Laser welding equipment

Abstract

The present application relates to a laser welding device comprising a laser (10) configured to emit a welding laser for welding a workpiece (40), the laser being provided with an exchangeable transparent protective sheet (20). The laser welding apparatus comprises an air knife (30) comprising an air knife housing (1) defining a chamber (14) having a first opening (2) and a second opening (3), the first opening being closed by a protective sheet, the air knife housing being positioned relative to the laser and the second opening being closed by a protective sheet. The air knife housing has a first opening and a second opening such that laser light emitted by the laser can enter the chamber via the first opening after passing through the protective sheet and then exit from the chamber via the second opening, the air knife housing having a gas input interface for inputting a gas flow into the chamber, the second opening forming a gas discharge opening for discharging the gas flow from the chamber. By means of the air knife, pollution to the protective sheet body in the laser welding process can be reduced, and the service life of the protective sheet body is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a laser welding device, which can be used in particular in vehicle manufacturing, for example, in the manufacturing of a power battery for a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Laser welding equipment is widely used in vehicle manufacturing to perform laser welding on vehicle components. For example, laser welding can be used to form a cell contact system (CCS) in the manufacturing process of a vehicle's power battery, so that each battery cell is electrically connected to each other, such as in series and / or in parallel.

[0003] The laser can be equipped with a replaceable transparent protective sheet to protect the laser. The protective sheet can also be called a protective lens or protective glass. The protective sheet should be as transparent as possible to the laser. The protective sheet needs to be replaced regularly during the laser welding process because the protective sheet is gradually contaminated during the welding process. As the degree of contamination increases, the laser is significantly adversely affected by the dirt deposited on the protective sheet when passing through the protective sheet, resulting in a decrease in welding quality. The replacement of the protective sheet requires the laser welding equipment to be shut down, which will result in a loss of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Utility Model Content

[0004] The object of the present application is to realize a laser welding device, by which the service life of a replaceable protective sheet can be extended and the production efficiency can be improved.

[0005] The task is solved by a laser welding device, which includes a laser, wherein the laser is configured to emit a welding laser for welding a workpiece, and the laser is equipped with a replaceable transparent protective sheet, wherein the laser welding device includes a wind knife, and the wind knife includes a wind knife housing, and the wind knife housing defines a chamber, wherein the chamber has a first opening and a second opening, and the first opening is closed by the protective sheet, and the wind knife housing is positioned relative to the laser so that the laser emitted by the laser can enter the chamber through the first opening after passing through the protective sheet and then be emitted from the chamber through the second opening, and the wind knife housing has a gas input interface for inputting an airflow into the chamber, and the second opening constitutes a gas exhaust opening for exhausting the airflow from the chamber.

[0006] In the laser welding device according to the present application, on the one hand, only a portion of the area of ​​the protective sheet (roughly corresponding to the area of ​​the second opening) may be directly affected by spatter and welding dust generated during welding, while the rest of the area of ​​the protective sheet (typically, the rest may be a majority) is shielded by the air knife housing. On the other hand, the exhaust gas flow directed from the gas exhaust opening toward the workpiece can resist spatter and welding dust from entering the air knife housing through the second opening and then being deposited on the protective sheet. Therefore, the dirt that may reach the protective sheet can be significantly reduced, the pollution progress of the protective sheet can be delayed, the replacement cycle time of the protective sheet can be extended, and the overall efficiency of the equipment can be improved.

[0007] In an exemplary application of laser welding equipment in manufacturing power batteries for vehicles, in the absence of known laser welding equipment such as the air knife in the present application, the protective sheet is replaced every 16 hours to ensure welding quality; in the case of laser welding equipment according to the present application, the protective sheet is replaced every 48 hours to still ensure welding quality.

[0008] In some embodiments, the second opening is smaller than the first opening.

[0009] In some embodiments, the area of ​​the second opening is 1 / 10 to 2 / 3 of the area of ​​the first opening.

[0010] In some embodiments, the area of ​​the second opening is less than or equal to 1 / 2 of the area of ​​the first opening, for example, less than or equal to 1 / 3 of the latter, preferably less than or equal to 1 / 4 of the latter.

[0011] In some embodiments, the wind knife housing has a peripheral wall having a first side facing the laser and a second side facing away from the laser, the first side of the peripheral wall is open and defines the first opening, and the second side of the peripheral wall is partially closed by a bottom wall, and the bottom wall defines the second opening.

[0012] In some embodiments, the peripheral wall is a circular peripheral wall. Alternatively, the peripheral wall may also be a rectangular peripheral wall.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first opening is bounded by the peripheral wall.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first opening is a circular opening. Alternatively, the first opening may also be a square opening.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second opening is a circular opening. Alternatively, the second opening may also be a square opening.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first opening and the second opening are concentrically disposed.

[0017] In some embodiments, the bottom wall has the gas input interface. Alternatively or additionally, the peripheral wall has the gas input interface.

[0018] In some embodiments, the gas input interface is fluidically connected to a compressed gas supply source.

[0019] In some embodiments, the compressed gas source is configured to provide compressed air or compressed nitrogen.

[0020] In some embodiments, the compressed gas delivered to the gas input interface is pressure-adjustable, for which a pressure regulating valve is used.

[0021] In some embodiments, the gas input interface is arranged in the bottom wall, and a guide element is arranged on the bottom wall inside the chamber next to the gas input interface, and the guide element is configured to divert the gas flow input from the gas input interface into the chamber.

[0022] In some embodiments, the gas outlet of the flow guide element is oriented in a direction parallel to the protection sheet.

[0023] In some embodiments, the number of the gas input interfaces in the bottom wall is multiple, and each gas input interface is equipped with a flow guide element. Preferably, the gas outlets of the flow guide elements are oriented differently in a direction parallel to the protective sheet.

[0024] In some embodiments, the number of the gas input interfaces in the bottom wall is three, and preferably, the gas input interfaces are arranged adjacent to each other.

[0025] In some embodiments, the wind knife housing has an axial protrusion protruding from the bottom wall, and the axial protrusion surrounds and defines the gas discharge opening.

[0026] In some embodiments, the wind knife housing is made of a light metal material, such as aluminum or magnesium.

[0027] In some embodiments, the laser welding device is disposed on a production line of a power battery of a vehicle, and is used to perform laser welding on the power battery.

[0028] The technical features mentioned above, the technical features to be mentioned below, and the technical features shown separately in the drawings can be combined with each other arbitrarily, as long as the combined technical features are not contradictory. All feasible feature combinations are technical contents clearly recorded in this article. Any of the multiple sub-features contained in the same sentence can be applied independently, and does not have to be applied together with other sub-features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings by means of exemplary embodiments. The accompanying drawings are briefly described as follows:

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a laser welding device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an air knife according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an air knife housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an air knife housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of an air knife housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] A plurality of exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated that, for the purpose of ease of explanation and understanding, elements that are not necessary for understanding the utility model may be omitted in the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals may represent the same parts or parts with the same functions. Many specific details, such as examples of specific parts, equipment and methods, are described in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that all of these specific details do not necessarily need to be adopted. The exemplary embodiments should not be construed as restrictive.

[0036] Figure 1is a schematic diagram of a laser welding device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The laser welding device includes a laser 10 not shown in detail, and the laser 10 is configured to emit a welding laser 11 for welding a workpiece 40 not shown. The laser 10 itself can be known in practice and can be equipped with a replaceable transparent protective sheet 20. The laser welding device also includes a wind knife 30, the wind knife 30 includes a wind knife housing 1, the wind knife housing 1 defines a chamber 14, the chamber 14 has a first opening 2 and a second opening 3, the first opening 2 is closed by the protective sheet 20, and the wind knife housing 1 is positioned relative to the laser 10 so that the welding laser 11 emitted by the laser 10 can enter the chamber 14 through the first opening 2 after passing through the protective sheet 20 and then be emitted from the chamber 14 through the second opening 3 and reach the workpiece 40 to be welded. The workpiece 40 may be a battery cell contact system (CCS) of a power battery of a vehicle, by means of which each battery cell can be connected in series and / or in parallel to form a battery module or battery pack. The laser welding equipment may also be used in the welding of the vehicle body. The air knife housing 1 may be made of a light metal material such as aluminum or magnesium.

[0037] The air knife housing 1 has a gas input interface 4 for inputting an air flow into the chamber. The gas input interface 4 can be configured as a pipe joint, which is connected to a compressed gas source 50 not shown. The output pressure of the compressed gas source 50 is adjustable, or a pressure regulating valve is provided in the connecting pipeline. In an exemplary application, the pressure of the compressed gas delivered to the gas input interface 4 can be 2 to 3 bar, for example, about 2.5 bar. The compressed gas can be compressed air or other gases, such as nitrogen. The input air flow 12 delivered to the gas input interface 4 is Figure 1 In the Figure 2 It is represented by three parallel arrows.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the wind knife housing 1 has a peripheral wall 7, more specifically a circumferential wall, the peripheral wall 7 encloses and defines a chamber 14, the peripheral wall 7 has a first side facing the laser 10 and a second side facing away from the laser 10, the first side of the peripheral wall 7 is open and defines the first opening 2, and the second side of the peripheral wall 7 is partially closed by a bottom wall 8, and the bottom wall 8 defines the second opening 3. The second opening 3 also constitutes a gas discharge opening for discharging a gas flow from the chamber 14. The first opening 2 is bounded by the peripheral wall 7, and thus the first opening 2 is a circular opening, and its diameter corresponds to the inner diameter of the peripheral wall 7. Advantageously, the second opening 3 is also a circular opening, and the first opening 2 and the second opening 3 are arranged concentrically. The diameter of the second opening 3 can be, for example, approximately 1 / 5 to 2 / 3 of the diameter of the first opening 2, for example 1 / 3 to 1 / 2. The wind knife housing 1 can have an axial protrusion 6 protruding from the bottom wall 8, and the axial protrusion 6 encloses and defines the gas discharge opening. The axial protrusion 6 can improve the guidance of the exhaust gas flow 13 discharged from the gas outlet opening and reduce the intrusion of spatter and welding dust into the air knife housing 1 during the welding process. Figure 1 It is represented by two parallel arrows.

[0039] The gas input interface 4 can be arranged on the bottom wall 8 of the wind knife housing 1. For this purpose, a through hole 9 is arranged in the bottom wall 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall 8 has three through holes 9 for three gas input interfaces 4. These through holes 9 are arranged adjacently in the bottom wall 8, and thus these gas input interfaces 4 are arranged adjacently on the bottom wall 8. Inside the chamber, on the bottom wall 8 or on each through hole 9, three guide elements 5 are arranged immediately after the gas input interface 4, and the guide elements 5 are configured to divert the airflow input from the gas input interface 4 into the chamber 14. Advantageously, the gas outlet of the guide element 5 is oriented in a direction parallel to the protective sheet body 20. It is further advantageous that the gas outlet of each guide element 5 can be oriented differently in a direction parallel to the protective sheet body 20. Therefore, it can be avoided that the compressed gas input from each gas input interface 4 directly impacts the protective sheet body 20.

[0040] It should be noted that the terms used herein are for the purpose of illustrating specific aspects only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "the one" shall include the plural forms unless the context clearly states otherwise. It is understood that the terms "include" and "comprises" and other similar terms, when used in the application documents, specify the existence of the stated operations, elements and / or parts, without excluding the existence or addition of one or more other operations, elements, parts and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes all arbitrary combinations of one or more related enumerated items. In the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals always represent similar elements.

[0041] The thickness of the elements in the accompanying drawings can be exaggerated for the sake of clarity. It is also understood that if an element is referred to as being on another element, coupled to another element or connected to another element, then the element can be directly formed on the other element, coupled to it or connected to it, or one or more intervening elements can be arranged between them. On the contrary, if the expressions "directly on...", "directly coupled to..." and "directly connected to..." are used herein, then there is no intervening element. Other words used to illustrate the relationship between elements should be similarly interpreted, such as "between..." and "directly between...", "attachment" and "direct attachment", "adjacent" and "directly adjacent", etc.

[0042] Terms such as "top," "bottom," "above," "below," "above," "below," etc. are used herein to describe the relationship of one element, layer or region to another element, layer or region as illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass other orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings.

[0043] It is to be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe different elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. Therefore, the first element may be referred to as the second element without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

[0044] It is also contemplated that all exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be arbitrarily combined with one another. Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to understand the present utility model and do not limit the protection scope of the present utility model. For those skilled in the art, modifications may be made based on the above embodiments, and these modifications do not depart from the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A laser welding device, comprising a laser (10), the laser being configured to emit a welding laser (11) for welding a workpiece (40), the laser being provided with a replaceable transparent protective sheet (20), characterized in that: The laser welding device comprises an air knife (30), the air knife comprising an air knife housing (1), the air knife housing defining a chamber (14), the chamber having a first opening (2) and a second opening (3), the first opening being closed by the protective sheet body, the air knife housing being positioned relative to the laser so that laser light emitted by the laser can enter the chamber through the first opening after passing through the protective sheet body and then be emitted from the chamber through the second opening, the air knife housing having a gas input interface (4) for inputting an air flow into the chamber, and the second opening constituting a gas exhaust opening for exhausting an air flow from the chamber.

2. The laser welding equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wind knife housing has a peripheral wall (7), the peripheral wall has a first side facing the laser and a second side facing away from the laser, the first side of the peripheral wall is open and defines the first opening, the second side of the peripheral wall is partially closed by a bottom wall (8), and the bottom wall defines the second opening.

3. The laser welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air knife housing has at least one of the following features: - the peripheral wall is a circumferential wall; - said first opening is delimited by said peripheral wall; - the first opening is a circular opening; - the second opening is a circular opening; - the first opening and the second opening are arranged concentrically; - the bottom wall has the gas input interface; - The area of ​​the second opening is 1 / 10 to 2 / 3 of the area of ​​the first opening.

4. The laser welding equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas input interface is connected to a compressed gas supply source (50) in a flow-conducting manner, the gas input interface is arranged in the bottom wall, and a flow-conducting element (5) is arranged on the bottom wall inside the chamber and adjacent to the gas input interface, the flow-conducting element being configured to deflect the gas flow input from the gas input interface into the chamber.

5. The laser welding equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gas outlet of the flow guide element is oriented in a direction parallel to the protective plate.

6. The laser welding equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are a plurality of gas input interfaces in the bottom wall, each of which is equipped with a flow guide element, and gas outlets of the flow guide elements are oriented differently in a direction parallel to the protective plate.

7. The laser welding equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The number of the gas input interfaces in the bottom wall is three, and the gas input interfaces are arranged adjacent to each other.

8. The laser welding equipment according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The wind knife housing has an axial protrusion (6) protruding from the bottom wall, and the axial protrusion surrounds and defines the gas discharge opening.

9. The laser welding equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The wind knife housing is made of light metal material.

10. The laser welding equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The laser welding equipment is arranged on a production line of a power battery of a vehicle and is used for laser welding the power battery.

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