A linked conveyor line and method

Abstract

The application discloses a linkage conveying line and method, and relates to the technical field of material conveying. The linkage conveying line comprises at least two conveying line devices and a layer changing device. The at least two conveying line devices are sequentially stacked from bottom to top. The conveying line device comprises a first sliding rail frame and a tray driving mechanism. The first sliding rail frame is used for bearing the sliding tray. The tray driving mechanism is at least two and is sequentially and spacedly arranged. The tray driving mechanism is used for driving the tray to slide on the first sliding rail frame. The layer changing device is arranged at the end side of the conveying line device and is used for transferring the tray on one conveying line device to another conveying line device. Each tray driving mechanism independently takes charge of a section of conveying, realizes independent segmented conveying, ensures that when a certain tray driving mechanism operates, other tray driving mechanisms can continue to operate or do not idle, realizes effective utilization of resources, and the replacement process of the mechanism is simpler.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of material conveying technology, and in particular to a linked conveyor line and method. Background Technology

[0002] Although conveyor lines are common in the production process, they are an indispensable part of production.

[0003] Different products use different conveyor lines, and the conveyor lines involved in module production lines are also diverse, such as: double speed chain conveyor lines, roller conveyor lines, and material frame conveyor lines.

[0004] The structure of a conveyor line is usually designed according to the materials it is to transport. Through research, the inventors discovered that existing linked conveyor lines still have the following problems:

[0005] The entire conveyor line is usually designed as an integrated conveyor, which results in energy waste due to the equipment running idle even when there is no material. The integrated conveyor design also leads to poor component versatility and complicated component replacement procedures. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a linkage conveyor line and method to solve the technical problems of energy waste, poor component versatility, and complex component replacement procedures in existing linkage conveyor lines.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, this application provides a linked conveyor line and method, including at least two conveyor line devices and a layer changing device;

[0008] At least two of the aforementioned conveyor line devices are stacked together;

[0009] The conveyor line device includes a first slide rail frame and a tray drive mechanism;

[0010] The first slide rail is used to support the sliding pallet component;

[0011] There are at least two tray drive mechanisms, which are arranged sequentially at intervals;

[0012] The pallet drive mechanism is used to drive the pallet component to slide on the first slide rail frame;

[0013] The layer-changing device is located at the end of the conveyor line device and is used to transfer a pallet from one conveyor line device to another.

[0014] Furthermore, the top of the first slide rail frame is provided with a guide rail, and the bottom of the tray component is provided with a slider that slides in cooperation with the guide rail;

[0015] The guide rail has grooves on both sides, and the slider that is slidably mounted on the guide rail extends into the grooves to clamp the guide rail.

[0016] The bottom of the tray has at least two sliders, which are spaced apart along a direction parallel to the guide rail.

[0017] Furthermore, the tray drive mechanism includes a first tray driver, a second tray driver, and a first tray card;

[0018] The second pallet driver is connected to the first pallet clip and is used to drive the first pallet clip to move so as to connect the first pallet clip to one or more pallet clips on the first slide rail.

[0019] The first tray driver is connected to the second tray driver and is used to drive the second tray driver to move, thereby causing the tray piece engaged on the first tray piece to slide.

[0020] It also includes a lifting and rotating mechanism;

[0021] The lifting and rotating mechanism is located directly below the first slide rail frame;

[0022] The first pallet driver is also connected to the lifting and rotating mechanism, and is used to drive the lifting and rotating mechanism to move synchronously with the second pallet driver;

[0023] The first slide rail frame is provided with a clearance through hole for the drive end of the lifting and rotating mechanism to move through;

[0024] The drive end of the lifting and rotating mechanism is connected to the pallet component on the first slide rail frame through the clearance through hole, and is used to drive the pallet component to lift and rotate.

[0025] Furthermore, the first tray clamp is provided with a slot, the slot allowing the latching part on the tray to be movably latched in, and the latching part is elastically connected to the tray;

[0026] Each of the slots has at least one set of guide rollers pivotally connected to one side of its opening, and the at least one set of guide rollers forms a guide gap for the pallet to pass through.

[0027] Furthermore, the number of the first tray card is at least two;

[0028] The number of the second tray drive is at least two, and they are connected one-to-one with the first tray card;

[0029] At least two second tray drives are arranged sequentially at intervals, and adjacent second tray drives are connected by connectors;

[0030] The first tray drive is connected to one of the second tray drives or to the connector;

[0031] The two adjacent first tray clips are located on both sides of the first slide rail frame.

[0032] Furthermore, the first slide rail frame is equipped with a plurality of first displacement detectors arranged at intervals;

[0033] The first displacement detector is used to detect the movement displacement of the pallet component located on the first slide rail frame;

[0034] The tray drive mechanism is equipped with multiple spaced second displacement detectors;

[0035] Multiple second displacement detectors are used to detect the motion displacement of the drive end of the first tray driver.

[0036] Furthermore, there are two layer-changing devices, which are respectively located at both ends of the conveyor line device;

[0037] The layer-changing device includes a temporary storage device and a layer-changing drive device. The layer-changing drive device is used to transfer a pallet from one of the conveyor line devices to the temporary storage device, and the layer-changing drive device is also used to transfer a pallet from the temporary storage device to another of the conveyor line devices.

[0038] Furthermore, the temporary storage device includes a lifting mechanism and a second slide rail;

[0039] The second slide rail is used to support the pallet component that slides in from the first slide rail;

[0040] The lifting mechanism is connected to the second slide rail frame and is used to drive the second slide rail frame to move so as to connect with the first slide rail frame of the corresponding layer;

[0041] The layer-changing drive device includes at least two transfer mechanisms;

[0042] At least two of the transfer mechanisms are stacked and correspond one-to-one with the first slide rail frame of at least two of the conveyor line devices;

[0043] The transfer mechanism is used to transfer the pallet on the corresponding first slide rail to the second slide rail, or to transfer the pallet on the second slide rail to the corresponding first slide rail.

[0044] Furthermore, the transfer mechanism includes a first transfer driver, a second transfer driver, and a second tray card;

[0045] The second transfer driver is connected to the second tray clamp and is used to drive the second tray clamp to move so as to connect the second tray clamp to the first slide rail or one or more trays on the second slide rail;

[0046] The first transfer driver is connected to the second transfer driver and is used to drive the second transfer driver to move, thereby causing the tray piece that is engaged on the second tray piece to slide.

[0047] This application also discloses a linkage conveying method applied to the aforementioned linkage conveying line, comprising the following steps:

[0048] The pallet drive mechanism of the control conveyor device is operated to drive the pallet containing the material on the first slide rail frame of the conveyor device to pass through the material picking station.

[0049] Control the operation of the layer-changing device to transfer an empty pallet from one of the conveyor line devices to another of the conveyor line devices.

[0050] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the linkage conveyor line designed in this application includes a first slide rail frame and a pallet drive mechanism. The first slide rail frame supports the sliding pallets in a sliding engagement manner. At least two pallet drive mechanisms are designed, each used to drive the pallets to slide on the first slide rail frame. Adjacent pallet drive mechanisms can relay the pallets for transport. This design, by designing the pallet drive mechanism independently, avoids the limitations of integrated assembly, resulting in better versatility and simpler replacement procedures. Each pallet drive mechanism independently manages a segment of the conveyor, achieving independent segmented conveying. This ensures that when one pallet drive mechanism is operating, other pallet drive mechanisms can continue to operate or avoid idling, achieving efficient resource utilization. Furthermore, this independent segmented conveying design also enables uninterrupted operation of pallets carrying materials, empty pallets, material handling of pallets carrying materials, and transfer of empty pallets, resulting in higher conveying efficiency and greater flexibility. Attached Figure Description

[0051] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a linkage conveyor line provided in this application;

[0053] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conveyor device for a linkage conveyor line provided in this application;

[0054] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of a linkage conveyor line provided in this application;

[0055] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a conveyor device for a linked conveyor line provided in this application;

[0056] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pallet drive mechanism for a linked conveyor line provided in this application;

[0057] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the second pallet driver and the first pallet clamp of a linkage conveyor line provided in this application;

[0058] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a temporary storage device for a linked conveyor line provided in this application;

[0059] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a layer-changing drive device for a linkage conveyor line provided in this application;

[0060] Figure 9 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the first slide rail frame of a linkage conveyor line provided in this application;

[0061] Figure 10 This is a second partially enlarged schematic diagram of the first slide rail frame of a linkage conveyor line provided in this application;

[0062] Figure 11 This is a third enlarged schematic diagram of the first slide rail frame of a linkage conveyor line provided in this application;

[0063] Figure 12 This is a flowchart of a linkage conveying method provided in this application;

[0064] In the diagram: 100, conveyor line device; 101, first slide rail frame; 102, pallet drive mechanism; 103, pallet component; 104, conveyor line frame; 200, layer changing device; 201, temporary storage device; 202, layer changing drive device; 301, first displacement detector; 301, first light-blocking plate; 401, second displacement detector; 402, second light-blocking plate; 11, first pallet driver; 111, first slider; 12, second pallet driver; 13, first... 131. Tray clamp; 132. Slot; 14. Guide roller; 15. Slide rail seat; 16. Connector; 17. Fixing seat; 18. Second slider; 21. Lifting mechanism; 22. Second slide rail frame; 31. Transfer frame; 32. Transfer mechanism; 321. First transfer driver; 322. Second transfer driver; 323. Second tray clamp; 4. Guide rail; 41. Groove; 5. Slider; 6. Snap-fit ​​part; 7. Positioning block; 8. Positioning seat; 81. Ball plunger. Detailed Implementation

[0065] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0066] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," 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 the embodiments of this application 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 the embodiments of this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0067] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a replaceable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0068] This application discloses a linkage conveyor line.

[0069] Please see Figures 1 to 4 One embodiment of a linked conveyor line provided in this application includes:

[0070] At least two conveyor line devices 100, and a layer changing device 200.

[0071] At least two conveyor line devices 100 are stacked sequentially from bottom to top, such as Figure 1 As shown, each conveyor device 100 can be fixed on a conveyor frame 104 to achieve a parallel stacked arrangement.

[0072] like Figure 1 And the picture Figure 2 As shown, the design of the conveyor line device 100 includes a first slide rail 101 and a tray drive mechanism 102.

[0073] The first slide rail frame 101 is used to support the sliding pallet component 103. It can be understood that the pallet component 103 and the first slide rail frame 101 are in sliding engagement. This can be achieved by setting a groove structure at the bottom of the pallet component 103 to allow it to slide against the slide rail structure on the first slide rail frame 101; the specific design is not limited. The pallet component 103 can be designed with a corresponding support structure depending on the material it carries. Taking battery cell conveying as an example, the loading station on the pallet component 103 needs to be adaptively designed according to the battery cell structure.

[0074] There are at least two pallet drive mechanisms 102, which are arranged at intervals in sequence. Specifically, they are arranged at intervals along the sliding direction of the pallet component 103 on the first slide rail 101, or at intervals along the length direction of the first slide rail 101. The number of them can be designed to vary according to the length of the first slide rail 101.

[0075] The pallet drive mechanism 102 is used to drive the pallet component 103 to slide on the first slide rail frame 101, and the pallet component 103 can be relayed between adjacent pallet drive mechanisms 102.

[0076] The layer-changing device 200 is located at the end of the conveyor device 100 and is used to transfer the pallet 103 on one conveyor device 100 to another conveyor device 100.

[0077] This application designs the pallet drive mechanism 102 independently, avoiding the limitations of integrated assembly, thus improving the mechanism's versatility and simplifying replacement procedures. Each pallet drive mechanism 102 independently manages a segment of the conveyor, achieving independent segmented conveying. This ensures that when one pallet drive mechanism 102 is operating, other pallet drive mechanisms 102 can continue to operate or avoid idling, achieving efficient resource utilization. Furthermore, this independent segmented conveying design also enables uninterrupted operation of pallet components 103 carrying materials, unloaded pallet components 103, material handling of pallet components 103, and transfer of unloaded pallet components 103. Taking battery cell conveying as an example, this means it can achieve uninterrupted operation of battery cell docking, material handling, and empty pallet return, resulting in higher conveying efficiency and greater flexibility.

[0078] The above is Embodiment 1 of a linked conveyor line provided in this application. The following is Embodiment 2 of a linked conveyor line provided in this application. Please refer to the following for details. Figures 1 to 11 .

[0079] Based on the solution of Embodiment 1 above:

[0080] Furthermore, such as Figure 9 As shown, regarding the sliding arrangement of the pallet component 103 on the first slide rail 101, specifically:

[0081] The first slide rail frame 101 has a guide rail 4 at its top, and the bottom center axis of the tray component 103 has a slider 5 that slides with the guide rail 4. Using a single guide rail 4 and slider 5 for sliding connection results in a smaller sliding contact area compared to double-rail or multi-rail sliding designs. This helps reduce sliding friction between the two, making the sliding of the tray component 103 on the first slide rail frame 101 smoother and requiring less effort to drive, thus saving energy.

[0082] Furthermore, the guide rail 4 has grooves 41 on both sides, and the slider 5, which is slidably mounted on the guide rail 4, extends into the grooves 41 to clamp the guide rail 4. This clamping sliding connection design helps to improve the reliability of the sliding fit between the slider 5 and the guide rail 4, and avoids the tray 103 from shaking during movement. Even if there is slight shaking, it will not detach from the connection with the guide rail 4.

[0083] Furthermore, there are at least two sliders 5 at the bottom of the tray component 103, which are spaced apart along a direction parallel to the guide rail 4. Designing multiple sliders 5 but spaced apart reduces contact friction resistance and overall weight compared to covering the entire bottom surface with sliders, thus achieving energy saving and efficiency improvement.

[0084] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 As shown, the pallet drive mechanism 102 includes a first pallet driver 11, a second pallet driver 12, and a first pallet card 13.

[0085] The second tray driver 12 is connected to the first tray clamp 13 and is used to drive the first tray clamp 13 to move up and down, so as to connect the first tray clamp 13 to one or more tray pieces 103 on the first slide rail 101; the second tray driver 12 drives the first tray clamp 13 to move closer to the tray piece 103, so that the first tray clamp 13 is connected to the tray piece 103. The first tray clamp 13 can be designed to connect to one tray piece 103 or multiple tray pieces 103 as needed. Connecting to multiple tray pieces 103 allows multiple tray pieces 103 to slide at one time, which helps to improve efficiency.

[0086] The first tray actuator 11 is connected to the second tray actuator 12, and is used to drive the second tray actuator 12 to move, thereby causing the tray component 103 engaged on the first tray clamp 13 to slide. The first tray actuator 11 can be a lead screw slide, pneumatic slide, etc., while the second tray actuator 12 can be fixedly connected to the first slider 111 on the first tray actuator 11. The first tray actuator 11 drives the first slider 111 to drive the second tray actuator 12 to move. The second tray actuator 12 can be a telescopic cylinder, driving a push rod, etc. In order to achieve stable lifting and lowering control of the first tray component 103, a fixed base 16 is also provided. The second tray actuator 12 is mounted on the fixed base 16, and the first clamp is slidably mounted on the fixed base 16 through a slide rail assembly, etc., thereby ensuring that the second tray actuator 12 can stably drive the first tray clamp 13 to move.

[0087] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 as well as Figure 9 As shown, the first pallet clamp 13 can engage with the pallet 103. Specifically, the first pallet clamp 13 has a slot 131, into which the engaging part 6 on the pallet 103 can be movably engaged. The slot 131 can be a U-shaped slot, while the engaging part 6 can be a cylindrical structure that can be movably engaged into the slot 131. Taking the engagement of three pallet 103 as an example, each pallet 103 can be provided with two engaging parts 6. Correspondingly, the first pallet 103 can be provided with four slots 131. The two slots 131 in the middle allow the two engaging parts 6 of the middle pallet 103 to be movably engaged, while the two slots 131 on the sides allow one engaging part 6 of the pallet 103 on each side to be movably engaged, thus enabling one first pallet clamp 13 to transport three pallet 103 at a time.

[0088] The snap-fit ​​part 6 can be shaped as follows: Figure 9 The bar-shaped structure shown is preferably such that the locking part 6 can be elastically connected to the tray part 103 via an elastic element. More specifically, it can be an elastic connection with a certain amount of elastic displacement in the vertical direction. This design can prevent damage caused by rigid collision between the first tray locking part 13 and the locking part 6 when the first tray locking part 13 is excessively lifted. It can also prevent damage caused by rigid collision between the locking part 6 and the first tray locking part 13 due to shaking during movement of the tray part 103, further extending the service life of the structure.

[0089] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, in order to allow the snap-fit ​​part 6 to smoothly snap into the slot 131, at least one set of guide rollers 132 are pivotally connected to one side of the opening position of each slot 131. The at least one set of guide rollers 132 forms a guide gap for the snap-fit ​​part 6 of the tray 103 to pass through, and the number of guide rollers 132 in each set of guide rollers 132 is at least two.

[0090] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 As shown, in order to transport more pallet pieces 103 at one time, the number of first pallet clips 13 is designed to be at least two; correspondingly, the number of second pallet drivers 12 is at least two, and they are connected one-to-one with the first pallet clips 13.

[0091] At least two second tray drives 12 are arranged sequentially at intervals, and adjacent second tray drives 12 are connected by connectors 15; a first tray drive 11 is connected to one of the second tray drives 12 or to the connectors 15.

[0092] Taking two first tray actuators 11 and two first tray clamps 13 as an example, if one tray clamp transports three tray pieces 103 at a time, then two first tray clamps 13 can transport six tray pieces 103 at a time. The connecting member 15 can be a connecting rod, one end of which is connected to the first slider 111 of the first tray actuator 11, and the other end is connected to the second slider 17. The second slider 17 is connected to the fixed base 16, and both the second tray actuator 12 and the first tray clamp 13 are mounted on the fixed base 16. The second slider 17 slides in cooperation with the slide rail 14, and the movement of the second slider 17 is smoother through the cooperation with the slide rail 14. In addition, the cooperation stroke between the slide rail 14 and the second slider 17 is preferably not less than the driving stroke of the first tray actuator 11. In this design, the setting direction of the slide rail 14 and the setting direction of the first tray actuator 11 should be parallel to the guide rail 4 to ensure that the force applied to the tray piece 103 is parallel to the guide rail 4, so that the force can be fully utilized, thereby improving the driving efficiency.

[0093] Furthermore, taking the design of the pallet component 103 and the first slide rail frame 101 being able to be separated and cooperate vertically as an example, this application also designs a lifting and rotating mechanism (not shown in the figure).

[0094] The lifting and rotating mechanism is located directly below the first slide rail 101. The first tray driver 11 is also connected to the lifting and rotating mechanism to drive the lifting and rotating mechanism to move synchronously with the second tray driver 12. Specifically, the lifting and rotating mechanism can be set on the first slider 111 and / or the second slider 17. The lifting and rotating mechanism is an existing lifting and rotating assembly, and its specific structural composition will not be described in detail.

[0095] The first slide rail frame 101 is provided with a clearance through hole through which the drive end of the lifting and rotating mechanism can move. The drive end of the lifting and rotating mechanism is connected to the pallet component 103 on the first slide rail frame 101 through the clearance through hole, and is used to drive the pallet component 103 to lift and rotate.

[0096] The lifting and rotating mechanism is mainly used to change the orientation of the upper tray components. During the assembly process, the battery cells need to be paired, that is, the positive and negative terminals of the battery cells need to be paired. This usually involves flipping or rotating the battery cells, which is generally a separate process. However, with the design of this application, no separate process is required, effectively reducing the time spent on battery cell production.

[0097] Furthermore, taking a configuration with two first tray holders 13 and two second tray actuators 12 as an example, the two adjacent first tray holders 13 are preferably designed to be located on opposite sides of the first slide rail 101, that is, the two first tray holders 13 can be arranged diagonally. This allows for more balanced application of force to the tray 103, meaning that the force is applied to the tray 103 from both sides of the first slide rail 101, which provides better balance compared to applying force from one side. Of course, if needed, all the first tray holders 13 can also be positioned on the same side.

[0098] In addition to the one-to-one correspondence mentioned above, the first tray clamp 13 and the second tray driver 12 can also have one second tray driver 12 corresponding to two first tray clamps 13. That is, one second tray driver 12 drives two first tray clamps 13 to move up and down together. The two first tray clamps 13 are respectively set on both sides of the first slide rail 101. With this design, the tray 103 can be directly lifted to leave the first slide rail 101 and then move over other tray 103 to the target position, which is more flexible and more applicable.

[0099] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 11As shown, the first slide rail 101 is provided with a plurality of first displacement detectors 301 arranged at intervals. The first displacement detectors 301 are used to detect the movement displacement of the tray 103 located on the first slide rail 101; to realize accurate control of the sliding stroke of the tray 103 on the first slide rail 101. The first displacement detectors 301 can be U-shaped groove photoelectric sensors. Taking this as an example, the tray 103 is provided with a first light-blocking plate 302 that cooperates with the first displacement detectors 301.

[0100] The tray drive mechanism 102 is equipped with multiple spaced second displacement detectors 401. These detectors detect the movement displacement of the drive end of the first tray driver 11. The second displacement detectors 401 improve the accuracy of controlling the movement stroke of the first tray clamp 13, achieving more precise control in conjunction with the first displacement detector 301. They also limit the stroke range of the first tray clamp 13. Specifically, two second displacement detectors 401 can be used. Alternatively, the second displacement detector 401 can be a U-shaped slot photoelectric sensor. For example, on the drive end of the first tray driver 11—that is, on the first slider 111—a second light-blocking plate 402 is correspondingly provided to cooperate with the second displacement detector 401.

[0101] Furthermore, the layer-changing device 200 is preferably designed as two, respectively located at both ends of the conveyor line device 100. That is, the pallet components 103 located near their own two ends on the conveyor line device 100 can both be used for layer changing, and the arrangement of two layer-changing devices 200 can further improve the layer-changing efficiency.

[0102] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the design of the layer-changing device 200 includes a temporary storage device 201 and a layer-changing drive device 202. The layer-changing drive device 202 is used to transfer pallet pieces 103 from one conveyor line device 100 to the temporary storage device 201. The layer-changing drive device 202 is also used to transfer pallet pieces 103 from the temporary storage device 201 to another conveyor line device 100. When the pallet pieces 103 on one conveyor line device 100 are fully loaded, the layer-changing drive device 202 can be driven to transfer some of the pallet pieces 103 from the fully loaded conveyor line device 100 to the temporary storage device 201, and then transfer the pallet pieces 103 in the temporary storage device 201 to other conveyor line devices 100 that are not fully loaded.

[0103] Furthermore, such as Figure 7 As shown, the temporary storage device 201 includes a lifting mechanism 21 and a second slide rail frame 22. The lifting mechanism 21 can be designed with reference to existing lifting machines or directly used, and will not be described in detail.

[0104] The second slide rail 22 is used to support the pallet 103 that slides in from the first slide rail 101. The second slide rail 22 has the same function as the first slide rail 101, and the same structural design can be adopted to satisfy the function of sliding support for the pallet 103.

[0105] The lifting mechanism 21 is connected to the second slide rail 22 and is used to drive the second slide rail 22 to move so as to connect with the first slide rail 101 of the corresponding layer. When the control system determines that the pallet 103 on a certain first slide rail 101 is fully loaded, it can drive the lifting mechanism 21 to drive the second slide rail 22 to move up and down so that the second slide rail 22 connects with the fully loaded first slide rail 101, thereby ensuring that the pallet 103 can slide smoothly from the first slide rail 101 into the second slide rail 22. In order to improve the smoothness of the movement control of the second slide rail 22, the second slide rail 22 can be slidably engaged with the main frame on the lifting mechanism 21 through guide rail assemblies, etc.

[0106] like Figure 8 As shown, the design of the layer-changing drive device 202 includes at least two transfer mechanisms 32.

[0107] At least two transfer mechanisms 32 are stacked sequentially from bottom to top, and each corresponds one-to-one with the first slide rail frame 101 of at least two conveyor line devices 100; that is, each conveyor line device 100 is equipped with one transfer mechanism 32. The transfer mechanisms 32 can be fixed on the transfer frame 31, and the stacking arrangement can be achieved by using the transfer frame 31.

[0108] The transfer mechanism 32 is used to transfer the pallet 103 on the corresponding first slide rail 101 to the second slide rail 22, or to transfer the pallet 103 on the second slide rail 22 to the corresponding first slide rail 101.

[0109] Furthermore, such as Figure 8 As shown, the design of the transfer mechanism 32 includes a first transfer driver 321, a second transfer driver 322, and a second tray card 323. The structure of the second tray card 323 is the same as that of the first tray card 13, and they are the same tray card structure, so it will not be described in detail.

[0110] The second transfer driver 322 is connected to the second tray clamp 323 and is used to drive the second tray clamp 323 to move so as to connect the second tray clamp 323 to one or more trays 103 on the first slide rail 101 or the second slide rail 22. The second transfer driver 322 has the same function as the previous second tray driver 12 and can also be used with the same slide module, which will not be described in detail.

[0111] The first transfer driver 321 is connected to the second transfer driver 322 and is used to drive the second transfer driver 322 to move, thereby causing the tray 103 engaged on the second tray clamp 323 to slide. The first transfer driver 321 has the same function as the first tray driver 11 mentioned above, and can also be used with the same telescopic cylinder module, which will not be described in detail.

[0112] If the control system determines that the pallet 103 on the first slide rail 101 of the second layer is fully loaded, it can first drive the lifting mechanism 21 to move the second slide rail 22 to connect with the first slide rail 101 of the second layer, and then drive the transfer mechanism 32 corresponding to the first slide rail 101 of the second layer to transfer some of the pallet 103 on the first slide rail 101 of the second layer to the second slide rail 22; then drive the lifting mechanism 21 to move the second slide rail 22 to connect with the first slide rail 101 of the first layer, and then drive the transfer mechanism 32 corresponding to the first slide rail 101 of the first layer to transfer the pallet 103 in the second slide rail 22 to the first slide rail 101 of the first layer.

[0113] The layer-changing device 200 is designed to effectively realize material return in each layer of the conveyor line device 100, and can change the layers of multiple pallet pieces 103 at one time.

[0114] The pallet drive mechanism 102 designed in this application can achieve rapid relay conveying even if the conveying strokes between them do not partially overlap. Specifically, each pallet component 103 is provided with two locking parts 6, which can cooperate with two slots 131 on a first pallet locking component 13, or cooperate with the slots 131 on two adjacent first pallet locking components 13, thus realizing relay conveying.

[0115] Taking battery cell transport as an example, after the pallet 103 carrying the battery cells is loaded, each pallet drive mechanism 102 can move n pallet 103s at a time, and a relay transport of one pallet 103 can be completed between adjacent pallet drive mechanisms 102. Since the transfer mechanism 32 has a basically the same design structure as the pallet drive mechanism 102, the number of relays between it and the pallet drive mechanism 102 can also be one. If there is no requirement for rapid relay transport, the first pallet clamp 13 of the previous pallet drive mechanism 102 can be returned to its position before the first pallet clamp 13 of the next pallet drive mechanism 102 takes over, thus allowing a larger number of pallet 103s to be transported.

[0116] Thanks to the segmented conveying design of this application, even if one pallet drive mechanism 102 drives the pallet component 103 to move to the picking station, the other pallet drive mechanism 102 can still operate independently to move or stop the empty pallet component 103, or coordinate with the moving mechanism to change the empty pallet component 103 to complete the return work, so that each process can operate continuously and without interruption.

[0117] The design of the second pallet driver 12 and the first pallet card 13 has strong applicability. It can be used not only in the conveyor line device 100, but also in the layer changing drive device 202, that is, the second transfer driver 322 and the second pallet card 323. The generalized design of the structure helps to reduce the development cost of the production line.

[0118] Furthermore, such as Figure 10 As shown, a positioning block 7 is also provided on one side of the pallet component 103. The bottom of the positioning block 7 is provided with an arc-shaped positioning groove 71. Multiple positioning seats 8 are provided at intervals on the first slide rail frame 101 and the second slide rail frame 22. A ball-head plunger 81 that can be movably inserted into the positioning groove is provided on the top of the positioning seat 8. The positioning support of the pallet component 103 is achieved through the cooperation between the ball-head plunger 81 and the positioning groove 71. The elastic setting of the ball-head plunger 81 satisfies the positioning support requirements without affecting the normal movement of the pallet component 103.

[0119] like Figure 12 As shown, this application also discloses a linkage conveying method, applied to the linkage conveying line of Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 above, including the following steps:

[0120] S1, the control system operates the pallet drive mechanism of the conveyor device to drive the pallet carrying materials on the first slide rail frame of the conveyor device through the material handling station. It should be noted that after the pallet 103 carrying materials such as battery cells is loaded, the control system can drive the pallet drive mechanism 102 of the first conveyor device 100 to move the pallet 103. When it moves to the position to take over from the next pallet drive mechanism 102, the control system synchronously drives the next pallet drive mechanism 102 to complete the takeover.

[0121] S2 controls the operation of the layer-changing device to transfer empty pallets from one conveyor line device to another. It should be noted that when a pallet 103 on a first slide rail 101 is detected to be fully loaded, the layer-changing device 200 can be driven to transfer some of the pallets 103 on the fully loaded first slide rail 101 to other first slide rail 101s.

[0122] The above provides a detailed description of the linkage conveyor line and method provided in this application. For those skilled in the art, there may be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the ideas of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A linked conveyor line, characterized in that, It includes at least two conveyor line devices (100) and a layer changing device (200). At least two of the conveyor line devices (100) are stacked; The conveyor line device (100) includes a first slide rail frame (101) and a tray drive mechanism (102). The first slide rail (101) is used to support the sliding pallet (103). There are at least two pallet drive mechanisms (102), which are arranged sequentially at intervals; The pallet drive mechanism (102) is used to drive the pallet component (103) to slide on the first slide rail frame (101); The layer-changing device (200) is located at the end of the conveyor line device (100) and is used to transfer the pallet (103) on one conveyor line device (100) to another conveyor line device (100); The pallet drive mechanism (102) includes a first pallet driver (11), a second pallet driver (12), and a first pallet clip (13). The second tray driver (12) is connected to the first tray clamp (13) and is used to drive the first tray clamp (13) to move so as to connect the first tray clamp (13) to one or more tray pieces (103) on the first slide rail (101); The first tray driver (11) is connected to the second tray driver (12) and is used to drive the second tray driver (12) to move, so as to drive the tray piece (103) engaged on the first tray piece (13) to slide. It also includes a lifting and rotating mechanism; The lifting and rotating mechanism is located directly below the first slide rail frame (101); The first pallet driver (11) is also connected to the lifting and rotating mechanism, and is used to drive the lifting and rotating mechanism to move synchronously with the second pallet driver (12); The first slide rail frame (101) is provided with a clearance through hole for the drive end of the lifting and rotating mechanism to move through; The driving end of the lifting and rotating mechanism is connected to the pallet component (103) on the first slide rail frame (101) through the clearance through hole, and is used to drive the pallet component (103) to lift and rotate.

2. The interconnected conveyor line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first slide rail frame (101) is provided with a guide rail (4) at the top, and the bottom of the tray (103) is provided with a slider (5) that slides with the guide rail (4). The guide rail (4) has grooves (41) on both sides. The slider (5) slidably mounted on the guide rail (4) extends into the grooves (41) to clamp the guide rail (4). At least two sliders (5) are located at the bottom of the tray (103) and are spaced apart along a direction parallel to the guide rail (4).

3. The interconnected conveyor line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first tray clamp (13) is provided with a slot (131), the slot (131) is for the snap-fit ​​part (6) provided on the tray (103) to be movably snapped into, and the snap-fit ​​part (6) is elastically connected to the tray (103); Each of the slots (131) has at least one set of guide rollers (132) pivotally connected to one side of its opening position. The at least one set of guide rollers (132) forms a guide gap through which the latching portion (6) of the tray (103) passes.

4. The interconnected conveyor line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the first tray clips (13) is at least two; The number of the second tray drive (12) is at least two, and they are connected one-to-one with the first tray card (13); At least two second tray drives (12) are arranged sequentially at intervals, and adjacent second tray drives (12) are connected by connectors (15); The first tray driver (11) is connected to one of the second tray drivers (12) or to the connector (15); The two adjacent first tray clips (13) are located on both sides of the first slide rail frame (101).

5. The interconnected conveyor line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first slide rail frame (101) is provided with a plurality of first displacement detectors (301) arranged at intervals. The first displacement detector (301) is used to detect the movement displacement of the pallet component (103) located on the first slide rail frame (101); The pallet drive mechanism (102) is provided with a plurality of spaced second displacement detectors (401). Multiple second displacement detectors (401) are used to detect the motion displacement of the drive end of the first tray driver (11).

6. The interconnected conveyor line according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two layer-changing devices (200), which are respectively located at both ends of the conveyor line device (100); The layer-changing device (200) includes a temporary storage device (201) and a layer-changing drive device (202), the layer-changing drive device (202) being used to transfer a pallet (103) on one of the conveyor line devices (100) to the temporary storage device (201), and the layer-changing drive device (202) being used to transfer a pallet (103) on the temporary storage device (201) to another of the conveyor line devices (100).

7. The interconnected conveyor line according to claim 6, characterized in that, The temporary storage device (201) includes a lifting mechanism (21) and a second slide rail (22); The second slide rail (22) is used to carry the pallet (103) that slides in from the first slide rail (101). The lifting mechanism (21) is connected to the second slide rail (22) and is used to drive the second slide rail (22) to move so as to connect with the first slide rail (101) of the corresponding layer; The layer-changing drive device (202) includes at least two transfer mechanisms (32). At least two of the transfer mechanisms (32) are stacked and correspond one-to-one with the first slide rail (101) of at least two of the conveyor line devices (100); The transfer mechanism (32) is used to transfer the pallet (103) on the corresponding first slide rail (101) to the second slide rail (22), or to transfer the pallet (103) on the second slide rail (22) to the corresponding first slide rail (101).

8. The interconnected conveyor line according to claim 7, characterized in that, The transfer mechanism (32) includes a first transfer driver (321), a second transfer driver (322), and a second tray card (323). The second transfer driver (322) is connected to the second tray clamp (323) and is used to drive the second tray clamp (323) to move so as to connect the second tray clamp (323) to one or more trays (103) on the first slide rail (101) or the second slide rail (22); The first transfer driver (321) is connected to the second transfer driver (322) and is used to drive the second transfer driver (322) to move so as to drive the tray (103) that is engaged on the second tray clip (323) to slide.

9. A linked conveying method, characterized in that, Applied to the interconnected conveyor line as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the steps of: The pallet drive mechanism (102) of the control conveyor line device (100) is operated to drive the pallet (103) carrying the material on the first slide rail frame (101) of the conveyor line device (100) to be transported through the material picking station. The control layer-changing device (200) is operated to transfer an empty pallet (103) on one of the conveyor line devices (100) to another of the conveyor line devices (100).

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