Device for implementing unpowered bilateral alignment clamping

Abstract

The application relates to a device for realizing unpowered double-side alignment clamping, which comprises a tray tool plate, a tray connecting rod, a tray bottom plate, an unlocking cylinder, an unlocking head, a connecting rod, a first hinge connecting piece, a second hinge connecting piece, a first chuck and a second chuck, the tray bottom plate is connected to a flow line body of a battery assembly production line, the tray connecting rod is installed at the edge of the tray tool plate, the tray tool plate is connected to the tray bottom plate through the tray connecting rod, the connecting rod, the first hinge connecting piece and the second hinge connecting piece are all installed below the tray tool plate, the connecting rod is connected to the first hinge connecting piece and the second hinge connecting piece, and the first hinge connecting piece is connected to the first chuck installed above the tray tool plate. The device for realizing unpowered double-side alignment clamping is adopted, an external power source is not needed to be additionally configured, the whole device can be driven to operate only by relying on the power of the tray tool, the equipment structure is simplified, the purchase and maintenance cost of power equipment is reduced, and energy consumption is lowered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated production lines, and more particularly to the field of hydrogen fuel cells, specifically to a device for achieving unpowered bilateral alignment and clamping. Background Technology

[0002] A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that directly converts the chemical energy stored in fuel and oxidant into electrical energy through electrochemical means. A hydrogen fuel cell consists of multiple cell units and sealing elements. The end plates on both sides are stacked and press-fitted to form a fuel cell stack and encapsulated in the fuel cell stack encapsulation structure.

[0003] Currently, the demand for fuel cell stacks is increasing, and fuel cell stack assembly lines require a high degree of automation. Existing automated production lines use pallet fixtures, but these fixtures consist of six relatively fixed positioning rods. During the stacking process, due to the inherent errors of the bipolar plates and membrane electrode assemblies, as well as the repeatability issues of the pallet, there are problems such as the robotic arm scraping against the positioning edges when unloading materials, making debugging difficult. In addition, during the transfer process from unloading to the next stacking station, the bipolar plates and membrane electrode assemblies may shift, resulting in poor straightness and airtightness of the final fuel cell stack, which greatly reduces the performance of the fuel cell stack. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a device for achieving unpowered double-sided alignment clamping that is low in cost, low in operation complexity, and widely applicable.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the device for achieving powerless double-sided alignment clamping according to the present invention is as follows: The device for achieving powerless double-sided alignment and clamping is characterized by comprising a pallet fixture plate, pallet connecting rods, a pallet bottom plate, an unlocking cylinder, an unlocking head, connecting rods, a first hinge connector, a second hinge connector, a first chuck, and a second chuck. The pallet bottom plate is connected to the conveyor belt of the fuel cell assembly line. Six pallet connecting rods are installed on the edge of the pallet fixture plate, and the pallet fixture plate is fixedly connected to the pallet bottom plate by the six pallet connecting rods. The connecting rods, the first hinge connector, and the second hinge connector are all installed below the pallet fixture plate. The connecting rod is connected to the first hinge connector and the second hinge connector respectively. The first hinge connector is connected to the first clamp installed above the pallet tooling plate. The second hinge connector is connected to the second clamp installed above the pallet tooling plate. The first hinge connector is connected to the first mounting plate. The first mounting plate is fixedly connected to the unlocking head. The connecting rod supports forward and backward movement and rotation. The unlocking head is installed below the pallet tooling plate. The unlocking cylinder is located on the side of the unlocking head. The unlocking cylinder extends or retracts, driving the unlocking head to move forward or backward.

[0006] Preferably, the device further includes a short-side positioning stop and a long-side positioning stop. The short-side positioning stop is installed on the short side of the pallet tooling plate, and the two long-side positioning stops are installed on the long side of the pallet tooling plate. The reference edges of the long and short sides of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode are abutted and aligned on the short-side positioning stop and the long-side positioning stop.

[0007] Preferably, the device further includes a first push plate, a first mounting plate, a first linear bearing, and a first spring. The first linear bearing is mounted below the pallet fixture plate. The first mounting plate is connected to the first linear bearing via a guide shaft. The first linear bearing is connected to a first hinge connector. The first mounting plate is fixedly connected to the first hinge connector. The first mounting plate is connected to the first push plate via a first connector. The first push plate is mounted on the pallet fixture plate. Two small linear guide rails are mounted below the first push plate. Two first clamps are fixedly mounted on the first push plate. The first spring is connected to the first mounting plate.

[0008] Preferably, the device further includes a second push plate, a second mounting plate, a second linear bearing, and a second spring. The second linear bearing is mounted below the pallet fixture plate. The second mounting plate is connected to the second linear bearing via a guide shaft. The second linear bearing is connected to a second hinge connector. The second mounting plate is fixedly connected to the second hinge connector. The second mounting plate is connected to the second push plate via a second connector. The second push plate is mounted on the pallet fixture plate. Two small linear guide rails are mounted below the second push plate. Two second clamps are fixedly mounted on the second push plate. The second spring is connected to the second mounting plate.

[0009] Preferably, the device further includes a tag and a read / write head. The tag is mounted on the bottom plate of the tray and is vertical. After the bipolar plate or membrane electrode is positioned, the read / write head reads the bipolar plate or membrane electrode information stored in the tag inside the tray.

[0010] Preferably, after the unlocking head is connected, the first hinge connector moves forward, causing the connecting rod to move forward. The connecting rod then causes the second hinge connector to move, and the second hinge connector causes the second mounting plate to move. Preferably, the unlocking cylinder retracts, the first spring pulls the first mounting plate to move, the first mounting plate drives the two first clamps to push the bipolar plate or membrane electrode towards the long side positioning stop. During the process of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode aligning with the long side positioning stop, the first hinge connector drives the connecting rod that cooperates with it to rotate and move. The connecting rod drives the second mounting plate to move, the second mounting plate drives the second clamp to move, the second clamp pushes the bipolar plate or membrane electrode towards the short side positioning stop. The two first clamps and the two second clamps push the bipolar plate or membrane electrode, and the reference edge of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode aligns with the long side positioning stop and the short side positioning stop.

[0011] The device for achieving unpowered double-sided alignment and clamping using the present invention does not require an additional external power source. It can be driven by the power of the pallet tooling alone. This not only simplifies the equipment structure and reduces the procurement and maintenance costs of power equipment, but also reduces energy consumption, which is in line with the concept of green production and has good economic and environmental benefits. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a front view of the device for achieving unpowered bilateral alignment clamping according to the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is an internal structural diagram of the device for achieving unpowered bilateral alignment clamping according to the present invention.

[0014] Figure label: 01 Pallet Tooling 02 Short side positioning guard 03 First clamp 04 First Push Plate 06 Second clamp 07 Linear Guide 08 Pallet Connecting Rod 09 Pallet bottom plate 10 tags 11 Read / Write Head 12. Unlock cylinder 13 Unlock Head 14 First Spring 15 First mounting plate 16 First linear bearing 17 First hinge connector 18 connecting rods 19 Second hinge connector 20 Second linear bearing 21 Second mounting plate 22 Second Spring 23 H-shaped connector 24-link 25 Long side positioning guard 26 Second push plate Detailed Implementation

[0015] To more clearly describe the technical content of the present invention, the following description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0016] The device for achieving unpowered double-sided alignment clamping according to the present invention includes a pallet tooling plate 01, pallet connecting rods 08, pallet bottom plate 09, unlocking cylinder 12, unlocking head 13, connecting rod 18, first hinge connector 17, second hinge connector 19, first chuck 03, and second chuck 06. The pallet bottom plate 09 is connected to the conveyor belt of the fuel cell assembly production line. Six pallet connecting rods 08 are installed on the edge of the pallet tooling plate 01. The pallet tooling plate 01 is fixedly connected to the pallet bottom plate 09 by the six pallet connecting rods 08. The connecting rods 18, first hinge connector 17, and second hinge connector 19 are all installed below the pallet tooling plate 01. The rod 18 is connected to the first hinge connector 17 and the second hinge connector 19 respectively. The first hinge connector 17 is connected to the first clamp 03 installed above the pallet tooling plate 01. The second hinge connector 19 is connected to the second clamp 06 installed above the pallet tooling plate 01. The first hinge connector 17 is connected to the first mounting plate 15. The first mounting plate 15 is fixedly connected to the unlocking head 13. The connecting rod 18 supports forward and backward movement and rotation. The unlocking head 13 is installed below the pallet tooling plate 01. The unlocking cylinder 12 is located on the side of the unlocking head 13. The unlocking cylinder 12 extends or retracts, driving the unlocking head 13 to move forward or backward.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device further includes a short-side positioning stop 02 and a long-side positioning stop 25. The short-side positioning stop 02 is installed on the short side of the pallet tooling plate 01, and the two long-side positioning stops 25 are installed on the long side of the pallet tooling plate 01. The reference edges of the long side and the short side of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode are attached and aligned on the short-side positioning stop 02 and the long-side positioning stop 25.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device further includes a first push plate 04, a first mounting plate 15, a first linear bearing 16, and a first spring 14. The first linear bearing 16 is mounted below the pallet fixture plate 01. The first mounting plate 15 is connected to the first linear bearing 16 via a guide shaft. The first linear bearing 16 is connected to a first hinge connector 17. The first mounting plate 15 is fixedly connected to the first hinge connector 17. The first mounting plate 15 is connected to the first push plate 04 via a first connector. The first push plate 04 is mounted on the pallet fixture plate 01. Two small linear guide rails are mounted below the first push plate 04. Two first clamps 03 are fixedly mounted on the first push plate 04. The first spring 14 is connected to the first mounting plate 15.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device further includes a second push plate 26, a second mounting plate 21, a second linear bearing 20, and a second spring 22. The second linear bearing 20 is mounted below the pallet fixture plate 01. The second mounting plate 21 is connected to the second linear bearing 20 via a guide shaft. The second linear bearing 20 is connected to the second hinge connector 19. The second mounting plate 21 is fixedly connected to the second hinge connector 19. The second mounting plate 21 is connected to the second push plate 26 via a second connector. The second push plate 26 is mounted on the pallet fixture plate 01. Two small linear guide rails are mounted below the second push plate 26. Two second clamps 06 are fixedly mounted on the second push plate 26. The second spring 22 is connected to the second mounting plate 21.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device further includes a tag 10 and a read / write head 11. The tag 10 is mounted on the bottom plate 09 of the tray and is vertical. After the bipolar plate or membrane electrode is positioned, the read / write head 11 reads the bipolar plate or membrane electrode information stored in the tag 10 inside the tray.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the unlocking head 13 is connected, the first hinge connector 17 moves forward, causing the connecting rod 18 to move forward. The connecting rod 18 then causes the second hinge connector 19 to move, and the second hinge connector 19 causes the second mounting plate 21 to move. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the unlocking cylinder 12 retracts, the first spring 14 pulls the first mounting plate 15 to move, the first mounting plate 15 drives the two first clamps 03 to push the bipolar plate or membrane electrode towards the long side positioning stop 25. During the process of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode aligning with the long side positioning stop 25, the first hinge connector 17 drives the connecting rod 18 that cooperates with it to rotate and move. The connecting rod 18 drives the second mounting plate 21 to move, the second mounting plate 21 drives the second clamp 06 to move, the second clamp 06 pushes the bipolar plate or membrane electrode towards the short side positioning stop 02. The two first clamps 03 and the two second clamps 06 push the bipolar plate or membrane electrode, and the reference edge of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode aligns with the long side positioning stop 25 and the short side positioning stop 02.

[0022] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the objective is to solve the problem of precise alignment and reliable clamping of bipolar plates and membrane electrodes during assembly and transport. By optimizing the structural design and utilizing the linkage effect of a four-bar linkage and a spring mechanism, single-sided alignment and clamping operations can be achieved without external power, providing convenient placement space for the robotic arm and ensuring rapid component positioning. Simultaneously, the automatic locking function of the mechanism eliminates offset during transport. Furthermore, through the linkage characteristics of the mechanism, the short side is simultaneously pushed to complete alignment when the long side aligns with the reference side, ultimately achieving the technical effect of precise bilateral alignment of the fuel cell stack component and stable, offset-free transport. This improves fuel cell stack stacking efficiency and assembly accuracy, while reducing equipment costs and operational complexity.

[0023] This invention provides a device for non-powered bilateral alignment and clamping. The tray base plate 09 is connected to the transfer line of the fuel cell assembly production line and is fixedly connected to the tray tooling plate 01 by six tray connecting rods 08. The tray tooling plate 01 is equipped with a short side positioning stop 02 and two long side positioning stops 25. The long side and short side reference side of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode are finally aligned and fitted onto the short side positioning stop 02 and the long side positioning stop 25.

[0024] After the bipolar plate or membrane electrode reaches the working position, the read / write head 11 reads the bipolar plate or membrane electrode information stored in the tag 10 inside the tray, including the number of bipolar plates or membrane electrodes and their respective QR code information. The unlocking cylinder 12 extends, pushing the unlocking head 13 to move the first mounting plate 15 forward. The first mounting plate 15 is fixedly connected to the unlocking head 13. The first mounting plate 15 is connected to the first linear bearing 16 via a guide shaft. The first linear bearing 16 is installed below the pallet tooling plate 01 to prevent instability of the mechanism during linear movement. The first mounting plate 15 is connected to the first push plate 04 via a connector. Two small linear guide rails are installed below the first push plate 04. Two first chucks 03 are fixedly installed on the first push plate 04. Soft material is installed on the two first chucks 03 to prevent damage to the bipolar plate or membrane electrode. At this time, the two first chucks 03 open outward. At the same time, the unlocking head 13 is connected, and the first hinge connector 17 connected to the unlocking head 13 is also driven to move forward. The connecting rod 18 that cooperates with the first hinge connector 17 will also move forward and rotate.

[0025] The connecting rod 18 drives the second hinge connector 19 to move, and the second hinge connector 19 drives the second mounting plate 21 fixedly connected to it to move. The second mounting plate 21 is connected to the guide shaft and the second linear bearing 20. The second linear bearing 20 is connected to the first hinge connector 17 and installed below the pallet tooling plate 01 to prevent the mechanism from becoming unstable during linear motion. The second mounting plate 21 is connected to the second push plate 26 through the second connector. Two small linear guide rails are installed below the second push plate 26. The second chuck 06 is fixedly installed on the second push plate 26. Soft material is installed on the chuck to prevent damage to the bipolar plate or membrane electrode. At this time, the two second chucks 06 open outward.

[0026] The robotic arm at the workstation places the bipolar plate or membrane electrode into the tray fixture, maintaining a certain distance from the short-side positioning stop 02 and the long-side positioning stop 25. At this time, the unlocking cylinder 12 retracts, and the first spring 14, connected to the first mounting plate 15 via an adjustable connector, pulls the first mounting plate 15 to move. The spring 14 is connected to the mounting plate 15 via two connectors. Figure 2 The connection method of the middle spring 22 is the same. The first mounting plate 15 drives the two first clamps 03 to push the bipolar plate or membrane electrode towards the long side positioning stop 25. During the process of the double side plates / membrane electrodes aligning with the long side, the first hinge connector 17 connected to the first mounting plate 15 drives the connecting rod 18 that cooperates with it to rotate and move. The connecting rod 18 drives the second mounting plate 21 to move. The second spring 22 connected to the second mounting plate 21 through an adjustable connection is an auxiliary spring. The second mounting plate 21 drives the second clamp 06 to move. The second clamp 06 pushes the bipolar plate or membrane electrode towards the short side positioning stop 02. Finally, the bipolar plate or membrane electrode is pushed by the two first clamps 03 and the second clamp 06 to align the reference edge with the long side positioning stop 25 and the short side positioning stop 02, achieving a high-precision alignment effect.

[0027] The operation process of using this invention is as follows: After the pallet fixture arrives at the corresponding workstation, the unlocking component extends forward, opening the clamping mechanisms on the long and short sides. The robot arm at this workstation, carrying the gripped bipolar plate or membrane electrode, arrives directly above the pallet fixture and places the bipolar plate or membrane electrode within the height range of the pallet positioning stop. At this time, the unlocking component releases, and the long side clamping mechanism first pushes the bipolar plate or membrane electrode to align with the long side positioning stop. During the alignment of the bipolar plate with the long side positioning stop, the short side clamping mechanism also begins to push the bipolar plate or membrane electrode to align with the short side positioning stop. Finally, the long and short side clamping mechanisms simultaneously push the long and short sides of the bipolar plate to the corresponding long and short side positioning stops.

[0028] The technical solution of this invention is used for stacking fuel cell stacks. The main components of the stack are membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and bipolar plates. The pallet fixture of this invention is used to support multiple layers of stacked bipolar plates and MEAs. The pallet mechanism of this invention solves the problem of damage to the bipolar plates and MEAs caused by friction between the pallet and the MEAs during stacking. Furthermore, the alignment scheme in this invention eliminates dimensional errors in the MEAs and bipolar plates, improving the stacking accuracy. Finally, the pallet alignment fixture can clamp the stacked bipolar plates and MEAs during transport, preventing displacement and thus avoiding poor stack straightness and performance degradation. The advantages of this invention are as follows: 1. Significantly improves assembly efficiency: The single-sided alignment clamping design greatly optimizes the operating space of the robot arm, effectively avoiding the spatial obstruction caused by the traditional double-sided clamping structure. This allows the robot arm to quickly and accurately place the bipolar plates and membrane electrodes into place, greatly shortening the single component placement time and thus significantly improving the overall stacking efficiency of the fuel cell stack.

[0029] 2. Ensuring Transmission Stability: The automatic locking mechanism composed of the four-bar linkage and spring mechanism can reliably fix the bipolar plates and membrane electrodes during transmission, effectively preventing component misalignment caused by vibration, displacement, and other factors. This ensures that the fuel cell stack components maintain a precise relative position during transmission, laying a solid foundation for the smooth progress of subsequent assembly processes.

[0030] 3. Achieve precise alignment on both sides: The innovative linkage structure design breaks through the limitation of traditional mechanisms that can only achieve single-sided alignment. When the long side is aligned with the reference side, the linkage characteristic of the mechanism can simultaneously push the short side to complete precise alignment, ensuring that both the long and short sides of the bipolar plates and membrane electrodes are strictly aligned with the reference side, significantly improving the overall accuracy of the fuel cell stack, thereby enhancing the performance and reliability of the fuel cell stack.

[0031] For the specific implementation scheme of this embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0032] It is understood that the same or similar parts in the above embodiments can be referred to each other, and the contents not described in detail in some embodiments can be referred to the same or similar contents in other embodiments.

[0033] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means at least two.

[0034] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0035] The device for achieving unpowered double-sided alignment and clamping using the present invention does not require an additional external power source. It can be driven by the power of the pallet tooling alone. This not only simplifies the equipment structure and reduces the procurement and maintenance costs of power equipment, but also reduces energy consumption, which is in line with the concept of green production and has good economic and environmental benefits.

[0036] In this specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. However, it will be apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the specification and drawings should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A device for achieving unpowered bilateral alignment clamping, characterized in that, The device includes a pallet tooling plate, pallet connecting rods, a pallet bottom plate, an unlocking cylinder, an unlocking head, connecting rods, a first hinge connector, a second hinge connector, a first clamp, and a second clamp. The pallet bottom plate is connected to the conveyor belt of the fuel cell stack assembly line. Six pallet connecting rods are installed on the edge of the pallet tooling plate. The pallet tooling plate is fixedly connected to the pallet bottom plate by the six pallet connecting rods. The connecting rods, the first hinge connector, and the second hinge connector are all installed below the pallet tooling plate. The connecting rods are respectively connected to the first hinge connector and the second hinge connector. The first hinge connector is connected to the first clamp installed above the pallet tooling plate. The second hinge connector is connected to the second clamp installed above the pallet tooling plate. The first hinge connector is connected to the first mounting plate. The first mounting plate is fixedly connected to the unlocking head. The connecting rods support forward and backward movement and rotation. The unlocking head is installed below the pallet tooling plate. The unlocking cylinder is located on the side of the unlocking head. The unlocking cylinder extends or retracts, driving the unlocking head to move forward or backward. The device further includes a short-side positioning stop and a long-side positioning stop. The short-side positioning stop is installed on the short side of the pallet tooling plate, and the two long-side positioning stops are installed on the long side of the pallet tooling plate. The reference edges of the long side and the short side of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode are attached and aligned on the short-side positioning stop and the long-side positioning stop. The device further includes a first push plate, a first mounting plate, a first linear bearing, and a first spring. The first linear bearing is installed below the pallet fixture plate. The first mounting plate is connected to the first linear bearing via a guide shaft. The first linear bearing is connected to a first hinge connector. The first mounting plate is fixedly connected to the first hinge connector. The first mounting plate is connected to the first push plate via a first connector. The first push plate is installed on the pallet fixture plate. Two small linear guide rails are installed below the first push plate. Two first clamps are fixedly installed on the first push plate. The first spring is connected to the first mounting plate. The device further includes a second push plate, a second mounting plate, a second linear bearing, and a second spring. The second linear bearing is mounted below the pallet fixture plate. The second mounting plate is connected to the second linear bearing via a guide shaft. The second linear bearing is connected to a second hinge connector. The second mounting plate is fixedly connected to the second hinge connector. The second mounting plate is connected to the second push plate via a second connector. The second push plate is mounted on the pallet fixture plate. Two small linear guide rails are mounted below the second push plate. Two second clamps are fixedly mounted on the second push plate. The second spring is connected to the second mounting plate.

2. The device for achieving unpowered bilateral alignment and clamping according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a tag and a read / write head. The tag is mounted on the bottom plate of the tray and is vertical. After the bipolar plate or membrane electrode is positioned, the read / write head reads the bipolar plate or membrane electrode information stored in the tag inside the tray.

3. The device for achieving unpowered bilateral alignment and clamping according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the unlocking head is connected, the first hinge connector moves forward, causing the connecting rod to move forward. The connecting rod then causes the second hinge connector to move, and the second hinge connector causes the second mounting plate to move.

4. The device for achieving unpowered bilateral alignment and clamping according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unlocking cylinder retracts, the first spring pulls the first mounting plate to move, the first mounting plate drives the two first clamps to push the bipolar plate or membrane electrode towards the long side positioning stop. During the process of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode aligning with the long side positioning stop, the first hinge connector drives the connecting rod that cooperates with it to rotate and move. The connecting rod drives the second mounting plate to move, the second mounting plate drives the second clamp to move, the second clamp pushes the bipolar plate or membrane electrode towards the short side positioning stop. The two first clamps and the two second clamps push the bipolar plate or membrane electrode, and the reference edge of the bipolar plate or membrane electrode aligns with the long side positioning stop and the short side positioning stop.

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