Tab pre-folding mechanism

Abstract

A kind of tab pre-folding mechanism, comprising: tab width detection component and pre-folding component, the pre-folding component is located after the tab width detection component in the direction of tab walking tape;The tab width detection component includes sensor for detecting the width direction of the tab two edges, to obtain the width data of tab and tab edge position;The pre-folding component includes axial translation slide, pre-folding roller and pressure roller arranged on the axial translation slide, the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller are oppositely arranged and can be relatively moved in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller, the axial translation slide can drive the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller move in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller, the axial direction of the pre-folding roller and the width direction of tab are parallel.The present application can accurately position the pre-folding tab position, accurately control the accuracy of pre-folding position, so as to ensure the stability and consistency of pre-folding effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of automated manufacturing equipment technology, specifically relating to a tab pre-folding mechanism for a battery winding device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the new energy vehicle market, power battery technologies are flourishing. The 4680 cylindrical battery, thanks to breakthroughs in multi-tab technology, significantly reduces internal resistance and heat generation rate, offering a strong advantage in solving the heat dissipation problem of high-energy-density cells. Its high capacity, long range, efficient charging, and low cost have propelled the 4690 cylindrical battery to a leading position in the power battery market. Existing cylindrical batteries involve a tab pre-folding process during winding, where tab pre-folding rollers pre-fold the tabs during the conveyor belt movement. To ensure winding quality, existing winding equipment typically includes an electrode correction mechanism that detects electrode position deviations and corrects them accordingly. However, different batches of electrodes may have width tolerances, usually 0.5–1 mm. This width deviation can cause fluctuations in the tab pre-folding position relative to the electrode edge, resulting in inaccurate pre-folding positioning and affecting the pre-folding effect, ultimately impacting battery performance and consistency. The electrode correction mechanism on existing winding equipment can only correct the position of electrodes that have shifted, and cannot avoid the problem of inaccurate pre-folding position positioning caused by large electrode width tolerance. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an electrode pre-folding mechanism that can improve the accuracy of electrode pre-folding position positioning.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A tab pre-folding mechanism includes: a tab width detection component and a pre-folding component, wherein the pre-folding component is located after the tab width detection component in the tab conveying direction; the tab width detection component includes sensors for detecting two edges in the tab width direction to obtain tab width data and tab edge position; the pre-folding component includes an axial translation slide, a pre-folding roller and a pressure roller disposed on the axial translation slide, the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller are disposed opposite to each other and can move relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller, the axial translation slide can drive the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller to move in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller, and the axial direction of the pre-folding roller is parallel to the tab width direction.

[0006] In some embodiments, the axial translation drive unit is further included for controlling the movement of the axial translation carriage. The axial translation drive unit drives the axial translation carriage to move axially based on the electrode tab pre-folding position determined according to the second reference edge of the electrode detected by the electrode tab width detection component, and adjusts the position of the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller to ensure that the distance between the electrode tab pre-folding position and the second reference edge remains unchanged.

[0007] In some embodiments, the system further includes a pre-folding roller mounting bracket and a pressure roller mounting bracket disposed on the axial translation slide, wherein the pre-folding roller is rotatably disposed on the pre-folding roller mounting bracket about its own axial direction, and the pressure roller is rotatably disposed on the pressure roller mounting bracket about its own axial direction.

[0008] In some embodiments, the pressure roller mounting bracket may be movably disposed on the axial translation slide in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pressure roller.

[0009] In some embodiments, the axial translation slide is provided with a pressure roller translation drive unit for controlling the movement of the pressure roller mounting frame. The pressure roller translation drive unit is a cylinder, and the piston rod of the cylinder is connected to the pressure roller mounting frame.

[0010] In some embodiments, the axial translation carriage is provided with a linear bearing and a pair of guide rods, the axial direction of the guide rods being perpendicular to the axial direction of the pressure roller, the guide rods passing through the linear bearings and one end being connected to the pressure roller mounting frame.

[0011] In some embodiments, the pressure roller is movably mounted on the pressure roller mounting frame along its own axial direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the electrode width detection assembly further includes a sensor mounting bracket with a tape feed groove for the electrode to pass through, and the sensor includes laser sensors respectively disposed at both ends of the tape feed groove.

[0013] In some embodiments, the sensors include one set for detecting the first reference edge of the electrode and another set for detecting the second reference edge of the electrode. The detection results of the sensors are sent to a host computer. The host computer is used to determine the width of the electrode based on the detection results of the laser sensors and compare the width of the electrode with a standard value. If the difference between the width of the electrode and the standard value is not within a preset range, the electrode tab pre-folding position is determined based on the second reference edge of the electrode, and the axial position of the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller is adjusted according to the electrode tab pre-folding position.

[0014] In some embodiments, a fixing frame is further included, on which a guide rail parallel to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller is provided, and the axial translation slide is disposed on the guide rail and can move along the guide rail under the control of the axial translation drive unit.

[0015] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the present invention sets up an electrode tab detection component, which can identify whether the width of the incoming electrode sheet is out of tolerance before pre-folding the electrode tab, and adjust the position of the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller in the axial direction of the pre-folding roller based on the detection result. This addresses the problem of inaccurate electrode tab pre-folding position positioning caused by width fluctuations in different batches of electrode sheets, and achieves precise electrode tab positioning and accurate control of the pre-folding position. This ensures the stability and consistency of the pre-folding effect, overcomes the problem of not being able to identify incoming electrode sheet width deviations, which can easily lead to batch product quality issues. This not only improves battery production efficiency, but also greatly enhances battery performance and reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-folding mechanism of the tabs in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a side view of the tab pre-folding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a top view of the pre-folding component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode sheet traveling in the pre-folding assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode sheet traveling in the electrode sheet width detection assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode width detection component according to an embodiment of the present invention for detecting electrode width.

[0023] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, for ease of explanation, the drawings illustrating the device structure will be partially enlarged without adhering to the general scale. Furthermore, the schematic diagrams are merely examples and should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that the drawings are in a simplified form and use non-precise scales, solely for the purpose of conveniently and clearly illustrating the embodiments of the present invention. Additionally, in the description of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Terms such as "positive," "negative," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," and "right" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" 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; they can also refer to the internal connection of two components; and they can refer to a wireless connection or a wired connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the tab pre-folding mechanism of this embodiment includes a pre-folding component 1 and a tab width detection component 2. The pre-folding component 1 is used to pre-fold the tabs on the tabs, and the tab width detection component 2 is used to detect the width of the tabs.

[0027] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the pre-folding assembly 1 in this embodiment includes a pre-folding roller 1-1, a pressure roller 1-2, a pressure roller translation drive unit 1-3, a pressure roller mounting frame 1-4, a pre-folding roller mounting frame 1-5, an axial translation slide 1-6, and an axial translation drive unit 1-7.

[0028] The pre-folding roller 1-1 and the pressure roller 1-2 are arranged opposite to each other. The pre-folding roller 1-1 is rotatably mounted on the pre-folding roller mounting frame 1-5, and the pressure roller 1-2 is rotatably mounted on the pressure roller mounting frame 1-4. One end of the pre-folding roller 1-1 is provided with a trumpet-shaped pre-folding tab 1-1a. The small-diameter end of the pre-folding tab 1-1a is connected to the roller body of the pre-folding roller 1-1, and the large-diameter end is located on the outside. The inclined surface formed by the outer circumference of the pre-folding tab 1-1a can bend the tab. The pre-folding roller 1-1 and the pressure roller 1-2 can move relative to each other, such as moving closer or further apart. When the pre-folding roller 1-1 and the pressure roller 1-2 are close together, the pre-folding tab 1-1a can bend the tab of the electrode sheet located between the pre-folding roller 1-1 and the pressure roller 1-2.

[0029] Both the pre-folding roller mounting bracket 1-5 and the pressure roller mounting bracket 1-4 are mounted on the axial translation slide 1-6, allowing them to move together along the axial direction of the pre-folding roller (the width direction of the electrode sheet). In this embodiment, the pressure roller mounting bracket 1-4 is movably mounted on the axial translation slide 1-6 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pressure roller 1-2, allowing the pressure roller 1-2 mounted thereon to move closer to or further away from the pre-folding roller 1-1. The movement of the pressure roller mounting bracket 1-4 is controlled by the pressure roller translation drive unit 1-3. In this embodiment, the pressure roller translation drive unit 1-3 is a cylinder, with the piston rod of the cylinder connected to the pressure roller mounting bracket 1-4. When the cylinder is activated, it can drive the pressure roller mounting bracket 1-4 to move back and forth, thereby allowing the pressure roller 1-2 located on the pressure roller mounting bracket 1-4 to move closer to or further away from the pre-folding roller 1-1.

[0030] To ensure the parallelism of the movement of the pressure roller 1-2, preferably, in this embodiment, a pair of guide rods 1-8 and linear bearings 1-9 are provided on the axial translation slide 1-6. The axial direction of the guide rod 1-7 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the pressure roller (pre-folding roller). One end of the guide rod 1-7 is connected to the pressure roller mounting frame 1-4. The guide rod 1-7 passes through the linear bearing 1-8. The guide rod 1-7 ensures the parallelism of the pressure roller 1-2 in the direction perpendicular to its own axial direction, so that the pressure roller 1-2 always remains parallel to the pre-folding roller 1-1 during the translation process, thereby ensuring the quality of the tab pre-folding.

[0031] Under the control of the axial translation drive unit 1-7, the axial translation carriage 1-6 can move in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller (pressure roller), thereby driving the pre-folding roller 1-1 and the pressure roller 1-2 to move together axially. The axial movement of the pre-folding roller 1-1 and the pressure roller 1-2 is to adapt to the width fluctuation of the electrode sheet, ensure that the electrode tab is bent from the same pre-folding position, and improve the accuracy of the electrode tab bending position positioning.

[0032] In this embodiment, the axial translation drive unit 1-7 uses a servo motor, which is mounted on the fixed frame 1-10. The fixed frame 1-10 is fixedly connected to the frame of the winding equipment (not shown). In this embodiment, a guide rail 1-10a parallel to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller (pressure roller) is provided on the fixed frame 1-10. The axial translation slide 1-6 is mounted on the guide rail 1-10a and can move along the guide rail 1-10a, thereby driving the pre-folding roller 1-1 and the pressure roller 1-2 to move together axially.

[0033] In some embodiments, the pressure roller 1-2 can be movably mounted on the pressure roller mounting bracket 1-4 along its own axial direction. By individually adjusting the axial position of the pressure roller 1-2 (the pressure roller 1-2 moves axially relative to the pre-folding roller 1-1), the pre-folding angle of the electrode tab can be changed.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The electrode width detection component 2 in this embodiment includes a sensor mounting bracket 2-1 and two sets of laser sensors 2-2 disposed on the sensor mounting bracket 2-1. The sensor mounting bracket 2-1 is provided with a conveyor belt groove 2-1a through which the electrode A passes. The laser sensors 2-2 are located at both ends of the conveyor belt groove 2-1a, respectively, and are used to detect the edge of the electrode A in the width direction, and feed back the detection results to the host computer of the winding equipment. The laser sensor in this embodiment is an Aotes TD1-010M8J through-beam edge position measurement sensor.

[0035] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the principle of the electrode width detection component in this embodiment is as follows: the two edges of electrode A in the width direction are the reference edges for electrode positioning (first reference edge A1, second reference edge A2). One set of two laser sensors is used to detect the first reference edge A1 (the edge away from the tab pre-fold in the electrode width direction), and the other set is used to detect the second reference edge A2 (the edge close to the tab pre-fold in the electrode width direction). The host computer obtains the electrode width w based on the detection results of the two sets of laser sensors.

[0036] During the winding process, the electrode correction mechanism 3 corrects the position of the electrode based on the position of the first reference edge A1. If the electrode shifts position, the electrode correction mechanism 3 will correct the overall position of the electrode during the belt conveyor process. The corrected electrode is then sent to the tab pre-folding mechanism for tab bending. The electrode correction mechanism 3 can only correct the overall position of the electrode, that is, it can only use the first reference edge A1 for positioning and correction. When there is width fluctuation, the second reference edge A2 will fluctuate by 0.5 to 1 mm, while the position of the pre-folding roller remains unchanged. Therefore, this will lead to the problem of inaccurate tab pre-folding position positioning caused by the width fluctuation of the electrode.

[0037] To solve the above problems, this utility model places the electrode width detection component 2 before the pre-folding component 1. That is, after the corrected electrode A is sent to the electrode tab pre-folding mechanism, it first passes through the electrode width detection component 2 for electrode width detection, and then passes through the pre-folding component 1 for electrode tab bending. The moving direction of electrode A is... Figure 2 The direction indicated by the middle arrow.

[0038] At the location of electrode width detection component 2, laser sensor 2-2 detects the two reference edges of electrode A. The host computer determines the width w of electrode A based on the detection results of laser sensor 2-2. If the difference between the width w and the standard value is within a preset range, the axial positions of pre-folding roller 1-1 and pressure roller 1-2 are not adjusted. Pre-folding roller 1-1 determines the pre-folding position A3 of the electrode tab based on the second reference edge A2. The distance L between the pre-folding position A3 of the electrode tab and the second reference edge A2 is used. Pre-folding roller 1-1 bends the electrode tab at the pre-folding position A3 of the electrode tab. If the difference between the width w of electrode A and the standard value is not within a preset range, the pre-folding position A3 of the electrode tab is determined based on the second reference edge A2. At the same time, the axial positions of pre-folding roller 1-1 and pressure roller 1-2 are adjusted according to the pre-folding position A3 of the electrode tab to compensate for the fluctuation of electrode width and ensure that the distance L between the pre-folding position A3 of the electrode tab and the second reference edge A2 remains stable.

[0039] Before each tab bending, the host computer adjusts the axial position of the pre-folding roller and pressure roller based on the detection results of the tab width detection component 2, adjusting the pre-folding position of the tab and compensating for width fluctuations. This forms a closed-loop control system, improving the accuracy of tab pre-folding. This invention can achieve precise positioning of the tab and accurate control of the pre-folding position, thereby ensuring the stability and consistency of the pre-folding effect.

[0040] In some embodiments, when the difference in electrode width is detected to exceed a set range, the host computer can also automatically alarm and stop the machine based on the detection result to avoid batch product quality problems.

[0041] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A pre-folding mechanism for electrode tabs, characterized in that, include: An electrode width detection component and a pre-folding component, wherein the pre-folding component is located after the electrode tab width detection component in the electrode travel direction; The electrode width detection component includes sensors for detecting the two edges in the electrode width direction to obtain electrode width data and electrode edge position; The pre-folding assembly includes an axial translation slide, a pre-folding roller and a pressure roller disposed on the axial translation slide. The pre-folding roller and the pressure roller are disposed opposite to each other and can move relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller. The axial translation slide can drive the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller to move in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller. The axial direction of the pre-folding roller is parallel to the width direction of the electrode sheet.

2. The electrode pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an axial translation drive unit for controlling the movement of the axial translation carriage. The axial translation drive unit drives the axial translation carriage to move axially based on the electrode tab pre-folding position determined by the second reference edge of the electrode detected by the electrode tab width detection component, and adjusts the position of the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller to ensure that the distance between the electrode tab pre-folding position and the second reference edge remains unchanged.

3. The electrode pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a pre-folding roller mounting frame and a pressure roller mounting frame disposed on the axial translation slide, wherein the pre-folding roller is rotatably disposed on the pre-folding roller mounting frame and the pressure roller is rotatably disposed on the pressure roller mounting frame.

4. The tab pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The pressure roller mounting bracket is movably mounted on the axial translation slide in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pressure roller.

5. The electrode pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The axial translation slide is equipped with a pressure roller translation drive unit that controls the movement of the pressure roller mounting frame. The pressure roller translation drive unit is a cylinder, and the piston rod of the cylinder is connected to the pressure roller mounting frame.

6. The tab pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The axial translation slide is provided with a linear bearing and a pair of guide rods. The axial direction of the guide rods is perpendicular to the axial direction of the pressure roller. The guide rods pass through the linear bearings and are connected at one end to the pressure roller mounting frame.

7. The tab pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The pressure roller is movably mounted on the pressure roller mounting frame along its own axial direction.

8. The electrode pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The electrode width detection assembly also includes a sensor mounting bracket, which has a tape feed groove for the electrode to pass through. The sensor includes laser sensors respectively disposed at both ends of the tape feed groove.

9. The electrode pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 8, characterized in that: In the aforementioned sensors, one set is used to detect the first reference edge of the electrode sheet, and the other set is used to detect the second reference edge of the electrode sheet. The detection results of the sensors are sent to a host computer. The host computer is used to determine the width of the electrode sheet based on the detection results of the laser sensors, and compares the width of the electrode sheet with a standard value. If the difference between the width of the electrode sheet and the standard value is not within a preset range, the pre-folding position of the electrode tab is determined based on the second reference edge of the electrode sheet, and the axial position of the pre-folding roller and the pressure roller is adjusted according to the pre-folding position of the electrode tab.

10. The electrode pre-folding mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a fixed frame, on which a guide rail parallel to the axial direction of the pre-folding roller is provided, and the axial translation slide is disposed on the guide rail and can move along the guide rail under the control of the axial translation drive unit.

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