Zinc ion battery cell cap welding equipment

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of battery cell processing, and particularly discloses zinc ion battery cell cap welding equipment which comprises a disc welding mechanism, the disc welding mechanism comprises an annular conveying line, a cam driving part and a plurality of battery cell limiting parts, the cam driving part is used for driving the annular conveying line to rotate intermittently, and the battery cell limiting parts are arranged on the annular conveying line; a battery cell feeding assembly, a tab processing assembly, a battery cell resetting assembly, a cap welding assembly, a cap sensing assembly and a detecting and correcting assembly are sequentially arranged on the peripheral side of the annular conveying line in the conveying direction of the annular conveying line; according to the invention, a plurality of key functional components such as cell feeding, tab processing, resetting and fixing, cap welding, induction detection and detection shape correction are sequentially integrated along the conveying direction of the annular conveying line, and the conveying line is driven by the same cam driving piece to do high-precision intermittent rotation, so that a highly integrated disc welding workstation is constructed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery cell processing technology, and in particular to a zinc ion battery cell cap welding device. Background Technology

[0002] Before encapsulation, zinc-ion cylindrical battery cells require the metal cap to be welded to the tabs of the wound core. Currently, automated solutions for this process have significant drawbacks: First, the process integration is low, with cell alignment, cap loading, and welding stations scattered, resulting in slow cycle times and limited efficiency. Second, key actions lack precision, especially the positioning, flattening, and precise alignment of the flexible tabs with the cap, which relies on manual labor or simple machinery, leading to poor consistency and potential welding misalignment or incomplete welds, affecting subsequent encapsulation. Third, there is a lack of effective online quality control; post-weld inspections often only involve visual or continuity checks, failing to assess the mechanical strength of the weld joints in real time, allowing defective products to easily flow into subsequent processes and increasing production costs. Existing technologies struggle to ensure both high-cycle production and the reliability of the welded caps, as well as smooth process transitions, failing to meet the demands of large-scale, high-precision battery cell production. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a zinc ion battery cell welding cap device to solve at least one of the technical problems in the background art.

[0004] A zinc ion battery cell cap welding device, comprising: The disc welding mechanism includes a ring conveyor line, a cam drive component, and multiple battery cell limiting components. The cam drive component is used to drive the ring conveyor line to rotate intermittently. Each battery cell limiting component is set on the ring conveyor line. Along the conveying direction of the ring conveyor line, a battery cell feeding component, a tab processing component, a battery cell resetting component, a welding cap component, a cap sensing component, and a detection and calibration component are sequentially arranged on the periphery of the ring conveyor line. Cap supply unit, used to supply caps to the cap welding assembly; The discharge sorting mechanism is located at the discharge end of the disc welding mechanism and is used to sort and remove the battery cells.

[0005] Preferably, the cap assembly includes a cap guide component, a cap pusher cylinder, and a spot welding component; the cap guide component is located inside the annular conveyor line and has a vertical hollow strip channel, the bottom end of which forms a limiting groove adapted to the cap; the output end of the cap pusher cylinder is positioned opposite the limiting groove; the spot welding component is located outside the annular conveyor line and its working end is positioned corresponding to the limiting groove.

[0006] Preferably, the limiting groove has a first opening on the side of the cap pusher cylinder near the cap, and a second opening on the side of the limiting groove near the spot welding component; the size of the first opening is configured to be smaller than the size of the cap, and the size of the second opening matches the size of the cap.

[0007] Preferably, the tab processing assembly includes a tab correction component and a tab straightening component connected in sequence; the tab correction component includes a photoelectric sensor for sensing the position of the tab and a rotary drive for driving the cell to rotate; the tab straightening component includes a straightening gripper and a gripper cylinder for driving the straightening gripper to open and close.

[0008] Preferably, the cell reset assembly includes a reset pressure head and a reset cylinder; the reset pressure head is set to correspond to the cell limiting component on the circular conveyor line, and the reset cylinder is used to drive the reset pressure head to press down on the cell.

[0009] Preferably, the cap sensing component is used to detect whether a cap is assembled on the battery cell after welding; the detection and alignment component includes a cap welding strength detection component and a battery cell alignment component; the welding strength detection component is used to detect the welding firmness between the cap and the battery cell tab; the battery cell alignment component is used to perform a slant pretreatment on the battery cell cap.

[0010] Preferably, the cap supply mechanism includes a cap feeding assembly and a cap unloading assembly; the cap feeding assembly includes a feeding frame, a funnel, and an inclined cap conveyor belt, the funnel is located below the feeding frame and its outlet is aligned with the cap conveyor belt, and the cap conveyor belt is provided with spaced baffles; the cap unloading assembly includes a vibrating plate and a unloading chute, one end of the unloading chute is connected to the discharge end of the vibrating plate, and the other end of the unloading chute is connected to the feeding end of the cap guide component.

[0011] Preferably, the discharge sorting mechanism includes a good product transfer component and a defective product diversion component; the good product transfer component includes a good product pusher cylinder, a cell conveyor belt, a transverse slide rail, and a multi-axis robotic arm. The good product pusher cylinder is located inside the circular conveyor line and is used to push qualified cells into the cell conveyor belt. The transverse slide rail is arranged adjacent to the cell conveyor belt, and the multi-axis robotic arm is arranged on the transverse slide rail; the defective product diversion component includes a defective pusher cylinder and a defective product channel. The defective pusher cylinder is located inside the circular conveyor line and is used to push unqualified cells into the defective product channel for collection.

[0012] Preferably, the zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment of this application further includes a dispensing mechanism, which includes a conveying channel, a pressing component, a dispensing component, and a heat dissipation component; the pressing component, the dispensing component, and the heat dissipation component are sequentially arranged on one side of the conveying path of the conveying channel; the pressing component is used to press down the battery cell to stabilize the battery cell; the dispensing component is used to apply adhesive to the inner wall of the battery cell shell; and the heat dissipation component is used to cool down the battery cell after dispensing; the discharge end of the conveying channel is connected to the battery cell feeding component of the disc welding mechanism.

[0013] Preferably, multiple cell limiting components are evenly spaced along the circumference of the circular conveyor line, with each cell limiting component corresponding to two cell processing positions; the cell feeding assembly, tab processing assembly, cell reset assembly, cap welding assembly, cap sensing assembly, and detection and calibration assembly are all set up with dual workstations.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. By integrating multiple key functional components such as cell loading, tab processing, resetting and fixing, cap welding, induction detection, and inspection and calibration along the conveying direction of a circular conveyor line, and driving the conveyor line to rotate intermittently with high precision using a single cam drive, a highly integrated disc welding workstation is constructed. This integrated layout greatly reduces material handling and waiting time between processes, achieving strict synchronization between processing actions and conveying rhythm at each station. Combined with the real-time directional feeding of the cap supply mechanism, this design ensures a highly continuous process from cell entry and processing to inspection, significantly improving the overall operating rhythm and production efficiency of the equipment.

[0015] 2. Through online integrated cap sensing and detection / calibration components, the battery cell's cap assembly status is immediately confirmed after welding, welding strength is tested, and cap posture is pre-corrected, forming a closed-loop quality control process. Combined with the downstream discharge sorting mechanism, it can automatically and accurately sort and divert good products from various defective products based on real-time detection results. This achieves full-process automation from processing and online detection to intelligent sorting. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the dispensing mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is another perspective view of the dispensing mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of a disc welding mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of the disc welding mechanism from another angle in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of the disc welding mechanism in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a partial perspective view of the welding cap assembly in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0023] Figure 9 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle.

[0024] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a cap supply mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of the transfer component in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 100, Disc welding mechanism; 101, Circular conveyor line; 102, Cam drive component; 103, Cell limiting component; 110, Cell feeding assembly; 111, First feed inlet; 112, Second feed inlet; 113, Feeding push cylinder; 120, Tab processing assembly; 121, Tab correction component; 122, Tab straightening component; 130, Cell reset assembly; 140, Weld cap assembly; 141, Cap guide component; 142, Cap pusher cylinder; 143, Spot welding component; 144, Limiting groove; 145, First opening; 146, Second opening; 150, Cap sensing assembly; 160, Detection and alignment assembly; 161, Welding strength detection component; 162, Cell alignment component; 170, Tab detection assembly; 171, Tab length detection component; 172, Tab width detection component; 200. Cap supply mechanism; 210. Cap feeding assembly; 211. Feed frame; 212. Funnel; 213. Cap conveyor belt; 214. Baffle plate; 215. Side baffle plate; 216. Cover plate; 217. Guide slide plate; 218. Sealing slide rail; 220. Cap unloading assembly; 221. Vibratory feeder; 222. Unloading chute; 300. Discharge sorting mechanism; 310. Good product transfer assembly; 311. Good product pusher cylinder; 312. Battery cell conveyor belt; 313. Transverse slide rail; 314. Multi-axis robotic arm; 320. Defective product diversion assembly; 321. Defective product pusher cylinder; 322. Defective product channel; 400 Dispensing mechanism; 410 Conveying channel; 411 Dispensing cylinder; 420 Pressing assembly; 421 Pressing block; 430 Dispensing assembly; 440 Heat dissipation assembly; 450 Cam assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, a zinc ion battery cell welding cap device includes: The disc welding mechanism 100 includes an annular conveyor line 101, a cam drive 102, and multiple battery cell limiting components 103. The cam drive 102 is used to drive the annular conveyor line 101 to rotate intermittently. Each battery cell limiting component 103 is disposed on the annular conveyor line 101. Along the conveying direction of the annular conveyor line 101, a battery cell feeding assembly 110, an electrode tab processing assembly 120, a battery cell reset assembly 130, a welding cap assembly 140, a cap sensing assembly 150, and a detection and calibration assembly 160 are sequentially disposed on the periphery of the annular conveyor line 101. Cap supply mechanism 200 is used to supply caps to cap assembly 140; The discharge sorting mechanism 300 is located at the discharge end of the disc welding mechanism 100 and is used to sort and remove battery cells.

[0031] This invention provides a zinc-ion battery cell cap welding device, which integrates functions such as battery cell pretreatment, cap directional supply, high-precision welding, and online quality inspection, aiming to achieve fully automated, high-efficiency, and highly consistent production of cylindrical battery cell cap welding processes. Specifically, the zinc-ion battery cell cap welding device of this invention mainly includes a dispensing mechanism 400, a disc welding mechanism 100, a cap supply mechanism 200, and a discharge sorting mechanism 300. The overall workflow of the device is as follows: the battery cell first enters the dispensing mechanism 400 for pretreatment, and is then conveyed to the disc welding mechanism 100; simultaneously, the cap supply mechanism 200 screens and directionally conveys the caps to the cap welding assembly 140 in the disc welding mechanism 100; on the disc welding mechanism 100, the battery cell sequentially completes feeding, tab correction and shaping, cap welding, and post-weld inspection; finally, qualified and unqualified battery cells are separated and transferred by the discharge sorting mechanism 300.

[0032] The zinc ion battery cell cap welding equipment in this application also includes a dispensing mechanism 400. The dispensing mechanism 400 includes a conveying channel 410, a pressing component 420, a dispensing component 430, and a heat dissipation component 440. The pressing component 420, the dispensing component 430, and the heat dissipation component 440 are sequentially arranged on one side of the conveying path of the conveying channel 410. The pressing component 420 is used to press down the battery cell to stabilize it. The dispensing component 430 is used to apply adhesive to the inner wall of the battery cell shell. The heat dissipation component 440 is used to cool down the battery cell after dispensing. The discharge end of the conveying channel 410 is connected to the battery cell loading component 110 of the disc welding mechanism 100.

[0033] The dispensing mechanism 400, as a pretreatment unit, has the core function of applying sealant in a ring to the inner wall of the open end of the battery cell casing, assisting in any subsequent capping and sealing process. Specifically, the battery cell arrives at the dispensing station along the conveying channel 410. The dispensing head of the dispensing assembly 430 moves downward, precisely applying sealant to the inner wall of the open end of the battery cell casing, forming a continuous ring of sealant. After the sealant is applied, the battery cell continues to be conveyed to the heat dissipation assembly 440 area. The heat dissipation assembly 440 cools the battery cell casing and the sealant through convection cooling and other methods, promoting the sealant to reach a suitable initial curing state and preventing it from flowing or becoming contaminated during subsequent handling. The processed battery cell is then conveyed to the disc welding mechanism 100 via the conveying channel 410.

[0034] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, preferably, the dispensing mechanism 400 adopts a dual-channel parallel processing design to improve efficiency. Specifically, the dispensing mechanism 400 includes two conveying channels 410, a dispensing cylinder 411, a pressing assembly 420, a dispensing assembly 430, and a heat dissipation assembly 440. The two conveying channels 410 are two symmetrically arranged parallel conveying lines. The dispensing cylinder 411 is located in the middle of the entrance of the two conveying channels 410 to divert the battery cells to the two conveying channels 410. Each conveying channel 410 is equipped with a pressing assembly 420 and a dispensing assembly 430 along its conveying path. The 20 includes a pressing block 421 and a driving cylinder. The pressing block 421 has a clearance slot that matches the shape of the upper electrode tab of the battery cell. A cam assembly 450 is also provided after the pressing assembly 420. The dispensing assembly 430 includes a dispensing head and a dispensing drive. The two conveying channels 410 converge after passing through the dispensing assembly 430 to form a single conveying channel 410. After passing through the heat dissipation assembly 440, the material is discharged. The discharge end of the conveying channel 410 is connected to the battery cell feeding assembly 110 of the disc conveying mechanism.

[0035] According to the above embodiment, the dispensing mechanism 400 operates as follows: After the battery cell arrives at the entrance of the conveyor channel 410 via the conveyor line, it is alternately or sequentially diverted by the dispensing cylinder 411 to the two conveyor channels 410 to achieve parallel processing and improve efficiency. At the right-angle turns of each channel, a pressing mechanism is provided, with the pressing block 421 acting on the top of the battery cell. When the battery cell passes through, it applies a constraint force from above, effectively preventing the cylindrical battery cell from rolling, shifting, or tipping due to centrifugal force or inertia when turning, ensuring that it completes the direction change in a stable and upright posture and enters the straight conveying section. Furthermore, the pressing block 421 has an avoidance groove inside. This design allows the pressing block 421 to fully accommodate and avoid the protruding electrode tab when pressing down, thereby avoiding mechanical damage or pressure to the electrode tab, while ensuring that the lower surface of the pressing block 421 can stably abut against the flat end face of the top of the battery cell housing, achieving reliable posture limitation. Immediately following the pressing assembly 420, a cam assembly 450 is provided. The cam assembly 450 is used to receive and transfer the battery cells that have achieved stable posture. Driven by a specific cam curve, it smoothly and reliably pushes the battery cells from the turning station to the subsequent straight conveyor section, ensuring the stability and positional accuracy of the cell transfer between stations. After the battery cell is turned and conveyed to the dispensing station, the dispensing head of the dispensing assembly 430 descends to precisely apply adhesive in a circular motion to the inner wall of the open end of the battery cell casing. The dispensed battery cells continue to be conveyed, and the dispensed cells on the two conveyor channels 410 converge at the end of the conveyor line onto the same merging conveyor channel 410, achieving confluence. They then enter the working area of ​​the heat dissipation assembly 440, where the applied adhesive is initially cured by air cooling or other methods, reaching a surface-dry state. This prevents contamination or displacement of the adhesive due to its fluidity during subsequent handling and welding. Finally, the discharge end of the confluence conveying channel 410 is precisely aligned and connected with the cell feeding assembly 110 of the disc welding mechanism 100, so as to continuously and automatically supply the semi-finished cell that has completed the glue pretreatment and whose glue state is stable to the core welding process.

[0036] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described dual-channel design is a preferred solution for improving production efficiency. Depending on actual production capacity and layout requirements, the number of conveying channels 410 can be flexibly adjusted to one or more, its core function being to achieve stable delivery of battery cells, precise dispensing, and cooling treatment.

[0037] After the battery cell is processed by the dispensing mechanism 400, it will be conveyed to the disc welding mechanism 100. The disc welding mechanism 100 is the core of this equipment, used to complete a series of processes such as battery cell positioning, tab processing, cap welding, and quality inspection. The main body of this mechanism is a ring conveyor line 101 driven by a cam drive 102. The cam drive 102 can precisely drive the ring conveyor line 101 to perform intermittent indexing rotation, with each pause being a processing station, ensuring extremely high positioning accuracy and production cycle synchronization. Multiple battery cell limiting components 103 on the ring conveyor line 101 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the ring conveyor line 101, with each battery cell limiting component 103 corresponding to two battery cell processing positions. The battery cell loading assembly 110, tab processing assembly 120, battery cell reset assembly 130, cap welding assembly 140, and inspection and calibration assembly 160 of the disc welding mechanism 100 are all set up with dual stations, and each corresponds one-to-one with the two battery cell processing positions on the battery cell limiting component 103.

[0038] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, for ease of use, in some embodiments, the cam drive 102 (generally located below the disc, referred to in the figure as the position of the cam drive 102 above the disc) includes a cam divider and a drive motor for driving the cam divider; the cam divider is a precision intermittent divider, its input end is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and its output end is connected to the rotating main shaft of the circular conveyor 101, which can convert the continuous rotational motion of the drive motor into the intermittent indexing motion of the circular conveyor 101, so that the circular conveyor 101 accurately stops at the preset position of each processing station each time it rotates, ensuring the processing synchronization of each component; each cell limiting member 103 is designed as a dual-station structure that can accommodate two cells at the same time, and can carry two cells at the same time, used to limit the cells to prevent the cells from shifting during intermittent start and stop. Specifically, each cell processing position on the cell limiting member 103 is a semi-enclosed U-shaped card holder structure, and the inner wall of the card holder is provided with an anti-slip rubber layer. It should be noted that the intermittent pause time of the circular conveyor line 101 can be adjusted by the control system to adapt to the processing cycle requirements of different specifications of battery cells. Correspondingly, each functional component arranged in sequence along the outer side of the circular conveyor line 101 also adopts a symmetrical dual-station design to achieve synchronous parallel processing of two battery cells on each battery cell limiting component 103.

[0039] The workflow of the disc welding mechanism 100 begins with its cell loading assembly 110. For example... Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the cell feeding assembly 110 has a precise synchronous feeding function. Its structure includes a first feed port 111 and a second feed port 112 arranged side by side along the tangential direction of the annular conveyor line 101, and a feeding push cylinder 113 is respectively arranged on the side of each feed port.

[0040] Specifically, the pre-treated battery cells are transported from the upstream conveyor line to the battery cell loading assembly 110 area. First, the feeding push cylinder 113, located at the diversion position, moves intermittently, sequentially distributing the incoming battery cells to the preparatory positions of the first feed port 111 and the second feed port 112. Subsequently, the system detects the status of the battery cell limiting member 103 on the circular conveyor line 101. When the battery cell limiting member 103 carrying an empty workstation rotates and precisely stops, aligning its two battery cell processing positions with the first feed port 111 and the second feed port 112 respectively, the two feeding push cylinders 113 receive instructions and act synchronously, smoothly and synchronously pushing the battery cells already positioned at the two feed ports into the corresponding battery cell processing positions of the battery cell limiting member 103. This design ensures a high-precision match between battery cell loading and the disc rotation rhythm, achieving parallel and precise loading of dual battery cells, laying the foundation for synchronous processing in subsequent processes.

[0041] After the feeding is completed, the circular conveyor line 101 rotates precisely one division under the drive of the cam drive unit 102, sending the limiting member carrying the battery cell to the electrode processing assembly 120.

[0042] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the tab processing assembly 120 includes a tab correction component 121 and a tab straightening component 122 connected in sequence; the tab correction component 121 includes a photoelectric sensor for sensing the position of the tab and a rotary drive for driving the cell to rotate; the tab straightening component 122 includes a straightening gripper and a gripper cylinder for driving the straightening gripper to open and close.

[0043] In some embodiments, the tab alignment component 121 detects the circumferential position of the battery cell tabs using a photoelectric sensor and controls a rotary drive to rotate the battery cell until all tabs are aligned to a uniform angle. Subsequently, the straightening jaws of the tab straightening component 122 close under the drive of a jaw cylinder, flattening any bent or wrinkled tabs and providing a flat contact surface for welding.

[0044] After the battery cell completes the tab alignment and straightening process, the disc welding mechanism 100 rotates and indexes, and the battery cell enters the station of the battery cell reset assembly 130 along with the rotation of the ring conveyor line 101.

[0045] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the cell reset assembly 130 includes a reset pressure head and a reset cylinder; the reset pressure head is set corresponding to the cell limiting member 103 on the annular conveyor line 101, and the reset cylinder is used to drive the reset pressure head to press down the cell.

[0046] In some embodiments, when the cell-carrying limiting member 103 precisely stops at the reset station, the cell reset assembly 130 begins to operate. The reset cylinder drives the reset pressure head downwards. The bottom of the reset pressure head is designed with a contact surface that matches the upper structure of the cell, enabling it to directly and effectively transmit force to the upper end of the core. The reset pressure head continuously applies stable downward pressure, pushing the core, which may have floated or loosened, downwards, causing it to re-fit tightly against the inner bottom surface of the cell casing, eliminating internal gaps. This reset process ensures that the core and the connected tabs are fixed in the axial and radial directions, restoring the overall structural integrity of the cell. This ensures that the tab positions in subsequent welding stations are highly consistent and reliable.

[0047] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, in order to perform a final verification of the processing quality of the tabs before welding and to ensure that only cells with qualified dimensions and specifications enter the critical cap welding process, preferably, the device is also provided with a tab detection component 170 after the cell reset assembly 130 and before the cap welding assembly 140. This tab detection component 170 is arranged along the outer side of the annular conveyor line 101 and includes a tab length detection component 171 and a tab width detection component 172 arranged sequentially.

[0048] Specifically, after the battery cell completes calibration, straightening, and internal reset, it rotates to the station along the circular conveyor line 101. First, the tab length detection component 171 (e.g., using a laser rangefinder or vision measurement system) performs a non-contact, precise measurement of the tab extension length. Then, the battery cell continues to rotate or move to the next station, where the tab width detection component 172 measures the tab width. These two detection components compare the real-time measurement data with preset acceptance thresholds. Only when both the length and width of the battery cell's tabs meet the process requirements is the battery cell deemed acceptable and allowed to continue flowing with the disc to the subsequent welding cap assembly 140 for welding. If any dimension is found to be non-compliant, the system immediately records the battery cell as defective and issues a signal. This signal is ultimately transmitted to the discharge sorting mechanism 300, which controls it to sort the corresponding battery cell to the defective product channel 322 at the end of the circular conveyor line 101, thereby achieving online full inspection and automatic screening of tab dimensions.

[0049] Furthermore, the introduction of the tab detection component 170 establishes the final dimensional quality checkpoint before welding, minimizing welding defects or safety hazards caused by tab dimensional deviations, and significantly improving the consistency of input quality in the welding process.

[0050] After the cell reset is completed, the disc welding mechanism 100 rotates and indexes, transporting the cell that has been reset and fixed internally and externally to the welding cap assembly 140, providing a crucial prerequisite for high-precision and high-consistency welding between the cap and the tab.

[0051] After the battery cell is pressed and reset by the battery cell reset assembly 130 (and in some embodiments, also detected by the tab detection assembly 170), the disc welding mechanism 100 rotates another division under the drive of the cam drive 102, accurately conveying the battery cell in a stable pressed state to the next key station - the cap welding assembly 140. This assembly is the core unit for performing cap and tab welding, and its design ensures accurate placement and reliable welding of the cap.

[0052] like Figures 7 to 9 As shown, the cap assembly 140 includes a cap guide component 141, a cap pusher cylinder 142, and a spot welding component 143. The cap guide component 141 is located inside the annular conveyor line 101 and has a vertical hollow strip channel. The bottom end of the channel forms a limiting groove 144 that is adapted to the cap. The output end of the cap pusher cylinder 142 is positioned opposite the limiting groove 144. The spot welding component 143 is located outside the annular conveyor line 101, and its working end is positioned corresponding to the limiting groove 144.

[0053] The limiting groove 144 has a first opening 145 on the side near the cap pusher cylinder 142, and a second opening 146 on the side near the spot welding component 143; the size of the first opening 145 is configured to be smaller than the size of the cap, and the size of the second opening 146 matches the size of the cap.

[0054] In some embodiments, when the battery cell arrives at the welding station, its tabs are already aligned, straightened, and axially fixed. Simultaneously, the cap supply mechanism 200 delivers correctly oriented caps via the unloading chute 222 to the cap guide component 141 of the cap assembly 140. The cap guide component 141 is located inside the annular conveyor line 101, and its main body is a vertically arranged hollow strip channel. Caps delivered from the cap supply mechanism 200 slide down this vertical, nearly vertical channel under gravity, maintaining an upright posture, and finally reach the limiting groove 144 at the bottom of the channel. The limiting groove 144 is a receiving structure precisely adapted to the shape of the upright cap, ensuring the cap remains stably upright. The limiting groove 144 has a key feature: a first opening 145 is provided on one side facing the center of the annular conveyor line 101, and a second opening 146 is provided on the other side facing outwards. The first opening 145 is sized smaller than the diameter of the cap, preventing the cap from detaching from that side when it stands upright in the groove; the second opening 146 is sized to match the cap. Specifically, when the battery cell rotates into position and its upright tab aligns with the second opening 146 of the limiting groove 144, the welding process begins. The cap pusher cylinder 142 moves horizontally, its output end extending horizontally from the first opening 145 side, pressing against the inner plane of the cap standing upright in the limiting groove 144. Due to the physical obstruction of the first opening 145, the cap cannot tilt or move to that side. Under the pushing force of the pusher cylinder, the cap, maintaining its upright posture, is smoothly pushed out from the matching second opening 146. At this point, the outer plane of the cap after being pushed out precisely aligns with the plane of the upright tab on the battery cell.

[0055] Next, the spot welding component 143, located outside the circular conveyor line 101, is activated. Its welding head advances horizontally, simultaneously pressing the already bonded cap plane and electrode plane together, and applying a large instantaneous current to the contact surface to complete a firm weld between the cap and the electrode, thus combining the battery cell and the cap in a vertically bonded manner. The cap welding assembly 140, through its coordinated design of vertical guidance, lateral limiting push, and horizontal welding, achieves high-precision alignment and reliable connection between the cap and the electrode in an upright state.

[0056] Furthermore, as an optimized design, an electromagnetic plate is embedded at the working end of the cap pusher cylinder 142. This magnetic plate is precisely timed to be energized and de-energized by the equipment control system. Before the cap pusher cylinder 142 advances, the magnetic plate is energized, attracting and stabilizing the inner surface of the upright cap, preventing slippage or changes in posture during the pushing process; it maintains magnetic force during welding to counteract welding disturbances; after welding is completed, the power is cut off to release the cap, which is then completely released and remains on the welded battery cell. The cap pusher cylinder 142 then smoothly resets, ready for the next welding cycle.

[0057] While the cap assembly 140 is performing welding operations, the cap supply mechanism 200 is also simultaneously supplying caps. To ensure the proper functioning of the cap assembly 140, the cap supply mechanism 200, as an automated feeding unit independent of the main welding line, is responsible for the batch feeding, orderly conveying, posture screening, and final targeted supply of caps to the welding station. The cap supply mechanism 200 mainly consists of a cap feeding assembly 210 and a cap unloading assembly 220 spatially connected. These two components work together to ensure that caps are continuously conveyed to the cap assembly 140 in the correct and stable posture.

[0058] like Figure 1 and Figure 10 As shown, the cap supply mechanism 200 includes a cap feeding assembly 210 and a cap unloading assembly 220. The cap feeding assembly 210 includes a feed frame 211, a funnel 212, and an inclined cap conveyor belt 213. The funnel 212 is located below the feed frame 211, and its outlet is aligned with the cap conveyor belt 213. The cap conveyor belt 213 is provided with spaced baffles 214. The upper end of the cap conveyor belt 213 is located above the cap unloading assembly 220. The cap unloading assembly 220 includes a vibrating plate 221 and a discharge chute 222. One end of the discharge chute 222 is connected to the discharge end of the vibrating plate 221, and the other end of the discharge chute 222 is connected to the feed end of the cap guide component 141.

[0059] like Figure 10As shown, in some embodiments, the cap feeding assembly 210 is used for material receiving, directional conveying, and start / stop control. It includes a feed frame 211, a pyramidal funnel 212, and an inclined cap conveyor belt 213. Cap elements are stored in the feed frame 211, collected by the funnel 212 at the bottom, and discharged from its lower outlet. This outlet faces the bearing surface of the cap conveyor belt 213 below. Multiple spaced vertical baffles 214 are fixed to the bearing surface of the conveyor belt, forming a series of independent receiving units. It should be noted that the width of the funnel 212 outlet is less than the horizontal length of the baffle 214. This ensures that falling caps are always received by a single, intact baffle 214, preventing leakage from gaps on either side of the baffle, achieving non-destructive and reliable single-piece reception. When the conveyor belt is running, the caps falling from the outlet of hopper 212 will naturally fall into and stop in the receiving unit in front of a baffle 214, thus being received one by one and conveyed upward with the conveyor belt, realizing the transformation of caps from disordered stacking to orderly single-piece conveying. Furthermore, to ensure the stability of the caps during the inclined upward conveying process, the cap conveyor belt 213 is also equipped with multiple protective structures: on both sides of the bearing surface of the cap conveyor belt 213, there are side baffles 215 extending along the conveying direction to prevent caps from slipping off the sides; above the cap conveyor belt 213 (i.e., in the area away from the discharge of hopper 212), a cover plate 216 is also provided, forming a semi-enclosed channel to effectively prevent caps from jumping out due to conveyor belt vibration or inertia. At the upper unloading point of the cap conveyor belt 213, a guide slide plate 217 is connected. The guide slide 217 extends downward at an angle from the end of the cap conveyor belt 213. Its surface is smooth and it has guards on both sides. It can smoothly and guide the caps from the baffle plate 214 and make them slide into the vibratory feeder 221 hopper of the cap unloading assembly 220 located directly below it at a controllable speed and trajectory, avoiding impact or posture disorder caused by direct drop.

[0060] like Figure 10 As shown, to precisely control the feeding rhythm, a sealing opening is provided at the outlet of the funnel 212, and a sealing slide rail 218 is provided adjacent to it. The sealing slide rail 218 can be horizontally inserted into the opening under the drive of a cylinder. When the slide rail is fully inserted, it can completely prevent the cap from falling, realizing an immediate pause in feeding, which is convenient for equipment maintenance or handling abnormalities. When the sealing slide rail 218 is retracted, feeding resumes.

[0061] In some embodiments, after the caps fall into the vibratory feeder 221 of the cap feeding assembly 220, they enter the posture screening stage. The vibratory feeder 221 automatically screens the caps through its internal specific track and vibration, ensuring that a specific facet of the cap faces upwards, guaranteeing that only caps conforming to the preset front and back orientations reach their outlet. The screened caps are guided by the feeding chute 222, which is typically a gently descending straight or curved chute. The outlet of the feeding chute 222 precisely aligns with the top inlet of the cap guide component 141 of the cap welding assembly 140. The caps then slide sequentially into the vertical channel of the guide component in the correct posture, forming a waiting queue.

[0062] In overall operation, the cap supply mechanism 200 works in coordination with the welding main line: the feeding component continuously and stably replenishes caps to the vibratory feeder 221; the vibratory feeder 221 continuously screens and outputs qualified caps to the feed chute 222, maintaining a full queue within the guide component; the welding cap assembly 140 then picks up caps one by one from the front of the queue for welding according to the welding rhythm. The entire system constitutes a closed-loop, automatic, and stable cap supply flow, which is an important foundation for ensuring the continuous and efficient operation of the welding process.

[0063] The cap supply mechanism 200 combines the batch and orderly supply of loading components with the precise attitude screening of unloading components to achieve unmanned, highly reliable, and targeted supply of caps. Its modular design also facilitates maintenance and adaptation to caps of different specifications, making it a key front-end support system to ensure the continuous and stable operation of the welding process.

[0064] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 As shown, after the battery cell completes the cap welding, it rotates with the circular conveyor line 101, passing sequentially through the cap sensing component 150 and the detection and calibration component 160. These two components are arranged adjacent to each other on the outside of the circular conveyor line 101 along the conveying direction, forming a continuous post-weld inspection and processing station. This creates a closed loop for the post-weld quality inspection and processing process.

[0065] The cap sensing component 150 is used to detect whether a cap is installed on the battery cell after welding; the detection and alignment component 160 includes a cap welding strength detection component 161 and a battery cell alignment component 162; the welding strength detection component 161 is used to detect the welding firmness between the cap and the battery cell tab; the battery cell alignment component 162 is used to perform a slant pretreatment on the welded battery cell cap.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cap sensing assembly 150 includes at least one fixedly mounted non-contact sensor aligned with the outer top of the battery cell, including but not limited to a photoelectric sensor or a fiber optic sensor. When the battery cell rotates to the position of the cap sensing assembly 150 and comes to a stop, the sensor immediately emits a detection beam. If the cap is correctly soldered in place, its metal surface allows the sensor to receive a specific feedback signal; if the cap is missing, the signal characteristics change significantly. This assembly thus quickly completes a binary determination of the presence or absence of the cap and transmits the result to the control system in real time.

[0067] Next, the battery cell enters the adjacent detection and calibration assembly 160. In some embodiments, this assembly is integrated into a functional module, mainly comprising two sets of functional components arranged in parallel: ① Welding strength testing component 161: Its structure includes a force measuring unit that can be precisely positioned and moved. The front end of the unit is equipped with a gripper or pressure head that is adapted to the shape of the cap. When the component is working, its force measuring unit moves along a predetermined trajectory to apply a small pulling force or shear force perpendicular to the welding surface to the cap. At the same time, a high-precision sensor measures the force and displacement data in real time, thereby objectively quantifying and judging whether the welding strength meets the standard.

[0068] ② Cell alignment component 162: Its structure typically includes an angle-adjustable drive mechanism, including but not limited to a cylinder-driven wedge block. For cells that have passed the strength test, this component is activated, and its actuator contacts the top of the cap from the side, applying a brief, controllable lateral thrust to make the cap produce a small, consistent tilt angle, completing the "tilting" pretreatment.

[0069] Furthermore, the detection results of the cap sensing component 150 and the welding strength detection component 161 will be synchronously recorded and associated with the corresponding battery cell. Based on this comprehensive information, the control system will ultimately drive the discharge sorting mechanism 300 at the discharge end to accurately separate good and defective products. This setup achieves automated, multi-dimensional, rapid detection and pre-processing of post-weld quality, ensuring product consistency and smooth operation of subsequent processes.

[0070] After all processing and testing are completed, the battery cells are finally sorted and removed by the discharge sorting mechanism 300 at the end of the circular conveyor line 101. This mechanism performs automated and classified processing of the battery cells based on the comprehensive judgment results of each upstream testing station.

[0071] like Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 10As shown, the discharge sorting mechanism 300 includes a good product transfer assembly 310 and a defective product diversion assembly 320. The good product transfer assembly 310 includes a good product pusher cylinder 311, a cell conveyor belt 312, a transverse slide rail 313, and a multi-axis robotic arm 314. The good product pusher cylinder 311 is located inside the circular conveyor line 101 and is used to push qualified cells into the cell conveyor belt 312. The transverse slide rail 313 is arranged adjacent to the cell conveyor belt 312, and the multi-axis robotic arm 314 is arranged on the transverse slide rail 313. The defective product diversion assembly 320 includes a defective pusher cylinder 321 and a defective product channel 322. The defective pusher cylinder 321 is located inside the circular conveyor line 101 and is used to push unqualified cells into the defective product channel 322 for collection.

[0072] In some embodiments, the good product transfer assembly 310 is responsible for processing all qualified battery cells. Its structure includes a good product pusher cylinder 311 located inside the circular conveyor line 101, a closed-loop battery cell conveyor belt 312, and a multi-axis robotic arm 314. Specifically, the battery cell conveyor belt 312 is a closed-loop elliptical conveyor belt with multiple battery cell fixing positions protruding from its sides, which can be used to buffer multiple good battery cells. A transverse slide rail 313 is supported by a bracket and is arranged adjacent to the battery cell conveyor belt 312. A multi-axis robotic arm 314 is slidably mounted on the transverse slide rail 313, with its main body positioned above the battery cell conveyor belt 312. The multi-axis robotic arm 314 is used to move multiple battery cells from the battery cell conveyor belt 312 to subsequent processing equipment. Further, when a battery cell marked as good rotates with the circular conveyor line 101 to the discharge station, the good product pusher cylinder 311 actuates, pushing it laterally away from the battery cell limiting member 103 and smoothly feeding it into the battery cell fixing positions on the battery cell conveyor belt 312. The battery cell conveyor belt 312 carries multiple good battery cells in a rotating, sequential receiving manner. When the preset quantity is reached or the designated position is reached, the multi-axis robotic arm 314 moves above the battery cell conveyor belt 312 via the transverse guide rail. Its end effector grabs multiple battery cells at once, and then transfers the entire batch of battery cells to the loading position of the downstream process equipment via the transverse guide rail, realizing efficient batch discharge and production line connection.

[0073] The defective product diversion component 320 is responsible for classifying and removing unqualified battery cells.

[0074] In some embodiments, for battery cells that fail the inspection, they will continue to move along the circular conveyor line 101 to the defective product diversion station, where the defective pusher cylinder 321 located inside the circular conveyor line 101 will push them into the dedicated defective product channel 322 for centralized collection, thereby achieving automated defective product rejection.

[0075] Furthermore, the defective product diversion component 320 can guide defective products to different collection channels according to their specific types, facilitating targeted analysis later. Specifically, the defective product diversion component 320 typically includes at least two defective pusher cylinders 321 and corresponding, independent defective product channels 322. For example, the first defective pusher cylinder 321 is used for collecting cells with missing caps in the first channel; the second defective pusher cylinder 321 is used for collecting cells with substandard welding strength in the second channel. The workflow is as follows: when a cell marked as a specific type of defective product by the control system moves along the circular conveyor line 101 to the corresponding diversion station, the corresponding defective pusher cylinder 321 is triggered. This pusher cylinder pushes the cell into its dedicated defective product channel 322, and the ends of different channels can be connected to different collection boxes or chutes. Through this classification and diversion mechanism, refined management of non-conforming products is achieved, not only completing automated rejection but also providing direct evidence for quickly tracing production problems and optimizing process parameters.

[0076] In some embodiments, the fully automated workflow of this device is as follows: The battery cell first enters the dispensing mechanism 400 to complete the inner wall adhesive coating and curing pretreatment, and is then conveyed to the disc welding mechanism 100. At the same time, the cap is screened on both sides by the vibratory plate 221 in the supply mechanism and conveyed in the correct posture to the welding cap assembly 140 to wait in line. In the disc welding mechanism 100, the battery cell is carried by the ring conveyor line 101 and, under the precise intermittent drive of the cam drive 102, sequentially passes through the battery cell feeding assembly 110, the electrode tab processing assembly 120, the battery cell resetting assembly 130, and the welding cap assembly 140 for processing and welding. After welding, the cap sensing assembly 150 detects the presence or absence of the cap, and the detection and correction assembly 160 detects the welding strength and corrects the cap shape. During this process, the directional supply rhythm of the cap is strictly synchronized with the rotation rhythm of the disc. After completing all processing and online testing procedures, the battery cells are automatically sorted at the output end based on the test results: qualified products are transferred to downstream processes via the good product transfer component 310, while unqualified products are sent to the corresponding collection channels via the defective product diversion component 320. The entire process achieves fully automated continuous operation from pretreatment, synchronous feeding, integrated processing, online quality judgment to automatic product diversion.

[0077] The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment in this application can achieve the following: (1) By integrating multiple key functional components such as cell feeding, tab processing, resetting and fixing, cap welding, induction detection and inspection calibration along the conveying direction of the circular conveyor line 101, and driving the conveyor line to rotate intermittently with high precision by the same cam drive 102, a highly integrated disc welding workstation is constructed. This integrated layout greatly reduces material handling and waiting time between processes, and achieves strict synchronization between the processing actions and conveying rhythm of each station. With the real-time directional feeding of the cap supply mechanism 200, this design makes the entire process of cell entry, processing to inspection highly continuous, greatly improving the overall operating rhythm and production efficiency of the equipment.

[0078] (2) Through the online integrated cap sensing component 150 and detection and calibration component 160, the cap assembly status of the battery cell is confirmed, the welding strength is detected, and the cap posture is pre-corrected immediately after welding, forming a closed-loop quality control process. In conjunction with the downstream discharge sorting mechanism 300, it can automatically and accurately sort and divert good products and various defective products according to the real-time detection results. It realizes full-process automation from processing and online detection to intelligent sorting.

[0079] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A zinc ion battery cell welding cap device, characterized in that, include: A disc welding mechanism includes an annular conveyor line, a cam drive component, and multiple cell limiting components. The cam drive component is used to drive the annular conveyor line to rotate intermittently. Each cell limiting component is disposed on the annular conveyor line. Along the conveying direction of the annular conveyor line, a cell feeding component, a tab processing component, a cell reset component, a welding cap component, a cap sensing component, and a detection and calibration component are sequentially disposed on the periphery of the annular conveyor line. A cap supply mechanism for supplying caps to the weld cap assembly; The discharge sorting mechanism is located at the discharge end of the disc welding mechanism and is used to sort and remove the battery cells.

2. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cap assembly includes a cap guide component, a cap pusher cylinder, and a spot welding component. The cap guide component is located inside the annular conveyor line and has a vertical hollow strip channel. The bottom end of the channel has a limiting groove adapted to the cap. The output end of the cap pusher cylinder is positioned opposite the limiting groove. The spot welding component is located outside the annular conveyor line, and its working end is positioned corresponding to the limiting groove.

3. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The limiting groove has a first opening on the side near the cap pusher cylinder, and a second opening on the side near the spot welding component; the size of the first opening is configured to be smaller than the size of the cap, and the size of the second opening matches the size of the cap.

4. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrode processing assembly includes an electrode correction component and an electrode straightening component connected in sequence; the electrode correction component includes a photoelectric sensor for sensing the electrode position and a rotary drive for driving the battery cell to rotate; the electrode straightening component includes a straightening gripper and a gripper cylinder for driving the straightening gripper to open and close.

5. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cell reset assembly includes a reset pressure head and a reset cylinder; the reset pressure head is set to correspond to the cell limiting component on the circular conveyor line, and the reset cylinder is used to drive the reset pressure head to press down on the cell.

6. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cap sensing component is used to detect whether a cap is installed on the battery cell after welding; the detection and alignment component includes a cap welding strength detection component and a battery cell alignment component; the welding strength detection component is used to detect the welding firmness between the cap and the battery cell tab; the battery cell alignment component is used to perform a slant pretreatment on the battery cell cap.

7. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cap supply mechanism includes a cap feeding assembly and a cap unloading assembly; the cap feeding assembly includes a feeding frame, a funnel, and an inclined cap conveyor belt, the funnel is located below the feeding frame and its outlet is aligned with the cap conveyor belt, the cap conveyor belt is provided with spaced baffles, and the upper end of the cap conveyor belt is located above the cap unloading assembly; the cap unloading assembly includes a vibrating plate and a unloading chute, one end of the unloading chute is connected to the discharge end of the vibrating plate, and the other end of the unloading chute is connected to the feeding end of the cap guide component.

8. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The discharge sorting mechanism includes a good product transfer component and a defective product diversion component. The good product transfer component includes a good product pusher cylinder, a cell conveyor belt, a transverse slide rail, and a multi-axis robotic arm. The good product pusher cylinder is located inside the circular conveyor line and is used to push qualified cells into the cell conveyor belt. The transverse slide rail is adjacent to the cell conveyor belt, and the multi-axis robotic arm is mounted on the transverse slide rail. The defective product diversion component includes a defective product pusher cylinder and a defective product channel. The defective product pusher cylinder is located inside the circular conveyor line and is used to push unqualified cells into the defective product channel for collection.

9. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a dispensing mechanism, which comprises a conveying channel, a pressing component, a dispensing component, and a heat dissipation component. The pressing component, the dispensing component, and the heat dissipation component are sequentially arranged on one side of the conveying path of the conveying channel. The pressing component is used to press down the battery cell to stabilize it. The dispensing component is used to apply adhesive to the inner wall of the battery cell shell. The heat dissipation component is used to cool the battery cell after dispensing. The discharge end of the conveying channel is connected to the battery cell loading component of the disc welding mechanism.

10. The zinc ion battery cell welding cap equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple battery cell limiting components are evenly spaced along the circumference of the circular conveyor line, and each battery cell limiting component corresponds to two battery cell processing positions; the battery cell feeding assembly, electrode tab processing assembly, battery cell reset assembly, welding cap assembly, cap sensing assembly, and detection and calibration assembly are all set up with dual workstations.

Images