Single battery stacking tool

By using lifting devices and limit baffles in the flow battery stacking tool, the stable stacking of single cells is maintained in combination with position sensors to ensure alignment and placement, the problems of robotic arm accuracy and cell stability are solved, and stacking accuracy and equipment are improved. Service life.

CN222155523UActive Publication Date: 2024-12-13巨安储能武汉科技有限责任公司
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202322881571.8
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Utility models(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-10-26
Publication Date
2024-12-13
Estimated Expiration
2033-10-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

During the stacking of existing flow batteries, the accuracy requirements of the robotic arm are high and complex in operation. The single cell is prone to inclination and height inconsistent, resulting in different strokes of the robotic arm, inaccurate control, and large size of the battery and uneven surface. It is easy to slip or damage during stacking.

Method used

A single-cell stacking tool is designed, including a base, lifting device, base baffle, limit baffle and position sensor. The lifting device and limit baffle form a fixed space to make the single-cell stack neatly stacked, and the position sensor ensures the correctness of the position sensor. The forward placement reduces the complexity of the robotic arm stroke and maintains the stability of the single cell through the limit baffle and the base baffle, reducing the handling requirements of the robotic arm.

Benefits of technology

It improves the accuracy of single-cell stacking and the control accuracy of the robotic arm, reduces the complexity of the equipment, extends the service life of the lifting mechanism, and reduces the risk of damage to single-cells during stacking.

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Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of flow battery processing, and discloses a single battery stacking tool, which comprises a base station, the lifting device is movably mounted on the base table along the stacking direction of the single batteries; the foundation baffle is fixedly mounted on the base table and located beside the lifting device; the limiting baffles are installed on the base table through the driving device, and the multiple limiting baffles are located in the circumferential direction of the lifting device; and the position sensor is mounted on the base station and close to the edge of the lifting device, and the position sensor is further in signal connection with the driving device. The utility model has the following advantages and effects: the lifting device moves to drive the single cell stack to lift, and the single cell stack is more regular under the action of the basic baffle plate and the limiting baffle plate. And through the combination of the mechanical arm and the mechanical arm, the single batteries taken by the mechanical arm each time can be located at the same spatial position, so that the control requirement on the mechanical arm is reduced, meanwhile, the stacking precision when the electric piles are stacked is improved, and the quality of the electric piles is improved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of liquid flow battery processing technology, and specifically to a single battery stacking tool. Background Art

[0002] At present, liquid flow batteries are composed of battery stack units, electrolytes, electrolyte storage and supply units, and management and control units. They are high-performance batteries that separate the positive and negative electrolytes and circulate them separately. They have the characteristics of high capacity, wide application range, and long cycle life. They are a new energy product.

[0003] The stack of a flow battery is structurally composed of multiple single cells stacked up, and the processing process is mainly divided into the following steps: single cell production, single cell transportation, single cell stacking and pressing process. Among them, the stacking of single cells is mainly completed by a robotic arm. The single cell needs to be placed in a specific position in advance, and then the robotic arm places the single cell in a certain direction in the stack frame. Its morphology can be found in the patent document with publication number CN112151845A and the name Vanadium Liquid Flow Stack Assembly System. The structure of the stack can be found in the patent document with authorization announcement number CN205645997U and the name of a limit structure for a flow battery stack and a flow battery stack. It can be seen from it that the single cell needs to be stacked up and down to a certain accuracy in order to allow the screw to pass through the single cell for tightening. Therefore, the accuracy requirements of the robotic arm are relatively high. In the prior art, in order to facilitate loading, the position of the single cell stack is usually a fixed platform. After each single cell is taken away, the height of the single cell stack will drop, making the stroke of the robotic arm different each time, and the operation will be more complicated and the control is not accurate. At the same time, the single battery itself is large in size and the surface is not flat, so it is easy to tilt in one direction during the stacking process. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the defects existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a single battery stacking tool so that the single batteries taken by the robot arm can be kept in the same position.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, on the one hand, the technical solutions adopted are:

[0006] The present application provides a single battery stacking tool, comprising:

[0007] abutment;

[0008] A lifting device, which is movably mounted on the base along the stacking direction of the single cells;

[0009] A basic baffle, which is fixedly mounted on the base and located beside the lifting device;

[0010] A limit baffle, which is installed on the base through a driving device, and the limit baffle is in multiple numbers and is located in the circumference of the lifting device, and the driving device is used to control the limit baffle to move in the vertical direction along the stacking direction of the single battery;

[0011] A position sensor is mounted on the base and close to the edge of the lifting device, and the position sensor is also connected to the drive device signal;

[0012] The basic baffle, the lifting device and the limit baffle form a space for accommodating single batteries.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the single cells are placed in the space formed by the basic baffle, the limit baffle and the lifting device during the stacking process. The single cells can be stacked neatly through the squeezing of the limit baffle. At the same time, the lifting device lifts one end after each single cell is taken, so that each single cell is kept near the top of the basic baffle and the limit baffle, so that the stroke of the robot arm is fixed, reducing equipment requirements. The position sensor detects whether the single cell is aligned in place to prevent the limit baffle from squeezing the single cell excessively and damaging it. After the lifting device completely delivers the single cell, it happens to be on the top of the limit baffle, which is convenient for placing the single cell for the next processing.

[0014] Preferably, the lifting device comprises:

[0015] A lifting screw, which is rotatably mounted on the base;

[0016] A lifting base plate connected to the lifting screw via a screw nut;

[0017] The lifting top plate is connected to the lifting bottom plate via a plurality of sliding columns, and the sliding columns pass through the base and are slidably connected to the base.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution,

[0019] Preferably, the limit baffle includes:

[0020] A base plate is connected to the base platform via a slide rail slider;

[0021] There are multiple limiting arms, which are arranged on the top surface of the substrate.

[0022] By adopting the above solution, the sliding setting between the substrate and the slider can reduce the sliding resistance of the substrate, making the substrate slide more smoothly. On the other hand, the limit arm can be replaced with different shapes and models according to different production batches, and the travel can be set, which is helpful for adapting to the needs of rapid adjustment of the production line. At the same time, since the structure of the single cell itself is relatively fragile, the driving force of this structure is weak and it is not easy to damage the single cell.

[0023] Preferably, a slope is provided at the top end of each of the limiting arms facing the space for accommodating the single battery.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the inclined surface can automatically align the single battery sheet and place it into the tooling, which can effectively reduce the difficulty of alignment during loading.

[0025] Preferably, the base comprises a first table top, a connecting column and a second table top arranged from top to bottom;

[0026] The first desktop and the second desktop are connected via a plurality of connecting columns;

[0027] The position sensor is installed on the first desktop, and the lifting device is installed between the first desktop and the second desktop;

[0028] A limiting pad is installed on a side of the second desktop facing the lifting device.

[0029] By adopting the above technical solution, the base is divided into a first desktop and a second desktop. On the one hand, heavier structures can be installed on the first desktop to facilitate the adjustment of the center of gravity. On the other hand, more installation space can be provided to help install other structures. The purpose of setting the limit pad is to prevent the lifting device from excessively pressing down and damaging the base, and to provide a force feedback to the lifting device. At the same time, because the loading speed is usually much faster than the robot arm's access speed, the tooling needs to be placed for a long time before it can be used after being filled with single batteries. The limit pad can also play a supporting and shock-absorbing role, thereby extending the service life of the lifting mechanism.

[0030] Preferably, a contact sensor is provided on the first desktop, and the contact sensor is connected to the lifting device by signal.

[0031] By adopting the above technical solution, the contact sensor is used to determine the position of the lowest position on the one hand to prevent the lifting device from being pressed down without limit, and on the other hand it can send a full load signal to other control devices or display mechanisms to indicate that loading has been completed to avoid overloading.

[0032] Preferably, an artificial triggering device is provided on the base platform, and the artificial triggering device is connected to the lifting device signal.

[0033] By adopting the above technical solution, because the current single battery is large in size and thin in thickness, the use of conveyor belt-like structures for automated transportation is prone to slippage, bumps and other accidents that may cause damage to the single battery. Therefore, the main force of transportation still relies on semi-manual methods such as forklifts and carts, so manpower is often required when loading materials onto the tooling. At this time, setting up a manual trigger device allows workers to adjust the lifting device to rise or fall according to the loading progress. The manual trigger device needs to be selected according to the production environment. For example, in a process where the single battery size is smaller, workers are required to manually lift the single battery for loading. At this time, a foot pedal can be selected. When a forklift is used for batch loading, a wireless remote control receiver or a wired remote control can be used.

[0034] Preferably, positioning points are provided at the top ends of the base baffle and the limit baffle.

[0035] By adopting the above technical solution, the positioning point can assist the mechanical vision of the robot arm to correct the deviation, thereby improving the positioning accuracy and service life of the robot arm.

[0036] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by this application include:

[0037] The single battery stacking tool of the present application drives the lifting and lowering of the single battery stack through the movement of the lifting device, and makes the single battery stack more regular through the action of the basic baffle and the limit baffle. The combination of the two can make the single battery taken by the robot arm each time in the same spatial position, reducing the control requirements for the robot arm, while improving the stacking accuracy when stacking into a battery stack, and improving the quality of the battery stack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of another perspective of this application.

[0041] Reference numerals:

[0042] 1. Base; 11. First desktop; 12. Second desktop; 13. Connecting column; 14. Limit pad; 15. Contact sensor; 2. Lifting device; 21. Lifting screw; 22. Lifting bottom plate; 23. Lifting top plate; 24. Sliding column; 3. Basic baffle; 4. Limit baffle; 41. Base plate; 42. Limit arm; 5. Driving device; 6. Position sensor; 7. Manual trigger device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] In the present application, a single battery stacking tool is provided, including a base 1, a lifting device 2, a basic baffle 3, a limit baffle 4 and a position sensor 6.

[0045] See also Figure 1 The base 1 is table-shaped, which mainly plays the role of stabilizing the foundation. The appearance of the base 1 is similar to the single battery to be carried, but the size is larger than the single battery to be carried. The lifting device 2 or building is set on the base 1 and moves along the stacking direction. In general embodiments, considering the convenience of the manipulator to take and the convenience of stacking the single battery, the stacking direction is the vertical direction, but there are also some embodiments where the single battery size is smaller, and it will also be stacked in the horizontal direction. At this time, the activity direction of the lifting device 2 is the horizontal direction. The basic baffle 3 plays a basic positioning role. Generally, it is permanently fixed by bolts and other structures after the position is marked on the base 1. The limit baffle 4 is driven by the driving device 5 to move in the vertical direction of the single battery stacking direction. When the single battery is not stacked neatly, the single battery stack is pushed by the limit baffle 4 to make it flush. The position sensor 6 is set on the base 1, close to the lifting device 2, and is used to determine whether the inclination of the single battery stack reaches the threshold. The position sensor 6 used in this embodiment is an infrared laser sensor, the transmitting end is placed on the base 1, and the receiving end is installed on the ceiling or a nearby bracket according to the scene.

[0046] See also Figure 1The supporting structure of the lifting device 2 is divided into three parts, including a lifting top plate 23, a lifting bottom plate 22 and a sliding column 24, wherein the lifting top plate 23 and the lifting bottom plate 22 are connected by the sliding column 24, and the number of the sliding columns 24 is multiple and the diameter is relatively large. Since conventional power mechanisms are prone to generate certain vibrations, the structure of the sliding column 24 is adopted to make the moving parts and the base 1 come into contact, so that part of the vibration can be eliminated through the base 1, which is also conducive to maintaining the sliding direction of the lifting top plate 23 and reducing the deviation. The lifting screw 21 is connected to the lifting bottom plate 22 through a screw nut. The screw has high precision, and the vibration is usually circumferential, which can reduce the overall vibration of the equipment during operation.

[0047] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The limit baffle 4 is mainly used to help the single cells to be stacked neatly. However, in the actual production process of the single cells, the size of the single cells often varies according to the incoming materials and production requirements, which requires frequent adjustment of the tooling. Therefore, the limit baffle 4 includes a base plate 41 and a limit arm 42. The base plate 41 is connected to the base 1 through a slide rail slider. For details, see Figure 1 , in each direction, there are two slide rails and two sliders, and the substrate 41 is a thicker plate that fixes the two sliders. The limit arm 42 is set on the pole plate. Considering the support effect, each limit arm 42 is on the same vertical plane as a slider. At the same time, the weight of the substrate 41 in this embodiment is heavier than the sum of the two limit arms 42 to stabilize the shape of the limit arm 42. The limit arm 42 is in the shape of a long strip, with a narrow top and a wide bottom. At the same time, the middle is hollowed out to reduce the weight. The side close to the single cell is close to a vertical straight line. In most embodiments, it only needs to be set to a vertical direction. In some embodiments, in order to avoid the resistance caused by the clamping of the limit arm 42 when the robot arm grabs, the side of the limit arm 42 close to the single cell has an inclination of 0-1° with the horizontal plane, and the inclination direction is toward the side away from the single cell, so that there can be a certain gap between the limit arm 42 and the single cell near the top of the single cell stack. The top surface of the limiting arm 42 is provided with an inclined surface for facilitating the insertion of the single battery, so that when the single battery is placed into the tooling, even if it is not fully aligned, it can slide in naturally due to the effect of the inclined surface.

[0048] See also Figure 1, the base 1 is divided into two upper and lower desktops, including a first desktop 11 and a second desktop 12, and the two desktops are connected by a connecting column 13. Setting up two desktops allows the heavier part to be installed on the second desktop 12 close to the ground on the one hand, and on the other hand, it leaves enough space for various forms of lifting devices 2. Specifically, various sensors similar to the position sensor 6 are installed on the first desktop 11, and heavy objects such as motors are installed on the second desktop 12. A limit pad 14 is also provided on the second desktop 12. The limit pad 14 is a soft structure. When the lifting device 2 contacts the limit pad 14, the lifting device 2 has not reached the lowest position. After the limit pad 14 is partially pressed down, the lifting device 2 reaches the lowest position. In the actual production process, multiple tooling provided in this embodiment is usually used in turn to ensure that the production process is not paused. In this state, some tooling will inevitably be filled with single batteries and parked for a period of time. At the same time, the battery stack is combined according to the products of other production lines to form a single battery. There are often adjustments to the battery stack production plan according to the production status of other production lines, resulting in the tooling needing to be fully loaded and parked for a long time. This makes the lifting device 2 in the tooling bear load in a static state, which may cause long-term accuracy problems. Taking the lead screw of this embodiment as an example, when the tooling is fully loaded and parked, the load-bearing part is the bottom of the lead screw. Long-term static load-bearing will cause the thread deformation here to affect the accuracy. At this time, the limit pad 14 can help the lifting device 2 to bear part of the weight. In this embodiment, it helps the lead screw to bear the weight, which helps the lead screw to maintain accuracy for a long time. Also considering that the measurement of the bottom structure position always produces deviations due to long-term parking at full load, a contact sensor 15 is installed on the first desktop 11. When the lifting device 2 contacts the contact sensor 15, it is considered to have reached the limit position, and the contact sensor 15 sends a signal to the lifting device 2 to stop working.

[0049] See also Figure 1 In the production of single cells, due to the structural size limitations of the single cells themselves and the factors of coordination between multiple production lines, semi-manual transportation, such as carts or forklifts, is currently still used in multiple production locations. This requires manual coordination to load materials into the tooling, so a manual trigger device 7 is set on the base 1. Specifically, the manual trigger device 7 in this embodiment is two foot pedals, which control the lifting and lowering respectively. In the tooling that cooperates with the forklift, a limited remote control can be set, or a wireless remote control can be set to cooperate with the receiving device, so that people can control the lifting and lowering in the forklift.

[0050] Since the limit baffle 4 is relatively small in size, and has obvious features such as the pointed top and inclined surface, and is relatively fixed in position, it is often used as a mechanical vision-assisted calibration of the robot arm. In some embodiments, in order to improve the calibration effect of the limit baffle 4, a positioning point is set at the top of the limit baffle 4 and the base baffle 3. Specifically, the positioning point is in the shape of a round-headed column, and its color is completely different from that of the limit baffle 4. It will be more prominent in mechanical vision than the appearance of a single battery, and can play a role in calibration and positioning.

[0051] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0052] It should be noted that, in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0053] The above description is only a specific implementation of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest range consistent with the principles and novel features applied for herein.

Claims

1. A single battery stacking tool, characterized in that: include: abutment(1); A lifting device (2) is movably mounted on the base platform (1) along the direction of stacking the single cells; A base baffle (3) is fixedly mounted on the base (1) and is located next to the lifting device (2); A limit baffle (4) is installed on the base (1) via a driving device (5); the limit baffle (4) is provided in a plurality and is located in the circumference of the lifting device (2); the driving device (5) is used to control the movement of the limit baffle (4) in a vertical direction along the stacking direction of the single cells; and the top ends of the limit baffle (4) and the base baffle (3) are both provided with positioning points; A position sensor (6) is mounted on the base (1) and is close to the edge of the lifting device (2), and the position sensor (6) is also connected to the drive device (5) by signal; The basic baffle plate (3), the lifting device (2) and the limit baffle plate (4) form a space for accommodating a single battery.

2. The single battery stacking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting device (2) comprises: A lifting screw (21) is rotatably mounted on the base (1); A lifting base plate (22) connected to the lifting screw (21) via a screw nut; A lifting top plate (23) is connected to the lifting bottom plate (22) via a plurality of sliding columns (24), wherein the sliding columns (24) pass through the base (1) and are slidably connected to the base (1).

3. The single battery stacking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limit baffle (4) comprises: A base plate (41) is connected to the base platform (1) via a slide rail and a slider; There are multiple limiting arms (42) which are arranged on the top surface of the base plate (41).

4. The single battery stacking tool according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the limiting arms (42) is provided with an inclined surface at the top end thereof facing the space for accommodating the single battery.

5. The single battery stacking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (1) comprises a first tabletop (11), a connecting column (13) and a second tabletop (12) arranged from top to bottom; The first desktop (11) and the second desktop (12) are connected via a plurality of connecting columns (13); The position sensor (6) is installed on the first desktop (11), and the lifting device (2) is installed between the first desktop (11) and the second desktop (12); A limiting pad (14) is installed on a side of the second table top (12) facing the lifting device (2).

6. The single battery stacking tool according to claim 5, characterized in that: A contact sensor (15) is provided on the first desktop (11), and the contact sensor (15) is connected to the lifting device (2) by signal.

7. The single battery stacking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base platform (1) is provided with an artificial trigger device (7), and the artificial trigger device (7) is connected to the lifting device (2) by signal.

8. The single battery stacking tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: Positioning points are provided at the top ends of the base baffle (3) and the limit baffle (4).