Tab bending mechanism and battery assembling system

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a tab bending mechanism and a battery assembling system. The tab bending mechanism comprises a first driving component, a support rack and a tab press plate. The first driving component is used for providing a driving force for reciprocating movement in a first direction; the support rack is installed on the first driving component, so as to be driven by the first driving component; the tab press plate is mounted on the support rack, so as to be driven by the support rack to move reciprocatively relative to a tab portion of a battery cell. The first driving component is configured to drive the support rack to drive the tab press plate to move in the first direction, so as to enable the tab press plate to move into contact with the tab potion and press the tab portion onto a post of the battery cell. Such a way can bend tab portions of battery cells.

Description

Tab bending mechanism and battery assembly system

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2023232839109, filed on November 30, 2023, entitled “A Tab Bending Mechanism and Battery Assembly System,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of battery processing, and in particular to a tab bending mechanism and a battery assembly system. [Background Technology]

[0003] With the advancement of battery technology, battery cells are being used in a growing number of fields and are gradually replacing traditional fossil fuels in the automotive powertrain sector. Battery cells store chemical energy and controllably convert it into electrical energy. In recyclable battery cells, after discharge, the active materials can be activated by recharging for continued use.

[0004] Battery cells often have different models and structures, so different battery cells often require corresponding production equipment to produce them. Currently, the tabs of most battery cells do not require bending, so there is currently no relatively mature dedicated equipment that can bend the tabs of battery cells.

[0005] In addition, the above statements are only used to provide background technical information related to the present application and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0006] [Summary of the invention]

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a tab bending mechanism and a battery assembly system, which can bend the tabs of a battery cell.

[0008] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a tab bending mechanism, which includes: a first drive assembly, a support frame and a tab pressure plate; the first drive assembly is used to provide a driving force for reciprocating movement along a first direction; the support frame is installed on the first drive assembly to be driven by the first drive assembly; the tab pressure plate is installed on the support frame to be driven by the support frame to move back and forth relative to the tab portion of the battery cell; wherein the first drive assembly is configured to drive the support frame to drive the tab pressure plate to move along the first direction, so that the tab pressure plate can move to contact the tab portion and press the tab portion onto the pole of the battery cell.

[0009] In this way, the tab pressing plate can bend the tab portion when it approaches the battery cell. In addition, the tab pressing plate can bend the tab portion of a batch of battery cells by reciprocating motion.

[0010] In some embodiments, the support frame includes a support body, a first support member and a second support member, the support body is mounted on the first drive assembly, the first support member is mounted on the support body, the second support member is mounted on the first support member, and the tab pressure plate is mounted on the second support member.

[0011] In this manner, the first drive assembly can drive the tab pressure plate to move relative to the tab portion of the battery cell via the support frame to bend the tab portion of the battery cell. The support frame is configured to include a support body, a first support member, and a second support member, which facilitates structural design and assembly of the support frame.

[0012] In some embodiments, the tab bending mechanism also includes a dust removal assembly, which is mounted on a second support member and includes an exhaust channel; when the tab pressure plate moves to press the tab portion onto the pole of the battery cell, the dust removal assembly is driven by the second support member and enables the exhaust channel to be connected to the gas in the area where the tab portion is located.

[0013] By adopting the above-mentioned method, the possibility of welding slag, smoke and dust entering the battery cell during the bending process of the electrode ear can be reduced.

[0014] In some embodiments, the support frame also includes a second drive assembly, which is connected between the first support member and the second support member, and is used to drive the second support member to drive the pole tab pressure plate to move back and forth relative to the pole tab portion of the battery cell along a second direction; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; the second drive assembly is configured to drive the second support member to drive the pole tab pressure plate to move to contact the pole tab portion and pre-bend the pole tab portion.

[0015] In the above manner, pre-bending can reduce the possibility of wrinkles being generated on the tab during the bending process.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first drive component is configured to, after the second drive component drives the pole tab pressure plate to pre-bend the pole tab portion, drive the support frame to drive the pole tab pressure plate to press the pole tab portion onto the pole post of the battery cell; or the first drive component is configured to, while the second drive component drives the pole tab pressure plate to pre-bend the pole tab portion, drive the support frame to drive the pole tab pressure plate to press the pole tab portion onto the pole post of the battery cell.

[0017] In the above manner, the first drive assembly moves after the second drive assembly pre-bends the pole ear, which is beneficial to reducing the possibility of wrinkles on the pole ear during the bending process; when the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly move at the same time, it is beneficial to improve the bending efficiency of the pole ear, and is more beneficial to reducing the possibility of wrinkles on the pole ear during the bending process.

[0018] In some embodiments, a limiting member is provided on the first support member, and the limiting member is used to limit the second support member when it moves away from the pole ear portion in the second direction.

[0019] By adopting the above-mentioned method, the possibility of the second supporting member exceeding the preset range during the movement can be reduced.

[0020] In some embodiments, the dust removal assembly defines a light-transmitting structure along a first direction, and the light-transmitting structure is disposed toward the pole ear portion.

[0021] In the above manner, the laser can weld the bent pole ear portion through the light-transmitting structure, thereby enabling the pole ear portion to reliably maintain the bent state.

[0022] In some embodiments, the tab bending mechanism further includes a cell fixing assembly, which is used to support and fix the cell and to position the tab portion of the cell toward the tab pressure plate.

[0023] Through the above-mentioned method, the battery cell can be reliably fixed during the bending process, thereby improving the efficiency of the bending of the pole ear portion.

[0024] In some embodiments, the tab bending mechanism further includes a blowing assembly, which is mounted on a support frame; the blowing assembly has a blowing port; the blowing port faces the side of the tab and is used to pre-bend the tab by blowing air to the side.

[0025] Through the above-mentioned method, the structure of the tab bending mechanism can be simplified, making the tab bending mechanism simpler and more reliable.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first direction is a horizontal direction, and the tab pressing plate is used to bend the tab portion vertically downward to press it onto a vertical surface of the pole.

[0027] By adopting the above method, the pole ear portion can be bent in a flat state, thereby reducing the possibility of impurities such as welding slag, smoke, and dust entering the battery cell under the action of gravity.

[0028] In some embodiments, the tab pressing plate defines a hollow area; when the tab pressing plate presses the tab portion onto the pole of the battery cell, the hollow area exposes the area of ​​the tab portion to be welded.

[0029] In the above manner, when the pole lug portion is bent, the pole lug welding mechanism can weld the to-be-welded area of ​​the pole lug portion by laser welding, thereby enabling the pole lug portion to reliably maintain a bent state.

[0030] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a battery assembly system, comprising the tab bending mechanism of any of the above embodiments.

[0031] In some embodiments, the battery cell includes a shell, an end cover and an electrode assembly; the shell has an open end, a pole is provided on the wall of the shell opposite to the open end, the pole has a through hole, the shell and the end cover are connected to form a receiving cavity connected to the through hole; the active material coating portion of the electrode assembly is provided in the shell, and the pole ear portion of the electrode assembly is connected to the side of the pole away from the receiving cavity through the through hole; the battery assembly system includes a conveying device and an assembly device, the conveying device is used to convey the structure to be assembled to each station of the assembly device; the station of the assembly device includes at least a pole ear welding device, an input Shell device, ear-piercing device, pole welding device and end cover welding device; wherein, the ear welding device is used to weld multiple ear sheets of the electrode assembly to form the ear part; the shell insertion device is used to load the electrode assembly into the shell from the open end; the ear-piercing device is used to clamp the ear part through the through hole when the electrode assembly is loaded into the shell; the pole welding device includes an ear bending mechanism and a welding mechanism, the welding mechanism is used to weld the ear part that passes through the through hole and is pressed on the pole to the side of the pole away from the accommodating cavity, and the end cover welding device is used to weld the end cover to the open end of the shell.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. The accompanying drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0033] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of a battery cell according to one or more embodiments;

[0034] FIG2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tab portion of the battery cell in FIG1 ;

[0035] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a tab bending mechanism according to one or more embodiments;

[0036] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the tab bending mechanism in FIG3 from another perspective;

[0037] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of bending of a pole ear portion according to one or more embodiments;

[0038] 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tab pressure plate along a horizontal plane according to one or more embodiments;

[0039] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of another tab bending mechanism according to one or more embodiments;

[0040] FIG8 is a structural schematic diagram of the tab bending mechanism in FIG7 from another perspective.

[0041] The accompanying drawings in the specific implementation manner are as follows:

[0042] 100 battery cell; 101 pole ear; 102 end cover; 1020 pole;

[0043] 500 Tab bending mechanism; 510 First drive assembly; 520 Support frame; 521 Support body; 522 First support member; 523 Second support member; 524 Second drive assembly; 525 Limiting member; 530 Tab pressure plate; 531 Gas channel; 532 Hollow area; 540 Dust removal assembly; 541 Exhaust channel; 542 Light-transmitting structure; 543 Dust removal cover; 550 Cell fixing assembly; 560 Blowing assembly. [Specific implementation method]

[0044] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application and are therefore only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0045] 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 application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "first," "second," etc. are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly indicate the quantity, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0047] 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 application. 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.

[0048] In the description of the embodiments of this application, 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 the following 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.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0050] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships 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 application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, technical terms such as "installed," "connected," "connected," 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 internal connections between two components or interactions between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application based on specific circumstances.

[0052] With the advancement of battery technology, battery cells (also known as batteries or cells) are being used in a growing number of fields and are gradually replacing traditional fossil fuels in the automotive powertrain sector. Battery cells store chemical energy and controllably convert it into electrical energy. In recyclable battery cells, after discharge, the active material can be activated by recharging for continued use.

[0053] 1 and 2 , according to one or more embodiments of the present application, the battery cell 100 may include a shell 101, an end cover 102, and an electrode assembly 103. The shell 101 has an open end 101a. A pole 104 is provided on the wall of the shell 101 opposite to the open end 101a. The pole 104 has a through hole 1040. The shell 101 and the end cover 102 are connected to form a receiving cavity connected to the through hole 104. The active material coating portion of the electrode assembly 103 is provided in the shell 101. The pole ear portion 1030 of the electrode assembly 103 is connected to the side of the pole 104 facing away from the receiving cavity through the through hole 1040.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present application, the battery cells may be secondary batteries. A secondary battery refers to a battery cell that can be recharged after discharge to activate the active material and continue to be used. Each battery cell may also be a primary battery. Battery cells include, but are not limited to, lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries, sodium metal batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, and lead-acid batteries.

[0055] As mentioned above, in this battery cell structure, the tab of the battery cell needs to penetrate the pole during connection to the pole and be welded to the outer surface of the pole after being bent. However, there is currently no relatively mature equipment on the market that can bend battery cells.

[0056] Therefore, in order to conveniently generate the above-mentioned battery cells, the present application provides a pole tab bending mechanism that can bend the pole tab portion, which may include a first drive component, a support frame and a pole tab pressure plate; the first drive component is used to provide a driving force for reciprocating movement along a first direction; the support frame is installed on the first drive component to be driven by the first drive component; the pole tab pressure plate is installed on the support frame to be driven by the support frame to move back and forth relative to the pole tab portion of the battery cell; wherein the first drive component is configured to drive the support frame to drive the pole tab pressure plate to move along the first direction, so that the pole tab pressure plate can move to contact the pole tab portion and press the pole tab portion onto the pole column of the battery cell.

[0057] In this way, the tab pressing plate can bend the tab portion when it is close to the battery cell. In addition, the tab can be bent on a batch of battery cells by reciprocating motion.

[0058] The tab bending mechanism disclosed in the embodiment of the present application may be part of a battery assembly system. The battery assembly system may assemble finished battery cells based on various components and / or semi-finished batteries. The finished battery cells after assembly may be used in electrical devices that use the battery cells as a power source or in various energy storage systems that use the battery cells as energy storage elements. Electrical devices may be, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, electric toys, electric tools, battery cars, electric cars, ships, spacecraft, and the like. Among them, electric toys may include fixed or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys, and electric airplane toys, and the like, and spacecraft may include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft, and the like. The tab bending mechanism disclosed in the embodiment of the present application may press the tab portion passing through the through hole onto the surface on the side of the pole away from the accommodating cavity. The battery assembly system disclosed in the embodiment of the present application may be used to assemble the above-mentioned battery cells.

[0059] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the tab bending mechanism 500 may include: a first driving assembly 510, a support frame 520 and a tab pressure plate 530; the first driving assembly 510 is used to provide a driving force for reciprocating movement along a first direction; the support frame 520 is installed on the first driving assembly 510 to be driven by the first driving assembly 510; the tab pressure plate 530 is installed on the support frame 520 to be driven by the support frame 520 to move back and forth relative to the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100; wherein the first driving assembly 510 is configured to drive the support frame 520 to drive the tab pressure plate 530 to move along the first direction to contact the tab portion 101, and press the tab portion 101 onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100.

[0060] The bending of the tab portion 101 may refer to the tab portion 101 being pressed against the surface of the pole post 1020. The first drive assembly 510 may include a drive motor. The first direction may be a horizontal direction. The first drive assembly 510 drives the tab pressure plate 530 via the support frame 520 to press the tab portion 101 against the pole post 1020 of the battery cell 100.

[0061] In this way, the tab pressing plate 530 can bend the tab portion 101 when approaching the battery cell 100. In addition, the tab pressing plate 530 can bend the tab portion 101 of a batch of battery cells 100 by reciprocating motion.

[0062] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the support frame 520 may include a support body 521, a first support member 522, and a second support member 523. The support body 521 is mounted on the first drive assembly 510, the first support member 522 is mounted on the support body 521, the second support member 523 is mounted on the first support member 522, and the tab pressure plate 530 is mounted on the second support member 523.

[0063] In the above manner, the first driving assembly 510 can drive the tab pressing plate 530 to move relative to the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100 via the support frame 520 to bend the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100. Furthermore, by configuring the support frame 520 to include a support body 521, a first support member 522, and a second support member 523, the structural design and assembly of the support frame 520 can be facilitated.

[0064] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the tab bending mechanism 500 also includes a dust removal assembly 540, which is mounted on the second support member 523 and includes an exhaust channel 541; when the tab pressure plate 530 moves to press the tab portion 101 onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100, the dust removal assembly 540 is driven by the second support member 523 and enables the exhaust channel 541 to be connected to the gas in the area where the tab portion 101 is located.

[0065] The dust removal assembly 540 may include a suction device and a connecting pipe. The suction device may be in gaseous communication with the exhaust channel 541 via the connecting pipe. Referring to FIG6 , a gas channel 531 may be defined within the tab pressure plate 530 . One end of the gas channel 531 is connected to the exhaust channel 541 , and the other end extends through the surface of the tab pressure plate 530 facing the tab portion 101 , allowing the exhaust channel 541 to be in gaseous communication with the area where the tab portion 101 is located.

[0066] By adopting the above-mentioned method, the possibility of welding slag, smoke and dust entering into the battery cell 100 during the bending process of the tab 101 can be reduced.

[0067] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the support frame 520 also includes a second drive assembly 524, which is connected between the first support member 522 and the second support member 523, and is used to drive the second support member 523 to drive the tab pressure plate 530 to move back and forth relative to the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100 along the second direction; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; the second drive assembly 524 is configured to drive the second support member 523 to drive the tab pressure plate 530 to move to contact the tab portion 101 and pre-bend the tab portion 101.

[0068] Among them, pre-bending can refer to a state in which the pole ear 101 is not pressed and adhered to the surface of the pole post 1020 before being bent, and a preset angle is formed between the pole ear portion 101 and the surface of the pole post 1020. The preset angle can range from 15 degrees to 75 degrees. The second support member 523 can be slidably arranged on the guide rail of the first support member 522, and the extension direction of the guide rail can be parallel to the second direction. The second direction can be a vertical direction. The second drive assembly 524 can be a drive motor and is arranged on the first support member 522 to drive the second support member 523 to move along the guide rail (second direction) relative to the first support member 522.

[0069] When the pole lug 101 is not pre-bent, for example, the pole lug 101 and the surface of the pole post 1020 are substantially perpendicular, directly bending the pole lug 101 in this case can easily cause wrinkles in the pole lug 101. In this way, pre-bending can reduce the possibility of wrinkles in the pole lug 101 during the bending process.

[0070] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the first drive component 510 is configured to, after the second drive component 524 drives the pole tab pressure plate 530 to pre-bend the pole tab portion 101, drive the support frame 520 to drive the pole tab pressure plate 530 to press the pole tab portion 101 onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100; or the first drive component 510 is configured to, while the second drive component 524 drives the pole tab pressure plate 530 to pre-bend the pole tab portion 101, drive the support frame 520 to drive the pole tab pressure plate 530 to press the pole tab portion 101 onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100.

[0071] That is, the first driving component 510 may work after the second driving component 524 , or may work simultaneously with the second driving component 524 .

[0072] In the above manner, the first drive assembly 510 moves after the second drive assembly 524 pre-bends the pole lug 101, which helps reduce the possibility of wrinkles on the pole lug 101 during the bending process. When the first drive assembly 510 and the second drive assembly 524 move simultaneously, the efficiency of bending the pole lug 101 is improved; moreover, the possibility of wrinkles on the pole lug during the bending process is further reduced. This is because the simultaneous movement of the first drive assembly 510 and the second drive assembly 524 will generate a force that is always away from the base of the pole lug to be bent, thereby preventing the pole lug from moving in the opposite direction during the bending process, thereby achieving a better bending effect on the pole lug.

[0073] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, a limiting member 525 is provided on the first support member 522 , and the limiting member 525 is used to limit the second support member 523 when it moves away from the tab 101 in the second direction.

[0074] The limiting member 525 may be disposed on the first supporting member 522 and located above the second supporting member 523 .

[0075] By adopting the above-mentioned method, the possibility of the second supporting member 523 exceeding the preset range during the movement can be reduced.

[0076] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the dust removal assembly 540 defines a light-transmitting structure 542 along a first direction, and the light-transmitting structure 542 is disposed toward the pole lug portion 101 .

[0077] The dust removal assembly 540 may include a dust cover 543, which may be provided with a light-transmitting structure 542. The light-transmitting structure 542 may be a hollow structure or a light-permeable structure provided in the dust cover 543. The light-transmitting structure 542 may be connected to the exhaust passage 541. Laser welding may be performed on the bent tab portion 101 through the light-transmitting structure 542.

[0078] In the above manner, the laser can weld the bent pole ear portion 101 through the light-transmitting structure 542 , thereby enabling the pole ear portion 101 to reliably maintain the bent state.

[0079] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the tab bending mechanism 500 further includes a cell fixing assembly 550, which is used to support and fix the battery cell 100 and position the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100 toward the tab pressure plate 530. The cell fixing assembly 550 may include a clamping jaw and a driving mechanism, and the clamping jaw may be driven by the driving mechanism to clamp or release the battery cell 100.

[0080] Through the above-mentioned method, the battery cell can be reliably fixed during the bending process, thereby improving the bending efficiency of the electrode ear portion 101.

[0081] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, referring to Figures 7 and 8, the pole ear bending mechanism 500 further includes a blowing assembly 560, which is mounted on the support frame 520; the blowing assembly 560 has a blowing port; the blowing port faces the side of the pole ear portion 101, and is used to pre-bend the pole ear portion 101 by blowing air to the side.

[0082] In other words, the tab portion 101 can be pre-bent by airflow instead of mechanical action, thereby achieving contactless pre-bending. This method eliminates contact force on the surface of the tab portion 101, preventing damage to the tab portion 101 during the bending process. The direction of the airflow from the air outlet can be approximately perpendicular to the first direction. Furthermore, the direction of the airflow can be from top to bottom.

[0083] Through the above-mentioned method, the structure of the tab bending mechanism 500 can be simplified, making the tab bending mechanism 500 simpler and more reliable.

[0084] Of course, in other embodiments, the support frame 520 as a whole can serve as a fixed structure, so that the first drive assembly 510 can drive the support frame 520 to drive the tab pressure plate 530 close to the battery cell 100, thereby bending the tab portion 101, that is, bending the tab portion 101 and pressing it onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100. Among them, the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100 used in this embodiment can be pre-bent manually or mechanically in advance, so that the tab portion 101 and the surface of the pole 1020 are at a preset angle. The preset angle can range from 15 degrees to 75 degrees, for example, 15 degrees, 20 degrees, 35 degrees, 40 degrees, 45 degrees, 65 degrees, 75 degrees, etc. In this case, the tab bending mechanism 500 may not include either the second drive assembly 524 or the blowing assembly 560.

[0085] In the above manner, the pre-bent tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100 can be completely bent by the tab bending mechanism 500 of the embodiment of the present application, so that the tab portion 101 is pressed against the pole post 1020 .

[0086] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the first direction is a horizontal direction, and the tab pressing plate 530 is used to bend the tab portion 101 vertically downward to press it onto the vertical surface of the pole 1020 .

[0087] That is to say, the battery cell 100 can be bent in a lying state (the pole 1020 is oriented in a horizontal direction) to perform the bending of the pole ear 101. Compared with the bending of the pole ear 101 in a standing state (the pole 1020 is oriented in a vertical direction) to perform the bending of the pole ear 101, during the welding process of the pole ear 101, welding slag and dust are not easy to enter the interior of the battery cell 100 under the action of gravity.

[0088] By adopting the above method, the pole ear portion 101 can be bent in a flat state, thereby reducing the possibility of impurities such as welding slag, smoke, and dust entering the battery cell 100 under the action of gravity.

[0089] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the tab pressing plate 530 defines a hollow area 532 ; when the tab pressing plate 530 presses the tab portion 101 onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100 , the hollow area 532 exposes the area of ​​the tab portion 101 to be welded.

[0090] One end of the hollow region 532 can be connected to the light-transmitting structure 542, and the other end can penetrate the surface of the tab pressure plate 530 facing the tab portion 101. Laser welding can be performed on the bent tab portion 101 through the light-transmitting structure 542 and the hollow region 532. Furthermore, the hollow region 532 can communicate with the gas channel 531, and the direction of the gas channel 531 can be inclined relative to the first and second directions.

[0091] In the above manner, when the pole lug welding mechanism bends the pole lug portion 101 , the to-be-welded area of ​​the pole lug portion 101 can be welded by laser welding, thereby enabling the pole lug portion 101 to reliably maintain a bent state.

[0092] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, a battery assembly system may include the tab bending mechanism 500 of any of the above embodiments.

[0093] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, a battery assembly system includes a conveying device and an assembly device. The conveying device is used to convey the structure to be assembled to each workstation of the assembly device; the workstation of the assembly device includes at least a tab welding device, a shell insertion device, a tab piercing device, a pole welding device, and an end cap welding device. Among them, the tab welding device is used to weld multiple tabs of the electrode assembly to form a tab portion; the shell insertion device is used to load the electrode assembly into the housing from the open end; the tab piercing device is used to clamp the tab portion through the through hole when the electrode assembly is loaded into the housing; the pole welding device includes a tab bending mechanism and a welding mechanism. The welding mechanism is used to weld the tab portion that passes through the through hole and is pressed against the pole to the side of the pole facing away from the accommodating cavity; the end cap welding device is used to weld the end cap to the open end of the housing.

[0094] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the conveying equipment includes a conveyor line, which can be a conveying structure formed by a motor-driven conveyor roller and a conveyor belt, or a conveying structure formed by a motor-driven conveyor chain link, or an AGV conveyor cart, which can realize conveying in at least one direction and can support and ensure the stability of the structure to be assembled.

[0095] The purpose of the tab welding device is to form the tab portion after pre-welding the tab sheet, and it can be an ultrasonic welding device, which can ensure that the tab portion is welded in a clamped and stable state. The shell entry device is a pushing mechanism or a clamping mechanism, which can stably move the electrode assembly toward the open end of the shell and enter the accommodating cavity through the open end. Similarly, the tab piercing device can adopt a clamping structure or a guiding structure, which can guide the tab portion to pass through the through hole smoothly without interfering with the shell. The pole welding device is intended to achieve welding of the tab portion and the pole, and it can be a laser welding device. The end cover welding device is intended to achieve welding of the circumferential edges of the end cover and the open end of the shell, and it is also a laser welding device.

[0096] In addition, according to one or more embodiments of the present application, the pole welding device may further include a loading mechanism, a tab flipping mechanism, a tab conveying mechanism, and a unloading mechanism. The loading mechanism may include a conveyor belt for providing battery cells. The tab flipping mechanism may include a rotatable robotic arm for flipping the battery cells in an upright state conveyed by the conveyor belt so that the battery cells enter the tab conveying mechanism in a lying state. The tab conveying mechanism may include a drive motor and a slide rail and / or a conveyor belt, etc. The battery cell fixing assembly may be set on the slide rail or conveyor belt to move under the action of the drive motor and then convey the battery cells to the tab bending station. When the battery cell moves to the tab bending station along with the battery cell fixing assembly, the tab of the battery cell can be bent by the tab bending mechanism and welded by the welding mechanism. The unloading mechanism may include two conveyor belts, one of which is used to convey unqualified battery cells and the other can be used to convey qualified battery cells.

[0097] In addition, the assembly equipment is not limited to including a tab welding device, a shell insertion device, a tab insertion device, a pole welding device and an end cap welding device. For example, when the number of electrode assemblies is multiple, for example, two, the assembly equipment also includes a matching device, which is used to stack and arrange multiple electrode assemblies so that the tabs of the two electrode assemblies are roughly opposite, so that the conveying structure can convey the matched electrode assemblies to the tab welding device for welding the tabs to facilitate the formation of the tab portion. For example, in order to ensure the reliability of the battery assembly process, dust removal, NG detection stations, etc. can also be added between any two adjacent stations, which is not limited in this embodiment. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the conveying equipment includes a conveyor line, which can be a conveying structure formed by a motor-driven conveyor roller and a conveyor belt, or a conveying structure formed by a motor-driven conveyor chain link articulated, or an AGV conveying trolley, which can realize conveying in at least one direction and can support and ensure the stability of the structure to be assembled.

[0098] In addition, the assembly equipment is not limited to including a tab welding device, a shell insertion device, a tab insertion device, a pole welding device, and an end cap welding device. For example, when the number of electrode assemblies is multiple, for example, two, the assembly equipment also includes a pairing device, which is used to stack the multiple electrode assemblies so that the tabs of the two electrode assemblies are roughly opposite each other, so that the conveying structure can convey the matched electrode assemblies to the tab welding device for welding the tabs to facilitate the formation of the tab portion. For example, in order to ensure the reliability of the battery assembly process, dust removal, NG detection stations, etc. can also be added between any two adjacent stations, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0099] In summary, according to some embodiments of the present application, a battery assembly system may include a tab bending mechanism 500. The tab bending mechanism 500 may include: a first drive assembly 510, a support frame 520, a tab pressure plate 530, a dust removal assembly 540, and a battery cell fixing assembly 550. The first drive assembly 510 is used to provide a driving force for reciprocating movement along a first direction; the support frame 520 is mounted on the first drive assembly 510 to be driven by the first drive assembly 510; the tab pressure plate 530 is mounted on the support frame 520 to be driven by the support frame 520 to move back and forth relative to the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100; wherein the first drive assembly 510 is configured to drive the support frame 520 to drive the tab pressure plate 530 to move to contact the tab portion 101, and bend the tab portion 101 and press it onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100. The support frame 520 includes a support body 521, a first support member 522, a second support member 523, and a second drive assembly 524. The support body 521 is mounted on the first drive assembly 510, the first support member 522 is mounted on the support body 521, the second support member 523 is mounted on the first support member 522, and the tab pressure plate 530 is mounted on the second support member 523. The second drive assembly 524 is connected between the first support member 522 and the second support member 523 and is configured to drive the second support member 523 to cause the tab pressure plate 530 to move back and forth relative to the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100 in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second drive assembly 524 is configured to drive the second support member 523 to cause the tab pressure plate 530 to move until it contacts the tab portion 101 and pre-bends the tab portion 101. The first driving assembly 510 is configured such that, after the second driving assembly 524 drives the tab pressing plate 530 to pre-bend the tab 101, the first driving assembly 510 drives the tab pressing plate 530 to press the tab portion 101 onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100; or the first driving assembly 510 is configured such that, while the second driving assembly 524 drives the tab pressing plate 530 to pre-bend the tab portion 101, the first supporting member 522 is provided with a limiting member 525 for limiting the position of the second supporting member 523 when it moves away from the tab portion 101 in the second direction. The dust removal assembly 540 is mounted on the second support member 523 and includes an exhaust passage 541. When the tab pressure plate 530 moves to press the tab portion 101 against the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100, the dust removal assembly 540 is driven by the second support member 523, and the exhaust passage 541 is in air communication with the area where the tab portion 101 is located. The dust removal assembly 540 defines a light-transmitting structure 542 along a first direction, which is disposed toward the tab portion 101. The battery cell securing assembly 550 is used to support and secure the battery cell 100, and to position the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100 toward the tab pressure plate 530.The first direction is horizontal, and the tab pressing plate 530 is used to bend the tab portion 101 vertically downward and press it onto the vertical surface of the electrode post 1020. The tab pressing plate 530 defines a hollow area 532; when the tab pressing plate 530 presses the tab portion 101 onto the electrode post 1020 of the battery cell 100, the hollow area 532 exposes the area of ​​the tab portion 101 to be welded.

[0100] According to other embodiments of the present application, the battery assembly system may include a tab bending mechanism 500. The tab bending mechanism 500 may include: a first driving assembly 510, a support frame 520, a tab pressing plate 530, a blowing assembly 560, and a battery cell fixing assembly 550; the first driving assembly 510 is used to provide a driving force for reciprocating movement along a first direction; the support frame 520 is mounted on the first driving assembly 510 to be driven by the first driving assembly 510; the tab pressing plate 530 is mounted on the support frame 520 to be driven by the support frame 520 to move back and forth relative to the tab portion 101 of the battery cell 100; wherein the first driving assembly 510 is configured to drive the support frame 520 to drive the tab pressing plate 530 to move to contact the tab portion 101, and bend the tab portion 101 and press it onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100. The blowing assembly 560 is mounted on the support frame 520; the blowing assembly 560 has a blowing port; the blowing port faces the side of the pole ear portion 101 and is used to pre-bend the pole ear portion 101 by blowing air to the side. The dust removal assembly 540 is mounted on the support frame 520 and includes an exhaust channel 541. The dust removal assembly 540 defines a light-transmitting structure 542 along a first direction, and the light-transmitting structure 542 is arranged toward the pole ear portion 101. The battery cell fixing assembly 550 is used to support and fix the battery cell 100, and to arrange the pole ear 101 of the battery cell 100 toward the pole ear pressure plate 530. The first direction is a horizontal direction, and the pole ear pressure plate 530 is used to bend the pole ear portion 101 vertically downward and press it onto the vertical surface of the pole 1020. The tab pressing plate 530 defines a hollow area 532 . When the tab pressing plate 530 presses the tab portion 101 onto the pole 1020 of the battery cell 100 , the hollow area 532 exposes the area of ​​the tab portion 101 to be welded.

[0101] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A tab bending mechanism, characterized in that: include: A first driving assembly, used to provide a driving force for reciprocating motion in a first direction; a support frame mounted on the first driving assembly to be driven by the first driving assembly; A tab pressing plate is mounted on the support frame so as to be driven by the support frame to move back and forth relative to the tab portion of the battery cell; Wherein, the first driving assembly is configured to drive the support frame to drive the pole tab pressure plate to move along a first direction, so that the pole tab pressure plate can move to contact the pole tab portion and press the pole tab portion onto the pole of the battery cell.

2. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support frame includes a support body, a first support member and a second support member. The support body is installed on the first drive assembly, the first support member is installed on the support body, the second support member is installed on the first support member, and the tab pressure plate is installed on the second support member.

3. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pole ear bending mechanism also includes a dust removal assembly, which is mounted on the second support member and includes an exhaust channel; when the pole ear pressure plate moves to press the pole ear portion onto the pole column of the battery cell, the dust removal assembly is driven by the second support member and enables the exhaust channel to be gas-connected with the area where the pole ear portion is located.

4. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support frame further includes a second driving assembly, which is connected between the first supporting member and the second supporting member and is used to drive the second supporting member to drive the tab pressing plate to reciprocate relative to the tab portion of the battery cell along a second direction; the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; The second driving assembly is configured to drive the second supporting member to drive the pole lug pressure plate to move to contact the pole lug portion and pre-bend the pole lug portion.

5. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first driving assembly is configured to drive the support frame to drive the pole tab pressing plate to press the pole tab portion onto the pole column of the battery cell after the second driving assembly drives the pole tab pressing plate to pre-bend the pole tab portion; or The first driving assembly is configured to drive the support frame to drive the pole tab pressing plate to press the pole tab portion onto the pole of the battery cell while the second driving assembly drives the pole tab pressing plate to pre-bend the pole tab portion.

6. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first support member is provided with a limiting member, and the limiting member is used to limit the second support member when it moves away from the pole ear portion in the second direction.

7. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The dust removal assembly defines a light-transmitting structure along the first direction, and the light-transmitting structure is arranged toward the pole ear portion.

8. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tab bending mechanism further comprises a cell fixing assembly, and the cell fixing assembly is used to support and fix the cell and to arrange the tab portion of the cell toward the tab pressing plate.

9. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tab bending mechanism further comprises a blowing assembly, which is mounted on the support frame; the blowing assembly has a blowing port; The air blowing port faces the side surface of the pole lug portion and is used to pre-bend the pole lug portion by blowing air toward the side surface.

10. The tab bending mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first direction is a horizontal direction, and the pole ear pressing plate is used to bend the pole ear portion vertically downward to press onto the vertical surface of the pole.

11. The tab bending mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The tab pressing plate defines a hollow area; when the tab pressing plate presses the tab portion onto the pole of the battery cell, the hollow area exposes the area of ​​the tab portion to be welded.

12. A battery assembly system, characterized in that: It comprises a tab bending mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The battery assembly system according to claim 12, characterized in that , The battery cell comprises a shell, an end cover and an electrode assembly; the shell has an open end, a pole is arranged on a wall of the shell opposite to the open end, the pole has a through hole, the shell and the end cover are connected to form a receiving cavity communicated with the through hole; the active material coating part of the electrode assembly is arranged in the shell, and the pole ear part of the electrode assembly passes through the through hole and is connected to a side of the pole away from the receiving cavity; The battery assembly system includes a conveying device and an assembly device, wherein the conveying device is used to convey the structure to be assembled to each station of the assembly device; the stations of the assembly device at least include a tab welding device, a shell insertion device, a tab insertion device, a pole welding device and an end cover welding device; Wherein, the pole ear welding device is used to weld multiple pole ear sheets of the electrode assembly to form a pole ear portion; the shell insertion device is used to load the electrode assembly into the shell from the open end; the pole ear penetration device is used to clamp the pole ear portion through the through hole when the electrode assembly is loaded into the shell; the pole column welding device includes a pole ear bending mechanism and a welding mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, the welding mechanism is used to weld the pole ear portion passing through the through hole and pressed on the pole to the side of the pole away from the accommodating cavity, and the end cover welding device is used to weld the end cover to the open end of the shell 。

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