Fixing assembly and cleaning device for battery cell

Abstract

The application relates to a fixing assembly and a cleaning device of an electric core. The fixing assembly comprises a placing member for fixing one end of the electric core along a first direction, and a clamping member arranged on one side of the placing member along the first direction, which comprises a first driving member and a clamping head. The clamping head comprises two groups of oppositely arranged clamping jaws, and the clamping head is in transmission connection with the first driving member. The first driving member is used for driving at least one group of clamping jaws to move along a direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the clamping head clamps or releases the other end of the electric core along the first direction. In the cleaning process, the spatial position of each electric core can be strictly kept unchanged, reliable, accurate and stable posture control of the electric core in the whole process is realized, the cleaning method is suitable for a wide range of applications, the phenomenon of the electric core being inclined after cleaning is fundamentally eliminated, subsequent complicated and expensive CCD detection and righting steps are omitted, multiple benefits of simplifying the process flow, reducing the equipment cost and improving the production efficiency are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to cell fixing components and cleaning devices. Background Technology

[0002] In the battery cell manufacturing process, welding is a crucial step in ensuring the reliability of electrical connections and structural integrity. To guarantee weld quality and long-term durability, the cell end caps (usually the negative electrode caps) must undergo rigorous surface treatment before welding. Currently, the industry widely employs efficient plasma cleaning or laser cleaning technologies to remove oil, oxides, dust, and other contaminants from the welding area. A clean, impurity-free welding surface is the foundation for high-quality weld joints. It not only significantly improves weld strength and airtightness but also effectively reduces the risk of rework or even product failure due to incomplete or false welds, ultimately helping to control overall production costs in the long run.

[0003] Current mainstream cleaning equipment typically uses a fixture base for positioning: the bottom of the cylindrical battery cell is inserted into or placed on a fixture base with positioning holes, fixing it in place at the cleaning station. However, this positioning method has significant drawbacks: it only restricts the bottom degree of freedom of the battery cell, lacking effective fixation or guiding support for the main body and top of the cell. During the cleaning process, whether it's the impact of the plasma flow, the slight recoil force of laser cleaning, or the vibration of the equipment itself, the battery cell may tilt, shake, or even rotate slightly, directly causing deviations in the position and angle of the surface to be welded. To solve the problem of incorrect battery cell posture after cleaning, subsequent processes must introduce additional detection and correction steps: typically, a CCD vision system needs to be installed after cleaning to accurately determine whether each battery cell is skewed and the angle and direction of the skew. Once skew is detected, a specialized robotic arm or straightening mechanism is needed to physically intervene and adjust the battery cell to a vertical position that meets the welding requirements before it can be sent to the welding station. This series of operations—detection, judgment, and alignment—not only greatly increases the complexity of the process and the investment in equipment (CCD cameras, image processing systems, alignment actuators, etc.), raising equipment costs, but also affects production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a battery cell fixing component and cleaning device that is easy to clean, securely fixed, and has a simple structure, in order to address the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] A cell fixing assembly, the fixing assembly comprising:

[0006] A mounting component for securing one end of the battery cell along a first direction; and,

[0007] A clamping member is disposed on one side of the placement member along a first direction. The clamping member includes a first driving member and a clamping head. The clamping head includes two sets of opposing jaws. The clamping head is throttle connected to the first driving member. The first driving member is used to drive at least one set of the jaws to move in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the clamping head clamps or releases the other end of the battery cell along the first direction.

[0008] In one embodiment, the clamping member further includes a displacement member, which is tractively connected between the first driving member and the clamping head. The first driving member is used to drive the displacement member to move, and the displacement member has a mounting surface for setting at least one set of the grippers.

[0009] In one embodiment, the clamping member further includes a fixing member, the fixing member and the displacement member are respectively located on both sides of the placement member, and each of the fixing member and the displacement member is provided with a set of grippers, the position of the fixing member being fixed relative to the position of the placement member.

[0010] In one embodiment, the clamping member further includes a sliding unit disposed between the displacement member and the first driving member, the sliding unit including a track and a slider disposed on the displacement member, the slider and the track being slidably connected.

[0011] In one embodiment, the clamping member further includes a bracket disposed on at least one side of the placement member. The bracket is provided with the first driving member and a displacement sensor. The displacement sensor is signal-connected to the first driving member and is used to detect the displacement distance of the displacement member. The first driving member is used to start and stop according to the displacement distance.

[0012] In one embodiment, the gripper is provided with a limiting groove, the shape of which matches the shape of the battery cell.

[0013] In one embodiment, the mounting component includes a base with a mounting groove on the base, and the battery cell is inserted into the mounting groove.

[0014] In one embodiment, the mounting member further includes a guide rail, and the base is slidably connected to the guide rail to allow the base to move in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0015] In one embodiment, the clamping member further includes a stop and a second drive member, the second drive member being tractively connected to the stop and used to drive the stop to extend and be positioned to restrict the movement of the base.

[0016] A cleaning device, the cleaning device comprising:

[0017] Such as the aforementioned fixed components; and,

[0018] A cleaning assembly is disposed on one side of the fixing assembly and the battery cell. The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning head and a displacement member, the displacement member being used to move the cleaning head relative to the battery cell.

[0019] The aforementioned cell fixing components and cleaning device can strictly maintain the fixed spatial position of each cell during the cleaning process, achieving reliable, accurate, and stable attitude control of the cells throughout the entire process. It has wide applicability to cleaning methods and fundamentally eliminates the phenomenon of cell skewing after cleaning, thereby eliminating the need for subsequent tedious and expensive CCD inspection and straightening steps, achieving multiple benefits such as simplifying the process, reducing equipment costs, and improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fixing component according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0024] 1. Cleaning device; 2. Battery cell; 10. Fixing component; 20. Cleaning component; 21. Cleaning head; 22. Displacement component; 22a. First displacement rail; 22b. Second displacement rail; 100. Clamping component; 101. Bracket; 110. Clamping head; 111. Gripper; 120. First driving component; 130. Displacement component; 140. Fixing component; 150. Stop component; 160. Second driving component; 170. Positioning component; 180. Displacement sensor; 190. Sliding unit; 191. Slider; 192. Rail; 200. Mounting component; 210. Base; 220. Guide rail; X, First direction; Y, Second direction; Z, Third direction. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application 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 application.

[0027] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; 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 refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0030] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0031] See Figures 1-2 , Figures 1-2 A schematic diagram of the fixing component 10 in one embodiment of this application is shown. The fixing component 10 for the battery cell 2 provided in one embodiment of this application includes a placement member 200 and a clamping member 100. The placement member 200 is used to fix one end of the battery cell 2 along a first direction X. The clamping member 100 includes a first driving member 120 and a clamping head 110. The clamping member 100 is disposed on one side of the placement member 200 along the first direction X. The clamping head 110 includes two sets of opposing grippers 111. The clamping head 110 is throttle connected to the first driving member 120. The first driving member 120 is used to drive at least one set of grippers 111 to move in a direction perpendicular to the first direction X, so that the clamping head 110 clamps or releases the other end of the battery cell 2 along the first direction.

[0032] Understandably, the "one end" and "the other end" mentioned above refer to two locations where the battery cell 2 is positioned opposite each other along the first direction X, which can be the end or near the end.

[0033] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the cleaning device 1 in one embodiment of this application is shown. Another embodiment of this application provides a cleaning device 1, which includes a fixing component 10 and a cleaning component 20 as described above. The cleaning component 20 is disposed on one side of the fixing component 10 and the battery cell 2. The cleaning component 20 includes a cleaning head 21 and a displacement member 22, the displacement member 22 being used to move the cleaning head 21 relative to the battery cell 2.

[0034] The aforementioned fixing component 10 and cleaning device 1 of the battery cell 2 can strictly maintain the fixed spatial position of each battery cell 2 during the cleaning process, achieving reliable, accurate, and stable attitude control of the battery cell 2 throughout the entire process. It has wide applicability to cleaning methods and fundamentally eliminates the phenomenon of the battery cell 2 being skewed after cleaning, thereby eliminating the need for subsequent tedious and expensive CCD inspection and straightening steps, achieving multiple benefits such as simplifying the process, reducing equipment costs, and improving production efficiency.

[0035] Specifically, the battery cell 2 is installed onto the mounting member 200 along the first direction X, which is also the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 2. In this embodiment, the battery cell 2 can be a cylindrical battery cell, and the first direction X is the direction of the central axis of the cylindrical battery cell. The gripper 111 then moves in the second direction Y, which is perpendicular to the first direction X, and the second direction Y is the direction in which the two sets of grippers 111 are arranged opposite each other. This embodiment also defines a third direction Z, which is a direction perpendicular to both the second direction Y and the first direction X. The grippers 111 in each set are arranged side by side and spaced apart along the third direction Z, that is, multiple gripped battery cells 2 are arranged side by side and spaced apart along the third direction Z.

[0036] Cleaning head 21 is either a plasma cleaning head or a laser cleaning head. The plasma cleaning head uses a working gas (Ar, O2, N2, H2, or a mixture) ionized by a high-frequency electric field under vacuum or atmospheric pressure to generate a highly active plasma containing ions, electrons, free radicals, and excited-state molecules to clean the battery cell 2. In this case, cleaning head 21 also includes a plasma generating element. The laser cleaning head uses a high-energy pulsed laser to irradiate the surface of the battery cell 2. Contaminants selectively absorb the light energy, thus instantaneously vaporizing (vaporizing) or thermally expanding and peeling off. In this case, cleaning head 21 also includes a laser irradiation element.

[0037] The displacement member 22 further includes a first displacement rail 22a, a second displacement rail 22b, and a third displacement rail. Preferably, it includes at least the first displacement rail 22a and the second displacement rail 22b. The first displacement rail 22a, the second displacement rail 22b, and the third displacement rail are respectively arranged along a first direction X, a third direction Z, and a second direction Y, so that the cleaning head 21 can move in the first direction X, the third direction Z, and the second direction Y. For example, when the cleaning head 21 moves along the first direction X, the cleaning head 21 can approach a battery cell 2 to be cleaned. Then, the cleaning head 21 moves along the third direction Z (and / or the second direction Y) to adjust and align the battery cell 2 for cleaning. After cleaning, the cleaning head 21 moves along the third direction Z to the next battery cell 2 to be cleaned.

[0038] In one embodiment, the clamping member 100 further includes a displacement member 130, which is tractively connected between the first driving member 120 and the clamping head 110. The first driving member 120 is used to drive the displacement member 130 to move. The displacement member 130 has a mounting surface for setting at least one set of grippers 111.

[0039] Specifically, the displacement member 130 is plate-shaped and extends along the third direction Z. The upper surface of the displacement member 130 is the mounting surface, which is parallel to the plane formed by the third direction Z and the second direction Y. There are two displacement members 130, which are arranged opposite each other along the second direction Y. Two sets of grippers 111 are respectively arranged on the two displacement members 130, and each gripper 111 in each set is arranged side by side and spaced apart on the same displacement member 130 along the third direction Z.

[0040] In this embodiment, one of the two displacement members 130 can move relative to the other displacement member 130 along the second direction Y under the drive of the first drive member 120, while the other displacement member 130 remains stationary. The first drive member 120 drives the displacement member 130, thereby driving a set of grippers 111 to move closer to or further away from the other set of grippers 111 along the second direction Y, so that the clamping head 110 clamps or releases the battery cell 2.

[0041] In other embodiments, both displacement members 130 can move along the second direction Y under the drive of the first driving member 120. A transmission mechanism is provided between the first driving member 120 and the displacement members 130, so that the two displacement members 130 can move in opposite directions along the second direction Y.

[0042] In one embodiment, the clamping member 100 further includes a fixing member 140. The fixing member 140 and the displacement member 130 are respectively located on both sides of the placement member 200 (opposite sides along the second direction Y). Each of the fixing member 140 and the displacement member 130 is provided with a set of grippers 111. The position of the fixing member 140 is fixed relative to the position of the placement member 200. Specifically, in this embodiment, the displacement member 130, which is relatively stationary, is also the fixing member 140. The position of the fixing member 140 is pre-matched to the position of the battery cell 2 in the placement member 200, so that the set of grippers 111 on the fixing member 140 can play the role of pre-positioning the battery cell 2.

[0043] In one embodiment, the clamping member 100 further includes a sliding unit 190 disposed between the displacement member 130 and the first driving member 120. The sliding unit 190 includes a track 192 and a slider 191 disposed on the displacement member 130. The slider 191 and the track 192 are slidably connected.

[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, the slider 191 is integrally formed with the displacement member 130, and the slider 191 is the part of the displacement member 130 that protrudes in a direction parallel to the mounting surface. The track 192 extends along the second direction Y, and the slider 191 and the track 192 are slidably connected to guide the movement direction of the moving member.

[0045] In one embodiment, the clamping member 100 further includes a bracket 101, which is disposed on at least one side of the mounting member 200. The bracket 101 is provided with a first driving member 120 and a displacement sensor 180. The displacement sensor 180 is signal-connected to the first driving member 120. The displacement sensor 180 is used to detect the displacement distance of the displacement member 130, and the first driving member 120 is used to start and stop according to the displacement distance.

[0046] Specifically, the bracket 101 includes two brackets, which are located on opposite sides of the mounting member 200 in the second direction Y. In this example, one of the two brackets 101 is used to mount the movable member, the track 192 and the first drive member 120, and the other is used to mount the fixing member 140.

[0047] The movable component is also equipped with a positioning component 170, which moves along with the movable component. The position of the positioning component 170 matches the position of the displacement sensor 180, so that the displacement sensor 180 can detect the displacement distance of the displacement component 130 by detecting the position distance of the positioning component 170. When the displacement sensor 180 detects that the displacement distance of the displacement component 130 reaches a preset value, it indicates that the displacement component 130 has reached the position where the gripper 111 clamps the battery cell 2, thereby controlling the first drive component 120 to stop driving and realizing the clamping of the battery cell 2.

[0048] In one embodiment, the grippers 111 are provided with limiting grooves, the shape of which matches the shape of the battery cell. Specifically, if the battery cell 2 is a cylindrical battery cell 2, then the shape of the limiting groove is arc-shaped, and the two grippers 111 cover at least half a circumference (180°) of the battery cell 2 in the circumferential direction.

[0049] In one embodiment, the mounting member 200 includes a base 210 with mounting slots into which the battery cell is inserted. Specifically, the base 210 has multiple mounting slots, each cylindrical to accommodate the end of the cylindrical battery cell 2. Multiple bases 210 may also be provided, each with one corresponding mounting slot.

[0050] In one embodiment, the mounting member 200 further includes a guide rail 220, and the base 210 is slidably connected to the guide rail 220 so that the base 210 moves in a direction perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0051] Specifically, guide rails 220 are arranged between brackets 101 along the third direction Z and are located on both sides of base 210, with base 210 and guide rails 220 slidably connected. In particular, base 210 is cylindrical, and guide rails 220 are clamped on both sides of cylindrical base 210 so that base 210 can move along guide rails 220 in the third direction Z by rotation.

[0052] In one embodiment, the clamping member 100 further includes a stop 150 and a second drive member 160, the second drive member 160 being driveably connected to the stop 150 and used to drive the stop 150 to extend and be positioned to restrict the movement of the base 210.

[0053] Specifically, the stop 150 is elongated or conical, with an inclined end face that abuts against the outer surface of the base 210 to accommodate its curvature. A second drive member 160 is mounted on the bracket 101, and the stop 150 is mounted on the bracket 101 via the second drive member 160. The stop 150 can reciprocate relative to the mounting member 200 along the second direction Y. When the stop 150 extends between the guide rails 220, the base 210 abuts against the stop 150. The stop 150 and the second drive member 160 form a group, with two groups in total. Each group of stop members and the second drive member 160 are located on opposite sides of the moving member, and the interval between the two groups is, for example, consistent with the length of the base 210 in the third direction Z.

[0054] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0055] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery cell fixing assembly, characterized in that, The fixing component includes: A mounting component for securing one end of the battery cell along a first direction; and, A clamping member is disposed on one side of the placement member along a first direction. The clamping member includes a first driving member and a clamping head. The clamping head includes two sets of opposing jaws. The clamping head is throttle connected to the first driving member. The first driving member is used to drive at least one set of the jaws to move in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the clamping head clamps or releases the other end of the battery cell along the first direction.

2. The cell fixing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping member further includes a displacement member, which is tractively connected between the first driving member and the clamping head. The first driving member is used to drive the displacement member to move, and the displacement member has a mounting surface for setting at least one set of the grippers.

3. The cell fixing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping component further includes a fixing component, which and the displacement component are located on opposite sides of the placement component. Each of the fixing component and the displacement component is provided with a set of grippers. The position of the fixing component is fixed relative to the position of the placement component.

4. The cell fixing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping member further includes a sliding unit disposed between the displacement member and the first driving member. The sliding unit includes a track and a slider disposed on the displacement member, and the slider and the track are slidably connected.

5. The cell fixing assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping member further includes a bracket, which is disposed on at least one side of the placement member. The bracket is provided with the first driving member and a displacement sensor. The displacement sensor is signal-connected to the first driving member and is used to detect the displacement distance of the displacement member. The first driving member is used to start and stop according to the displacement distance.

6. The cell fixing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripper is provided with a limiting groove, the shape of which matches the shape of the battery cell.

7. The cell fixing assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting component includes a base with a mounting groove on the base, and the battery cell is inserted into the mounting groove.

8. The cell fixing assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The mounting component also includes a guide rail, and the base is slidably connected to the guide rail so that the base can move in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The cell fixing assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, The clamping member further includes a stop and a second driving member. The second driving member is tractively connected to the stop and is used to drive the stop to extend and be positioned to restrict the movement of the base.

10. A cleaning device, characterized in that, The cleaning device includes: The fixing component as described in any one of claims 1-9; and, A cleaning assembly is disposed on one side of the fixing assembly and the battery cell. The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning head and a displacement member, the displacement member being used to move the cleaning head relative to the battery cell.

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