Battery cell cleaning device and battery cell production equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a battery cell cleaning device and battery cell production equipment, and relates to the technical field of battery cell production equipment. The battery cell cleaning device comprises a machine base, a cleaning mechanism and a protection mechanism. The sweeping mechanism comprises a first driving piece arranged on the machine base and a cleaning brush driven by the first driving piece. And the cleaning brush can movably brush and sweep the outer surfaces of the battery cell monomers. The protection mechanism comprises a protection part; and the protection part can cover the liquid injection hole of the battery cell monomer. According to the technical scheme provided by the invention, the problem of defective products caused by welding slag remaining on the outer surfaces of the battery cell monomers can be improved or solved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery cell production, in particular to a battery cell cleaning device and a battery cell production equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] The production process of a battery cell usually includes many welding procedures. For example, after a bare battery cell is loaded into a shell, it will undergo a cover welding procedure. Due to unreasonable welding parameter settings and other factors, a large amount of small-particle-size welding dross and large-particle-size welding slag will be generated in the welding operation. The welding dross can be removed by a negative pressure dust removal system. However, the large-particle-size welding slag will splash onto the surface of the cover and around the welding wire, and it is difficult to be removed by the negative pressure dust removal system. The welding slag remaining on the surface of the cover is easy to scratch the surface of the shell in the subsequent process, and cause defective products of the battery cell. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a battery cell, a battery and an electric device, which can improve or solve the problem of defective products caused by welding slag remaining on the outer surface of the battery cell.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a battery cell cleaning device, comprising:

[0005] a machine base;

[0006] a cleaning mechanism, comprising a first driving member arranged on the machine base and a cleaning brush driven by the first driving member, the cleaning brush being capable of moving to brush the outer surface of the battery cell;

[0007] a protection mechanism, comprising a protection member capable of covering the liquid injection hole of the battery cell.

[0008] In the technical scheme of the present application, the cleaning brush of the cleaning mechanism brushes the battery cell, which can effectively remove the welding slag remaining on the outer surface of the battery cell. In particular, the welding slag on the welding area of the outer surface of the battery cell. In this way, the welding slag can be prevented from flowing into the subsequent workstations with the battery cell, which can cause scratches on the surface of the shell, hard foreign matter after the film is formed, and other problems. Thus, the problem of defective products caused by welding slag remaining on the outer surface of the battery cell can be improved or solved.

[0009] Secondly, the protection member of the protection mechanism covers the liquid injection hole of the battery cell, which can prevent the welding slag from splashing into the liquid injection hole during the cleaning process. In this way, the welding slag can be prevented from blocking the liquid injection hole to ensure that the electrolyte can be smoothly injected into the battery cell. Secondly, the welding slag can be prevented from entering the shell through the liquid injection hole, which can cause damage to the bare battery cell, block the flow of electrolyte, and other problems.

[0010] In some embodiments, the shield extends along a first direction to simultaneously cover the liquid injection hole and the explosion-proof valve protection film of the battery cell. The shield simultaneously covers and protects the liquid injection hole and the explosion-proof valve protection film. In this way, the welding slag can be prevented from splashing onto the explosion-proof valve protection film and causing damage to the explosion-proof valve protection film.

[0011] In some embodiments, the shielding mechanism further comprises a second driving member arranged on the machine base, the second driving member is electrically connected to the first driving member, and the shield is driven by the second driving member to switch between the covering position and the avoiding position. The second driving member is arranged to switch the position of the shield, which can make the shield appropriately avoid the battery cell during the movement of the battery cell, thereby preventing the shield 410 from interfering with the movement of the battery cell or being worn.

[0012] In some embodiments, the battery cell cleaning device further comprises a conveying line arranged on the machine base, the conveying line transports the battery cell along a first direction, and the shielding mechanism further comprises a first connecting member arranged above the conveying line, the first connecting member is connected to the output end of the second driving member, at least two shields are arranged on the first connecting member along a second direction, one shield corresponds to one battery cell, and the second direction intersects the first direction. The first connecting member is arranged with at least two shields along the second direction, which can simultaneously protect multiple battery cells, thereby improving the work efficiency and simplifying the structure of the shielding mechanism.

[0013] In some embodiments, the conveying line is provided with the second driving member on both sides in the first direction, one of the second driving members is connected to one end of the first connecting member, and the other second driving member is connected to the other end of the first connecting member. Both ends of the first connecting member are driven, which can improve the spatial position accuracy of the first connecting member, thereby improving the spatial position accuracy of the multiple shields arranged on the first connecting member. Therefore, the multiple shields can accurately cover the liquid injection hole of the corresponding battery cell during the displacement of the first connecting member.

[0014] In some embodiments, the conveying line is provided with at least two conveying channels distributed along the second direction, the battery cell moves in the conveying channel, and one shield is arranged corresponding to one conveying channel. By arranging multiple conveying channels, multiple battery cells can be effectively grouped and guided. The multiple battery cells do not interfere with each other during conveying, thereby improving the efficiency and stability of conveying. Moreover, the multiple battery cells are simultaneously covered by the shields and cleaned by the cleaning brushes, which helps to improve the production efficiency of the battery cells.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cell cleaning device further comprises a conveying line arranged on the base, the conveying line comprising a wire body and a guide table, the wire body is provided with the guide table on both sides, and the guide table and the wire body together enclose a conveying channel, and the cell moves in the conveying channel. Through the cooperation of the wire body and the guide table, the conveying line can provide a safe, stable and efficient transportation environment for the conveying of the cell.

[0016] In some embodiments, the guide table is provided with a cleaning cavity, the top wall of the guide table is provided with a plurality of cleaning through holes communicating with the cleaning cavity, and the top surface of the cell in the conveying channel is higher than the top surface of the guide table. By opening the cleaning cavity and the cleaning through hole on the guide table, part of the welding slag falling from the cell can be accommodated, thereby reducing the risk of the falling welding slag re-attaching to the outer surface of the cell.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism further comprises a vacuum generator arranged on the base, the guide table is further provided with a cleaning port communicating with the cleaning cavity, and the cleaning port communicates with the vacuum generator. Through this vacuum suction method, the welding slag in the cleaning cavity is continuously sucked away by the energy source, thereby meeting the production demand of large scale. Secondly, the guide table is reused as part of the vacuum suction structure, which can simplify the structure of the device and reduce the manufacturing cost of the device.

[0018] In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism further comprises a vacuum generator arranged on the base and a suction cover communicating with the vacuum generator, and the cleaning brush is partially accommodated in the suction cover. By arranging the suction cover and communicating it with the vacuum generator, the welding slag cleaned by the cleaning brush can be timely sucked away. This prevents the welding slag from flying around the cell, further improving the cleaning effect and the cleanliness of the cell. At the same time, this structure also reduces the workload of manual cleaning of the welding slag, and improves the production efficiency.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first driving member is arranged on the suction cover, one end of the cleaning brush is connected with the output end of the first driving member, and the other end of the cleaning brush is rotationally connected with the cover wall of the suction cover. The end of the cleaning brush away from the first driving member is supported by the suction cover, which can improve the installation reliability and movement smoothness of the cleaning brush.

[0020] In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism further comprises a first moving module and a second moving module, the suction cover is installed on the base through the first moving module and the second moving module, the first moving module is used to drive the suction cover to move in the up-down direction, and the second moving module is used to drive the suction cover to move in the first direction. By arranging the first moving module and the second moving module, more comprehensive cleaning of the battery cell monomer can be achieved, and the automation and efficiency of the battery cell cleaning device can be improved.

[0021] In some embodiments, the suction cover is connected with the vacuum generator through a communication pipe, and the vacuum generator is relatively fixedly installed on the base. By arranging the communication pipe, the layout of the suction cover and the vacuum generator can be more flexible. The performance requirements of the first moving module and the second moving module can be simplified, and the safety of the movement of the suction cover can be improved.

[0022] In some embodiments, the communication pipe comprises a first branch pipe, a second branch pipe and a converging pipe, the first branch pipe is communicated between the converging pipe and the suction cover, the second branch pipe is communicated between the converging pipe and the guide table, and the converging pipe is further communicated with the vacuum generator. On the one hand, the layout of the suction cover, the guide table and the vacuum generator can be more flexible. On the other hand, the guide table and the suction cover can share the same vacuum generator. The structure of the battery cell cleaning device can be simplified, and the product cost can be reduced.

[0023] In some embodiments, the battery cell cleaning device further comprises a conveying line and a limiting mechanism arranged on the base, the conveying line is provided with a conveying channel, the battery cell monomer moves in the first direction in the conveying channel, and the limiting mechanism comprises a limiting piece and a third driving piece, the limiting piece is driven by the third driving piece to block the battery cell monomer on the cleaning station of the conveying channel. On the one hand, the accuracy and reliability of the battery cell monomer parking position can be improved. On the other hand, the transportation accuracy requirement of the conveying line can be reduced.

[0024] In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism further comprises a material detection unit, the material detection unit is used to detect the battery cell monomer entering the cleaning station, and the material detection unit is electrically connected with the third driving piece. In this way, the automation degree and working performance of the battery cell cleaning device can be improved.

[0025] In some embodiments, the material detection unit is configured as a photoelectric sensor, and a light beam of the photoelectric sensor penetrates the feeding end or the middle part of the cleaning station. The photoelectric sensor is used to detect the battery cell monomer entering the cleaning station, which is simple in structure and easy to implement. Moreover, the limiting piece has more time to complete position switching, and the fault tolerance of the control system is improved.

[0026] In some embodiments, the end of the limiting member is provided with a buffer structure, and the buffer structure is used to resist the battery cell. The stability and safety of the battery cell in the cleaning station can be improved, and the risk of battery cell damage caused by impact force during resistance can be reduced.

[0027] In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism further comprises a second connecting member spanning above the conveying line, the second connecting member is connected to the output end of the third driving member, at least two limiting members are installed along a second direction on the second connecting member, one limiting member corresponds to one battery cell, and the second direction intersects the first direction.

[0028] In some embodiments, the interference amount of the bristles of the cleaning brush with the battery cell is in the range of 5mm to 15mm. The damage to the battery cell and the energy consumption of the equipment can be minimized while ensuring the cleaning effect, and the working efficiency and stability of the entire battery cell cleaning device can be improved. The second connecting member is provided with at least two limiting members installed along a second direction, which can block multiple battery cells at the same time, which can improve the working efficiency and simplify the structure of the device.

[0029] In a second aspect, the application provides a battery comprising the battery cell cleaning device in the above embodiments.

[0030] In some embodiments, the battery cell production equipment further comprises a battery cell welding device for welding and fixing the top cover and the shell of the battery cell, and the battery cell cleaning device is located downstream of the battery cell welding device.

[0031] The above description is only a summary of the technical solutions of the application. In order to enable the technical means of the application to be implemented more clearly, in accordance with the content of the description, and in order to enable the above and other purposes, characteristics and advantages of the application to be more apparent and easy to understand, the following specific embodiments of the application are described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a better understanding of the preferred embodiments, and are not considered to be limiting of the present application. Moreover, like reference numerals denote same or similar components throughout the several views of the drawings. In the drawings:

[0033] Figure 1 Structure schematic diagram of the battery cell in some embodiments of the application in a first perspective view;

[0034] Figure 2 Structure schematic diagram of the battery cell cleaning device in some embodiments of the application in a first perspective view;

[0035] Figure 3 A structure schematic view of the battery cell cleaning device of some embodiments of the present application in a second perspective view;

[0036] Figure 4 A structure schematic view of the battery cell cleaning device of some embodiments of the present application in a third perspective view;

[0037] Figure 5 A structure schematic view of the battery cell cleaning device of some embodiments of the present application in a second perspective view; Figure 3 A local enlarged view of A in FIG. 8;

[0038] Figure 6 A local enlarged view of B in FIG. 8; Figure 4 A local enlarged view of B in FIG. 8;

[0039] Figure 7 A structure schematic view of the battery cell cleaning device of some embodiments of the present application in a third perspective view.

[0040] The reference signs in the detailed description are as follows:

[0041] 100, machine base; 110, base frame; 111, vertical profile; 112, longitudinal profile; 120, outer box; 121, feeding port; 122, discharging port; 130, cabinet body; 140, mounting bracket; 150, first boom; 160, second boom;

[0042] 200, conveying line; 201, conveying channel; 210, line body; 220, guide table; 221, cleaning through hole; 222, cleaning port;

[0043] 300, cleaning mechanism; 310, cleaning brush; 320, first driving member; 330, suction cover; 340, communication pipe; 341, first branch pipe; 342, second branch pipe; 343, confluence pipe; 350, first moving module; 360, second moving module;

[0044] 400, protection mechanism; 410, protection member; 420, first connecting member; 430, second driving member;

[0045] 500, limiting mechanism; 510, limiting member; 511, buffer structure; 520, second connecting member; 530, third driving member; 540, material detection unit;

[0046] 900, battery cell monomer; 901, liquid injection hole; 902, explosion-proof valve protection film; 910, shell; 920, end cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The embodiments of the technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and therefore only serve as examples, and cannot limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application; the use of the terms "including," "comprising," "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

[0050] Reference herein to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, nor is it necessarily independent or alternative embodiments to each other. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. In addition, the character " / " in this paper generally represents that the front and rear associated objects are a "or" relationship.

[0052] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "a plurality of" refers to two or more (including two), and similarly, "a plurality of groups" refers to two or more groups (including two groups), and "a plurality of pieces" refers to two or more pieces (including two pieces).

[0053] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the indicated devices or elements must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the technical terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and other terms should be understood in a broad sense, for example, can be fixedly connected, or can be detachably connected, or can be integrated; can be mechanically connected, or can be electrically connected; can be directly connected, or can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0055] At present, from the development of market situation, the application of battery is more and more widely. The battery is not only applied to the energy storage power supply system of hydropower, thermal power, wind power and solar power station, but also widely used in electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, electric vehicles and other electric vehicles, military equipment, aerospace and other fields. With the continuous expansion of the application field of battery, the demand of its market is also increasing.

[0056] The battery can be composed of a plurality of battery monomers. The battery monomer includes an end cover, a shell, a battery assembly and other functional components. The end cover covers the opening of the shell to isolate the internal environment of the battery monomer from the external environment. The battery assembly is accommodated in the internal environment of the battery monomer. The battery assembly is the component in which the electrochemical reaction occurs in the battery monomer, also known as the bare battery.

[0057] The production process of the battery monomer usually contains many welding procedures. For example, after the bare battery is loaded into the shell, it will go through a pre-welding pressing procedure. Specifically, a pressing mechanism can be used to press the end cover into the opening of the shell and make the end cover flush with the edge of the opening of the shell. Then, the end cover and the shell can be preliminarily fixed by pre-welding dotting. Then the battery monomer is moved to the end cover welding station. Finally, a high-energy laser beam can be used to full weld the joint position of the end cover and the shell. Thus, the laser sealing welding procedure of the end cover and the shell of the battery monomer is completed. In this way, the sealing of the end cover and the shell can be ensured to prevent electrolyte leakage.

[0058] Among them, the high-energy laser beam can adopt the form of a ring-shaped light spot. The size of the ring-shaped light spot can be 160 μm to 200 μm, and the welding energy can be 6 KW to 8 KW. Due to the unreasonable welding parameter setting and other factors, a large amount of small particle size welding dust and large particle size welding slag will be generated in the welding operation. The negative pressure dust removal system can be used to remove the welding dust. However, the welding slag with large particle size will splash to the surface of the end cover and the surrounding of the welding line, and it is difficult to be removed by the negative pressure dust removal system.

[0059] It is not difficult to understand that the welding slag remaining on the surface of the end cover is easy to cause many adverse effects. For example, after the end cover welding station, there is usually a helium detection process (check the welding wire airtightness). During the process of placing the battery cell into the helium detection cavity, the surface of the shell will contact and rub with the inner wall of the cavity. If the surface of the end cover remains unremoved welding slag, these welding slag will scratch the surface of the shell during the friction between the surface of the shell and the inner wall of the cavity. Moreover, the welding slag will also fall into the helium detection cavity or adhere to the inner wall of the cavity, thereby also causing damage to the battery cell entering the helium detection cavity subsequently. Further, the scratches on the surface of the shell will form hard foreign matter after the battery cell is finally coated. It needs to tear the film and rework, and after polishing the hard foreign matter, it needs to be coated again. If the hard foreign matter is not reworked, it will cause poor insulation and pressure resistance of the shell during long-term use of the battery cell, resulting in the risk of overlapping between the battery cells.

[0060] Based on the above considerations, in order to improve or solve the problem of poor products caused by the welding slag remaining on the outer surface of the battery cell, the present application designs a battery cell cleaning device.

[0061] By the cleaning brush of the cleaning mechanism brushing against the battery cell, the welding slag remaining on the outer surface of the battery cell can be effectively removed. In particular, the welding slag on the welding area of the outer surface of the battery cell. In this way, the welding slag can be prevented from flowing into the subsequent station with the battery cell, thereby causing scratches on the surface of the shell, forming hard foreign matter after coating, and other problems.

[0062] By covering the injection hole of the battery cell with the shielding piece of the shielding mechanism, the welding slag can be prevented from splashing into the injection hole during cleaning. In this way, the welding slag can be prevented from blocking the injection hole to ensure that the electrolyte can be smoothly injected into the inside of the battery cell. Secondly, the welding slag can be prevented from entering the inside of the shell through the injection hole, thereby causing damage to the bare battery cell and blocking the flow of electrolyte. The shielding piece can also be configured to cover the injection hole and the explosion-proof valve protection film at the same time, so as to prevent the welding slag from splashing onto the explosion-proof valve protection film and causing damage to the explosion-proof valve protection film.

[0063] Secondly, the cleaning brush is also arranged in the suction cover, and a negative pressure area is generated in the suction cover by using a vacuum generator, so as to timely suck away the welding slag swept off by the cleaning brush. In this way, the welding slag flying up due to the cleaning of the cleaning brush can be prevented from causing secondary pollution, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the battery cell cleaning device on the welding slag.

[0064] Furthermore, the guide table of the conveying line is also reused as another negative pressure removal area. After some welding slag is swept off from the battery cell, it will fall into the removal cavity through the removal through hole. A negative pressure area is also generated in the removal cavity by using a vacuum generator, so that the welding slag falling into the removal cavity can also be timely sucked away. In this way, the cleaning effect of the battery cell cleaning device on the welding slag can be further improved.

[0065] In addition, through the cooperation of the limiting piece of the limiting mechanism, the third driving piece and the material detection unit, the battery cell to be cleaned is selectively and stably and reliably parked at the cleaning station, and the cleaned battery cell flows from the cleaning station to the subsequent station. In this way, the intelligence and use convenience of the battery cell cleaning device can be improved, and the production efficiency of the battery cell can be improved.

[0066] It should be noted that the battery cell cleaning device disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be applied after the welding station, but is not limited to this. It can also be applied before the welding station. It can be understood that when the battery cell cleaning device is applied before the welding station, the outer surface of the battery cell to be welded can be cleaned to avoid the dust and debris on the outer surface of the battery cell affecting the welding operation.

[0067] The battery composed of the battery cell disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be used in an electric device such as a vehicle, a ship or an aircraft, but is not limited to this. The embodiments of the present application provide an electric device using a battery as a power source. The electric device can be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a notebook computer, an electric toy, an electric tool, an electric vehicle, an electric automobile, a ship, a spacecraft and the like. The electric toy can include a fixed or mobile electric toy, such as a game console, an electric automobile toy, an electric ship toy and an electric aircraft toy, and the spacecraft can include an airplane, a rocket, a space shuttle and a spacecraft.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of the battery cell 900 provided by some embodiments of the present application is shown in the first perspective view. The battery cell 900 refers to the smallest unit of a battery. As shown in the figure, Figure 1 The battery cell 900 includes an end cover 920, a shell 910, a battery cell assembly (not shown in the figure) and other functional components (not shown in the figure). The end cover 920 is provided with a liquid injection hole 901 and an explosion-proof valve protection film 902. It can be understood that, Figure 1 The battery cell shown in the figure is actually a semi-finished product, not a finished product, so the explosion-proof valve protection film 902 is exposed.

[0069] The end cover 920 refers to a component that covers the opening of the shell 910 to isolate the internal environment of the battery cell 900 from the external environment. Without limitation, the shape of the end cover 920 can be adapted to the shape of the shell 910 to fit the shell 910. Optionally, the end cover 920 can be made of a material with certain hardness and strength, such as an aluminum alloy, so that the end cover 920 is not easily deformed when subjected to extrusion collision, so that the battery cell 900 can have higher structural strength, and the safety performance can also be improved. The end cover 920 can be provided with functional components such as electrode terminals. The electrode terminals can be used to electrically connect with the battery cell assembly for outputting or inputting the electrical energy of the battery cell 900. In some embodiments, the end cover 920 can also be provided with a pressure relief mechanism for relieving the internal pressure of the battery cell 900 when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 900 reaches a threshold value. The material of the end cover 920 can also be various, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not have special limitations. In some embodiments, an insulating member can also be provided on the inner side of the end cover 920, which can be used to isolate the electrical connection components in the shell 910 from the end cover 920 to reduce the risk of short circuit. For example, the insulating member can be plastic, rubber, etc.

[0070] The shell 910 is a component for fitting the end cover 920 to form the internal environment of the battery cell 900, wherein the formed internal environment can be used to accommodate the battery cell assembly, the electrolyte and other components. The shell 910 and the end cover 920 can be independent components, and an opening can be provided on the shell 910, and the end cover 920 is covered on the opening to form the internal environment of the battery cell 900. Without limitation, the end cover 920 and the shell 910 can also be integrated, specifically, the end cover 920 and the shell 910 can form a common connecting surface before other components enter the shell, and when it is necessary to encapsulate the internal environment of the shell 910, the end cover 920 is covered on the shell 910. The shell 910 can be various shapes and various sizes, such as a cuboid, a cylinder, a hexagonal prism, etc. Specifically, the shape of the shell 910 can be determined according to the specific shape and size of the battery cell assembly. The material of the shell 910 can be various, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not have special limitations.

[0071] The cell assembly is a component in which electrochemical reactions occur in the cell monomer 900. One or more cell assemblies can be contained within the shell 910. The cell assembly is mainly formed by winding or stacking the positive and negative electrode sheets, and a separator is usually provided between the positive and negative electrode sheets. The positive and negative electrode sheets have portions with active materials that constitute the main body of the cell assembly, and portions without active materials that constitute the tabs of the positive and negative electrode sheets, respectively. The positive and negative electrode tabs can be located together at one end of the main body or at two ends of the main body, respectively. During the charging and discharging process of the battery, the positive and negative active materials react with the electrolyte, and the tabs connect the electrode terminals to form a current loop.

[0072] Please refer to Figures 2 to 4 , Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a cell cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present application in a first perspective view. Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a cell cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present application in a second perspective view. Figure 4 FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a cell cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present application in a third perspective view. It should be noted that Figures 2 to 4 The cell monomers shown are all in a position to enter the cleaning station. That is, the illustrated cell monomers will enter the cleaning station after continuing to move forward.

[0073] According to some embodiments of the present application, the cell cleaning device can optionally include a base 100, a cleaning mechanism 300, and a protection mechanism 400. The cleaning mechanism 300 includes a first driving member 320 provided on the base 100 and a cleaning brush 310 driven by the first driving member 320. The cleaning brush 310 can brush the outer surface of the cell monomer 900 movably. The protection mechanism 400 includes a protection member 410 that can cover the liquid injection hole 901 of the cell monomer 900.

[0074] The base 100 refers to a component that provides a stable support foundation for the entire device. The base 100 can be made of high-strength metal materials to ensure that it does not deform or shake during long-term operation. For example, the base frame 110 of the base 100 can be assembled from aluminum alloy profiles, which can reduce the production cost and overall weight of the device. In addition, the base 100 can also be provided with some structures for easy movement and installation, such as universal wheels, mounting holes, etc., to facilitate flexible use of the device in different production scenarios.

[0075] The cleaning brush 310 refers to a component with bristles. The cleaning brush 310 can have various structural forms. For example, the main body of the cleaning brush 310 has a cylindrical structure, and the bristles are distributed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body. That is, the cleaning brush 310 is configured as a roller brush. Alternatively, the main body of the cleaning brush 310 has a disc structure, and the bristles are distributed on the disc surface of the main body. The structure and material of the bristles can also have various options, for example, the material of the bristles can be plastic, and the bristles can have elastic deformation capability, etc.

[0076] In order to improve the cleaning effect of the cleaning brush 310 on the welding slag, the bristles of the cleaning brush 310 can also be optimized. For example, different hardness and length of bristle combinations are used, so that the cleaning brush 310 can effectively remove large particles of welding slag during the cleaning process, and also can penetrate into the small gaps on the outer surface of the battery cell 900 to remove fine welding slag and dust.

[0077] The cleaning brush 310 is driven by the first driving member 320, which means that the first driving member 320 can directly or indirectly transmit power to the cleaning brush 310, so that the cleaning brush 310 can move according to the preset trajectory and speed. The cleaning brush 310 sweeps the battery cell 900, which means that during the movement of the cleaning brush 310, the bristles on the cleaning brush 310 interfere with the outer surface of the battery cell 900 to achieve the brushing of the outer surface of the battery cell 900. The movement mode of the cleaning brush 310 can be rotation around an axis, or linear or curved movement. The first driving member 320 is installed on the machine base 100, which can be a power device such as a motor.

[0078] The protective member 410 covers the liquid injection hole 901, which means that the structure of the protective member 410 can completely cover or block the liquid injection hole 901. The structural form and material of the protective member 410 can have various options. For example, the protective member 410 can have a plate, rod or cylindrical structure.

[0079] In this way, the cleaning brush 310 of the cleaning mechanism 300 brushes against the battery cell 900, which can effectively remove the welding slag remaining on the outer surface of the battery cell 900. In particular, the welding area on the outer surface of the battery cell 900. In this way, it can avoid the welding slag flowing into the subsequent station with the battery cell 900, which can cause scratches on the surface of the shell 910, and form hard foreign matter after coating, etc. Thus, it can improve or solve the problem of defective products caused by welding slag remaining on the outer surface of the battery cell 900.

[0080] Secondly, the protection piece 410 of the protection mechanism 400 covers the liquid injection hole 901 of the battery cell 900, so that the welding slag is prevented from splashing into the liquid injection hole 901 during the cleaning process. In this way, the welding slag is prevented from being blocked in the liquid injection hole 901, so as to ensure that the electrolyte can be smoothly injected into the battery cell 900. In addition, the welding slag is prevented from entering the shell 910 through the liquid injection hole 901, so as to avoid problems such as damage to the bare battery cell and blockage of the electrolyte flow.

[0081] It should be noted that the protection piece 410 can be used to cover only the liquid injection hole 901, or can be used to cover the liquid injection hole 901 and other structures that need to be protected.

[0082] For example, please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , Figure 5 is Figure 3 the enlarged view of A in FIG. 10, Figure 6 is Figure 4 the enlarged view of B in FIG. 10. According to some embodiments of the present application, the protection piece 410 extends in the first direction to cover the liquid injection hole 901 and the explosion-proof valve protection film 902 of the battery cell 900. That is, in the present embodiment, the protection piece 410 simultaneously covers and protects the liquid injection hole 901 and the explosion-proof valve protection film 902. In this way, the welding slag is prevented from splashing onto the explosion-proof valve protection film 902 and causing damage to the explosion-proof valve protection film 902. The first direction can be the front-to-back direction in the figure.

[0083] According to some embodiments of the present application, the interference amount of the bristles of the cleaning brush 310 with the battery cell 900 is in the range of 5mm to 15mm.

[0084] The interference amount of the bristles with the battery cell 900 refers to the effective length of the bristles in contact with and pressing the surface of the battery cell 900. The interference amount can be 5mm, 7mm, 9mm, 11mm, 13mm or 15mm, etc.

[0085] It can be understood that if the interference amount is less than 5mm, the contact pressure of the bristles with the surface of the battery cell 900 is too small. This may not effectively remove the welding slag on the surface of the battery cell 900, resulting in poor cleaning effect. If the interference amount is greater than 15mm, the contact pressure of the bristles with the surface of the battery cell 900 is too large. On the one hand, the bristles can cause damage to the surface of the battery cell 900. On the other hand, the large interference amount increases the resistance of the cleaning brush 310 during movement, and increases the load of the first driving member 320. This not only increases the energy consumption, but also can cause the first driving member 320 to be damaged prematurely, increasing the maintenance cost and downtime of the equipment.

[0086] Therefore, the interference amount of the bristles of the cleaning brush 310 with the battery cell 900 is controlled to be between 5 mm and 15 mm, which can minimize the damage to the battery cell 900 and the energy consumption of the equipment while ensuring the cleaning effect, and improve the working efficiency and stability of the entire battery cell cleaning device.

[0087] According to some embodiments of the present application, optionally, the protection mechanism 400 further comprises a second driving member 430 arranged on the base 100, and the second driving member 430 is electrically connected to the first driving member 320. The protection member 410 is driven by the second driving member 430 to be switched between the covering position and the avoiding position.

[0088] The protection member 410 is driven by the second driving member 430, which means that the second driving member 430 can directly or indirectly transmit power to the protection member 410, so that the protection member 410 can move according to a preset trajectory and speed. The covering position refers to the position of the protection member 410 when covering the liquid inlet hole 901, and the avoiding position refers to the position of the protection member 410 when moving away from the liquid inlet hole 901 and the battery cell 900.

[0089] The second driving member 430 is installed on the base 100, which can be a power device such as a motor. The second driving member 430 is electrically connected to the first driving member 320, which means that there is a certain electrical control relationship between the two driving members, so that the actions of the protection member 410 and the cleaning brush 310 can be coordinated with each other. For example, before the first driving member 320 starts the cleaning brush 310 to start cleaning, the second driving member 430 can first drive the protection member 410 to move to the covering position to prevent the welding slag from splashing into the liquid inlet hole 901. After the cleaning is completed, the first driving member 320 stops working, and the second driving member 430 drives the protection member 410 to return to the avoiding position, so that the battery cell 900 can smoothly enter the next process.

[0090] In this way, the position switching of the protection member 410 is realized by setting the second driving member 430, which can make the protection member 410 appropriately avoid the battery cell 900 during the movement of the battery cell 900, and avoid the movement interference or wear between the protection member 410 and the battery cell 900. Secondly, by setting the electrical connection and coordinated action between the second driving member 430 and the first driving member 320, the working efficiency and reliability of the battery cell cleaning device are further improved.

[0091] It can be understood that the protection member 410 of the present embodiment can move relative to the base 100 to switch between the covering position and the avoiding position. Of course, in other embodiments, the protection member 410 can be fixed relative to the base 100, and the battery cell 900 can move relative to the protection member 410 (for example, move up and down), and the battery cell 900 can move to approach or move away from the protection member 410, so that the liquid inlet hole 901 can be covered by the protection member 410 or not covered by the protection member 410.

[0092] In practical applications, the battery cell cleaning device can also be equipped with a control system for accurately controlling the operating parameters of the first driving member 320 and the second driving member 430, such as rotation speed, movement stroke, and operating time, to adapt to the cleaning work of battery cells 900 of different specifications. At the same time, the covering and removing actions of the protective member 410 can also be automatically operated by the control system, further improving production efficiency and cleaning accuracy. Among them, the first driving member 320 and the second driving member 430 can be electrically connected to the control system respectively and controlled by the control system. That is, the first driving member 320 and the second driving member 430 can be indirectly electrically connected through the control system.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the battery cell cleaning device further comprises a conveying line 200 arranged on the base 100, the conveying line 200 conveying the battery cell 900 along a first direction. The protective mechanism 400 further comprises a first connecting member 420 spanning above the conveying line 200, the first connecting member 420 being connected to the output end of the second driving member 430. The first connecting member 420 is spaced apart from at least two protective members 410 along a second direction, one protective member 410 corresponding to covering one battery cell 900. The second direction intersects the first direction.

[0094] Among them, the conveying line 200 refers to a component for carrying the battery cell 900 and conveying it along the first direction. The conveying line 200 can adopt various forms such as belt conveying and chain conveying, and reasonable selection can be made according to actual production needs and the characteristics of the battery cell 900. For example, in the embodiment in which the conveying line 200 includes a belt, the battery cell 900 can be placed on the upper side of the belt and can move along the first direction under the action of the static friction force of the belt.

[0095] It should be noted that, please refer to Figure 2 In the embodiment in which the first direction corresponds to the front-back direction shown in the figure, the conveying direction of the battery cell 900 flowing into and out of the battery cell cleaning device can be in the direction from back to front. It can also be in the direction from front to back. It can also be first from back to front and then from front to back. Or, first from front to back and then from back to front. For the convenience of writing and understanding, the following will take the example of the battery cell 900 flowing in and out in the direction from back to front.

[0096] The first connecting member 420 spans the conveying line 200, which means that the first connecting member 420 is located above the conveying line 200 in a spanning posture. The output end of the second driving member 430 can be connected to the end or middle of the first connecting member 420. For example, please refer to Figure 6In some embodiments, both ends of the first connecting member 420 are connected to the output end of a second driving member 430. In other embodiments, one end of the first connecting member 420 is connected to the output end of a second driving member 430, and the other end of the first connecting member 420 is in a suspended state. In yet other embodiments, the output end of the second driving member 430 is connected to the middle part of the first connecting member 420. In this case, the second direction can be the left-right direction in the drawing. In this case, the conveying line 200 and the protective member 410 both extend in the front-back direction, and the first connecting member 420 extends in the left-right direction.

[0097] The output end of the second driving member 430 refers to a component that effectively transmits the power of the second driving member 430, and can accurately transmit the force and movement generated by the second driving member 430 to the first connecting member 420. The output end of the second driving member 430 can have various forms, such as an output shaft that can transmit the rotational movement of the second driving member 430 to the first connecting member 420. Or an output rod that moves in a straight line to drive the first connecting member 420 to move in a specific direction.

[0098] The connection between the output end of the second driving member 430 and the first connecting member 420 can also have various options. For example, rigid connection can be used to ensure stable connection between the two. Flexible connection can also be used to buffer the power output by the second driving member 430 to some extent, reduce the impact on the first connecting member 420 and the protective member 410, and prolong their service life. The present application does not make specific limitations in this regard, as long as the power can be accurately transmitted between the two.

[0099] In this way, the first connecting member 420 is spaced apart from at least two protective members 410 in the second direction. Such a layout can simultaneously protect multiple battery cell monomers 900, which can improve work efficiency and simplify the structure of the protective mechanism 400.

[0100] Please refer to Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the conveying line 200 is provided with a second driving member 430 on each side in the first direction. One of the second driving members 430 is connected to one end of the first connecting member 420. The other second driving member 430 is connected to the other end of the first connecting member 420.

[0101] In this case, the two second driving members 430 can be spaced apart in the second direction. The first connecting member 420 can extend in the second direction and have a rod shape. The first connecting member 420 has two opposite ends in the second direction, and the two ends are respectively connected to the output end of a second driving member 430. The two second driving members 430 can work simultaneously to drive the first connecting member 420 to translate in the up-down direction.

[0102] Therefore, both ends of the first connecting member 420 are driven, which can improve the spatial position accuracy of the first connecting member 420, thereby improving the spatial position accuracy of the plurality of protective members 410 located on the first connecting member 420. Therefore, during the displacement of the first connecting member 420, the plurality of protective members 410 can accurately cover the liquid injection holes 901 of the corresponding battery monomers 900.

[0103] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 5 According to some embodiments of the present application, the conveying line 200 is provided with at least two conveying channels 201 spaced apart along the second direction. The battery monomer 900 moves in the conveying channel 201. One protective member 410 is provided corresponding to one conveying channel 201.

[0104] The conveying channel 201 refers to a specific path area on the conveying line 200 for the movement of the battery monomer 900. The plurality of conveying channels 201 are spaced apart along the second direction, and each conveying channel 201 extends along the first direction. The conveying channel 201 provides a clear transportation route for the battery monomer 900.

[0105] One protective member 410 is provided corresponding to one conveying channel 201, that is, one protective member 410 is provided above each conveying channel 201. Each protective member 410 can cover the battery monomer 900 on each conveying channel 201 under the drive of the second driving member 430.

[0106] Therefore, by providing a plurality of conveying channels 201, the plurality of battery monomers 900 can be effectively grouped and guided. The plurality of battery monomers 900 do not interfere with each other during conveying, which improves the efficiency and stability of conveying. Moreover, the plurality of battery monomers 900 are simultaneously covered by the protective members 410 and simultaneously cleaned by the cleaning brush 310, which helps to improve the production efficiency of the battery monomers 900.

[0107] Of course, in other embodiments, only one conveying channel 201 can be provided, or one protective member 410 can cover a plurality of battery monomers 900 on a plurality of conveying channels 201.

[0108] Referring to Figure 5 According to some embodiments of the present application, the battery cleaning device further comprises a conveying line 200 provided on the base 100. The conveying line 200 comprises a line body 210 and a guide table 220. The line body 210 is provided with the guide table 220 on both sides, and the adjacent two guide tables 220 and the line body 210 jointly enclose the conveying channel 201. The battery monomer 900 moves in the conveying channel 201.

[0109] The line body 210 refers to the main part of the conveying line 200 for carrying the battery monomer 900 and enabling it to move. The line body 210 can adopt various forms such as belt conveying and chain conveying, and reasonable selection can be made according to actual production needs and the characteristics of the battery monomer 900. For example, in the embodiment in which the line body 210 includes a belt, the battery monomer 900 can be placed on the upper side of the belt and can move in the first direction under the action of the static friction of the belt. The guide table 220 is arranged on the side of the belt, and the side surface of the battery monomer 900 can abut against the guide table 220 and smoothly follow the belt to move.

[0110] The guide table 220 refers to a component arranged on both sides of the line body 210 for guiding and limiting the battery monomer 900. The main function of the guide table 220 is to ensure that the battery monomer 900 can accurately move in the conveying channel 201 and prevent it from deviating from the predetermined path during conveying. The shape and size of the guide table 220 are matched with the design of the conveying channel 201, and the surface thereof can be made of smooth material to reduce the frictional resistance between the guide table 220 and the battery monomer 900, thereby further improving the efficiency and stability of conveying. In addition, the guide table 220 can also have a certain protection function to avoid interference and damage of the battery monomer 900 during conveying.

[0111] In this way, through the cooperation of the line body 210 and the guide table 220, the conveying line 200 can provide a safe, stable and efficient transportation environment for the conveying of the battery monomer 900.

[0112] Of course, in other embodiments, the guide table 220 can also not be arranged.

[0113] According to some embodiments of the present application, the guide table 220 is optionally provided with a cleaning cavity (not shown in the drawings). Please refer to Figure 5 The top wall of the guide table 220 is provided with a plurality of cleaning through holes 221 communicating with the cleaning cavity. The top surface of the battery monomer 900 located in the conveying channel 201 is arranged higher than the top surface of the guide table 220.

[0114] The cleaning cavity and the cleaning through hole 221 are important structures for the guide table 220 to realize the cleaning function. The hole diameter of the cleaning through hole 221 is greater than the particle size of the welding slag, so that the welding slag can fall into the cleaning cavity through the cleaning through hole 221. The shape, size and number of the cleaning through hole 221 can be various. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the cleaning through hole 221 includes but is not limited to a circle, a square or a triangle, etc. The plurality of cleaning through holes 221 can be arranged in a rectangular array on the top wall of the guide table 220.

[0115] The top surface of the battery cell 900 is higher than the top surface of the guide table 220, that is, the top surface of the battery cell 900 is higher than the top surface of the guide table 220. That is, the battery cell 900 in the conveying channel 201 is higher than the guide table 220. In this way, when the cleaning brush 310 cleans the welding slag on the top surface of the battery cell 900, part of the welding slag will fall to the top surface of the guide table 220 under the action of gravity, and can fall into the cleaning cavity through the cleaning through hole 221.

[0116] In this way, by opening the cleaning cavity and the cleaning through hole 221 on the guide table 220, part of the welding slag falling from the battery cell 900 can be accommodated, thereby reducing the risk of the falling welding slag re-attaching to the outer surface of the battery cell 900.

[0117] According to some embodiments of the present application, optionally, the cleaning mechanism 300 further comprises a vacuum generator (not shown in the figure) arranged on the base 100. Please refer to Figure 4 , the guide table 220 is further provided with a cleaning port 222 communicating with the cleaning cavity. The cleaning port 222 communicates with the vacuum generator.

[0118] Among them, the vacuum generator refers to a device that generates negative pressure by using a positive pressure gas source, which has been widely used in the field of industrial automation. Since the related technology of the vacuum generator is relatively mature, the present application will not be expanded here.

[0119] Since the vacuum generator communicates with the cleaning port 222 on the guide table 220, when the vacuum generator works, negative pressure will be generated at the cleaning port 222. Since the cleaning port 222 communicates with the cleaning cavity, the welding slag falling into the cleaning cavity can be timely sucked away by suction force.

[0120] In this way, by this vacuum suction method, the welding slag in the cleaning cavity is continuously sucked away, thereby adapting to large-scale production needs. Secondly, the guide table 220 is reused as part of the vacuum suction structure, which can simplify the structure of the device and reduce the manufacturing cost of the device.

[0121] Of course, in other embodiments, the cleaning port 222 and the vacuum generator can also not be provided. For example, the bottom plate of the guide table 220 is arranged in a detachable structure, and when there is more welding slag deposited in the cleaning cavity, the welding slag can be removed by detaching the bottom plate.

[0122] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 According to some embodiments of the present application, optionally, the cleaning mechanism 300 further comprises a vacuum generator arranged on the base 100 and a suction cover 330 communicating with the vacuum generator. The cleaning brush 310 is partially accommodated in the suction cover 330.

[0123] The vacuum generator is a device for generating negative pressure by using a positive pressure source and is widely used in the field of industrial automation. Since the related technology of the vacuum generator is relatively mature, the present application will not be described in detail.

[0124] Since the vacuum generator is connected with the suction cover 330, when the vacuum generator works, negative pressure will be generated at the opening of the suction cover 330. The welding slag cleaned by the cleaning brush 310 can be timely sucked away by the negative pressure airflow in the suction cover 330.

[0125] The suction cover 330 refers to a component with an open side and a cover body, and the opening is directed to the cleaning brush 310 and the battery cell 900, which is used to collect the cleaned welding slag. The shape and size of the suction cover 330 can be designed according to the actual situation of the cleaning brush 310 and the battery cell 900 to ensure that the welding slag can be effectively collected. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the suction cover 330 can be triangular, rectangular, or trapezoidal. When the cross-sectional shape of the suction cover 330 is isosceles trapezoidal, i.e., the suction cover 330 is in the shape of a horn, the opening of the larger end is directed to the cleaning brush 310 and the battery cell 900. In this way, the collection range of the suction cover 330 can be increased, and the collection efficiency can be improved.

[0126] In addition, the material of the suction cover 330 can also have multiple choices, such as plastic, metal, etc. The plastic suction cover 330 is light in weight and low in cost. The metal suction cover 330 has good strength and durability. The appropriate material can be selected according to the actual demand and use environment.

[0127] In this way, by setting the suction cover 330 and connecting it with the vacuum generator, the welding slag cleaned by the cleaning brush 310 can be timely sucked away. The welding slag is prevented from flying around the battery cell 900, further improving the cleaning effect and the cleanliness of the battery cell 900. At the same time, this structure also reduces the workload of manual cleaning of the welding slag, and improves the production efficiency.

[0128] In actual application, the suction cover 330 can also be optimized and designed. For example, some guide plates can be arranged on the inner wall of the suction cover 330 to make the airflow entering the suction cover 330 form a specific flow direction, which is more conducive to the collection and transportation of the welding slag. In addition, some filtering devices can also be arranged on the suction cover 330 to filter the airflow sucked in, preventing impurities such as welding slag from entering the vacuum generator and affecting its normal work and service life.

[0129] The cleaning brush 310 is partially accommodated in the suction cover 330, which means that part of the cleaning brush 310 is in the internal space of the suction cover 330, and the other part is exposed outside the cover opening of the suction cover 330. This design enables the cleaning brush 310 to effectively cooperate with the suction cover 330 when performing cleaning work. When the cleaning brush 310 sweeps away the welding slag, the suction cover 330 can effectively reduce the amount of welding slag that splashes and spreads to the surrounding environment.

[0130] In this way, through this vacuum suction method, the energy source continuously absorbs the welding slag swept away by the cleaning brush 310 in a timely manner, thereby meeting the needs of large-scale production. Secondly, the partially accommodated mode not only ensures that the cleaning brush 310 has a certain activity space to fully contact the outer surface of the battery cell 900, but also enables the suction cover 330 to accurately capture the welding slag swept away by the cleaning brush 310.

[0131] Of course, in other embodiments, the suction cover 330 can not be provided, and other methods can be used to handle the swept welding slag. For example, a collection groove is provided near the lower part of the cleaning brush 310, and the welding slag falls into the collection groove, which is then cleaned regularly.

[0132] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the first driving member 320 is arranged in the suction cover 330. One end of the cleaning brush 310 is connected to the output end of the first driving member 320, and the other end of the cleaning brush 310 is rotatably connected to the cover wall of the suction cover 330.

[0133] The output end of the first driving member 320 refers to a component that effectively transmits the power of the first driving member 320, which can accurately transmit the force and movement generated by the first driving member 320 to the cleaning brush 310. The output end of the first driving member 320 can have various forms, such as an output shaft that can transmit the rotational movement of the first driving member 320 to the cleaning brush 310. Or it is an output rod that drives the cleaning brush 310 to move in a specific direction through linear motion.

[0134] The connection mode between the output end of the first driving member 320 and the cleaning brush 310 can also have various options. For example, rigid connection can be used to ensure stable connection between the two. Flexible connection can also be used to buffer the power output by the first driving member 320 to some extent, reduce the impact on the cleaning brush 310, and prolong its service life. The present application does not make specific limitations on this, as long as the power can be accurately transmitted between the two.

[0135] In the embodiment in which the cleaning brush 310 is configured as a roller brush, optionally, the suction cover 330 has two cover walls opposite in the axial direction of the cleaning brush 310. The main body portion of the first driving member 320 is arranged outside the suction cover 330, the output shaft of the first driving member 320 penetrates one of the cover walls and is connected with one end of the cleaning brush 310 in the axial direction. The other end of the cleaning brush 310 is rotationally connected with the other cover wall. Under the driving of the output shaft of the first driving member 320, the cleaning brush 310 rotates around its own axis in the suction cover 330. And the bristles of the cleaning brush 310 can be sequentially exposed to the cover opening of the suction cover 330 to perform roller brushing on the outer surface of the battery cell 900.

[0136] In this way, the end of the cleaning brush 310 away from the first driving member 320 is supported by the suction cover 330, which can improve the installation reliability and movement smoothness of the cleaning brush 310.

[0137] Of course, in other embodiments, the end of the cleaning brush 310 away from the first driving member 320 can not be connected with the cover wall of the suction cover 330 and not be supported by the suction cover 330.

[0138] Please refer to Figure 2 According to some embodiments of the present application, optionally, the cleaning mechanism 300 further comprises a first moving module 350 and a second moving module 360. The suction cover 330 is installed on the base 100 through the first moving module 350 and the second moving module 360. The first moving module 350 is used to drive the suction cover 330 to move in the up-down direction. The second moving module 360 is used to drive the suction cover 330 to move in the first direction.

[0139] The first moving module 350 refers to a component with specific transmission and driving capability, which can accurately control the movement of the suction cover 330 in the up-down direction. For example, the first moving module 350 can be a linear motor and a sliding guide rail that cooperates to achieve smooth and accurate displacement of the suction cover 330 in the up-down direction.

[0140] Under the driving of the first moving module 350, the suction cover 330 and the first driving member 320 and the cleaning brush 310 thereon can move synchronously. For example, taking the case that the suction cover 330 is arranged above the conveying line 200, after the battery cell 900 flows into the cleaning station, the suction cover 330 can move downward from the initial position to approach the battery cell 900, and the bristles of the cleaning brush 310 can abut on the top surface of the battery cell 900, so as to prepare for roller brushing the battery cell 900. After the cleaning of the battery cell 900 is completed, the suction cover 330 can move upward to move away from the battery cell 900 and reset to the initial position, so that the bristles of the cleaning brush 310 are separated from the top surface of the battery cell 900.

[0141] The second moving module 360 refers to a component with specific transmission and driving capability, which can accurately control the movement of the suction cover 330 in the first direction. For example, the second moving module 360 can be a linear motor and a sliding guide that cooperates to achieve smooth and accurate displacement of the suction cover 330 in the first direction.

[0142] The first direction refers to the extension direction of the protection member 410, and also refers to the distribution direction of the liquid injection hole 901 and the explosion-proof valve of the battery cell 900. For example, the battery cell 900 is a cuboid, the length direction extends along the first direction, and the liquid injection hole 901 and the explosion-proof valve are distributed along the first direction. The cleaning brush 310 can move along the first direction, and can move from one end to the other end of the top surface of the battery cell 900, so as to achieve comprehensive rolling brushing of the top surface of the battery cell 900.

[0143] Please refer to Figure 2 Optionally, the first direction corresponds to the front-rear direction in the figure, and the second direction corresponds to the left-right direction in the figure. Under the driving of the first moving module 350 and the second moving module 360, the suction cover 330 and the cleaning brush 310 can move along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. Under the driving of the first driving component 320, the bristles of the cleaning brush 310 can roll brush the top surface of the battery cell 900. At this time, the battery cell 900 can be parked at a predetermined position on the conveying line 200 and remain relatively stationary, waiting for the approach and rolling brushing of the cleaning brush 310. The space region occupied by the battery cell 900 when it is parked at the predetermined position is defined as a cleaning station.

[0144] In this way, by setting the first moving module 350 and the second moving module 360, more comprehensive cleaning of the battery cell 900 can be achieved, and the automation and efficiency of the battery cell cleaning device can be improved.

[0145] Of course, in other embodiments, the first moving module 350 and the second moving module 360 can not be provided, or only one of the two can be provided. For example, in other embodiments, the positions of the suction cover 330 and the cleaning brush 310 in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction remain unchanged, and the line body 210 of the conveying line 200 can also move in the up-down direction, so that the battery cell 900 can move upward to a position that can be rolled brushed by the cleaning brush 310, and the battery cell 900 can move forward to be rolled brushed by the cleaning brush 310 to different areas on the top surface thereof.

[0146] Please refer to Figure 2 According to some embodiments of the present application, the suction cover 330 is connected to the vacuum generator through the communication pipe 340. The vacuum generator is relatively fixedly installed on the base 100.

[0147] The communication pipe 340 refers to a pipe used to connect different components to achieve fluid or gas transmission. The material of the communication pipe 340 can be, but is not limited to, plastic or metal. In the technical solution of the present application, the communication pipe 340 plays the role of a bridge, connecting the suction hood 330 and the vacuum generator closely.

[0148] By arranging the communication pipe 340, the layout of the suction hood 330 and the vacuum generator can be more flexible. The installation positions of the suction hood 330 and the vacuum generator can be reasonably designed according to the actual equipment space and operation requirements, without affecting the communication effect between them.

[0149] For example, in the embodiment in which the suction hood 330 can move up and down and move forward and backward, the vacuum generator can be relatively fixedly installed on the base 100. Since the communication pipe 340 can freely deform to adapt to the position change of the suction hood 330, the vacuum generator does not need to move together with the suction hood 330. In this way, the performance requirements of the first moving module 350 and the second moving module 360 can be simplified, and the safety of the movement of the suction hood 330 can be improved.

[0150] Of course, in other embodiments, the communication pipe 340 can not be arranged, the vacuum generator can be installed on the suction hood 330, and the vacuum generator can be directly communicated with the suction hood 330.

[0151] Please refer to Figure 3 According to some embodiments of the present application, the communication pipe 340 can optionally include a first branch pipe 341, a second branch pipe 342, and a converging pipe 343. The first branch pipe 341 is communicated between the converging pipe 343 and the suction hood 330. The second branch pipe 342 is communicated between the converging pipe 343 and the guide table 220. The converging pipe 343 is further communicated with the vacuum generator.

[0152] The first branch pipe 341 refers to a pipe responsible for the communication between the suction hood 330 and the converging pipe 343 in the entire communication pipe 340 system. The second branch pipe 342 refers to a pipe responsible for the communication between the guide table 220 and the converging pipe 343 in the entire communication pipe 340 system. The converging pipe 343 refers to a pipe used to collect the welding slag delivered from the first branch pipe 341 and the second branch pipe 342, and it is the core converging component of the entire communication pipe 340 system.

[0153] The converging pipe 343 can have a relatively large pipe diameter to accommodate the welding slag flowing from the first branch pipe 341 and the second branch pipe 342 at the same time. The converging pipe 343 is communicated with the vacuum generator, and the welding slag collected in the converging pipe 343 is further delivered to the subsequent processing link by the suction force generated by the vacuum generator.

[0154] By setting the first branch pipe 341, the second branch pipe 342 and the collecting pipe 343, on the one hand, the layout of the suction cover 330, the guide table 220 and the vacuum generator can be more flexible. The installation positions of the suction cover 330, the guide table 220 and the vacuum generator can be reasonably designed according to the actual equipment space and operation requirements, without affecting the communication effect among them. On the other hand, the guide table 220 and the suction cover 330 can share the same vacuum generator. In this way, the structure of the battery cell cleaning device can be simplified, and the product cost can be reduced.

[0155] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the battery cell cleaning device further comprises a conveying line 200 and a limiting mechanism 500 arranged on the base 100. The conveying line 200 is provided with a conveying passage 201. The battery cell 900 moves in the conveying passage 201 along the first direction. The limiting mechanism 500 comprises a limiting piece 510 and a third driving piece 530. The limiting piece 510 is driven by the third driving piece 530 to block the battery cell 900 at the cleaning station of the conveying passage 201.

[0156] The conveying line 200 refers to a component for carrying the battery cell 900 and transporting it along the first direction. The conveying passage 201 refers to a specific path area on the conveying line 200 for the movement of the battery cell 900. The conveying line 200 can adopt various forms such as belt conveying, chain conveying, etc. The actual production requirements and the characteristics of the battery cell 900 are reasonably selected. For example, in the embodiment in which the conveying line 200 includes a belt, the battery cell 900 can be placed on the upper side of the belt and can move along the first direction under the action of the static friction force of the belt.

[0157] The limiting piece 510 refers to a component for blocking and positioning the battery cell 900. The limiting piece 510 can have a specific shape and structure, and be adapted to the shape of the battery cell 900 to ensure that it can accurately contact and block the battery cell 900. The limiting piece 510 can be made of various materials. For example, high-strength plastic or metal materials can be used to ensure that it has sufficient strength and wear resistance to withstand the impact force of the battery cell 900 during conveying.

[0158] The limiting member 510 blocks the battery cell 900, that is, the third driving member 530 drives the limiting member 510 to move to the moving path of the battery cell 900. When the battery cell 900 moves along the conveying channel 201 to the cleaning station, the limiting member 510 on the moving path of the battery cell 900 can prevent the battery cell 900 from continuing to move forward. The battery cell 900 is parked at the cleaning station to be cleaned by the cleaning brush 310. After the cleaning operation is completed, the third driving member 530 drives the limiting member 510 back to the initial position to remove the blockage of the battery cell 900, and the battery cell 900 can continue to move along the conveying channel 201.

[0159] Optionally, in order to improve work efficiency and accuracy, the action of the limiting member 510 can be cooperatively controlled with the operation of the conveying line 200, the action of the cleaning brush 310, etc., to realize the automation and high efficiency of the cleaning operation of the battery cell 900.

[0160] In this way, the battery cell 900 is blocked at the cleaning station by the limiting mechanism 500, which can improve the accuracy and reliability of the parking position of the battery cell 900 on the one hand, and can reduce the requirement for the transportation accuracy of the conveying line 200 on the other hand.

[0161] Of course, in other embodiments, the limiting mechanism 500 can also not be provided.

[0162] Please refer to Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the limiting mechanism 500 further comprises a material detection unit 540. The material detection unit 540 is used to detect the battery cell 900 entering the cleaning station. The material detection unit 540 is electrically connected with the third driving member 530.

[0163] The material detection unit 540 is a component that can perceive the battery cell 900 in the cleaning station. When the material detection unit 540 detects the battery cell 900 in the cleaning station, it will send a signal to the third driving member 530, and the third driving member 530 drives the limiting member 510 to block the battery cell 900 in the cleaning station.

[0164] The material detection unit 540 can adopt sensor technology or visual detection technology. For example, a photoelectric sensor can be used. For another example, whether the battery cell 900 is in the cleaning station can be identified by capturing image information. Specifically, a camera can collect real-time image of the cleaning station, and then determine whether the battery cell 900 enters the cleaning station through image analysis algorithm. This visual detection method can provide more intuitive and accurate detection results, and is especially suitable for scenes with high detection accuracy requirements.

[0165] The material detection unit 540 is electrically connected with the third driving member 530, which means that the two have a certain electrical control relationship, so that the third driving member 530 can start and stop according to the detection signal of the material detection unit 540. For example, after the material detection unit 540 detects that the battery cell 900 starts to enter the cleaning station, the third driving member 530 is controlled to drive the limiting member 510 to move to the moving path of the battery cell 900 to prevent the battery cell 900 from continuing to advance.

[0166] It is worth mentioning that, in the embodiment in which the battery cell cleaning device is also provided with a control system, the material detection unit 540 and the third driving member 530 are indirectly electrically connected through the control system. That is, after the control system receives the detection signal of the material detection unit 540, a control signal is sent to the third driving member 530 to drive the limiting member 510 to move.

[0167] In this way, by arranging the material detection unit 540, the automation degree and working performance of the battery cell cleaning device can be improved.

[0168] Of course, in other embodiments, the material detection unit 540 can also not be arranged.

[0169] Please refer to Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, the material detection unit 540 is optionally configured as a photoelectric sensor. The light beam of the photoelectric sensor penetrates the feeding end or the middle part of the cleaning station.

[0170] The material detection unit 540 can adopt a reflection type photoelectric sensor, etc. The photoelectric sensor can be an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, etc. Specifically, the infrared sensor detects the presence of an object by emitting and receiving infrared rays. When the battery cell 900 enters the cleaning station, it will block the propagation of infrared rays, so that the infrared sensor detects the presence of an object. The laser sensor uses a laser beam to detect an object, which has higher precision and reliability.

[0171] The feeding end of the cleaning station refers to the space area of the cleaning station where the battery cell 900 first appears during the feeding process of the battery cell 900. The light beam of the photoelectric sensor penetrates the feeding end, which means that the light beam can penetrate from one side of the feeding end space and come out from the other side when the cleaning station does not have the battery cell 900. When the cleaning station has the battery cell 900, the light beam will be blocked by the battery cell 900.

[0172] Optionally, in some embodiments, the material detection unit 540 is a reflection type photoelectric sensor, and the transmitter and the receiver thereof are arranged on opposite sides of the conveying line 200. The light beam emitted by the transmitter transversely crosses the feeding end of the cleaning station along the second direction.

[0173] Thus, the battery cell 900 entering the cleaning station is detected by the photoelectric sensor, which is simple in structure and easy to implement. Secondly, the battery cell 900 just enters the cleaning station or reaches the middle position of the cleaning station, and is detected by the photoelectric sensor, so that there is more time difference between the detection signal of the photoelectric sensor and the driving signal of the third driving member 530. Thus, the limiting member 510 has more time to complete position switching, and the fault tolerance of the control system is improved.

[0174] Referring to Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, optionally, the end of the limiting member 510 is provided with a buffer structure 511, and the buffer structure 511 is used to resist the battery cell 900.

[0175] The buffer structure 511 refers to a series of structures or components that can play a buffering role. The buffer structure 511 can be a layered structure formed by an elastic material directly on the outer surface of the end of the limiting member 510, for example, a silicone layer formed by spraying. The buffer structure 511 can also be a component made of an elastic material, such as a rubber pad, a plastic block, a silicone block, etc. Specifically, the main body of the limiting member 510 can be made of a metal material, and a plastic block is installed on the end face of the main body of the limiting member 510 and used as the buffer structure 511 directly contacting the battery cell 900. The buffer structure 511 can also be a component with a buffering function, such as a spring, a hydraulic buffer, etc.

[0176] Thus, by providing the buffer structure 511, the stability and safety of the battery cell 900 in the cleaning station can be improved, and the risk of damage to the battery cell due to impact force during resistance can be reduced.

[0177] Of course, in other embodiments, the buffer structure 511 can also not be provided.

[0178] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present application, optionally, the limiting mechanism 500 further comprises a second connecting member 520 transversely arranged above the conveying line 200. The second connecting member 520 is connected to the output end of the third driving member 530. The second connecting member 520 is provided with at least two limiting members 510 spaced apart in a second direction. One limiting member 510 corresponds to one battery cell 900. The second direction intersects the first direction.

[0179] The second connecting member 520 is arranged across the conveying line 200, which means that the second connecting member 520 is arranged above the conveying line 200 in a crossing manner. The output end of the third driving member 530 can be connected to the end or middle part of the second connecting member 520. For example, in some embodiments, the output end of the third driving member 530 is connected to the middle part of the second connecting member 520. In other embodiments, one end of the second connecting member 520 is connected to the output end of one third driving member 530, and the other end of the second connecting member 520 is in a suspended state. In yet other embodiments, both ends of the second connecting member 520 are connected to the output end of one third driving member 530. The second direction can be the left-right direction in the drawing. At this time, the conveying line 200 and the limiting member 510 extend in the front-rear direction, and the second connecting member 520 extends in the left-right direction.

[0180] Optionally, the second connecting member 520 is arranged in an L-shaped plate and has two intersecting plate segments. One plate segment extends in the first direction, and the output end of the third driving member 530 is connected to the middle part of the plate segment. The other plate segment extends from top to bottom, and the limiting member 510 is mounted on the rear end face of the plate segment.

[0181] The output end of the third driving member 530 refers to a component that effectively transmits the power of the third driving member 530 and can accurately deliver the force and movement generated by the third driving member 530 to the second connecting member 520. The output end of the third driving member 530 can have various forms, such as an output shaft that can transmit the rotational movement of the third driving member 530 to the second connecting member 520. Or an output rod that moves in a straight line to drive the second connecting member 520 to move in a specific direction.

[0182] The connection between the output end of the third driving member 530 and the second connecting member 520 can also have various options. For example, rigid connection can be used to ensure stable connection between the two. Flexible connection can also be used to buffer the power output by the third driving member 530 to some extent, reduce the impact on the second connecting member 520 and the limiting member 510, and prolong their service life. The present application does not make specific limitations in this regard, as long as the power can be accurately transmitted between the two.

[0183] In this way, at least two limiting members 510 are arranged along the second direction and are spaced apart from each other. Such a layout can simultaneously block multiple battery monomers 900, which can improve work efficiency and simplify the structure of the device.

[0184] According to some embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a battery production equipment comprising the battery cleaning device of any one of the above-mentioned schemes.

[0185] According to some embodiments of the present application, the battery cell production device further comprises a battery cell welding device for welding the end cover 920 and the shell 910 of the battery cell monomer 900, and the battery cell cleaning device is located downstream of the battery cell welding device.

[0186] Wherein, the battery cell cleaning device is located downstream of the battery cell welding device, which means that the production process of the former is before the production process of the latter. The battery cell monomer 900 first undergoes the production process of the former, and then undergoes the production process of the latter.

[0187] Optionally, the end cover 920 can be a top cover located at the top of the shell 910. The battery cell welding device can be a device that completes the production process of welding the top cover. The battery cell cleaning device can be a cleaning operation for the top cover and the welds on its periphery.

[0188] According to some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figures 2 to 7 , the present application provides a battery cell cleaning device. The battery cell cleaning device comprises a machine base 100, a conveying line 200, a cleaning mechanism 300, a protection mechanism 400, a limiting mechanism 500 and a control system. The conveying line 200, the cleaning mechanism 300, the protection mechanism 400 and the limiting mechanism 500 are electrically connected with the control system to communicate with the control system and be controlled by the control system. Wherein, the control system can be but not limited to PLC (Programmable Logic Controller, Programmable Logic Controller).

[0189] The battery cell monomer 900 is arranged in a square shell battery cell, and its length direction extends along the front and back directions. The opening of the shell 910 of the battery cell monomer 900 is arranged at the top, so its end cover 920 can also be called a top cover. The liquid injection hole 901 and the explosion-proof valve protection film 902 are arranged on the top cover and are spaced apart along the front and back directions. The present battery cell cleaning device is arranged after the top cover welding process of the battery cell monomer 900, which can clean the welding slag remaining near the top cover and the weld of the battery cell. And before the cleaning operation, the liquid injection hole 901 and the explosion-proof valve protection film 902 are covered by the protection piece 410, which can avoid the welding slag splashing on the liquid injection hole 901 and the explosion-proof valve protection film 902.

[0190] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 7The base 100 comprises a base frame 110, an outer box 120 and a cabinet 130. The outer box 120 covers the outer periphery of the base frame 110. The base frame 110 of the base 100 comprises eight vertical profiles 111 and two longitudinal profiles 112. The two longitudinal profiles 112 are spaced apart along the left-right direction. The front and rear ends of the longitudinal profiles 112 are respectively connected with one vertical profile 111. The remaining four vertical profiles 111 are connected to the upper side of the cabinet 130 and are respectively arranged at the four corners of the cabinet 130. The front and rear sides of the outer box 120 are respectively provided with a feeding port 121 and a discharging port 122. One end of the conveying line 200 is exposed outside the feeding port 121 to cooperate with the material conveying line body 210 of the previous process. The other end of the conveying line 200 is outside the discharging port 122 to cooperate with the material conveying line body 210 of the next process.

[0191] The conveying line 200 comprises four line bodies 210 and five guide tables 220. One line body 210 is arranged between two adjacent guide tables 220. The line body 210 comprises a belt, a belt pulley and a belt motor, and the belt motor drives the belt to move through the belt pulley. The left and right sides of each belt are respectively provided with a guide table 220. The guide table 220 and the belt jointly define a conveying channel 201 extending in the front-rear direction. Each conveying channel 201 is used for conveying a single battery cell 900. The battery cell 900 is placed on the upper side of the belt and can move together with the belt. The base 100 further comprises two mounting brackets 140 and eight first lifting rods 150, and four first lifting rods 150 are mounted on each mounting bracket 140. The mounting bracket 140 spans above the four line bodies 210 along the left-right direction, and the two ends thereof are respectively connected to the two longitudinal profiles 112. The first lifting rod 150 extends in the up-down direction. The upper end of the first lifting rod 150 is connected to the mounting bracket 140, and the lower end of the first lifting rod 150 is connected to the end of the guide table 220.

[0192] The guide table 220 is provided with a cleaning cavity. The length of the guide table 220 extends in the front-rear direction, and the top wall thereof is provided with a plurality of cleaning through holes 221 and two cleaning ports 222. The plurality of cleaning through holes 221 are arranged in a rectangular array in the middle of the top wall of the guide table 220 and are located at the side of the cleaning station. The two cleaning ports 222 are respectively arranged at the two ends of the top wall of the guide table 220, and each cleaning port 222 is connected with the manifold 343 through a second branch pipe 342. Therefore, ten second branch pipes 342 are installed in total, and the lower ends of five second branch pipes 342 are respectively communicated with the cleaning ports 222 at the front ends of the five guide tables 220, and the lower ends of the remaining five second branch pipes 342 are respectively communicated with the cleaning ports 222 at the rear ends of the five guide tables 220.

[0193] The cleaning mechanism 300 comprises a cleaning brush 310, a first driving member 320, a suction cover 330, a vacuum generator, a first moving module 350 and a second moving module 360. The first driving member 320 and the cleaning brush 310 are both mounted on the suction cover 330, and the three together form a moving part. The moving part is defined as a brush-suction module. The first driving member 320 is configured as a rotary motor and can drive the cleaning brush 310 to rotate around its own axis. The first moving module 350 and the second moving module 360 are configured as a combination of a linear motor and a sliding guide rail. The second moving module 360 is mounted on the upper side of the cabinet 130. The first moving module 350 is mounted on the second moving module 360. The brush-suction module is mounted on the first moving module 350. Driven by the first moving module 350 and the second moving module 360, the brush-suction module can move up and down and move forward and backward.

[0194] The suction cover 330 spans above the four conveying channels 201 in the left-right direction, and its cover opening is downwardly arranged. The upper cover wall of the suction cover 330 is connected with the manifold 343 through three first branch pipes 341, and the three first branch pipes 341 are distributed in the left-right direction. The cleaning brush 310 is arranged as a roller brush, and its axis extends in the left-right direction. The cleaning brush 310 rotates to roll the battery cell monomer 900 in the same direction under the drive of the first driving member 320. The cleaning brush 310 spans above the four conveying channels 201 in the left-right direction. The cleaning brush 310 and the suction cover 330 can simultaneously cover the top surface of the battery cell monomer 900 on all the conveying channels 201. The first branch pipe 341 is arranged through the top wall of the outer box 120, and the second branch pipe 342 and the manifold 343 are both exposed outside the outer box 120.

[0195] The protection mechanism 400 comprises four protection members 410, a first connecting member 420 and two second driving members 430. The first connecting member 420 spans above the four conveying channels 201 in the left-right direction. The two second driving members 430 are respectively mounted on the two longitudinal profiles 112 and are respectively connected with the two ends of the first connecting member 420. The second driving member 430 is configured as a pneumatic cylinder with an output rod and can drive the first connecting member 420 and the protection member 410 to move up and down together. The four protection members 410 are spaced apart and mounted on the first connecting member 420 in the left-right direction. One protection member 410 is responsible for protecting the battery cell monomer 900 on one conveying channel 201. The protection member 410 is arranged in a long plate structure, and its length direction extends in the front-back direction. The protection member 410 can simultaneously cover the liquid injection hole 901 and the explosion-proof valve protection film 902 of the same battery cell monomer 900.

[0196] The limiting mechanism 500 comprises four limiting members 510, two second connecting members 520, two third driving members 530 and a material detection unit 540. Each second connecting member 520 is arranged above the two conveying channels 201 in the left-right direction, and one limiting member 510 is arranged at the left and right ends of the second connecting member 520 respectively. The two second connecting members 520 and the two third driving members 530 are arranged in the left-right direction at intervals, and the output end of one third driving member 530 is connected to the middle part of one second connecting member 520. That is, one third driving member 530 is responsible for the movement of the two limiting members 510 arranged on the same second connecting member 520. The second driving member 430 is configured as a cylinder with an output rod, and can drive the second connecting member 520 and the limiting member 510 to move up and down together. The machine base 100 further comprises a second boom 160 extending in the left-right direction. The two ends of the second boom 160 are connected to the two sides of the front mounting bracket 140 respectively. The two third driving members 530 are mounted on the middle part of the second boom 160. That is, the front mounting bracket 140 simultaneously serves as a guide table 220 and a mounting structure of the third driving member 530. The material detection unit 540 is configured as a reflective photoelectric sensor, and the emitter and the receiver thereof are mounted on the two longitudinal profiles 112 respectively. The material detection unit 540 is located behind the second driving member 430, and the light beam thereof penetrates the middle part of the cleaning station.

[0197] The application provides an electric core cleaning device, and the working steps thereof include:

[0198] In step S01, the PLC sends a command to the conveying line, the belt starts to run and move, and receives four electric core monomers from the previous process. At this time, the four electric core monomers form a group, and after the completion of the top cover welding, they simultaneously enter the feeding end of the four conveying channels.

[0199] In step S02, the electric core monomers reach the feeding end of the cleaning station along with the belt movement of the line body, and the light beam of the material detection unit is blocked by the electric core monomers to send a signal to the PLC. At this time, the electric core monomers continue to advance with the belt.

[0200] In step S03, after receiving the signal of the material detection unit, the PLC sends a command to the two third driving members to make the output rod of the third driving member extend downward. The downward movement of the output rod of the third driving member drives the second connecting member and the limiting member thereon to descend until the limiting member reaches the height position corresponding to the middle part of the side surface of the electric core monomer.

[0201] In step S04, the electric core monomers continue to advance until the front side surface thereof touches the limiting member after descending, and are blocked in the cleaning station. Then, the belt stops running.

[0202] Step S05, the PLC sends instructions to the two second driving members to make the output rods of the second driving members retract downward. The downward movement of the output rods of the second driving members drives the first connecting member and the protective member thereon to descend until the protective member reaches the covering position. The protective member in the covering position contacts the top cover surface of the battery cell and covers the liquid injection hole and the protective film of the explosion-proof valve.

[0203] Step S06, the PLC sends instructions to the first moving module, the first driving member and the vacuum generator. Under the driving of the first moving module, the brush-suction module moves downward to a preset height position. Under the driving of the first driving member, the cleaning brush starts to rotate. Under the operation of the vacuum generator, negative pressure can be generated inside the suction cover, the guide table and the communication pipe. At this time, the cleaning brush is located above the battery cell in front, and the bristles of the cleaning brush have not contacted the top cover. If the cleaning brush in the height position moves backward, the bristles of the cleaning brush can interfere with the top cover.

[0204] Step S07, the PLC sends instructions to the second moving module to make the brush-suction module move backward slowly until the cleaning brush reaches above the battery cell in the rear. During this process, the bristles of the cleaning brush sweep the top cover and the weld in different areas in the front-rear direction in sequence. At the same time, the welding slag swept off by the cleaning brush is sucked away through the suction cover, the guide table and the communication pipe. The cleaning brush can sweep four battery cells on four conveying channels at the same time.

[0205] Step S08, after the cleaning brush completes the sweeping operation, the PLC sends instructions to the first moving module and the second moving module to make the brush-suction module move to the initial position.

[0206] Step S09, the PLC sends instructions to the two second driving members to make the output rods of the second driving members extend upward. The upward movement of the output rods of the second driving members drives the first connecting member and the protective member thereon to rise until the protective member reaches the avoiding position. The protective member in the avoiding position is separated from the battery cell and is spaced above the battery cell.

[0207] Step S10, the PLC sends instructions to the two third driving members to make the output rods of the third driving members retract upward. The upward movement of the output rods of the third driving members drives the second connecting member and the limiting member thereon to rise to the initial position, so that the limiting member leaves the moving path of the battery cell. The limiting member in the initial position is located above the battery cell in front.

[0208] Step S11, the PLC sends instructions to the conveying line, the belt resumes operation and movement to drive the battery cell to continue to move forward. Then the four battery cells of the group are conveyed to the next process.

[0209] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments can be modified, or some or all of the technical features can be replaced equivalently. Such modifications or replacements do not change the essence of the corresponding technical solutions, which should be covered in the scope of the claims and the specification of the present application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An electrode sheet cleaning device characterized by comprising: The battery cell cleaning device comprises a base, a cleaning mechanism, and a protection mechanism. The protection mechanism comprises a protection member capable of covering the liquid injection hole of the battery cell. The protection member extends along a first direction to cover the liquid injection hole and the protection film of the explosion-proof valve of the battery cell. The protection mechanism further comprises a second driving member arranged on the base.

2. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein The second driving member is electrically connected to the first driving member.

3. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein The protection member is driven by the second driving member to switch between a covering position and an avoiding position.

4. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 3, wherein The battery cell cleaning device further comprises a conveying line arranged on the base.

5. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein The conveying line transports the battery cell along a first direction.

6. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein The protection mechanism further comprises a first connecting member arranged above the conveying line.

7. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein The first connecting member is connected to the output end of the second driving member.

8. The cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cleaning apparatus is configured to clean the electrode assembly by moving the cleaning member in the direction of the electrode assembly. At least two protection members are arranged on the first connecting member along a second direction.

9. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 8, wherein, The second direction intersects the first direction.

10. The cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cleaning apparatus is configured to clean the electrode assembly by moving the cleaning member in a direction perpendicular to the electrode assembly. One protection member corresponds to one battery cell.

11. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein, One of the second driving members is connected to one end of the first connecting member.

12. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The other second driving member is connected to the other end of the first connecting member.

13. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The conveying line is provided with at least two conveying channels distributed along the second direction. The battery cell moves in the conveying channel. One protection member corresponds to one conveying channel. The battery cell cleaning device further comprises a conveying line arranged on the base. The conveying line comprises a line body and a guide table. Both sides of the line body are provided with the guide table. The guide table and the line body together enclose a conveying channel. The battery cell moves in the conveying channel. The guide table is provided with a cleaning cavity. The top wall of the guide table is provided with a plurality of cleaning through holes communicating with the cleaning cavity. The top surface of the battery cell in the conveying channel is higher than the top surface of the guide table. The cleaning mechanism further comprises a vacuum generator arranged on the base. The guide table is further provided with a cleaning port communicating with the cleaning cavity. The cleaning port communicates with the vacuum generator. The cleaning mechanism further comprises a vacuum generator and a suction cover communicating with the vacuum generator. The cleaning brush is partially accommodated in the suction cover. The first driving member is arranged in the suction cover. One end of the cleaning brush is connected to the output end of the first driving member. The other end of the cleaning brush is rotatably connected to the cover wall of the suction cover. The cleaning mechanism further comprises a first moving module and a second moving module. The suction cover is installed on the base through the first moving module and the second moving module. The first moving module drives the suction cover to move along the up-down direction. The second moving module drives the suction cover to move along the first direction. The suction cover is connected to the vacuum generator through a communication pipe. The vacuum generator is relatively fixedly installed on the base.

14. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 13, wherein, The connecting pipe includes a first branch pipe, a second branch pipe, and a manifold. The first branch pipe connects the manifold and the suction hood, the second branch pipe connects the manifold and the guide platform, and the manifold is also connected to the vacuum generator.

15. The electrode cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The battery cell cleaning device also includes a conveyor line and a limiting mechanism disposed on the base. The conveyor line is provided with a conveying channel, and the battery cell moves along a first direction within the conveying channel. The limiting mechanism includes a limiting member and a third driving member. The limiting member is driven by the third driving member so as to block the battery cell at the cleaning station of the conveying channel.

16. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein, The limiting mechanism also includes a material detection unit, which is used to detect individual battery cells entering the cleaning station. The material detection unit is electrically connected to the third driving component.

17. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 16, wherein, The material detection unit is configured as a photoelectric sensor, and the light beam of the photoelectric sensor passes through the feed end or middle of the cleaning station.

18. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein, The end of the limiting member is provided with a buffer structure, which blocks the individual battery cell.

19. The cell cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein, The limiting mechanism further includes a second connector spanning above the conveyor line. The second connector is connected to the output end of the third drive unit. At least two limiting members are installed at intervals along the second direction on the second connector. Each limiting member blocks one of the battery cells. The second direction intersects with the first direction.

20. The cell cleaning apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The interference between the bristles of the cleaning brush and the individual battery cell ranges from 5mm to 15mm.

21. An electrode production apparatus, characterized by comprising: The battery cell production equipment includes a battery cell cleaning device as described in any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. The battery cell production apparatus of claim 21, wherein, The battery cell production equipment also includes a battery cell welding device, which is used to weld and fix the top cover and shell of the battery cell. The battery cell cleaning device is located downstream of the battery cell welding device.

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