Tab fixing apparatus and tab fixing method

Abstract

The present application provides a tab fixing apparatus and a tab fixing method. The tab fixing apparatus comprises: a workstation, which is used for bearing a prefabricated battery cell part; a tab-bending contact, which is used for pressing a tab of the prefabricated battery cell part; and a first moving assembly and a second moving assembly, which are connected to the tab-bending contact and are used for moving the tab-bending contact. Directions of movement of the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly intersect. A controller is separately electrically connected to the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly. In a first control mode, the controller is used for synchronously controlling the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly of the tab-bending contact to move together, and synchronously positioning the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly to preset positions by means of circular interpolation; and, in a second control mode, the controller is used for controlling the second moving assembly and the first moving assembly to move separately. As such, the tab fixing apparatus can accurately control the tab-bending contact, thus improving the efficiency and reliability of production.

Description

Tab fixing device and tab fixing method

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority based on Chinese patent application No. 2024102669396 filed on March 8, 2024, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of lithium battery manufacturing technology, and in particular to a tab fixing device and a tab fixing method. [Background Technology]

[0004] With the development of battery technology, batteries are being used in a growing number of fields and are gradually replacing traditional fossil fuels in the automotive power sector. Batteries store chemical energy and controllably convert it into electrical energy. In recyclable batteries, after discharge, the active materials can be reactivated by recharging for continued use.

[0005] Batteries often have different models and structures, so different batteries often require corresponding production equipment to produce. In the existing technology, the tab fixing method has problems such as low efficiency and low reliability.

[0006] [Summary of the invention]

[0007] The main technical problem to be solved by this application is that the existing tab fixing method has low efficiency and low reliability.

[0008] In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted in this application is to provide a tab fixing device, which includes:

[0009] Workstation, used to carry battery cell prefabricated parts;

[0010] Bending the tab contacts to press the tabs of the battery cell preform;

[0011] A first moving assembly and a second moving assembly are connected to the bent tab contact and are used to move the bent tab contact; the moving directions of the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly intersect;

[0012] a controller, electrically connected to the first moving component and the second moving component respectively;

[0013] In which, the controller includes a first control mode and a second control mode; in the first control mode, the controller is used to synchronously control the first movable component and the second movable component of the bent tab contact to move together, and uses circular interpolation to synchronously position the first movable component and the second movable component to a preset position; in the second control mode, the controller is used to control the second movable component and the first movable component to move separately.

[0014] Through the above method, the controller is used to synchronously control the movement of the first movable component and the second movable component of the bent tab contact. The controller uses arc interpolation to control the bending path of the tab. When the bent tab contact approaches the battery cell preform, it can bend the tab according to the bending path.

[0015] In one embodiment, in the first control mode, the controller may further be configured to:

[0016] The first moving component and the second moving component are synchronously positioned to a preset position by using a linear interpolation method.

[0017] In the above manner, the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly can drive the bent tab contact to move relative to the tab of the battery cell preform, so as to bend the tab of the battery cell preform.

[0018] In one embodiment, in the first control mode, the controller is further configured to:

[0019] Using circular interpolation to synchronously position the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly to a first preset position, so as to control the bent tab contact to move from the first bending position to the second bending position;

[0020] The first moving assembly and the second moving assembly are synchronously positioned from the first preset position to the second preset position by linear interpolation, so that the bent tab contact is controlled to move from the second bending position to the third bending position.

[0021] In the above manner, when the first movable assembly and the second movable assembly move synchronously, the efficiency of the tab bending is improved, and the possibility of wrinkles being generated on the tab during the bending process is reduced.

[0022] In one embodiment, the tab fixing device further includes a sensor; the sensor is electrically connected to the controller and is used to detect whether there is a battery cell preform at the work station; wherein, in the second control mode, the controller is further used to:

[0023] In response to detecting that a battery cell preform is present at the workstation, controlling the second moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from a safe position to a starting position, and then controlling the first moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position; the bent tab contact is spaced apart from the tab at the starting position, and during the process of moving from the starting position to the first bending position, the bent tab contact contacts the tab and causes the tab to begin bending;

[0024] In response to detecting that there is no battery cell preform at the work station, the bent tab contact is controlled to remain in the safety position.

[0025] In the above manner, multiple battery cell preforms are moved to the work station in sequence, and the bending tab contacts do not interfere with the tabs when in a safe position. The bending tab contacts come into contact with the tabs and cause the tabs to begin to bend during the process of moving from the starting position to the first bending position. Pre-bending can reduce the possibility of wrinkles on the tabs during the bending process.

[0026] In one embodiment, the first moving assembly is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly is a translation assembly; the lifting assembly includes a lifting servo motor, and the translation assembly includes a translation servo motor; in the second control mode, the controller is further configured to:

[0027] Controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact from the safety position to the starting position; the starting position is located above the free end of the tab;

[0028] The lifting assembly is controlled to lower the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position.

[0029] By using the above method, the servo motor can synchronously and precisely control the motion trajectory of the first movable assembly and the second movable assembly, so that the bending tab contact can accurately control the bending of the tab. The starting position is located above the free end of the tab to prevent the bending tab contact from hitting the tab during the translation from the safe position to the starting position.

[0030] In one embodiment, the tab fixing device further includes a distance meter; the distance meter is electrically connected to the controller and is used to collect parameters of the tab after bending; the controller further includes a detection circuit, and the detection circuit is used to:

[0031] Controlling the rangefinder to collect parameters of the tab after bending;

[0032] Whether the tab after bending is qualified is judged according to the parameters of the tab after bending.

[0033] In the above manner, the rangefinder collects the parameters of the tab, and the detection circuit determines whether the tab is bent properly based on the collected parameters.

[0034] In one embodiment, the tab fixing device further includes a third moving component for moving the rangefinder; the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device has a hollow portion, and the hollow portion is used to expose the to-be-welded area of ​​the bent tab and a portion of the surface of the bottom plate supporting the bent tab; the detection circuit is further used to:

[0035] controlling the third moving assembly to move the rangefinder to align with the hollow portion;

[0036] Controlling the rangefinder to collect data on the bending portion of the tab through the hollow portion;

[0037] The third moving component is controlled to reset the rangefinder.

[0038] In the above manner, the welding assembly can weld the bent tab through the hollow portion, thereby allowing the tab to reliably maintain the bent state.

[0039] In one embodiment, the parameters of the tab after bending include: the thickness of the tab, a first distance from the bottom plate supporting the tab after bending to the distance meter, and a second distance from the surface of the area to be welded of the tab after bending to the distance meter.

[0040] In the above method, the thickness of the tab is calculated based on the collected data, and the thickness of the tab is used to determine whether the tab bending is qualified.

[0041] In one embodiment, the tab fixing device further includes a welding assembly; the welding assembly is electrically connected to the controller and is used to weld the bent tab; the detection circuit is further used to:

[0042] In response to the tab being qualified after being bent, controlling the welding assembly to weld the tab after being bent;

[0043] In response to the tab being unqualified after being bent, the battery cell preform is controlled to enter an NG discharge port.

[0044] In the above manner, the welding assembly welds the bent tabs.

[0045] In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to:

[0046] After the welding assembly completes welding of the bent tab or in response to the tab being unqualified after being bent, the second moving assembly and the first moving assembly of the tab fixing device are controlled to move separately and / or together to reset the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device to a safe position.

[0047] In the above manner, the controller resets the bent tab contact to a safe position via the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly, and prepares to operate on the tab of the next battery cell preform.

[0048] In one embodiment, the first moving assembly is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly is a translation assembly; in the second control mode of the controller, the controller is further configured to:

[0049] Controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact to a transition position;

[0050] The lifting assembly is controlled to lift the bent tab contact from the transition position to the safety position.

[0051] In the above manner, the controller moves the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly respectively to reset the bent tab contact to a safe position, in preparation for operating the tab of the next battery cell preform.

[0052] In one embodiment, the tab fixing device further includes a first grating component and a second grating component; the first grating component is electrically connected to the controller for determining the positioning of the first movable component; the second grating component is electrically connected to the controller for determining the positioning of the second movable component.

[0053] Through the above method, the grating component is used to feedback the real-time position information of the servo axis with high precision, and the full closed-loop feedback ensures accurate positioning.

[0054] In order to solve the above technical problems, the second technical solution provided by this application is to provide a tab fixing method, which includes:

[0055] Enable axis synchronization function;

[0056] Controlling the bending tab contact to press from a first bending position to bend the tab;

[0057] Among them, the step of controlling the bending tab contact to press from the first bending position to bend the tab includes: synchronously controlling the first moving component and the second moving component of the bending tab contact to move together, and controlling the bending path of the tab by interpolation; the step of controlling the bending path of the tab by interpolation includes synchronously positioning the first moving component and the second moving component to a preset position by circular interpolation; the moving directions of the first moving component and the second moving component intersect.

[0058] The above method can be used to synchronously control the movement of the first movable component and the second movable component of the bent tab contact. The controller uses arc interpolation to control the bending path of the tab. When the bent tab contact approaches the battery cell preform, the tab can be bent according to the bending path.

[0059] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the bending path of the tab by interpolation further includes:

[0060] The first moving component and the second moving component are synchronously positioned to another preset position by using a linear interpolation method.

[0061] In the above manner, the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly can drive the bent tab contact to move relative to the tab of the battery cell preform, so as to bend the tab of the battery cell preform.

[0062] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the bending path of the tab by interpolation includes:

[0063] Synchronously positioning the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly to a first preset position by using circular interpolation, so that the controlled bending tab contact moves from the first bending position to the second bending position;

[0064] The first moving assembly and the second moving assembly are synchronously positioned from the first preset position to the second preset position by linear interpolation, so that the controlled bending tab contact moves from the second bending position to the third bending position.

[0065] In the above manner, when the first movable assembly and the second movable assembly move simultaneously, it is beneficial to improve the efficiency of the tab bending and is more beneficial to reduce the possibility of wrinkles being generated on the tab during the bending process.

[0066] In one embodiment, before the step of controlling the bent tab contact to start pressing from the first bending position to bend the tab, the step further includes:

[0067] Check whether there are battery cell prefabricated parts at the workstation;

[0068] In response to detecting that a battery cell preform is present at the workstation, controlling the second moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position, and then controlling the first moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position at S01A1; the bent tab contact is spaced apart from the tab at the starting position, and during the process of moving from the starting position to the first bending position, the bent tab contact contacts the tab and causes the tab to begin bending;

[0069] In response to detecting that there is no battery cell preform at the work station, the bent tab contact is controlled to remain in the safety position.

[0070] In the above manner, multiple battery cell preforms are moved to the work station in sequence. When the bending tab contacts are in a safe position, the tabs of the battery cell preforms do not interfere with other components. During the process of moving the bending tab contacts from the starting position to the first bending position, the tabs are in contact with the tabs and begin to bend. Pre-bending can reduce the possibility of wrinkles on the tabs during the bending process.

[0071] In one embodiment, the first moving assembly is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly is a translation assembly;

[0072] The step of controlling the second moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position includes: controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position; the starting position is located above the free end of the tab;

[0073] The step of controlling the first moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position includes: controlling the lifting assembly to lower the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position.

[0074] By using the above method, the servo motor can synchronously and precisely control the motion trajectory of the first movable assembly and the second movable assembly, so that the bending tab contact can accurately control the bending of the tab. The starting position is located above the free end of the tab to prevent the bending tab contact from hitting the tab during the translation from the safe position to the starting position.

[0075] In one embodiment, after the step of controlling the bent tab contact to press from the first bending position to bend the tab, the step further includes:

[0076] Controlling the rangefinder to collect parameters of the tab after bending;

[0077] Whether the tab after bending is qualified is judged according to the parameters of the tab after bending.

[0078] In the above manner, the rangefinder collects the parameters of the tab, and the detection circuit determines whether the tab is bent properly based on the collected parameters.

[0079] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the rangefinder to collect parameters of the tab after bending in S3 includes:

[0080] Controlling the third moving assembly to move the distance meter to align with the bending position of the tab;

[0081] Controlling the distance meter to collect data on the bending part of the tab;

[0082] The third moving component is controlled to reset the rangefinder.

[0083] In the above manner, the welding assembly can weld the bent tab through the hollow portion, thereby allowing the tab to reliably maintain the bent state.

[0084] In one embodiment, the parameters of the tab after bending include: the thickness of the tab, a first distance from the bottom plate supporting the tab after bending to the distance meter, and a second distance from the surface of the area to be welded of the tab after bending to the distance meter.

[0085] In the above method, the thickness of the tab is calculated based on the collected data, and the thickness of the tab is used to determine whether the tab bending is qualified.

[0086] In one embodiment, after the step of controlling the bent tab contact to press from the first bending position to bend the tab, the step further includes:

[0087] In response to the tab being qualified after being bent, controlling the welding assembly to weld the tab after being bent;

[0088] In response to the tab being unqualified after being bent, the battery cell preform is controlled to enter an NG discharge port.

[0089] In the above manner, the welding assembly welds the bent tabs.

[0090] In one embodiment, after the step of controlling the welding assembly to weld the bent tab or in response to the tab being unqualified after being bent, the second moving assembly and the first moving assembly are controlled to move separately and / or together to reset the bent tab contact to the safe position.

[0091] In the above manner, the controller resets the bent tab contact to a safe position via the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly, and prepares to operate on the tab of the next battery cell preform.

[0092] In one embodiment, the first moving assembly is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly is a translation assembly; the step of resetting the bent tab contact to the safe position includes:

[0093] Turn off the axis synchronization function;

[0094] Controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact to a transition position;

[0095] The lifting assembly is controlled to lift the bent tab contact from the transition position to the safety position.

[0096] In the above manner, the controller moves the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly respectively to reset the bent tab contact to a safe position, in preparation for operating the tab of the next battery cell preform.

[0097] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0098] 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:

[0099] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell preform used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0100] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the battery cell preform of FIG1 ;

[0101] FIG3 is a simplified schematic diagram of a tab fixing device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0102] FIG4 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the bent tab contact of the welding pressure plate in FIG3 along line AA;

[0103] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the movement path of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application;

[0104] FIG6 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application in a safe position;

[0105] FIG7 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application in the starting position;

[0106] FIG8 is a simplified schematic diagram of a bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application in a first bent position;

[0107] FIG9 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application in a second bent position;

[0108] FIG10 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application in the third bent position;

[0109] FIG11 is a simplified schematic diagram of a rangefinder provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0110] FIG12a is a simplified schematic diagram of using a distance meter to inspect a battery cell preform after bending the tabs;

[0111] FIG12b is a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG12a along line BB;

[0112] FIG13 is a simplified schematic diagram of a battery cell preform provided in another embodiment of the present application, wherein a tab of the battery cell preform is inspected using a distance meter after being bent;

[0113] FIG14 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application being reset from the third bent position;

[0114] FIG15 is a simplified schematic diagram of a tab fixing device provided by the present application in a transition position during the resetting process of a bent tab contact;

[0115] FIG16 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application being reset to a safe position;

[0116] FIG17 is a schematic flow chart of a method for bending and welding a tab provided in a specific embodiment of the present application;

[0117] FIG18 is a flow chart of a method for determining whether a tab is qualified after bending using a rangefinder provided in a specific embodiment of the present application.

[0118] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 1-battery cell preform; 11-shell; 12-battery cell; 121-tab; 13-bottom end cover; 14-pole; 141-bottom wall; 142-opening; 2-tab fixing device; 21-bent tab contact; 211-hollow portion; 212-air flow channel; 22-first moving assembly; 23-second moving assembly; 24-support frame; 25-distance finder; 251-positive tab distance finder; 252-negative tab distance finder; 253-positive tab distance finder telescopic cylinder; 254-negative tab distance finder telescopic cylinder; 26-first grating assembly; 27-second grating assembly. [Specific implementation method]

[0119] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0120] The terms "first," "second," and "third" in this application are used only for descriptive purposes and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined. All directional indications in the embodiments of this application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications also change accordingly. In addition, the terms "including" and "having," as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0121] 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.

[0122] Prior art uses a PLC-based lithium battery tab bending control method that uses multiple cylinders to automatically bend the tab from the top, sides, and bottom. This method can replace manual labor, improve production efficiency, save costs, and enhance lithium battery quality.

[0123] However, the above method has the following problems: the method requires the control of at least three cylinders, and the control of the cylinders separately is slow and inefficient, and cannot comprehensively increase the speed.

[0124] Based on this, the tab fixing device and tab fixing method provided in the embodiment of the present application synchronously control the positioning of the tab bending through two moving components (such as dual servo motors), and realize the precise positioning of the position point by synchronous interpolation (for example, arc or straight line) control of the lifting Z axis and the translation X axis of the tab, so as to ensure the bending effect of the tab, improve the quality of the bending process, improve the bending efficiency, reduce the scrap rate of the bending, and improve the reliability and safety of the battery. In addition, the embodiment of the present application adopts a grating ruler to feedback the real-time position information of the servo axis with high precision, and the full closed-loop feedback ensures the accurate positioning and meets the production process requirements. Furthermore, the embodiment of the present application judges the bending effect of the tab by non-contact measurement of the thickness of the tab bending through the optical signal emitted by the rangefinder, so as to ensure that the bending meets the process requirements.

[0125] The tab fixing device and tab fixing method provided in this application are used to produce battery cells. Battery cells can include lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, or magnesium-ion batteries. Battery cells can be cylindrical, flat, or in other shapes. Battery cells are generally divided into three types based on packaging: cylindrical battery cells, prismatic battery cells, and soft-pack battery cells. A battery cell preform refers to the structure of a battery cell before the terminal is welded.

[0126] In the field of new energy, lithium-ion batteries are one of the focuses of high-tech development due to their advantages such as high voltage, high capacity, small size, no memory effect, pollution-free, small size, low internal resistance, low self-discharge, and many cycles.

[0127] A traditional lithium-ion battery cell consists of a casing, a battery cell, an adapter plate, and a top end cap. The battery cell has tabs, and the top end cap is equipped with electrode posts. The battery cell and adapter plate are installed into the casing through the top port, and the top end cap seals the top of the casing. During production, the tabs are first welded to the adapter plate, and then the adapter plate is welded to the electrode posts.

[0128] To meet market demand, the applicant has developed a new battery cell. The tab-fixing device and method provided in this application are particularly effective in the production of this new battery cell. Therefore, for ease of explanation, the following examples illustrate the application of the tab-fixing device and method in the production of this new lithium-ion battery cell.

[0129] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2, wherein Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell preform used in an embodiment of the present application; and Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a portion of the battery cell preform of Figure 1. The battery cell preform 1 includes a shell 11, a battery cell 12, a bottom end cover 13, and a pole 14; wherein the battery cell 12 is loaded into the shell 11 from the bottom port of the shell 11, and the bottom end cover 13 seals the bottom of the shell 11; the pole 14 is embedded in the top wall of the shell 11, and the pole 14 includes an annular side wall (not shown) and a bottom wall 141, and the bottom wall 141 of the pole 14 has an opening 142; the battery cell 12 has a tab 121, and the tab 121 is inserted into the hollow pole 14 from the bottom wall 141 of the pole 14 with an opening 142, and is bent and welded to the bottom wall 141 of the pole 14. The battery cell 12 is formed by stacking the electrode sheets and the diaphragm and then winding them.

[0130] The tab fixing device and tab fixing method provided in the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0131] As shown in Figure 3, Figure 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of a tab fixing device provided in one embodiment of the present application. In one embodiment, the tab fixing device 2 includes a workstation (not shown), a bent tab contact 21, a first movable assembly 22, a second movable assembly 23, and a controller (not shown). The workstation is used to carry the battery cell preform 1; the bent tab contact 21 is used to press the tab 121 of the battery cell preform 1; the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 are connected to the bent tab contact 21 and are used to move the bent tab contact 21; the moving directions of the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 are intersecting; and the controller is electrically connected to the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23, respectively. Among them, the controller includes a first control mode and a second control mode; in the first control mode, the controller is used to synchronously control the first movable component 22 and the second movable component 23 of the bent pole ear contact 21 to move together, and uses circular arc interpolation to synchronously position the first movable component 22 and the second movable component 23 to a preset position; in the second control mode, the controller is used to control the second movable component 23 and the first movable component 22 to move separately.

[0132] The workstation can be understood as a space that can accommodate or carry the battery cell preform 1. Specifically, in one embodiment, a fixed clamping assembly (not shown) can be provided on the workstation, and the clamping assembly is used to support and fix the battery cell preform 1, and to set the tab 121 of the battery cell preform 1 toward the side of the bent tab contact 21. The clamping assembly may include a clamping jaw and a driving mechanism, and the clamping jaw can be driven by the driving mechanism to clamp or release the battery cell preform 1. In this way, the tab 121 of the battery cell preform 1 can be reliably fixed during the bending process, thereby improving the efficiency of the bending of the tab 121. In another embodiment, a fixed clamping assembly is not provided on the workstation, so that the battery cell preform 1 is fixed on multiple clamping assemblies respectively and passes through the workstation in sequence and stays at the workstation.

[0133] The bending tab contact 21 can be understood as an instrument that can squeeze the tab 121 and bend the tab 121. See Figure 4, which is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the bending tab contact of the welding pressure plate in Figure 3 along the AA line. The bending tab contact 21 may have a hollow portion 211 or not. In the present application, the bending tab contact 21 includes a hollow portion 211 and an air flow channel 212. The hollow portion 211 is used to weld the bent tab, and the air flow channel 212 is used to evacuate air during the welding process. The material of the bending tab contact 21 can specifically be ceramic or metal, such as a stainless steel substrate, or other alloys. The tab fixing device 2 of the present application can be used only to bend the tab 121, or it can be used to bend and weld the tab 121 at the same time. The present application is explained by taking the example that the tab fixing device 2 can be used to bend and weld the tab 121 at the same time. In the present application, two bent tab contacts 21 are spaced apart and arranged on a welding plate (not shown) for bending and welding the two tabs 121 respectively.

[0134] In one embodiment, the tab fixing device 2 further includes a support frame 24, which is respectively connected to the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23, and the bent tab contact 21 is mounted on the support frame 24. The first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 drive the support frame 24 to drive the bent tab contact 21 to move.

[0135] The first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 can be drive assemblies that can be controlled by a computer program or circuit. In one embodiment, the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 can include dual servo drive motors. Under the control of the controller, the dual servo drive motors drive the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 to move synchronously or separately, and drive the bent tab contact 21 through the support frame 24 to press the tab 121 onto the bottom wall 141 of the pole 14 of the battery cell preform 1. The angle at which the movement directions of the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 intersect is not limited and can be 80-100 degrees, for example, perpendicular to each other.

[0136] The controller can be a device with a computer program or circuit, such as a single-chip microcomputer or chip. The first and second control modes can be implemented by the controller's computer program or circuit. In one embodiment, the controller includes a first control mode and a second control mode. In the first control mode, the controller is configured to synchronously control the movement of the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 of the bent tab contact 21, and to synchronously position the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 to a preset position using circular interpolation. In the second control mode, the controller is configured to control the movement of the second movable assembly 23 and the first movable assembly 22 separately. In the first control mode, the controller precisely positions the bent tab contact 21 through synchronous interpolation control of the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23, thereby ensuring the bending effect of the tab 121, improving the bending process quality, increasing the bending efficiency, reducing the bending scrap rate, and improving the reliability and safety of the battery cell preform 1. In the second control mode, the controller allows the bent tab contact 21 to move with the first movable assembly 22, or allows the bent tab contact 21 to move with the second movable assembly 23. Interpolation, also known as an interpolation algorithm, refers to a method used in numerical calculations or data processing to infer the value of an unknown data point or sampling point based on existing data points or sampling points. Interpolation can be used to make the movement path of the bent tab contact 21 a straight line (e.g., an oblique line) or a curved line (e.g., an arc).

[0137] Through the above-mentioned method, the controller is used to synchronously control the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 of the bending tab contact 21 to move together. The first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 move the bending tab contact 21. The controller uses circular arc interpolation to synchronously position the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 to a preset position. When the bending tab contact 21 approaches the battery cell preform 1, it can bend the tab 121 according to the bending path. In this way, the controller achieves precise positioning of the position point of the bending tab contact 21 by synchronously interpolating the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 to ensure the bending effect of the tab 121, improve the quality of the bending process, improve the bending efficiency, reduce the scrap rate of the bending, and at the same time improve the reliability and safety of the battery cell preform 1. In addition, the bending tab contact 21 can bend the tab 121 of a batch of battery cell preforms 1 through reciprocating motion.

[0138] In one embodiment, in the first control mode, the controller may further be configured to: synchronously position the first moving component 22 and the second moving component 23 to a preset position by using linear interpolation.

[0139] In the above manner, the controller controls the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 to drive the bent tab contact 21 to move relative to the tab 121 of the battery cell preform 1. The controller can synchronously control the bent tab contact 21 to a preset position by linear interpolation. In other words, the controller can also synchronously position the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 to a preset position by linear interpolation, so that the bent tab contact 21 moves according to the set bending path, and the bent tab 121 is pressed onto the bottom wall 141 of the pole 14 of the battery cell preform 1. This can better bend the tab 121 of the battery cell preform 1.

[0140] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 5, 8, and 10, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the movement path of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application; Figure 8 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application in a first bending position; Figure 9 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application in a second bending position; and Figure 10 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application in a third bending position. In a first control mode, the controller is further configured to: synchronously position the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 to a first preset position using circular interpolation, thereby controlling the bent tab contact 21 to move from the first bending position to the second bending position; and synchronously position the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 from the first preset position to the second preset position using linear interpolation, thereby controlling the bent tab contact 21 to move from the second bending position to the third bending position.

[0141] Through the above-described method, when the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 move simultaneously, the efficiency of bending the tab 121 is improved, the bending effect of the tab 121 is ensured, the quality of the bending process is improved, the bending efficiency is improved, the bending scrap rate is reduced, and the reliability and safety of the battery cell preform 1 are improved. Moreover, this method is more conducive to reducing the possibility of wrinkles on the tab 121 during the bending process. This is because the bending tab contact 21 moves synchronously with the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23, and will generate a force on the tab 121 to be bent that is always away from the base of the tab 121, thereby preventing the tab 121 from reverse movement during the bending process, resulting in a better bending effect for the tab 121. 6-10 , since the tab 121 of the present application is partially located within the annular side wall of the pole 14 before bending, and the end portion extends outside the annular side wall of the pole 14 , and the bent tab contact 21 moves from outside the annular side wall of the pole 14 to partially inserted into the annular side wall of the pole 14 during the entire bending process, and remains within the annular side wall of the pole 14 , controlling the bent tab contact 21 to move from outside the annular side wall of the pole 14 to partially inserted into the annular side wall of the pole 14 by means of circular interpolation and linear interpolation can not only improve efficiency but also reduce the possibility of wrinkles.

[0142] In one embodiment, the tab fixture 2 further includes a sensor (not shown); the sensor is electrically connected to the controller and is used to detect whether a battery cell preform 1 is present at the workstation. Referring to Figures 5 to 8 , Figure 6 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixture provided by the present application in a safe position, and Figure 7 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixture provided by the present application in a starting position. In a second control mode, the controller is further configured to: in response to detecting the presence of a battery cell preform 1 at the workstation, control the second moving assembly 23 to move the bent tab contact 21 from the safe position to the starting position, and then control the first moving assembly 22 to move the bent tab contact 21 from the starting position to the first bending position; the bent tab contact 21 is spaced apart from the tab 121 at the starting position, and during the movement from the starting position to the first bending position, the bent tab contact 21 contacts the tab 121 and initiates bending of the tab 121; and in response to detecting the absence of a battery cell preform 1 at the workstation, control the bent tab contact 21 to remain in the safe position.

[0143] In the above manner, multiple battery cell preforms 1 are moved to the work station in sequence, and the bending tab contact 21 does not interfere with the tab 121 when it is in a safe position. The bending tab contact 21 contacts the tab 121 during the process of moving from the starting position to the first bending position and causes the tab 121 to start bending. When the bending tab contact 21 moves to the first bending position, the tab 121 is pre-bent. The pre-bending can reduce the possibility of wrinkles on the tab 121 during the bending process.

[0144] Pre-bending refers to the state where the tab 121, before being bent, is not pressed against the bottom wall 141 of the electrode 14, and a preset angle is formed between the tab 121 and the bottom wall 141 of the electrode 14. The preset angle can range from 15 degrees to 75 degrees. When the tab 121 is not pre-bent, for example, the tab 121 and the bottom wall 141 of the electrode 14 are approximately perpendicular, directly bending the tab 121 in this case can easily cause wrinkles in the tab 121.

[0145] In one embodiment, the first moving assembly 22 is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly 23 is a translation assembly; the lifting assembly includes a lifting servo motor, and the translation assembly includes a translation servo motor. Referring to Figures 5, 6, and 7, in the second control mode, the controller is further configured to: control the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact 21 from the safe position to the starting position; the starting position is located above the free end of the tab 121; and control the lifting assembly to lower the bent tab contact 21 from the starting position to the first bending position.

[0146] A dual-servo motor integrates two motors and two servo systems within a single mechanism. A servo control loop is a closed-loop control system that monitors and controls position, speed, or force through sensors or feedback signals. Using dual servos allows for more stable control and responsiveness. In mechanical systems, dual servos are used in applications requiring simultaneous control of two independent motions to ensure synchronization and precision. Compared to pneumatic cylinder control, dual-servo motor control offers greater precision and speed.

[0147] In the above manner, the lifting servo motor and the translation servo motor can respectively and synchronously and precisely control the motion trajectory of the first moving assembly 22 and the second moving assembly 23, so that the bent tab contact 21 can precisely control the bending of the tab 121. It should be noted that since the pole 14 of the battery cell preform 1 has an opening 142, if the battery cell preform 1 is placed vertically during the bending or welding process of the tab 121, dust and welding slag can easily enter the interior of the battery cell preform 1. Preferably, the battery cell preform 1 can be bent while the tab 121 is in a flat position (with the pole 14 oriented in a horizontal direction). Compared with the case where the battery cell preform 1 is bent while the tab 121 is in an upright position (with the pole 14 oriented in a vertical direction), during the bending and welding process of the tab 121, welding slag and dust are not easily entered into the interior of the battery cell preform 1 under the action of gravity. With the battery cell preform 1 in a flat position, the controller controls the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact 21 from the safe position to the starting position. Furthermore, the controller controls the lifting assembly to lower the bent tab contact 21 from the starting position to the first bending position, completing the pre-bending of the tab 121. Pre-bending can reduce the possibility of wrinkles forming on the tab 121 during the bending process. The starting position is located above the free end of the tab 121 to prevent the bent tab contact 21 from contacting the tab 121 during the translation from the safe position to the starting position.

[0148] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG11 , which is a simplified schematic diagram of a distance meter provided in one embodiment of the present application, the tab fixing device 2 further includes a distance meter 25 ; the distance meter 25 is electrically connected to a controller and is configured to collect parameters of the bent tab 121 ; the controller further includes a detection circuit configured to: control the distance meter 25 to collect the parameters of the bent tab 121 ; and determine whether the bent tab 121 is qualified based on the parameters of the bent tab 121 .

[0149] The distance meter 25 has any structure and can be any instrument capable of performing distance measurement. Specifically, the distance meter 25 includes a positive tab distance meter 251 and a negative tab distance meter 252.

[0150] In the above manner, the distance meter 25 collects the parameters of the tab 121 , and the detection circuit determines whether the tab 121 is bent properly based on the collected parameters.

[0151] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 12a, Figure 12a is a simplified schematic diagram of using a distance meter to inspect a battery cell preform after bending the tab. Figure 12b is a schematic cross-sectional view of Figure 12a along line BB. The tab fixture 2 also includes a third movable assembly for moving the distance meter 25. The bent tab contact 21 of the tab fixture 2 has a hollow portion 211. The hollow portion 211 exposes the welded area of ​​the bent tab 121 and a portion of the surface of the bottom plate supporting the bent tab 121, i.e., a portion of the bottom wall 141 of the terminal 14. The detection circuit is further configured to: control the third movable assembly to move the distance meter 25 to align with the hollow portion 211; control the distance meter 25 to collect data from the bent portion of the tab 121 through the hollow portion 211; and control the third movable assembly to reset the distance meter 25.

[0152] The third moving component specifically includes a positive pole tab distance meter telescopic cylinder 253 and a negative pole tab distance meter telescopic cylinder 254. The controller controls the positive pole tab distance meter telescopic cylinder 253 and the negative pole tab distance meter telescopic cylinder 254 to align the positive pole tab distance meter 251 and the negative pole tab distance meter 252 with the positive and negative pole tabs 121 of the battery cell 12, and collects the parameters of the tabs 121 after bending.

[0153] In one embodiment, the tab fixing device 2 also includes a dust removal assembly (not shown), and the bent tab contact 21 also has an air flow channel 212, one end of the air flow channel 212 is connected to the dust removal assembly, and the other end of the air flow channel 212 passes through the surface of the bent tab contact 21 facing the tab 121, so that the air flow channel 212 can be connected to the gas in the area where the tab 121 is located. During the welding process of the tab 121 to be welded after the tab 121 is bent, the air flow channel 212 is used for suction and dust removal to prevent welding slag, smoke and dust from entering the interior of the battery cell preform 1.

[0154] In another embodiment, as shown in Figures 12a, 12b, and 13 (Figure 13 is a simplified schematic diagram of a battery cell preform using a distance meter for inspection after bending), the bent tab contact 21 has a hollow portion 211, which is used to expose the welded area of ​​the bent tab 121 and a portion of the bottom plate supporting the bent tab 121, i.e., a portion of the bottom wall 141 of the terminal 14, along the vertical direction.

[0155] In this manner, the welding assembly can weld the bent tab 121 through the hollow portion 211, thereby allowing the tab 121 to reliably maintain its bent state. Simultaneously, the rangefinder 25 can collect data from the bend of the tab 121 through the hollow portion 211. Specifically, the optical signal emitted by the rangefinder 25 non-contactly measures the thickness of the bent tab 121 to determine the bending effect of the tab 121, ensuring that the bending meets process requirements.

[0156] In one embodiment, the parameters of the tab 121 after bending include: the thickness of the tab 121, the first distance from the bottom plate supporting the bent tab 121 to the distance meter 25, and the second distance from the surface of the welding area of ​​the tab 121 after bending to the distance meter 25.

[0157] In this way, the controller calculates the thickness of the tab 121 using the data collected by the distance meter 25. The controller determines whether the tab 121 is bent properly based on the thickness of the tab 121. The thickness of the tab 121 is equal to the first distance L1 minus the second distance L2.

[0158] In one embodiment, the tab fixing device 2 also includes a welding assembly (not shown); the welding assembly is electrically connected to the controller and is used to weld the tab 121 after bending; the detection circuit is also used to: in response to the tab 121 being qualified after bending, control the welding assembly to weld the tab 121 after bending; in response to the tab 121 being unqualified after bending, control the battery cell preform 1 to enter the NG unloading port.

[0159] In this way, the welding assembly welds the bent tab 121, thereby allowing the tab 121 to reliably maintain its bent state. The detection circuit detects whether the bent tab 121 is qualified, thereby improving the qualified rate of the battery cell preform 1 and reducing labor costs.

[0160] In one embodiment, the controller is also used to: control the second movable component 23 of the tab fixing device 2 and the first movable component 22 of the tab fixing device 2 to move separately and / or together after the welding assembly completes welding the bent tab 121 or in response to the tab 121 being unqualified after being bent, so as to reset the bent tab contact 21 of the tab fixing device 2 to a safe position of the tab fixing device 2.

[0161] In the above manner, the controller resets the bent tab contact 21 to a safe position via the first moving assembly 22 and the second moving assembly 23 , and prepares to operate the tab 121 of the next battery cell preform 1 .

[0162] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 14 to 16, Figure 14 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application being reset from the third bent position; Figure 15 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application being in a transition position during the reset process; and Figure 16 is a simplified schematic diagram of the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device provided by the present application being reset to a safe position. The first moving assembly 22 is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly 23 is a translation assembly. In the second control mode of the controller, the controller is further configured to: control the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact 21 to the transition position; and control the lifting assembly to raise the bent tab contact 21 from the transition position to the safe position.

[0163] In the above manner, the controller moves the bent tab contact 21 to a safe position through the first moving assembly 22 and the second moving assembly 23 respectively, preparing to operate the tab 121 of the next battery cell preform 1. In this way, the tab 121 of the batch of battery cell preforms 1 is bent. It should be noted that after the tab 121 is bent, the bent tab contact 21 is in the third bending position. Along the lifting direction of the lifting assembly, the bent tab contact 21 in the third bending position is blocked by the annular side wall of the pole 14. Therefore, when the bent tab contact 21 is reset to the safe position, it is first necessary to control the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact 21 to the transition position, and then control the lifting assembly to raise the bent tab contact 21 from the transition position to the safe position. Referring to Figure 5, the transition position is a position below the safe position that intersects with the translation path of the bent tab contact 21. Of course, the bent tab contact 21 can also be controlled to return to a safe position along the original path through an interpolation algorithm, but the interpolation algorithm is relatively complex to implement. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to simplify the operation and improve efficiency, after the tab 121 is bent, the axis synchronization function is turned off, and the controller controls the first moving component 22 and the second moving component 23 to move respectively to reset the bent tab contact 21 to a safe position.

[0164] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the tab fixing device also includes a first grating component 26 and a second grating component 27; the first grating component 26 is electrically connected to the controller for determining the positioning of the first movable component 22; the second grating component 27 is electrically connected to the controller for determining the positioning of the second movable component 23.

[0165] In the above manner, during the positioning process of the first movable component 22 and the second movable component 23, the first grating component 26 and the second grating component 27 will provide real-time feedback of the position values ​​of the first movable component 22 and the second movable component 23. The grating component is used to provide high-precision feedback of the real-time position information of the servo axis, and the full closed-loop feedback ensures accurate positioning. When the position deviation exceeds the threshold, the system will alarm.

[0166] In order to solve the above technical problems, the second technical solution provided by the present application is to provide a tab fixing method. In one embodiment, the tab fixing method includes:

[0167] Step S1: Turn on the axis synchronization function;

[0168] Step S2: Control the bent tab contact 21 to start pressing from the first bending position to bend the tab 121;

[0169] In particular, step S2: controlling the bending tab contact 21 to press from the first bending position to bend the tab 121 includes: step S21: synchronously controlling the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 of the bending tab contact 21 to move together, and controlling the bending path of the tab 121 by interpolation; the step of controlling the bending path of the tab 121 by interpolation includes: step S21AA: synchronously positioning the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 to a preset position by circular interpolation. The first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 move in intersecting directions.

[0170] The above method can be used to synchronously control the first moving component 22 and the second moving component 23 of the bent tab contact 21 to move together, and control the bending path of the tab 121 by using circular arc interpolation. When the bent tab contact 21 approaches the battery cell preform, the tab 121 can be bent according to the bending path. In this way, the control is carried out by synchronously interpolating (arc or straight line) the first moving component 22 and the second moving component 23 to achieve precise positioning of the position point of the bent tab contact 21, so as to ensure the bending effect of the tab 121, improve the quality of the bending process, improve the bending efficiency, reduce the scrap rate of the bending, and at the same time improve the reliability and safety of the battery cell preform 1. In addition, the bent tab contact 21 can bend the tabs 121 of a batch of battery cell preforms 1 by reciprocating motion.

[0171] In one embodiment, step S21A: controlling the bending path of the tab 121 by interpolation, further includes:

[0172] Step S21AB: Synchronously positioning the first moving component 22 and the second moving component 23 to another preset position by linear interpolation.

[0173] By controlling the first moving assembly 22 and the second moving assembly 23, the bent tab contact 21 can be driven to move relative to the tab 121 of the battery cell preform 1. Circular interpolation or linear interpolation can be used to synchronously control the bent tab contact 21 to a preset position, so that the bent tab contact 21 moves along a set bending path, and the bent tab 121 is pressed against the bottom wall 141 of the pole 14 of the battery cell preform 1, thereby bending the tab 121 of the battery cell preform 1.

[0174] In one embodiment, step S21B: controlling the bending path of the tab 121 by interpolation includes:

[0175] Step S21B1: using circular interpolation to synchronously position the first moving assembly 22 and the second moving assembly 23 to a first preset position, so as to control the bent tab contact 21 to move from the first bending position to the second bending position;

[0176] Step S21B2: using linear interpolation to synchronously position the first moving assembly 22 and the second moving assembly 23 from the first preset position to the second preset position, so as to control the bent tab contact 21 to move from the second bending position to the third bending position.

[0177] Through the above-described method, when the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23 move simultaneously, the efficiency of bending the tab 121 is improved, the bending effect of the tab 121 is ensured, the quality of the bending process is improved, the bending efficiency is improved, the bending scrap rate is reduced, and the reliability and safety of the battery cell preform 1 are improved. It is also more conducive to reducing the possibility of wrinkles on the tab 121 during the bending process. This is because the bending tab contact 21 moves synchronously with the first movable assembly 22 and the second movable assembly 23, and will generate a force on the tab 121 to be bent that is always away from the base of the tab 121, thereby preventing the tab 121 from reverse movement during the bending process, and achieving a better bending effect for the tab 121.

[0178] In one embodiment, step S2: controlling the bent tab contact 21 to press from the first bending position to bend the tab 121, further comprising:

[0179] Step S00: Detect whether there is a battery cell preform 1 at the work station;

[0180] Step S01A: In response to detecting the presence of a battery cell preform 1 at the workstation, the second moving assembly 23 is controlled to move the bent tab contact 21 from the safe position to the starting position. Then, step S01A1 is performed: the first moving assembly 22 is controlled to move the bent tab contact 21 from the starting position to the first bending position. The bent tab contact 21 is spaced apart from the tab 121 at the starting position. During the movement from the starting position to the first bending position, the bent tab contact 21 contacts the tab 121, causing the tab 121 to begin bending.

[0181] Step S01B: in response to detecting that there is no battery cell preform 1 at the workstation, controlling the bent tab contact 21 to remain in a safe position.

[0182] In the above manner, multiple battery cell preforms 1 are moved to the work station in sequence. When the bending tab contact 21 is in a safe position, the bending tab contact 21 does not interfere with the tab 121 of the battery cell preform 1. During the process of moving the bending tab contact 21 from the starting position to the first bending position, the bending tab contact 21 contacts the tab 121 and causes the tab 121 to start bending. When the bending tab contact 21 moves to the first bending position, the tab 121 is pre-bent. The pre-bending can reduce the possibility of wrinkles on the tab 121 during the bending process.

[0183] Pre-bending refers to the state where the tab 121, before being bent, is not pressed against the bottom wall 141 of the electrode 14, and a preset angle is formed between the tab 121 and the bottom wall 141 of the electrode 14. The preset angle can range from 15 degrees to 75 degrees. When the tab 121 is not pre-bent, for example, the tab 121 and the bottom wall 141 of the electrode 14 are approximately perpendicular, directly bending the tab 121 in this case can easily cause wrinkles in the tab 121.

[0184] In one embodiment, the first moving assembly 22 is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly 23 is a translation assembly;

[0185] Step S01A: controlling the second moving assembly 23 to move the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position, including: Step N: controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position, wherein the starting position is above the free end of the tab 121 .

[0186] Step S01A1: controlling the first moving assembly 22 to move the bent tab contact 21 from the starting position to the first bending position, including: Step O: controlling the lifting assembly to lower the bent tab contact 21 from the starting position to the first bending position.

[0187] In the above manner, the lifting servo motor and the translation servo motor can respectively and synchronously and precisely control the motion trajectory of the first moving assembly 22 and the second moving assembly 23, so that the bent tab contact 21 can precisely control the bending of the tab 121. The starting position is located above the free end of the tab 121 to prevent the bent tab contact 21 from hitting the tab 121 during the translation process from the safe position to the starting position. The lifting assembly is controlled to lower the bent tab contact 21 from the starting position to the first bending position, and the tab 121 is pre-bent. The pre-bending can reduce the possibility of wrinkles on the tab 121 during the bending process.

[0188] In one embodiment, step S2: controlling the bent tab contact 21 to press from the first bending position to bend the tab 121, and then further comprising:

[0189] Step S3: controlling the distance meter 25 to collect parameters of the tab 121 after bending;

[0190] Step S4: judging whether the bent tab 121 is qualified according to the parameters of the bent tab 121 .

[0191] In the above manner, the distance meter 25 collects the parameters of the tab 121 , and the detection circuit determines whether the tab 121 is bent properly based on the collected parameters.

[0192] In one embodiment, step S3: controlling the distance meter 25 to collect parameters of the tab 121 after bending, includes:

[0193] Step S31: controlling the third moving assembly to move the distance meter 25 to align with the bending position of the tab 121;

[0194] Step S32: controlling the distance meter 25 to collect data on the bending portion of the tab 121;

[0195] Step S33: Control the third moving assembly to reset the rangefinder 25.

[0196] In the above manner, the rangefinder 25 can collect data on the bending portion of the tab 121 through the hollow portion 211. Specifically, the optical signal emitted by the rangefinder 25 measures the thickness of the bent tab 121 without contact to determine the bending effect of the tab 121 and ensure that the bending meets the process requirements.

[0197] In one embodiment, the parameters of the tab 121 after bending include: the thickness of the tab 121, the first distance from the bottom plate supporting the bent tab 121 to the distance meter 25, and the second distance from the surface of the welding area of ​​the tab 121 after bending to the distance meter 25.

[0198] In the above manner, the thickness of the tab 121 is calculated based on the collected data, and whether the tab 121 is bent sufficiently is determined based on the thickness of the tab 121 .

[0199] In one embodiment, step S2: controlling the bent tab contact 21 to press from the first bending position to bend the tab 121, and then further comprising:

[0200] Step S4A: in response to the bent tab 121 being qualified, controlling the welding assembly to weld the bent tab 121;

[0201] Step S4B: in response to the tab 121 being unqualified after being bent, the battery cell preform 1 is controlled to enter the NG discharge port.

[0202] In this way, the welding assembly welds the bent tab 121, thereby allowing the tab 121 to reliably maintain its bent state. The detection circuit detects whether the bent tab 121 is qualified, thereby improving the qualified rate of the battery cell preform 1 and reducing labor costs.

[0203] In one embodiment, step S4A: controlling the welding assembly to weld the bent tab 121, or step S4B; in response to the tab 121 being unqualified after being bent, step S5 is then performed: controlling the second moving assembly 23 and the first moving assembly 22 to move separately and / or together to reset the bent tab contact 21 to a safe position.

[0204] In the above manner, the controller resets the bent tab contact 21 to a safe position via the first moving assembly 22 and the second moving assembly 23 , and prepares to operate the tab 121 of the next battery cell preform 1 .

[0205] In one embodiment, the first moving assembly 22 is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly 23 is a translation assembly; Step S5: the step of resetting the bent tab contact 21 to a safe position includes:

[0206] Step S51: turning off the axis synchronization function;

[0207] Step S52: controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact 21 to a transition position;

[0208] Step S53: controlling the lifting assembly to lift the bent tab contact 21 from the transition position to the safe position.

[0209] In the above manner, the controller moves the first moving component 22 and the second moving component 23 respectively to reset the bent tab contact 21 to a safe position, preparing to operate the tab 121 of the next battery cell preform 1. In this way, the tabs 121 of the batch of battery cell preforms 1 are bent.

[0210] For ease of understanding, the present application is described and illustrated using a specific method embodiment. As shown in Figures 17 and 18, Figure 17 is a flow chart of a method for bending and welding a tab provided by a specific embodiment of the present application; Figure 18 is a flow chart of a method for a rangefinder provided by a specific embodiment of the present application to determine whether the tab is qualified after bending. The method for bending and welding the tab includes: S501: positioning the first moving component and the second moving component to a safe position; S502: detecting whether there is a battery cell preform at the workstation; S503: controlling the second moving component to move the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position; S504: controlling the first moving component to move the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position; S505: turning on the axis synchronization function; S506: using circular arc interpolation to synchronously position the first moving component and the second moving component to the first preset position, so as to control the bent tab contact to move from the first bending position to the second bending position; S5 07: Use linear interpolation to synchronously position the first moving component and the second moving component to the second preset position, so that the bent tab contact is controlled to move from the second bending position to the third bending position; S508: Control the rangefinder to collect the parameters of the tab after bending; S509: Determine whether the tab after bending is qualified based on the parameters of the tab after bending; S510: Control the welding component to weld the tab after bending; S511: Turn off the axis synchronization function; S512: Control the translation component to translate the bent tab contact to the transition position; S513: Control the lifting component to raise the bent tab contact from the transition position to a safe position.

[0211] The method for the distance meter to determine whether the tab after bending is qualified includes: S1001: the distance meter starts working; S1002: the distance meter cylinder extends; S1003: the distance measurement starts; S1004: waits for 1 second and ends the distance measurement; S1005: the distance measurement cylinder retracts; S1006: determines the distance measurement result; S1007: does not allow to enter the next process; S1008: allows to enter the next process.

[0212] After the equipment is started, the first and second movable assemblies 22 and 23 enter process S501 and are positioned in a safe position, waiting for the arrival of the battery cell preform 1. When the battery cell preform 1 arrives at the tab 121 bending station, process S502 detects the battery cell preform 1 in place through sensors. At this time, the tabs 121 of the battery cell preform 1 are in a state to be bent. The program then enters process S503 to position the bent tab contacts 21 directly above the positive and negative tabs. Process S504 presses the bent tab contacts 21 downward so that the bending force-bearing surface contacts the tabs 121.

[0213] During the positioning process of the first moving component 22 and the second moving component 23, the first grating component 26 and the second grating component 27 will feed back the value of the grating scale in real time to form a full closed loop of motion control. When the position deviation exceeds the threshold, the system will alarm.

[0214] Entering the tab bending process, the process synchronizes the control of the first and second movable assemblies 22 and 23, using interpolation to precisely control the bending path. Processes S506 and S507 control the bending path curve. Control steps can be added to adjust the specific bending path based on actual conditions, achieving precise control of the path curve. The positive and negative tabs are bent simultaneously.

[0215] Process S508 begins testing the bending effect. Process S1002 controls the positive tab distance meter telescopic cylinder 253 and the negative tab distance meter telescopic cylinder 254 to extend the positive tab distance meter 251 and the negative tab distance meter 252 to the bending position of the tab 121. Process S1004 converts the collected data such as the thickness of the tab 121, the distance from the bottom plate of the tab 121 to the distance meter 25, and the distance from the surface of the tab 121 after bending to the distance meter 25 to determine whether the effect of the tab 121 bending meets the process requirements. S1005 restores the distance meter 25 to its initial position and then outputs the tab bending result. At the same time, the relevant measurement data and results are uploaded to the host computer system for data traceability. The program will determine whether to skip process S510 based on the result of the tab 121 bending. If the bending result is NG, the program will transport the battery cell preform 1 to the NG unloading port.

[0216] Process S511 will turn off the axis synchronization function, and process S512 controls the second moving component 23 to drive the bent tab contact 21 to exit the tab 121 position of the battery cell preform 1 and move to the transition position, so that the battery cell preform 1 is separated from the bent tab contact 21. Process S513 will lift the first moving component 22 from the transition position to a safe position, and the entire bending process ends, waiting for the next process.

[0217] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device or unit, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0218] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0219] The above description is only an implementation method of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A tab fixing device, wherein: include: Workstation, used to carry battery cell prefabricated parts; Bending the tab contacts to press the tabs of the battery cell preform; A first moving assembly and a second moving assembly are connected to the bent tab contact and are used to move the bent tab contact; the moving directions of the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly intersect; a controller, electrically connected to the first moving component and the second moving component respectively; The controller includes a first control mode and a second control mode; in the first control mode, the controller is used to synchronously control the first movable assembly and the second movable assembly of the bent tab contact to move together, and use circular interpolation to synchronously position the first movable assembly and the second movable assembly to a preset position; In the second control mode, the controller is used to control the second moving component and the first moving component to move separately.

2. The tab fixing device according to claim 1, wherein: In the first control mode, the controller may further be configured to: The first moving component and the second moving component are synchronously positioned to a preset position by using a linear interpolation method.

3. The tab fixing device according to claim 1, wherein: In the first control mode, the controller is further configured to: Using circular interpolation to synchronously position the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly to a first preset position, so as to control the bent tab contact to move from the first bending position to the second bending position; The first moving assembly and the second moving assembly are synchronously positioned from the first preset position to the second preset position by linear interpolation, so that the bent tab contact is controlled to move from the second bending position to the third bending position.

4. The tab fixing device according to claim 3, wherein: The tab fixing device further includes a sensor; the sensor is electrically connected to the controller and is used to detect whether there is a battery cell preform at the station; wherein, in the second control mode, the controller is further used to: In response to detecting that a battery cell preform is present at the workstation, controlling the second moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from a safe position to a starting position, and then controlling the first moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position; the bent tab contact is spaced apart from the tab at the starting position, and during the process of moving from the starting position to the first bending position, the bent tab contact contacts the tab and causes the tab to begin bending; In response to detecting that there is no battery cell preform at the work station, the bent tab contact is controlled to remain in the safety position.

5. The tab fixing device according to claim 4, wherein: The first moving assembly is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly is a translation assembly; the lifting assembly includes a lifting servo motor, and the translation assembly includes a translation servo motor; in the second control mode, the controller is further configured to: Controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact from the safety position to the starting position; the starting position is located above the free end of the tab; The lifting assembly is controlled to lower the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position.

6. The tab fixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The tab fixing device further includes a distance meter; the distance meter is electrically connected to the controller and is used to collect parameters of the tab after bending; the controller further includes a detection circuit, which is used to: Controlling the rangefinder to collect parameters of the tab after bending; Whether the tab after bending is qualified is judged according to the parameters of the tab after bending.

7. The tab fixing device according to claim 6, wherein: The tab fixing device further includes a third moving component for moving the distance meter; the bent tab contact of the tab fixing device has a hollow portion, the hollow portion being used to expose the to-be-welded area of ​​the bent tab and a portion of the surface of the bottom plate supporting the bent tab; the detection circuit is further used to: controlling the third moving assembly to move the rangefinder to align with the hollow portion; Controlling the rangefinder to collect data on the bending portion of the tab through the hollow portion; The third moving component is controlled to reset the rangefinder.

8. The tab fixing device according to claim 7, wherein: The parameters of the tab after bending include: the thickness of the tab, a first distance from the bottom plate supporting the tab after bending to the distance meter, and a second distance from the surface of the to-be-welded area of ​​the tab after bending to the distance meter.

9. The tab fixing device according to claim 6, wherein: The tab fixing device further includes a welding assembly; the welding assembly is electrically connected to the controller and is used to weld the bent tab; the detection circuit is further used to: In response to the tab being qualified after being bent, controlling the welding assembly to weld the tab after being bent; In response to the tab being unqualified after being bent, the battery cell preform is controlled to enter an NG discharge port.

10. The tab fixing device according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is also used for: After the welding assembly completes welding of the bent tab or in response to the tab being unqualified after being bent, the second moving assembly and the first moving assembly of the tab fixing device are controlled. The movable components move separately or together to reset the bent tab contacts of the tab fixing device to a safe position.

11. The tab fixing device according to claim 10, wherein: The first moving assembly is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly is a translation assembly; in the second control mode of the controller, the controller is further configured to: Controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact to a transition position; The lifting assembly is controlled to lift the bent tab contact from the transition position to the safety position.

12. The tab fixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The tab fixing device further includes a first grating component and a second grating component; the first grating component is electrically connected to the controller for determining the positioning of the first movable component; the second grating component is electrically connected to the controller for determining the positioning of the second movable component.

13. A tab fixing method, wherein: The method includes: Enable axis synchronization function; Controlling the bending tab contact to press from a first bending position to bend the tab; Among them, the step of controlling the bending tab contact to press from the first bending position to bend the tab includes: synchronously controlling the first moving component and the second moving component of the bending tab contact to move together, and controlling the bending path of the tab by interpolation; the step of controlling the bending path of the tab by interpolation includes synchronously positioning the first moving component and the second moving component to a preset position by circular interpolation; the moving directions of the first moving component and the second moving component intersect.

14. The tab fixing method according to claim 13, wherein: The step of controlling the bending path of the tab by interpolation also includes: The first moving component and the second moving component are synchronously positioned to another preset position by using a linear interpolation method.

15. The tab fixing method according to claim 13, wherein: The step of controlling the bending path of the tab by interpolation includes: Synchronously positioning the first moving assembly and the second moving assembly to a first preset position by using circular interpolation, so as to control the bent tab contact to move from the first bending position to the second bending position; The first moving assembly and the second moving assembly are synchronously positioned from the first preset position to the second preset position by linear interpolation, so that the bent tab contact is controlled to move from the second bending position to the third bending position.

16. The tab fixing method according to claim 13, wherein: Before the step of controlling the bent tab contact to start pressing from the first bending position to bend the tab, the step further includes: Check whether there are battery cell prefabricated parts at the workstation; In response to detecting that there is a battery cell preform at the workstation, controlling the second moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position, and then controlling the first moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position; the bent tab contact is spaced apart from the tab at the starting position, and during the process of moving from the starting position to the first bending position, the bent tab contact contacts the tab and causes the tab to begin bending; In response to detecting that there is no battery cell preform at the work station, the bent tab contact is controlled to remain in the safety position.

17. The tab fixing method according to claim 16, wherein: The first moving assembly is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly is a translation assembly; The step of controlling the second moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position includes: controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact from the safe position to the starting position; the starting position is located above the free end of the tab; The step of controlling the first moving assembly to move the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position includes: controlling the lifting assembly to lower the bent tab contact from the starting position to the first bending position.

18. The tab fixing method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein: After the step of controlling the bent tab contact to start pressing from the first bending position to bend the tab, the following step further comprises: Controlling the rangefinder to collect parameters of the tab after bending; Whether the tab after bending is qualified is judged according to the parameters of the tab after bending.

19. The tab fixing method according to claim 18, wherein: The step of controlling the rangefinder to collect parameters of the tab after bending includes: Controlling the third moving assembly to move the distance meter to align with the bending position of the tab; Controlling the distance meter to collect data on the bending part of the tab; The third moving component is controlled to reset the rangefinder.

20. The tab fixing method according to claim 18, wherein: The parameters of the tab after bending include: the thickness of the tab, a first distance from the bottom plate supporting the tab after bending to the distance meter, and a second distance from the surface of the to-be-welded area of ​​the tab after bending to the distance meter.

21. The tab fixing method according to claim 18, wherein: After the step of controlling the bent tab contact to start pressing from the first bending position to bend the tab, the following step further comprises: In response to the tab being qualified after being bent, controlling the welding assembly to weld the tab after being bent; In response to the tab being unqualified after being bent, the battery cell preform is controlled to enter an NG discharge port.

22. The tab fixing method according to claim 21, wherein: After the step of controlling the welding assembly to weld the bent tab or in response to the tab being unqualified after being bent, controlling the second moving assembly and the first moving assembly to move the tab to the same position. The components are moved separately or together to reset the bent tab contact to the safe position.

23. The tab fixing method according to claim 22, wherein: The first moving assembly is a lifting assembly, and the second moving assembly is a translation assembly; the step of resetting the bent tab contact to the safe position includes: Turn off the axis synchronization function; Controlling the translation assembly to translate the bent tab contact to a transition position; The lifting assembly is controlled to lift the bent tab contact from the transition position to the safety position.