Flattening device and battery manufacturing equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kneading device and battery manufacturing equipment, the kneading device comprises a kneading assembly (100), the kneading assembly (100) comprises a kneading piece (110) and a vibration driver (120), and the vibration driver (120) is used for driving the kneading piece (110) to vibrate in a preset direction, so that the kneading piece (110) extrudes a to-be-kneaded part of a workpiece in the preset direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, specifically to a kneading device and battery manufacturing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the manufacturing process of many workpieces includes a flattening step, which involves flattening one or more parts of the workpiece. Taking a battery cell as an example, during the manufacturing process of a battery cell, a flattening device is needed to flatten the tabs of the battery cell to facilitate subsequent welding. However, during the flattening process, the flattening device can easily damage the tabs, leading to a decrease in the yield rate of the battery cell. Utility Model Content

[0003] One of the objectives of this application is to provide a kneading device and a battery manufacturing equipment, which aims to solve the technical problem in the related art that the kneading device is prone to damaging the workpiece, resulting in a decrease in the yield of the workpiece.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this application is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, a kneading device is provided, including a kneading assembly. The kneading assembly includes a kneading member and a vibration driver. The vibration driver is used to drive the kneading member to vibrate in a preset direction so that the kneading member squeezes the part of the workpiece to be kneaded in the preset direction.

[0006] The beneficial effects of the kneading device provided in this application embodiment are as follows: The kneading device provided in this application embodiment drives the kneading component to vibrate in a preset direction through a vibration driver, so that the kneading component squeezes the part of the workpiece to be kneaded in the preset direction. In other words, the direction of the squeezing force applied by the kneading component to the part of the workpiece to be kneaded is consistent with the vibration direction of the kneading component. Thus, during the kneading operation of the workpiece, the kneading component will only apply squeezing force to the part of the workpiece to be kneaded in the preset direction, and will not apply shear force to the part of the workpiece to be kneaded, which effectively reduces the risk of the kneading component tearing the part of the workpiece to be kneaded, thereby effectively improving the yield of the workpiece.

[0007] In one embodiment, the kneading assembly further includes an intermittent driver, and the kneading component includes a kneading unit. The intermittent driver is used to drive the kneading unit to move intermittently so that the kneading unit squeezes each part of the workpiece to be kneaded in sequence.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the various parts of the workpiece to be flattened can be effectively squeezed in stages. Compared with the method of squeezing the entire part of the workpiece to be flattened, the flattening unit requires less squeezing force to flatten the part of the workpiece to be flattened. Thus, under the same vibration force output by the vibration driver, the step-by-step squeezing method can better compact the part of the workpiece to be flattened, thereby effectively improving the flattening effect.

[0009] In one embodiment, the kneading unit moves intermittently along a circumference centered on the output shaft of the intermittent driver. The projection of the kneading unit along a preset direction has a first side and a second side that form an angle with each other, and the first side and the second side extend radially along the circumference, respectively.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the kneading device can be applied to the ring-shaped parts of the workpiece to be kneaded, and it is easier to set the driving step angle of the intermittent driver to ensure that the kneading part can effectively complete the kneading operation of the entire part of the workpiece after rotating once.

[0011] In one embodiment, there are multiple kneading units, which are distributed at intervals along the driving direction of the intermittent driver.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, while improving the kneading effect, the number of times the kneading component squeezes the part of the workpiece to be kneaded can be reduced, thereby effectively improving the working efficiency of the kneading device.

[0013] In one embodiment, the angle of the circumferential angle formed by two adjacent flattening units is an integer multiple of the angle between the first side and the second side.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the driving step angle of the intermittent driver can be set to be equal to the angle between the first side and the second side, so that the kneading unit only rotates the angle between the first side and the second side each time, so as to ensure that the kneading part can effectively complete the kneading operation of the entire part to be kneaded of the workpiece after rotating one revolution.

[0015] In one embodiment, the vibration frequency of the vibration driver is 10Hz-1000Hz.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the vibration frequency of the vibration driver can be prevented from being too high, which would cause debris to be generated during the flattening operation of the part of the workpiece to be flattened. This effectively reduces the amount of debris residue inside the workpiece, thereby further improving the yield of the workpiece.

[0017] In one embodiment, there are two flattening components: one is a first flattening component, and the other is a second flattening component. The first flattening component has a first flattening plane, which is recessed. The second flattening component has a second flattening plane, which is planar and perpendicular to a preset direction. The second flattening component can press the flattened part of the workpiece after the first flattening component presses it.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the workpiece to be flattened can be first pressed by the first flattening plane of the first flattening component, so that the workpiece to be flattened can gradually move closer together along the concave direction of the first flattening plane. Then, the workpiece to be flattened can be pressed by the second flattening plane of the second flattening component to compact the workpiece to be flattened. In this way, the situation of the workpiece to be flattened turning outward during the flattening operation is effectively improved, thereby further improving the flattening effect.

[0019] In one embodiment, the kneading device further includes a feeding mechanism and a fixing component, wherein the fixing component is used to fix the workpiece, and the feeding mechanism is used to drive the kneading component and the fixing component to move toward each other in a preset direction.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, under the driving action of the feeding mechanism, the kneading component and the fixing component gradually approach each other, so that the extrusion force of the kneading component on the part of the workpiece to be kneaded gradually increases, thereby making the part of the workpiece to be kneaded gradually compacted, effectively improving the kneading effect.

[0021] In one embodiment, the kneading device further includes a base, and the kneading component and / or fixing component are mounted on the base and can move along a preset direction.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, the integrity of the kneading device is effectively maintained, so as to facilitate the handling of the kneading device.

[0023] In one embodiment, a slide rail is provided on the base, and the smoothing component and / or fixing component are slidably mounted on the slide rail.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the movement trajectory of the kneading component and / or the fixing component is effectively limited, and the relative position of the kneading component and the fixing component is improved during the movement, thereby effectively improving the working stability of the kneading device.

[0025] In one embodiment, the flattening component is provided with a limiting cavity, which is used to accommodate the flattened portion of the workpiece to limit the position of the flattened portion of the workpiece.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, the problem of the workpiece turning outward during the flattening process is effectively improved, thereby further enhancing the flattening effect.

[0027] Secondly, a battery manufacturing apparatus is provided, including the kneading device of any of the above embodiments.

[0028] The beneficial effect of the battery manufacturing equipment provided in this application embodiment is that, due to the adoption of the kneading device of any of the above embodiments, the battery manufacturing equipment provided in this application embodiment effectively improves the yield of batteries. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or exemplary technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a single battery cell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the kneading device provided in this application embodiment in its use state;

[0032] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the vibration actuator in the kneading device shown;

[0033] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the vibration actuator along line AA.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a kneading component provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 The diagram shows the main structural view of the flattened component.

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a kneading component provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The diagram shows the main structural view of the flattened component.

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a kneading component provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first kneading component provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second kneading component provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 12 yes Figure 2 The diagram shows the feeding mechanism and fixing components of the kneading device in use.

[0042] The following are the labeling elements in the figure:

[0043] 100. Kneading assembly; 110. Kneading piece; 111. Kneading unit; 1111. First side; 1112. Second side; 112. Connecting part; 113. Kneading body; 114. Outer frame; 115. Limiting cavity; 110a. First kneading piece; 116a. First kneading plane; 110b. Second kneading piece; 116b. Second kneading plane; 120. Vibration actuator; 121. Cylinder; 1211. Air chamber; 12111. Chamber; 1212. Telescopic hole; 122. Piston; 123. Telescopic rod; 130. Intermittent actuator;

[0044] 200, Fixing component; 210, First clamping component; 220, Second clamping component;

[0045] 300. Feed mechanism; 310. Drive motor; 320. Transmission belt; 330. Drive pulley; 340. Driven pulley;

[0046] 400. Base; 410. Slide rail;

[0047] 500. Battery cell; 510. Housing; 520. End cap; 530. Electrode assembly; 531. Tab. Detailed Implementation

[0048] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0049] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly or indirectly attached to that other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to that other component. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc., indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are for ease of description only, not to 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. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features. "A plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0050] A battery cell is the smallest energy storage unit that includes components such as a casing, electrode assembly, and current collector. During the manufacturing process of a battery cell, a flattening device is usually used to flatten the tabs of the electrode assembly in order to facilitate subsequent welding of the tabs.

[0051] The inventors of this application have noted that traditional flattening devices employ two main flattening methods: one method involves driving a flattening component to reciprocate along a direction parallel to the end face of the electrode assembly. When the flattening component and the electrode assembly's tabs approach each other to a point of mutual compression, the electrode assembly's tabs are gradually flattened under the sliding friction of the flattening component, thus achieving the flattening operation of the electrode assembly's tabs; the other method involves driving a flattening component to rotate, with the rotation axis of the flattening component set perpendicular to the end face of the electrode assembly. When the flattening component and the electrode assembly's tabs approach each other to a point of mutual compression, the electrode assembly's tabs are gradually flattened under the rotational friction of the flattening component, thus achieving the flattening operation of the flattening component on the electrode assembly's tabs. However, both of these flattening methods suffer from the problem of shearing forces generated by the flattening component during its movement, acting on the electrode assembly's tabs. These shearing forces are parallel to the end face of the electrode assembly, easily causing tearing of the electrode assembly's tabs, thereby reducing the yield rate of the electrode assembly.

[0052] To improve the yield rate of workpieces, the inventors, after in-depth research, designed a flattening device. This device positions the flattening component and the battery cell's tabs relative to each other along a preset direction. A vibration driver drives the flattening component to vibrate along this preset direction, causing it to compress the battery cell's tabs. In other words, the distribution direction of the flattening component and the workpiece is consistent with the vibration direction of the flattening component. Thus, during the flattening operation, the flattening component only applies compressive force to the battery cell's tabs along the preset direction, without applying shear force. This effectively reduces the risk of tearing the battery cell's tabs caused by the flattening component, thereby significantly improving the workpiece yield rate.

[0053] The first aspect of this application provides a flattening device that can be used in battery manufacturing equipment to flatten the tabs of battery cells. Of course, this flattening device can also be applied to manufacturing equipment for other workpieces; for example, it can be applied to pipe manufacturing equipment to flatten the end faces of pipes; or, for instance, it can be applied to metal can manufacturing equipment to flatten the end faces of metal cans. No specific limitations are placed on the application scenarios of the flattening device here.

[0054] The following description uses the example of applying the flattening device provided in the embodiments of this application to a battery manufacturing equipment to flatten the tabs of a battery cell, and is illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Please see Figure 1 The battery cell 500 is the smallest energy storage unit, including components such as the casing 510, end cap 520, electrode assembly 530, and current collector. The battery cell 500 can be a cylindrical battery cell, a prismatic battery cell, or a prismatic battery cell.

[0056] The housing 510 is a component used to provide an internal environment for the battery cell 500, wherein the internal environment can accommodate the electrode assembly 530, the current collector, the electrolyte, and other components. The housing 510 can be a separate component, and an opening can be provided on the housing 510 through which the electrode assembly 530, the current collector, and other components are assembled into the internal environment. Optionally, the housing 510 can be made of various materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc., without specific limitations.

[0057] End cap 520 refers to a component that covers the opening of housing 510 to isolate the internal environment of battery cell 500 from the external environment. The shape of end cap 520 can be adapted to the shape of housing 510 to fit the housing 510. Optionally, the material of end cap 520 includes various materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0058] Electrode assembly 530 is the component in battery cell 500 where electrochemical reactions occur. Electrode assembly 530 is mainly manufactured using a winding or laminating process, consisting of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The separator serves to insulate and separate the positive and negative electrodes. The portions of the positive and negative electrodes containing active material constitute the main body of electrode assembly 530, while the portions without active material constitute tabs 531. The tabs 531 of the positive and negative electrodes can be located together at one end of the main body of electrode assembly 530 or separately at both ends. During the charging and discharging process of battery cell 500, the positive and negative active materials react with the electrolyte, and the tabs 531 connect to the current collector, allowing the current from electrode assembly 530 to be drawn out through the current collector.

[0059] The current collector is the conductive connection medium between the housing 510 and the electrode assembly 530. The current collector serves to draw the current from the electrode assembly 530 back to the housing 510, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the housing 510 and the electrode assembly 530. Optionally, the current collector can be made of various materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, steel, or aluminum alloy.

[0060] Specifically, the current collector can be connected to the tab 531 of the electrode assembly 530 by welding to achieve electrical connection between the current collector and the electrode assembly 530. Before welding the current collector and the tab 531 of the electrode assembly 530, a flattening device is needed to flatten the tab 531 of the electrode assembly 530 to make the end face of the electrode assembly 530 flat, thereby ensuring the welding effect between the current collector and the tab 531 of the electrode assembly 530, and also preventing high-temperature solder from entering the interior of the electrode assembly 530 and damaging the electrode assembly 530.

[0061] Please see Figure 2 The above-mentioned kneading device includes a kneading assembly 100, which includes a kneading member 110 and a vibration driver 120. The vibration driver 120 is used to drive the kneading member 110 to vibrate in the preset direction so that the kneading member 110 squeezes the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 in the preset direction.

[0062] The vibration actuator 120 is a mechanism that provides vibration power to the kneading member 110. In this embodiment, the vibration actuator 120 is a pneumatic piston vibrator; for details, please refer to [the relevant documentation]. Figure 3 and Figure 4The vibration actuator 120 includes a cylinder 121, a piston 122, and a telescopic rod 123. The cylinder 121 contains an air chamber 1211 and a telescopic hole 1212. The piston 122 is disposed within the air chamber 1211 and divides the air chamber 1211 into two chambers 12111. The telescopic rod 123 is slidably disposed within the telescopic hole 1212. One end of the telescopic rod 123 is connected to the piston 122, and the other end is connected to the kneading member 110. During operation, high-pressure gas can be alternately input into the two chambers 12111 to drive the piston 122 to reciprocate along the preset direction within the air chamber 1211. Under the driving action of the piston 122, the telescopic rod 123 extends and retracts along the preset direction within the telescopic hole 1212, thereby driving the kneading member 110 to vibrate along the preset direction.

[0063] Of course, in other embodiments, other types of vibration actuators 120 can also be used. For example, the vibration actuator 120 may include a power module and a transmission module. The power module transmits the vibration power to the kneading member 110 through the transmission module, so that the kneading member 110 vibrates in the aforementioned preset direction. The power module can be, but is not limited to, a motor, an electric pneumatic cylinder, an electric hydraulic cylinder, etc., and is not specifically limited here. The transmission module can be, but is not limited to, a cam push rod mechanism, a crank-slider mechanism, a connecting rod mechanism, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0064] The flattening component 110 is a part used to compress the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500. Optionally, the flattening component 110 can be made of a rigid material, which can be, but is not limited to, copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc., and is not specifically limited here. In order to buffer the impact force of the flattening component 110 on the battery cell 500, a buffer part can be provided on the side of the flattening component 110 near the battery cell 500. The buffer part is made of a flexible material, which can be, but is not limited to, rubber, silicone, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0065] The preset direction can be any direction, for example Figure 2 The X direction is shown. The flattening member 110 and the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 are arranged opposite each other along the aforementioned preset direction. This means that the flattening member 110 and the battery cell 500 are distributed along the aforementioned preset direction, and the flattening member 110 and the end face of the battery cell 500 (i.e., the part of the battery cell 500 used to lead out the tab 531) are arranged opposite each other. The flattening member 110 can be directly opposite the end face of the battery cell 500, that is, the vibration axis of the flattening member 110 coincides with the central axis of the battery cell 500. Of course, considering the existence of assembly tolerance issues, the vibration axis of the flattening member 110 and the central axis of the battery cell 500 can also deviate slightly.

[0066] The flattening device provided in this application embodiment drives the flattening member 110 to vibrate in the preset direction by the vibration driver 120, so that the flattening member 110 squeezes the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 in the preset direction. In other words, the squeezing force applied by the flattening member 110 to the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is consistent with the vibration direction of the flattening member 110. Thus, during the flattening operation of the battery cell 500, the flattening member 110 only applies squeezing force to the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 in the preset direction, and does not apply shearing force to the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, effectively reducing the risk of tearing the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 by the flattening member 110, thereby effectively improving the yield of the battery cell 500.

[0067] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 2 The kneading assembly 100 also includes an intermittent driver 130, and the kneading component 110 includes a kneading unit 111. The intermittent driver 130 is used to drive the kneading unit 111 to move intermittently so that the kneading unit 111 squeezes each part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 in sequence.

[0068] Intermittent actuator 130 refers to the mechanism used to provide power for the intermittent movement of the kneading unit 111. Intermittent actuator 130 can be, but is not limited to, a stepper motor, ratchet drive mechanism, Geneva wheel drive mechanism, etc., and is not specifically limited here. Specifically, the intermittent actuator 130, vibration actuator 120, and kneading unit 110 can be connected sequentially, or the vibration actuator 120, intermittent actuator 130, and kneading unit 110 can be connected sequentially.

[0069] The flattening unit 111 is a component used to squeeze any part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. In other words, when the flattening unit 111 is in a certain position, it can only squeeze a part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. If it is necessary to squeeze another part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, the flattening unit 111 needs to be moved to the next position until the entire tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is flattened by the flattening unit 111.

[0070] The kneading component 110 may also include a connecting part 112, on which the kneading unit 111 is connected. The connecting part 112 is connected to the power output end of the vibration driver 120 or the power output end of the intermittent driver 130.

[0071] Intermittent motion refers to the intermittent actuator 130 alternating between operating and paused states according to a preset pattern, so that the kneading unit 111 moves and pauses periodically. For example, the intermittent actuator 130 pauses for 5 seconds, then operates for 0.5 seconds, and then pauses again for 5 seconds, and so on in a cycle. Intermittent motion can be rotational or linear motion, depending on the structure of the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500. For example, when the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500 have a ring-shaped structure (such as the full tab structure of a cylindrical battery cell), then the intermittent motion is rotational motion, that is, the kneading unit 111 rotates around a rotation axis perpendicular to the end face of the battery cell 500; or, when the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500 have a linear structure (such as the tab structure of a square battery cell), then the intermittent motion is linear motion, that is, the kneading unit 111 moves in a direction parallel to the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500.

[0072] In order to avoid the shearing force acting on the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 due to the friction between the flattening unit 111 and the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 under the driving action of the intermittent driver 130, the operating parameters of the vibration driver 120 and the intermittent driver 130 can be set so that the vibration driver 120 and the intermittent driver 130 can work together. For example, when the intermittent drive 130 is in a paused state, the vibration drive 120 drives the flattening unit 111 to vibrate in the preset direction, so that the flattening unit 111 squeezes a part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. When the intermittent drive 130 is in an operating state, the power output end of the vibration drive 120 is in a retracted state, so that the flattening unit 111 disengages from the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. When the intermittent drive 130 drives the flattening unit 111 to move to a preset position, the intermittent drive 130 enters a paused state again. Then the vibration drive 120 continues to drive the flattening unit 111 to vibrate in the preset direction, so that the flattening unit 111 squeezes another part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. This cycle continues until the entire tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is flattened by the flattening unit 110.

[0073] By adopting the above technical solution, the various parts of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 can be effectively squeezed step by step. Compared with the method of squeezing the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 as a whole, the squeezing force required by the kneading unit 111 to knead the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is smaller. Thus, under the same vibration force output by the vibration driver 120, the step-by-step squeezing method can better compact the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, thereby effectively improving the kneading effect.

[0074] Please refer to some embodiments of this application as well. Figures 5 to 8The kneading unit 111 moves intermittently along a circumference centered on the output shaft of the intermittent driver 130. The projection of the kneading unit 111 along the preset direction has a first side 1111 and a second side 1112 that form an angle with each other. The first side 1111 and the second side 1112 extend radially along the circumference, respectively.

[0075] In other words, intermittent motion is a rotational motion with the output axis of the intermittent driver 130 as the axis of rotation.

[0076] The angle α formed by the first side 1111 and the second side 1112 can be determined according to actual needs. For example, the angle α formed by the first side 1111 and the second side 1112 can be 30°, 45°, 60°, etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0077] By adopting the above technical solution, the flattening device can be applied to the tabs 531 with annular structure (such as the full tabs of a cylindrical battery cell), and it is easier to set the driving step angle of the intermittent driver 130 to ensure that the flattening member 110 can effectively complete the flattening operation of the entire tab 531 of the battery cell 500 after rotating one revolution.

[0078] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 5 The kneading component 110 includes a plurality of kneading units 111, which are spaced apart along the driving direction of the intermittent driver 130.

[0079] It should be noted that the number of kneading units 111 can be determined according to actual application needs. For example, the number of kneading units 111 can be three, four, six, etc., and no specific limit is made here.

[0080] By adopting the above technical solution, while improving the kneading effect, the number of times the kneading component 110 squeezes the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 can be reduced, thereby effectively improving the working efficiency of the kneading device.

[0081] Of course, please refer to other embodiments as well. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The number of kneading units 111 can also be one.

[0082] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 6When there are multiple kneading units 111, the multiple kneading units 111 are distributed at intervals around the output shaft of the intermittent driver 130. The angle β of the circumferential angle corresponding to the interval arc between two adjacent kneading units 111 is an integer multiple of the angle α formed by the first side 1111 and the second side 1112. In this way, the driving step angle of the intermittent driver 130 can be set to be equal to the angle α formed by the first side 1111 and the second side 1112. During each time the intermittent driver 130 drives the kneading unit 111 to rotate, the starting position and the ending position of the kneading unit 111 are adjacent to each other. In other words, the two parts of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 that are squeezed by the kneading unit 111 are continuous.

[0083] For ease of understanding, we define any kneading unit 111 as the reference unit, the kneading unit 111 located on one side of the reference unit along the driving direction of the intermittent driver 130 as the front unit, and the kneading unit 111 located on the other side of the reference unit along the driving direction of the intermittent driver 130 as the rear unit. For example, the angle α between the first side 1111 and the second side 1112 is 45°, and the angle β corresponding to the circumferential angle of the interval arc between two adjacent kneading units 111 is twice the angle α between the first side 1111 and the second side 1112, that is, the angle β corresponding to the circumferential angle of the interval arc between two adjacent kneading units 111 is also 45°, that is, the number of kneading units 111 is 4, and the driving step angle of the intermittent driver 130 is 45°. When the intermittent driver 130 drives the kneading unit 111... When rotating 0, the reference unit rotates 45° from the starting position and moves to the original interval position between the reference unit and the front unit. Similarly, the front unit rotates 45° from the starting position and moves to the original interval position between the front unit and the next flattening unit 111. The rear unit rotates 45° from the starting position and moves to the original interval position between the rear unit and the reference unit. In this way, the intermittent driver 130 only needs to drive the flattening member 110 to rotate once to complete the flattening operation of the entire tab 531 of the battery cell 500.

[0084] By adopting the above technical solution, the driving step angle of the intermittent driver 130 can be set to be equal to the angle between the first side 1111 and the second side 1112, so that the kneading unit 111 only rotates the angle between the first side 1111 and the second side 1112 each time, so as to ensure that the kneading member 110 can effectively complete the kneading operation of the entire tab 531 of the battery cell 500 after rotating one revolution.

[0085] In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 8When there is only one flattening unit 111, the driving step angle of the intermittent driver 130 can be set to be equal to the angle α formed by the first side 1111 and the second side 1112. In this way, during each rotation of the flattening unit 111 driven by the intermittent driver 130, the starting position and the ending position of the flattening unit 111 are close to each other. In other words, the two parts of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 that are squeezed by the flattening unit 111 are continuous. After the intermittent driver 130 drives the flattening unit 111 to rotate one revolution or slightly more than one revolution, the entire tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is flattened by the flattening unit 111. For example, the angle α formed by the first side 1111 and the second side 1112 is 45°, and the driving step angle of the intermittent driver 130 is also 45°. That is, the intermittent driver 130 drives the flattening unit 111 to rotate by an angle of 45° each time. After the intermittent driver 130 drives the flattening unit 111 to rotate 8 times, the flattening unit 111 rotates exactly one revolution. After the above process, the entire tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is flattened by the flattening unit 111.

[0086] In some embodiments of this application, the vibration frequency of the vibration driver 120 is 10 Hz to 1000 Hz.

[0087] The vibration frequency of the vibration driver 120 refers to the number of vibration cycles that the vibration driver 120 drives the kneading piece 110 to vibrate within a unit of time. The vibration frequency of the vibration driver 120 can be determined according to actual needs. For example, the vibration frequency of the vibration driver 120 can be 10Hz, 500Hz, 1000Hz, etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0088] By adopting the above technical solution, the vibration frequency of the vibration driver 120 can be prevented from being too high, which would cause debris to be generated during the flattening operation of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. This effectively reduces the amount of debris residue inside the battery cell 500, thereby further improving the yield of the battery cell 500.

[0089] Please refer to some embodiments of this application as well. Figure 10 and Figure 11 There are two flattening parts 110. One flattening part 110 is the first flattening part 110a, and the other flattening part 110 is the second flattening part 110b. The first flattening part 110a has a first flattening plane 116a, which is recessed. The second flattening part 110b has a second flattening plane 116b, which is flat and perpendicular to the aforementioned preset direction. The second flattening part 110b can press the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 after the first flattening part 110a presses it.

[0090] The first kneading surface 116a is the part of the first kneading flat member 110a that is used to contact the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 to apply pressure to the tab 531. The first kneading surface 116a is recessed in the direction away from the battery cell 500, which means that the first kneading surface 116a is a concave surface. The first kneading surface 116a can be a concave inclined surface or a concave arc surface.

[0091] Similarly, the second kneading plane 116b is the part of the second kneading flattener 110b used to contact the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 to apply pressure to the tab 531. The second kneading plane 116b being perpendicular to the aforementioned preset direction means that the second kneading plane 116b is a plane and parallel to the end face of the battery cell 500.

[0092] When the kneading device does not include the intermittent driver 130, the first kneading component 110a and the second kneading component 110b can be detached and connected to the power output terminal of the vibration driver 120 respectively. When the kneading device also includes the intermittent driver 130, the first kneading component 110a and the second kneading component 110b can be detached and connected to the power output terminal of the vibration driver 120 respectively, or they can be detached and connected to the power output terminal of the intermittent driver 130 respectively, so as to replace the first kneading component 110a and the second kneading component 110b. It can be understood that the above-mentioned detachment and connection methods can be, but are not limited to, fastening connection, snap-fit ​​connection, plug-in connection, etc., and are not specifically limited here.

[0093] When flattening the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, the first flattening member 110a can be used to squeeze the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 so that the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 can gradually move closer together along the concave direction of the first flattening plane 116a of the first flattening member 110a. Then, the second flattening member 110b can be used to squeeze the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 to compact the tab 531 of the battery cell 500.

[0094] By adopting the above technical solution, the situation where the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500 turn outward during the flattening operation of the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500 is effectively improved, thereby further improving the flattening effect.

[0095] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 2 The kneading device also includes a feeding mechanism 300 and a fixing component 200. The fixing component 200 is used to fix the battery cell 500, and the feeding mechanism 300 is used to drive the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 to move towards each other in the aforementioned preset direction.

[0096] The feeding mechanism 300 is used to drive the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 to move towards each other along the aforementioned preset direction. In this embodiment, the feeding mechanism 300 is a transmission belt drive mechanism; specifically, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 12 The feeding mechanism 300 includes a drive motor 310, a transmission belt 320, a drive pulley 330, and a driven pulley 340. The transmission belt 320 is wound between the drive pulley 330 and the driven pulley 340, and extends in a preset direction. The drive pulley 330 is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 310. The kneading assembly 100 or the fixing assembly 200 is connected to the transmission belt 320. When the drive motor 310 drives the drive pulley 330 to rotate, the transmission belt 320 rotates synchronously with the drive pulley 330, thereby driving the kneading assembly 100 or the fixing assembly 200 to move in the preset direction, so that the kneading assembly 100 and the fixing assembly 200 move closer to each other.

[0097] Of course, in other embodiments, the feed mechanism 300 may also be a ball screw drive mechanism, a gear and rack drive mechanism, etc., and no specific limitation is made here.

[0098] The fixing component 200 is a mechanism for fixing the battery cell 500. In this embodiment, please refer to... Figure 12 The fixing component 200 includes a first clamping member 210 and a second clamping member 220, wherein the first clamping member 210 and the second clamping member 220 cooperate to clamp the battery cell 500.

[0099] Of course, in other embodiments, other types of fixing components 200 may be used, such as mechanical grippers, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0100] By adopting the above technical solution, under the driving action of the feeding mechanism 300, the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 gradually approach each other, so that the squeezing force of the kneading component 110 on the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 gradually increases, thereby making the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 gradually compacted, effectively improving the kneading effect.

[0101] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 2 The kneading device also includes a base 400, and the kneading component 100 and / or fixing component 200 are mounted on the base 400 and can move along the aforementioned preset direction.

[0102] The base 400 refers to a component that provides installation space for the kneading assembly 100, the feeding mechanism 300, the fixing assembly 200, and other components of the kneading device. The base 400 can be a one-piece molded structural component, which can be plate-shaped, column-shaped, etc., without specific limitations. Of course, in other embodiments, the base 400 can also be an assembly formed by multiple components. The base 400 is made of a rigid material, including but not limited to aluminum, copper, iron, steel, plastic, etc., without specific limitations.

[0103] By adopting the above technical solution, the integrity of the kneading device is effectively maintained, so as to facilitate the handling of the kneading device.

[0104] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 2 The base 400 is provided with a slide rail 410, and the kneading component 100 and / or fixing component 200 are slidably mounted on the slide rail 410.

[0105] Understandably, the slide rail 410 extends along the aforementioned preset direction.

[0106] In some embodiments, the kneading component 100 is fixedly mounted on the base 400, the fixing component 200 is slidably mounted on the slide rail 410, and the fixing component 200 is connected to the power output end of the feeding mechanism 300 so that the feeding mechanism 300 drives the fixing component 200 to move in the direction of the kneading component 100.

[0107] In other embodiments, the fixing component 200 is fixedly mounted on the base 400, the kneading component 100 is slidably mounted on the slide rail 410, and the kneading component 100 is connected to the power output end of the feeding mechanism 300 so that the feeding mechanism 300 drives the kneading component 100 to move toward the fixing component 200.

[0108] In some other embodiments, the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 are slidably mounted on the slide rail 410, and both the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 are connected to the power output end of the feeding mechanism 300. The feeding mechanism 300 simultaneously drives the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 to move towards each other in a preset direction so that the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 move closer to each other.

[0109] By adopting the above technical solution, the movement trajectory of the kneading component 100 and / or the fixing component 200 is effectively limited, and the relative position of the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 is improved during the movement, thereby effectively improving the working stability of the kneading device.

[0110] In some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 9The flattening component 110 is provided with a limiting cavity 115, which is used to accommodate the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 to limit the position of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500.

[0111] The limiting cavity 115 is a part of the flattening member 110 used to limit the position of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. The inner circumferential contour of the limiting cavity 115 can be determined according to the shape of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. For example, if the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is in the form of a ring, then the inner circumferential contour of the limiting cavity 115 is in the form of a ring.

[0112] In some embodiments, the flattening component 110 is a separate component; specifically, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 9 The flattening component 110 includes a flattening body 113 and an outer frame 114. The flattening body 113 refers to the component including the flattening unit 111 and the connecting portion 112. The flattening body 113 is recessed within the outer frame 114, meaning that the distance between the flattening body 113 and the battery cell 500 along the preset direction is greater than the distance between the outer frame 114 and the battery cell 500 along the preset direction, thereby forming the limiting cavity 115.

[0113] In other embodiments, the flattening component 110 is an integral component, and the aforementioned limiting cavity 115 can be formed by die casting or casting.

[0114] When the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 enters the limiting cavity 115, the tab 531 is roughly in contact with the cavity wall of the limiting cavity 115, thereby limiting the position of the tab 531.

[0115] By adopting the above technical solution, the situation where the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500 turn outward during the flattening operation of the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500 is effectively improved, thereby further improving the flattening effect.

[0116] Secondly, a kneading method for the aforementioned kneading device is provided, wherein the kneading method includes the following steps:

[0117] The tab 531 of the battery cell 500 and the flattening member 110 of the flattening assembly 100 are arranged opposite each other along the aforementioned preset direction;

[0118] The vibration driver 120 of the kneading assembly 100 drives the kneading piece 110 to vibrate in the preset direction, so that the kneading piece 110 squeezes the tab 531 of the battery cell 500.

[0119] The flattening method provided in this application embodiment arranges the flattening member 110 and the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 opposite each other in the aforementioned preset direction, and uses a vibration driver 120 to drive the flattening member 110 to vibrate in the aforementioned preset direction, so that the flattening member 110 squeezes the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. In other words, the direction of the squeezing force applied by the flattening member 110 to the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is consistent with the vibration direction of the flattening member 110. Thus, during the entire flattening operation, the flattening member 110 only applies squeezing force to the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 in the preset direction, and does not apply shearing force to the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, effectively reducing the risk of the flattening member 110 tearing the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, thereby effectively improving the yield of the battery cell 500.

[0120] In some embodiments of this application, the kneading assembly 100 further includes an intermittent driver 130;

[0121] In the step where the vibration driver 120 drives the kneading member 110 to vibrate in a preset direction so that the kneading member 110 squeezes the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500

[0122] After the flattening member 110 squeezes a portion of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, the intermittent driver 130 drives the flattening member 110 to move to the next portion of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500.

[0123] The intermittent drive 130 stops operating, and the flattening piece 110 squeezes the next part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500.

[0124] By adopting the above technical solution, the various parts of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 can be effectively extruded step by step. Compared with the method of extruding the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 as a whole, the extrusion force required by the flattening member 110 to flatten the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is smaller. Thus, under the same vibration force output by the vibration driver 120, the step extrusion method can better compact the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, thereby effectively improving the flattening effect.

[0125] In this embodiment, when the intermittent driver 130 is in a paused state, the vibration driver 120 drives the flattening member 110 to vibrate along the preset direction, so that the flattening member 110 squeezes a part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. When the intermittent driver 130 is in an operating state, the power output end of the vibration driver 120 is in a retracted state, so that the flattening member 110 disengages from the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. When the intermittent driver 130 drives the flattening member 110 to move to a preset position, the intermittent driver 130 enters a paused state again. Then the vibration driver 120 continues to drive the flattening member 110 to vibrate along the preset direction, so that the flattening member 110 squeezes another part of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. This cycle continues until the entire tab 531 of the battery cell 500 is flattened by the flattening member 110.

[0126] In some embodiments of this application, the kneading assembly 100 includes two kneading members 110, one kneading member 110 is a first kneading member 110a, and the other kneading member 110 is a second kneading member 110b. The first kneading member 110a has a first kneading plane 116a, which is recessed. The second kneading member 110b has a second kneading plane 116b, which is planar and perpendicular to the aforementioned preset direction.

[0127] In the step where the vibration driver 120 drives the kneading member 110 to vibrate in a preset direction so that the kneading member 110 squeezes the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500

[0128] First, the first flattening surface 116a of the first flattening member 110a is used to squeeze the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, and then the second flattening surface 116b of the second flattening member 110b is used to squeeze the tab 531 of the battery cell 500.

[0129] By adopting the above technical solution, the first kneading plane 116a of the first kneading member 110a can first squeeze the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, so that the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 can gradually move closer together along the concave direction of the first kneading plane 116a. Then, the second kneading plane 116b of the second kneading member 110b can squeeze the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 to compact the tab 531 of the battery cell 500. In this way, the situation of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 turning outward during the kneading operation of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 can be effectively improved, thereby further improving the kneading effect.

[0130] In some embodiments of this application, the kneading device further includes a feeding mechanism 300 and a fixing component 200;

[0131] The battery cell 500 is fixed to the fixing component 200;

[0132] In the step where the vibration driver 120 drives the kneading member 110 to vibrate in a preset direction so that the kneading member 110 squeezes the tabs 531 of the battery cell 500

[0133] The feeding mechanism 300 drives the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 to move toward each other in the aforementioned preset direction.

[0134] By adopting the above technical solution, under the driving action of the feeding mechanism 300, the kneading component 100 and the fixing component 200 gradually approach each other, so that the squeezing force of the kneading component 110 on the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 gradually increases, thereby making the tab 531 of the battery cell 500 gradually compacted, effectively improving the kneading effect.

[0135] Thirdly, a battery manufacturing apparatus is provided, including the kneading device of any of the above embodiments.

[0136] The battery manufacturing equipment provided in this application effectively improves the battery yield by employing the flattening device of any of the above embodiments.

[0137] In some embodiments of this application, the battery manufacturing equipment may further include a conveying device and a welding device. The conveying device is used to convey the battery cell 500. The flattening device and the welding device are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the conveying device. After the flattening device completes the flattening operation of the tab 531 of the battery cell 500, the battery cell 500 can be conveyed to the welding device through the conveying device for welding the tab 531.

[0138] The above are merely optional embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A kneading and smoothing device, wherein, The kneading device includes a kneading assembly, which includes a kneading component and a vibration driver. The vibration driver is used to drive the kneading component to vibrate in a preset direction so that the kneading component squeezes the part of the workpiece to be kneaded in the preset direction. The kneading component and the workpiece are arranged opposite to each other in the preset direction.

2. The kneading and leveling device according to claim 1, wherein, The kneading assembly further includes an intermittent driver, and the kneading component includes a kneading unit. The intermittent driver is used to drive the kneading unit to move intermittently, so that the kneading unit squeezes each part of the workpiece to be kneaded in sequence.

3. The kneading and leveling device according to claim 2, wherein, The kneading unit moves intermittently along a circumference centered on the output shaft of the intermittent driver. The projection of the kneading unit along the preset direction has a first side and a second side that form an angle with each other. The first side and the second side extend radially along the circumference, respectively.

4. The kneading and leveling device according to claim 3, wherein, The number of the kneading units is multiple, and the multiple kneading units are distributed at intervals along the driving direction of the intermittent driver.

5. The kneading and leveling device according to claim 4, wherein, The angle between two adjacent flattening units is an integer multiple of the angle between the first side and the second side.

6. The kneading and smoothing device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The vibration frequency of the vibration driver is 10Hz-1000Hz.

7. The kneading and smoothing device according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, The number of the flattening components is two, one of which is a first flattening component and the other is a second flattening component. The first flattening component has a first flattening plane, which is recessed. The second flattening component has a second flattening plane, which is planar and perpendicular to the preset direction. The second flattening component can press the flattened part of the workpiece after the first flattening component presses it.

8. The kneading and smoothing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The kneading device further includes a feeding mechanism and a fixing component. The fixing component is used to fix the workpiece, and the feeding mechanism is used to drive the kneading component and the fixing component to move towards each other along the preset direction.

9. The kneading and leveling device according to claim 8, wherein, The kneading device further includes a base, and the kneading component and / or the fixing component are mounted on the base and can move along the preset direction.

10. The kneading device according to claim 9, wherein, The base is provided with a slide rail, and the kneading component and / or the fixing component are slidably mounted on the slide rail.

11. The kneading and smoothing apparatus according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The flattening component is provided with a limiting cavity, which is used to accommodate the flattened part of the workpiece to limit the position of the flattened part of the workpiece.

12. A battery manufacturing apparatus, wherein, The battery manufacturing equipment includes a kneading device as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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