Patch device, patch method and patch system

Abstract

This application discloses a patching device, a patching method, and a stacking system. The patching device includes two feeding mechanisms arranged along the electrode conveying direction: a first feeding position on the first feeding mechanism closest to the second feeding mechanism is a first basic pick-up position; a second feeding position on the second feeding mechanism furthest from the first feeding mechanism is a second basic pick-up position; a first robotic arm can pick up multiple electrodes arranged consecutively at once, and can prioritize picking up electrodes at the basic pick-up positions individually; a first traversing mechanism controls the first robotic arm to reciprocate in a direction parallel to the conveying direction to move the electrodes to the patching position. This patching device reduces electrode waste, improves production efficiency, and ensures worker safety during electrode rejection and stacking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of new energy technology, and in particular to a patching device and patching method, as well as a lamination system applicable to the above-mentioned patching device and patching method. Background Technology

[0002] The lithium-ion battery stacking process is a core technology used to manufacture high-performance blade batteries. It differs fundamentally from the traditional winding process and can produce batteries with higher energy density, greater stability, and longer lifespan.

[0003] The stacking process involves precisely and alternately stacking positive electrode sheets, negative electrode sheets, and separators to form a multi-layered, neat "sandwich" structure for the battery cell assembly (Jelly-Roll). A key control factor during stacking is electrode alignment, including dimensional specifications such as negative-to-positive and separator-to-negative packing. Incorrect cell alignment, also known as "stack misalignment," can have a series of serious negative impacts on the performance, safety, and lifespan of lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, in current technology, manufacturers use high-precision stacking machines, advanced machine vision systems (CCD inspection), and real-time correction technology to strictly ensure the positional accuracy of each electrode layer, typically requiring misalignment errors to be controlled within ±0.3mm or even ±0.2mm. Any misalignment exceeding the standard should be considered a major quality defect, and the affected cell must be rejected.

[0004] In multi-wafer stacking processes, the alignment is controlled as follows: 1. In a single stacking process, cells with poor alignment are discarded as waste cells after stacking.

[0005] 2. During the stacking process, manually remove one or more layers of electrodes with poor alignment.

[0006] In Scheme 1 above, some qualified electrode sheets in the battery cell were also discarded, resulting in material waste and affecting the electrode sheet yield in the battery cell production process; Scheme 2 above resulted in continuous machine downtime, affecting the overall machine uptime, and because manual entry into the machine not only affected production efficiency, but also reduced worker safety.

[0007] Therefore, how to reduce electrode waste, improve production efficiency, and ensure worker safety during the electrode waste removal and stacking process is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a patching device, patching method and stacking system that can reduce electrode waste, improve production efficiency and ensure worker safety when performing waste removal and stacking of electrode sheets.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution: A patching device includes a first robotic arm and a first traversing mechanism, as well as a first and a second patch feeding mechanism arranged along a conveying direction, wherein: The first feeding mechanism is provided with M first feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction, which can load M electrodes, where M is any integer greater than 1; the first feeding mechanism can convey the electrodes along the conveying direction and can also convey the electrodes to the second feeding mechanism; the first feeding position on the first feeding mechanism that is closest to the second feeding mechanism is the first basic wafer pick-up position; The second wafer feeding mechanism is provided with N second wafer feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction, capable of loading N electrodes, where N is any integer greater than or equal to 1, M+N≥X, where X is any integer greater than or equal to 3, and X represents the number of wafers stacked at one time; the second wafer feeding mechanism can convey the electrodes along the conveying direction and can receive electrodes from the first wafer feeding mechanism; the second wafer feeding position furthest from the first wafer feeding mechanism on the second wafer feeding mechanism is the second basic wafer picking position; The first robotic arm can pick up X electrodes that are continuously arranged along the conveying direction on the first and second feeding mechanisms at one time, and can preferentially pick up the electrodes on the first basic picking position and / or the electrodes on the second basic picking position individually. The first traverse mechanism is used to control the first robotic arm to reciprocate in a direction parallel to the conveying direction, so as to move the electrode sheet to the position to be replaced.

[0010] Optionally, in the above-described patch assembly, the first robotic arm includes a plurality of first pick-up units arranged sequentially along a direction parallel to the conveying direction, wherein: A portion of the first film picking units correspond one-to-one with the first film feeding positions, and another portion of the first film picking units correspond one-to-one with the second film feeding positions; The first transverse mechanism can control the first wafer picking unit to move laterally in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and can adjust the spacing between adjacent first wafer picking units.

[0011] Optionally, in the above-mentioned patch device, each of the first patch taking units includes a connecting part and a taking part. The connecting part is connected to the first transverse mechanism and is controlled to move by the first transverse mechanism. The taking part is connected to the connecting part and can be independently raised and lowered to pick up and put in the electrode.

[0012] Optionally, in the above patch device, X is any integer in the range of 3 to 25.

[0013] Optionally, in the above-mentioned patch device, the first feeding mechanism includes a magnetic levitation feeding mechanism; or, the first feeding mechanism includes a first conveyor belt and a first driver, the first conveyor belt is provided with M first feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction, and the first driver can drive the first conveyor belt to rotate around a first central axis to control the electrode at the first feeding position to move along the conveying direction. The second feeding mechanism includes a magnetic levitation feeding mechanism; or, the second feeding mechanism includes a second conveyor belt and a second driver, the second conveyor belt having N second feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction, and the second driver being able to drive the second conveyor belt to rotate around a second central axis to control the electrode at the second feeding position to move along the conveying direction.

[0014] A patching method, applicable to the patching device described above, the patching method comprising: Step S1, the first robotic arm picks up the electrode at the second base pick-up position and / or the electrode at the first base pick-up position; Step S2, after the first robotic arm picks up the electrode: When the electrode being picked up is located at the feeding position and the electrode to be replaced position on the correction table corresponds in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, the first robot controls the picked-up electrode to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and then moves the electrode to the electrode to be replaced position. When the electrode being picked up is misaligned with the electrode to be replaced position on the correction table in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, the first robot controls the picked-up electrode to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and then in a direction parallel to the conveying direction before transferring the electrode to the electrode to be replaced position. Optionally, the patching method further includes step S3: When the first basic wafer picking position is empty, the first wafer feeding mechanism conveys the electrode along the conveying direction until the first basic wafer picking position contains the electrode. When the second basic wafer pick-up position is empty, both the second wafer feeding mechanism and the first wafer feeding mechanism feed the electrode sheet along the conveying direction until the second basic wafer pick-up position contains the electrode sheet.

[0015] Optionally, in step S1, when the first robotic arm picks up the electrode from the patch device: If the number of electrodes to be replaced is less than or equal to 2, the first robotic arm picks up the electrode at the first base electrode picking position and / or the second base electrode picking position once; If the number of electrodes to be replaced is greater than 2, the first robotic arm will preferentially pick up the electrodes at the second base electrode picking position and the first base electrode picking position; then, the first robotic arm will repeatedly pick up the electrodes at the second base electrode picking position and / or the first base electrode picking position.

[0016] Optionally, in step S1, when the first robotic arm picks up the electrode from the patch device: If the number of electrodes to be replaced is less than or equal to 2, the first robotic arm picks up the second base electrode picking position and / or the electrode on the first base electrode picking position once; If the number of electrodes to be replaced is greater than 2, the first robotic arm preferentially picks up the electrodes at the second basic electrode picking position and the first basic electrode picking position; and the first robotic arm picks up at least a portion of the electrodes at the remaining positions on the first electrode feeding mechanism according to a priority that decreases sequentially in the direction opposite to the conveying direction, and / or the first robotic arm picks up at least a portion of the electrodes at the remaining positions on the second electrode feeding mechanism according to a priority that decreases sequentially in the direction opposite to the conveying direction, so that the number of electrodes picked up by the first robotic arm meets the number of electrodes to be replaced.

[0017] Optionally, in step S1 of the above patching method, the first robotic arm includes a plurality of first pick-up units arranged sequentially along a direction parallel to the conveying direction, wherein: When the position to be replaced corresponds to the position of the first feeding position in the first feeding mechanism, at least one first picking unit in the first robotic arm corresponding to the position of the first feeding mechanism picks up the electrode on the first feeding mechanism, and the number of electrodes picked up by the first robotic arm is equal to the number of positions to be replaced; When the position to be replaced corresponds to the position of the second feeding position in the second feeding mechanism, at least one first picking unit in the first robot arm corresponding to the position of the second feeding mechanism picks up the electrode on the second feeding mechanism, and the number of electrodes picked up by the first robot arm is equal to the number of positions to be replaced.

[0018] A lamination system includes the patching device described above; it also includes a correction stage and a lamination stage, and a second robotic arm for transferring electrodes from the correction stage to the lamination stage, wherein: The second feeding position on the second feeding mechanism and part of the first feeding position on the first feeding mechanism in the patching device constitute the patch area to be picked up; in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, the patch area to be picked up, the correction table, and the stacking table are arranged side by side; The first robotic arm is used to transfer the electrode located in the area to be picked to the correction table; The second robotic arm is used to transfer the electrode sheet located on the correction stage to the stacking stage.

[0019] Optionally, in the above-described stacking system, the correction table is provided with waste discharge boxes on both sides in a direction parallel to the conveying direction, wherein: The first robotic arm can move from above the correction table to above the waste discharge box; And / or, the second robotic arm can be moved from above the stacking table to above the waste discharge box.

[0020] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the electrode replacement device, replacement method and stacking system provided in this application can automatically pick up the electrode sheets on the feeding mechanism and move the electrode sheets to the replacement position through the first transverse mechanism and the first robotic arm. It is not necessary to replace the entire battery cell, nor is it necessary for workers to enter the machine. This is beneficial to improving the electrode sheet yield in the process, reducing electrode sheet waste, and ensuring worker safety. Furthermore, by setting up two feeding mechanisms, namely the first feeding mechanism and the second feeding mechanism, this application not only forms multiple feeding positions that facilitate the picking of electrodes, meeting the number of electrodes required for a single stacking, but also, because the first robotic arm has a lateral movement function and can prioritize picking up electrodes from the second and first basic picking positions individually, it can replenish electrodes at at least two positions at once, which is beneficial to improving waste removal efficiency. In addition, since the positions where the first robotic arm prioritizes picking up electrodes (i.e., the second and first basic picking positions) are located at the tail ends of the second and first feeding mechanisms, respectively, when there is a vacancy at the second basic picking position, the second feeding mechanism can move along the conveying direction to fill the vacancy while conveying electrodes, and when there is a vacancy at the first basic picking position, the first feeding mechanism can move along the conveying direction to fill the vacancy while conveying electrodes, thus enabling timely filling of vacancy after picking up electrodes and ensuring the continuous arrangement of multiple electrodes on the replenishment device. It should be noted that since the first and second feeding mechanisms can fill empty spaces while conveying electrodes by moving in the same direction as the feeding mechanism, there is no need for reciprocating or reverse movement. This ensures the positional accuracy of the electrodes during the conveying process. In particular, the spacing between adjacent electrodes can remain stable after filling, avoiding problems such as poor electrode positional accuracy and complicated processes caused by reciprocating and reverse movement. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application 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 this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a patch device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a stacking system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of a correction table, a robotic arm, and a waste discharge box, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first robotic arm in a retracted (rising) state, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first robotic arm in an extended (lowered) state, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the minimum spacing of a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the maximum spacing of a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart of a patching method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a film arrangement and patching process provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0031] in: 1-Patching device, 2-Correction correction table, 3-Stacking table, 4-Waste discharge box 5-First robotic arm, 6-First lateral movement mechanism, 7-Second lateral movement mechanism 11-First feeding mechanism, 12-Second feeding mechanism, 13-Cutting mechanism, 14-Unwinding mechanism, 20-Correction correction position, 51-First film take-up unit, 511-Connecting part, 512-Pick-up part, 101 - First basic film taking position, 102 - Second basic film taking position, 103 - Transition film taking position. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] Please see Figure 1 This application provides a patching device suitable for a stacking system. The patching device includes a first feeding mechanism 11 and a second feeding mechanism 12 arranged along the conveying direction S, and also includes a first robotic arm 5 and a first traversing mechanism 6. Wherein: The first wafer feeding mechanism 11 is provided with M first wafer feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction S, which can load M electrode sheets, where M is any integer greater than 1; the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 can convey electrode sheets along the conveying direction S and can also convey electrode sheets to the second wafer feeding mechanism 12; wherein the first wafer feeding position on the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 closest to the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 is the first basic wafer picking position 101; The second wafer feeding mechanism 12 is provided with N second wafer feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction S, and can load N electrodes, where N is any integer greater than or equal to 1, M+N≥X, where X is any integer greater than or equal to 3, and X represents the number of wafers stacked at one time (i.e., the maximum number of wafers required for one stack, for example, X is any integer in the range of 3 to 25); the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 can convey electrodes along the conveying direction S and can receive electrodes from the first wafer feeding mechanism 11; wherein the second wafer feeding position on the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 that is farthest from the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 is the second basic wafer picking position 102; The first robotic arm 5 can pick up X electrode sheets that are continuously arranged along the conveying direction S on the first feeding mechanism 11 and the second feeding mechanism 12 at one time, and can preferentially pick up the electrode sheets on the first basic picking position 101 and / or the second basic picking position 102 individually. The first lateral movement mechanism 6 controls the first robotic arm 5 to reciprocate along a direction parallel to the conveying direction S, so as to move the electrode sheet to the position to be replaced. This position to be replaced generally refers to the empty position on the correction table 2 that needs to be filled with electrode sheets after the discarded sheets have been removed. For example, when the position to be replaced and the position of the electrode sheet to be picked up (i.e., the position to be picked up) do not correspond in the horizontal direction, the first robotic arm 5 needs to be controlled to move laterally to the position corresponding to the position to be picked up to pick up the electrode sheet, and then move laterally to the position to be replaced to place the electrode sheet; or, when the position to be replaced and the position of the electrode sheet to be picked up (i.e., the position to be picked up) do not correspond in the horizontal direction, the first robotic arm 5 corresponding to the position to be picked up picks up the electrode sheet and then moves laterally to the position to be replaced to place the electrode sheet.

[0034] It should be noted that during the production process, the multiple wafer pick-up positions on the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 and the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 need to be numbered in advance. Please refer to [link / reference] for details. Figure 1 and Figure 2The numbering of the multiple second feeding positions on the second feeding mechanism 12, in the opposite direction to the conveying direction, is X, X-1, X-2... (when the second feeding mechanism 12 has only one second feeding position, its number is X; when the second feeding mechanism 12 has only two second feeding positions, their numbers are X and X-1 respectively, and so on for more than one position); the numbering of the multiple first feeding positions on the first feeding mechanism 11, in the opposite direction to the conveying direction, is X / 2, X / 2-1, X / 2-2... (when the first feeding mechanism 12 has only two second feeding positions, their numbers are X / 2 and X-1-1 respectively, and so on for more than one position). When X is an even number, N = X / 2 is preferred; when X is a base number, N = X / 2 ± 0.5 is preferred. For example, when the second film feeding mechanism 12 has three second film feeding positions (N=3, X=6), the numbering of these positions along the opposite direction of the conveying direction is X, X-1, X-2 (i.e., 6, 5, 4); the numbering of these positions along the opposite direction of the conveying direction is X / 2, X / 2-1, X / 2-2 (i.e., 3, 2, 1). The second film feeding position on the second film feeding mechanism 12 furthest from the first film feeding mechanism 11 is the second basic film pick-up position 102, the specific location of which can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The number X in the diagram; the second wafer feeding position on the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 closest to the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 is the transition wafer position 103, used to connect with the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 and receive the electrode from the first wafer feeding mechanism 11. The number of this transition wafer position 103 is generally X / 2+1; the first wafer feeding position on the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 closest to the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 is the first basic wafer pick-up position 101, the specific location of which can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The number X / 2 is used (when N=3 and X=6, X / 2=3, in which case the number of the first base plate picking position 101 is 3). When the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode, it picks up the electrode at the corresponding position according to the above number, and... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the figure, the numbers X and X / 2 are two basic bits, which are the positions where the first robotic arm 5 has the highest priority to pick up the electrode. However, it is not limited to this. In other embodiments, M can also be any other integer greater than 1, and N can also be any other integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0035] As can be seen, the electrode replacement device provided in this application, through the first lateral movement mechanism 6 and the first robotic arm 5, can automatically pick up the electrode sheets on the feeding mechanism and move them to the replacement position (generally located at the correction table 2), without replacing the entire battery cell or requiring workers to enter the machine. This is beneficial for improving the electrode sheet yield in the process, reducing electrode sheet waste, and ensuring worker safety. Furthermore, the electrode replacement device provided in this application, by setting up two feeding mechanisms, namely the first feeding mechanism 11 and the second feeding mechanism 12, not only forms multiple convenient feeding positions to meet the electrode sheet quantity X required for one stacking, but also, because the first robotic arm 5 has a lateral movement function and can prioritize picking up the electrode sheets on the second basic picking position 102 and the first basic picking position 101 individually, it can replace at least two positions at once, which is beneficial for improving waste removal efficiency. In addition, because the first robotic arm 5 prioritizes picking up the electrode sheets at the... The positions (i.e., the second basic wafer picking position 102 and the first basic wafer picking position 101) are located at the tail ends of the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 and the first wafer feeding mechanism 11, respectively. When there is a gap in the second basic wafer picking position 102, the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 can fill the gap while feeding the electrode sheet by moving along the conveying direction S. When there is a gap in the first basic wafer picking position 101, the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 can fill the gap while feeding the electrode sheet by moving along the conveying direction S. This allows for timely filling of gaps after wafer picking, ensuring the continuous arrangement of multiple electrodes on the replacement device 1. It should be noted that in the replacement device 1 provided in this application, since the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 and the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 can fill the gap while feeding the electrode sheet by moving along the conveying direction S, there is no need for reciprocating or reverse movement. This ensures the positional accuracy of the electrode sheet during the feeding process, especially ensuring that the spacing between adjacent electrodes remains stable after replacement. This avoids problems such as poor electrode sheet positional accuracy and cumbersome processes caused by reciprocating or reverse movement.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2In specific implementation, the end of the second feeding mechanism 12 away from the first feeding mechanism 11 is generally also equipped with a cutting mechanism 13 and an unwinding mechanism 14. During the production process, the electrode sheets from the unwinding mechanism 14 are cut by the cutting mechanism 13 to form multiple electrode sheets arranged sequentially along the conveying direction S, and are then transferred by the first feeding mechanism 11 and the second feeding mechanism 12 to the waiting area Q corresponding to the correction table 2. Herein, the waiting area Q mentioned in this application refers to the taking area on the first feeding mechanism 11 and the second feeding mechanism 12 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S of the replacement device 1, corresponding to the positions of the correction table 2 and the stacking table 3. This area can arrange at least X electrode sheets to meet the taking requirement of X electrode sheets in one stack, and generally includes all the taking positions on the second feeding mechanism 12 (i.e., the N second feeding positions mentioned above) and some taking positions on the first feeding mechanism 11 close to the second feeding mechanism 12 (i.e., XN first feeding positions).

[0037] In some embodiments, the first feeding mechanism 11 may be a magnetic levitation feeding mechanism or a conveyor belt mechanism. For example, the first feeding mechanism 11 includes a first conveyor belt and a first driver. The first conveyor belt is a belt structure, and its outer surface is provided with M first feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction S. The first driver can drive the first conveyor belt to rotate around a first central axis to control the electrode at the first feeding position to move along the conveying direction S. Correspondingly, the second feeding mechanism 12 may be a magnetic levitation feeding mechanism or a conveyor belt mechanism. For example, the second feeding mechanism 12 includes a second conveyor belt and a second driver. The second conveyor belt is a belt structure, and its outer surface is provided with N second feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction S. The second driver can drive the second conveyor belt to rotate around a second central axis to control the electrode at the second feeding position to move along the conveying direction S. As can be seen, the patching device 1 provided in this application forms two sets of pick-up positions through two magnetic levitation feeding mechanisms or two belt structures and drivers. It can accurately control the electrode to step from the previous feeding position to the next feeding position, ensuring that the empty spaces formed after the electrode is taken off the first basic pick-up position 101 and the second basic pick-up position 102 can be replenished in a timely and orderly manner. This provides a stable material supply for the continuous and reliable pick-up of the first robot. Combined with the lateral movement function and priority pick-up method of the first robot 5, it can realize automatic conveying and automatic filling of empty spaces, and can ensure the continuity and automation of the patching process.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first robotic arm 5 is a suction cup robotic arm, comprising a plurality of first wafer-picking units 51 arranged sequentially along a direction parallel to the conveying direction S. A portion of the first wafer-picking units 51 correspond one-to-one with a plurality of first wafer-feeding positions on the first wafer-feeding mechanism 11, and another portion of the first wafer-picking units 51 correspond one-to-one with a plurality of second wafer-feeding positions on the second wafer-feeding mechanism 12. Thus, before the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode, the plurality of first wafer-picking units 51 are respectively located on one side of the first wafer-feeding mechanism 11 and the second wafer-feeding mechanism 12, and correspond one-to-one with their respective wafer-feeding positions, so that each first wafer-picking unit 51 can pick up the electrode at its corresponding wafer-feeding position. It can be seen that, in this embodiment, by dividing the first robotic arm 5 into a plurality of independently operable first wafer-picking units 51, the limitation that all suction cups must operate synchronously is broken. When a replacement wafer is needed, only the first wafer-picking unit 51 corresponding to the target wafer-picking position needs to be driven to independently descend and pick up the electrode, while the other first wafer-picking units 51 remain stationary. This not only avoids the robotic arm from accidentally touching or damaging electrodes in non-target locations due to overall downward pressure, but also ensures that each first electrode picking unit 51 can effectively contact and pick up electrodes when there are thickness differences or unevenness in the electrodes. Thus, while achieving the purpose of picking up 1-N electrodes individually, it can improve the success rate and versatility of electrode picking.

[0039] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5In some embodiments, each first wafer picking unit 51 includes a connecting part 511 and a picking part 512. The connecting part 511 is connected to and controlled by the first lateral movement mechanism 6, while the picking part 512 is connected to the connecting part 511 and can independently lift and lower to pick up and place electrode sheets. Thus, the first lateral movement mechanism 6 can control each first wafer picking unit 51 to move laterally in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S, facilitating the picking / placing of electrode sheets at corresponding positions. Furthermore, the first lateral movement mechanism 6 can adjust the spacing between adjacent first wafer picking units 51. Specifically, the lifting stroke range of the picking part 512 is a maximum of 10mm to 20mm. When the alignment table 2 and / or the stacking table 3 have empty spaces after the waste removal process, the first wafer picking unit 51 picks up the electrode sheets from the first feeding mechanism 11 and / or the second feeding mechanism 12, moves them to the empty space on the alignment table, and then to the stacking table 3. In this process, the picking unit 512 is used to pick up and place electrode sheets, and the connecting unit 511 controls the translation of the first picking unit 51 through the first transverse mechanism 6. Thus, each first picking unit 51 has a translation function and can independently extend, retract, and lift, achieving independent picking and placing of electrode sheets. In specific implementation, the picking unit 512 can adopt an independently opening and closing suction cup structure 5121 and a telescopic cylinder 5122 that controls the lifting and lowering of the suction cup structure 5121. Its operation does not interfere with other first picking units 51 or electrode sheets in other positions, which helps to ensure the quality of the electrode sheets. Furthermore, since the spacing between adjacent first picking units 51 can be adjusted through the first transverse mechanism 6, and each first picking unit 51 can move laterally left and right, the first robotic arm 5 can be adjusted to... Figure 6 The minimum slice distance L1 shown is... Figure 7 The maximum wafer pick-up distance L2 shown is adapted to accommodate different numbers and positions of wafers without manual intervention, thereby enabling independent wafer replacement and automated waste removal from single to multiple wafers.

[0040] In some embodiments, the suction cup structure 5121 in the first robotic arm 5 is slidably engaged with the connecting part 511 via a vertically extending guide rail and a slider that can slide up and down along the guide rail, and the extension and retraction of the telescopic cylinder 5122 is controlled by a solenoid valve. However, it is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the first piece-picking unit 51 can also adopt other structures to achieve independent lifting and picking, such as a motor, gear rack, or lead screw.

[0041] This application embodiment also provides a patching method applicable to the patching device described above, the patching method mainly includes: Step S1: The first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode at the second basic electrode picking position 102 and / or the first basic electrode picking position 101. In specific implementation, the priority of the second basic electrode picking position 102 can be made greater than that of the first basic electrode picking position 101, or the priority of the first basic electrode picking position 101 can be made greater than that of the second basic electrode picking position 102. Step S2, after the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode: When the electrode being picked up is located at the feeding position (i.e., the position of the electrode on the feeding mechanism before it is picked up) and the electrode to be replaced position on the correction table 2 (i.e., the empty position on the correction table 2 where an electrode needs to be replaced) are in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S, the first robot arm 5 controls the picked-up electrode to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S and then moves the electrode to the electrode to be replaced position. When the electrode being picked up is misaligned with the electrode replacement position on the correction table 2 (i.e., the position of the electrode on the feeding mechanism before it was picked up) in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S, the first robot arm 5 controls the picked-up electrode to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S and then in a direction parallel to the conveying direction S before transferring the electrode to the replacement position.

[0042] Furthermore, the above-mentioned replacement method also includes step S3: when the first basic wafer pickup position 101 is empty, the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 feeds the electrode along the conveying direction S until the first basic wafer pickup position 101 contains an electrode; when the second basic wafer pickup position 102 is empty, both the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 and the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 feed the electrode along the conveying direction S until the second basic wafer pickup position 102 contains an electrode. Thus, it can be seen that the unidirectional movement of the first wafer feeding mechanism 11 and the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 can promptly fill the empty positions, ensuring continuous arrangement of electrodes in the wafer pickup area Q, and is beneficial for ensuring stable spacing between adjacent electrodes and high electrode position accuracy. Figure 8 As shown, before step S1, step S3 is first performed to ensure that there are electrode sheets on the first feeding mechanism 11 and the second feeding mechanism 12, and at least the first basic pick-up position 101 of the first feeding mechanism 11 and / or the second basic pick-up position 102 of the second feeding mechanism 12 have electrode sheets; and after the first robot arm 5 picks up the electrode sheet on the patch device 1, that is, after step S2, step S3 is performed.

[0043] In some embodiments, during the process of the first robotic arm 5 picking up the electrode in step S1 above: If the number of electrodes to be replaced is less than or equal to 2, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode at the first base electrode picking position 101 and / or the second base electrode picking position 102 once. Specifically, when the number of electrodes to be replaced is 1, the priority of the second base electrode picking position 102 can be made greater than that of the first base electrode picking position 101, or the priority of the first base electrode picking position 101 can be made greater than that of the second base electrode picking position 102. When the number of electrodes to be replaced is 2, the first robotic arm 5 can pick up the electrode at the first base electrode picking position 101 and the second base electrode picking position 102 simultaneously. If the number of electrodes to be patched is greater than 2, the first robotic arm 5 prioritizes picking up electrodes from the second basic electrode picking position 102 and the first basic electrode picking position 101. Then, the first robotic arm 5 repeatedly picks up electrodes from the second basic electrode picking position 102 and / or the first basic electrode picking position 101 until the number of electrodes picked up by the first robotic arm 5 reaches the number of electrodes to be patched, and all electrode picking positions on the correction stage 2 are patched. Specifically, when the first robotic arm 5 repeatedly picks up electrodes, the priority of the second basic electrode picking position 102 can be made greater than that of the first basic electrode picking position 101, or the priority of the first basic electrode picking position 101 can be made greater than that of the second basic electrode picking position 102.

[0044] As can be seen, when the first robotic arm 5 picks up an electrode, the number of times it picks up electrodes at the first basic electrode picking position 101 and / or the second basic electrode picking position 102 can be controlled to meet the timely replenishment of different numbers of electrodes to be replenished. At this time, whenever there is an empty space at the first basic electrode picking position 101, the first electrode feeding mechanism 11 moves one step along the conveying direction S to fill the empty space; whenever there is an empty space at the second basic electrode picking position 102, the first electrode feeding mechanism 11 and the second electrode feeding mechanism 12 simultaneously move one step along the conveying direction S (prioritizing the presence of an electrode at the first basic electrode picking position 101 before moving) to fill the empty space. During this process, the first robotic arm 5 can pick up a maximum of two electrodes at a time, and the unidirectional movement of the first electrode feeding mechanism 11 and the second electrode feeding mechanism 12 can promptly fill empty spaces, ensuring that multiple electrodes in the area to be replenished Q are arranged continuously, and also helping to ensure stable spacing between adjacent electrodes and high electrode position accuracy.

[0045] Alternatively, please see Figure 8 In other embodiments, the process of the first robotic arm 5 picking up the electrode in step S1 above can also be set as follows: If the number of electrodes to be replaced is less than or equal to 2, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode at the second basic electrode picking position 102 and / or the first basic electrode picking position 101 once. Specifically, when the number of electrodes to be replaced is 1, the priority of the second basic electrode picking position 102 can be made greater than that of the first basic electrode picking position 101, or the priority of the first basic electrode picking position 101 can be made greater than that of the second basic electrode picking position 102. When the number of electrodes to be replaced is 2, the first robotic arm 5 can pick up the electrode at both the first basic electrode picking position 101 and the second basic electrode picking position 102 simultaneously. If the number of electrodes to be replaced is greater than 2, the first robotic arm 5 preferentially picks up the electrodes on the second basic electrode picking position 102 and the first basic electrode picking position 101; and the first robotic arm 5 picks up at least a portion of the electrodes at the remaining positions on the first electrode feeding mechanism 11 according to a priority that decreases sequentially in the direction opposite to the conveying direction S, and / or the first robotic arm 5 picks up at least a portion of the electrodes at the remaining positions on the second electrode feeding mechanism 12 according to a priority that decreases sequentially in the direction opposite to the conveying direction S, so that the number of electrodes picked up by the first robotic arm 5 meets the number of electrodes to be replaced.

[0046] As can be seen, when the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode, the priority of the multiple first feeding positions on the first feeding mechanism 11 decreases sequentially in the opposite direction to the conveying direction S. Similarly, the priority of the multiple second feeding positions on the second feeding mechanism 12 decreases sequentially in the opposite direction to the conveying direction S. This ensures that the electrodes at the multiple feeding positions in the replacement device 1 are picked up as needed, and that a single electrode pick-up can satisfy the timely replacement of different numbers of electrodes, thus improving replacement efficiency. For example, see [reference needed]. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The delivery positions numbered x / 2 and x are fixed pickup positions when one or two electrodes are NG (not picked up). When more electrodes are NG, the two basic pickup positions are combined with other delivery positions according to the position and number of NG electrodes. This allows for the pickup of multiple electrodes at once, avoiding secondary pickup and greatly reducing the risk of electrode damage.

[0047] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the first robotic arm 5 includes a plurality of first electrode picking units 51 arranged sequentially along a direction parallel to the conveying direction S. Each first electrode picking unit 51 is used to pick up one electrode at a time. Moreover, some of the first electrode picking units 51 are used to pick up electrodes from the first electrode feeding mechanism 11, and others are used to pick up electrodes from the second electrode feeding mechanism 12. This allows each first electrode picking unit 51 to move laterally within a small range, avoiding problems such as interference or low efficiency caused by excessive lateral movement of the first electrode picking unit 51.

[0048] Specifically, please see Figure 8In the above-mentioned patching method: when the patching position corresponds to the position of the first feeding position in the first feeding mechanism 11, at least one first picking unit 51 of the first robotic arm 5 corresponding to the position of the first feeding mechanism 11 directly picks up the electrode on the first feeding mechanism 11, and the number of electrodes picked up by the first robotic arm 5 is equal to the number of patching positions; when the patching position corresponds to the position of the second feeding position in the second feeding mechanism 12, at least one first picking unit 51 of the first robotic arm 5 corresponding to the position of the second feeding mechanism 12 picks up the electrode on the second feeding mechanism 12, and the number of electrodes picked up by the first robotic arm 5 is equal to the number of patching positions.

[0049] Please see Figure 2 In some embodiments, the second wafer feeding mechanism 12 is provided with three second wafer feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction S, which can load three wafers to be picked up side by side. In this case, the number of wafers stacked by the stacking system at one time is six, that is, N=3 and X=6. The following is an example of N=3 and X=6.

[0050] When there is only one replacement position, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode from the first feeding position (i.e., the first basic take-up position 101) closest to the second feeding mechanism 12 on the first feeding mechanism 11 and then replaces the electrode with the replacement position (if the take-up position does not correspond to the replacement position, the electrode is laterally adjusted by the first transverse mechanism 6 before being moved to the replacement position). Alternatively, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode from the second feeding position (i.e., the second basic take-up position 102) furthest from the first feeding mechanism 11 on the second feeding mechanism 12 and then replaces the electrode with the replacement position. If the position of the electrode picked up by the first robotic arm 5 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S does not correspond to the replacement position, the position of the first take-up unit 51 is laterally adjusted by the first transverse mechanism 6 so that the first take-up unit 51 with the electrode corresponds to the replacement position before the electrode is moved to the replacement position. When there are two electrode positions to be replaced, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode from the first feeding mechanism 11 at the first feeding position closest to the second feeding mechanism 12 (i.e., the first basic electrode pick-up position 101) and the electrode from the second feeding mechanism 12 at the second feeding position furthest from the first feeding mechanism 11 (i.e., the second basic electrode pick-up position 102), and then replaces the electrode with the electrode at the position to be replaced; or, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode from the two first feeding positions (i.e., the first basic electrode pick-up position 101 and the first feeding position adjacent to it) closest to the second feeding mechanism 12 on the first feeding mechanism 11, and then replaces the electrode with the electrode at the position to be replaced. Alternatively, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode from the two second feeding positions furthest from the first feeding mechanism 11 on the second feeding mechanism 12 (i.e., the second basic feeding position 102 and the adjacent second feeding position), and then replenishes the electrode to the position to be replenished. It should be noted that in the above process, if the positions of the two electrode picked up by the first robotic arm 5 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S do not completely correspond to the positions to be replenished, the first transverse mechanism 6 is used to adjust the position of the first feeding unit 51 laterally so that the first feeding unit 51 with the electrode corresponds one-to-one with the position to be replenished, and then the electrode is moved to the position to be replenished. When there are three electrode positions to be replaced, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode from the two first feeding positions (i.e., the first basic feeding position 101 and the adjacent first feeding position) closest to the second feeding mechanism 12 on the first feeding mechanism 11, and the electrode from the second feeding position (i.e., the second basic feeding position 102) furthest from the first feeding mechanism 11 on the second feeding mechanism 12, and then replaces the electrode with the electrode at the position to be replaced; or, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode from the first feeding position (i.e., the first basic feeding position 101) closest to the second feeding mechanism 12 on the first feeding mechanism 11, and the electrode from the two second feeding positions (i.e., the second basic feeding position 102 and the adjacent second feeding position) furthest from the first feeding mechanism 11 on the second feeding mechanism 12, and then replaces the electrode with the electrode at the position to be replaced; or, the first robotic arm 5 picks up all three electrode positions on the first feeding mechanism 11 (including the first basic feeding position 101 and the two first feeding positions closest to it)... After the electrode is picked up from the second feeding mechanism 12, the electrode is replenished to the position to be replenished; or, the first robotic arm 5 picks up three electrode pieces from the second feeding mechanism 12 (including the electrode pieces on the second basic picking position 102 and the two second feeding positions with the shortest distance to it) and then replenishes the electrode pieces to the position to be replenished; or, one of the first picking units 51 of the first robotic arm 5 can first pick up the electrode piece on the second basic picking position 102, then transport the electrode piece to the second basic picking position 102 for replenishment, and then the other first picking units 51 in the first robotic arm 5 pick up the electrode pieces on the first basic picking position 101 and the electrode pieces on the second basic picking position 102, and then replenish the electrode pieces to the position to be replenished; it should be noted that in the above process, if the position of the electrode piece picked up by the first robotic arm 51 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S does not completely correspond to the position to be replenished, the position of the first picking unit 51 is adjusted laterally by the first transverse mechanism 6 before the electrode piece is moved to the position to be replenished. When there are more than three electrode positions to be replaced, the first robotic arm 5 prioritizes picking up three electrode plates from the second electrode feeding mechanism 12, as well as a suitable number of electrode plates from the first electrode feeding mechanism 11 that are closest to the second electrode feeding mechanism 12. Then, the electrode plates are added to the positions to be replaced. During this process, if the position of the electrode plate picked up by the first robotic arm 51 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S does not completely correspond to the position to be replaced, the position of the first electrode picking unit 51 is adjusted laterally by the first transverse movement mechanism 6 before the electrode plate is moved to the position to be replaced.

[0051] Furthermore, in some embodiments: When there is one electrode to be replaced and it corresponds to the position of one of the first electrode feeding positions in the first electrode feeding mechanism 11, a first electrode picking unit 51 in the first robot arm 5 corresponding to the area of ​​the first electrode feeding mechanism 11 picks up the electrode on the first basic electrode picking position 101. When there is one electrode to be replaced and it corresponds to the position of one of the second electrode feeding positions in the second electrode feeding mechanism 12, a first electrode picking unit 51 in the first robot arm 5 corresponding to the area where the second electrode feeding mechanism 12 is located picks up the electrode on the second basic electrode picking position 102. When there are two positions to be replaced, and they correspond to the positions of the two first feeding positions in the first feeding mechanism 11, the two first picking units 51 in the first robot arm 5 that correspond to the area of ​​the first feeding mechanism 11 pick up the electrode sheets on the two first feeding positions (i.e., the first basic picking position 101 and the first feeding position adjacent to it) that are closest to the second feeding mechanism 12 on the first feeding mechanism 11. When there are two positions to be replaced, and they correspond to the positions of the two second feeding positions in the second feeding mechanism 12, the two first picking units 51 in the first robot arm 5 that correspond to the area where the second feeding mechanism 12 is located pick up the electrode sheets on the two second feeding positions (i.e., the second basic picking position 102 and the second feeding position adjacent to it) that are furthest from the first feeding mechanism 11 on the second feeding mechanism 12. When there are two positions to be replaced, one of which corresponds to the position of a first feeding position in the first feeding mechanism 11 and the other corresponds to the position of a second feeding position in the second feeding mechanism 12, a first picking unit 51 in the first robot arm 5 corresponding to the area of ​​the first feeding mechanism 11 picks up the electrode on the first basic picking position 101, and a first picking unit 51 in the first robot arm 5 corresponding to the area of ​​the second feeding mechanism 12 picks up the electrode on the second basic picking position 102; When there are three positions to be replaced, and they correspond to the positions of the three first feeding positions in the first feeding mechanism 11, the three first picking units 51 in the first robot arm 5 that correspond to the area of ​​the first feeding mechanism 11 pick up the electrode sheets on the three first feeding positions of the first feeding mechanism 11 that are closest to the second feeding mechanism 12. When there are three positions to be replaced, and they correspond to the positions of the three second feeding positions in the second feeding mechanism 12, the three first picking units 51 in the first robot arm 5 that correspond to the area where the second feeding mechanism 12 is located pick up the electrode sheets on the three second feeding positions on the second feeding mechanism 12 that are furthest from the first feeding mechanism 11. When there are three positions to be replaced, one of which corresponds to one of the first feeding positions in the first feeding mechanism 11, and the other two positions correspond to two of the second feeding positions in the second feeding mechanism 12, the first robot arm 5 picks up the electrode on the first basic picking position 101, and the electrode on the two second feeding positions of the second feeding mechanism 12 that are furthest from the first feeding mechanism 11. When there are three positions to be replaced, two of which correspond to the positions of two first feeding positions in the first feeding mechanism 11, and the other position corresponds to the position of one second feeding position in the second feeding mechanism 12, the first robot arm 5 picks up the electrode sheets on the two first feeding positions closest to the second feeding mechanism 12 on the first feeding mechanism 11, as well as the electrode sheets on the second basic pick-up position 102. And so on.

[0052] As can be seen, the patching device 1 and patching method provided in this application embodiment can provide multiple patch picking modes, thereby enabling the simultaneous handling of multiple patch rejection and patching tasks of varying quantities in a single operation. Without interrupting the continuity of the main conveyor line, it solves the contradiction between the existing technology's difficulty in balancing multiple patching at one time and flexible single patching, significantly improving the automation level and overall efficiency of the patching process.

[0053] Please see Figure 2 This embodiment also provides a lamination system, which includes the patching device 1 described above, a correction stage 2, a lamination stage 3, and a second robotic arm for transferring the electrode sheets on the correction stage 2 to the lamination stage 3. The lamination stage 3 has correction stages 2 and patching devices 1 on both sides; one correction stage 2 and patching device 1 is used to provide positive electrode sheets, and the other correction stage 2 and patching device 1 is used to provide negative electrode sheets. Specifically, both the second feeding mechanism 12 and the first feeding mechanism 11 in the patching device 1 can transport electrode sheets along the conveying direction S. Moreover, in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction S, the area Q to be picked up in the patching device 1 is arranged side by side with the correction table 2 and the stacking table 3. The area Q to be picked up refers to the area in the patching device 1 formed by all the feeding positions on the second feeding mechanism 12 for placing electrode sheets and the feeding positions on the first feeding mechanism 11 that are close to the second feeding mechanism 12. The first robotic arm 5 is used to transfer the electrode sheets located in the area Q to the correction table 2. The second robotic arm is used to transfer the electrode sheets located on the correction table 2 to the stacking table 3.

[0054] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 9The positive electrode side patching device is used to transport the positive electrode sheet and the first robot arm on the positive electrode side moves the positive electrode sheet to the positive electrode correction stage. The positive electrode correction stage is used to detect the positive electrode sheet and move the detected positive electrode sheet to the stacking stage. When the positive electrode correction stage detects a non-compliant positive electrode sheet, the first robot arm on the positive electrode side moves the non-compliant electrode sheet to the positive electrode waste box and picks up the electrode sheet on the positive electrode side patching device for patching. When a non-compliant positive electrode sheet appears in the stacking stage, the second robot arm on the positive electrode side moves the non-compliant positive electrode sheet to the positive electrode waste box and picks up the positive electrode sheet on the positive electrode correction stage for patching. Similarly, the patching device on the negative electrode side is used to transport the negative electrode sheet, and the first robotic arm on the negative electrode side transfers the negative electrode sheet to the negative electrode alignment stage. The negative electrode alignment stage is used to detect the negative electrode sheet and transfer the negative electrode sheet that passes the detection to the stacking stage. When the negative electrode alignment stage detects an NG (Not Valid) negative electrode sheet, the first robotic arm on the negative electrode side transfers the NG electrode sheet to the negative electrode waste box, and the electrode sheet is picked up from the patching device on the negative electrode side for patching. When an NG negative electrode sheet appears in the stacking stage, the second robotic arm on the negative electrode side transfers the NG negative electrode sheet to the negative electrode waste box, and the negative electrode sheet is picked up from the negative electrode alignment stage for patching. In addition, after the positive and negative electrode sheets are stacked on the stacking stage, they are then subjected to overhang detection. NG positive electrode sheets that fail the detection are transferred to the positive electrode waste box by the first robotic arm on the positive electrode side, and NG negative electrode sheets that fail the detection are transferred to the negative electrode waste box by the first robotic arm on the negative electrode side. In this context, "overhang" refers to the portion of the negative electrode that extends beyond the positive electrode in both length and width. Overhang detection involves using advanced X-ray CT or 3D scanning technology to accurately measure and analyze the area of ​​the negative electrode that extends beyond the positive electrode, in order to ensure battery performance and safety.

[0055] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 In specific implementation, the multiple correction positions 20 on the correction table 2 for placing electrode sheets generally correspond one-to-one with the sheet positions on the stacking table 3, and also correspond one-to-one with the multiple first sheet picking units 51 in the first robot arm 5 and the multiple second sheet picking units in the second robot arm. Moreover, in a direction parallel to the conveying direction S, waste discharge boxes 4 are respectively provided on both sides of the correction table 2, wherein: the first robot arm 5 can move from above the correction table 2 to above the waste discharge box 4 to kick and discharge the electrode sheets on the correction table 2; and / or, the second robot arm can move from above the stacking table 3 to above the waste discharge box 4 to kick and discharge the electrode sheets on the stacking table 3.

[0056] Therefore, this stacking system is a system capable of multi-cell patching and multi-cell waste removal: when the electrode alignment error occurs at the alignment station 2, the first robotic arm 5 picks up the electrode and places it in the waste removal box 4; when the cell alignment error occurs at the stacking station 3, the second robotic arm picks up the electrode and places it in the waste removal box 4; the first robotic arm 5 moves back and forth between the patching device 1 and the alignment station 2 for patching; the second robotic arm moves back and forth between the alignment station 2 and the stacking station 3 for patching. Both the first robotic arm 5 and the second robotic arm have multiple picking units arranged side-by-side. Each picking unit can move laterally left and right. Based on the number of electrodes stacked at one time (X), the width of a single electrode (W), and the spacing (a) between adjacent electrodes, both the first robotic arm 5 and the second robotic arm have maximum and minimum picking distances to adapt to different numbers of picking positions, automatically identify picking positions, and improve program adaptability. This lamination system can be applied to single-station and multi-station lamination of multiple wafers, and can be equipped with one or more sets of patching devices 1.

[0057] In some embodiments, the stacking system may also include a second traversing mechanism 7 for controlling the traversal of the waste discharge box 4, enabling the waste discharge box 4 to move in a direction parallel to the conveying direction. This allows it to cooperate with the robotic arm to receive the electrode sheets and facilitates further processing of the electrode sheets in the waste discharge box 4. Furthermore, the stacking system includes multiple NG electrode sheet transfer plates to transfer the NG electrode sheets to a fixed waste discharge position for discharge, preventing electrode sheets from overflowing from the waste discharge box 4 and causing collisions that could affect the stacking quality.

[0058] For specific implementation details, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 Taking N=3 as an example, when the number of pieces stacked at one time is X and the number of pieces patched is k, the following operating logic can be preset according to the different number of pieces patched at one time: If the position to be supplemented corresponds to positions 1 to x / 2: When patching a single patch, pick up the pole piece at position x / 2 for patching; When using two patches, pick the polar plates at positions x / 2 and (x / 2-1) for patching; When using 3 patches, pick the polar plates at positions x / 2, (x / 2-1), and (x / 2-2) for patching; If the position to be patched corresponds to positions x / 2 to x: When patching a single patch, pick up the polarity at position x for patching; When using two patches, pick up the pole pieces at positions x and x-1 for patching; When using 3 patches, pick up the pole pieces at positions x, x-1, and x-2 for patching; If the position to be patched corresponds to one position in the range of 1 to x / 2 and one position in the range of x / 2 to x; Then, pole pieces at positions x and x / 2 are used for patching; And so on.

[0059] Through the above operating logic, the function of replenishing multiple electrodes at the same time can be realized; moreover, it can pick up any number of electrodes in the range of 1 to x at one time, avoiding secondary electrode picking, and the first robotic arm 5 picks up electrodes at the same height, which helps to avoid electrode damage.

[0060] Furthermore, in practical implementation, to facilitate the calculation of the robot arm's pick-up position, the stacking system is pre-set with the following: the width of a single electrode is a fixed value W, and the multiple first pick-up units 51 in the first robot arm 5 move laterally within a limited range. For example, the maximum distance between the first pick-up units 51 located at the farthest ends is L2, and the minimum distance is L1 (see [link to documentation]). Figure 6 and Figure 7 ).

[0061] In summary, the patching device, patching method, and stacking system provided in this application embodiment can eliminate only a few or a dozen defective electrode sheets from a single battery cell, thereby greatly improving the overall yield of battery cell production.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed.

[0063] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0064] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use this application. 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 this application. Therefore, this application 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 patch device, characterized in that, It includes a first robotic arm (5) and a first transverse mechanism (6), as well as a first feeding mechanism (11) and a second feeding mechanism (12) arranged along the conveying direction (S), wherein: The first feeding mechanism (11) is provided with M first feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction (S), which can load M electrodes, where M is any integer greater than 1; the first feeding mechanism (11) can convey the electrodes along the conveying direction (S) and can convey the electrodes to the second feeding mechanism (12); the first feeding position on the first feeding mechanism (11) closest to the second feeding mechanism (12) is the first basic wafer pick-up position (101). The second feeding mechanism (12) is provided with N second feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction (S), which can load N electrodes, where N is any integer greater than or equal to 1, M+N≥X, where X is any integer greater than or equal to 3, and X represents the number of electrodes stacked at one time; the second feeding mechanism (12) can convey the electrodes along the conveying direction (S) and can receive the electrodes from the first feeding mechanism (11); the second feeding position on the second feeding mechanism (12) that is furthest from the first feeding mechanism (11) is the second basic take-up position (102). The first robotic arm (5) can pick up X electrodes that are continuously arranged along the conveying direction (S) on the first feeding mechanism (11) and the second feeding mechanism (12) at one time, and can preferentially pick up the electrodes on the first basic picking position (101) and / or the electrodes on the second basic picking position (102) individually. The first transverse mechanism (6) is used to control the first robotic arm (5) to reciprocate in a direction parallel to the conveying direction (S) to move the electrode sheet to the position to be replaced.

2. The patch device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first robotic arm (5) includes a plurality of first pick-up units (51) arranged sequentially along a direction parallel to the conveying direction (S), wherein: One part of the first film picking unit (51) corresponds one-to-one with the first film feeding position, and another part of the first film picking unit (51) corresponds one-to-one with the second film feeding position; The first transverse mechanism (6) can control the first take-up unit (51) to move laterally in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (S), and can adjust the spacing between adjacent first take-up units (51).

3. The patch device according to claim 1, characterized in that, X is any integer in the range of 3 to 25.

4. The patch device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first feeding mechanism (11) includes a magnetic levitation feeding mechanism; or, the first feeding mechanism (11) includes a first conveyor belt and a first driver, the first conveyor belt is provided with M first feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction (S), and the first driver can drive the first conveyor belt to rotate around the first central axis to control the electrode at the first feeding position to move along the conveying direction (S). The second feeding mechanism (12) includes a magnetic levitation feeding mechanism; or, the second feeding mechanism (12) includes a second conveyor belt and a second driver, the second conveyor belt is provided with N second feeding positions arranged sequentially along the conveying direction (S), and the second driver can drive the second conveyor belt to rotate around the second central axis to control the electrode at the second feeding position to move along the conveying direction (S).

5. A patching method, applicable to the patching device (1) as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The patching method includes: Step S1, the first robotic arm (5) picks up at least the electrode at the second base pick-up position (102) and / or the first base pick-up position (101); Step S2, after the first robotic arm (5) picks up the electrode: When the electrode being picked up is located at the feeding position and the electrode to be replaced position on the correction table (2) corresponds to the position on the correction table (2) in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (S), the first robot (5) controls the electrode being picked up to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (S) and then moves the electrode to the position on the electrode to be replaced. When the electrode being picked up is misaligned with the electrode to be replaced position on the correction table (2) in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (S), the first robot (5) controls the picked-up electrode to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (S) and then in a direction parallel to the conveying direction (S) before transferring the electrode to the electrode to be replaced position.

6. The patch method according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes step S3: When the first basic wafer pick-up position (101) is empty, the first wafer feeding mechanism (11) feeds the electrode along the conveying direction (S) until the first basic wafer pick-up position (101) contains the electrode. When the second basic wafer pick-up position (102) is empty, the second wafer feeding mechanism (12) and the first wafer feeding mechanism (11) both feed the electrode along the conveying direction (S) until the second basic wafer pick-up position (102) contains the electrode.

7. The patch method according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S1, when the first robotic arm (5) picks up the electrode on the patch device (1): If the number of patches to be patched is less than or equal to 2, the first robotic arm (5) picks up the electrode at the second base patch picking position (102) and / or the first base patch picking position (101) once; If the number of electrodes to be replaced is greater than 2, the first robotic arm (5) will preferentially pick up the electrodes on the second basic electrode picking position (102) and the first basic electrode picking position (101); and the first robotic arm (5) will pick up at least a portion of the electrodes at the remaining positions on the first electrode feeding mechanism (11) in a priority that decreases sequentially in the direction opposite to the conveying direction (S), and / or the first robotic arm (5) will pick up at least a portion of the electrodes at the remaining positions on the second electrode feeding mechanism (12) in a priority that decreases sequentially in the direction opposite to the conveying direction (S), so that the number of electrodes picked up by the first robotic arm (5) satisfies the number of electrodes to be replaced.

8. The patch method according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S1, the first robotic arm (5) includes a plurality of first pick-up units (51) arranged sequentially along a direction parallel to the conveying direction (S), wherein: When the position to be replaced corresponds to the position of the first feeding position in the first feeding mechanism (11), at least one first picking unit (51) in the first robot (5) corresponding to the position of the first feeding mechanism (11) picks up the electrode on the first feeding mechanism (11), and the number of electrodes picked up by the first robot (5) is equal to the number of the positions to be replaced; When the position to be replaced corresponds to the position of the second feeding position in the second feeding mechanism (12), at least one first picking unit (51) in the first robot (5) corresponding to the position of the second feeding mechanism (12) picks up the electrode on the second feeding mechanism (12), and the number of electrodes picked up by the first robot (5) is equal to the number of the positions to be replaced.

9. A lamination system, comprising a correction stage (2) and a lamination stage (3), and a second robotic arm for transferring electrodes from the correction stage (2) to the lamination stage (3), characterized in that, It also includes the patch device (1) as described in any one of claims 1 to 4; The second feeding position on the second feeding mechanism (12) and part of the first feeding position on the first feeding mechanism (11) in the patch device (1) constitute the patch area (Q) to be picked up; the patch area (Q), the correction table (2) and the stacking table (3) are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (S); The first robotic arm (5) is used to transfer the electrode located in the area to be picked (Q) to the correction table (2); The second robotic arm is used to transfer the electrode located on the correction stage (2) to the stacking stage (3).

10. The stacking system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The correction table (2) is provided with waste discharge boxes (4) on both sides in a direction parallel to the conveying direction (S), wherein: The first robotic arm (5) can move from above the correction table (2) to above the waste discharge box (4); And / or, the second robotic arm can be moved from above the stacking table (3) to above the waste discharge box (4).

Images