Pouch lithium battery module cell processing production line

Abstract

This utility model proposes a production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells, including a conveying mechanism for conveying cells along a preset path; and multiple processing units arranged sequentially along the conveying path of the conveying mechanism. Each processing unit includes at least one positioning mechanism located at the working position of the at least one processing unit, and its structure is adapted to physically define the position of the cell before the processing unit processes it. The multiple processing units include at least one automatic cell feeding unit; at least one foam attaching unit; and a module pre-stacking unit. This application proposes a specific, functionally coupled structural integration scheme. By setting different positioning mechanisms before key precision processes such as attaching and stacking, this specific positioning structure and the coupled layout of the processing units constitute a production line structure that eliminates errors step by step, ensuring the accuracy of the final stacking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of soft-pack battery production technology, and in particular to a production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells. Background Technology

[0002] Pouch lithium batteries have been widely used in new energy vehicles, consumer electronics, and energy storage systems due to their high energy density, flexible packaging, and high safety. In the production process of pouch lithium battery modules, the pretreatment and stacking of the cells are critical steps, and their quality directly affects the performance and safety of the module.

[0003] In existing technologies, before entering the main stacking process, pouch cells typically undergo a series of processing steps, including barcode scanning, OCV detection, foam attachment, and polarity adjustment. Currently, these processes mostly rely on manual operation or are completed by multiple independent, poorly integrated automated devices. Manual operation suffers from high labor intensity, low production efficiency, and poor consistency, easily leading to quality issues such as foam attachment misalignment and inaccurate cell positioning. Meanwhile, dispersed automated equipment results in lengthy production line layouts, poor inter-device connectivity, and difficulties in data traceability, indicating a need to improve overall automation levels and production flexibility. Especially for production scenarios requiring the processing of various cell and module specifications, existing production lines are difficult to adjust and struggle to meet the demands of flexible production. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: A soft-pack lithium battery module cell processing production line includes: a conveying mechanism for conveying cells along a preset path; and a plurality of processing units arranged sequentially along the conveying path of the conveying mechanism. Each processing unit includes at least one positioning mechanism located at the working position of the at least one processing unit, and its structure is adapted to physically define the position of the cells before the processing units process them. The plurality of processing units include at least one automatic cell feeding unit; at least one foam attaching unit; and a module pre-stacking unit.

[0006] Furthermore, the positioning mechanism includes a side positioning mechanism, which has a pair of clamping parts that can move toward or away from each other, for applying constraints to the two sides of the battery cell.

[0007] Furthermore, the side positioning mechanism also includes a lifting mechanism, which is located below the conveying mechanism and has a lifting part that can move vertically upward. The lifting part is used to lift the battery cell from the bearing surface of the conveying mechanism before the clamping part clamps the battery cell.

[0008] Furthermore, the positioning mechanism also includes an end face positioning mechanism, which has a first push rod as a reference and a second push rod for pushing the battery cell. The first push rod and the second push rod are respectively arranged corresponding to the two end faces of the battery cell.

[0009] Furthermore, the plurality of processing units also include a polarity adjustment unit, which includes a clamping and flipping mechanism for clamping the battery cell and a displacement mechanism for driving the clamping and flipping mechanism to rise, fall, and translate.

[0010] Furthermore, the plurality of processing units also includes an end plate loading unit, which is disposed downstream of the module pre-stacking unit, for stacking an end plate on the cell module unit formed by the module pre-stacking unit.

[0011] Furthermore, the end plate loading unit includes an end plate transfer robot and an end plate loading mechanism. The end plate loading mechanism is a horizontally rotatable worktable, on which a loading position and a buffer position are spaced apart.

[0012] Furthermore, the automatic cell feeding unit includes a robot, the end of which is connected to a variable distance mechanism. The variable distance mechanism is equipped with two suction mechanisms for gripping the cells, and the structure of the variable distance mechanism is adapted to adjust the distance between the two suction mechanisms.

[0013] Furthermore, the variable pitch mechanism includes: a base, a linear guide rail fixed on the base, a fixed slider fixedly mounted on the linear guide rail, a movable slider that can slide along the linear guide rail, and a transmission component for driving the movable slider to move; the two suction mechanisms are respectively mounted on the fixed slider and the movable slider.

[0014] Furthermore, the conveying mechanism is structured to convey two rows of battery cells side by side; and the automatic battery cell feeding unit, the foam attaching unit, and the module pre-stacking unit all have a dual-station structure to operate the two rows of battery cells simultaneously.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model include: by integrating processes such as cell feeding, foam attachment, information collection, polarity adjustment, pre-stacking, and end plate loading into an automated production line, it realizes unmanned operation of the entire process from cell feeding and cell processing to pre-stacking modules, reducing production errors and increasing production capacity. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The disclosure of this utility model is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same parts. Wherein: Figure 1 Production line structure diagram Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the side positioning mechanism.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the end face positioning mechanism.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of an automatic cell feeding unit.

[0019] Figure 5 A structural diagram of the top sealing foam unit is attached.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the polarity adjustment unit.

[0021] Figure 7 The first-person perspective of the structural diagram of the large-area foam bonding unit.

[0022] Figure 8 A second perspective of the unit structure diagram for attaching large-area foam. Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the pre-stacked unit of the module.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the end plate feeding unit.

[0024] Numbering on the map: 11. Automatic cell feeding unit; 111. Four-axis robot; 112. Variable pitch mechanism; 113. Suction mechanism; 12. Top sealing foam attaching unit; 121. Foam transfer mechanism; 122. Foam feeding mechanism; 123. Foam; 13. Information acquisition and detection unit; 14. Polarity adjustment unit; 141. Cell clamping and flipping mechanism; 142. Lifting mechanism; 143. Forward extension mechanism; 15. First reference positioning unit; 16. Large-area foam attaching unit; 161. Unwinding mechanism; 162. Displacement mechanism; 163. Rewinding mechanism; 164. Foam pressing mechanism; 165. Material distribution mechanism; 17. Second reference positioning unit; 18. Module pre-stacking unit; 121. Transfer mechanism; 122. Gripper II; 19. End plate loading unit; 131. End plate transfer robot; 132. End plate loading mechanism; 110. Material unloading position; 20. Side positioning mechanism; 21. Lifting mechanism; 22. Clamping mechanism; 30. End face positioning mechanism; 31. Electrode side forward pushing mechanism; 32. Bottom forward pushing mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0025] It is readily understood that, based on the technical solution of this utility model, those skilled in the art can propose various interchangeable structural methods and implementations without altering the essential spirit of this utility model. Therefore, the following detailed embodiments and accompanying drawings are merely illustrative descriptions of the technical solution of this utility model and should not be considered as the entirety of this utility model or as limitations or restrictions on the technical solution of this utility model.

[0026] like Figure 1 This application provides a production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells, including a conveying mechanism and, along the conveying path of the conveying mechanism, an automatic cell feeding unit 11, a top sealing foam attaching unit 12, an information acquisition and detection unit 13, a polarity adjustment unit 14, a first reference positioning unit 15, a large-area foam attaching unit 16, a second reference positioning unit 17, a module pre-stacking unit 18, an end plate feeding unit 19, and a discharge position 110.

[0027] like Figures 1-10 In this embodiment, the conveying mechanism uses synchronous belt drive to ensure the accuracy of step conveying. Multiple carriers are fixed on the synchronous belt, each designed to carry and initially limit the movement of one battery cell. The synchronous belt conveys two battery cells at a time, and each processing unit is also designed with dual stations, allowing simultaneous operation of two battery cells, which greatly improves production efficiency.

[0028] To ensure the processing accuracy of each process, the top sealing foam attaching unit 12, the large-area foam attaching unit 16, the module pre-stacking unit 18, the end plate loading unit 19, and the unloading position 110 are all equipped with side positioning mechanisms 20. The side positioning mechanism 20 includes at least one lifting mechanism 21 and one clamping mechanism 22. The lifting mechanism 21 is preferably at least one cylinder located below the conveying mechanism, with its piston rod facing upwards, used to lift the battery cell vertically during positioning, separating it from the bearing surface of the carrier to eliminate friction. The clamping mechanism 22 is preferably a pair of symmetrically arranged clamping plates, respectively fixed to the piston rods of two other opposing cylinders, capable of synchronously moving towards or away from each other along the width direction of the battery cell. During positioning, the pair of clamping plates move towards each other to clamp the battery cell from both sides, thereby constraining the battery cell in a preset width direction.

[0029] After the placement of the automatic cell feeding unit 11, and on the first reference positioning unit 15, the second reference positioning unit 17, and the unloading position 110, an end face positioning mechanism 30 is provided. The end face positioning mechanism 30 includes at least a tab-side forward pushing mechanism 31 and a bottom forward pushing mechanism 32. The tab-side forward pushing mechanism 31 and the bottom forward pushing mechanism 32 are preferably two independent push rods, each corresponding to one of the two end faces of the cell, and each is driven by a cylinder. During positioning, one push rod (bottom forward pushing mechanism 32) extends and remains in position as a fixed reference stop, while the other push rod (tab-side forward pushing mechanism 31) extends and pushes the cell until the other end face of the cell abuts against the fixed reference stop, thereby completing the precise positioning of the cell in the length direction.

[0030] The production line workflow is described in detail below: The automatic battery cell feeding unit 11 includes at least one four-axis robot 111, a pitch-changing mechanism 112 mounted at the end of the robot, and a suction mechanism 113. The four-axis robot 111 drives the suction mechanism 113 (preferably a negative pressure suction cup assembly) to simultaneously pick up two battery cells from a tray. The tray is placed on both sides of the end of the conveyor line, one in use and one in standby. Subsequently, as the four-axis robot 111 moves towards the conveyor, the pitch-changing mechanism 112 actuates to adjust the distance between the two suction cups to match the center distance of the side-by-side carriers on the conveyor. Finally, the robot accurately places the two battery cells on the carrier, which is positioned by the end-face positioning mechanism 30.

[0031] The pitch-changing mechanism 112 includes at least a base fixed to the end flange of the four-axis robot 111, on which a linear guide rail is mounted. A fixed slider and a movable slider are slidably mounted on the guide rail, and components of the suction mechanism 113 (such as suction cups) are mounted on each slider. The fixed slider is positioned relative to the base, while the movable slider is connected to a micro servo motor via a ball screw drive mechanism. Before and after gripping the battery cell, the host controller, based on the spacing parameters of the target workstation, instructs the micro servo motor to rotate at a specific angle, converting the rotational motion into linear motion via the ball screw, thereby driving the movable slider to move along the guide rail and precisely adjusting the distance between the two suction cups to adapt to different carrier spacing specifications.

[0032] The suction mechanism 113 is a negative pressure suction cup assembly, including at least one suction nozzle and a pipeline for connecting the suction nozzle to a negative pressure device (negative pressure pump). The negative pressure device, which is electrically connected to the upper controller, controls the start, stop, filling, and load of the suction nozzle.

[0033] The top sealing foam attaching unit 12 includes at least a foam transfer mechanism 121 and a foam feeding mechanism 122. After the battery cell is transported to this unit and laterally positioned by the side positioning mechanism 20, the foam feeding mechanism 122 separates and supplies two independent top sealing foams 123. The foam transfer mechanism 121 grabs the pair of foams 123 and moves them directly above the top sealing area of ​​the battery cell, and then descends to precisely attach the foams 123 to the battery cell.

[0034] In this embodiment, the foam feeding mechanism 122 is preferably a roll-type automatic peeling feeding device. Its structure includes at least a unwinding shaft for mounting pre-cut foam rolls, a traction roller driven by a stepper motor, and a sharp-angle peeling plate positioned behind the traction roller. The release liner of the foam roll passes through the traction roller. The stepper motor rotates precisely according to the instructions of the upper controller, driving the traction roller to convey the roll forward by the width of one foam 123. When the release liner of the roll passes around the sharp edge of the sharp-angle peeling plate, due to the difference in rigidity between the foam 123 and the release liner, the foam 123 automatically separates from its release liner due to the sudden change in path and remains at the end of the peeling plate, waiting for the foam transfer mechanism 121 to pick it up. By arranging this device with two parallel channels, two independent top-sealing foams 123 can be supplied simultaneously.

[0035] The information acquisition and detection unit 13 includes at least one fixedly mounted industrial camera and a set of retractable OCV test probe assemblies. After the battery cells are positioned in this unit, the industrial camera photographs and decodes the QR codes on the surfaces of the two battery cells to obtain unique identification information; at the same time, the OCV test probe assembly descends, and the probes on it (a pair of positive and negative probes for each battery cell) precisely contact the positive and negative terminals of the battery cell, and the open-circuit voltage is measured and recorded by a high-precision voltmeter.

[0036] The polarity adjustment unit 14 includes at least a cell clamping and flipping mechanism 141, a lifting mechanism 142, and a forward extension mechanism 143. The cell clamping and flipping mechanism 141, the lifting mechanism 142, and the forward extension mechanism 143 together constitute a three-degree-of-freedom operating module. The forward extension mechanism 143 is a horizontally positioned servo linear module or a cylinder with a guide rod, and its slide (or piston rod end) is connected to the base of the lifting mechanism 142. The lifting mechanism 142 is a vertically positioned servo linear module or a cylinder, and its slide (or piston rod end) is connected to the cell clamping and flipping mechanism 141. The cell clamping and flipping mechanism 141 includes at least one hollow rotary cylinder (or servo rotary motor). A pneumatic gripper assembly is mounted on the output shaft of the rotary cylinder. The pneumatic gripper assembly includes at least two grippers I, a base, and two cylinders. Both grippers I are slidably placed on the base, and the cylinders are mounted on the base. The base is fixed to the output shaft of the rotary cylinder. The two grippers I are respectively fixed to the piston end of the corresponding cylinder and driven by the cylinder to move closer or further apart. During operation, the lifting mechanism 142 lowers to bring the grippers to a suitable height, and the extension mechanism 143 drives the entire module to extend to the side of the cell, closing the grippers I to clamp the cell. Subsequently, the lifting mechanism 142 rises to lift the cell away from the carrier, and the rotary cylinder (or motor) drives the grippers I to rotate 120°. After flipping is completed, the polarity adjustment unit 14 operates in the reverse order, placing the cell back into the carrier and resetting it.

[0037] Both the first reference positioning unit 15 and the second reference positioning unit 17 include an end face positioning mechanism 30. This mechanism positions the battery cell within the workstation plane, providing a reliable positional reference for subsequent critical processes.

[0038] The large-area foam bonding unit 16 includes at least an unwinding mechanism 161, a displacement mechanism 162, a winding mechanism 163, a foam pressing mechanism 164, and a material distribution mechanism 165. The displacement mechanism 162 is a high-precision servo linear module arranged along the length of the battery cell, with all other mechanisms supported on its moving saddle. The unwinding mechanism 161 is a damped, adjustable shaft rotatably connected to the saddle, used to provide stable tension to the foam roll. The material distribution mechanism 165 is a sharp-angle peeling plate fixedly mounted on the saddle. The foam pressing mechanism 164 is a long roller made of silicone or polyurethane, which is elastically pressed against the surface of the battery cell by a spring or small cylinder to ensure uniform bonding pressure; that is, the long roller and its support rotate, and the support of the long roller and the saddle are elastically slidably connected. The winding mechanism 163 is a shaft driven by a torque motor for recovering the peeled release paper; the motor is mounted on the saddle and controlled by a host controller. At the start of the bonding process, the foam pressing mechanism 164 presses the front end of the foam stripped from the material separating mechanism 165 onto the surface of the battery cell. Subsequently, the displacement mechanism 162 drives the entire bonding section to move at a constant speed along the length of the battery cell, and the foam pressing mechanism 164 rolls accordingly, flatly applying the foam to the surface of the battery cell. The unwinding mechanism 161 and the winding mechanism 163 simultaneously perform unwinding and winding actions to maintain the tension balance of the entire strip.

[0039] The module pre-stacking unit 18 includes a transfer mechanism 121 and a pair of grippers II 122. After both cells are precisely positioned by the side positioning mechanism 20, the transfer mechanism 121 (preferably a servo module with X, Y, Z axis motion capability) drives the grippers II 122 at its end to descend and clamp one of the cells, lift it vertically, move it horizontally to directly above the other cell, and finally descend vertically to complete the precise stacking of the two cells.

[0040] In the module pre-stacked unit 18, the two grippers II122 are slidably placed on the corresponding base, and the corresponding cylinder is installed on the base. The two grippers II122 are respectively fixed to the piston end of the corresponding cylinder and driven by the cylinder to move relatively closer or further away.

[0041] The end plate loading unit 19 includes an end plate transfer robot 131 and an end plate loading mechanism 132. The end plate loading mechanism 132 is a servo rotary table that can rotate horizontally by 120°. Two identical positioning fixtures are symmetrically arranged on the table surface, serving as the loading position and the buffer position, respectively. A photoelectric sensor is provided under the table to detect whether there is an end plate at the loading position. The end plate transfer robot 131 is preferably a small four-axis SCARA robot or a Cartesian coordinate robot with Z-axis lifting and XY-axis translation functions. Its end effector is equipped with a pneumatic gripper III or an electromagnetic chuck, depending on the material and shape of the end plate. The end plate transfer robot 131 picks up an end plate from the loading position of the end plate loading mechanism 132, moves it directly above the pre-stacked battery cell units, lowers it, and precisely places it on the two pre-stacked battery cells. When the photoelectric sensor at the feeding position detects that the end plate has been removed, the upper control system will drive the rotary table to rotate 120°, so that the buffer position where the end plate was placed manually will be moved to the feeding position, so as to realize uninterrupted and automated feeding cycle.

[0042] At the unloading position 110, the final battery cell module unit is transported to the end of the line. After being longitudinally positioned by the end face positioning mechanism 30, it awaits the subsequent process to pick it up.

[0043] In summary, to address the technical challenges of large cumulative errors, poor process coordination, and low efficiency in the specific manufacturing process of transforming disordered single cells into precision pre-stacked modules for pouch cells, this application proposes a specific, functionally coupled structural integration scheme. The key point is that these processing units are not arbitrarily arranged, but rather different positioning mechanisms are set up before critical precision processes such as attachment and stacking. This specific positioning structure and the coupled layout of the processing units constitute a production line structure that eliminates errors step by step, ensuring the accuracy of the final stacking.

[0044] The technical scope of this utility model is not limited to the content described above. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the above embodiments without departing from the technical concept of this utility model, and all such modifications and variations should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells, characterized in that, include: A conveying mechanism for conveying battery cells along a preset path; A plurality of processing units are sequentially arranged along the conveying path of the conveying mechanism, the plurality of processing units including: At least one positioning mechanism is disposed at the working position of at least one processing unit, and its structure is adapted to physically define the position of the battery cell before the processing unit processes the battery cell. The plurality of processing units include at least: Automatic cell feeding unit; At least one foam attachment unit; and Module pre-stacked unit.

2. The production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism includes a side positioning mechanism, which has a pair of clamping parts that can move toward or away from each other, for applying constraints to the two sides of the battery cell.

3. The production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells according to claim 2, characterized in that, The side positioning mechanism also includes a lifting mechanism, which is located below the conveying mechanism and has a lifting part that can move vertically upward. The lifting part is used to lift the battery cell from the bearing surface of the conveying mechanism before the clamping part clamps the battery cell.

4. A soft-pack lithium battery module cell processing production line according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism further includes an end face positioning mechanism, which has a first push rod as a reference and a second push rod for pushing the battery cell. The first push rod and the second push rod are respectively arranged corresponding to the two end faces of the battery cell.

5. The production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of processing units further includes a polarity adjustment unit, which includes a clamping and flipping mechanism for holding the battery cell and a displacement mechanism for driving the clamping and flipping mechanism to rise, fall and translate.

6. The production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of processing units also include an end plate loading unit, which is located downstream of the module pre-stacking unit and is used to stack an end plate on the cell module unit formed by the module pre-stacking unit.

7. A soft-pack lithium battery module cell processing production line according to claim 6, characterized in that, The end plate loading unit includes an end plate transfer robot and an end plate loading mechanism. The end plate loading mechanism is a horizontally rotatable worktable, on which a loading position and a buffer position are spaced apart.

8. The production line for processing soft-pack lithium battery module cells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic battery cell feeding unit includes a robot, and a variable distance mechanism is connected to the end of the robot. Two suction mechanisms for gripping battery cells are installed on the variable distance mechanism, and the structure of the variable distance mechanism is adapted to adjust the distance between the two suction mechanisms.

9. A soft-pack lithium battery module cell processing production line according to claim 8, characterized in that, The pitch-changing mechanism includes: a base, a linear guide rail fixed on the base, a fixed slider fixedly mounted on the linear guide rail, a movable slider that can slide along the linear guide rail, and a transmission assembly for driving the movable slider to move; the two suction mechanisms are respectively mounted on the fixed slider and the movable slider.

10. A soft-pack lithium battery module cell processing production line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism is designed to convey two rows of battery cells side by side; and the automatic battery cell feeding unit, the foam attaching unit, and the module pre-stacking unit all have a dual-station structure to operate two battery cells simultaneously.

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