or the inside of the bending), causing subsequent welding difficulties, poor welding, and even the risk of inside micro-short circuit in extreme cases. In the present embodiment, the tab fixing assembly 1000 fixes the tab 3000 to bend according to the preset position, thereby avoiding reverse insertion and ensuring the stability of subsequent welding and avoiding short circuit of the battery.

[0063] In addition, without precise shape control, the tab 3000 may produce tab 3000 redundancy when bending, forming wrinkles at the bending corner, which is easy to cause the outside tab 3000 to break, causing low capacity and other problems. The tab fixing assembly 1000 of the present embodiment uses the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 to constrain the two sides of the bending position of the tab 3000 respectively, guiding the bending of the tab 3000, avoiding the generation of redundancy when the tab 3000 bends, and also avoiding the breakage of the outside of the bending corner due to bending stretching, and avoiding wrinkles on the inside of the bending corner due to material redundancy, which is conducive to improving the smoothness of the inside and outside of the bending corner of the tab 3000, thereby avoiding low capacity and other problems.

[0064] The tab fixing assembly 1000 improves the forming quality of the tab 3000, avoids problems such as reverse insertion, position deviation, redundancy, wrinkles, bulges, and tearing or breaking of the tab 3000, which is conducive to ensuring the quality of subsequent welding of the battery, reducing the probability of problems such as internal short circuit, high internal resistance, and low capacity of the battery caused by defects of the tab 3000, thereby comprehensively improving the electrochemical performance, safety, service life, and production yield of the battery, and is conducive to reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0065] In one embodiment, the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 can be a strip structure or a plate structure. At the same time, the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 can be end connected, that is, one end of the first clamping piece 100 is connected to one end of the second clamping piece 200. In another embodiment, the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 can be connected at the end of one and any position in the middle of the other.

[0066] In one embodiment, the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 are arranged at an angle in the open position, and the angle between the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 is not greater than 5° in the clamping position. The natural state of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 is the clamping position. This structure utilizes the elasticity of the material itself. The tab fixing assembly 1000 can be expanded to the open position under the action of external tools. When the tab fixing assembly 1000 is placed on both sides of the tab 3000, the external force is removed, and the tab fixing assembly 1000 rebounds to the clamping position by relying on its own elastic restoring force, thereby generating a gentle and stable clamping force on the tab 3000, so that it is not easy to loosen in subsequent operations. The opening angle of the open position of the tab fixing assembly 1000 can be determined according to the material properties and wall thickness design.

[0067] It is worth noting that the angle between the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 is not greater than 5° in the clamping position. At this time, the relative state of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 is close to parallel, and can also be in a positive or negative angle state. By utilizing the smaller angle between the two, the tab 3000 can have an external force to clamp the tab 3000, so as to ensure the stability of the bending position of the tab 3000.

[0068] In use, the tab fixing assembly 1000 separates the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 under the action of external force, and is in the open position, and then clamps on both sides of the thickness direction of the tab 3000, which is convenient and fast. At this time, the external force is removed, and the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 of the tab fixing assembly 1000 automatically switch to the clamping position by relying on the elastic restoring force, thereby generating a gentle and stable clamping force on the tab 3000. No external force is required for operation, reducing the operation steps of fixing the tab 3000, and being conducive to improving the operation efficiency. Especially when the tab fixing assembly 1000 is operated by an automatic machine, the automatic reset of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 can be seen to reduce the mechanical operation steps in the process of assembling the tab fixing assembly 1000, thereby reducing the cost.

[0069] It can be understood that the angle between the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 is any angle convenient for assembly when they are in the open position, such as any angle between 20°-90°. If it is manual operation, the angle has certain randomness, and if it is automatic operation, the angle can be 20°, 30°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80°, 90°, etc. The selection of the angle can be determined according to the material properties.

[0070] In one of the embodiments, the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 are in an integrated structure, which facilitates mold forming, reduces processing cost, eliminates the need for assembly, and is conducive to improving production efficiency.

[0071] In one of the embodiments, the tab fixing assembly 1000 is made of a material with certain elasticity and structural strength, which ensures the switching of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 between the open position and the clamping position, avoids damage when the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 switch to the open position, and is conducive to improving the structural strength and stability. In addition, the tab fixing assembly 1000 can be disassembled after the tab 3000 is bent and reused. At this time, the tab fixing assembly 1000 is made of a material with certain elasticity and structural strength, which is conducive to improving the stability of the repeated opening and closing of the tab fixing assembly 1000 and avoiding breakage.

[0072] Further, the tab fixing assembly 1000 is made of a non-conductive material, such as a non-conductive polymer material, which avoids the tab fixing assembly 1000 conducting electricity on both sides of the bent tab 3000 and avoids affecting the conductivity of the tab 3000.

[0073] In summary, the tab fixing assembly 1000 can be made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, etc. Polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate have excellent elasticity, structural strength, and insulation.

[0074] The first clamping member 100 is configured with a first clamping arc surface 110, and the second clamping member 200 is configured with a second clamping arc surface 210, which are used to contact the surface of the tab 3000. It is worth noting that the projection of the first clamping arc surface 110 and the second clamping arc surface 210 on the cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 is an arc surface. Since the tab 3000 has a certain thickness, the inner and outer sides of the bent position of the tab 3000 form arc surfaces, and sharp corners usually do not appear. The arc surface facilitates the contact of the first clamping arc surface 110 and the second clamping arc surface 210 with the inner and outer surfaces of the bent position of the tab 3000 when the tab 3000 is bent, so that the first clamping arc surface 110 and the second clamping arc surface 210 have a profiling design with the inner and outer sides of the bent position of the tab 3000, and the arc surface structure can provide effective shape constraint and positioning for the inner and outer sides of the bent tab 3000. This double-sided positioning ensures that the overall shape of the bent tab 3000 strictly follows the expected design, the path is accurate, the shape is regular, and the tab 3000 is prevented from wrinkling or tearing due to local stress concentration points generated during the bending process, which is conducive to improving the safety of the tab 3000 during the bending process.

[0075] Specifically, the arc surface is designed to be a profile of the folded position of the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200, which guarantees the angle of the folded position of the tab 3000, so that there is no wrinkle or tearing at the folded position.

[0076] Further, the first clamping arc surface 110 is connected to the adjacent side surface in an arc shape, and the second clamping arc surface 210 is connected to the adjacent side surface in an arc shape, so that the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 have no sharp angle at the position in contact with the tab 3000, avoiding tearing or damage of the tab 3000 when the tab 3000 is folded, and facilitating to improve the safety of the folding process of the tab 3000.

[0077] In one embodiment, the curvature of the first clamping arc surface 110 is smaller than the curvature of the second clamping arc surface 210. It is worth noting that the curvature here refers to the curvature of the arc surface. Since the curvature of the inside of the folded position of the tab 3000 is smaller, the inside of the folded position is the side close to the core 2000, and the curvature of the outside of the folded position is larger, and the outside is the side of the tab 3000 away from the core 2000, which is the physical form of the folded position of the tab 3000. The first clamping arc surface 110 is located at the inside of the folded position, and the second clamping arc surface 210 is located at the outside of the folded position, and by the curvature of the first clamping arc surface 110 being smaller than the curvature of the second clamping arc surface 210, the physical law of the outer layer stretching and the inner layer compressing of the material of the tab 3000 during the folding process is followed, a more suitable supporting space is provided for the folding of the tab 3000, the first clamping arc surface 110 is used to provide guidance for the folding of the tab 3000, avoid excessive constraint, and is conducive to making the first clamping arc surface 110 and the second clamping arc surface 210 more conform to the folded shape of the tab 3000, so as to ensure the stability of the first clamping arc surface 110 and the second clamping arc surface 210 as the guide during the folding process, avoid wrinkles at the inside of the folded position, and avoid tearing or breaking at the outside of the folded position.

[0078] The tab fixing assembly 1000 ensures that the angle, position and form of the folded position of the tab 3000 as a whole meet the design requirements by the precise profiling and double-side limiting of the first clamping arc surface 110 and the second clamping arc surface 210, which can significantly improve the folding forming precision of the tab 3000, and effectively prevent the tab 3000 from being inserted reversely, positionally deviated and irregularly deformed.

[0079] At the same time, the arc surface and curvature design of the first clamping arc surface 110 and the second clamping arc surface 210 form a profiled guiding surface for the folding of the tab 3000, taking into account the differential profile design of the inside and outside of the folded position, dispersing the folding stress, avoiding wrinkles, tearing or breaking of the tab 3000 during the folding process, and guaranteeing the structural integrity and conductivity of the tab 3000.

[0080] In one of the embodiments, when the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 are in the clamping position, a preset gap is reserved between the first clamping arc surface 110 and the second clamping arc surface 210. When the tab fixing assembly 1000 clamps the tab 3000, the tab 3000 is located in the preset gap, so that the tab fixing assembly 1000 has the functions of fixing the tab 3000 and providing guidance for the bending of the tab 3000, while effectively restricting the movement of the tab 3000 in the thickness direction without damaging the tab 3000, mainly playing the role of maintaining and assisting the formation of the inner and outer tab 3000 bending shapes, avoiding excessive extrusion or damage to the tab 3000 itself. Especially during the bending process of the tab 3000, if the clamping force of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 on the tab 3000 is too large, it will affect the plastic deformation of the tab 3000 material itself during the bending process, and it is more likely to cause the tab 3000 to wrinkle or break. Therefore, the setting of the preset gap in this embodiment is beneficial to make the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 clamp the tab 3000 in the preset gap, but the external force acting on the surface of the tab 3000 is small, so as to ensure the stability of the tab 3000 bending process.

[0081] Further, for tabs 3000 of different thicknesses, the preset gap is set differently, and the preset gap is 0.9-1.1 times the thickness of the tab 3000. This preset thickness range is beneficial to make the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 clamp on both sides of the tab 3000, and produce a small pressure or only contact the surface of the tab 3000 without pressure, so as to avoid causing damage to the structure of the tab 3000 during the clamping process, and can maintain the inner and outer shapes of the tab 3000 bending position, so as to ensure the guiding effect.

[0082] The preset gap setting of the clamping and fixing assembly is beneficial to disperse the bending stress of the tab 3000, and avoids the tab 3000 from being wrinkled, torn or broken during the bending process, and ensures the structural integrity and conductivity of the tab 3000.

[0083] In one of the embodiments, the width W of the first clamping member 100 is smaller than the width W of the second clamping member 200, so that the setting of the tab fixing assembly 1000 is located in the shape suitable for the bending of the tab 3000, avoiding the first clamping member 100 located on the inner side of the tab 3000 bending position supporting the tab 3000, affecting the bending angle of the tab 3000, and being beneficial to improve the stability of the tab fixing assembly 1000 providing guidance for the bending of the tab 3000.

[0084] In one embodiment, the length L of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 is not less than half of the width W of the tab 3000, so that the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 cover at least the main area of the bent tab 3000, thereby making the tab fixing assembly 1000 applicable to tabs 3000 of different widths, especially the commonly used large square battery tab 3000. Specifically, for tabs 3000 of different widths, the length L of the tab fixing assembly 1000 can be set accordingly, or the length L of the tab fixing assembly 1000 can be designed to be at least not less than half of the width of the tab 3000 of the maximum width, so that when the tab fixing assembly 1000 is applied to a tab 3000 of a smaller width, the range of the tab fixing assembly 1000 is greater than half of the width of the tab 3000, thereby ensuring the clamping effect, thereby expanding the application range of the tab fixing assembly 1000, without the need to design a tab fixing assembly 1000 for each width of the tab 3000, which is conducive to reducing costs.

[0085] In one embodiment, the tab fixing assembly 1000 further comprises a connecting member 300, which is located on the same side of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 along the length direction of the first clamping member 100, and the connecting member 300 is connected with the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200. The structure of the connecting member 300 makes it easier for the tab fixing assembly 100 to switch between the open position and the clamping position, avoids failure and even damage such as breakage due to the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 being deformed from elastic deformation to plastic deformation during repeated switching.

[0086] More specifically, the connecting member 300 is configured with an adjusting groove 310 extending along the width W of the first clamping member 100, and the side of the adjusting groove 310 facing the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 is open, so that the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 can be separated from each other. The structure of the connecting member 300 is conducive to the tab fixing assembly 1000 utilizing the elasticity of the material itself, so that the tab fixing assembly 1000 can be pried open from the opening by an external tool or device, and conveniently and quickly fitted onto the tab 3000; after the external force is removed, the elastic restoring force is relied on to generate a gentle and stable clamping force on the tab 3000.

[0087] Optionally, the thickness of the annular groove is less than the thickness of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200, so that the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 are easily deformed, reducing the external force required to open the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200, and at the same time reducing the clamping force of the first clamping member 100 and the second clamping member 200 after the external force is removed, thereby avoiding damage to the tab 3000.

[0088] As Figures 1-5As shown, the embodiment also provides a battery assembling method comprising:

[0089] S1, connecting the winding core 2000 and the tab 3000, and the tab 3000 and the cover plate 4000.

[0090] First, the winding core 2000 and the tab 3000 are welded, and the connecting piece of the tab 3000 and the cover plate 4000 is welded, where the welding is generally laser welding. Then the above structure is transported to the tab fixing assembly 1000 installation station.

[0091] S2, folding the winding core 2000 to a first preset angle, so that the tab 3000 is bent to the first preset angle. As shown Figure 4 As shown, the winding core 2000 is folded to the first preset angle position.

[0092] Because the cover plate 4000 of the battery is provided with bosses on both sides, there is interference in assembling the tab fixing assembly 1000, so before assembling the tab fixing assembly 1000, the winding core 2000 is first folded to the first preset angle, at which time the tab 3000 connected with the winding core 2000 is also bent to the first preset angle. The first preset angle here is not greater than 30°, which can be 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25° or 30°, or any angle between 0° and 30°, and the specific angle can be set according to the structure of the winding core 2000 and the cover plate 4000.

[0093] S3, using external force to make the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 of the above tab fixing assembly 1000 be in an open position, and inserting the tab fixing assembly 1000 into the bent position of the tab 3000, so that the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 are respectively located on both sides of the tab 3000, thereby assembling the tab fixing assembly 1000.

[0094] The above process can be operated by an automatic device, which is provided with a structure such as a mechanical arm, which uses a clamping jaw or a spreading mechanism to pick up the tab fixing assembly 1000 and open the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 to the open position. Then the mechanical arm assembles the tab fixing assembly 1000 in the open position from the side of the tab 3000 to the preset bent position.

[0095] S4, removing the external force, so that the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 respectively abut against the two oppositely arranged surfaces of the tab 3000 to clamp the tab 3000; this process is still automatically completed by the above-mentioned mechanical arm, and only the external force of the mechanical arm on the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 needs to be removed, and the first clamping piece 100 and the second clamping piece 200 can automatically return to the clamping position, i.e. the initial position.

[0096] S5, continue to fold the core 2000 to a second preset angle. As shown in Figure 5 The core 2000 is folded to the second preset angle position.

[0097] After the tab fixing assembly 1000 is fixed, the core 2000 enters a subsequent core 2000 combining or tab 3000 bending station. At this station, the core 2000 itself or an external bending mechanism, such as an arm, a push rod, or a special mold, acts on the tab 3000 or drives the core 2000 to move, so that the tab 3000 together with the tab fixing assembly 1000 is bent around a predetermined axis. Under the action of the bending force, the tab 3000 is accurately guided and constrained inside the tab fixing assembly 1000, the inner side and the outer side thereof are smoothly extended along the arc surface of the tab fixing assembly 1000, and the overall shape thereof is accurately controlled by the double-sided limiting structure of the tab fixing assembly 1000. Therefore, the tab 3000 can smoothly and accurately complete bending according to the preset bending radius and bending angle, effectively avoiding reverse insertion, redundancy, wrinkles, or tearing.

[0098] In one embodiment, after the above steps, when the tab 3000 is bent and reaches a stable shape, the tab fixing assembly 1000 is removed, and then the battery is subjected to subsequent processes.

[0099] Exemplarily, in the subsequent Mylar film covering process after the tab 3000 is bent, the shape of the bent tab 3000 is fixed, at which time it can be considered that the tab 3000 is in a stable shape. Alternatively, before the subsequent step of installing the core 2000 into the battery shell, it can also be considered that the tab 3000 is in a stable shape. The tab fixing assembly 1000 can be removed in these two states.

[0100] The removal can also be achieved by an automatic device, for example, the tab 3000 is clamped and supported open from the opening and removed by a tool.

[0101] The removed tab fixing assembly 1000 can be collected and reused, reducing production costs.

[0102] If a specific design allows, such as a special material with no effect on the performance of the battery or a very small size, and the process flow simplification requirement is greater than the recycling cost, it can also be designed to be used once and permanently left inside the battery, but this is not the mainstream application scenario of the present embodiment.

[0103] Through the above specific examples, the tab fixing assembly 1000 and the application process thereof can significantly improve the quality and stability of the battery tab 3000 bending process, ensuring the smooth progress of subsequent assembly and the final performance of the battery product.

[0104] Any combination of the technical features in the above-described embodiments can be made, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations are described, however, it is to be understood that the application embraces all such possible combinations.

[0105] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation manners of the present application, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as a limitation on the patent scope of the application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled persons in the art, some modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tab fixing assembly, characterized in that, The electrode fixing assembly is used to secure the electrode when it is bent, and includes: First clamping element; and The second clamping member is connected to the first clamping member; the relative positions of the second clamping member and the first clamping member include an open position and a clamping position; In the open position, the first clamp and the second clamp are respectively away from the tab; In the clamping position, the first clamping member and the second clamping member respectively abut against two opposing surfaces of the electrode tab.

2. The electrode fixing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the open position, the first clamping member and the second clamping member are arranged at an angle; In the clamping position, the included angle between the first clamping member and the second clamping member is no greater than 5°; The natural state between the first clamping member and the second clamping member is the clamping position.

3. The electrode fixing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first clamping member has a first clamping arc surface, and the second clamping member has a second clamping arc surface. The first clamping arc surface and the second clamping arc surface are used to contact the surface of the electrode tab.

4. The electrode fixing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The curvature of the first clamping arc surface is smaller than that of the second clamping arc surface.

5. The electrode fixing assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the first clamping member and the second clamping member are in the clamping position, a preset gap is maintained between the first clamping arc surface and the second clamping arc surface.

6. The electrode fixing assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The preset gap is 0.9-1 times the thickness of the tab.

7. The electrode fixing assembly according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The width of the first clamping member is smaller than the width of the second clamping member.

8. The electrode fixing assembly according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The lengths of the first clamping member and the second clamping member are not less than half the width of the electrode tab.

9. The electrode fixing assembly according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The electrode fixing assembly also includes: A connector, wherein the connector is located on the same side of the first clamping member and the second clamping member along the length direction of the first clamping member; The connector is connected to the first clamping member and the second clamping member; The connector is configured with an adjustment groove extending along the width direction of the first clamping member, and the side of the adjustment groove facing the first clamping member and the second clamping member has an opening.

10. A battery assembly method, characterized in that, include: Connect the core to the electrode lug and the electrode lug to the cover plate; Fold the core to a first preset angle, so that the tab is bent to the first preset angle; Using external force, the first clamping member and the second clamping member of the electrode fixing assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9 are placed in the open position, and the electrode fixing assembly is inserted into the bent position of the electrode, so that the first clamping member and the second clamping member are respectively located on both sides of the electrode; Remove the external force so that the first clamping member and the second clamping member respectively abut against the two oppositely arranged surfaces of the electrode tab to clamp the electrode tab; Continue folding the core to the second preset angle.

Images