Current collector welding jig, current collector welding device and current collector welding method

Abstract

A current collector welding jig, comprising a pressing member (1) and an air inlet channel (2a). The pressing member is provided with an accommodation recess (1a) for accommodating a current collector (4). The pressing member is provided with an air passing channel (1b) and a plurality of clearance recesses (1c). The clearance recesses are distributed in the peripheral side of the air passing channel so as to expose areas to be welded on the current collector, each clearance recess communicating with the air passing channel. One end of the air inlet channel communicates with an air source, and the other end thereof communicates with the air passing channel, so that protective gas in the air inlet channel can flow to the clearance recesses through the air passing channel. The present invention further relates to a current collector welding device and a current collector welding method.

Description

Collector plate welding fixture, collector plate welding device and collector plate welding method

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure is based on the Chinese patent application with application number 202311631607.5, application date December 1, 2023, and invention name “Current collecting plate welding jig, current collecting plate welding device and current collecting plate welding method”, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the Chinese patent application is hereby introduced into the present disclosure as a reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of laser welding, and in particular to a collector plate welding jig, a collector plate welding device, and a collector plate welding method. Background Art

[0004] This section is intended to provide a background or context for the embodiments of the present disclosure. No admission is made that the description herein is prior art by virtue of its inclusion in this section.

[0005] In the process of welding the collecting plate to the battery cell, in order to improve the welding quality, it is necessary to blow shielding gas into the area to be welded. In the related technology, the shielding gas adopts the side-axis blowing method, which may easily lead to uneven distribution of shielding gas flow in some welding areas, resulting in failure problems such as welding pinholes or explosion points, and safety hazards such as scalding / burning of the isolation membrane, and will lead to poor welding quality.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the embodiments of the present disclosure hope to provide a collecting plate welding jig, a collecting plate welding device and a collecting plate welding method, in which the protective gas can evenly cover the area to be welded, thereby improving the welding quality and safety performance.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a current collecting plate welding jig, comprising:

[0009] A pressing member is provided with a receiving groove for receiving the collecting plate, and the pressing member is provided with an air passage and a plurality of avoidance grooves, each of the avoidance grooves is distributed around the air passage to expose the area to be welded on the collecting plate, and each of the avoidance grooves is connected to the air passage;

[0010] An air inlet channel is connected to the air source at one end and to the air passage at the other end, so that the protective gas in the air inlet channel can flow to the avoidance groove through the air passage.

[0011] The collecting plate welding fixture provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a clamping member and an air inlet channel. The clamping member is provided with an air passage and a plurality of avoidance grooves. By arranging the avoidance grooves on the peripheral side of the air passage, the gas source and the air passage are connected through the air inlet channel. In this way, the protective gas provided by the gas source can enter the air passage through the air inlet channel, and then flow from the air passage to the avoidance grooves on the peripheral side, and cover the area to be welded. In other words, by controlling the protective gas to be blown from the center of the collecting plate to the area to be welded on the peripheral side, the protective gas can be made to evenly cover the area to be welded, which can avoid failure problems such as welding pinholes and explosion points to a certain extent, and avoid safety hazards such as scalding and burning of the isolation membrane, thereby improving the welding quality and safety performance. In addition, the protective gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate to the area to be welded on the peripheral side, which is conducive to removing dust or other debris in the area to be welded, and during the welding process, it is conducive to blowing the generated welding slag toward the outside of the collecting plate, further improving the welding quality.

[0012] In some embodiments, the air passage extends along a height direction of the pressing member, and a through hole communicating with each of the avoidance grooves is provided through a side wall of the air passage.

[0013] By arranging the air passage to extend along the height direction of the pressing member, it is more conducive to the inflow of the protective gas, and the protective gas flowing into the air passage is evenly blown to each avoidance groove.

[0014] In some embodiments, a center line of the air passage coincides with a center line of the pressing member.

[0015] By arranging the gas passage at the center of the pressing member, it is beneficial to arrange the area to be welded on the collecting plate, and the protective gas flowing into the gas passage is evenly blown to each avoidance groove.

[0016] In some embodiments, the accommodating groove is open toward the bottom of the pressing member, and each of the avoidance grooves passes through the top wall of the accommodating groove.

[0017] The receiving groove is open toward the bottom of the compression member, and the current collecting plate can be inserted into the receiving groove through the opening at the bottom of the compression member. One end of the battery cell can also extend into the receiving groove through the opening at the bottom of the compression member, so that the one end of the battery cell rests on the current collecting plate, thereby causing the current collecting plate to rest against the top wall of the receiving groove. Each avoidance groove penetrates the top wall of the receiving groove. In this way, a laser welding machine can be placed above the current collecting plate welding jig, so that the laser can illuminate the area to be welded of the current collecting plate through the avoidance grooves penetrating the top wall of the compression member, thereby welding the current collecting plate to the battery cell.

[0018] In some embodiments, a radial dimension of the avoidance groove along the pressing member is larger than a circumferential dimension of the avoidance groove along the pressing member.

[0019] By arranging the long side of the avoidance groove radially and the short side of the avoidance groove circumferentially, it is more conducive for the shielding gas to be blown toward the avoidance groove and flow along the avoidance groove. In addition, the long side of the avoidance groove is arranged radially, which can improve the shielding gas backflow to a certain extent.

[0020] In some embodiments, the top end of the air passage is a closed end, and the bottom end of the air passage is an open end.

[0021] By setting the top of the gas passage as a closed end and the bottom of the gas passage as an open end, the shielding gas can flow in through the bottom and directly pass through the gas passage and avoidance groove formed by the collecting plate to blow directly to the area to be welded, thereby improving the utilization rate of the shielding gas and minimizing the obstruction to the collecting plate welding fixture and laser head, thereby improving the convenience of welding. Secondly, by setting the top of the gas passage as a closed end, the closed end can block the shielding gas entering from the bottom, which is more conducive to the shielding gas flowing to the avoidance groove.

[0022] In some embodiments, the current collecting plate welding jig also includes a base located below the clamping member, which is arranged opposite to the clamping member and clamps the current collecting plate and the battery cell therebetween so that one end of the battery cell rests against the current collecting plate, and the base forms the air inlet channel.

[0023] In this way, by providing a base, the collector plate and battery cell are clamped between the clamping member and the base, pressing one end of the battery cell against the collector plate to prevent displacement during welding. This allows the collector plate to be welded to the battery cell. In addition, by forming an air inlet channel on the base, shielding gas can enter the air passage through the air inlet channel formed on the base, minimizing obstruction to the collector plate welding jig and laser head. There is no need for additional components such as an air inlet pipe, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing costs.

[0024] In some embodiments, the air inlet channel includes a first sub-air channel extending radially along the base and a second sub-air channel extending in the height direction of the base, one end of the first sub-air channel is connected to the air source, and the other end is connected to the second sub-air channel.

[0025] In this way, the shielding gas of the gas source can be connected to the first sub-gas channel from one radial side, which is conducive to the connection between the air inlet channel and the gas source. The shielding gas first flows along the radial direction of the base and then flows along the height direction of the base.

[0026] In some embodiments, a flow cross-sectional area of ​​the second sub-air channel is larger than a flow cross-sectional area of ​​the first sub-air channel.

[0027] It is understood that the cross-sectional area of ​​the second sub-channel is larger than that of the first sub-channel. Since the first and second sub-channels extend in different directions, the airflow from the first sub-channel to the second sub-channel helps reduce the flow resistance of the shielding gas.

[0028] In some embodiments, a centerline of the second sub-air channel coincides with a centerline of the base.

[0029] By arranging the second sub-air channel at the center of the base, it is beneficial to arrange the air inlet channel and to facilitate the communication between the air inlet channel and the air passage.

[0030] In some embodiments, a connecting portion is protruding from the outer side wall of the base, and the connecting portion is used to communicate with an air source, and the space inside the connecting portion constitutes a part of the air inlet channel.

[0031] The outer wall of the base is provided with a protruding connection portion, which facilitates communication with the air source and eliminates the need for additional components such as an air intake pipe, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing costs.

[0032] In some embodiments, the battery cell is provided with an air outlet channel, and the collecting plate is provided with an air outlet hole. The protective gas in the air inlet channel flows through the air outlet channel, the air outlet hole and the air passage in sequence and then flows to the avoidance groove.

[0033] In this way, the protective gas in the air inlet channel flows through the air outlet channel, the air outlet hole and the air passage in sequence and then flows to the avoidance groove, so that the protective gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate to the surrounding area to be welded. There is no need to set up an additional air inlet pipe, which improves assembly efficiency and reduces costs.

[0034] A second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a current collecting plate welding device, comprising:

[0035] Mounting seat;

[0036] The above-mentioned collecting plate welding jig is installed on the mounting seat;

[0037] A laser welding machine is movably arranged on one side of the current collecting plate welding jig, and the laser emitted by the laser welding machine can illuminate the area to be welded of the current collecting plate through the avoidance groove, so as to weld the current collecting plate to the battery cell;

[0038] The gas source is communicated with the gas inlet channel of the collecting plate welding fixture.

[0039] The collecting plate welding device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the collecting plate welding fixture includes a clamping member and an air inlet channel. The clamping member is provided with an air passage and a plurality of avoidance grooves. By arranging each avoidance groove on the peripheral side of the air passage, the gas source and the air passage are connected through the air inlet channel. In this way, the protective gas provided by the gas source can enter the air passage through the air inlet channel, and then flow from the air passage to the avoidance groove on the peripheral side, and cover the area to be welded. In other words, by controlling the protective gas to be blown from the center of the collecting plate to the area to be welded on the peripheral side, the protective gas can be made to evenly cover the area to be welded, which can avoid failure problems such as welding pinholes and explosion points to a certain extent, and avoid safety hazards such as scalding and burning of the isolation membrane, thereby improving the welding quality and safety performance. In addition, the protective gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate to the area to be welded on the peripheral side, which is conducive to removing dust or other debris in the area to be welded, and during the welding process, it is conducive to blowing the generated welding slag to the outside of the collecting plate, further improving the welding quality.

[0040] A third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a current collecting plate welding method, comprising:

[0041] A current collecting plate welding device is used to weld the current collecting plate to the battery cell, the current collecting plate welding device includes a current collecting plate welding jig, a laser welding machine and a gas source for providing shielding gas, the current collecting plate welding jig includes an air inlet channel and a pressing member provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the current collecting plate, the pressing member is provided with an air passage and a plurality of avoidance grooves, each of the avoidance grooves is distributed on the circumference of the air passage to expose the area to be welded on the current collecting plate, each of the avoidance grooves is connected to the air passage, one end of the air inlet channel is connected to the gas source, and the other end is connected to the air passage, so that the shielding gas in the air inlet channel can flow to the avoidance groove through the air passage;

[0042] The collecting plate welding method includes:

[0043] Determining that the battery cell and the current collecting plate are in a welding position in the current collecting plate welding jig;

[0044] The gas source is started, and the shielding gas flows from the gas inlet channel into the gas passage, and is blown from the gas passage toward the area to be welded on the peripheral side;

[0045] The laser welding machine is started, and the laser emitted by the laser welding machine irradiates the area to be welded of the current collecting plate, so as to weld the current collecting plate to the battery cell.

[0046] During the welding process, after determining that the battery cell and the collector plate are in the welding position in the collector plate welding fixture, the gas source is started to provide a shielding gas. The shielding gas is blown from the center of the collector plate to the area to be welded on the peripheral side so that the shielding gas covers the area to be welded. Then the laser welding machine is started, and the laser emitted by the laser welding machine irradiates the area to be welded of the collector plate to weld the collector plate to the battery cell. The collector plate welding method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure controls the shielding gas to be blown from the center of the collector plate to the area to be welded on the peripheral side, so that the shielding gas can evenly cover the area to be welded, and to a certain extent, it can avoid the occurrence of failure problems such as welding pinholes and explosion points, as well as safety hazards such as scalding and burning of the isolation membrane, thereby improving the welding quality and safety performance. In addition, the shielding gas is blown from the center of the collector plate to the area to be welded on the peripheral side, which is conducive to removing dust or other debris in the area to be welded, and during the welding process, it is conducive to blowing the generated welding slag toward the outside of the collector plate, further improving the welding quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a current collecting plate and a battery cell disposed in a current collecting plate welding jig according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of FIG1 with the base omitted;

[0049] FIG3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG1 ;

[0050] FIG4 is an enlarged view of point A in FIG3 ;

[0051] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a base according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a pressing member from a first perspective according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a pressing member from a second perspective according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a current collecting plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] FIG9 is a schematic flow chart of a current collecting plate welding method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Explanation of the accompanying symbols 1. Pressing part; 1a. Receiving groove; 1b. Air passage; 1c. Avoiding groove; 1d. Through hole; 2. Base; 2a. Air inlet channel; 2b. First sub-air channel; 2c. Second sub-air channel; 2d. Connecting part; 2e. Groove; 3. Battery cell; 3a. Air outlet channel; 4. Collecting plate; 4a. Air outlet hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] It should be noted that, unless there is a conflict, the embodiments and technical features in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined with each other, and the detailed description in the specific implementation methods should be understood as an explanation of the purpose of the present disclosure and should not be regarded as an improper limitation on the present disclosure.

[0058] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this disclosure; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in this disclosure are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0059] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, technical terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used solely to distinguish different objects and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly specify the quantity, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the technical features indicated. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, "plurality" means more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0060] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0061] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0062] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "circumferential", "height direction", "first direction", and "second direction" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, operated or used in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0063] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, technical terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and can refer to internal connectivity between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure based on specific circumstances.

[0064] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the technical term "contact" should be understood in a broad sense, and can be direct contact, contact through an intermediate medium layer, contact with essentially no interaction force between the two contacting parties, or contact with interaction force between the two contacting parties.

[0065] With the development of clean energy, more and more devices are using electricity as a driving force. Consequently, power batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, that can store large amounts of electricity and undergo multiple charge and discharge cycles are rapidly developing. These batteries are not only used in energy storage systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but are also widely used in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles, as well as in aerospace and other fields.

[0066] With the country's vigorous promotion of new energy vehicles, new energy vehicles are experiencing a golden opportunity for development. Vehicle safety and stability have always been a primary concern. Therefore, improving the safety of new energy vehicles will be a key factor in determining their rapid adoption. Battery modules are the primary component of new energy vehicle battery packs, and improving their safety is a crucial approach to improving the safety of these vehicles.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, the battery cell may be a battery cell. A battery cell refers to a basic unit that can realize the mutual conversion of chemical energy and electrical energy, and can be used to make a battery module or battery pack, thereby being used to supply power to an electrical device. A battery cell may be a primary battery or a secondary battery. A secondary battery refers to a battery cell that can be activated by charging the active material after the battery cell is discharged and can continue to be used. The battery cell may be a lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, a sodium-lithium-ion battery, a lithium metal battery, a sodium metal battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a magnesium-ion battery, a nickel-hydrogen battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, or a lead-acid battery, etc., and the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto. The battery cell may be cylindrical, rectangular, or in other shapes.

[0068] A battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The electrode assembly consists of a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet, and a separator. A battery cell primarily operates by the movement of metal ions between the positive and negative electrode sheets. The positive electrode sheet includes a positive current collector and a positive active material layer. The positive active material layer is coated on the surface of the positive electrode collector. The uncoated positive electrode collector protrudes from the coated positive electrode collector, and the uncoated positive electrode collector serves as the positive electrode tab. For lithium-ion batteries, for example, the positive electrode current collector can be made of aluminum, and the positive electrode active material can be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, or lithium manganese oxide. The negative electrode sheet includes a negative current collector and a negative active material layer. The negative active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative electrode collector. The uncoated negative electrode collector protrudes from the coated negative electrode collector, and the uncoated negative electrode collector serves as the negative electrode tab. The negative electrode current collector can be made of copper, and the negative electrode active material can be carbon or silicon. To ensure high current flow without melting, multiple positive electrode tabs are stacked together, and multiple negative electrode tabs are stacked together. The separator can be made of materials such as PP (polypropylene) or PE (polyethylene).

[0069] The battery cell also includes a packaging film and a casing. The packaging film is applied to the outside of the electrode assembly, and the casing encapsulates the electrode assembly (i.e., the bare cell) covered with the packaging film to form a battery cell. For example, the packaging film can be Mylar film, and the casing can be aluminum or steel. After the electrode assembly is wound, the Mylar film and casing are encapsulated through the Mylar wrapping process and the casing insertion process. The Mylar film seals and protects the electrode assembly, and the Mylar film can effectively insulate the electrode assembly and casing from each other, preventing internal short circuits in the battery cell. The casing also provides protection.

[0070] In the related art, during the process of welding the collecting plate to the battery cell, the protective gas is blown in a side-axis manner, which can easily lead to uneven distribution of the protective airflow in some welding areas, resulting in failure problems such as welding pinholes or explosion points, safety hazards such as scalding / burning of the isolation membrane, and poor welding quality.

[0071] In order to improve welding quality and safety performance, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a collecting plate welding jig, which includes a clamping member and an air inlet channel. The clamping member is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the collecting plate. The clamping member is provided with an air passage and a plurality of avoidance grooves. Each avoidance groove is distributed on the circumference of the air passage to expose the area to be welded on the collecting plate. Each avoidance groove is connected to the air passage. One end of the air inlet channel is connected to the gas source, and the other end is connected to the air passage, so that the protective gas in the air inlet channel can flow to the avoidance groove through the air passage.

[0072] The current collecting plate welding jig provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used to weld the current collecting plate to a cylindrical battery cell, and can also be used to weld the current collecting plate to a battery cell of other shapes, such as a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0073] The current collecting plate welding device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used to weld the current collecting plate to a cylindrical battery cell, and can also be used to weld the current collecting plate to a battery cell of other shapes, such as a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0074] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a collecting plate welding jig, please refer to Figures 1 to 8, the collecting plate welding jig includes a pressing member 1 and an air inlet channel 2a. The pressing member 1 is provided with a receiving groove 1a for accommodating the collecting plate 4. The pressing member 1 is provided with an air passage 1b and a plurality of avoidance grooves 1c. Each avoidance groove 1c is distributed on the circumference of the air passage 1b to expose the area to be welded on the collecting plate 4. Each avoidance groove 1c is connected to the air passage 1b. One end of the air inlet channel 2a is connected to the gas source, and the other end is connected to the air passage 1b, so that the protective gas in the air inlet channel 2a can flow to the avoidance groove 1c through the air passage 1b.

[0075] The current collector plate 4 is used to seal the opening of the battery cell housing, connect the tabs of the battery cell 3 assembly within the housing, and connect to the terminal posts of the battery cell's top cover assembly. The current collector plate 4 must be made of a conductive metal material to ensure that it can serve as a good conductor between the tabs and electrodes after connection.

[0076] The current collecting plate welding jig provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used for welding between the current collecting plate 4 and cylindrical battery cells, and can also be used for welding between the current collecting plate 4 and battery cells of other shapes, such as rectangular parallelepiped.

[0077] The collecting plate 4 covers the portion of the housing opening of the battery cell, so the collecting plate 4 can be configured to have a shape that matches the shape of the housing opening of the battery cell, such as a circular shape.

[0078] At the same time, the current collecting plate 4 is also used for welding with the tabs of the battery cell 3. The area to be welded of the current collecting plate 4 can be set to a suitable area and position according to the need of welding the tabs.

[0079] In addition, the shape of the area to be welded of the collecting plate 4 is not limited and can be determined according to specific circumstances.

[0080] Referring to Figures 4, 6, and 7, the pressing member 1 is provided with a receiving groove 1a for accommodating the collecting plate 4. The collecting plate 4 is disposed within the receiving groove 1a, and one end of the battery cell 3 can extend into the receiving groove 1a and rest against the collecting plate 4. This facilitates welding the collecting plate 4 to the battery cell 3.

[0081] The pressing member 1 is provided with an air passage 1 b , and the protective gas provided by the gas source can flow into the air passage 1 b .

[0082] Please refer to Figures 2 and 6. A plurality of avoidance grooves 1c are provided on the pressing member 1. Each avoidance groove 1c is distributed around the air passage 1b to expose the area to be welded on the collecting plate 4. Each avoidance groove 1c is connected to the air passage 1b.

[0083] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, "a plurality" refers to a number of two or more than two.

[0084] For example, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 , the number of the avoidance grooves 1 c is 8, and the 8 avoidance grooves 1 c are radially distributed around the circumference of the air passage 1 b.

[0085] By setting an avoidance groove 1c to expose the area to be welded on the current collecting plate 4, it is used to avoid the laser emitted by the laser welding machine, so that the laser can irradiate the area to be welded on the current collecting plate 4 through the avoidance groove 1c, and is used to weld the current collecting plate 4 to the battery cell 3.

[0086] Each of the avoidance slots 1c is connected to the gas passage 1b. Shielding gas from the gas source is blown through the gas passage 1b toward each of the avoidance slots 1c, ensuring uniform coverage of the welded area. This ensures that the entire welding environment is covered with inert shielding gas, which, to a certain extent, prevents oxidation of the collector plate 4 during high-temperature welding, thereby improving weld quality and stability.

[0087] The avoidance grooves 1c are distributed around the gas passage 1b to enable the shielding gas to be blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the surrounding area to be welded. To a certain extent, the interference between the shielding gases in different areas to be welded can be avoided, so that the shielding gas can evenly cover the area to be welded.

[0088] The specific type of shielding gas is not limited here, and can be an inert gas. Inert gas can, to a certain extent, prevent the collector plate 4 from being oxidized during high-temperature welding, thereby improving welding quality and welding stability. For example, the shielding gas is nitrogen.

[0089] The specific type of the air intake passage 2a is not limited here.

[0090] The collecting plate welding fixture provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a clamping member 1 and an air inlet channel 2a. The clamping member 1 is provided with an air passage 1b and a plurality of avoidance grooves 1c. By arranging each avoidance groove 1c on the peripheral side of the air passage 1b, the gas source and the air passage 1b are connected through the air inlet channel 2a. In this way, the protective gas provided by the gas source can enter the air passage 1b through the air inlet channel 2a, and then flow from the air passage 1b to the avoidance grooves 1c on the peripheral side and cover the area to be welded. In other words, by controlling the protective gas to be blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the peripheral area to be welded, the protective gas can evenly cover the area to be welded, which can avoid failure problems such as welding pinholes and explosion points to a certain extent, as well as safety hazards such as scalding and burning of the isolation membrane, thereby improving the welding quality and safety performance. In addition, the shielding gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the surrounding area to be welded, which is beneficial to remove dust or other debris in the area to be welded, and during the welding process, it is beneficial to blow the generated welding slag toward the outside of the collecting plate 4, further improving the welding quality.

[0091] The specific cross-sectional shape of the pressing member 1 is not limited here. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the pressing member 1 is circular, that is, the pressing member 1 is in the shape of a circular ring.

[0092] It should be noted that the specific structural form of the air passage 1b and the avoidance groove 1c is not limited here. In some embodiments, referring to Figures 3, 4, and 7, the air passage 1b extends along the height direction of the compression member 1. The sidewall of the air passage 1b is penetrated by a through hole 1d that communicates with each avoidance groove 1c.

[0093] The air passage 1b extends along the height direction of the pressing member 1, which means that the air passage 1b can be parallel to the height direction of the pressing member 1, that is, parallel to the center line of the pressing member 1, or can be inclined relative to the center line.

[0094] The side wall of the gas passage 1b is penetrated by a through hole 1d connected to each avoidance groove 1c. In this way, the avoidance holes are not connected to each other, and the protective gas in the gas passage 1b can flow into each avoidance groove 1c through the through hole 1d.

[0095] By arranging the air passage 1b to extend along the height direction of the pressing member 1, it is more conducive to the inflow of the protective gas, and the protective gas flowing into the air passage 1b is evenly blown toward each avoidance groove 1c.

[0096] In some embodiments, referring to FIG3 and FIG4 , the center line of the air passage 1 b coincides with the center line of the pressing member 1 , that is, the center line of the air passage 1 b falls on the center line of the pressing member 1 .

[0097] It should be noted that the coincidence of the center line of the air passage 1 b and the center line of the pressing member 1 means that the center line of the air passage 1 b and the center line of the pressing member 1 substantially coincide with each other, or completely coincide with each other.

[0098] By arranging the gas passage 1b at the center of the pressing member 1, it is beneficial to arrange the area to be welded on the collecting plate 4, and the protective gas flowing into the gas passage 1b is evenly blown to each avoidance groove 1c.

[0099] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 , the accommodating groove 1 a is open toward the bottom of the pressing member 1 , and each avoidance groove 1 c passes through the top wall of the accommodating groove 1 a .

[0100] The receiving groove 1a is open toward the bottom of the compression member 1, and the current collecting plate 4 can be inserted into the receiving groove 1a through the opening at the bottom of the compression member 1. One end of the battery cell 3 can also extend into the receiving groove 1a through the opening at the bottom of the compression member 1, so that the one end of the battery cell 3 abuts against the current collecting plate 4, thereby causing the current collecting plate 4 to abut against the top wall of the receiving groove 1a.

[0101] Each avoidance groove 1c passes through the top wall of the accommodating groove 1a. In this way, the laser welding machine can be set above the current collecting plate welding fixture, so that the laser can irradiate the area to be welded of the current collecting plate 4 through the avoidance groove 1c passing through the top wall of the clamping part 1, and is used to weld the current collecting plate 4 to the battery cell 3.

[0102] The specific cross-sectional shape of the avoidance groove 1c is not limited here, and the cross-sectional shape can be, for example, square, elliptical, circular or long strip, etc. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cross-sectional shape of the avoidance groove 1c is described as a rectangle, and the top corners of the rectangle are smoothly transitioned by arcs.

[0103] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2 , FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , a radial dimension of the avoidance groove 1 c along the pressing member 1 is larger than a circumferential dimension of the avoidance groove 1 c along the pressing member 1 .

[0104] The size of the avoidance groove 1 c along the circumferential direction of the pressing member 1 is the size of the avoidance groove 1 c along the circumferential direction of the pressing member 1 .

[0105] Taking the avoidance groove 1c as an example of a rectangle, the radial dimension of the avoidance groove 1c along the compression member 1 is greater than the circumferential dimension of the avoidance groove 1c along the compression member 1. That is, the long side of the avoidance groove 1c is arranged in the radial direction, and the short side of the avoidance groove 1c is arranged in the circumferential direction. Each avoidance groove 1c is radially arranged around the circumference of the air passage 1b.

[0106] It is understood that by arranging the long sides of the avoidance groove 1c radially and the short sides of the avoidance groove 1c circumferentially, it is more conducive for the shielding gas to be blown toward the avoidance groove 1c and flow along the avoidance groove 1c. In addition, the long sides of the avoidance groove 1c arranged radially can improve the shielding gas backflow to a certain extent.

[0107] In the related art, an independent vent pipe is usually used to blow shielding gas toward the area to be welded. However, due to the obstruction of the welding fixture and the laser head, the gap between the outlet end of the vent pipe and the collecting plate is large. The shielding gas continuously diffuses and escapes during the movement from the outlet end to the collecting plate. Only a small amount of shielding gas can reach the designated area to be welded, resulting in poor welding quality.

[0108] In the collecting plate welding fixture of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the top end of the gas passage 1b is a closed end, and the bottom end of the gas passage 1b is an open end.

[0109] By setting the top of the gas passage 1b as a closed end and the bottom of the gas passage 1b as an open end, the shielding gas can flow in through the bottom and directly pass through the gas passage 1b and the avoidance groove 1c formed by the collecting plate 4, blowing directly to the area to be welded. This improves the utilization rate of the shielding gas and minimizes the obstruction to the collecting plate welding fixture and laser head, improving the convenience of welding. Secondly, by setting the top of the gas passage 1b as a closed end, the closed end can block the shielding gas entering from the bottom, which is more conducive to the shielding gas flowing to the avoidance groove 1c.

[0110] Of course, in other embodiments, the top end of the gas passage 1b may be set as an open end, and the bottom end of the gas passage 1b may be set as a closed end, that is, the protective gas may flow in through the top of the pressing member 1 .

[0111] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 1, 3, and 5, the current collecting plate welding jig further includes a base 2 positioned below the pressing member 1. The base 2 is disposed opposite the pressing member 1 and clamps the current collecting plate 4 and the battery cell 3 therebetween, such that one end of the battery cell 3 rests against the current collecting plate 4. The base 2 defines an air inlet channel 2a.

[0112] The collecting plate 4 and the battery core 3 are clamped therebetween, that is, the collecting plate 4 is pressed between the pressing member 1 and the base 2 , so as to fix the collecting plate 4 and the battery core 3 .

[0113] One end of the battery cell 3 rests against the collecting plate 4 , that is, one end of the battery cell 3 is pressed against the collecting plate 4 to avoid displacement during welding. In this way, the collecting plate 4 can be welded to the battery cell 3 .

[0114] The base 2 is formed with an air inlet channel 2a, that is, the protective gas can enter the air channel 1b through the air inlet channel 2a formed on the base 2, thereby minimizing the obstruction to the collecting plate welding fixture and the laser head, and no additional components such as the air inlet pipe are required, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing costs.

[0115] It should be noted that the specific cross-sectional shape of the base 2 is not limited here. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the base 2 is circular, that is, the base 2 is annular.

[0116] For example, please continue to refer to Figures 1, 3 and 5. A groove 2e is provided on the side of the base 2 facing the pressing member 1, so that both ends of the battery cell 3 are clamped between the bottom surface of the groove 2e and the top surface of the accommodating groove 1a.

[0117] In this way, by providing the base 2, the collecting plate 4 and the battery cell 3 are clamped between the pressing member 1 and the base 2, so that one end of the battery cell 3 is pressed against the collecting plate 4 to prevent displacement during the welding process. In this way, the collecting plate 4 can be welded to the battery cell 3. In addition, by forming the air inlet channel 2a on the base 2, the shielding gas can enter the air channel 1b through the air inlet channel 2a formed on the base 2, minimizing the obstruction to the collecting plate welding jig and the laser head, and eliminating the need for additional components such as the air inlet pipe, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing costs.

[0118] 3 and 5 , the air inlet channel 2a includes a first sub-airway 2b extending radially from the base 2 and a second sub-airway 2c extending heightwise from the base 2. One end of the first sub-airway 2b is connected to the air source, and the other end is connected to the second sub-airway 2c.

[0119] In this way, the shielding gas of the gas source can be connected to the first sub-gas channel 2b from one radial side, which is conducive to the connection between the air inlet channel 2a and the gas source. The shielding gas first flows along the radial direction of the base 2 and then flows along the height direction of the base 2.

[0120] In other embodiments, the first sub-air channel 2 b extending radially along the base 2 may not be provided, and the gas source is directly connected to the second sub-air channel 2 c from the bottom of the base 2 .

[0121] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3 , the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the second sub-air channel 2 c is greater than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the first sub-air channel 2 b .

[0122] It should be noted that the flow cross section refers to the cross section that is orthogonal to all streamlines of the elemental or total flow, that is, the plane perpendicular to the flow velocity cluster, such as air or liquid flow. When the streamline clusters are non-parallel, the flow cross section is a curved surface; when the streamline clusters are parallel straight lines, the flow cross section is a flat surface.

[0123] It is understood that the cross-sectional area of ​​the second sub-channel 2c is larger than that of the first sub-channel 2b. Since the first sub-channel 2b and the second sub-channel 2c extend in different directions, the airflow from the first sub-channel 2b to the second sub-channel 2c is conducive to reducing the flow resistance of the shielding gas.

[0124] In some embodiments, referring to FIG3 , the centerline of the second sub-air channel 2c coincides with the centerline of the base 2. That is, the centerline of the second sub-air channel 2c substantially coincides with or completely coincides with the centerline of the base 2.

[0125] By arranging the second sub-air channel 2c at the center of the base 2, it is beneficial to arrange the air inlet channel 2a and to communicate between the air inlet channel 2a and the air passage 1b.

[0126] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 1, 3, and 5, a connecting portion 2d is protruding from the outer wall of the base 2. The connecting portion 2d is used to communicate with an air source. The space within the connecting portion 2d constitutes part of the air inlet channel 2a.

[0127] The connection portion 2d is protruded from the outer wall of the base 2, which facilitates communication with the air source. There is no need to provide additional components such as an air intake pipe, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing costs.

[0128] It should be noted that there are many ways to connect the intake passage 2a and the exhaust passage 1b.

[0129] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 8, the battery cell 3 is provided with an outlet channel 3a. The current collecting plate 4 is provided with an outlet hole 4a. The protective gas in the air inlet channel 2a flows sequentially through the outlet channel 3a, the outlet hole 4a, and the air passage 1b before flowing into the avoidance groove 1c.

[0130] The battery cell 3 is provided with a gas outlet channel 3a, which is conducive to the protective gas flowing to the gas passage 1b through the gas outlet channel 3a.

[0131] For example, referring to FIG3 , the cross-sectional area of ​​the outlet channel 3a is smaller than that of the second sub-channel 2c, which facilitates the shielding gas in the second sub-channel 2c to enter the outlet channel 3a.

[0132] The collecting plate 4 is provided with an air outlet 4a, which is conducive to the protective gas flowing to the air passage 1b through the air outlet 4a.

[0133] For example, referring to Figures 3 and 4 , the cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet 4a is smaller than that of the gas passage 1b, which facilitates the shielding gas in the gas outlet 4a to enter the gas passage 1b.

[0134] In this way, the protective gas in the air inlet channel 2a flows through the air outlet channel 3a, the air outlet hole 4a and the air passage 1b in sequence and then flows to the avoidance groove 1c, so that the protective gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the surrounding area to be welded. There is no need to set up an additional air inlet pipe, which improves assembly efficiency and reduces costs.

[0135] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a collector plate welding device, comprising a mounting base, a laser welding machine, an air source, and a collector plate welding jig according to any embodiment of the present disclosure. The collector plate welding jig is mounted on the mounting base. The laser welding machine is movably disposed on one side of the collector plate welding jig. The laser emitted by the laser welding machine can illuminate the area to be welded of the collector plate 4 through the avoidance groove 1c, thereby welding the collector plate 4 to the battery cell 3. The air source is connected to the air inlet channel 2a of the collector plate welding jig.

[0136] It should be noted that the specific type of the laser welding machine is not limited here. For example, the laser welding machine is, for example, a galvanometer welding machine.

[0137] The laser welding machine is movably arranged on one side of the current collecting plate welding fixture. The laser welding machine can be moved to the welding position for welding as needed to weld the current collecting plate 4 to the battery cell 3.

[0138] The collecting plate welding device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a collecting plate welding fixture comprising a clamping member 1 and an air inlet channel 2a. The clamping member 1 is provided with an air passage 1b and a plurality of avoidance grooves 1c. By arranging the avoidance grooves 1c on the peripheral side of the air passage 1b, the gas source and the air passage 1b are connected through the air inlet channel 2a. In this way, the protective gas provided by the gas source can enter the air passage 1b through the air inlet channel 2a, and then flow from the air passage 1b to the avoidance grooves 1c on the peripheral side, and cover the area to be welded. In other words, by controlling the protective gas to be blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the peripheral area to be welded, the protective gas can evenly cover the area to be welded, which can avoid failure problems such as welding pinholes and explosion points to a certain extent, and avoid safety hazards such as scalding and burning of the isolation membrane, thereby improving the welding quality and safety performance. In addition, the shielding gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the surrounding area to be welded, which is beneficial to remove dust or other debris in the area to be welded, and during the welding process, it is beneficial to blow the generated welding slag toward the outside of the collecting plate 4, further improving the welding quality.

[0139] The third aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a collecting plate welding method, which is applied to a collecting plate welding device to weld the collecting plate 4 to the battery cell 3. Please refer to Figures 1 to 8. The collecting plate welding device includes a collecting plate welding jig, a laser welding machine and a gas source for providing protective gas. The collecting plate welding jig includes an air inlet channel 2a and a clamping member 1 provided with a receiving groove 1a for accommodating the collecting plate 4. The clamping member 1 is provided with an air passage 1b and a plurality of avoidance grooves 1c. Each avoidance groove 1c is distributed on the peripheral side of the air passage 1b to expose the area to be welded on the collecting plate 4. Each avoidance groove 1c is connected to the air passage 1b. One end of the air inlet channel 2a is connected to the gas source, and the other end is connected to the air passage 1b, so that the protective gas in the air inlet channel 2a can flow to the avoidance groove 1c through the air passage 1b.

[0140] Please refer to Figure 9. The collector plate welding method includes:

[0141] Step S100: Determine whether the battery cell and the current collecting plate are in a welding position in a current collecting plate welding fixture;

[0142] Step S200: starting the gas source, the shielding gas flows from the gas inlet channel into the gas passage, and is blown from the gas passage toward the area to be welded on the peripheral side;

[0143] Step S300: starting a laser welding machine, irradiating the area of ​​the current collecting plate to be welded with laser light emitted by the laser welding machine, so as to weld the current collecting plate to the battery cell.

[0144] During the welding process, after determining that the battery cell 3 and the collector plate 4 are in the welding position in the collector plate welding fixture, the gas source is activated to provide shielding gas. The shielding gas is blown from the center of the collector plate 4 to the surrounding area to be welded, so that the shielding gas covers the area to be welded. The laser welding machine is then activated, and the laser emitted by the laser welding machine irradiates the area to be welded of the collector plate 4 to weld the collector plate 4 to the battery cell 3. The collector plate welding method provided by the disclosed embodiment can ensure that the shielding gas uniformly covers the area to be welded by controlling the shielding gas to be blown from the center of the collector plate 4 to the surrounding area to be welded. This can, to a certain extent, avoid failure problems such as welding pinholes and explosion points, as well as safety hazards such as scalding and burning of the isolation membrane, thereby improving welding quality and safety performance. In addition, the shielding gas is blown from the center of the collector plate 4 to the surrounding area to be welded, which is conducive to removing dust or other debris in the area to be welded. During the welding process, it is conducive to blowing the generated welding slag toward the outside of the collector plate 4, further improving the welding quality.

[0145] For example, referring to Figures 1 to 7, the collecting plate welding jig includes a clamping member 1 and an air inlet channel 2a. The clamping member 1 is provided with a receiving groove 1a for accommodating the collecting plate 4. The clamping member 1 is provided with an air passage 1b and a plurality of avoidance grooves 1c. Each avoidance groove 1c is distributed on the circumference of the air passage 1b to expose the area to be welded on the collecting plate 4. Each avoidance groove 1c is connected to the air passage 1b. One end of the air inlet channel 2a is connected to the gas source, and the other end is connected to the air passage 1b, so that the protective gas in the air inlet channel 2a can flow to the avoidance groove 1c through the air passage 1b.

[0146] In this way, by providing an air passage 1b and a plurality of avoidance grooves 1c on the pressing member 1, and by arranging each avoidance groove 1c on the peripheral side of the air passage 1b, the gas source and the air passage 1b are connected through the air inlet channel 2a. In this way, the shielding gas provided by the gas source can enter the air passage 1b through the air inlet channel 2a, and then flow from the air passage 1b to the avoidance grooves 1c on the peripheral side, thereby covering the area to be welded. In other words, by controlling the shielding gas to be blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the peripheral area to be welded, the shielding gas can be made to evenly cover the area to be welded, which can avoid failure problems such as welding pinholes and explosion points to a certain extent, and avoid safety hazards such as scalding and burning of the isolation membrane, thereby improving the welding quality and safety performance. In addition, the shielding gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the peripheral area to be welded, which is conducive to removing dust or other debris in the area to be welded, and during the welding process, it is conducive to blowing the generated welding slag toward the outside of the collecting plate 4, further improving the welding quality.

[0147] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 , the accommodating groove 1 a is open toward the bottom of the pressing member 1 , and each avoiding groove 1 c passes through the top wall of the accommodating groove 1 a .

[0148] The receiving groove 1a is open toward the bottom of the compression member 1, and the current collecting plate 4 can be inserted into the receiving groove 1a through the opening at the bottom of the compression member 1. One end of the battery cell 3 can also extend into the receiving groove 1a through the opening at the bottom of the compression member 1, so that the one end of the battery cell 3 abuts against the current collecting plate 4, thereby causing the current collecting plate 4 to abut against the top wall of the receiving groove 1a.

[0149] In the collecting plate welding fixture of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the top end of the gas passage 1b is a closed end, and the bottom end of the gas passage 1b is an open end.

[0150] By setting the top of the gas passage 1b as a closed end and the bottom of the gas passage 1b as an open end, the shielding gas can flow in through the bottom and directly pass through the gas passage 1b and the avoidance groove 1c formed by the collecting plate 4, blowing directly to the area to be welded. This improves the utilization rate of the shielding gas and minimizes the obstruction to the collecting plate welding fixture and laser head, improving the convenience of welding. Secondly, by setting the top of the gas passage 1b as a closed end, the closed end can block the shielding gas entering from the bottom, which is more conducive to the shielding gas flowing to the avoidance groove 1c.

[0151] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 1, 3, and 5, the current collecting plate welding jig further includes a base 2 positioned below the pressing member 1. The base 2 is disposed opposite the pressing member 1 and clamps the current collecting plate 4 and the battery cell 3 therebetween, such that one end of the battery cell 3 rests against the current collecting plate 4. The base 2 defines an air inlet channel 2a.

[0152] The collecting plate 4 and the battery core 3 are clamped therebetween, that is, the collecting plate 4 is pressed between the pressing member 1 and the base 2 , so as to fix the collecting plate 4 and the battery core 3 .

[0153] One end of the battery cell 3 rests against the collecting plate 4 , that is, one end of the battery cell 3 is pressed against the collecting plate 4 to avoid displacement during welding. In this way, the collecting plate 4 can be welded to the battery cell 3 .

[0154] The base 2 is formed with an air inlet channel 2a, that is, the protective gas can enter the air channel 1b through the air inlet channel 2a formed on the base 2, thereby minimizing the obstruction to the collecting plate welding fixture and the laser head, and no additional components such as the air inlet pipe are required, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing costs.

[0155] For example, please continue to refer to Figures 1, 3 and 5. A groove 2e is provided on the side of the base 2 facing the pressing member 1, so that both ends of the battery cell 3 are clamped between the bottom surface of the groove 2e and the top surface of the accommodating groove 1a.

[0156] In this way, by providing the base 2, the collecting plate 4 and the battery cell 3 are clamped between the pressing member 1 and the base 2, so that one end of the battery cell 3 is pressed against the collecting plate 4 to prevent displacement during the welding process. In this way, the collecting plate 4 can be welded to the battery cell 3. In addition, by forming the air inlet channel 2a on the base 2, the shielding gas can enter the air channel 1b through the air inlet channel 2a formed on the base 2, minimizing the obstruction to the collecting plate welding jig and the laser head, and eliminating the need for additional components such as the air inlet pipe, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing costs.

[0157] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 , the battery cell 3 is provided with an outlet channel 3a. The current collecting plate 4 is provided with an outlet hole 4a. The protective gas in the inlet channel 2a flows sequentially through the outlet channel 3a, the outlet hole 4a, and the gas passage 1b before flowing into the avoidance groove 1c.

[0158] The battery cell 3 is provided with a gas outlet channel 3a, which is conducive to the protective gas flowing to the gas passage 1b through the gas outlet channel 3a.

[0159] For example, the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet channel 3a is smaller than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the second sub-gas channel 2c, which facilitates the shielding gas in the second sub-gas channel 2c to enter the gas outlet channel 3a.

[0160] The collecting plate 4 is provided with an air outlet 4a, which is conducive to the protective gas flowing to the air passage 1b through the air outlet 4a.

[0161] For example, the cross-sectional area of ​​the gas outlet 4a is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the gas passage 1b, which facilitates the shielding gas in the gas outlet 4a to enter the gas passage 1b.

[0162] In this way, the protective gas in the air inlet channel 2a flows through the air outlet channel 3a, the air outlet hole 4a and the air passage 1b in sequence and then flows to the avoidance groove 1c, so that the protective gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the surrounding area to be welded. There is no need to set up an additional air inlet pipe, which improves assembly efficiency and reduces costs.

[0163] Exemplarily, the current collecting plate welding method also includes loading the battery cell 3 and the current collecting plate 4, placing the battery cell 3 and the current collecting plate 4 on the base 2, and then pressing the clamping piece 1 downward to clamp the battery cell 3 and the current collecting plate 4 between the clamping piece 1 and the base 2, so as to press one end of the battery cell 3 onto the current collecting plate 4 to avoid displacement during the welding process. In this way, the current collecting plate 4 can be welded to the battery cell 3.

[0164] Illustratively, after welding is completed, the current collecting plate welding method also includes unloading the battery cells 3 and the current collecting plate 4, first raising the clamping part 1, and then removing the welded battery cells 3 and the current collecting plate 4 from the welding position in the current collecting plate welding jig.

[0165] Exemplarily, the collecting plate welding device also includes a detection unit and a control device. The detection unit is configured to detect whether the battery cell 3 and the collecting plate 4 are in the welding position in the collecting plate welding jig. If the detection unit detects whether the battery cell 3 and the collecting plate 4 are in the welding position in the collecting plate welding jig, it transmits a signal to the control device, and the control device controls the start-up of the gas source. After the protective gas is blown from the center of the collecting plate 4 to the area to be welded on the peripheral side so that the protective gas evenly covers the area to be welded, the control device controls the start-up of the laser welding machine. The laser emitted by the laser welding machine irradiates the area to be welded of the collecting plate 4, which is used to weld the collecting plate 4 to the battery cell 3.

[0166] In the description of the present disclosure, the descriptions with reference to the terms "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in other embodiments", "in yet other embodiments", or "exemplary" etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine different embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure and features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are mutually inconsistent.

[0167] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Industrial Applicability

[0168] The collecting plate welding jig provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure controls the shielding gas to be blown from the center of the collecting plate to the surrounding area to be welded, which can, to a certain extent, avoid failure problems such as welding pinholes and explosion points, as well as safety hazards such as scalding and burning of the isolation membrane. It is also beneficial to blow the generated welding slag toward the outside of the collecting plate, thereby improving the welding quality and safety performance.

Claims

1. A collector plate welding jig, comprising: A pressing piece is provided with a receiving groove for receiving the current collecting plate, and the pressing piece is provided with a gas passage and a plurality of avoidance grooves, each of the avoidance grooves is distributed around the gas passage to expose the area to be welded on the current collecting plate, and each of the avoidance grooves is connected with the gas passage; An air inlet channel is connected to the air source at one end and to the air passage at the other end, so that the protective gas in the air inlet channel can flow to the avoidance groove through the air passage.

2. The collector plate welding jig according to claim 1, wherein: The air passage extends along the height direction of the pressing member, and a through hole communicating with each of the avoidance grooves is provided through the side wall of the air passage.

3. The collector plate welding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The center line of the air passage coincides with the center line of the pressing member.

4. The collector plate welding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The receiving groove is open toward the bottom of the pressing member, and each of the avoiding grooves passes through the top wall of the receiving groove.

5. The current collecting plate welding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A dimension of the avoidance groove along the radial direction of the pressing member is greater than a dimension of the avoidance groove along the circumferential direction of the pressing member.

6. The current collecting plate welding jig according to claim 5, wherein: The top end of the air passage is a closed end, and the bottom end of the air passage is an open end.

7. The collector plate welding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The current collecting plate welding fixture also includes a base located below the clamping piece, the base is arranged opposite to the clamping piece, and clamps the current collecting plate and the battery cell therebetween so that one end of the battery cell rests against the current collecting plate, and the base forms the air inlet channel.

8. The collector plate welding jig according to claim 7, wherein: The air inlet channel includes a first sub-air channel extending in a radial direction of the base and a second sub-air channel extending in a height direction of the base. One end of the first sub-air channel is connected to an air source, and the other end is connected to the second sub-air channel.

9. The current collecting plate welding jig according to claim 8, wherein: The flow cross-sectional area of ​​the second sub-air channel is greater than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the first sub-air channel; and / or the center line of the second sub-air channel coincides with the center line of the base.

10. The current collecting plate welding jig according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein: A connecting portion is protruding from the outer side wall of the base, and the connecting portion is used to communicate with an air source, and the space inside the connecting portion constitutes part of the air inlet channel.

11. The current collecting plate welding jig according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein: The battery cell is provided with an air outlet channel, the current collecting plate is provided with an air outlet hole, and the protective gas in the air inlet channel flows through the air outlet channel, the air outlet hole and the air passage in sequence and then flows to the avoidance groove.

12. A current collecting plate welding device, wherein: include: Mounting seat; The collector plate welding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the collector plate welding jig is mounted on the mounting seat; A laser welding machine is movably arranged on one side of the collector plate welding jig, and the laser emitted by the laser welding machine can irradiate the to-be-welded area of ​​the collector plate through the avoidance groove, so as to weld the collector plate to the battery cell; The air source is communicated with the air inlet passage of the collecting plate welding fixture.

13. A current collecting plate welding method, wherein: A current collecting plate welding device is used to weld a current collecting plate to a battery cell, the current collecting plate welding device comprises a current collecting plate welding fixture, a laser welding machine and a gas source for providing a shielding gas, the current collecting plate welding fixture comprises an air inlet channel and a clamping member provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the current collecting plate, the clamping member is provided with an air passage and a plurality of avoidance grooves, each of the avoidance grooves is distributed on the peripheral side of the air passage to expose the area to be welded on the current collecting plate, each of the avoidance grooves is connected to the air passage, one end of the air inlet channel is connected to the gas source, and the other end is connected to the air passage, so that the shielding gas in the air inlet channel can flow to the avoidance groove through the air passage; The collector plate welding method comprises: Determining that the battery cell and the current collecting plate are in a welding position in the current collecting plate welding fixture; The gas source is started, and the shielding gas flows from the gas inlet channel into the gas passage, and is blown from the gas passage toward the area to be welded on the peripheral side; The laser welding machine is started, and the laser emitted by the laser welding machine irradiates the area to be welded of the current collecting plate, so as to weld the current collecting plate to the battery cell.

Images