Hot pressing equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses hot pressing equipment which is used for solving the technical problems that existing hot pressing equipment is low in automation degree and low in production efficiency. The hot pressing equipment comprises a base, a hot pressing device and an automatic feeding and discharging device, the hot pressing device and the automatic feeding and discharging device are installed on the base, an input clamping jaw assembly is connected to a first Y-axis linear driving module, and an output clamping jaw assembly is connected to a second Y-axis linear driving module; the caching assembly is located between the first supporting frame and the hot pressing station and used for bearing and caching the materials clamped by the input clamping jaw assembly; the clamping assembly is connected with the X-axis linear driving module and can be driven by the X-axis linear driving module to move in the X-axis direction so as to penetrate through the hot-pressing station, and therefore the materials on the temporary storage assembly are grabbed to the hot-pressing station or the materials on the hot-pressing station are grabbed to the output clamping jaw assembly. The discharging mechanical arm is located on one side of the first supporting frame and used for grabbing the materials from the output clamping jaw assembly, and therefore the materials are discharged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of hot pressing equipment design technology, and in particular to a hot pressing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Hot pressing of battery cells is a crucial later-stage process in lithium-ion battery manufacturing, primarily used for shaping and compacting the cells before electrolyte injection. This process, through the combined action of heating and pressure, eliminates air gaps between the stacked or wound electrode sheets and the separator, enhances interfacial contact, and results in uniform cell thickness and a compact internal structure.

[0003] First, most existing conventional hot pressing equipment operates as a stand-alone machine and cannot be linked with other automated devices to achieve continuous production line operation. This results in low equipment utilization and severely limits production efficiency.

[0004] Secondly, in terms of material handling, many production lines still heavily rely on manual loading and unloading operations. During operation, existing hot-pressing equipment has a low degree of automation, generally requiring operators to manually place the pre-formed cells onto the lower hot-pressing plate. After the hot-pressing process is complete, they are manually removed for cooling or transfer to the next process. This manual loading and unloading mode has significant limitations: First, the inconsistent operating rhythm severely restricts the production cycle and makes it difficult to meet the high-efficiency requirements of large-scale, continuous production of power batteries; second, the high ambient temperature at the hot-pressing station poses safety hazards during long-term operation and also increases the labor intensity of personnel.

[0005] Therefore, finding a technical solution that can solve the above-mentioned technical problems has become an important research topic for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention discloses a hot pressing device to solve the technical problems of low automation and low production efficiency of existing hot pressing devices.

[0007] The present invention provides a hot pressing device, including a base and a hot pressing device and an automatic loading and unloading device installed on the base;

[0008] The automatic feeding device includes a first support frame mounted on the base, and a first Y-axis linear drive module, a second Y-axis linear drive module, an input gripper assembly, an output gripper assembly, a buffer assembly, and a feeding robot mounted on the first support frame.

[0009] The first Y-axis linear drive module and the second Y-axis linear drive module are arranged parallel to each other along the Z-axis direction. The first Y-axis linear drive module is located below the second Y-axis linear drive module. The input gripper assembly is connected to the first Y-axis linear drive module, and the output gripper assembly is connected to the second Y-axis linear drive module.

[0010] The hot pressing device includes a clamping assembly for clamping materials, a second support frame mounted on the base, a hot pressing station mounted on the second support frame, and an X-axis linear drive module.

[0011] The buffer component is located between the first support frame and the hot pressing station to hold and buffer the material picked up from the input gripper component;

[0012] The clamping assembly is connected to the X-axis linear drive module and can move along the X-axis direction under the drive of the X-axis linear drive module to pass through the hot pressing station, thereby grabbing the material on the buffer assembly to the hot pressing station or grabbing the material on the hot pressing station to the output gripper assembly.

[0013] The unloading robot is located on one side of the first support frame to grip materials from the output gripper assembly, thereby unloading the materials.

[0014] Optionally, the hot pressing device further includes a first Z-axis linear drive module, an upper hot pressing assembly, and a lower hot pressing assembly;

[0015] The lower hot pressing assembly is mounted on the second support frame, and the upper hot pressing assembly is movably mounted on the second support frame and is correspondingly arranged with the lower hot pressing assembly in the Z-axis direction to form a hot pressing station. The first Z-axis linear drive module is mounted on the support frame and connected to the upper hot pressing assembly. The first Z-axis linear drive module is used to drive the upper hot pressing assembly to move downward to press against the lower hot pressing assembly.

[0016] Optionally, the upper hot press assembly includes a movable plate, an upper hot press plate, and an upper heat insulation plate disposed between the upper hot press plate and the movable plate;

[0017] The movable plate is slidably connected to the second support frame, the first Z-axis linear drive module is connected to the movable plate, and the movable plate, the upper heat insulation plate and the upper hot press plate are connected in sequence along the Z-axis toward the lower hot press assembly.

[0018] The lower hot pressing assembly includes a plate pressure sensor, a lower heat insulation plate, and a lower hot pressing plate connected sequentially along the Z-axis toward the upper hot pressing assembly.

[0019] The lower hot press plate and the upper hot press plate are arranged opposite each other in the Z-axis direction.

[0020] Optionally, the clamping assembly includes a connecting seat, a first linear drive member, a second linear drive member, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a first clamping plate, and a second clamping plate;

[0021] The connector is connected to the X-axis linear drive module, and both the first linear drive component and the second linear drive component are mounted on the connector.

[0022] The first connecting rod is connected to the first linear drive component, and the first clamping plate is connected to the first connecting rod;

[0023] The second connecting rod is connected to the second linear drive member, and the second clamping plate is connected to the second connecting rod;

[0024] The first clamping plate and the second clamping plate are arranged opposite each other in the X-axis direction, and the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate can be driven to move closer or further away from each other to clamp or release the material.

[0025] Optionally, the cache component includes a support base, a first lifting component, and a cache platform;

[0026] The first lifting component is mounted on the support base and connected to the buffer platform. The first lifting component is used to drive the buffer platform to move up and down along the Z-axis.

[0027] The buffer platform is a first comb-shaped structure, which has multiple first comb teeth and a first gap between two adjacent first comb teeth.

[0028] Optionally, the input gripper assembly includes a first connecting seat, a first fixed gripper, a first movable gripper, and a second lifting member;

[0029] The first connecting seat is connected to the first Y-axis linear drive module, the first fixed gripper is fixed to the first connecting seat, the second lifting member is installed on the first connecting seat and connected to the first movable gripper, the first movable gripper is located below the first fixed gripper and can be driven to move closer to or away from the first fixed gripper along the Z-axis direction.

[0030] Both the first movable gripper and the first fixed gripper are second comb-tooth plate-shaped structures. The second comb-tooth plate-shaped structure has multiple second comb teeth, and a second gap is left between two adjacent second comb teeth. When the first movable gripper is driven to move along the Z-axis direction, the second comb teeth can pass through the first gap from the Z-axis direction so that the first movable gripper passes through the buffer platform from the Z-axis direction.

[0031] Optionally, the output gripper assembly includes a second connecting seat, a second fixed gripper, a second movable gripper, and a third lifting member;

[0032] The second connecting seat is connected to the second Y-axis linear drive module, the second fixed gripper is fixed to the second connecting seat, the third lifting member is installed on the second connecting seat and connected to the second movable gripper, the second movable gripper is located above the second fixed gripper and can be driven to move closer to or away from the second fixed gripper along the Z-axis direction;

[0033] The second fixed gripper has the same structure as the first fixed gripper, and the second movable gripper has the same structure as the first movable gripper.

[0034] Optionally, the unloading robot includes a third Y-axis linear drive module, a second Z-axis linear drive module, a connecting plate, and a vacuum suction cup;

[0035] The second Z-axis linear drive module is connected to the third Y-axis linear drive module. The third Y-axis linear drive module is used to drive the second Z-axis linear drive module to move along the Y-axis direction. The connecting plate is connected to the second Z-axis linear drive module. The second Z-axis linear drive module is used to drive the connecting plate to move along the Z-axis direction. The vacuum suction cup is connected to the bottom end of the connecting plate.

[0036] Optionally, the number of hot pressing devices is multiple, and the number of buffer components is the same as the number of hot pressing devices;

[0037] Multiple hot pressing devices are arranged sequentially along the Y-axis, and multiple buffer components are arranged sequentially along the Y-axis, with each buffer component corresponding to a hot pressing station of one of the hot pressing devices.

[0038] Optionally, a fourth Y-axis linear drive module is installed on the base, and the fourth Y-axis linear drive module is connected to the second support frame to drive the second support frame to move along the Y-axis direction;

[0039] The bottom of the second support frame is connected to a plurality of idler wheels, which abut against the base;

[0040] The base is provided with a slide rail, and the bottom of the second support frame is provided with a slider, which is slidably connected to the slide rail.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0042] In the hot pressing equipment of the present invention, before the hot pressing process begins, the input gripper assembly, driven by the first Y-axis linear drive module, grips the material (battery cell) from the external storage position. Then, driven by the first Y-axis linear drive module, it places the material (battery cell) onto the buffer assembly. Subsequently, the clamping assembly of the hot pressing device, driven by the X-axis linear drive module, moves to the buffer assembly to grip the material (battery cell), and again, driven by the X-axis linear drive module, moves the material (battery cell) into the hot pressing station. After the hot pressing process at the hot pressing station, the output gripper assembly moves to the corresponding position of the hot pressing station under the drive of the second Y-axis linear drive module. The gripping assembly moves the hot-pressed material (battery cell) to the output gripper assembly. The output gripper assembly receives the hot-pressed material (battery cell) and continues to move to a position close to the unloading robot under the drive of the second Y-axis linear drive module. The unloading robot grabs the material (battery cell) from the output gripper assembly and moves the material (battery cell) to the unloading position, thus completing the entire hot pressing process. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a hot pressing device provided by the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the base and the second support frame of a hot pressing device provided by the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a hot pressing device for a hot pressing equipment provided by the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 A front view of the hot pressing device in a hot pressing apparatus provided by the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping assembly of the hot pressing device in a hot pressing equipment provided by the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 Another structural schematic diagram of the clamping assembly of the hot pressing device in a hot pressing equipment provided by the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 This invention provides a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic loading and unloading device in a hot pressing equipment;

[0051] Figure 8 Another perspective structural schematic diagram of an automatic loading and unloading device in a hot pressing equipment provided by the present invention;

[0052] Figure 9 This is a side view of an automatic loading and unloading device in a hot pressing equipment provided by the present invention.

[0053] Illustration:

[0054] Base 1; First support frame 2; Second support frame 3;

[0055] Upper hot press assembly 4; upper hot press plate 401; upper heat insulation plate 402; movable plate 403;

[0056] Lower hot press assembly 5; lower hot press plate 501; lower heat insulation plate 502; plate pressure sensor 503;

[0057] First Z-axis linear drive module 6; X-axis linear drive module 7; First Y-axis linear drive module 8; Second Y-axis linear drive module 9;

[0058] Cache component 10; support base 1001; first lifting component 1002; cache platform 1003;

[0059] Input gripper assembly 11; first fixed gripper 1101; first movable gripper 1102; second lifting component 1103;

[0060] Output gripper assembly 12; second fixed gripper 1201; second movable gripper 1202; third lifting component 1203;

[0061] Material unloading robot 13; third Y-axis linear drive module 1301; second Z-axis linear drive module 1302; connecting plate 1303; vacuum suction cup 1304.

[0062] Fourth Y-axis linear drive module 14;

[0063] Clamping assembly 15; First link 1501; Second link 1502; First clamping plate 1503; Second clamping plate 1504; First X-axis guide rail 1505; Second X-axis guide rail 1506; First linear drive 1507; Second linear drive 1508;

[0064] Hot pressing station 16. Detailed Implementation

[0065] This invention discloses a hot pressing device to solve the technical problems of low automation and low production efficiency of existing hot pressing devices.

[0066] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0067] Please see Figures 1 to 9 The present invention provides a hot pressing device, including a base 1 and a hot pressing device and an automatic loading and unloading device installed on the base 1;

[0068] The automatic feeding device includes a first support frame 2 mounted on the base 1, and a first Y-axis linear drive module 8, a second Y-axis linear drive module 9, an input gripper assembly 11, an output gripper assembly 12, a buffer assembly 10, and a unloading robot 13 mounted on the first support frame 2.

[0069] The first Y-axis linear drive module 8 and the second Y-axis linear drive module 9 are arranged parallel to each other along the Z-axis direction. The first Y-axis linear drive module 8 is located below the second Y-axis linear drive module 9. The input gripper assembly 11 is connected to the first Y-axis linear drive module 8, and the output gripper assembly 12 is connected to the second Y-axis linear drive module 9.

[0070] The hot pressing device includes a clamping assembly 15 for clamping materials, a second support frame 3 mounted on the base 1, a hot pressing station 16 mounted on the second support frame 3, and an X-axis linear drive module 7.

[0071] The buffer component 10 is located between the first support frame 2 and the hot pressing station 16 to hold and buffer the material picked up from the input gripper component 11;

[0072] The clamping assembly 15 is connected to the X-axis linear drive module 7 and can move along the X-axis direction under the drive of the X-axis linear drive module 7 to pass through the hot pressing station 16, thereby grabbing the material on the buffer assembly 10 to the hot pressing station 16 or grabbing the material on the hot pressing station 16 to the output gripper assembly 12.

[0073] The unloading robot 13 is located on one side of the first support frame 2 for gripping materials from the output gripper assembly 12, thereby unloading the materials.

[0074] In the hot pressing equipment of this embodiment, before the hot pressing process begins, the input gripper assembly 11, driven by the first Y-axis linear drive module 8, grips the material (battery cell) from the external storage position. Then, driven by the first Y-axis linear drive module 8, it places the material (battery cell) onto the buffer assembly 10. Subsequently, the clamping assembly 15 of the hot pressing device, driven by the X-axis linear drive module 7, moves to the buffer assembly 10 to grip the material (battery cell), and again, driven by the X-axis linear drive module 7, moves the material (battery cell) into the hot pressing station 16. After the hot pressing process, the output gripper assembly 12 moves to the corresponding position of the hot pressing station 16 under the drive of the second Y-axis linear drive module 9. The clamping assembly 15 moves the hot-pressed material (battery cell) to the output gripper assembly 12. The output gripper assembly 12 receives the hot-pressed material (battery cell) and continues to move to a position close to the unloading robot 13 under the drive of the second Y-axis linear drive module 9. The unloading robot 13 grabs the material (battery cell) from the output gripper assembly 12 and moves the material (battery cell) to the unloading position, thus completing the entire hot pressing process.

[0075] The structure and principle of the hot pressing device in this embodiment will be described in detail below:

[0076] The hot pressing device in this embodiment also includes a first Z-axis linear drive module 6, an upper hot pressing assembly 4, and a lower hot pressing assembly 5;

[0077] The lower hot pressing component 5 is mounted on the second support frame 3, and the upper hot pressing component 4 is movably mounted on the second support frame 3 and is correspondingly arranged with the lower hot pressing component 5 in the Z-axis direction to form a hot pressing station 16. The first Z-axis linear drive module 6 is mounted on the support frame and connected to the upper hot pressing component 4. The first Z-axis linear drive module 6 is used to drive the upper hot pressing component 4 to move downward to press against the lower hot pressing component 5.

[0078] In the aforementioned hot pressing device, the X-axis linear drive module 7 can drive the clamping assembly 15 to pass through the hot pressing station 16 along the X-axis direction, thereby enabling the clamping assembly 15 to grab the material on the buffer assembly 10 to the hot pressing station 16 and to grab the material that has completed hot pressing to the output gripper assembly 12. When the material is grabbed by the clamping assembly 15 to the hot pressing station 16, the upper hot pressing assembly 4 moves towards the lower hot pressing assembly 5 under the drive of the first Z-axis linear drive module 6 to perform hot pressing on the material. After the material has completed hot pressing, the clamping assembly 15 can clamp the material and, driven by the X-axis linear drive module 7, send the material out of the hot pressing station 16 to the output gripper assembly 12. In the above design, by connecting the clamping assembly 15 to the X-axis linear drive module 7, the automatic grabbing and precise transfer of the battery cell to the hot pressing station 16 is realized, and the cell is automatically removed after hot pressing. This process completely replaces traditional manual operation, eliminates the limitations of human rhythm on production pace, and enables the hot pressing process to be seamlessly integrated into the automated production line, achieving continuous cyclical operation and fundamentally improving production efficiency.

[0079] Furthermore, the upper hot press assembly 4 in this embodiment includes a movable plate 403, an upper hot press plate 401, and an upper heat insulation plate 402 disposed between the upper hot press plate 401 and the movable plate 403;

[0080] The movable plate 403 is slidably connected to the second support frame 3, the first Z-axis linear drive module 6 is connected to the movable plate 403, and the movable plate 403, the upper heat insulation plate 402 and the upper hot press plate 401 are connected in sequence along the Z-axis toward the lower hot press assembly 5.

[0081] It should be noted that in the above design, the upper hot plate 401 has a built-in heating element. By energizing the heating element, the upper hot plate 401 can reach the preset temperature requirement. In addition, the upper heat insulation plate 402 can prevent the heat generated by the upper hot plate 401 from causing thermal damage to the movable plate 403 or other parts.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a linear bearing is provided on the second support frame 3, and a guide post is provided on the movable plate 403. The guide post is slidably connected to the linear bearing so that the movable plate 403 is movably connected to the second support frame 3.

[0083] It should be noted that the above design makes the upper hot platen 401 move more smoothly and steadily along the Z-axis, which helps to improve the flatness of the material under hot pressing by the upper hot platen 401.

[0084] In addition, in the above design, there can be multiple linear bearings and multiple guide pillars.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower hot pressing assembly 5 includes a plate pressure sensor 503, a lower heat insulation plate 502, and a lower hot pressing plate 501 connected sequentially along the Z-axis toward the upper hot pressing assembly 4;

[0086] The lower hot press plate 501 and the upper hot press plate 401 are arranged opposite each other in the Z-axis direction.

[0087] It should be noted that, through the above design, the lower hot platen 501 also has a built-in heating element. When the heating element is energized, the lower hot platen 501 can reach the preset temperature requirement. The lower heat insulation plate 502 can prevent the heat generated by the lower hot platen 501 from causing thermal damage to the plate pressure sensor 503 or other components.

[0088] In addition, the aforementioned plate pressure sensor 503 is used to detect the hot pressing pressure in real time, thereby preventing excessive hot pressing pressure from damaging the material.

[0089] Furthermore, the clamping assembly 15 in this embodiment includes a connecting seat, a first linear drive 1507, a second linear drive 1508, a first connecting rod 1501, a second connecting rod 1502, a first clamping plate 1503, and a second clamping plate 1504.

[0090] The connecting seat is connected to the X-axis linear drive module 7, and the first linear drive component 1507 and the second linear drive component 1508 are both mounted on the connecting seat.

[0091] The first connecting rod 1501 is connected to the first linear drive member 1507, and the first clamping plate 1503 is connected to the first connecting rod 1501;

[0092] The second connecting rod 1502 is connected to the second linear drive member 1508, and the second clamping plate 1504 is connected to the second connecting rod 1502;

[0093] The first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504 are arranged opposite each other in the X-axis direction, and the first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504 can be driven to move closer or further away from each other to clamp or release the material.

[0094] It should be noted that in the above design, the first connecting rod 1501 and the second connecting rod 1502 both extend along the X-axis direction, and the first linear drive 1507 and the second linear drive 1508 are two cylinders or other linear drive components with opposite driving directions. This embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0095] In addition, the first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504 mentioned above are specifically frame structures, which mainly use the bottom edge of the frame structure to clamp and fix the material.

[0096] It should also be noted that, through the above design, before the material undergoes the hot pressing process, the X-axis linear drive module 7 drives the clamping assembly 15 to pass through the hot pressing process along the X-axis and move to the material buffer position outside the hot pressing process. Then, the first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504 are driven to approach each other and clamp and fix the material. After the material is clamped and fixed, the first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504 move along the X-axis under the drive of the X-axis linear drive module 7 to enter the hot pressing station 16. Subsequently, the first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504 are driven to move away from each other to release the material. At this time, the material is placed on the hot pressing station 16. Finally, hot pressing begins, and the upper hot pressing assembly 4 is driven to move towards the material to cooperate with the lower hot pressing assembly 5 to complete the hot pressing process on the material.

[0097] After the hot pressing process is completed, under the drive of the X-axis linear drive module 7, the clamping component 15 moves the material to the material output module such as the robot outside the hot pressing station 16 to enter the next process.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, two first clamping plates 1503 are connected to the first connecting rod 1501, and the two first clamping plates 1503 are set apart by a preset distance;

[0099] The second connecting rod 1502 is connected to a second clamping plate 1504, and the two second clamping plates 1504 are set at a preset distance apart.

[0100] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, two hot pressing stations 16 arranged along the X-axis can be formed between the upper hot pressing assembly 4 and the lower hot pressing assembly 5.

[0101] Through the above design, the clamping component 15 can simultaneously clamp or release materials on two hot pressing stations 16, thereby further improving the hot pressing efficiency.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second support frame 3 is also equipped with a first X-axis guide rail 1505 and a second X-axis guide rail 1506.

[0103] The first X-axis guide rail 1505 is located above the second X-axis guide rail 1506, the first clamping plate 1503 is slidably connected to the first X-axis guide rail 1505, and the second clamping plate 1504 is interactively connected to the second X-axis guide rail 1506.

[0104] It should be noted that the above design can improve the movement stability of the first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504, thereby making the material move more stably during the clamping process and minimizing the possibility of the material falling off.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504 are covered with cushioning adhesive.

[0106] It should be noted that the aforementioned buffer adhesive can be high-temperature resistant rubber or silicone. Through the above design, damage to the material can be avoided when the first clamping plate 1503 and the second clamping plate 1504 are clamping the material.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a fourth Y-axis linear drive module 14 is installed on the base 1. The fourth Y-axis linear drive module 14 is connected to the second support frame 3 to drive the second support frame 3 to move along the Y-axis direction.

[0108] The bottom of the second support frame 3 is connected to a plurality of idler wheels, which abut against the base 1;

[0109] The base 1 is provided with a slide rail, and the bottom of the second support frame 3 is provided with a slider, which is slidably connected to the slide rail.

[0110] It should be noted that, through the above design, under the drive of the fourth Y-axis linear drive module 14, the entire hot pressing device can move relative to the base 1 along the Y-axis direction, so that maintenance space can be released between the hot pressing device and the cell winding equipment for operators to maintain the equipment.

[0111] In addition, the aforementioned idler wheel, slider, and slide rail design ensures that the hot pressing device moves more smoothly and steadily.

[0112] The structure and principle of the automatic loading and unloading device in this embodiment will be described in detail below:

[0113] In the automatic loading and unloading device of this embodiment, the input gripper assembly 11, driven by the first Y-axis linear drive module 8, grabs materials from the external storage position and then places them onto the buffer assembly 10. Subsequently, the clamping assembly 15 of the hot pressing device is driven to clamp the materials on the buffer assembly 10 onto the hot pressing station 16 for hot pressing. After hot pressing, the output gripper assembly 12, driven by the second Y-axis linear drive module 9, moves to the position corresponding to the hot pressing station 16. Then, the clamping assembly 15 clamps the materials onto the output gripper assembly 12, which receives the hot-pressed materials. Subsequently, the output gripper assembly 12, driven by the second Y-axis linear drive module 9, moves to a position close to the unloading robot 13. The unloading robot 13 grabs materials from the output gripper assembly 12 and moves them to the unloading position, thus completing the entire loading and unloading process.

[0114] Through the above design, the automatic loading and unloading device in this embodiment can automatically complete the material loading and unloading process without relying on manual labor, effectively avoiding the drawbacks of manual operation and greatly improving the material loading and unloading efficiency.

[0115] Furthermore, the cache component 10 in this embodiment includes a support base 1001, a first lifting component 1002, and a cache platform 1003;

[0116] The first lifting component 1002 is mounted on the support base 1001 and connected to the buffer platform 1003. The first lifting component 1002 is used to drive the buffer platform 1003 to move up and down along the Z-axis.

[0117] It should be noted that the first lifting component 1002 mentioned above can be a cylinder or the like, and this embodiment does not limit it.

[0118] In addition, the buffer platform 1003 can be raised and lowered along the Z-axis under the drive of the first lifting member 1002. In this embodiment, before the input gripper assembly 11 places the material onto the buffer platform 1003, the buffer platform 1003 needs to move downward along the Z-axis to the receiving position under the drive of the first lifting member 1002 so that the input gripper assembly 11 can place the material onto the buffer platform 1003 later.

[0119] Furthermore, the aforementioned buffer platform 1003 is specifically a first comb-tooth plate-like structure, which has multiple first comb teeth and a first gap between two adjacent first comb teeth.

[0120] It should be noted that, through the above design, multiple first comb teeth work together to support the material.

[0121] Furthermore, the input gripper assembly 11 in this embodiment includes a first connecting seat, a first fixed gripper 1101, a first movable gripper 1102, and a second lifting member 1103;

[0122] The first connecting seat is connected to the first Y-axis linear drive module 8. The first fixed gripper 1101 is fixed to the first connecting seat. The second lifting member 1103 is installed on the first connecting seat and connected to the first movable gripper 1102. The first movable gripper 1102 is located below the first fixed gripper 1101 and can be driven to move closer to or away from the first fixed gripper 1101 along the Z-axis direction.

[0123] The aforementioned second lifting component 1103 can be a cylinder or the like, and this embodiment does not impose any limitations on it.

[0124] It should be noted that, through the above design, when it is necessary to clamp materials, the first movable gripper 1102 can move downward under the drive of the second lifting member 1103 to move away from the first fixed gripper 1101. When the first movable gripper 1102 and the first fixed gripper 1101 move between the materials, the first movable gripper 1102 is driven to move upward along the Z-axis to approach the first fixed gripper 1101, thereby clamping and fixing the materials.

[0125] In addition, both the first movable gripper 1102 and the first fixed gripper 1101 described above are second comb-tooth plate-shaped structures. The second comb-tooth plate-shaped structure has a plurality of second comb teeth, and a second gap is left between two adjacent second comb teeth. When the first movable gripper 1102 is driven to move along the Z-axis direction, the second comb teeth can pass through the first gap from the Z-axis direction so that the first movable gripper 1102 passes through the buffer platform from the Z-axis direction.

[0126] It should be noted that, through the above design, when the input gripper assembly 11 needs to transfer the clamped material to the buffer platform 1003, firstly, the input gripper assembly 11 moves to above the buffer platform 1003 under the drive of the first Y-axis linear drive module 8. Then, the second lifting component 1103 drives the first movable gripper 1102 and the material to move downward along the Z-axis. During the descent, since the first comb tooth can pass through the first gap in the Z-axis direction, the first movable gripper 1102 can pass through the buffer platform 1003. After the first movable gripper 1102 passes through the buffer platform 1003, the material will stay on the buffer platform 1003. Subsequently, the buffer platform 1003 is driven to move along the Z-axis to rise to a position flush with the hot pressing station 16, thereby facilitating the clamping assembly 15 to clamp the material onto the hot pressing station 16.

[0127] Furthermore, the output gripper assembly 12 in this embodiment includes a second connecting seat, a second fixed gripper 1201, a second movable gripper 1202, and a third lifting member 1203;

[0128] The second connecting seat is connected to the second Y-axis linear drive module 9. The second fixed gripper 1201 is fixed to the second connecting seat. The third lifting member 1203 is installed on the second connecting seat and connected to the second movable gripper 1202. The second movable gripper 1202 is located above the second fixed gripper 1201 and can be driven to move closer to or away from the second fixed gripper 1201 along the Z-axis direction.

[0129] The third lifting component 1203 mentioned above can be a cylinder or the like, and this embodiment does not limit it.

[0130] It should be noted that, through the above design, when the output gripper assembly 12 needs to output the material that has completed hot pressing, firstly, the output gripper assembly 12 moves to the hot pressing station 16 of the hot pressing device under the drive of the second Y-axis linear drive module 9. At this time, the second fixed gripper 1201 is on the same horizontal plane as the hot pressing station 16. The second movable gripper 1202 rises along the Z-axis direction under the drive of the third lifting component 1203 to move away from the second fixed gripper 1201. At this time, the clamping assembly 15 can clamp the material on the hot pressing station 16 onto the second fixed gripper 1201. Subsequently, the second movable gripper 1202 descends along the Z-axis direction under the drive of the third lifting component 1203 to approach the second fixed gripper 1201, thereby clamping and fixing the material that has completed hot pressing. Finally, under the drive of the second Y-axis linear drive module 9, the output gripper assembly 12 moves the material to the position of the unloading robot 13.

[0131] In addition, the second fixed gripper 1201 has the same structure as the first fixed gripper 1101, and the second movable gripper 1202 has the same structure as the first movable gripper 1102.

[0132] It should be noted that by designing the output gripper assembly 12 in the same way as the input gripper assembly 11, the design of the output gripper assembly 12 can be simplified, and interference between the second fixed gripper 1201 or the second movable gripper 1202 in the output gripper assembly 12 and the buffer stage 1003 in the Z-axis direction can be avoided.

[0133] Furthermore, the unloading robot 13 in this embodiment includes a third Y-axis linear drive module 1301, a second Z-axis linear drive module 1302, a connecting plate 1303, and a vacuum suction cup 1304.

[0134] The second Z-axis linear drive module 1302 is connected to the third Y-axis linear drive module 1301. The third Y-axis linear drive module 1301 is used to drive the second Z-axis linear drive module 1302 to move along the Y-axis direction. The connecting plate 1303 is connected to the second Z-axis linear drive module 1302. The second Z-axis linear drive module 1302 is used to drive the connecting plate 1303 to move along the Z-axis direction. The vacuum suction cup 1304 is connected to the bottom end of the connecting plate 1303.

[0135] It should be noted that, through the above design, the vacuum suction cup 1304 can move in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions, which facilitates the suction of materials on the output gripper assembly 12 and the unloading of the suctioned materials.

[0136] Specifically, to improve adsorption stability, there are multiple vacuum suction cups 1304, which are arranged at a predetermined interval at the bottom end of the connecting plate 1303.

[0137] It should be noted that, through the above design, multiple vacuum suction cups 1304 can be simultaneously adsorbed onto the surface of the material, thereby enabling stable transport and unloading of the material.

[0138] Furthermore, in the hot pressing device and the automatic loading and unloading device in this embodiment, the X-axis linear drive module 7, the Y-axis linear drive module and the Z-axis linear drive module involved can all be linear motors or drive modules of motors and lead screws. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0139] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there can be multiple hot pressing devices and multiple automatic loading and unloading devices, both of which are the same number. The multiple hot pressing devices are arranged sequentially along the Y-axis, and the multiple buffer components 10 are arranged sequentially along the Y-axis. Each buffer component 10 corresponds to a hot pressing station 16 of one hot pressing device.

[0140] With the above design, multiple battery cells can be hot-pressed simultaneously, which greatly meets the demand for hot-pressing of large quantities of battery cells and effectively improves production efficiency.

[0141] The present invention has been described in detail above. For those skilled in the art, there will be changes in specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hot-pressing apparatus characterized by comprising: The base (1) and the hot-pressing device and the automatic feeding and discharging device installed on the base (1); The automatic feeding device comprises a first supporting frame (2) installed on the base (1), a first Y-axis linear driving module (8), a second Y-axis linear driving module (9), an input gripper assembly (11), an output gripper assembly (12), a buffer assembly (10) and a discharging manipulator (13) installed on the first supporting frame (2); The first Y-axis linear driving module (8) and the second Y-axis linear driving module (9) are arranged in parallel along the Z-axis direction, the first Y-axis linear driving module (8) is located below the second Y-axis linear driving module (9), the input gripper assembly (11) is connected to the first Y-axis linear driving module (8), and the output gripper assembly (12) is connected to the second Y-axis linear driving module (9); The hot-pressing device comprises a clamping assembly (15) for clamping materials, a second supporting frame (3) installed on the base (1) and a hot-pressing station (16) installed on the second supporting frame (3) and an X-axis linear driving module (7); The buffer assembly (10) is located between the first supporting frame (2) and the hot-pressing station (16) for carrying the materials buffered from the input gripper assembly (11); The clamping assembly (15) is connected to the X-axis linear driving module (7) and can move along the X-axis direction under the driving of the X-axis linear driving module (7) to pass through the hot-pressing station (16), so as to grab the materials on the buffer assembly (10) to the hot-pressing station (16) or grab the materials on the hot-pressing station (16) to the output gripper assembly (12); The discharging manipulator (13) is located on one side of the first supporting frame (2) for grabbing the materials from the output gripper assembly (12) to discharge the materials.

2. The hot press apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The hot-pressing device further comprises a first Z-axis linear driving module (6), an upper hot-pressing assembly (4) and a lower hot-pressing assembly (5); The lower hot-pressing assembly (5) is installed on the second supporting frame (3), the upper hot-pressing assembly (4) is movably arranged on the second supporting frame (3) and correspondingly arranged with the lower hot-pressing assembly (5) in the Z-axis direction to form the hot-pressing station (16), the first Z-axis linear driving module (6) is installed on the second supporting frame (3) and connected with the upper hot-pressing assembly (4), and the first Z-axis linear driving module (6) is used to drive the upper hot-pressing assembly (4) to move downward to press the lower hot-pressing assembly (5).

3. The hot press apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The upper hot-pressing assembly (4) comprises a movable plate (403), an upper hot-pressing plate (401) and an upper heat insulation plate (402) arranged between the upper hot-pressing plate (401) and the movable plate (403); The movable plate (403) is slidingly connected to the support frame, the first Z-axis linear drive module (6) is connected to the movable plate (403), and the movable plate (403), the upper heat insulation plate (402) and the upper hot pressing plate (401) are sequentially connected in the direction of approaching the lower hot pressing assembly (5) along the Z-axis. The lower hot pressing assembly (5) comprises a plate-type pressure sensor (503), a lower heat insulation plate (502) and a lower hot pressing plate (501) which are sequentially connected in the direction of approaching the upper hot pressing assembly (4) along the Z-axis. The lower hot pressing plate (501) is oppositely arranged with the upper hot pressing plate (401) in the Z-axis direction.

4. The hot press apparatus of claim 1, wherein The clamping assembly (15) comprises a connecting seat, a first linear drive member (1507), a second linear drive member (1508), a first connecting rod (1501), a second connecting rod (1502), a first clamping plate (1503) and a second clamping plate (1504). The connecting seat is connected to the X-axis linear drive module (7), and the first linear drive member (1507) and the second linear drive member (1508) are both mounted on the connecting seat. The first connecting rod (1501) is connected to the first linear drive member (1507), and the first clamping plate (1503) is connected to the first connecting rod (1501). The second connecting rod (1502) is connected to the second linear drive member (1508), and the second clamping plate (1504) is connected to the second connecting rod (1502). The first clamping plate (1503) and the second clamping plate (1504) are oppositely arranged in the X-axis direction, and the first clamping plate (1503) and the second clamping plate (1504) can be driven to approach or move away from each other to clamp or release the material.

5. The hot press apparatus of claim 1, wherein The buffer assembly (10) comprises a support seat (1001), a first lifting member (1002) and a buffer table (1003). The first lifting member (1002) is mounted on the support seat (1001) and connected to the buffer table (1003), and the first lifting member (1002) is used to drive the buffer table (1003) to ascend or descend along the Z-axis direction. The buffer table (1003) is a first comb-shaped plate structure, and the first comb-shaped plate structure has a plurality of first comb-shaped portions, and a first gap is left between adjacent two first comb-shaped portions.

6. The hot press apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The input clamping jaw assembly (11) comprises a first connecting seat, a first fixed clamping jaw (1101), a first movable clamping jaw (1102) and a second lifting member (1103). The first connecting seat is connected to the first Y-axis linear drive module (8), the first fixed clamping jaw (1101) is fixed to the first connecting seat, the second lifting member (1103) is mounted on the first connecting seat and connected to the first movable clamping jaw (1102), and the first movable clamping jaw (1102) is located below the first fixed clamping jaw (1101) and can be driven to approach or move away from the first fixed clamping jaw (1101) along the Z-axis direction. The first movable clamp jaw (1102) and the first fixed clamp jaw (1101) are both second comb-tooth plate structures, the second comb-tooth plate structure has a plurality of second comb-tooth portions, a second gap is left between adjacent two second comb-tooth portions, when the first movable clamp jaw (1102) is driven to move along the Z-axis direction, the second comb-tooth portions can pass through the first gap from the Z-axis direction to enable the first movable clamp jaw (1102) to pass through the buffer platform from the Z-axis direction.

7. The hot press apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The output clamp assembly (12) comprises a second connecting seat, a second fixed clamp jaw (1201), a second movable clamp jaw (1202) and a third lifting piece (1203); The second connecting seat is connected with the second Y-axis linear drive module (9), the second fixed clamp jaw (1201) is fixed to the second connecting seat, the third lifting piece (1203) is installed on the second connecting seat and connected with the second movable clamp jaw (1202), and the second movable clamp jaw (1202) is located above the second fixed clamp jaw (1201) and can be driven to move close to or away from the second fixed clamp jaw (1201) along the Z-axis direction; The second fixed clamp jaw (1201) has the same structure as the first fixed clamp jaw (1101), and the second movable clamp jaw (1202) has the same structure as the first movable clamp jaw (1102).

8. The hot press apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The unloading manipulator (13) comprises a third Y-axis linear drive module (1301), a second Z-axis linear drive module (1302), a connecting plate (1303) and a vacuum chuck (1304); The second Z-axis linear drive module (1302) is connected with the third Y-axis linear drive module (1301), the third Y-axis linear drive module (1301) is used for driving the second Z-axis linear drive module (1302) to move along the Y-axis direction, the connecting plate (1303) is connected with the second Z-axis linear drive module (1302), the second Z-axis linear drive module (1302) is used for driving the connecting plate (1303) to move along the Z-axis direction, and the vacuum chuck (1304) is connected with the bottom end of the connecting plate (1303).

9. The hot press apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The number of the heat pressing devices is multiple, and the number of the buffer assemblies (10) is the same as that of the heat pressing devices; Multiple heat pressing devices are arranged in sequence along the Y-axis direction, multiple buffer assemblies (10) are arranged in sequence along the Y-axis direction, and each buffer assembly (10) is provided with a heat pressing station (16) of a heat pressing device.

10. The hot press apparatus of claim 1, wherein, A fourth Y-axis linear drive module (14) is installed on the base (1), and the fourth Y-axis linear drive module (14) is connected with the second support frame (3) to drive the second support frame (3) to move along the Y-axis direction; A plurality of idler wheels are connected to the bottom of the second support frame (3), and the plurality of idler wheels abut on the base (1); A slide rail is arranged on the base (1), and a sliding block is arranged on the bottom of the second support frame (3), and the sliding block is slidingly connected on the slide rail.

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