Cover press-fit mechanism for battery cell

Abstract

A cover press-fit mechanism for a battery cell, comprising a conveyor belt (2), a bending device (4), an alignment device (5), and a cover press-fit device (6). The bending device (4) is arranged on one side of the conveyor belt (2) at an interval and used for bending tabs (13); the alignment device (5) is arranged as spaced apart on a side of the tab bending device (4) in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt (2) and used for aligning an end cover (11) with a casing (12); and the cover press-fit device (6) is arranged as spaced apart on the side of the alignment device (5) away from the bending device in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt (2) and used for press-fitting the end cover (11) on the casing (12).

Description

Battery cover closing mechanism

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on June 27, 2023, with application number 202321654337.5. The entire contents of the above application are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of battery production equipment, and in particular to a battery cell cover closing mechanism. Background Art

[0003] During the battery production process, the winding core needs to be loaded into the shell, and then the tab extending outside the shell needs to be bent, and then the end cover of the tab away from the shell needs to be pressed onto the shell for subsequent processing.

[0004] In the production process of batteries in the related technology, the bending of the tabs, the alignment of the end caps with the notches of the shell, and the pressing of the end caps and the shell are all done manually. In the related technology, the manual operation process is cumbersome and requires the use of multiple operators in multiple processes, resulting in high labor costs, and repeated operations easily lead to fatigue, resulting in low production efficiency. Technical Solutions

[0005] The present application provides a battery cell cover closing mechanism for pressing the end cover of the battery onto the battery shell, wherein the first side of the end cover is connected to the battery cell through the pole ear, and the battery cell cover closing mechanism includes a conveyor belt, a bending device, an alignment device and a cover closing device, wherein the conveyor belt is used to convey a jig, and the jig is used to support the battery; the bending device is arranged at intervals on one side of the conveyor belt, and the bending device is used to bend the pole ear so that the first side of the end cover is rotated to be parallel to the open side of the shell; the alignment device is arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt on one side of the pole ear bending device, and the alignment device is used to align the end cover with the shell; the cover closing device is arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt on the side of the alignment device away from the bending device, and the cover closing mechanism is used to press the end cover onto the shell. Beneficial effects

[0006] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: by sequentially arranging a bending device, an alignment device and a cover closing device along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt, the bending of the battery tabs, the alignment of the end cover and the shell, and the pressing of the end cover onto the shell can be achieved through automated operation, with a high degree of automation and high production efficiency, effectively reducing the investment in labor costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0008] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a cell cover closing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0009] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the bending device and the positioning device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0010] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a bending device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0011] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation between the alignment device and the cover closing device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0012] In the picture:

[0013] 1. Battery; 11. End cap; 111. Second side; 12. Housing; 13. Tab; 2. Conveyor belt; 3. Jig; 4. Bending device; 41. First bracket; 42. First abutting assembly; 421. Second driving member; 422. First pressing block; 423. First limiting surface; 43. Second abutting assembly; 431. Third driving member; 432. First supporting block; 433. Second limiting surface; 44. Tab folding assembly; 441. First driving member; 442. Pressure rod; 443. First mounting block; 5. Alignment device; 51. Sixth driving member; 52. First clamping jaw; 6. Cover closing device; 61. Seventh driving member; 62. Second clamping jaw; 621. Eighth driving member; 622. Clamping plate; 7. Positioning device; 71. Second bracket; 72. First positioning assembly; 721. Fourth driving member; 722. Second pressure block; 73. Second positioning assembly; 731. Fifth driving member; 732. Second supporting block. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cell cover closing mechanism of the embodiment of the present application is used to press the end cover 11 of the battery 1 onto the shell 12 of the battery 1. The first side of the end cover 11 is connected to the battery cell through the pole ear 13. The side where the end cover 11 is connected to the pole ear 13 is the first side. The first side in Figure 1 is blocked. The first side is a side opposite to the second side 111. The first side is parallel to the axial direction of the shell 12. The cell cover closing mechanism includes a conveyor belt 2, a bending device 4, an alignment device 5 and a cover closing device 6, wherein the conveyor belt 2 is used to transport the treated The fixture 3 is used to support the battery 1; the bending device 4 is arranged at intervals on one side of the conveyor belt 2, and the bending device 4 is used to bend the tab 13 so that the end cover 11 is rotated around the first side surface to be parallel to the opening side surface of the shell 12; the alignment device 5 is arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 2 on one side of the tab 13 bending device 4, and the alignment device 5 is used to align the end cover 11 with the shell 12; the closing device 6 is arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 2 on the side of the alignment device 5 away from the bending device 4, and the closing device 6 is used to press the end cover 11 onto the shell 12. By sequentially arranging a bending device 4, an alignment device 5, and a capping device 6 along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 2, the bending of the battery tab 13, the alignment of the end cap 11 and the housing 12, and the pressing of the end cap 11 onto the housing 12 can be automated. This achieves a high degree of automation and high production efficiency, effectively reducing labor costs. Compared to traditional manual operations, this mechanism offers superior automated production and processing results, effectively improving the sealing effect of the finished end cap 11 and ensuring product consistency. Furthermore, the gradual transmission of the conveyor belt 2 enables multi-station multi-function parallel processing, further improving the mechanism's production efficiency.

[0015] It can be understood that in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the battery 1 is a cylindrical battery, the conveyor belt 2 of the mechanism is a ring-shaped reflux conveyor line, and the jigs 3 are evenly spaced on the reflux conveyor line. Along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 2, the battery 1 is loaded into the jig 3 located in front of the bending device 4. The jig 3 is a clamp, and at this time, part of the shell 12 extending from one side of the tab 13 protrudes outside the clamp. When the battery 1 moves to the bending device 4 with the conveyor belt 2, the state of the battery 1 is that the first side of the end cover 11 is horizontally facing upward. The bending device 4 includes a first bracket 41, a first tightening assembly 42, a second tightening assembly 43 and a folding pole ear assembly 44. The first tightening assembly 42 and the second tightening assembly 43 are both arranged on the first bracket 41 and are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the pole ear 13. The first tightening assembly 42 and the second tightening assembly 43 are used to tighten the upper and lower sides of the pole ear 13 respectively. The contact position of the first tightening assembly 42 and the second tightening assembly 43 with the pole ear 13 is the bending position. The folding pole ear assembly 44 is arranged on the first bracket 41. The folding pole ear assembly 44 is used to push the end cover 11 so that the pole ear 13 is bent 90° around the bending position, that is, the pole ear 13 is bent into two parts set at an angle. The folding pole ear assembly 44 effectively ensures the bending effect of the pole ear 13. The first pressing assembly 42 and the second pressing assembly 43 press the tab 13 to support and fix the tab 13, which is conducive to the tab folding assembly 44 driving the end cover 11 to rotate stably around the pressed point of the tab 13, thereby improving the stability of the end cover 11 flipping.

[0016] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the folding ear assembly 44 includes a first driving member 441 and a pressure rod 442. The first driving member 441 is tilted on the first bracket 41. The first driving member 441 is tilted from top to bottom and toward the direction close to the conveyor belt 2. The first driving member 441 drives the pressure rod 442 to move obliquely downward so that the pressure rod 442 pushes the end cover 11 to rotate downward around the bending position. The first tightening assembly 42 includes a second driving member 421 and a first pressure block 422. The second driving member 421 is arranged on the first bracket 41. The second driving member 421 is transmission-connected to the first pressure block 422 to drive the first pressure block 422 to tighten the pole ear 13, and the first pressure block 422 has a first limiting surface 423 for limiting the rotation of the end cover 11, and the first limiting surface 423 is arranged at an angle to the end surface of the first pressure block 422 facing the pole ear 13; the second tightening assembly 43 includes a third driving member 431 and a first supporting block 432. The third driving member 431 is arranged on the first bracket 41. The third driving member 431 is transmission-connected to the first supporting block 432 to drive the first supporting block 432 to tighten the pole ear 13, and the first supporting block 432 has a second limiting surface 433 for limiting the rotation of the end cover 11, and the second limiting surface 433 is arranged at an angle to the end surface of the first supporting block 432 facing the pole ear 13.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first limiting surface 423 is perpendicular to the end surface of the first pressing block 422 facing the pole lug 13, and the second limiting surface 433 is perpendicular to the end surface of the first supporting block 432 facing the pole lug 13, so that when the first driving member 441 drives the pressing rod 442 to push the end cover 11 to rotate downward around the bending position, the rotation angle of the end cover 11 is limited until the end cover 11 is pushed to abut against the second limiting surface 433 for limiting. At this time, the first side surface of the end cover 11 is parallel to the open side surface of the shell 12, thereby improving the flipping accuracy of the end cover 11. Of course, the first limiting surface 423 at this time does not need to be parallel to the open side surface of the shell 12, as long as the first pressing block 422 can be tightly against the upper side of the pole lug 13.

[0018] In other embodiments, when the battery 1 is loaded, with the first side surface of the end cover 11 facing upward, the first driving member 441 tilts from bottom to top toward the direction close to the conveyor belt 2, and the first driving member 441 drives the pressure rod 442 to move obliquely upward so that the pressure rod 442 pushes the end cover 11 to rotate upward around the bending position. At this time, the first limiting surface 423 is parallel to the opening side surface of the shell 12, and the second limiting surface 433 may not be parallel to the opening side surface of the shell 12. It is only necessary to ensure that the first support block 432 can be pressed against the lower side of the pole ear 13 under the action of the third driving member 431.

[0019] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the folded ear assembly 44 also includes a first mounting block 443, which is arranged at the driving end of the first driving member 441. The pressure rod 442 is rotatably connected to the first mounting block 443, which is beneficial to reducing the friction force on the end cover 11 when the pressure rod 442 pushes the end cover 11, thereby reducing the loss of the end cover 11 and improving the production quality of the battery 1.

[0020] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, to prevent the housing 12 from shifting or rotating when the tab 13 is bent, the end cap 11 is aligned, and the end cap 11 is pressed against the housing 12, the battery cell capping mechanism further includes a positioning device 7, which is used to clamp the housing 12. The positioning device 7 is provided between the conveyor belt 2 and the bending device 4, between the conveyor belt 2 and the alignment device 5, and between the conveyor belt 2 and the capping device 6. The positioning device 7 is provided to limit the position and angle of the housing 12, thereby improving the accuracy of the battery 1 capping.

[0021] Specifically, as shown in FIG3 , the positioning device 7 includes a second bracket 71, a first positioning assembly 72, and a second positioning assembly 73. The first positioning assembly 72 and the second positioning assembly 73 are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the housing 12. The first positioning assembly 72 includes a fourth driving member 721 and a second pressing block 722. The fourth driving member 721 is disposed on the second bracket 71 and is in transmission connection with the second pressing block 722 to drive the second pressing block 722 to press against the housing 12. The second positioning assembly 73 includes a fifth driving member 731 and a second supporting block 732. The fifth driving member 731 is disposed on the second bracket 71 and is in transmission connection with the second supporting block 732 to drive the second supporting block 732 to press against the side of the housing 12 away from the second pressing block 722. By limiting the opposite sides of the housing 12 by the second pressing block 722 and the second supporting block 732, the housing 12 can maintain a relatively stable position and angle, thereby improving the accuracy of the end cover 11 entering the housing.

[0022] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG5 , the alignment device 5 includes a sixth drive member 51 and a first clamping jaw 52. The first clamping jaw 52 is used to clamp the end cap 11. The sixth drive member 51 is in transmission connection with the first clamping jaw 52 to drive the central axis of the first clamping jaw 52 to align with the central axis of the housing 12, so that the end cap 11 is aligned with the housing 12. That is, the housing 12 is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the winding core. The first clamping jaw 52 clamps the outer peripheral side wall of the end cap 11 and, driven by the sixth drive member 51, aligns the end cap 11 with the notch of the receiving groove. In this embodiment, the sixth drive member 51 is a three-axis module, that is, the sixth drive member 51 drives the first clamping jaw 52 to clamp the end cap 11 and move it upward so that the central axis of the end cap 11 coincides with the central axis of the housing 12. Preferably, within the allowable range of the time node, the sixth driving member 51 can drive the first clamp 52, that is, the end cover 11, to move toward the shell 12, that is, the sixth driving member 51 can drive the first clamp 52 and the end cover 11 to move obliquely upward, so that the end cover 11 is close to and facing the notch of the accommodating groove, and the end cover 11 is aligned with the central axis of the shell 12, that is, the time for the end cover 11 to move toward the shell 12 is integrated, thereby effectively improving the closing efficiency of the battery 1.

[0023] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG5 , the cover closing device 6 includes a seventh driving member 61 and a second clamping jaw 62. The second clamping jaw 62 is used to clamp the end cover 11. The seventh driving member 61 is in transmission connection with the second clamping jaw 62 to drive the second clamping jaw 62 to move toward the housing 12, thereby pressing the end cover 11 onto the housing 12. In this embodiment, the end cover 11 includes a body and a connecting portion protruding toward one side of the housing 12. The second clamping jaw 62 clamps the outer peripheral side of the body. Driven by the seventh driving member 61, the second clamping jaw 62 is driven to move so that the connecting portion is inserted into the housing 12, that is, the connecting portion abuts against the groove wall of the receiving groove, and the body abuts against the notch of the receiving groove.

[0024] In one embodiment, the cover closing device 6 further includes a pushing assembly, which is provided on the second clamping jaw 62 and is used to tighten the end cover 11 onto the shell 12. Specifically, the second clamping jaw 62 includes an eighth driving member 621 and at least two clamping plates 622. The eighth driving member 621 can drive all the clamping plates 622 to move closer to or farther from each other to clamp or release the end cover 11. All the clamping plates 622 are enclosed to form a clamping groove. The pushing assembly includes a ninth driving member and a push rod (the ninth driving member and the push rod are blocked by the clamping plates 622 and are not shown in the figure. They are conventional linear driving structures). The ninth driving member is provided on the eighth driving member 621 and is located in the clamping groove. The ninth driving member is connected to the push rod in a transmission manner to drive the push rod to extend, push the end cover 11 out of the clamping groove to press it onto the shell 12, ensure the connection strength between the end cover 11 and the shell 12 is strengthened, and effectively ensure the sealing effect between the end cover 11 and the shell 12.

[0025] It should be noted that the first drive member 441, the second drive member 421, the third drive member 431, the fourth drive member 721, the fifth drive member 731, the eighth drive member 621, and the ninth drive member can all be directly linear cylinders. Of course, to further ensure accuracy, linear motor modules can be used instead. In this embodiment, the sixth drive member 51 is a three-axis module, and the seventh drive member 61 is a two-axis module. Of course, robots can also be used for driving.

Claims

1. A battery cell cover closing mechanism, used for pressing an end cover of a battery onto a housing of the battery, wherein a first side of the end cover is connected to the battery cell via a tab, and the battery cell cover closing mechanism comprises: A conveyor belt, used for conveying a jig, wherein the jig is used for supporting the battery; A bending device is arranged at intervals on one side of the conveyor belt, and the bending device is used to bend the pole ear so that the first side surface of the end cover is rotated to be parallel to the opening side surface of the shell; An alignment device is arranged at intervals on one side of the tab bending device along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt, and the alignment device is used to align the end cover with the shell; The cover closing device is arranged at intervals along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt on a side of the alignment device away from the bending device, and the cover closing mechanism is used to press the end cover onto the shell.

2. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The bending device includes a first bracket, a first clamping assembly, a second clamping assembly and a folded pole ear assembly. The first clamping assembly and the second clamping assembly are both arranged on the first bracket and are respectively located at the upper and lower sides of the pole ear. The first clamping assembly and the second clamping assembly are used to clamp the upper and lower sides of the pole ear respectively. The contact position between the first clamping assembly, the second clamping assembly and the pole ear is the bending position. The folded pole ear assembly is arranged on the first bracket. The folded pole ear assembly is used to push the end cover to rotate so that the pole ear is bent 90° around the bending position.

3. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein: The folding ear assembly includes a first driving member and a pressure rod, the first driving member is tilted on the first bracket, the first driving member is tilted from top to bottom and toward the direction close to the conveyor belt, and the first driving member drives the pressure rod to move obliquely downward so that the pressure rod pushes the end cover to rotate downward around the bending position; or, The first driving member is inclined from bottom to top toward a direction close to the conveyor belt, and the first driving member drives the pressure rod to move obliquely upward, so that the pressure rod pushes the end cover to rotate upward around the bending position.

4. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to claim 3, wherein: The folded pole ear assembly further includes a first mounting block, which is disposed at a driving end of the first driving member, and the pressure rod is rotatably connected to the first mounting block.

5. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein: The first pressing assembly includes a second driving member and a first pressing block, the second driving member is arranged on the first bracket, the second driving member is in driving connection with the first pressing block to drive the first pressing block to press against the pole lug, and the first pressing block has a first limiting surface for limiting the rotation of the end cover, and the first limiting surface is arranged at an angle with the end surface of the first pressing block facing the pole lug; and / or, The second clamping assembly includes a third driving member and a first support block, the third driving member is arranged on the first bracket, the third driving member is transmission-connected to the first support block to drive the first support block to clamp the pole ear, and the first support block has a second limiting surface for limiting the rotation of the end cover, and the second limiting surface is arranged at an angle to the end surface of the first support block facing the pole ear.

6. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The battery cover closing mechanism further comprises a positioning device, the positioning device is used to clamp the housing, and the positioning device is arranged between the conveyor belt and the bending device; and / or, The positioning device is arranged between the conveyor belt and the alignment device; and / or, The positioning device is arranged between the conveyor belt and the lid closing device.

7. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to claim 6, wherein: The positioning device includes a second bracket, a first positioning assembly and a second positioning assembly, the first positioning assembly and the second positioning assembly are respectively located at the upper and lower sides of the shell, the first positioning assembly includes a fourth driving member and a second pressing block, the fourth driving member is arranged on the second bracket, the fourth driving member is transmission-connected to the second pressing block to drive the second pressing block to press against the shell, the second positioning assembly includes a fifth driving member and a second supporting block, the fifth driving member is arranged on the second bracket, the fifth driving member is transmission-connected to the second supporting block to drive the second supporting block to press against the side of the shell away from the second pressing block.

8. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The alignment device includes a sixth driving member and a first clamp, the first clamp is used to clamp the end cover, and the sixth driving member is transmission-connected to the first clamp to drive the central axis of the first clamp to align with the central axis of the shell, so that the end cover is aligned with the shell.

9. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The cover closing device includes a seventh driving member and a second clamping jaw, wherein the second clamping jaw is used to clamp the end cover, and the seventh driving member is transmission-connected with the second clamping jaw to drive the second clamping jaw to move toward the shell so that the end cover is pressed onto the shell.

10. The battery cell cover closing mechanism according to claim 9, wherein: The cover closing device further comprises a pushing assembly, which is arranged on the second clamping jaw and is used for pushing the end cover tightly onto the shell.

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