Electroplating equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to an electroplating device, including an electroplating chamber, a transmission device, a liquid spray chamber, a first electrode and a second electrode. The transmission device is arranged in the electroplating chamber, and the transmission device is used to transmit battery cells; the liquid spray chamber is arranged above the transmission device, and a first electrode is arranged at the lower end of the liquid spray chamber, and the first electrode is a plate-shaped electrode, and the first electrode is provided with a liquid spray hole; the second electrode is used to contact the battery cells in the electroplating chamber. In the electroplating process, the battery cells are transported through the electroplating chamber by the transmission device, and the plating liquid in the liquid spray chamber passes through the first electrode and is sprayed downward from the liquid spray hole onto the battery cells, which can improve the flow of the plating liquid and improve the performance of the electroplating layer. The above-mentioned structural design can also avoid the shielding of electric field lines by traditional nozzle designs, thereby improving the electroplating effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of photovoltaic manufacturing, in particular to an electroplating device. Background Art

[0002] In the production process of solar cells, grid lines need to be formed on the cells. The processes for forming grid lines mainly include screen printing and electroplating. In the electroplating process, after the cell is plated with a seed layer and a patterned mask layer is formed on the seed layer, it enters the electroplating chamber for electroplating. In the traditional electroplating process, the cell is generally immersed in the electroplating solution, and the fluidity of the electroplating solution is low, which will have an adverse effect on the performance of the battery. In addition, there is also a method of supplying liquid by setting a nozzle between the anode and the cathode, but the presence of the nozzle will block the electric field lines between the anode and the cathode, and will also affect the electroplating effect. Utility Model Content

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an electroplating device to solve the problems in the traditional electroplating process, such as low fluidity of the electroplating liquid and blocking of the electric field lines when the nozzle supplies liquid, which affects the electroplating effect.

[0004] An electroplating device comprises an electroplating chamber, a transmission device, a liquid spraying chamber, a first electrode and a second electrode;

[0005] The transmission device is arranged in the electroplating chamber, and the transmission device is used to transmit the battery cell; the spray chamber is arranged above the transmission device, and the first electrode is arranged at the lower end of the spray chamber, the first electrode is a plate-shaped electrode, and the first electrode is provided with a spray hole; the second electrode is used to contact the battery cell in the electroplating chamber.

[0006] In one of the embodiments, the liquid spray hole is arranged to be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so that the electroplating liquid is sprayed out obliquely downward, and the spraying direction of the electroplating liquid is opposite to the conveying direction of the conveying device.

[0007] In one of the embodiments, the liquid spraying hole is a strip-shaped hole extending in the horizontal direction, and the extending direction of the liquid spraying hole is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying device.

[0008] In one of the embodiments, there are multiple liquid spray holes, and the multiple liquid spray holes are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the liquid spray holes.

[0009] In one embodiment, the transport device comprises a conveyor belt.

[0010] In one of the embodiments, the transmission device further includes a rubber pad covering the conveyor belt.

[0011] In one embodiment, the transmission device further includes a first limit stop bar and a second limit stop bar, and the first limit stop bar and the second limit stop bar are respectively arranged around two ends of the conveyor belt.

[0012] In one embodiment, the second electrode is a linear electrode, and the portion of the second electrode located in the electroplating chamber is located above the transmission device and extends along the transmission direction of the transmission device to contact the battery cell during the transmission of the battery cell.

[0013] In one embodiment, a side of the second electrode for contacting the battery cell is a plane.

[0014] In one embodiment, the electroplating equipment further comprises a conductive wheel, wherein the conductive wheel is located outside the electroplating chamber, and the conductive wheel contacts the second electrode to supply power to the second electrode and circulates the second electrode inside and outside the electroplating chamber.

[0015] In one embodiment, a battery inlet and a battery outlet are respectively provided on opposite sides of the electroplating chamber, and the electroplating equipment further includes a first wire crimping roller and a second wire crimping roller, the first wire crimping roller is provided above the transmission device 200 and close to the battery inlet, the second wire crimping roller is provided above the transmission device 200 and close to the battery outlet, and the first wire crimping roller and the second wire crimping roller cooperate to press the second electrode.

[0016] In one of the embodiments, the electroplating equipment further includes a plating removing tank for containing a plating remover, the plating removing tank is located above the electroplating chamber, and the second electrode passes through the plating removing tank.

[0017] Compared with the traditional solution, the above electroplating equipment has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] When the electroplating equipment is performing the electroplating process, the cell is transported by the transmission device through the electroplating chamber, and the electroplating liquid in the liquid spraying chamber passes through the first electrode and is sprayed downward from the liquid spraying hole onto the cell, which can improve the flow of the electroplating liquid and improve the performance of the electroplating layer. For example, the good fluidity of the electroplating liquid can eliminate concentration polarization, increase the current density, and prevent pinholes from forming in the plating layer. The above structural design can also avoid the shielding of the electric field lines by the traditional nozzle design, thereby improving the electroplating effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an electroplating device according to an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another structural schematic diagram of the electroplating equipment shown;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Another schematic diagram of the structure of the electroplating equipment shown, wherein the liquid spray chamber is not shown;

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a battery cell being transferred in a transfer device;

[0023] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a first electrode;

[0024] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a second electrode and an insulating layer thereon;

[0025] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the conductive wheel and the guide wheel supplying power and guiding the second electrode.

[0026] Description of reference numerals:

[0027] 10. Electroplating equipment; 100. Electroplating chamber; 110. Battery inlet; 120. Battery outlet; 200. Transmission device; 210. Conveyor belt; 220. Rubber pad; 231. First limit stop bar; 232. Second limit stop bar; 241. First guide bar; 242. Second guide bar; 300. Spray chamber; 400. First electrode; 410. Spray hole; 500. Second electrode; 510. Conductive contact surface; 520. Insulating layer; 530. Guide contact surface; 610. Liquid inlet nozzle; 620. Liquid inlet pipe; 630. Liquid inlet pump; 710. Conductive wheel; 720. Guide wheel; 810. First crimping roller; 820. Second crimping roller; 910. First liquid blocking roller; 920. Second liquid blocking roller; 1000. Coating removal tank; 20. Battery cell; 21. Middle area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention, so the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0031] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0032] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] Please combine Figure 1~Figure 4 As shown, an electroplating device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electroplating chamber 100 , a transmission device 200 , a liquid spraying chamber 300 , a first electrode 400 , and a second electrode 500 .

[0034] The transfer device 200 is disposed in the electroplating chamber 100 and is used to transfer the battery cell 20 .

[0035] The liquid spraying chamber 300 is disposed above the transmission device 200. A first electrode 400 is disposed at the lower end of the liquid spraying chamber 300. The first electrode 400 is a plate-shaped electrode, and a hollow area is formed on the first electrode 400 to form a liquid spraying hole 410. The second electrode 500 is used to contact the battery cell 20 in the electroplating chamber 100. Figure 1~Figure 4 In FIG. 5 , the second electrode 500 is shown by a dotted line.

[0036] In the electroplating process, the cell 20 is transported by the transmission device 200 through the electroplating chamber 100, and the electroplating liquid in the liquid spraying chamber 300 passes through the first electrode 400 and is sprayed downward from the liquid spraying hole 410 onto the cell, which can improve the flow of the electroplating liquid and improve the performance of the electroplating layer. For example, the good fluidity of the electroplating liquid can eliminate concentration polarization, increase the current density and prevent pinholes from forming in the plating layer.

[0037] The traditional nozzle-type liquid supply design will block the electric field lines, and the above-mentioned structural design can also avoid the traditional nozzle-type design from blocking the electric field lines.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, in one example, the liquid spray hole 410 is arranged obliquely to the horizontal plane, so that the electroplating liquid is sprayed obliquely downward, and the spraying direction of the electroplating liquid is opposite to the transmission direction of the transmission device 200. The electroplating liquid in the liquid spray chamber 300 passes through the first electrode 400 and is sprayed obliquely downward from the liquid spray hole 410, and the spraying direction of the electroplating liquid is opposite to the transmission direction of the transmission device 200, which can improve the flow of the electroplating liquid and improve the performance of the electroplating layer.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, in one example, the liquid spray hole 410 is a strip hole extending in the horizontal direction, and the extending direction of the liquid spray hole 410 is perpendicular to the transmission direction of the transmission device 200. In this way, the sprayed electroplating liquid can fall on the battery cell 20 more evenly, improving the electroplating effect.

[0040] Optionally, the number of the liquid spray holes 410 is not limited to only one, and there may be multiple, for example, 2 to 20, specifically 4, 7, 10, 12, 15, etc. In one example, the multiple liquid spray holes 410 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the liquid spray holes 410.

[0041] It can be understood that the liquid injection chamber 300 is connected to a liquid inlet component, and the liquid inlet component is used to transport the electroplating liquid to the liquid injection chamber 300. In one example, the liquid inlet component is connected to the electroplating chamber 100 to transport the electroplating liquid in the electroplating chamber 100 to the liquid injection chamber 300, so as to realize the circulation of the electroplating liquid between the electroplating chamber 100 and the liquid injection chamber 300. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in one example, the liquid inlet component includes a liquid inlet nozzle 610, a liquid inlet pipe 620 and a liquid inlet pump 630. The liquid inlet nozzle 610 faces the liquid spraying chamber 300, the liquid inlet pipe 620 is connected to the liquid inlet nozzle 610, and the liquid inlet pump 630 is arranged on the liquid inlet pipe 620. The liquid inlet pipe 620 can extend into the electroplating chamber 100 to draw the electroplating liquid.

[0042] like Figure 1As shown, in one example, a battery inlet 110 and a battery outlet 120 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the electroplating chamber 100. The transmission device 200 delivers the battery cell 20 from the battery inlet 110 into the electroplating chamber 100. During the transmission process, the battery cell 20 undergoes an electroplating process and is then delivered out of the electroplating chamber 100 by the transmission device 200 through the battery outlet 120.

[0043] like Figure 2~Figure 4 As shown, in one example, the transport device 200 includes a conveyor belt 210 .

[0044] During electroplating, if the non-electroplating surface of the battery cell 20 contacts the plating solution, it will have an adverse effect on the battery performance, especially for back-contact batteries. In order to reduce the contact of the non-electroplating surface of the battery cell 20 with the plating solution, in one example, the transmission device 200 is also provided with a rubber pad 220 covering the conveyor belt 210. The battery cell 20 is arranged on the rubber pad 220. Due to the flexibility of the rubber pad 220, the battery cell 20 can be sunken into the rubber pad 220 to a certain extent, and the contact with the rubber pad 220 is closer, reducing the infiltration of the plating solution and contacting the non-electroplating surface of the battery cell 20. The rubber pad 220 is, for example, a silicone pad, which is hydrophobic and can also reduce the infiltration of the plating solution.

[0045] like Figure 2~Figure 4 As shown, in one example, the transmission device 200 further includes a first limiting stop bar 231 and a second limiting stop bar 232. The first limiting stop bar 231 and the second limiting stop bar 232 are respectively arranged around the two ends of the conveyor belt 210. The first limiting stop bar 231 and the second limiting stop bar 232 are used to limit the battery cell 20 to prevent the battery cell 20 from deviating from the transmission direction during transmission, and also enable the second electrode 500 to accurately contact the battery cell 20. The distance between the first limiting stop bar 231 and the second limiting stop bar 232 can be set according to the width of the battery cell 20, and preferably the distance between the two is consistent with the width of the battery cell 20, so as to better limit the battery cell 20.

[0046] In one example, a guide component is provided outside the battery inlet 110 of the electroplating chamber 100 so as to allow the battery cell 20 to smoothly enter the area between the first limit stop bar 231 and the second limit stop bar 232. In one example, the guide component includes a first guide bar 241 and a second guide bar 242 that are arranged opposite to each other. The first guide bar 241 and the second guide bar 242 extend toward the battery inlet 110, and as they approach the battery inlet 110, the distance between the first guide bar 241 and the second guide bar 242 gradually decreases.

[0047] In one example, the first electrode 400 is an anode and the second electrode 500 is a cathode. In another example, the first electrode 400 is a cathode and the second electrode 500 is an anode.

[0048] In one example, the second electrode 500 is a linear electrode, and the portion of the second electrode 500 located in the electroplating chamber 100 is located above the transmission device 200 and extends along the transmission direction of the transmission device 200 to contact the battery cell 20 during the transmission of the battery cell 20 .

[0049] In one example, the second electrode 500 enters and exits the electroplating chamber 100 via the battery inlet 110 and the battery outlet 120 .

[0050] like Figure 4 As shown, when manufacturing photovoltaic modules, the cell 20 will be divided, such as being divided into two pieces from the middle area 21. Therefore, the middle area 21 has no functional requirements, so the second electrode 500 can be designed as a linear electrode, passing over the top of the transmission device 200 and contacting the middle area 21 of the cell 20 to achieve electrical conduction of the cell 20. During the transmission process of the cell 20, the second electrode 500 can maintain contact with the cell 20, and the linear electrode has a certain flexibility, which reduces the damage to the cell caused by hard contact methods such as conductive clamps, conductive brushes, and conductive rollers in traditional conductive processes.

[0051] like Figure 1~Figure 3 As shown, in one example, the electroplating device 10 further includes a conductive wheel 710. The conductive wheel 710 is located outside the electroplating chamber 100, and the conductive wheel 710 contacts the second electrode 500 to supply power to the second electrode 500, and circulates the second electrode 500 inside and outside the electroplating chamber 100. The conductive wheel 710 is arranged outside the electroplating chamber 100 to prevent contact with the electroplating solution to be corroded or to form liquid crystals, thereby affecting conductivity. In one example, an embedded groove is provided on the conductive wheel 710 to limit the second electrode 500 to prevent the second electrode 500 from being offset.

[0052] In order to increase the conductivity, the contact area between the conductive wheel 710 and the second electrode 500 needs to be increased, so the conductive wheel 710 preferably has a larger size. In addition, the number of conductive wheels 710 is preferably multiple. For example, a conductive wheel 710 is respectively arranged above the front and rear sides outside the electroplating chamber 100. In addition, a plurality of guide wheels 720 can also be arranged, and the guide wheels 720 are used to cooperate with the conductive wheels 710 to guide the second electrode 500, and the guide wheels 720 may be non-conductive.

[0053] like Figure 1~Figure 4As shown, in one example, a first crimping roller 810 is provided above the transmission device 200 and close to the battery inlet 110, and a second crimping roller 820 is provided above the transmission device 200 and close to the battery outlet 120. The first crimping roller 810 and the second crimping roller 820 cooperate to press the linear second electrode 500 so that the second electrode 500 can better contact the battery cell 20 and prevent the second electrode 500 from pressing the battery cell 20 in advance, thereby affecting the battery cell 20 from entering between the first limit stop bar 231 and the second limit stop bar 232.

[0054] like Figure 1~Figure 4 As shown, in one example, a first liquid-blocking roller 910 is disposed between the first crimping roller 810 and the second crimping roller 820 and close to the first crimping roller 810 to prevent the second electrode 500 from being plated when entering the electroplating chamber 100. Similarly, a second liquid-blocking roller 920 is disposed between the first crimping roller 810 and the second crimping roller 820 and close to the second crimping roller 820. In addition, the liquid-blocking roller can be set as a liquid-blocking baffle according to the actual structural design.

[0055] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the side of the second electrode 500 used for contacting the battery cell 20 is a conductive contact surface 510. In one example, the conductive contact surface 510 is a plane. In other words, in the electroplating chamber 100, the side of the second electrode 500 facing downward is a plane. In this way, the contact area between the second electrode 500 and the battery cell 20 can be increased, thereby improving the electroplating effect.

[0056] The insulating layer 520 can be coated on other surfaces other than the conductive contact surface 510 of the second electrode 500, which can significantly reduce the metal deposits on the second electrode 500. The side of the insulating layer 520 facing away from the conductive contact surface 510 is the guide contact surface 530. The guide contact surface 530 is in contact with the first crimping roller 810 and the second crimping roller 820, and is also in contact with the guide wheel 720. In one example, the guide contact surface 530 is a plane. Furthermore, the guide contact surface 530 is parallel to the conductive contact surface 510. The guide contact surface 530 is designed as a plane to prevent the second electrode 500 from rolling. In addition, the guide contact surface 530 preferably increases the contact area with the crimping roller, and from the cross-section, the wire here is roughly an inverted trapezoid. In addition, it is also possible to design an anti-fool wire groove on the first crimping roller 810 and the second crimping roller 820 to prevent the second electrode 500 from rolling.

[0057] like Figure 1~Figure 3As shown, in one example, the electroplating equipment 10 further includes a coating removal tank 1000, which is located above the electroplating chamber 100, and the second electrode 500 passes through the coating removal tank 1000. The coating removal tank 1000 is used to hold a coating remover. The part of the second electrode 500 that circulates to the coating removal tank 1000 is immersed in the coating remover, so that the coating on the second electrode 500 is removed by reaction, so that the second electrode 500 can be kept in normal use.

[0058] The above-mentioned design of the second electrode 500 can significantly improve the problem of poor electrical conductivity and poor electrical conductivity of the battery cell 20 .

[0059] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0060] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the utility model, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this field, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the utility model, which all belong to the protection scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model patent shall be based on the attached claims, and the description can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. An electroplating device (10), characterized in that: It comprises an electroplating chamber (100), a transmission device (200), a liquid spraying chamber (300), a first electrode (400) and a second electrode (500); The transmission device (200) is arranged in the electroplating chamber (100), and the transmission device (200) is used to transmit the battery cell (20); the liquid spraying chamber (300) is arranged above the transmission device (200), and the lower end of the liquid spraying chamber (300) is provided with the first electrode (400), the first electrode (400) is a plate-shaped electrode, and the first electrode (400) is provided with a liquid spraying hole (410); the second electrode (500) is used to contact the battery cell (20) in the electroplating chamber (100).

2. The electroplating device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid spray hole (410) is arranged obliquely to the horizontal plane so that the electroplating liquid is sprayed obliquely downward, and the spraying direction of the electroplating liquid is opposite to the transmission direction of the transmission device (200).

3. The electroplating device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid spray hole (410) is a strip-shaped hole extending in the horizontal direction, and the extending direction of the liquid spray hole (410) is perpendicular to the transmission direction of the transmission device (200).

4. The electroplating device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that: There are a plurality of the liquid spray holes (410), and the plurality of liquid spray holes (410) are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the liquid spray holes (410).

5. The electroplating device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission device (200) comprises a conveyor belt (210); The transmission device (200) further comprises a rubber pad (220) covering the conveyor belt (210); and / or, The transmission device (200) further comprises a first limit stop bar (231) and a second limit stop bar (232), wherein the first limit stop bar (231) and the second limit stop bar (232) are respectively arranged around two ends of the conveyor belt (210).

6. The electroplating equipment (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The second electrode (500) is a linear electrode, and the portion of the second electrode (500) located in the electroplating chamber (100) is located above the transmission device (200) and extends along the transmission direction of the transmission device (200) so as to contact the battery cell (20) during the transmission process of the battery cell (20).

7. The electroplating device (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that The side of the second electrode (500) used for contacting the battery sheet (20) is a plane.

8. The electroplating device (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The electroplating device (10) further comprises a conductive wheel (710), wherein the conductive wheel (710) is located outside the electroplating chamber (100), and the conductive wheel (710) contacts the second electrode (500) to supply power to the second electrode (500), and circulates the second electrode (500) inside and outside the electroplating chamber (100).

9. The electroplating device (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that: The electroplating chamber (100) is provided with a battery inlet (110) and a battery outlet (120) on opposite sides thereof. The electroplating device (10) further comprises a first crimping roller (810) and a second crimping roller (820). The first crimping roller (810) is provided above the transmission device (200) and close to the battery inlet (110). The second crimping roller (820) is provided above the transmission device (200) and close to the battery outlet (120). The first crimping roller (810) and the second crimping roller (820) cooperate to press the second electrode (500).

10. The electroplating equipment (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The electroplating equipment (10) further comprises a coating removal tank (1000) for containing a coating remover, wherein the coating removal tank (1000) is located above the electroplating chamber (100), and the second electrode (500) passes through the coating removal tank (1000).

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