An electrode core winding machine and an electrode core production line

Abstract

The application provides an electric core winding machine and an electric core production line. The electric core winding machine comprises a first station, a second station, a third station and an insulation detector arranged close to the second station in sequence. The first station comprises a winding device, which is used for winding an electrode piece and a diaphragm to form an initial electric core. The second station comprises a pasting device, which is used for pasting and fixing the initial electric core. The insulation detector is used for performing insulation detection on the initial electric core to obtain an electric core. The third station comprises a transfer device. In the case that the initial electric core is short-circuited, the transfer device is used for transferring the electric core to a placement area. In the case that the electric core is not short-circuited, the transfer device is used for transferring the electric core to a next process. The scheme realizes the insulation detection on the electric core immediately after the winding process is completed, avoids the situation that all products in the same batch are short-circuited, improves the material utilization and the production yield, and reduces the production cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery production equipment technology, specifically to a cell winding machine and a cell production line. Background Technology

[0002] In the battery cell manufacturing process, the winding process is used to wind the positive and negative electrode sheets and the separator to form the battery cell core. After that, it usually needs to go through subsequent processes such as preheating and hot pressing, and finally insulation testing is carried out to check for potential internal short circuits.

[0003] The current production process suffers from a significant problem of delayed detection: the interval between the completion of winding and the commencement of insulation testing is relatively long. If insulation risks are introduced during the winding process due to electrode interference, diaphragm defects, or other reasons, these problems cannot be identified in real time and can only be discovered when the entire batch of cells undergoes centralized insulation testing after hot pressing. Once a regular short-circuit defect is detected, hundreds of cells already produced in the same batch must be scrapped, resulting in severe material and cost losses.

[0004] Therefore, the delay in the insulation testing process in existing technologies has become a key bottleneck leading to batch quality defects and restricting production efficiency and quality control levels. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a battery cell winding machine and a battery cell production line to solve the problem in the prior art that the battery cells in the same batch need to be scrapped due to the lag in insulation testing.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is implemented as follows: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a battery cell winding machine, including a first station, a second station, a third station arranged in sequence, and an insulation detector arranged near the second station; The first station includes a winding device for winding electrodes and separators to form an initial battery cell; The second workstation includes a pasting device for pasting and fixing the initial battery cell, and an insulation tester for performing insulation testing on the initial battery cell to obtain the battery cell. The third station includes a transfer device, which is used to transfer the battery cell to the placement area in the event of a short circuit in the initial battery cell; and to transfer the battery cell to the next process in the event that the battery cell is not short-circuited.

[0007] Optionally, the cell winding machine further includes winding needles and a rotatable base, with the first station, the second station and the third station evenly arranged along the circumference of the base; The winding needle is mounted on the base, and the base is used to drive the winding needle to switch between the first station, the second station and the third station.

[0008] Optionally, the coiling needle includes a coiling needle body, a first connecting portion, and a second connecting portion; The first connecting part and the second connecting part are arranged along the axial direction of the winding needle body. The first connecting part is used to electrically connect with the positive electrode of the initial battery cell, and the second connecting part is used to electrically connect with the negative electrode of the battery cell. When the initial cell is subjected to the insulation test, the first connection part and the second connection part are used to be electrically connected to the insulation tester to detect whether the initial cell is short-circuited.

[0009] Optionally, the insulation tester is connected to the first connection part and the second connection part respectively via wires.

[0010] Optionally, a conductive layer is provided on the surface of both the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, and the conductive layer is used to connect with the insulation detector.

[0011] Optionally, the conductive layer is a copper plating layer.

[0012] Optionally, the needle coil also includes a connecting device disposed at one axial end of the needle coil body and rotatably connected to the base.

[0013] Optionally, the connecting device is a bushing structure.

[0014] Optionally, the winding needle is in a rotatable state at the first station to wind the electrode and the separator to form the initial cell.

[0015] Optionally, the number of the coiling needles is three, and the three coiling needles are evenly distributed along the circumference of the base.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a battery cell production line, including the battery cell winding machine described in any one of the first aspects.

[0017] This invention sets up three workstations, with an insulation detector at the second workstation, allowing insulation testing of the battery cells during the winding process. The third workstation then transfers short-circuited cells to a placement area. When short-circuited cells occur consecutively, technicians can shut down the production line for maintenance, preventing all cells in the same batch from short-circuiting. This improves product yield and quality control, and reduces material and cost losses due to product scrap. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the layout of a first workstation, a second workstation, and a third workstation provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coiling needle provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure label: 1-First station, 2-Second station, 3-Third station, 4-Needle winding, 5-Base, 40-Needle winding body, 41-First connecting part, 42-Second connecting part, 43-Conductive layer, 44-Connecting device. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] It should be understood that the phrase "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0022] The existing production process requires preheating, hot pressing, and other subsequent processes after winding before final insulation testing. A significant physical and time interval exists between the winding process and the discovery of insulation defects (i.e., short circuits) in the cells. During this interval, cells with insulation defects consume resources in subsequent processes and are produced alongside other normal cells. Once a consistent short circuit is detected in the final test, it means that all products in the same batch that have passed the winding process from the generation of the first defective cell to its detection may have contained the same defect, necessitating the batch scrapping of hundreds of completed cells and causing severe losses.

[0023] To address the aforementioned problems, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a battery cell winding machine, comprising a first station 1, a second station 2, a third station 3 arranged sequentially, and an insulation detector disposed near the second station 2; the first station 1 includes a winding device for winding an electrode sheet and a separator to form an initial battery cell; the second station 2 includes a pasting device for pasting and fixing the initial battery cell, and the insulation detector is used to perform insulation testing on the initial battery cell to obtain the battery cell; the third station 3 includes a transfer device, which is used to transfer the battery cell to a placement area in the event of a short circuit in the initial battery cell, and to transfer the battery cell to the next process in the event of no short circuit in the battery cell.

[0024] This invention integrates an insulation detector at the second station 2 of the cell winding machine, significantly advancing the insulation testing process from after the hot pressing step in the traditional workflow. This enables real-time, in-situ testing of the initial cells. This improvement solves the core problem of detection lag in the prior art, enabling real-time identification and interception of insulation short-circuit defects introduced during the winding process due to electrode interference, diaphragm defects, etc. This effectively prevents these defective cells from continuing into subsequent preheating and hot pressing processes, thus completely eliminating the possibility of batch scrapping of hundreds of cells in the same batch due to the discovery of regular short circuits during subsequent centralized testing. This not only significantly reduces raw material and manufacturing cost losses and improves production efficiency, but also achieves precise real-time monitoring of the production process by advancing the quality control point, thereby improving the overall quality control level and the reliability of the production process.

[0025] Specifically, station 1 is the starting point for cell manufacturing. Insulation risks (such as electrode interference and diaphragm defects) are easily introduced at this stage. After the initial cell is wound, it is transferred to station 2 for bonding and fixing. An insulation tester simultaneously tests this initial cell. At this point, any defects present during the winding process, such as electrode burrs, diaphragm wrinkles or damage, or electrode misalignment interference, will be identified in real time. After bonding and insulation testing, the cell is transferred to station 3. If a short circuit is detected (i.e., insulation test fails), the transfer device will move it to the placement area; the cell will not proceed to subsequent preheating or hot-pressing processes. It should be noted that the placement area can be a defective product isolation area or a rework area. Only qualified cells that pass the insulation test are allowed to enter subsequent production stages.

[0026] In specific application scenarios, a more precise process monitoring and early warning mechanism can be established based on the real-time data stream provided by the insulation tester. Specifically, during the normal operation of the cell winding machine, if the insulation tester occasionally identifies a single short-circuited cell at station 2 and it is transferred to the placement area by the transfer device, such an event can be recorded as an occasional, isolated defect, usually stemming from extremely slight random fluctuations, without requiring immediate interruption of the overall production process. However, when two or more consecutive short-circuited cells are detected, a higher-level early warning logic is triggered. This strongly suggests that a systemic anomaly may have occurred in the production process, such as: inaccurate tension control system of the winding device, continuous defects in a batch of diaphragms, or breakage of the electrode cutting tool leading to continuous burr generation. At this time, the system can automatically alarm and prompt technicians to intervene immediately, shutting down the cell winding machine for targeted repairs, fundamentally cutting off the source of batch defects. This avoids the huge losses that occur in the traditional delayed detection mode, where regular problems are only discovered after hundreds of cells are completed, which helps reduce material costs, energy costs, and equipment capacity losses. In actual production, the control system can automatically trigger an early warning shutdown, or relevant technicians can manually stop the machine when they discover a continuous occurrence of defective products. This embodiment of the invention does not specifically limit this.

[0027] Optionally, the battery cell winding machine also includes a winding needle 4 and a rotatable base 5. The first station 1, the second station 2 and the third station 3 are evenly arranged along the circumference of the base 5. The winding needle 4 is installed on the base 5, and the base 5 is used to drive the winding needle 4 to switch between the first station 1, the second station 2 and the third station 3.

[0028] This invention, through the provision of a rotatable base 5 and a winding needle 4 mounted on the base 5, enables the initial battery cell to complete the winding, pasting, and insulation testing processes on the winding needle 4 without disassembly. This not only greatly improves production cycle time and efficiency and reduces equipment footprint, but more importantly, it ensures a high degree of in-situ precision and reliability of insulation testing results. It eliminates the risk of measurement errors or mechanical damage that may be introduced by battery cell transfer and secondary positioning, thereby improving testing timeliness and further ensuring the accuracy and stability of quality control.

[0029] Specifically, in the scheme without the rotating base 5, processes such as winding, pasting, testing, and transfer may be completed by independent equipment or discrete workstations, and the initial battery cells need to be transferred, positioned, and handed over between different equipment. This linear or discrete layout has the following problems: First, there are time gaps between processes, affecting the overall production cycle; second, repeated mechanical gripping and placement may cause potential damage to the initial battery cells whose structure is not yet stable (such as electrode displacement and diaphragm wrinkling); third, the initial battery cells need to be repositioned when entering the insulation testing station. If the positioning accuracy is insufficient, it may affect the reliability of the test probe contact, thereby interfering with the accuracy of the insulation test results and even causing misjudgments.

[0030] In this embodiment of the invention, at the first station 1, after the electrode and separator are wound on the winding needle 4, they are rotated as a whole to the second station 2, and the station is fixed. The insulation tester can be pre-calibrated and aligned with the standard test point on the winding needle 4. This allows the test to be performed immediately when the cell structure is most stable and the position is most accurate, achieving in-situ testing and making the test results more reliable. After the bonding and insulation testing are completed, the winding needle 4 and the cell are rotated as a whole to the third station 3. The transfer device removes the qualified cell from the winding needle 4 and transfers it to the next process according to the predetermined logic, or transfers the short-circuited cell to the placement area. After completion, the unloaded winding needle 4 rotates back to the first station 1 with the base 5 to start the next cycle.

[0031] This invention achieves seamless and rapid switching between processes through rotary indexing, eliminating intermediate handling and waiting time, and significantly improving the equipment's production cycle time and capacity. Simultaneously, the compact circumferential layout greatly saves the equipment's floor space, improving space utilization.

[0032] Optionally, the winding needle 4 includes a winding needle 4 body, a first connecting part 41, and a second connecting part 42; the first connecting part 41 and the second connecting part 42 are arranged along the axial direction of the winding needle 4 body, the first connecting part 41 is used to electrically connect to the positive electrode of the initial battery cell, and the second connecting part 42 is used to electrically connect to the negative electrode of the battery cell; when the initial battery cell is subjected to insulation testing, the first connecting part 41 and the second connecting part 42 are used to electrically connect to an insulation tester to detect whether the initial battery cell is short-circuited.

[0033] This invention achieves zero-delay switching and state constancy of the detection path by designing the connection between the first connecting part 41 and the second connecting part 42 and the insulation detector as a fixed electrical connection pre-established during the winding process and maintained throughout subsequent processes. This design optimizes the detection behavior from a discrete operation requiring independent execution of connection establishment-measurement-disconnection steps into a continuous background monitoring condition synchronized with the winding needle 4 and the state of the battery cell. Its core advantage lies in that it completely pre-positions the preparation state for insulation detection. The moment the winding needle 4, carrying the initial battery cell, rotates to the second station 2, the detection conditions are fully ready, and the system can immediately and without delay initiate high-precision measurement. This not only further compresses the detection time window, achieving the theoretically fastest detection speed, but also avoids signal noise and reliability attenuation that may be introduced by repeated contactor closing, bouncing, or wear by eliminating all dynamic connection actions, ensuring the long-term stability and low maintenance requirements of the insulation detection system.

[0034] Specifically, the completeness of insulation testing conditions is established at the very beginning of the entire process. At the first station 1, when the electrode sheet and diaphragm of the winding device are wound onto the winding needle 4, the positive and negative terminals of the initial battery cell are electrically connected to the first connecting part 41 and the second connecting part 42, respectively. At this time, the initial battery cell is connected to the insulation tester. When the base 5 drives the winding needle 4 to rotate to the second station 2, the insulation tester starts working, applies a test voltage to the initial battery cell and reads the insulation resistance value to complete the insulation testing.

[0035] Because the detection circuit is always connected, when the coil needle 4 enters the second station 2, all waiting and stabilization time for mechanical connection and contact closure is eliminated. The insulation tester can be regarded as a monitoring device that is always online, and its operation is controlled solely by software commands, achieving the fastest response at the physical level. Furthermore, the permanent connection means eliminating any variable factors caused by mechanical contact actions (such as fluctuations in contact pressure or instantaneous resistance changes caused by contact oxidation). Every test is performed under exactly the same electrical connection conditions, achieving the highest level of long-term repeatability and comparability of measurement data, providing a cleaner signal source for process early warning based on data trends.

[0036] Secondly, the insulation tester is integrated on the coil needle 4, so the second station 2 no longer needs to be equipped with a complex electrical contact actuator, which simplifies the mechanical design, reduces the failure rate of the equipment, and avoids the periodic wear of the docking parts, significantly improving the long-term maintenance-free nature and service life of the insulation tester.

[0037] Optionally, the insulation tester is connected to the first connection part 41 and the second connection part 42 respectively via wires.

[0038] This embodiment of the invention further specifies that the insulation tester is connected to the first connecting part 41 and the second connecting part 42 respectively via wires. This specific implementation provides a simple and efficient engineering solution for achieving a stable and reliable continuous electrical connection. Its core beneficial effect lies in the fact that a direct, low-impedance electrical path is constructed between the rotating needle 4 and the fixed insulation tester using physical wires, a mature and low-cost medium. This not only ensures high-fidelity transmission of the detection signal and avoids signal attenuation and interference that may be introduced by wireless or indirect coupling methods, thus guaranteeing the accuracy of the insulation test results; but also, through the reasonable arrangement of the wires (such as using flexible cabling, slip rings, or rotating structures), it can better adapt to the continuous rotational movement of the needle 4 driven by the base 5, achieving persistent connectivity and mechanical reliability of the detection circuit under dynamic operating conditions. Ultimately, with a minimalist hardware structure, it achieves the dual goals of continuous detection conditions and high-precision detection results, significantly improving the practicality and economy of the entire system.

[0039] Specifically, in the structure where the coiled needle 4 is mounted on a rotatable base 5 and rotates accordingly, the electrical continuity between the rotating and stationary bodies needs to be addressed to ensure a continuous electrical connection between the insulation tester and the first connecting part 41 and the second connecting part 42. While non-contact coupling (such as capacitive or inductive coupling) can avoid physical wear, it is susceptible to electromagnetic interference, and the signal transmission accuracy and stability are difficult to meet the requirements of high-precision insulation resistance measurement. If a temporary connection is only established via sliding contacts during testing, problems such as unstable contact resistance, easy generation of electrical sparks, and limited lifespan due to mechanical wear will arise.

[0040] In this embodiment of the invention, a direct physical connection is chosen. The output end and sampling end of the insulation tester are directly soldered or fastened to the first connecting part 41 and the second connecting part 42 on the coil needle 4 via two sets of independent wires. This direct connection method using metal conductors provides a DC resistance and inductive reactance that are much lower than other coupling methods, ensuring that the test voltage can be applied to the two poles of the initial cell without attenuation. At the same time, the weak leakage current signal of the initial cell can also be collected back to the insulation tester without loss, thereby ensuring the reference accuracy of the insulation resistance measurement value.

[0041] In specific application scenarios, specific wiring schemes can be used to achieve dynamic connections. For example, the wires leading from the insulation tester can be connected to a conductive slip ring mounted at the rotation center of the base 5. The rotor portion of the slip ring rotates with the base 5, while the stator portion remains stationary. Wires are then led from the slip ring rotor and laid along the base 5 or support arm, ultimately connecting to the first connection portion 41 and the second connection portion 42 of the coil needle 4. Alternatively, sufficiently long and bend-resistant flexible wires or ribbon cables can be used. Through reasonable spatial routing and stress relief design, the coil needle 4 can be allowed to move repeatedly within a certain angular range (such as the inter-station angle covered by the rotation of the base 5) without fatigue damage. This design ensures that the electrical connection is continuous and physically reliable during the cyclic rotation of the base 5.

[0042] Optionally, a conductive layer 43 is provided on the surface of both the first connecting part 41 and the second connecting part 42, and the conductive layer 43 is used to connect with the insulation tester.

[0043] This invention actively optimizes the critical interfaces of the electrical connection by providing a dedicated conductive layer 43 on the surfaces of the first connecting portion 41 and the second connecting portion 42. The conductive layer 43 ensures extremely low and constant contact resistance with the insulation tester (via wires), eliminating contact impedance fluctuations caused by metal surface oxidation, contamination, or microscopic wear, thereby guaranteeing distortion-free transmission of the insulation resistance measurement signal. This not only improves detection accuracy and repeatability but also significantly enhances the environmental interference resistance and mechanical durability of the connection interface, enabling the entire real-time testing system to maintain factory-grade detection stability and reliability during long-term, high-speed cyclic operation.

[0044] In specific applications, the conductive layer 43 can be made of inert metal materials such as gold, silver, copper, platinum, or their alloys, which have excellent conductivity, high chemical stability, and low contact resistance. It is applied to the contact area of ​​the first connecting portion 41 and the second connecting portion 42 through processes such as electroplating, electroless plating, or physical vapor deposition. This material, as the interface that directly contacts the connection terminals of the wires, provides conductivity and resistance to oxidation and corrosion that are inherently superior to ordinary steel, ensuring extremely low and stable contact resistance.

[0045] Regardless of the structural material used to meet the mechanical strength requirements, the surface characteristics of the electrical interfaces (i.e., the first connection part 41 and the second connection part 42) used for insulation testing are uniformly imparted by the conductive layer 43. This ensures that the testing interfaces on all the coil needles 4 have a completely consistent and predictable surface electrical state, eliminating performance fluctuations caused by differences in material batches or processing, and achieving standardization of testing conditions.

[0046] During insulation testing at the second station 2, the stability of the measurement circuit determines the reliability of the data. The conductive layer 43 transforms the potentially largest unstable factor (metal contact interface) into a stable factor, enabling the insulation resistance value collected by the insulation tester to more purely reflect the true state inside the initial cell, rather than being contaminated by interface noise, thus making the judgment of whether a short circuit has occurred more accurate.

[0047] Optionally, the conductive layer 43 is a copper plating layer.

[0048] In this embodiment of the invention, the conductive layer 43 is further specified as a copper plating layer. This specific material selection ensures excellent electrical performance and mechanical durability while achieving better cost control and process compatibility. Its core beneficial effect lies in the fact that the copper plating layer, with its high conductivity, excellent plating uniformity and adhesion, and good electrochemical compatibility with commonly used industrial wire terminal materials, provides a standardized electrical contact interface for the first connection part 41 and the second connection part 42 that is stable, reliable in process, and highly economical. This not only ensures a long-term stable low-impedance connection with the insulation tester, laying a solid foundation for high-precision insulation testing, but also, due to its mature electroplating process and low cost, allows this optimized design to be seamlessly integrated into a large-scale production system, significantly improving the industrial feasibility and overall economic benefits of the entire battery cell winding machine's real-time testing solution.

[0049] Specifically, copper is a superior conductor, second only to silver, with extremely high volume conductivity. By employing copper electroplating, a dense and uniform pure copper layer can be formed on the surfaces of the first connection 41 and the second connection 42, achieving a significant reduction in contact interface resistance at extremely low cost. This ensures minimal signal loss during transmission of the insulation tester. This provides the necessary electrical foundation for high-precision measurement while avoiding the cost pressures associated with using precious metals.

[0050] Furthermore, copper electroplating is one of the most mature and reliable surface treatment processes in the electronics and machinery industries. This process is easy to control and can form a uniformly thick, finely crystalline coating with extremely strong adhesion to the substrate on surfaces with complex shapes (such as the connecting part of the coiled pin 4 body). This strong adhesion ensures that the copper plating will not peel or flake off under long-term rotation of the base 5 and possible fretting friction conditions, thus ensuring the long-term physical integrity of the electrical interface.

[0051] Secondly, the conductors are typically made of copper or copper alloys (such as brass), and the terminal surfaces are often tin-plated or nickel-plated. The small electrochemical potential difference between the copper plating and these commonly used terminal materials helps reduce contact corrosion caused by the micro-battery effect in humid environments, thus ensuring the long-term chemical stability and contact reliability of the connection interface.

[0052] Optionally, the needle coil 4 also includes a connecting device 44, which is disposed at one axial end of the needle coil 4 body and is rotatably connected to the base 5.

[0053] This invention improves the efficiency of the winding process by providing a rotatable connecting device 44 at one end of the winding needle 4 body, achieving standardized, maintainable, and high-precision mechanical integration of the winding needle 4 module and the rotating base 5. This design provides stable and flexible rotational support for the winding needle 4, ensuring that when the winding needle 4 switches between workstations under the drive of the base 5, it maintains precise axial positioning and circumferential indexing, while effectively isolating any torque or vibration that may occur during winding and insulation testing. This ensures the accuracy of the battery cell winding and the repeatability of the insulation testing position. Simultaneously, the modular connection method greatly simplifies the installation, replacement, and maintenance process of the winding needle 4, improving the overall availability and production efficiency of the equipment.

[0054] Specifically, the connecting device 44 essentially constitutes a standardized mechanical interface between the needle coil 4 and the rotating base 5. This device typically integrates precision bearings or bushings, allowing the needle coil 4 to be rotatably connected to the mounting holes of the base 5. This means that when the base 5 drives the connecting device 44 (or the shaft connected to the connecting device 44) to rotate, the needle coil 4 can rotate smoothly and with low resistance, ensuring that the needle coil 4 has no radial movement and accurate axial positioning, providing a basis for the precise stopping of the needle coil 4 at each workstation.

[0055] Furthermore, the winding needle 4 is rotatably connected to the base 5 via the connecting device 44, allowing the winding needle 4 itself to function as a core actuator. Driven to rotate at the first station 1, it directly completes the winding of the electrode and separator into the initial battery cell. This achieves in-situ winding and integrated drive system, eliminating the need for complex external winding mechanisms, resulting in a more compact equipment layout and more direct and precise motion control. This significantly improves the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the winding process. Improved winding accuracy means better alignment between the electrode and separator, reducing the risk of interference from edge burrs. This inherently reduces the root cause of insulation short circuits due to poor winding, providing dual quality assurance in conjunction with the subsequent real-time insulation testing at the second station 2.

[0056] In specific application scenarios, an independent drive unit (such as a servo motor) can be set up at the first station 1. The output of this drive unit can be coupled to the connecting device 44 of the winding needle 4 at the first station 1 or the winding needle 4 itself through gears, couplings, or friction wheels. Since the winding needle 4 already has rotational freedom through the connecting device 44, the drive unit can directly and efficiently transmit rotational motion and torque to the winding needle 4 body, driving it to rotate. When the drive unit drives the winding needle 4 to rotate, the positive and negative electrode plates and diaphragms fixed on the unwinding mechanism will be tightly and smoothly wrapped layer by layer on the winding needle 4 body as the winding needle 4 rotates, forming the initial battery cell. After the winding process at the first station 1 is completed, the winding needle 4 stops rotating. Subsequently, the base 5 rotates as a whole, smoothly switching the winding needle 4 carrying the initial battery cell to the second station 2 through the connecting device 44. Here, the rotation function of the winding needle 4 is suspended, and the bonding and insulation detection are performed instead. This design mechanically decouples the winding action from the station switching function, but they are seamlessly connected through the same set of winding needle carriers, resulting in a highly efficient and smooth process.

[0057] Optionally, the connecting device 44 is a bushing structure.

[0058] This embodiment of the invention further defines the connecting device 44 as a bushing structure. This specific implementation provides an extremely reliable, durable, and economical rotary connection solution between the winding needle 4 and the rotating base 5. The bushing structure, with its simple construction, excellent load-bearing capacity, and low maintenance requirements, ensures the long-term operational stability and positioning accuracy of the winding needle 4 under high-frequency, continuous rotation conditions. It not only effectively transmits the torque required for winding and withstands the radial load from the electrode tension, but also facilitates the quick replacement and maintenance of the winding needle 4. Thus, while ensuring the quality of the battery cell winding and the repeatability of testing, it significantly improves the overall reliability and economic efficiency of the equipment.

[0059] In specific application scenarios, the bushing typically consists of an inner ring, an outer ring, and a lubricating medium. The inner ring (or shaft) can be fixed to the rotating base 5, while the outer ring is fixed to the axial end of the coiling needle 4 body; or vice versa. When the base 5 drives the shaft to rotate, the torque is smoothly transmitted to the coiling needle 4 through the relative sliding between the inner and outer rings of the bushing. The bushing structure has a large contact area, which can effectively withstand radial loads and suppress the radial runout of the coiling needle 4 when it is under winding force, ensuring the stability of the rotation axis of the coiling needle 4. By selecting materials with self-lubricating properties (such as copper-based powder metallurgy oil-impregnated bearings, engineering plastic bearings, or metal bushings with a surface-coated lubricating layer) to manufacture the bushing, it is possible to eliminate or minimize the need for external lubricant throughout its entire life cycle. This design greatly simplifies daily maintenance and avoids the risk of lubricating oil contaminating the battery cell production environment. At the same time, the sliding bearing has a simple structure, no rolling elements or other vulnerable parts, and has a long service life under moderate load and good alignment conditions. The above is only a preferred embodiment, and the specific connection form of the bushing is not limited in this embodiment of the invention.

[0060] Optionally, the winding needle 4 is in a rotatable state at the first station 1 to wind the electrode and the separator to form an initial battery cell.

[0061] The embodiments of the present invention explicitly define that the winding needle 4 is in a rotatable state at the first station 1 and directly performs the winding action, eliminating the complex external winding mechanism or temporary transmission coupling that may exist in the aforementioned scheme, making the winding action more direct, the control more precise, and the response more rapid. This ensures the consistency of the initial cell winding quality from the source and provides a stable and electrically reliable cell foundation for subsequent real-time insulation testing. Overall, it achieves simplification of equipment structure, optimization of production cycle, and improvement of product yield.

[0062] Specifically, at the first station 1, the winding needle 4 is not a passive support, but is configured as an active rotating shaft that can be driven directly by an independent drive source (such as a servo motor) or through transmission components (such as gears or timing belts). Since the winding needle 4 is mounted on the base 5 via the connecting device 44, its rotatable state means that the drive system can be continuously and stably connected to it, eliminating the need for complex docking operations before each winding. The rotational motion of the winding needle 4 is directly used to pull and stack the electrode sheets and diaphragms to form the initial battery cell. Directly driving the rotation of the winding needle 4 makes the control of winding speed, angle, and number of turns extremely direct and precise. The servo drive system can precisely control the start / stop, speed, and angle of the winding needle 4, thereby achieving refined, closed-loop control of winding tension (through the unwinding mechanism), alignment accuracy, and winding tightness.

[0063] Meanwhile, the winding action is completed entirely by the rotation of the winding needle 4 while it is stationed at the first workstation 1. After completion, the base 5 drives the winding needle 4, which carries the formed initial battery cell, to rotate to the next workstation. This design makes the winding and workstation flow continuous in time and concentrated in space, eliminating the need for additional material handling or waiting between processes, resulting in a compact production cycle and a simpler equipment layout due to the elimination of the large external winding mechanism.

[0064] Optionally, the number of coiled needles 4 is three, and the three coiled needles 4 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the base 5.

[0065] This invention, through the layout of three winding needles 4 and three workstations, cleverly solves the problems of "process bottlenecks" and "waiting waste" caused by the unequal time consumption of each process, achieving a maximum balance in production cycle time. It allows the longest-running winding and inspection processes to be performed in parallel on different winding needles 4, while the shorter-running unloading process is rationally embedded in the cycle gaps. This achieves an optimal solution between equipment structural complexity and production efficiency, ultimately resulting in a significant increase in capacity per unit time while ensuring the stability and rhythm of equipment operation.

[0066] Typically, the winding process takes 5 seconds, the bonding and insulation testing simultaneously takes 5 seconds, and the transfer device takes 3 seconds. For example, when the base 5 rotates carrying three winding needles 4, it can be designed as follows: winding needle A 4 is wound at the first station 1 (5 seconds), while winding needle B 4 is bonded and tested for insulation at the second station 2 (5 seconds), and winding needle C 4 is unloaded at the third station 3 (3 seconds) or waits. Since the winding and testing times are equal (both 5 seconds), they can start and end synchronously, operating in perfect parallel without waiting for each other. This allows the core cycle time of the system to be determined by these two longest processes, ideally achieving a production rate of one cell every 5 seconds.

[0067] The unloading action at station 3 takes only 3 seconds, less than the main cycle time of 5 seconds. Within a 5-second cycle, the unloading mechanism has a 2-second buffer time for preparation, resetting, or brief waiting. This design allows the unloading process to be flexibly integrated into the main production cycle without becoming a new bottleneck limiting overall speed. The base 5 pauses for 5 seconds after each 120-degree rotation, during which time all three stations operate synchronously. After the unloading station efficiently completes its task within 3 seconds, the system maintains a stable rhythm.

[0068] The three winding needles design ensures that all three stations are always operating at full capacity (one winding, one inspection, and one unloading / standby). This not only maximizes the use of equipment and space but also provides a natural buffer for the production process. For example, if unloading is slightly delayed for any reason, the necessary operation time is only 3 seconds within a 5-second cycle, providing a certain margin of error and preventing immediate production line blockage or downtime.

[0069] Alternatively, if the cell winding time is 10 seconds, two winding needles 4 can be used. Correspondingly, the number of workstations is also adjusted to two. In this case, one winding needle 4 performs the winding action, while the other winding needle 4 performs the actions of pasting and fixing, insulation testing, and transfer. The selection of the winding needle 4 depends on the ratio of the time of each process. When the winding time (10 seconds) is much longer than the testing (5 seconds) and unloading (3 seconds), using two workstations (one dedicated to the 10-second winding, and the other used alternately for testing and unloading) may be a more economical choice. This embodiment of the invention does not impose a specific limit on the number of winding needles 4.

[0070] Secondly, the present invention provides a battery cell production line, including the battery cell winding machine of any of the first aspects. Specific embodiments of the battery cell production line will not be described in detail here, and the connection relationship between the battery cell winding machine and the battery cell production line is known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0071] In summary, this invention, by setting up three workstations and installing an insulation detector at the second workstation, allows for insulation testing of the battery cells during the winding process. Furthermore, the third workstation transfers short-circuited battery cells to the placement area. When short-circuited battery cells occur consecutively, technicians can shut down the production line for maintenance, preventing all battery cells in the same batch from experiencing short circuits. This improves product yield and quality control, and reduces material and cost losses due to product scrap.

[0072] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0073] Although alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make further changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the alternative embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0074] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that an article or terminal device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such an article or terminal device. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or terminal device that includes that element.

[0075] The technical solution provided by the present invention has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and implementation of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the principle and implementation of the present invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery cell winding machine, characterized in that, The winding machine includes a first station (1), a second station (2), a third station (3) arranged in sequence, and an insulation detector arranged near the second station (2); The first station (1) includes a winding device for winding an electrode and a separator to form an initial battery cell; The second workstation (2) includes a pasting device for pasting and fixing the initial battery cell, and an insulation tester for performing insulation testing on the initial battery cell to obtain the battery cell. The third station (3) includes a transfer device, which is used to transfer the battery cell to the placement area in the event of a short circuit in the initial battery cell; and to transfer the battery cell to the next process in the event that the battery cell is not short-circuited.

2. The battery cell winding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell winding machine also includes a winding needle (4) and a rotatable base (5), and the first station (1), the second station (2) and the third station (3) are evenly arranged along the circumference of the base (5). The coiling needle (4) is mounted on the base (5), and the base (5) is used to drive the coiling needle (4) to switch between the first station (1), the second station (2) and the third station (3).

3. The battery cell winding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The coiling needle (4) includes a coiling needle (4) body, a first connecting part (41), and a second connecting part (42). The first connecting part (41) and the second connecting part (42) are arranged along the axial direction of the coiling needle (4) body. The first connecting part (41) is used to electrically connect with the positive electrode of the initial battery cell, and the second connecting part (42) is used to electrically connect with the negative electrode of the battery cell. When the initial cell is subjected to the insulation test, the first connection part (41) and the second connection part (42) are used to be electrically connected to the insulation tester to detect whether the initial cell is short-circuited.

4. The battery cell winding machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The insulation tester is connected to the first connecting part (41) and the second connecting part (42) respectively via wires.

5. The cell winding machine according to claim 4, characterized in that, The surfaces of the first connecting part (41) and the second connecting part (42) are provided with a conductive layer (43), which is used to connect with the insulation detector.

6. The cell winding machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The conductive layer (43) is a copper plating layer.

7. The battery cell winding machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The coiling needle (4) also includes a connecting device (44), which is disposed at one axial end of the body of the coiling needle (4) and is rotatably connected to the base (5).

8. The cell winding machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The connecting device (44) is a bushing structure.

9. The cell winding machine according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The winding needle (4) is in a rotatable state at the first station (1) to wind the electrode and the diaphragm to form the initial cell.

10. The cell winding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of the coiling needles (4) is three, and the three coiling needles (4) are evenly distributed along the circumference of the base (5).

11. A battery cell production line, characterized in that, The battery cell production line includes the battery cell winding machine according to any one of claims 1-10.

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