Tray and production system

Abstract

The application relates to a tray and a production system, comprising a supporting assembly, an extension assembly and a driving assembly. The supporting assembly comprises at least two supporting members. The extension assembly connects the supporting members in sequence along a set direction. The extension assembly is configured to be able to extend and retract along the set direction, and to change the interval between each two adjacent supporting members when extending and retracting. The driving assembly is in transmission connection with the supporting member at the head end and / or the supporting member at the tail end in the set direction, and controls the extension assembly to extend and retract through the connected supporting members. In the application, when a workpiece with a large size in the set direction needs to be supported, the driving assembly can be used to control the extension assembly to lengthen the interval between the adjacent supporting members, so that the supporting length of the tray is lengthened. When a workpiece with a small size in the set direction needs to be supported, the driving assembly can be used to control the extension assembly to shorten the interval between the adjacent supporting members, so that the supporting length of the tray is shortened.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent entitled "Pallet and Production System", application number: 202210953408.5, with the parent application date being: August 10, 2022. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of production and transportation technology, and in particular to a pallet and production system. Background Technology

[0003] In various production lines (such as battery production lines), trays are needed to carry various workpieces (such as battery modules and battery cells), which travel back and forth between different workstations on the assembly line, from loading to unloading to finally completing the finished product. Mixed production often occurs on the same production line. Because trays have low compatibility with different sizes and types of workpieces, trays need to be changed when producing different sizes and types of workpieces, reducing production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, this application provides a pallet and production system that can solve the problem of low production efficiency caused by poor pallet compatibility.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a tray, including a support assembly, a telescopic assembly, and a drive assembly. The support assembly includes at least two support members. The telescopic assembly connects the support members sequentially along a predetermined direction. The telescopic assembly is configured to extend and retract along the predetermined direction, changing the distance between adjacent support members during extension and retraction. The drive assembly is drively connected to the support member at the beginning and / or end of the predetermined direction, and controls the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly via the connected support members. The drive assembly is configured to communicate with an external device and controls the extension and retraction distance of the telescopic assembly based on workpiece size information fed back by the external device. The drive assembly includes two drive members, each drively connected to two support members on opposite sides of the support assembly along the predetermined direction, and each control the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly via the connected support members.

[0006] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, when it is necessary to support a workpiece with a large dimension in a set direction, the extension component can be controlled by the drive component to extend and lengthen the interval between adjacent support components, thereby increasing the support length of the pallet. When it is necessary to support a workpiece with a small dimension in a set direction, the extension component can be controlled by the drive component to shorten the interval between adjacent support components, thereby shortening the support length of the pallet. Moreover, the drive component can adaptively adjust the support length of the pallet based on the size information fed back by the external device, which can reduce manual labor and achieve a high degree of automation. In addition, the drive component, which combines a first drive member and a second drive member to adjust the pallet support length, can speed up the change of the pallet support length.

[0007] In some embodiments, the pallet further includes a support member extending in a predetermined direction, and each support member is movably mounted on the support member in the predetermined direction. In this case, the support member provides structural support for each support member, resulting in better structural strength and stability of the pallet compared to connecting the support members solely through telescopic components.

[0008] In some embodiments, the telescopic assembly includes at least one elastic element, each elastic element being configured to extend and retract along a predetermined direction. At least one elastic element is connected between every two adjacent support members. In this case, the telescopic assembly is composed of elastic elements, allowing for a variety of elastic element types to be selected, ensuring reliable extension and retraction, and reducing cost.

[0009] In some embodiments, the support member includes a support shaft, and each support member has a mounting hole. Each mounting hole extends through the support member in a predetermined direction, and the support shaft passes through each mounting hole. In this case, the support member is supported by the support shaft, resulting in a simple and easy-to-implement structure.

[0010] In some embodiments, the telescopic component is sleeved on the support shaft. In this case, sleeved on the support shaft, the support shaft can guide the telescopic component's telescopic direction, resulting in better linearity of the telescopic component's telescopic movement and helping to ensure the linearity of the support member's movement.

[0011] In some embodiments, the telescopic assembly includes elastic elements sleeved on the support shaft, each elastic element being configured to extend and retract in a predetermined direction, with elastic elements abutting between adjacent support elements. In this case, the elastic elements only abut against the support elements without being fixedly connected; when forming the pallet, it is only necessary to sleeve the support elements and elastic elements onto the support shaft. When it is necessary to add support elements to change the spacing between support elements or replace elastic elements to change the telescopic distance of the elastic elements, the support elements, support shaft, and elastic elements can be easily separated, facilitating flexible pallet assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments, the pallet further includes a pressure member, and the drive assembly is driven to the support member via the pressure member. The pressure member and the support member are in surface contact. In this case, the driving force exerted by the drive assembly can be transmitted to the support member through surface contact via the pressure member, resulting in more uniform force distribution on the support member. This helps prevent the support member from deflecting due to uneven force distribution and ensures the linearity of the support member's movement.

[0013] In some embodiments, the drive assembly further includes a connecting block, wherein one drive member is connected to an adjacent support member via the connecting block, and the connecting block is connected to the connected support member via a telescopic component. Connecting the movable part to the support member via the connecting block increases the force-bearing area of ​​the support member, helping to ensure the straightness of the support member's movement. Simultaneously, the connection between the connecting block and the support member via the telescopic component increases the adjustment range of the pallet support length.

[0014] Secondly, this application provides a production system, including an assembly platform and the aforementioned pallet, wherein the pallet is in a state of support on the assembly platform.

[0015] In some embodiments, the production system further includes a measuring device and a processing device. The measuring device is used to acquire the dimensional features of the workpiece in a set direction. The processing device is communicatively connected to both the measuring device and the drive assembly, and is used to determine the dimensional information corresponding to the workpiece based on the dimensional features. The drive assembly is used to control the extension distance of the telescopic assembly based on the dimensional information fed back by the processing device. In this case, the production system, equipped with the measuring device and the processing device, can be used in combination with a pallet to achieve adaptive adjustment of the pallet's support length, thereby improving the automation level of the production system.

[0016] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the tray structure in some embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another view of the tray shown;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tray structure in some other embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Another view of the tray shown;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the tray structure in some other embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A top view of the tray shown;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a first application scenario of a tray in some embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 8 for Figure 7 The front view of the structure shown;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a second application scenario of the tray in some embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 10 for Figure 9 The front view of the structure shown;

[0028] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a third application scenario of the tray in some embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 12 for Figure 11 The front view of the structure shown;

[0030] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the production system in some embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of the production system in some other embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 15 This is a partial structural diagram of the production system in some embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of the production system in some other embodiments of this application.

[0034] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows:

[0035] 2000, Production System; 210, Pallet; 21A, Support Component; S, Support Surface; A1, Mounting Hole; 21B, Telescopic Assembly; B1, Elastic Component; 21C, Drive Assembly; C1, Drive Component; C11, First Drive Component; C12, Second Drive Component; C1A, Fixed Part; C1B, Moving Part; C2, Limiting Block; C3, Connecting Block; 21D, Support Component; D1, Support Shaft; 21E, Pressurizing Component; 220, Assembly Platform; 221, Support Column; 230, Conveying Device; 240, Measuring Device; 250, Processing Device; 400, Workpiece; 40, Individual Unit; F, Setting Direction. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0039] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0040] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0041] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0042] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" 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 are not intended to 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.

[0043] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed 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. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] The inventors have observed that in various production lines, workpieces are typically carried by pallets and moved between different workstations via an assembly line, from loading to unloading to final product completion. Mixed production often occurs on the same production line. Because the pallet dimensions are fixed, pallets need to be changed to accommodate different workpiece sizes when producing different types of workpieces, impacting production efficiency. For example, in a battery production line, pallets carry battery modules back and forth between workstations. When the combined length of the battery modules differs, the required pallet size varies, and changing pallets would affect production efficiency.

[0045] To improve production line efficiency, the support length of the pallet can be designed to be adjustable. When producing different types of workpieces, the support length of the pallet can be adjusted to adapt to changes in workpiece size without having to replace the pallet, which helps to improve battery production efficiency.

[0046] Based on the above considerations, in order to improve the production efficiency of the production line, this application embodiment designs a pallet. The pallet includes a support component, a telescopic component, and a drive component. The support component includes at least two support members. The telescopic component connects each support member sequentially along a set direction. The drive component drives and connects the two support members on both sides of all the support members in the set direction, and controls the telescopic component to extend and retract along the set direction via these two support members. When the telescopic component extends and retracts, it causes each adjacent pair of support members to move closer to or further away from each other. Moreover, the drive component can control the extension and retraction distance of the telescopic component based on the workpiece size information fed back by an external device.

[0047] When the supporting components move closer together, the supporting length of all supporting components in the set direction decreases; when the supporting components move further apart, the supporting length of all supporting components in the set direction increases. In this way, the supporting length of the tray can be adjusted to adapt to changes in the size of the workpiece. When producing different types of workpieces, it is not necessary to change the tray, which helps improve battery production efficiency.

[0048] The tray disclosed in this application can be applied to, but is not limited to, battery production lines, particularly for supporting battery modules; it can also be applied to other production lines that require supporting workpieces. The production line disclosed in this application can be a production line for producing batteries, or it can be a production line for other products. The workpiece involved in this embodiment can be, but is not limited to, battery modules; when the workpiece includes multiple individual units, each individual unit can be, but is not limited to, a battery cell.

[0049] The battery module disclosed in this application is formed by stacking multiple battery cells along a set direction, and the length of the battery module is the length of the battery module in the set direction.

[0050] The battery cell can be a secondary battery or a primary battery; it can also be a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium-ion battery, or a magnesium-ion battery, but is not limited to these. The battery cell can be cylindrical, flat, cuboid, or other shapes.

[0051] A single battery cell typically includes end caps, a housing, electrode assemblies, and other functional components. An end cap is a component that closes onto the opening of the housing to isolate the internal environment of the battery cell from the external environment. Functional components such as electrode terminals may be located on the end cap. Electrode terminals are used for electrical connection to the electrode assemblies to input or output electrical energy into the battery cell. The housing is an assembly that fits with the end cap to form the internal environment of the battery cell, which can accommodate the electrode assemblies, electrolyte, and other components. Electrode assemblies are the components within the battery cell where electrochemical reactions occur. The housing may contain one or more electrode assemblies.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the tray structure in some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another view of the tray shown. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tray structure in some other embodiments of this application. Figure 4 for Figure 3 Another view of the tray shown. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tray 210 in some other embodiments of this application. Figure 6 for Figure 5 Top view of tray 210 shown.

[0053] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figures 1 to 4 and reference Figure 5 and Figure 6The tray 210 provided in this embodiment includes a support assembly, a telescopic assembly 21B, and a drive assembly 21C. The support assembly includes at least two support members 21A. The telescopic assembly 21B connects each support member 21A sequentially along a predetermined direction F. The telescopic assembly 21B is configured to extend and retract along the predetermined direction F, changing the distance between adjacent support members 21A during extension and retraction. The drive assembly 21C is drivenly connected to the support member 21A at the beginning and / or end of the support member 21A in the predetermined direction F, and controls the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly 21B via the connected support members 21A. The drive assembly 21C is configured to communicate with an external device and controls the extension and retraction distance of the telescopic assembly 21B based on the size information of the workpiece 400 fed back by the external device. The drive assembly 21C includes two drive members C1, which are drivenly connected to two support members 21A on opposite sides of the support assembly in the predetermined direction F, and each control the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly 21B via the connected support members 21A.

[0054] Support component 21A can be a component in the form of a support block, support plate, support piece, etc. Please refer to the above. Figures 7 to 12 The support member 21A has a support surface S for supporting the workpiece 400. The support surfaces S of each of the at least two support members 21A are coplanar so as to jointly support the workpiece 400.

[0055] The supporting length of the pallet 210 is the distance between the two sides of the at least two supporting members 21A in the set direction F. To achieve adjustable supporting length of the pallet 210, the number of supporting members 21A is at least two. Changing the distance between the two supporting members 21A changes the supporting length determined by the two supporting members 21A in the set direction F. The number of supporting members 21A can also be three (e.g., ...). Figure 1 and Figure 2 (See attached diagram), 4 (as shown in the diagram) Figure 3 and Figure 4 (See attached diagram) or even more, the specific number is not limited. For economic reasons, the number of support components 21A can be selected from 2 to 5. In practical applications, the number of support components 21A included in the pallet 210 can be set according to actual needs.

[0056] The length of the support member 21A in the designated direction F is its support length. The support lengths of each support member 21A can be the same or different. Of course, when the support lengths of each support member 21A are the same, each support member 21A can be produced based on the same mold / the same process, resulting in lower production costs for the pallet 210. Understandably, the support length of the pallet 210 is equal to or greater than the sum of the support lengths of all support members 21A. When all support members 21A are in contact and there is no gap between adjacent support members 21A, the support length of the pallet 210 is equal to the sum of the support lengths of all support members 21A. When all support members 21A are spaced apart, the support length of the pallet 210 is greater than the sum of the support lengths of all support members 21A because it includes the gap distance between the support members 21A. Furthermore, each support member 21A can be completely identical.

[0057] The telescopic assembly 21B connects each support member 21A sequentially along a predetermined direction F. This means that each support member 21A is connected sequentially via the telescopic assembly 21B along the predetermined direction F, i.e., the support members 21A are not directly connected to each other. The telescopic assembly 21B can extend and retract along a predetermined direction. In practical applications, the predetermined direction F can correspond to the grouping direction of the battery module (i.e., the stacking direction of the battery cells).

[0058] There are several ways to configure the telescopic component 21B. Specifically, the telescopic component 21B may include a telescopic sleeve rod, which may include at least two sleeve rods that are sequentially and slidably connected together along a predetermined direction F. Alternatively, each support member 21A may be mounted on one sleeve rod, and when the sleeve rods move relative to each other, the support members 21A mounted on each sleeve rod move closer to or further away from each other. The telescopic component 21B may also be configured as described in the following embodiments, which will not be detailed here. In this case, the telescopic sleeve rod can not only support each support member 21A, but also change the distance between each support member 21A during telescopic movement to adjust the supporting length of the tray 210. The telescopic component 21B may also include at least one telescopic member, which may be a spring or a component formed by combining telescopic sleeve rods, etc. When only two support members 21A are included, the telescopic component 21B may include only one telescopic member connecting the two support members 21A.

[0059] It should be noted that, in addition to using the telescopic component 21B to connect each support member 21A sequentially along the predetermined direction F, additional structures can be provided to support each support member 21A, as long as the structure can support changes in the position between the support members 21A. For example, the pallet 210 also includes a support rail that extends along the predetermined direction F, and each support member 21A is slidably supported on the support rail. Moreover, the support rail can also support the drive component 21C, etc.

[0060] The drive assembly 21C is connected to the support member 21A by transmission, meaning that the drive assembly 21C can provide the support member 21A with a driving force to move the support member 21A along a set direction F. In the set direction F, the support member 21C at the first end is the first support member, and the support member 21C at the rear end is the second support member. In one case, the drive assembly 21C is connected to the first support member by transmission, and the second support member can be fixed or connected to a fixed structure (such as the limiting block C2 described below) via the telescopic assembly 21B. In another case, the drive assembly 21C is connected to both the first and second support members by transmission; in this case, the drive assembly 21C drives the first and second support members to move in opposite directions.

[0061] Taking the drive assembly 21C connected to the first support member as an example, the driving force provided by the drive assembly 21C acts on the first support member and pushes the first support member to move along the set direction F. The moving first support member further drives the telescopic assembly 21B to extend and retract. When the telescopic assembly 21B extends and retracts, it causes the position between each support member 21A to change.

[0062] Specifically, the drive assembly 21C may include a linear motor, pneumatic cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or other drive component C1 capable of providing linear drive; it may also be a rotary motor, a combination of gears and racks, or other components that convert rotary drive force into linear drive; or it may be a limiting component mounted on a support structure (such as a support rail), such as a nut / flange / clip, etc. The supporting length of the support assembly can be adjusted by manually adjusting the position of the limiting component on the support structure. The specific structure of the drive assembly 21C is not limited, as long as it can control the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly 21B by controlling the movement of the support component 21A.

[0063] The telescopic component 21B can extend or retract along a set direction F. When the telescopic component 21B extends, the two adjacent support members 21A move further apart, and the positional interval between the adjacent support members 21A increases synchronously. When the telescopic component 21B retracts, the two adjacent support members 21A move closer together, and the positional interval between the adjacent support members 21A decreases synchronously.

[0064] When the pallet 210 needs to support a workpiece 400 with a larger dimension in a set direction F, the extension component 21B can be controlled by the drive component 21C to extend and lengthen the interval between adjacent support members 21A, thereby increasing the support length of the pallet 210. When the pallet 210 needs to support a workpiece 400 with a smaller dimension in a set direction F, the extension component 21B can be controlled by the drive component 21C to shorten the interval between adjacent support members 21A, thereby shortening the support length of the pallet 210.

[0065] Understandably, each driving component C1 includes a fixed part C1A and a movable part C1B. The fixed part C1A is configured to be fixedly installed in a set direction F, and the movable part C1B can reciprocate relative to the fixed part C1A in the set direction F. Taking a linear motor as an example, the part of the linear motor that remains stationary is the fixed part C1A, and the part of the linear motor that can move or extend is the movable part C1B. The movable part C1B is connected to the support component 21A via a transmission connection. The transmission connection includes a direct connection and an indirect connection. A direct connection means that the movable part C1B is directly and fixedly connected to the support component 21A, and an indirect connection means that the movable part C1B is connected to the support component 21A through an intermediate medium (such as the pressure block 21E, connecting block C3, etc. mentioned in this application), which can drive the support component 21A to move through the movement of the movable part C1B.

[0066] The two driving components C1 are designated as first driving component C11 and second driving component C12. First driving component C11 is connected to the first support component, and second driving component C12 is connected to the second support component. First driving component C11 and second driving component C12 can have the same structure, such as being a cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or linear motor. Alternatively, first driving component C11 and second driving component C12 can have different structures.

[0067] The first driving member C11 and the second driving member C12 jointly control the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly 21B. Taking the joint control of each elastic element B1 in the telescopic assembly 21B to shorten as an example, the first driving member C11 and the second driving member C12 can apply opposite driving forces to their respective connected support members 21A, i.e., the first support member and the second support member move towards each other. When the first support member and the second support member move towards each other, they compress the elastic element B1 connected to them. The compressed elastic element B1, through its own restoring force, pushes another support member 21A connected to it towards the center position (the center position of the tray 210 in the set direction F). This other support member 21A continues to compress another elastic element B1, and so on, so that all support members 21A move towards the center position of the tray 210, thereby shortening the support length of the tray 210.

[0068] At this time, the drive assembly 21C, consisting of the first drive component C11 and the second drive component C12, adjusts the support length of the pallet 210, which can speed up the change of the support length of the pallet 210.

[0069] In this embodiment, the external device may be the processing device 250 in the production system 2000 mentioned in the following embodiments, or other devices capable of acquiring the size information of the workpiece 400, and there is no specific limitation.

[0070] The dimensional information of workpiece 400 can be the total length of workpiece 400 in the set direction F. When workpiece 400 is formed by stacking multiple units 40 along the set direction F, the dimensional information of workpiece 400 can also be obtained by calculating the product of the length of unit 40 in the set direction F and the number of units 40.

[0071] When the size information of workpiece 400 includes total length information, the drive component 21C adjusts the telescopic distance of the telescopic component 21B so that the total length of the supporting component and the telescopic components 21B between them is not less than the corresponding total length of the total length information.

[0072] Specifically, when the drive assembly 21C includes a first drive member C11 and a second drive member C12, both the first drive member C11 and the second drive member C12 can communicate with an external device and can control the telescopic distance of the telescopic assembly 21B according to the size information fed back by the external device. It can be understood that the first drive member C11 and the second drive member C12 can control their movable part C1B to move half a distance (including half the first difference distance) according to the total length contained in the size information or the product of the length of a single unit 40 and the number of units 40, so as to jointly control the telescopic assembly 21B to extend and retract by the first difference distance.

[0073] When the number of individual components 40 of workpiece 400 remains unchanged (or is processed according to the default number) but the length of individual component 40 changes, the dimensional information fed back by the external device can be the length information of each individual component 40. When the number of workpiece 400 changes but the length of each individual component 40 remains unchanged, the dimensional information fed back by the external device can be the total length information. Of course, when both the number and length of individual components 40 in the support component 21A change, the external device can simultaneously feed back the total length information and the length information of each individual component 40. When the length of each individual component 40 cannot be guaranteed but the total length cannot be guaranteed, the drive component 21C can notify relevant personnel to increase the number of support components 21A or change the specifications of the elastic component B1 through an alarm.

[0074] At this time, the drive component 21C can adaptively adjust the support length of the tray 210 according to the size information fed back by the external device, which can reduce manual labor and achieve a high degree of automation.

[0075] In some embodiments, refer to Figures 1 to 4 The pallet 210 also includes a support member 21D, which extends along a set direction F, and each support member 21A is movably mounted on the support member 21D along the set direction F.

[0076] The support member 21D can be a support rod, support seat, support guide rail, or other component that can support the support member 21A.

[0077] At this time, the support member 21D can provide structural support for each support member 21A. Compared with connecting each support member 21A only through the telescopic component 21B, the pallet 210 has better structural strength and structural stability.

[0078] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 The telescopic assembly 21B includes elastic elements B1, each of which is configured to extend or retract along a predetermined direction F. At least one elastic element B1 is connected between every two adjacent support members 21A.

[0079] The elastic element B1 can be a spring, sheet metal, elastic rubber, elastic silicone, or other elastic components. Two adjacent support elements 21A mean they are adjacent in the designated direction F. An elastic element B1 is provided between each pair of adjacent support elements 21A.

[0080] Understandably, when the support member 21A includes only two, the telescopic assembly 21B may include only one elastic member B1 disposed between the two support members 21A.

[0081] As an example, let's take the drive assembly 21C connected to the first support member as an example. When the first support member moves under the action of the driving force, one end of the elastic member B1 (denoted as the first elastic member) connected to the first support member moves with the first support member. Since the support member 21A (denoted as the first intermediate support member) connected to the first elastic member has the inertia to remain stationary, the first elastic member is stretched. At the same time, the other end of the first elastic member pulls the second support member under the action of its own elastic restoring force, which in turn drives one end of the elastic member B1 (denoted as the second elastic member) connected to the second support member to move. The other end of the second elastic member, the first intermediate support member, moves, and so on, causing each support member 21A to move successively. During the movement, the distance between adjacent support members 21A is continuously increased, thereby extending the support length of the tray 210.

[0082] At least one elastic element B1 is connected between any two adjacent support members 21A. Specifically, two or more elastic elements B1 can be connected between any two adjacent support members 21A. The multiple elastic elements B1 are arranged at intervals along a plane perpendicular to the set direction F. The arrangement of multiple elastic elements B1 can make the force exerted by the elastic elements B1 on adjacent support members 21A more uniform, which helps to avoid the support members 21A shifting due to uneven force when moving with the elastic elements B1.

[0083] At this point, the telescopic component 21B is composed of an elastic element B1. The elastic element B1 can be selected from various types, and its telescopic movement is reliable and low in cost.

[0084] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The support member 21D includes a support shaft D1, and each support member 21A has a mounting hole A1. Each mounting hole A1 passes through the support member 21A along a set direction F, and the support shaft D1 passes through each mounting hole A1.

[0085] Understandably, the mounting hole A1 on each support member 21A is coaxially arranged with a mounting hole A1 on the other support members 21A. The support shaft D1 passes through all the mounting holes A1 arranged coaxially along the axial direction of the support shaft D1 in all the support members 21A.

[0086] The number of mounting holes A1 on each support member 21A corresponds to the number of support shafts D1; ​​there can be one or more for each support member 21A. When each support member 21A has multiple mounting holes A1, these holes are arranged coaxially in a one-to-one correspondence, and a support shaft D1 passes through each of the mounting holes A1 arranged coaxially with its own axial direction. When a support member 21D includes multiple support shafts D1, the support for the support member 21A is more uniform and powerful, helping to prevent the support member 21A from deflecting around the predetermined direction F.

[0087] At this point, the support for the support member 21A is achieved through the support shaft D1, which is simple and easy to implement.

[0088] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The telescopic component 21B is sleeved on the support shaft D1.

[0089] When the telescopic assembly 21B includes the aforementioned elastic element B1, each elastic element B1 is sleeved on the support shaft D1 located between two adjacent support elements 21A. In this case, the elastic element B1 can be in the form of a spring, rubber cylinder, silicone cylinder, or other similar structures.

[0090] At this time, the telescopic component 21B is fitted onto the support shaft D1. The support shaft D1 can be used to guide the telescopic component 21B in the direction of telescopic movement, making the telescopic component 21B more linear in its telescopic movement, which helps to ensure the linearity of the movement of the support component 21A.

[0091] In some embodiments, the telescopic assembly 21B includes elastic members B1 sleeved on the support shaft D1, each elastic member B1 being configured to extend and retract along a predetermined direction F. Elastic members B1 are abutted between two adjacent support members 21A.

[0092] The elastic element B1 is described in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here. An elastic element B1 is abutting between two adjacent support members 21A, that is, each elastic element B1 is disposed between two adjacent support members 21A and abuts against the two adjacent support members 21A.

[0093] The elastic element B1 abuts against the two adjacent support elements 21A, which means that the elastic element B1 is in contact with the adjacent support elements 21A but not fixedly connected.

[0094] At this point, the elastic element B1 only abuts against the support element 21A without being fixed. When forming the pallet 210, it is only necessary to fit the support element 21A and the elastic element B1 onto the support shaft D1. When it is necessary to add support elements 21A to change the spacing between support elements 21A or replace the elastic element B1 to change the extension distance of the elastic element B1, the support elements 21A, the support shaft D1, and the elastic element B1 can be easily separated, which helps to achieve flexible assembly of the pallet 210.

[0095] In some embodiments, all of the elastic elements B1 are identical to each other.

[0096] The fact that the elastic elements B1 are identical means that the length, elastic coefficient, etc., of each elastic element B1 are the same. When the elastic elements B1 are identical, when the drive assembly 21C controls the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly 21B, the compression or elongation of each elastic element B1 is consistent, and the force on each support component 21A is uniform and evenly spaced, which can provide a more uniform support force to the workpiece 400.

[0097] In some embodiments, refer to Figures 1 to 4 The pallet 210 also includes a pressure member 21E, and the drive assembly 21C is connected to the support member 21A via the pressure member 21E. The pressure member 21E is connected to the support member 21A.

[0098] The pressure-applying component 21E can be a component in the form of a pressure block, pressure sheet, or pressure plate. The pressure-applying component 21E is connected to the drive assembly 21C and the support component 21A, and is surface-contact with the support component 21A. In this way, the driving force exerted by the drive assembly 21C can be transmitted to the support component 21A through surface contact, resulting in more uniform force distribution on the support component 21A. This helps to prevent the support component 21A from deflecting due to uneven force distribution and ensures the linearity of the movement of the support component 21A.

[0099] Furthermore, in the projection onto a plane perpendicular to the set direction F, the surface of the pressure member 21E facing the support member 21A completely overlaps with the surface of the support member 21A and the surface of the pressure member 21E. At this time, the pressure member 21E and the support member 21A can achieve maximum surface contact, and the force uniformity of the support member 21A is better.

[0100] In some embodiments, refer to Figures 1 to 4 The drive assembly 21C includes a limiting block C2 and a first drive member C11. The limiting block C2 is located on one side of the support assembly in the set direction F. The first drive member C11 is connected to the support member 21A on the other side of the support assembly in the set direction F and drives the connected support member 21A to move along the set direction F.

[0101] The support member 21A, which is connected to the first driving member C11, is the first support member, and the support member 21A, which is connected to the limiting block C2, is the second support member. The limiting block C2 is used to limit the extreme position of the support component on one side in the set direction F. That is, when the telescopic component 21B extends or retracts, the limiting block C2 will not be displaced with the telescopic component 21B in the set direction F, and the support component will not exceed the position limited by the limiting block C2.

[0102] The limiting block C2 and the second support member can be fixedly connected or connected through the telescopic assembly 21B (specifically, they can be connected through at least one elastic member B1 in the telescopic assembly 21B), and the second support member moves closer to or further away from the limiting block C2 when the telescopic assembly 21B extends or retracts.

[0103] Understandably, the first driving component C11 has a fixed mounting position, and it drives the support component 21A connected to it through the operation of its internal structure. It can be viewed that the first driving component C11 has a fixed part C1A and a movable part C1B. The fixed part C1A remains stationary in its mounting position, while the movable part C1B moves along a set direction F under the action of the internal structure of the first driving component C11, driving the support component 21A to move. The first driving component C11 can be a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a linear motor, etc.

[0104] The distance between the installation position of the first driving component C11 and the installation position of the limiting block C2 remains constant. The number of supporting components 21A and the specifications of the elastic component B1 can be determined by the distance between them (specifically, it can refer to the different extension distances of the elastic component B1).

[0105] When the first driving member C11 drives the support member 21A to move, under the restriction of the limiting block C2, the end of the telescopic component 21B near the limiting block C2 remains unchanged (when the telescopic component 21B includes multiple elastic members B1, the end of the elastic member B1 arranged near the limiting block C2 facing the limiting block C2 is the end of the telescopic component 21B near the limiting block C2). The end of the telescopic component 21B away from the limiting block C2 moves with the first support member, so that the telescopic component 21B as a whole extends and retracts (that is, each elastic member B1 extends and retracts). Under the drive of the telescopic component 21B, it and the support member 21A also move towards or away from the first driving member C11 at the same time, correspondingly lengthening or shortening the support length of the pallet 210.

[0106] At this time, the drive assembly 21C, consisting of the first drive component C11 and the limiting block C2, adjusts the support length of the pallet 210. The structure is simple and economical.

[0107] When the drive assembly 21C includes the aforementioned limiting block C2 and the first drive member C11, the first drive member C11 is communicatively connected to an external device and controls the telescopic distance of the telescopic assembly 21B based on the dimensional information fed back by the external device. Understandably, the change in the supporting length of the pallet 210 is determined by the moving distance (or telescopic distance) of the movable part C1B of the first drive member C11; that is, the telescopic distance of the telescopic assembly 21B is determined by the moving distance of the first drive member C11. When the dimensional information includes the total length of the workpiece 400, the first drive member C11 controls the movable part C1B to move (or telescopic) a corresponding distance based on the first difference between the current supporting length and the total length of the pallet 210, controlling the telescopic assembly to telescopically extend by the distance of the first difference. When the size information includes the length of a single unit 40, the first drive component C11 moves a corresponding distance based on the second difference between the current spacing between each support component 21A of the pallet 210 and the length of the single unit 40 (the moving distance at this time should be the product w of the second difference and the number of intervals r formed between the support components 21A, i.e., w = r * second difference), and controls the telescopic component to extend or retract by the distance w.

[0108] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 1 The limiting block C2 is connected to the support member 21A connected to itself via the telescopic component 21B.

[0109] The support member 21A connected to the limiting block C2 is the second support member. When the telescopic assembly 21B includes the aforementioned multiple elastic members B1, the limiting block C2 and the second support member are connected by elastic members B1 (such as springs). When the telescopic assembly 21B extends or retracts, the second support member moves closer to or further away from the limiting block C2 under the action of the elastic members B1. When the telescopic assembly 21B includes multiple sleeve rods, the limiting block C2 and the second support member are respectively disposed on two adjacent nested sleeve rods. When the telescopic assembly 21B extends or retracts, the two sleeve rods move telescopically. When the two sleeve rods move relative to each other, the distance between the limiting block C2 and the second support member changes.

[0110] At this time, the distance between the limiting block C2 and the supporting member 21A connected to it can also be changed, which can expand the adjustable range of the supporting length of the pallet 210.

[0111] Understandably, the support member 21D mentioned in the above embodiments may be fixedly connected to the limiting block C2 or may not be connected to the limiting block C2. That is to say, the support of the limiting block C2 may be achieved by a structure other than the support member 21D, such as the assembly platform 220 of the mounting tray 210.

[0112] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6The drive assembly 21C also includes a connecting block C3, wherein one of the drive members C1 is connected to the adjacent support member 21A via the connecting block C3, and the connecting block C3 is connected to the connected support member 21A via a telescopic assembly 21B.

[0113] The connecting block C3 and the support member 21A can be connected via the aforementioned elastic member B1 or via the aforementioned sleeve rod, which is not specifically limited.

[0114] Typically, the end area of ​​the movable part C1B of the driving component C1 facing the support component 21A is relatively small. In this case, connecting the movable part C1B to the support component 21A via the connecting block C3 increases the force-bearing area of ​​the support component 21A, which helps to ensure the straightness of the movement of the support component 21A. At the same time, the connecting block C3 is connected to the support component 21A via the telescopic component 21B, which increases the adjustment range of the support length of the pallet 210.

[0115] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a first application scenario of the tray 210 in some embodiments of this application. Figure 8 for Figure 7 The front view of the structure shown. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a second application scenario for the tray 210 in some embodiments of this application. Figure 10 for Figure 9 The front view of the structure shown. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a third application scenario for the tray 210 in some embodiments of this application. Figure 12 for Figure 11 The diagram shows a front view of the structure. In the first application scenario, workpiece 400 comprises 10 individual units 40. In the second application scenario, workpiece 400 comprises 11 individual units 40. Compared to the first application scenario, the number of individual units 40 increases, meaning the total length of workpiece 400 increases. Figure 8 and Figure 10 As can be seen from the two attached figures, the length of each elastic element B1 increases. In the third application scenario, compared with the first application scenario, the number of individual units 40 is the same, but the length of the individual units 40 increases. Figure 8 and Figure 12 As can be seen from the two attached figures, each elastic element B1 is longer, and the length of each elastic element B1 does not exceed the length of the single element 40.

[0116] In one embodiment of this application, the tray 210 includes a support member 21D, a telescopic component 21B, a drive component 21C, and a plurality of support members 21A. The telescopic component 21B includes a plurality of elastic members B1. The plurality of support members 21A are sequentially spaced and movably mounted on the support member 21D along a set direction F. At least one elastic member B1 is connected between two adjacent support members 21A. The drive component 21C includes a first drive member C11 and a limiting block C2. The first drive member C11 is drive-connected to all support members 21A on one side of the set direction F, and the limiting block C2 is fixedly connected to all support members 21A on the other side of the set direction F.

[0117] Secondly, this application provides a production system 2000. The production system 2000 can be applied to, but is not limited to, the production line of the battery 100.

[0118] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a production system 2000 in some embodiments of this application.

[0119] According to some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 13 The production system 2000 provided in this application includes an assembly platform 220 and a tray 210 in any of the above embodiments, the tray 210 having a usage state of supporting the assembly platform 220.

[0120] Assembly platform 220 is used to provide a place for assembling workpiece 400 supported on tray 210, and its specific form is not limited. Taking workpiece 400 as a battery module as an example, when the battery module is supported on tray 210 located on assembly platform 220, the battery module can be assembled with components such as housing 10 on assembly platform 220 to form battery 100.

[0121] The fact that pallet 210 is in a state of being supported by assembly platform 220 indicates that pallet 210 may also have a state of being not supported by assembly platform 220, which is not specifically limited.

[0122] The aforementioned production system 2000 includes the aforementioned pallet 210, and therefore possesses all the beneficial effects of the aforementioned pallet 210, which will not be elaborated here.

[0123] Please refer to Figure 13 Regardless of location, the assembly platform 220 may be equipped with a support column 221, and the support shaft D1 is supported on the support column 221 to support the support component 21A.

[0124] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of the production system 2000 in some other embodiments of this application. Figure 15 This is a partial structural diagram of the production system 2000 in some embodiments of this application.

[0125] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 14 and Figure 15 The production system 2000 also includes a measuring device 240 and a processing device 250. The measuring device 240 is used to acquire the dimensional features of the workpiece 400 in a set direction F. The processing device 250 is communicatively connected to the measuring device 240 and the drive assembly 21C, and is used to determine the dimensional information corresponding to the workpiece 400 based on the dimensional features. The drive assembly 21C is used to control the extension distance of the telescopic assembly 21B based on the dimensional information fed back by the processing device 250.

[0126] The measuring device 240 can be either a contact distance sensor or a non-contact distance sensor. A non-contact distance sensor can be a through-beam sensor. Both contact and non-contact distance sensors are common components in the art and are not limited here. Of course, the measuring device 240 can also be other sensors, such as an image sensor.

[0127] The processing device 250 can be an industrial control computer, a central processing unit, a microprocessor, or other devices with processing functions, and its specific structure is not limited here.

[0128] The dimensional features of the workpiece 400 acquired by the measuring device 240 can be the dimensional features of the total length of the workpiece 400, or the dimensional features of the lengths of the individual components 40 that make up the workpiece 400, and are not specifically limited. Correspondingly, the dimensional information determined by the processing device 250 can be the total length information of the workpiece 400, or it can be obtained by multiplying the length information of each individual component 40 by the number of individual components 40.

[0129] For an explanation of how the drive assembly 21C controls the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly 21B based on the dimensional information determined by the total length information of the workpiece 400 or the dimensional information determined by the product of the length information of each individual unit 40 and the number of individual units 40, please refer to the above description, which will not be repeated here.

[0130] At this time, the production system 2000 is equipped with a measuring device 240 and a processing device 250, which can be used in combination with the pallet 210 to realize adaptive adjustment of the support length of the pallet 210, thereby improving the automation level of the production system 2000.

[0131] In some embodiments, the workpiece 400 includes a plurality of individual units 40 stacked sequentially along a set direction F; the measuring device 240 is used to acquire the dimensional features of the individual units 40 in a set direction, and the processing device 250 is used to determine the dimensional information corresponding to the workpiece 400 based on the dimensional features of the individual units 40 and the preset quantity features of the individual units 40.

[0132] The measuring device 240 acquires the dimensional characteristics of each individual unit 40, that is, it obtains the dimensional information of each individual unit 40. The processing device 250 determines the dimensional information corresponding to the workpiece 400 based on the dimensional information of each individual unit 40 and the preset number of individual units 40. At this time, the dimensional information corresponding to the workpiece 400 corresponds to the total length of the workpiece 400.

[0133] At this time, the measuring device 240 acquires the size characteristics of a single unit 40. When the preset number of units 40 is changed, the size characteristics of the units 40 are not acquired repeatedly, which can improve the processing speed of the processing device 250 and reduce the hardware cost of the processing device 250.

[0134] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of the production system 2000 in some other embodiments of this application.

[0135] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 16 The production system 2000 also includes a conveying device 230, and an assembly platform 220 is located on the conveying path of the conveying device 230. The conveying device 230 is used to load and unload the pallet 210 supporting the workpiece 400 onto the assembly platform 220, or to transport the workpiece 400 to be supported onto the pallet 210 located on the assembly platform 220.

[0136] When pallet 210 is in only one usage state, that is, fixed on assembly platform 220, the conveying device 230 is used to transport the workpiece 400 to be supported to pallet 210 on assembly platform 220. When pallet 210 can be loaded and unloaded on assembly platform 220 with conveying device 230, pallet 210 also has the usage state of conveying workpiece 400.

[0137] The conveying device 230 can be a device capable of transporting objects, such as a conveyor roller, a conveyor belt, or a robotic arm, and its specific structure is not specifically limited here.

[0138] When pallet 210 is also in use for conveying workpiece 400, pallet 210 can move between multiple assembly platforms 220 along with conveyor 230 (e.g., Figure 16 As shown, different components can be assembled on workpiece 400 on different assembly platforms 220, which can improve the assembly efficiency of production system 2000.

[0139] When pallet 210 is only in one working state supported on assembly platform 220, workpiece 400 is transported to pallet 210 by conveyor 230. After the processing of the assembly platform 220 where pallet 210 is located is completed, it can be transported downstream by conveyor 230.

[0140] At this time, the production system 2000 is also equipped with a conveying device 230, which can realize the conveying of workpiece 400 and the transfer of workpiece 400 between various processes, making the assembly efficiency of the production system 2000 higher.

[0141] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0142] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tray, characterized in that, include: Support components, including at least two support members; A telescopic assembly connects each of the support members sequentially along a predetermined direction. The telescopic assembly is configured to extend and retract along the predetermined direction and change the spacing between each pair of adjacent support members during extension and retraction. A drive assembly is drively connected to the support member at the head end and / or the support member at the tail end located in the set direction, and controls the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly via the connected support member; The drive component is configured to communicate with an external device and is used to control the telescopic distance of the telescopic component based on the workpiece size information fed back by the external device. The drive assembly includes a first drive component and a second drive component; The first driving member and the second driving member are respectively connected to two support members located on both sides of the support assembly in the set direction, and each of them controls the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly through the connected support members. The first driving member and the second driving member are used to control their own moving parts to move half a distance of the first difference according to the total length or the product of the length of a single unit and the number of units contained in the size information, so as to jointly control the telescopic assembly to extend and retract by the first difference distance. The first driving member and the second driving member each include a fixed part and a movable part; multiple units are stacked along a set direction to form the workpiece; the first difference is obtained by the current support length of the tray and the total length of the workpiece.

2. The pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tray also includes a support member that extends along the predetermined direction, and each of the supporting members is movably mounted on the support member along the predetermined direction.

3. The tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic assembly includes elastic elements, each of which is configured to extend or retract along the predetermined direction. Each pair of adjacent support members is connected by at least one elastic member.

4. The tray according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support component includes a support shaft; Each of the aforementioned support members has a mounting hole, and each mounting hole penetrates the support member along the predetermined direction, with the support shaft passing through each of the aforementioned mounting holes.

5. The tray according to claim 4, characterized in that, The telescopic component is sleeved on the support shaft.

6. The pallet according to claim 5, characterized in that, The telescopic assembly includes elastic elements sleeved on the support shaft, and each elastic element is configured to extend and retract along the set direction. The elastic element is provided between two adjacent support members.

7. The pallet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The tray also includes: A pressure member, wherein the drive assembly is connected to the support member via the pressure member; The pressure-applying component is connected to the support component.

8. The pallet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The drive assembly further includes a connecting block, wherein one of the drive members is connected to an adjacent support member via the connecting block, and the connecting block is connected to the connected support member via the telescopic assembly.

9. A production system, characterized in that, include: Assembly platform; and The pallet as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pallet has a working state of being supported on the assembly platform.

10. The production system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The production system also includes: A measuring device for acquiring the dimensional features of a workpiece in the set direction; The processing device is communicatively connected to both the measuring device and the driving assembly, and is used to determine the dimensional information corresponding to the workpiece based on the dimensional characteristics. The drive component is used to control the telescopic distance of the telescopic component based on the size information fed back by the processing device.

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