Pressure forming device

Abstract

Pressure forming device, comprising: a base plate; at least one guide column, one end of which is attached to the base plate; a mounting plate which is attached to the other end of the guide column and positioned next to the base plate to form a space between the base plate and the mounting plate; a pressure plate which is movably arranged on the guide columns and divides the space into a first space located next to the mounting plate and a second space located next to the base plate, the second space being used to arrange a battery pack; and at least one pressure-retaining air bag, which is housed in the first chamber and is expandable to receive air coming from an external air source and drives the pressure plate in such a way that it is moved along the guide columns towards the base plate, thereby applying pressure to the battery pack housed in the second chamber and thus ensuring that the pressure plate remains in a pressurized state even if the external air supply is interrupted.

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure forming device usable for forming traction batteries, and more particularly to a pressure forming device consisting of pressure-maintaining air bags such that, after the external air source is turned off, the pressurized state can still be maintained. State of the art

[0002] In response to the booming new-energy vehicle market, traction batteries have been developed as one of the three core technologies of new-energy electric vehicles. The protective structure and thermal management of traction batteries are considered a very important component of new-energy vehicles. Before assembly, the traction battery must undergo a forming process to activate the battery cells that make up the traction battery. The currently common forming method is pressure forming, in which the battery cells are formed under a certain pressure. Pressure forming effectively prevents the gases generated during the forming process from causing uneven gaps between the cathode, separator, and anode, which could hinder lithium-ion transport from the cathode to the anode.In addition, pressure forming supports the complete wetting of the electrolytes with the active materials during the forming process to optimize battery performance.

[0003] Conventional pressure forming equipment often uses a servo motor to drive the pressurization process. An obvious disadvantage is that thermal expansion often occurs during the battery charging and discharging process, resulting in uneven battery thickness, which can lead to uneven loading and case damage. Therefore, in recent years, the use of air bags for pressurization has increasingly shifted to the use of air bags, allowing high pressure stability to be maintained even when the thickness changes due to the gas flow during the pressurization process.

[0004] Existing forming equipment and devices that use air bags for pressurization are mostly equipped with piping and control systems such as heating, temperature control, and pressure control. Therefore, the corresponding piping and devices for real-time monitoring are integrated and fixed into the forming machines, preventing them from being moved over long distances. When batteries are conveyed through forming equipment, corresponding forming processes such as pressurization cannot be performed, resulting in significant production losses. Furthermore, if equipment malfunctions occur during the forming process, the equipment cannot be switched quickly, which may increase the number of defective products in the batteries in process.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of solving the above-mentioned problems and providing a pressure forming device. Object of the invention

[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a pressure forming apparatus that utilizes pressure-retaining air bags as a pressure source, allowing the battery pack to be conveyed through the pressure forming apparatus while maintaining pressure. This allows the battery pack to be first clamped in the apparatus by applying pressure and then conveyed to the forming equipment, significantly increasing overall productivity. At the same time, pressure is applied to the battery pack even in the event of malfunctions or switching of the forming or testing equipment, enabling rapid switching and thus effectively improving production yield.

[0007] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pressure forming apparatus which can be operated completely independently of the pressure forming machine, whereby the battery pack can be pre-housed therein and pressure can be applied to it to increase the activation rate of the forming equipment.

[0008] The present invention provides a pressure forming device comprising a base plate, guide columns, a mounting plate, a pressure plate, and at least one pressure-maintaining air bag. The base plate and the mounting plate are each attached to both ends of the guide columns to form a space between the base plate and the mounting plate. The pressure plate is movably mounted on the guide columns and divides the space into a first space adjacent to the mounting plate and a second space adjacent to the base plate. The second space is used to accommodate the battery pack, and the pressure-maintaining air bags are housed in the first space. The pressure-maintaining air bags receive air from the external air source to expand and drive the pressure plate to move along the guide columns toward the base plate.which applies pressure to the battery pack located in the second chamber and thus, if the external air supply is interrupted, the pressure plate remains in the pressurized state.

[0009] For a better understanding of the objects, technical content, features and advantageous effects of the present invention, concrete embodiments are described in detail below. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of the pressure forming device according to the invention; Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 shows schematic views according to the present invention in which a battery pack is inserted into the pressure forming device; Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of another embodiment of the pressure forming device according to the invention; Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of another embodiment of the pressure forming device according to the invention. Detailed description of the implementation examples

[0010] To better understand the advantages, spirit, and features of the present invention, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention will be described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments and with reference to specific drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto, but only by the claims. These exemplary embodiments are provided only to make the present disclosure deeper and easier to understand.

[0011] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the general inventive concept. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. Further, it is to be understood that terms such as "a," "an," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms.those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0012] It will be Fig. 1, which shows the pressure forming device according to the invention. It comprises a base plate 12, at least one guide column 16, a mounting plate 14, a pressure plate 18, and at least one pressure-retaining air bag 30. The base plate 12, the mounting plate 14, and the pressure plate 18 are plates of substantially the same size and shape. To form a space 20 between the base plate 12 and the mounting plate 14, the base plate 12 and the mounting plate 14 are each attached to both ends of the guide columns 16. The pressure plate 18 is movably arranged on the guide columns 16 and divides the space 20 into a first space 201 located adjacent to the mounting plate 14 and a second space 202 located adjacent to the base plate 12. The guide columns 16 primarily serve to enable the pressure plate 18 to slide thereon. The number of guide columns 16 is not subject to any special restrictions.As shown in the figures, there are four guide columns 16 so that the push plate 18 can slide stably on the guide columns 16.

[0013] The pressure-retaining air bags 30 are housed in the first space 201, with one side of the bags resting against the mounting plate 14 and the other side of the bags resting against the push plate 18. The pressure-retaining air bags 30 can absorb air from an external air source to expand and drive the push plate 18 to move along the guide columns 16 toward the base plate 12. With their own pressure-retaining properties, they can maintain the expanded state even if the external air supply is interrupted. Furthermore, a base plate 22 is attached to one end of the base plate 12 and the mounting plate 14. The base plate 22 enables stable placement on a flat surface. At the same time, a raising block 23 is arranged in the second space 202 on the base plate 22, the function of which will be described in detail later.

[0014] It is now time to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. A battery pack 50 can be accommodated in the second space 202. By providing the elevating block 23, the battery pack 50 can be positioned and held at a center position relative to the push plate 18, so that the pressing force exerted on the battery pack 50 by the push plate 18 can be more evenly distributed. If the original position of the battery pack 50 in the center position relative to the push plate 18 can be maintained, the provision of the elevating block 23 may not be necessary. The battery pack 50 is composed of a plurality of battery units 51, and clamp plates 52 are clamped between the battery units 51 to compensate for the uneven thicknesses of the battery units 51 and to more evenly distribute the pressing force on the battery pack 50.The clamping plates 52 are made of insulating material (or are surface-insulated) to prevent short circuits between the battery units 51 during the forming process. Likewise, an insulating pressure plate 181 is arranged on the side of the pressure plate 18 facing the second space 202, and an insulating pressure plate 121 is arranged on the side of the base plate 12 facing the second space 202. The arrangement of the insulating pressure plates 121, 181 prevents short circuits between the battery units 51 and the base plate 12 or the pressure plate 18.

[0015] After the base plate 12 is removed by loosening fastening pieces 21, such as nuts, the battery pack 50 can be inserted into the second space 202. The base plate 12 is then locked again to position the battery pack 50 between the base plate 12 and the push plate 18. Subsequently, the pressure-retaining air bags 30 are filled with air from an external air source to press the push plate 18 and thus apply force to the battery pack 50. The air injection port of the pressure-retaining air bag 30 is a pneumatic pilot check valve or a valve designed according to the same air path principle. Therefore, if the external air source is turned off at this time, the pressure-retaining air bag 30 can continue to maintain the state of exerting a pressing force on the battery pack 50. The battery pack 50 is thus clamped into the pressure forming device according to the invention.The pressure forming jig equipped with the battery pack 50 can then be conveyed to the forming equipment on the production line to perform the forming process. Since the battery pack is inserted into the jig and pressurized in advance, overall productivity can be significantly increased. Furthermore, in the event of a malfunction in the forming or testing equipment, or when the forming equipment or process conditions change, the battery pack 50 can be quickly replaced while maintaining the applied pressing force, effectively improving the yield. The processes can be a stalled process or an aging process.It should be noted that when clamping the battery pack, the compressive force required by the pressure-retaining air bags 30 for the battery pack 50 is calculated based on the charging and discharging conditions and the resulting thickness changes of the battery pack 50. Subsequently, an appropriate amount of gas is injected into the air bags 30 to exert an appropriate compressive force on the battery pack 50 when clamping the battery pack 50. The injected gas quantity varies depending on the battery pack material and the parameter settings of the forming process. These pressure values ​​and operating times are not discussed in detail here, as they are not the focus of the invention.

[0016] It is based on the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The figures show two pressure-retaining air bags 30 which are adapted to the typical rectangular shape of the battery unit 51. Fig. 4. If the battery pack 50 to be formed is longer, the number of pressure-retaining air bags 30 can also be increased to three. Fig. 5. Or, if the area of ​​the battery pack 50 to be formed is larger, the number of pressure-retaining air bags 30 can also be increased to four. This number can be adjusted depending on the size and shape of the battery pack 50, but the present invention is not limited in this regard.

[0017] In summary, the present invention provides a pressure forming apparatus that uses pressure-retaining air bags as a pressure source, allowing the battery pack to be pre-pressurized by the pressure forming apparatus outside the forming equipment, and to be assembled and clamped. Then, the pressure forming apparatus equipped with the battery pack is conveyed to the forming equipment to perform a forming process on the battery pack. Therefore, the overall productivity can be significantly improved by the present invention. With the apparatus equipped with the pressure-applied battery pack, even when the forming or testing equipment malfunctions or is switched, the equipment or process locations can be quickly changed, thus effectively improving production yield.

[0018] The present invention provides a pressure forming apparatus comprising a base plate, guide columns, a mounting plate, a pressing plate, and pressure-maintaining air bags, wherein the mounting plate and the base plate are respectively mounted at both ends of the guide columns, the pressing plate is movably housed in the space between the mounting plate and the base plate and divides the space formed between the mounting plate and the base plate into a first space and an adjacent second space, the pressure-maintaining air bags are housed in the first space and are expandable to receive air coming from an external air source, and drive the pressing plate to compress the battery pack arranged in the second space to achieve the purpose of pressure clamping independently of the forming equipment.At the same time, if the external air supply is interrupted, the pressurization state of the pressure plate can still be maintained by the pressure-maintaining air bags.

[0019] The above description represents only preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the claims. All equivalent changes and modifications that can be made by one skilled in the art in accordance with the description and drawings of the invention are within the scope of the present invention. List of reference symbols 12 Base plate 121 insulating pressure plate 14 Mounting plate 16 Guide column 18 Push plate 181 insulating pressure plate 20 rooms 201 first room 202 second room 21 Fastening piece 22 Base plate 23 Raising block 30 pressure-retaining air bags 50 battery pack 51 Battery unit 52 clamping plate

Claims

[1] Pressure forming device comprising: a base plate; at least one guide column, one end of which is attached to the base plate; a mounting plate attached to the other end of the guide column and arranged adjacent to the base plate to form a space between the base plate and the mounting plate; a pressure plate movably mounted on the guide columns and dividing the space into a first space adjacent to the mounting plate and a second space adjacent to the base plate, the second space serving to accommodate a battery pack; and at least one pressure-maintaining air bag which is housed in the first space and is expandable to receive air coming from an external air source and drives the pressure plate so that it is moved along the guide columns towards the base plate, whereby pressure is applied to the battery pack housed in the second space and thus the pressure plate remains in a pressurised state when the external air supply is interrupted. [2] Pressure forming device according to claim 1, wherein one side of the pressure-retaining air bag is in contact with the mounting plate and the other side is in contact with the pressing plate. [3] A pressure forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an insulating pressure plate is arranged on the side of the pressure plate facing the second space. [4] Pressure forming device according to claim 1, wherein an insulating pressure plate is arranged on the side of the base plate facing the second space. [5] A pressure forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a base plate is disposed at one end of the base plate and the mounting plate. [6] Pressure forming device according to claim 5, wherein the base plate is provided with at least one raising block.

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