Robot laser welding integrated device for battery module

Abstract

The utility model relates to a robot laser welding integrated device of a battery module. The robot laser welding integrated device comprises a six-axis robot installed on a base and a welding assembly installed on the six-axis robot. The welding assembly comprises a first fixing plate installed on the six-axis robot, a vibration lens is installed on the top of the first fixing plate, an air knife support is installed on the front side of the vibration lens, and at least one air knife is installed on the air knife support. A pressing nozzle assembly is installed on the right side of the bottom of the first fixing plate. A visual assembly is installed on the left side of the bottom of the first fixing plate. The multi-face flexible welding device is integrally installed on a flange at the tail end of a six-axis robot, multi-face flexible welding of a battery module can be achieved through one-time clamping, the size of welding equipment is reduced, and application flexibility of laser welding equipment to welding machining of different welding faces in different scenes is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of battery module processing, and in particular to a robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of laser welding, the welding process for large parts is complex and time-consuming, and requires multiple clamping operations to complete the processing of different end faces. By integrating robotics and laser welding technologies, the flexibility and adaptability of welding processing for different shapes, materials and parts can be improved, solving practical problems such as limited laser welding operation space and insufficient welding flexibility. Therefore, applying robotic laser welding technology to the field of large battery module welding has broad application prospects.

[0003] A search revealed a Chinese patent publication number, CN210281084U, which discloses a gantry-type robot laser welding mechanism. This type of equipment requires a relatively large size to expand the welding workspace, resulting in high equipment volume and cost. Existing published welding equipment patents show that gantry-type welding robots need to increase their size to increase the welding workspace, which cannot meet the needs of miniaturization and flexible welding. Articulated robots, on the other hand, generally have dedicated welding mechanisms and cannot meet the multi-functional integration requirements of precise positioning, pressing, dust removal, and inert gas protection for battery modules.

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings, the designer has actively researched and innovated in order to create a robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules, making it more valuable for industrial applications. Utility Model Content

[0005] To solve any of the above-mentioned technical problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules, which aims to achieve flexible welding of multiple end faces of battery modules in a single clamping.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules, comprising a six-axis robot mounted on a base and welding components mounted on the six-axis robot;

[0008] The welding assembly includes a first fixed plate mounted on a six-axis robot, a vibrating head mounted on the top of the first fixed plate, a light outlet mounted on the bottom of the vibrating head, an air knife bracket mounted on the front side of the vibrating head, and at least one air knife mounted on the air knife bracket.

[0009] A nozzle assembly is installed on the bottom right side of the first fixed plate. The nozzle assembly includes a second fixed plate installed on the first fixed plate. A slide cylinder is installed on the second fixed plate. The slide cylinder drives the copper nozzle support below to move in the vertical direction. A copper nozzle assembly is installed on the copper nozzle support. A clamping block is installed at the bottom of the copper nozzle assembly. A dust suction hood is installed on one side of the copper nozzle assembly.

[0010] A vision component is installed on the bottom left side of the first fixed plate. The vision component includes a third fixed plate installed on the first fixed plate, on which a camera and a light source are installed sequentially from top to bottom.

[0011] As a further improvement of this utility model, the air knife bracket covers the light emission range of the light emission port in the left and right directions. Vertical connecting rods are installed on both the left and right sides of the bottom of the air knife bracket, and the left and right sides of the air knife are adjustablely installed between the two vertical connecting rods in the vertical direction.

[0012] As a further improvement of this utility model, a laser rangefinder is installed on the rear side of the second fixed plate, and the laser rangefinder is limited by the first step groove on the rear side of the second fixed plate; the slide cylinder is limited by the second step groove on the front side of the second fixed plate.

[0013] As a further improvement of this utility model, a clamping pre-reserved hole is provided on the copper nozzle bracket for the clamping block to pass through. After the clamping block passes through the clamping pre-reserved hole, the position of the battery module to be welded is clamped.

[0014] As a further improvement of this utility model, the upper part of the dust cover is hollowed out and wraps around the outside of the copper nozzle mounted on the copper nozzle assembly.

[0015] As a further improvement of this utility model, a guide groove is provided on the front side of the third fixing plate along the vertical direction. The camera is installed at the bottom of the camera support, and the light source is installed on the light source mounting plate. The camera support and the light source mounting plate can slide and lock in the guide groove along the vertical direction respectively.

[0016] As a further improvement of this utility model, a baffle cylinder is installed at the bottom rear side of the third fixed plate, and the baffle cylinder drives the baffle located below the light source to move in the front-back direction.

[0017] By means of the above solution, this utility model has at least the following advantages:

[0018] This utility model is integrated into the end flange of a six-axis robot, enabling flexible welding of battery modules on multiple sides with a single clamping. This reduces the size of the welding equipment and improves the application flexibility of laser welding equipment for welding different surfaces in different scenarios.

[0019] This invention modularizes the galvanizing head, air knife, nozzle assembly, and vision assembly in the welding components. It also features an adjustable design for the camera, light source, air knife, and nozzle. When the welding product is changed, welding can be performed by replacing the entire welding assembly, partially replacing or finely adjusting the components, thus improving the equipment's changeover efficiency and reusability.

[0020] This utility model integrates multiple functions into the end effector of a welding robot, realizing the integration of welding positioning, ranging, inert gas protection, dust collection, and laser welding, thereby improving the welding efficiency and welding quality of the equipment.

[0021] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules according to this utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the welding assembly;

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the medium-pressure nozzle assembly;

[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the visual component.

[0027] The meanings of the labels in the figures are as follows.

[0028] 1. Base; 2. Six-axis robot; 3. Welding components;

[0029] 31 First fixing plate; 32 Scanning head; 321 Light outlet; 33 Air knife bracket; 331 Vertical connecting rod; 34 Air knife; 35 Pressure nozzle assembly; 36 Vision assembly;

[0030] 351 Second fixing plate; 352 Slide cylinder; 353 Copper nozzle bracket; 354 ​​Copper nozzle assembly; 354-1 Clamping block; 355 Dust hood; 356 Laser rangefinder;

[0031] 361 Third fixing plate; 362 Camera support; 363 Camera; 364 Light source mounting plate; 365 Light source; 366 Baffle cylinder; 367 Baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this utility model, but are not intended to limit its scope.

[0033] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] like Figures 1-4 As shown, an embodiment of this utility model is as follows:

[0035] like Figure 1 The diagram shows a robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules, comprising a base 1, a six-axis robot 2, and a welding assembly 3. The base 1 is fixed to the ground by bolts, and the six-axis robot 2 is mounted on the base 1 by bolts.

[0036] like Figure 2The welding assembly 3 shown includes a first fixing plate 31, a galvanometer lens 32, an air knife bracket 33, an air knife 34, a nozzle assembly 35, and a vision assembly 36. The first fixing plate 31 is bolted to the sixth-axis flange of the six-axis robot 2 and is used to mount the galvanometer lens 32, nozzle assembly 35, and vision assembly 36 of the welding assembly 3. When the welding object changes, the welding assembly 3 can be quickly changed by disassembling and replacing the first fixing plate 31. The galvanometer lens 32 is screwed to the top of the first fixing plate 31 and can control the laser emission angle and laser emission based on the position information fed back by the vision assembly 36. The air knife bracket 33 is threaded onto the outer side of the galvanometer lens 32 along the X-direction, and its width along the Y-axis covers the light emission range of the galvanometer lens 32's light outlet 321. The air knife 34 is screwed onto the vertical connecting rod 331 of the air knife bracket 33, and the distance between the air knife 34 and the galvanometer lens 32 can be adjusted by adjusting the tightness of the screw and the vertical connecting rod 331. The nozzle assembly 35 is threadedly connected to the lower right side of the first fixing plate 31 and is used for pressing the welding structure, dust extraction, and height measurement. The vision assembly 36 is installed on the lower left side of the first fixing plate 31 and is used to acquire images of the battery module to be welded and to identify and locate the area of ​​the battery module to be welded.

[0037] like Figure 3The nozzle assembly 35 shown includes a second fixing plate 351, a slide cylinder 352, a copper nozzle bracket 353, a copper nozzle assembly 354, a dust hood 355, and a laser rangefinder 356. The second fixing plate 351 is threadedly installed on the second fixing plate 31. The second fixing plate 351 has a first stepped groove for limiting the slide cylinder 352. The slide cylinder 352 is threadedly fastened to the lower side of the first stepped groove on the second fixing plate 351 to adjust the height of the copper nozzle bracket 353 along the Z-axis. The copper nozzle bracket 353 is threadedly installed on the slide plate of the slide cylinder 352 to support the copper nozzle assembly 354 and the dust hood 355. The bracket 353 has a pre-drilled hole for the exposed 354-1 clamping block of the copper nozzle assembly 354 to pass through. The copper nozzle 354 is fixedly installed on the bracket 353 via a threaded connection. A nitrogen gas flow circuit is connected inside the copper nozzle assembly 354, allowing nitrogen to be introduced during welding to prevent oxidation of the welding area. The exposed clamping part 354-1 of the copper nozzle assembly 354 can pass through the pre-drilled hole in the copper nozzle bracket 353 to clamp the welding area of ​​the battery module. The upper half of the dust extraction hood 355 is hollowed out and fixedly installed on the upper side of the copper nozzle bracket 353, tightly surrounding the outer side of the copper nozzle of the copper nozzle assembly 354. It is used to clean the surface of the area to be welded before welding and to absorb fumes during the welding process. The laser rangefinder 356 is installed below and behind the second fixing plate 351, and is limited by the second step groove of the second fixing plate 351. It is used to measure the height of the surface to be welded to accurately adjust the descent distance of the limiting slide cylinder 352, achieving effective clamping of the exposed clamping block 354-1 of the copper nozzle assembly 354 onto the welding position of the battery module.

[0038] like Figure 4The visual component 36 shown includes a third fixing plate 361, a camera support 362, a camera 363, a light source mounting plate 364, a light source 365, a baffle cylinder 366, and a baffle 367. The third fixing plate 361 is threadedly installed on the lower left side of the camera support 362. The third fixing plate 361 has a guide groove, and the height of the camera support 362 along the Z-axis is adjusted by a manual sliding locking mechanism. The camera support 362 is slidably connected to the guide groove of the fixing plate 361, used to adjust the height of the camera 363 relative to the surface of the battery module to be welded. The camera 363 is fastened to the camera support 362 by a threaded connection and is used to acquire images of the battery module to be welded. These images are used for subsequent image analysis, identification of the parts to be welded, and determination of their position (Xi, Yi) in the coordinate system of the six-axis robot, where i = 1, 2...N, and N is the total number of welding points. The light source mounting plate 364 is fixedly installed below the third fixed plate 361 by a threaded connection. The light source mounting plate 364 can slide in the guide groove of the third fixed plate 361, and the height of the light source along the Z-axis can be adjusted by a manual slide locking mechanism. The light source 365 is threadedly connected to the light source mounting plate 364 for high-contrast, clear imaging of the battery module to be welded. The baffle cylinder 366 is installed below the rear of the third fixed plate 361 and can extend and retract laterally along the Y-axis. The baffle 367 is fixedly installed on the push plate of the baffle cylinder 366. The distance between the baffle 367 and the third fixed plate 361 is adjusted by adjusting the extension rod of the baffle cylinder 366 to block laser reflections from other workstations and prevent damage to the camera 363.

[0039] A robotic laser welding integration method for battery modules includes the following steps:

[0040] 1. Set the initial position (X0, Y0, Z0) of the robot movement according to the size and welding accuracy of the battery module to be welded;

[0041] 2. After the battery module to be welded is in place, start the PLC to control the six-axis robot 2 to drive the welding component 3 to the initial position (X0, Y0, Z0) directly above the battery module to be welded;

[0042] 3. Manually adjust the height of the camera (363°) and light source (365°) to ensure clear imaging, and start the continuous motion program of the device;

[0043] 4. The PLC controls the light source 365 to turn on and controls the six-axis robot 2 with camera 363 to take pictures in sequence to obtain images of each welding point of the battery module to be welded until all pictures are taken.

[0044] 5. Perform image processing on the images of each welding point to determine the image position (u) of each welding point. i v i ), and the actual coordinates (X) in the six-axis robot's 2-coordinate system.i Y i ), i = 1, 2...N, where N is the total number of welding points, which is fed back to the PLC;

[0045] 6. The PLC-controlled six-axis robot 2 moves the nozzle assembly 35 directly above each welding point of the module to be welded. The laser rangefinder 356 measures the height of the welding points and calculates the height deviation Z. i i = 1, 2...N, and feedback is given to the PLC;

[0046] 7. The baffle cylinder 366 retracts, causing the baffle 367 to cover the camera lens 363; according to the actual coordinates (X1, Y1, Z1) of the first welding point in the coordinate system of the six-axis robot 2, the PLC controls the six-axis robot 2 to move the welding component 3 to the first welding point, and the slide cylinder 352 extends, causing the copper nozzle component 354 to press the welding surface.

[0047] 8. Open the nitrogen solenoid valve, and the copper nozzle assembly 354 blows nitrogen; turn on the dust collector, the dust suction hood 355 removes dust, and open the air knife 34 solenoid valve to start blowing air;

[0048] 9. The gazing lens 32 corrects the defocusing amount by measuring the height deviation value Z1, and the gazing lens 32 emits light to start welding;

[0049] 10. Repeat welding steps 6-9 until all points (X) on the current end face of the battery module are reached. i Y i Z i ), i = 1, 2...N, all welding completed;

[0050] 11. When welding other sides, the six-axis robot 2 drives the vision component 36 to rotate 90° to the side of the battery module, repeating steps 1 to 10 to complete the measurement of the position and height of the side welding point and welding.

[0051] 12. Repeat steps 1 to 11 until all end faces of the battery module at the current clamping station are welded.

[0052] 13. The six-axis robot 2 resets to the origin (0, 0, 0), the battery module automatically moves to the unloading station, the battery module is taken out, and welding is completed.

[0053] This utility model is integrated into the end flange of a six-axis robot, enabling flexible welding of battery modules on multiple sides with a single clamping. This reduces the size of the welding equipment and improves the application flexibility of laser welding equipment for welding different surfaces in different scenarios.

[0054] The welding assembly, including the galvanizing head, air knife, nozzle assembly, and vision assembly, is modularly designed. At the same time, the camera, light source, air knife, nozzle, etc. are adjustable. When the welding product is changed, welding can be carried out by replacing the entire welding assembly, partially replacing or fine-tuning the assembly, which improves the equipment's changeover efficiency and reusability.

[0055] The welding robot end effector is designed with multiple functions to achieve integrated welding positioning, ranging, inert gas protection, dust collection, and laser welding, thereby improving the welding efficiency and quality of the equipment.

[0056] The X-axis direction mentioned in this article is as follows: Figure 1 The forward and backward directions shown are, in this article, the Y-axis direction, as shown. Figure 1 The left and right directions shown in the figure are the Z-axis directions as described in this article. Figure 1 The up and down directions are shown in the diagram.

[0057] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0058] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0059] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules, comprising a six-axis robot (2) mounted on a base (1) and a welding assembly (3) mounted on the six-axis robot (2); Its features are: The welding assembly (3) includes a first fixed plate (31) mounted on a six-axis robot (2), a gaussing head (32) mounted on the top of the first fixed plate (31), a light outlet (321) mounted on the bottom of the gaussing head (32), an air knife bracket (33) mounted on the front side of the gaussing head (32), and at least one air knife (34) mounted on the air knife bracket (33). A nozzle assembly (35) is installed on the bottom right side of the first fixed plate (31). The nozzle assembly (35) includes a second fixed plate (351) installed on the first fixed plate (31). A slide cylinder (352) is installed on the second fixed plate (351). The slide cylinder (352) drives the copper nozzle bracket (353) below to move in the vertical direction. A copper nozzle assembly (354) is installed on the copper nozzle bracket (353). A clamping block (354-1) is installed at the bottom of the copper nozzle assembly (354). A dust suction hood (355) is installed on one side of the copper nozzle assembly (354). A vision component (36) is installed on the bottom left side of the first fixing plate (31). The vision component (36) includes a third fixing plate (361) installed on the first fixing plate (31). A camera (363) and a light source (365) are installed on the third fixing plate (361) from top to bottom.

2. The robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air knife bracket (33) covers the light emission range of the light emission port (321) in the left and right directions. Vertical connecting rods (331) are installed on both the left and right sides of the bottom of the air knife bracket (33). The left and right sides of the air knife (34) are adjustablely installed between the two vertical connecting rods (331) in the vertical direction.

3. The robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A laser rangefinder (356) is installed on the rear side of the second fixed plate (351), and the laser rangefinder (356) is limited by the first step groove on the rear side of the second fixed plate (351); the slide cylinder (352) is limited by the second step groove on the front side of the second fixed plate (351).

4. The robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A clamping pre-drilled hole is provided on the copper nozzle bracket (353) for the clamping block (354-1) to pass through. After the clamping block (354-1) passes through the clamping pre-drilled hole, the battery module to be welded position is clamped.

5. The robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper part of the dust hood (355) is hollowed out and wraps around the outside of the copper nozzle installed on the copper nozzle assembly (354).

6. The robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A guide groove is provided on the front side of the third fixing plate (361) along the vertical direction. The camera (363) is installed at the bottom of the camera support (362), and the light source (365) is installed on the light source mounting plate (364). The camera support (362) and the light source mounting plate (364) can slide and lock in the guide groove along the vertical direction respectively.

7. The robotic laser welding integration device for battery modules as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A baffle cylinder (366) is installed at the rear bottom of the third fixed plate (361), and the baffle cylinder (366) drives the baffle (367) located below the light source (365) to move in the front-back direction.

Images