Positioning mechanism and welding device

Abstract

A positioning mechanism (100), comprising a base (110), a positioning portion (120), a protective plate (130) and an elastic member (140). The positioning portion (120) is mounted on the base (110); the protective plate (130) is provided with an accommodating hole corresponding to the positioning portion (120), the protective plate (130) being slidably sleeved on the positioning portion (120) by means of the accommodating hole; the elastic member (140) is mounted between the base (110) and the protective plate (130); the protective plate (130) can slide along the positioning portion (120) to expose the positioning portion (120), or, under the action of the elastic member (140), cause the positioning portion (120) to retract into the accommodating hole. With respect to the positioning mechanism (100), the positioning portion (120) is covered by the protective plate (130) in a welding process, so that spatter generated during welding is less likely to adhere to the surface of the positioning portion (120), thereby enabling the positioning mechanism (100) and a welding device (10) to better maintain positioning accuracy. The present application also relates to a welding device (10).

Description

Positioning mechanism and welding device Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automation technology, and in particular to a positioning mechanism and welding device. Background Technology

[0002] Welding operations are frequently involved in the production process. For example, a crucial step in producing prismatic lithium batteries is laser welding the top cover to the casing. During laser welding, the battery cell is fed into a fixture via a feeding assembly, and the end face positioning mechanism precisely positions the cell's end face. However, laser welding generates numerous tiny spatter particles that gradually adhere to the surface of the positioning structure, causing the positioning error of the mechanism to gradually increase or even fail. Application content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a positioning mechanism and welding device that can better maintain positioning accuracy in order to address the above problems.

[0004] A positioning mechanism, comprising:

[0005] Base;

[0006] The positioning part is installed on the base; and

[0007] The protective plate has a receiving hole corresponding to the positioning part. The protective plate is slidably fitted onto the positioning part through the receiving hole. The protective plate can slide along the positioning part to expose the positioning part or cause the positioning part to retract into the receiving hole.

[0008] In one embodiment, a recessed step is formed on one side of the base, and the positioning part and the protective plate are both located within the recessed step.

[0009] In one embodiment, the positioning part includes at least two positioning end posts arranged side by side.

[0010] In one embodiment, the protective plate has receiving holes that correspond one-to-one with at least two of the positioning end posts.

[0011] In one embodiment, the receiving hole is configured as a strip-shaped hole, and multiple positioning end posts are inserted into the same receiving hole.

[0012] In one embodiment, a guide shaft is provided on one side of the protective plate, a guide hole is provided on the base, and the guide shaft is slidably inserted into the guide hole.

[0013] In one embodiment, a sliding sleeve is embedded in the guide hole, and the guide shaft passes through the sliding sleeve.

[0014] In one embodiment, an elastic element is also included, which is installed between the base and the protective plate, and the protective plate is capable of retracting the positioning part into the receiving hole under the action of the elastic element.

[0015] In one embodiment, the elastic element is a spring, a guide shaft is provided on one side of the protective plate, a guide hole is provided on the base, and the spring is sleeved on the guide shaft and at least partially located in the guide hole.

[0016] A welding apparatus includes a fixing clamp and a positioning mechanism as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the positioning mechanism is disposed at one end of the fixing clamp along its length.

[0017] In one embodiment, two positioning mechanisms are provided and spaced apart along the width direction of the fixing fixture.

[0018] In one embodiment, the welding apparatus further includes a drive mechanism, wherein the positioning mechanism is mounted on the moving end of the drive mechanism and is capable of moving along the length direction of the fixed fixture under the drive of the drive mechanism.

[0019] In one embodiment, the welding apparatus further includes a rotating platform on which the fixing fixture is mounted.

[0020] In the aforementioned positioning mechanism and welding device, when the workpiece to be welded, such as a battery cell, is loaded onto the fixing fixture, the end face of the workpiece first abuts against the protective plate. As the workpiece continues to move towards the positioning mechanism, the protective plate is forced to retract until the positioning part is exposed. The positioning part then abuts against the end face of the workpiece to achieve end face positioning. Next, the fixing fixture secures the workpiece; the positioning mechanism is moved away from the fixing fixture as a whole. Therefore, the protective plate can return to its original position after losing the workpiece's support, and the positioning part retracts into the receiving hole. In this way, the positioning part is enclosed by the protective plate during welding, making it less likely for welding spatter to adhere to the surface of the positioning part. Thus, the aforementioned positioning mechanism and welding device can maintain positioning accuracy effectively. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the welding device in a preferred embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part A in the welding device shown in Figure 1;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism in the welding device shown in Figure 1;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the positioning mechanism shown in Figure 3 in another state;

[0026] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the positioning mechanism shown in Figure 4;

[0027] Figure 6 is an enlarged schematic diagram of part B in the positioning mechanism shown in Figure 5. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are 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 application. However, this application 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 application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0029] In the description of this application, 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", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0030] 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 application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0031] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "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 application according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. This application provides a welding apparatus 10 and a positioning mechanism 100. The welding apparatus 10 includes a positioning mechanism 100 and a fixing clamp 300.

[0035] The welding device 10 is used to weld workpieces, such as battery cells 20, and the fixing fixture 300 is used to fix the battery cell 20 to be welded. The battery cell 20 to be welded includes a shell and a top cover. Before being fed to the fixing fixture 300, the battery cell 20 undergoes pre-welding at several points to pre-fix the shell and top cover. When the welding device 10 performs welding, it continuously and fully welds the weld between the top cover and the shell. Of course, the welding device 10 can also be used to weld other workpieces, and the fixing fixture 300 only needs to be adjusted accordingly.

[0036] The positioning mechanism 100 is located at one end of the fixed fixture 300 along its length. The battery cell 20 to be welded is fed into the fixed fixture 300 from the other end by the feeding mechanism (not shown). The positioning mechanism 100 then abuts against the end face (top cover surface) of the battery cell 20, thereby positioning the end face of the battery cell 20 along the length of the fixed fixture 300. After the end face is positioned, the fixed fixture 300 can clamp the battery cell 20 and prepare for subsequent welding operations.

[0037] Specifically, the fixing fixture 300 includes four clamping blocks. Two of these clamping blocks are arranged along the thickness direction of the battery cell 20, i.e., the vertical direction as shown in Figure 1, and can position and fix the battery cell 20 along the thickness direction; the other two clamping blocks are arranged along the width direction of the battery cell 20, i.e., the horizontal direction as shown in Figure 2, and can position and fix the battery cell 20 along the width direction. The welding device 10 generally also includes a fixture base 200, on which the fixing fixture 300 is mounted.

[0038] Generally, two positioning mechanisms 100 are provided, and the two positioning mechanisms 100 are spaced apart along the width direction of the fixed fixture 300. Therefore, when the battery cell 20 is loaded, the positioning mechanism 100 can position it at both ends along the width direction of the battery cell 20, resulting in a better positioning effect. Of course, in other embodiments, only one positioning mechanism 100 may be provided corresponding to the middle part of the fixed fixture 300.

[0039] In this embodiment, the welding device 10 further includes a drive mechanism 400, and a positioning mechanism 100 is mounted on the moving end of the drive mechanism 400 and can move along the length direction of the fixed fixture 300 under the drive of the drive mechanism 400. The drive mechanism 400 may include structures such as a cylinder and a guide rail slider.

[0040] On the one hand, the drive mechanism 400 can adjust the relative distance between the positioning mechanism 100 and the fixed fixture 300 according to the size difference of the battery cell 20 to be processed, thereby expanding the application scenarios of the welding device 10; on the other hand, after the positioning is completed, the drive mechanism 400 can also drive the positioning mechanism 100 away from the fixed fixture 300, thereby reducing the impact of the welding process on the positioning mechanism 100.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the welding apparatus 10 also includes a rotating platform 500, on which a fixing fixture 300 is mounted. The rotating platform 500 can drive the fixing fixture 300 to rotate around its axis, thereby driving the battery cell 20 to rotate. In this way, while keeping the welding head (not shown) in a fixed position, the annular weld between the top cover of the battery cell 20 and the housing can be passed through the welding head sequentially, thus facilitating continuous full welding.

[0042] Please refer to Figures 3 and 4 together. In one embodiment of this application, the positioning mechanism 100 includes a base 110, a positioning part 120, a protective plate 130, and an elastic member 140.

[0043] The base 110 supports the positioning part 120, the protective plate 130, and the elastic element 140. Specifically, the positioning mechanism 100 is mounted on the drive end of the drive mechanism 400 via the base 110. More specifically, the base 110 can be connected to the drive end of the drive mechanism 400 via threaded fasteners.

[0044] The positioning part 120 is mounted on the base 110. The positioning part 120 can be welded to the base 110 or installed on the base 110 by threaded fastening. The positioning part 120 can be rod-shaped or block-shaped, used to abut against the end face of the battery cell 20 to achieve end face positioning. Specifically, in this embodiment, the positioning part 120 includes multiple positioning end posts arranged in parallel, thus forming multiple contact points when abutting against the end face of the battery cell 20, which helps to improve the positioning effect. Moreover, multiple contact points can make the end face of the battery cell 20 more evenly stressed, preventing deformation of the battery cell 20. The top end of the positioning end post can be set as a plane, thereby increasing its contact area with the end face of the battery cell 20 to avoid damage to the battery cell 20.

[0045] The protective plate 130 has a receiving hole (not shown) corresponding to the positioning part 120, and the protective plate 130 is slidably fitted onto the positioning part 120 through the receiving hole. Furthermore, the protective plate 130 can slide along the positioning part 120 to expose the positioning part 120 or retract the positioning part 120 into the receiving hole. Specifically, when the protective plate 130 slides along the positioning part 120 away from the base 110, the positioning part 120 can retract into the receiving hole; when the protective plate 130 slides along the positioning part 120 closer to the base 110, the positioning part 120 can gradually extend out of the receiving hole until it is flush with or slightly protrudes from the surface of the protective plate 130.

[0046] In this embodiment, the protective plate 130 has receiving holes that correspond one-to-one with the plurality of positioning end posts. That is, the inner contour of the receiving hole is adapted to the outer contour of the positioning end post. Therefore, the gap between the outer wall of the positioning end post and the inner wall of the receiving hole is small, thereby preventing welding spatter from entering the gap between them and jamming the protective plate 130.

[0047] It is understood that in other embodiments, the receiving hole may also be a strip-shaped hole, through which multiple positioning end posts pass.

[0048] An elastic element 140 is installed between the base 110 and the protective plate 130. Under the action of the elastic element 140, the protective plate 130 can retract the positioning part 120 into the receiving hole. The elastic element 140 can be a spring or other elastic component. In the initial state, the protective plate 130 retracts the positioning part 120 into the receiving hole under the action of the elastic element 140 (as shown in Figure 3). Therefore, when the battery cell 20 to be welded is loaded into the fixing fixture 300, the top cover of the battery cell 20 will first abut against the protective plate 130. Moreover, as the battery cell 20 continues to move towards the positioning mechanism 100, the protective plate 130 can be forced to retract until the positioning part 120 is exposed (as shown in Figure 4), thereby achieving end-face positioning by the positioning part 120 abutting against the end face of the battery cell 20.

[0049] After positioning, the battery cell 20 can be fixed in place by the fixing clamp 300. The positioning mechanism 100 is then moved away from the fixing clamp 300. Therefore, after the external force is removed, the protective plate 130 will return to its initial state under the action of the elastic element 140, thereby causing the positioning part 120 to retract back into the receiving hole. In this way, the positioning part 120 will be covered by the protective plate 130 during the welding process, making it less likely for welding spatter to adhere to the surface of the positioning part 120, thus avoiding a reduction in the positioning accuracy of the positioning mechanism 100 due to spatter adhesion.

[0050] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the elastic element 140 may be omitted. After the positioning mechanism 100 moves away from the fixing clamp 300, the protective plate 130 can be manually operated to return to the initial state so that the positioning part 120 retracts back into the receiving hole.

[0051] Furthermore, by adjusting the position of the positioning mechanism 100 on the base 200, the contact point between the positioning part 120 and the end face of the battery cell 20 can be adjusted to avoid the four apex corners of the end face of the battery cell 20. Since the four corners of the top cover of the battery cell 20 generally lift up after pre-soldering, avoiding the four apex corners of the end face of the battery cell 20 with the positioning part 120 can prevent inaccurate positioning. The position of the welding head is usually set according to the position of the positioning mechanism 100, so welding quality can be ensured while ensuring accurate positioning.

[0052] In this embodiment, a recessed step 111 is formed on one side of the base 110, and the positioning part 120 and the protective plate 130 are both located within the recessed step 111. In this way, the height of the positioning part 120 and the protective plate 130 protruding from the surface of the base 110 can be significantly reduced, thereby effectively protecting the positioning part 120 and the protective plate 130 and reducing the probability of damage to the positioning part 120 and the protective plate 130.

[0053] Please refer to Figures 5 and 6 together. In this embodiment, a guide shaft 131 is provided on one side of the protective plate 130, and a guide hole (not shown) is provided on the base 110. The guide shaft 131 is slidably inserted into the guide hole. The guide shaft 131 cooperates with the guide hole to limit and guide the protective plate 130, prevent the protective plate 130 from falling off the base 110, and improve the smoothness of the sliding process of the protective plate 130 relative to the positioning part 120.

[0054] Specifically, in this embodiment, a sliding sleeve 150 is embedded in the guide hole, and a guide shaft 131 passes through the sliding sleeve 150. The sliding sleeve 150 and the guide shaft 131 cooperate to further improve the smoothness of the sliding process of the protective plate 130.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the elastic element 140 is configured as a spring, which is sleeved on the guide shaft 131 and at least partially located within the guide hole. The spring can be a common metal spring, a wave spring, etc. The spring has high support strength and is not easily displaced because it is sleeved on the guide shaft 131. Therefore, the elastic element 140 has high reliability and can ensure that the protective plate 130 returns to its original position smoothly after the external force is removed.

[0056] When the workpiece to be welded, such as the battery cell 20, is loaded onto the fixing fixture 300 by the positioning mechanism 100 and the welding device 10, the end face of the workpiece will first abut against the protective plate 130. As the workpiece continues to move toward the positioning mechanism 100, the protective plate 130 is forced to retract until the positioning part 120 is exposed, thereby achieving end face positioning by the positioning part 120 abutting against the end face of the workpiece. Next, the fixing fixture 300 fixes the workpiece; the positioning mechanism 100 is moved away from the fixing fixture 300 as a whole. Therefore, after the external force is removed, the protective plate 130 will return to its original position under the action of the elastic member 140, and the positioning part 120 will retract into the receiving hole. In this way, the positioning part 120 will be covered by the protective plate 130 during the welding process, making it less likely for welding spatter to adhere to the surface of the positioning part 120. Therefore, the positioning mechanism 100 and the welding device 10 can maintain positioning accuracy well.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The above embodiments only express several implementation ways of the present application, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as a limitation to the patent scope of the application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled persons in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, which all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A positioning mechanism, characterized by, include: Base; The positioning part is installed on the base; and The protective plate has a receiving hole corresponding to the positioning part. The protective plate is slidably fitted onto the positioning part through the receiving hole. The protective plate can slide along the positioning part to expose the positioning part or cause the positioning part to retract into the receiving hole.

2. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that A recessed step is formed on one side of the base, and the positioning part and the protective plate are both located within the recessed step.

3. The positioning mechanism of claim 1, wherein The positioning part includes at least two positioning end posts arranged side by side.

4. The positioning mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that The protective plate has receiving holes that correspond one-to-one with at least two of the positioning end posts.

5. The positioning mechanism of claim 3, wherein The receiving hole is configured as a strip-shaped hole, and multiple positioning end posts are inserted into the same receiving hole.

6. The positioning mechanism of claim 1, wherein A guide shaft is provided on one side of the protective plate, and a guide hole is provided on the base, with the guide shaft slidably passing through the guide hole.

7. The positioning mechanism of claim 6, wherein A sliding sleeve is embedded in the guide hole, and the guide shaft passes through the sliding sleeve.

8. The positioning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that It also includes an elastic element, which is installed between the base and the protective plate. The protective plate can retract the positioning part into the receiving hole under the action of the elastic element.

9. The positioning mechanism of claim 8, wherein, The elastic element is a spring, a guide shaft is provided on one side of the protective plate, a guide hole is provided on the base, and the spring is sleeved on the guide shaft and at least partially located in the guide hole.

10. A welding device characterized by, It includes a fixing clamp and a positioning mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the positioning mechanism is disposed at one end of the fixing clamp along its length.

11. The welding device of claim 10, wherein, There are two positioning mechanisms, which are spaced apart along the width direction of the fixing fixture.

12. The welding device of claim 10, wherein, The welding device further includes a driving mechanism, and the positioning mechanism is installed on the moving end of the driving mechanism and can move along the length direction of the fixed fixture under the drive of the driving mechanism.

13. The welding device of claim 10, wherein, The welding apparatus further includes a rotating platform, and the fixing fixture is mounted on the rotating platform.

Images