Adapter for flexible battery electrodes

Abstract

The application discloses a switching device for a flexible battery electrode, comprising: a switching sleeve, which is a hollow tubular structure and has through holes at both ends for accommodating electrode tabs of the flexible battery electrode and a switching electrode inserted from both ends respectively; and a crimping die, which comprises a first half die and a second half die capable of being opened and closed relative to each other; the first half die and the second half die form a crimping cavity when closed, and the switching sleeve is plastically deformed by extrusion to form a mechanical bite contact surface between the switching sleeve and the electrode tabs and the switching electrode, so as to form a fixedly connected and conductive switching assembly. The electrode tabs and the switching electrode are crimped by the switching sleeve, reliable connection of the three is realized, switching efficiency is improved, and thermal damage to the electrode tabs is effectively avoided, so that the conductive performance, mechanical strength and long-term stability of the battery are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of flexible battery manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a flexible battery electrode adapter. Background Technology

[0002] Flexible batteries, with their advantages of bendability, foldability, and light weight, have broad application prospects in cutting-edge fields such as wearable devices, flexible displays, and smart healthcare. As an important branch of flexible batteries, irregularly shaped flexible batteries typically use extremely fine metal wires or ultra-thin metal foils with a diameter or thickness not exceeding 0.2 mm as electrode current collectors to achieve deformation and adaptation of complex shapes. However, the tab connection process for such extremely fine current collectors has become a key bottleneck restricting their mass production.

[0003] Traditional electrode adapters mainly rely on processes such as ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or riveting, which expose the following significant drawbacks in practical applications of ultra-fine current collectors: 1. High risk of electrode tab damage: The high temperature generated during the welding process can easily cause the ultra-fine current collector to melt, become embrittled, or experience performance degradation. This is especially true when dealing with multi-strand electrodes, where it is difficult to ensure consistent welding quality. 2. Low production efficiency in transfer: Traditional welding processes take a long time to transfer a single piece and rely on complex pre- and post-processing steps, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale automated production; 3. Poor process adaptability: The effective contact area of ​​single-strand, multi-strand, and bundle-shaped tabs of ultra-fine current collectors is small, and the energy per unit area is very high during welding, which can lead to weld leakage. Therefore, traditional welding methods are difficult to flexibly adapt to different forms of irregular tab structures such as single-strand, multi-strand, or bundle-shaped tabs. 4. Difficulty in adapting stranded battery cores: The positive and negative tabs of stranded battery cores need to be connected separately to ensure a firm connection. However, traditional welding processes make it difficult to achieve efficient and synchronous operation of connecting the positive and negative tabs of stranded battery cores, which seriously restricts the overall production pace.

[0004] Existing technologies employ a two-half-mold-combined structure in the molding process of some fiber tubular components. However, the function of the two half-molds is only to shape the outer surface of the tubular component. The essence of the process is to form the fiber slurry into a tubular structure by dehydration and compaction, rather than to achieve the connection between the tubular structure and other components. This makes it difficult to meet the requirements of flexible battery tabs for connection reliability and conductivity.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a flexible battery tab adapter technology that is efficient, reliable, and highly adaptable in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this application is to provide a flexible battery electrode adapter to solve the technical problems of low efficiency, easy damage to the electrode tabs, and poor consistency in traditional welding processes when transferring ultra-fine current collector electrodes. This application uses an adapter sleeve to press-fit the electrode tabs and the adapter electrode, achieving a reliable connection between the three. This improves the transfer efficiency while effectively avoiding thermal damage to the electrode tabs, thus ensuring the battery's conductivity, mechanical strength, and long-term stability.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution: A flexible battery electrode adapter includes: an adapter sleeve, which is a hollow tubular structure with both ends open, for accommodating electrode tabs and an adapter electrode of the flexible battery electrode inserted from both ends respectively; and a pressing mold, which includes a first half-mold and a second half-mold that can be opened and closed relative to each other; when the first half-mold and the second half-mold are closed, a pressing cavity is formed, and the adapter sleeve is plastically deformed by compression to form a mechanical interlocking contact surface between the adapter sleeve and the electrode tabs and the adapter electrode, thereby forming a fixedly connected conductive adapter assembly.

[0008] Preferably, the inner diameter of the adapter sleeve is larger than the outer diameter of the electrode tab and the adapter electrode.

[0009] Preferably, the flexible battery electrode adapter further includes: two feeding components respectively disposed at both ends of the adapter sleeve; each feeding component has an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being connected to the adapter sleeve; the diameter of the inlet is larger than the diameter of the outlet, so as to guide the electrode tab or the adapter electrode into the adapter sleeve through the inlet.

[0010] Preferably, each of the feeding components has a discharge port extending along the direction from the feed inlet to the discharge outlet on its peripheral wall, and the conductive adapter is taken out through the discharge port.

[0011] Preferably, the outer diameter of the discharge port is smaller than the outer diameter of the adapter sleeve.

[0012] Preferably, the diameter of the feed inlet gradually decreases along the direction from feed to discharge.

[0013] Preferably, a plurality of engagement protrusions extending into the crimping cavity are evenly distributed on the inner walls of the first half-mold and the second half-mold; the plurality of engagement protrusions are configured to squeeze the wall of the adapter sleeve during the crimping process, causing the adapter sleeve to undergo plastic deformation and embed into the surfaces of the electrode tabs and the adapter electrode, so as to form a plurality of mechanical engagement contact surfaces that are tightly fitted with the electrode tabs and the adapter electrode.

[0014] Preferably, the current collector of the flexible battery electrode is a metal wire or a metal foil; the diameter of the metal wire is less than or equal to 0.2 mm, and the thickness of the metal foil is less than or equal to 0.2 mm.

[0015] Preferably, the adapter sleeve is a metal sleeve.

[0016] Preferably, the flexible battery electrode is a single-strand, multi-strand, or bundled electrode.

[0017] This application, based on the principles of metal plastic deformation and mechanical interlocking, uses an adapter sleeve to press-fit the electrode tab and the adapter electrode. Through the plastic deformation caused by compression of the metal sleeve, the electrode tab and the adapter electrode are tightly wrapped and reliably connected. The technical solution provided by this application can include the following beneficial effects: (1) After being extruded, the adapter sleeve of this application forms a mechanically engaged contact surface with the electrode tab and the adapter electrode. Compared with the traditional point contact welding method, this structure increases the effective contact area, which is beneficial to reduce the contact resistance. At the same time, the surface contact design allows the pressing stress to be evenly distributed throughout the contact area, avoiding damage to the electrode tab caused by local stress concentration. (2) The interlocking protrusion provided in the crimping mold of this application squeezes the adapter sleeve under the applied pressure, forcing the adapter sleeve to undergo plastic deformation and embed into the surface of the electrode tab and the adapter electrode, thereby forming a mechanical interlocking structure, which is beneficial to improve the mechanical strength of the connection interface and achieve a reliable connection. (3) The crimping operation of this application is short and suitable for the production needs of twisted pair cells; (4) The pressing process of this application is free of high temperature, which can avoid the problem of melting or embrittlement of the tab due to thermal effect and ensure battery performance; (5) This application can be adapted to various forms of tabs such as single strand, multi strand and bundle; after crimping, the contact resistance is ≤50μΩ and the mechanical pull-out force is ≥50N, which can meet the requirements for stable operation of the battery; (6) The equipment and consumables of this application have low cost, and there is no welding fume or exhaust gas emission during the crimping process. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the application and to make other features, objects, and advantages of the application more apparent. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain the application and do not constitute an undue limitation of the application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a flexible battery electrode adapter according to Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the adapter in Embodiment 1 of this application for connecting a flexible battery electrode having a single positive electrode and a single negative electrode. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the adapter sleeve of Example 1 in another embodiment; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the first and second half-molds in an unclosed state in one embodiment of Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the first and second half-molds in a closed state in one embodiment of Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the first and second half-molds of Embodiment 1 of this application in an unclosed state in another embodiment; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the first and second half-molds of Embodiment 1 of this application in a closed state in another embodiment; Figure 8 This is a partial schematic diagram of a flexible battery electrode adapter according to Embodiment 2 of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the first feeder in Embodiment 2 of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the adapter in Embodiment 2 of this application for connecting a flexible battery electrode having a single positive electrode and a single negative electrode. Figure 11 for Figure 10 The BB-direction sectional view shown; Figure 12 For this application Figure 2 and Figure 10 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction showing a crimping method; Figure 13 For this application Figure 2 and Figure 10 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction showing another crimping method; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the adapter of Embodiment 3 of this application for connecting a flexible battery electrode with two positive electrodes and two negative electrodes.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-Adapter sleeve; 11-Step; 2-Crimping die; 20-Crimping cavity; 201-Interlocking protrusion; 21-First half-die; 22-Second half-die; 31-First feeding component; 310-Discharge port; 311-Inlet port; 312-Outlet port; 32-Second feeding component; 4-Flexible battery; 41-Single-strand positive electrode; 411-Electrode tab; 412-Adapter electrode; 42-Single-strand negative electrode; 43-Double-strand positive electrode; 44-Double-strand negative electrode. Detailed Implementation

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

[0021] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be used interchangeably where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0022] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0023] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," "linked," and "socketing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] In the battery field, the tab is a crucial conductive connector that links the internal electrodes of a battery to the external circuitry. The electrode current collectors of irregularly shaped flexible batteries typically utilize extremely fine metal wires or ultra-thin metal foils (diameter or thickness ≤ 0.2 mm). This application provides an adapter for flexible battery electrodes. Based on the principles of metal plastic deformation and mechanical interlocking, an adapter sleeve is used to press-fit the electrode tab and the adapter electrode. The metal sleeve undergoes plastic deformation under pressure, tightly wrapping the electrode tab and the adapter electrode, thus achieving a reliable connection. This significantly improves the adapter efficiency while effectively avoiding thermal damage to the electrode tab caused by traditional welding processes, ensuring the battery's conductivity, mechanical strength, and long-term stability. This provides key technological support for the large-scale production of irregularly shaped flexible batteries.

[0026] The following detailed description of a flexible battery electrode adapter according to specific embodiments of this application is provided below.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a flexible battery electrode adapter, including: an adapter sleeve 1, which is a hollow tubular structure with both ends open, for accommodating electrode tabs and adapter electrodes of a flexible battery electrode inserted from both ends respectively; and a pressing mold 2, which includes a first half-mold 21 and a second half-mold 22 that can be opened and closed relative to each other; when the first half-mold and the second half-mold are closed, a pressing cavity is formed to compress the adapter sleeve to cause plastic deformation, so as to form a mechanical interlocking contact surface between the adapter sleeve and the electrode tabs and the adapter electrodes, so that the adapter sleeve tightly wraps the electrode tabs and the adapter electrodes to form a fixedly connected conductive adapter assembly.

[0028] Accordingly, this embodiment provides a method for transferring flexible battery electrodes, including: The electrode tabs and the adapter electrode of the flexible battery electrode are inserted from both ends of the adapter sleeve, so that the electrode tabs and the adapter electrode contact each other inside the adapter sleeve to form a pre-assembled adapter assembly. The pre-assembled adapter assembly is placed into the first half and the second half of the pressing mold. When the first half and the second half are closed, a pressing cavity is formed to apply a preset pressure to the pre-assembled adapter assembly, so that the adapter sleeve undergoes plastic deformation to tightly cover the electrode tabs and the adapter electrode, forming a fixedly connected adapter assembly.

[0029] In this embodiment, the current collector of the flexible battery electrode is made of metal wire or metal foil; the diameter of the metal wire is less than or equal to 0.2 mm; and the thickness of the metal foil is less than or equal to 0.2 mm. The adapter and method of this embodiment are suitable for connecting electrode current collectors with a diameter or thickness less than or equal to 0.2 mm. The adapter sleeve 1 is used to press the electrode tab to the adapter electrode to achieve tab connection. The pressing process is conducted without high temperature, fundamentally avoiding the melting or embrittlement of the tab due to welding heat effects, thereby effectively ensuring battery performance.

[0030] Example 1 like Figure 2 As shown, the flexible battery 4 in this embodiment includes a single positive electrode 41 and a single negative electrode 42. The single positive electrode 41 and the single negative electrode 42 in this embodiment are made of metal wires with a diameter less than or equal to 0.2 mm.

[0031] The two sets of adapters in this embodiment enable synchronous transfer between a single positive electrode 41 and a single negative electrode 42, thereby effectively improving the transfer efficiency. Since the two adapters have identical structures, this embodiment will describe the structure of the adapter for transferring the single positive electrode 41 as an example.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the adapter includes: an adapter sleeve 1 and a crimping mold 2.

[0033] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the adapter sleeve 1 is a hollow cylindrical tubular structure with both ends open, used to adapt to a single-strand positive electrode 41 with a metal wire structure. During adapter assembly, the electrode tabs 411 of the single-strand positive electrode 41 and the adapter electrode 412 are inserted from both ends of the adapter sleeve 1, respectively. In one embodiment of this example, as... Figure 1 As shown, the adapter sleeve 1 is cylindrical in shape, and its inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the electrode tab 411 and the adapter electrode 412 to allow for assembly clearance and facilitate insertion. In a specific embodiment, the inner diameter of the adapter sleeve 1 is 0.05 to 0.1 mm larger than the outer diameter of the electrode tab 411 and the adapter electrode 412.

[0034] In another embodiment of this example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the middle part of the adapter sleeve 1 is cylindrical, and both ends are symmetrically flared about the center; the inner diameter of the flared opening gradually increases from the inside to the outside, thereby playing a guiding role and further facilitating the insertion of the electrode tab 411 and the adapter electrode 412.

[0035] In this embodiment, the adapter sleeve 1 is a metal sleeve. The adapter sleeve 1 used for connecting the single-strand positive electrode 41 and the single-strand negative electrode 42 can be made of metal materials such as aluminum, iron, copper, titanium, or their alloys. In specific implementations, the metal sleeve used for connecting the single-strand positive electrode 41 and the metal sleeve used for connecting the single-strand negative electrode 42 are made of different materials.

[0036] In one specific embodiment, the length of the adapter sleeve 1 is 3–20 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.1–0.5 mm. Setting the length within this range aims to reasonably control the proportion of the adapter length to the total battery length, while also considering the adapter yield; while setting the wall thickness within the above range is to effectively control the overall diameter of the battery.

[0037] It should be noted that the purpose of designing the adapter sleeve 1 is to enable the crimping and transfer of electrode current collectors with a diameter or thickness less than or equal to 0.2 mm, fundamentally avoiding the problem of electrode tab melting or embrittlement caused by welding heat effects, thereby effectively ensuring battery performance. Therefore, the structure of the adapter sleeve 1 is not limited to the hollow cylindrical tubular structure of this embodiment. When the current collector of the single-strand positive electrode 41 in this embodiment uses a metal foil with a thickness less than or equal to 0.2 mm, the adapter sleeve 1 has a hollow square prism tubular structure with both ends open, to adapt to the shape of the single-strand positive electrode 41 with the metal foil structure.

[0038] After the electrode tabs 411 and the adapter electrode 412 are inserted from both ends of the adapter sleeve 1, the electrode tabs 411 and the adapter electrode 412 contact each other inside the adapter sleeve 1 to improve the adapter yield. In a preferred embodiment, the electrode tabs 411 and the adapter electrode 412 contact each other in the middle of the adapter sleeve 1 to further ensure the adapter yield.

[0039] The manner in which the electrode tab 411 and the adapter electrode 412 make contact in the middle of the adapter sleeve 1 can be determined according to the actual application.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 12 As shown, the electrode tab 411 and the adapter electrode 412 are crimped together in the middle of the adapter sleeve 1 using a face-to-face contact method. Specifically, the insertion end face of the electrode tab 411 contacts the insertion end face of the adapter electrode 412 in the middle of the adapter sleeve 1. This crimping method ensures that the adapter electrode 412 and the electrode tab 411 are axially aligned inside the adapter sleeve 1, minimizing the battery diameter. When using the face-to-face contact crimping method, the insertion length of both the adapter electrode 412 and the electrode tab 411 inside the adapter sleeve 1 is 3–5 mm, which ensures a secure connection.

[0041] In another embodiment, such as Figure 13As shown, the electrode tab 411 and the adapter electrode 412 are overlapped and pressed together in the middle of the adapter sleeve 1. That is, the insertion section of the electrode tab 411 and the insertion section of the adapter electrode 412 overlap in the middle of the adapter sleeve 1 to further ensure the firmness of the connection. The overlap length is preferably 3 to 5 mm, which can improve the firmness of the connection without increasing the size of the battery.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the crimping mold 2 includes a first half mold 21 and a second half mold 22 that can be opened and closed relative to each other. When the first half mold 21 and the second half mold 22 are closed, they form a crimping cavity.

[0043] In one specific implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first half-mold 21 and the second half-mold 22 are separate structures and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the adapter sleeve 1. During crimping, the first half-mold 21 and the second half-mold 22 move towards each other towards the adapter sleeve 1, forming a crimping cavity when closed. In another specific embodiment, the first half-mold 21 and the second half-mold 22 are connected by a rotating shaft, and the two can rotate around the shaft to achieve opening and closing actions.

[0044] like Figure 4 The diagram shown is a schematic of the first half-mold 21 and the second half-mold 22 in an unclosed state. Figure 5 The diagram shows the state when both halves are closed. When the first half-mold 21 and the second half-mold 22 are closed, they together form a pressing cavity 20, which is used to compress the adapter sleeve 1 to cause plastic deformation, thereby allowing the adapter sleeve 1 to tightly wrap the electrode tab and the adapter electrode, achieving a stable connection. Figure 5 As shown, after the adapter sleeve 1 is pressed by the crimping cavity 20 in this embodiment, the adapter sleeve 1 forms a mechanically engaged contact surface A with the electrode tab and the adapter electrode. Compared with the traditional point contact welding method, this structure significantly increases the effective contact area, thereby effectively reducing the contact resistance. At the same time, the surface contact design allows the crimping stress to be evenly distributed throughout the contact area, avoiding damage to the electrode tab caused by local stress concentration.

[0045] To improve connection reliability, such as Figure 6 As shown, in another embodiment of this invention, a plurality of engagement protrusions 201 extending into the crimping cavity 20 are evenly distributed on the inner walls of the first half-mold 21 and the second half-mold 22. During the crimping process, as... Figure 7 As shown, the engagement protrusion 201 presses against the wall of the adapter sleeve 1, causing it to undergo plastic deformation and embed into the surfaces of the electrode tab and the adapter electrode, thereby forming tightly fitting mechanical engagement contact surfaces B and C. In this embodiment, the first half-mold 21 and the second half-mold 22, by providing the engagement protrusion 201, compared to structures without the engagement protrusion 201 (such as...), Figure 5As shown in the figure, mechanical engagement contact surfaces B and C are added, which effectively increases the contact area and mechanical engagement force between the adapter sleeve 1 and the electrode tab and the adapter electrode, thereby improving the connection strength and connection reliability.

[0046] Example 2 like Figure 8 and Figure 10 As shown, the adapter device in this embodiment, based on Embodiment 1, further includes a first feeding member 31 and a second feeding member 32 respectively disposed at both ends of the adapter sleeve 1. The first feeding member 31 guides the adapter electrode 412 into the adapter sleeve 1, and the second feeding member 32 guides the electrode tab 411 into the adapter sleeve 1. Since the first feeding member 31 and the second feeding member 32 have the same structure, the structure of the first feeding member 31 will be used as an example for detailed description below.

[0047] like Figure 8 As shown, the first feeding component 31 includes an inlet 311 and an outlet 312.

[0048] The discharge port 312 is connected to the adapter sleeve 1. In practice, the discharge port 312 and the adapter sleeve 1 can be connected by either abutment or insertion. Abutment means that the end face of the discharge port 312 abuts against the end face of the adapter sleeve 1, without the discharge port being inserted into the adapter sleeve 1. Compared to abutment, insertion can more effectively guide the adapter electrode 412 into the adapter sleeve 1.

[0049] In order to facilitate the insertion of the discharge port 312 into the adapter sleeve 1 during the plug-in connection, the outer diameter of the discharge port 312 in this embodiment is smaller than the outer diameter of the adapter sleeve 1.

[0050] In one specific embodiment of the plug-in fit, the outer diameter of the discharge port 312 is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the adapter sleeve 1. By leaving an assembly gap between the outer wall of the discharge port 312 and the inner wall of the adapter sleeve 1, the discharge port 312 is plugged into the adapter sleeve 1.

[0051] In another specific implementation of the plug-in mating, such as Figure 11As shown, in this embodiment, a step 11 is provided at the port of the adapter sleeve 1, and the end of the outlet 312 abuts against the step 11. The outer diameter of the outlet 312 is smaller than the outer diameter of the adapter sleeve 1, and the inner diameter of the outlet 312 is equal to the inner diameter of the adapter sleeve. When the outlet 312 is inserted, its end abuts against the step 11, thereby achieving reliable positioning of the outlet 312 and the adapter sleeve 1. The step 11 can effectively prevent the outlet 312 from extending excessively into the adapter sleeve 1, thereby avoiding interference with the normal insertion of the adapter electrode 412. In addition, in this embodiment, the step is used to axially limit the adapter electrode 412 located in the outlet 312, and the inner diameter of the outlet 312 is used to guide the adapter electrode 412 to be located at the center of the adapter sleeve 1, ensuring that the adapter electrode 412 and the electrode tab 411 are axially aligned inside the adapter sleeve 1, thereby minimizing the battery diameter and achieving effective control of the battery diameter.

[0052] It should be noted that the purpose of setting the step is to axially limit the adapter electrode 412 located in the discharge port 312. In other specific embodiments of the plug-in fit, when the step 11 is set at the port of the adapter sleeve 1, the inner diameter of the discharge port 312 can also be smaller than the inner diameter of the adapter sleeve 1.

[0053] Accordingly, in this embodiment, the method for transferring the flexible battery electrode further includes: before inserting the electrode tab 411 and the transfer electrode 412 from both ends of the transfer sleeve 1, respectively, feeding components are provided at both ends of the transfer sleeve 1 (for ease of description, the feeding component provided at the end of the transfer electrode 412 is referred to as the first feeding component 31, and the feeding component provided at the end of the electrode tab 411 is referred to as the second feeding component 32); wherein, the first feeding component 31 is used to guide the transfer electrode 412 into the transfer sleeve 1, and the second feeding component 32 is used to guide the electrode tab 411 into the transfer sleeve 1.

[0054] In this embodiment, the diameter of the feed port 311 is larger than that of the discharge port 312, so that the adapter electrode 412 can be smoothly introduced and enter the adapter sleeve 1 through the discharge port 312, thereby effectively improving the feeding efficiency.

[0055] like Figure 8 As shown, in one specific embodiment, the feed inlet 311 is flared, meaning its diameter gradually decreases along the direction from feed to discharge. This structure can further improve feeding efficiency.

[0056] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, a discharge port 310 extending along the direction from the feed port 311 to the discharge port 312 is provided on the peripheral wall of the first feeding member 31. The discharge port 310 is used to allow the connected adapter assembly to be taken out through the discharge port 310 after the electrode tab 411 and the adapter electrode 412 are connected to the adapter sleeve 1.

[0057] Accordingly, in this embodiment, the method for transferring the flexible battery electrode further includes: after forming a fixedly connected transfer assembly, taking out the fixedly connected transfer assembly through the discharge ports of the first feeder 31 and the second feeder 32.

[0058] In this embodiment, the method for transferring the flexible battery electrode further includes: before inserting the transfer electrode and electrode tabs from both ends of the transfer sleeve, applying conductive adhesive or an anti-oxidation coating to the inner wall of the transfer sleeve to improve conductivity and corrosion resistance. The coating thickness is preferably 0.01–0.05 mm.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the method for transferring the flexible battery electrode further includes cleaning the ends of the transfer electrode and the electrode tab before inserting them into the two ends of the transfer sleeve, removing the surface oxide layer and impurities. The cleaning methods include ultrasonic cleaning, plasma cleaning, and mechanical wiping, with a processing time of 30–120 seconds.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the method for transferring the flexible battery electrode further includes: when applying a preset pressure to the pre-assembled transfer assembly, maintaining the pressure for a certain period of time, preferably with a preset pressure of 5 to 20 MPa and a holding pressure of 0.5 to 2 seconds. By applying and holding the preset pressure within this range, the connection strength can be ensured without breaking the transfer electrode and the electrode tab.

[0061] Example 3 like Figure 14 As shown, the flexible battery 4 in this embodiment includes a double-strand positive electrode 43 and a double-strand negative electrode 44. The current collectors for the double-strand positive electrode 43 and the double-strand negative electrode 44 in this embodiment are metal wires with a diameter less than or equal to 0.2 mm.

[0062] The two sets of adapters in this embodiment enable synchronous transfer of the dual-strand positive electrode 43 and the dual-strand negative electrode 44, thereby effectively improving the transfer efficiency. Since the structure of the two sets of adapters in this embodiment is exactly the same as that in Embodiment 2, it will not be described again here. It should be noted that in practical applications, the inner diameter of the adapter sleeve needs to be adjusted adaptively according to the diameter of the dual-strand electrodes.

[0063] Furthermore, the adapter in this embodiment is also suitable for the adapter of multi-strand or bundled electrodes. It is only necessary to adjust the inner diameter of the adapter sleeve according to the actual diameter of the electrode.

[0064] For multi-strand or bundled electrodes, the electrode tabs and the adapter electrodes are preferably crimped together within the adapter sleeve to ensure the robustness and reliability of the adapter connection.

[0065] To address the technical challenge of extremely thin current collectors and difficult transfer in irregularly shaped flexible batteries, this invention proposes a transfer device using a press-fit method. This device uses a transfer sleeve as the transfer carrier, with the transfer electrode and electrode tabs inserted from both ends of the sleeve and press-fitted to form a stable connection. This solution not only achieves highly efficient transfer of irregularly shaped flexible electrodes of various forms, including single-strand and multi-strand, within seconds, significantly improving conductivity, mechanical strength, and long-term stability, but also effectively overcomes the shortcomings of traditional welding processes, such as low efficiency, easy damage to the electrode tabs, and poor consistency. This invention is simple in structure, convenient to operate, and low in cost, making it particularly suitable for the mass production of twisted-pair battery cells. Furthermore, the size of the transfer sleeve and the press-fit parameters can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs, exhibiting wide applicability.

[0066] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A flexible battery electrode adapter, characterized in that, include: The adapter sleeve is a hollow tubular structure with both ends open, used to accommodate the electrode tabs and adapter electrodes of the flexible battery electrodes inserted from both ends respectively. A pressing die, the pressing die comprising a first half-die and a second half-die that can be opened and closed relative to each other; When the first half-mold and the second half-mold are closed, a crimping cavity is formed. The adapter sleeve is plastically deformed by compression to form a mechanical interlocking contact surface between the adapter sleeve and the electrode tab and the adapter electrode, thereby forming a fixedly connected conductive adapter assembly.

2. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the adapter sleeve is larger than the outer diameter of the electrode tab and the adapter electrode.

3. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible battery electrode transfer device further includes two feeding components respectively disposed at both ends of the transfer sleeve; Each of the feeding components has an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being connected to the adapter sleeve; The diameter of the feed inlet is larger than the diameter of the discharge outlet, so as to guide the electrode tab or the adapter electrode into the adapter sleeve through the feed inlet.

4. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the feeding components has a discharge port extending from the feed inlet to the discharge outlet on its peripheral wall, and the conductive adapter is taken out through the discharge port.

5. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the discharge port is smaller than the outer diameter of the adapter sleeve.

6. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 3, characterized in that, The diameter of the feed inlet gradually decreases along the direction from feed to discharge.

7. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner walls of the first half mold and the second half mold are evenly distributed with a plurality of interlocking protrusions extending into the crimping cavity. A plurality of the engagement protrusions are configured to squeeze the wall of the adapter sleeve during the crimping process, causing the adapter sleeve to undergo plastic deformation and embed into the surfaces of the electrode tabs and the adapter electrodes, thereby forming a plurality of mechanical engagement contact surfaces that are in close contact with the electrode tabs and the adapter electrodes.

8. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that, The current collector of the flexible battery electrode is made of metal wire or metal foil; the diameter of the metal wire is less than or equal to 0.2 mm, and the thickness of the metal foil is less than or equal to 0.2 mm.

9. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adapter sleeve is a metal sleeve.

10. The adapter for the flexible battery electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible battery electrode can be a single strand, multiple strands, or a bundle of electrodes.

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