Tab processing apparatus integrated with gas passage

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of tab processing, in particular to a tab processing device integrated with a gas channel. A pressing block is arranged above a base in a lifting mode, a nitrogen cover is arranged on the pressing block in a covering mode, the nitrogen cover is provided with a gas channel for laser passing, then the laser passes through the gas channel and performs a welding process on the tab on the base, the problem of too large a welding mark caused by ultrasonic welding is avoided, the welding mark size is reduced to reduce the occupied space of the tab. An air inlet communicating with the gas channel is arranged on one side of the nitrogen cover, then nitrogen can be continuously introduced into the gas channel during laser cutting, the surface tension of the molten pool at the tab cutting position can be reduced, the flowability of the molten metal is promoted, the molten substance is blown away from the cutting seam by the nitrogen, the adhesion of the slag is reduced, the cutting quality is improved, and the processing device can be applied to a processing procedure integrated with cutting and welding, the product does not need to be transferred between a cutting station and a welding station, the processing steps are simplified, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrode processing technology, and in particular to an electrode processing apparatus with an integrated gas channel. Background Technology

[0002] In the consumer battery manufacturing industry, processes such as cutting and welding battery tabs are frequently involved. Currently, ultrasonic welding is the mainstream welding method for multi-layer tabs. However, different sizes of welding heads are required depending on the product model, which can lead to excessively large weld marks. Furthermore, after ultrasonic welding, the multi-layer tabs need to be cut and shaped. Currently, laser cutting is used for tabs, but the spiral oscillation cutting method increases the kerf width. A large kerf width can cause the molten pool to collapse, and the poor fluidity of the molten metal makes it difficult to fall off, resulting in problems such as slag adhesion and burrs on the cut edges. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address one of the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides an electrode tab processing apparatus with an integrated gas channel, comprising a base for supporting the electrode tab, a pressure block that can be lifted and lowered above the base, and a nitrogen shroud covering the pressure block. The nitrogen shroud has a gas channel for laser penetration, the pressure block has a through groove connecting the gas channel and the electrode tab on the base, and an air inlet connecting the gas channel is provided on one side of the nitrogen shroud. This avoids the problem of excessively large weld marks caused by ultrasonic welding, reduces the weld mark size, and thus reduces the space occupied by the electrode tab, indirectly increasing the battery capacity within the same volume. Continuously introducing nitrogen into the gas channel through the air inlet reduces the surface tension of the molten pool at the electrode tab cutting location, promotes the fluidity of the molten metal, allows the molten material to be blown away from the cut by the nitrogen, reduces slag adhesion, and improves cutting quality.

[0004] Preferably, a gap is formed between the pressure block and the nitrogen shroud. Nitrogen gas is continuously introduced into the gas channel from the gas inlet and flows out from the gap between the pressure block and the nitrogen shroud, thereby creating gas flow. During laser cutting of the electrode tab, the nitrogen gas inside the nitrogen shroud provides a small amount of downward pressure to the electrode tab, promoting the shedding of molten metal at the laser cutting location and reducing slag adhesion to the cutting location of the electrode tab.

[0005] Preferably, a pad for supporting the electrode tab is installed on the top of the base, and a cutting slit is formed in the pad. The cutting slit is used to provide back clearance during laser cutting, preventing the electrode tab from being welded to the pad. At the same time, the molten metal produced by laser cutting of the electrode tab can fall off the cutting slit and detach from the electrode tab, avoiding the molten material from adhering to the electrode tab and forming burrs.

[0006] Preferably, a cavity is formed inside the base, and an air intake port communicating with the cavity is formed on one side of the base. Therefore, during processing, when the molten material on the tab is blown off by nitrogen gas, the molten material falls through the cutting seam into the cavity inside the base. Furthermore, slag, dust, and other impurities generated during processing enter the cavity and are then sucked away through the air intake port, improving the processing quality of the tab.

[0007] Preferably, the top of the nitrogen hood has a recessed groove that connects to the gas channel, and an optical lens is embedded in the recessed groove. A laser processing device is installed above the top of the nitrogen hood. After the nitrogen hood is filled with nitrogen, the laser emitted by the laser processing device enters the nitrogen hood vertically from above the optical lens, and performs integrated welding and cutting processing on the tabs on the base in the processing area.

[0008] Preferably, the device further includes a frame disposed on one side of the base, with the pressure block and the nitrogen hood mounted on the frame. The pressure block and nitrogen hood are thus fixed relative to each other by being mounted on the frame, with the nitrogen hood covering the top of the pressure block and creating a gap between the bottom of the nitrogen hood and the pressure block to allow for the flow of nitrogen within the nitrogen hood.

[0009] Preferably, a drive module is provided on the frame, and a mounting base is provided on the drive end of the drive module. The pressure block and the nitrogen hood are connected to the mounting base. The drive module drives the mounting base to move up and down, so that the pressure block moves closer to or away from the base. When the drive module drives the mounting base to descend, the pressure block presses against the electrode tab on the base, thereby facilitating laser processing of the electrode tab.

[0010] Preferably, a diagonal bar is provided on one side of the mounting base, and the diagonal bar is connected to the pressure block, so that the pressure block can be located below the nitrogen hood.

[0011] Preferably, a crossbar is provided on one side of the mounting base, and the crossbar is connected to the nitrogen hood, so that the nitrogen hood covers the top of the pressure block.

[0012] Preferably, a mounting groove is provided on the top of the base, and the pad is fixedly disposed in the mounting groove. This allows for the replacement of pads of different heights according to the cell model, thereby accommodating tabs of different heights and ensuring that the pad can support the tabs.

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this application are as follows: This application uses a pressure block that can be raised and lowered above the base to press and fix the electrode tabs. A nitrogen cover is fitted onto the pressure block, and the nitrogen cover has a gas channel for laser penetration. The pressure block has a through groove connecting the gas channel and the electrode tabs on the base. The laser passes through the gas channel to perform welding and cutting processes on the electrode tabs on the base, avoiding the problem of excessively large weld marks caused by ultrasonic welding, reducing the weld mark size and thus reducing the space occupied by the electrode tabs, indirectly increasing the battery capacity within the same volume. Simultaneously, an air inlet connecting to the gas channel is provided on one side of the nitrogen cover. During the laser cutting process, nitrogen is continuously introduced into the gas channel through the air inlet, which reduces the surface tension of the molten pool at the electrode tab cutting location, promotes the fluidity of the molten metal, and allows the molten material to be blown away from the cut by the nitrogen, reducing slag adhesion and improving cutting quality. Furthermore, the processing device of this application can be applied to processing steps that integrate cutting and welding, eliminating the need to transfer the product between the cutting and welding stations, simplifying processing steps and improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only a part of the embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode processing device for the integrated gas channel according to an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure Labels

[0017] 10. Base; 11. Cavity; 12. Inlet; 20. Pressure block; 21. Gap; 30. Pad; 31. Cutting seam; 40. Nitrogen hood; 41. Gas passage; 42. Inlet; 43. Optical lens; 50. Mounting base; 51. Diagonal bar; 52. Crossbar; 60. Frame. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The following drawings disclose several embodiments of this application. For clarity, many practical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details should not be used to limit this application. That is, in some embodiments of this application, these practical details are not essential. In addition, for the sake of simplicity, some conventional structures and components will be shown in the drawings in a simple schematic manner.

[0019] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of this application, such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc., are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture as shown in the attached figure. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0020] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and does not specifically refer to any order or sequence, nor is it intended to limit this application. They are merely used to distinguish components or operations described using the same technical terms and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If a combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0021] To further understand the content, features, and effects of this application, the following embodiments are provided, and detailed descriptions are given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0022] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this embodiment provides an electrode processing apparatus with an integrated gas channel, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a base 10 for supporting the tabs. A pressure block 20 is vertically mounted above the base 10. After multiple layers of tabs are placed on the base 10, the tabs are pressed down and fixed by the pressure block 20. A nitrogen gas cover 40 is fitted over the pressure block 20. The nitrogen gas cover 40 has a gas channel 41 for laser to pass through. The pressure block 20 has a through groove 21 connecting the gas channel 41 and the tabs on the base 10. The laser passes through the gas channel 41 and performs welding and cutting processes on the tabs on the base 10, avoiding the problem of excessively large weld marks caused by ultrasonic welding, reducing the weld mark size and thus reducing the space occupied by the tabs, indirectly increasing the battery capacity in the same volume. At the same time, an air inlet 42 connecting the gas channel 41 is opened on one side of the nitrogen gas cover 40. During the laser cutting process, nitrogen is continuously introduced into the gas channel 41 through the air inlet 42, which can reduce the surface tension of the molten pool at the tab cutting position, promote the fluidity of the molten metal, allow the molten material to be blown away from the cut by nitrogen, reduce slag adhesion, and improve the cutting quality.

[0023] Specifically, a gap 21 is formed between the pressure block 20 and the nitrogen shroud 40. Nitrogen gas is continuously introduced into the gas channel 41 from the gas inlet 42 and flows out from the gap 21 between the pressure block 20 and the nitrogen shroud 40, thus forming gas flow. During the laser cutting of the electrode tab, the nitrogen gas inside the nitrogen shroud 40 provides a small amount of downward pressure to the electrode tab, promoting the falling of molten metal at the laser cutting position, reducing slag adhesion to the cutting position of the electrode tab, and at the same time, the cross-section of the molten pool under nitrogen protection is more stable, reducing edge burrs and heat-affected zone deformation, thereby forming a smooth cutting surface, reducing burrs and improving the forming quality of the electrode tab.

[0024] Furthermore, a pad 30 for supporting the tabs is embedded in the top of the base 10. After the battery cell is placed on the base 10, it is supported by the pad 30 and then the tab is fixed by the pressure block 20. Multiple layers of tabs are laser welded, and then the welded tabs are cut and shaped by laser. The processing device of this application can be applied to a processing procedure that integrates cutting and welding, eliminating the need to transfer the product between the cutting station and the welding station, simplifying the processing steps and improving production efficiency. For example, an installation groove is provided in the top of the base 10, and the pad 30 is fixedly installed in the installation groove by a locking member. This allows the pad 30 to be replaced with pads of different heights according to the battery cell model, thereby adapting to tabs of different heights and ensuring that the pad 30 can support the tabs.

[0025] In the above scheme, a cutting slit 31 is provided in the pad 30. The cutting slit 31 is used to provide back penetration during laser cutting to prevent the electrode tab from being welded to the pad. At the same time, the molten metal produced by laser cutting of the electrode tab can fall off the electrode tab through the cutting slit 31 and detach from the electrode tab, avoiding the molten material from adhering to the electrode tab and forming burrs.

[0026] Furthermore, a cavity 11 is provided inside the base 10, and an air intake 12 communicating with the cavity 11 is provided on one side of the base 10. The air intake 12 is connected to a negative pressure generator. Thus, during the cutting process, when the molten material on the electrode tab is blown off by nitrogen gas, the molten material falls through the cutting seam 31 into the cavity 11 inside the base 10. Then, the slag, dust and other debris generated during the processing enter the cavity 11 and are sucked away through the air intake 12, thereby improving the processing quality of the electrode tab.

[0027] Furthermore, the top of the nitrogen hood 40 is provided with a groove that connects to the gas channel 41. An optical lens 43 is embedded in the groove. A laser processing device is set above the top of the nitrogen hood 40. After the nitrogen hood 40 is filled with nitrogen, the laser emitted by the laser processing device enters the nitrogen hood vertically from above the optical lens 43. The device performs integrated welding and cutting of the tabs on the base 10 in the processing area.

[0028] It also includes a frame 60 disposed on one side of the base 10, with the pressure block 20 and the nitrogen cover 40 slidably disposed on the frame 60. The pressure block 20 and the nitrogen cover 40 are then mounted on the frame 60, so that the pressure block 20 and the nitrogen cover 40 are relatively fixed, and the nitrogen cover 40 covers the top of the pressure block 20, while a gap is formed between the bottom of the nitrogen cover 40 and the pressure block 20 to maintain the flow of nitrogen inside the nitrogen cover 40.

[0029] Furthermore, a drive module is provided on the frame 60, and a mounting base 50 is provided on the drive end of the drive module. The pressure block 20 and the nitrogen hood 40 are connected to the mounting base 50. The drive module drives the mounting base 50 to move up and down, so that the pressure block 20 moves closer to or away from the base 10. When the drive module drives the mounting base 50 to descend, the pressure block 20 presses and fixes the electrode tab on the base 10, thereby facilitating laser processing of the electrode tab.

[0030] Furthermore, a diagonal bar 51 is provided on one side of the mounting base 50, and the diagonal bar 51 is connected to the pressure block 20, so that the pressure block 20 can be located below the nitrogen hood 40. A horizontal bar 52 is provided on one side of the mounting base, and the horizontal bar 52 is connected to the nitrogen hood 40, so that the nitrogen hood 40 covers the pressure block 20.

[0031] In summary, in one or more embodiments of this application, the solution utilizes a pressure block that can be raised and lowered above the base. The pressure block presses down to fix the electrode tabs, and a nitrogen shroud is fitted over the pressure block. The nitrogen shroud has a gas channel for laser penetration, and the pressure block has a through groove connecting the gas channel and the electrode tabs on the base. This allows the laser to pass through the gas channel and perform welding and cutting processes on the electrode tabs on the base, avoiding the problem of excessively large weld marks caused by ultrasonic welding, reducing the weld mark size, and thus reducing the space occupied by the electrode tabs, indirectly increasing the battery capacity within the same volume. Simultaneously, an air inlet connecting to the gas channel is provided on one side of the nitrogen shroud. During the laser cutting process, nitrogen is continuously introduced into the gas channel through the air inlet, reducing the surface tension of the molten pool at the electrode tab cutting location, promoting the fluidity of the molten metal, allowing the molten material to be blown away from the cut by the nitrogen, reducing slag adhesion, and improving cutting quality. The processing device of this application is suitable for processing steps that integrate cutting and welding, eliminating the need to transfer the product between the cutting and welding stations, simplifying processing steps, and improving production efficiency.

[0032] The embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this technical solution. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the above embodiments should be included within the scope of protection of this technical solution.

Claims

1. A tab processing apparatus with an integrated gas channel, characterized in that: It includes a base (10) for supporting the electrode tab, a pressure block (20) that can be raised and lowered above the base (10), and a nitrogen hood (40) covering the pressure block (20). The nitrogen hood (40) has a gas channel (41) for laser to pass through. The pressure block (20) has a through groove (21) connecting the gas channel (41) and the electrode tab on the base (10). An air inlet (42) connecting the gas channel (41) is provided on one side of the nitrogen hood (40).

2. The electrode processing apparatus for integrated gas channels according to claim 1, characterized in that: A gap (21) is formed between the pressure block (20) and the nitrogen hood (40).

3. The electrode processing apparatus for integrated gas channels according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pad (30) for supporting the electrode tabs is installed on the top of the base (10), and a cut slit (31) is provided in the pad (30).

4. The electrode processing apparatus for integrated gas channels according to claim 3, characterized in that: A cavity (11) is provided inside the base (10), and an air intake (12) communicating with the cavity (11) is provided on one side of the base (10).

5. The electrode processing apparatus for integrated gas channels according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the nitrogen hood (40) is provided with a groove that connects to the gas channel (41), and an optical lens (43) is installed in the groove.

6. The electrode processing apparatus for integrated gas channels according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a frame (60) disposed on one side of the base (10), and the pressure block (20) and the nitrogen hood (40) are disposed on the frame (60).

7. The electrode processing apparatus for integrated gas channels according to claim 6, characterized in that: A drive module is provided on the frame (60), and a mounting base (50) is provided on the drive end of the drive module. The pressure block (20) and the nitrogen hood (40) are connected to the mounting base (50).

8. The electrode processing apparatus for integrated gas channels according to claim 7, characterized in that: A diagonal rod (51) is provided on one side of the mounting base (50), and the diagonal rod (51) is connected to the pressure block (20).

9. The electrode tab processing apparatus with integrated gas channel according to claim 7, characterized in that: A crossbar (52) is provided on one side of the mounting base, and the crossbar (52) is connected to the nitrogen hood (40).

10. The electrode processing apparatus for integrated gas channels according to claim 3, characterized in that: An installation groove is provided on the top of the base (10), and the pad (30) is fixedly installed in the installation groove.

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