Variable Pitch Positioning Equal Pressure Contact Mechanism Used for Charging and Discharging of Angular Batteries

Abstract

To provide a variable pitch positioning uniform pressure welding mechanism which reduces accumulation of errors in expansion and a thickness dimension of a battery and secures the alignment of a probe and a battery electrode lug.SOLUTION: A variable pitch positioning uniform pressure welding mechanism includes a housing 5, and a pressure welding machine 6 which is installed between a top frame 51 and a bottom frame 52, and includes a rise-and-fall base 3, a rise-and-fall driving cylinder 4, and a plurality of restricted trays 1. A cam is provided on a rear part of each restraint tray fixing bases, a variable pitch positioning uniform pin plate mechanism including a plurality of pin plates is provided on a bottom of the top frame, and the pin plate includes a pin plate rack, a linear rail bottom plate, a linear rail, a reset unit, a lead wire connector, and a number of probe assemblies. The reset unit includes a cam contact block and a horizontal driving portion, the horizontal driving portion is connected with a front end of the cam contact block, the horizontal driving portion is disposed at a rear end of the linear rail bottom plate, and the cam contact block is provided with a wedge-shaped driving surface engageable with the cam and a vertical surface from bottom to top.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressure welding mechanism used for charging and discharging square batteries and belongs to lithium battery charging and discharging equipment.

Background Art

[0002] Charging and discharging is one of the important processes in lithium battery processing. In the charging and discharging process, usually, a pressure welding mechanism is used. The pressure welding mechanism includes a bottom frame and a top frame that can be opened and closed facing each other. Both the bottom frame and the top frame are installed horizontally, and the bottom frame is located below the top frame. A restraint tray frame is installed on the bottom frame, and separators are installed in rows on the restraint tray frame. The space between adjacent separators forms the accommodation space for the lithium battery. During charging and discharging, the lithium battery is installed in the accommodation space between the separators to form a row. The probes are arranged in rows on the top frame, and the probe row is located above the lithium battery row. When the top frame and the bottom frame close facing each other, the probes contact the tabs of the lithium battery to charge and discharge the lithium battery.

[0003] In order to stably and reliably charge and discharge the lithium battery, attention must be paid to the stability of the pressure welding between the tab of the battery and the probe, that is, the projection positions of the probe and the tab of the lithium battery in the vertical direction must overlap. If the positions of the probe and the tab of the lithium battery are displaced, the probe cannot effectively contact the tab of the lithium battery, which affects the charging and discharging of the lithium battery.

[0004] Theoretically, when the probe array and the lithium battery array face each other directly, the lithium battery faces the position of the corresponding probe. However, there are errors in the thickness of the lithium battery, there are also errors in the dimensions of the separator, and there are also thickness errors caused by the expansion of the lithium battery during charging and discharging. In particular, the above errors accumulate in the lithium battery array, and the deviation between the lithium battery relatively far from the calibration point and the corresponding probe may reach a level that affects the effective progress of the charging and discharging of the lithium battery.

[0005] In the conventional pressure welding mechanism, only step-up and step-down pressure welding is directly performed, and error correction cannot be performed, so it affects the consistency of lithium batteries and product quality.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention presents a variable pitch positioning pressure welding mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries. By grouping and positioning the probes, the cumulative dimensional errors caused by the expansion of the lithium battery and the dimensional errors of the thickness are eliminated, thereby improving the stability of the charging and discharging of the lithium battery and improving the quality and consistency of the lithium battery.

[0007] In the present invention, in order to solve its technical problems, the following technical methods are adopted.

[0008] The variable pitch positioning equal pressure welding mechanism for charging and discharging square batteries of the present invention is composed of a top frame and a bottom frame installed horizontally, with the bottom frame located below the top frame, the top frame and the bottom frame being arranged at intervals and fixedly connected by several guide rods, and It is installed between the top frame and the bottom frame and includes a lifting base, a lifting drive cylinder, and a plurality of restraint trays. The lifting base is horizontally installed between the top frame and the bottom frame and is slidably connected to a guide rod. The pressing mechanism is such that the lifting base has a rectangular tray mounting frame. When the extending direction of the long side of the tray mounting frame is defined as the left-right direction and the extending direction of the short side of the tray mounting frame is defined as the front-back direction, a plurality of restraint tray fixing bases are installed in parallel in the left-right direction of the tray mounting frame. The lifting drive cylinder is installed on the top frame, and the lifting end of the lifting drive cylinder is connected to the tray mounting frame. The restraint tray is detachably attached to the restraint tray fixing base. Inside the restraint tray, a row consisting of several vertical separators perpendicular to the horizontal plane, parallel to each other, and at equal intervals is provided. Along the vertical axis of the row of vertical separators, a storage space for accommodating a lithium battery is left between adjacent vertical separators in the front-back direction. The pressing mechanism includes a pressing mechanism in which the spaces between the vertical separators are flexibly connected, and its features are as follows.

[0009] A cam is provided at the rear of each restraint tray fixing base, and the rotation axis of the cam is installed along the left-right direction. A variable pitch positioning equal pin plate mechanism is installed at the bottom of the top frame, including a plurality of pin plates that correspond one-to-one with the restraint tray fixing base. The pin plate includes a pin plate rack, a linear rail bottom plate, a linear rail, a reset unit, a lead wire connector, and several probe assemblies. The pin plate rack is suspended directly above the restraint tray fixing base, and a lead wire connector is installed at the rear end of the pin plate rack. The linear rail bottom plate is installed at the bottom of the pin plate rack, and a linear rail arranged along the front-rear direction is provided on the lower surface of the linear rail bottom plate. Several probe assemblies are slidably installed on the linear rail and are aligned in the front-rear direction. Each probe assembly is connected to the linear rail bottom plate by a reset spring. At the bottom of the probe assembly, there are provided a positioning lever for inserting into the above-mentioned accommodation space and several pairs of probes for contacting the battery tab. The probes are electrically connected to the lead wire connector by conductors. The above-mentioned reset unit includes a cam contact block and a horizontal propulsion part. The horizontal propulsion part is connected to the front end of the cam contact block and is installed at the rear end of the linear rail bottom plate. The cam contact block is provided with a wedge propulsion surface and a vertical surface that can engage with the cam from bottom to top. The cam is installed in front of the wedge propulsion surface. The wedge propulsion surface gradually inclines towards the cam side from bottom to top, and the vertical surface is connected to the top of the wedge propulsion surface. The cam pushes the cam contact block to move backward from the first position to the second position during the process of rolling upward on the wedge propulsion surface. The horizontal propulsion part is installed between the cam contact block and the last longitudinal separator and is used to push the longitudinal separator row to move backward. When the bottom of the cam meets the wedge propulsion surface at the first position, the positioning lever disengages from the longitudinal separator. When the cam crushes on the above-mentioned vertical surface at the second position, the positioning lever and the adjacent rear longitudinal separator are crimped, providing a position reference in the front-rear direction for the probes on the probe assembly.

[0010] Preferably, the probe assembly includes a slider, a probe, a positioning lever, a mounting block, and a reset spring. A slider is provided at an end of the mounting block. The mounting block is slidably mounted on a linear rail by the slider. Several pairs of probes and positioning levers are installed at the bottom of the mounting block. The reset spring is installed between the mounting block and the bottom plate of the linear rail.

[0011] Furthermore, the probe assembly includes a temperature detector. The temperature detector is vertically installed in the mounting block, and the detection end of the temperature detector is flush with the detection end of the probe and is used to detect the temperature of the battery.

[0012] Preferably, the cam contact block is U-shaped and is installed behind the bottom plate of the linear rail. The front end face of the cam contact block is provided with the above-mentioned wedge-shaped propulsion surface and vertical surface. The above-mentioned horizontal propulsion part includes a fixed block and a top block. The fixed block is connected to the rear end of the bottom plate of the linear rail. A second linear bearing is vertically installed in the fixed block. A compression spring is provided between the top block and the fixed block. The flat shaft is vertically installed in the second linear bearing. The front end of the flat shaft is connected to the top block, and the rear end of the flat shaft is connected to the cam contact block. A compression spring is installed between the top block and the fixed block. The top block is supported at the rear part of the probe assembly.

[0013] Preferably, the restraint tray fixing base is a rectangular area surrounded by four L-shaped guide blocks. A reverse prevention pin is provided at the rear part of the rectangular area, and a positioning pin is provided at the front part. A position sensor is provided in the rectangular area to determine whether the restraint tray is accurately placed. On the frame edge of the tray mounting frame, a first linear bearing for passing through a guide rod and a position limiting rod for limiting the vertical height of the tray mounting frame are installed.

[0014] Preferably, the above cam is installed on the support rod, the bottom of the support rod is installed at the rear of the tray mounting frame, the cam is rotatably attached to the top of the support rod by a cam shaft, and the cam shaft is arranged along the left - right direction of the tray mounting frame.

[0015] Preferably, the restraint tray includes a vertical separator, a restraint block, a tray bottom plate, a front end plate, and a rear end plate. The front end plate and the rear end plate are respectively installed at both ends of the tray bottom plate. A connecting shaft and a guide shaft are connected between the front end plate and the rear end plate. The vertical separator is slidably installed on the guide shaft and forms a column of vertical separators in the front - rear direction. A restraint block is detachably provided between the front end plate and the foremost separator and between the rear end plate and the rearmost vertical separator, and is used to adjust the size of the accommodation space between the vertical separators.

[0016] Preferably, a contact sensor is installed at the bottom of the tray bottom plate, and when the restraint tray is placed at a predetermined position, the contact sensor contacts the position sensor.

[0017] Preferably, a reverse - prevention pin positioning hole is provided at the rear of the tray bottom plate, and a positioning hole is provided at the front, which respectively engage with a reverse - prevention pin and a positioning pin to realize the positioning of the restraint tray.

[0018] A method of charging and discharging a battery using the variable - pitch positioning and equal - pressure connection mechanism for charging and discharging a square battery of the present invention includes the following steps. 1) First, place the restraint tray in parallel on the corresponding restraint - tray fixing base in the tray mounting frame. During the placement process, correct the restraint tray by the L - shaped guide block, and use the positioning pin, reverse - prevention pin, contact sensor, and position sensor to determine whether the restraint tray is accurately placed. 2) After placing the restraint tray at a predetermined position, when the lifting drive cylinder drives the tray mounting frame to rise, the bottom end of the cam contact block of the cam and the reset unit comes into contact, and the positioning lever is positioned in the middle of two adjacent vertical separators and no longer contacts either the front or rear vertical separator. At this time, the cam contact block and the probe assembly are in the first position. At this time, due to the elastic force of the compression spring, the top block is pushed forward, the top block pushes the probe assembly to move forward on the linear rail, and the reset spring is pulled until the elastic force of the compression spring and the tensile force of the reset spring balance on the probe assembly, generating a backward tensile force on the probe assembly. 3) When the lifting drive cylinder continues to raise the tray mounting frame, the cam rolls from bottom to top along the wedge-shaped propulsion surface of the cam contact block, moving the cam contact block backward. When the cam contact block moves the top block and compresses the above-mentioned compression spring at the same time, the balance between the spring's pushing force and the tensile force of the reset spring is disrupted. Subsequently, the reset spring pulls the probe assembly backward until the positioning lever contacts the rear vertical separator and the positioning of the probe assembly is completed. At this time, the cam contact block and the probe assembly are in the second position. At this time, the lever of each probe assembly provides a front-rear position reference for the probe on the corresponding probe assembly. Since the number of probes included in each probe assembly is relatively small, the cumulative dimensional error between the lithium battery and the vertical separator can be avoided, ensuring that the probe is aligned with the tab of the corresponding lithium battery. 4) The lifting drive cylinder continues to raise the tray mounting frame until the position-limiting rod reaches a predetermined stroke. When the lifting drive cylinder stops operating, the probe contacts the tab of the battery directly below to perform the charge and discharge process. 5) After the charging is completed, when the lifting drive cylinder lowers the tray mounting frame, the cam rolls from top to bottom along the wedge-shaped advancing surface of the cam contact block. When the cam contact block returns to the first position under the action of the cam and the compression spring, the probe assembly returns to the first position along the linear rail under the action of the reset spring. The positioning lever is located in the middle of two adjacent vertical separators and does not contact either the front or rear vertical separator. 6) When the lifting drive cylinder continues to lower the tray mounting frame until the tray mounting frame descends to the lowest position, the entire process is completed.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows. 1. By the positioning equalization method, the position reference cover range of the lithium battery string and the probe assembly is reduced from the entire string to the length of one probe assembly, reducing the accumulation of battery expansion and thickness errors. Since the probes and the tabs of the lithium batteries are aligned with each other, better contact can be achieved, improving the consistency and quality of the batteries. 2. The alignment operation between the probe assembly and the lithium battery is reliable, increasing the reliability of the equipment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 3a

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 5a

Figure 5b

Figure 5c

Figure 6

Figure 6a

Figure 7a

Figure 7b

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Figure 8a

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Figure 9a

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Figure 9c

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0021] 1. Constraint Tray; 11. Vertical Separator; 12. Lithium Battery; 13. Constraint Block; 14. Tray Bottom Plate; 15. Front End Plate; 16. Rear End Plate; 17. Connecting Shaft; 18. Guide Shaft; 2. Pin Plate; 21. Probe Assembly; 22. Reset Unit; 23. Lead Wire Connector; 24. Linear Rail; 25. Linear Rail; 26. Linear Rail Bottom Plate; 27. Pin Plate Track; 211. Slider; 212. Probe; 213. Positioning Lever; 214. Mounting Block; 215. Reset Spring; 216. Temperature Detector; 217. Conductive Wire; 220. Horizontal Propulsion Unit; 221. Cam Contact Block; 222. Second Linear Bearing; 223. Top Block; 224. Compression Spring; 225. Plain Shaft; 226. Fixed Block; 2211. Wedge Propulsion Surface; 2212. Vertical Surface; 3. Lifting Base; 31. Tray Mounting Frame; 301. Support Rod; 311. Constraint Tray Fixed Base; 312. First Linear Bearing; 32. L-shaped Guide Block; 33. Positioning Pin; 34. Anti-reverse Pin; 35. Position Sensor; 36. Cam; 361. Rotation Shaft; 4. Lifting Drive Cylinder; 5. Housing; 51. Top Frame; 52. Bottom Frame; 53. Guide Rod; 6. Pressing Mechanism; 7. Variable Pitch Positioning Equal Pin Plate Mechanism.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, in conjunction with the drawings, specific embodiments in the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining and interpreting the embodiments of the present invention, and are not for limiting the embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that unless a collision occurs, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0024] What must be understood in the description of the present invention is that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal direction", "lateral direction", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial direction", "radial direction", "circumferential direction", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the purpose of making it easier to describe the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the indicated device or element necessarily has a specific orientation and is configured and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0025] Also, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for the purpose of describing the objective, and should not be understood as indicating relative importance, implying, or implicitly indicating the number of technical features pointed to. Therefore, the features limited by "first" and "second" can clearly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless there is a clear and specific limitation otherwise.

[0026] In the present invention, unless there are clear and specific regulations and limitations otherwise, terms such as "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one. It may be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or mutual communication. It may be a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. However, this is excluded when there are clear and specific limitations otherwise. A person skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific situation.

[0027] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, when the first feature is "above" or "below" the second feature, the first and second features may be in direct contact, or the first and second features may be in indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Further, when the first feature is "above", "above", or "upper surface" of the second feature, the first feature may be directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may only indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. When the first feature is "below", "below", or "lower surface" of the second feature, the first feature may be directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or may only indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0028] In the description of this specification, descriptions such as referring to "one embodiment", "several embodiments", "illustration", "specific illustration", or "several illustrations" of terms are combined with the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in the embodiment or illustration, and mean being included in at least one embodiment or illustration of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily have to be for the same embodiment or illustration. The specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable form in one or more embodiments or illustrations. Also, in situations where there is no contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine or combine the different embodiments or illustrations described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or illustrations.

[0029] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with exemplary embodiments. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the variable pitch positioning equal pressure contact mechanism used for charging and discharging the square battery of the present invention is a housing 5 including a horizontally installed top frame 51 and a bottom frame 52, the bottom frame 52 is located below the top frame 51, the top frame 51 and the bottom frame 52 are arranged at intervals, and are fixedly connected by several guide rods 53, and It is installed between the top frame 51 and the bottom frame 52, and includes a lifting base 3, a lifting drive cylinder 4, and a plurality of restraint trays 1. The lifting base 3 is horizontally installed between the top frame 51 and the bottom frame 52 and is slidably mounted on the guide rod 53. The pressing mechanism 6, the lifting base 3 has a rectangular tray mounting frame 31 used for supporting and positioning the tray. When the extending direction of the long side of the tray mounting frame 31 is defined as the left-right direction and the extending direction of the short side of the tray mounting frame 31 is defined as the front-rear direction, three restraint tray fixing bases 311 are installed in parallel in the left-right direction of the tray mounting frame 31. The lifting drive cylinder 4 is installed on the top frame 51, and the lifting end of the lifting drive cylinder 4 is connected to the tray mounting frame 31. The restraint tray 1 is detachably attached to the restraint tray fixing base 311 portion. Inside the restraint tray 1, a row composed of several vertical separators 11 perpendicular to the horizontal plane, parallel to each other, and equidistant is provided. Along the vertical axis of the row of the vertical separators 11, a storage space for accommodating the lithium battery 12 is left between adjacent vertical separators 11 in the front-rear direction. The pressing mechanism 6 in which the spaces between the vertical separators are flexibly connected, and, A cam 36 is provided at the rear of each restraint tray fixing base 311, and the rotation axis 361 of the cam 36 is installed along the left-right direction. At the bottom of the top frame 51, a variable pitch positioning equalizing pin plate mechanism 7 is installed, which includes a plurality of pin plates 2 that correspond one-to-one with the restraint tray fixing base 311. The pin plate 2 includes a pin plate track 27, a linear rail bottom plate 26, a linear rail 24, a reset unit 22, a lead wire connector 23, and a plurality of probe assemblies 21. The pin plate track 27 is suspended directly above the restraint tray fixing base 311, and a lead wire connector 23 is installed at the rear end of the pin plate track 27. The linear rail bottom plate 26 is installed at the bottom of the pin plate track 27, and a linear rail 25 arranged along the front-rear direction is provided on the lower surface of the linear rail bottom plate 26. The probe assembly 21 is slidably installed on the linear rail 25 and is aligned in the front-rear direction. A plurality of probe assemblies 21 are connected to the linear rail bottom plate 26 by reset springs 215, and the probe assemblies 21 can be extended, retracted, and reset. At the bottom of the probe assembly 21, a positioning lever 213 for insertion into the accommodation space and several pairs of probes 212 for contacting the battery tab are provided. The probes 212 are electrically connected to the lead wire connector 23 by conductive wires 217. The above-mentioned reset unit 22 includes a cam contact block 221 and a horizontal propulsion part 220. The horizontal propulsion part is connected to the front end of the cam contact block 221. The horizontal propulsion part 220 is installed at the rear end of the linear rail bottom plate 26. The cam contact block 221 is provided with a wedge-shaped propulsion surface 2211 and a vertical surface 2212 that can engage with the cam 36 from bottom to top. The cam 36 is installed in front of the wedge-shaped propulsion surface 2211. The wedge-shaped propulsion surface 2211 gradually inclines towards the cam side from bottom to top. The vertical surface 2212 is connected to the top of the wedge-shaped propulsion surface 2211. The cam 36 pushes the cam contact block 221 to move backward from the first position to the second position during the process of rolling upward on the wedge-shaped propulsion surface 2211. The horizontal propulsion part 220 is installed between the cam contact block 221 and the rearmost vertical separator 11 and is used to push the vertical separator row to move backward. When the bottom of the cam 36 meets the wedge-shaped propulsion surface 2211 at the first position, the positioning lever 213 disengages from the vertical separator 11. When the cam 36 presses on the above-mentioned vertical surface 2212 at the second position, the positioning lever 213 and the adjacent rear vertical separator 11 are pressed together, providing a position reference in the front-rear direction for the probe 212 on the probe assembly 21.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned probe assembly 21 includes a slider 211, a probe 212, a positioning lever 213, a mounting block 214, and a reset spring 215. The slider 211 is provided at the end of the mounting block 214. The mounting block 214 is slidably mounted on the linear rail 25 by the slider 211. Several pairs of probes 212 and a positioning lever 213 are provided at the bottom of the mounting block 214. The reset spring 215 is installed between the mounting block 214 and the linear rail bottom plate 26, with one end connected to the end of the mounting block 214 and the other end connected to the linear rail bottom plate 26.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, the probe assembly 21 further includes a temperature detector 216. The temperature detector 216 is disposed through the mounting block 214, and the detection end of the temperature detector 216 is flush with the detection end of the probe 212 and is used to detect the temperature of the surface of the lithium battery.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the cam contact block 221 is U-shaped and is installed behind the linear rail bottom plate 26. The front end surface of the cam contact block 221 is provided with the above-mentioned wedge-shaped propulsion surface 2211 and vertical surface 2212. The above-mentioned horizontal propulsion portion 220 includes a fixed block 226 and a top block 223. The fixed block 226 is connected to the rear end of the linear rail bottom plate 26. A second linear bearing 222 is disposed through the fixed block 226. A flat shaft 225 is disposed through the second linear bearing 222. The front end of the flat shaft 225 is connected to the top block 223, and the rear end of the flat shaft 225 is connected to the cam contact block 221. A compression spring 224 is sleeved on the flat shaft 225 between the top block 223 and the fixed block 226.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, the cam 36 is disposed on the support rod 301. The bottom of the support rod 301 is disposed at the rear of the tray mounting frame 31. The cam 36 is rotatably mounted on the top of the support rod 301 via a rotating shaft 361, and the rotating shaft 361 is disposed along the left-right direction of the tray mounting frame 31.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 6, both the top frame 51 and the bottom frame 52 are rectangular frames, face each other parallel up and down, and are fixed by four guide rods 53 installed in the vertical direction.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the restraint tray fixing base 311 is a rectangular area surrounded by four L-shaped guide blocks 32. A reverse prevention pin 34 is provided at the rear of the rectangular area, and a positioning pin 33 is provided at the front. A position sensor 35 is provided within the rectangular area to determine whether the restraint tray 1 is accurately placed. On the frame edge of the tray placement frame 31, a first linear bearing 312 for passing through the guide rod 53 and a position limiting rod 37 for limiting the vertical height of the tray placement frame 31 are installed. During the ascending process of the lifting drive cylinder 4, the cam 36 engages with the reset unit 22 attached to the tail of the variable pitch positioning equal pin plate mechanism 7, and by adjusting the position of the positioning lever 213 on the probe assembly 21 in the front-rear direction, the levers of each probe assembly 21 provide a front-rear position reference for the probes on the respective probe assemblies 21 where they are located. Since the number of probes 212 included in each probe assembly 21 is relatively small, the cumulative dimensional error between the lithium battery and the vertical separator can be avoided, ensuring that the probe is aligned with the tab of the corresponding lithium battery, thus achieving the purpose of accurate positioning.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, the restraint tray 1 is located at the central position of the whole mechanism. The role of the device is to place several lithium batteries 12 thereon and apply a certain restraint force to eliminate the expansion of the battery 12 during the charge and discharge process and the reduction in the consistency and quality of the battery 12 caused by the change in the overall dimensions due to the expansion during the charging process of the battery. The restraint tray 1 includes a vertical separator 11, a restraint block 13, a tray bottom plate 14, a front end plate 15, and a rear end plate 16. The front end plate 15 and the rear end plate 16 are respectively installed at both ends of the tray bottom plate 14. A connecting shaft 17 and a guide shaft 18 are connected between the front end plate 15 and the rear end plate 16. The vertical separator 11 is slidably installed on the guide shaft 18 and forms a vertical separator row in the front-rear direction. To ensure the flexibility required by the vertical separator row during the movement process, the vertical separators 11 are flexibly connected to each other and interlock with each other. At the same time, for example, by using a loose rope to connect between the vertical separators 11, a certain degree of relative displacement is allowed. Between the front end plate 15 and the foremost vertical separator 11, and between the rear end plate 16 and the rearmost vertical separator 11, the restraint block 13 is selectively inserted as required to crimp the lithium batteries between the vertical separators 11. Therefore, the whole restraint tray does not require a power mechanism.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present invention, a contact sensor is provided at the bottom of the tray bottom plate 14, and when the restraint tray 1 is placed at a predetermined position, the contact sensor contacts the position sensor 35.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present invention, a reverse prevention pin positioning hole is provided at the rear part of the tray bottom plate 14, and a positioning hole is provided at the front part. They respectively engage with the reverse prevention pin 34 and the positioning pin 33 to realize the positioning of the restraint tray 1.

[0039] The method for charging and discharging the battery by using the above variable pitch positioning and equal pressure connection mechanism for charging and discharging the square battery of the present invention includes the following steps. 1) First, place the restraint tray 1 in parallel within the corresponding restraint tray fixing base 311 in the tray placement frame 31. During the placement process, correct the restraint tray 1 with the L-shaped guide block 32, and use the positioning pin 33, anti-backflow pin 34, contact sensor, and position sensor 35 to determine whether the restraint tray 1 is accurately placed. 2) After placing the restraint tray 1 in a predetermined position, when the lifting drive cylinder 4 drives the tray placement frame 31 to rise, the bottom end of the cam 36 and the cam contact block 221 of the reset unit 22 come into contact, and the positioning lever 213 is located in the middle of two adjacent vertical separators 11 in the front and rear, and no longer contacts either the front or rear vertical separator 11. At this time, the cam contact block and the probe assembly are in the first position. At this time, the elastic force of the compression spring 224 pushes the top block forward, and the top block pushes the probe assembly to move forward on the linear rail. The reset spring is pulled until the elastic force of the compression spring 224 and the tensile force of the reset spring balance on the probe assembly, and a backward tensile force is generated on the probe assembly. 3) When the lifting drive cylinder 4 continues to lift the tray mounting frame 31, the cam 36 rolls from bottom to top along the wedge propulsion surface 2211 of the cam contact block 221, moves the cam contact block 221 backward, and when the cam contact block 221 moves the top block 223 and compresses the compression spring 224 at the same time, the balance between the pushing force of the compression spring 224 and the tensile force of the reset spring 215 is disrupted. Then, until the reset spring 215 contacts the positioning lever 213 and the rear vertical separator 11 and the positioning of the probe assembly 21 is completed, the reset spring 215 pulls the probe assembly 21 and moves it backward. At this time, the cam contact block 221 and the probe assembly 21 are in the second position. At this time, the positioning lever 213 of each probe assembly 21 provides a front-rear direction position reference for the probe 212 on the corresponding probe assembly 21. However, since the number of probes 212 included in each probe assembly 21 is relatively small, the cumulative dimensional error between the lithium battery and the vertical separator 11 can be avoided, ensuring that the probe 212 is aligned with the tab of the corresponding lithium battery. 4) The lifting drive cylinder 4 continues to lift the tray mounting frame 31 until the position limiting rod 37 reaches a predetermined stroke. When the lifting drive cylinder 4 stops operating, the probe 212 contacts the tab of the battery 12 directly below and performs a charge and discharge process. 5) After the charging is completed, when the lifting drive cylinder 4 lowers the tray mounting frame 31, the cam 36 rolls from top to bottom along the wedge propulsion surface 2211 of the cam contact block 221. When the cam contact block 221 returns to the first position under the action of the cam 36 and the compression spring 224, the probe assembly 21 returns to the first position along the linear rail 24 under the action of the reset spring 215. The positioning lever 213 is located in the middle of two adjacent vertical separators 11 in the front and rear and does not contact either the front or rear vertical separator 11. 6) By the lifting drive cylinder 4 continuously lowering the tray mounting frame 31 until the tray mounting frame 31 reaches the lowest position, the whole process is completed.

[0040] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described. However, the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. It is understood that those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A housing (5) including a horizontally installed top frame (51) and a bottom frame (52), wherein the bottom frame (52) is located below the top frame (51), the top frame (51) and the bottom frame (52) are arranged at intervals, and are fixedly connected by a plurality of guide rods (53), and A pressure contact mechanism (6) installed between the top frame (51) and the bottom frame (52), including a lifting base (3), a lifting drive cylinder (4), and a plurality of restraint trays (1). The lifting base (3) is horizontally installed between the top frame (51) and the bottom frame (52) and is slidably connected to the guide rod (53). The lifting base (3) has a rectangular tray mounting frame (31). When the extending direction of the long side of the tray mounting frame (31) is defined as the left-right direction and the extending direction of the short side of the tray mounting frame (31) is defined as the front-rear direction, a plurality of restraint tray fixing bases (311) are installed in parallel in the left-right direction on the tray mounting frame (31). The lifting drive cylinder (4) is installed on the top frame (51), and the lifting end of the lifting drive cylinder (4) is connected to the tray mounting frame (31). The restraint tray (1) is detachably attached to the restraint tray fixing base (311) portion. Inside the restraint tray (1), a row composed of a plurality of vertical separators (11) perpendicular to the horizontal plane, parallel to each other, and at equal intervals is provided. Along the vertical axis of the row of the vertical separators (11), in the front-rear direction, an accommodation space for accommodating a lithium battery (12) is left between adjacent vertical separators (11). The pressure contact mechanism (6) in which the spaces between the vertical separators (11) are flexibly connected, in a variable pitch positioning equal pressure contact mechanism used for charging and discharging of square batteries. A cam (36) is provided at the rear of each restraint tray fixing base (311), and the rotation axis (361) of the cam (36) is installed along the left-right direction. A variable pitch positioning equalizing pin plate mechanism (7) is installed at the bottom of the top frame (51), and includes a plurality of pin plates (2) corresponding one-to-one to the restraint tray fixing base (311). The pin plate (2) includes a pin plate rack (27), a linear rail bottom plate (26), a linear rail (24), a reset unit (22), a lead wire connector (23), and a plurality of probe assemblies (21). The pin plate rack (27) is suspended directly above the restraint tray fixing base (311), and a lead wire connector (23) is installed at the rear end of the pin plate rack (27). The linear rail bottom plate (26) is installed at the bottom of the pin plate rack (27), and a linear rail (25) arranged along the front-rear direction is provided on the lower surface of the linear rail bottom plate (26). A plurality of the probe assemblies (21) are slidably installed on the linear rail (25) and are aligned in the front-rear direction. Each of the probe assemblies (21) is connected to the linear rail bottom plate (26) by a reset spring (215). A positioning lever (213) for inserting into the accommodation space and a plurality of probes (212) for contacting the battery tab are provided at the bottom of the probe assembly (21). The probe (212) is electrically connected to the lead wire connector (23) by a conducting wire (217). The reset unit (22) includes a cam contact block (221) and a horizontal propulsion part (220). The horizontal propulsion part (220) is connected to the front end of the cam contact block (221). The horizontal propulsion part (220) is installed at the rear end of the linear rail bottom plate (26). A wedge propulsion surface (2211) and a vertical surface (2212) that can engage with the cam (36) are installed on the cam contact block (221) from bottom to top. The cam (36) is installed in front of the wedge propulsion surface (2211). The wedge propulsion surface (2211) gradually inclines toward the cam side from bottom to top. The vertical surface (2212) is connected to the top of the wedge propulsion surface (2211). The cam (36) pushes the cam contact block (221) to move backward from the first position to the second position during the process of rolling upward on the wedge propulsion surface (2211). The horizontal propulsion part (220) is installed between the cam contact block (221) and the rearmost longitudinal separator (11), and is used to push the row of the longitudinal separator (11) to move backward. The horizontal propulsion unit (220) includes a fixed block (226) and a top block (223). The fixed block (226) is connected to the rear end of the linear rail bottom plate (26). A second linear bearing (222) is penetrated in the fixed block (226). A compression spring (224) is provided between the top block (223) and the fixed block (226). A flat shaft (225) is penetrated in the second linear bearing (222). The front end of the flat shaft (225) is connected to the top block (223), and the rear end of the flat shaft (225) is connected to the cam contact block (221). When the cam contact block (221) is in the "first position", the top block is pushed forward by the elastic force of the compression spring. The top block pushes the probe assembly to move forward on the linear rail. Until the elastic force of the compression spring and the tensile force of the reset spring are balanced on the probe assembly, the reset spring is pulled, and a backward tensile force is generated on the probe assembly, moving the cam contact block (221) to the "second position". When the cam contact block moves the top block and compresses the above compression spring at the same time, the balance between the spring pushing force and the tensile force of the reset spring is broken. Then, the reset spring pulls the probe assembly to move backward until the positioning lever contacts the rear vertical separator and the positioning of the probe assembly is completed. When the bottom of the cam (36) contacts the wedge-shaped propulsion surface (2211) at the first position, at the same time, the positioning lever (213) disengages from the vertical separator (11). When the cam (36) presses on the vertical surface (2212) at the second position, at the same time, the positioning lever (213) presses on the adjacent rear vertical separator (11), providing a position reference in the front-rear direction for the probe (212) on the probe assembly (21). A variable pitch positioning and equal pressure contact mechanism used for charging and discharging of square batteries.

2. The probe assembly (21) includes a slider (211), the probe (212), the positioning lever (213), a mounting block (214), and the reset spring (215). The slider (211) is provided at an end of the mounting block (214). The mounting block (214) is slidably mounted on the linear rail (25) by the slider (211). A plurality of the probes (212) and the positioning lever (213) are installed at the bottom of the mounting block (214). The reset spring (215) is installed between the mounting block (214) and the linear rail bottom plate (26). The variable pitch positioning equal pressure contact mechanism for charging and discharging the square battery according to claim 1 is characterized in that.

3. The probe assembly (21) further includes a temperature detector (216). The temperature detector (216) is disposed through the mounting block (214). The detection end of the temperature detector (216) is flush with the detection end of the probe (212). The variable pitch positioning equal pressure contact mechanism for charging and discharging the square battery according to claim 2 is characterized in that it is used for detecting the temperature of the lithium battery (12).

4. The cam contact block (221) is U-shaped and is installed behind the linear rail bottom plate (26). A wedge-shaped propulsion surface (2211) and a vertical surface (2212) are installed on the front end surface of the cam contact block (221). The horizontal propulsion portion (220) includes a fixed block (226) and a top block (223). The fixed block (226) is connected to the rear end of the linear rail bottom plate (26). A second linear bearing (222) is disposed through the fixed block (226). A compression spring (224) is provided between the top block (223) and the fixed block (226). A flat shaft (225) is disposed through the second linear bearing (222). The front end of the flat shaft (225) is connected to the top block (223). The rear end of the flat shaft (225) is connected to the cam contact block (221). The variable pitch positioning equal pressure contact mechanism for charging and discharging the square battery according to claim 3 is characterized in that.

5. The cam (36) is installed on the support rod (301), the bottom of the support rod (301) is installed at the rear of the tray mounting frame (31), the cam (36) is rotatably attached to the top of the support rod (301) via a rotating shaft (361), and the rotating shaft (361) is arranged along the left - right direction of the tray mounting frame (31). The variable pitch positioning equal pressure contact mechanism for charging and discharging of the square battery according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

6. The restraint tray fixing base (311) is a rectangular area surrounded by four L - shaped guide blocks (32). A reverse - prevention pin (34) is provided at the rear of the rectangular area, a positioning pin (33) is provided at the front, a position sensor (35) is provided within the rectangular area to judge whether the restraint tray (1) is accurately placed. A first linear bearing (312) for penetrating a guide rod (53) is provided on the frame edge of the tray mounting frame (31), and a position - limiting rod (37) for limiting the vertical height of the tray mounting frame (31) is installed. The variable pitch positioning equal pressure contact mechanism for charging and discharging of the square battery according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

7. The restraint tray (1) includes the vertical separator (11), the restraint block (13), the tray bottom plate (14), the front end plate (15), and the rear end plate (16). The front end plate (15) and the rear end plate (16) are respectively installed at both ends of the tray bottom plate (14). A connecting shaft (17) and a guide shaft (18) are connected between the front end plate (15) and the rear end plate (16). A plurality of the vertical separators (11) are slidably installed on the guide shaft (18) and form a vertical separator row in the front - rear direction. The restraint block (13) is detachably provided between the front end plate (15) and the foremost vertical separator (11), and between the rear end plate (16) and the rearmost vertical separator (11), and is used to adjust the size of the accommodation space between the vertical separators (11). The variable pitch positioning equal pressure contact mechanism for charging and discharging of the square battery according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

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