A cell-in-can device

Abstract

The utility model relates to battery manufacturing technical field, specifically disclose a kind of battery cell shell-entering device, it includes the clamping mechanism that can hold battery cell, and for urging the clamping mechanism moves towards shell and sends battery cell into the shell-entering drive mechanism in;The clamping mechanism includes two shell-entering clamps that can be close to each other or away from each other, two shell-entering clamps are all provided with the force sensor for detecting the friction of battery cell shell-entering time.The utility model utilizes the principle that the friction between battery cell shell-entering time and shell is equal to the size of the thrust required by battery cell shell-entering, directly measures the friction between battery cell shell-entering time and shell by setting force sensor on shell-entering clamp, can achieve effective detection shell-entering pressure value, while setting upper and lower two surface force sensor to detect, prevent the deviation of measured shell-entering pressure value, ensure measurement accuracy, improve overall production line equipment comprehensive efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and in particular to a battery cell casing device. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of lithium-ion battery technology, stacking technology has gradually become an important technical means in battery manufacturing due to its advantages in energy density, rate performance, and safety. In the production process of stacked batteries, the requirements for cell insertion position and insertion force place special demands on the battery assembly and welding processes. For example, the requirements for the gap accuracy between the cell and the casing opening, the height of the casing opening and the cell cover plate during insertion, and the weld flatness, weld height, weld penetration, and weld width after insertion all determine the finished quality and safety of the cell. Accurately measuring the thrust during insertion can effectively control the insertion precision, thereby preventing damage and waste of the cell during insertion. The precision requirements also effectively prevent welding quality issues during the full welding process of the battery cover plate, thus achieving a higher pass rate and yield rate in the cell assembly process and improving the overall efficiency of the production line equipment.

[0003] Currently, the method for measuring the insertion pressure in battery production lines is to directly measure the insertion thrust. For example, patent CN106129448B discloses a fully automatic cell insertion device. The pushing mechanism is connected to a power unit via a pressure sensor. This pressure sensor can detect the reverse force experienced by the pushing mechanism during cell insertion in real time, thereby monitoring the insertion process. Under normal circumstances, the pressure is controlled within a certain range. If the pressure rises significantly, it indicates a problem with the positioning between the cell and the casing, requiring readjustment. In this method, the pressure sensor directly measures the thrust during cell insertion. However, the pressure sensor is generally located at the rear end of the aluminum casing, and various other forces interfere with the measurement process, making it impossible to accurately measure the thrust. This leads to excessive deviation in the insertion pressure measurement, inaccurate pressure values ​​during insertion, and problems such as damage to the cell due to excessive pressure or incomplete insertion due to insufficient pressure. This indirectly affects the welding pass rate of subsequent equipment. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, in view of the technical problem that the current battery cell insertion device directly measures the thrust, which is subject to interference from various other forces and cannot effectively measure the accurate thrust, this utility model provides a battery cell insertion device.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This utility model provides a battery cell insertion device, which includes a clamping mechanism capable of holding the battery cell, and an insertion drive mechanism for driving the clamping mechanism to move toward the housing and inserting the battery cell into the housing; the clamping mechanism includes two insertion jaws that can move closer or further apart from each other, and each of the two insertion jaws is provided with a force sensor for detecting the frictional force when the battery cell is inserted into the housing.

[0006] This invention proposes a battery cell insertion device that utilizes the principle that the frictional force between the battery cell and the casing during insertion is equal to the thrust required for insertion. By setting a force sensor on the insertion jaws to directly measure the frictional force between the battery cell and the casing during insertion, the insertion pressure value can be effectively detected. Simultaneously, force sensors on both the upper and lower surfaces are used for detection to prevent deviations in the measured insertion pressure value, ensuring measurement accuracy, thereby guaranteeing the yield of inserted battery cells, and further ensuring the welding qualification rate of subsequent welding processes after insertion, thus improving the overall efficiency of the production line equipment.

[0007] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned solution of this utility model, the clamping mechanism also includes a shell clamping cylinder; two shell clamping claws are arranged vertically and respectively installed on the two output ends of the shell clamping cylinder.

[0008] As a further improvement to the above-described solution of this utility model, the housing drive mechanism includes a linear module, and the clamping mechanism is connected to the drive end of the linear module via a mounting bracket. Driven by the linear module, the structure is simple, operation is convenient, the drive is stable, and the product is mature, facilitating maintenance or replacement.

[0009] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned solution of this utility model, it also includes a positioning mechanism, which is disposed on one side of the clamping mechanism and is used to adjust and position the battery cell. The clamping mechanism is used to clamp the battery cell after it has been adjusted and positioned by the positioning mechanism.

[0010] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned solution of this utility model, the positioning mechanism includes a positioning bracket, which is U-shaped and has a supporting part formed at the top of its two vertical sections for positioning and supporting the battery cell.

[0011] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned solution of this utility model, the positioning mechanism also includes a base plate and a lifting cylinder. The lifting cylinder is mounted on the base plate and located below the positioning bracket, and the output end of the lifting cylinder is connected to the bottom of the positioning bracket.

[0012] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned solution of this utility model, two vertically arranged limiting plates are provided on the substrate, and connecting plates are connected to both sides of the middle of the horizontal section of the positioning bracket. The two connecting plates are respectively arranged in correspondence with the two limiting plates. A connecting block that is slidably connected to the corresponding limiting plate is provided on the connecting plate, and a limiting block that limits the movement of the connecting block is provided on the top of the limiting plate.

[0013] As a further improvement of the above-mentioned solution of this utility model, the positioning mechanism further includes two positioning claws and a positioning clamping cylinder. The two positioning claws are respectively arranged on both sides of the positioning bracket and the bottom of the positioning claws is slidably connected to the base plate through the mounting plate. The positioning clamping cylinder is installed on the bottom of the base plate and its two output ends are connected to connecting frames. The two connecting frames are respectively connected to the mounting plates at the bottom of the two positioning claws.

[0014] As a further improvement to the above-mentioned solution of this utility model, two linear slide rails are provided on the substrate below the positioning gripper, and the mounting plate is connected to the sliders of the two linear slide rails.

[0015] As a further improvement to the above-mentioned solution of this utility model, protective pads are provided on the opposite sides of both positioning claws.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This utility model proposes a battery cell insertion device. It utilizes the principle that the frictional force between the battery cell and the casing during insertion is equal to the thrust required for insertion. By setting a force sensor on the insertion jaws to directly measure the frictional force between the battery cell and the casing during insertion, the insertion pressure value can be effectively detected. Simultaneously, force sensors on both the upper and lower surfaces are used to prevent deviations in the measured insertion pressure value, ensuring measurement accuracy and thus guaranteeing the yield of inserted battery cells. This, in turn, ensures the welding qualification rate of subsequent welding processes after insertion, improving the overall efficiency of the production line equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell housing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of a battery cell housing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side view of a battery cell housing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 for Figure 1 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0018] Reference numerals: 1. Battery cell; 2. Insertion gripper; 3. Force sensor; 4. Insertion clamping cylinder; 5. Linear module; 6. Mounting bracket; 7. Positioning bracket; 8. Base plate; 9. Lifting cylinder; 10. Limiting plate; 11. Connecting plate; 12. Connecting block; 13. Limiting block; 14. Positioning gripper; 15. Positioning clamping cylinder; 16. Mounting plate; 17. Connecting bracket; 18. Linear slide rail; 19. Protective pad. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To facilitate understanding of this invention, a more comprehensive description of the invention will be provided below with reference to specific embodiments. However, this invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this invention.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0021] This embodiment proposes a battery cell insertion device that can measure the frictional force between the battery cell 1 and the housing when the battery cell 1 enters the housing. Since the frictional force is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the thrust, the insertion pressure value can be effectively detected by measuring the frictional force. This prevents battery cell damage caused by excessive insertion pressure or equipment alarms caused by insufficient pressure, thus ensuring the yield rate of inserted battery cells.

[0022] Reference Figure 1-3 The battery cell insertion device of this embodiment includes a positioning mechanism for adjusting and positioning the incoming battery cell 1, a clamping mechanism for clamping the battery cell 1 after the positioning mechanism has adjusted and positioned, and an insertion drive mechanism for driving the clamping mechanism to move towards the housing and sending the battery cell 1 into the housing.

[0023] The positioning mechanism includes a positioning bracket 7, a base plate 8, a lifting cylinder 9, two positioning grippers 14, and a positioning clamping cylinder 15. The base plate 8 is horizontally arranged and combined with... Figure 4Two limiting plates 10 arranged opposite each other along their width are provided in the middle of the substrate 8, and limiting blocks 13 are provided on opposite sides of the top of the two limiting plates 10. Two linear slide rails 18 arranged along their length are provided at both ends of the substrate 8. Two positioning jaws 14 are arranged vertically opposite each other. The bottom of the positioning jaws 14 is connected to the mounting plate 16, and the mounting plate 16 is connected to the slider of the two linear slide rails 18 below it. Protective pads 19 are provided on opposite sides of the top of the two positioning jaws 14. A positioning clamping cylinder 15 is installed at the bottom of the substrate 8. The two output ends of the positioning clamping cylinder 15 are connected to the connecting frame 17. The connecting frame 17 is L-shaped and the two connecting frames 17 are respectively connected to the two mounting plates 16. In this way, the positioning clamping cylinder 15 can drive the two positioning jaws 14 to move closer or further apart through the two connecting frames 17. A positioning bracket 7 is provided between the two positioning jaws 14. The positioning bracket 7 is U-shaped and the top of its two vertical sections forms a lifting part for positioning and lifting the battery cell 1. Connecting plates 11 are connected to both sides of the middle section of the positioning bracket 7. The two connecting plates 11 are respectively set with two limiting plates 10. Connecting blocks 12 are provided on the connecting plates 11 and are slidably connected to the corresponding limiting plates 10. The limiting blocks 13 on the limiting plates 10 can limit the movement of the connecting blocks 12 to prevent the connecting blocks 12 from disengaging from the limiting plates 10. The lifting cylinder 9 is located below the positioning bracket 7 and is mounted on the base plate 8. The output end of the lifting cylinder 9 is connected to the bottom of the horizontal section of the positioning bracket 7.

[0024] The housing insertion drive mechanism includes a linear module 5, and the clamping mechanism is connected to the drive end of the linear module 5 via a mounting bracket 6. The linear module 5 is located on one side of the substrate 8 in the width direction, facilitating the clamping mechanism to grip the battery cell 1. In this embodiment, the linear module 5 can be a ball screw linear module driven by a servo motor.

[0025] The clamping mechanism includes two housing grippers 2 that can move closer to or further away from each other, and a housing clamping cylinder 4. The housing clamping cylinder 4 is mounted on the mounting bracket 6, and the two housing grippers 2 are arranged vertically and connected to the two output ends of the housing clamping cylinder 4 respectively. Force sensors 3 for detecting friction are provided on the side of each housing gripper 2 that is further away from each other. An electronic valve can be used to control the housing clamping cylinder, and a pilot valve can be used to control the housing clamping cylinder to prevent the housing grippers from loosening and falling when the power and air supply to the housing clamping cylinder are cut off. In this embodiment, the force sensor 3 can be a common pressure sensor.

[0026] The battery cell installation device of this embodiment has the above-described structure. When performing the battery cell 1 installation operation, the following process is adopted: A robotic arm is used to grab the incoming battery cell 1 and place it on the positioning bracket 7. The two ends of the battery cell 1 along its length are respectively facing the two positioning claws 14. The height of the positioning bracket 7 is adjusted by the lifting cylinder 9. Then, the positioning clamping cylinder 15 drives the two positioning claws 14 to move synchronously and move closer to each other to clamp the battery cell 1, so as to adjust and position the battery cell 1 so that the battery cell 1 corresponds to the inlet of the shell and ensures that the battery cell 1 can be accurately inserted into the shell. The linear module 5 drives the mounting bracket 6 to move, so that the two insertion jaws 2 are respectively positioned on the upper and lower sides of the battery cell 1. The insertion clamping cylinder 4 drives the two insertion jaws 2 to move closer to each other and clamp the battery cell 1. Then, the positioning clamping cylinder 15 drives the two positioning jaws 14 to move away from each other. The linear module 5 drives the mounting bracket 6 to move, so that the clamping mechanism moves towards the housing and sends the battery cell 1 into the housing. During this process, the two force sensors 3 can detect and record the friction between the battery cell and the housing in real time. The friction is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the thrust required for the battery cell to enter the housing. The thrust for the battery cell to enter the housing can be obtained from the detected friction. The battery cell is judged to be in place by conventional 3-day gap inspection before welding. After the battery cell is in place, the insertion clamping cylinder 4 drives the two insertion jaws 2 to move away from each other and release the clamp on the battery cell 1.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "installed on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or it may be in a component that is centered on it. When a component is said to be "set on" another component, it can be directly set on the other component or it may also be in a component that is centered on it. When a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly fixed to the other component or it may also be in a component that is centered on it.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "or / and" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0029] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0030] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery cell insertion device, characterized in that, It includes a clamping mechanism for clamping the battery cell (1) and an insertion drive mechanism for driving the clamping mechanism toward the housing and inserting the battery cell (1) into the housing; the clamping mechanism includes two insertion jaws (2) that can move closer or further apart from each other, and each of the two insertion jaws (2) is provided with a force sensor (3) for detecting the frictional force when the battery cell (1) is inserted into the housing.

2. The cell insertion device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism also includes a shell clamping cylinder (4); two shell clamping claws (2) are arranged vertically and respectively installed on the two output ends of the shell clamping cylinder (4).

3. The cell insertion device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing drive mechanism includes a linear module (5), and the clamping mechanism is connected to the drive end of the linear module (5) via a mounting bracket (6).

4. The cell insertion device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a positioning mechanism, which is disposed on one side of the clamping mechanism and is used to adjust and position the battery cell (1). The clamping mechanism is used to clamp the battery cell (1) after it has been adjusted and positioned by the positioning mechanism.

5. The cell insertion device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism includes a positioning bracket (7), which is U-shaped and has two vertical sections whose tops form a support part for positioning and supporting the battery cell (1).

6. The cell insertion device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism also includes a base plate (8) and a lifting cylinder (9). The lifting cylinder (9) is mounted on the base plate (8) and located below the positioning bracket (7). The output end of the lifting cylinder (9) is connected to the bottom of the positioning bracket (7).

7. The cell insertion device according to claim 6, characterized in that, Two vertically arranged limiting plates (10) are provided on the base plate (8). Connecting plates (11) are connected to both sides of the middle of the horizontal section of the positioning bracket (7). The two connecting plates (11) are respectively arranged in correspondence with the two limiting plates (10). Connecting blocks (12) that are slidably connected to the corresponding limiting plates (10) are provided on the connecting plates (11). A limiting block (13) that limits the movement of the connecting block (12) is provided on the top of the limiting plate (10).

8. The cell insertion device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism also includes two positioning jaws (14) and a positioning clamping cylinder (15). The two positioning jaws (14) are respectively arranged on both sides of the positioning bracket (7), and the bottom of the positioning jaws (14) is slidably connected to the base plate (8) through the mounting plate (16). The positioning clamping cylinder (15) is installed at the bottom of the base plate (8), and its two output ends are connected to connecting frames (17). The two connecting frames (17) are respectively connected to the mounting plates (16) at the bottom of the two positioning jaws (14).

9. The cell insertion device according to claim 8, characterized in that, Two linear slide rails (18) are provided on the base plate (8) below the positioning gripper (14), and the mounting plate (16) is connected to the slider of the two linear slide rails (18).

10. The cell insertion device according to claim 8, characterized in that, Protective pads (19) are provided on the opposite side of both positioning grippers (14).

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