Battery detection system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a battery detection system. The battery detection system comprises a base; the housing is arranged above the base, defines a detection bin and is provided with a material inlet and a material outlet; an X-ray detection head; the platform is used for bearing the battery; the platform can rotate, one part of the platform is located in the detection bin, and during rotation, the battery can enter the detection bin through the feeding and discharging port in a rotating mode so that the battery can be detected by the X-ray detection head, and the detected battery can leave the detection bin through the feeding and discharging port in a rotating mode so that the battery can be conveyed out of the battery detection system. The battery detection system further comprises a shielding device which is used for at least partially shielding the material inlet and outlet so as to prevent X-rays from leaking from the material inlet and outlet. According to the battery detection system provided by the utility model, the high-speed rotating platform can meet the high-beat requirement of on-line battery detection, and the shielding device can better prevent leakage of X-rays, so that the safety of operators is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery detection, in particular to a battery detection system. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing popularity of new energy vehicles, battery technology is also developing rapidly. Lithium-ion batteries, due to their advantages such as high operating voltage, light weight, and high energy density, have been widely researched and applied in the new energy vehicle sector. Due to the high safety requirements for lithium-ion batteries, the manufacturing process places extremely high demands on the precision, stability, and automation of lithium battery equipment. Furthermore, battery testing is a crucial step in determining the quality and safety of manufactured batteries. The lithium battery production process is complex and can be generally divided into the front-end process (electrode sheet manufacturing), the middle process (cell synthesis), and the back-end process (formation and packaging). X-ray nondestructive testing is commonly used in the back-end process of lithium battery production. It is primarily used to verify that the internal structure of the packaged lithium battery complies with the production process. This includes determining the alignment of the stacked or wound sheets, the internal structure of the tabs and the coating of the positive and negative tabs, and the condition of the negative electrode and the shell wall (such as spacing, contact distance, and tab bending). Inspection images can be used to visually identify internal defects in packaged lithium batteries to control product quality. X-ray inspection equipment can be connected to lithium battery production lines to achieve 100% inspection of lithium batteries, automatic judgment, data storage, and defective product identification, screening and isolation, thereby realizing automated control of the entire battery testing process.

[0003] Lithium-ion battery packaging is divided into two major categories: soft-pack batteries and metal-cased batteries. Metal-cased batteries are widely used in new energy vehicles due to their high cell capacity, ease of assembly, simplified battery manufacturing, sustained high-current discharge, significantly improved internal cell protection, and the ability to be customized to meet customer needs.

[0004] However, the complex manufacturing process and variable size of metal-cased batteries also present significant challenges in the X-ray nondestructive testing process. Furthermore, due to the rapid production cycle of these batteries, the space available for online X-ray inspection equipment in factories is limited. This makes existing online X-ray inspection equipment difficult to meet the inspection requirements of batteries with varying square casings, resulting in limited versatility. Furthermore, existing battery inspection equipment still has room for improvement in terms of X-ray safety protection. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present invention is proposed based on the above background, and its purpose is to propose a battery detection system with a compact structure and relatively small size for online X-ray detection, so as to achieve high-speed battery detection while also improving the operator's work safety as much as possible.

[0006] In view of this, the present invention proposes a battery detection system, which includes: a base; a cover shell arranged above the base, the cover shell defining a detection chamber, which is provided with an inlet and outlet; an X-ray detection head arranged in the detection chamber; and a platform for carrying batteries arranged on the base; wherein the platform is capable of rotating around a vertical axis and a portion of it is located in the detection chamber, so that when the platform rotates, the battery to be detected on the platform can be rotated into the detection chamber through the inlet and outlet and detected by the X-ray detection head, and the detected battery can be rotated out of the detection chamber through the inlet and outlet so as to transport the detected battery out of the battery detection system; wherein the battery detection system also includes a shielding device for at least partially blocking the inlet and outlet to avoid leakage of X-rays from the inlet and outlet.

[0007] As an advantageous embodiment, the shielding device comprises a first shielding member arranged on the platform surface, the first shielding member comprises a plurality of separators extending in a radial direction of the platform, the plurality of separators defining a plurality of sections on the platform surface for placing batteries.

[0008] As a favorable embodiment, the first shielding member further includes a central ring portion, and the plurality of separators extend radially outward from the periphery of the central ring portion, the central ring portion divides the platform surface into a central area and a peripheral area, and the plurality of separators divide the peripheral area of ​​the platform surface into the plurality of sections for placing batteries.

[0009] As an advantageous embodiment, the vertical height of the separator is equal to the vertical height of the central ring portion, and the radial length of the separator is equal to the radial width of the outer peripheral area.

[0010] As an advantageous embodiment, the plurality of separators include a common connecting end located at the center of the platform surface, and the plurality of separators extend outward from the connecting end along the radial direction of the platform to separate the entire platform surface into the plurality of sections for placing batteries.

[0011] As a favorable embodiment, the shielding device further includes a second shielding member, which is used to cover at least the portion of the platform located outside the inspection chamber, and the second shielding member is provided with a battery inlet channel and a battery outlet channel, and the battery inlet channel and the battery outlet channel are respectively aligned with one of the sections of the platform surface.

[0012] As an advantageous embodiment, the battery testing system further comprises an automatic clamping mechanism, a first conveying mechanism for conveying batteries to be tested, and a second conveying mechanism for conveying batteries with defects after testing.

[0013] As a favorable embodiment, the automatic clamping mechanism includes a first manipulator arranged adjacent to the battery inlet channel and a second manipulator arranged adjacent to the battery outlet channel, the first manipulator is used to take out the battery to be tested from the first conveying mechanism and place it onto the platform through the battery inlet channel, and the second manipulator is used to take out the tested battery from the platform through the battery outlet channel and place the tested battery onto the first conveying mechanism or the second conveying mechanism.

[0014] As an advantageous embodiment, each of the first manipulator and the second manipulator comprises a base fixed on the pedestal and a gripper movable in multiple degrees of freedom relative to the base.

[0015] As an advantageous embodiment, the first conveying mechanism and the second conveying mechanism are arranged perpendicular to each other.

[0016] As an advantageous embodiment, the battery testing system further comprises a flipping mechanism located in the testing chamber, and the flipping mechanism is capable of flipping the battery to be tested on the platform.

[0017] As an advantageous embodiment, at least a portion of the shielding device and the cover are made of a material that is capable of preventing X-rays from penetrating. The material that is capable of preventing X-rays from penetrating is lead.

[0018] As an advantageous embodiment, the platform has a rotationally symmetrical shape.

[0019] As an advantageous embodiment, the platform is circular.

[0020] According to the battery detection system of the present invention, on the one hand, the high-speed rotating platform can meet the high-beat requirements of online battery detection, and on the other hand, the shielding device provided in conjunction with the rotating platform can better prevent the leakage of X-rays, thereby ensuring the safety of the operator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through the detailed description provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following drawings are merely schematic and not necessarily drawn to scale, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the present invention, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 Shows a perspective view of a battery detection system according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the battery testing system taken along a plane parallel to the top surface of the cover forming the testing chamber is shown;

[0024] Figure 3a shows a first shield secured to a platform according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0025] Figure 3b shows a first shield secured to a platform according to another exemplary embodiment;

[0026] Figure 4 A second shielding member is shown that covers at least the portion of the platform outside the inspection chamber from the outside of the inspection chamber;

[0027] Figure 5a Shown is the removal of batteries from the platform by an automatic gripping mechanism;

[0028] Figure 5b Shown is the process of picking up and placing batteries from a first conveying mechanism (such as a customer logistics line) by an automatic gripping mechanism; and

[0029] Figure 5c It shows that batteries are taken from a first conveying mechanism (such as a customer logistics line) by an automatic clamping mechanism and the batteries with defects after inspection are placed on a second conveying mechanism (such as a defective product line). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth so that those skilled in the art can more fully understand and implement the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be implemented without some of these specific details. Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, any combination of the features and elements described below may be considered to implement the present invention, regardless of whether they relate to different embodiments. Therefore, the following aspects, features, embodiments, and advantages are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as elements or limitations of the claims unless expressly set forth in the claims.

[0031] In the following description, terms such as "first," "second," and the like are used to describe elements of the present application. These terms are only used to distinguish between the elements and are not used to limit the nature, order, or number of the elements. The terms "including" and "having" are used to express an open-ended inclusive meaning and mean that additional elements / components may be present in addition to the listed elements / components.

[0032] Figure 1FIG1 shows a perspective view of a battery detection system according to an embodiment of the present utility model. Figure 1 As shown, the battery testing system 1 includes: a fixed base 10 and a cover 20 arranged above the base 10, and the cover 20 is made of, for example, a material that can prevent X-rays from penetrating (such as lead). Figure 2 FIG1 shows a cross-sectional view of the battery detection system taken along a plane parallel to the top surface of the housing. Figure 2 As shown, the housing 20 defines a detection chamber 30, which is provided with an inlet and outlet 31 (see Figure 4 The battery inspection system further includes an X-ray inspection head 40 disposed within the inspection chamber 30 and a platform 50 disposed on the base 10 for supporting the battery. The platform 50 is rotationally symmetrical, such as a circle. The platform 50 is capable of rotating about a vertical axis (e.g., it may be provided with a stepper motor to achieve step-by-step rotational feed motion) and is partially located within the inspection chamber 30.

[0033] When the platform 50 rotates, the battery 2 to be inspected placed on the platform can be rotated into the inspection chamber 30 through the inlet and outlet 31 so as to be inspected by the X-ray inspection head 40 (see FIG. Figure 2 ), and can rotate the tested batteries out of the testing bin 30 through the inlet and outlet 31, placing them in the unloading position, thereby allowing the tested batteries 2 to be transported out of the battery testing system 1 based on the battery test results. For example, if the tested batteries are of qualified quality, they can be returned to the customer logistics line, while if the tested batteries have quality defects, they can be placed on the defective product line.

[0034] Taking into account that when using X-rays to inspect batteries, there may be leakage of X-ray radiation at the inlet and outlet, which may pose a safety hazard to the operator, the battery inspection system 1 according to the present invention also includes a shielding device 60 for at least partially shielding the inlet and outlet of the inspection bin, and at least a portion of the shielding device 60 is made of a material that can prevent X-rays from penetrating (such as lead).

[0035] Specifically, if Figure 3aAs shown, the shielding device 60 includes a first shielding member 61 disposed on the platform surface. The first shielding member 61 comprises a central ring portion 611 and a plurality of separators 612 extending radially outward from the periphery of the central ring portion 611. The central ring portion 611 divides the platform surface into a central region and a peripheral region, and the plurality of separators 612 are used to separate the peripheral region of the platform surface into multiple sections for placing batteries. Thus, utilizing this structural form of the first shielding member 61, it is possible to at least partially block the inlet and outlet of the inspection chamber 30 without affecting the normal transportation and inspection of the batteries. Preferably, the vertical height of the separators 612 is equal to that of the central ring portion 611, and the radial length L of the separators 612 is equal to the radial width W of the peripheral region. This allows the inlet and outlet of the inspection chamber to be blocked to the greatest extent possible with the smallest possible gap, thereby optimally preventing any leakage of X-rays from the inspection chamber 30.

[0036] As another exemplary embodiment, Figure 3b As shown, the first shielding member 61' is provided with a plurality of separators 612'. The plurality of separators include a common connection end 611' located at the center of the platform surface. The plurality of separators extend outward from the connection end 611' along the radial direction of the platform to divide substantially the entire platform surface into the plurality of sections for placing batteries, wherein each section is fan-shaped. Of course, other structural forms of shielding members are also feasible, as long as they can achieve the function intended herein (i.e., at least partially shielding the inlet and outlet to prevent X-ray leakage).

[0037] However, in order to further reduce X-ray leakage and make the entire battery detection system meet safety standards, it is also advantageous to provide a second shielding member 62 with a battery inlet channel 621 and a battery outlet channel 622, which can be in the form of a lead shield. Figure 4 The second shielding member 62 can be in the form of a rectangular shell (other suitable shapes, such as a circular shell, are also feasible), and is used to cover at least the portion of the platform 50 located outside the detection chamber. Of course, it is also conceivable that the second shielding member 62 covers the entire platform 50. In this way, X-rays can be prevented from directly leaking out through the inlet and outlet 31, thereby achieving leakage safety requirements.

[0038] In order to realize automatic loading / unloading of batteries to meet the high production rhythm of batteries, the battery testing system according to the present invention also includes an automatic clamping mechanism 70, a first conveying mechanism 80 for transporting batteries to be inspected (such as a customer logistics line) and a second conveying mechanism 90 for transporting batteries with defects after inspection (such as a defective product line).

[0039] Figure 5a The battery is shown being removed from the platform by an automated gripping mechanism. Figure 5b It shows that the battery is taken out from the first conveying mechanism by the automatic gripping mechanism. Figure 5c The figure shows that the battery is taken from the first conveying mechanism (such as the customer logistics line) by an automatic gripping mechanism and the defective battery is placed on the second conveying mechanism after inspection. Figure 5a The automatic gripping mechanism 70 includes a first manipulator 71 disposed adjacent to the battery inlet passage 621 and a second manipulator 72 disposed adjacent to the battery outlet passage 622. Each of the first manipulator 71 and the second manipulator 72 includes a base 711, 721 fixed to the base 10 and a gripper 712, 722 movable relative to the base in multiple (e.g., six) degrees of freedom.

[0040] Next, we will combine the reference Figure 5a 、 Figure 5b and Figure 5c The actual inspection process of the battery is described in detail. In the actual working process, the battery 2 to be inspected is grabbed by the gripper 712 of the first manipulator 71 from the first conveying mechanism 80 as the customer logistics line and placed into the corresponding entrance section on the platform through the battery entry channel 621. After the battery 2 to be inspected is brought into the inspection chamber 30 by the rotation of the platform 50, the battery 2 can be turned over, for example, by 90°, by a turning mechanism (not specifically shown in the figure, which can adopt a structural form known in the art) so that, for example, the large surface of the square shell battery faces upward (see Figure 2 ) and is moved by the rotating platform 50 to the bottom of the X-ray inspection head 40 for inspection. After the inspection is completed, the inspected battery 2 is transported to the unloading position. At this time, if the inspected battery shows no defects, it will be grasped by the gripper 722 of the second robot 72 from the corresponding exit section on the platform 50 through the battery exit channel 622 and returned to the first conveyor mechanism 80, which serves as the customer logistics line. However, if the inspected battery shows a defect, it will be grasped by the gripper 722 of the second robot 72 and placed on the second conveyor mechanism 90, such as the defective product line, for subsequent research or further inspection.

[0041] In order to make the entire battery testing system as compact as possible in terms of space, the present invention uses a high-speed rotating platform to replace the common synchronous conveyor belt structure in the prior art. In addition, the first conveying mechanism 80 and the second conveying mechanism 90 are arranged perpendicular to each other, which greatly saves the space occupied by the system. Figure 1 and Figure 4 The base 10 includes a first side surface 11 and a second side surface 12 adjacent to and perpendicular to the first side surface 11 . The first conveying mechanism 80 is arranged close to and parallel to the first side surface 11 , and the second conveying mechanism 90 is arranged close to and parallel to the second side surface 12 .

[0042] According to the battery detection system of the present invention, since the platform can be driven by a high-speed motor to achieve rapid operation, it can meet the high-beat requirements of online detection. In particular, in the device for circulating and transporting large-sized square-shell batteries, the platform according to the present invention is more compact than other devices such as synchronous conveyor belts, which can enable the battery detection system (especially the online X-ray detection system) to meet the site size restrictions. In addition, the shielding device provided in conjunction with the rotating platform (including a first shielding member arranged on the surface of the platform and a second shielding member covered above the platform) can better prevent the leakage of X-rays, thereby ensuring the safety of the operator.

[0043] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments disclosed above without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the practice of the present invention disclosed herein. This specification and the examples disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative only, and the true scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A battery detection system, characterized in that: The battery detection system (1) comprises: a base (10); a cover (20) arranged on the base (10), the cover defining a detection chamber (30) provided with an inlet and outlet (31); an X-ray detection head (40) arranged in the detection chamber (30); and a platform (50) arranged on the base (10) for supporting batteries. The platform (50) is capable of rotating about a vertical axis and a portion thereof is located within the inspection chamber (30), so that when the platform (50) rotates, the battery (2) to be inspected on the platform can be rotated into the inspection chamber (30) through the inlet and outlet ports so as to be inspected by the X-ray inspection head (40), and the inspected battery can be rotated out of the inspection chamber (30) through the inlet and outlet ports so as to be transported out of the battery inspection system; The battery detection system (1) further comprises a shielding device (60) for at least partially shielding the inlet and outlet (31) to prevent leakage of X-rays from the inlet and outlet.

2. The battery detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shielding device includes a first shielding member disposed on the platform surface, wherein the first shielding member includes a plurality of separators extending in a radial direction of the platform, and the plurality of separators define a plurality of sections on the platform surface for placing batteries.

3. The battery detection system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first shielding member further includes a central ring portion (611), wherein the plurality of separators extend radially outward from the outer periphery of the central ring portion, wherein the central ring portion (611) divides the platform surface into a central area and a peripheral area, and wherein the plurality of separators divide the peripheral area of ​​the platform surface into the plurality of sections for placing batteries.

4. The battery detection system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The vertical height of the separator is equal to the vertical height of the central ring portion (611), and the radial length (L) of the separator is equal to the radial width (W) of the peripheral area.

5. The battery detection system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of separators include a common connecting end located at the center of the platform surface. The plurality of separators extend outward from the connecting end along the radial direction of the platform to divide the entire platform surface into the plurality of sections for placing batteries.

6. The battery detection system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The shielding device (60) further includes a second shielding member (62), the second shielding member being used to cover at least a portion of the platform located outside the detection chamber (30), the second shielding member (62) being provided with a battery inlet channel (621) and a battery outlet channel (622), the battery inlet channel and the battery outlet channel being aligned with one of the sections of the platform surface respectively.

7. The battery detection system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The battery testing system (1) further comprises an automatic clamping mechanism (70), a first conveying mechanism (80) for conveying batteries to be tested, and a second conveying mechanism (90) for conveying batteries with defects after testing.

8. The battery detection system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The automatic clamping mechanism (70) includes a first manipulator (71) arranged adjacent to a battery inlet channel (621) and a second manipulator (72) arranged adjacent to a battery outlet channel (622), wherein the first manipulator is used to take out a battery to be tested from the first conveying mechanism (80) and place it onto the platform through the battery inlet channel (621), and the second manipulator (72) is used to take out a tested battery from the platform through the battery outlet channel (622) and place the tested battery onto the first conveying mechanism (80) or the second conveying mechanism (90).

9. The battery detection system according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each of the first manipulator (71) and the second manipulator (72) includes a base fixed on the base (10) and a gripper movable along multiple degrees of freedom relative to the base.

10. The battery detection system according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The first conveying mechanism (80) and the second conveying mechanism (90) are arranged perpendicular to each other.

11. The battery detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The battery detection system (1) further comprises a flipping mechanism located in the detection chamber (30), wherein the flipping mechanism is capable of flipping the battery (2) to be detected on the platform.

12. The battery detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: At least a portion of the shielding device (60) and the cover (20) are made of a material capable of preventing X-rays from penetrating.

13. The battery detection system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The material capable of preventing X-rays from penetrating is lead.

14. The battery detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The platform has a rotationally symmetrical shape.

15. The battery detection system according to claim 14, characterized in that: The platform is circular.

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