An electric cell preheating furnace

Abstract

The application discloses a battery cell preheating furnace, which comprises a preheating furnace body, the preheating furnace body comprises a furnace body frame and a plurality of layers of battery cell preheating assemblies arranged in the furnace body frame, and the battery cell preheating furnace comprises a buffer feeding station, a battery cell feeding station, a battery cell preheating station, a battery cell buffer discharging station and a battery cell discharging station which are arranged in sequence, and further comprises a transfer device which can translate the battery cell preheating assemblies between the battery cell feeding station and the battery cell preheating station and between the battery cell preheating station and the battery cell discharging station, buffer transfer devices are arranged between the buffer feeding station and the battery cell feeding station and between the battery cell buffer discharging station and the battery cell discharging station, the battery cell preheating furnace can make the mechanisms cooperate with each other without waiting and idling state, the transfer device adopts single-motor one-side driving and synchronous belt and bevel gear transmission assembly cooperation, realizes single-motor driving synchronous translation of the left and right sides of the contact type preheating assembly, and can avoid shaking of the whole battery cell preheating assembly during battery cell feeding and discharging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lithium battery cell production equipment technology, specifically to a battery cell preheating furnace. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, contact preheating furnaces are used to preheat bare battery cells after winding before shaping, enabling the cells to quickly achieve the desired shape. Compared to traditional air-circulating tunnel preheating furnaces, contact preheating furnaces feature larger heating blocks, higher efficiency, energy savings, and higher cleanliness. Therefore, contact preheating furnaces are widely used for the preheating or drying of bare battery cells.

[0003] Currently, during the battery cell loading process, the battery cell loading mechanism alone picks up the battery cells from the incoming material line and then places them on the tray-type heating plate. The whole process is relatively long, and other supporting equipment will inevitably be idle and waiting. This is not only a waste of resources for the equipment itself, but also hinders the preheating of the lithium battery cell winding process to complete rapid hot pressing and shaping.

[0004] The existing contact preheating furnace adopts a drag-drawer structure on the side. Chinese invention patent CN109442999B discloses a fully automatic preheating furnace. The contact preheating furnace includes a furnace frame, a battery cell loading station, a battery cell heating station, and a battery cell unloading station. A battery cell loading module is set on one side of the battery cell loading station. The robotic arm of the loading module picks up the battery cell from the battery cell transfer mechanism, which is the battery cell incoming line, and then places it on the tray-type heating plate. Because the furnace body is about 2 meters high and has more than a dozen layers of tray-type heating plates, especially when the upper tray-type heating plates need to be loaded, the loading robot grabs the battery cells from the lower battery cell receiving line, then rises to the upper tray-type heating plate to place the battery cells, then falls back down to the lower battery cell receiving line to grab more battery cells, and then rises again to the upper tray-type heating plate to place the battery cells. Because the lifting stroke of the loading robot is too long, and because each mechanical structure in the loading module occupies a certain amount of space, a certain safety distance needs to be maintained between each mechanical structure, so the loading robot also has a certain horizontal movement stroke. This not only causes the battery cells waiting to be unloaded on the battery cell receiving line to be idle, but also causes the tray-type heating plates to be idle while being loaded, resulting in wasted time and low production efficiency.

[0005] In addition, a fully automatic preheating furnace disclosed in Chinese invention patent CN109442999B has heating plate actuation devices on both the left and right sides of the furnace frame. The heating plate actuation devices adopt X-axis mechanism, Y-axis mechanism, Z-axis mechanism and a paddle installed on the drive end of Z-axis mechanism. With this configuration, since the heating plate actuation devices on both sides of the furnace frame adopt two or more drive mechanisms, there is a phenomenon of asynchronous operation of the left and right sides of the heating plate during the operation of the equipment. In addition, due to the heavy load of the operating equipment, the operating structure is extremely unstable, and there is a risk of left and right swaying, which affects the accuracy of operation and thus affects the production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a cell preheating furnace that enables the various mechanisms to cooperate without waiting or idle states, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the cells. Furthermore, by employing a single motor driven from one side, coupled with a synchronous belt assembly and a bevel gear transmission assembly, the single motor drives the cell preheating assembly to move synchronously to both sides. This structure is simple, easy to maintain, and saves labor costs. It ensures rapid and smooth operation of the vertical dragging device, avoiding the problem of cell preheating assembly swaying due to uneven force on the dragging device. This synchronous mechanism achieves structural stability and smooth operation, thus solving the existing technical problems.

[0007] The battery cell preheating furnace provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A battery cell preheating furnace includes a furnace body, which comprises a furnace frame and several layers of battery cell preheating components located within the furnace frame. The several layers of battery cell preheating components are horizontally slidably connected to the furnace frame. The preheating furnace includes a buffer loading station, a battery cell loading station, a battery cell preheating station, a battery cell buffer unloading station, and a battery cell unloading station arranged sequentially. The battery cell preheating station is located within the furnace frame. The furnace also includes a transfer device for translating the battery cell preheating components between the battery cell loading station and the battery cell preheating station, and between the battery cell preheating station and the battery cell buffer unloading station. A buffer transfer device is provided between the buffer loading station and the battery cell loading station, and between the battery cell buffer unloading station and the battery cell unloading station. The buffer transfer device includes a buffer tray. The system includes a transport mechanism for reciprocatingly moving a buffer tray between the buffer loading station and the cell loading station, and between the cell buffer unloading station and the cell unloading station. A buffer loading mechanism is provided on one side of the buffer loading station, used to transfer cells from the incoming cell line to the buffer tray at the buffer loading station. A cell loading mechanism is provided at the cell loading station, used to transfer cells from the buffer tray at the cell loading station to the cell preheating assembly to be loaded. A buffer unloading mechanism is provided at the cell buffer unloading station, used to transfer cells to be unloaded from the cell preheating assembly to the buffer tray at the cell buffer unloading station, and then the transport mechanism moves the buffer tray to the cell unloading station for unloading.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, a buffer feeding mechanism and a buffer transfer device are added to the feeding process compared to the original cell feeding section. Since the buffer feeding mechanism is dedicated to the cells waiting to be fed from the cell receiving line, it does not need to wait for the cells to be fed into the cell preheating assembly and can continue to return to its original position directly above the cell receiving line to clamp the cells. This significantly shortens the waiting time for cells to be fed from the cell receiving line. On the other hand, the buffer transfer device transfers the cells in the buffer tray to below the cell feeding station, providing buffer cells for the cell feeding mechanism. This allows the feeding mechanism to continuously connect the cells waiting to be fed. Therefore, the cell feeding mechanism does not need to go to the receiving line to grab cells; it only needs to lift vertically to pick up and place the cells located at the cell feeding station. All equipment cooperates with each other, with no idle waiting periods, improving equipment operating efficiency and utilization, and greatly increasing cell production efficiency.

[0010] Preferably, the buffer feeding mechanism includes a fixed frame, a first Y-axis travel mechanism disposed on the fixed frame, a first Z-axis travel mechanism disposed on the first Y-axis travel mechanism, and a first cell clamping assembly disposed on the first Z-axis travel mechanism; both the cell feeding mechanism and the buffer unloading mechanism include a second Z-axis travel mechanism and a second cell clamping assembly disposed on the second Z-axis travel mechanism; the travel distance of the first Y-axis travel mechanism is 900-1100mm, the travel distance of the first Z-axis travel mechanism is 60-90mm, and the travel distance of the second Z-axis travel mechanism is 1800-2000mm.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the battery cells on the battery cell receiving line are conveyed to the area below the first Y-axis travel mechanism. The first Y-axis travel mechanism drives the first Z-axis travel mechanism to move directly above the battery cells. The first Z-axis travel mechanism includes an electric cylinder and a first battery cell clamping component at the drive end of the electric cylinder. Therefore, the electric cylinder drives the first battery cell clamping component to descend and clamp the battery cells. The travel distance of the first Z-axis travel mechanism is 60-90mm, which greatly shortens the lifting and lowering stroke for gripping the battery cells from the battery cell receiving line. Moreover, after clamping the battery cells, they are transferred to the buffer tray at the battery cell buffer station without waiting for the battery cells to be loaded onto the battery cell preheating component. Therefore, the waiting time for the battery cells on the battery cell receiving line is shortened, or even eliminated. The battery cell loading mechanism is dedicated to loading the battery cells located on the buffer tray at the battery cell loading station onto the battery cell preheating component of each layer. There is no need to go to the battery cell receiving line to clamp the battery cells. Moreover, after the second Z-axis travel mechanism grips the battery cells, it can move towards the battery cell buffer station to remove the battery cells from the battery cell receiving line. The next set of battery cells to be loaded is buffered on the feeding line, thus greatly improving the efficiency of battery cell loading. Similarly, after the battery cell is preheated on the battery cell preheating assembly, the second Z-axis stroke mechanism of the battery cell buffer unloading mechanism transfers the battery cell to the tray located at the battery cell buffer unloading station, and then the buffer transfer device moves it to the battery cell unloading station. The second Z-axis stroke mechanism only needs to lift and drop the battery cell located at the buffer unloading station, without having to worry about the next process of the battery cell. Therefore, the efficiency of battery cell unloading is also greatly improved. The battery cell unloading station is connected to the next hot pressing process of battery cell processing, thus also improving the battery cell supply efficiency for the hot pressing process.

[0012] Preferably, the transport mechanism includes a main drive motor, an X-axis main drive shaft, a first Y-axis linear guide rail, a second Y-axis linear guide rail, and a synchronous belt assembly. The synchronous belt assembly includes a first driving synchronous pulley, a second driving synchronous pulley, a first driven synchronous pulley, a second driven synchronous pulley, a first synchronous belt, and a second synchronous belt. The first driving synchronous pulley and the second driving synchronous pulley are coaxially connected to the output shaft of the main drive motor via the X-axis main drive shaft. The first driving synchronous pulley and the first driven synchronous pulley are respectively fixed to both ends of the first Y-axis linear guide rail. The second driving synchronous pulley and the second driven synchronous pulley are respectively fixed to the first Y-axis linear guide rail. The first synchronous belt is fixed to both ends of the second Y-axis linear guide. The first driving synchronous pulley and the first driven synchronous pulley are fitted with a first synchronous belt, and the second driving synchronous pulley and the second driven synchronous pulley are fitted with a second synchronous belt. The first Y-axis linear guide and the second Y-axis linear guide both include a slide rail and a slider that is slidably connected to the slide rail. The first synchronous belt and the second synchronous belt are both provided with connecting parts that are fixedly connected to the slider. A horizontal moving frame is fixedly provided on the connecting parts. The bottom of the buffer tray is symmetrically fixed on the two horizontal moving frames. The travel distance of the transport mechanism is 1400-1500mm.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, since the buffer tray has multiple cell placement stations, the structure of the buffer tray is consistent with the cell placement stations on the cell preheating assembly to facilitate cell loading and unloading. The buffer tray has a relatively large X-axis width, therefore, it requires more than one receiving point. Furthermore, the buffer tray needs to be reciprocated, necessitating simultaneous operation of multiple receiving points to ensure safe and rapid transport. This transport mechanism synchronously drives the first and second active synchronous pulleys via the X-axis main drive shaft, enabling a single motor to synchronously drive the synchronous belt assembly. Combined with the linear guide rail structure, this allows the bottom two ends of the buffer tray to move synchronously in the Y-axis, ensuring the buffer tray's operational stability and smooth operation, thereby improving operational efficiency and adapting to the equipment's fast and efficient operating environment.

[0014] Preferably, the transfer device includes a vertical dragging device A and a vertical dragging device B. The vertical dragging device A is located on either the left or right side of the furnace frame near the cell loading station, and the vertical dragging device B is located on either the left or right side of the furnace frame near the cell buffer unloading station. The vertical dragging device A is used to translate the cell preheating assembly between the cell loading station and the cell preheating station, and the vertical dragging device B is used to translate the cell preheating assembly between the cell preheating station and the cell buffer unloading station.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, when it is necessary to load the battery cells into the battery cell preheating station of the preheating furnace, the vertical dragging device A located on the left or right side of the preheating furnace drives the battery cell preheating assembly to move horizontally to the battery cell preloading station; when it is necessary to unload the battery cells from the battery cell preheating station of the preheating furnace, the vertical dragging device B located on the left or right side of the preheating furnace drives the battery cell preheating assembly to move horizontally to the battery cell buffer unloading station. The use of a motor on one side to drive the battery cell preheating assembly to move horizontally on both sides simultaneously improves the overall stability of the operating equipment.

[0016] Preferably, both the vertical dragging device A and the vertical dragging device B include a first horizontal moving platform, a second horizontal moving platform, a vertical dragging shaft, a Y-axis translation module fixed to the bottom of the furnace frame, and a synchronization mechanism for driving the vertical dragging shaft to move horizontally along the Y direction. The two ends of the vertical dragging shaft are respectively vertically connected to the first horizontal moving platform and the second horizontal moving platform. The first horizontal moving platform is installed on the driving end of the Y-axis translation module. An auxiliary guide assembly is fixedly provided on the top of the furnace frame along the Y direction. The second horizontal moving platform is fixedly connected to the slider on the auxiliary guide assembly.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the Y-axis translation module is connected to the first horizontal moving stage, and the synchronization mechanism drives the first and second horizontal moving stages to translate synchronously, thereby realizing the horizontal movement of the vertical drag shaft. This ingenious design not only saves the equipment cost of the drive mechanism, but also achieves synchronous movement and improves the operational stability of the equipment.

[0018] Preferably, the synchronization mechanism includes a synchronous belt drive assembly, which includes a first drive assembly and a second drive assembly. The drive direction of the first drive assembly is parallel to the vertical drag shaft, and the drive direction of the second drive assembly is consistent with the translation direction of the Y-axis translation module. The synchronization mechanism also includes a bevel gear drive assembly connecting the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly. The bevel gear drive assembly changes the vertical drive direction of the first drive assembly by 90 degrees to form the horizontal drive direction of the second drive assembly.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, and through the ingenious combination of the bevel gear structure and the synchronous belt assembly, not only is the existing drive equipment utilized, but the vertical transmission direction of the first transmission component is transformed into the horizontal transmission direction of the second transmission component. Furthermore, the synchronous belt assembly is used to achieve synchronous translation of the upper and lower ends of the vertical drag shaft, improving the utilization rate and overall stability of the equipment. Preferably, the first transmission component includes a third driving synchronous pulley, a third driven synchronous pulley, a third synchronous belt connecting the third driving and driven synchronous pulleys, and a Y-axis drive shaft. The Y-axis drive shaft is connected to the lead screw inside the Y-axis translation module via a coupling, and the third driving synchronous pulley is connected to the Y-axis drive shaft.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the Y-axis drive shaft is connected by the lead screw of the existing drive mechanism, which reduces equipment cost on the one hand, and on the other hand, the first horizontal moving stage is located at the drive end of the Y-axis translation module. The second horizontal moving stage is indirectly driven to move synchronously with the first horizontal moving stage through the bevel gear structure and the synchronous belt assembly, thereby ensuring that the two ends of the vertical drag shaft move synchronously. This can be described as killing two birds with one stone and is a clever design.

[0021] Preferably, the second transmission assembly includes a fourth driven synchronous pulley, a fifth driven synchronous pulley, and a fourth synchronous belt connecting the fourth and fifth driven synchronous pulleys. The fourth and fifth driven synchronous pulleys are fixed to the top of the furnace frame, and the fourth synchronous belt is connected to the second horizontal moving stage via a synchronous belt pressure plate. By adopting the above technical solution, the second horizontal moving stage is driven by a synchronous belt to maintain synchronous movement with the first horizontal moving stage.

[0022] Preferably, the bevel gear transmission assembly includes a first driven bevel gear, a second driven bevel gear, a first driven shaft, and a second driven shaft. The two ends of the first driven shaft are respectively connected to a third driven synchronous pulley and the first driven bevel gear. The two ends of the second driven shaft are respectively connected to a fourth driven synchronous pulley and the second driven bevel gear. The first driven bevel gear and the second driven bevel gear are perpendicular to each other and mesh with each other for transmission. The first driven shaft is perpendicular to the second driven shaft.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, using a bevel gear structure to connect the first transmission component and the second transmission component, not only is the transmission speed of the first transmission component continued, but the transmission direction of the first transmission component is also turned 90 degrees, thus achieving the effect of the second transmission component driving the second horizontal moving platform to maintain synchronous movement with the first horizontal moving platform.

[0024] Preferably, the auxiliary guide assembly includes a linear guide and a slider fixed to the top of the furnace frame. The lower end face of the slider is fixedly connected to the second horizontal moving platform. The top end of the vertical drag shaft is fixedly connected to the second horizontal moving platform through a reinforcing plate. The bottom of the vertical drag shaft is vertically connected to the first horizontal moving platform through a fixing plate. A right-angled triangle plate is provided at the vertical connection between the vertical drag shaft and the fixing plate for fixation.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, the second horizontal moving platform is slidably connected to the linear rail mechanism located at the top of the furnace frame, and the lower end of the vertical drag shaft is reinforced with a fixing plate and a right-angled triangle plate, which not only ensures the stability of the equipment operation, but also ensures the smooth operation of the equipment.

[0026] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0027] 1. Compared to the original cell feeding section, a buffer feeding mechanism and a buffer transfer device have been added. The buffer feeding mechanism is dedicated to transferring cells from the incoming cell line to the buffer tray at the cell buffer station. It can then be reset to directly above the incoming cell line to grip the cells, eliminating the need to wait for cells to be fed into the cell preheating assembly. This significantly reduces the waiting time for cells to be fed from the incoming cell line. On the other hand, the buffer transfer device transfers cells from the buffer tray to below the cell feeding station, providing buffer cells for the feeding mechanism. This allows the feeding mechanism to continuously connect cells to be fed, eliminating the need for the feeding mechanism to grab cells from the incoming line. It only needs to vertically lift and lower to pick up and place cells at the feeding station. All devices cooperate with each other, with no idle or waiting periods, improving equipment efficiency and utilization.

[0028] 2. After the battery cell is preheated on the battery cell preheating assembly, the second Z-axis stroke mechanism of the battery cell buffer unloading mechanism transfers the battery cell to the tray located at the battery cell buffer unloading station. Then, the buffer transfer device moves it horizontally to the battery cell unloading station. The second Z-axis stroke mechanism only needs to lift and drop the battery cell located at the buffer unloading station. Therefore, the efficiency of the battery cell unloading operation is greatly improved. The battery cell unloading station is connected to the next hot pressing process of battery cell processing, thus improving the battery cell supply efficiency for the hot pressing process.

[0029] 3. The transport mechanism synchronously drives the first and second active synchronous pulleys through the X-axis main drive shaft, enabling a single motor to synchronously drive the synchronous belt assembly and the structure of the linear guide rail. This results in the double Y-axis synchronous movement at both ends of the bottom of the buffer tray, thus ensuring the operational stability of the buffer tray and achieving smooth operation, thereby improving operating efficiency to adapt to the fast and efficient working environment of the equipment.

[0030] 4. The Y-axis translation module is connected to the first horizontal moving stage. The lead screw inside the Y-axis translation module is used to connect the Y-axis drive shaft to drive the synchronous belt assembly. Then, a bevel gear structure is used to connect the first transmission assembly and the second transmission assembly. This not only continues the transmission speed of the first transmission assembly, but also turns the transmission direction of the first transmission assembly by 90 degrees. This achieves the effect of the second transmission assembly driving the second horizontal moving stage to maintain synchronous movement with the first horizontal moving stage, thereby ensuring that the upper and lower ends of the vertical drag shaft move synchronously. This can be described as achieving two goals at once. The design is ingenious and not only saves equipment costs, but also improves the utilization rate and overall stability of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a left view of a battery cell preheating furnace;

[0032] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 Sectional view in AA;

[0033] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point A;

[0034] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point B;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the cache migration mechanism;

[0036] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the transport mechanism;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transfer device;

[0038] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Enlarged structural diagram at point C;

[0039] Figure 9 yes Figure 7 Enlarged structural diagram at point D;

[0040] Figure 10 yes Figure 7 Enlarged structural diagram at point E;

[0041] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the transfer device from another angle;

[0042] Figure 12 yes Figure 11 Enlarged structural diagram at point F;

[0043] Figure 13 yes Figure 11 Enlarged structural diagram at point G

[0044] Figure 14 yes Figure 11 Enlarged structural diagram at point H

[0045] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the battery cell preheating assembly;

[0046] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a battery cell preheating furnace;

[0047] In the diagram: Furnace frame-101; Side support plate-1011; Battery cell preheating assembly-102; Material feeding plate-1021; Card slot-10211; Buffer transfer device-20; Buffer tray-201; Carrying mechanism-202; Guide rail support frame-2021; Horizontal moving frame-2031;

[0048] Buffer loading station - A1; Cell loading station - A2; Cell preheating station - A3; Cell buffer unloading station - A4; Cell unloading station - A5; Buffer loading mechanism - 30; First Y-axis travel mechanism - 301; First Z-axis travel mechanism - 302; First cell clamping assembly - 303; Cell loading mechanism - 40; Second Z-axis travel mechanism - 401; Second cell clamping assembly - 402; Transfer device - 50; Vertical dragging device A - 510; First horizontal moving table - 511; Second horizontal moving table - 512; Vertical dragging shaft - 513; Y-axis translation module - 514; Z-axis module - 515; Vertical drive mechanism - 5151; Moving base plate - 5152; Positioning cylinder - 5153; Material feeding pin - 5154; Vertical dragging device B - 520; Synchronization mechanism - 60; First transmission assembly - 610; Third active synchronous pulley - 611; Third driven synchronous pulley - 612; Third synchronous belt - 613; Y-axis active shaft - 614; Second transmission assembly - 620; Fourth driven synchronous pulley - 621; Fifth driven synchronous pulley - 622; Fourth synchronous belt - 623; Bevel gear transmission assembly - 630; First driven bevel gear - 631; Second driven bevel gear - 632; Bevel gear fixing seat - 633; ​​First driven shaft - 634; Second driven shaft - 635; Buffer unloading mechanism 70. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-16 This application will be described in further detail.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5This application discloses a battery cell preheating furnace, including a furnace frame 101 and several layers of battery cell preheating assemblies 102 located within the furnace frame 101. The battery cell preheating assemblies 102 refer to tray-type heating plates stacked sequentially from low to high between the furnace frame 101. Multiple rows of preheating stations for placing battery cells are provided on the tray-type heating plates. The battery cell preheating furnace of this application divides the feeding section into a battery cell buffer feeding section and a battery cell feeding section, with a space between the battery cell buffer feeding section and the battery cell feeding section... A buffer transfer device 20 is provided, which includes a buffer tray 201 and a transport mechanism 202. The start and end positions of the transport mechanism 202 are respectively set as buffer loading station A1 and cell loading station A2. The transport mechanism 202 is used to reciprocate between the buffer tray 201 and the cell loading station A2. The cell buffer loading part includes a buffer loading mechanism 30, which is located on one side of the buffer loading station A1. The battery cell inlet line is located directly below the buffer loading mechanism 30. The buffer loading mechanism 30 is used to transfer the battery cells from the inlet line to the buffer tray 201 of the buffer loading station A1. Therefore, the buffer loading mechanism 30 only needs to supply the battery cells from the inlet line to the initial position of the buffer transfer device 20, which is the buffer loading station A1. The battery cell loading part is set as a battery cell loading mechanism 40 that only includes a lifting mechanism. Specifically, the battery cell loading mechanism 40 is located at the buffer loading station A1. Above position A2, a transfer device 50 is provided to move the tray-type heating plate between the cell loading station A2 and the cell preheating station A3. This allows the cell loading mechanism 40 to complete the cell loading simply by lifting and lowering the cells located at the cell loading station A2. Moreover, the operation processes of the cell loading mechanism 40 and the buffer loading mechanism 30 do not interfere with each other and can be carried out simultaneously without interruption. This ingenious staged design of cell loading improves the overall efficiency of cell loading operations.

[0051] Reference Figure 4The buffer loading mechanism 30 includes a first Y-axis travel mechanism 301, a first Z-axis travel mechanism 302 mounted on the first Y-axis travel mechanism 301, and a first cell clamping assembly 303 mounted on the first Z-axis travel mechanism 302. The travel distance of the first Z-axis travel mechanism 302 is 60-90mm, and the travel distance of the first Y-axis travel mechanism 301 is 900-1100mm. During the buffer loading operation: after the cells from the incoming line arrive at their positions, the first Z-axis travel mechanism 302 descends according to the instruction, and the first cell clamping assembly 303 also grabs a group of cells in a row according to the program instruction. Then, the first Y-axis travel mechanism 301 clamps the first Z-axis cell. The components of the Z-axis travel mechanism 302 are moved as a whole to the buffer loading station A1. After arriving in position, the first Z-axis travel mechanism 302 descends according to the program instructions, and the first cell clamping component 303 also releases the cell according to the instructions and places it on the buffer tray 201 of the buffer loading station A1, thus completing the buffer loading part of the cell. Compared with the previous method of directly grabbing the cell from the incoming line by the robot and placing it on the tray-type heating plate, both the Z-axis travel and the Y-axis travel are shortened. The shortened travel means a reduction in time and an increase in efficiency. In particular, the Z-axis travel is shortened by more than 20 times when the cell needs to be loaded to a higher level, since the tray-type heating plates stacked between the furnace frame 101 in the entire preheating furnace are about 2000mm high. It can be seen that the efficiency of grabbing the cell from the incoming line is improved by more than a little.

[0052] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2The cell preheating station A3 is located within the placement space of the tray-type heating plate inside the furnace frame 101. Multiple sets of side support plates 1011 are symmetrically arranged on the furnace frame 101 on both sides of the tray-type heating plate. The left and right sides of each tray-type heating plate are slidably connected to each set of side support plates 1011 via guide components. A transfer device 50 is also provided on the furnace frame 101. When the cell preheating component 102, i.e., the tray-type heating plate, needs to be loaded with cells, the transfer device 50 can translate and switch the tray-type heating plate from the cell loading station A2 to the cell preheating station A3. The cell loading mechanism 40 of the cell loading section is located above the cell loading station A2. The cell loading mechanism 40 includes a second Z-axis travel mechanism 401 and a second cell clamping component mounted on the second Z-axis travel mechanism 401. 402; Compared with the previous preheating furnace, the battery cell loading mechanism 40 of this application only needs to lift and place the battery cells located at the buffer unloading station by the second Z-axis stroke mechanism 401. Specifically, the second Z-axis stroke mechanism 401 first clamps the battery cell in the buffer tray 201 located at the battery cell loading station A2 to complete the clamping of the battery cell. Then the buffer tray 201 resets itself to the buffer loading station A1 to transport the battery cells transferred by the buffer loading mechanism to the battery cell loading mechanism 40. Before this, the transfer device 50 moves the tray-type heating plate to the battery cell loading station A2. The second Z-axis stroke mechanism 401 places the clamped battery cell on the tray-type heating plate. Then the transfer device 50 resets the tray-type heating plate to the battery cell preheating station A3. This process is repeated to realize the loading operation of the preheating furnace. The cell feeding mechanism 40 is dedicated to feeding the cells on the buffer tray 201 located at the cell feeding station A2 to the cell preheating assembly 102 of each layer. There is no need to go to the cell receiving line to clamp the cells. Moreover, after the second Z-axis stroke mechanism 401 grabs the cell, the buffer tray 201 can move to the cell buffer feeding station A1 to continuously buffer the cells to be fed by the cell feeding mechanism 40, thus greatly improving the efficiency of cell feeding.

[0053] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3The preheating furnace of this application is equipped with a buffer unloading mechanism 70 in the cell unloading section, and corresponding cell buffer unloading stations A4 and A5 are set up. A buffer transfer device 20 is set between the cell buffer unloading stations A4 and A5. The buffer transfer device 20 of the unloading section is the same as the transfer device 50 of the loading section. The cell buffer unloading mechanism 70 is the same as the cell loading mechanism 40, including a second Z-axis travel mechanism 401 and a second cell clamping assembly 402 set on the second Z-axis travel mechanism 401. The cell buffer unloading mechanism 70 is set above the cell buffer unloading station A4. With the help of the transfer device 50, which can move the tray-type heating plate between the cell preheating station A3 and the cell buffer unloading station A4, the cell buffer unloading mechanism 70 only needs to lift and drop to pick up and place the cell located at the cell buffer unloading station A4. The process of buffering and unloading battery cells can be completed in the following way: After the battery cells are preheated on the battery cell preheating assembly 102, the transfer device 50 first moves the tray-type heating plate to the battery cell buffer unloading station A4. The second Z-axis travel mechanism 401 picks up the battery cells from the tray-type heating plate. Then, the second Z-axis travel mechanism 401 of the battery cell buffer unloading mechanism 70 descends to grab the battery cells and places them on the buffer tray 201 of the battery cell buffer unloading station A4. Then, the transport mechanism 202 moves them to the battery cell unloading station A5. The second Z-axis travel mechanism 401 of the battery cell buffer unloading mechanism 70 only needs to lift and drop the battery cells located at the buffer unloading station A4. There is no need to worry about the next process of the battery cells. Therefore, the efficiency of battery cell unloading is greatly improved. The battery cell unloading station A5 is connected to the next hot pressing process of battery cell processing, thus improving the battery cell supply efficiency for the hot pressing process.

[0054] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 16The transport mechanism 202 includes a guide rail support frame 2021 arranged along the Y direction, which is also the supporting part of the entire transport mechanism 202. A first Y-direction linear guide rail and a second Y-direction linear guide rail are symmetrically arranged on the guide rail support frame 2021. Both the first and second Y-direction linear guide rails include slide rails and sliders slidably connected to the slide rails. This serves as the transport reference for the entire transport mechanism 202. A main drive shaft, i.e., an X-direction main transmission shaft 2024, is arranged perpendicular to the first and second Y-direction linear guide rails. A first and second active synchronous pulleys are fixed to both ends of the X-direction main transmission shaft 2024, respectively. One end of the X-direction main transmission shaft 2024 is connected to the drive end of the main drive motor via a coupling. This achieves synchronous rotation of the first and second active synchronous pulleys; it also includes a first and second driven synchronous pulleys respectively set at the other end of the first and second Y-axis linear guides, a first synchronous belt sleeved between the first and second active synchronous pulleys, and a second synchronous belt sleeved on the second active and second driven synchronous pulleys. Both the first and second synchronous belts are provided with connecting parts that are fixedly connected to the slider. A horizontal moving frame 2031 is fixedly set on the connecting parts. The horizontal moving frame 2031 is U-shaped, thereby increasing the bearing area of ​​the horizontal moving frame 2031. The bottom of the buffer tray 201 is symmetrically fixed on the two horizontal moving frames 2031.

[0055] Reference Figure 5 During the loading and unloading of battery cells, multiple cells in a row are loaded at once. The battery cell clamping assembly includes multiple battery cell grippers arranged side by side. The tray-type heating plate needs to meet certain lateral dimensions. In order to facilitate the loading and unloading of battery cells, the buffer tray 201 is required to meet the same width specification as the tray-type heating plate. Therefore, the buffer tray 201 has a relatively large X-axis width, and the buffer tray 201 needs to have more than one receiving point. Moreover, the buffer tray 201 needs to be conveyed back and forth, so multiple receiving points need to be operated synchronously to ensure that the conveying process of the buffer tray 201 is safe and fast. The transport mechanism 202 synchronously drives the first active synchronous pulley and the second active synchronous pulley through the X-axis main drive shaft 2024, so that the single motor synchronously drives the synchronous belt assembly. With the structure of the linear guide rail, the bottom two ends of the buffer tray 201 can move in the same Y-axis direction. Therefore, the operation stability of the buffer tray 201 is ensured, and it can run smoothly, thereby improving the operating efficiency to adapt to the fast and efficient operating environment of the equipment. The travel distance of the transport mechanism 202 is 1400-1500mm. Since each mechanical structure occupies a certain space, a certain safety distance is required between each mechanical structure. Taking into account the safety distance, the movement process and speed of the mechanism, the travel distance of the transport mechanism 202 is set at 1400-1500mm. This can maximize the work efficiency while meeting the requirements of work safety.

[0056] Reference Figure 16 The transfer device 50 includes a vertical dragging device A510 installed on one side of the furnace frame 101 and a vertical dragging device B520 installed on the other side of the furnace frame 101. This arrangement can ensure the load-bearing balance of the overall structure and prevent a series of problems such as poor stability caused by tilting or swaying on one side.

[0057] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 9 , Figure 12 The vertical dragging device A510 and the vertical dragging device B520 both include a first horizontal moving platform 511 that is slidably connected to the top of the furnace frame 101 and a second horizontal moving platform 512 that is fixedly connected to the drive end of the Y-axis translation module 514 at the bottom of the furnace frame 101, as well as a vertical dragging shaft 513 that is vertically fixed between the first horizontal moving platform 511 and the second horizontal moving platform 512. They also include a synchronization mechanism 60 that ensures the first horizontal moving platform 511 and the second horizontal moving platform 512 move synchronously, that is, the upper and lower ends of the vertical dragging shaft 513 move synchronously to ensure the structural stability of the entire furnace frame 101 when loading and unloading battery cells.

[0058] Reference Figure 7-10 , Figure 13-14The synchronization mechanism 60 includes a first transmission component 610 and a second transmission component 620. The drive end of the first transmission component 610 comes from the lead screw inside the Y-axis translation module 514. Specifically, when the Y-axis translation module 514 is started, the lead screw inside it rotates, and the lead screw serves as the power source for the first transmission component 610. On the one hand, it can utilize existing drive equipment, and on the other hand, it can be combined with a synchronous belt assembly to transmit the rotational speed of the lead screw. Specifically, the first transmission component 610 includes a third driving synchronous belt pulley 611 and a third driven synchronous belt pulley 620. 2. A third synchronous belt 613 connects the third driving synchronous pulley 611 and the third driven synchronous pulley 612, and a Y-axis drive shaft 614. The Y-axis drive shaft 614 is connected to the lead screw inside the Y-axis translation module 514 via a coupling. The third driving synchronous pulley 611 is connected to the Y-axis drive shaft 614. Therefore, the third driving synchronous pulley and the lead screw inside the Y-axis translation module 514 maintain the same rotational speed, and this speed is converted into the speed of the third synchronous belt 613 for transmission. The transmission direction of the first transmission assembly 610 is the same as that of the third synchronous belt 613. The transmission direction is from bottom to top and parallel to the vertical drag shaft 513; the second transmission assembly 620 includes a fourth driven synchronous pulley 621 and a fifth driven synchronous pulley 622 fixed to the top of the furnace frame 101, and a fourth synchronous belt 623 connecting the fourth driven synchronous pulley 621 and the fifth driven synchronous pulley 622. The fourth synchronous belt 623 is horizontally arranged and parallel to the translation direction of the Y-axis translation module 514; it also includes a bevel gear transmission assembly 630 located at the vertical intersection of the first transmission assembly 610 and the second transmission assembly 620. 630 includes a first driven bevel gear 631 and a second driven bevel gear 632 that are perpendicular to each other and mesh with each other, and a first driven shaft 634 and a second driven shaft 635 that are perpendicular to each other and fixed on the bevel gear fixing seat 633. The two ends of the first driven shaft 634 are respectively connected to a third driven synchronous pulley 612 and the first driven bevel gear 631, and the first driven shaft 634 is parallel to the transmission direction of the fourth synchronous belt 623. The two ends of the second driven shaft 635 are respectively connected to the fourth driven synchronous pulley 621 and the second driven bevel gear 632. The transmission directions of the third synchronous belt 613 and the fourth synchronous belt 623 are perpendicular to each other. As described above, this ingenious arrangement not only changes the vertical transmission direction of the third synchronous belt 613 by 90 degrees to form the transmission direction of the fourth synchronous belt 623, but also sequentially transmits the translation speed of the Y-axis translation module 514 to the third synchronous belt 613 and the fourth synchronous belt 623. The fourth synchronous belt 623 is connected to the bottom of the second horizontal moving stage 512 through the synchronous belt pressure plate, thereby achieving the effect of the first horizontal moving stage 511 and the second horizontal moving stage 512 maintaining synchronous movement. This improves the structural stability of the preheating furnace and eliminates the existing problems of tilting and shaking of the tray-type heating plate or even the entire battery cell preheating assembly during the loading and unloading process.

[0059] Reference Figure 9-10 An auxiliary guide assembly is provided on the top of the furnace frame 101, including a linear rail and a slider fixed to the top of the furnace frame 101. The lower end of the slider is fixedly connected to the upper part of the second horizontal moving platform 512. The top of the vertical drag shaft 513 is fixedly connected to the second horizontal moving platform 512 through a reinforcing plate. The bottom of the vertical drag shaft 513 is vertically connected to the first horizontal moving platform 511 through a fixing plate. A right-angled triangle plate is provided at the vertical connection between the vertical drag shaft 513 and the fixing plate to fix it. In this way, it also provides protection to prevent the overall tray-type heating plate from tilting when the vertical drag shaft 513 moves the tray-type heating plate.

[0060] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 15 A Z-axis module 515 is fixed to the side of the vertical drive shaft 513. The Z-axis module 515 includes a vertical drive mechanism 5151 and a movable base plate 5152 fixed to the drive end of the vertical drive mechanism 5151. A positioning cylinder 5153 is provided on the movable base plate 5152. The drive end of the positioning cylinder 5153 is connected to the feeding pin 5154. Feeding plates 1021 corresponding to the feeding pin 5154 are provided on both sides of the battery cell preheating assembly 102. Several layers of battery cell preheating assemblies 102 are stacked vertically. Each layer of battery cell preheating assembly 102 can be translated relative to the furnace frame 101 along the Y-axis. When a battery cell needs to be fed into a specific layer of battery cell preheating assembly 102, the vertical drive mechanism 515 moves the moving base plate 5152 vertically to the corresponding layer according to the program instructions. The positioning cylinder 5153 drives the feeding pin 5154 to engage with the feeding plates 1021 on both sides of the battery cell preheating assembly 102. The feeding plates 1021 are provided with slots 10211 corresponding to the feeding pin 5154. The positioning cylinder 5153 drives the feeding pin 5154 to move into the slots 10211, so that the vertical drive shaft 513 and the battery cell preheating assembly 102 form an integral structure. The battery cell preheating assembly 102 is then moved horizontally to the battery cell loading station A2 by the vertical dragging device A510. After the battery cell loading is completed, the battery cell preheating assembly 102 is moved horizontally to the battery cell preheating station A3 by the vertical dragging device A510 for the battery cell preheating process. Then, the positioning cylinder 5153 drives the material feeding pin 5154 to disengage from the material feeding plate 1021 until all battery cells are loaded, at which point the battery cells enter the battery cell preheating process. After the battery cells are preheated, similarly, the positioning cylinder 5153 drives the material feeding pin 5154 to engage with the material feeding plates 5154 on both sides of the battery cell preheating assembly 102. Then, the vertical dragging device B520 moves the battery cell preheating assembly 102 to the battery cell buffer unloading station A4 for the battery cells to be unloaded.

[0061] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A battery cell preheating furnace, comprising a preheating furnace body, the preheating furnace body including a furnace frame and a plurality of layers of battery cell preheating components located within the furnace frame, the plurality of layers of battery cell preheating components being horizontally slidably connected to the furnace frame, characterized in that, The battery cell preheating furnace includes, in sequence, a buffer loading station, a battery cell loading station, a battery cell preheating station, a battery cell buffer unloading station, and a battery cell unloading station, with the battery cell preheating station located within the furnace frame. It also includes a transfer device capable of translating the battery cell preheating assembly between the battery cell loading station and the battery cell preheating station, and between the battery cell preheating station and the battery cell buffer unloading station. Buffer transfer devices are provided between the buffer loading station and the battery cell loading station, and between the battery cell buffer unloading station and the battery cell unloading station. Each buffer transfer device includes a buffer tray and a transport mechanism, the transport mechanism being used to move the buffer tray between the buffer loading station and the battery cell loading station. The system reciprocates between the battery cell buffer unloading station and the battery cell unloading station; a buffer loading mechanism is provided on one side of the buffer loading station, which is used to transfer the battery cells from the incoming battery cell line to the buffer tray of the buffer loading station; a battery cell loading mechanism is provided at the battery cell loading station, which is used to transfer the battery cells in the buffer tray of the battery cell loading station to the battery cell preheating assembly to be loaded; a buffer unloading mechanism is provided at the battery cell buffer unloading station, which is used to transfer the battery cells to be unloaded on the battery cell preheating assembly to the buffer tray of the battery cell buffer unloading station, and then the transport mechanism moves the buffer tray to the battery cell unloading station to be unloaded; The transport mechanism includes a main drive motor, an X-axis main drive shaft, a first Y-axis linear guide rail, a second Y-axis linear guide rail, and a synchronous belt assembly. The synchronous belt assembly includes a first driving synchronous pulley, a second driving synchronous pulley, a first driven synchronous pulley, a second driven synchronous pulley, a first synchronous belt, and a second synchronous belt. The first and second driving synchronous pulleys are coaxially connected to the output shaft of the main drive motor via the X-axis main drive shaft. The first driving synchronous pulley and the first driven synchronous pulley are respectively fixed to both ends of the first Y-axis linear guide rail, and the second driving synchronous pulley and the second driven synchronous pulley are respectively fixed to... At both ends of the second Y-axis linear guide, a first synchronous belt is fitted onto the first driving synchronous pulley and the first driven synchronous pulley, and a second synchronous belt is fitted onto the second driving synchronous pulley and the second driven synchronous pulley. Both the first Y-axis linear guide and the second Y-axis linear guide include a slide rail and a slider that is slidably connected to the slide rail. Both the first synchronous belt and the second synchronous belt are provided with connecting parts that are fixedly connected to the slider. A horizontal moving frame is fixedly installed on the connecting parts. The bottom of the buffer tray is symmetrically fixed on the two horizontal moving frames. The travel distance of the transport mechanism is 1400-1500mm.

2. The cell preheating furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buffer loading mechanism includes a fixed frame, a first Y-axis travel mechanism mounted on the fixed frame, a first Z-axis travel mechanism mounted on the first Y-axis travel mechanism, and a first cell clamping assembly mounted on the first Z-axis travel mechanism; both the cell loading mechanism and the buffer unloading mechanism include a second Z-axis travel mechanism and a second cell clamping assembly mounted on the second Z-axis travel mechanism; the travel distance of the first Y-axis travel mechanism is 900-1100mm, the travel distance of the first Z-axis travel mechanism is 60-90mm, and the travel distance of the second Z-axis travel mechanism is 1800-2000mm.

3. The cell preheating furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer device includes a vertical dragging device A and a vertical dragging device B. The vertical dragging device A is disposed on either the left or right side of the furnace frame near the cell loading station. The vertical dragging device B is disposed on either the left or right side of the furnace frame near the cell buffer unloading station. The vertical dragging device A is used to move the cell preheating assembly between the cell loading station and the cell preheating station. The vertical dragging device B is used to move the cell preheating assembly between the cell preheating station and the cell buffer unloading station.

4. The cell preheating furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the vertical dragging device A and the vertical dragging device B include a first horizontal moving platform, a second horizontal moving platform, a vertical dragging shaft, a Y-axis translation module fixed to the bottom of the furnace frame, and a synchronization mechanism for driving the vertical dragging shaft to move horizontally along the Y direction. The two ends of the vertical dragging shaft are respectively vertically connected to the first horizontal moving platform and the second horizontal moving platform. The first horizontal moving platform is installed on the driving end of the Y-axis translation module. An auxiliary guide component is fixedly provided on the top of the furnace frame along the Y direction. The second horizontal moving platform is fixedly connected to the slider on the auxiliary guide component.

5. The cell preheating furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that, The synchronization mechanism includes a synchronous belt drive assembly, which includes a first drive assembly and a second drive assembly. The drive direction of the first drive assembly is parallel to the vertical drag axis, and the drive direction of the second drive assembly is consistent with the translation direction of the Y-axis translation module. The synchronization mechanism also includes a bevel gear drive assembly connecting the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly. The bevel gear drive assembly changes the vertical drive direction of the first drive assembly by 90 degrees to form the horizontal drive direction of the second drive assembly.

6. The cell preheating furnace according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first transmission assembly includes a third driving synchronous pulley, a third driven synchronous pulley, a third synchronous belt connecting the third driving synchronous pulley and the third driven synchronous pulley, and a Y-axis driving shaft. The Y-axis driving shaft is connected to the lead screw inside the Y-axis translation module via a coupling, and the third driving synchronous pulley is connected to the Y-axis driving shaft.

7. The cell preheating furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second transmission assembly includes a fourth driven synchronous pulley, a fifth driven synchronous pulley, and a fourth synchronous belt connecting the fourth driven synchronous pulley and the fifth driven synchronous pulley. The fourth driven synchronous pulley and the fifth driven synchronous pulley are fixed to the top of the furnace frame, and the fourth synchronous belt is connected to the second horizontal moving table through a synchronous belt pressure plate.

8. The cell preheating furnace according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bevel gear transmission assembly includes a first driven bevel gear, a second driven bevel gear, a first driven shaft, and a second driven shaft. The two ends of the first driven shaft are respectively connected to a third driven synchronous pulley and the first driven bevel gear. The two ends of the second driven shaft are respectively connected to a fourth driven synchronous pulley and the second driven bevel gear. The first driven bevel gear and the second driven bevel gear are perpendicular to each other and mesh with each other for transmission. The first driven shaft is perpendicular to the second driven shaft.

9. The cell preheating furnace according to any one of claims 4-8, characterized in that, The auxiliary guide assembly includes a linear rail and a slider fixed to the top of the furnace frame. The lower end face of the slider is fixedly connected to the second horizontal moving platform. The top end of the vertical drag shaft is fixedly connected to the second horizontal moving platform through a reinforcing plate. The bottom of the vertical drag shaft is vertically connected to the first horizontal moving platform through a fixing plate. A right-angled triangle plate is provided at the vertical connection between the vertical drag shaft and the fixing plate for fixation.

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