Welding device

Abstract

A welding device. The welding device comprises: a laser assembly; a cooling base connected to the laser assembly, wherein the cooling base has a gas flow channel, a gas inlet and a cooling flow channel, the gas flow channel extending through the end of the cooling base close to the laser assembly and the end thereof away from the laser assembly, and the gas inlet being in communication with the gas flow channel; and a welding nozzle assembly comprising a welding nozzle mounted at the end of the cooling base facing away from the laser assembly, wherein the welding nozzle is in communication with the gas flow channel, so as to allow gas in the gas flow channel to be ejected from the welding nozzle, and laser emitted by the laser assembly passes through the gas flow channel and is emitted from the welding nozzle.

Description

A welding device

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2024220693007, filed on August 26, 2024, entitled "A Welding Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to a welding apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] In the lithium battery manufacturing process, laser welding is performed on the battery using a welding head. This involves using a laser emitted from the welding head to continuously weld along the seam on the battery. Traditionally, a copper nozzle is attached to the welding head, which blows nitrogen gas onto the welding area. This serves two purposes: firstly, it prevents dust and welding slag generated during welding from flowing back into the welding head; secondly, the nitrogen gas protects the solder at the weld area, preventing high-temperature oxidation and improving weld quality. However, during prolonged full-weld welding, the high temperature generated by welding is continuously transferred to the copper nozzle, and the distance between the cooling chamber on the welding head and the copper nozzle is relatively large (typically around 149mm). This results in poor cooling of the copper nozzle, causing it to accumulate a large amount of heat, deform, or even detach, thus significantly reducing the service life of the welding head. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a welding device that improves upon the above-mentioned defects in the related technology, which is to address the problem that the high temperature generated during long-term full welding of the welding head is continuously transferred to the copper nozzle, and the distance between the cooling chamber on the welding head and the copper nozzle is far, resulting in poor cooling effect on the copper nozzle, causing the copper nozzle to accumulate a large amount of heat and deform or even fall off, thereby greatly reducing the service life of the welding head.

[0005] A welding apparatus, comprising:

[0006] Laser components;

[0007] A cooling base, connected to the laser assembly, has an airflow channel, an air inlet, and a cooling flow path through which the cooling medium flows. The airflow channel extends through one end of the cooling base near the laser assembly and the other end away from the laser assembly. The air inlet communicates with the airflow channel.

[0008] The welding nozzle assembly includes a welding nozzle mounted on the end of the cooling seat away from the laser assembly. The welding nozzle is in communication with the airflow channel so that gas in the airflow channel is ejected from the welding nozzle, and the laser emitted by the laser assembly passes through the airflow channel and is ejected from the welding nozzle.

[0009] In one embodiment, the welding nozzle assembly further includes an adapter connected to one end of the cooling seat away from the laser assembly, the welding nozzle being connected to one end of the adapter away from the cooling seat, and the adapter having an adapter channel for the passage of laser and gas.

[0010] In one embodiment, the adapter is configured to be operablely adjustable relative to the cooling seat to move the welding nozzle in a direction toward or away from the cooling seat.

[0011] In one embodiment, the adapter is threadedly connected to the cooling seat.

[0012] In one embodiment, the welding nozzle assembly further includes two clamps, with the ends of the adapter and the welding nozzle facing each other located between the two clamps, and the two clamps being configured to operably clamp or release the ends of the adapter and the welding nozzle facing each other.

[0013] In one embodiment, the welding nozzle assembly further includes two threaded locking members, with the ends of the two clamps located on one side of the welding nozzle locked by one of the threaded locking members, and the ends of the two clamps located on the other side of the welding nozzle locked by the other of the threaded locking members.

[0014] In one embodiment, the welding nozzle assembly further includes a threaded locking member, wherein the ends of the two clamps located on one side of the welding nozzle are hinged to each other, and the ends of the two clamps located on the other side of the welding nozzle are locked and fixed by the threaded locking member.

[0015] In one embodiment, the adapter has a first annular protrusion at the end facing the welding nozzle, and the welding nozzle has a second annular protrusion at the end facing the adapter. The inner walls of the two clamps facing each other have anti-detachment grooves for accommodating the first annular protrusion and the second annular protrusion.

[0016] In one embodiment, the cooling base further has an inlet and an outlet, both of which are connected to the cooling channel. The inlet is used to connect to an external liquid supply line, and the outlet is used to connect to an external drain line.

[0017] In one embodiment, the cooling channels are arranged around the airflow channels.

[0018] In the above-mentioned welding device, the heat generated during continuous welding operations is transferred to the welding nozzle. Since the cooling seat is close to the welding nozzle, the cooling medium flowing through the cooling channel of the cooling seat carries away the heat of the welding nozzle, resulting in a better cooling effect on the welding nozzle. This greatly reduces the risk of the welding nozzle deforming or even detaching due to excessive temperature, and significantly improves the service life of the welding device. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 is a front view of a welding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the welding apparatus shown in Figure 1;

[0021] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the welding apparatus shown in Figure 1 along the AA direction;

[0022] Figure 4 is a front view of the welding apparatus shown in Figure 1 (laser component omitted). Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the above-described objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure. However, this disclosure can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0024] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this disclosure.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0026] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0028] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0029] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. One embodiment of this disclosure provides a welding apparatus for laser welding of products to be welded. The product to be welded can be a battery or other products that require laser welding, and is not limited thereto.

[0030] The welding apparatus includes a laser assembly 10, a cooling base 20, and a welding nozzle assembly 30. The laser assembly 10 emits a laser beam to weld the product. The cooling base 20 is connected to the side of the laser assembly 10 from which the laser beam is emitted. The cooling base 20 has an airflow channel 24, an air inlet 23, and a cooling channel 25. The airflow channel 24 extends through both the end of the cooling base 20 closest to the laser assembly 10 and the end furthest from the laser assembly 10, allowing the laser beam emitted by the laser assembly 10 to pass through the airflow channel 24 of the cooling base 20. The air inlet 23 on the cooling base 20 allows gas to enter the airflow channel 24 and flow along it. The welding nozzle assembly 30 includes a welding nozzle 31 mounted on the end of the cooling base 20 facing away from the laser assembly 10. The welding nozzle 31 is connected to the airflow channel 24, allowing the laser emitted by the laser component 10 to pass through the airflow channel 24 and exit through the welding nozzle 31, thereby performing laser welding on the product to be welded. Simultaneously, gas entering the airflow channel 24 flows towards the welding nozzle 31 and is ejected from the nozzle 31 to the welding point of the product to be welded. In other words, the welding nozzle 31 blows air onto the welding point of the product to be welded, thus preventing dust or welding slag generated during the welding process from entering the laser component 10 through the airflow channel 24 and causing damage to the laser component 10. Optionally, the welding nozzle 31 can be made of copper. Of course, in other embodiments, the welding nozzle 31 can also be made of other heat-resistant materials, which are not limited here.

[0031] In the above-mentioned welding device, the heat generated during continuous welding operation is transferred to the welding nozzle 31. Since the cooling seat 20 is close to the welding nozzle 31, the cooling medium flowing through the cooling channel 25 of the cooling seat 20 carries away the heat of the welding nozzle 31, resulting in a better cooling effect on the welding nozzle 31. This greatly reduces the risk of the welding nozzle 31 deforming or even detaching due to excessive temperature, and greatly improves the service life of the welding device.

[0032] It should be noted that the air inlet 23 is used to connect to an external air supply line. The gas supplied by the external air supply line enters the airflow channel 24 of the cooling base 20 through the air inlet 23. The gas entering the airflow channel 24 of the cooling base 20 through the air inlet 23 can be a protective gas such as nitrogen. The welding nozzle 31 blows this protective gas towards the welding position, thereby preventing the solder at high temperature from contacting oxygen in the air and being oxidized, which greatly improves the welding quality.

[0033] It should also be noted that, since the cooling medium in the cooling channel 25 of the cooling seat 20 has a better cooling effect on the welding nozzle 31, the efficiency of heat transfer from the welding nozzle 31 to the laser component 10 through the cooling seat 20 is greatly reduced, thereby avoiding the laser component 10 from getting too hot.

[0034] In a specific embodiment, the cooling base 20 also has an inlet 21 and an outlet 22, both of which are connected to the cooling channel 25. The inlet 21 is connected to an external liquid supply line, and the outlet 22 is connected to an external drain line. Thus, the cooling medium supplied by the external liquid supply line enters the cooling channel 25 through the inlet 21 and flows along the cooling channel 25. The cooling medium in the cooling channel 25 flows out through the outlet 22 to the external drain line, thereby carrying away the heat from the welding nozzle 31, thus cooling the welding nozzle 31. It should be noted that the cooling medium can be cooling water, or other types of coolant, which are not limited here.

[0035] In a specific embodiment, the cooling channel 25 is arranged around the airflow channel 24 to maximize the area of ​​the inner wall of the cooling channel 25, thereby increasing the heat exchange area and further improving the cooling effect.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 4. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the welding nozzle assembly 30 further includes an adapter 32, which is connected to the end of the cooling base 20 away from the laser assembly 10. The welding nozzle 31 is connected to the end of the adapter 32 away from the cooling base 20, thereby enabling the assembly of the cooling base 20 and the welding nozzle 31 using the adapter 32. The adapter 32 has an adapter channel 321 for the passage of laser and gas, so that the laser emitted by the laser assembly 10 passes sequentially through the airflow channel 24 of the cooling base 20 and the adapter channel 321 of the adapter 32 before being emitted from the welding nozzle 31. At the same time, the gas entering the airflow channel 24 of the cooling base 20 from the air inlet 23 flows to the adapter channel 321 of the adapter 32 and is then blown out by the welding nozzle 31.

[0037] Specifically, the distance between the end of the welding nozzle 31 furthest from the cooling base 20 and the cooling base 20 is between 28mm and 48mm. Optionally, the distance between the end of the welding nozzle 31 furthest from the cooling base 20 and the cooling base 20 is 35mm, 36mm, 37mm, 38mm, 39mm, 40mm, 41mm, or 42mm, etc. It should be noted that in related technologies, the distance between the welding nozzle and the cooling component with a cooling effect is approximately 149mm. Compared with related technologies, in this disclosure, the welding nozzle 31 is indirectly connected to the cooling base 20 through the adapter 32, achieving the effect of lowering the cooling base 20, so that the distance between the end of the welding nozzle 31 furthest from the cooling base 20 and the cooling base 20 can be reduced to about 38mm, which is beneficial to improving the cooling effect of the welding nozzle 31.

[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, the adapter 32 is configured to be operablely adjustable relative to the cooling seat 20, thereby causing the welding nozzle 31 to adjust its position in a direction closer to or further away from the cooling seat 20. In this way, the position of the welding nozzle 31 relative to the cooling seat 20 can be adjusted via the adapter 32, thereby adjusting the distance between the welding nozzle 31 and the welding position of the product to be welded, ensuring that the distance between the welding nozzle 31 and the welding position of the product to be welded meets the process requirements during welding.

[0039] Optionally, the adapter 32 is threadedly connected to the cooling seat 20, thereby adjusting the position of the adapter 32 relative to the cooling seat 20 by turning the adapter 32. This causes the adapter 32 to move the welding nozzle 31 closer to or further away from the cooling seat 20, thus achieving the purpose of adjusting the distance between the welding nozzle 31 and the welding position of the product to be welded. The adjustment operation is simple and quick.

[0040] Specifically, the cooling seat 20 has a threaded hole 27 at the end opposite to the laser assembly 10, and the adapter 32 has an external thread at the end opposite to the welding nozzle 31. During assembly, the end of the adapter 32 opposite to the welding nozzle 31 is screwed into the threaded hole 27 of the cooling seat 20, so that the internal thread of the threaded hole 27 engages with the external thread on the adapter 32, thereby achieving a threaded connection between the adapter 32 and the cooling seat 20. Thus, by adjusting the depth of the adapter 32 screwed into the threaded hole 27 of the cooling seat 20, the relative position of the adapter 32 and the cooling seat 20 can be adjusted, thereby causing the adapter 32 to move the welding nozzle 31 closer to or further away from the welding position of the product to be welded, until the distance between the welding nozzle 31 and the welding position of the product to be welded meets the process requirements.

[0041] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the welding nozzle assembly 30 further includes two clamps 33, with the ends of the adapter 32 and the welding nozzle 31 facing each other located between the two clamps 33. The two clamps 33 are configured to operably tighten or loosen the ends of the adapter and the welding nozzle 31 facing each other. When the two clamps 33 are loosened, the welding nozzle 31 can be separated from the adapter 32, thereby achieving disassembly of the welding nozzle 31; when the two clamps 33 are tightened, the welding nozzle 31 is fixed relative to the adapter 32, thereby achieving installation of the welding nozzle 31. Thus, by using the clamps 33 to tighten, the welding nozzle 31 and the adapter 32 can be detachably assembled. On the one hand, the disassembly and assembly of the welding nozzle 31 is convenient and quick, greatly improving the efficiency of replacing the welding nozzle 31; on the other hand, compared with the threaded connection method used in related technologies to assemble the welding nozzle 31, even if the welding nozzle 31 deforms due to excessive temperature after the clamps 33 are tightened, the welding nozzle 31 will not fall off, thus preventing the welding nozzle 31 from falling off.

[0042] Optionally, the welding nozzle assembly 30 also includes two threaded locking members 34. The ends of the two clamps 33 located on one side of the welding nozzle 31 are locked and fixed by one of the threaded locking members 34, and the ends of the two clamps 33 located on the other side of the welding nozzle 31 are locked and fixed by the other threaded locking member 34. This securely holds the welding nozzle 31 and the adapter 32 between the two clamps 33, preventing the welding nozzle 31 from falling off. Thus, by using the threaded locking members 34 on both sides to lock the two clamps 33, the two clamps 33 tightly hold the welding nozzle 31 and the adapter 32 between them. When it is necessary to unload the welding nozzle 31, the two threaded locking members 34 are loosened, causing the two clamps 33 to release the adapter 32 and the welding nozzle 31, thereby allowing the welding nozzle 31 to disengage from between the two clamps 33. It is understood that the threaded locking member 34 can be a high-temperature resistant screw or a high-temperature resistant bolt, etc., and is not limited thereto.

[0043] It should be noted that the structure of the clamp 33 is not limited to this; any structure that allows the clamp 33 to tighten or loosen the welding nozzle 31 and the adapter 32 is acceptable. For example, in some embodiments, the ends of the two clamps 33 on one side of the welding nozzle 31 are hinged to each other, and the ends of the two clamps 33 on the other side of the welding nozzle 31 are locked and fixed by a threaded locking member 34. In this way, the two clamps 33 can be locked with only one threaded locking member 34, thereby tightening the two clamps 33 to grip the welding nozzle 31 and the adapter 32, simplifying the installation and removal of the welding nozzle 31.

[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, the adapter 32 has a first annular protrusion 322 at the end facing the welding nozzle 31, and the welding nozzle 31 has a second annular protrusion 312 at the end facing the adapter 32. The inner walls of the two clamps 33 facing each other have anti-detachment grooves for accommodating the first annular protrusion 322 and the second annular protrusion 312. Thus, when the two clamps 33 clamp the adapter 32 and the welding nozzle 31, the first annular protrusion 322 on the adapter 32 and the second annular protrusion 312 on the welding nozzle 31 are confined within the anti-detachment grooves of the two clamps 33, thereby preventing the welding nozzle 31 from falling off between the two clamps 33.

[0045] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0046] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this disclosure, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this disclosure, and these all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A welding apparatus, comprising: Laser component (10); A cooling base (20) is connected to the laser assembly (10). The cooling base (20) has an airflow channel (24), an air inlet (23), and a cooling channel (25) through which the cooling medium flows. The airflow channel (24) extends through the cooling base (20) at one end near the laser assembly (10) and at the other end away from the laser assembly (10). The air inlet (23) communicates with the airflow channel (24). The welding nozzle assembly (30) includes a welding nozzle (31) installed on the end of the cooling seat (20) away from the laser assembly (10). The welding nozzle (31) is connected to the airflow channel (24) so ​​that the gas in the airflow channel (24) is ejected from the welding nozzle (31). The laser emitted by the laser assembly (10) passes through the airflow channel (24) and is emitted from the welding nozzle (31).

2. The welding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The welding nozzle assembly (30) further includes an adapter (32) connected to one end of the cooling seat (20) away from the laser assembly (10), and the welding nozzle (31) connected to one end of the adapter (32) away from the cooling seat (20). The adapter (32) has an adapter channel (321) for the laser and gas to pass through.

3. The welding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The adapter (32) is configured to be operablely adjustable relative to the cooling seat (20) to drive the welding nozzle (31) to adjust its position in a direction closer to or further away from the cooling seat (20).

4. The welding apparatus according to any one of claims 2-3, wherein, The adapter (32) is threadedly connected to the cooling seat (20).

5. The welding apparatus according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein, The welding nozzle assembly (30) also includes two clamps (33), with the ends of the adapter (32) and the welding nozzle (31) facing each other located between the two clamps (33), and the two clamps (33) are configured to operably clamp or release the ends of the adapter and the welding nozzle (31) facing each other.

6. The welding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The welding nozzle assembly (30) also includes two threaded locking members (34). The ends of the two clamps (33) located on one side of the welding nozzle (31) are locked and fixed by one of the threaded locking members (34), and the ends of the two clamps (33) located on the other side of the welding nozzle (31) are locked and fixed by the other threaded locking member (34).

7. The welding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The welding nozzle assembly (30) also includes a threaded locking member (34), the ends of the two clamps (33) located on one side of the welding nozzle (31) are hinged to each other, and the ends of the two clamps (33) located on the other side of the welding nozzle (31) are locked and fixed by the threaded locking member (34).

8. The welding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The adapter (32) has a first annular protrusion (322) at one end facing the welding nozzle (31), and the welding nozzle (31) has a second annular protrusion (312) at one end facing the adapter (32). The inner walls of the two clamps (33) facing each other have anti-detachment grooves for accommodating the first annular protrusion (322) and the second annular protrusion (312).

9. The welding apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The cooling seat (20) also has an inlet (21) and an outlet (22) that are both connected to the cooling channel (25). The inlet (21) is used to connect to an external liquid supply pipeline, and the outlet (22) is used to connect to an external drain pipeline.

10. The welding apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The cooling channel (25) is arranged around the airflow channel (24).

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