Battery piece stringing device

Abstract

The utility model provides a battery piece bunching device. The battery piece bunching device comprises a bunching mechanism, a first conveying belt, a second conveying belt, a UV lamp box and a welding mechanism. The second conveying belt is arranged behind the first conveying belt, the first conveying belt is a light-transmitting conveying belt, and a cloth string station and a glue curing station are arranged on a conveying path of the first conveying belt. And the string arrangement mechanism is used for laying the battery pieces and the welding strips to a string arrangement station. The UV lamp box at least comprises a first UV lamp box which is used for curing the UV curing glue on the lower surface of the battery piece located at the glue curing station, so that the welding strip located on the lower surface of the battery piece is adhered to the lower surface of the battery piece. A welding station is arranged on the conveying path of the second conveying belt, and the welding mechanism is used for heating the welding strip located at the welding station, so that the welding strip is connected with the corresponding battery piece in a welded mode. As the light-transmitting first conveying belt is far away from the welding mechanism, the first conveying belt can be prevented from high temperature of the heating mechanism, the service life of the first conveying belt is prolonged, and finally the cost of the conveying belt is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of photovoltaic cell production equipment, specifically a cell stringing device. Background Technology

[0002] One existing method for stringing gridless solar cells involves first applying a UV-curable adhesive to the surface of the cells, then laying and stacking the welding ribbon and cells onto a welding conveyor belt according to a predetermined stringing rule. The conveyor belt is equipped with a UV curing mechanism and a heating mechanism. When the laid-out welding ribbon and cells are conveyed to the UV curing mechanism, the UV-curable adhesive on the surface of the cells is cured, thereby bonding the welding ribbon to the cells. When conveyed through the heating mechanism, the welding ribbon is heated and welded to the cells. Finally, the welding ribbon and cells are bonded together by adhesive and welding to form a battery string.

[0003] To meet the requirements of UV curing, existing welding conveyor belts need to be light-transmitting. However, light-transmitting conveyor belts cannot withstand the high temperatures of the heating mechanism for a long time, resulting in a short service life and frequent replacement. Utility Model Content

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a battery cell stringing device, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A battery cell stringing device is used to string together several battery cells into a battery string using welding ribbons. UV-curable adhesive is applied at intervals along a path laid out on the surface of the battery cells using welding ribbons. The battery cell stringing device includes a stringing mechanism, a first conveyor belt, a second conveyor belt, a UV lamp box, and a welding mechanism, wherein:

[0006] The second conveyor belt is set after the first conveyor belt, and the feed end of the second conveyor belt is connected to the discharge end of the first conveyor belt. The first conveyor belt is a light-transmitting conveyor belt.

[0007] The first conveyor belt has a fabric stringing station and an adhesive curing station set up sequentially along its conveying path;

[0008] The stringing mechanism is used to lay the battery cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station according to a predetermined stringing rule to form a battery string to be cured and welded, wherein the welding ribbons are laid on the welding ribbon laying path;

[0009] The UV light box includes at least a first UV light box set at the adhesive curing station. The first UV light box is located below the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt and is used to emit UV light to pass through the first conveyor belt to cure the UV curing adhesive on the lower surface of the battery cell at the adhesive curing station, so that the solder ribbon on the lower surface of the battery cell is bonded to the lower surface of the battery cell.

[0010] A welding station is set up on the conveying path of the second conveyor belt. A welding mechanism is set up at the welding station to heat the welding strip located at the welding station, so as to melt the welding material on the welding strip and weld the welding strip to the corresponding battery cell.

[0011] The battery cell stringing device provided in this application performs adhesive curing and welding operations on a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, respectively, without affecting each other. Only the first conveyor belt needs to be light-transmitting to meet the adhesive curing requirements, while the second conveyor belt can be of other types. Because the light-transmitting first conveyor belt is far from the welding mechanism, it is protected from the high temperatures of the heating mechanism, thus extending its service life. The second conveyor belt can be selected based on the actual welding temperature, making it a high-temperature resistant conveyor belt, which also extends its service life and ultimately reduces the cost of the conveyor belts.

[0012] Furthermore, in the cell stringing device provided in this application, after the solder ribbon is bonded to the cell with UV-cured adhesive, it is immediately welded to the cell by a welding mechanism, thus forming a metallized connection between the solder ribbon and the cell. Since an alloyed connection has been formed between the solder ribbon and the cell, the stringing quality can be inspected at this point. Defective strings can be promptly reworked, which is convenient and cost-effective.

[0013] In some embodiments, the UV light box further includes a second UV light box located above the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt, for emitting UV light to cure the UV-curable adhesive on the upper surface of the battery cell located at the adhesive curing station, so that the solder ribbon located on the upper surface of the battery cell is bonded to the upper surface of the battery cell.

[0014] By setting up a second UV lamp box, when the upper surface of the solar cell is also covered with solder ribbons, the solder ribbons located on the upper surface of the solar cell can also be bonded to the solar cell by the cured UV adhesive.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second conveyor belt is a Teflon conveyor belt.

[0016] The welding station is located on the second conveyor belt, where the battery cells and welding strips are welded. The use of a Teflon conveyor belt with high heat resistance as the second conveyor belt can further improve its service life.

[0017] In some embodiments, the battery cell stringing device further includes a first support base plate disposed below the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt, the first support base plate being used to support the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt; a first suction component is also disposed on the first support base plate, and a first suction hole is disposed on the first conveyor belt along the length direction, the first suction component providing suction force to the first suction hole to adsorb the battery cells located on the first conveyor belt.

[0018] By setting a first support base plate below the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt, the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt is supported, thereby increasing the support strength of the first conveyor belt and preventing it from sagging and collapsing. Furthermore, by setting a first suction component on the first support base plate and setting first suction holes on the first conveyor belt, the first conveyor belt can perform suction and positioning of the battery cells laid on it, preventing the battery cells from shifting during transport.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first supporting base plate is disposed above the first UV lamp box, and the portion of the first supporting base plate located directly above the first UV lamp box is light-transmitting.

[0020] Ensure that the UV light emitted by the first UV lamp box can pass through the first support base plate and the first conveyor belt in sequence and then irradiate the lower surface of the battery cell located on the first conveyor belt, so that the solder ribbon located on the lower surface of the battery cell is bonded to the lower surface of the battery cell.

[0021] In some embodiments, the welding mechanism includes any one of an infrared light box, a hot air assembly, an electromagnetic heating assembly, and a laser heating assembly disposed above or below the conveying surface of the welding conveyor belt.

[0022] Several simple and efficient welding mechanisms are provided, which can quickly and efficiently heat the welding strip and the solder on the welding strip, so that the welding strip can be welded to the corresponding battery cell.

[0023] In some embodiments, the cell stringing device further includes a second support base plate disposed below the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt. The second support base plate is used to support the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt. At least the portion of the second support base plate located at the welding station is configured to heat the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt. The second support base plate is also provided with a second suction assembly. The second conveyor belt is provided with a second suction hole along its length direction. The second suction assembly provides suction force to the second suction hole to adsorb the cells located on the second conveyor belt.

[0024] By installing a second support base plate below the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt, support is provided for the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt, thereby increasing its support strength and preventing sagging and collapse. The second support base plate, in conjunction with a welding mechanism, heats the battery cells and welding strips, accelerating the melting of the solder on the surface of the welding strips and welding them to the corresponding battery cells, thus improving welding efficiency. By installing a second suction component on the second support base plate and second suction holes on the second conveyor belt, the second conveyor belt can effectively suction and position the battery cells laid on it, preventing displacement during transport.

[0025] In some embodiments, the stringing mechanism includes a cell placement section and a ribbon placement section, wherein the cell placement section is used to place the cells in the stringing station according to a predetermined stringing rule, and the ribbon placement section is used to place the ribbon in the stringing station according to a predetermined stringing rule.

[0026] The cell placement section and the ribbon placement section work together to alternately place the cells and ribbons, thereby improving the stringing efficiency.

[0027] In some embodiments, the cell stringing apparatus further includes a tooling transfer mechanism; after the stringing mechanism lays the cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station, the tooling transfer mechanism is configured to place the tooling onto the cells with welding ribbons at the stringing station to press the welding ribbons onto the cells below; the tooling transfer mechanism is also configured to pick up the tooling from the cells before the cells with the tooling are switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt; the tooling transfer mechanism is also configured to put the tooling back onto the cells after the cells with the tooling removed are switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt; the tooling transfer mechanism is also configured to remove the tooling from the cells that have been welded by the welding mechanism.

[0028] By placing the fixture onto the solar cells with solder ribbon laid out at the stringing station, the solder ribbon is ensured to be pressed and held along the solder ribbon laying path, ultimately ensuring that the solder ribbon is bonded to the solar cells via UV-cured adhesive along the solder ribbon laying path. Because there is a gap between the first and second conveyor belts, the fixture is removed from the solar cells before they are switched from the first to the second conveyor belt. This prevents the solar cells from being damaged by the fixture due to lack of support when passing through the gap. After the solar cells are switched from the first to the second conveyor belt, the fixture is placed back onto the solar cells, ensuring that the solder ribbon is pressed and held along the solder ribbon laying path, ultimately ensuring that the solder ribbon is welded to the corresponding solar cell and preventing incomplete soldering.

[0029] In some embodiments, the tooling transfer mechanism includes a conveyor line, a first transport unit, a second transport unit, and a third transport unit, wherein: the conveyor line is disposed on the side of the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt and is opposite to the transport direction of the first conveyor belt; the first transport unit is disposed between the first conveyor belt and the conveyor line and close to the stringing station, after the stringing mechanism lays the battery cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station, the first transport unit is configured to pick up the tooling from the output end of the conveyor line and place the picked-up tooling onto the battery cells with welding ribbons laid at the stringing station; the second transport unit is disposed between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt and is configured to pick up the tooling from the battery cells before the battery cells with tooling are switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt, and to put the tooling back onto the battery cells after the battery cells with tooling removed are switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt; the third transport unit is disposed between the second conveyor belt and the conveyor line and is configured to remove the tooling from the welded battery cells on the second conveyor belt and transport it to the input end of the conveyor line.

[0030] By configuring the tooling transfer mechanism to include a conveyor line, a first transport section, a second transport section, and a third transport section, the tooling transfer mechanism achieves cyclical transport and reuse of the tooling, ensuring that the welding ribbon remains on the welding ribbon laying path before adhesive curing and welding. When the battery cell passes through the gap between the first and second conveyor belts, the tooling on it has already been removed by the second transport section, thus preventing the battery cell from being damaged by the tooling. Furthermore, since only one conveyor line is needed for the cyclical transport of the tooling, and the second transport section both picks up and returns the tooling, the structural complexity and equipment cost of the tooling transfer mechanism are reduced.

[0031] In some embodiments, the tooling includes a pin mounting plate and a plurality of pin rows mounted on the pin mounting plate, each pin row including a plurality of pins, wherein: each pin row is used to press a solder strip onto the battery cell; the pins are light-transmitting pins, and / or the pin mounting plate is a light-transmitting plate, and when the pin row presses the solder strip, UV-curable adhesive is located in the light-transmitting portion of the pins and / or the pin mounting plate.

[0032] By setting up the tooling, it is ensured that the tooling can press the solder ribbons onto the solar cells one by one, and that the UV light emitted by the UV lamp box can pass through the tooling to irradiate the UV curing adhesive on the surface of the solar cells. This allows the UV curing adhesive to cure and bond the solder ribbons on the surface of the solar cells to the surface of the solar cells.

[0033] In some embodiments, the tooling transfer mechanism includes a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, a fourth transport unit, a fifth transport unit, a sixth transport unit, and a seventh transport unit, wherein: the first conveyor line is disposed on the side of the first conveyor belt and opposite to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt; the fourth transport unit is disposed between the first conveyor belt and the first conveyor line and near the stringing station, after the stringing mechanism lays the battery cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station, the fourth transport unit is configured to pick up the first tooling from the output end of the first conveyor line and place the picked-up first tooling onto the battery cells with welding ribbons laid at the stringing station; the fifth transport unit is disposed between the first conveyor belt and the first conveyor line and near the output end of the first conveyor belt, and is configured to switch the battery cells with the first tooling placed from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt. Previously, the first tooling was removed from the battery cell and transported to the input end of the first conveyor line; the second conveyor line was located on the side of the second conveyor belt and opposite to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt; the sixth transport unit was located between the second conveyor belt and the second conveyor line and near the input end of the second conveyor belt. After the battery cell with the first tooling removed was switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt, the sixth transport unit was configured to pick up the second tooling from the output end of the second conveyor line and place the picked-up second tooling onto the battery cell located at the input end of the second conveyor belt; the seventh transport unit was located between the second conveyor belt and the second conveyor line and near the output end of the second conveyor belt, and was configured to remove the second tooling from the welded battery cell on the second conveyor belt and transport it to the input end of the second conveyor line.

[0034] The coordinated operation of the first conveyor line, the fourth transport section, and the fifth transport section enables the cyclical transport and reuse of the first tooling, ensuring that the solder ribbon is pressed and held on the solder ribbon laying path of the corresponding solar cell, and ultimately ensuring that the solder ribbon is bonded to the corresponding solar cell by UV-cured adhesive. Similarly, the coordinated operation of the second conveyor line, the sixth transport section, and the seventh transport section enables the cyclical transport and reuse of the second tooling, ensuring that the solder ribbon is pressed and held on the solder ribbon laying path of the corresponding solar cell, and ultimately ensuring that the solder ribbon is welded to the corresponding solar cell, preventing incomplete solder joints.

[0035] Furthermore, the first and second tooling operate independently on the first and second conveyor lines, respectively, without interfering with each other. Therefore, when the solar cells pass through the gap between the first and second conveyor belts, the first tooling has already been removed, preventing damage to the solar cells from the tooling. Moreover, the first and second tooling can employ different structures to meet the varying processing requirements of adhesive curing and welding operations, ultimately reducing tooling costs and extending tooling lifespan.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first tooling includes a first pressure pin mounting plate and a plurality of first pressure pin rows mounted on the first pressure pin mounting plate, each first pressure pin row including a plurality of first pressure pins, wherein: each first pressure pin row is used to press a solder strip onto the solar cell; the first pressure pin is a light-transmitting pressure pin, and / or, the first pressure pin mounting plate is a light-transmitting plate, and when the first pressure pin row presses the solder strip, UV-curable adhesive is located in the light-transmitting portion of the first pressure pin and / or the first pressure pin mounting plate; the second tooling includes a second pressure pin mounting plate and a plurality of second pressure pin rows mounted on the second pressure pin mounting plate, each second pressure pin row including a plurality of second pressure pins, wherein: each second pressure pin row is used to press a solder strip onto the solar cell.

[0037] By configuring the first tooling, ensuring that the solder ribbons are pressed onto the solar cells one by one, the UV light emitted from the UV lamp box can pass through the first tooling and irradiate the UV-curable adhesive on the upper surface of the solar cells. This ensures that the UV-curable adhesive, after curing, will bond the solder ribbons on the upper surface of the solar cells. By configuring the second tooling, ensuring that the solder ribbons are pressed onto the solar cells one by one, the second tooling only needs to press the solder ribbons. Since the second tooling only needs to press the solder ribbons, the second pressure pin and the second pressure pin mounting plate can both be made of ordinary opaque materials, thereby reducing tooling costs. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a top view of a battery cell stringing device according to one embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a side view of a battery cell stringing device according to one embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a top view of a battery cell stringing device according to another embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a side view of a battery cell stringing device according to another embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a top view of the tooling used in one embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the battery string structure;

[0044] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the battery cell structure;

[0045] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of a portion of region D.

[0046] Figures 1 to 8 Includes:

[0047] First conveyor belt 1;

[0048] Second conveyor belt 2;

[0049] First UV light box 3;

[0050] Second UV light box 4;

[0051] Welding mechanism 5;

[0052] First supporting base plate 6;

[0053] Second support base plate 7;

[0054] Tooling transfer mechanism 8:

[0055] Conveyor line 81, first transport section 82, second transport section 83, third transport section 84;

[0056] First conveyor line 85, second conveyor line 86, fourth transport section 87, fifth transport section 88, sixth transport section 89, seventh transport section 810;

[0057] 100 solar cells, 200 UV-curable adhesive, 300 welding ribbon, 400 tooling, 401 pressure pin mounting plate, 402 pressure pin array, 403 pressure pin, 500 first tooling, 600 second tooling. Detailed Implementation

[0058] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0059] This application provides a battery cell stringing device, such as... Figures 6 to 8 As shown, it is used to connect several battery cells 100 into a battery string by solder ribbon 300, wherein UV-curable adhesive 200 is applied at intervals on the surface of the battery cells 100 along the laying path of the solder ribbon 300.

[0060] Figures 1 to 2 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell stringing device according to one embodiment of the present application. Figures 3 to 4 A schematic diagram of a battery cell stringing device according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the battery cell stringing device in this embodiment includes a stringing mechanism (not shown in the figure), a first conveyor belt 1, a second conveyor belt 2, a UV lamp box, and a welding mechanism 5, wherein:

[0061] The second conveyor belt 2 is located after the first conveyor belt 1. The feed end of the second conveyor belt 2 is connected to the discharge end of the first conveyor belt 1. The first conveyor belt 1 is a light-transmitting conveyor belt.

[0062] The first conveyor belt 1 has a fabric stringing station A and an adhesive curing station B set sequentially along its conveying path.

[0063] The stringing mechanism is used to lay the battery cells and solder ribbons to the stringing station A according to a predetermined stringing rule to form a battery string to be cured and welded, wherein the solder ribbons are laid on the solder ribbon laying path.

[0064] The UV light box includes at least a first UV light box 3 set at the adhesive curing station B. The first UV light box 3 is located below the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 1 and is used to emit UV light to pass through the first conveyor belt 1 to cure the UV curing adhesive on the lower surface of the battery cell located at the adhesive curing station B, so that the solder ribbon located on the lower surface of the battery cell is bonded to the lower surface of the battery cell.

[0065] A welding station C is set on the conveying path of the second conveyor belt 2. A welding mechanism 5 is set on the welding station C. The welding mechanism 5 is used to heat the welding strip located at the welding station C to melt the solder on the welding strip, so that the welding strip is welded to the corresponding battery cell.

[0066] The battery cell stringing device provided in this application performs adhesive curing and welding operations on the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 3, respectively, without affecting each other. Only the first conveyor belt 1 needs to be light-transmitting to meet the adhesive curing requirements, while the second conveyor belt 2 can be of other types. Because the light-transmitting first conveyor belt 1 is far from the welding mechanism 5, it is protected from the high temperatures of the heating mechanism, thus extending its service life. The second conveyor belt 3 can be selected based on the actual welding temperature, further extending its service life and ultimately reducing the frequency of conveyor belt replacement and lowering costs.

[0067] Furthermore, in the cell stringing device provided in this application, after the solder ribbon is bonded to the cell with UV-cured adhesive, it is immediately welded to the cell by the welding mechanism 5, thus forming a metallized connection between the solder ribbon and the cell. Since an alloyed connection has been formed between the solder ribbon and the cell, the stringing quality inspection can be carried out at this time. Defective cell strings can be promptly reworked, which is convenient and cost-effective.

[0068] Since the first conveyor belt 1 needs to be transparent, it can optionally be made of a transparent material. The welding station C is located on the second conveyor belt 2, where the battery cells and welding strips are welded. Therefore, a conveyor belt with high heat resistance and low manufacturing cost can be used as the second conveyor belt 2, such as a Teflon conveyor belt.

[0069] Since the first UV lamp box 3 is located below the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 1, the battery cell stringing device of this application can be applied to the production of battery strings with solder strips laid only on the lower surface of the battery cells, such as the stringing process of back contact (IBC) battery strings.

[0070] For the stringing process of battery strings with solder ribbons laid on both the lower and upper surfaces of the battery cells, optionally, the UV light box also includes a second UV light box 4. The second UV light box 4 is located above the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 1. The second UV light box 4 is used to emit UV light to cure the UV curing adhesive on the upper surface of the battery cell located at the adhesive curing station B, so that the solder ribbons on the upper surface of the battery cell are bonded to the upper surface of the battery cell.

[0071] Under the conveying of the first conveyor belt 1, when the laid-up battery cells and welding ribbons pass through the adhesive curing station B, the first UV light box 3 and the second UV light box 4 simultaneously cure the UV curing adhesive on the lower and upper surfaces of the battery cells, thereby bonding the welding ribbons on the lower and upper surfaces of the battery cells to the lower and upper surfaces of the battery cells, respectively.

[0072] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, optionally, the battery cell stringing device in this embodiment of the application further includes a first support base plate 6 disposed below the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 1. The first support base plate 6 is used to support the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 1 and prevent the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 1 from sagging and collapsing.

[0073] Optionally, a first suction assembly is also provided on the first support base plate 6, and a first suction hole is provided on the first conveyor belt 1 along its length. The first suction assembly provides suction force to the first suction hole to adsorb the battery cells located on the first conveyor belt 1, preventing the battery cells on the first conveyor belt 1 from shifting during the conveying process. The first suction assembly may be, for example, an air extraction chamber provided in the first support base plate 6 and an air extraction device communicating with the air extraction chamber. The air extraction device extracts air from the first suction hole on the first conveyor belt 1 through the air extraction chamber, thereby causing the first suction hole to generate suction force.

[0074] To ensure that the UV light emitted from the first UV lamp box 3 can pass through the first support base plate 6 and the first conveyor belt 1 sequentially and then irradiate the lower surface of the battery cell located on the first conveyor belt 1, optionally, the part of the first support base plate 6 directly above the first UV lamp box 3 is light-transmitting. For example, the part of the first support base plate 6 directly above the first UV lamp box 3 is made of a transparent rigid material, or the part of the first support base plate 6 directly above the first UV lamp box 3 has several light-transmitting holes.

[0075] Similarly, optionally, the battery cell stringing device in this embodiment of the application further includes a second support base plate 7 disposed below the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt 2. The second support base plate 7 is used to support the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt 2 and prevent the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt 2 from sagging and collapsing.

[0076] Optionally, at least the portion of the second support base plate 7 located at welding station C is configured to heat the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt 2. The second support base plate 7, in conjunction with the welding mechanism 5, heats the battery cells and welding strips conveyed to welding station C, thereby accelerating the melting of the solder on the surface of the welding strips and welding them to the corresponding battery cells, thus improving welding efficiency.

[0077] Optionally, a second suction assembly is also provided on the second support base plate 7, and second suction holes are provided on the second conveyor belt 2 along its length. The second suction assembly provides suction force to the second suction holes to adsorb the battery cells located on the second conveyor belt 2, preventing the battery cells on the second conveyor belt 2 from shifting during the conveying process. The second suction assembly can be, for example, an air extraction chamber provided in the second support base plate 7 and an air extraction device communicating with the air extraction chamber. The air extraction device extracts air from the second suction holes on the second conveyor belt 2 through the air extraction chamber, thereby causing the second suction holes to generate suction force.

[0078] Optionally, the welding mechanism 5 is located above or below the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt 2, and various known heating mechanisms can be used, such as infrared light boxes, hot air components, electromagnetic heating components, laser heating components, etc.

[0079] By rapidly and efficiently heating the solder strip and the solder on it, the solder strip can be welded to the corresponding battery cell.

[0080] Optionally, the stringing mechanism includes a cell placement section and a ribbon placement section, wherein the cell placement section is used to place the cells in the stringing station according to a predetermined stringing rule, and the ribbon placement section is used to place the ribbon in the stringing station according to a predetermined stringing rule.

[0081] The cell placement section and the ribbon placement section work together to alternately place the cells and ribbons, thereby improving the stringing efficiency.

[0082] The cell placement section can employ various existing handling devices capable of placing cells onto the first conveyor belt 1. For example, the cell placement section includes a first moving mechanism and an adsorption component connected to the drive end of the first moving mechanism. The first moving mechanism is configured to drive the adsorption component to move horizontally and vertically, so that the adsorption component picks up cells from the cell conveyor line or the cell storage mechanism and places the cells onto the first conveyor belt 1.

[0083] The welding strip laying section can adopt various existing handling devices that can lay welding strips onto the first conveyor belt 1. For example, the welding strip laying section includes a second moving mechanism and a clamping assembly connected to the drive end of the second moving mechanism. The second moving mechanism is configured to drive the clamping assembly to move horizontally and vertically, so that the clamping assembly clamps several welding strips from the welding strip supply mechanism and pulls and lays the welding strips onto the first conveyor belt 1.

[0084] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, optionally, the battery cell stringing device in this embodiment further includes a tooling transfer mechanism 8. After the stringing mechanism lays the battery cells and welding ribbon at stringing station A, the tooling transfer mechanism 8 is configured to place the tooling onto the battery cell with welding ribbon at stringing station A to press the welding ribbon onto the battery cell below. The tooling transfer mechanism 8 is also configured to pick up the tooling from the battery cell before the battery cell with the tooling is switched from the first conveyor belt 1 to the second conveyor belt 2. The tooling transfer mechanism is also configured to put the tooling back onto the battery cell after the battery cell with the tooling removed is switched from the first conveyor belt 1 to the second conveyor belt 2. The tooling transfer mechanism 8 is also configured to remove the tooling from the battery cell after welding by the welding mechanism 5.

[0085] By placing the fixture onto the solar cell with solder ribbon laid at stringing station A, the solder ribbon is ensured to be pressed firmly and held along the solder ribbon laying path on the solar cell, ultimately ensuring that the solder ribbon is bonded to the solar cell by UV-cured adhesive along the solder ribbon laying path. Because there is a gap between the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2, removing the fixture from the solar cell before switching from the first conveyor belt 1 to the second conveyor belt 2 prevents the solar cell from being damaged by the fixture due to lack of support when passing through the gap. After the solar cell is switched from the first conveyor belt 1 to the second conveyor belt 2, placing the fixture back onto the solar cell ensures that the solder ribbon is pressed firmly and held along the solder ribbon laying path on the solar cell, ultimately ensuring that the solder ribbon is welded to the corresponding solar cell and preventing incomplete soldering.

[0086] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, optionally, the tooling transfer mechanism 8 includes a conveyor line 81, a first transport section 82, a second transport section 83, and a third transport section 84, wherein:

[0087] The conveyor line 81 is located on the side of the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2 and is opposite to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt 1.

[0088] The first transport unit 82 is located between the first conveyor belt 1 and the conveyor line 81 and close to the stringing station A. After the stringing mechanism lays the battery cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station A, the first transport unit 82 is configured to pick up the tooling 400 from the output end of the conveyor line 81 and place the picked-up tooling 400 onto the battery cells with welding ribbons laid at the stringing station A.

[0089] The second transport unit 83 is disposed between the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2. The second transport unit 83 is configured to pick up the tooling 400 from the battery cell before the battery cell on which the tooling 400 is placed is switched from the first conveyor belt 1 to the second conveyor belt 2, and to put the tooling 400 back onto the battery cell after the battery cell on which the tooling 400 has been removed is switched from the first conveyor belt 1 to the second conveyor belt 2.

[0090] The third transport unit 84 is disposed between the second conveyor belt 2 and the conveyor line 81. The third transport unit 84 is configured to remove the tooling 400 on the welded battery cell on the second conveyor belt 2 and transport it to the input end of the conveyor line 81. The conveyor line 81 then transports the tooling 400 back to the output end to realize the recycling of the tooling 400.

[0091] By configuring the tooling transfer mechanism 8 to include a conveyor line 81, a first transport section 82, a second transport section 83, and a third transport section 84, the tooling transfer mechanism 8 achieves cyclical transport and reuse of the tooling 400, ensuring that the solder strip is pressed and held on the solder strip laying path of the battery cell before UV adhesive curing and welding. Furthermore, when the battery cell passes through the gap between the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2, the tooling 400 on it has already been removed by the second transport section 83, thereby preventing the battery cell from being damaged by the tooling 400.

[0092] Since only one conveyor line 81 is needed to circulate the tooling 400, and the second handling unit 83 can both pick up and put back the tooling 400, the structural complexity and equipment cost of the tooling transfer mechanism 8 are reduced.

[0093] like Figure 5 As shown, optionally, the tooling 400 includes a pressure pin mounting plate 401 and a plurality of pressure pin rows 402 mounted on the pressure pin mounting plate 401. Each pressure pin row 402 includes a plurality of pressure pins 403, wherein each pressure pin row 402 is used to press a welding strip 300 onto the battery cell.

[0094] In order to ensure that the UV light emitted by the UV lamp box can pass through the tooling 400 and irradiate the UV curing adhesive on the battery cell located on the first conveyor belt 1, so as to ensure that the welding ribbon 300 located on the upper surface of the battery cell will be bonded to the upper surface of the battery cell after the UV curing adhesive is cured.

[0095] Optionally, the pressure needle 403 is a light-transmitting pressure needle. When the pressure needle 403 presses down on the solder ribbon, the UV-curable adhesive is located in the light-transmitting part of the pressure needle 403. In this way, UV light can pass through the light-transmitting part of the pressure needle 403 and irradiate the UV-curable adhesive. The light-transmitting part of the pressure needle 403 can be a light-transmitting hole that runs from top to bottom through the pressure needle 403, or the light-transmitting part of the pressure needle 403 can be made of a transparent rigid material.

[0096] Optionally, the pressure pin mounting plate 401 is a light-transmitting plate. When the pressure pin row 402 presses down on the solder ribbon, the UV-curing adhesive is located in the light-transmitting part of the pressure pin mounting plate 402. In this way, UV light can pass through the light-transmitting part of the pressure pin mounting plate 402 and irradiate the UV-curing adhesive. The light-transmitting part of the pressure pin mounting plate 401 can be a light-transmitting hole that runs through the pressure pin mounting plate 401, or the light-transmitting part of the pressure pin mounting plate 401 can be made of a transparent rigid material.

[0097] like Figures 3 to 4 As shown, optionally, the tooling transfer mechanism 8 includes a first conveyor line 85, a second conveyor line 86, a fourth transport section 87, a fifth transport section 88, a sixth transport section 89, and a seventh transport section 810, wherein:

[0098] The first conveyor line 85 is located on the side of the first conveyor belt 1 and is opposite to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt 1.

[0099] The fourth transport unit 87 is located between the first conveyor belt 1 and the first conveyor line 2 and close to the stringing station A. After the stringing mechanism lays the battery cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station A, the fourth transport unit 87 is configured to pick up the first tooling 500 from the output end of the first conveyor line 1 and place the picked-up first tooling 500 onto the battery cells with welding ribbons laid at the stringing station A.

[0100] A fifth transport unit 88 is disposed between the first conveyor belt 1 and the first conveyor line 85 and near the output end of the first conveyor belt 1. The fifth transport unit 88 is configured to remove the first tooling 500 from the battery cell and transport it to the input end of the first conveyor line 85 before the battery cell on which the first tooling 500 is placed is switched from the first conveyor belt 1 to the second conveyor belt 2. The first tooling 500 is then transported back to the output end by the first conveyor line 85 to achieve the recycling of the first tooling 500.

[0101] The second conveyor line 86 is located on the side of the second conveyor belt 2 and is opposite to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt 2.

[0102] The sixth transport unit 89 is located between the second conveyor belt 2 and the second conveyor line 86 and near the input end of the second conveyor belt 2. After the battery cell from which the first tooling 500 was removed is switched from the first conveyor belt 1 to the second conveyor belt 2, the sixth transport unit 89 is configured to pick up the second tooling 600 from the output end of the second conveyor line 86 and place the picked-up second tooling 600 onto the battery cell located at the input end of the second conveyor belt 2.

[0103] A seventh transport unit 810 is disposed between the second conveyor belt 2 and the second conveyor line 86 and near the output end of the second conveyor belt 2. The seventh transport unit 810 is configured to remove the second tooling 600 from the welded battery cell on the second conveyor belt 2 and transport it to the input end of the second conveyor line 86. The second tooling 600 is then transported back to the output end by the second conveyor line 86 to achieve the recycling of the second tooling 600.

[0104] Through the cooperation of the first conveyor line 85, the fourth transport section 87 and the fifth transport section 88, the first tooling 500 is cyclically transported and reused, ensuring that the welding strip is pressed and kept on the welding strip laying path of the corresponding battery cell, and finally ensuring that the welding strip is bonded to the corresponding battery cell by UV curing adhesive.

[0105] Through the cooperation of the second conveyor line 86, the sixth transport unit 89 and the seventh transport unit 810, the second tooling 600 is cyclically transported and reused, ensuring that the welding strip is pressed and kept on the welding strip laying path of the corresponding battery cell, and ultimately ensuring that the welding strip is welded to the corresponding battery cell.

[0106] Furthermore, the first tooling 500 and the second tooling 600 circulate independently on the first conveyor line 85 and the second conveyor line 86, respectively, without interfering with each other. Therefore, when the battery cell passes through the gap between the first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2, the first tooling 500 on it has already been removed, thus preventing the battery cell from being damaged by the tooling 400. Moreover, the first tooling 500 and the second tooling 600 can adopt different tooling structures according to different processing requirements of adhesive curing and welding operations, ultimately reducing tooling costs and extending tooling service life.

[0107] Optionally, the first tooling 500 adopts the same or similar structure as the tooling 400 in the previous embodiment, which includes a first pressure pin mounting plate and a plurality of first pressure pin rows mounted on the first pressure pin mounting plate. Each first pressure pin row includes a plurality of first pressure pins, wherein: each first pressure pin row is used to press a welding strip to the battery cell.

[0108] To ensure that the UV light emitted from the UV lamp box can pass through the first fixture 500 and irradiate the UV-curable adhesive on the battery cells located on the first conveyor belt 1, thereby ensuring that the UV-curable adhesive, after curing, will bond the solder ribbon on the upper surface of the battery cells, the first pressure pin can be configured as a light-transmitting pressure pin. When the first pressure pin presses down on the solder ribbon, the UV-curable adhesive is located in the light-transmitting part of the first pressure pin. In this way, UV light can pass through the first pressure pin and irradiate the UV-curable adhesive.

[0109] Alternatively, the first pressure pin mounting plate can be set as a light-transmitting plate. When the first pressure pin row presses down on the solder ribbon, the UV-curing adhesive is located in the light-transmitting part of the first pressure pin mounting plate. In this way, UV light can pass through the first pressure pin mounting plate and irradiate the UV-curing adhesive.

[0110] Since the second tooling 600 only needs to press the welding strip, it can be a tooling with a similar structure to the tooling 400 in the previous embodiment but without light transmission, thereby reducing tooling costs. Optionally, the second tooling 600 includes a second pressure pin mounting plate and a plurality of second pressure pin rows mounted on the second pressure pin mounting plate. Each second pressure pin row includes a plurality of second pressure pins, wherein each second pressure pin row is used to press a welding strip onto the battery cell.

[0111] Since the second tooling 600 only needs to press the welding strip, the second pressure pin and the second pressure pin mounting plate can be made of ordinary opaque materials to reduce tooling costs.

[0112] The foregoing has provided a sufficiently detailed and specific description of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that the descriptions in the embodiments are merely exemplary, and all changes made without departing from the true spirit and scope of this application should fall within the protection scope of this application. The scope of protection claimed in this application is defined by the claims, and not by the above descriptions in the embodiments.

Claims

1. A battery cell stringing device, characterized in that, This device is used to string several battery cells together into a battery string using welding ribbons. UV-curable adhesive is applied at intervals along the path laid on the welding ribbons on the surface of each battery cell. The battery cell stringing device includes a stringing mechanism, a first conveyor belt, a second conveyor belt, a UV lamp box, and a welding mechanism, wherein: The second conveyor belt is located after the first conveyor belt, and the feed end of the second conveyor belt is connected to the discharge end of the first conveyor belt. The first conveyor belt is a light-transmitting conveyor belt. The first conveyor belt has a fabric stringing station and an adhesive curing station set sequentially along its conveying path; The stringing mechanism is used to lay the battery cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station according to a predetermined stringing rule to form a battery string to be cured and welded, wherein the welding ribbons are laid on the welding ribbon laying path; The UV light box includes at least a first UV light box disposed at the adhesive curing station. The first UV light box is located below the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt and is used to emit UV light to pass through the first conveyor belt to cure the UV curing adhesive on the lower surface of the battery cell located at the adhesive curing station, so that the solder ribbon located on the lower surface of the battery cell is bonded to the lower surface of the battery cell. A welding station is provided on the conveying path of the second conveyor belt, and a welding mechanism is provided at the welding station. The welding mechanism is used to heat the welding strip located at the welding station to melt the solder on the welding strip, so that the welding strip is welded to the corresponding battery cell.

2. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The UV light box also includes a second UV light box, which is located above the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt and is used to emit UV light to cure the UV-curable adhesive on the upper surface of the battery cell located at the adhesive curing station, so that the solder ribbon located on the upper surface of the battery cell is bonded to the upper surface of the battery cell.

3. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second conveyor belt is a Teflon conveyor belt.

4. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell stringing device also includes a first support base plate disposed below the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt, the first support base plate being used to support the conveying surface of the first conveyor belt; The first support base plate is also provided with a first suction component, and the first conveyor belt is provided with a first suction hole along its length direction. The first suction component provides suction force to the first suction hole to adsorb the battery cell located on the first conveyor belt.

5. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first supporting base plate is positioned above the first UV lamp box, and the portion of the first supporting base plate directly above the first UV lamp box is light-transmitting.

6. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The welding mechanism includes any one of the following: an infrared light box, a hot air assembly, an electromagnetic heating assembly, or a laser heating assembly, which is disposed above or below the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt.

7. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell stringing device further includes a second support base plate disposed below the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt. The second support base plate is used to support the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt, and at least the portion of the second support base plate located at the welding station is configured to heat the conveying surface of the second conveyor belt. The second support base plate is also provided with a second suction assembly, and the second conveyor belt is provided with a second suction hole along its length direction. The second suction assembly provides suction force to the second suction hole to adsorb the battery cell located on the second conveyor belt.

8. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The stringing mechanism includes a cell placement section and a ribbon placement section. The cell placement section is used to place the cells in the stringing station according to a predetermined stringing rule, and the ribbon placement section is used to place the ribbon in the stringing station according to a predetermined stringing rule.

9. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell stringing device also includes a tooling transfer mechanism; After the stringing mechanism lays the battery cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station, the tooling transfer mechanism is configured to place the tooling on the battery cells with welding ribbons laid on them at the stringing station, so as to press the welding ribbons onto the battery cells below. The tooling transfer mechanism is also configured to pick up the tooling from the battery cell before the battery cell with the tooling is switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt; The tooling transfer mechanism is also configured to return the tooling to the battery cell after the battery cell whose tooling has been removed has been switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt; The tooling transfer mechanism is also configured to remove tooling from the battery cells that have been welded by the welding mechanism.

10. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The tooling transfer mechanism includes a conveyor line, a first handling section, a second handling section, and a third handling section, wherein: The conveyor line is disposed on the side of the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt and is opposite to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt; The first transport unit is located between the first conveyor belt and the conveyor line and close to the stringing station. After the stringing mechanism lays the battery cells and welding ribbons at the stringing station, the first transport unit is configured to pick up the tooling from the output end of the conveyor line and place the picked-up tooling on the battery cells with welding ribbons laid at the stringing station. The second conveying unit is disposed between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt, and is configured to pick up the tooling from the battery cell before the battery cell with the tooling is switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt, and to put the tooling back onto the battery cell after the battery cell with the tooling removed is switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt. The third transport unit is disposed between the second conveyor belt and the conveyor line, and is configured to remove the tooling from the welded battery cells on the second conveyor belt and transport them to the input end of the conveyor line.

11. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The tooling includes a pressure pin mounting plate and a plurality of pressure pin rows mounted on the pressure pin mounting plate, each pressure pin row including a plurality of pressure pins, wherein: Each of the aforementioned pin rows is used to press a solder strip onto the battery cell; The pressure needle is a light-transmitting pressure needle, and / or the pressure needle mounting plate is a light-transmitting plate. When the pressure needle row presses down on the welding strip, the UV-curing adhesive is located in the light-transmitting part of the pressure needle and / or the pressure needle mounting plate.

12. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The tooling transfer mechanism includes a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, a fourth handling section, a fifth handling section, a sixth handling section, and a seventh handling section, wherein: The first conveyor line is disposed on the side of the first conveyor belt and is opposite to the conveying direction of the first conveyor belt; The fourth transport unit is located between the first conveyor belt and the first conveyor line and close to the stringing station. After the stringing mechanism lays the battery cells and welding ribbons to the stringing station, the fourth transport unit is configured to pick up the first tooling from the output end of the first conveyor line and place the picked-up first tooling on the battery cells with welding ribbons laid at the stringing station. The fifth transport unit is located between the first conveyor belt and the first conveyor line and near the output end of the first conveyor belt. It is configured to remove the first tooling from the battery cell and transport it to the input end of the first conveyor line before the battery cell with the first tooling is switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt. The second conveyor line is disposed on the side of the second conveyor belt and is opposite to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt; The sixth transport unit is located between the second conveyor belt and the second conveyor line and near the input end of the second conveyor belt. After the battery cell with the first tooling removed is switched from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt, the sixth transport unit is configured to pick up the second tooling from the output end of the second conveyor line and place the picked-up second tooling on the battery cell located at the input end of the second conveyor belt. The seventh transport unit is located between the second conveyor belt and the second transport line and near the output end of the second conveyor belt. It is configured to remove the second tooling from the welded battery cell on the second conveyor belt and transport it to the input end of the second transport line.

13. The battery cell stringing device as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The first tooling includes a first pressure pin mounting plate and a plurality of first pressure pin rows mounted on the first pressure pin mounting plate. Each first pressure pin row includes a plurality of first pressure pins, wherein: each first pressure pin row is used to press a welding strip onto the battery cell; the first pressure pin is a light-transmitting pressure pin, and / or the first pressure pin mounting plate is a light-transmitting plate; when the first pressure pin row presses the welding strip, UV-curable adhesive is located in the light-transmitting part of the first pressure pin and / or the first pressure pin mounting plate; The second tooling includes a second pressure pin mounting plate and a plurality of second pressure pin rows mounted on the second pressure pin mounting plate. Each second pressure pin row includes a plurality of second pressure pins, wherein each second pressure pin row is used to press a welding strip onto the battery cell.

Images