A material handling and transfer mechanism and a tab cutting device

Abstract

This application discloses a material handling and transfer mechanism and an electrode tab cutting device, comprising: a linear drive device including an output section that reciprocates along a first direction; and a first clamping assembly disposed on the output section. The first clamping assembly is configured to: clamp the electrode strip to be cut at a clamping position and pull the electrode strip to be cut a preset distance along the first direction to a cutting position, the preset distance being the dimension of the finished electrode tab in one direction. The displacement of the linear drive device of this application can be precisely controlled, and the distance, speed, and stopping position of each movement are extremely accurate, ensuring the consistency of the electrode tab cutting length. Operators no longer need to frequently put their hands into the equipment, completely avoiding the risk of safety accidents such as cuts caused by equipment malfunction or human error. It eliminates product quality fluctuations caused by operator fatigue, skill differences, etc., making product quality more stable and reliable, and also reduces the labor intensity of operators.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and more specifically, to a material handling and transfer mechanism and a tab cutting device. Background Technology

[0002] In a single battery cell, the welding quality of the tabs and terminals determines the cell's safety, reliability, and lifespan. For example, insufficient welding area or lack of fusion will result in a small actual conductive cross-sectional area. During high-current charging and discharging, the resistance at this point is extremely high, leading to intense localized heating and potentially causing thermal runaway, resulting in fire or explosion. Excessive welding energy can burn through the tabs or terminals, causing the metal materials to become brittle and thinner, severely reducing their mechanical strength. During battery use, vibration or changes in internal pressure can cause the weld joints to crack, resulting in open circuits or internal short circuits, which are equally extremely dangerous.

[0003] Currently, welding machine parameters and welding quality are typically verified before each production batch of individual cells to avoid welding quality issues. To reduce costs, process verification batteries are usually manufactured to verify welding quality. Process verification batteries do not require actual cells, thus reducing costs, but they must include tabs and terminals welded to them.

[0004] The battery manufacturing process verification requires the preparation of tabs of the corresponding size using a tab cutting device. This device typically includes a feeding mechanism, a cutting mechanism, and a shearing mechanism. The feeding mechanism extends the end of the stacked electrode strip beyond the cutting mechanism by a certain distance. The operator pulls the end of the electrode strip outwards by the corresponding dimension, and the cutting mechanism cuts it to obtain tab material of the corresponding size. The shearing device then cuts the tab material into tabs of the corresponding size.

[0005] When cutting electrode tabs from electrode strips, operators need to manually pull the electrode strip forward a certain distance so that it extends beyond the support platform, allowing the cutting mechanism to cut the tabs to the appropriate size. Each cut requires the operator to pull the electrode strip forward once, resulting in high labor intensity and inconsistent pulling distance, leading to dimensional errors in the cut tabs.

[0006] Therefore, how to reduce the labor intensity of operators and improve the cutting accuracy of electrode material is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0007] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a material handling and transfer mechanism to reduce the labor intensity of operators and improve the cutting accuracy of electrode material;

[0008] Another objective of this application is to provide a tab cutting device having the above-mentioned material handling and transfer mechanism.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0010] The first aspect of this application provides a material handling and transfer mechanism, comprising:

[0011] A linear drive device, including an output section that reciprocates along a first direction;

[0012] A first clamping assembly is disposed on the output section and driven by the linear drive device. The first clamping assembly is at least movable between a clamping position and a cutting position. The first clamping assembly is configured to: clamp the electrode strip to be cut at the clamping position and pull the electrode strip to be cut a preset distance along the first direction to the cutting position. The preset distance is the dimension of the electrode finished product in one direction. The electrode finished product has a rectangular structure. The first dimension is one of the length dimension and the width dimension of the electrode finished product.

[0013] The material handling mechanism provided in this application uses a linear drive device to drive the first clamping assembly to reciprocate along a first direction. When the electrode strip to be cut needs to be cut, the linear drive device drives the first clamping assembly to move towards the electrode strip to be cut to the clamping position, and clamps the end of the electrode strip to be cut by the first clamping assembly. The linear drive device then drives the first clamping assembly to move a preset distance away from the electrode strip to be cut to the cutting position, whereby the cutting mechanism performs the cutting.

[0014] Manually pulling the strip material to be cut inevitably introduces dimensional errors, leading to inconsistent tab dimensions. The linear drive device allows for precise displacement control; the distance, speed, and stopping position of each movement are extremely accurate, ensuring consistent tab cutting lengths. Operators no longer need to frequently reach into the equipment, completely eliminating the risk of cuts and other accidents caused by equipment malfunctions or human error. It also eliminates product quality fluctuations caused by operator fatigue and skill differences, resulting in more stable and reliable product quality, and reduces the workload of operators.

[0015] A second aspect of this application provides a tab cutting device, comprising:

[0016] A cutting mechanism is set at the cutting station to cut the electrode strip to be cut to obtain electrode tab material, wherein the dimension of the electrode tab material in one direction is the same as the dimension of the finished electrode tab in one direction.

[0017] A cutting mechanism, located at the cutting station, is used to cut off the waste material in another direction of the tab material to obtain the finished tab;

[0018] The material handling and transfer mechanism is as described in any of the preceding items.

[0019] The tab cutting equipment provided in this application has all the technical effects of the aforementioned material picking and transferring mechanism, and will not be described in detail here. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the 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.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the tab cutting device disclosed in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the tab cutting device disclosed in another embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a top view of a tab cutting device disclosed in another embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling and cutting mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a top view of the material handling and cutting mechanism and the cutting mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling and transfer mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0027] The meanings of the various reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0028] 100 - Support platform;

[0029] 200 - Cutting mechanism;

[0030] 300 - Material handling and transfer mechanism; 310 - First clamping assembly; 311 - First drive unit; 312 - First gripper unit; 320 - Second clamping assembly; 321 - Second drive unit; 322 - Second gripper unit; 330 - Linear drive device; 340 - First slide rail assembly; 350 - Second slide rail assembly; 360 - Connector; 370 - Stroke shift block assembly; 371 - Stroke moving block; 372 - First shift block; 373 - Second shift block;

[0031] 400 - Cutting mechanism; 410 - Scrap bin;

[0032] 500 - Electrode strip to be cut; 510 - Electrode lug material. Detailed Implementation

[0033] This application discloses a material handling and transfer mechanism to reduce the labor intensity of operators and improve the cutting accuracy of tab material;

[0034] This application also discloses an electrode cutting device having the above-mentioned material handling and transfer mechanism.

[0035] 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, and 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.

[0036] like Figures 1-4 As shown in the figure, this application discloses a material handling mechanism 300, which includes a linear drive device 330 and a first clamping assembly 310.

[0037] The linear drive device 330 includes an output section that reciprocates along a first direction. The linear drive device 330 can be a linear module, which enables the output section to reciprocate along the first direction. The linear drive device 330 can also be any drive device that can output linear displacement, such as a linear motor or a cylinder. This embodiment does not limit the specific drive type of the linear drive device 330.

[0038] The first clamping component 310 is disposed on the output part of the linear drive device 330 and is driven by the linear drive device 330. The first clamping component 310 can reciprocate along the first direction with the output part. The position of the first clamping component 310 includes at least a clamping position and a cutting position.

[0039] The first clamping assembly 310 is configured to clamp the electrode strip 500 to be cut at the clamping position and pull the electrode strip 500 to be cut a preset distance along a first direction to the cutting position. That is, when the first clamping assembly 310 moves to the clamping position, it can clamp the end of the electrode strip 500 to be cut, so that the electrode strip 500 to be cut can be pulled to the cutting position. When the electrode strip 500 to be cut is pulled a preset distance from the initial position, the cutting mechanism 200 can cut electrode tab material 510 of the same size as the preset distance.

[0040] The finished tab is generally rectangular in shape. The preset distance is the dimension in one direction of the finished tab (defined as the first dimension). The finished tab is rectangular in shape, and the first dimension is either the length or the width of the finished tab. For example, the preset distance is the width of the finished tab. That is, the first clamping component 310 can be designed to move a distance (i.e., the preset distance) according to the width of the finished tab, so that the first dimension of the tab material 510 cut by the cutting mechanism 200 is the width of the finished tab. Then, the waste material at both ends of the tab material 510 is cut off by the cutting mechanism 400 to obtain the length of the finished tab (i.e., the second dimension).

[0041] The first clamping assembly 310 may also include a cutting position. The first clamping assembly 310 is configured to transport the tab material 510 obtained by cutting the electrode strip 500 to the cutting position, which is located between the clamping position and the cutting position. The first clamping assembly 310 clamps the tab material 510 and transfers it to the cutting position, where the cutting mechanism 400 completes the cutting action.

[0042] The material handling mechanism 300 disclosed in this application uses a linear drive device 330 to drive the first clamping assembly 310 to reciprocate along a first direction. When the electrode strip 500 to be cut needs to be cut, the linear drive device 330 drives the first clamping assembly 310 to move towards the electrode strip 500 to be cut to the clamping position, and clamps the end of the electrode strip 500 to be cut by the first clamping assembly 310. The linear drive device 330 then drives the first clamping assembly 310 to move away from the electrode strip 500 to the cutting position by a preset distance, and the cutting mechanism can then perform the cutting.

[0043] Manually pulling the strip material to be cut (500mm) inevitably introduces dimensional errors, leading to inconsistent tab dimensions. The linear drive device (330) provides precise displacement control; the distance, speed, and stopping position of each movement are extremely accurate, ensuring consistent tab cutting lengths. Operators no longer need to frequently reach into the equipment, completely eliminating the risk of cuts or other accidents caused by equipment malfunctions or human error. It also eliminates product quality fluctuations caused by operator fatigue and skill differences, resulting in more stable and reliable product quality, and reduces the workload of operators.

[0044] In one specific embodiment of this application, the material handling mechanism 300 may further include second clamping components 320 respectively disposed on both sides of the first clamping component 310 along a second direction. The second clamping components 320 are configured to clamp the two side edges of the electrode strip 500 to be cut along the second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. Furthermore, the two second clamping components 320 may be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first clamping component 310 along the second direction.

[0045] Those skilled in the art will understand that after the electrode strip 500 is cut by the cutting mechanism 200 to obtain the electrode tab material 510, the electrode tab material 510 is clamped by the first clamping assembly 310, and the waste material at both ends of the electrode tab material 510 needs to be cut off by the cutting mechanism 400. The ends of the electrode tab material 510 may sag due to gravity, which will affect the cutting of the ends of the electrode tab material 510. Furthermore, the electrode tab material 510 may experience slight slippage, bending, or vibration at the moment of cutting by the cutting mechanism 400. This can lead to dimensional deviations after cutting (shorter or longer than preset), and may even cause defects such as burrs, curled edges, or tears at the cut.

[0046] In this embodiment, by adding a second clamping assembly 320 to firmly fix the tab material 510 from both sides, the tab material 510 remains absolutely stable at both ends during the cutting process. This allows the cutting mechanism 400 to complete the cutting cleanly and efficiently, obtaining a high-quality cut that is vertical, flat, and burr-free. This is crucial for the subsequent laser welding quality of the tab, reducing the risk of incomplete welds.

[0047] During cutting, the material is subjected to stress and may undergo plastic deformation. Strong clamping can restrain this deformation, preventing unwanted warping or bending of the tabs after cutting and ensuring the flatness of the finished tabs.

[0048] Furthermore, the second clamping assembly 320 is configured to reciprocate along a first direction driven by the linear drive device 330. That is, both the first clamping assembly 310 and the second clamping assembly 320 move along the first direction driven by the linear drive device 330.

[0049] Because they share the same drive source (i.e., the linear drive device 330), the movements of the first clamping component 310 and the second clamping component 320 are synchronized. They start and stop at the same time, eliminating the minor synchronization errors or communication delays that might occur with independent servo systems. This embodiment requires only one drive device, resulting in significantly lower hardware and electrical control system costs compared to solutions using multiple independent drives.

[0050] In order to enable both the first clamping component 310 and the second clamping component 320 to be driven by the linear drive device 330, the material handling mechanism 300 in this embodiment may further include a connector 360 connected to the first clamping component 310 and / or the output part. That is, the connector 360 may be connected to the first clamping component 310, the output part of the linear drive device 330, or both the first clamping component 310 and the output part.

[0051] The second clamping component 320 is connected to the connecting body 360 via a transmission connection. This embodiment does not limit the specific manner in which the second clamping component 320 and the connecting body 360 are connected via a transmission connection. For example, the second clamping component 320 can be fixedly connected to the connecting body 360, so that the movements of the first clamping component 310 and the second clamping component 320 are completely synchronized.

[0052] When the electrode strip 500 to be cut is subjected to unidirectional tension, it is easily stretched and may even exhibit necking (deformation at the tension point). When pulled solely by the first clamping assembly 310, all the tension is concentrated in a small area, leading to stress concentration and potentially causing excessive stretching or minor plastic deformation of the material. When the second clamping assembly 320 simultaneously clamps and participates in the tensioning of the electrode strip 500, the tension is distributed across three clamping points. The electrode strip 500 is stretched more smoothly and evenly, significantly reducing localized stress and preventing damage to the material's microstructure and permanent deformation.

[0053] The second clamping assembly 320 provides lateral constraint on both sides, forming a stable clamping plane together with the first clamping assembly 310. This ensures that the electrode strip 500 to be cut maintains a very high degree of flatness throughout the entire stretching process, without warping or wrinkling. A flat electrode strip 500 to be cut is a prerequisite for high-precision cutting.

[0054] The addition of the second clamping component 320 provides a redundant backup for the pulling action. Even if the first clamping component 310 experiences extremely slight slippage, the clamping points on both sides can still firmly grip the electrode strip 500 to be cut, ensuring accurate pulling length and improving the reliability and durability of the equipment.

[0055] like Figures 4-6 As shown, the first clamping assembly 310 includes a first gripper portion 312 and a first driving portion 311 for driving the first gripper portion 312 to open and close; the second clamping assembly 320 includes a second gripper portion 322 and a second driving portion 321 for driving the second gripper portion 322 to open and close.

[0056] Furthermore, based on the fixed connection between the second clamping assembly 320 and the connector 360, along the first direction, the first end face of the first gripper portion 312 and the second end face of the second gripper portion 322 are coplanar, and the first end face and the second end face are the end faces facing the electrode strip 500 to be cut.

[0057] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the end faces of the first gripper portion 312 and the second gripper portion 322 facing the electrode strip 500 to be cut are the end faces that first intersect with the electrode strip 500 to be cut, thus determining the boundary of the clamping position.

[0058] The first end face of the first gripper portion 312 is coplanar with the second end face of the second gripper portion 322, ensuring that all gripper portions can contact the surface of the electrode strip 500 to be cut at the same time. This allows the clamping force to be evenly distributed throughout the clamping area, avoiding the risk of excessive local stress or insufficient clamping force, and ensuring absolute reliability of clamping.

[0059] Uniform clamping force means that the electrode strip 500 to be cut is in an ideal stress-free flat state the moment it is first fixed, ensuring the reliability of subsequent high-precision pulling, cutting and shearing.

[0060] It should be noted that, based on the fixed connection between the second clamping assembly 320 and the connector 360, along the first direction, the first end face of the first claw portion 312 and the second end face of the second claw portion 322 may not be coplanar. For example, the first end face of the first claw portion 312 may be designed to be closer to the electrode strip 500 to be cut than the second end face of the second claw portion 322.

[0061] Before being pulled, the end of the electrode strip 500 to be cut needs to extend out of the positioning platform of the cutting mechanism 200 to facilitate gripping by the material handling mechanism. Because the electrode strip 500 extends out of the positioning platform, it can be easily gripped by the first gripper portion 312 located in the middle, and the first gripper portion 312 will not interfere with the corresponding mechanism of the cutting mechanism 200. However, since the second gripper portion 322 is used to grip the side edge of the electrode strip 500 to be cut, there is a possibility of interference with the corresponding structure of the cutting mechanism 200.

[0062] In this embodiment, the first end face of the first gripper 312 is designed to be closer to the electrode strip 500 to be cut than the second end face of the second gripper 322. That is, the second gripper 322 is designed to be in a more rear position (a position away from the electrode strip 500 to be cut, that is, a position away from the cutting mechanism 200), which fundamentally eliminates the risk of collision between the second clamping component 320 and the cutting mechanism 200.

[0063] Furthermore, the distance difference between the first end face of the first gripper portion 312 and the second end face of the second gripper portion 322 is less than the first dimension of the finished electrode tab (the first dimension can be the width dimension of the finished electrode tab). This setting ensures that the second gripper portion 322 can avoid obstacles of the cutting mechanism 200, but can also hold part of the structure of the electrode strip 500 to be cut.

[0064] like Figure 5As shown in a specific embodiment of this application, the second clamping component 320 and the connecting body 360 are connected by a travel lever component 370, which is fixed to the second clamping component 320. Each second clamping component 320 is fixed with a travel lever component 370, so the second clamping component 320 can be moved by moving the travel lever component 370.

[0065] The travel lever assembly 370 includes a travel moving block 371 and a lever disposed on the travel moving block 371. The connecting body 360 cooperates with the lever to drive the travel lever assembly 370 to reciprocate along a first direction. The connecting body 360 and the lever form a limiting position. When the connecting body 360 reciprocates along the first direction, it can push the lever to drive the travel moving block 371 to reciprocate, thereby achieving the effect of driving the second clamping assembly 320 to reciprocate along the first direction.

[0066] The lever may include a first lever 372 and a second lever 373, which are spaced apart along a first direction. The end of the connecting body 360 extends between the first lever 372 and the second lever 373. When the connecting body 360 moves along the first direction toward the first lever 372, it can drive the second clamping assembly 320 to move synchronously in the same direction as the connecting body 360; when the connecting body 360 moves along the first direction toward the second lever 373, it can drive the second clamping assembly 320 to move synchronously in the same direction as the connecting body 360.

[0067] In this embodiment, only one linear drive device 330 is needed to provide power to drive the first clamping component 310 and the second clamping component 320. Moreover, it does not need to be fixed to the second clamping component 320, which makes it convenient to disassemble and assemble.

[0068] Furthermore, the first lever 372 is closer to the electrode strip 500 to be cut than the second lever 373. The first clamping assembly 310 includes a first gripper portion 312 and a first driving portion 311 for driving the first gripper portion 312 to open and close, and the second clamping assembly 320 includes a second gripper portion 322 and a second driving portion 321 for driving the second gripper portion 322 to open and close.

[0069] When the connector 360 abuts against the first lever 372, along the first direction, the first end face of the first gripper 312 is closer to the electrode strip 500 to be cut than the second end face of the second gripper 322. The first and second end faces are the end faces facing the electrode strip 500 to be cut. That is, when the connector 360 is driven by the linear drive device 330 to move towards the electrode strip 500 to be cut, so as to drive the first gripper 312 to grip the electrode strip 500 to be cut, the connector 360 will push the first lever 372, so that the second gripper 322 also moves accordingly. However, the first end face of the first gripper 312 is closer to the electrode strip 500 to be cut than the second end face of the second gripper 322, which can avoid the risk of collision between the second clamping assembly 320 and the cutting mechanism 200.

[0070] Furthermore, when the connector 360 abuts against the first lever 372, the distance between the first end face and the second end face is not less than the first dimension of the finished electrode tab, so that only the first gripper 312 can grip the electrode strip 500 to be cut, and the second gripper 322 has a gap with the electrode strip 500 to be cut, which makes it impossible to grip the electrode strip 500 to be cut.

[0071] When the connector 360 abuts against the second lever 373, the distance between the first end face and the second end face is less than the first dimension of the finished electrode tab, so that both the first gripper 312 and the second gripper 322 can grip the electrode tab material 510 cut from the electrode strip 500 to be cut.

[0072] When it is necessary to clamp the electrode strip 500 to be cut, the linear drive device 330 drives the first clamping component 310 and the second clamping component 320 to move forward synchronously. Since the distance difference between the first end face and the second end face is greater than or equal to the first dimension of the finished electrode tab, only the first gripper 312 can clamp the electrode strip 500 to be cut when clamping it. The second gripper 322 has not yet moved to the position of the electrode strip 500 to be cut and cannot clamp the electrode strip 500 to be cut.

[0073] When the first clamping component 310 pulls the electrode strip 500 to be cut to move, the second clamping component 320 will remain for a period of time until the connector 360 and the second lever 373 come into contact before the second clamping component 320 can move.

[0074] During the process of pulling the electrode strip 500 to be cut, only the first clamping assembly 310 works. This makes the moving parts lighter and the load smaller, enabling more stable movement. After the first clamping assembly 310 pulls the electrode strip 500 to be cut into place, the cutting mechanism 200 performs the cutting action to obtain the electrode tab material 510.

[0075] After the first clamping assembly 310 pulls the electrode strip 500 to be cut into place, if the connecting body 360 has not yet moved to the position of contact with the second lever 373, the cutting mechanism 200 performs the cutting action to obtain the electrode tab material 510. The first gripper 312 needs to clamp the electrode tab material 510 and continue to move until the connecting body 360 moves to the position of contact with the second lever 373. Then the second gripper 322 clamps the two ends of the electrode tab material 510 and then moves it towards the cutting mechanism 400 to perform the subsequent cutting work.

[0076] After the first clamping component 310 pulls the electrode strip 500 to be cut into position, the connector 360 has already moved to the position of contacting the second lever 373 (if the travel distance of the connector 360 between the first lever 372 and the second lever 373 is equal to the first dimension of the finished electrode tab, then after the first clamping component 310 pulls the electrode strip 500 to be cut into position, the connector 360 will just move to the position of contacting the second lever 373. In other words, when the connector 360 moves to contact the second lever 373, the distance that the first clamping component 310 pulls the electrode strip 500 to be cut into position is the first dimension of the finished electrode tab, and at this time, cutting can obtain an electrode tab material 510 with the first dimension). The cutting mechanism 200 performs the cutting action, and after obtaining the electrode tab material 510, the second gripper 322 directly clamps the two ends of the electrode tab material 510 and then moves towards the cutting mechanism 400 to perform the subsequent cutting work.

[0077] The electrode strip 500 to be cut may have slight unevenness or ductility differences in the width direction. If the second gripper 322 keeps the two sides tightly clamped during traction, it may restrict the natural fine adjustment of the material, causing wrinkles or localized stress in the electrode strip 500 to be cut, or even damaging the material. By being pulled only by the first gripper 312 in the middle, the electrode strip 500 to be cut has fewer degrees of freedom and a more defined movement path, avoiding the complex tension control problems that may arise from multi-point traction.

[0078] In this embodiment, it is only necessary to ensure that the second gripper 322 clamps the two ends of the tab material 510 before the cutting mechanism 400 performs the cutting operation. The cutting operation of the cutting mechanism 400 has a large impact force. The addition of the second gripper 322 provides a solid support for the two ends of the tab material 510, preventing it from bending, vibrating or displacing under the shearing force, thereby ensuring that the cut is vertical, flat and burr-free.

[0079] For ease of understanding, the distance between the first lever 372 and the second lever 373 in the first direction is defined as the lever spacing. The difference between the lever spacing and the width of the connector 360 can be designed to be equal to the first dimension of the finished tab. The width of the connector 360 is the dimension in the first direction. This arrangement ensures that the travel distance of the connector 360 between the first lever 372 and the second lever 373 is exactly the first dimension of the finished tab.

[0080] When the first clamping component 310 pulls the electrode strip 500 to be cut into place, the connector 360 moves to the position where it contacts the second lever 373. The cutting mechanism 200 performs the cutting action and obtains the electrode tab material 510. The second gripper 322 clamps the two ends of the electrode tab material 510 and then moves it towards the cutting mechanism 400 to perform the subsequent cutting work.

[0081] In one specific embodiment of this application, the first lever 372 is closer to the electrode strip 500 to be cut than the second lever 373. The second lever 373 is detachably mounted on the travel moving block 371. When different models of single-cell batteries need to be produced, the width of the electrode tab (i.e., the first dimension) may need to be changed. The position of the second lever 373 needs to be adjusted according to the size of the first dimension of the electrode tab, which allows for precise control of the timing when the second lever 373 begins to clamp. This makes it possible to produce electrode tabs of multiple specifications on one machine, greatly improving the flexibility of the machine.

[0082] The second lever 373 can be slidably engaged with the travel moving block 371 and is fixed to the travel moving block 371 by a locking set screw. This configuration allows the second lever 373 to achieve stepless adjustment.

[0083] Furthermore, the travel moving block 371 can also be provided with multiple fixed positions along the first direction, and the second lever 373 can be selectively fixed to one of these fixed positions. This configuration allows for the setting of appropriate fixed positions according to the battery specifications, and the second lever 373 can be fixed to the corresponding fixed position based on the battery specifications.

[0084] like Figure 6 As shown, the material handling mechanism disclosed in this embodiment may further include a first slide rail assembly 340 and a second slide rail assembly 350. The first slide rail assembly 340 includes a first slide rail extending along a first direction and a first slider that slidably engages with the first slide rail. The second slide rail assembly 350 includes a second slide rail extending along the first direction and a second slider that slidably engages with the second slide rail. A first clamping assembly 310 is fixed to the first slider, and a second clamping assembly 320 is fixed to the second slider.

[0085] In this embodiment, by configuring a first slide rail assembly 340 for the first clamping assembly 310 and a second slide rail assembly 350 for the second clamping assembly 320, the first clamping assembly 310 and the second clamping assembly 320 are made to move more stably and reliably along the first direction, thus avoiding deviation during the movement.

[0086] like Figure 1 As shown, the material handling mechanism disclosed in this embodiment may further include a support platform 100, a linear drive device 330 disposed on the lower side of the support platform 100, and a first slide rail assembly 340, a second slide rail assembly 350, a first clamping assembly 310, and a second clamping assembly 320 disposed on the upper side of the support platform 100. In order for the linear drive device 330 to drive the first clamping assembly 310 and the second clamping assembly 320 to move, the support platform 100 needs to have corresponding slots so that the linear drive device 330 can pass through the slots and apply driving force to the first clamping assembly 310 and the second clamping assembly 320.

[0087] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the embodiments of this application, an electrode cutting device is also disclosed, which includes a cutting mechanism 200, a shearing mechanism 400, and a material picking and transferring mechanism 300.

[0088] The cutting mechanism 200 is set at the cutting station and is used to cut the electrode strip 500 to be cut to obtain the electrode tab material 510. The dimension of the electrode tab material 510 in one direction is the same as the first dimension of the finished electrode tab (such as the width dimension of the finished electrode tab).

[0089] A cutting mechanism 400 is installed at the cutting station to cut off the waste material in another direction of the tab material 510, obtaining the finished tab. The cutting mechanism 400 is used to cut off the waste material at both ends of the tab material 510 along its length to obtain the second dimension (i.e., the dimension along the length) of the finished tab. A waste bin 410 is provided at the cutting station, and the waste material cut off by the cutting mechanism 400 falls into the waste bin 410 for collection.

[0090] The material handling and transfer mechanism 300 is the material handling and transfer mechanism 300 disclosed in the above embodiments. Since it has the above-described material handling and transfer mechanism 300, it has all the technical effects of the above-described material handling and transfer mechanism 300, which will not be repeated here.

[0091] The first clamping assembly 310 clamps the end of the electrode strip 500 to be cut and moves it toward the cutting station. After the first clamping assembly 310 pulls the electrode strip 500 into position, the cutting mechanism 200 performs the cutting action to obtain the electrode tab material 510. The second clamping assembly 320 simultaneously clamps both ends of the electrode tab material 510 and then moves it toward the cutting mechanism 400. When it moves to the cutting station, the cutting mechanism 400 performs the cutting operation.

[0092] Furthermore, the cutting mechanism 400 includes two pneumatic shears and a spacing adjustment device for controlling the distance between the two pneumatic shears. The spacing adjustment device can be a lead screw mechanism, with the two pneumatic shears respectively fixed to two nuts on the lead screw mechanism. The lead screw mechanism can include two threads with opposite directions of rotation, so that when the lead screw rotates, the two pneumatic shears can move closer to each other and further apart, thereby adjusting the distance between the two pneumatic shears. The spacing adjustment device can adjust the distance between the two pneumatic shears according to the second dimension (i.e., length dimension) of the finished tab.

[0093] Pneumatic shears are used to cut tab material 510. Two pneumatic shears cut the two ends of tab material 510 respectively. The distance between the two pneumatic shears is the second dimension of the finished tab. Thus, after the two pneumatic shears complete the cutting work, a finished tab with the second dimension can be obtained. Combined with the first dimension of the finished tab material 510, the finished tab has the designed first dimension and second dimension.

[0094] As illustrated in this application, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" do not specifically refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of expressly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements. An element defined by the phrase "comprising an..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, product, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0095] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0096] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0097] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to this application without departing from the principles of this application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A pick and place mechanism, characterized by, include: A linear drive (330) includes an output section that reciprocates along a first direction; A first clamping assembly (310) is disposed on the output section and driven by the linear drive device (330). The first clamping assembly (310) is at least able to move between a clamping position and a cutting position. The first clamping assembly (310) is configured to: clamp the electrode strip (500) to be cut at the clamping position and pull the electrode strip (500) to be cut along the first direction a preset distance to the cutting position. The preset distance is the first dimension of the finished electrode tab. The finished electrode tab has a rectangular structure. The first dimension is one of the length dimension and the width dimension of the finished electrode tab.

2. The material removal machine of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a second clamping component (320) disposed on both sides of the first clamping component (310) along a second direction. The second clamping component (320) is configured to clamp the two sides of the electrode strip (500) to be cut along the second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The second clamping assembly (320) is configured to reciprocate along the first direction under the drive of the linear drive device (330).

4. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a connector (360) connected to the first clamping assembly (310) and / or the output section, and the second clamping assembly (320) is drive-connected to the connector (360).

5. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The second clamping assembly (320) is fixedly connected to the connector (360).

6. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first clamping assembly (310) includes a first gripper portion (312) and a first driving portion (311) for driving the first gripper portion (312) to open and close. The second clamping assembly (320) includes a second gripper portion (322) and a second driving portion (321) for driving the second gripper portion (322) to open and close. Along the first direction, the first end face of the first gripper portion (312) and the second end face of the second gripper portion (322) are coplanar, and the first end face and the second end face are end faces facing the electrode strip (500) to be cut.

7. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first clamping assembly (310) includes a first gripper portion (312) and a first driving portion (311) for driving the first gripper portion (312) to open and close. The second clamping assembly (320) includes a second gripper portion (322) and a second driving portion (321) for driving the second gripper portion (322) to open and close. Along the first direction, the first end face of the first gripper portion (312) is closer to the electrode strip (500) to be cut than the second end face of the second gripper portion (322), and the first end face and the second end face are end faces facing the electrode strip (500) to be cut.

8. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The distance difference between the first end face and the second end face is less than the first dimension of the finished electrode.

9. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The second clamping assembly (320) and the connecting body (360) are connected by a travel lever assembly (370), which is fixed to the second clamping assembly (320). The travel lever assembly (370) includes a travel moving block (371) and a lever disposed on the travel moving block (371). The connecting body (360) cooperates with the lever to drive the travel lever assembly (370) to reciprocate along the first direction.

10. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The lever includes a first lever (372) and a second lever (373), the first lever (372) and the second lever (373) being arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the end of the connector (360) extending between the first lever (372) and the second lever (373).

11. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The first pry block (372) is closer to the electrode strip (500) to be cut than the second pry block (373); The first clamping assembly (310) includes a first gripper portion (312) and a first driving portion (311) for driving the first gripper portion (312) to open and close. The second clamping assembly (320) includes a second gripper portion (322) and a second driving portion (321) for driving the second gripper portion (322) to open and close. When the connector (360) abuts against the first lever (372), along the first direction, the first end face of the first gripper (312) is closer to the electrode strip (500) to be cut than the second end face of the second gripper (322), and the first end face and the second end face are end faces facing the electrode strip (500) to be cut.

12. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 11, characterized in that, When the connector (360) abuts against the first lever (372), the distance between the first end face and the second end face is not less than the first dimension of the finished electrode. When the connector (360) abuts against the second lever (373), the distance between the first end face and the second end face is less than the first dimension of the finished electrode.

13. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The distance between the first lever (372) and the second lever (373) in the first direction is the lever spacing. The difference between the lever spacing and the width of the connector (360) is equal to the first dimension of the finished tab. The width of the connector (360) is the dimension in the first direction.

14. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The first lever (372) is closer to the electrode strip (500) to be cut than the second lever (373), and the second lever (373) is detachably mounted on the travel moving block (371).

15. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The second lever (373) is slidably engaged with the travel moving block (371) and is fixed to the travel moving block (371) by a locking set screw; or, Along the first direction, the travel moving block (371) is provided with a plurality of fixed positions, and the second toggle block (373) can be selectively fixed to one of the fixed positions.

16. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a first slide rail assembly (340) and a second slide rail assembly (350); The first slide rail assembly (340) includes a first slide rail extending along the first direction and a first slider that slidably engages with the first slide rail; the second slide rail assembly (350) includes a second slide rail extending along the first direction and a second slider that slidably engages with the second slide rail. The first clamping component (310) is fixed to the first slider, and the second clamping component (320) is fixed to the second slider.

17. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 16, characterized in that, It also includes a support platform (100), the linear drive device (330) is disposed on the lower side of the support platform (100), and the first slide rail assembly (340), the second slide rail assembly (350), the first clamping assembly (310) and the second clamping assembly (320) are disposed on the upper side of the support platform (100).

18. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The two second clamping components (320) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first clamping component (310) along the second direction.

19. The material handling and transfer mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-18, characterized in that, The first clamping assembly (310) further includes a cutting position, and the first clamping assembly (310) is configured to transport the tab material (510) obtained by cutting the electrode strip (500) to the cutting position, the cutting position being located between the clamping position and the cutting position.

20. A tab cutting device, characterized in that, include: A cutting mechanism (200) is set at a cutting station for cutting the electrode strip (500) to be cut to obtain electrode tab material (510), wherein the dimension of the electrode tab material (510) in one direction is the same as the first dimension of the finished electrode tab; A cutting mechanism (400) is provided at the cutting station to cut off the waste material in another direction of the tab material (510) to obtain a finished tab with a first dimension in one direction and a second dimension in another direction; The material handling and transfer mechanism (300) is the material handling and transfer mechanism (300) as described in any one of claims 1-19.

21. The tab cutting device as described in claim 20, characterized in that, The cutting mechanism (400) includes two air shears and a spacing adjustment device for controlling the distance between the two air shears. The air shears are used to cut the tab material (510), and the distance between the two air shears is the same as the second dimension of the finished tab.

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