Battery cell rounding device and battery cell winding equipment

Abstract

The utility model is suitable for the technical field of battery cell manufacturing equipment, and discloses a battery cell rounding device and battery cell winding equipment. The battery cell rounding device comprises a clamping jaw assembly and a clamping jaw driving mechanism, the clamping jaw assembly comprises at least three clamping jaws, and the clamping jaw driving mechanism is used for driving at least one clamping jaw to move, so that all the clamping jaws define a circumferentially closed containing cavity. One side, facing the accommodating cavity, of each clamping jaw is an arc-shaped surface, the section of the accommodating cavity is circular, and the accommodating cavity is used for accommodating a battery cell. According to the battery cell rounding device disclosed by the utility model, the battery cell can be rounded from at least three different directions, so that one-step forming is realized, the rounding effect on the battery cell is improved, and the rounding efficiency is accelerated.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery cell manufacturing equipment, and particularly relates to a battery cell rounding device and a battery cell winding device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the existing battery cell winding process, the cylindrical battery cell external dimension is one of the important parameters, and the clamping plate type rounding (i.e. rounding is completed by using two clamping jaws in cooperation with a detection mechanism) needs a long time and low efficiency, and the roundness is inconsistent and cannot be formed at one time. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application provides a battery cell rounding device and a battery cell winding device, and aims to solve the technical problems of long operation time, low efficiency and poor roundness in the existing battery cell processing process.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present application, a battery cell rounding device is provided in an embodiment, comprising a clamping jaw assembly and a clamping jaw driving mechanism, the clamping jaw assembly comprising at least three clamping jaws, and the clamping jaw driving mechanism being used to drive at least one of the clamping jaws to move, so that each of the clamping jaws forms a circumferentially closed accommodating cavity.

[0005] Each side of the clamping jaw facing the accommodating cavity is an arc surface, the cross section of the accommodating cavity is circular, and the accommodating cavity is used to accommodate the battery cell.

[0006] In an embodiment, the clamping jaw comprises at least two adjacent driving clamping jaws, the clamping jaw driving mechanism is connected to the driving clamping jaws, and the clamping jaw driving mechanism is used to drive the driving clamping jaws to move, and the sum of the central angles corresponding to the arc surfaces in each of the driving clamping jaws is greater than or equal to 180°.

[0007] In an embodiment, the clamping jaw comprises two adjacent driving clamping jaws.

[0008] The clamping jaw driving mechanism comprises a first clamping jaw driving assembly, and the first clamping jaw driving assembly is used to drive the two driving clamping jaws to move towards each other or move away from each other at the same time.

[0009] In an embodiment, the first clamping jaw driving assembly comprises a motor and a bidirectional screw rod, and the bidirectional screw rod is drivingly connected to the output end of the motor.

[0010] One end of the bidirectional screw rod is drivingly connected to one of the two driving clamping jaws, the other end of the bidirectional screw rod is drivingly connected to the other of the two driving clamping jaws, and the motor drives the bidirectional screw rod to move in opposite directions, so as to drive the two driving clamping jaws to move towards each other or move away from each other at the same time.

[0011] In one embodiment, the gripper includes two adjacent active grippers;

[0012] The gripper drive mechanism includes a second gripper drive component and a third gripper drive component. The second gripper drive component is used to drive one of the two active grippers to move, and the third gripper drive component is used to drive the other of the two active grippers to move.

[0013] In one embodiment, the gripper further includes at least one fixed gripper, with at least a portion of the active gripper located below the fixed gripper; the cell rounding device further includes a lifting mechanism located below the gripper assembly, at least for transporting the cell to the receiving cavity; and / or,

[0014] The gripper includes two adjacent active grippers, which are symmetrically arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0015] In one embodiment, the dimension of each of the grippers along the axial direction of the receiving cavity is greater than or equal to the dimension of the cell along its axial direction.

[0016] In one embodiment, the cell rounding device further includes a guide component for guiding the gripper when the gripper driving mechanism drives the gripper to move.

[0017] According to a second aspect of this application, one embodiment provides a battery cell winding apparatus, including the battery cell rounding device described in the first aspect.

[0018] In one embodiment, the battery cell winding equipment further includes a conveyor belt for transporting battery cells;

[0019] The battery cell winding equipment includes a plurality of battery cell rounding devices, which are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the conveyor belt.

[0020] According to the battery cell rounding apparatus and battery cell winding equipment of the above embodiments, by setting at least three grippers to form a receiving cavity, when rounding the battery cell located in the receiving cavity, each gripper rounds the battery cell from one direction, so that all the grippers as a whole can round the battery cell from at least three different directions, achieving one-time forming, improving the rounding effect of the battery cell, and eliminating the need for a detection mechanism to complete the rounding, thus speeding up the rounding efficiency. In addition, by setting at least three grippers to form a circumferentially closed receiving cavity, at least part of the battery cell can be prevented from entering the gap between two adjacent grippers, further improving the rounding effect of the battery cell. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the battery cell rounding device provided in this embodiment of the present invention when the battery cell is supported on the lifting mechanism;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the battery cell rounding device provided in this embodiment of the present invention when the battery cell is housed in the receiving cavity;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the battery cell rounding device provided in this embodiment of the present invention, excluding the lifting mechanism, from one perspective.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a front view of the battery cell rounding device provided in this embodiment of the invention, excluding the lifting mechanism;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a left view of the battery cell rounding device provided in this embodiment of the invention after removing the lifting mechanism, and the battery cell.

[0027] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0028] 100. Cell rounding device; 10. Gripper drive mechanism; 11. First gripper drive assembly; 111. Motor; 112. Bidirectional lead screw; 20. Gripper assembly; 21. Active gripper; 22. Fixed gripper; 30. Receiving cavity; 40. Lifting mechanism; 41. Supporting component; 50. Fixing plate; 51. First side; 52. Second side; 60. Transmission assembly; 70. Guide assembly; 71. Guide rail; 72. Slider; 200. Cell.

[0029] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0031] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in this utility model embodiment are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0032] It should also be noted that when a component is described as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component present. When a component is described as "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component present.

[0033] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this utility model is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0034] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the battery cell rounding device 100 provided in this embodiment of the present invention includes a gripper driving mechanism 10 and a gripper assembly 20. The gripper assembly 20 includes at least three grippers. The gripper driving mechanism 10 drives at least one gripper to move, so that the grippers surround and form a circumferentially closed receiving cavity 30. The side of each gripper facing the receiving cavity 30 is an arc-shaped surface, and the cross-section of the receiving cavity 30 is circular. The receiving cavity 30 is used to accommodate the battery cell 200. The grippers are used to round the battery cell 200 within the receiving cavity 30.

[0035] In use, the gripper drive mechanism 10 drives at least one gripper away from the other grippers to form an opening on the side of the receiving cavity 30, through which the battery cell 200 can enter the receiving cavity 30. Then, the gripper drive mechanism 10 drives the gripper that has moved away back to its original position and surrounds the receiving cavity 30 with the other grippers, so that the battery cell 200 is clamped in the receiving cavity 30 by the gripper assembly 20. At this time, each gripper rounds the battery cell 200 in the receiving cavity 30.

[0036] By employing the above technical solution, and by setting at least three grippers to form a receiving cavity 30, when rounding the battery cell 200 located within the receiving cavity 30, each gripper rounds the battery cell 200 from one direction. Thus, all the grippers can round the battery cell 200 from at least three different directions, achieving one-time forming and improving the rounding effect of the battery cell 200. Furthermore, rounding is not achieved using a detection mechanism, thus accelerating the rounding efficiency. In addition, by setting at least three grippers to form a circumferentially closed receiving cavity 30, at least some of the battery cell 200 can be prevented from entering the gap between adjacent grippers, further improving the rounding effect of the battery cell 200.

[0037] In one embodiment, the dimension L1 of each gripper along the axial direction of the receiving cavity 30 is greater than or equal to the dimension L2 of the battery cell 200 along its axial direction. That is, the length of the receiving cavity 30 is greater than or equal to the length of the battery cell 200. In this way, the battery cell 200 can be completely housed within the receiving cavity 30, thereby enabling the entire battery cell 200 to be rounded when the grippers round it, improving the rounding efficiency and rounding effect of the battery cell 200.

[0038] In one embodiment, the gripper includes at least two adjacent active grippers 21, and a gripper driving mechanism 10 is connected to the active grippers 21, which drives the active grippers 21 to move. That is, the active grippers 21 can move under the drive of the gripper driving mechanism 10 to open or close the opening on the side of the receiving cavity 30. Arranging the active grippers 21 adjacently facilitates the formation of continuous openings, which helps the battery cell 200 enter and exit the receiving cavity 30. In this embodiment, the gripper includes two adjacent active grippers 21. It is understood that in other embodiments, the gripper may include one active gripper 21, or three or more adjacent active grippers 21.

[0039] In one embodiment, the sum of the central angles corresponding to the arcuate surfaces of each active gripper 21 is greater than or equal to 180°. This ensures that the opening formed on the side of the receiving cavity 30 is large enough, allowing the battery cell 200 to easily enter and exit the receiving cavity 30. Preferably, the sum of the central angles corresponding to the arcuate surfaces of each active gripper 21 is greater than or equal to 200° and less than or equal to 300°. More preferably, the sum of the central angles corresponding to the arcuate surfaces of each active gripper 21 is 240°.

[0040] In this embodiment, the cell rounding device 100 includes three grippers, each gripper having a central angle of 120° corresponding to its arc surface. The grippers include two adjacent active grippers 21 and one fixed gripper 22, and the sum of the central angles corresponding to the arc surfaces of the two active grippers 21 is 240°.

[0041] In one embodiment, the gripper includes two adjacent active grippers 21, and the gripper driving mechanism 10 includes a first gripper driving component 11, which is used to drive the two active grippers 21 to move towards each other or away from each other at the same time.

[0042] In specific applications, when the first gripper drive assembly 11 drives the two active grippers 21 to move in opposite directions, the opening on the side of the receiving cavity 30 opens, allowing the battery cell 200 to enter the receiving cavity 30 or to move the battery cell 200 out of the receiving cavity 30. When the first gripper drive assembly 11 drives the two active grippers 21 to move towards each other, the opening on the side of the receiving cavity 30 closes, and all the grippers enclose to form a circumferentially closed receiving cavity 30. This can occur after the battery cell 200 has entered the receiving cavity 30, at which point the first gripper drive assembly 11 drives the two active grippers 21 to move towards each other.

[0043] By setting the first gripper drive assembly 11 to drive the two active grippers 21 to move simultaneously towards each other or simultaneously away from each other, the operation of one gripper drive assembly can realize the opening or closing of the side opening of the receiving cavity 30, and can keep the movement of the two active grippers 21 consistent. Compared with the technical solution of setting two drive assemblies, on the one hand, it can reduce the number of parts, which is conducive to the miniaturization design of the cell rounding device 100, and on the other hand, it can reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0044] It is understood that in other embodiments, the gripper drive mechanism 10 may also include a second gripper drive assembly (not shown) and a third gripper drive assembly (not shown), wherein the second gripper drive assembly is used to drive one of the two active grippers to move, and the third gripper drive assembly is used to drive the other of the two active grippers to move.

[0045] Please see Figure 3 The first gripper drive assembly 11 includes a motor 111 and a bidirectional lead screw 112, which is driven to the output end of the motor 111. One end of the bidirectional lead screw 112 is driven to one of the two active grippers 21, and the other end of the bidirectional lead screw 112 is driven to the other of the two active grippers 21. The motor 111 drives the bidirectional lead screw 112 to move in opposite directions, so as to drive the two active grippers 21 to move towards each other or away from each other at the same time.

[0046] The bidirectional lead screw 112 is configured to connect the motor 111 and the two active grippers 21, enabling the motor 111 to drive the two active grippers 21 to move simultaneously towards each other or simultaneously away from each other. By configuring the motor 111 to drive the movement of the two active grippers 21, the motor 111 can precisely control the stroke of the two active grippers 21, thereby improving the rounding effect of the grippers on the battery cell 200. It is understood that in other embodiments, the first gripper drive assembly 11 may also include a cylinder or a linear motor, etc.

[0047] In one embodiment, the gripper further includes at least one fixed gripper 22, with at least a portion of the active gripper 21 located below the fixed gripper 22. The cell rounding device 100 also includes a lifting mechanism 40 located below the gripper assembly 20, at least for transporting the cell 200 to the receiving cavity 30. Here, "below" and "above" refer to the vertical position of the cell rounding device 100 when it is placed on a horizontal plane and in operation.

[0048] At least a portion of the active gripper 21 is positioned below the fixed gripper 22. When the gripper drive mechanism 10 drives the active gripper 21 to move, the opening on the side of the receiving cavity 30 opens, and this opening is located on the lower side of the receiving cavity 30. The lifting mechanism 40 is positioned below the gripper assembly 20. Therefore, the opening on the side of the receiving cavity 30 faces the lifting mechanism 40, facilitating the lifting mechanism 40 to transport the battery cell 200 into the receiving cavity 30.

[0049] In specific applications, the lifting mechanism 40 can drive the battery cell 200 to move up and down in the vertical direction. When the opening on the side of the accommodating cavity 30 is opened, the lifting mechanism 40 can drive the battery cell 200 to move upward, and the battery cell 200 can enter the accommodating cavity 30 through the opening; or, when the opening on the side of the accommodating cavity 30 is opened, the lifting mechanism 40 receives the battery cell 200 at the opening (the battery cell 200 automatically falls into the lifting mechanism 40 under the action of gravity), and drives the battery cell 200 to move downward, so that the battery cell 200 is away from the accommodating cavity 30.

[0050] In one embodiment, two adjacent active grippers 21 are arranged symmetrically in the horizontal direction. Specifically, when the cell rounding device 100 is placed on a horizontal plane and is in operation, the two adjacent active grippers 21 are arranged symmetrically in the horizontal direction.

[0051] In specific applications, the cell rounding device 100 further includes a fixing plate 50, which includes a first side 51 and a second side 52 arranged opposite to each other. A motor 111 is located on the first side 51 of the fixing plate 50, and a bidirectional lead screw 112 is located on the second side 52 of the fixing plate 50 and extends horizontally. The grippers include two adjacent active grippers 21 and a fixed gripper 22. The fixed gripper 22 is fixedly connected to the lower part of the fixing plate 50 and extends from the first side 51 to the second side 52 of the fixing plate 50. Both active grippers 21 are located below the fixed gripper 22 and are symmetrically arranged horizontally. The cell rounding device 100 also includes two transmission components 60, which are respectively connected to the two ends of the bidirectional lead screw 112 and are correspondingly connected to the two active grippers 21. By arranging the two adjacent active grippers 21 horizontally, in the same direction as the extension of the bidirectional lead screw 112, it is beneficial for the bidirectional lead screw 112 to drive the two adjacent active grippers 21 to move.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The cell rounding device 100 also includes a guide assembly 70, which guides the grippers when the gripper drive mechanism 10 drives the grippers to move. In this embodiment, the guide assembly 70 includes a guide rail 71 and two sliders 72. The guide rail 71 is connected to the second side 52 of the fixed plate 50 and is arranged side by side with the bidirectional lead screw 112. The two sliders 72 are slidably connected to the guide rail 71. Two transmission assemblies 60 are fixedly connected to the two sliders 72 one-to-one. When the bidirectional lead screw 112 drives the two transmission assemblies 60 and the two active grippers 21 to move in opposite directions, one transmission assembly 60 can drive one slider 72 to slide along the guide rail 71, thereby guiding the movement of the active grippers 21 through the guide rail 71 and the sliders 72.

[0053] The steps for conveying the battery cell 200 into the receiving cavity 30 using the battery cell rounding device 100 provided in this embodiment are as follows:

[0054] Step 100: Control the motor to drive the bidirectional lead screw to move, so as to drive the two active grippers to move in opposite directions and open the opening on the side of the accommodating cavity;

[0055] Step 200: Control the lifting mechanism to move the battery cell upward so that the battery cell enters the receiving cavity through the opening;

[0056] Step 300: Control the motor to drive the bidirectional lead screw to move, so as to drive the two active grippers to move in opposite directions, close the opening on the side of the receiving cavity, and place the battery cell in the receiving cavity.

[0057] Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention also provides a battery cell winding device, including the aforementioned battery cell rounding device 100. Using the aforementioned battery cell rounding device 100 improves the rounding effect and efficiency of the battery cells 200.

[0058] In one embodiment, the battery cell winding equipment further includes a conveyor belt (not shown) for transporting the battery cells 200. The battery cell winding equipment includes multiple battery cell rounding devices 100, which are spaced apart along the extension direction of the conveyor belt. In specific applications, the conveyor belt can simultaneously transport multiple battery cells 200. By arranging the multiple battery cell rounding devices 100 spaced apart along the extension direction of the conveyor belt, multiple battery cells 200 can be rounded simultaneously, thus accelerating the battery cell processing efficiency of the battery cell winding equipment.

[0059] In one embodiment, the gripper assembly 20 is located above the conveyor belt, and the lifting mechanism 40 is located below the conveyor belt. The lifting mechanism 40 includes a supporting component 41, which can move up and down. In specific applications, the supporting component 41 can lift the battery cell 200 located on the conveyor belt from below, driving the battery cell 200 upward to the receiving cavity 30 formed by the gripper; the supporting component 41 can also receive the battery cell 200 that has detached from the receiving cavity 30, driving the battery cell 200 downward and placing the battery cell 200 on the conveyor belt.

[0060] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present utility model using the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A battery cell rounding device, characterized in that, The device includes a gripper assembly and a gripper driving mechanism. The gripper assembly includes at least three grippers, and the gripper driving mechanism is used to drive at least one of the grippers to move so that the grippers surround and form a circumferentially closed receiving cavity. Each of the grippers has an arc-shaped surface facing the receiving cavity, and the receiving cavity has a circular cross-section. The receiving cavity is used to accommodate the battery cell.

2. The cell rounding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gripper includes at least two adjacent active grippers. The gripper driving mechanism is connected to the active grippers and is used to drive the active grippers to move. The sum of the central angles corresponding to the arc surfaces of each active gripper is greater than or equal to 180°.

3. The cell rounding device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The gripper includes two adjacent active grippers; The gripper drive mechanism includes a first gripper drive component, which is used to drive the two active grippers to move towards each other or away from each other simultaneously.

4. The cell rounding device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first gripper drive assembly includes a motor and a bidirectional lead screw, wherein the bidirectional lead screw is driven to the output end of the motor; One end of the bidirectional lead screw is driven to one of the two active grippers, and the other end of the bidirectional lead screw is driven to the other of the two active grippers. The motor drives the bidirectional lead screw to move in opposite directions, so as to drive the two active grippers to move towards each other or away from each other at the same time.

5. The cell rounding device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The gripper includes two adjacent active grippers; The gripper drive mechanism includes a second gripper drive component and a third gripper drive component. The second gripper drive component is used to drive one of the two active grippers to move, and the third gripper drive component is used to drive the other of the two active grippers to move.

6. The cell rounding device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The gripper further includes at least one fixed gripper, with at least a portion of the active gripper located below the fixed gripper. The cell rounding device further includes a lifting mechanism located below the gripper assembly, at least for transporting the cell to the receiving cavity; and / or, The gripper includes two adjacent active grippers, which are symmetrically arranged in the horizontal direction.

7. The cell rounding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The dimension of each of the jaws along the axial direction of the receiving cavity is greater than or equal to the dimension of the cell along its axial direction.

8. The cell rounding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The cell rounding device also includes a guide assembly, which guides the gripper when the gripper drive mechanism drives the gripper to move.

9. A battery cell winding device, characterized in that, Includes the cell rounding device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The cell winding equipment as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The battery cell winding equipment also includes a conveyor belt for transporting battery cells. The battery cell winding equipment includes a plurality of battery cell rounding devices, which are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the conveyor belt.

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