Method and device for assembling battery pieces into a string

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of photovoltaic modules, and particularly discloses a cell piece splicing and stringing method and device, which comprises the following steps: S1, placing a welding strip on a composite frame, and fixing the two ends of the welding strip by a first fixing piece and a second fixing piece respectively; S2, placing a cell piece on the composite frame, and covering half of the welding strip, and the other half of the welding strip is extended out of the cell piece to form an extended section; S3, moving the cell piece on the rear composite frame to below the extended section of the welding strip on the front composite frame and abutting against the extended section of the welding strip in the two adjacent composite frames; and S4, simultaneously coating the upper and lower sides of the cell piece in the composite frame to form a cell string. The method improves the stringing efficiency and coating efficiency, and the upper and lower sides of the cell piece are balanced in stress during the simultaneous coating process, so that the integrity of the cell piece is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of photovoltaic module technology, and in particular to a method and apparatus for assembling solar cells into strings. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of photovoltaic modules, cell stringing is one of the key steps, which involves electrically connecting multiple individual cells with solder ribbons to form a cell string, thereby collecting and transmitting photocurrent. Currently, the mainstream cell coating and stringing technologies mainly cover Topcon (conventional bifacial contact cells) coating and stringing technology and BC (back contact cells) coating and stringing technology.

[0003] In existing Topcon coating stringing processes, a single solder ribbon is typically used to connect the front and back of adjacent cells to achieve electrical conductivity. The specific process is generally as follows: First, one end of the solder ribbon is initially covered and fixed to the front or back of the current cell using an adhesive film, leaving the other end of the solder ribbon extending outwards and suspended. Then, the cell is flipped using a mechanical device to the position of the next cell to be connected, and the suspended solder ribbon is then overlapped on the back (or front) of the previous cell. Finally, the overlap and the surface of the cell are coated and pressed together, using the adhesive force of the adhesive film to fix the solder ribbon and the cell, completing the series connection between individual cells.

[0004] The above process path must follow a strict timing logic, that is, the previous cell must be flipped and positioned before the next cell can be connected, which seriously affects the production cycle of the production line.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to study a method and apparatus for assembling battery cells into strings to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for assembling battery cells into strings, so as to solve the problem of low production efficiency of battery strings in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A method for bonding solar cells into strings includes: S1. Place the welding strip on the composite frame, and fix the two ends of the welding strip by the first fixing member and the second fixing member respectively; S2. Place the battery cell on the composite frame, with the battery cell covering half of the welding strip and the other half of the welding strip extending out of the battery cell to form an extended section; S3. Multiple composite frames are brought close to each other, so that in two adjacent composite frames, the battery cells on the rear composite frame move to the front composite frame below the protruding section of the solder strip and fit into the protruding section of the solder strip. S4. Simultaneously coat the top and bottom sides of the battery cells in the composite frame to form a battery string.

[0008] As an optional technical solution for a method of assembling and stringing battery cells, the composite frame has an upper coating mechanism above it and a lower coating mechanism below it. In S4, the lower coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip to the bottom of the composite frame, the upper coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip to the top of the composite frame, the lower coating mechanism moves upward to attach the lower film strip to the bottom of the battery cell, and the upper coating mechanism moves downward to attach the upper film strip to the top of the battery cell.

[0009] As an optional technical solution for a method of assembling and stringing battery cells, in S4, when the lower coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip to the bottom of the composite frame, and the upper coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip to the top of the composite frame, the upper coating mechanism and the lower coating mechanism move towards the composite frame simultaneously, thereby coating both sides of the battery cells on the composite frame simultaneously.

[0010] As an optional technical solution for a method of assembling and stringing battery cells, the upper coating mechanism and the lower coating mechanism are provided with film strips by the same set of film supply mechanisms. In S4, the film supply mechanism first provides film strips to the lower coating mechanism, the lower coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strips to the bottom of the composite frame, and then the film supply mechanism provides film strips to the upper coating mechanism, the upper coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strips to the top of the composite frame.

[0011] As an optional technical solution for battery cell assembly into strings, the upper coating mechanism and the lower coating mechanism are supplied with film by two sets of film supply mechanisms respectively; the lower coating mechanism and the upper coating mechanism simultaneously pick up and move the film strip to the lower and upper parts of the composite frame respectively.

[0012] As an alternative technical solution for battery cell assembly into strings, in S3, the height difference between adjacent composite frames is greater than the sum of the thickness of a single battery cell and the solder strip.

[0013] As an optional technical solution for a method of assembling battery cells into strings, each composite frame corresponds to a first fixing member and a second fixing member, wherein the first fixing member is located below the composite frame and the second fixing member is located above the composite frame; In S1, the first fastener fixes one end of the welding strip from bottom to top, and the second fastener fixes the other end of the welding strip from top to bottom.

[0014] As an optional technical solution for battery cell assembly into a string, the first fixing member and the corresponding composite frame are fixedly connected. In S3, the composite frame, the first fixing member, and the second fixing member move synchronously.

[0015] As an optional technical solution for a method of assembling solar cells into strings, two adjacent solar cells have overlapping portions. In S2, a film is first applied to the overlapping portion of at least one solar cell, and then the film-coated solar cell is placed on the composite frame.

[0016] A battery cell stacking and stringing device, used to implement the battery cell stacking and stringing method described in any of the above technical solutions, comprising: A plurality of composite frames are arranged at intervals along the front-back direction, and two adjacent composite frames can move closer or further apart from each other along the front-back direction; Several first fixing members, each corresponding to a certain number of composite frames, and moving synchronously; Several second fixing members, each corresponding to a certain number of composite frames, and moving synchronously; A coating mechanism is used to simultaneously coat the top and bottom sides of the battery cell.

[0017] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: This invention provides a method and apparatus for assembling battery cells into strings. The method includes the following steps: S1, placing a welding strip on a composite frame, with both ends of the welding strip fixed by a first fixing member and a second fixing member, respectively; S2, placing battery cells on the composite frame, with the battery cells covering half of the welding strip and the other half of the welding strip extending beyond the battery cells to form an extended section; S3, bringing multiple composite frames closer together, such that in two adjacent composite frames, the battery cells on the rear composite frame move to the front composite frame below the extended section of the welding strip and overlap with the extended section of the welding strip; S4, simultaneously coating the upper and lower sides of the battery cells in the composite frame to form a battery string.

[0018] Using the above method, multiple solar cells can be strung together at once, greatly improving the stringing efficiency; and simultaneously coating the top and bottom sides of the solar cells improves the coating efficiency, and the stress on the top and bottom sides of the solar cells is balanced during the simultaneous coating process, which helps to ensure the integrity of the solar cells. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the content of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the battery cell stacking and stringing method in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cell, composite frame, first fixing member, and second fixing member in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of several composite components and battery cells in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point A, showing partial overlap between adjacent battery cells; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of adjacent battery cells arranged at intervals in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a top view of the composite frame and the first fixing member in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] In the picture: 1000, battery cells; 2000, welding strip; 2100, protruding section; 100. Composite frame; 110. Base; 120. Support rod; 210. First fastener; 220. Second fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Before explaining any implementation of this application in detail, it should be understood that this application is not limited to its application to the structural details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or shown in the above drawings.

[0023] In this application, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0024] In this application, the term "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "and / or" relationship.

[0025] In this application, the terms "connection," "combination," "coupling," and "installation" can refer to direct connection, combination, coupling, or installation, or indirect connection, combination, coupling, or installation. For example, a direct connection refers to two parts or components being connected together without the need for an intermediary, while an indirect connection refers to two parts or components each being connected to at least one intermediary, with the connection achieved through the intermediary. Furthermore, "connection" and "coupling" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, but can also include electrical connections or couplings.

[0026] In this application, those skilled in the art will understand that relative terms (e.g., “about,” “approximately,” “basically,” etc.) used in conjunction with quantities or conditions are to include the values ​​and have the meaning indicated by the context. For example, such relative terms include at least the degree of error associated with the measurement of a particular value, tolerances associated with the particular value due to manufacturing, assembly, use, etc. Such terms should also be considered as disclosing a range defined by the absolute values ​​of the two endpoints. Relative terms may refer to a certain percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10% or more) of the indicated value. Numerical values ​​that do not use relative terms should also be disclosed as specific values ​​with tolerances. Furthermore, “basically” when expressing relative angular relationships (e.g., substantially parallel, substantially perpendicular) may refer to a certain degree (e.g., 1 degree, 5 degrees, 10 degrees or more) added to or subtracted from the indicated angle.

[0027] In this application, those skilled in the art will understand that the function performed by a component can be performed by one component, multiple components, one part, or multiple parts. Similarly, the function performed by a part can also be performed by one part, one component, or a combination of multiple parts.

[0028] In this application, the directional terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are used to describe the orientation and positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, in the context, it should be understood that when an element is mentioned as being connected "upper" or "lower" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element "upper" or "lower," or indirectly connected through an intermediate element. It should also be understood that directional terms such as upper side, lower side, left side, right side, front side, and rear side not only represent positive orientation but can also be understood as lateral orientation. For example, "below" can include directly below, lower left, lower right, lower front, and lower rear.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, this embodiment provides a method for assembling battery cells into strings. The method includes the following steps: S1, placing a solder ribbon 2000 on a composite frame 100, with both ends of the solder ribbon 2000 fixed by a first fixing member 210 and a second fixing member 220, respectively. S2, placing battery cells 1000 on the composite frame 100, with the battery cells 1000 covering half of the solder ribbon 2000, and the other half of the solder ribbon 2000 extending beyond the battery cells 1000 to form an extension section 2100. S3, bringing multiple composite frames 100 closer together, such that in two adjacent composite frames 100, the battery cells 1000 on the rear composite frame 100 move to the front composite frame 100 below the extension section 2100 of the solder ribbon 2000 and adhere to it. S4, simultaneously coating the upper and lower sides of the battery cells 1000 in the composite frame 100 to form a battery string.

[0030] Using the above method, multiple solar cells 1000 can be strung together at one time, which greatly improves the stringing efficiency. At the same time, the top and bottom sides of the solar cells 1000 are coated, which improves the coating efficiency. Furthermore, the stress on the top and bottom sides of the solar cells 1000 is balanced during the coating process, which helps to ensure the integrity of the solar cells 1000.

[0031] In some embodiments, an upper coating mechanism is located above the composite frame 100, and a lower coating mechanism is located below the composite frame 100. In S4, the lower coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip below the composite frame 100, while the upper coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip above the composite frame 100 and towards the composite frame 100. The lower coating mechanism moves upward to attach the lower film strip to the lower part of the battery cell 1000, and the upper coating mechanism moves downward to attach the upper film strip to the upper part of the battery cell 1000. This method, by utilizing two coating mechanisms in different positions, facilitates a reduction in movement path and improves coating efficiency.

[0032] In step S4, after the lower coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip below the composite frame 100, and the upper coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip above the composite frame 100, both the upper and lower coating mechanisms move towards the composite frame 100 simultaneously to achieve synchronous coating of both sides of the battery cells 1000 on the composite frame 100. Once the upper and lower coating mechanisms are in position, the synchronous movement only involves vertical motion, which helps ensure motion accuracy and reliability.

[0033] In some embodiments, the upper laminating mechanism and the lower laminating mechanism are provided with film strips by the same set of film supply mechanisms. In S4, the film supply mechanism first provides film strips to the lower laminating mechanism, the lower laminating mechanism picks up and moves the film strips to the bottom of the laminating frame 100, and then the film supply mechanism provides film strips to the upper laminating mechanism, the upper laminating mechanism picks up and moves the film strips to the top of the laminating frame 100.

[0034] In some embodiments, the upper and lower laminating mechanisms are supplied with film by two separate film supply mechanisms; the lower and upper laminating mechanisms simultaneously pick up and move the film strips to the lower and upper parts of the laminating frame 100, respectively. This method effectively improves the film strip supply efficiency, thereby increasing the laminating efficiency. In other words, one film supply mechanism supplies film to the lower laminating mechanism, while the other supply mechanism supplies film to the upper laminating mechanism.

[0035] Specifically, both the upper and lower laminating mechanisms are equipped with suction nozzles to pick up the film strips.

[0036] To prevent collisions between the solar cells 1000 and the solder ribbons 2000 on adjacent solar cells 1000 during the movement of the composite frame 100, in some embodiments, in S3, the height difference between adjacent composite frames 100 is greater than or equal to the sum of the thickness of a solar cell 1000 and the solder ribbon 2000. That is, the composite frame 100 in front is higher than the composite frame 100 behind.

[0037] Furthermore, each composite frame 100 corresponds to a first fixing member 210 and a second fixing member 220, wherein the first fixing member 210 is located below the composite frame 100, and the second fixing member 220 is located above the composite frame 100; in S1, the first fixing member 210 fixes one end of the welding strip 2000 from bottom to top, and the second fixing member 220 fixes the other end of the welding strip 2000 from top to bottom. The above method can avoid interference between the second fixing member 220 in front and the battery cell 1000 behind. Of course, when adjacent composite frames 100 approach each other, each second fixing member 220 can rise a preset distance while approaching each other. The preset distance can be 0.5mm-5mm.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first fixing member 210 and the corresponding composite frame 100 are fixedly connected, and in S3, the composite frame 100 and the first fixing member 210 move synchronously. The above method helps reduce the number of driving components and simplifies the driving structure. In some embodiments, the composite frame 100, the first fixing member 210, and the second fixing member 220 move synchronously.

[0039] Since the second fixing member 220 also needs to move vertically during the horizontal movement, the second fixing member 220 can be driven separately from the first fixing member 210. The driving structure for the composite frame 100 and the second fixing member 220 can be a cylinder.

[0040] To prevent microcracks from occurring during the stacking process of the solar cells 1000, in some embodiments, adjacent solar cells 1000 have overlapping portions. In step S2, a film is first applied to the overlapping portion of at least one solar cell 1000, and then the film-coated solar cell 1000 is placed on the composite frame 100. The film can be a strip. Of course, in other embodiments, adjacent solar cells 1000 may not overlap or may be arranged with intervals.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first fixing member 210 and the second fixing member 220 are respectively the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw; in S1, both ends of the welding strip 2000 are clamped by the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw, respectively. The above method helps to simplify the operation process and adapt to welding strips 2000 of different shapes.

[0042] The composite frame 100 includes a plurality of spaced-apart support rods 120. The support rods 120 are located between adjacent first grippers 210 to avoid affecting the coating. Specifically, the composite frame 100 includes a base 110 and a plurality of spaced-apart support rods 120 disposed on the base 110. The base 110 has a clearance channel, and the first fixing member 210 passes through the clearance channel. The support rods 120 have a heating function for supporting the battery cells 1000. When the battery cells 1000 are placed on the support rods 120, the ends of the support rods 120 do not extend beyond the edge of the battery cells 1000. Specifically, the distance between the end of the support rod 120 and the edge of the battery cells 1000 is 1mm-5mm.

[0043] This embodiment also provides a battery cell stacking and stringing device for implementing the battery cell stacking and stringing method in any of the above embodiments. It includes a plurality of composite frames 100, a plurality of first fixing members 210, a plurality of second fixing members, and a coating mechanism. The composite frames 100 are arranged at intervals along the front-to-back direction, and adjacent composite frames 100 can move closer or further apart along the front-to-back direction. The plurality of first fixing members 210 correspond one-to-one with the plurality of composite frames 100 and move synchronously. The plurality of second fixing members also correspond one-to-one with the plurality of composite frames 100 and move synchronously. The coating mechanism is used to simultaneously coat the upper and lower sides of the battery cell 1000 with film. Specifically, the coating mechanism includes an upper coating mechanism and a lower coating mechanism.

[0044] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for bonding solar cells into strings, characterized in that, include: S1. Place the welding strip (2000) on the composite frame (100), and fix the two ends of the welding strip (2000) by the first fixing member (210) and the second fixing member (220) respectively; S2. Place the battery cell (1000) on the composite frame (100), and the battery cell (1000) covers half of the solder strip (2000), and the other half of the solder strip (2000) extends out of the battery cell (1000) to form an extension section (2100). S3. Multiple composite frames (100) are brought close to each other, such that in two adjacent composite frames (100), the battery cell (1000) on the rear composite frame (100) moves to the front composite frame (100) below the protruding section (2100) of the solder strip (2000) and fits against the protruding section (2100) of the solder strip (2000); S4. Simultaneously coat the upper and lower sides of the battery cells (1000) in the composite frame (100) to form a battery string.

2. The method for assembling battery cells into strings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The composite frame (100) has an upper coating mechanism above it and a lower coating mechanism below it; In S4, the lower coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip to the bottom of the composite frame (100), the upper coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip to the top of the composite frame (100), the lower coating mechanism moves upward to attach the lower film strip to the bottom of the battery cell (1000), and the upper coating mechanism moves downward to attach the upper film strip to the top of the battery cell (1000).

3. The method for assembling battery cells into strings according to claim 2, characterized in that, In S4, when the lower coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip to the bottom of the composite frame (100), and the upper coating mechanism picks up and moves the film strip to the top of the composite frame (100), the upper coating mechanism and the lower coating mechanism move towards the composite frame (100) at the same time, thereby coating both sides of the battery cell (1000) on the composite frame (100) at the same time.

4. The method for assembling battery cells into strings according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper and lower laminating mechanisms are supplied with film strips by the same set of film supply mechanisms. In S4, the film supply mechanism first supplies film strips to the lower laminating mechanism, which picks up and moves the film strips to the bottom of the laminating frame (100). Then, the film supply mechanism supplies film strips to the upper laminating mechanism, which picks up and moves the film strips to the top of the laminating frame (100).

5. The method for assembling battery cells into strings according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper and lower laminating mechanisms are supplied with film by two sets of film supply mechanisms respectively; the lower and upper laminating mechanisms simultaneously pick up and move the film strips to the lower and upper parts of the composite frame (100) respectively.

6. The method for bonding and stringing battery cells according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, In S3, the height difference between adjacent composite frames (100) is greater than the sum of the thicknesses of a single cell (1000) and a solder strip (2000).

7. The method for bonding and stringing battery cells according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Each composite frame (100) corresponds to a first fastener (210) and a second fastener (220), wherein the first fastener (210) is located below the composite frame (100) and the second fastener (220) is located above the composite frame (100); In S1, the first fastener (210) fixes one end of the welding strip (2000) from bottom to top, and the second fastener (220) fixes the other end of the welding strip (2000) from top to bottom.

8. The method for assembling and stringing battery cells according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first fixing member (210) and the corresponding composite frame (100) are fixedly connected. In S3, the composite frame (100), the first fixing member (210) and the second fixing member (220) move synchronously.

9. The method for bonding and stringing battery cells according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Two adjacent battery cells (1000) have overlapping portions. In S2, a film is first applied to the overlapping portion of at least one battery cell (1000), and then the film-coated battery cell (1000) is placed on the composite frame (100).

10. A battery cell assembly and stringing device, used to implement the battery cell assembly and stringing method as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, include: A plurality of composite frames (100) are arranged at intervals in the front-back direction, and two adjacent composite frames (100) can move closer or further apart in the front-back direction; A plurality of first fixing members (210) correspond one-to-one with a plurality of composite frames (100) and move synchronously; Several second fixing members (220) correspond one-to-one with several composite frames (100) and move synchronously; A coating mechanism is used to simultaneously coat the upper and lower sides of the battery cell (1000).

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