Columnar battery appearance and size detection equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of battery appearance detection, in particular to columnar battery appearance and size detection equipment. The curved surface visual detection unit and the end surface visual detection unit shoot images of the curved surface appearance and the end surface of the columnar battery respectively. The front left-position carrying unit and the front right-position carrying unit as well as the rear left-position carrying unit and the rear right-position carrying unit alternately transfer the columnar batteries and are connected with the left material transfer machine, the right material transfer machine, the curved surface visual detection position and the end surface visual detection position. The left material transfer machine and the right material transfer machine independently complete feeding and conveying before detection, temporary transfer in the detection process and discharging and collecting after detection. Through the alternate transfer design of the front left-position carrying unit and the front right-position carrying unit and the alternate transfer design of the rear left-position carrying unit and the rear right-position carrying unit and the design of a double-side transfer channel formed by the left material transfer machine and the right material transfer machine, continuous circulation detection of the columnar batteries is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery appearance inspection technology, and in particular to a device for inspecting the appearance and dimensions of cylindrical batteries. Background Technology

[0002] Cylindrical batteries are widely used in consumer electronics, new energy storage, and industrial control due to their compact structure, high energy density, and long cycle life. Appearance quality and dimensional accuracy are key indicators for determining the quality of cylindrical battery products. Scratches, dents, cracks, and stains are common on their curved surfaces and end faces, affecting not only product appearance consistency but also potentially leading to decreased battery sealing performance, electrolyte leakage, and even safety hazards. Dimensional deviations, on the other hand, can cause assembly difficulties and poor contact with compatible equipment, directly impacting product performance. Therefore, rigorous dual inspection of both appearance and dimensions is necessary during the production process for cylindrical batteries.

[0003] Currently, most cylindrical battery testing equipment suffers from limited functionality: some equipment can only perform visual inspection, while dimensional inspection requires additional specialized equipment, resulting in a fragmented and inefficient testing process; a few devices that combine both functions employ a single conveying channel and a single handling unit structure, requiring the batteries to be tested to flow sequentially along a single channel. The handling unit can only pick up and move one battery at a time, and during multiple transfers, it must wait for the previous process to be completely completed and the handling unit to be reset before starting the next transfer action. This results in significant gaps and pauses in the testing process, making it impossible to achieve continuous operation and meet the dual testing requirements of large-scale and high-speed production of cylindrical batteries.

[0004] Therefore, it is urgent for technical personnel to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device, which aims to solve the problem that existing designs of inspection devices have limited functions or use a single conveying channel and a single handling unit, resulting in process interruptions and inability to connect continuously, making it difficult to adapt to the dual inspection requirements of appearance and size for the large-scale high-speed production of cylindrical batteries.

[0006] This invention relates to a cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device, including a machine base, an inspection position base, a curved surface visual inspection unit, an end face visual inspection unit, a front-mounted handling machine, a rear-mounted handling machine, a left-mounted material transfer machine, and a right-mounted material transfer machine; The detection base uses the machine tool as the installation and fixing foundation, and forms a double-sided installation reference surface; Both the curved surface visual inspection unit and the end face visual inspection unit are at least partially mounted and fixed on the inspection position base, and are arranged facing away from each other; the curved surface visual inspection unit occupies the curved surface visual inspection position and is used to capture images of the curved surface of the cylindrical battery; the end face visual inspection unit occupies the end face visual inspection position and is used to capture images of the end face of the cylindrical battery. The front-mounted conveying mechanism runs in a left-right direction and is mounted on the machine platform to connect the left-mounted material transfer mechanism, the right-mounted material transfer mechanism, and the curved surface vision inspection position. The front-mounted conveying mechanism includes a front-mounted double-acting linear module, a front-mounted left-position conveying unit, and a front-mounted right-position conveying unit. Both the front-mounted left-position conveying unit and the front-mounted right-position conveying unit are connected to the front-mounted double-acting linear module. The front-mounted left-position conveying unit is used to transfer the cylindrical battery to be inspected conveyed by the left-mounted material transfer mechanism to the curved surface vision inspection position. The front-mounted right-position conveying unit is used to transfer the cylindrical battery to be inspected conveyed by the right-mounted material transfer mechanism to the curved surface vision inspection position. The front-mounted left-position conveying unit and the front-mounted right-position conveying unit alternately perform the transfer action, while assisting the curved surface vision inspection unit in completing continuous inspection operations. The rear-mounted transport mechanism runs in a left-right direction and is mounted on the machine platform to connect the left-mounted material transfer mechanism, the right-mounted material transfer mechanism, and the end-face vision inspection position. The rear-mounted transport mechanism includes a rear-mounted double-acting linear module, a rear-mounted left-position transport unit, and a rear-mounted right-position transport unit. Both the rear-mounted left-position transport unit and the rear-mounted right-position transport unit are connected to the rear-mounted double-acting linear module. Both the rear-mounted left-position transport unit and the rear-mounted right-position transport unit are used to transfer the cylindrical batteries that have completed surface inspection at the curved surface vision inspection position to the end-face vision inspection position, and the two alternately perform the transfer action, while assisting the end-face vision inspection unit in completing continuous inspection operations. The left-side material transfer machine runs along the front-back direction and is located on the left side of the machine. It includes a left-side forward-backward linear module and a left-side transfer unit. The left-side transfer unit is connected to the left-side forward-backward linear module and is used to realize the feeding and conveying of materials before detection, the temporary transfer during the detection process, and the unloading and collection after detection in the left-side area. The right-side material transfer mechanism runs along the front-back direction and is located on the right side of the machine. The right-side material transfer mechanism includes a right-side forward-backward linear module and a right-side transfer unit. The right-side transfer unit is connected to the right-side forward-backward linear module and is used to realize the feeding and conveying of materials before detection, the temporary transfer during the detection process, and the unloading and collection after detection in the right-side area.

[0007] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the front left-position transport unit and the front right-position transport unit have the same design structure and working principle; the front left-position transport unit includes a front left-position mounting base, a front left-position rotary table, a front left-position fixed gripper, a front left-position movable gripper, and a front left-position drive unit; the front left-position mounting base is supported by the front double-acting linear module, and it serves as the mounting and fixing base for the front left-position rotary table; the front left-position fixed gripper and the front left-position movable gripper are used in pairs, and both are supported by the front left-position rotary table; the front left-position drive unit is connected to the front left-position movable gripper in a transmission connection, driving the front left-position movable gripper to move closer to or further away from the front left-position fixed gripper.

[0008] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the front left position transport unit also includes a front left position fine-tuning component; the front left position fine-tuning component uses the front left position rotary table as the mounting and fixing base, and also serves as the mounting and fixing base for the front left position fixed gripper, the front left position movable gripper, and the front left position drive unit; by adjusting the front left position fine-tuning component, the cylindrical battery to be tested is driven to adjust its position in the front-back direction until it correctly occupies the curved surface visual detection position.

[0009] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the front left-position fine-tuning assembly includes a front left-position fixed base plate, a front left-position movable plate, multiple front left-position jacking bolts, and multiple front left-position columnar spring pre-tightening assemblies; the front left-position fixed base plate is attached to and locked into the front left-position rotary table; the front left-position movable plate is arranged in a parallel posture in front of the front left-position fixed base plate, and it serves as a fixed assembly for the front left-position fixed gripper, the front left-position movable gripper, and the front left-position driving part. Basic; the front left movable plate is formed with a front left threaded hole adapted to the front left jacking bolt; the front left jacking bolt is screwed into the front left threaded hole, and its end abuts against the front left fixed base plate; multiple front left columnar spring preload assemblies are evenly distributed along the circumference of the front left movable plate; during the process of adjusting the distance between the front left movable plate and the front left fixed base plate, the front left columnar spring preload assemblies always apply a backward elastic preload force to the front left movable plate.

[0010] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the rear left position transport unit and the rear right position transport unit have the same design structure and working principle; the rear left position transport unit includes a rear left position base, a rear left position support fixture, a rear left position slide cylinder and a rear left position gripper cylinder. The rear left base is directly supported by the rear dual-moving linear module, which serves as a common mounting and fixing base for the rear left placement fixture and the rear left slide cylinder; the rear left placement fixture is used to place and temporarily position the cylindrical battery that has been inspected by the curved surface visual inspection position. The rear left gripper cylinder is supported and driven by the rear left slide cylinder; the rear left gripper cylinder is used to clamp the cylindrical battery, and adjusts the relative position of the cylindrical battery in the front-back and left-right directions in conjunction with the extension and retraction action of the rear left slide cylinder. Once the cylindrical battery correctly occupies the end-face visual inspection position, the rear left gripper cylinder first performs a release action to release the gripper on the cylindrical battery to avoid obstructing the inspection area; then, the rear left slide cylinder starts and drives the rear left gripper cylinder to move to the right by a set distance, causing the rear left gripper cylinder to move out of the inspection range of the end-face visual inspection unit.

[0011] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device also includes a cylindrical battery clamping unit; the cylindrical battery clamping unit is mounted and fixed on the inspection position base, and is arranged directly above the end face visual inspection position. Once the cylindrical battery correctly occupies the end face visual inspection position and the rear left-position gripper cylinder completes the avoidance action, the cylindrical battery clamping unit activates to apply a preset pressure to the cylindrical battery. The cylindrical battery clamping unit works in conjunction with the rear left-position placement fixture to limit and position the cylindrical battery from both the top and bottom directions.

[0012] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the cylindrical battery clamping unit includes a rear-mounted linear module in the height direction and a clamping component; the rear-mounted linear module is mounted and fixed on the detection position base, and its moving end is fixedly connected to the clamping component.

[0013] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the left-positioned transfer unit and the right-positioned transfer unit have the same design structure and working principle; the left-positioned transfer unit includes a left-positioned mounting base, a left-positioned linear module in the height direction, and a left-positioned gripper cylinder; The left mounting base is connected to the left forward and backward linear module via a transmission, serving as the mounting and fixing foundation for the left height linear module. The left gripper cylinder is installed on the moving end of the left height linear module and is driven by the left height linear module to move up and down vertically. The left gripper cylinder is used to hold the cylindrical battery to be tested or the cylindrical battery after testing. In conjunction with the forward and backward movement of the left forward and backward linear module and the vertical movement of the left height linear module, it realizes the feeding and conveying of cylindrical batteries in the left area, the temporary transfer during the testing process, and the unloading and collection after testing.

[0014] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the curved surface visual inspection unit includes an upper vertical inspection camera, a lower vertical inspection camera, a front supplementary light source, and a middle height direction linear module. The middle height direction linear module is mounted on the inspection position base, and its moving end is fixedly connected to the upper vertical inspection camera. The lower vertical inspection camera is mounted on the machine platform and is arranged vertically on one side of the curved surface visual inspection position, corresponding to the upper vertical inspection camera. The front supplementary light source is fixedly assembled on the moving end of the middle height direction linear module, and its light emission direction is towards the columnar battery placement area of ​​the curved surface visual inspection position, which is used to provide a uniform light source for the upper and lower vertical inspection cameras to acquire images.

[0015] As a further improvement to the technical solution disclosed in this invention, the end face visual inspection unit includes a rear horizontal inspection camera, a rear forward-backward linear module, a first rear supplementary light source, and a second rear supplementary light source; the rear forward-backward linear module is supported and fixed by the machine base, arranged along the forward-backward direction on one side of the end face visual inspection position, and its moving end is fixedly connected to the rear horizontal inspection camera. The first rear supplementary light source is mounted on one side of the end-face visual inspection position using the detection position base as the mounting base, and its light emission direction is towards the area where the columnar battery end face is placed; the second rear supplementary light source is mounted on the moving end of the rear forward and backward linear module, and its light emission direction is set directly opposite to the first rear supplementary light source to form a complementary light source.

[0016] In practical applications, the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device disclosed in this invention can achieve at least the following beneficial technical effects, specifically: 1) By employing a front-mounted dual-actuator linear module and a rear-mounted dual-actuator linear module, coupled with a front-left transport unit, a front-right transport unit, a rear-left transport unit, and a rear-right transport unit respectively, efficient and continuous transfer of cylindrical batteries is achieved. The front-left and front-right transport units alternately perform transport actions, simultaneously meeting the loading needs of the left and right material transfer machines, completing the alternating transport without waiting for individual transport units to reset. The rear-left and rear-right transport units serve the end-face visual inspection position, transferring the cylindrical batteries inspected at the curved surface visual inspection position to the end-face visual inspection position through alternating actions, significantly shortening the transport gap of cylindrical batteries and significantly improving the overall operating cycle of the equipment. At the same time, the precise positioning design of each transport unit ensures the quality of image capture, thereby ensuring the dual accuracy of appearance inspection and dimensional inspection. 2) Both the left-side and right-side transfer units can move forward and backward using their respective left-side forward and backward linear modules and right-side forward and backward linear modules, independently completing the entire process of feeding and conveying the cylindrical batteries to be tested before testing, temporarily transferring the cylindrical batteries during testing, and unloading and collecting the cylindrical batteries after testing. They can flexibly switch between synchronous operation and independent operation modes to adapt to the testing needs of different batches of cylindrical batteries, while providing a stable material supply to the front-end and rear-end handling machinery to ensure the stability of continuous equipment operation. 3) Both the curved surface dimension detection module and the end face dimension detection module adopt high-precision image measurement and defect recognition algorithms. They rely on the clear images captured by the corresponding visual inspection camera for synchronous analysis to ensure the accuracy of appearance defect recognition and the precision of dimension parameter measurement. This can effectively screen out products with unqualified appearance and excessive dimensional deviation. Attached Figure Description

[0017] 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.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram from one perspective of the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram from another perspective of the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the curved surface visual inspection unit in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the end face visual inspection unit in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention (the cylindrical battery pressing unit is shown simultaneously).

[0022] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the front-mounted transport mechanism in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the front left-position transport unit in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the front right-side transport unit in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the rear-mounted transport mechanism in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the rear left-side transport unit in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the rear right-side transport unit in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the material transfer mechanism on the left side of the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0029] Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the right-side material transfer mechanism in the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention.

[0030] 1-Machine base; 2-Detection position base; 3-Curved surface vision inspection unit; 31-Upper vertical inspection camera; 32-Lower vertical inspection camera; 33-Front supplementary light source; 34-Middle height direction linear module; 4-End face vision inspection unit; 41-Rear horizontal inspection camera; 42-Rear forward and backward linear module; 43-First rear supplementary light source; 44-Second rear supplementary light source; 5-Front handling machinery; 51-Front double-acting linear module; 52-Front left position handling unit; 521-Front left position mounting base; 522-Front left position rotary table; 523 524-Front left fixed gripper; 525-Front left movable gripper; 526-Front left drive unit; 527-Front left fine-tuning assembly; 5261-Front left fixed base plate; 5262-Front left movable plate; 5263-Front left jacking bolt; 5264-Front left columnar spring preload assembly; 53-Front right transport unit; 531-Front right mounting base; 532-Front right rotary table; 533-Front right fixed gripper; 534-Front right movable gripper; 535-Front right drive unit; 536-Front right fine-tuning assembly Components; 5361-Front right fixed base plate; 5362-Front right movable plate; 5363-Front right top bolt; 5364-Front right columnar spring preload assembly; 6-Rear handling mechanism; 61-Rear double-acting linear module; 62-Rear left handling unit; 621-Rear left base; 622-Rear left mounting fixture; 623-Rear left slide cylinder; 624-Rear left gripper cylinder; 63-Rear right handling unit; 631-Rear right base; 632-Rear right mounting fixture; 633-Rear right slide cylinder Platform cylinder; 634 - Rear right-position gripper cylinder; 7 - Left-position material transfer mechanism; 71 - Left-position forward and backward linear module; 72 - Left-position transfer unit; 721 - Left-position mounting base; 722 - Left-position height direction linear module; 723 - Left-position gripper cylinder; 8 - Right-position material transfer mechanism; 81 - Right-position forward and backward linear module; 82 - Right-position transfer unit; 821 - Right-position mounting base; 822 - Right-position height direction linear module; 823 - Right-position gripper cylinder; 9 - Columnar battery clamping unit; 91 - Rear height direction linear module; 92 - Clamping component. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Figure 1 , Figure 2The diagrams show two different perspectives of the cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection equipment disclosed in this invention. It can be seen that the equipment is mainly composed of several parts, including a machine base 1, a detection position base 2, a curved surface visual inspection unit 3, an end face visual inspection unit 4, a front handling machine 5, a rear handling machine 6, a left material transfer machine 7, and a right material transfer machine 8. Through coordinated operation, the equipment can achieve simultaneous dual inspection of the appearance and size of the curved surface and end face of the cylindrical battery.

[0032] Among them, the machine base 1 serves as the installation foundation and load-bearing frame of the entire equipment, providing assembly benchmarks for various functional components; the inspection position base 2 is fixed to the machine base 1 by bolt fastening, and it has double-sided mounting reference surfaces, providing reliable mechanical benchmarks for the precise positioning and fixing of the curved surface vision inspection unit 3 and the end face vision inspection unit 4; the curved surface vision inspection unit 3 and the end face vision inspection unit 4 are arranged back-to-back on the double-sided mounting reference surfaces of the inspection position base 2, respectively responsible for image capture and subsequent image processing and analysis of the curved surface and end face of the columnar battery, and simultaneously outputting appearance and size inspection results; the front-end handling machinery 5 and the rear... The material handling machinery 6 is installed parallel to each other in the left-right direction at the front and rear of the testing station of the machine 1, forming an efficient material transfer system. It connects the material transfer machinery with the curved surface testing station and the curved surface testing station with the end face testing station, respectively, to ensure the continuous flow of the testing process without material waiting gaps. The left material transfer machinery 7 and the right material transfer machinery 8 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the machine 1 in the front-back direction. They are independent material handling units, respectively responsible for the feeding and conveying of cylindrical batteries in their respective areas, temporary transfer during the testing process, and unloading and collection after testing, providing stable and continuous material support for the overall testing process.

[0033] Both the curved surface visual inspection unit 3 and the end face visual inspection unit 4 are at least partially mounted and fixed on the mounting reference surface of the inspection base 2, and they are arranged symmetrically in a back-to-back manner. The curved surface visual inspection unit 3, as the core execution component for capturing and analyzing images of the cylindrical battery surface, is specifically designed to address the technical requirement that the cylindrical battery surface needs to be fully covered for inspection, such as... Figure 3As shown, the curved surface visual inspection unit 3 mainly includes an upper vertical inspection camera 31, a lower vertical inspection camera 32, a front supplementary light source 33, and a mid-position height direction linear module 34. The mid-position height direction linear module 34 is a high-precision ball screw type linear module. Its base is fixed to one side of the inspection position base 2 using bolts as the mounting reference surface. Its moving end is fixedly connected to the mounting base of the upper vertical inspection camera 31, allowing the upper vertical inspection camera 31 to make stable and precise height adjustments in the vertical direction. The lower vertical inspection camera 32 is mounted on the machine base 1 using a dedicated mounting bracket. It is arranged vertically on the same side of the curved surface visual inspection position as the upper vertical inspection camera 31. Both cameras' lenses face the cylindrical battery placement area of ​​the curved surface visual inspection position, and their fields of view are connected vertically. This works in conjunction with the cylindrical battery in the inspection position. The rotational motion enables full-length, full-circumferential coverage imaging of the cylindrical battery's curved surface. The front supplementary light source 33 is a highly uniform surface light source, fixedly mounted on the moving end of the linear module 34 in the middle height direction via a bracket. It maintains a relatively fixed positional relationship with the upper vertical inspection camera 31 and can move vertically synchronously with the upper vertical inspection camera 31. Its light emission direction is towards the cylindrical battery placement area of ​​the curved surface visual inspection position, and the light source illumination angle is optimized to provide a uniform and stable lighting environment for image acquisition by the upper vertical inspection camera 31 and the lower vertical inspection camera 32, effectively improving the clarity and integrity of the battery curved surface image and providing a reliable data foundation for subsequent image processing and analysis.

[0034] The curved surface visual inspection unit 3 incorporates high-precision image measurement and defect recognition algorithms. After receiving images of the cylindrical battery curved surface captured by the upper vertical inspection camera 31 and the lower vertical inspection camera 32, it simultaneously performs image processing and analysis: on the one hand, through the defect recognition algorithm, it accurately identifies whether there are appearance defects such as scratches, dents, cracks, and stains on the curved surface, forming a curved surface appearance inspection result; on the other hand, through the image measurement algorithm, it calculates the battery's diameter, length, cylindricity, and other curved surface-related dimensional parameters, forming a curved surface dimensional inspection result, achieving simultaneous completion of appearance and dimensional inspection. Furthermore, through the height adjustment function of the mid-height linear module 34, the relative distance between the upper vertical inspection camera 31 and the lower vertical inspection camera 32 can be flexibly adjusted to adapt to the inspection needs of cylindrical battery curved surfaces of different lengths, greatly enhancing the versatility of the equipment.

[0035] The end-face vision inspection unit 4 and the curved-surface vision inspection unit 3 work together to achieve full-area image capture and inspection analysis of the battery. This design specifically addresses the technical pain points of cylindrical battery end-face imaging, which is prone to shadows and reflections, and requires high positioning accuracy. Figure 4As shown, it mainly includes a rear-mounted horizontal detection camera 41, a rear-mounted forward-backward linear module 42, a first rear-mounted supplementary light source 43, and a second rear-mounted supplementary light source 44. The rear-mounted forward-backward linear module 42 is a high-precision miniature linear module. Its base is supported and fixed by the machine base 1 via a dedicated bracket. It is arranged along the forward-backward direction on one side of the end-face visual inspection position. Its moving end is fixedly connected to the mounting base of the rear-mounted horizontal detection camera 41, which can drive the rear-mounted horizontal detection camera 41 to make small-stroke, high-precision positional adjustments along the forward-backward direction, achieving precise focusing on the end face of cylindrical batteries of different diameters and ensuring the accuracy of end-face image acquisition. The first rear-mounted supplementary light source 43 is a ring light source. It is mounted and fixed on the other side of the detection position base 2 via a bracket, and coaxially arranged on one side of the end-face visual inspection position. The first rear supplementary light source 43 is oriented towards the area where the cylindrical battery end face is placed, providing basic illumination for end face photography. The second rear supplementary light source 44 is a coaxial light source, which is mounted on the moving end of the rear front-to-back linear module 42 via a bracket. It maintains a relatively fixed positional relationship with the rear horizontally placed detection camera 41 and can move synchronously with the detection camera in the front-to-back direction. Its light emission direction is set directly opposite to the first rear supplementary light source 43. The two form a complementary lighting system, which can effectively eliminate the shadow and reflection problems caused by the flatness of the battery end face and the metal material during end face photography, ensuring the integrity and clarity of end face image acquisition, and providing high-quality image data for subsequent image processing and analysis.

[0036] The end-face visual inspection unit 4 also incorporates a high-precision image measurement and defect recognition algorithm. After receiving the image of the cylindrical battery end face captured by the rear horizontal inspection camera 41, it performs image processing and analysis simultaneously: on the one hand, through the defect recognition algorithm, it accurately identifies whether there are appearance defects such as scratches, dents, cracks, and stains on the end face, forming the end face appearance inspection result; on the other hand, through the image measurement algorithm, it calculates the relevant dimensional parameters of the battery end face, such as the diameter, center offset, and flatness, forming the end face dimension inspection result. This is completed simultaneously with the end face appearance inspection, greatly improving inspection efficiency.

[0037] To ensure the positioning stability of the cylindrical battery during end-face shooting and to avoid image blurring or shooting deviations caused by battery displacement or shaking, the equipment is specially equipped with a cylindrical battery clamping unit 9. For example... Figure 4As shown, the cylindrical battery clamping unit 9 is coaxially arranged above the end-face visual inspection position, using the mounting reference surface on the other side of the detection position base 2 as its mounting base. It mainly includes a rear-mounted height-direction linear module 91 and a clamping component 92. The rear-mounted height-direction linear module 91 is a small, high-precision linear module, fixed vertically to the detection position base 2, with its moving end fixedly connected to the mounting seat of the clamping component 92. The stroke and clamping force of the clamping component 92 can be precisely adjusted by the control system. After the cylindrical battery is moved to the end-face visual inspection position and initially positioned, the rear-mounted height-direction linear module 91 drives the clamping component 92 downwards, applying a preset pressure to the battery end face. Working in conjunction with the placement fixture of the rear-mounted handling mechanism 6, it positions the cylindrical battery from both above and below, effectively preventing axial or radial displacement or shaking of the battery during the imaging process, thereby ensuring the quality of the end-face image and guaranteeing the accuracy of the appearance and dimensional inspection results.

[0038] The front-mounted material handling machine 5, as a key transfer component connecting the left-mounted material transfer machine 7, the right-mounted material transfer machine 8, and the curved surface vision inspection station, is specifically designed to meet the needs of continuous material supply and improved work cycle time. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the front-mounted conveying mechanism 5 mainly includes a front-mounted dual-movement linear module 51, a front-mounted left-position conveying unit 52, and a front-mounted right-position conveying unit 53. The front-mounted dual-movement linear module 51 is a dual-movement ball screw type linear module, fixed to the machine base 1 by bolts along the left-right direction. Its two movers can move independently in a straight line, providing independent transmission power to the front-mounted left-position conveying unit 52 and the front-mounted right-position conveying unit 53, ensuring that they can achieve synchronous or alternating actions according to the requirements of the testing process. The front-mounted left-position conveying unit 52 and the front-mounted right-position conveying unit 53 are symmetrically designed, and are respectively connected to the two movers of the front-mounted dual-movement linear module 51. The front-mounted left-position conveying unit 52 is responsible for transferring the cylindrical battery to be tested conveyed by the left-positioned material transfer mechanism 7 to the curved surface visual inspection position, and the front-mounted right-position conveying unit 53 is responsible for transferring the cylindrical battery to be tested conveyed by the right-positioned material transfer mechanism 8 to the curved surface visual inspection position. The front left-position conveying unit 52 and the front right-position conveying unit 53 alternately perform the conveying action. While one conveying unit completes the material conveying and resets, the other conveying unit can simultaneously start the next material conveying operation. The subsequent conveying process can be started without waiting for a single conveying unit to reset, realizing continuous material supply to the curved surface visual inspection position. This is beneficial to greatly improve the overall operating cycle of the equipment. At the same time, its precise positioning function ensures the quality of curved surface image capture.

[0039] Taking the front-left transport unit 52 as an example, such as Figure 6As shown, it mainly includes a front left mounting base 521, a front left rotary table 522, a front left fixed gripper 523, a front left movable gripper 524, a front left drive unit 525, and a front left fine-tuning component 526. The front left mounting base 521 is fixedly connected to one of the movers of the front dual-movement linear module 51 by bolts, and is supported by the front dual-movement linear module 51, providing a stable mounting foundation for the entire front left transport unit 52. The front left rotary table 522 is a high-precision electric rotary table, fixed to the front left mounting base 521 by bolts. It can drive the front left fixed gripper 523, the front left movable gripper 524, the front left drive unit 525, and the front left fine-tuning component 526 to perform precise angular rotation, realizing flexible adjustment of the battery transfer posture and ensuring visual inspection of the battery and curved surface. Precise alignment of the measurement position; the front left fixed gripper 523 and the front left movable gripper 524 are paired pneumatic grippers that are adapted to the outer circular surface of the cylindrical battery. Both are supported by the front left rotary table 522 through the front left micro-adjustment component 526; the front left drive unit 525 is a small pneumatic cylinder that is connected to the front left movable gripper 524 for transmission. It can drive the front left movable gripper 524 to move smoothly closer to or away from the front left fixed gripper 523, so as to achieve reliable clamping and releasing of the cylindrical battery. The clamping force can be adjusted by air pressure to avoid excessive clamping that could scratch the battery surface.

[0040] The front left-position fine-tuning component 526 provides a fine-tuning compensation mechanism for the precise positioning of the battery at the curved surface visual inspection position, further improving the battery's positioning accuracy and laying the foundation for high-quality image capture. The front left-position fine-tuning component 526 is detachably fixed to the rotating end of the front left-position rotary stage 522, using the front left-position rotary stage 522 as its mounting base. It serves as the mounting carrier for the front left-position fixed gripper 523, the front left-position movable gripper 524, and the front left-position drive unit 525. Similarly... Figure 6As shown, the front left fine-tuning component 526 specifically includes a front left fixed base plate 5261, a front left movable plate 5262, multiple front left top bolts 5263, and multiple front left columnar spring pre-tightening components 5264. The front left fixed base plate 5261 is attached to the rotating end of the front left rotating stage 522 and locked together by bolts; the front left movable plate 5262 is arranged in parallel in front of the front left fixed base plate 5261; the front left movable plate 5262 is uniformly formed with front left threaded holes that are compatible with the front left jacking bolt 5263 in the circumference; the front left jacking bolt 5263 is screwed into the front left threaded hole, and its end touches the end face of the front left fixed base plate 5261; multiple front left columnar spring pre-tightening components 5264 are uniformly distributed in the circumference of the front left movable plate 5262; during the process of adjusting the distance between the front left movable plate 5262 and the front left fixed base plate 5261, the multiple front left columnar spring pre-tightening components 5264 always apply a backward elastic pre-tightening force to the front left movable plate 5262 to ensure the stability of the adjusted structure. By rotating the front left-position jacking bolt 5263 at different positions, the operator can drive the front left-position movable plate 5262, together with the front left-position fixed gripper 523 and the front left-position movable gripper 524, to make precise micron-level adjustments in the front-back direction. This will cause the cylindrical battery to be tested to accurately occupy the preset position of the curved surface visual inspection position, providing accurate spatial position conditions for the image acquisition of the curved surface visual inspection unit 3, and effectively improving the image quality and the accuracy of subsequent inspection results.

[0041] The front right-position transport unit 53 and the front left-position transport unit 52 are symmetrically designed and have completely identical structures, such as... Figure 7 As shown, it includes a front right mounting base 531, a front right rotating stage 532, a front right fixed gripper 533, a front right movable gripper 534, a front right drive unit 535, and a front right fine-tuning assembly 536. The front right fine-tuning assembly 536 further includes a front right fixed base plate 5361, a front right movable plate 5362, a front right top bolt 5363, and a front right columnar spring preload assembly 5364. The assembly relationship, connection method, and working principle of each component are the same as those of the front left transport unit 52.

[0042] The rear-mounted transporter 6 follows the workflow of the front-mounted transporter 5, serving as a key transfer component connecting the curved surface visual inspection station and the end-face visual inspection station. For example... Figure 8As shown, the rear-mounted transport mechanism 6 mainly includes a rear-mounted dual-movement linear module 61, a rear-mounted left-position transport unit 62, and a rear-mounted right-position transport unit 63. The rear-mounted dual-movement linear module 61 is a dual-movement ball screw type linear module, installed on the machine base 1 along the left-right direction, and arranged parallel to the front-mounted dual-movement linear module 51. Its two movers can independently perform linear motion, providing independent transmission for the rear-mounted left-position transport unit 62 and the rear-mounted right-position transport unit 63. The rear-mounted left-position transport unit 62 and the rear-mounted right-position transport unit 63 are symmetrically designed and have the same structure. They are respectively connected to the two movers of the rear-mounted dual-movement linear module 61, receiving the cylindrical batteries that have completed surface inspection from the front-mounted left and right-position transport units, and transferring them to the end-face visual inspection position. The rear left-position transport unit 62 and the rear right-position transport unit 63 alternately perform the transfer action to realize the continuous connection between the curved surface inspection process and the end face inspection process, ensuring that the inspection process is seamless. At the same time, their precise positioning function ensures the quality of end face image capture.

[0043] Taking the rear-left position transport unit 62 as an example, Figure 9 As shown, it mainly includes a rear left-position base 621, a rear left-position placement fixture 622, a rear left-position slide cylinder 623, and a rear left-position gripper cylinder 624. The rear left-position base 621 is directly supported by one of the movers of the rear dual-movement linear module 61 via bolts, serving as a shared mounting base for the rear left-position placement fixture 622 and the rear left-position slide cylinder 623. The upper surface of the rear left-position placement fixture 622 is formed with a positioning groove adapted to the outer circumference of the cylindrical battery, used for placing and temporarily positioning the cylindrical battery after inspection by the curved surface visual inspection position. The rear left-position slide cylinder 623 is a precision pneumatic slide cylinder, fixed to the rear left-position base 621 in the front-rear direction. The rear left gripper cylinder 624 is supported and driven by the moving end of the rear left slide cylinder 623, and can move linearly in the front and back directions. The rear left gripper cylinder 624 is used to clamp the middle position of the cylindrical battery. With the extension and retraction of the rear left slide cylinder 623, the relative position of the cylindrical battery in the front and back directions and the left and right directions can be flexibly adjusted to achieve precise docking of the battery with the end face visual inspection position. This ensures that the battery is accurately transferred to the preset position of the end face visual inspection position, providing accurate positioning guarantee for end face image shooting. Once the cylindrical battery correctly occupies the end-face visual inspection position, the rear left-position gripper cylinder 624 first performs a release action to release the gripper on the cylindrical battery and prevent the gripper from obstructing the shooting area. Subsequently, the rear left-position slide cylinder 623 starts and drives the rear left-position gripper cylinder 624 to move a set distance to the right, causing the rear left-position gripper cylinder 624 to completely avoid the shooting range of the end-face visual inspection unit 4, providing an unobstructed shooting environment for end-face shooting.

[0044] The rear right-side transport unit 63 and the rear left-side transport unit 62 are symmetrically designed and have completely identical structures, such as... Figure 10 As shown, it includes a rear right-position base 631, a rear right-position support fixture 632, a rear right-position slide cylinder 633, and a rear right-position gripper cylinder 634. The assembly relationship, connection method, and working principle of each component are the same as those of the rear left-position conveying unit 62. Through the alternating action of the two, the continuity and efficiency of material transfer between the curved surface detection position and the end face detection position are further improved.

[0045] The left-side material transfer mechanism 7 and the right-side material transfer mechanism 8, as important supporting components for material flow in the equipment, adopt a completely symmetrical design, respectively undertaking material handling tasks on the left and right sides of the machine. Both can independently complete material loading, unloading, and transfer operations, improving the equipment's material handling flexibility. Taking the left-side material transfer mechanism 7 as an example... Figure 11 As shown, it mainly includes a left-positioned forward-backward linear module 71 and a left-positioned transfer unit 72. The left-positioned forward-backward linear module 71 is a high-precision ball screw type linear module, arranged on the left side of the machine tool 1 along the forward-backward direction, providing power for the forward-backward movement of the left-positioned transfer unit 72. Its movement stroke is adapted to the material loading and unloading station layout of the production workshop. The left-positioned transfer unit 72 is connected to the moving end of the left-positioned forward-backward linear module 71 through a transmission, and can move linearly in the forward-backward direction with it. It mainly includes a left-positioned mounting base 721, a left-positioned height direction linear module 722, and a left-positioned gripper cylinder 723. The left mounting base 721 is connected to the moving end of the left forward and backward linear module 71 via bolts, serving as the mounting and fixing base for the left height direction linear module 722. The left height direction linear module 722 is a high-precision ball screw type linear module, fixed vertically to the left mounting base 721. The left gripper cylinder 723 is installed on the moving end of the left height direction linear module 722 and is driven by the left height direction linear module 722 to smoothly rise and fall vertically. The left gripper cylinder 723 can adjust the clamping force according to the battery specifications and is used to clamp the cylindrical battery to be tested or the cylindrical battery after testing. The left-side material transfer machine 7, through the coordinated movement of the left-side forward and backward linear module 71, the vertical lifting of the left-side height linear module 722, and the clamping / releasing action of the left-side gripper cylinder 723, can independently complete the entire process of material feeding and conveying before inspection, temporary transfer during inspection, and material unloading and collection after inspection in the left-side area without manual intervention.

[0046] The right-side material transfer machine 8 and the left-side material transfer machine 7 are symmetrically designed and have completely identical structures, such as... Figure 12As shown, it includes a right-positioned forward-backward linear module 81 and a right-positioned transfer unit 82. The right-positioned transfer unit 82 further includes a right-positioned mounting base 821, a right-positioned height-direction linear module 822, and a right-positioned gripper cylinder 823. The assembly relationship, connection method, and working principle of each component are the same as those of the left-positioned material transfer machine 7. The left-positioned material transfer machine 7 and the right-positioned material transfer machine 8 have independent operating capabilities. The equipment can flexibly switch between synchronous operation or independent operation modes: in the scenario of centralized testing of large batches of cylindrical batteries, the two perform loading and unloading operations simultaneously to improve material handling efficiency; in the scenario of testing small batches and multiple batches of cylindrical batteries, one of the material transfer machines can be started separately to achieve single-path material flow and reduce equipment energy consumption. Furthermore, the left-positioned material transfer machine 7 and the right-positioned material transfer machine 8 provide a stable and continuous material supply for the front-positioned handling machine 5 and the rear-positioned handling machine 6, ensuring the stability and continuity of the overall equipment operation.

[0047] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A device for inspecting the appearance and dimensions of cylindrical batteries, characterized in that, It includes machine base, inspection station base, curved surface vision inspection unit, end face vision inspection unit, front handling machinery, rear handling machinery, left-side material transfer machinery and right-side material transfer machinery; The detection base is fixed to the machine tool and forms a double-sided mounting reference surface; Both the curved surface visual inspection unit and the end face visual inspection unit are at least partially mounted and fixed on the inspection position base, and are arranged facing away from each other; the curved surface visual inspection unit occupies the curved surface visual inspection position and is used to capture images of the curved surface of the cylindrical battery; the end face visual inspection unit occupies the end face visual inspection position and is used to capture images of the end face of the cylindrical battery. The front-mounted transport mechanism runs along the left-right direction and is mounted on the machine platform to connect the left-mounted material transfer mechanism, the right-mounted material transfer mechanism, and the curved surface vision inspection position. The front-mounted transport mechanism includes a front-mounted dual-actuator linear module, a front-mounted left-position transport unit, and a front-mounted right-position transport unit. The front-mounted left-position transport unit and the front-mounted right-position transport unit are both connected to the front-mounted dual-actuator linear module. The front-mounted left-position transport unit is used to transfer the cylindrical battery to be inspected, which is conveyed by the left-mounted material transfer mechanism, to the curved surface vision inspection position. The front right-position transport unit is used to move the cylindrical battery to be tested, which is conveyed by the right-position material transfer mechanical conveyor, to the curved surface visual inspection position. The front left-position transport unit and the front right-position transport unit alternately perform the transfer action, while assisting the curved surface vision inspection unit in completing the continuous inspection operation connection. The rear-mounted transport mechanism runs along the left-right direction and is mounted on the machine platform to connect the left-mounted material transfer mechanism, the right-mounted material transfer mechanism, and the end-face visual inspection position. The rear-mounted transport mechanism includes a rear-mounted dual-actuator linear module, a rear-mounted left-position transport unit, and a rear-mounted right-position transport unit. The rear-mounted left-position transport unit and the rear-mounted right-position transport unit are both connected to the rear-mounted dual-actuator linear module. The rear-mounted left-position transport unit and the rear-mounted right-position transport unit are both used to transfer the cylindrical battery that has completed surface inspection at the curved surface visual inspection position to the end-face visual inspection position, and the two alternately perform the transfer action, while assisting the end-face visual inspection unit in completing continuous inspection operations. The left-side material transfer mechanism is arranged on the left side of the machine platform along the front-back direction. It includes a left-side forward-backward linear module and a left-side transfer unit. The left-side transfer unit is connected to the left-side forward-backward linear module and is used to realize the feeding and conveying of materials before detection, the temporary transfer during the detection process, and the unloading and collection after detection in the left-side area. The right-side material transfer machine runs along the front-to-back direction and is located on the right side of the machine platform. The right-side material transfer mechanism includes a right-side forward-backward linear module and a right-side transfer unit; the right-side transfer unit is connected to the right-side forward-backward linear module and is used to realize the feeding and conveying of materials before detection, the temporary transfer during the detection process, and the unloading and collection of materials after detection in the right-side area.

2. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front left position transport unit and the front right position transport unit have the same design structure and working principle; the front left position transport unit includes a front left position mounting base, a front left position rotary table, a front left position fixed gripper, a front left position movable gripper and a front left position drive unit. The front left mounting base is supported by the front dual-moving linear module and serves as the mounting and fixing base for the front left rotary table. The front left fixed gripper and the front left movable gripper are used in pairs, and both are supported by the front left rotary table; the front left drive unit is connected to the front left movable gripper, driving the front left movable gripper to move closer to or further away from the front left fixed gripper.

3. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front left position transport unit also includes a front left position fine-tuning component; the front left position fine-tuning component uses the front left position rotary table as the mounting and fixing base, and serves as the mounting and fixing base for the front left position fixed gripper, the front left position movable gripper, and the front left position drive unit; by adjusting the front left position fine-tuning component, the cylindrical battery to be tested is driven to adjust its position in the front-back direction until it correctly occupies the curved surface visual detection position.

4. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front left fine-tuning component includes a front left fixed base plate, a front left movable plate, multiple front left top bolts, and multiple front left columnar spring pre-tightening components. The front left fixed base plate is attached to the front left rotating stage and locked together; the front left movable plate is arranged in a parallel posture in front of the front left fixed base plate, and it serves as the fixed assembly base for the front left fixed gripper, the front left movable gripper and the front left driving part. The front left movable plate is formed with a front left threaded hole that is compatible with the front left jacking bolt; The front left-position jacking bolt is screwed into the front left-position threaded hole, and its end abuts against the front left-position fixed base plate; a plurality of the front left-position columnar spring preload assemblies are evenly distributed along the circumference of the front left-position movable plate; during the process of adjusting the distance between the front left-position movable plate and the front left-position fixed base plate, the front left-position columnar spring preload assemblies always apply a backward elastic preload force to the front left-position movable plate.

5. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rear left position transport unit and the rear right position transport unit have the same design structure and working principle; the rear left position transport unit includes a rear left position base, a rear left position support fixture, a rear left position slide cylinder and a rear left position gripper cylinder. The rear left base is directly supported by the rear dual-acting linear module, which serves as a common mounting and fixing base for the rear left placement fixture and the rear left slide cylinder; the rear left placement fixture is used to place and temporarily position the cylindrical battery that has been inspected by the curved surface visual inspection position. The rear left gripper cylinder is supported and driven by the rear left slide cylinder; the rear left gripper cylinder is used to clamp the cylindrical battery, and in conjunction with the extension and retraction of the rear left slide cylinder, adjusts the relative position of the cylindrical battery in the front-back direction and the left-right direction. Once the cylindrical battery correctly occupies the end-face visual inspection position, the rear left gripper cylinder first performs a release action to release the grip on the cylindrical battery to avoid obstructing the inspection area; then, the rear left slide cylinder starts and drives the rear left gripper cylinder to move to the right by a set distance, causing the rear left gripper cylinder to move out of the inspection range of the end-face visual inspection unit.

6. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a columnar battery clamping unit; the columnar battery clamping unit is mounted and fixed on the detection position base and is arranged directly above the end face visual detection position; When the cylindrical battery correctly occupies the end face visual detection position and the rear left position gripper cylinder completes the avoidance action, the cylindrical battery pressing unit is activated to apply a preset pressure to the cylindrical battery; the cylindrical battery pressing unit works in conjunction with the rear left position placement fixture to limit and position the cylindrical battery from both the top and bottom directions.

7. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cylindrical battery clamping unit includes a rear-mounted height-direction linear module and a clamping component; the rear-mounted height-direction linear module is mounted and fixed on the detection position base, and its moving end is fixedly connected to the clamping component.

8. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The left-positioned transfer unit and the right-positioned transfer unit have the same design structure and working principle; the left-positioned transfer unit includes a left-positioned mounting base, a left-positioned height-direction linear module, and a left-positioned gripper cylinder; The left mounting base is connected to the left forward-backward linear module via a transmission, serving as the mounting and fixing foundation for the left height-direction linear module. The left gripper cylinder is mounted on the moving end of the left height-direction linear module and is driven by the left height-direction linear module to move up and down vertically. The left gripper cylinder is used to clamp the cylindrical battery to be tested or the cylindrical battery after testing. In conjunction with the forward-backward movement of the left forward-backward linear module and the vertical movement of the left height-direction linear module, it realizes the feeding and conveying of cylindrical batteries in the left area, the temporary transfer during the testing process, and the unloading and collection after testing.

9. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The curved surface visual inspection unit includes an upper vertically mounted inspection camera, a lower vertically mounted inspection camera, a front supplementary light source, and a middle height direction linear module. The middle height direction linear module is mounted on the inspection position base, and its movable end is fixedly connected to the upper vertically mounted inspection camera. The lower vertically mounted inspection camera is mounted on the machine platform and is arranged vertically on one side of the curved surface visual inspection position, corresponding to the upper vertically mounted inspection camera. The front supplementary light source is fixedly mounted on the movable end of the middle height direction linear module, and its light emission direction is towards the columnar battery placement area of ​​the curved surface visual inspection position, which is used to provide a uniform light source for the images acquired by the upper vertically mounted inspection camera and the lower vertically mounted inspection camera.

10. The cylindrical battery appearance and size inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end-face visual inspection unit includes a rear horizontal inspection camera, a rear forward-backward linear module, a first rear supplementary light source, and a second rear supplementary light source; the rear forward-backward linear module is supported and fixed by the machine tool, arranged along the forward-backward direction on one side of the end-face visual inspection position, and its moving end is fixedly connected to the rear horizontal inspection camera. The first rear supplementary light source is mounted on one side of the end face visual detection position using the detection position base as the mounting base, and its light emission direction is towards the area where the columnar battery end face is placed; the second rear supplementary light source is mounted on the moving end of the rear forward and backward linear module, and its light emission direction is directly opposite to the first rear supplementary light source to form a complementary light source.

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