Method and system for manufacturing thermal insulation device

Abstract

A manufacturing method and a manufacturing system of a heat insulation device. The method comprises: forming a pouch body from a film material comprising perforations; filling the bag body with insulating particles having a size that cannot pass through the perforations; one or more side edges of the bag body are sealed, so that the heat insulation particles cannot escape from the one or more side edges of the bag body; and compressing the bag body to exhaust gas contained in the bag body after the opening side of the bag body filled with the heat insulation particles is sealed. Optionally, heating the bag body while compressing the bag body; and optionally, cooling the bag body while compressing the bag body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for manufacturing a thermal insulation device. The thermal insulation device (or product) can be framed or frameless. One or more flame-retardant sheets (layers) and / or coatings can be added to the thermal insulation device to further enhance its performance. The thermal insulation device can be used in batteries, such as those used in electric vehicles. Background Art

[0002] Existing thermal insulation devices containing aerogel as a core material and used in batteries are typically made of aerogel felt. Aerogel felt consists of a non-woven matrix that acts as a reinforcement for the aerogel and is widely used in the energy infrastructure market. The properties of aerogel felt make it well-suited for use as thermal insulation for process pipelines due to its unique resistance to corrosion under insulation (CUI), but it is less effective in batteries, especially pure electric vehicles. The non-woven matrix of aerogel felt can affect the thermal insulation and mechanical properties, especially under extremely high compression conditions, which can damage the inorganic fibers and change the compression characteristics of the aerogel felt.

[0003] Existing manufacturing processes for these thermal insulation devices typically involve using supercritical fluid extraction drying to produce aerogel felt rolls, followed by cutting these rolls into pre-defined components and packaging the aerogel felt components for battery use. Processing the aerogel felt rolls into components adds additional manufacturing costs, which can significantly increase the final price of the product. This method is highly labor-intensive, has high scrap rates, and is difficult to implement with a modern, advanced quality management system (QMS).

[0004] Korean Patent No. 102560566B1 discloses another thermal insulation device. This thermal insulation device may include sealed cover layers to enclose aerogel powder between the cover layers. The manufacturing of this thermal insulation device is challenging because of the need to handle the aerogel powder. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method and system for manufacturing a thermal insulation device as described in the independent claims are provided. Some optional features are defined in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be better understood through the following written description in the form of examples and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0007] Figure 1 A thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 1A A thermal insulation device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 1B A film material according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 1C A film material according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 A method for manufacturing a thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 3 A large bag for containing raw materials is shown.

[0013] Figure 3A Two types of Figure 2 An example of a batching system for the described method of manufacturing an insulation device.

[0014] Figure 3B Shows the available Figure 2 An example of a mixer with the fabrication method shown.

[0015] Figure 3C An example of an apparatus arrangement for mixing filler material for an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] Figure 4 An example of an apparatus for forming, filling, and sealing a bag for an insulating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 4A An example of a three-side sealed bag body of a thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 Shown Figure 4 Examples of form, fill, and seal components of the device shown.

[0019] Figure 6 A top view of an apparatus for checking bag weight of an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 6A Shown Figure 6 Front view of the device shown.

[0021] Figure 6B Shown Figure 6 A perspective view of the device shown.

[0022] Figure 7 Shown is the inclusion Figure 4 The equipment shown is Figure 6 A perspective view of the system of devices shown.

[0023] Figure 8An example of a bag body of a thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure that has undergone a pre-folding (corner folding) process is shown.

[0024] Figure 8A Shown for Figure 8 The equipment for the pre-folding process is shown.

[0025] Figure 8B Shown for Figure 8 An enlarged view of the equipment showing the pre-folding process.

[0026] Figure 9 Shown is the application of tape / adhesive at a hem or seal area of ​​an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 10 An apparatus is shown for performing a folding process to fold the sealed sides of an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 10A Shown is a set of rollers used to fold the sealed sides of an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 11 The use of a computer vision system for inspecting the bag length of an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 11A The use of a computer vision system for inspecting pocket height of an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 12 An apparatus for degassing, heating, and cooling a bag of an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 12A Shows the installation Figure 12 The device shown has multiple modules for degassing, heating and / or cooling purposes.

[0033] Figure 12B Shows a system with different combinations of installed modules for degassing, heating and / or cooling purposes Figure 12 Side and top views of the device shown.

[0034] Figure 13 An apparatus for performing end-of-line (EOL) testing of a thermal insulation device manufactured according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0035] Figure 14 An example of a computer vision system capable of inspecting the quality of tape or adhesive application to thermal insulation according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Figure 14AFour application scenario examples of the tape or adhesive of the thermal insulation device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure are shown.

[0037] Figure 15 The figure shows a stacking process of a plurality of thermal insulation devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 15A Shown Figure 15 A plurality of thermal insulation devices are shown fully stacked in a bundle.

[0039] Figure 16 Four examples of compositions comprising thermal insulation, flame retardant, and / or intumescent sheets / coatings according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0040] Figure 16A An example of a frame-type thermal insulation device including a thermal insulation device, a flame retardant device and a frame structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0041] Figure 16B An example of a frame-type thermal insulation device including a thermal insulation device and a frame structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0042] Figure 16C Shown Figure 16A and Figure 16B Possible dimensions for the example of a framed insulation unit shown.

[0043] Figure 17 An example of the steps of the method for manufacturing the frame-type thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0044] Figure 18 Examples of film materials used to manufacture thermal insulation devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0045] Figure 18A Shown is a perforated Figure 18 Examples of membrane materials shown.

[0046] Figure 18B A photograph showing a thermal insulation device with four-side sealing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0047] Figure 19 An apparatus for manufacturing a four-side sealed thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0048] Figure 19A The sealing area dimensions of the four-side sealed thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown.

[0049] Figure 20 The figure shows a process of installing a frame of a heat insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 20AAn adhesive application process for framing an insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0051] Figure 21 An apparatus for degassing a framed or frameless insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0052] Figure 21A Shown Figure 21 Bottom perspective view of the top deck of the top conveyor of the apparatus shown.

[0053] Figure 21B Shown Figure 21 Top perspective view of the top plate shown.

[0054] Figure 21C Shows the degassing process, including Figure 21B The top plate shown, the thermal insulation device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 21 Simplified cross-sectional side view of the floor of the bottom conveyor of the apparatus shown.

[0055] Figure 21D Shown Figure 21 An enlarged view of the apparatus is shown to illustrate the adjustable roller guides.

[0056] Figure 21E Shown Figure 21 Side view of the device shown along almost its entire length.

[0057] Figure 22 The process of adding a frame to a thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, which involves the insertion of a flame retardant device.

[0058] Figure 22A Shown by Figure 22 The sealing process of the frame type thermal insulation device obtained by the frame installation process is shown.

[0059] Figure 22B Shows the available Figure 22A The device of the sealing process.

[0060] Figure 23 A checkweigher that can be used for weight checks is shown.

[0061] Figure 24 Another frame installation process of the thermal insulation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0062] Figure 24A Shown by Figure 24 Another sealing process of the frame type thermal insulation device obtained by the frame installation process is shown.

[0063] Figure 25Shown are front, rear, and side views of a first example of a thermal insulation device with a fold-over or accordion seal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] Figure 25A Shown are front, rear, and side views of a second example of a thermal insulation device with a fold-over or accordion seal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Figure 25B Shown are front, rear, and side views of a third example of a thermal insulation device with a fold-over or accordion seal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] Figure 25C Shown are front, rear, and side views of a fourth example of a thermal insulation device with a fold-over or accordion seal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] describe

[0068] In this disclosure, an electric vehicle (EV) refers to a vehicle that is powered by one or more electric motors and is typically battery-powered. This type of EV is also referred to as a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Electric vehicles include, but are not limited to, road and rail vehicles (such as electric scooters, electric bicycles, electric cars, space rovers, etc.), surface and underwater vessels, electric aircraft (such as manned and unmanned aircraft and aerial drones, etc.), and electric spacecraft.

[0069] (A) Thermal insulation

[0070] The present disclosure provides a thermal insulation device having a compressible insulation layer, such as aerogel, suitable for, but not limited to, electric vehicle batteries. The thermal insulation device is relatively lightweight for electric vehicle battery applications. The term "thermal insulation device" is used throughout this disclosure to refer to the thermal insulation device.

[0071] refer to Figure 1, an example of a thermal insulation device is a bag (or bag, sac, package, bag, container) filled with aerogel and sealed into a "leaf" structure. The bag body 100 includes three layers of membrane material layers FML1, FML2 and FML3, wherein the membrane material layer FML1 is a covering layer, the membrane material layer FML3 is an inner layer, and the membrane material layer FML2 is arranged between the membrane material layers FML1 and FML3. The membrane material layer FML1 is an optional structure that can be used to protect the thermal insulation device 100 from the external environment. The membrane material layer FML2 can insulate and prevent fire, and provide mechanical strength as a reinforcement layer of the thermal insulation device 100. The membrane material layer FML3 is used to maintain the shape of the thermal insulation device 100. In one embodiment, the membrane material layer FML3 can also enhance the thermal insulation performance of the thermal insulation device 100 and form an internal structure that can maintain a uniform distribution of functional fillers. There are perforations (or holes, micropores, pores, openings or orifices) in the membrane material layer. The average diameter of the perforations (or holes, micropores, pores, openings or orifices) may be 15 μm or less. The film material layer FML3 and / or other one or more layers may have the following characteristics: when heated and cooled in the subsequent heating and cooling steps (see Figure 2 In step 232), the perforation is sealed. The edges of the film material layer are sealed to form a bag 100 containing a functional filler. The functional filler may mainly include thermal insulation particles.

[0072] For example, the first functional filler FF1 may include at least one of aerogel powder, fumed silica, and glass microspheres. The aerogel powder includes silica (SiO2) fine particles having a diameter of 100 μm or less.

[0073] The second functional filler FF2 may include at least one of titanium dioxide (TiO2), iron oxide (Fe2O3), and aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Its function is to suppress the increase in the thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation device in a high-temperature environment, thereby improving the thermal insulation performance.

[0074] The third functional filler FF3 can include at least one of magnesium hydroxide (MDH), aluminum hydroxide (ATH), and zinc borate. When placed in an EV battery and a fire occurs in the battery pack, the functional filler FF3 decomposes during combustion to release water and non-flammable gases such as nitrogen, ammonia, or carbon dioxide. This cools and dilutes oxygen, while also generating moisture, which can slow the spread of the fire.

[0075] The fourth functional filler FF4 may be a reinforcing fiber coating the functional fillers FF1-3 and is adjacent to the membrane material layer FML3. Functional filler FF4 comprises at least one of glass fiber, quartz wool, mineral wool, ceramic wool, woven fibers, and non-woven fibers. FF4 may also be a glass fiber veil bonded to an acrylic resin, which may be a continuous filament glass fiber product. FF4 is an optional layer. FF4 may be referred to as the innermost layer in the present disclosure because it contacts FF1, FF2, and / or FF3. If FF4 is absent, FML3 becomes the innermost layer.

[0076] In one embodiment, FF1 is a key component, while FF2 and FF3 are optional components. They need to be mixed evenly or homogeneously before filling into the bag of the thermal insulation device 100 .

[0077] Table 1 below shows composition examples of the thermal insulation device.

[0078] Table 1

[0079]

[0080]

[0081] In the present disclosure, inorganic fibers refer to fibers made of inorganic materials, which include glass, carbon (referring to inorganic types), ceramics, basalt, asbestos, alumina, wollastonite, potassium titanate, silicon carbide, etc., alone or in combination.

[0082] Adhesives may be used between the layers of film material, which are laminated into a single sheet. In some embodiments, due to excessive lamination temperatures, the polymer in one film material layer may penetrate into another film material layer (especially when woven inorganic fibers are used), resulting in blurred boundaries between the layers. Therefore, in the actual physical product, the layers may not be as uniform as Figure 1 Although the layers are clearly defined and neatly stacked as shown, there may be some overlap or intermixing of the materials in each layer.

[0083] By using woven inorganic fibers (such as E-glass) with very low organic binder content (0.05 to 1 wt%) as a membrane or filler component, the resulting insulation has a reduced overall organic content, resulting in superior heat and fire resistance while maintaining good dielectric properties and mechanical strength. For higher tensile strength, S-glass fibers can be used. For even higher thermal resistance, T-glass fibers can be used.

[0084] According to the composition and structure of the embodiment shown in Table 1, the typical installation density of the thermal insulation device in the pressurized battery module assembly is 0.2 to 0.5 g / cm 3In the relaxed state without pressure, the apparent density of the thermal insulation is 0.05 to 0.4 g / cm 3 .

[0085] For example, the thermal insulation device 100 can be made by the following simplified manufacturing process overview.

[0086] 1. Homogenize the functional fillers FF1, FF2 and FF3.

[0087] 2. Laminate the film layers FML1, FML2, and FML3 to form a single sheet, with film layers FML1 and FML3 positioned on either side of film layer FML2. Heat-sensitive or pressure-sensitive adhesive may or may not be used between the layers. A roll-to-roll thermal lamination process may be used.

[0088] 3. Forming holes (perforations) in a single sheet, for example using a needle roller (or punch).

[0089] 4. Use heat fusion or other methods to form a bag-like structure with a single opening through the film material layer FML3, and the outermost layer is the film material layer FML1.

[0090] 5. Arrange the functional filler FF4 near the inner surface of the bag to form a gap.

[0091] 6. Place the mixture of functional fillers FF1, FF2 and FF3 into the cavity and surround the mixture with functional filler 4.

[0092] 7. Use heat fusion or other methods to close and seal the opening of the bag to form a "leaf" structure insulation device.

[0093] Some examples of thermal insulation devices 100 are as follows.

[0094] refer to Figure 1A An example of an insulation device 100 may have a membrane structure, including an optional outer layer 102 (e.g., for resisting external environmental conditions; corresponding to FML1), an intermediate layer 104 (e.g., for providing mechanical strength and thermal insulation and fire protection; corresponding to FML2), and an inner layer 106 (e.g., for locking the distribution of filler in the cavity and maintaining the shape of the bag; corresponding to FML3).

[0095] Figure 1B A second exemplary film structure of thermal insulation device 100 is shown, comprising a first polymer layer 114 (corresponding to FML1) as an outer layer, an inorganic film layer 116 (corresponding to FML2) as an intermediate layer, and a second polymer layer 118 (corresponding to FML3) as an inner layer. Layers 114, 116, and 118 are bonded together by adhesive 122.

[0096] Figure 1CA third exemplary membrane structure of a thermal insulation device 100 is shown, comprising an inorganic membrane layer 124 (corresponding to FML2) as an outer layer and a second polymer layer 126 (corresponding to FML3) as an inner layer. Polymer layer 126 partially melts and mixes or permeates into the inorganic membrane layer. Such melting, mixing, and permeation can be achieved, for example, by thermal lamination. Specifically, there is no clear boundary between inorganic membrane layer 124 and second polymer layer 126.

[0097] about Figure 1A 、 1B In the embodiment shown in FIG1C , two film structures can be placed opposite each other and sealed at the sides, and then filled with filler using the machine or equipment described below to form a bag. The filler can be a free-flowing filler 108, such as an aerogel-based material, i.e., FF1, and can contain additives such as FF2 and / or FF3. For example, the filler is free-flowing in the form of a powder. A plurality of holes or perforations 112 (see FIG1C ) can be provided on the film structure of all three embodiments. Figure 1A ), for ventilation and / or exhaust.

[0098] In other embodiments, Figure 1A The membrane material layer FML2, Figure 1A The middle layer 104, Figure 1B The inorganic film layer 116 and Figure 1C The inorganic membrane layer 124 in the embodiment may be specifically an E-glass fiber woven fabric or textile.

[0099] Other examples of fully formed and quality tested insulation are Figure 15 1500 of them, Figures 16 to 16B 1608, Figure 18 and Figure 18A 1800, Figure 18B 1804, Figure 19A 1900, Figure 20 In 2004, Figure 22 2200 in Figure 24 2400 of them, Figure 25 2500 of them, Figure 25 2510 in Figure 25 2520 and Figure 25 2530 of them.

[0100] Another example of a thermal insulation device may include:

[0101] Functional fillers (e.g., FF1, FF2, and / or FF3) encapsulated in a bag made of a film material (e.g., a combination of FF4, FML1 to FML3) comprising at least:

[0102] an inorganic fiber layer (e.g., FML2 102); and

[0103] polymer layer (e.g. FML3 103),

[0104] wherein the inorganic fiber layer is stacked on the polymer layer,

[0105] wherein the bag comprises sealed sides formed by sealing the film material,

[0106] The functional filler is encapsulated in the bag so that the functional filler does not escape from the sealed side of the bag, and

[0107] The functional filler comprises thermal insulation particles in powder form (e.g., FF1). Referring to Table 1, other combinations of the inorganic fiber layer stacked on the polymer layer may be:

[0108] a) FML1, FML2 or FML3 as a polymer layer is in contact with FF4 as an inorganic fiber layer;

[0109] b) FML1 or FML2 as an inorganic fiber layer is in contact with FML2 or FML1 as an inorganic fiber layer;

[0110] c) FML1 as an inorganic fiber layer is in contact with FML3 as a polymer layer (in this case FML2 is not present), and so on.

[0111] In this embodiment, "laminated on" can mean that the inorganic fiber layer is located on the polymer layer, or the polymer layer is located on the inorganic fiber layer. The inorganic fiber layer is preferably woven. Preferably, the functional filler is non-matrix, that is, the functional filler does not contain grid-forming materials, cross-linking materials with adhesives, and / or structural reinforcement materials. In this case, the functional filler is different from the aerogel blanket described in the background section of this disclosure.

[0112] All embodiments of the insulation disclosed herein may be used in framed insulation and in combination with other products, such as flame retardant products known as "fire retardants," as described below.

[0113] (B) Flame retardant device

[0114] In the present disclosure, a flame retardant device refers to an intumescent sheet suitable for, but not limited to, thermal runaway management of electric vehicle batteries. The thickness of the sheet is less than 2 mm, preferably less than or equal to 1 mm. For example, the intumescent sheet is made by impregnating non-woven inorganic fibers in an alkali metal silicate-based solution (hereinafter referred to as "impregnation solution"). The impregnation solution may be a water-based intumescent coating containing aerogel. The impregnation solution may contain additives, and after drying and / or curing, the intumescent sheet has an alkali metal silicate-based coating containing additives. This flame retardant device is Figure 16 and Figure 16A The flame retardant device 1602 in. Figure 16 The expansion sheet 1612 in the embodiment can also be such a flame retardant device. "Flame retardant device" in this specification refers to the flame retardant device.

[0115] The composition of the intumescent sheet (after drying) and the composition of the impregnation solution of an exemplary flame retardant device are as follows.

[0116] The intumescent sheet can comprise a nonwoven inorganic fiber mat (or fabric), such as ECR-50 (a type of E-glass) manufactured by Owen's Corning. The impregnation solution used for this product contains a sodium silicate-based binder and fine aerogel particles with hydrophobic surface groups. The aerogel particles have a particle size of 10-60 μm and a porosity exceeding 90%. Alumina (a metal oxide) and metal dihydroxide (a metal hydroxide) are added to the impregnation solution as additives to enhance the mechanical strength, thermal insulation, and flame retardancy of the carbonized layer.

[0117] Tables 1a and 1b below show examples of the composition of the flame retardant device after drying and the composition of the impregnation solution. Table 2 below shows selected properties of the intumescent sheet.

[0118] Table 1a: Composition of expanded sheet (after drying)

[0119]

[0120] Table 1b: Composition of the impregnation solution

[0121]

[0122] Table 2: Selected properties of intumescent sheets

[0123]

[0124] A surfactant with a stable pH range of 2 to 12 may be added to the impregnation solution to enhance its ability to spread and wet the nonwoven inorganic fiber mat. Preferably, the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of amine oxides, alkyl carbohydrate esters, alkoxylated polysiloxanes, and polyalkyl acrylates. The surfactant loading may range from 0.2 to 0.5 wt% of the impregnation solution, with a preferred loading range of 0.2 to 1.2 wt% of the intumescent sheet.

[0125] Regarding nonwoven inorganic fiber mats for flame retardant devices, S-glass is a preferred option in addition to E-glass. If E-glass is used, it is most preferably E-glass with the boron oxide component removed. The fiber diameter and length should be between 10-15 μm and 15-60 mm, respectively.

[0126] Other additives that impart thermal insulation properties (i.e., additives that can form a dense network carbonized layer) that are microporous, such as fumed silica and hollow glass microspheres, may also be used. Other suitable ceramic additives that enhance the strength of the carbonized layer may also be used, such as combinations of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal carbonates, metal silicates, and / or metal powders.

[0127] In addition to the above components, 1 to 10 wt% of a sunscreen, such as iron oxide, silicon carbide and / or titanium dioxide, may optionally be added to the intumescent sheet. Sunscreens provide high temperature insulation and act to reflect and thereby reduce radiative heat transfer at high temperatures.

[0128] Organic additives may be added at the impregnation station (i.e., the location where the nonwoven inorganic fiber mat and the impregnation solution are impregnated) to enhance the flexibility and waterproofness of the expanded sheet. Glycerin and polyvinyl alcohol are preferred examples of organic additives.

[0129] The impregnation solution is prepared by sequentially adding an alkali metal silicate solution and one or more surfactants, followed by a thermal insulation agent, a carbonized layer strength enhancer, and other additives, and finally the required amount of water. Each addition (i.e., after each component is added) is followed by stirring and mixing for 15 minutes. The solution is then stirred and mixed with all the added components for a further 2-3 hours. The hardener is the last component added to the impregnation solution and is added just prior to impregnation of the nonwoven inorganic fiber mat. The viscosity is preferably 200-500 centipoise (cps).

[0130] The hardening agent is preferably sodium fluorosilicate or potassium methylsilicate (most preferred).

[0131] If a sunscreen, a hardener, and water are added, the composition of the dipping solution is shown in Table 3 below.

[0132] Table 3: Composition of the impregnation solution (variation of the product in Table 1b above)

[0133]

[0134] To prepare the intumescent sheet, a nonwoven inorganic fiber mat is first laid on a non-adhesive polymer sheet and impregnated with an alkali metal silicate-based aqueous solution (ie, the impregnation solution).

[0135] Various impregnation methods can be used, such as spraying, brushing, and / or doctor blading. Doctor blading is preferred for better thickness control and high-volume production feasibility. Drying is then performed at a suitable temperature (e.g., room temperature) to remove moisture and prevent defects such as warping. Alternatively, curing can be performed at a higher temperature (e.g., by microwave heating) to accelerate the process.

[0136] Other additives that can be added to enhance the strength of the carbon layer include zirconium oxide and colloidal silica. Sodium silicate is defined by the molar ratio of silicon dioxide to sodium oxide. Increasing the silica ratio results in a stronger carbon layer, and the degree of this strength can be adjusted by adding colloidal silica.

[0137] (C) Thermal insulation device manufacturing process

[0138] As previously mentioned, the insulation device is essentially a bag (also referred to as a packaging bag, pouch, or container) filled with insulation particles, which include powdered particles. The insulation particles may include, for example, fine silica aerogel particles and metal oxides as sunscreens. More embodiments of the film material layers (FML1 to FML3 and FF4) and insulation particles (FF1 to FF3) in the above-mentioned insulation device are detailed in Table 1 and other parts of this disclosure. The insulation particles are filled and sealed in the bag body. The bag body can be made of a custom-designed film comprising a polymer and glass fabric. These bags can be degassed and compressed to the desired density to form a compressible and super-insulating insulation device. The bag body is preferably square or rectangular and can be sealed on 3 or 4 sides. Other shapes can also be used depending on the application of the bag body. The insulation device can be optimized for use as a thermally insulating battery spacer for lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly found in electric vehicles.

[0139] A general description of a process for manufacturing the thermal insulation device is given below.

[0140] In step 202, raw materials are received and inspected to ensure the correct materials and quantities are received.

[0141] In step 204 , the raw materials are stored in a raw material warehouse.

[0142] In step 206, the powders needed to prepare the mixed powder (i.e., the final powder that fills each bag of the insulation) are unpacked and placed in one or more mixing buffers. A buffer is a container or storage device used to hold or store powder. The buffer can be a hopper. Each mixing buffer can hold a different type of powder. For example, one mixing buffer can hold fine silica aerogel particles, while another mixing buffer can hold metal oxide (opacifier) ​​powder. If other materials need to be added, another additional mixing buffer can hold these materials. The mixing buffer can be a bowl-shaped or funnel-shaped component with a wide receiving area and sufficient depth or height to accommodate the powder.

[0143] In step 208, powder is dosed or dispensed from one or more mixing buffers into the mixer in the correct dosage.

[0144] In step 210, the mixer mixes the powders that are dosed or dispensed to the mixer for mixing. A stirrer or other suitable device may be provided to homogenously mix the dispensed powders.

[0145] In step 212, the mixing quality is checked. For example, computer vision or X-ray can be used to check whether the mixed powder is sufficiently homogeneous.

[0146] In step 214 , the mixed powder that has passed the quality inspection is distributed or transported to a mixed powder buffer device or a storage device.

[0147] Steps 206 to 214 may be performed on-site as part of a continuous process with steps 216 to 220, or may be performed off-site, in which case the resulting mixed powder needs to be transported to the work site where steps 216 to 220 are performed.

[0148] In step 216, the mixed powder obtained in step 214 is conveyed or poured into a filling hopper to fill the powder into the bag. The filling hopper is connected to an equipment or machine for supplying the mixed powder to the equipment.

[0149] In step 218, the device performs the following steps: forming the film and / or bag, dosing the powder, filling the formed bag, sealing the bag, and cutting the filled bag into individual bag sizes. After step 218, the device forms a bag containing the mixed powder. Each bag can be made of one or more rolls of film, which are fed into the device to be formed into a bag. A piece of film can be punched and packaged as a roll of film. Each piece of film can contain multiple layers, for example, the film material layers FML1 and / or FML2 and / or FML3 can form the above-mentioned multiple layers. In one embodiment, the film material used to form the bag is prefabricated and provided in the form of rolls for bag forming. The perforations should be small enough to prevent powder from leaking from the perforations.

[0150] In step 220, the filling is quality-checked. This is accomplished by weight checking. Each bag is weighed to verify that it meets the preset weight requirements. Bags that do not meet the weight requirements are rejected and placed in a reject container. Depending on the reject status, each product may be re-weighed or refilled. Acceptable bags or bags that pass quality inspection are transported to the next station for further processing. Assuming a square or rectangular bag is being formed, at the end of step 220, the formed bag will have three to four folded sides due to the side sealing performed by the equipment in step 218.

[0151] In step 222, a first cleaning step is performed to clean each bag that passed the quality inspection in step 220. After cleaning, each bag is optionally quality inspected for cleanliness. Cleaning can be performed by air purging, i.e., blowing air through the bag to clean it, and / or applying vacuum suction to the bag to remove powder (if any) from the bag, and / or other suitable cleaning methods. This first cleaning step is useful, for example, in situations where powder leaks (or overflows) from the filling hopper or equipment, or if a bag ruptures or leaks in steps 218 or 220. Step 222 is optional but recommended.

[0152] In step 224, a pre-fold is performed. This pre-folding refers to folding or folding each corner of each bag. For square or rectangular bags, each corner refers to each of the four corners. This is to ensure that no leaks will occur at the corners of each bag. Step 224 is optional but recommended.

[0153] In step 226, after the pre-folding is completed or skipped, adhesive or tape is applied to the hem of the bag body to prepare for subsequent folding or folding of the hem and adhering it to the bag body.

[0154] In step 228, each bag flap is folded or folded to adhere to the bag body. This folding step helps prevent the flap from obstructing assembly of the bag into other products, such as batteries for electric vehicles. Folding also creates a barrier for powder at the fold line, helping to prevent powder from leaking from the sealed flap if the seal is not properly sealed or if the seal deteriorates due to wear, poor storage, or prolonged storage.

[0155] The folds are inspected for quality in step 230. Computer vision technology can be used for this inspection.

[0156] In step 231, each bag is smoothed to achieve a uniform distribution of powder within the bag. This can be achieved, for example, by vibration. This step can be performed independently before degassing or in conjunction with the degassing process described below.

[0157] In step 232, each folded bag is transported to a station where the bag is 1) degassed, 2) heated, and 3) cooled. These three steps can be implemented as follows. During the degassed process, the bag is compressed to expel air from the bag. This degassed process involves applying pressure to the main surface of the bag to flatten the bag. Since the film layer of the bag contains micropores, the gas is released through these micropores. After or during the application of pressure, the bag is heated, and during the heating process, for example, the film layer softens to form the bag, which helps to release more gas from the bag. After heating, the bag is cooled. Cooling can be active cooling, in which the temperature is actively lowered to cool the bag quickly. Alternatively, cooling can be carried out naturally. Preferably, the bag is under pressure in all three steps.

[0158] In step 234, a second cleaning step is performed to clean each bag that was degassed in step 232. An optional cleaning quality check may also be performed after cleaning. Cleaning may be performed by air purging, i.e., blowing air through the bag to clean it, and / or applying vacuum suction to remove powder (if any) from the bag, and / or other suitable cleaning methods. This second cleaning step is useful, for example, in the event that powder leaks (or overflows) from the bag or the bag ruptures in step 232. Step 234 is optional but recommended.

[0159] In step 236, each bag undergoes an optional but recommended end-of-line inspection (quality check). Using computer vision technology or other appropriate methods, the bag is inspected for weight, dimensions, appearance, wrinkle flatness, powder leakage, and / or thickness to ensure that quality requirements are met. Following inspection, an optional bag labeling or marking step may be performed. This labeling or marking step may involve, for example, using an inkjet or laser printer to mark the outer film layer of each bag with manufacturing information and / or product details.

[0160] In step 238, the bag can be subjected to an optional adhesive application step to provide the bag with adhesive tape, allowing the bag to adhere to a surface depending on the bag's application requirements. If the bag will not be immediately assembled into another component (such as an electric vehicle battery), a release liner can be placed on the tape. Release paper, or release paper, is essentially a paper or plastic-based film sheet used to prevent premature adhesion to adhesive surfaces.

[0161] In step 240, the quality of the gluing operation performed in step 238 is checked to ensure that the gluing and / or release paper attachment operations are correct. Computer vision technology can be used for this inspection.

[0162] In step 242, the bags are packaged and prepared for delivery. For example, the bags may be stacked and bundled into bales, which are then packed into cartons.

[0163] In step 244, the cartons containing the bags are stacked on a pallet.

[0164] In step 246, the pallet is transferred to a pre-shipment warehouse in preparation for delivery.

[0165] Generally speaking, the key steps of the above manufacturing process are bag forming, powder filling and bagging, folding the sealing side of the bag, degassing and heat treatment.

[0166] An embodiment of steps 206 through 214 involving powder mixing is described in detail below.

[0167] In one embodiment, the raw materials required for the mixing process include powdered aerogel particles and powdered iron oxide particles.

[0168] The raw materials can be supplied in a variety of ways. One possibility could be Figure 3 The raw materials are discharged from the large bag 300 and transported to the batching system. A powder conveying system can be used to transport the raw material powder to the batching system. The powder conveying system may include a vacuum feeder and / or a screw feeder or conveyor to transport the raw material powder to the batching system. The batching system is equipped with multiple containers for holding different types of raw material powder, i.e., these containers are categorized by raw material type. Each of these containers may be a hopper.

[0169] Figure 3A Two examples of batching systems, B and C, are shown that can be used to achieve the desired powder combination before the combined powders are mixed in a mixer. A vacuum feeder can be used to extract the powder from a large bag 300 using vacuum suction and transport it to the raw material buffer 302 in each of batching systems B and C. Alternatively, a screw feeder or conveyor (e.g., involving the use of a spiral screw) or a combination of a vacuum feeder can be used to transport the powder to the raw material buffer 302 in each of batching systems B and C. For example, aerogel powder can be transported to hoppers 304a and 304b in batching systems B and C, respectively. Additives such as iron oxide powder can be transported to hoppers 306a and 306b in batching systems B and C, respectively. If more than two powders need to be mixed, additional buffer hoppers similar to 304a and 304b can be used.

[0170] The dosing system B may include a screw feeder or a conveyor (eg, involving the use of a helical screw) for dosing the powder from the buffer devices 304a and 306a to the storage hopper 308a in a desired amount.

[0171] An auger screw is part of a screw conveyor or auger conveyor, a type of industrial equipment used to move large quantities of granular solids (e.g., powders, granules, and fines), semi-solids, liquids, and even non-flowing materials from one location to another. Hopper 308a is used to distribute powders dispensed from buffers 304a and 306a to the mixer. A larger auger screw can be used to speed up the dispensing of aerogel powder, which has a higher concentration per bag in the insulation device; a smaller auger screw can be used to dispense iron oxide powder, which has a lower concentration per bag in the insulation device.

[0172] Examples of mixer types that can be used include pneumatic mixers, vertical mixers with agitators and choppers, and vacuum mixers. The mixing time depends on the mixing process and the type of mixer. Figure 3B Shown is an example of a mixer 310. The mixer 310 comprises a mixing chamber 1, an agitator 2 that rotates to mix powders input into the mixing chamber 1, and an air pump 3 for pumping air into the mixer to facilitate the mixing process.

[0173] refer to Figure 3A Similarly, the dosing system C may include a screw feeder or conveyor (for example, involving the use of a spiral screw) for conveying the powder from the buffer devices 306a and 306b to the storage hoppers 308a and 308b in the required amount. The storage hopper 308b is used to distribute the powder dispensed from the buffer devices 304b and 306b to the mixer (such as Figure 3B 310 in).

[0174] The difference between batching system B and batching system C is that batching system B adopts synchronous raw material feeding, while batching system C adopts asynchronous raw material feeding.

[0175] Dosing system B includes load cells D (also referred to herein as weighing devices or load cells) mounted on buffer devices 304a and 306a, respectively, for weighing the contents of buffer devices 304a and 306a. The powders in buffer devices 304a and 306a are dosed or poured synchronously (i.e., at the same time) into hopper 308a. The correct amount of powder is determined by the weight loss of each buffer device 304a and 306a. A storage hopper 308a is optional, or the powder can be dosed directly into mixing chamber 308a.

[0176] Dispensing system C includes a load cell D mounted on hopper 308b for weighing the contents of hopper 308b. Load cells D are not provided on buffers 304b and 306b. In this case, the powders in buffers 304b and 306b are dispensed or poured into hopper 308b asynchronously (i.e., at different times). For example, first, the correct amount of powder is dispensed from one of buffers 304b and 306b into hopper 308b until the load cell D on hopper 308b measures the required weight. Next, the correct amount of powder is dispensed from the other buffer 306b or 304b into hopper 308b until the load cell D on hopper 308b measures the required weight.

[0177] An optional mixing quality check may be implemented. Such a mixing quality check may involve taking only one powder sample from a batch of powder mixtures output by the mixer for inspection, or inspecting all mixed powders in a batch of powder mixtures output by the mixer. In the case of a powder sample inspection, if the powder sample passes the inspection, the entire batch of powder mixture passes the inspection. The purpose of the mixing quality inspection may include checking whether the powder composition, particle size distribution and uniformity of the powder mixture meet the requirements. The inspection may involve the use of, for example, scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, X-ray systems, or techniques involving laser diffraction (LD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), dynamic image analysis (DIA) and / or sieve analysis. In the case of checking the quality of all mixed powders, the powder mixtures that pass the inspection and are judged to be good will be transferred to one or more buffer devices for subsequent processing. Unqualified (NG) powder can be transferred to a rework station or rejected and discarded.

[0178] Implementation of system architecture for powder mixing, storage and transfer e.g. Figure 3CAs shown. This embodiment is described as follows. The storage hopper 308a or 308b of the dispensing system B or C respectively feeds the powder mixture of aerogel particles and iron oxide into the mixer 310. If a mixing quality inspection is involved, the powder mixture output from the mixer 310 is subjected to a mixing quality inspection, and the qualified powder that passes the quality inspection is transferred to one or more buffer systems 316 and / or 318. The buffer system refers to a storage device for the powder mixture. In addition to the storage function, the buffer system can also be equipped with a stirrer or a blast function to continuously stir the powder mixture to ensure uniformity. If no quality inspection is involved, the mixed powder or powder mixture will be transferred to one or more buffer systems 316 and / or 318. It is preferred to use at least two buffer systems because the second or more buffer systems make it possible to track the mixture by powder batch. That is, each buffer system can be associated with a batch of powder mixture. It is preferred to prepare the mixed powder in batches to facilitate better accountability. The component content of each batch of mixed powder can be defined according to the buffer capacity of each buffer system outside the mixer. The mixed powder in each buffer system 316 and 318 can be transferred in batches to the bag forming, powder filling and sealing equipment 400. The mixed powder can be transferred to the equipment 400 by a vacuum feeder and / or a screw feeder or conveyor.

[0179] Figure 3C The system may include a control station (not shown) including one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may be provided with a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touch screen display. The control station may include light indicators for indicating whether the system is in operation, in various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may be provided with a plurality of user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling the system. The system may also include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts and a power source.

[0180] Steps 216 and 218 will be referred to below. Figure 4 The illustrated embodiment is described in more detail. Figure 4 Shown Figure 3C Front perspective of the device 400 Figure 4A and rear perspective Figure 4 B. The apparatus 400 is a vertical form, fill and seal machine comprising one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts and a power source.

[0181] The key parts of the device 400 are bag forming, powder filling and bag sealing. Figure 2If steps 206 to 214 are performed on site as part of a continuous process and steps 216 to 220, the inputs to the apparatus 400 include: first, the mixed powder to be transferred, which is input from the final powder mixing step 214 to the filling hopper 404 via the powder input point 402; and second, the film material 406 provided by the film roll. The film material 406 is prefabricated and may have, for example, the characteristics described in Table 1 above and Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 1C The film structure of the embodiment shown, and the embodiments described below referred to as PET / EG / PE or PET / AL / PE. In this embodiment, the output of the apparatus 400 is a three-side sealed bag filled with the mixed powder. In another embodiment, the bag can be a four-side sealed bag. The forming, filling and sealing assembly 408 is locked in the cabinet of the apparatus 400. Figure 4 Not visible in.

[0182] Figure 4A A rear view of an embodiment of a bag 400 manufactured by the apparatus 400 is shown. Figure 4 C and front view Figure 4 D, the bag is rectangular and has a three-side seal structure. The three-side seal structure includes a longitudinal or center seal 412 and two side seals, namely a top seal 414 and a bottom seal 416. The longitudinal seal 412 is disposed between the two side seals 414 and 416 and connects to the two side seals 414 and 416 at the ends of the longitudinal seal 412. The longitudinal seal 412 can be considered to be orthogonal to the two side seals 414 and 416, which are disposed transversely relative to the bag body 410. For example, the bag body seals 412, 414, and 416 can have a seal width of 10-20 mm.

[0183] The process of forming the bag 410 is summarized as follows. Figure 4 The preformed bag is then rolled (406) into a tubular structure, and the two opposing sides of the film material are joined by longitudinal seal 412. After longitudinal seal 412 is sealed, bottom seal 416 is subsequently sealed, thereby forming a preformed bag having an open top or top end. Powder is dispensed or introduced into the preformed bag through the open top or top end. After the preformed bag is filled, a sealing operation is performed to form top seal 414 to close the opening of the open top or top end.

[0184] Figure 4 The forming, filling and sealing components 408 for performing the corresponding forming, filling and sealing processes are combined and implemented by a machine (i.e., the device 400). Such components 408 are used to form powdered and / or granular products (e.g. Figure 3C The mixed powder output from the buffer system 316 and / or 318) is filled into the bag (eg Figure 4400 in the example).

[0185] Figure 4 The forming, filling and sealing components 408 are as follows Figure 5 shown. Figure 5 Three drawings are shown, namely 5A, 5B and 5C. Figure 5 A shows a first example of a forming, filling and sealing assembly 408, Figure 5 B shows a second example of a mold, fill and seal assembly 408, Figure 5 C shows a bag forming tool 528 including a bag forming shoulder 510 and a forming tube 512 .

[0186] Specifically, Figure 5 Figure A shows a filling hopper 404 serving as a source of mixed powder. A forming tube 512 is connected to the filling hopper 404. An auger screw 502 is provided for powder distribution, specifically, for conveying the mixed powder fed into the filling hopper 304 into each formed bag. The auger screw 502 extends from the space within the filling hopper 404 housing the mixed powder through the hollow core of the forming tube 512. One end of the forming tube 512 is connected to the filling hopper 404, and the opposite end of the forming tube 512 is an opening for dispensing the mixed powder conveyed by the auger screw 502.

[0187] Figure 4 The film material 406 in the roll is supplied by a roll unwinding device 506. The roll unwinding device 506 works in conjunction with a plurality of cylindrical rods or guide rollers 524 to separate the film material 406 from the roll and convey the film material 406 to the bag forming shoulder 510. The width of the film roll can determine the width of the bag formed.

[0188] In the first step, the film material 406 is folded and covered on the bag forming shoulder 510, so that the flat film material 406 is formed into a circular tube. The circular tube is formed on the forming tube 512, which is used to maintain the tubular shape. A film removal (or peeling) unit is provided below the bag forming shoulder 510 to pull the film material 406 and remove it from the film forming area. The film removal unit includes a pair of moving devices 516 with circular tracks (or ribbon strips) that are close to both sides of the film material 406. Each moving device 516 is driven by a motor, driving the circular track 516 to pull the film material 406 downward by friction. The circular track moves synchronously to make the traction effect on the film material 406 uniform.

[0189] In the second step, after the film material 406 is formed into a tube on the forming tube 512, the ends 526 of the film material 406 are placed close to each other and longitudinally sealed at these ends 526 using the longitudinal sealer 514 to form a center seal of the bag (or pouch). The longitudinal sealer 514 includes a heater for softening the film material 406 so that the ends 526 of the film material 406 are bonded together to form a center seal (such as Figure 4 It should be understood that the film material 406 in this embodiment comprises one or more layers of material suitable for the sealing process. The powder to be dispensed into the bag to be formed is not expected to escape from the center seal.

[0190] In the third step, a transverse seal is performed using a transverse sealer 518 to seal the bottom end 530 of the bag to be formed (or preformed bag) 532. The transverse sealer 518 includes a pair of sealing jaws for pressing the two layers of film material 406 used to form a round tube. The transverse sealer 514 includes a heating element located on one or both sealing jaws to melt or soften the film material 406 when the jaws are pressed against the two layers of film material 406. The melting or softening of the two layers of film material 406 causes them to adhere to each other, thereby forming a bottom seal (e.g., Figure 4 416 in). After this sealing, the powder to be dispensed into the bag is not expected to escape from the bottom end 530. Sealing the bottom end 530 of the preformed bag 532 also seals the top end of the previously filled bag 522.

[0191] After the bottom end 530 is closed, in the fourth step, the mixed powder in the filling hopper 404 is distributed or dispensed into the preformed bag 532 by the spiral screw 502 to reach the predetermined amount. The precise metering is determined by the number of revolutions and movement speed of the spiral screw 502.

[0192] When a predetermined amount of mixed powder is filled into the preformed bag 532, in the fifth step, the film material 406 moves downward and is transversely sealed by the transverse sealer 518 to close the top end of the preformed bag 532. Sealing the top end of the preformed bag 532 also seals the bottom end of the next bag to be filled.

[0193] In the sixth step, the filled bag (eg, bag 522) is sealed at its top end by transverse sealing and then cut from the film material.

[0194] Figure 5 The second example shown in B works in the same way, with Figure 5 The same elements as in the first example of A are labeled with the same reference numerals. The only difference is the way the powder is dispensed or distributed into the preformed bags 532. Instead of being delivered by the auger screw 502, the mixed powder is distributed by gravity from the filling hopper 404 into the preformed bags 532. Figure 5 B also shows more clearly Figure 5 The same components present in A.

[0195] In the six steps described above, computer vision can be used to detect printed markings on film material 406 to measure or determine the film material's length. For example, the length of the final bag can be defined by the markings printed on film material 406. The film material's length can be measured or determined using encoders. These encoders generate pulses in response to the linear displacement of the film material being measured, providing motion feedback for linear measurement. These encoders then transmit the pulses to a controller, which converts the pulses into distance. Distance measuring wheels can be used in conjunction with these encoders.

[0196] Example machine parameters for apparatus 400 are provided in Table 4 below.

[0197] Table 4

[0198] describe: data: Possible bag width: Up to 260mm Sealing method: Heat seal Seal width (transverse seal): 20mm Bag length range: Up to 550mm Membrane length detection: Printing Marker / Encoder

[0199] Apparatus 400 includes a control station (not shown) comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the forming, filling, and sealing processes. The control station may include a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touchscreen display. The control station may include light indicators to indicate whether apparatus 400 is in operation, at various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may include multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling apparatus 400.

[0200] After the bag containing the mixed powder is formed, an optional but recommended filling quality check can be performed (corresponding to Figure 2 This check ensures the accuracy of the bag filling process. The weight of the dispensed powder should be measured immediately after the bag filling process is completed.

[0201] The input for the fill quality inspection is filled and sealed bags from the bag forming, filling, and sealing processes. The weight of each filled bag is measured. Bad (NG) bags, i.e., filled bags that do not meet the predetermined weight requirements, are rejected. Bad bags can be rejected by being transferred to a waste bin. Good bags that meet the predetermined weight requirements are conveyed downstream for further processing.

[0202] Figure 6 、 6A 6B show an embodiment of an apparatus 600 for performing a filling quality check. Figure 6 shows a top view of the device 600, Figure 6A shows a front view of the device 600, Figure 6B A perspective view of the device 600 is shown. Figure 6 、6A and 6B, the apparatus 600 may be a checkweigher machine that includes a conveyor system for moving filled bags to different locations on the apparatus 600 to perform different tasks. Figure 6 、 6A The arrows in 6B show the direction of bag transport.

[0203] Apparatus 600 includes a control station 604, which includes one or more processors or controllers for controlling the filling quality inspection process. Control station 604 may include a display 620 for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. Display 620 may be a touchscreen display. Control station 604 may include a light indicator 616 to indicate whether apparatus 600 is in operation or not. Control station 604 may include multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, and switches, for controlling apparatus 600. Apparatus 600 includes one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts, as well as a power source.

[0204] The apparatus 600 includes a feed conveying section 606 that receives material from an upstream process, such as Figure 4 Filled bags from apparatus 400 (i.e., a bag forming, filling, and sealing machine) are conveyed to the machine 600. In the downstream direction, the apparatus 600 includes one or more weighing conveyor sections, such as 608 and 610, which contain load cells for weighing the filled bags placed thereon. Each weighing conveyor section can be configured to weigh a specific range of bag sizes. For example, weighing conveyor section 608 can weigh smaller, lighter bags, while weighing conveyor section 610 can weigh larger, heavier bags. Bags of different sizes are made in different batches. In a batch of larger bags, weighing conveyor section 608 can be deactivated, while weighing conveyor section 610 will be activated to weigh the larger bags. The same applies to smaller bags, but weighing conveyor section 608 will be activated and conveyor section 610 will be deactivated.

[0205] The apparatus 600 also includes an output conveyor section 614, which serves as a reject station for rejecting unqualified (NG) bags that do not meet predetermined weight requirements by transferring them to a reject bin 622, or transferring qualified bags that meet predetermined weight requirements downstream for further processing. Transferring NG bags to the reject bin 622 can be accomplished by blowing air into the reject bin 622, by using a mechanical push plate or other pushing mechanism to push the NG bags into the reject bin 622, or by other suitable means. The reject bin 622 can be locked to prevent the mishandling of the rejected bags.

[0206] The device 600 may be equipped with feedback control to Figure 4The weight requirement may be an acceptable weight range for a particular bag size. If the weight of the bag approaches or exceeds the tolerance or limit of the acceptable weight range, the weight requirement may be electronically reported to the Figure 4 The device 400 sends a feedback data signal to adjust the dosage of the powder. Subsequently, the device 400 will automatically increase or decrease the dosage of the powder in each bag to be filled.

[0207] Can be used in filling quality inspection (corresponding to Figure 2 An optional seal quality check may be performed immediately after step 220 in the flow chart or before the filling quality check. The input to the seal quality check is Figure 4 Filled and sealed bags are shown in apparatus 400. Seal quality inspection can be performed using computer vision technology to confirm that each bag is properly sealed and to confirm the presence of powder around or within the seal area to be inspected. Figure 4A The inspectable seal areas corresponding to center seal 412, top seal 414, and bottom seal 416 are shown. For example, a computer vision system with a backlight can be used. Failed (NG) bags, i.e., bags that are not properly sealed and / or contain powder around or within the seal area, are rejected and transferred to a waste bin. Acceptable bags that meet the requirements are transferred to the next process step.

[0208] After the filling quality inspection or the sealing quality inspection, a first cleaning process (corresponding to Figure 2 The main purpose is to clean the surface of each bag, especially the transverse sealing area (i.e. Figure 4A 414 and bottom seal 416).

[0209] The input of the first cleaning process is the qualified bags from the filling quality inspection or the sealing quality inspection. The qualified bags are cleaned first. The cleaning process can be divided into multiple steps, such as using a rotating air nozzle to blow air to clean the surface of each bag, and then brushing the surface of each bag with a brush. The surface may include the transverse sealing area and the longitudinal sealing area (i.e. Figure 4A Center seal 412 in).

[0210] A cleaning device comprising the air nozzle and / or brush can be used for the first cleaning process. The device may include a control station comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may be provided with a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user control and settings. The display may be a touch screen display. The control station may include a light indicator for indicating whether the device is in operation, in different operating stages, or not in operation. The control station may be provided with multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling the device. The device includes one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts and a power source.

[0211] After cleaning, each bag can be inspected for cleanliness. Cleaning results can be verified using UV light, X-rays, or high-sensitivity camera systems. Improperly cleaned bags may be rejected and sent to a waste bin. Clean, qualified bags are then transferred to the next process step.

[0212] Figure 7 An embodiment of a combined or integrated system is shown that includes components for bag forming, filling and sealing processes (i.e. Figure 4 400) and a filling quality inspection station (i.e., device 600). Figure 7 The X and Y positions indicated in the figure can be used as the installation positions of the aforementioned sealing quality inspection station. A conveyor 702 is provided between the apparatus 400 and the apparatus 600 to convey the filled bags from the apparatus 400 to the apparatus 600 for filling quality inspection. Figure 7 Shows the device 400 that is not installed on the Figure 4 The vacuum feeder shown in FIG. is used to convey Figure 3C The mixing process described above is for mixed powder. The direction of transport of the bag is as follows Figure 7 As shown by the arrow in . There is no need to set up separate control stations for device 600 and device 400, and a common control station can be used to control the two devices.

[0213] After the bag is cleaned, the optional but recommended pre-folding (or corner folding) process begins (corresponding to Figure 2 The primary purpose of this pre-folding process is to prevent powder from leaking from the sealed corners of each bag. In subsequent stages, the bags will be subjected to compression and heat treatment, which could cause the sealed sides or ends of the bags to break, potentially leaking powder or even causing the bags to burst. The input to this pre-folding process is cleaned bags that have passed the cleanliness inspection in the first cleaning step.

[0214] Figure 8 Shown is a rear view of the bag 808 Figure 8A , which has a center seal 806 and the corners of the bag body 808 will be folded over. Figure 8 Also shown is a front view of the bag 808 Figure 8B, wherein the folded corners 804 are locked in place. The pre-folding process involves positioning each bag 808 to a position suitable for folding its corners, determining a fold line 802 at each corner to fold the corner, and Figure 8 The corner of the bag 808 is folded or folded in the manner indicated by the middle arrow and pressure is applied to lock the corner in the folded configuration, thereby forming a folded corner 804. The output of the pre-folding process is a pre-folded (or corner-folded) bag, which looks like the front view. Figure 8B As shown in the bag body 808.

[0215] Figure 8A An embodiment of an apparatus 800 for performing a pre-folding process is shown. The apparatus 800 comprises one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts and a power source. In this embodiment, the bag to be corner-folded is rectangular. Figure 8B An enlarged view of a portion of the four corner folding devices 810 for folding the four corners of the bag is shown. Figure 8A and Figure 8B The apparatus 800 comprises an elevated platform 822 mounted on top of a table 818. Four corner folding devices 810 are mounted at the four corners of the elevated platform 822. The elevated platform has a recessed portion 824 of depth H, the wall of which is, for example, Figure 8B The walls P, Q, and R are shown in FIG. Wall P is located at a position corresponding to the corner position of the bag body and is set at a certain angle relative to walls Q and R to facilitate folding of the bag corners. Walls similar to wall P are also provided at other corners of the recessed portion 824 to facilitate folding of the bag corners.

[0216] The apparatus 800 includes a folding fixture 812 for positioning a bag before corner folding. The folding fixture 812 is configured to rise and fall within a recessed portion 824. The bag before corner folding must be aligned and positioned on the folding fixture 812 for corner folding. The folding fixture 812 can be sized to closely match the bag's dimensions or have a bag-receiving area that closely matches the bag's dimensions, so that when the bag is detected in the folding fixture, it is in an aligned state. This can be achieved with the assistance of a computer vision system. The bag before corner folding can be secured in place by vacuum suction. Vacuum suction can be applied to secure the folding fixture 812 and the aligned bag. The folding fixture 812 can also have openings for vacuum suction to secure or maintain the bag's position on the folding fixture 812. The table 818 can be equipped with a vacuum suction system comprising one or more apertures for applying vacuum suction to the folding fixture 812 and / or the aligned bag. In another embodiment, a pick-and-place device (or a robotic arm) may use vacuum suction to grab the bag, align it, and place it in the correct position on the folding and fixing device 812 .

[0217] Each corner folding device 810 includes a sliding cylinder 816 connected to a folding fixture 814. A linear motor or actuator is used to drive the movement of the sliding cylinder 816. The folding fixture 814 is shaped to be used for folding the corners of the bag. For example, it may have an inclined edge to facilitate folding. As previously described, the folding fixture 812 is configured to be able to rise and fall within the recessed portion 824. When the bag is fixed on the folding fixture 812 and the folding fixture 812 has not yet been lowered to the recessed portion 824, the folding fixture 812 moves vertically downward into the recessed portion 824 so that the corner of the bag contacts the inclined wall (e.g., wall P) in the recessed portion 824, which is used to fold or fold the corner of the bag. With the assistance of the wall (e.g., wall P), the folding fixture 812 moves vertically downward into the groove, pre-folding the corner of the bag to an angle of approximately 90 degrees. When the bag is in the pre-folded position, the sliding cylinders of the four corner folding devices 810 will move forward, driving their respective folding clamps 814 to further fold the corners from approximately 90 degrees to approximately 180 degrees. Each corner folding device 810 also includes a heating element mounted on the folding clamp 814 to apply heat to the folded corners. The heating element softens the folded film material to ensure that the folded corners maintain their folded configuration. After the corner folding process is completed, the sliding cylinder 816 will return to its original position, and the pre-folded bag with folded corners can be removed from the folding fixture 812 and transferred to the next process.

[0218] The apparatus 800 may include a control station (not shown) comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may include a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touchscreen display. The control station may include light indicators to indicate whether the apparatus 800 is in operation, at various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may include multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling the apparatus 800.

[0219] After the pre-folding process is completed, the tape and / or adhesive application process begins (corresponding to Figure 2 This tape / adhesive application process can be performed before or after the pre-folding process. The main purpose of this tape / adhesive application process is to enable the folded edges of the pre-folded bag body with the top and bottom seals to be bonded and fixed in place during the subsequent further folding or folding process.

[0220] Figure 9 Shows a front view of a pre-folded (corner folded) bag 900 Figure 9 A and side view Figure 9 B. The input to the tape / adhesive application process is the tape / adhesive 902 and a pre-folded (corner folded) bag, e.g. Figure 9The bag 900 is shown; if the pre-folding process is skipped, the input is a cleaned bag. The tape / adhesive application process involves aligning and positioning the bag 900 for applying the tape / adhesive, cutting and applying the tape or adhesive 902 to the sealing area of ​​the bag's hem (or sealed side), specifically the top seal area 904 or bottom seal area 906 of the bag, which are also referred to as the transverse seal area of ​​the bag. The output of the tape / adhesive application process is a bag with tape or adhesive applied to the bag's hem or top or bottom seal area. For example, double-sided tape (or baseless tape or double-sided adhesive-coated tape) can be used on the bag's hem. In another embodiment, adhesive (hot melt adhesive) can be applied to the hem. For the application of double-sided tape or baseless tape, a tape applicator 908 is used to ensure the required tape length and repeatability of the application operation. If an adhesive such as hot melt adhesive is used, a dispensing device 908 is used to apply a specific amount of adhesive to the hem.

[0221] After applying the tape / adhesive to the transverse sealing area of ​​the bag, the folding process can be carried out (corresponding to Figure 2 In step 228), the transverse seal area is folded or folded so that the area with the tape / adhesive is bonded to the main body (or core area) of the bag. The seal area is folded or folded over or under the bag to maximize the effective insulation coverage area. In addition, when high temperature and / or high pressure are applied to the bag in subsequent processes, the folded or folded seal will be pressed more firmly against the main body of the bag, making the sealed side or edge of the bag less susceptible to cracking and filling leakage. The input of the folding process is a corner folded bag with adhesive / tape applied to the transverse seal area, or if the pre-folding (corner folding) process is skipped, it is a clean bag with adhesive / tape applied to the transverse seal area. The folding process involves determining a fold line, folding the hem of the bag toward the front or back of the bag at an angle of approximately 180 degrees, and securing it by adhering the folded hem to the main body of the bag. The output of the folding process is a bag with folded (or folded) sides.

[0222] Figure 10 A perspective view of an apparatus 1000 for performing a folding process is shown. Figure 10A The apparatus 1000 includes two rows of rollers 1002 and 1004 arranged to fold or crease, respectively, the top and bottom sealed sides of each bag fed into the apparatus 1000. Passing the bag through the two rows of rollers 1002 and 1004 simultaneously folds and bonds the opposing sealed sides of the bag (i.e., the top and bottom sealed sides). Figure 10 Also shown is a side view of roller row 1002 Figure 10B and a top view of roller row 1002. Each roller row 1002 and 1004 comprises multiple roller assemblies. In this embodiment, there are three roller groups #1, #2 and #3 in row 1002, which are shown in the top view. Figure 10 C. Roller set #1 is used to define the fold line of the top sealed side (or top hem) of the bag to be folded or folded. Roller set #2 is used to fold the top sealed side of the bag from 0 degrees to 180 degrees. Roller set #3 is used to adhere, fix or lock the portion of the top sealed side to which the tape / adhesive has been applied to the bag body. Roller row 1004 is used to fold and adhere the bottom sealed side (or bottom hem) and is configured in a similar manner to roller row 1002. It should be noted that because the bag is symmetrical about an axis passing through the center of the bag and parallel to the transverse sealed sides of the bag, the terms "top and bottom of the bag" are used interchangeably.

[0223] Apparatus 1000 may include a control station (not shown) comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may include a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touch screen display. The control station may include light indicators for indicating whether apparatus 1000 is in operation, at various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may include a plurality of user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling apparatus 1000. Apparatus 1000 may include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts, as well as a power source.

[0224] The apparatus 1000 comprises a conveyor 1001 comprising one or more movable fixtures 1006 positioned between two rows of rollers 1002 and 1004 for conveying bags through the rows of rollers 1002 . Figure 10Such a fixture 1006 is shown. One or more fixtures 1006 are mounted on a pair of tracks 1008 and can slide along the pair of tracks 1008. When there are multiple fixtures 1006, they can be placed adjacent to each other. Use a suitable motor or actuator to move one or more fixtures 1006. Each fixture 1006 is used to fix a bag with a sealed side to be turned over or folded into place. The bag can be clamped mechanically to be fixed to each fixture by a clamp, or the bag can be fixed to each fixture by the use of vacuum suction. The clamp or vacuum suction can apply parallel pressure from top to bottom to the bag. The bag must be fixed in the fixture 1006, and the sealed side of the bag must be aligned so as to interact with the roller groups 1, 2 and 3 of the two rows of rollers 1002 and 1004. Subsequently, the bag-carrying fixture 1006 is moved through roller groups #1, #2, and #3 of the two rows of rollers 1002 and 1004, causing the sealed side edges of the bag to be folded and adhered to the main body of the bag. The bag is preferably moved through roller groups #1, #2, and #3 in the two rows 1002 and 1004 at a constant speed.

[0225] A vacuum conveyor, more suitable for continuous processing, can be used, involving moving multiple bags past all of the roller sets 1, 2, and 3 used for hem folding. A vacuum conveyor is a suction machine that uses air or negative pressure to secure the bags in place. If a vacuum conveyor is used, each bag can be placed on a vacuum clamp. This vacuum clamp uses vacuum suction to secure the bag. Multiple such vacuum clamps can be positioned adjacent to each other. In another embodiment, the vacuum conveyor may include a movable perforated endless belt. When the conveyor belt is driven by a drive such as a motor or engine, bags with the sides to be folded and sealed are sequentially placed on the conveyor belt. The perforations in the conveyor belt are in fluid communication with the vacuum suction device. When the vacuum suction unit is activated, the bags placed on the moving endless belt adhere to the endless belt through the suction provided by the perforations. When the bags reach the end of the roller rows 1002 and 1004, the folding process is complete.

[0226] The rollers in each roller group #1, #2 and #3 are configured differently. Figure 10A A simplified cross-sectional side view of one roller assembly 1012 (labeled "1") in roller set #1 and six rollers 1014, 1016, 1018, 1020, 1022, and 1024 (labeled "2" through "7") in roller set #2 is shown. Each roller assembly in roller set #3 is configured in the same manner as roller set 1024 in roller set #2. Figure 10AAlso shown is a bag body 1010 having an unfolded or unfolded sealed side 1026 to be folded. Each roller assembly includes a top roller for acting on the top surface of the bag body 1010 or the top surface of the sealed side 1026 to be folded; and a bottom roller for supporting the bottom surface of the bag body 1010 or the bottom surface of the sealed side 1026. Figure 10A The various stages of folding the sealed side 1026 of the bag body 1010 are shown. Each row of rollers 1002 and 1004 is driven by, for example, a conveyor belt or chain. Each row of rollers 1002 and 1004 can be configured to move, and the speed of movement of the rollers can be adjusted. The two rows of rollers 1002 and 1004 should move synchronously to ensure uniform folding of the sealed side 1026.

[0227] Specifically, in this embodiment, the roller assembly 1012 includes a top roller 1i having an annular protrusion 1012a and a bottom roller 1ii having a corresponding annular groove for accommodating the protrusion 1012a. The protrusion 1012a and the corresponding annular groove are used to form a fold line on the sealed side edge 1026 of the bag body 1010 when it passes through the roller assembly 1012.

[0228] The roller assembly 1014 has a top roller 2i for pressing the bag body 1010 against the flat surface of the bottom roller 2ii of the roller assembly 1014, thereby supporting the bag body 1010 between the top roller 2i and the bottom roller 2ii. The bottom roller 2ii is configured to have a gently angled inclined surface (e.g., an angle of 45 degrees or less relative to a horizontal axis) for guiding the sealed side edge 1026 to fold at a gentle angle along the fold line as the sealed side edge 1026 passes through the roller assembly 1014.

[0229] The roller assembly 1016 has a top roller 3i for pressing the bag body 1010 against the flat surface of the bottom roller 3ii of the roller assembly 1016, thereby supporting the bag body 1010 between the top roller 3i and the bottom roller 3ii. The bottom roller 3ii is configured to have a steeply angled inclined surface (e.g., inclined greater than 45 degrees but less than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal axis) for guiding the sealed side edge 1026 to fold at a steep angle along the fold line when the sealed side edge 1026 passes through the roller assembly 1016.

[0230] The roller assembly 1018 has a top roller 4i for pressing the bag 1010 against the flat surface of the bottom roller 4ii of the roller assembly 1018, thereby supporting the bag 1010 between the top roller 4i and the bottom roller 4ii. The bottom roller 4ii is designed to have a right-angled slope (i.e., 90 degrees relative to the horizontal axis) for guiding the sealed side 1026 to fold to 90 degrees (relative to the horizontal axis) as the sealed side 1026 passes through the roller assembly 1014.

[0231] The roller assembly 1020 has a top roller 5i configured with a gently angled slope for guiding the sealed side edge 1026, which has been folded more than 90 degrees (relative to the horizontal axis), to fold toward the main body of the bag 1010. The roller assembly 1020 includes a bottom roller 5ii with a flat surface for supporting the bag 1010, i.e., allowing the bag to rest thereon. Figure 10A As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG, the bottom roller 5ii does not have a tapered or inclined structure.

[0232] The roller assembly 1022 includes a top roller 6i configured with a steeply angled slope for guiding the sealed side edge 1026 folded by the roller assembly 1020 to fold further toward the main body of the bag 1010. The roller assembly 1020 includes a bottom roller 6ii with a flat surface for supporting the bag 1010, i.e., allowing the bag 1010 to rest thereon. Figure 10A As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG, the bottom roller 6ii does not have a tapered or inclined structure.

[0233] Roller assembly 1024 includes a top roller 7i and a bottom roller 7ii, both of which are Figure 10A The cross-sectional views shown do not show any tapered or angled structures. They are used to fold the sealing edge 1026 and maintain it at 180 degrees relative to the horizontal axis. At this angle, the portion of the sealing edge 1026 to which the tape / adhesive was previously applied is adhered to the main body of the bag 1010. The top roller 7i and the bottom roller 7ii work together to secure and press the sealing edge 1026 to the main body of the bag 1010.

[0234] Each roller assembly in roller set #3 is configured in the same manner as roller set 1024 in roller set #2, as folding is performed at roller assembly 1024. Roller set #3 is used to enhance the adhesion of the sealing side 1026 to the bag body 1010 by continuously applying pressure to the sealing side 1026.

[0235] The spacing between the two rows of rollers 1002 and 1004 can be adjusted to accommodate different bag lengths. The spacing between the rollers in each row can also be adjusted to accommodate different bag widths. The fixture 1006, or vacuum clamp used to secure the bag, can be configured to accommodate different bag sizes. For example, the apparatus 1000 can support bag lengths ranging from 100 to 550 mm and bag widths ranging from 70 to 120 mm.

[0236] Table 5 below summarizes the description of the top and bottom rollers of each of roller assemblies 1012, 1014, 1016, 1018, 1020, 1022, and 1024 and their uses.

[0237] Table 5

[0238]

[0239]

[0240] Examples of fully folded or folded bags are shown in Figure 25 、 Figure 25A 、 Figure 25B and Figure 25C The drawings will now be described. Please note that the drawings are not drawn to scale and that the thickness of the folded edges in the side views is exaggerated for better clarity.

[0241] Figure 25 Shows a rear view of the folded bag 2500 Figure 25A , Forward Figure 25B and side view Figure 25C The folded bag body 2500 has a first folded transverse seal 2502 (or folded top seal), a second folded transverse seal 2506 (or folded bottom seal), and a folded longitudinal seal 2504 (or folded center seal) perpendicular to the first folded transverse seal 2502 and the second folded transverse seal 2506. The folded longitudinal seal 2504 is Figure 2 The bag body is formed by folding during the longitudinal sealing in step 218, for example by using Figure 5 The longitudinal sealer 514 in the folding process is used to fold the first folded transverse seal 2502 and the second folded transverse seal 2506. Figure 25 In the example shown, all fold seals 2502, 2504 and 2506 are shown in the rear view. Figure 25A The folded longitudinal seal 2504 is located at the edge of the folded bag body 2500 (just Figure 25 For example, at the left edge of the folded bag body 2500).

[0242] Figure 25A Shows a rear view of the folded bag 2510 Figure 25 D. Forward Figure 25 E and side view Figure 25 F. The folded bag body 2510 has a first folded transverse seal 2512 (or folded top seal), a second folded transverse seal 2516 (or folded bottom seal), and a folded longitudinal seal 2514 (or folded center seal) perpendicular to the first folded transverse seal 2512 and the second folded transverse seal 2516. The folded longitudinal seal 2514 is Figure 2 The bag body is formed by folding during the longitudinal sealing in step 218, for example by using Figure 5 The longitudinal sealer 514 in the folding process is used to fold the first folded transverse seal 2512 and the second folded transverse seal 2516. Figure 25A In the example shown, all fold seals 2512, 2514 and 2516 are shown in the rear view. Figure 25 Both are visible in D. The folded longitudinal seal 2514 is located in the central area of ​​the folded bag body 2500.

[0243] Figure 25B Shows a rear view of the folded bag 2520 Figure 25 G. Forward Figure 25 H and side view Figure 25 I. The folded bag body 2520 has a first folded transverse seal 2522 (or folded top seal), a second folded transverse seal 2526 (or folded bottom seal), and a folded longitudinal seal 2524 (or folded center seal) perpendicular to the first folded transverse seal 2522 and the second folded transverse seal 2526. The folded longitudinal seal 2524 is Figure 2 The bag body is formed by folding during the longitudinal sealing in step 218, for example by using Figure 5 The longitudinal sealer 514 in the present folding process is used to fold the first folded transverse seal 2522 and the second folded transverse seal 2526. Figure 25B In the example, the folded seal 2524 is in the rear view Figure 25 G, fold seals 2522 and 2526 are visible in the front view Figure 25 H. The folded longitudinal seal 2514 is located in the central region of the folded bag 2500.

[0244] Figure 25C Shows a rear view of the folded bag 2530 Figure 25 J. Forward Figure 25 K and side view Figure 25 The folded bag body 2530 has a first folded transverse seal 2532 (or folded top seal), a second folded transverse seal 2536 (or folded bottom seal), and a folded longitudinal seal 2534 (or folded center seal) perpendicular to the first folded transverse seal 2532 and the second folded transverse seal 2536. The folded longitudinal seal 2534 is Figure 2 The bag body is formed by folding during the longitudinal sealing in step 218, for example by using Figure 5 The longitudinal sealer 514 in the present folding process is used to fold the first folded transverse seal 2532 and the second folded transverse seal 2536. Figure 25 In the example shown, all fold seals 2532, 2534 and 2536 are shown in the rear view. Figure 25A In Figure 25C In the example, the folded seal 2534 is in the rear view Figure 25 As can be seen in J, fold seals 2532 and 2536 are in the front view Figure 25 K. Folded longitudinal seal 2534 is located at the edge of folded bag body 2530 (just Figure 25 In another embodiment, the folded longitudinal seal 2534 may be located at the edge 2538 of the folded bag 2530 (in terms of Figure 25For example, at the left edge of the folded bag body 2530).

[0245] After the folding process, the folding quality inspection can be carried out (corresponding to Figure 2 The primary purpose of this inspection is to prevent unfolded or improperly folded bags from entering the next stage of degassing, heating, and cooling. Improper folding can cause bags to burst in downstream processes. The fold quality control inspection inputs are folded bags output from the folding process. The fold quality control inspection process involves inspecting each folded bag to ensure its sealed side edges (i.e., the top and bottom sealed edges) are folded or folded.

[0246] Computer vision systems can be used to check whether the two sealed sides of the bag are correctly folded or folded. The computer vision system can do this by checking the bag's dimensions, such as measuring its length. In this case, if the bag is too long, it indicates that it is improperly folded or not folded at all. Figure 11 A top camera 1102 is shown capturing an image of a bag 1100 to check whether the bag 1100 meets a predetermined length requirement. The predetermined length requirement is based on the bag length when both sealed sides are correctly folded over. One folded side of the bag 1100 is marked with a check mark, indicating that the folded sealed side is properly adhered to the main body of the bag 1100. The other side of the bag 1100 has an unfolded sealed side 1104 and is marked with a cross, indicating that the bag 1100 does not meet the predetermined length requirement.

[0247] Furthermore, the computer vision system can be configured to check the height of each bag to identify improperly folded bags. The bag's height should include the thickness of the sealed side flaps. For example, if the bag's height is too low, it indicates that the sealed side flaps are not folded over or are folded over improperly. If the bag's height is too high, it could indicate that the flaps are not fully folded over and properly adhered to the bag, or that the adhesive is loose, causing the flaps to unfold. Figure 11A A height sensor 1112 is shown, which may be a laser or infrared sensor, etc. The height sensor 1112 is used to detect whether the height of the bag body 1110 meets a predetermined height requirement, which is shown by a dotted line. The predetermined height requirement is set based on the height of the bag body with both sealed sides correctly folded over. One of the folded sides of the bag body 1110 is marked with a check mark, indicating that the folded sealed side has been correctly adhered to the main body of the bag body 1110. The other side of the bag body 1110 has a sealed side 1114, which is folded 90 degrees relative to the horizontal axis, which will cause the measured height to exceed the predetermined height requirement defined by the dotted line. Therefore, in Figure 11A A cross can be seen in the figure, indicating that the height of the bag body 1110 does not meet the predetermined height requirement.

[0248] Bags that pass the folding quality inspection are transferred to the next process. Bags that fail the inspection will be rejected.

[0249] After the folding quality is checked, the degassing, heating and cooling process can begin (corresponding to Figure 2 (See step 232 in the figure). Degassing, heating, and cooling can be performed sequentially on individual bags or on a batch of multiple bags. Alternatively, the degassing and heating steps can be performed simultaneously on one bag or a batch of bags at a time, while the cooling step must be performed separately. The input for the degassing, heating, and cooling steps is pre-folded bags that have passed the folding quality inspection. If the pre-folding and folding steps are skipped, the input will be bags from the previous, unskipped step.

[0250] The degassing, heating, and cooling process may involve an optional first step of leveling the powder within each bag by vibration; a second step of degassing the bag by mechanical compression and / or vacuum assistance (i.e., applying vacuum suction to degas the bag); a third step of heat treating the bag; and a fourth step of cooling the bag. The output of the degassing, heating, and cooling process is a heat-treated insulation device. An example heat treatment temperature range is between 130°C and 150°C. After cooling, the insulation device temperature should drop below 50°C.

[0251] The types of equipment used for the above processes can be divided into the following categories:

[0252] 1. Static heat press or multi-layer heat press (MLHP), or

[0253] 2. Double belt press (DBP).

[0254] DBP is more suitable for automated continuous production processes, while the MLHP method is more suitable for static (batch) production processes.

[0255] An example of an MLHP-based apparatus includes a compression and heating chamber for placing one or more bags, wherein the one or more bags can be compressed and heated simultaneously. The same chamber or a separate chamber can be used to cool the one or more bags after compression and heating.

[0256] An optional first step involves leveling the powder within each bag by vibration. This can be accomplished, for example, using a vibration device outside the chamber. The vibration device may include a fixture for securing each bag. The fixture can be activated to vibrate and level the powder within the bag. Once the powder is leveled, the bag is transferred to the compression and heating chamber.

[0257] Alternatively, the chamber can be configured to level the powder by vibration, in which case there is no need to transfer the bags from the vibration station to the chamber. In this case, the vibration process can be synchronized with bag compression, thereby achieving simultaneous degassing and powder leveling.

[0258] A plurality of plates connected to one another may be provided within the compression and heating chamber. One or more bags may be placed between every two plates of the plurality of plates. The plurality of plates may be adjusted to move closer to one another, thereby compressing the bags placed between the plates. A heating element is provided to heat the plurality of plates. In this way, compression and heating may be performed simultaneously. Heating should be performed while compressing the one or more bags. After the heat treatment has been performed for a predetermined period of time, the plurality of plates together with the one or more bags compressed therebetween are allowed to cool naturally or by active cooling, for example by cooling with a cooling fluid flowing through pipes connected to or attached to the plurality of plates. Cooling should also be performed while compressing the one or more bags.

[0259] MLHP-based equipment may include a control station comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may include a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touchscreen display. The control station may include light indicators to indicate whether the equipment is in operation, at various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may include multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, and switches, for controlling the equipment. The equipment may include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts and a power source.

[0260] Figure 12 An example side view of a DBP-based apparatus 1200 for performing the above-described degassing, heating, and cooling processes is shown.

[0261] The device 1200 includes multiple machine components and areas. The areas are as follows:

[0262] 1. Feeding area 1202, used to supply one or more bags from upstream processes;

[0263] 2. A degassing zone, for initiating or starting the degassing process of one or more bags, wherein the degassing zone includes a vibrating device 1204 for leveling the powder in the one or more bags;

[0264] 3. Heating and / or pressurizing zone 1206, comprising one or more heating and / or pressurizing modules, such as modules 1206a, 1206b, and 1206c;

[0265] 4. Cooling zone 1208, including one or more cooling modules; and

[0266] 5. Discharge area 1210 is used to discharge the degassed, heat-treated, and cooled bags. These bags are referred to as finished insulation devices. Inspection and testing of the finished insulation devices, or further processing, can be performed subsequently.

[0267] Notably, the apparatus 1200 utilizes a modular setup or design, wherein heating, compression, and / or cooling modules can be inserted and removed as needed to achieve optimal manufacturing results.

[0268] Figure 12A Also shown is a side view of the device 1200 Figure 12A , and Figure 12 Different combinations of degassing, heating and / or cooling modules are used. Figure 12 shows the internal structure of each module, and Figure 12B The doors covering the interior of each module are shown to be in a closed state. Figure 12B Also shown is a top view of the device 1200 Figure 12B , where modules 1 to 5 (abbreviated as modul 1 to 5) correspond to the side view Figure 12A Shown are two modules 1206a, one module 1206d, and two modules 1208a. Figure 12B The door of middle module 1 is open.

[0269] Reference Figure 12 and Figure 12B , the device 1200 includes a top conveyor 1222 having a top endless belt 1226 (or first endless belt), and a bottom conveyor 1224 having a bottom endless belt 1228 (or second endless belt). The conveyor belt can be made of interlocking pieces of metal (e.g., steel) (referred to as steel belts). The top conveyor 1222 and the bottom conveyor 1224 are equipped with the necessary motors or engines and drive gears or wheels (e.g., 1236 and 1238) to synchronously drive their respective conveyor belts. The bottom conveyor belt 1228 is used to transport one or more bags placed thereon from the feed area 1202 through the intermediate areas 1204, 1206, and 1208 to the discharge area 1210. The one or more bags can be placed by a robot (e.g., a pick-and-place robot) or an interconnected upstream conveyor system.

[0270] The gap between the bottom and top conveyors, which hold one or more bags, is automatically adjustable. Top conveyor belt 1226 contacts the upward-facing surface of each bag after it has been conveyed a certain distance by bottom conveyor belt 1228. The conveyor belt's speed is adjustable. Once a bag contacts top conveyor belt 1226 and lies between them, the gap between them gradually decreases. As this distance decreases, top and bottom conveyor belts 1226, 1228, compress the bag and degas it.

[0271] The vibration device 1204 is installed between the feed zone 1202 and the first heating module 1206a, corresponding to the degassing zone. In this embodiment, the vibration device 1204 includes a vibration member 1230 (which may be a roller or a rod) for contacting the top conveyor belt 1226. The vibration generated by the vibration device 1204 is transmitted to the top conveyor belt 1226 via the vibration member 1230, thereby vibrating the one or more bags transported between the top conveyor belt 1226 and the bottom conveyor belt 1228. The combination of vibration and compression helps to evenly level the powder within each bag.

[0272] One or more layers of fabric or coating (e.g., Teflon-based fabric or coating, silicone-coated fabric) may be added to the surfaces of the top conveyor 1226 and bottom conveyor 1228 that contact the one or more bags. The one or more layers of fabric or coating help ensure that air can flow from the bag through the perforations in the bag. The one or more layers of fabric or coating may be provided with a pattern that, under pressure, embosses the pattern onto the surface of the bag that the one or more layers of fabric or coating contact. This embossed pattern helps increase the rigidity of the bag.

[0273] As previously mentioned, the apparatus 1200 has a modular arrangement for compression, heating, and / or cooling. The heating, pressurizing, and / or cooling modules can be arranged according to the desired process. Each module includes an adjustable top plate or upper plate 1232 and a bottom plate or lower plate 1234 that can move toward or away from each other to apply or release pressure to an object placed between the top plate 1232 and the bottom plate 1234. In the apparatus 1200, the top plate 1232 and the bottom plate 1234 do not directly contact one or more bags. When it is necessary to apply pressure to the bags between the top conveyor belt 1226 and the bottom conveyor belt 1228, the top plate 1232 will apply pressure to the top conveyor belt 1226, and the bottom plate 1234 will apply pressure to the bottom conveyor belt 1228.

[0274] The temperature of each module can be individually controlled. The compression provided by the modules can apply additional pressure to one or more bags, in addition to the pressure applied by adjusting the distance between the top conveyor 1226 and the bottom conveyor 1228. The pressure applied by the modules to the top conveyor 1226 and the bottom conveyor 1228 can be adjusted within a specific range. Different pressure, heating, and / or cooling conditions can be applied to each individual module within the heating and / or pressurizing zone 1206 and the cooling zone 1208.

[0275] An example of a module in a modular setting is Figure 12 1206a, 1206b, 1206c and 1208, Figure 12A 1206d, 1206b, 1206c, 1212, and 1214, and Figure 12B1206a, 1206d and 1208a (and corresponding modules 1 to 5) in. Figure 12 、 Figure 12A and Figure 12B The abbreviations of the modules and their corresponding descriptions are shown in Table 6 below. Figure 12A shown.

[0276] Table 6

[0277]

[0278] In Table 6, "sliding plate" means that the module includes two plates that can slide vertically to move closer to or away from each other. It should be noted that the pressure application curve of each module can be adjusted according to needs to obtain the best effect and is not limited to Figure 12A The curve shown.

[0279] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is recommended to adopt Figure 12B Side view Figure 12A The thermal insulation device is manufactured using the module combination shown in FIG, which includes two heating modules (SPM-H) 1206a (i.e., modules 1 and 2), one high-pressure module (SPM-H-HP) 1206b (i.e., module 3), and two cooling modules (SPM-C) 1208a (i.e., modules 4 and 5). Of course, other possible module combinations are also possible.

[0280] For illustration purposes, based on Figure 12B The module assembly shown here describes the heat treatment and cooling process for one or more input bags. The operating temperature range can be between 20°C and 250°C, with temperatures near the upper limit used for heat treatment and temperatures near the lower limit used for cooling. The conveyor belt widths of top conveyor 1226 and bottom conveyor 1228 can range from 1 to 1.5 meters. The conveyor belt travel speed (or line speed) can be between 0.1 and 4 meters per minute.

[0281] Control station 1216 includes one or more processors / controllers and may include one or more displays (e.g., monitors based on LCDs, LEDs, OLEDs, etc., touch screens, etc.) for displaying a graphical user interface for user control and / or one or more user input / output interfaces (buttons, mouse, keyboard, etc.). This control station can be electrically connected to apparatus 1200 and various modules to provide control of movable components (e.g., position adjustment, direction adjustment, switches, etc.), sensors, and process parameters (e.g., line speed, pressure, temperature, etc.). Electrical wiring / cables and other required electrical components / equipment can be stored in provided electrical cabinets 1220a and 1220b. Apparatus 1200 also includes a power supply.

[0282] After the powder is leveled, the bag or bags undergo heat treatment in modules 1 through 3. The temperature gradually increases in modules 1 and 2, meaning that module 2 will be hotter than module 1. This increase in temperature accelerates the ongoing degassing process, as the air expands within each bag due to the increased temperature. The plates of modules 1 and 2 can each apply low or no pressure. However, a predetermined compression can still be applied to the top and bottom conveyor belts 1226 and 1228, and the bag or bags will still be subjected to this compression.

[0283] The final (highest) heating temperature will be reached at module 3. In addition, module 3 will apply high pressure to the bag or bags. The higher pressure ensures that the bag or bags are properly compressed. The pressure distribution diagram of module 3 can be based on Figure 12A Refer to Figure G2 in the figure, or other pressure distribution diagrams as needed.

[0284] Modules 4 and 5 are used for the cooling process. Active cooling is performed by modules 4 and 5, wherein the plates of modules 4 and 5 are cooled or cooled to a low temperature by means of on-site refrigerators or coolers 1218a and 1218b (e.g. rated at 30kW). Modules 4 and 5 are configured so that the bag or bags remain under pressure during the cooling process. A constant pressure can be applied. The cooling process allows the temperature of each package to be gradually reduced until the requirement of less than 50 degrees Celsius is met. This means that the temperature of module 5 will be lower than the temperature of module 4. Once this requirement is met, the cooling process is considered complete and the bag or bags will be transferred to the discharge area 1210 of the device 1200, which will transfer the finished product (i.e. the insulation device) to the next process step.

[0285] Another type of double-belt press can be used for the degassing, heating, and cooling steps. This type of press differs primarily from the aforementioned apparatus 1200 in the materials used for top conveyor belts 1226 and 1228. Instead of steel belts, three-layer (non-steel) composite belts can be used. With these belts, the total pressure that can be applied during the process is lower than with steel belts. In other embodiments, systems that utilize vacuum pressure and / or rollers to apply pressure and provide heating can also be used.

[0286] After the degassing, heating and cooling process, the finished insulation device can be subjected to the second cleaning process (corresponding to Figure 2 The second cleaning step is intended to clean the insulation to prevent contamination from powder leaking from the bag or from powder rupture. The input to the second cleaning step is the finished insulation. The second cleaning step is identical to the first cleaning step. A similar cleanliness check as previously described can be performed to verify the cleanliness of each cleaned insulation unit. Clean insulation units are transferred to the next step; unclean insulation units are rejected.

[0287] Similar to the first cleaning process, the same cleaning equipment (i.e., the same cleaning equipment used in the first cleaning process) or a second cleaning equipment comprising an air nozzle and / or a brush can be used. The equipment may include a control station comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may be provided with a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touch screen display. The control station may include light indicators for indicating whether the equipment is in operation, in different stages of operation, or not working. The control station may be provided with multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling the equipment. The equipment may include one or more motors or engines and a power supply for driving its moving parts.

[0288] After the insulation is cleaned, an optional but recommended End-of-Life (EOL) inspection process may be performed (corresponding to Figure 2 The input to this EOL inspection process is the cleaned insulation. The inspections to be performed may include one or more of the following:

[0289] a) Check the weight of the incoming insulation to ensure it meets the predetermined weight requirements (e.g. Figure 6 600 );

[0290] b) Check the dimensions of the insulation to ensure that it meets the predetermined dimensions (e.g. width, length, thickness and / or height) (e.g. by using a method similar to Figure 11 and Figure 11A Computer vision technology described above);

[0291] c) Check the visual appearance of the insulation for wrinkles and check its flatness (e.g., using a method similar to that of the reference Figure 11 and Figure 11A Computer vision technology described above).

[0292] d) Check the thermal insulation to ensure there is no powder leakage (this may be done by using methods such as computer vision technology similar to that used in cleanliness testing).

[0293] Insulation devices that pass all inspection tests can be transferred to the next process, which is to mark or label the insulation devices. Unqualified devices will be rejected.

[0294] Figure 13An example of an apparatus 1300 for performing an EOL inspection process and labeling of thermal insulation devices is shown. Apparatus 1300 includes: a weight testing station 1304, which includes one or more load cells for weighing each incoming thermal insulation device; an appearance / dimensional inspection station 1306, which performs a surface appearance inspection and a dimensional inspection on each incoming thermal insulation device; a powder leakage inspection station 1308, which inspects each incoming thermal insulation device for powder leakage; a stiffness inspection station 1310, which inspects the stiffness of each incoming thermal insulation device; and a labeling station 1312, which affixes the required label and / or mark to each qualified thermal insulation device. The output of apparatus 1300 is a qualified thermal insulation device with a label and / or mark. Apparatus 1300 includes a plurality of transfer units 1302, which may be robotic arms for picking up and placing thermal insulation devices to transfer the thermal insulation devices between stations.

[0295] Apparatus 1300 may include a control station (not shown) comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may include a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touch screen display. The control station may include light indicators to indicate whether apparatus 1300 is in operation, at various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may include multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling apparatus 1300. Apparatus 1300 may include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts, as well as a power source.

[0296] Specifically, at weight testing station 1304, incoming thermal insulation devices are weighed to check whether their weight meets tolerance requirements. Preferably, the weight deviation from the predetermined target weight should be 5% or less. Thermal insulation devices that pass the weight test are transferred by transfer unit 1302 to visual inspection station 1306. Unsatisfactory thermal insulation devices are moved to a waste bin.

[0297] At the appearance / dimensional inspection station 1306, incoming thermal insulation devices are measured to determine whether their dimensions meet tolerance requirements. A computer vision system is used to inspect the length and width of the insulation devices. The required tolerances may be no more than 1 mm and no less than 1 mm from the predetermined desired width and length values. Another component of the appearance / dimensional inspection is thickness inspection. Thickness can be measured using a computer vision system and / or mechanical measuring equipment (such as a thickness gauge). In addition to computer vision, other suitable methods can be used to physically measure the length, width, and / or thickness to confirm that they are within tolerance. Insulation devices that pass the dimensional test are transferred by the transfer unit 1302 for appearance inspection. Insulation devices that fail the dimensional test are moved to a reject bin. The appearance inspection ensures that the incoming insulation devices meet visual appearance requirements. No wrinkles should appear on the surface of the insulation devices. The insulation devices are checked for flatness and are free of significant deformation or warping. Appearance inspection can be performed using computer vision systems configured for 2D and / or 3D imaging, laser sensors, and / or X-ray systems. The thermal insulation devices that pass the appearance test will be transferred by the transfer unit 1302 to the powder leakage inspection station 1308. The unqualified thermal insulation devices will be moved to the waste bin.

[0298] At the powder leak inspection station 1308, incoming insulation is inspected for powder leaks. A computer vision system can be used for the powder leak inspection. Powder detected in the captured image of the insulation indicates a leak. Significant powder leaks in the insulation will result in its rejection at the upstream weight inspection station 1304. Insulation that passes the powder leak test is transferred by the transfer unit 1302 to the stiffness inspection station 1310. Insulation that fails the test is moved to a scrap bin.

[0299] At the stiffness inspection station 1310, the incoming thermal insulation is inspected to ensure that the required stiffness requirements are met. For example, a predetermined tension or pressure may be applied to the ends of the thermal insulation to see if it bends, deforms, or warps. If, for example, a computer vision system does not detect bending, deformation, or warping after the tension or pressure is applied or after the tension or pressure is released, the thermal insulation passes the stiffness test. Another method may be to apply a specific force to the thermal insulation using a pin or a measuring plate. After the force is applied, the distance the pin or plate moves is measured. If the distance exceeds a predetermined value, the thermal insulation is determined to be insufficiently rigid and is rejected. Thermal insulation that passes the stiffness test is transferred by the transfer unit 1302 to the labeling station 1312. Unqualified thermal insulation is moved to a waste bin.

[0300] At labeling station 1312, the incoming insulation is labeled. An inkjet printer or laser marking system may be used. The label may include product information (e.g., model number, batch number, etc.) and / or the date of manufacture.

[0301] After labeling is completed, the labeled insulation device can be subjected to an optional gluing process (corresponding to Figure 2 The need for this adhesive application depends on the application. For example, this adhesive application may help secure the thermal insulation to the battery cell during battery assembly. The tape / adhesive may be a tape with a slow-release release liner. This slow-release release liner helps simplify the battery assembly process.

[0302] The input to the gluing process is an adhesive and release paper or a baseless tape with release paper, and a thermal insulation device that has been labeled; if the labeling process is skipped, it is a thermal insulation device that has passed terminal inspection. The gluing process includes applying an adhesive to the main body, specifically, applying an adhesive to the main surface (front and back) of each thermal insulation device and covering the adhesive with release paper. The adhesive can be in liquid form and sprayed onto the main surface of the thermal insulation device. Alternatively, a double-sided tape or baseless tape with release paper on one side can be affixed to the main surface (front and back) of each thermal insulation device. The output of the gluing process is a thermal insulation device with tape / adhesive and release liner on one or both main surfaces.

[0303] Specifically, the gluing process can begin by positioning the thermal insulation device using a tape or adhesive applicator. In the case of adhesive application, the adhesive is prepared and applied to the target surface of the thermal insulation device. Subsequently, a release paper is affixed to the applied adhesive. In another embodiment, a single-sided tape with a release paper on one side can be used. In this case, the adhesive is first applied to the target surface of the thermal insulation device, and then the side of the single-sided tape without the release paper is affixed to the applied adhesive. For double-sided tape or baseless tape with double-sided release paper, the release paper on one side of such tape is first removed so that the tape can be affixed to the target surface of the thermal insulation device. The tape can be cut to the desired size before or after (preferably before) being adhered to the target surface of the thermal insulation device.

[0304] The tape or adhesive applicator can be part of a device (not shown). Such a device may include a control station that includes one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may be provided with a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touch screen display. The control station may include light indicators for indicating whether the device 1300 is in operation, in different stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may be provided with multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling the device. The device may further include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts and a power source.

[0305] If both main surfaces of the thermal insulation device need to be taped or adhesive and release paper applied, the above-mentioned taping process is first performed on one main surface of the thermal insulation device. The thermal insulation device is then rotated and aligned with the tape or adhesive applicator. For double-sided tape, the required length of tape can be cut before the tape is applied to the desired position on the other main surface of the thermal insulation device. In cases involving adhesive application, the adhesive is prepared and applied to the target surface of the thermal insulation device. For double-sided tape or baseless tape, two applicators can be used to apply the tape to both sides of the thermal insulation device simultaneously or sequentially. For example, the first applicator will be located above the first main surface of the thermal insulation device and the second applicator will be located below the second main surface of the thermal insulation device. The thermal insulation device is suspended at a certain distance from the second applicator, and the second main surface is the surface opposite to the first main surface.

[0306] As an additional feature, the release paper of the thermal insulation device can be marked or printed with a desired mark / label as required.

[0307] Figure 14A Different scenarios 1408, 1410, 1412, and 1413 are shown in which tape is applied to one or both major surfaces / sides of an insulation device. The actual application depends on the application and can be any of the above scenarios. For example, in scenario 1408, tape or adhesive 1408a is applied to the entire major surface of the insulation device. In scenario 1410, tape or adhesive 1410a is applied to a specific surface area of ​​the insulation device. In scenario 1412, tape or adhesive 1412a is applied to a surface area that varies across the width of the insulation device. In other words, the surface area to which the tape or adhesive is applied is a function of the width. For example, the surface area may be located at the same distance from the width-bound ends of the insulation device. The surface area may extend substantially along the length of the insulation device. The width-bound ends refer to opposite ends separated by a distance across the width of the insulation device. In scenario 1414, tape or adhesive 1414a is applied to a surface area that varies across the length of the insulation device. In other words, the surface area to which the tape or adhesive is applied is a function of the length. For example, the surface area can be located at the same distance from the longitudinal boundary ends of the insulation. The longitudinal boundary ends refer to two opposing ends separated by the longitudinal distance of the insulation. Furthermore, more than one additional tape or adhesive 1414b can be applied at a specific location to cover a specific surface area. In this case, the tape or adhesive 1414b is smaller than the tape or adhesive 1414a. The tapes or adhesives 1408a, 1410a, 1412a, 1414a, and 1414b used should be provided with a removable release liner to allow them to adhere to the surface as desired.

[0308] After the gluing process is completed or during the gluing process, the insulation device can be inspected for gluing quality (corresponding to Figure 2Step 240 in the process). The gluing quality inspection process can check whether the tape or adhesive on the insulation device is correctly attached. The gluing quality inspection process can check whether the position of the tape / adhesive on one or both main surfaces of the insulation device is correct based on the predetermined position where the tape / adhesive should be attached. The visual appearance of the tape / adhesive can be checked, for example, a visual inspection can be performed to ensure that the release paper is correctly attached. If a visual inspection is performed during the gluing process, the applied adhesive can be checked to ensure that there are no bubbles. It is also possible to check whether the tape or adhesive is applied correctly and whether there are bubbles in the adhesive after the attachment process is completed. This can be achieved by a computer vision system. Even if the release paper is attached to the tape or adhesive, bubbles will still be visible. The adhesive can also be tested for peel adhesion, but this may be a random check off the production line (offline) and not performed on every bag. Insulation devices that pass the gluing quality inspection will be transferred to the next process. Insulation devices that fail the inspection will be moved to the waste bin.

[0309] A computer vision system containing a camera or imaging sensor can be used to inspect the placement of tape or adhesive on the insulation. Figure 14 An example of such a computer vision system using camera 1402 is shown for inspecting tape with release liner 1404 applied to thermal insulation 1406. For example, a requirement can be set that the tape or adhesive applied to the thermal insulation must not deviate by more than 1 mm and not less than 1 mm from the intended position. The computer vision system can also be used to detect air bubbles and proper application of the tape or adhesive. The applied adhesive can be required to meet a peel adhesion strength requirement of greater than or equal to 8 N / 25 mm in a peel adhesion test.

[0310] After completing the gluing quality inspection or skipping the gluing process, if the insulation device passes the EOL test, it can enter the packaging process for packaging (corresponding to Figure 2 (Steps 242 to 246 in the packaging process) This packaging process can be fully automated. The thermal insulation device can be packed into a cardboard box or a reusable container (or box). Before the thermal insulation device is packed into the container, a stacking process of stacking the thermal insulation devices should be performed. This stacking method organizes, compresses and bundles multiple thermal insulation devices together in an orderly manner, thereby maximizing the storage space of the container. The thermal insulation devices are also oriented and bundled in a specific manner to prevent any adverse effects on the characteristics of the product (i.e., the thermal insulation device) during transportation (such as collision with other thermal insulation products causing powder leakage or packaging rupture).

[0311] Reference Figure 15 and Figure 15AThe stacking process may involve stacking a plurality of thermal insulation devices one by one between two boards. The two boards may be made of materials such as cardboard, plywood, reusable plastic boards, foam (e.g., expanded polystyrene), etc. First, a bottom plate 1504 is provided to form a base for stacking a plurality of thermal insulation devices. Specifically, Figure 15 Four stacked insulation devices 1502 are shown stacked on a bottom plate 1504. A single insulation device 1500 is about to be stacked on top of the four stacked insulation devices 1502. As the single insulation devices 1500 are stacked on the stacked insulation devices 1502, pressure can be applied to the insulation stack 1502. After a predetermined number of insulation devices have been stacked, the insulation stack is complete, and a top plate 1506 is stacked on top of the completed insulation stack 1510. As the top plate 1506 is stacked, pressure can be applied to the stacked insulation devices 1510. After the top plate 1506 is stacked on the topmost insulation device, the insulation stack 1510 is secured between the top plate 1506 and the bottom plate 1504 using a cable tie 1508. The output of the stacking process is a bundle of insulation devices 1510.

[0312] Insulation stacking is preferably done under a specific pressure. Using cable ties for bundling can also be used to maintain a specific compression between stacked insulation. This helps maintain the desired thickness of the insulation and prevents it from expanding, which can occur over time due to the micro-perforations it contains.

[0313] After the insulation is stacked into bundles, the bundles can be packaged into final packaging, such as cardboard boxes or reusable containers. Because it's necessary to prevent the insulation from expanding, vacuum packaging or packing can be used in one embodiment. Vacuum packaging is a packaging method that removes air from the package before sealing. This method involves placing the item in a plastic film package, extracting the air inside, and sealing the package.

[0314] Stacking and / or packaging equipment with a pick-and-place robot, strapping equipment, etc. can be provided to perform the stacking and / or packaging process described above. The equipment can include a control station comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station can include a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display can be a touchscreen display. The control station can include light indicators to indicate whether the equipment is in operation, at various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station can include multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling the equipment. The equipment can include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts, as well as a power source.

[0315] A plurality of frame-type insulation units as described below may be stacked, bundled and packaged in the same manner as described above.

[0316] (D) Frame type insulation device

[0317] In this disclosure, frame type thermal insulation means:

[0318] (1) A thermal insulation device as described in the preceding figures, wherein the sides and / or edges are provided with frames; or

[0319] (2) A combination of a thermal insulation device and one or more layers of a flame retardant device (e.g., the aforementioned flame retardant (FR) device) and / or other thermal insulation device, wherein the sides and / or edges of the combination are framed. Other embodiments of the flame retardant device disclosed herein may also be attached to a framed thermal insulation device.

[0320] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the thermal insulation, flame retardant, intumescent sheet, and framed thermal insulation are generally flat, thin structures having two major surfaces.

[0321] A frame structure for a framed thermal insulation device or a combination thereof with other materials, which can be used to provide a frame on each side and / or edge of the thermal insulation device or the combination thereof, or only on one or more selected sides and / or edges of the framed thermal insulation device or the combination thereof. The frame structure can be made of silicone or other suitable materials.

[0322] When a frame-type thermal insulation device is used for a battery such as an EV battery, the frame structure can be used to enhance the mechanical properties of the framed thermal insulation device. The frame-type thermal insulation device can suppress the expansion pressure of the battery cell throughout its life cycle, even in a high temperature environment. The frame structure ensures that the thickness of the thermal insulation device (such as the thermal insulation device or a combination thereof) is maintained throughout the life cycle of the battery cell (i.e., from the initial use state to the end of life state). The thickness of the frame structure may be substantially (close to) the thickness of the thermal insulation device or its combination with other products or devices. If the material of the frame structure is silicone, it may be flexible and ductile.

[0323] Figure 16 Four products (or compositions or devices) 1600, 1610, 1620 and 1630 are shown that can be used in conjunction with the above-described frame structure or can be used independently. An intumescent (fire retardant) sheet 1612 (which may or may not be the fire retardant device 1602 described above) can be adhered to or placed on one or more major surfaces of the insulation device 1608. In place of the intumescent sheet 1612, an intumescent coating (on the Figure 16 1612) is applied to one or more major surfaces of the thermal insulation device 1608. Examples of such intumescent coatings include flame retardant paints and impregnation solutions that can be used to make the flame retardant device 1602.

[0324] Product 1610 includes insulation 1608 and two layers of intumescent sheet or coating 1612 disposed on two major surfaces of insulation 1608 .

[0325] Product 1600 includes thermal insulation 1608 and two flame retardants 1602 disposed on two major surfaces of thermal insulation 1608. An adhesive in the form of a tape or coating film (e.g., adhesive film 1614) may be used to adhere the two flame retardants 1602 to thermal insulation 1608.

[0326] The product 1620 includes two thermal insulation devices 1608, which are arranged on two major surfaces of a layer of intumescent sheet 1612, which may or may not be the aforementioned flame retardant device 1602. The intumescent sheet 1612 in the product 1620 may also be the aforementioned intumescent coating (in Figure 16 Also marked as 1612).

[0327] The product 1630 comprises a thermal insulation device 1608 disposed on one major surface of a layer of intumescent sheet material 1612, which may or may not be the flame retardant device 1602 described above.

[0328] The following disclosure provides an example of a process for manufacturing a frame-type thermal insulation device and some of the equipment used therein. Components and assembly methods of embodiments of the frame-type thermal insulation device are also described.

[0329] Figure 16A A top view of a first example of a framed thermal insulation device 1600a is shown. Figure 16A and cross-section Figure 16B . The framed insulation device 1600a includes an insulation device 1608 and two layers of flame retardant (FR) device 1602. Each layer of the flame retardant device 1602 is arranged on each side of a major surface of the insulation device. The insulation device 1608 is sandwiched between the two layers of flame retardant device 1602. A frame structure 1604 composed of top and bottom frame layers is provided to cover the sides or edges along the outer edge of the insulation device 1608. A sealing layer 1606 is provided over each major surface of the framed insulation device 1600a. The seal 1606 forms an outer protective layer over the exposed major surfaces of the two layers of flame retardant device 1602.

[0330] Figure 16B A top view of a second example of a framed thermal insulation device 1600b is shown. Figure 16C and cross-section Figure 16 D. Figure 16A and Figure 16BCommon elements in the framed insulation 1600b are numbered the same. Framed insulation 1600b includes insulation 1608, wherein the sides or edges along the outer periphery of insulation 1608 are sandwiched within a frame structure 1604 comprised of top and bottom frame layers. A sealant 1606 is disposed over each major surface of framed insulation 1600b. Sealant 1606 forms an outer protective layer over the exposed major surfaces of insulation 1608.

[0331] Table 7 below provides examples of size ranges and weight ranges for framed insulation with and without frames, with and without flame retardants, and combinations thereof for electric vehicle battery applications.

[0332] Table 7

[0333]

[0334]

[0335] Figure 16C Shown Figure 16B Middle top view Figure 16C 、 Figure 16B mid-section Figure 16 D, and Figure 16A mid-section Figure 16B Magnified view of . Figure 16C Specific examples of possible dimensions for a first example of a framed thermal insulation device 1600a and a second example of a framed thermal insulation device 1600b are shown. The length and width of the framed thermal insulation device 1600b may be approximately 148 mm and 98 mm, respectively. Figure 16A Not present Figure 16C ) may also have the same length and width. The thickness of the frame-type thermal insulation device 1600a and the frame-type thermal insulation device 1600b (excluding the seal 1606) is approximately 3 mm. The thickness of each of the two layers of frame structure 1604 in the frame-type thermal insulation device 1600a and the frame-type thermal insulation device 1600b may be approximately 1.5 mm. The thickness of the thermal insulation device 1608 in the frame-type thermal insulation device 1600b may be 2 mm. The thickness of each of the two layers of flame retardant device 1602 in the frame-type thermal insulation device 1600a may be approximately 0.5 mm. The thickness of the thermal insulation device 1608 in the frame-type thermal insulation device 1600a may be 2 mm.

[0336] (E) Manufacturing process of frame type thermal insulation device

[0337] Examples of methods for manufacturing frame-type insulation devices and combinations thereof are as follows Figure 17As shown and described below, the manufacturing method includes a bag preparation and filling step 1702, a frame installation step 1704, a degassing step 1706, a flame retardant placement step 1708, and a sealing step 1710. The frame-type thermal insulation device includes a thermal insulation device, which is a bag-shaped structure and is filled with the aforementioned thermal insulation particles.

[0338] The bag preparation and filling step 1702 may include Figure 2 Steps 202 to 230 (which may or may not include the steps described as optional above) may be referred to. Figures 3 to 11A The example of steps 202 to 230 described above. Step 230 is a step before the degassing, heating and cooling step 232. The output of step 1702 can be an insulation bag that has not been degassed, heat treated and cooled. More examples of step 1702 will be described later. Alternatively, the output of step (A) can be a bag that has been degassed, heat treated and cooled. Figure 2 The bag made by the method shown (including or excluding the optional steps) (i.e., the bag that has completed degassing, heat treatment and cooling).

[0339] The frame installation step 1704 receives the output from step 1702. More details about the frame installation step 1704 will be described later. The output of step 1704 is a framed insulation device. The degassing step 1706 is similar to Figure 2 The degassing part of step 232 is different in that the input of step 1706 is a frame-type thermal insulation device. More examples of step 1706 will be described later.

[0340] Before or after degassing, a fire retardant placement step 1708 may be performed to install one or more fire retardant devices into the framed insulation.

[0341] Step 1710 involves sealing the framed insulation, preferably immediately after the flame retardant is embedded in the framed insulation.

[0342] Figure 18 An example of a film material 1800 that can be used to manufacture an insulation bag is shown. The composition of the film material 1800 includes a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer, a glass fiber (EG) layer (e.g., E-glass woven or non-woven fabric, fabric, or felt), and a polyethylene (PE) layer (abbreviated as film material: PET / EG / PE). The PET layer is the outermost layer (corresponding to Figure 1 FML1 in the figure), the EG layer is the middle layer between the outermost layer and the innermost layer (corresponding to Figure 1 FML2 in), PE layer is the innermost layer (corresponding to Figure 1 In this embodiment, the PE layer will be in direct contact with the insulation particles filled in the bag ( Figure 1The optional FF4 does not exist). The film material 1800 is formed by thermally pressing three layers of material. Figure 1C The example is similar to that of , where no adhesive is used. During the lamination process, the polymer layers of PET and PE soften or melt and bond to the EG layer. The boundaries between the three layers may not be clear (i.e., the materials are mixed), such as Figure 1C The example shows a two-layer material boundary situation. The thickness of the film material 1800 is the total thickness of all three layers, which is approximately 120 μm.

[0343] The surface of the film material 1800 is perforated. These perforations are provided to provide ventilation and facilitate air discharge for the bag to be manufactured. The size of each perforation should be smaller than the size of the insulation particles to be filled in the bag. For example, as previously mentioned, the average diameter of the perforations can be 15 μm or less. To provide sufficient ventilation / pressure relief channels, the center-to-center spacing of the perforations can be approximately 3 x 3 mm. Figure 18A A magnified view of a sample of film material 1800 containing perforations 1802 is shown. Figure 18B A sample of an actual bag 1804 that can be made is shown. Figure 18B The bag 1804 in FIG. 1 has four side seals, rather than the three side seals of the previous bag.

[0344] Aluminum (AL) can be used as the middle layer of the film material to replace EG. The abbreviation of the film material is PET / AL / PE. Table 8 provides the properties of the EG woven felt and AL as follows.

[0345] Table 8: Comparison of EG and AL

[0346]

[0347] The tensile strength and thermal conductivity of the two samples of membrane materials are shown in Table 9 below.

[0348] Table 9: Comparison of film materials PET / AL / PE and PET / EG / PE

[0349]

[0350] Table 10 below lists the thermal conductivity of insulation devices made of PET / AL / PE and PET / EG / PE film materials, filled (filled with insulation particles such as aerogel powder) and heat-treated.

[0351] Table 10: Comparison of thermal insulation devices made of PET / AL / PE film materials and PET / EG / PE film materials

[0352]

[0353]

[0354] Now we will Figure 17 Involving four-side sealed bags (such as Figure 18B The bag preparation and filling process performed in step 1702 (shown as 1804 in the figure) is described below. The bag preparation and filling process performed in step 1702 may include three main steps: bag forming, bag filling, and bag sealing. These three steps may be performed using equipment (or instruments or machines) customized for this process. This equipment may be a machine called the GP26 manufactured by Effytec. Table 11 below shows an example of a customized (unique) GP26 machine specification for the bag preparation and filling process used to produce four-side sealed bags.

[0355] Table 11: Machine Specifications

[0356]

[0357] Figure 19 The basic components of a customized GP26 machine 1910 are shown.

[0358] See also Figure 19 The covering (or film) material in the form of a film or strip for the bag body is fed from two bulk rolls mounted on a reel 1 and a second reel 2, respectively. Splicers 3 and 4 are used to connect the two sheets of covering material fed from the two reels 1 and 2, respectively. Subsequently, the covering materials joined by the splicers are perforated by a perforating punch 5. A pulling roller 6 and a pulling tensioner 7 are unwound to straighten the joined covering materials.

[0359] In another embodiment, a single roll of large-scale film coil of covering material that is only mounted on one reel 1 or 2 can be used. Another corresponding reel 2 or 1 may not exist, or may still exist, so that the film of the covering material is supplied when the reel currently in use runs out of film material. In the case of a single roll of large-scale film coil of covering material only, the single roll of large-scale film coil can directly supply two adjacently placed films (i.e., joined at the main surface) from the single roll of large-scale film coil of covering material. In this case, splicers (e.g., 3 and 4) will be used to straighten and / or guide the film, and not for connecting the film. This embodiment is different from the concept described in the embodiment of the preceding paragraph, that is, two separation films are respectively supplied from two rolls of batch coils and joined by splicers 3 and 4.

[0360] In another embodiment, the two sheets of cover material film to be joined may be provided from a single roll of bulk coil rather than from two different rolls of bulk coil. In this case, cutting may be required to provide two supply streams of cover material film for joining, for example, by a splicer such as splicers 3 and 4.

[0361] In another embodiment, can only use the single roll large film coil of covering material, and use a reel accordingly.Large film coil can be sealed on one side or multiple sides.For example, film can be folded to form sealed side, form two main surfaces of bag simultaneously.The quantity of required sealing pliers in this case is less.For example, bottom side can be sealed (or formed by film folding), so that top can remain open so that filling, only need the sealing pliers on top, left and right.In another case, even if the film of supply is folded to form sealed side, this sealed side still can be sealed to further reinforce by sealing pliers (for example bottom sealing pliers 10).

[0362] The presence and use of the perforation punch 5 is optional, and the perforation of the bag body can be optional. In another embodiment, the perforations formed by the punch 5 can be skipped. In this case, the one or more layers of the covering material are pre-perforated when provided from the bulk roll, or the bag body is not provided with any perforations.

[0363] A forming plow 8 configured for automatic film alignment is used to rotate and adjust the one or more layers of film of the conveyed covering material so that three sealing jaws 10, 11, and 12 can respectively seal and form the bottom, left, and right sides of the bag. A heat sealing process is used. The resulting bag is square or rectangular, so after the three sides are sealed, the top remains open to allow the bag to be filled with material. After the three sides are sealed, the bag is moved to a cooling jaw 13 to cool the three-side seals formed. The bag is then moved to the area of ​​the die-cutting unit, where the sealed left and right sides of the bag are cut. A pair of scissors 17, which includes a scissor gripper 18, is used to clamp one end of the bag (for example, the sealed right side of the bag). After the scissor gripper 18 clamps the bag, a servo film pulling unit 15 stretches / tightens the bag from the opposite end (for example, the sealed left side of the bag) to secure the bag in the cutting position. After cutting, the cut bag is moved to an opening station to open the unsealed top side of the bag.

[0364] A bottom suction cup 20 is used to secure the sealed bottom end of the bag, and a blow cone 21 is used to open the unsealed top end of the bag. After opening is detected, the opened bag is transferred to one or more filling stations, such as a first filling station 22, a second filling station 23, and further filling stations as needed, to be filled with the required material. Each filling station may use a cone-shaped device to fill the bag. Powdered insulation particles can be added to the bag. After filling, the filled bag is moved to a stretching station 24 to stretch and seal the open side of the bag. The top of the bag is then sealed using one or more top sealing jaws, such as a first top sealing jaw 25 and a second top sealing jaw 26. Sealing methods include heat sealing and / or ultrasonic sealing. The top of the bag is then cooled using a top cooling jaw 27. After cooling, the bag is formed and exits the GP26 machine 1910 system. The bag can be sent to a "waste" station for quality inspection and may be rejected if, for example, the weight is not correct.

[0365] A photoresistor (photocell) is a light-sensitive module, which can be a resistor that changes its resistance according to the amount of incident light. Figure 19 4, 9 and 16 in the figure) are used as sensors for precise positioning and / or alignment during the bag forming process.

[0366] A computer / control system comprising one or more processors / controllers and which may include one or more displays (e.g., monitors based on LCDs, LEDs, OLEDs, etc., touch screens, etc.) for displaying a graphical user interface for user control and / or one or more user input / output interfaces (buttons, mouse, keyboard, etc.) can be connected to the GP26 machine to provide control of movable components (e.g., position adjustment, direction adjustment, switches, etc.), sensors (e.g., photoresistors), and process parameters (e.g., line speed, pressure, temperature, etc.) within the GP26 machine 1910. The GP26 machine 1910 also includes one or more motors or engines for driving its moving components and a power source.

[0367] The bags produced by the GP26 machine 1910 are four-side sealed bags. Figure 19A An example of a four-side sealed bag 1900 made by a GP26 machine 1910 is shown. A sealing area 1904 extends from the main body 1902 of the bag and surrounds the outer edge of the bag 1900. The main body 1902 of the bag contains insulating particles, i.e., powder, which is filled into the bag 1900. The width of the sealing area 1904 around the bag 1900 can be about 6 mm. The GP26 machine 1910 (for four-side sealed bags) and other equipment (e.g., Figure 4 The apparatus 400 for three-side sealing of bags can be customized or modified to meet different needs.

[0368] Now we will Figure 17 The example of the frame installation step 1704 involving a three-sided or four-sided sealed bag body of the insulation device is described.

[0369] Framed insulation and its variations can include two frames. In the example described below, the bag comprising the insulation is sandwiched between a bottom frame layer (or bottom frame) and a top frame layer (or top frame). The frame layer overlies the sides, edges, or outer edges of the insulation or its combination with other material layers. In alternative embodiments, multiple insulation devices can be sandwiched.

[0370] In this embodiment, the thermal insulation device is a rectangular structure with four sealed edges. Accordingly, the top frame layer and the bottom frame layer (or bottom frame) are both four-sided rectangular structures, configured to cover all sides of the thermal insulation device. In another embodiment, the thermal insulation device and the frame can be square, circular, or any other arbitrary shape, and the frame structure (composed of the top and bottom frame layers) is configured to cover the perimeter of the shape. Table 12 below shows examples of frame specifications.

[0371] Table 12: Example of frame specifications

[0372] Frame Material: For example, silicone or other similar or suitable materials Frame size: 148x 98mm Frame width: ~5–6mm Frame thickness: 1.5mm per frame Frame Adhesive: For example, fire resistant adhesives (for adhesion to thermal insulation or combinations thereof)

[0373] Figure 20 Three process steps are shown for frame installation of an insulation device 2004, which is an example of the insulation device 2004 described above. A frame installation device (not shown) can be used. Such a frame installation device can include a frame supply device for providing a top frame 2006 and a bottom frame 2002. The frame supply device can be a magazine-type or stacking type. During the frame assembly process, a pick-and-place robot, such as a six-axis robot, can be used. The robot is included in the frame installation device. In a first step (1), the bottom frame 2002 is placed on a platform or fixture of the frame installation device. In a second step (2), one or more bags of the insulation device 2004 are placed on the bottom frame 2002. In a third step (3), the top frame 2006 is placed above the insulation device 2004. After the third step, the insulation device 2004 will be sandwiched between the top frame 2006 and the bottom frame 2002. In order to bond the heat insulating device 2004 to the top frame 2006 and the bottom frame 2002, an intermediate bonding step is provided between the first step (1), the second step (2) and the third step (3).

[0374] Figure 20A Shown Figure 20 How to achieve bonding between the bag body of the middle insulation device 2004, the bottom frame 2002 and the top frame 2006 through the adhesive 2010. Figure 20AA top view of one of the frames 2002 or 2006 is shown, along with a top view of the insulation 2004. Each frame 2002 and 2006 is configured to surround only the perimeter, outer edge, or rim 2016 of the insulation 2004, and thus has a hollow center 2008. The insulation 2004 will fill the hollow center 2008. Each of the frames 2002 and 2006 has a shape (here, a rectangle) that corresponds to the shape of the rim 2016 of the insulation 2004 (here, the insulation 2004 is rectangular).

[0375] The frame mounting apparatus may include a tape and / or adhesive applicator for applying the tape and / or adhesive. Adhesive 2010 may be applied to only one side of frame 2002, one side of frame 2006, or both. Subsequently, in the first scenario, one or more sides of bottom frame 2002 and / or top frame 2006 coated with adhesive 2010 may be attached to edge 2016 of insulation 2004; or, in the second scenario, one side of bottom frame 2002 or top frame 2006 coated with adhesive 2010 may be attached to the corresponding side of the other frame 2006 or 2002, respectively. The second scenario may be used if the bag is thick and the top frame 2006 does not come into contact with the bottom frame 2002 when placed on the bag.

[0376] In another embodiment, the adhesive 2010 may be in the form of a tape, such as a double-sided tape or a baseless tape, and may be applied to the adhesive tape. Figure 20 Prior to the three-step frame installation process, the adhesive tape 2010 is attached to the edge 2016 of the insulation device 2004 or the frames 2002 and / or 2006. In this case, the intermediate adhesive bonding step may include an additional process step to remove or peel off the adhesive tape 2010 attached to one or both frames 2002 and 2006, or the release paper 2014 attached to the edge 2016 of the insulation device 2004.

[0377] The frame-mounted equipment may include a control station comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may include a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touchscreen display. The control station may include light indicators to indicate whether the equipment is in operation, at various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may include multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, and switches, for controlling the equipment. The equipment may include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts and a power source.

[0378] In reference Figure 20 and Figure 20A After the frame installation process described in the previous section, degassing can be performed. Figure 17The degassing process can be implemented by the following exemplary degassing conveying equipment / system. The degassing conveying system is not heated. The degassing step 1706 can also be implemented by referring to Figures 12 to 12B The similar method and device described above are completed. If heating is not required, there is no need to use the module providing heating function in device 1200.

[0379] The purpose of degassing is to remove excess air from each bag of the insulation, as well as to help secure the frame of each bag. Figure 21 An example of a degassing conveying device / system 2100 comprising two conveyors stacked one above the other is shown. That is, a top conveyor 2102 and a bottom conveyor 2104 are provided. The top (above) conveyor comprises a plurality of interconnected top plates 2106 (also referred to as top conveyor plates) that continuously circulate; the bottom (below) conveyor 2104 comprises a plurality of interconnected bottom plates 2108 (also referred to as bottom conveyor plates) that continuously circulate. The distance between the two conveyors 2102 and 2104 is adjustable. In this embodiment, each top plate 2106 cooperates with the bottom plate 2108 to compress the framed bag body (or frameless bag body in another embodiment) of the thermal insulation device placed between the two plates, thereby degassing the framed bag body. The speeds of the two conveyors 2102 and 2104 should be synchronized. This can be achieved by mechanical and / or electrical synchronization methods.

[0380] For example, the bag body with a frame (or the bag body without a frame in another embodiment) to be degassed can be placed at the bottom plate 2110 on the bottom conveyor 2104. The direction of the bag body to be conveyed by the bottom conveyor 2104 is as follows: Figure 21 As shown by the thick arrow in the middle, the size of each bottom conveying plate 2108 can be larger than the size of the actual framed or frameless bag body so that each bag body can be placed within the coverage of the bottom conveying plate 2108.

[0381] The following description also involves Figure 21A and Figure 21B . Figure 21A A bottom perspective view of one of the top panels 2106 is shown. Figure 21B A top perspective view of the top plate 2106 is shown. Figure 21A and 21B In FIG. 2 , the outer wall 2126 of the top 2120 of the top plate 2106 is intentionally drawn as transparent to show the components behind the outer wall 2126. The bottom base 2118 of the top plate 2106 is at Figure 21A Displayed at the top, Figure 21B21 is shown at the bottom. The top plate 2106 is configured to facilitate degassing of each bag located on the bottom conveyor plate 2108 by vacuum suction. A plurality of perforations 2112 are provided on the bottom base 2118 of the top conveyor plate 2106 and are connected to a vacuum adsorption unit (or vacuum adsorption device) 2114 to draw air through the perforations 2112. When the top conveyor plate 2106 is located above the bags on the bottom conveyor plate 2108, vacuum suction is used to degas the bags in the bottom conveyor plate 2108. The vacuum suction unit 2114 includes an air pump for providing suction, and a suction pipe 2116 connects the vacuum suction unit 2114 to the bottom base 2118.

[0382] The top 2120 of the top plate 2106 is configured to include a push mechanism that includes one or more cams 2122 (i.e., linear cams located at the four corners) and a spring assembly including one or more biasing members. Each linear cam 2122 is in the form of a roller. In this embodiment, the one or more biasing members are multiple springs 2124 that are used to position the top plate 2106 and the bottom plate 2108 ( Figure 21B During operation, one or more cams 2122 are pushed together to compress the spring 2124, thereby applying pressure to the bottom base 2118 in contact with the bag.

[0383] Figure 21C Shown Figure 20A and Figure 20 B is a simplified cross-sectional side view of the top plate 2106. Figure 21C Also shown is a bottom plate 2108 and a framed bag 2130 of insulation, positioned between the bottom base 2118 of the top plate 2106 and the bottom plate 2108. During the degassing process, vacuum is provided by a vacuum unit 2114 and an air extraction tube 2116. Air is drawn from the bottom base 2118, through perforations 2112, across the top 2120 of the top plate 2106, and through tube 2116 to the air pump of the vacuum unit 2114. The perforations 2112 are configured to fit within the frame dimensions of the framed bag 2130. This ensures that the bag receives adequate vacuum. Figure 21C The small arrow in the middle shows the direction of air sucked into the frame bag body 2130 during degassing. The thick arrow shows the direction of pressure, that is, pressure is applied from the top plate 2106 toward the bottom plate 2108 to compress the frame bag body 2130 to a predetermined frame height.

[0384] Figure 21D A partial perspective enlarged view of the top conveyor 2102 and the bottom conveyor 2104 is shown. The movement of the plurality of interconnected top plates 2106 is driven by a plurality of sprockets 2132 ( Figure 21DOne is shown; the other is located at the opposite end of the top conveyor 2102. A motor or engine (not shown) is used to drive the sprocket 2132. The top conveyor 2102 includes a top row 2136 of interconnected top plates 2106 and a bottom row 2138 of interconnected top plates 2106. Only the bottom row 2138 of interconnected top plates 2106 cooperates with the bottom conveyor 2104 to degas and compress the bags.

[0385] The force applied to the framed bag 2130 between the top plate 2106 and the bottom plate 2108 is transmitted to the linear cam 2122 through one or more guides, such as two rows of adjustable roller guides 2134 installed on the left and right sides of the top conveyor 2102. Figure 21D The left row of adjustable roller guides 2134 is shown in FIG. The wheels 2132 drive the interlocking top plates 2106 at the bottom row 2138 through two substantially parallel rows of adjustable roller guides 2134 (one row being as shown in FIG. Figure 21D Each row of adjustable roller guides 2134 guides a linear cam (roller) 2122 to apply pressure to a plurality of springs 2124. The linear cams, in turn, push on the plurality of springs, which in turn push on the perforated bottom base 2118 of the top plate 2106.

[0386] The total degassing time can be determined by the total conveyor length and conveyor speed. If the bag is a framed bag, the length of each top and bottom conveyor plate 2106 and 2108 depends on the length of the frame. The width of the frame determines the width of the conveyor plates 2106 and 2108. In the case of a frameless bag, the length and width of each top and bottom conveyor plate 2106 and 2108 depend on the length of the insulation or frame. The width of the frame determines the width of the conveyor plates 2106 and 2108. Therefore, in one embodiment, the degassing time is a function of the total conveyor length and conveyor speed. The conveyor length is a function of the insulation or frame length, and the conveyor width is also a function of the insulation or frame width.

[0387] Figure 21E A side view is shown running almost the entire length of an example of a degassing conveying system 2100. A top conveyor 2102 and a bottom conveyor 2104 are shown.

[0388] For example, to achieve a degassing time of about 30 seconds at 50 ppm, the conveyor length may be set to about 8 meters.

[0389] Although the description mentions that degassing is achieved by vacuum suction through the top conveyor plate 2106 and pressure is applied through the top conveyor plate 2106, it should be understood that in another embodiment, such degassing and pressure application operations can also be performed by the bottom conveyor plate 2108.

[0390] A computer / control system includes one or more processors / controllers and may include one or more displays (e.g., monitors based on LCD, LED, OLED, etc., touch screens, etc.), which are used to display a graphical user interface for user control, and / or one or more user input / output interfaces (buttons, mouse, keyboard, etc.). The computer / control system can be connected to the degassing conveying equipment / system 2100 to provide control of movable parts (e.g., adjusting position, adjusting direction, switches, etc.), sensors (e.g., photoresistors) and process parameters (e.g., line speed, pressure, temperature, etc.) in the degassing conveying equipment / system 2100.

[0391] For bags with frames (e.g. Figure 21C 2130), a flame retardant device (which is an ultra-thin, fire-resistant (FR) sheet that can react quickly to high temperature and flame, similar to the aforementioned flame retardant device) can be combined and inserted based on the above Figure 17 In the frame type insulation device of step 1706 degassing, or in Figure 17 The degassing step 1706 is inserted before.

[0392] An example flame retardant device may have expansion properties such as a rapid reaction at temperatures >175°C, expanding to five times its original thickness to form an insulating foam that fills voids and reduces heat transfer. The material is non-flammable and has an inorganic formulation. An example flame retardant device may be a flexible sheet material manufactured in bulk roll form for lamination and die-cutting. The nominal thickness of the flame retardant device may range from 0.4 mm to 1.0 mm. See Tables 13a and 13b below for details of this embodiment of the flame retardant device.

[0393] Table 13a: Typical characteristics

[0394]

[0395] Table 13b: Product Range

[0396]

[0397] Reference Figure 16A The purpose of the insertion process is to attach flame retardant device 1602 to each side of the opening defined by each top frame layer 1604 and each bottom frame layer 1604 of the frame structure of framed thermal insulation device 1600a. The dimensions of flame retardant device 1602 must fall within the dimensions of the opening defined by each frame layer 1604. After the flame retardant device is inserted, its surface should be sealed with sealant 1606, preferably immediately.

[0398] In one embodiment, the fire retardant device may be square or rectangular in shape to fit into a corresponding square or rectangular opening defined by a top or bottom frame layer for framing the insulation device.

[0399] Figure 22 An example of an assembly process for a framed insulation system including the aforementioned flame retardant 2204 is shown. A top view of framed insulation system 2202 and an unsealed framed insulation system 2212 containing flame retardant 2204 are shown. The input to this assembly process is framed insulation system 2202 with an opening 2206 exposing insulation system 2200 disposed between a top frame layer 2208 and a bottom frame layer 2210.

[0400] Assembly equipment can be used for the assembly process. The equipment may include a control station comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may be provided with a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touchscreen display. The control station may include light indicators to indicate whether the equipment is in operation, at various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may be provided with multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, switches, etc., for controlling the equipment. The equipment may also include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts, as well as a power source.

[0401] In a first step, a first flame retardant device 2204 is placed into the first opening 2206 of the top or bottom frame layer 2208 or 2210. The first flame retardant device 2204 will be in contact with the thermal insulation device 2100 after being inserted.

[0402] In the second step, the top or bottom major surface of the frame type thermal insulation device 2202 is sealed to fix the first flame retardant device 2204 in the first opening 2206. More details of the sealing process will be described below. The sealing step is not described in detail. Figure 22 Shown in.

[0403] In the third step, the frame-type thermal insulation device 2202 is turned over. The reference numerals of the first flame retardant device 2204 and the first opening 2206 are repeated for the second flame retardant device and the second opening, respectively, which are described in detail below.

[0404] In the fourth step, the second flame retardant device 2204 is inserted into the second opening 2206 of the bottom or top frame layer 2210 or 2208, respectively. The second flame retardant device 2204 will contact the thermal insulation device 2200 after insertion.

[0405] In the fifth step, the corresponding bottom surface or top surface of the frame type heat insulation device 2202 is sealed to fix the second flame retardant device 2204 in the second opening 2206. More details of the sealing process will be described below. The sealing step is not described in detail. Figure 22 Shown in.

[0406] The flame retardant device 2204 may be provided in bulk rolls. Prior to the assembly process, the flame retardant device 2204 may need to be cut to the correct size through a die-cutting process.

[0407] Alternatively, the flame retardant device 2204 may be provided as a plurality of flame retardant devices stacked one on top of the other. In this case, a release paper liner may be provided between the layers of the plurality of flame retardant devices. This is to prevent the plurality of flame retardant devices from sticking to one another, thereby hindering the ability to pick up and insert each flame retardant device 2204 into the opening 2206 of the top or bottom frame layer 2208 or 2210 of the framed thermal insulation device 2202.

[0408] Alternatively, the flame retardant device 2204 to be inserted may be adhered to an exposed surface of the insulation device 2100 within the opening 2206 of the top or bottom frame layer 2208 or 2210 of the framed insulation device 2202 .

[0409] A pick-and-place robot may be used to insert each flame retardant device 2204 into the opening 2206 defined by the frame layer 2208 or 2210 of the framed insulation device 2202. For picking, a vacuum gripper may be considered.

[0410] Although the above embodiment describes picking up and placing only one flame retardant device 2204 per opening exposing the insulation device 2200, it should be understood that multiple flame retardant devices can be stacked and placed in each opening to enhance the effect.

[0411] Reference Figure 22 and Figure 22A right Figure 17 The sealing step 1710 in FIG. Figure 22A Shown are a cross-sectional side view of a sealed framed insulation 2214, a top view of the seal applied to a framed insulation 2212, and a top view of the sealed framed insulation 2214. After the first flame retardant 2204 is embedded, the surface with the embedded first flame retardant 2204 is sealed, and the framed insulation 2212 is then flipped over to embed the second flame retardant 2204. A sealing layer 2216 is applied to the framed insulation 2212 with the embedded first flame retardant 2204. After the framed insulation 2212 is flipped over and embedded with the second flame retardant 2204, another sealing layer 2216 is applied to the surface of the framed insulation 2212 with the embedded second flame retardant 2204. After sealing is complete, a sealed framed insulation 2214 is obtained, containing the insulation 2200 between two flame retardants 2204 and two frame layers 2208 and 2210.

[0412] A label (or seal) applicator is a device that can be used to apply a seal. The seal can be a coating or film of a suitable plastic material (e.g., a polymer sheet). In one embodiment, two applicators can be used to seal both sides of the framed insulation. Figure 22B An example of a label applicator 2220 is shown. Label applicator 22220 includes one or more winding units 2218 for installing one or more rolls of sealing material in bulk. A plurality of guides 2222 are provided to direct the sealing material from the bulk roll to a seal application unit 2224, which includes a cutter to sever the sealing material after the applied seal has sufficiently covered the frame-type insulation. Sealing should be performed immediately after the frame is installed, even if a flame retardant is not required.

[0413] The assembly equipment may be configured to perform the sealing process. The assembly equipment may include the aforementioned pick-and-place robot and the label (or seal) applicator.

[0414] Available in Figure 17 Quality checks are performed at various stages from steps 1702 to 1710. One quality criterion is that each insulated bag, framed or frameless, should be filled with the correct amount of material (powder). In-line checkweighers can be used to identify bags with incorrect amounts of material. Figure 23 , which shows an example of such a checkweigher 2300. The checkweigher 2300 comprises a fixture or platform 2302 for placing bags to be weighed, and a control unit 2304 for controlling the quality inspection process. Figures 6 to 6B The device 600 shown is another example of a checkweigher 2300. The checkweigher 2300 can be located immediately after a bag filling machine, where it weighs the bags as they emerge from the machine. Bags with incorrect weights can be removed before downstream processing begins. Weight checks can also be performed immediately after other steps, such as Figure 17 Steps 1702 to 1710. Figure 17 After each step, defect detection inspection involving computer vision can also be performed.

[0415] If line speed is a key consideration, a dual-lane checkweigher (i.e., one that uses two lanes instead of one to weigh the bag) can be used to speed up weight checks. Additional lanes can be added as needed.

[0416] The checkweigher 2300 may include a control station comprising one or more processors or controllers for controlling the process. The control station may include a display for displaying a graphical user interface for user controls and settings. The display may be a touchscreen display. The control station may include light indicators to indicate whether the checkweigher 2300 is in operation, in various stages of operation, or not in operation. The control station may include multiple user interfaces, such as buttons, knobs, and switches, for controlling the checkweigher 2300. The checkweigher 2300 may include one or more motors or engines for driving its moving parts and a power source.

[0417] In another embodiment, reference Figure 24 and Figure 24A The steps for framing and sealing the bag body of the insulation device 2400 are described below. In this embodiment, the bag body of the insulation device 2400 is sealed using a three-side seal method and has three sealing areas 2402. It should be understood that in another embodiment, a four-side sealed bag body can be used if desired. The three sealing areas 2402 include first and second transverse sealing areas, which have a length equal to the width of the bag body 2400 and are located on opposite sides of the bag body 2400. A third center seal is orthogonal to the first and second transverse sealing areas.

[0418] First, a thermal insulation device 2400 is inserted into a main opening 2406 of a one-piece frame structure 2404 (e.g., a silicone frame) to form a frame-type thermal insulation device 2400. Next, an electrically insulating film layer 2406 is added or disposed entirely or partially on the main surface of the frame-type thermal insulation device 2400. Heat and pressure are applied to these film layers 2406, causing them to soften and / or melt to form a seal.

[0419] If the above molding and sealing process is used to manufacture a frame-type and sealed thermal insulation device and flame retardant device combination (for example Figure 16A 1600a), the thermal insulation device 2400 can be replaced by a thermal insulation device with two layers of flame retardant device attached (e.g. Figure 16A 1602 in).

[0420] The embodiments of the present disclosure may have the following features. (The reference numerals in parentheses refer to the numbers of the corresponding elements in the drawings)

[0421] A method of manufacturing a thermal insulation device (e.g., 100, 1500, 1608, 1800, 1804, 1900, 2004, 2200, 2400, 2500, 2510, 2520, 2530), wherein the method comprises:

[0422] forming a bag (e.g., 100, 400, 410, 522, 532, 808, 900, 1010, 2500, 2510, 2520, 2530, 1110, 1804, 1900, 2130, 2400) from a film material (e.g., FML1, FML2, FML3, FF4, 406, 1800) comprising perforations (e.g., 1802);

[0423] Filling the bag with thermal insulation particles (e.g., FF1, FF2, and FF3) having a size that cannot pass through the perforations;

[0424] sealing one or more sides of the bag (e.g., 904, 906, 2538, 2016, 1904) so ​​that the insulating particles do not escape from the one or more sides of the bag; and

[0425] After sealing the open side of the bag filled with the thermal insulation particles, compressing the bag to expel the gas contained in the bag. The method may further comprise:

[0426] Optionally, the bag is heated while being compressed; and optionally, the bag is cooled while being compressed. In another embodiment, the bag may have more than one open side for filling with the insulating particles.

[0427] The method may comprise:

[0428] applying tape and / or adhesive (e.g., 902) to portions of one or more sealed sides (e.g., 904, 906) of the bag;

[0429] One or more sealed sides of the bag are folded to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive was applied to the main body of the bag (eg, step 226).

[0430] The method may comprise:

[0431] The bag body and the one or more sealed side edges are passed through a plurality of roller assemblies (e.g., 1012, 1014, 1016, 1018, 1020, 1022, 1024) to fold the one or more sealed side edges of the bag body to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the body of the bag body, wherein the plurality of roller assemblies include a roller assembly configured with an inclined ramp to guide the one or more sealed side edges to be folded toward the body of the bag body (e.g., step 228).

[0432] The method may comprise:

[0433] Prior to folding the one or more sealed sides, fold lines are embossed on the one or more sealed sides of the bag body.

[0434] The method may comprise:

[0435] One or more corners of the bag are folded (eg, 804 ) prior to folding one or more sealing sides of the bag to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the body of the bag (eg, step 224 ).

[0436] The insulating particles may comprise a mixture of particles from a variety of materials, wherein the method may comprise:

[0437] Classifying particles of multiple types of materials by material type and transferring them into different containers (e.g., 302, 304a, 306a);

[0438] Weighing each container (e.g., 304a, 306a); and

[0439] The particles of each type of material are simultaneously dispensed from the corresponding container into a mixing container (e.g., 308a, 310),

[0440] When the weight of the corresponding container (eg, 304a, 306a) reaches a predetermined weight (eg, steps 206, 208, and 210), dispensing of the particles from the corresponding container is stopped. Figure 3A The dispensing system B in FIG is an example for performing these method steps.

[0441] In another embodiment, the insulating particles may comprise a mixture of particles from multiple types of materials, wherein the method may comprise:

[0442] Classifying particles of various types of materials by material type and transferring them into different containers (e.g., 302, 304b, 306b);

[0443] dispensing particles of each material from the corresponding container (e.g., 304b, 306b) into a mixing container (e.g., 308b); and

[0444] Weigh the mixing container,

[0445] When the weight of the mixing container reaches a predetermined weight (eg, steps 206, 208, and 210), dispensing of the particles is stopped. Figure 3A The dispensing system C in FIG is an example for performing these method steps.

[0446] The particles in the mixing containers (eg, 308a, 310) may be uniformly mixed and transferred to a plurality of reservoirs (eg, 316, 318), wherein each reservoir is considered a batch of mixed particles, and the mixed particles are transferred in batches to fill a plurality of bags.

[0447] The method may comprise:

[0448] Supplying multilayer films and / or fabrics (e.g. Figure 19 1, 2);

[0449] extruding and heating the multilayer film and / or fabric to form the film material; and

[0450] The film material is perforated to form the perforations.

[0451] The method may comprise:

[0452] supplying the film material to form the bag;

[0453] sealing the film material to form the one or more sealed sides of the bag, but leaving one side of the bag unsealed;

[0454] Filling the bag with the insulating particles through the unsealed side; and

[0455] After the insulation particles are filled into the bag, the unsealed side of the bag is sealed (e.g., step 218). Examples of these steps refer to Figure 5 and Figure 19 Provide a description.

[0456] The method may comprise:

[0457] placing the bag between two plates (e.g., plates of a MLHP-based device, plates 1206 of a pressurized and heated module), wherein the spacing of the plates can be adjusted to apply or release pressure to the bag to degas the bag; and

[0458] The plates are heated to provide thermal treatment to the bag while applying pressure to the bag (eg, step 232).

[0459] The method may comprise:

[0460] The plates are cooled to cool the bag while applying pressure to the bag (eg, step 232).

[0461] The method may comprise:

[0462] The bag is placed in a double-belt pressure conveyor (e.g., 1200), which includes a first endless belt (e.g., 1226) and a second endless belt (e.g., 1228), wherein the bag is positioned between the first endless belt and the second endless belt, and is conveyed along the length direction of both the first endless belt and the second endless belt by the synchronous movement of the first endless belt and the second endless belt, wherein the distance between the first endless belt and the second endless belt can be adjusted to apply or release pressure on the bag (e.g., step 232).

[0463] A first piece of fabric may be positioned between the first endless belt and the bag, and a second piece of fabric may be positioned between the second endless belt and the bag, wherein the method comprises:

[0464] When the first annular belt and the second annular belt respectively apply pressure to the bag body, the pattern provided by the first piece of fabric and / or the second piece of fabric is imprinted on the bag body.

[0465] The surface of the first endless belt contacting the bag body may be provided with a coating, and the surface of the second endless belt contacting the bag body may be provided with a coating, wherein the method may include:

[0466] When the first and second annular belts respectively apply pressure to the bag body, a pattern provided by the coating surface of one or both of the first and second annular belts is imprinted on the bag body.

[0467] The method may comprise:

[0468] The first and / or second endless belts are heated to provide thermal treatment to the bag while the first and second endless belts apply pressure to the bag (step 232).

[0469] The method may comprise:

[0470] gradually increasing the temperature of the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt along the direction in which the bag is conveyed, so as to heat the bag while maintaining pressure on the bag; and

[0471] When the temperature rises to approach or reach a predetermined maximum temperature, a predetermined maximum pressure is applied to the bag (step 232).

[0472] The method may comprise:

[0473] The first endless belt and / or the second endless belt are cooled to cool the bag while the first endless belt and the second endless belt apply pressure to the bag (step 232).

[0474] The method may comprise:

[0475] The temperature of the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt is gradually lowered along the direction in which the bag is conveyed until a predetermined cooling temperature is reached to cool the bag while maintaining pressure on the bag (step 232).

[0476] The method may comprise:

[0477] After the insulation particles are encapsulated in the bag and before the bag is compressed to remove gas contained in the bag, cleaning the bag (step 222); and

[0478] After the bag has cooled, the bag is cleaned (step 234).

[0479] The method may comprise:

[0480] Tape and / or adhesive (eg, 1408a, 1410a, 1412a, 1414a, and 1414b) is applied to the bag to adhere the bag to another object.

[0481] A release paper is provided on the tape and / or adhesive (eg, step 238 ).

[0482] The method may comprise:

[0483] stacking a plurality of the bags (e.g., 1500) on a bottom plate (e.g., 1504) and stacking a top plate (e.g., 1506) above the topmost stacked bag; and

[0484] A bundle is formed including the bottom plate, the top plate, and the bags stacked between the bottom plate and the top plate.

[0485] The method may comprise:

[0486] Adhere the bag to the first frame layer (e.g., 1604, 2006, 2208); and

[0487] The second frame layer (eg, 1604, 2002, 2210) is adhered to the bag body to form a frame bag body (eg, 1600a, 1600b, 2130, 2214, 2400) including the first frame layer and the second frame layer as a frame structure.

[0488] The method may comprise:

[0489] A monolithic frame structure (eg, 2404) is adhered to the bag to form a frame bag (eg, 1600a, 1600b, 2130, 2214, 2400).

[0490] The method may comprise:

[0491] inserting a first layer of flame retardant (e.g., 1602, 2204) into the first opening of the frame structure (e.g., 1604, 2006, 2208, 2404) to cover the exposed surface of the bag; and

[0492] A second layer of flame retardant (eg, 1602, 2204) is inserted into the second opening of the frame structure to cover the other exposed surface of the bag.

[0493] The method may comprise:

[0494] sealing a first outer side of the framed bag; and

[0495] A second outer side of the framed bag is sealed, wherein the second outer side is opposite to the first outer side.

[0496] The method may comprise:

[0497] The bag is degassed by extracting air from the bag using vacuum suction.

[0498] The method may comprise:

[0499] After the bags are sealed and filled, the bags are weighed, wherein if the weight of the bags approaches or exceeds the limit of an acceptable weight range, a dosage adjustment feedback data signal is electronically transmitted to increase or decrease the amount of the insulation particles to be filled into each bag. For example, Figure 6 The apparatus 600 in the embodiment may be provided with such a feedback control device so as to Figure 4 The devices 400 in the apparatus work together to adjust the dosage in real time.

[0500] The method may comprise:

[0501] During or before the bag is compressed to remove the gas contained in the bag, the bag is vibrated to level the thermal insulation particles filled in the bag.

[0502] The method may comprise:

[0503] The framed or frameless version of the bag (e.g., 2130, 1500) is placed between one of the top conveyor plates (e.g., 2106) and one of the bottom conveyor plates (e.g., 2108),

[0504] The top conveying plate is configured to apply pressure to the framed or frameless bags between the top conveying plate and the bottom conveying plate to degas the framed or frameless bags.

[0505] The top conveyor plate or the bottom conveyor plate may include one or more biasing members (eg, 2124) to facilitate pressure relief on the framed or frameless bag.

[0506] The top or bottom conveyor plate may include a pushing mechanism comprising one or more cams (e.g., 2122) mounted on the top or bottom conveyor plate, wherein the method may include:

[0507] The top or bottom conveyor plate is moved past a plurality of guides (e.g., 2134) configured to apply pressure to the one or more cams to push the top or bottom conveyor plate against the bag, thereby applying pressure to the bag between the top conveyor plate and the bottom conveyor plate.

[0508] The top or bottom conveyor plate may include perforations (e.g., 2112) for contacting and degassing the bag, wherein the method comprises:

[0509] Air is drawn through the perforations in contact with the bag to degas the bag.

[0510] A system for manufacturing a thermal insulation device (e.g., 100, 1500, 1608, 1800, 1804, 1900, 2004, 2200, 2400, 2500, 2510, 2520, 2530), wherein the system comprises:

[0511] Forming tools (e.g. 528, 1910, Figure 19 8 to 18 ) for forming a bag (e.g., 100, 400, 410, 522, 532, 808, 900, 1010, 2500, 2510, 2520, 2530, 1110, 1804, 1900, 2130, 2400) from a film material (e.g., FML1, FML2, FML3, FF4, 406, 1800) comprising a perforation (e.g., 1802);

[0512] a filler for filling the bag with thermal insulation particles (such as FF1, FF2, and FF3) having a size that cannot pass through the perforations;

[0513] One or more seals (e.g. Figure 19 514, 518, 10, 11, 12, 25 and 26) for sealing one or more sides of the bag (e.g., 904, 906, 2538, 2016, 1904) so ​​that the insulation particles do not escape from the one or more sides of the bag; and

[0514] A compression device (e.g., 1200, 2100) for compressing the bag to expel the gas contained in the bag after sealing the open side of the bag filled with the thermal insulation particles. The system may further include:

[0515] Optional heaters (e.g., 1206a, 1206b, 1206c, 1206d, 1206e, 1212, 1214) for heating the bag while compressing the bag; and optional coolers (e.g., 1208, 1208a) for cooling the bag while compressing the bag. In another embodiment, the bag may have more than one open side for filling with the insulating particles.

[0516] The system may comprise:

[0517] a tape and / or adhesive applicator (e.g., 908) for applying tape and / or adhesive (e.g., 902) to portions of the one or more sealed sides (e.g., 904, 906) of the bag; and

[0518] A folding device (eg, 1000 ) for folding the one or more sealed sides of the bag to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the main body of the bag.

[0519] The folding device may include:

[0520] A conveying device (e.g., 1001) is used to pass the bag body and the one or more sealed side edges through a plurality of roller assemblies (e.g., 1012, 1014, 1016, 1018, 1020, 1022, 1024) to fold the one or more sealed side edges of the bag body to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the main body of the bag body, wherein the plurality of roller assemblies include a roller assembly configured with an inclined ramp to guide the one or more sealed side edges to be folded toward the main body of the bag body (e.g., step 228).

[0521] The plurality of roller assemblies may comprise:

[0522] The roller assembly (eg, 1012) is configured to emboss a fold line on the one or more sealed sides of the bag prior to folding the one or more sealed sides.

[0523] The folding apparatus may be configured to fold one or more corners of the bag (eg, 804 ) prior to folding one or more sealing sides of the bag to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive was applied to the body of the bag.

[0524] The insulating particles may comprise a mixture of particles from various types of materials, wherein the system may comprise:

[0525] Different containers (e.g., 302, 304a, 306a) classified by material type for receiving particles of the multiple types of materials;

[0526] a weighing device (e.g., load cell D) for weighing each container (e.g., 304a, 306a); and

[0527] Dispensers (e.g., 304a and 306a configured for dispensing) for dispensing particles of each material from the corresponding container simultaneously into the mixing container (e.g., 308a, 310),

[0528] When the weight of the corresponding container (eg, 304a, 306a) reaches a predetermined weight, dispensing of the particles from the corresponding container is stopped. Figure 3A The dispensing system B shown is an example of the one described by the above features.

[0529] The insulating particles may comprise a mixture of particles from various types of materials, wherein the system may comprise:

[0530] Different containers (e.g., 302, 304b, 306b) classified by material type for receiving particles of the multiple types of materials;

[0531] a dispenser for dispensing particles of each material from the corresponding container (e.g., 304b, 306b) into a mixing container (e.g., 308b); and

[0532] Weighing device (e.g. load cell D) for weighing the mixing container,

[0533] When the weight of the mixing container reaches a predetermined weight, the dispensing of the particles is stopped. Figure 3A The dispensing system C shown is an example of the one described by the above features.

[0534] In terms of this system, the particles in the mixing containers (e.g., 308a, 310) can be uniformly mixed and transferred to multiple reservoirs (e.g., 316, 318), where each reservoir is considered as a batch of mixed particles, and the mixed particles are transferred in batches to fill multiple bags.

[0535] The system may comprise:

[0536] Feeder (e.g. 406, 506, 524, Figure 19 1 to 4) for supplying multilayer films and / or fabrics;

[0537] an extrusion and heating device for extruding and heating the multilayer film and / or fabric to form the film material; and

[0538] Perforating punch (eg Figure 19 5) is used to punch holes in the film material to form the perforations. Examples of these steps refer to Figure 5 and Figure 19 Provide a description.

[0539] The system may comprise:

[0540] Feeder (eg Figure 19 406, 506, 524, 1 to 7) for supplying the film material to form the bag body,

[0541] wherein the one or more seals (e.g. Figure 19 514, 518, 10, 11, 12, 25 and 26) are configured to seal the film material to form the one or more sealed sides of the bag body, but leave one side of the bag body unsealed,

[0542] wherein the filler is configured to fill the insulating particles through the unsealed side of the bag, and

[0543] wherein one of the one or more seals (e.g., 518, Figure 19 25 and 26) are configured to seal the unsealed side of the bag after the insulation particles are filled into the bag.

[0544] The system may comprise:

[0545] a plurality of plates (e.g., plates for MLHP-based equipment, plates 1206 for a pressurized heating module) for receiving one or more bags between two plates of the plurality of plates, wherein the spacing of the plates can be adjusted to apply or release pressure to the bags to degas the bags; and

[0546] A heating element is provided for heating the plate to provide thermal treatment to the bag while applying pressure to the bag.

[0547] The system may comprise:

[0548] A cooler (eg, 1208, 1208a) is configured to cool the plate to cool the bag when pressure is applied to the bag.

[0549] The system may comprise:

[0550] A double-belt pressure conveyor (e.g., 1200), which includes a first endless belt (e.g., 1226) and a second endless belt (e.g., 1228), wherein the bag is positioned between the first endless belt and the second endless belt and is conveyed along the length direction of both the first endless belt and the second endless belt by the synchronous movement of the first endless belt and the second endless belt, wherein the distance between the first endless belt and the second endless belt can be adjusted to apply or release pressure on the bag.

[0551] In terms of this system, a first piece of fabric may be located between the first annular belt and the bag body, and a second piece of fabric may be located between the second annular belt and the bag body, wherein when the first annular belt and the second annular belt respectively apply pressure to the bag body, the first piece of fabric and / or the second piece of fabric will emboss a pattern on the bag body.

[0552] As for this system, the surface of the first annular belt contacting the bag body may be provided with a coating, and the surface of the second annular belt contacting the bag body may be provided with a coating, wherein when the first annular belt and the second annular belt respectively apply pressure to the bag body, one or both coating surfaces will emboss a pattern on the bag body.

[0553] The system may comprise:

[0554] One or more heaters (e.g., 1206a, 1206b, 1206c, 1206d, 1206e, 1212, 1214) are used to heat the first and / or second annular belts to provide thermal treatment to the bag when the first and second annular belts apply pressure to the bag.

[0555] The system may comprise:

[0556] a plurality of heaters (e.g., 1206a, 1206b, 1206c, 1206d, 1206e, 1212, and 1214) arranged along the first and second endless belts, for gradually increasing the temperature of the first and / or second endless belts in the direction in which the bag is conveyed, so as to heat the bag while maintaining pressure on the bag; and

[0557] The heating and compression module (eg, 1206b, 1206e) is configured to apply a predetermined maximum pressure to the bag when the temperature is raised to a temperature close to or reaching a predetermined maximum temperature.

[0558] The system may comprise:

[0559] One or more coolers (eg, 1208, 1208a) for cooling the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt to cool the bag when the first endless belt and the second endless belt apply pressure to the bag.

[0560] The system may comprise:

[0561] Multiple coolers (e.g., 1208, 1208a) arranged along the first annular belt and the second annular belt are used to gradually lower the temperature of the first annular belt and / or the second annular belt in the direction in which the bag body is conveyed along the first annular belt and / or the second annular belt until a predetermined cooling temperature is reached, so as to cool the bag body while maintaining pressure on the bag body.

[0562] The system may comprise:

[0563] cleaning equipment

[0564] for cleaning the bag after the insulation particles are encapsulated in the bag and before the bag is compressed to remove the gas contained in the bag, and

[0565] Used to clean the bag body after the bag body has cooled.

[0566] The system may comprise:

[0567] A tape and / or adhesive applicator is used to apply tape and / or adhesive (e.g., 1408a, 1410a, 1412a, 1414a, and 1414b) to the bag body to adhere the bag body to another object, wherein a release paper is provided on the applied tape and / or adhesive.

[0568] The system may comprise:

[0569] a first pick-and-place device for stacking a plurality of the bags (e.g., 1500) on a bottom plate (e.g., 1504) and stacking a top plate (e.g., 1506) above the topmost stacked bag; and

[0570] A bundling device is used for bundling a bundle comprising the bottom plate, the top plate, and the bags stacked between the bottom plate and the top plate.

[0571] The system may comprise:

[0572] A platform for supporting the first frame layer (e.g., 1604, 2006, 2208); and

[0573] Second pick and place device

[0574] for moving the bag so that the bag adheres to the first frame layer, and

[0575] Used to move the second frame layer (e.g., 1604, 2002, 2210) to adhere the second frame layer (e.g., 1604, 2002, 2210) to the bag body to form a frame bag body (e.g., 1600a, 1600b, 2130, 2214, 2400) containing the first frame layer and the second frame layer as a frame structure.

[0576] The system may comprise:

[0577] The third pick-and-place device is used to adhere the entire frame structure (such as 2404) to the bag body to form a frame bag body (such as 1600a, 1600b, 2130, 2214, 2400).

[0578] The system may comprise:

[0579] Fourth pick and place device

[0580] for inserting a first layer of flame retardant (e.g., 1602, 2204) into a first opening (e.g., 2008, 2206, 2406) of the frame structure (e.g., 1604, 2006, 2208, 2404) to cover the exposed surface of the bag; and

[0581] It is used to insert a second layer of flame retardant device (such as 1602, 2204) into the second opening (such as 2008, 2206, 2406) of the frame structure to cover the other exposed surface of the bag body.

[0582] The system may comprise:

[0583] Seal attaching machine (eg 2220)

[0584] for sealing the first outer side of the framed bag body, and

[0585] Used to seal the second outer side of the bag body with a frame, wherein the second outer side is opposite to the first outer side.

[0586] The system may comprise:

[0587] A vacuum suction device (e.g., 2114) is used to extract air from the bag body by vacuum suction to degas the bag body.

[0588] The system may comprise:

[0589] A weighing device (e.g., 600, 2300) is used to weigh the bags after they are sealed and filled, wherein if the weight of the bags approaches or exceeds the limit of an acceptable weight range, a feedback data signal for adjusting the powder dosage is electronically transmitted to increase or decrease the amount of the insulating particles to be filled into each bag.

[0590] The system may comprise:

[0591] A vibration device (eg, 1204) is used to vibrate the bag to level the thermal insulation particles filled in the bag before or during the process of compressing the bag to remove the gas contained in the bag.

[0592] The system may comprise:

[0593] A top conveyor (e.g., 2102) comprising a plurality of top conveyor plates; and

[0594] The bottom conveyor (e.g. 2104) comprises a plurality of bottom conveyor plates,

[0595] wherein the framed or frameless version of the bag body (e.g., 2130, 1500) is placed between one of the top conveying plates (e.g., 2106) and one of the bottom conveying plates (e.g., 2108),

[0596] The top conveying plate is configured to apply pressure to the bag between the top conveying plate and the bottom conveying plate to degas the bag with or without a frame.

[0597] With respect to this system, the top conveyor plate or the bottom conveyor plate may include one or more biasing members (eg, 2124) to facilitate pressure relief on the framed or frameless bags.

[0598] In the case of this system, the top or bottom conveying plate may include a pushing mechanism, which includes one or more cams (for example, 2122) and multiple guides (for example, 2134) mounted on the top or bottom conveying plate, and the guides are used to apply pressure to the one or more cams to push the top or bottom conveying plate against the bag body, thereby applying pressure to the bag body between the top conveying plate and the bottom conveying plate.

[0599] In the case of this system, the top or bottom conveying plate may include perforations (e.g., 2112) for contacting and degassing the bag, the perforations being in fluid communication with a vacuum suction device (e.g., 2114) operable to draw air through the perforations.

[0600] All of the equipment described in this disclosure, including 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1300, 2100, stacking and / or packaging equipment, cleaning equipment, frame installation equipment, assembly equipment for inserting flame retardant devices and sealing, and / or 2300, may have separate control stations as described. Some or all of these devices, whether or not they interact with each other or are interconnected, may be considered to be part of the same production system for the thermal insulation devices manufactured according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the number of control stations may be smaller or only one control station may be provided to control all of the above processes. Data communication between the control stations, computer vision systems and / or test systems, or data communication between sensors and control stations may be wired or wireless. The necessary cables and / or transceivers will be provided for this purpose.

[0601] In the present disclosure, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term "comprising" has a non-exclusive meaning, meaning "including at least" rather than the exclusive meaning "consisting only of..." The same applies to other forms of the word, such as "comprise", "comprises", etc.

[0602] Although the present disclosure has been described through several examples, embodiments, and implementations, the present invention is not limited thereto and encompasses various obvious variations and equivalents that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Although the claims express features of the invention in particular combinations, it is contemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination and order.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a thermal insulation device, wherein the method comprises: forming a bag body from a film material including perforations; filling the bag with thermal insulation particles having a size that cannot pass through the perforations; sealing one or more sides of the bag so that the insulating particles do not escape from the one or more sides of the bag; and After sealing the open side of the bag filled with the insulation particles, the bag is compressed to remove gas contained in the bag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises: applying tape and / or adhesive to portions of one or more sealed sides of the bag; One or more sealed sides of the bag are folded to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the main body of the bag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method comprises: The bag body and the one or more sealed side edges are passed through a plurality of roller assemblies to fold the one or more sealed side edges of the bag body to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the main body of the bag body, wherein the plurality of roller assemblies include a roller assembly configured with an inclined ramp to guide the one or more sealed side edges to be folded toward the main body of the bag body.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method comprises: Prior to folding the one or more sealed sides, fold lines are embossed on the one or more sealed sides of the bag body.

5. The method of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the method comprises: One or more corners of the bag are folded prior to folding one or more sealing sides of the bag to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the body of the bag.

6. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insulating particles comprise a mixture of particles from multiple types of materials, wherein the method comprises: sorting the particles of the plurality of types of materials by material type and transferring the particles into different containers; Weigh each container; and The granules of each type of material are dispensed simultaneously from the corresponding container into the mixing container, When the weight of the corresponding container reaches a predetermined weight, dispensing of the particles from the corresponding container is stopped.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the insulating particles comprise a mixture of particles from multiple types of materials, wherein the method comprises: sorting the particles of the plurality of types of materials by material type and transferring the particles into different containers; dispensing granules of each type of material from the corresponding container into a mixing container; Weigh the mixing container, When the weight of the mixing container reaches a predetermined weight, the dispensing of the particles is stopped.

8. The method of claim 4 or 5, wherein the particles in the mixing container are uniformly mixed and transferred to a plurality of reservoirs, wherein each reservoir is regarded as a batch of mixed particles, and the mixed particles are transferred in batches to fill a plurality of the bags.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: Supplying multilayer films and / or fabrics; extruding and heating the multilayer film and / or fabric to form the film material; and The film material is perforated to form the perforations.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: supplying the film material to form the bag; sealing the film material to form one or more sealed sides of the bag, but leaving one side of the bag unsealed; Filling the bag with the insulating particles through the unsealed side; and After the bag is filled with the insulation particles, the unsealed side of the bag is sealed.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: placing the bag between two plates, wherein the spacing between the plates can be adjusted to apply or release pressure on the bag to degas the bag; and The plates are heated to provide thermal treatment to the bag while applying pressure to the bag.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises: The plates are cooled to cool the bag while applying pressure to the bag.

13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the method comprises: The bag is placed in a double-belt pressure conveyor comprising a first endless belt and a second endless belt, wherein the bag is positioned between the first endless belt and the second endless belt and conveyed along the length direction of both the first endless belt and the second endless belt by synchronous movement of the first endless belt and the second endless belt, wherein the distance between the first endless belt and the second endless belt is adjustable to apply or release pressure on the bag.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a first piece of fabric is positioned between the first endless belt and the bag body, and a second piece of fabric is positioned between the second endless belt and the bag body, wherein the method comprises: When the first annular belt and the second annular belt respectively apply pressure to the bag body, the pattern provided by the first piece of fabric and / or the second piece of fabric is imprinted on the bag body.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein a surface of the first endless belt contacting the bag body is provided with a coating, and a surface of the second endless belt contacting the bag body is provided with a coating, wherein the method comprises: When the first and second annular belts respectively apply pressure to the bag body, a pattern provided by the coating surface of one or both of the first and second annular belts is imprinted on the bag body.

16. The method of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the method comprises: The first and / or second endless belts are heated to provide thermal treatment to the bag while the first and second endless belts apply pressure to the bag.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method comprises: gradually increasing the temperature of the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt along the direction in which the bag is conveyed, so as to heat the bag while maintaining pressure on the bag; and When the temperature rises to approach or reach a predetermined maximum temperature, a predetermined maximum pressure is applied to the bag.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein the method comprises: The first endless belt and / or the second endless belt are cooled to cool the bag while the first endless belt and the second endless belt apply pressure to the bag.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method comprises: The temperature of the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt is gradually lowered along the direction in which the bag is conveyed until a predetermined cooling temperature is reached, so as to cool the bag while maintaining pressure on the bag.

20. The method of claim 18 or 19, wherein the method comprises: cleaning the bag after the insulation particles are enclosed in the bag and before compressing the bag to remove the gas contained in the bag, and The bag is cleaned after it has cooled.

21. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: An adhesive tape and / or adhesive is applied to the bag body to adhere the bag body to another object, wherein a release paper is provided on the applied adhesive tape and / or adhesive.

22. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: stacking a plurality of the bags on a bottom plate and stacking a top plate above the topmost stacked bag; and A bundle is formed including the bottom plate, the top plate, and the bags stacked between the bottom plate and the top plate.

23. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: Adhere the bag to the first frame layer; and The second frame layer is adhered to the bag body to form a frame bag body including the first frame layer and the second frame layer as a frame structure.

24. The method of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the method comprises: The integral frame structure is adhered to the bag to form a framed bag.

25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein the method comprises: inserting a first layer of flame retardant into the first opening of the frame structure to cover the exposed surface of the bag; and A second layer of flame retardant is inserted into the second opening of the frame structure to cover the other exposed surface of the bag.

26. The method of any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the method comprises: sealing a first outer side of the framed bag; and A second outer side of the framed bag is sealed, wherein the second outer side is opposite to the first outer side.

27. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: The bag is degassed by extracting air from the bag using vacuum suction.

28. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: The bags are weighed after being sealed and filled, wherein if the weight of the bags approaches or exceeds the limit of an acceptable weight range, a dosage adjustment feedback data signal is electronically transmitted to increase or decrease the dosage of the insulation particles to be filled into each bag.

29. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: During or before the bag is compressed to remove the gas contained in the bag, the bag is vibrated to level the thermal insulation particles filled in the bag.

30. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises: placing the bag, either in a framed or frameless version, between a top conveyor plate of a plurality of top conveyor plates and a bottom conveyor plate of a plurality of bottom conveyor plates, The top conveying plate is configured to apply pressure to the framed or frameless bags between the top conveying plate and the bottom conveying plate to degas the framed or frameless bags.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the top conveyor plate or the bottom conveyor plate includes one or more biasing members to facilitate pressure relief on the framed or frameless bag.

32. The method of claim 30 or 31, wherein the top or bottom conveyor plate comprises a pushing mechanism comprising one or more cams mounted on the top or bottom conveyor plate, wherein the method comprises: The top or bottom conveyor plate is moved past a plurality of guides configured to apply pressure to the one or more cams to push the top or bottom conveyor plate against the bags, thereby applying pressure to the bags between the top and bottom conveyor plates.

33. The method of any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein the top or bottom conveyor plate comprises perforations for contacting and degassing the bags, wherein the method comprises: Air is drawn through the perforations in contact with the bag to degas the bag.

34. A system for manufacturing a thermal insulation device, wherein the system comprises: a forming tool for forming a bag body from a film material containing perforations; a filler for filling the bag with thermal insulation particles having a size that cannot pass through the perforations; One or more seals for sealing one or more sides of the bag so that the insulating particles do not escape from the one or more sides of the bag; and A compression device is used to compress the bag to discharge the gas contained in the bag after sealing the open side of the bag filled with the thermal insulation particles.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the system comprises: a tape and / or adhesive applicator for applying tape and / or adhesive to portions of one or more sealed sides of the bag; and A folding device is used to fold the one or more sealed sides of the bag body to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the main body of the bag body.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the folding device comprises: A conveyor for passing the bag body and the one or more sealed side edges through a plurality of roller assemblies to fold the one or more sealed side edges of the bag body to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the main body of the bag body, wherein the plurality of roller assemblies include a roller assembly configured with an inclined ramp to guide the one or more sealed side edges to be folded toward the main body of the bag body.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the plurality of roller assemblies comprises: A roller assembly is configured to emboss a fold line on the one or more sealed side edges of the bag body prior to folding the one or more sealed side edges.

38. A system as described in any one of claims 35 to 37, wherein the folding device is configured to fold one or more corners of the bag body before folding one or more sealing sides of the bag body to adhere the portion to which the tape and / or adhesive is applied to the body of the bag body.

39. The system of any one of claims 34 to 38, wherein the insulating particles comprise a mixture of particles from multiple types of materials, wherein the system comprises: Different containers classified by material type for receiving particles of the multiple types of materials; Weighing equipment to weigh each container; and a dispenser for dispensing granules of each type of material from the corresponding container simultaneously into the mixing container, When the weight of the corresponding container reaches a predetermined weight, dispensing of the particles from the corresponding container is stopped.

40. The system of any one of claims 34 to 38, wherein the insulating particles comprise a mixture of particles from multiple types of materials, wherein the system comprises: Different containers classified by material type for receiving particles of the multiple types of materials; a dispenser for dispensing granules of each type of material from the corresponding container into the mixing container; and a weighing device for weighing the mixing container, When the weight of the mixing container reaches a predetermined weight, the dispensing of the particles is stopped.

41. The system of claim 39 or 40, wherein the particles in the mixing container are uniformly mixed and transferred to a plurality of reservoirs, wherein each reservoir is regarded as a batch of mixed particles, and the mixed particles are transferred in batches to fill a plurality of the bags.

42. The system of any one of claims 34 to 41, wherein the system comprises: a feeder for feeding the multilayer film and / or fabric; an extrusion and heating device for extruding and heating the multilayer film and / or fabric to form the film material; and A perforation punch is used for punching holes in the film material to form the perforations.

43. The system of any one of claims 34 to 42, wherein the system comprises: a feeder for supplying the film material to form the bag body, wherein the one or more seals are configured to seal the film material to form the one or more sealed sides of the bag but leave one side of the bag unsealed, wherein the filler is configured to fill the insulating particles through the unsealed side of the bag, and One of the one or more seals is configured to seal the unsealed side of the bag after the bag is filled with the insulation particles.

44. The system of any one of claims 34 to 43, wherein the system comprises: a plurality of plates for receiving one or more bags between two plates of the plurality of plates, wherein the spacing of the plates is adjustable to apply or release pressure to the bags to degas the bags; and A heating element is provided for heating the plate to provide thermal treatment to the bag while applying pressure to the bag.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the system comprises: A cooler is used to cool the plate to cool the bag when pressure is applied to the bag.

46. ​​The system of any one of claims 34 to 45, wherein the system comprises: A double-belt pressure conveyor, comprising a first endless belt and a second endless belt, wherein the bag is positioned between the first endless belt and the second endless belt and conveyed along the length direction of both the first endless belt and the second endless belt by synchronous movement of the first endless belt and the second endless belt, wherein the distance between the first endless belt and the second endless belt is adjustable to apply or release pressure on the bag.

47. A system as described in claim 46, wherein a first piece of fabric is located between the first annular belt and the bag body, and a second piece of fabric is located between the second annular belt and the bag body, wherein when the first annular belt and the second annular belt respectively apply pressure to the bag body, the first piece of fabric and / or the second piece of fabric will emboss a pattern on the bag body.

48. A system as described in claim 46, wherein the surface of the first annular belt contacting the bag body is provided with a coating, and the surface of the second annular belt contacting the bag body is provided with a coating, wherein when the first annular belt and the second annular belt respectively apply pressure to the bag body, one or both coating surfaces will emboss a pattern on the bag body.

49. The system of any one of claims 46 to 48, wherein the system comprises: One or more heaters for heating the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt to provide thermal treatment to the bag when the first endless belt and the second endless belt apply pressure to the bag.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the system comprises: a plurality of heaters arranged along the first endless belt and the second endless belt, for gradually increasing the temperature of the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt along the direction in which the bag is conveyed by the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt, so as to heat the bag while maintaining pressure on the bag; and The heating and compression module is used to apply a predetermined maximum pressure to the bag body when the temperature rises to a temperature close to or reaches a predetermined maximum temperature.

51. The system of claim 49 or 50, wherein the system comprises: One or more coolers for cooling the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt to cool the bag when the first endless belt and the second endless belt apply pressure to the bag.

52. The system of claim 51 , wherein the system comprises: Multiple coolers are arranged along the first endless belt and the second endless belt, and are used to gradually lower the temperature of the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt in the direction in which the bag body is conveyed along the first endless belt and / or the second endless belt until a predetermined cooling temperature is reached, so as to cool the bag body while maintaining pressure on the bag body.

53. The system of claim 51 or 52, wherein the system comprises: cleaning equipment, for cleaning the bag after the insulation particles are encapsulated in the bag and before the bag is compressed to remove the gas contained in the bag, and Used to clean the bag body after the bag body has cooled.

54. The system of any one of claims 34 to 53, wherein the system comprises: a tape and / or adhesive applicator for applying tape and / or adhesive to the bag to adhere the bag to another object; A release paper is provided on the applied adhesive tape and / or adhesive.

55. The system of any one of claims 34 to 54, wherein the system comprises: a first pick-and-place device for stacking a plurality of the bags on a bottom plate and stacking a top plate above the topmost stacked bag; and A bundling device is used for bundling a bundle comprising the bottom plate, the top plate, and the bags stacked between the bottom plate and the top plate.

56. The system of any one of claims 34 to 55, wherein the system comprises: a platform for supporting the first frame layer; and The second pick-and-place device, for moving the bag so that the bag adheres to the first frame layer, and Used to move the second frame layer to adhere the second frame layer to the bag body, so as to form a frame bag body containing the first frame layer and the second frame layer as a frame structure.

57. The system of any one of claims 34 to 55, wherein the system comprises: The third pick-and-place device is used to adhere the entire frame structure to the bag body to form a bag body with a frame.

58. The system of claim 56 or 57, wherein the system comprises: The fourth pick-and-place device, for inserting a first layer of flame retardant into the first opening of the frame structure to cover the exposed surface of the bag body, and The second layer of flame retardant device is inserted into the second opening of the frame structure to cover the other exposed surface of the bag body.

59. The system of any one of claims 56 to 58, wherein the system comprises: Sealing and attaching machine, for sealing the first outer side of the framed bag body, and Used to seal the second outer side of the bag body with a frame, wherein the second outer side is opposite to the first outer side.

60. The system of any one of claims 34 to 59, wherein the system comprises: The vacuum suction device is used for extracting air from the bag body by vacuum suction to degas the bag body.

61. The system of any one of claims 34 to 60, wherein the system comprises: A weighing device is used to weigh the bags after they are sealed and filled, wherein if the weight of the bags approaches or exceeds the limit of the acceptable weight range, a feedback data signal for adjusting the powder dosage is electronically transmitted to increase or decrease the amount of the insulation particles to be filled into each bag.

62. The system of any one of claims 34 to 61, wherein the system comprises: A vibration device is used to vibrate the bag body to level the thermal insulation particles filled in the bag body during or before the bag body is compressed to remove the gas contained in the bag body.

63. The system of any one of claims 34 to 62, wherein the system comprises: a top conveyor comprising a plurality of top conveyor plates; and Bottom conveyor, including multiple bottom conveyor plates, wherein the framed or frameless version of the bag body is placed between one of the plurality of top conveying plates and one of the plurality of bottom conveying plates, The top conveying plate is configured to apply pressure to the bag between the top conveying plate and the bottom conveying plate to degas the bag with or without a frame.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein the top conveyor plate or the bottom conveyor plate includes one or more biasing members to facilitate pressure relief on the framed or frameless bag.

65. A system as described in claim 63 or 64, wherein the top or bottom conveying plate includes a pushing mechanism, which includes one or more cams and multiple guides mounted on the top or bottom conveying plate, and the guides are used to apply pressure to the one or more cams to push the top or bottom conveying plate against the bag body, thereby applying pressure to the bag body between the top conveying plate and the bottom conveying plate.

66. The system of any one of claims 63 to 65, wherein the top or bottom conveying plate includes perforations for contacting and degassing the bags, the perforations being in fluid communication with a vacuum suction device operable to draw air through the perforations.

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