Connection device, battery production line and battery cell feeding method

Abstract

A connecting device (1000), a battery production line (10), and a method for feeding battery cells are disclosed. The connecting device (1000) includes a first connecting mechanism (100), which includes a first base (110), a first flipping component (130), and a first gripper component (140). The first flipping component (130) is configured to drive the first gripper component (140) to flip to a first posture or a second posture. The connecting device (1000) can flip the posture of the fed battery cells (2000) and feed them onto the conveyor line (3000), thereby replacing multiple robotic arms to perform the feeding operation of battery cells (2000), effectively improving the efficiency of feeding battery cells (2000) onto the conveyor line (3000), and thus ensuring the production efficiency of the battery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery production technology, and in particular to a connection device, a battery production line, and a method for feeding battery cells. Background Technology

[0002] On battery production lines, individual battery cells need to be flipped and moved onto a conveyor line for subsequent production processes. Related technologies employ at least two robotic arms for these flipping and moving operations. One robotic arm grasps the battery cell, while the other takes it from the grasping arm, flips it, and then places it onto the conveyor line. Using multiple robotic arms to perform the grasping, flipping, and placement actions in separate steps results in slow battery cell loading efficiency, thus impacting overall battery production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a connection device, a battery production line, and a method for feeding battery cells, aiming to improve the technical problem of low efficiency in feeding battery cells to the conveyor line.

[0004] The technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this application is:

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a connection device for feeding a battery cell onto a conveyor line. The connection device includes a first connection mechanism, which includes a first base, a first flipping component, and a first gripper component. The first flipping component is disposed on the first base, and the first gripper component is disposed on the first flipping component. The first flipping component is configured to drive the first gripper component to flip to a first posture or a second posture. The first gripper component grips the battery cell in the first posture and feeds the battery cell into the conveyor line in the second posture.

[0006] The technical solutions described in this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0007] The connecting device provided in this application embodiment allows external battery cells to be fed into a first gripper assembly in a first posture. The first gripper assembly can hold the fed battery cell, and a first flipping assembly can drive the first gripper assembly to flip to a second posture, so that the battery cell is simultaneously flipped to adjust its posture. The first gripper assembly can also release the battery cell, so that the adjusted battery cell falls onto the conveyor line, thereby achieving the purpose of flipping the posture of the battery cell and moving it onto the conveyor line. The connecting device of this application embodiment can grasp the fed battery cell, flip its posture, and feed it onto the conveyor line, thereby replacing multiple robotic arms to perform the feeding operation of battery cells, effectively improving the efficiency of feeding battery cells onto the conveyor line, and thus ensuring the production efficiency of batteries.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first gripper assembly is configured to grip the battery cell along the thickness direction of the battery cell.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the first gripper assembly can clamp the battery cell along the thickness direction of the battery cell, that is, the width of the battery cell does not affect the clamping operation of the first gripper assembly. Thus, the first gripper assembly can clamp battery cells of various widths, and the compatibility of the first gripper assembly is effectively improved.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first connecting mechanism further includes a first moving component disposed on a first base, a first flipping component disposed on the first moving component, and the first moving component is configured to drive the first flipping component to move.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, when the first gripper assembly in the first posture holds a battery cell, the first moving assembly can drive the first flipping assembly and the first gripper assembly to move, and the battery cell held on the first gripper assembly can move synchronously, so that the battery cell can move to a preset position, so that when the first flipping assembly drives the first gripper assembly to flip to the second posture, the first gripper assembly can place the gripped battery cell more accurately into the corresponding conveyor line.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first moving component includes a moving frame, a first moving drive, and a second moving drive. The moving frame is movably connected to a first base, and a first flipping component is movably connected to the moving frame. The first moving drive is disposed on the first base, and its output end is connected to the moving frame. The second moving drive is disposed on the moving frame, and its output end is connected to the first flipping component. The output direction of the first moving drive intersects with the output direction of the second moving drive.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the first moving drive can drive the moving frame to move relative to the first base, so that the first flipping component moves synchronously with the moving frame. The second moving drive can drive the first flipping component to move relative to the moving frame. At the same time, the output direction of the first moving drive intersects with the output direction of the second moving drive, that is, the first flipping component can move in at least two directions, so that the first gripper assembly can clamp the battery cell to move in at least two directions, effectively improving the range of movement adjustment of the battery cell by the first gripper assembly.

[0014] In some embodiments, the output direction of the first moving drive is perpendicular to the output direction of the second moving drive, and the first moving drive is configured to drive the moving frame to move along the direction of gravity.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the first moving drive can drive the moving frame to move along the direction of gravity, thereby driving the first flipping component and the first gripper component to move along the direction of gravity to approach or move away from the conveyor line. The output direction of the second moving drive is perpendicular to the output direction of the first moving drive, so that the second moving drive can adjust the position of the first gripper component and the battery cell it holds in a direction perpendicular to gravity.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first moving component further includes a first guide and a second guide, the first guide being disposed on a first base, the moving frame being connected to the first guide and configured to slide along the first guide, the second guide being disposed on the moving frame, and the first flipping component being configured to slide along the second guide.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the mobile frame can slide along the first guide under the drive of the first mobile drive, which effectively improves the stability of the mobile frame when it moves. The first flipping component can slide along the second guide under the drive of the second mobile drive, which effectively improves the stability of the first flipping component when it moves, thereby improving the stability of the first gripper component when it clamps the battery cell.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first flipping assembly includes a support, a flipping drive structure, and a flipping shaft. The support is disposed on the first base, the flipping drive structure is disposed on the support, the flipping shaft is connected to the output shaft of the flipping drive structure, the flipping drive structure is configured to drive the flipping shaft to rotate, and the first gripper assembly is fixedly connected to the flipping shaft.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the flip drive structure can drive the flip shaft to rotate, so that the first gripper assembly rotates synchronously with the flip shaft, thereby enabling the first gripper assembly to rotate to the first posture or the second posture, thereby realizing the posture flipping of the battery cell held by the first gripper assembly.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first flipping assembly further includes a mounting bearing disposed on a support, and the flipping shaft passes through and is rotatably connected to the mounting bearing.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the tilting shaft can be mounted on the support by mounting bearings, which effectively improves the stability of the tilting shaft installation; the tilting drive structure can drive the tilting shaft to rotate on the mounting bearings.

[0022] In some embodiments, the flipping drive structure includes a telescopic drive member and a connecting block, the connecting block being fixedly connected to the flipping shaft, the telescopic drive member being hinged to the support, and the output end of the telescopic drive member being hinged to the connecting block.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the telescopic drive can push the connecting block by extending and retracting its output end, so that the connecting block can rotate around the flip axis. When the connecting block rotates, it can also drive the flip axis to rotate synchronously, thereby achieving the purpose of driving the first gripper assembly to rotate synchronously with the flip axis.

[0024] In some embodiments, the connecting block protrudes toward the telescopic drive member to form a clearance portion, and the output end of the telescopic drive member is hinged to the clearance portion.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, the output end of the telescopic drive component is hinged to the clearance part. The telescopic drive component can drive the clearance part to rotate. The clearance part protruding towards the telescopic drive component can make the output range of the telescopic drive component larger, so that the telescopic drive component can drive the rotating shaft to rotate at a larger angle, and thus the first gripper assembly has a larger range of motion, and the battery cell's attitude adjustment range is also larger.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first flipping assembly further includes a buffer block and a buffer limiter. The buffer block is disposed on the flipping shaft, and the buffer limiter is disposed on the support. The buffer limiter is configured to abut against the buffer block when the flipping shaft drives the first gripper assembly to flip to a first posture and / or a second posture.

[0027] By adopting the above technical solution, when the flipping shaft drives the first gripper assembly to flip to the first posture and / or the second posture, the buffer block set on the flipping shaft can abut against the buffer limiter, so that the buffer limiter can buffer the buffer block when the first gripper assembly flips to the first posture and / or the second posture, and thus the first gripper assembly can switch to the first posture and / or the second posture more smoothly.

[0028] In some embodiments, the first flipping assembly further includes a controller and a positioning sensor, the controller being electrically connected to the positioning sensor and the flipping drive structure, the positioning sensor being disposed on a support, and the positioning sensor being configured to sense that the first gripper assembly moves to a first posture and / or a second posture.

[0029] By adopting the above technical solution, the positioning sensor can sense whether the first gripper assembly has moved to the first posture and / or the second posture. If the first gripper assembly has not moved to the correct position, the positioning sensor can send an electrical signal to the controller, so that the controller can control the flipping drive structure to drive the flipping shaft to continue rotating.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first gripper assembly includes a fixed base, a gripper drive, a gripper body, and a gripper fixation member. The fixed base is connected to the first flipping assembly, the gripper drive is disposed on the fixed base, the gripper body is connected to the output end of the gripper drive, and the gripper fixation member is connected to the fixed base. The gripper drive is configured to drive the gripper body to reciprocate toward the gripper fixation member.

[0031] By adopting the above technical solution, the gripper drive can drive the gripper body to move towards the gripper fixing member to achieve the purpose of gripping the battery cell. The fixing base is connected to the first flipping component, so the first flipping component can drive the fixing base to flip, thereby realizing the gripper body and the gripper fixing member gripping the battery cell and flipping to adjust the posture.

[0032] In some embodiments, the gripper body and the gripper retainer are configured to clamp the battery cell on opposite end faces along the thickness direction of the battery cell.

[0033] By adopting the above technical solution, the gripper body and the gripper fixing member can be clamped on the opposite end faces of the battery cell along the thickness direction. The width of the battery cell does not affect the clamping effect of the gripper body and the gripper fixing member. Therefore, the gripper body and the gripper fixing member can clamp battery cells of various width specifications, effectively improving the applicability of the first gripper assembly.

[0034] In some embodiments, the gripper body includes a first gripper block, a second gripper block, and an elastic buffer. The first gripper block is connected to the output end of the gripper drive, and the second gripper block is slidably connected to the first gripper block along the output direction of the gripper drive. The elastic buffer is disposed between the first gripper block and the second gripper block, and the opposite ends of the elastic buffer abut against the first gripper block and the second gripper block, respectively.

[0035] By adopting the above technical solution, and by setting an elastic buffer between the first clamping block and the second clamping block, the elastic buffer can achieve the purpose of buffering when performing the action of clamping the battery cell, thereby reducing the damage caused by overpressure on the battery cell.

[0036] In some embodiments, the mounting base is provided with a support portion configured to support a single battery cell, and a clamping fastener is connected to the support portion.

[0037] By adopting the above technical solution, the battery cell can be placed on the support, and the battery cell can be clamped and fixed by the gripper body and the gripper fixing component, thereby improving the stability of the battery cell when it is clamped.

[0038] In some embodiments, a first insulating member is provided at one end of the gripper body facing the gripper fixing member, a second insulating member is provided at one end of the gripper fixing member facing the gripper body, and a third insulating member is provided on one side of the support portion used to support the battery cell.

[0039] By adopting the above technical solution, when the battery cell is clamped, the first insulating component, the second insulating component, and the third insulating component are in direct contact with the battery cell, thereby effectively reducing the probability of leakage.

[0040] In some embodiments, at least one of the first insulating element, the second insulating element, and the third insulating element is flexible.

[0041] By adopting the above technical solution, since at least one of the first insulating member, the second insulating member, and the third insulating member is flexible, at least one of the first insulating member, the second insulating member, and the third insulating member can reduce the probability of damage to the battery cell when clamping the battery cell.

[0042] In some embodiments, the number of first flipping components is multiple groups, and the number of first gripper components provided on each group of first flipping components is the same.

[0043] By adopting the above technical solution, the first gripper assemblies on the multiple sets of first flipping assemblies can simultaneously grip externally fed battery cells, and the multiple sets of first flipping assemblies can simultaneously drive the first gripper assemblies to flip and feed the battery cells into the corresponding conveyor line, thereby effectively improving the flipping and feeding efficiency of battery cells, and thus improving the overall efficiency of the battery production line.

[0044] In some embodiments, the connecting device further includes a second connecting mechanism, both the first connecting mechanism and the second connecting mechanism being located on the conveying path of the conveyor line; the second connecting mechanism includes a second base, a second moving component, a second flipping component and a second gripper component, the first connecting mechanism includes N sets of first flipping components, and the second connecting mechanism includes less than N sets of second flipping components; wherein, N is the number of conveyor lines, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0045] By adopting the above technical solution, N sets of first flipping components on the first connecting mechanism can be used to simultaneously feed N sets of conveyor lines into battery cells after flipping, effectively improving the efficiency of feeding battery cells into the conveyor lines; at the same time, fewer than N sets of second flipping components on the second connecting mechanism can be used to replenish or match materials to one or more sets of conveyor lines that are short of materials, thereby achieving the matching of the number of battery cells on different conveyor lines while ensuring the efficiency of feeding battery cells into the conveyor lines.

[0046] In some embodiments, the number of first flipping components is two sets, and the number of second flipping components is one set.

[0047] By adopting the above technical solution, two sets of first flipping components can be used to drive the first gripper components on them to flip and feed materials, and the second flipping component can be used to drive the second gripper components on them to flip and replenish materials. While the first flipping components and the first gripper components can ensure feeding efficiency, the second flipping components and the second gripper components can perform material replenishment operations on the conveyor line to ensure that each set of conveyor lines has a sufficient number of battery cells and avoid affecting subsequent processes.

[0048] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a battery production line, including a connecting device, a gripping device, a conveyor line, and a stacking device as described above. The gripping device is used to transfer battery cells to a first gripper assembly in a first posture. The conveyor line is used to transport battery cells released by the first gripper assembly in a second posture. In the conveying direction of the conveyor line, the stacking device is disposed downstream of the connecting device. The stacking device is configured to pre-stack battery cells on the conveyor line.

[0049] The technical solutions described in this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0050] The battery production line provided in this application embodiment includes a gripping device that can feed external battery cells into a connecting device. The first gripper assembly of the connecting device holds the battery cell in a first posture, and the first gripper assembly can flip to a second posture to feed the battery cell into the corresponding conveyor line, thereby achieving the purpose of adjusting the posture of the battery cell and feeding it into the conveyor line. The stacking device can perform a pre-stacking operation on the battery cells on the conveyor line downstream in the conveying direction of the conveyor line. The battery production line of this application embodiment includes the above-mentioned connecting device. Based on the better loading efficiency of the above-mentioned connecting device, the loading efficiency of the battery production line of this application embodiment is better, thereby improving the production efficiency of the battery production line.

[0051] In some embodiments, the gripping device includes multiple sets of gripping components, and the number of conveyor lines is multiple, with the number of gripping components being the same as the number of conveyor lines.

[0052] By adopting the above technical solution, multiple sets of gripping components can simultaneously grip multiple sets of battery cells and feed the multiple sets of battery cells onto the first gripper components of multiple sets of first flipping components, so that multiple sets of first flipping components can drive the corresponding first gripper components to flip and feed the materials to each set of conveyor lines, effectively improving the feeding efficiency.

[0053] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a method for feeding battery cells, wherein the proportioning method is applied to the battery production line described above, and the proportioning method includes:

[0054] Connecting battery cells: The gripping device grabs battery cells from the outside and puts them into the connecting device. The connecting device moves and flips the battery cells and puts them into each group of conveyor lines.

[0055] Pre-stacked battery cells: The stacking device pre-stacks battery cells on the conveyor line.

[0056] When the number of battery cells pre-stacked on any set of conveyor lines by the stacking device reaches a preset value, the gripping device grabs the battery cells from the outside and puts them into the connecting device. The connecting device moves and flips the battery cells and puts them into that set of conveyor lines.

[0057] The technical solutions described in this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0058] The battery cell feeding method provided in this application embodiment pre-stacks the battery cells on the conveyor line using a stacking device. When the stacking device stacks the battery cells according to the formula to a preset value, the number of battery cells on one group of conveyor lines will be less than the number of battery cells on other groups of conveyor lines. At this time, a gripping device can be used to grip the battery cells from the outside and put them into a connecting device. The connecting device moves and flips the battery cells and puts them into that group of conveyor lines to achieve the purpose of supplementing the battery cells. The number of battery cells on each group of conveyor lines is matched to avoid affecting the pre-stacking process.

[0059] In some embodiments, the connecting device includes a first connecting mechanism and a second connecting mechanism. The first connecting mechanism includes N sets of first flipping components, each set of flipping components being provided with the same number of first gripper components. The second connecting mechanism includes a set of second flipping components, each set of flipping components being provided with a plurality of second gripper components.

[0060] In the step of connecting battery cells, the gripping device grips the battery cells from the outside and places them into the first gripper assembly in the first posture. The first gripper assembly flips to the second posture and places the battery cells into the corresponding sets of conveyor lines.

[0061] In the battery cell replenishment step, the gripping device grabs the battery cell from the outside and places it into the second gripper assembly which is in the first position. The second gripper assembly flips to the second position and places the battery cell into a set of conveyor lines where the number of pre-stacked battery cells reaches a preset value.

[0062] By adopting the above technical solution, the first connecting mechanism can use N sets of first flipping components to simultaneously flip and feed battery cells onto N sets of conveyor lines, thereby ensuring the feeding efficiency of battery cells; at the same time, the second connecting mechanism can use a set of second flipping components to feed any set of conveyor lines with a smaller number of cells in a proportion. While ensuring the feeding efficiency of battery cells, the second flipping components drive the second gripper components to flip and perform proportioning and replenishment, effectively improving the production efficiency of batteries. Attached Figure Description

[0063] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0064] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connection device provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first connecting mechanism provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0066] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of part A;

[0067] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the second connecting mechanism provided in some embodiments of this application

[0068] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first flipping component driving the first gripper component to rotate to a first posture according to some embodiments of this application;

[0069] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first flipping component driving the first gripper component to rotate to the second posture according to some embodiments of this application;

[0070] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first gripper assembly provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0071] Figure 8 A side view of a first gripper assembly provided for some embodiments of this application;

[0072] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for feeding battery cells according to some embodiments of this application.

[0073] The following are the labeling elements in the figure:

[0074] 10. Battery production line;

[0075] 1000, Connecting device; 2000, Battery cell; 3000, Conveyor line; 4000, Gripping device; 5000, Stacking device;

[0076] 100. First connecting mechanism; 110. First base;

[0077] 120. First moving component; 121. Moving frame; 122. First moving drive component; 123. Second moving drive component; 124. First guide component; 125. Second guide component;

[0078] 130. First flipping assembly; 131. Support; 132. Flipping drive structure; 1321. Telescopic drive component; 1322. Connecting block; 13221. Clearance part; 133. Flipping shaft; 134. Mounting bearing; 135. Buffer block; 136. Buffer limit component; 137. Positioning sensor;

[0079] 140. First gripper assembly; 141. Fixing base; 1411. Fixing block; 14111. Arc-shaped groove; 1412. Fixing plate; 1413. Support part; 1414. Limiting structure; 142. Gripper drive component; 143. Gripper body; 1431. First clamping block; 1432. Second clamping block; 1433. Elastic buffer component; 144. Gripper fixing component; 145. First insulating component; 146. Second insulating component; 147. Third insulating component;

[0080] 200, Second connecting mechanism; 210, Second base; 220, Second moving component; 230, Second flipping component; 240, Second gripper component. Detailed Implementation

[0081] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0082] 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 belongs; 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.

[0083] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the terms "length", "width", "thickness", "inner", "outer", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0084] The terms "first," "second," etc., are used only for distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. For example, "first guide member" and "second guide member" are merely used to distinguish different guide members and do not limit their order. A first guide member may also be named a second guide member, and a second guide member may also be named a first guide member, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., do not imply that the indicated features must be different.

[0085] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," etc., 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. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances. "Multiple" means at least two, that is, two or more.

[0086] In this application, "and / or" is merely a way of describing the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist; for example, A and / or B can represent three cases: 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.

[0087] It should be noted that in this application, the words "in some embodiments," "exemplarily," and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "in some embodiments," "exemplarily," or "for example" should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of words such as "in some embodiments," "exemplarily," and "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific manner, meaning that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of the above words in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0088] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0089] With the continuous expansion of market demand for batteries, the production and use of battery products are also constantly increasing. During battery production and assembly, battery cells need to be loaded onto a conveyor line. These cells are then transported to complete various processes, ultimately resulting in the finished battery. During loading, the external battery cells are generally stored vertically, with the electrode terminals facing upwards. However, the conveyor line transports the cells horizontally to facilitate subsequent processes. In related technologies, at least two robotic arms are typically used to perform the tilting and loading operations of the battery cells. At least one robotic arm picks up the external battery cell, and at least another takes the cell from the first robotic arm and tilts it to a horizontal position before placing it on the conveyor line. However, using multiple robotic arms to perform the picking, tilting, and feeding operations results in low loading efficiency, which affects battery production efficiency.

[0090] Based on the above considerations, in order to solve the technical problem of low loading efficiency caused by using multiple robotic arms to perform step-by-step clamping, flipping and loading operations on battery cells, a connecting device was designed. The first gripper assembly of the connecting device picks up and holds the battery cell in a first posture, and the first flipping assembly drives the first gripper assembly to flip to a second posture, thereby enabling the flipping of the battery cell held on the first gripper assembly. After the first gripper assembly flips to the second posture, it can release the battery cell so that the battery cell falls onto the conveyor line. Thus, the clamping, flipping and loading operations of the battery cell can be performed simultaneously in the connecting device, effectively reducing the loading steps and thereby improving the loading efficiency.

[0091] The connecting device disclosed in this application can be used, but is not limited to, for flipping and loading battery cells or other block-shaped components. A battery production line equipped with the connecting device disclosed in this application can be constructed, which helps improve the efficiency of battery cell loading.

[0092] A battery cell refers to the smallest unit that makes up a battery. A battery cell includes a casing assembly, electrode assemblies, and other functional components. The casing assembly includes end caps and an outer shell.

[0093] An end cap is a component that closes onto the opening of a housing to isolate the internal environment of a battery cell from the external environment. Functional components such as electrode terminals may be provided on the end cap. In any case, the shape of the end cap may be adapted to the shape of the housing to fit the housing. The housing is a component used to fit the end cap to form the internal environment of the battery cell, wherein the formed internal environment can accommodate electrode components, electrolyte, and other components.

[0094] The outer casing and end cap can be independent components. An opening can be provided on the outer casing, and the end cap closes the opening to form the internal environment of the battery cell. Alternatively, the end cap and outer casing can be integrated. Specifically, the end cap and outer casing can form a common connecting surface before other components are inserted into the casing. When it is necessary to encapsulate the interior of the casing, the end cap closes the casing. The outer casing can have various shapes and sizes, such as cuboid, cylindrical, hexagonal prism, etc. Specifically, the shape of the outer casing can be determined according to the specific shape and size of the electrode assembly. The material of the outer casing can be various, such as, but not limited to, copper, iron, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum alloy, plastic, etc.

[0095] For ease of explanation, the following embodiments use a connection device for a battery production line as an example.

[0096] The connection device provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 This application provides a connecting device 1000 for feeding a battery cell 2000 onto multiple conveyor lines 3000. The connecting device 1000 includes a first connecting mechanism 100, which includes a first base 110, a first flipping component 130, and a first gripper component 140. The first flipping component 130 is disposed on the first base 110, and the first gripper component 140 is disposed on the first flipping component 130. The first flipping component 130 is configured to drive the first gripper component 140 to flip to a first posture or a second posture. The first gripper component 140 grips the battery cell 2000 in the first posture and feeds the battery cell 2000 into the conveyor line 3000 in the second posture.

[0098] The first base 110 is the main structure of the first connecting mechanism 100. The first base 110 may be, but is not limited to, a machine tool, a frame, or a frame structure composed of multiple profiles.

[0099] The first flipping component 130 is used to drive the first gripper component 140 to flip. Specifically, the first flipping component 130 can be a drive mechanism such as a drive cylinder or a drive hydraulic cylinder for driving extension and retraction, and is used to push the first gripper component 140 to achieve the purpose of flipping. Alternatively, the first flipping component 130 can also be a drive mechanism such as a motor or a rotary cylinder for driving rotation, and is used to drive the first gripper component 140 to achieve the purpose of rotation.

[0100] Optionally, the first flipping component 130 can be fixedly connected to the first base 110, and the first gripper component 140 can be moved by the driving structure included in the first flipping component 130. For example, the first flipping component 130 can include a driving cylinder, a driving motor, or other driving structures, and the first gripper component 140 can be flipped by these driving structures. Alternatively, the first flipping component 130 can also be movably connected to the first base 110, and the first gripper component 140 and the clamped battery cell 2000 can be moved synchronously by the movement of the first flipping component 130 relative to the first base 110.

[0101] The number of first flipping components 130 can be one or more sets, and each set of first flipping components 130 can be connected to one or more sets of first gripper components 140; for example, a set of first flipping components 130 can be provided on the first base 110, and four sets of first gripper components 140 are provided on the set of first flipping components 130, and the set of first flipping components 130 can drive the four sets of first gripper components 140 to flip synchronously.

[0102] The first flipping component 130 can drive the first gripper component 140 to flip to a first posture or a second posture. The first posture and the second posture refer to the first gripper component 140 rotating to two preset postures under the drive of the first flipping component 130. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the first gripper assembly 140 in a first posture, at which time the first gripper assembly 140 can grip the externally fed battery cell 2000. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first gripper assembly 140 in the second posture. At this time, the first gripper assembly 140 flips the gripped battery cell 2000 to a flat position, and the battery cell 2000 can fall from the first gripper assembly 140 onto the conveyor line 3000.

[0103] For example, in the first posture, the external battery cell 2000 can be placed into the first gripper assembly 140, and the first gripper assembly 140 can hold the battery cell 2000. Understandably, in the first posture, the direction in which the first gripper assembly 140 grips the battery cell 2000 can be in the direction opposite to gravity, that is, vertically upward, so that the externally upright battery cell 2000 can be placed into the first gripper assembly 140 from above. Specifically, the angle between the direction of gripping the battery cell 2000 and the direction opposite to gravity can be less than 90°. For example, in the first posture, the direction in which the first gripper assembly 140 grips the battery cell 2000 can be parallel to the direction opposite to gravity, that is, in the direction of gravity, the direction in which the first gripper assembly 140 grips the battery cell 2000 is parallel to the direction of gravity and opposite to the direction of gravity.

[0104] It should be understood that in the first posture, the direction in which the first gripper assembly 140 grips the battery cell 2000 can also be any other direction. That is, the battery cell 2000 is not upright when it is fed into the first gripper assembly 140. At this time, the first flipping assembly 130 can drive the first gripper assembly 140 to flip to the corresponding posture to grip the battery cell 2000. For example, the direction in which the first gripper assembly 140 grips the battery cell 2000 can be approximately perpendicular to the direction of gravity; or, the direction in which the first gripper assembly 140 grips the battery cell 2000 can also be towards the direction of gravity and the angle between the gripper assembly 140 and the direction of gravity can be less than 90°.

[0105] In the second posture, the first gripper assembly 140 can adjust the posture of the battery cell 2000, that is, flip the battery cell 2000 from an upright position to a lying position. When the first gripper assembly 140 in the second posture releases the battery cell 2000, the battery cell 2000 can fall out of the first gripper assembly 140 onto the conveyor line 3000 according to its own gravity. Thus, in the second posture, the direction in which the first gripper assembly 140 grips the battery cell 2000 can be approximately perpendicular to the direction of gravity, so that the battery cell 2000 can both adjust its posture and be removed from the released first gripper assembly 140; for example, in the second posture, the direction in which the first gripper assembly 140 grips the battery cell 2000 can be perpendicular to the direction of gravity, that is, horizontal.

[0106] Understandably, in this embodiment, the first gripper assembly 140 can be flipped to, but is not limited to, a first posture and a second posture. The first gripper assembly 140 can be flipped to any posture under the drive of the first flipping assembly 130. In this embodiment, the first posture is used to describe the state when the first gripper assembly 140 receives an external battery cell 2000, and the second posture is used to describe the state when the first gripper assembly 140 places the gripped battery cell 2000 into the conveyor line 3000, so as to facilitate better description and understanding.

[0107] The first gripper assembly 140 is used to grip the battery cell 2000 or release the battery cell 2000 so that it can fall out of the first gripper assembly 140 under its own gravity in a second posture. Specifically, the first gripper assembly 140 may include a clamping block for gripping the battery cell 2000 and a drive structure for driving the clamping block to move. The drive structure drives at least one clamping block to move relative to another clamping block to achieve the gripping action. The drive structure may be, but is not limited to, a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a ball screw drive structure, a belt transmission structure, etc.

[0108] The connecting device 1000 provided in this embodiment allows external battery cells 2000 to be fed into a first gripper assembly 140 in a first posture. The first gripper assembly 140 can hold the fed battery cell 2000. A first flipping assembly 130 can drive the first gripper assembly 140 to flip to a second posture, so that the battery cell 2000 is flipped synchronously to adjust its posture. The first gripper assembly 140 can also release the battery cell 2000, so that the adjusted battery cell 2000 falls onto the conveyor line 3000, thereby achieving the purpose of flipping the posture of the battery cell 2000 and moving it onto the conveyor line 3000. The connecting device 1000 of this embodiment can grasp the fed battery cell 2000, flip its posture, and feed it onto the conveyor line 3000, thereby replacing multiple robotic arms to perform the feeding operation of the battery cell 2000, effectively improving the efficiency of feeding the battery cell 2000 onto the conveyor line 3000, and thus ensuring the production efficiency of the battery.

[0109] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the first gripper assembly 140 is configured to grip the battery cell 2000 along the thickness direction of the battery cell 2000.

[0110] For example, in this embodiment, the casing of the battery cell 2000 is described as a cuboid. The cuboid casing has a thickness; therefore, the thickness of the battery cell 2000 is the thickness of the cuboid.

[0111] With this configuration, the first gripper assembly 140 can clamp the battery cell 2000 along its thickness direction, specifically on opposite end faces of the battery cell 2000 along its thickness direction. However, the first gripper assembly 140 does not interfere with the battery cell 2000 in its width direction. Since the differences in battery cell 2000 specifications are primarily reflected in their width, the first gripper assembly 140 can be used with battery cells 2000 of various widths, avoiding frequent adjustments to its clamping width due to different battery cell specifications. This broadens the applicability of the first gripper assembly 140. Furthermore, the opposite end faces along the thickness direction are the larger surfaces of the battery cell 2000, resulting in more stable clamping.

[0112] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the first connecting mechanism 100 further includes a first moving component 120, which is disposed on the first base 110, and a first flipping component 130 is disposed on the first moving component 120. The first moving component 120 is configured to drive the first flipping component 130 to move.

[0113] The first moving component 120 is used to drive the first flipping component 130 to move, so that the first gripper component 140 provided on the first flipping component 130 can clamp and drive the battery cell 2000 to move synchronously.

[0114] The first moving component 120 may include a moving drive structure and a moving part. The moving drive structure can drive the moving part to move relative to the first base 110, so that the moving part drives the first flipping component 130 to move. Specifically, the moving part may be, but is not limited to, a moving bracket, a moving plate, a moving block, etc.; the moving drive structure may be, but is not limited to, a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a drive motor, etc.

[0115] The number of first moving components 120 can be one, which can drive and move the first flipping component 130; or, the number of first moving components 120 can be multiple, with multiple first moving components 120 connected to the first flipping component 130, and the multiple first moving components 120 driving the first flipping component 130 to move, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the first flipping component 130. For example, the number of first moving components 120 can be two, with the two first moving components 120 respectively disposed at opposite ends of the first base 110, and the opposite ends of the first flipping component 130 respectively connected to the two first moving components 120, with the two first moving components 120 synchronously driving the first flipping component 130 to move smoothly.

[0116] With this configuration, when the first gripper assembly 140 in the first posture holds the battery cell 2000, the first moving assembly 120 can drive the first flipping assembly 130 and the first gripper assembly 140 to move. The battery cell 2000 held on the first gripper assembly 140 can move synchronously, so that the battery cell 2000 can move to a preset position. This allows the first flipping assembly 130 to flip the first gripper assembly 140 to the second posture, and the first gripper assembly 140 can place the held battery cell 2000 more accurately onto the corresponding conveyor line 3000. Furthermore, when the first flipping assembly 130 flips the first gripper assembly 140 to the second posture, the first gripper assembly 140 releases the held battery cell 2000. At this time, the first moving assembly 120 can drive the first gripper assembly 140 to move away from the battery cell 2000, thereby achieving the purpose of placing the battery cell 2000 onto the conveyor line 3000.

[0117] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 In some embodiments, the first moving component 120 includes a moving frame 121, a first moving drive 122, and a second moving drive 123. The moving frame 121 is movably connected to the first base 110, and the first flipping component 130 is movably connected to the moving frame 121. The first moving drive 122 is disposed on the first base 110, and its output end is connected to the moving frame 121. The second moving drive 123 is disposed on the moving frame 121, and its output end is connected to the first flipping component 130. The output direction of the first moving drive 122 intersects with the output direction of the second moving drive 123, meaning they are not parallel.

[0118] The movable frame 121 can be a movable support, a movable flat plate, etc. The movable frame 121 is movably connected to the first base 110. Specifically, the movable frame 121 can be slidably disposed on the first base 110, or can be slidably disposed on the first base 110 via a linear guide rail, slide rail, slider, etc.; or, the movable frame 121 can be inserted into the first base 110, and the movable frame 121 and the first base 110 are slidably engaged.

[0119] The first moving drive component 122 is used to drive the moving frame 121 to move relative to the first base 110. Specifically, the first moving drive component 122 may be, but is not limited to, a drive cylinder, a drive hydraulic cylinder, a ball screw drive structure, etc. For example, taking a drive cylinder as an example, the drive cylinder is fixedly installed on the first base 110, and the piston of the drive cylinder is connected to the moving frame 121. The drive cylinder can drive the moving frame 121 to move on the first base 110 through the extension and retraction of its piston.

[0120] The first flipping component 130 is movably connected to the movable frame 121. Specifically, the first flipping component 130 can be slidably mounted on the movable frame 121, or it can be slidably mounted on the movable frame 121 via a linear guide rail, slide rail, slider, etc.

[0121] The second moving drive component 123 is used to drive the first tilting assembly 130 to move relative to the moving frame 121. Specifically, the second moving drive component 123 may be, but is not limited to, a drive cylinder, a drive hydraulic cylinder, a roller screw drive structure, etc. For example, taking a drive cylinder as an example, the drive cylinder is fixedly mounted on the moving frame 121, and the piston of the drive cylinder is connected to the first tilting assembly 130. The drive cylinder can drive the first tilting assembly 130 to move on the moving frame 121 through the extension and retraction of its piston.

[0122] The output direction of the first moving drive 122 intersects with the output direction of the second moving drive 123. The first moving drive 122 can drive the moving frame 121 and the first flipping assembly 130 to move along the output direction of the first moving drive 122. At the same time, the second moving drive 123 can drive the first flipping assembly 130 to move along the output direction of the second moving drive 123. That is, the first flipping assembly 130 can move in at least two directions, so that the first gripper assembly 140 on the first flipping assembly 130 can clamp the battery cell 2000 to move in at least two directions.

[0123] With this configuration, the first moving drive 122 can drive the moving frame 121 to move relative to the first base 110, so that the first flipping component 130 moves synchronously with the moving frame 121. The second moving drive 123 can drive the first flipping component 130 to move relative to the moving frame 121. At the same time, the output direction of the first moving drive 122 intersects with the output direction of the second moving drive 123, that is, the first flipping component 130 can move in at least two directions, so that the first gripper assembly 140 can clamp the battery cell 2000 to move in at least two directions, effectively improving the range of movement adjustment of the battery cell 2000 by the first gripper assembly 140.

[0124] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 In some embodiments, the output direction of the first moving drive 122 is perpendicular to the output direction of the second moving drive 123, and the first moving drive 122 is configured to drive the moving frame 121 to move along the direction of gravity.

[0125] Understandably, since the output direction of the first moving drive 122 is perpendicular to the output direction of the second moving drive 123, the first flipping assembly 130 can be positioned in two perpendicular directions, so that the first gripper assembly 140 on the first flipping assembly 130 can hold the battery cell 2000 and move it in two perpendicular directions, thereby improving the convenience of adjusting the position of the battery cell 2000.

[0126] Meanwhile, the first moving drive component 122 can drive the moving frame 121 to move along the direction of gravity, so that the first flipping component 130 can move synchronously with the moving frame 121 along the direction of gravity. The first gripper component 140 on the first flipping component 130 can hold the battery cell 2000 and move it towards or away from the conveyor line 3000 along the direction of gravity, so as to improve the accuracy of feeding the battery cell 2000 into the conveyor line 3000.

[0127] With this configuration, the first moving drive 122 can drive the moving frame 121 to move along the direction of gravity, thereby driving the first flipping assembly 130 and the first gripper assembly 140 to move along the direction of gravity to approach or move away from the conveyor line 3000. The output direction of the second moving drive 123 is perpendicular to the output direction of the first moving drive 122, so the second moving drive 123 can adjust the position of the first gripper assembly 140 and the battery cell 2000 it holds in a direction perpendicular to gravity. When the first gripper assembly 140 is in the second posture and releases the battery cell 2000, the second drive can drive the first gripper assembly 140 to move away from the battery cell 2000, so as to put the released battery cell 2000 into the conveyor line 3000.

[0128] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 In some embodiments, the first moving component 120 further includes a first guide 124 and a second guide 125. The first guide 124 is disposed on the first base 110, the moving frame 121 is connected to the first guide 124, the moving frame 121 is configured to slide along the first guide 124, the second guide 125 is disposed on the moving frame 121, and the first flipping component 130 is configured to slide along the second guide 125.

[0129] The first guide member 124 may be, but is not limited to, a linear guide, a slide rail, a slide groove, etc. For example, taking the first guide member 124 as a linear guide as an example, the linear guide is fixedly installed on the first base 110, and the piston of the linear guide is connected to the movable frame 121. Under the drive of the first moving drive member 122, the movable frame 121 can slide more smoothly along the linear guide on the first base 110.

[0130] The second guide member 125 may be, but is not limited to, a linear guide, a slide rail, a groove, etc. For example, the second guide member 125 is a linear guide. The linear guide is fixedly installed on the movable frame 121. The piston of the linear guide is connected to the first flip assembly 130. Under the drive of the second moving drive member 123, the first flip assembly 130 can slide more smoothly on the movable frame 121 along the linear guide.

[0131] With this configuration, the movable frame 121 can slide along the first guide 124 under the drive of the first movable drive member 122, which effectively improves the stability of the movable frame 121 when it moves. The first flipping component 130 can slide along the second guide 125 under the drive of the second movable drive member 123, which effectively improves the stability of the first flipping component 130 when it moves, thereby improving the stability of the first gripper component 140 when it clamps the battery cell 2000.

[0132] Optionally, both the first guide 124 and the second guide 125 are linear guides, and their extension directions are perpendicular to each other.

[0133] For example, in some specific embodiments, the first base 110 can be a frame structure, and there are two sets of first moving components 120, which are respectively disposed on opposite ends of the first base 110. Each first moving component 120 includes a moving plate frame, a first driving cylinder, a second driving cylinder, a first linear cylinder, and a second linear cylinder. The first linear cylinder is fixedly mounted on the first base 110 along the direction of gravity, the moving plate frame is connected to the piston of the first linear cylinder, the first driving cylinder is fixedly mounted on the first base 110, and the piston of the first driving cylinder is connected to the moving plate frame and can drive the moving plate frame to move along the direction of gravity under the guidance of the first linear cylinder; the second linear cylinder moves horizontally and perpendicular to the conveyor line 3000. The conveying direction is fixedly installed on the mobile flat frame. The conveying direction of the conveyor line 3000 here specifically refers to the conveying direction of the conveyor line 3000 at the connecting device 1000. The opposite ends of the first flipping component 130 are respectively connected to the pistons of the second linear cylinders of the two sets of first moving components 120. The second driving cylinder is fixedly installed on the mobile flat frame. The piston of the second driving cylinder is connected to the first flipping component 130 and can drive the first flipping component 130 to move along the conveying direction perpendicular to the conveyor line 3000 under the guidance of the second linear cylinder. Under the action of the first and second drive cylinders, the first gripper assembly 140 can move synchronously with the first flipping assembly 130 along the direction of gravity or perpendicular to the transmission direction of the conveyor line 3000; when the first gripper assembly 140 flips to the second posture, the first gripper assembly 140 can release the clamped battery cell 2000, and the second drive cylinder can drive the first flipping assembly 130 and the first gripper assembly 140 to move away from the battery cell 2000, so that the battery cell 2000 is detached from the first gripper assembly 140 and placed on the conveyor line 3000.

[0134] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the first flipping assembly 130 includes a support 131, a flipping drive structure 132, and a flipping shaft 133. The support 131 is disposed on the first base 110, the flipping drive structure 132 is disposed on the support 131, the flipping shaft 133 is connected to the output shaft of the flipping drive structure 132, the flipping drive structure 132 is configured to drive the flipping shaft 133 to rotate, and the first gripper assembly 140 is fixedly connected to the flipping shaft 133.

[0135] Among them, the support 131 is the main structure of the first flipping component 130. The support 131 may be, but is not limited to, a support rod, a bracket, a support block, or a support structure formed by at least one of the support rod, bracket, support block, etc.

[0136] The flipping drive structure 132 is used to drive the flipping shaft 133 to rotate, so that the first gripper assembly 140 provided on the flipping shaft 133 can perform a flipping action. Specifically, the flipping drive structure 132 may be, but is not limited to, a drive cylinder, a drive hydraulic cylinder, a drive motor, etc.

[0137] The flip shaft 133 is used to rotate around its own axis under the drive of the flip drive structure 132. Specifically, one or more first gripper assemblies 140 may be provided on the flip shaft 133.

[0138] Understandably, the flip drive structure 132 can drive the flip shaft 133 to rotate, so that the flip shaft 133 drives the first gripper assembly 140 to rotate. When the first gripper assembly 140 rotates to the second posture, the center of gravity of the battery cell 2000 can be outside the first gripper assembly 140, or the direction of the center of gravity of the battery cell 2000 is at an angle to the direction of support of the battery cell 2000 by the first gripper assembly 140. At this time, the first gripper assembly 140 releases the battery cell 2000, and the battery cell 2000 can slide off the first gripper assembly 140 according to its own gravity and fall onto the conveyor line 3000, thereby achieving the purpose of feeding.

[0139] With this configuration, the flip drive structure 132 can drive the flip shaft 133 to rotate, so that the first gripper assembly 140 rotates synchronously with the flip shaft 133, thereby enabling the first gripper assembly 140 to rotate to the first posture or the second posture, thereby realizing the posture flipping of the battery cell 2000 held by the first gripper assembly 140.

[0140] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the first flipping assembly 130 further includes a mounting bearing 134, which is disposed on the support 131, and the flipping shaft 133 passes through and is rotatably connected to the mounting bearing 134.

[0141] Understandably, the bearing 134 is used to support the rotation of the tilting shaft 133, and can reduce the coefficient of friction of the tilting shaft 133 during its movement and ensure its rotational accuracy.

[0142] Specifically, the mounting bearing 134 is fixedly mounted on the support 131 by fasteners, and the tilting shaft 133 can pass through the mounting bearing 134 and be connected to the tilting drive structure 132. The number of mounting bearings 134 can be one or more.

[0143] With this configuration, the tilting shaft 133 can be mounted on the support 131 via the mounting bearing 134, which effectively improves the stability of the tilting shaft 133 installation and reduces the coefficient of friction during the rotation of the tilting shaft 133.

[0144] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the flip drive structure 132 includes a telescopic drive member 1321 and a connecting block 1322. The connecting block 1322 is fixedly connected to the flip shaft 133, the telescopic drive member 1321 is hinged to the support 131, and the output end of the telescopic drive member 1321 is hinged to the connecting block 1322.

[0145] The telescopic drive component 1321 is used to drive the connecting block 1322 to rotate around the central axis of the tilting shaft 133 through the extension and retraction of its piston, so that the tilting shaft 133 rotates synchronously. Specifically, the telescopic drive component 1321 can be, but is not limited to, a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, etc. The connecting block 1322 can be, but is not limited to, a rectangular block, a spherical block, an L-shaped block, a triangular block, etc.

[0146] The telescopic drive 1321 is hinged to the support 131, and the output end of the telescopic drive 1321 is hinged to the connecting block 1322. Thus, when the telescopic drive 1321 drives the connecting block 1322 to rotate, the telescopic drive 1321 can adaptably rotate around the hinge point with the support 131, thereby improving the applicability of the telescopic drive 1321.

[0147] With this configuration, the telescopic drive 1321 can push the connecting block 1322 by extending and retracting its output end, so that the connecting block 1322 can rotate around the flip shaft 133. When the connecting block 1322 rotates, it can also drive the flip shaft 133 to rotate synchronously, thereby achieving the purpose of driving the first gripper assembly 140 to rotate synchronously with the flip shaft 133.

[0148] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the connecting block 1322 protrudes toward the telescopic drive member 1321 to form a clearance portion 13221, and the output end of the telescopic drive member 1321 is hinged to the clearance portion 13221.

[0149] Understandably, the connecting block 1322 can protrude in its middle section to form a clearance portion 13221, or the connecting block 1322 can form a clearance portion 13221 at the end away from the flip axis 133. The connecting block 1322 with the clearance portion 13221 has an overall bent or arc-shaped structure rather than a straight structure. The clearance portion 13221 can be, but is not limited to, a protrusion, a protruding post, or a bent structure. When the connecting block 1322 has an overall straight structure, when the connecting block 1322 rotates to the point where the output direction of the telescopic drive member 1321 is nearly parallel to the connecting block 1322, the telescopic drive member 1321 will interfere with the part of the connecting block 1322 near the flip axis 133, making it difficult to achieve a large-angle flip.

[0150] With this configuration, the output end of the telescopic drive member 1321 is hinged to the clearance part 13221. The telescopic drive member 1321 can push the clearance part 13221 to rotate, so that the connecting block 1322 rotates synchronously. Compared with the case where the output end of the telescopic drive member 1321 is directly hinged to the connecting block 1322 of the linear structure, the telescopic drive member 1321 can push the clearance part 13221 to rotate a larger range before interfering with the flip axis 133. That is, the output range of the telescopic drive member 1321 is larger, so the telescopic drive member 1321 can drive the flip axis 133 to rotate a larger angle, and thus the first gripper assembly 140 has a larger range of motion, and the attitude adjustment range of the battery cell 2000 is also larger.

[0151] Please refer to Figure 6 In some embodiments, the first flipping assembly 130 further includes a buffer block 135 and a buffer limiter 136. The buffer block 135 is disposed on the flipping shaft 133, and the buffer limiter 136 is disposed on the support 131. The buffer limiter 136 is configured to abut against the buffer block 135 when the flipping shaft 133 drives the first gripper assembly 140 to flip to the first posture.

[0152] Among them, the buffer limiting member 136 can be a flexible buffer structure, a buffer, etc. For example, a hydraulic buffer is used as an example. The hydraulic buffer is fixedly installed on the support 131. When the flip shaft 133 drives the first gripper assembly 140 to flip to the first posture, the buffer block 135 connected to the flip shaft 133 rotates synchronously and can abut against the piston of the hydraulic buffer. The hydraulic buffer is used to limit and buffer the rotation of the flip shaft 133.

[0153] In some embodiments, the buffer limiter 136 may also be disposed on the support 131, and the buffer limiter 136 is configured to abut against the buffer block 135 when the flip shaft 133 drives the first gripper assembly 140 to flip to the second posture.

[0154] With this configuration, when the flip shaft 133 drives the first gripper assembly 140 to flip to the second posture, the buffer block 135 connected to the flip shaft 133 rotates synchronously and can abut against the piston of the hydraulic buffer, thereby using the hydraulic buffer to limit and buffer the rotation of the flip shaft 133.

[0155] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the first flipping assembly 130 further includes a controller and a positioning sensor 137. The controller is electrically connected to the positioning sensor 137 and the flipping drive structure 132. The positioning sensor 137 is disposed on the support 131 and is configured to sense that the first gripper assembly 140 has moved to a first posture.

[0156] Understandably, the positioning sensor 137 is used to sense whether the first gripper assembly 140 has moved to the first posture. Specifically, during the process of the flipping drive structure 132 driving the flipping shaft 133 and the first gripper assembly 140 to flip and switch to the first posture, if the first gripper assembly 140 flips to the first posture, at this time the first gripper assembly 140 can move into the sensing range of the positioning sensor 137. The positioning sensor 137 can identify that the first gripper assembly 140 has moved to the correct position, and the positioning sensor 137 can send an electrical signal to the controller, so that the controller can send an electrical signal to the flipping drive structure 132 to stop the flipping drive structure 132 from working.

[0157] Specifically, the positioning sensor 137 can be an infrared sensor, a proximity sensor, etc. The controller can be a microcontroller or other control structure.

[0158] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the positioning sensor 137 is configured to also sense the first gripper assembly 140 moving to a second posture.

[0159] With this configuration, the positioning sensor 137 is used to sense whether the first gripper assembly 140 has moved to the second posture. Specifically, during the process of the flip drive structure 132 driving the flip shaft 133 and the first gripper assembly 140 to flip and switch to the second posture, if the first gripper assembly 140 flips to the second posture, it can move into the sensing range of the positioning sensor 137. The positioning sensor 137 can recognize that the second gripper assembly has moved to the correct position and can send an electrical signal to the controller. The controller can then send an electrical signal to the flip drive structure 132 to stop the flip drive structure 132 from working.

[0160] For example, in some specific embodiments, the first flipping assembly 130 includes a support 131, a flipping cylinder, a connecting block 1322, a flipping shaft 133, and mounting bearings 134. The support 131 includes a crossbar and mounting blocks disposed at opposite ends of the crossbar. The mounting blocks can be connected to the aforementioned second guide member 125. The support 131 also includes a cylinder mounting bracket, which is fixed to the crossbar, and the flipping cylinder is hinged to the cylinder mounting bracket. There are two mounting bearings 134, both of which are mounted on the crossbar. The flipping shaft 133 can pass through and be mounted on the two mounting bearings 134. A plurality of first gripper assemblies 140 are also fixedly mounted on the flipping shaft 133. The connecting block 1322 is fixedly mounted on the flipping shaft 133. The connecting block 1322 protrudes toward the flipping cylinder to form a clearance portion 13221, and the flipping cylinder is hinged to the clearance portion 13221. The flipping cylinder can push the connecting block 1322 and the clearance part 13221 to rotate around the central axis of the flipping shaft 133 by the extension and retraction of its piston, so that the connecting block 1322 drives the flipping shaft 133 to rotate, thereby the first gripper assembly 140 can rotate synchronously with the flipping shaft 133 and switch to the first posture or the second posture, so as to achieve the purpose of gripping the battery cell 2000, adjusting the posture flipping, and feeding it to the conveyor line 3000.

[0161] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, the first gripper assembly 140 includes a fixed base 141, a gripper drive 142, a gripper body 143, and a gripper fixing member 144. The fixed base 141 is connected to the first flipping assembly 130, the gripper drive 142 is disposed on the fixed base 141, the gripper body 143 is connected to the output end of the gripper drive 142, and the gripper fixing member 144 is connected to the fixed base 141. The gripper drive 142 is configured to drive the gripper body 143 to reciprocate toward the gripper fixing member 144.

[0162] The fixing seat 141 is connected to the first flipping assembly 130. Specifically, the fixing seat 141 is fixedly connected to the flipping shaft 133 of the first flipping assembly 130. The fixing seat 141 may be, but is not limited to, a fixing block, a fixing rod, a fixing bracket, a fixing plate, or other structural components.

[0163] For example, in some specific embodiments, the fixing base 141 can be formed by combining a fixing block 1411 and a fixing plate 1412. The fixing block 1411 has an arc-shaped groove 14111, and the fixing plate 1412 is fixedly connected to the fixing block 1411. The fixing plate 1412 can cover the arc-shaped groove 14111 to form a connecting hole for accommodating the flip shaft 133. Meanwhile, the peripheral side of the flip shaft 133 includes an arc-shaped surface and a flat surface. When the flip shaft 133 is accommodated in the connecting hole, the arc-shaped surface of the flip shaft 133 is in contact with the inner sidewall of the arc-shaped groove 14111, and the flat surface of the flip shaft 133 is in contact with the surface of the fixing plate 1412. Thus, when the flip shaft 133 rotates, the flip shaft 133 can drive the fixing base 141 to rotate synchronously.

[0164] The gripper drive 142 may be, but is not limited to, a drive cylinder, a drive hydraulic cylinder, a roller screw drive structure, etc. The gripper drive 142 is fixedly mounted on the fixed base 141, and the output end of the gripper drive 142 is connected to the gripper body 143 so that the gripper body 143 can move along the output direction of the gripper drive 142.

[0165] The gripper body 143 is used to reciprocate toward the gripper fixing member 144 under the drive of the gripper drive member 142, thereby enabling the gripping operation of the battery cell 2000 between the gripper body 143 and the gripper fixing member 144. Specifically, the gripper body 143 can be a block-shaped member, a column-shaped member, a plate-shaped member, etc.

[0166] The gripper fixing member 144 can be, but is not limited to, a block-shaped member, a column-shaped member, a plate-shaped member, etc. The gripper fixing member 144 is fixedly connected to the fixing base 141. When the gripper driving member 142 drives the gripper body 143 to move toward the gripper fixing member 144, the gripper body 143 can hold the battery cell 2000 against the gripper fixing member 144, thereby realizing the gripping operation of the gripper body 143 and the gripper fixing member 144 on the battery cell 2000.

[0167] With this configuration, the gripper drive 142 can drive the gripper body 143 to move towards the gripper fixing member 144 to achieve the purpose of gripping the battery cell 2000. The fixing base 141 is connected to the first flipping component 130, so that the first flipping component 130 can drive the fixing base 141 to flip, so that the gripper body 143 and the gripper fixing member 144 can grip the battery cell 2000 and flip it to adjust its posture.

[0168] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, the gripper body 143 and the gripper fixing member 144 are configured to clamp the battery cell 2000 on opposite end faces along the thickness direction of the battery cell 2000.

[0169] For example, in this embodiment, the casing of the battery cell 2000 is described as a cuboid. The cuboid casing has a thickness; therefore, the thickness of the battery cell 2000 is the thickness of the cuboid.

[0170] With this configuration, the gripper body 143 and the gripper fixing member 144 can clamp the battery cell 2000 on opposite end faces along the thickness direction. The width of the battery cell 2000 does not affect the clamping effect of the gripper body 143 and the gripper fixing member 144. Therefore, the gripper body 143 and the gripper fixing member 144 can clamp battery cells 2000 of various widths, effectively improving the applicability of the first gripper assembly 140.

[0171] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, the gripper body 143 includes a first gripper block 1431, a second gripper block 1432, and an elastic buffer 1433. The first gripper block 1431 is connected to the output end of the gripper drive 142. The second gripper block 1432 is slidably connected to the first gripper block 1431 along the output direction of the gripper drive 142. The elastic buffer 1433 is disposed between the first gripper block 1431 and the second gripper block 1432. The opposite ends of the elastic buffer 1433 abut against the first gripper block 1431 and the second gripper block 1432, respectively.

[0172] The first clamping block 1431 is used to connect to the output end of the gripper drive 142. The first clamping block 1431 may be, but is not limited to, a rectangular block, a circular block, or other block structures.

[0173] The second clamping block 1432 is slidably connected to the first clamping block 1431. The second clamping block 1432 may be, but is not limited to, a rectangular block, a circular block, or other block structures.

[0174] The elastic buffer 1433 is an elastic component. Specifically, the elastic buffer 1433 can be a buffer spring, an elastic rubber pad, etc.

[0175] For example, in some specific embodiments, both the first clamping block 1431 and the second clamping block 1432 can be rectangular blocks. The first clamping block 1431 has a through hole, and the second clamping block 1432 has a protruding sliding post that is inserted into the through hole and slides in cooperation with the through hole. The elastic buffer 1433 can be a buffer spring that is sleeved on the sliding post, and the opposite ends of the buffer spring abut against the first clamping block 1431 and the second clamping block 1432 respectively.

[0176] When the gripper drive 142 moves the gripper body 143 to grip the battery cell 2000, the second gripper block 1432 abuts against the battery cell 2000, and at the same time the buffer spring is in a compressed state, so that the second gripper block 1432 is subjected to a spring force pointing towards the battery cell 2000, so that it remains in contact with the battery cell 2000 and can still slide towards the first gripper block 1431, thereby protecting the battery cell 2000 from damage caused by excessive force when it is gripped.

[0177] With this configuration, by setting an elastic buffer 1433 between the first clamping block 1431 and the second clamping block 1432, the elastic buffer 1433 can achieve the purpose of buffering when performing the action of clamping the battery cell 2000, thereby reducing the damage caused by overpressure to the battery cell 2000.

[0178] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, the mounting base 141 is provided with a support portion 1413, which is configured to support the battery cell 2000, and the gripper fixing member 144 is connected to the support portion 1413.

[0179] Understandably, the support portion 1413 is used to support the battery cell 2000, so that the battery cell 2000 is supported on the support portion 1413 and clamped by the gripper body 143 and the gripper fixing member 144. That is, the three end faces of the battery cell 2000 are supported or clamped, which effectively improves the stability of the first gripper assembly 140 clamping the battery cell 2000.

[0180] For example, in some specific embodiments, the fixing base 141 includes a fixing block 1411 and a fixing plate 1412. One end of the fixing plate 1412 extends outward to form a support portion 1413, and the gripper fixing member 144 is fixedly installed on the end of the support portion 1413 away from the fixing block. When an external battery cell 2000 is fed into the first gripper assembly 140, the battery cell 2000 can be placed on the support portion 1413, and then the gripper drive member 142 drives the gripper body 143 to move towards the gripper fixing member 144, so that the gripper body 143 holds the battery cell 2000 against the gripper fixing member 144, thereby clamping the battery cell 2000. The support portion 1413 can apply a supporting force to the battery cell 2000 to improve the stability of the battery cell 2000 when it is clamped.

[0181] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8In some embodiments, the end of the gripper body 143 facing the gripper fixing member 144 is covered with a first insulating member 145, the end of the gripper fixing member 144 facing the gripper body 143 is covered with a second insulating member 146, and the side end of the support portion 1413 used to support the battery cell 2000 is covered with a third insulating member 147.

[0182] The first insulating component 145 may be, but is not limited to, an insulating plate, an insulating pad, an insulating block, an insulating film layer, etc. The first insulating component 145 is used to separate the gripper body 143 from the battery cell 2000, so as to reduce the risk of leakage of the battery cell 2000 through the gripper body 143.

[0183] The second insulating element 146 may be, but is not limited to, an insulating board, an insulating pad, an insulating block, an insulating film layer, etc. The second insulating element 146 is used to separate the clamp fixing element 144 from the battery cell 2000, so as to reduce the risk of leakage of the battery cell 2000 through the clamp fixing element 144.

[0184] The third insulating element 147 may be, but is not limited to, an insulating plate, an insulating pad, an insulating block, an insulating film layer, etc. The third insulating element 147 is used to separate the support portion 1413 from the battery cell 2000, so as to reduce the risk of leakage of the battery cell 2000 through the support portion 1413.

[0185] With this configuration, when the battery cell 2000 is clamped, the first insulating member 145, the second insulating member 146, and the third insulating member 147 are in direct contact with the battery cell 2000, thereby effectively reducing the probability of leakage.

[0186] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some embodiments, at least one of the first insulating member 145, the second insulating member 146, and the third insulating member 147 is flexible.

[0187] Specifically, the first insulating member 145 is flexible and can be an insulating rubber pad, an insulating foam layer, an insulating soft sleeve, etc. When clamping the battery cell 2000, the flexible first insulating member 145 can reduce the risk of scratching the battery cell 2000.

[0188] The second insulating member 146 is flexible and can be an insulating rubber pad, an insulating foam layer, an insulating soft sleeve, etc. When clamping the battery cell 2000, the flexible second insulating member 146 can reduce the risk of scratching the battery cell 2000.

[0189] The third insulating element 147 is flexible and can be an insulating rubber pad, an insulating foam layer, an insulating soft sleeve, etc. When clamping the battery cell 2000, the flexible third insulating element 147 can reduce the risk of scratching the battery cell 2000.

[0190] The first insulating member 145, the second insulating member 146, and the third insulating member 147 may all be flexible.

[0191] For example, in some specific embodiments, the first gripper assembly 140 includes a fixed base 141, a drive cylinder, a gripper body 143, and a gripper fixing member 144. The fixed base 141 includes a fixed plate 1412 and a fixed block 1411 with an arc-shaped groove 14111. Part of the fixed plate 1412 covers the arc-shaped groove 14111 and forms a connecting hole for fixing the flipping shaft 133. Another part of the fixed plate 1412 extends beyond the fixed block 1411 to form a support portion 1413, which is connected to the gripper fixing member 144. The drive cylinder is mounted on the fixed block 1411 and the drive cylinder... The piston of the cylinder is positioned facing the gripper fixing member 144. The gripper body 143 includes a first clamping block 1431, a second clamping block 1432, and a buffer spring. The first clamping block 1431 is connected to the piston of the driving cylinder. A through hole is provided on the first clamping block 1431. A sliding column is protruding from the second clamping block 1432. The sliding column is inserted into the through hole and slides with the through hole. A limiting structure 1414 is formed at the end of the sliding column, such as a limiting ring. The limiting structure 1414 is used to prevent the sliding column from sliding out of the through hole. A buffer spring is sleeved on the sliding column. The opposite ends of the buffer spring abut against the first clamping block 1431 and the second clamping block 1432, respectively.

[0192] When performing the operation of clamping the battery cell 2000, the drive cylinder extends the piston to push the first clamping block 1431 and the second clamping block 1432 to move towards the clamping claw fixing member 144. The second clamping block 1432 can abut the battery cell 2000 against the clamping claw fixing member 144 to achieve the clamping of the battery cell 2000. The first clamping block 1431, the second clamping block 1432 and the buffer spring can achieve overvoltage protection for the battery cell 2000, reducing the problem of damage to the battery cell 2000 due to excessive pressure.

[0193] In some embodiments, the number of first flipping components 130 is multiple groups, and the number of first gripper components 140 provided on each group of first flipping components 130 is the same.

[0194] The first connecting mechanism 100 includes multiple sets of first flipping components 130, allowing multiple sets of first flipping components 130 to simultaneously perform flipping actions, rotating the first gripper components 140 on each first flipping component 130 to achieve the rotation of the battery cells 2000 and their loading onto the conveyor line 3000. Each set of first flipping components 130 has the same number of first gripper components 140, enabling multiple sets of first flipping components 130 to simultaneously load the same number of cells onto multiple conveyor lines 3000, effectively improving the efficiency of rotating and loading the battery cells 2000.

[0195] Understandably, the multiple sets of first flipping components 130 can also perform flipping actions individually. For example, one set of first flipping components 130 performs a flipping action, reversing the posture of the first gripper components 140 provided on that set of first flipping components 130, and loading these reversing battery cells 2000 onto one set of conveyor lines 3000; the other sets of first flipping components 130 remain stationary and do not perform loading actions. Thus, by utilizing the individual flipping actions of each set of first flipping components 130, selective loading of one or any set of conveyor lines 3000 can be achieved, thereby achieving the purpose of quantity matching of battery cells 2000 on conveyor lines 3000.

[0196] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the connecting device 1000 further includes a second connecting mechanism 200. Both the first connecting mechanism 100 and the second connecting mechanism 200 are located on the conveying path of the conveyor line 3000. The second connecting mechanism 200 includes a second base 210, a second moving component 220, a second flipping component 230, and a second gripper component 240. The first connecting mechanism 100 includes N sets of first flipping components 130, and the second connecting mechanism 200 includes fewer than N sets of second flipping components 230. Wherein, N is the number of sets of the conveyor line 3000, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0197] The conveying path of the conveyor line 3000 refers to the path that the conveyor line 3000 takes when transporting the battery cell 2000. The first connecting mechanism 100 and the second connecting mechanism 200 are both located on the conveying path of the conveyor line 3000, that is, both the first connecting mechanism 100 and the second connecting mechanism 200 can flip and load the external battery cell 2000 onto the conveyor line 3000.

[0198] Understandably, the first connecting mechanism 100 includes N sets of first flipping components 130, where N is the number of conveyor lines 3000; thus, by utilizing the N sets of first flipping components 130 of the first connecting mechanism 100, N sets of conveyor lines 3000 can be fed synchronously, and each set of first flipping components 130 can perform attitude flipping and feeding operations on the corresponding conveyor line 3000 to ensure the efficiency of feeding battery cells 2000.

[0199] The second connecting mechanism 200 includes a second base 210, a second moving component 220, a second flipping component 230, and a second gripper component 240. Understandably, the second base 210, the second moving component 220, the second flipping component 230, and the second gripper component 240 are consistent with the structure and connection relationship of the first base 110, the first moving component 120, the first flipping component 130, and the first gripper component 140. The adjectives "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish whether the base, moving component, flipping component, and gripper component are located on the first connecting mechanism 100 or on the second connecting mechanism 200, so as to facilitate intuitive understanding. Therefore, the specific structures of the second base 210, the second moving component 220, the second flipping component 230, and the second gripper component 240 can be referred to the previous descriptions of the first base 110, the first moving component 120, the first flipping component 130, and the first gripper component 140. The specific structures of the second base 210, the second moving component 220, the second flipping component 230, and the second gripper component 240 will not be described again here.

[0200] Understandably, in the battery manufacturing process, the battery cells 2000 on conveyor line 3000 need to be pre-stacked. Based on the battery formula, a corresponding number of battery cells 2000 are taken from conveyor line 3000. For example, when the battery formula is 13 groups of battery cells 2000, in the pre-stacking process, 13 groups of battery cells 2000 will be taken from N groups of conveyor lines 3000. Assuming N is 2, if 13 groups of battery cells 2000 are taken from two groups of conveyor lines 3000, the number of battery cells 2000 on the two groups of conveyor lines 3000 will inevitably be different.

[0201] Based on this, the second connecting mechanism 200 includes any number of second flipping components 230 less than N groups. Specifically, while the first connecting mechanism 100 can synchronously feed N groups of conveyor lines 3000, the second flipping components 230 of the second connecting mechanism 200 (less than N groups) can be used to replenish the conveyor lines 3000. When the number of battery cells 2000 on each group of conveyor lines 3000 differs, the second flipping components 230 of the second connecting mechanism 200 (less than N groups) can perform replenishment operations to balance the number of battery cells 2000 on the conveyor lines 3000, ensuring the normal operation of subsequent processes.

[0202] It should be understood that the first connecting mechanism 100 can also perform material replenishment operations. It utilizes one or more of the N sets of first flipping components 130 to drive the corresponding first gripper component 140 to rotate, causing the first gripper component 140 to flip and release the battery cell 2000, allowing the battery cell 2000 to be fed onto one or more sets of conveyor lines 3000 that require replenishment. However, when the first connecting mechanism 100 performs both feeding and replenishment operations, its feeding rhythm will stop during replenishment. After the replenishment operation is completed, the first connecting mechanism 100 will continue feeding each set of conveyor lines 3000. Therefore, the first connecting mechanism 100's simultaneous feeding and replenishment operations will affect the feeding efficiency of the battery cell 2000. Therefore, the connecting device 1000 also includes a second connecting mechanism 200, which is used to perform the material replenishment operation. The first connecting mechanism 100 is only used to perform the feeding operation, thus ensuring the feeding efficiency of the battery cells 2000. The second connecting mechanism 200 can also perform the material replenishment operation at the same time, replenishing one of the multiple conveyor lines 3000 with a smaller number of battery cells 2000, ensuring that the feeding action of the first connecting mechanism 100 does not stop.

[0203] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, there are two sets of first flipping components 130 and one set of second flipping components 230.

[0204] With this setup, two sets of first flipping components 130 can be used to drive the first gripper components 140 on them to flip and feed materials, and the second flipping component 230 can be used to drive the second gripper components 240 on them to flip and replenish materials. While the first flipping component 130 and the first gripper components 140 can ensure feeding efficiency, the second flipping component 230 and the second gripper components 240 can perform material replenishment operations on the conveyor line 3000 to ensure that each set of conveyor lines 3000 has a sufficient number of battery cells 2000, avoiding the impact on subsequent processes.

[0205] For example, in some specific embodiments, there are two sets of conveyor lines 3000. The first connecting mechanism 100 includes two sets of first flipping components 130, and the second connecting mechanism 200 includes one set of second flipping components 230. The two sets of flipping components of the first connecting mechanism 100 can drive the first gripper component 140 to rotate in attitude, so as to grip, flip, and feed the externally fed battery cell 2000 onto the corresponding two sets of conveyor lines 3000 for transmission. In the subsequent pre-stacking process, if an odd number of battery cells 2000 need to be stacked according to the battery formula, for example, taking a battery with a formula of 13 battery cells 2000 as an example, the number of cells 2000 taken from each of the two sets of conveyor lines 3000 is... After six battery cells 2000 are output, the total number of battery cells 2000 taken out is 12. At this point, one more battery cell 2000 needs to be taken out from one of the conveyor lines 3000. This will result in a difference in the number of battery cells 2000 on the two conveyor lines 3000. In order to ensure the normal operation of the various processes on the conveyor line 3000, the second connecting mechanism 200 can be used to replenish the material. A set of second flipping components 230 of the second connecting mechanism 200 can flip the externally fed battery cells 2000 and send them into one of the conveyor lines 3000, so as to realize the quantity matching of battery cells 2000 on the conveyor line 3000 to ensure the normal operation of subsequent processes.

[0206] Understandably, the number of first gripper assemblies 140 provided on each group of first flipping components 130 is the same, and one or more groups of first gripper assemblies 140 can be provided on each group of first flipping components 130.

[0207] The number of second gripper assemblies 240 provided on the second flipping assembly 230 can be one or more sets. Specifically, the number of second gripper assemblies 240 provided on the second flipping assembly 230 can be the same as the number of second gripper assemblies 240 provided on the first flipping assembly 130.

[0208] Please refer to Figure 1 The application provides a battery production line 10, including a connecting device 1000, a gripping device 4000, a conveyor line 3000, and a stacking device 5000 as described above. The gripping device 4000 is used to transfer battery cells 2000 to a first gripper assembly 140 in a first posture. The conveyor line 3000 is used to transport battery cells 2000 released from the first gripper assembly 140 in a second posture. In the conveying direction of the conveyor line 3000, the stacking device 5000 is disposed downstream of the connecting device 1000 and is configured to pre-stack battery cells 2000 on the conveyor line 3000.

[0209] Among them, the gripping device 4000 can be a robotic arm, a gripping robot, etc.

[0210] The conveyor line 3000 is used to transport battery cells 2000 so that they can complete different processes along the transport path. Understandably, the conveyor line 3000 is equipped with trays so that the battery cells 2000 can be transported in a flat position. Specifically, there can be one, two, or more sets of conveyor lines 3000; taking two sets of conveyor lines 3000 as an example, both sets of conveyor lines 3000 can transport battery cells 2000. The connecting device 1000 can flip the upright battery cells 2000 grasped by the gripping device 4000 and place them into the two sets of conveyor lines 3000 for the normal operation of subsequent battery production and processing steps.

[0211] The stacking device 5000 is used to pre-stack according to the formula of the produced battery. For example, when the formula of the produced battery is 13 battery cells 2000, the stacking device 5000 will take 13 battery cells 2000 from the conveyor line 3000 for pre-stacking; when the formula of the produced battery is 16 battery cells 2000, the stacking device 5000 will take 16 battery cells 2000 from the conveyor line 3000 for pre-stacking.

[0212] The battery production line 10 provided in this application embodiment includes a gripping device 4000 that can feed external battery cells 2000 into a connecting device 1000. The first gripper assembly 140 of the connecting device 1000 grips the battery cell 2000 in a first posture, and can flip to a second posture to feed the battery cell 2000 onto the corresponding conveyor line 3000, thus achieving the purpose of adjusting the posture of the battery cell 2000 and feeding it onto the conveyor line 3000. The stacking device 5000 can be positioned in the conveying direction of the conveyor line 3000. Downstream, the battery cells 2000 on the conveyor line 3000 are pre-stacked to facilitate subsequent processes. The battery production line 10 of this application embodiment includes the above-mentioned connecting device 1000. Based on the fact that the connecting device 1000 can replace multiple robotic arms to perform the operations of grasping, flipping and placing on the conveyor line in steps to improve the efficiency of feeding battery cells 2000 onto the conveyor line 3000, the feeding efficiency of battery cells 2000 in the battery production line of this application embodiment is improved, thereby improving the battery production efficiency.

[0213] Understandably, in this embodiment, the connecting device 1000 in the battery production line 10 may include a first connecting mechanism 100 and a second connecting mechanism 200. The first gripper assembly 140 of the first connecting mechanism 100 and the second gripper assembly 240 of the second connecting mechanism 200 can both grip battery cells 2000 in a first posture. The first gripper assembly 140 can be flipped to a second posture to feed N sets of conveyor lines 3000. The second gripper assembly 240 can be flipped to a second posture to replenish the group of conveyor lines 3000 that transmits fewer battery cells 2000. Thus, while ensuring that feeding is not affected, the second gripper assembly 240 can perform replenishment operations on the conveyor lines 3000, effectively ensuring that each group of conveyor lines 3000 can transport a sufficient number of battery cells 2000.

[0214] For example, when there are two sets of conveyor lines 3000, if the battery formulation includes an odd number of battery cells 2000, the stacking device 5000 will take out different numbers of battery cells 2000 from the two sets of conveyor lines 3000, resulting in a difference in the number of battery cells 2000 on the two sets of conveyor lines 3000. Therefore, it is necessary to replenish the conveyor line 3000 with fewer cells. When the connecting device 1000 only includes a first connecting mechanism 100, the first flipping component 130 can drive the first gripper component 140 to flip, simultaneously achieving the purpose of feeding and replenishing. When the connecting device 1000 includes a first connecting mechanism 100 and a second connecting mechanism 200, the first connecting mechanism 100 can be used to perform the feeding operation, while the second connecting mechanism 200 can be used to perform the replenishment operation. Without affecting the feeding efficiency of the battery cells 2000, it is possible to replenish the conveyor line 3000 with fewer battery cells 2000.

[0215] Please refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the gripping device 4000 includes multiple gripping components, and the number of conveyor lines 3000 is also multiple, with the number of gripping components being the same as the number of conveyor lines 3000.

[0216] Understandably, the gripping component is a structural component used to clamp the external battery cell 2000. The gripping component may include multiple claws controlled by a drive structure, which uses the drive structure to control the claws to grip the battery cell.

[0217] For example, the gripping device 4000 may include a robotic arm and a gripping assembly. The robotic arm may move the gripping assembly to grip an external battery cell 2000, or move the gripping assembly to the docking device 100 to place the battery cell 2000 into the first gripper assembly 140.

[0218] With this configuration, multiple gripping components can simultaneously grip multiple sets of battery cells 2000 and feed them onto the first gripper components 140 of multiple sets of first flipping components 130, so that multiple sets of first flipping components 130 can drive the corresponding first gripper components 140 to flip and feed them onto each set of conveyor lines 3000, effectively improving the feeding efficiency.

[0219] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 9 This application provides a method for proportioning 2000 battery cells into a group. The proportioning method is applied to the battery production line 10 described above. The proportioning method includes:

[0220] Connecting battery cell 2000, gripping device 4000 grips battery cell 2000 from the outside and puts it into connecting device 1000. Connecting device 1000 moves and flips battery cell 2000 and puts it into each group of conveyor lines 3000.

[0221] Pre-stacked battery cells 2000, stacking device 5000 pre-stacks battery cells 2000 on conveyor line 3000;

[0222] When the number of battery cells 2000 pre-stacked on any set of conveyor lines 3000 by the stacking device 5000 reaches a preset value, the gripping device 4000 grips the battery cells 2000 from the outside and puts them into the connecting device 1000. The connecting device 1000 moves and flips the battery cells 2000 and puts them onto the set of conveyor lines 3000.

[0223] The stacking device 5000 is used to pre-stack the battery cells 2000 on the conveyor line 3000. Specifically, the stacking device 5000 pre-stacks a specific number of battery cells 2000 into groups according to the formula of the produced battery.

[0224] The preset value of the number of pre-stacked battery cells 2000 mentioned above refers to the number of battery cells 2000 in the battery formula produced by the stacking device 5000.

[0225] Understandably, in the pre-stacking of battery cells 2000 step, the specific operation of the stacking device 5000 pre-stacking the battery cells 2000 on the conveyor line 3000 is as follows: the stacking device 5000 takes out a specific number of battery cells 2000 according to the formula of the battery being produced, and then performs a pre-stacking operation on these specific number of battery cells 2000. Therefore, the number of battery cells 2000 taken out from each group of conveyor lines may be different, for example, if the number of battery cells 2000 taken out is odd. In this case, the number of battery cells 2000 on each group of conveyor lines 3000 may differ. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement the battery cells 2000 step to balance the number of battery cells 2000 on each group of conveyor lines 3000, so that each group of conveyor lines 3000 has a sufficient number of battery cells 2000, avoiding affecting subsequent pre-stacking processes or other processes.

[0226] The battery cell grouping method provided in this application embodiment uses a stacking device 5000 to pre-stack the battery cells 2000 on the conveyor line 3000. When the stacking device 5000 stacks the battery cells 2000 according to the formula to reach a preset value, the number of battery cells 2000 on one group of conveyor lines 3000 will be less than the number of battery cells 2000 on other groups of conveyor lines 3000. At this time, the battery cells 2000 can be picked up from the outside by the gripping device 4000 and placed into the connecting device 1000. The connecting device 1000 moves and flips the battery cells 2000 and places them on the group of conveyor lines 3000 to achieve the purpose of supplementing the battery cells 2000 and to balance the number of battery cells 2000 on each group of conveyor lines 3000 to avoid affecting the pre-stacking process.

[0227] In some embodiments, the connecting device 1000 includes a first connecting mechanism 100 and a second connecting mechanism 200. The first connecting mechanism 100 includes N sets of first flipping components 130, and each set of flipping components is provided with the same number of first gripper components 140. The second connecting mechanism 200 includes a set of second flipping components 230, and the second flipping components 230 are provided with a plurality of second gripper components 240.

[0228] In the step of connecting battery cell 2000, the gripping device 4000 grips the battery cell 2000 from the outside and puts it into the first gripper assembly 140 which is in the first posture. The first gripper assembly 140 flips to the second posture and puts the battery cell 2000 into the corresponding conveyor line 3000.

[0229] In the step of replenishing battery cells 2000, the gripping device 4000 grips the battery cells 2000 from the outside and places them into the second gripper assembly 240 which is in a first posture. The second gripper assembly 240 flips to a second posture and places the battery cells 2000 onto a set of conveyor lines 3000 where the number of pre-stacked battery cells 2000 reaches a preset value.

[0230] The first connecting mechanism 100 can use N sets of first flipping components 130 to simultaneously flip N sets of conveyor lines 3000 to feed battery cells 2000, so as to ensure the feeding efficiency of battery cells 2000; at the same time, the second connecting mechanism 200 can use a set of second flipping components 230 to feed any group of conveyor lines 3000 with a smaller number of cells in proportion. While ensuring the feeding efficiency of battery cells 2000, the second flipping component 230 drives the second gripper component 240 to flip for proportioning and replenishing, which effectively improves the production efficiency of batteries.

[0231] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A connecting device, characterized in that: The connecting device is used to feed individual battery cells onto the conveyor line. The connecting device includes a first connecting mechanism, which includes: First matrix; A first flipping assembly includes a support, a flipping drive structure, and a flipping shaft. The support is disposed on a first base. The flipping drive structure includes a telescopic drive member and a connecting block. The connecting block is fixedly connected to the flipping shaft. The telescopic drive member is hinged to the support, and its output end is hinged to the connecting block. The connecting block protrudes towards the telescopic drive member to form a clearance portion, and the output end of the telescopic drive member is hinged to the clearance portion. A first gripper assembly is fixedly connected to the flipping shaft. The first flipping assembly is configured to drive the first gripper assembly to flip to a first posture or a second posture. The first gripper assembly grips the battery cell in the first posture. The first flipping assembly is configured to drive the first gripper assembly to flip to the second posture, so that the battery cell is flipped synchronously to adjust its posture, and the battery cell is fed into the conveyor line in the second posture.

2. The connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first gripper assembly is configured to grip the battery cell along the thickness direction of the battery cell.

3. The connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connecting mechanism further includes a first moving component, which is disposed on the first base, and a first flipping component is disposed on the first moving component. The first moving component is configured to drive the first flipping component to move.

4. The connecting device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first moving component includes: A movable frame is movably connected to the first base, and the first flipping component is movably connected to the movable frame; A first moving drive component is disposed on the first base, and the output end of the first moving drive component is connected to the moving frame; and A second moving drive component is disposed on the moving frame, and the output end of the second moving drive component is connected to the first flipping component; The output direction of the first moving drive intersects with the output direction of the second moving drive.

5. The connecting device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The output direction of the first moving drive is perpendicular to the output direction of the second moving drive, and the first moving drive is configured to drive the moving frame to move along the direction of gravity.

6. The connecting device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The first moving component also includes: A first guide member is disposed on the first base; the movable frame is connected to the first guide member and configured to slide along the first guide member; and A second guide is disposed on the movable frame, and the first flipping component is configured to slide along the second guide.

7. The connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first flipping assembly further includes a mounting bearing, which is disposed on the support, and the flipping shaft passes through and is rotatably connected to the mounting bearing.

8. The connecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first flipping assembly further includes a buffer block and a buffer limiting member. The buffer block is disposed on the flipping shaft, and the buffer limiting member is disposed on the support. The buffer limiting member is configured to abut against the buffer block when the flipping shaft drives the first gripper assembly to flip to the first posture and / or the second posture.

9. The connecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first flipping assembly further includes a controller and a positioning sensor. The controller is electrically connected to the positioning sensor and the flipping drive structure. The positioning sensor is disposed on the support and is configured to sense that the first gripper assembly moves to the first posture and / or the second posture.

10. The connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first gripper assembly includes: A fixed base is connected to the first flipping assembly; A gripper drive is mounted on the fixed base; The gripper body is connected to the output end of the gripper drive; and A gripper fixing member is connected to the fixing base; the gripper driving member is configured to drive the gripper body to reciprocate in the direction of the gripper fixing member.

11. The connecting device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The gripper body and the gripper fixing member are configured to clamp the battery cell on opposite end faces along the thickness direction of the battery cell.

12. The connecting device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The gripper body includes: The first clamping block is connected to the output end of the gripper drive component; The second clamping block is slidably connected to the first clamping block along the output direction of the clamping drive; and An elastic buffer is disposed between the first clamping block and the second clamping block, with its opposite ends abutting against the first clamping block and the second clamping block, respectively.

13. The connecting device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The mounting base is provided with a support portion, which is configured to support the battery cell, and the clamping fastener is connected to the support portion.

14. The connecting device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The end of the gripper body facing the gripper fixing member is covered with a first insulating member, the end of the gripper fixing member facing the gripper body is covered with a second insulating member, and the side end of the support portion used to support the battery cell is covered with a third insulating member.

15. The connecting device according to claim 14, characterized in that: At least one of the first insulating element, the second insulating element, and the third insulating element is flexible.

16. The connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The number of the first flipping components is multiple sets, and the number of the first gripper components set on the first flipping components in each set is the same.

17. The connecting device according to claim 16, characterized in that: The connecting device further includes a second connecting mechanism, and both the first connecting mechanism and the second connecting mechanism are located on the conveying path of the conveyor line; The second connecting mechanism includes a second base, a second moving component, a second flipping component, and a second gripper component; The first connecting mechanism includes N sets of the first flipping components, and the second connecting mechanism includes fewer than N sets of the second flipping components; wherein, N is the number of sets of the conveyor line, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

18. The connecting device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The number of the first flipping components is two sets, and the number of the second flipping components is one set.

19. A battery production line, characterized in that, include: The connecting device as described in any one of claims 1-18; A gripping device for transferring individual battery cells onto a first gripper assembly in a first orientation; A conveyor line for transporting individual battery cells released by the first gripper assembly in the second posture; as well as A stacking device is disposed downstream of the connecting device in the conveying direction of the conveyor line, and the stacking device is configured to pre-stack battery cells on the conveyor line.

20. The battery production line according to claim 19, characterized in that: The gripping device includes multiple gripping components, and the number of conveyor lines is also multiple, with the number of gripping components being the same as the number of conveyor lines.

21. A method for feeding battery cells, characterized in that, The feeding method is applied to the battery production line as described in claim 19 or 20, and the feeding method includes: The battery cell is connected to the receiving device, which picks up the battery cell from the outside and puts it into the receiving device. The receiving device moves and flips the battery cell and puts it into each group of conveyor lines. Pre-stacked battery cells: The stacking device pre-stacks the battery cells on the conveyor line. When the number of battery cells pre-stacked on any set of conveyor lines by the stacking device reaches a preset value, the gripping device grabs the battery cells from the outside and puts them into the connecting device. The connecting device moves and flips the battery cells and puts them into the set of conveyor lines.

22. The method for feeding battery cells according to claim 21, characterized in that: The connecting device includes a first connecting mechanism and a second connecting mechanism. The first connecting mechanism includes N sets of first flipping components, and each set of flipping components is provided with the same number of first gripper components. The second connecting mechanism includes a set of second flipping components, and the second flipping components are provided with a plurality of second gripper components. Wherein, N is the number of sets of the conveyor line, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. In the step of connecting the battery cell, the gripping device grips the battery cell from the outside and places it into the first gripper assembly in the first posture. The first gripper assembly flips to the second posture and places the battery cell into the corresponding set of conveyor lines. In the replenishment of battery cells step, the gripping device grips a battery cell from the outside and places it into the second gripper assembly which is in a first position. The second gripper assembly flips to a second position and places the battery cell onto a set of conveyor lines where the number of pre-stacked battery cells reaches a preset value.

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