CN221486571U - Clamping device - Google Patents

Abstract

The application provides a clamping device, and belongs to the technical field of batteries. The clamping device comprises: the first bottom plate module is used for being placed on the first side of the battery cell; the second bottom plate module is used for being placed on a second side of the battery cell, the battery cell is provided with a length direction, a width direction and a height direction, the second side and the first side are opposite to each other in the width direction, and the first bottom plate module and the second bottom plate module are respectively provided with a plurality of clamping assembly installation positions distributed along the length direction; a first set of clamping assemblies for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the first floor module; and a second set of clamping assemblies for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the second floor module. Each of the first and second sets of clamping assemblies is configured to be retractable in a width direction to clamp a battery cell. Therefore, the battery cells with different lengths and thicknesses can be adapted.

Description

Clamping device

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a clamping device.

Background

Energy conservation and emission reduction are key to sustainable development of the automobile industry, and electric vehicles become an important component of sustainable development of the automobile industry due to the energy conservation and environmental protection advantages of the electric vehicles. For electric vehicles, battery technology is an important factor in the development of the electric vehicles.

In the manufacturing process of the battery, the battery cell needs to be clamped and positioned in some cases. For example, it is necessary to perform laser welding on the top cover of the battery cell, since it is necessary to ensure precise alignment between the top cover and the aluminum case during welding, to prevent deformation, to improve welding strength, to control welding depth, to prevent spatter of welding slag, to ensure welding quality, and to accommodate the demand of automated production to improve production efficiency, the existing welding equipment is generally required to clamp the gap of the top cover. However, when the size of the battery cell changes, such as a change in length or thickness, existing welding equipment requires an integral replacement or redesign of the clamping assembly to accommodate batteries of different sizes. The production cost is increased, the equipment debugging time is prolonged, and the production efficiency is influenced.

Disclosure of utility model

The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the background art. To this end, an object of the present application is to provide a clamping device that can accommodate batteries of different sizes.

An embodiment of a first aspect of the present application provides a clamping device for a battery cell, including: the first bottom plate module is used for being placed on the first side of the battery cell; the second bottom plate module is used for being placed on a second side of the battery cell, the battery cell is provided with a length direction, a width direction and a height direction, the second side and the first side are opposite to each other in the width direction, and the first bottom plate module and the second bottom plate module are respectively provided with a plurality of clamping assembly installation positions distributed along the length direction; a first set of clamping assemblies for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the first floor module; and a second group of clamping assemblies for mounting at corresponding clamping assembly mounting positions among the plurality of clamping assembly mounting positions of the second base plate module, wherein each clamping assembly of the first group of clamping assemblies and the second group of clamping assemblies is configured to be retractable in a width direction to clamp the battery cell.

According to the technical scheme, the whole clamping device is split into the small module assemblies, and the small module assemblies are further increased or decreased, so that the battery cells with different lengths and thicknesses can be quickly adapted, and the whole clamping assembly does not need to be redesigned. The design obviously reduces the tool design and debugging time caused by the size change of the battery, reduces the production cost and improves the production efficiency.

In some embodiments, the first floor module and the second floor module are each provided with a guide extending in a length direction to provide a plurality of clamp assembly mounting locations, and the first set of clamp assemblies is provided with a slider in sliding connection with the guide of the first floor module such that each clamp assembly of the first set of clamp assemblies is capable of sliding along the guide of the first floor module to a corresponding clamp assembly mounting location of the plurality of clamp assembly mounting locations. Through the design of guide piece and slider, the clamping component can slide to the appropriate mounted position of bottom plate module in length direction, has increased clamping device's adaptability and convenience, is convenient for adjust fast in order to adapt to not unidimensional battery monomer.

In some embodiments, the guide comprises a chute and the slider comprises a slider; or the guide comprises a slider and the slider comprises a chute. The design of the slider and the chute provides a reliable mechanical connection allowing the clamping assembly to slide along the guide, thereby enhancing the stability and reliability of the clamping device.

In some embodiments, the first floor module is provided with a plurality of fixed component mounting locations distributed along the length direction, and the clamping device further comprises: and two fixing assemblies for being installed at two corresponding fixing assembly installation positions among the plurality of fixing assembly installation positions of the first base plate module, such that the first group of clamping assemblies are located between the two corresponding fixing assembly installation positions, wherein each of the two fixing assemblies is configured to be telescopic in the width direction and provide a fixing support for the battery cell in the process of clamping the battery cell by the first group of clamping assemblies and the second group of clamping assemblies. Through setting up fixed subassembly, provide extra support for battery monomer at laser welding's in-process, ensure the stability of centre gripping in-process, telescopic design makes the device be convenient for carry out the debugging before the centre gripping simultaneously, can adapt to the battery monomer of different width.

In some embodiments, the clamping device further comprises: the first locating piece is used for being installed at one end, opposite to the battery single body, of the first bottom plate module in the width direction, the second locating piece is used for being installed at one end, opposite to the battery single body, of the second bottom plate module in the width direction, the first locating piece is used for limiting the distance between the clamping assemblies in the first group of clamping assemblies in the length direction, and the second locating piece is used for limiting the distance between the clamping assemblies in the second group of clamping assemblies in the length direction. Through setting up the setting element in the one end of bottom plate module, ensure the accurate interval in length direction between each clamping assembly to can improve the accuracy that clamping assembly fixed a position, and then help promoting quality and efficiency in the welding process.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second locating members is provided with a plurality of locating holes distributed along a length direction, wherein each of the first and second sets of clamping assemblies comprises: and the first mounting base is provided with a protrusion on a mounting surface abutted against the corresponding locating piece in the first locating piece and the second locating piece and is used for being matched with the corresponding locating hole in the plurality of locating holes. By engaging the locating holes on the locating member with the protrusions on the clamping assemblies, a desired spacing is provided in the length direction between the respective clamping assemblies.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second sets of clamp assemblies comprises: a first actuator mounted on the first mounting base for providing a driving force in a width direction; the clamping part is used for abutting against the battery cell; and the first connecting piece is connected between the first actuator and the clamping part, so that the first actuator can drive the clamping part to stretch in the width direction, and the dimension of the first connecting piece in the width direction is determined according to the width of the battery cell. The sizes of the clamping assemblies in the width direction are further determined by determining the different sizes of the connecting pieces according to the widths of different battery monomers, so that only the clamping assemblies are replaced to adapt to the battery monomers with different thicknesses, and the whole clamping device is not required to be redesigned and replaced integrally.

In some embodiments, the first mounting base is provided with a first rail extending in a width direction, and the clamping portion is retractable in the width direction along the first rail.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second sets of clamp assemblies comprises: and the first alignment component is arranged on a mounting surface of the first mounting base, which is abutted against the corresponding bottom plate module in the first bottom plate module and the second bottom plate module, and is used for enabling the corresponding clamping assemblies in the first group of clamping assemblies and the second group of clamping assemblies to be flush with one end contacted with the battery cell along the length direction. Through setting up the part that aligns, ensure that clamping assembly flushes along length direction with battery monomer contact section to can even centre gripping battery monomer top cap and aluminum hull's gap, help improving welded uniformity and quality.

In some embodiments, the first and second floor modules each have a reference surface engaged with the first alignment member, the reference surface being parallel to the length direction and the height direction, the first alignment member being configured as a first boss protruding in the height direction from a mounting surface of the first mounting base that abuts against a corresponding one of the first and second floor modules, and extending in the length direction. The floor module is arranged to include a datum surface providing a well-defined reference plane for abutment with the boss of the clamping device to ensure that the clamping assembly is flush with the cell contact end.

In some embodiments, the clamping device further includes a position sensor disposed between adjacent first mounting bases in at least one of the first and second base plate modules for emitting light to the battery cells to detect a position state of the battery cells. By adding the position sensor in the clamping device, the real-time monitoring of the position state of the battery monomer is realized, and the automation and the accuracy of the welding process are further improved.

In some embodiments, each of the two securing assemblies further comprises: and the second mounting base is provided with a protrusion on a mounting surface abutted against the corresponding locating piece in the first locating piece and the second locating piece and is used for being matched with the corresponding locating hole in the plurality of locating holes. By the cooperation of the protrusions in the fixing components and the positioning holes on the positioning pieces, ideal and proper spacing between each fixing component and each clamping component in the length direction is ensured, so that welding efficiency and welding quality are improved.

In some embodiments, each of the two securing assemblies further comprises: the pressure sensor is arranged on the second installation base and used for detecting the clamping force between the fixing component and the battery cell; a pressing part for pressing against the battery cell; and a second connection member connected between the pressure sensor and the pressing portion, the size of the second connection member in the width direction being determined according to the width of the battery cell. The size of the fixing component in the width direction is further determined by determining different sizes of the connecting piece according to the widths of different battery monomers, so that only the clamping component and the fixing component are replaced to adapt to battery monomers with different thicknesses, and the whole clamping device is not required to be redesigned and replaced integrally.

In some embodiments, the second mounting base is provided with a second rail extending in the width direction, and the pressing portion is retractable in the width direction along the second rail. The fixing assembly is further stretched in the width direction through the design guide rail, so that debugging before the clamping step is facilitated.

In some embodiments, each of the two securing assemblies further comprises: the second aligning component is arranged on the mounting surface where the second mounting base abuts against the first bottom plate module and used for enabling the two fixing assemblies and the clamping assembly to be flush with each other along the length direction at one end, which is in contact with the battery cell, of the clamping assembly. Through setting up the alignment part, ensure that fixed subassembly and battery monomer contact section keep flush with each clamping component along length direction, help improving welded uniformity and quality.

In some embodiments, the first floor module and the second floor module each have a datum surface that engages with a second alignment feature, the datum surface being parallel to the length direction and the height direction, the second alignment feature being configured as a second boss. The second boss of the fixing assembly abuts against the reference surface to ensure that the fixing assembly is flush with the contact end of the battery cell.

The foregoing description is only an overview of the present application, and is intended to be implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present application in order that the same may be more clearly understood and to make the same and other objects, features and advantages of the present application more readily apparent.

Drawings

In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts or elements throughout the several views unless otherwise specified. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only some embodiments according to the disclosure and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a clamping device according to some embodiments of the application;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a first floor module according to some embodiments of the application;

FIG. 3 is a bottom partial cross-sectional view of a first floor module according to some embodiments of the application;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a first set of clamping assemblies according to some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a first set of clamping and securing assemblies according to some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a securing assembly according to some embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a first positioning member according to some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 8 is an exploded view of a battery cell according to some embodiments of the present application.

Reference numerals illustrate:

The clamping device 100 is configured to clamp a piece of paper,

A first base plate module 10a, a second base plate module 10b, a chute 11, a reference surface 12, a baffle 13;

the first group of clamping assemblies 20a, the second group of clamping assemblies 20b, the sliding block 21, the protrusion 22, the first connecting piece 23, the first mounting base 24, the first alignment member 25, the first boss 25a, the first guide rail 26, the first guide rail baffle 261, the actuator 27, the clamping portion 28;

The fixing assembly 30, the second mounting base 31, the pressing portion 33, the second connecting piece 34, the second aligning member 35, the second boss 35a, the second rail 36, the second rail barrier 361, the pressure sensor 37;

a first positioning member 40a, a second positioning member 40b, and a positioning hole 41;

A battery cell 50, a top cover 51, an electrode terminal 51a, a case 52, a battery cell assembly 53, and a tab 53a;

Length direction X, width direction Y, and height direction Z.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the technical scheme of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following examples are only for more clearly illustrating the technical aspects of the present application, and thus are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application; the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof in the description of the application and the claims and the description of the drawings above are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion.

In the description of embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first," "second," and the like are used merely to distinguish between different objects and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated, a particular order or a primary or secondary relationship. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more unless explicitly defined otherwise.

Reference herein to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Those of skill in the art will explicitly and implicitly appreciate that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and/or" is merely an association relationship describing an association object, and indicates that three relationships may exist, for example, a and/or B may indicate: a exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. In addition, the character "/" herein generally indicates that the front and rear associated objects are an "or" relationship.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "plurality" means two or more (including two), and similarly, "plural sets" means two or more (including two), and "plural sheets" means two or more (including two).

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are merely for convenience of description and simplification of the description, and do not indicate or imply that the apparatus or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured" and the like should be construed broadly and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; or may be mechanically or electrically connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communicated with the inside of two elements or the interaction relationship of the two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to specific circumstances.

Currently, the application of power batteries is more widespread from the development of market situation. The power battery is not only applied to energy storage power supply systems such as hydraulic power, firepower, wind power and solar power stations, but also widely applied to electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, electric automobiles, and the like, and a plurality of fields such as military equipment, aerospace, and the like. With the continuous expansion of the application field of the power battery, the market demand of the power battery is also continuously expanding.

In the manufacturing process of the battery, the battery cell needs to be clamped and positioned in some cases. For example, it is necessary to perform laser welding on the top cover of the battery cell, since it is necessary to ensure precise alignment between the top cover and the aluminum case during welding, to prevent deformation, to improve welding strength, to control welding depth, to prevent spatter of welding slag, to ensure welding quality, and to accommodate the demand of automated production to improve production efficiency, the existing welding equipment is generally required to clamp the gap of the top cover. However, when the size of the battery cell is changed, for example, when the length or thickness of the battery cell is increased, more welding spots are required during welding to secure sealability between the top cap and the aluminum case. This not only increases the complexity of the weld but also requires the clamping assembly to accommodate longer cells.

However, existing clamp assembly designs are typically based on a particular battery size, and thus increased size means that existing clamp assemblies may not provide adequate support and clamping force, resulting in reduced weld quality, and therefore require redesign and overall replacement of the clamp assembly to accommodate batteries of different sizes.

In addition, any modification to the fixture design requires strict adjustment to ensure consistency of positioning accuracy and clamping force during welding, and the adjustment process may include multiple links such as optimization of welding paths, adjustment of welding parameters, and detection of welding quality, which all require specialized technicians and precise test equipment. Therefore, when the size of the battery changes, the whole replacement of the clamp in the existing production process not only increases the production cost, but also prolongs the equipment debugging time, and influences the production efficiency.

Based on the above consideration, in order to improve/alleviate/solve the problems of low production efficiency and high cost when the top cover of the aluminum shell is welded by laser, the application provides a clamping device with a modularized clamping assembly design, which adapts to battery cells with different lengths and thicknesses by increasing or decreasing small module assemblies without redesigning the whole clamping assembly. The design obviously reduces the tool design and debugging time caused by the size change of the battery, reduces the production cost and improves the production efficiency.

The clamping device disclosed by the embodiment of the application can be used in a battery cell of an electric device such as a vehicle, a ship or an aircraft, but is not limited to the battery cell. Thus, the problems of low production efficiency and high cost during laser welding of the aluminum shell top cover are solved.

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 illustrates a top view of a clamping device 100 according to some embodiments of the application. An embodiment of the present application provides a clamping device 100 for a battery cell 50, including: a first floor module 10a, a second floor module 10b, a first set of clamping assemblies 20a, and a second set of clamping assemblies 20b. The first base plate module 10a is configured to be placed on a first side of the battery cell 50, and the second base plate module 10b is configured to be placed on a second side of the battery cell 50. The battery cell 50 has a length direction X, a width direction Y, and a height direction Z (see fig. 8), the second side and the first side are opposite to each other in the width direction Y, and the first and second floor modules 10a and 10b are each provided with a plurality of clamping assembly mounting positions distributed along the length direction X. The first set of clamping assemblies 20a are for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the first floor module 10a and the second set of clamping assemblies 20b are for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the second floor module 10 b. Wherein each of the first and second sets of clamping assemblies 20a, 20b is configured to be telescopic in the width direction Y to clamp the battery cell 50.

As used herein, the term "telescoping" refers to a mechanical device that is capable of forward or backward movement under the power provided by a corresponding actuator, including, for example, various implementations powered by a screw drive, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.

The term "first side" may be a side of the clamping device 100 capable of providing a fixed support for the battery cell 50, and "second side" may be a side of the clamping device 100 having a movable clamping assembly pushing the battery cell 50 toward the side providing the fixed support.

By splitting the entire clamping device 100 into a plurality of small module assemblies, and then by increasing or decreasing the small module assemblies, the battery cells 50 of different lengths and thicknesses can be quickly accommodated without redesigning the entire clamping assembly. The design obviously reduces the tool design and debugging time caused by the size change of the battery, reduces the production cost and improves the production efficiency.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, fig. 2 is a bottom view of a first backplane module 10a according to some embodiments of the application, and fig. 3 is a bottom partial cross-sectional view of the first backplane module 10a according to some embodiments of the application. According to some embodiments of the present application, the first and second floor modules 10a, 10b are each provided with a guide (e.g., a chute) extending in the length direction X to provide a plurality of clamp assembly mounting positions, and the first set of clamp assemblies 20a are provided with a slider (e.g., a slide block) slidably connected with the guide of the first floor module 10a to enable each clamp assembly of the first set of clamp assemblies 20a to slide along the guide of the first floor module 10a to a corresponding clamp assembly mounting position of the plurality of clamp assembly mounting positions.

In this context, the terms "guide" and "slider" refer to mechanical components capable of effecting movement in a particular direction, including, for example, but not limited to, rails, runners, slides, rollers, balls, bearings, tapered pins, and the like.

Through the design of guide and slider, the clamping assembly can slide to the appropriate mounted position of bottom plate module in length direction X, has increased clamping device 100's adaptability and convenience, is convenient for adjust fast in order to adapt to not unidimensional battery cell 50.

According to some embodiments of the application, the guide comprises a chute 11 and the slider comprises a slider 21; or the guide comprises a slider and the slider comprises a chute.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the guide is configured to comprise a chute 11 and the slide comprises a slide 21, whereby the movement of the clamping assembly in the length direction X on the floor module is achieved via the movement of the slide 21 in the chute 11. In some embodiments, the slider 21 may be fastened to the clamping assembly via screws.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the base plate module may include a baffle 13 disposed at the bottommost portion of the first base plate module 10a and the second base plate module 10b in the height direction Z and corresponding to the chute 11 for supporting the slider 21.

The design of the slider 21 and the chute 11 provides a reliable mechanical connection allowing the clamping assembly to slide along the guide, thereby enhancing the stability and reliability of the clamping device 100.

Referring to fig. 1 and 6, fig. 6 is an isometric view of a securing assembly 30 according to some embodiments of the present application. According to some embodiments of the present application, the first floor module 10a is provided with a plurality of fixing assembly mounting positions distributed along the length direction X, and the clamping device 100 further comprises two fixing assemblies 30 for mounting at two corresponding fixing assembly mounting positions of the plurality of fixing assembly mounting positions of the first floor module 10a such that the first group of clamping assemblies 20a is located between the two corresponding fixing assembly mounting positions. Each of the two fixing members 30 is configured to be telescopic in the width direction Y and to provide a fixed support for the battery cell 50 during clamping of the battery cell 50 by the first and second sets of clamping members 20a and 20 b.

In some embodiments, the clamping device 100 may have two securing assemblies 30 on a first side, and when the battery cell 50 is raised to the clampable position, the securing assemblies 30 may first be adjusted to have a clearance of about 2 to 3 millimeters from the surface of the housing of the battery cell 50 to be clamped, and then the securing assemblies 30 may be pressed against the battery cell 50 to provide a secure support, ready for a subsequent clamping step.

Through setting up fixed subassembly 30, provide extra support for battery monomer 50 at laser welding's in-process, ensure the stability of centre gripping in-process, telescopic design makes the device be convenient for carry out the debugging before the centre gripping simultaneously, can adapt to the battery monomer 50 of different width.

Referring to fig. 1 and 7, fig. 7 is a front view of a first positioning member 40a according to some embodiments of the present application. According to some embodiments of the application, the clamping device 100 further comprises: a first positioning member 40a for mounting at an end of the first floor module 10a opposite to the battery cell 50 in the width direction Y, a second positioning member 40b for mounting at an end of the second floor module 10b opposite to the battery cell 50 in the width direction Y, the first positioning member 40a for defining a pitch in the length direction X between the respective clamping assemblies of the first group of clamping assemblies 20a, and the second positioning member 40b for defining a pitch in the length direction X between the respective clamping assemblies of the second group of clamping assemblies 20 b.

In some examples, the first and second positioning members 40a and 40b may be configured as elongated positioning blocks having an L-shaped cross section, both ends of which are fixed to the respective floor modules by set screws for spacing positioning the clamping assembly and the fixing assembly 30 in the length direction X.

Through setting up the setting element in the one end of bottom plate module, ensure the accurate interval in length direction X between each clamping assembly to can improve the accuracy that clamping assembly fixed a position, and then help promoting quality and efficiency in the welding process.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the first positioning member 40a and the second positioning member 40b are each provided with a plurality of positioning holes 41 distributed along the length direction X.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, fig. 4 is an isometric view of a first set of clamping assemblies 20a according to some embodiments of the present application, and fig. 5 is a rear view of the first set of clamping assemblies 20a and the securing assembly 30 according to some embodiments of the present application. Each of the first and second sets of clamping assemblies 20a, 20b includes a first mounting base 24, the first mounting base 24 being provided with a protrusion 22 on a mounting surface against which a respective one of the first and second locating members 40a, 40b abuts for mating with a corresponding one of the plurality of locating holes 41 (see fig. 1).

By engaging the positioning holes 41 in the positioning members with the protrusions 22 in the clamping assemblies, a desired spacing between the respective clamping assemblies in the length direction X is achieved.

Referring to fig. 4, according to some embodiments of the present application, each of the first set of clamping assemblies 20a and the second set of clamping assemblies 20b includes: a first actuator 27 mounted on the first mounting base 24 for providing a driving force in the width direction Y; a clamping portion 28 for abutting against the battery cell 50; the first link 23 is connected between the first actuator 27 and the clamping portion 28 such that the first actuator 27 can drive the clamping portion 28 to expand and contract in the width direction Y, and the dimension of the first link 23 in the width direction Y is determined according to the width of the battery cell 50.

In some examples, the clamping assembly may include a first mounting base 24, an actuator 27 mounted to the first mounting base 24, and a first connector 23, one end of the first connector 23 being connected to the actuator 27 for transmitting power of the actuator 27. It should be appreciated that the clamping assembly may include a suitable actuator (e.g., an electric actuator (motor), a hydraulic actuator, or a pneumatic actuator) to provide the driving force to achieve the telescopic movement.

By determining the different dimensions of the connector according to the width of the different cells 50, the dimensions of the clamping assembly in the width direction Y are further determined, thereby enabling only the clamping assembly to be replaced to accommodate the cells 50 of different thickness without the need for redesigning and integrally replacing the complete set of clamping device 100.

With continued reference to fig. 4, according to some embodiments of the present application, the first mounting base 24 is provided with a first rail 26, the first rail 26 extends along a width direction Y, and the clamping portion 28 is retractable along the first rail 26 along the width direction Y.

In some embodiments, the clamping assembly may further include a first guide rail 26 and a first guide rail baffle 261, where the first guide rail baffle 261 is disposed at one end of the first guide rail 26 of the mounting base of the clamping assembly, for preventing the sliding member from sliding down from the guide rail, and preventing the splashing phenomenon caused by the sliding member during the sliding process from affecting the battery cell 50. In an example, the clamping assembly is "telescoping" in the width direction Y by a linear rail structure. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the "telescoping" may be achieved in other ways, including but not limited to using any suitable means such as slides, runners, bearings, etc.

The telescopic sliding of the clamping assembly in the width direction Y is achieved by designing the guide rail, so that the welding seam on the top cover of the battery cell 50 is clamped.

With continued reference to fig. 1-3, in accordance with some embodiments of the present application, each of the first set of clamping assemblies 20a and the second set of clamping assemblies 20b includes: and a first alignment member 25 disposed on a mounting surface of the first mounting base 24, which is abutted against a corresponding one of the first and second floor modules 10a and 10b, for making corresponding one of the first and second groups of clamping assemblies 20a and 20b flush in the length direction X at an end contacting the battery cell 50.

Through setting up alignment part, ensure that clamping assembly and battery monomer 50 contact section flush along length direction X to the gap of centre gripping battery monomer 50 top cap and aluminum hull that can be even helps improving welded uniformity and quality.

With continued reference to fig. 1-3, according to some embodiments of the present application, the first backplane module 10a and the second backplane module 10b each have a datum surface 12 that engages the first alignment feature 25, the datum surface 12 being parallel to the length direction X and the height direction Z. The first alignment member 25 is configured as a first boss 25a, the first boss 25a protruding in the height direction Z from a mounting surface of the first mounting base 24 that abuts against a corresponding one of the first and second floor modules 10a and 10b, and extending in the length direction X.

The floor module is arranged to include a datum surface 12 providing a well-defined reference plane for abutment with the first boss 25a of the clamping device 100 to ensure that the clamping assembly is flush with the cell 50 contact end.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the clamping device 100 further includes a position sensor (not shown) disposed between adjacent first mounting bases 24 in at least one of the first and second base plate modules 10a and 10b for emitting light to the battery cells 50 to detect the position state of the battery cells 50.

In an example, the position sensor may be composed of two mutually opposed sensors mounted on the first and second sides of the clamping device 100, respectively, wherein one sensor sends a signal to the other sensor and the other sensor receives a signal, which is blocked when the monitored object enters between the two sensors, thereby triggering the opposed sensor to output a signal indicating the presence or absence of the battery cell 50, i.e. indicating whether the battery cell 50 is in a clampable state.

By adding the position sensor in the clamping device 100, the real-time monitoring of the position state of the battery cell 50 is realized, and the automation and the accuracy of the welding process are further improved.

With continued reference to fig. 5 and 6, according to some embodiments of the application, each of the two securing assemblies 30 further includes: the second mounting base 31, the mounting surface of the second mounting base 31 against which the respective positioning members of the first positioning member 40a and the second positioning member 40b abut, is provided with a projection 22 for mating with a corresponding positioning hole 41 of the plurality of positioning holes 41 (see fig. 1).

By the cooperation of the protrusions 22 in the fixing members 30 and the positioning holes 41 on the positioning members, it is ensured that a desired and appropriate distance in the length direction X between each fixing member 30 and each clamping member is maintained, so that the welding efficiency and quality are improved.

Referring to fig. 6, according to some embodiments of the present application, each of the two fixing assemblies 30 further includes: a pressure sensor 37 mounted on the second mounting base 31 for detecting a clamping force between the fixing assembly 30 and the battery cell 50; a pressing portion 33 for pressing against the battery cell 50; and a second connection member 34 connected between the pressure sensor and the pressing portion, the dimension of the second connection member 34 in the width direction Y being determined according to the width of the battery cell 50.

By determining the different dimensions of the connector according to the width of the different cells 50, the dimensions of the fixing assembly 30 in the width direction Y are further determined, thereby enabling only the clamping assembly and the fixing assembly 30 to be replaced to accommodate the cells 50 of different thickness without the need for redesigning and integrally replacing the entire clamping device 100.

With continued reference to fig. 6, according to some embodiments of the present application, the second mounting base 31 is provided with a second rail 36, the second rail 36 extends along the width direction Y, and the pressing portion 33 is retractable along the second rail 36 along the width direction Y.

In some embodiments, the fixing assembly 30 may further include a second rail 36 and a second rail baffle 361, where the second rail baffle 361 is disposed at one end of the second rail 36 of the second mounting base 31 of the fixing assembly 30, and functions the same as the first rail baffle 261 in the previous embodiments, and will not be described herein. In an example, the "telescoping" of the fixed assembly 30 in the width direction Y is achieved by a linear rail structure. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the "telescoping" may be achieved in other ways, including but not limited to using any suitable means such as slides, runners, bearings, etc.

The fixing assembly 30 is further stretched in the width direction Y by designing the guide rail, so that debugging before the clamping step is facilitated.

Referring to fig. 3 and 5, according to some embodiments of the present application, each of the two fixing assemblies 30 further includes: and a second alignment member 35, the second alignment member 35 being disposed on a mounting surface of the second mounting base 31 abutting against the first floor module 10a for aligning the two fixing members 30 with the clamping members in the length direction X at one end contacting the battery cell 50.

By providing alignment features, the contact sections of the securing assembly 30 and the battery cells 50 are ensured to remain flush with each clamping assembly along the length direction X, helping to improve the consistency and quality of the weld.

According to some embodiments of the present application, the first floor module 10a and the second floor module 10b each have a reference surface 12 engaged with the second alignment member 25, the reference surface 12 being parallel to the length direction X and the height direction Z, and the second alignment member 35 being configured as a second boss 35a.

By abutting the second boss 35a of the fixing assembly against the reference surface, it is ensured that the fixing assembly is flush with the contact end of the battery cell 50.

Referring to fig. 8, fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exploded structure of a battery cell 50 according to some embodiments of the application. The battery cell 50 refers to the smallest unit constituting the battery. As shown in fig. 8, the battery cell 50 includes a top cover 51, a housing 52, a cell assembly 53, and other functional components.

The top cover 51 refers to a member that is covered at the opening of the case 52 to isolate the inner environment of the battery cell 50 from the outer environment. Without limitation, the shape of the top cover 51 may be adapted to the shape of the housing 52 to fit the housing 52. Alternatively, the top cover 51 may be made of a material (such as an aluminum alloy) with a certain hardness and strength, so that the top cover 51 is not easy to deform when being extruded and collided, so that the battery cell 50 can have a higher structural strength, and the safety performance can be improved. The top cover 51 may be provided with functional components such as electrode terminals 51 a. The electrode terminal 51a may be used to be electrically connected with the cell assembly 53 for outputting or inputting electric power of the battery cell 50. In some embodiments, a pressure relief mechanism may also be provided on the top cover 51 for relieving the internal pressure of the battery cell 50 when the internal pressure or temperature reaches a threshold. The top cover 51 may be made of various materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc. In some embodiments, insulation may also be provided on the inside of the top cover 51, which may be used to isolate electrical connection components within the housing 52 from the top cover 51 to reduce the risk of short circuits. By way of example, the insulation may be plastic, rubber, or the like.

The housing 52 is an assembly for mating with the top cover 51 to form an internal environment of the battery cell 50, wherein the formed internal environment may be used to house the cell assembly 53, electrolyte, and other components. The case 52 and the top cover 51 may be separate members, and an opening may be provided in the case 52, and the opening may be covered by the top cover 51 at the opening to form the internal environment of the battery cell 50. The top cover 51 and the housing 52 may be integrated, and specifically, the top cover 51 and the housing 52 may form a common connection surface before other components are put into the housing, and when the interior of the housing 52 needs to be sealed, the top cover 51 is covered with the housing 52. The housing 52 may be of various shapes and sizes, such as rectangular parallelepiped, cylindrical, hexagonal prism, etc. Specifically, the shape of the housing 52 may be determined according to the specific shape and size of the cell assembly 53. The material of the housing 52 may be various, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc.

The cell assembly 53 is a component in which electrochemical reactions occur in the battery cell 50. One or more battery cells 53 may be contained within the housing 52. The cell assembly 53 is mainly formed by winding or stacking a positive electrode sheet and a negative electrode sheet, and a separator is generally provided between the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet. The portions of the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet having active material constitute the main body portion of the cell assembly, and the portions of the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet having no active material constitute the tab 53a, respectively. The positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab may be located at one end of the main body portion together or located at two ends of the main body portion respectively. During charge and discharge of the battery, the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material react with the electrolyte, and the tab 53a connects the electrode terminals to form a current loop.

As one possible embodiment, there is provided a clamping device 100 for a battery cell, including: a first floor module 10a, a second floor module 10b, a first set of clamping assemblies 20a, and a second set of clamping assemblies 20b. The first base plate module 10a is used for being placed on a first side of the battery cell, and the second base plate module 10b is used for being placed on a second side of the battery cell. The battery cell has a length direction X, a width direction Y, and a height direction Z, the second side and the first side are opposite to each other in the width direction Y, and the first and second floor modules 10a and 10b are each provided with a plurality of clamping assembly mounting positions distributed along the length direction X. The first set of clamping assemblies 20a are for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the first floor module 10a and the second set of clamping assemblies 20b are for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the second floor module 10 b. Wherein each of the first and second sets of clamping assemblies 20a, 20b is configured to be telescopic in the width direction Y to clamp a battery cell.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical solution of the present application, and not for limiting the same; although the application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: the technical scheme described in the foregoing embodiments can be modified or some or all of the technical features thereof can be replaced by equivalents; such modifications and substitutions do not depart from the spirit of the application, and are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims and description. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the respective embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but encompasses all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims (16)

1. Clamping device (100) for a battery cell (50), characterized in that it comprises:

A first base plate module (10 a) for placement on a first side of the battery cell (50);

A second floor module (10 b) for being placed on a second side of the battery cell (50), the battery cell (50) having a length direction (X), a width direction (Y) and a height direction (Z), the second side and the first side being opposite to each other in the width direction (Y), the first floor module (10 a) and the second floor module (10 b) each being provided with a plurality of clamping assembly mounting positions distributed along the length direction (X);

A first set of clamping assemblies (20 a) for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the first floor module (10 a); and

A second set of clamping assemblies (20 b) for mounting at corresponding ones of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting locations of the second floor module (10 b),

Wherein each of the first group of clamping assemblies (20 a) and the second group of clamping assemblies (20 b) is configured to be retractable in the width direction (Y) to clamp the battery cell (50).

2. The clamping device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first and second floor modules (10 a, 10 b) are each provided with a guide extending along the length direction (X) to provide the plurality of clamping assembly mounting positions, and the first set of clamping assemblies (20 a) is provided with a slider in sliding connection with the guide of the first floor module (10 a) such that each clamping assembly of the first set of clamping assemblies (20 a) is slidable along the guide of the first floor module (10 a) to a corresponding clamping assembly mounting position of the plurality of clamping assembly mounting positions.

3. Clamping device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the guide comprises a runner (11) and the slide comprises a slider (21); or alternatively

The guide comprises a slide (21) and the slide comprises a chute (11).

4. A clamping device (100) according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the first floor module (10 a) is provided with a plurality of fixation assembly mounting locations distributed along the length direction (X), the clamping device (100) further comprising:

Two fixing members (30) for being mounted at two corresponding fixing member mounting positions of the plurality of fixing member mounting positions of the first floor module (10 a) such that the first group of clamping members (20 a) is located between the two corresponding fixing member mounting positions,

Wherein each of the two fixing members (30) is configured to be telescopic in the width direction (Y) and to provide a fixed support for the battery cell (50) during clamping of the battery cell (50) by the first and second sets of clamping members (20 a, 20 b).

5. The clamping device (100) according to claim 4, further comprising:

a first positioning member (40 a) for being mounted at an end of the first floor module (10 a) opposite to the battery cell (50) in the width direction (Y),

A second positioning member (40 b) for mounting at an end of the second floor module (10 b) opposite to the battery cell (50) in the width direction (Y), the first positioning member (40 a) for defining a pitch in the length direction (X) between the respective clamping assemblies of the first group of clamping assemblies (20 a), and the second positioning member (40 b) for defining a pitch in the length direction (X) between the respective clamping assemblies of the second group of clamping assemblies (20 b).

6. Clamping device (100) according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second positioning members (40 a, 40 b) is provided with a plurality of positioning holes (41) distributed along the length direction (X),

Wherein each clamping assembly of the first set of clamping assemblies (20 a) and the second set of clamping assemblies (20 b) comprises:

And a first mounting base (24), wherein the first mounting base (24) is provided with a protrusion (22) on a mounting surface abutted against the corresponding positioning piece in the first positioning piece (40 a) and the second positioning piece (40 b) for being matched with the corresponding positioning hole (41) in the plurality of positioning holes (41).

7. The clamping device (100) of claim 6, wherein each clamping assembly of the first set of clamping assemblies (20 a) and the second set of clamping assemblies (20 b) comprises:

A first actuator (27) mounted on the first mounting base (24) for providing a driving force in the width direction (Y);

a clamping portion (28) for abutting against the battery cell (50);

a first connecting member (23) connected between the first actuator (27) and the clamping portion (28) so that the first actuator (27) can drive the clamping portion (28) to expand and contract in the width direction (Y), the dimension of the first connecting member (23) in the width direction (Y) being determined according to the width of the battery cell (50).

8. Clamping device (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that the first mounting base (24) is provided with a first guide rail (26), the first guide rail (26) extending in the width direction (Y), the clamping portion (28) being telescopic in the width direction (Y) along the first guide rail (26).

9. The clamping device (100) of claim 6, wherein each clamping assembly of the first set of clamping assemblies (20 a) and the second set of clamping assemblies (20 b) comprises:

-a first alignment member (25), the first alignment member (25) being arranged on a mounting surface of the first mounting base (24) against a respective one of the first and second floor modules (10 a, 10 b) for enabling the respective one of the first and second sets of clamping assemblies (20 a, 20 b) to be flush with the end in contact with the battery cell (50) along the length direction (X).

10. Clamping device (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that the first and second floor modules (10 a, 10 b) each have a reference surface (12) engaging with the first alignment member (25), the reference surface (12) being parallel to the length direction (X) and the height direction (Z), the first alignment member (25) being configured as a first boss (25 a), the first boss (25 a) protruding in the height direction (Z) from a mounting surface of the first mounting base (24) against a respective one of the first and second floor modules (10 a, 10 b) and extending in the length direction (X).

11. The clamping device (100) according to claim 6, further comprising:

The position sensor is arranged between adjacent first mounting bases (24) in at least one of the first bottom plate module (10 a) and the second bottom plate module (10 b) and is used for emitting light to the battery unit (50) so as to detect the position state of the battery unit (50).

12. The clamping device (100) of claim 6, wherein each of the two securing assemblies (30) further comprises:

And a second mounting base (31), wherein a protrusion (22) is arranged on a mounting surface of the second mounting base (31) which is abutted against the corresponding positioning piece in the first positioning piece (40 a) and the second positioning piece (40 b) and is used for being matched with the corresponding positioning hole (41) in the plurality of positioning holes (41).

13. The clamping device (100) of claim 12, wherein each of the two securing assemblies (30) further comprises:

A pressure sensor (37) mounted on the second mounting base (31) for detecting a clamping force between the fixing assembly (30) and the battery cell (50);

a pressing portion (33) for pressing against the battery cell (50);

And a second connecting member (34) connected between the pressure sensor (37) and the pressing portion (33), the dimension of the second connecting member (34) in the width direction (Y) being determined according to the width of the battery cell (50).

14. Clamping device (100) according to claim 13, characterized in that the second mounting base (31) is provided with a second guide rail (36), the second guide rail (36) extending in the width direction (Y), the abutment (33) being telescopic in the width direction (Y) along the second guide rail (36).

15. The clamping device (100) of claim 13, wherein each of the two securing assemblies (30) further comprises:

And a second alignment component (35), wherein the second alignment component (35) is arranged on the mounting surface of the second mounting base (31) which is abutted against the first bottom plate module (10 a) and is used for enabling one end, contacted with the battery unit (50), of the two fixing assemblies (30) and the clamping assembly to be flush along the length direction (X).

16. Clamping device (100) according to claim 15, characterized in that the first floor module (10 a) and the second floor module (10 b) each have a reference surface (12) engaging with the second alignment member (35), the reference surfaces (12) being parallel to the length direction (X) and the height direction (Z), the second alignment member (35) being configured as a second boss (35 a).