Winding needle and winding equipment
By designing a second region and a pore structure on the winding needle for placing the tabs, the problem of tab position misalignment was solved, enabling precise tab welding and improving the positional accuracy and winding quality of the electrode assembly.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422843254.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-21
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-11
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-21
AI Technical Summary
During the winding process of the electrode assembly, the position of the electrode tab relative to the wound electrode assembly is prone to shift, resulting in insufficient welding accuracy.
Design a coiling needle whose working surface includes a first area for placing an electrode assembly and a second area for placing an electrode tab. After winding, the electrode tab is welded. A clamping assembly is used to clamp the electrode assembly and release space to accommodate welding tools when necessary. The coiling needle body has pores to reduce friction.
This improves the positional accuracy of the tabs relative to the wound electrode assembly, ensuring precise welding of the tabs and reducing the impact of positional shifts caused by the expansion and contraction of the electrode assembly during the winding process.
Smart Images
Figure CN223539635U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a winding needle and winding device. Background Technology
[0002] As an important component of winding equipment, the winding needle is typically used to wind the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator in an electrode assembly into a square or cylindrical shape. After winding the electrode assembly, the winding needle is mainly used to manufacture power or energy storage batteries, digital batteries, etc.
[0003] In related technologies, after the electrode assembly is wound by a winding needle, the position of the electrode tab relative to the wound electrode assembly is prone to shift. Utility Model Content
[0004] This application aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes a winding needle and winding device to improve the positional accuracy of the electrode tab relative to the wound electrode assembly.
[0005] The winding needle according to the first aspect embodiment of this application includes:
[0006] The needle coil body has a receiving cavity, the cavity wall of which has a working surface, the working surface including a first region for placing the electrode assembly;
[0007] A clamping assembly is disposed within the receiving cavity, the clamping assembly being used to cooperate with the first region to clamp the electrode assembly;
[0008] The working surface further includes a second region. The first region and the second region are distributed along the axial direction of the needle coil body. The second region is used to place the tab to be welded to the electrode assembly. The dimension of the working surface in the axial direction of the needle coil body is greater than or equal to the sum of the dimensions of the electrode assembly and the tab in the axial direction of the needle coil body.
[0009] The winding needles according to the embodiments of this application have at least the following beneficial effects:
[0010] The second region can be used to place the tab to be welded to the electrode assembly, and the dimension of the working surface in the axial direction of the needle body is greater than or equal to the sum of the dimensions of the electrode assembly and the tab in the axial direction of the needle body. This allows the working surface to have sufficient space in the axial direction of the needle body to place the electrode assembly and the tab. Consequently, the needle of this application can first wind the electrode assembly, and after the electrode assembly is wound, the tab is welded to the wound electrode assembly. This reduces the influence of the electrode assembly's own expansion and contraction on the position of the tab relative to the wound electrode assembly during the winding process, thereby enabling the tab to be welded to the electrode assembly more accurately and improving the positional accuracy of the tab relative to the wound electrode assembly.
[0011] According to some embodiments of this application, the clamping assembly includes a drive member and a clamping member, the drive member being used to drive the clamping member to move, so that the clamping member switches between a first state for clamping the electrode assembly and a second state for releasing the electrode assembly.
[0012] According to some embodiments of this application, the projection of the clamping member on the working surface is located outside the second region;
[0013] Alternatively, the projection of the clamping member on the working surface is located within the second region. When the clamping member is in the second state, an accommodating space is formed between the clamping member and the working surface, and the accommodating space is used to accommodate the welding head for welding the electrode tab.
[0014] According to some embodiments of this application, when the clamping member is in the second state, the distance between the clamping member and the working surface is greater than or equal to 35 mm.
[0015] According to some embodiments of this application, the outer periphery of the needle coil body has an opening that communicates with the accommodating space, and the working surface and the sidewall of the opening are located in the same plane.
[0016] According to some embodiments of this application, the number of protrusions is multiple, the second region includes positioning portions, the number of positioning portions is at least two, and the at least two positioning portions are arranged at intervals along a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle body.
[0017] According to some embodiments of this application, the wall thickness of the coil needle body is greater than or equal to 10 mm.
[0018] According to some embodiments of this application, the needle body has air holes that penetrate the outer surface of the needle body.
[0019] According to some embodiments of this application, the number of air holes is multiple, and the multiple air holes are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the needle body.
[0020] A winding apparatus according to a second aspect embodiment of this application includes:
[0021] The coiling needle according to any of the foregoing embodiments;
[0022] A driving device is capable of driving the winding needle to rotate so that the winding needle can wind the electrode assembly.
[0023] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description
[0024] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:
[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the winding needle in one embodiment of the present application, in which the clamping member is in the second state of releasing the electrode assembly;
[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the coiling needle body in one embodiment of this application;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the winding needle from another perspective in one embodiment of this application. The air holes are shown in the diagram and indicated by dashed lines.
[0028] Figure label:
[0029] 1. Needle coil body; 11. Receiving cavity; 12. Working surface; 121. First region; 122. Second region; 122a. Positioning part; 12a. Overlapping region; 13. Accommodating space; 14. Opening; 15. Air hole; 2. Clamping assembly; 21. Driving component; 22. Clamping component. Detailed Implementation
[0030] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.
[0031] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0032] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.
[0033] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.
[0034] In the description of this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0035] In related technologies, electrode modules are typically soldered to tabs before being wound, and then wound using a winding needle. During the winding process, a certain tension needs to be applied to the electrode module to reduce the possibility of wrinkles forming, causing the electrode module to be stretched to some extent. Once the winding is complete, the electrode module will shrink to some extent, making it easy for the tabs to shift relative to the wound electrode module, resulting in insufficient positional accuracy of the tabs relative to the wound electrode module.
[0036] In view of this, this application provides a winding needle, by providing a second region 122 on the working surface 12 of the winding needle body 1. The second region 122 is used to place the tab to be welded to the electrode assembly, so that the winding needle of this application can first wind the electrode assembly, and after the electrode assembly is wound, the tab is welded to the wound electrode assembly. This reduces the influence of the electrode assembly's own expansion and contraction on the position of the tab relative to the wound electrode assembly during the winding process, thereby enabling the tab to be welded to the electrode assembly more accurately, thereby improving the positional accuracy of the tab relative to the wound electrode assembly.
[0037] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The needle winding assembly includes a needle winding body 1 and a clamping component 2. The needle winding body 1 can be roughly as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2The circular shape shown indicates that the material of the coiling needle body 1 can be metal, and no limitation is made here. The coiling needle body 1 has a receiving cavity 11, which can be used to receive the electrode assembly so that the electrode assembly can be clamped within the receiving cavity 11. It should be noted that the electrode assembly includes a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode arranged alternately along the thickness direction. Specifically, the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 11 has a working surface 12. For example, the working surface 12 can be... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The shown needle body 1 has a generally planar inner surface. The working surface 12 includes a first region 121 for placing the electrode assembly. The clamping assembly 2 is disposed within the receiving cavity 11 and is used to engage with the first region 121 to clamp the electrode assembly. When the clamping assembly 2 engages with the first region 121 to clamp the electrode assembly more securely, the needle is rotated so that the electrode assembly can be wound along the outer surface of the needle.
[0038] Please see Figure 2 The working surface 12 also includes a second region 122. The first region 121 and the second region 122 are distributed along the axial direction of the needle body 1, which is the extension direction of the rotation axis of the needle body 1. When the tab is welded to the electrode, the tab protrudes from the electrode along the axial direction of the needle body 1, so that the second region 122 can be used to place the tab to be welded to the electrode assembly. The dimension of the working surface 12 in the axial direction of the needle body 1 is greater than or equal to the sum of the dimensions of the electrode assembly and the tab in the axial direction of the needle body 1, so that the working surface 12 has sufficient space in the axial direction of the needle body 1 to place the electrode assembly and the tab. This allows the needle of this application to first wind the electrode assembly, and after the electrode assembly is wound, the tab is welded to the wound electrode assembly. This reduces the influence of the electrode assembly's own expansion and contraction on the position of the tab relative to the wound electrode assembly during the winding process, thereby allowing the tab to be welded to the electrode assembly more accurately, thus improving the positional accuracy of the tab relative to the wound electrode assembly.
[0039] For example, the first region 121 and the second region 122 partially overlap in the axial direction of the needle coil body 1 to form as shown in the figure. Figure 2 The overlapping area 12a is enclosed by two dotted lines so that the electrode and the electrode tab overlap within the overlapping area 12a, thereby allowing the electrode tab to overlap with the electrode assembly at a predetermined distance in the axial direction of the needle body 1 before welding.
[0040] Exemplarily, one end of the electrode assembly along its length enters the receiving cavity 11 of the winding needle body 1 and is placed in the first region 121 of the working surface 12. The clamping assembly 2 clamps and engages with the first region 121 to securely hold the electrode assembly in the first region 121. Then, the winding needle is rotated, and the electrode assembly is wound circumferentially along the outer surface of the winding needle body 1 under the drive of the winding needle. When the electrode assembly is wound, an electrode tab is placed on the second region 122 of the working surface 12, and the electrode tab is soldered to the electrode assembly in the overlapping region 12a to form a battery cell.
[0041] For example, the overlapping region 12a has a greater tolerance to temperature and pressure than the first region 121 excluding the overlapping region 12a, and the overlapping region 12a has a greater tolerance to temperature and pressure than or equal to the second region 122 excluding the overlapping region 12a.
[0042] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 The clamping assembly 2 includes a driving member 21 and a clamping member 22. The clamping member 22 can be a rigid pressure plate with a certain strength. The clamping member 22 is arranged approximately parallel to the working surface 12 so that the clamping member 22 can be well clamped and engaged with the working surface 12. The driving member 21 can be connected to the needle coil body 1 at one end and to the clamping member 22 at the other end. Alternatively, the driving member 21 can be connected to the outside at one end and to the clamping member 22 at the other end, so that the driving member 21 can be used to drive the clamping member 22 to move. Specifically, the driving member 21 can be used to drive the clamping member 22 to move closer to or further away from the working surface 12, thereby switching the clamping member 22 between a first state of clamping the electrode assembly and a second state of releasing the electrode assembly. When the clamping member 22 is in the first state, the clamping member 22 clamps the electrode assembly so that the winding needle can wind the electrode assembly; when the clamping member 22 is in the second state, the electrode assembly has been wound, and then the electrode tab is placed in the second area 122 to weld the electrode tab to the electrode assembly, so that the winding needle of this application can wind the electrode assembly first and then weld the electrode tab, thereby reducing the influence of the electrode assembly's own expansion and contraction on the position of the electrode tab relative to the wound electrode assembly during the winding process, thereby enabling the electrode tab to be welded to the electrode assembly more accurately, thereby improving the positional accuracy of the electrode tab relative to the wound electrode assembly.
[0043] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1The projection of the clamping member 22 on the working surface 12 is located outside the second region 122, so that the clamping member 22 can be used to weld the tab in the overlapping region 12a even when it is in the first state. For example, the projection of the clamping member 22 on the working surface 12 coincides with the first region 121 excluding the overlapping region 12a. Alternatively, the projection of the clamping member 22 on the working surface 12 has one side aligned with the side of the overlapping region 12a away from the first region 121 along the axial direction of the needle coil body 1, and the other side protrudes from the first region 121 along the axial direction of the needle coil body 1. When the clamping member 22 is in the first state clamping the electrode assembly, the tab can also be placed in the second region 122 so that the tab and the electrode assembly are welded within the overlapping region 12a. Because the electrode assembly is clamped more firmly, it is beneficial to improve the positional accuracy of the tab being welded to the electrode assembly.
[0044] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 The projection of the clamping member 22 onto the working surface 12 is located within the second region 122, such that the dimension of the clamping member 22 along the axial direction of the needle coil body 1 is larger than the dimension of the electrode assembly along the axial direction of the needle coil body 1. This allows the clamping member 22 to completely cover the electrode assembly along the axial direction of the needle coil body 1, thereby facilitating a more flat clamping of the electrode assembly. When the clamping member 22 is in the second state of releasing the electrode assembly, a receiving space 13 is formed between the clamping member 22 and the working surface 12. The receiving space 13 is used to accommodate the welding head for welding the electrode tab, allowing the welding head to extend into the receiving space 13 to weld the electrode tab onto the electrode assembly.
[0045] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 When the clamping member 22 is in the second state, the distance between the clamping member 22 and the working surface 12 is greater than or equal to 35mm. This larger distance reduces the likelihood that the clamping member 22 will obstruct the welding head from entering the receiving space 13 when welding the tab to the electrode assembly, thus allowing the welding head to weld the tab to the electrode assembly more smoothly. For example, Figure 3 The distance S1 shown is the distance between the clamping part 22 and the working surface 12, and S1≥35mm.
[0046] It is understood that when the clamping member 22 is in the second state, the distance between the clamping member 22 and the working surface 12 is not limited. For example, the distance between the clamping member 22 and the working surface 12 can also be less than 35 mm.
[0047] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3The outer periphery of the winding needle body 1 has an opening 14, which communicates with the accommodating space 13. The electrode assembly enters the accommodating space 13 through the opening 14 and is placed in the first region 121. The working surface 12 and the side wall of the opening 14 are located in the same plane, so that the electrode assembly can be placed relatively flat in the first region 121. As a result, when the clamping member 22 is in the first state, the clamping member 22 and the first region 121 apply a relatively uniform clamping force to the electrode assembly, which helps to reduce the possibility of the electrode assembly being damaged during the winding process.
[0048] It is understood that the working surface 12 is not limited to being in the same plane as the sidewall of the opening 14. Exemplarily, the working surface 12 may also be not in the same plane as the sidewall of the opening 14.
[0049] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second region 122 includes a positioning part 122a, which is used to quickly position the tab to a preset position for welding with the electrode assembly. The positioning part 122a can be disposed in the overlapping region 12a so that the tab is welded to the electrode assembly within the positioning part 122a, which helps to improve the speed and accuracy of the tab welding to the electrode assembly. The number of positioning parts 122a is at least two, and the at least two positioning parts 122a are arranged at intervals along a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle coil body 1 to match the positive and negative tabs arranged at intervals along the direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle coil body 1.
[0050] It is understood that the number of positioning parts 122a is not limited to at least two. For example, the number of positioning parts 122a can be determined according to actual production needs, such as one.
[0051] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 The wall thickness of the needle coil body 1 is greater than or equal to 10 mm. This thickness ensures sufficient strength for the needle coil body 1 to wind the electrode assembly with minimal deformation, allowing the electrode assembly to fit tightly during winding and improving the quality of the winding process. For example, Figure 3 The thickness shown in S2 is the wall thickness of the needle body 1, and S2 ≥ 10 mm.
[0052] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1-3 The needle coil body 1 has an air hole 15 that penetrates the outer surface of the needle coil body 1. One end of the air hole 15 penetrates the outer surface of the needle coil body 1, and the other end of the air hole 15 can be... Figure 3As shown, the needle body 1 penetrates the inner surface and is then connected to an external pumping device. When the electrode assembly is wound and the tabs are welded to the electrode assembly, during the process of pulling the needle out of the wound electrode assembly, the airflow pumped by the pumping device is sprayed through the air hole 15 onto the electrode assembly that is in contact with the outer surface of the needle body 1. This reduces the friction between the outer surface of the needle body 1 and the electrode assembly, allowing the needle to be pulled out of the wound electrode assembly more smoothly. This helps reduce the possibility of the electrode assembly being pulled out along with the needle due to the large friction between them during the needle removal process, thereby reducing the possibility of positional deviation of the electrode assembly and improving the performance of the electrode assembly.
[0053] It is understandable that the needle body 1 is not limited to having pores 15.
[0054] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1-3 The number of air holes 15 is multiple, and the multiple air holes 15 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the needle winding body 1 to increase the flow rate of the air jet sprayed on the electrode assembly that is in contact with the outer surface of the needle winding body 1. This further reduces the friction between the outer surface of the needle winding body 1 and the electrode assembly, thereby enabling the needle winding to be pulled out of the wound electrode assembly more smoothly. This helps to reduce the possibility that the electrode assembly will be carried out together during the needle winding process due to the large friction between the two. This, in turn, helps to reduce the possibility of the electrode assembly's position being deviated, thereby improving the performance of the electrode assembly.
[0055] A second aspect of this application provides a winding apparatus, including a winding needle and a driving device as described in any of the foregoing embodiments. The driving device is capable of driving the winding needle to rotate, such that when the clamping member 22 is in a first state of clamping the electrode assembly, the winding needle can wind the electrode assembly, and when the clamping member 22 is in a second state of releasing the electrode assembly, the electrode tab can be soldered to the electrode assembly to form a wound battery cell.
[0056] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this application. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.
Claims
1. A winding needle for winding an electrode assembly, characterized in that, include: The needle coil body has a receiving cavity, the cavity wall of which has a working surface, the working surface including a first region for placing the electrode assembly; A clamping assembly is disposed within the receiving cavity, the clamping assembly being used to cooperate with the first region to clamp the electrode assembly; The working surface further includes a second region. The first region and the second region are distributed along the axial direction of the needle coil body. The second region is used to place the tab to be welded to the electrode assembly. The dimension of the working surface in the axial direction of the needle coil body is greater than or equal to the sum of the dimensions of the electrode assembly and the tab in the axial direction of the needle coil body.
2. The coiling needle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping assembly includes a drive member and a clamping member. The drive member is used to drive the clamping member to move so that the clamping member switches between a first state for clamping the electrode assembly and a second state for releasing the electrode assembly.
3. The coiling needle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The projection of the clamping member on the working surface is outside the second region; Alternatively, the projection of the clamping member on the working surface is located within the second region. When the clamping member is in the second state, an accommodating space is formed between the clamping member and the working surface, and the accommodating space is used to accommodate the welding head for welding the electrode tab.
4. The coiling needle according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the clamping member is in the second state, the distance between the clamping member and the working surface is greater than or equal to 35 mm.
5. The coiling needle according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the needle coil body has an opening that communicates with the accommodating space, and the working surface and the sidewall of the opening are located in the same plane.
6. The coiled needle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The second region includes positioning parts, and the number of positioning parts is at least two, with the at least two positioning parts arranged at intervals along a direction intersecting the axial direction of the needle body.
7. The coiled needle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wall thickness of the coil needle body is greater than or equal to 10 mm.
8. The coiled needle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The needle coil body has air holes that penetrate the outer surface of the needle coil body.
9. The coiling needle according to claim 8, characterized in that, The number of air holes is multiple, and the multiple air holes are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the needle body.
10. A winding device, characterized in that, include: The coiling needle according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A driving device is capable of driving the winding needle to rotate so that the winding needle can wind the electrode assembly.