A battery cell continuous winding device and a battery cell continuous winding process

Abstract

This application belongs to the technical field of battery winding, and provides a continuous winding device and process for battery cells. It employs an integrated winding needle, the needle portion of which is an integral cylindrical structure. Utilizing a central rotating disk to switch stations and the axial extension and retraction of the winding needle, it achieves rapid connection between needle extraction at the unloading station and winding at the winding station. The mechanical control logic is simple, the action time is shorter, effectively reducing station handover time, and minimizing mechanical wear and failure rate. Furthermore, by switching between vacuum adsorption mode and positive pressure blowing mode, the integrated cylindrical winding needle enables head adsorption and winding during continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells, and achieves contactless or low-friction needle removal during cell extraction via air flotation. This ensures good connection between processes at each station, enabling uniform and continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells without auxiliary time winding, thus improving efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of battery winding, and more particularly to a continuous battery cell winding device and a continuous battery cell winding process. Background Technology

[0002] In the lithium battery production process, the separator, positive electrode sheet, and negative electrode sheet are stacked, wound, and glued in sequence using a winding device to form a battery cell. With the continuous development of the lithium battery equipment industry, high-efficiency production has become a core demand for industry development and a key driving force for the continuous upgrading and iteration of the lithium battery industry. Currently, the winding machine industry uses two semi-circular winding needles, which clamp the separator and begin winding through a constraint method. The two semi-circular winding needles need to be controlled individually for forward and backward movement and synchronous rotation, resulting in a complex structure and low precision. The winding process of this type of winding equipment using two semi-circular winding needles involves: stopping the machine during winding to clamp the separator; cutting the separator while it is still stopped before starting the winding process again; and drawing the core, which requires first drawing half of the needle and then drawing the other half with the gap widened. This not only results in complex motion control but also poor stability and reliability in core drawing, significantly impacting production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a continuous winding device for battery cells, which enables continuous winding and improves production efficiency.

[0004] Another objective of this application is to provide a continuous winding process for battery cells.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a continuous winding device for battery cells, comprising: a winding head assembly, wherein the winding head assembly is provided with a winding station and a unloading station; the winding head assembly includes a central rotating disk, wherein the central rotating disk is provided with winding needles corresponding to the winding station and the unloading station, the winding needles being able to rotate to perform a battery cell winding action on the material strip conveyed by the feeding mechanism, and moving between the winding station and the unloading station with the central rotating disk; The needle of the winding needle is an integral cylindrical structure. The inside of the winding needle is provided with a central air cavity, and the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle is provided with surface air holes. The surface air holes connect the central air cavity and the external space of the winding needle. The winding needle has two switchable working modes: vacuum adsorption and positive pressure blowing. When the winding needle is in the winding position, it draws air through the surface air holes to form a vacuum adsorption force, adsorbs the head of the material strip, and continuously winds it. When the winding needle is in the unloading position, it blows air outward through the surface air holes to form a positive pressure airflow, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle and the material strip, so as to facilitate the separation of the battery cell from the winding needle.

[0006] In some embodiments, it further includes: an electrostatic generator for applying static electricity to both sides of the material strip cut-off point along the feeding direction, thereby generating an electrostatic adsorption effect on the lower and upper diaphragms of the material strip. In some embodiments, the device further includes a feeding mechanism comprising a lower diaphragm feeding device, a positive electrode feeding device, an upper diaphragm feeding device, and a negative electrode feeding device; the lower diaphragm feeding device, the positive electrode feeding device, the upper diaphragm feeding device, and the negative electrode feeding device are arranged in a clockwise direction with the winding needle in the winding station as the center; or, the lower diaphragm feeding device, the negative electrode feeding device, the upper diaphragm feeding device, and the positive electrode feeding device are arranged in a clockwise direction with the winding needle in the winding station as the center.

[0007] In some embodiments, a diaphragm fly-cutting assembly is further included, disposed below the winding station, for cutting the strip formed by the winding station; the diaphragm fly-cutting assembly cuts the strip when the linear speed of the strip is synchronized with the rotational linear speed of the cutter of the diaphragm fly-cutting assembly.

[0008] In some embodiments, the diaphragm cutting assembly includes a needle roller, a tape changer roller, a tail diaphragm roller, and a cutter; during the process of the cutter cutting the strip, the needle roller presses against the strip wound by the needle at the winding station, the tail diaphragm roller presses against the support roller on the central rotating disk, the tail diaphragm roller and the support roller clamp the strip, and the tape changer roller presses against the strip between the needle roller and the tail diaphragm roller.

[0009] In some embodiments, the material strip cutting position is set within a predetermined distance range on the discharge side of the winding needle at the winding station, for example, within 10 mm; or, the initial distance between the material strip cutting position and the point of tangency between the material strip and the winding needle does not exceed the circumference of the winding needle.

[0010] In some embodiments, the device further includes an air nozzle assembly disposed at the winding station for blowing air onto the strip head after the strip is cut, so as to press the strip head against the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle to facilitate continuous winding.

[0011] In some embodiments, the device further includes a tail-applying adhesive assembly and a tail-finishing pressure roller. The tail-applying adhesive assembly is disposed at the tail-applying adhesive station. The tail-applying adhesive assembly includes a pressure roller. The tail-finishing pressure roller and the pressure roller are arranged sequentially in front of and behind the battery cell along the circumferential rotation direction, with the tail-finishing pressure roller in front and the pressure roller behind. Both the pressure roller and the tail-finishing pressure roller are movable and can press against the battery cell at the tail-applying adhesive station or detach from the battery cell at the tail-applying adhesive station.

[0012] In some embodiments, the surface of the coiling needle is further provided with grooves along the axial direction of the coiling needle, and the grooves and the surface pores are distributed at intervals on the radial cross section of the coiling needle.

[0013] Secondly, this application provides a continuous winding process for battery cells, applied to the continuous winding device for battery cells described in any of the above embodiments, including the following steps: controlling the winding needle of the winding station to work in vacuum adsorption mode, so as to adsorb and continuously wind the head of the material strip conveyed by the feeding mechanism to form a battery cell. The winding needle in the unloading station is controlled to operate in positive pressure blowing mode, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle and the material strip, so that the winding needle is axially pulled out from the battery cell and moved to the winding station.

[0014] The beneficial effects that this application can achieve.

[0015] This application provides a continuous winding device and process for battery cells, which employs an integrated winding needle. The needle portion of the winding needle is an integral cylindrical structure, and the winding needle can extend along an axial direction perpendicular to the plane of the workstation at the unloading station for winding the battery cells and retract for needle extraction and unloading. The device achieves rapid connection between needle extraction and unloading at the unloading station and winding at the winding station by relying on a central rotating disk to switch workstations and the axial extension and retraction of the winding needle, thus eliminating the complex opening and closing structure of existing two-and-a-half winding needles. This design eliminates the need for complex rotation and translation linkage mechanisms, resulting in a simple mechanical control logic. The single axial extension / retraction motion has a short stroke, fast response speed, and shorter action time, effectively reducing workstation handover time and adapting to the high-speed continuous winding production requirements of the equipment. Furthermore, the winding needle retracts and withdraws in a straight line along the vertical workstation plane, with a neat and smooth retraction trajectory, allowing for stable detachment from the wound battery cell. This effectively avoids mechanical opening and closing of the needle, preventing scratches on the inner diaphragm and electrode sheets, eliminating defects such as loose winding, loose edges, and material scratches. It also results in low mechanical wear and a low failure rate. In addition, the continuous winding process of the battery cell in this application utilizes an integrated circular winding needle that switches between vacuum adsorption mode and positive pressure blowing mode. This enables the head adsorption and winding function during continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells and the contactless or low-friction needle removal via air flotation during the extraction of the lower battery cell. Furthermore, the cutting process occurs when the linear speed of the cutter in the diaphragm flying cutter assembly is synchronized with the linear speed of the feed strip. At the moment of cutting, there is no relative speed difference between the two, preventing pulling or dragging of the diaphragm and electrode sheets or the formation of scratches. Simultaneously, the use of winding needle rollers, tail diaphragm rollers, and belt-changing rollers in conjunction with the diaphragm flying cutter assembly interrupts tension, reduces the impact of flying cut on other processes, and maintains good cutting results. The processes at each station in this application exhibit good inter-process connectivity, enabling uniform and continuous winding of cylindrical cells without auxiliary time winding, thus improving efficiency.

[0016] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 An example of a double semi-circular opening and closing coiled needle in the prior art is shown.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an exemplary battery cell continuous winding device is shown, in which some embodiments of this application can be applied.

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an exemplary coiled needle structure to which some embodiments of this application may be applied is shown.

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary coiled needle along section AA is shown, illustrating some embodiments of this application that can be applied thereto.

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary coiled needle with grooves is shown, which can be applied to some embodiments of this application.

[0023] Figure 6 A process flow diagram of an exemplary continuous winding process for battery cells, to which some embodiments of this application may be applied, is shown.

[0024] Figure 7 The illustration shows the state of a continuous cell winding apparatus during the first step of an exemplary continuous cell winding process, in which some embodiments of this application can be applied.

[0025] Figure 8 The illustration shows the state of a continuous cell winding apparatus in the second step of an exemplary continuous cell winding process, to which some embodiments of this application may be applied.

[0026] Figure 9 The illustration shows the state of a continuous cell winding apparatus in the third step of an exemplary continuous cell winding process, in which some embodiments of this application can be applied.

[0027] Figure 10 The illustration shows the state of a continuous cell winding apparatus in the fourth step of an exemplary continuous cell winding process, to which some embodiments of this application may be applied.

[0028] Among them, 100-continuous winding device for battery cells, 1-winding head assembly, 2-winding station, 3-tail adhesive application station, 4-unloading station, 5-central rotary disk, 6-winding needle, 601-winding needle cylinder, 602-upper half winding needle, 603-lower half winding needle, 610-air cavity, 620-surface pores, 630-groove, 640-needle section, 650-outer peripheral wall of winding needle, 7-feeding mechanism, 710-lower diaphragm feeding device, 711-lower diaphragm drive assembly, 712-lower diaphragm tension gauge, 713-lower diaphragm unwinding roller, 720-positive electrode feeding device, 721-positive electrode roller, 722-positive electrode robotic arm assembly, 723- Positive electrode sheet alignment roller feeding assembly, 730-upper diaphragm feeding device, 731-upper diaphragm passing roller, 732-upper diaphragm drive roller assembly, 733-upper diaphragm tension meter, 740-negative electrode sheet feeding device, 741-negative electrode sheet passing roller, 742-negative electrode sheet robotic arm assembly, 743-negative electrode sheet alignment roller feeding assembly, 8-diaphragm flying cutter assembly, 810-needle winding pressure roller, 820-redirecting roller, 830-tail diaphragm pressure roller, 840-cutter, 9-support roller, 10-static generator, 11-detection assembly, 12-tail adhesive application assembly, 1210-tail pressure roller, 1220-adhesive pressing roller, 13-lower cell robotic arm, 14-air nozzle assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The term "comprising" in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application is synonymous with "including," "containing," or "characterized in," and is inclusive of endpoints or open-ended, and does not exclude additional unstated elements or method steps. "Comprising" is a technical term used in the language of the claims, meaning that the stated element is present, but other elements may be added and still form a construction or method within the scope of the claims.

[0030] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In this application, the term "about" means including minute variations (at most + / - 10%) of the stated value.

[0031] This application has noted that the existing equipment with a double semi-circular split-type needle winding structure has many shortcomings in practical applications. Not only is the motion control complex and the process connection not smooth, but the stability and reliability of core pulling are also poor, which greatly affects production efficiency.

[0032] In view of this, this application provides a continuous battery cell winding device, which improves the structure of the winding needle and the switching operation mode of the winding needle between winding stations, so as to realize continuous winding from head to tail and improve efficiency. One embodiment of the continuous battery cell winding device in this application includes a winding head assembly, which is provided with a winding station and a feeding station; the winding head assembly includes a central rotating disk, on which winding needles are arranged corresponding to the winding station and the feeding station. The winding needles can rotate to perform battery cell winding on the material strip conveyed by the feeding mechanism, and move between the winding station and the feeding station with the central rotating disk. The needle of the winding needle is an integral cylindrical structure. The inside of the winding needle is provided with a central air cavity, and the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle is provided with surface air holes. The surface air holes connect the central air cavity and the external space of the winding needle. The winding needle has two switchable working modes: vacuum adsorption and positive pressure blowing. When the winding needle is in the winding position, it draws air through the surface air holes to form a vacuum adsorption force, adsorbs the head of the material strip, and continuously winds it. When the winding needle is in the unloading position, it blows air outward through the surface air holes to form a positive pressure airflow, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle and the material strip, so as to facilitate the separation of the battery cell from the winding needle.

[0033] The continuous winding device for battery cells in the above embodiments of this application adopts an integrated circular winding needle. The needle part of the winding needle is an integrated cylindrical structure. Relying on the central rotating disk to switch the station and the axial extension and retraction of the winding needle, the device achieves a rapid connection between the needle pulling and unloading at the unloading station and the winding starting at the winding station. The mechanical control logic is simple, the action time is shorter, and the station handover time can be effectively reduced. Moreover, the mechanical wear is small and the failure rate is low. In addition, by switching between vacuum adsorption mode and positive pressure blowing mode, the integrated circular winding needle achieves the head adsorption and winding function during continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells and achieves contactless or low-friction needle pulling through air flotation during battery cell unloading. This ensures good connection between the processes of each station and enables uniform and continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells without auxiliary time winding, thus improving efficiency.

[0034] Accordingly, this application also provides a continuous winding process for battery cells, which is applied to an improved continuous winding device for battery cells. The winding needle precisely rotates and switches positions with the rotary table, and the connection between each work station is good. It can realize uniform and continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells, without auxiliary time winding, thus improving efficiency. At the same time, the whole machine produces at a uniform speed, and the tension and synchronization control are better, which can achieve higher speed and higher quality winding.

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0037] Currently, most lithium battery cylindrical cell winding equipment adopts a double semi-circular opening and closing needle structure, see [link / reference] Figure 1 As shown, the needle winding assembly includes a needle winding cylinder 601 and an upper half needle winding 602 and a lower half needle winding 603 disposed within the needle winding cylinder 601. An upper half needle winding moving mechanism and a lower half needle winding moving mechanism are mounted behind the mounting base of the needle winding assembly. The upper half needle winding moving mechanism drives the upper half needle winding to move back and forth independently, and the lower half needle winding moving mechanism drives the lower half needle winding to move back and forth independently. During winding, the two semi-circular needles close together under the drive of a cylinder or mechanism, clamping the diaphragm inserted through the middle gap. During needle removal, the lower half needle winding moving mechanism first drives the lower half needle winding 603 to retract and move out of the battery cell. During the movement of the lower half needle winding 603, the upper half needle winding 602 is still inside the battery cell. After the lower half needle winding 603 moves out, the space at the winding core increases, and then the upper half needle winding moving mechanism drives the upper half needle winding 602 to retract and move out of the battery cell.

[0038] This application has noted several shortcomings of the aforementioned double-semi-circular split-type winding needle structure in practical applications. Using two semi-circular winding needles, with constraints used to clamp and wind the diaphragm, the opening and closing mechanism is prone to wear and misalignment over long-term use. This results in poor coaxiality of the battery cell winding, uneven coil arrangement, and poor product consistency. Furthermore, the two semi-circular winding needles require control of individual forward and backward movement and synchronous rotation, leading to a complex structure with numerous linkage components and cumbersome operating procedures. From the perspective of the finished winding, the opening and closing structure has poor radial roundness, easily resulting in poor outer roundness of the wound cylindrical battery cells and low coaxiality, affecting subsequent assembly. From the perspective of production process, the winding process of this winding equipment that uses two semi-circular winding needles is as follows: when starting to wind, it is necessary to stop and insert the needle to clamp the diaphragm; when cutting the diaphragm, it is necessary to cut the diaphragm while it is stopped and then start the winding process again; when feeding and pulling the core, it is necessary to pull out half of the needle first and then pull out the other half of the needle again with the gap widened. Not only is the action control complicated and the process connection not smooth, but the stability and reliability of core pulling are also poor, which greatly affects the production efficiency.

[0039] In view of this, this application provides a continuous winding device for battery cells. The winding needle precisely rotates and switches positions with the rotary table, and the connection between each position is good, enabling uninterrupted continuous winding of battery cells. This achieves continuous winding in the cylindrical battery cell winding industry, eliminating auxiliary time and improving efficiency. It adopts an integrated winding needle structure, relying solely on the single axial extension and retraction of the winding needle to complete the needle withdrawal and retraction reset. It eliminates the need for complex rotation and translation linkage mechanisms, allowing for the alternation of winding and unloading positions. The mechanical control logic is simple, with a short stroke and fast response speed for the single axial extension and retraction action, resulting in shorter action time and effectively reducing the time required for position transitions, thus adapting to the high-speed continuous winding production requirements of the equipment. Furthermore, the winding needle retracts and withdraws in a straight line along the vertical plane of the working position, with a regular and smooth retraction trajectory, allowing for smooth detachment from the wound battery cell. This effectively avoids mechanical opening and closing of the needle, preventing scratches on the inner diaphragm and electrode sheets, and eliminating defects such as loose winding, loose edges, and material scratches. Meanwhile, the two working modes of vacuum adsorption and positive pressure blowing in the continuous winding device of the battery cell in this application perfectly match the usage requirements of different working conditions of winding and unloading. When the suction negative pressure is turned on at the winding station, the head of the material strip can be firmly adsorbed to complete the positioning and winding, effectively preventing the material strip from slipping, deviating and tilting, ensuring that the battery cell is steadily wound and the winding accuracy is higher. When the blowing mode is switched at the unloading station, a uniform air film gap is formed between the winding needle and the inner wall of the battery cell, realizing non-contact flexible separation of the battery cell. There is no squeezing or friction damage during the unloading process, thereby realizing non-contact or low-friction needle removal, and completely protecting the outer shape of the wound battery cell and the outer membrane.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cutting is performed when the rotational linear speed of the cutter in the diaphragm flying cutter assembly is synchronized with the linear speed of the material strip. At the moment of cutting, there is no relative speed difference between the two, preventing pulling or dragging of the diaphragm and electrode sheets or the formation of scratches. Simultaneously, the material strip head is continuously wound onto the winding needle. During the cutting operation, the material strip head is always vacuum-adsorbed by the winding needle and continuously wound, eliminating the need to pause feeding or stop the machine to wait for cutting. The process is seamlessly connected, completely eliminating cycle time losses due to material shortages and significantly improving the high-speed continuous production capacity of the entire machine. Moreover, the flying cut is not performed on the surface of the winding needle, so the cutter will not touch, scratch, or squeeze the surface of the winding needle. This protects the pores and air passage structure of the outer wall of the winding needle from damage caused by the cutter, and also prevents the blade from damaging the inner layer material attached to the winding needle during cutting, eliminating indentations, scratches, and interlayer damage.

[0041] Figure 2The diagram illustrates an overall structural schematic of an exemplary continuous winding device for battery cells applicable to these embodiments. This embodiment provides a continuous winding device 100 for battery cells, including a winding head assembly 1, which has a winding station 2 and a feeding station 4. The winding head assembly 1 includes a central rotating disk 5, on which winding needles 6 are disposed corresponding to each station. The winding needles 6 can rotate to wind the battery cells onto the material strip conveyed by the feeding mechanism. The winding needles 6 can move and rotate with the central rotating disk 5 between the winding station 2 and the feeding station 4, realizing multi-station process flow. The winding needles 6 can also extend at the feeding station 4 along an axial direction perpendicular to the station layout plane (usually the plane where the central rotating disk 5 is located) for battery cell winding and retract for needle extraction and feeding.

[0042] In this embodiment, the needle part of the winding needle 6 is an integral cylindrical structure. The winding needle 6 has an internal air cavity and surface air holes on its outer peripheral wall. The surface air holes connect the internal air cavity and the external space of the winding needle. The winding needle 6 has two switchable working modes: vacuum adsorption and positive pressure blowing. When the winding needle 6 is in the winding station 2, it draws air through the surface air holes to form a vacuum adsorption force, adsorbs the head of the material strip, and performs continuous winding. When the winding needle 6 is in the unloading station 4, it blows air outward through its surface air holes to form a positive pressure airflow, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle 6 and the material strip, so as to facilitate the separation of the battery cell from the winding needle 6.

[0043] In one embodiment, the winding head assembly 1 is further provided with a tail adhesive application station 3, which enables the winding needle 6 to rotate and move between the three stations.

[0044] It should be noted that the rotation of the winding needle 6 refers to the rotation of the winding needle 6 around its axis, and the winding needle 6 achieves the winding of the battery cell through its rotation. The winding needle 6 can also seamlessly switch between the three workstations by rotating with the central rotating disk 5. The rotation drive mechanism for the winding needle and the winding head can refer to the winding head structure in the prior art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0045] The continuous winding device 100 for battery cells further includes a feeding mechanism 7, used to convey the lower separator, negative electrode sheet, upper separator, and positive electrode sheet arranged in a layered sequence to the winding station 2. The feeding mechanism 7 includes a lower separator feeding device 710, a positive electrode sheet feeding device 720, an upper separator feeding device 730, and a negative electrode sheet feeding device 740. The lower separator feeding device 710 includes a lower separator drive assembly 711 and a lower separator tension meter 712 arranged sequentially along the lower separator conveying direction. Several lower separator unwinding rollers 713 are also provided on the lower separator conveying path. In some embodiments, the number of lower separator unwinding rollers 713 can be set from 1 to 4 as needed, up to the winding head assembly 1. The lower separator drive assembly 711 provides conveying power, pulling the lower separator forward smoothly. The lower separator tension meter 712 is used to detect and monitor the tension of the separator during the conveying process in real time. The lower diaphragm unwinding roller 713, for example, is equipped with multiple guide rollers to support and straighten the diaphragm, limit the material path, and prevent deviation and shaking.

[0046] The positive electrode feeding device 720 includes a positive electrode robotic arm assembly 722 and a positive electrode correction roller feeding assembly 723 arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the positive electrode. Several positive electrode rollers 721 are also provided along the conveying path of the positive electrode. These positive electrode rollers 721 guide, support, and smooth the feeding process, regulating the conveying path of the positive electrode, reducing material vibration and warping, and smoothly guiding it to subsequent workstations. For example, in some embodiments, 1-4 positive electrode rollers 721 are provided. The positive electrode robotic arm assembly 722 is used to convey the positive electrode. The positive electrode correction roller feeding assembly 723 is located on the discharge side of the positive electrode robotic arm assembly 722 and is used to correct the deviation of the electrode. Specifically, the positive electrode robotic arm assembly 722 can realize the conveying and cutting of the positive electrode, and the positive electrode correction roller feeding assembly 723 can realize the correction action of the positive electrode before winding, thereby ensuring that the positive electrode and the separator are aligned and stacked, avoiding stacking misalignment, and ensuring winding quality.

[0047] The upper diaphragm feeding device 730 includes an upper diaphragm drive roller assembly 732 and an upper diaphragm tension meter 733 arranged sequentially along the upper diaphragm conveying direction. Several upper diaphragm guide rollers 731 are also provided along the upper diaphragm conveying path. These upper diaphragm guide rollers 731 guide and support the upper diaphragm, straighten the material path, smooth the material, and prevent deviation, wrinkles, and shaking during conveying. For example, in some embodiments, 1-4 upper diaphragm guide rollers 731 are provided. The upper diaphragm drive roller assembly 732 serves as the active feeding power source, relying on the roller body to clamp and pull the upper diaphragm forward at a uniform speed, precisely matching the overall machine feeding rhythm. The upper diaphragm tension meter 733 detects the upper diaphragm conveying tension in real time, providing real-time feedback of the tension value, and cooperating with the control system to stabilize the belt tension, prevent diaphragm stretching deformation, slack, and deviation, and ensure overlapping accuracy.

[0048] The negative electrode feeding device 740 includes a negative electrode robotic arm assembly 742 and a negative electrode correction roller feeding assembly 743 arranged sequentially along the negative electrode conveying link. Several negative electrode guide rollers 741 are also provided along the negative electrode conveying link. The negative electrode guide rollers 741 support and guide the negative electrode sheets, regulate the conveying trajectory, smooth the sheets, reduce conveying vibration, and smoothly guide them to subsequent conveying stations. For example, in some embodiments, 1-4 negative electrode guide rollers 741 are provided. The negative electrode robotic arm assembly 742 is used to convey the negative electrode sheets. The negative electrode correction roller feeding assembly 743 is located on the discharge side of the negative electrode robotic arm assembly 742 and is used to correct the deviation of the electrode sheets. Specifically, the negative electrode robotic arm assembly 742 can realize the conveying and cutting of the negative electrode sheet, and the negative electrode sheet correction roller feeding assembly 743 can realize the correction action of the negative electrode sheet before winding, thereby ensuring that the negative electrode sheet and the separator are aligned and stacked, avoiding stacking misalignment, and ensuring winding quality.

[0049] The lower diaphragm feeding device 710, positive electrode feeding device 720, upper diaphragm feeding device 730, and negative electrode feeding device 740 described in this embodiment are arranged according to the stacking sequence of the battery cell. The lower diaphragm feeding device 710, positive electrode feeding device 720, upper diaphragm feeding device 730, and negative electrode feeding device 740 are arranged according to the stacking sequence of the battery cell, and are distributed clockwise around the winding needle in winding station 2. For example, in this embodiment, Figure 1 In the schematic diagram, the lower diaphragm feeding device 710, the positive electrode feeding device 720, the upper diaphragm feeding device 730, and the negative electrode feeding device 740 are arranged clockwise around the winding needle in winding station 2, feeding the lower diaphragm, positive electrode, upper diaphragm, and negative electrode sheet sequentially into winding station 2. In some other embodiments, it can also be arranged according to... Figure 1 In the schematic diagram, with the winding needle at winding station 2 as the center, the lower diaphragm feeding device 710, the negative electrode feeding device 740, the upper diaphragm feeding device 730, and the positive electrode feeding device 720 are arranged clockwise to feed the lower diaphragm, negative electrode, upper diaphragm, and positive electrode into winding station 2. During the overall cell winding, the diaphragm achieves insulation and isolation between the positive and negative electrodes, and the electrodes and diaphragms are arranged alternately.

[0050] The continuous winding device 100 for battery cells described in this application further includes a support roller 9 on the central rotating disk 5. There are three or more support rollers 9, with at least one support roller 9 positioned between any two adjacent winding needles. The support rollers 9 are capable of rotating with the central rotating disk 5. For example, in some embodiments, see... Figure 1 As shown, three support rollers 9 can be provided. The three support rollers 9 are arranged in a triangle and correspond to three winding needles 6 respectively, so that no matter which winding needle 6 moves to the winding station 2, a support roller 9 is provided below the winding station 2.

[0051] The continuous winding device 100 for battery cells described in this application further includes a diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8, arranged below the winding station 2, for cutting the material strip formed by the winding station 2. The diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8 includes a needle roller 810, a tape-changing roller 820, a tail diaphragm roller 830, and a cutter 840. The cutter 840 rotates under the drive of its rotary drive motor assembly, which can refer to existing rotary drive structures and will not be described in detail here. The diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8 cuts the material strip at a synchronized linear speed (i.e., the linear speed of the winding station 2) with the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840, to avoid scratching the material strip and causing quality defects in the battery cells when the linear speed of the material strip and the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840 are not synchronized. It should be noted that the synchronization mentioned here means that the difference between the linear speed of the material strip and the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840 is less than a threshold (the maximum value of the difference between the linear speed of the material strip and the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840 during the material strip cutting operation without scratches). It does not require that the two be strictly equal.

[0052] This application achieves the cutting and separation of the material strip at the synchronized linear speed of the strip and the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840. However, to avoid damaging the strip during cutting, the diaphragm flying cut cannot be performed on the surface of the winding needle. For example, in some embodiments, the strip cutting position is set within 10mm of the exit side of the winding needle 6 at the winding station 2. For example, in some embodiments, the diaphragm flying cut assembly 8 is set on the exit side of the winding station 2, and there is an initial distance value between the strip cutting point and the tangent point of the strip and the winding needle. For example, this initial distance value is set to not exceed the circumference of the winding needle, i.e., 2πR (circumference of the winding needle, where R is the radius of the winding needle).

[0053] In this application, to reduce the impact of the tension during strip cutting on the strip conveying, the diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8 includes a needle roller 810, a belt-changing roller 820, and a tail diaphragm roller 830. When the strip cutting begins, the needle roller 810 in the diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8 presses against the strip wound by the needle 6 at the winding station 2, and the tail diaphragm roller 830 presses against the support roller 9. The tail diaphragm roller 830 and the support roller 9 clamp the strip, and the belt-changing roller 820 presses against the strip between the needle roller 810 and the tail diaphragm roller 830. The front end of the tail diaphragm roller 830 along the conveying direction of the material belt has winding tension on the partially wound battery cells, while the rear end of the continuous material belt without being cut along the conveying direction of the material belt has feeding tension. If there is no separation between the needle roller 810 and the tail diaphragm roller 830, the tensions at the front and rear are interconnected and pulling, which can easily cause the wound battery cells to be misaligned, the inner layers to be loosened, and affect the feeding, resulting in winding deviation and diaphragm wrinkling. By adding the tail diaphragm roller 830 and the needle roller 810 to separate the tension, after the diaphragm is cut, it can be prevented that the diaphragm breakage will affect the diaphragm and electrode sheets on the needle 6 located at the tail adhesive application station 3, and at the same time, it can be prevented from affecting the feeding operation of the feeding mechanism. A belt roller 820 is set to press on the material belt between the needle roller 810 and the tail diaphragm roller 830, tensioning the material belt at the cutting point and providing tension to facilitate the rotation and cutting of the cutter 840.

[0054] In this application, the diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8 is arranged below the winding station 2, and performs cutting above the support roller 9 between the winding station 2 and the tail adhesive application station 3. It should be noted that during the cutting process of the diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8, the needle pressure roller 810, the tape changer roller 820, and the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830 need to reach the target position in one go. The needle pressure roller 810 in the diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8 presses against the tape wound by the needle 6 at the winding station 2, and the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830 presses against the support roller 9. The two clamp the tape. The tape changer roller 820 presses against the tape between the needle pressure roller 810 and the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830. Then, the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840 is accelerated to be synchronized with the linear speed of the tape. When the linear speed of the tape is synchronized with the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840, the cutter 840 cuts the diaphragm in a flying cut. In some embodiments, the needle roller 810, the belt roller 820, and the tail diaphragm roller 830 can reach the target position and the cutter 840 can reach the material belt cutting point simultaneously, but the cutter 840 cannot reach the material belt cutting point in advance.

[0055] The continuous winding device 100 for battery cells also includes an electrostatic generator 10, which applies static electricity to both sides of the material strip at the cut point along the feeding direction. This generates an electrostatic adsorption effect on the lower and upper diaphragms of the material strip, causing the two layers of diaphragms, which are originally stacked, to adhere tightly to each other. The basic structure and principle of the electrostatic generator 10 can refer to existing electrostatic generators. After the material strip is cut, the ends are prone to loosening and curling. Electrostatic adsorption can tightly adhere the upper and lower diaphragms, preventing the diaphragms from turning outward, warping, or delaminating after cutting, thus playing a role in shaping and fixing. The electrostatic generator 10 can also assist in winding, making the cut ends of the material strip neat and flat, ensuring smooth feeding when fed into the winding station, and preventing skewed winding and inner layer wrinkles. The electrostatic generator 10 can also stabilize the cut shape, preventing the diaphragms from springing back and spreading after cutting, ensuring the uniform shape of the ends of each fixed-length material strip, and significantly improving the flatness of the wound battery cell end face and the consistency of the finished product.

[0056] The continuous winding device 100 for battery cells also includes a detection component 11. The detection component 11 is positioned below the last roller in the electrode conveyor path (the feeding path of the positive electrode feeding device 720 or the negative electrode feeding device 740) to illuminate the winding station and perform a final inspection. The detection component 11 is located below the final roller of the electrode conveyor and faces the winding station. It is used to complete the final inspection before the material strip enters the winding station 2, verifying the flatness and feeding posture of the material strip, screening for material appearance defects, accurately calibrating the feeding position, and ensuring the initial winding accuracy of the battery cell. For example, in some embodiments, the detection component 11 can be a CCD component or a camera component.

[0057] The continuous winding device 100 for battery cells also includes a tail adhesive applicator 12, which is located at the tail adhesive applicator station 3. The tail adhesive applicator 12 automatically completes the entire process of unwinding, cutting, feeding, and positioning the tail adhesive tape. It precisely delivers the tail adhesive to the outer end face / outer ring of the wound battery cell, accurately controlling the adhesive application length, starting position, and angle to complete the winding and sealing of the battery cell. Simultaneously, the tail adhesive secures the outermost layer of the battery cell tape, preventing loosening, unwinding, and layer detachment, thus locking in the overall winding shape. The tail adhesive applicator 12 is a commonly used component in winding equipment; its specific structure can be referenced from existing tail adhesive applicators and will not be described in detail here.

[0058] The tape application assembly 12 includes a pressure roller 1220, which is an active pressure roller during the tape application stage. It is responsible for stably pressing the tape onto the surface of the battery cell after the tape is released from the roll and cut, controlling the application position and initial adhesion force. A finishing pressure roller 1210 is also provided at the tape application station 3. The finishing pressure roller 1210 is positioned above the tape application assembly 12 and contacts the battery cell wound at the tape application station 3 during the tape application process. It mainly applies radial pressure after the tape is applied, pressing the tape tightly onto the outermost separator or electrode surface of the battery cell. In this application, both the pressure roller 1220 and the finishing pressure roller 1210 are movable and can press against or detach from the battery cell at the tape application station. The positions of the two generally correspond to the process sequence. After the battery cell is transferred to the adhesive application station, it is first pre-pressed and shaped by the circumferential pressure roller 1210, and then moved to the position of the adhesive roller 1220 to complete the final adhesive compaction and reinforcement.

[0059] In some embodiments, the finishing roller 1210 and the adhesive roller 1220 are radially on the same side or adjacent to each other, and their working strokes do not interfere with each other. The finishing roller 1210 and the adhesive roller 1220 are arranged at different radial points on the outside of the battery cell. The finishing roller 1210 shapes the entire circle, and the adhesive roller 1220 presses the adhesive at a fixed point, with spatial offsets and no movement interference. In some embodiments, the finishing roller 1210 and the adhesive roller 1220 are arranged sequentially front and back along the circumferential rotation direction of the battery cell. For example, the finishing roller 1210 is in front, first rolling and shaping the entire wound battery cell; the adhesive roller 1220 is behind, specifically pressing the tail adhesive area. After the battery cell is wound and initially coated with tail adhesive, the finishing pressure roller 1210 performs circumferential rolling and shaping on the outer periphery of the battery cell, compacting the electrode sheets and separators of each layer of the battery cell, eliminating winding gaps, making the overall coil arrangement of the battery cell more compact and regular, improving the outer roundness and coaxiality, while smoothing the raised material strip head at the winding end, regularizing the end face and outer periphery of the battery cell, correcting slight deformation of the winding, ensuring that the tape and battery cell are tightly bonded, without bubbles or curling edges, and improving the reliability of fixation.

[0060] The continuous battery cell winding device 100 also includes a battery cell unloading robot 13, which is located near the unloading station 4. The battery cell unloading robot 13 is used to grip the finished battery cells after winding and adhesive application, completing the battery cell clamping, transfer, posture correction, and automatic unloading and transfer, achieving orderly output of finished battery cells and ensuring continuous automated production. The battery cell unloading robot 13 is a standard component of battery cell winding machines and will not be described in detail here.

[0061] This application improves the structure of the coiled needle, no longer using the conventional double semi-circular opening and closing coiled needle structure, but adopting an integrated coiled needle structure. Figure 3This document illustrates some embodiments of an integrated coiling needle structure applicable to this application. The coiling needle 6 has a needle portion 640 that is an integrated cylindrical structure. The coiling needle 6 has an internal air cavity 610, and its outer peripheral wall 650 has surface air holes 620 that connect the internal air cavity 610 to the external space of the coiling needle. The coiling needle 6 has two switchable operating modes: a vacuum adsorption mode and a positive pressure blowing mode. When the coiling needle 6 is at winding station 2, it draws air through the surface air holes 620 to create a vacuum adsorption force, adsorbing the head of the material strip and winding it. When the coiling needle 6 is at unloading station 4, it blows air outward through its surface air holes 620 to create a positive pressure airflow, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall 650 of the coiling needle and the material strip, allowing for easy separation of the battery cell from the coiling needle. For example, the air film gap is less than 100µm, such as 5µm, 10µm, 20µm, 30µm, etc. In some embodiments, the winding needle 6 may be provided with a plurality of surface air holes 620 that are connected to the central air cavity 610. The central air cavity 610 is connected to a high-pressure air source or a vacuum air source device, so that when the winding needle working surface needs a vacuum, the vacuum air source device provides a vacuum, and when high-pressure blowing is required, the high-pressure air source device provides high-pressure gas, thereby realizing the switching between vacuum adsorption mode and positive pressure blowing mode.

[0062] See Figure 4 In the cross-sectional view, the surface pores 620 are micropores. Multiple sets of surface pores 620 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction (i.e., the outer peripheral wall 650 of the needle) and axially of the winding working surface of the needle 6, covering the entire winding working surface of the needle 6. In some embodiments, the surface pores 620 are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction (i.e., the outer peripheral wall 650 of the needle) and at intervals along the axial direction. The diameter of the surface pores 620 generally does not exceed 0.5 mm, for example, 0.05-0.2 mm. Exemplarily, the number of surface pores 620 evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the needle 6 ranges from 2 to 18, and the surface pores 620 are arranged at a certain interval along the axial direction of the needle 6, covering the winding working surface of the needle 6. Exemplarily, the interval can be 0.1-10 mm.

[0063] In some embodiments, see Figure 5 As shown, the winding working surface of the coiling needle 6 is further provided with a groove 630 along the axial direction of the coiling needle in the circumferential direction (i.e., the outer peripheral wall 650 of the coiling needle). The groove 630 is disposed between two rows of surface air holes 620 on the radial cross section of the coiling needle. See [reference needed]. Figure 5The diagram shows that grooves 630 and surface pores 620 are spaced apart on the radial cross-section of the coil needle. In this embodiment, the grooves 630 are used to reduce the contact area and decrease the friction during needle extraction. In some embodiments, the grooves 630 may be circumferentially distributed, for example, 2-18 grooves may be evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the winding working surface of the coil needle 6 (i.e., the outer peripheral wall 650 of the coil needle), with a groove depth not exceeding 0.5 mm, for example, 0.05-0.2 mm. During needle extraction, the groove structure can further reduce the contact area between the coil needle and the battery cell separator, further reducing the friction during needle extraction.

[0064] In this application, the integrated winding needle simultaneously meets the requirements of both vacuum adsorption mode and positive pressure blowing mode. When winding begins at the winding station 2, a vacuum source device provides a vacuum in the air cavity 610, thereby drawing in air through the surface pores 620 to form a vacuum adsorption force, adsorbing the head of the material strip and winding it. When preparing to unload at the unloading station 4, the gripper of the unloading robot 13 grasps the battery cell, and a high-pressure air source device provides high-pressure air to the air cavity 610 inside the winding needle 6. The air is sprayed out from the surface pores 620 on the surface of the winding needle 6 to form a micro-gap between the diaphragm and the winding needle. Then, the winding needle is pulled out from inside the battery cell, realizing the separation of the battery cell unloading.

[0065] This application utilizes an integrated circular coiling needle design, switching between vacuum adsorption and positive pressure blowing modes, to achieve head adsorption during continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells and to achieve contactless or low-friction needle removal during cell extraction via air flotation. Existing split-type coiling needles require pulling out half the needle at a time, involving reaming and hot-drilling processes. The coiling needle circumference is inherently small, often 2-10mm in the industry, resulting in low structural strength, requiring high-performance materials, and consequently impacting battery cell design. In contrast, the integrated circular coiling needle in this application offers superior structural strength, diverse surface treatment options, and high precision, enabling better core extraction and faster, higher-quality winding.

[0066] In some embodiments of this application, in order to ensure that the strip is tightly adhered to the winding needle 6 on the winding station 2 during the unwinding process, an air nozzle assembly 14 is also provided at the winding station 2. The air nozzle assembly is used to blow air onto the cut strip head to press the strip head tightly against the surface of the winding needle 6, eliminating overhang of the strip head and preventing folding of the strip head during unwinding. Specifically, the air nozzle assembly 14 is located on the lower side of the lower diaphragm unwinding roller closest to the winding station 2, with the nozzles facing the winding needle 6 of the winding station 2. This allows the strip head after the diaphragm fly-cut to adhere to the surface of the winding needle 6. Combined with the vacuum adsorption mode of the winding needle 6, the vacuum adsorption on the surface of the winding needle 6 ensures that the strip head can stably perform the winding action.

[0067] This application provides a continuous winding device for battery cells. The winding needle precisely rotates and switches positions with the rotary disk, and the connection between each position is good. It can realize uniform and continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells without auxiliary time winding, thus improving efficiency. At the same time, the whole machine produces at a uniform speed, and the tension and synchronization control are better, which can achieve higher speed and higher quality winding. It can continuously start winding when the head of the next battery cell separator is suspended by ≤10mm, and realize online cutting and separation of separator at the microsecond level, and production without stopping the machine or reducing the speed.

[0068] This application provides a continuous winding process for battery cells applied to the continuous winding apparatus for battery cells in any of the above embodiments. It includes the following steps: Step S001: Control the winding needle of the winding station to work in vacuum adsorption mode, adsorb the head of the material strip and wind it. Step S002: Control the winding needle in the unloading station to work in positive pressure blowing mode, so as to form an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle and the material strip; Step S003: Control the lower cell robot to grip the cell and control the winding needle to retract along the axial direction perpendicular to the workstation layout plane to complete the needle extraction and unloading. Step S004: Control the winding needle in the unloading station to extend and reset along the axial direction perpendicular to the station layout plane; Step S005: Control the rotation of the central rotary disk to move the winding needle of the unloading station to the winding station, the winding needle of the winding station to the tail adhesive application station, and at the same time, the battery cell on the winding needle of the tail adhesive application station moves to the unloading station.

[0069] It should be noted that the numbers S001, S002, S003, S004, S005, etc., in this application do not imply or suggest the execution order of the steps. This is because some steps in some embodiments of this application are executed synchronously; for example, steps S001 and S002 mentioned above can be executed simultaneously. Similarly, the step numbers used below in this application are not limited to or should not be interpreted as indicating the order of execution of the steps, but are merely descriptive.

[0070] In some embodiments of this application, the continuous winding device for battery cells further includes an electrostatic generator, and the continuous winding process for battery cells further includes the following step: controlling the electrostatic generator to apply static electricity to both sides of the pre-cut section of the diaphragm along the feeding direction.

[0071] In some embodiments of this application, the continuous winding device for battery cells further includes a diaphragm flying cutter assembly, and the continuous winding process for battery cells further includes the following steps: controlling the diaphragm flying cutter assembly to cut the strip formed at the winding station at the diaphragm pre-cutting point when the linear speed of the strip and the rotational linear speed of the cutter of the diaphragm flying cutter assembly are synchronized, so as to form a strip head and a strip tail.

[0072] In some embodiments of this application, the continuous winding device for battery cells further includes an air nozzle assembly, and the continuous winding process for battery cells further includes the following steps: after the strip is cut, the air nozzle assembly is controlled to blow air onto the head of the strip for a first preset duration so as to press the head of the strip tightly against the surface of the winding needle at the winding station.

[0073] In some embodiments of this application, the diaphragm flying cutter assembly includes a needle roller, a tape changer roller, a tail diaphragm roller, and a cutter; the continuous winding process of the battery cell further includes the following steps: controlling the needle roller in the diaphragm flying cutter assembly to press against the strip wound by the needle at the winding station, the tail diaphragm roller to press against the support roller on the central rotating disk, the tail diaphragm roller and the support roller clamping the strip, the tape changer roller pressing against the strip between the needle roller and the tail diaphragm roller; and driving the cutter to accelerate its rotational linear speed to be synchronized with the linear speed of the strip.

[0074] More specifically, this application further provides a continuous winding process for battery cells applied to the continuous winding apparatus in the above embodiments. This process may include: controlling the winding needle 6 of the winding station 2 to operate in a vacuum adsorption mode to adsorb the head of the material strip conveyed by the feeding mechanism 7 for continuous winding to form a battery cell; The winding needle 6 in the unloading station 4 is controlled to work in positive pressure blowing mode, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle 6 and the material strip, so that the winding needle 6 is pulled out from the battery cell axis and moved to the winding station 2.

[0075] In one embodiment, the continuous winding device for battery cells may further include a tail adhesive application station.

[0076] See Figure 6 The diagram illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of a continuous winding process for battery cells according to this application. The continuous winding process for battery cells includes the following steps: Step S01: Electrode cutting process; Step S02: Switching workstations, diaphragm lamination, flying cut to completion, and tail adhesive application to completion; Step S03: The process of cutting the diaphragm, starting the winding at the winding station, finishing at the end-adhesive application station, and unloading and clamping at the unloading station; Step S04: Winding at the winding station, finishing and applying adhesive at the tail adhesive station, retracting and pulling the core at the unloading station, and resetting the winding needle extension.

[0077] Specifically, the electrode cutting process in step S01 includes the following simultaneous actions: controlling the feeding mechanism 7 to maintain continuous feeding of the upper and lower diaphragms, controlling the feeding mechanism 7 to cut the negative and positive electrode sheets, and stopping the feeding of the negative and positive electrode sheets. For example, see... Figure 7 The diagram illustrates the state of each component in the continuous cell winding device during this process. In this step, the upper and lower diaphragms on the diaphragm side are continuously fed without interruption, maintaining a continuous conveyor belt. On the electrode side, the positive and negative electrodes are simultaneously cut to a fixed length. After cutting, the feeding of the positive and negative electrodes is immediately paused, with only the diaphragm continuing to move. In this step, the entire machine operates synchronously, with the diaphragm continuously feeding to form a base for isolation. Only the positive and negative electrodes that have completed their fixed-length feeding are cut and feeding is stopped, forming a feeding mode where the diaphragm is continuously connected and the electrodes are supplied intermittently in segments. This step aims to achieve a continuous and uninterrupted winding base, with the upper and lower diaphragms continuously feeding without interruption, always forming a continuous isolation base. The continuous diaphragm allows for the transition between the front and rear cells, achieving uninterrupted continuous winding of the entire machine and eliminating standby losses during machine start-up and shutdown. At the same time, the electrode sheet feeding is precisely segmented, the positive and negative electrode sheets are cut to the required length and the feeding is paused, the electrode sheet usage required for a single cell is strictly matched, the electrode sheet length of each cell is precisely controlled, and the electrode sheet margin is prevented from being too long or too short, so as to ensure the cell capacity is consistent.

[0078] Specifically, the switching station, diaphragm lamination, fly-cutting, and tail-adhesive application processes described in step S02 include simultaneous operations: controlling the rotation of the central rotary disk 5 to rotate the winding needle 6 of the unloading station 4 to the winding station 2; the winding needle 6 of the winding station 2 rotates to the tail-adhesive application station 3; simultaneously, the battery cell on the winding needle 6 of the tail-adhesive application station 3 rotates to the unloading station 4; controlling the electrostatic generator 10 to apply static electricity to both sides of the diaphragm pre-cutting area along the feeding direction; controlling the diaphragm fly-cutting assembly 8 to move towards the diaphragm pre-cutting area of ​​the material strip; and controlling the adhesive roller 1220 of the tail-adhesive application assembly 12 to move and press the battery cell on the winding needle of the tail-adhesive application station. For example, see... Figure 8 The state of each component in the continuous winding device for battery cells shown in this diagram during this process.

[0079] In this step, the drive center rotary table rotates, realizing the overall rotation of the workstations. The empty winding needle at the unloading station 4 rotates to the winding station 2, receiving the material strip and starting a new round of winding. The formed battery cell at the winding station 2 rotates to the tail adhesive application station 3 to enter the sealing process. After the tail adhesive application is completed at the tail adhesive application station 3, the battery cell rotates back to the unloading station 4, waiting for the needle to be pulled out. The three winding needles 6 change positions synchronously, and the three workstation processes flow in parallel. At the same time, the diaphragm pretreatment action is started simultaneously. The electrostatic generator 10 applies static electricity to both sides of the diaphragm pre-cutting position, causing the upper and lower diaphragms to attract and adhere to each other and be shaped. At the same time, the diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8 is positioned facing the pre-cutting position, ready for precise cutting. In the diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8, the needle pressure roller 810 presses against the strip wound by the needle 6 at the winding station 2. The tail diaphragm pressure roller 830 presses against the support roller 9, and the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830 and the support roller 9 clamp the strip. The tape-changing roller 820 presses against the strip between the needle pressure roller 810 and the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830. Then, the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840 is accelerated to be synchronized with the linear speed of the strip. In the tail adhesive application station 3, the adhesive roller 1220 of the tail adhesive application assembly 12 moves into position, ready to roll and press the tail adhesive on the outer periphery of the battery cell that has been adhesive-applied. In this step, the four actions of needle switching station, diaphragm electrostatic pre-bonding, flying cut positioning, and tail adhesive application positioning are carried out simultaneously, without waiting in stages, greatly reducing the process time and significantly improving the overall production cycle and capacity.

[0080] Specifically, the processes of cutting the diaphragm, starting the winding at the winding station, finishing the adhesive application at the tailing station, and unloading at the unloading station in step S03 include the following simultaneous operations: controlling the diaphragm cutting assembly 8 to cut the strip formed at the winding station 2 at the pre-cutting point of the diaphragm when the linear speed of the strip and the rotational linear speed of the cutter 840 of the diaphragm cutting assembly are synchronized, to form a strip head and a strip tail; controlling the winding needle 6 of the winding station 2 to operate in vacuum adsorption mode, adsorbing the strip head and winding it; controlling the adhesive application assembly 12 to apply adhesive to the battery cell wound on the winding needle in the adhesive application station; controlling the winding needle 6 in the unloading station 4 to operate in air blowing and unloading mode, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle and the composite diaphragm strip, and controlling the battery cell unloading robot to move to the unloading station 4. For example, see [link to example]. Figure 9 The state of each component in the continuous winding device for battery cells shown in this diagram during this process.

[0081] This process involves four core synchronous operations: cutting the material, rewinding the new material, applying adhesive to the battery cells, and blowing the finished product out of the air. These operations are performed simultaneously at multiple stations without waiting for each other, achieving highly efficient and coordinated production throughout the entire process. The process achieves synchronous, uniform-speed cutting of the material strip, controlling the cutting blade's rotational speed to match the material conveyor speed. Precise cutting is completed at the pre-cut position of the pre-electrostatically shaped diaphragm, dividing the continuous composite material strip into two sections: the head and the tail, achieving fixed-length material distribution. The winding station utilizes vacuum adsorption for rewinding. The winding needle switches to vacuum adsorption mode, relying on negative pressure generated by the air pores on the outer wall to firmly hold the head of the freshly cut material strip, then starts rotating to smoothly begin a new round of continuous battery cell winding. Finally, the battery cells are applied with adhesive. The adhesive application component operates synchronously, automatically conveying and applying the adhesive tape to the battery cells that have completed their main winding, sealing and fixing the outer end of the battery cell, and locking the winding layers to prevent loosening. The process enables air-film descrambling and robotic arm positioning at the unloading station. The unloading station's winding needle switches to air-blowing descrambling mode, where airflow from the outer wall creates a uniform air-film gap between the winding needle and the inner wall of the battery cell, achieving frictionless, flexible separation of the battery cell. Simultaneously, the robotic arm moves to the unloading station to prepare for picking up the finished battery cell. This process involves four steps—cutting, unwinding, adhesive application, and unloading—operating simultaneously, significantly reducing the production cycle of a single battery cell and greatly improving the overall capacity and operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0082] Specifically, in step S04, the winding at the winding station, the finishing and applying of adhesive at the tail adhesive station, the retraction and core pulling at the unloading station, and the extension and resetting of the winding needle include the following synchronous processes: controlling the winding needle 6 at the winding station 2 to continue winding; controlling the tail adhesive application assembly 12 to apply adhesive to the battery cell wound on the winding needle 6 at the tail adhesive application station 3; controlling the unloading robot 13 to grip the battery cell; and controlling the winding needle 6 to retract along an axial direction perpendicular to the station layout plane to complete the needle pulling and unloading; controlling the unloading robot 13 to disengage from the unloading station 4; controlling the winding needle 6 at the unloading station 4 to extend and reset along an axial direction perpendicular to the station layout plane; and controlling the feeding of the negative and positive electrode sheets in the feeding mechanism 7 to start. For example, see [link to example]. Figure 10 The state of each component in the continuous winding device for battery cells shown in this diagram during this process.

[0083] In this process, the winding needle at the winding station continuously rotates, steadily completing the winding of the remaining layers of the battery cell. The tail adhesive application station continuously applies and compacts the tail adhesive, securing the outer end of the battery cell. At the unloading station, a robotic arm grips the finished battery cell, and the winding needle retracts axially to separate the cell. Subsequently, the robotic arm carries the battery cell away from the station, the empty winding needle extends axially to return to its initial working position, and the feeding mechanism restarts the feeding of positive and negative electrode sheets, restoring the supply of complete stacked material strips. In this process, multiple stations operate synchronously, continuously forming and sealing the battery cell while simultaneously unloading the finished product and resetting the winding needle, and restoring electrode sheet feeding to prepare for the next round of winding. The process is seamlessly connected and operates in a continuous cycle.

[0084] In some embodiments of this application, in order to ensure that the strip adheres tightly to the winding needle 6 on the winding station 2 during the initial winding, an air nozzle assembly 14 is also provided at the winding station 2. Therefore, the third process includes, synchronously, the following: after the strip is cut, the air nozzle assembly 14 is controlled to blow air onto the strip head for a first preset duration to keep the strip head tightly against the surface of the winding needle at the winding station. The first preset duration is set according to the production cycle requirements; for example, the first preset duration can be set to no more than 5 seconds, such as 0.5 seconds, 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, etc.

[0085] In some embodiments of this application, controlling the movement of the diaphragm flying cutter assembly toward the diaphragm pre-cutting point of the material strip in the second process further includes the following steps: controlling the coiling needle pressure roller 810 in the diaphragm flying cutter assembly 8 to press against the material strip wound by the coiling needle 6 at the winding station 2, the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830 to press against the support roller 9 on the central rotating disk 5, and the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830 and the support roller 9 clamping the material strip, the tape-changing roller 820 pressing against the material strip between the coiling needle pressure roller 810 and the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830; and accelerating the rotational linear speed of the drive cutter 840 to be synchronized with the linear speed of the material strip. In this step, by adding the tail diaphragm pressure roller 830 and the coiling needle pressure roller 810 to interrupt tension, after the diaphragm is cut, it is possible to avoid the diaphragm breakage affecting the diaphragm and electrode sheet located on the coiling needle 6 at the tail adhesive application station 3, and at the same time, to avoid affecting the feeding operation of the feeding mechanism. The belt roller 820 is set to press on the material belt between the needle roller 810 and the tail diaphragm roller 830, to tension the material belt at the cutting point, providing tension to facilitate the rotation and cutting of the cutter 840.

[0086] The aforementioned continuous winding process for battery cells in this application involves four sequential and seamlessly connected processes. It utilizes the central rotating disk for repositioning and the axial extension and retraction of the winding needles to achieve rapid connection between the needle withdrawal and material feeding at the unloading station and the winding station for coiling. This eliminates complex opening and closing structures and the need for complex rotation and translation linkage mechanisms. The mechanical control logic is simple, and the single axial extension and retraction action has a short stroke, fast response speed, and shorter action time, effectively reducing station handover time and adapting to the high-speed continuous winding production requirements of the equipment. Furthermore, the winding needles retract and withdraw in a straight line along the vertical station plane, with a regular and smooth retraction trajectory, allowing for stable detachment from the wound battery cell. This effectively avoids mechanical opening and closing and retraction scratching the inner separator and electrode sheets, preventing defects such as loose winding, loose edges, and material scratches. It also results in low mechanical wear and a low failure rate. Furthermore, in the continuous winding process of the battery cells in this application, the integrated circular winding needle switches between vacuum adsorption mode and positive pressure blowing mode to achieve the head adsorption and winding function during continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells, and to achieve contactless or low-friction needle removal through air flotation during the extraction of the lower battery cell. In addition, the cutting process is performed when the rotational linear speed of the cutter of the diaphragm flying cutter assembly and the linear speed of the material strip are synchronized. At the moment of cutting, there is no relative speed difference between the two, preventing pulling or dragging of the diaphragm and electrode sheets or the formation of scratches. The winding needle pressure roller, tail diaphragm pressure roller, and belt-changing roller, which cooperate with the diaphragm flying cutter assembly, are set up to interrupt tension, reduce the impact of flying cut on the process, and maintain a good cutting effect. The processes at each station in this application have good inter-process connectivity, enabling uniform and continuous winding of cylindrical battery cells without auxiliary time winding, thus improving efficiency.

[0087] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A continuous winding device for battery cells, characterized in that, include: A winding head assembly is provided with a winding station and a unloading station; the winding head assembly includes a central rotating disk, on which winding needles are arranged corresponding to the winding station and the unloading station. The winding needles can rotate to wind the battery cells of the material strip conveyed by the feeding mechanism, and move between the winding station and the unloading station with the central rotating disk. The needle of the winding needle is an integral cylindrical structure. The inside of the winding needle is provided with a central air cavity, and the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle is provided with surface air holes. The surface air holes connect the central air cavity and the external space of the winding needle. The winding needle has two switchable working modes: vacuum adsorption and positive pressure blowing. When the winding needle is in the winding position, it draws air through the surface air holes to form a vacuum adsorption force, adsorbs the head of the material strip, and continuously winds it. When the winding needle is in the unloading position, it blows air outward through the surface air holes to form a positive pressure airflow, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle and the material strip, so as to facilitate the separation of the battery cell from the winding needle.

2. The continuous winding device for battery cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An electrostatic generator is used to apply static electricity to both sides of the feed direction at the cut point of the material strip, so as to generate an electrostatic adsorption effect on the lower and upper diaphragms of the material strip.

3. The continuous winding device for battery cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The feeding mechanism includes a lower diaphragm feeding device, a positive electrode feeding device, an upper diaphragm feeding device, and a negative electrode feeding device. The lower diaphragm feeding device, the positive electrode feeding device, the upper diaphragm feeding device, and the negative electrode feeding device are arranged in a clockwise direction with the winding needle in the winding station as the center; or, the lower diaphragm feeding device, the negative electrode feeding device, the upper diaphragm feeding device, and the positive electrode feeding device are arranged in a clockwise direction with the winding needle in the winding station as the center.

4. The continuous winding device for battery cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a diaphragm flying cutter assembly, arranged below the winding station, for cutting the strip formed by the winding station; the diaphragm flying cutter assembly cuts the strip when the linear speed of the strip is synchronized with the rotational linear speed of the cutter of the diaphragm flying cutter assembly.

5. A continuous winding device for battery cells according to claim 4, characterized in that, The diaphragm cutting assembly includes a needle roller, a tape changer roller, a tail diaphragm roller, and a cutter. During the process of the cutter cutting the material strip, the needle roller presses against the material strip wound by the needle at the winding station, the tail diaphragm roller presses against the support roller on the central rotating disk, the tail diaphragm roller and the support roller clamp the material strip, and the tape changer roller presses against the material strip between the needle roller and the tail diaphragm roller.

6. A continuous winding device for battery cells according to claim 4, characterized in that, The material strip cutting position is within a predetermined distance range on the discharge side of the winding needle at the winding station; or, the initial distance between the material strip cutting position and the point of tangency between the material strip and the winding needle does not exceed the circumference of the winding needle.

7. A continuous winding device for battery cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An air nozzle assembly, located at the winding station, is used to blow air onto the strip head after the strip is cut, so as to press the strip head tightly against the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle to facilitate continuous winding.

8. A continuous winding device for battery cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a tail-applying adhesive assembly and a tail-finishing pressure roller. The tail-applying adhesive assembly is located at the tail-applying adhesive station. The tail-applying adhesive assembly includes a pressure roller. The tail-finishing pressure roller and the pressure roller are arranged sequentially back and forth along the circumferential rotation direction of the battery cell. Both the pressure roller and the tail-finishing pressure roller can move and press against the battery cell at the tail-applying adhesive station or detach from the battery cell at the tail-applying adhesive station.

9. A continuous winding device for battery cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the coiling needle is also provided with grooves along the axial direction of the coiling needle, and the grooves and surface pores are distributed at intervals on the radial cross section of the coiling needle.

10. A continuous winding process for battery cells, applied to the continuous winding apparatus for battery cells according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The winding needle at the winding station is controlled to operate in vacuum adsorption mode to adsorb and continuously wind the head of the material strip conveyed by the feeding mechanism to form a battery cell. The winding needle in the unloading station is controlled to operate in positive pressure blowing mode, forming an air film gap between the outer peripheral wall of the winding needle and the material strip, so that the winding needle is axially pulled out from the battery cell and moved to the winding station.

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