Battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device and battery production line

Abstract

The application discloses a battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device and a battery production line, and relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing. The shunting mechanism comprises a first linear driver and a plurality of first conveyors arranged at intervals along a second direction, the first conveyors conveying along a first direction, and the first linear driver being capable of driving all the first conveyors to move along the second direction. A plurality of buffer conveying mechanisms are arranged at intervals along the second direction, the buffer conveying mechanisms conveying along the first direction and being capable of receiving battery cells transferred from the first conveyors. A plurality of thickness measuring mechanisms correspond to the plurality of buffer conveying mechanisms one by one, and the thickness measuring mechanisms are capable of measuring the thickness of battery cells transferred from the buffer conveying mechanisms. The converging mechanism comprises a second linear driver and a plurality of second conveyors arranged at intervals along the second direction, the second conveyors conveying along the first direction, and the second linear driver being capable of driving all the second conveyors to move along the second direction to receive battery cells transferred from the thickness measuring mechanisms. The application can improve work efficiency and reduce battery production cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing, and in particular to a battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device and a battery production line. Background Art

[0002] At present, the lithium battery industry is highly competitive, and lithium battery products are updated at a rapid pace. Correspondingly, the requirements for battery manufacturing equipment are becoming increasingly higher, requiring it to be compatible with the production of multiple products or to be able to be quickly modified to produce new products.

[0003] In existing battery module packaging production lines, cell thickness measurement and grouping are required before cell grouping. Before thickness measurement, the cells are sequentially gripped, flipped, and adjusted using a multi-axis robot or three-axis handling mechanism. The cells are then placed on a jig or stepper line to meet the thickness measurement requirements for cell orientation and spacing, facilitating subsequent thickness measurement. If cells fail to meet the thickness requirements, they are removed as "not good" (NG) cells, and qualified cells in the same group are buffered before proceeding to the next step.

[0004] However, the battery module packaging production line has the following problems: low efficiency and high cost; once the thickness of the battery cell does not meet the requirements, it will seriously affect the efficiency of the production line and increase the production cost of the battery, resulting in the battery module packaging production line being unable to meet customer needs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device and a battery production line with high efficiency and low cost.

[0006] A first embodiment of the present invention provides a cell sorting and thickness measuring device, comprising:

[0007] The diversion mechanism includes a first linear drive and a first conveyor, wherein the conveying direction of the first conveyor extends along the first direction, a plurality of first conveyors are provided and arranged at intervals along the second direction, and the first linear drive is used to drive all of the first conveyors to move along the second direction;

[0008] a buffer conveying mechanism, which is provided in plurality and arranged at intervals along the second direction, wherein the conveying direction of the buffer conveying mechanism extends along the first direction, and the buffer conveying mechanism is used to receive the battery cells transferred from the first conveyor;

[0009] a thickness measuring mechanism, which is provided in plurality and is arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of the buffer conveying mechanisms, and is used to measure the thickness of the battery cells transferred from the buffer conveying mechanisms;

[0010] The converging mechanism comprises a second linear driver and a plurality of second conveyors, the conveying direction of the second conveyors extends along a first direction, the second conveyors are arranged in a second direction at intervals, and the second linear driver is configured to drive all the second conveyors to move along the second direction to receive the battery cells transferred from the thickness measuring mechanism, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0011] The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device according to the first aspect of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: the plurality of battery cells are transferred to the plurality of first conveyors in the diverging mechanism respectively, the plurality of first conveyors can work independently of each other and move along the second direction synchronously under the driving action of the first linear driver, so as to transfer the battery cells on the plurality of first conveyors to the corresponding buffer conveying mechanisms respectively, thereby completing the diverging process of the battery cells; when the thickness measuring mechanism is in the thickness measuring state, part of the battery cells can stay on the buffer conveying mechanism, and after the thickness measuring mechanism completes the thickness measuring process of the battery cells, the corresponding buffer conveying mechanism transfers the battery cells to the corresponding thickness measuring mechanism, so that the thickness measuring mechanism starts the next round of thickness measuring process to determine whether the thickness of the battery cell is qualified, and the buffer conveying mechanism can increase the distance between any two battery cells to meet the thickness measuring requirement.

[0012] After the thickness measuring process of the battery cells is completed, the converging mechanism is enabled, and the plurality of second conveyors move along the second direction under the driving action of the second linear driver, so that the battery cells on the plurality of thickness measuring mechanisms can be transferred to the corresponding second conveyors respectively, thereby completing the converging process of the battery cells, and the plurality of second conveyors can work independently of each other, and through the cooperation of the second linear driver and the second conveyors, the unqualified battery cells can be transferred to the NG station, and the qualified battery cells can be transferred to the qualified station, thereby completing the selection of the battery cells and facilitating the subsequent grouping of the battery cells.

[0013] The above ingenious structural design can meet the requirements of the thickness measuring direction and the distance of the battery cells without the need for turning over the battery cells; through the diverging thickness measuring and converging sorting, the moving distance of the battery cells can be reduced, and the unqualified battery cells can be processed quickly, thereby improving the production efficiency of the battery cells and saving the production cost of the battery cells.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device further comprises at least one discharging mechanism and at least one discharging mechanism, the discharging mechanism extends along the first direction, the discharging mechanism is configured to be connected to any second conveyor to receive the qualified battery cells transferred from the second conveyor, the discharging mechanism is provided with a plurality of discharging stations arranged along the first direction, and the discharging mechanism is arranged at intervals along the second direction, and the discharging mechanism is configured to be connected to any second conveyor to receive the unqualified battery cells transferred from the second conveyor.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the discharging mechanism includes a discharge conveying track and a positioning component, the discharge conveying track includes a plurality of fourth conveyors arranged along the first direction, the conveying direction of the fourth conveyors extends along the first direction, the fourth conveyor is provided with the discharge station, the positioning component is provided in plurality, and is arranged one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of the discharge stations, and the positioning component is used to position the battery cells located at the discharge station.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the discharge mechanism further includes a fifth conveyor, the conveying direction of the fifth conveyor extending along the first direction, one end of the fifth conveyor being connected to the unloading conveying track, and the other end of the fifth conveyor being capable of connecting to any of the second conveyors, and the fifth conveyor being provided with a plurality of temporary storage stations arranged along the first direction; and / or,

[0017] The discharging mechanism further includes a second detection component, and a plurality of the second detection components are provided, and are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of the discharging stations. The second detection component is used to detect the presence of battery cells at the discharging station.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, the discharge mechanism includes a sixth conveyor and a discharge track. The conveying direction of the sixth conveyor extends along the first direction. One end of the sixth conveyor is connected to the discharge track. The other end of the sixth conveyor can be connected to any of the second conveyors. The discharge track is inclined from top to bottom toward the side of the first direction away from the sixth conveyor.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment further includes a loading mechanism, which is used to transfer the plurality of battery cells to the plurality of first conveyors respectively.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the buffer conveying mechanism is provided with a plurality of buffer stations arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the thickness measuring mechanism is provided with a plurality of thickness measuring stations arranged at intervals along the first direction.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness measuring mechanism includes a thickness measuring conveying track, a thickness measuring component and a material blocking component. The thickness measuring conveying track is connected to the discharge end of the cache conveying mechanism. The thickness measuring conveying track includes a plurality of third conveyors arranged along the first direction. The third conveyor is provided with the thickness measuring station. There are multiple material blocking components, and they are arranged one-to-one corresponding to the multiple thickness measuring stations. The material blocking component is used to block the battery cell located at the thickness measuring station, and the thickness measuring component is used to measure the thickness of the battery cell located at the thickness measuring station.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness measuring mechanism further includes a first detection component, and a plurality of the first detection components are provided, and are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of thickness measuring stations. The first detection component is used to detect the presence of battery cells in the thickness measuring stations.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness measuring mechanism further includes a third linear drive, the number of the thickness measuring stations is twice the number of the thickness measuring components, and the third linear drive is used to drive all the thickness measuring components to move along the first direction to measure the thickness of the battery cells on the corresponding thickness measuring stations.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first conveyor and the second conveyor both include a belt conveyor and a limiting member, the conveying direction of the belt conveyor extends along the first direction, and the belt conveyor is provided with limiting members for guiding the battery cells on opposite sides along the second direction.

[0025] A second embodiment of the present invention provides a battery production line, which includes the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment as described in the first embodiment.

[0026] The battery production line according to the embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the battery production line adopts the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment of the above structure, which can improve the production efficiency of the battery cells and reduce production costs, and can meet customer needs.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or will be understood by practicing the present invention. The purposes and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a top view;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell sorting and thickness measurement device provided in a top view according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device provided according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a diversion mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention when viewed from a top view;

[0032] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a buffer conveying mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention from a top view;

[0033] Figure 6 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thickness measuring mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention when viewed from a top view;

[0034] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a confluence mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention from a top view;

[0035] Figure 8 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a discharging mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention when viewed from a top view;

[0036] Figure 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of a discharge mechanism provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention when viewed from above.

[0037] Figure numerals: 100, square shell battery cell; 200, fixture line; 300, feeding mechanism; 400, diversion mechanism; 410, first linear drive; 420, first belt conveyor; 430, first position limiter; 500, buffer conveying mechanism; 510, third belt conveyor; 520, third position limiter; 530, first bracket; 531, first long hole; 600, thickness measuring mechanism; 610, thickness measuring component; 611, first positioning plate; 612, first cylinder; 613, positioning seat; 614, thickness measuring sensor; 615, material blocking component; 620, seventh belt conveyor; 630, third linear drive; 700, Converging mechanism; 710, second linear drive; 720, second belt conveyor; 730, second limiter; 800, discharging mechanism; 810, fifth belt conveyor; 820, fifth limiter; 831, first sensor; 832, second sensor; 833, second detection component; 840, fourth belt conveyor; 850, positioning component; 851, second cylinder; 852, second positioning plate; 860, fourth limiter; 900, discharging mechanism; 910, sixth belt conveyor; 920, sixth limiter; 930, second bracket; 931, second long hole; 940, discharging track; 950, supporting roller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0040] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0041] Reference below Figures 1 to 9 The present invention provides a battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device and a battery production line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the cell sorting and thickness measuring device according to the first embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention can be used as a component of the square shell battery assembly line, and can efficiently complete the thickness measurement and sorting of the square shell battery cells 100 to facilitate the subsequent grouping of the square shell battery cells 100.

[0043] The cell sorting and thickness measuring device has a first direction, a second direction, and an up-down direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction and the up-down direction, respectively, and the second direction is perpendicular to the up-down direction. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first direction is the front-to-back direction and the second direction is the left-to-right direction.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the structure of the cell sorting and thickness measuring device includes a diverter mechanism 400, a buffer conveying mechanism 500, a thickness measuring mechanism 600, and a converging mechanism 700. The diverter mechanism 400, the buffer conveying mechanism 500, the thickness measuring mechanism 600, and the converging mechanism 700 are arranged in sequence along a first direction.

[0045] The diversion mechanism 400 includes a first linear actuator 410 and a first conveyor. The first conveyor extends in a first direction and is capable of conveying square-shell battery cells 100. Multiple first conveyors are provided, arranged at regular intervals along a second direction. The first linear actuator 410 is configured to simultaneously drive all first conveyors in the second direction, thereby adjusting their positions in the second direction and facilitating the transfer of square-shell battery cells 100 from all first conveyors to the buffer conveyor mechanism 500.

[0046] It is understood that the first linear actuator 410 can be a high-precision linear drive device such as a linear module or an electric push rod, capable of accurately controlling the position of the first conveyor in the second direction. The first conveyor can be a belt-type, plate chain-type, or other conveyor device. The number of first conveyors can be set according to actual needs.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first linear actuator 410 is a ball screw linear module. When the motor of the first linear actuator 410 is in operation, the slide of the first linear actuator 410 can move in the second direction. The first conveyor includes a first belt conveyor 420 and a first stopper 430. The conveying direction of the first belt conveyor 420 extends along the first direction and is capable of conveying the square-shell battery cells 100 from front to back. Five first belt conveyors 420 are provided and mounted on the slide of the first linear actuator 410. The five first belt conveyors 420 are arranged side by side.

[0048] Furthermore, first stoppers 430 are provided on opposite sides of the first belt conveyor 420 along the second direction. The first stoppers 430 serve to guide the battery cells. The first stoppers 430 may be stopper plates or stopper rollers. The left-right spacing of the first stoppers 430 on either side of the first belt conveyor 420 is slightly greater than or equal to the width of the prismatic battery cells 100. During the conveyance of the prismatic battery cells 100 by the first belt conveyor 420, the first stoppers 430 prevent the prismatic battery cells 100 from shifting in the left-right direction.

[0049] Multiple buffer conveyor mechanisms 500 are provided, and are spaced apart along the second direction. The conveying direction of each buffer conveyor mechanism 500 extends along the first direction. The buffer conveyor mechanism 500 receives battery cells transferred from the first conveyor. It is understood that the buffer conveyor mechanism 500 has the dual functions of buffering prismatic battery cells 100 and conveying them to the thickness measurement mechanism 600. The buffer conveyor mechanism 500 has a buffering station, which is not limited to one.

[0050] In this embodiment, the buffer conveyor mechanism 500 is located behind the diversion mechanism 400. There are two buffer conveyor mechanisms 500, spaced apart in the left-right direction. Both the buffer conveyor mechanism 500 and the diversion mechanism 400 are located on the first support platform of the battery cell sorting and thickness measurement equipment. The buffer conveyor mechanism 500 includes a third belt conveyor 510 and a third stopper 520. The third belt conveyor 510 is capable of transporting the prismatic battery cells 100 from front to back to the thickness measurement mechanism 600.

[0051] Furthermore, third limiting members 520 are provided on both sides of the third belt conveyor 510. These third limiting members 520 serve to guide the prismatic battery cells 100. The third limiting members 520 may be limiting rollers or limiting plates. The use of limiting rollers can reduce frictional resistance experienced by the prismatic battery cells 100 during conveyance.

[0052] Specifically, the buffer conveying mechanism 500 further comprises a first support 530 and a first support rod. The first support rod is provided with two, and is located on the left and right sides of the third belt conveyor 510 respectively. The first support rod extends in the front-rear direction. The third limiting member 520 is a limiting roller. The central axis of the limiting roller extends in the up-down direction. The limiting roller is provided with a plurality of limiting rollers, which are installed on the first support rod through a rotating shaft. The plurality of limiting rollers are arranged in the front-rear direction. The first support rod is provided with two first connecting rods extending in the up-down direction. The upper end of the first connecting rod is provided with an external thread.

[0053] It can be understood that by adjusting the position of the first connecting rod at the first long slot 531, the spacing of the third limiting members 520 on both sides of the third belt conveyor 510 can be adjusted to adapt to the width of the prismatic battery. A scale extending in the left-right direction can be provided on the first support 530. The worker can intuitively adjust the spacing between the two third limiting members 520 through the scale.

[0054] The thickness measuring mechanism 600 is provided with a plurality of thickness measuring mechanisms 600, which are consistent in number with the buffer conveying mechanism 500. The plurality of thickness measuring mechanisms 600 are one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of buffer conveying mechanisms 500. The thickness measuring mechanism 600 is used for measuring the thickness of the battery cell transferred from the buffer conveying mechanism 500. The thickness measuring mechanism 600 has a thickness measuring station, and the number of thickness measuring stations is not limited to one. The thickness measuring mechanism 600 can be installed on the second support platform configured by the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device.

[0055] In some embodiments, the thickness measuring mechanism 600 is located at the rear side of the buffer conveying mechanism 500, and the thickness measuring mechanism 600 and the buffer conveying mechanism 500 are oppositely arranged in the front-rear direction. The buffer conveying mechanism 500 is provided with a plurality of buffer stations, and the plurality of buffer stations are arranged at a certain interval along the first direction. The thickness measuring mechanism 600 is provided with a plurality of thickness measuring stations, and the plurality of thickness measuring stations are arranged at a certain interval along the first direction. The number of thickness measuring stations is consistent with the number of buffer stations. The thickness measuring mechanism 600 can measure the thickness of a plurality of prismatic battery cells 100 at the same time, thereby improving the thickness measuring efficiency.

[0056] When the prismatic battery cell 100 located in the thickness measuring station completes the thickness measuring work, the plurality of prismatic battery cells 100 will move simultaneously in the first direction to quickly leave the thickness measuring station. At this time, the prismatic battery cells 100 located in the buffer station will move simultaneously in the first direction. The plurality of prismatic battery cells 100 are quickly transferred from the buffer conveying mechanism 500 to the thickness measuring station of the thickness measuring mechanism 600, which helps to improve the thickness measuring efficiency.

[0057] Furthermore, the thickness measurement mechanism 600 includes a thickness measurement conveyor track, a thickness measurement component 610, and a material blocking component 615. The thickness measurement conveyor track extends along a first direction, with its feed end connected to the discharge end of the buffer conveyor mechanism 500, allowing the prismatic battery cells 100 to be moved from the discharge end of the buffer conveyor mechanism 500 to the thickness measurement conveyor track. The thickness measurement conveyor track includes multiple third conveyors arranged along the first direction, each of which is equipped with a thickness measurement station.

[0058] It is understood that the third conveyor can be a belt conveyor or a plate chain conveyor. Multiple third conveyors can operate independently and can be controlled by opening and closing to allow the prismatic battery cells 100 to stay on the corresponding third conveyor. In this embodiment, the third conveyor is the seventh belt conveyor 620. Any two adjacent seventh belt conveyors 620 are closely connected front to back, allowing the prismatic battery cells 100 to move smoothly and stably along the thickness measuring conveyor track.

[0059] Multiple blocking components 615 are provided, and the number of blocking components 615 is the same as the number of thickness measurement stations. Furthermore, the blocking components 615 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the thickness measurement stations. Each blocking component 615 is located on a side of the corresponding thickness measurement station that is close to the buffer conveyor mechanism 500 along the first direction. The blocking components 615 are used to block the battery cells located at the thickness measurement stations, ensuring that there is a single prismatic battery cell 100 at each thickness measurement station, thereby preventing the presence of multiple prismatic battery cells 100 at the same thickness measurement station from affecting the thickness measurement results.

[0060] Specifically, the material retaining member 615 includes a retaining plate and a linear drive device. The linear drive device can be a pneumatic cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder. The output end of the linear drive device is fixedly connected to the retaining plate to drive the retaining plate to move in the second direction, enabling the retaining plate to enter and exit the thickness measurement station. The retaining plate blocks the square shell battery cell 100, ensuring that only one square shell battery cell 100 is present at each thickness measurement station.

[0061] It can be understood that in some examples, when the square shell battery cell 100 is transferred from the cache conveying mechanism 500 to the thickness measuring mechanism 600, the time required for the square shell battery cell 100 to move to the corresponding thickness measuring station can be calculated based on the conveying speed of the cache conveying mechanism 500, the conveying speed of the third conveyor, and the distance between the cache station and the thickness measuring station, thereby controlling the operating time of the third conveyor so that there is a square shell battery cell 100 on each third conveyor.

[0062] In some other examples, a detection sensor such as a photoelectric switch is arranged on one side of the third conveyer in the second direction, and a plurality of detection sensors are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of thickness measuring stations. When the detection sensor detects that a square shell battery cell 100 moves to the third conveyer, the detection sensor generates a detection signal.

[0063] Supposing that the number of the third conveyers is two, for the third conveyer on the rear side, when its corresponding detection sensor generates a detection signal, it indicates that one square shell battery cell 100 moves to the third conveyer, and then its corresponding blocking component 615 operates to exert a blocking effect to avoid the next square shell battery cell 100 moving to the third conveyer; for the third conveyer on the front side, when its corresponding detection sensor generates two detection signals, it indicates that one square shell battery cell 100 moves to the third conveyer and the other square shell battery cell 100 moves to the third conveyer on the rear side, and then its corresponding blocking component 615 operates to exert a blocking effect to avoid the next square shell battery cell 100 moving to the third conveyer.

[0064] The thickness measuring component 610 is provided in a plurality, and the number of the thickness measuring components 610 is consistent with the number of the thickness measuring stations, and the plurality of thickness measuring components 610 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of thickness measuring stations. The thickness measuring component 610 is used to measure the thickness of the battery cell on the thickness measuring station. The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment further comprises a controller, which is electrically connected with all the thickness measuring components 610, and the controller can be an upper computer, a 51 single-chip microcomputer or a PLC controller, etc., and the controller is used to compare the thickness measurement data obtained by the thickness measuring component 610 with the preset thickness data after receiving the thickness measurement data, to determine whether the thickness of the square shell battery cell 100 meets the standard.

[0065] Specifically, the thickness measuring component 610 comprises a first positioning plate 611, a linear driving component, a positioning seat 613 and a thickness measuring sensor 614. The positioning seat 613 is fixedly arranged, and has a positioning plane, the first positioning plate 611 is arranged opposite to the positioning plane of the positioning seat 613 in the second direction, and the first positioning plate 611 and the positioning seat 613 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the thickness measuring station. The linear driving component can be a first air cylinder 612, which is fixedly arranged, and the movable rod of the first air cylinder 612 is fixedly connected with the first positioning plate 611 to drive the first positioning plate 611 to move close to or away from the positioning seat 613 in the second direction. The thickness measuring sensor 614 is arranged on the first positioning plate 611, and can be a contact type displacement sensor.

[0066] When the square-shell battery cell 100 moves to the thickness measurement station, the first cylinder 612 of the thickness measuring component 610 operates, and the first positioning plate 611 moves along the second direction under the driving action of the first cylinder 612 to push the square-shell battery cell 100 to the positioning plane of the positioning seat 613. During this process, the thickness measuring sensor 614 will abut the surface of the square-shell battery cell 100 and generate displacement data, thereby obtaining thickness measurement data of the square-shell battery cell 100.

[0067] Of course, it is not excluded that in other embodiments, the thickness sensor 614 may employ a non-contact measurement method. The thickness sensor 614 may be a laser displacement sensor. Two thickness sensors 614 are provided, arranged in opposing relation along the second direction, and located on the left and right sides of the third conveyor, respectively. Because the left-right spacing between the two thickness sensors 614 is constant, and each thickness sensor 614 is capable of obtaining a measured value of the left-right distance between itself and the surface of the prismatic battery cell 100, the thickness measurement data of the prismatic battery cell 100 can be indirectly obtained by subtracting the measurement value obtained by the two thickness sensors 614 from the left-right spacing.

[0068] In some other embodiments, the thickness sensor 614 is a pressure sensor, and the linear drive component can be a high-precision linear drive device such as a linear module or an electric push rod. The thickness sensor 614 is disposed on the first positioning plate 611. During the thickness measurement process, the linear drive component can drive the first positioning plate 611 and the thickness sensor 614 to move in the second direction, pushing the prismatic battery cell 100 toward the positioning seat 613. During this process, when the first positioning plate 611 contacts the surface of the prismatic battery cell 100, the first positioning plate 611 is subjected to a force from the prismatic battery cell 100. When this force increases to a set value, the thickness sensor 614 is triggered and feedback is generated, causing the linear drive component to stop. At this point, the prismatic battery cell 100 is in contact with the positioning seat 613 and the first positioning plate 611, respectively. Since the left-right distance between the first positioning plate 611 and the positioning seat 613 is constant, the thickness measurement data of the prismatic battery cell 100 can be indirectly obtained by calculating the time or distance the linear drive component drives the first positioning plate 611 to move.

[0069] Furthermore, the thickness measurement mechanism 600 also includes a first detection component. Multiple first detection components are provided, and each corresponds to a plurality of thickness measurement stations. The first detection component is used to detect the presence of a battery cell at a thickness measurement station. The first detection component and the thickness measurement component 610 are each electrically connected to a controller. The controller is configured to control the operation of the thickness measurement component 610 based on the detection signal from the first detection component, thereby measuring the thickness of the prismatic battery cell 100 at the thickness measurement station.

[0070] It is understood that the first detection component can be a photoelectric switch or a through-beam infrared sensor. When the prismatic cell 100 moves to the thickness measurement station, the first detection component generates a detection signal. If the detection signal persists for a time greater than or equal to a set time, it indicates that the prismatic cell 100 has remained at the thickness measurement station. At this time, the controller sends a control instruction to the thickness measurement component 610, instructing it to begin thickness measurement. If the detection signal persists for less than the set time, it indicates that the prismatic cell 100 has passed the thickness measurement station but has not yet moved to the corresponding thickness measurement station, and thickness measurement cannot be performed.

[0071] In other embodiments, the thickness measurement mechanism 600 further includes a third linear actuator 630. The number of thickness measurement stations is twice the number of thickness measurement components 610, and the number of thickness measurement stations is twice the number of buffering stations. The third linear actuator 630 is used to drive all thickness measurement components 610 to move in the first direction to measure the thickness of the battery cells at the corresponding thickness measurement stations.

[0072] It is understandable that the third linear actuator 630 can be a linear actuator such as a cylinder, an electric cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder or a linear module. Figures 1 to 3 、 Figure 5 and 6 As shown, there are four thickness measurement stations, two thickness measuring components 610, and they are installed on the output end of the third linear drive 630, and there are two cache stations. After the cache conveying mechanism 500 transfers the two square shell battery cells 100 on it to the two thickness measurement stations located on the rear side of the thickness measurement mechanism 600, the two thickness measuring components 610 will measure the thickness of the square shell battery cells 100 on the two thickness measurement stations. At this time, the diversion mechanism 400 has transferred the two square shell battery cells 100 to the cache conveying mechanism 500, and the cache conveying mechanism 500 can transfer the two square shell battery cells 100 on it to the two thickness measurement stations located on the front side of the thickness measurement mechanism 600. After the two thickness measuring components 610 complete the thickness measurement work, the third linear drive 630 will drive the two thickness measuring components 610 to move forward to measure the thickness of the two square shell battery cells 100 located on the front side.

[0073] In this embodiment, there are two thickness measuring mechanisms 600, symmetrically arranged along the second direction. However, the third linear actuators 630 in the two thickness measuring mechanisms 600 operate in opposite directions. For example, one third linear actuator 630 drives the two thickness measuring components 610 backward to measure the thickness of the prismatic battery cells 100, while the other third linear actuator 630 drives the two thickness measuring components 610 forward to measure the thickness of the prismatic battery cells 100. This design allows the converging mechanism 700 to quickly transfer two prismatic battery cells 100 from the same thickness measuring mechanism 600 and alternately transfer the prismatic battery cells 100 from the two thickness measuring mechanisms 600, thereby improving thickness measurement efficiency.

[0074] The confluence mechanism 700 includes a second linear actuator 710 and a second conveyor. The second conveyor extends in the first direction and is capable of conveying the square-shell battery cells 100. Multiple second conveyors are provided, and the plurality of second conveyors are spaced at regular intervals along the second direction. The second linear actuator 710 is used to drive all second conveyors simultaneously in the second direction, adjusting their positions in the second direction to accommodate battery cells transferred from the thickness measurement mechanism 600.

[0075] It is understood that the second linear actuator 710 can be a high-precision linear drive device such as an electric push rod or a linear module, capable of accurately controlling the position of the second conveyor in the second direction. The second conveyor can be a plate chain conveyor or a belt conveyor. The number of second conveyors can be set according to actual needs. The number of second conveyors is less than or equal to the number of first conveyors.

[0076] A pass station and an unqualified station can be positioned on the side of the converging mechanism 700 away from the thickness measuring mechanism 600 in the first direction, with the pass station and the unqualified station spaced apart in the second direction. After the prismatic battery cells 100 that have undergone thickness measurement are transferred from the thickness measuring mechanism 600 to the second conveyor, the second linear drive 710 can be used to drive all second conveyors in the second direction, so that the second conveyors transfer unqualified prismatic battery cells 100 to the unqualified station and pass prismatic battery cells 100 to the qualified station.

[0077] In this embodiment, the confluence mechanism 700 is located at the rear side of the thickness measuring mechanism 600. The second linear drive 710 is a ball screw type linear module. The second conveyor includes a second belt conveyor 720 and a second limiter 730. The conveying direction of the second belt conveyor 720 extends along the first direction, and the second belt conveyor 720 can convey the square shell battery cells 100 from front to back. Since there are two thickness measuring mechanisms 600 and they can complete the thickness measurement of four square shell battery cells 100 at the same time, there are four second belt conveyors 720 and they are installed on the slide of the second linear drive 710. The four second belt conveyors 720 are arranged side by side and can receive four square shell battery cells 100 that have completed thickness measurement.

[0078] Furthermore, second stoppers 730 are provided on opposite sides of the second belt conveyor 720 along the second direction. These second stoppers 730 serve to guide the battery cells. The second stoppers 730 may be stopper plates or stopper rollers. The left-right spacing of the second stoppers 730 on either side of the second belt conveyor 720 is slightly greater than or equal to the width of the prismatic battery cells 100. This prevents the prismatic battery cells 100 from shifting in the left-right direction while being conveyed by the second belt conveyor 720.

[0079] When using the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment provided in Example 1 of the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of square shell battery cells 100 can be transferred simultaneously by a robot arm, and they can be placed respectively on a plurality of first conveyors in the diversion mechanism 400 to quickly complete the loading process in the thickness measurement and sorting work; at this time, since the plurality of first conveyors can work independently of each other, and the plurality of first conveyors can move synchronously with the square shell battery cells 100 along the second direction under the driving action of the first linear drive 410, therefore, when there are no square shell battery cells 100 in the cache station of the cache conveying mechanism 500, the first conveyor and the first linear drive 410 cooperate to transfer the square shell battery cells 100 on the plurality of first conveyors to the corresponding cache conveying mechanism 500, thereby completing the diversion process of the square shell battery cells 100, so that the subsequent plurality of thickness measuring mechanisms 600 can perform thickness measurement work at the same time, thereby improving the thickness measurement efficiency.

[0080] When the thickness measuring mechanism 600 is in the thickness measuring working state, part of the square shell battery cells 100 can stay on the cache conveying mechanism 500. After the thickness measuring mechanism 600 completes the thickness measuring process of the square shell battery cells 100, the corresponding cache conveying mechanism 500 will transfer the square shell battery cells 100 to the corresponding thickness measuring mechanism 600, so that the thickness measuring mechanism 600 can start the next round of thickness measuring process to determine whether the thickness of the square shell battery cells 100 is qualified. Moreover, the cache conveying mechanism 500 can increase the distance between any two square shell battery cells 100 to meet the thickness measurement requirements. There is no need to use a robot to clamp, flip and change the distance of the square shell battery cells 100 in sequence, and then place them on the jig line 200 or the stepping line to meet the requirements of the direction and spacing of the square shell battery cells 100 during thickness measurement.

[0081] After completing the thickness measurement of the square shell battery cells 100, the confluence mechanism 700 can be activated, and the multiple second conveyors can move along the second direction under the driving action of the second linear drive 710, so that the square shell battery cells 100 on the multiple thickness measuring mechanisms 600 can be transferred to the corresponding second conveyors respectively, thereby completing the confluence process of the square shell battery cells 100. Moreover, since the multiple second conveyors can work independently of each other, the square shell battery cells 100 with unqualified thickness can be transferred to the NG station through the cooperation of the second linear drive 710 and the second conveyor, and the square shell battery cells 100 with qualified thickness can be transferred to the qualified station, thereby completing the screening of the square shell battery cells 100 and facilitating the subsequent grouping of the square shell battery cells 100.

[0082] The cell sorting and thickness measurement equipment adopts the above-mentioned ingenious structural design, which can meet the requirements of the thickness measurement direction and spacing of the square shell battery cells 100, without the need to flip the square shell battery cells 100; through the diversion thickness measurement and converging sorting methods, the movement distance of the square shell battery cells 100 can be reduced, and NG square shell battery cells 100 can be quickly processed, thereby improving the production efficiency of the square shell battery cells 100 and saving the production cost of the square shell battery cells 100.

[0083] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device according to the second embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention is different from that of the first embodiment in that the structure of the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device further includes at least one discharge mechanism 800 and at least one discharge mechanism 900.

[0084] The discharge mechanism 800 and the discharge mechanism 900 are both located on a side of the confluence mechanism 700 that is away from the thickness measuring mechanism 600 along the first direction. The discharge mechanism 900 and the discharge mechanism 800 are spaced apart along the second direction. The discharge mechanism 800 and the discharge mechanism 900 can be installed on a third support platform provided with the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment.

[0085] The discharging mechanism 800 extends along the first direction and is capable of conveying the square shell battery cell 100 along the first direction. The discharging mechanism 800 is provided with a plurality of discharging stations arranged along the first direction. When there is a square shell battery cell 100 in each discharging station, the square shell battery cells 100 in all the discharging stations can be taken away by the robot for cell grouping work. The discharging mechanism 800 is configured to be connected with any second conveyor to receive the qualified battery cells transferred from the second conveyor, and the qualified battery cells can be moved to the discharging stations. The discharging mechanism 900 is provided with NG stations, and the number of NG stations is not limited. The discharging mechanism 900 is configured to be connected with any second conveyor to receive the unqualified battery cells transferred from the second conveyor, and the unqualified battery cells can be moved to the NG stations.

[0086] In some embodiments, the discharging mechanism 800 is a conveying device, one end of the conveying device is an inlet end, and the conveying device is capable of being connected with any second conveyor of the current collecting mechanism 700, the other end of the conveying device is a closed end, and when each square shell battery cell 100 is transferred from the current collecting mechanism 700 to the conveying device, each square shell battery cell 100 will move to the closed end along the first direction and be arranged in order, so as to transfer a plurality of square shell battery cells 100 at one time and complete the discharging work of the qualified square shell battery cells 100.

[0087] In other embodiments, the discharging mechanism 800 includes a discharging conveying track and a positioning component 850. The discharging conveying track includes a plurality of fourth conveyors arranged along the first direction, and the conveying direction of the fourth conveyor extends along the first direction. Each fourth conveyor is provided with a discharging station. The fourth conveyor includes a fourth belt conveyor 840 and a fourth limiting part 860, and the left and right sides of the fourth belt conveyor 840 are provided with the fourth limiting part 860. The fourth limiting part 860 can be a limiting plate or a limiting roller, and the left and right spacing of the fourth limiting parts 860 on the left and right sides is slightly greater than or equal to the width dimension of the square shell battery cell 100.

[0088] Moreover, the positioning component 850 is provided in plurality, and the number of the positioning component 850 is the same as that of the discharging station. Moreover, the plurality of positioning components 850 are arranged one by one corresponding to the plurality of discharging stations, and each positioning component 850 is arranged on the side of the corresponding discharging station away from the current collecting mechanism 700 along the first direction. The positioning component 850 is used for positioning the battery cell located in the discharging station.

[0089] The positioning component 850 comprises a second cylinder 851 and a second positioning plate 852, the movable rod of the second cylinder 851 is fixedly connected with the second positioning plate 852 to drive the second positioning plate 852 to move in the second direction, so that the second positioning plate 852 can exert a blocking positioning effect on the square shell battery cell 100 at the discharging station, ensuring that there is only one square shell battery cell 100 at each discharging station, and the front-to-back spacing between any two adjacent square shell battery cells 100 is equal. When the mechanical hand completes the unloading work of the square shell battery cell 100, the positioning component 850 returns to the original position to avoid blocking the square shell battery cell 100 from moving to the corresponding discharging station one by one.

[0090] It can be understood that, according to the conveying speed of the fourth conveyer and the distance that the square shell battery cell 100 moves to the corresponding discharging station, the action time of the second cylinder 851 and the running time of the fourth conveyer are set to enable each square shell battery cell 100 to accurately move to the corresponding discharging station. In the discharging mechanism 800, since each fourth conveyer can independently run and is provided with the positioning component 850, when the number of square shell battery cells 100 on the discharging mechanism 800 is equal to the set number, the mechanical hand can be used for group unloading to perform the next operation, and the number of unloaded battery cells can be set at will according to the group requirement of the battery cells.

[0091] Of course, in other embodiments, the second sensor 832 is arranged at both ends of each fourth conveyer in the first direction, and the second sensor 832 can be a photoelectric switch or a reflection type photoelectric sensor. The second sensor 832, the positioning component 850 and the fourth conveyer are electrically connected with the controller respectively, and the controller is configured to control the positioning component 850 to run and control the fourth conveyer to start and stop according to the detection signal of the second sensor 832.

[0092] When the square shell battery cell 100 just enters the corresponding fourth conveyer, the second sensor 832 located at the feeding end of the fourth conveyer is triggered, and the controller controls the positioning component 850 to work, so that the positioning component 850 can exert a positioning effect on the square shell battery cell 100, and at the same time, the fourth conveyer is controlled to run to convey the square shell battery cell 100 from the feeding end to the discharging end, so that the square shell battery cell 100 can be in contact with the second positioning plate 852. When the square shell battery cell 100 just contacts the second positioning plate 852, the second sensor 832 located at the discharging end of the fourth conveyer is triggered, and the controller controls the fourth conveyer to stop running.

[0093] For example, assuming that the number of fourth conveyors is two, the feeding end and the discharging end of each fourth conveyor are provided with second sensors 832; for the fourth conveyor located at the rear side, when the second sensor 832 generates one detection signal, the controller controls the positioning component 850 to work and controls the running time of the fourth conveyor; for the fourth conveyor located at the front side, when the second sensor 832 generates two detection signals, the controller can control the positioning component 850 to work, avoid the positioning component 850 from working too early, cause the square case battery cell 100 to be unable to move to the fourth conveyor located at the rear side, and control the running time of the fourth conveyor.

[0094] Further, the discharging mechanism 800 further comprises a second detection component 833. The second detection component 833 is provided in plurality, the number of the second detection component 833 is same as the number of the discharging stations, and the plurality of second detection components 833 are one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of discharging stations. The second detection component 833 is used for detecting whether the discharging station exists the battery cell. The second detection component 833 is located at the middle position of the fourth conveyor along the first direction.

[0095] The second detection component 833 can be a photoelectric switch or a pair of photoelectric sensors. When the square case battery cell 100 stays at the corresponding discharging station, the second detection component 833 generates a detection signal, and the duration of the detection signal is greater than or equal to the set time. At this time, the square case battery cell 100 on the discharging mechanism 800 can be transferred out by the mechanical hand. If the duration of the detection signal is less than the set time, it indicates that the square case battery cell 100 has not arrived at the corresponding discharging station.

[0096] In the embodiment, the discharging mechanism 800 is provided in two, and the two discharging mechanisms 800 are arranged at intervals along the second direction. When one of the discharging mechanisms 800 accumulates a sufficient number of square case battery cells 100 and is in the discharging stage, the converging mechanism 700 transfers the square case battery cells 100 thereon to the other discharging mechanism 800. The converging mechanism 700 does not need to wait until the discharging work is completed before transferring the square case battery cells 100, so that the converging mechanism 700 can cooperate with the thickness measuring speed.

[0097] Further, the discharging mechanism 800 further comprises a fifth conveyor. The conveying direction of the fifth conveyor extends along the first direction. The fifth conveyor is arranged between the discharging conveying track and the converging mechanism 700. One end of the fifth conveyor is connected with the discharging conveying track, and the other end of the fifth conveyor can be connected with any second conveyor. The fifth conveyor is provided with a plurality of temporary storage stations, and the plurality of temporary storage stations are arranged at intervals along the first direction.

[0098] The fifth conveyor includes a fifth belt conveyor 810 and a fifth limiter 820. The fifth limiters 820 are provided on both sides of the left and right sides of the fifth belt conveyor 810. The fifth limiters 820 can be limiter plates or limiter rollers. The left and right spacing of the fifth limiters 820 on the left and right sides is slightly greater than or equal to the width of the square shell battery cell 100.

[0099] Furthermore, first sensors 831 are provided at both ends of the fifth conveyor along the first direction. First sensors 831 may be photoelectric switches or through-beam photoelectric sensors. First sensors 831 and the fifth conveyor are each electrically connected to a controller. The controller is configured to control the opening and closing of the fifth conveyor based on detection signals from first sensors 831.

[0100] When all second detection components 833 on the discharge mechanism 800 generate detection signals, it indicates that the prismatic battery cells 100 are about to be unloaded. At this point, the confluence mechanism 700 can transfer some of the prismatic battery cells 100 to the fifth conveyor for temporary storage. After the prismatic battery cells 100 are unloaded, the fifth conveyor will transport them to the discharge mechanism 800. When the prismatic battery cells 100 are transferred from the confluence mechanism 700 to the fifth conveyor, the first sensor 831 at the infeed end of the fifth conveyor is triggered, and the controller activates the fifth conveyor to transport the prismatic battery cells 100 from the infeed end to the discharge end. If the discharge mechanism 800 is in the unloading state and the prismatic battery cells 100 move to the discharge end of the fifth conveyor, the first sensor 831 at the discharge end of the fifth conveyor is triggered, and the controller controls the fifth conveyor to stop, allowing the prismatic battery cells 100 to remain in the temporary storage position.

[0101] It is understandable that the existing battery module packaging production lines have poor compatibility and strict requirements on the number of battery cells loaded. It is necessary to ensure that the number of battery cells loaded and the number of battery cells stacked must be consistent. Once the product that the customer needs to produce has major changes, it is impossible to update the equipment through transformation.

[0102] Therefore, the cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment of this embodiment adopts the discharging mechanism 800 of the above structure, in conjunction with the diverter mechanism 400 and the converging mechanism 700. Through the operation of the diverter mechanism 400, no matter how many cells are grouped, they can be uniformly transferred to the diverter mechanism 400 by the manipulator, and the diverter mechanism 400 will divert them to multiple buffer conveying mechanisms 500. After completing the thickness measurement work, the converging mechanism 700 will uniformly collect the square shell cells 100 on the multiple thickness measuring mechanisms 600, and the NG cells will be collected according to the thickness measurement results. The square shell battery cells 100 with good quality and the qualified square shell battery cells 100 are sorted and conveyed to the discharge mechanism 800 and the discharge mechanism 900 respectively; in the discharge mechanism 800, since each fourth conveyor can operate independently and is equipped with a positioning component 850, when a certain number of square shell battery cells 100 need to be grouped, the corresponding number of positioning components 850 can be controlled to work or the positioning components 850 and the fourth conveyors can be disassembled, so that the unloading quantity can be adjusted to be consistent with the grouping quantity, so as to carry out grouped unloading and facilitate subsequent rapid grouping.

[0103] Based on the above structural design, the battery cell sorting and thickness measurement equipment can be adapted to various modifications. The number of battery cells loaded and unloaded is completely irrelevant, allowing the number of cells loaded and unloaded to be adjusted at will, improving the compatibility of the equipment. In this embodiment, the number of first conveyors is five and the number of fourth conveyors is four. Therefore, when loading, five battery cells form a group, and when unloading, four battery cells form a group.

[0104] In some embodiments, the discharge mechanism 900 may be a waste frame or a conveying device, and the confluence mechanism 700 may directly transfer the NG square-shell battery cells 100 to the discharge mechanism 900 .

[0105] In other embodiments, the discharge mechanism 900 includes a sixth conveyor and a discharge track 940. The sixth conveyor extends in the first direction and is disposed between the merging mechanism 700 and the discharge track 940. One end of the sixth conveyor engages with the discharge track 940, and the other end of the sixth conveyor can engage with any of the second conveyors. The discharge track 940 is tilted downward from top to bottom toward the side away from the sixth conveyor in the first direction.

[0106] The sixth conveyor includes a sixth belt conveyor 910 and a sixth stopper 920. Sixth stoppers 920 are provided on both sides of the sixth belt conveyor 910. The sixth stoppers 920 may be stopper plates or stopper rollers. The left-right spacing between the left and right stoppers 920 is slightly greater than or equal to the width of the prismatic battery cell 100. A discharge track 940 has a feed end at one end and a closed end at the other. The feed end is connected to the sixth conveyor and is positioned higher than the closed end.

[0107] Then, when the square shell battery cell 100 is transferred from the busbar mechanism 700 to the sixth conveyor, the sixth conveyor will convey the square shell battery cell 100 to the discharge track 940. Since the discharge track 940 is arranged in an inclined manner, the square shell battery cell 100 can move downward along the discharge track 940 due to its own gravity to the closed end and be arranged in a neat arrangement, so as to be transferred out by manual or mechanical hand mode.

[0108] In the embodiment, four discharge tracks 940 are arranged in the left-right direction, and one sixth belt conveyor 910 is arranged, and four groups of sixth limiting members 920 are arranged on the sixth belt conveyor 910 to define four conveying channels. In addition, the discharge mechanism 900 further comprises a second support 930 and a second support rod. For each conveying channel, two second support rods extending in the front-rear direction are arranged, and the sixth limiting member 920 is a limiting roller, the central axis of the limiting roller extends in the up-down direction, and a plurality of limiting rollers are arranged on the second support rod through the shaft. The second support rod is provided with two second connecting rods extending in the up-down direction, the upper end of the second connecting rod is provided with external threads, the second support 930 is provided with two second long holes 931 extending in the left-right direction, the second connecting rod can pass through the second long hole 931 and be connected with the nut, so that the second connecting rod is fixed on the second support 930.

[0109] By adjusting the position of the second connecting rod in the second long hole 931, the spacing of the sixth limiting members 920 on both sides of the sixth belt conveyor 910 can be adjusted to adapt to the width of the square shell battery. A ruler extending in the left-right direction can be arranged on the second support 930, and the staff can intuitively adjust the spacing between the two sixth limiting members 920 through the ruler.

[0110] Of course, one sixth belt conveyor 910 can also be arranged for each discharge track 940.

[0111] In some examples, the bottom surface of the discharge track 940 is a plane, and the square shell battery cell 100 can slide downward along the inclined bottom surface of the discharge track 940. In other examples, the bottom of the discharge track 940 is provided with support rollers 950, the support rollers 950 are arranged in groups and are arranged in the extension direction of the discharge track 940, each group of support rollers 950 comprises one or more support rollers 950, the central axis of the support roller 950 extends in the second direction, and the support roller 950 can rotate. In this way, the frictional resistance suffered by the square shell battery cell 100 during the downward movement can be reduced.

[0112] As Figures 1 to 9As shown, the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device according to the third embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention differs from the first and second embodiments in that the structure of the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring device further includes a loading mechanism 300. The loading mechanism 300 is used to transfer multiple battery cells to multiple first conveyors respectively.

[0113] It is understandable that the loading mechanism 300 may be an XYZ axis manipulator that can clamp a plurality of square shell battery cells 100 and transfer them to the diversion mechanism 400. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, on the existing jig line 200, multiple jigs move along a circular route, and each jig has multiple placement positions. During this movement process, multiple square shell battery cells 100 are placed on the placement positions of the jig respectively; when any jig moves to the unloading position, the jig line 200 stops running, and the loading mechanism 300 can clamp the multiple square shell battery cells 100 on the jig and transfer them to the diversion mechanism 400; when the loading mechanism 300 clamps and transfers the square shell battery cells 100, the jig line 200 will move and send the next jig carrying the square shell battery cells 100 to the unloading position.

[0114] If the spacing of the first conveyors on the diversion mechanism 400 is greater than the spacing of the placement positions on the jig, the loading mechanism 300 can, after clamping the plurality of square-shell battery cells 100, perform variable spacing processing on the square-shell battery cells 100, so that the plurality of square-shell battery cells 100 can be directly placed on the plurality of first conveyors respectively.

[0115] For example, the loading mechanism 300 includes a three-dimensional linear module, multiple pneumatic grippers, and multiple linear adjustment members. The multiple pneumatic grippers are slidably connected to the output end of the three-dimensional linear module. The multiple linear adjustment members are arranged at the output end of the three-dimensional linear module. The multiple linear adjustment members are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple pneumatic grippers. The linear adjustment member can be a linear module, an electric push rod, or a cylinder. The linear adjustment member can adjust the position of the pneumatic grippers in the second direction, allowing the multiple pneumatic grippers to simultaneously grip multiple prismatic battery cells 100 on the fixture. Then, the pneumatic grippers are driven to move along the second direction with the prismatic battery cells 100, adjusting the spacing between the prismatic battery cells 100 so that the pneumatic grippers can accurately place the prismatic battery cells 100 on the first conveyor under the operation of the three-dimensional linear module.

[0116] In the cell sorting and thickness measuring device of the embodiment, the plurality of square shell cells 100 can be directly taken off from the jig line 200 by the feeding mechanism 300, and after the pitch changing of the square shell cells 100 is completed, the plurality of square shell cells 100 are transferred to the shunting mechanism 400, without the need of turning over operation of the cells. Since the cells are not turned over during feeding, the six-axis robot is not needed for turning over and discharging, so that the structure of the feeding mechanism 300 and the discharging robot can be simplified, and the equipment cost is reduced.

[0117] It can be understood that in the existing battery module packaging production line, the square shell cells 100 are clamped, turned over, and changed in pitch by the robot one by one, and then placed on the jig line 200 (or step line) to meet the direction and pitch requirements of the thickness measuring work of the square shell cells 100, and then the thickness of the square shell cells 100 on the jig line 200 is measured. After the thickness measuring work is completed, the square shell cells 100 are clamped, turned over, and changed in pitch by the robot to facilitate subsequent cell grouping. If a square shell cell 100 with unqualified thickness appears during the thickness measuring process, the NG square shell cell 100 needs to be removed by the robot, and the OK square shell cells 100 in the same group are discharged by the robot and buffered, waiting for the number of square shell cells 100 to reach the grouping number, and then the next operation is performed.

[0118] However, the cell sorting and thickness measuring device provided by the first aspect of the embodiment adopts the shunting and thickness measuring, and the converging and sorting and grouping mode, reduces the moving distance of the square shell cells 100, simplifies the production steps of thickness measuring and sorting of the square shell cells 100, improves the working efficiency of the device, and reduces the running cost of the device; the number of feeding and discharging cells can be adjusted at will, improving the compatibility of the device; the floor area is reduced, and the space utilization is improved; after thickness measuring and converging, the NG square shell cells 100 can be quickly discharged, and the square shell cells 100 on the converging mechanism 700 do not need to reach the grouping number, so that the shunting, thickness measuring, converging, and sorting of the square shell cells 100 can be continuously performed, without the need of buffering and supplementing the OK square shell cells 100 in the same group to perform the next operation, effectively avoiding the adverse effects of the NG square shell cells 100 on the efficiency of thickness measuring and sorting work.

[0119] As shown in Figures 1 to 9 , the battery production line according to the second aspect of the embodiment includes the cell sorting and thickness measuring device according to the first aspect of the embodiment.

[0120] It is understandable that the battery manufacturing process includes multiple processing steps, such as the battery cell manufacturing process, the battery cell testing process, the battery cell sorting process, the assembly process, etc., and each processing step will be equipped with corresponding processing equipment. This embodiment only makes a unique structural design for the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment in the battery production line, and does not propose improvement requirements for other processing equipment in the battery production line. Therefore, those skilled in the art should understand the structure and working principle of the remaining processing equipment in the battery production line, which will not be described in detail here. The battery production line of this embodiment adopts the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment with the above structure, which can improve the production efficiency of the battery cells and reduce production costs, and can meet customer needs.

[0121] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, illustrative uses of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0122] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. Battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment, characterized in that: include: The diversion mechanism includes a first linear drive and a first conveyor, wherein the conveying direction of the first conveyor extends along the first direction, a plurality of first conveyors are provided and arranged at intervals along the second direction, and the first linear drive is used to drive all of the first conveyors to move along the second direction; a buffer conveying mechanism, which is provided in plurality and arranged at intervals along the second direction, wherein the conveying direction of the buffer conveying mechanism extends along the first direction, and the buffer conveying mechanism is used to receive the battery cells transferred from the first conveyor; a thickness measuring mechanism, which is provided in plurality and is arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of the buffer conveying mechanisms, and is used to measure the thickness of the battery cells transferred from the buffer conveying mechanisms; a converging mechanism comprising a second linear drive and a second conveyor, wherein the conveying direction of the second conveyor extends along the first direction, a plurality of second conveyors are provided and spaced apart along the second direction, the second linear drive is used to drive all of the second conveyors to move along the second direction to receive the battery cells transferred from the thickness measuring mechanism, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; The buffer conveying mechanism is provided with a plurality of buffer stations arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the thickness measuring mechanism is provided with a plurality of thickness measuring stations arranged at intervals along the first direction; The thickness measuring mechanism includes a thickness measuring conveying track, a thickness measuring component and a material blocking component. The thickness measuring conveying track is connected to the discharge end of the buffer conveying mechanism. The thickness measuring conveying track includes a plurality of third conveyors arranged along the first direction. The third conveyor is provided with the thickness measuring station. The material blocking component is provided in plurality and is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of thickness measuring stations. The material blocking component is used to block the battery cell located at the thickness measuring station. The thickness measuring component is used to measure the thickness of the battery cell located at the thickness measuring station. The thickness measuring mechanism also includes a third linear drive. The number of the thickness measuring stations is twice the number of the thickness measuring components. The third linear drive is used to drive all the thickness measuring components to move along the first direction to measure the thickness of the battery cells on the corresponding thickness measuring stations.

2. The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes at least one discharging mechanism and at least one discharge mechanism, the discharging mechanism extends along the first direction, the discharging mechanism is configured to be able to connect with any second conveyor to receive qualified battery cells transferred from the second conveyor, the discharging mechanism is provided with a plurality of discharging stations arranged along the first direction, the discharge mechanism and the discharging mechanism are spaced apart along the second direction, and the discharge mechanism is configured to be able to connect with any second conveyor to receive unqualified battery cells transferred from the second conveyor.

3. The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The discharging mechanism includes a discharge conveying track and a positioning component. The discharge conveying track includes multiple fourth conveyors arranged along the first direction. The conveying direction of the fourth conveyor extends along the first direction. The fourth conveyor is provided with the discharge station. There are multiple positioning components, and they are arranged one-to-one corresponding to the multiple discharge stations. The positioning component is used to position the battery cell located at the discharge station.

4. The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The discharge mechanism further includes a fifth conveyor, wherein the conveying direction of the fifth conveyor extends along the first direction, one end of the fifth conveyor is connected to the unloading conveying track, and the other end of the fifth conveyor can be connected to any of the second conveyors, and the fifth conveyor is provided with a plurality of temporary storage stations arranged along the first direction; and / or, The discharging mechanism further includes a second detection component, and a plurality of the second detection components are provided, and are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of the discharging stations. The second detection component is used to detect the presence of battery cells at the discharging station.

5. The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The discharge mechanism includes a sixth conveyor and a discharge track. The conveying direction of the sixth conveyor extends along the first direction. One end of the sixth conveyor is connected to the discharge track. The other end of the sixth conveyor can be connected to any of the second conveyors. The discharge track is inclined from top to bottom toward the side of the first direction away from the sixth conveyor.

6. The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a loading mechanism, which is used to transfer multiple battery cells to multiple first conveyors respectively.

7. The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness measuring mechanism further includes a first detection component. A plurality of the first detection components are provided and are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of thickness measuring stations. The first detection component is used to detect the presence of a battery cell at the thickness measuring station.

8. The battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first conveyor and the second conveyor both include a belt conveyor and a limiting member. The conveying direction of the belt conveyor extends along the first direction. The belt conveyor is provided with limiting members for guiding the battery cells on opposite sides along the second direction.

9. Battery production line, characterized in that, It comprises the battery cell sorting and thickness measuring equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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