An adjustable air floatation roller for a coating machine

Abstract

An adjustable air floatation roller for a coating machine, comprising an air floatation roller, a main cavity and a secondary cavity formed in the air floatation roller and not communicated with each other, a plurality of air holes formed on the air floatation roller and communicated with the main cavity or the secondary cavity, an adjusting assembly arranged in the air floatation roller and used for adjusting the air outlet angle of the secondary cavity, mounting members arranged at both ends of the air floatation roller and used for sealing the air floatation roller, and a rotating shaft formed on the mounting members and used for rotating synchronously with the air floatation roller. Compared with the prior art, the air outlet angle is adjusted under the action of the adjusting assembly, the air outlet amount of the air floatation roller is adjusted under the action of adjusting the number of the air holes communicated with the air floatation roller, the strip movement of the pole piece is not affected, the air volume energy loss is reduced, the shaking and deviation risk of the pole piece in the strip movement process is reduced, the possibility of damaging the coating layer caused by the shaking of the pole piece is reduced, the coating quality is ensured, and the risk of affecting the quality and service life of the lithium ion battery is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lithium battery technology, and more specifically to an adjustable air flotation roller for a coating machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the current lithium battery manufacturing process, coating is a crucial step in the front-end process, directly affecting the quality and lifespan of the lithium-ion battery. Electrodes are essential components of lithium batteries, serving as both the positive and negative electrodes. Typically, a slurry is coated on both the top and bottom surfaces of the electrode. However, this double-sided coating method requires a special air-floating roller to support the electrode's movement within the drying oven, as ordinary rollers cannot be used to lift the electrode.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, Chinese Patent Application No. 202211516189.0 discloses a coating machine and its air-float roller assembly. The disclosed air-float roller includes a roller body and fan blades. The roller body has a peripheral wall with an air outlet extending axially along the roller body. An axially extending cavity is located inside the roller body, and the air outlet connects to the cavity. The fan blades are positioned at the air outlet and are distributed axially along the roller body. Each fan blade has a groove extending axially along the roller body, with the groove opening towards the inner side of the cavity. The air-float roller assembly includes multiple air-float rollers, and the coating machine includes air-float rollers. Chinese Patent Application No. 202223207889.X discloses a coating machine and its air-float roller. The disclosed air-float roller includes a first roller body with a first cavity. An air inlet is provided at the end of the first roller body, allowing airflow to enter the first cavity through the air inlet. A guide hole is also provided on the side wall of the first roller body. The first roller body penetrates a second roller body, and the first and second roller bodies together form a second cavity surrounding the outer periphery of the first roller body. The guide hole connects the first cavity and the second cavity. Multiple air outlets are provided on the side of the second roller body opposite to the guide hole. The second cavity communicates with the outside of the air-float roller through these multiple air outlets. A baffle is provided on the inner wall of the first cavity, and the maximum radial dimension of the baffle along the first roller body is smaller than the inner diameter of the first roller body. The coating machine includes the aforementioned air-float roller.

[0004] In the aforementioned prior art, the angle of the air outlet and the direction of airflow in the air flotation roller remain unchanged under different electrode transport positions. This is not applicable to electrodes with different transport positions and directions. When the air flotation roller blows hot air from the air outlet facing the upper part of the electrode to support and dry the electrode, the remaining air outlets will disturb the airflow field around the electrode with the hot air that does not contact the electrode. This causes the electrode to shake during transport in the oven, resulting in the electrode shifting in the oven, damaging the coating layer, reducing the coating quality, and thus affecting the quality and life of the lithium-ion battery. In severe cases, it may even cause the strip to break, affecting lithium-ion battery production. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to overcome the defects in the prior art and provide an adjustable air flotation roller for a coating machine that can adjust the airflow rate and air outlet angle to reduce electrode vibration.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an adjustable air flotation roller for a coating machine, comprising an air flotation roller, wherein a main chamber and a secondary chamber that are not interconnected are formed within the air flotation roller, and a plurality of vent holes connected to the main chamber or the secondary chamber are formed on the air flotation roller; an adjustment component for adjusting the air outlet angle of the secondary chamber is provided within the air flotation roller, and mounting parts for sealing the air flotation roller are provided at both ends of the air flotation roller, wherein a rotating shaft that rotates synchronously with the air flotation roller is formed on the mounting part, and the adjustment component is slidably connected to the mounting part.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface of the air flotation roller is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes at an angle of 180°, wherein the main chamber is correspondingly disposed in the middle of the plurality of ventilation holes.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the main chamber has concave structures on both sides for installing the auxiliary chambers, the main chamber and the auxiliary chambers on both sides are connected to form a cylindrical structure, and the air flotation roller is provided with a partition for isolating the auxiliary chambers and the main chamber.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting component is interference-fitted to the end of the air-bearing roller, and the mounting component has a first air inlet hole communicating with the main chamber and a second air inlet hole communicating with the auxiliary chamber, and both the first air inlet hole and the second air inlet hole have internal threads.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustment component is disposed in an abutment manner on the outer ring of the mounting component, and the mounting component is provided with a limiting component for restricting the movement direction of the adjustment component.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the limiting member is fixedly connected to the mounting member by bolts, and the limiting member abuts against the surface of the adjusting component.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the limiting member has a sliding groove formed in the circumferential direction of the mounting member, and the adjusting component has a snap-fit ​​member that is slidably connected in the sliding groove.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustment assembly includes an adjustment plate and adjustment blocks disposed at both ends of the adjustment plate. The adjustment plate is an arc-shaped structure that abuts against the inner wall of the air flotation roller, and the adjustment blocks are arc-shaped structures that abut against the outer wall of the mounting component. A snap-fit ​​component is disposed on the adjustment block.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mounting member is provided with a limiting protrusion for restricting the movement of the adjusting block.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a support plug is installed at the end of the rotating shaft.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. By setting a main chamber and a secondary chamber inside the air flotation roller, and setting an adjustment component in the secondary chamber, the air outlet angle can be adjusted under the action of the adjustment component. At the same time, by adjusting the number of air holes connected to the air flotation roller, the air outlet volume of the air flotation roller can be adjusted without affecting the electrode sheet conveying. This makes it suitable for different conveying directions in different electrode sheet conveying positions, reducing air volume energy loss and the risk of electrode sheet shaking and deviation during conveying. This reduces the possibility of electrode sheet shaking causing damage to the coating layer, ensuring coating quality and reducing the risk of affecting the quality and life of lithium-ion batteries. 2. Furthermore, by setting a limiting member on the mounting component, a sliding groove is formed on the limiting member, and the snap-fit ​​member on the adjusting component is slidably connected in the sliding groove. Under the action of the sliding groove, the sliding range of the adjusting plate is limited. When using the air flotation roller, the air holes on the surface of the air flotation roller blow out airflow at the same time. The airflow blows directly from the surface of the air flotation roller to the electrode. The air buoyancy force formed by the airflow lifts the electrode, so that the electrode is balanced by the lifting force of the upper and lower airflows, realizing non-contact conveying of the electrode. At the same time, under the action of the adjusting plate, the air outlet angle can be adjusted according to the position of the electrode to avoid the airflow from other angles affecting the airflow field, reduce the risk of electrode shaking and displacement, avoid damage to the coating layer, and thus improve the coating quality and lithium battery life. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the limiting component of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjustment component of the present invention. Reference numerals: 1. Air flotation roller; 101. Vent hole; 102. Main chamber; 103. Secondary chamber; 1031. Partition plate; 2. Mounting component; 201. First air inlet; 202. Second air inlet; 203. Rotating shaft; 203. Support plug; 2031. Limiting protrusion; 204. Adjusting assembly; 3. Adjusting plate; 301. Limiting component; 302. Slide groove; 3021. Adjusting block; 303. Snap-fit ​​component; 3031. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] like Figures 1-4As shown, an adjustable air flotation roller for a coating machine includes an air flotation roller 1. The air flotation roller 1 has a main chamber 102 and a secondary chamber 103 that are not interconnected. The air flotation roller 1 has a plurality of vent holes 101 that are connected to the main chamber 102 or the secondary chamber 103. The air flotation roller 1 is provided with an adjustment component 3 for adjusting the air outlet angle of the secondary chamber 103. The two ends of the air flotation roller 1 are provided with mounting parts 2 that seal the air flotation roller 1. The mounting parts 2 have a rotating shaft 203 that rotates synchronously with the air flotation roller 1, and the adjustment component 3 is slidably connected to the mounting parts 2.

[0020] Furthermore, the air flotation roller 1 is a horizontally placed cylindrical structure. The main chamber 102 and the auxiliary chamber 103 are both arranged along the length of the air flotation roller 1. Several vent holes 101 are arranged on the upper surface of the air flotation roller 1. Airflow enters the main chamber 102 and the auxiliary chamber 103 of the air flotation roller 1, flows out from the vent holes 101 and blows towards the electrode. The air buoyancy force formed by the airflow lifts the electrode, so that the electrode is balanced by the lifting force of the upper and lower airflows, realizing non-contact conveying of the electrode. In addition, according to the position of the electrode, the air outlet angle of the airflow from the air flotation roller 1 can be changed by adjusting the adjustment component 3 inside the air flotation roller 1, avoiding the influence of airflow from other angles on the airflow field, reducing the risk of electrode shaking and displacement, avoiding damage to the coating layer, and thus improving the coating quality and lithium battery life.

[0021] In addition, the rotating shaft 203 on the mounting parts 2 at both ends of the air flotation roller 1 is located on the same axis as the air flotation roller 1. The rotating shaft 203 drives the air flotation roller to move. In addition, both ends of the adjustment component 3 are slidably mounted on the mounting parts 2.

[0022] The outer surface of the air-bearing roller 1 has a plurality of ventilation holes 101 at an angle of 180°. The main chamber 102 is located in the middle of the plurality of ventilation holes 101. Furthermore, the plurality of ventilation holes 101 are arranged in an array on the upper surface of the air-bearing roller 1. At the same time, the ventilation holes 101 are distributed at an angle of 180° in the horizontal direction. The main chamber 102 is located in the middle of the plurality of ventilation holes 101. The main chamber 102 is the air source chamber that mainly supports the air-bearing of the electrode sheet. The ventilation holes 101 connected to the main chamber 102 are distributed at an angle of 135°±5°. The airflow enters the main chamber 102 and blows out from the plurality of ventilation holes 101 corresponding to the main chamber 102 in the direction of upward. The airflow blown out from the main chamber 102 is mainly used to lift the electrode sheet. The air buoyancy force formed by the airflow lifts the electrode sheet, so that the electrode sheet is balanced by the lifting force of the upper and lower airflows, realizing the non-contact conveying of the electrode sheet.

[0023] The main chamber 102 has concave structures on both sides for installing the auxiliary chambers 103. The main chamber 102 and the auxiliary chambers 103 on both sides are connected to form a cylindrical structure. The air-bearing roller 1 is provided with a partition 1031 for isolating the auxiliary chambers 103 from the main chamber 102. Furthermore, the auxiliary chambers 103 are located on opposite sides of the main chamber 102, and both auxiliary chambers 103 are concave towards the central main chamber 102, thereby increasing the volume of the auxiliary chambers 103. The main chamber 102 and the two auxiliary chambers 103 together form a cylindrical structure. The internal air intake space of the air flotation roller 1 has a secondary chamber 103 connected to several ventilation holes 101 on opposite sides of the air flotation roller 1. The ventilation holes 101 connected to the secondary chamber 103 are distributed at an angle of 25°±3°. The airflow flows out through the secondary chamber 103 from the ventilation holes 101 on both sides. The airflow flowing out from both sides flows to the electrode sheet, thereby stabilizing the electrode sheet, avoiding the electrode sheet from shaking, reducing the risk of electrode sheet displacement, avoiding damage to the coating layer, and thus improving the coating quality and the service life of the lithium battery.

[0024] In addition, the partition 1031 is fixedly installed in the air flotation roller 1 along the length direction of the air flotation roller 1, and the opposite ends of the partition 1031 abut against the installation chamber 2. The partition 1031 separates the main chamber 102 and the auxiliary chamber 103, ensuring that the main chamber 102 and the auxiliary chamber 103 are not connected to each other.

[0025] Mounting member 2 is interference-fitted to the end of air bearing roller 1. Mounting member 2 has a first air inlet 201 communicating with the main chamber 102 and a second air inlet 202 communicating with the auxiliary chamber 103. Both the first and second air inlets 201 and 202 have internal threads. Furthermore, the connection end between mounting member 2 and air bearing roller 1 has an external thread, and the connection point between air bearing roller 1 and mounting member 2 has an internal thread that mates with the external thread on mounting member 2. Additionally, the first air inlet 201 is located at the end of the mounting member 1. Directly above the circumferential direction of component 2, airflow enters the main chamber 102 through the first air inlet 201. The second air inlet 202 is located on opposite sides of component 2 and corresponds to the auxiliary chamber 103. Airflow enters the corresponding auxiliary chamber 103 through the second air inlet 202. The internal threads in the first air inlet 201 and the second air inlet 202 are used to connect the corresponding ventilation pipes to ensure the sealing between the ventilation pipes and the first air inlet 201 or the second air inlet 202.

[0026] The adjusting component 3 is abutted on the outer ring of the mounting part 2, and the mounting part 2 is provided with a limiting member 302 for restricting the movement direction of the adjusting component 3. Furthermore, the adjusting component 3 slides on the outer ring of the mounting part 2 along the circumferential direction of the mounting part 2. The limiting member 302 is fixedly provided on the opposite sides of the mounting part 2, and the limiting member 302 is located at the edge of the mounting part 2 and extends out of the mounting part 2. The adjusting component 3 is slidably connected with the corresponding limiting member 302.

[0027] The limiting member 302 is fixedly connected to the mounting member 2 by bolts, and the limiting member 302 abuts against the surface of the adjusting component 3. Furthermore, by fixing the limiting member 302 to the mounting member 2, when the adjusting component 3 slides in the limiting member 302, the limiting member 302 is kept stationary, thereby achieving the limiting effect of the limiting member 302 on the adjusting component 3.

[0028] The limiting member 302 has a sliding groove 3021 formed in the circumferential direction of the mounting member 2. The adjusting component 3 has a snap-fit ​​member 3031 that is slidably connected in the sliding groove 3021. Furthermore, the sliding groove 3021 has an arc-shaped structure and is located at the edge of the limiting member 302. At the same time, the sliding groove 3021 is located on the outside of the mounting member 2. The snap-fit ​​member 3031 is slidably disposed in the sliding groove 3021. The sliding angle of the adjusting component 3 is limited by the cooperation between the snap-fit ​​member 3031 and the sliding groove 3021.

[0029] The adjustment assembly 3 includes an adjustment plate 301 and adjustment blocks 303 disposed at both ends of the adjustment plate 301. The adjustment plate 301 is an arc-shaped structure that abuts against the inner wall of the air flotation roller 1, and the adjustment block 303 is an arc-shaped structure that abuts against the outer wall of the mounting component 2. A snap-fit ​​component 3031 is disposed on the adjustment block 303. Furthermore, the adjustment plate 301 is disposed along the length direction of the air flotation roller 1, and the outer wall of the adjustment plate 301 abuts against the inner wall of the air flotation roller 1. Through the abutment between the adjustment plate 301 and the inner wall of the air flotation roller 1, the adjustment plate 301 closes the corresponding ventilation hole 101, thereby preventing the airflow from flowing out of the corresponding ventilation hole 101 of the adjustment plate 301. This changes the direction of airflow and the amount of airflow flowing out of the ventilation hole 101, thus making it suitable for different transport directions in different electrode conveying positions, reducing air volume energy loss and the risk of vibration and displacement of the electrode during conveying.

[0030] In addition, the adjusting block 303 is disposed at opposite ends of the adjusting plate 301. The adjusting block 303 abuts against the circumference of the mounting member 2 and slides on the circumference of the mounting member 2. At the same time, the limiting member 302 abuts against the adjusting block 303. The snap-fit ​​member 3031 is disposed on the abutting surface of the adjusting block 303 and the limiting member 302. The connection between the adjusting block and the limiting member 302 is realized through the snap-fit ​​member 3031.

[0031] Mounting member 2 has a limiting protrusion 204 for restricting the movement of adjusting block 303. Furthermore, the limiting protrusion 204 is located at the upper and lower ends of mounting member 2. When the snap-fit ​​member 3031 moves to the end of the slide groove 3021 of the limiting member 302, the end of adjusting block 303 abuts against the limiting protrusion 204, thereby limiting the adjusting block 303 through the limiting protrusion 204.

[0032] A support plug 2031 is installed at the end of the rotating shaft 203. The support plug 2031 is used for the installation and positioning of the air flotation roller 1.

[0033] The specific working principle is as follows: The support plugs 2031 at both ends of the air flotation roller 1 are fixed in their respective working positions. Cold or hot air enters the main chamber 102 through the ventilation pipe and the first air inlet 201. Simultaneously, cold or hot air enters the secondary chamber 103 through the ventilation pipe and the second air inlet 202. After the gas fills the interior of the main chamber 102 and the secondary chamber 103, the pressure inside the main chamber 102 and the secondary chamber 103 becomes uniform. Then, air is blown onto the outer surface of the air flotation roller 1 through several ventilation holes 101 on its surface, acting on the poles. The surface of the sheet; because the partitions 1031 of the two side chambers 103 isolate the interior of the air flotation roller 1 into three independent spaces, forming a main chamber 102 and two side chambers 103, each of the two side chambers 103 has an adjustment plate 301. When the adjustment plate 301 is installed in the side chamber 103 of the air flotation roller 1, the adjustment plate 301 is restricted to the movement range of the sliding groove 3021 of the limiting member 302, pushing the adjustment block 303 to slide back and forth to adjust the air outlet angle and air outlet volume, thereby reducing the risk of airflow turbulence.

[0034] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0035] Although this document frequently uses reference numerals from the figures, such as air flotation roller 1, vent 101, main chamber 102, secondary chamber 103, partition 1031, mounting component 2, first air inlet 201, second air inlet 202, rotating shaft 203, support plug 2031, limiting protrusion 204, adjusting assembly 3, adjusting plate 301, limiting component 302, slide groove 3021, adjusting block 303, and snap-fit ​​component 3031, the possibility of using other terms is not excluded. These terms are used merely for the convenience of describing and explaining the essence of the invention; interpreting them as any additional limitation would contradict the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An adjustable air flotation roller for a coating machine, comprising an air flotation roller (1), characterized in that, The air flotation roller (1) has a main chamber (102) and a secondary chamber (103) that are not interconnected. The air flotation roller (1) has several vent holes (101) that communicate with the main chamber (102) and the secondary chamber (103). The air flotation roller (1) is equipped with an adjustment component (3) for adjusting the air outlet angle of the secondary chamber (103). Both ends of the air flotation roller (1) are equipped with sealing mounting parts (2). The mounting parts (2) have rotating shafts (203) that rotate synchronously with the air flotation roller (1), and the adjustment component (3) is slidably connected to the mounting parts (2). The system includes an adjusting plate (301), which is an arc-shaped structure that abuts against the inner wall of the air flotation roller (1); the outer surface of the air flotation roller (1) is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes (101) at an angle of 180°, wherein the main chamber (102) is correspondingly located in the middle of the plurality of ventilation holes (101); the main chamber (102) has concave structures on both sides for installing auxiliary chambers (103), and the main chamber (102) and the auxiliary chambers (103) on both sides are connected to form a cylindrical structure; the air flotation roller (1) is provided with a partition (1031) for isolating the auxiliary chambers (103) and the main chamber (102).

2. The adjustable air-floating roller for a coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting component (2) is interference-fitted to the end of the air-bearing roller (1). The mounting component (2) has a first air inlet (201) communicating with the main chamber (102) and a second air inlet (202) communicating with the auxiliary chamber (103). Both the first air inlet (201) and the second air inlet (202) have internal threads.

3. An adjustable air-floating roller for a coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment component (3) is abutted on the outer ring of the mounting component (2), and the mounting component (2) is provided with a limiting component (302) for limiting the movement direction of the adjustment component (3).

4. An adjustable air-floating roller for a coating machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The limiting member (302) is fixedly connected to the mounting member (2) by bolts, and the limiting member (302) abuts against the surface of the adjusting component (3).

5. An adjustable air-floating roller for a coating machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The limiting member (302) has a sliding groove (3021) arranged in the circumferential direction of the mounting member (2), and the adjusting component (3) has a snap-fit ​​member (3031) that is slidably connected in the sliding groove (3021).

6. An adjustable air-floating roller for a coating machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The adjustment component (3) includes adjustment blocks (303) disposed at both ends of the adjustment plate (301). The adjustment blocks (303) are arc-shaped structures that abut against the outer wall of the mounting component (2). The snap-fit ​​component (3031) is disposed on the adjustment block (303).

7. An adjustable air-floating roller for a coating machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mounting component (2) has a limiting protrusion (204) for restricting the movement of the adjusting block (303).

8. An adjustable air-floating roller for a coating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, A support plug (2031) is installed at the end of the shaft (203).

Images