Edge printing device for rectangular lithium battery

Abstract

The utility model discloses a rectangular lithium battery edge printing device which comprises a printing module and a clamp, the printing module is used for spraying insulation UV printing ink, and the clamp is used for placing and transporting a rectangular lithium battery; the spraying surface of the printing module and the lithium battery of the clamp are arranged at a relative included angle; when the spraying surface of the printing module is horizontally arranged, the clamp drives the lithium battery to form a relative inclination angle with the spraying surface; the printing module comprises a first portal frame, a first transverse moving device distributed in the length direction of a first cross beam of the first portal frame, a first vertical moving device arranged on the first transverse moving device and a first spraying module arranged on the first vertical moving device, and the clamp is a first clamp; the first clamp comprises a base and a swing seat installed at one end of the base in a swing mode, the base is provided with an inclined driving device, the inclined driving device is used for enabling the swing seat to adjust the relative inclination angle with the pivot point of the base as the base point, and the rectangular lithium battery is placed on the swing seat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lithium battery processing equipment, and in particular to a device for printing the edges of rectangular lithium batteries. Background Technology

[0002] Lithium-ion batteries are a type of battery that uses lithium metal or lithium alloys as positive / negative electrode materials and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. Existing rectangular lithium-ion batteries generally have edges, which can be rounded or chamfered to improve the structural support of the lithium-ion battery.

[0003] The existing edge generally has two sides, A and B. The current method assumes that the edge has a center line. When spraying A, the sprayed surface will exceed the center line and extend to the position of B. When spraying B, the sprayed surface of the printing module will exceed the center line and extend to A, thus realizing the spraying of the edge.

[0004] This spraying method will have the following problems: 1. The thickness of the insulation layer sprayed at the center line position is greater than that of surface A and surface B. Therefore, there will be overlapping at this position, which will lead to the problem of insulation layer stress.

[0005] 2. If the thickness of the insulation layer is greater than the predetermined value, it is easy to cause the insulation layer to crack.

[0006] 3. Assuming that surfaces A and B are coated layer by layer to achieve a consistent thickness at the edges, the coating efficiency will be greatly reduced.

[0007] Although there are existing methods that use biomimetic structures for spraying, such as Chinese patent CN202210830081.2, this structure is not suitable for large-scale edge-mounted insulating ink spraying, and the insulating ink spraying for lithium batteries generally requires layer-by-layer spraying and curing, thus presenting production limitations. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The main objective of this invention is to provide an edge printing device for rectangular lithium batteries, which aims to improve existing spraying equipment and achieve insulating ink spraying on the edges or edges and top surface of lithium batteries, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes an edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery, comprising a printing module and a fixture, wherein the printing module is used to spray insulating UV ink, and the fixture is used to place and transport the rectangular lithium battery;

[0010] The sprayed surface of the printing module and the lithium battery of the fixture are set at a relative angle;

[0011] When the sprayed surface of the printing module is set horizontally, the clamp causes the lithium battery to be tilted at a relative angle to the sprayed surface, and also causes the edge to be tilted at a relative angle to the sprayed surface;

[0012] The printing module includes a first gantry, a first lateral moving device distributed along the length of a first crossbeam of the first gantry, a first vertical moving device disposed on the first lateral moving device, and a first spraying module disposed on the first vertical moving device.

[0013] The first lateral moving device is used to drive the first spraying module to move laterally.

[0014] The first vertical moving device is used to drive the first spraying module to move vertically;

[0015] The clamp is a first clamp, which includes a base and a swing seat oscillatingly mounted on one end of the base. The base is equipped with a tilting drive device.

[0016] The tilting drive device is used to adjust the relative tilt angle of the swing seat with the pivot point of the base as the reference point, and the rectangular lithium battery is placed on the swing seat.

[0017] By improving the existing fixture, the swing seat of the fixture drives the lithium battery to align the edge with the horizontally positioned printing module according to actual needs.

[0018] When the tilting drive device is a servo rotary motor, the tilting drive device can drive the swing seat to set the lithium battery horizontally. At the same time, in actual processing, several fixtures can be set at intervals. The first lateral moving device drives the first spraying module to move horizontally, thereby realizing the reciprocating spraying of multiple sets of lithium batteries, thereby realizing the spraying and curing of insulating ink, improving processing efficiency. Of course, multiple first spraying modules can also be set to realize the simultaneous processing of multiple lithium batteries. Of course, this equipment can also be applied to small-scale lithium battery spraying, thereby reducing the overall size of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lithium battery clamp in the first embodiment;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the printing module in the first embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the printing module in the first embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the printing module for the second embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the printing module for the second embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the printing module for the second embodiment. Figure 3 ;

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the second UV curing module in the second embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0029] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the second UV curing module in the second embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0030] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the second fixture in the second embodiment. Figure 1 ;

[0031] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the second fixture in the second embodiment. Figure 2 ;

[0032] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the first and second spraying of ink droplets;

[0033] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a battery.

[0034] In the picture,

[0035] 1 represents the first gantry frame, 11 represents the first lateral moving device, 12 represents the first vertical moving device, and 13 represents the first spraying module.

[0036] 2 is the first clamp, 20 is the base, 21 is the swing seat, 22 is the first support protrusion, 23 is the first fixed support protrusion, and 24 is the first adjusting support protrusion.

[0037] 3 is the tilting drive device, 30 is the sliding block, 31 is the ball screw, 32 is the screw nut, and 33 is the linkage crank.

[0038] 4 is the first UV module.

[0039] 51 is the first fixed plate, and 52 is the ink baffle plate.

[0040] 6 is the first transport device, 61 is the linear guide rail, 62 is the linear slider, and 63 is the linear lead screw pair.

[0041] 7 is the second clamp, 71 is the base, 72 is the second support protrusion, 73 is the second fixed support plate, 74 is the second adjusting support protrusion, and 75 is the horizontal drive device.

[0042] 81 is the first horizontal moving device, 82 is the second vertical moving device, 83 is the rotating assembly, and 84 is the rotary motor.

[0043] 9 is the second spraying module, 100 is the second UV curing module, 101 is the top curing assembly, and 102 is the side curing assembly.

[0044] 200 is the third vertical lead screw pair, and 202 is the third linear motion device. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, top, bottom, inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, counterclockwise, clockwise, circumferential, radial, axial, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0047] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0048] like Figures 1 to 14 As shown, an edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery includes a printing module and a fixture. The printing module is used to spray insulating UV ink, and the fixture is used to place and transport the rectangular lithium battery.

[0049] The printing steps include:

[0050] S1: The sprayed surface of the printing module and the lithium battery of the fixture are set at a relative angle;

[0051] S11: When the spraying surface of the printing module is set horizontally, the clamp drives the lithium battery to be at a relative angle to the spraying surface, and makes the edge at a relative angle to the spraying surface;

[0052] S12: When the lithium battery is transported by the first transport device 6 and set vertically, the spraying surface of the printing module is set at an angle, and the spraying surface and the edge of the lithium battery are at a relative angle.

[0053] In actual processing, S11 and S12 can be combined to improve production efficiency.

[0054] S2: The printing module uses the edges as the printing surface and calculates the predetermined printing area, and enlarges the printing area to a predetermined magnification based on the vision device.

[0055] The number of nozzles in the printing module was calculated, and the number and arrangement of the nozzles were compared with the enlarged printing area.

[0056] The enlarged printing area extends to the non-curved areas of surfaces A and B:

[0057] S3: The running trajectory of the printing module is calculated based on the printed area. The printing module is equipped with a learning calculation module.

[0058] The learning and calculation module performs geometric modeling of the printed area, where the positions of the edges are coordinated according to the R-angle and arranged according to the nozzle matrix. When spraying the edges, the spraying density is reduced to ensure that the coverage thickness is less than a predetermined value during the second spraying.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the battery cell is tilted at an angle using an adjustable clamp before printing. With this printing method, the insulating coating on the R-corner edge is drawn separately and does not need to be covered by multiple layers. This makes the insulating coating thickness at the R-corner edge more uniform and improves the battery performance.

[0060] It also reduces secondary contamination of the B side when printing the A side, improving product yield; furthermore, it reduces the number of printing operations at the R-corner edges, saving on the use of insulating coating and reducing production costs.

[0061] In the second embodiment, by rotating the print head of the printing module, the print head and the battery R-corner are made tangent. In this case, the unfolded shape of the battery R-corner edge is equivalent to a plane relative to the print head, which allows for more accurate printing of the R-corner graphic size. At the same time, compared with the first embodiment, the second embodiment can print multiple R-corner edges simultaneously, improving the overall printing efficiency.

[0062] The specific learning modules can be discretized: the continuous area is divided into grid cells (based on the spraying accuracy requirements) to generate a raster map.

[0063] Specifically, the printing module also includes a vision inspection device for capturing images of the edges.

[0064] The edge has a predetermined radius (R-angle). The vision device acquires the edge position of the lithium battery. The vision device also includes a computing system, which obtains the printing area based on the predetermined R-angle and edge position.

[0065] The first image is obtained by magnifying the printed area at a predetermined magnification.

[0066] The printing module acquires a second image based on first spraying data regarding the number and arrangement of nozzles. The second image includes the size and area of ​​insulating ink droplets.

[0067] The number of spraying operations and the number of ink droplets required for the first image are then calculated based on the size and density of the second image.

[0068] This allows for edge coating, effectively avoiding the problem of repeated coating of the insulation layer.

[0069] In the actual spraying process, there is a predetermined spacing between adjacent ink droplets when magnified. Therefore, in the second spraying, the first and second spraying positions of the second image should be stacked in the gap to improve the coverage of the insulating layer.

[0070] Specifically, the printing module of S11 includes a first gantry frame 1, a first transverse moving device 11 distributed along the length direction of the first crossbeam of the first gantry frame 1, a first vertical moving device 12 disposed on the first transverse moving device 11, and a first spraying module 13 disposed on the first vertical moving device 12.

[0071] The first lateral moving device 11 is used to drive the first spraying module 13 to move laterally.

[0072] The first vertical moving device 12 is used to drive the first spraying module 13 to move vertically.

[0073] Specifically, the tilting drive device 3 is used to adjust the relative tilt angle of the swing seat 21 with the pivot point of the base 20 as the base point, and the rectangular lithium battery is placed on the swing seat 21.

[0074] Specifically, the horizontal surface of the first crossbeam is provided with a plurality of spaced first clamps 2, and the first UV curing modules are provided on both sides of the first spraying module 13, with the first UV curing modules being vertically arranged.

[0075] When the first spraying module 13 sprays insulating ink onto the edges of any rectangular lithium battery, the first UV curing modules located on both sides are used to irradiate the rectangular lithium battery that has just been sprayed with ink with UV light to cure it.

[0076] The first spraying module 13 and the first UV curing module spray and cure sequentially from left to right.

[0077] Then the first spraying module 13 and the first UV curing module spray and cure sequentially from right to left;

[0078] And make the first and second images overlap in a staggered manner.

[0079] In actual insulation layer spraying, the number of spraying times generally exceeds 6 to ensure that the insulation layer is not broken down by external power sources, thereby improving structural stability.

[0080] Specifically, the tilting drive device 3 includes a sliding block 30 slidably mounted on the base 20 and a ball screw 31 for adjusting the sliding block 30. The sliding block 30 is provided with a screw nut 32 that cooperates with the ball screw 31.

[0081] The sliding block 30 is provided with a linkage crank 33. One end of the linkage crank 33 is pivotally connected to the sliding block 30, and the other end is pivotally connected to the bottom wall of the swing seat 21, thereby adjusting the relative tilt angle of the swing seat 21, so that the edge of the lithium battery is set opposite to the sprayed surface.

[0082] Specifically, the bottom wall of the swing seat 21 is provided with a plurality of upwardly extending first support protrusions 22, the long side of the swing seat 21 is provided with a first fixed support protrusion 23, and a first adjustable support protrusion 24 is provided at a position opposite to the first fixed support protrusion 23.

[0083] The first fixed support protrusion 23 has first side support protrusions on both sides, and the first adjustable support protrusion 24 has a gap with the edge of the rectangular lithium battery, so that the edge to be sprayed presents a predetermined tilt angle, thereby ensuring the consistency of spraying.

[0084] Specifically, the first fixed support protrusion 23 is provided on the first fixed plate 51, and the upper end of the first fixed plate 51 is provided with an ink blocking plate 52. The upper wall of the rectangular lithium battery is located at the lower wall position of the ink blocking plate 52. The first adjusting support protrusion 24 is provided on the elastic top spring. The elastic top spring can apply a spring force to the side wall of the lithium battery in the direction of the first fixed plate 51, thereby realizing the limitation of the rectangular lithium battery and also realizing the blocking of ink, thus realizing the limitation of the lithium battery. Its structure is simple and stable.

[0085] Specifically, the first lateral moving device 11 includes a first lateral guide rail, a first lateral slider slidably mounted on the lateral guide rail, and a first lateral lead screw pair for driving the first lateral slider to move.

[0086] The first vertical moving device 12 includes a first vertical guide rail, a first vertical slider slidably mounted on the vertical guide rail, and a first vertical lead screw pair for driving the first vertical slider to move.

[0087] Specifically, the first transport device 6 of S12 includes a linear guide rail 61, a linear slider 62 slidably mounted on the linear guide rail 61, and a linear lead screw pair 63 for driving the linear slider 62 to reciprocate.

[0088] The linear sliding mechanism is equipped with a second clamp 7, which is used to vertically place the rectangular lithium battery and make the two opposite edges of the rectangular lithium battery vertically arranged.

[0089] Specifically, the second clamp 7 includes a base 71, a second support protrusion 72 extending upward from the bottom arm of the base 71, a second fixed support plate 73 disposed at both ends of the base 71, and a second adjusting support protrusion 74 slidably mounted on the fixed support plate.

[0090] The base 71 is provided with a horizontal driving device 75, which is used to drive the second adjusting support protrusion 74 to slide and make the opposite two sides of the lithium battery fully exposed, thereby realizing the clamping of the rectangular lithium battery.

[0091] Specifically, the linear guide rail 61 is provided with a first horizontal moving device 81, a second vertical moving device 82 provided on the first horizontal moving device 81, and a rotating component 83 provided on the second vertical moving device 82. The rotating component 83 is provided with a second spraying module 9, and the rotating component 83 is used to drive the second spraying module 9 to rotate.

[0092] Specifically, the first horizontal moving device 81 includes a first horizontal guide rail, a first horizontal slider slidably mounted on the first horizontal guide rail, and a first horizontal lead screw pair for driving the first horizontal slider to move.

[0093] The second vertical moving device 82 includes a second vertical guide rail, a second vertical slider slidably mounted on the second vertical guide rail, and a second vertical lead screw pair for driving the second vertical slider to move.

[0094] Specifically, the rotating assembly 83 includes two vertically spaced plates. The second spraying module 9 is pivotally mounted on both sides between the two pivot plates. A rotary motor 84 is provided on the outer wall of one of the pivot plates. After the second spraying module 9 extends out of the vertical plate, it is directly or via a belt connected to the rotary motor 84, thereby driving the second spraying module 9 to rotate to a vertical or inclined position.

[0095] Specifically, the second spraying assembly is provided in multiple sets. The rotating assembly 83 is used to drive the spraying surface of the second spraying module 9 to be set vertically or tilted, and is used to spray the edges and / or sides of the lithium battery. Therefore, in actual production capacity adjustment, the sides of the lithium battery can be sprayed simultaneously or the edges can be sprayed, or the edges can be sprayed and then the sides can be sprayed, according to actual needs.

[0096] Specifically, a second UV curing module 100 is provided at a position adjacent to the second spraying component.

[0097] The second UV curing module 100 includes a second gantry, a top curing component 101 disposed at the top of the second gantry, and side curing components 102 disposed on both sides of the second gantry.

[0098] In the spraying process, after the second spraying module 9 sprays the sides and edges of the lithium battery simultaneously, in the next process, the top curing component 101 and the side curing component 102 simultaneously fix the sides and edges of the lithium battery, thereby improving the spraying efficiency.

[0099] Specifically, the second gantry is provided with third vertical guide rails on both sides, and third vertical sliders are slidably installed on the third vertical guide rails. The top curing component 101 is provided on the two third vertical sliders.

[0100] The top wall of the second gantry is provided with a third vertical screw pair 200 that directly or simultaneously drives two sets of third vertical sliders via a synchronous belt. In this application, a synchronous belt is used to achieve synchronous movement on both sides of the top curing component 101, thereby ensuring the stability of curing.

[0101] Specifically, a third linear moving device 202 is provided on the inner side of the second gantry frame and suspended in the air, and the side-curing component 102 is provided on the third linear moving device 202.

[0102] Specifically, the second clamp 7 can reciprocate between the second gantry and the second spraying assembly, and switch between spraying and curing steps for the sides and edges.

[0103] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for printing the edges of a rectangular lithium battery, characterized in that, It includes a printing module and a fixture, the printing module being used to spray insulating UV ink, and the fixture being used to hold and transport rectangular lithium batteries; The sprayed surface of the printing module and the lithium battery of the fixture are set at a relative angle; When the sprayed surface of the printing module is set horizontally, the clamp drives the lithium battery to be at a relative angle to the sprayed surface, and makes the edge at a relative angle to the sprayed surface; The printing module includes a first gantry, a first lateral moving device distributed along the length of a first crossbeam of the first gantry, a first vertical moving device disposed on the first lateral moving device, and a first spraying module disposed on the first vertical moving device. The first lateral moving device is used to drive the first spraying module to move laterally. The first vertical moving device is used to drive the first spraying module to move vertically; The clamp is a first clamp, which includes a base and a swing seat oscillatingly mounted on one end of the base. The base is equipped with a tilting drive device. The tilting drive device is used to adjust the relative tilt angle of the swing seat with the pivot point of the base as the reference point, and the rectangular lithium battery is placed on the swing seat.

2. The edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal surface of the first crossbeam is provided with a plurality of spaced first clamps, and the two sides of the first spraying module are provided with first UV curing modules; When the first spraying module sprays insulating ink onto the edges of any rectangular lithium battery, the first UV curing modules located on both sides are used to irradiate the rectangular lithium battery with the ink to cure it with UV light.

3. The edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The tilting drive device includes a sliding block slidably mounted on the base and a ball screw for adjusting the sliding block. The sliding block is provided with a screw nut that cooperates with the ball screw. The sliding block is equipped with a linkage crank, one end of which is pivotally connected to the sliding block and the other end is pivotally connected to the bottom wall of the swing seat.

4. The edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom wall of the swing seat is provided with a plurality of upwardly extending first support protrusions, the long side of the swing seat is provided with a first fixed support protrusion, and a first adjustable support protrusion is provided at a position opposite to the first fixed support protrusion. The first fixed support protrusion has first side support protrusions on both sides, and the first adjustable support protrusion has a gap with the edge of the rectangular lithium battery.

5. The edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The first fixed support protrusion is disposed on the first fixed plate, and the upper end of the first fixed plate is provided with an ink baffle plate, and the upper wall of the rectangular lithium battery is located at the lower wall position of the ink baffle plate.

6. The edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The first adjusting support protrusion is disposed on an elastic top spring, which can apply a spring force to the side wall of the lithium battery toward the first fixed plate.

7. The edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The first lateral moving device includes a first lateral guide rail, a first lateral slider slidably mounted on the lateral guide rail, and a first lateral lead screw pair for driving the first lateral slider to move.

8. The edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The first vertical moving device includes a first vertical guide rail, a first vertical slider slidably mounted on the vertical guide rail, and a first vertical lead screw pair for driving the first vertical slider to move.

9. The edge printing device for a rectangular lithium battery as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The tilting drive is a servo rotary motor.

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