Battery cell recycling apparatus

Abstract

The application provides an electric core recycling device, which has a separation station, a loosening station and a recycling station arranged in sequence. The electric core recycling device comprises a tail roll separation mechanism, the tail roll separation mechanism is arranged in the separation station, and the tail roll separation mechanism is used for separating the tail end of the diaphragm of the wound electric core to be recycled to obtain a first pretreated electric core with the tail end of the diaphragm separated; a loosening mechanism, the loosening mechanism is arranged in the loosening station, and the loosening mechanism is used for loosening the first pretreated electric core to obtain a second pretreated electric core with the pole piece and the diaphragm loose; a diaphragm recycling mechanism, the diaphragm recycling mechanism is arranged in the recycling station and is used for winding and recycling the diaphragm of the second pretreated electric core; and a pole piece recycling mechanism, the pole piece recycling mechanism is arranged in the recycling station and is used for recycling the pole piece of the second pretreated electric core. The electric core recycling device provided by the application completely separates the pole piece from the diaphragm, omits many sorting devices required by the existing process, shortens the process flow, reduces equipment investment and saves energy consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery recycling technology, and more specifically, to a battery cell recycling device. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, the dismantling and recycling process of waste batteries has a low degree of automation and mainly relies on manual labor. The current mainstream method of dismantling and recycling is to crush the battery cells as a whole and then sort them. The aluminum powder, copper powder, positive and negative electrode powders obtained after sorting are then refined using wet or pyrometallurgical processes. This method leads to the mixing of positive and negative electrode materials, high separation costs, low recovery rate of important metals, and a long process involving multiple sorting steps, resulting in large equipment investment and high energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a new technical solution for battery cell recycling equipment, which can at least solve one of the problems of complex battery cell recycling methods, high separation costs, and low recycling rates in the prior art.

[0004] This application provides a battery cell recycling device, which has a separation station, a loosening station, and a recycling station arranged in sequence. The battery cell recycling device includes: a tail-winding separation mechanism, which is located at the separation station and is used to separate the tail end of the separator of the wound battery cell to be recycled to obtain a first pre-treated battery cell with the separator tail end separated; a loosening mechanism, which is located at the loosening station and is used to loosen the first pre-treated battery cell to obtain a second pre-treated battery cell with the electrode and separator loose; a separator recycling mechanism, which is located at the recycling station and is used to wind and recycle the separator of the second pre-treated battery cell; and an electrode recycling mechanism, which is located at the recycling station and is used to recycle the electrode of the second pre-treated battery cell.

[0005] Optionally, the battery cell recycling equipment further includes a conveying mechanism for conveying the wound battery cell, the first pre-treated battery cell, or the second pre-treated battery cell between the separation station, the loosening station, and the recycling station, such that the diaphragm tail end of the second pre-treated battery cell at the recycling station faces downward.

[0006] Optionally, the conveying mechanism includes: a first conveying component, which is disposed at the separation station and used to convey the wound battery cell in a horizontal direction; a second conveying component, which is disposed between the separation station and the unloading station and used to rotate 90° to convey the first pre-treated battery cell; and a third conveying component, which is disposed between the unloading station and the recycling station and used to rotate 180° to convey the second pre-treated battery cell.

[0007] Optionally, the first conveying assembly includes: a conveyor belt extending horizontally and used to convey the wound battery cell, and the tail roll separation mechanism being disposed on one side of the conveyor belt.

[0008] Optionally, the second conveying assembly includes: a transport gripper, which is rotatable between a first position and a second position, and the rotation angle of the transport gripper is 90°. When the transport gripper is in the first position, the transport gripper acquires the first pre-treated battery cell from the tail roll separation mechanism. When the transport gripper is in the second position, the transport gripper releases the first pre-treated battery cell to the third conveying assembly.

[0009] Optionally, the third conveying assembly includes: a turntable, which is rotatable about its own axis, and the axis of rotation of the turntable is parallel to the axis of rotation of the second conveying assembly; and a plurality of carriers, which are arranged circumferentially on the turntable and are used to carry the first pre-treated battery cell or the second pre-treated battery cell.

[0010] Optionally, the tail-winding separation mechanism includes: a first base; an adsorption member disposed on the first base, the adsorption member being used to adsorb the separator at the tail of the wound cell so that a gap is formed between the outermost separator and the remaining separators; a separator pin movably disposed on the first base, the separator pin being used to insert into the gap and lift the outermost separator cutter, the cutter being movably disposed on the first base, the cutter being used to cut the outermost separator.

[0011] Optionally, the loosening mechanism includes: an inner hole pin assembly for inserting into the first pre-treated battery cell; and a loosening gripper for pressing the first pre-treated battery cell into a circular or elliptical shape.

[0012] Optionally, the diaphragm recycling mechanism includes: a diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly for adsorbing the outermost diaphragm of the second pretreated battery cell; a diaphragm initiation gripper for gripping and conveying the diaphragm adsorbed by the diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly; and a winding assembly for receiving and winding the diaphragm from the diaphragm winding gripper.

[0013] Optionally, the winding assembly includes: a second base; a winding adsorption rod rotatably disposed on the second base about its own axis, the winding adsorption rod being used to adsorb and wind the diaphragm; a winding drive member connected to and driving the winding adsorption rod; a diaphragm rejection member disposed at one end of the winding adsorption rod near the second base; and a rejection drive member connected to and driving the winding adsorption rod to move along its own axial direction to cooperate with the diaphragm rejection member to reject the diaphragm wound on the winding adsorption rod.

[0014] Optionally, the electrode recycling mechanism includes: a negative electrode clamping roller for clamping and guiding the negative electrode sheet; a positive electrode clamping roller for clamping and guiding the positive electrode sheet; the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 is located between the negative electrode clamping roller and the positive electrode clamping roller; and an electrode guiding assembly disposed between the diaphragm recycling mechanism and the positive electrode clamping roller for guiding the positive electrode sheet to the positive electrode clamping roller.

[0015] Optionally, the negative electrode clamping roller and the positive electrode clamping roller each include a driving roller and a driven roller, the driving roller and the driven roller are arranged in parallel, and the driven roller can move closer to or further away from the driving roller along its own radial direction.

[0016] Optionally, the battery cell recycling equipment further includes a negative electrode receiving box, a diaphragm receiving box, and a positive electrode receiving box arranged sequentially in a horizontal direction. The negative electrode receiving box is located at the bottom side of the negative electrode clamping roller to recycle the negative electrode sheet, the positive electrode receiving box is located at the bottom side of the positive electrode clamping roller to recycle the positive electrode sheet, and the diaphragm receiving box is located at the bottom side of the diaphragm recycling mechanism to recycle the diaphragm.

[0017] According to the battery cell recycling equipment of this application, a tail-winding separation mechanism, a loosening mechanism, a diaphragm recycling mechanism 30, and an electrode recycling mechanism 40 are arranged sequentially according to the workstation layout. The tail-winding separation mechanism separates the tail end of the diaphragm from the wound battery cell, facilitating the grasping of the diaphragm's starting end during subsequent battery cell recycling. The loosening mechanism loosens the wound battery cell, making the electrode and diaphragm within the wound battery cell loose, facilitating the subsequent separation of the electrode and diaphragm. Then, the diaphragm recycling mechanism and the electrode recycling mechanism separate and recycle the diaphragm and electrode. This not only achieves automated disassembly and recycling of the battery cells, improving recycling efficiency, but also completely separates the electrode and diaphragm, allowing the electrode to be directly fed into the subsequent extraction process after crushing. This eliminates the need for numerous sorting devices required in existing processes, shortens the process flow, reduces equipment investment, and saves energy. At the same time, because the impurities in the electrode are separated more thoroughly, the loss of precious metal elements in the process is reduced, and the extraction rate is also improved.

[0018] Other features and advantages of this application will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a battery cell recycling device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a wound battery cell when the separator tail end of the wound battery cell is not separated from the battery cell according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a battery cell after the diaphragm tail end of a wound battery cell has been separated, according to an embodiment of the present application, using a battery cell recycling device.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the tail coil separation mechanism in a battery cell recycling device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the diaphragm recycling mechanism in a battery cell recycling device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the negative electrode clamping roller in a battery cell recycling device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure Labels

[0027] 100. Battery cell recycling equipment; a. Separation station; b. Loosening station; c. Recycling station;

[0028] 10. Tail roll separation mechanism; 11. First base; 12. Adsorption element; 13. Diaphragm pin; 14. Cutter;

[0029] 20. Release mechanism; 21. Inner hole pin assembly; 22. Release gripper;

[0030] 30. Diaphragm recycling mechanism; 31. Diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly; 32. Diaphragm initiation gripper; 33. Winding assembly; 331. Second base; 332. Winding adsorption rod; 333. Winding drive; 334. Diaphragm rejection assembly; 335. Rejection drive;

[0031] 40. Electrode recovery mechanism; 41. Negative electrode clamping roller; 42. Positive electrode clamping roller; 43. Electrode guide assembly; 44. Driven roller; 45. Driven roller;

[0032] 51. First conveying assembly; 511. Conveyor belt; 52. Second conveying assembly; 521. Handling gripper; 53. Third conveying assembly; 531. Turntable; 532. Carrier;

[0033] 60. Negative electrode receiving box; 70. Positive electrode receiving box; 80. Diaphragm receiving box;

[0034] 201. Winded cell; 202. First pre-treated cell; 203. Second pre-treated cell; 204. Separator; 205. Adhesive tape; 206. Starting end; 207. Negative electrode sheet; 208. Positive electrode sheet. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application.

[0036] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the scope of this application and its application or use.

[0037] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0038] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0039] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0040] The battery cell recycling device 100 according to an embodiment of this application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the battery cell recycling equipment 100 according to an embodiment of this application has a separation station a, a loosening station b, and a recycling station c arranged in sequence. The battery cell recycling equipment 100 includes: a tail roll separation mechanism 10, a loosening mechanism 20, a diaphragm recycling mechanism 30, and an electrode recycling mechanism 40.

[0042] Specifically, the tail-winding separation mechanism 10 is located at separation station a, and is used to separate the tail end of the separator 204 of the wound cell 201 to be recycled, to obtain a first pre-treated cell 202 with the separator 204 separated at the tail end. The loosening mechanism 20 is located at loosening station b, and is used to loosen the first pre-treated cell 202 to obtain a second pre-treated cell 203 with the electrode and separator 204 loosened. The separator recycling mechanism 30 is located at recycling station c and is used to wind and recycle the separator 204 of the second pre-treated cell 203. The electrode recycling mechanism 40 is located at recycling station c and is used to recycle the electrode of the second pre-treated cell 203.

[0043] In other words, the battery cell recycling equipment 100 according to the embodiments of this application mainly consists of a tail winding separation mechanism 10, a loosening mechanism 20, a diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 and an electrode recycling mechanism 40, which can efficiently recycle the electrode sheets in the wound battery cell 201 to be recycled.

[0044] It should be noted that the wound cell 201 can include, but is not limited to, cylindrical cells wound into a cylindrical shape, and square cells that are pressed into a cuboid shape after winding. Any cell formed by continuously winding the electrode sheet and the separator 204 is included within the scope of the wound cell 201. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the outermost layer of the wound cell 201 is a separator 204, and the tail end of the separator 204 is fixed to the other separators 204 by tape 205.

[0045] The battery cell recycling equipment 100 of this application mainly includes three stations: separation station a, loosening station b, and recycling station c. The wound battery cell 201 can undergo a first pre-treatment at separation station a, a second pre-treatment at loosening station b, and finally the recycling of the electrode sheet and separator 204 is completed at recycling station c.

[0046] Specifically, the separation station a is provided with a tail winding separation mechanism 10, which is used to separate the tail end of the separator 204 of the wound cell 201. The separation method may include, but is not limited to, cutting the tape 205 at the tail end of the separator 204, removing the tape 205, and cutting the outermost separator 204. After the tail end of the separator 204 is separated, the starting end 206 of the separator 204 can be formed. The wound cell 201 with the tail end of the separator 204 separated can be formed as the first pre-processed cell 202.

[0047] The loosening station b is equipped with a loosening mechanism 20, used to loosen the first pre-treated cell 202 to obtain the second pre-treated cell 203. In the unloosened cell, the electrode and the separator 204 are tightly attached and difficult to separate. After loosening, the internal structure of the cell becomes loose, and the looseness between the electrode and the separator 204 increases, facilitating subsequent separation of the separator 204 and the electrode. The loosening method can include, but is not limited to, using mechanical force, heat, chemical means, etc.

[0048] The recycling station c is equipped with a diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 and an electrode recycling mechanism 40. In the second pre-processed cell 203, the electrodes and diaphragm 204 are separated and recycled by the electrode recycling mechanism 40 and the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30, respectively. In the wound cell 201, the positive electrode, negative electrode 207, and diaphragm 204 are stacked and continuously wound. A diaphragm 204 is provided between any adjacent positive and negative electrode 207. During recycling, the positive electrode, negative electrode 207, and diaphragm 204 can be separated and recycled separately.

[0049] Therefore, according to the battery cell recycling equipment 100 of this application, the tail winding separation mechanism 10, the loosening mechanism 20, the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30, and the electrode recycling mechanism 40 are arranged in sequence according to the workstation layout. The tail winding separation mechanism 10 separates the tail end of the diaphragm 204 of the wound battery cell 201, making it convenient to grasp the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204 when recycling the battery cell later. The loosening mechanism 20 loosens the wound battery cell 201, making the electrode and the diaphragm 204 inside the wound battery cell 201 loose, which facilitates the subsequent separation of the electrode and the diaphragm 204. Then, the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 and the electrode recycling mechanism 40 separate and recycle the diaphragm 204 and the electrode. This not only realizes the automated disassembly and recycling of the battery cell, improving the recycling efficiency, but also completely separates the electrode and the diaphragm 204, making it convenient for the electrode to be directly entered into the subsequent extraction process after being crushed. This eliminates the need for many sorting devices required by the existing process, shortens the process flow, reduces equipment investment, and saves energy. Meanwhile, because the impurities in the electrode are separated more thoroughly, the loss of precious metal elements in the process is reduced, and the extraction rate is also improved.

[0050] In some alternative implementations, the battery cell recycling equipment 100 may also be equipped with a dust removal device and a purification device to remove dust, exhaust gas, etc. generated throughout the recycling process.

[0051] According to one embodiment of this application, the battery cell recycling equipment 100 further includes a conveying mechanism for conveying a wound battery cell 201, a first pre-treated battery cell 202, or a second pre-treated battery cell 203 between a separation station a, a loosening station b, and a recycling station c, such that the tail end of the diaphragm 204 of the second pre-treated battery cell 203 at the recycling station c faces downward.

[0052] Specifically, the separation station a, the unwinding station b, and the recycling station c can be connected by a conveying mechanism. This conveying mechanism can transport the wound battery cell 201 at the separation station a, transport the first pre-treated battery cell 202 from the separation station a to the unwinding station b, and transport the second pre-treated battery cell 203 from the unwinding station b to the recycling station c.

[0053] The conveying method of the conveying mechanism may include, but is not limited to, belt conveyor, robotic arm conveyor and turntable conveyor, and is not limited here.

[0054] It should be noted that when the conveying mechanism transports the second pre-treated cell 203 to the recycling station c, the tail end of the separated diaphragm 204 on the second pre-treated cell 203 can face downwards, that is, the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204 can face downwards, thereby controlling the starting end 206 in a suitable position, so that the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 can obtain the starting end 206 to extract the diaphragm 204 from the second pre-treated cell 203, thereby separating the electrode from the diaphragm 204.

[0055] According to other embodiments of this application, the conveying mechanism includes a first conveying assembly 51, a second conveying assembly 52, and a third conveying assembly 53. The first conveying assembly 51 is located at the separation station a and is used to convey the wound battery cell 201 horizontally. The second conveying assembly 52 is located between the separation station a and the unloading station b and is used to rotate 90° to convey the first pre-treated battery cell 202. The third conveying assembly 53 is located between the unloading station b and the recycling station c, and is used to rotate 180° to convey the second pre-treated battery cell 203.

[0056] Specifically, the conveying mechanism mainly consists of three conveying components, namely the first conveying component 51, the second conveying component 52, and the third conveying component 53.

[0057] A first conveying assembly 51 is provided at the separation station a. The first conveying assembly 51 can convey the wound battery cell 201 in a horizontal direction. The wound battery cell 201 to be recycled can be fed to one end of the first conveying assembly 51, and then conveyed by the first conveying assembly 51 to the second conveying assembly 52.

[0058] When the wound battery cell 201 is mounted on the first conveying assembly 51, the tail end of the diaphragm 204 is positioned above the wound battery cell 201, and the tape 205 at the tail end is also positioned above the wound battery cell 201. The tail-wound separation mechanism 10 can separate the tail end of the diaphragm 204 from the wound battery cell 201 mounted on the first conveying assembly 51. The first pre-treated battery cell 202 formed after separation is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the starting end 206 is located above the first pre-treated cell 202, and the diaphragm 204 at the starting end 206 extends horizontally to the right.

[0059] A second conveying assembly 52 is provided between the separation station a and the loosening station b. The second conveying assembly 52 obtains the first pre-treated battery cell 202 from the first conveying assembly 51 at the separation station a, and then rotates it 90° before conveying the first pre-treated battery cell 202 to the loosening station b. After rotating 90°, the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204 of the first pre-treated battery cell 202 faces downward.

[0060] A third conveying assembly 53 is provided between the loosening station b and the recycling station c. The third conveying assembly 53 obtains the first pre-treated battery cell 202 from the second conveying assembly 52. ​​The first pre-treated battery cell 202 is loosened by the loosening mechanism 20 at the loosening station b to form the second pre-treated battery cell 203. Then, it is transported to the recycling station c after being rotated 180° by the third conveying assembly 53. The third conveying assembly 53 can ensure that the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204 of the second pre-treated battery cell 203 on the rotating shaft is still facing downward. That is to say, the starting end 206 is facing downward before and after the third conveying assembly 53 rotates 180°, which makes it convenient for the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 to obtain the starting end 206 to extract the diaphragm 204 from the second pre-treated battery cell 203, thereby separating the electrode from the diaphragm 204.

[0061] It should be noted that the downward orientation of the starting end 206 can be, but is not limited to, vertical downward orientation or inclined downward orientation, and is not limited here.

[0062] In some specific embodiments of this application, the first conveying assembly 51 includes a conveyor belt 511, which extends horizontally and is used to convey the wound battery cell 201, and the tail roll separation mechanism 10 is disposed on one side of the conveyor belt 511.

[0063] Specifically, the first conveying assembly 51 mainly consists of a conveyor belt 511, which can extend horizontally, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the left end of the conveyor belt 511 can be used for loading, and the right end can be used for unloading. A tail-winding separation mechanism 10 can be provided on one side of the conveyor belt 511. When the conveyor belt 511 transports the wound battery cell 201 to the tail-winding separation mechanism 10, it can pause briefly. After the tail-winding separation mechanism 10 completes the separation of the tail end of the diaphragm 204, the conveyor belt 511 continues to transport the wound battery cell 201. The conveyor belt 511 has the advantage of strong controllability, which is conducive to the realization of automated battery cell recycling.

[0064] According to some optional embodiments of this application, the second conveying assembly 52 includes a transport gripper 521, which is rotatable between a first position and a second position. The rotation angle of the transport gripper 521 is 90°. When the transport gripper 521 is in the first position, the transport gripper 521 acquires the first pre-treated battery cell 202 from the tail roll separation mechanism 10. When the transport gripper 521 is in the second position, the transport gripper 521 releases the first pre-treated battery cell 202 to the third conveying assembly 53.

[0065] In this embodiment, the transport gripper 521 can not only transport the first pre-processed battery cell 202 between the two workstations, but also adjust the position of the first pre-processed battery cell 202, so that the starting end 206 extends from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction, thereby facilitating the final position adjustment of the battery cell in conjunction with the third transport mechanism.

[0066] Specifically, the transport gripper 521 may include two claws that can grip the first pre-treated battery cell 202 from the top and bottom at the separation station a. Then, the transport gripper 521 rotates 90° to switch from the first position to the second position, so that the first pre-treated battery cell 202 is transported to the third transport assembly 53, and then the two claws are released.

[0067] According to other embodiments of this application, the third conveying assembly 53 includes a turntable 531 and a plurality of carriers 532. The turntable 531 is rotatable about its own axis, and the axis of rotation of the turntable 531 is parallel to the axis of rotation of the second conveying assembly 52. ​​The plurality of carriers 532 are arranged circumferentially spaced on the turntable 531, and the carriers 532 are used to carry the first pre-treated battery cell 202 or the second pre-treated battery cell 203.

[0068] Specifically, a turntable 531 is provided between the loosening station b and the recycling station c. The turntable 531 is capable of rotating at least 180°. The rotation axis of the turntable 531 is parallel to the rotation axis of the transport gripper 521. Optionally, the turntable 531 is capable of rotating 360°, and the axis of the turntable 531 can extend horizontally.

[0069] Multiple carriers 532 can be spaced apart along the circumference of the turntable 531. The carriers 532 can be used to carry the first pre-treated battery cell 202 or the second pre-treated battery cell 203. The transport gripper 521 transports the first pre-treated battery cell 202 to the carrier 532 at the loosening station b. The carrier 532 carries the first pre-treated battery cell 202. Then, the loosening mechanism 20 loosens the first pre-treated battery cell 202 on the carrier 532 to obtain the second pre-treated battery cell 203. Then, the turntable 531 rotates 180° to transport the second pre-treated battery cell 203 on the carrier 532 to the recycling station c. Subsequently, the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 obtains the diaphragm 204 of the second pre-treated battery cell 203 on the carrier 532 and recycles it.

[0070] The rotation of turntable 531 causes carrier 532 to rotate the second pre-processed cell 203 by 180°, with the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204 of the second pre-processed cell 203 facing downwards.

[0071] In this embodiment, the turntable 531 and the carrier 532 can not only transport the second pre-treated battery cell 203 between the loosening station b and the recycling station c, but also adjust the position of the second pre-treated battery cell 203 so that the starting end 206 of the second pre-treated battery cell 203 faces downward at the recycling station c, so that the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 can obtain the diaphragm 204 through the starting end 206.

[0072] In some specific embodiments of this application, the tail-winding separation mechanism 10 includes: a first base 11, an adsorption member 12, a diaphragm pin 13, and a cutter 14. The adsorption member 12 is disposed on the first base 11 and is used to adsorb the diaphragm 204 at the tail of the wound battery cell 201, thereby forming a gap between the outermost diaphragm 204 and the remaining diaphragms 204. The diaphragm pin 13 is movably disposed on the first base 11 and is used to insert into the gap and lift the outermost diaphragm 204. The cutter 14 is movably disposed on the first base 11 and is used to cut the outermost diaphragm 204.

[0073] Specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first base 11 can be fixed to one side of the conveyor belt 511. The adsorption member 12, the diaphragm pin 13, and the cutter 14 can be connected to the first base. The diaphragm pin 13 can extend along the width direction of the conveyor belt 511, and the diaphragm pin 13 can move at least along the width direction of the conveyor belt 511, that is, along the axial direction of the winding of the battery cell 201 on the conveyor belt 511. The cutter 14 can move in the vertical direction.

[0074] Optionally, the diaphragm pin 13 may be provided with a groove that extends along the axial direction of the wound cell 201, and the cutter 14 may pass through the groove to cut the diaphragm 204.

[0075] The separation process at the tail end of diaphragm 204 is described in detail below.

[0076] Taking a square battery cell as an example, the side of the wound battery cell 201 on the conveyor belt 511 with the adhesive tape 205 facing upwards, and the cutter 14 is located above the wound battery cell 201. First, the adsorption member 12 can adsorb the tail end of the separator 204, so that the outermost separator 204 is separated from the other separators 204 to form a gap. The separator pin 13 can be inserted into the gap and lift the tail end of the separator 204. Then the cutter 14 can pass through the groove on the separator pin 13 and cut the separator 204, so that the tail end of the separator 204 forms a new starting end 206, forming a... Figure 3 In the structure shown, the tape 205 and a small portion of the diaphragm 204 can adhere to the remaining diaphragm 204, and the starting end 206 is disconnected from the tape 205.

[0077] In this embodiment, by using the adsorption member 12, the diaphragm pin 13 and the cutter 14 together, the cell tape 205 and the diaphragm 204 can be cut and a new starting end 206 can be created, which makes it convenient to remove the diaphragm 204 from the cell in the future.

[0078] According to some alternative embodiments of this application, the release mechanism 20 includes an inner hole pin assembly 21 and a release gripper 22. The inner hole pin assembly 21 is used to insert into the first pre-treated battery cell 202. The release gripper 22 is used to press the first pre-treated battery cell 202 into a circular or elliptical shape.

[0079] Specifically, the inner hole needle assembly 21 can be inserted into the first pre-treated cell 202. Then, with the assistance of the inner hole needle, the loosening gripper 22 can press the first pre-treated cell 202. The second pre-treated cell 203 formed after pressing can be cylindrical or elliptical, as long as the electrode and the separator 204 are loosely separated. Loosening the electrode and separator 204 by pressing has the advantages of simple operation and high efficiency, and has little impact on the cell, which is beneficial to improving the extraction rate.

[0080] Optionally, the inner hole pin assembly 21 can be mounted on the carrier 532, and the releasing claw 22 can have two claw portions, which can be spaced apart vertically. Taking a rectangular battery cell as an example, it can be defined as follows: Figure 2 The left and right directions are the length direction of the battery cell, and the up and down directions are the width direction of the battery cell. When the first pre-processed battery cell 202 is in the release station b, the length direction of the first pre-processed battery cell 202 can be parallel to the vertical direction. As a result, the release gripper 22 can clamp and press the battery cell from the upper and lower sides, pressing the rectangular battery cell into a circle or ellipse.

[0081] According to other embodiments of this application, the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 includes a diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly 31, a diaphragm initiation gripper 32, and a winding assembly 33. The diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly 31 is used to adsorb the outermost diaphragm 204 of the second pre-treated battery cell 203. The diaphragm initiation gripper 32 is used to hold and transport the diaphragm 204 adsorbed by the diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly 31. The winding assembly 33 receives the diaphragm 204 from the diaphragm initiation gripper 32 and winds it up.

[0082] Specifically, the recycling station c can be equipped with a diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly 31, a diaphragm initiation gripper 32, and a winding assembly 33. The diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly 31 can adsorb the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204 from the second pre-treated cell 203 on the carrier 532, causing the starting end 206 to separate. Then, the diaphragm initiation gripper 32 can clamp the starting end 206, and then the diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly 31 releases the starting end 206. Subsequently, the diaphragm initiation gripper 32 clamps the diaphragm 204 to the winding assembly 33 through the starting end 206, and the winding assembly 33 winds up the diaphragm 204. During the process of the diaphragm initiation gripper 32 transporting the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204, the negative electrode sheet 207 outside the diaphragm 204 is automatically peeled off and recycled by the electrode recycling mechanism 40.

[0083] It should be noted that the wound cell 201 is formed by continuously winding a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate 207, and two separators 204. For ease of explanation, the two separators 204 are defined as the first separator and the second separator. In the wound cell 201, the first separator, the negative electrode plate 207, the second separator, and the positive electrode plate are stacked sequentially. When the tail winding separation mechanism 10 separates the tail end of the separator 204, it simultaneously cuts both separators 204.

[0084] The number of winding assemblies 33 can be two. The two winding assemblies 33 can be arranged vertically spaced apart. The membrane starter adsorption assembly 31 can pick up the starter ends 206 of the upper and lower membranes 204 respectively, and the membrane starter grippers 32 clamp the two starter ends 206 to the corresponding winding assemblies 33 respectively, and the two winding assemblies 33 wind up the two membranes 204 respectively. During the process of the two membranes 204 being wound up respectively, the positive electrode sheet between the two membranes 204 is automatically peeled off and recycled by the electrode recycling mechanism 40.

[0085] In this embodiment, by using the membrane starting adsorption assembly 31, the membrane starting gripper 32 and the winding assembly 33 in cooperation, the membrane 204 can be extracted from the second pre-treated cell 203, so that the positive electrode and the negative electrode 207 can be automatically peeled off from the membrane 204. The separation process is simple, efficient and energy-saving.

[0086] In some specific embodiments of this application, the winding assembly 33 includes: a second base 331, a winding adsorption rod 332, a winding drive 333, a diaphragm rejection member 334, and a rejection drive member 335.

[0087] A winding adsorption rod 332 is rotatably mounted on the second base 331 about its own axis. The winding adsorption rod 332 is used to adsorb and wind the diaphragm 204. A winding drive 333 is connected to and drives the winding adsorption rod 332. A diaphragm rejection member 334 is located at one end of the winding adsorption rod 332 near the second base 331. A rejection drive 335 is connected to the winding adsorption rod 332 and drives the winding adsorption rod 332 to move along its own axial direction, so as to cooperate with the diaphragm rejection member 334 to reject the diaphragm 204 wound on the winding adsorption rod 332.

[0088] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, each winding assembly 33 can be mainly composed of a second base 331, a winding suction rod 332, a winding drive 333, a diaphragm rejection member 334, and a rejection drive 335. The winding suction rod 332, the winding drive 333, the diaphragm rejection member 334, and the rejection drive 335 can be mounted on the second base.

[0089] The winding adsorption rod 332 may include rod sections, each of which may have a semi-circular cross-section. Two rod sections may be spaced apart to allow the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204 to pass through. The winding adsorption rod 332 can adsorb the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204, and then the winding drive 333 can drive the winding adsorption rod 332 to rotate around its own axis to wind the diaphragm 204.

[0090] Optionally, the winding drive 333 may include a winding motor.

[0091] One end of the winding adsorption rod 332 is connected to the second base 331, and the other end of the winding adsorption rod 332 can be a suspended end. The diaphragm 204 rejection assembly can include a ring, which can be sleeved on the winding adsorption rod 332 and located at the end of the winding adsorption rod 332 near the second base.

[0092] Once the separator 204 within a battery cell is fully wound, the winding suction rod 332 can stop rotating. Then, the rejection drive 335 can drive the winding suction rod 332 to retract, causing the suspended end of the winding suction rod 332 to approach the separator 204 rejection assembly, thereby causing the separator 204 on the winding suction rod 332 to peel off and fall off.

[0093] Optionally, the rejection drive 335 may include a cylinder, the telescopic rod of which may extend axially along the retracting suction rod 332.

[0094] In this embodiment, the diaphragm 204 can be wound up by the cooperation of the winding adsorption rod 332 and the winding drive 333. The diaphragm rejection member 334 and the rejection drive 335 cooperate with the winding adsorption rod 332 to peel the wound diaphragm 204 off the winding adsorption rod 332, which facilitates the collection of the diaphragm 204 and allows the winding adsorption rod 332 to perform the next round of winding of the diaphragm 204.

[0095] According to some optional embodiments of this application, the electrode recycling mechanism 40 includes: a negative electrode clamping roller 41, a positive electrode clamping roller 42, and an electrode guiding assembly 43. The negative electrode clamping roller 41 is used to clamp and guide the negative electrode 207. The positive electrode clamping roller 42 is used to clamp and guide the positive electrode, and the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 is located between the negative electrode clamping roller 41 and the positive electrode clamping roller 42. The electrode guiding assembly 43 is disposed between the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 and the positive electrode clamping roller 42, and is used to guide the positive electrode to the positive electrode clamping roller 42.

[0096] Specifically, a negative electrode clamping roller 41 may be provided on the side of the winding assembly 33 closest to the third conveying assembly 53, and a positive electrode clamping roller 42 may be provided on the side of the winding assembly 33 furthest from the third conveying assembly 53. After the negative electrode sheet 207 is automatically peeled off from the diaphragm 204, it falls into the negative electrode clamping roller 41, where it is recycled. Similarly, after the positive electrode sheet is automatically peeled off from the diaphragm 204, it falls into the positive electrode clamping roller 42, where it is recycled.

[0097] Since the positive electrode sheet is peeled off between the two layers of separator 204, an electrode sheet guide assembly 43 is provided between the positive electrode clamping roller 42 and the winding assembly 33. This guides the freshly peeled positive electrode sheet to the space between the positive electrode clamping roller 42, ensuring that the recycling of the positive electrode sheet, negative electrode sheet 207, and separator 204 is completely separated and does not interfere with each other. Furthermore, by using the positive electrode clamping roller 42 and negative electrode clamping roller 41 to clamp and guide the corresponding electrode sheets, the electrode sheets can be guided to a preset position, preventing electrode sheet deviation.

[0098] According to some other embodiments of this application, the negative electrode clamping roller 41 and the positive electrode clamping roller 42 respectively include a driving roller 44 and a driven roller 45, the driving roller 44 and the driven roller 45 are arranged in parallel, and the driven roller 45 can move closer to or further away from the driving roller 44 in its own radial direction.

[0099] like Figure 6 As shown, both the negative electrode clamping roller 41 and the positive electrode clamping roller 42 are mainly composed of a driving roller 44 and a driven roller 45. The driving roller 44 can be connected to the drive structure and rotate actively under the drive of the drive structure. In addition, the driven roller 45 can move closer to or further away from the driving roller 44 along its own radial direction.

[0100] When the electrode falls between the driving roller 44 and the driven roller 45, the driven roller 45 moves closer to the driving roller 44 and clamps the electrode. Then the driving roller 44 starts to rotate, and the driven roller 45 also starts to rotate under the action of friction, thereby driving and guiding the electrode to the corresponding position.

[0101] In some specific embodiments of this application, a negative electrode receiving box 60, a diaphragm receiving box 80, and a positive electrode receiving box 70 are arranged sequentially along the horizontal direction. The negative electrode receiving box 60 is located on the bottom side of the negative electrode clamping roller 41 to collect the negative electrode sheet 207, the positive electrode receiving box 70 is located on the bottom side of the positive electrode clamping roller 42 to collect the positive electrode sheet, and the diaphragm receiving box 80 is located on the bottom side of the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 to collect the diaphragm 204.

[0102] Specifically, a negative electrode take-up box 60 can be provided below the negative electrode clamping roller 41, a positive electrode take-up box 70 can be provided below the positive electrode clamping roller 42, and a diaphragm take-up box 80 can be provided below the winding assembly 33. The negative electrode take-up box 60, the diaphragm take-up box 80, and the positive electrode take-up box 70 are arranged sequentially in a horizontal direction, wherein the negative electrode take-up box 60 is located near the second pre-treated battery cell 203, and the positive electrode take-up box 70 is located away from the second pre-treated battery cell 203.

[0103] The negative electrode clamping roller 41 can drive the negative electrode sheet 207 into the negative electrode receiving box 60 below. The positive electrode clamping roller 42 can drive the positive electrode sheet into the positive electrode receiving box 70 below. After the separator 204 wound by the winding assembly 33 is rejected, it can fall into the separator receiving box 80 under the action of gravity, thereby achieving complete separation of the positive electrode sheet, negative electrode sheet 207 and separator 204.

[0104] In summary, the battery cell recycling equipment 100 of this application is arranged in the following order: a tail winding separation mechanism 10, a loosening mechanism 20, a diaphragm recycling mechanism 30, and an electrode recycling mechanism 40. The tail winding separation mechanism 10 separates the tail end of the diaphragm 204 of the wound battery cell 201, making it easier to grasp the starting end 206 of the diaphragm 204 during subsequent battery cell recycling. The loosening mechanism 20 loosens the wound battery cell 201, making the electrode and diaphragm 204 within the wound battery cell 201 loose, facilitating the subsequent separation of the electrode and diaphragm 204. Then, the diaphragm recycling mechanism 30 and the electrode recycling mechanism 40 separate and recycle the diaphragm 204 and the electrode. This not only achieves automated disassembly and recycling of the battery cell, improving recycling efficiency, but also completely separates the electrode and diaphragm 204, allowing the electrode to be directly processed into subsequent extraction steps after crushing. This eliminates the need for many sorting devices required by existing processes, shortens the process flow, reduces equipment investment, and saves energy. Meanwhile, because the impurities in the electrode are separated more thoroughly, the loss of precious metal elements in the process is reduced, and the extraction rate is also improved.

[0105] While specific embodiments of this application have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. The scope of this application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery cell recycling device, characterized in that, The battery cell recycling equipment has a separation station, a loosening station, and a recycling station arranged in sequence. The battery cell recycling equipment includes: Tail winding separation mechanism, which is located at the separation station, is used to separate the diaphragm tail end of the wound cell to be recycled, so as to obtain the first pre-treated cell with diaphragm tail end separation. A loosening mechanism is provided at the loosening station, and the loosening mechanism is used to loosen the first pre-treated cell to obtain a second pre-treated cell with loose electrodes and separator; A membrane recycling mechanism is provided at the recycling station and is used to wind and recycle the membrane of the second pretreated battery cell; An electrode recycling mechanism is provided at the recycling station and is used to recycle the electrodes of the second pre-treated battery cell; The loosening mechanism includes: An inner hole pin assembly, the inner hole pin assembly being inserted into the first pre-treated battery cell; The release gripper is used to press the first pre-treated battery cell into a circular or elliptical shape.

2. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A conveying mechanism is used to convey the wound battery cell, the first pre-treated battery cell, or the second pre-treated battery cell between the separation station, the loosening station, and the recycling station, such that the diaphragm tail end of the second pre-treated battery cell at the recycling station faces downward.

3. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism includes: A first conveying assembly is located at the separation station and is used to convey the wound battery cell in a horizontal direction. The second conveying assembly is located between the separation station and the loosening station and is used to rotate 90° to convey the first pre-treated battery cell. The third conveying assembly is located between the loosening station and the recycling station, and is used to rotate 180° to convey the second pre-treated battery cell.

4. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first conveying component includes: A conveyor belt extends horizontally and is used to transport the wound battery cells, and the tail roll separation mechanism is located on one side of the conveyor belt.

5. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second conveying assembly includes: The transport gripper is rotatable between a first position and a second position, and the rotation angle of the transport gripper is 90°. When the transport gripper is in the first position, the transport gripper acquires the first pre-treated battery cell from the tail roll separation mechanism. When the transport gripper is in the second position, the transport gripper releases the first pre-treated battery cell to the third conveying assembly.

6. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The third conveying component includes: A turntable, which is rotatable about its own axis, and the axis of rotation of the turntable is parallel to the axis of rotation of the second conveying component; Multiple carriers are arranged circumferentially on the turntable, and the carriers are used to carry the first pre-treated battery cell or the second pre-treated battery cell.

7. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tail roll separation mechanism includes: First base; An adsorption element is disposed on the first base, and the adsorption element is used to adsorb the diaphragm at the tail of the wound cell so that a gap is formed between the outermost diaphragm and the remaining diaphragms. A diaphragm inserter is movably disposed on the first base, and the diaphragm inserter is used to insert into the gap and lift the outermost diaphragm. A cutter, movably disposed on the first base, is used to cut the outermost diaphragm.

8. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diaphragm recycling mechanism includes: A membrane initiation adsorption assembly is used to adsorb the outermost membrane of the second pretreated battery cell. The diaphragm initiation gripper is used to grip and transport the diaphragm adsorbed by the diaphragm initiation adsorption assembly. A winding assembly that receives and winds up the diaphragm from the diaphragm starting gripper.

9. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The winding assembly includes: Second base; A winding adsorption rod is rotatably disposed on the second base about its own axis, and the winding adsorption rod is used to adsorb and wind the diaphragm; A winding drive unit, which is connected to and drives the winding suction rod; A diaphragm rejection device is disposed at one end of the winding adsorption rod near the second base; A rejection drive is provided, which is connected to the take-up adsorption rod and drives the take-up adsorption rod to move along its own axial direction, so as to cooperate with the diaphragm rejection component to reject the diaphragm wound on the take-up adsorption rod.

10. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrode recycling mechanism includes: A negative electrode clamping roller, which is used to clamp and guide the negative electrode sheet; A positive electrode clamping roller is used to clamp and guide the positive electrode sheet, and the diaphragm recycling mechanism is located between the negative electrode clamping roller and the positive electrode clamping roller; An electrode guiding assembly is disposed between the diaphragm recycling mechanism and the positive electrode clamping roller, and is used to guide the positive electrode sheet to the positive electrode clamping roller.

11. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that, The negative electrode clamping roller and the positive electrode clamping roller each include: The active roller and the driven roller are arranged in parallel, and the driven roller can move closer to or further away from the active roller in its own radial direction.

12. The battery cell recycling equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that, It also includes a negative electrode receiving box, a diaphragm receiving box, and a positive electrode receiving box arranged sequentially in the horizontal direction. The negative electrode receiving box is located on the bottom side of the negative electrode clamping roller to recover the negative electrode sheet, the positive electrode receiving box is located on the bottom side of the positive electrode clamping roller to recover the positive electrode sheet, and the diaphragm receiving box is located on the bottom side of the diaphragm recovery mechanism to recover the diaphragm.

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