Fragment cleaning platform

Abstract

The utility model provides a fragment cleaning platform which comprises a transfer module, a cleaning module and a control module, the transfer module comprises a plurality of supporting rods arranged at intervals, and each supporting rod is provided with a corresponding lifting driving part; the detection module comprises a visual detection piece arranged above the supporting rods and a controller connected with the visual detection piece and used for detecting whether fragments exist on the supporting rods or not; the controller is used for controlling the lifting driving pieces to move the supporting rod located at the first position to the second position; the cleaning module comprises a cleaning guide rail and a cleaning device, the cleaning guide rail is arranged close to the second position of the supporting rod, the cleaning device moves on the cleaning guide rail, and the cleaning device is used for cleaning the supporting rod which moves to the second position and has fragments; the risk of hidden crack fragments caused by product damage can be avoided, and non-stop cleaning of the fragments is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of battery cell technology, specifically relating to a debris cleaning platform. Background Technology

[0002] The solar cell transfer platform is an important facility in the solar cell production workshop. It is used to connect the intermediate links of different production processes of solar cells and plays multiple functions such as buffering, temporary storage, sorting and preliminary quality inspection. It can temporarily store solar cells, so that the upstream and downstream processes can operate relatively independently, avoiding frequent shutdowns or blockages of the entire production line due to differences in process speed.

[0003] Most battery cell transfer platforms in related technologies adopt a one-piece molded rectangular platform. This rectangular platform has a large contact area with the battery cells. When there are fragments, residues, or other foreign objects on the rectangular platform, they will directly adhere to the battery cells. During the handling of the battery cells, the battery cells will be squeezed against the fragments, residues, or other foreign objects at the bottom, resulting in microcracks and fragments in the battery cells. Some fragments and residues will also enter the subsequent processing area with the battery cells, causing a series of adverse chain reactions. Currently, in order to avoid the impact of fragments and residues on the battery cells, the machine is stopped to clean the rectangular platform. After cleaning, the transfer and handling of battery cells will continue. The semi-finished products of the previous process may be piled up, while the subsequent process will be idle due to a lack of battery cells, which will disrupt the continuity of the entire production and waste time and labor costs. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a debris cleaning platform that can avoid the risk of product damage and hidden cracks, and achieve non-stop cleaning of debris.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a debris cleaning platform, comprising:

[0006] The transfer module includes a number of spaced-apart support rods, each of which is equipped with a corresponding lifting drive component;

[0007] The detection module includes a vision detection component disposed above a plurality of the support rods, and a controller connected to the vision detection component for detecting whether there are fragments on the support rods; when there are fragments on the support rods located in a first position, the plurality of the support rods located in the first position are moved to a second position by a plurality of the lifting drive components;

[0008] The cleaning module includes a cleaning guide rail disposed at a second position near the support rod, and a cleaning device that moves on the cleaning guide rail, the cleaning device being used to clean the support rod, which has moved to the second position and contains debris.

[0009] As a further improvement of this application, each of the support rods is also provided with a corresponding rotary drive component, which is used to rotate the support rod by a preset angle so that the lifting drive component moves the rotated support rod from the first position to the second position.

[0010] As a further improvement of this application, the lifting drive is also used to move the support rod located in the second position to the first position, and the rotation drive rotates the support rod moved to the first position in the opposite direction by the preset angle.

[0011] As a further improvement of this application, the cleaning module also includes a column that can move on the cleaning guide rail, and the cleaning device is disposed on the column;

[0012] The cleaning device is a cleaning brush.

[0013] As a further improvement of this application, the bottom of the cleaning brush is provided with a collection box for collecting debris after cleaning, and the side of the collection box near the cleaning brush is provided with an arc-shaped collection port that is adapted to the support rod.

[0014] As a further improvement of this application, the collection box is connected to a dust extraction fan via a dust extraction pipe, so that the dust extraction fan can extract the fragments collected in the collection box.

[0015] As a further improvement of this application, the cleaning guide rail includes a first guide rail extending along a first direction and a second guide rail extending along a second direction, wherein the first guide rail intersects the second guide rail.

[0016] The first guide rail is provided with a first driving member for driving the second guide rail to move on the first guide rail, and the second guide rail is provided with a second driving member for driving the column and the cleaning brush to move on the second guide rail.

[0017] As a further improvement of this application, the transfer module also includes a bracket, and the bracket has a plurality of grooves extending along the height direction on the side near the cleaning module, and one end of each support rod is disposed in the corresponding groove.

[0018] As a further improvement to this application, the support rod is made of a light-transmitting material, and each support rod is provided with a light-emitting element.

[0019] As a further improvement to this application, the visual inspection device is a camera, which is used to capture a top view of several of the support rods.

[0020] The debris cleaning platform provided in this application reduces the contact area between the support rods and the battery cells by setting several spaced support rods. This lowers the risk of damage to the product caused by residue and foreign matter on the support rods, resulting in microcracks and debris. The number of support rods is not fixed and can be adjusted according to actual needs to adapt to battery cells of different sizes. Each support rod is equipped with a corresponding lifting drive. A detection module captures images of the support rods. When debris is detected on the currently photographed support rod, the lifting drive moves the support rod currently in the first position to the second position. A cleaning brush then cleans the support rod in the second position containing debris. Simultaneously, the support rod in the second position is moved back to the first position for product transfer. This achieves non-stop cleaning of the support rods, ensuring the continuity of the entire production process and avoiding waste of time and labor costs. 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 the structure of the debris cleaning platform provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning guide rail in the debris cleaning platform provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a functional module diagram of the debris cleaning platform provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0026] 10-Transfer module; 11-Support rod; 111-Light-emitting component; 112-Lifting drive component; 12-Bracket; 121-Groove; 20-Detection module; 21-Vision inspection component; 30-Cleaning module; 31-Cleaning guide rail; 311-First guide rail; 312-Second guide rail; 32-Cleaning brush; 33-Column; 34-Collection box; 341-Arc-shaped collection port; 100-Product. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0028] In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of the components in a specific posture (as shown in the figures). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0029] To make the description of this disclosure more detailed and complete, illustrative descriptions of the implementation methods and specific embodiments of this application are provided below; however, this is not the only form of implementing or utilizing the specific embodiments of this application. The implementation methods cover the features of multiple specific embodiments and the method steps and their order for constructing and operating these specific embodiments. However, other specific embodiments may also be used to achieve the same or equivalent functions and step sequences.

[0030] Please refer to Figures 1-3 This application provides a debris cleaning platform that can avoid the risk of product damage and hidden cracks, and achieve non-stop cleaning of debris.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the debris cleaning platform provided in this application embodiment. The debris cleaning platform provided in this application includes a transfer module 10, a detection module 20, and a cleaning module 30.

[0032] As an optional implementation, the aforementioned transfer module 10 includes a plurality of spaced-apart support rods 11, each support rod 11 being provided with a corresponding lifting drive component 112. The lifting drive component 112 drives the corresponding support rod 11 to reciprocate in the height direction. This application supports the product 100 by using a plurality of spaced-apart support rods 11, which can reduce the contact area between the support rods 11 and the product 100, avoid damage to the product 100 when there are foreign objects or debris on the support rods 11, and reduce the risk of microcracks and fragments in the product 100.

[0033] It should be noted that the aforementioned product 100 can specifically be a planar structure with a large size but very thin thickness, such as a solar cell or a silicon wafer. Taking a solar cell as an example, most solar cell transfer platforms in related technologies adopt a one-piece molded rectangular platform. This rectangular platform has a large contact area with the solar cell. When there are fragments, residues, or other foreign objects on the rectangular platform, they will directly adhere to the solar cell. During the process of the robotic arm picking up the solar cell for handling, the solar cell will be squeezed against the fragments, residues, or other foreign objects at the bottom, resulting in microcracks and fragments in the solar cell. Some fragments and residues will also enter the subsequent processing area along with the solar cell, causing a series of adverse chain reactions.

[0034] Furthermore, in related technologies, in order to avoid fragments and residues affecting the solar cells, the machine will be stopped to clean the rectangular platform. After cleaning, the transfer and handling of solar cells will continue. The semi-finished products from the previous process may be stockpiled, while the later process will be idle due to a lack of solar cells, which will disrupt the continuity of the entire production and result in a waste of time and labor costs.

[0035] In this embodiment, the traditional rectangular platform is configured as a number of spaced support rods 11. The battery cells are supported by the support rods 11, which reduces the contact area between the support rods 11 and the battery cells. This reduces the risk of residues and foreign objects on the support rods 11 causing damage to the product 100 and resulting in microcracks and fragments. Furthermore, the number of support rods 11 is not fixed and can be adjusted according to actual needs, thus making it suitable for battery cells of different sizes.

[0036] Furthermore, the aforementioned detection module 20 includes a visual detection element 21 disposed above several support rods 11, and a controller connected to the visual detection element 21 for detecting whether there are fragments on the support rods 11. The visual detection element 21 is used to take a picture of the battery cell before the support rods 11 come into contact with it, and send the picture to the controller. The controller uses the picture to determine whether there are fragments on the several support rods 11 currently located in the first position.

[0037] In this embodiment, the position and focal length of the visual detection element 21 need to be adjusted accordingly so that it can capture more support rods 11 at the same time, reducing the number of shots. If the actual number of support rods 11 is too large to be captured completely in the same photo, the number of visual detection elements 21 can be increased appropriately, or the position of the visual detection element 21 can be adjusted. After adjustment, the support rods 11 in another area can be captured again until all support rods 11 are captured.

[0038] As an optional implementation, when the controller determines that there is a fragment on a certain support rod 11, it will control the lifting drive 112 to move the support rod 11 currently located in the first position to the second position, and at the same time move the support rod 11 currently located in the second position to the first position.

[0039] In this embodiment, the lifting drive 112 can drive the support rod 11 to move in the height direction. In the first position, the support rod 11 is close to the vision detection element 21, and in the second position, the support rod 11 is far away from the vision detection element 21. It can also be understood that the height of the support rod 11 in the first position is higher than the height in the second position.

[0040] Furthermore, after the support rod 11, which is currently in the first position, is moved from the first position to the second position by the lifting drive 112, the support rod 11, which has been moved to the second position and has debris on it, can be cleaned by the cleaning module 30.

[0041] Specifically, the cleaning module 30 includes a cleaning guide rail 31 and a cleaning device that can move on the cleaning guide rail 31. The cleaning device can clean the support rod 11 containing debris. Since the support rod 11, which was previously in the second position, has been moved to the first position by the lifting drive 112, the time cost wasted due to manual cleaning during downtime can be avoided.

[0042] For example, the cleaning device described above can be configured as a cleaning brush 32, which can move at least along the first and second directions under the action of the cleaning guide 31, that is, it can move at least in the XY plane; of course, if the cost allows, the cleaning brush 32 can also be configured to move in the XYZ three-axis directions. In principle, the cleaning brush 32 only needs to be able to move along the first and second directions, as those skilled in the art should know.

[0043] In this embodiment, since each support rod 11 is provided with a corresponding lifting drive component 112, in order to avoid the simultaneous occurrence of fragments on two adjacent support rods 11 that would prevent them from supporting the battery cells, this application sets the positions of two adjacent support rods 11 to be different at the same time. That is, when one of the two adjacent support rods 11 is in the first position, the other needs to be in the second position. It is necessary to ensure that the two adjacent support rods 11 cannot be in the first position or the second position at the same time. Only by setting it in this way can the support rods 11 be cleaned without stopping the machine.

[0044] Please continue to refer to Figure 1Taking the transfer module 10 as an example, which includes six spaced support rods 11, it can be observed that the first, third and fifth support rods 11 from left to right in the figure are all in the first position, used to support the battery cells, while the second, fourth and sixth support rods 11 from left to right are all in the second position, ensuring that two adjacent support rods 11 are in different positions at the same time.

[0045] When fragments appear on the first, third, or fifth support rod 11, the controller not only needs to move the support rod 11 with fragments to the second position, but also needs to move the other support rods 11 in the same group to the second position. The cleaning module 30 cleans the support rod 11 with fragments, and quickly moves the second, fourth, and sixth support rods 11 in the second position to the first position to carry the next battery cell to be transferred. This process will not affect the normal production of the equipment, realizing non-stop cleaning of the transfer module 10.

[0046] As an optional implementation method, in order to facilitate cleaning of the support rod 11 and to prevent debris from falling from the gaps between the support rods 11 onto the surface of the support rod 11 located in the second position, this application also provides a corresponding rotary drive for each support rod 11. The rotary drive can rotate the support rod 11 by a preset angle, and then move the rotated support rod 11 from the first position to the second position by the lifting drive 112, so as to prevent debris from falling from the gaps between the support rods 11 onto the surface of the support rod 11 located in the second position during the process of moving the support rod 11 from the first position to the second position.

[0047] When the support rod 11 rotates to a preset angle and moves from the first position to the second position, the cleaning brush 32 can move along the first and second directions on the cleaning guide rail 31. Therefore, the cleaning brush 32 can be moved to the position corresponding to the support rod 11 to ensure that the side of the support rod 11 with debris corresponds to the cleaning brush 32. Then, the cleaning brush 32 is moved along the length of the support rod 11 to clean the side of the support rod 11 with debris.

[0048] After cleaning the cleaning brush 32 containing debris, return the cleaning brush 32 to its initial position to avoid improper positioning of the cleaning brush 32, which could affect the subsequent rotation and lifting movements of the support rod 11.

[0049] In this embodiment of the application, after the cleaning brush 32 finishes cleaning, the support rod 11 remains in the second position. When there are debris on the support rod 11 in the first position that needs to be cleaned, the controller controls the lifting drive 112 to move the cleaned support rod 11 from the second position to the first position, and then rotates the support rod 11 in the first position by the preset angle through the rotation drive.

[0050] It is understandable that although the above mentions moving the cleaned support rod 11 from the second position to the first position, in reality, it involves selecting a number of support rods 11 that are adapted to the size of the battery cell, so that the number of support rods 11 located in the second position and adapted to the size of the battery cell is moved to the first position. These support rods 11 may include cleaned support rods 11, or they may include support rods 11 that have not been cleaned but were previously moved to the second position. Those skilled in the art should know this.

[0051] For example, the preset angle can be set to 180 degrees. In this case, the rotation drive needs to move the support rod 11, which has been moved to the first position, 180 degrees in the opposite direction to reset the support rod 11.

[0052] In this embodiment, to avoid damage to the surface of the support rod 11 caused by the cleaning brush 32, the cleaning brush 32 is made of a flexible material and a column 33 that can move on the cleaning guide rail 31 is provided. The cleaning brush 32 is placed on the column 33 and the column 33 drives the cleaning brush 32 to move.

[0053] Preferably, the length of the cleaning brush 32 should be greater than the width of the side of the support rod 11 that contacts the battery plate, so as to avoid the support rod 11 being unable to be thoroughly and effectively cleaned due to the size of the cleaning brush 32 being too small.

[0054] Furthermore, this application also provides a collection box 34 at the bottom of the cleaning brush 32 to collect debris. The side of the collection box 34 closest to the cleaning brush 32 is set in the form of an arc-shaped collection port 341 that is adapted to the support rod 11. In this way, while the cleaning brush 32 is cleaning, the collection box 34 can collect the debris that falls during the cleaning process in a timely manner, so as to prevent the debris that is too light from falling onto other support rods 11 during the cleaning process and affecting the cleaning efficiency.

[0055] Optionally, this application also includes a dust extraction fan (not shown in the figure) connected to the collection box 34. The dust extraction fan is connected to the collection box 34 through a dust extraction pipe. The dust extraction fan extracts the fragments in the collection box 34. Since the collection box 34 is located at the bottom of the cleaning brush 32, the dust extraction fan can also directly extract the cleaned fragments during the cleaning process of the cleaning brush 32, realizing negative pressure dust extraction of the fragments. Of course, if conditions and costs permit, vacuum negative pressure dust extraction can also be realized, which will not be elaborated on in this application.

[0056] As an optional implementation method, please refer to Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning guide rail in the debris cleaning platform provided in this application embodiment. The cleaning guide rail 31 includes a first guide rail 311 extending along a first direction and a second guide rail 312 extending along a second direction. The first guide rail 311 intersects with the second guide rail 312. This application provides a first driving member on the first guide rail 311 for driving the second guide rail 312 to move on the first guide rail 311, and a second driving member on the second guide rail 312 for driving the column 33 and the cleaning brush 32 to move on the second guide rail 312. In this way, the position of the cleaning brush 32 is adjusted by the first driving member and the second driving member to ensure that the cleaning brush 32 can effectively and accurately clean the support rod 11. Of course, other configuration methods that enable the cleaning brush 32 to move in the first and second directions are also feasible, and this application does not limit them.

[0057] Furthermore, the transfer module 10 provided in this application also includes a bracket 12 for supporting a plurality of support rods 11. The bracket 12 has a plurality of grooves 121 extending in the height direction on the side near the cleaning module 30. In this application, one end of each support rod 11 is placed in the corresponding groove 121, and the other end of the support rod 11 is placed near the cleaning module 30. The support rod 11 is driven to move in the corresponding groove 121 in the height direction by the lifting drive 112, thereby realizing the position switching between the first position and the second position.

[0058] For example, the lifting drive 112 can be configured as a cylinder, a drive motor, or an electric telescopic rod. The lifting drive 112 is also configured in the groove 121, preferably at the bottom of the groove 121. The output shaft of the lifting drive 112 is connected to the corresponding support rod 11. The rotary drive is configured as a DD (Direct Drive Motor) motor and is configured at one end of the support rod 11 near the groove 121. Of course, other configurations of the lifting drive 112 or rotary drive that can lift and rotate the support rod 11 are also feasible, and this application does not impose further restrictions on them.

[0059] Preferably, the support rod 11 can also be made of a light-transmitting material, such as acrylic sheet or glass. Each support rod 11 is provided with a corresponding light-emitting element 111 (not shown in the figure). In the scene captured by the visual inspection element 21, the light emitted by the light-emitting element 111 can make the support rod 11 and the fragments on the support rod 11 easier to capture. Furthermore, by setting the visual inspection element 21 above several support rods 11 and providing a corresponding light-emitting element 111 in each support rod 11, a backlit shooting environment can be provided, so that effective shooting can be carried out even in some low-light scenes.

[0060] In this embodiment of the application, the position of the visual inspection component 21 needs to be set above several support rods 11 to ensure that the visual inspection component 21 can capture a top view of several support rods 11. Only in this way can the fragments and debris on the support rods 11 be captured. The controller then determines whether there are fragments on the support rods 11 and which support rod 11 has fragments based on the top view.

[0061] Understandably, please refer to Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of the debris cleaning platform provided in this application embodiment. A relatively mature technical means is to analyze images through a controller to determine whether debris exists on the support rod 11. The aforementioned visual inspection device 21 can be set as a common industrial camera, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device camera) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera, whose resolution can reach millions of pixels or even higher. High resolution can capture tiny details of the support rod 11 to accurately detect whether debris exists on it. The controller can also be set as a common controller form such as an MCU (Microcontroller Unit), PFGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). This application does not impose too many restrictions on the specific setting of the aforementioned visual inspection device 21 and controller.

[0062] The debris cleaning platform provided in this application reduces the contact area between the support rods and the battery cells by setting several spaced support rods. This lowers the risk of damage to the product caused by residue and foreign matter on the support rods, resulting in microcracks and debris. The number of support rods is not fixed and can be adjusted according to actual needs to adapt to battery cells of different sizes. Each support rod is equipped with a corresponding lifting drive. A detection module captures images of the support rods. When debris is detected on the currently photographed support rod, the lifting drive moves the support rod currently in the first position to the second position. A cleaning brush then cleans the support rod in the second position containing debris. Simultaneously, the support rod in the second position is moved back to the first position for product transfer. This achieves non-stop cleaning of the support rods, ensuring the continuity of the entire production process and avoiding waste of time and labor costs.

[0063] It is understood that the technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0064] The above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of this application; however, this application is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of this application, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A debris cleaning platform, characterized in that, include: The transfer module includes a number of spaced-apart support rods, each of which is equipped with a corresponding lifting drive component; The detection module includes a vision detection component disposed above a plurality of the support rods, and a controller connected to the vision detection component for detecting whether there are fragments on the support rods; when there are fragments on the support rods located in a first position, the plurality of the support rods located in the first position are moved to a second position by a plurality of the lifting drive components; The cleaning module includes a cleaning guide rail disposed at a second position near the support rod, and a cleaning device that moves on the cleaning guide rail, the cleaning device being used to clean the support rod, which has moved to the second position and contains debris.

2. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the support rods is also provided with a corresponding rotary drive component, which is used to rotate the support rod by a preset angle so that the lifting drive component moves the rotated support rod from the first position to the second position.

3. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting drive is also used to move the support rod located in the second position to the first position, and the rotation drive rotates the support rod in the opposite direction by the preset angle after it has been moved to the first position.

4. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning module also includes a column that can move on the cleaning guide rail, and the cleaning device is mounted on the column; The cleaning device is a cleaning brush.

5. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom of the cleaning brush is provided with a collection box for collecting debris after cleaning, and the side of the collection box near the cleaning brush is provided with an arc-shaped collection port that is adapted to the support rod.

6. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The collection box is connected to a dust extraction fan via a dust extraction pipe, so that the dust extraction fan can extract the fragments collected in the collection box.

7. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The cleaning guide rail includes a first guide rail extending in a first direction and a second guide rail extending in a second direction, wherein the first guide rail intersects the second guide rail; The first guide rail is provided with a first driving member for driving the second guide rail to move on the first guide rail, and the second guide rail is provided with a second driving member for driving the column and the cleaning brush to move on the second guide rail.

8. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer module also includes a bracket, and the bracket has a plurality of grooves extending along the height direction on the side near the cleaning module, with one end of each support rod located in the corresponding groove.

9. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support rod is made of a light-transmitting material, and each support rod contains a light-emitting element.

10. The debris cleaning platform as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The visual inspection device is a camera, which is used to capture a top view of several of the support rods.

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