Tunnel furnace and production line

Abstract

The utility model provides a tunnel furnace and a production line, the tunnel furnace comprises a furnace body and an annular conveyor line, the furnace body is provided with a heating cavity, and one side of the furnace body is provided with a feed / discharge port communicated with the heating cavity; the annular conveying line is arranged in the heating cavity and comprises a linear section and a curve section formed by bending in the height direction, and the annular conveying line passes through the feeding / discharging opening so that feeding and discharging can be achieved through the feeding / discharging opening; by means of the arrangement, the structure of the furnace body is simplified, the equipment cost is reduced, the space in the height direction in a production workshop can be fully utilized, the size of the tunnel furnace in the length direction is reduced, the occupied area of the tunnel furnace is reduced, and the equipment layout in the production workshop is optimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery core production, in particular to a tunnel furnace and a production line. Background Art

[0002] As a highly efficient and energy-saving continuous heating equipment, tunnel furnace plays an important role in the field of battery cell production technology. Existing tunnel furnaces use linear conveying, with materials fed from one side and discharged from the other side, which has the problems of large equipment size and large occupied area. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the utility model is dedicated to providing a tunnel furnace, which effectively reduces the occupied area of ​​the equipment by improving the layout of the inlet and outlet and the conveying line. In addition, the utility model also provides a production line including the above tunnel furnace.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the utility model provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] A tunnel furnace, comprising:

[0006] A furnace body having a heating chamber, and an inlet / outlet communicating with the heating chamber is arranged on one side of the furnace body;

[0007] The annular conveyor line is arranged in the heating chamber, and includes a straight line segment and a curved line segment formed by bending in the height direction. The annular conveyor line passes through the inlet / outlet so as to realize loading and unloading through the inlet / outlet.

[0008] Preferably, a heating system is included, and in the height direction, the heating system is located below the annular conveyor line.

[0009] Preferably, the heating system is a cross-flow heating system, and a plurality of the cross-flow heating systems are provided, and the plurality of cross-flow heating systems are distributed at the bottom of the furnace body along the extension direction of the straight line segment.

[0010] Preferably, the annular conveyor line comprises:

[0011] Driving mechanism;

[0012] A track, drivingly connected to the driving mechanism;

[0013] The guide mechanism is arranged at the inflection point of the circular conveyor line and is used to guide the track to change its extension direction to form the straight line segment and the curved line segment.

[0014] Preferably, a tray for carrying the workpiece is hinged on the track, and the center of gravity of the tray is lower than a hinge point between the tray and the track.

[0015] Preferably, the straight line segment and the curved line segment are distributed in sequence along the moving direction of the workpiece, and the straight line segment is located below the curved line segment.

[0016] Preferably, the furnace body is stepped, including a first top wall and a second top wall, and the height of the first top wall is lower than that of the second top wall;

[0017] The inlet / outlet is opened on the first top wall.

[0018] A production line, comprising:

[0019] Transshipment logistics line;

[0020] Tunnel furnace, which is the tunnel furnace mentioned above;

[0021] A gantry robot is located at one side of the tunnel furnace and is used to transfer the workpiece between the transfer logistics line and the tunnel furnace.

[0022] Preferably, the gantry manipulator comprises:

[0023] A gantry support, comprising a gantry support frame spanning the transfer logistics line, and a guide rail disposed on the top of the gantry support frame;

[0024] A gripping mechanism, movably disposed on the guide rail;

[0025] Wherein, the guide rail at least extends to above the inlet / outlet of the tunnel furnace, so that the gripping mechanism can load and unload materials through the inlet / outlet.

[0026] Preferably, the transfer logistics line includes a loading logistics line and a unloading logistics line, and the loading logistics line and the unloading logistics line are arranged side by side along the length direction of the tunnel furnace.

[0027] It can be seen from the above technical scheme that the tunnel furnace provided by the utility model is provided with an inlet / outlet only on one side of the furnace body. On the one hand, there is no empty load on the circular conveyor line except for the unloading area. In this way, the circular conveyor line carries the workpiece through all the circulation paths of the circular conveyor line, thereby improving the utilization rate of the energy in the heating chamber and improving the heating effect of the workpiece; on the other hand, the layout position of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism can be optimized, and the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism can even be combined into one mechanism, thereby simplifying the equipment layout in the production workshop. In addition, the circular conveyor line of the tunnel furnace includes a straight section and a curved section formed by bending in the height direction. This setting method can make full use of the space in the height direction to reduce the size of the tunnel furnace in the length direction, thereby reducing the occupied area of ​​the tunnel furnace and optimizing the equipment layout in the production workshop. And by setting a curved conveyor line, the space in the heating chamber can be fully utilized, making the structure of the tunnel furnace more compact, further reducing the volume of the tunnel furnace, reducing equipment costs, and improving heating efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of a tunnel furnace provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of a production line provided in an embodiment of the utility model.

[0030] exist Figure 1-Figure 2 middle:

[0031] 1-furnace body, 2-guiding mechanism, 3-annular conveyor line, 4-tray, 5-throughflow heating system, 6-inlet / outlet, 7-driving mechanism, 8-gantry manipulator, 9-logistics transfer line;

[0032] 31-straight line segment, 32-curve segment;

[0033] 81-grasping mechanism, 82-guide rail, 83-gantry support frame;

[0034] 91-loading logistics line, 92-unloading logistics line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0036] First of all, it should be noted that the tunnel furnace in the present invention is suitable for heating workpieces, wherein the workpieces may be battery cells, battery cell groups, and the like.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the tunnel furnace in the utility model includes a furnace body 1 and an annular conveyor line 3 (i.e., a closed conveyor line), the furnace body 1 includes a furnace wall and a heating chamber formed by the furnace wall, and a feed / discharge port 6 is provided on one side of the furnace body 1, and the feed / discharge port 6 is used to connect the outside of the furnace body 1 and the heating chamber. The annular conveyor line 3 is provided in the heating chamber, and passes through the above-mentioned feed / discharge port 6. When the tunnel furnace is used to heat the workpiece, a loading mechanism (such as a robotic arm, etc.) is used to place the workpiece to be heated on the conveyor line through the feed / discharge port 6; thereafter, the conveyor line drives the workpiece to move along a preset trajectory in the heating chamber, and gradually heats up during the movement until the process requirements are met and the workpiece returns to the feed / discharge port 6 again; at this time, a unloading mechanism (such as a robotic arm, etc.) is used to take out the workpiece after heating, and the heating process can be completed.

[0038] It should be noted that, in the above-mentioned heating process, the conveyor line preferably drives the workpiece to move in a cycle along the preset track in the heating chamber once, that is, after the workpiece is placed in the heating chamber through the inlet / outlet 6, when it returns to the inlet / outlet 6 again, it just meets the heating process requirements. Of course, in specific implementation, it is also possible to set the workpiece to move in a cycle along the preset track for multiple times according to process requirements before meeting the heating process requirements. For example, it is possible to set the workpiece to move in a cycle along the preset track twice or three times before meeting the heating process requirements.

[0039] During the above-mentioned workpiece heating process, the loading and unloading of the workpiece are both achieved through the same inlet / outlet 6. In this way, on the one hand, the opening structure on the furnace body 1 can be reduced, the thermal insulation capacity of the furnace body 1 can be improved, and the structure of the furnace body 1 can be simplified; on the other hand, the layout position of the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism can be optimized, and the loading mechanism and the unloading mechanism can even be merged into one mechanism, thereby simplifying the equipment layout in the production workshop.

[0040] In addition, it should be noted that if the feed port and the discharge port are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the furnace body 1, the circulating conveyor line 3 will be in an unloaded state during the return stage. In the present embodiment, the feed / discharge port 6 is arranged on one side of the furnace body 1, so that there is no unloaded state on the circular conveyor line 3 except for the unloading area, that is, the circular conveyor line 3 carries the workpiece through all the circulation paths of the circulating conveyor line 3. In this way, the utilization rate of the energy in the heating chamber can be improved, and the heating effect on the workpiece can be improved.

[0041] Furthermore, the annular conveyor line 3 includes a straight line segment 31 and a curved line segment 32 formed by bending in the height direction. This arrangement can make full use of the space in the height direction to reduce the length of the tunnel furnace (the length direction in this embodiment is as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The size of the tunnel furnace is reduced, thereby reducing the occupied area of ​​the tunnel furnace and optimizing the equipment layout in the production workshop. In addition, by setting up a curved conveyor line, the space in the heating chamber can be fully utilized, making the structure of the tunnel furnace more compact, further reducing the volume of the tunnel furnace, reducing equipment costs, and improving heating efficiency.

[0042] It should be noted that the present invention does not specifically limit the shape of the curved segment 32. During implementation, an adaptive design can be performed according to process requirements. Figure 1 As shown, the curved segment 32 is set to be S-shaped, and the curved segment 32 and the straight segment 31 cooperate to make the tool have a comb-shaped moving trajectory in the heating chamber, and the extension direction of the comb teeth is the height direction; under this setting mode, the curved segment 32 has a small resistance to the rising of the hot air flow in the heating chamber, making the temperature inside the heating chamber more uniform, thereby enabling the workpiece to be heated more uniformly. In addition, in other embodiments, the curved segment 32 can also be set to be a wavy line in a stacked arrangement.

[0043] In addition, the tunnel furnace in this embodiment includes a heating system in the height direction (such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the heating system is located below the annular conveyor line 3. With this arrangement, the heated gas in the heating chamber flows upward, which is more conducive to the circulation of the gas in the heating chamber, thereby making the temperature in the heating chamber more uniform. The heating method of the heating system can be adaptively designed according to the type of workpiece to be heated. The utility model does not limit this, but for ease of understanding, the following takes the heating system as a cross-flow heating system 5 as an example to illustrate the arrangement of the heating system in this embodiment.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, a plurality of cross-flow heating systems 5 are provided, and the plurality of cross-flow heating systems 5 are evenly distributed at the bottom of the furnace body 1 along the extension direction of the straight line segment 31. Such a configuration can further improve the uniformity of the temperature inside the heating chamber and improve the heating effect on the workpiece.

[0045] It should be understood that the number of the cross-flow heating system 5 can be adaptively designed according to the needs, and for example, it can be set to four or five. In addition, the distribution of the cross-flow heating system 5 is not limited to the uniform distribution along the extension direction of the straight line segment 31 in the above embodiment. For example, according to the process requirements, the distribution can be uneven, or a plurality of cross-flow heating systems 5 can be arranged in an array.

[0046] It should also be understood that the cross-flow heating system 5 is arranged at the bottom of the furnace body 1 is only a preferred arrangement, and the tunnel furnace in the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it can also be arranged on the side or top of the furnace body 1.

[0047] In addition, the annular conveyor line 3 in the present embodiment includes a driving mechanism 7, a track and a guide mechanism 2, wherein the driving mechanism 7 is the power mechanism of the annular conveyor line 3, which is connected to the track transmission to drive the track to move cyclically along a preset trajectory. As for the specific structure of the driving mechanism 7, during the implementation process, it can be designed according to the setting method of the track. For example, in some embodiments, the track is a chain track assembly (the specific structure of the chain track assembly can refer to the prior art and will not be repeated here). At this time, the driving mechanism 7 may include structures such as a driving motor, a reducer, a transmission shaft and a transmission gear.

[0048] Furthermore, the guide mechanism 2 is arranged at the turning point of the circular conveyor line 3 (the turning point here refers to the position where the extension direction of the circular conveyor line 3 changes), and is used to guide the rail 82 to change the extension direction to form the above-mentioned straight segment 31 and curved segment 32.

[0049] Furthermore, a tray 4 for carrying the workpiece is hinged on the track, and the center of gravity of the tray 4 is lower than the hinge point between the tray 4 and the track. With this arrangement, when the tray 4 is driven by the track and moves to a position where the extension direction of the track changes, the tray 4 can rotate relative to the track, so that the carrying surface of the tray 4 (i.e., the surface for carrying the workpiece) is always facing a fixed direction (i.e., a direction that is convenient for taking and placing the workpiece and can ensure that the workpiece will not slip, for example, this direction can be the opposite direction of gravity), thereby preventing the workpiece from falling during movement.

[0050] In addition, under the premise that the heating system is located below the annular conveyor, in some preferred embodiments, the straight segment 31 and the curved segment 32 of the annular conveyor line 3 are distributed in sequence along the moving direction of the workpiece, and the straight segment 31 is arranged below the curved segment 32; with such a configuration, the workpiece to be heated will preferentially pass through the straight segment 31 in the heating chamber, and since the straight segment 31 is located below the curved segment 32, when the workpiece passes through the straight segment 31, it is closer to the through-flow heating system 5, thereby allowing the workpiece to be heated to the preset temperature faster to ensure the heating efficiency of the tunnel furnace.

[0051] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the furnace body 1 is stepped, including a first top wall and a second top wall, and the height of the first top wall is lower than that of the second top wall, and the inlet / outlet 6 is opened on the first top wall. In such a configuration, during the operation, on the one hand, the loading and unloading mechanism (such as a manipulator) places the workpiece on the circular conveyor line 3 from above the circular conveyor line 3, which can avoid interference between the loading and unloading mechanism and the circular conveyor line 3, thereby ensuring the normal loading and unloading; on the other hand, the above configuration method is conducive to optimizing the equipment layout in the production workshop, and can avoid the loading and unloading mechanism being unable to move to the top of the inlet / outlet 6 due to the limited height inside the production workshop, thereby affecting the loading and unloading.

[0052] In addition, an embodiment of the utility model also provides a production line, which includes a transfer logistics line, the above-mentioned tunnel furnace and a gantry robot 8. It should be noted that since the production line includes the above-mentioned tunnel furnace, the beneficial effects brought about by the tunnel furnace on the production line are detailed in the above discussion, and the utility model will not be repeated here.

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, the gantry manipulator 8 is located on one side of the tunnel furnace, and only one is provided, that is, the gantry manipulator 8 in this embodiment is used as both a loading mechanism and a unloading mechanism; specifically, during the operation, the gantry manipulator 8 first takes the heated workpiece out of the tunnel furnace through the inlet / outlet 6, and places the heated workpiece on the transfer logistics line, then grabs a new workpiece to be heated from the transfer logistics line, and places the workpiece to be heated on the annular conveyor line 3 of the heating chamber. Since only one gantry manipulator 8 is provided in the above-mentioned setting method, the equipment can be simplified, the equipment cost can be reduced, and the space occupation of the equipment can be reduced, which is conducive to the equipment layout in the production workshop.

[0054] Of course, multiple gantry manipulators 8 can also be set, and multiple gantry manipulators 8 can work together to complete the loading and unloading work. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, two gantry manipulators 8 are set, and the two gantry manipulators 8 are located on the same side of the tunnel furnace, respectively used for loading and unloading. Such a setting can effectively improve the efficiency of loading and unloading and ensure the normal operation of the tunnel furnace. In addition, in other embodiments, four gantry manipulators 8 can also be set, and the four gantry manipulators 8 are grouped in two, respectively used to realize loading and unloading.

[0055] Further, such as Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the gantry manipulator 8 includes a gantry support and a gripping mechanism 81, wherein the gantry support includes a gantry support frame 83 across the transfer logistics line, and a guide rail 82 arranged on the top of the gantry support frame 83; the gripping mechanism 81 is arranged on the guide rail 82, and can move relative to the guide rail 82 along the extension direction of the guide rail 82. In addition, the end of the guide rail 82 close to the tunnel furnace at least extends to the top of the inlet / outlet 6 of the tunnel furnace, so that the gripping mechanism 81 can load and unload materials through the inlet / outlet 6. Specifically, during the operation of the production line, the gripping mechanism 81 moves to the top of the inlet / outlet 6 and extends into the heating chamber to take out the heated workpiece, then the gripping mechanism 81 moves to the top of the transfer logistics line, places the heated workpiece on the transfer logistics line, and grabs a new workpiece to be heated, then the gripping mechanism 81 moves with the workpiece to be heated to the top of the inlet / outlet 6, and places the workpiece to be heated on the annular conveyor line 3 of the heating chamber, thereby realizing loading and unloading.

[0056] Further, such as Figure 2As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the logistics transfer line 9 includes a loading logistics line 91 and a unloading logistics line 92, and the loading logistics line 91 and the unloading logistics line 92 are arranged side by side along the length direction of the tunnel furnace. In this way, the heated workpiece and the workpiece to be heated have different transfer routes, which can avoid the mixing of the heated workpiece and the workpiece to be heated. In addition, the loading logistics line 91 and the unloading logistics line 92 are arranged side by side, so that the movement paths of the gantry manipulator 8 between the inlet / outlet 6, the loading logistics line 91 and the unloading logistics line 92 overlap, which makes it easier for the gantry manipulator 8 to place the heated workpiece on the logistics transfer line 9 and grab the workpiece to be heated from the logistics transfer line 9.

[0057] The basic principle of the present invention is described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, it should be pointed out that the advantages, strengths, effects, etc. mentioned in the present invention are only examples and not limitations, and it cannot be considered that these advantages, strengths, effects, etc. must be possessed by each embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the specific details disclosed above are only for the purpose of illustration and ease of understanding, not limitation, and the above details do not limit the present invention to be implemented by adopting the above specific details.

[0058] It should also be noted that in the device, apparatus and method of the present invention, each component or each step can be decomposed and / or reassembled, and such decomposition and / or reassembly shall be regarded as an equivalent solution of the present invention.

[0059] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0060] It should be understood that the limiting terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", "fifth" and "sixth" used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention are only used to more clearly explain the technical solutions and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0061] The above description has been given for the purpose of illustration and description. In addition, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of the utility model to the forms disclosed herein. Although multiple example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, changes, additions and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A tunnel furnace, characterized in that: include: A furnace body having a heating chamber, and an inlet / outlet communicating with the heating chamber is arranged on one side of the furnace body; The annular conveyor line is arranged in the heating chamber, and includes a straight line segment and a curved line segment formed by bending in the height direction. The annular conveyor line passes through the inlet / outlet so as to realize loading and unloading through the inlet / outlet.

2. The tunnel furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heating system is included, and in the height direction, the heating system is located below the annular conveying line.

3. The tunnel furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heating system is a cross-flow heating system, and a plurality of the cross-flow heating systems are provided, and the plurality of cross-flow heating systems are distributed at the bottom of the furnace body along the extension direction of the straight line segment.

4. The tunnel furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The annular conveyor line comprises: Driving mechanism; A track, drivingly connected to the driving mechanism; The guide mechanism is arranged at the inflection point of the circular conveyor line and is used to guide the track to change its extension direction to form the straight line segment and the curved line segment.

5. The tunnel furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that: A tray for carrying workpieces is hinged on the track, and the center of gravity of the tray is lower than a hinge point between the tray and the track.

6. The tunnel furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: The straight line segment and the curved line segment are distributed in sequence along the moving direction of the workpiece, and the straight line segment is located below the curved line segment.

7. The tunnel furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The furnace body is stepped, comprising a first top wall and a second top wall, and the height of the first top wall is lower than that of the second top wall; The inlet / outlet is opened on the first top wall.

8. A production line, characterized in that: include: Transshipment logistics line; The tunnel furnace is the tunnel furnace described in any one of claims 1 to 7; The gantry manipulator is located at one side of the tunnel furnace and is used to transfer the workpiece between the transfer logistics line and the tunnel furnace.

9. The production line according to claim 8, characterized in that: The gantry manipulator comprises: A gantry support, comprising a gantry support frame spanning the transfer logistics line, and a guide rail disposed on the top of the gantry support frame; A gripping mechanism, movably disposed on the guide rail; Wherein, the guide rail at least extends to above the inlet / outlet of the tunnel furnace, so that the gripping mechanism can load and unload materials through the inlet / outlet.

10. The production line according to claim 8, characterized in that: The transfer logistics line includes a loading logistics line and a unloading logistics line, and the loading logistics line and the unloading logistics line are arranged side by side along the length direction of the tunnel furnace.

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