A CTP battery pack production line equipment

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of new energy vehicle batteries, and in particular to a CTP battery pack production line equipment, including a frame, a first conveyor line, a fixed line and a second conveyor line mounted on the frame, multiple sets of robotic arms mounted on both sides of the frame, a first feeding frame mounted on the first conveyor line, a sorting frame mounted on the fixed line, and a second feeding frame mounted on the second conveyor line; the fixed line is equipped with a first connecting block, a driving block, and a movable groove; the sorting frame is equipped with a second connecting block rotatably connected to the first connecting block, and the sorting frame is also equipped with a floating mechanism and an adjusting mechanism. This invention uses the driving block to align the battery cells placed on the sorting frame horizontally, and then uses the cooperation of the floating mechanism and the top cover template to ensure that each battery cell still has independent longitudinal fine-tuning capability after stacking. Before welding, adaptive compensation is performed according to the actual fit state to control the horizontal tolerance of the tab surface within the allowable range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of new energy vehicle batteries, and in particular to a CTP battery pack production line equipment. Background Technology

[0002] CTP (Cell-to-Pack) technology is an advanced packaging technology that eliminates the traditional module structure and directly integrates the cells into the battery pack level. Compared to the traditional three-level structure of "cell-module-battery pack", CTP technology increases the battery pack volume utilization rate from about 40% to over 60% by eliminating redundant components such as module end plates, side plates, and connectors, improves the system energy density by 10%-15%, reduces the number of components by about 40%, and significantly reduces manufacturing costs.

[0003] On the CTP battery pack production line, cell assembly is the core process, mainly including cell stacking, structural adhesive coating, tab welding, and busbar connection. Currently, CTP production lines typically use robotic arms in conjunction with vision positioning systems to pick up and stack cells. However, in actual production, due to dimensional tolerances and tab flatness deviations in incoming cells, cumulative height errors occur after stacking multiple layers of cells. Stacking accuracy deviations directly lead to deterioration of the welding fit. When the horizontal tolerance of the cell tab surface exceeds 0.3mm, subsequent laser welding of the tabs and busbars will produce defects such as incomplete welding, misaligned welding, and burn-through. Welding defects are difficult to detect in time on existing equipment and often flow into later processes, only to be exposed during EOL testing. At this point, the entire pack has been assembled, the cells are bonded with structural adhesive, and the tabs have been welded and fixed. It is impossible to replace the defective cells individually, and the entire pack must be scrapped, resulting in huge material losses and production delays. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the dimensional tolerances and flatness deviations of the electrode surface in the above or existing technologies, which lead to cumulative height errors after multi-layer cell stacking, and the stacking accuracy deviation directly leads to the deterioration of the welding fit, when the horizontal tolerance of the electrode surface of the cell exceeds 0.3mm, the subsequent laser welding of the electrode and the bus will produce defects such as incomplete welding, welding deviation, and welding burn-through. Therefore, this invention is proposed.

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a CTP battery pack production line equipment, including a frame, a first conveyor line, a fixed line and a second conveyor line set on the frame, multiple sets of robotic arms set on both sides of the frame, a first feeding frame set on the first conveyor line, a sorting frame set on the fixed line, and a second feeding frame set on the second conveyor line; the fixed line is provided with a first connecting block, a driving block and a movable groove; the sorting frame is provided with a second connecting block rotatably connected to the first connecting block, and the sorting frame is also provided with a floating mechanism and an adjusting mechanism.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention, the drive block is provided with a drive groove, a connecting shaft is slidably provided on the drive groove, a limiting groove is provided on the fixed line that is slidably connected to the connecting shaft, and a drive mechanism is also provided on the drive block; the connecting shaft is rotatably provided on the sorting frame; when the drive groove is in the moving state, the drive groove squeezes the connecting shaft, causing the connecting shaft to slide on the limiting groove.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention, the driving mechanism includes a screw mounted on a connecting block, support blocks rotatably mounted on both ends of the screw and fixedly connected to a fixed line, a driven wheel mounted on one end of the screw, a servo motor mounted on the fixed line, a driving wheel mounted on the output end of the servo motor, and a transmission belt mounted on the driven wheel and the driving wheel; the driving block is provided with a screw hole that mates with the screw.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention, the floating mechanism includes multiple floating plates disposed at the bottom of the sorting frame and having the same number as the number of battery cells to be assembled, a supporting piston disposed on the floating plate, and a floating cavity disposed at the bottom of the sorting frame and cooperating with the floating plate.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention, the adjustment mechanism includes a hydraulic chamber disposed on the sorting frame, a hydraulic rod disposed on the hydraulic chamber, a fixed block disposed on the hydraulic rod, an electric push rod whose output end is fixedly connected to the fixed block, and a central oil passage and a branch oil passage disposed on the sorting frame and connected to the hydraulic chamber; the central oil passage is connected to the floating chamber.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention, wherein: multiple sets of robotic arms are respectively equipped with grippers, top cover templates, laser welding heads, suction cup one, and suction cup two.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention, wherein: the feeding frame is provided with a plug-in slot that matches the battery cell body.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention, the top cover template is provided with pressure sensors corresponding to the number of battery cells to be assembled.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention, the equipment is used for the assembly and production of CTP battery packs with square cell bodies.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the CTP battery pack production line equipment of the present invention are as follows: The present invention uses a drive block to align the battery cells placed on the sorting frame in the horizontal direction, and then uses the cooperation of a floating mechanism and a top cover template to ensure that each battery cell still has independent longitudinal fine-tuning capability after stacking. Before welding, adaptive compensation is performed according to the actual fit state to control the horizontal tolerance of the tab surface within the allowable range. If the requirements cannot be met after fine-tuning, the corresponding battery cell can be removed before welding to avoid scrapping the entire pack after welding and eliminate the root cause of welding defects. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a side view of the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the floating mechanism of the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the drive block of the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fixed line structure of a CTP battery pack production line.

[0022] Figure 6 For CTP battery pack production line equipment Figure 5 Enlarged view of the structure at point A in the middle.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the screw holes in the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the sorting frame of the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the sorting frame of the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0026] Figure 10 For CTP battery pack production line equipment Figure 9 Enlarged view of the structure at point B in the middle.

[0027] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the central oil channel in a CTP battery pack production line.

[0028] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding frame of the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0029] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding frame 2 of the CTP battery pack production line equipment.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Conveyor line one; 3. Fixed line; 31. Connecting block one; 32. Drive block; 321. Drive groove; 322. Connecting shaft; 323. Limiting groove; 324. Drive mechanism; 3241. Screw; 3242. Support block; 3243. Driven wheel; 3244. Servo motor; 3245. Drive wheel; 3246. Transmission belt; 325. Screw hole; 33. Movable groove; 4. Conveyor line two; 5. Robotic arm; 51. Gripper; 52. Top cover template; 53. Laser welding head; 54. Suction Cup 1; 55. Suction Cup 2; 6. Feeding Frame 1; 61. Insertion Slot; 7. Sorting Frame; 71. Connecting Block 2; 72. Floating Mechanism; 721. Floating Plate; 722. Support Piston; 723. Floating Chamber; 73. Adjustment Mechanism; 731. Hydraulic Chamber; 732. Hydraulic Rod; 733. Fixing Block; 734. Electric Push Rod; 735. Central Oil Channel; 736. Branch Oil Channel; 8. Feeding Frame 2; 9. Battery Pack Housing; 91. Liquid Cooling Plate; 10. Battery Pack Top Cover; 11. Battery Cell Body. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Example, refer to Figures 1 to 13According to one embodiment of the present invention, a CTP battery pack production line equipment is provided, which includes a frame 1, a first conveyor line 2, a fixed line 3 and a second conveyor line 4 disposed on the frame 1, multiple sets of robotic arms 5 disposed on both sides of the frame 1, a first feeding frame 6 disposed on the first conveyor line 2, a sorting frame 7 disposed on the fixed line 3, and a second feeding frame 8 disposed on the second conveyor line 4; wherein, the frame 1 provides support for the entire equipment, the first conveyor line 2 is used to move the first feeding frame 6 closer to or away from the fixed line 3, the fixed line 3 is used to cooperate with the sorting frame 7 to align the tabs placed on the cell body 11 at a certain height, the second conveyor line 4 is used to move the battery pack box 9 closer to or away from the fixed line 3, and the robotic arms 5 are used to cooperate with the equipment to perform operations such as transfer and welding on the cell body 11.

[0033] The fixed line 3 is provided with a connecting block 31, a driving block 32, and a movable groove 33; the sorting frame 7 is provided with a connecting block 71 that is rotatably connected to the connecting block 31, and the sorting frame 7 is also provided with a floating mechanism 72 and an adjusting mechanism 73; wherein, the driving block 32 is used to drive the sorting frame 7 to rotate upward with the connecting axis of the connecting block 31 and the connecting block 71 as the center, so that the battery cell body 11 is aligned to one side of the sorting frame 7 under the action of gravity, so that the battery cell body 11 on the sorting frame 7 is aligned in the horizontal direction, the movable groove 33 is used to cooperate with the rotation action of the sorting frame 7, and the floating mechanism 72 is used to cooperate with the adjusting mechanism 73 to adjust the longitudinal orientation of the battery cell body 11 on the sorting frame 7, so that the height of the electrode of the battery cell body 11 is aligned, and welding defects are prevented when the electrode is welded to the busbar.

[0034] The drive block 32 is provided with a drive groove 321, and a connecting shaft 322 is slidably disposed on the drive groove 321. The fixed line 3 is provided with a limiting groove 323 that is slidably connected to the connecting shaft 322. The drive block 32 is also provided with a drive mechanism 324. The drive groove 321 is used to press the connecting shaft 322 when the drive block 32 moves. Under the action of the limiting groove 323, the connecting shaft 322 is driven to move back and forth on the limiting groove 323. The drive mechanism 324 is used to drive the drive block 32 to move back and forth on the fixed line 3.

[0035] The connecting shaft 322 is rotatably mounted on the sorting frame 7. When the connecting shaft 322 moves on the limiting groove 323, the sorting frame 7 rotates around the connecting shaft of the connecting block 2 71 and the connecting block 1 31.

[0036] When the drive groove 321 is in a moving state, the drive groove 321 presses the connecting shaft 322, causing the connecting shaft 322 to slide on the limiting groove 323. When the drive block 32 is in a stationary state relative to the fixed line 3, the drive groove 321 cooperates with the limiting groove 323 to limit the connecting shaft 322, thereby fixing the current state of the sorting frame 7.

[0037] The drive mechanism 324 includes a screw 3241 mounted on the connecting block 31, a support block 3242 rotatably mounted on both ends of the screw 3241 and fixedly connected to the fixing line 3, a driven wheel 3243 mounted on one end of the screw 3241, a servo motor 3244 mounted on the fixing line 3, a drive wheel 3245 mounted on the output end of the servo motor 3244, and a transmission belt 3246 mounted on the driven wheel 3243 and the drive wheel 3245. The servo motor 3244 provides power to drive the drive wheel 3245 to rotate, and the transmission belt 3246 drives the driven wheel 3243 to rotate the screw 3241. The support block 3242 supports the screw 3241.

[0038] The drive block 32 is provided with a screw hole 325 that matches the screw 3241. Through the action of the screw hole 325 and the screw 3241, when the screw 3241 rotates, it drives the drive block 32 to move back and forth on the fixed line 3.

[0039] The floating mechanism 72 includes multiple floating plates 721 arranged at the bottom of the sorting frame 7, the same number as the battery cell bodies 11 to be assembled, a support piston 722 arranged on the floating plate 721, and a floating cavity 723 arranged at the bottom of the sorting frame 7 and cooperating with the floating plate 721. The floating plate 721 is used to adjust the supported battery cell body 11 longitudinally by cooperating with the support piston 722 to move up and down in the floating cavity 723. A sealing ring is provided between the support piston 722 and the floating cavity 723 to improve airtightness and make the adjustment mechanism 73 adjust the floating plate 721 more accurately.

[0040] The adjusting mechanism 73 includes a hydraulic chamber 731 disposed on the sorting frame 7, a hydraulic rod 732 disposed on the hydraulic chamber 731, a fixing block 733 disposed on the hydraulic rod 732, an electric push rod 734 whose output end is fixedly connected to the fixing block 733, and a central oil passage 735 and a branch oil passage 736 disposed on the sorting frame 7 and connected to the hydraulic chamber 731; wherein, the electric push rod 734 is used to provide power to drive the hydraulic rod 732 to move in the hydraulic chamber 731 through the fixing block 733, thereby driving hydraulic oil to flow in the central oil passage 735 and the branch oil passage 736.

[0041] The central oil passage 735 is connected to the floating cavity 723. Hydraulic oil flows in the floating cavity 723 through the central oil passage 735 and the branch oil passage 736, thereby driving the floating plate 721 to move up and down slightly.

[0042] The robotic arms 5 are equipped with grippers 51, top cover templates 52, laser welding heads 53, suction cups 54 and 55 respectively. The grippers 51 are used to pick up individual battery cell bodies 11 and place them in the sorting frame 7. The top cover templates 52 are used to simulate the shape of the battery pack top cover 10 and detect the alignment of the height of the tabs on the battery cell bodies 11 on the sorting frame 7, thereby controlling the floating plate 721 to finely adjust the height of the battery cell bodies 11. The laser welding head 53 is used to weld the busbar and the battery pack top cover 10 to the battery cell bodies 11. The suction cups 54 are used to pick up the busbar and the battery pack top cover 10 and place them on the adjusted battery cell bodies 11. The suction cups 55 are used to pick up the welded battery cell bodies 11 and transfer them to the battery pack housing 9.

[0043] The feeding frame 6 is provided with a plug-in slot 61 that matches the battery cell body 11. The plug-in slot 61 is used to separate the battery cell body 11 so that the gripper 51 can grab it.

[0044] The top cover template 52 is equipped with pressure sensors corresponding to the number of battery cell bodies 11 to be assembled. The robotic arm 5 drives the top cover template 52 to press on the sorting frame 7. The pressure between the tabs on the battery cell body 11 and the pressure sensors determines whether the height of the tabs is aligned.

[0045] The structure of the equipment is more suitable for the CTP battery pack assembly and production of square cell bodies 11, and the square cell bodies 11 are easier to grasp and align.

[0046] In summary, firstly, conveyor line 2 transports the feeding frame 6 carrying the battery cell body 11 towards the fixed line 3. At this time, gripper 51 picks up the battery cell body 11 one by one and puts it into the sorting frame 7 until the sorting frame 7 is full. Then, servo motor 3244 starts and drives drive wheel 3245 to rotate. Drive wheel 3245 drives screw 3241 to rotate under the action of transmission belt 3246 and driven wheel 3243. At this time, drive block 32 moves under the action of screw hole 325. At this time, drive groove 321 squeezes connecting shaft 322 and drives connecting shaft 322 to move up limit groove 323. When the sorting frame 7 is activated, it rotates around the connecting shaft between connecting block 2 71 and connecting block 1 31, driven by connecting shaft 322. At this time, the battery cell body 11 on the sorting frame 7 slides to one side under the influence of gravity, aligning the battery cell body 11 horizontally. The top cover template 52, simulating the battery pack top cover 10, presses against the battery cell body 11. The pressure sensor detects the pressure between the tabs on the battery cell body 11. When an abnormal pressure is detected between the tabs and the top cover template 52, the electric push rod 734 is activated, moving through the fixed block... 733 drives the hydraulic rod 732 to move into the hydraulic chamber 731, driving hydraulic oil to flow into the floating chamber 723 through the central oil passage 735 and the branch oil passage 736. At this time, the hydraulic oil in the floating chamber 723 pushes the support piston 722 upward, causing all the floating plates 721 to be lifted upward. At this time, the battery cell body 11 with abnormal pressure between itself and the top cover template 52 is lifted upward by the floating plates 721 until all pressure sensor values ​​are normal. At this time, the electric push rod 734 stops driving, maintaining the floating plates 721 in this state. At this time, the top cover template 52 moves away from the battery cell body. Above 11, suction cup 54 sequentially places the busbar and the battery pack top cover 10 coated with thermal conductive adhesive onto the arranged cell body 11, and welds them through laser welding head 53. At this time, the cell body 11 and the battery pack top cover 10 are connected and fixed, and the position of the cell body 11 is initially fixed. Then, suction cup 55 will adsorb the upper surface of the battery pack top cover 10, lift the whole formed by the cell body 11 and the battery pack top cover 10, and put it into the battery pack box 9 with the liquid cooling plate 91 fixedly connected to the bottom, thus completing the docking of the battery pack box 9 and the battery pack top cover 10.

[0047] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A CTP battery pack production line apparatus, characterized by: Includes a frame (1), a first conveyor line (2), a fixed line (3) and a second conveyor line (4) set on the frame (1), multiple sets of robotic arms (5) set on both sides of the frame (1), a first feeding frame (6) set on the first conveyor line (2), a sorting frame (7) set on the fixed line (3), and a second feeding frame (8) set on the second conveyor line (4); The fixed line (3) is provided with a connecting block (31), a driving block (32), and a movable slot (33); The sorting frame (7) is provided with a second connecting block (71) that is rotatably connected to the first connecting block (31). The sorting frame (7) is also provided with a floating mechanism (72) and an adjusting mechanism (73).

2. The CTP battery pack production line apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The drive block (32) is provided with a drive groove (321), a connecting shaft (322) is slidably provided on the drive groove (321), a limiting groove (323) is provided on the fixing line (3) and is slidably connected to the connecting shaft (322), and a drive mechanism (324) is also provided on the drive block (32). The connecting shaft (322) is rotatably mounted on the sorting frame (7); When the drive groove (321) is in the moving state, the drive groove (321) presses the connecting shaft (322), causing the connecting shaft (322) to slide on the limiting groove (323).

3. The CTP battery pack production line apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The drive mechanism (324) includes a screw (3241) disposed on the connecting block (31), a support block (3242) rotatably disposed at both ends of the screw (3241) and fixedly connected to the fixed line (3), a driven wheel (3243) disposed at one end of the screw (3241), a servo motor (3244) disposed on the fixed line (3), a drive wheel (3245) disposed at the output end of the servo motor (3244), and a transmission belt (3246) disposed on the driven wheel (3243) and the drive wheel (3245). The drive block (32) is provided with a screw hole (325) for engaging the screw (3241).

4. The CTP battery pack production line apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The floating mechanism (72) includes multiple floating plates (721) set at the bottom of the sorting frame (7) and the same number as the battery cell body (11) to be assembled, a support piston (722) set on the floating plate (721), and a floating cavity (723) set at the bottom of the sorting frame (7) and cooperating with the floating plate (721).

5. The CTP battery pack production line apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The adjustment mechanism (73) includes a hydraulic chamber (731) disposed on the sorting frame (7), a hydraulic rod (732) disposed on the hydraulic chamber (731), a fixing block (733) disposed on the hydraulic rod (732), an electric push rod (734) whose output end is fixedly connected to the fixing block (733), and a central oil passage (735) and a branch oil passage (736) disposed on the sorting frame (7) and connected to the hydraulic chamber (731). The central oil passage (735) is connected to the floating cavity (723).

6. The CTP battery pack production line equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple robotic arms (5) are respectively equipped with grippers (51), top cover templates (52), laser welding heads (53), suction cup one (54), and suction cup two (55).

7. The CTP battery pack production line apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The feeding frame (6) is provided with a plug slot (61) that matches the battery cell body (11).

8. The CTP battery pack production line apparatus of claim 6, wherein: The top cover template (52) is equipped with pressure sensors corresponding to the number of battery cell bodies (11) to be assembled.

9. The CTP battery pack production line apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The equipment is used for the CTP battery pack assembly production of square cell bodies (11).

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