An air knife

Abstract

The application discloses a wind knife and relates to the technical field of photovoltaic welding strip production. The wind knife comprises an upper shell, a first wire outlet opening is formed in the upper shell and penetrates the upper shell along the axial direction; a lower shell is provided with a second wire outlet opening penetrating the lower shell along the axial direction, the lower shell is connected with the upper shell, and an open accommodating space is defined in the lower shell and / or the upper shell, so that the wind knife has an air outlet cavity formed by the accommodating space after the two are connected; at least two air inlets are formed in the upper shell or the lower shell, an outlet is defined between the first wire outlet opening and the second wire outlet opening and is communicated with the air outlet cavity, a baffle is arranged on the upper shell or the lower shell, the baffle separates the air outlet cavity into a plurality of air outlet cavities which are not communicated with each other and separates the outlet into a plurality of air outlet openings which are not communicated with each other, and each air outlet cavity is provided with at least one air inlet opening and one air outlet opening. The application can shorten the time for debugging and replacing the wind knife.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of photovoltaic welding strip production technology, and in particular to a pneumatic knife. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technologies, flat air knives are typically used on production lines producing conventional or segmented solder ribbon to control the coating thickness. Flat air knives were the earliest type of air knives used on high-speed tinning production lines. They are positioned above the solder bath at the solder ribbon outlet, and there are usually two, positioned on opposite sides of the solder ribbon. The height, angle, distance from the solder ribbon, and air pressure at the outlet of each flat air knife can be individually controlled. While simple in structure and flexible in adjustment, this very flexibility means that properly adjusting both flat air knives takes a considerable amount of time and requires highly skilled operators. Production lines producing round solder ribbon typically use round air knives. Round air knives differ significantly from flat air knives, with different tooling and related designs on the production line. Switching from a conventional or segmented solder ribbon production line to a round solder ribbon production line, or vice versa, requires changing the air knives. Because the tooling and related designs differ between flat and round air knives, the time required for changing air knives is longer, thus reducing production capacity.

[0003] Therefore, how to shorten the time for debugging and replacing air blades has become a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an air knife that can shorten the time for debugging and replacing air knives.

[0005] This invention provides the following solution:

[0006] A wind blade, comprising:

[0007] The upper housing has a first cable outlet that extends through it along its axial direction;

[0008] The lower housing has a second outlet that extends through it along its axial direction. The lower housing is connected to the upper housing, and the interior of the lower housing and / or the upper housing defines an open accommodating space so that the air knife has an air outlet cavity formed by the accommodating space after the two are connected.

[0009] The upper housing or the lower housing has at least two air inlets, and an outlet communicating with the air outlet cavity is defined between the first outlet and the second outlet. The upper housing or the lower housing is provided with a baffle, which divides the air outlet cavity into multiple non-communicating air cavities and the outlet into multiple non-communicating air outlets. Each air cavity is provided with at least one air inlet and one air outlet.

[0010] Optionally, the upper housing includes a body and a protruding structure extending downward along the body, wherein the first cable outlet is provided on the protruding structure;

[0011] The lower housing is recessed into the interior of the lower housing at the position corresponding to the protruding structure to form a first groove. The second outlet is opened at the position corresponding to the protruding structure on the first groove, and a preset distance is defined between the first groove and the protruding structure so as to define the air outlet cavity between the body, the protruding structure and the lower housing.

[0012] Optionally, the upper housing has a first air inlet and a second air inlet, the body is provided with the baffle, and the baffle divides the air outlet into a first air outlet and a second air outlet that are not connected to each other, and divides the outlet into a first air outlet and a second air outlet that are not connected to each other.

[0013] The first air inlet, the first air cavity, and the first air outlet are interconnected, as are the second air inlet, the second air cavity, and the second air outlet.

[0014] Optionally, the protrusion structure is configured as a stepped structure in the axial direction of the body.

[0015] Optionally, the top of the protruding structure is configured as an inverted cone shape.

[0016] Optionally, the protruding structure includes a first part and a second part located on opposite sides of the baffle, and the structure of the first part and the second part is configured according to the type of welding strip to be processed.

[0017] Optionally, the upper housing has a plurality of first through holes, and the lower housing has a plurality of second through holes. The plurality of first through holes and the plurality of second through holes are used to connect the upper housing and the lower housing after a connector is inserted.

[0018] Optionally, the cross-section of the air knife is circular, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the axis of the body.

[0019] Optionally, the cross-section of the air knife is square, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the axis of the body.

[0020] Optionally, the thickness of the baffle is set according to the type of welding strip to be processed.

[0021] According to specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0022] The air knife provided by this invention generally includes an upper shell and a lower shell, which are connected, and the space between them forms an air outlet cavity. A first outlet and a second outlet are respectively provided on the upper shell and the lower shell for the welding strip to pass through. A certain gap exists between the first outlet and the second outlet, forming an outlet that communicates with the air outlet cavity. The structure of the air knife is similar to that of existing circular air knives. Of course, the specific shapes of the upper and lower shells can be set according to actual assembly needs or other requirements, ensuring that they can fit together. Based on this, a baffle is provided in the air outlet cavity, dividing the air outlet cavity into multiple non-communicating air chambers and the outlet into multiple non-communicating air outlets. Furthermore, each air chamber has at least one air inlet and one air outlet; that is, the gas entering through the air inlet passes through the air chamber and is blown towards the welding strip through the air outlet. The baffle arrangement allows the same air knife to have multiple air outlets, enabling the air knife to be used for producing conventional welding strips or segmented welding strips. In actual production, air knives with different numbers of air outlets (or air chambers) can be manufactured according to the requirements of the production line. That is, the internal structure of the air knife can be set according to actual production needs. Thus, when the production line needs to be switched, only the air knife needs to be replaced. Because the air knives have the same shape, tooling, and related designs, the time for replacing the air knife is greatly shortened, and the production lines for round welding strips, conventional welding strips, and segmented welding strips can be shared. Furthermore, for different welding strips, compared to the two flat air knives in the prior art, the air knife provided by this invention does not require angle adjustment, because the angle is determined in the design stage. Angle adjustment is a major challenge in air knife debugging. After solving the angle adjustment problem, only the distance between the air knife and the welding strip, the air pressure of the air outlet, etc., need to be adjusted. Moreover, since the air knife is a single unit, there is no need to adjust two flat air knives separately as in the prior art, greatly shortening the debugging time. Therefore, the air knife provided by this invention can shorten the debugging and replacement time, reduce the debugging difficulty, have less impact on the production line's capacity, and make the production line more versatile and the capacity adjustment more flexible and convenient.

[0023] Furthermore, a first air inlet and a second air inlet are provided on the upper housing, and a baffle is provided on the upper housing, which divides the air outlet cavity into a first air cavity and a second air cavity that are not interconnected, and divides the outlet into a first air outlet and a second air outlet that are not interconnected. Among them, the first air inlet, the first air cavity and the first air outlet are connected, and the second air inlet, the second air cavity and the second air outlet are connected. The air knife provided by the present invention can realize the function of two flat air knives.

[0024] Of course, any product implementing this invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air knife at the first angle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second angle of the air knife provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an air knife provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a front view of the upper housing of an air knife according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the upper housing of an air knife according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a top view of the upper housing of an air knife according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the lower housing of an air knife according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an air knife provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the lower housing of an air knife provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lower housing of an air knife provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a top view of the upper housing of an air knife provided in another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] It should be noted that the descriptions of "left," "right," "left side," "right side," "upper part," "lower part," "top," and "bottom" in this invention are defined based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are merely for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the described structure must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0039] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air knife at the first angle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second angle of the air knife provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an air knife provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a front view of the upper housing of an air knife provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the upper housing of an air knife according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a top view of the upper housing of an air knife provided in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the lower housing of an air knife according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown in the figures and other accompanying drawings, the present invention provides an air knife, which generally includes an upper housing 100 and a lower housing 200. The upper housing 100 has a first outlet 121 extending axially therethrough. The lower housing 200 has a second outlet 211 extending axially therethrough. The lower housing 200 is connected to the upper housing 100, and the lower housing 200 and / or the upper housing 100 define an open accommodating space inside, so that the air knife has an air outlet cavity formed by the accommodating space after the two are connected. At least two air inlets 150 are provided on the upper housing 100 or the lower housing 200. An outlet communicating with the air outlet cavity is defined between the first outlet 121 and the second outlet 211. A baffle 400 is provided on the upper housing 100 or the lower housing 200, which divides the air outlet cavity into multiple non-communicating air cavities and the outlet into multiple non-communicating air outlets. Each air cavity has at least one air inlet 150 and one air outlet.

[0041] The air knife provided in this embodiment generally includes an upper housing 100 and a lower housing 200, which are connected, and the space between them forms an air outlet cavity. A first outlet 121 and a second outlet 211 are respectively provided on the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 for the welding strip to pass through. There is a certain gap between the first outlet 121 and the second outlet 211, which forms an outlet and communicates with the air outlet cavity. The structure of the air knife is similar to that of existing circular air knives. Of course, the specific shapes of the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 can be set according to actual assembly needs or other requirements, ensuring that they can fit together. Based on this, a baffle 400 is provided in the air outlet cavity, which divides the air outlet cavity into multiple non-communicating air cavities and the outlet into multiple non-communicating air outlets. Furthermore, each air cavity is provided with at least one air inlet 150 and one air outlet, that is, the gas entering through the air inlet 150 passes through the air cavity and is blown towards the welding strip through the air outlet. The baffle 400 allows a single air knife to have multiple air outlets, enabling it to be used for producing conventional or segmented welding strips. In actual production, air knives with different numbers of air outlets (or air chambers) can be manufactured according to production line requirements. This means the internal structure of the air knife can be customized to meet specific production needs. Thus, when the production line needs to be switched, only the air knife needs to be replaced. Because the air knives have identical shapes, tooling, and related designs, the replacement time is significantly reduced, allowing for the sharing of production lines for round, conventional, and segmented welding strips. Furthermore, compared to the two flat air knives in existing technologies, the air knife provided by this invention does not require angle adjustment for different welding strips. The angle is determined during the design phase, and angle adjustment is a major challenge in air knife debugging. By solving this angle adjustment problem, only the distance between the air knife and the welding strip, and the air pressure at the outlet need to be adjusted. Since the air knife is a single unit, adjustments are not required as with the two flat air knives in existing technologies, greatly reducing debugging time. Therefore, the air knife provided by this invention can shorten the time for debugging and replacing air knives, reduce the debugging difficulty, have a smaller impact on the production line capacity, and make the production line more versatile and the production line more flexible and convenient to adjust.

[0042] In one specific embodiment, the upper housing 100 includes a body 110 and a protruding structure 120 extending downward along the body 110. A first cable outlet 121 is provided on the protruding structure 120. A first groove 210 is formed in the lower housing 200 at a position corresponding to the protruding structure 120. A second cable outlet 211 is provided on the first groove 210 at a position corresponding to the protruding structure 120. A preset distance is defined between the first groove 210 and the protruding structure 120, and this preset distance is greater than zero, meaning the first groove 210 and the protruding structure 120 are not completely fitted together, thus defining an air outlet cavity between the body 110, the protruding structure 120, and the lower housing 200. It should be noted that the axial direction of the body 110 is parallel to the length direction of the welding strip. In this embodiment, the arrangement of the first groove 210 and the protruding structure 120 makes the airflow from the outlet more stable.

[0043] See Figure 3 In one specific embodiment, the upper housing 100 has a first air inlet and a second air inlet, and the main body 110 is provided with a baffle 400. The baffle 400 divides the air outlet into a first air cavity 310 and a second air cavity 320 that are not interconnected, and divides the outlet into a first air outlet 161 and a second air outlet 162 that are not interconnected. The first air inlet, the first air cavity 310, and the first air outlet 161 are interconnected, as are the second air inlet, the second air cavity 320, and the second air outlet 162. The air knife provided in this embodiment can function as two flat air knives. In this embodiment, the baffle 400 is provided on the upper housing 100. Those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the baffle 400 can also be provided on the lower housing 200, as long as the air cavity separated by the baffle 400 can be sealed. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that the cavity volumes of the first air cavity 310 and the second air cavity 320 separated by the baffle 400 may be the same or different. That is, the baffle 400 may or may not be located in the middle of the upper housing 100, as long as the air outlet cavity is effectively separated.

[0044] In other embodiments, the upper housing 100 has more air inlets 150, such as three, four or even five. Correspondingly, the air outlet and the air cavity can be divided into more air cavities and air outlets, such as three, four or even five, by setting the structure of the baffle 400, so that the air knife can be applied to more complex welding strips.

[0045] See also Figure 3 See also Figure 5 or Figure 6In one specific embodiment, the protrusion structure 120 is arranged in a stepped structure in the axial direction of the body 110. The stepped protrusion structure 120 increases the cavity volume of the air outlet cavity, provides a larger buffer space for the gas, and makes the air outlet more stable.

[0046] It should be noted that in embodiments with multiple air chambers and air outlets, each air chamber is required to have at least one air inlet 150 and one air outlet. Furthermore, the air velocity of the gas entering through the air inlet 150 corresponding to different air chambers can be set, so that the air velocity of the outlets can be adjusted, thereby further improving the flexibility and versatility of the air knife.

[0047] See also Figure 5 In one specific embodiment, the top of the protruding structure 120 is configured as an inverted cone shape. It is understood that in some embodiments, the first groove 210 is configured such that at least the shape of its bottom is the same as the shape of the top of the protruding structure 120. Of course, the first groove 210 can also be further configured to extend obliquely upward, thereby increasing the cavity volume of the air outlet cavity.

[0048] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an air knife provided in another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the lower housing of an air knife provided in another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lower housing of an air knife according to another embodiment of the present invention. (See diagram below.) Figure 8 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the protruding structure 120 includes a first portion 122 and a second portion 123 located on opposite sides of the baffle 400, and the structure of the first portion 122 and the second portion 123 is configured according to the type of welding strip to be processed. In this embodiment, the first portion 122 and the second portion 123 can be configured as different stepped structures. For example, the axial distance between two adjacent steps on the first portion 122 and the second portion 123 may be different. Furthermore, the step shapes on the first portion 122 and the second portion 123 may be different; specifically, the step shape may be square, arc-shaped, or irregular.

[0049] It should be noted that in actual production, the welding strip usually passes through the second outlet 211 and the first outlet 121 in sequence.

[0050] In some embodiments, the shapes of the first outlet 121 and the second outlet 211 can be set according to the type of welding strip to be processed. For example, the first outlet 121 and the second outlet 211 can be set to square, circular or irregular shapes, thereby further improving the flexibility of the air knife.

[0051] See also Figure 1 In one specific embodiment, a connecting structure is provided on the outer wall of the upper housing 100 for connecting the air knife to the production line. Preferably, a first protrusion 130 extending upward is provided on the side of the upper housing 100 away from the lower housing 200. Further, mounting holes 131 are provided on the first protrusion 130 for connecting the air knife to the production line after passing through bolts. More preferably, there are two mounting holes 131.

[0052] In some embodiments, the side of the protrusion 120 away from the first groove 210 is recessed downward to form a second groove 170, and the solder strip passes through the second outlet 211, the first outlet 121 and the second groove 170 in sequence. Preferably, the second groove 170 and the protrusion 120 have a certain thickness, that is, the first outlet 121 has a certain length in its axial direction.

[0053] See also Figure 5 and Figure 7 In one specific embodiment, the upper housing 100 has a plurality of first through holes 112, and the lower housing 200 has a plurality of second through holes 212 correspondingly. The plurality of first through holes 112 and the plurality of second through holes 212 are used to connect the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 after a connecting member is passed through. The connecting member is, for example, a bolt. The number of first through holes 112 and second through holes 212 is the same. Preferably, the body 110 of the upper housing 100 extends downward near the outer edge of the lower housing 200 to form a second boss 140. Correspondingly, the lower housing 200 is recessed downward near the outer edge of the upper housing 100 to form a groove 214. The second boss 140 and the groove 214 cooperate to pre-position the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 during assembly. Specifically, in one embodiment, the number of first through holes 112 and second through holes 212 is four each, and the first through holes 112 are evenly distributed on the upper housing 100, and the second through holes 212 are evenly distributed on the lower housing 200. Of course, in other embodiments, the number of the first through hole 112 and the second through hole 212 can be two, three, five or more. More preferably, the bottom edge of the second through hole 212 spreads outward and is recessed inward, so that the bottom of the second through hole 212 has an assembly space for the bolt end, so that after the upper housing 100 and the lower housing 200 are assembled, the bolt end will not protrude from the surface of the lower housing 200.

[0054] In one embodiment, the first through hole 112 does not penetrate the body 110, and the second through hole 212 penetrates the lower housing 200.

[0055] In one specific embodiment, the cross-section of the air knife is circular and perpendicular to the axial direction of the body 110.

[0056] In one specific embodiment, the air knife has a square cross-section that is perpendicular to the axis of the body 110.

[0057] Figure 11 This is a top view of the upper housing of an air knife provided in another embodiment of the present invention. (See figure) Figure 11 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the cross-section of the air knife is square, and the cross-section is perpendicular to the axis of the body 110.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, the thickness of the baffle 400 is set according to the type of welding strip to be processed, thereby further improving the flexibility of the air knife.

[0059] In some embodiments, the baffle 400 is integrally formed with the upper housing 100 or the lower housing 200. In other embodiments, the baffle 400 and the upper housing 100 or the lower housing 200 can be configured as separate structures. The baffle 400 and the upper housing 100 and / or the lower housing 200 can be connected by a detachable method such as snap-fit. Specifically, in one embodiment, a snap-fit ​​part for snap-fitting the baffle 400 is provided on the upper housing 100 and / or the lower housing 200, and a snap-fit ​​structure is provided on the baffle 400. In order to ensure sealing, a sealing component, such as a sealing strip, can be provided on the snap-fit ​​part and / or the snap-fit ​​structure, thereby realizing the detachability of the baffle 400. In this way, when switching between conventional welding strip and round welding strip production lines, only the baffle 400 needs to be disassembled and assembled.

[0060] The air knife provided by this invention has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the structure and implementation of this invention. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatic blade, characterized in that, include: The upper housing has a first cable outlet that extends through it along its axial direction; The lower housing has a second outlet that extends through it along its axial direction. The lower housing is connected to the upper housing, and the interior of the lower housing and / or the upper housing defines an open accommodating space so that the air knife has an air outlet cavity formed by the accommodating space after the two are connected. The upper housing or the lower housing has at least two air inlets, and an outlet communicating with the air outlet cavity is defined between the first outlet and the second outlet. The upper housing or the lower housing is provided with a baffle, which divides the air outlet cavity into multiple non-communicating air cavities and the outlet into multiple non-communicating air outlets. Each air cavity is provided with at least one air inlet and one air outlet. The upper housing includes a body and a protruding structure extending downward along the body, and the first cable outlet is provided on the protruding structure; The lower housing is recessed into the interior of the lower housing at the position corresponding to the protruding structure to form a first groove. The second outlet is opened at the position corresponding to the protruding structure on the first groove, and a preset distance is defined between the first groove and the protruding structure so as to define the air outlet cavity between the body, the protruding structure and the lower housing.

2. The air knife according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper housing has a first air inlet and a second air inlet, the main body is provided with the baffle, and the baffle divides the air outlet into a first air outlet and a second air outlet that are not connected to each other, and divides the outlet into a first air outlet and a second air outlet that are not connected to each other. The first air inlet, the first air cavity, and the first air outlet are interconnected, as are the second air inlet, the second air cavity, and the second air outlet.

3. The air knife according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion structure is arranged in a stepped structure in the axial direction of the body.

4. The air knife according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the protruding structure is configured as an inverted cone shape.

5. The air knife according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protruding structure includes a first part and a second part located on opposite sides of the baffle, and the structure of the first part and the second part is set according to the type of welding strip to be processed.

6. The air knife according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The upper housing has multiple first through holes, and the lower housing has multiple second through holes. The multiple first through holes and the multiple second through holes are used to connect the upper housing and the lower housing after a connector is inserted.

7. The air knife according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cross-section of the air knife is circular and perpendicular to the axis of the body.

8. The air knife according to claim 6, characterized in that, The air knife has a square cross-section, which is perpendicular to the axis of the body.

9. The air knife according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The thickness of the baffle is set according to the type of welding strip to be processed.

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