A contact preheating furnace

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a contact type preheating furnace, which comprises a furnace body frame, a feeding mechanism, a transfer platform assembly, a feeding mechanism, a heating mechanism and a discharging mechanism arranged in the furnace body frame, and a heating plate horizontally arranged in the heating mechanism. The feeding mechanism is used for receiving materials and placing the materials on the transfer platform assembly in a preset pose. The transfer platform assembly is used for carrying the materials from the feeding mechanism and conveying the materials to the lower side of the feeding mechanism at a preset interval. The feeding mechanism is used for grabbing the materials above the transfer platform assembly and placing the materials in the heating mechanism. The heating mechanism is used for receiving the materials sent by the feeding mechanism and heating the materials. The contact type preheating furnace can realize automatic battery preheating treatment through cooperation of various mechanism assemblies, has good preheating treatment effect and high working efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of preheating furnace technology, and more particularly to a contact preheating furnace. Background Technology

[0002] Existing cell preheating is achieved through preheating tunnel ovens, which primarily use hot air heating. Hot air heating suffers from drawbacks such as poor heating uniformity, inaccurate temperature control, long baking cycles, and high energy consumption. In contrast, contact heating, where the heating plate directly contacts the cell surface, offers superior temperature uniformity and a shorter baking cycle, making it highly favored by cell manufacturers. Therefore, a contact preheating furnace has been proposed to replace the hot air heating method of the tunnel oven. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a contact preheating furnace to solve the problems of poor heating uniformity, poor temperature control accuracy, long baking cycle and high energy consumption in the preheating furnace using hot air heating.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention provides a contact preheating furnace, comprising: a furnace frame, and a feeding mechanism, a transfer platform assembly, a loading mechanism, a heating mechanism, and a discharging mechanism arranged sequentially within the furnace frame in a working order. The heating mechanism has a horizontally placed heating plate. The feeding mechanism is used to receive materials and place them on the transfer platform assembly in a preset position. The transfer platform assembly is used to carry the materials from the feeding mechanism and transport the materials to the underside of the loading mechanism at preset intervals. The loading mechanism is used to grab the materials above the transfer platform assembly and place them on the heating plate. The heating mechanism is used to receive the materials delivered by the loading mechanism and heat them. The discharging mechanism is used to grab the heated materials on the heating mechanism and place them on an external mechanism for the next process.

[0006] The feeding mechanism includes a feeding belt and a feeding gripper assembly, wherein the feeding gripper assembly is disposed above the feeding belt.

[0007] The furnace frame is equipped with a first vertical lifting module and a second vertical lifting module on each side. A first horizontal moving module is connected between the first and second vertical lifting modules. The fixed ends of the first horizontal moving module are respectively connected to the lifting ends of the first and second vertical lifting modules. The moving end of the first horizontal moving module moves towards the transfer platform assembly. The moving end of the first horizontal moving module is rod-shaped. The feeding gripper assembly is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the first horizontal moving module. The moving end of the first horizontal moving module is parallel to the feeding belt.

[0008] The feeding gripper assembly includes a feeding gripper and a rotating device. The rotating device is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the first horizontal moving module, and the feeding gripper is connected to the lower side of the rotating device. The rotating device is used to control the feeding gripper to rotate.

[0009] The furnace frame is equipped with a second horizontal moving module. The moving end of the second horizontal moving module moves toward the feeding mechanism. The transfer platform assembly is connected to the moving end of the second horizontal moving module and is located below the feeding gripper assembly and the feeding mechanism.

[0010] The transfer platform component includes a linear motor, a mover, and a transfer platform. The linear motor is connected to the moving end of the second horizontal moving module. The mover is connected to the linear motor and driven by the linear motor to perform linear motion. The transfer platform is connected above the mover. The linear motor is parallel to the feeding belt and the loading mechanism.

[0011] The furnace frame is provided with a third vertical lifting module and a fourth vertical lifting module on each side. A third horizontal moving module is connected between the third vertical lifting module and the fourth vertical lifting module. The fixed ends of the third horizontal moving module are respectively connected to the lifting ends of the third vertical lifting module and the fourth vertical lifting module. The moving end of the third horizontal moving module moves towards the heating mechanism.

[0012] The feeding mechanism includes a feeding gripper, which is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the third horizontal moving module.

[0013] The feeding mechanism, the transfer platform assembly, the loading mechanism, the heating mechanism, and the discharging mechanism are arranged linearly within the furnace frame.

[0014] The furnace frame is surrounded by a preheating furnace shell.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the contact preheating furnace of the present invention uses a heating plate to heat the battery cells in contact instead of the traditional hot air heating, which makes the temperature control more accurate and shortens the heating cycle. The feeding mechanism, transfer platform assembly, loading mechanism and unloading mechanism are set before and after the heating mechanism, so that the process of the battery cells entering and leaving the heating mechanism is fully automated, which greatly improves the working efficiency of the battery cells entering the preheating furnace for heating.

[0016] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention, it can be implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, preferred embodiments are described in detail below. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is an assembly view of a contact preheating furnace according to the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an assembly of a contact preheating furnace according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding mechanism and the material feeding mechanism of a contact preheating furnace according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding structure and transfer platform component structure of a contact preheating furnace according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding gripper structure of a contact preheating furnace according to the present invention;

[0023] Explanation of the markings in the image:

[0024] 1. Furnace frame; 11. First vertical lifting module; 111. First horizontal moving module; 12. Second vertical lifting module; 13. Third vertical lifting module; 131. Third horizontal moving module; 14. Fourth vertical lifting module; 15. Fifth vertical lifting module; 151. Fourth horizontal moving module; 16. Sixth vertical lifting module; 17. Second horizontal moving module; 2. Feeding mechanism; 21. Feeding belt; 22. Feeding gripper assembly; 221. Feeding gripper; 222. Rotating device; 3. Transfer platform assembly; 31. Linear motor; 32. Transfer platform; 4. Loading mechanism; 41. Loading gripper; 5. Heating mechanism; 51. Heating plate; 6. Discharge mechanism; 61. Discharge gripper; 7. Preheating furnace shell; Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0026] 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. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0029] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0031] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. The illustrative expressions of the above terms in this specification should not be construed as necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 5This invention discloses a contact preheating furnace, comprising: a furnace frame 1, and a feeding mechanism 2, a transfer platform assembly 3, a loading mechanism 4, a heating mechanism 5, and a discharging mechanism 6 arranged sequentially within the furnace frame 1 in a working order. The heating mechanism 5 has a horizontally placed heating plate 51. The feeding mechanism 2 is used to receive materials and place them on the transfer platform assembly 3 in a preset position. The transfer platform assembly 3 is used to carry the materials from the feeding mechanism 2 and transport the materials to the lower side of the loading mechanism 4 at preset intervals. The loading mechanism 4 is used to grab the materials above the transfer platform assembly 3 and place them on the heating plate 51. The heating mechanism 5 is used to receive the materials delivered by the loading mechanism 4 and heat them. The discharging mechanism 6 is used to grab the heated materials on the heating mechanism 5 and place them on the external mechanism of the next process.

[0033] The feeding mechanism 2 includes a feeding belt 21 and a feeding gripper assembly 22. The feeding gripper assembly 22 is positioned above the feeding belt 21. Optionally, one end of the feeding belt 21 is located inside the furnace frame 1, and the other end is located outside the furnace frame 1. The feeding belt 21 is used to transport materials from the previous equipment into the contact preheating furnace. After the material is transported into the furnace frame 1 via the feeding belt 21, the feeding gripper assembly 22 picks up the material from the feeding belt 21 and places it on the transfer platform assembly 3.

[0034] Furthermore, a first vertical lifting module 11 and a second vertical lifting module 12 are provided on each side of the furnace frame 1. A first horizontal moving module 111 is connected between the first vertical lifting module 11 and the second vertical lifting module 12. The fixed ends on both sides of the first horizontal moving module 111 are respectively connected to the lifting ends of the first vertical lifting module 11 and the lifting ends of the second vertical lifting module 12. The moving end of the first horizontal moving module 111 moves towards the transfer platform assembly 3. The moving end of the first horizontal moving module 111 is rod-shaped. The feeding gripper assembly 22 is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the first horizontal moving module 111. The moving end of the first horizontal moving module 111 is parallel to the feeding belt 21. Optionally, the first vertical lifting module 11 and the second vertical lifting module 12 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the interior of the furnace frame 1, and the first vertical lifting module 11 and the second vertical lifting module 12 move up and down synchronously, so that the first horizontal moving module 111 remains in a horizontal position between the first vertical lifting module 11 and the second vertical lifting module 12. When the feeding gripper assembly 22 needs to grab the material on the feeding belt 21, the first vertical lifting module 11 and the second vertical lifting module 12 are driven synchronously to lower the first horizontal moving module 111 to the height of the feeding belt. The first horizontal moving module 111 carries the feeding gripper assembly 22 to the upper side of the feeding belt 21, and the feeding gripper assembly 22 grabs the material. After grabbing, the first vertical lifting module 11, the second vertical lifting module 12, and the first horizontal moving module 111 return to their original positions.

[0035] Furthermore, the feeding gripper assembly 22 includes a feeding gripper 221 and a rotating device 222. The rotating device 222 is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the first horizontal moving module 111, and the feeding gripper 221 is connected to the lower side of the rotating device 222. The rotating device 222 is used to control the rotation of the feeding gripper 221. After the feeding gripper 221 grips the material on the conveyor belt, it drives the rotating device 222 to rotate the feeding gripper 221, so that the material gripped by the feeding gripper 221 is in a uniform position. It is worth mentioning that the number of feeding grippers 221 can be several.

[0036] The furnace frame 1 is provided with a second horizontal moving module 17. The moving end of the second horizontal moving module 17 moves towards the feeding mechanism 4. The transfer platform assembly 3 is connected to the moving end of the second horizontal moving module 17. The transfer platform assembly 3 is located below the feeding gripper assembly 22 and the feeding mechanism 4. The transfer platform assembly 3 reciprocates between the feeding mechanism 2 and the feeding mechanism 4 by relying on the second horizontal moving module.

[0037] Furthermore, the transfer platform component 3 includes: a linear motor 31, a mover, and a transfer platform 32. The linear motor 31 is connected to the moving end of the second horizontal moving module 17. The mover is connected to the linear motor 31 and driven by the linear motor 31 to perform linear motion. The transfer platform 32 is connected above the mover. The linear motor 31 is parallel to the feeding belt 21 and the loading mechanism 4. It is worth noting that one transfer platform 32 is connected to each mover. The number of movers and transfer platforms 32 can be multiple, and the number of movers, transfer platforms 32, and feeding grippers 221 is the same. Each mover is independent of the others. When the feeding gripper 221 places material on the transfer platform 32, the mover controls the transfer platform 32 to move on the linear motor 31, so that the distance between each adjacent transfer platform 32 reaches a preset interval, facilitating the loading mechanism 4 to grasp the material.

[0038] The furnace frame 1 has a third vertical lifting module 13 and a fourth vertical lifting module 14 on each side. A third horizontal moving module 131 is connected between the third vertical lifting module 13 and the fourth vertical lifting module 14. The fixed ends of the third horizontal moving module 131 are respectively connected to the lifting ends of the third vertical lifting module 13 and the fourth vertical lifting module 14. The moving end of the third horizontal moving module 131 moves towards the heating mechanism 5. Optionally, the third vertical lifting module 13 and the fourth vertical lifting module 14 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the furnace frame 1, and the third vertical lifting module 13 and the fourth vertical lifting module 14 move up and down synchronously, so that the third horizontal moving module 131 always maintains a horizontal posture between the third vertical lifting module 13 and the fourth vertical lifting module 14.

[0039] Furthermore, the feeding mechanism 4 includes a feeding gripper 41, which is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the third horizontal moving module 131.

[0040] Optionally, the furnace frame 1 is further provided with a fifth vertical lifting module 15 and a sixth vertical lifting module 16 on each side. A fourth horizontal moving module 151 is connected between the fifth vertical lifting module 15 and the sixth vertical lifting module 16. The fixed ends of the fourth horizontal moving module 151 are respectively connected to the lifting ends of the fifth vertical lifting module 15 and the sixth vertical lifting module 16. The moving end of the fourth horizontal moving module 151 moves towards the heating mechanism 5. Optionally, the fifth vertical lifting module 15 and the sixth vertical lifting module 16 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the interior of the furnace frame 1, and the fifth vertical lifting module 15 and the sixth vertical lifting module 16 move up and down synchronously, so that the fourth horizontal moving module 151 always maintains a horizontal posture between the fifth vertical lifting module 15 and the sixth vertical lifting module 16.

[0041] Furthermore, the discharge mechanism 6 includes a discharge gripper 61, which is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the fourth horizontal moving module 151. Optionally, the feeding gripper 221, the loading gripper 41, and the discharge gripper 61 have the same structure.

[0042] The contact preheating furnace also includes a control box, which is used to control the feeding mechanism 2, the transfer platform assembly 3, the loading mechanism 4, the heating mechanism 5, and the discharging mechanism 6 to work according to a preset process.

[0043] The feeding mechanism 2, the transfer platform assembly 3, the loading mechanism 4, the heating mechanism 5, and the discharging mechanism 6 are arranged linearly within the furnace frame 1. That is, the moving ends of the first horizontal moving module 111, the second horizontal moving module 17, the third horizontal moving module 131, and the fourth horizontal moving module 151 move in the same direction.

[0044] The furnace frame 1 is surrounded by a preheating furnace shell 7.

[0045] Compared with the prior art, the contact preheating furnace of the present invention uses a heating plate to heat the battery cells in contact instead of the traditional hot air heating, which makes the temperature control more accurate and shortens the heating cycle. The feeding mechanism, transfer platform assembly, loading mechanism and unloading mechanism are set before and after the heating mechanism, so that the process of the battery cells entering and leaving the heating mechanism is fully automated, which greatly improves the working efficiency of the battery cells entering the preheating furnace for heating.

[0046] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A contact preheating furnace, characterized by include: The furnace frame includes a feeding mechanism, a transfer platform assembly, a loading mechanism, a heating mechanism, and a discharging mechanism, all housed within the furnace frame. The heating mechanism contains a horizontally placed heating plate. The feeding mechanism is used to receive materials and place them on the transfer platform component according to a preset posture; The transfer platform component is used to carry materials from the feeding mechanism and transport the materials to the lower side of the loading mechanism at preset intervals; The feeding mechanism is used to grab the material above the transfer platform component and place the material on the heating plate; The heating mechanism is used to receive the material delivered by the feeding mechanism and heat it; The discharge mechanism is used to grab the heated material from the heating mechanism and place it on the external mechanism of the next process. The feeding mechanism includes a feeding belt and a feeding gripper assembly, wherein the feeding gripper assembly is disposed above the feeding belt; The furnace frame is equipped with a first vertical lifting module and a second vertical lifting module on each side. A first horizontal moving module is connected between the first and second vertical lifting modules. The fixed ends of the first horizontal moving module are respectively connected to the lifting ends of the first and second vertical lifting modules. The moving end of the first horizontal moving module moves towards the transfer platform assembly. The feeding gripper assembly is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the first horizontal moving module, and the moving end of the first horizontal moving module is parallel to the feeding belt. The furnace frame is equipped with a second horizontal moving module. The moving end of the second horizontal moving module moves toward the feeding mechanism. The transfer platform assembly is connected to the moving end of the second horizontal moving module and is located below the feeding gripper assembly and the feeding mechanism.

2. A contact preheating furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that The feeding gripper assembly includes a feeding gripper and a rotating device. The rotating device is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the first horizontal moving module, and the feeding gripper is connected to the lower side of the rotating device. The rotating device is used to control the feeding gripper to rotate.

3. A contact preheating furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that The transfer platform component includes: a linear motor, a mover, and a transfer platform. The linear motor is connected to the moving end of the second horizontal moving module. The mover is connected to the linear motor and driven by the linear motor to perform linear motion. The transfer platform is connected above the mover. The linear motor is parallel to the feeding belt and the loading mechanism.

4. A contact preheating furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The furnace frame is provided with a third vertical lifting module and a fourth vertical lifting module on each side. A third horizontal moving module is connected between the third vertical lifting module and the fourth vertical lifting module. The fixed ends on both sides of the third horizontal moving module are respectively connected to the lifting ends of the third vertical lifting module and the lifting ends of the fourth vertical lifting module. The moving end of the third horizontal moving module moves towards the heating mechanism.

5. A contact preheating furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism includes a feeding gripper, which is connected to the lower side of the moving end of the third horizontal moving module.

6. A contact preheating furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism, the transfer platform assembly, the loading mechanism, the heating mechanism, and the discharging mechanism are arranged linearly within the furnace frame.

7. A contact preheating furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The furnace frame is surrounded by a preheating furnace shell.

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