Feeding apparatus, feeding method, and battery assembly line

Abstract

Disclosed in the present disclosure are a feeding apparatus, a feeding method, and a battery assembly line. The feeding apparatus comprises a material rack, a workpiece conveyor line, and a transfer mechanism, wherein the material rack is provided with at least two layers of bearing portions, which are arranged in sequence at intervals in a first direction, the bearing portions on the same layer define a workpiece bearing space for accommodating a workpiece, and the bearing portions can perform reciprocating motion in the first direction along with the material rack; the workpiece conveyor line is used for conveying the workpiece, the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line extending in a second direction that intersects with the first direction; and the transfer mechanism is configured to enter and exit the workpiece bearing space, the transfer mechanism being used for transferring the workpiece from the workpiece bearing space to the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line.

Description

Loading device, loading method and battery assembly line

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This disclosure is based on the Chinese patent application with application number 202311302502.5, application date October 10, 2023, and invention name “Loading device, loading method and battery assembly line”, and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application. The entire content of the Chinese patent application is hereby introduced into this disclosure as a reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing, and in particular to a loading device, a loading method and a battery assembly line. Background Art

[0004] New energy batteries are being used more and more widely in life and industry. For example, new energy vehicles equipped with batteries have been widely used. In addition, batteries are also being increasingly used in energy storage fields.

[0005] During the battery production process, the speed at which side panels are loaded affects the efficiency of subsequent processes, and thus the overall battery production efficiency. Therefore, improving side panel loading efficiency is one of the issues the industry needs to address to improve battery production efficiency.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a loading device, a loading method and a battery assembly line, thereby increasing the loading speed of the side panels and further improving the production efficiency of the battery modules.

[0008] The present disclosure is achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0009] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a feeding device, comprising:

[0010] A material rack, wherein the material rack is provided with at least two layers of bearing parts, the bearing parts of each layer are sequentially spaced along a first direction, the bearing parts of the same layer define a workpiece bearing space for accommodating a workpiece, and the bearing parts can reciprocate with the material rack in the first direction;

[0011] a workpiece conveying line, the workpiece conveying line being used to convey the workpiece, a conveying path of the workpiece conveying line extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction; and

[0012] A transfer mechanism is configured to be able to enter and exit the workpiece carrying space, and is used to transfer the workpiece from the workpiece carrying space to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line.

[0013] The workpieces are continuously conveyed through the workpiece conveyor line without the need for reciprocating transport using a robot, which is conducive to speeding up the loading rhythm and maintaining a high conveying speed throughout the entire work. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure saves the time for conveying the workpieces and can shorten the discharge interval of the workpieces, thereby improving the efficiency of workpiece loading.

[0014] In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism is configured to be capable of entering and exiting the workpiece carrying space along the first direction and has a conveying path extending along the second direction, and the conveying path of the transfer mechanism is disposed close to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line in the second direction;

[0015] The transfer mechanism is used to take the workpiece out of the workpiece carrying space and transport it along the second direction to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line.

[0016] The transfer of the workpiece is carried out through the transfer mechanism, thereby being able to convert the workpiece transportation along the first direction into the workpiece transportation along the second direction without reducing the cycle time, and without the need for a robot or the like to carry out back and forth grabbing and placing, the efficiency of the workpiece transfer is high, which further helps to improve the efficiency of the side panel material loading, thereby improving the battery production efficiency.

[0017] In some embodiments, the material rack has a bottom opening for the transfer mechanism to enter and exit the workpiece carrying space;

[0018] When the material rack moves toward the transfer mechanism along the first direction, the transfer mechanism enters the workpiece carrying space through the bottom opening, so that the workpiece in the workpiece carrying space is carried on the conveying path of the transfer mechanism.

[0019] The setting of the bottom opening enables the transfer mechanism to move upward relative to the material rack to enter the material rack, and then enter the workpiece carrying space, so that the workpiece can be taken from the workpiece carrying space by only relative movement. The structure is simple and the action is efficient.

[0020] In some embodiments, the material rack is provided with a side opening between at least two adjacent layers of the bearing parts, and the side opening faces the side where the workpiece conveying line is located in the second direction.

[0021] The side opening is used for the workpiece carried by the transfer mechanism to pass through.

[0022] The side opening is provided to allow the workpiece to pass through the material rack, so that the transfer mechanism can move the workpiece to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line without withdrawing from the material rack, thereby being able to efficiently convey the workpiece.

[0023] In some embodiments, in the first direction, a minimum distance between the supporting parts of two adjacent layers is greater than a maximum dimension of the workpiece.

[0024] In the first direction, the minimum distance between the bearing parts of two adjacent layers is greater than the maximum size of the workpiece, so that the workpiece can be moved from between the bearing parts of two adjacent layers to the side opening, and the transfer mechanism can smoothly transport the workpiece without withdrawing from the material rack.

[0025] In some embodiments, the supporting portion of each layer includes two supporting structures, the two supporting structures are respectively connected to the material rack, and the two supporting structures on the same layer are arranged opposite to each other with a distance between them.

[0026] In the second direction, the minimum distance between the two bearing structures on the same layer is greater than the maximum size of the transfer mechanism.

[0027] In this way, the transfer mechanism can smoothly pass through each workpiece carrying space along the first direction, and the workpiece can be smoothly transferred to the transfer mechanism through the relative movement of the transfer mechanism and the carrying structure in the first direction, without the need for additional grasping and placing devices for grasping and placing workpieces.

[0028] In some embodiments, the supporting structure includes a first plate extending along a third direction and a limit block provided at an end of the first plate, the first plate being connected to a side wall of the rack, and the third direction intersects both the first direction and the second direction.

[0029] The pair of limit blocks are arranged facing each other in the second direction.

[0030] The first plate is used to support the workpiece, and the limit block is used to limit the lateral position of the workpiece. The two first plates and the two limit blocks enclose a workpiece support space. Moreover, the workpiece can be easily confined in the workpiece support space.

[0031] In some embodiments, the supporting structure includes a steel wire rope extending along a third direction, with both ends of the steel wire rope being connected to opposite sides of the material rack, and the third direction intersects both the first direction and the second direction.

[0032] The two ends of the workpiece are supported by two steel wire ropes respectively, which has a simple structure, low cost and small space occupation.

[0033] In some embodiments, a first set position is provided in the conveying path of the transfer mechanism, and the first set position is used to place the workpiece or a pallet, and the pallet can accommodate the workpiece moved out of the workpiece carrying space.

[0034] Therefore, the workpiece can be directly carried by the transfer mechanism or by the pallet. Therefore, the pallet can be used or not used according to the needs of the subsequent process, which helps to reduce the time spent on placing or removing the pallet in the subsequent process.

[0035] In some embodiments, a pallet conveying line is provided on a side of the material rack away from the workpiece conveying line along the second direction, and the pallet conveying line is used to convey the pallet to a conveying path of the transfer mechanism.

[0036] The pallet conveyor line is used to convey pallets to the transfer mechanism, so it can continuously and automatically convey pallets in accordance with the conveying speed of the workpieces to the transfer mechanism, which helps to continuously carry out the action of the pallet carrying the workpiece.

[0037] In some embodiments, the loading device includes a stop structure that can be raised and lowered, and the stop structure is used to stop the tray at the first set position.

[0038] By setting a stop structure, the pallet can be stopped at a first set position to facilitate the subsequent placement of workpieces into the pallet. The stop structure can be raised and lowered to remove the stop on the pallet, allowing the pallet to move smoothly from the transfer mechanism to the conveyor line.

[0039] In some embodiments, the loading device also includes a driving mechanism and a frame, the driving mechanism is arranged on the upper part of the frame, the material rack is arranged inside the frame, and the output end of the driving mechanism is connected to the material rack for driving the material rack to move back and forth along the first direction.

[0040] The drive mechanism is configured to drive the material rack to reciprocate in a first direction. The frame is used to mount the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is disposed on the upper portion of the frame, thereby saving space within the frame.

[0041] In some embodiments, one of the machine frame and the material rack is provided with at least one guide sleeve, and the other is provided with at least one guide slide rod extending along the first direction, and the guide sleeve and the guide slide rod are slidably connected in a one-to-one manner.

[0042] The coordinated connection between the guide sleeve and the guide slide rod guides the movement of the material rack along the first direction, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the material rack.

[0043] In some embodiments, the loading device includes a first sensor, and the first sensor is used to detect whether the workpiece is carried at the first set position.

[0044] The first sensor is provided to detect whether a workpiece is carried at the first set position, thereby reducing the risk of placing the workpiece at the wrong time and playing a fool-proof role.

[0045] In some embodiments, the moving path of the rack has a plurality of preset pause positions sequentially spaced along the first direction;

[0046] The plurality of preset pause positions and the plurality of workpiece carrying spaces are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. Each time the material rack moves to a preset pause position along the first direction, the first set position passes through the preset distance of the workpiece carrying space and becomes a state of carrying the workpiece.

[0047] Thus, the positional relationship between the carrying portion and the first set position can be controlled by controlling the feeding distance of the material rack, so that the workpiece can be transferred from the carrying portion to the transfer mechanism smoothly and reliably.

[0048] In some embodiments, the loading device further includes a rack position detection component, and the rack position detection component is used to detect whether the rack is located at the preset pause position.

[0049] The rack position detection component is used to detect whether the rack is located at the preset pause position, so that the rack can be controlled to feed an appropriate distance and pause at an appropriate position in an automated manner so that the workpiece can be transferred to the transfer mechanism and transported to the workpiece conveying line by the transfer mechanism during the rack pause.

[0050] In some embodiments, the material rack position detection component includes a second sensor and a detection coordination plate, one of the second sensor and the detection coordination plate is set on the material rack, and the other is set on the machine frame, and the detection coordination plate is provided with a plurality of openings spaced in sequence along the first direction, and the second sensor is configured to detect whether the opening passes, and each time the second sensor detects that an opening passes, the material rack is located at one of the preset pause positions.

[0051] The second sensor cooperates with the detection matching plate to realize the detection of the material rack position by the material rack position detection component with a simple structure.

[0052] In some embodiments, the loading device also includes a material rack mounting plate, which is connected to the output end of the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism can drive the material rack mounting plate to move back and forth along the first direction, and the material rack is detachably connected to the material rack mounting plate.

[0053] Thus, the drive mechanism drives the rack mounting plate to reciprocate along the first direction. Furthermore, the rack can be removed from the mounting plate, allowing it to be placed in a suitable location for loading workpieces. This facilitates loading workpieces onto the rack's load-bearing portion. After a specified number of workpieces have been loaded, the rack is mounted to the mounting plate, allowing the workpieces to be transported. The detachable connection between the rack and mounting plate enhances loading convenience.

[0054] In some embodiments, one of the material rack mounting plate and the material rack is provided with a mounting groove, and the other is provided with a mounting block, and the mounting block is clamped in the mounting groove.

[0055] The mounting block and the mounting groove are engaged with each other to realize the detachable connection between the material rack mounting plate and the material rack, and the detachment is easy.

[0056] In some embodiments, the mounting grooves are provided with two notches opposite to or facing each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and the mounting blocks are provided with two notches opposite to or facing each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

[0057] The two mounting grooves are arranged with their notches facing each other or opposite each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and the two mounting blocks are arranged with their notches facing each other or opposite each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction. When the two mounting blocks are correspondingly mounted in the two mounting grooves, the two mounting grooves define the positions of the two mounting blocks in the first direction, allowing the material rack to move synchronously with the material rack mounting plate in the first direction. Furthermore, the material rack can be removed by sliding the mounting blocks relative to the mounting grooves, making the material rack easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0058] In some embodiments, a second set position and a third set position downstream of the second set position are provided in the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line, and the transfer mechanism is capable of transferring the workpiece from the workpiece carrying space to the second set position of the workpiece conveying line;

[0059] A positioning structure is provided at the third set position of the workpiece conveying line, and the positioning structure is configured to limit the positions of the workpiece located at the third set position on two opposite sides in a third direction, where the third direction intersects both the first direction and the second direction.

[0060] The workpiece at the second set position can be transported to the third set position under the conveying action of the workpiece conveyor line. The positioning structure at the third set position is used to limit the position of the workpiece on both sides relative to each other in the third direction to correct the position and posture of the workpiece, so as to facilitate subsequent processing, material picking operations, etc.

[0061] In some embodiments, the positioning structure includes two first side stops, and the two first side stops are respectively located on two opposite sides of the third direction at the third set position of the workpiece conveying line.

[0062] The two first side stops can respectively limit the two opposite sides in the third direction of the workpiece at the third set position, thereby correcting the position and posture of the workpiece to facilitate subsequent processing, material removal operations, etc.

[0063] In some embodiments, a guide structure is provided at one end of the first side stop close to the second set position, and the distance between the two opposite side walls of the two guide structures in the third direction gradually decreases along the conveying direction of the workpiece conveying line.

[0064] The restrictions of the side walls of the two guide structures guide the workpiece into between the two first side stops, so that the workpiece transported from the second set position can smoothly enter the positioning structure at the third set position, so that the workpiece can be positioned while being transported.

[0065] In some embodiments, the workpiece comprises a side plate of a battery.

[0066] The loading device provided in the disclosed embodiments can be used to load side panels during battery assembly. By conveying the side panels as workpieces via a workpiece conveyor line, the side panels can be continuously and rapidly transported. This reduces the time required to transport the side panels, shortens the interval between side panel discharges, and improves the efficiency of loading the side panels, thereby accelerating the production cycle of the entire battery production line.

[0067] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a loading method, wherein a loading device is used to load a workpiece, the loading device comprising a material rack, a workpiece conveyor line, and a transfer mechanism, the material rack being provided with at least two layers of bearing parts, the bearing parts of each layer being sequentially spaced along a first direction, the bearing parts of the same layer defining a workpiece bearing space for accommodating the workpiece, the loading method comprising:

[0068] a placing step of placing a workpiece on the supporting portion;

[0069] a rack moving step, wherein the rack stops after passing a preset distance through the workpiece carrying space along the first direction;

[0070] A transfer step, wherein the transfer mechanism transfers the workpiece taken from one of the workpiece carrying spaces to a conveying path of the workpiece conveying line after passing through the workpiece carrying space;

[0071] In the conveying step, the workpiece conveying line conveys the transferred workpiece.

[0072] The workpieces are continuously conveyed through the workpiece conveyor line without the need for reciprocating transport using a robot, which is conducive to speeding up the loading rhythm and maintaining a high conveying speed throughout the entire work. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure saves the time for conveying the workpieces and can shorten the discharge interval of the workpieces, thereby improving the efficiency of workpiece loading.

[0073] In some embodiments, the loading device further includes a rack, the rack is disposed inside the rack, and the placing step includes:

[0074] Remove the material rack from the machine frame and place it at the feeding location;

[0075] placing the workpiece into the carrying portion;

[0076] The rack on which a predetermined number of the workpieces are placed is mounted on the machine frame.

[0077] First remove the material rack and then load the workpiece into the material rack, and then install it after installation. Compared with loading the workpiece into the material rack installed on the frame, this method can improve the convenience of loading.

[0078] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery assembly line, comprising:

[0079] The first aspect of the present disclosure provides a loading device;

[0080] a logistics line for conveying workpieces, wherein the workpieces include side panels; and

[0081] The side panel gluing device is used to stick adhesive tape on the workpiece.

[0082] The workpiece conveyed by the logistics line is loaded onto the carrying portion of the material rack of the loading device.

[0083] The transfer mechanism can transfer the workpiece carried by the carrying portion to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line, and the workpiece conveying line can convey the workpiece transferred to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line to a third set position and position it.

[0084] The side panel gluing device adheres adhesive tape to the workpiece located at the third set position.

[0085] Since the battery assembly line includes the loading device provided by the first aspect of the present disclosure, and the loading device has high loading efficiency, the assembly efficiency of the battery assembly line is improved.

[0086] Effects of the Invention

[0087] The embodiments of the present disclosure can provide a loading device, a loading method and a battery assembly line, thereby increasing the loading speed of the side panels and further improving the production efficiency of the battery modules. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0088] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment below. The accompanying drawings are for illustration purposes only and are not to be considered as limiting the present disclosure. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to denote the same components. In the drawings:

[0089] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a feeding device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure from one perspective;

[0090] FIG2 is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of a partial structure of a loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0091] FIG3 is a perspective schematic diagram of another partial structure of a loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0092] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a loading device from another perspective provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0093] FIG5 is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point A in FIG4 ;

[0094] FIG6 is a perspective exploded schematic diagram of another portion of the structure of the loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0095] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0096] FIG8 is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point B in FIG7;

[0097] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a motion control module of a loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0098] FIG10 is a schematic flow chart of a loading method provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0099] FIG11 is another schematic flow chart of a loading method provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0100] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a battery assembly line according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0101] Explanation of Reference Numerals 1000 workpiece; 2000 logistics line; 3000 side panel gluing device; 10 controller; 11 material rack; 111 material rack top plate; 112 material rack supporting column; 12 bearing portion; 121 bearing structure; 1211 first plate; 1212 limiting block; 12121 first limiting portion; 12122 second limiting portion; 12123 introduction slope; 13 mounting block; 2 driving mechanism; 3 transfer mechanism; 4 workpiece conveying line; 41 first conveying rack; 42 first roller; 43 first belt; 44 first driving member; 45 positioning structure; 451 first side stop; 452 guide structure; 5 frame; 51 frame top plate; 52 supporting portion; 53 accommodating box; 61 guide sleeve; 62 guide slide rod; 71 first sensor; 72 mounting rod; 73 material rack position detection assembly; 731 second sensor; 732 detection matching plate; 8. Material rack mounting plate; 81. Mounting slot; 91. Pallet; 911. Limiting structure; 92. Pallet conveyor line; 93. Stop structure; 94. Driving member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0102] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present disclosure and are therefore only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0103] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this disclosure; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in this disclosure are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0104] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, technical terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used solely to distinguish different objects and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly specify the quantity, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the technical features indicated. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, "plurality" means more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0105] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0106] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0107] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", and "outside" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, operated or used in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0108] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, technical terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and can refer to internal connectivity between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure based on specific circumstances.

[0109] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the technical term "contact" should be understood in a broad sense, and can be direct contact, contact through an intermediate medium layer, contact with essentially no interaction force between the two contacting parties, or contact with interaction force between the two contacting parties.

[0110] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0111] Currently, new energy batteries are increasingly being used in everyday life and industry. They are not only used in energy storage systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but are also widely used in electric vehicles like electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in a variety of fields such as aerospace. As the application of power batteries continues to expand, market demand is also growing.

[0112] During the battery production process, the speed at which side panels are loaded affects the efficiency of subsequent processes, and thus the overall battery production efficiency. Therefore, improving side panel loading efficiency is one of the issues the industry needs to address to improve battery production efficiency.

[0113] The side plates of a battery are usually plate-shaped members arranged near the large surface and / or side surfaces of the battery, and are sometimes also bonded to the large surface and / or side surfaces of the battery. The side plates can be composed of a single plate or a plurality of plates.

[0114] The inventors of the present disclosure noticed that in the existing side panel loading scheme, the side panel is positioned by a positioning structure and then grabbed by a robot for loading. After the robot grabs the side panel and transports it to the next workstation, it needs to return to the positioning structure to grab the next side panel. The robot needs to make a round trip to complete the loading of a side panel, so that the interval of side panel loading is limited by the robot beat, resulting in the speed of side panel loading being limited. Therefore, there is room for further improvement in the loading beat.

[0115] After research, the inventors of the present disclosure found that using a conveyor line instead of a robot to transport and load the side panels can shorten the discharge interval of the side panels, improve the efficiency of side panel loading, and thus improve battery production efficiency.

[0116] Based on this design concept, the inventors of the present disclosure designed a loading device. The loading device includes a material rack, a workpiece conveyor line, and a transfer mechanism. The material rack is provided with at least two layers of supporting parts, each layer of supporting parts being sequentially spaced along a first direction. The supporting parts on the same layer define a workpiece supporting space for accommodating workpieces, and the supporting parts are capable of reciprocating along the first direction with the material rack; the workpiece conveyor line is used to convey workpieces, and the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction; the transfer mechanism is configured to be able to enter and exit the workpiece supporting space, and the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the workpiece from the workpiece supporting space to the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line.

[0117] The side panels are continuously conveyed through the workpiece conveyor line, and there is no need to use a robot for back-and-forth transportation, which is conducive to speeding up the loading rhythm and maintaining a high conveying speed throughout the entire work. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure saves the time for conveying the side panels and can shorten the discharge interval of the side panels, thereby improving the efficiency of side panel loading and further improving battery production efficiency.

[0118] The loading device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be used, but is not limited to, for loading battery side panels. It can also be used for loading battery cover plates, bottom plates, front and rear end panels, battery cells, cold plates, conductive connectors, and other components. It can also be used for loading other workpieces. Due to the fast loading cycle and high efficiency of the loading device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, it can improve the assembly efficiency of batteries and other devices.

[0119] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery may be a battery cell.

[0120] A battery cell refers to a basic unit that can realize the mutual conversion of chemical energy and electrical energy. It can be used to make battery modules or battery packs, which are used to power electrical devices.

[0121] The battery cell may be a secondary battery. A secondary battery refers to a battery cell that can be recharged to activate the active material after the battery cell is discharged and can be used continuously.

[0122] The battery cells may be lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries, sodium metal batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0123] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery can be a single physical module including one or more battery cells to provide higher voltage and capacity. When there are multiple battery cells, the multiple battery cells are connected in series, in parallel or in hybrid through a busbar.

[0124] In some embodiments, the battery may be a battery module. When there are multiple battery cells, the multiple battery cells are arranged and fixed to form a battery module.

[0125] In some embodiments, the battery may be a battery pack, which includes a case and battery cells, wherein the battery cells or battery modules are housed in the case.

[0126] In the following embodiments, for the convenience of description, description is given with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0127] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure from one perspective; Figure 2 is a three-dimensional exploded schematic diagram of a partial structure of the loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another partial structure of the loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure from another perspective; Figure 5 is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point A in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a three-dimensional exploded schematic diagram of another partial structure of the loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 8 is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point B in Figure 7.

[0128] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for ease of explanation, a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction are set, and the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are directions that intersect with each other, where intersecting with each other includes intersecting perpendicularly with each other. For ease of understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure, in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 8, the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are directions that intersect with each other perpendicularly for explanation, but those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the case where the three directions intersect with each other perpendicularly. For ease of explanation, as shown by the arrows in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 7, the direction of arrow Z is the first direction, the direction of arrow X is the second direction, and the direction of arrow Y is the third direction. Sometimes the direction indicated by arrow Z along the first direction is also referred to as "downward", and the opposite direction is referred to as "above".

[0129] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a loading device, as shown in Figure 1, the loading device includes a material rack 11, a transfer mechanism 3, a workpiece conveyor line 4 and at least two layers of load-bearing parts 12. The material rack 11 is provided with at least two layers of load-bearing parts 12, and the load-bearing parts 12 of each layer are arranged in sequence along the first direction. The load-bearing parts 12 on the same layer define a workpiece carrying space for accommodating the workpiece 1000, and the load-bearing part 12 can reciprocate with the material rack 11 in the first direction; the workpiece conveyor line 4 is used to convey the workpiece 1000, and the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line 4 extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction; the transfer mechanism 3 is configured to be able to enter and exit the workpiece carrying space, and the transfer mechanism 3 is used to transfer the workpiece 1000 from the workpiece carrying space to the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line 4.

[0130] The material rack 11 is provided with at least two layers of bearing parts 12 , each layer of bearing parts 12 is used to place the workpiece 1000 , and the entire material rack 11 can move as a whole, so that all the bearing parts 12 in the material rack 11 can move synchronously.

[0131] The workpiece carrying space defined by the bearing portion 12 on the same layer can accommodate one, two, three, four or other number of workpieces 1000, and the specific number is not limited here. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the example of accommodating one workpiece 1000 (specifically a side plate for a battery) is used for explanation.

[0132] The transfer mechanism 3 is a mechanism for transferring the workpiece 1000 accommodated in the workpiece carrying space of the carrying portion 12 to the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line 4. The transfer mechanism 3 can be a structure formed by a power device such as a cylinder or a linear motor in conjunction with a push block. Such a transfer mechanism can push the workpiece 1000 from the workpiece carrying space to the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line 4. The transfer mechanism 3 can also be a conveying mechanism, such as a conveyor belt or a double-speed chain. Such a transfer mechanism 3 can carry the workpiece 1000 and move the workpiece 1000 out of the workpiece carrying space and hand it over to the workpiece conveyor line 4. Of course, the transfer mechanism 3 can also be a manipulator that grabs the workpiece 1000 from the workpiece carrying space and moves it to the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line 4. In the case where the transfer mechanism 3 is a manipulator, since the transfer is only performed by the manipulator, the transfer stroke by the manipulator is significantly shortened, and the discharge interval of the side panel can still be shortened, thereby improving the efficiency of the side panel loading, and then improving the battery production efficiency.

[0133] A conveyor mechanism is a mechanical device that transports materials along a specific path in a continuous, uniform, and stable manner. Common conveyor mechanisms include belt conveyors, chain conveyors, roller conveyors, double-speed chain conveyors, and roller conveyors. In the present disclosure, the workpiece conveyor line 4 can be any of these.

[0134] The loading device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure conveys the workpiece 1000 through the workpiece conveyor line 4. The workpiece conveyor line 4 can perform one-way continuous transportation and does not need to perform back and forth transportation like a robot, which is conducive to speeding up the loading rhythm and can maintain a high conveying speed throughout the entire work. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure saves the time of conveying the workpiece 1000 and can shorten the discharge interval of the workpiece 1000, thereby improving the efficiency of loading the workpiece 1000.

[0135] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transfer mechanism 3 includes a linear power device (such as but not limited to a cylinder, a linear motor) and a push block (not shown in the figure). The linear power device is arranged on the side of the material rack 11 away from the workpiece conveying line 4 in the second direction, the output end of the linear power device is arranged toward the workpiece conveying line 4, and the push block is connected to the output end of the linear power device. When the material rack 11 moves along the first direction to a position where the workpiece carrying space of one layer of the supporting portion 12 is directly opposite to the push block in the second direction, the material rack 11 stops moving, and the linear power device drives the push block to move along the second direction. The push block enters the workpiece carrying space directly opposite it and pushes the workpiece 1000 in the workpiece carrying space out along the second direction until the workpiece 1000 moves to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line 4. The linear power device drives the push block to withdraw from the material rack 11, so that the material rack 11 can move along the first direction again to load the workpiece 1000 carried by another layer of the supporting portion 12.

[0136] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transfer mechanism 3 is configured to be able to enter and exit the workpiece carrying space along a first direction and has a conveying path extending along a second direction, and the conveying path of the transfer mechanism 3 is arranged close to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line 4 in the second direction; the transfer mechanism 3 is used to take the workpiece 1000 out of the workpiece carrying space and convey it to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line 4 along the second direction.

[0137] The transfer mechanism 3 is, for example, disposed below the material rack 11 and can be any one of a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, a roller conveyor, a double-speed chain conveyor, and a roller conveyor. The transfer mechanism 3 can, for example, have a bearing plane facing upward (on one side of the first direction), which can be the belt surface of a belt conveyor or the bearing surface defined by the double-speed chain of a double-speed chain conveyor.

[0138] When the material rack 11 moves toward the transfer mechanism 3 along the first direction, the load-bearing parts 12 of each layer in the material rack 11 move synchronously. As the material rack 11 moves along the first direction, the transfer mechanism 3 enters the workpiece load-bearing space. In the case where the workpiece load-bearing space contains a workpiece 1000, the transfer mechanism 3 will support the workpiece 1000 so that it leaves the load-bearing part 12 and moves out of the workpiece load-bearing space. After being moved out, the workpiece 1000 moves to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line 4 under the conveying action of the transfer mechanism 3, and the workpiece 1000 is then conveyed through the workpiece conveying line 4. In the case where there is no workpiece 1000 in the workpiece load-bearing space entered by the transfer mechanism 3, the material rack 11 continues to move toward the transfer mechanism 3 along the first direction, and the transfer mechanism 3 enters the workpiece load-bearing space one by one along the first direction until the transfer mechanism 3 enters a workpiece load-bearing space containing a workpiece 1000, and the workpiece 1000 in the workpiece load-bearing space undergoes the above-mentioned transfer movement process.

[0139] The transfer action of the workpiece 1000 is carried out through the transfer mechanism 3, thereby being able to convert the workpiece transportation along the first direction into the workpiece transportation along the second direction without reducing the cycle time. Since the transfer mechanism 3 is a one-way conveying, it does not need to perform back and forth grabbing and releasing like a robot arm, so the efficiency of transferring the workpiece 1000 is high, which further helps to improve the efficiency of side plate loading and thus improve battery production efficiency.

[0140] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the material rack 11 has a bottom opening for the transfer mechanism 3 to enter and exit the workpiece carrying space; when the material rack 11 moves along the first direction toward the transfer mechanism 3, the transfer mechanism 3 enters the workpiece carrying space through the bottom opening, so that the workpiece 1000 in the workpiece carrying space is carried on the conveying path of the transfer mechanism 3.

[0141] The bottom opening is an opening opened at the bottom of the material rack 11 , and is used for allowing the transfer mechanism 3 to enter the inner space of the material rack 11 and further enter the workpiece carrying space of the carrying portion 12 .

[0142] The setting of the bottom opening enables the transfer mechanism 3 to move upward relative to the material rack 11 to enter the material rack 11 and then enter the workpiece carrying space, so that the workpiece can be taken from the workpiece carrying space by only relative movement. The structure is simple and the operation is efficient.

[0143] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the material rack 11 is provided with a side opening between at least two adjacent layers of the supporting parts 12, and the side opening faces the side where the workpiece conveying line 4 in the second direction is located, and the side opening is for the workpiece 1000 carried on the conveying path of the transfer mechanism 3 to pass through.

[0144] The side opening is an opening opened on the side of the material rack 11, which is used for the workpiece 1000 transported along the second direction under the conveying action of the transfer mechanism 3 to pass through, so that the workpiece 1000 passes through the material rack 11 and moves to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line 4.

[0145] The side opening is provided to allow the workpiece 1000 to pass through the material rack 11 , so that the transfer mechanism 3 can move the workpiece 1000 to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line 4 without withdrawing from the material rack 11 , thereby being able to efficiently convey the workpiece 1000 .

[0146] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the first direction, the minimum distance between the carrying portions 12 of two adjacent layers is greater than the maximum dimension of the workpiece 1000 .

[0147] In the first direction, the minimum distance between the supporting parts 12 of two adjacent layers is greater than the maximum size of the workpiece 1000, so that the workpiece 1000 can be moved from between the supporting parts 12 of two adjacent layers to the side opening, and the transfer mechanism can smoothly transport the workpiece 1000 without withdrawing from the material rack 11.

[0148] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a side opening is provided only on one side of the material rack 11 where the workpiece conveying line 4 facing in the second direction is located.

[0149] The side opening on this side can allow the workpiece 1000 to pass through, and can also be used to load the workpiece 1000 into the material rack 11.

[0150] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, side openings are provided on both opposite sides of the rack 11 in the second direction.

[0151] The side opening on the side facing the workpiece conveying line 4 can be used for the workpiece 1000 to pass through, and can also be used to load the workpiece 1000 into the material rack 11. The side opening on the other opposite side can be used to load the workpiece 1000 into the material rack 11.

[0152] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bearing portion 12 of each layer includes two bearing structures 121, the two bearing structures 121 are respectively connected to the material rack 11, and the two bearing structures 121 on the same layer are arranged relative to each other at a distance, and in the second direction, the minimum distance between the two bearing structures 121 on the same layer is greater than the maximum size of the transfer mechanism 3.

[0153] The two supporting structures 121 on the same layer respectively support the two ends of the workpiece 1000 , and the space between the two supporting structures 121 on the same layer allows the transfer mechanism 3 to pass through from below to above.

[0154] In this way, the transfer mechanism 3 can smoothly pass through each workpiece carrying space along the first direction, and the workpiece 1000 can be smoothly transferred to the transfer mechanism 3 through the relative movement of the transfer mechanism 3 and the carrying structure 121 in the first direction, without the need for additional grasping and placing devices for grasping and placing the workpiece 1000.

[0155] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 2, the supporting structure 121 includes a first plate 1211 extending along a third direction and a limit block 1212 arranged at the end of the first plate 1211, the first plate 1211 is connected to the side wall of the material rack 11, the third direction intersects with both the first direction and the second direction, and the paired limit blocks 1212 are arranged facing each other in the second direction.

[0156] The first plate 1211 is used to support the workpiece 1000, and the limit block 1212 is used to limit the lateral position of the workpiece 1000. The two first plates 1211 and the two limit blocks 1212 enclose each other to define a workpiece supporting space, and can easily limit the workpiece 1000 in the workpiece supporting space.

[0157] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the limit block 1212 includes a first limit portion 12121 and two second limit portions 12122 respectively connected to the two ends of the first limit portion 12121. The first limit portion 12121, the first plate 1211 and the two second limit portions 12122 form a accommodating space for accommodating one end of the workpiece 1000. The first limit portion 12121 and the two second limit portions 12122 are respectively limited to three adjacent sides of one end of the workpiece 1000.

[0158] The specific structural definition of the limiting block 1212 improves the stability of the supporting portion 12 in supporting the workpiece 1000 .

[0159] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inner walls of the first limiting portion 12121 and the second limiting portion 12122 are both provided with an introduction slope 12123 .

[0160] The setting of the introduction slope 12123 is used to play an introduction role when the workpiece 1000 is loaded.

[0161] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the supporting structure 121 includes a steel wire rope extending along a third direction, with both ends of the steel wire rope being connected to opposite sides of the rack 11 respectively. The third direction intersects both the first direction and the second direction.

[0162] The two ends of the workpiece 1000 are supported by two steel wire ropes respectively, which has a simple structure, low cost and small space occupation.

[0163] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 2, the material rack 11 includes a material rack top plate 111 and four material rack support columns 112, the four material rack support columns 112 are respectively connected to the four corners of the bottom surface of the material rack top plate 111, the two ends of a supporting structure 121 are respectively connected to two adjacent material rack support columns 112, and the two ends of another supporting structure 121 are respectively connected to the other two material rack support columns 112, the area between the bottom ends of the four material rack support columns 112 is the bottom opening of the material rack 11, and the area enclosed by two adjacent supporting structures 121 in the first direction and the two material rack support columns 112 connected to the two supporting structures 121 is the side opening of the material rack 11.

[0164] The rack 11 is formed by connecting a rack top plate 111 and four rack support columns 112. This simplifies the structure of the rack 11, improves its structural stability, and reduces costs. The rack 11 has side openings on both sides along the second direction for receiving and / or removing workpieces 1000. The rack 11 also has two rack support columns 112 on either side along the third direction. The space between the two rack support columns 112 on the same side can also be used to load workpieces 1000.

[0165] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 1, the loading device also includes a driving mechanism 2 and a frame 5, the driving mechanism 2 is arranged on the upper part of the frame 5, and the material rack 11 is arranged inside the frame 5, and the output end of the driving mechanism 2 is connected to the material rack 11 for driving the material rack 11 to move back and forth along the first direction.

[0166] The drive mechanism 2 is provided to drive the reciprocating movement of the material rack 11 in the first direction. The frame 5 is used to install the drive mechanism 2. The drive mechanism 2 is provided on the upper part of the frame 5, saving the internal space of the frame 5.

[0167] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 1, the rack 5 includes a rack top plate 51 and a support part 52, the rack top plate 51 is connected to the top of the support part 52, the material rack 11 is movably arranged below the rack top plate 51 along the first direction, and the transfer mechanism 3 is arranged below the rack top plate 51.

[0168] The setting of the frame 5 is used for the installation of the material rack 11.

[0169] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the support part 52 includes four rack support columns, which are respectively connected to the four corners of the bottom surface of the rack top plate 51. The material rack 11 and the transfer mechanism 3 are arranged in the space between the rack top plate 51 and the four rack support columns, and the driving mechanism 2 is connected to the upper part of the rack top plate 51.

[0170] The rack top plate 51 is supported by four rack support columns, and has a simple structure, which not only improves the stability of the structure but also saves costs.

[0171] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the driving mechanism 2 includes a linear motor, which is installed on the upper part of the frame top plate 51. The output shaft of the linear motor moves through the frame top plate 51 along the first direction, and the end of the output shaft is connected to the material rack top plate 111 of the material rack 11.

[0172] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the driving mechanism 2 includes a cylinder, which is installed on the upper part of the frame top plate 51. The piston rod of the cylinder moves through the frame top plate 51 along the first direction, and the end of the piston rod is connected to the material rack top plate 111 of the material rack 11.

[0173] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG1 , one of the machine frame 5 and the material rack 11 is provided with at least one guide sleeve 61, and the other is provided with at least one guide slide rod 62 extending along the first direction, and the guide sleeve 61 and the guide slide rod 62 are slidably connected in a one-to-one manner.

[0174] The coordinated connection between the guide sleeve 61 and the guide rod 62 guides the movement of the material rack 11 along the first direction, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the material rack 11 .

[0175] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, two guide sleeves 61 and two guide slide rods 62 are provided, and the two guide sleeves 61 and the two guide slide rods 62 are slidably connected in a one-to-one manner. The two sets of matching sliding guide sleeves 61 and guide slide rods 62 are symmetrically arranged about the center line of the material rack 11 in the first direction, thereby further improving the stability of the movement of the material rack 11.

[0176] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the guide sleeve 61 is connected to the frame top plate 51, the bottom end of the guide slide rod 62 is connected to the material rack 11, the guide slide rod 62 slides through the guide sleeve 61, and the top end of the guide slide rod 62 passes through the frame top plate 51 upward, and the top end of the guide slide rod 62 is connected to the limiting sleeve.

[0177] Such arrangement enables the guide slide bar 62 to be located above the frame top plate 51, thus saving the guide slide bar 62 from occupying the space below the frame top plate 51. The setting of the limit sleeve limits the sliding limit position of the guide slide bar 62 and prevents the guide slide bar 62 from coming out of the guide sleeve 61.

[0178] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a receiving box 53 is fixedly provided on the upper portion of the frame top plate 51 , and the driving mechanism 2 and the guide slide rod 62 located on the upper portion of the frame top plate 51 are both provided in the receiving box 53 .

[0179] The container 53 is a box-like structure that houses the components located above the rack top plate 51. The container 53 can be of various shapes and sizes, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, a cylinder, or a hexagonal prism. Specifically, the shape of the container 53 can be determined based on the specific distribution and size of the components contained therein. The container 53 can be constructed from a variety of materials, such as copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, and plastic.

[0180] The arrangement of the accommodating box 53 prevents the guide slide bar 62 and the driving mechanism 2 on the upper portion of the frame top plate 51 from being hit by external components, thereby protecting the guide slide bar 62 and the driving mechanism 2 on the upper portion of the frame top plate 51 .

[0181] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the storage box 53 includes a frame and a plate mounted on the frame, wherein the frame can be, for example, substantially in the shape of a cuboid, and the plate can be, for example, transparent. The frame of the storage box 53 includes a first frame, a second frame, and four connecting rods. The first frame is fixedly connected to the upper portion of the frame top plate 51, the second frame and the first frame are spaced apart in the first direction, one end of the four connecting rods is respectively connected to the four corners of the first frame, and the other end of the four connecting rods is respectively connected to the four corners of the second frame. The five surfaces of the frame of the storage box 53, except for the bottom surface, form a square frame, and a plate is installed in each square frame, and the plate can be transparent.

[0182] With such a configuration, the accommodating box 53 not only protects the internal components, but also enables the working status of the internal components to be observed through the transparent plate.

[0183] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transparent plate includes at least one of a polycarbonate plate, an acrylic plate, a polyethylene plate, a polypropylene plate, and a glass plate.

[0184] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the loading device also includes a material rack mounting plate 8, which is connected to the output end of the driving mechanism 2. The driving mechanism 2 can drive the material rack mounting plate 8 to move back and forth along the first direction, and the material rack 11 is detachably connected to the material rack mounting plate 8.

[0185] The drive mechanism 2 drives the rack mounting plate 8 to cause the rack 11 to reciprocate along the first direction. The rack 11 and the rack mounting plate 8 are detachably connected. That is, the rack 11 can be removed from the rack mounting plate 8 and placed at the feeding area to facilitate the loading of workpieces 1000 into the load-bearing portion 12 of the rack 11. After a specified number of workpieces 1000 are loaded, the rack 11 is mounted to the rack mounting plate 8, and the workpieces 1000 can then be transported.

[0186] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the frame top plate 51 and the material rack mounting plate 8 is provided with at least one guide sleeve 61, and the other is provided with at least one guide slide rod 62 extending along the first direction, and the guide sleeve 61 and the guide slide rod 62 are slidably connected one by one.

[0187] The coordinated connection between the guide sleeve 61 and the guide slide rod 62 guides the movement of the rack mounting plate 8 along the first direction, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the rack mounting plate 8 and further improving the stability of the movement of the rack 11.

[0188] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the guide sleeve 61 is connected to the frame top plate 51, the bottom end of the guide slide rod 62 is connected to the material rack mounting plate 8, the guide slide rod 62 slides through the guide sleeve 61, and the top end of the guide slide rod 62 passes through the frame top plate 51 upward, and the top end of the guide slide rod 62 is connected to a limiting sleeve.

[0189] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, one of the rack mounting plate 8 and the rack 11 is provided with a mounting groove 81 , and the other is provided with a mounting block 13 , which is clamped in the mounting groove 81 .

[0190] The fitting and snap connection between the mounting block 13 and the mounting groove 81 realizes the detachable connection between the rack mounting plate 8 and the rack 11 .

[0191] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the mounting groove 81 is provided with two notches opposite or facing each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and the mounting blocks 13 are provided with two notches opposite or facing each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction. The two mounting blocks 13 are fixed in the two mounting grooves 81 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0192] The two mounting grooves 81 are arranged opposite to or back to back in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and the two mounting blocks 13 are arranged opposite to or opposite to each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, so that when the two mounting blocks 13 are clamped in the two mounting grooves 81 one by one, the two mounting grooves 81 limit the positions of the two mounting blocks 13 in the first direction, so that the material rack 11 moves synchronously with the material rack mounting plate 8 in the first direction.

[0193] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the material rack mounting plate 8 includes a main body plate and two clip-on plates, which are respectively connected to the two ends of the third direction of the bottom of the main body plate. Each clip-on plate is provided with a mounting groove 81 with a notch facing the other main body plate. The mounting groove 81 extends along the second direction and passes through the two ends of the clip-on plate along the second direction. The two ends of the third direction of the material rack top plate 111 are respectively connected to back-to-back mounting blocks 13, which extend along the second direction.

[0194] The mounting block 13 can penetrate into the mounting groove 81 along the second direction to complete the installation of the material rack 11 on the material rack mounting plate 8 , and the mounting block 13 can move out of the mounting groove 81 along the second direction to complete the removal of the material rack 11 from the material rack mounting plate 8 .

[0195] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, both end caps of the mounting block 13 are wedge-shaped structures, which facilitates the mounting block 13 to penetrate into the mounting groove 81.

[0196] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 4, the conveying path of the transfer mechanism 3 is provided with a first set position, which is used to place the workpiece 1000 or the pallet 91 (described in detail later), and the pallet 91 can accommodate the workpiece 1000 moved out of the workpiece carrying space.

[0197] Therefore, the workpiece 1000 can be directly carried by the transfer mechanism 3, or the workpiece 1000 can be carried by the pallet 91. Therefore, the pallet 91 can be used or not used according to the requirements of the subsequent process, which helps to reduce the time spent on placing or removing the pallet 91 in the subsequent process.

[0198] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the loading device includes a first sensor 71 , and the first sensor 71 is used to detect whether a workpiece 1000 is carried at the first set position.

[0199] The first sensor 71 is configured to detect whether a workpiece 1000 is located at the first predetermined position, thereby determining whether to stop the movement of the material rack 11. This reduces the risk of incorrectly placing the workpiece 1000 and serves as a foolproofing mechanism. When the first sensor 71 detects a workpiece 1000 at the first predetermined position, the drive mechanism 2 stops, the material rack 11 stops moving, and the transfer mechanism 3 starts to transport the workpiece 1000 located at the first predetermined position.

[0200] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first sensor 71 includes a through-beam photoelectric sensor, which includes a transmitter and a receiver, with the transmitter and the receiver being disposed on opposite sides of the first set position. Of course, the first sensor 71 may also be another sensor capable of detecting the presence of an object, such as a camera.

[0201] When the workpiece 1000 is carried at the first setting position, the signal emitted by the transmitter cannot be transmitted to the receiver due to the obstruction of the workpiece 1000. When there is no workpiece 1000 at the first setting position, the signal emitted by the transmitter can be transmitted to the receiver. Therefore, when the receiver receives the signal emitted by the transmitter, the first setting position does not carry the workpiece 1000. When the receiver does not receive the signal emitted by the transmitter, the first setting position carries the workpiece 1000.

[0202] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the through-beam photoelectric sensor includes an infrared through-beam sensor or a laser through-beam sensor, etc. The specific structure and working principle of the through-beam photoelectric sensor can be referred to the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0203] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the detection part mounting frame includes an even number of mounting rods 72, and the even number of mounting rods 72 are evenly divided into two groups, and the two groups are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the frame 5. The first sensor 71 includes a counter-beam photoelectric sensor, and the counter-beam photoelectric sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver. For every two mounting rods 72 relative to the material rack 11, one is installed with a transmitter and the other is installed with a receiver. The first set position is located between the relative transmitters and receivers.

[0204] The mounting rod 72 is provided for mounting the transmitter and the receiver.

[0205] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 4, the moving path of the material rack 11 has a plurality of preset pause positions arranged in sequence along the first direction; the plurality of preset pause positions and the plurality of workpiece carrying spaces are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and each time the material rack 11 moves to a preset pause position along the first direction, the first set position passes through the preset distance of the workpiece carrying space and becomes a state of carrying the workpiece 1000.

[0206] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG5 , the loading device further includes a rack position detection component 73 , and the rack position detection component 73 is used to detect whether the rack 11 is located at a preset pause position.

[0207] It should be noted that, when the transfer mechanism 3 enters the workpiece carrying space, the workpiece 1000 in the workpiece carrying space can contact the first set position of the transfer mechanism 3. However, due to the restriction of the limit block 1212 of the supporting part 12, the workpiece 1000 cannot be moved out of the workpiece carrying space along the second direction. Therefore, the material rack 11 pauses after the transfer mechanism 3 passes the preset distance of the workpiece carrying space. At this time, the transfer mechanism 3 has moved the workpiece 1000 out of the workpiece carrying space along the first direction. In this case, the workpiece 1000 will not be restricted by the supporting part 12, and can be smoothly moved to the workpiece conveying line 4 under the transportation of the transfer mechanism 3.

[0208] As for the determination of the preset distance, it can be determined based on the position of the side opening of the material rack 11, the distance between the two adjacent layers of the load-bearing parts 12, and the position height of the transmission path of the workpiece conveyor line 4 in the first direction. As long as it can be ensured that when the material rack 11 is in the preset pause position, the workpiece 1000 at the first position of the transfer mechanism 3 has been moved out of the workpiece carrying space in the first direction and can be transported to the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line 4 along the second direction, the specific value of the preset distance is not specifically limited here.

[0209] Whenever the rack position detection assembly 73 detects that the rack 11 has moved to a preset pause position, the rack 11 stops for a set time. At this time, the first sensor 71 detects whether the first preset position is carrying a workpiece 1000. If it is detected that the first preset position is carrying a workpiece 1000, the rack 11 remains stopped after the set pause time, and the transfer mechanism 3 is activated. The transfer mechanism 3 conveys the workpiece 1000 to the workpiece conveyor line 4. The rack 11 moves again only when it is determined that the workpiece 1000 has been conveyed to the workpiece conveyor line 4. If it is detected that the first preset position is not carrying a workpiece 1000, the rack 11 immediately moves after the set pause time.

[0210] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the material rack position detection component 73 includes a second sensor 731 and a detection matching plate 732. One of the second sensor 731 and the detection matching plate 732 is arranged on the material rack 11, and the other is arranged on the frame 5. The detection matching plate 732 is provided with a plurality of openings spaced in sequence along the first direction. The second sensor 731 is configured to detect whether there is an opening passing by. Each time the second sensor 731 detects an opening passing by, the material rack 11 is located at a preset pause position.

[0211] The second sensor 731 cooperates with the detection matching plate 732 to enable the rack position detection component 73 to detect the position of the rack 11.

[0212] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second sensor 731 includes a distance measuring sensor, which is disposed toward the detection matching plate 732 .

[0213] The distance measuring sensor is a sensor for detecting distance, and may be a laser distance measuring sensor, an infrared distance measuring sensor, an ultrasonic distance measuring sensor, etc. The specific structure and working principle can be referred to the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0214] When the detection coordination plate 732 moves relative to the distance measuring sensor along the first direction, if the distance detected by the distance measuring sensor is the set distance, it means that the detection signal emitted by the distance measuring sensor is transmitted to the physical part of the detection coordination plate 732, that is, the opening of the detection coordination plate 732 has not been passed. When the distance detected by the distance measuring sensor suddenly changes from the set distance to another larger distance, it means that the detection signal emitted by the distance measuring sensor has passed through the opening of the detection coordination plate 732, that is, the opening of the detection coordination plate 732 has been passed. Therefore, through the cooperation between the distance measuring sensor and the detection coordination plate 732, the position of the material rack 11 can be detected.

[0215] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second sensor 731 includes a through-beam photoelectric sensor, which includes a transmitter and a receiver, and the transmitter and the receiver are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the detection matching plate 732 .

[0216] The through-beam photoelectric sensor may be an infrared through-beam sensor or a laser through-beam sensor, etc. The specific structure and working principle of the through-beam photoelectric sensor may refer to the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0217] When the detection coordination plate 732 moves in a first direction relative to the through-beam photoelectric sensor, when the opening of the detection coordination plate 732 passes between the emitter and the receiver, the signal emitted by the emitter can be received by the receiver through the opening. Therefore, when the receiver receives the signal, the second sensor 731 detects the passage of the opening. After the opening of the detection coordination plate 732 passes, the physical part of the detection coordination plate 732 passes between the emitter and the receiver. Due to the obstruction of the physical part, the receiver cannot receive the signal emitted by the emitter. Therefore, when the receiver does not receive the signal, the second sensor 731 does not detect the passage of the opening. Therefore, through the cooperation of the through-beam photoelectric sensor and the detection coordination plate 732, the position of the material rack 11 can be detected.

[0218] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the loading device further includes a controller 10, and the first sensor 71, the second sensor 731, the driving mechanism 2 and the transfer mechanism 3 are all communicatively connected to the controller.

[0219] FIG9 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a motion control module of a loading device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0220] As shown in Figure 9, when the controller 10 obtains a signal from the second sensor 731 that the material rack 11 is located at a preset pause position, it controls the drive mechanism 2 to pause the set movement time of the material rack 11 and controls the first sensor 71 to perform detection. When the controller obtains a signal from the first sensor 71 that there is a workpiece 1000 at the first set position, it controls the drive mechanism 2 to extend the stop time and starts the transfer mechanism 3, and the transfer mechanism 3 transports the workpiece 1000 located at the first set position.

[0221] It should be noted that when the controller obtains the signal that the material rack 11 is located at the preset pause position detected by the material rack position detection component 73, it controls the drive mechanism 2 to pause the set movement time of the material rack 11 and controls the first sensor 71 to perform detection. When the first sensor 71 does not detect that there is a workpiece 1000 at the first set position, the controller controls the drive mechanism 2 to pause the set movement time of the material rack 11 and then immediately starts the movement of the material rack 11.

[0222] When the transfer mechanism 3 transports the workpiece 1000 located at the first set position to the workpiece conveying line 4, the controller controls the driving mechanism 2 to start the movement of the material rack 11 and controls the transfer mechanism 3 to close, and then repeats the above operation process until the required number of workpieces 1000 are loaded.

[0223] It should be noted that during the entire loading operation, the workpiece conveyor line 4 can be in a conveying state all the time, or a detection sensor can be provided on the workpiece conveyor line 4 to start conveying when the detection sensor detects that there is a workpiece 1000 in the conveying path, and stop conveying when the detection sensor detects that there is no workpiece 1000 in the conveying path. This is not specifically limited here.

[0224] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, a second set position and a third set position downstream of the second set position are provided in the conveying path of the workpiece conveyor line 4, and the transfer mechanism 3 can transfer the workpiece 1000 from the workpiece carrying space to the second set position of the workpiece conveyor line 4; a positioning structure 45 is provided at the third set position of the workpiece conveyor line 4, and the positioning structure 45 is configured to limit the positions of the workpiece 1000 located at the third set position on two relative sides in the third direction, and the third direction intersects with both the first direction and the second direction.

[0225] The positioning structure 45 is used to limit the positions of the workpiece 1000 on both sides in the third direction to correct the position of the workpiece 1000 for facilitating the material removal operation in the subsequent work section.

[0226] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the positioning structure 45 includes two first side stoppers 451 , and the two first side stoppers 451 are respectively located on two opposite sides in the third direction at a third set position of the workpiece conveying line 4 .

[0227] The first side stop 451 may be a block-shaped structure or a plate-shaped structure, and the specific structure is not specifically limited here. The side walls of the two first side stop 451 facing each other include but are not limited to surfaces extending along the second direction.

[0228] The two first side stoppers 451 can respectively limit two opposite sides in the third direction of the workpiece 1000 at the third set position, thereby correcting the position of the workpiece 1000 to facilitate the gluing operation in subsequent sections.

[0229] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a guide structure 452 is provided at one end of the first side stop 451 close to the second set position, and the distance between the two opposite side walls of the two guide structures 452 in the third direction gradually decreases along the conveying direction of the workpiece conveying line 4.

[0230] The guide structure 452 can be a block or a plate, as long as the distance between the two opposite side walls of the two guide structures 452 gradually decreases along the conveying direction of the workpiece conveying line 4.

[0231] The restriction of the side walls of the two guide structures 452 guides the workpiece 1000 to enter between the two first side stops 451, so that the workpiece 1000 transported from the second set position can smoothly enter the positioning structure at the third set position, so that the workpiece 1000 can be positioned while being transported.

[0232] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG7 , the conveying path of the transfer mechanism 3 is provided with a first set position, and a pallet 91 is provided at the first set position. The pallet 91 can accommodate the workpiece 1000 moved out of the workpiece carrying space.

[0233] The workpiece 1000 is transported between the transfer mechanism 3 and the workpiece conveying line 4 by the pallet 91 , which prevents the workpiece 1000 from being worn and bumped during transportation, thereby protecting the workpiece 1000 .

[0234] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a pallet conveying line 92 is provided on a side of the material rack 11 away from the workpiece conveying line 4 along the second direction, and the pallet conveying line 92 is used to convey the pallet 91 to the conveying path of the transfer mechanism 3.

[0235] The pallet conveyor line 92 is used to convey the pallet 91 to the transfer mechanism 3, and the pallet conveyor line 92 is a one-way conveyor and does not need to go back and forth like a robot. The pallet conveyor line 92 is highly efficient in conveying the pallet 91 and prevents the conveying speed of the pallet 91 from affecting the loading rate of the workpiece 1000.

[0236] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG8 , the loading device includes a stop structure 93 that can be raised and lowered, and the stop structure 93 is used to stop the tray 91 at a first set position.

[0237] During the process of the pallet conveyor line 92 conveying the pallet 91 to the transfer mechanism 3, the transfer mechanism 3 is in a conveying state, otherwise the pallet 91 will not be easy to move smoothly to the conveying path of the transfer mechanism 3. For this reason, it is necessary to stop the pallet 91 located in the conveying path of the transfer mechanism 3. By setting the stop structure 93, the pallet 91 is stopped at the first set position to facilitate the subsequent placement of the workpiece 1000 into the pallet 91.

[0238] The stopping structure 93 can be lowered to remove the stop on the tray 91 , so that the tray 91 can be smoothly moved from the transfer mechanism 3 to the workpiece conveying line 4 .

[0239] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the stop structure 93 is connected to the output end of the driving member 94 , and the driving member 94 is installed on the frame of the transfer mechanism 3 . The driving member 94 can drive the stop structure 93 to rise or fall.

[0240] The driving member 94 is a linear driving device, which can be a linear motor or a cylinder.

[0241] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the workpiece 1000 includes a side plate of a battery.

[0242] The loading device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to loading side panels during the battery assembly process. The side panels are transported via the workpiece conveyor line 4, which operates in a unidirectional manner, eliminating the need for a robot to make round trips. The workpiece conveyor line 4 is continuous, uniform, and stable, which helps to speed up the loading cycle and maintain a high conveying speed throughout the entire operation. Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure saves time in conveying the side panels, shortens the discharge interval of the side panels, and thus improves the efficiency of loading the side panels.

[0243] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 7 , a tray 91 includes a tray body and a plurality of limiting structures 911 disposed on the tray body. The workpiece 1000 is located in the tray body, and the plurality of limiting structures 911 are respectively disposed on the four side walls of the workpiece 1000 .

[0244] The limiting structure 911 includes an elastic abutting surface, which abuts against the side wall of the workpiece 1000, thereby limiting the position of the workpiece 1000 and preventing the workpiece 1000 from being scratched.

[0245] In order to improve the smoothness of the workpiece 1000 entering the tray 91 , an inclined introduction surface is provided at the top end of the inner side wall of each limiting structure 911 .

[0246] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, the workpiece conveyor line 4 includes a first conveyor frame 41, a first roller 42, a first belt 43 and a first driving member 44. The first conveyor frame 41 is arranged beside the material rack 11 and extends along the second direction; the first conveyor frame 41 is provided with first rollers 42 at least at both ends thereof; the two ends of the first belt 43 are respectively wound around the two first rollers 42; the first driving member 44 is installed on the first conveyor frame 41, and its output shaft is connected to one of the first rollers 42. The first driving member 44 can drive the first roller 42 connected to it to rotate, so as to drive the first belt 43 to transmit.

[0247] During operation, the workpiece 1000 or the tray 91 is placed on the first belt 43 , and the first belt 43 drives the workpiece 1000 or the tray 91 to move during transportation.

[0248] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 7, the workpiece conveyor line 4 includes a second conveyor frame, rollers, a transmission chain and a second driving member. The second conveyor frame is arranged next to the material rack 11 and extends along the second direction; the second conveyor frame is provided with a plurality of rollers arranged in sequence along the second direction, and a transmission chain is connected between the rollers. The second driving member is connected to one of the rollers, and the second driving member drives the roller connected thereto to rotate, thereby driving each roller to rotate under the transmission action of the transmission chain.

[0249] During operation, a tray 91 is placed on the roller, and the roller rotates to drive the tray 91 to move, thereby transporting the workpiece 1000 in the tray 91 .

[0250] The specific structures of the transfer mechanism 3 and the pallet conveyor line 92 may be similar to the structures of the workpiece conveyor line 4 in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0251] The feeding method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0252] FIG10 is a flow chart of a loading method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG11 is another flow chart of a loading method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0253] As shown in FIG10 , the present disclosure also provides a loading method for loading a workpiece 1000 using a loading device. The loading device includes a rack 11, a workpiece conveyor line 4, and a transfer mechanism 3. The rack 11 is provided with at least two layers of supporting portions 12. The supporting portions 12 on each layer are sequentially spaced along a first direction. The supporting portions 12 on the same layer define a workpiece supporting space for accommodating the workpiece 1000. The loading method includes the following steps.

[0254] S1, placement step: placing the workpiece on the bearing portion;

[0255] S2, a rack moving step: the rack moves along a first direction and then passes a preset distance in the workpiece carrying space and stops;

[0256] S3, transfer step: the transfer mechanism transfers the workpiece taken from a workpiece carrying space to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line after passing through the workpiece carrying space;

[0257] S4, conveying step: the workpiece conveying line conveys the transferred workpieces.

[0258] As shown in FIG. 11 , according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the loading device further includes a rack 5 , and the rack 11 is disposed inside the rack 5 . The placement step includes the following steps.

[0259] S11, remove the material rack from the frame and place it at the feeding location.

[0260] The material rack 11 is moved in the opposite direction of the second direction, and the mounting block 13 of the material rack 11 slides out from the mounting groove 81 of the material rack mounting plate 8, thereby completing the removal of the material rack 11 from the frame 5.

[0261] S12, placing the workpiece into the bearing portion.

[0262] The workpiece 1000 is placed into the carrying portion 12 along the second direction through the side opening of the material rack 11 or along the third direction through the space between the two material rack support columns 112 .

[0263] S13, installing the material rack with a specified number of workpieces placed on the frame.

[0264] The material rack 11 is lifted or elevated to a position where the mounting block 13 of the material rack 11 is aligned with the mounting groove 81 of the material rack mounting plate 8 in the second direction. The material rack 11 moves along the second direction, and the mounting block 13 of the material rack 11 slides into the mounting groove 81 of the material rack mounting plate 8, completing the installation of the material rack 11 to the frame 5.

[0265] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the material rack moving step, the drive mechanism 2 is started to drive the material rack 11 to move along the first direction. When the material rack position detection component 73 detects that the material rack 11 moves to a preset pause position, the drive mechanism 2 pauses for a set time. During the set time when the drive mechanism 2 pauses, the first sensor 71 performs detection. If the first sensor 71 detects that there is a workpiece 1000 at the first set position, the drive mechanism 2 extends the stop time and starts the transfer mechanism 3 to perform the transfer step. If the first sensor 71 does not detect that there is a workpiece 1000 at the first set position, the drive mechanism 2 starts again after pausing for a set time and continues to feed the material rack 11.

[0266] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the transfer step, the transfer mechanism 3 is started to transport the workpiece 1000 located at the first set position along the second direction to the second set position of the workpiece conveying line 4; when there is no workpiece 1000 at the first set position of the transfer mechanism 3, the driving mechanism 2 is started again after pausing for a set time and continues to feed the material rack 11.

[0267] Next, the battery assembly line provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG12 .

[0268] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a battery assembly line according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0269] As shown in Figure 12, the embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a battery assembly line, which includes a logistics line 2000, a side panel gluing device 3000 and the above-mentioned loading device. The logistics line 2000 is used to transport workpieces, and the workpiece 1000 includes side panels; the side panel gluing device 3000 is used to stick tape on the workpiece 1000. The workpiece 1000 transported by the logistics line 2000 is loaded on the supporting part 12 on the material rack 11 of the loading device. The transfer mechanism 3 of the loading device can transfer the workpiece 1000 on the supporting part 12 to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line 4. The workpiece conveying line 4 can transport the workpiece 1000 transferred to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line 4 to a third set position and position it. The side panel gluing device 3000 sticks tape on the workpiece located at the third set position.

[0270] The above embodiments are intended only to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they may modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. Such modifications or replacements do not deviate from the essence of the corresponding technical solutions and are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. Industrial Applicability

[0271] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a loading device, a loading method and a battery assembly line, which continuously convey the workpiece through the workpiece conveyor line without the need to use a robot for back-and-forth transportation, which is conducive to speeding up the loading rhythm and can maintain a high conveying speed throughout the entire work. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure save the time of conveying the workpiece, can shorten the discharge interval of the workpiece, and thus improve the efficiency of workpiece loading.

Claims

1. A feeding device, comprising: A material rack, wherein the material rack is provided with at least two layers of bearing parts, the bearing parts of each layer are sequentially arranged at intervals along a first direction, the bearing parts of the same layer define a workpiece bearing space for accommodating the workpiece, and the bearing parts can reciprocate along with the material rack in the first direction; a workpiece conveying line, the workpiece conveying line being used to convey the workpiece, wherein a conveying path of the workpiece conveying line extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction; and A transfer mechanism, wherein the transfer mechanism is configured to be able to enter and exit the workpiece carrying space, and the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the workpiece from the workpiece carrying space to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line.

2. The feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: The transfer mechanism is configured to be able to enter and exit the workpiece carrying space along the first direction and has a conveying path extending along the second direction, and the conveying path of the transfer mechanism and the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line are arranged close to each other in the second direction; The transfer mechanism is used to take the workpiece out of the workpiece carrying space and transport it along the second direction to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line.

3. The feeding device according to claim 2, wherein: The material rack has a bottom opening for the transfer mechanism to enter and exit the workpiece bearing space; When the material rack moves toward the transfer mechanism along the first direction, the transfer mechanism enters the workpiece carrying space through the bottom opening, so that the workpiece in the workpiece carrying space is carried on the conveying path of the transfer mechanism.

4. The feeding device according to claim 3, wherein: The material rack is provided with a side opening between at least two adjacent layers of the bearing parts, and the side opening faces the side where the workpiece conveying line is located in the second direction. The side opening is used for the workpiece carried by the transfer mechanism to pass through.

5. The feeding device according to claim 4, wherein: In the first direction, the minimum distance between the bearing parts of two adjacent layers is greater than the maximum size of the workpiece.

6. The feeding device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein: The bearing parts of each layer respectively include two bearing structures, the two bearing structures are respectively connected to the material rack, and the two bearing structures on the same layer are arranged opposite to each other with a distance. In the second direction, the minimum distance between the two bearing structures on the same layer is greater than the maximum size of the transfer mechanism.

7. The feeding device according to claim 6, wherein: The bearing structure includes a first plate extending along a third direction and a limit block arranged at an end of the first plate, the first plate is connected to a side wall of the material rack, and the third direction intersects both the first direction and the second direction. The pair of limit blocks are arranged facing each other in the second direction.

8. The feeding device according to claim 6, wherein: The bearing structure includes a steel wire rope extending along a third direction, two ends of the steel wire rope are respectively connected to two opposite sides of the material rack, and the third direction intersects with both the first direction and the second direction.

9. The feeding device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein: A first set position is provided in the conveying path of the transfer mechanism, and the first set position is used to place the workpiece or the pallet, and the pallet can accommodate the workpiece moved out of the workpiece carrying space.

10. The feeding device according to claim 9, wherein: A pallet conveying line is provided on a side of the material rack along the second direction away from the workpiece conveying line, and the pallet conveying line is used to convey the pallet to a conveying path of the transfer mechanism.

11. The feeding device according to claim 10, wherein: The loading device comprises a stop structure which can be raised and lowered, and the stop structure is used to stop the tray at the first set position.

12. The feeding device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The feeding device also includes a driving mechanism and a frame, the driving mechanism is arranged on the upper part of the frame, the material rack is arranged inside the frame, and the output end of the driving mechanism is connected to the material rack for driving the material rack to reciprocate along the first direction.

13. The feeding device according to claim 12, wherein: One of the machine frame and the material rack is provided with at least one guide sliding sleeve, and the other is provided with at least one guide sliding rod extending along the first direction, and the guide sliding sleeve and the guide sliding rod are slidably connected in a one-to-one correspondence.

14. The feeding device according to claim 12, wherein: The loading device includes a first sensor, and the first sensor is used to detect whether the workpiece is carried at the first set position.

15. The feeding device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: A plurality of preset pause positions are provided in the moving path of the material rack and are arranged in sequence and at intervals along the first direction; The plurality of preset pause positions and the plurality of workpiece carrying spaces are arranged in one-to-one correspondence. When the material rack moves to a preset pause position along the first direction, the first set position passes through a preset distance of the workpiece carrying space and becomes a state of carrying the workpiece.

16. The feeding device according to claim 15, wherein: The feeding device also includes a material rack position detection component, and the material rack position detection component is used to detect whether the material rack is located at the preset pause position.

17. The feeding device according to claim 16, wherein: The material rack position detection component includes a second sensor and a detection coordination plate, one of the second sensor and the detection coordination plate is arranged on the material rack, and the other is arranged on the frame, the detection coordination plate is provided with a plurality of openings arranged in sequence along the first direction, the second sensor is configured to detect whether the opening passes, and the material rack is located at one of the preset pause positions each time the second sensor detects that one of the openings passes.

18. The feeding device according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein: The feeding device also includes a material rack mounting plate, which is connected to the output end of the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism can drive the material rack mounting plate to reciprocate along the first direction, and the material rack is detachably connected to the material rack mounting plate.

19. The feeding device according to claim 18, wherein: One of the material rack mounting plate and the material rack is provided with a mounting groove, and the other is provided with a mounting block, and the mounting block is clamped in the mounting groove.

20. The feeding device according to claim 19, wherein: The mounting groove has two notches opposite to or facing each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and the mounting blocks have two notches opposite to or facing each other in a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

21. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein: A second set position and a third set position located downstream of the second set position are provided in the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line, and the transfer mechanism can transfer the workpiece from the workpiece carrying space to the second set position of the workpiece conveying line; A positioning structure is provided at the third set position of the workpiece conveying line, and the positioning structure is configured to limit the positions of the workpiece located at the third set position on two opposite sides in a third direction, and the third direction intersects both the first direction and the second direction.

22. The feeding device according to claim 21, wherein: The positioning structure includes two first side stoppers, and the two first side stoppers are respectively located at two opposite sides of the third direction at the third set position of the workpiece conveying line.

23. The feeding device according to claim 22, wherein: A guide structure is provided at one end of the first side stop portion close to the second set position, and the distance between the two opposite side walls of the two guide structures in the third direction gradually decreases along the conveying direction of the workpiece conveying line.

24. The feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein: The workpiece includes a side plate of a battery.

25. A feeding method, using a feeding device to feed a workpiece, the feeding device comprising a material rack, a workpiece conveying line and a transfer mechanism, the material rack being provided with at least two layers of bearing parts, the bearing parts of each layer being arranged in sequence and spaced apart along a first direction, the bearing parts of the same layer defining a workpiece bearing space for accommodating the workpiece, the bearing parts being able to reciprocate along the first direction with the material rack; the workpiece conveying line being used to convey the workpiece, the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line extending along a second direction intersecting the first direction; the transfer mechanism being configured to be able to enter and exit the workpiece bearing space, the transfer mechanism being used to transfer the workpiece from the workpiece bearing space to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line; The feeding method comprises: a placing step of placing a workpiece on the bearing portion; A material rack moving step, wherein the material rack stops after passing through the workpiece carrying space by a preset distance along the first direction; A transfer step, wherein the transfer mechanism, after passing through one of the workpiece carrying spaces, transfers the workpiece taken from the workpiece carrying space to a conveying path of the workpiece conveying line; In the conveying step, the workpiece conveying line conveys the transferred workpiece.

26. The feeding method according to claim 25, wherein: The feeding device further comprises a frame, wherein the frame is arranged inside the frame. The placing step comprises: The material rack is removed from the frame and placed at the feeding position; placing the workpiece into the carrying portion; The rack on which a predetermined number of the workpieces are placed is mounted on the frame.

27. A battery assembly line, comprising: A feeding device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24; a logistics line for conveying workpieces, wherein the workpieces include side panels; and A side panel gluing device, the side panel gluing device is used to stick a tape on the workpiece, The workpiece conveyed by the logistics line is loaded on the carrying part of the material rack of the loading device. The transfer mechanism can transfer the workpiece carried by the carrying portion to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line, and the workpiece conveying line can convey the workpiece transferred to the conveying path of the workpiece conveying line to a third set position and position it. The side panel gluing device adheres adhesive tape to the workpiece located at the third set position.

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