A device for folding welding rods at the tail of a battery cell
By designing a folding device for the welding rod at the tail of the battery cell, combined with a folding power and angle adjustment mechanism, the welding rod can be folded automatically, solving the problem of low efficiency of manual folding, improving production efficiency and protecting the surface of the welding rod.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- WUXI BORYUAN INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
Manually folding the battery cell welding rods is inefficient and not conducive to automated deployment.
Design a battery cell tail electrode folding device, including a folding power mechanism and an angle adjustment mechanism, which can be used in combination to achieve automated electrode folding. The pressure roller folding method is used to avoid damage to the electrode surface.
It improves the efficiency of electrode folding, is suitable for different process requirements, avoids electrode surface damage, and enables automated production.
Smart Images

Figure CN224574427U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of stacking welding machines, specifically a device for folding welding rods at the tail of battery cells. Background Technology
[0002] With the continuous growth of energy demand and the increasing prominence of environmental issues, solar power generation, as a clean and renewable energy form, has received widespread attention. Photovoltaic modules, as the core component of solar power generation systems, play an important role in converting solar energy into electrical energy.
[0003] Stacking welding machines connect solar cells in series using welding rods and busbars. In some special processes, welding rods are intermittently welded onto the solar cells, with the welding rods exposed at both ends of the cells. Busbars are then used to weld the exposed ends of the welding rods together. At this point, workers need to fold the welding rods at both ends of the solar cells at a specified angle. However, manual folding is inefficient and not conducive to automated deployment; therefore, a device for this folding operation needs to be designed. Utility Model Content
[0004] To address the problems in the prior art, this application provides a device for folding welding rods at the tail of battery cells, which enables automated folding of welding rods and improves production efficiency.
[0005] The technical solution is as follows: A battery cell tail electrode folding device includes a mounting plate and a folding mechanism, which is mounted on the mounting plate to fold the electrode. The folding mechanism includes a folding power mechanism and an angle adjustment mechanism disposed on its side. The angle adjustment mechanism adjusts the folding angle of the electrode, and the folding power mechanism folds the electrode. The angle adjustment mechanism includes an inclined block, a push plate is disposed on the inclined surface of the inclined block, and a bending blade parallel to the inclined surface of the inclined block is disposed at the tail of the push plate. The bending blade limits the folding angle of the electrode. The folding power mechanism includes a support, a movable transverse plate is disposed at the bottom of the support, a lifting cylinder is disposed at one end of the transverse plate, and a pressure roller is disposed at the output end of the lifting cylinder. The pressure roller bends the electrode.
[0006] Specifically, the inclined block is provided with a bending track along its inclined surface, the push plate is connected to the bending track via a slider, the inclined block is provided with a traction block, the push plate is provided with a drive cylinder, and the piston rod of the drive cylinder is connected to the traction block.
[0007] Preferably, the inclined surface of the inclined block can be flipped to adjust the angle of the bending blade.
[0008] Preferably, the support side is provided with an angle calibration device and a calibration camera.
[0009] Specifically, the bottom surface of the support is provided with a transverse cylinder and a transverse track. The piston rod of the transverse cylinder is connected to the transverse plate, and the transverse plate is connected to the transverse track via a slider. The piston rod of the lifting cylinder is connected to an mounting strip, and the pressure roller is mounted on the mounting strip.
[0010] Specifically, it also includes a mounting plate, one side of which is provided with a suspension bracket, and the support is mounted on the suspension bracket; the suspension bracket is connected to the mounting plate via an adjusting rail.
[0011] Preferably, a guide rail is provided on the other side of the mounting plate, and the fixing frame is connected to the mounting plate through the guide rail; a rack is provided on the mounting plate, a driving device is provided on the fixing frame, and a gear is provided at the output end of the driving device to interact with the rack.
[0012] Preferably, the fixed frame is provided with a connecting mechanism at both ends. The connecting mechanism includes a connecting shaft. The top and bottom ends of the connecting shaft are respectively provided with a bearing seat and a sliding plate. The bearing seat is connected to the connecting shaft through a bearing. A slide is provided on the side of the bearing seat. A pressure plate is provided on the slide. The sliding plate is connected to the fixed frame.
[0013] Specifically, the sliding plate has a slider on its side, the fixing frame has a track, and the slider is mounted on the track.
[0014] Specifically, the folding mechanism also includes a connecting rod, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the inclined block, and the other end of which is connected to the bottom of the support.
[0015] In summary, combining the angle adjustment mechanism and the folding power mechanism—where the angle adjustment mechanism limits the angle of the welding rod, and the folding power mechanism folds the welding rod—allows the welding rod to be folded to a specified angle without manual folding, achieving fully automated folding and significantly improving efficiency. Furthermore, the angle of the inclined block in the angle adjustment mechanism can be adjusted according to the folding angle, making it suitable for various process requirements. Using a pressure roller for folding, with its arc-shaped contact with the welding rod, avoids damage or even breakage to the welding rod surface compared to right-angle contact, thus preventing the effective series connection of the battery cells. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;
[0017] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram from another perspective of the present invention;
[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the folding mechanism of this utility model;
[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the angle adjustment mechanism of this utility model;
[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the folding power mechanism of this utility model;
[0021] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the folding power mechanism of this utility model from another perspective;
[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection mechanism of this utility model;
[0023] Figure 8 This is a simplified structural diagram of the inclined block angle adjustment method of this utility model.
[0024] Reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Angle adjustment mechanism; 101. Inclined block; 102. Push plate; 103. Traction block; 104. Drive cylinder; 105. Bending knife; 106. Bending track; 2. Folding power mechanism; 201. Support; 202. Mounting strip; 203. Lifting cylinder; 204. Pressure roller; 205. Transverse plate; 206. Transverse cylinder; 207. Transverse track; 3. Connecting mechanism; 301. Coupling shaft; 302. Sliding plate; 303. Slider; 304. Bearing seat; 305. Pressure plate; 306. Slide seat; 4. Fixing frame; 5. Mounting plate; 6. Drive device; 7. Rack; 8. Guide rail; 9. Adjusting track; 10. Suspension bracket; 11. Connecting rod. Detailed Implementation
[0025] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.
[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, several suspension brackets 10 are mounted on one side of the mounting plate 5, and the folding mechanism is mounted on the suspension brackets 10. Figure 3 As shown, the folding mechanism includes a folding power mechanism 2 and an angle adjustment mechanism 1. The angle adjustment mechanism 1 and the folding power mechanism 2 are connected by a connecting rod 11. One end of the connecting rod 11 is connected to the bottom of the inclined block 101, and the other end is connected to the bottom of the support 201. The battery cell is placed on the folding power mechanism 2. The angle adjustment mechanism 1 and the folding power mechanism 2 respectively limit the angle of the welding rod and provide the folding power.
[0027] like Figure 4 As shown, the angle adjustment mechanism 1 includes an inclined block 101, a bending track 106 mounted on the inclined surface of the inclined block 101, a push plate 102 mounted on the bending track 106 via a slider, and a traction block 103 mounted on the inclined surface of the inclined block 101. A drive cylinder 104 is mounted on the upper surface of the push plate 102, and the piston rod of the drive cylinder 104 is connected to the traction block 103. A bending blade 105 is mounted on the end of the push plate 102 near the folding power mechanism 2, and the bending blade 105 is parallel to the inclined surface of the inclined block 101. The angle formed by the bending blade 105 and the horizontal ground is the angle at which the welding rod is folded, i.e., the angle of the inclined surface of the inclined block 101, which facilitates the determination of the welding rod folding angle. When the drive cylinder 104 operates, the inclined block 101 remains stationary, so the push plate 102 can move along the bending track 106. The push plate 102 drives the bending blade 105 to move to the designated position to fold the welding rod and limit the folding angle.
[0028] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the folding power mechanism 2 includes a support 201. A transverse cylinder 206 and a transverse track 207 are mounted on the bottom surface of the support 201. A transverse plate 205 is connected to the transverse track 207 via a slider and installed at the bottom of the support 201. The piston rod of the transverse cylinder 206 is connected to one end of the transverse plate 205, and a lifting cylinder 203 is mounted on the other end of the transverse plate 205. An mounting strip 202 is connected to the piston rod of the lifting cylinder 203, and a pressure roller 204 is mounted on the mounting strip 202. The pressure roller 204 is horizontally positioned with the battery cells. The lifting cylinder 203 drives the pressure roller 204 to move up and down. Since the support 201 is fixed, the transverse cylinder 206 drives the transverse plate 205 to move along the transverse track 207. The lifting cylinder 203 drives the pressure roller 204 to move upward and contact the welding rod. The pressure roller 204 continues to rise and folds the welding rod. Then, the transverse cylinder 206 drives the transverse plate 205 to move, which in turn drives the pressure roller 204 to bend the welding rod in the horizontal direction.
[0029] The angle adjustment mechanism 1 and the folding power mechanism 2 work together. Specifically, the battery cell is placed on the support 201, and the welding rod is positioned in the gap between the support 201 and the pressure roller 204 and suspended in the air. The lifting cylinder 203 drives the pressure roller 204 to rise, and the pressure roller 204 contacts the welding rod, folding the welding rod upward to 90°. Then, the horizontal movement cylinder 206 drives the pressure roller 204 to move horizontally toward the bending blade 105, while the driving cylinder 104 drives the bending blade 105 to move toward the welding rod, so that the blade of the bending blade 105 contacts the upward-folded part of the welding rod. The pressure roller 204 applies a horizontal pushing force to the welding rod, sticking the welding rod to the bending blade 105, so that the upward-folded part of the welding rod is folded along the angle of the blade of the bending blade 105. The angle at which the welding rod is folded is the angle of the inclined surface of the inclined block 101.
[0030] It should be noted that the movement of the bending blade 105 driven by the drive cylinder 104 and the horizontal movement of the pressure roller 204 driven by the lateral cylinder 206 are carried out simultaneously. This allows for the application of forces in two directions to the welding rod simultaneously, causing the welding rod to deform instantaneously. The downward force of the bending blade 105 can be decomposed into horizontal and vertical components. The horizontal component may cancel or assist the horizontal force, while the vertical component generates a concentrated bending moment, making it easier for the welding rod to initiate bending at a specific point. This allows for precise control of the welding rod's bending position and shape. Simultaneously, the downward force of the bending blade 105 helps compensate for springback by increasing local plastic deformation, while the horizontal force of the pressure roller 204 provides continuous tension, keeping the welding rod taut during bending, thereby reducing springback and resulting in a more stable final folded shape of the welding rod. Furthermore, the lifting cylinder 203, the lateral cylinder 206, and the drive cylinder 104 can operate simultaneously; that is, the extension and retraction speeds of the three can be adjusted to allow them to work concurrently.
[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, an adjustment rail 9 is mounted on one side of the mounting plate 5, and a suspension bracket 10 is mounted on the adjustment rail 9, allowing the suspension bracket 10 to move along the adjustment rail 9. Since the folding mechanism is mounted on the suspension bracket 10, the position of the folding mechanism on the mounting plate 5 can be adjusted by moving the suspension bracket 10 to meet actual usage requirements.
[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, a vertical guide rail 8 is mounted on the other side of the mounting plate 5. The fixing bracket 4 is mounted on the mounting plate 5 via the guide rail 8. A vertical rack 7 is mounted on the mounting plate 5, and a drive device 6 is mounted on the fixing bracket 4. The drive device 6 is a servo motor, and a gear is mounted on the shaft of the servo motor. The gear meshes with the rack 7. The fixing bracket 4 remains stationary, and the servo motor drives the gear to rotate. Through the meshing of the gear and the rack 7, the mounting plate 5 can move up and down relative to the fixing bracket 4 along the guide rail 8, thereby adjusting the height of the mounting plate 5.
[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, connecting mechanisms 3 are provided at both ends of the fixing frame 4. Figure 7As shown, the connecting mechanism 3 includes a connecting shaft 301, with a sliding plate 302 connected to its bottom end. The sliding plate 302 is connected to the fixed frame 4. A bearing seat 304 is connected to the top of the connecting shaft 301, and a bearing is installed inside the bearing seat 304. The connecting shaft 301 is connected to the bearing seat 304 via the bearing. A slide block 306 is provided on the side of the bearing seat 304, and a pressure plate 305 is provided on the top of the slide block 306. To control the movement of the fixed frame 4, it needs to be connected to an external driving component. Here, the driving component is a motor-driven belt rotation. The belt is placed on the slide block 306 and fixed with the pressure plate 305, so that the belt is connected to the slide block 306. When the belt rotates, the fixed frame 4 can move accordingly.
[0034] Due to its overall weight, the fixed frame 4 has connecting mechanisms 3 and drive components at both ends. When the belt drive speeds at both ends are inconsistent, the fixed frame 4 will tilt, affecting the folding effect and potentially causing belt breakage. Therefore, a structure with a connecting shaft 301 and a matching bearing housing 304 is designed. When the belt speeds at both ends are inconsistent, the bearing housing 304 rotates around the top of the connecting shaft 301 through the bearing action. The angle of rotation compensates for the difference in belt speeds at both ends, ensuring that the fixed frame 4 remains horizontal and does not tilt.
[0035] like Figure 7 As shown, to further improve the compensation effect, a slider 303 is installed on the side of the sliding plate 302, and a track is provided on the fixed frame 4. The slider 303 is installed on the track, allowing the sliding plate 302 to slide on the fixed frame 4. When the difference in belt speed at both ends is too large, the movement of the sliding plate 302 can further compensate for it. That is, the rotation of the bearing seat 304 and the movement of the sliding plate 302 occur simultaneously, and the cooperation of the two can completely compensate for the difference in belt speed at both ends.
[0036] Depending on the specific process requirements, the angle at which the welding rod is folded will vary, thus requiring adjustment of the folding angle. Here, the inclined surface of the wedge block 101 is flipped, thereby changing the angle of the bending blade 105, and ultimately altering the folding angle of the welding rod. The inclined surface of the wedge block 101 is connected to the body of the wedge block 101 via a rotating shaft, which drives the inclined surface to fold around the shaft.
[0037] Example 1, as Figure 8As shown in the attached diagram in the upper left corner, the inclined block 101 is hollow inside. A set of reduction gears is installed inside the inclined block 101. Teeth meshing with the gear set are provided on the rotating shaft. One gear in the gear set is connected to a motor, which drives the gear set to rotate. The final gear is connected to the aforementioned rotating shaft, realizing the flipping operation of the inclined plane. Specifically, the reduction gear set consists of a small gear mounted on a large gear, connected to the motor and the large gear, another large gear meshing with the small gear, and a small gear simultaneously meshing with the teeth on the large gear and the rotating shaft. Simultaneously, corresponding mounting rods are installed inside the inclined block 101 according to the number of gears, and the gears are mounted on the mounting rods. Through the action of the reduction gears, a larger torque can be provided, improving its load-bearing capacity.
[0038] Example 2, as Figure 8 As shown in the attached diagram in the lower left corner, the interior of the inclined block 101 is hollow. A hydraulic cylinder is installed inside the inclined block 101. The hydraulic cylinder is installed at the bottom of the inclined block 101. The piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the inclined surface. The connection point is near the rotating shaft. By controlling the extension and retraction of the piston rod through the hydraulic rod, the inclined surface can be controlled to rotate around the rotating shaft.
[0039] Example 3, as Figure 8 As shown in the attached diagram in the upper right corner, the interior of the inclined block 101 is hollow. Inside the inclined block 101, a set of transmission chains is installed, and the rotating shaft has teeth that mesh with the chains. The transmission chain includes a drive wheel and a chain. The drive wheel is installed inside the inclined block 101 and is driven to rotate by a motor. The two ends of the chain are wound around the teeth of the drive wheel and the rotating shaft, respectively. When the motor drives the drive wheel to rotate, the chain rotates, causing the rotating shaft to rotate, thus achieving the flipping of the inclined plane.
[0040] After the welding rod is flipped, the angle of the flip needs to be verified. Therefore, an angle calibration device and a calibration camera are installed on the side of the support 201. The angle calibration device includes a fixed side and a movable side. The fixed side is set parallel to one side of the support 201, and the movable side is installed on one end of the fixed side, with its installation point coinciding with the point where the welding rod is flipped. The movable side is driven to flip by a servo motor. The method for calibrating the welding rod flip angle is as follows: when the welding rod flip angle needs to be calibrated, the servo motor drives the movable side to rotate. The rotation angle is the set flip angle of the welding rod, i.e., if the welding rod is set to flip 45°, then the movable side flips 45°. The camera faces the movable side and takes pictures of the movable side and the flipped welding rod. The pictures are processed. When the movable side covers the welding rod, the welding rod is flipped in place. At the same time, when the movable side is parallel to the welding rod, the welding rod is also flipped in place. Otherwise, the welding rod is not flipped in place and needs to be flipped again.
[0041] In actual use, the inclined surface of the inclined block 101 is flipped to a specified angle according to the folding requirements. The belt is placed on the slide 306 and fixed with the pressure plate 305, so that the belt is connected to the slide 306. When the belt rotates, the drive device 6 drives the gear to rotate, raising and lowering the folding mechanism to a specified height, so that the battery cell can fall horizontally on the support 201. The lifting cylinder 203 drives the pressure roller 204 to rise, and the lateral cylinder 206 drives the pressure roller 204 to move horizontally toward the bending blade 105. At the same time, the drive cylinder 104 drives the bending blade 105 to move toward the welding rod, so that the blade of the bending blade 105 contacts the upward-folded part of the welding rod. The pressure roller 204 applies a pushing force to the welding rod, sticking the welding rod to the bending blade 105, so that the upward-folded part of the welding rod is folded along the angle of the blade of the bending blade 105 to a specified angle. By repeating the above steps, the welding rod can be automatically folded, which greatly improves the efficiency of welding rod folding.
[0042] Other embodiments of the present invention will readily conceive of by those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the specific embodiments described herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not described herein. Furthermore, there may be minor differences in the wording of the names of certain components in different embodiments; these minor differences will not affect the understanding of the present invention by those skilled in the art.
Claims
1. A battery cell tail electrode folding device, comprising a mounting plate (5), characterized in that, A folding mechanism is provided on the mounting plate (5) to fold the welding rod; the folding mechanism includes a folding power mechanism (2) and an angle adjustment mechanism (1) provided on its side, the angle adjustment mechanism (1) adjusts the folding angle of the welding rod, and the folding power mechanism (2) folds the welding rod; The angle adjustment mechanism (1) includes a wedge (101), a push plate (102) is provided on the inclined surface of the wedge (101), and a bending knife (105) parallel to the inclined surface of the wedge (101) is provided at the tail of the push plate (102), and the bending knife (105) limits the angle of the welding rod folding. The folding power mechanism (2) includes a support (201), a movable transverse plate (205) is provided at the bottom of the support (201), a lifting cylinder (203) is provided at one end of the transverse plate (205), and a pressure roller (204) is provided at the output end of the lifting cylinder (203), which bends the welding rod.
2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A bending track (106) is provided on the inclined block (101) along the inclined surface. The push plate (102) is connected to the bending track (106) through a slider. A traction block (103) is provided on the inclined block (101). A drive cylinder (104) is provided on the push plate (102). The piston rod of the drive cylinder (104) is connected to the traction block (103).
3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inclined surface of the inclined block (101) can be flipped to adjust the angle of the bending knife (105).
4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An angle calibration device and a calibration camera are provided on the side of the support (201).
5. The battery cell tail welding rod folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the support (201) is provided with a transverse cylinder (206) and a transverse track (207). The piston rod of the transverse cylinder (206) is connected to the transverse plate (205). The transverse plate (205) is connected to the transverse track (207) through a slider. The piston rod of the lifting cylinder (203) is connected to an mounting strip (202). The pressure roller (204) is mounted on the mounting strip (202).
6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a mounting plate (5), one side of which is provided with a suspension bracket (10), and the support (201) is provided on the suspension bracket (10); the suspension bracket (10) is connected to the mounting plate (5) through an adjusting rail (9).
7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mounting plate (5) is provided with a guide rail (8) on the other side, and the fixing frame (4) is connected to the mounting plate (5) through the guide rail (8); the mounting plate (5) is provided with a rack (7), the fixing frame (4) is provided with a drive device (6), and the output end of the drive device (6) is provided with a gear that is connected to the rack (7).
8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The fixed frame (4) is provided with a connecting mechanism (3) at both ends. The connecting mechanism (3) includes a connecting shaft (301). The top and bottom ends of the connecting shaft (301) are respectively provided with a bearing seat (304) and a sliding plate (302). The bearing seat (304) is connected to the connecting shaft (301) through a bearing. The side of the bearing seat (304) is provided with a slide (306). The slide (306) is provided with a pressure plate (305). The sliding plate (302) is connected to the fixed frame (4).
9. A battery cell tail welding rod folding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sliding plate (302) has a slider (303) on its side, and the fixing frame (4) has a track, with the slider (303) positioned on the track.
10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The folding mechanism also includes a connecting rod (11), one end of which is connected to the bottom of the inclined block (101), and the other end is connected to the bottom of the support (201).