Automatic laying equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing line

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic paving device for a fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing glue line, which includes an automatic dispensing unit, a sealing glue line positioning platform, and an automatic pressing and bonding unit. The present invention can automatically complete the dispensing of the metal bipolar plate, the flipping of the dispensing area, and the alignment of the dispensing area and the sealing glue line, and implement the pressing and paving of the sealing glue line in the opposite movement, so that the dispensing molding thickness is uniform and the flatness of the sealing glue strip is relatively consistent. At the same time, by setting the A and B positioning surfaces, the positioning of the next metal bipolar plate can be implemented during the pressing process, shortening the time required for paving and improving the paving efficiency. In addition, the negative pressure and clamping positioning mode adopted are also very convenient for the positioning and unloading of the metal bipolar plate.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application with the application date of August 21, 2021, application number 2021109132472, and name of "Automated laying process for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing line". Technical Field

[0002] The invention belongs to the technical field of fuel cells, and in particular relates to an automatic paving device for a fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line. Background Art

[0003] A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy of an oxidant and a reductant directly into electrical energy through an electrocatalytic reaction. It is a new type of power generation technology that is efficient, safe, clean, and flexible. Among them, proton exchange membrane fuel cells have broad application prospects due to their significant advantages such as high efficiency, high energy density, low reaction temperature, no noise, and no pollution. The interior of a fuel cell is mainly composed of a proton exchange membrane, an electrochemical reaction catalyst, a diffusion layer, and a bipolar plate. When the fuel cell is working, the following reaction process occurs inside it: the reaction gas diffuses in the diffusion layer, and when the reaction gas reaches the catalyst layer, it is adsorbed by the catalyst in the catalyst layer and an electrocatalytic reaction occurs; the protons generated by the anode reaction are transferred to the cathode side through the proton exchange membrane, and the electrons reach the cathode through the external circuit, react with oxygen molecules to form water, and release heat at the same time. The sealing of the bipolar plate refers to sandwiching a sealing ring between the two bipolar plates or evenly applying glue, which forms a sealing ring after solidification to prevent hydrogen and oxygen from mutual crosstalk, causing safety accidents, or causing polarization of the stack due to insufficient reaction gas flow.

[0004] As a result, the sealing of the bipolar plate is one of the very important research topics of fuel cells. At present, there are mainly two process routes to achieve the sealing of the bipolar plate: 1. Use an automatic dispensing machine to dispense glue to form a sealing ring in the sealing groove of the bipolar plate. The disadvantage of this method is that the glue used for dispensing is expensive and the precision of the dispensing machines on the market is poor, and it is difficult to dispense glue to form a sealing strip with uniform thickness and consistent flatness; 2. Use a high-precision liquid silicone injection machine to separately mold a silicone sealing ring, and directly stack it manually in the sealing groove of the bipolar plate. This method will greatly consume manpower, have low production efficiency and it is difficult to ensure that the bipolar plate is completely sealed. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a new automated paving process for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing glue lines.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: an automated paving device for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing glue lines, with the length direction of the equipment as the X-axis, the width direction as the Y-axis, and the height direction as the Z-axis, and includes: an automatic dispensing unit, which includes a bipolar plate positioning platform with A and B positioning surfaces, a loading station and a dispensing station located on the X-axis, a lateral movement mechanism for driving the bipolar plate positioning platform to move along the X-axis direction, and a dispensing machine located above the dispensing station and capable of moving along the X, Y, and Z axes, wherein the A positioning surface and the B positioning surface are symmetrically arranged, and the A positioning surface is composed of a positioning groove, an adsorption hole, and a chuck die, and the metal bipolar plate is attached to the adsorption hole by negative pressure adsorption;

[0007] A sealant line positioning platform, which has an engaging groove recessed downward from the surface and matched with the sealant line, and an alignment column extending along the Z-axis direction is provided on the sealant line positioning platform, and an alignment hole matching with the alignment column is provided on the bipolar plate positioning platform;

[0008] The automatic pressing and bonding unit includes a metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism, a flipping mechanism for driving the metal bipolar plate to flip 180 degrees after being clamped, and a pressing mechanism for driving the sealant line positioning platform to move and press the sealant line to the metal bipolar plate dispensing area, wherein after the alignment holes and the alignment columns are aligned, the metal bipolar plate and the sealant line move toward each other and are pressed, and the next metal bipolar plate is placed on the upward B positioning surface of the bipolar plate positioning platform. Under the joint action of the adsorption holes on the A positioning surface and the chuck mold, the metal bipolar plate on which the glue line has been laid downward loses the negative pressure and detaches from the A positioning surface.

[0009] Preferably, the positioning groove is recessed inward from the surface of the bipolar plate positioning platform; the adsorption hole is arranged on the bottom surface of the positioning groove; and the chuck mold is correspondingly arranged on the groove walls on the opposite sides of the positioning groove and is arranged to move toward each other. In this way, under the joint action of the adsorption hole and the chuck mold, the metal bipolar plate is stably positioned on the bipolar plate positioning platform, and it is also convenient for 180-degree flip positioning and stable separation after the rubber line is paved.

[0010] Furthermore, the positioning groove matches the outer shape of the metal bipolar plate, and the loading station can feed the metal bipolar plates to the positioning groove of the bipolar plate positioning platform piece by piece.

[0011] According to a specific implementation and preferred aspect of the present invention, the transverse movement mechanism includes a slide rail extending along the X-axis direction, a slide seat arranged on the slide rail, and a power device, wherein the power device is used to drive the slide seat to move linearly along the slide rail.

[0012] Preferably, a notch is provided on the side of the bipolar plate positioning platform to match the slide seat. With the arrangement of the slide seat, the bipolar plate positioning platform can be moved smoothly between the loading station and the glue dispensing station.

[0013] Preferably, the power device is a linear motion drive; and / or, the loading station includes a stacking feeder and a transfer device.

[0014] According to a specific implementation and preferred aspect of the present invention, a pressing auxiliary frame is further provided above the moving path formed by the lateral movement mechanism, and the metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism comprises a clamping arm that moves along the Y and Z axis directions respectively, and a clamping head provided on the clamping arm, wherein the clamping head can clamp the side of the bipolar plate positioning platform. The movement of the clamping arm realizes the corresponding adjustment with the sealing glue line positioning platform.

[0015] Preferably, the flipping mechanism comprises a flipping wheel and a flipping motor arranged on the clamping arm for driving the clamping head to flip 180 degrees, wherein the axis of the flipping wheel extends along the Y-axis direction.

[0016] Preferably, there are two groups of chucks and they are symmetrically arranged about the Y axis, and the flipping mechanism is arranged one by one with the chucks and they flip synchronously. In this way, under the clamping of the two groups of chucks, the bipolar plate positioning platform can be flipped 180 degrees.

[0017] In addition, the pressing mechanism includes a horizontally arranged supporting platform and a telescopic rod for driving the supporting platform to move along the Z-axis direction, wherein the sealing glue line positioning platform is set on the supporting platform, the alignment hole is aligned with the alignment column, the telescopic rod moves along the Z-axis direction, and the sealing glue line is pressed on the metal bipolar plate. In this way, it is ensured that the sealing glue line is accurately aligned with the glue dispensing area and glued under the corresponding resistance pressure.

[0018] Due to the implementation of the above technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0019] The present invention can automatically complete the dispensing of metal bipolar plates, the flipping of the dispensing area, and the alignment of the dispensing area and the sealing line, and implement the pressing and paving of the sealing line in the opposite movement, so that the dispensing molding thickness is uniform and the flatness of the sealing strip is relatively consistent. At the same time, due to the setting of the A and B positioning surfaces, the positioning of the next metal bipolar plate can be implemented during the pressing process, shortening the time required for paving and improving the paving efficiency. In addition, the negative pressure and clamping positioning mode adopted are also very convenient for the positioning and unloading of the metal bipolar plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the automatic paving equipment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main view;

[0022] Among them: 1. Automatic dispensing unit; 10. Bipolar plate positioning platform; 100. Positioning groove; 101. Adsorption hole; 102. Chuck mold; 11. Loading station; 12. Dispensing station; 13. Transverse movement mechanism; 130. Slide rail; 131. Slide seat; q. Notch; 14. Dispensing machine;

[0023] 2. Sealant line positioning platform; 20. Fitting groove;

[0024] 3. Automatic pressing and bonding unit; 30. Metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism; 300. Clamping arm; 301. Clamping head; 31. Turning mechanism; 310. Turning wheel; 32. Pressing mechanism; 320. Supporting platform; 321. Telescopic rod; 2a. Alignment column; 2b. Alignment hole;

[0025] 4. Pressing auxiliary frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0027] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0028] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0029] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0030] In the present application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the first feature "above" or "below" the second feature may be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature. It should be noted that when an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the automated laying process of the fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing glue line of this embodiment adopts the automated laying equipment, with the length direction of the equipment as the X-axis, the width direction as the Y-axis, and the height direction as the Z-axis, and includes an automatic dispensing unit 1, a sealing glue line positioning platform 2, and an automatic pressing and bonding unit 3.

[0032] Specifically, the automatic dispensing unit 1 includes a bipolar plate positioning platform 10, a loading station 11 and a dispensing station 12 located on the X-axis, a transverse movement mechanism 13 for driving the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 to move along the X-axis direction, and a dispensing machine 14 located above the dispensing station 12 and capable of moving along the X, Y, and Z axes.

[0033] In this example, the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 has an A positioning surface and a B positioning surface, wherein the A positioning surface and the B positioning surface are symmetrically arranged.

[0034] Specifically, the A positioning surface is composed of a positioning groove 100, an adsorption hole 101 and a clamping die 102. In this way, when the sealant line is pressed on the A positioning surface, the next metal bipolar plate is sent to the B positioning surface.

[0035] The positioning groove 100 is recessed inward from the upper surface of the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 to form a groove matching the appearance of the metal bipolar plate. The loading station 11 can feed the metal bipolar plates to the positioning groove 100 of the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 piece by piece.

[0036] Specifically, the loading station 11 is a conventional stacking feeder and a transfer device.

[0037] The adsorption hole 101 is arranged on the bottom of the positioning groove 100 , and there are two chuck molds 102 which are correspondingly arranged on the groove walls at two opposite sides of the positioning groove 100 .

[0038] The metal bipolar plate is attached to the adsorption hole 101 by negative pressure adsorption, and the metal bipolar plate is positioned under the relative clamping of the chuck die 102. In this way, under the joint action of the adsorption hole and the chuck die, the metal bipolar plate is stably positioned on the bipolar plate positioning platform, and it is also convenient for 180-degree flip positioning and stable separation after the glue line is paved.

[0039] The transverse movement mechanism 13 includes a slide rail 130 extending along the X-axis direction and a power device, wherein the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 is slidably disposed on the slide rail 130 , and the power device drives the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 to move on the slide rail 130 .

[0040] Specifically, a slide seat 131 is correspondingly arranged on the slide rail 130, and a notch q matching the slide seat 131 is arranged on the side of the bipolar plate positioning platform 10, and the power device is used to drive the slide seat 131 to move linearly along the slide rail 130. With the arrangement of the slide seat 131, the bipolar plate positioning platform can be smoothly moved between the loading station 11 and the dispensing station 12.

[0041] The power device is a conventional linear motion driver, such as a ball screw, a linear telescopic rod, etc.

[0042] The glue dispensing machine 14 is a conventional glue dispensing device.

[0043] The sealant line positioning platform 2 has an engaging groove 20 which is recessed downward from the surface and matches the sealant line. Here, the engagement groove 20 is provided to facilitate accurate positioning of the sealant line.

[0044] Combination Figure 2 As shown, the automatic pressing and bonding unit 3 includes a metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism 30, a flipping mechanism 31 for driving the metal bipolar plate to flip 180 degrees after clamping, and a pressing mechanism 32 for driving the sealant line positioning platform 2 to press the sealant line to the metal bipolar plate dispensing area.

[0045] A pressing auxiliary frame 4 is also provided above the moving path formed by the transverse movement mechanism 13, and the metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism 30 includes a clamping arm 300 that moves along the Y and Z axis directions respectively, and a clamping head 301 disposed on the clamping arm 300, wherein the clamping head 301 can clamp the side of the bipolar plate positioning platform 10. The movement of the clamping arm 300 realizes the corresponding adjustment with the sealing glue line positioning platform 2.

[0046] The flipping mechanism 31 includes a flipping wheel 310 and a flipping motor disposed on the clamping arm 300 for driving the clamping head to flip 180 degrees, wherein the axis of the flipping wheel 310 extends along the Y-axis direction.

[0047] There are two groups of chucks 301 and they are symmetrically arranged about the Y axis, and the flipping mechanism 31 is arranged one-to-one with the chucks 301 and flips synchronously. In this way, under the clamping of the two groups of chucks, the bipolar plate positioning platform can be flipped 180 degrees.

[0048] In addition, the sealant line positioning platform 2 is provided with an alignment column 2a extending along the Z-axis direction, and the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 is provided with an alignment hole 2b matching the alignment column 2a. The pressing mechanism 32 includes a horizontally arranged supporting platform 320 and a telescopic rod 321 for driving the supporting platform 320 to move along the Z-axis direction, wherein the sealant line positioning platform 2 is set on the supporting platform 320, the alignment hole 2b is aligned with the alignment column 2a, the telescopic rod 321 moves along the Z-axis direction, and the sealant line is pressed on the metal bipolar plate. In this way, it is ensured that the sealant line is accurately aligned with the glue dispensing area, and is glued under the corresponding resistance pressure.

[0049] In summary, the implementation process of this embodiment is as follows:

[0050] 1. At the loading station 11, a single metal bipolar plate is delivered to the positioning groove 100 of the positioning surface A, and under the action of the transverse movement mechanism 13, the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 is moved to the dispensing station 12, and the sealing strip is stably positioned in the fitting groove 20;

[0051] 2. After the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 moves to the glue dispensing station 12, the glue dispensing machine 14 dispenses glue on the surface of the metal bipolar plate below;

[0052] 3. After the dispensing is completed, the bipolar plate positioning platform 10 moves in the reverse direction to the bottom of the metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism 30, and the metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism 30 moves along the Z-axis direction to clamp the bipolar plate positioning platform 10, and under the flipping of the flipping mechanism 31, the dispensing area is set downward, and at the same time, the metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism 30 moves along the Y-axis direction to align the alignment hole 2b with the alignment column 2a;

[0053] 4. Driven by the pressing mechanism 32, the sealing line positioning platform 2 moves along the Z-axis direction, and the alignment column 2a is gradually inserted into the alignment hole 2b. At the same time, the sealing strip is attached to the glue dispensing area, and under the top touch of the telescopic rod, the sealing strip is pressed on the glue dispensing surface of the metal bipolar plate to complete the automatic paving of the sealing line. While the sealing line is being paved by pressing, the next metal bipolar plate is placed on the B positioning surface of the bipolar plate positioning platform.

[0054] Therefore, this embodiment has the following advantages:

[0055] 1. It can automatically complete the dispensing of metal bipolar plates, the flipping of the dispensing area, and the alignment of the dispensing area and the sealant line, so as to accurately realize the paving of the sealant line. Therefore, the steps are simple, easy to operate, and the automation equipment has high precision, which saves a lot of manual work time and saves costs;

[0056] 2. By setting the A positioning surface and the B positioning surface, when one metal bipolar plate is being laid, the other metal bipolar plate can be sent to the positioning groove to shorten the laying time;

[0057] 3. When the alignment holes and alignment columns are aligned, the sealant line can be accurately glued and paved with the glue spot area;

[0058] 4. Under the joint action of the adsorption hole and the chuck mold, the metal bipolar plate is stably positioned on the bipolar plate positioning platform, which also facilitates 180-degree flip positioning and stable detachment after the glue line is laid.

[0059] The above detailed description of the present invention is intended to enable persons familiar with the art to understand the contents of the present invention and implement them, but it does not limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated installation device for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber lines, characterized in that: The length direction of the device is the X-axis, the width direction is the Y-axis, and the height direction is the Z-axis, and includes: An automatic glue dispensing unit, comprising a bipolar plate positioning platform with A and B positioning surfaces, a loading station and a glue dispensing station located on the X-axis, a traverse mechanism for driving the bipolar plate positioning platform to move along the X-axis direction, and a glue dispensing machine located above the glue dispensing station and capable of moving along the X, Y, and Z axes, wherein the A positioning surface and the B positioning surface are symmetrically arranged, and the A positioning surface is composed of a positioning groove, an adsorption hole, and a chuck die, and the metal bipolar plate is attached to the adsorption hole by negative pressure adsorption; A sealant line positioning platform, which has an engaging groove recessed downward from the surface and matched with the sealant line, and an alignment column extending along the Z-axis direction is provided on the sealant line positioning platform, and an alignment hole matching with the alignment column is provided on the bipolar plate positioning platform; An automatic pressing and bonding unit includes a metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism, a flipping mechanism for driving the metal bipolar plate to flip 180 degrees after clamping, and a pressing mechanism for driving the sealing glue line positioning platform to move to press the sealing glue line to the metal bipolar plate dispensing area, wherein after the alignment hole and the alignment column are aligned and matched, the metal bipolar plate and the sealing glue line move toward each other and are pressed, and the next metal bipolar plate is placed on the upward B positioning surface of the bipolar plate positioning platform, and under the joint action of the adsorption hole on the A positioning surface and the chuck mold, the metal bipolar plate on which the glue line has been laid downward loses the negative pressure and detaches from the A positioning surface.

2. The automatic paving equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The positioning groove is recessed inward from the surface of the bipolar plate positioning platform; the adsorption hole is arranged on the bottom surface of the positioning groove; the chuck molds are correspondingly arranged on the groove walls on the opposite sides of the positioning groove and are arranged to move towards each other.

3. The automatic paving equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The positioning groove matches the appearance of the metal bipolar plate, and the loading station can feed the metal bipolar plate to the positioning groove of the bipolar plate positioning platform piece by piece.

4. The automatic paving equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The transverse movement mechanism includes a slide rail extending along the X-axis direction, a slide seat arranged on the slide rail, and a power device, wherein the power device is used to drive the slide seat to move linearly along the slide rail.

5. The automatic paving equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 4 is characterized in that: A notch matching with the slide seat is arranged on the side of the bipolar plate positioning platform.

6. The automatic paving equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 4, characterized in that: The power device is a linear motion driver; and / or, the loading station includes a stacking feeder and a transfer device.

7. The automatic paving equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 4, characterized in that: A pressing auxiliary frame is also provided above the moving path formed by the transverse movement mechanism, and the metal bipolar plate clamping mechanism includes clamping arms that move along the Y and Z axis directions respectively, and a clamping head arranged on the clamping arms, wherein the clamping head can clamp the side of the bipolar plate positioning platform.

8. The automatic paving equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 7, characterized in that: The flipping mechanism comprises a flipping wheel and a flipping motor which are arranged on the clamping arm and are used to drive the clamping head to flip 180 degrees, wherein the axis of the flipping wheel extends along the Y-axis direction.

9. The automatic paving equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 8, characterized in that: There are two groups of chucks which are symmetrically arranged about the Y axis. The turning mechanisms are arranged one by one corresponding to the chucks and they turn over synchronously.

10. The automatic laying equipment for fuel cell metal bipolar plate sealing rubber line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressing mechanism includes a horizontally arranged supporting platform and a telescopic rod for driving the supporting platform to move along the Z-axis direction, wherein the sealing glue line positioning platform is erected on the supporting platform, the alignment hole is aligned with the alignment column, the telescopic rod moves along the Z-axis direction, and the sealing glue line is pressed onto the metal bipolar plate.

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