Battery cell blanking device

Abstract

The application relates to a battery cell blanking device, which comprises an inner clamping needle, the inner clamping needle comprises a clamping needle plate, one side of the clamping needle plate is provided with a support plate extending along the length direction and the width direction of the clamping needle plate; a support piece is connected to the top surface of the support plate, and the support piece elastically supports the battery cell by elastic deformation. The application is provided with the support plate extending along the length direction and the width direction of the clamping needle plate on one side of the clamping needle plate, and the support piece for upwardly supporting the battery cell is arranged on the support plate. After the battery cell is completed with winding and the needle is drawn out, the support piece on the inner clamping needle elastically supports the battery cell above by elastic deformation, so that the battery cell is maintained in an elliptic arc shape. The upper half of the battery cell is not sagged and loosened due to the gravity, the battery cell is pre-pressed and shaped in a wrinkle-free and deformation-free state, the wrinkle risk is greatly reduced, and the product yield is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery cell winding equipment technology, and in particular to a battery cell unloading device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rise of new energy equipment, represented by new energy vehicles, batteries have become a key power source. Batteries consist of battery cells, which are the main components for charging and discharging. Inside a battery cell is a battery cell, which can be a stacked cell or a wound cell.

[0003] For wound cells, the positive and negative electrode plates and the separator are first wound on the winding needle. At this time, the wound cell is similar to the outer contour of the winding needle, which is an approximate ring. After winding, the cell needs to be removed and then pressed into a flat state in the hot pressing process. Before hot pressing, the cell needs to be removed from the winding needle by the clamping needle and pre-stretched by the clamping needle, that is, stretched from the ring to a flat state to facilitate the subsequent hot pressing process.

[0004] As demand for long-lasting, high-rate fast-charging batteries increases, the design and production of individual battery cells face higher requirements. Given the current capabilities of existing equipment in the industry, ultra-wide cells with high capacity and high rate have emerged. For these cells, which are produced using ultra-large diameter winding needles and have relatively wide dimensions and thin electrode designs, the upper half of the cell is relatively loose in the middle after being opened using traditional clamping needles, and sags due to gravity. This results in an inconsistent shape between the upper and lower parts of the cell, causing uneven stress on the electrode sheets or separators on the inner and outer surfaces of the cell when the upper pressure plate is pressed downwards after the needles are removed, leading to wrinkles and severely affecting product yield. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a battery cell feeding device to solve the problem in related technologies where, after the traditional clamping pins open, the middle part of the upper half of the battery cell is relatively loose, and when pre-pressed downwards, the electrodes or separators on the inner and outer surfaces of the battery cell are subjected to uneven force, resulting in wrinkles, which seriously affects the product yield.

[0006] This application provides a battery cell feeding device, including: An inner clamping needle, the inner clamping needle including a clamping plate, and a support plate extending along the length and width directions of the clamping plate on one side; A support plate is attached to the top surface of the support plate and elastically supports the battery cell through its own elastic deformation.

[0007] In some embodiments: one end of the support piece is a fixed end and is connected to the side of the support plate near the needle clamping plate, and the other end of the support piece is a movable end and extends upward at an angle away from the needle clamping plate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the support sheet is a spring steel sheet, and the cross-section of the support sheet is an upwardly arched arc-shaped structure.

[0009] In some embodiments: the support plate is provided with a lower barb on the side away from the needle clamping plate, which is connected to the support piece, and the free end of the support piece is provided with an upper barb that is engaged with the lower barb.

[0010] In some embodiments: the top surface of the support plate is provided with a groove, and an elongated protrusion is provided in the groove near the fixed end of the support piece and vertically supporting the support piece.

[0011] In some embodiments: the bottom surface of the support plate is flush with the bottom surface of the needle clamping plate, the top surface of the support plate is lower than the top surface of the needle clamping plate, and the sum of the thicknesses of the support plate and the support piece is less than or equal to the thickness of the needle clamping plate.

[0012] In some embodiments: the fixed end of the support piece is connected to the side of the support plate near the clamping plate by a hinge, and an elastic element is provided between the support plate and the support piece to elastically support the support piece to rotate around the hinge.

[0013] In some embodiments, the side of the support sheet near the support plate is provided with a heater for heating the support sheet.

[0014] In some embodiments, the side of the needle clamping plate away from the support plate is provided with an outwardly protruding arc surface, which is connected to the top and bottom surfaces of the needle clamping plate.

[0015] In some embodiments, it further includes a coil needle and an outer clamping needle, wherein the outer wall of the coil needle is provided with a slot for accommodating the inner clamping needle and the support piece; The width of the inner clamping needle and the width of the support plate are between 0.2d and 0.4d, where d is the diameter of the coiled needle.

[0016] In some embodiments, the included angle between the support piece and the support plate is 5° to 15°.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include: This application provides a battery cell feeding device. The battery cell feeding device of this application is provided with an inner clamping needle, which includes a clamping needle plate. A support plate extending along the length and width directions of the clamping needle plate is provided on one side of the clamping needle plate. A support piece is connected to the top surface of the support plate. The support piece elastically supports the battery cell by its own elastic deformation.

[0018] Therefore, the battery cell feeding device of this application has a support plate extending along the length and width of the clamping plate on one side, and a support plate for supporting the battery cell upward on the support plate. The support plate supports the battery cell elastically by its own elastic deformation, so as to avoid the middle part of the ultra-wide battery cell from sagging and loosening due to its own weight, which would affect the subsequent hot pressing operation. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the internal clamping pin and support sheet in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a top view of the internal clamping pin and support plate in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a front view of the internal clamping pin and support sheet in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a front view of the structure of another embodiment of this application, in which the internal clamping pin and support piece are in the unfolded state; Figure 5 This is a front view of the structure of another embodiment of this application, in which the internal clamping pin and support piece are in a retracted state; Figure 6 This is a front view of the structure of another embodiment of this application, showing the internal clamping pin and support piece in their unfolded state during use; Figure 7 This is a front view of the structure of another embodiment of this application, in which the internal clamping pin and support piece are in a retracted state during use; Figure 8 This is a top view of the structure of the inner and outer clamping needles in this application.

[0021] Figure label: 1. Battery cell; 2. Outer clamping pin; 3. Lower pressure plate; 4. Upper pressure plate; 5. Clamping pin holder; 10. Inner clamping pin; 11. Clamping pin plate; 12. Support plate; 13. Arc surface; 14. Groove; 15. Long strip protrusion; 16. Lower barb; 20. Support plate; 21. Upper barb; 22. Hinge; 23. Elastic element. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] This application provides a battery cell feeding device that solves the problem in related technologies where, after the traditional clamping pins open, the middle part of the upper half of the battery cell is relatively loose, and when pre-pressed downwards, the electrodes or diaphragms on the inner and outer surfaces of the battery cell are subjected to uneven force, resulting in wrinkles that seriously affect the product yield.

[0024] See Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, this application provides a battery cell feeding device, including: The inner clamping needle 10 includes a clamping plate 11. A support plate 12 is provided on one side of the clamping plate 11, extending along the length and width directions of the clamping plate 11. The length direction of the support plate 12 is parallel to the length direction of the clamping plate 11, and the support plate 12 and the clamping plate 11 are fixedly connected to each other.

[0025] The support plate 20 is connected to the top surface of the support plate 12. The support plate 20 elastically supports the battery cell 1 through its own elastic deformation. The support plate 20 is connected to the top surface of the support plate 12 and arches away from the support plate 12. The support plate 12 provides positioning and rigid support for the support plate 20.

[0026] In this embodiment of the application, the battery cell feeding device has a support plate 12 extending along the length and width directions of the clamping plate 11 on one side, and a support piece 20 for supporting the battery cell 1 upward on the support plate 12. The support piece 20 elastically supports the battery cell 1 through its own elastic deformation, so as to avoid the middle part of the ultra-wide battery cell from sagging due to its own weight, thereby affecting the subsequent hot pressing operation.

[0027] After the battery cell 1 is wound, and the winding needle is pulled out, the support piece 20 on the inner clamping needle 10 elastically supports the battery cell 1 above under its own elastic deformation, maintaining the battery cell 1 in an elliptical arc shape. The upper half of the battery cell 1 will not sag or loosen due to its own weight. The battery cell 1 is pre-pressed and shaped in a wrinkle-free and deformation-free state, which greatly reduces the risk of wrinkles and greatly improves the product yield.

[0028] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5As shown, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device. One end of the support plate 20 of the device is a fixed end and is connected to the side of the support plate 12 near the clamping plate 11. The other end of the support plate 20 is a movable end and extends upward at an angle away from the clamping plate 11.

[0029] In this embodiment, the support piece 20 has one end fixed to the support plate 12 and close to the side of the clamping plate 11, and the other end serves as a movable end and extends upward at an angle away from the clamping plate 11. The movable end of the support piece 20 can not only elastically support the battery cell 1, but also deform along with the battery cell 1 when it is flattened from a circle to an ellipse.

[0030] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the figure, this application provides a battery cell feeding device. The support plate 20 of the device is a spring steel plate, and the cross-section of the support plate 20 is an upwardly arched arc structure.

[0031] The support plate 20 in this embodiment is a spring steel sheet of a set thickness. The specific thickness of the support plate 20 can be set according to actual needs. The support plate 20 using spring steel sheet has good support and deformation capabilities, thus improving its service life.

[0032] The cross-section of the support piece 20 is an upward-arched arc-shaped structure. The top surface of its arc-shaped structure can form a good fit and support with the inner surface of the cell 1, increasing the contact area between it and the inner surface of the cell 1, thereby ensuring that the electrode sheets of the upper half ring of the cell 1 are tightly attached and prevented from becoming loose.

[0033] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device. The support plate 12 of the device is provided with a lower barb 16 connected to the support plate 20 on the side away from the clamping plate 11. The free end of the support plate 20 is provided with an upper barb 21 that is engaged with the lower barb 16.

[0034] In this embodiment, a lower barb 16 is provided on the support plate 12 to connect to the support piece 20, and an upper barb 21 is provided at the free end of the support piece 20 to engage with the lower barb 16. When the battery cell 1 is flattened, the upper barb 21 and the lower barb 16 engage with each other to limit the rebound of the support piece 20, thereby allowing the inner clamping needle to smoothly complete the needle withdrawal action.

[0035] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device. The top surface of the support plate 12 of the device is provided with a groove 14, and an elongated protrusion 15 is provided in the groove 14 near the fixed end of the support plate 20 and vertically supporting the support plate 20.

[0036] In this embodiment, a groove 14 is provided on the top surface of the support plate 12, and an elongated protrusion 15 is provided in the groove 14 to vertically support the support piece 20. The top surface of the elongated protrusion 15 is an arc surface and abuts against the lower surface of the support piece 20. The elongated protrusion 15 serves as a fulcrum for the support piece 20 to undergo elastic deformation, thereby enhancing the elastic support force of the support piece 20.

[0037] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device. The bottom surface of the support plate 12 of the device is flush with the bottom surface of the clamping plate 11, the top surface of the support plate 12 is lower than the top surface of the clamping plate 11, and the sum of the thicknesses of the support plate 12 and the support piece 20 is less than or equal to the thickness of the clamping plate 11.

[0038] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the support plate 12 is flush with the bottom surface of the clamping plate 11. When the battery cell 1 is flattened, the bottom surface of the support plate 12 and the bottom surface of the clamping plate 11 can simultaneously contact the inner surface of the lower half of the battery cell 1, making the inner surface of the flattened battery cell 1 flatter.

[0039] In this embodiment, the top surface of the support plate 12 is lower than the top surface of the clamping plate 11, thereby providing space for the elastic deformation of the support piece 20 in the direction close to the support plate 12. The sum of the thicknesses of the support plate 12 and the support piece 20 is less than or equal to the thickness of the clamping plate 11, which allows the inner surface of the flattened battery cell 1 to be on the same plane as the top surfaces of the support plate 12 and the support piece 20, making the inner surface of the battery cell 1 flatter.

[0040] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 4 to 5 As shown, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device. The fixed end of the support piece 20 of the device is connected to the support plate 12 via a hinge 22 and is close to the side of the clamping plate 11. An elastic element 23 is provided between the support plate 12 and the support piece 20 to elastically support the support piece 20 to rotate around the hinge 22.

[0041] The support plate 20 in this embodiment can be a metal plate (such as a steel plate or an aluminum plate) or a rigid plastic plate. One end of the support plate 20 is connected to the support plate 12 by a hinge 22, and the support plate 20 can rotate freely on the support plate 12 with the hinge 22 as the pivot.

[0042] In order to enable the support plate 20 to support the inner surface of the upper half of the cell 1, this embodiment provides an elastic element 23 between the support plate 12 and the support plate 20 to elastically support the support plate 20. The number of elastic elements 23 can be set to one or more, and the one or more elastic elements 23 can be selected from spiral compression springs or rubber blocks, etc.

[0043] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5As shown, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device. The support plate 20 of the device is provided with a heater (not shown in the figure) on the side near the support plate 12.

[0044] In this embodiment, after the battery cell 1 is flattened, the heater heats and bonds the internal electrode and separator of the battery cell 1 by heating the support plate 20, which reduces the risk of needle removal and facilitates the needle removal action by clamping the internal needle.

[0045] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device. The clamping plate 11 of the device has an outwardly protruding arc surface 13 on the side away from the support plate 12. The arc surface 13 is connected to the top surface and the bottom surface of the clamping plate 11.

[0046] In this embodiment, the clamping plate 11 has an outwardly protruding arc surface 13 on the side away from the support plate 12. The arc surface 13 has a large contact area with the inner ring of the battery cell 1, and the force is uniform, which reduces the risk of wrinkles in the inner ring when the battery cell 1 is flattened.

[0047] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 6 to 8 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device, which also includes a winding needle (not shown in the figure) and an outer clamping needle 2. The outer wall of the winding needle is provided with a slot to accommodate the inner clamping needle 10 and the support piece 20.

[0048] Both the outer clamping needle 2 and the clamping plate 11 are provided in two sets, and the two sets of outer clamping needle 2 and clamping plate 11 are connected to each other through clamping needle seat 5. The width of the inner clamping needle 10 and the width of the support plate 20 are between 0.2d and 0.4d, where d is the diameter of the coiled needle.

[0049] In use, the outer clamping pin 2 is located outside the battery cell 1, and the inner clamping pin 10 is located inside the battery cell 1. The outer clamping pin 2 clamps the outer surface of the battery cell 1, and the inner clamping pin 10 clamps the inner surface of the battery cell 1.

[0050] The needle holder 5 drives the two sets of outer needles 2 and the needle plate 11 to move away from each other, thereby stretching the wound circular battery cell into an elliptical battery cell. When the winding needle is winding the electrode and the diaphragm, the inner needle 10 and the support plate 20 are located in the groove on the outer wall of the winding needle.

[0051] In some alternative embodiments, see Figures 3 to 5 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a battery cell feeding device, wherein the included angle between the support plate 20 and the support plate 12 is 5°~15°.

[0052] When the support plate 20 is in a free state, the opening angle of the support plate 20 is 5°~15°. When a certain downward pressure is applied to the support plate 20, the opening angle of the support plate 20 will decrease until the top surface of the support plate 20 is flush with the top surface of the clamping plate 11. The upper barb 21 and the lower barb 16 are then engaged with each other to keep the support plate 20 in a downward pressure state.

[0053] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in specific use: the upper pressure plate 4 moves towards the lower pressure plate 3 to press down the battery cell 1. The upper half of the battery cell 1 bears a certain pressure. The support plate 20 elastically supports the upper half of the battery cell 1, and under the heating action of the heater, the internal electrode and diaphragm of the battery cell 1 are initially bonded together.

[0054] The outer electrode and separator of cell 1 are also tightly bonded to the upper pressure plate 4 due to the force, and the inner and outer electrode and separator of cell 1 are kept in the best state without wrinkles.

[0055] As the upper pressure plate 4 continues to press down to a certain height, the support plate 20 of the device is pressed down to the locked position. Then, the upper pressure plate 4 is slightly raised a certain distance, so that the upper half of the cell 1 is no longer under force. At the same time, the device completes the needle-pulling action. During needle pulling, the risk of needle pulling is reduced because the internal electrode and diaphragm have been thermally bonded.

[0056] After the inner clamp needle is pulled out, the upper pressure plate 4 continues to press down. The inner and outer ring electrode sheets and separator of the battery cell 1 are pre-pressed and shaped in a wrinkle-free and deformation-free state, which greatly reduces the risk of wrinkles and greatly improves the winding yield.

[0057] At this point, the winding and unloading of one battery cell 1 is completed. The upper barb 21 and the lower barb 16 are then unlocked, and the support piece 20 is restored to its free state to begin the production of the next battery cell 1.

[0058] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are 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. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0059] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0060] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A battery cell feeding device, characterized in that, include: The inner clamping needle (10) includes a clamping plate (11), and a support plate (12) extending along the length and width directions of the clamping plate (11) is provided on one side of the clamping plate (11). Support plate (20) is connected to the top surface of the support plate (12). The support plate (20) elastically supports the battery cell (1) through its own elastic deformation.

2. The cell feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the support piece (20) is a fixed end and is connected to the side of the support plate (12) near the needle clamp plate (11). The other end of the support piece (20) is a movable end and extends upward at an angle away from the needle clamp plate (11).

3. A cell feeding device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The support plate (20) is a spring steel plate, and the cross-section of the support plate (20) is an upwardly arched arc structure.

4. The cell feeding device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The top surface of the support plate (12) is provided with a groove (14), and the groove (14) is provided with a long strip-shaped protrusion (15) that is close to the fixed end of the support piece (20) and supports the support piece (20).

5. The cell feeding device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The support plate (12) is provided with a lower barb (16) connecting the support piece (20) on the side away from the clamping plate (11), and the free end of the support piece (20) is provided with an upper barb (21) that is engaged with the lower barb (16).

6. The cell feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the support plate (12) is flush with the bottom surface of the needle clamping plate (11), the top surface of the support plate (12) is lower than the top surface of the needle clamping plate (11), and the sum of the thicknesses of the support plate (12) and the support piece (20) is less than or equal to the thickness of the needle clamping plate (11).

7. The cell feeding device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The fixed end of the support piece (20) is connected to the side of the support plate (12) near the clamp plate (11) by a hinge (22). An elastic element (23) is provided between the support plate (12) and the support piece (20) to elastically support the support piece (20) to rotate around the hinge (22).

8. The cell feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The support plate (20) is provided with a heater for heating the support plate (20) on the side close to the support plate (12).

9. The cell feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping plate (11) has an outwardly protruding arc surface (13) on the side away from the support plate (12), and the arc surface (13) is connected to the top and bottom surfaces of the clamping plate (11).

10. The cell feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a coiled needle and an outer clamping needle (2), wherein the outer wall of the coiled needle is provided with a slot to accommodate the inner clamping needle (10) and the support piece (20); The width of the inner clamping needle (10) and the width of the support piece (20) are between 0.2d and 0.4d, where d is the diameter of the coiled needle.

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