Battery cell feeding machine

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of feeding equipment, and particularly discloses a battery cell feeding machine which comprises a linear module and a pneumatic clamping assembly, and the linear module is connected with a mechanical arm; the pneumatic clamping assembly is arranged on the linear module in a sliding manner, the pneumatic clamping assembly comprises two clamps, and the two clamps move close to or away from each other under the pneumatic action of the pneumatic clamping assembly so as to clamp or loosen the battery cell; the pneumatic clamping assembly further comprises an elastic piece, and the elastic piece is clamped between at least one of the two clamps and the frame body of the pneumatic clamping assembly and used for pressing the clamps to be close to each other. According to the battery cell feeding machine, the elastic extrusion force of the elastic piece is adopted as standby force, so that the defect of insufficient clamping force of the clamp is overcome, the position of a battery cell can be locked by the clamp, and the battery cell is prevented from falling off.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of feeding equipment, and more specifically, to a battery cell feeding machine. Background Art

[0002] Battery cell loaders are generally used in production lines for new energy batteries (such as lithium batteries). They are responsible for accurately transporting battery cells from silos or conveyor lines to processing locations, such as module assembly, welding, and testing. When the battery cells are driven by the clamping cylinder to load, they may fall and damage the equipment due to sudden gas and power outages. To avoid this phenomenon, the relevant technology connects a three-position, five-way, center-sealed solenoid valve to the clamping cylinder, and uses the three-position, five-way, center-sealed solenoid valve to block the air pressure on both sides of the piston in the cylinder, so that the cylinder maintains its current position when there is no external force, that is, positioning and holding.

[0003] However, under actual working conditions, due to slight leakage inside the valve body, wear of the cylinder seal or slight leakage in the gas system, the load battery cell may continue to slide slowly under the action of gravity, so there is still a safety hazard of the load battery cell falling.

[0004] Therefore, the art needs a battery cell loading machine to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a battery cell loader to solve the technical problem in the prior art that there is still a risk of falling of the loaded battery cells during the slow and continuous sliding process.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted in the present application is: to provide a battery cell loading machine, comprising a linear module and a pneumatic clamping assembly, wherein the linear module is connected to a mechanical arm; the pneumatic clamping assembly is slidably arranged on the linear module, and the pneumatic clamping assembly comprises two clamps, and the two clamps move closer to or away from each other under the pneumatic action of the pneumatic clamping assembly to clamp or release the battery cell; The pneumatic clamping assembly further comprises an elastic member, which is clamped between at least one of the two clamps and the frame of the pneumatic clamping assembly and is used to press the clamps to move closer to each other.

[0007] Preferably, the pneumatic clamping assembly also includes a cylinder body and a movable part connected to the output end of the cylinder body, and the sliding direction of the clamp is perpendicular to the moving direction of the movable part; the movable part and the clamp are connected by a transmission structure so that when the movable part moves, the clamps are driven to move closer to or away from each other.

[0008] Preferably, the transmission structure includes a limit groove provided in one of the movable part and the clamp, and a limit block provided in the other of the movable part and the clamp, the limit groove extends obliquely, and the limit block is slidably fitted in the limit groove.

[0009] Preferably, the pneumatic clamping assembly also includes a moving seat, which is slidably mounted on the linear module, and the cylinder body is slidably assembled on the moving seat, and the sliding direction of the cylinder body on the moving seat is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the moving seat on the linear module; a buffer member is provided between the cylinder body and the moving seat, which is used to generate a buffering effect when the cylinder body slides on the moving seat.

[0010] Preferably, a collision triggering sensor is provided on the movable seat, and an anti-collision sensing component corresponding to the collision triggering sensor is connected to the cylinder body.

[0011] Preferably, the linear module comprises a servo motor variable pitch module, and a plurality of the pneumatic clamping assemblies are installed on the linear module.

[0012] Preferably, in the pneumatic clamping assemblies located at the two side positions, the movable seat is provided with a telescopic device, and the telescopic end of the telescopic device is provided with a top piece for pressing the foam board on which the battery cell is placed.

[0013] Preferably, the linear module is provided with two clamping assemblies located beside the pneumatic clamping assembly, and the two clamping assemblies are spaced apart along the extension direction of the linear module; The clamping assembly includes a linear drive mounted on the linear module and a clamping member connected to the output end of the linear drive, and the clamping member is used to clamp the foam board when it is flipped toward the foam board where the battery core is placed under the drive of the robot arm.

[0014] Preferably, at least one viewing angle sensor is disposed on the linear module, and a laser displacement sensor is also disposed on the linear module. The laser displacement sensor and the viewing angle sensor are disposed on the same side or on different sides.

[0015] Preferably, the pneumatic clamping assembly further includes an infrared sensor for determining the existence status of the corresponding battery cell.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the battery cell loading machine provided in this application are: Compared with the prior art, in the event of a sudden gas or power outage, the pneumatic clamping assembly of the present application can not only rely on the existing three-position, five-way, center-sealed solenoid valve to achieve temporary self-sealing, but can also use the elastic extrusion force of the elastic part as a backup to make up for the insufficient clamping force of the clamp, so that the clamp can lock the position of the battery cell, prevent the battery cell from falling, avoid damaging the equipment and injuring the human body, and ensure the safety of the machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the appearance and structure of a battery cell loader provided in an embodiment of the present application, located in a factory building; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a battery cell loader from one perspective provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a pneumatic clamping assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the movable part provided in the embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the battery cell loader provided in an embodiment of the present application from another perspective.

[0019] Among them, the reference numerals in the figure are: 100, battery cell; 200, foam board; 201, groove; 1. Linear module; 11. Viewing angle sensor; 12. Laser displacement sensor; 2. Pneumatic clamping assembly; 21. Clamp; 211. Limiting groove; 22. Elastic member; 23. Cylinder body; 231. Fixed frame; 232. Movable seat body; 233. Anti-collision sensing member; 24. Movable part; 241. Limiting block; 25. Moving seat; 251. Buffer member; 252. Guide shaft; 253. Collision trigger sensor; 254. Telescopic device; 255. Top member; 256. Limiting shaft; 26. Infrared sensor; 3. Robotic arm; 4. Clamping assembly; 41. Linear drive; 42. Clamping member; 43. Connecting arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0021] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0022] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0023] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0024] Combine the following Figures 1 to 5 The battery cell loading machine provided in the embodiment of the present application is described.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 3 The battery cell loading machine of the embodiment of the present application comprises a linear module 1 and a pneumatic clamping assembly 2. The linear module 1 is connected to a mechanical arm 3. The pneumatic clamping assembly 2 is slidably arranged on the linear module 1, and the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 comprises two clamps 21. The two clamps 21 move closer to or away from each other under the pneumatic action of the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 to clamp or release the battery cell 100.

[0026] The pneumatic clamping assembly 2 further includes an elastic member 22 , which is sandwiched between at least one of the two clamps 21 and the frame of the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 , and is used to press the clamps 21 to move closer to each other.

[0027] Specifically, there are two elastic members 22, one elastic member 22 is clamped between one clamp 21 and the frame of the pneumatic clamping assembly 2, and the other elastic member 22 is clamped between the other clamp 21 and the frame of the pneumatic clamping assembly 2. The two elastic members 22 squeeze the two clamps 21 respectively, so that the two clamps 21 have a tendency to approach each other. The elastic member 22 can directly use an extrusion spring. The clamp 21 can be a clamp arm, a clamp finger, a clamp plate, a clamp block, etc., or a combination of two or more thereof. The contact surface of the clamp 21 relative to the battery cell 100 is a rubber-coated structure or is provided with a silicone pad, a sponge rubber strip, etc. The use of a soft material can prevent the battery cell 100 from being clamped.

[0028] Therefore, when there is a sudden gas or power outage, the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 can rely on the three-position five-way center-sealed solenoid valve of the battery cell loader to achieve temporary self-locking, that is, positioning and holding. However, as time goes by, the clamping force of the two clamps 21 is not enough to completely overcome the weight of the load battery cell 100, and the load battery cell 100 will tend to move slowly downward. At this time, the elastic squeezing force of the elastic member 22 can serve as a backup to make up for the lack of clamping force, so that the clamp 21 locks the position of the battery cell 100, prevents the battery cell 100 from falling, avoids damaging the equipment and injuring the human body, and ensures the safety of the machine.

[0029] In other embodiments, there can also be only one elastic member 22, which is clamped between one of the clamps 21 and the frame of the pneumatic clamping assembly 2. When the air and power are cut off, the elastic member 22 drives the above-mentioned clamp 21 to move closer to the other clamp 21. Under the action of the transmission path inside the pneumatic clamping assembly 2, the other clamp 21 also tends to move closer to the opposite side, so that the two clamps 21 will also approach each other, thereby clamping and locking the battery cell 100.

[0030] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 3 The pneumatic clamping assembly 2 also includes a cylinder body 23 and a movable part 24 connected to the output end of the cylinder body 23. The sliding direction of the clamp 21 is perpendicular to the moving direction of the movable part 24. The movable part 24 is connected to the clamp 21 through a transmission structure so that when the movable part 24 moves, it drives the clamps 21 to move closer or farther away from each other.

[0031] Specifically, a fixing frame 231 is fixedly disposed on the cylinder barrel of the cylinder body 23 , and the clamp 21 is slidably assembled in the fixing frame 231 . The fixing frame 231 constitutes the frame body of the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 .

[0032] When the output end of the cylinder body 23 performs a telescopic action and drives the movable part 24 to move, the movable part 24 can drive the two clamps 21 to move closer or farther away from each other through the transmission structure, thereby clamping or releasing the battery cell 100 .

[0033] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The transmission structure includes a limiting groove 211 provided in one of the movable part 24 and the clamp 21, and a limiting block 241 provided in the other of the movable part 24 and the clamp 21. The limiting groove 211 extends obliquely, and the limiting block 241 is slidably fitted in the limiting groove 211.

[0034] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the limiting groove 211 is provided on the clamp 21, and the limiting block 241 is integrally formed on the movable portion 24. Since the limiting groove 211 is an oblique groove structure, the limiting block 241 is also an oblique block structure to ensure the compatibility of the two. It is worth noting that the limiting grooves 211 on the two clamps 21 form an eight-shaped structure, and the intersection of the extension lines of the eight-shaped structure faces the side away from the cylinder body 23.

[0035] Therefore, when the cylinder body 23 causes the movable part 24 to extend, the movable part 24 squeezes the groove wall of the limiting groove 211 through the limiting block 241 to make the two clamps 21 move away from each other; when the cylinder body 23 causes the movable part 24 to retract, the movable part 24 reversely squeezes the groove wall of the limiting groove 211 through the limiting block 241 to make the two clamps 21 move closer to each other, thereby achieving the clamping and release of the battery cell 100.

[0036] In other embodiments, the limiting groove 211 can be provided on the movable portion 24, and the limiting block 241 can be provided on the clamp 21. Interchanging the setting positions of the two can also meet the purpose of sliding guidance, that is, to achieve the approach or distance between the two clamps 21.

[0037] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The pneumatic clamping assembly 2 also includes a moving seat 25, which is slidably mounted on the linear module 1, and the cylinder body 23 is slidably assembled on the moving seat 25, and the sliding direction of the cylinder body 23 on the moving seat 25 is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the moving seat 25 on the linear module 1; a buffer member 251 is provided between the cylinder body 23 and the moving seat 25, which is used to generate a buffering effect when the cylinder body 23 slides on the moving seat 25.

[0038] Specifically, the buffer member 251 can be a buffer spring or a buffer airbag. A plurality of guide shafts 252 are provided in the movable seat 25. One end of the cylinder body 23 forms a movable seat body 232. The movable seat body 232 is sleeved on the guide shaft 252 through a shaft sleeve and can slide along the guide direction of the guide shaft 252, thereby realizing the sliding assembly of the cylinder body 23 on the movable seat 25. It is worth noting that by limiting the length of the guide shaft 252, the sliding stroke of the cylinder body 23 can be limited, so that the sliding stroke is shorter.

[0039] Therefore, after the clamp 21 clamps the battery cell 100, due to numerical control factors or unexpected situations, the robot arm 3 may continue to drive the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 to move toward the battery cell 100. At this time, due to the clamping force between the battery cell 100 and the clamp 21, the clamp 21 cannot continue to move. The clamp 21 forms a certain margin of activity space relative to the moving seat 25 through the cylinder body 23 to prevent mechanical interference, and the buffer 251 can provide a buffer for the cylinder body 23 and the clamp 21 to avoid collision damage caused by excessive movement.

[0040] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 A collision trigger sensor 253 is provided on the moving seat 25 , and an anti-collision sensing element 233 corresponding to the collision trigger sensor 253 is connected to the cylinder body 23 .

[0041] Specifically, the anti-collision sensing element 233 is disposed on the movable seat body 232 and may be an anti-collision sensing strip.

[0042] When the cylinder body 23 slides on the moving seat 25, the anti-collision sensor 233 is driven to approach the collision trigger sensor 253 until it touches the collision trigger sensor 253, thereby the anti-collision sensor 233 triggers an emergency stop and immediately cuts off the power to prevent damage to the equipment and ensure the stability of the machine's operation. It is understandable that the anti-collision sensor 233 can be connected to the main control panel signal of the battery cell loader to control the machine to stop suddenly; further, the anti-collision sensor 233 can be connected to an alarm to control the alarm to sound when the machine stops suddenly to attract the attention of the staff.

[0043] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 2 The linear module 1 includes a servo motor variable pitch module, and a plurality of pneumatic clamping components 2 are installed on the linear module 1.

[0044] Thus, the multiple settings of the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 facilitate the clamping and feeding of multiple battery cells 100 at the same time, thereby improving the feeding efficiency. The use of the servo motor variable pitch module allows the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 to accurately slide to the position of the battery cell 100, achieving precise positioning, avoiding the traditional manual positioning of the relative position of the battery cell 100 and the pneumatic clamping assembly 2, saving time and effort, and the servo motor variable pitch module has high positioning accuracy, ensuring the work quality of the feeding process.

[0045] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 located at two side positions, the movable seat 25 is provided with a telescopic device 254, and the telescopic end of the telescopic device 254 is provided with a top piece 255 for pressing the foam board 200 on which the battery cell 100 is placed.

[0046] Specifically, the telescopic device 254 can be a standard reset cylinder, or an electric cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, etc. Both sides of the top member 255 are connected with a limit shaft 256, which is slidably arranged on the main body structure of the telescopic device 254. Its function is similar to the aforementioned guide shaft 252, which is to guide the sliding direction of the top member 255 to make it slide more stably.

[0047] Therefore, when the clamp 21 clamps the battery cell 100 and pulls the battery cell 100 outward under the action of the robotic arm 3, the top piece 255 can be pressed on the foam board 200 under the action of the telescopic device 254, so that the battery cell 100 is pulled out from the placement groove 201 of the foam board 200, and the battery cell 100 is separated from the foam board 200.

[0048] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The linear module 1 is provided with two clamping assemblies 4 located beside the pneumatic clamping assembly 2 , and the two clamping assemblies 4 are spaced apart along the extending direction of the linear module 1 .

[0049] The clamping assembly 4 includes a linear drive 41 assembled on the linear module 1 and a clamping member 42 connected to the output end of the linear drive 41. The clamping member 42 is used to clamp the foam board 200 when it is flipped toward the foam board 200 where the battery cell 100 is placed under the drive of the robot arm 3.

[0050] Specifically, the initial distance between the two clamping assemblies 4 is slightly larger than the length of the foam board 200, so as to facilitate clamping the foam board 200 from both sides so that the foam board 200 is located between the two. The clamping assembly 4 also includes a connecting arm 43, which is bolted to the linear module 1, and the linear drive 41 is installed on the connecting arm 43. Among them, the clamping member 42 includes a crossbeam and a clamping claw, the length direction of the crossbeam is consistent with the telescopic direction of the cylinder body 23, and the clamping claw is multiple and is distributed on the crossbeam along the length direction of the crossbeam. Among them, the linear drive 41 can directly adopt a pen-shaped cylinder.

[0051] Therefore, when the clamp 21 clamps the battery cell 100, the clamping process of the clamp 21 will not be affected due to the side arrangement of the clamping assembly 4. After all the battery cells 100 on the foam board 200 are clamped and transferred, the robot arm 3 can control the entire machine or the linear module 1 to flip 90 degrees, so that the clamp 42 faces the foam board 200, and then the clamp 42 is close to the foam board 200. At the same time, the linear drive 41 controls the two clamps 42 to approach each other, so that the two clamps 42 clamp the foam board 200 in the middle, and the foam board 200 is removed and transferred.

[0052] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5At least one viewing angle sensor 11 is disposed on the linear module 1, and a laser displacement sensor 12 is also disposed on the linear module 1. The laser displacement sensor 12 and the viewing angle sensor 11 are disposed on the same side or on different sides.

[0053] Specifically, the number of the viewing angle sensors 11 is preferably two, which are disposed on both sides of the extension direction of the linear module 1. The viewing angle sensor 11 is located on the opposite side of the clamping assembly 4, and the laser displacement sensor 12 is located on the same side of the clamping assembly 4.

[0054] The viewing angle sensor 11 is used to detect the position of the battery cell 100, and assist the robot arm 3 to control the machine to the position. The laser displacement sensor 12 confirms the height distance between the machine and the battery cell 100, more specifically, the height distance between the clamp 21 and the battery cell 100, to prevent the clamp 21 from being clamped or colliding.

[0055] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 5 The pneumatic clamping assembly 2 also includes an infrared sensor 26 for determining the existence status of the corresponding battery cell 100 .

[0056] Specifically, the infrared sensor 26 is installed on the outer wall of the fixing frame 231 .

[0057] Therefore, after the laser displacement sensor 12 confirms the distance, the infrared sensor 26 senses again whether the corresponding battery cell 100 exists. If so, the machine continues to perform the subsequent battery cell 100 clamping operation; if not, the battery cell 100 should be added or other compensation operations should be performed.

[0058] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A battery cell loading machine, characterized in that: It includes a linear module and a pneumatic clamping assembly, wherein the linear module is connected to a mechanical arm; the pneumatic clamping assembly is slidably arranged on the linear module, and the pneumatic clamping assembly includes two clamps, and the two clamps move closer to or away from each other under the pneumatic action of the pneumatic clamping assembly to clamp or release the battery core; The pneumatic clamping assembly further comprises an elastic member, which is clamped between at least one of the two clamps and the frame of the pneumatic clamping assembly and is used to press the clamps to move closer to each other.

2. The battery cell loading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pneumatic clamping assembly also includes a cylinder body and a movable part connected to the output end of the cylinder body. The sliding direction of the clamp is perpendicular to the moving direction of the movable part. The movable part and the clamp are connected by a transmission structure so that when the movable part moves, the clamps are driven to move closer to or away from each other.

3. The battery cell loading machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission structure comprises a limiting groove provided in one of the movable part and the clamp, and a limiting block provided in the other of the movable part and the clamp, the limiting groove extends obliquely, and the limiting block is slidably fitted in the limiting groove.

4. The battery cell loading machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pneumatic clamping assembly also includes a moving seat, which is slidably mounted on the linear module, and the cylinder body is slidably assembled on the moving seat, and the sliding direction of the cylinder body on the moving seat is perpendicular to the sliding direction of the moving seat on the linear module; a buffer member is provided between the cylinder body and the moving seat, which is used to generate a buffering effect when the cylinder body slides on the moving seat.

5. The battery cell loading machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The movable seat is provided with a collision triggering sensor, and the cylinder body is connected with an anti-collision sensing component corresponding to the collision triggering sensor.

6. The battery cell loading machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The linear module includes a servo motor variable pitch module, and a plurality of pneumatic clamping assemblies are installed on the linear module.

7. The battery cell loading machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: In the pneumatic clamping components located at the two side positions, the movable seat is provided with a telescopic device, and the telescopic end of the telescopic device is provided with a top piece for pressing the foam board on which the battery core is placed.

8. The battery cell loading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linear module is provided with two clamping assemblies located beside the pneumatic clamping assembly, and the two clamping assemblies are spaced apart along the extension direction of the linear module; The clamping assembly includes a linear drive mounted on the linear module and a clamping member connected to the output end of the linear drive, and the clamping member is used to clamp the foam board when it is flipped toward the foam board where the battery core is placed under the drive of the robot arm.

9. The battery cell loading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one viewing angle sensor is disposed on the linear module, and a laser displacement sensor is also disposed on the linear module. The laser displacement sensor and the viewing angle sensor are disposed on the same side or on different sides.

10. The battery cell loading machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The pneumatic clamping assembly also includes an infrared sensor for determining the existence status of the corresponding battery cell.

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